180 Dr. Haighton’s experimental biquiry 
itself. Why were there no foetuses on the mutilated side ; but 
only the corpora lutea ? Is the application of the semen to the 
vagina or uterus sufficient to stimulate the ovaries to perform 
their first procreative operations, without enabling them to 
achieve any thing more ? and does it require the permanent and 
active energies of this fluid, operating by direct contact on the 
surface of the ovaries, to produce the full measure of their ef- 
fects ? But as these are queries which cannot be answered from 
the mere reflexions of the closet, I must engage anew in the 
business of experimental inquiry. But the first step that ought 
to be taken in the management of this question, is to give full 
confirmation to the above fact, by a repetition of the experiment; 
I therefore engageda keeper of rabbits to procure me six in high 
breeding condition, as soon as possible. 
EXPERIMENT. 
Within the space of a month, I cut through the fallopian 
tube on one side in six rabbits. The season was warm, and 
consequently favourable for breeding. As soon as they reco- 
vered they were admitted to the male : but out of this number 
two only were impregnated ; and the keeper assured me that 
one of them had never been impregnated before. When the 
success in these experiments is compared with that of the for- 
mer, there was no cause for complaint. Of these two which 
succeeded, one had three corpora lutea and three foetuses in 
the perfect side, with two corpora lutea and no foetuses on the 
imperfect side. The other, which was the virgin rabbit, had two 
corpora lutea and two foetuses on the perfect side, with one 
corpus luteum and no foetus on the mutilated side. 
Having now three indisputable proofs of this important fact, 
