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. XI. Of the Muscles within the Eares.

BEcause these Muscles are very small, euen the smallest in the whole bodye, and beside their position depending vpon the curious parts of the eare, we * 1.1 haue described them more at large before in the nineteenth chapter of the eight Booke, wherefore heere wee will onely make a little mention of them and trouble you no further in this place. The Hammer and the Anuile haue but a verie obscure motion, yet are they mooued, together with that Membrane whereto the Hammer is tied, vpward and downward by one Muscle within the membran & another without it. The inner muscle [tab. 5. fig: 2. ⁱ] was first described by Eustachius, & is seated in the Rock-bone. It is the lest in the whole body, so also it is of the most elegant * 1.2 and dainty composition. It ariseth in the basis of the bone called Sphenoides or the wedg∣bone in that place where with the roote of the processe of the Rocke bone and an addi∣tament of the Nowle-bone, it maketh a broken hole. His beginning is like a Ligament, afterwarde it becommeth fleshy, and by degrees euen vnto the middest groweth a little broader, after becomming narrower againe, it endeth into two exceeding smal tendons, [tab. 5. fig. 5 beloweⁱ] whereof one is infixed in the higher processe of the Hammer, and the other vpon his necke. This Muscle draweth the head of the Hammer obliquely for∣ward and inward, leadeth it from the Anuile, and driueth the Membrane outward from the crooked processe of the Hammer.

This fift Table is all one with the eleuenth Table of the eight Booke.

The other Muscle, is seated about the middest in the vpper part of the Hole of Hea∣ring, * 1.3 called Meatus auditorius without the Membran of the Tympane or Drumme. And about the inuention of this Muscle, two of the best Anatomistes of Padua in Italy dooe contend.

For Hieronimus Fabricius ab Aquapendente affirmeth, that he found it in the yeare, one * 1.4 thousand fiue hundred ninety nine. Also Iulius Casserius Placentinus saith, that hee ob∣serued it first the seauenth day of March, in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred ninetie three. Which of them was the first inuenter I cannot say, but both their diligences de∣serue great commendations.

The vse both of the former internall, and also of this externall Muscle Aquapendens expresseth on this manner.

The vse of these Muscles is to preserue the Membrane, which being in danger to bee broken or stretched in two places, both within and without; Nature hath prouided a de∣fence * 1.5 on either side. For on the outside the externall aire being violently mooued toge∣ther with the sound, might driue the Membrane inward: and within the Included spirit or the aire passing from the mouth into the passages of Hearing, might offer violence vnto the same membrane by driuing it outward, as in of citations or yawning gapings, in * 1.6 blowing of the Nose, in retention of the breath, in strayning of the Voyce, in empty∣tying the belly, and such like: and therefore the outwarde Muscle beeing drawne

inward together with the membrane by the violence of the aire doth with his owne moti∣on retract it outward againe, and contrarywise the inner muscle when the membrane is thrust outward retracteth it backe againe inward: and thus these two muscles keepe the membrane from breaking. And truely it is very necessary that this office of the custody * 1.7 of the membrane should be committed to a muscle and not vnto a ligament: that as the impulsions or motions of the aire against the membrane be diuers, so the cohibition or re∣straint and retraction of the membrane toward his owne seate should also bee diuers. Now we know that a ligament worketh alwayes after the same tenour or manner, but the muscles as being more voluntary doe worke with a kinde of proportion and measure con∣tracting or relaxing more or lesse as neede requires, and with a diuers motion resisting, yeelding to or amending the impulsions and agitations of the aire: thus farre Aquapen∣dens. He that desires further satisfaction about these muscles let him looke backe to the 19 Chapter of the eight Booke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The motion within the eare,
• * 1.2

  The smalnes and elegancie of it.
• * 1.3

  The second Muscle.
• * 1.4

  The first in∣uenters ther∣of.
• * 1.5

  The vse.
• * 1.6

  The proui∣dence of Na∣ture.
• * 1.7

  Why these must needes be muscles not ligaments