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.

How profitable and behoouefull Anatomy is to the knowledge of Mans selfe. CHAP. V.

SEeing then that Man is a Litle world, and containes in himselfe the seeds of all those things which are contained in the most spacious and ample bosom of this whole Vniuerse, Starres, Meteors, Mettals, Minerals, Vegetables, Animals, and Spirits; whosoeuer dooth well know himselfe, knoweth all∣things, * 1.1 seeing in himselfe he hath the resemblances and representations of all things. First, he shall know God, because hee is fashioned and framed according to his Image, by reason whereof, hee is called among the Diuines, The Royall and Imperiall Temple of God; he shall know also the Angels, because hee hath vnderstanding as they haue; he shall know the brute Beasts, because he hath the faculties of sence and appetite common with them; he groweth as the plants do, hee hath being and existence as stones haue, and in a word, he is the rule and square of all bodies.

Wisely therefore did the Oracle of Apollo, incite and stirre vp euery man to the know∣ledge of himselfe, as Plato hath it in his Alcibiade. This by the iudgement and consent of * 1.2 all men, is true and sound Philosophy. For Demonax being asked, When he beganne to professe Philosophy, made answere, When I began to know my selfe. Socrates held it the next * 1.3 point to fury and madnesse, to enquire into high matters, and to search into strange and vncouth businesses, and bee ignorant in the meane while of those things that bee in our selues. This preposterous skill was once very merrily and wittily by an old wife cast in the teeth of Thales the Philosopher of Miletum; who as he inconsiderately cast vp his eyes to behold the Heauens, fell into a pit; the old wife cried out, Thou Foole, thou priest into mat∣ters that are aboue thee, & art ignorant of those things that are below thee, nay euen within thee. Surely it was a worthy speech, and not beseeming an olde Beldame but a Philosopher. But this same knowledge of a mans selfe, as it is a very glorious thing, so it is also very hard and * 1.4 difficult. And yet by the dissection of the body, and by Anatomy, wee shall easily attaine vnto this knowledge. For seeing the soule of man being cast into this prison of the body, cannot discharge her offices and functions without a corporeall Organ or instrument of the body; whosoeuer will attaine vnto the knowledge of the soule, it is necessarie that hee know the frame and composition of the body.

After this manner, Democritus of Abdera, that he might finde out the seate of anger and melancholy, cut in peeces the bodies of beasts, and when he was taxed of the Citizens for * 1.5 madnesse in so doing, he was by the censure and determination of Hippocrates, adiudged to

be very wise and prudent. Go too then, Is not he saide to know himselfe, who can tell how to temper and order the state and condition of his minde, howe to appease those ciuill tumults within himselfe, by the stormes and waues whereof he is pittifully tossed, and how to suppresse and appease those varieties of passions wherewith as it were with so manie fu∣ries he is vexed and tormented? But all this Anatomy doth verie plainly teach vs. For he that seeth and obserueth the whole body, which by the structure and putting together of * 1.6 sundry parts of diuers sorts and kinds, is (as it were) manifold & full of variety, to be made one by the continuation and ioyning of those parts; he that considereth the admirable sim∣pathy of the parts, their mutuall consent and agreement, their common offices, or officiall administrations one for the helpe of another, how they make not any couetous reser∣uation to themselues, but do freely communicate each with other; such a man no doubt will so moderate and order the conditions and affections of his minde, as all things shal ac∣cord and ioyne in a mutuall agreement, and the inferiors shall obey the superiors, the pas∣sions obey the rule of right reason. He that shall diligently weigh and consider the vse of euery part, the fashion, scituation, and admirable workemanship of them all, as also, the * 1.7 Organs and Instruments of the outward sences, he shall easily perceiue how and after what manner he is to make vse of euery part; then which thing, what can be more excellent, what more profitable?

Thou hast an vpright frame and posture of body, that remembring thy beginning, thou shouldst not like the brute beasts grouell vpon the ground, or dote vpon earthly things, but * 1.8 lift vp thy selfe towards heauen, and say with the Diuines, Our conuersation is in Heauen. Thy eyes are set in a high place, that thou mightst take notice, they are giuen thee to be ad∣uanced to the contemplation of Heauenly things.

Two eares, and those wide open, hath Nature ordained for thee; to teach thee that * 1.9 thou must heare, and by hearing, learne twice as much as thou must speake. Nature hath giuen thee but one tongue, tied with ten Muscles, and reyned with a very strong ligament, besides, as it were with a bridle, shut vp and enclosed within the mouth and teeth, as it were within a grate or Lattice, that the minde might first discerne and iudge of a thing before it vtter it, and that our words might first passe by the file, before they passe by the tongue. If you looke into the seats and residence of the faculties of the minde, you shall finde the rational faculty in the highest place, namely in the brain, compassed in on euery side with a scull; the faculty of anger, in the Heart; the faculty of lust or desire in the Liuer: & there∣fore we may gather these lower and inferiour faculties, must bee seruiceable and obedient to the higher, as to the Queene and Prince of them all. And if both Princes and Peasants would weigh and consider the mutuall offices betweene the principall and the ignoble parts, Princes might vnderstand how to rule, and Peasants how to obey. Princes may learne of the braine how to make Lawes, to gouerne their people; of the heart, how to * 1.10 preserue the life, health, and safety of their Citizens; of the Liuer, they may learn boun∣ty and liberality. For the braine sitting in the highest place, as it were in a Tribunall, distri∣buteth to euery Organ or Instrument of the sences, offices of dignity: the Heart like a King maintaineth and cherrisheth with his liuely and quickning heate, the life of all the partes: the Liuer the fountaine and well-spring of most beneficall humidity or iuice, nourisheth and feedeth the whole family of the bodie, and that at her owne proper costs and charges, like most a bountifull Prince. As for the meaner sorr of people, they may easilie vnder∣stand by the ministering and seruile organs, what bee the limits of seruice and subiection. For the parts that are in the lower bellie do all serue the Liuer; the Stomacke dooth con∣coct the meate, the Guts distribute and diuide it, the veines of the Mesentarie prepare it; the bladder of Gall, the Milt and the Reines, do purge and clense the princely Pallace, & thrust as it were out of the Kitchin, downe the sinke, all the filth and garbage. The parts that are included within the Chest, do serue the Heart; those that are in the head, do attend the Braine, and so each to others, doe affoord their mutuall seruices. And if any one of them do at any time faile of their duty, presently the whole Houshold gouernment goes to ruine and decay.

The euidence of which truth, being by way of Apologe or Parable, seasonably represented to the people of Rome, Menenius Agrippa reuoked them, and laide as it were a Lawe vpon their furie, when they had gathered themselues into the Mount, (which afterwardes was thereupon called Sacer) hardly brooking the gouernment of the Senate. So that anatomy is as it were a most certaine and sure guide to the admirable and most excellent knowledge

of ourselues, that is, of our owne proper nature. And therefore we reade, that valiant and couragious Princes, worthy and renowned Nobles, yea, and inuincible Emperors, being mooued and incited with this desire of the knowledge of themselues, did most studiously practise this worke of Anatomy, euen in the noyse and clattering of weapons and armour, and in the verie medly and tumult of warre.

Alexander the Great, among all the maine and great triumphes of his so excellent at∣chieuments, gloried that hee had diligently obserued vnder his Maister Aristotle, the Na∣ture * 1.11 and seuerall parts of liuing creatures. And it is found in the Records and Monuments of ancient Histories, that the Kings of the Egyptians, did make dissection of bodies with their owne hands. Marcus Antonius that great Commander, affirmed that he had learned his owne constitution by the dissection of other bodies. We haue also read, that Boetius * 1.12 and Paulus Sergius, two Romane Consuls, were Auditors of Galen, when he publikely pra∣ctised this dissection in the City of Rome. And so much shall suffice for the first profit and commodity that wee may reape by Anatomy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  He that kno∣wes himselfe, knowes all things.
• * 1.2

  Plato in Alcibi∣ade.
• * 1.3

  How profita∣ble it is to knowe our selues. Demonax. Socrates. Thales.
• * 1.4

  Anatomy the most sure guide to the knowledge of our selues.
• * 1.5

  Democritus
• * 1.6

  Anatomy tra∣cheth how to order the state of the minde.
• * 1.7

  How to vse our sences.
• * 1.8

  Why the eies are set in the top of the bo∣dy,
• * 1.9

  Why two eares. Why but one tongne.
• * 1.10

  How much the knowledg of Anatomy auaileth kings and Princes.
• * 1.11

  What Kinges and Princes haue practi∣sed Anatomy.
• * 1.12

  Antonius. Boetius. Paul. Serg.