Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

What an Anatomist must consider in euery part. CHAP. XVII.

ANatomists doe obserue many things in euery part, which Galen in his bookes de vsu partium referreth to nine heads. We, the better to auoide confusion, least the wits of those that are ignorant should be too much * 1.1 racked, will consider onely three things, to which all the rest may bee re∣ferred, the Structure, the Action, and the Vse. The word Structure, I take here in a large signification, as Aristotle and Galen haue often taken it; not only for the conformation, but for whatsoeuer addeth or helpeth any thing to the constitution or composition of the part. Now these three things go to that constitution, the Substance, the Temper, and the Conformation. The substance (as wee said before) is * 1.2 the mansion of the particular and determinate faculty, and it is peculiar to euery part; and in that respect, the substance of a part is sayd to bee bony, membranous, neruous, fleshy, medullous or marrowy. This substance it hath partly from the forme, partly from the matter, and it is knowne by sensible qualities, such as are hardnesse, softnes, thicknes, thin∣nesse, raritie, density or thightnes, colour, and sauour or taste. The Temper accompani∣eth this substance and hangeth vppon it, following the materiall qualities; for it is not a * 1.3 thing abstracted or separated, but hath a firme coherence with the matter of substance, as with her subiect; and therefore the Physitians call the Temper, the forme of the similar parts, although indeede it bee not so much; but onely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the im∣mediate receiuer of the soule. This temper the Physitian especially standeth vpon; for e∣uery part worketh thus or thus, according to and by his temper; and he that will maintain the actions or functions of the parts, must haue especiall care to preserue their true and genuine temper. In respect of this temper, the parts are sayd to be hot, cold, moyst, and dry; alwayes hauing a respect to a medium, that is, to a thing of a meane & middle temper, that is the skin. A hot and a cold temper wee distinguish rather by reason and discourse then by sence, because in a liuing creature there is nothing actually colde. But the moyst

and dry temper sence onely discouereth, that is, the hardnesse or softnesse of the part; for whatsoeuer appeareth hard to him that toucheth it, that we resolue is dry, because in a li∣uing creature there is nothing hard by concretion or curdling; whatsoeuer feeleth soft, is moyst. The cōformation of a part consisteth in the Symmetrie, that is, the natural propor∣tion * 1.4 or constitution of many things, to wit, of the figure, magnitude, number, & scituation. To the figure we referre the superficies or surface, the pores and the cauities. To the sci∣tuation wee referre the seate and position of the part, as also his connexion with others; for the parts doe not hang loose in the body, or separated one from another, but they haue a coherence, being tyed together by ligaments and membranes. And therefore it beho∣ueth a Physitian and Chirurgion to know which parts are tyed to which, that when one part is affected, he may know what parts may be drawne into simpathy and consent with it. To this conformation Galen referreth the beauty of the part, which hee conceiueth to * 1.5 reside in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, in the equality of the particles; but wee place the beauty of the whole body, in the inequality of the parts; that is, in their vnlike and different quality and magnitude; but yet such a difference as whereby the parts doe answere one another in an apt and neate correspondencie of proportion, euen as musique is made of different sounds, but yet all agreeing in a harmonious concent; and thus much of the Structure of a part.

Next followeth the action, which Aristotle calleth the end of the Structure; because for the * 1.6 actions sake, the part hath his substance, temper, & conformation. So the heart, because it was to be the mansion and habitation of the vitall faculty, and the store-house of arteriall bloud, had giuen vnto it a fleshy and solid substance, a temper hot & moyst, a figure some∣what long, but comming neere to the Spherical, hollowed also with two ventricles or bo∣somes, and many obscure cauities, in which the houshold Goods and fire-harth of the bo∣dy were to remaine, from whence there should issue and spring a continuall supply of Na∣tiue heat & spirits. I define an Action with Galen, a motion of the working Parts, or a motion * 1.7 of the Actor, to distinguish it from an affection; for an affection is a passiue motion, or a motion of a passiue or suffering body; but an action is motus effectiuus, an effectuating or working motion; so pulsation is an action of the heart; palpitation is an affection or a passion; the first proceedeth from a faculty, the second from a sickly or vnhealthfull cause, which we commonly call causa morbifica.

Of actions some are common, some are proper; the common actions are found euery * 1.8 where; the proper are performed by one particular part. Nutrition is a common action, for all liuing and animated parts are nourished, because life is defined and limited by Nu∣trition. Proper actions are performed by a particular Organ, and they are either princi∣pall, or such as minister to the principall: againe; of actions some are Similar some Orga∣nicall. A Similar action is begun onely by the Temper, and by the same is perfected, and is performed by euery sound and perfect particle of euery part. The Organical is not com∣menced by the temper onely, neither is it accomplished by the particles, but by the whole Organ or instrument.

Finally and in the last place, the vse of the part must be considered by the Anatomist; * 1.9 For the Philosopher sayth, that wee are led vnto the knowledge of the Organ, not by his structure but by his vse. The Vse which the Graecians call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is two fold according * 1.10 to Galen. One followeth the Action; that is, ariseth from the Action it selfe, and is the end of it; as by the Action of Seeing, the Creature hath this vse, that hee can auoyde that which is hurtfull, and pursue that which is behoofefull. This Vse, if you respect the gene∣ration and constitution of the part is after the Action; but in dignity and worth it is before it, because it is the end of all actions: nowe the end is more excellent then those things that appertaine or leade vnto that end. The other Vse goeth before the Action, and is de∣fined to bee a certaine aptitude or fitnes to doe or worke. So in the Eye the Christalline hu∣mor doth primarily make the sight; the other humors, the coates, the optick nerues afford a vse, and are ordained to perfect the action of Seeing. This Vse is in dignity behinde the Action, but in generation before it: by which it is manifest that the Action differeth, and * 1.11 is another thing from the Vse, although many men vse to confound them: for the Action is an actiue motion of the Part, but the Vse an aptitude for Action. The Action is onely in operation, the Vse remayneth also in the rest or peace of the Member: the Action in euery Organ is onely the worke of the principall Similar part in that Organ, the Vse is like∣wise of all the rest: to conclude, there are many parts which haue vse without any action, as the haires and the nailes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three things are to be con∣sidered in a Part. Structure what it is.
• * 1.2

  The substance of a Part what it is.
• * 1.3

  The Temper what it is.
• * 1.4

  The confor∣mation what it is. The figure. The seite.
• * 1.5

  The beauty of a part. Galen.
• * 1.6

  The action of a part. Arist.
• * 1.7

  What an acti∣on is. Galen.
• * 1.8

  The differen∣ces of actions
• * 1.9

  The Vse of a part. Arist.
• * 1.10

  The vse is double. Galen.
• * 1.11

  How the vse differeth frō the action.