A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Peritonaeum, or Rim of the Belly.

THe curious frame of the lower Apartiments, relating to Humane Body, being dispoiled of the four Common Integuments (which immure its Anterior Region, finely lodged one within another) and the thicker moving Walls of the Belly (consisting of many thin Fleshy Expansions) being broken, the Peritonaeum appeareth; so stiled, because it is extended all over the Viscera, and parts of the lower Venter, and is also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, aut 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Hipocrates calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the Plural: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Valde oppletum est Scrotum, Crura, & Peri∣tonaeum.

It is the largest of all the Membranes, except the Common Integuments, * 1.1 and of so fine a frame, that it seemeth to resemble a Spiders Web, for its thinness; and though it be very fine, yet it is of a dense compact substance, and principally below the Navel, that it might better sustain the weight of the Viscera, and Intestines.

Fallopius, Spigelius, and others, derive it from a double principle, from the first and third Vertebre of the Loins, and from the third and fourth Plexus, arising from the Par vagum. But I conceive it is more probable, * 1.2 to have its principle of Dispensation communicated to it from the Dura Menynx (the Mother of all Coats of Nerves and Membranes) whence ariseth that great sympathy the Peritonaeum hath with the upper Coat of the Brain. * 1.3

It is a received opinion of the Ancients, and some Modern Anatomists, that the Peritonaeum is a common Parent, giving a Coat to the Liver, Spleen, Mesentery, Intestines, Bladder, and Uterus; which others say, have the production of the upper Coat of the Periostium, belonging to the Vertebres of the Loins: But it seemeth very strange in my apprehension, that so small a stock should be so fruitful a Parent of so large a progeny, in propagating Membranes to so great a family of parts contained in the lower Venter. And it is very probable (with submission to better Judgments) that all the Membranes borrow their first Formation out of viscid particles of the Semi∣nal Liquor, which by degrees groweth more solid till it formeth the Mem∣branes, and Tunicles of Arteries, Veins, and Nerves.

The Peritonaeum is a large Membrane (seated immediately under the Abdominal Muscles) resembling a fine Hanging, * 1.4 covering all the choice Furniture of the lowest Story; and being of a diffusive nature, is like a larg Vest overspreading the tender Fabrick of the Stomach, Intestines, and other Entrals, to enwrap them in a soft Vail, when compressed by the neighbour∣ing parts in violent Motions of the Body.

This spacious Membrane is beautified with an Oval Figure, * 1.5 being some∣what straightned in its Top and Bottom, and more Expanded in the Middle, as receiving its Model correspondent in Length and Breadth, to the Cavity, it encircleth.

The upper surface of this Capacious Membrane, is somewhat rough, and the inwards more smooth, as besprinkled with some Liquor ousing out of the Caul and Intestines.

It is fastned above to the Diaphragme (as to the Cieling of the lower Apartiment) which being inflamed, * 1.6 draweth the Peritonaeum upward, which is seated below near the Os Ilium, Pubis, as the Floor of this lower Cham∣ber, and before to the Linea Alba, composed of the various Tendons of the Abdominal Muscles, decussating each other, in their small Fibres, in which they make a kind of Lattice.

The substance of the Peritonaeum is not composed of Ligaments, * 1.7 which are void of Sense, but of Nervous Fibrils, the true instruments of Sensa∣tion, which is communicated to this Membrane a part of acute Sense, by vertue of them.

Wherefore this Membrane may be described to be a rare Compage fra∣med of Arteries sprouting out of the Phrenick, Mammary, and Epigastrick Branches, and Veins passing between the Coats of the Peritonaeum, and the Vessels of divers Families do not Inosculate with each other, as the Anci∣ents give out; * 1.8 but only they of the same Tribe, have only Anastomoses with one another, and the Vessels of different alliance may associate, but not intimately converse by an immediate transmission of the same Liquor, into each others Tubes; which plainly appeareth, because the Mammary Arteries have no perforation through the Coats, into the Cavities of the Epi∣gastric Veins, which would necessarily follow, if the Blood were im∣pelled immediately out of the Cavities of the Mammary Arteries, into the Epigastric Veins, which is contrary to Autopsy.

So that this highly Expanded Membrane, is integrated by a number of different Tubes, displaied in fruitful Ramulets, composing its substance in a common Notion; because Nervous Fibres are the more peculiar constituent parts of this ample Robe (investing the select Housholdstuff of the lower Story) made up of numerous Threads, * 1.9 finely drawn out, closely struck together, and rarely enterwoven with each other; and some of these Fila∣ments run long-ways, passing downward, from the Cieling to the Floor, from the Diaphragme to the Os Ilium, and Pubis; and others run transversly from one side to the other of this Story, from one Hypoconder to the other: And the third sort of Fibres making this Membrane, are oblique, taking their course this way and that way, in Bevil Lines, filling up the spaces of the other Filaments, which cannot every way have so close a Texture, but there must be some Interstices and Asperities left, rendring the Fabrick une∣ven in rises and falls; unless it were supplied with a kind of Parenchyma, propagated originally from genital Concreted Liquor, which is afterward repaired either by a Coagulated Nervous Liquor, or rather the reliques of the Serous Juice (not received into the pores of the Vessels and Fibrils, at the time of their Nutrition) adhering to the outside of the Coats, rela∣ting to the Vessels and Filaments.

These Nervous Fibres, * 1.10 the chief and proper Ingredients of this extensive Compage, belonging to the Peritonaeum, take their first rise not from the Vertebres of the Spine, but from the Nervous Plexes, seated in the upper and lower regions of the Abdomen, to which the Peritonaeum is so firmly conjoyned, that it cannot be parted from the Abdominal Plexes, without Laceration; but it is so loosely affixed to the Vertebres of the Loins, that it may be severed from them, without the violation of its entire continued substance. But above all, as I have hinted before, these Nervous Fibres (of which the Peritonoeum consisteth) have their first production with other Membranes and Nerves, out of the viscid parts of the Seminal Liquor.

These Nervous Fibrils are in their nature oblong, slender, flexible bodies, * 1.11 easily giving way to the Compression, and motion of the neighbouring parts, and when their force is taken off in rest, these Fibrils being relaxed, do re∣duce themselves to their former natural tone and posture.

Some are of opinion, that the Peritonaeum, consisting of Nervous Fibrils, * 1.12 hath a power to move it self up and down, backward and forward, conform to the various positions, in which the Body is moved; but these various Mo∣tions if voluntary, cannot be performed without the assistance of Muscles, or Carnous Fibres at least, which are a kind of Minute Muscles, the Ma∣chines of Arbitrary Motion: But these Fibres being only Nervous, as far as I can discern, in the Fabrick of this Membrane, are not capable of Vo∣luntary Motion, and have a Tensil nature, which hath only an accidental one following the Motion of the adjacent parts, as in Inspiration, the Dia∣phragme enlargeth the Thorax, and by reducing it toward a plain, com∣presseth the Stomach and Intestines, and forceth the Peritonaeum outward.

And in Expiration, the Stomach and Intestines return up again to their former station, and the Belly groweth more lank, and the Peritonaeum be∣ing compressed inward by the Abdominal Muscles, is put into its natural tone and posture.

So that the Compage of the Peritonaeum, being for the most part Fibrous, consisteth of innumerable small Nervous Filaments, and is of a pliable na∣ture, easie to be Distended, and Contracted, caused by the repletion, or ina∣nition of the Stomach and Intestines: And in Women with Child, the Uterus being turgid with the Faetus, doth ascend upward into the Body, and highly distend the Peritonaeum, especially in the last Months.

And this Membrane is above measure distended in Hydropick Bodies, pro∣duced by serous Recrements, or mixed with Flatulencies, lodged in the Cavity of the Abdomen.

The Peritonaeum hath a Duplicature in its hinder Region, * 1.13 for the securer conveyance of the Seminal Arteries, and Veins, and before for the Umbelical Vessels; and in the Hypogastrium, in another process of the Peri∣tonaeum, the Uterus, and Bladder, have their Repositories.

It hath two Processes near the Os Pubis, on each side one, * 1.14 no less in Men then in Women, and are two oblique Productions perforating the oblique and transverse Muscles of the Abdomen, giving conduct to the Spermatick Vessels, in their way to the Scrotum; but in Women they are carried to the Inguina, and are terminated near the upper parts of the Pudendum, in which the round Ligaments of the Uterus do degenerate into small Fibres, to which the Clitoris is fastned, on both sides of the Os Pubis.

The interior Coats of the Peritonaeum, is so firmly tied to the Spermatick Vessels, which if broken or relaxed, a Hiernia, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, are caused, when the Intestines, or Omentum, pass through the rupture or relax∣ation into the Scrotum, whence the parts grow immediately Distended: But in Women, the Ligaments of the Uterus bind the processes of the Peri∣tonaeum more firmly, which being shorter, are rarely afflicted with an Hiernia Inguinalis; but above the Navil, where the Coats are more thin, are fre∣quently tortured with an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, produced by great throws in Child∣birth.

The Peritonaeum being a large Membrane, * 1.15 hath many Minute Miliary Glands, lodged within its Duplicature, as so many Colatories of the Blood and Nervous Liquor: And, I humbly conceive, that all Membranes have many Glands besetting them, as the Dura and Pia Mater, the Intestines,

Mesentery, Omentum, &c. Which is also very evident in Bruits, and par∣ticularly in a Lion, the King of them, in which I saw many large Glands of a reddish Colour, and somewhat large, adorning the Peritonaeum.

This curious Membrane is rendred very serviceable by Nature, in its uses: * 1.16 The first is as a common Parent, to propagate a common Integument to all the Viscera, lodged within its Circumference.

The second use is to cherish and conserve all the tender Bowels and Vis∣cera, * 1.17 within its safe embraces, lest any disturbance should be given to them, by the motion of the Neighbouring parts, the Abdominal Muscles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Rim of the Belly is the most large Membrane of the Body, ex∣cept those common Inte∣guments.
• * 1.2

  The Dura Me∣nynx, the Pa∣rent of all Membranes.
• * 1.3

  The Peritonae∣um giveth a Coat to all the Viscera of the lowest Venter.
• * 1.4

  The situation of the Rim o•• the Belly.
• * 1.5

  The Figure of the Peritonae∣um.
• * 1.6

  The connexi∣on of the Pe∣ritonaeum.
• * 1.7

  The substance of the Peri∣tonaeum.
• * 1.8

  The Arteries have Inoscu∣lations with Arteries, and Veins with Veins.
• * 1.9

  The Peritonae∣um is made up of ••everal Fi∣laments, ma∣king divers progresses.
• * 1.10

  The origen of the Peritonae∣um.
• * 1.11

  The descripti∣on of Ner∣vous Fibrils.
• * 1.12

  Some con∣ceive the Rim of the Belly hath volunta∣ry motion, which is very improbable, as having no fleshy Fibres.
• * 1.13

  The Duplica∣ture of the Peritonaeum, is a Conduit and Repository for divers Vessels and parts.
• * 1.14

  The Processes of the Perito∣naeum.
• * 1.15

  The Glands of the Peri∣tonaeum.
• * 1.16

  The first use of the Peri∣tonaeum.
• * 1.17

  The second use of the Peritonaeum.