CHAP. VIII. Of the umbilicall vessels, or the vessels belonging to the navell.
MAny of the ancient Writers have written that there are five vessels found in the navell. But yet in many, nay all the bodies I sought * 1.1 in for them, I could never finde but three, that is to say, one veine, which is very large, so that in the passage thereof it will receive the tagge of a poynt, and two arteries, but not so large, but much narrower, because the childe wanteth or standeth in need of much more bloud for his conformation and the nutriment or increase of his parts, than of vitall spirit.
These vessels making the body of the navell, which, as it is thought, is formed within nine or tenne dayes, by their doubling and folding, make knots like unto the * 1.2 knots of a Franciscan Friers girdle, that staying the running bloud in those their knotty windings, they might more perfectly concoct the same: as may be seene in the ejaculatory spermatick vessels, for which use also the length of the navell is halfe an ell, so that in many infants that are somewhat growne, is is found three or foure times doubled about their neck or thigh.
As long as the childe is in his mothers wombe, hee taketh his nutriment onely by the navell, and not by his mouth, neither doth hee enjoy the use of eyes, eares, no∣strils * 1.3 or fundament, neither needeth hee the functions of the heart. For spirituous bloud goeth unto it by the arteries of the navell, and into the iliack arteries, and from the iliack arteries unto all the other arteries of the whole body, for by the motion of these onely the infant doth breathe. Therefore it is not to bee supposed that aire is carryed or drawne in by the lungs unto the heart, in the body of the childe, but con∣trariwise * 1.4 from the heart to the lungs. For neither the heart doth performe the ge∣neration or working of bloud, or of the vitall spirits. For the issue or infant is con∣tented