The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXIX. Of the varicous bodyes or Parastat's, and of the ejaculatory vessels and the glandulous or Prostates.

THe varicous Parastatae are nervous and white bodyes, like as the nerves, round and close woven amongst themselves, they are stretched even from * 1.1 the top to the bottome of the testicles, from whence presently by their de∣parture they produce the Vasa ejaculatoria, or trading vessels. But unlesse we doe very well distinguish their names, wee shall scarse shun confusion. For that which I call Parastatae, that is, as it were the head of the testicle, being as it were * 1.2 like another stone, is called Epididymis by Galen lib-i. de semine. But I by the exam∣ple and authority of many Anatomists, understand by the Epididymis the proper coate of the testicles, of which thing I thought good by the way to admonish you of. Their Action is by their crooked passages to hinder the seed from departing out of the preparing into the leading vessels, before it shall be most perfectly labou∣red * 1.3 and concocted in these vessels by the power and force of the testicles. For in the first windings, the blood lookes pure; but in the last it is not so red, but somewhat whitish. For Nature commonly doth thus delay the matter in its passage either by straitnesse, or obliquity, which it desires to make more perfect and elaborate by any

new concoction; this we may learne by the foldings of the Rete mirable, the win∣dings of the Guts, the wrinckles in the bottome of the stomacke, the straitnesse of the Pylorus, the capillary veines dispersed through the body of the Liver; certainly nature hath intended some such thing in the making of the spermaticke vessels. Their * 1.4 quantity is visible, and figure round tending some what to sharpnesse. They are com∣posed of veines, nerves and arteryes (which they enjoy from the vessels of the testi∣cles, from the Epididymis, or the coat, from the Peritonaeum and their proper substance. Their temper is cold and dry. They be two in number, one to each testicle. But these * 1.5 varicous bodyes are called Parastatae, Assisters, because they superficially assist, and are knit to the testicles according to their length, or long-wayes. Out of the * 1.6 Parastatae proceed the Vasa ejaculatoria, or leading vessels, being of the same sub∣stance as their progenitors, that is, solid, white and as it were nervous. Their quanti∣ty is indifferent, their figure round, and hollow, that the seed may have a free passage through them, yet they seeme not to be perforated by any manifest passage, unlesse by chance in such as have had a long Gonnorrbaea. They have like temper as the Para∣stats, betweene which and the Prostates they are seated, immediatly knit with them both; as both in the coat and the other vessels with the parts from whence they take them.

But we must note, that such like vessels comming out of the parastats ascend from the botom of the stones even to the top, in which place meeting with the preparing vessels, they rise into the belly by the same passages, and bind themselves together by nervous fibers, even to the inner capacity of the belly; from whence turning backe, they forsake the preparing, that so they may run to the bottome of the share-bone, into the midst of two glandulous bodies which they call prostats scituate at the neck of the bladder, that there meeting together they may grow into one passage.

For thus of three passages, that is, of the 2 leading vessels and 1 passage of the blad∣der, there is one common one in men for the casting forth of seed and urine. A Ca∣runcle rising like a crest at the beginning of the neck of the bladder argues this uniting of the passages, which receiving this same passage which is sufficiently large, is oft times taken by such as are ignorant in anatomy for an unnaturall Caruncle, then especially when it is swolne through any occasion. These leading vessels are two in number, on each side one. Their action is to convey the seed made by the testicles * 1.7 to the Prostats and so to the necke of the bladder, so to be cast forth at the common passage. But if any aske whether that common passage made by the two leading vessels betweene the two glandulous bodyes be obvious to sense or no? We answer it is not manifest, though reason compell us to confesse that that way is perforated by reason of the spe••maticle, grosse and viscous matter carryed that way. But per∣adventure the reason why that passage cannot be seene is, because in a dead carcasse all small passages are closed and hid, the heat and spirits being gone, and the great appeare much lesse, by reason all the perforations fade, and fall into themselves. Yet certainely these passage must needs be very straite, even in a living man, seeing that in a dead they will not admit the point of a needle. Wherefore we need not feare, least in searching, whilest we thrust the Catheter into the bladder, it penetrate into the common passage of the leading vessels which runnes within the Caruncle, unlesse peradventure by some chance, as a Gonnorr••aea, or some great Phlegmon, it be much dilated besides nature. For I have sometimes seene such passages so open, * 1.8 that they would receive the head of a Spatherne; which thing should admonish us, that in searching we take great care, that we doe not rashly hurt this Caruncle, for being some what rashly handled with a Catheter it casts forth blood, especially if it be inflamed. But also the concourse of the spirits flowing with great violence together with the seed, much helps forward such ejaculation thereof performed through these straite passages by the power of the imaginative faculty in the Act of generation.

After the leading vessels follow the Prostatae, being glandulous bodyes of the same * 1.9 substance and temper that other Glandules are. Their quantity is large enough, their figure round, and some what long, sending forth on each side a soft production of an indifferent length. They are composed of veines, nerves, arterics, a coate (which they have from the neighbouring parts) and lastly their proper flesh, which they have

from their first conformation. They are two in number, scituate at the roote of the * 1.10 necke of the bladder, some what straitly bound, or tyed to the same, to the leading vessels, and the parts annexed to them. But alwaies observe, that every part which * 1.11 enjoyes nourishment, life and sense, either first or last hath connexion with the prin∣cipall parts of the body, by the intercourse of the vessels which they receive from thence.

The use of the Prostats is, to receive in their proper body the seed laboured in * 1.12 the testicles, and to containe it there, untill it be troublesome either in quantity or quality or both. Besides they containe a certaine oily and viscide humor in their glandulous body, that continually distilling into the passage of the urine, it may pre∣serve it from the acrimony and sharpnesse thereof. But wee have observed also on each side other Glandules, which Rondeletius calls Appendices glandylosae, Glandulous * 1.13 dependances to arise from these Prostats, in which also their is seed reserved.

[illustration]

The 10. figure, where in those things shewed in the former figure, are more exactly set forth.

aa A part of the Midriffe and of the Peritonaum with the ribs broken.

bb cc The Convex or gibbous part of the Liver marked with bb. the hollow or conca∣vous part with cc.

d e The right and left li∣gaments of the Liver.

f The trunke of the gate veire.

g The trunke of the hol∣lov veine.

h l The fatty veines both left and right.

i The ascent of the great ••••ery above the hol∣low veine, and the di∣vision thereof.

k The Caliacall artery.

n n The emulgent ves∣sels.

oo pp The fat tunicles or coates torne from both the kidneys.

qq The ureters that goe unto the bladder. t u. The right spermaticall veine which ariseth neare to u. x y. The double originall of the left spermaticall veine. x. from the emulgent, y from the hollow veine. α The originall of the spermaticall arteries β Certaine branches from the spermaticke arteries which runne unto the Peritonaeum γ The passage of the spermaticall vessels through the productions of the Peritonaeum, which must be observed by such as use to cut for the Rupture. & δ The spirie bodden bodies entrance into the testicle, it is called Corpus varicosum pyramidale. The Para∣statae. ζ The stone or testicle covered with his inmost coate. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 The descent of the leading vessell called Vas deferens. V y. The Bladder. * The right gut. ξ The glandules called prostatae into which the leading vessels are inserted. ρ The muscle of the bladder. ςτυ Two bodies of the yard, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and τ and ν his vessels. φχ. The coat of the Testicle. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 The muscle of the Testicle ψ. his vessels ω.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Their sub∣stance.
• * 1.2

  Here the Au∣thor speakes otherwise then Galen.
• * 1.3

  Action.
• * 1.4

  Their quanti∣ty, figure and composure.
• * 1.5

  Their temper and number.
• * 1.6

  Vasa ejacula∣toria the ejacu∣latory or lea∣ding vessels.
• * 1.7

  Their number and action.
• * 1.8

  This Carun∣cle must be ob∣served and di∣stinguished from a Hyper∣sarcosis or fleshy ex∣crescence.
• * 1.9

  The Prostatae. Their quanti∣ty and figur••.
• * 1.10

  Number and site.
• * 1.11

  An anatomi∣call axiome.
• * 1.12

  Their use.
• * 1.13

  Roud. in me∣thod. med. ad morbos.