‘For at first, when the Uterus is cleansed by the Expurgation of the Humours, it acquires greater Heat, whereby the Semen Virile mixes the more powerfully with that of the Female, and is directed into the right Sinus of the Uterus, by the attractive Force of the Liver and right Kidney, from whence also, in these first Days, warm Blood is derived, to the Nutrition of the future Fœtus: Nor can the Parts on the left Side, being then cold, and void of Blood, immediately after the menstrual Discharge, contribute any thing; but Blood is by degrees drawn from the emulgent Veins of the left Side, which go into the Spleen and Kidney, so that, from the fifth to the eighth Day, some Blood flows from them, whereby the Fœtus is to be nourished; thus a Female is formed when these Parts compass their Strength, or are esteem’d as those of the Right out of their Situation, and also on Account of the Coldness of the Aliment. After the eighth Day, the Parts on the Right-side take the Office of preparing the Blood, which again begins to flow freely from them for the Growth of a Male.
‘After this Number of Days, because the menstrual Blood flows promiscuously, and the Matrix becomes too moist by the Afflux of cold Humours, and the Blood not being determin’d to either Part, but fluctuating in the middle of the Uterus, the Semina being there confus’d together produce an Hermaphrodite; which, when conceiv’d, receives Strength and Form sometimes from the right and sometimes from the left Sinus, enjoying the Efforts of both; Hence Androgyni or Hermaphrodites spring up.’
Tho’ Lemnius[52] has made so large a Comment upon that Sentence, which he would have us take for Avicenna’s Opinion, he is fond of giving another Opinion of his own, which he supposes to account for Hermaphroditism, and that is, any unusual or indecent Execution of the Coition.
‘Sometimes this infamous Conception is form’d from an indecent and unusual Copulation, as when the Man is supine, and the Woman prone in the Act, &c.’[53]
That this cannot be the Cause of Hermaphrodites is evident from this short Reflection, viz. That since the Fœcundation of the Ovum which contains the Fœtus, depends upon something immitted from the Penis, I believe it matters not in what manner that Ceremony is perform’d, provided that End is answer’d; and therefore Fœcundation cannot be alter’d, nor the Seminium changed, by any Variety in the Position of the two Sexes whatsoever, during the Act of Generation; for the Effect of the fœcundating Juice will be always the same upon the Ovum howsoever it is injected.
Dominicus Terrelius[54] imagines, the Cause to be in the Position of the Female, immediately after the Coitus.
‘After a Woman has receiv’d the Semen Virile into the Uterus, care must be had of the Position of her Body; which ought not to be supine, because then the Semen, remaining in the middle of the Uterus, does not become either a Male or Female absolutely, but both together which is call’d an Hermaphrodite.’
And tho’ this Author does not seem to think of a Number of Cells in the Uterus, yet according to his Notion for this Doctrine, he supposes Nourishment is drawn from each side of the Uterus to the Center, where he says the Semen is lodg’d, and being somewhat different, as to their Heat and Cold, the Mixture of these two kinds of Nourishment causes a promiscuous Sex; which he compares to certain Women of Tuscany call’d Lunenses, who, says he, being careless of their Position after the Reception of the seminal Matter in Coitu, brought forth many Hermaphrodites from time to time.