CHAP. XXXVII. Of the cause of barrenness in men.
THere are many causes of barrenness in men, that is to say, the too hot, cold, dry or moist distemper of the seed, the more liquid and flexible consistence thereof, so that it can∣not stay in the womb, but will presently flow out again: for such is the seed of old men and striplings, and of such as use the act of generation too often and immoderately: for thereby the seed becommeth crude and waterish, because it doth not remain his due and lawful time in the testicles, wherein it should be perfectly wrought and concocted, but is evacuated by wanton copulation. Furthermore, that the seed may be fertile, it must of necessity be copious in quanti∣ty, but in quality well concocted, moderately thick, clammy, and puffed with abundance of spi∣rits; both these conditions are wanting in the seed of them that use copulation too often: and moreover, because the wives of those men never gather a just quantity of seed laudable both in quality and consistence in their testicles, whereby it commeth to pass that they are the less pro∣voked or delighted with Venereous actions, and perform the act with less alacrity, so that they yeeld themselves less prone to conception. Therefore let those that would be parents of many children use a mediocrity in the use of Venery.
The woman may perceive that the mans seed hath some distemperature in it, if when she hath received it into her womb, she feeleth it sharp, hot or cold, if the man be more quick or slow in the act. Many become barren after they have been cut for the stone, and likewise when they have had a wound behind the ears, whereby certain branches of the jugular veins and arteries have been cut, that are there, so that after those vessels have been cicatrized, there followed an in∣terception of the seminal matter downwards, and also of the community which ought of necessi∣ty to be between the brain and the testicles, so that when the conduits or passages are stopped, the stones or testicles cannot any more receive, neither matter nor lively spirits from the brain in so great quantity as it was wont, whereof it must of necessity follow, that the seed must be lesser in quantity, and weaker in quality.
Those that have their testicles cut off, or else compressed or contused by violence, cannot be∣get children, because that either they want that help the testicles should minister in the act of generation, or else because the passage of the seminal matter is intercepted or stopped with a Cal∣lus: by reason whereof they cannot yield forth seed, but a certain clammy humor contained in the glanduls called prostatae (yet with some feeling of delight).
Moreover the de••ects or imperfections of the yard may cause barrenness: as, if it be too short, or if it be so unreasonable great, that it renteth the privy parts of the woman, and so causeth a flux of blood; for then it is so painful to the woman, that she cannot void her seed, for that can∣not be excluded without pleasure and delight; also if the shortness of the ligature ligament that is under the yard doth make it to be crooked, and violate the stiff straightness thereof, so that it cannot be put directly or straightly into the womans privy parts. There be some that have not the orifice of the conduit of the yard rightly in the end thereof, but a little higher, so that they cannot ejaculate or cast out their seed into the womb.
Also the paritcular palsie of the yard is numbred amongst the causes of barrenness; and you may prove whether the palsie be in the yard by dipping the genitals in cold water: for except they do draw themselves together or shrink up after it, it is a token of the palsie; for members that have the palsie, by the touching of cold water, do not shrink up, but remain in their accustomed laxity and looseness: but in this case the genitals are endued with small sense; the seed commeth out without pleasure or stiffness of the yard; the stones in touching are cold; and to conclude, those that have their bodies daily waxing lean through a consumption, or that are vexed with an evill h••bit or disposition, or with the obstruction of some of the entrals, are barren and unfertil, and likewise those in whom some noble part necessary to life and generation exceedeth the bounds of nature with some great distemperature; and lastly, those who by any means have their genital parts deformed.
Here I omit those that are withholden from the act of generation by inchantment, magick, witching and inchanted knots, bands and ligatures; for those causes belong not to Physick, neither may they be taken away by the remedies of our Art. The Doctors of the Canon laws have made mention of those magick bands which may have power in them, in the particular title De frigidis, maleficiatis, impoteatibus & incantatis▪ also St. August▪ hath made mention of them. Tract. 7. in Joan.