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.

290/312 page 260

cine nnsieranalnninnenitinet Tne enema tenets ete mtn en Se eh mA ms eh soo rig hinete nin nerennteninee re San A Refutation of the.) and oily,as in pitch, butter, wax, and greafe ; or watrith alene, as in Ice; or of a middle nature between both 5 or peculiar, as rhe moifture of metals. And to tel] us >, That wood, clay, free- flone, gsc. are not liquifiable ,becaufe they are bodies jejune of {pirits, is ridiculous; for there are more fpirits in vegitables then in metals: and itis plain,that clay and ftones melt not, -becaufe they want moyfture, which isin metals. So it isnot the dilas ta‘ion of the [pirits (as he faith) by heat, which caufeth wax.to melt at the fire 3 but the rarefation of the moyfture by heat ; which was before contracted by the cold. For this caufe dry wood is more fragile then green, {tone then metall, and fi@ile earth then crude, becaufe there isno moifture in the one compara- ble to the moifture ofthe orher, } He tels us,that the hardnes of body is caufed chiefly by the jejune[s of the (pirits. Indeed this Philofophy is fomwhatjejunsfor I would fain know whether there be not more {pirits and lefs jejune in the hard bodies of Cloves,Nutmegs,and Cinnamon, then in the foft bodies of wooll,Silk, and Cotton 2 According to his Phi- lofophy there isa greater quintity of Spirits ina pellet of bute ter, becaufe fofter, then in a Nutmeg which is harder; he that beleeves this,let him when he is troubled. with flatulencies in his ftemack, ufe butter, and not hard fpices. He faith, That Moifture doth chiefly colour hairs but drine{s turneth them gray and white. In his Philofophy then gray and white are not colours, nor indeed blacknes, which he faith afterwards, but a privative, and confequently hath no entity. Ariffotle indeed fometimes calls black a privation; but there he uleth the words in a large fenfe : for ifit were properly privative, how could other co: tions nothing can be made. He faith, That fome fifbes be greater then any beafts, becaufe thefe have not their moifture drawn by the air and fun-beams. Alfo they reft always ina manner, and are fupper- ted by the water. If thefe be the reafons of fifhes greatnefs, then why are Smeletsand other lefler fifhes, fmaller then the béafts 2 Or why are they nor a; big as Whales, feeing neither air nor fun-beams draw away their moifture, and are alfo fupported by the water ? The true caufe then of the bignefs of fithes above the bealts,is the predominance of moifture in them, which is eafily extendible, And indeeditis a frivolous thing to. give seafons for the different magnitudes of the creatures, feeing ature hath given to each creature a determinate magnitude and period of duration, And.whereas he thinks, that fith doe feftin. a manner when they fwim, becaufe:they are {upported by

Licence and re-use

Contents