‘Such as have two Natures are called Hermaphrodites; in Men it happens three different Ways; when there appears a small Vulva in the Perinæum; again in the Scrotum, but without any Discharge of Excrements, and the same with a Discharge of Urine; in Women one Kind; when a Penis is prominent in the Place of the Clitoris, at the lower Part of the Pubis.’
Now the Difference that we find between these Authors is, that the Muliebre pudendum exiguum of the former, is the Similitudo muliebris pudendi of the latter. And also our Author, instead of saying, with Manardus, aliquando in Scroto, says cum itidem in Scroto, sed nullo excrementi profluvio. This he adds in order to make Manardus’s Division more distinct; because that Author says, in his third Division, aliquando per medium Scrotum Urina exit, which is much the same with in Scroto, only attended with a Capacity of discharging Urine; and therefore Laurentius calls his third Division, ibidem exeunte Lotio. In the whole Matter, this is the mere Doctrine of Manardus, but in other Words. Now though our Author has done with him, he has a sneaking Kindness for Rueffe and Parée, which is manifest in the very next Line, which is thus[102]:
‘Some add, that above the Root of the Penis the Parts of a Woman are apparent.’
This is expressed by Rueffe in his Description of the Child with the fleshy Substance about the Navel, as is before-mentioned under his Name. Again[103]:
‘In Women, when the Penis is situated either in the Groin or Perinæum.’
As to the Penis in the Groin, he has taken that Hint from those Figures of Parée, which are before clearly proved to be fictitious; but because I have not taken notice of any mention, in any Author, of the Existence of a Penis in the Perinæum, I am inclined to believe this Part of the System to be of Laurentius’s own coining, and refer it to the Judges in Anatomy whether any such Structure can be blended with human Nature.
JOHANNES RIOLANUS.
It is very observable, that several Authors, in treating of this Subject, notwithstanding they run into such flourishing Divisions of the Word Hermaphrodite, yet are commonly sure, before they conclude, to disown, or, in a great Measure, contradict those very Assertions which, for Art’s Sake, they at first ventured on. This shines in our present Author, who, after he has described the Parts of Generation, proceeds to recount the Diseases of them which he calls his Consideratio Medica[104]; and under that Head[105], amongst the Diseases of the Urethra, he brings in some Species of Hermaphrodites, as though none were entitled to that Character but such as had Disorders in those Parts proper to Men; but from what he says of them, nothing can occur to any reasonable Person but a Notion of the real Diseases of the Parts, however he came to call them Hermaphrodites, which Name is applied here with as much Impropriety as with any other Author whatsoever. His Words are[106]: