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. II. Of the Gristles of the Face.

OF the Eye-lids we haue spoken before in the third chapter of the eight book which we will not now repeate, onely heere remember that a great part of * 1.1 them are cartilaginious or gristly, by which the opening and shutting of the eye is made equall, by which the violence of outward inluries is better resisted, and in which the small hayres that keep dust and flyes from the eyes are infixed and sustained, which otherwise would haue fallen if the lid had beene onely made of flesh and membranes.

Againe, if they had beene bony, they would not haue beene so easily moued, and be∣side, their hardnes would haue offended the coates within the eyes which are of exquisite sense. But this gristle is very thinne that it might be a little transparant to cast a little sha∣dow

of the externall light vppon the Eye. There are two of them, one vpper and ano∣ther lower; the vpper is greater in a man, and in those creatures whose lower eye-lids are immoueable, or their motion, if it be any, very little and obscure, whereas in Birds the gri∣stle of the lower lid is the greater. They are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because the row or beard of haires, which is set in so many perforatiōs made in the gristle, are not vnlike a rank of row∣ers in a Galley. There is also another gristle in the greater angle of the eye, which hath the figure and vse of a Pulley described elegantly at first by Falopius. This Pulley hath a Canale or open perforation through which the tendon of the muscle that mooueth the eie round is conuayed, but of it we haue spoken before. In the ioynt of the lower iaw there is a slippery and mooueable gristle which hindereth least the bones of the temples and the iaw should by their mutuall attrition be worne, or when they are we aried with too much labour giue ouer their motion.

The outward eares called in latine Auriculae, are also gristly, for if they had beene bo∣ny they might easily haue beene broken, and beside would haue beene an impediment in * 1.2 our sleepe.

Againe, if they had beene soft and fleshy they would not haue retained their arched figure, and so the ayer should haue beene shut out, or if it had beene admitted, a fleshy substance could not haue repelled the sound. These gristles are aboue, thicker and har∣der; below, thinner and softer till you come to the lap which is of a mixed nature between flesh and gristle.

The gristles of the Nose are fiue, the three anterior are fastened to the circumferences of the bones, and two make the Wings. * 1.3

Of these the two vpper are the broadest and adhere to the bones of the nose [Tab. 12. lib. 8. fig. 8 from^f to^e] where they are broad and rough. From them they hang, and together with them doe forme the anterior cauity of the nosthrils and their lower part. Descending downeward they run out being fastened together vnto the tippe or toppe of the Nose, and the lower they goe the softer they are, in the very extremity degenerating as it were into a gristly ligament. The third gristle which is in the middest betwixt these two is called Septum cartilaginosum, the gristlie partition, which groweth to the bony par∣tition, for it depending forward groweth to the foresaide gristles throughout their length on the inside. This is the gristle which maketh the Nose to rise in the face, and distingui∣sheth the two nosthrils, where also the bony partition aboue the region of the Pallate se∣parateth the perforation of the nosthrils from the Nose vnto the Chops. To these three gristles other two are annexed which make the wings of the Nose called ala or pinna, be∣cause like wings they shut and open the nosthrils, and they are tyed with membranous li∣gaments to the former gristles on their inside. Each of these gristles is orbicular and so make the holes of the nosthrils round, and indeed they approch neare vnto the nature of a ligament.

Moreouer they haue voluntary motion being drawne vpward and downward, inward and outward by proper and peculiar muscles, and in great inspirations they are a little ele∣uated, but in expirations do settle againe. They are seated in the lower part of the Nose, * 1.4 for the vpper is bony to be a foundation vnto the rest: but it behooued that the lower part of the Nose should be gristly; partly that the cauities might remaine alwayes open for the better attraction of the ayer into the Lungs and into the braine; partly that being soft we might close our Noses against any euill sauours, partly also the better to euacuate the ex∣crements of the braine through the nosthrils; and finally that they might yeelde to out∣ward violence to which they are most of all exposed. This part of the Nose if by any ca∣sualty it shal happen to be cut off may be elegantly restored by a Traduction of skinne out of the arme, as we shal (God willing) at large discourse and exhibit the figures of that kind of deligation in our worke of Surgery. And so much concerning the Gristles of the Face.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The gristles of the eie-lids
• * 1.2

  Of the out∣ward eares.
• * 1.3

  Of the nose are fiue.
• * 1.4

  Their vse.