OF THE FOETUS. 273 



expanfion of the uterus never happens but after 

 impregnation, the feminal hquor muft be the 

 caufe by which it is produced ; for the uterus is 

 confiderably augmented before the foetus has 

 acquired bulk enough to dilate it by prefTmg a- 

 gainft its internal furface. 



It appears, from my own experiments, to be 

 equally certain, that the female has a feminal 

 fluid, which begins to be formed in the tefticles, 

 and is brought to maturity in the glandalous bo- 

 dies. This fluid perpetually diftills through the 

 fmall apertures in the extremities of ihefe bo- 

 dies, and, like that of the male, enters the uterus 

 by two different ways, either through the aper- 

 tures at the extremities of the horns of the ute- 

 rus, or by piercing through the fubflance of the 

 uterus itfelf. 



Thefe two feminal fluids are extrads from all 

 parts of the body ; and a mixture of them is all 

 that is neceflliry for the formation of a certain 

 number of males and temales. The more any 

 animal abounds in this feminal fluid, or the more 

 it abounds in organic particles, the number of 

 young is the greater, as may be remarked in the 

 fmaller animals : and the number of vounc; di- 

 miniflies in proportion as the organic particles 

 are lefs abundant, as is the cafe with the larger 

 animals. 



But, before taking any farther notice of other 

 animals, we Ihall examine with attention the 

 formation of the human foetus. In mankind, 

 as well as in the larger fpecics of animals, the 



Vol. II. S quantity 



