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. II. Of the Temperament of women, whether they are colder or hotter then men.

COncerning the Temperament of men and women there is a notable contro∣uersie, which if I may take vppon mee to censure or arbitrate, I will briefly ac∣quaint you with what I haue gathered concerning this matter, out of the foun¦taines of the Grecians, and Cisternes of the Arabians.

There are some which thinke that women are hotter then men: others on the contrary, that men exceede women in heate by many degrees: Neither of these opini∣ons want patrons to defend them, nor reasons to sustaine and support them.

If the Edicts of Hippocrates our Dictator doe stand for a law, as truely they deserue well to doe, then shall mens part goe to the wall; for in his first Booke de morbis mulierum, hee * 1.1 playnly auoucheth that women are hotter then men, his words are these. I say that the flesh of a woman is more rare then that of a man. Nowe rarity with the Phylosophers is the worke of heat, to wit, his secundary quality; as it is the property of cold to condense or thicken: so it is the property of heate to rarifie or make thin. Againe in the same place hee sayeth that the body of a woman draweth more suddenly and more aboundantly the moysture out of the belly, then the body of a man.

Now wee know that sudden and aboundant traction is not accomplished without the help of notable heate, and therefore it is that Hippocrates in his 6. Section of his 6. Booke Epidemiωn calleth carnes attractrices, because they are very hot. Finally, let vs see what Hip∣pocrates inferreth vpon this rarity of the flesh and strong attraction of moysture. The wo∣man hath hotter bloud, and therefore is hotter then a man; what cold hee say more playnely? what more determinately?

Of the same opinion was Permenides as Aristotle reporteth in the second chapter of his second Booke de partibus Animalium. But let vs see how this opinion of Hippocrates may be * 1.2 established by reason.

The Temper of the whole body is to be esteemed according to the Temper of the prin∣cipall parts, especially of the heart and the Liuer; and this we haue from Galen in his Book * 1.3 de Temperamentis, and de Arte parua, where he sayeth: Those whose heart is hot, are also of a hot habite of body, vnlesse there bee some obstacle in the Liuer; and those that haue hot Li∣uers haue also hot habits vnlesse there be some repugnancie in the Heart. But if both these bowels doe conspire in the same Temper, then of necessity must the Temper of the whole body be like vnto them; but the Heart and the Liuer of women are hotter then of men; and therefore their whole bodies are also of a hotter temper then mens.

That the heart of a woman is hotter then the heart of a man may thus be demonstated, the Temper of the particular parts is especially known by the strength of their action; now * 1.4 the actions and faculties of the heart are two, vitall as say the Physitians, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Irascibilis, that is, the passion of anger as say the Platonists. Both these are more operatiue & liuely in a woman then in a man. The vitall faculty shyneth most euidently in the pulse.

Now the pulses of women are more quicke and frequent, of men more rare and slow as Galen teacheth in the 9. Chapter of his Booke of pulses ad Tyrones, and in the second chap∣ter of his third Book de causis pulsuum. That also Auerroes affirmeth in the fourth Colliget: and the 19. Chapter. But the frequency and swiftnesse of the pulse bewrayeth the strength of the heate; for as it is the property of colde to make the partes sluggish and dull in their motion; so heate moueth them continually, and giueth them no rest at all.

The other faculty also of the heart which we called Irascibilis or the passion of Anger, we many of vs know by woefull experience to bee quicker and more vigorous in woemen * 1.5 then in men, for they are easily heated and vpon very sleight causes; but Anger with Galen

in his Booke de Arte parua is a signe of a hot heart. Hence it is that females are more bold and cruell then males. For Hunters affirm, that of Tygers, Beares and Lyons, the females are farre fiercer then the males.

That the Liuer of a woman is hotter then a man may bee prooued by the same demon∣stration. * 1.6 The Naturall Faculty which hath his residence in the Liuer, and is diuided into the encreasing, nourishing and procreating vertues, is stronger in a woman then in a man. For we see that wenches grow faster then boyes, become sooner ripe, and yeeld seede the * 1.7 sooner, which is the worke of the generatiue Faculty; they are also more wanton and lasci∣uious, as hauing the Testicles hid within their bodies, by which they are heated. For Ga∣len saith, that the Testicles after the heart, are as it were another hearth of Naturall heate.

The Nourishing Faculty, which is a certaine signe of the heat of the Liuer, is more per∣fect in a woman then in a man, for their liuer engendreth more blood, now so much blood * 1.8 as we haue, so much heate haue we also. Neither is this blood of theirs of any hurtfull or ill quality, but onely offensiue in quantity. Beside the habit of women is more fat, plumpe and delicate to see to and to feele, and altogether without haires.

Finally, in women all the Animall Faculties are most perfect, their senses most sharpe, their Muscles more nimble and deliuer to mooue their ioynts, their memories more hap∣py, * 1.9 their inuention more subtile, their words, which expresse the conceit of the mind, more plentifull and abundant, and therefore Virgil expressing the communication of the Gods, makes Iupiter begin, and venus to answere, but addeth:

Iupiter haec paucis, at non Venus aurea contra * 1.10 Pauca refert. Thus in few words did Iupiter his royal sentence end, But Venus faire in many more did thus her cause commend.

If therefore all the Faculties, Vitall, Naturall and Animall, are in women more perfect then in men, who will deny but they are also hotter then men? Neither will we passe ouer in silence that which Macrobius hath obserued in the 7 Book of his Saturnalia, What time the * 1.11 bodies of men were burnt, to euery ten men they put the body of a woman, to make them the soo∣ner take fire.

These things are indeede probable, and couered ouer with a veile of trueth, which not∣withstanding if we weigh in the ballance of Philosophie and of Physicke, they will appeare * 1.12 to be as light as vanity it selfe; we will therefore maintaine the other opinion, that men are generally hotter then women. And this we will confirme by strong and substantial reasons, as also by the authority of the best and most authenticke Authors.

There are very many things which will euince this truth, but these among the rest. The Principles of Generation; the Place in which, and out of which the Infant is generated; the * 1.13 Conformation; the Motion; the time of Birth; the Purgation after Birth; the Structure and Habit of all the parts; the manner of Diet and course of life: And finally, the Finall cause. All which we will briefly run through.

If we consider the Principles of Generation, Men are generated of hotter seede then women. This hath Hippocrates elegantly declared in his first Book de diaeta. For acknowled∣ging * 1.14 a double or twofold kinde of seede in both Sexes, a Male feede and a Female, he con∣cludeth that of the male seede, that is the hotter and more vigorous, a man is generated; out of the weaker a Woman. Moreouer, men are generated in a hotter place, Hippocrates in the 48. Aphorisme of the fift section, saith, Male infants are borne on the right side, females on the left. now we know that the right side is hotter then the left by reason of the Liuer. * 1.15 For the heart is indifferent and in the very middest, especially the Basis thereof which is the hottest part.

Neither are Males generated onely in the right side, but also out of the right side. For so saith Hippocrates in his Bookes Epidemiωn; when a man begins to grow lustfull, if his right * 1.16 Testicle swell, he will beget a manchilde, if his left a woman. And thence also it is that he calleth the right Testicle Masculū the male, and the left Foeminium the Female, because the seede of the one is very hot and exquisiuly boyled and made of the purest blood, that of the other colder & thinner, hauing much whey in it because of the originall of the left sperma∣ticall veine out of the emulgent. This the Countreymen know full well, and therfore when they would haue Cow-calues, they tye the right Testicle of the Bull, that the seed may on∣ly yssue from the left; which they learned or might haue done from Hippocrates in his book

De superfoetatione, where he sayeth, When you would engender a Female, tye the right Testicle of the Male, when a Male tye the left.

If wee respect the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or conformation of both the Sexes, the Male is sooner per∣fected * 1.17 and articulated in the wombe; for he is accomplished the thirtieth, the Female not before the 40. day, as wee haue before noted out of Hippocrates in his first Booke de diaeta, de natura pueri and Epidemiωn: but conformation is the woorke of heate. So likewise the Male is moued sooner that is the third moneth, the Female later that is the fourth beside the motions of the Male are more frequent and more violent, all which are manifest signes of an aboundant heate. Adde hereto that the Male borne the seuenth moneth common∣ly surviueth, the Female seldome or neuer.

That also which is auoyded after the Infant is borne into the world called Lochia doeth * 1.18 testifie the heate of a Male childe: for the woman which is diliuered of a Female is longer in her purgations, of a Male shorter, because the Male being hotter spendeth more of the bloud gathered together in the wombe. This Hippocrates teacheth in playne tearmes in his Booke de morbis mulierum: After the birth of a mayde (sayeth hee) the longest purgation lasteth 42. dayes, but after the birth of a knaue childe (so our Fathers called a Male) the purga∣tion lasteth at the longest but 30. dayes.

If we consider the habite and structure of the parts of both Sexes, you shall finde in men * 1.19 more signes of heate then in women. The habit of a woman is fatter, looser and softer; but fat is not generated but by a weake heate, woemen are smooth without hayre. The flesh of men is more solide, their vesselles larger, their voyce baser: now it is heate which ampli∣fieth and enlargeth, as cold straightneth and contracteth.

A woman sayth Hippocrates in the 43. Aphorisme of the seauenth Section, is not Am∣bi-dextra, that is, cannot vse both hands as well as one, because she wanteth heat to streng∣then both sides alike.

In diet also, that is, in the custome and vsage of their liues in meat and drink and such like, * 1.20 men appeare to be hotter then women.

Hippocrates in his first Booke de diaeta. Men doe liue a more laborious life, and eat more so∣lide meates then women, that they may gather heate and become dryer, woemens foode is more moyste; and beside, they liue an idle and sedentarie life, pricking for the most part vppon a clout.

Finally, to all these we may ad the necessity of the Finall cause which is in Natural things the chiefe of all causes: It behoued therefore that man should be hotter, because his body * 1.21 was made to endure labour and trauell, as also that his minde should bee stout and inuinci∣ble to vndergoe dangers, the onely hearing whereof will driue a woman as wee say out of her little wits. The woman was ordayned to receiue and conceiue the seede of the man, to beare and nourish the Infant, to gouerne and moderate the house at home, to delight and refresh her husband foreswunke with labour and well-nigh exhausted and spent with care and trauell; and therefore her body is soft, smooth and delicate, made especially for pleasure, so that whosoeuer vseth them for other doth almost abuse them.

Wherfore we conclude, that if you respect the principles of Generation, the place, con∣formation, * 1.22 motion, birth, purgations after birth, the habit of the whole body, the structure of the parts, the manner and order of life, and the finall cause of Creation, you shall finde that in all these respects a man is hotter then a woman.

If our aduersaries will not yeelde to all these demonstratiue arguments, let them at least * 1.23 giue credance to the whole Family of the Grecians both Philosophers end Physitians.

This Hippocrates before the birth or incarnation as we may say of Philosophy, with a di∣uine spirit declareth, not darkely and obscurely but in playne tearmes in his first Booke de diaeta, after this manner: Generally and vniuersally men are hotter and dryer then women (for we insist vpon mankind) and women moyster and colder then men. That Genius and inter∣preter of Nature, Aristotle in his Booke of the length and shortnes of life, sayth, that men liue * 1.24 longer then women because they are hotter. In his third Booke de partibus Animalium, men are stronger and more couragious. In the first and eight Chapters of the first Booke of his Politicks, men in all actions are more excellent then women; surely because of their heate from whence commeth the strength of the faculties. And in the 29. Probleme of the 4. Section, he enquireth why men in winter are more apt for Venus and women in summer, hee answereth, because men who are hotter and dryer are in Summer spent as it were and broken; and women in winter because they are cold and moyst & haue little store of heat,

haue their humors as it were frozen or curdled, not fluxible and moouing.

Galen in a thousand places establisheth this truth, but especially in the sixt chap. of his 14. Booke de vsu partium, where hee saith that women are more imperfect then men, be∣cause they are colder. For indeed of all qualities heate is the most operatiue. * 1.25

Hence therefore we conceiue that it is manifest to all men that list to vnderstande the truth, that men are vniuersally hotter then women, and that those that maintaine the con∣trary are Apostataes for the ancient and authenticke Philosophy. But because wee may seeme not fully to satisfie men by our reasons and authorities, vnlesse we answere the argu∣ments brought and vrged on the contrary part, we wil a little paine ourselues and the Rea∣der to answere them in order.

To begin therefore with the authority of Hippocrates, because it is a kind of wickednesse * 1.26 not to subscribe vnto this Father of Physicke, we will thus interpret the force of his words.

Whereas therefore he saith, that a woman hath a rarer kinde of flesh then a man, we an∣swere, * 1.27 that he vseth the word Rare abusiuely or at large for that which is laxe and soft, not for that which is porous. For if we so vnderstand it, the body of a man is more rare, that is more porous and open, and therefore they sweate more freely and more easily. And that this is Hippocrates meaning we appeale vnto himselfe in his Booke of Glandules, where hee saith; It is therefore manifest, that the Chest and Paps, and the whole body of a woman is laxe & soft. And a litle aboue, A mans body is ful; & like a cloath, thicke and thight both to see to & to feele to, but a woman is rare, and laxe, and moyst, both to see to and to feele to. Nowe laxity ar∣gueth a defect of heate which is not able to boyle and dissolue the superfluous moisture; on the contrary, solidity and fastnesse of the flesh ariseth from the perfect assimulation of well boiled and resolued Aliments. Wherefore seeing the flesh of men is faster then that of the woman, it followeth necessarily that they are also hotter.

And whereas Hippocrates saith, that women draw more aliment then men. Hee also a∣buseth the word Traction for that which is to receiue and conteyne. For the bodye of a wo∣man being looser and as it were spongye, receyueth and conteyneth a greater quantity of blood. And that this is Hippocrates meaning, I gather from the Context of the place ci∣ted. For he illustrateth his opinion by an elegant similitude. If (saith be) you lay out all * 1.28 night vpon the ground the like waight of wooll, and of a well wouen cloath; you shal find in the morning the wooll to waigh heauier then the cloth, because it hath sucked vp more moysture: so it is reasonable that the lax and loose flesh of women doth receiue & retaine a greater quantity of blood then the fast flesh of a man.

And whereas in the same place he saith, that the bloode of a Woman is hotter then the blood of a man, and therefore a woman is of a hotter temper then a man; that we thinke is * 1.29 crept into Hippocrates text, being added by some nouice scribe. And thus that great Lear∣ned man Ludouicus Duretus vnderstandeth Hippocrates and conceyueth of this corrupted place; as also Christopherus a Veiga in his Commentaries vpon Hippocrates Prognostiques. Wherefore we cannot admit of Cordaeus his interpretation, who thinketh that the bloode * 1.30 suppressed, because transpiration is hindred, attaineth an outward and Aguish heat, and so becommeth hotter then the blood of men. For then wee must needes accuse Hippocrates of folly, (which were a kinde of blasphemy) because he compareth a sick woman with a sound and haile man. But if you compare the blood of both sexes diseased, the heat of a man wil certainly be more intense then that of a woman, because it is ioyned with siccity. Now sic∣city (saith Auerrhoes) is the File of heate: And thus we suppose that wee haue satisfied the * 1.31 authorities out of Hippocrates. Now let vs waigh the arguments with as much diligence as we may.

VVomens pulses are more frequent and swift therefore they are hotter; for the swift∣nesse * 1.32 or frequency of the pulse commeth from heate. We answere, that their pulses are more quicke and frequent, not because of the aboundance of heate, but because of the straightnesse of their organes. For the Arteries beeing small and narrowe, and oppressed with aboundance of crude and colde humours, could not bee so extended and dilated as in men; wherefore the necessity of life maketh recompence in the quicknes and frequen∣cy * 1.33 of he pulse; Nature prouiding for herselfe one way, when she cannot another. But the pulses of men are strong & great by reason of the strength of the faculty, because a great Artery may be extended into all dimensions.

That which is obiected concerning the two faculties of the heart, the Irascible and the courage we thus dissolue: In Hippocrates and Galen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is Iracundia and

Ira, Anger and Wrath are two distinct things. Anger is a disease of a weake mind which cannot moderate it selfe but is easily inflamed, such are women, childeren, and weake and cowardly men, and this we tearme fretfulnesse or pettishnes: but Wrath which is Ira per∣manens belongs to stout heartes, and therefore Homer calleth Achilles Anger 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. * 1.34

Iliad. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. &c.

O Goddesse sing the fixed rage of Peleus wrathfull Sonne.

And Galen in his second Commentarie vppon the first Booke Epidemiωn opposeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 * 1.35 Iracundos, angry men, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to wrathfull men; because these latter are of a manly courage and contemners of base things, the former are faint harted or white Liuered as we vse to tearme them. And the Temper of these two sorts is very different; for those that are angry, pettish, fretfull or wantle, chuse you which you will call them, are cold; but those that are wrathfull are hot. If therefore women are Nockthrown or easily mooued of the hindges, that they haue from their cold Temper, and from the impotencie and weaknes of their mind, because they are not able to lay a law vpon themselues.

And whereas Galen in his Booke de arte parua maketh 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be a signe of a hot hart, * 1.36 he abuseth the word. For Hippocrates in the fourth Section of the sixt Booke Epidem. ma∣keth it a signe of a cold habit in expresse words, where he sayeth, Those that haue hot bellies haue but cold flesh, such are thinne and veynie, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, angry or fretfull. Wo∣men therefore are peuish creatures most-what, but nothing stout or strong hearted though their stomacks be good. Hippocrates in his Booke de morbis virginum hath this saying 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Nature of a woman is to be of an abiect minde.

And whereas they contend, that among rauenous Creatures the Females are most * 1.37 fierce, we say that the loue they beare to their yong addeth spirits and courage vnto them, and therefore that is rather to be accounted woodnes then fortitude. There are some cre∣atures which because of their giddy madnesse make a shew of generosity, as the Female E∣lephant: some also there are in whome the feare of a worse condition begetteth boldnes, such are Panthers. In a Dogge partly his trustinesse to his maister-partly his enuy maketh him fierce. Wee say therefore that Females are more churlish and fierce, but not stouter or stronger hearted. That which is obiected concerning the strength of their naturall fa∣culties is of all the rest the most friuoulous and veine.

They say that women grow faster and doe sooner generate, and therefore they are hot∣ter; but we say, that these are demonstratiue signes of a cold temperament. For therefore * 1.38 they grow faster and ingender sooner, because their end is nearer, for that the principles of their life are weaker. For as a short disease which we call acute, doth suddenly run through his foure times; the beginning, the encrease, the height, and the declination so that one time ouertaketh another; so women being of a shorter life then men, because they are col∣der, they sooner grow women and so also sooner grow old then men. And hereto subscri∣beth Aristotle in the sixt Chapter of his 4. Booke de generatione Animalium where he saith, That all things that are lesse and weake as well in the works of Art as of Nature, doe sooner at∣tayne vnto their end.

That Females are more wanton and petulant then Males, wee thinke hapneth because * 1.39 of the impotencie of their minds; for the imaginations of lustfull women are like the ima∣ginations of bruite beastes which haue no repugnancie or contradiction of reason to re∣straine them. So bruitish and beastly men are more lasciuious, not because they are hot∣ter then other men, but because they are brutish. Beastes do couple not to ingender but to satisfie the sting of lust, wise men couple that they might not couple.

That womens Testicles are hidden within their bodies is also an argument of the could∣nes of their Temper, because they want heate to thrust them forth. Yet for all this we doe not say that women do generate more then men, for they want the matter and the spirite. Indeede they haue more bloud as wee sayed euen now, and that is by reason of their colde Temperament which cannot discusse the reliques of the Aliment; adde heereto that the blood of women is colder and rawer then the bloud of men. We conclude therefore that vniuersally men are hotter then women. Males then Females, as well in regard of the Na∣turall Temper, as that which is acquired by diet and the course of life.

But now I had need heere to Apologise for my selfe for speaking so much of woemens weaknes, but they must attribute something to the heat of disputation, most to the current and streame of our Authours, least of all to mee who will bee as ready in another place to

flourish forth their commendations as I am here to huddle ouer their ntaurall imperfecti∣ons.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That women are hotter then men. Hippocrates.
• * 1.2

  Reasons for this opinion.
• * 1.3

  The first.
• * 1.4

  A womans heart hotter then a mans.
• * 1.5

  Women soo∣ner angry then men.
• * 1.6

  The Liuer of a woman hot¦ter then of a man.
• * 1.7

  The procrea∣ting Facultie.
• * 1.8

  The Nourish∣ing Facultie.
• * 1.9

  The Animall Faculties.
• * 1.10

  Aenci. 10.
• * 1.11

  Macrobius. Saturnal.
• * 1.12

  That men are hotter then women.
• * 1.13

  The places from which the argumēts are fetched.
• * 1.14

  The principles of Generatiō.
• * 1.15

  The place of Conception.
• * 1.16

  The place out of which the Infant is con∣ceyued.
• * 1.17

  The confor∣mation.
• * 1.18

  The Lochia.
• * 1.19

  The habit and structure.
• * 1.20

  The dict.
• * 1.21

  The finall cause.
• * 1.22

  Conclusion.
• * 1.23

  Authorities to proue men hotter. Hippocrates.
• * 1.24

  Aristotle.
• * 1.25

  Conclusion.
• * 1.26

  Answer to the authorities.
• * 1.27

  Hippocrate pounded.
• * 1.28

  An excellent Similitude.
• * 1.29

  A place of Hippocrates corrupted. Duretus. Vega.
• * 1.30

  Cordaeus inter∣pretation of the corrupted place reiected
• * 1.31

  Auerrhoes.
• * 1.32

  Answer to the former Argu∣ments.
• * 1.33

  Why Women haue quicke Pulses.
• * 1.34

  Homer.
• * 1.35

  Galen.
• * 1.36

  Galen inter∣preted by Hip
• * 1.37

  Why females are fierce.
• * 1.38

  Why women grow faster & be ripe sooner then men.
• * 1.39

  Why females are lasciuious