Bartholinus anatomy made from the precepts of his father, and from the observations of all modern anatomists, together with his own ... / published by Nich. Culpeper and Abdiah Cole.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Vessels that carry away the Seed, especially the Trum∣pet of the Womb.

COncerning the Vessels which carry away the Fe∣male-seed, the Doctrine of Anatomists hath been hitherto somwhat intricate, partly through varity of o∣pinions, and partly the obscurity of the matter it self, which nevertheless I shall endeavor to reduce, and as much as may be to illustrate the same.

The deferent Vessels are taken either in a large or a strict signification. Strictly for those same obscure Passages and Vessels only, which carry part of the seed bred in the stones, into the womb. Largely and gene∣rally, 1. For the preparatory Vessels also, 2. For them and the Womb-trumpet, which others refer to the servatory and jaculatory Vessel. I shall speak of both briefly and distinctly.

The deferent Vessels are properly those small passages derived from the stones, either to the bottom of the womb, with a very short passage, or disseminated at the trumpets of the womb, with sundry, and those ex∣ceeding small Twigs, resembling the Venae lacteae, ari∣sing from the spermatick preparatory Vessels, and con∣tinued with them, however here they change their name and use, because they immediately pass over, and lick the stones.

Galen conceives that the former is only inserted into the sides of the womb, which are termed Cornua, or the wombs horns, and other Anatomists are of the same o∣pinion, who profess they could find no other Inserti∣on. But Zerbus, Fernelius, Laurentius, found another Branch herefrom, which goes not into the bottom as the former, but into the Neck, so that one part of this deferent Vessel which is the shorter but larger, is inser∣ted into the middle of the Horn of the same side, and there poures out such seed as it hath, into the Cavity of the womb: but the other part being the narrower and longer, is carried along the sides of the womb, below the Mouth, to the beginning of the Neck. Varolius hath also made mention of this Part, and saies it is so small in such as have never conceived, that it cannot be found, save by a skilful Anatomist, but in Women with Child it is very large. Spigelius, because he could not somtimes find it, did count it a sport of Nature. Vestingus does seem to allow of it, seeing he brings se∣minal Matter from the stones, to the bottom and sheath of the womb, this way. I should willingly as∣sent to the Opinion of Spigelius, because it is seldom seen. Little Branches indeed are alwaies disseminated unto the neck of the womb, but the•• 〈…〉〈…〉 directly from the preparatory Vessels, and bring blood rather then seed, of which see other Anatomists, especially Platerus, Riolanus, and my Father Bartholinus beneath.

The Use of these Vessels is, partly to carry the semi∣nal Matter to the Trumpets, that it may be there fur∣ther accomplished, and better wrought, and reserved for further use, and partly to the bottom of the womb. Where another Branch ends into the Neck, the semi∣nal Humidity is voided this way also, causing greater delight by reason of the length of the way.

The other deferent Vessel, which ought to keep the Seed before it be squirted out, is the Trumpet of the Womb, by Fallopius so called, from the likeness it hath to a Trumpet of War, which he thus describes. There arises a seminal Passage, small and very strait, nervous, and white, from the Horn of the womb it self, and when it hath gone a little therefrom, it grows broader by little and little, and crisps it self like the tendrel of a Vine, till it comes towards the end. Then dismissing its wrinkled Crispations, and becoming very broad, it ends into a certain Extremity, which seems membra∣nous and fleshy, by reason of its red Colour, and at last becomes very torn and ragged, like the jagged ed∣ges of worn clouts, and hath a large hole, which lies alwaies shut, those jagged ends alwaies falling in upon it, which nevertheless if they be diligently opened and widened, they represent the broad end of a brazen Trumpet.

I shall handle the Particulars more distinctly. The Trumpets arise from the bottom of the womb by one end, nor do they reach with their other end to the Stones, or any other remarkable Part. And therefore they are not manifestly passable in this other Part, but shut up and blind, so that they are like the Intestinum caecum, and are as it were an Appendix of the Womb. But this shutting up may be made according to the O∣pinion of Fallopius, which Riolanus who was since him, challenges for his own, by the fringes and jagged ends of the Trumpets, falling together, like Raggs of Cloath.

They are two in Number, on each side one.

They are seated so as to compass half the Stones, but they are distant from the Stones, on every side, near half a fingers breadth, unless the womb be diseased, by which they are drawn up nearer to the Stones. They are ordinarily fastned only by very thin Membranes, not unlike the wings of Bats or Flitter-mice, through which many Veins and Arteries are disseminated, car∣ried from the Stones into these Passages, and carrying Seed out of the Stones.

Their Substance is nervous, white, thick and hard.

Their Figure is round and hollow. Somtimes their Cavity so praeternaturally widened, as to contain a Mole, which Marquardus relates in his Empirica Praxi; somtimes a Child, Examples whereof are recited by Riolanus. Nor could he see any other waies for the mans seed to enter, save the turning and winding Pas∣sages of those Vessels. But in a living woman, the mans seed full of spirits, might easily be drawn thither, by the widened waies of the womb misaffected, which Passages being afterwards (Conception being made, and the Trumpets distended) shut up, were not seen by Dissectors. Or whether hath there not been a shape∣less Mole, or a Child without life been shaped, with∣out the seed of a Man, of the Mothers seed only con∣tained in the Trumpets; which having received no life from any Father, and the passages being shut up, it grew great, and kil'd the Mother?

In the Natural Figure let us consider the Beginning, Middle, and End. The Insertion o•• Beginning is at

the bottom of the womb large, where it attains a ner∣vous Pipe, stretched out to the middle well-near of the Trumpet, hollow, that it may transmit the Seed to the bottom of the womb. The Middle being capaci∣ous, shews certain little Cells, containing white seed. The End is narrower, though it carry some wideness with it. Howbeit before the End, it is wreathed and crisped like the tendrel of a Vine, as is visible in Men and Beasts.

The Passage therefore of the Trumpets, is not in all parts straight, but winding, because the way is short from the stones to the womb. But the pleasure ought not to be short, when the seed is poured plentifully out of the stones into the horns of the womb in Copulati∣on. And look what the Seed-bladders are in Men, as to preserve the seed, these blind passages may be the same in Women, when they couple oftentimes, and stil void seed. For they may be so termed, because they are annexed to the stones by little Membranes, that by Vessels brought to them from the stones, as by the milkie and mesaraick Veins, they may easily draw the seed by them concocted, and lay it up within them∣selves for future occasion, and send it forth when need requires.

Their Use is, 1. According to Fallopius to serve as Chimneys, by which the sooty vapors of the womb may exhale. Which I for my part cannot believe. For the sooty Vapors are condensed, and being resol∣ved into water, are reserved till the time of Child∣birth, or ascend by insensible Pores, or breath out at the mouth of the womb, both in Women with Child, be∣cause the mouth of the womb is never so close shut as to hinder, as the Examples of Superfoetation testifie, as in such as are not with Child. Nor can I wel tel how the sooty vapors should find way through these croo∣ked Passages. 2. According to the said Fallopius in his Observations, they make seed, because he alwaies found seed in them, but never saw any in the stones; to which I answered before. 3. Their true Use is, to draw seed out of the stones, by blind passages of the Vessels dispersed through the Membrane, and when it is drawn to perfect the same by some tarriance in the Tendrels and Cells, by the irradiation of the vertue of the stones; that it may be more fit for a Child to be made of; finally to carry it to the womb, especially in the Act of Copulation, by those little Pipes im∣planted in the Horns of the womb, that it may meet the mans seed in the Cavity of the womb or its Neck, to cause Conception.