The works of Aristotle, the famous philosopher. In four parts. Containing I. His complete master piece; ... II. His experienced midwife: ... III. His book of problems; ... IV. His last legacy.

  • Salmon, William, 1644-1713.
Date:
[1800]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of Aristotle, the famous philosopher. In four parts. Containing I. His complete master piece; ... II. His experienced midwife: ... III. His book of problems; ... IV. His last legacy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Sect. II. Of the difference between the ancient and modern Physicians, touching the Wo- man’s contra-uniting Seed, to the Formation of the Child. OUR modern anatomists and physicians are of different sentiments from the ancients, touching the woman’s contributing of seed for the forma- tion of the child, as well as the man; the anci- ients strongly affirming it, but ourmodern authors being generally of another judgment. I will not make myself a party in this controversy, but set down impartially, yet briefly, the arguments on each side, and leave the judicious reader to judge for himself. Though it is apparent, say the ancients, that the seed of man is the principal efficient, and be- ginning of action, motiort, and generation, yet that the woman affords seed, and contributes to the procreation of the child, is evident from hence, that the woman has seminal vessels, which had been given her in vain, if she wanted seminal ex- crescence ; hut since nature forms nothing in vain, it must be granted they were made for the use of seed and procreation, and fixed in their proper places, to operate and contribute virtue and effi- cacy to the seed; and this, say they, is further proved from hence, that if women, at years of maturity, use not copulation to eject their seed, they often fall into strange diseases, as appears by young women and virgins: And also it appears that the women arc never better pleased than when they arc often satisfied this way, which argues the pleasure and delight, say they, is dou- ble in women to what it is in men ; for as the delight of men in copulation consists chiefly in the emission of the seed, so women are delighted in the emission of their own, and the reception of the man’s.