The compleat midwifes practice, in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man. Containing perfect rules for midwifes and nurses, as also for women in their conception, bearing, and nursing of children: from the experience not onely of our English, but also the most accomplisht and absolute practicers among the French, Spanish, Italian, and other nations. A work so plain, that the weakest capacity may easily attain the knowledge of the whole art. With instructions of the midwife to the Queen of France (given to her daughter a little before her death) touching the practice of the said art. / Published with the approbation and good liking of sundry the most knowing professors of midwifery now living in the city of London, and other places. Illustrated with severall cuts in brass. By T.C. I.D. M.S. T.B. practitioners.

CHAP. VII. Of the substance and temper of the stones.

THe substance of the stones is glandulous or ker∣nelly, white, soft, loose, spongy, and hollow; having sundrie vessels dispersed through them.

Now although the substance of the Testicles be most soft and moist, yet doth not this moistness con∣stitute

a uniforme or homogeneal body; for the sub∣stance of the stones is wholly dissimilar, and full of fibres. These fibres also seeme to be of a different substance from that of the stones, being only cloath∣ed which the flesh of the stones, as the fibres of the Muscles are inwardly nervous, but coverd over which the flesh of the Muscles. These fibres again differ in this, that the fibres of the Testicles are hol∣low, but the fibres of the Testicles full and substan∣tiall. These fibres are said to come from the sper∣matick vessels, and thence branch themselves forth through the Testicles, by which that part of the seed which is over and above what serves for the nou∣rishment of the testicles, as drawn forth and kept for procreation.

As concerning the Temper of the stones, they would sooner be thought cold then hot, if that Ma∣xime were true, that all white things are cold, and all red things hot. Nothwithstanding, because nature is known to abhor all coldness in the work of gene∣ration; Therefore we must presume to affirme the temper of the stones to be hot, for they always a∣bound with blood, and a pure spirit, that can never be whichout heat: Besides that heat is required for the concoction of this blood; and the changing it into seed; yet is it very temperate, as appeares 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 is not alike in all, for in some they are far colder then in others. And therefore these who have hot testicles are more salacious and prone to venereal actions, having the places neer a∣bout

much more hairie, and their testicles much har∣der then 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 veine and the great Artery, the left colder, be∣cause it receives a more inpure and serous bloud from the Emulgent veine.