Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CLXXXV. Of the Generation of Males and Females. (Book 185)

DIstinction of Sex is not essential, but consists only in the parts serving to Generation; Nevertheless Aristotle makes Male and Female differ, as Perfect and Imperfect; and saith, That Nature's intention is always to make a Male; and that on∣ly upon the default of some requisite condition she produces a Female, whom therefore he calls a Mistake of Nature, or a Monster. Galen likewise acknowledging no other difference styles Man a Woman turn'd outwards, because Woman hath the same Organs with Man, only wants heat and strength to put them forth. Now indeed this heat and strength is mani∣festly greater in Males then Females even from the first concepti∣on; for the former are compleatly form'd by the 30th day, the latter not before the 40th; the former move in the third moneth, the latter not till the fourth; those are born in the ninth moneth, these some days after; and besides live not if born in the seventh moneth, as Males do, whose periods are therefore reckon'd by Septenaries, and those of Females by No∣venaries. After birth, we see the actions of Males are per∣form'd with more strength and vigor then those of Females, who are actually colder and suffer more inconveniences from cold. They are never ambidexters, because they have not heat enough to supply agility to both sides; and their right side is peculiarly destinated to the Generation of Females, be∣cause the Spermatick Vessel on that side derives blood from the hollow Vein which is hottest by reason of the proximity of that Vein to the Liver; whereas the left Spermatick draws from the Emulgent, which carrying Serose humors together with the Blood, 'tis no wonder if the Seed of that side be crude and cold, and consequently fitter for generating Femals then Males: Hence Hippocrates saith, that if as Peasants tye a Bull's left Testi∣cle when they desire a Bull-calf, and the right when a Cow-calf,

the same be practis'd by Man, the like effect will follow. Where∣by 'tis manifest that whatever makes the Seed more hot and vi∣gorous both in Male and Female, furthers the Generation of Males, and contrarily; and consequently that the Morning, when 'tis best concocted, is more proper then the Evening, for begetting Boys; and the Winter then the Summer (at least on the man's part.)

The Second said, That as to the production of Males rather then Females, or on the contrary, no certain cause hath hither∣to been assign'd thereof; since we see that the same man, in all likelihood without alteration of his temper, hath only Girles by his first Wife, and only Boys by the second, and on the con∣trary; and some that could get no Children at all in their youth have had only Boys in their old Age. Others have Males first, others Females, and others have them alternatively. Whereof no other reason can be assign'd by Chance, or rather the Divine Pleasure alone, in the impenetrable Secrets whereof to seek for a cause, were high temerity. If heat and strength caus'd the difference, young marry'd people would not have Girles first, as it happens most often; and decrepit old men should never get Boys, as daily experience shews they do. Moreover, some men depriv'd of one of their Testicles, have nevertheless begotten both Sons and Daughters; which could not be, if the faculty of begetting Children of one determinate Sex were affix'd to either of those parts. And as from a false Principle nothing can be drawn but false Consequences, so also is it in the opinion of Aristotle, That Woman is but an occasional Creature. For then Nature should produce far greater abundance of Males then of Females, or else she would erre oftner then hit right (which is inconsistent with her wisdom), and yet in all places more Girles and Women are found then Men; as appears in that we every where see plenty of Maids that want Husbands, and in Countries wherein Polygamy is lawful, there are Women enough to supply ten or a dozen Wives to each Man. And in∣deed, Nature's design is mainly for preserving the Species; as that of every individual is to preserve it self; and the bare de∣gree of heat or cold in the Seed being but an accident of an accident cannot effect a formal change in the substance. Only defective heat may occasion an effeminate man, and abundant heat a Virago. Besides this Opinion destroys the common and true one, viz. That Generation is one of those actions which proceeds from a just proportion and temperature of the hu∣mors; whence excessive or feverish heat destroys the Seed in stead of furthering Generation, and is an enemy to all the other functions. Wherefore 'tis best to say that the same difference which is observ'd between the Seeds of Plants, is also found in that of Animals, though not discernable therein but by the effects: and as the exactest prying cannot observe in the kernel of an Al∣mond or Pine any difference of the Trunk, Leaves and Fruit

of those Trees, although these parts be potentially contain'd therein, so also the Seed of an Animal contains in it self even the least differences of Sex, albeit imperceptibly to the eye. Which the Rabbins being unable otherwise to comprehend, conceiv'd that our first Parent was created an Hermaphrodite, because both Sexes came from him, his own and that of Eve.

The Third said, That the sole ignorance of things occasions the ascribing of them to Chance, which hath no power over the wise, because they understand the reasons thereof. As for uni∣versal causes, as the Divine is, they concur indeed with parti∣cular ones; but as they are becoming in the mouths of Divines and of the Vulgar, so Naturalists must not stop there, since by the right use of external causes the internal may be corrected; by which correction not only Seeds formerly barren, or which fell in an ingrateful soil, are reduc'd to a better temper and ren∣der'd prolifick, but such as were destinated to a female produ∣ction through defect of heat, are render'd more vigorous and fit to generate Males. Now that young married people hit not sometimes upon this latter Sex, 'tis because of their frequent debauchery, which cools the Brain, and consequently the whole habit of the Body. Which happens not so frequent∣ly to men of more advanc'd age, who use all things more moderately.

The Fourth attributed the cause to the Constellations and Influences of the Stars which reign at the time of Conception; Males being generated under Masculine, and Females under Fe∣minine Signs.