For females are weaker and colder in nature, and we
must look upon the female character as being a sort of natural
deficiency. Accordingly while it is within the mother it develops
slowly because of its coldness (for development is concoction, and it
is heat that concocts, and what is hotter is easily concocted); but
after birth it quickly arrives at maturity and old age on account of
its weakness, for all inferior things come sooner to their
perfection or end, and as this is true of works of art so it is of
what is formed by Nature. For the reason just given also twins are
less likely to survive in man if one be male and one female, but
this is not at all so in the other animals; for in man it is
contrary to Nature that they should run an equal course, as their
development does not take place in equal periods, but the male must
needs be too late or the female too early; in the other animals,
however, it is not contrary to Nature. A difference is also found
between man and the other animals in respect of gestation, for animals
are in better bodily condition most of the time, whereas in most women
gestation is attended with discomfort. Their way of life is partly
responsible for this, for being sedentary they are full of more
residual matter; among nations where the women live a laborious life
gestation is not equally conspicuous and those who are accustomed to
work bear children easily both there and elsewhere; for work
consumes the residual matter, but those who are sedentary have a great
deal of it in them because not only is there no monthly discharge
during pregnancy but also they do no work; therefore their travail
is painful.
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