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. VIII. Of the Thymus and Purse of the Heart called Pericardium, and the water conteyned therein.

THE conteined parts of the Chest are double, Bowels and Vessells. The Bowels are two, the heart couered with his purse and the Lungs. The ves∣sels * 1.1 are branches of the great Veine and the great Artery, borne vppe in the hollow or lower part of the throate with a glandulous body called Thymus, double Nerues from the marrowe of the racke bones of the Chest, from which the intercostall nerues do come; and also from the marrow or substance of the brain conteined within the scull, from which the sixt paire or coniugation proceedeth, & from it the Costalis or the sinew of the ribs, the Stomachial and Recurrent both the right and the * 1.2 left; and finally, the Weazon called Aspera Arteria, and a part of the oesophagus or Gullet. But first of the Thymus.

The Thymus which Galen in the fourth Chapter of his sixt Booke De vsu partium, calleth * 1.3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, his Interpreter, the lowest of the Glandules, is of a glandulous body, soft and spongie. (Galen Administ. Anat. 7, 9. cals it the great and softest Glandule) which in the vpper part of the Chest neere the hole of the throate lyeth vnder the brest-bone, and serueth for a pillow or boulster to secure all the diuisions of the Hollowe veine and the great Artery, and all * 1.4 the sproughts that come from them, which are in this place very many and diuerse, going to the armes and the shoulder-blades; as also the Hollow-veine it selfe, that it be not hurt by the hardnesse of the brest-bone, from whome in lieu it receiueth certaine small vessels. For this is an ordinary and perpetuall worke of Nature, that wheresoeuer shee diuideth a * 1.5 great vessell, there she interponeth a Glandule to fill vp the diuision. This is that part in Calues, which is accounted among the delicates of the Table, and is called Lactes or the sweete bread.

The Purse of the Heart, called of the Grecians Pericardium; of the Latines Cordis inv••∣lucrum * 1.6 and Capsula, Camera, or Aula Cordis, Hippocrates in his Booke de Corde, calleth Cu∣leus. It is a large Membrane, couering and incompassing all the hart; and carrieth his Py∣ramidall Figure [Tab. 4. fig. 1. ^DEF] or rather is like a pine Kernell, hauing a broad Basis a∣boue, * 1.7 and ending by degrees in an obtuse angle. [Tab. 4. fig. 1, ^F] This is placed in the midst of the double Mediastinum, and is embraced by it on either side, to which it groweth round about by the mediation of many Fibres. It is also tied before, to the Pleura, where the Gri∣stles * 1.8 of the sixt and seauenth ribs on the lefte side are ioyned to the Membranes of the Me∣diastinum, where they part or gape from the brest-bone; behinde to the spine of the backe; below to the sinewy circle [Table. 4. fig. 1. from ^E to ^G] or Tendon of the Midriffe his point [Tab. 4. fig. 1. ^F] doth so strongly adhere especially on the left, as also on the right [Tab. 4. fig 1, ^Q] side that it cannot be separated without tearing it asunder, and this Connexion is pe∣culiar onely to man. For in other creatures as Dogges & Apes, it standeth off from the Mi∣driffe and is not tyed to it.

The Originall [Table. 4. fig. 1, ^B Fig. 2. ^A] of this Membrane at his Basis is large, produced * 1.9 from the coats which the Pleura affoordeth vnto the foure vessels which yssue out of the heart; for these vesselles in all that distance which is betweene the Basis or broad end of the heart and this Pericardium, haue not the common coate from the Pleura, because it is em∣ployed in the frame of the Pericardium.

His substance both for thicknesse and strength (as Galen saieth in the first chapter of his sixt Book de vsu partium) is very proportionate; if it had been harder then it is, it would haue * 1.10 offended the Lungs by pressing them; if softer, itself might haue bin pained by the bones: for as his position is betweene two contraries, so is his substance middle betweene two ex∣tremes

For it is so much softer then a bone, as it is harder then the Lungs; but indeede the Peri∣cardium toucheth not the Lungues but by the interposition of the Mediastinum, least they should hinder another in their motion, alwayes I except the forepart of the brest-bone, where the Membranes of the Mediastinum stand of one from another.

This purse is hard, because of the continuall motion of the heart; on the outside fibrous, within smooth and slippery, that the heart might mooue more freely in it, but on neyther side hath it any fat, although Aristotle saith otherwise, whom Vesalius imagined to bee de∣ceyued by taking for it the Membranes of the Mediastinum, which are indeede sometimes fat as we haue saide.

It is tied at the Basis of the heart, which is at the fift rackbone of the Chest, to the vessels * 1.11 which come thence [Tab. 4. fig. 1, ^B fig. 2 ^A] which also it boulstereth; but to the body of the heart it is not tied but is as farre from it at the Basis, the point and the sides [Tab. 4. fig. 2, ^BB sheweth the Pericardium bent backe to the sides] as is sufficient for the dilatation of the heart, and for the serous humor heerein conteined. Wherefore it is on euery side a little distant from it; which distance if it had been larger it would haue taken vp too much of the cauity of the chest, and so haue bin a hinderance to Respiration.

It is continuall or whole round about except in the basis, where it hath at the least siue perforations for the entrance of the hollow veine [Tab. 4. fig. 1 ^A Fig. 2. ^F] & for his egresse, * 1.12 as also to let out the arteriall veine, [Tab. 4. fig. 2 ^G] the Venall Artery, and the great Ar∣tery. [Tab. 4, fig. 2 ^H]

[illustration]

Table 4. figure 1. sheweth the heart inclu∣ded within his purse or Pericardium, together with the Lungs, and a part of the Midriffe.

[illustration]

Figure second, sheweth the Pericardium opened, and so the scituation of the hart and particularly the fore-parte there∣of.

[illustration]

TABVLA. IIII.

[illustration]

FIG. I.

• A. A portion of the ascending trunke of the hol∣low Veine.
• a. A portion of the Great Artery.
• B. The beginning of the Pericardium, cleuing ve∣ry close to the hollow veine, vnto the Arteriall veine and to the Great Artery.
• C. The small Veines of the Pericardium or Purse of the heart.
• D E. The foreside of the Pericardium bearing the Figure of the Basis of the heart.
• F. The sharpe end of the Pericardium.
• From F to G. the connexion of the Pericardium with the Midriffe.
• H. A part of the Septum transuersū or the midriff
• I I. His Nerues.
• L M N O. The foure Lobes of the Lunges.

[illustration]

FIG. II.

[illustration]

The second Figure.

• A. The place where the Pericardium is continued with the vesselles of the heart.
• B B. The pericardium reflected to the sides.
• C D. The Basis of the fore-part of the hart.
• E The point of the fore-part of the heart called Mucro.
• F. The Hollow Veine.
• G. The Arteriall veyne.
• H. The great Artery and the Venal artery, which cannot be seene vnlesse the heart be leaned to the left side.
• I. The right eare of the heart.
• K. The top of the left eare.
• l. The coronary or crown-veine and artery of the heart.
• L L. Certaine branches proceeding from these vessels.
• M N O P. The foure Lobes of the Lungs.
• Q. A part of the Midriffe.

It receiueth very small veines [table 4. figure 1. C] and threddy, partly from those that * 1.13 are sent to the mediastinum, partly from the veins called Phrenicae where they are ioyned to the midriffe; some say it hath a small braunch from the Axillary veine which they call the Capsulary or purse-braunch; though Laurentius will haue it to come from the subelauian veine. It hath no arteries vnlesse they be exceeding smal, because being so neare vnto the heart it may receiue vitall spirits at hand from it. His nerues are very small and sometimes scarcely sensible, but from the left branch of the Recurrent sinew to giue him sence.

His vse is to be as a habitation and shelter for the heart or as a mantle to couer it, and * 1.14 being of all membranes (except the dura mater of the Braine) the strongest, it keepeth it al∣so from pressure that his motion bee not impeached, and that it touch not the hard bone. Moreouer it conteyneth a serous humour whereof wee will speake in the next place, and serueth in stead of a ligament together with the helpe of the membranes of the Mediasti∣num to reteyne the heart in his right seate. Galen in the 13. Chapter of his 7. Book de A∣natomieis Admin. telleth a strange story of a childe whose breast-bone was cut out, and this * 1.15 Pericardium rotted part of it off, and yet the child recouered.

In this purse there is contayned a watery humour as Galen calleth it, carrying the forme of vrine: wherefore the diuine senior Hippocrates who in his Booke de Corde calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, * 1.16 sayeth that the heart dwels in a Bladder, yet this water hath no acrimony or saltnesse in it. It springeth partly from a humour which sypeth out of the vessels (I meane the veines and arteries of the heart) which the heart as Hippocrates speaketh drinketh in, licking vp withall * 1.17 the drinke of the Lungs and pisseth it out againe (for the watery humor is by the high fer∣uour of the heart driuen forth, as we see in greene wood when it is burnt) partly of a porti∣on of the drinke which soaketh in the passage through the sides of the weazon, as it were a deaw and falleth downe hither, and from hence some of it into the venall arteries. The first * 1.18 is proued by the cure of the palpitation of the heart which is caused of the aboundance or ouerplus of this humour, which is turned sayeth Galen in the second Chapter of his fift Booke de locis affectis by bloud letting; when together with the bloud the serous humour is let out which before fel into the Pericardium.

The latter is euicted by an example propounded by Hippocrates, for sayth he, if you giue * 1.19 a Pigge that is very dry water mingled with minium or vermilion and presently stick it, you shall finde all his winde-pipes along dyed with this coloured drink; some would haue it to be generated from moyst vapours and exhalations raysed from the humours of the heart, and driuen forth by his perpetuall motion and high heate vnto the Pericardium, by whose density they are turned into water: and of that opinion are Falopius, Laurentius & Archan∣gelus; who remembreth sixe opinions concerning the matter of it, which we shall hereaf∣ter make mention of.

This humour is found not onely in dead bodies as some would, but also in liuing, but * 1.20 more plentifull after death (except in those that die of consumptions in whome it is little and yellowish) because the many spirits which are about the heart, the body being cold are turned into water euen as those vapors which are raysed from the earth are by the coldnes of the middle region of the ayre conuerted into water: wee also affirme that it must of ne∣cessity be in liuing bodies, and not onely in those that are diseased, as they that are trou∣bled with palpitation of the heart, but also in all sound bodies; yet in some more plentifull in others more sparing, but in all moderate; because if it bee consumed there followeth a * 1.21 consumption, if it be aboundant palpitation of the heart, and if it bee so much that it hin∣der the dilatation of the heart then followeth suffocation and death it selfe. That it is in li∣uing bodies may be proued by the testimony of Hippocrates in his Book of the heart, where he sayeth there is a little humour like vnto vrine, as also by the example of our Sauiour out of whose precious side issued water and bloud. It appeareth also by the dissection of li∣uing * 1.22 creatures which euery yeare is performed for further aduertisemēt, especially a sheep or such like great with young, Vesalius addeth an example of a man whose heart was taken out of his body whilest he liued at Padua in Italy. Finally the vse and necessity of it doth euict the same.

For the vse of it is to keepe moyst the heart and his vessels; a hot part, it is so as the left * 1.23 ventricle will euen scald a mans finger if it be put into it, and so continually moued that vn∣lesse it were thus tempered it would gather a very torrifying heate, by cooling it also it kee∣peth it fresh and flourishing. It moystneth also the Pericardium wherein it is conteyned, which otherwise by the great heate of the heart would bee exiccated or dried vp. By it al∣so

the motion of the heart becommeth more facile and easie, and this motion spendeth it and resolueth it insensibly by the pores as it is bred; but if in the passage it bee stayed then saith Varolius are there many hairs found growing right against it on the brest. Finally, it ta∣keth away the sense or feeling of the waight of the heart, because the heart swimmeth as it * 1.24 were in it, euen as we see the infant swimmeth in sweate in the wombe, aswell to take a∣way the sense of the waight of so great a burthē from the Mother, as also that it might not fal hard to any part in her body; you may add to this if you please, that it helpeth forward the concretion of the fat about the heart.

In the cauity also of the Chest there is found such a like water mingled with blood with * 1.25 which the parts of the chest are continually moistned and cooled. And thus much of these circumstances of the heart. Now followe the Vesselles of the chest.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The parts con¦teyned in the Chest. Bowels and Vessels. veins, arteries Thymus. Nerues.
• * 1.2

  The sixt con∣iugation.
• * 1.3

  The Thymus.
• * 1.4

  Why it is fra∣med.
• * 1.5

  Note.
• * 1.6

  The pericardin̄ or purse of the heart.
• * 1.7

  His Figure.
• * 1.8

  Connexions.
• * 1.9

  His originall.
• * 1.10

  His substance & the reasons 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.11

  His Connexi∣ons.
• * 1.12

  His perforati∣ons.
• * 1.13

  His vessels.
• * 1.14

  His vses.
• * 1.15

  A story.
• * 1.16

  The humour contayned in this purse.
• * 1.17

  What is the matter of it.
• * 1.18

  That it sipeth out of the ves∣sels.
• * 1.19

  That it is part of our drinke.
• * 1.20

  That it is found in li∣uing bodies. But more in dead and why
• * 1.21

  In sound bo¦dies as wel as in diseased.
• * 1.22

  The example of our Sauior
• * 1.23

  The vses of it.
• * 1.24

  The cause of haue vpon the brest.
• * 1.25

  Another wa∣ter and blood mingled in the Chest.