Buffon's Natural History, Volume 03 (of 10) / Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c.

by comte de Georges Louis Leclerc Buffon

It must be observed that this mixture of organic molecules of the two sexes contains similar and different particles; the similar ones are those which have been extracted from every part common to both sexes. The different particles are those which have been extracted from the parts whereby the sexes are distinguished; thus there is, in this mixture, double the number of organic molecules to form the head, or the heart, or such other parts common to both, whereas there are only what are requisite to form the parts of the sex. Now the similar particles may act upon each other without being disordered, and collect together as if they had been extracted from the same body; but the dissimilar parts cannot act on each other, nor unite together, because they have not any relation; hence these particles will preserve their nature without mixture, and will fix of themselves the first, without the need of being penetrated by the others. Thus the molecules proceeding from the sexual parts will be the first fixed, and all the rest which are common to both, will afterwards fix indiscriminately, whether they are those of the male or female, and form an organized being which, in its sexual parts, will perfectly resemble its father, if it is a male, and its mother if a female; but which may resemble one another, or both, in all the other parts of the body.

It seems to me that if this was well understood, we shall in a great measure be enabled to answer the objections made to the sentiments pf Aristotle, and which might also be advanced against this system. The question is, Why each individual, male and female, does not produce of itself an animal of its own sex? It must be acknowledged this question seems to carry weight with it; but having reflected a long time on this subject I think I have found an answer, and which I shall endeavour to explain.

It is certainly evident, from what we have said in the preceding chapters, and the experiments we have described, that reproduction is effected by the union of organic molecules returned from each part of the body of the animal, or vegetable, into one or many common reservoirs; and that they are the same molecules which serve for nutriment and expansion of the body. This appears to me to have been so clearly proved, that I apprehend no scruple can remain as to the foundation of the theory; but I admit there may be some reason to ask, Why each animal and vegetable does not produce its own likeness, since each individual returns from every part of its body, and collects in a common reservoir, all the organic molecules necessary for the formation of a small organized being? Why then is not this organized being formed? and why, in almost every animal, is a mixture of the liquors of the two sexes required to produce an animal? If I content myself with answering, that in almost all vegetables, and all kinds of animals which multiply by cutting, that it appears the design of Nature that each individual should increase its own species, and that we must regard as an exception to this rule, the use which is made of the sexes in other kind of animals; it may be said, that the exception is more universal than the rule itself. This difficulty will be very little weakened, if we were to say, that each individual perhaps would produce its like, if it had proper organs, and contained the necessary matter towards the nutriment of the embryo; because females have both this matter, and organs, and yet do not produce either male or female fœtus without the intervention of the male; which intervention of sexes in all animals is essential and absolutely necessary.

Although the testicles and seminal vesicles of a man, contain all the necessary molecules to form a male, yet the local establishment and arrangement of these molecules cannot be made, because the effect of an union is prevented by the continual circulation of the seed both by absorption, and the action of the new organic molecules which constantly come into this reservoir from all parts of the body. The same circumstances taking place with the organic molecules of the female, is an evident reason why neither can produce of themselves, because when the seminal liquors of the male and female are mixed, they have more analogy to each other, than with the parts of the body of the female where the mixture is performed. By admitting of this explication, it may be asked, Why the common mode of generation in animals does not agree with it; for, upon that supposition, each individual would produce like snails, and impregnate each other, and each individual receiving the organic molecules the other furnished, the union would be made of itself, and by the sole power of the affinity of these molecules among themselves? I own, if it was by this cause alone the organic molecules could unite it would be natural to conclude, that the shortest mode to perform the reproduction of animals, would be to give to one individual both sexes. But it is quite contrary to the general rule pursued by Nature, as this manner of generation is confined to snails, and a small number of other animals. This answer cannot be said to fully satisfy the question, as it merely supposes the male does not produce, as it cannot receive any thing from the female, and that having besides no proper viscera to contain and nourish the fœtus.

We may also suppose that the activity of the organic molecules, in the semen of one individual, has need of being counterbalanced by the activity or force of those of another individual, in order to fix and bring them into a kind of equilibrium, a state of rest highly necessary to the formation of the animal; and that this activity in the organic molecules can only be counterbalanced by there being a contrary action in those which come from the male, and those proceeding from the female; so that, in this sense, all living or vegetating beings must have two sexes, conjointly and separately, to produce their resemblances. But this answer is too general to be entirely clear; nevertheless, if we pay attention to all the phenomena, we shall find some explanation resulting therefrom. The mixture of those two liquors produces not only a male or female fœtus, but also other organized bodies, which have a kind of growth or expansion. The placenta, membranes, &c. are produced at the same time as the fœtus. There are, therefore, in the seminal liquor of the male or female, or in the mixture of both, not only organic molecules necessary for the production of the fœtus, but also those which form the placenta and membranes. We know not from whence these molecules come, since there is no part of the body, either of the male or female, from which they could be sent back. From hence it seems it must be admitted, that the molecules of the seminal liquors of each, being alike active, form organized bodies every time they can fix, by acting mutually one on the other: that the particles employed to form a male, will be those of the masculine sex, which will fix the first, and form the sexual parts; and that those common to both sexes will then fix indifferently to form the rest of the body, and that the placenta and membranes are then formed from the superabundant particles, which have not been used to form the fœtus; if, as we suppose, the fœtus is a male, then there remains to form the placenta, and membranes, all the organic particles peculiar to the feminine sex which have not been employed; and also all those of both which shall not have entered the composition of the fœtus, and which cannot be less than one half. So likewise, if the fœtus is a female, the same abundance will be left for the formation of the placenta, and membranes, and the whole effects be the same, excepting it will have the superfluity of the male, instead of that of the female.

But, it may be said, that in that case the placenta and membranes ought to become another fœtus, which would be a female, if the first was a male; and a male if the first was a female; for the first having consumed the organic molecules of the sexual parts of only one individual, and half those common to both, there remains all the molecules of the sexual parts of the other individual, and the other half of those common to both. To this I answer, that the first union of the organic molecules prevents a second, at least, under a similar form; that the fœtus, being the first formed, exercises an external power, which disorders the arrangement of the other organic molecules, prevents the formation of a second fœtus, and throws them into a state from which the form of the placenta and membranes result.

We are assured by the experiments and observations we have made, that every living being contains a great quantity of living and active molecules. The life of the animal or vegetable appears to be only the result of all the young lives (if that expression is permitted me) of each of these active molecules, whose life is primitive, and appears impossible to be destroyed. We have found these living molecules in every living or vegetating being, and are assured, that they are alike necessary for nutrition, and consequently, for the reproduction of animals or vegetables. It is not, then, difficult to conceive, that a certain number of those molecules united should compose a living being. Each of these particles possessing animation, an assemblage of them must be endowed with life, and thus these living organic molecules, being common to all living beings, they necessarily form any particular animal or vegetable, according as they are arranged. Now, this arrangement absolutely depends on the form of the individuals which furnish those molecules. If they are furnished by an animal, they will arrange under the form of an individual like to it, exactly as they were arranged when they served for the expansion of the animal itself; but must we not then suppose that this arrangement cannot be made either in animals or vegetables, but by the means of a kind of base, round which the molecules might unite to form the fœtus? Now, it is plain, this basis is furnished by particles peculiar to the different sexes, as I shall explain.

While the molecules of either sex remain by themselves, their action produces no effect, because they are without any opposition from any different kind of particles; but, when these molecules are mixed, then there are dissimilar parts, and those serve for the base and point of rest to the other molecules, and fix their activity.

In this supposition that the organic molecules, which, in the mixture of the seminal liquors of the two individuals, represent the sexual parts of the male, can alone serve for a base to the organic molecules proceeding from every part of the female, and those peculiar to the female sex as a base to them which are extracted from the male, we might conclude, that the sexual part of the male infant is formed of the organic molecules of the father, and from those of the mother, for the rest of the body: and that, on the contrary, the female partakes of its mother only in sex, and takes the rest of its body from its father. Boys, therefore, ought, excepting the parts of the sex, to have a greater resemblance to their mother than to their father, and girls more to the father than to the mother; but this consequence is not, perhaps, conformable to experience.

By considering, under this point of view, generation by sexes, we should conclude it to be the most general mode of reproduction, as it is in fact. Beings, whose organization is the most complete, as animals, whose bodies compose a whole, which can neither be separated nor divided, and whose powers are con-centered to one single point, can only reproduce by this mode; because they contain only particles which resemble each other, and whose union can only be made by different particles, furnished by another individual. Those where organization is less perfect, as that of vegetables, whose bodies may be divided and separated without being destroyed, can be reproduced by other modes. First, because they contain dissimilar particles; secondly, because their forms not being so determinate and fixed as that of animals, the particles may supply the functions of each other, and change according to circumstances; as we see roots become branches, and shoot out leaves when exposed to the air, which causes that the vegetable particles obtain a local establishment, become fixed, and are enabled to multiply, by various modes.