ANumerousConceptionmay happen either with, or withoutSuperfætation: Andthat without, may be truly call’dMonstrous; as allBirths, exceeding the Number of theWoman’s Breasts, or theSinus’sof herWomb, may be justly accounted.
I could also give many Instances of this sort ofBirths, where 3, 4, 5, and moreChildrenhave beenborn at once, but shall satisfy myself withThis, which I think is one of the most remarkable,viz.Thatof theCountess Margaret,[200]Daughter toFlorentIV.Earl of Holland, andSpousetoCount Herman of Heneberg; who, onGood-Friday, in the Year of ourLord1276, and of herAge42, brought forth at oneBirth365Infants; whereof 182, are said to have beenMales, as manyFemales, and the odd one anHermaphrodite: who were allbaptized,thoseby the Name ofJohn,theseby that ofElizabeth, in twoBrazen Dishes, byDon William, Suffragan Bishop of Treves. TheBasonsare still to be seen in theVillage ChurchofLosdun, where allStrangersgo (on purpose) from theHague, being reckon’d among the greatCuriositiesofHolland. For farther and more instances of this Nature, I refer the Curious to a large collectedHistoryof such, by theAuthormentioned in theMargin[201]From whencethe Certainty ofNumerousConceptionswill evidently appear.
AGAINtheCauseof suchNumerousConceptionsis (according toAvicenna’s just Opinion) theDivisionof theSeedin numerousPortions, orProportions; which may happen, either because of theWomb, or because of theInjector: Because of theWomb, when itsCavityis larger than ordinary; or when it too greedilyattractsto all its Parts; or when the dividedSeedadheres separately to the singularUterine Veins: Insomuch, that if what has been recorded of the abovesaidCountessbe true, it is not improbable that, there may be aConceptionfor everyOrificeof theUterine Veins, and that everyVesselmay attract its own distinctshareof theSeminalMatter, and thereupon initiate a respectiveConception, tho’ it cannot possibly bring it toPerfection.
MOREOVERthe same may also happen, because of an irregularInjection, namely, whenthatis perform’d bystopsandintervals; then theWombattracting accordingly, may occasion differentConceptions, according to the differentImmissionsorDivisionsof theSeed.
BUTtheseConceptions, whethertwo,three, ormore, are always annexed to, and contained in one commonSecundine. And tho’ theWoman, by reason of her good Constitution ofBodyandWomb, may do well in the time ofGestation, yet herPræternatural Conditionin theBirth, always threatensDanger, as is already made out more manifestly[202].
NOWas to theCureor Prevention of boththisand thepreceding Case, I know but one only gratefulMethod of performing it;viz.by refrigerating and reducing the toocalidWombto a convenientTemperature, and using a properRegimenofHealthandDiet; andthatboth before and afterConception.