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. XXIX. Of the Nature and Differences of the birth.

WE now enter into a vast Sea, a huge and enorme Tract when wee vndertake to dispute of the Nature, Times and Causes of the birth of Man; wherein wee shall meete with many contrary gusts of opinions, many vnpassable and thorny wayes. How many reciprocall waues in the concertations of the An∣cients? how many quick sands in the accounts of months and dayes? howe many rockes in the search after the causes of things? amongst which vnlesse a man bee well steared by reason, he must needs set vpon some misaduenture? Notwithstanding, so neces∣sary and profitable a voyage this is, as we will aduenture our selues; the Pole we are guided by is fixed truth, and the Pilote shall be Hippocrates, who as saith Macrobius, Coulde neuer deceiue or be deceiued: out of his Bookes De Septimestri & Octimestripartu, De Naturapueri, De Principijs, de Alimento, and De Morbis mulierum, will we draw our demonstrations.

But that we may proceed in order through the whol course of our disputation, that the ca∣pacities of such as are not throughly grounded may not be confounded, we will diuide our * 1.1 discourse into three heads. In the first, we will open vnto you the Nature of the Birth and all the differences of the same. In the second, wee will handle the Times of the Birth by a computation of the yeares, the months, and the dayes. In the last place, wee will mani∣fest the Causes of the varieties of the Birth, as well the Generall as the Particular, the Naturall, the Physicall, the Arithmeticall, the Geometricall and the Astrologiall Cau∣ses.

To begin therefore with the first. The Birth, which the Graecians call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we define to be an Edition or bringing into the world of an infant perfected and absolued in the womb: * 1.2 so that whatsoeuer month, day, or houre, the infant arriueth into the worlde, that arriuall

may properly and truely be called the birth. To this perfection wee speake of, there is re∣quired not onely a dearticulation of the parts, for then if a woman should miscarry at foure moneths that miscarriage should be called a Birth; but also their strength & growth, which because the Infant attayneth not before the seauenth moneth, we cannot properly call it a * 1.3 Birth before the seauenth moneth, but either an abortment or a miscarrying. An abort∣ment the Grecians call by diuerse names, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. VVe therefore define an abortment to be Either the issuing of an imperfect * 1.4 Infant or his extinction and death in the wombe. Some there are who will not haue it called an abortment before the infant hath moued, so that a woman shall not bee sayed to abort but from the third moneth to the seauenth, and that before the motion it shall be cal∣led * 1.5 an effluxion or miscariage.

But these men seeme to me not to conceiue Hippocrates meaning aright: for Hippocrates after the Embryo is formed vseth to cal it an abortment if it come before the due time, whe∣ther * 1.6 it be before the motion of the Infant or after it. As in the 44. Aphorisme of the first Section, Those women that are too much extenuated doe abort at two moneths: and in the A∣phorisme following in the same Section, Those that are naturally disposed, doe abort at three * 1.7 moneths. But if the Geniture be auoyded before conformation, then is it not properly cal∣led an abortment, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an Effluxion, so sayeth Hippocrates in his Booke de septimestri partu, Those corruptions which happen a few dayes after the Conception, are called effluxions not abortments. Aristotle also in the fourth Chapter of his seauenth Booke de Natura Anima∣linm, calleth those corruptions which fall out before perfect conformation, Effluxions. * 1.8 Wherefore some say that Hippocrates is not to bee accused of impiety or of breach of his oath, because hee counselled the dauncing Dame hee calleth Psaltria to prouoke an abort∣ment, because she lost not an Infant, but suffered onely an effluxion seauen dayes after shee had conceiued.

But howsoeuer we in Schooles may distinguish thus nicely, yet God iudgeth after an∣other manner as we may perceiue by his iudgement vpon Onan. Neither do we by abort∣ment onely vnderstand an exclusion of an imperfect Infant, but we say that a woman may * 1.9 abort in her wombe though the Embryo be not brought away: so sayeth Hippocrates in his first Booke de morbis mulierum: When a woman aborteth and the Infant is not excluded. So that abortment signifieth not onely an exclusion of the Infant before the due time, but also the extinction or death of the same in the wombe before the due time of birth. For an Infant may be carried in the wombe after he is dead many yeares, as may bee proued by many ex∣amples. Among the rest that is notable, of the Infant which the mother bare in her body 28. yeares which was turned into a stone, as it is recorded by Iohannes Albosius a learned * 1.10 Physitian. Likewise that about Newarke not many yeares since, which after it dyed in the mothers wombe remayned there a good space, and after was vomited vp by peece-meale out of the stomacke: a Story past all beleefe sauing that it hath so many eye-witnesses yet * 1.11 liuing and ready to iustifie the trueth of it. Thus we see out of Hippocrates what is a Birth, what an Abortment, and what an Effluxion.

Birth is when an Infant perfected in the wombe commeth into the world whether it is∣sue aliue or dead: So that they are in no small error who call the Infant of eight moneths old an abortment, because it is not aliue: for it is not simply and absolutely of the essence of the birth that the Infant should be borne aliue, but that it should be borne perfect, now at eight moneths it is perfect. To be aliue or not aliue, to be legitimate or not ligitimate, are differences of the Birth as wee shall say by and by. An abortment is an exclusion or extinction of an vnperfect infant: an Effluxion or miscariage is an auoyding of the geni∣ture before perfect conformation.

Hauing thus made plaine the Nature of the birth, wee come nowe to the differences thereof. A Birth is either Naturall or not Naturall, Legitimate or Illegitimate. To a Na∣turall * 1.12 birth three things are required. The first, that there bee an equall contention of the infant and the mother. For the action of the birth is common both to the infant and the mother. But to which of these we ought to attribute the beginning of the motion, whe∣ther to the wombe or to the infant, Galen expoundeth in his Commentarie vppon the 37. Aphorisme of the fift Section, The Infant bringeth to the mother the beginning of the birth. For being become larger and hotter and needing more store of Aliment and spirite, with often and violent motions of his hands and feete hee breaketh the membranes. And the wombe ouerburdned with so great a waight and so vnruly an inmate, desiring to lay down

her vnwealdy burden, wholly contracteth it selfe to the shutting out of the infant. So that from an equall contention of the infant and the wombe, the birth proceedeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ac∣cording to Nature. But if neither of them endeuour, or but one of them fayle, then is the birth not Naturall. For if all the worke lye vpon the hand of the mother, then is the byrth hard and laborious: now that hapneth when the infant is weake, or his strength spent, or he be dead; which Hippocrates expresseth in these words, in his first Booke de morbis mulie∣rum. The birth is then most difficult when the Infant issueth either dead or apoplecticall, that is, depriued of motion and fence.

The second condition of the Naturall birth is, that it come foorth in that figure which is according to Nature. This figure Hippocrates first of all men described in his first Book * 1.13 de morbis mulierum, and in his Bookes de Natura pueri, and de Octimestri partu. The Childe commeth with his head forward if he come according to Nature. Nowe why this figure and * 1.14 forme of issuing is according to Nature, Hippocrates rendreth a reason. Because the Infant hanging vpon the Nauel as a ballance vpon a beame, his vpper parts are the heauier, and therfore his head turneth sooner downward. Adde hereto that if the infant come with his head for∣ward, * 1.15 the rest of his parts being flexible like waxe doe not hinder the birth but yeelde and giue way vnto it. But if he come with his feete forward, his armes may be so spred and ex∣tended that they may hinder the rest of the body. And this is Hippocrates opinion in his Book de Octimestri partu. The flexible parts of the Infant are no hinderance vnto him if he issue with his head forward, but if he come with his feete forward, then they stop the passage. That this figure, of the head forward, is the most Naturall & safe way for the infant, Pliny confirmeth in the 8. Chapter of his seauenth Booke de Naturali Historia. The olde custome is sayeth hee * 1.16 that dead folk are carried to their graues with their feet forward, because death is contrary to life. As therefore a man commeth into the world with his head first, so being dead hee must be carried out of the world with his feete first.

Beside this al other figures of the Birth are to be called not Naturall. Now there are diuers figures of the birth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not Naturall, but three especial; with their feete for∣ward, with the side first or double; all which Hippocrates expresseth in his Bookes de morbis * 1.17 mulierum, & de Natura pueri. It is dangerous when the feete come forward, for in such a birth oftentimes the mother perisheth or the Infant, or both together. To deprecate or auert this danger, the auntient Romanes built Alters to the two Carmentae: the one of them was called Postuerta, the other Prosae of the right or wrong proceeding of the birth. And such births are commonly called Agrippae, as it were aegrepartus. So Agrippina sayde her sonne * 1.18 Nero came into the world with his feet forward.

The third Condition of a Naturall birth is that it bee swift, easie and without any vehe∣ment * 1.19 symptomes. I call that a lawfull or legitimate birth which commeth in due time, & that illigitimate which happeneth before or after the due time. The eight moneth birth is illigitimate, because it preuenteth the ninth moneth or stayeth after the seuenth month: and this is the Nature of the Birth, these are all the differencies thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three heads of the questiō.
• * 1.2

  What a byrth is.
• * 1.3

  What is re∣quired to a perfect birth.
• * 1.4

  The names of an abortment The definitiō
• * 1.5

  The error of some.
• * 1.6

  Hippocrates.
• * 1.7

  What an ef∣fluxion is.
• * 1.8

  Hippocrates all excesed.
• * 1.9

  His large ac∣ceptation of an abortmēt.
• * 1.10

  Two strange stories.
• * 1.11

  Octimestris par∣tus is not an abortment.
• * 1.12

  The differen∣ces of the birth.

  The first con∣dition requi∣red in a natu∣rall birth.
• * 1.13

  The 2. condi∣tion.
• * 1.14

  A description of the natural figure.
• * 1.15

  Why the head forward is the most naturall figure.
• * 1.16

  Why dead men are car∣ried with their feet forward.
• * 1.17

  Diuerse vnna¦turall figures of the birth.
• * 1.18

  Agrippae why so called.
• * 1.19

  The 3. condi∣tion.