FOOTNOTES:
[a] One of Nature’s most constant Methods here, is by the Glands, and the Secretions made by them; the Particulars of which being too long for these Notes, I shall refer to the modern Anatomists, who have written on these Subjects; and indeed, who are the only Men that have done it tolerably: Particularly, our learned Drs. Cockburn, Keil, Morland, and others at Home and Abroad: An Abridgment of whose Opinions and Observations, for the Reader’s Ease, may be met with in Dr. Harris’s Lex. Tech. Vol. 2. under the Words Glands, and Animal Secretion.
[] In Man, and most other Animals, the Heart hath the Guard of Bones; but in the Lamprey, which hath no Bones, (no not so much as a Back-bone,) the Heart is very strangely secur’d, and lies immur’d, or capsulated in a Cartilage, or grisly Substance, which includes the Heart, and its Auricle, as the Skull——doth the Brain in other Animals. Powers Micros. Obser. 22.
[c] Here [from the Pustules he observ’d in Monomotapa] were Grounds to admire the Contrivance of our Blood, which on some Occasions, so soon as any Thing destructive to the Constitution of it, comes into it, immediately by an intestine Commotion, endeavoureth to thrust it forth, and is not only freed from the new Guest; but sometimes what likewise may have lain lurking therein——for a great while. And from hence it comes to pass, that most Part of Medicines, when duly administred, are not only sent out of the body themselves; but likewise great Quantities of morbifick Matter: As in Salivation, &c. Dr. Sloane’s Voy. to Jamaica, p. 25.
[d] Valsalva discover’d some Passages into the Region of the Ear-drum, of mighty Use, (among others,) to make Discharges of Bruises, Imposthumes, or any purulent, or morbifick Matter from the Brain, and Parts of the Head. Of which he gives two Examples: One, a Person, who from a Blow on his Head, had dismal Pains therein, grew Speechless, and lay under an absolute Suppression and Decay of his Strength; but found certain Relief, whenever he had a Flux of Blood, or purulent Matter out of his Ear; which after his Death Valsalva discover’d, was through those Passages.
The other was an apoplectical Case, wherein he found a large Quantity of extravasated Blood, making Way from the Ventricles of the Brain, through those same Passages. Valsal. de Aure hum. c. 2. §. 14. and c. 5. §. 8.
[e] Hippocrates Lib. de Alimentis, takes notice of the Sagacity of Nature, in finding out Methods and Passages for the discharging Things offensive to the Body, of which the late learned and ingenious Bishop of Clogher, in Ireland, (Boyle,) gave this remarkable Instance, to my very curious and ingenious Neighbour and Friend, D’Acre Barret, Esq; viz. That in the Plague Year, a Gentleman at the University, had a large Plague Sore gather’d under his Arm, which, when they expected it would have broken, discharg’d it self by a more than ordinary large and fœtid Stool; the Sore having no other Vent for it, and immediately becoming sound and well thereon.
Like to which, is the Story of Jos. Lazonius, of a Soldier of thirty five Years of Age, who had a Swelling in his right Hip, accompany’d with great Pain, &c. By the Use of emollient Medicines, having ripen’d the Sore, the Surgeon intended the next Day to have open’d it; but about Midnight, the Patient having great Provocations to stool, disburthen’d himself three Times; immediately upon which, both the Tumor and Pain ceas’d, and thereby disappointed the Surgeon’s Intentions. Ephem. Germ. Anno 1690. Obs. 49. More such Instances we find of Mr. Tonges in Philos. Transact. Nᵒ. 323. But indeed there are so many Examples of this Nature in our Phil. Trans. in the Ephem. German. Tho. Bartholine, Rhodius, Sennertus, Hildanus, &c. that it would be endless to recount them. Some have swallow’d Knives, Bodkins, Needles and Pins, Bullets, Pebbles, and twenty other such Things as could not find a Passage the ordinary Way, but have met with an Exit through the Bladder, or some other Way of Nature’s own providing. But passing over many Particulars, I shall only give one instance more, because it may be a good Caution to some Persons, that these Papers may probably fall into the Hands of; and that is, The Danger of swallowing Plum-stones, Prune-stones, &c. Sir Francis Butler’s Lady had many Prune-stones that made Way through an Abscess near her Navel. Philos. Trans. Nᵒ. 165. where are other such like Examples. More also may be found in Nᵒ. 282, 304, &c. And at this Day, a young Man, living not far off me, laboureth under very troublesome and dangerous Symptoms, from the Stones of Sloes and Bullace, which he swallow’d eight or ten Years ago.
[f] Grew’s Cosmol. §. 28. 29.
[g] Nor are Diseases themselves useless: For the Blood in a Fever, if well govern’d, like Wine upon the Fret, dischargeth it self of all heterogeneous Mixtures; and Nature, the Disease, and Remedies, clean all the Rooms of the House; whereby that which threatens Death, tends, in Conclusion, to the prolonging of Life. Grew ubi supr. §. 52.
And as Diseases minister sometimes to Health; so to other good Uses in the Body, such as quickning the Senses: Of which take these Instances relating to the Hearing and Sight.
A very ingenious Physician falling into an odd Kind of Fever, had his Sense of Hearing thereby made so very nice and tender, that he very plainly heard soft Whispers, that were made at a considerable Distance off, and which were not in the least perceiv’d by the Bystanders, nor would have been by him before his Sickness.
A Gentleman of eminent Parts and Note, during a Distemper he had in his Eyes, had his Organs of Sight brought to be so tender, that both his Friends, and himself have assur’d me, that when he wak’d in the Night, he could for a while plainly see and distinguish Colours, as well as other Objects, discernible by the Eye, as was more than once try’d. Boyl. deter. nat. of Effluv. ch. 4.
Daniel Fraser——continu’d Deaf and Dumb from his Birth, till the 17ᵗʰ Year of his Age——After his Recovery from a Fever, he perceiv’d a Motion in his Brain, which was very uneasy to him; and afterwards he began to hear, and in Process of Time, to understand Speech, &c. Vid. Philos. Trans. Nᵒ. 312.
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Consent between the Parts of Man’s Body.
It is an admirable Provision the merciful Creator hath made for the Good of Man’s Body, by the Consent and Harmony between the Parts thereof: Of which let us take St. Paul’s Description, in 1 Cor. xii. 8. But now hath God set the Members, every one of them in the Body, as it hath pleas’d him. And (℣. 21) The Eye cannot say unto the Hand, I have no need of thee: Nor again, the Head to the Feet, I have no need of you. But such is the Consent of all the Parts, or as the Apostle wordeth it, God hath so temper’d the Body together, that the Members should have the same Care one for another, ℣. 25. So that whether one Member suffer, all the Members suffer with it; or one Member be honoured, (or affected with any Good,) all the Members rejoyce, [and sympathize] with it, ℣. 26.
This mutual Accord, Consent and Sympathy of the Members, there is no Reason to doubt[a], is made by the Commerce of the Nerves[], and their artificial Positions, and curious Ramifications throughout the whole Body, which is admirable and incomparable, and might deserve a Place in this Survey, as greatly, and manifestly setting forth the Wisdom and Benignity of the great Creator; but that to give a Description thereof from the Origin of the Nerves, in the Brain, the Cerebellum and Spine, and so through every Part of the Body, would be tedious, and intrench too much upon the Anatomist’s Province: And therefore one Instance shall suffice for a Sample of the Whole; and that shall be, (what was promis’d before[c]), the great Sympathy occasion’d by the fifth Pair of Nerves; which I chuse to instance in, rather than the Par vagum, or any other of the Nerves; because although we may have less variety of noble Contrivance and Art, than in that Pair; yet we shall find enough for our Purpose, and which may be dispatch’d in fewer Words. Now this fifth Conjugation of Nerves, is branch’d to the Ball, the Muscles, and Glands of the Eye; to the Ear; to the Jaws, the Gums, and Teeth; to the Muscles of the Lips[d]; to the Tonsils, the Palate, the Tongue, and the Parts of the Mouth; to the Præcordia also, in some Measure, by inosculating with one of its Nerves; and lastly, to the Muscles of the Face, particularly the Cheeks, whose sanguiferous Vessels it twists about.
From hence it comes to pass, that there is a great Consent and Sympathy[e] between these Parts; so that a gustable Thing seen or smelt, excites the Appetite, and affects the Glands and Parts of the Mouth; that a Thing seen or heard, that is shameful, affects the Cheeks with modest Blushes; but on the contrary, if it pleases and tickles the Fancy, that it affects the Præcordia, and Muscles of the Mouth and Face with Laughter; but a Thing causing Sadness and Melancholy, doth accordingly exert it self upon the Præcordia, and demonstrate it self by causing the Glands of the Eyes to emit Tears[f], and the Muscles of the Face to put on the sorrowful Aspect of Crying. Hence also that torvous sour Look produc’d by Anger and Hatred: And that gay and pleasing Countenance accompanying Love and Hope. And in short, it is by Means of this Communication of the Nerves, that whatever affects the Soul, is demonstrated, (whether we will or no,) by a consentaneous Disposition of the Præcordia within, and a suitable Configuration of the Muscles and Parts of the Face without. And an admirable Contrivance of the great GOD of Nature this is; That as a Face is given to Man, and as Pliny saith[g], to Man alone of all Creatures; so it should be, (as he observes,) the Index of Sorrow and Chearfulness, of Compassion and Severity. In its ascending Part is the Brow, and therein a Part of the Mind too. Therewith we deny, therewith we consent. With this it is we shew our Pride, which hath its Source in another Place; but here its Seat: In the Heart it hath its Birth; but here it abides and dwells; and that because it could find no other Part throughout the Body higher, or more craggy[h], where it might reside alone.
Thus I have dispatch’d what I shall remark concerning the Soul and Body of Man. There are divers other Things, which well deserve a Place in this Survey; and these that I have taken Notice of, deserv’d to have been enlarg’d upon: But what hath been said, may suffice for a Taste and Sample of this admirable Piece of God’s Handy-work; at least serve as a Supplement to what others have said before me. For which Reason I have endeavour’d to say as little wittingly as I could, of what they have taken Notice of, except where the Thread of my Discourse laid a Necessity upon me.