The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latin and compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are added three tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the veines, arteries, & nerves, with large figures. Also a table of the bookes and chapters.

CHAP. X. A more particular inquisition into each part of a Muscle.

HAving gone thus far, it remains, that we more particularly inquire into each part of a Muscle, that (if it be possible) nothing may be wanting to this discourse. Wherefore a Ligament properly so called, is a simple part of mans body, next of a bone and grislle, the most terrestrial, dry, hard, cold, white; taking its original immediatly, or by the interposition of some Medium, from the Bones or Grisles (from whence also the Muscles have their beginning) whereby it comes to pass, that a ligament is void of sense, unless it receive a nerve from some other place; (for so the ligaments which compose and strengthen the tongue and yard, are par∣takers of sense, and it inserts it self into the bone and grisle, that so it may bind them together, and strengthen and beautifie the whole joint or connexion; (for these three be the principal uses of a ligament) then diffusing it self into the membranes and muscles to strengthen those parts. A N••rve, to speak properly, is also a simple part of our body, bred and nourished by a gross and p••legmatick humour, such as the brain, the original of all the nerves, and also the Spinal marrow endued with the faculty of feeling, and oftentimes also of moving. For there be divers parts of the body which have nerves, yet are destitute of all voluntary motion, having the sense only of ••eeling, as the membranes, veins, arteries, guts, and all the entrails. A nerve is covered with a double cover from the two membranes of the brain, and besides also with a third proceeding from

the ligaments which fasten the hinder part of the head to the Vertebra's, or else from the Pericrani∣um. We understand no other things by the fibers of a Nerve, or of a Ligament, than long and slender threds, white, solid, cold, strong, more, or less, according to the quantity of the sub∣stance, which is partly nervous and sensible, partly ligamentous and insensible. You must imagine the same of the fleshy fibers in their kind; but of these threds some are streight for attraction; others oblique, for retention of that which is convenient for the creature; and lastly, some trans∣verse, for expulsion of that which is unprofitable. But when these transverse threds are extended in length; they are lessened in bredth; but when they are directly contracted, they are shortned in length. But when they are extended all together as it were, with an unanimous consent, the whole member is wrinkled as contracted into it self: as on the contrary it is extended when they are relaxed. Some of these are bestowed upon the animal parts, to perform voluntary motions; others upon the vital to perform the agitation of the heart and arteries; others upon the natural for attraction, retention, and expulsion. Yet we must observe, that the attraction of no similar part is performed by the help of the foresaid fibers or threds, but rather by the heat implanted in them, or by the shunning of emptiness, or the familiarity of the substance. The flesh also is a simple and soft part, composed of the pure portion of the blood insinuating it self into the spaces between the fibers, so to invest them for the uses formerly mentioned. This is (as it were) a cer∣tain wall and bulwark against the injuries of heat and cold, against all falls and bruises, as it were, a certain soft pillow or cushion yielding to any violent impression. There be three sorts of flesh; one more ruddy, as the musculous flesh of perfect creatures, and such as have blood; for the flesh of all tender and young things having blood, as Calves, and also of all sorts of fish, is whitish, by reason of the too much humidity of the blood. The second kind is more pallid, even in perfect creatures having blood, such is the flesh of the heart, stomach, weason, guts, bladder, womb. The third is belonging to the entrails, or the proper substance of each entrail, as that which remains of the Liver (the veins, arteries and coat being taken away) of the bladder, of the gall, brains, kidnies, milt: Some add a fourth sort of flesh which is spongy, & that they say is proper to the tongue alone.

A Vein is the vessel, pipe, or channel of the blood, or bloody matter; it hath a spermatick substance, consists of one coat composed of three sorts of fibers.

An Artery is also the receptacle of blood, but that spirituous and yellowish, consisting in like manner of a spermatick substance; But it hath two coats with three sorts of fibers, the utmost whereof is most thin, consisting of right fibers, and some oblique: But the inner is five times more thick and dense than the utmost, interwoven with transverse fibers; and it doth not only contain blood and spirit, but also a serous humour, which we may believe because there be two emulgent Arteries as well as Veins.

But the inner coat of an Artery is therefore more thick, because it may contain blood which is more hot, subtil, and spirituous; for the spirit, seeing it is naturully more thin and light, and in perpetual motion, would quickly fly away, unless it were held in a stronger hold. There is other reason for a Vein, as that which contains blood, gross, ponderous, and slow of motion. Where∣fore if it had acquired a dense and gross coat, it could scarce be distributed to the neighbouring parts: God, the maker of the Universe, foreseeing this, made the coats of the vessels contrary to the consistence of the bodies contained in them. The Anastomasis of the Veins and Arteries, that is to say, the application of the mouths of the one to the other, is very remarkable, by benefit of which they mutually communicate and draw the matters contained in them, and so also transfuse them by insensible passages, although that Anastomasis is apparent in the Vein and Artery that meet together at the joint and bending of the arm, which I have sometimes shewed in the Physick schools, at such time as I there dissected Anatomies.

But the action or function of a Muscle is either to move or confirm the part according to our will, into which it is implanted; which it doth when it draws it self toward its original, that is to say, its head. But we define the head by the insertion of the nerve, which we understand by the manner of the working of the Muscle.

Notes

• The nature of a Ligament.
• The treefold use of a Ligament. What a Nerve is.
• What we mean by the nervous and ligamen∣tous fibers.
• By what power the similar parts princi∣pally draw or attract. What, and of how many sorts the flesh is.
• What a vein is.
• What an Arte∣ry is.
• Why an artery is more thick and dense than a vein.
• The mutual Anastomasis of the veins and arteries. Where it is manifest.
• From whence a muscle hath its beginning or head.