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.

CHAP. II. Of the Principles of generation, seed & the Mothers blood.

WHatsoeuer is generated (saith the Philosopher) is begotten out of somwhat and from somvvhat; else vvere it as vve said a nevv Creation no Generation; Wher∣fore * 1.1 the Ancients haue resolued that tvvo principles must concurre to genera∣tion, Seed & the Mothers blood. The seed is the principle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the effi∣cient

or workman which formeth the Creature, and ex quo, that is, the matter whereof the spermatical parts are generated. The blood hath onely the Nature of a matter and passiue principle, (we therefore vse the Schoole words because they most emphatically expresse the thing) for out of this bloud the fleshy partes are generated and both the spermaticall and the fleshy are nourished. The Nature of both these principles is very obscure, which we will endeuour to make plaine on this manner. The Seed is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in Latine semen, Genitura, betweene which Aristotle puts a nice difference, but Hip∣pocrates takes them promiscuously for the same. And so we wil call it Seed and Geniture, which we define. A body moyst, hot, frothy and white, consisting of the remainders of the last and perfect nourishment and the spirites mingled therewith, laboured and boyled by the vertue of the Testicles, and so made fit for the perfect generation of a liuing Creature. * 1.2 This definition doth fully and sufficiently expresse all the causes, the formall, the materiall, the efficient and the finall.

The humidity, heate, frothinesse and whitenes do make the forme. The seed is moist * 1.3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is in Power and Consistence: and therfore Ctesias Physitian to King Art••xerxis was deceiued, who thought that the seed of an Elephant was so dry that it wold become like vnto Amber; but it is necessary it shold be moyst, as wel that it might be moul∣ded by the efficient, as also because it must contayne the Idea or specificall forme of all the * 1.4 particles. Hot it is, that it might produce those formes, for cold entreth not into genera∣tion vnlesse it be by accident. It is frothy by the permixtion of the spirits and by their mo∣tion; * 1.5 whence it is that the Poets call Venus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as if shee were made of the froth or foame of the sea; and therefore seede when it is auoyded soone looseth his magnitude, be∣cause the spirits which houed it vp do vanish; whereas phlegme and other mucous matters keepe their bulke because they haue little spirites in them. It is white, because it is boy∣led in the Testicles and the spermaticall vessels whose inward superficies is white, as also because it containeth in it much ayre and spirits: and therfore it is but a vaine thing which Herodotus reporteth of the seed of Negroes or Blacke-Moores, that it is black.

The matter of the seede is double, the ouerplus of the last nourishment and spirits. That * 1.6 ouerplus is bloud, not altered and whitned in the solid parts as the Antients imagined, but red, pure and sincere, deriued to the Testicles and the preparing vessels from the trunke of the hollow veine through the spermaticall veines. And hence it is that those men who * 1.7 are very immoderate in the vse of Venus, auoyde sometimes bloody seede, yea nowe and then pure blood. Of this minde also is Soranus and therefore it is, sayeth he, that the An∣tiēts called those that were of a kindred Consanguineos. i. of the same bloud, because the seed is made of bloud, which phrase we also at this day retayne. The other matter of the seede is that which maketh it fruitfull; to wit, those Spirites which wander about the body; these * 1.8 potentially conteine the Idea or forme of the particular parts (for they are ayrie and moyst easily taking any impression) and passe through the spermaticall arteries to the mazey ves∣sels of the Parastatae and the Testicles. There they are exquisitly minglled with the bloud, and of two is made one body, like as of that admirable complication of the spermaticall veine and arterie is made one vessell.

This double matter of the seede Hippocrates expresseth by the names of fire and water, * 1.9 for so he sayth sometimes, that the seed is fire, sometimes he calleth it water. It is firie by reason of the spirites which haue in them an impetuous violence or nimble agility, whence also it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 semen turgens, swelling seede. In respect of the blood which is the corpulency or bulke thereof, it is called aqueum watery. Both these Hippocrates in his Booke de diaeta in one sentence: legantly expresseth, where he sayth, The Soule creepeth into man being made of a mixture of fire and water: By the Soule he meaneth the Seed, which * 1.10 therefore in other places he calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is Animated: by Fire hee meaneth the spi∣rits and the in-bred heat which is commonly called Innatum calidum; by Water he meaneth the Alimentary moysture which is bloud. The fire sayeth hee moueth all things through and through, the water nourisheth all things through and through. In respect therefore of this double matter the seede carrieth the nature of both the principles of generation; of the materiall in respect of his crassament or thicke body out of which as out of their pro∣portionable matter the spermatical parts are generated; of the efficient and of the forme in respect of the spirits wherewith it is fulfilled. I sayed that the seed was called an efficient * 1.11 and formall principle, because the efficient and the forme are two actors in respect of their different operations, though indeede and trueth they are but one and the same. For the

forme being diffused through the matter, maketh it to be that which it is & no other thing, and it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the species, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the act: but considerit as it affecteth, moueth, dis∣poseth and worketh the matter into a proper and conuenient habitation for it selfe, and then it carrieth the nature of an efficient. The seede in respect of his bodie yssueth onelie from the vessels; but in respect of his spirits which wander vp and downe and through all, it may be sayde to yssue from all the parts of the body. This therefore is the double matter of the seede, blood and spirits.

The Efficients and authors of the seede are onely the Testicles, for the power called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.12 that is, of making seede, we attribute first of all and originally to the testicles. To the spermaticall vessels secondarily per 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, by influence and irradiation from the testicles.

The last part of the definition designeth the small cause of the seede, to wit, the genera∣tion of a liuing creature, and the nourishment of the testicles. And thus it appeareth how this definition of seede is accomplished euery way and compleate. * 1.13

Furthermore, seede is of two sorts whatsoeuer the Peripateticks prattle to the contra∣ry, one of the male, another of the female; because in both sexes there are by Nature ordai∣ned * 1.14 Organs or instruments for the preparing, boyling and leading thereof; as also the same causes of pleasure and delight in the spending or euacuation. But yet the seede of the male is the first principle of generation and more actiue or operatiue; the Females the second * 1.15 and lesse operatiue, yet they are both fruitfull and powerfull for procreation, but neyther of them auaileable without the helpe of the other.

Hippocrates in his first Booke de Diaeta maketh mention of a double kinde of seed in both * 1.16 sexes, the one strong & hot, the other weaker and colder. The first he calleth semen masculū or male seede, the other semen foeminium, or female and foeminine seede: out of the diuers mixtion whereof, and as they ouercome one another, hee thinketh that a male or foemale creature is generated. And thus much for the first principle of Generation, vvhich is Seede.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Two princi¦ples of gene∣ration.
• * 1.2

  A perfect de∣finitiō of seed.
• * 1.3

  The formall cause. Ctesias his er∣ror.
• * 1.4

  How moyst.
• * 1.5

  Why hot. Why f••othy.
• * 1.6

  The material cause double bloud.
• * 1.7

  Soranus. Why kinsmen are called consan∣guinei.
• * 1.8

  And spirits.
• * 1.9

  Hippocrates. How seed is firie. How watry.
• * 1.10

  A hard place of Hippocrates explained.
• * 1.11

  How seed is both an effi∣cient and ma∣teriall cause.
• * 1.12

  The efficient cause of the seede.
• * 1.13

  The finall cause.
• * 1.14

  Seede of two sorts. Of the Male.
• * 1.15

  The Female.
• * 1.16

  Two kinds of seeds in both sexes.