O F P U B E R T Y. 427 



In women, the conformation of the uterus may 

 likewife occafion fterility. If the orifice of the 

 uterus be always open, or always fhut, concep- 

 tion will be equally prevented. But the nioft 

 frequent caui'e of barrennefs, both in men and 

 women, ariles from fome depravity in their fe- 

 minal fluids. I formerly quoted a remark of 

 Valifnieri, that a corruption of the fluid in the 

 teflicles of women rendered them entirely bar- 

 ren. It is the fame with men. If the fecretion 

 by "vA'hich femen is formed be vitiated, the fluid 

 is unfit for impregnation. Thefe caufes of fl;e- 

 rility are not difcoverable by any external ap- 

 pearances. 



In cafes of fl:erility, different means have been 

 employed to difcover whether the defed: pro- 

 ceeded from the man or the woman; Infpedion 

 is the firfl: refource ; and, if the barrennefs be 

 occafioned by a fault in the external conforma- 

 tion, it is fuflicient. But, if the defeft lie in the 

 internal organs, it is hardly pofiible either to dif- 

 cover or remove it. Some men, though they 

 appear to be perfectly formed, want the genuine 

 fign of a proper conformation. Others have 

 this fign fo imperfedly, or fo feldom, that it is 

 only a very equivocal mark of virility. 



Every body knows that the action of this part 

 is not under the command of the mind. It is 

 the moft animal part of the human body ; for 

 it a(fls by a kind of inflind, the caufes of which 

 are unknown. How many young pcrfons, c- 



ducatcd 



