The anatomy of humane bodies, with figures drawn ... by some of the best masters in Europe ... To which is added an introduction explaining the animal oeconomy / Revised and publish'd by C.B. Albinus.

William Cowper

Date:: 1737

Credit: The anatomy of humane bodies, with figures drawn ... by some of the best masters in Europe ... To which is added an introduction explaining the animal oeconomy / Revised and publish'd by C.B. Albinus. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$INTROD CECT TON ty ofthe Veins and Arteries; the Origin and Diftribution of the Chyle and Lympha; the Ovariain Females ; the Embriunculi in the Mafculine Seed, are equally certain and amazing; befides a Multitude of other Curious Obfervations we Daily make by the Help of Microfcopes, Mercurial Injections , and fuch like Methods. | Thefe are fufficient Motives to induce all Inquifitive Perfons, and Lovers of Natural Hiftory, tothe Study of Anatomy ; but all Profeffors of Medicine are more immediately concern’d to be Acquainted with it; this being little lefs thanthe Ba/is and Foundation of theirArt. Without a due Knowledge of the A- nimal Mechanifm, I doubt all our Attempts to Bxplain che Multiform Appearance of Animal Bodies, will be Vain and Ineffectual, and our Ideas of the Caufes of Difeafes and their _ Symptoms, as Extravagant and Abfurd as thofe of the Chi- mefe and Indians; nay 1 am afraid the whole Art of Phyfick will be licele better than Empirical. advance true Philofophy and Medicine; it is not lefs required in the Practice of Surgery: In chis Cafe it feems not meerly con- venient, but abfolutely neceffary ; | mean fo far as concerns the External Parts, fince the Artift here, do’s not as in the former Inftances, Acquiefce in Contemplating his Subject, and the Manner how itis Affected; but is often oblig’d to Perform fome Difficult, and perhaps Hazardous Operation on it. For my Part | cannot forbear wondring at the Confidence of Ignorant Men, who dare Attack a Humane Body, make Incifions, apply Caufticks Actual and Potential; without a due Knowledge of the Site, Pofition, Dependance, and other necefiary Confide- rations ofthe Parts concern’d. [he Fatal Confequences of thefe bold Practices are frequently felt, an Inftance or Two of which, are Accidentally fhewn, Zab. 13. Fig. 1. Tab.15. Fig. 2. I muft confefs frequent feeing and affifting at Chirurgical Operations may difpofe Mento Perform thelike again, when Circumftances in all Points fhall agree; but without a Com. petent, if not Accurate Knowledge of Anatomy, and actual Adminiftration of Diffection, fuch Perfons muft bealong Time Spectators, before they can Arrive at atolerable Pretence roa General Practice : And therefore as I cannot but deplore the Profound and Univerfal Ignorance which prevails, fo I would candidly recommend it to moft ofthe Surgeons in this vaft and populous City , toapply themfelves with more Induftry chan they have hitherto done, to fo Ufeful a Part of their Art; who would foon tlien be convine’d this was no Difhonour to them- felves, and ceafe to Reproach others who have fpent fome of their vacant Hours in thefe Exercifes. But this is foreign to my purpofe, and therefore I thall Addrefs my felf to the Bufinefs now before me, which is to - Prefencethe Reader witha Briefand General Plan of the 4nimal Oeconomy,as an Introduction to the following Tables. All the Functions ofan Animate Body may be well enough divided into Watural and Animal; by Natural, 1 mean all which Terminate in the Body, and Conduce to the prefervation of the Individual or Propagation of the Species; by Animal, I underftand fuch, in whichthe Soul is concern’d, which in Re- gard ofthe Body to which it is United , are Paffive or Active; the Firft is Senfe ; the Latter Voluntary Motion. Forthe more Orderly Difiribution of the Whole, we thall firft Treat of the Former , leaving the Animal Functions to fucceed; and here we fhall follow the Procefs of-Nature; beginning with the Firft Reception of the Aliment in the Mouth, and purfuing it thence thro’ its feveral Stages. After the Aliment is taken into the Mouth, (forthe more Commodious doing of which, the Dentes Inciforzi are often Employ’d) it here fuffers Comminution, andismixt with Sa- liva , whichis Previous tothe Second Preparation, it receives inthe Stomach. This Operation is call’d Maftication , and is perform’d by the Lower Jaw, Varioufly mov’d by its Proper Mufcles, and Affifted by the Tongue, Cheeks, and Lips; which laft, {till apply the Lefs divided Parts of the Mafs, to the Dentes Molares, for it’s due Comminution; while all the Neighbouring Mutfcles in their feveral Actions, Comprefs the Parotid 5 Maxil- lary, Sublingual Salivary Glands, and thofe of the Lips, Cheeks, &¢. and force them to Difcharge their Contents to mix with the Mafticated Aliment, now ready for Deg/utition. The Aliment after it has undergone this Alteration , do’s not Defcend into the Stomach by its own Weight, but1scon- vey dthither by the joint Action ofthe Mufcles of the Tongue, Os Hyoides, Fauces, and Oefopbagus; all which Confpire in Deglutition, by Raifing and Dilating the Gu/az, and Protrud- ing the Meat into it. ‘The whole Action do’s very much refemble the pouring Corn into a Sack, and is done in che Manner I fhall juft now Defcribe. The Root of the Tongue being Depreft by means of its Mufcular Fibres, its Tip and Sides are applied in a Semicircular Manner to the Infides of the whole Range of Teeth ofthe Upper Jaw or Gums , when thefe happen to be wanting ; and the Whole in this Pofition isdrawn Upwards, by the Mujfcult Stylogloffi and Stylohyoidei, Tab. 14 Fic 1. Tab.1§. Fig.t. Ac the fame Time the Fauces are Rais’d by the Mujcuse S¢ylopharyngei , which by their Oblique 5 ofition > (as is Noted App. Fig. 33.) draw open their Mouth, and Dilate that Cavity. Now Two Thirdsatleaft of the Upper Surface ofthe Tongue, being applied to the Roofofthe Mouth, and drawn as we have now Defcrib’d , Upwards, and I nwards; the Epig/ottis is Depreft in fuch Manner, that the Aliment is Protruded over it (as on a Bridge ) into the Dilated Cavity of the Fauces, and thence by the Contraction of the Mu/culus Prterygopbaryngeus and Ocfophagaus, App. Fig. 38. it 1s De- preft into the Gu/a, which Helps its Defcent into the Stomach, by the Adtion of its Mufcular Fibres. We muft not omit toobferve here, That in the Inftant the Aliment paffes thro’ the //fbmus of the Throat, the Gargareon is drawn Upwards and Backwards, by the Mufculi Sphenofta- phylini, (Expreft Append. Fig.8.)and the Foramina Narium by this means occluded, while the A pig/ottis below covers the Rimula ,as was above Nosed; and by this means the Matter in its Pallage is hindred from Reverting by theNofe orDefcending intothe Wind-Pipe ; The firft happens when the Gargareon is wantin > whether by Venereal Exulcerations or otherwife; or Intumified and Inflamed as inthe Small Pox, and cannot yield Mylobyoideus (T. 15. F. 1.) inits Action does prefs the Sublin- gualand Maxillary Glands, and force them to difcharge their fecreted Liquors, by the Papillae ,ficuated at the Frenum or Ligamentofthe Tongue; and that the Mufcles which Contract the Fauces, have the fame Effect on the Tonfills and other Glands of that Part; all which Liquors, difcharged from the Mouths of their Excretory Channels, do facilitate the Paflage thro’ the Gu/a, and ferve to Compofe the Stomachick AZene ftruum; of which further in the next Paragraph. After the Aliment, thus alter’d by Comminution and Ad- miftion with the Sa/iva , is received into the Stomach, we pro- ceed next to confider,how its Second Preparation is perform’d. The great Agent in Digeftionis the Stomachick Juice, fecreted from the Blood by numerous Glands in this Part, and difcharged into its Cavity, in Conjunction with the Spictle. This is thae which acts pele upon the Meat lodg’din the Capacity of the Stomach, and from the Mixture ofcthefe two Juices, iscom- pounded a proper Menftruum , by which the Parts of the Ali- ment aredillolved, andreceive their firft Tranfmutation with. in the Body. Inthis Action, whichis a Diffolution ofthe Tex- ture of the Alimentary Mafs,the Aerial Parts included in its Pores, now efcape from their former Prifons, and being rari- fied, diftend che aan eas of the Stomach; and this] take to be$

The anatomy of humane bodies, with figures drawn ... by some of the best masters in Europe ... To which is added an introduction explaining the animal oeconomy / Revised and publish'd by C.B. Albinus.

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