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. XXXIII. Whether in the Birth the Share and Haunch-bones doe part asunder.

THE workes of Nature in the conformation, life and nourishment of the In∣fant are indeede full of admiration, but her last endeuour in the birth thereof is indeede the crowne of all the rest, as that which exceedeth all admiration. For the orifice of the wombe which after the first apprehension and concep∣tion of the seede was so exquisitely closed that it will not admit the point of a Probe: now that the Infant with turning, kicking and breaking of the membranes pre∣pareth toward his enlargement, it is so relaxed as if it were a gate wide open.

But because Nature is so wise and prouident that shee vndertaketh nothing without due preparation, therefore in the last moneths of gestation she lyneth the inner surface of the orifice with a slimy and mucous humor, which thereupon becomming moyst and soft doth more easily distend or inlarge it selfe without feare of laceration or tearing.

Now whereas the wombe is contayned within the capacity of the hanch-bones, and is walled about on the fore-side with the share-bones, on the backe-side with the holy and rump-bones, and on either side with the hanches, whereof some are ioyned together with a fast and immouable articulation, other by the mediation of a cartilage or gristle: whether in the birth there bee a divulsion or separation of these bones, that now is the question we haue in hand.

Some learned men are of opinion that the share-bones and the haunch-bones are seue∣red, which also may bee confirmed by the authorities of many right learned men and by reasons which carry with them a faire shew of trueth. Hippocrates in the end of his Booke de Natura pueri wrote on this manner. In the very birth the whole body is as it were vppon the racke, but especially the loynes and the hanches, for their Coxendices are distracted and parted asunder. And Auicen in his third Booke Fen. 21. Tract at. 1. Cap. 2. sayeth. When the Infant is borne the wombe is opened with such an apertion as cannot be made in any other place, and it is necessary that some iunctures must be separated, which are so sustayned by the helpe of God so dis∣posing and preparing, and afterward doe returne to their naturall continuation; and this action of all the workes of Nature is the strongest and most forcible. Rabbi Zoar vppon the first of Exo∣dus. Thou shalt not easily finde any thing in the whole administration of Nature more to be ad∣myred then that distraction of the share-bones in womens trauell, which indeed is done by the pro∣uidence of God to whom Nature is but a seruiceable hand-mayd, for otherwyse no strength almost is able to seperate them. The like also we haue seene in the shooting of Stagges hornes which euery yeare fall and grow againe.

Seuerinus Pinaeus in his Physiologicall & Anatomicall work is of the same opinion, which also he strengtheneth by some reasons. Before the seuenth moneth, sayth he, the wombe and with it the Infant doth alwayes ascend; after the seauenth moneth hee descendeth and prepareth himselfe toward his enlargement. At that time the priuities of the woman with childe are moystned with a mucous slime, and the parts are dilated and relaxed, with which humour also by degrees the gristles of the share-bones are inebriated, that in the birth they might bee the more laxe. Furthermore almost all the gristles of the body in progresse of time doe dry into a bony substance as may be seene in the chinne; but the cartilage which tyeth together the share-bones remayneth gristlely to the end of our life, neither euer be∣commeth bony, because in the birth it is to be distended and enlarged. Moreouer if you

well consider virgins of 16. or 18. yeares old, and againe take notice of them after they haue conceiued, thou shalt perceiue that their hanches are distended, their Hypogastrium enlar∣ged and their buttockes become broader, especially when they are neere the time of theyr deliuerance: and therefore it followeth that those partes are dilated. Moreouer, those who haue liued long virgins haue harder trauels then yonger wenches, because their gristles in those places are more dried and lesse relaxed.

Finally, such as neuer haue conceiued haue thinner gristles, and such as haue oftenest conceiued haue them most thicke and are broadest in the hanches. Wherefore in the birth the share-bones are parted assunder one from another, and the hanch-bones from the Os Sacrum or holy-bone. And for the confirmation of this his opinion, he telleth a Story of a woman who was new deliuered and shortly after hanged, whose share-bones were so di∣stracted that one of the Coxae was lifted vp and the other depressed.

For my owne part that I may freely speake what I thinke, I do not think that these bones in the birth can be vnioynted, for they are so fast knit together that no violence can seuer them. And if they bee separated asunder how shall they be againe coupled? with what Ce∣ment or Glue shall they be vnited? For a new Synchondrosis or articulation by the medi∣ation of a Cartilage cannot be made. If you say with Hippocrates that they chinke a little, I will not be against it. Also that the gristly end of the Holy bone, which they call Coccyx or the rumpe, may be totally retracted and so giue way to the infant that there should bee a greater space left for his out-gate, that I can well beleeue. As for Pinaeus arguments they may thus be in order answered. It is indeede said and saide truly, that in the last months of Gestation the inner orifice of the wombe is lined with a slimy humor, proceeding eyther from the vterine vessels, or from the humours sweating through the Membranes, or other∣wise from the reliques of the infant; but that humor say we cannot attaine vnto the Share-bones or to the Cartilages betweene, them neither yet vnto the hanch-bones; because the womb doth not imediately touch the share-bones; for betwixt the wombe and the bones lyeth the bladder lurking betweene the two coats of the Peritonaeum and compassed round about with the Peritonaeum as it were with a purse or Sachell.

And whereas he saith, that the Cartilage which knitteth together the Share-bones ne∣uer becommeth bony but alwayes remaineth gristly that it might bee relaxed in the birth; it is but a slight reason; for neither in men is that gristle euer found to be bony. In young wenches after they haue conceiued, their hanches are distended and the capacity becom∣meth larger, and that because at that time all the parts of their bodies do grow & the heate which before was well neere choaked with the aboundance of humors beginneth to shine foorth and gather strength. Elder Maidens hauing conceyued haue harder trauelles then yonger, not because the gristles are drier but because their wombs are drier; for those that vse to conceiue and beare children haue moister wombes, larger vessels and all the capa∣cities more large and ample and therefore their trauell is more easie. One History dooth nothing mooue vs, for we haue seene many who haue perished in the very brunt of their tra∣uell in whom there hath appeared no such matter, and we obserue that women in their tra∣uels do more complaine of the paine of their Os sacrum and rump, then of the region of the share-bones.

And thus are we come to an end of our long Discourse of the History of the Infant and the Controuersies thereto belonging, wherein how we haue acquitted our selues it resteth in thee gentle Reader to iudge; this one thing wee know, that wee haue wrought out our way through many difficulties, which if they shall prooue as profitable and pleasant vnto thee as they haue beene to vs difficult to ouercome, wee haue aboundant recompence.

Now we proceede in our entended iourney to the Chest, wherein what Admira∣rable rarieties Nature hath bestowed, we referre thee to our Dis∣course to be satisfied.

Notes

• The wonder∣full indeuour of nature in the birth.
• That the bones are parted in the birth. Authorities. Hippocrates.
• Auicen.
• Rab. Zoar.
• Pinaeus opiniō His first rea∣son.
• The second.
• The third.
• The fourth.
• The fift.
• A history.
• Our opinion that the bones cannot be se∣uered.
• Pinaeus Argu∣ments answe∣red. To the first.
• To the secōd.
• To the third.
• To the fourth
• To the fift.