Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

QVEST. XIIII. Of Monsters and Hermophradites.

TO depraued and illegittimate Conceptions must Monsters be referred, con∣cerning which, it shall not be out of our way to giue you some briefe No∣tice. Monsters Aristotle calleth Excursions and Digressions of Nature, ta∣king his Metaphor from Trauellers, who wander out of their way yet go stil on their intended iourney. For when Nature cannot accomplish and bring to perfection that shee intendeth, least she should be idle, which is a thing incompetent to * 1.1 her disposition, she doth what she can. And in the second Booke of his Physickes, he de∣fineth a Monster to be a fault, or error, or praeuarication of Nature working for some ende of which she is frustrated because of some principle corrupted.

Monsters happen many wayes, and there are of them innumerable differences. We will onely handle the chiefe in this place, because haply in another work we may be in this kind * 1.2 more particular. Monsters happen either when the sexe is vitiated, or when the Confor∣mation is vnlawfull. In the sex, when they are of an vncertaine sex, so that you may doubt * 1.3 whether it be a male or a female or both, as Hermophradites. Bi-sexed Hermophradites they call Androgynas, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In males that commeth to passe three * 1.4 manner of wayes. When in the Perinaeum or Interfaeminium, that is, the place betweene the cod and the fundament, there appeareth a small womans priuity; again, when the same happeneth in the cod but without any auoyding of excrement by it; and thirdly, when in the same place the vrine issueth. In females there is but one manner, when a yard or virile member beareth out in the bottome of the share-bone aboue the top of the genitall in the place of the Clitoris. Some add in men, when there appeareth a small priuity of a woman a∣boue the roote of the yard. In women, when a yard appeareth at the Leske, or in the Pe∣rinaeum.

In conformation Monsters are more ordinary. To Conformation we referre Figure, * 1.5 Magnitude, Scituation and Number. In Figure Monsters happen: if a man haue a prone or declining Figure like a bruite beast, if he haue the face of a Dogge, of a VVolfe, a Fox, * 1.6 a Toad, or such like. In Magnitude Exceeding or Deficient: if there be an vnequal propor∣tion * 1.7 of the parts as a great heade, or againe so little that it agreeth not with the rest of the parts. In Scituation, as if the eyes be in the middle of the forehead, the Nosethrilles in the sides, the eares in the nowle, or such like. In Number Exceeding, as when it is diuided into * 1.8 two bodies, two heads, foure armes, or such like; or Deficient, if it haue but one eye, no eares, and the like.

Concerning the causes of Monsters, diuers men are of diuers mindes. The Diuine re∣ferres it to the iudgement of God, the Astrologers to the Starres: Alcabitius saieth, there * 1.9 are certaine degrees in which if the Moone be when a child is conceiued, the birth becom∣meth

monstrous. We list not to exclude the iust vengeance of Almighty God, which no doubt hath a great stroake in these things; but to speake as a Physitian or Naturall Phi∣losopher, it must be granted that all these aberrations of Nature are to be referred vnto the * 1.10 Materiall and Efficient causes of generation. The Matter is the seede, the Efficient or A∣gent is either Primary or Secondary. The Primary or principle cause is double. The forma∣tiue Faculty and the Imagination. The Secondary is the instrument, to wit. the Place and certaine qualities as heate. The matter is in fault three wayes. For it is either Deficient * 1.11 or Aboundant, or is diuersly mixed. If there be want of Spermaticall matter, then the Monster is deficient either in Magnitude or in Number. If there be ouer plus of Seede, they become double-headed, with foure armes, &c. If there be a confused permixtion of the seede, then are Monsters generated of diuers kindes: as vpon Sodomy and vnnaturall * 1.12 copulations of men and beasts horrible Monsters haue beene brought into the worlde; so Aristotle saith, that in Egypt and Affrica, where Beasts of diuers kindes meete at the waters of Nilus, or in the Desert-places and mis-match themselues, there are often manie Mon∣sters generated. And thus come monsters arising from the Matter. From the Agent or * 1.13 Efficient monsters may happen diuers waye. The Primary Agent as we saide, was ey∣ther the Formatiue Faculty or the Imagination. The power of the Imagination wee shall shew a little after in a fitter place, heere it shall bee sufficient to shew out of the learning of the Arabians, that a strong Imagination is able to produce formes euen as say they the su∣periour Intelligences in the Heauens do produce the formes of Mettalles, Plants, and crea∣tures.

We reade that in the precinct of Pisa, a woman brought foorth a female childe full of haire like the haire of a Camell, because (saith the Author) she was wont to kneele before the picture of Iohn Baptist, cloathed in Camels haire. The Secondary Agent is the Heare * 1.14 or the place of Conception. Heare hauing a fiery mobility or quicke motion, formeth sundry shapes of bodies and worketh the matter into diuers fashions. The peruersion also, the euill Conformation of the place, that is, of the wombe, may be the cause of a depraued figure. And thus I make an end of this common place at this time, wherein my purpose was onely to touch the heads of things, reseruing my selfe to heereafter for the particular prosecution. Hitherto we haue intreated of the difficulties which might arise concerning the Conception, now it followeth concerning the Conformation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The definitiō of a Monster.
• * 1.2

  The differen∣ces.
• * 1.3

  Monsters in sexe.
• * 1.4

  How manie kinds of Her∣mophradites.
• * 1.5

  Monsters in conformation
• * 1.6

  In Figure.
• * 1.7

  Magnitude.
• * 1.8

  Scituation. Number.
• * 1.9

  The Causes of Monsters.
• * 1.10

  The true cau∣ses.
• * 1.11

  Monsters frō the matter.
• * 1.12

  Why so many Monsters in Egypt & Af∣frica.
• * 1.13

  The differēce of Monsters from the Effi∣cient.
• * 1.14

  A Historie.