Arcana microcosmi: or, the hid secrets of mans body disclosed: first, in an anatomatical [sic] duel between Aristotle and Galen, about the parts thereof. Secondly, by a discovery of the ... diseases, symptomes, and accidents of mans body. With a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's Natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book De generatione, Comenius, and others; whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. [i.e. Primrose] to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book ... / By A.R.

Alexander Ross

Date:: 1652

Credit: Arcana microcosmi: or, the hid secrets of mans body disclosed: first, in an anatomatical [sic] duel between Aristotle and Galen, about the parts thereof. Secondly, by a discovery of the ... diseases, symptomes, and accidents of mans body. With a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's Natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book De generatione, Comenius, and others; whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. [i.e. Primrose] to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book ... / By A.R. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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iifenfibly its humidity:and therfore it is rather Poetically fpa- ken then Philofophically, to fay that time hardeneth or {oft- neth, produceth or deftroyeth: This indeed is to put the fyth into Saturns hand, aud to make him the father and deyourer 299 of his own children, He alledgeth one caule, why women live longer then men, becaufe they ftir leffe. But I fay that men live longer then women, becaufe they ftir more : For by exercife the blood is warmed, the pores are opened, vapours are expel- led, concodtion is helped, the limbs and Joynts are ftrengthe- néd,the naturall heat isexcited, the {pirits and humours are refined. Allages {hew us, that no women have ever reached to the age of fome men; and ic ftands with reafon that men Should be longer lived. becaufe they abound more in natural] heat, which is the caufe why the Northern people are longer lived then the Southern. And I have obferved,that in the Nor- thern parts women are more given to exercife then in the countries farther South ; and therefore are longer lived there 44 then here. And my Lord himfelfe acknowledgeth, That exera cife hindreth putrifaéction,and reft furthers it. Therefore it follows, that men who exercife live longeft , becaufe they are furcheft ifom putrifaction. . 326 He judgeth the work of making gold poffible. So have all they who have made fhipwrack of their eftates upon thar ftone, which hath proved no leffe dangerous then the rocks of Malea. It is not enough to judge the poffibility,buc it mutt be proved - either by reafon or experience, neither of which hath been yet done. For thar fa@itious,or rather fi@itious gold the Chy- mifts brag of, is as far from true gold, asa painted fire is from a reall; for neither canit endure the fire, nor comfort the - heart, nor hath it any of the qualities or effentiall properties of true gold, Iam of Scaligers opinion, thatirisas eafie to change a beaft into a man, as to convert any other metall into gold, which were to introduce by Art a fpecificall form into the matter, which is the work of; Nature alone. He faith, g4 It is a vain opinion to think the ftarre is the denfer part of his Orb. ~”” Thisis fpoken both Lordly and majefterially : but he had done well to tell us why this Opinion is vain, and to have delivered an Opinion void of vanity, which he doth not; bur his bare word is not fufficient to make thisa vain opinion, which the learned of fo many Ages have approved , and ftands fo much with reafon. I confeffewe know but little of thofe quinteflen- tial] natures 5 for we are,as the Poet fai th, — Curve in terris anima, ¢ celeftinm inanes;

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