VIRGINITYis an entireState of Naturein this Point; and nothing else, than theIntegrityof theMuliebrian Partsfrom the Violence ofVirile Congress.
TOUCHINGthe realSignsofVIRGINITY, many learnedControversieshave risen; particularly as to theMembrane, call’dHymen:SomegreatAnatomistsandPhysicians[25]strenuously denying itsExistence, and representing it as somepreternatural Production; andOthers[26]as vigorously maintaining the contrary Opinion. Upon whichContention, if I may humbly offer mySentiment; thelater Authoritiesare so commonly receiv’d, that (I think) thisDisputesufficiently decided.
WEfind theRealityof it has been abundantly confirm’d by theGreeks, as it was discover’d by theArabiansof old: And theGentiles, for that very Reason, call’d theirNuptial God,Hymeneus. But, moreover, being since so positively asserted, by so manyfamousandlearned Men, who openly vouch and aver that they have found and seen it; I do not see whywe should longer doubt of thisMembrane’sbeing to be found inMost, if not inAll,VIRGINS, to distinguish them from the rest of theirSex: Especially since ’tis certain, that somethingextraordinaryhappens in the firstCoition, which madeTerentiuscall it,Coitio Acerrima. Upon which Notion,Catullus’sVerses are very elegant andà propos: viz.
“Ut flos in Septis secretus nascitur hortis,“Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus Aratro;“Quem mulcent Auræ, firmat Sol, educat Imber,“Multi illum Pueri, multæ optavêre Puellæ:“Idem cùm tenui carptus defloruit ungui,“Nulli illum Pueri, nullæ optavêre Puellæ.“Sic Virgo dum intacta manet, tum chara suis; sed“Cùm Castum amisit polluto Corpore florem,“Nec Pueris jucunda manet, nec grata Puellis.
“Ut flos in Septis secretus nascitur hortis,“Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus Aratro;“Quem mulcent Auræ, firmat Sol, educat Imber,“Multi illum Pueri, multæ optavêre Puellæ:“Idem cùm tenui carptus defloruit ungui,“Nulli illum Pueri, nullæ optavêre Puellæ.“Sic Virgo dum intacta manet, tum chara suis; sed“Cùm Castum amisit polluto Corpore florem,“Nec Pueris jucunda manet, nec grata Puellis.
“Ut flos in Septis secretus nascitur hortis,“Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus Aratro;“Quem mulcent Auræ, firmat Sol, educat Imber,“Multi illum Pueri, multæ optavêre Puellæ:“Idem cùm tenui carptus defloruit ungui,“Nulli illum Pueri, nullæ optavêre Puellæ.“Sic Virgo dum intacta manet, tum chara suis; sed“Cùm Castum amisit polluto Corpore florem,“Nec Pueris jucunda manet, nec grata Puellis.
“Ut flos in Septis secretus nascitur hortis,
“Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus Aratro;
“Quem mulcent Auræ, firmat Sol, educat Imber,
“Multi illum Pueri, multæ optavêre Puellæ:
“Idem cùm tenui carptus defloruit ungui,
“Nulli illum Pueri, nullæ optavêre Puellæ.
“Sic Virgo dum intacta manet, tum chara suis; sed
“Cùm Castum amisit polluto Corpore florem,
“Nec Pueris jucunda manet, nec grata Puellis.
This I take to be a notableEmblemboth of theHYMENand ofVIRGINITYitself.
OTHERSagain affirm, that theEffusion of Blood, in the firstAct, is common to allVIRGINS; founded upon theAuthorityof the 22d Chap. ofDeut. &c: By which ’tis plain, thatthis CriterionorMark, has been of the nicestConsequenceamong theJews; as also in several otherNations: according toClaudianusin theEpithalamiumofHonorius, viz.—
“Et vestes Tyrio Sanguine fulgidas“Alter Virgineus nobilitet Cruor:“Tum Victor madido prosiliat Thoro,“Nocturni referens vulnera prælii.
“Et vestes Tyrio Sanguine fulgidas“Alter Virgineus nobilitet Cruor:“Tum Victor madido prosiliat Thoro,“Nocturni referens vulnera prælii.
“Et vestes Tyrio Sanguine fulgidas“Alter Virgineus nobilitet Cruor:“Tum Victor madido prosiliat Thoro,“Nocturni referens vulnera prælii.
“Et vestes Tyrio Sanguine fulgidas
“Alter Virgineus nobilitet Cruor:
“Tum Victor madido prosiliat Thoro,
“Nocturni referens vulnera prælii.
In short, manyPhilosophers, as well asPoets, holdThisfor an infallible Symptom.
HOWEVER, tho’ I must confessThisto be a certainSignofVIRGINITY, when it does appear; yet, if it don’t, theVIRGINis not therefore to besuspected: especially if she be moreadult, in whichCase thePartsgrow both larger and firmer, by the longFluxof theMenstrua; and consequently thisEffusioncannot well be expected; neither can it be supposed in case of any violentProcatarctickorPrimary Cause(and fromThatshe can be no moresecure, than another Person) which may break theHymen, and dilate thePartsbeforeCoition. But besides,
NEITHERcan theMosaical Law, nor theCustomsof other Countries, imply any thingfarther; than, thatThisis the indubitableMarkofVIRGINITYwhen it appears, without drawing anysuspicious Consequencesfrom its accidentalNon-appearance: especially considering, that theirVIRGINSmarried always veryyoung, and commonly about the 12th or 13th Year of theirAge; when they could scarce possibly be without some evidentEffusion.
OTHERSwill have theAstrictionof theVagina, to be a certainSignofVIRGINITY; which, (tho’ I confess, is more astrict inVIRGINS, than in such as havecopulated) I deny, to be anycertain Sign: Since all know, ThatPartto differ (in this Point) according toAge,Habit, and otherCircumstancesof Body and Health: But besides, someastringent Medicineswould also easily answer thisEnd.
OTHERSagain have disputed thePossibilityof aVIRGIN’s generatingMilk; affirmingMilkin theBreasts, to be a certainSignof lostVIRGINITY: And (I think) there is some Reason for this Opinion; for my part, I would inform myself better, before I should creditHer, who would give herself out for aVIRGIN, having thisSymptom; notwithstanding the contrary Opinion ofothers, founded upon the Authority ofHippocrates[27]: Since, according to the Judgment of the most learnedMauritius Cordæus[28], it very seldom happens. But if after All, aVIRGINchances tohaveMilkin herBreasts, it differs inQuantityas well asQuality, fromThatof a Woman who has conceiv’d: For which Reason, he distinguishes and describesTwo SortsofMilk:viz.
THEOne, which belongs tothis Case, he says, is generated ofBloodflowing to theBreasts, when deny’d anExitby theWomb; and is nothing but thesuperfluous Alimentof theBreasts, by theirpeculiar Faculty, turn’d intoMilk: Which may happen toVIRGINSirregular in theirMenstrua; and according to this Interpretation,Hippocratesis to be rightly understood. TheotherMilk, he callsPuerperial; which does not generate without aBig-Belly, andThatpretty farGone: WhichMilkis communicated from theWombdirectly to theBreasts.
HEteaches us also, that thisDifferenceofMilk, proceeds from the Diversity ofBlood, of whichboth Sortsare generated; and likewise from the Variety of theVeinsandPassages, by which they are convey’d and carry’d to theBreasts.
WHICHVeinsareTwo-fold; namely,CommonandProper. TheCommonare calledExternal, and these are such as only carry theBloodfrom theVena Cava, for the Nutrition of theBreasts; which, ifsuperfluous, or more than issufficientfor thatUse, is converted (by theGlandsof theBreasts) into a kind ofMilk: Which, altho’white, is of athinner Substance, not sosweet, nor soplentiful, as trueMilk. Whereas the properMammary Veinscarry that veryBlood, of whichMilkis generated for the Nourishment of theInfant, from theWombdirectly[29]; which happens, by what theGreekscall anAnastomosis, or Conjunction of theMammaryandEpigastrick Veins.
FROMhence we have the Difference of thesetwo sortsofBloodandMilk: Wherefore it is to be concluded, that altho’ theOnebe found in theBreastsofVIRGINS, they are not therefore to be rashly suspected ofPollution; since, according toAristotle[30], thesamemay happen sometimes also toMen.
BUT, besides what is mention’d, there are many different externalMethodspropos’d byAuthors[31], to distinguish aReal, from aSupposititiousVIRGIN: Which however I shall not enter upon, lest what I have intended for theBenefitof All ingeneral, might tend to theDetrimentof some inparticular. And thus having briefly described theMAIDENandMAIDEN-HEAD, I come now to treat of suchIndispositions, as are eitherPeculiar, or moreFamiliarto herSTATE. And,First, in order