58 OF THE GENERATION 



clent, but from the fame material caufe, namely, 

 the organic particles of food ; and what proves 

 the furpliis of the nutritive particles to be the 

 caufe of reproduction, is, that the body is not in 

 a condition to propagate till its grow^th be finifh- 

 ed : Of this we have daily examples, in dogs and 

 other animals, who follow, more clofely than 

 ■we do, the laws of Nature : They have no in- 

 clination to propagate till they have nearly at- 

 tained their full growth ; and by this we know 

 whether the growth of a dog be finished ; for 

 he feldom grows after being in a condition to 

 generate. 



Another proof that the feminal fluid is form- 

 ed of the furplusof the nu-trltlve particles, arifes 

 from the condition of eunuchs and other muti- 

 lated animals : In this unnatural ftate, animals 

 grow fatter than thofe who retain all their parts. 

 The fuperabundance of nutriment, having no 

 organs for its evacuation, changes the whole ha- 

 bit of their bodies. The knees and haunches 

 of eunuchs grow uncommonly large. The rea- 

 fon is evident. After their bodies have acquired 

 the common fize, if the fuperfluous organic par- 

 ticles found an iffue, as in other men, the growth 

 w^ould proceed no farther. But, as they want 

 organs for emitting the feminal fluid, which is 

 nothing but the fuperfluous nutritive particles, 

 it remains in the body, and has a confl;ant ten- 

 dency to expand the parts beyond their natural 

 fize. Now, bones, it is well known, grow or 



extend 



