The anatomy of the body of man wherein is exactly described every part thereof in the same manner as it is commonly shewed in publick anatomies : and for the further help of yo[u]ng physitians and chyrurgions, there is added very many copper cuts ... / published in Latin by Joh. Veslingus ; and Englished by Nich. Culpeper.

CHAP. 4. Of the Mesenterium, Sweet-bread, Liver and Spleen.

THE most wise Creator of Man, hath taken care by the interve∣ning of the Mesenterium, that the manifold foldings of the Guts might not come into a confusion, and so mans health be in∣dangered thereby; It is a double Membrane, furnished with Glandulae and fat, joyned to the Peritonaeum, fitted to cherish the Bowels as well as to keep them in Office and Order; a famous number of Veins are disper∣sed in it from the right Vein of the Vena porta, joyning themselves toge∣ther by many Osculations, even before those small branches go to the Bowels. The Arteries are not inferior to these, which proceed from the Mesenterical superior branch of the great Artery, and also from the inferior: It hath many Nerves from the plexure of the internal of the sixt pair, and the Marrow of the Loyns.

To these belong those passages which carry the Chyle, which the first observer of them, called Venae Lacteae because of their white colour; but this as it may be seen in the dissection of live creatures, so the creatures being dead, and the distribution of Chyle ceasing, the whiteness cannot be discerned.

And yet it often happens, that by reason of the intemperancy of men, abundance of humors flowing through so many Vessels, the pores which carry the Chyle are obstructed or (in plain English) stopped, and the Juyce being putrified, it causeth feavers, the cause lying in the Mesen∣terium.

The largeness of the Mesenterium is great, being encreased by fat which corrects the cold and dry temperature of the Membranes by heat and moisture; it sticks strongly to the uppermost and third Vertebrae of the Lyons, and binds the foldings of the Guts, every where firmly to its self.

The Sweet-bread [Pancreas] is a Glandulous part of the Abdomen, very profitable for attenuating and purging the Chyle, and preparing it for the Liver and Spleen before it be turned into blood, for as Nature de∣duceth the blood it self, which is either for nourishment of the fruit in the womb, or to make seed for the Generation of it, by diverse degrees or steps, even so the Juyce which it turns into blood, it alters it in the mouth, concocts it in the Stomach, easeth it of excrements by the Bo∣wels, and by the sweetness of the Sweet-bread, frees from sharp and salt humors, and therefore the Sweet-bread is alwaies full of Chyle, as you may find if you dissect a creature alive, and cut it with a knife.

It receives the Chyle, and having received it, sends it to the Liver; not by any veins or arteries descending from the Vena porta, but by special passages, which by reason of their colour, Asellius named Venae Lacteae, as I told you before: they are long and round Vessels with a very thin Membrane, very small, ascending upwards from the Sweet-bread, to the Liver; about the place where the trunk of the Vena porta descends, they pass downwards to the Guts with very small branches; they have very small shutters which hinders the regress of the juyce they draw to the Guts; the knitting of the Sweet-bread to the Spleen seems ra∣ther to perswarde a man that they pass thither than any passage yet found out; and yet it is certain they do pass thither, because they convey a watry portion of Chyle not yet coloured to the Spleen.

The Original of the Venae Lacteae is deduced from no place so fitly as from the Sweet-bread; for as Nature produceth all veins and arteries from the trunk, from which the branches are distributed throughout the Body, so the foundation of the Venae Lacteae is at the Sweet-bread, and the branches pass to the Liver and Guts; and yet the Creator of all things would not bring them into one common Trunk, by reason of the latitude of the Sweet-bread; as the Nerves which are the Organs of the sences though they arise from one spring, yet is their intervals in their originals, the Splenical branch of the Vena porta, and the left Coe∣liacal Artery, as also small Nerves from the Gut Duodenum, pass through the Sweet-bread, and yet it hath a proper Vein of its own, from the Vena porta, and Arteries from the left Coeliacal, and a thin skin from the Mesenterium, which incompasseth it round.

Also there is a most observable and singular channel in the Sweet-bread, lately found out by our Versungus, which to a curious eye carries the structure and shew of a vein: It ariseth from the Gut called Duode∣num, sometimes in the extremity of the biliar pore, having a common Orifice with an outward shut, sometimes neer the biliar pore, from a distinct place; it is stretched transversly in the Sweet-bread with short, yet very many branches; it is wide at the beginning, and consumes by degrees before it come at the extremity of the Sweet-bread; sometimes it is double in man, but unequal in length, and ariseth neer the biliar pore at about a fingers breadth distance.

The use of this channel is no waies hard to be found out, for seeing it brings a certain sharp juyce not unlike to the Gall, it separates the juyce of its own Nature from the Chyle, and carries it away to the Gut Duodenum, and therefore this being stopped, the Sweet-bread swels by reason of the excrements retained; and so, many vessels being by this means compressed, the Liver and Spleen receive no small damage.

The Sweet-bread in fat men is bigger, and in such as die not through default of Nourishment, it is of a cleer white colour, and therefore of old it was called Lactium: It is stretched out transversly under the Sto∣mach towards the Spleen, being more diducted towards the Liver; it hath a wonderful nexure with the Liver, by proper vessels and passages compassed about with a Membrane: It sticks close also to the Duodenum, as though it drew a part of its Chyle from it; its copulation with the

Spleen is not so strong, and besides its former offices, it cherisheth the Stomach.

The Liver succeeds this, being a famous part in the lower ventricle, being the shop, or work-house of Blood and Natural Spirit: Its sub∣stance is fleshy, like congealed blood, whence Erasistratus gave it the name Parenchyma; in the Embrion like other parts produced of seed, it is white, only the small Veins in it look red, then it looks yellowish by degrees, till at last it get the perfect colour of blood; and yet there are some living Creatures that although the blood in the Veins be red, yet the Liver is white, yellow, or green, it is covered with a thin single Skin, sticking round about close to it.

It hath Veins of two sorts, the superior, or Vena Cava, which by its great trunk carries blood from the Liver, and distributes it throughout the Body: The inferior, or Vena porta, the branches of which are more in number, from which the umbilicate Vein ariseth to the Child in the womb, and without the Liver, the branches the Splenical and Mesen∣terical Veins pass, which distribute blood to the Spleen Omentum, Sto∣mach, and Guts; a freequent conjunction is made between these, that so the blood may be dispensed the more perfectly, the more easily. Some few Arteries accompany the Veins about the Liver, from the right Coeliacal branch of the great Artery, and two small Nerves from the right internal of the sixt pair, and the external left Stomachical.

The magnitude of the Liver in Man is great, and its figure almost round, it is divided into two parts, bending and hollow; the first be∣ing bowed, fits its self to the levity of the Diaphragma, the other is in∣ferior, and more unequal, for it sticks out in a Lobus, and is hollow with a double Sinus, the one of which holds the Gall, the other embra∣ceth part of the Stomach: Lastly, by a notable cleft it sends out the um∣bilicar Vein, which in Men grown up, is hardned to a Ligament. The temperature of the Liver is hot and moist, that so it may the better concoct the blood.

Above, it is joyned to the Diaphragma, and to the Cartilage of the Breast called Mucro nata, by a strong Membranous Ligament: backwards it is joyned by the Peritonaeum to the Vertebrae of the loyns; below, it sticks to the Abdomen by the umblicar Ligament; it is placed under the Diaphragma and the Cartilages of the ribs, on the right side of the Abdomen, and embraceth the Stomach, and cherisheth it by its kind heat.

The Gall is joyned to the Liver, and is the receptacle of the cholle∣rick juyce of the Blood: It is composed of two Membranes, whereof the outer is common to the Peritonaeum; the inner which is propper to the Gall, is thicker and furnished with Fibrae of all sorts, for its better moti∣on, and greater strength: Also it is defended, with a certain crust against the acrimony of the substance it contains. It hath Veins from the Vena porta, and small Arteries from the right Goeliacal. It hath a Nerve from the plexure of the Costalls: it hath peculiar passages into the Liver, be∣tween the roots of the Vena Cava and Vena porta, whereby it draws its Choller.

It is divided into the bottom which is wider, and the Neck which is narrower: a narrow channel goes from the Neck of it, with shutters to keep the Choller from running back, which ends in the biliar pore; the narrowness of which is the cause that often times the thick excrements of the Gall breads stones in it, though not very hard ones, sometimes round, sometimes angular; and sometimes like a Mulberry both in co∣lour and form. The Gall is in the right Sinus of the Liver, and firmly joyned to it, both by its upper and middle part.

The Biliar pore is something larger than the channel of the Gall, and carries Choller from the Liver to the Gut Duodenum: It is carried into the Duodenum by an Oblique flexure between the Membranes; usually 'tis single, but sometimes double towards the end: It seldom reacheth to the Pylorus, and as Nature expels choller by the channel of the Gall at set times: by this pore it is administred by degrees, and continually, both when the Chyle is distributed, and before; as is cleer in the dissecti∣on of Creatures alive.

The Ancients held Choller to be the poyson of the Body, the worst ex∣crement of Blood, and that not a few living Creatures wanted it; because they could find no Gall anexed to the Liver: but all Creatures that have Blood, have this Biliar pore, and if the Body be disposed according to the law of Nature: this hot and sharp humor both defends the Chyle from putrifaction, and causeth the excrements easily to be expulsed, and strengthens the Bowels, by which means health is firmer, and life the longar.

Over against the Liver, is the Spleen, being an Organical part of the inferior Ventricle, which receive the watry, and earthy part of the Chyle to be turned into Blood, its substance is fleshy; yet looser than that of the Liver, being like a Sponge to drink up copious humors, and therefore when it is obstructed, it swells mightily; it hath one single skin which Authors asign to the Peritonaeum, it hath Veins from the Sple∣nical of the Vena porta, which are as small as hairs: Its Arteries are more in number, and more famous (by reason of which, it hath much vital heat) and those from the left Coeliacal branch: It hath Nerves from the left branch of the costals of the sixt pair, and from the Nervous plex∣ure of the Mesenterium, dispersed by the exterior parts.

The magnitude of the Spleen is bigger in melancholly Men than in others; its temperature, by reason of the abundance of Arterious blood it receives, is hot and dry: It is of a blackish purple colour in youth, of a leaden colour in age; it is in form hollowish in the internal face, gib∣bous on the external, and not much unlike to a Neats-tongue; although this be not alwaies, for sometimes it is greater, firmer, with some di∣stinct lobes of the colour of thick Blood, so that it seems to be like to the Liver, not only in form, but also in office: Its place is in the left Hypochondrium, a little lower than the Liver, it is knit to the Diaphragma, and to the Cartilaginous ribs, and to the left Kidney, by its bowing part; but by its hollow part to the Omentum, Stomach and sweet-bread, by other vessells, and its own Membranes

All the learned agree, that the office of the Spleen, is to draw the watry

and earthy part of the Chyle: the Blood being made of the purer part, but nature hath clouded the passages by which this is carried to the Spleen, for no observation as yet hath discovered any passages of the Venae Lacteae into it, and that it is not carried by the Splenical Vein, the dissection of Creatures alive witnesseth; as for the Arteries, their office is to carry vital Spirit to it.

And yet it is agreeable to reason that it should draw it from the Sweet-bread it self, though by reason of the smalness of the passages it is not manifest, and it may possibly draw the said juyce from the Stomach, which lies neer it, and for this the substance of the Spleen, its abun∣dance of vital Spirit, its sicitasion, and the diseases it is so often molested with, seems to plead.

Place here the Table of the fourth Chapter, which hath the Number 4. at the corner of the brass Plate.

[illustration] Human anatomical diagrams

[illustration]

AN UNFOLDING OF THE TABLE OF THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

The fourth Table laies down the Scituation of the Sweet-bread, Liver, and Spleen, and the Delineation of the Vena Porta.

FIG. I.

• A The hollow part of the Liver.
• B The round convex, or bowing part of the Li∣ver.
• ae The Umbilicar Vein drawn upwards.
• C The Gall in its Scituation.
• D The Spleen in its natural place.
• EE The Sweet-bread in its proper place.
• FF The Vena Porta descending by the Sweet-bread under the Liver.
• G The superior Mesenterical Artery.
• aaaa The branches of the Vena Porta, extended by the Mesenterium.
• bbbb The branches of the artery distributed by the Mesenterium.
• HH The Mesenterium it self dismantled of its su∣perior Membrane.
• II The Splenical Vessels laid open, the Pancreas being cut.

FIG. II.

• AA The Body of the Sweet-bread deciphored in its Natural form.

FIG. III. The back part of the Sweet-bread, together with the Spleen turned downwards.

• AA The substance of the Sweet-bread, its Mem∣brane being taken off.
• BBB The channel of the Sweet-bread newly found out.
• C The biliar pore joyned to the channel.
• DDD A portion of the Guts Duodenum and Jeju∣num, cut off.
• E The common Orifice, by which the biliar pore and channel of the Sweet-bread, open them∣selves into the Duodenum.
• FFF The internal face of the Spleen.
• GGG The veins and arteries distributed in the Spleen.

FIG. IV.

• AA The convex or bowing part of the Liver.
• B The skin of the Liver separated from it.
• CC The Ligament of the Liver called Septale.
• DD The large branches of the Vena Cava within the Liver.

FIG. V.

• AA The hollow part of the Liver turned up∣wards.
• B The Lobe of the Liver by which it joyns it self to the Omentum.
• C The cleft of the Liver, out of which the Um∣bilicar vein descends.
• E The Umbilicar vein turned upwards.
• F The Gall placed under the Liver.
• G The channel of the Gall.
• HH The biliar pore, with the channel stretched outwards, together with a part of the Duo∣denum, noted by M.
• I The trunk of the Vena Porta descending from the Liver.
• K The right Caeliacal artery.
• L A Nerve arising from the plexure of the co∣stals.

FIG. VI. The Vena Porta whol, distinguished into bran∣ches, as it is publiquely shewed.

• AAA The trunk of the Vena Porta; A the inferior portion, descending from the Liver. AA the deduction of it to the right and left with an infinite number of smal branches.
• B The Splenical branch, divided first into great, afterwards into very many smal branches, and distributed like strings about the Spleen.
• C The right Mesenterical branch.
• D The left Mesenterical branch.
• aa The Umbilicar vein,
• b The vein of the Gall.
• c The vein of the Sweet-bread.
• dd The vein called Gastrica dextra.
• eee The greater Gastrica sinistra.
• fg The lesser veins called Gastricae sinistrae.
• h The vein called Vas breve.
• ii The vein called Gastroepiploica sinistra.
• KK The vein called Gastroepiploica dextra.
• ll The Hemorrhoidal veins produced here from the right Mesenterical branch of the Vena Porta.
• m The vein of the Duodenum.

FIG. VII.

• A The convex part of the Spleen laid open.
• BB The Membrane of the Spleen separated.
• CC The black substance of the Spleen.

FIG. VIII.

• AAA The hollow part of the Spleen which receives the Vessels.
• B The Splenical vein with its three branches.
• C The Splenical artery divided in like manner be∣fore it enter the Spleen.

[illustration]