184, Dr. Haighton’s experimental Inquiry 
ence I perceived in the last hours, was a greater turgescency 
of vessels, as if preparatory to some important action. I de- 
sisted from this inquiry at the ninth hour, because the ovaries 
now bore very evident marks of impregnation ; and there ap- 
peared to have been no action in the tubes by which the semen 
could have been conveyed to them. 
The impression which these experiments at first made on 
my mind, was, I must confess, not altogether incongenial to 
my wish, in as much as they seemed to furnish a satisfactory 
answer to the question ; but reflexions when more at leisure 
abated my confidence, and in the end convinced me that my 
proofs did not exceed probability, so that there was still room 
for the suggestions of scepticism : and indeed it might be said 
with great propriety, that the tubes might have inclined to- 
wards the ovaries in the intervals of the hours above men- 
tioned, and have returned to their former situation, and thus 
have eluded my research. I think it but candid to acknow- 
ledge, that these last experiments do not prepare me to meet 
that objection. 
These reflexions suggested to me the expediency of con- 
structing a plan of inquiry more apposite to the subject ; and 
attended with experiments bearing more directly on the point 
at issue. Under this impression I determined to obliterate one 
of the tubes at different periods post coitum , and after the lapse 
of a sufficient length of time, to notice the effect. My parti- 
cular view in this was to allow sufficient time for the arrival 
of the semen at the ovaries, supposing it to take place; so that 
if they were stimulated by an affusion of that fluid, either in a 
palpable or insensible form, here would be time allowed suffi- 
cient to produce its effect ; and if in this mode foetuses could 
