fingers breadths in deepness: but the more cholerick any person is, the greater is this Gall-bladder observed to be.
'Tis divided into the Bottom and the Neck.
The Bottom is round, and seated lower∣most, viz. when the Liver is in its Natu∣ral Situation, it is died with a yellow color, and some∣times black, viz. when the Choler being over long kept, is burned.
The Neck, being harder then the bottom, looks upward, grows long and narrow, until it end into a very small and narrow passage. At the Neck is observed, first a certain peculiar hollow∣ness, and also certain little Valves or Membranes, som∣times two, otherwhiles three, which hinder the Regress of Choler. Regius proves, that they are sometimes o∣pened by Spirits, through a Nerve inserted into the li∣ver, and so let Choler return into the Liver; which ap∣pears by anger, and the sudden boyling of the blood in angry persons, by admixtion of burnt Choler. How∣beit by pressing, or squeezin••, and blowing, we cannot force any Choler back. And if the force of the Spirits were so great, they might as easily open and shut the valves of the Heart, when they are in the Arteries more plentiful then ordinary. They pierce indeed by their fineness the valves, when they are shut, but they carry not the blood with them. Choler, truly, may by some other means be inflamed, which is every where among hot blood. Finally, the valve would be broken by the violence of Spirits, and greater danger might follow thereby, then if the Gall-bladder were broken, an Ex∣ample whereof Salmuth relates.
The Gall-bladder hath received very many small Passages, furnished with sundry little twigs, sowed up and down in the Liver, between the Roots of Cava and Porta; which afterwards being joyned into one pas∣sage, do carry pure Choler into the Gall-bladder: and the Gall-bladder having disgorged it self into the Gut, is daily filled again, and so it continues that course. Contrary to the Opinion of Arnisoeus; that the Blad∣der is filled with Choler, which being hindred by the Chylus, from descending by the Porus biliarius, into the Guts, does drive back again into the Bladder, For I have often seen Waloeus demonstrate, how that the Bladder being never so little squeezed with a mans hand, even when the Guts are full of Chyle, Choler is easily squirted into the Guts.
It hath two very small Veins to nourish it. Also it hath very small Arteries from the Coeliaca, to nourish and preserve Heat. It is not therefote nourished with Choler, as Joubertus conceives. It hath a little dimi∣nutive Nerve, scarce visible, from a little Branch of the sixt pare, which crawls up and down the Coat of the Liver.
Its use is to receive yellow excrementi∣tious Choler, pure and thin (not the Ex∣crement mingled with the Blood, as the Kidneys do) and to retain it some while, and then to expel it.
Now touching the use of this Choler, Learned men are of sundry minds. Some with Aristotle will allow it no use, only it was a thing could not be avoided, and is drawn away, that the Blood may not be defiled; which Opinion Conringius maintains. Others attri∣bute more to Choler, and make it useful to the whole Body. 1. In that it 〈…〉〈…〉 ••iver, according to Italy-Abbas and •…•…sina, and by that means comforts •…•…e second Digestion, and helps the Natural Heat of the Liver, like fire under a kettle. Yea, it heats the whole Body, if we will credit Nemesius, especially the Stomach, to further its Digestion. If that be true, we must understand it of a moderate quantity thereof; o∣therwise an over great Heat of Choler would burn the Stomach.
2. Ofkin to these, is the Opinion of Helmont; that it is the balsom of the Liver, and the whole Blood, brought from the Liver to the Mesentery, and that therefore the Gall precedes in the work of Sanguifica∣tion, and the Liver follows; also he sayes it hath the con∣stitution of a necessary Bowel. But how should it come into the Liver, since Anatomy doth teach, that this hu∣mor is brought out of the Liver, but not carried back thither. For, the way is too long, through the Mesen∣tery, where by reason of its acrimony, it makes hast out, or the edge thereof is blunted. And of what ••hall it be bred, if it go before the Concoction of Blood? There are few Veins and Arteries dispersed there a∣bouts, but store of Choler is collected. That the A∣ction of the Liver goes before that of the Gall, Chil∣dren in the Womb do shew, in whom the Liver is full of blood, before the Bladder swell with Gall, or be so much as lightly colored therewith.
3. Their Opinion is not much unlike, who conceive that Choler preserves the neighbouring Parts, and the Liver it self from corruption, which Zerbus would there∣fore prove, because when the Gall-bladder is removed from the Liver, the substance thereof where the Gall∣bladder lay, does presently dissolve and melt.
4. A greater number of Authors will have it to serve to expel the Excrements of the Belly, by strengthening the Guts with its Heat, or provoking them to Expul∣sion by its Acrimony. For although the Choler-pas∣sage, be implanted into the beginning of the Gut Jeju∣num, or into the Duodenum; yet it hath an easie pas∣sage to the Colon and Ileum. That it passes through the Jejunum, is manifest from its yellow color, and the quick passage of the Chyle there through. Howbeit, it ought to be moderate in quantity, otherwise the Bel∣ly is dried and made costive, or too much loosned.
5. I add that it makes the Dung liquid, and apt to pass, to which intent Painters use it to temper their colors.
The other Receptacle of Choler, is the Canalis or Porus biliarius, the Cho∣ler-passage, which is found even in those Animals which have no Gall-bladder, as the Hart, the Deer, the Ca∣mel, the Roe, the Dolphin, the Sea-calf, &c. It is a vessel round and long, and the passage thereof is twice as large as the Neck of the Gall-bladder, and it goes right out from the Liver [being sometimes forked, yet so that its two branches do soon become one, accor∣ding to the Observation of Riolanus] through the com∣mon passage into the Gut (not into the Gall-bladder, as Fallopius conceived) receiving a thick cholerick ex∣crement, which may plainly be perceived, if the said passage be opened and blown up, for then the Gut swells, and not the Gall-bladder. And Riolanus obser∣ved that some have died of a Dysentery proceeding from Choler, in whom the Neck of the Gall-bladder was obstructed, but the Porus biliarius or Choler-pas∣sage, very much enlarged. Which also was known to Galen, who will have Choler to be forced right for∣wards, even from the Liver into the Gut Duodenum: And next to Galen we are beholden to Fallopius for the true Description of this Choler-passage.
The Ductus communis or com∣mon Passage, which goes into the beginning o•• the Gut Jejunum, or