Now, that the Semen should lodge in the Middle of the Uterus, and not in the rest of its Cavity, is very strange, since there is but one Cavity, and no manner of Partition to confine it in one part more than another; and as to the Capacity of the Cavity of the Uterus, it is known to be very small, insomuch that if we may suppose any of that Matter passes into it, it is impossible but the whole must be fill’d, considering the Quantity of that Fluid that is generally injected at such Times.
But how ridiculous a Notion must it be, that in so small a thing as the Uterus, when empty, a hot nutritious Juice should occupy one side, and a cold one the other; besides, if it were incumbent on Women, after Coition, to place themselves in a certain Position, for fear of having monstrous Children, there would certainly be great danger of the Produce of many; for we may be confident no such Care is taken at those times, by any Woman whatsoever.
Empedocles thinks, that in the Formation of Hermaphrodites, the Parts of the different Sexes are drawn from the Parents in the Coitus; that is, those of the Male from the Male Parent, and those of the Female from the contrary Sex that begets them. These two Sexes, join’d in one Fœtus, constitute the double Sex, and an Hermaphrodite is form’d. His Words according to Caspar Bauhin[55] are,
Αλλὰ διέσπασται μελέων φύσις, ἡ μὲν
ἐν ανδρος, ἡ δ’ ἐν γυναικος,——
If we must, from this Opinion, suppose, that no Particle in the Semen Virile can contain any thing that might contribute to the Formation of a female Part of Generation, nor in the Semen Muliebre to that of the Parts of the Male; It is to be much fear’d, something absurd must be the Consequence; for allowing that Hypothesis held and receiv’d by Hypocrates, Galen, and many of the Learned that followed them, that the Fœtus is always form’d of both these Semina mingled together, it must follow, from the Notion held by Empedocles, that no other than a Child of two Sexes could be produced, and consequently the entire Race of Mankind must have been Hermaphrodites, since it was necessary both should contribute something, in order to consummate the Act of Generation. Or else, that if the Females should have no such Matter, as is call’d Seminal, that of the Males would always produce a Male by virtue of theirs alone, when injected into the Female.
But we are, according this Hypothesis, at a terrible Loss to know (if the Males had no seminal Matter) how a Female could be produced, tho’ the latter were never so well stored with such female seminal Matter; because, the former being without it, there could be no consummate Coitus, and consequently no Female; so that, to sum up this Opinion, we must conclude, if both contribute, Hermaphrodites must ensue; if the Males only, Males must only be born; but if Males have nothing to emit, neither Male nor Female could be begotten, and Generation must drop by Degrees.
The Opinion of Parmenides, an ancient Greek Author, appears in the following Lines, translated by Cælius Siciensis, from his Book which he wrote of Nature, concerning Hermaphrodites being produced[56].
‘When the Semina of a Man and Woman are mixed together, the forming Virtue, preserving a due Moderation and Temperature, will produce Bodies properly made; for if there be an Opposition of the said Virtue in the mingled Semen, she unhappily implants in the Fœtus a double Sex.’