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. III. Whether the principall faculties doe depend vpon the Tempe∣rament of the braine or vpon the Confirmation, that is, whether they be similar or organicall actions.

IT is a most obscure quaestion whether the Braine do vse reason and appre∣hend phantasmes because it is of such a temper, or because of the admi∣rable structure it hath. Some haue conceiued that these faculties are per∣formed onely by the Conformation, which their opinion they confirme by authorities and by arguments. Galen writeth in his 7. Book deplacitis, * 1.1 that the cause of wisedome in man is the variety of the structure of the Braine and the magnitude thereof. The figure of the head according to Hippocrates and Galen if it bee naturall, that is, sphericall or round, somewhat long, bunching somewhat out before and behind and depressed or flatted on the sides, is a signe of a wise man; and * 1.2 contrariwise a sharpe and Turbinated head like a sugar loafe, which they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 such as was Thyrsites head in Homer, is an argument of a dull or stollid foole. Againe, all the prin∣cipall faculties perish when the conformation or structure is vitiated although the Tem∣perament be not yet vitiated, as in the Apoplexy, the Epilepsie and in wounds of the head * 1.3 when the ventricles of the braine are eyther stuffed or compressed. For in the cracking of the Scull, how can the temperament of the braine in a moment be altered, or else in the oppletion or filling of the ventricles by any humor? It appeareth therefore that the prin∣cipall functions are performed only by the structure and conformation onely of the brain, and that conformation being vitiated they are presently intercepted.

On the contrary there are others who thinke that the next and immediate cause of these principall faculties is the temper of the marrowy substance and of the spirits of the braine. Let vs heere Hippocrates, Apollos eldest sonne and the pillar of the family of Physi∣tians * 1.4 in his first booke de diaeta teaching the same thing in plaine words. When in the body the dryest part that is the fier, and the moistest part that is the water, are aequally tempred, then * 1.5 is a wise man borne.

And these are the words of the diuine Plato in Theateto. The soule is not well disposed in a dense or muddy brain, neyther yet in a soft or hard brain; for softnes makes men of quicke appre∣hēsiō but then they are forgetful withal, hardnes makes better memories but dulnes of capacity and * 1.6

density contayneth duskish and obscure phantasmes or images. Galen in his 8. booke de vsu * 1.7 partium sayth, It is better to thinke that the vnderstanding followeth not the variety of composi∣tion, but a laudable Temper of that body wherewith we vnder stand: for the perfection of the vn∣derstanding is not so much to bee attributed to the quantity of the spirits as to the quality. The same Galen in his Booke de Arte parua, referreth the causes of wit or capacity to the thicke or thin substance of the braine.

This wit hee calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a working capacity, which is defined 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a promptitude or readines of lnuenting and coniecturing. In the same Booke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a facility of learning sheweth a soft and moyst substance of the brain, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is a ineptitude to learne, a drie and a hard braine. Those that are light witted and in∣constant in their opinions are for the most part of a hot braine, because heate is full of mo∣tion. But those that are obstinate are of a cold braine because cold is sluggish, to which if you adde drought then will such men become stubborne and refractary; and hence it is for the most part that the Authours and fautors or defenders of Schismes and Sects are Me∣lancholy. Galen in his book intituled That the maners of the mind follow the temperature of the body, calleth the Soule a consent of qualites, & doth not distinguish it from the temperament

In his Commentary vpon the 6. Booke Epidemiωn and vpon the sixt Aphorisme of tho second Section, as also in the 6. Chapter of his Booke de locis affectis, he styleth the Tem∣perament of the braine the Minde. For so he expoundeth that Aphorisme of Hippocrates, Melancholy men become Epilepticall and Epileptical men Melancholy; as the humour as∣cendeth into this or that part so is there a transmutation made of these diseases. For if the humour be transfused into the body and ventricles of the braine then they become Epi∣lepticall, * 1.8 if into the minde they become Melancholicall; where-by Mind he vnderstandeth the Temperament. For the disease called Melancholy is a cold & dry distemper of the brain. But when Galen called the Soule a Temper, he doeth not conceiue that that Temper is the * 1.9 forme of a reasonable man, but the forma medica, because that onely falleth into the Physi∣tions consideration.

For that which can neither bee preserued when it is present nor restored when it is ab∣sent, that doth not at all belong vnto the Physition: but the intellectuall Soule can neither bee preserued being present nor restored being absent; onely the Temperament may bee mantained when we haue it, or restored when it is lost. The Temperament therefore on∣ly is the Physicall forme of a man, because the Physition considereth a mans body not as it is Natural consisting of Matter and Forme, but as it is subiect to sicknesse, and againe lable to Physicke. And from hence some men doe imagine that it is sufficiently prooued that the principall faculties of the Soule are not excercised by the structure or conformation but by the Temper of the braine.

Our opinion concerning this question is, that the efficient cause of all the simctions is neither the Temper alone, nor only the wonderful structure of the braine; but the intellec∣tuall * 1.10 Soule which notwithstanding admitteth both these causes: one Organicall which is the amplitude or largenesse of the braine and of the ventricles and the plenty of the spi∣rits: the other Similar which is the Temper of the marrowy substance and of the spirites. From hence wee gather that Ratisionation, that is, the vse of Reason is neither absolutely an Organicall action because it is impaired in those that are Melancholicall and Phreniti∣call, when the structure of the braine is not at all violated; neither yet purely Similar, be∣cause the brain is offended when his ventricles are cōpressed or stuffed vp, all be the Tem∣perament be not offended.

Furthermore this Ratiotiation is neither inchoated nor perfected by the Tempera∣ment alone, neither yet performed by any particle of the braine; but is an action mixed or compounded of an organicall and Similar, such as is the action of the heart & the stomack. For the heart indeed is moued and hath his pulsation from an ingenite faculty and proper Temper of his owne: But it could neither haue been contracted nor distended vnlesse it had beene excauated or hollowed into ventricles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That the fa∣culties pro∣ceede from the conforma∣tion.
• * 1.2

  Authorities. The 1. reason.
• * 1.3

  The second.
• * 1.4

  The contrary opinion.
• * 1.5

  Authorities. Hippocrates.
• * 1.6

  Plato.
• * 1.7

  Galen.
• * 1.8

  Galen calleth the Soule a temper.
• * 1.9

  How & why.
• * 1.10

  What we re∣solue of.