The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XX. Of the Spleene or Milt.

BVt because we cannot well shew the distribution of the gate veine, unlesse the spleene be first taken away, and removed from its seate: therefore be∣fore we go any further, I have thought good to treate of the spleene. There∣fore * 1.1 the spleene is of a soft, rare, and spongious substance (whereby it might more easily receive and drinke up the dreggs of the bloud from the liver) and of a flesh more blacke than the liver. For it resembles the colour of its muddy bloud, from which it is generated. It is of an indifferent greatnesse; but bigger in some, * 1.2 than in othersome, according to the diverse temper and complexion of men. It hath, * 1.3 as it were, a triangular figure, gibbous on that part, it stickes to the ribbes and midriffe, but hollow on that part next the stomacke. It is composed of a coate, * 1.4 the proper flesh, a veine, artery, and nerve. The membrane comes from the peritonae∣um, the proper flesh from the foeces or dregges of bloud, or rather of the naturall me∣lancholy humor, with which it is nourished. The fourth branch of the venaporta, or gate veine, lends it a veine; the first branch of the great descendant artery presently after the first entrance without the Midriffe, lends it an arterie. But it receives a nerve from the left costall, from the sixt conjugation on the inner part, by the rootes of the ribs; & we may manifestly see this nerve, not only dispersing it selfe through the coate of the liver, but also penetrating with its vessels the proper flesh thereof, after the selfesame manner, as we see it is in the heart and lungs. It is one in number, situate on the left side, betweene the stomacke and the bastard ribs, or rather the midriffe * 1.5 which descends to their rootes. For it oft times cleaves to the midriffe on its gib∣bous part, by a coate from the peritonaeum, as also on the hollow part to the stomacke, both by certaine veines which sends it into the ventricle, as also by the kall. It hath con∣nexion, either primarily, or secundarily, with all the parts of the body, by these its * 1.6 vessels.

It is of a cold and drie temper; the action and use of it is to separate the melancho∣licke * 1.7 humor, which being feculent and drossie, may be attenuated by the force of ma∣ny arteries dispersed through its substance. For by their continuall motion, and native heate, which they carrie in full force with them from the heart, that grosse bloud puts off its grossenesse, which the spleene sends away by passages fit for that purpose, retaining the subtler portion for its nourishment. The passages by which it purges it selfe from the grossenesse of the melancholy bloud, are a veine ascending from it into the stomacke to stirre up the appetite by its sourenesse, and strengthen the substance thereof by its astriction; and also another veine, which sometimes from the spleene branch, sometimes from the gate veine, plainely under its orifice, descends to the fundament, there to make the Haemorrhoidall veines.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The substence
• * 1.2

  Magnitude.
• * 1.3

  Figure.
• * 1.4

  Composition.
• * 1.5

  Number, and site.
• * 1.6

  Connexion,
• * 1.7

  Temper and use.