“Forty Drops of Blood Make One Drop of Semen”: A Well-Traveled Aphorism

The aphorism “Forty Drops of Blood Make One Drop of Semen” has often been cited as sexual lore that is both Indian and ancient. The idea appears to be medieval Arab lore, however, being recorded in work by Ibn Sina, which explains its ubiquity in early modern Europe. The dictum may have traveled to Asia (India, but also China) via much later European texts. This historical vignette raises broader questions concerning the global dissemination of sexual lore, past and present.