VEGETATIVE LIFE. 37 



mass, and in the supply of waste ; while the motion 

 itself, or the production of force, appears in the shape 

 of waste of matter. 



In a young animal, the waste is less than the increase ; 

 and the female retains, up to a certain age, this peculiar 

 condition of a more intense vegetative life. This con- 

 dition does not cease in the female as in the male, with 

 the complete development of all the organs of the body. 



The female in the lower animals, is, at certain sea- 

 sons, capable of reproduction of the species. The 

 vegetative life in her organism is rendered more intense 

 by certain external conditions, such as temperature, 

 food, &c. ; the organism produces more than is wasted, 

 and the result is the capacity of reproduction. 



In the human species, the female organism is inde- 

 pendent of those external causes, which increase the in- 

 tensity of vegetative life. When the organism is fully 

 developed, it is at all times capable of reproduction of 

 the species ; and infinite wisdom has given to the female 

 body the power, up to a certain age, of producing all 

 parts of its organization in greater quantity than is re- 

 quired to supply the daily waste. 



This excess of production can be shown to contain 

 all the elements of a new organism ; it is constantly ac- 

 cumulating, and is periodically expelled from the body, 

 until it is expended in reproduction. This periodical 

 discharge ceases when the ovum has been impregnated, 

 and from this time every drop of the superabundant 

 blood goes to produce an organism like that of the 

 mother. 



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