124 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1797. 



pregnation has been very common in experiments connected with the mutilation of 

 these parts, I apprehend that the derangement in the present instance proceeded 

 from some disturbance given to the procreative operations in their commencement, 

 and therefore determined in the next trial to wait a few hours, the better to 

 avoid this. 



Exper. I repeated the operation on 2 other rabbits, in one at 4, and in the other 

 at 6 hours after coition. On inspecting the parts at the end of a fortnight, the first 

 was not impregnated, but the last was. In this there were 4 corpora lutea in the 

 right side, answering to the same number of fcetuses in the cornu uteri of that side; 

 but on the left or imperfect side, there were 3 corpora lutea without foetuses. The 

 corpora lutea on both sides were cut open, but not the slightest difference could be 

 detected. Now, if the contact of the semen with the ovaries in any form be essen- 

 tial to impregnation, here has been an opportunity for such contact during the space 

 of 6 hours -, but it has not been sufficient to advance the procreative operations 

 further than happened in those experiments where the tube had been divided before 

 coition. Let us then for a moment suppose that the interval be lengthened, in 

 order to allow a better opportunity for producing the full effects of impregnation, 

 by exposing the ovary a longer time to the stimulus of the semen. 



Exper. I cut through the left tube of another rabbit 12 hours post coitum, and 

 examined the parts on the 15th day. There were 4 corpora lutea with the same 

 number of fcetuses on the right side, and 3 corpora lutea without fcetuses on 

 the left ; so that 12 hours supposed exposure to semen, had made no sensible ad- 

 vances in the procreative operations on the mutilated side. 



Exper. The same operation was repeated 24 hours post coitum. Corpora lutea 

 were found in both ovaries, but fcetuses only on the perfect side. Now I observed 

 in one of the experiments related in the former part of this essay, that the vesicles 

 of the ovaries when examined 48 hours post coitum, were extremely prominent ; 

 they appeared as if going to burst : it is but reasonable then to admit, that at this 

 time they must have received their full measure of stimulus ; and if J of the tubes 

 was divided in this state of things, the result would be more decisive. 



Exper. The operation was repeated under the circumstances just described, and 

 in 14 days the result was ascertained, viz. 3 corpora lutea and as many fcetuses on 

 the perfect side, and 2 corpora lutea without fcetuses on the imperfect one. Now, 

 what mode of reasoning ought we to adopt here ? Has the mutilating process sus- 

 pended the effect of that stimulus which impregnation had begun ? and are those 

 appearances in the ovaries, any thing more than incipient relapses into evanescence? 

 Such really appears to be the state of things, and seems to mark in a decided man- 

 ner, a sympathetic connexion ♦between 1 part of the uterine system and another. 

 And were I to adopt the language of a late celebrated physiologist, I should say 

 t( that the ovary on the imperfect side, feeling the inability of the tube to transmit 

 its contents to the uterus, the proper receptacle, had suspended the usual operations 

 of these parts, from a consciousness of their inutility." 



