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. I. What a Veine is.

HAuing wrought our way through the darke and shady groue of the muscles Nulli penetrabilis astro; into the secret whereof I thinke no wit of man is able to reach. (And therefore it shall be no wonder if we bring some scratches out of so thorny a copse) we are now ari∣ued in these medows, where the vessels like so many brooks do water and refresh this pleasant Paradise or modell of heauen and earth; I mean the body of man. And surely by these streames doe grow ma∣ny pleasant flowers of learning to entertaine and delight our mindes beside the maine profit arising therefrom vnto the perfection of that art we haue in hand.

Vnder the name of vessels we vnderstand three kinds veines, arteries and sinewes, because out of these as out of riuers, doe flow into all the parts of the body Blood, Heat, * 1.1 Spirits, Life, Motion and Sense.

Wherefore Hippocrates in his booke de Corde calleth them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the riuers of the body of man. Neither let any man taxe vs for inuerting our or∣der when wee first begin with the history of the veines, then descend vnto the arteries, and lastly vnto the nerues; because the veines are most simple as hauing but one proper coate and that thin; the arteries two and those thicker; but the substance of nerues is manifold, as being within soft and marrowy without membranous. For they must remember that the maine guide of our labour is the order of dissection. Now the originall of the veines is in the lower region, at which we began our discourse. The origi∣nall of the arteries in the middle region, and that of the nerues in the vpper.

A veine therefore is by the later Greeke writers absolutely called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Eudox calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Hesychius 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because it is the canale of the blood. The Antient Physi∣tions, * 1.2 as Hippocrates vsed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as a common name to veines and arteries, so in his booke de carnibus, There are two 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith he, two hollow veines issuing from the heart: the one is called a veine, the other an arterie. Sometimes Hippocrates distinguisheth betwixt these two veines by adding the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth to beate, as if he should say arteries are beating veines, veines those that doe not beate. Many places might be al∣ledged to prooue this distinction if wee thought it needfull: Auicen cals the arteris bea∣ting and bold veines. Cicero venas micontes which doe sometimes lift vp themselues, and sometimes sinke againe. Celsus calleth them veines fitted for the spirits, and the true veines he cals quietas, still veines. Hippocrates in his boooke de morbo sacro, to di∣stinguish the veines from the arteries which are the conceptacles of the spirits calleth them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bloody, because they conuey the blood.

The latter Grecians haue included this name within narrower bounds and re∣strained it onely to quiet or still veines which haue but one simple coate, in whose foote∣steps we also doe insist calling the arteries not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so the vessels beeing di∣stinct their names also are distinct.

Furthermore, the vessels are distinguished in their structure motion and vse. In the * 1.3 structure, because a veine hath a thin coate, whereas the coate of the artery is very thicke. In their motion, because an artery is mooued perpetually and conspicuously with a di∣astloe and systole, that is, a dilation and contraction, whereas the veine is altogether im∣mooueable. In vse because the artery transporteth the vitall spirit together with excee∣ding thin blood. The veines carry a thicker blood and a more cloudy spirit: the veins haue an inbred faculty to alter and boyle the blood; the arteries haue no such faculty, because their blood attaineth his vtmost elaboration and perfection in the heart. But let vs come to the definition of a veine.

A veine may be considered two manner of wayes, either as it is a Similar, or as it is an originall part. Galen in his 2. booke de Elementis, accounts it Similar, if not indeed, * 1.4 yet at least according to the iudgement of the sense; againe, in his booke de morborum differentiis, he proueth that it is organical, for hee calleth veines arteries and muscles or∣gans of the first kinde and most simple organs.

If you regard a veine as it is a Similar part, then must you define it by his temper, (for the temper is the forme of the similarity, that I may so speake) to be A cold and drie part generated out of a slimy and following portion of the seed. I sayde it was cold. In respect of

his naturall temper for otherwise by the contaction of the blood and the perfusion of the spirits it is very hot. And in Galens first booke de temperamentis It is sayd to be hotter then the skin.

If you consider a vein as it is an organicall part, then shall you define it to be A ves∣sell long, round, excauated or hollowed like a reede hauing but one and that a thin coate wouen with all kindes of fibres, arising from the liuer and appointed or set a part by a Nature to contain boyle and distribute the blood. In this definition you haue the figure, compositton, origi∣nall, vse and action of the organ elegantly described. The roundnesse and cauity of the vessel expresseth the figure of the organ whereby a veine is distinguished from a nerue, for nerues haue onely pores but no sensible cauities. Praxagoras therefore was in an error and so are those that follow him, who call nerues venas continuatas continued veines. * 1.5

The simple and thin coate noteth the structure of the vessell, and discriminateth or putteth a difference betwixt a veine and an artery, for an artery hath a double coate, one outward and another inward, and if we may beleeue Erophilus it is fiue-fold thicker then a veine, because it containeth thinner and more spryghtfull blood, which if it were not concluded or shut vp within thicke wals would easily breake prison and vanish away.

This simple coate hath fibres of all kindes, right, oblique and transuerse, if not for his owne priuate nourishment, to which the attracting, retayning, and expelling faculties are seruiceable; yet for a cōmon vse to retayn and draw the blood which is the treasure of Nature from the neighbour veynes to transmit the same from one to another and so to make distribution: finaly to separate the pure from that which is impure. I thinke also sayth Laurentius that the fibres were ordayned ad 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to auoyde an incon∣uenience, for because oftentimes the blood aboundeth in quantity and offereth a kinde of violence to the veynes. Sometime by right, sometime by oblique, sometime by trans∣uerse extentions; he veynes stood in neede of all kindes of fibres, that they might bee so extended according to all the violent occursions and impressions made by the blood, for otherwise they would certaynly be broken. These fibres are the first most simple and truly solyd particles of the veine, but that substance which filleth vppe or stuffeth out the spaces betwixt the fibre. is called fleshy by Analogy or proportion.

The fibres of the veyne sayth Galen in his second booke de temperamentis, are colder then the skin, but the flesh that commeth betwixt them is hotter. Hence it appeareth, that the coate of the veyne differs much from the nature of other membranes, as of the peritoneum or rimme of the bell, the pleura which compasseth the ribs and the periosteon which immedyatly inuesteth the bones: for these are indeed simple hauing no separated fibres, and may be borne or diuided euery way as paper may. But the coate of the veynes is dissimilar because it hath both fibres and flesh.

This proper coate of the Veines is inuested oftentimes with another called a Com∣mon * 1.6 coate which it borroweth from the neighbour partes, from the Pleura the Veines of the Chest doe borrow, and from the Rimme those in the lower belly. I said they haue of∣ten a Common coate, for all veines haue it not, for example, those that are spinkled tho∣rough some bowell, those that wander through the bodies of Muscles, and finally those which are inserted into the parts & in them are propagated or encreased: for such a mem∣brane would hinder the bloud that it should not so readily sweat through. Those Veines onely haue this common coate, which either doe runne a long iourney, or lye vpon some hard body, or at some place are suspēded or hung to any particular part: & such is the struc▪ a Veine.

The beginning of the Veines the Definition sayeth is the Liuer, not a begin∣ning of generation or original (for that is the common worde though the first I thinke bee * 1.7 better) for all the parts are formed together, but of Radication and Dispensation. Of Radica∣tion, be cause the roots of the gate and hollow veines are sprinkled through the whole Pa∣renchyma or flesh of the Liuer according to that of Hippocrates in his Booke de Alimento, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Radication of the Veines is the Liuer. Of Dispensation, that is, of distri∣bution and office, because from it a common matter, to wit the bloud which is the com∣mon Aliment of all the partes, is deriued into the Veines; wherefore by Hippocrates it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the fountaine and originall of pleasant and benigne humour.

The last particle of the Definition designeth the common vse and action of the Veines, for they are set a part to leade or transport, to distribute or apportion & to boyle the bloud. But why this is so and how it commeth to passe, I wil now addresse my selfe to declare.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three kindes of vessels.
• * 1.2

  The names of veines.
• * 1.3

  How veines & arteries differ.
• * 1.4

  Two conside∣rations of a veine.
• * 1.5

  The explica∣tion of the definition.
• * 1.6

  The common coate of the veines.
• * 1.7

  The common vse of the veines.