The compleat midwife's practice enlarged in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man containing a perfect directory or rules for midwives and nurses : as also a guide for women in their conception, bearing and nursing of children from the experience of our English authors, viz., Sir Theodore Mayern, Dr. Chamberlain, Mr. Nich. Culpeper ... : with instructions of the Queen of France's midwife to her daughter ... / by John Pechey ... ; the whole illustrated with copper plates.

CHAP. II. The Vse of the preparing Vessels.

THE Use of those Vessels which are called the Vessels of Preparation, is chiefly to attract out of the hollow Vein, or left Emulgent, the most pure and exquisitely concocted Blood, which is most apt to be converted into Seed; which they contain and pre∣pare, giving unto it a certain rude form of Seed in those parts that lie as it were in certain pleights or folds, which they do by a peculiar property bequeathed to them.

Another Use of them is gathered by their situation; for as they are now situated, that is to say, the right Vein coming from the Hollow Vein, and the left from the Emulgent: This incovenience is avoided, that the left Vein is not forced to pass over the great Artery, and so be in danger of breaking, by reason of the swift motion of the Artery. Moreover, there being a neces∣sity that Male and Female should be begot, it is fit that there should be Seed proper for the generation of both Sexes, whereof some must be hotter, and some must be colder; and therefore Nature hath so order∣ed it, that the hotter Seed should proceed from the right Vein for the generation of man, and the colder from the left, for the generation of Females. The left

Vein hath also this property to draw from the Emul∣gent the more serous and less pure Blood, to the in∣tent that the serous humour might stir up Venery by its salt and acrimonious substance; and therefore it is observed, that those who have the left Stone bigger, are most full of Seed, and most prone to Venery.

These Veins are so far from preparing the Seed, as that they only bring back, what was superfluous from the making it. And indeed the Arteries in Men do no more merit the name of preparing Vessels, in re∣gard to the Seed, than the Gullet in respect of the Chyle, or the chyliferous thoracick duct, in regard to the Blood. But however we continue the old Names, declaring only against the reason of them.