Others say. That Nature having always a particular care of the Propagation of Mankind, endeavours for the most part to produce Females: And thus we may observe, the Number of Men Hermaphrodites to exceed the Women ones, Nature having chalk'd out to the first the Lines of a Woman's privy Parts. To this Opinion it is objected, that Nature being nothing but the Power of God in the production of Creatures, it never works but according to his Orders upon the Matter that is given the Female; and of consequence Hermaphrodites depend more upon the Disposition of the Matter for Generation, than upon any previous Design of Nature.
Some are of Opinion, that God having created Man and Woman, we have essentially within us a Faculty to become either the one Sex or the other; for which Reason it is no wonder if an Hermaphrodite is sometimes produc'd, since we are potentially so. This Notion is drawn from Plato; and though some part of the Scripture may at first seem to favour it, yet, strictly consider'd, one may find a quite different Sense; and this Opinion was condemn'd by Pope Innocent III.
The Ancients were of Opinion, that there is a certain Cell in the Womb of some Women, into which the Seed falling, when Mercury and Venus, or Mercury and Luna are in Conjunction, an Hermaphrodite is engender'd; or that the Conjunction of Mars and Venus disposes the Matter that serves for the forming of the Child so confusedly in the Mother's Womb, that it becomes the Cause of the Birth of an Hermaphrodite. In answer to this, those Planets are too remote from us to be the proximate Causes, and to have an absolute Influence on the Body of the Child that is forming in its Mother's Womb; and admitting such a Conjunction might cause a Deformity, it would not appear however in two Hermaphrodites born at different Seasons: But in Turkey, and other Eastern Countries, where these Planets have the greatest Influence, Hermaphrodites are more numerous than in the Western Parts of the World, and they are oblig'd to go in different Habits from other People (viz. with Cloaths partly belonging to Men and partly Women) to prevent their lying with any; and if they go without these Habits they are punish'd severely.
These are the various Opinions of curious Naturalists; but to proceed to other Particulars which are more probable, we must more nicely examine the Nature of the Seed to find out the cause of the Confusion of Sexes. The Seed is for the most part indifferent as to the two Sexes, and if it happens to meet with a Ball or Egg in the Horns of the Womb that is full of Spirits, and includes a hot, dry, and close Matter, it will impregnate so as to produce a Boy; but if the Seed meets with a Ball or Egg, not hot nor dry or fill'd with Spirits, tho' it will animate it, yet 'tis with less strength, so as a Girl will be produc'd. And if the Matter contain'd in another Ball, is exactly temper'd in its Quantities, and equal in its parts, so as there is no Predominancy, the Seed of the Man by its superior Power will determine this matter for a Boy or a Girl: But if a Man's Seed dispos'd to determine the temperate Seed of a Woman to one of the two Sexes has not a sufficient quantity of Spirits to effect it, and the Seed of the Woman prevails for the contrary Sex, then an Hermaphrodite is form'd, who has relation to one and the other according to the different Endeavours of the animated Seed of the Man or Woman.
The Intelligence whose Business it is to compose the little Body of Hermaphrodites, is very much disturb'd to meet with a Matter that is intractable for the regular forming of the Genital Parts. On one side the Matter is moist and loose, on the other close and dry; here 'tis hot and there 'tis cold. This Matter is so different and consists of such rebellious Particles, that 'tis impossible to manage it, and the quantity of Matter is so small that it is destitute of Heat, without which the Intelligence cannot perfectly form all parts of the Body. If the Matter turns to a Male, he will be too dull and too cold to Engender, and will be imperfect in his privy Parts; if it proves a Female, she will in time be of too hot and dry a Nature, and will be Deficient of Organs for the Seed and menstruous Blood, in order to Form and Nourish a Child.
This Intelligence, or the immortal Soul that works from the Beginning, in all probability about the thirty fifth Day begins to be employ'd in making the privy Parts of a Boy, for which purpose it lays hold on the Matter at first Elected for that end, and which it put in the first place, where the privy Parts ought to be. This being done, it works continually, but wanting Matter to perfect the privy Parts, it borrows of the Neighbouring Parts, chusing rather to render others Disfigur'd, than to be wanting in the compleat Forming of the Parts that must serve for Generation.
But when there is not Matter enough to Form the genital Parts of a Boy, the oeconomy of the Intelligence Husbands it and places and disposes all things so well for the perfect forming of the Parts that 'tis not to be express'd, but the situation is inward, as wanting Heat and Strength of Matter to push them out, after this the Intelligence proceeds in the Forming of the privy Parts of those Hermaphrodites who are counted Girls, but are really Boys. These seem to Change Sexes, and in time come to be Men, and Marry, and get Children. The natural and genital Heat increasing daily, pushes out the privy Parts about the Age of fifteen, twenty, or twenty five, 'till which time they lie hidden. These must be at full Age before they are able to Caress a Woman; and where after the coming out or the privy Parts they Copulate, it will be a hard matter for them to Engender, being in their Nature Cold.
As the Intelligence wants Matter for the Forming of the privy Parts of the three first sorts of Hermaphrodites, so there is more than there is occasion for in the fourth. About the forty fifth Day, the Intelligence being at a loss how to place the Matter it has receiv'd for the Amorous Parts, determines at last to make the Clotoris bigger and longer than ordinary, and to leave to the inward genital Parts of a Girl a natural Figure, that they may one Day serve for Generation. These sorts of Hermaphrodites as I have already observ'd, have frequently pass'd for Men, being in reality nothing but Women.
But in short, the Intelligence must accomplish its Work, of what Matter soever it be; it begins to work, and will without doubt make Parts in some measure determin'd to either Sex, provided the matter be not so unequal, and of such a different Complexion as to make it impossible to effect it, when it Forms an Hermaphrodite, and sometimes a Monster that is neither Man nor Woman, as having no privy Parts, either of the one or the other.
