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.

CHAP. I. Of the Thorax or Chest, and the Diuision of it.

THE middle belly is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of a word which signifieth to leap or dance, because in it the heart continually mooueth from the in∣gate * 1.1 to the outgate of life. It is comprehended by the ribs, or ra∣ther circumscribed by the Ribs and Patell bones, and is separated from the lower Belly by the Midriffe or Diaphragma, and it is the seate or conceptacle of the vitall Faculty which harboureth espe∣cially in the heart, for whose sake this Chest or Thorax was made; * 1.2 the habitation of the breathing partes, and the shop wherein the voice is framed; and for this cause it is called of Hippocrates 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 testudo, a Citterne or Crowd, because the sound of it maketh Musick. It is placed between the vpper and lower bellies, that the Natiue heate which resideth in the Heart may bee e∣qually communicated to all the parts.

The Figure of it is very capacious, being long & round like an Egge, whose magnitude * 1.3 may be guessed by the compasse it carrieth without. Before and behinde it is wider in man (saith Aristotle 2. Hist. Anim. 1.) then in other creatures; before, that there might be suffici∣ent space for the Heart and Lungs to mooue and spred themselues in, both for the voyce

[illustration]

Table I. sheweth the body when all the bowels are taken out of the Lower Belly, and reclined backeward, that the Scituati∣on of the Midriffe might better be discerned, it sheweth also the other part of the Chest as yet couered.

[illustration]

TABVLA I.

• a The Midriffe in his seate.
• e the hole of the great Artery cut open.
• h, i. Two fleshy originals of the Midriffe.
• k. The diuision of the Midriffe wher it trans∣mitteth the Artery.
• l. The leste perforation of the Midriffe gi∣uing way to the gullet.
• m. the hole of the Midriffe through vvhich the hollow veine ascendeth.
• n. The veine called Phrenica.
• o. the Artery called Phrenica.
• p p. the sixt paire of Muscles of the thigh called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• q q. the seauenth paire of Muscles of the thigh, which fil the cauity of the hanch∣bones.
• r The fift Muscle of the backe.
• s the Holy-bone, together with som nerues arising out of the marrow thereof.
• t The brest bone.
• u The brest-blade.
• xx the ribs.
• y y the intercostall Muscles.
• A B. the pectorall Muscle, or the first Mus∣cle of the arme in his proper seate at A, the same separated as farre as his implan∣tation at B.
• C C. the Muscle called Serratus maior, or the second Muscle of the Chest.
• D. Serratus minor, or the first Muscle of the Shoulder blade.
• E. the Muscle called Deltois or Epomis, the second Muscle of the arme his originall is at t.
• F. The Clauicula or Coller bone.

and for respiration saith Galen in the 6. chap. of his 13. Booke de vsu partium, that we might haue abundance of spirits; for that in it the sprightfull blood is laboured of blood and aer, and the voice also is to be formed of the aer. Behinde it is wide, that a man may ly at ease vpon his backe; in other creatures it is fashioned like the Keele of a Shippe; betwixt their fore feete in foure-footed Beasts for their better sootmanship; in Birdes for the nim∣bler motion of their wings when they flye. If it had beene otherwise framed in men (saith Galen in the 11. chapter of his 13. Booke de vsu partium) it would haue hindred the actions of their armes and in Beasts it would not haue suffered their fore-bowes to haue beene so close brought to their chest, which would haue hindred them much in their gate.

The substance of it is neyther altogether bony as the scull is, for then it could not haue * 1.4 beene mooued, nor altogether fleshy as the Lower belly, for then the Muscles would haue falne vpon the heart and the Lungs euen of their owne accord: wherefore that both there might be a space within for the motion, and also al the whole frame of the iustrument might be mooued together, the Muscles and the bones are set as it were by courses one beside an∣other. For because the heart, one of the principall bowels, was to be seated in this Chest, it needed * 1.5 a more safe and secure muniment or defence, and therefore it is walled about with bones: but because the exceeding great heate of the heart stoode in neede of much colde aer, by which as by a fan it might be ventilated and preserued, it was necessary that the chest should be moueable, that in the dilatation of it aer being drawn into the Lungs might re∣fresh the heart, and in the contraction the sooty vapors might bee expelled. Whereforeit was necessary that it should be composed of many bones, which because they should mu∣tually follow the motion one of another; it was requisite also that they should bee ioyned togither with some pliable substance such as is a Cartilage or gristle.

The Chest therfore is moued with Muscles & made vp and compacted with bones, & therefore is rightly called the Middle venter, not onely because of his scituation, but also by reason of his substance, neither wholy bony as the heade, nor wholy fleshy as the lower Venter. * 1.6

The whole Thorax or Chest is diuided inro a fore part, which is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per∣tus, commonly the brest; the side parts called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Latera the Sides; and the back partcal∣led 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Dorsum the Backe, all which appeare in this precedent Table.

* 1.7 The parts of this Chest are some conteyning, some conteyned. The conteining parts are common or proper, the Common are the Skin-scarfe or Cuticle, the Skin, the Fat, the Fle∣shy pannicle, and the Membrane of the Muscles. The Proper are soft or hard, the soft are fleshy, as the Muscles (and the breasts, of which we haue spoken before as rather belonging * 1.8 to the lower Venter, though for ornament and commodious vse they haue their seat here) or Membranous, as the Pleura and the Mediastinum.

The hard parts are bones or gristles. And first of the Conteyning parts, after of those conteined, according to the order of Dissection.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Chest. How it is li∣mited.
• * 1.2

  The chest was made for the heart. Compared to a Crowd.
• * 1.3

  The Figure of it.
• * 1.4

  The substāce and structure
• * 1.5

  The Reasons of it.
• * 1.6

  How rightly called the Middle belly.
• * 1.7

  The Diuision of the Chest.
• * 1.8

  The parts of it.