Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/883

 GEN

( 13O

GEN

ttSi and the Vdfa pr&parantia ; which lee defcribed each under its proper Article, Penis, Testicles, g£c.

The 'Parts of Generation proper to the Female, are the 'Pudendum., the Clitoris., Nymphs, Hymen, Uterus, Fallo- pian'fubes-, and Ovaries or defies. See Pudendum, Cli- toris; NymphjE, Hymen, Uterus, Fallopian 'liibcs, and Ovaries.

The Procefs of Generation, fo far as the Male contributes to it, Is as follows : The Penis being erecfed by an Atfuiion of Blood ; as fhewn under Erection 5 the Glans, at the fame time tumified; and the nervous Papilla; in the Glans much rubbed, and highly excited in Coitu; an ejaculatory Contraction follows, by which the Seed is prefs'd out of the Seminal Veficles, and expeil'd with fbme Force. See Patil- LJBj Ejaculation, &c.

The Procefs of Generation on the part of the Female, is thus: The Clitoris being erected, after the like manner as the Penis in Man - a;id the neighbouring Parts all diftended with Blood, they more adequately embrace the Penis in Coitu ; and by their Intumelcence prels out a Liquor from the Glands about the Neck of the Womb, to facilitate the Paffage of the Penis.

At the Tame time, the Fibres of the Womb contracting, open its Mouth (which at other times is extremely clofe) for the Reception of the finer Part of the Seed.

Thus, the Seed, pregnant with Animalcules, is convey'd, with fome Impetus, into the Uterus 5 where being retain'd by the convulfive Conf trillion of the inner Membrane there- of and further heated and agitated therein 5 it is prepared to impregnate the Ovum.

During the Aft of Coition, the Fallopian Tubes growing ftiff, embrace the Ovaries with their ftrong mufculous Edges, like Fingers ; and comprefs them ; till, their Mouths being dilated, and expanded by this Embrace, force the Egg, now ripen'd, into their Cavities, and gradually drive it forwards by their Vermicular Motion, till at laft they protrude it into the Cavity of the Womb, to meet the Seed, fome or' the Animakulas whereof entering the dilated Pores of the glandulous Membrane of the Egg) are there retain'd, nourifh'd, grow to its Navel, and fuffocate the reii of the lefs lively Animalcula. And thus is Conception per- form'd. See Conception.

Others rather fuppofe the Seed eonvey'd from the Uterus thro 1 the Fallopian Tubes to the Ova ; and thus take the Inpregnation to be firft performed in' the Ovaries ; or even the Tuba themfelves, the Ova and Seed meeting by the way.

Others, confidering the Clofenefs of the Mouth of the Womb, and the Thicknefs of the Membranes of the Ova- ries, judge it impolTible for the Seed to pafs that way ; and therefore fuppofe it taken up by the Veins, which open into the Cavity of the Vagina, or even Womb 5 where circulat- ing, it ferments with the Mafs of Blood 5 and hence all the Symptoms which appear in Conception. At length it enters and impregnates the Egg by the fmall Twigs of Arteries, which are upon its Membranes. This Fermentation fwel- ling the Membranes of the Tuba?, they open their Cavity, and make room for the Ova, to pafs into the Womb.

The Egg inpregnated, and clofe iliut up in the Womb, fwims in the Humors thereof; which growing more and more fubtil, enter the patent Pores found on one Side the Ovum, diitend, fill, and augment it- and there being ftill further attenuated, nourifh the Embryo; thicken and ex- pand the Membranes of the Ovum, efpecially in that Part by which it grew to the Ovary, and thus form the Rudi- ments of a Placenta. See Placenta.

The fame^Caufes ftill continuing, and the Pores both of the Placenta, and the Membranes being enlarged ; the Egg begins to fill the Capacity of the Womb; and at length its Stem or Calyx grows to the concave Surface thereof: And thus is the Navel-ftring, or Funiculus form'd. See Funicu- lus Umeilicalis, &c. See alfo FceTus.

This Syftem is founded on the Supposition of the Ani- malcula in the Male Seed.

They who fet them afide as unconcern'd in Generation, account for it thus : The Seed, containing volatile, oily, and faline Parts, as appears from its fetid Smell, oleaginous Subftance, &c. being lodg'd in the Womb, and there further digefted and exalted; grows yet more volatile, fetid, pun- gent, and Simulating; and thus, adding to the Heat occa- iioned by Coition, vellicates the nervous Fibres of that Part* and occafions a Fermentation, and gentle Inflammation 5 and by that means an extraordinary Flux of Humors to that, and the adjacent Parts.

By this means the Tubae become rigid, and fit to grafp the Ovaries, which are alfo heated by the Effluvia of the Semen, and the Warmth of the Parts furrounding. Upon this, a greater Flux into the Ovaries ; till at length, the Ova, Jome of them at leaft, by fuch greater Supply of Nourishment, incrcafe in Bulk ; and as thofe grafp'd by the Edges of the Tubs, will be kept warmefr, and the greateft Flux be made thereto, they will fooneft be ripen'd, fall off,

arid be received by the Tuba:, and eonvey'd to the Womb : Where, growing, after the manner of the Seeds of Plants, the Placenta at length takes hold of, and adheres to the Uterus ; from which time the Embryo begins ro be nourifh'd after a different manner. See Gestation ; fee alio Nu- trition, Circulation, &c.

Generation of InfetJs ; fee Insect.

Generation of e Pla?its bears an admirable Analogy to that of Animals : See the Procefs deliver 'd at length under the Article Generation of Plants.

The 'Parts of Generation of 'Plants, are the Flowers ; and particularly the Stamina, Apices, Farina fcecundaas, and Pijlils thereof. See Flower 5 fee alfo Stamina, Fa- rina, and Pistil.

Generation of Mufl?rooms, fee Mushroom.

Generation of Minerals, or FoJJils, fee Mineral, and Fossil.

Generation of Stones, fee Stone • fee alio Spar, Trochites, and Crystal.

Generation of Shells, fee Shell.

Generation, in Theology. The Father is faid to have produe'd his Word, or Son, from all Eternity, by way of Generation ; on which occafion the Word Generation raifes a peculiar Idea : That Proceffion, which is really effected in the way of Underftanding, is called Generation, by rea- fon the Word, in virtue thereof, becomes like to him from whom he takes his Original ; or as St. Paul expreffes it, the Figure, or Image of his Subftance, i. e. of his Being and Nature. See Trinity, Person, Procession, &c.

And hence it is, that the Second Perfon in the Trinity is called the Son. See Son, £5?c.

Generation is alfo us'd, tho' fbmewhat improperly, for Genealogy ; or the Series of Children, iffued from the lame Stock: Thus, the Gofpel of St. Matthew commences with the Sook of the Generation of Jefus Chrtft, &c.

The later, and more accurate Tranflators, initead of Ge- neration, ufe the Word Genealogy. See Genealogy.

Generation is alfo us'd tofignify a People, Race, or Na- tion ; efpecially in the literal Tranflations of the Scripture: Where the Word generally occurs, wherever the Latin has Generatio ; and the Greek, yivat, or y'wwif.

Thus, A wicked and perverfe Generation jeeketb a Sign, &c. One Generation pqffes away, a?id another cometh, &c.

Generation is alfo us'd in the Senfe of an Age, or thp ordinary Period of Man's Life.

Thus, we fay, To the third and fourth Generation : In this Senfe, Hiftorians ufually reckon a Generation the Space of thirty Years, or there abouts. See Seculum.

Herodotus makes three Generations in an hundred Tears; which Computation appears from the Jater Authors of poli- tical Arithmetic, to be pretty ju#- See Annuity, and Po- litical Arithmetick.

GENEROSA, Gentlewoman; fee Gentleman.

Generoja is a good Addition ; and if a Gentlewoman be named Spinfler, in any original Writ, Appeal, or Indict- ment, fhe may abate and quafh the fame. 2 Inft. foL 66%.

GENESIS, the firft Book of Holy Scripture, or the Bi- ble ; containing the Hiflory of the Creation ; and the Lives of the firft Patriarchs. See Bible, and Scripture.

The Book of Genefis makes the Head of the Pentateuch. See Pentateuch.

Its Author is Mofes : It contains the Relation of z^6y Years ; viz. from the Beginning of the World, to the Death vijofeph.

The Jews are forbid to read the Beginning of Genefis, and the Beginning of Ezekiel, before 30 Years of Age.

The Hebrews call this Book Serefith, in regard it begins with that Word, which in their Language fignifies in prin- cipio, in the Beginning. 'Twas the Greeks gave it the Name Genefis, Tivztri;, q. d. Production, Generation; by reafon it begins with the Hiftory of the Production, or Generation of all Beings. — ■

Cedrenus makes mention of an Apocryphal Book, entitled Uttle Genefis, Genefis parva, containing feveral Incidents, not in the other: Some of which he has preferv'd; parti- cularly, that Cain was buried under the Ruins of a Houfe : That an Angel taught Abraham the Hebrew Tongue : That Maftiphal, Prince of the Devils, advifed God to order A- dam to facrifice his Son, for a Trial of his Obedience : That the Children were only cafl into the Nile for ten Months, &c.

Genesis, in Geometry, the Formation of a Line, Plane, or Solid, by the Motion, or Flux of a Point, Line, or Sur- face. See Line, and Surface $ fee alfo PorNT, and Flu- xion.

The Genefis, or Formation, e.gr. of a Globe, or Sphere, is conceived by fuppofing a Semi-circle to revolve upon a Right Line, drawn from one Extreme thereof to the ©therj call'd its Axis, or the Axis of Circumvolution : The Motion, or Revolution of that Semi-circle, is the Genefis of the Sphere, &c. See Axis - 7 fee alfo Sphere, Globe, &c.

In