This specific quality, or Selfness, of an animal pervades every drop of its blood, so that the blood relationship of the different forms may be thus tested, where chemistry is incompetent to show agreement or antagonism.
"The Breath of Life"
John Burroughs
Indeed we are informed that "although he found a sweet stream of sovereign humours in that well-tempered lady to run against him, yet found he safety in herself against that Selfness which appeared to threaten him in her."
"Project Gutenberg History of The Netherlands, 1555-1623, Complete"
John Lothrop Motley
She had seen her husband pass through this nervous crisis many times before, and she had learned to be blamed in silence, for she was a woman out of whom all Selfness had long since died, leaving only the tender pity of the nurse and the consoler.
"Betty's Bright Idea; Deacon Pitkin's Farm; and The First Christmas of New England"
Harriet Beecher Stowe