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 vse of the Testicles.

COncerning the vse of the Testicles there are diuerse opinions, and those farre differing one from another. Aristotle denyeth them the vertue of making seed * 1.1 and attributeth it onely to the spermaticall vesselles, because many creatures want Testicles, as Fishes and Serpents, which yet enioy a coition, and doe a∣uoyde perfect seede able to propagate their species or kinde. That a Bull or Horse hauing lost their Testicles may yet presently couple with their Females and procre∣ate; and finally because they accomplish or fill vp no part of the passages; that is, haue no society with the spermaticke vessels. He taketh knowledge of other vses of these Testicles which he maketh to be threefold.

The first, that they establish the motion of the seede, and hanging at the vessels inuer∣ted * 1.2 or writhen with a wonderfull art, doe hold them together and make them more patent and ample, (as we see weauers hang waights at the strings of their warp) and therfore when * 1.3 they are cut off, the spermaticall vessels are contracted and their passages occluded or shut vp so as the seede can haue no passage.

The second vse of the Testicles is for the strength of the heart, for by these as by certain waights the heart is streatched, and thence proceedeth the change of the Temperament and whole habit when they are taken away, the bridle being loosed and the strength of the heart so as it were dissolued or resolued.

The third vse I gather out of his Problemes; that by their waight and poyse they should helpe the tension or erection of the yarde. And this is Aristotles opinion of the vse of the Testicles, which we will now bring to the touch-stone to see how it will hold.

For the first vse he may well be confuted by himselfe: the vessels of seede sayeth he are writhen and intorted with wonderfull art, and implicated or foulded vp in many boughts and circumuolutions; the waight therefore of the Testicles should bee so far from dilating * 1.4 their passages, that if they did streatch them they would rather draw them out in length e∣uen vnto the feete. But the truth is, that these vessels are so firmely tyed to the neighbour parts that they admit no streatching or tension at all, or if they should be streatched they would not onely not be dilated, but they would become narrow and straighter; for vesselles when they are streatched out in length cling closer together.

But what vse is there of any such sensible cauity or amplitude for the excretion or emis∣sion of? Is there not seede contayned in the substance of the Testicles and of the Epididy∣mis * 1.5 in which there is no sensible or conspicuous cauity? and is not the seede led along by the leading vesselles to the smal bladders and Prostatae, and there kept in readines for effusi∣on without any cauity? The seed itselfe is houen with aboundance of spirits which maketh it to passe orgasmo, that is, with a kinde of impetuous violence. If it be obiected that seede is thicker then arteriall blood which yet hath need of a conspicuous canell or pipe to passe * 1.6 in as are the arteries. I answere, that the arteriall bloud is a plentifull streame ordayned * 1.7 to water the whole body with a continuall and aboundant influxion, which could not bee without very patent and open passages; so Nature formed the arterial veine large and am∣ple, that it might be sufficient to nourish the Lungs, a rare body and in continuall motion. But the seede falleth by degrees and insinuateth it selfe rather then floweth into the sper∣maticke vessels, and is first prepared in their circumuolutions and after is deriued through small pores and hayrie passages into the substance of the Testicles, and is thence driuen in∣to the eiaculatorie vessels which are indeed porous as an Indian Reede, but haue no sensi∣ble cauity at all. There is not therefore required any such rectitude and amplitude in the vessels or substances conteyning the seed as Aristotle dreamt of, either for the concoction or eiaculation and auoyding thereof.

But let vs presse Aristotle a little farther: although the Testicles doe hang in their due place, yet doe those men become lesse apt for generation who haue their Testicles bruised * 1.8 or worne and wasted or refrigerated, so that euen thence it is manifest that their chiefe vse is not to streatch or dilate the vessels: besides many creatures haue their Testicles within tyed to their backs, and yet are as fruitfull as any other; as some Tuppes or Rammes called Riggall Tuppes, and all female creatures who are very prolifique though their Testicles hang not at all. Furthermore if the Testicles were made as waights to keepe the passages open; then in the time of coition or generation and eiaculation of seede the Testicles should descend downeward that the passages might bee made more patent and open: but we finde the quite contrary to be true, that in coition the Testicles are contracted & drawn vpward, not let lower downward. Aristotles nice conceited vse therefore is but supposi∣titious and not the true vse of Nature. Auerrhois being not able to auoyde the strength of * 1.9 these reasons, departeth from Aristotles opinion to whome he was so much addicted, and yeeldeth that the Testicles haue power to procreate seede.

The second vse ascribed to the Testicles by Aristotle, is for the tension and strengthning * 1.10 of the heart, to which we answere: that they bee of small waight, neither doe they hang at the heart vnlesse it be by arteries, and those not right but oblique, and yet those adhearing and tyed to the neighbour partes so as the Testicles cannot by them streatch or bend the heart: againe if this were a vse truely assigned, then their hearts and vigor should be stron∣gest whose Testicles are more relaxed and hung lower: but women finde these much more impotent, and account them lazie loyned fellowes: adde hereto, that if the heart needed a∣ny tension, it might better haue beene tentered, and with shorter stringes to the spine of the back; also the Liuer is very neare and a waighty body, and tyed to the heart by the hol∣low vein, & therfore certainly stratcheth it more then the smal bodies of the Testicles pla∣ced so farre off and so slenderly depending vpon it, and that by strings fastned to the backe

by the way: moreouer the vessels which leade to the Testicles are diuersly contorted, and if they weere streatched out woulde reach vnto a mans feete almost; againe, all creatures whose Testicles are hidde within should be faynt and crauen-hearted. Finally if this were true, the heart which is a most noble part should haue his strength not of himselfe but by dependencie from elsewhere, which were a great absurditie in reason. Wherfore we think this opinion of Aristotles to bee but a quaint deuice, worthy of the wit but not of the iudge∣ment of so great a Phylosopher.

As for the last vse assigned by Aristotle which is the erection of the yarde, that may be * 1.11 consuted by that we haue sayd before to be the true cause of erection, and that is partly Na∣tural, to wit, an aboundance of winde and spirits filling the hollow Nerues; and partly Ani∣mall, from an appetite mouing the muscles which are appoynted to make this erection: We will therefore bid adue vnto Aristotle his faigned conceite, and to them also who deny * 1.12 vnto the Testicles the power of procreating seede: for whereas they obiect that there are many creatures which haue no Testicles and yet doe abound with seede prolifique or fitte * 1.13 for generation: wee answere that such Creatures are imperfect and their generation not perfect but lame.

To conclude, that a new gelt Horse or Bull can copulate and ingender seemeth hard to be beleeued, because of the extreame payne that must necessarily follow the violati∣on * 1.14 of parts of so exquisite sence; but if it do so come to passe, then is it by that seede that is already laboured by the ingenit power of the Testicles before they were separated and re∣serued for present vse in the Parastatae and Prostatae; and not by any seed concocted after the taking away of the Testicles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aristotles opi∣nion. His argu∣ments. 3. Hist. Anim. 1. & 1. de gener. Anim. 4.
• * 1.2

  His threefold vse of them.
• * 1.3

  Comparison.
• * 1.4

  Confutation of the first vse
• * 1.5

  No vse of any sensible caui∣ty for the seed
• * 1.6

  Obiection.
• * 1.7

  Solution.
• * 1.8

  Arguments a∣gainst Aristotle
• * 1.9

  Auerhois forsa∣keth Aristotle.
• * 1.10

  Confutation of the 2. vse.
• * 1.11

  Confutation of the last vse.
• * 1.12

  Obiection.
• * 1.13

  Solution.
• * 1.14

  How a new gelt horse may get a soale.