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. IX. Whether the heart will beare an apostumd∣tion, solution of continuity or any grieuous disease.

THE last quaestion concerning the heart shalbe whether it will beare any no∣table disease or no. Hippocrates saith, (in his booke de morbis.) The heart is * 1.1 so so••d and dense that it is not offended with any humour, and therefore it can∣not be tainted with any disease. Aristotle. The heart can beare no heauy or grceuous discase because it is the originall of life. Aphrodisaeus. In the heart can no discase consist, for the patient will dye before the disease appeare. Paulus. Any disease of the heart bringeth death head-long vpon a man. Pliny. Onely this of all the bowels is not wearied with discases, neyther indureth it the greeuous punishments of this life; and if it chance to bee offended present death insueth. Yet how repugnant this is to experience many Histories doe beare witnesse. Galen (in his 2. Booke de placitis) reporteth that a sacrificed Beast * 1.2 did walke after his heart was out, and in his 7. Booke de Administra. Anatom. he maketh mention of one Marullus the sonne of a maker of Enterludes, who liued after his heart was laide bare euen from the pursse or pericardium, and (in his 4. booke de locis affectus) if a man be wounded in the heart and the wound pierce not into the ventricles but stay in the flesh, he may liue a day and a night. Beneuenius writeth that he hath seene many Aposte∣mations in the heart. We told you a story euen now out of Hollerius of a woman who had two stones and many Apostemations found in her heart.

Mathias Cornax Physitian to the Emperor Maximilian saith, that he dissected a Booksel∣ler, and found his heart more then halfe rotted away. Thomas a Vetga writeth, that there was a red Deere found, in whose heart was sticking an olde peece of an Arrow wherewith he had beene long before wounded in hunting. But you shall reconcile these together, * 1.3 if you say the heart will beare all afflictions, but not long; or that it is subiect to all kinds of diseases, but will beare none greeuous. For example, the heart will suffer all kindes of di∣stemper, but if any distemper be immoderate or notable the party presently dies, so sayeth Galen in his fift Booke de locis affectis, Death followes the immoderate distemper of the Heart, When Galen saith, in the fifte Chapter of his first Booke De Locis Affectis. That * 1.4 the heart will beare no Apostemations, hee vnderstandeth such an Apostemation as comes by the permutation of an inflamation. For the Creature will die before the in∣flamation * 1.5 will suppurate or grow to quitture. Say that the Apostemations found by Beni∣uenius, Hollerius and Mathew Cornace were Flegmaticke; or say, that rare things do not be∣long to Art; or with Auerrhoes; as in Nature so in diseases wee oftentimes finde Monsters. That a creature can walke and cry when his heart is out I beleeue well so long as the spi∣rits last in his body which it receiued from the heart, when they faile hee presently dieth. * 1.6 Andreas Laurentius maketh mention of a strange accident which happened in the Court of France. Guichardine a Noble Knight and Ambassador for the Duke of Florence beeing in good health and walking with other Noble-men, and talking not seriously but at ran∣don, presently fell stone dead neuer breathing and his pulse neuer moouing. Manie tolde the King, some saide he was dead, some that hee was but falne into an Apoplexie or a Fal∣ling sicknesse and that there was hope of his recouery; The King (saith Laurentius) com∣manded me to take care of him; when I came, I found the man starke dead, and auouched that the fault was not in his braine but in his heart. The next day his bodye was opened, and we found his heart so swelled that it tooke vp almost all his Chest; when wee opened the Ventricles, there yssued out three or foure pound of blood, and the orifice of the great Veine was broken, and all the forked Membranes torne, but the Orifice of the great Artery was so dilated that a man might haue thrust in his arme So that I imagine, that all the Flood-gates being loosened, so great a quantity of bloode yssued into the ventricles that there was no roome for the dilatation or contraction, whereupon hee fell suddenlie dead; yet is it a great wonder how without any outward cause of a stroke, or fall, or voci∣feration, or anger, so great a vessell should be broken. It may be he was poisoned, for the Italians they say are wondrous cunning in that Art, & in the Contention of Nature that dilaceration hapned.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Authorities that the heart will not beare a disease. Hippocrates. Aristotle. Aphrodisaeus. Paulus Aegine∣ta. Pliny.
• * 1.2

  Manifold Hi∣stories proo∣uing the con∣trary.
• * 1.3

  How these are to be recon∣ciled.
• * 1.4

  Galen inter∣preted.
• * 1.5

  Answeres to the examples
• * 1.6

  A strange sto¦ry of a Floren∣tine Ambassa∣dor in the Court of France.