INdiscoursing ofThese, I shall begin with the chiefPart, to which the rest are butSubservients.
FIRSTthen, theMATRIXorWomb, is situated in the upper Part of the Cavity of thePELVIS, orBason, between theBladderandStreight Gut. It is placed there in the Middle of theHYPOGASTRIUM, for the Convenience ofCopulation, and the more easy and readyExtrusionof theInfant.
SECONDLY, TheBonesof thePELVIS(as described hereafter below) stand as aRampart, fencing it against all externalInjuries; That is to say, theOS PUBISprotects itbefore; theSACRUM behind; and theILIUMoneach Side: Like as theBLADDERandRECTUMon the other Hand defend this NoblePartagain from theRigidityof theseBones.
THIRDLY, theFigureof theWomb, from its internalOrificeto its Bottom, in aNatural State, resembles a large compress’dPEAR. ItsLengthis about three Inches; itsBreadthtwo in theHinder, and onein theFore-Part; itsThicknesshalf an Inch large: But I take theDimensionsof it, in general, to differ accord-to theAgeandConstitutionof theBody.
INMAIDShowever itsCavityis muchless, and can scarcely contain the Bigness of aBean: whereas inWomen with Child, theDimensionsandFigure, as well as theCavityitself differs, according to the differentTimesofGESTATION.
ASI have said before, itsAnterior Partcoheresabovewith theBLADDER,belowwith theRECTUM; theHinder Partbeing free: But thelateral Partsare tied byFour Ligamentsof different Sorts; whereofTwoare placedAbove, andTwo Below; theSuperiorsare calledLigamenta Lata, or broad; theInferiorsRotunda, or roundLigaments.
THEtwo broad LigamentsareMembranous, and call’dAlæ Vespertilionum; which spring from thePeritonæum, and join theWombon each Side to theOSSA ILIA: So that theOVARIAare fasten’d toone Endof them, and theTubæFallopianælie along theOther.
THEtwo round Ligamentsarise from theForeandlateral Partof the Bottom of theWomb, and pass thro’ the Rings of theMusclesof theAbdomen, terminating inFatnear theGroins.Theyare of a hardSubstance, prettyBigat the Bottom of theWomb; butsmallerandflatter, as they approach theOS PUBIS. Now ThoseFour Ligamentsserve to keep theWombstreight, steady, and firm in its proper Placebefore BIRTH, and to restore it to its naturalPosition, by the Help ofContraction,After.
THEOrificeof theWombopening into theVAGINA, is of the sameFigurewith theNutof thePENIS: This inVIRGINSis verysmall, scarcely admitting aSpecillumorProbe; inOthersit is muchlarger; but inWomen with Child, several smallDuctsor Vesicles open among theRugæ, which discharge aGlutinous Liquorto close and seal up thisOrifice, till the Time ofBIRTH.
THESubstanceof theWombisSolidandMuscular, composed of a variousPlexus, or Web of fleshyFibres, woven like aNet, with the Interposition of innumerableVessels, ofARTERIES,VEINS,NERVES, &c.Without, it is surrounded with aThinandSmooth Membranefrom thePeritonæum; andwithinitsCavity, furnished with aThick,Porous, andNervous one, call’d the properMembraneof theWomb.
THEVeinsandArteriesof theWomb, proceed from theSpermatick Vessels, andHypogastricks; whichVesselsare all inserted in the properMembrane. TheArteriesconvey theBloodfor its Nourishment; which accumulating and abounding there ingreat Quantity, atMaturityof Years (when nomoreis requir’d for theEncreaseorGrowthof the Body) it distends theVessels, and distills into the Bottom of theWomb: Whence proceeds theBloodwhich nourisheth theFoetusin thePregnant Woman, and theMonthly TermsorMenstruain theWoman not with Child; whichEvacuation,MenThemselves are also subject to in a great Measure; (notwithstanding their inconsiderateDetractionsand vainTalkon this Head) save only that inThemtheRedundant Humourpasses off a different Way byUrine, by theNose, and sometimes by theHemorrhoidal Veins, &c.
THEVEINSServe only to reconduct to theHeart, theBloodwhich is neither wholly evacuated nor consum’d, as I observed more at largeBefore. But theNervesarise from theIntercostals, and those of theOs Sacrum; remarkableBranchesof which run along the Back of theClitoris, from whence thisPartis susceptible of the very slightestImpression.
THEREare moreover other smallVessels, springing one from another, which tend to thisOrifice, and serve inPlethorick WomenwithCHILD, to carry off the Superfluity of theHumours. And, in short, prudentNature, seems to have so orderedTheseto preventABORTION, which might easily happen, if thepregnantWombwas too much expos’d, or was to open itself for this Purpose.
THESeminalorSpermatick VesselsareFour, like as they are computed to be also inMen, and differ only in beingshorter. TheBlood Vesselsare very winding; and theSpermatick Arteriesarising with a narrow Origin from theAorta, form variousPlexus’s, andInosculations, asThesedo: And theSpermatick Veins(tho’ withoutValves) have the likeInosculationswith theArteries, which however inTheseare more conspicuous.
THEOVARIA, orTESTICLES, areTwo Bodies, on each SideOne, annexed to the Bottom of theWomb, at about Two Fingers Distance, near thebroad Ligaments:Theyare fixed to thePeritonæumat theIlia, nigh theSpermatick Vessels: TheirFigureis almostOval, a little depressed on theUpper Part, where theSpermaticksenter.
THEIRSIZEis generally about half asBigasMEN’s are; butthisdiffers according to theAgeandConstitutionof Persons: TheirSurfaceis smooth, and even inVirgins; but wrinkled, uneven, and dry inold Women: They are encompass’d with a proper strongMembrane, deriving itsOriginalfrom thePERITONÆUM; which also covers all theSpermatick Vessels.
THEIRSubstanceis Membranous and Fibrous, interwoven with a vast Number ofVessels; among which are some roundVesicles, containing a viscousHumour, when boil’d, of theColour,Consistence, andTasteof the boil’dWhite of an Egg: From whence they are call’dEggs, because of thisAnalogy.Thesealso differ inSizeandNumber, according toAgeandConstitution, although (ordinarily) theBiggestof them scarcely equals aPea; and there are insomePersons 10 or 12 of them, inothers(perhaps) butOneorTwodiscernible.
THETubæ Fallopianæ, areTwo winding Canals, resemblingTwo Trumpets, situated on theRightandLeftSide of theWomb, annexed close to itsBottom, by their doubleMembrane; which is only a Continuation of theexteriorandinterior Membranesof theWomb: They inSIZEequal a littleFingerabout the Middle;tho’ theCavityopening into theWomb, will scarce admit aHog’s Bristle; but theother Extremity, floating loose in theAbdomen, will admit the Point or Tip of a littleFinger: They are of a Membranous and CavernousSubstance, about 5 or 6 Inches long, and have the sameVeins,Arteries, andNerves, as theOVARIA.
THESETubes, to be brief, (in time ofCOITION) are erected by a copious Influx ofBloodandSpirits; which also, by the Assistance of theirmuscular Fringes, embrace theOVARIUM, transmit theprolifick MasculineSeed, afterwards receive theimpregnatedEgg, and at last convey it thence into theWomb. In fine, these are all theinternal Parts, as I conceive, tending toGENERATION. But more particularly, to proceed to