An Extract of a Letter of M. de. S. Maurice M. D.to M. de la Closure,a Physitian of Aubeterre. of the Twenty Sixth of April 1682: concerning the Formation of a Foetus in the Testicle. Taken out of the Journal de Medicine Publisht Jan. 1683. by M. l'Abbe dela Roque at Paris

An Extract of a Letter of M. de S. Maurice M.D. to M.de la Closure, a Physician of Aubeterre. of the Twenty Sixth of April 1682: Concerning the formation of a Fœtus in the Testicle. Taken out of the Journal de Medicine Publish'd Jan. 1683. by M. l' Abbe dela Roque at Paris. I think Sr. that after what lately happened to Madam de Saint Mere, we ought no longer to doubt of the Formation of the Fœtus in the Testicles of Women, and consequently of the Existence of Eggs. This Lady whose Merit is known to you, had been brought to bed Eight times as prosperously as might be, and after having continued Five years without being with Child, in so much that she thought her self freed from those sorts of Labours, about Three months since she suspected herself to be fallen into that condition again; because having never failed of being very regular, and not finding her self ill, she was more than a Month without her ordinary relief. But whilst in this state she had a little show, which scarce left her wholly during the two last Months of her Life, and which she past nevertheless without much trouble, so that she thought her self to be secure, as to the point of her being with Child, but that the 22d Instant, after she was up in the Morning in very good health and had been writing about an hour, she fell into Faintings, which made her lose absolutely her Pulse from that Moment without depriving her of her Understanding or Speech. M. de Saint Mere who took this faintness at first for an effect of Vapours, was not Allarmed at it, till feeling her Arme, he found her without any Pulse. This privation joyned with a mortal Paleness amusing him, he sent a man to intreat me to go and see her. I came to her about Eight of the Clock in the Evening, I found her cold and wholly without any Pulse; her Countenance deadish and covered with a clammy and cold sweat, having still an entire Understanding and her Speech strong. She complained of a great Colick in the Region of the right groine, which terminated at the Reines: This Colick was so violent, that as I was going to touch the place, she prayed me not to press it, and told me I should make her fall into a Swoon. In a moment after, she felt all the Preludium's of an imminent Travel; she called her Chirurgeon and dyed in his Arms saying, I am Delivering, I am Delivering; there appearing outwardly neither distillation, nor flooding, nor any mark of this disorder. A Death so little expected amazed every body, and surprized so much M. de St. Mere, that he was desirous to know, whether the opening the body would not discover the Cause: M. de la Chefe a Chirurgeon was made Choice of to do it, and I was prayed to assist Messieurs de Montauzon Advocate of Perigueux, de la Porte Gentleman of M. le Comte de Talcran, du Vair Apothecary to St. Meres and two Valets de Chambre of the house, desired to be present at the opening, and this is what we found. As soon as the Chirurgeon had opened the Integuments of the belly we saw in the Epigastrick Region all the Entrals floating in Blood: I caused Two Pound to be taken forth with a Spoon; to avoid changing the situation of the parts, after which seeing that there remained in the right Flank a prodigious quantity which was coagulated, I tried myself to take it out with my hand, but Judge Sr. how I was surprized, when among the first Clots which I drew forth, I found a little Fetus about the bigness of a Thumb, and a Third less in length, all very distinctly formed, and in which was manifestly discovered the Sex of a Boy but naked and without covering. I put this Fetus on a Plate and shewed it to all that were present, and being impatient to know from whence it came, I applyed myself with all exactness to examin all the neigbouring parts of the place whence I took it. Two fingers from this place I found the right Cornu of the Womb; but my amazment was doubled, when I found the Testicle torn longwaies and thro the middle on the side, that it did not touch the Tuba, and all its cavity full of clotted blood. I no longer doubted, but this was the place where this Infant was formed, and I conceived that having acquired in this place a growth too great to be able to fall in time; and having continued to grow there, without being able to come forth, it had at length broken its Prison by stretching it. I was confirmed in my opinion when comparing this Testicle with the left, I found it at least four times bigger its greatness approaching that of an Hens Egg; and the left being not greater, than a little Chesnut; it was all red without and within, besides the clotted blood that it contained; whereas the left was pale and full of little grains of the colour and consistency of yellow Tallow. I examined the Tube on the right side; and I could not find that this Infant had ever entred there; it was in all things like the left Tube. Lastly I examined the Body of the Womb with all the Care and Exactness that might be, it appeared to me everywhere without any rent, and in a state purely natural: I only observed, that it was a little bigger and softer than it is found in Women who dye without being with Child: it was all as Dr. Harvey has described it, in the first month month of Pregnancy. I caused a probe to be put into its Cavity by the Vagina, and then to be cut open, and I found not the least sign of Conception. Indeed the Vessels of the interior membrane appeared to me full of Blood and varicous as it were, which doubtless was the cause of that little show of Blood, as before mentioned. Tho it were needless to search elsewhere for the Death of this Lady; we nevertheless examined all the other parts both of the Belly, and of the Breast, and found them all well in order, and in a state purely natural. I leave you now to judge Sr. what may be concluded from all this; since no person can draw better than yourself the consequences, which necessarily follow from this Phenomenon. Authors speak of certain Fatus's found in the Tubes; and of others that have been found in the Cavity of the belly, the Womb, nor the Tubes being any way torn: but I do not think that any person hitherto has been able to shew, that the conception is made in the Testicle or Ovarium, as it seems to me that the fact, which I have now related to you manifestly demonstrates, and tis this which has made us think hitherto that the Opinion of Egs had hitherto need of Proofs to support it.