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. Of the Ears and Parotides, or Kernels of the Ears.

THe Ears are the Organs of the sense of Hearing. They are composed of the skin, a lit∣tle flesh, a gristle, veins, arteries, and nerves. They may be bended or folded in without harm, because being gristly, they easily yield and give way; but they would not do so, if they should be bony, but would rather break. That lap at which they hang Pendants and Jew∣els, is by ancients called Fibra, but the upper part Pinna. They have been framed by the Provi∣dence of Nature into two twining passages like a Snails-shel, which as they come neerer to the fo∣ramen caecum or blind-hole, are the more straitned, that so they might the better gather the air into them, and conceive the differences of sounds and voices, and by little and little lead them to the membrane.

This membrane which is indifferently hard hath grown up from the nerves of the fifth conjuga∣tion, which they call the auditory. But they were made thus into crooked windings, lest the sounds rushing in too violently should hurt the sense of Hearing. Yet for all this, we oft find it troubled and hurt by the noise of Thunder, Guns, and Bels. Otherwise also, lest that the air too sodainly entring should by its qualities, as cold, cause some harm: and also that little creeping things

and other extraneous Bodies, as Fleas and the like, should be stayed in these windings and turn∣ings of the wayes, the glutinous thickness of the cholerick Excrement, or Ear-wax, hereunto also conducing, which the Brain purges and sends forth into this part, that is, the auditory passage framed into these intricate Maeanders.

[illustration]

The Figure of the Ears and Bones of the Auditory passage.

• Tab. 10. Sheweth the Ears and the di∣vers internal parts thereof.
• Fig. 1. Sheweth the whole external Ear, with a part of the Temple-bone.
• Fig. 2. Sheweth the left Bone of the Temple divided in the midst by the in∣strument of Hearing, whereabout on ei∣ther side there are certain passages here particularly described.
• Fig. 3. and 4. Sheweth the three little Bones.
• Fig. 5. Sheweth a portion of the Bone of the Temples which is seen neer the hole of Hearing divided through the midst, whereby the Nerves, Bones, and Mem∣branes may appear, as Vesalius of them conceiveth.
• Fig. 6. Sheweth the Vessels, Membranes, Bones and Holes of the Organ of Hear∣ing, as Platerus hath described them.
• Fig. 7. and 8. Sheweth the little Bones of the Hearing of a man and of a Calf, both joyned and separated.
• Fig. 9. Sheweth the Muscle found out by Aquapendens.
• For the particular Declaration see Dr. Crooks Anatomy. pag. 577.

But that we may understand how the Hearing is made, we must know the structure of the Or∣gan, or Instrument thereof. The Membrane which we formerly mentioned to consist of the Au∣ditory-Nerve, is stretched in the inside over the Auditory passage, like as the head of a Drum. For it is stretched and extended with the air, or Auditory Spirit implanted there, and shut up in the cavity of the mamillary process and foramen caecum, that smitten upon by the touch of the ex∣ternal air entring in, it may receive the object, that is, the sound, which is nothing else than a cer∣tain quality arising from the air beaten, or moved, by the collision and conflict of one or more bodies.

Such a collision is spred over the air, as the water which by the gliding touch of a stone pro∣duces many circles and rings, one as it were rising from another. So in rivulets running in a nar∣row channel, the water strucken, and, as it were, beaten back in its course against broken, crag∣gy and steep Rocks, wheels about into many turnings: this collision of the beaten air flying back divers wayes from arched and hollow-roofed places, as Dens, Cisterns, Wells, thick Woods, and the like, yields and produces a double sound, and this reduplication is called an Echo. Where∣fore the Hearing is thus made by the air, as a medium; but this air is twofold, that is, External and Internal.

The exteriour is that which encompasses us, but the interiour is that which is shut up in the cavity of the mamillary process and foramen caecum, which truly is not pure and sole air, but tem∣pered and mixed with the auditory spirit. Thence proceeds the noise or beating of the Ears, when vapors are there mixed with the air instead of spirits, whereby their motion is perturbed and con∣fused. But neither do these suffice for hearing; for Nature for the more exact distinction of sounds hath also made the little bones, of which one is called the Incus, or Anvil, another the Malleolus, or

hammer, the third the Stapes, or Stirrop, because the shape thereof resembles a German-stirrop. Also it may be called Deltoides, because it is made in the shape of the Greek Letter Δ.

They are placed behind the membrane; wherefore the Anvil and Hammer moved by the force of the entrance of the external air, and beating thereof against that membrane, they more di∣stinctly express the difference of sounds, as strings stretched within under the head of a Drum; as for example; these Bones being more gently moved represent a low sound to the common sense and faculty of Hearing, but being moved more vehemently and violently, they present a quick and great sound; to conclude, according to their divers agitation, they produce divers and different sounds.

The Glandules should follow the Ears in the order of Anatomy, as well those which are called the emunctories of the Brain, that is, the Parotides, (which are placed, as it were, at the lower part of the Ears) as these which lye under the lower Jaw, the Muscles of the Bone Hyoides, and the Tongue, in which the Scr••phulae, and other such cold abscesses breed. It shall here suffice to set down the use of all such like Glandules.

Therefore the Parotides are framed in that place by Nature, to receive the virulent and malign matter sent forth by the strength of the Brain, by the Veins and Arteries spred over that place. The rest serve to strengthen the division of the vessels, to moisten the Ligaments and Membranes of the Jaw, lest they should be dryed by their continual motion. Their other conditions and uses are formerly handled in our first Book of Anatomy.

Notes

• The nature and compositi∣on of the ears. VVhat the Fi∣bra and pinna are.
• The figure and the reason thereof.
• For what use the Ear-wax serves.
• For what use the membrane stretched under the auditory passage serves.
• What sound is.
• The cause of an echo.
• The 3 bones of the auditory passage.
• Their use.
• Whence the difference of sounds.