Arcana microcosmi, or, The hid secrets of man's body discovered in an anatomical duel between Aristotle and Galen concerning the parts thereof : as also, by a discovery of the strange and marveilous diseases, symptomes & accidents of man's body : with a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book, De generatione, Comenius, and others : whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book De Generatione / by A.R.

CAP. V.

1. The prerogative of the heart. 2. The actions of our members. 3. There are no spermatical parts. 4. The bones, nerves, veins, &c. why not easily reunited. 5. The spermatical parts hotter then the sanguineal. 6. The brains and scull, bones and teeth compared.

THE Heart hath divers prerogatives above other members: 1. It is the Fountain of our natural heat. 2. Of the Vital spirits, from whence the Animal have their Original. 3. It is placed in the midst of the breast. 4. It is the first that lives, and the last that dies. 5. It is of that absolute necessi∣ty, that the welfare of the sensitive creature depends on it; therefore Nature preserves it longest from diseases, and as soon as the heart is ill-affected, the body droopeth. 6. Sensitive creatures can live▪ some without Lungs, some without a Spleen, some without Kidneys, some without a Gall, some without a Bladder, but none can live without the Heart, or something answering to the Heart, as bloudless animals. 7. The Heart is admirable in its motions, if either we consider the manner or perpetuity thereof, or that it is of it self not depen∣ding upon our will or pleasure.

II. The actions of our members, depend originally from the temperament of the ••imular parts; but in respect of perfection and consummation, from the conformity and right situation of the Organ, so the temperament of the Chrystalline humor is the efficient cause of sight; but the situation and confor∣mity of the parts of the eye, is the perfecting or consumma∣ting cause: For if the Chrystalline, or other parts of the eye,

were otherwise situated, we should either not see ••o well, or not at all.

III. That there are no spermatical parts, as Nerves, Bones, Veins, &c. but sanguineal only, is plain by these reasons, ••. To make more material causes then one, is to multiply entities needlesly, whereas the menstruous bloud is sufficient matter for all the parts; which because it is the matter of our bodies, it had an inclination, disposition, or potentiality to all parts: and because the work to be produced, was Heterogenious, and the form heterogenious, therefore the matter had an heteroge∣nious potentiality, as well to those parts which the Physitians call spermatical, as to the sanguineal. 2. I would know which be the spermatical parts of an Egge: not the white; for of that they grant the whole Chick is formed: not the yelk; for that is, they say, the food of the Chick, and yet we see the Chick hath bones, and other spermatical parts, as they call them. If then Bones and Nerves are no seminall parts in a Chick, neither are they in a Childe, the reason being alike in both. 3. The spermatical parts are nourished by the blood, then doubtless they were generated of blood: for [iisdem nu∣trimur ex quibus constamus] and there can be no nourishment without transition and transinutation of the blood into the parts nourished. Now to say, that the blood which nourish∣eth these parts, becomes seed, or spermatical, is to employ the testicles in continual working of seed for nutrition of the spermatical parts▪ how can so much seed be generated, and by what vessels shall they be carried to the upper parts of the body. 4. The heart and liver are sanguineal parts: then doubt∣less the nerves, arteries, and veins which are from them, bee sanguineal.

IV. The Bones, Nerves, Arteries, Veins and Grissles being cut or broke, are not so easily re-united as the fleshy parts: not because they are spermatical, but because they are harder and drier then the fleshy: for in children, while they are soft and moist, they are easily reunited; and the Veins which are softer then the Arteries, are sooner healed: for the hardness, thick∣ness, and perpetual motion of the Arteries, hinder its coaliti∣on. 2. Likewise where there is defect of natural heat, as in old men, these are hardly knit together: For heat is the chief Artificer or Agent in the body. 3. And where there is defect of matter, or radicall moisture, the cure is difficult, as in old men. 4. If there be not a sufficient time given, the cure will never be effected: Thus the heart being woun∣ded,

is never united, because life flieth before the cure can be performed.

V. The spermatical parts by most are counted colder then the sanguineal; which cannot be: for we find by experience, that there is more heat in the stomach, then in the liver; for it is a greater heat that turns bones, or such hard meats into a liquid substance, then this which turns our liquid substance into another: to wit, the Chylus into blood: If it be obje∣cted, that those creatures, whose stomachs are incompassed with flesh concoct best: I answer, it is true, not because the flesh is hotter then the stomach, but because it keeps in the heat: thus though our cloaths keep in our heat, no man will say, that they are hotter then we; for this cause our bones and nerves are wrapped about with flesh, and yet these are hotter then the flesh, in their opinion that call them spermatical; for they con••efs, that the seed is hotter then the bloud, therefore that which is generated of seed must needs be hotter, then that which is begot of blood. If it be objected, that the seed is hot in respect of its spirits, but cold in respect of its matter: I answer, that if the matter of the seed were not hot, it could not so much abound in spirits, for by the heat the spirits are begot, and not heat by the spirits: therefore when the heat fails, the spirits fail: Hence it is, that the animal spirits in the nerves move not the hand, when it is benummed with cold: but let the hand be warmed, and then the spirits have life again▪ 2. Those parts which they call spermatical, are more sensible of the cold, and sooner offended by it then the sanguineal parts, and therefore must needs be hotter: for one contrary is most sensible of another: thus are we more sensible of a little cold in Summer, when we are hot, then of a great deal in Winter▪ Southern people, whose bloods are hot, are sooner offended with cold, then the Northern, whose constitution is colder. 3. The heat of the bladder, which they call a spermatical part, is so great, that it can bake the slimy substance of the urine into a hard stone, which argue s its heat above the sangui∣neal parts. Some Physitians answer, that this is done, not be∣cause of the heat, but by reason of the long stay, and slimi∣ness of the matter: but they must know, that the slimy mat∣ter is meerly passive, and that it is the heat which is the agent, and artificer of the stone: as for the long stay, that is but a help, for time is no agent. 4. That the bones are hot, is ma∣nifest, for they have much fat in them, as we see in bones when they are burned, and a greater heat was required to bring

them to that hardness, then the ordinary heat of the sanguineal parts.

VI. The brain was not made for the skul, but the skul for the brain, therefore it is like they were formed both together, and that the skul was proportioned to the bigness of the brain, and not this to the bigness of the skull. 2. The brain and skull were placed uppermost, for the eyes, which were to be neer the brain, because of the spirits: and optick nervs, which by reason of their softness, were fittest to be implanted in the eye, otherwise they had been too hard; for the nerve is har∣der, as it is farther from the brain: and no place was so fit for the eyes, which were to watch over the body, as the upper place; neither could the eyes be so secure any where, as with∣in these concavities of the skull. 3. The skull being a bone, feeleth not, for bones have no other sense, but what is in the membrans or Periostium; neither can there be sense, but where there be nerves, but there be none in the bones: except in the teeth, which therefore feel, because the nerves are incor∣porated in them, and communicate the sensitive spirits to all parts of them, and the sensitive faculty with them: yet they are more sensible of the first, then of the second qualities. 4. The teeth are still growing, because there is continual need of them, and are harder then other bones, because they were made to bruise hard meats. 5. They are more sensible and sooner offended with cold then with heat; and yet heat is the more active quality, which sheweth, that the constitution of the teeth is hot, for if they were cold, they should not bee so soon troubled with cold, being a friendly quality.