Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of the Lungs. Cap. 35.

THe lunges be the bellowes of y^e hart: for in the lungs is a spirit that blow∣eth and moueth, and receiueth and put∣teth out aire. Or els, the lungs be called Pulmo in Latine, because it beateth in opening of it selfe, that it maye take in breth, and thrusting together may: put it out. Vnto the lungs belong the th••ote boll, that is to say, the gul of the throte, the lung pipe and we••o•• pertaining to the lyghts and to the heart, conueying aire to them both, and diuideth it selfe by many pipes within the lungs. The lungs or lights, are called the bellowes of the body, for it draweth and sendeth forth againe the aire, with the which, the hart & other members be tēpered, and fashioned much like an Oxe hofe: and is in continuall mouing, in draw∣ing in and out of breath, as saith Isidor. And the lunges are made of flesh softe & airely, full like to the fome that is run & crudded, as saith Con. The lunges help∣eth the heart, and beclippeth it al about, and serueth the heart of colde ayre to make it temperate: also the lunges bée the instrument of the spirite and of the voyce. The spirite and breath is néede∣full for the heart to draw in aire to coole the heart, and to put out superfluitie and fumositie by chosing of the lunges. And therefore the lungs be a meane betwéen the heart and the throate, that colde aire breake not sodainly into the heart: but rather to temper the ayre that is recey∣ued.

Also the lunges are the lykenesse of a lyttle folde, that kéepeth colde ayre to swage great heate of the heart, that is néedefull to make the voyce, and hotte ayre that is néedfull to the heart and to the breath. For without the lungs may no voyce be formed neither breath, as sayth Aristotle li. 13. And for these cau∣ses the flesh of the lunges is softe, and smooth, and hollow, to chaunge the ease∣lyer ayre into his owne kinde, that the spirite of lyfe may so passe easely, into the hollownesse of the heart, to kéepe and saue the lyfe of a beast: and it is gene∣rall as Aristotle saith, that euery brea∣thing beast hath lungs, and all beastes that goe doth breath, and some water beasts doe breath, as the Dolphin. Also euery beast which gendreth hath blacke lunges, and much bloud through y^e heate of kinde. The lungs of a beast, which layeth egges is lyttle and drye, and may swell, and is hollow, as saith Aristotle. And as he saith lib. 13. some beasts haue no lungs, but they haue branches in stéed of lungs. Also lib. 16. he saith, that euery beast that hath lunges, is hotter than a beast that hath no lunges: and a beast that hath lunges, hath much bloud in comparison to a beast that hath no lunges. And the lunges be grieued many wayes: Sometime by the reumaticke humor comming to the pipes of y^e lungs, and then be diuers passions bred, by di∣uers floating of humours to the princi∣ples of the lungs, as Squinancie; tisike, cough, hoarcenesse, hasknesse of the voyce, and such other. And sometime by gendring of humours in the wosen and pennis of the lunges: and so commeth Tisike, and other dreadfull passions, as it fareth in them, that spitte bloude and corrupt matter, as sayeth Constan∣tine.

Also sometime the lungs be grieued by botches in the substaunce thereof, and that commeth of sharpnesse of a humor, which fléeteth to the substaunce of the lunges and such a passion is not light∣ly cured. For when the substaunce of the lunges hath botches by the sharpnes of the humour that commeth thereto, it may not be lyghtly closed and cured, for the tendernesse and continuall mouing of the lunges.

And so then the aire drawen in at the

hole of the botch broken vanisheth ease∣ly away: and therefore it sufficeth not to temper the heate of the heart, but oft for scarcitie of aire drawen in, the heart it selfe fainteth and dyeth. Also libr.13. Aristotle saith, that if a beast draweth breath in and out, while that he eateth, and so some part of the meate falleth in∣to the hollownesse of the pipes of the lunges, then the beast cougheth, and sometime by mishappe is strangeled and choaked. For coughing is nought els-but mouing of y^e vertue of the soule to put out superfluities, that be about the instruments of the spirite, as saith Con∣stant. Then gather ye by these things aforesayd, that the lunges be the proper instrument of the heart, for it cooleth the heart, and by subtiltie of his substaunce chaungeth the ayre, that is drawen in, and maketh it more subtill. The lungs shapeth the voyce, and ceaseth neuer of mouing. For it closeth it selfe and spre∣deth, and kéepeth the aire to helpe the heate in his dennes and holes. And ther∣fore a beast may not lyue vnder the wa∣ter without stifling, but as long as hée maye holde in the ayre that is gathered within. The lunges by continuall mo∣uing putte off ayre that is gathered within, either cleanseth and purgeth it, and ministreth continuall and couena∣ble féeding to the vitall spirit, and depar∣teth the heart from the instruments of féeling, and breedeth fomie humours, and beclyppeth a side halfe the substaunce of the heart. And when the lungs be grie∣ued by any occasion, it speedeth to death ward, and letteth and disquieteth y^e wor∣kings of the vertue of lyfe. All these things saith Constantine by order.

Next vnto the lunges, is the mid∣dresse, called Diaphragma, Septū trans∣uersum, and Preco••di••, it is a thicke skinne, which diuideth the vpper part of the body from the neather part, that is to say, the heart and lunges from the splene and liuer.

Notes

• Pulmo.
• Addition
• Vlsuratiō Pestuma∣tion.
• Congel∣lation.
• A ha••te∣ning of death.
• Addition