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. XXVIII. Whether there be in the infant any generation of Animal spirits, and what position the Infant hath in the womb.

THE moouing Faculty floweth into the flesh of the Muscles from the brain by the Nerues. not by a simple irradiation or separated quality, but by a Corporeall substance, which the Physitians call Animalem spiritum, an A∣nimal spirit. Seeing then the Infant in the wombe mooueth of his own ac∣cord sometimes to the right side, sometimes to the left, and oftentimes kic∣keth with his neeles, it followeth necessarily that he hath also Animall spirits. But whether he draweth these from his Mothers wombe as he doth the vitall, or generateth them in the sinus or substance of the braine by a proper and inbred faculty, it hath of long time beene a great question. In thinke that they are generated in the braine, and my reasons are these. Because there is no Communion or connexion betweene the Nerues of the wombe and of the infant, as there is betweene their Veines and Arteries. Now onely the Nerues con∣uey the Animall spirits.

You will Obiect, that the Animall spirit standeth in neede of aer for his conseruation & expurgation, but no aer is inspirated as long as the infant is in the Mothers wombe. I an∣swere; that this Animall spirit is cherished, purged & tempered by that transpiration which is made by the vmbilicall arteries, but his generation we thinke to be the same in the womb that is after the infant is borne, which how it is we shal declare more at large in the seuenth Booke where we shall of purpose entreate of it.

Concerning the time of the infantes motion, Hippocrates seemeth not alwaies of one minde. For in his Booke de Morbis mulierum he saith, that male children moue the third moneth, and females the fourth; but in the third Section of his second Booke Epidemi••n he saith, the infant is mooued the seuentith day in these words, Whatsoeuer is mooued the se∣uenth day is perfected in the Triplicities. And in his Booke de Nutritione, thirty dayes forme the

infant, 70 mooueth it, and 210. perfect it. You may reconcile Hippocrates to himselfe in my opinion, if you say, that there is one motion obscure, another so manifest that the eye may iudge of it and the hand may feele it if it be laide vpon the belly. In 70. dayes the Infant may mooue but the motion shall be neyther visible nor to bee felt till after the thirde or fourth month. And surely my selfe haue knowne a woman in three children confidentlie auouch, that after 8. or 9. weekes she hath alwayes felt her infant mooue very sensibly, which I could not beleeue, till I had well considered of this place in Hippocrates.

Concerning the position also or scituation of the infant in the wombe, which is referred to the moouing Faculty, there are some places which neede to be reconciled. Hippocrates in his Booke De Natura pueri saith, that in the womb the infants head is neere vnto his feet. Thou canst not iudge (saith he) though thou shouldst see an infant in the womb, whether his head be placed aboue or below. But in his Booke de Octimestri partu hee writeth, that the head is placed in the vpper part of the wombe in these words, All Infants are begotten hauing their heads vpward. Aristotle in the 8. chapter of his 7. Booke De Natura Antmalium seemeth to reconcile these places on this manner; All creatures (saith hee) in the first months after their Conformation beare their heads vpward, but when they encrease and grow toward their byrth, their heads bend downward.

Againe, in Hippocrates Booke De Natura pueri almost all Copies haue it thus. The In∣fant seated in the wombe hath his hands at his cheekes, yet all interpreters translate it ad Genua at the knees. I thinke that both readings may be maintained; for there are some Copyes of both readings. For the Infant hath his hands at his cheekes and at his knees. The palmes of his hands take hold on his knees, and the backes of his hand touch his cheekes. For, if as Aristotle writeth in the place next before quoted, the infant is so rowled vp that his nose is betwixt his knees, his eyes vppon his knees, his eares on either side his knees, and that with his hands he take hold of his knees, he must necessarily rest both his cheekes vpon his hands. Those things some haue written of the different scituation of Males and Females, are but deuices of their owne braine. But those things which Aristotle hath written in his seauenth Booke De Natura Animalium concerning the different scituation of diuerse crea∣tures, are well woorth the obseruation and our knowledge; Notwithstanding, I do not thinke fit to transcribe them heere, but referre him that desireth satisfaction vnto Aristotle himselfe.

And thus much shall be sufficient to haue spoken of the infant all the while he is contey∣ned and contenteth himselfe with the prison of the wombe; it remaineth now in the last place, that we speake of the birth of the infant.

Notes

• The genera∣tion of the A∣nimall spirits in the infant.
• Obiection. Solution.
• In the time of the infantes motion Hippo. varrieth.
• The places re¦conciled.
• That the In∣fant may mooue at viii. weekes.
• Concerning the position of the infant, Different pla∣ces reconciled
• A diuers teading in Hippo
• How both rea¦dings are made good