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. III. Of the Mothers Blood, the other principle of Generation.

THE other principle of our Generation is the Mothers Blood, to which we * 1.1 ascribe the Faculty of suffering onely, and not of dooing, that is to say, it is onely a principle which is wrought vpon by the seed, but itselfe worketh not in the generation of man.

Of this blood are the Parenchymata of the bowels made, as also the flesh of the Muscles; with this as well the spermaticall as the fleshy parts are nourished, doe en∣crease * 1.2 and attaine their seuerall perfections. This bloude wee thinke is of the same nature with that which at certaine times euery moneth is purged out by the wombe, in which re∣spect Hippocrates first called it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the Menstruous or monthly bloode. The Nature of this blood entangled in a thousand difficulties we will make plaine by this definition. The Menstruous blood is the excrement of the last Aliment of the fleshy parts, * 1.3 which at certaine times and by standing periods is in a moderate quantity purged by the wombe, but originally ordained for the Generation and Nourishment of the New crea∣ture. This definition expresseth six heads concerning the menstruall blood: the matter, the Efficient cause, the vniuersall time, the particular time, the quantity, the wayes of euacu∣ation, and the vse which hath the nature of the finall cause.

The matter of the menstruous blood is the ouer plus of the last Aliment. For in the na¦ture of woman there is a superfluity more then she spendeth for many reasons. First, be∣cause her heate is but weake, and cannot discusse or euaporate the reliques lifte after the parts are satisfied; secondly because of the softnesse and loosenesse of their flesh; whence it is that a womans body is scarsely perspirable, that is, in respect of men they sweate but lit∣tle. Thirdly, by reason of their course of life and order of diet. For they eate more moist meates, they vse bathing oftner, they sleepe more, and in a word their life is more sedentar•• and idle, at least they vse lesse exercise; for these reasons a woman among all creatures is followed with these monthly euacuations.

We call the matter of this bloud an Excrement, not that it cannot bee assimulated or is of a hurtfull or noxious quality like an vnprofitable excrement, but because the quantitie thereof redoundeth after the flesh of the parts is satiated and filled, and is returned into the veines and thence as an excrement vomited out by Nature offended with an vnprofitable

burden, for there is a satietie euen of that which is good. And this is that affluence and refluence Hippocrates speaketh off, that tide of the blood sometimes flowing, again ebbing sometimes. For when the veines strut with fulnesse the hot flesh draweth the bloud vnto it, which, when that attraction is satisfied and ceased, ebbeth againe into the vernes. This * 1.4 blood therefore is laudable and Alimentary, and as Hippocrates writeth in his first Booke de morbis mulierum, floweth out red like the bloud of a sacrifice and soon caketh if the wo∣men be sound.

The veines being fulfilled with these remaynders of the Aliment, and burdned with the * 1.5 wayght of the blood whose quantity onely is offensiue vnto them, they solicite Nature to excretion. Nature, being alwayes vigilant for her own behoofe, and a true louer and che∣risher of herselfe, by the expelling faculty which she hath alwayes at her command driueth out these reliques. For as a man that hath lost one or both his legges, if hee continue that fulnesse of dyet which hee vsed before, is often solicited with a great issue of blood by the siedge, because the liuer sanguifieth as much as it was wont, which yet there wants one part or more to consume it euen so and after no other manner is this menstruall euacuation ac∣complished; by Nature not being able to dispose of that plenty which by the Liuer is mini∣stred.

But because Nature doth all her businesses in order and therefore prescribeth lawes vn∣to * 1.6 herselfe, she doth not endeuour this excretion in euery age, at all times, nor euery day, but at set times and by determined periods, which shee of herselfe neither anticipateth nor procrastinateth; that is, doth not either preuent or foreslow vnlesse shee be prouoked and hastned before her time, or else hindered or interrupted at her owne time. These Natural times are either vniuersall or particular. The Vniuersal time, all men do accord, beginneth for the most part in the second seauen yeares, that is at 14. yeares olde, and endeth the sea∣uenth seuen, that is at 49. or 50. Now the reason why this bloud floweth not before the 14. yeare is this, because both the vessels are narrower, and beside the heate ouercome with the aboundance of the humour cannot expell the reliques, which after it hath gotten more strength it is able to maister and driue as it were out of the field. Adde hereto that in the first yeares a great part of the bloud is consumed in the growth of the body; and beside before the woman is fit to conceiue, Nature doth not bestow this matter of the menstruall blood vpon her.

Now at the second seauen yeares the heate begins to gather strength, to burst foorth as * 1.7 the Sunne in his brightnes, and to rule in the Horizon of the body; from which heate doe proceede as necessary consequencies, the largenes of the wayes and vesselles, the motions and commotions of the humours, their subtilty or thinnesse, and finally the strength of the expelling faculty. At that time men begin to grow hayrie, to haue lustfull imaginations and to change their voyce; womens Pappes begin to swell and they to thinke vppon hus∣bands. After the fiftieth yeare the courses cease, because the heate being nowe become more weake is not able to engender any notable portion of laudable bloud, neither yet if * 1.8 there be any such ouerplus, is able to euacuate or expell the same; you may adde also, that Natures intention and power of procreation beeing determined; it is no more necessary that there should be any nourishment set aside.

Concerning the particular times of this monthly euacuation, Aristotle is of opinion that it cannot be precisely set downe, and almost all learned men herein consent with him. Not∣withstanding * 1.9 it is reasonable, we say, to think that Nature hath set and determined motions and established lawes, albeit wee are ignorant of them: for who was euer so neare of Na∣tures counsell but that he might in some things erre, in somethings be to seek. These times knowne to herselfe shee keepeth immutable and inviolate, vnlesse either the narrownes of the wayes or the thicknes of the humour doe interrupt her, or else shee bee prouoked by the acrimony of a corroding quality in the bloud, or by some other outward prouocatiō; to poure them forth before her owne stinted and limitted time. Once therefore euery mo∣neth she endeuoreth at least, this menstruall excretion, sometimes in the full of the Moon sometimes in the waine; and in those women which we cal viragines, that is, who are more mannish, for three dayes together, in others that are more soft, idle and delicate, such as Hippocrates in his first Booke de diaeta calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, waterish women, for a whole seuen-night. And againe, in the first Section of his sixt Booke Epidem. In women that are waterish the courses continue longer. In those women that are of a middle and meane disposi∣tion they continue foure dayes; and these we cal Particular times.

The quantity of this monthly euacuation cannot be defined. For as Hippocrates obser∣ueth * 1.10 in his Book de natura muliebri, the blood issueth more freely or more sparingly accor∣ding to the variety of their colour, temperament, age, habite and the time of the yeare. Those women which are fayre and white haue such aboundance of humour, that it issueth diuerse wayes; contrary to those are browne and swart skins which are commonly drier. In moderate and meane tempered women the quantity of the courses is about two Hemi∣na, that is 18. ounces which is Hippocrates his proportion.

The wayes ordayned for this euacuation are the veines of the womb and the womb it * 1.11 selfe. The veines do run from the Hipogastrick and spermatick branches to the bottom & necke of the wombe; by the veines of the necke of the wombe it issueth in those women which are with child, by the other in virgins and such as are not conceiued, but not per dia∣pedosim, that is by transudation, but per anastomosim, that is by the opening of the orificies of large and patent veines.

Now if it be asked why the blood is purged through the womb; I answere, it is done by a wonderfull prouidence of Nature, that the bloud being accustomed to make his iour∣ney * 1.12 this way, it might after conception presently accrew for the nourishment and genera∣tion of the Infant.

Hence we gather the finall cause of the menstruous bloud (which was the last poynt in our definition) to be double, the generation of the parenchymata or substances of the bowels * 1.13 and the flesh, as also the nourishment and sustentation of the Infant as well whilest it is in the mothers wombe, as also after it is borne into the world. For howe should the seede conceiued atteine either nourishment or increase vnlesse this bloud should be disposed in∣to these wayes wherein the Infant is conceiued. Afterward when it is born, the same blood returneth by knowne and accustomed waies also into the pappes and there is whitned into milke to suckle it. And this we take to be the nature of the second principle of our genera∣tion, the mothers bloud or the monthly courses.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What partes are made of this blood.
• * 1.2

  Menstruall putgations.
• * 1.3

  A definition of the courses
• * 1.4

  Hippocrates ex¦pounded.
• * 1.5

  The efficient cause of the courses.
• * 1.6

  The vniuersal time of the courses, and the reasons thereof.
• * 1.7

  Why the cour¦ses flow ••••. 4. yeares old.
• * 1.8

  Why they stay at 50.
• * 1.9

  The particu∣lar times of the courses. Aristotle.
• * 1.10

  Hippocrates.
• * 1.11

  The wayes of the courses.
• * 1.12

  Why nature purgeth the bloud throgh the wombe.
• * 1.13

  The finall cause of the menstruous bloud double