An history of the earth, and animated nature / [Oliver Goldsmith].

  • Oliver Goldsmith
Date:
1790
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An history of the earth, and animated nature / [Oliver Goldsmith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ftie becomes too minute, or obfcure, for our infpe&ion; fo that we find it impoflible to mark her firft differences, to difcover the point where animal life begins, or the caufe that conduces to fet it in motion. We know little more than that the greatefl number of animals require the concurrence of a male and female to reproduce their kind; and that thefe, diftin&ly and invariably, are found to beget creatures of their own fpecies. Curiofity has, therefore, been a&ive, in trying to difcover the imme- diate refult of this union, how far either fex contributes to the bellowing animal life, and whether it be to the male or female that we are mod indebted for the privilege of our ex- iftence. Hippocrates has fuppofed that fecundity pro- ceeded from the mixture of the feminal liquor of both fexes, each of which equally contri- bute to the formation of the incipient animal. Ariflotle, on the other hand, would have the feminal liquor in the male alone to contribute to this purpofe, while the female fupplied the proper nourifhment for its fupport. Such were the opinions of thefe fathers of philofophy ; and thefe continued to be adopted by the na- turalifls, and fchoohmen, of fucceeding ages, with blind veneration. At length, Steno an4
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