[XXXI.]
MADAM,
Your Author, in opposition to the Schools, endeavouring to prove that there are no humors in an animal body, except blood, proves many humors in himself. But I can see no reason, why Nature should not make several humors, as well as several Elements, Vegetables, Minerals, Animals, and other Creatures; and that in several parts of the body, and many several ways; for to mention but one sort of other Creatures, viz. Vegetables, they are, as we see, not onely produced many several ways, but in many several grounds; either by sowing, setting, or grafting, either in clayie, limy, sandy, chalky, dry, or wet grounds: And why may not several humors be produced as well of other Creatures and parts, as others are produced of them? for all parts of Nature are produced one from another, as being all of one and the same Matter, onely the variation of corporeal motions makes all the difference and variety between them, which variety of motions is impossible to be known by any particular Creature; for Nature can do more then any Creature can conceive. Truly, Madam, I should not be of such a mind, as to oppose the Schools herein so eagerly as your Author doth; but artificial actions make men to have erroneous opinions of the actions of Nature, judging them all according to the rule and measure of Art, when as Art oft deludes men under the cover of truth, and makes them many times believe falshood for truth; for Nature is pleased with variety, and so doth make numerous absurdities, doubts, opinions, disputations, objections, and the like. Moreover, your Author is as much against the radical moisture, as he is against the four humors; saying, that according to this opinion of the Schools, a fat belly, through much grease affording more fuel to the radical moisture, must of necessity live longer. But this, in my opinion, is onely a wilful mistake; for I am confident, that the Schools do not understand radical moisture to be gross, fat radical oyl, but a thin oylie substance. Neither do they believe radical heat to be a burning, fiery and consuming heat, but such a degree of natural heat, as is comfortable, nourishing, refreshing, and proper for the life of the animal Creature: Wherefore radical heat and moisture doth not onely consist in the Grease of the body; for a lean body may have as much, and some of them more Radical moisture, then fat bodies. But your Author instead of this radical moisture, makes a nourishable moisture, onely, as I suppose, out of a mind to contradict the Schools; when as I do not perceive, that the Schools mean by Radical moisture, any other then a nourishable moisture, and therefore this distinction is needless. Lastly, he condemns the Schools, for making an affinity betwixt the bowels and the brain. But he might as will condemn Politicians, for saying there is an affinity betwixt Governors and Subjects, or betwixt command and obedience; but as the actions of Particulars, even from the meanest in a Commonwealth, may chance to make a Publick disturbance, so likewise in the Common-wealth of the body, one single action in a particular part may cause a disturbance of the whole Body, nay, a total ruine and dissolution of the composed; which dissolution is called Death; and yet these causes are neither Light, nor Blas, nor Gas, no more then men are shining Suns, or flaming Torches, or blazing Meteors, or azure Skies. Wherefore leaving your Author to his contradicting humor, I rest,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[XXXII.]
MADAM,
I do verily believe, with the Schools, the Purging of the Brain, against your Author;[1] For I know no reason, why all the parts of a man's body should not stand in need of evacuation and Purging, as well as some. 'Tis true, if the substance or nourishment received were all useful, and onely enough for the maintenance, subsistance and continuance of the Creature, and no more, then there would be no need of such sort of evacuation; but I believe the corporeal self-motions in a body, discharge the superfluous matter out of every part of the body, if the motions of the superfluous matter be not too strong, and over-power the motions in the parts of the body; but some parts do produce more superfluities then others, by reason their property is more to dilate, then to contract, and more to attract, then to retain or fix; which parts are the brain, stomack, bowels, bladder, gall, and the like: wherefore, as there is nourishment in all parts of the body, so there are also excrements in all parts, for there is no nourishment without excrement. Next your Author says, That the nourishment of the solid parts is made with the transmutation of the whole venal blood into nourishment, without a separation of the pure from the impure. But I pray give me leave to ask, Madam, whether the solid Parts are not Instruments for the nourishment of the Venal blood? Truly, I cannot conceive, how blood should be nourished, wanting those solid parts, and their particular motions and imployments. Again: his opinion is, That the brain is nourished by a few and slender veins; neither doth a passage or channel appear whereby a moist excrement may derive, or a vapour enter. And by reason of the want of such a passage, in another place[2] he is pleased to affirm, That nothing can fume up from the stomack into the brain, and therefore Wine doth not make drunk with fuming from the stomach into the head, but the Winie spirit is immediately snatched into the arteries out of the stomach without digestion, and so into the head, and there breeds a confusion. First, I am not of the opinion, that all nourishment comes from the veins, or from one particular part of the body, no more do Excrements; neither do I believe that every passage in the body is visible to Anatomists, for Natures works are too curious and intricate for any particular Creature to find them out, which is the cause that Anatomists and Chymists are so oft mistaken in natural causes and effects; for certainly, they sometimes believe great Errors for great Truths. Next, as for Drunkenness, I believe that many, who drink much Wine, are drunk before such time as the Wine spirit can get into the Arteries; but if there be Pores to the Brain, as it is most probable, the spirit of Wine may more easily ascend and enter those Pores, then the Pores of the Arteries, or the Mouth-veins, and so make a circular journey to the Head. But as for Excrements, whereof I spake in the beginning, as they are made several manners or ways, and in several parts of the body, so they are also discharged several ways from several parts, and several ways from each particular part, indeed so many several ways and manners, as would puzzle the wisest man in the world, nay your Authors Interior keeper of the Brain, to find them out. Wherefore, to conclude, he is the best Physician, that can tell how to discharge superfluity, and to retain useful nourishments; or to restore by the application of proper Medicines, decaying parts, or to put in order Irregular motions; and not those that have Irregular opinions of Immaterial causes: To which, I leave them, and rest,