a diligent Anatomist may obserue in a muscle. The fibrous flesh is the prime and princi∣pall part of a muscle, and as Hippocrates and Galen doe beleeue the proper substance of the same: for if you reuiew the whole body you shall finde none like it; when that is wanting or decayed the motion also is weake or none at all, and where it is there also is alwayes voluntary motion: this onely is prepared and fitted by Nature to receiue the influence of the mouing quality: this alone doth easily collect, contract and gather vp it selfe toge∣ther, and loosneth and remitteth the part which it hath drawne: so also the chiefe part of all the bowels is sayd to be their flesh or parenchyma.
The Nerues which are diuersly dispersed into the Muscles, are those without which the motion cannot be: for they are the conuayers of the Animall spirits, and bring down from the throne or tribunall of the Soule, which is the Braine, the warrant and comman∣dement to mooue: which if they bee cut, obstructed, refrigerated, inflamed, or any other way affected, the motion perisheth instantly. The Ligaments and Tendons doe make the action more perfect; for the Tendon is not as we say in Schooles simpliciter, that is, o∣riginally and by it selfe ordayned for motion, but secundum quid, that is, for the perfor∣mance only of vehement, strong and continuall motions, and therefore there be very ma∣ny Muscles without Tendons.
The Veines, the Arteries, and the Membranes, are they which conserue the action; for the Veines and Arteries doe restore the wasting and decaying substance of the Mus∣cles, which by reason of continuall expence are washey and fleeting: and therefore they are in great aboudance dispersed through the flesh, because as Hippocrates sayth Flesh is a drawer, and the bloud ought to be in greater quantity then the rest of the humors because the mountenance of the Muscle ariseth thereby. The Membrane as it were a garment or couering inuesteth and closeth the Muscle and giueth it the sence of feeling. And thus much concerning the Nature of the similar parts of which the Muscle is formed.
Now the whole body of the Muscle is deuided into three dissimular parts, the Head, the Belly and the Taile.
The Head is most commonly neruous, sometimes but rarely flecty: for it is made of Ligaments arising from the bone, yet is it not altogether insensible because of the inserti∣on and interposition of the sinewes, for it is couered with a peculiar membrane.
The Belly is the middle part of the Muscle almost all fleshy, and maketh the bulke of the same: and for that reason in the Legge they call the pulpe, that is, the brawne of the Calfe wherein the middest of all the Muscles of that part doe so meete that they seeme to make but one Muscle, they call it I say 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as it were the belly of the Legge, wee call it the Calfe.
The last part of the Muscle is the End, the Taile or the Tendon, it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because it is almost altogether neruous. Galen thinketh that the Tendon is framed of the fibres of the nerues and Ligaments confounded and mingled together, yet so that there are more fibres or strings of the Ligaments then of the Nerues, whence it is that the ten∣don is sixe yea ten fould thicker then a nerue.
And the reason of this mixture is because the ligament of it selfe and by his own Na¦ture immoouable and insensible, could not alone performe a voluntary motion: and a∣gaine the nerue because of his softnesse and slight or thinne texture was not able to draw the vast bulke or magnitude of the members: and therefore it behoued to make of them both a mixt organ which should be harder and stiffer then the nerue for strength, and sof∣ter and more pliable then the Ligament for motion: and such is a Tendon partaking of the Nature of them both, so becomming of a middle disposition betweene them; more sensible and weaker then a ligament, stronger and lesse sensible then a nerue.
Furthermore, we must remember that all muscles haue not Tendons or Chords, as the Muscles of the Tongue, the Testicles, the Lippes, the Fore-head, the Yarde and the 2. Sphincters: but onely those which are mooued either strongly, or vehemently, or conti∣nually. Those that are ordayned for the motion of bodies doe alwayes end and deter∣mine into Tendons either greater or lesse, and are inserted not into the iuncture or very ioynt of the bones, nor into the ends of that bone from which they arise, but for the most part into the head of the bone which is to be mooued wrapping it about. The Muscles also which moue continually though their motion bee neither strong nor vehement, yet they stand in neede of a Tendon: and therefore the muscles of the eyes are not without them.