The little difference there is between these two names and especially between the H and the 〈◊〉 which are the two first letters occasion'd of being put often one for the other and in the Manuscript copies of Hippocrates the former is sometime called Prodicus sometimes Herodicus (e) Comment lib. 6. Ep dem Galen following the first reading mentions two Physicians named Prodicus of which one was of Lentini the other of Selymbra but he does not determine of which he speaks in the place he comments upon referring the reader to another place where he says he has explainâ—d himself The first seems very probable to have been Hippocrates's master the other his scholar As for their names Plato and Plutarch always call'd the first Herodicus for the better distinction we may continue that name to him and call the latter Prodicus We have seen what Herodicus could do Prodicus composed several works which are cited by Galen but he seems to set no great value upon them He accuses him for not following the method of his master nor of the rest of the ancient Physicians but of amusing himself to quibble upon words or names which is never the sign of a man of ability in any profession whatsoever Galen gives an instance of this false niceness of Prodicus upon the word Phlegm which is a Greek word and which the Latins have render'd by that of Pituita All the ancient Physicians understood by it a cold thick humour but Prodicus only would have the Phlegm to be hot grounding upon the Etymologie of the word Phlegm which is derived from another Greek word which signifies (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. de Hippoc Platen decret lib. 8. cap. 6 de natural facul lib. 2. cap. 9. to burn giving the name of (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snot to the first sorts of humour which as we have said before was otherwise call'd Pituita Dexippus or Dixippus another disciple of Hippocrates was a Coan as well as himself Suidas tells us that he wrote a book of Physick in general and two other of Prognosticks The same Author adds that Dexippus being sent for to Heccatomnus King of Caria to cure his sons Mausolus and Pixodarus who had each of them a desperate disease which he refusâ—d but upon condition that Heccatomnus should cease to make war upon the Carians whereupon Vossius observes (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voss de Philosoph that we ought to read the Coans instead of the Carians it being more likely that Dexippus should endeavour to ease his own Countrey from a War to which we may add that it is not likely that the King made war upon his own subjects Aulus Gellius tells us that Dexippus or Dioxippus as he calls him was also for the (i) See the Anatomy of Hippocrates and the Paragraph of Philistion in the Chapter foregoing immediate passage of the drink into the lungs We know nothing of his method of practice except that both he and Appollonius who is the third of Hippocrates's scholars within our knowledge have both been censur'd for giving their Patients too much to eat and letting them perish with thirst Erasistratus said banteringly of them that they made twelve doses of the sixth part of a Cotyla of water which they put into so many little waxen cups and gave their Patients one or two at most in the heighth of a burning feaver The Cotyla was a measure that held about nine ounces Galen says that this was a piece of malice in Erasistratus who did it with a design thro' the scholars to scandalize the master We have nothing further concerning Appollonius Ctesias a Cnidian Physician came immediately after the former being cotemporary to Xenophon We are inform'd by (k) Lib. de Artic. comment 3. Galen that he was of the family of the Asclepiades and Kinsman to Hippocrates The same Galen takes notice that Ctesias corrected Hippocrates for teaching the way of reducing a dislocated Thigh-bone pretending that this reduction was to no purpose for the head of the bone being once out of its cavity it could never be kept in after what care soever were taken but that it would slip out again We know nothing more concerning Ctesias his Physick except that being taken prisoner in the battle wherein in Cyrus the younger was beaten by his brother Artaxerxes Mnemon he cured a wound which the latter had received in the fight After which he practis'd Physick seventeen years in Persia and became as famous a Historian as Physician by writing the History of Assyria and Persia taken from the Archives of those Countries CHAP. III. Opinions of Plato concerning Physick AT this time also Plato liv'd being born in the eighty eighth Olympiad This Philosopher following the steps of Pythagoras and Democritus and the other Philosopher Physicians of whom we have spoken wrote as they did of several things relating to the Theory of Medicine particularly of the Oeconomy of a humane body and the principles whereof it consists The Pythagoreans says (a) Var. Hist lib. 9. cap. 22 Elian applyed themselves very much to Physick Plato also was very much addicted to it as well as Aristotle and several other Philosophers We shall take notice here of what is most considerable upon that subject in the writings of Plato as far as we understand him which is not always very easie to do We shall be a little the more large herein because we meet with divers things which relate to several modern opinions and others which serve to iliustrate those of Hippocrates Plato having supposed two universal principles of all things (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Matter the first form which he supposed Matter to take was Triangular and that from these Triangles the four sensible Elements were afterwards produced the Fire Air Water and Earth of which all bodies seem'd to him to be compounded As for the humane body he thought that its first formation commenc'd from the spinal marrow which marrow was afterward covered with a bone and these bones with flesh In consequence of this he held that the links which joyned or fastened the soul to the body were in that marrow which he call'd the seat of the mortal soul The reasonable soul he lodged in the brain which he said was a continuation of that marrow and look'd upon it as a soil purposely prepar'd to receive the divine seed As for that part of the soul upon which depend Generosity Valour and Anger he plac'd it near the head between the diaphragme and the neck that is to say in the breast or in the heart in which he followed Pythagoras He held that the lungs encompassed the heart to refresh it and to calm the violent motions of the soul which was lodged there as well by the refreshment which it received from the Air in respiration as from the liquor which we drink which he supposed to fall in part
to meddle therein under their Kings Priests and Grandees to whom it was permitted (x) Histâ— animal lib. 2. c. 18 Elian says the same of the antient Greece that none but Princes practis'd Physick meaning unquestionably the Princes and Heroes before-mention'd Jachen was undoubtedly of no less quality He was says Suidas a favourite of the Gods and very useful to Society who lived in the time of Senyes King of Egypt and who wrote very well of remedies drawn from Amulets and Charms Jachen adds he was very dextrous at curing diseases and cou'd stop the course of the Plagne and temper the sultry heat of the Dog-star for this a magnificent Tomb was rais'd to him whither the Priests repaired in all Epidemical Distempers and after the usual Sacrifices took Fire from his Altar with which they kindled Piles prepared in several parts of the City and thereby purg'd the Air of the Infection and stopt the progress of the distemper When this King and Physician liv'd is uncertain but they were apparently very antient In imitation of the Kings of Egypt their Neighbours the Kings of Judea applyâ—d themselves sometimes to the study of Philosophy and Medcine witness their great King Solomon of whom the Scripture says that he wrote five thousand Canticles and pronounced three thousand Proverbs that he knew from the Cedar of Libanus to the Hyssop that grows upon the Wall and that he wrote of Insâ—cts of Fishes of Birds and all other animals (y) Lib. 8. c. 2. Josephus enlarging upon this says that God endued this Prince with such understanding and wisdom that no other thro all antiquity was comparable to him that he surpass'd abundantly the greatest and most celebrated Egyptians He composed adds he five thousand Books of Songs and Verses and three thousand of Parables he wrote of natural history from the Hyssop to the Cedar and continued it thro all animals as well Birds as Fishes and those that live upon the Earth For God had given him a perfect knowledge of their Natures which he exercised in making Medâ—cines for the benefit of Men among which were some that had the vertue of casting out Devils so effectually that they dar'd not to return This way of casting 'em out is yet much in use with our Nation and I have seen one Eleazar a Jew in presence of the Emperor Vespasian his Sons Captains and Souldiers dispossess divers He hung at the nose of the Man possessed a Ring in which was set a Root which Solomon usâ—d to that purpose which as soon as the Devil smelt he threw the Daemoniack to the ground and quitted him He repeated afterwards certain words which Solomon left written and in his name forbad him to return But to show the effect of his charm more evidently he silled a Pitcher of Water and commanded the Devil to throw it down to demonstrate by that Sign that he had quitâ—ed the possessed which the Devil obeyed I thoâ—ght my self obligâ—d says the Author to make this relation that no one might doubt the extraordinary knowledge which God of his special Grace gave to Solomon (z) Vide lib. zeron Hamor The Rabbies say that Ezechias suppressâ—d those Books of Solomon because abundance put more trust in the power of the Herbs than of God * Trithemius mentions besides this three 〈◊〉 Books of Maâ—iâ—k Liber Lamene 2. Pentaâ—ulorâ— libeâ— 3. De Oâ—â—iâ—us Spiritâ—um Albertus mâ—â—nâ—s five mâ—re 1 Liber Almeâ—â—l 2. Liber novâ—m â—â—uni ruin 3. De novâ—m Candariis 4. De tribus figuriâ— Spirituum 5. De Sigissis ad Dae noniâ—câ—â— and seâ—â—â—al â—thers which 〈◊〉 all dâ—â—â—â—edly 〈…〉 The Book callâ—d Clavicula Solomonis which is said to be an imaginary Book yet is much sought after by those that are inquisitive after Magick supposes him to have written upon that subject Sufficient Apology has been made for him but this passage of Josephus shews that the Jews were strongly possessed with the opinion that Solomon used Superstitions remedies in the cure of diseases as the reciting certain words and applying a Ring which was a sort of Amulet as we have before taken notice It may perhaps be urgâ—d that t is not impossible that God shou'd have communicated this knowledge to Solomon but we find no examples of of any such cures in Holy Writ and the words which the Prophets and Apostles pronounc'd on the like occasions were only to signify their Commission and Power received from God to cure all diseases as In the name of God or of Jesus Christ be thou healed If they employ'd any matter or made any application it was of things common and well known without any manner of ceremony that might savour of superstition like the application of the Ring and Root before spoken of If Solomon did really stuff his Books with such remedies he had 'em not from Revelation as Josephus wou'd insinuate but from the correspondence he held with the learned Men of Egypt This Prince liv'd about a hundred and seventy years after the Siege of Troy I had forgot another argument of Solomon's knowledge of Physick or at least of the constitution of a human Body which is drawn from the following words of the 12th Chapter of Ecclesiastes Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor thy years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the Sun or the Light or the Stars be not darkned nor the Clouds return after the Rain In the day when the keepers of the House shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the Windows be dark'ned and the doors shall be shut in the Streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the Bird and all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way and the Almond Tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burthen and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the Streets or ever the Silver cord be loosed or the Golden Bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain or the Wheel broken at the Cistern Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it 'T is easy to find that this is a description of old age managed after the oriental manner and of the several inconveniences that attend it till they at last are terminated by Death or the dissolution of the humane Body The Sun the Light the Moon and the Stars denote the Wit the Judgment the Memory and the other faculties of the Soul which daily decay in old men The Clouds and the Rain are Catharr â—s and Defluxions familiar to this Age. The Keeperâ—s of the House and the Strong men are
he is all fill'd with Souls or Demons and Heroes that send dreams and signs and diseases to men and even to beasts and 't is for these Demons or Spirits for whom (b) Seâ— the Chapt. of Melamâ—as and Polyidus lustrations and expiations are perform'd and in short all that the Southsayers and men of the like profession do upon these occasions From the same place he has borrow'd all that he has written concerning the Magical virtues of Plants of which he compos'd a Book which some ascribe to a Physician whose name was Cleemporus As for what regards their natural qualities Pliny only informs us that Pythagoras had a particular esteem for Cabbage We shall see hereafter that he was not the only man among the Ancients that set a value upon this Herb and looked upon it as a good remedy in case of several distempers There are still remaining some precepts which he gave relating to a man's managing of himself to preserve his health He said that a man ought to accustom himself to the most simple diet and that which may be had in all places â—or this reason he wou'd eat no flesh and liv'd only upon Herbs and Water He likewise prohibited the eating of Beans either because they make the blood gross or for some other mysterious reasons mentionâ—d by the Ancients Living after this manner it was an easie matter for him to follow the advice which he gave viz. not to have any thing to do with women but when we have a mind to become weak Lastly it was a saying of his that a man ought never to be immoderate in any thing that relates either to business or nourishment He makes health to consist in a sort of harmony but does not descend into the particulars of it He said the same thing of virtue of all that is Good in whatsoever respect and of God himself so by this harmony he meant the relation or just proportion which all parts ought to have together or the natural order of all things But what has been said already of this same harmony which Pythagoras observ'd in order of things that happen to every individual man in his life time makes it credible that there was some greater mystery concealâ—d within This mystery perhaps might be much of the same nature with that which this Philosopher found out in numbers each of which according to him have somewhat remarkable in them some of them being a great deal more perfect than others The odd numbers for instance were more considerable and had more force in them than the even numbers the first representing the Male and the second the Female But the number of seven was the most perfect of all The Reader may find in (c) â—ib Cap. 6. Macrobius and (d) 〈…〉 Aulus Gellius wherein this perfection consists To this opinion chiefly is owing the Doctrine of Climacteric years the discovery whereof is attributed to the Caldeans from whom Pythagoras perhaps borrowâ—d them Each seventh year of a man's life is call'd by this name and 't is the receivâ—d opinion that at this time a man runs the greatest risque in relation to his life or health or what they call the goods of fortune by reason of the alterations and changes that happen at these years (c) Lib. 3 C. 4. Upon the same opinion according to Celsus is founded the belief of some Physicians about the force of the seventh number in diseases and the difference they made between odd and even days as we shall see hereafter Those that have said that Pythagoras left nothing behind him in writing and that all we know of his opinions is only taken out of the Books of his disciples may perhaps deny that this Philosopher maintain'd such assertions (f) De dieb decretor lib 3. cap. 8. c. Galen who is of opinion for other reasons than those that are drawn from the force of numbers consider'd in themselves that a due regard ought to be had of the numerus Septenarius and even and odd days seems to question whether Pythagoras held that opinion 'T is so easy says he to discover the absurdity and vanity of what is pretended concerning the virtue of numbers that it is strange how Pythagoras so discreet and wise a man couâ—d attribute so much power to numbers This Philosopher had time to examine them and to admire the result of their combinations since History reports him to have been well vers'd in Arithmetick and Geometry but these Sciences ought rather to have given him an aversion for such wretched trifles Zamolxis whom the Getae ador'd as a God is generally said to have been a Slave of Pythagoras altho others suppose him to have been much more antient He passes for one that had great skill in Physick but all the particulars we know of him are that he us'd to say that a man cou'd not heal the eyes without healing the head nor the head without the rest of the body nor the body without the soul and he pretended the that Greek Philosophers being ignorant of this Maxim for that very reason fail'd in the cure of most diseases The remedy that he us'd to heal or cure the Soul was that of Enchantments not such as Esculapius us'd if we may take Plato's word for it The Enchantments which Xamolxis meant says this Philosopher were nothing else but virtuous discourses and conversations which as he adds produce wisdom in the Soul and that being once acquir'd 't is an easy matter to procure health to the head and to the rest of the body But by what some (g) Herodotus and Strabo others have written concerning the means which Xamolxiâ— us'd to make himself pass for a God we may find that he was capable of using Enchantments even in the proper and common sense CHAP VII Empedocles Alcmaeon Epicharmus and Eudoxus the Disciples or Followers of Pythagoras Empedocles was one of the most celebrated disciples of Pythagoras T is believ'd that like his Master he joyn'd Magic to Physick or that his Physick was Magical But in some places he lets us see that sometimes at least he applies himself to natural agents where he tells us that the Pestilence and Famine that ravag'd Sicily his native Country so often are occasion'd by a South wind which finding a passage through certain holes in the mountains made great destruction in the plains So he advis'd them to stop up these holes after which the Country was free from these two cruel persecutors He gave another testimony of his great knowledge in remedying the stench of a river that infected the air in a certain Province which he brought about by digging Canals by which he brought two other rivers into the bed of the first If this Philosopher got so much reputation by these Contrivances he was no less famouâ— for the extraordinary cures he perform'd Diogenes Laertius tells us that he was particularly admir'd for healing a woman who was look'd upon to be dead finding
it was occasionâ—d by a suffocation of the Vterus He nam'd this malady from a Greek word which signifies without respiration He pretended that one might live in such a condition the space of thirty days He gave out that he had infallible remedies for all sorts of diseases and for old age nay that he was able to raise the dead He had a very singular opinion about the manner of the formation of Animals (a) Galen de Semin lib 2. Cap. 3. He believâ—d that some parts of their bodies were contain'd in the seed of the male and others in that of the female and that the Venereal appetite in both Sexes proceeds from this desire that the disunited and separated parts have to be rejoynâ—d As for (b) Id de Hist Philosoph Respiration he suppos'd it to be perform'd after this manner As soon as the humidity which at the beginning of the formation of the Foetus was very plentiful begins to lessen the air succeeds it insinuates it self through the pores after which the natural heat endeavouring to get loose it casts the air without and when the heat re-enters the air follows it again The first continues he is call'd inspiration and the second expiration The Foetus or Infant in the mothers womb according to him has the use of respiration Hearing is performâ—d by the means of the air that strikes the interiour part of the ear which winding in the form of a Cockle-shell and being joynd to the highest part of the body like a little Bell discerns all the impulsions of the air that enter into it The Flâ—sâ—â— is compoâ—â—d of an equal proportion of each of the four Elements the Nerves of fire earth and two parts of water the Nails are made of Nerves condens'd by the contact of the air The Bones seem to be composâ—d of equal parts of water and earth but for all this they were made of the four Elements among which the water and earth were predominant Sweat and Tears proceed from the thinner particles of blood The Seeds of Plants are as it were their Eggs which fall from them when they are ripe Empedocles writ concerning Phyâ—iâ—â—â—m Verse and composâ—d six thousand 〈◊〉 upon thâ—â— argument He had so great an esteem for this art that he pretended that Physicians to whom he joyn'd Southsayers and Poets had much the preheminence before other men and came near the immortal Gods He had a disciple callâ—d Pausanias who was likewise a Physician Empedocles was born at Agrigentum a City of Sicily and according to Diogenes Laertius flourish'd about the 84th Olympiad Suidas pretends that he follow'd the profession of a Sophist at Athens His death was extraordinary Some say that being desirous to examine the fire of Aetna with too much curiosity he came so near that he was consumed by them Others have affirm'd that this was an effect of his vanity and that he was ambitious of dying thus that disappearing all of a sudden he might be taken for a God Alemaeon another disciple of Pythagoras was of Crotona he particularly apply'd himself to the study of Physick His name deserves to be preserv'd to all posterity if what a (c) Chalcidâ—â— in Platouâ—s â—imaum Commentator upon Plato tells of him be true viz. that he was the first that anatomiz'd Animals to instruct himself in the several parts of their bodies The Reader will be surpriz'd that it was so long before Anatomy was introducâ—d into Physick and will hardly conceive how they came to bestow the name of Physicians or even of Chyrurgeons upon men that under stood nothing of it But this wonder will vanish when he considers that I have already said upon this subject in the Chapt of the Asclepiadae As Alcmaeon's Writings have had the ill fate to be destroy'd by time we know but little of his Anatomy but what we find in Galen which indeed more properly belongs to Physiology He suppos'd that the Hearing was perform'd by the ear being hollow within as we find all hollow places refound when the voice penetrates them As for Smelling he pretended that the Soul whose chief seat according to him was in the brain receiv'd all odours by attracting them in respiration He imagin'd that the Tongue distinguish'd tastes by its humidity by its moderate heat and its softness The Seed according to him was a particle of the brain The Foetus was nourish'd in the womb by drawing nourishment on all sides of its Body which is like a Spunge Health according to its Hypothesis depends upon the equal mixture of heat dryness cold and moisture nay even of sweet and bitter and other things On the other hand diseases arise when one of these predominates over the rest and by that means destroys their union and society Epicharmus of the Isle of Cos was likewise a hearer of Pythagoras He writ of natural Philosophy and Physick and is frequently quoted by Pliny when he describes the virtues of any simple (d) Tiraquell de Nobilitate cap. 31. 'T is reported that his Writings are still to be seen in the Vatican Library Eudoxus receiv'd his instruction from Archytas a famous Pythagorean He liv'd somewhat later than the above-mention'd (e) See the Chapt. of Chrysippus We shall have occasion to speak of him hereafter CHAP. VIII Of Heraclitus Democritus and some other Physicians that were Philosophers THe Pythagorean Philosophers were not the only persons that concern'd themselves with Physick Heraclitus the Ephesian who liv'd in the 69th Olympiad that is to say about the same time with Pythagoras and had a Philosophy peculiar to himself applied himself likewise to the study of Physick History informs us that this Philosopher pushed on by his morose austere humour which occasion'd the report that he always wept retiring into a solitary place to avoid the conversation of mankind and living only upon water and herbs fell into a Dropsy This obblig'd him to repair to inhabited places to find better conveniences of being curâ—d not that he did it to have the advice of the Physicians for instead of following their direction he was in hopes to expose their ignorance to the world by making them witnesses of the cure which he expected to work upon himself He once demanded of them in obscure terms as his manner (a) Diogenes Laeat if of rainy weather they cou'd make dry which not being understood by the Physicians he dismiss'd them and shut himself up in a Stable where he cover'd all his body with dung hoping by that means to consume or drain the superfluous moisture that was in his entrails but he did not succeed in his design for he died of this disease soon after Heraclitus â—s aim in putting this question to the Physicians was to instruct them that they ought to endeavour to cure distempers as God cures those of the great bodies that compose the world by balancing their inequalities and setting contraries in opposition one to another For said he all things
into the lungs (c) Gell. llb. 17. cap. 11. Macrob. lib. 17 cap. 15. which made one of the Ancients say that Plato gave posterity occasion to laugh by meddling with that which was not his business But he that said this did not consider that Hippocrates and other Physicians before spoken of were themselves of this opinion and that Plato apparently spoke only after them This Philosopher imagined also another part or sort of soul which desired not only meat and drink and all that was necessary for the body but which was the Principle of all appetites or desire in general This soul was posted between the Diaphragm and the Navel it was quartered in the lowest part and farthest from the head that it might not by its agitations and commotions disturb the reasonable soul which is the best part of us in its meditations and thoughts for the common good These troubles or disturbances of the inferiour soul were excited by Phantasms or Images presented to it by the liver the liver having been polishâ—d and made shining that it might reflect the Images which were communicated to it to produce trouble tranquility or pleasure in the inferiour soul according as the liver is it self troubled by the bitterness of the Bile or sedate and calm thro' the predomination of sweet Juices opposed to the Bile Besides what we have already said of the heart and of the soul lodged there Plato held this further concerning it The heart says he which is at the same time (d) Viâ—â— Pag. the source of the veins and of the bloud which (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See pag. whirls rapidly in all parts of the body is set (f) See pag as a Centinel or Serjeant that when the Choler is inflamed at the command of the Reason upon the account of some injustice committed either without or within by the desire or passions presently all that is sensibly in the body disposes it self by opening all its pores to hear its menaces and obey its commands The opinion of this Philosopher concerning the manner of respiration is no less peculiar He believed that there was no vacuum in the world but that the Air which escaped out of the Lungs and Mouth in respiration meeting that which surrounds the body without pushes it so that it forces it to enter thro' the pores of the skin and flesh and to insinuate it self into the most remote parts of the body till it fills the place which the other left after which making the same way out again by the Pores it forces that without to enter by the mouth into the lungs in inspiration We see by this that Plato confounded transpiration with respiration pretending that both one and t'other were performed together as it were by two semicircles As for the flesh he thought it compounded of water fire and earth and a certain sort of sharp leaven biting and salt These are some of Plato's thoughts of a humane body in its natural state As for the causes of its destruction which are diseases old age and death he supposed in the first place that the bodies which are about ours disolv'd and melt it continually after which every substance which gets loose or exhales returns to the principle from whence it was drawn he supposes in the second place that the blood which is according to him a fluid matter form'd of the Aliments by a peculiar artifice of nature which cuts and reduces them into small pieces by means of (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fire which rises in our stomach after the air or breath He supposed that this blood whose redness was an evident token of the impression of this fire served to nourish the flesh and generally the whole body and to fill up the vacant spaces of it as it were by a sort of watering or general inundation This being supposed he maintained that while we were young this bloud abounding in all parts not only supply'd what was dissipated or diminished of the flesh which as was said was perpetual but after having fill'd up what was wanting it furnish'd matter of increase to the mass of the body from hence it is that in our youth we grow and become larger but when we are advanced in years more of the substance of our body is spent than the bloud can supply or restore therefore we diminish by degrees Those principles also of which our bodies consists which Plato calls Triangles which in our youth were stronger than those of which the Aliments were compounded reducing them easily to a substance like themselves become disunited and relaxed by having so long endured the shock of other triangles this causes old age which is followed by death especially where the triangles whereof the spinal marrow consists are dissolv'd and disunited so that the bands by which the soul was fasten'd to it are intirely broken and let it loose As for diseases which attack us in all ages and precipitate the usual time of death he suppos'd that our bodies being composed of the four Elements before named the disorders of these Elements were the chief causes of them These disorders consisted in the excess or deficiency of any of these Elements when they did not preserve the proportion of their first mixture or when they changed place leaving their own place for another To explain himself more particularly he adds that the fire exceeding produced continual and burning fevers that if the air over-ballanced it produced quotidian intermitting Fevers If the Water Tertian Fevers and if Earth Quartanes The Earth being the heaviest of all the Elements must have quadruple the time to move it self in that the fire has and the rest of the Elements in proportion Plato did not confine himself to these generals only but proceeded to the particular explication of the changes that befall our bodies in relation to the bloud and humours which are the immediate causes of distempers While the bloud says he maintains its natural state it serves to nourish the body and to preserve health But when the flesh begins to corrupt or to melt and dissolve the humour which comes from it entring into the veins carries this corruption along with it and changing the bloud in several manners turns it from red to yellow and bitter or sower or salt so that that which was pure Bloud becomes part Bile and Phlegm or Serosities What we call Bile says Plato is particularly produced from the dissolution of the old flesh it is an humour that assumes divers forms and is very changeable both as to colour and taste but it is chiefly distinguished into two sorts the yellow Bile which is bitter and the black Bile which is sowre and pricking As for the Phlegm and Serosities or Water Plato seems to confound them or to make but one sort of humour of them The Phlegm according to him is produced from the new flesh and the serosities or waters which are designed by the particular names of sweat
that distinguishes himself from all other Males by a fierce and truly Masculine Air which is peculiar to him I translate the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the French word Air which might be rendred Species in Latin which answers exactly to the Greek the Etymologie being the same The dissections that Aristotle made of several different sorts of Animals Quadrupeds Birds Fishes and Insects had taught him divers things concerning the use of the parts of each of these Kinds We shall not go about to examine here what he delivers of the difference of their parts and uses because that would lead us too far from our Subject We shall only touch here in a few words upon what relates to the structure and use of parts common to all perfect Animals such as Men and all Quadrupeds Aristotle esteem'd the heart to be the Origen and Source of the veins and blood The blood says he goes from the heart into the veins (g) De Part. An. lib. 3. cap. 4. Those that find the Circulation of the Blood in Aristotle will have some difficulty to get over this Passage but it comes not from any part into the heart He says that there come two veins out of the heart one from the right side which is the largest and the other from the left side which is the least which he calls the Aorta where by the by we may take notice that this Philosopher (h) Hist Anim. lib. 3. cap. 5. as Galen says is the first that gave that name to the great Artery which proves that the book i of the Heart wherein this name is found is not Hippocrates's Aristotle thought that these two veins distributed the blood to all parts of the body He says elsewhere that there were in the heart three Cavities which he calls ventricles Of these three ventricles that in the middle of whose scituation he gives no other account is the common principle of the other two altho' it be the least the blood which it contains is also the most temperate and pure The blood of the right ventricle is the hottest and that of the left the coldest This latter ventricle being the biggest of the three These three ventricles says he communicate with the lungs by vessels different from the two great veins which disperse themselves thro the whole substance of the Lungs He made not only the veins of the vessels which contain blood to come out of the heart but he would have the Nerves also to take their Origine from thence for which opinion this was his ground (k) Hist An. lib. 3. cap. 5. The biggest Ventricle of the Heart says he contains small Nerves and it is a true Nerve in its extremities having no Cavity and being stretched after the manner of Nerves in the place where it terminates towards the Articulation of the bones He says also in another place (l) De part Anim. lib. 3 cap. 4. that there are abundance of Nerves in the heart which are of great use because the motions come from thence which are made by contracting and extending By this latter passage he seems to design the Tendons which serve to dilate and contract the heart and if we have observed before that Hippocrates confounded the Nerves with the Tendons and Ligaments Aristotle does not appear to have distinguished them any better nor to have known the use of the true Nerves In another place he affirms (m) Hâ—st Animal lib. 3. cap. 5. that the Nerves are not continuous but scatter'd here and there about the places of the Articulations by which it is visible he meant the Tendons If he had known the use of the Nerves he would not have said (n) De part Animal lib. 2. cap. 10. that none but the parts which had blood could feel or had sensation nor would he have maintained (o) De part Anim. lib. 2. cap. 1. that the flesh is the proper Organ of sensation as for motion if he attributes it to the Nerves or says 't is made immediately by the Nerves 't is easie to see that the Nerves there meant were either the Tendons or Ligaments As for the common principle of motion and sensation Aristotle places it in the Heart which he looks upon also as the principle of the nourishment of all the parts of the body by the means of the blood which it sends to them as the Focus which contains the natural fire upon which depends life as the place where the passions have their birth and where all the sensations terminate In a word as the true seat of the Soul and that not because the Nerves have their Origine from thence as some imagine but because it is the reservatory of the blood and spirits He formally maintains (p) lâ—b de Spiritu that the spirits cannot be contained in the Nerves But if Aristotle attributes such noble uses to the heart the brain was in his opinion but a heap of Water and Earth without blood and without sense The office of this Cold Lump was says he to refresh and moderate the heat of the heart But besides that he gives elsewhere this Office to the Lungs he does not account for the manner how the brain should be capable of discharging it And altho' the brain be plac'd immediately upon the spinal marrow and fix'd to it yet he pretended that the substance of that marrow was-quite different from that of the brain being a sort of blood prepar'd for the nourishment of the bones and consequently hot whereas the other was cold He made otherwise so little of the brain that if he did not absolutely reckon it amongst the excrements he thought it ought not to be ranked amongst the parts of the body which had any continuity or union with the rest that he look'd on 't as a substance of a peculiar nature and different from all the rest of the body As for the rest of the Viscera as the Liver the Spleen and the Kidneys he thought that their first and chief usage was to support the veins which would be pendulous but for them and to strengthen them in their place Besides this first use he assigned them some others The Liver helped to the digestion of the meat in the stomach and the guts by the warmth which it imparted to those parts of which we shall speak more particularly in the Sequel The Liver was not of such universal use and is according to him but accidentally necessary to collect and concoct the Vapours which rise from the Belly hence it is that Animals in whom these vapours take another course have but a very small Spleen as Birds and Fishes whose feathers and scales are form'd and nourish'd out of this moisture And these Animals for the same reason says he have neither kidneys nor bladder (q) De part Animâ—l 〈◊〉 3 â—ap 7. The Kidneys also according to him are onlâ— for conveniency their office is to imbibe part of the