in Logic, the simple apprehension or perception which we have of any thing, without proceeding to affirm or deny anything about it. Some writers, as Lord Kames, distinguish between conception and perception; making the latter to denote the consciousness of an object when present, or to include the reality of its object; whereas conception expresses the forming an idea of an object whether present or absent, or without any conviction of its reality.

in Medicine, denotes the first formation of the embryo, or fetus in the womb.

Conception is no other than such a confluence and commixture of the prolific seed of the male with that of the female, in the cavity of the uterus, as immediately produces an embryo.

The symptoms of conception or pregnancy are, when, in a few days after the conjugal act, a small pain is perceived about the navel, and is attended with some gentle convulsions in the bottom of the abdomen; and within, one, two, three, or even four months, the menses cease to flow, or prove in less quantity than usual. Upon the first failure of this kind, the woman begins to count the series of her weeks, without taking any notice of the time before elapsed; after this, or between the second or third months, but generally about the third, the motions of the embryo become perceptible to the mother; who hereupon becomes troubled with nausea, vomiting, loathing, longing, &c. About this time the breasts begin to swell, grow hard and painful, and contain a little milk; the nipples also become larger, firmer, and darker coloured, a livid circle appearing round them; the eyes seem sunk and hollow. During the two first months of pregnancy, the woman grows thinner and flaccider; the abdomen being also depressed; though it afterwards dilates, and grows gradually larger.

The manner wherein conception is effected is thus laid down by the modern writers: In the surfaces of the ovaries of women, there are found little pellucid spherules, consisting of two concentric membranes filled with a lymphatic humour, and connected to the surface of the ovaries underneath the tegument, by a thick calyx, contiguous to the extremities of the minute ramifications of the Fallopian tubes.

These spherules, by the use of venery, grow, swell, raise and dilate the membrane of the ovary into the form of papillae; till, the head preponderating from the stalk, it is at length separated from it; leaving behind it a hollow cicatrix in the broken membrane of the ovary; which, however, soon grows up again.

Now, in these spherules, while still adhering to the ovary, foetuses have been frequently found; whence it appears, that these are a kind of ova, or eggs, deriving their structure from the vessels of the ovary, and their liquor from the humours prepared therein.

Hence also it appears, that the Fallopian tubes being swelled and stiffened by the act of venery, with their muscular fibres, like fingers, may embrace the ovaries, compress them, and by that compression expand their own mouths; and thus the eggs, now mature, and detached as before, may be forced into their cavities, and thence conveyed into the cavity of the uterus; where they may either be cherished and retained, as when they meet with the male seed: or, if they want that, again expelled.

Hence the phenomena of false conceptions, abortions, foetuses found in the cavity of the abdomen, the Fallopian tubes, &c. For in coition, the male seed, abounding with living animalculæ, agitated with a great force, a brisk heat, and probably with a great quantity of animal spirits, is violently impelled through the mouth of the uterus, which on this occasion is opener, and through the valves of the neck of the uterus, which on this occasion are laxer than ordinary, into the uterus itself; which now, in like manner, becomes more active, turgid, hot, inflamed, and moistened with the flux of its lymph and spirits, by means of the titillation excited in the nervous papillæ by the attrition against the rugæ of the vagina.

The semen thus disposed in the uterus, is retained, heated, and agitated, by the convulsive constriction of the uterus itself; till meeting with the ova, the finest and most animated part enters through the dilated pores of the membranula of the ovum, now become glandulous; is there retained, nourished, and dilated; grows to its umbilicus, or navel; stifles the other less lively animalculæ; and thus is conception effected. Hence it appears, that conception may happen in any part where the semen meets with an ovum: thus whether it be carried through the Fallopian tube to the ovary, and there cast upon the ovum; or whether it meet with it in some recesses of the tube itself; or, lastly, whether it join it in the cavity of the uterus, it may still have the same effect, as it appears from observation actually to have had. But it is probable, that conception is then most perfect when the two, viz. the semen and ovum, are carried at the same time into the uterus, and there mixed, &c.

According to other physiologists the male seed is taken up, before it arrives in the uterus, by the veins which open into the vagina, &c. and thus mixed with the blood; by which, in the course of circulation, it is carried, duly prepared, into the ovary, to impregnate the eggs.

It has been advanced by several writers, that women may possibly conceive in their sleep, and be with child without any knowledge of the occasion of it. As ridiculous and absurd as this doctrine may appear to the generality of the world, no less an author than Gessner has thought it worthy a particular dissertation.

Immaculate, of the Holy Virgin, is a feast established in honour of the holy virgin, particularly with regard to her having been conceived and born immaculate, i.e. without original sin, held in the Roman church on the 8th of December. The immaculate conception is the great head of controversy between the Scotists and Thomists; the former maintaining, and the latter impugning it. In the three Spanish military orders, of St James of the sword, Calatrava, and Alcantara, the knights take a vow at their admission to defend the immaculate conception. This resolution was first taken in 1652. Peter d'Alva has published 48 huge volumes in folio on the mysteries of the conception.

an episcopal town of Chili in South America. It is situated in W. Long. 72° 50'. S. Lat. 36° 40'; and is the oldest European settlement in Chili, and the second in point of dignity. On their first settlement here, the Spaniards were repeatedly driven off by the Indians, so that they were obliged to take up their residence at St Jago. Since that time both the cities of Conception and St Jago have been frequently destroyed by earthquakes. In the year 1751 both of them were laid in ruins by a dreadful shock, the first concussions of which were attended with an unusual swelling of the sea, that overturned the few houses which had escaped the ravages of the earthquake. The harbour is good, and pretty much frequented; on which account the city is regarded as a place of consequence. The king allows annually 350,000 pieces of eight for the support of a garrison of 3,500 men; a corps that is seldom complete. None of the fortifications are considerable; but those towards the land are wretched. The Spaniards now live in tolerable security with respect to the Indians, and have no notion of any attack from the land side. It is said indeed, that not only this but all the settlements in Chili and Peru would fall an easy prey to the attacks of a foreign enemy; the fortifications being in ruins, and the garrisons scarce half the number required by the king; owing to the avarice, ignorance, and supine negligence of the governors, who study nothing but to enrich themselves.

a town of North America in New Spain, and in the audience of Guatemala. It is seated near the sea coast, 100 miles west of Porto-bello, and a small river that runs into the sea. W. Long. 81° 45'. N. Lat. 10° 0'.