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 Generation of Man, compared with the production of Plants.

THAT the reason of this Generation may be made the more plain and evident unto us, we will declare by a brief demonstration, that there is the same begining of Plants and Herbs, and of other things which fall under the same consideration; therefore as in the seeds of every kind, the grain it self cast into the Earth, is the food, and as it were the first subject of all the alteration following, whereby it buds and springs, is augmented and grows up into a nature like unto it; so meat being taken, affordeth in mans body the first matter to a variable concoction. And as in Plants we may observe a most certain separation of the pure from the impure, and of the remnant from the superfluous matter; so here we perceive a natural separation and sequestration of that which is unprofitable, from that which is profitable, by their certain degrees: For first the seed being committed to the Earth, by and by swel∣ling with the moisture of the same, strippeth it self from that little skin, in which it was inclosed, and springing upward, casteth forth the same being empty, as a dry Ex∣crement, the grain in the mean time budding and sprout∣ing forth, that it may proceed forward toward the increase; afterward the increase and growth stretching even to the fruit disrobed and bereaved of the Flower, the second purg∣ing casteth down the flower sprung up in the top of the bough, but preserveth the hope of the Fruit, being stripped of his flower, as that thing which remaineth pure and profitable by the second purging. Afterwards the Fruit being grown to its just quantity, the third alteration casteth down the leaves, as the superfluity of this degree; but ordaineth the fruit, being now so of∣ten

cleansed and purged, for the utility of mans nou∣rishment, maturity, and ripeness being granted unto it. Put now, either the seed breaketh, the fruit lying hid in it, or else it sendeth it out by putrefaction; and being cast into the ground it hasteneth again into the property of its own nature, not tending towards it self, which is remaining, but to the likeness of its first origi∣nal, from whence it had its begining; so that in this it appeareth absolutely true, that Nature ingendereth things like unto it self; for every thing doth naturally covet and desire the form and likeness of that form whence it is bred: Hence it comes to pass, that Apples grow not from Pears, nor Pears from any other kind of fruit, unless it be so brought about by the means of grafting and planting. And the same thing is to be acknowledged in the generation of Man and Woman, which is to be confessed in the growing of Plants and Herbs; that because we see bodies well distinguished by Members to be engendred of seed, we may also believe that the same seed is derived from the distinct and seve∣ral parts of the body; wherefore let those be advised what they say, who affirm the seed of generation to be ingendred of the Brain only, when as it is not so a∣greeable to the consideration of the Concoctions, nor to the constitution of the bodies. True it is, that some, and that not a small part, is derived from the Brain, but the chiefest part is collected together from the chief∣est parts of the whole body: For if we say, that this should be ingendred of one or two parts only; every one would find that this consequence would follow by an infallible reason, namely, that those same parts on∣ly should be ingendred again: Therefore we may more rightly conclude, that besides that beginning which it draweth from the Brain, it is ingendred from the whole body, and the most especial parts of the same,

the effect it self manifesting the cause, most especially when we see distinct members, and perfectly finisht, according to the due form of the body, and so truly, that the thing begotten doth answer and agree to the constitution of the thing begetting; of feeble seed, a feeble man being born; of strong seed, a strong and lusty man: By which means it happeneth that we ma∣ny times see the infirmities and ill favoured marks of the body in the Children, which are inherent in the Parents, and these we firmly believe to have passed in∣to them by the corruption of the seed. And these things thus determined, may suffice to have been spo∣ken concerning the beginning and substance of Ingend∣ring Seed.