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.

QVEST. XV. Whether all the parts are formed together.

THis question is so hard and ful of obscurity, that Galen saith it is only known to God & Nature. For what is more Diuine then the first Conformation of * 1.1 a man? What more admirable? What more secret? This the kinglie Pro∣phet inspired from aboue acknowledgeth, I wil confesse before the O Lorde, because I am wonderfull made, thy eyes saw mee before I was shaped, &c. See∣ing therefore the resolution of this question is aboue the reach of humane capacity, which God wot is circumscribed within very narrow limits; if to make some ouerture thereof I shall take a little more liberty to my selfe, I desire all those that desire with mee heerein to be informed, not to impute it to my wandering wit but to the greatnesse of the subiect. Be∣cause therefore as by the Collision of stones fire is beaten out, so by the ventilation or skit∣mish of aduersary opinions the truth comes best to be knowne, we will first with your pati∣ence see what the Ancients haue conceyued of this matter.

Alemaeon thought, that the braine was first of all formed because it is the seate of reason and the habitation of the soule, as also for that in infants the heade is greater in his propor∣tion * 1.2 then any other of the parts. It may be he had reade in Hippocrates his Epidemia, that the magnitude of the bones and of all the parts is to be esteemed according vnto the mag∣nitude of the head, as if all the rest vvere formed by the heade, and had dependancie there∣from.

Galen in the second Chapter of his sixte Booke de Placitis Hippocratis & Flatonis remem∣breth that Pelops taught publickly that all the vessels had their originall from the braine; the * 1.3 same also was the opinion of that Persian Philosopher whom Auicen calleth Theseus Perse∣us; * 1.4 others Syamor Cabronensis.

But because the braine is onely the author of sense and motion, and the principal Facul∣ties which the Infant hath no neede of in his first Conformation; I see no reason vvhy the braine should be formed before the other spermaticall parts.

Democratus as Aristotle sayeth in the first Chapter of his second Booke de Generatione Ani∣malium, * 1.5 did think that the outward parts were first formed, & afterward the inward parts, as Artificers are wont first rudely to frame the modell of Creatures in wood or stone before they cut out the more curious lines. Orpheus thought that a creature was formed as a net is knit, that is in order; Empedocles that the Liuer was first formed; the Stoycks all the parts * 1.6 together. Aristotle in his second Booke de Generatione Animalium sayeth that the heart is first of all formed, and by and from it all the partes are produced, which as a childe enfran∣chised by the father, taketh vpon him to rule and dispence the whole body. This sayth hee is the first and onely principle, the first liuer, the first moouer, the first that maketh blood, because it dyeth last of all, now that that dyeth last liueth also first. That the heart dyeth * 1.7 last, beside that wee are taught it by dayly experience, Galen also confesseth as much in the first Chapter of his sixt Booke de locis affectis, Death neuer followeth, sayth he, vnlesse the heart be first affected with an immoderate distemper. It is therefore necessary that the Fa∣ther or Lord of the family which is the Heart, should bee created before the Cater or Ste∣ward which is the Liuer. This opinion of Aristotles, Auicen the prince of the Arabian Fa∣mily * 1.8 seemeth to follow, which also hee establisheth by some reasons; because the creature cannot be nourished vnlesse he liue and participate of the influence of heat, now the heart is the plentifull fountaine of naturall heat.

Againe, in the first dayes after Conception the Formatiue faculty needeth no nou∣rishment, because there is no notable resolution or expence in the parts; but of heate and vitall spirits there is alwayes neede, therefore it was necessary that the heart should bee for∣med before the Liuer.

But this opinion of Aristotles is long since cast out of the schooles of Physitians. For that * 1.9 it is not the onely nor the first principle we haue already prooued sufficiently in the second question of the Controuersies of the first Booke. Nowe that it is not first generated may be demonstrated both by Reason and Sence, which two are the most vnpartiall Iudges of all Controuersies. By Sence because there alwayes appeare together and at once three * 1.10 bubbles, which are the rudiments of the three principal parts, neither did any man euer ob∣serue one of those bubbles only.

By reason, because in the first dayes after Conception the Embryo needeth not the help * 1.11 of the heart. For liuing the life only of a plant, it needeth neither pulsation or spiration nor the influence of heat, because it cherisheth himselfe with his owne heat and with his owne inbred spirit. And wheras Arstotle would conclude it to be the first that liueth, because it is the last that dyeth. We say that followeth not: for those things that are first in Generati∣on are not alwayes the last in dissolution.

So in the Generation of any thing that is mixed, the matter goeth before the forme, and yet the abolition of the forme is the corruption of the thing mixed. By this reason also in * 1.12 Snakes and Serpents the tayle should be that which liueth first, because when all the other parts are starke dead and immouable, yet the tayle liueth and moueth. We think indeed that the heart is last of all depriued of life, because when the Infant is perfected and absol∣ued the vitall heate floweth onely from the heart as from a most plentifull fountaine, but that it first liueth we vtterly deny; because to liue is either to be Norished or to be Anima∣ted. The heart is neither first nourished nor first animated. All nourishment is by blood, * 1.13 blood is not but by the veines, all the veines are from the Liuer; and the Vmbilicall veine which is the first Nurse of the Embryo powreth the blood into the Parenchyma of the Liuer before that of the heart. Neither is the heart first animated because the seed when it brea∣keth into act. i. when it beginneth the conformation is wholly & actually animated. Ther∣fore all the parts thereof doe actually liue onely by the participation of heate in the moy∣sture. Wee bid therefore adue to Aristotle, Chysippus, the Stoyckes and whosoeuer else doe thinke that the heart is the first liuer and the first maker of bloud.

Galen seemeth to differ from himselfe in the order of the conformation of the parts, for * 1.14 sometimes he sayeth that the Heart and the Liuer are formed together, somtimes that the Liuer is first formed, sometimes that the vmbilicall veine hath the preheminence, yet here∣in he is alway of one minde, that he thinketh the partes are generated in succession, not at once and together. And this he illustrateth by examples of those things that are wrought by Art. For a house is not built all at once, but first the foundations are layde, then the * 1.15 walles are reared, and finally the roofe is layd on: so sayeth he it is in the Infant, one part is formed before another, to wit, that first which is most necessary for the Embryo. And that

he thinketh is the Liuer, because the Infant liueth at first the life of a plant needing onely nutrition as doth a plant; now the Liuer is the shop or storehouse of Aliment. As there∣fore a plant hath no need of a heart, so neither the Infant in the beginning.

Moreouer that the Liuer is first generated may be proued by his magnitude and the fa∣cility of his generation, for it is made onely of congealed bloud; adde hereto that the vm∣bilicall veine atteyneth to the Liuer before it commeth to the Heart. That all these things are true Galen teacheth in the third Chapter of his Booke de formatione faetus, because in In∣fants * 1.16 the natural faculties as being the first of all other are the strongest, those that rise from the Heart much weaker, those weakest of all which come from the Brayne. Furthermore all Generation proceedeth from that which is more imperfect to that which is more per∣fect: wherefore first is the liuer generated, then the Heart and last of all the Brayne. This is the opinion of Galen and almost of all Physitians both old and new concerning the con∣formation of the parts.

We for our owne part doe not vse to sweare vnto the opinion of any man, but as wee esteeme much and haue in great reuerence the patrons and founders of our Art, as becom∣meth vs well; so if at any time they stray from the rule of right reason, wee shall not make * 1.17 scruple to dissent from them. VVhatsoeuer therefore Galen may think, we cannot be per∣swaded that the Liuer is first formed, because before the delineation of all the parts of the Infant hee needeth not the helpe of the Liuer; for it was not behoofefull that the blood * 1.18 should flow till after the discretion and discription of the spermaticall parts, otherwise the seede would be cloyed and clogged with blood and instead of a lawfull Conception a Mo∣la would be formed.

As for that nourishment and encrease which Galen feygneth should bee made by the blood, we are so farre from thinking it necessary to the first conformation, that we rather thinke with Hippocates and Aristotle that it would haue beene a great hinderance thereto, so that we may retort Galens weapon which he vseth against Aristotle vppon himselfe. The Infant sayth Galen needeth not the helpe of the heart, therefore the heart is not formed be∣fore the Liuer. VVe say, the Infant needed not the helpe of the Liuer because it is not nou∣rished till after the delineation of the spermaticall partes is absolued, wherefore the Liuer ought not to be formed before the Heart and the Brayne.

You will obiect for Galen that life is limited and defined by nutrition, if therefore the Embryo doe liue it needeth to bee nourished. I answer, that in creatures that are perfect * 1.19 nothing liueth that is not nourished, but imperfect creatures and such as are without bloud may liue a time without nourishment, so some creatures liue al winter in holes and a plant all winter is not nourished, but viuifieth and quickneth it selfe. The tender Embryo ther∣fore which is without blood liueth the first dayes and yet is not nourished, because there is no necessity of nourishment seeing there is no exhaustion of the parts.

It remayneth now that we make manifest vnto you our own conceit of the order of Con∣formation, which we will doe as briefly and perspicuously as possibly wee can: but because * 1.20 we would haue euen the most ignorant conceiue vs the better we wil vse first these distinc∣tions.

Of the partes some are proper to the Infant it selfe of which it hath vse in the whole course of his life; others are seruiceable vnto it onely so long as it abideth in the mothers wombe, of which kinde are those skinny couerings and small membranes compassing the Infant about. Againe we must obserue thus much, that some partes are spermaticall en∣gendered of the crassament of the seed, others fleshy whose originall is immediately from * 1.21 the bloud. And of these fleshy parts there are three kinds as there are three kinds of flesh. For it is either the flesh of the bowelles which wee call Parenchyma or the flesh of the mus∣cles, which Hippocrates properly and absolutely tearmeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is Flesh, or the peculiar flesh of euery part which hath not any proper name.

These things being thus, we conceiue. That the membranes called Amnion and Chorion * 1.22 are first of all formed, because the inward and most noble part of the seede was to bee de∣fenced and walled about with these curtaynes, as we shall shew more distinctly in our next exercise.

These coates being formed, we thinke that the rudiments or stamina and threds of all * 1.23 the spermaticall parts are formed together at once, because the matter is the same, alike al∣tered and disposed by the heate, the workeman the same to wit the spirit diffused through the whole masse of the seed, the Finall cause the same, that is, the vse of euery singular part.

For, seeing that in the first delineation the Infant needeth not eyther the nourishment of the Liuer, or the influence or pulsation of the heart; or the sense of the braine, but cher∣risheth it selfe with his owne in-bred heate; why should wee thinke that one of the parts is formed before another? If Nature when she vndertaketh the concoction of quitture or Pus which we call Matter, dooth bring the whol to an equalitie together, and insinuate it selfe equally and alike into all the parts thereof, why shall shee not in this first delineation of the Spermaticall parts (the Idea of all which the Formatiue Faculty conteyneth in it selfe) be∣ginne * 1.24 and accomplish the description of all of them together? Neyther is this our opini∣on but the Conclusion of Hippocrates in his first Booke De Diaeta and in his Booke de Locis in homine.

In his Booke De Diaeta, The partes are all delineated together, all together encreased, not one or more, before or after another or the rest, but those that are greater by Nature doe appeare before those that are lesse.

In his Booke De Locis in homine straight after the beginning hee breaketh out into these * 1.25 wordes, It seemeth vnto mee, that there is nothing first in the bodye, but all thinges are the be∣ginning and all things the end, all parts first and all last. What could he say more plainely? What more breefely? Or what indeede could bee eyther spoken or immagined more Diuine?

The Spermaticall parts therefore which we call solid or first parts, are shadowed or li∣ned out at once and together, but afterwards they are perfected euery one in their order; First those that are more noble and necessarie, and those last which are most ignoble and lesse necessary. After the delineation of the spermaticall partes are formed the Fleshie, and first of all the Parenchymata of the bowelles, nexte the proper flesh of the particular parts, and finally the emptie spaces of the Muscles are filled vp.

Among the Parenchymata we thinke that of the Liuer is first gathered together, bee∣cause the Vmbilicall Veyne dooth first powre the blood thereinto, which beeing concre∣ted * 1.26 or caked maketh the substaunce or flesh of the Liuer; and this happely Galen meant, where he saith that the Liuer is first generated; so that in this sense if he spake hee may wel be excused.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The difficulty of the questiō.
• * 1.2

  Alcmaeons opi¦nion.
• * 1.3

  Pelops.
• * 1.4

  Theseus or Sya∣mor.
• * 1.5

  Democratus.
• * 1.6

  Orpheus. Empedocles Aristotles opi∣nion.
• * 1.7

  The heart di∣eth last, after Gal. & Arist.
• * 1.8

  Auicens opini∣on.
• * 1.9

  Aristotles opi∣nion confu∣ted.
• * 1.10

  By sence.
• * 1.11

  By reason.
• * 1.12

  That the hart doth not first liue.
• * 1.13

  What it is to liue.
• * 1.14

  Galen in this is diuers.
• * 1.15

  The parts are generated successiuely.
• * 1.16

  Galen.
• * 1.17

  Galens opini¦on not to be approued.
• * 1.18

  The reasons.
• * 1.19

  Obiection. Solution.
• * 1.20

  What we thinke.
• * 1.21

  Differences of the parts of the Infant.
• * 1.22

  The mem∣branes first generated.
• * 1.23

  All the parts formed toge∣ther.
• * 1.24

  Hippocrates o∣pinion.
• * 1.25

  The Fleshie parts are the last made, and their order
• * 1.26

  How Galen may be excu∣sed.