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.

The Praeface.

HAuing in the former Booke dismantled this Castle of the Bodye, and particularly the lower Region, wee are now arriued at that worke-house of Nature, wherein shee hath built her Engines and Instruments by which she doth not onely nourish and sustain the whole Family, but also perpetuate Mankinde by Propagation; the destiny of the matter not admitting a perpetuity in the particular creature. But because these two workes of Propagation and nou∣rishment are altogether distinct, if not in the Faculties being both naturall Alterations; the one called Generation, the other Assimulation; yet in the parts and Organs thereto belonging: wee haue also thought good to diuide them in our Dis∣course; and referring the worke of propagation to afterward, in this place onely to han∣dle the parts seruing to nutrition or nourishment.

Seeing therefore the substance of the whole body hath a necessary diffluence and dissi∣pation, as well by the in bred heate, which like the greene worme feedeth vpon the choi∣sest gemmes and flowers euen the Radical moisture, as also by the outward aire, and other externall causes, and therefore cannot possible either encrease to the iust extent or consist when it is growne, vnlesse the detriment and scath which is sustained by such dissipation and dissolution bee restored and made good: Nature hath prouided certaine nourishing Organs, whereby that daily expence is continually supplied. And heerein we haue to ad∣mire the wonderfull prouidence of the great Creator, who hath disposed these parts wher∣in it was necessary there should be such a confluence of noisome excrements in the lowest place, as it were in the sinke of the body, least otherwise their offensiue exhalations should defile the braine and the heart, which are the seats of the principall faculties, or vitiate and disturbe the rest of the senses. For this lower Region, is as it were the kitchen of the house, in which there are some parts, which as Cookes do prepare the common diet for the rest. But in the description of his Region, it must be remembred that we must not follow the order of dignity, or of nature, but of dissection, taking the parts according to their positiō.

The ••ie therefore falleth first of all into the snare of the kell, and indeede it is of all things most like to a snare or puisenet, the close Meshes whereof, are purfled with curled veines and curdled or crisped fat, so becomming a thrummed rugge to keepe warme the Mem∣branous and vnbloody guts and stomacke vnder it. As for his duplication, wherein the snaking and snayling diuarications of the vessels do craule all ouer the belly, I suspect it to haue bin ordained by nature, for some more secret and mysticall end, then the securing of those tender saplings, albeit I rest heerein vnsatisfied for any thing I haue read.

Immediately vnder these Cipresse wings (for wings they are called by the Anatomists) or Cauly cobwebs, appeareth the Maze or labyrinth of the guts wheeled about in manifold foulds & convolutions, that neither the aliment should so suddenly passe away, and so the wombe of man become an insatiate Orque voyding whilst it doth deuour, neyther yet the noisom steame of the Faeculent excrements haue free and direct ascent to the vpper parts, but be intercepted and deteined within those Meanders, & so smothered in those gulphs of

the Guts, or let out at the port Esquiline. In the middest of the Guttes is scituated the Mesenterie, which we may call not the Midriffe, but the Midruffe, for it is most like vnto a gathered ruffe, sustayning the winding reuolutions of the Guttes in their proper places, and conuaying vnto them the Meseraicke veines, by which as by tender bearded rootes, the Aliment is conuayed vnto the gate of the Liuer: some haue called them Batuli domus, the Porters of the house, because they continually carry the Aliment vnto that furnace, where it is tryed into bloud. Neither are they idle and rigid passages, but as Homer feig∣neth that the instruments of Vulcan are moued by instinct and of their owne accord, so we may say that these vessels are taught by their Creator, not onely to leade along the Chylus, but to draw it and prepare it for the Liuer.

Next appeareth the Pancreas which we call in Swine the Sweet-bread, a rude and vn∣shapely lumpe, most like a map or dish-clout, both in fashion and vse; or if you would li∣ken it to any thing in the body, then it nearest resembleth the Liuer or cake of the wombe, which groweth to the rootes of the Infants nauell. It serueth for a pillow or Cushion, to boulster vp the manifold diuisions of the Veines, Arteries, and Sinewes, which in that seat of the body are distributed vnto the adiacent parts; beside many other vses which we refer vnto their proper place: and passe along vnto the stomacke, the Cooke-roome, where Di∣et is the Steward, Appetite the Clark, and Concoction the maister Cooke. From thence the viands are deliuered vnto the Liuer, the principall part of this lower region, wherein they attaine their vttermost perfection, being depurated, from the scum by the bladder of Gall, from the residence by the spleene, from the vnprofitable liquor by the kidneies, which conuay it vnto the Cesterne of the bladder, to be cast out by the Conduite. Of all which if I should in this place vndertake to discourse, as it were easie for mee, though briefly as I began, yet the shortnesse of the partes I see would amount vnto too long a summe to bee comprehended in a Preface, especially considering wee shall at large prosecute euery par∣ticular in the following discourse: wherefore after we haue giuen you another kinde of di∣stribution of them in the Chapter following, we will apply our selues vnto their particular Histories.