^10 Medicinf^\ [Chap. IV- 



influence of the semen masculinum is essential ta 

 conception. The abbe Spallanzani has thrown 

 much light on this obscure subject; he labours to 

 prove, by a variety of experiments, that the animaK 

 cule exists entire in the female ovum, and that the 

 male semen is only necessary to vivify and put it hi 

 motion. 



This part of physiology furnishes one among nu- 

 merous instances, in vi^hich modern improvements 

 in science serve to support and confirm religious 

 faith. It was mentioned, in the last chapter, that 

 toward the close of the seventeenth century, the 

 doctrine of equivocal generation began to be dis-r 

 carded by the ablest physiologists; still, however, 

 it continued to find some advocates long after the 

 beginning of the eighteenth. The atheistical ten- 

 dency of this doctrine is obvious; for, if a- single ani- 

 mal could be produced in this manner, what should 

 prevent the universe from having come into exist- 

 ence without an intelligent author? Accordingly, 

 this mode of accounting for the production of 

 animals was, in general, fondly embraced by those 

 who wished to exclude God from the creation and 

 government of the world. But all the experiments 

 and discoveries which were made on the subject of 

 generation, in the course of the century under review, 

 have served to discredit this doctrine ; so that it is 

 now considered, by the most eminent naturahsts, as 

 exploded. It is true, difficulties, or rather darkness 

 and doubt, still exist, particularly with respect to 

 tlie generation of one class of animals; but all mo- 

 dern experiments seem to concur with analogy in 

 showing, that the doctrine in question is imphilo- 

 3ophical and untenable. Indeed it may be assert- 



