Here is the Vis Informans accused of Opposition or Neglect in resisting, or letting the Semina go on their own way in the Formation of the Fœtus, which is much the same with Constant. Africanus’s Accusation of Forgetfulness or Impediment; and therefore what is said under that Author, will suffice for the rendering this Opinion also of little Worth.
The Principles laid down by Averroës[57] are no less particular than others just mentioned; he says, The Semen Muliebre abounds with, or is constituted of, Particles adapted to the Nature of every Member in the Body, and in order to account for a Superfluity of Members in a Body, he draws this Conclusion from thence; that if the seminal Matter in a Female is more than is necessary for the Formation of one Child, and less than will make two, the superfluous Part will form superfluous Limbs to the one Child, according to the Nature of the Particles it contains; that is, if it consists of Particles fit for the Head, there will be two Heads, and so of the Hands, Feet, &c. and then he adds[58], ‘The Cause is much the same, when the Parts of Generation of both Sexes exist in any Person.’ And that on the other Hand, if their be a Deficiency of the seminal Matter, some Limb or other must be wanting.
If this be thought a just Hypothesis, then we cannot but suppose, there is a great and most miserable Restraint upon the whole animal Part of the Creation; for if it be absolutely necessary that such a certain Quantity (and no more, nor less) is to be expended on the compleating of a proportionable Fœtus, I am of Opinion that not one third of the Animals of the World would escape being Monsters; and the Art and Business of Physicians would be more requisitely employed in ordering Regimens, and Calculations towards the fixing the Sustenance and other Non-naturals, in such Proportion to every Animal, as should produce in each an exact limited Quantity of seminal Matter, than in curing Diseases.
But besides adjusting the necessary Quantity of such seminal Matter, it would be no less difficult to calculate a Proportion of Particles for each Part, since our Author makes some Head-Particles, some for the Feet, and so of the rest; least, tho’ the Quantity in the whole may be just enough, yet, the Head Particles, for example, might be too many, when there might at the same time be less of any other Part; so that according to this Notion, a Child might be begotten with a Head and half, and but half a Foot.
But Gorræus differs from Averroës, as Liebaultius relates, who would not place the Cause of Hermaphrodites in the whole seminal Mass, but only in those Parts of it that are chiefly concern’d in contributing to the Formation of the Parts of Generation of both Sexes; and therefore, so general a mistake is not to be ascribed to him, as to the former, tho’ his Supposition is altogether as ill grounded.
Peucerus[59] comes into a Class with Averroës, but tacks some little Addition to the Doctrine of the latter, of a Superabundance, or Scarcity in any Parts of the Semen, their producing a Superfluity or want of any of the Members of the Body; he says[60],
‘If for making two Bodies the Matter is deficient, but is too much for one, the Vis Plastica forms more Limbs than are natural.’ A little after he adds[61],
‘In this Manner Hermaphrodites and Androgyni are begotten, who have the Parts of both Sexes; although one of them may be weaker and of less Efficacy than the other, and sometimes it happens that one may be changed or quite abolish’d.’