5.  In respect to the imagination of the mother, it is difficult to comprehend, how this can produce any alteration in the fetus, except by affecting the nutriment laid up for its first reception, as described in No.  V. 2. of this section, or by affecting the nourishment or oxygenation with which she supplies it afterwards.  Perpetual anxiety may probably affect the secretion of the liquor amnii into the uterus, as it enfeebles the whole system; and sudden fear is a frequent cause of miscarriage; for fear, contrary to joy, decreases for a time the action of the extremities of the arterial system; hence sudden paleness succeeds, and a shrinking or contraction of the vessels of the skin, and other membranes.  By this circumstance, I imagine, the terminations of the placental vessels are detached from their adhesions, or insertions, into the membrane of the uterus; and the death of the child succeeds, and consequent miscarriage.

Of this I recollect a remarkable instance, which could be ascribed to no other cause, and which I shall therefore relate in few words.  A healthy young woman, about twenty years of age, had been about five months pregnant, and going down into her cellar to draw some beer, was frighted by a servant boy starting up from behind the barrel, where he had concealed himself with design to alarm the maid-servant, for whom he mistook his mistress.  She came with difficulty up stairs, began to flood immediately, and miscarried in a few hours.  She has since borne several children, nor ever had any tendency to miscarry of any of them.

6.  In respect to the power of the imagination of the male over the form, colour, and sex of the progeny, the following instances have fallen under my observation, and may perhaps be found not very unfrequent, if they were more attended to.  I am acquainted with a gentleman, who has one child with dark hair and eyes, though his lady and himself have light hair and eyes; and their other four children are like their parents.  On observing this dissimilarity of one child to the others he assured me, that he believed it was his own imagination, that produced the difference; and related to me the following story.  He said, that when his lady lay in of her third child, he became attached to a daughter of one of his inferior tenants, and offered her a bribe for her favours in vain; and afterwards a greater bribe, and was equally unsuccessful; that the form of this girl dwelt much in his mind for some weeks, and that the next child, which was the dark-ey’d young lady above mentioned, was exceedingly like, in both features and colour, to the young woman who refused his addresses.