GENERATION. 



N'-'itlier is tlie phenomenon at all like tliofc produced by 

 niufcular contraAion : it is a quiet and gnidual incicalo, and 

 it often lads for hours. Mnfcular aclion is fudden, and not 

 of fiich long duration. There arc oth-r examples of analo- 

 gous effects, which arc totally incxplicahle by mufeular ac- 

 tion. The nipple, wlien left to itfelf, like the penis, is foft 

 and flaccid, ihort, and retracted : when excited by gentle 

 friilion, it rifes into a cylindrical form, fwells, grows red 

 and warm : yet there is nothing like a nuifcle in the part. 

 The red flefliy organs about the head and neck of fume 

 gallinaceous birds undergo a limilar proccfs. 



It appears, therefore, that the change termed erection, may 

 take place in animal llrudture;;, without the alfiftance of any 

 mufeular power ; and it is by no mean:; certain, that any 

 mufcle is concerned in the particular cafe now under conii- 

 dcration. All that we can afcertain on tlie fubjeit is, that 

 the blood is fent into the corpora cavemola in much greater 

 quantities than it can return. If a mechanical obftacle does 

 not produce that rigid Hate of the organ, wliich is created 

 by the immediate action of defire, we conclude, that a more 

 fudden and complete congeftion is produced by the latter 

 than bv the former canfe. We cannot explain how tlie 

 proportion of blood, which arrives, is thus altered in relation 

 to that which returns, any more than we underftand the 

 analogous phenomenon in iiiflammation. It docs not feem 

 polTible to afcertain the mechanifm of the procefs by actual 

 (ibfervation. The circvnnllances already mentioned render 

 it proljablc that the nerves are materially concerned. 



Erection varies confiderably in its degree. The organ at 

 firll fwells, but continues foft ; it then grows confiderably 

 longer, thicker, more firm and warm ; and the glands become 

 redder. The corpora cavernofa penis are firll diilended, and 

 the glands fubfequently. In the Hate of greatelt rigidity, it 

 is proved, bv ridiculous experiments, that confiderable weights 

 can be fupported by the organ. The mere ait of erection 

 is not attended with thofe remarkable effedts on the frame 

 which accompiun emiffion ; it may be repeated or continued 

 for any length of time without any injurious operation on the 

 animal economy : hence, it is much more frequent than the 

 latter aft.. Under the influenc:; of certain feelings of the 

 moft acute 'kind, excited in the adt of copulation, the femi- 

 nal fluid is expelled from the ejaculatory duels into the ure- 

 thra. The pleafnrable fenfation is raifed to its highell pitch, 

 and is attended with a convuliive agitation of the whole 

 frame, before this effecl follows. " iVIaxima certe ell in 

 Venerc convulfio, et late patens tremor, ut femina, cui clitoris 

 titillatur, neqne fe fullinere pofiit, neque genua cocrcerc, n? 

 'tremant, et in alils res in plenam epilepfiam crumpit : nihil 

 audit neque fentit animal in venerea tentiginc. .Sunt, qui 

 animo in venerc linquantur, ctiam feminiE ; lunt non rari, qui 

 in grato nimis opere perierint. Eil autem oninino major 

 maris volnptas, ctiam in plerifquc animalibus ; n^.m mares, 

 prseter pauca exempla, feminas fequuntur, et nonnuuquam 

 pene invitas vi fubigunt : eft in viris glans, fenfus venerei 

 prascip'ia fedes, multo quam clitoris major, et certe ia vc- 

 uere tumidior. Et n aliquis fenfus ell in oilio uteri interiori, 

 quando femen eo perrenit, manifcllo tamen mas in egerendo 

 fcmine mijyribus, quam femina in toto venere, furiis agitatur. 

 Qux omnia fapienlillimis confiliia ita facia funt, ut virum 

 robore armatum, amoris dnlcedo feminag redderet a;quiorem. 

 Demum et cordis vires vehementer incitantur, et pulfus ac- 

 ceieratur, et cor palpitat, et refpiratio laborat, et eadem, 

 qr.x in nixu, phxnomena oriuntur.'' Element. Phyfiol. 7. 



567- 



After this tumultuous agitation of the whole frame, and 



when the fwelhng of the penis and glands has reached its 



greatell extent, the feminal fluid is thrown into the urethra. 



The antis is clof.-d by its fphinfter, and it is faid that tlie 

 Icvatores ani, by their mechanical prelTure, fqueeze out the 

 contents of the proitate and velieula; into the urethra. 

 Probably the coats of the-veficulx and vafa deferentia potiefs 

 fome contractile power, by which their evacuation is afiiiled. 

 T!ie contents of the prollate and veficulse are collected in 

 the bulb of the urethra, which is enlarged fo as to form a 

 kind of refervoir for them ; and are expelled with fome 

 force, by fuccelTive fpafmoJic contradtions of the accelerator 

 urinre. As foon as this is finiflied, tlie temporary agitation 

 fubfides, the blood returns from the cells of the penis, and 

 that organ regains its original magnitude. A degree of lan- 

 guor follows, proportioned to the previous excitation ; the 

 palpitation of the heart goes off, the hurried refpjration is 

 quieted, and the ilrength flowly returns. The fiibfequent 

 weaknefs is greater, in proportion as the aft has b< en more 

 frccpicntly repeated, and at fliorter intervals. In many 

 animals, where tlie fexual appetites are only exerted at a 

 particularfeafon, and where thepowersare exhibited andexcr- 

 cifed on a much grander fcale than in man, the debilitating 

 influence is '.v^ry llrongly marked. Tlie venereal powers of 

 the human fiibjeft certainly appear very limited, when com- 

 pared to thofe of moil animals : with a due regard tc lieallh, 

 he cannot much exceed the limits affigned by Haller. '■ Ho- 

 mini adeo modiex funt vires, ut non multo plus, quaiti bis in 

 feptem dlebus eoire poffit, et fi forte acri amore perciius, poft 

 longam caftitatem, femina concupita potltus, aliquotieJ 

 polTit femen emittere. Sed ea neque multum repeti poffunt, 

 neque durare." r>n attention to the diftates of nature 

 will certainly enjoin temperance in tliefe enjoyments. Tlie 

 performance of a funftion, fo neceffary to the contiiuiance 

 of the fpecies, has been enfured by the phyfical pleafure 

 affociated with it : but the effefts of too frequent repeti^ ion 

 produce thofe ferious confequences which the univerfal and 

 violent influence of the aft on our bodies would naturally 

 lead us to expeft. Severe nervous affeftions, impaired men- 

 tal faculties, and premature death, are the fure concomitants 

 of excefllve venereal enjoyments. Whether the convulfive 

 agitation of the body, or the eraifTion, be the moft injurious 

 under thefe circumilances, cannot, perhaps, be. decidedly 

 afcertained. " Omnia ilia majora et celeriora, ct minus 

 medica; manui obtemperatura, evcniunt ab-illa deteftabili ju- 

 vcnum circe, a qua amor abeft, ct in qua femen, multo 

 quam in naturx opere difKc.lius, ellcitur. Ab ca eVi.n cor- 

 riiptela impotentia infanabilis inper\enit, et feminis fliixus 

 involuntarius perpetuus, ob!llpa rigiditas, tabes intra trien- 

 nium funclla, aniiffa judicii vis, et omne fere malorum genus, 

 quod volis velis avertere." Elem. Phyfiol. y. 573. 



Thefe circumilances render it very ph'in that pol-s'gamv 

 is not fuittd to the organization and powers of man ; and 

 afford a much flronger argument againil the practice, than 

 the alleged fuperior munbers cf females in Eallern co'.mtrijs 

 would be in favinir of it, even if the faft were well proved ; 

 which we by no means admit. We may colleft alio, from 

 the foregoing accour.t, that the iexual functions ought not 

 to be exercifed, until the growth and ilrength are complete ; 

 and that all attempts at eKciting tlte venereal appetites, 

 before the natural period of their dcvelopement, mult be 

 prejudicial. On this fubjecSt we (hould bear in niind the 

 obiervation of Tacitus concerning t!ie ancient Germans ; 

 "Sera juvenum Venus, eoque inexhauita pubertas,'* 



Man is capable of exerciiing tlie generative funftions 

 through a certain portion only of his life. We have ex- 

 plained that the organs are in a llate of very imperfeft dcve- 

 lopement during the early periods of his exiitence. Bovs 

 have ereftions, but they are not produced by thofe ftimuli 

 which aft at a myre advanced age. In the middle of Europe, 



a ff.cre^ 



