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. Of the action and vse of the Breasts or Paps.

ALL men I think are resolued that there is in the Breasts an in-bred faculty of making Milke. This onely is questionable, how they which are but kernels * 1.1 should performe an officiall or common action, which is accomplished by alteration and concoction; seeing Galen denyeth vnto these glandules all ac∣tion and yeeldeth vnto them onely a vse. Now that the Breasts or Paps are * 1.2 to be reckoned among the glandules, their substance and vse doe manifestly declare. For their substance it is rare, friable, and spongy; and for their vse Hippocrates in his Booke de

Glandulis ascribeth the same vnto the Dugges which other kernelly parts performe, where he saith, The Vses of the Paps and of the Glandules before mentioned are alike, for they all sucke vp the superfluities of the whole body.

For the Solution of this Question, we say there are two kindes of Glandules, for which * 1.3 we haue Galen our Author, in his second Chapter of the sixteenth Book of the vse of parts. There are some Glandules which are ordained onely to establish and vnder-prop the Ves∣sels, or to receiue superfluous humors, or to water and moysten the parts. There are others * 1.4 which are prouided by Nature for the generation of certaine iuices or humors which are profitable for the creature. The former haue neyther Veines, nor Arteries, nor sinnewes: these latter haue very conspicuous vessels, and are of exquisite sense. The former are pro∣perly called Glandules; the latter may better be stiled Glandulous bodies. So the Testi∣cles * 1.5 and the Kidneyes by Galen are called Glandulous bodies; and Hippocrates in his Booke de Glandulis saith, that the braine it selfe in respect of his substance is glandulous. The for∣mer are onely of some vse, the latter affoord both vse and action, amongst which wee con∣clude the dugs or breasts to be.

And whereas Hippocrates saide, that these dugs doe receiue or sucke vp an excrementiti∣ous humor, * 1.6 we vnderstand that this is not there primary or chiefe and maine vse, but onely secondary: for Nature often abuseth one and the same part to diuers vses; so the braine in * 1.7 manner of a Glasse-still or Cucurbita, doth draw and sucke vp the expirations of the lovver parts, and yet notwithstanding there is another and more diuine vse of the braine. So na∣ture often abuseth the guts for the expurgation and vnburdening of the whole body, wher∣as they were Originally ordained for another purpose, to wit, for distribution of the Chylus.

The Breasts therefore or Paps haue a proper action and vse. Their action is the gene∣ration * 1.8 of Milke, which is performed by a moderate and equall coction or boyling. Their vses are either primary or secondary: The primary vse Galen saith is for generation of milk, but Aristotle would haue them ordained for the defence of the heart, the most noble of all * 1.9 the bowels; and I thinke he was mislled with this argument, because men had breastes, and yet did not ingender milke. Wee with Galen do determine, that these glandulous bodyes * 1.10 compassed with fat, and wouen with many thousand vessels, were first and originally or∣dained for Milke, and are not alike in men and women. And yet I conceiue that they were scituated in the breast rather to add strength to the noble parts conteined vnder them, then for the generation of Milke. For in most creatures they make Milke not in the brests but in other parts.

You shall therefore reconcile Galen and Aristotle, if you say, that the Dugges were crea∣ted originally for the generation of Milke, and secondarily for the strengthning & defence * 1.11 of the heart. And againe, that the originall cause of their scituation in the breast was for the defence of the heart, and the secondary for the generation of milke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The question
• * 1.2

  Galen. The breasts glandules. Hippoorates.
• * 1.3

  The solution of the questiō Galen.
• * 1.4

  Two kindes.
• * 1.5

  Galen. Hippocrates.
• * 1.6

  Hippocrates ex¦pounded.
• * 1.7

  The braine Glandulous.
• * 1.8

  The primarie vse of the breasts.
• * 1.9

  Galen. Aristotle.
• * 1.10

  Galen.
• * 1.11

  Galen and A∣ristotle recon∣ciled.