50 OF THE GENEPvATION 



of leprodudion In general : And as the gene- 

 ration of animals is the mofl: complicated fpecies 

 of rcprodiidion, they have laboured under great 

 difadvantages, not only by attacking the molt 

 difficult point, but by leaving themfclves no fub- 

 je<5l of comparifon to enable them to illuiirate 

 the queftion. lb this circumftance i chiefly attri- 

 bute the unfuccefsfulnefs of their attempts. But, 

 by the method 1 have obferved, I am perfuaded 

 that I Ihall be able to give a fatisfad;ory expla- 

 nation of every ipecies of reprodudion. 



Let the generation of man ferve as an ex- 

 ample. To begin with infancy : 



The expanfion and growth of the different 

 parts of man's body being effcded by the inti- 

 mate penetration of organic particles, analogous 

 to each of thefe parts, all the organic particles, in 

 early life, are abforbed, and entirely employed 

 in unfolding and augmenting his different mem- 

 bers. He has, of courfe, little or no fuperflu- 

 ous particles, till his growth be completed. It is 

 for this reafon that infants are incapable of pro- 

 pagating. But, when man's body has nearly at- 

 tained its full fize, he requires not the fame 

 quantity of organic particles; the furplus is, 

 therefore, fent from all parts into refervoirs de- 

 ftined for their reception. Thefe refervoirs are 

 the teftes and feminal veffels. At this very pe- 

 riod, w^icn the growth of the body is nearly 

 Jfiniihed, puberty commences, and every phae- 

 iiqmenon attending it difcovers afuperabundancq 



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