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efFevSuat.es in many fpe.cies of difeafe; and from the ge¬ 
neral vivacity and cheerfulneis cfi'fFufed over the whole 
animal frame. It would be prolix to go over every dif- 
eafe which will warrant theje opinions ; yet in the eye of 
common obfervation, the fallow and inanimate female, by 
coition, often becomes plump and robuft, beautiful and 
aiiive; while the widow or married woman, deprived of 
commerce with her hufband, gradually returns to the im¬ 
perfections and peculiarities of (Ingle life ; and that the 
antient virgin, all her life deprived of commerce with 
the male, is generally coillumed with infirmity, ill-tem¬ 
per, ordifeafe. It is well known, too, that the want of 
coition, at the time of life when nature teems .to require 
it, induces many diforders in females; and that the-ufe 
of it removes thefe, and even other difeafes. Chlorcfis 
alvnoft always attacks females immediately after puberty; 
and, even when the violence of its i’ymptoms have not 
been difcerned till a later period, it's origin can always be 
traced back' to that time. When the human fyftem is 
completely evolved, and all its parts have acquired their 
full growth, a balance is produced between the circulat¬ 
ing and foiid fyftems; though, from the ideas we have 
fuggefted concerning the menfes, this balance in the fe¬ 
male cannot ftridtly be called complete. It is only com¬ 
plete in her when in perfect health, and in an impreg¬ 
nated ftate; at other times, the catamenia, as preponde¬ 
rating again!! the powers of the foiid fyftem, in propor¬ 
tion to the degree of their period, difturb the equilibri¬ 
um, and thereby more or lefs induce a ftate inconiiftent 
with perfect health. But when the propelling power of 
growth has ceafed before the folids, either from aftual 
difeafe, or want of uniformity in either period, or accef- 
lion with refpeft to the progrefs of the circulating fyf¬ 
tem, have acquired their proper vigour and tone, and 
when the catamenia has affumed its deftination before it 
is accompanied, by the general as well as local energy 
which is requifite to expel it, an univerfal want of ba¬ 
lance comes on ; the blood lofes its Itimulating influence 
on the vitiated folids, and thefe, in their turn, act feebly 
on the diltempered blood. Accordingly, in the cure of 
this difeafe, no matter whether adopted from particular 
theories or from experience, medicines are directed to re- 
ftore vigour to the folids, and confluence and ftimulus to 
the circulating mafs. Nature proceeds in the fame man¬ 
ner ; and the beneficial effects of coition in the cure of 
this difeafe have been too material to efcape obfervation. 
It may be alleged, that thefe effects depend entirely upon 
local influence; and that even voluptuous gratification, 
by quieting the turbulence of paflion, is of confequence 
in the cure. We lhall not fay that thefe things are un¬ 
availing ; for it appears that the relief obtained is chiefly 
owing to the increafed intelfine motion, and confequent 
Itimulus, communicated to the blood by the abforbed fe- 
men, whereby the folids themfelves are ultimately reftor- 
ed ; and we are the more ..confirmed in this opinion, be- 
caufe all thefe fortunate effects attend, whether coition be 
Succeeded by conception or not. 
Let us now advance a little nearer our objeCI. It is be¬ 
yond a doubt, that, in whatever manner the femen afts 
upon the female, it does not a£t fuddenly, notwithftand- 
ing the general affertions of many authors. However 
productive coition may be, the fecundated product of the 
ovaria is not immediately difengaged. We dare not 
avouch this fa6t from observations made on the human 
fubjeci, becaufe fuch oblervations never have been at¬ 
tempted, nor ever can with the fmalleft probability of 
fuccefs : but the diffeCtion of brutes, by the molt eminent 
anatomifts, with a direCt view to the elucidation of this 
faCt, afcertains it as far as fuch evidence can be admitted. 
In the .difl'eCtion of imall animals by De GraafF, he found 
no discernible alteration in the uterus during the firft 
Forty hours after coition, but a gradual change was per¬ 
ceivable in the ovaria; and what he fuppofed the ripened 
origin of the future animal, at the end of that time, 
•loflng its transparency, became opaque and ruddy. Ar- 
P T I O N. 
ter that time, the fimbrise were found clofely applied to 
the ovaria; the cavities from whence the ova had been 
exprefled were difcernible; and about the third day the 
ova were difctJVered in the uterus. In laf-ge animals, 
and in thofe whole time of uterine geftation was longer, it 
was found that the progrefs which we have been defend¬ 
ing was proportionably flower. The fame experiments 
have been made by different anatomifts', and perhaps 
with very different views; and, though they have not always 
been managed with the Same judgment and dexterity, yet 
ail of them more or lefs confirm the idea that there is a 
confiderable lapfe of time intervening between productive 
copulation and the expulfion of the ovum.from the ova¬ 
ria. But if this is the cafe with animals which foon ar¬ 
rive at puberty, and which, like human creatures, copu¬ 
late not perfectly before puberty; whofe lives'ard Ihort, 
and progrefs in equal periods of time more rapid than 
thofe in mart ; by parity of realon, it mult happen, that 
in women the period between conception and the expul- 
fion of the fecundated produCt of the ovaria mult be con- 
fiderably greater than what has been obferved to take 
place in thefe animals. If all this be true, how are we to 
fuppofe nature to be employed during this interval? We 
believe it is during this period that the whole female con- 
ftitution is labouring under the fecundating influence of 
the feminal fluid taken into the blood by the abforbents.; 
while the ovaria are largely participating, and their pro- 
duft ripening, by means of the general Itimulating pro¬ 
cefs. And the lame procefs which maturates the ovum 
tends to facilitate its exclufion. The ovaria, as well as 
their produCt, are at this time enlarged, and other 
changes, lubjeft to the examination of our fenfes, in¬ 
duced. It is no proof againlt the reality of this general 
alteration in the circumftances of the circulating lyltem, 
and confequent revolution in the ovaria, that the whole 
is accomplilhed with but little vifible dilturbance, either 
local or univerfal. In other cafes of material alteration in 
the mafs of blood, equal quietriefs and obfeurity prevail. 
In 1 'crophuloUs or fcorbutic taints: in the inoculated 
imall-pox, or when they are produced by contagion; the 
poifon filently and (lowly diffufes itfelf throughout the 
whole mafs, and a highly nvorbid ftate is imperceptibly in¬ 
duced. Thus, an aCtive and infinuating poifon inti¬ 
mately mixes itfelf with all the' containing, perhaps, as 
well as contained, parts, perverts their natures, and is 
ready to fall upon and deft; oy the very powers of life, 
before one fymptom of its'action or of its influence has 
been difcerned. It is the fame in a confirmed lues, and 
even more remarkable in the hydrophobia; an'd the 
whole round of contagious difeafes have the lame un¬ 
alarming, yet certain, progrefs and termination. 
That the final influence of this elaborate procefs fliould 
be determined particularly, and at ah times, to the ovaria, 
is no way marvellous. To qualify the ovaria for this, 
they are fupplied with a congeries of' blood-veffel's and 
nerves, at puberty larger and more numerous than what 
is allotted to any other part of fimilar magnitude. Were 
the ovaria merely a receptacle for the ova, which the ve¬ 
nereal orgafm, communicated by the nerves, or by the 
impulfion of the applied femen, was to lacerate; what 
ule would there be for fo intricate and extenfive an ar¬ 
rangement of blood-veffels and nerves? But we may- 
farther remark, that every difti’nft procefs in the human 
body, either during health or difeafe, tends to one parti¬ 
cular and diltimft purpofe. The kidneys do not fecrete 
bile, nor does the liver ftrain oft' the ufelefs or hurtful 
parts of the blood which are deltined to pals off by the 
emUigents ; neither do the falivary and bronchial glands 
promilcuoufly pour out mucus or faliva; the variolous 
virus does not produce a morbiiious eruption, iyphiliuic 
caries, or Icrophulous'ulcer; why the!’ fhould the fecun¬ 
dated blood unconcernedly alut promilcuoufly determine 
its energy to the (kin, the lymphatics, or the fubltance 
of the bones ? We know none of the operations in the 
human body, deltined for the ordinary purpoles of life 
