the innermost of its proper coats is membranous, woven with right fibers, for the attraction of meats; it is extended and propagated even to the mouth thereof, whereby it comes to pass that the affections of one part may easily be communicated to the other by sympathy, or consent. This coat hath its original from the membranes of the brain which accompany the nerves descending from the third and fourth conjugation to the mouth thereof. And in like sort from other pro∣ductions descending by the passages of the head, from whence also another reason may be drawn from that, which they commonly bring from the nerves of the sixt conjugation; why in wounds of the head, the stomach doth so soon suffer by consent with the brain. The exterior or outer is more fleshy and thick, woven with oblique fibers, to retain and expel. It draws its original from the Pericranium, which assoon as it comes to the gullet, takes unto it certain fleshy fibers. There be nerves sent into the Stomach from the sixt conjugation of the Brain, as it shall be shewed in its proper place. Veins and Arteries are spread into it from the Gastrica, the Gastrepiploides, the Coronaria and Splenick, from the second, third, and fourth distribution of the Vena-porta, or Gate-vein; and the third of the descendent artery to the natural parts, assoon as it passes forth of the Midriffe.
It is one in number, The greater part of it is situated on the left side between the Spleen, the hollowness of the Liver, and the Guts, that, assisted by the heat of such neighbouring parts, it may more cheerfully perform the concoction of the meat. Neither am I ignorant that Galen hath written, that a great part of the Stomach lies on the left side. But inspection it self, and reason makes me derogate from Galen's authority: for, because there is more empty space on the left side, by reason the Spleen is less than the Liver, it was fit it should lie more on the left side. The more proper connexion of it is with the gullet and guts, by its two orifices; with the brain by its nerves; with the liver and spleen by its veins; with the heart by its arteries; and with all the natural parts by its common membrane.
The temper of the ventricle in men of good habit, is temperate, because it is almost composed of the equal commixture of sanguine and spermatick parts; or according to Galen's opinion, it is cold of it self, and by the parts composing it; and hot by the vicinity of the bowels. But in some it is hotter, in others colder, according to the divers temper and complexion of divers bo∣dies. That stomach is to be thought well tempered, that powerfully draws down the meat and drink, and embraces and retains them so drawn, until by concoction and elixation, they shall be turned into a juyce like cream (which the Greeks call Chylos;) and lastly, which doth strongly send from it, and repel the excrements of this first concoction.
The Stomach is known to be hotter by this, that it better concocts and digests coorse and hard meats, as Beef, hard Egs, and the like, than soft meats easie of digestion, which it corrupts and turns into belchings. For so a young Chicken, is sooner burnt than well roasted at a great fire. The stomach which is colder, desires much meat, but is slow in concocting them, especially if they be cold and hard of digestion, which for that cause quickly turn sowre. The action of a well conditioned stomach is twofold, one common, another proper. The common is to attenuate, mix and digest the meats taken in at the mouth, for the nutrition of it self and the whole body, after the liver hath performed its duty, which before it be done, the ventricle only enjoys the sweet pleasure of the Chylus, and comforts it self against the impurity of the adjacent parts, where∣of it is called the work-house of concoction. Its first action is to attract, retain, and assimilate to it self that which is convenient; but to expel whatsoever shall be contrary, either in quantity, or quality, or in the whole substance.
It hath two orifices, one above, which they commonly call the stomach and heart, the other lower, which is called the Pylorus, or lower mouth of the stomach. The upper bends to the left side neer the back-bone; it is far more large and capacious than the lower, that so it may more com∣modiously receive meats half-chewed, hard and gross, which Gluttons cast down with great gree∣diness; it hath an exquisite sense of feeling, because it is the seat of the appetite, by reason of the nerves incompassing this orifice, with their mutual imbracings; whereby it happens that the ven∣tricle in that part is endued with a quick sense, that perceiving the want and emptiness of meat, it may stir up the creature to seek food. For albeit nature hath bestowed four faculties on other parts, yet they are not sensible of their wants, but are only nourished by the continual sucking of the veins, as plants by juyce drawn from the earth.
This orifice is seated at the fifth Vertebra of the chest, upon which they say it almost rests. Yet I had rather say, that it lies upon the twelfth Vertebra of the chest, and the first of the loins; for in this place the gullet perforates the midriffe, and makes this upper orifice. The lower orifice bends rather to the right side of the body, under the cavity of the Liver. It is far straiter than the upper, lest any thing should pass away before it be well attenuated and concocted; and it doth that by the help or assistance of, as it were, a certain ring, like to the sphincter muscle of the fundament, which some have thought a glandule made by the transposition of the inner and fleshy membrane of the ventricle into that which is the outer of the guts. I know Columbus laughs at this glandulous ring, but any one that looks more attentively, shall perceive that Pylorus is glandu∣lous. The stomach in its lower and inner side, hath many folds and wrincles, which serve to hold and contain the meats, until they be perfectly concocted. In the ventricle, we observe parts gibbous and hollow; the hollow is next to the liver and midriffe; the gibbous is towards the guts. Now we must note that the ventricle, when it is much resolved or loosed, may slide down even to the navil near the bladder, the which we have observed in some bodies dissected after their death.