THESEPartsare generally so well known, that I would not so much as mention them, out ofModesty, were it not, that, I presume, theyoung MIDWIFEmay find something in the ensuingDescriptionworth her singularNotice; which however, I shall not so much insist upon: But succinctly——
BEGINNINGwith theFirst, call’d theVulvaorPudendum; we find it situated below theOs Pubis, having a greatChinkorFissurein theMiddle, as it has theFrænulumandPerinæumin thelower Part. And above theChinkthere is a littleProtuberanceoccasioned byFatunder the Skin, call’dMons Veneris.
THEtwoLabia Vulvæbeing a little separated, theNymphæappear, join’d one to each interior Side of them:Theyare two small Pieces of redMembranous Flesh, much resemblingPullet’s Gills:Theyencrease the Pleasure ofCopulation, and direct the Course of theUrine.
INthe upper Part of theChink, next to theOs Pubis, are several little roundSubstances; which the most ingeniousFallopiuscall’d theClitoris, almost hid under theSkindenominated thePræputium.
A little deeper, or straight below theClitoris, is theUrethra, orOrificeof the Neck of the Bladder; being a littleHoleas big as aGoose-Quill; which discovers itself by a small Eminence, and is about twoInches long.
BETWIXTtheMuscle, call’dSphincter Urethræ, and the innerMembraneof theVagina, are several smallGlands; whose excretoryDuctsare theHolesobservable about theURETHRA, call’d[153]LACUNÆ GRAFFI; which discharge aLiquorfor lubricating or making theVaginaslippery, and encreasing theVenereal Titillation.
INtheOrificeof theVagina, there is a slender subtileMembranesituated a-cross, which is call’d theHymen, of a differentFormin differentWomen; being sometimesAnnular, and sometimesSemilunar: It is almost always to be found inyoung Girls, having a smallHoleinto theVagina; whichHoleinAdultsis somewhat larger. In the firstActofCOPULATIONthisMembraneis torn, which generally occasions an Effusion of a littleBlood; but this may also happen by many otherProcatarctick Causes[154], and accidental Occasions.
THEGLANDULÆorCARUNCULÆ Myrtiformesare constituted of the contractedFibresof the dilaceratedHYMEN; and are situated on the Side opposite to theURETHRA, next theANUS, in theFOSSA Magna, orNavicularis; being the same Place where theHYMENwas at first established.Theseare small fleshyEminences, and are sometimesTwoorThree, and sometimesFourorFivein Number:Theyare deficient inGIRLS, anddefacedinthose WOMENwho have hadCHILDREN.
THEVAGINAorNeckof theWomb, is a long and roundCanal, reaching from theseCarunclesto theOrificeof theWomb; not very unlike astrong smallGut: ItsOrificeis narrow inVirgins, and inAllWomen much narrower than itsotherParts: It’sSubstance(according toRuysche’s Observations) ismembranous,nervous,papillary, andwrinkledWithin; which consequently must be of anexquisitiveSense: InVirginstheWRINKLESare veryLarge, especially in theFore-Part; but after frequentEmbracesthey areLess, and after repeatedBIRTHS, they entirelydisappear.
THEVAGINAlies betwixt theBladderand thestrait Gut, orRectum; with which last it is wrapt up in the same commonMembrane, from thePERITONÆUM, adhering to it, all itsLength upwards, from itsOrificeto that of theWomb, and quite round on thelower Side, as it does to the Neck of theBLADDERabove.
INMaids, theVAGINAis about Five InchesLong, and one and a halfWide: But inCHILD-BEARING-WOMEN, it cannot be determin’d; because itlengthensin the time ofPREGNANCY, anddilatesin time ofBIRTH; having likewise (in all) some littleHolesorDuctsin it, which discharge amucous Liquor. TheVAGINAServes also, in fine, for a necessaryConduitto theMENSTRUAandLOCHIA, as it does for a properPassageto theINFANT, &c.
THESEare, in short, all theexternal PartsofGENERATIONinWomen; andthesehave all their proper respectiveFunctionsassign’d them byNature; contributing conjunctly and severally to theCharmsofCOPULATION: WhichACTIONalters the veryCourseof theBlood, andMotionof theAnimal SPIRITS; and consequently sets all the describ’dPartsin fullAGITATION. Namely, thus
THELabiadilate: theOrificeswells: theNymphægive way: theClitoris(of exquisite Sensibility) erects: TheGlands(by aProtuberancyof the Parts) yield theirsuccous Contents: TheVaginadraws close: TheFibresof theWombcomplicate to open itsOrifice: TheBranchesof theSpermatickArterycontract to draw the Extremities of theTubesto theOVARIA,as they carry theSeedto them: TheSeedcirculating in theVeins, which open in theCavityof theVAGINAandMATRIX, it ferments immediately with theMass of Blood: ThisFermentationswells theMembranesof theTubes, opens theCavityof theWomb, and disposesAllperfectly for the right Reception of theimpregnatedEgg.
FROMhence we may plainly see, in what a miraculousOrderandManner, allThese Partsminister, and are subservient unto that (yet more) admirable and wonderfulBodytheWomb. Which being thus in briefanatomicallydescribed, I come next in Course to