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.

QVEST. III. Whether the Guttes haue any Concocting Facultie.

THat in euery Concoction there are three things necessarily required; a Pre∣paration, the Concoction or boyling it selfe, and a Perfection after it, Galen is a plentifull witnesse. So the preparation of the first Concoction is in the * 1.1 mouth, the Coction it selfe in the bottome of the stomacke, and the absolu∣tion or perfection in the small guts: the preparation to the second Concoc∣tion is made in the veines of the mesenterie, the Coction it selfe in the Parenchyma of the Liuer, and the absolution or perfection in the great vessels. In like manner the seede at∣teineth a kind of rudement in the Preparing vessels, but his Idea or form in the testicles and his perfection in the Parastatae. The Animall spirite hath a delineation in the wondrous nettes or webbes of Arteries, his forme in the middle ventricle, his absolution in the latter ventricle of the braine; so that in the workes of Nature these manifold degrees of operati∣ons do euery where appeare.

This Concoction of spirites or of Alement whether it bee priuate or officiall is perfor∣med without the helpe of fibres, onely by the assistance and inbred proprietie of our natu∣rall heate, and therefore by Galen it is called Alteration, and by him not denyed vnto the * 1.2 guts, for so he writeth in his fourth booke of the vse of partes: The guttes though they were not ordained to Concoct the Chylus, but onely to containe and distribute it, yet because Nature is neuer idle, it attaineth in the passage through them, a more perfect elaboration, euen as in the greater vessels there is a certaine facultie of perfecting the bloud which was before made in the Liuer. And this opinion of Galens doeth Areteus and Auerrhoes follow, which also is se∣conded * 1.3 conded by good reason: for the substance of the guts and the stomacke is all one, whether you regarde the Temper or the Coulor or the frame and texture of their coates. Where∣fore

the Chylus is concocted in the stomacke, and there attaineth the species and forme of Chylus, but as it stayeth in the convolutions of the guts, and the rugged foldes of their in∣most coate, it acquireth also a further alteration.

I am not ignorant, that there is a new Paradoxe maintained by some, to wit, that the guts * 1.4 haue more power to concoct the Chylus then the stomacke, and that in the time of con∣coction, the pylorus is not shut, but that the Aliment not yet throughly boyled, falleth tho∣rough the stomacke into the guts; and they instance in wounds of the Hypochondria & small guts, whence (say they) doth issue a Chylus not yet perfectly concocted, & therefore it had not his forme or perfection in the stomack.

Furthermore, in Exomphalosi or the rupture of the Nauell, the meate passeth foorth not perfectly laboured; and in the heighth of Summer when we drinke smal drinke, we doe in∣stantly * 1.5 feele the cold in our guts. We answere, that they do not perceiue that in the cases instanced, the guts are ill affected, and the stomacke out of hand drawne into consent with them, as well because of their communion and similitude of substance, as also because of their vicinity: for Hippocrates in his Booke of humors hath this golden saying, Those partes which are neere Neighbours, or haue community of substance, are at the first hand and verie no∣tably * 1.6 affected.

It is therefore no wonder that crude or inconcocted and liquid Aliment should flowe from a wounded gut. I confesse that liquid things do sodainely fall downeward, so also is their alteration so daine and quicke. But they can hardly be perswaded, that the great abun∣dance of meate deuoured by Rauen-stomackes and Trencher-friends can be conteyned in * 1.7 the stomacke alone, seeing Hippocrates saith, that the amplitude thereof exceedeth not fiue * 1.8 handfuls. But they must know, that the substance of it is Membranous, and is easily disten∣ded into all dimensions: beside, these great gourmandizers do not perfectly concoct the * 1.9 Chylus, because the portall Membrane is loosed before due time by the weight of so great a quantity. We conclude therefore, that the Chylus is concocted in the stomacke & per∣fected in the smaller guts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three things required in al concoctions
• * 1.2

  Galen. 4. de vsu part & 3 de¦natu facult.
• * 1.3

  Aret. lib. 1 de¦causis et Signis Chronic morb. cap. 15.
• * 1.4

  A paradoxe.
• * 1.5

  Obiection. Exomphalosis. Answere.
• * 1.6

  Hippocrates.
• * 1.7

  Obiection.
• * 1.8

  Hippocrates.
• * 1.9

  Answere.