also a heat proportionable But this just order and proportion might be violated if Nature had not appointed valves to do what on their parts is to be done that blood which is in the hollow vein in its motion upwards might some of it passe beyond the heart and enter into the subclaviary veins if Nature had not placed valves there to forbid it there might I say be in the subclaviary veins blood as much heterogeneous as that in the heart whereas the heat is not there accordingly And so if there were not valves in the meetings together of other veins there might be a return of some blood and consequently too great a mixture at too great a distance where it should want heat sufficient to govern it We have perceived sensibly in severall creatures that the blood of the heart and adjacent parts doth differ from that blood which is in the extreme parts but we never could perceive any sensible difference of that blood which is in the severall veins of the extreme parts yet notwithstanding we have concluded that there is a difference The reason is because we know that all that blood which is found in the heart came from the severall veins of the extreme parts We know likewise that if that blood which was in the extreame parts in severall veins had not differed there could not have resulted in the composition thereof such a manifest difference as for example I know some few springs meeting together which make up a brook able to turne a mill this brook in its farther descent meets with another brook of such-like pedegree as was the former the water still descending increases into a river Now knowing that this river is nothing else but the mixture of waters flowing from such severall springs although the waters of these severall springs seeme not to differ amongst themselves yet there being a manifest difference between the river water and that of the springs the river water being able to bear soape and yest whereas the water of any one of these springs severally is of no use either for brewing or washing I must necessarily conclude that the springs do also differ If I had not this argument of the river to convince me I confesse I should think there were scarce any difference in the severall waters of all these springs yet they which doe wholly drink water say that they could never yet find the water of any two springs in all respects alike Braceletts or such as physitians call periapta if they be used loco et jure they doe performe a manifest alteration upon mans body for we know by experience that camphor included in a nodule and hung about the necks of Children hath cured divers agues in a short time without any other means whatsoever the bloodstone is known by experience to stanch bleeding pyony roots either cure or abate epilepticall fitts with many others Many have been cured of lingring and cacheticall distempers onely by the change of the aire They which have hot and costive bodies do not excerne by seat and urine a third part of what is ingested yet their bodies are not at all increased either in weight or bulke Infectious diseases which are seated cheifly in the spirits are sooner received by a body that is sweating then by the same body at on other time Hot bodies are sooner fluxed by unctions or plaisters wherein there is mercury then bodies more temperate The same body sweating is also sooner fluxed by such like unction or plaister then at another time Salivation is stayed and the mercury carryed out of the body by sweating From these observations digested and made to conspire in one there seeme unto us to result these three conclusions First there is in mans body a continuall circulation of spirits through the pores whereby the miasmes of the aire are received into the body and the excrementitious vapours expired Secondly the pores are of two sorts the one kind for expiration wherein the motion of the spirits and vapours is from the base to the point and the other for inspiration wherein the motion of the returning spirits together with the infection of the aire is from the point to the base Thirdly the pores for inspiration are valvous that is so contrived that the spirits cannot possibly goe out again the same way they came in We meane by spirits that vapour or effluvium which by the naturall heat is raised from the syncere humours of the body or from that part of the masse of blood which is uncorrupted now the spirits being an exhalation from the purest blood they are also in themselves pure and are so continued by this regular motion which Nature hath provided them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an aphorisme recorded by wise Hippocrates Nature cannot remaine in the same state there is nothing in the whole world stands still if we rightly consider it All bodies are either continually acting upon their owne excrement and so moving towards a higher degree of perfection or else they are suffering by some excrementitious matter and declining towards a state of corruption now whether they act or suffer they have in them a circular motion which is the only condition by which this action or passion is performed as for example A peece of pure and polished iron if it be wetted and put into a moist aire which is not agreeable to its nature will corrupt and by degrees become more and more corrupted untill the whole body thereof be converted into rust But on the contrary iron that hath contracted rust will refine and purifie it selfe if it be oyled and kept in a dry aire the reason of this is the motion of the spirits which are bound by the law of Nature to keep a just correspondence between the body and the ambient aire This regular motion of the spirits is as the first wheele in a clock or as the primum mobile to the lower sphaeres in the greater world the spirits moving do put the secondary spirits into a motion of consent and the secondary spirits do move the lighter humours and so at length by a subordination of motion the grossest humours are constrained to move and the whole body is continued in and preserved by this perpetuall motion hereby the influences of the heavens which wander in the aire are ushered in the body hereby sensation is performed and a just intelligence given unto Nature how in each moment the aire doth stand affected We have observed that if the head be but moderately heated the whole body is immediately put into a sweat yet if the body be very hot and the head cold sweat is not procured The head and those parts that are nervous and membranous are most prone to sweat They which are prone to the epilepsie convulsions or any other distemper proceeding from the obstruction of the brain are not at all proclive to sweating They which are subject to sweat much have seldome the headach and so on the
any notion of sounds or colours in his mind because the notion of sounds or colours is nothing else but the remembrance of such things seen or heard Seeing then it is so that sensâ—ble experience is the first foundation of all science why should not we that have had more experience make collections of our experiments as the ancients did thereby not despairing to gain a more exquisite knowledge We have meditated upon some experiments from whence there doe seeme unto us to result some conclusions which whether they agree or not with what others have concluded it is not on our parts either to examine or to regard but it more concerns us to examine and take notice whether such conclusions be rightly taken up from such experiments and whether we may not be deceived by misunderstanding some circumstances We have observed in severall creatures that the bloud which is found in the heart and adjacent parts doth differ from that which is in the smaller veins The opening of a jugular vein easeth the extreme paine in the head when phlebotomy in other parts is not proficuous A small quantity of blood taken from the sublinguary veins abateth an inflammation of the eyes whereas letting blood as a generall evacuation doth not conduce the like is observed in inflammations of the throat ears and other adjacent parts In the tooth-ach a horse leach applyed to that very gumme where the paine is although it draw but a very small quantity of blood yet it doth immediately and wholly abate that extreme paine Bleeding in the left side is knowne by experience to be conducible to the cure of the splenetick distempers and so likewise to take blood from the right side is observed to be most proficuous in those affections of the liver wherein phlebotomy is required Bleeding in the Hemarrhoidal veins is an admirable remedie for those distempers of the adjacent parts especially of the kidneys wherein there is required evacuation A quartain ague is commonly abated and sometimes wholly cured by opening of the Salvatella Vpon distempers of the spleen the veins of the left side are fuller than those of the right In the Hemicrania there may be seene a large vein in the temple of that side where the pain is whereas the temporal vein of the other side is scarce visible and in all other parts where there is present pain proceeding from fulnesse the veins of those parts are much fuller than the veins of other parts wherein there is no pain Often letting blood in the same vein causeth a diminution of the vein I presume by the same reason that the umbilicall vein in infants having no blood in it to extend it doth by degrees lessen and at length degenerate into a nervous substance From these observations I conclude that there is given by Nature a peculiar blood to each extreme vein in mans body and that although the whole masse of blood doth indifferently passe through the arteriall vein the venall artery the heart and part of the Aorta yet it is afterwards divided in its passage towards the extreme parts in such sort that the severall veins and arteries of the extreme parts do receive blood of some what a more different temperature the one from the other The blood of the Salvatella doth differ in temperature from that which is in the temporall veins although they do both meet together and mix in the subclaviary veins And the blood which is in the subclaviary veins consisting of severall parts doth differ from that which is in the lower part of the hollow vein which doth consist also of other severall parts being a composition of all that blood which was more simple in the respective branches of the hollow vein although they are compounded in the upper part of the hollow vein entering together into the right ventricle of the heart for farther illustration hereof we may compare the masse of blood in mans body to the sea in the greater world The sea by its Diastole doth send into the more inward parts of the earth even to the extremes thereof a great quantity of water which we know must necessarily be mixt in the ocean as also in the great gulf which is the aorta thereof where it first enters the earth yet in the capillary veins viz. the beginnings of springs we observe it to be pure and simple although again it doth become more and more mix'd and compounded as by degrees passing through the veins viz. the more superficiall cavities of the earth it doth approach nearer and nearer to the sea we know that the most simple part of the blood is in some sort a heterogeneous body yet comparatively we may call the blood in the extreme parts and capillary veins homogeneous or similar and that which is in the larger vessels and centre of the body heterogeneous or mix'd which though it be mix'd is in no wise confused but it is even there so digested and so orderly disposed that upon the next pulsation of the heart it is dispersed according to the order of Nature Blood of such like temperature as came from each particular vein is orderly returned thither again by the pulsation of the heart no otherwise then Bees that in a summers day disperse themselves severally according to each ones genius some miles distance from the hive and when at night they are return'd again being all in the hive together every one finds out his proper habitacle or place of abode more by the wisdome of Nature than the knowledge of each individuum that so they may be disposed and ready each one to take the same journey the next day as it did the day before Nature abhorring confusion even as she doth a vacuum hath so oeconomiz'd the humours of mans body that as they are mix'd by degrees in approaching nearer and nearer to the centre so they doe meet with the graduall augmentation of heat whose property it is to keep them still in order by joyning the homogeneal and disjoyning the heterogeneall parts thereof and that the blood may not be two much mix'd at too great a distance from the centre where it cannot have heat sufficient to govern it Nature hath provided valves and put them in fit places viz. the meetings together of the veins for farther explanation of my meaning take an example the blood which is in the subclaviary veins is a mix'd blood and so is that which is in the hollow vein yet neither of themselves severally are so much mix'd as afterwards at their enterance together into the heart Now as the heat of mans body is most intense in the heart and by degrees more and more remisse towards the extreme parrs so is the blood most mix'd in the heart and adjacent parts and so lesse and lesse mixt as it is more and more remote from the centre so that the hollow vein and the subclaviary veins have such a mixture of blood as is answerable to their distance from the heart as
contrary Those things which are diaphoretick as Guajacum China Sarsaparilla have an immediate operation upon the brain and are known by experience to have cured inveterate paines in the head proceeding from obstructions whereas all other means have failed From hence we conclude that all that matter which is transpired either by sweat or insensibly is first conveighed into the brain and from thence by the nerves scattered into the habit of the body That which is transpired is in the body a spurious spirit and is regulated by the motion of the spirits passing through the same channels although it have no reentrance into the body or motion of returne it is to the spirits as a meteor to the stars which by the starrs is put into a motion of consent although to no other end than speedily to be dissolved or to vanish The spirits we conceive to be in all respects the primum mobile of of the microcosme which doe move in the largest circumference and utmost orbe of the body and did first begin that motion which is essentiall to the life of man which whole motion must be first accurately explained before we can enucleate the order of Nature in transpiration or other excretion We did denominate the spirits to be an exhalation from the purer blood which exhalation is the product of heat and heat the ofspring of motion yet notwithstanding we conceive that the first thing that did move in mans body was the spirits These positions doe imply a seeming contradiction for if the spirits be the beginners of motion how is it that they doe become the ofsprings thereof at a third remove I answer that the spirrits are to be considered after a twofold manner they are either innate such as were the beginners of motion or else adventitious those that are the continuers or preservers thereof the spirits which did begin motion in mans body were nothing else but the spirituous part of the seed which from the first instant of its motion must necessarily become more and more refined and so by degrees exhale until it be all spent the adventitious spirits are an exhalation from the purest blood which doth make a continual supply for the continual expence of the innate spirits that so that regular motion which is essential to the life of man may be continued and preserved The spirits doe continually move in the veins and arteries together with the masse of blood yet their proper orbe is from the beginnings of the nerves to all the extremes thereof as also to the whole surface of the body There is a continuation of pores from the brain and spinall marrow through all the nerves fibres and membrans of mans body through which pores there can nothing but spirits or that which is transformed into the shape of a spirit these pores as we said before are of two sorts through which the spirits which are natures intelligencers do passe and repasse through the one kind of pores the spirits are continually passing from the brain to give intelligence to all parts how the brain doth stand affected whereby motion is performed and through the other pores the spirits move backwards towards the brain whereby there is performed sensation we conceive that there are several degrees of spirits viz. Finer and grosser and according to those several degrees we suppose them to move in a greater or lesser circuit the grossest spirits move onely in the veins and arteries together with the masse of blood those which are finer passe through the arteries of the rete mirabile into the brain and from thence are carryed downe by the nerves into the habit of the body and doe return againe by the same nerves although they do passe through different pores into the brain and then they enter into the veins of the rete mirabile from whence they passe towards the heart and are again circulated with the blood these spirits which move in the nervous parts which are properly called animal spirits are also of severall degrees viz. some purer and others lesse pure the purest Spirits expatiate themselves at some distance from the surface of the body those that are lesse pure move but to the surface those that are yet grosser come not so farr but they doe in the mid way by an anastomosis of pores Change their path and make a more speedy return unto the brain even as in the circular motion of the blood the purer parts thereof are conveighed by the pulsation of the heart to the extremities of the arteries and are received again by the extremities of the veins but the grosser parts come not so farr but are lett into the veins by an anastomosis whereby they do obtain a shorter journey to the heart Here we must take notice that the purer part of the purest spirits doth continually vanish into aire and is continually supplyed by that which is in the next degree of purity so that each moment every particle of the spirits becomes more and more refined and hath such a successive being that it cannot twice be called the same The humours and spirits are in continuall motion which renders them obnoxious to continuall alteration The grossest blood doth continually become more and more refined and whereas at first it moved no farther than the first anastomoses or openings of the arteries into the veins it doth afterwards increase in its circuit untill at length it move to the utmost parts of the body then is it resolved into a vapour to the end it may increase and feed the grosser spirits which are in the veins and arteries which spirits by their circular motion increase in purity untill they move first out of the veins and arteries into the nervs so farr as the first anastomosis of the pores afterwards even to the surface of the body and at length they doe move out from the surface being then in such a degree of purity that afterwards by their perpetuall motion they do perpetually lose themselves in the aire Now as the motion of the spirits is conformable to their beginning increase state and declination even so is the motion of that excrementitious matter which is or should be transpired either by sweat or insensibly it is at first a vapour raised from the impurer parts of the blood which vapour is afterwards rarified unto such a tenuity that together with the spirits it passeth out of the veins and arteries into the nerves when it is in the nerves being capable of several degrees of rarity and density it is either transpired or left in the habit of the body however the thinner parts thereof are carryed out by an insensible transpiration I have observed that after the puncture of a nerve in the arme the whole arme hath been much lessened Many which have received some hurt in the os sacrum have had an extenuation of their thigh and legg of that side wherein they received the hurt They which doe lose the use of any part have
which are the supporters thereof and how the spirits which can no longer be then move by delay are condensed I say to omit much which may be spoken concerning the first originall of seed I conceive it will be sufficient for our present purpose to begin with the seed ready made which is the first original of man The seed is nothing else but condensed spirits as may appeare by its tenacity and equality of parts herein we must take notice of such a mediocrity of condensation that the major part is apt to be brought back again to its own nature and be continued therein provided it have such circumstances as are required for the effecting hereof that is such a degree of heat as the spirits alwaies had and such matter annex'd unto it hereby the purer part of the seed may not only be resolved into their first principles viz. into spirits but also this matter may be resolved into a vapour which the spirits may receive for their nutriment Now these conditions are to be found in a well constituted wombe into which the seed being injected is formed into parts after this following manner The purer part of the seed which is included in the centre is at first rarefied into a grosse spirit which hath a slow motion in a narrow or be proportionable to its grosse consistence but afterwards as by degrees it doth revive and put on its owne nature by being more and more rarifyed it doth move quicker and in a larger circuit Now as the spirits by condensation doe cease to move and by rarefaction doe recruit in their motion even so by their return unto their own nature they doe obtain the same motion which they had before condensation the spirits revived in the seed do not only regain their motion but also such motion as they had in the body of man they move in the same figure in the seed as they did in the body so that by granting the spirits a motion agreeable to their owne nature we have the parts carved out unto our intellect which we may easily conceive to be but the footsteps of the spirits That particle from whence the spirits doe first move and unto which they do returne is afterwards the heart their first footsteps are the greater veins and arteries having at first a regular motion in the seed analogicall to that of the grosser humours in mans body that is from the heart to the first anastomoses of the veins and arteries from thence by degrees they tread farther untill at length they have compleated their double path for the humours to walk in and have finished the whole series of the veins and arteries after that the purer parts of the spirits do carve out the menynges of the brain and by a farther progresse of their naturall motion they doe make the nerves and then do run divisions thereupon dividing them into fibres and dilating them into membrans After this manner is the first foundation of mans body laid and then as these spermatick parts do increase in bulk they have added unto them such appurtenances as are suitable to their severall natures the veins and arteries of the Embryon as by degrees they do become more capacious do receive by the umbilicall vein the purer parts of the mothers blood and then the grosser whereas at first the spirits by their motion drew into consent nothing else but an exhalation from the mothers seed And as by degrees the veins and arteries are filled with blood even so are the fibres of the muscles cloathed with flesh by virtue of the said blood in the veins and arteries which is first rarefied and made to put on the nature of a spirit and is carryed along with the spirits through the nerves and afterwards amongst the fibres of the muscles is recondensed in the meane time the purer parts of the spirits are together with some excrementitious vapours coagulated into marrow in the centre of all the parts throughout the whole body the more spernatick part whereof is afterwards secerned from that which is more excrementitious and by degrees by the heat of the body is ossiated In this Coagulum of spirits and vapours we include all kinde of medullossity as the spinall marrow and the substance of the brain Such parts onely of the masse of blood are carryed into the nerves as are capable of being rarefied to the consistence of spirits but those parts which are of a different nature and are too much fixed or curdled are coagulated in their distinct places according to their peculiar differences in the right and left side and do make up the liver and the spleen the liver was by the ancients thought to be the only organ of sanguification and Fernelius attributed the like office unto the spleen upon consideration of that multiplicity of veins and arteries which are disseminated throughout the whole body thereof But these opinions are now exploded by all since the discovery of the circular motion of the blood Doubtlesse the spleen as the Ancients held is the receptacle of the more grosse and melancholick blood by virtue whereof the masse of humours are purified from their feculencies It is our opinion that not onely the spleen but also the liver hath no other office than to purifie the blood by taking into it such parts as if they were in the veins and arteries would fix the blood too much and by consequence prevent nutrition For we have observed in an Atrophia and in any manner of cachecticall distemper that alwaies either the liver or spleen or else both are obstructed and upon the opening of such like obstructions nutrition is again performed and the body returneth to its naturall temperament We have likewise observed in those bodyes of children that we have dissected which have languished a long time and at length dyed of an atrophie that the liver hath been full of scirrhous tubercles and very small the reason of this we conceive to be because those parts of the masse of blood which should have been separated and left congested upon the liver were kept moving still in the veins arteries by reason of those scirrhous tubercles which did obstruct those narrow passages of the liver through which the blood should have been strained whereas if it had been strained those parts should have been left behind in the Parenchyma of the liver which is their proper centre And so it is with the spleen when its transcolatory office is by any means prevented the humours have an unjust consistence and are not so apt to be rarefyed whereupon nutrition cannot be so well performed If sanguification had been the office of the liver Fernelius had done well in attributing the same to the spleen for they do both alike consist of almost infinite small veins and arteries interwoven with their Parenchyma but if the office of all these small veins and arteries in the liver be to strain the blood we must allow the same office to the