might draw the wheyish Humor; but I am not of the Opinion of Be∣verovi••ius and of Loselius after him, that one Kidney being diseased, the other draws the wheyish Humor. For the contrary is seen in such as have one Kidney only stopped with a great stone, or consumed by an Ulcer; and the contrary to what he imagines, is seen in other parts, for one Eye being hurt, the other sees; and all the scollups of the Lungs being consumed on one side, that on the other side does further Respirati∣on, unless haply both parts be affected by some com∣mon Cause, for otherwise they must be forced to say, that that happens only somtimes. There is seldom found only one, and then it is a great one placed in the middle, for otherwise the body should not be well bal∣lanced, nor could the Vessels be conveniently carried. Tis monstruous, when both the Kidneys are joyned into one beneath, and cleave together, as I have seen at Padua. Tis more rare to find three or four placed one upon another, or one beneath another.
They are situate under the Liver and Spleen, where they rest upon the Muscles of the Loins, between the two Coats of the Peritonaeum, at the sides of the Vena cava and Arteria magna, under which very great Nerves lie hid, both of the Muscle Psoas, and others, which e∣vidently pass this way unto the Thighs. Whence it is that a stone being in the Kidney, a numness is felt in the Thigh of the same side. It is a rare case which Ca∣brolius hath observed, for the Kidneys to rest upon the Back-bone of the Loins. Nor are the Kidneys seated just one against ano∣ther, least there should be some impedi∣ment to attraction, and least some part of the wheyish humor should slip aside. But the right∣side Kidney is lowest in Men, to give way to the Liver, under which it rests immediately, reaching by its end, the third Vertebra of the Loins. It is seldom higher then the left, and seldom are the two Kidneys seated one just against another. The left Kidney for the most part, lies partly under the spleen, but is seldom higher then the spleen. Contrariwise in Brutes, the spleen goes more downwards, and the right Kidney lies higher, and therefore there is a Cavity in the Liver by means of the Kidney, which does not Naturally happen in men. Here some observe that the right Kidney is nearer to the Cava, and the left more remote, by reason of the left Emulgent Vein, which is much longer then the right.
They are not alwaies both just of one bigness, but for the most part they are. They are commonly of the length of four Vertebra's; their latitude for the most part, three fingers, their thickness that of a thumb, yet the right Kidney is very many times larger then the left, because by reason of the heat of the right part, it draws the wheyish blood more vehemently, unless it be fretted by some Disease, for then it grows lean and thin. Al∣so such as are given to fleshy desires, have larger Kid∣neys then ordinary. But their Proportion is not al∣waies alike convenient for the body.
The Surface of the Kidneys, as in the li∣ver is slippery and smooth: It is seldom in Mankind uneven, as if it were compo∣sed of many Kidneys or kernels, which any man may frequently find in a Child yet in the Womb. But the Kidney is alwaies so made, in an Ox and Bear, in a Calf, and most curiously of all in a Sturgeon, in which the Kidneys are made up like bunches of Grapes, of triangular and quadrangular dies or tiles as it were af∣ter an Artificial manner, as I have demonstrated in the Anatomy of that Creature.
The Colour of the Kidneys is a dark red, but seldom intensely red. In dis∣eased persons the Kidneys are variously coloured, even as the Liver and Spleen are.
The Kidney is shaped like a kidney-bean so called, also like an Asarum leaf, if you respect the plane surface. Externally in the Back or about the Flanks, it is of a round, bunching shape▪ beneath to∣wards the upper and lower part it is bossie, but in the middle concave and hollow. Helmont hath seen the left Kidney triangular, and in the same person the right Kidney not so big as an Hazel-nut. Hippocrates com∣pares the kidneys to Apples: Without doubt to the broader sort of red Apples; unless by the word meloi∣sin he intended the likeness of the kidneys in man to o∣ther Creatures.
They are knit by an external Mem∣brane, which is from the Peritonaeum, to the Loins and Midriff, and by the emulgent Vessels to the Cava and Aorta Vessels, by the Ureters to the Blad∣der. And the right kidney, to the blind Gut, somtimes also to the Liver, the left to the Spleen and Colon. Hence pains of the kidneys are exasperated by plenty of Winds and Excrements.
They have a double Membrane: The first internal one near and proper, being very thin without Fat and Veins, from the external and common Coat of the ingredient Vessels dilated (for a Vein only goes in with but one Coat) which growing very close, makes the flesh more compact, and being turned back inwards, it accompanies the Vessels, enters into, and invests their Bellies. Another external from the Peritonaeum, which adhaeres but loosely, whence they term it the Swath-band of the kidneys. For it is as it were a coverlid or blanket of the kidneys; and because it is encompassed with much Fat, for the sake thereof, it hath received the Vena adiposa so called, that is to say the Fat-vein, so that in fat persons, the kidneys lie quite hidden. Whence he that knows or searches into hidden things, is said to search the Reins. For the Scripture uses two words Pela••oth and Ta••oth, the for∣mer of which Mercerus will have to be derived from a word signifying to perfect and finish, because there is in the Kidneys a power of consulting, and finishing things consulted upon: The latter they derive from Tiach a blot, and from the Radical word tivvach to daub, or plaster, and crust over, because the Kidneys are crusted, and hidden as it were with Fat. Some indeed explain the Phrase of searching the Reins to be meant of Concupiscence carnal and venereal De∣lectation, from the word Calah to desire, Witness Rab∣bi David, and Pagnine, or from Celi a Vessel, because in and from the Kidneys is the desire of Venereal plea∣sures. Howbeit this also is a secret Quest, stoln plea∣sures Venereal seeking the night and dark places and secret carriages, which I have largely demonstrated in my Vindicae anatomicae against Hofman. Fat is bestow∣ed upon them to preserve the Heat of the Kidneys in regard of plenty of Serum which would overcool them, and to defend the Vessels. There is less about the right Kidney if we beleive Aristotle, more about the left, because the Heat of the right Kidney, either suf∣fers it not to congeale, or melts it when it is congea∣led.
They have a substance or flesh hard com∣pact and dense. 〈…〉〈…〉 like that of the