are diuided, and so away is made for the Animall spirit to flow out of the third ventricle into the fourth.
Concerning the generation of Animall spirits there are diuers opinions; especially seauen, one of Galen, another of Vesalius, a third of Columbus, a fourth of Argenterius, a fift of Archangelus, a sixt of Laurentius, and a seaueth of Varolius, to which Bauhine our au∣thor subscribeth.
Galens opinion was, that they were made of the vitall spirite brought by the soporarie ar∣teries and of ayre breathed in, mary as for the place of their generation he seemeth to be al∣together vncertaine; for sometimes hee assigneth the Plexus Choroides, sometimes the ven∣tricles, sometimes the substance and body of the braine.
Vesalius sayeth they are laboured in the right and left ventricle by a power and efficacy receiued from the brain, and haue for their matter vitall spirits from the heart, & aire drawn in by inspiration ascending through the third ventricle.
Columbus sayth they are made of ayre drawne by the nosethrils and altered in the caui∣ties of the forehead bone and the wedge-bone, and carried through the pores of the spon∣gy bone to the forward ventricles where it meeteth with the vitall spirit sent vpward from the hart by the soporarie arteries, & powred into the Plexus choroides which is in the ventri∣cles; both which spirits and ayre, sayth he, by the perpetuall motion of the braine and this Plexus Choroides are exactly mingled, and of them the Animall spirits are generated in that Plexus Choroides which is in the ventricles, and this he sayth was his owne inuention.
Argenterius will haue but one influent or moouable spirite besides the fixed spirites of the particular partes, whose arguments shall be sufficiently answered in our Controuersies by Laurentius.
Archangelus opinion is, that the Animall spirits are made of the vitall, changed by ma∣ny exagitations and alterations by the arteries which make the Rete mirabile and the Plex∣us Choroides, but receiuing his vttermost perfection in and by the substance of the Braine, & so becommeth a conuenient vehicle of the sensatiue soule. The processe of which gene∣ration he sayth is after this manner. There is an inchoation or beginning made in the Rete¦mirabile, but the plenarie perfection is in the Plexus Choroides, yet that from a power or fa∣cultie of the marrow of the braine in which alone such power resideth; being so perfected they are powred out into the ventricles (which adde nothing to their generation) as into store-houses or places of receyte where they are kept to bee transported into the whole body.
Laurentius thus, the Animall spirit is generated of the vitall spirit and the aire breathed in; whose preparation is in the labyrinthian webs of the small arteries, & in the vpper or for∣ward ventricles; but they receiue a farther elaboration in the third ventricle and their per∣fection in the fourth, and from thence by the nerues are diffused into the whole body: but he reprehendeth those that auouch that this spirit receiueth his forme and specificall diffe∣rence in the webs before named.
Finally Varolius and with him Bauhine and wee with them will resolue, first for their mat∣ter that it is arterial bloud aboundantly fulfilled with vitall spirits and ayre drawn in by the nosethrils; for the manner wee say it is thus. The spirituous and thin bloud is sent vp from the heart by the soporarie arteries vnto the braine, and is powred out into the Sinus of the dura mater whilest they are dilated as is venall bloud out of the veins. With this is mingled ayre drawne by inspiration through the nosethrilles, and ariuing into the braine through the pores of the spongy bone. These substances thus mingled and mixed in the vesselles, whilest they are carried through the conuolutions of the Braine are altered and prepared, purged also from phlegmatick excrement, which whilst it nourisheth the braine, the more subtile part is transfused into his substance, and there, that is, in the marrowy substance of the braine, it is laboured into a most subtile Animall spirite, and so is from thence by the same passages returned and communicated to the spinall marrow and to the nerues of the whole body. Neither saith Varolius is it necessary that these spirits should haue any caui∣ties to be laboured in; and hee sheweth it by an example. When wee shut one eye the Animall spirit in a moment returneth vnto the other, so that it dilateth the ball or pupill of the other, and yet is there no manifest passage between them, sauing those insensible po••••s which are in euery nerue and also in the substance of the braine. And hereunto subscri∣beth also Platerus on this manner: the common opinion saith he, is that the Animall spi∣rit is generated and contayned in the Plexus Choroides, which I cannot approue as well be∣cause