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. VII. Of the substance and temper of the Stones.

THE substance of the Stones is glandulous, or kernelly, white, soft, loose, spongy and hollow, having sundry vessels dispersed thorow them.

Now although the substance of the Testicles be most soft and moist, yet doth not this moistness constitute an uniform, or homogeneal body; for the substance of the Stones is wholly dissimilar, and full of fibres. These fibres also seem to be of a different substance from that of the Stones, being only cloathed with the flesh of the Stones, as the fibres of the Muscles are inwardly nervous, but covered over with the flesh of the Muscles. These fibres again differ in this, that the fibres of the Testicles are hollow, but the fibres of the Stones full and substantial. These fibres are said to come from the spermatic vessels, and thence branch themselves forth thorow the Testicles, by which that

part of the Seed, which is over and above what serves for the nourishment of the Testicles, is drawn forth and kept for procreation.

As concerning the temper of the Stones, they would sooner be thought cold than hot, if that Max∣im, were true, that, All white things are cold, and all red things hot. Notwithstanding, because nature is known to abhor all coldness in the work of genera∣tion; Therefore we must presume to affirm the tem∣per of the Stones to be hot, for they always abound with blood, and a pure spirit that can never be with∣out heat: besides that, heat is requir'd for the con∣coction of this blood, and the changing it into seed; yet, it is very temperate, as appears by the softness of the substance: for as coldness and driness is the cause of hardness, so heat and moisture is the cause of softness.

Nevertheless, we are to understand this, that the temper of the Stones are not alike in all, for in some they are far colder than in others. And therefore those, who have hot Testicles, are more salacious and prone to venereal actions, having the places near a∣bout much more hairy, and their Testicles much har∣der than others. Those that have their Testicles cold, find every thing contrary.

The greatest heat is in the right Testicle, because it receives more pure, and hotter blood from the hol∣low Vein, and the great Artery; the left colder, be∣cause it receives a more impure, and serous blood from the Emulgent Vein.