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. XXII. How Superfoetation is made, why onely a woman when she hath concei∣ued desireth the company of the Male, and by what wayes she then elaculateth Seed.

THere are so many difficulties concerning the nature and manner of superfoe∣tation that many men haue imagined there can be no such thing, but we must not giue eare vnto them. For Hippocrates wrote a booke De superfoetatione, & there is a notable example of superfoetation in his first booke Epidem: in a wo∣man of Larissa, who the fortieth day after her deliuerance of a legittimate childe auoyded another preposterously conceiued. Famous also is that birth of Alcmoena, when she brought forth Hercules and Iphiclus his brother after him. Aristotle in the fifth chapter of his fourth Booke De generatione Animalium saith, that some creatures admit su∣perfoetation, others do not admit it: and of these that do, some are able to nourish both bur∣thens, some are not able sometimes, at other times they are able. And in his Booke De Historia Animalium, he alledgeth some examples of superfaetation. A certaine adultresse,

saith he, brought forth one infant like her husband, another like the adulterer: another be∣ing with child with twins had a third by Superfaetation. Another brought forth one the seuenth moneth which died, and in the ninth was deliuered of two others which did sur∣viue. Galen makes mention of superfaetion but seldome. Rhazis 22. Continent, Alzara••ius and Anieen are all of opinion, that those women are subiect to superfaetatation who whilest they are with childe haue their courses. Plinie in the eleuenth chapter of his 7. Booke writeth, that Proconnesia a seruant accompanied the same day with her maister & his man, and conceiued by them both, and bare either of them a sonne like to the father. That ano∣ther was deliuered of a childe at fiue moneths and went out her iust time with a second: that another was deliuered of a child at seuen moneths and went out her whole time with two twins beside. Dodoneus in his obseruations telleth stories to the same purpose. Wee conclude therefore that there may be superfaetation. Now this superfaetation is nothing else but a second conception, when a woman already with child accompanying with a man conceiueth againe, as if it were a new conception aboue another before conceiued. This superfaetation or iterated conception is not common to all creatures, as Aristotle teacheth in his fourth Booke De generatione Animalium, to women it happeneth oftener then to o∣thers creatures, vnlesse it be Hares and Swine; notwithstanding whensoeuer it happeneth, it is beside the ordinary course of nature. Now the reason why superfaetation happeneth most in women, is because women, and they almost only, after their conception do desire the company of their husbands. Other creatures when they are pagled as we say, do neuer or very seldome admit the Male, but what may be reason hereof? Dinus in his Comenta∣ries vppon Hippocrates booke de natura pueri saith, that other creatures after they haue conceiued, doe not desire the company of the Male, because all that which should bee the matter of new seede is consumed in the nourishment of their young, and therefore they are not goaded with their wonted lust. But a woman, because she hath in her aboundance of moysture, hath also her vessels full of seede, from whence comes the motion and sense of the obscoene parts. But this reason I cannot approue. For although the infant do con∣sume almost all the reliques or surplusage of the blood, yet doth it not defraude the parts of the mothers body of their conuenient nourishment; neither taketh from the Testicles their proper faculty of drawing and altering the blood. So women at sixtie years old haue no surplusage of blood and therefore their courses faile; yet they continue to procreate seede euen to their extreme age, which also in coition they auoyde, which though at that age it be not fit for generation, yet is it sufficient to prouoke pleasure.

VVe acknowledge other causes of this disposition of women and those naturall. For the Morall causes of which Lactantius writeth in his book de vero cultu we leaue to diuines. The first is, the scituation and conformation of the wombe: for in other creatures when they are great with yong the wombe is nearer the outward parts, and therefore more in danger to be violated by the Male whose genitals are of a great length, and for the most part of a harder substance. But a womans womb is scituated further inward and beyond the mans reach and therefore she beareth him the more easilier. Again, to beasts the vse of Ve∣nus is onely giuen for the preseruation of their kinde; if therefore they conceiue the finall cause being satisfied their desire of coition is also appeased; but man vseth these pleasures not onely to propagate his kind, but also to sweeten and mittigate the tedious and irksome labors and cares of his life. Poppea the daughter of Agrippa being asked this question why beasts did not copulate after they had conceiued, her answer was, because they were beastes; and truely the answere beside the quicknesse of it was not amisse; for it is a prerogatiue which Nature hath giuen to man aboue other creatures: but to returne to our question. It appeareth therefore that the reason why superfaetation is more ordinary in women then in all other creatures is, because when shee hath conceiued yet shee may desire the society of the Male. Now let vs enquire how this superfaetation may be.

Most certaine it is that the wombe is so greedy of seede, that after Conception it is so contracted that there is no void space left in it, and the inward orifice so close shut that no∣thing can passe into it or issue out of it. This Galen teacheth vs in many places, and Hip∣pocrates in the 51. Aphorisme of the 5. Section. Those that are with child haue the mouth of their wombes closed. How therefore can it be that the seede of the Male can ariue into the bosome of the wombe to make a second Conception? There haue beene some of the An∣tients who dreamt that by a wonderfull prouidence of Nature, the womb at certaine times did open it selfe to auoyde those things which might otherwise offend it; at which times if

a woman with child should accompany with a man, the wombe might entertaine his seed, and so breede a Superfoetation. But I take these to be but idle and addle imaginations. For if through the whole course of those nine months the wombe should at certaine times open it self to expell that that is superuacuous: why then are the Lochia (i, those purgations which issue after trauel) reteined all the time in the womb? Or can the womb at the same time that it auoideth that wherewith it is offended, receiue also the seede whereby it is pleased and conceiue the same? Rather the seed would so be extinguished.

Among the late writers there are some who thinke that the wombe is neuer so exquisit∣ly shut, but that it may admit seede; which their opinion they establish by these Reasons. When women are with child they often auoide their Courses pallid, Flegmatick or black, which out of question lay lurking in the cauity of the VVombe, and therefore the Orifice thereof is not so perfectly shut.

Againe, a woman with childe in coition looseth seede, which she perceyueth to yssue from her by her lap, which way it could not yssue vnlesse it came thorough the necke from the cauity of the wombe, because a woman eiaculateth her seede by the sides into the bot∣tome of her wombe. The orifice therefore of the wombe is alwayes open and so hapneth superfoetation the more easily. With these arguments they think they haue won the cause, whereas for want of skill in Anatomy they cast a mist ouer Hippocrates Sunshine. For that I may answer their first argument. It is manifest by this maner of reasoning that they are ig∣norant, that there are two veines which disperse their branches through the wombe, some of which are carried to the inward cauity thereof by which the infant is nourished, others run to the outward part of the wombe euen vnto the necke and the lap it selfe.

By these all the time of their ingrauidation or in which they go with childe, the bloode yssueth and the superfluities of the body are purged without interruption, although the inward orifice of the wombe be neuer so closely shut. Their latter reason would vrge more but that we finde two passages whereby the womans seede is auoyded. The first passage de∣termineth in the hornes or sides of the wombe by which the seede is eiaculated into the bo∣some of the wombe when a woman is not with childe, for it is the shorter and the opener way. The other passage was vnknown to the Ancients and to many also of the later Anato∣mists, but easie to be obserued in Dissection if it be diligently sort for. It ioyneth vvith the former but is longer, and runneth along the sides of the wombe and the necke and endeth in the lap. By this passage we beleeue that women with childe do auoide their seede, and therefore do conceyue greater pleasure in their husbands companies, because the Seede runneth a longer course through the vessels and beside through the Membranous neck of the wombe, both which are of exquisite sense.

The manner of Superfoetation Hippocrates first of all opened in his Booke de Superfoeta∣tione, where hee saith; Superfoetation hapneth to those women, the mouth of whose wombe af∣ter their first Conception is not close shut. For if at that time a woman do againe accompanie with her husband, she will easily receyue his seede and lay it vp in the bosom of the womb, from whence commeth a second Conception. Now this must be vnderstood of the thirde or fourth day after the first conception, for the wombe cannot abide open all the time of Conformation.

But a Question may be asked whither Superfoetation may happen after the first, second, or third month of the first conception, as many men do write and alledge manie examples therefore? We answere, we thinke it may so happen but very rarely. For the wombe may be so enraged, that it may open againe and receiue new seede, and yet the former concep∣tion not be violated if the woman be sound and the infant strong, as well because it is firm∣ly tied to the wombe by the mouths of the vesselles, as also because as yet it seeketh not to bee enlarged.

This we, sayth Laurentius, haue sometimes obserued in Twinnes. I saw (sayth he) a No∣ble Woman conceyued of two Twinnes, who first was deliuered the first day of the ninth Month of a dead child, and the seauenth day after of another aliue.

The like Historie there is in Hippocrates seauenth Booke of his Epidemia, vvhose wordes are these: Teroida a Woman of Doriscus (a Citie of Thracia) vvhen shee had gone vvith Twinnes fiue Monethes, by some mischaunce suffered Abortment, the one yssued foorth presentlie compassed with a Membrane, the other shee vvent vvith about fortie dayes after. The inwarde Orifice of the VVombe may therefore bee opened, and yet the

the infant remayneth behinde. Wee haue also for this the authority of Hippocrates in the the 38 Aphorisme of the fift Section, where he saith, A Woman with childe with Twinnes, if either pappe fall and grow loose, she wil abort of one of her children, if it be the right breast of a Male, if it be the left brest of a Female. The infant therefore may be reteined in the Wombe although the Orifice of the wombe open euen to an abortment. And although the second conception happen the third or the fourth month, yet is it not necessary that the first shold miscarry; & yet the second conceptions do seldom thriue and suruiue, especially if they be long after the first, because the former infant beeing great draweth away most part of the blood, whence it commeth to passe that the younger Brother is desrauded of his nourish∣ment, and so perisheth and is most what auoyded before his due time. And so much of Su∣perfoetation. Now it is time that we proceede vnto the Controuersies concerning the no∣rishment & augmentation of the Infant.

Notes

• Diuers exā∣ples of super∣foetation.
• What super∣foetation is.
• Why superfoe∣tation belon∣geth most to women. Dinus.
• Disproued.
• The true cau∣ses thereof. First.
• Second.
• Poppea her ac∣cute answere.
• How superfoe∣tation is.
• Hippocrates. The opinion of some.
• Consuted.
• Another opi∣nion of the new writers. Reason. 1.
• Disproued.
• The first rea∣son satisfied.
• The second reason an∣swered.
• Two passages of seede.
• The manner of superfoeta∣tion out of Hippocrates.
• Whether su∣perfoetation may be after two or three moneths. Answere.
• Histories.
• Terpida.
• Hippocrates authority.
• Second Con∣ceptions rare∣ly thriue