登陆注册
15399900000021

第21章

Semen, then, is part of a useful secretion.But the most useful is the last and that from which finally is formed each of the parts of the body.For secretions are either earlier or later; of the nutriment in the first stage the secretion is phlegm and the like, for phlegm also is a secretion of the useful nutriment, an indication of this being that if it is mixed with pure nutriment it is nourishing, and that it is used up in cases of illness.The final secretion is the smallest in proportion to the quantity of nutriment.But we must reflect that the daily nutriment by which animals and plants grow is but small, for if a very little be added continually to the same thing the size of it will become excessive.

So we must say the opposite of what the ancients said.For whereas they said that semen is that which comes from all the body, we shall say it is that whose nature is to go to all of it, and what they thought a waste-product seems rather to be a secretion.For it is more reasonable to suppose that the last extract of the nutriment which goes to all parts resembles that which is left over from it, just as part of a painter's colour is often left over resembling that which he has used up.Waste-products, on the contrary, are always due to corruption or decay and to a departure from Nature.

A further proof that it is not a waste-product, but rather a secretion, is the fact that the large animals have few young, the small many.For the large must have more waste and less secretion, since the great size of the body causes most of the nutriment to be used up, so that the residue or secretion is small.

Again, no place has been set apart by Nature for waste-products but they flow wherever they can find an easy passage in the body, but a place has been set apart for all the natural secretions; thus the lower intestine serves for the excretion of the solid nutriment, the bladder for that of the liquid; for the useful part of the nutriment we have the upper intestine, for the spermatic secretions the uterus and pudenda and breasts, for it is collected and flows together into them.

And the resulting phenomena are evidence that semen is what we have said, and these result because such is the nature of the secretion.For the exhaustion consequent on the loss of even a very little of the semen is conspicuous because the body is deprived of the ultimate gain drawn from the nutriment.With some few persons, it is true, during a short time in the flower of their youth the loss of it, if it be excessive in quantity, is an alleviation (just as in the case of the nutriment in its first stage, if too much have been taken, since getting rid of this also makes the body more comfortable), and so it may be also when other secretions come away with it, for in that case it is not only semen that is lost but also other influences come away mingled with it, and these are morbid.Wherefore, with some men at least, that which comes from them proves sometimes incapable of procreation because the seminal element in it is so small.But still in most men and as a general rule the result of intercourse is exhaustion and weakness rather than relief, for the reason given.Moreover, semen does not exist in them either in childhood or in old age or in sickness- in the last case because of weakness, in old age because they do not sufficiently concoct their food, and in childhood because they are growing and so all the nutriment is used up too soon, for in about five years, in the case of human beings at any rate, the body seems to gain half the height that is gained in all the rest of life.

In many animals and plants we find a difference in this connexion not only between kinds as compared with kinds, but also between similar individuals of the same kind as compared with each other, e.g.

man with man or vine with vine.Some have much semen, others little, others again none at all, not through weakness but the contrary, at any rate in some cases.This is because the nutriment is used up to form the body, as with some human beings, who, being in good condition and developing much flesh or getting rather too fat, produce less semen and are less desirous of intercourse.Like this is what happens with those vines which 'play the goat', that is, luxuriate wantonly through too much nutrition, for he-goats when fat are less inclined to mount the female; for which reason they thin them before breeding from them, and say that the vines 'play the goat', so calling it from the condition of the goats.And fat people, women as well as men, appear to be less fertile than others from the fact that the secretion when in process of concoction turns to fat with those who are too well-nourished.For fat also is a healthy secretion due to good living.

In some cases no semen is produced at all, as by the willow and poplar.This condition is due to each of the two causes, weakness and strength; the former prevents concoction of the nutriment, the latter causes it to be all consumed, as said above.In like manner other animals produce much semen through weakness as well as through strength, when a great quantity of a useless secretion is mixed with it; this sometimes results in actual disease when a passage is not found to carry off the impurity, and though some recover of this, others actually die of it.For corrupt humours collect here as in the urine, which also has been known to cause disease.

[Further the same passage serves for urine and semen; and whatever animals have both kinds of excrement, that of liquid and that of solid nutriment, discharge the semen by the same passage as the liquid excrement (for it is a secretion of a liquid, since the nutriment of all animals is rather liquid than solid), but those which have no liquid excrement discharge it at the passage of the solid residua.Moreover, waste-products are always morbid, but the removal of the secretion is useful; now the discharge of the semen participates in both characteristics because it takes up some of the non-useful nutriment.But if it were a waste-product it would be always harmful; as it is, it is not so.]

From what has been said, it is clear that semen is a secretion of useful nutriment, and that in its last stage, whether it is produced by all or no.

同类推荐
  • 诊脉三十二辨

    诊脉三十二辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 菩萨受斋经

    菩萨受斋经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 乙酉扬州城守纪略

    乙酉扬州城守纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 樵史演义

    樵史演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天台传佛心印记

    天台传佛心印记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 倾世yesman

    倾世yesman

    这是一篇浪漫的小说里面还有好听的歌曲推荐!小说里说男主角像世勋女主角像宝儿其实也是在暗示我希望我最爱的两个明星:权宝儿吴世勋能够在一起因为我真心觉得他们很配!还有初做小说还请多多指教不喜勿喷
  • 一生的血樱

    一生的血樱

    艰辛的寻梦与情感之路,一场与命运的诅咒,轮回相较量的抗争。生命中隐约的谶语,唯有信任,才可以打破命运的诅咒与轮回。信,立世之本;信,扼命之咽。
  • 行龙诀

    行龙诀

    有些事,我们真的难以想象,直到我遇见了他,在那个地方,才明白,好多事只是我们没有遇到过罢了。他们的感情令我触动,我要写给你们看。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 吸血公爵的命定王妃

    吸血公爵的命定王妃

    他是一千年后穿越而来的吸血鬼族尊贵公爵,来到21世纪只为了为他的女孩打开通往吸血王国的大门。迎娶他的女孩。她是吸血族与神血莲的混血。两人命运交织,不眠不休。希诺斯的弟弟希暮泽,偏偏喜欢上了这位人界来的姑娘,三番几次调戏,撩拨。弄得希诺斯手忙脚乱。且看女主怎样风华绝代……
  • 夜殇暖阳

    夜殇暖阳

    单纯善良、渴望专一爱情并秉持“上的厅堂,下得厨房”立志要做优质女友兼老婆的舒婷遇到世故圆滑、擅长情感游戏并周旋于不同类型女人之间的花花公子铂天后被劈腿后,倔强坚强的舒婷情伤复员后改头换面,接近铂天好哥们晨曦,进入铂天生活圈,意图进行报复却意外收获与好男人晨曦的完美爱情,如同地雷勾动天火般爆发了一系列特殊的化学反应,引发了一连串啼笑皆非的故事。
  • 爱卿:朕要娶你

    爱卿:朕要娶你

    小太子挑着美人的下巴,“美人,长大后我娶你。”美人打开小太子的手,“谁要嫁你。”长大后,“皇上,当年你不是说要娶我的吗?”皇帝摆手,“没有没有,朕说的是…是…”“是什么?”丞相挑眉。皇帝突然硬气,“没错,就是要娶你,你嫁不嫁?”“......我考虑一下。”
  • 封与印

    封与印

    异世大陆,强者的传说永久流传,100级之后是什么?十阶封印之后是什么?十阶魂兽之后是渡劫还是灭亡?力量是否有尽头?为荣耀而战,为信仰而死,等级,封印,兽魂,兽宠,技能,不同方面的优势造就不同职业,战士,封印师,魂师,驯兽师,法师,在异世的舞台上,究竟谁领风骚?修炼,奇遇,levelup!为了复仇而变得强大,最后的结局谁人知晓?
  • 绝仙武帝

    绝仙武帝

    我欲问鼎天下,试问谁与争锋!不负多年磨砺,终究一朝称帝!!仙又如何,我凌驾众仙之上,天亦如何,我独屹九天绝巅!看我一身傲骨,两袖杀气;见证三尺凌厉,四方莫敌;随意五指挥间,六界沉寂;只有七弦祀伊,八荒当泣;成就九五至尊,十分威武!《绝仙武帝》交流群号:499359157,欢迎你的加入!
  • 火影之继承火之意志

    火影之继承火之意志

    他,一个普通的90后青年,因为一次意外被YY大神选中,成为了原著中的猪脚———漩涡鸣人!想知道后来发生的事吗?敬请关注《火影之继承火之意志》,不定是更新哦,亲!