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A Faculty is a certaine power, and efficient cause, proceeding from the tempe∣rament * 1.1 of the part, and the performer of some actions of the body. There are three principall Faculties governing mans body as long as it enjoyes its in∣tegrity;
the Animall, Vitall and Naturall. The Animall is seated in the propertem∣perament of the Braine, from whence it is distributed by the Nerves into all parts of the body which have sense and motion. This is of three kinds, for one is Moving, an∣other sensative; the third principall The sensative consists in the five externall senses, sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The Moving principally remaines in the Muscles and nerves, as the fit instruments of voluntary motion. The Principall comprehends the Reasoning faculty, the Memory and Fantasie. Galen would have the Common or inward sense to be comprehended within the compasse of the Fantasie, although Aristotle distinguisheth betweene them.
The Vitall abides in the Hart, from whence heat and life is distributed by the Arteryes to the whole body: this is principally hindered in the diseases of the Brest; as the Principall is, when any disease assailes the Braine; the prime action of the vitall faculty is Pulsation, and that continued agitation of the Heart and Arteryes, which is of threefold use to the body: for by the dilatation of the Heart and Arteryes the vitall spirit is cherished by the benefit of the Aire which is drawne in; by the * 1.2 contraction thereof the vapours of it are purged and sent forth, and the native heat of the whole body is tempered by them both.
The last is the Naturall faculty which hath chosen its principall seate in the Liver, it spreads or carries the nourishment over the whole body; but it is distinguished into 3. * 1.3 other faculties; The Generative which serves for the generation and forming of the Issue in the wombe; the Growing or increasing facultie which flourisheth from the time the Issue is formed, untill the perfect growth of the solid parts into their full dimensions of Length, height and bredth. The nourishing facultie which as servant to both the other repaires and repayes the continuall effluxe, and waste of the three-fold substance; for Nutrition is nothing else but a replenishing, or repairing whatso∣ever * 1.4 is wasted or emptied This nourishing facultie endures from that time the In∣fant is formed in the wombe untill the end of life. It is a matter of great consequence in Phisicke to know the 4 other faculties, which as servants attend upon the nouri∣shing * 1.5 faculty; which are the Attractive, Retentive, Digestive, and Expulsive faculty. The Attractive drawes that juice which is fit to nourish the body, that I say which by application may be assimulated to the part. This is that faculty which in such as are hungry drawes downe the meat scarse chawed, and the drinke scarse tasted, into the gnawing and empty stromacke. The Rententive faculty is that which retaines the nourishment once attracted untill it be fully laboured and perfectly concocted; And by that meanes it yeelds no small assistance to the Digestive faculty. For the naturall * 1.6 heat cannot performe the office of concoction, unlesse the meat be embraced by the part, and make some stay therein. For otherwise the meate carryed into the stomacke never acquires the forme of Chylus, unlesse it stay detained in the wrincles thereof, as in a rough passage, untill the full time of Chylification. The Digestive faculty assimu∣lates the nourishment, being attracted and detained, into the substance of that part whose Faculty it is, by the force of the inbred heate & proper disposition or temper of the part. So the stomacke plainely changes all things which are eat and drunke into Chylus, & the Liver turnes the Chylus into blood. But the Bones & Nerves convert the red and liquid blood which is brought down unto them by the capillary or small veins, into a white & solid substance. Such concoction is far more laborious in a Bone and nerve, than in the Musculous flesh. For the blood being not much different from its nature, by a light change and concretion turnes into flesh. But this Concoction will * 1.7 never satisfie the desire of Nature and the parts, unlesse the nourishment purged from its excrements, put away the filth and drosse, which must never enter into the sub∣stance of the part. Wherefore there do not onely two sorts of excrements remaine of the first and second Concoction, the one thicke, the other thin, as we have said be∣fore; but also from the third Concoction which is performed in every part. The one of which we conceive onely by reason, being that which vanisheth into Aire by insensible Transpiration. The other is knowne sometimes by sweats, sometimes by a thicke fatty substance stayning the shirt; sometimes by the generation of haire and nailes, whose matter is from fuliginous and earthly excrements of the third Con∣coction. Wherfore the fourth Faculty was necessary which might yeeld no small
helpe to nourishment; it is called the Expulsive, appointed to expell those superfluous * 1.8 excrements which by no action of heate, can obtaine the forme of the part. Such faculties serving for nutrition are in some parts two-fold; as some common, the benesit of which redounds to the whole body, as in the ventricle, liver & veines; Others onely attending the service of those parts in which they remaine, and in some parts all these 4. aswell common as proper, are abiding and resident, as in those parts we now mentioned: some with the 4. proper have onely two cōmon, as the Gall, Spleene, Kidneies and Bladder. Others are content onely with the proper, as the simular and Musculous parts, who if they want any of these 4. faculties, their health is decayed ei∣ther by want of nourishment, an ulcer, or otherwise. The like unnatural affects happen by the deficiency of just and laudable nourishment. But if it happen those faculties do rightly performe their duty, the nourishment is changed into the proper substance of the part, and is truly assimulated, as by these degrees. First it must flow to the part, then * 1.9 be joyned to it, then agglutinated, and lastly as we have said, assimulated. Now we must speake of the Actions which arise from the faculties.
What a facul∣tie is. 3. Faculties.
The triple use of the Pulse.
The naturall faculty is three-fold.
What Nutri∣tion is.
Foure other faculties attend upon the nou∣rishing faculty
The necessity of the reten∣tive faculty.
Two excre∣ments of every concoction.
The worke of the expulsiue faculty.
By what de∣grees the nou∣rishment is assimulated.