352 Dr. Garthshore’s Remarks on 
Hull’s cafe now read, viz. “ That the hufband of one of 
<c thofe women who bore three children was by trade a pain- 
“ ter, and had been, for two years preceding this birth, para- 
“ lytic over one-half of his body, and yet had no reafon to 
44 doubt the fidelity of his wife.” 
Thefe fads, as far as they are to be depended on, may fhew 
us, that the capacity of procreation in the male may remain 
under very infirm health ; and that we ought to judge with 
candour of fuch wives as are fruitful when living with very 
ailing hulbands, and who produce healthy children in the 
eighth, or even ninth, month after their death ; as we can 
never fay determinately under what degree of difeafe the 
male is totally incapable of procreation : more especially as we 
are very certain, that the female is not, when labouring under 
very defperate, and certainly fatal, difeafes, provided the prin- 
cipal organs of generation be found. Nay, in cafes of pulmo- 
nary phthifis, the life of the female feems to be. protruded 
by pregnancy ; and I have attended a lady, who, after being 
pronounced irrecoverably, hedic, lived long enough to be twice 
delivered naturally of healthy children at the full time. 
But what particular circumdances of conditution, or date 
of health, can capacitate the male to become the father of 
more than one child at a birth, or how this could be effeded* 
Ihould it be wifhed, remains among thofe fecrets of nature 
which our want of fads and obfervations renders us utterly 
incapable to fpeculate upon. 
It feems probable, and thefe two obfervations, as well as 
Spallanzanis, and other late experiments, would rather 
incline us to luppofe, that thefe numerous births do depend 
mod on the drudure and date of the female organs ; but 
6 nothings 
