Tractus de Hermaphrodites Part 3

Before I begin to trace any Particulars of extraordinary Conceptions, I shall insert a surprizing Account of a Woman that went Twenty five Years with Child, from the Writings of Monsieur _Baile_, which contains a great deal of Variety relating to untimely Generations.

_Margaret Matthieu_ a _Cloth-worker_'s Wife at _Tholouse_ in _France_, in the Year 1653, and towards the Ninth Month of her Reckoning, had the Pains of Woman's Labour upon her at Church; and some part of the Waters being already voided, she acquainted the People about her, that she fear'd she should be Deliver'd in the Church. Immediately she was carried to a Neighbouring House, and her Pains abating upon the Relief she there met with, she was afterwards convey'd Home, where her Pains return'd with more Violence than before. Upon this, Doctor _Cartier_, and Doctor _Mulatier_ two famous Physicians, and Mr. _Cortade_ a very skilful Surgeon were sent for, and endeavour'd, tho' in vain, to give her Relief. She continued for two Months under the torture of these violent Pains, and voided Clots of Blood without Fibres or any carnous Matter. Afterwards she voided a white Humour, that was sometimes tinctur'd with Blood; and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were fill'd with an extraordinary quant.i.ty of Milk. About the Fifth Month the Flux of the Blood ceas'd, and she recover'd her Strength by Degrees, being still incommoded with a troublesome Load in Her Belly, and never easy but when she lay upon her Reins.

From the Year 1653 till the Year 1678, she suffer'd now and then as violent Pains as those of Child-birth. When they attack'd her most severely, she entreated the Surgeon to rip up her Belly, and so put an end to her Misery. She was troubled with frequent Swoonings, and unaccountable Longings for certain sorts of Aliment. Some of the Women about her affirm'd, that they saw the Child move several times; but the Surgeon and the Apothecary, who observ'd her very narrowly, and were frequently call'd, could never perceive any other Motion than that which attended the Mother's turning from one side to the other; for then the Lump fell to the side upon which she lay.

During this s.p.a.ce of time, which was Twenty five Years and some Months, this Woman had several fits of Sickness, and at last died of a continual Fever, in _January_ 1678, being in the Sixty second Year of her Age.

The next Day after she was Dead, Mr. _Cortade_, open'd her Corps, in the presence of Monsieurs _Gaillart_, _Baile_, _Laborde_ and _Grangeron_ all famous Physicians; and of Mr. _Labat_ and _Corboneau_, two noted Anatomists. Having cut up the Muscles, and the _Peritonaeum_, they found the Cawl schirous, and somewhat carnous, and about two Fingers breadth thick. 'Twas stretched over the Ma.s.s they sought for and adher'd to it.

When they lifted it up, they turn'd over the whole Heap, towards the Breast of the Deceas'd Person, and then they had some Apprehension that the shapeless Ma.s.s was a Child: At first View they doubted it, because 'twas found out of the Womb, but their Doubts were quickly dispell'd, when they put a Knife into it and felt the Bones, and saw Nails and Toes upon one of the Feet, that they separated from the Ma.s.s.

Before they meddled further with the Ma.s.s, they had a mind to see what Condition the parts of the _Abdomen_ were in, and particularly the Womb, upon which they found a Body, which being hard like a Stone, enclos'd a great Ulcer that spread its self over the Bottom of the Womb. Upon the Womb side it had a Cavity full of white and thick _Pus_, without any noisome Smell. On the Opposite Side 'twas hollow, and resembled the convex Side of an Oister. The rest of the Womb was in its Natural State, and they met with no considerable Accident in the Neighbouring parts.

They cut out the Ma.s.s, and carried it to the Surgeon's House, to be view'd at their leisure. The whole Ma.s.s was encompa.s.s'd with a callous Matter, under which they found all the Parts of a Child harden'd and half putrified; and these weigh'd Eight Pound. They cut up all the _Viscera_ in the three Cavities, the particulars whereof may be read in Mr. _Baile_'s Book of Anatomy. This is the Account given by Mr. _Baile_.

I come now to extraordinary Conceptions.

Some Authors affirm, that a young Man having spilt some Seed in a Bath, a Girl afterwards Bathing in the same Water, the Seed was suck'd in by the Girls Womb, and she became with Child. But Monsieur _Dionis_ is not of this Opinion: He will not allow the Womb an attractive Faculty, so as to suck up from the outer Extremity of the Neck, and oblige it to repair to its Cavity. And the Seed being a Liquor, would be so blended with the Water, that 'tis impossible all its particles should rally, and continue their Activity and prolifick Quality, till their Arrival in the Womb.

And the History reported by _Riola.n.u.s_ favours the Opinion against those who maintain that Generation may be perform'd by shedding of the Seed on the Cabia of a Woman's Privities. The _v.a.g.i.n.a_ of the Woman mention'd by this Writer, was shut up with Scars after a troublesome Child-birth, to such a Degree as only to leave a small Hole for the pa.s.sage of the Terms and Urine, through which also pa.s.s'd the Husband's Seed that got her with Child; this might not hinder these two Persons from Copulating strictly; nay, there must have been a strict Alliance and the Womb, by contracting of the Pa.s.sage, must in this Case have drawn the Seed as greedily as an hungry Stomach attracts the Victuals by the Mouth.

Some Persons have believ'd that a Woman may Engender, without the Application of a Man's Privities. They tell us of a Woman that was got with Child in the Embraces of her She-Companion, who but a little before came from her Husband's Arms: And of a young Woman that was found Breeding by no other Cause than her Father's having by chance Polluted himself in the same Bed where she was: But these Stories seem to be contriv'd to cover the Lasciviousness of Women, and conceal the Vice of an impure Love.

There is a Story in some Authors, that having put Human Seed into a Viol close stopp'd, and plac'd it for some time in a Dunghill that was moderately hot; they observ'd that the Particles drew up themselves in such Order, as to a.s.sume the Form of a Child. This (say they) comes to pa.s.s after the same manner as the Forming of a Chick in an Egg, which requires only a temperate Heat to Hatch it. But they agree, that 'twas impossible to Nourish this Infant, which according to them, perish'd before 'twas intirely Form'd. If this Observation were true, it would make us believe that the whole Matter of which the Child is Form'd proceeds from the Man. But this Story wants Confirmation, as does likewise the following Relation Communicated in a Letter by Mr. _Donat_ Surgeon to the Army in _Italy_, relating to a Man's Conception.

_I am at this very time employ'd in tending a Person of Quality that's come a great way off. In the right Side of his_ s.c.r.o.t.u.m _he had a great Lump, bigger than the Head of a Child; which I cut off, and afterwards ty'd up the Spermatick Artery. This Lump was a Ma.s.s of Flesh, all over Spermatick, and very Solid, with very hard Bones in every part. 'Twas contain'd in an After-birth with a great deal of Water. The Spermatick Vessels which perform'd the Office of those we call Umbilical, were overgrown much beyond their Natural size. The Circ.u.mstances that occasion'd this Generation, confirms the Effect that follow'd. In_ June _last, the Gentleman us'd a great deal of Liberty with a certain Lady, without coming to actual Enjoyment; upon which he was seiz'd with a cutting pain in the right t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e, which after two Hours became insensible. In process of time a Tumour rose by degrees, which was joined to the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e, and was as big as a_ Turkey'_Egg. The 8th of_ December _last, this Gentleman came hither incognito; but put off the Operation 'till this time, by reason of the cold Season. In the mean time the Swelling increas'd so much, that the_ s.c.r.o.t.u.m _being uncapable of a greater Extension; it reach'd all over the Groin, and I had a great deal of trouble in tying the Spermatick Vessels at Rings of the Abdomen.

This is an Experiment that shews, that the whole Substance of Man is contain'd in the Male Seed; and that Women furnish only the Vessel, and the Substance of Growth and Nourishment. I have preserv'd this Production to justify the Truth of my a.s.sertion._

Donat.

Sisteron, _May_ the 3d. 1697.

FINIS.