Between the fleshy Fibres of the Urethra, and the Membrane of the Vagina, lie the Prostates, having several Channels which terminate in the lower part of the Vulva, and thereby discharge a slimy matter, which mixes with the seed of the Male, in the time of Enjoyment.
And between the two great Labia, appear the four Caruncles call’d Myrtiformes from the resemblance they bear to Mirtle-berries. They are small fleshy Eminences surrounding the small Slit, made of the fleshy Wrinkles of the Vagina, which render the Passage so much the straighter. Their use is to heighten the mutual pleasure of Enjoyment, by clinging round and locking up the Yard; and to facilitate the egress of the Child by extension. They are reddish firm and high in Virgins, and join’d sideways to one another by small Membranes, which tie them together, and make them resemble a Rose-bud half blown: But in other Women they are separated by the entry of the Yard.
The uniting of the Membranes of the Carunculæ Myrtiformes, straighten the Passage, and afford the true mark of Virginity, (if there be any such.) The pain of the first Adventure is owing to the forcing of the Passage through, and tearing off those small Membranes; and a Mans Inclinations being always heighten’d in the first Nights Enjoyment, the pain to the Female is encreas’d by his ardent struggles; her Virgin Sufferings augmenting with his affection: But in some Females the Caruncles are rang’d in such a manner, that the Yard may enter without violence, so that there is no certain Evidence of a Maiden-head.
Some Anatomists mention a Membrane call’d Hymen, seated near the Caruncles in the Vagina, which continues stretched over the Passage, ‘till the approach of a Man rends it; and that this Hymen is a mark of Virginity; but this is more imaginary than proceeding from any Demonstration.
The Vagina is the neck of the Womb, a round Passage between the outer and inner Orifice, which receives the Yard like a Sheath. In Women that never bore Children, this Neck is about four Inches long, and an Inch and a half broad, but after Child-bearing, its capacity cannot be limited. It is nervous, and somewhat spungy, consisting of two Membranes; the Wrinkles of its inner Membrane empower it to prolong, dilate or contract, in order to fit the Yard, of any length or size, and to afford a Passage to the Fœtus. The Body and Neck of the Womb, make the Figure of a Bottle turn’d upside down, or rather a proud Flask.
The inner Orifice of the Womb, is a perforation like the Head of a Man’s Yard; ’tis the beginning of a narrow Passage, which enlarges to afford a way for whatever enters or comes from the Womb; it opens to receive the Seed in the moment of Ejaculation; and upon Conception shuts close, and so continues till towards the last Month of the Woman’s Reckoning: It is compos’d of Membranes wrinkled and furl’d up, capable of dilating themselves to a great extent. This is the part which gives the Woman pain in Child Birth, the Orifice being small, and opening but gradually, pursuant to the Efforts of the Fœtus, which retards the Birth. After the Child is past; this Orifice is lost, and the whole Womb is only one large Cavity reaching from the entry of its Neck to the bottom; but this is of very short duration, for these parts very soon contract themselves like an empty Purse, and resume their natural posture. The Action of this inner Orifice is purely natural.
The Substance of the bottom of the Womb is Membranous, and about a Fingers breadth thick, so that it dilates its self very commodiously: The inner Surface is interlac’d with a great many small Pores, and little Vessels which distil the menstrual Blood in Monthly Quantities.
The Womb has Nerves, Arteries, and Veins, dispers’d. The Nerves give it a sense of Pleasure and Pain, and a sympathy with all parts of the Body: The Arteries and Veins are call’d the Spermatick and Hypogastrick, and consist of an infinite number of Branches springing from all parts of the Womb, exporting the Blood to the Trunk of the Vena Cava: The Womb is sprinkled on all sides with Blood imported by the Arteries. These Arteries not only furnish the Womb with a proper Nourishment, but also pour in Blood upon the Placenta, in order to be sent through the Navel String to the Fœtus. When a Woman is not with Child, this Blood slips away thro’ the several Vessels into the Cavity of the Womb, and from thence it passes the Vagina every Month. In teeming Women these Branches sometimes discharge Blood, when there is a greater quantity than is necessary for the Nourishment of the Child.
The spermatick Artery divides it self into two Branches, one repairing to the Testicle, and the other to the Womb. It carries Blood in one of its Branches to the Testicle, in order to the secretion of Seed, and by the other Branch it furnishes the Womb with Blood for its Nourishment, and the superfluous Blood is carried back by two Branches of Veins, one from the Testicle, and the others from the Womb.
The Testicles of a Woman are call’d Ovaria; and they differ in Situation, Figure and Substance from those of Men. They are seated within the Abdomen upon the sides of the bottom of the Womb. Some Writers are of opinion, that Nature plac’d the Testicles of Women within to heat the Seed and work it up to a degree of perfection: Others tell us, that the design of this Situation was to excite Women to Generation. The use of the Testicles is to filtrate the Seed and reserve it; and to perform at once the office of a Man’s Testicles.