,,fruits ,,of ,,philosophy ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,population ,,question ,by ,charles ,knowlton ,edited by ,charles ,bradlaugh and ,annie ,besant ,,publishers' ,,preface4 ,the pamphlet which we now present to the public is one which has been lately prosecuted under ,lord ,gampbell's ,act1 and which we republish1 in order to test the right of publication4 ,it was originally written by ,charles ,knowlton1 ,m4 ,d41 whose degree entitles him to be heard with respect on a medical question4 ,it was first published in ,england1 about forty years ago1 by ,james ,watson1 the gallant radical1 who came to ,london and took up ,richard ,carlile's work1 when ,carlile was in jail4 ,he sold it1 unchallenged1 for many years1 approved it1 and recommended it4 ,it was printed and published by ,messrs4 ,holyoake ,co41 and found its place1 with other works of a similar character1 in their ,freethought ,directory1 of #ahec1 and was thus identified with freethought literature at the then leading freethought depot ,mr4 ,austin ,holyoake1 working in con-junction with ,mr4 ,bradlaugh at the ,national ,reformer office1 ,johnson's ,court1 printed and published it in his turn1 and this well-known freethought advocate1 in his ,large or ,small ,families1 selected this pamphlet1 together with ,r4 ,d4 ,owen's ,moral ,physiology and the ,elements of ,social ,science1 for special recommendation4 ,mr4 ,charles ,watts1 succeeding to ,mr4 ,austin ,holyoake's business1 continued the sale1 and1 when ,mr4 ,watson died1 in #ahge1 he bought the plates of the work 7with others7 from ,mrs4 ,watson1 and continued to advertise and to sell it until ,december #bc1 #ahgf4 ,for the last forty years the book has thus been identified with freethought1 advertised by leading freethinkers1 published under the sanction of their names1 and sold in the headquarters of freethought literature4 ,if1 during this long period1 the party has thus--without one word of protest--circulated an indecent work1 the less we talk about freethought morality the better2 the work has been largely sold1 and1 if leading freethinkers have sold it--profiting by the sale--through mere carelessness1 few words could be strong enough to brand the indifference which thus scattered obscenity broadcast over the land4 ,the pamphlet has been withdrawn from circulation in consequence of the prosecution instituted against ,mr4 ,charles ,watts1 but the question of its legality or illegality has not been tried2 a plea of ,guilty was put in by the publisher1 and the book1 therefore1 was not examined1 nor was any judgment passed upon it2 no jury registered a verdict1 and the judge stated that he had not read the work4 ,we republish this pamphlet1 honestly believing that on all questions affecting the happiness of the people1 whether they be theological1 political or social1 fullest right of free discussion ought to be maintained at all hazards4 ,we do not personally indorse all that ,dr4 ,knowles says3 his ,philosophical ,proem seems to us full of philosophical mistakes1 and--as we are neither of us doctors--we are not prepared to indorse his medical views2 but since progress can only be made through discussion1 and no discussion is possible where differing opinions are suppressed1 we claim the right to publish all opinions1 so that the public1 enabled to see all sides of a question1 may have the materials for forming a sound judgment4 ,the alterations made are very slight1 the book was badly printed1 and errors of spelling and a few clumsy grammatical expressions have been corrected2 the subtitle has been changed1 and in one case four lines have been omitted1 because they are repeated word for word further on4 ,we have1 however1 made some additions to the pamphlet1 which are in all cases kept distinct from the original text4 ,physiology has made great strides during the past forty years1 and not considering it right to circulate erroneous physiology1 we submitted the pamphlet to a doctor in whose accurate knowledge we have the fullest confidence1 and who is widely known in all parts of the world as the author of the ,elements of ,social ,science2 the notes signed ,g4 ,b4 are written by this gentleman4 ,references to other works are given in foot-notes for the assistance of the reader1 if he desires to study up the subject further4 ,old ,radicals will remember that ,richard ,carlile published a work entitled ,every ,woman's ,book1 which deals with the same subject and advocates the same object as ,dr4 ,knowlton's pamphlet ,r4 ,d4 ,owen objected to the style and tone of ,carlile's ,every ,woman's ,book1 as not being in good taste1 and he wrote his ,moral ,physiology to do in ,america what ,carlile's work was intended to do in ,england4 ,this work of ,carlile's was stigmatized as indecent and immoral1 because it advocated1 as does ,dr4 ,knowlton's1 the use of preventive checks to population4 ,in striving to carry on ,carlile's work1 we cannot expect to escape ,carlile's reproach2 but1 whether applauded or condemned1 we mean to carry it on1 socially as well as politically and theologically4 ,we believe1 with the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,malthus1 that population has a tendency to increase faster than the means of existence1 and that some checks must therefore exercise control over population4 ,the checks now exercised are semi-starvation and preventable disease2 the enormous mortality among the infants of the poor is one of the checks which now keep down the population4 ,the checks that ought to control population are scientific1 and it is these which we advocate4 ,we think it more moral to prevent the conception of children than1 after they are born1 to murder them by want of food1 air and clothing4 ,we advocate scientific checks to population1 because1 so long as poor men have large families1 pauperism is a necessity1 and from pauperism grow crime and disease4 ,the wages which would support the parents and two or three children in comfort and decency1 is utterly insufficient to maintain a family of twelve or fourteen1 and we consider it a crime to bring into the world human beings doomed to misery or to premature death4 ,it is not only the hard-working classes which are concerned in this question4 ,the poor preacher1 the struggling man of business1 the young professional man1 are often made wretched for life by their inordinately large families1 and their years are passed in one long battle to live2 meanwhile1 the woman's health is sacrificed and her life embittered from the same cause4 ,to all of these we point the way of relief and happiness2 for the sake of these we publish what others fear to issue2 and we do it confident that if we fail the first time1 we shall succeed at last1 and that the ,english public will not permit the authorities to stifle a discussion of the most important social question which can influence a nation's welfare4 ,charles ,bradlaugh4 ,annie ,besant4 ,,philosophical ,,proem ,consciousness is not a principle or substance of any kind1 nor is it1 strictly speaking1 a property of any substance or being4 ,it is a peculiar action of the nervous system1 and the system is said to be sensible1 or to possess the property of sensibility1 because those sentient actions which constitute our different consciousnesses may be excited in it4 ,the nervous system includes not only the brain and spinal marrow1 but numerous soft white cords1 called nerves1 which extend from the brain and spinal marrow to every part of the body in which a sensation can be excited4 ,a sensation is a sentient action of a nerve and the brain2 a thought or idea 7both the same thing7 is a sentient action of the brain alone4 ,a sensation or a thought is consciousness1 and there is no consciousness but that which consists either in a sensation or a thought4 ,agreeable consciousness constitutes what we call happiness1 and disagreeable consciousness constitutes misery4 ,as sensations are a higher degree of consciousness than mere thought1 it follows that agreeable sensations constitute a more exquisite happiness than agreeable thoughts4 ,that portion of happiness which consists in agreeable sensations is commonly called pleasure4 ,no thoughts are agreeable except those which were originally excited by or have been associated with agreeable sensations4 ,hence1 if a person never had experienced any agreeable sensations1 he could have no agreeable thoughts1 and would1 of course1 be an entire stranger to happiness4 ,there are five species of sensations--seeing1 hearing1 smelling1 tasting and feeling4 ,there are many varieties of feeling--as the feelings of hunger1 thirst1 cold1 hardness1 etc4 ,many of these feelings are excited by agents that act upon the exterior of the body1 such as solid substances of every kind1 heat1 and various chemical irritants4 ,these latter feelings are called passions4 ,those passions which owe their existence chiefly to the state of the brain1 or to causes acting directly upon the brain1 are called the moral passion4 ,they are grief1 anger1 love1 etc4 ,they consist of sentient actions1 which commence in the brain and extend to the nerves in the region of the stomach1 etc4 ,but when the cause of the internal feeling of passion is seated in some organ remote from the brain1 as in the stomach1 genital organs1 etc41 the sentient action which constitutes the passion commences in the nerves of such organ and extends to the brain1 and the passion is called an appetite1 instinct1 or desire4 ,some of these passions are natural1 as hunger1 thirst1 the reproductive instinct1 the desire to urinate1 etc4 ,others are gradually acquired by habit ,a hankering for stimulants1 as spirits1 opium and tobacco1 is one of these4 ,such is the nature of things that our most vivid and agreeable sensations cannot be excited under all circumstances1 nor beyond a certain extent under any circumstances1 without giving rise in one way or another to an amount of disagreeable consciousness or misery1 exceeding the amount of agreeable consciousness which attends such ill-timed or excessive gratification4 ,to excite agreeable sensations to a degree not exceeding this certain extent is temperance2 to excite them beyond this extent is intemperance2 not to excite them at all is mortification or abstinence4 ,this certain extent varies with different individuals1 according to their several circumstances1 so that what would be temperance in one person may be intemperance in another4 ,to be free from disagreeable consciousness is to be in a state which1 compared with a state of misery1 is a happy state2 yet absolute happiness does not exist in the absence of misery1 if it does1 rocks are happy4 ,it consists1 as aforesaid1 in agreeable consciousness4 ,that which enables a person to excite or maintain agreeable consciousness is not happiness2 but the idea of having such in one's possession is agreeable1 and of course is a portion of happiness4 ,health and wealth go far in enabling a person to excite and maintain agreeable consciousness4 ,that which gives rise to agreeable consciousness is good1 and we desire it4 ,if we use it intemperately1 such use is bad1 but the thing itself is still good4 ,those acts 7and intentions are acts of that part of man which intends7 of human beings which tend to the promotion of happiness are good1 but they are also called virtuous1 to distinguish them from other things of the same tendency4 ,there is nothing for the word virtue to signify1 but virtuous actions4 ,sin signifies nothing but sinful actions1 and sinful1 wicked1 vicious1 or bad actions are those which are productive of more misery than happiness4 ,when an individual gratifies any of his instincts in a temperate degree1 he adds an item to the sum total of human happiness1 and causes the amount of human happiness to exceed the amount of misery farther than if he had not enjoyed himself1 therefore it is virtuous1 or1 to say the least1 it is not vicious or sinful for him to do so4 ,but it must ever be remembered that this temperate degree depends on circumstances2 that one person's health1 pecuniary circumstances1 or social relation may be such that it would cause more misery than happiness for him to do an act which being done by a person under different circumstances would cause more happiness than misery4 ,therefore1 it would be right for the latter to perform such act1 but not for the former4 ,again3 owing to his ignorance1 a man may not be able to gratify a desire without causing misery 7wherefore it would be wrong for him to do it71 but with knowledge of means to prevent this misery1 he may so gratify it that more pleasure than pain will be the result of the act1 in which case the act1 to say the least1 is justifiable4 ,now1 therefore1 it is virtuous1 nay1 it is the duty1 for him who has a knowledge of such means1 to convey it to those who have it not1 for by so doing he furthers the cause of human happiness4 ,man by nature is endowed with the talent of devising means to remedy or prevent the evils that are liable to arise from gratifying our appetites2 and it is as much the duty of the physician to inform mankind of the means to prevent the evils that are liable to arise from gratifying the productive instinct as it is to inform them how to keep clear of the gout or dyspepsia4 ,let not the old ascetic say we ought not to gratify our appetites any further than is necessary to maintain health and to perpetuate the species4 ,mankind will not so abstain1 and if any means to prevent the evils that may arise from a farther gratification can be devised1 they need not4 ,heaven has not only given us the capacity of greater enjoyment1 but the talent of devising means to prevent the evils that are liable to arise therefrom1 and it becomes us1 with thanksgiving1 to make the most of them4 ,,fruits ,,of ,,philosophy4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,to ,,limit ,,at ,,will ,,the ,,number ,,of ,,their ,,offspring ,showing how desirable it is1 both in a political and a social point of view1 for mankind to be able to limit at ,,will ,,the ,,number ,,of ,,their ,,offspring1 ,,without ,,sacrificing ,,the ,,pleasure ,,that ,,attends ,,the ,,gratification ,,of ,,the ,,reproductive ,,instinct4 ,first4---,in a political point of view4--,if population be not restrained by some great physical calamity1 such as we have reason to hope will not hereafter be visited upon the children of men1 or by some moral restraint1 the time will come when the earth cannot support its inhabitants4 ,population unrestrained will double three times in a century4 ,hence1 computing the present population of the earth at #a1jjj millions1 there would be at the end of #ajj years from the present time1 #h1jjj millions4 ,at the end of #bjj years1 #fd1jjj millions4 #cjj #eab1jjj ,and so on1 multiplying by eight for every additional hundred years4 ,so that in #ejj years from the present time there would be thirty-two thousand seven hundred and sixty eight times as many inhabitants as at present4 ,if the natural increase should go on without check for #a1ejj years1 one single pair would increase to more than thirty-five thousand one hundred and eighty-four times as many as the present population of the whole earth6 ,some check then there must be1 or the time will come when millions will be born but to suffer and to perish for the necessaries of life4 ,to what an inconceivable amount of human misery would such a state of things give rise6 ,and must we say that vice1 war1 pestilence and famine are desirable to prevent it8 ,must the friends of temperance and domestic happiness stay their efforts8 ,must peace societies excite to war and bloodshed8 ,must the physician cease to investigate the nature of contagion1 and to search for the means of destroying its baneful influence8 ,must he that becomes diseased be marked as a victim to die for public good1 without the privilege of making an effort to restore him to health8 ,and in case of a failure of crops in one part of the world1 must the other parts withhold the means of supporting life that the far greater evil of excessive population throughout the world may be prevented8 ,can there be no effectual moral restraint1 attended with far less human misery than such physical calamities as these8 ,most surely there can4 ,but what is it8 ,malthus1 an ,english writer on the subject of population1 gives us none but celibacy to a late age4 ,but how foolish it is to suppose that men and women will become as monks and nuns during the very holiday of their existence1 and abjure during the fairest years of life the nearest and dearest of social relations1 to avert a catastrophe which they and perhaps their children will not live to witness4 ,but1 besides being ineffectual1 or if effectual1 requiring a great sacrifice of enjoyment1 this restraint is highly objectionable on the score of its demoralizing tendency4 ,it would give rise to a frightful increase of prostitution1 of intemperance and onanism1 and prove destructive to health and moral feelings4 ,in spite of preaching1 human nature will ever remain the same2 and that restraint which forbids the gratification of the reproductive instinct will avail but little with the mass of mankind4 ,the checks to be hereafter mentioned are the only moral restraints to population known to the writer that are unattended with serious objections4 ,besides starvation1 with all its accompanying evils1 overpopulation is attended with other public evils1 of which may be mentioned1 ignorance and slavery4 ,where the mass of the people must toil incessantly to obtain support1 they must remain ignorant2 and where ignorance prevails1 tyranny reigns499 99 ,the scientific part of ,malthus' ,doctrine of ,population is not very clearly or correctly given in the above passages4 ,his great theory1 now or generally held by the most eminent political economists1 is that the increase of population is always powerfully checked in old countries by the difficulty in increasing the supply of food2 that the existing evils of poverty and low wages are really at bottom caused by this check1 and are brought about by the pressure of population on the soil1 and the continual overstocking of the labor markets with laborers2 and hence that the only way in which society can escape from poverty1 with all its miseries1 is by putting a strong restraint on their natural powers of multiplication4 ,it is not in the nature of things1 he says1 that any permanent and general improvement in the condition of the poor can be effected without an increase in the preventive checks to population4--,g4 ,r4 ,second--,in a social point of view4--,is it not notorious that the families of the married often increase beyond which a regard for the young beings coming into the world1 and the happiness of those who give them birth1 would dictate4 ,in how many instances does the hard-working father1 and more especially the mother1 of a poor family remain slave throughout their lives1 tugging at the oar of incessant labor1 toiling to live1 and living to toil2 when1 if their offspring had been limited to two or three only1 they might have enjoyed comfort and comparative affluence8 ,how often is the health of the mother1 giving birth every year to an infant--happy if it be not twins--and compelled to toil on1 even at those times when nature imperiously calls for some relief from daily drudgery1--how often is the mother's comfort1 health1 nay1 even her life1 thus sacrificed8 ,or if care and toil have weighed down the spirit1 and at length broken the health of the father2 how often is the widow left unable1 with the most virtuous intentions1 to save her fatherless offspring from becoming degraded objects of charity1 or profligate votaries of vice6 ,nor is this all4 ,many women are so constituted that they cannot give birth to healthy1 sometimes not to living children4 ,is it desirable1 is it moral1 that such women should become pregnant8 ,yet this is continually the case4 ,others there are who ought never to become parents2 because1 if they do1 it is only to transmit to their offspring grievous hereditary diseases1 which render such offspring mere subjects of misery throughout their sickly existence4 ,yet such women will not lead a life of celibacy4 ,they marry4 ,they become parents1 and the sum of human misery is increased by their doing so4 ,but it is folly to expect that we can induce such persons to live the lives of ,shakers4 ,nor is it necessary2 all that duty requires of them is to refrain from becoming parents4 ,who can estimate the beneficial effect which a rational moral restraint may thus have on the health and beauty and physical improvement of our race throughout future generations8 ,let us now turn our attention to the case of unmarried youth4 ,almost all young persons1 on reaching the age of maturity1 desire to marry4 ,that heart must be very cold1 or very isolated1 that does not find some object on which to bestow its affections4 ,thus1 early marriage would be almost universal did not prudential consideration interfere4 ,the young man thinks1 ',i cannot marry yet2 ,i cannot support a family4 ,i must make money first1 and think of a matrimonial settlement afterwards4' ,and so he goes to making money1 fully and sincerely resolved in a few years to share it with her whom he now loves4 ,but passions are strong and temptations great4 ,curiosity1 perhaps1 introduces him into the company of those poor creatures whom society first reduces to a dependence on the most miserable of mercenary trades1 and then curses for being what she has made them4 ,there his health and moral feelings are alike made shipwreck4 ,the affections he had thought to treasure up for their first object are chilled by dissipation and blunted by excess4 ,he scarcely retains a passion but avarice4 ,years pass on--years of profligacy and speculation--and his wish is accomplished1 his fortune is made4 ,where now are the feelings and resolve of his youth8 ',like the dew on the mountain1 ,like the foam on the river1 ,like the bubbles on the fountain1 ,they are gone--and forever4' ,he is a man of pleasure1 a man of the world4 ,he laughs at the romance of his youth1 and marries a fortune4 ,if gaudy equipage and gay parties confer happiness1 he is happy4 ,but if these be only the sunshine on the stormy sea below1 he is a victim to that system of morality which forbids a reputable connection until the period when provision has been made for a large expected family4 ,had he married the first object of his choice1 and simply delayed becoming a father until his prospects seemed to warrant it1 how different might have been his lot4 ,until men and women are absolved from the fear of becoming parents1 except when they themselves desire it1 they will ever form mercenary and demoralizing connections1 and seek in dissipation the happiness they might have found in domestic life4 ,i know that this1 however common1 is not a universal case4 ,sometimes the heavy responsibilities of a family are incurred at all risks2 and who shall say how often a life of unremitting toil and poverty is the consequence4 ,sometimes1 if even rarely1 the young mind does hold its first resolves4 ,the youth plods through years of cold celibacy and solitary anxiety1 happy if1 before the best hours of his life are gone and its warmest feelings withered1 he may return to claim the reward of his forbearance and his industry4 ,but even in this comparatively happy case1 shall we count for nothing the years of ascetic sacrifice at which after happiness is purchased8 ,the days of youth are not too many1 nor its affections too lasting4 ,we may1 indeed1 if a great object require it1 sacrifice the one and mortify the other4 ,but is this1 in itself1 desirable8 ,does not wisdom tell us that such a sacrifice is a dead loss--to the warm-hearted often a grievous one8 ,does not wisdom bid us temperately enjoy the springtimes of life1 'while the evil day come not1 nor the years draw nigh1 when we shall say we have no pleasure in them8' ,let us say1 then1 if we will1 that the youth who thus sacrifices the present for the future1 chooses wisely between the two evils1 profligacy and asceticism4 ,this is true4 ,but let us not imagine the lesser evil to be good4 ,it is not good for man to be alone4 ,it is for no man or woman's happiness or benefit that they should be condemned to ,shakerism4 ,it is a violence done to the feelings and an injury to the character4 ,a life of rigid celibacy1 though infinitely preferable to a life of dissipation1 is yet fraught with many evils4 ,peevishness1 restlessness1 vague longings and instability of character1 are amongst the least of these4 ,the mind is unsettled1 and the judgment warped4 ,even the very instinct which is thus mortified assumes an undue importance1 and occupies a portion of the thoughts which does not of right or nature belong to it1 and which1 during a life of satisfied affection1 it would not obtain4 ,in many instances1 the genital organs are rendered so irritable by the repletion to which unnatural continency gives rise1 and by the much thinking caused by such repletion1 as to induce a disease known to medical men by the name of ,gonorrhoea ,dormientium4 ,it consists in an emission or discharge of the semen during sleep4 ,this discharge is immediately excited in most instances by a lascivious dream1 but such dream is caused by the repletion and irritability of the genital organs4 ,it is truly astonishing to what a degree of mental anguish the disease gives rise in young men4 ,they do not understand the nature1 or rather1 the cause of it4 ,they think it depends on a weakness--indeed1 the disease is often called a seminal weakness--and that the least gratification in a natural way would but serve to increase it4 ,their anxiety about it weakens the whole system4 ,this weakness they erroneously attribute to the discharges2 they think themselves totally disqualified for entering into or enjoying the married state4 ,finally1 the genital and mental organs act and react upon each other so perniciously as to cause a degree of nervousness1 debility1 emaciation and melancholy--in a word1 wretchedness that sets description at defiance4 ,nothing is so effectual in curing this diseased state of a body and mind in young men as marriage4 ,all restraint1 fear and solicitude should be removed4 ,inasmuch1 then1 as the scruples of incurring heavy responsibilities deter from forming moral connections and encourage intemperance and prostitution1 the knowledge which enables man to limit the number of his offspring would1 in the present state of things1 save much unhappi-ness and prevent many crimes4 ,young persons sincerely attached to each other1 and who might wish to marry1 should marry early1 merely resolving not to become parents until prudence permitted it4 ,the young man1 instead of solitary toil and vulgar dissipation1 would enjoy the society and the assistance of her he has chosen as his companion2 and the best years of life1 whose pleasures never return1 would not be squandered in riot1 nor lost through mortification499 99 ,the passages quoted are from ,robert ,dale ,owen's ,moral ,physiology4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,on ,,generation ,i hold the following to be important and undeniable troths3 ,that every man has a natural right both to receive and convey a knowledge of all the facts and discoveries of every art and science1 excepting such only as may be secured to some particular person or persons by copyright or patent2 that a physical truth in its general effect cannot be a moral evil2 that no fact in physics or in morals ought to be concealed from the inquiring mind4 ,some may make a misuse of knowledge1 but that is their fault2 and it is not right that one person should be deprived of knowledge1 of spirits1 of razors1 or of anything else which is harmless in itself and may be useful to him1 because another may misuse it4 ,the subject on generation is not only interesting as a branch of science1 but it is so connected with the happiness of mankind that it is highly important in a practical point of view4 ,such1 to be sure1 is the custom of the age1 that it is not considered a proper subject to investigate before a popular assembly1 nor is it proper to attend the calls of nature in a like place2 yet they must and ought to be attended to1 for the good1 the happiness of mankind require it2 so1 too1 for like reason1 the subject of generation ought to be investigated until it be rightly understood by all people1 but at such opportunities as the good sense of every individual will easily decide to be proper4 ,this1 ,i presume to say1 not simply upon the abstract principle that all knowledge of ,nature's workings is useful1 and the want of it disadvantageous1 but from the known moral fact that ignorance of this process has in many instances proved the cause of a lamentable mishap1 and more especially as it is essential to the attainment of the great advantage1 which it is the chief object of this work to bestow upon mankind4 ,people generally1 as it was the case with physicians until late years1 entertain a very erroneous idea of what takes place in the conception4 ,agreeably to this idea the check which ,i consider far preferable to any other1 would not be effectual1 as would be obvious to all4 ,consequently1 entertaining this idea1 people would not have due confidence in it4 ,hence1 it is necessary to correct a long-held and widely extended error4 ,but this ,i cannot expect to do by simply saying it is an error4 ,deeply rooted and hitherto undisputed opinions are not so easily eradicated4 ,if ,i would convince any one that the steps in one of the most recondite processes of nature are not such as he has always believed1 it will greatly serve my purpose to show what these steps are4 ,i must first prepare him to be reasoned with1 and then reason the matter all over with him4 ,i must point out the facts which disprove his opinion1 and show that my own is unattended with difficulties4 ,but what can be more obvious than that it is absolutely impossible to explain any process or function of the animal economy1 so as to be understood1 before the names of the organs which perform this function have been defined1 that is1 before the organs themselves have been described4 ,now it is well known to every anatomist1 and indeed it may be obvious to all1 that in describing any organ or system of organs1 we must always begin with some external and known parts1 and proceed regularly1 step by step1 to the internal and unknown4 ,as in arithmetic1 everything must be understood as you go along499 99 ,this is an ,americanism1 which appears to us to convey a false idea4 ,if it refers to the cases used as illustrations1 ,dr4 ,knowlton is more sparing in his use of them than either ,dr4 ,bull or ,dr4 ,chavasse4--,publishers' ,note4 ,fully to effect the objects of this work1 it is1 therefore1 a matter of necessity that ,i give an anatomical description of certain parts--even external parts--which some1 but imagine what ,i have just said1 might think it useless to mention4 ,it is not to gratify the idle curiosity of the light-minded that this book is written2 it is for utility in the broad and truly philosophical sense of the term2 nay1 farther1 it shall with the exception of here and there a little spicing991 have confined to practical utility4 ,i shall1 therefore1 endeaver to treat of the subject in this chapter so as to be understood1 without giving any description of the male organs of generation2 though ,i hold it an accomplishment for one be able to speak of those organs1 as diseases often put them under the necessity of doing1 without being compelled use low and vulgar language4 ,but ,i must briefly describe the female organs2 in doing which ,i must1 of course1 speak as do other anatomists and physiologists2 and whoever objects to this will discover more affectation and prudery than good sense and good will to mankind4 ,the adipose1 or fatty matter1 immediately over the share bone1 forms a considerable prominence in females1 which1 at the age of puberty1 is covered with hair1 as in males4 ,this prominence is called ,mons ,veneris4 ,the exterior orifice commences immediately below this4 ,on each side of this orifice is a prominence continued from the mons veneris1 which is largest above and gradually diminishes as it descends4 ,these two prominences are called the ,labia ,externa1 or external lips4 ,near the latter end of pregnancy they become somewhat enlarged and relaxed1 so that they sustain little or no injury during parturition4 ,just within the upper or anterior commissure1 formed by the junction of these lips1 a little round oblong body is situated4 ,the body is called the clitoris4 ,most of its length is bound down1 as it were1 pretty closely to the bone2 and it is of very variable size in different females4 ,instances have occurred where it was so enlarged as to allow the female to have venereal commerce with others2 and in ,paris this fact was once made a public exhibition to the medical faculty4 ,women thus formed appear to partake in their general form of the male character1 and are called hermaphrodites4 ,the idea of human beings1 called hermaphrodites1 which could be either father or mother1 is1 doubtless1 erroneous4 ,the clitoris is analogous in its structure to the penis1 and like it1 is exquisitely sensitive1 being1 as it is supposed1 the principal seat of pleasure4 ,it is subject to erection or distension1 like the penis1 from like causes4 ,the skin which lines the internal surface of the external lips is folded in such manner as to form two flat bodies1 the exterior edges of which are convex4 ,they are called the nymphse4 ,they extend downward1 one on each side1 from the clitoris to near the middle of the external orifice1 somewhat diverging from each other4 ,their use is not very evident ,the orifice of the urethra 7the canal1 short in females1 which leads to the bladder7 is situated an inch or more farther inward than the clitoris1 and is a little protuberant4 ,passing by the external lips1 the clitoris1 the nymphse and the orifice of the urethra1 we come to the membrane called the hymen4 ,it is situated just at1 or a trifle behind the orifice of the urethra4 ,it is stretched across the passage1 and were it a complete septum1 it would close up the anterior extremity of that portion of the passage which is called the vagina4 ,but the instances in which the septum or partition is complete are very rare1 there being1 in almost all cases1 an aperture either in its center1 or frequently in its anterior edge1 giving the membrane the form of a crescent ,through this aperture passes the menstrual fluid4 ,sometimes1 however1 this septum is complete1 and the menstrual fluid is retained month after month1 until appearances and symptoms much like those of pregnancy are produced1 giving rise to perhaps unjust suspicions4 ,such cases require the simple operation of dividing the hymen4 ,in many instances the hymen is very imperfect1 insomuch that some have doubted whether it is to be found in the generality of virgins4 ,where it exists it is generally ruptured in the first intercourse of the sexes1 and the female is said to lose her virginity4 ,in some rare instances it is so very strong as not to be ruptured by such intercourse1 and the nature of the difficulty not being understood1 the husband has sued for a divorce4 ,but everything may be put to rights by a slight surgical operation4 ,the parts here described are among those called the external parts of generation4 ,the internal organs of generation consist in the female of the ,vagina1 the ,uterus1 the ,ovaries and their appendages4 ,the ,vagina is a membranous canal commencing at the hymen and extending to the uterus4 ,it is a little curved1 and extends backward and upward between the bladder1 which lies before and above it1 and that extreme portion of the bowels called the rectum1 which lies behind it4 ,the coat of membrane which lines the internal surface of the vagina forms a number of transverse ridges4 ,these are to be found only in the lower or anterior half of the vagina1 and they do not extend all round the vagina1 but are situated on its anterior and posterior sides1 while their lateral sides are smooth4 ,i mention these ridges because a knowledge of them may lead to a more effectual use of one of the checks to be made known hereafter4 ,the uterus or womb is also situated between the bladder and the rectum1 but above the vagina4 ,such is its shape that it has been compared to a pear with a long neck4 ,there is1 of course1 considerable difference between the body and the neck1 the first being twice as broad as the last4 ,each of these parts is somewhat flattened4 ,in subjects of mature age1 who have been pregnant1 the whole of the uterus is about two inches and a half in length1 and more than an inch and a half in breadth at the broadest part of the body4 ,it is near an inch in thickness4 ,the neck of the uterus is situated downward1 and may be said to be inserted into the upper extremity of the vagina4 ,it extends down into the vagina the better part of an inch4 ,in the uterus is a cavity which approaches the triangular form1 and from which a canal passes down through the neck of the uterus into the vagina4 ,this cavity is so small that its sides are almost in contact ,so that the uterus is a thick1 firm organ for so small a one4 ,comparing the cavity of the uterus to a triangle1 we say the upper side or line of this triangle is transverse with respect to the body1 and the other two lines pass downward and inward1 so that they would form an angle below1 did they not before they meet take a turn more directly downward to form the canal just mentioned4 ,in each of the upper angles there is an orifice of such size as to admit of a hog's bristle4 ,these little orifices are the mouths of two tubes1 called the ,fallopian tubes1 of which more will be said presently4 ,the canal which passes through the neck of the uterus1 connecting the cavity of this organ with that of the vagina1 is about a quarter of an inch in diameter4 ,it is different from other ducts1 for it seems to be a part of the cavity from which it extends1 inasmuch as when the cavity of the uterus is enlarged in the progress of pregnancy1 this canal is gradually converted into a part of that cavity4 ,the lower extremity of the neck of the uterus is irregularly convex and tumid4 ,the orifice of the canal in it is oval1 and so situated that it divides the convex surface of the lower extremity of the neck in two portions1 which are called the lips of the uterus4 ,the anterior is thicker than the posterior4 ,the orifice itself is called os tincae or os uteri1 or in ,english1 the mouth of the womb4 ,when the parts are in a weak1 relaxed state1 the mouth or neck of the uterus is quite low1 and in almost all oases it may be reached by a finger introduced into the vagina1 especially by a second person1 who carries the hand behind4 ,the ,ovaries are two bodies of a flattened or oval form1 one of which is situated on each side of the uterus at a little distance from it1 and about as high up as where the uterus becomes narrow to form its neck4 ,the longest diameter of the ovarium is about an inch4 ,each ovarium has a firm coat of membrane4 ,in those who have not been pregnant1 it contains from ten to twenty vesicles1 which are little round bodies1 formed of a delicate membrane1 and filled with a transparent fluid4 ,some of these vesicles are situated so near the surface of the ovarium as to be prominent on its surface4 ,they are of different sizes1 the largest nearly a quarter of a inch in diameter499 99 ,the vesicles here mentioned are the so-called ,graafian vesicles1 or ovisacs1 each of which contains in its interior a little ovum or egg4 ,in the human female the ovum is extremely minute1 so as only to be visible with the aid of a lens4 ,the ,graafian vesicles are not limited to a certain small number1 as was formerly thought1 but continue to be formed in the ovaries1 and to discharge at intervals mature ova during the whole of the fruitful period4--,g4 ,r4 ,in those in whom conception has ever taken place1 some of these vesicles are removed1 and in their place a cicatrix or scar is formed which continues through life4 ,however1 the number of cicatrices does not always correspond with the number of conceptions4 ,they often exceed it1 and are sometimes found where conception has not been known to take place4 ,the ,fallopian ,tubes are two canals four or five inches in length1 proceeding from the upper angles of the cavity of the uterus1 in a transverse direction in respect to the body4 ,having so proceeded for some distance they turn downward toward the ovaries4 ,at their commencement in the uterus they are very small1 but they enlarge as much as they progress4 ,the large ends1 which hang loose1 terminate in open mouths1 the margins of which consist of fimbriated processes1 and nearly touch the ovaria4 ,we are now prepared to treat of conception4 ,yet1 as menstruation is closely connected with it1 and as a knowledge of many things concerning menstruation may contribute much to the well-being of females1 for whom this work is at least as much designed as for males1 ,i shall first briefly treat of this subject4 ,menstruation4--,when females arrive at the age of puberty they begin to have a discharge once every month1 by way of the vagina1 of the color of blood4 ,this discharge is termed the menses4 ,to have it is to menstruate4 ,the age at which menstruation commences varies with different individuals1 and also in different climates4 ,the warmer the climate the earlier it commences and ceases4 ,in temperate climates it generally commences at the age of fourteen or fifteen1 and it ceases at forty-four1 or a little later4 99 ,whenever it commences the girl acquires a more womanly appearance4 ,it is a secretion of the uterus1 or1 in other words1 the minute vessels distributed to the inner coat of uterus1 select as it were1 from the blood1 and pour out in a gradual manner the materials of this fluid4 ,it has one of the properties1 color1 of blood1 but it does not coagulate1 or separate into different parts like blood1 and cannot properly be called blood49999 99 ,dr4 ,chavasse1 on p4 #id of his ,advice to a ,wife published by ,w4 ,h4 ,smith ,son gives instances of very early menstruation and consequent fecundity4--,publishers' note1 9999 ,the menstrual discharge1 says ,dr4 ,kirkes1 consists of blood effused from the inner surface of the uterus1 and mixed with mucus from the uterus1 vagina1 and the external parts of the generative apparatus4 ,being diluted by this admixture1 the menstrual blood coagulates less perfectly than ordinary blood2 and the frequent acidity of the vaginal mucus tends still further to diminish its coagulability4-- ,handbook of ,physiology1 #hth ed41 p4 #gbg1 #ahgd4--;,g4 ,r4 ,when this discharge is in all respects regular1 it amounts in most females to six or eight ounces1 and from two to four days' continuance4 ,during its continuance the women is said to be unwell1 or out of order4 ,various unpleasant feelings are liable to attend it2 but when it is attended with severe pain1 as it not infrequently is1 it becomes a disease1 and the woman is not likely to conceive until it is cured4 ,during the existence of the turns1 or monthlies1 as they are often called1 indigestible food1 dancing in warm rooms1 sudden exposure to cold or wet1 and mental agitations1 should be avoided as much as possible4 ,the turns do not continue during pregnancy1 nor nursing1 unless nursing be continued after the turns recommence4 ,some women1 it is true1 are subject to a slight hemorrhage that sometimes occurs with considerable regularity during pregnancy1 and which has led them to suppose they have their turns at such times2 but it is not so2 the discharge at such times is real blood499 99 ,consult on the whole of this ,dr4 ,chavasse's book1 pp4 #ia- #aja1 where full details are given4--,publishers' note4 ,the use of the menstrual discharge seems to be to prepare the uterine system for conception4 ,for females do not become pregnant before they commence1 nor after they cease having turns2 nor while they are suppressed by some disease1 by cold or by nursing4 ,some credible women1 however1 have said that they become pregnant while nursing1 without having had any turn since their last lying-in4 ,it is believed that in these oases they had some discharge1 colorless1 perhaps1 which they did not notice1 but which answered the purposes of the common one4 ,women are not nearly so likely to conceive during the week before a monthly as during the week immediately after499 ,but although the use of this secretion seems to be to prepare for conception1 it is not to be inferred that the reproductive instinct ceases at the turn of life1 or when the woman ceases to menstruate4 ,on the contrary1 it is said that this passion often increases at this period1 and continues in a greater or less degree to an extreme age4 99 ,see1 however1 ,dr4 ,bull's ,hints to ,mothers1 pp4 #ca-eh1 and #abg-abi 7published by ,longmans1 ,green ,co47-- ,publishers' note4 ,conception4--,the part performed by the male in the reproduction of the species consists in exciting the organism of the female1 and depositing the semen in the vagina4 ,before ,i inquire what takes place in the females ,i propose to speak of the semen4 ,this fluid1 which is secreted by the testicles1 may be said to possess three kinds of properties1 physical1 chemical1 physiological4 ,its physical properties are known to every one--it is a thickish1 nearly opaque fluid1 of a peculiar odor1 saltish taste1 etc4 ,as to its chemical properties1 it is found by analysis to consist of #ijj parts of water1 #fj of animal muscilage1 #aj of soda1 #cj of phosphate of lime4 ,its physiological property is that of exciting the female genital organs in a peculiar manner4 ,when the semen is examined by microscope1 there can be distinguished a multitude of small animalculae1 which appear to have a rounded head and a long tail4 ,these animalculae move with a certain degree of rapidity4 ,they appear to avoid the light and to delight in the shade4 ,leeuwenhoek1 if not the discoverer of the seminal animalculse1 was the first who brought the fact of their existence fully before the public4 ,with respect to their size1 he remarked that ten thousand of them might exist in a space not larger than a grain of sand4 ,they have a definite figure1 and are obviously different from the animalculse found in any other fluid499 99 ,see ,dr4 ,carpenter's ,animal ,physiology1 p4 #eeh 7published by ,h4 ,g4 ,bonn72 ,nichol's ,human ,physiology1 pp4 #bec-bee 7published by ,trubner ,co47--,publishers' note4 ,leeuwenhoek believed them to be the beginnings of future animals--that they are of different sexes1 upon which depends the future sex of the foetus4 ,be this as it may1 it appears to be admitted on all hands that the animalculae are present in the semen of the various species of male animals1 and that they cannot be detected when either from age or disease the animals are rendered sterile4 ,hence1 says ,bostock1 we can scarcely refuse our assent to the position that these animalculae are in some way or other instrumental to the production of the foetus4 ,the secretion of the semen commences at the age of puberty4 ,before this period the testicles secrete a viscid1 transparent fluid1 which has never been analyzed1 but which is doubtless essentially different from semen4 ,the revolution which the whole economy undergoes at this period1 such as the tone of the voice1 and development of hairs1 the beard1 the increase of the muscles and bones1 etc41 is intimately connected with the testicles and the secretion of this fluid499 ,eunuchs preserve the same form as in childhood2 their voice is effeminate1 they have no beard1 their disposition is timid2 and finally their physical and moral character very nearly resembles that of females4 ,nevertheless1 many of them take delight in venereal intercourse1 and give themselves up with ardor to a connection which must always prove unfruitful49999 99 ,nichol's ,human ,physiology1 pp4 #bef-beg4 --,publishers' note 9999 ,magendic's ,physiology4--,author's note4 ,the part performed by the female in the reproduction of the species is far more complicated than that performed by the male4 ,it consists1 in the first instance1 in providing a substance which1 in connection with the male secretion1 is to constitute the foetus2 in furnishing a suitable situation in which the foetus may be developed2 in affording due nourishment for its growth2 in bringing it forth1 and afterward furnishing it with food especially adapted to the digestive organs of the young animal4 ,some parts of this process are not well understood1 and such variety of hypotheses have been proposed to explain them that ,drelincourt1 who lived in the latter part of the seventeenth century1 is said to have collected two hundred and sixty hypotheses of generation4 ,it ought to be known that women have conceived when the semen was merely applied to the parts anterior to the hymen1 as the internal surface of the external lips1 the nymphae1 etc4 ,this is proved by the fact that several cases of pregnancy have occurred when the hymen was entire4 ,the fact need not surprise us1 for1 agreeable to the theory of absorption1 we have to account for it only to suppose that some of the absorbent vessels are situated anterior to the hymen--a supposition by no means unreasonable4 ,there are two peculiarities of the human species respecting conception which ,i will notice4 ,first1 unlike other animals they are liable1 and for what has been proved to the contrary1 equally liable--to conceive at all seasons of the year4 ,second1 a woman rarely1 if ever1 conceives until after having several sexual connections2 nor does one connection in fifty cause conception in the matrimonial state1 where the husband and wife live together uninterruptedly4 ,public women rarely conceive1 owing probably to a weakened state of the genital system1 induced by too frequent and promiscuous intercourse4 ,it is universally agreed1 that some time after a fruitful connection1 a vesicle 7two in case of twins7 of one or the other ovary becomes so enlarged that it bursts forth from the ovary and takes the name of ovum1 which is taken up1 or rather received1 as it bursts forth1 by the fimbriated extremity of the ,fallopian tube1 and is then conducted along the tube into the uterus1 to the inner surface of which it attaches itself499 99 ,since ,dr4 ,knowlton's work was written1 the very important fact has been discovered that ova are periodically discharged from the ovaries in the human female and other animals1 not in consequence of fruitful connection having taken place1 as was formerly believed1 but quite independently of intercourse with the male4 ,such a discharge of ova occurs in the lower animals at the time of heat or rut1 and in women during menstruation4 ,at each menstrual period1 a ,graafian vesicle becomes enlarged1 bursts1 and lets the ovum which it contains escape into the ,fallopian tube1 along which it passes to the uterus4 ,it has long been known1 says ,dr4 ,kirke1 that in the so-called oviparous animals1 the separation of ova from the ovary may take place independently of impregnation by the male1 or even of sexual union4 ,and it is now established that a like maturation and discharge of ova1 independently of coition1 occurs in ,mammalia1 the periods at which the matured ova are separated from the ovaries and received into the ,fallopian tubes being indicated in the lower ,mammalia by the phenomena of heat or rut2 in the human female by the phenomena of menstruation4 ,sexual desire manifests itself in the human female to a greater degree at these periods1 and in the female of mammiferous animals at no other time4 ,if the union of the sexes takes place1 the ovum may be fecundated1 and if no union occur1 it perishes4 ,from what has been said it may therefore be concluded that the two states1 heat and menstruation1 are analogous1 and that the essential accompaniment of both is the maturation and extrusion of ova4--,handbook of ,physiology1 page #gbd4--;,g4 ,r4 ,here it becomes developed into a full grown foetus1 and is brought forth about forty-two weeks from the time of conception by a process termed parturition4 ,but one grand question is1 how the semen operates itself1 or any part thereof reaches the ovary1 and if so1 in what way it is conveyed to them4 ,it was long the opinion that the semen was ejected into the uterus in the act of coition1 and that it afterward1 by some unknown means1 found its way into and along the ,fallopian tubes to the ovary4 ,but there are several facts which weigh heavily against this opinion1 and some that entirely forbid it4 ,in the first place1 there are several well attested instances in which impregnation took place while the hymen remained entire1 where the vagina terminated in the rectum1 where it was so contracted by a cicatrix as not to admit the penis4 ,in all these cases the semen could not have been lodged anywhere near the mouth of the uterus1 much less ejected into it4 ,secondly1 it has followed a connection where from some defect in the male organs1 as the urethra terminating some inches behind the end of the penis1 and it is clear that the semen could not have been injected into the uterus1 nor even near its mouth4 ,third1 the neck of the unimpregnated uterus is so narrow as merely to admit a probe1 and is filled with a thick tenacious fluid1 which seemingly could not be forced away by any force which the male organ possesses of ejecting the semen1 even if the mouth of the male urethra were in opposition with that of the uterus4 ,but fourth1 the mouth of the uterus is by no means fixed4 ,by various causes it is made to assume various situations1 and probably the mouth of the urethra rarely comes in contact with it4 ,fifth4 ,the tenacity of the male semen is such as renders its passage through the small aperture in the neck of the uterus impossible1 even by a power of force much superior to that which we may rationally suppose to reside in the male organs of generation4 ,sixth4 ,harvey and ,de,graaf dissected animals at almost every period after coition for the express purpose of discovering the semen1 but were never able to detect the smallest vestige of it in the uterus in any one instance499 99 ,dewees' ,essay on ,superfoetation4--,author's note4 ,aware of the insurmountable objection to this view of the manner in which the semen reaches the ovary1 it has been supposed by some physiologists that the semen is absorbed from the vagina into the great circulating system1 where it is mixed1 of course1 with the blood1 and goes the whole round of the circulation subject to the influence of those causes which produce great changes in the latter fluid4 ,to this hypothesis it may be objected1 that while there is no direct evidence in support of it1 it is exceedingly unreasonable1 inasmuch as we can scarcely believe that the semen can go the whole round of circulation1 and then find its way to the ovary in such a pure unaltered state as the experiments of ,spallanzani prove it must be in1 that it may impregnate4 ,a third set of theorists have maintained that an imperceptible something1 which they have called aura seminalis1 passes from the semen lodged in the vagina to the ovary1 and excites those actions which are essential to the development of an ovum4 ,others1 again1 have told us that it is all done by sympathy4 ,that neither the semen nor any volatile part of it finds its way to the ovary2 but that the semen excites the parts with which it is in contact in a peculiar manner1 and by the law of animal economy1 termed sympathy1 or consent of parts1 a peculiar action commences in the ovary1 by which an ovum is developed4 ,to both these conjectures it may be objected that they have no other foundation but the supposed necessity of adopting them1 to account for the effect of impregnation2 and1 further1 they make no provision for the formation of mules2 for the peculiarities of1 and likeness to1 parents1 and for the propagation of predisposition to disease1 from parent to child2 for the production of mulattoes1 etc4 ,a fifth1 and to me far more satisfactory view of the subject than any other1 is that advanced by our distinguished countryman1 ,dr4 ,dewees1 of ,philadelphia4 ,it appears to harmonize with all known facts relating to the conception and something from analogy may also be drawn in its favor4 ,it is this1 that there is a set of absorbent vessels1 leading directly from the inner surface of the labia externa and the vagina1 to the ovaries1 the whole office of which vessels is to absorb the semen and convey it to the ovaries499 ,i do not know that these vessels have yet been fully discovered1 but in a note on the sixteenth page of his ,essays on ,various ,subjects1 the doctor says3 ,the existence of these vessels is now rendered almost certain1 as ,dr4 ,gartner1 of ,copenhagen1 has discovered a duct leading from the ovary to the vagina4 99 ,this view is not held at the present day4 ,the commonly received doctrine now is that the seminal fluid enters the uterus1 whether during the intercourse or after it1 and passes along the ,fallopian tubes to the ovaries2 and that fecundation takes place at some point of this course1 most frequently in the tubes1 but also at times in the ovary itself1 or even1 perhaps1 in the uterus4 ,it is essentially necessary for fecundation that the spermatozoa should come into actual contact with the ovum4 ,that the spermatozoa make their way toward the ovarium1 and fecundate the ovum either before it entirely quits the ovisac or very shortly afterward1 says ,dr4 ,carpenter1 appears to be the general rule in regard to the ,mammalia2 and their power of movement must obviously be both vigorous and long continued to enable them to traverse so great an extent of mucous membrane1 especially when it is remembered that they ascend in opposition to the direction of the ciliary movement of the epithelial cells and to the downward peristaltic action of the ,fallopian tubes4 99 99 99 ,there can be no doubt that it is the contact of the spermatozoa with the ovum1 and in the changes which occur as the immediate consequence of that contact1 that the act of fecundation essentially consists4 --,principles of ,human ,physiology1 #hth ed41 p4 #ifa1ahgf4--;,g4,r4 ,another question of considerable moment relating to generation is from which parent are the first rudiments of the foetus derived4 ,the earliest hypothesis with which we are acquainted1 and which has received the support of some of the most eminent of the moderns1 ascribes the original formation of the foetus to the combination of particles of matter derived from each of the parents4 ,this hypothesis naturally presents itself to the mind as the obvious method of explaining the necessity for the cooperation of the two sexes1 and the resemblance in external form1 and even in mind and character1 which the offspring often bears to the male parent4 ,the principal objections1 says ,bostock1 to his hypothesis1 independent of the want of any direct proof of a female seminal fluid1 are of two descriptions1 those which depend upon the supposed impossibility of unorganized matter forming an organized being1 and those which are derived from observations and experiments of ,haller and ,spallanzani1 which they brought forward in support of their theory of pre-existent germs4 ,in relation to these objections ,i remark1 first those whose experience has been with hale females1 ,i suspect1 can have no doubt but that the female organism increases like that of the male1 until an emission of fluid of some kind or other takes place4 ,but whether this secretion may properly be called semen1 whether any part of it unites with the male semen in forming the rudiments of the foetus1 is another question4 ,for my part ,i am inclined to the opinion that it does not499 ,i rather regard it as the result of exalted excitation1 analogous to the increased secretion of other organs from increased stimulation2 and if it may be for any object or use1 as it probably is1 it is that of affording nature a means of relieving herself2 or1 in other words1 of quieting the venereal passion4 ,if this passion1 being once roused1 could not by some means or other be calmed1 it would command by far too great a portion of our thoughts1 and with many constitutions the individuals1 whether male or female1 could not conduct themselves with due decorum4 ,one fact which leads me to think that the female secretion in the act of coition is not essential to impregnation is1 that many females have conceived1 if their unbiased testimony may be relied on1 when they experienced no pleasure4 ,in these cases it is more than probable that there was no orgasm1 nor any secretion or emission of fluid on the part of the female4 99 ,with regard to this secretion in the female1 which has nothing of a seminal character1 ,dr4 ,carpenter observes3 ,its admixture with the male semen has been supposed to have some connection with impregnation2 but no proof whatever has been given that any such admixture is necessary4--,human ,physiology1 p4 #iia4--;,g4 ,r4 ,as to the objection of the supposed impossibility of unorganized matter forming an organized being1 ,i do not believe such a thing takes place1 even if we admit that the original formation of the foetus is a combination of particles of matter derived from each of the parents4 ,what do1 or rather what ought we to mean by organized matter8 ,not1 surely1 that it exhibits some obvious physical structure1 unlike what is to be found in inorganic matter1 but that it exhibits phenomena1 and of course may be said to possess properties unlike any kind of inorganic matter4 ,matter unites with matter in three ways1 mechanically1 chemically and organically1 and each mode of union gives rise to properties peculiar to itself4 ,when matter unites organically1 the substance or being so formed exhibits some phenomena essentially different from what inorganic bodies exhibit4 ,it is on this account that we ascribe to organic bodies certain properties1 which we call physiological properties1 such as contractility1 sensibility1 life1 etc4 ,when1 from any cause1 these bodies have undergone such a change that they no longer exhibit the phenomena peculiar to them1 they are said to have lost these properties1 and to be dead4 ,a substance need not possess all the physiological properties of an animal of the higher orders to entitle it to the name of an organized or living substance1 nor need it possess the physical property of solidity4 ,the blood1 as well as many of the secretions1 does several things1 exhibits several phenomena1 which no mechanical or mere chemical combinations of matter do exhibit4 ,we must therefore ascribe to it certain physiological properties1 and regard it as an organized1 a living fluid1 as was contended by the celebrated ,john ,hunter4 ,so with respect to the semen1 it certainly possesses physiological properties1 one in particular peculiar to itself1 namely1 the property of impregnating the female2 and upon no sound principle can it be regarded in any other light than as an organized1 and of course a living fluid4 ,and if the female secretion or any part of it unite with the male secretion in the formation of the rudiments or the foetus in a different manner than any other substance would1 then it certainly has the property of doing so1 whether we give this property a name or not2 and a regard to the soundest principles of physiology compels us to class this property with the physiological or vital1 and of course to regard this secretion as an organized and living fluid ,so1 then1 unorganized matter does not form an organized being1 admitting the hypothesis before us as correct4 ,that organized being should give rise to other organized beings under favorable circumstances as to nourishment1 warmth1 etc41 is no more wonderful than that fire should give rise to fire when air and fuel are present4 ,to be sure1 there are some minute steps in the processes which are not fully known to us2 still1 if they ever should be known1 we should unquestionably see that there is a natural cause for every one of them2 and that they are all consonant with certain laws of the animal economy4 ,we should see no necessity of attempting to explain the process of generation by bringing to our aid1 or rather to the darkening of the subject1 any imaginary principle1 as the visus formaticus of ,blumenbach4 ,as to the observations and experiments of ,haller and ,spallanzani1 ,i think1 with ,dr4 ,bostock1 that they weigh but little1 if any1 against the theory before us4 ,i shall not be at the labor of bringing them forward and showing their futility as objections to this theory1 for ,i am far from insisting on the correctness of it2 that is1 ,i do not insist that any part of the female secretion1 during coition1 unites with the male semen in the formation of the rudiments of the foetus4 ,the second hypothesis or theory1 ,i shall notice1 as to the rudiments of the foetus1 is that of ,leeuwenhoek1 who regarded the seminal animalculse of the male semen as the proper rudiments of the foetus1 and thought that the office of the female is to afford them a suitable receptacle where they may be supported and nourished until they are able to exist by the exercise of their own functions4 ,this is essentially the view of the subject which ,i intend to give more particularly presently4 ,i know of no serious objections to this hypothesis1 nothing but the extreme improbability1 as its opponents say1 that these animalculae should be the rudiments of being so totally dissimilar to them4 ,but ,i wish to know if there is more difference between a foetus and a seminal animalcule than there is between a foetus and a few material particles in some other form than that of such animalcule8 ,the third hypothesis1 or that of pre-existing germs1 proceeded upon a precisely opposite view of the subject to that of ,leeuwenhoek1 namely1 that the foetus is properly the production of the female2 that it exists previous to the sexual congress1 with all its organs1 in some parts of the uterine system2 and that it receives no proper addition from the male1 but that the seminal fluid acts merely by exciting the powers of the foetus1 or endowing it with vitality4 ,it is not known who first proposed this hypothesis2 but strange as it may appear1 it has had the support of such names as ,bonnet1 ,haller and ,spallanzani1 and met with a favorable reception in the middle of the last century4 ,agreeable to this hypothesis1 our common mother1 ,eve1 contained a number of homuncules 7little men7 one within another1 like a nest of boxes1 and all within her ovaries1 equal to all the number of births that have ever been1 or ever will be1 not to reckon abortions4 ,were ,i to bring forward all the facts and arguments that have been advanced in support of this idea1 it seems to me ,i should fail to convince sound minds of its correctness2 as to arguments against it1 they surely seem uncalled for4 ,having now presented several hypotheses of generation1 some as to the manner in which the semen reaches or influences the ovary1 and others as to the rudiments of the foetus1 ,i shall now bring together those views which1 upon the whole1 appear to me the most satisfactory4 ,i believe1 with ,dr4 ,dewees1 that a set of absorbent vessels extend from the innermost surface of the labia externa1 and from the vagina to the ovary1 the whole office of which is to take up the semen or some part thereof1 and convey it to the ovary4 ,i believe1 with ,leeuwenhoek1 that the seminal animalculae are the proper rudiments of the foetus1 and are perhaps of different sexes2 that in cases of impregnation one of them is carried not only to1 but into a vesicle of an ovary1 which is in a condition to receive and be duly affected by it499 ,it is here surrounded by the albuminous fluid which the vesicle contains4 ,this fluid being somewhat changed in its qualities by its new-comer1 stimulates the minute vessels of the parts which surround it1 and thus causes more of this fluid to be formed2 and while it affords the animalcule material for its development1 it puts the delicate membrane of the ovary which retains it in its place upon the stretch1 and finally bursts forth surrounded probably by an exceedingly delicate membrane of its own4 ,this membrane1 with the albuminous fluid it contains and the animalcule in the center of it1 constitutes the ovum or egg4 ,it is received by the fimbriated extremity of the ,fallopian tube1 which by this time has grasped the ovary1 and is by this tube slowly conveyed into the uterus1 to the inner surface of which it attaches itself1 through the medium of the membrane1 which is formed by the uterus itself in the interim between impregnation and the arriving of the ovum in the way ,i have just mentioned4 99 ,the opinion that the spermatozoa of seminal filaments are real animalculae is now abandoned1 but it is held by ,dr4 ,carpenter and other authorities that they actually1 as here stated1 penetrate into the interior of the ovum4 ,the nature of impregnation1 says ,dr4 ,hermann1 is as yet unknown4 ,in all probability it is1 above all1 essential1 in order that it should occur1 that one or more spermatozoa should penetrate the ovum4 ,at any rate1 spermatozoa have been found within the fecundated eggs of the most diverse species of animals4--,elements of ,human ,physiology1 translated from the #eth ed41 by ,dr4 ,gamgee1 p4 #ecd1 #ahge4--;,g4 ,r4 ,the idea that a seminal animalcule enters an ovum while it remains in the ovary1 was never before advanced to my knowledge2 hence ,i consider it incumbent upon me to advance some reason for the opinion4 ,first1 it is admitted on all hands that the seminal animalculae are essential to impregnation1 since they cannot be detected when either from age or disease the animal is rendered sterile4 ,second1 the ovum is impregnated while it remains in the ovary4 ,true1 those who never met with ,dr4 ,dewees' theory1 and who1 consequently1 have adopted the idea that the semen is ejected into the uterus1 as the least improbable of any with which they were acquainted1 have found it very difficult to dispose of the fact that the ovum is impregnated in the ovary1 and have consequently presumed this is not generally the case4 ,they admit it is certainly so sometimes1 and that it is difficult to reject the conclusion that it is always so4 ,dr4 ,bostock--who1 doubtless1 had not met with ,dewees' theory at the time he wrote1 and who admits it impossible to conceive how the semen can find its way along the ,fallopian tubes1 how it can find its way toward the ovary1 farther1 at most1 than into the uterus1 and1 consequently1 cannot see how the ovum can be impregnated into the ovary--says1 ,perhaps the most rational supposition may be that the ovum is transmitted to the uterus in the unimpregnated state2 but there are certain facts which seem almost incompatible with this idea1 especially the cases which not infrequently occur of perfect foetuses having been found in the tubes1 or where they escaped them into the cavity of the abdomen4 ,hence it is demonstrated the ovum is occasionally impregnated in the tubes 7why did he not say ovaria871 and we can scarcely resist the conclusion that it must always be the case4444,haller discusses this hypothesis 7,bostock's 'most natural supposition1 perhaps'7 and decides against it4444,the experiments of ,cruikshank1 which were very numerous1 and appear to have been made with the requisite degree of skill and correctness1 led to the conclusion that the rudiment of the young animal is perfected in the ovarium4444 ,a case is detailed by ,dr4 ,granville1 of a foetus which appears to have been lodged in the body of the ovarium itself1 and is considered by its author as a proof that conception always takes place in this organ4 ,the above quotations are from the third volume of ,bostock's ,physiology4 ,now1 as the seminal animalculae are essential to impregnation1 and as the ovum is impregnated in the ovarium1 what more probable conjecture can we form than that an animalcule1 as the real proper rudiment of the foetus1 enters the ovum1 where1 being surrounded with albuminous fluid with which it is nourished1 it gradually becomes developed8 ,it may be noticed that ,leeuwenhoek estimates that ten thousand animalculae of the human semen may exist in a space not larger than a grain of sand4 ,there can1 therefore1 be no difficulty in admitting that they may find their way along exceedingly minute vessels from the vagina1 not only to1 but into the ovum while situated in the ovarium4 ,i think no one can be disposed to maintain that the animalculae merely reaches the surface of the ovum and thus impregnates it4 ,but possibly some may contend that its sole office is to stimulate the ovum1 and in this way set going that train of actions which are essential to impregnation4 ,but there is no evidence in favor of this last idea1 and certainly it does not so well harmonize with the fact that the offspring generally partakes more or less of the character of its male parent4 ,as ,dr4 ,dewees says of the doctrine of sympathy1 ,it makes no provision for the formation of mules2 for the peculiarities of and likeness of parents2 and for the propagation of predisposition to disease from parent to child2 for the production of mulattoes1 etc4 ,considering it important to do away with the popular and mischievous error that the semen must enter the uterus to effect impregnation1 ,i shall1 in addition to what has been already advanced1 here notice the experiments of ,dr4 ,haighton4 ,he divided the ,fallopian tubes in numerous instances1 and that after the operation a foetus is never produced1 but that corpora lutea were formed4 ,the obvious conclusions from these facts are that the semen does not traverse the ,fallopian tubes to reach the ovaria2 yet1 that the ovum becomes impregnated while in the ovarium and1 consequently1 that the semen reaches the ovum in some way1 except by the uterus and ,fallopian tubes4 ,i may remark1 however1 that a corpus luteum is not positive proof that impregnation at some time or other has taken place2 yet they are so rarely found in virgins that they were regarded as such proofs until the time of ,blumenbach1 a writer of the present century499 99 ,a corpus luteum is a little yellowish body1 formed in the ovary by changes that take place in the ,graafian vesicle after it has burst and discharged its contents4 ,corpora lutea were formerly considered a sure sign of impregnation1 as they were thought to be developed only or chiefly in cases of pregnancy1 but it is now known that they occur in all cases where a vesicle has been ruptured and an ovum discharged2 though they attain a larger1 size and are longer visible in the ovary when pregnancy takes place than when it does not4--,g4 ,r4 ,harvey and ,de,graaf dissected animals at most every period after coition for the express purpose of discovering the semen1 but were never able to detect the smallest vestige of it in the uterus in any one instance4--,dewells ,essay on ,superfoetation4 ,the fact of superfoetation furnishes a very strong argument against the idea that the semen enters the uterus in impregnation4 ,a woman being impregnated while she is already impregnated constitutes superfoetation4 ,it is established beyond a doubt that such instances have occurred1 yet those who have supposed that it is necessary for the semen to pass through the mouth of the uterus to produce conception have urged that superfoetation could not take place1 because1 say they--and they say correctly--so soon as impregnation shall have taken place1 the os uteri closes and becomes impervious to the semen ejected in subsequent acts of coition4 ,dr4 ,dewees related two cases1 evidently cases of superfoetation1 that occurred to his own personal knowledge4 ,the first shows that1 agreeable to the old theory1 the semen must have met with other difficulties than a closed month of the uterus1--it must have passed through several membranes1 as well as the waters surrounding the foetus1 to have reached even the uterine extremity of a ,fallopian tube4 ,the second case ,i will give in his own words3 ,a white woman1 servant to ,mr4 ,h41 of ,abington township1 ,montgomery county1 was delivered about five and twenty years since of twins1 one of which was perfectly white1 the other perfectly black4 ,when ,i resided in that neighborhood ,i was in the habit of seeing them almost daily and also had frequent conversations with ,mrs4 ,h4 respecting them4 ,she was present at their birth1 so that no possible deception could have been practiced respecting them4 ,the white girl is delicate1 fair-skinned1 light-haired and blue eyed1 and is said very much to resemble the mother4 ,the other has all the characteristic marks of the ,african2 short of stature1 flat1 broad-nosed1 thick-lipped1 woolly-headed1 flat-footed1 and projecting heels2 she is said to resemble a negro they had on the farm1 but with whom the woman would never acknowledge an intimacy2 but of this there was no doubt1 as both he and the white man1 with whom her connection was detected1 ran from the neighborhood as soon as it was known the girl was with child4 ,i am aware that some have thought that they had actually discovered semen in the uterus1 while ,ruysch1 an anatomist of considerable eminence1 who flourished at the close of the seventeenth century1 asserted in the most unequivocal manner that he found the semen in its gross white state in one of the ,fallopian tubes of a woman1 who died very soon after1 or during the act of coition2 but says ,dewees1 the semen1 after it has escaped from the penis1 quickly loses its albuminous appearance and becomes as thin and transparent as water4 ,and we are certain that ,ruysch was mistaken4 ,some alteration in the natural secretion of the parts was mistaken for semen4 ,this was nowise difficult for him to do1 as he had a particular theory to support1 and more especially as this supposed discovery made so much for it4 ,it is not merely speculative when we say that some change in the natural secretion of the parts may be mistaken for semen1 for we have the testimony of ,morgani on our side4 ,he tells us he has seen similar appearances in several instances in virgins and others1 who have been subject during their lives to leucorrhae1 and that it has been mistaken by some for male semen4 ,on the whole ,i would say1 that in some instances1 where the mouth of the uterus is uncommonly relaxed1 the semen may1 as it were1 accidentally have found its way into it2 but that is not generally the case1 nor is it essential to impregnation2 and further1 that whatever semen may at any time be lodged in the uterus1 has nothing to do with conception4 ,it is not consistent with analogy to suppose that the uterus has vessels for absorbing the semen and conveying it to the ovaria1 considering the other important functions which we know it performs4 ,the circumstances under which a female is most likely to conceive are1 first1 when she is in health2 second1 between the ages of twenty-six and thirty2 third1 after she has for a season been deprived of those intercourses she had previously enjoyed2 fourth1 soon after menstruating4 ,respect-ing this latter circumstance1 ,dr4 ,dewees remarks1 ,perhaps it is not erring greatly to say1 that the woman is liable to conceive at any part of the menstrual interval4 ,it is generally supposed1 however1 that the most favorable instant is immediately after the catamenia have ceased4 ,perhaps this is so as a general rule1 but it is certainly liable to exceptions199 and he relates the following case which occurred to his own notice3 99 ,this view1 which concerns a question of the utmost practical importance1 is held at the present day by the great physiologists4 ,it is believed that although conception may occur at other times1 it is much more likely to happen from intercourse a few days before or after the menstrual periods2 that is to say1 during the time when ova are in process of being ripened and detached from the ovaries1 and before they perish and are conveyed out of the body4 ,there is good reason to believe1 says ,dr4 ,carpenter1 that in the human female the sexual feeling becomes stronger at the period of menstruation2 and it is quite certain that there is a greater aptitude for conception immediately before and after that epoch1 than there is at any immediate period4 ,this question has been made the subject of special inquiry by ,m4 ,raciborski1 who affirms that the exceptions to the rule--that conception occurs immediately before or after or during menstruation--are not more than six or seven per cent4 ,indeed1 in his latest work on the subject1 he gives the details of fifteen cases1 in which the date of conception could be accurately fixed1 and the time of the last appearance of the catamenia was also known1 and in all but one of them the correspondence between the periods was very close4--,human ,physiology1 p4 #iei4 ,so1 too1 ,dr4 ,kirkes remarks1 that although conception is not confined to the periods of menstruation1 yet it is more likely to occur within a few days after cessation of the menstrual flux than at other times4--,handbook of ,physiology1 p4 #gbe4 ,the husband of a lady who was obliged to absent himself many months in consequence of the embarrassment of his affairs1 returned one night clandestinely1 his visit being only known to his wife1 his mother1 and myself4 ,the consequence of this visit was the impregnation of his wife4 ,the lady was at that time within a week of her menstrual period2 but as this did not fail to take place1 she was led to hope that she had not suffered by the visit of her husband4 ,but her catamenia not appearing at the next period1 gave rise to a fear that she had not escaped6 and the birth of a child nine months and thirteen days from the night of the clandestine visit proved her apprehensions too well grounded4 ,i think this case is an exception to a general rule2 and1 furthermore1 favors an idea which reason and a limited observation1 rather than positive knowledge1 has led me to advance1 the above1 namely1 that a woman is more likely to conceive1 other things being the same1 after being deprived for a season of those intercourses she had previously enjoyed4 ,had this lady's husband remained constantly at home1 she would probably either not have conceived at all1 or have done so a fortnight sooner than she did4 ,this case is also remarkable for two other facts3 one1 that a woman in perfect health1 and pregnant with a healthy child1 may exceed the period of nine months by several days2 the other1 that a check is not always immediately given to the catamenial flow by an ovum being impregnated4 ,probably it is not so generally so as many suppose4 ,the term of utero-gestation1 or the length of time from conception to the commencement of labor1 is not precisely determined by physiologists4 ,it seems1 however1 says ,dr4 ,dewees1 from the best calculations that can be made1 that nine calendar months1 or forty weeks1 approaches the truth so nearly that we can scarcely need or desire more accuracy1 could it be obtained4 ,unquestionably1 however1 some cases exceed this period by many days1 or even weeks1 and it has been a question much agitated1 how far this period is ever exceeded4 ,it is a question of some moment in a legal point of view4 ,cases are reported where the usual period was exceeded by five or six months2 cases1 too1 where the circumstances attending them and the respectability of their reporters are such as to command our belief4 ,dr4 ,dewees has paid much attention to this subject1 and he declares himself entirely convinced that the commonly fixed period may be extended from thirteen days to six weeks1 under the influence of certain causes or peculiarities of constitution499 99 ,see tables in ,dr4 ,bull's ,hints to ,mothers1 pp4 #acj-ada4 --,publishers' note4 ,these occasional departures from the general rule will1 perhaps1 be the more readily admitted when we consider that they are not confined to the human species4 ,from the experiments of ,tessier1 it appears that the term of utero-gestation varies greatly with the cow1 sheep1 horse1 swine and other animals to which his attention was directed4 ,properly connected with the subject of generation are the signs of pregnancy4 ,dr4 ,dewees remarks that our experience furnishes no certain mark by which the moment conception takes place is to be distinguished4 ,all appeals by the women to particular sensations experienced at the instant should be very guardedly received1 for we are certain they cannot be relied upon2 for enjoyment and indifference are alike fallacious4 ,nor are certain nervous tremblings1 nausea1 palpitation of the heart1 the sensation of something flowing from them during coition1 etc1 more to be relied upon4 ,burns1 however1 says1 ,some women feel1 immediately after conception1 a peculiar sensation1 which apprises them of their situation1 but such instances are not frequent1 and generally the first circumstances which lead a woman to suppose herself pregnant are the suppression of the menses2 a fickle appetite1 some sickness1 perhaps vomiting1 especially in the morning2 returning qualms1 or languor in the afternoon2 she is liable to heartburn1 and to disturbed sleep4 ,the breasts at first often become smaller and sometimes tender2 but about the third month they enlarge1 and occasionally become painful4 ,the nipple is surrounded with an aureole or circle of a brown color1 or at least of a color sensibly deeper or darker than before4 ,she loses her looks1 becomes paler1 and the under part of the lower eyelid is often somewhat of a leaden hue4 ,the features become sharper1 and sometimes the whole body begins to emaciate1 while the pulse quickens4 ,in many instances particular sympathies take place1 causing salivation1 toothache1 jaundice1 etc4 ,in other cases very little disturbance is produced1 and the woman is not certain of her condition until the time of quickening1 which is generally about four months from conception4 ,it is possible for a woman to mistake the effects of wind for the motion of the child1 especially if they have never borne children1 and be anxious for a family2 but the sensation produced by wind in the bowels is not confined to one spot1 but is often felt at a part of the abdomen where the motion of a child could not possibly be felt4 ,quite as frequently1 perhaps1 do fleshy women think themselves dropsical1 and mistake motions of the child for movements of water within the abdominal cavity4 ,the motion of the child is not to be confounded with the sensation sometimes produced by the uterus rising out of the pelvis1 which produces the feeling of fluttering4 ,at the end of the fourth month1 the uterus becomes so large that it is obliged to rise out of the pelvis1 and if this elevation takes place suddenly1 the sensation accompanying it is pretty strong1 and the woman at the time feels sick or faint1 and in irritable habits2 even a hysterical fit may accompany it ,after this the morning sickness and other sympathetic effects of pregnancy generally abate1 and the health improves4 ,very soon after impregnation1 if blood be drawn and suffered to stand a short time undisturbed1 it will become sizy1 of a yellowish or bluish color1 and somewhat of an oily appearance4 ,but we cannot from such appearances of the blood alone pronounce a woman pregnant1 for a suppression of the menses1 accompanied with a febrile state1 may give the blood a like appearance as pregnancy1 so also may some local disease4 ,of the above-mentioned symptoms1 perhaps there is no one on which we can place more reliance than the increased color of the circle around the nipple499 99 ,see ,advice to a ,wife1 ,p4 ,h4 ,chavasse1 pp4 #aae-abd1 where many details are given4--,publishers' note4 ,six or eight weeks after conception1 the most sure way of ascertaining pregnancy is to examine the mouth and neck of the uterus1 by way of the vagina4 ,the uterus will be found lower down than formerly1 its mouth is not directed so much forward as before impregnation1 and is more completely closed1 and the neck is felt to be thicker1 or increased in circumference4 ,when raised on the finger it is found to be heavier or more resisting4 ,whoever makes this examination must have examined the same uterus in an unimpregnated state1 and retained a tolerably correct idea of its feeling at that time1 or he will be liable to uncertainty1 because the uterus of one woman is naturally different in magnitude from another1 and the uterus is frequently lower down than natural from other causes than pregnancy499 99 ,no one but a doctor1 or one trained in physiology could1 of course1 make any such examination with safety and utility4--,publishers' note4 ,it has not been fully ascertained how long it is after a fruitful connection before an effect is produced upon the ovaria1 that is before any alteration could be discovered1 were the female to be dissected4 ,but ,brighton's experiments have established the fact1 that with rabbits1 whose term of utero-gestation is but thirty days1 no effect is propagated to the ovaria until nearly fifty hours after coition2 we should judge1 therefore1 that with the human species it must be several days1 and it is generally estimated by physiologists that the ovum does not reach the uterus until the expiration of twenty days from the time of connection499 99 ,the time occupied in the passage of the ovum from the ovary to the uterus1 says ,dr4 ,kirkes1 occupies probably eight or ten days in the human female4--,handbook of ,physiology1 p4 #gda4--;,g4 ,r4 ,it is probable that in all cases in which any matter is absorbed from any part of the animal system1 some little time is required for such matter1 after its application1 to stimulate and arouse the absorbent vessels to action2 hence it is probable that after the semen is lodged in the vagina1 it is many minutes1 possibly some hours1 before any part of it is absorbed4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,of ,,promoting ,,and ,,checking ,,conception ,sterility depends either on imperfect organization1 or imperfect action of the organs of generation4 ,in the former cases1 which are rare1 the menses do not generally appear1 the breasts are not developed1 and the sexual desire is inconsiderable4 ,there is no remedy in these cases4 ,the action may be imperfect in several respects4 ,the menses may be obstructed or sparing1 or they may be too profuse or frequent4 ,it is extremely rare for a woman to conceive who does not menstruate regularly4 ,hence where this is the case the first step is to regulate this periodical discharge4 ,for this purpose the advice of a physician will generally be required1 for these irregularities depend upon such various causes and require such a variety of treatment that it would be inconsistent with the plan of this work to give instructions for remedying them4 ,a state of exhaustion or weakness of the uterine system1 occasioned by too frequent intercourse1 is a frequent cause of sterility4 ,the sterility of prostitutes is attributed to this cause1 but ,i doubt it being the only one4 ,with females who are apparently healthy1 the most frequent cause is a torpor1 rather than weakness of the genital organs4 ,for the removal of sterility from this cause1 ,i shall give some instructions1 and this ,i do the more readily because the requisite means are such as will regulate the menses in many cases1 where they do not appear so early in life1 so freely or so frequently as they ought4 ,in the first place1 it will generally be necessary to do something toward invigorating the system by exercise in the open air1 by nourishing food of easy digestion1 by sufficient dress1 particularly flannel1 and especially by strict temperance in all things4 ,with this view1 also1 some scales which fall from the blacksmith's anvil1 or some steel filings may be put into old cider or wine 7cider the best71 and after standing a week or so1 as much may be taken two or three times a day as can be borne without disturbing the stomach4 ,all the while the bowels are to be kept rather open by taking from one to three of ,pill rufi every night on going to bed4 ,these pills consist of four parts of aloes1 two parts of myrrh1 and one of saffron1 by weight4 ,these measures having been regularly pursued until the system be brought into a vigorous state1 medicines which are more particularly calculated to arouse the genital organs from a state of torpor may be commenced1 and continued for months if necessary4 ,the cheapest1 most simple 7and ,i am not prepared to say it is not the most effectual in many cases7 is cayenne4 ,all the virtues of this article are not generally known even to physicians4 ,i know it does not have the effect upon the coats of the stomach that many have conjectured4 ,it may be taken in the quantity of from one to two rising teaspoonsful1 or even more1 everyday up on food or on any liquid vehicle4 ,another medicine of much efficacy is ,dewees' ,volatile ,tincture of ,guaiac4 ,it is generally kept by apothecaries1 and is prepared as follows3 ,take of ,gum ,guaicum1 in powder1 eight ounces2 carbonate of ,potash1 or of ,soda1 or 7what will answer7 ,saleratus1 three drachms2 ,allspice1 in powder1 two ounces2 any common spirits of good strength1 two pounds1 or what is about the same two pints and a gill4 ,put all into a bottle1 which may be shaken now and then1 and use of it may be commenced in a few days4 ,to every gill of this1 at least a large teaspoon-ful of ,spirits of ,ammonia is to be added4 ,a teaspoonful is to be taken for a dose1 three times a day1 in a glass of milk1 cider or wine4 ,it is usually given before eating2 but if it should chance to offend the stomach when taken before breakfast1 it may in this case be taken an hour after4 ,dr4 ,dewees found this tincture1 taken perhaps for months1 the most effectual remedy for painful menstruation1 which is an obstinate complaint4 ,if there be frequent strong pulse1 heat1 thirst1 florid countenance1 etc41 it is not to be taken until these symptoms be removed by low diet1 a few doses of salts1 and bleeding1 if required4 ,a third medicine for arousing the genital organs1 is tincture of ,spanish ,flies4 ,but ,i doubt its being equal1 in sterility1 to the above mentioned medicines1 though it may exceed them in some cases1 and may be tried if these fail4 ,a drachm of them may be put to two gills of spirits4 ,dose1 #be drops1 in water1 three times a day1 increasing each one by two or three drops1 until some degree of stranguary occurs1 then omit until this pass off1 as it will in a day or two4 ,should the stranguary be severe1 drink freely of milk and water1 slippery elm1 or flaxseed tea4 ,in many cases of sterility1 where the general health is considerably in fault1 and especially when the digestive organs are torpid1 ,i should have much faith in a ,thomsonian course4 ,it is calculated to arouse the capillary vessels throughout the whole system1 and thus to open the secretions1 to remove obstructions1 and free the blood of those effete and phlegmy materials which nature requires to be thrown off4 ,the views of the ,thomsonian as to heat and cold appear to me unphilosophical4 ,but this has nothing to do with the efficiency of their measures4 ,in relation to sterility1 ,i would here bring to mind1 what has before been stated1 that a woman is most likely to conceive immediately after a menstrual turn4 ,and now1 also1 let me suggest the idea that ,nature's delicate beginnings may be frustrated by the same means that put her a going4 ,this idea is certainly important when the woman is known to have miscarried a number of times4 ,sterility is sometimes to be attributed to the male1 though he apparently be in perfect health4 ,it would be an interesting fact to ascertain if there be no seminal animalculae in these cases2 and whether medicines of any kind are available4 ,it has been ascertained that a male and female may be sterile in relation to each other1 though neither of them be so with others4 ,the foregoing measures for sterility are also suitable in cases of impotency4 ,this term1 ,i believe1 is generally con-lined to1 and defined as a want of desire or ability1 or both on the part of the male2 but ,i see no good reason why it should not comprehend the case in which there is neither desire nor pleasure with the female4 ,such females1 it is true1 may be fruitful2 but so1 on the other hand1 the semen may not have lost its fecundating property4 ,impotency1 at a young or middle age1 and in some situations in life especially1 is certainly a serious misfortune1 to say the least of it4 ,the whole evil by no means consists1 in every case1 in the loss of a source of pleasure4 ,all young people ought to be apprised of the causes of it--causes which1 in many instances1 greatly lessen one's ability of giving and receiving that pleasure which is the root of domestic happiness4 ,i shall allude to one cause1 that of premature1 and especially solitary gratification1 in another place4 ,intemperance in the use of spirits is another powerful cause4 ,even a moderate use of spirits1 and also of tobacco1 in any form1 have some effect ,it is a law of animal economy1 that no one part of the system can be stimulated or excited1 without an expense of vitality1 as it is termed4 ,the part which is stimulated draws the energy from other parts4 ,and hence it is1 that close and deep study1 as well as all the mental passions when excessive1 impair the venereal appetite4 ,all excesses1 all diseases and modes of life which impair the general health1 impair this appetite1 but some things more directly and powerfully than others4 ,as to the remedies for impotency1 they are much the same as for sterility4 ,it is of the first importance that the mind be relieved from all care and anxiety4 ,the general health is to be improved by temperance1 proper exercise in the open air1 cheerful company1 change of scenery1 or some occupation to divert the mind without requiring much exercise of it2 nourishing food of easy digestion2 flannel worn next to the skin4 ,the cold bath may be tried1 and if it be followed by agreeable feelings1 it will do good4 ,the bowels may be gently stimulated by the pills before mentioned2 and the preparation of iron also1 already mentioned1 should be taken4 ,to stimulate the genital organs more directly1 cayenne1 ,dewees' tincture of guaiac1 or tincture of flies1 may be taken4 ,i have given directions for making and taking the tincture of flies1 chiefly because it is esteemed one of the best remedies for impotency caused by or connected with nocturnal emissions1 to which ,i have before alluded4 ,it is in cases where little or no pleasure1 nor erection1 attend these emissions--cases brought on by debauchery1 or in elderly persons--that ,i would recommend tincture of flies1 and the other measures above mentioned4 ,in some bad cases1 enormous doses of this tincture are required1 say two or three hundred drops4 ,yet the best rule for taking it is that already given1 namely1 begin with small doses1 and gradually increase until some stranguary be felt1 or some benefit be received4 ,in this affection1 as well as in all cases of impaired virility1 the means ,i have mentioned are to be pursued for a long time1 unless relief be obtained4 ,these have cured after having been taken for a year or more without the result4 ,in all cases of impotency not evidently depending upon disease of some part besides the genital organs1 ,i should have much confidence in blisters applied to the lower part of the spine4 ,occasional nocturnal emissions1 accompanied with erection and pleasure1 are by no means to be considered a disease1 though they have given many a one such uneasiness4 ,even if they be frequent1 and the system considerably debilitated1 if not caused by debauch1 and the person be young1 marriage is the proper measure4 ,there have been several means proposed and practiced for checking conception4 ,i shall briefly notice them1 though a knowledge of the best is what most concerns us4 ,that of withdrawal immediately before emission is certainly effectual1 if practiced with sufficient care4 ,but if 7as ,i believe7 ,dr4 ,dewees' theory of conception be correct1 and as ,spallanzani's experiments show that only a trifle of semen1 even largely diluted with water1 may impregnate by being injected into the vagina1 it is clear that nothing short of entire withdrawal is to be depended upon4 ,but the old notion that the semen must enter the uterus to cause conception1 has led many to believe that a partial withdrawal is sufficient1 and it is on this account that this error has proved mischievous1 as all important errors generally do4 ,it is said by those who speak from experience that the practice of withdrawal has an effect upon the health similar to intemperance in eating4 ,as the subsequent exhaustion is probably mainly owing to the shock the nervous system sustains in the act of coition1 this opinion may be correct4 ,it is further said that this practice serves to keep alive those fine feelings with which married people first come together4 ,still1 ,i leave it for every one to decide for himself whether this check be so far from satisfactory as not to render some other very desirable4 ,as to the baudruche1 which consists in a covering used by the male1 made of very delicate skin1 it is by no means calculated to come into general use4 ,it has been used to secure immunity from syphilitic affections4 ,another check which the old idea of conception has led some to recommend with considerable confidence1 consists in introducing into the vagina1 previous to connection1 a very delicate piece of sponge1 moistened with water1 to be immediately afterward withdrawn by means of a very narrow ribbon attached to it1 ,but1 as our views would lead us to expect1 this check has not proved a sure preventive4 ,as there are many little ridges or folds in the vagina1 we cannot suppose the withdrawal of the sponge would dislodge all the semen in every instance4 ,if1 however1 it were well moistened with some liquid which acted chemically upon the semen1 it would be pretty likely to destroy the fecundating property of what might remain4 ,but if this check were ever so sure1 it would1 in my opinion1 fall short of being equal1 all things considered1 to the one ,i am about to mention--one which not only dislodges the semen pretty effectually1 but at the same time destroys the fecundating property of the whole of it4 ,it consists in syringing the vagina immediately after connection with a solution of sulphate of zinc1 of alum1 pearl-ash1 or any salt that acts chemically on the semen1 and at the same time produces no unfavorable effect on the female4 ,in all probability a vegetable astringent would answer--as an infusion of white oak bark1 of red rose leaves1 of nut-galls1 and the like4 ,a lump of either of the above-mentioned salts1 of the size of a chestnut1 may be dissolved in a pint of water1 making the solution weaker or stronger1 as it may be borne without any irritation of the parts to which it is applied4 ,these solutions will not lose their virtues by age4 ,a female syringe1 which will be required in the use of the check1 may be had at the shop of an apothecary for a shilling or less4 ,if preferred1 the semen may be dislodged as far as it can be1 by syringing with simple water1 after which some of the solution is to be injected1 to destroy the fecundating property of what may remain lodged between the ridges of the vagina1 etc4 ,i know the use of this check requires the woman to leave her bed for a few moments1 but this is its only objection2 and it would be unreasonable to suppose that any check can ever be devised entirely free of objections4 ,in its favor it may be said1 it costs nearly nothing2 it is sure2 it requires no sacrifice of pleasure2 it is in the hand of the female2 it is to be used after1 instead of before the connection1 a weighty consideration in its favor1 as a moment's reflection will convince any one2 and last1 but not least1 it is conducive to cleanliness1 and preserves the parts from relaxation and disease4 ,the vagina may be very much contracted by a persevering use of astringent injections1 and they are constantly used for this purpose in cases of procidentia uteri1 or a sinking down of the womb2 subject as women are to fluor albus1 and other diseases of the genital organs1 it is rather a matter of wonder that they are not more so1 considering the prevailing practices4 ,those who have used this check 7and some have used it1 to my certain knowledge with entire success for nine or ten years1 and under such circumstances as leave no room to doubt its efficacy7 affirm that they would be at the trouble of using injections merely for the purposes of health and cleanliness4 ,by actual experiment it has been rendered highly probable that pregnancy may1 in many instances1 be prevented by injections of simple water1 applied with a tolerable degree of care4 ,but simple water has failed1 and its occasional failure is what we should expect1 considering the anatomy of the parts1 and the results of ,spallanzani's experiments heretofore alluded to4 ,this much did ,i say respecting this check in the first edition of this work4 ,that is what ,i call the chemical check4 ,the idea of destroying the fecundating property of the semen was original1 if it did not originate with me4 ,my attention was drawn to the subject by the perusal of ,moral ,physiology4 ,such was my confidence in the chemical idea that ,i sat down and wrote this work in ,july1 #ahca4 ,but the reflection that ,i did not know that this check would never fail1 and that if it should1 ,i might do someone an injury in recommending it1 caused the manuscript to lie on hand until the following ,december4 ,some time in ,november ,i fell in with an old acquaintance1 who agreeably surprised me by stating that to his personal knowledge this last check had been used as above stated4 ,i have since conversed with a gentleman with whom ,i was acquainted1 who stated that1 being in ,baltimore some few years ago1 he was there informed of this check by those who have no doubt of its efficacy4 ,from what has as yet fell under my observation1 ,i am not warranted in drawing any conclusion4 ,i can only say that ,i have never known it to fail4 ,such are my views on the whole subject1 that it would require many instances of its reputed failure to satisfy me that such failures were not owing to an insufficient use of it4 ,i even believe that quite cold water alone1 if thoroughly used1 would be sufficient4 ,in ,spallanzani's experiments warm water was unquestionably used4 ,as the seminal animalcule are essential to impregnation1 all we have to do is to change the condition of1 or1 if you will1 to kill them2 and as they are so exceedingly small and delicate1 this is doubtless easily done1 and hence cold water may be sufficient4 ,what has now been advanced in this work will enable the reader to judge for himself or herself of the efficacy of the chemical or syringe check1 and time will probably determine whether ,i am correct in this matter4 ,i do know that those married females who have much desire to escape will not stand for the little trouble of using this check1 especially when they consider that on the score of cleanliness and health alone it is worth the trouble4 ,a great part of the time no check is necessary1 and women of experience and observation1 with the information conveyed by this work1 will be able to judge pretty correctly when it is and when it is not4 ,they may rest assured that none of the salts mentioned will have any deleterious effect4 ,the sulphate of zinc is commonly known by the name of white vitriol4 ,this1 as well as alum1 have been extensively used for leucorrhae4 ,acetate of lead would doubtless be effectual--indeed1 it has proven to be so2 but ,i do not recommend it1 because ,i conceive it possible that a long continued use of it might impair the instinct4 ,i hope that no failures will be charged of efficacy of this check which ought to be attributed to negligence or insufficient use of it4 ,i will therefore recommend at least two applications of the syringe1 the sooner the surer1 yet it is my opinion that five minutes' delay would not prove mischievous--perhaps not ten4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,reproductive ,,instinct ,i scarcely need observe that by this instinct is meant the desire for sexual intercourse4 ,blumenbach speaks of this instinct as superior to all others in universality and violence4 ,perhaps hunger is an exception4 ,but surely no instinct commands a greater proportion of our thoughts or has a greater influence upon happiness for better or for worse4 ,controlled by reason and chastened by good feelings1 it gives to social intercourse much of its charm and zest1 but directed by selfishness or governed by force1 it is prolific of misery and degradation4 ,in itself it appears to be the most social and least selfish of all instincts4 ,it fits us to give even while we receive pleasure1 and among cultivated beings the former power is even more highly valued than the latter4 ,not one of our instincts perhaps affords larger scope for the exercise of disinterestedness1 or fitter play for the best moral feelings of our race4 ,not one gives birth to relations more gentle1 more humanizing and endearing2 not one lies more immediately at the root of the kindliest charities and most generous impulses that honor and bless human nature4 ,it is a much more noble1 because less purely selfish1 instinct than hunger or thirst4 ,it is an instinct that entwines itself around the warmest feelings and best affections of the heart--,moral ,physiology4 ,but too frequently its strength1 together with a want of moral culture1 is such that it is not controlled by reason2 and consequently1 from time immemorial1 it has been gratified1 either in a mischievous manner1 or to such an intemperate degree1 or under such improper circumstances1 as to give rise to an incalculable amount of human misery4 ,for this reason it has1 by some1 been regarded as a low1 degrading and carnal passion1 with which family life must be ever at war4 ,but in the instinct itself the philosopher sees nothing deserving of degrading epithets4 ,he sees not that nature should war against herself4 ,he believes that in savage life it is1 and in wisely organized society of duly enlightened and civilized beings it should be the source of ten-fold more happiness than misery4 ,a part of the evil consequences to which this instinct is daily giving rise under the present state of things1 it belongs more particularly to the moralist to point out2 whilst of others it falls within the province of the physician to treat4 ,but let me first remark that physicians have hitherto fallen far short of giving those instructions concerning this instinct which its importance demands4 ,in books1 pamphlets1 journals1 etc41 they have laid much before the public respecting eating1 drinking1 bathing1 lacing1 air1 exercise1 etc41 but have passed by the still more important subject now before us1 giving only here and there spine faint allusion to it ,this1 it is true1 the customs1 not to say pruderies1 of the age have compelled them to do1 in publications designed for the public eye1 yet1 in some small work1 indicated by its title to be for private perusal1 they might1 with the utmost propriety1 have embodied much highly useful instruction in relation to this instinct4 ,this instinct is liable to be gratified at improper times1 to an intemperate degree1 and in a mischievous manner4 ,true philosophy dictates that this and all other appetites be so gratified as will most conduce to human happiness--not merely the happiness attending the gratification of one of the senses1 but all the senses--not merely sensual happiness1 but intellectual--not merely the happiness of the individual1 but of the human family4 ,first4--,of the times at which this instinct ought not to be gratified4 ,with females it ought not to be gratified until they are seventeen or eighteen years of age1 and with males not until they are a year or two older4 ,the reason is1 if they refrain until these ages1 the passion will hold out the longer1 and they will be able to derive much more pleasure from it in after life1 than if earlier gratified1 especially to any great extent ,a due regard to health also enjoins with most persons some restraint on this instinct--indeed1 at all times1 but especially for a few years after the above-mentioned ages4 ,it ought not to be rashly gratified at first4 ,begin temperately1 and as the system becomes more mature1 and habituated to the effects naturally produced by the gratification of this instinct1 it will bear more without injury4 ,many young married people1 ignorant of the consequences1 have debilitated the whole system--the genital system in particular2 have impaired their mental energies2 have induced consumptive and other diseases2 have rendered themselves irritable1 unsocial1 melancholy and finally much impaired1 perhaps destroyed their affection for each other by an undue gratification of the reproductive instinct4 ,in almost all diseases1 if gratified at all1 it should be very temperately4 ,it ought not to be gratified during menstruation1 as it might prove productive to the man of symptoms similar to those of syphilis1 but more probably to the woman of a weakening disease called fluor albus4 ,in case of pregnancy a temperate gratification for the first two or three months may be of no injury to the woman or the coming offspring4 ,but it ought to be known that the growth of the foetus in utero may be impaired1 and the seeds of future bodily infirmity and mental imbecility of the offspring may be sown by much indulgence during utero-gestation or pregnancy1 especially when the woman experiences much pleasure in such indulgences4 ,having already glanced at some of the bad effects of an undue gratification of this instinct1 ,i have but little more to offer under the head of ,intemperate ,degree4 ,it will be borne in mind that intemperance in this thing is not to be decided by numbers1 but that it depends on circumstances2 and what would be temperance in one1 may be intemperance in another4 ,and with respect to an individual1 too1 what he might enjoy with impunity1 were he a laboring man1 or a man whose business requires but little mental exercise1 would1 were he a student1 unfit him for the successful prosecution of his studies4 ,intemperance in the gratification of this instinct has a tendency to lead to intemperance in the use of ardent spirits4 ,the languor1 depression of spirits1 in some instances faintness and want of appetite1 induced by intemperate gratification1 call loudly for some stimulus1 and give a relish to spirits4 ,thus the individual is led to drink4 ,this inflames the blood1 the passions1 and leads to further indulgence4 ,this again calls for more spirits2 and thus two vicious habits are commenced1 which mutually increase each other4 ,strange as it may appear to those unacquainted with the animal economy1 an intemperate indulgence sometimes gives rise to the same disease--so far as the name makes it so--that is frequently cured by a temperate indulgence2 viz1 nocturnal emissions4 ,every young married woman ought to know that the male system is exhausted in a far greater degree than the female by gratification4 ,it seems1 indeed1 to have but little effect1 comparatively1 upon some females4 ,but with respect to the male1 it has been estimated by ,tissot that the loss of one ounce of semen is equal in its effects upon the system of forty ounces of blood4 ,as it respects the immediate effects1 this estimation1 generally speaking1 may not be too great4 ,but a man living on a full meat diet might1 doubtless1 part with fifty ounces of semen in the course of a year1 with far less detriment to the system than with #b1jjj ounces of blood4 ,it is a fact1 that mode of living1 independent of occupation1 makes a great difference with respect to what the system will bear4 ,a full meat diet1 turtles1 oysters1 eggs1 spirits1 wine1 etc41 certainly promote the secretion of semen1 and enable the system to bear its emission4 ,but a cool vegetable and milk diet calms all the passions1 the venereal especially4 ,most men adopting such a diet as this will suffer no inconvenience in extending the intervals of their gratification to three or four weeks2 on the contrary1 they will enjoy clear intellect1 and a fine flow of spirits4 ,this is the diet for men of literary pursuits1 especially the unmarried4 ,as to the mischievous manner1 it consists in the unnatural habit of onanism1 or solitary gratification2 it is an antisocial and demoralizing habit1 which1 while it proves no quietus to the mind1 impairs the bodily powers as well as mental1 and not infrequently leads to insanity4 ,while the gratification of the reproductive instinct in such manner as mentioned leads to bad consequences1 a temperate and natural gratification1 under proper circumstances1 is attended with good1 besides the mere attendant pleasure1 which alone is enough to recommend such gratification4 ,i admit that human beings might be so constituted that if they had no reproductive instinct to gratify1 they might enjoy health2 but being constituted as they are1 this instinct cannot be mortified with impunity4 ,it is a fact universally admitted1 that unmarried females do not enjoy so much good health and attain to so great an age as the married2 notwithstanding that the latter are subject to the diseases and pains incident to child-bearing4 ,a temperate gratification promotes the secretions1 and the appetite for food2 calms the restless passions2 induces pleasant sleep2 awakens social feeling2 and adds a zest to life which makes one conscious that life is worth preserving4 ,,appendix ,i here connect with this work1 by way of ,appendix1 the following extract from an article which appeared in the ,boston ,investigator1 a paper which1 mirabile dictu1 is so crazy as to be open to the investigation of all subjects which mightily concern mankind4 ,the only seeming objection of much weight that can be brought against diffusing a knowledge of checks is1 that it will serve to increase illegal connections4 ,now1 this is exactly the contrary effect of that which those who have diffused such knowledge most confidently believe will arise from it4 ,to diminish such connections is indeed one of the grand objects of this publication1--an object which laws and prisons cannot1 or1 at least1 do not1 accomplish4 ,why is there so much prostitution in the land8 ,the true answer to the question is not1 and never will be1 ,because the people have become acquainted with certain facts in physiology2 it is because there are so many unmarried men and women1--men of dissipation and profligacy1 owing to their not having married in their younger days and settled down in life4 ,but why are there so many unmarried people in the country8 ,not because young hearts when they arrive at the age of maturity do not desire to marry2 but because prudential considerations interfere4 ,the young man thinks3 ,i cannot marry yet2 ,i cannot support a family2 ,i must make money first1 and think of a matrimonial settlement afterward4 ,and so it is1 that through fear of having a family1 before they have made a little headway in the world1 and of being thereby compelled to tug at the oar of incessant labor throughout their lives1 thousands of young men do not marry1 but go abroad into the world and form vicious acquaintances and practices4 ,the truth1 then1 is this1--there is so much illegal connection in the land1 because the people had not1 twenty years ago1 that very information which1 it would seem1 some1 doubtless through want of due reflection1 are apprehensive will increase this evil4 ,i might quote pages to the point from ,every ,woman's ,book1 but ,i fear my communication would be too lengthy4 ,i content myself with a few lines4 ,but when it has become the custom here as elsewhere to limit the number of children1 so that none need have more than they wish1 no man will fear to take a wife2 all will marry while young2 debauchery will diminish2 while good morals and religious duties will be promoted4 ,it has been asked if a general knowledge of checks would not diminish the general increase of population8 ,i think that such would not be the result in this country until such result would be desirable4 ,in my opinion the effect would be a good many more families 7and1 on the whole1 as many births71 but not so many overgrown and poverty-stricken ones4 ,it has been said1 ,it is better to let ,nature take her course4 ,now1 in the broadest sense of the word ,nature1 ,i say so too4 ,in this sense there is nothing unnatural in the universe4 ,but if we limit the sense of the word ,nature so as not to include what we mean by art1 then is civilized life one continued warfare against ,nature4 ,it is by art that we subdue the forest2 by art we contend against the elements2 by art we combat the natural tendency of disease1 etc4 ,as to the outrageous slander which here and there one has been heard to utter against the fair sex1 in saying that fear of conception is the foundation of their chastity1 it must be the sentiment of a carnal heart1 which has been peculiarly unfortunate in its acquaintances4 ,to the pure1 all things are pure4 ,chastity1 as well as its opposite1 is in a great degree constitutional2 and ought1 in a like degree1 to be regarded as a physical property1 if ,i may so say1 rather than a moral quality4 ,where the constitution is favorable a very indifferent degree of moral training is sufficient to secure the virgin without the influence of the above-mentioned fear2 but where it is the reverse you may coop up the individual in the narrow dark cage of ignorance and fear1 as you will1 but still you must watch4 ,an eminent moralist has said1 ,that chastity which will not bear the light of physiology is scarcely worth preserving4 ,but verily1 ,i believe there is very little such in the market4 ,what there be is naturally short-lived1 and1 after its demise1 the unhappily constituted individual stands in great need of this light to save her from ignominy4 ,what might it not have prevented in the ,fall ,river affair8 ,and if one of two things must happen--either the destruction of fecundity or the destruction of life--which of the two is the greater evil8 ,in these cases alone this light is calculated to do sufficient good to counterbalance all the evil that would arise from it2 so that we should have its important advantages to the married in a political1 a domestic and a medical point of view1 as so much clear gain4 ,this1 of course1 is my opinion2 but since ,i have probably reflected more upon the subject than all the persons concerned in my imprisonment put together1 until it can be shown that ,i have not as clear a head and as pure a heart as any of them1 ,i think it entitled to some weight4