Liquor of the blood to boil up and to grow hot with heat and a plentiful emission of Soot just like Spirit of Nitre when it is poured on the Butter of Antimony so that the blood flowing in gently through the Veins being forthwith Rarified into spume and vapour by the ferment of the Heart runs very impetuously through the passages of the Arteries T is almost the same thing whether it be said to be done either by this or by that way for the alteration which the blood receives in the Heart may be equally deduced from a flame or a Nitrous Sulphureous ferment there supposed to be placed Because whilst the blood slides into the Ventricles of the Heart presently the frame of the Liquor is loosned and the active Particles especially the Spirituous and Sulphureous the bond of the mixture being broke do leap forth from the rest and strive to expand themselves on every side but being kept in by the Vessels and being forced together with the remaining Liquor through the open passages of the Arteries they rush with violence and swelling up by the way they can find and by that means diffuse Effluvia of heat through the whole body there is little difference whether this expansion of the Particles of the blood and exertion into the liberty of motion be said to be done by Accension or by Fermentation forasmuch as by either way the frame of the blood may be so unlocked that from thence the Particles of Spirit Salt and especially of Sulphur being incited into motion as it were by an inkindled fire may impart heat to the whole Body But this Rarefaction or Accension of the blood in the Heart very much depends upon the disposition and constitution of the blood it self for if its Liquor be rightly cocted being made volatile and like rich Wine brought to maturity it then Ferments there after its due manner whereby the soluted Particles of the Spirits and Sulphur diffuse an equal and moderate heat to all parts But if the blood by reason of an ill manner of feeding and want of Concoction be crude and watry then it is less inkindled in the Heart and from thence follow a frigid intemperance of the whole difficult breathing and wheesing with a weak pulse and languishing as in Cachectical people those distempered with the Green Sickness and such as are about to die may be perceived but if the blood becomes too luxuriant and apt to grow turgid by reason of plenty of Sulphur being carried forth or of its Effluvia being restrained or of eating hot things either its Accension or Fermentation in the Heart is very much increased so that from thence a Feaverish heat and greater effervescencies than usual are stirred up in the whole This various Fermentation of the blood in the Heart according to the various temper of the same may be illustrated by the example of Wine fresh Must that is yet crude though it be boiled or put on the fire will not burn but this being purified and brought to maturity is easily inkindled but sends forth a small flame and quickly out The same at first growing hot or otherwise warmed if inkindled is greatly inflamed and for the most part is consumed by its burning Whilst the Blood after this manner being rarified or inkindled in the Heart and from thence growing hot through the passages of the Vessels is resolved into minute parts some little bodies depart from its loosned frame which refuse at last to be united and fitted with the rest of the Liquor but these are of a twofold Nature either thin which like smoke from the burning fire or Effluvia from a Fermenting Liquor do evaporate from the Liquor of the Blood by a constant Diaphoresis through the breathing holes of the Body or more thick which like ashes left after burning or the settling dregs after Fermentation ought to be soon strained from the mass of Blood and to be carried forth of doors for otherwise by their confusion they produce notable perturbations in the Blood Whereby the Blood growing more hot is dissolved in the Heart therefore these recrements both Fuliginous and Earthy are more plentifully heaped together and when by reason of too great congestion they cannot be presently subdued and secluded from the mass of Blood they bring forth a swelling up of the Blood and Feaverish Heats Concerning the Motion Heat and Natural Fermentation of the Blood in the equal tenor of which the means of our Health consists what hath hitherto been spoken shall suffice We will treat a little more largely of the preternatural or too great effervescency on which the types and Paroxysms of Feavers depend I call that too much or Preternatural Fermentation when the Blood like a Pot boiling over the fire grows hot above measure and being rarified with a swelling spume distends the Vessels excites a more quick pulse and like a Sulphureous Liquor having taken fire diffuses a burning heat on every side This kind of motion or Fermentation of the Blood will be best of all illustrated by an example of Wines growing hot For Wines besides the gentle and equal Fermentation by which they are at first purified at some times do so remarkably grow hot and boil up that they fly out of the mouth of the Vessel and if they are closely stopped up cause it to burst in pieces After this manner as if struck with fury unless they are immediately drawn away from the Tartar or their Lees into another Vessel they will not cease from growing hot until the Spirit being very much loosned and the Sulphur or Salt too much exalted they are either made unsavory or degenerate into a sowrness Such an Effervescency in wont to be stirred up for two causes chiefly First When any extraneous thing and not miscible is poured into the Ton so some drops of Tallow or Fat being dropped into the Cask will produce this motion or secondly when Wines being enriched with too rich a Lee or Tartar by reason of the Sulphureous parts being above measure exalted conceive heats of their own accord and exceedingly boil up For in whatsoever substance Sulphur abounds and its Particles being loosned from the mixture consociate together and are bound close in one there such immoderate heats are procured After a like tho not wholly the same manner whereby Wines grow hot the boiling up of the Blood is induced to wit either what is forein and not akin to the Blood is mixed with it that when it is not assimilated is wont to cause a Perturbation and growing hot until that Heterogeneous thing is either subdued or cast forth of doors and the Particles of the Blood being confused and troubled are at last shaken forth and that they get again their former place and position in the mixture Or Secondly the Blood grows hot above measure because some Principle or its constitutive Element viz. Spirit or Sulphur is carried forth beyond its Natural temper and becomes enraged whereby indeed the
the same instinct of obeying the motion and also carry to the Tendons the troops of the inflowing Spirits received from the Nerve The Arteries and Veins inserted in the middle of every Muscle send forth little branches on all sides obliquely cutting the moving Fibres from which lesser branches dispersed between the Interstitia of the flesh water them all with a flux or reflux of the blood But the Nerve entring the fleshy belly of every one distributes some smaller circles only in the neighbouring parts as it were bearing only the Symbol or mark of the commanded action commands the execution of it to the Guard or inferiour Company of the fleshy Fibres and membranaceous Fibrils I had designed Figures almost of every kind of Muscles to be engraved according to the natural appearances but the Printer making haste I had not the opportunity to dissect an humane Body having only taken some few Muscles from the Leg of an Ox we have caused them to be delineated to the life which are to be seen at the end although the famous Steno hath already accurately performed this task Which Figures if any one think too much bending to Mathematical Rules he may with an easie labour behold the same Conformation of a Muscle as he hath described it in the flesh it self For if a simple regular Muscle be cut out of any Animal and so placed that the Tendons here and there be held on the sides the fleshy Fibres between them intercepted in oblique and equal Angles be pressed upon an Horizontal plain the flesh will be exactly like a Rhomboides or an oblique angular Parallelopipedum Then if the site of the same Muscle being changed and its Tendons placed above and below you shall cut long ways the inferiour Tendon and pull the parts one from another and divide by tearing the whole Muscle into two parts you shall presently see a most elegant spectacle all the fleshy Fibres disposed in one series yea and parallel between themselves and of the same longitude to proceed from one Tendon into another and to make both Angles always oblique and equal although we cannot cleave after this manner the compounded Muscles whose manifold bellies have a diverse plain yet it will easily appear to one curiously cutting them either raw or boiled two Tendons to be fitted to each Parallelogram of the flesh As to what respects the action of a Muscle we plainly saw in dissected living Creatures which only shew this that it is contracted yet not so as the old Opinion declared to wit that the Fibres being contracted from the end towards the beginning one extremity of the Muscle was carried towards the other but the fleshy Fibres only and their ends are seen to be contracted towards the middle the Tendons being still unchanged and altered neither as to their longitude or thickness which thing also the most Learned Steno did first of all observe long since This is clearly perceived in the Diaphragma and the Muscles dedicated for Respiration which are moved with a constant change for as often as the Muscle is contracted you may behold all the fleshy Fibres in either extremity to be pulled together at once and as if they would enter on either side one another to be carried nearer and so at once to become shorter and thicker then from that constriction to return loose to their wonted longitude and slenderness Whilst you behold this to be so done you will easily think that something to wit spirit or subtil matter doth flow from the Tendons into the flesh or fleshy Fibres which entring them on either side blows them up and at the same time draws them together nearer within themselves that presently all the Fibres are made shorter and intumified then when that matter recedes from the flesh or fleshy Fibres into the Tendons the Fibres being emptied and loosned from their corrugation or wrinkling are restored to their former longitude and so by turns whether this in truth be so done or no shall be discoursed anon In the mean time that we may proceed to other appearances of Musculary Motion if that the Membrane of the Muscle being drawn away you shall separate some fleshy Fibres from others by cutting the little fibrils whereby they are joyned and loosen them quite you will see them so singular and free to be wrinkled or drawn together in every motion like the others compacted together Further I advertise you that these Fibres so loosned and freed some cut off in one end and separated from the Tendon did yet contract themselves to the motion of the Muscle together with the other Fibres about the other whole end without that cut off in the mean time growing flaggy or loose After this I divided with a pair of Scissers a certain fleshy portion of the thinner Muscle in three or four pieces transverse the bigness of an inch which being done the portions cut off in either end only entred into for a short space some light and inordinate corrugations and presently became immoveable The other extreme portions of the Muscle so cut sticking to the Tendons continued to be much more lively and longer contracted but irregularly and convulsively to wit with a certain intortion of the Fibres Truly in the Fibres so cut off some small footsteps of contraction did remain for a little while partly by reason of the Instinct of Motion delivered through the membranaceous fibrils by which they did yet cohere with the whole flesh and partly because the animal Spirits implanted in the fleshy Fibres now divided from the rest and left without influence did exert or put forth their utmost contractive endeavours after the usual manner For this reason sometimes in the Heart taken out and in a piece of it cut off with a Sword as also in other Muscles after the Nerves and sanguiferous Vessels are cut off a contraction and relaxation continue for some time The other Fibres cut off only by reason of the access and recess of the Spirits from the Tendons were able still in some measure to be contracted and relaxed When in the Diaphragma I had freed many singular Fibres from the knittings of others I tryed what Ligatures put in several places of them might effect Some of them then being bound about the middle were contracted even as the whole fibres but with some little swelling about the Ligature When I had bound others about the ends where they cohere to the Tendons now one then another the motion was chiefly and almost only continued about the free end Further in the fibres bound at both ends at once the contraction wholly ceased Contraction and Relaxation are not only seen and indeed probable in the Heart but in the Diaphragma and other Muscles appointed for Respiration which use to be performed in all acting vicissively according to the Instincts of Nature and for the most part equally though there are not the like intervals of motions in all yea and the Muscles serving to the
or shoots mutually ingrafted as is wont to be done in other parts of the Body but being variously complicated and interwoven do constitute every where admirable infoldings into which for the most part very small and very numerous Glandula's or Kernels are inserted Which thing is seen not only in the infoldings which are called Choroeides by which name besides those which are found within the plicature or folding up of the Brain we also intend others planted together behind the Cerebel but these kind of infoldings of the Vessels with Glandula's sowed between are seen every where to be sprinkled through the whole compass and interior recesses of the Brain and Cerebel and especially between the gapings of their turnings and windings and interstices This is clearly manifest in a moister Brain or in an Hydropical where the very small Glandula's which otherwise are scarce to be seen being intumified by the moisture are easily beheld Moreover from the aforesaid infoldings on every side implanted little slender Vessels being every where sent forth enter the Cortical and in some measure the medullary substance of the Brain and its Appendix for if you squirt into the Carotides a black liquor besides the shoots of the Vessels which it dyes every where with the same colour little blackish pricks will appear sprinkled in the substance of the Brain Further if the brain of a living Animal be cut up the live blood will spring forth both from its Cortex and medullary part The reason and end of all which if they be inquired into it seems that these foldings of the Vessels being variously complicated with repeated windings about as if they were little serpentine chanels hanging to an Alembick through whose narrow straits the blood passing with a long circuit becomes still more subtil and elaborated to wit it s thicker part being by degrees put off in its passage or sent away by the little branches of the Veins and so at length the only pure and most spirituous blood and it self now ready to go into animal Spirits is admitted within the Pores and passages of the brain But as the blood or sanguinolent part is supped up by the Veins so it 's very likely the Serum or watry part is received by the Glandula's or Kernels interwoven in them For it appears not for what other end these Arteries are every where beset with so many Kernels unless they should lay up in them the superfluous serosities Between these infoldings there appear not any Nerves to be found which may require any juyce or serous humor from these Kernels and 't is not yet found whether these Lymphaeducts or Water-carriers be accompanied with any Vessel wherefore it may be lawful to suppose that whilst the purer and spirituous part of the blood being separated from the rest of its mass is stilled forth into the brain the serous humidities are received by the Glandula's which are numerous and that they are for some time retained by them till they may be sent away into the Veins growing empty again Thus far we have beheld only the superior branchings forth of the blood-carrying Vessels which are every where interwoven in the Pia Mater and their infoldings which like the leaves of a Wood or creeping Ivy cover the exterior compass of the whole Head But by what means and as it were Chymical Artifice these Vessels do instil the animal Spirits into the Brain and Cerebel and serve for the use of one another besides shall be told anon after we have considered of the inferior Aspect and next the ground of this most thick Wood viz. the greater Trunks of all the Arteries which are destinated for the Brain where they pass through the Skull and shew themselves beyond it CHAP. VIII Shews with what difference the Arteries in various Animals pass through the Skull also for what use the wonderful Net is made and the reason of it THE Arteries destinated to the Brain are four in number viz. two Carotides and as many Vertebrals Concerning the former we have already observed that their Trunks pass through the Wedge-like Bone as it were with a mechanical provision to wit either Artery is so bowed and intorted in its ascent that the blood before it can reach to the Brain by a repeated stopping of shores or hindred by a certain lett or impediment might flow to it less rapidly and more slowly But this is not effected after one and the same manner in all Animals for although the ascent of the Artery be oblique and intorted in all yet in some viz. in a Man and a Horse it being bowed about with a greater compass still enters even to the Brain with a single and undivided Trunk when in most other beasts the same passes the Skull with a lesser circuit and sliding presently under the Dura Mater diversifies it self there into Retiform infoldings commonly called the wonderful Net Therefore it seems to be to the purpose that we inquire into the various reasons of this difference In the first place therefore we shall advertise you that the Carotidick Artery in a man enters a little more backward the Skull than in any other Animal viz. nigh that hole through which the lateral bosom slides out of the Skull about to be implanted into the Jugular Vein for in the rest this Artery arises within the Skull under the end or acute process of the stony Bone But in an humane Head the same being carried about by a longer compass that the Torrent of the blood before it comes to the border of the Brain might flow slowly and pleasantly with a broken force attains to the Basis of the Skull nigh the den made by the ingress of the lateral bosom where being presently intorted it enters the proper Chanel insculped in the Wedg-like Bone and for the greater assurance it is clothed besides with a thicker additional Coat This double defence seems to be given it lest the blood boiling up too much and whilst it is carried violently towards the head should make a Whirlpool about the ingress of the Skull to wit where it begins to be wreathed about from its direct ascent and should break by its stood the banks of the Belly unless they were more firm The Artery being slid out of the bony chanel lays aside also its ascititious or additional Coat and now being well enough defended within the Skull goes forward clothed only with its proper Coat and creeps under the Dura Mater and being as it were depressed in the midst of its passage into a valley being immediately carried out again it goes on till it comes to the head of the Turky Chair where again being bent in and intorted with a certain compass it ascends straight and boring through the Dura Mater is carried towards the Brain The Trunk of this Carotis like a Meander passing through the Skull with a very much bending way or passage is aptly represented in the first Figure of the following Table If the reason of this
these manifold convolutions and infoldings of the brain are required for these divers manners of ordinations of the animal Spirits to wit that in these Cells or Store-houses severally placed might be kept the species of sensible things and as occasion serves may be taken from thence Hence these folds or rollings about are far more and greater in a man than in any other living Creature to wit for the various and manifold actings of the superior Faculties but they are garnished with an uncertain and as it were fortuitous series that the exercises of the animal Function might be free and changeable and not determined to one Those Gyrations or Turnings about in four-footed beasts are fewer and in some as in a Cat they are found to be in a certain figure and order wherefore this Brute thinks on or remembers scarce any thing but what the instincts and needs of Nature suggest In the lesser four-footed beasts also in Fowls and Fishes the superficies of the brain being plain and even wants all cranklings and turnings about wherefore these sort of Animals comprehend or learn by imitation fewer things and those almost only of one kind for that in such distinct Cells and parted one from another are wanting in which the divers Species and Ideas of things are kept apart But that in more perfect Animals all the turnings about are made of a twofold substance viz. Cortical and Medullary the reason seems to be that one part may serve for the production of the animal Spirits and the other for their exercise and dispensation For we may well think that the animal Spirits are wholly or for the most part procreated in the Cortical substance of the brain for this severs and receives immediately from the blood the subtil liquor and imbuing it with a volatile Salt exalts it into very pure Spirits It is obvious to every one that the Arteries enter the Cortex of the brain with a more frequent insertion of shoots and instil to it a spirituous liquor the leavings of which or what is superfluous the Veins in like manner entring it do sup up and carry away in the mean time the more subtil portion being here set free goes into Spirits In truth the blood waters the medullary substance of the brain in a very small quantity which seems truly to be rather for the sake of exciting of heat than that the animal Spirits should there be generated by the flowing in of that blood For indeed the volatile Salt which like Ferment spiritualizes the subtil liquor stilled forth from the blood is had more copiously in the Cortex of the brain rather than in its middle or marrowy part because that part being endued with an Ashy colour shews by its aspect the spermatick Particles and Humor contained in them in which Spirit and a volatile Salt very much abounds yea and plainly resembles an Armeniack smell such as either part alike breathe forth In the mean time the medullary part of the brain seems very like the oblong marrow and the spinal But it is well enough known that these medullary parts serve for the exercise and dispensation of the animal Spirits and not for their generation The sign of which is that where-ever an obstruction happens in them whatever is below being destitute of the influx of the Spirits suffers an Eclipse whence it follows that the animal Spirits irradiating the medullary Rope are not produced in it but flow in from elsewhere and why should not we think the same of the middle marrow of the brain Truly that this part is rather the Mart or Exchange of the Spirits than its Shop or Work-house appears from hence because the Animals which excel in Memory Imagination and Appetite are furnished with a more ample marrow of the brain as is observed in man and the more perfect four footed beasts and they who seem to have little need of those Faculties as the lesser four-footed beasts also Fowls and Fishes have the Cortex of the brain greater but the medullary part very small It is a familiar Experiment among Boys to thrust a needle through the head of a Hen and that she in the mean time whose brain is so pierced through shall live and be well a long time The reason of which is because the whole substance of the brain in these sort of Animals is almost merely Cortical wherefore from the suffering such a hurt as long as the marrow remains unhurt the Spirits are generated in a lesser quantity but their commerce to the necessaries of life are not therefore presently interrupted Indeed the brains of Birds consist almost wholly of a Cortical and Ashy part and the medullary part is exceeding small and is only like a smaller Nerve descending on either side from the substance of the brain it self After the animal Spirits are begot by a constant afflux of the blood within the Cortex of the Brain being there begotten having obtained a watry Vehicle they flow presently more inwardly and soon enter into the marrows filling the furrows and baulks of all the turning and winding Crevices from whence being carried farther through all the particular tracts of each marrow into the marrowy substance which lyes under all the winding Crevices as their common Basis they are brought at last into the Callous Body as into a spacious field where as in a free and open place these Spirits being newly produced are expatiated or issue forth 5. Indeed this medullary substance called the Callous Body which chambering the more inward superficies of the brain receives into it self the marrow of all the turning Crevices seems to be made for that end and disposed there for the same purpose to wit that the Spirits flowing into it on every side might be stretched out as in their proper Sphere and begin to exercise the acts of the animal Faculties In this place they which come out of the several winding Crevices do meet together and remain as in a publick Emporium or Mart from whence as occasion serves they are raised up and drawn forth for the uses of every Faculty But whilst they here remain at leisure and not busied they become purified or refined more and more by a continual circulation because these Spirits new-born do gently and perpetually flow on every side from the outmost bounds of this body to wit where this common marrow besmears the hinder productions of the brain or the border of either of its Hemispheres towards the fore-part of this callous Body where it is thickest and there if there be need they are employed on the act of the Imagination or entring the shanks of the oblong Marrow they actuate and inspire the nervous Appendix but what Spirits are remaining there after these offices are served run forthwith into the Fornix and passing through its passage they are remanded back again to the hinder region of the brain by a certain circulation and lastly after this manner penetrating through the narrow passages of the Fornix those
couched together with folds or little circles disposed in a certain distinct series and apt method and proportionate within themselves as hath been said whence it may be argued that the Spirits arising from hence and flowing outwardly are imployed or bestowed on some certain works determinate to one thing But further it is observed that in all Animals although they differ in form and kind yet the figure of the Cerebel is always very like or wholly the same The Brain and oblong Marrow are figured in many after a divers manner for as we have shewed before there is some difference of these parts found in man and four-footed beasts but between either of these and Fowls and Fishes there is a notable difference as to these parts Notwithstanding in all these the Cerebel furnished wholly with the same lappets or little circles alike infolded one in another is marked with the same form and proportion which certainly is a sign that the animal Spirits in this work-house are begotten and dispensed as it were by a certain dimension for certain necessary offices which are performed in all after the same manner and which cannot be any other than the motions and actions of the Viscera and Praecordia As to the other Faculties of which sort are Imagination Memory Appetite yea local motions and sense are exercised after one manner in those living Creatures and after another manner in others wherefore their brains are formed after a divers manner But the motions of the Heart and Respiration in all endued with an hot blood are performed after a like manner that is with a perpetual vicissititude of Systoles and Diastoles Besides another office is to be assigned to the Cerebel and different from what is convenient or agreeable to the Brain because where the folds and turnings are wanting in the Brain they are constantly found in the Cerebel Besides these reasons drawn from Anatomy the Pathology of the humane Body affords many others which confirm the aforesaid office of the Cerebel For it oftentimes happens that cruel and horrid Symptoms infest the Praecordia and the region of the middle or lowest Belly whilst in the mean time the morbifick cause lyes in the Cerebel or nigh its confines I have known sometimes men labouring only in appearance with a Dyscrasie of the hinder part of the Head who complained of frequent Swooning and repeated meltings of the Spirits or Deliquiums as if they were just dying in whom notwithstanding nothing more could be detected of the morbifick cause or its seat but that the Patient perceived a great heaviness and pain in the hinder part of the Head and that upon any sudden motion or bending back of the Head they were ready to dye In truth the Symptoms which are wont to be raised up in the distemper called the Incubus or Night-mare viz. loss of speech and a mighty weight or load that seems to lye upon the breast proceed altogether from the morbifick matter fixed in the confines of the Cerebel and obstructing the passages of the Spirits destinated for the Praecordia But indeed this Hypothesis of the office of the Cerebel shall be more illustrated and confirmed from the uses of its several parts being rightly designed or drawn forth As to the parts and accidents of the Cerebel 1. we take notice that the infoldings of the Vessels every where cloath the Cerebel no less than the Brain also that the ridges and furrows of its folds intimately hide or cover it which certainly is a sign that the animal Spirits are begotten in this other work-house of them from the watering blood and instilled into its substance which thing also more clearly appears because the Arteries and Veins are not only variously complicated in the superficies of the Cerebel but both of them in like manner as in the Brain send forth frequent shoots into its more inward substance wherefore whilst the most subtil and spirituous part of the blood being carried through long windings about and as it were serpentine chanels of the Vessels and so sublimed into Spirits is received within the bloody part is carried away by the shoots of the Veins sent also deeply down Further even as the more watry portion of the blood destinated for the Brain runs into the Choroeidal infolding whereby it may there lay aside its unprofitable Phlegm into the Glandula's so for the sake of separating the Phlegm an heap of Glandula's with the foldings of the Vessels as it were a Receptacle fitted for this business is placed in the hinder region of the Cerebel 2. From the blood after this manner cleared from Phlegm and made subtil by a long circulation a very pure and spirituous liquor is instilled into the cortical substance of the Cerebel which is presently exalted by the Ferment there placed into animal Spirits For indeed we have affirmed that the Spirits are procreated only in the cortical part of the Cerebel as in that of the Brain wherefore because this kind of Cortex is wanting to the oblong and spinal Marrow we think these parts do serve only for the exercise of the animal Spirits and not for their production 3. The Spirits every where produced within the cortical or exterior compass of the Cerebel in which they are presently prepared for the work of the animal Function are derived from all the folds into the medullar tract and thence into two ample middle Marrows where they keep full as it were the fountain or spring and there like the bubling up of waters are circulated within with a perpetual turning and from thence they continually stream forth into the parts of the nervous System proper to themselves 4. As to the ways of Emanation it is observed that the two middle Marrows of the Cerebel pass as it were into two pedestals or little feet by which they are fastned to the trunk of the oblong Marrow and for that in either little foot of it three distinct medullar Processes are found all these or at least two of them are as it were so many paths whereby the animal Spirits stream forth from their fountain and flow back again 5. The first of these Processes ascends into the Cerebel from the orbicular Prominences the use of this we have already declared to wit that there may be a certain passage between these Prominences and the Cerebel in which whilst the animal Spirits as in a by-path move this way and that way to and fro they may transmit both the force of the Passions from the Brain by the interposition of the Cerebel to the Praecordia and convey also the natural Instincts delivered to the Cerebel from the Praecordia and Viscera towards the Brain But the second Process descending straight from the Cerebel embraces the medullar Trunk and so going round about it constitutes the annular or ringy Protuberance out of which the fifth sixth and seventh pair of Nerves take their originals so indeed that this Protuberance seems to be the Ware-house or Store-house of
it much higher here the other nerve from the intercostal infolding is plainly wanting About the Region of the first or second Rib another noted infolding appears in the Trunk of the wandring pair from which many shoots and fibres are sent towards the Heart and its Appendix Fig. 9. k. Further in brute Animals about this place the intercostal nerve leaves the Trunk of the wandring pair Without doubt some animal Spirits go apart in this infolding which are destinated to the anterior region of the Heart also to the Pericardium and some of its Vessels whilst other Spirits pass through which a little lower are derived into the hinder region of the Heart and which being yet carried further go to the Lungs and lastly to the Ventricle We may observe that from the aforesaid infolding of the wandring pair numerous shoots and fibres are sent forth which are distributed into the little ears of the Heart and all the sanguiferous Vessels belonging to the Heart Fig. 9. l. m. which fibres and nervous shoots creeping along like Ivy thickly cover over the Coats of the Vessels and enter them in very many places and variously bind them about Truly this copious distribution of the nerves doth effect the pulsifick force in the little ears of the Heart and in the Arteries or at least seems to excite it and so to erect and strengthen those parts by a continual influx of the animal Spirits through these nerves that they may be able to sustain an undiscontinued reciprocation of Systole and Diastole Moreover that the thick fibres and shoots of the nerves are inserted both into the Veins and Arteries and bind both those kind of Vessels and variously compass them about we may lawfully suppose that these nerves as it were Reins put upon these blood-carrying Vessels do sometimes dilate and sometimes bind them hard together for the determining the motion of the Blood according to the various force of the Passions or to deduce it here and there after a manifold manner for by this means it comes to pass that in fear the excursion of the blood is hindred and in other Affections its motion is respectively altered But that many shoots and branches are inserted into the Pericardium it seems to be for this use to wit that that little Chest which is made like a Fort for the defending the Heart from injuries as often as any troublesom matter assaults or besieges it might be able to draw it self together and to shake off the enemy For it seems that the inordinate tremblings and shakings of the Heart which are manifestly different from its natural Pulse proceed from the violent shaking of this Membrane As to the Cardiack branches sent from this infolding we observe that they because destinated to a publick office do therefore communicate and enter into the pairs of either side before they are inserted into the Heart for which end the infolding is made before the Basis of the Heart where the aforesaid shoots from the wandring pair and many others going out from either intercostal nerve meet together From that infolding placed between the Aorta and the pneumonick Artery very many branches being sent forth above cover over the Hemiphere of the Heart but yet from these certain branches carried under the Aorta are brought into the left side of the said Hemisphere and as other pairs tend towards the right side one of the first of them making a little handle binds about the pneumonick Artery then meeting with other Cardiack shoots makes the lesser infolding out of which branches are sent forth into the right and anterior side of the Heart That from the greater Cardiack infolding nerves departing one from another do institute contrary journies towards the Heart it is indeed that they might come to divers regions of the Heart without meeting one another and might affect its Vessels respectively in their passage to wit the branches carried this way insert their shoots into the Aorta and from the others going that way one compasses about the pneumonick Artery The reason of both seems to be that the blood might be either sooner or slower drawn from the bosoms of the Heart for its various need or necessity For whilst the aforesaid nerves do both sustain its motion by their influx and also moderate and temper it by their instinct it so comes to pass from thence that those Vessels also being affected by the same nerves do further compose themselves to the requisite Analogies and proportions of the Pulses Indeed there are many Nerves and those conspicuous enough which are inserted into the Heart and cover its outward substance with shoots sent forth from all sides yet it is not to be thought that these nerves alone perform and sustain the undiscontinued motion of the Heart because so small little ropes seem too unequal for the perpetual agitation of such a Machine Yea it may be observed that more shoots and fibres of nerves are distributed into the little ears of the Heart and the depending Vessels than into its frame or substance Further it is obvious to any that will behold it that there is a greater plenty of nerves destinated to the Lungs Liver Spleen Ventricle or Reins than to the Heart it self so that some Anatomists as Fallopius says were doubtful whether there were any nerves that belonged to the Heart or not But this being clear enough that we may describe the motive power of this Clock or Machine stirred up by the help of some small nerves as it were an explosive motion we say that the substance of the Heart it self consists of a very fibrous flesh and may rather be called a Muscle than Parenchyma or congealed substance wherefore in this as in other Muscles the implanted and proper fibres cause the local motion and constant shaking but by the inserted nerves is only conveyed the instinct of the motion or action for the performing of which office both fewer Nerves and fewer animal Spirits flowing in through their passages do suffice But indeed we suppose that the animal Spirits implanted in the Heart and abiding within its Fibres did at first flow thither through the nerves and that by this way their expences or loss are made up or supplied yet that the animal Spirits which seem to be dispensed to the Heart by so sparing an hand may suffice for the actuating this perpetual motion they receive continually subsidiary Forces from the arterious blood For elsewhere we have shewed that in the Heart as in the whole musculous stock besides a sulphureous Copula from the suggested blood is joyned to the spirituous saline Particles of the implanted Spirits which matter whilst the Spirits are agitated being at length struck off and as it were exploded just like the rarified and inkindled Particles of Gun-powder for the effecting the motive endeavour do blow up or intumifie the Muscle or the Heart it self and so from the indiscontinued action of the Heart much of this sulphureous Copula which is easily
supplied from the blood and less of the Spirits which are brought by the passage of the nerves is bestowed And here it may be rightly inquired into whether the Pulse of the Heart so necessarily depends on the influence of the animal Spirits through the Nerves that it being hindred the action of the Heart should wholly cease For the decision of this we once made a tryal of the following Experiment upon a living Dog The skin about the Throat being cut long-ways and the Trunk of both the wandring pair being separated apart we made a very strict Ligature which being done the Dog was presently silent and seemed stunned and suffered about the Hypochondria convulsive motions with a great trembling of the Heart But this affection quickly ceasing afterwards he lay without any strength or lively aspect as if dying slow and impotent to any motion and vomiting up any food that was given him nevertheless his life as yet continued neither was it presently extinguished after those nerves were wholly cut asunder but this Animal lived for many days and so long till through long fasting his strength and spirits being worn out he died The carcass being opened the blood wiâ—hin the Ventricles of the Heart and the Vessels on every side reaching from thence to wit both the Veins and Arteries being greatly coagulated was gathered into clotters to wit for this cause because the blood though for the sustaining of life it was in some measure circulated yet for the most part it stagnated both in the Heart and in the Vessels The cause of which stagnation I can assign to no other thing than that the Praecordia the influence of the animal Spirits being hindred wanted its usual motions If it should be further demanded from whence the animal Spirits the passage of both the wandring pair being shut up should be supplied to the Heart continuing still its motion I say that this may be done by the returning Nerves as from the knots of which many Cardiack shoots and fibres proceed and besides the end of either nerve meeting with the nerve sent from the upper infolding is united But we shewed already that the animal Spirits may be carried either this way or that way within the passages of the nerves wherefore when the necessity of life urges the provision of the Spirits though lesser being sent from the aforesaid infolding is received by the tail of the returning nerve and from thence by a retrograde passage it was derived into the Cardiack branches and at length into the Heart it self Further there lyes open also another passage and that perhaps more obvious through the passage of the intercostal nerve by this way in a man as well as by the passage of the wandring pair the Spirits are conveyed from the Brain to the Praecordia yea also in Brutes a branch is carried into the Trunk of the wandring pair from the intercostal infolding so that by this by-path some little rills of the animal Spirits if by chance their influence should be hindred through their wonted chanels might be carried to the Heart However that Experiment seems to conclude that the motion of the Heart depends no less upon the inflowing of the blood than upon that of the animal Spirit the total privation of either takes away life an Eclipse of the Spirits wholly takes away from the Heart its motive power and by the defect of the blood forasmuch as the sulphureous Copula is denied to the Spirit implanted in the Heart the vigour and elastick force of the Heart is supprest so that the Pulse being by degrees weakened life is by little and little extinguished Without doubt in the finding out the tenour of the Pulse we ought always to mind what the alteration of the animal Spirits and what the fault of the blood may bring to it There is yet another consideration concerning the Nerves reaching from the Trunk of the wandring pair to the Heart to wit that by their passage not only the solemn influence and state of the Spirits for the equally performing of the vital Function is conveyed but also the instinct of every irregular motion stirred up in the Praecordia by the force of the Passions is in some measure transferred this way I say as to these we ought to discourse and to shew by what means as often as the impression of any Affection exercises the Imagination or rather the Appetite presently the Praecordia are disturbed by the passage of the Nerves and by reason of their various Affections the motion of the blood is diversly altered But because in a man the irregular and extraordinary motions of the Praecordia depend on the intercostal Nerve as much as and perhaps more than on the wandring pair therefore we think good to defer this Speculation till the Theory of that Nerve is proposed In the mean time we will proceed to the other branches of the wandring pair and what next follows we will inquire into the offices and uses of the returning Nerves The returning Nerve in the left side going away from the wandring pair below the aforesaid infolding and sent towards the Aorta is reflected or turned back about its descending Trunk from whence being carried upwards it imparts shoots to the Muscles of the Trachea and the Larynx sent forth by a long tract from either side of the Nerve then its top or height is united with a shoot meeting it out of the Ganglioform infolding Fig. 9. n. **** h. But the returning Nerve on the right side is reflected much higher about the axillar Artery to wit proceeding from the lower infolding of the wandring pair and after the same manner is bestowed on the other side of the Trachea Fig. 9. L. But either returning back about the knots of reflection sends forth towards the Heart very many shoots and fibres which are inserted into its little ears the appending Vessels or its Infoldings What the chief use of this Nerve is we have already shewn to wit being rolled about on both sides the Artery as it were a Windlace it causes the little rings of the Trachea or Weasand to be drawn hither and thither like the folds of a pair of Bellows both for breathing and making a sound But indeed either Nerve forasmuch as it being reflected about the Artery is carried upward into the part to be moved doth move downwards the little rings of the Trachea or Wind-pipe by certain shoots of it also forasmuch as either is terminated in the Nerve sent from the Ganglioform infolding it carries upwards the folds of the Trachea by other shoots of it Hence a reason may be given why the returning Nerves being cut off every Animal is presently dumb to wit because unless the Trachea be moved the breath being blown out passing without any refraction through its cavity as it were through a Pipe alike hollow in its whole passage gives no sound Concerning these Nerves we ought to inquire what is the reason of the difference that the
altered every minute of an hour almost according to the manifold necessity of the Pulse But indeed the Lungs themselves are they and not the Diaphragma or the Muscles of the Thorax which the blood boiling out of the Heart passes through and continually affects according to its temper and the tenour of the Pulse wherefore from hence it may be concluded That the Lungs themselves do conceive the first instincts of their motions and by the help of the aforesaid Nerves do in some measure exercise themselves and endeavour the Systole and Diastole and design them according to the sense of its proper necessity but when in these Fibres requisite for local motion are wanting therefore the Diaphragma and the Muscles of the Thorax help continually the endeavours of the Lungs and by the cooperation of these compleat breathing is effected And so when Nerves of a twofold kind to wit some from the Spine being inserted into the Muscles of the Diaphragma and the Thorax and others from the wandring pair distributed into the Lungs actuate the Organs of Respiration for that reason it comes to pass that the act it self of Respiration of it self unforced and involuntary may be at our pleasure somewhat restrained interrupted and diversly altered The Sympraxis or joynt action of the Nerves of either kind in the work of Respiration shall be shewed hereafter when we shall speak particularly of the Nerve of the Diaphragma It yet appears more plain that the Lungs are oftentimes the chief in the act of Respiration because they being irritated from strange and improportionate objects presently conceive irregular and violent motions as when a vehement Cough is stirred up for the exclusion of any troublesom thing to which motion the Diaphragma and the Muscles of the Thorax presently obey In like manner in difficult and sighing breathing or any other ways unequal its first instinct for the most part is begun by the Lungs yet sometimes when the exterior Organs of Respiration are excited into irregular motions the Lungs also are compelled to follow their irregularities so when the Diaphragma after a manner begins laughter the Lungs perform the same with a following cackling sound so all the Organs of Respiration intimately conspire and agree among themselves that although one of them do a thing inordinately rather than there shall be a Schism the rest do imitate or follow its irregularity But that the Nerves following the Arteries and Veins through the whole frame of the Lungs do variously bind about and cloath their Trunks with a thick series of shoots the reason seems to be both that the Coats of the Vessels being gifted with a constant influx of animal Spirits might imitate the motion of the Heart and by that means by a continual pulsation of the Arteries and the constriction of the Veins they might easily carry the blood in this its more short lustration through the Lungs and the rather that the pneumonick Vessels being bound about with such Reins of Nerves might moderate the course of the blood according to the forces and instincts of the Passions For whenas the exterior circulation of the blood depends upon this interior as the blood is commanded to pass sooner or slower through the Lungs or to stay there and be hindred the excursion and return of it also from or towards the Heart is wholly performed In Joy or Anger because the Lungs rapidly transfer the blood out of one bosom of the Heart to the other therefore it s swifter and more plentiful flowing out into the outward parts follows In like manner in Fear and Sadness for that the Lungs its Vessels being strained together deliver the blood to the Heart by the Veins and do not then presently carry it back by the Arteries the outmost region of the Body is destitute of its due influx Notwithstanding these kind of pathetick snatches of the blood are in some measure performed because its Vessels are bound about in other places in like manner with the Nerves If at any time Spasmodick Affections should afflict the pneumonick Nerves from a morbific cause so that being twitcht with inordinate motions they should pull or draw together here and there the Arteries and Veins which they embrace for that cause the blood either too much flowing out of the Lungs makes them to flag and to fall together into themselves so that drawing to them copiously the Air they do not easily render it back again or which frequently happens the blood being detained within the Lungs and there stagnating stuffs them up and holds them a long while stiff that they cannot inspire or drawn in the Air. The Symptoms of either kind ordinarily happen in the Hysterick distempers and in some Hypochondriacal Yea sometimes the Bronchia themselves are pulled together by the like Convulsion of the Nerves and are hindred in their motion so that they cannot take in and send forth the Air after its due manner as may be seen in Asthmatical Fits The distempers of which sort are oftentimes produced by the fault of the Nerves without any implanted Dyscrasie or evil disposition of the Lungs I have sometimes observed some Cases of sick people in which when at one time the morbifick matter besieging the Brain had induced Lethargick or Vertiginous Symptoms a little after the same matter occupying or possessing the origines or middle processes of the nerves belonging to the Lungs has suddenly excited a most horrid Asthma without any previous Cough or Catarrh But that out of the same tract of the wandring pair many shoots are distributed into the Lungs and also many others into the Coats of the Oesophagus from hence a reason may be given why a troublesom Cough oftentimes causes Vomiting and a subversion of the Ventricle why also on the other side a perturbation of the Ventricle so frequently induces a troublesom endeavour of Coughing I have known in Hypochondriacks that aliments of ill digestion taken into the Stomach have presently excited a vain and very pertinacious Cough in the mean time that the Lungs were free from any consumptive disposition The cause of either distemper seems to be that when the nerves disseminated in either part are taken with a Convulsion oftentimes those which are of the other part are drawn into a consent of the same distemper Perhaps from hence it happens that sometimes an Asthma is induced by reason of the evil of the Ventricle and that that distemper as Riverius observes is often wont to be cured by an emetick Medicine After so many branches and shoots have been sent from both sides the wandring pair at length its Trunk is divided below the Lungs into two branches viz. the exterior and interior either of which inclining towards the pair of branches on the other side are united to them and after a mutual communication they constitute the two Stomachical branches viz. the superior and the inferior Fig. 9. t. u. w. x. It is worth observing with what wonderful artifice either Trunk of the
by the blood carried to it by the arteries which being exalted there as it were by digestion and into the nature of a ferment is lastly committed to the blood flowing from it by the veins which inspires or quickens it with a certain leven or fermentation and performs the same thing about its Spirit or making it Spirituous as our ferment commonly called Leven doth being put into a batch of bread or dough for as a certain portion of the unbak'd bread or dough being kept to a sourness preserves the same nature that it doth ferment or leaven other bread or dough and stirs up in it the otherwise sluggish particles into motion so it seems that the blood being laid up in the milt or Spleen and there getting a sourness as it were by stagnation puts on the nature of a ferment whereby indeed the rest of the mass of blood and perhaps the other humours are actuated and as it were Spiritualised into a more lively motion What hath been ingeniously wrote by a late author viz. the most learned Velthusius concerning the use of the Spleen may have relation to this for he hath determined as highly probable a ferment to be contained in this Inward whereby the sluggish particles of the blood are brought into a state of activity Because taking notice that in children and others indued with a sanguine temperament and more fat or dull habit of body even as their manners and disposition of minde were inclined to idleness softness and dulness so their Spleen was ever of a reddish colour and full of florid blood like the Liver from hence he concludes that the spleen doth but little perform its office in these as the gential parts before ripe age or in those of weak loyns but on the contrary forasmuch as men of a middle age and chiefly in those who are of a severe Countenance and of a lean body as in them appear marks of cunning Sagacity fortitude and constancy so their spleen is found to be of a livid or blewish colour and imbued with blood as it were muddy further he argues from hence that the blood being kept long in the spleen as in a Conduit or receptacle turns plainly into ferment by which its remaining mass being from thence inspired is made more subtil and begets more acute Spirits both in the vital and in the Animal Kingdom or Government For he supposes our bodies naturally to abound with too much humidity by which indeed the function of the parts and many of the viscera are very much dull'd but that the spleen doth communicate to the mass of blood solid firm and constant parts and not easily to be dissipated and that those do wipe away that moistness and with it carry away in some measure that softness from the blood and Spirits which is predominate in tender age almost after the same manner as the north-winde or the eastern gales fanning and intimately penetrating the air with the dryness and strength of their parts breathe health or strength to the air and to our Bodies But since I have in another place declared what I have formerly thought concerning the Spleen there will be no need to repeat it in this yet I shall further note that in bodies of living creatures compacted out of a quinarie of elements as the spirits ought to be more strong then the rest so indeed they being intangled with a viscous humidity of Sulphur and water are so hindred that oftentimes they are not able to exercise their strength or powers lively enough hence saline particles for that they are very much fermenting are required for this that the spirituous little bodies almost overwhelmed by the embrace of the others and stupifyed might lie awakened and set at liberty and into motion Wherefore we experience in our selves when the spirits are dull'd by the blood being too much exhal'd that notable help is brought by sharp liquors as chiefly small wines and Cider for these kinde of Remedies sharpen the Spirits and shake off all heaviness Such a kinde of fermenting virtue we easily believe to be continually exercised by the Spleen being in right order towards the blood and nervous Liquor For as this Inward is formed with a threefold sort of vessells viz. with arteries and veins and besides with great enfoldings of the nerves and a most thick Contexture of nervous fibres we think the use of each of them to be set apart for this end to wit by the Arteries the blood is carried to the Spleen hence it lays up its dreggs composed of a fixed Salt and an earthly matter in its passages and porosities and these there layd up as it were by a certain digestion are brought into a juice very fermentive A portion also of which being carried back to the blood by the veins is continually mixed with it and so its whole mass is inspired with those kinde of fermentive particles from the Spleen by which a certain austerity and sharpness with vigour of motion is given unto it so that for that reason the blood it self is carried more lively in the vessells also from thence the nervous juice procreated from the blood being more active supplies the animal regiment But truly the Spleen doth not only by this means mediatly and by the intervention of the blood inspire the brain and nervous stock with a fermentive virtue but it may be lawfully believed that this is done somewhat more immediately by the passage of the nerves dispersed in the spleen for because in this part anatomie discovers a great company of Nerves and nervous enfoldings and of fibres springing from them it may well be doubted for what use they should serve Concerning this it is first to be observ'd that the ventricle and the Spleen have a most intimate Commerce with the brain insomuch that Helmont did place the seat of the Soul in those Inwards but this is possible to be done by no more commodious way than by the aforesaid nerves Wherefore we may here disservedly suspect that not only the animal Spirits are the messengers between the one part and the other but also that the nervous Liquour which is both the food and the ventricle of these spirits doth descend now from the brain towards these Inwards and now being received from these Viscera's by the nerves doth creep thorow towards the head which kinde of spleeny Juice being dilated to the brain sharpens the animal Spirits and raises them up being slothfull and irritates them into quick motions from whence it is commonly said the sharpness and sagacity of the minde doth proceed from the Spleen and Splenetick people are accounted Ingenious But it is probable that the rage and force of the passions being begun by the Spirits inhabiting the brain are carried to the spleen by the passage of the nerves and so the spirits there dwelling are pathetically troubled and the blood flowing thither is moved into a multitude of perturbations for from hence it in some measure falls
I had begun to look more deeply into the matter I perceived I had gotten a far more large Province Because it plainly appeared besides these of Art very many Works of Nature to be not only like but themselves the effects of Fermentation For when for the solving of the Phoenomenas which are met with about the swelling up of the mealy Mass and the working of Wine and of other Liquors I had Composed divers Arguments Reasons and Hypotheses I found at length those first begotten Particles by whose Orgasm or Heat those vulgar preparations do Ferment to beget the Causes of motions and alterations in whatever things they are mix'd with besides wherefore I may be pardoned if I have strayed far from our proposition and have seemed to any one to have heaped together here too plentiful an Harvest of Matter because I was wholly led by the same thrid of Ratiocination and the most conjunct Affinity of things to these various and diverse Concretes If any one shall object that I prostitute the unusual Notions and almost only heard of in the Shops of the Chymists unhandsomly among the works of ordinary people I say these Principles which being brought indeed to perform the self moving motions of Natural things also more easily to represent them to the vulgar capacity and lay them not only before their Eyes but even into their very Hands what of these kind of substances I call Particles men tho rude and unskilful may perceive even by the help of their senses to be in the things besides the names of Sulphur Salt and Spirit and the rest are more familiarly known than Matter and Form or the four Principles of the Peripateticks As to our method and manner of Philosophizing no man can blame me if I should not here describe all things according to Rule and Analytick Patterns because in this Work it chances for me to wander without a Guide or Companion in solitary places and as it were in a solitude trodden by no footsteps where I not only make a Journey but my way also therefore when ever I deviate I cannot be said to err among right Judges of our endeavours who have no Path in which I should Walk nor could find a Track which I might fear to miss ON THE AUTHORS Medical-Philosophical Discourses THE intricate and hidden cause of things Both Peace and Strife by what means Nature brings What various motions Bodies do inspire What mixes with the Waters quenchless Fire What Bonds the Elements together tye Before this happyer Age unfolded lye Things hid to former Ages and unknown The Secrets of the world to all are shown Metals dug from the Bowels of the Earth Tho they from Phoebus boast their Heavenly birth We without light dark and obscure behold And Splendor's found only in burnisht Gold Iron unknown lay hidden without light By Slaves wrought from the Mine grows dazeling bright This to whole Troops confusion doth afford Wit which first fram'd stoops to the Victor Sword We thus of old did Nature search in vain Our Arts did only i th' outward bark remain But now we her hid mysteries unfold And the great secrets of the world behold Better than us herself can hardly tell What Love doth far within high Mountains dwell What flame first gives the Marble Quarry birth To Metals forms blind Rudiments of Earth And the hard child doth to perfection bring Why Earth shows her rich Treasures in the Spring And shines made brave with her own Native flowers What gentle gales and what sweet moistning showers Do on the pregnant Goddess Seed bestow Whilst Heavenly Iris mounts the Cloudy Bow Why Ceres swells with watery Nymphs embrace What Strife what Wars spring from hot Bacchus race What Vulcan doth th' Aetnean Fornace blow What doth soft fires thorow all Bodies throw What Spirit nimbly moves the human frame Whence Milky juice here there a Purple stream Watering the Body whence the Crimson flood And the quick Circulation of the blood What hidden fires in veins and intrals burn Which do the boyling Blood to Feavers turn What mixes freezing cold with parching heat And makes the different Zones together meet Whence comes the Pestilence with Stygian breath Riding on blasting Winds and arm'd with death What Prophesying Humor through the Reins doth pass What colour and what odor in the Glass All things lye open now He did not know So much to whom Prometheus did bestow His stollen fires We now every part Of the whole Earth compass about with Art He 's happy who Causes of things can shew Sacred to Nature and to Phoebus too About his Temples Delphic Laurels spread And flames of lightning ne'r shall blast his head Whom Hermes doth with Sacred Arts imbue Whose Labours Learning out of Darkness drew May all 's days happy be may he shine bright And may he still enjoy Coelestial light May no Disease infect with poysonous breath Him who gains Health from Sickness Life from Death OF FERMENTATION OR THE Inorganical Motion OF NATVRAL BODIES CHAP. I. Of the Principles of Natural things THere is nothing more rarely to be met with in the Vulgar Philosophy where Natural things are unfolded with the vain figments of Forms and Qualities than the word Fermentation but among the more sound especially of later years who respect the Matter and Motion chiefly in Bodies nothing is almost more usual But Fermentation hath its name from Fervescency as Ferment from Ferviment or growing hot The word is well known in making of Bread and in the purgings of new Wine Beer and other potable Liquors thence it is also applyed to other things which are wont to swell or grow turgid after the same manner that at length it signifies whatsoever Effervency or Turgency that is raised up in a Natural Body by particles of that Body variously agitated Bodies of a divers Consistency and Habitude are apt to a Fermenting viz. either Thin or Thick Liquid or Solid Animate or Inanimate Natural or Artificial in all which is found an Heterogeneity of parts or particles to wit there are in them some substances light and always endeavouring to fly away and also there are others thick earthy and more fix'd which intangle the subtil Particles and detein them in their Embraces whilst they endeavour to fly away from the strivings and wrestlings of these two twins in one Womb the motion of Fermentation chiefly proceeds but on the contrary what things do not Ferment for the most part consist of like Particles and are of the same Figure and Conformation which indeed consociat among themselves without any Tumult or Turgescency lye quiet and enjoy a deep peace If Must or new Wine or new Ale or Beer be closely Bottl'd up or put into Vessels of small vent they will grow so very hot that often the Vessels are in danger of breaking But if the same Liquors being Distilled by themselves and then what is seperated shut up from thence no motion or heat will follow Wherefore Distilled
breaths forth In the distillation of Blood Sulphur ascends under the form of a blackish Oyl which also by reason of the Empyreuma stinks most wickedly 3. That Salt is in the blood is evinced by the Salt which tho fixed is drawn forth by being eaten from Vegetables and from other eatable things at first less volatile afterwards by the most excellent digestion of Nature and Circulation is highly volatilised that it passes through not only without a remaining Caput Mortuum all the members and parts of our Body but also the blood being exposed to distillation ascends the Alembic and leaves the dead Head as insipid earth If at any time the Saline Particles are not rightly exalted in the Blood by reason of ill digestion but remain crude and for the most part fixed from thence the blood becomes thick and unfit for Circulation so that obstructions are begot in the bowels and solid parts and serous Crudities are every where heaped together But if the Salt be too much carried forth and suffers a Flux the Spirit being depressed or deficient a sour and bitter disposition is given to the blood such as is observed in Scorbutical people and those sick of a Quartan Feaver Also from the Salt for this reason being variously coagulated the Stone Kings-Evil Gout Leprosie and very many other Chronical Diseases arise But when Coction being rightly performed in the bowels and Vessels the Salt is duly exalted and being associated with the Spirit is volatilised then by reason of its mixture the Liquor of the blood more equally ferments also is defended from Putrefaction Stagnation and Coagulation Also the Saline Particles bridle the fiercenesses of the Spirits and especially of Sulphur wherefore those who have their blood well filled with a Volatile Salt are less obnoxious to Feavers also hence those who often are let blood are more apt to Feavers 4. Besides There are in the blood as it is a thick humour and hath a gross consistence many Earthy Particles from hence also it s too great Volatilisation is as it were supported and it s too hasty accension hindered even as Charcoal-dust is added oftentimes to Gun-Powder in a greater proportion that all its parts may not take fire at once and too soon Further from the Terrestrial Particles of the blood and Nutritious Juice the bulk and increase of the Body proceeds Lastly from the distillation of the Blood a light and friable Caput Mortuum is left in great plenty 5. Upon the watery part of the blood depends its fluidness for from hence its stagnation is hindered and the blood is circulated in the Vessels without growing thick or stiff also it s too great conflagration and adustion is restrained and its heat attempered When blood is distilled a clear and insipid water is drawn off at least in a double proportion to the rest for from hence the matter of Urine Sweat and every humid Excrement for the most part proceeds What things were but now asserted concerning the Principles of the blood and the affections to be deduced thence will better appear if we consider consider a little the blood according to its sensible parts and shall compare it with other Liquors which are in dayly use among us Those sort of Liquors which have a very great Analogy with the blood are vâ—z Rich Wine and Milk As to the reasons of Fermentation and growing Hot it is most fitly compared to Wine as to its consistency coagulation and departure of the parts one from another it is likened to Milk In the first place therefore it is observed of Wine that so long as it is shut up in the Vessel or Pipe its subtil and spirituous Particles do perpetually agitate or very much shake others more thick break them and render them fit for an exact mixtion what is heterogeneous and unfit for subaction or mingling is separated by its growing hot In the mean time the purified Liquor greatly fermenting is in perpetual motion whereby all the parts as Atoms variously moved up and down in a beam or streak of light do stretch themselves forth on every side and contend with a constant rowling about from top to bottom and from thence to the top again By the attrition and refraction of the Particles very many Effluvia of Atoms go away from the Liquor which if the Vessel being closely shut they are kept within the Liquor grows too excessively hot and oftentimes causes the containing Vessel to burst in pieces Blood much after the same manner being shut up within the Veins and the Arteries is urged with a constant Circulation The Vital Spirit makes subtil breaks and exactly molds the more thick Particles what is heterogeneous and not mixable it expels forth of doors in the mean time by the refraction and kneading of the parts Effluvia of heat do constantly stream forth and evaporate through the pores which being shut in if transpiration be hindred presently by reason of the too great boyling of the blood a Feaver is inkindled Secondly we will observe concerning Wines that they grow turgid or swell up if any extraneous thing and of a Fermentative Nature be poured to them yea somtimes that they are moved more than ordinary of their own accord For when by a long digestion the Sulphureous part of the Wine is too much exalted it conceives a greater heat than it ought and unless presently appeased perverts the disposition of the whole Liquor with its swelling up It seems to be for the very like reason that the Feaverish heat which is wont to be introduced by reason of the same Causes is stirred up in the blood as shall be shown in the next Chapter where we treat of the Motion and Heat of the blood The third Observation or comparing of the Blood with Wine shall be of this sort Wines as also many other Liquors as for example Beer or Sider have their times of crudity maturation and defection For when they are first made the Spirituous parts are so obvolved by the others more thick that they shew themselves but little and put forth almost nothing of strength or virtue and as the other Particles are not yet subtilised nor truly concocted the whole Liquor remains crude and of an ungrateful tast and if put to distillation not any Spirit ascends From this state it comes by degrees to perfection and when the Spirits being extricated from their intanglements obtain their own right and have subtilized and exalted the more thick Particles of the rest the whole mass of the Liquor becomes Clear Spirituous Sweet and Balsamick Lastly when by a long Fermentation the Spirits are consumed and begin at length to fail the state of defection is induced whereby Wines and other Liquors either pass into a tastlesness or at last the Salt and the Sulphur being too much exalted are made sowr or unsavory In like manner the blood also while it is Circulated in the Vessels may be considered according to this kind of threefold disposition
aforesaid humors but especially the Choleric when they are supplied in abundance often Ferment with the mass remaining of the Chyme that the same swelling up with a spumous rarefaction irritates the intestines and provokes to the motion of excretion somtimes also about the standing of the Disease and in the declination of it a Lask is excited and so either Nature being Conqueress the more thick purgings of the Blood are this way critically sifted forth or being overcome the Flux of the Belly is the effect and sign of the Viscera wholly losing their strength and firm tenour It somtimes happens in a Feaver that the Belly is always bound that it is not at all loosned but by Physick and tho the sick take nothing but liquid things for many days the stools are still of a solid consistence and hard this seems for the most part to be done when the Blood growing sharply and exceeding hot like fire consumes the humidities wherever they flow and draws to it self out of the Bowels the watery matter by a Copious emission of vapours and presently makes it to be evaporated outwardly wherefore the thicker part being left in the intestines is made firm from the scorching heat as it were a Caput Mortuum remaining after distillation A Dyssentery is a distemper so frequent in continual Feavers that some years it becomes Epidemical and not more mild than the Plague kills many The cause of it is wont to be not any humor produced within in the Viscera that corrodes the intestines with its Acrimony as some affirm but a certain infection impressed on the Blood and so intimately confused with it that under the form of a vapour or a sincere humor it cannot be pulled away from the Blood wherefore the thrusting forwards towards the intestines unlocks the little mouths of the Arteries and makes there little Ulcers and exudations or flowings forth of the Blood like as when from the Feaverish Blood Pustles and inflamations break forth outwardly with a flowring towards the skin But it is most likely these dysenteric distempers which accompany Malignant or Epidemical Feavers arise from a certain coagulation of the Blood as shall be more fully declared hereafter And here also among the symptoms of Feavers might be recited what are wont to appear outwardly in the superficies of the Body as are Spots Whelks Buboes Carbuncles c. but because these belong after an especial manner to a Malignant Feaver therefore we will forbear in this place from the consideration of them until we shall speak of the Plague Small-pox the Pestilential and Malignant Feaver The Pulse and Urine shall conclude here the troop of symptoms and signs in a Putrid Feaver which are much heeded for the finding out both the state and the strength of the sick For as there are two things by which our life is propped viz. Heat inkindled in the Heart and concoction to be made in the Viscera and Vessels because the Pulse and Urine best show the alterations in either induced in a Feaver therefore from hence a most certain judgment is taken of this Disease about to end in Death or Health I think it is not needful to speak of thâ—se at large or to recount the several causes and differences of either It will suffice for me to note here the chiefest things of them and what are worthy of consideration in the course of Feavers And first of all the Pulse is consulted as it were a Thermometer or Weather-Glass constituted by Nature that from thence the heat inkindled in a Feaver might be meted which if it should be more strong stirs up a great ebullition or boiling up of the Blood the Artery beats more strongly and quicker so long as the Spirits are in strength then they being a little exhausted the more strong Pulse is remitted which however is compensated with swiftness and is made quick and small If the Feaver be gentler and is troubled with a lesser burning the Pulse also declines less from its Natural condition and the moderation of this in the whole course of the Disease denotes the truces of Nature Neither doth the Pulse only betray the forces of the Feaver as of an Enemy but shews also plainly the strength of Nature and her ability of resisting So long as the Pulse is laudable the matter goes well and it shews good hopes but from the evil state of this a bad omen is shewn and a despair of Health So without a frequent and diligent examination of the Pulse a Physician connot make a right judgment or Prognostication or safely prescribe Physick 1. As to the first thing it ought to be known as much as may be what every ones Pulse is according to its Natural Constitution for it is in these stronger in those weaker then it is to be considered in every moment of the Feavers by what degrees it is distant from its Natural state for now it is somtimes more vehement and argues the Feaver to grow stronger now it is depressed below its wont and denotes the Spirits and Strength dejected Those whose Pulse in Health beats weakly and languishing when taken with a Feaver if they have a small and weak Pulse it is not so evil a sign that we should presently despair of their Health In whom the Pulse is by Nature strong and vehement if after the Crisis of the Disease it hath scarce a moderate vigour tho it be not wholly weak it argues the condition of the sick to be suspected and not safe If from the begining of the Feaver before the Blood has flamed out or if a Crisis being made when part of the burthen is drawn away or at another time without an evident cause the Pulse becomes weak it portends evilly but if after long watchings or great evacuations the Pulse is made a little weaker Health is not therefore to be despaired of because the strength cast down by these means or overwhelmed may be restored and the Spirits renewed When the Pulse is suddenly altered for the worse tho the sick seem to be better as to the rest of the symptoms you may forespeak the sad prognostication of Death and so contrariwise altho most horrid symptoms urge and yet the Pulse is laudable Health may be yet hoped for If in a strong man that hath a Feaver the Pulse is very small and creepingly or becomes like the motion of Ants death is at hand 2. In the exhibiting of Medicines cautions and rules of no small moment are taken Purging and Vomiting are forbid by the pulse being too quick and violent also by being low and depressed because whilst the Blood is too fervent evacuation helps little because both what is hurtful is not separated also for that by the perturbation the strength or spirits are more debilitated But when the spirits are broken and strength cast down Medicines cast them more down and somtimes wholly overthrows them Wherefore when a Physitian thinks of evacuation upwards or downwards he first examines the pulse
and from thence passes thorow the Ureters into the Bladder and so is carryed forth of doors From the origine and lustration of the Serous Latex but now described it plainly appears that the Urine ought to answer to the quantity of the liquids taken in somewhat a lesser proportion perhaps under a third part which plainly shews the disposition and strength of the Viscera serving for Concoction as also the temper and distribution of the Blood it self and after a sort of the nervous juice moreover it carries with it signs of the affections of the Urinary passages The quantity of the Urine declines often from this Rule so that sometimes it superabounds also sometimes is deficient and either for a short time may consist with a disposition not much unhealthful but if these kind of distempers continue long they argue a sickly condition Concerning these we shall speak among the appearances of the Urine in a diseased condition of the Body we shall now next consider the colour of a sound Urine The Urine of Sound People which is rendred after Concoction is finished in the Body is of a Citron colour like Lye a little boyled which without doubt proceeds from the Salt and Sulphur of the nutritious juice and the Blood dissolved in the Concoction and boyled in the Serum This colour doth not arise only from Salt as some would have it because the Liquor impregnated with Salt unless it be evaporated to a certain thickness will not grow yellowish Also Salt of Tartar being dissolved by melting continues still clear What may be objected concerning the Lye of Ashes I say there the whole Sulphur is not consumed by burning but the Citron colour arises from some saline Particles and others Sulphureous burnt and sticking together in the Ashes and then infused or boyled in the liquor Neither doth the Urine of sound people acquire this same colour from Sulphur only because Sulphur in a watry Menstruum is not dissolved unless by the addition of Salt nor will it give any tincture of it self but if Salt of Tartar and common Sulphur be digested together in water or if Antimony be boyled in a saline Menstruum both liquors will by that means grow yellow like Urine after the like manner the saline and sulphureous Particles of Aliments being incocted and most minutely broken in the Serum by a Digestion in the Ventricle and Intestines and by a Circulation with the Blood in the Arteries and Veins impart to it a Citron Colour This kind of dissolution of Salt and Sulphur by whose means the Urines are made of a Citron Colour is first begun in the Bowels and afterwards perfected in the Vessels and very much depends upon the Concoction performed in the Ventricle and the Intestines For here by the help of heat and of ferments the Aliments taken are chiefly subdued the bond of mixture being broken the saline and sulphureous Particles being most smally broken and made small go into a milkie Cream and from thence the Serum remaining after that Concoction and distribution of that milkie juice becomes of a Citron colour after the same manner as when the Salt of Tartar and common Sulphur being dissolved together and mixed with some acid thing indue a milkie colour then the contents being separated by setling the remaining liquor grows yellow like Lye If that the aliments by reason of an evil disposition of the Ventricle are not rightly digested in the first Concoction as in the Longing Disease or Pica the Dropsie and other ill dispositions of the Bowels usually comes to pass the Urine also is rendred crude clear and almost insipid like Fountain water but if by reason of the ferments of the Viscera being more than duly exalted or otherways depraved as in the Scurvy Hypochondriac distemper or Feavourish intemperance the particles of things eaten are too much dissolved in the first Region by that means Urines are rendred red and thick The Serum as hath but now been said being imbued with a lixivial tincture in the first Concoction and confused in the Blood so long as it is circulated with it it is yet further Concocted and acquires a more deep colour for the particles of the Blood being roasted and scorched although for the most part they are laid aside into the Gall bag yet being in a manner boyled in the Serous Latex they heighten its colour hence the Concoction being ended the Urine which is first made is more Pale and that which is last more Red. That which is made after long fasting is yet more high Coloured Where the Blood is more cold as in Cachectical people the colour of the Urine is made less where the Blood grows raging with a feavourish Heat and is roasted the Urine grows highly Red. Concerning the Urines of sound people it is worth observation that which is made after plentiful Drinking hath no tincture but is pale like water of which we shall enquire by what means the Serous Latex so suddenly slides away out of the Ventricle contrary to what is vulgarly believed and passing thorow all the Chyliferous passages then the Veins Arteries the bosom of the Heart it self and the turnings and windings of the Veins and Ureters is put forth of the Body within so short a space moreover how it comes that the Urine being so precipitately made contrary to most other things is not only changed into no Colour in its passage but it also loses its own proper For as the Proverb is Our Drink goes thick in and comes forth thin or We Drink thick Beer and Piss clear Concerning this we say that besides the long wandring of the nourishing juice to wit whereby after some stay in the Ventricle it slides into the Intestines and from thence thorow the milkie Vessels into new passages and thence is carried into the Veins which carrying about cannot be quickly performed it is most likely that there is another nearer passage of the same Nutritious Juce whereby indeed it may be conveyed immediately and without delay to the Mass of Blood and perhaps to the nervous Liquor and therefore after fasting there immediately follows a most quick refection of strength and spirits after Eating and especially after Drinking which indeed cannot be thought to be made by the Spirits and Vapours also from such drinking the Urine is presently rendred and indeed sooner than it can be thought that the Mass of the Chyle can be sent out of the bosom of the Ventricle wherefore it is not improbable that when the Alimentous Liquor is entred the Ventricle presently the more thin portion of it which consists chiefly of Spirit and Water is imbibed by its Spongeous Membranes and from thence being instilled into the little mouths of the Veins it is presently confounded with the Blood flowing back towards the Heart For of this opinion though not very stubbornly I always was That the Chyme was in some measure immediately derived from the Ventricle and Intestines by the branches of the Vena Porta
two Tendons are ordained to each of them to wit to the end that the animal Spirits might be carried through short passages from the Tendons into the fleshy fibres and might leap back again because the compounded Muscle doth not always contain more series of moving fibres that it might perform many and divers motions but that it might make the same motion often with the greater strength For as we hinted before as a simple Muscle was as a single leaver or bar the compound seems as if it were many leavers or bars serving for the removing the same body conjunctly Further hence we may observe in some Muscles which are simple and regular that all the fleshy fibres are equal and so all the tendinous of one extreme being put together are equal to all of the other end being put together yet they single where they are shorter in one Tendon are longer in the other and so disposed that the tendinous fibres on either part the top and bottom have their excesses inverse and at once equal to wit that here a long is laid upon a short or the longest upon the shortest and there quite contrary the shortest upon the longest to the end that the motion might be so made every where in this or that side of the Muscle or at the end more strong more plentiful Spirits flow together into those parts from the longer tendinous fibres and on the contrary wherefore in some Muscles less necessary where the part of the flesh growing to the bone either becomes immoveable or only serves for the filling up of empty spaces one Tendon is shorter or lesser and oftentimes degenerates into a bony or cartilaginous hardness Further it is observed as to other strong and greatly moving Muscles that their Tendons are not so disposed as if they were only stays props handles or hanging crooks of the fleshy fibres for so they are only constituted in their extreme ends yet the tendinous fibres that they may be made more apt promptuaries of the animal Spirits being stretched out almost into all parts of the Muscle receive every where both ends of the fleshy which indeed yet more manifestly appears in the compound Muscles for that one Tendon being compounded embraces the extreme flesh and the other enters into the middle of the flesh as hath been already shewn But truly the animal Spirits whilst they leap out of the tendinous into the fleshy fibres are not sufficient of themselves for the wrinkling of them but require another elastick Copula from the blood this may be argued from many reasons First it seems to appear from this that the same Spirits being solitary or by themselves though most thickly planted within the Tendons stir up no Tumor or Contraction whilst they are moved in them wherefore being dilated within the fleshy fibres in a lesser quantity and having got a larger space they would be stretched out unless they met or strove with other Particles much less would they obtain a contractive force Besides when any wound or grievous trouble happens to a Tendon the belly of the Muscle or fleshy part is chiefly troubled with a Tumor or Spasm for the Spirits being irritated not so much within themselves but where they are violently driven among heterogene Particles stir up the greatest tumults and inordinations But further when the fleshy fibres are watered with the sanguineous humor beyond other parts and more than may suffice for their nourishment for what other use should it be assigned unless that it may contribute to the motive function Especially we take notice in lean Bodies which are more sparingly nourished that the Muscles being fused or drenched with more plentiful blood do perform the strongest endeavours of motions moreover it doth not appear by what way besides the expence of the Spirits in a Muscle consumed with continual hard motions or labours should be made up or renewed unless besides the small supplements by the Nerves others sufficiently plentiful should be supplied from the bloody mass Add to these that members destitute of the wonted afflux of blood easily fall into weakness or a Palsie and that from the observation of Doctor Steno in a live Dog the trunk of the descending Artery being tyed all the lower or posterior members were suddenly deprived of motion And though it doth not yet appear plainly to me whether the exclusion of the blood from the spinal Marrow or from the Muscles themselves or from both together be the cause yet however it comes almost to the same thing for as much as the animal Spirits being procreated within the Head and stretched out by the medullary and nervous Appendices into every member without the concourse of the blood they should not be able to perform the loco-motive power Having thus far explained by what means a Muscle being contracted in the fleshy part as to all the fibres at once performs the motive function we shall next inquire what is the reason of the Instinct whereby every motion both regular and irregular is wont to be obeyed or is performed Concerning this in general it first appears that the motions of every regular motion yea and the impulses of some irregular motions being conceived within the Brain or Cerebel are transmitted from thence by the Nerves to every Muscle This as we have elsewhere shewn is most evidently declared by the effects and consequences yet here great difficulties remain to wit how by the same passages fresh forces of animal Spirits are conveyed from the Head to every Muscle and at the same time the old ones exercising the Empire of the Soul besides with what difference and divers carriage of the inflowing Spirits the Nerves perform either of these tasks or both these offices Of these as I conjecture it seems that the animal Spirits which flowing continually from the Head to refresh the forces of the implanted Spirits are carried to the Muscle by the Nerves do move to it quietly and easily and being there presently received by the membranaceous Fibres they go apart into the Tendons which kind of relief although it should be but little in bulk yet because it is carried night and day by a constant course it easily arises to a sufficient provision for the continual filling up of the Tendons But that we suppose the Spirits so brought perpetually to the Muscle to be transferred by the membranaceous Fibres and not by the fleshy to the Tendons the reason is because if they should first enter into these straight running into an elastick Copula they would stir up the Muscle into continual motions more over for that in the Heart and Muscles of Respiration the fleshy Fibres are exercised with a perpetual motion they wait not for the passage of fresh Spirits to the Tendons But as to what respects the Instincts delivered through the Nerves from the Head for the performing or staying or any ways altering of the musculary motion of these we ought first to consider that the moving
head being convulsed or pulled by turns from the right to the left and contracted before and behind yea and all her Limbs being bent inwardly here and there or distended outwardly in the Course of one Fit she exhibited all sorts of Convulsive gestures When at any time the Spasms of one sort continued longer in the Head or Limbs than usual it was the custom of the Servants about her to blow up strongly into her Nostrils the Fume of Tabaco which being done as the Spirits recovered within the present Spasms immediately remitted but upon them others of a new kind succeeded Of late the Legs of this Lady were so debilitated by being loosned that she could neither go nor stand yea her Tendons under either Ham being made tumid and shorter were so contracted that she could not stretch out her Legs straight Concerning the case of this sick Noble Lady it may be demanded wherefore upon the first coming of the Fit no throwing about of the Body or Limbs as is wont in most Convulsive or Epileptical people but only continued Spasms or Convulsions variously translated from one part to another and so others did arise For the solution of this we say that the Spasmodick matter is not only heaped up in the Brain and Nerves but also in the Muscles themselves and grows to the Spirits inhabiting the Tendons And as that matter is tenacious and the Spirits weak and unable for the striking off quickly or easily such a Copula therefore as often as these being irritated do leap out of the Tendons into the flesh the Muscles being first possest they cause strong and long Contractions in the mean time other Muscles especially their Antagonists or opposites being hindred and bound up from motion until the Convulsions of the former are remitted hence the Members however convulsed are not moved out of their place because the moving or carrying of the Body or any Members is not performed but by the help or duty of many Muscles whilst some of them either rightly cooperate with others or at least obey them to wit so that some respective Muscles observing due cooperation are contracted at once then those being loosned the contraction of others immediately succeeds But if they which are unequal and unlike are at once contracted and strongly convulsed and so continue long so that other Muscles in the mean time cannot be contracted there will be a necessity for the members bent or extended here and there to remain as they are wholly stiff But that the present Convulsions were always remitted by the blowing the smoke of Tabaco up her Nose the reason is because the region or some part of the bodily Soul being vehemently affected if by chance a new passion equally violent be brought upon another part the first is presently abolished or ceases For in truth it appears by constant observation where-ever the greater or fresher trouble is that thither greater plenty of Spirits presently flock and make a tumult wherefore any new irritation being excited in the Brain or its Meninges whatsoever others were begun outwardly among the Muscles immediately vanish or are obscured then as soon as this fresh trouble is passed over Convulsions outwardly arise forthwith again but in other parts where more heaps of Spasmodick matter lye not yet consumed But that long continued Spasms do arise either by reason of the Spirits being burdened with a more tenacious Copula or by reason of the Tendons being obstructed with a viscous or tartareous matter from either or both it appears from hence because this disease increasing as in the case of this Noble Lady the Tendons are at length so shortned by the more plentiful heaping up of the morbifick matter that they become stiff and shorter and for that reason they hardly or not at all grant any place to the Spirits for the constant performing of the motive function Thus much for the Musculary Motion both natural and convulsive and the reasons of both which we have proved with what diligence we were able and by Anatomical Experiments But if any one shall object that they are not very firm because we have noted in the cutting up of live Creatures that the Heart and Muscles of Respiration and the fleshy Pannicle after that the Nerves and Arteries are cut away do continue for some time their turns of Contraction and Relaxation whence it is argued against our Hypothesis that their motions do not depend upon the constant influx of the blood and animal Spirits it will be plain to return this Answer That in those about to dye it sometimes happens so because the Soul being then distracted and drawing near to dissolution all the implanted Spirits at once being cut off from the commerce of those influencing or flowing in do of their own accord exert themselves and perform as long as they are able their wonted motions which being continued for a little space only need not the subsidy or assistance of fresh forces because the veterane till they are quite worn out perform their wonted tasks yea also the old sanguineous Copula till it be wholly consumed receives and lets go their embraces with a constant change But this more rarely succeeds in other Muscles subject to the Empire of the Appetite and wont only to be exercised as occasion served Moreover as we have affirmed that the Instinct for the performing of Motions is brought altogether through the Nerves from the Head to the Muscle and as every Trunk of the same Nerve being oftentimes broken into many shoots variously distributing them sends it to many destinated Muscles it may very well be doubted how the animal Spirits conveying the Symbol of the motion to be performed with a certain choice do actuate only these or those branches apart from other branches of the same and do not indifferently enter all the branches or shoots of the same to wit as the blood passes through the Trunk of the Artery and all its ramifications equally The most Learned Regius that he might solve this knot supposes in the Nerves some little doors like to those which are found in musical Organs the apertures whereof admit the Spirits to these or those parts especially the rest being shut up But he ought to have shewn if not the little doors themselves yet at least by what instinct and by whose direction sometimes these sometimes those are locked up and others opened But in truth this may rather be said that all the shoots of the Nerves and lesser branches remain distinct and singular among themselves from the parts to which they are inserted even to their beginnings so that a peculiar tract of the Spirits or way of passage lyes open from the Brain and its medullary Appendix to every Muscle and nervous part for in truth although the Nerves according to their beginnings may seem to arise from the greater Trunks yet it will easily appear if you shall open the trunk and those branches that in them many little Nerves only like
Cat Horse Fox and many other Animals from whose manner of living and use it is required that they be moved with a swift motion that bony fence commonly called the Triangular Bone is sent down deeply between the Brain and the Cerebel yea and all the bosoms pass through that bone in the holes curiously made hollow in it The Vessels belonging to the dura Mater are either Arteries that carry the blood thither or they are Veins which receiving from thence the superfluous blood and from the whole Head besides return it towards the Heart As to the first sort of Vessels on either side two Arteries arising from the Carotidick Artery on the same side before it comes to the Basis of the Brain are carried into the dura Mater which notwithstanding only possessing the exterior superficies or convex part carry blood and juyce to this Membrane also in some measure to the Skull and its coverings As to the Vessels carrying the blood back this Meninx contains four into which as into a great Sea all the Rivulets of the Arteries serving the whole Head do exonerate themselves to wit there are observed in this Membrane four noted Cavities commonly called Bosoms which are disposed after that manner that like Promptuaries or Store-houses framed in several places they receive the blood returning from every region and corner of the brain For the third bosom or the longitudinal looks towards the anterior brain the fourth towards its middle but the first and second admit the blood flowing back from the Cerebel and hinder part of the brain Further out of these the third and fourth disburden themselves into the first and second and these at length transfer their burden into the Jugular Veins On every side from these bosoms the lesser Vessels viz. the chanels of the Veins are sent forth which going out nigh the interior or concave superficies of the dura Mater are presently inserted into the Pia Mater and following its protension being distributed through the whole compass and all the interior recesses of the brain and its Appendix within the Skull and being complicated with the Arteries receive the superfluous blood and carry it into those greater cavities That it is so it plainly appears because if you squirt a liquor dyed with Ink into the Pipe of the Artery that passing through the arterious shoots and then the veinous goes through at last into the bosoms Whilst the blood returning from the whole interior Head is collected within those bosoms as with a full belly it seems also in another respect to be of a very notable use to wit for the supplying of heat requisite for the distilling forth of the animal Spirits as if it were a certain Chymical operation For as much as the blood to be distilled is contained in the Vessels interwoven into the Pia Mater the superiour Rivers diffused on every side through the dura Mater the heat being brought to it like a Balneum Mariae flow about the underlying blood and so force out of it a most subtil Liquor into the substance of the Brain or rather the blood raising up heat within the bosoms is like the fire of suppression which in the distillation by descent is inkindled round about the Vessel containing the matter to be distilled For indeed the interior substance of the Brain for that it is endued with plenty of Salt and very little Sulphur is of a more frigid temper wherefore that from the blood watering its superficies the spirituous part may be stilled forth and forced into its middle or marrow the degree of the ambient heat ought to be made the more strong such indeed as the blood collected in the ample Estuaries of the bosoms may easily afford Further as those bosoms being distended with heated blood are like a certain distillatory Bath so the other Membrane of the dura Mater being stretched out about the whole Head is like an impervious Alembick which with its covering keeps within the spirituous breaths that they may not be immoderately evaporated Concerning this Membrane there may yet be considered with what motion or sense it is endued And as to sense 't is not to be doubted but that it hath it exquisitely For since all the Membranes have feeling and owe that faculty to the afflux of the animal Spirits from the Brain surely this Meninx for that it is nearer and very much of kin to the Brain and its Appendix so that it clothes very many Nerves going out of the Skull it obtains a very accurate virtue of feeling which thing also may be argued from the effect because the pains of the Head often proceed from the breach of unity excited in this Membrane But that it hath motion it can hardly be thought because it is tyed in very many places to the Skull and yet it is probable that the same may sometimes in some parts at least be contracted and wringled or drawn together And certainly there is no doubt that it is contracted and remitted in sneesing In like manner when from an hurt of this a Vomiting or Convulsive motions follow in the Viscera or Members this Membrane is the cause which being somewhere contracted or divided infolds with it self the substance contained within with the same Convulsion or Spasm Concerning the motion of this Membrane a curious mind may yet further consider its texture and especially how it is within the cavities of the bosoms and the Interstitium or separation of the Brain and Cerebel For in these places are found many Fibres or as it were greater or nervous cords or strings such as we have observed to be variously stretched out in the Ventricles of the Heart Within the bosoms from the various processes of the Membrane a cavity full of turnings and windings and manifoldly divided as it were with many little Cells is constituted This seems to be thus made to this end to wit that the blood returning back from divers little rivers into the cavities of the bosoms may be retarded by several obstacles as it were little flood-gates lest perhaps rushing too impetuously and by heaps it might flow within this Sea with a vertiginous and inordinate motion But there is observed besides these intrications and little cells of this Meninx in the heads of four-footed beasts that moreover in the whole cavity of the bosoms very many cords as it were Ligaments are every where produced from one side to the other The office of these is partly that they may contain the sides of the cavity within their due ends of aperture and dilation lest they should be distended above measure by the vehement rushing in of the blood and so may press upon the substance of the brain Yea the contexture of these whitish Fibres which are met with both within the cavities of the bosoms and in this Meninx going about the Cerebel and distinguishing between it and the Brain seems to intimate that they serve also to some motion For it may be
holes or passages open to the Tunnel the Choroeidal Infolding is continually joyned yea this infolding seeming to hang from the Pineal Kernel sustaining its middle Process as it were by a nail or hasp from thence is divided into two wings stretching out on either side upon the shanks of the oblong Marrow Wherefore we may justly suspect that this Glandula is chiefly made for the sake of this infolding and that the office of it is no other than of other Kernels which are placed nigh the concourse of the sanguiferous Vessels to wit that it may receive and retain within it the serous humors deposited from the arterious blood till the Veins being emptied may sup them back or the Lymphaeducts if there be any there may convey them outwardly For it is observed that the Choroeidal infolding is beset with very many lesser Glandula's or Kernels and every where interwoven with them which imbibe the Serum secreted from the blood in the smaller Vessels therefore for this very same office where all the Vessels concur this Kernel is placed of a bigger bulk that it might be able to receive and contain the serosities there plentifully deposited Moreover it is of no small moment that this Glandula sustains and keeps duly stretched out the Chroeidal infolding otherwise hanging loose and apt to fall down into it self or at least to slide out of its proper place Wherefore I have often taken notice in the Dropsie of the Brain that this Glandula being loosned at the roots by too much moisture and often broken off and removed from its place the Choroeidal infolding hath slid together from its proper expansion and slip'd down lower and also suffered its Vessels to be folded together disorderly From these things thus premised concerning the pineal Glandula it will not be difficult to assign also the use of the Choroeidal infolding Concerning which there will be little need to refel that Opinion of the common sort which asserts That the animal Spirits to be bestowed upon the whole Brain are begot in this infolding because the Vessels of this instil nothing to the substance of the Brain or its Appendix for that they are no where inserted to it but it was before shewn that the Ventricles of the Brain or the Cavity in which these same Vessels are hung do not at all contain the Spirits which further appears more plain because in Cephalick diseases those Ventricles are filled with water and the continuity of the infolding is dissolved by too much moisture when in the mean time the sick are indifferently strong in the exercise of the animal Faculties But indeed we suppose that this infolding serves for a twofold office viz. First that the more watry part of the blood destinated for the Brain might be sent away into its Vessels to the end that the remaining portion of the bloody Latex might become more pure and free from dregs to be distilled forth into Spirits even as is wont to be done in a Chymical Distillation to wit when there is a peculiar Receiver fitted for the receiving of the Phlegm by it self more sincere pure and subtil Spirits are instilled into the other more noted Receiver The more watry blood entring the arterious Vessels of this Infolding being carried from them into the Veins is remanded back towards the Heart In the mean time lest the Serum too much redounding and boiling up in these Vessels might hinder circulation its superfluities are received for some time both by the lesser Glandula's thickly inserted and also by the pineal Kernel The other and no less noted use of this Infolding is to conserve the heat of the blood boiling within the complications of the Vessels and as it were circulating about being excited as from a fire-place within the infolding of the Brain For though the Pia Mater need not implant thick shoots of Vessels in the callous Body and inward Marrows of the Brain for that they are rather dedicated to the Exercise than to the Generation of the animal Spirits yet that the heat requisite for the circulation of the Spirits might be kept constantly in that place this infolding is hung upon the whole neighbourhood For as the blood aggested or heaped together within the Cavities of the Bosoms is instead of an hot Bath whereby the animal Spirits are distilled plentifully into the outmost and cortical part of the brain so the blood contained within the small Vessels of this infolding seems to be in the place of a lesser and more temperate Bath whereby the same Spirits might be fitly circulated in the more inward and medullar substance Lastly Another reason may also be given why the Choroeidal infolding is found always within the Ventricles or Cavity of the Brain made by its infolding and after what manner soever figured to wit that another sort of commodity might result from thence that when the Vessels of that Infolding carrying too watry blood lay aside more Serum than the Glandula's are able to receive or contain what is superfluous might slide down opportunely into the underlying Cavity as into a Sink Wherefore the Pineal Glandula though set in a more eminent place is however placed always near the hole or passage that lyes open towards the Tunnel in every brain Next to the Pineal Kernel are found in the upper superficies of the oblong Marrow certain noted Prominences which are commonly called Nates and Testes These being placed near together do constitute as it were four Mole-hills which yet are joyned one to another by certain processes Beneath these Mole-hills or rather between the joyning of them and the trunk of the oblong Marrow placed underneath a narrow and long Cavity or Den is left which by some Anatomists is called the fourth Ventricle but according to others later who place the fourth Ventricle under the Cerebel this Cavity is affirmed to be a passage to it The hinder extremity of this Den ends nigh the beginning of the fourth Ventricle the more fore-extremity of it opens before the former Mole-hills or little bulkings out called Nates From the midst of this Cavity or narrow Den a passage goes straight to the Tunnel It is very much controverted among Anatomists concerning the site of these parts and of their dependency on one another and of other parts and of their use Concerning which this is first to be noted as we hinted above that these four Protuberances are far greater in some brute Animals than in a Man as in a Sheep Calf Goat and the like also in a sound dry and old Head they are more conspicuous and their processes joynings and habitudes may be more easily noted than in a younger moist or otherwise sickly brain Indeed the use of these unless my conjecture deceives me seems far more noble than that they should deserve those vile names of Nates and Testes Buttocks and Testicles Notwithstanding to what office these parts were designed neither have the ancient Anatomists delivered nor will it by the help of Reason
matter apt for explosion is joyned to them For it is not possible that the immense loss of Spirits which happens in hard labours if they were wholly destroyed in so short a time should be able to be restored by supplements coming only through the Nerves We shall discourse more largely of these things if at any time hereafter we shall treat of the Motions of the Muscles The animal Spirits being disposed within the several Muscles according to the series of Fibres seem as it were so many distinct Troops or Companies of Souldiers all which being set as it were in a Watch-tower are ordained as a new impression is carried to them by the Nerves either from the objects outwardly or more inwardly from the Head forthwith into various forms and peculiar orders for the performing of motion or sense of this or that kind The carriage or behaviour of these is worth the seeing in an animal newly killed and its skin taken off For when life perishes and all the force of the Spirits flowing in through the Nerves hath quite ceased yet the Spirits implanted into the whole Body breaking forth from the Muscles still move and shake them and force them into several Convulsions and trembling motions From what hath been said we may gather what the disposition or order of the animal Spirits may be in the whole animal Body to wit those procreated in the cortical substance both of the Brain and Cerebel are congregated into the middles of either as it were into distinct Empories or Marts and an expansion being made in either they cause certain interior powers of the sensitive Soul to be exercised yet the same Spirits affecting more room enter the oblong Marrow as it were the Chest as hath been said of a musical Organ and fill it full within which flowing they carry to and fro the impressions of sensible Things and the Instincts of Motions From the oblong and spinal Marrow the same Spirits unless when they are otherwise busied tending outwardly flow towards the several parts of the whole Body which notwithstanding wandring so out of doors because they pass through very strait ways in their passage to wit the slender bodies of the Nerves they break not forth in heaps or in a thick troop but only contracted orderly and as it were by bands or divisions but they being carried beyond the extremities of the Nerves and there possessing the Membranes Muscles and other sensible parts dilate themselves as it were into a most ample field and with a very diffuse Army they dwell in the Pores and passages of the Fibres planted every where about where also being endowed from the blood with new food they become more lively and more expeditious or ready for the designed offices Here perhaps it may be demanded how the animal Spirits diffused in such numerous troops through the habit of the Body are able to be supplied by so strait chanels of the Nerves To which we reply That those which reside more outwardly do not quickly evaporate nor are remanded back by Circulation wherefore when all the Fibres are filled by an influx of the Spirits made by little and little from the beginning very small supplements suffice to repair their expence For neither are those dwelling more outwardly for that they are repaired by the bloody food much consumed though in frequent action Hence may be noted the difference between the distributions of the blood and animal Spirits That Latex because it is reduced in a circle its Vessels are in the whole passage proportionated as to the bulk of the Trunk and the branchings sent from it to wit so that the branches of the great Artery being carried from the Heart contain at the least so much of the blood as the shoots reaching forth from them into all the parts But because the animal Spirits being once begotten and carried more outwardly subsist longer there and evaporate very slowly and by little and little therefore the Vessels carrying them viz. the Nerves in respect of the Fibres receiving them are made much lesser in proportion lest perhaps by too great a supplement of the animal Spirits and the too thick gathering of the fresh ones still into the nervous parts the Army of the Veterans before instructed should be confounded and so the orders of all being disturbed the exercises of the animal Function should be performed any how For indeed when at any time the Spirits are made too sharp so that being therefore struck as it were with madness they rush upon the nervous System with tumult and impetuosity from thence a great unquietness and continual throwing about of the Members are wont to be excited to which sometimes madness and fury succeed In the order and ordination of the animal Spirits such as was but now described the Hypostasis or the Essence of the sensitive Soul consists to wit which is only a certain Systasis or shadowy subsistence of those Spirits which like Atoms or subtil Particles being chained and adhering mutually one to another are figured together in a certain Species Moreover the faculties of the same Soul depend upon the various Metathesis and gesticulation of those Spirits within the aforesaid Organs of the Head and nervous System But the consideration of this Soul and its powers requires a peculiar Tract which hereafter God willing we intend in the mean time our Method demands of us that according to our weak skill by the cense or numbering of the Nerves being particularly made we should deliver an exact Neurology or Doctrine of the Nerves But for that in the premised general consideration of the Nerves and Fibres there was mention made of the nervous and nutritious Juyce notwithstanding what belongs to their powers and natures hath been neither fully nor clearly enough delivered therefore we will a little divert here and make it our business to inquire what sort of Juyces and Humors are carried into the parts of the animated body for their nourishment and by what ways or passages then this difficulty being removed a plain and easie way leads into the Doctrine of the Nerves CHAP. XX. Of the Nervous Liquor and whether that or the bloody Humor be Nutritious SInce the Circulation of the Blood was made known and it hath been plainly made appear that it did no where stagnate and stand still long but was carried in a reciprocal motion always as in a circle it began to grow doubtful whether its Latex is nutritious or not For besides that the more rapid course of the blood as of a torrent might seem to wear the banks which it flowed between and to carry away some Particles from them rather than to be able to affix any thing to them the substance it self also of the blood for that it is more torrid and uneven is thought to be altogether unfit for nutrition Wherefore that a Juyce may be found more convenient or fit for this office the passages and hidden recesses of the Nerves are to be
as yet included within the scarce hollow gums hence the blood being hindred in its Circulation causes a tumour and so presses the nerves and also pours on them the more sharp particles of the Serum by which being notably pulled or hauled they are tormented with Corrugations and painfull Spasms Therefore when so cruel pains happen to children from their breeding Teeth it is no wonder if a feavour and also Convulsive motions sometimes follow the former of these happens both for as much as the blood being hindred about the pained part is not circulated with its wonted and equall course wherefore it becomes inordinatly moved in the whole Body and besides because Spasms being stirred up somewhere in the nervous stock the corrugated and contracted nerves presse together and pull the Arteries and by that reason stir up irregular and feavourish fluctuations in the Blood But sometimes Couvulsions happen in breeding Teeth both because the blood growing hot sends forth heterogeneous particles to the animal government and so stirs up the spirits into explosions and besides also when this acute pain and as it were a Lancing follows upon the teeth being about to cut it communicates a very troublesome and irritative sense from the affected parts to the first sensorie presently from thence the motion of the rage is retorted by the same or other neighbour nerves which by reason of a praevious disposition doth not rarely become convulsive Besides these two occasions of Convulsions which are wont to be chiefly and more often in children to wit the times of Infancy and breeding Teeth this Distemper also is excited at other Times very often and for other Causes For in whom the Seeds of the Spasmodick Disposition is sown they sometimes unsold themselves presently after the birth and are ripened into morbid fruit or else lying hid for a while they now come before the breeding of Teeth and follow a long time after it and by reason of other evident causes to wit either external or Internal of which sort are a sickly or breeding nurse milk Coagulated in the stomack or degenerating into an acid or bitter putrifection a feavourish distemperature of the head Ulcers or wealks of other parts suddenly vanishing the Changes of the aire the Conjunctions oppositions and aspects of the Sun and moon and such like they at length break forth into Act from an uncertain event Concerning these there is no need that we should particularly discourse When all the Children of a man dwelling in the neighbourhood dyed of Convulsions within the space of three months at length to prevent that fatal event they sought for remedies for a child newly born I being sent for a few days after the being brought to bed first advised the making an Issue in the nape of the neck then that the next day after a leech being applyed to the jugular veine of each side two ounces of blood should be taken away besides that about every conjunction or opposite aspect of the Sun and moon about five grains of the following powder should be given in a spoonfull of Julap for three days morning and evening Take of humane Skull prepared of the root of the male Paeonie each ʒ i. of the powder of Pearls ʒ ss of white sugar ʒ i. mingle them and make a very fine powder Take of the waters of Black Cherries ℥ iii. of the antiepileptic of Langius ℥ i. of the Syrrop of the flowers of the male Paeonie ʒ vi mingle them also I order'd that the nurse at the same times should take a draught of whey or posset drink in which were boyled the seeds and roots of the male Paeonie and the leaves of the Lilly of the Vally the Infant for about four months was well but then began to be troubled with Convulsions at which time the same Remedies being administred both to the child and to the nurse in a larger dose vesicatories also were applyed behind the eares and blood was taken by the sucking of a Leech from the jugular veins within two or three days the child grew well afterwards whenever within four or five months the Convulsions return'd it was cured again by the use of the same Remedies After half a year the Convulsive motions wholly ceased but a painfull Tumour arose about the lower part of the Spinae dorsi or back-bone from which proceeded a certain distortion of the Vertebrae or joynts of the back bone and a weakness of the legs and at length a Palsie It seems in this case that the Spasmodic or Convulsive matter being wont to come upon the brain first and beginings of the nerves entring at last the Spinal marrow and being thrust out at its further end it wholly stopt up the heads of the appending nerves and shut out the passage of the Spirits to wit because other narcotick and more thick had joyned themselves to the explosive particles The Curatory Method against the Convulsive Distempers in Children IT is to be endeavour'd either to prevent the Convulsive passions threatning Children and Infants or to cure them being already begun For if the former children of the same parent were obnoxious or lyable to Convulsions that evill ought to be prevented timely The Preservation of Infants from Convulsions by the use of Remedies to those born after It is usuall for this end to put into the mouth of the child newly born some antispasmodick Remedy assoon as it begins to breath from hence some are wont to give them some drops of the purest hony others a Spoonfull of Canary sweetned with Sugar and some again oyl of Sweet Almonds fresh drawn to some may be given half a Spoonfull of epileptic water or one drop of oyle of Amber Besides these first things given to Infants which certainly seem to be of some moment certain other Remedies and means of Administrations ought to be used to wit let one spoonfull of Liquor proper to this distemper be drunk twice a day as for example Take of the water of black Cherry and of Rue each ℥ i ss of the Antiepileptic of Langius ℥ i. of the Syrrup of Corall ʒ vi of prepared Pearl gr xv mix them in a Viol. On the third or fourth day after the birth let an Issue be made in the nape of the neck then if it be of a fresh Countenance let a little blood to about ℥ i ss or ii ounces be taken by the sucking of Leeches from the jugular veins having a care lest the blood should flow out too plentifully in its sleep let the temples and the hinder part of the neck be gently rub'd with such a like oyntment Take of oyle of nutmegs by expression ʒ ii of Capive ʒiii of Amber ℈ i. Let an Amulet be hung about the neck of the roots and seeds of the greater Paeonie a little of the hoof of an Elke being added to it Moreover antispasmodick Remedies should be dayly given to the Nurse The Method of Curing to be used to the Nurses Let her
same disease did fall upon our Countrey men here and there also at other times for that of late in this City all the younger people of a certain family were sick of it yea I remember that some time past very many laboured with such a feavour Out of the many histories and examples of sick people which it rendred when it was epidemical I will here propose one or two A strong and lively young man about the beginning of the spring 1661 falling Observation 1 sick without any evident cause without any great heat or thirst he became suddenly weak and as if enervated with a dejected appetite and languor of spirits Cathartick Remedies Antipyretics or allaying of heat digestives and also antiscorbuticks and others of various kindes administred by the prescriptions of the most famous Physitians availed nothing But notwithstanding the sick man hitherto languishing with a slow and wandring feavour with a quick and feeble pulse a deep-colour'd urine had kept his bed a fortnight besides being reduced to the greatest leanness he complained of a giddiness and as it were the fluctuation of a sound in his head and a tingling noyse in his ears Altho he was troubled with a great stupor yet his sleeps were mightily troubled and broken with delirious fables After four days when the feavour was not yet declined it was thought good to take away four or five ounces of blood by Leeches from the sedal veins from hence the feavour began to be much exasperated for a great intense heat with thirst watchings and almost continual tossing of the body also the tongue dry and scurfy appeared then quickly a troublesome cough with abundance of discoloured spittle followed to him were administred almond and barly-drinks with temperate bechicks or things to stop coughing boyled in them water of milk distill'd with snails and pectoral herbs the shelly-powders prepared nitre and often Cordial opiats which notwithstanding scarce giving any help the sick man still became more weak when in this manner being sick above two months space the feavourish distemperature and cough also dayly growing worse he seemed near death at length a voluntary sweating arising so that every night or every other night he sweat abundantly and from thence finding himself better using then the aforesaid Remedies he grew well within six weeks Till I had seen many sick people after the same manner I suspected this disease to be alltogether an hectick feavour with a consumptive disposition of the Lungs but when I saw many others at that time fall sick ordinarily after the like manner I easily instituted the Aetiologie or national account of this feavour such as I have already described to wit that the blood because of the intemperature of the year and perhaps from errors in dyet The reason of it had contracted a vitious procatarxis or remote cause Then it growing feavourishly hot and presently carrying its impurities to the brain and so depraving the juice watering it and the nervous stock induced the vertiginous distempers with a stupor a languishing of spirits and an atrophy of the whole body but so long as the blood did transfer its recrements from its own bosom into the brain and nervous appendix the feavourish heat continued more gentle and milde But afterwards when the tending downwards of the morbific matter by the opening of the hemorhoid veins was drawn away from the brain the same being first retained within the bloody mass increased the feavour then being poured on the Lungs excited the cruel cough with plentifull spittle but forasmuch as the flesh of the Lungs remained free from putrefaction as soon as the serous water was sent away by a more plentifull sweating the sick man became free both from the feavour and phthisis or Consumption that seemed so deplorable Observation 2 In the mean time whilst he lay sick I visited another about 12. years of age after the like manner affected But this when I was firâ—t sent for having been sick above a month was reduced to the leanness of a Skelliton besides he was troubled with a vertigo with a noise in his ears and deafness and also with a violent cough with yellow and as it were consumptive spittle his pulse was quick and feeble his urine red and thick his appetite much dejected his spirits so languid and his strength so cast down that he could not keep out of his bed I gave this youth to drink often in a day water distill'd from milk with snails and temperate herbs besides I ordered him an open decoction such as is in use for the Rickets to be daily taken instead of his ordinary drink by the help of which Remedies he was restored to his health in a months space At this time I was sent for to many other people of every age and sex distemper'd by the same disease now clearly Epidemical for it running thorow whole families not only in this City and the neighbouring parts but in the Countries at a great distance as I heard from Physitians dwelling in other places increased very much Those for the most part labouring with this feavour so be they were otherwise whole grew well by the fit use and order of medicine and dyet but it hapned very often but ill to those who were indued with a weakly constitution of brain and nervous stock or broken with age but not seldom the case of the sick became dangerous because the Physitians were not wont to be sent for presently after the beginning of the disease yea scarcely before it had more deeply spread abroad its roots and the opportunity of healing was past Observation 3 For that reason this feavour became very deadly in the family of a certain Noble man among his children originally obnoxious to Cephalic distempers About the vernal Aequinox a Boy of about eleven years of Age began to be sick At first without any vehement heat or thirst a dejection of appetite and want of strength came upon him Besides an almost continual giddiness did trouble him with a frequent danger of fainting that he often thought he was just dying By the advice of a certain woman attending him they dayly gave him Clisters then when from the foulness of the mouth and Tongue manifest signes of a Feavour appeared this Emperick on the fifth day gave him a vomit of the Infusion of Crocus metallorum and on the seaventh day a Cordial powder being administred she incited the sick youth covered with blankets to sweat his skin hardly began to be moist but presently he began to talk idly complained that his Cap was fallen into the water by and by becoming speechless within four hours whilst I was sent for he expir'd before I came Observation 4 A little while after the same disease fell upon his yonger Sister whose sickness however because it was accompanied with a frequent and humid Cough was thought at first to be only a taking of Cold but within a few days this Cough became plainly Convulsive so that
kinde of remedy I often experienced with success in little Children For that by the means as it were another breathing place is opened to the mass of blood silently and covertly growing hot and obtruding its soot or smoak on the more noble parts and for that reason its impure efflorescencies or puttings forth are drawn away from the brain and lungs Therefore although this feavour of an ill Condition may be accounted as it were malignant yet forasmuch as the blood is not presently apt to be coagulated but to be too much poured forth and to bestow its serosities on the nobler parts to wit the brain and lungs therefore Phlebotomy so it be administred in the beginning of the disease is convenient allmost to all For the same reason Cathartick Medicines and chiefly vomitory are administred at the very beginning of the disease for these do not only evacuate the viscera of concoction and so draw away the chief fomenting of the disease and as it were its originall but besides they draw forth the serosities from the blood and so effect its cleansing rather in the stomach and Intestines then in the head and lungs Further by Emeticks for that the receiving Glandulaes of the Lympheducts are pulled with a great shaking the superfluities of the nervous juice least they should evilly affect the brain and its dependencies are expressed forth into the lower bowells also for this end the belly is to be kept continually loose by the use of Clysters But in the mean time whilst the blood being infected with the taint of this disease threatens the brain or praecordia with the evill it will not be safe to attempt any thing with Diaphoreticks or sweating medicines or Diureticks or such as evacuate by urine or also with Catharticks vomiting and purging medicines For these kinde of medicines forasmuch as they greatly pour out the blood and compell its serosities into more open issuings forth all the recrements being apt to fall away from the mass of the blood are easily obtruded on the brain or Lungs when they are of a more feeble constitution So in the youth above-mentioned a loss of speech came upon the raising of an untimely sweat Also I have known that Sudorificks no other then chaly beats in the morbid disposition of the lungs have brought on a waisting or Consumption Vomits and Purges are to be administred Phlebotomy therefore and if need be vomiting or purging either one or other or both being to be made use of at the very beginning of the disease the other Intentions shall be to draw away the morbific serosities of the blood apt to flow forth on the head or breast and to derive them gently by other ways of evacuation Blistering plaisters and to put them forth of doors To this end Vesicatories or blistering plaisters ought to be applyed to the nape of the neck or Parotida or jugular Arteries or to the Arm-pits or the Groin or about the thighs or calves of the legs sometimes in this part sometimes in that to wit that the little Ulcers being here and there excited and continually running might plentifully pour forth the serum imbued with the morbid and heterogeneous particles Diureticks But Remedies gently carrying the serum into the Reins and urinary passages are most often administred with success For this business diuretical Apozems and Julaps are to be ordained after the following forms A diuretick Apozem Take of the Roots of Scorzonera cherfoil grass and of Eryngoes candied each Ê’ vi 1. Apple cut of the leaves of pimpinell meadow-sweet each i. handfull of Raysons of the Sun â„¥ i ss of harts-horn burnt Ê’ ii being cut and bruised let them be boyled on a clear fire in four pints of spring water to the Consumption of the third part to the straining being cleared ii pints add of the Syrrop of green Cytorns or violets â„¥ ii of sal prunellaÊ’ i ss make an Apozem The dose â„¥ iiii to vi thrice in a day Or into that straining put 15 blanched sweet Almonds and of the four cold seeds An Emulsion each Ê’ i. being bruised make an Emulsion according to Art Take water of Dragons and of black-Cherries each â„¥ iiii of scordium compound Ê’ ii of Threacle water â„¥ i ss of syrrop of Clove-gilliflowers Julap â„¥ ii of the spirit of vitriol xii drops make a Julap Take oftentimes in a day in small beer or posset-drink half a dram A Power or ii scruples of sal-prunella Besides in this feavour medicines gently sweating of that sort chiefly which restores the animal spirits and defends them from any heterogeneous Copula Gentle Diaphoreticks are of very great use wherefore either the powder of pearls or the spirit of harts horn or of blood in a moderate dose are administred twice in a day viz. Morning and Evening Clysters are to be given almost every day and if it be thought fit Glisters a gently loosning purge may be taken once or twice in a week The dyet prescribed ought to be slender as in other feavours Dyet let them be wholly interdicted from flesh or broath made thereof only let the sick feed on Grewell or barly-broth and let their drink be small beer or posset-drink If that notwithstanding any preventive physick the morbific matter should lodge in the brain or Lungs or both together so that a dissolution or inordination of the animal function or also a violent cough should assalt them it must be consider'd what is to be done in either state of the disease carried forth after this manner into an evill condition but then the curative Indications ought to respect the stupor or madness or cough and lastly if in the declination of the disease these symptoms do remit proper Remedies are to be adhibited against the Atrophie as it were the last fortress of this Feavour 1st Therefore if the morbifick matter as it is often wont being brought to the brain should bring in an Insensibleness or a soporiferous or sleepy distemper The Curatory Method in the unsensibleness and madness remedies drawing it another way and deriving it some way from the head and besides such as stir up the animal spirits and take away the impure Copula ought carefully to be administred wherefore in this case the use of Epispasticks or such things that draw the water outwardly should be much increased and let the spirit of Harts-horn be exhibited allmost every sixth hour in a little bigger dose let blood be also taken by the sucking of Leeches more largely from the jugular veins the Salvatella or the sedal veins If the distemper remits not the head being shaven let Emollient fomentations be often applyed thereto Further let Cupping-Glasses Plaisters and Cataplasms be laid to the soals of the feet and other means of Administrations such as are commonly prescribed for the curing of the stupor or Insensibleness ought to be used In like manner if on the evill or no Crisis of this
wonted tasks of Influence and so provoke them ready to be exploded in such disorders yea and as a flame put to them do somewhat inkindle them but on the contrary stinking things repress the spirits drive them back from excursions and exorbitances and compell them into order yea like sulphur mixt with aurum fulminans take away from them their explosive force What we have hitherto said of the passions called from the womb hysterical will yet more clearly appear if for the Confirmation of our Hypothesis we shall add arguments taken from anatomical observations I will therefore lay before you a notable Case by which the former reason and Causes of the convulsive distempers may be very much illustrated A very noble Lady of a most curious shape Observations and highly indued with a virtuous disposition of minde and manners of late lived near to this place who being for many years obnoxious to convulsive distempers for that she had originally or hereditarily contracted this sickly disposition and had experienc'd the fruits of this morbid seed almost every lustre of her age but chiefly as often as she was with child for she very frequently miscarried was wont to be tormented above measure with convulsive passions as it were hysterical because presently after the restraint of her monthly flowers the heterogeneous particles being translated to the brain and nervous stock caused fits of this most cruell distemper After she had newly conceived in the first months according to her old custom she was presently molested with convulsive distempers about the nineth week of her big belly from taking cold she fell into a dangerous feavour in which very acute pains tormenting her in her loyns and bottom of her belly for many days seem'd to threaten an abortion but these pains as the event shew'd rather to be termed Colical proceeded from a sharp humour falling down into those parts from the brain by the pipes of the nerves for towards the declining of the feavour this matter being somewhere else translated a great loosness or Diarrhaea pains of the feet and as it were an ulcerous disposition succeeded As soon as this Lady became well from her feavour and those pains the convulsive distempers returned for every morning wakeing from sleep she was wont to suffer Convulsions and cruel contractions about the parts of her face and mouth as also in her armes and thighs which symptoms without doubt did arise from a serous heap or gathering laid up in the head about the beginnings of the nerves and by them imbibed together with the nervous juice more deeply in sleep and when afterwards the same matter was carried by the pipe of the interior nerves into the foldings of the Mesentery and loyns most cruel pains of those parts and also fits as it were hysterical did most grievously infect her But these convulsive motions of her face and members after a little time ceased but yet she still remained weak and without strength with a pale countenance an infirm and trembling gate and desirous only of congruous food and hot Liquors about the end of the third month at which time she was wont continually to miscarry her menstrua broke forth which coming away for two or three days together with little pieces of broken membranes she expected to miscarry But that flux ceasing pains as it were of one in labour in her abdomen and loyns as before arose and for the space of a week tormented her day and night at length having used a bath of Emollient herbs and afterwards put to bed to sweat she brought forth the burthen of her womb the conception so coming away with mighty pain was about the bigness and like the figure of a Turkie egg the exterior coat of it was torn and broken the interior remaining whole contained about half a pint of clear water and nothing else besides there appeared no shape of a childe or any rudiments that it would ever be one Afterwards for 4. or 5. days her flowers flowed forth with some pieces of broken membrances in the mean time pains with their wonted fierceness tormented her and when the space of a week being elapsed they left not off of themselves remedies at length were sought to allay them To this end first Liniments Fomentations Baths and Clysters were often administred also medicines purging the filth of the womb on which the cause of all the evill was cast were taken inwardly Short intermissions of her tortures followed upon the use of the former but then the distemper returned with great trouble yea the disease much increasing in three weeks time got many other horrid symptoms for besides the pains in her belly and loyns which became more cruel every day also she was shortly after tormented in her back neck shoulders as also in her arms and thighs with most cruell pain and that more bitterly as soon as she was warm in her bed besides she was afflicted with a frequent giddiness vomiting and nauseousness and often in a day with most grievous convulsive fits viz. First a bulk was seen to ascend in the bottom of her belly and presently it lifted up her whole belly forceably by and by respiration being restrained an Insensibility with a dead countenance succeeded after that she had thus lain as one dead for three or four minuts of an hour she was wont suddenly to leap up that she could hardly be held down or kept by those standing by then follow'd cruell contractions and distortions in all the parts of the mouth and face as also in all the members of the body These symptoms were indeed judg'd to be hysterical because this noble Lady so lately had miscarried But weighing every one of these I was at last of this opinion that the cause of either fit viz. Both the dolorifick and the convulsive did depend wholly on the evill affection of the brain and nervous stock and that without any fault of the womb for that a sharp humour being heaped up within the head did from thence descend thorow the passages of the Nerves into parts at a great distance which lodging upon the membranes and fibres and fermenting with the humour flowing in from the bloody mass did irritate them very much and so stir'd up most cruel pains Then afterwards when the heterogeneous and explosive particles being admitted with what humour within the head and entring into the nervous passages did cleave to the spirits therefore the convulsive disposition then breaking forth into grievous fits was induced as shall be by and by more largely laid open Instituting Curatory Intentions according to this kinde of Aetiology I order'd to have blood taken from this sick Lady at what time she most grievously laboured out of the Saphena vein and within two days to be given her a gentle Cathartick and that to be reiterated once or twice in a week Also on other days Morning and Evening I gave her spirits of Harts-horn and at other hours twice or thrice in
blood 30 31. The office of the Heart as to the Blood 31 The animal soul depends upon the temperature of the bloody mass ibid. A plentiful stock of inflamable oyl is in the blood 32 The Blood full of Sulphur ibid. Why the flame of the blood is not seen ibid. The Blood affords an Elastic Copula for the motion of the Muscles 43 Of the Blood flowing to and from the Brain 79 The Blood caried to four distinct places of the head 88 Whether bloody-humor nourishes 130 131. Of the Blood-carrying Vessels in the spinal marrow 179 Why the Blood carrying Vessels in the Spine are frequently ingraffed one into another 180 181. Bodys Of the Chamfered Bodies in the brain 102 103. Of their difference in Fowls and Fishes 103. Bone Cuniform or Wedg-like its office 70 Of the sive-like Bone what it serves for 100 Another use of the Cribrous Bone 138 Bosoms Of the Bosoms of the Vessels in the Spine 181 Why chiefly required in those parts ibid. Of the Vertebral Bosoms ibid. Brain Anatomised 55 The method of cutting up the Brain 55 56. A great analogy between the Brain of Man and of four-footed Beasts and between those of Birds and Fishes 56 A description of the whole Brain in the skull 57 58 A description of the bulk of the Brain being taken out of the skull 58 59. Of the figure of a Mans Brain 60 61. Of the Brains of small four-footed Beasts as Mice Conies Hares c. 61 The explication of the first and second figures of the Brain 62 63. A description and dissection of the hinder part of the Brain 63 64. Of the oblong marrow of the Brain 64 Of the four chief protuberances of the Brain ibid. The prominences very small in the Brain of some Creatures and very large in others 65 Of the tube or pipe in an Horses brain 66 Of the Cerebel and its Processes 67 Of the Vessels arising in the hinder part of the brain 68 The third and fourth figures of the brain explained 70 The wonderful Net in the brain described 72 The admirable structure of the brain shews the mighty Wisdom of the Creator and workmanship of the Deity 73 The Brains of Fowls and Fishes described 74 75. The figure of the Brain of Fowls and Fishes 75 The offices and uses of the Brain and its parts 77 The Brain is the Womb of all the Conceptions Ideas forces and powers of the rational and sensitive soul ibid. The difference of the site of the brain of Man and of Brutes 78 Of the blood flowing to the Brain 79 Of the chief Arteries destinated to the Brain 84 Of the Dura mater see Dura mater Of the Pia marer see Pia mater How the animal spirits are begotten in the Brain 87 88. How created only in the Brain and Cerebel 88 89. Of the Brain properly so called its description 90 91. Wherefore the Brain is made with crankling turnings and windings 92 Why the Brain of Birds and Fishes and some Beasts want such crankling turnings ibid. The offices of the cortical and marrowy parts of the Brain 93 The use of the Callous body and of the Fornix in the Brain 93 94. The inward parts of a Sheeps brain explained by figure 94 Of the Ventricles in the Brain 96 97. Of the Tunnel of the Brain 99 How the humour of the Brain is evacuated 98 99. Of the oblong marrow of the Brain and its parts 101 102. The use of the chamfered or streaked bodies in the Brain 102 103. Of the Chambers of the optick Nerves in the Brain 103 Of the Pituitary Glandula in the Brain 105 Of the Pineal Glandula of the Brain 106 Of the orbicular prominences called Nates and Testes in the Brain 107 108. Of the uses of the Cerebel or little Brain and its parts 110 111 112. Of the orbicular prominences and annular protuberance for what uses 121 122 123. Of the Brain of a Fool dissected 162 Of the anatomy of a Monkeys Brain ibid. Breast Why a Child new born seeks out the Mothers Breast or Beasts new brought forth into the world their Dams teats 109 Breathing How effected 155 How variously interrupted 175 Brutes A single Machine 162 C. Candle Why a Candle burns blew in the Mines 29 Carotides See Arteries Cerebel Its description and of its processes 67 68. The uses of the Cerebel and its parts 110 111 112. Of its parts and accidents 112 113. Of its difference in substance from the Brain 123 Chewing How made 143 Choaking Why there is a sense of Choaking in the Throat in some distempers 161 Choroedes The use of the Chorotides 99 Of the Choroeidal Infoldings 106 Cloude In Vrines what it means 3 Colick The cause of the pains in the Colick 170 Colour In Vrines 2 3. Of the colour of sick peoples Vrines 6 7 8. Conclusion Of the Anatomy of the Brain and the use of the Nerves 192 Consistence Of Vrines 6 Contents Of the Vrines of healthful and of sick People 13 14. Cough Why a troublesome Cough often causes Vomiting 156 Cramp What it is and how and how made 46 The Causes of it ibid. Who are most obnoxious to the Cramp ibid. Crests Of some Creatures why erected in anger or pride 150 Crying How made 143 D. Diaphragma Why the motion of the Diaphragma conspires with the praecordia 163 Of the Nerve serving to the use of the Diaphragma 174 175. Of the irregular motions of the Diaphragma 175 Why the Nerve of the Diaphragma proceeds from the Brachial Nerve 176 Distillation of Vrine 1 22. Dura mater Described 56 Its uses and offices 78 79. Of the Vessels belonging to the Dura Mater 79 What the motion and sense of the Dura mater is 79 80. It s several uses rehearsed 80 81. E. Eares Why all Animals at a noise or sound erect their Eares 118 Elements Of Vrine 1 Experiments Of flame and fire 28 Of cutting asunder the Muscles to perceive their motions 38 Experiments of a live Dog concerning the voluntary motions of the Muscles 39 Of intumifying a Muscle 42 Experiments of injecting Liquors into the Carotidick Artery 72 Experiment whether the pulse of the heart depends on the influence of the Animal spirits 152 Eyes Why the eyes so readily shew the affections and passions 110 The reason of the little black specks or spots which sometimes seem to be before the eyes 139 Of the Nerves that move the Eyes 140 Of the pathetic Nerves of the Eyes ibid. Why Love is admitted by the Eyes 143 Why the Eyes are made red in some passions as anger joy c 154 Why the eyes and mouth answer so readily to the motions of the praecordia Viscera 160 The reason of flame proceeding from the Eyes of persons in burning Feavers 33 The Fibers in the Eyes the cause of the act of seeing 140 F. Farcy Of the Farcy in Horses what it is and how cured 134 Fibres Of the Nerves whence they arise 128 The Fibres in the Nostrils perform
in which Spirits for that they are very nimble continually strive to expand themselves and to fly away but being intangled by the more thick Particles of the rest they are detained in their flight And being detained after this manner they toss about break to pieces and very much subtilise the more thick little Bodies by which they are hindered they volatilise the Salt otherwise fixed by a most minute kneading and by the adhesion of it they perfectly dissolve the Sulphur compacted in it self and not miscible with the rest and boil it in the Serum They break the Earth even to its smallest parts and mingle it with the rest But in the mean time by the striking and molding the Salt and the Sulphur Effluvia's of heat plentifully proceed which being mixed with the rest and on every side diffused increase the motion of the Fermentation And after this manner all being most minutely broken and diluted with watery Particles they constitute the Liquor of the Blood which whilst in the Vessels as Wine shut up in a Pipe continually ferments and according to all its Particles is in perpetual motion But the Fermentation of Wine and of Blood differs in this that in Wine there is no wasting of the old parts and a coming again of new but the Liquor being shut up in the Vessel remains still the same but 't is otherwise in Blood in which some parts are continually destroyed and in their place others are always generated anew In Wine the times of crudity maturation and defection are distinct and are successively performed in the whole In Blood that threefold state is celebrated at the same time and by parts Fermentation being once begun in Wine is continued even to the end but in Blood because it is washed still with crude Juices it ought still to be renewed by which means the Nutritious Particles not of kin are assimilated to the rest of the Latex wherefore for this work besides the Fermentation once begun in the blood there is need of some Ferments which may continue the same otherwise about to leave off That Ferments are required for the making of Blood this is an Argument that when they are wanting by Nature they are with good success supplyed by the work of Art for fixed Salts Alcaly Salt Extracts Digestives Openers and especially Chalybeate Remedies help for this reason that as it were by a certain Ferment they restore anew the weak or almost extinct Ebullition or Boiling of the Blood As to what respects the Natural Ferments very many may certainly be formed and in divers parts or hid in the Bowels for any humor in which the Particles of Salt Sulphur or Spirit being much exalted are contained puts on the Nature of a Ferment after this manner the flowring or dregs of Beer or new Wine being kneaded with Meal and the mass kept to a sowrness come under this rank by which new Beer and the like Liquors as also the mass of Bread are most excellently Fermented In like manner in the Ventricle a sowrish humour participating of exalted Salt there helps concoction and in the Spleen the feculencies of the Blood from Salt and Earth being exalted go into a Ferment How much vigor comes to the Blood from the Womb and Genital parts appears from hence because by the privation or evil disposition of them follow in Maids the Green sickness in men barrenness or loss of virility want of Beard and a shrill voice But the chief Ferment that serves for sanguification is established in the Heart for this is the chief fire-place in which the cruder Particles of the Chyme are as it were inkindled and acquire a volatileness which thing may be confirmed by many reasons but especially by its effects which we suffer in the precordia as often as the Blood ferments more or less than it ought to do for when it is too much inkindled in the Heart it is agitated impetuously as it were by fires put under it the signs of whose immoderate Ebullition are a deep pulse and vehement then almost an intolerable heat in the Precordia with a vehement thirst on the other side when the Fermentation of the blood is lessened in the Heart we are affected with an anhelous and difficult respiration upon any motion as may be perceived in the Dropsie Cachexia and Yellow Jaundice the reason of which is not because the Lungs are stuffed or filled full of a tough or clammy matter but because the blood doth not rightly ferment in that Repository of Fermentation wherefore being fallen into its Bosom it is not presently Rarified nor doth it soon leap forth into the Lungs but being apt to stagnate and remain there causes an oppression of the Heart it self for the helping of which frequent breathing is made that the blood being let forth into the Lungs succour might be brought to it but if by motion or exercise the blood be more provoked into its Ventricle than can be derived by respiration or the pulse into the Pneumonic Vessels there is danger of choaking The like happens in those that are dying when the pulse is very small and the blood being heaped up in the Heart for want of Fermentation begins to stagnate and to clodder we then breath deeply with a noise and elevation of the breast to wit the blood with the ultimate endeavour of Nature and the whole force of the Lungs as long as it is able to be done is emptied forth into the Lungs lest residing in the Heart it should wholly choak it Therefore Motion and Heat in the Blood depend chiefly on two things viz. partly on its own proper disposition and constitution by which it being forged very greatly with active Principles of Spirits Salt and Sulphur of its own accord swells up or grows turgid in the Vessels even as Wine in the Ton and partly on the Ferment implanted in the Heart which very much rarifies the Liquor passing through its Bosom and makes it to leap forth with a frothy heat that the blood which is quietly instilled to the Heart through the Veins running gently like a River from thence leaping forth through the Arteries like a Torrent with noise and rage might be carried forward to all the parts of the whole Body By what means this is done though it is not easie to explicate Mechanically yet the manner and some not improbable reasons of this thing are delivered by most Learned men Ent Cartes and others They suppose indeed as it were a fire to be set in the Chimny of the Heart which presently inkindles the blood infused through the Veins even as a flame put to Wine burns it which being so inkindled by its deflagration like lightning passes most swiftly through the Arteries so that heat a most rapid motion and Effluvia sent by Perspiration are wont to proceed from the accension of the blood in the Heart only Hogelandus affirms that there is a Ferment hid in the Bosom of the Heart that compels the
motion of the Blood is a little hindred a tumour at first small is induced which afterwards by a malignant ferment unfolding it self more largely being leisurely increased creeps into the neighbouring part A suppuration follows not because the matter being extravasated and stagnating is not concocted and digested by a gentle heat but by reason of the particles of the outrageous Sulphur together with the carried forth Salt being heaped up in these Tumors and because of the stagnation they being presently loosened from the mixture a burning is excited as if a Cautery were affixed to the part pieces and lobes of skins eaten as it were from a covered Eschar fall off because the Corrosive venom impacted in the Muscles gnaws not only to the superficies but those that lie transvers through the whole substance wherefore before all the flesh is consumed with the membranes in which the eaten pieces were invalved some piece as it were cut off from the rest falls away A Carbuncle oftentimes but one oftentimes more arise somtimes they are alone somtimes they are accompanied with a Bubo A pestilent Bubo springs forth only in glandulous places into whose substance goes not only the Blood congealed by the Poyson and carried through the Arteries but the nervous juice heaped up there and carried back into the Veins Because this Tumor happens from less torrid juices and in part more frigid therefore it partakes of suppuration For the matter being leisurely heaped together when by reason of the stagnation the vital Spirit being departed it had lost the form of Blood it was by a long concoction converted into matter from the particles of Salt and Sulphur exalted and restrained in the Tumor But that these Tumors only happen in the Glandulas the reason is not that by the destination of Nature the nest or tinder of the Disease is carried to these parts but as the particles of the virulent infection abound every where in the Blood and nervous juice they are more readily gathered together as in a common Family and where the Blood being dilated to the extream parts of the Arteries and is so not readily received and carried back by the veins and also the alible juice to be carried back from the nerves into the veins is deposed either of these as it appears clearly by late observations of Anatomists and by experience are made or done about the Glandulas wherefore when in these parts either humors being stuffed with the pestilent seeds of the contagion come together at once as it were the nest of the malignity because of the virulency here deposed from either is blown up Whelks fiery inflamations and purple spots in respect of the venom are of the same stuff as the Tumors but now described but in these the product of the virulency consists in a lesser substance yet with greater danger by reason of the seeds of the Poyson being more dispersed more small portions of the coagulated Blood being fixed in the skin constitute these lesser appearances wherefore out of these some being increased are ripened into little itching blisters others by reason of a certain blasting or deadness of the corrupted Blood grow into black and blew and purple Spots Altho the Plague by reason of its sudden secret and very swift assault upon sick people hardly gives time or place for a prognostick and when this Disease by reason of the occult manner of hurting contains in it self nothing that is not suspected yet there are some signs that appear in its course by which we are wont to foretel either Life or Death The business is then desperate if the Disease pass presently into an Epidemical distemper and makes violent assaults if that bleeding or only a small sweat follows in the beginning of the Disease if the Urine be thick and troubled the Pulse unequal and weak if a Convulsion or a Phrensie presently follow if the Vomits or Stools are blewish black or highly stinking if the Whelks at first contract a redness afterwards a blewness if the Carbuncles are many if the Buboes at first swelling up disappear if strength be suddenly lost the face horrid or grows black and blew if with a shivering of the outward parts there be an heat of the bowels especially if these or many of them happen in a body full of ill humors or in an unwholsom season On the contrary the sick may be bid to be of good chear if the condition of the Pestilence be lighter and less deadly if the Disease happens in a robust and healthful body with a strong mind if remedies may be timely had before the Disease hath possessed the whole mass of Blood Also if with a continuance of strength high and equal Pulse a suppuration of the Buboes and a large profusion of matter with the absence of more horrid Symptoms the course of the Disease is performed In the mean time altho here we may hope all good yet we are not to be secure because somtimes the snares of life are laid privily with the laudable appearance of signs and we suffer most grievously as from a reconciled Enemy whose fierce threatnings we seemed to have shun'd Concerning the curing of very many sicknesses the business is chiefly committed to Nature to whose necessity Physick is the Midwife and the office and science of a Physician chiefly is busied in these that occasions of giving convenient aids to this labouring be attended but the Plague hath this peculiar that its cure is not at all to be left to Nature but that it is to be endeavoured any way by remedies gathered from Art Nor are we to be solicitous of a more opportune or as it were a gentler time but Medicines are most quickly to be prepared and we must not stay for them some hours no nor minutes But because whilst the Pestilence reigns there is no less need of care that the Contagion may be driven far away than that the Disease being impressed may be cured therefore a double task is incumbent on the Physician to wit that he looks to the prevention of this malignant Disease as well as to the cure To prescribe a method for both these had been a work of too much tediousness and to have given you a dish a thousand times dressed by Authors wherefore we will only touch lightly here some chief Indications and hast to other things Preventive cautions either respect the Republique and belong to the Magistrate or private persons to whom it should be taught what is to be done by all men when the Plague is feared The publique care in the time of the Plague consists chiefly in these that Divine worship be truly observed that all nests of Putrefaction be cut off that filths Dunghils and all stinking things may be removed out of the Streets and all occasion of the Contagion diligently avoided and that an wholsom means of living be constantly observed by the Citizens For which end the use of fruits and of other unwholsom things should be
voluntary function enter oftentimes into spontaneous Contractions unless they be hindred by their Antagonists as it appears for that the Spasm or Cramp of one Muscle comes upon the Palsie of another Contraction and Relaxation are iterated more swiftly in the Heart than in the Muscles of Respiration and so perhaps in these than in several others In those ready to dye the fleshy Pannicle every where trembling clearly shews their changes by innumerable beatings or leapings As to what respects the Humors whereby all the fibres of a Muscle viz. the fleshy tendinous and membranaceous and what lies between them seem to be watered filled or blown up we ought to take notice of them at least two of them to wit the bloody and nervous liquor if not more And in the first place it is clearly manifest to the sense that the blood doth wash all the fleshy and membranaceous fibres which are interwoven with these because if the Spirit of Wine tinctured with Ink be put into an Artery belonging to any Muscle the Vein in the mean time being tyed close the superficies of all the fleshy fibres and transverse fibrils are dyed with blackness the Tendons being then scarcely at all changed in their colour it appears from hence that the blood doth every where outwardly water all the flesh or fleshy fibres and only those We have not yet found by any certain mark whether the blood enters more deeply the fleshy fibres or instils into them the subtil liquor falling from them although this last seems most probable but indeed we affirm that all the fibres viz. the fleshy tendinous and membranaceous are perpetually and plentifully actuated by the implanted and inflowing animal Spirits and constantly imbued with the nervous liquor which is the Vehicle of the Spirits But how far or how much the aforesaid humors conduce to the exercise of the animal Faculties doth not easily appear but because the animal Spirits cannot consist without the nervous liquor and depend very much upon its disposition we may conclude that it doth serve something to the actuating the motive power for that reason also that the continual afflux of the blood is nevertheless necessary an Experiment cited by the Ingenious Steno and proved of late by others plainly confirms He hath observed that in a living Dog the descending great Artery being tyed without any previous cutting off the voluntary motion of all the posterior parts have ceased as often as he tyed the string and as often returned again as he loosned the knot These are the chief Phaenomena to be observed concerning the frame and action of a Muscle in the dissection of Animals both of such as were living as also of the dead and dying From which however placed together and compared among themselves how difficult a thing it is to constitute the Aetiology of the animal motive faculty appears even from hence that the most Ingenious Steno after he had very accurately delivered the Elements of his Myology by himself first invented nevertheless he wholly avoided that Hypothesis which might be founded out of them for that he yet doubted whether the explication of a Muscle by a Rectangle were convenient to Nature in all wherefore when many run to the manner of musculary Contraction by the repletion of the fibres and others from their inanition and some to both he ingenuously professes that the true causes of this thing do not clearly appear to him And as to this abstruse matter although I do not believe that I am able to bring to light or shew any thing more certainly than others yet as in mechanical things when any one would observe the motions of a Clock or Engine he takes the Machine it self to pieces to consider the singular artifice and doth not doubt but he will learn the causes and properties of the Phaenomenon if not all at least the chief In like manner when it is brought before your eyes to behold and consider the structure and parts of a Muscle the conformations of the moving fibres their gests and alterations whilst they are in motion why is it that we should despair to extricate the means or reasons of the motive function either by truths or by what is next to truth Wherefore I think it may be lawful for me here to bring before you our conceptions and notions concerning this thing indeed not rashly taken or to comply with our former Hypothesis or to oppose any other which if they shall not satisfie all may at least excite others to find out better But we shall here repeat what we have mentioned before viz. that the power or virtue by which a Muscle is moved proceeds from the Brain is conveyed through the Nerves and is performed by the fleshy fibres contracted and by that means abbreviated This latter is proved by ocular demonstration yea it appears by it that the motive force doth depend also upon those former and is so transferred by a long passage that the influence of the Spirits being suppressed in their beginning or intercepted in the way for that reason the exercise of the designed motion may be hindred Further we notifie that the motive force is far greater in the Muscle or in the end than in the beginning or middle because the Brain and depending Nerves are made of a tender and fragil substance and can pull or draw nothing strongly but the Muscle putting forth strongly its contractive force seems almost to be equal to the strength of a Post or Crow or of a Pully or Windlace Sometimes the local motion is a compound Action to be performed of many Organs which consist in divers places and as its virtue is far more strong in the end than in the beginning or way we will inquire by what means as it were mechanical the motive force may be so augmented or multiplied in its progress then what is brought to the motion from the several Organs As to the first in Artificial things when for the facilitating of motion and the increasing the moving force many Instruments are invented all of them or at least the chief may be reduced to these two Heads viz. first either the same force or impression may be continued without the addition of any new force from one term or end to the other or from the first mover to the thing moved which notwithstanding may be much increased in the way as the Centers of Gravity are farther off or multiplied for the farther the motion is begun from the first Center of Gravity the stronger it proceeds as is beheld in a Crow or Leaver and in other things reducible to a Leaver Then if other things be disposed beyond the first Center of Gravity successively before the end of the motion as in a circular Wheel the same motive force is wont to be increased very much But to this there is required that the instruments of motion be sufficiently strong and tenacious in their whole tract for otherwise the motive force being
suspected that those strong Fibres and as it were Ligaments do sometimes contract sometimes dilate and variously draw the Membrane to which they are knit From these kind of motions of the dura Mater the blood flowing within the bosoms may be variously agitated and as occasion serves sometimes hastened in its Circle and sometimes restrained or hindred for in many affections of the sensitive Soul the blood being disturbed from its equal circulation is sometimes precipitated by heaps and impetuously to the Heart and sometimes detained from its nest longer nigh the confines of the Brain But that various whirlwinds of passions stir up such irregularities in the motion of the blood the nervous parts implanted about the Praecordia are in some measure the cause which by contracting or dilating the same variously moderate the course of the blood yet so that in the mean time some part of this office is due from the brain it self or at least to its Appendix Indeed the brain it self wants motion but the blood passing through its substance for as much as it is poured wholly in this Meninx and passes through its receptacles is at the motion and beck of this Membrane sometimes driven away from the brain and commanded to succour the Heart as in fear and great sadness sometimes being hastened towards the brain is for some time prohibited from flowing back as in shame indignation and some other affections Truly that these kind of interior processes of the bosoms and as it were transverse strings or cords do conduce to the more commodious reduction of the blood we gather also from hence that in working beasts whose brain because they feed and go with a prone and hanging down head is in greater danger of an inundation of the blood those processes are very big for that they being successively contracted may leisurely thrust out the blood apt otherwise to stagnate by reason of the inclination of the head Neither is it from the purpose to observe here that these same Animals are always furnished for that reason with a greater wonderful Net by which means indeed it is provided that the blood may not too much invade the brain by heaps as care is taken by the artifice but now described lest the same should make too long stay in the brain and so oppress its more weak frame Therefore in the last place that I may recollect what I have said of the dura Mater and rehearse its chief uses First It covers over the Skull within and reaches to it somewhat of nourishment by the Vessels Secondly It is a covering to the whole head and serves to distinguish its chief parts Thirdly It contains the Vessels designed for the reducing the blood from the whole interior head which in the mean time by reason of the plenty of the blood contained in them and the opportunity of their situation administer requisite heat for the distillation of the Spirits Fourthly It provides ways for the admission and going out of all the Vessels within the Skull and fortifies them to which may be added that it bestows on some of them their Coats as shall be shewn anon Fifthly and lastly This Meninx being here and there contracted or divided by the animal Spirits variously moved according to the passions of the Soul or the necessities of Nature stays the blood sometimes longer near the confines of the Brain sometimes drives it forward from thence towards the Praecordia CHAP. VII Of the thinner Meninx or Pia Mater of its stretching out as also of the Infoldings of the Vessels every where interwoven with it THE interior Meninx or Pia Mater is far thinner than the exterior and consists of a most subtle contexture of Fibres This does not compass about the Encephalon's superficies as loosly as the Dura Mater but embraces it so very strictly that it is very hardly separated from it besides it insinuates it self into all its turnings and windings and furrows and clothes their inward parts Further this Meninx although it be thin yet being covered over throughout with the infoldings of Arteries and Veins is interwoven with them and so waters all the spaces of the Brain and Cerebel with innumerable rivers For as the Region of either of these especially of the Brain is full of turnings and windings this Membrane in like manner grows to the deep furrows of the crankling turnings about and also to the tops of the ridges yea the chief complications of the Vessels are still placed in the vallies as if they were there hid in regard of their safety Neither doth this Meninx only cover the gapings of the turnings and windings about but also gathers together the tops or heights of all their interstices or places between and knits them together and so makes the whole superficies of the Head plain globous and as it were like the World That the diffusion of this wonderful Membrane into all the turnings and windings of the Brain and the distribution of the Vessels through those most intimate recesses may be the better beheld let the head of a man or of a brute beast that dyed of the Dropsie be opened For in such whose brain abounds with much moisture the little stays whereby this Meninx is fixed to the substance of the brain are loosned so that the Membrane with the infoldings of the Vessels may be easily drawn away and pulled off almost whole which indeed being pulled off the folds of the brain will appear naked also the insertions of the Vessels every where into the more inward substance of the brain may be perceived But to a sound and dry brain the Pia Mater sticks so closely that it can scarce be drawn away in any part or separated with a Penknife We have already shewn after what manner the Veins and Arteries which creeping like Ivy are knit into the Pia Mater and variously interwoven into it cover over with most thick little shoots the whole compass of the Brain and Cerebel and their Interstices the gapings of the crankling turnings and windings about bosoms and cavities and send forth every where small shoots into the medullary substance so that it is not to be doubted but that the animal Spirits being as it were stilled forth immediately from the blood every where in the whole head are received into the Pores and passages of the Brain and Cerebel From hence it will be easie to assign the use or office of the Pia Mater viz. First this Membrane clothes the universal parts of the whole Encephalon and distinguishes them all one from another For indeed this lying over all the gapings and interstices of the turnings and windings is instead of a mound or fence by which the animal Spirits are restrained every where within their proper cells and orbs of expansion nor are they permitted by this means to run beyond their bounds and so confound the acts of the many Faculties Then secondly this Meninx sustains all the blood-carrying Vessels viz. both the Arteries and Veins
Carotides in a man having an erected head higher than the rest of the parts and in a Horse in some sort lifting up his face have also the same priviledge to wit that by their more steep ascent only the more pure and volatile blood may ascend to the region of the Brain But in other four-footed beasts who go with a prone or hanging head and who have a more frigid and watry blood which may easily slide into and too much wash the Brain this evil is in some part prevented by the wonderful Net and pituitary Glandula joyned to the Carotides which indeed receive the superfluous humidities of the blood and so make it more pure and free from dregs before it comes to the brain But that the blood may be supplied still in due quantity to wit as it were in weight and measure from the distillatory Vessels stretched about the compass of the Head there is a notable provision made in all the Carotides about the Basis of the Skull because their crooked imbowings and branching into infoldings hinders the too great or too rapid approach of the blood then lest the passage of it should at any time be shut up the mutual ingraftings of all the Vessels on either side do help or provide for After this manner the business of extracting the animal Spirits is performed even as a Chymical Elixir to wit great care is taken in the beginning of that Operation both that choice of matter may be had and that only a due proportion of it be exposed to distillation The blood by this means as it were a Chymical work prepared is carried by the fourfold Chariot of the Arteries to four distinct regions of the Head and as the sanguiferous Vessels being distributed with separate ramifications or branches through the whole compass of the Brain and its Appendix cover all the heights of its compassings about or gyrations and also all its crevices and their gapings and recesses they bring to their doors the matter to be distilled into the Head every where through the whole circumference of the Brain and Cerebel nigh the Cortical substance of either out of which as the Spirits are distilled by this means it is brought about that they are insinuated into the subjected substance of either The blood being carried through the narrow infoldings and divarications of the Vessels as it were as was said through the serpentine chanels of an Alembick is made extremely subtle as much as may be in its liquor in the mean time what is bloody is received by the little shoots of the Veins associates or meeting one another every where and what is serous by the Kernels every where dispersed yet it s more purified and spirituous part being carried on further through the very small shoots sent forth on all sides are instilled more deeply into the very Pores and passages of the Brain and Cerebel which presently flowing from the Cortical substance into the medullary there exercise the gifts of the animal Function What peculiar body and constitutive particles of the Brain it self and Cerebel conduce to the generation and perfection of the animal Spirits within the substance of either shall be shewn hereafter when we treat of the Use of those Parts now shall be taken notice of what we before mentioned to wit that the fluid extillation of the spirituous liquor from the blood about the Pia Mater is performed after a signal manner both from the ambient heat which is stirred up from the blood contained within the bosoms as it were from a Balneo Mariae inriched by the continual flowing of it anew and also from the obduction of the Meninges like an Alembick by which the spirituous Particles apt to fly away are constrained and forced into the parts beneath But indeed though the animal Spirits are procreated wholly from the blood yet the blood watering the Brain and its Appendix is not only bestowed on this work for as to the sanguiferous Vessels which arising out of the Trunks both of the Carotides and the Vertebrals cover over the whole Head and all its parts and processes though many of them yet not all are little distillatory chanels of the animal Spirits For the animal Spirits are not produced in all places to which these Vessels reach for we affirm that these Spirits are only procreated in the Brain and Cerebel which it were easie to prove by the Symptoms which happen in the Apoplexy and Palsie and shall be afterwards clearly shewn and from this double fountain of the animal Spirits they flow out into all the rest of the parts and irradiate by a constant influence the whole nervous stock In the mean time the oblong marrow and its various processes and protuberances are either retreating places or high roads for the animal Spirits procreated in the Brain and Cerebel and flowing from thence But for as much as the Arteries and Veins clothe these parts also with a thick series of shoots and that within the infolding of the Brain the folds called Choroeides are hung slack and loosly these seem to be so made for other reasons viz. both that these parts might be actuated by heat supplied as it were from a continual fire and also that the nourishing Juyce might be bestowed on the Spirits which flow there As to the first that the animal Spirits now perfected may be freely expanded and irradiate the nervous System there seems to be required that the ambient heat being excited by the blood flowing thither might open all the little spaces for their passage and notably dilate or lay open for them ways or roads wherefore we intimated before because the little shoots of the Vessels ought not to be deeply inserted into the callous body for that lest the commerce of the Spirits diverting in this Mart or meeting place should be disturbed by the perpetual influence of the blood therefore the infolding of the Choroeides is hung under its chamber that at least by this nigh situation as by a Stove or Hot-house the heat there might be preserved Besides we intimated another use of this infolding to wit that the blood passing through the very narrow Meanders and convolutions or rollings about of the Vessels might lay aside its serous recrements into the Glandula's or passages of the Veins 2. But secondly That many branches and lesser shoots of the same Vessels which water the Brain and Cerebel cover also the oblong marrow and in some measure enter into its Pores and deeper substance within which the animal Spirits are not begotten but only exercised and expanded I say that this is so made for this other respect to wit that the substance of the oblong marrow might imbibe a constant provision of nourishment from the pouring in of the blood whereof it hath need For whilst the animal Spirits flowing into the nervous stock from the Brain and Cerebel pass through this passage as it were the high road some food he e ought to be administred to
them as it were in their journey from the watering blood For indeed we suppose which also will afterwards clearly appear that the oblong marrow together with the nervous parts is moistned with a double humor viz. one spirituous and highly active which flows altogether from the Brain and Cerebel and being from thence derived into the whole nervous stock bestows upon them the sensitive and moving Faculties and the other humor softer and more oily and sulphureous which being supplied from the blood and affused immediately on every part is the Author of their Heat and Vegetation Both these Juyces agree among themselves and being every where joyned together and married they are as it were a masculine and feminine seed mixed together and so they impart to all parts both sense and motion and all the powers of life and growth Wherefore it is observed that all the parts of the whole body by which motion and sense are performed do not only swell up with the animal Spirit of whose influence being deprived they presently suffer a resolution or loosning but also they admit the sanguiferous Vessels of whose Tribute if they be defrauded presently they wither away or are distempered with a mortification or Gangrene Wherefore that the flesh membranes and all the bones may be watered with the blood as may be perceived by the help of a Microscope the very little or minute bodies of some of the Nerves are surrounded with Capillaments or little hairs of Arteries and Veins together with their proper Fibrils that we need not doubt to assert that the Vessels penetrating the superficies of the Brain and Cerebel do distil into them a subtil matter for the generation of the animal Spirits but that some other shoots of the same Vessels covering the oblong marrow do only impart to it heat and nourishing Juyce Lastly that the infoldings of the Choroeides were built under the chamber of the oblong marrow chiefly for the dispensing of heat and in some measure for the sake of separation of the serous Latex But concerning these we shall have occasion to speak more largely afterwards when we shall treat of the nutritious and nervous Juyce and when we shall consider of that famous Controversie viz. whether nourishment is made by the blood or Nerves further we shall elsewhere speak more fully of the Nature Hypostasis and diverse Disposition of the animal Spirits also what the substance of the Brain and the conformation of the parts may contribute to their production Thus far concerning the Pia Mater and the blood-carrying Vessels which are woven in it and following its protension water the whole Head we have treated largely But before we quite leave the consideration of this Membrane we will inquire what sense and motion it may have Certainly it is not undeservedly that we ascribe the most cruel Head-aches to the more acute sense of this in which however by what means this Meninx is affected does not so easily appear It is the common opinion that sharp and tormenting Vapours being raised from the Viscera of the lower Belly especially from the Ventricle Hypochondria or Womb strike against this Membrane and so pierce it with pain But we say though this be impossible that Vapours passing so many interstices and bars of the Viscera and bones without any trouble should ever come to the Head and hurt it yet we do not deny but that sometimes vaporous Effluvia's do proceed from the blood boiling or estuating within the confines of the Brain which being shut up together under the Pia Mater and as it were gathered into a Cloud do greatly blow up and distend it and so distemper it with pain I have often seen in a Head newly opened after death the Pia Mater distended and shining like a Bladder that the same seemed to be intumified with much water included under it which notwithstanding was found to be so done by wind distending the Membrane for that being dissected that Tumor fell down without the effusion of water But we think the Head-aches which happen by reason of the evil of this Membrane are chiefly excited by another means to wit for as much as this Meninx suffers a breach of the unity by the blood boiling up above measure and rushing into its Pores and so it is contracted into lighter Convulsions I have sometimes opened the Heads of the defunct which when living were obnoxious to most miserable Head-aches in which near the longitudinal bosom where the seat of the pains was the Pia Mater or interior grew to the Dura Mater or exterior for some space oft-times for two fingers breadth and by their growing together had excited a sharp and unequal Tumor in which the mouths of the Vessels were so wholly stopped up that there was left for the blood though very much boiling up no passage into the adjoyning bosom As to the motion of this Membrane we wholly deny that it hath in it self a perpetual Systole and Diastole however the Pulses in some Arteries have seemed something like it which have given occasion perchance to this vulgar Opinion Yet in the mean time it may be lawful to believe that this Meninx for that it is very sensible is rendred obnoxious to Cramps and convulsive motions and that from its greater contraction the fits of the Falling-sickness do arise and from its lesser and more partial corrugation or wrinkling together Head-aches as hath been said and also sometimes Scotomies Vertigoes and often Convulsions of the Members and Viscera planted at a great distance from the origine of the Nerves being drawn into consent CHAP. X. A Description of the Brain properly so called and the Explication and Use of its Parts WE have thus far beheld the Coverings of the Brain both the bony and the membranous also the Arteries and Veins growing and knit to them like Ivy and distributed through the whole compass of the Head There now remains these coverings being removed that we next consider the Fabrick and true Hypotype or Character of the Brain and its Appendix together with the action and use of all the parts And here at first sight we meet with three things to wit the Brain the oblong Marrow and the Cerebel of which the oblong marrow seems to be a common Trunk to which the Brain and Cerebel grow like branches wherefore some contend the medullary Rope to be the principal part and the Brain and Cerebel its dependences But that it is otherwise appears by this because these bodies both in the generation and dispensation of the animal Spirits are of more noble use than the oblong marrow so that if the out-flowings of the Spirits from the Brain or Cerebel be shut up or hindred the nervous System presently suffers an Eclipse in the mean time if this be primarily distempered the Brain and Cerebel suffer not for its fault That we may begin with the Brain it may be considered in a double respect to wit both as to its convex or exterior
in the whole or in part for that reason divers manners both of Actions and of Passions to wit the Senses which we call its Passions and Motions which we name the Actions of the same The formal reason of the former viz. the Senses consists in the retraction or drawing back of the Spirits or a flowing back towards their Fountains For where ever the impression of a sensible object is carried to this radiant or beamy contexture presently either the whole frame or some portion of it whereby it admits the species is compelled to wag and to be moved back as it were to leap back and recede into it self on the contrary the actions or motions of this Soul are made for that this shadowy Spirit being incited or stirred up in the whole or in a certain part unfolds it self more largely and by an emanation and as it were a certain vibration of the Spirits exerts or puts forth its virtue and force of acting Both the Senses and Motions of this sensitive Soul are made either transient when the Spirits or its constitutive Particles being moved somewhere in the System of the Nerves draw together with them the containing parts and deflect them with the like carriage or gesture with themselves as is observed in the five outward Senses and the local motions of the Members or else either both Actions and Passions are continuing to wit when both the Motions and Senses are silently performed without any great agitation or moving of the body or its parts within the first Fountains of the Soul viz. the Head it self These kind of Passions indeed made within the substance of the Brain are the common Sense and Imagination but the Actions are Memory Phantasie and Appetite and either of these as to their beginnings and instincts depend for the most part upon the outward Senses Concerning the former we take notice that as often as the exterior part of the Soul being struck a sensible impression as it were the Optick Species or as an undulation or waving of waters is carried more inward bending towards the chamfered bodies a perception or inward sense of the Sensation outwardly had or received arises If that this impression being carried farther passes through the callous Body Imagination follows the Sense Then if the same fluctuation of Spirits is struck against the Cortex of the Brain as its utmost banks it impresses on it the image or character of the sensible Object which when it is afterwards reflected or bent back raises up the Memory of the same thing The active Powers of this Soul viz. Local Motion Memory Phantasie and Appetite follow sometimes immediately the Passions sometimes are induced apart from them upon other occasions For indeed the sensible impression striking the streaked or chamfered bodies oftentimes the Brain being in no wise affected causes the local Motions to be retorted with a reciprocal tendency of the animal Spirits so in sleep the Appetite knowing nothing of it when pain troubles presently we rub the place moving the hand to it but more often after that the sensible Species having past from the common Sensory to the callous Body hath stirred up the Imagination the Spirits reflecting from thence and flowing back towards the nervous Appendix raise up the Appetite and Local Motions the Executors or Performers of the same And sometimes a certain sensible impression being carried beyond the callous Body and striking against the Cortex of the Brain it self raises up other species lying hid there and so induces Memory with Phantasie also often with Appetite and Local Motion associates Further these active Powers sometimes upon other occasions are wont to be stirred up and exercised apart from Passion In Man the Rational Soul variously moves the sensitive and at its pleasure draws forth and brings into act its Powers sometimes these sometimes those Moreover the blood boiling up above measure and by that means striking impetuously the border of the Brain excites the species of things lurking in it and driving them forward towards the middle or marrowy part of the Brain causes also the various Acts of the Phantasie and Memory to be represented Concerning the aforesaid interior or abiding Faculties we shall at present further take notice that their more perfect Exercises are chiefly and almost only performed by the Spirits already perfected and highly elaborated for those a making or that are new made being numerous they very much obstruct and hinder the acts of the animal Function to wit when from the Vessels on every side watering the Cortex of the Brain the subtil Liquor is plentifully instilled for the matter of the animal Spirits this flowing inwardly stuffs all the pores and passages of the Brain and so excludes for that time the Spirits from their wonted tracts and orbs of expansion Wherefore whilst the chief reflection of the Brain and Spirits is celebrated sleep or an Eclipse of the animal Spirits happens then waking returns when from the Liquor instilled the more subtil part is exalted into very pure Spirits and at length the more watry being partly resolved into Vapours is exhaled and partly supped up by the passages of the Veins entring the substance of the Brain or else is sweat out into the vacuity lying under the callous Body Concerning these I hope we may discourse more largely afterwards In the mean time that we may proceed to the rest of the things proposed concerning the frame of the Brain properly so called there yet remains that we speak of its Ventricles But since they are only a vacuity resulting from the folding up of its exterior border I see no reason we have to discourse much of their office no more than Astronomers are wont of the empty space contained within the vacuity of the Sphere But in truth as there is nothing met with in Nature that is not destinated to some use surely we suspect this same Vacuum or empty space not to be built in vain within the Globe of the Brain The Ancients have so magnified this Cavern that they affirmed it the Shop of the animal Spirits both where they themselves were procreated and performed the chief works of the animal Function But on the other side the Moderns or those of later days have esteemed these places so vile that they have affirmed the same to be mere sinks for the carrying out the excrementitious matter But indeed that opinion of the Ancients is easily overthrown for that the animal Spirits being very subtil and apt to fly away require not such large and open spaces rather than the more narrow passages and little pores such as are made in the substance of the Brain for these Spirits because they ought for the various Faculties of the Soul to be composed into various series and divers orders and dispositions therefore ought to be moved within peculiar orbs and tracts Further if any one shall exactly consider the fabrick of the Brain and seriously weigh that these Ventricles are not formed out
suggested from some other place than the Brain to wit from the aforesaid Prominences Wherefore 't is to be observed that in some Brutes endued with an indocil or dull Brain the Buttock-like Prominences are greatest as may be seen in a Calf Sheep Hog and many others which Animals as soon as they are brought to light presently seek for their food and what is congruous for them they readily know But in a Man a Dog Fox and the like who are more apt to learn and acquire habits these Prominences are very small and these Animals being newly born are furnished only with a rude and imperfect sense besides they are found wholly unapt to seek out their food Upon this Observation which holds good in most Animals which I have yet happened to dissect as upon a Basis or foundation I dare build this kind of abstruse Hypothesis concerning the natural Instincts and Affections of the Praecordia For as the living Creatures which are more strong in instinct as Sheep Hogs Oxen Goats and other slow and gentler beasts that are not obnoxious to Passions are also less docile or apt to learn and on the contrary they in whom the Affections are wont to predominate and who are furnished with a certain wit as besides Man are Dogs Foxes and some other hotter Animals are less powerful in Instinct and as I have observed in the frequent Dissection of all sorts of Heads that in those kind of living Creatures who live rather by Wit than Instinct the annular Protuberance placed below the Cerebel was notedly great and the orbicular Prominences only very small but in other living Creatures where the Instinct exceeded the wit and who were less prone to strong Affections the orbicular Prominences were very great and on the contrary the ringy Protuberance exceeding small From hence I was forced to think that the orbicular or natiform Prominences where they are great are instead of another or supplementory Brain and the chief Organs of the natural Instincts yet so as these parts also serve for a way or means of passage for the transferring the Passions from the Brain towards the Cerebel and Praecordia and that as we have already hinted the greater existency of the annular Protuberance is to contain plenty of Spirits requisite for the winds of the Passions yet in the mean time by a further tending forwards or declination of the Spirits inhabiting this the Species of the natural Instincts being sent from the Praecordia and Viscera pass through But however the business is because nothing can be certainly affirmed or by demonstration if this our Opinion please not others at least it may be pardoned There remains not much more to be spoken concerning the Offices and Uses of the Cerebel and its Appendix Concerning its substance there is something more worthy taking notice of to wit that it very much differs in this respect from the structure of the Brain also for that its cortical little circles are not founded in the stretched out Marrow as the convolutions of the Brain but being deeply cut in are discontinued in their whole tract so that the whole System of the Cerebel is as it were a cluster of Grapes compacted closely together in which although the Berries be contiguous yet they remain distinct one from another and bring forth fissures through the whole thickness of the mass Yea the outward superficies of the Cerebel consists as it were of very many Tubercles or little Tad-stoles or Puffs which grow together on little stalks and those stalks pass into greater branches and they at length being bipartite or twofold go together into two larger Marrows near the bottom of the Cerebel in either of which are three distinct medullary Processes of which threefold processes on either side we have already spoken But of these concerning the use of the Cerebel in general we shall yet further advertise you that as very much of its substance is cortical it begets animal Spirits in great plenty to which in the circulating there is not granted as in the Brain an equally great space for that there seems not to be much need of it in the animal Government For the Spirits so produced in the Cerebel plentifully by a perpetual emanation ought to flow outwardly for the offices of the natural and vital Function but more inwardly for the impulses variously sent into them they admit certain undulations or wavings by which some occasional acts of the involuntary Function are brought forth as is shewn before But as it is manifest enough that the animal Spirits are generated within the cortical little circles of the Cerebel it doth not seem needful that we should ordain their Work-house in the Ventricle subject to its frame For that Cavity as we have already shewn is only an empty space which lying under its double little foot and medullar Trunk comes between it and the overlying bunching out of the Cerebel But indeed there belongs to this besides a certain use to wit that the serous watry heap laid aside out of the Glandula's and infoldings of the Vessels as also from the substance of the Cerebel being made over-moist distilling down might slide into this Cistern From whence lest it should flow down upon the beginnings of the Nerves by a restraining Membrane it is compelled into the hole of the strait Den lying under the orbicular Prominences and from thence is received from the declining aperture of the Tunnel and carried out Below the Cerebel the oblong Marrow going forward with the rest of its tract even to the hole of the hinder part of the Head ends at length in the spinal Marrow but in its Trunk as yet contained within the Skull besides the Nerves and Processes but now recited the beginnings of the ninth and tenth pair of Nerves are also radicated Of which there will be hereafter a proper place to speak when we shall institute the whole Neurology or the Doctrine of the Nerves In the mean time we shall take notice of the beginning of the ninth pair which is peculiar in Man and different from what is found in Brutes To wit in Man below the origine of the eighth pair a certain Protuberance grows to either side of the oblong Marrow Out of that four or five distinct Fibres do come forth one or two of which binds about the Vertebral Artery passing through it but all grow together into the same Trunk which is the Nerve of the aforesaid pair This Protuberance the Pia Mater being pulled away may be easily seen and seems to be the Repository or Store-house of the Spirits destinated to this Nerve For as this Nerve is bestowed on the Tongue and its Muscles and so conduces chiefly to the performing of speech in Man who hath a greater and more frequent use and exercise of the voice there seems to be need of a great provision of Spirits plenty of which ought always to be in a readiness But in Brutes who have none or a rarer necessity
viewed and as a certain Latex is found to flow within their Pores and passages presently the blood being rejected that nervous humor is gifted with the title of nutritious but yet by what right and after what manner nutrition is performed shall be our present purpose to inquire And here first of all that we may take the part of the blood it will be easie to shew that there is matter contained in it fit enough for the nourishment of the body and a sufficient store of it For besides the sulphureous substance of the blood which within the fire-place of the Heart with a continual inkindling and by that means deflagration in the Vessels produces life and in the more perfect Animals heat there is found also a certain other humor soft and alible which in the Circulation being distributed through several parts of the Body by increasing them adds nourishment and bulk yea the deflagration it self of the blood plainly as a Kitchin-fire in dressing meat as it were boils and prepares this humor whereby it more easily is assimilated into the substance of every part to be nourished Hence it comes to pass that by reason of a defect of heat in the blood no less than of excess nutrition is often hindered But that this kind of alible Juyce is contained in the bloody mass the Anatomy or spontaneous Analysis of its Latex sufficiently declares for the extravasated blood when it goes into parts of its own accord this liquor being disjoyned from the purple thick part and swimming a top of it appears clear or limpid but by reason of its more thick contents to wit the nutritious Particles like the white of an Egg it is easily made thick and grows white by a gentle heat which thing appears by this familiar Experiment to wit if you shall evaporate a little of it only in a Skillet over the fire the whole liquor will presently grow together into a white Gelly By this liquor as the blood is more or less imbued with it living Creatures grow and become more fleshy or lean for both the blood of younger Animals being loosned from cold is wont to shew much more of this kind of white than more ancient or older Creatures and we may take notice daily at our Tables that very much of this kind of Gelly comes out of the flesh of a Lamb or Calf being boiled or roasted and nothing almost from Mutton or Beef especially if old Therefore we may lawfully suppose that the blood is truly nourishable and that the whole or at least the greatest part of the matter for the adding bulk or substance to every part is dispensed from it but if at any time it be defective in this its office that happens not out of the natural unfitness of it but because its disposition is sometimes depraved and as the Stomach labouring with some vice rejects or perverts the Chyle to be cooked by it But the blood as it is not the only and alone humor which is distributed in the animated Body so neither seems it able to perform alone and of it self the whole office of nutrition For besides that being diffused through the Arteries and Veins another Latex is every where dispensed from the Head through the Nerves which shall be shewn to afford something at least to nourishment As to the first there are many reasons which declare that kind of humor to be in the Brain and nervous stock and to abound in their whole passages For unless the animal Spirits continually flowing out should be founded in such a Latex which is their Vehicle they would not be contiguous or joyned nor able to continue and knit together the Systasis of the sensitive Soul For if Hippocrates did observe long since that Cramps and Convulsive motions were produced from driness and emptiness that perhaps might happen by this means to wit because the humor in the Nerves or Fibres being deficient the Spirits distracted one from another were separated which notwithstanding that they might still retain their mutual embraces and as it were folding of hands bend the containing bodies and very much contract and so force them into Convulsions Besides Wounds and Impostumes of the Tendons and nervous parts seem to witness the diffusion of the nervous Juyce either of which drop forth a thin Ichor and wholly unlike to the mere bloody Excretion no less may be argued from the Ganglia and Evil running Sores In time of sleeping the aforesaid humor is wont to flow more plentifully into the Brain and Nerves and to obstruct their passages and therefore yawnings and stretchings come frequently upon those awaking that its reliques might be shook off Lastly we might readily shew that from the depravation of the nervous humor Melancholy Madness and some wonderful Convulsive distempers proceed But it may be objected that there is no such kind of humor because the Nerves being cut asunder it is not perceived to flow out and that the Nerves being also bound they do not swell above the Ligature as Arteries and Veins But it may be answered That the liquor flowing in the nervous stock is very subtil and spirituous and which by any striving or wrinkling up of those parts when they are roughly handled may easily evaporate and be blown away or dispersed unperceivably Then further 't is observed in the Whelps of some Animals newly litter'd who have as yet that juyce viscous and not easily to be dispersed and that have their Nerves greater if they be bound hard together with cords they will swell above the Ligature Therefore seeing it appears that a certain Humor doth creep through the blind Pipes and passages of the Head and of the Appendix both medullar and nervous it behoves us next of all to inquire from whence that comes thither and whither it tends and lastly of what kind of nature and use it is Concerning these first it appears from what hath been said that the aforesaid Latex serving for a Vehicle of the animal Spirits is perpetually instilled together with them from the blood watering the exterior confines of the Brain and Cerebel which from thence passing through the medullar Trunk is afterwards with a gentle spring poured through the whole frame of the nervous System so that the first fountains of the nervous humor are in the Brain and Cerebel But further to this Juyce conveying the forces of the animal Spirits and supplied only from the Head there joyns a certain other humor as it were auxiliar in the whole passage and restores and refreshes it otherwise about to grow deficient We think that these kind of supplements and subsidies which happen to come from elsewhere to the nervous Juyce flowing from the Head are received and admitted inwardly from the sides and extremities of the medullar and nervous System We have already shewed that an humor as it were secondary is instilled from the blood watering these parts in its whole passage because the Arteries follow not only the medullar Trunk
of which sort are Hearts-case Water-Pepper Ranunculus or Crowfoot and the like which very much abound in volatile Salt being bruised into a mass and put into the Ears of the diseased Horse and kept there for twenty four hours it is scarce credible by what means all the Ulcers are presently dryed up and the disease healed as it were by Inchantment is quickly profligated in the whole For since this Application is made far from the affected parts without any alteration of the bowels or the blood it should be so healed at a distance certainly the cause of such an Energy must only be that by this kind of Medicine the Dyscrasie or evil disposition of the Brain and nervous Juyce is taken away and so the first root of the sickness being cut off the shoots and fruits presently wither It were worth our labour to try such kind of Experiments also in our Medicines Yea it may be well suspected that such a way ought to be ordered for the common Cure of the Kings-Evil Among our Country-men as delivered from our Ancestors it is thought that the seventh Son or he that is born the seventh one after another in a continued series can cure this disease by stroking it only with his hand and truly I have known many whom no Medicines could help to have been cured in a short time only by that remedy Few doubt but that this disease is wont to be cured often by the Touch of our King The reason of such an effect if it be merely natural ought to be assigned not to any other thing than that in the sick especially those of ripe age the Phantasie and strong Faith of the hoped for Cure induces that alteration or rather strengthning to the Brain whereby the morbid disposition radicated in it is profligated But I shall return from whence I am digressed to inquire what the nervous Juyce contributes to nutrition 2. I say therefore secondly although nutrition depends in some measure upon the influence of the nervous Juyce yet it is highly improbable that all the several parts of the whole Body should be nourished only by this provision For besides that this were to impose upon the Government of the Soul it self and its primary Organs the cooking office of nutrition wholly unworthy the excellency and dignity of those parts it seems also that the nervous Liquor should be altogether unfit for the administring to this Province because when oftentimes immense expences are made of the aliment to be assimilated into the substance of the solid parts especially by immoderate sweat also by continual labour and exercise which Country-men and Labourers daily use it is not possible that such losses should be repaired only by the nourishment supplied or sent through the small passages of the Nerves When I had long and seriously considered with my self concerning this thing what I at length thought I shall tell you freely and without any covering or making any reflection or blaming the Opinions of others It seems first that the nourishing matter of the whole Body is distributed into all parts from the blood through the Arteries yet it may lawfully be thought that the conversion of this matter into nutriment and the assimilation of it into the substance of the part to be nourished is performed by the influence and help of the nervous Juyce as it were of a certain spirituous Ferment As to the first we have already noted that the sanguiferous Vessels do not only follow almost every where the Muscles and Bowels but also the Head and its Appendix yea the Membranes Bones and Nerves themselves and affix to them all thick shoots as so many little chanels for the receiving the nourishment Moreover as there is a purple crassament or thick substance in the blood whose substance stuffs and nourishes the Pores of the Parenchyma of the Muscles so there is a whitish Gelly by which the Membranes and the whiter parts seem to increase Besides it may be observed that the blood it self increasing contains in it self fibres and small threads such as are interwoven in the Muscles and nervous parts and if the same stand long in any Vessel it is presently coagulated into longish white and hard crusts or bits whose substance is plainly fleshy so that the blood produces flesh of it self though the same be rude and unformed wherefore the configuration and the apt disposition of the nourishing matter supplied from it depends on the coming and Energy of the nervous Juyce but after what manner this is done we shall endeavour now to shew After the web or stuff of all the parts is laid it is required then that they be both drawn forth in due proportion and grow in substance and also that the little spaces which are left by reason of the Effluvia's perpetually falling off may be continually filled with the nourishing substance cast in In these two things the business of nutrition chiefly consists for the performing of either of which the blood affords matter and reaches it forth as was said in the circulating to the several parts of the concrete and as it were stands at the doors of the part to be nourished yet that this matter may be rightly disposed and its particles to wit the thick and thin saline and sulphureous and others of a several nature separated one from another may be imployed with some choice to the destinated uses there seems need of a certain directing faculty and as it were plastick virtue got somewhere else than from the blood it self For indeed the blood being destitute of animal Spirits is unfit for the performing these offices Wherefore for that it appears there doth lye hid in the nervous stock a certain juyce and the same being gifted with animal Spirit to be diffused to all parts how can we suppose less but that this subtil and spirituous Liquor every where meeting with the arterious which is duller and thicker actuates and inspires it and as it were ordains it for the performing the designed work of nutrition especially when it plainly appears that by reason of the defect or depravation of this nervous Juyce nutrition is always frustrated or perverted Therefore it may be lawful in the difficult Controversie concerning the Matter and Method of Cure to propose this our Hypothesis though it be a Paradox and very abstruse to wit that the nervous Juyce which we have said was like the male seed is poured out with the nutritious humor copiously suggested from the Arteries as it were the genitive or seed of another Sex every where upon all the parts and that this former being indued with active Elements imbues the more thick matter as with a certain Ferment and impregnates it with animal Spirit and when it so makes it with a mutual entring in or coming together to be dissolved and to go into parts its particles being extricated one from the other the Spirit infused helping they are put upon bodies of the same measure with themselves
to regurgitate into the Marrow it might be drawn out by those frequent Emissaries here or there into the middle or opposite side after a like manner it is with the bosoms about the Spine as when a Country-man digs in his ground frequent cross Furrows for the draining away any superfluous moisture There remains another use of the Vertebral Bosoms of which we made mention before to wit that the blood nigh the medullar Body being brought through their variously intorted Meanders like the arterious infoldings might yield heat requisite for the swift passage of the animal Spirits as it were a Balneum Mariae That the bending tracts and complications of the Bosoms may be the better seen a certain tincture may be cast into the Vertebral Veins and presently that invading the passages of the bosoms and marking them will exhibit the appearance of a long Ladder with many little labels hanging to it Yea at length by those little roundles we are led to the third kind of Spinal Vessels which are the Veins into which all the bosoms immediately convey their burden whereby they being continually emptied may be still able to receive fresh blood wherefore the venous branch is stretched out by the several joyntings of the Vertebrae into the bosom which presently carries away the blood laid up in it and to be reduced towards the Heart The Veins designed to this office after the example of the Arteries are disposed after one manner above the Heart and after another below it As to the first a branch going from the Trunk of the Vena Cava below the Chanel-bone or the first little Rib of the Breast accompanies the Vertebral Artery and ascending by the holes of the Processes between the several Vertebrae inserts a little branch to the Bosom Tab. 13. Fig. 2. h. h. h. Then the top of this Vein being carried towards the hinder part of the Head is continued into the Trunk of the Bosom and opened by the other passage into the Jugular Vein But further as if these communications were not yet sufficient for the draining away the blood transverse branches also are stretched out between both Veins Tab. 13. Fig. 2. i. i. i. So manifold diverting places appear by which it is enough and more than enough provided lest the blood might flow back towards the medullar Trunk upon any occasion Below the Heart because the Trunk of the Vena Cava cannot as the Aorta immediately lean upon the Spine and carry shoots straight to the same therefore it sends forth a Vein without a Companion out of whose Trunk forked or twofold branches being sent forth go forwards both to the Muscles of both sides and to the Spine it self Below the Kidneys seeing there is a space granted for the Vena Cava to be carried nigh the Spine the Azygos Vein ends and from the Trunk of the greater Vein as from that of the Artery the Vessels belonging to the Loyns immediately proceed These things being lately observed concerning the blood-carrying Vessels belonging to the Spine and the hinder part of the Head and here inserted in the place of an Appendix ought to be referred to the other Doctrine of this kind delivered above in the eighth Chapter In the mean time that we may return to our purpose to wit what remains of Neurologie there is not much more to be met with worthy note concerning the Nerves For they as to the greater and chief Ramifications are almost constantly both in Man and brute Beasts after the manner we have described them Sometimes it happens although very rarely concerning the divarications of the smallest Shoots and Fibres that there is some variety but as to the primary Vessels and those drawn from them the Configuration of every pair of Nerves is still the same or alike in all It now remains that the Theory of the Nerves hitherto drawn in words and so only objected to the Understanding may also be shewn to the Sense which will make it clearer Wherefore we have taken care that the ingraven Delineations of the wandring and intercostal pair of Nerves and also of others which are of chief note and of the Spinal Marrow it self be plainly exhibited The Figures of these although taken from a dead Example yet after many Dissections and a frequent comparing them together according to their several parts they are described as if from the life the Lineaments of which with Characteristical Notes that they may be the better and more distinctly perceived and a large draught of every Figure equal almost to the Scheme of Nerves in their animated Body we have caused to be cut further because the Contents of either side and of the Cavity between cannot be at once described in their proper situation therefore here it is supposed That the Spine with the oblong Marrow or the whole medullar Stock cut in the midst is rolled out and both sides of it with the pairs of the Nerves arising in the whole Tract is turned outward Tabula The Ninth Table Shews the beginnings of the fifth and sixth pair of Nerves and the Roots of the Intercostal Nerve proceeding from them moreover the Origines and Branchings out of the same Intercostal Nerve and the wandring Pair and of the accessory Nerve produced out of the Spine to the wandring Pair carried to the Region of the Ventricle Besides here are represented the beginnings and distributions of the seventh ninth tenth Pair of Nerves and of the Nerve of the Diaphragma also the beginnings of the Vertebral Nerves in their whole Tract from the Region of the Nerves inserted in the Praecordia and Viscera are described and their Communications with the former All this whole following Table shews how it is found in Man different from other living Creatures A. The Nerve of the fifth Pair with its two Branches A. A. the upper of which tending straight forwards distributes shoots into the muscles of the Eyes and Face into the Nose Palate and the upper part of the whole Mouth moreover it reflects two shoots a. a. which are the two roots of the intercostal Nerve the other lower Branch of the fifth Pair tending downwards is dispersed into the lower Jaw and all its parts a. a. Two shoots sent down from the upper Branch of the fifth Pair which meeting together with the other shoot b. reflected from the Nerve of the sixth pair constitute the trunk of the Intercostal trunk D. B. The Nerve of the sixth pair tending straight forwards into the muscles of the Eyes out of whose trunks a shoot b. which is the third root of the intercostal Nerve is reflected b. The third root of the intercostal Nerve C. The Original of the hearing Nerves or of the seventh pair with its double Process viz. soft and hard c. The softer Branch of it which is wholly distributed into the inward part of the Ear viz. into the muscle lifting up the hammer and into the shell c. The harder Branch of it which arising whole without
the blood contracted from the intemperance of the year it seems that the brain also from the same occasion was made prone to the aforesaid passions For when for a long tract of time the southern winds did continually blow with a moist constitution of the Air from thence the passages and pores of the brain being very much loosned and opened and its connexion too much dissolved they gave an easie passage to serous humours and for all sorts of heterogeneous particles wherefore the blood being very feculent and watery as soon as it began to grow hot from the feavour carried its serous recrements and filths presently thorow the too open doors into the head for whosoever he was who did not complain of his head being too much stuffed with a moist air and numbness of spirits on the contrary his pores being bound together by an intense cold or dryer air all his senses and faculties remained more quick and lively These things being thus premised concerning the morbid provision of the brain and humours to wit of the blood and nervous humour by reason of the constitution of the year whereby indeed very many at that time sell into a slow unequal and long continuing feavour surrounded with Cephalick and Convulsive symptoms and hardly curable hence also it will be easie to unfold the reasons of the rest of the symptoms and accidents chiefly to be noted in this disease Why this disease chiefly invaded children women and phlegmatick men For first of all that this irregular Feavour raged chiefly among Children young men women and phlegmatick men the reason was because in those kinde of bodies the blood was apt to be more waterish and less perspicable and from thence to gather a serous Colluvies or watry humour and heterogeneous feculencies and also the brain being more humid and weak easily received any recrements of the bloud Wherefore it may be observed that those sort of persons were found more prone to Convulsions arising by reason of any other occasions The reason of the Atrophie coming upon this feavour Secondly the noted Atrophie or leanness came so suddenly upon this feavour because by reason of the depravation of the nervous juice the officies of nourishment depending upon it which as we have elsewhere shown are highly active presently failed For although we do not grant the nervous humour to be only nutritious but to dispense thorow the Arteries a matter destinated to the nourishable parts prepared in the bloody mass yet it may be lawfull to think that the Liquor watering the brain and nervous stock by means of an efficient cause doth conduce very much to alimentation for this growing turgid with animal spirit actuates and invigorates the nutritious juice brought to every part by the blood and admitting it into the passages and most intimate receptacles of the body to be nourished and as it were leading it in assimilates or resembles it Wherefore when this houshold Liquor is so depraved that it doth not rightly supply the animal spirits requisite about the work of nutrition all the members and parts of the stomach vitiated in its tone either spues back whatsoever nourishment is brought or cannot receive it to its proper use wherefore truly in this disease the bulk or habit of the body however fuller or fatter was more sooner pull'd down then in a continuall Feavour where it might much more evaporate by the intense heat or copious sweats The reason of which is because in a burning feavour altho the blood growing very hot exhales more plentifully yet in the mean time it continually affords something of nourishment which the severall parts help'd by the benefit of the nervous juice easily received and assimilated but in this nervous pestilence altho the nutritive matter was sufficiently provided yet by the defect of the Nourishment of the spirits the nourishment was altogether inhibited Why this feavour was hardly cureable 3. For the aforesaid reasons also this feavour being a long while protracted was wont scarce ever to be critically helped and difficulty cured by the help of allmost any medicines For the feavourish matter creeping presently from the beginning of the disease into the nervous Liquor could hardly afterwards and not but of a long time be exterminated from its bosome for that this water with a slow motion and flowing leasurely in the streight vessells does not as the blood conceive of its own accord a purifying effervescency or fermentation neither can the forces of medicines reach to it so easily and unmixed but either they are first hindred by other parts or because they are heterogeneous they are wholly excluded from the brain casting back whatever is incongruous In truth for this reason all distempers of the brain and nerves as it were making a mock at Medicines are most difficulty cured Therefore in this feavour if the evill impressed on the brain and nervous stock was taken away either a cruell cough with plentifull spitting ot tumours or an Impostum in the neck did follow to wit the morbifick matter being supped back by the blood and again deposited setled either in the Thorax or in the Glandula's and emunctories nigh the hinder part of the neck But this disease was the more contumacious because the discrasie or evill constitution of the blood was not easily mended for altho from the beginning its Latex the recrements being poured forth even into the nervous Liquor grew but little and sluggishly hot yet afterwards these receptacles being filled and the morbific feculencies and besides the nutritious matter not imployed in nourishing the parts being resident even in the blood did aggravate it and for the exclusion of this trouble not to be mixed with it did induce an Effervescency such as is wont to be in an hectick feavour either almost continuall or presently apt to come again For I have often observed in this feavour from grewell barly-broth and other slender diet no less ebulition of the blood to be stirred up than from broth made of flesh whether indeed the nourishing juice supplying the blood from the chyle because it was not imployed in the work of nutrition carried something heterogeneous and not rightly miscible as a trouble to the blood and by reason of the particles of this superfluous juice being copiously sent away with the serum the urine became very thick red and very full of contents Also for the same reason the belly was for the most part loose forasmuch as the blood filled full of the nutritious juice did suck forth a lesser portion of the chile from the bowells and did pour back again part of that which had been brought to it on the intestines the feavourish distemper did likewise stick so long in the blood because till the animal regiment being restored nutrition was rightly performed that superfluous matter was carried into the mass of blood We deliver the example and the Aetiology or rational account of this aforesaid feavour more largely for this reason because the
or the Guts Intrinsical Inward Inverse A turning inside out or outside in upside down quite contrary Inverted Turned wrong-side out or upside down quite changed from its natural scituation Involuntary Not with the will unwilling Irradiation A beaming forth or lasting forth beams like the Sun Sometimes applyed to the spirits beaming themselves forth or running forth from their Centre like beams Irrigation A watering wetting or moistning Irritate To provoke anger or stir up Irritated Provoked anger'd or stirred up Ischuria The disease of the Bladder the stoppage of the Water when it cannot come forth but by drops and with pain Ischuretical One so troubled with that distemper Jugular Belonging to the Throat the Throat-vein and Artery Julap A cooling Cordial or a mixed Potion to cool and refresh the heated spirits used in Feavers L Lactiform Like milk or in the form of milk Languor Feebleness failing or decay of strength fainting or weakness of spirits Larynx The top of the Asper Artery or the head thereof which reacheth up to the Mouth or Jaw which with the bone Hyoides joyned thereto serves for breathing and forming of the voyce or the air into articulate sounds Lassitude Weariness and irksomness Lateral Belonging to the side Latex Liquor or Juyce of any sort in the Body Laudanum A Medicine used by Physitians to cause rest given in difficult Cases Lienary Belonging to the Spleen Leipothymy A swouning or fainting away of the spirits Lethiferous Deadly that causeth death Leucophlegmacy The kind of Dropsy that riseth of white phlegm throughout all the Body and makes the flesh spongy Ligature A band or string bound hard about the Arm Leg or any other part of the Body Limature The pouder or dust that cometh of fileing the fileings of steel or other metals Limpid Clear pure and bright like Water Linctus A Medicine that is to be lick'd with the Tongue Liniments Ointments Lixivial Belonging to Lie made of Ashes Lobes Lappets or such as the Liver is distinguished into Lochia All that comes away from a Woman after she is brought to bed Locomotive That moves from place to place Lucophlegmacy See Leucophlegmacy Lumbary Belonging to the Loins Luxuriat To grow rank or abound Lymphic Vessels that carry or contain the waterish humors of the Body Lymphatic Vessels that carry or contain the waterish humors of the Body Lympheducts Water-Carriers or Conveyors the same sort of Vessels which carry forth the waterish humors M Magma The blended dross and faeces of several Metals as also of Chymical Extractions Mammillary Processes in the Temples Bones hanging down like broken brows of Banks representing the fashion of Teats and Cows Vdders Mansorius A Muscle which springing up circularly from the Throat-bone of the upper Jaw moveth the nether Jaw Massoterie A Muscle which springing up circularly from the Throat-bone of the upper Jaw moveth the nether Jaw Mandible The Jaw wherein the Teeth are set Mastic A certain medicinal Gum. Masticator The Pipe or Conduit that conveys the pituitous matter out of the Head into the Mouth Matrace A Vessel used for Chymical Distillations Maturation A ripening Maxillary Belonging to the Jaws Maxillar Belonging to the Jaws Mechoacan A purging Drug brought from the Indies Meconium The juice of the Leaves and heads of Poppy Medastinum Or Mediastinum the thin membrane that divides the middle belly or the Breast from the Throat to the Midriff into two bosoms or hollows one on the right side the other on the left Medullar Marrowy or belonging to the marrow or pith or the white substance of the Brain Membranes The little thin skins joyning the bones and sinews together in several parts of the body the upper thin skins of any part Meninges The thin skins that enwrap the Brain both of the pia mater dura mater one called the hard the other the soft Meninx Menstruum A preparation made by Chymists to dissolve metals also to extract tinctures and the virtues of medicinal druggs woods flowers herbs c. Mesentery A certain thick fat skin or the double skin that fastens the bowels to the back and each to other Meseraic Veins arise or are rather inclosed in Mesentery being branches of the great vein by which the Guts are nourished and the juice of the meat concocted is conveyed to the Liver to be made blood Mercurie Quick-silver and its preparations of it Metaphysical Supernatural things of sublime speculation beyond nature Metastasis Is translation or when a disease removes out of one place into another Metathesis Is transposing the puting of one thing for another Miasm Infection or taint Microscope A Perspective-glass to behold minute and very small bodies a Magnifying glass Millepedes The hundred-feeted Creature and Heslog-sows or Hog-lice Mirabolans A certain medicinal fruit brought out of the Indies Modification A measuring or bringing into measure Morbid Sick corrupt filthy or naughty That causeth the Sickness or disease Morbifick Sick corrupt filthy or naughty That causeth the Sickness or disease Mucilage Thick boiling up of a thing to a gelly or thick consistency Munited Defended or fortified Muscles Parts of the body that serve for motion softer and more fleshy than the sinews Musculous Full of Muscles or belonging to the Muscles Myologie The doctrine of the Muscles N. Narcotick Stupifactive or that makes the part sensless Nates Two prominences in the brain so called because in the form of Buttocks Natiform In the form of a Buttock Neoterics People or men of late times Nepenthe A drink to drive away melancholy Nephritis A pain in the reins of the back also the Stone or Gravel in the Reins Nephritic One troubled with the pain in the Reins Nerves Are the sinews which convey the spirits that serve for life and motion through the whole body Neurologie The doctrine of the Nerves Nitre That as is usually called Saltpetre A salt taken out of the earth Nitrosulphureous Nitre mix'd with Sulphur or of a nitrous and sulphureous nature or quality O. Oblique Cross traverse a slope not strait or right Oblong Longish or somewhat long Oeconomie A certain order of doing any thing an houshold rule regiment or governance Oesophagus The mouth of the stomack Olibanum An outlandish Gum. Opiologie The doctrine of Opium Opium Made up of the juice of wild poppie used to stupifie and bring into a sensless sleep Opiats Medicines made of Opium for some part of its ingredients to cause sleep and ease for pains Optic Belonging to the sight as the Nerves that bring the virtue of seeing to the eyes Opopanax The juice made of a certain herb Ophthalmic A medicine to cure the diseases of the eyes Orgasm Rage or fury Orifice The hole of a wound or the mouth of any thing Origine Beginning rise or birth of a thing Orbicular Of a round form or shape Orthopnoea Is such a straitness of breath that one cannot breath or fetch breath without stretching out of the neck or holding it upright Os Pubis Is the bone at the bottom
Valves A part of the brain made like folding doors so called Van Helmont A Famous Dutch Doctor Vapid Dead decay'd without tast or smack Vegetation A growing or putting forth or flourishing as a Plant. Vegetal Belonging to such a growing or flourishing Vegetable That which hath life and groweth but not sense as herbs and trees Vehicle That which carrieth or beareth another thing as the blood is of the animal spirits Vena Porta See Porta Vena Vena Cava See Cava Vena Venous Belonging or appertaining to a Vein Ventricle Is the stomach or that part which receives the meat and drink being swallowed down and which hath in it self the virtue of digestion Ventricles Of the heart two notable little hollows caverns on each side of the heart Ventricles Of the Brain several notable caverns therein Vermiculations Creeping like a Worm or motions like the creeping of a Worm Vernal Belonging to the Spring or in the time of the Spring Verberation A beating or striking Vertigo A diziness giddiness and turning round within the head A certain disease which causeth a turning within the head Vertebral Belonging to the joynts of the back-bone Vertebrae Those several joyntings and knittings of the back-bone or chine so called of Anatomists Vesicatories Medicines that raise or cause Blisters where applied Veterans Old Soldiers or any thing that hath served long in a place Viaticum Voyage provisions as meat and drink upon a journey Vibration A shaking striking or quavering Vicinity Neighbourhood or nearness of dwelling or being Viscid Clammy or sticking like Bird-lime Viscosity A clamminess or glewiness Viscera Are the chief Entrals or Inwards as Heart Liver Lungs Spleen the Bowels c. Vitriol Copperas a certain Mineral found in several Countreys used in Medicines Vitriolic Belonging or appertaining to Vitriol Umbilic Belonging to the Navel or of the likeness or shape of the Navel Undulation A wavering like the waters where one follows upon the heels of the others Unctuosity An oyliness or juiciness Unctuous Oylie or juicy Volatile That easily flies away or that is apt to flie or vanish Ureters The pipes or passages by which the Vrine passes from the Reins to the Bladder Urinary Belonging to the Vrine or the passages of the Vrine Uterine Belonging or appertaining to the Womb. Uvea The fourth thin membrane of the eye called also Chorion W. Wezand The Windpipe or Throat X. Xeroeus Wine A Spanish Wine so called I suppose they mean Tent. Here ends the Table of hard names THE FIRST INDEX or TABLE WHEREIN IS Alphabetically digested the principal matters contained in the Treatises of Fermentation and Feavers A. AGues Of Agues Page 68. The reason of the Ague fits 69 70 71. The signs of the Disease 72. Of the Cure of the Ague 74. Of the double Tertian or Quartan 75 Of a Tertian Ague or Feaver 77 Some symptoms of the Disease 78 Its Cure 79 80 Histories of the Disease 81 82 Of Quotidian Agues 82 Their Cure 83 Of a Quartan Ague 84 Causes of it 84 Why it usually begins in Autumn 85 Its Cure 86 Aurum fulminans What it is 40. B. Beer How made by Fermentation 20 Blood The Blood Anatomiz'd 57 58 Compared with Wines 61 The motions and heats of the Blood 64 The difference of the Fermentation of Wine and the Blood 64 The difference of the Blood growing hot in Feavers 90 Of the inkindling of the Blood in a burning Feaver 109 How the Blood is infected by Poysons 121 and its several mutations thereby ibid. Of the great heat of the Blood in malignant Feavers 131 Of Blood-letting in the Small-pox 146 Blood Menstruous see Menstruous Blood Bread How made by Fermentation 20 Buboes In the Plague 126 127 C. Carbuncles Of Carbuncles in the Plague 126 127 Catarrhal Epidemical Feavers see Feavers Causon Or Burning Feavers 109 Cautions Concerning putrid Feavers 110 111 Concerning the Plague 128 Chrystilisation Of Salts how made 49 Chyle The Concoction of the Chyle in the Ventricle is made by Fermentation 14 Coagulation What it is 49 Congelation What it is 49 A second manner of Congelation 51 Of artificial Congelation ibid. Crisis Of a continual Feaver 91 Of a putrid Feavor 96 Cure Of Agues 74 79 80 83 86. Of putrid Feavers of every kind 110 Of the Plague 128 Of Pestilential Feavers 133 134 The Cure of the Small-pox 143 144 145 Of the Milkey feaver 151 Of the Malignant feaver of lying in Women 154 155 Of the Symptomatic feaver of Women in Child-bed 157 Of Epidemical feavers 167 168 171 176 177 178. Cyder How made by Fermentation 24 D. Death And Putrefaction of Bodies 26 Diarrhea Of a Diarrhea in Feavers 1â—4 Dysenterie Of a Dysenterie in Feavors 104 Of a Dysenterie in Child-bed Women 157 E. Earth Of the Chymists what it is 5 Ephemera Or a Feaver of a days continuance 91 Epidemical Feavers see Feavers Essential Putrid Synochus what it is 109 F. Feavers Of Feavers in general 57 Of Intermitting Feavers or Agues see Agues 68 Of continual Feavers 89 What causes continual Feavers 89 The several kinds of continual Feavers 91 Of the Feaver for a day ibid. The cause of it and of its Crisis ibid. An History of such a Feaver 92 Of a putrid Feaver 93 Four seasons to be observed in it 94 The causes of it ibid. A Prognostication of the Disease 97 Of the Crisis of a putrid Feaver ibid. The symptoms and signs of putrid Feavers 99 100 Of the putrid Synochus or continual Feaver 107 Of the symptomatic putrid Feaver ibid. Of the slow Feaver 108 Of the symptomatical Feaver from an Vlcer or a Consumption of the Lungs ibid. Of an Essential putrid Synochus 109 Of the Causon or Burning feaver ibid. The Cures of putrid Feavers of every kind 110 Histories of several putrid Feavers 112 113 114 115 116 117 118. Of a Pestilential or Malignant Feaver in general 119 Of a malignant Feaver in specie 131 How it differs from the Pestilence ibid. A description of malignant Feavers ibid. A difference of them 133 Causes of them ibid. The Cure of them 133 134 Of Feavers Epidemical of another sort 134 An History of a Pestilential Feaver 134 135 An History of a Malignant Feaver 136 137 Of the Feavers of Child-bearing Women 147 Of the Milkey Feaver 150 The causes of it 151 Its Cure ibid. Of a putrid Feaver in Women lying In 151 A figure of the Disease 152 153 The causes of it ibid. It s Cure 154 155 Of Symptomatic Feavers of Women in Childbed 156 The general reason of them ibid. The Cure of them 157 Histories of acute Feavers in Women lying In 158 159 160 161. Epidemical Feavers 163 A description of an Epidemical Feaver in the year 1657. ibid. The causes of it 164 The differenee of it from other Feavers 166 A Prognostication of it ibid. Of the Cure of it 167 A description of a Catarrhal Epidemical Feaver in the year 1658 169 The causes of it 170 The symptoms of it and the cure of it
the act of smelling 139 The Fibres in the Eyes the cause of the act of seeing 140 Figures Of the Muscles explained 49 Figures of the brain explained 62 63. The third Figure of the brain explained 69 The fourth Figure of the brain explained 70 The fifth and sixth Figures concerning the skull explained 73 74. The Figure of a Mans brain 60 61. The Figure of the brains of Fish and Fowl 75 Figures of the Nerves explained 144 145. Figures of the Nerves in Tables from 182 to 192 Figures of the Carotidick Arteries the wonderful net pituitary kirnel and the lateral bosom explained 86 Figures of a Sheeps brain and all its inwards explained 94 The Figure of the oblong marrow 101 The Figure of the marrowy part of the brain of a Sheep explained 105 Fire Why it burns fiercer in cold than in moist and hot weather 27 Why the Sun beams put out the Fire ibid. Why Fire seems to leap forth in the night from the mains of Horses skins of Cats and other hot Animals 32 Fishes Why they want the crankling turnings in their brain as in Man and Beasts 92 Of the optic Nerves in Fishes 104 Of the chamfered bodies in Fishes brains and their difference from other Creatures 103 Flame How made 27 Why flame shut up from the air goes out 28 Why the flame of a Candle burns blew in the Mines 29 How the Vital Flame is inkindled in the blood 30 Why the Vital Flame is not seen 32 The reason of a shining Flame sometimes seen about persons indued with an hot nitrous blood ibid. The reason of Flames proceeding from the eyes of people in burning Feavers 33 Forms Predestinated to natural bodies 33 Fowls Brains why they want the turnings and windings as are in Men and Beasts 92 Their difference from Beasts ibid. G. Genital How made 173 Glandula Of the petuitory Glandula in the brain of a Man and a Beast 71 H. Hands Why the Hands and Arms of Men conspire so readily with the affections of the brain and heart 174 Head-aches Great from the distemper of the Pia Mater 90 An History of Head-aches 110 Hearing How made 144 Of the species of hearing 119 The difference of the hearing Nerves in a Man and in a Beast 120 Heart Its office as to the Blood 31 The heart a meer Muscle ibid. Of the Nerves going to the Heart 150 Whether the pulse of the Heart depends upon the influence of the animal spirits 152 Histories Of one troubled with a Tenanism or Cram 46 47. Of one that died with a Scirrhus or hard swelling of the Mesentery 82 83. Of Head-aches 100 Horse Of the Tube or pipe in a Horses brain 66 Of the Carotidick Arteries in a Horse 85 Why different from other Beasts 88 Humours Of the humours in a Muscle 38 A double humour contributes to the making of the animal spirits 99 How the serous humour is sent from the brain 98 99. Of the use of the Nervous humour 128 133. Of the Nervous and Nutritious humors 130 131. Whether the bloody humor be Nutricious 130 How the genital humor is made 173 I. Imagination What it is 91 Infoldings Of the Nerves 140 Of the Gunglioform Infolding 157 Of the Mesenteric Infoldings 158 Of the Hepatic Infolding ibid. Of the Nervous Infolding of the Spleen 167 Of the Renal Infolding 168 Inspection Of Vrines useful 20 Instinct Of Motion what it is 43 44 45. Of natural Instincts 115 Involuntary Function what it is Of the Nerves serving to the Involuntary Function 116 117. Juices Of the Juices nervous and nutritious 130 Judgments How to be given of the Vrine 17 18. The Ignorance of some in the Judgment of Vrines 18 Judgment of Vrines wanting colour consistence contents and quantity ibid. Judgment of Vrines having praeternatural contents 19 K. Kings-evil Why Cured by stroaking 134 Kissing Why it irritates Love 143 L. Laughing Why proper to Man 117 Caused by the fifth Conjugation of the Nerves 143 How made 160 Life A kind of flame 27 Life and fire many ways extinguish'd alike 31 Liquors How they receive heat 26 Love Why admitted by the eyes 143 Why provoked by kissing ibid. Lungs Why the colour of the Lungs is suddenly changed in new-born Creatures 30 M. Mamillary Processes what they are and their use 137 138. Marrow Of the oblong Marrow and its uses 101 102. How joyned to the spinal Marrow 124 Of the spinal Marrow 124 Of the Nerves from the spinal Marrow 178 Of the blood-carrying Vessels from the spinal Marrow 179 Man A curious Machine 162 Meninges See dura mater and pia mater Memory How made 96 Mesentery Of the Infoldings of the Mesentery 158 Why so many Infoldings of the Nerves are about the Mesentery 164 Monkie Dissected 162 Why it is so crafty and mimical a Creature ibid. Motion What it is 34 Three things to be considered in every motion ibid. Of spontaneous and voluntary motion ibid. Of involuntary motion ibid. Of the motion and sense of the pia mater 90 The Vehicle of the Instinct of Motion what it is 34 Of local Motion ibid. Of the increase of the force of Motion in Artificial things 39 4â— How the Motion of the Muscles is made 42 How the instinct of Motion is performed 43 44. Of the Motions of the animal spirits 95 How the Motion of the Muscles correspond with the Motion of the Heart 136 Of the irregular Motion of the Diaphragma 175 Vpon what the peristaltic Motion depends 169 The use of intestine Motions in the belly 165 How the Motion of Hypochondriacal pains is made from the right to the left side and so contrary 169 Of the Motion of the Muscles see Muscles and Musculary motion Muscles Of the formation of a Muscle 35 Of the opposite Tendons in every Muscle ibid. A Muscle described 35 36. Of the simple and compound Muscle 36 Of the membranous covering of a Muscle 37 Of the action of a Muscle 37 38. Several experiments of cutting a Muscle 38 Of contraction and relaxation in a Muscle ibid. Of the humors in a Muscle ibid. Ax experiment of a living Dog concerning the voluntary motions of the Muscles 39 How a Muscle is moved ibid. Of the traction of a Muscle 40 Elastick particulars contained in a Muscle ibid. Of the trembling of the Musculous flesh of a Beast after its head is off and heart taken out 40 41. How the animal spirits blow up the fleshy fibres in a Muscle 41 Experiments of intumifying a Muscle 42 Of the nature of the animal spirits coming from the brain into the Muscles ibid. Of the fresh supplies of the animal spirits for the motions of the Muscles 44 Of the little hairy fibrils of a Muscle 45 Of the irregular and convulsive motions of the Muscles ibid. Explanations of the figures of the Muscles 49 That the motions of the Muscles have an analogy with the heart 135 136. Muscular Motion how it is made 42 Of the Muscular motion 34 The blood affords
but also the greater Trunks of the Nerves in many places and insert into them sanguiferous shoots Besides forasmuch as the animal Spirits flowing within the nervous stock for the performing of sense and motion tend to and fro and so bear a double aspect it is probable also that the liquor watering the Nerves as it most commonly tends forward so sometimes backward and so that the extremities of the Nerves implanted in some parts imbibe from them the humor at least some Effluvia's with which they are satisfied and oftentimes transfer them into the Brain it self Certainly there is no doubt that the Fibres and nervous Filaments or threads which cover the Sensory of taste and the Viscera serving for Concoction do immediately receive some tastes of the taken in food from which supplies are carried to the Brain it self in great hunger and faintness of Spirits Because if at any time the Spirits inhabiting it being exhausted very much with heavy and long labour begin to fail a most swift refection is performed Pectorals or Cordials being scarcely swallowed and long indeed before the alible Juyce can be able to reach to the border of the Brain by the passage of the blood Moreover it is most likely that not only the benign Effluvia's of the aliment are received by the extremities of the Nerves ending about the Viscera but also by this way that oftentimes an infestous matter and in a manner malignant is communicated by the Nerves and their passages to the Head But indeed the preternatural Juyces heaped up about the Hypochondria the Spleen Womb and other Bowels emit vaporous little bodies which not only infect the bloody mass and distemper the Head by that means but they climb to the Brain more immediately by the passage of the Nerves and strike it with an heavy ill For from hence in part it comes that Hypochondriacks and Hysterical people are so cruelly punished through the Symptoms stirred up in the Brain and nervous stock for the faults of the lower Bowels hence it is that little Pills of Opium being scarcely dissolved in the Stomach cause a Torpor or heaviness But here is no place to discourse more largely of these It behoves us to consider what remains the Springs of the nervous Juyce the Auxiliaries but now detected and its Virtues and Influences Concerning the nervous Liquor we shall inquire what that doth in its passage to wit whilst it flows within the Marrows or middles of the Brain and Cerebel the medullar Trunk and the bodies themselves of the Nerves secondly then for what uses it serves when being sliden from the ends of the Nerves it is spread abroad on the secondary parts of the nervous System 1. As to the first whilst that of the nervous Liquor passes through the Head and either of its Appendix its chief office seems to be for a Vehicle of the animal Spirits which indeed it carries along with its diffusion and contains them under the same Systasis Yea this Latex shews various Schemes of the Spirits for the performing of sense and motion even as the humid Particles of the Air pass through the Optick Configurations of the Rays of Light Also moreover the nutrition of the aforesaid parts and accretion or growth into a greater bulk depends in some measure upon the nervous Juyce watering the same as shall be shewed by and by 2. But the greatest question is concerning this Liquor being diffused beyond the ends of the Nerves upon the secondary parts of the nervous System and in the passages of them on the whole Body to wit whether such a Juyce be nourishing of all the solid parts or of some of them by themselves as Authors variously think or to what other office it is destinated Concerning these it first appears that the Brain and Nerves with the Juyce flowing out of them contribute matter or at least some influence to the work of nutrition the which if it should chance to fail a sign of which defect is if the animal Faculty falters in part the nourishment there is wont presently to be hindred or perverted This is plainly seen in the Palsie excited from an evident cause without any previous Dyscrasie of the blood where suddenly an Atrophy follows the privation of motion or sense or of both together Further in the Scurvy where the taint hath corrupted the nervous Juyce when the sick begin to be afflicted with the Vertigo and swimming of the Head and with wandring pains Convulsions and a frequent loosning of the Members the flesh falls presently away as in a Consumption and without any fault of the Lungs the sick wither away as if distempered with a Phthisis It is a vulgar observation That from the immoderate use of Venus also from an inveterate Gonorrhoea from Strumous or running Ulcers and other Impostumes by which much of the nervous Juyce is wasted a leanness or wasting of the whole Body is produced Certainly if I be not deceived there are some Atrophies yea and sorts of breakings out which seem to depend wholly upon the defect or the evil dispensation of the nervous Juyce when the blood as to its quantity and disposition is not much in fault Lastly the consideration of some Diseases and Symptoms so plainly confirms the diffusion of the nervous Liquor and its great influence on all the parts that there is even left no room for doubting Also no less doth the curing of some Diseases and the use of Remedies confirm the same For from hence a reason is taken wherefore Cephalick Plasters oftentimes yield such signal help in the Phthisis not because they stay the Catarrh of the Serum falling down on the Lungs as the common people think but because by corroborating the Brain they restore the disposition of the nervous Juyce before vitiated For this cause it is that some diseases being stirred up by the fault of the nervous Liquor of which sort among others are Cancrous and Strumous Ulcers or such as come of the Kings-Evil are hardest of all to be cured because the morbid tincture of the Brain and of the Latex watering it whether it be innate or acquired is not easily mended yet sometimes when the root of the disease lurking in the Brain or nervous stock is taken away by the help of Nature it self or by Chance by the use of some remedy presently the Symptoms of other parts though neglected in the whole vanish not without the suspicion of a miracle But how much the alteration of the Brain serves for the curing of some most grievous diseases some instances taken from the Farriers Art will clearly shew For when many Medicines and Methods of Administrations are wont to be tryed in vain for the curing the stinking disease in Horses commonly called the Farcy which Helmontius asserts to be like the French Pox and the Author of its Contagion the most certain means of curing which I have very often known to be applied with good success consists in this that some sharp Medicines