第4章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Onthe Principles of Nature",免费读到尾

  Whathasjustbeensaidappliestofishesaswellastootheranimals;andthusinsuchofthemasarecarnivorous,andmadeforbiting,themouthhasawidegape;whereasintherestitissmall,beingplacedattheextremityofataperingsnout。Forthisformissuitedfortheirpurposes,whiletheotherwouldbeuseless。

  Inbirdsthemouthconsistsofwhatiscalledthebeak,whichinthemisasubstituteforlipsandteeth。Thisbeakpresentsvariationsinharmonywiththefunctionsandprotectivepurposeswhichitserves。

  ThusinthosebirdsthatarecalledCrooked-claweditisinvariablyhooked,inasmuchasthesebirdsarecarnivorous,andeatnokindofvegetablefoodwhatsoever。Forthisformrendersitserviceabletotheminobtainingthemasteryovertheirprey,andisbettersuitedfordeedsofviolencethananyother。Moreover,astheirweaponsofoffenceconsistofthisbeakandoftheirclaws,theselatteralsoaremorecrookedinthemthaninthegeneralityofbirds。Similarlyineachotherkindofbirdthebeakissuitedtothemodeoflife。

  Thus,inwoodpeckersitishardandstrong,asalsoincrowsandbirdsofcrowlikehabit,whileinthesmallerbirdsitisdelicate,soastobeofuseincollectingseedsandpickingupminuteanimals。Insuchbirds,again,aseatherbage,andsuchasliveaboutmarshes-those,forexample,thatswimandhavewebbedfeet-thebillisbroad,oradaptedinsomeotherwaytothemodeoflife。Forabroadbillenablesabirdtodigintothegroundwithease,justas,amongquadrupeds,doesthebroadsnoutofthepig,ananimalwhich,likethebirdsinquestion,livesonroots。Moreover,intheseroot-eatingbirdsandinsomeothersoflikehabitsoflife,thetipsofthebillendinhardpoints,whichgivesthemadditionalfacilityindealingwithherbaceousfood。

  Theseveralpartswhicharesetontheheadhavenow,prettynearlyall,beenconsidered。Inman,however,thepartwhichliesbetweentheheadandtheneckiscalledtheface,thisname,(prosopon)being,itwouldseem,derivedfromthefunctionofthepart。Forasmanistheonlyanimalthatstandserect,heisalsotheonlyonethatlooksdirectlyinfront(proso)andtheonlyonewhosevoiceisemittedinthatdirection。

  2

  Wehavenowtotreatofhorns;forthesealso,whenpresent,areappendagesofthehead。Theyexistinnonebutviviparousanimals;

  thoughinsomeoviparacertainpartsaremetaphoricallyspokenofashorns,invirtueofacertainresemblance。Tononeofsuchparts,however,doestheproperofficeofahornbelong;fortheyareneverused,asarethehornsofvivipara,forpurposeswhichrequirestrength,whetheritbeinself-protectionorinoffensivestrife。

  Soalsonopolydactylousanimalisfurnishedwithhorns。Forhornsaredefensiveweapons,andthesepolydactylousanimalspossessothermeansofsecurity。Fortosomeofthemnaturehasgivenclaws,toothersteethsuitedforcombat,andtotherestsomeotheradequatedefensiveappliance。Therearehorns,however,inmostofthecloven-hoofedanimals,andinsomeofthosethathaveasolidhoof,servingthemasanoffensiveweapon,andinsomecasesalsoasadefensiveone。

  Therearehornsalsoinallanimalsthathavenotbeenprovidedbynaturewithsomeothermeansofsecurity;suchmeans,forinstance,asspeed,whichhasbeengiventohorses;orgreatsize,asincamels;

  forexcessivebulk,suchashasbeengiventotheseanimals,andinastillgreatermeasuretoelephants,issufficientinitselftoprotectananimalfrombeingdestroyedbyothers。Otheranimalsagainareprotectedbythepossessionoftusks;andamongthesearetheswine,thoughtheyhaveaclovenhoof。

  Allanimalsagain,whosehornsarebutuselessappendages,havebeenprovidedbynaturewithsomeadditionalmeansofsecurity。Thusdeerareendowedwithspeed;forthelargesizeandgreatbranchingoftheirhornsmakestheseasourceofdetrimentratherthanofprofittotheirpossessors。SimilarlyendowedaretheBubalusandgazelle;forthoughtheseanimalswillstandupagainstsomeenemiesanddefendthemselveswiththeirhorns,yettheyrunawayfromsuchasarefierceandpugnacious。TheBonasusagain,whoehornscurveinwardstowardseachother,isprovidedwithameansofprotectioninthedischargeofitsexcrement;andofthisitavailsitselfwhenfrightened。TherearesomeotheranimalsbesidestheBonasusthathaveasimilarmodeofdefence。Innocase,however,doesnatureevergivemorethanoneadequatemeansofprotectiontooneandthesameanimal。

  Mostoftheanimalsthathavehornsarecloven-hoofed;buttheIndianass,astheycallit,isalsoreportedtobehorned,thoughitshoofissolid。

  Againasthebody,sofarasregardsitsorgansofmotion,consistsoftwodistinctparts,therightandtheleft,soalsoandforlikereasonsthehornsofanimalsare,inthegreatmajorityofcases,twoinnumber。Stilltherearesomethathavebutasinglehorn;theOryx,forinstance,andtheso-calledIndianass;intheformerofwhichthehoofiscloven,whileinthelatteritissolid。

  Insuchanimalsthehornissetinthecentreofthehead;forasthemiddlebelongsequallytobothextremes,thisarrangementistheonethatcomesnearesttoeachsidehavingitsownhorn。

  Again,itwouldappearconsistentwithreasonthatthesinglehornshouldgowiththesolidratherthanwiththeclovenhoof。Forhoof,whethersolidorcloven,isofthesamenatureashorn;sothatthetwonaturallyundergodivisionsimultaneouslyandinthesameanimals。

  Again,sincethedivisionoftheclovenhoofdependsondeficiencyofmaterial,itisbutrationallyconsistent,thatnature,whenshegaveananimalanexcessofmaterialforthehoofs,whichthusbecamesolid,shouldhavetakenawaysomethingfromtheupperpartsandsomadetheanimaltohavebutonehorn。Rightlytoodidsheactwhenshechosetheheadwhereontosetthehorns;andAEsop’sMomusisbesidethemark,whenhefindsfaultwiththebullfornothavingitshornsuponitsshoulders。Forfromthisposition,sayshe,theywouldhavedeliveredtheirblowwiththegreatestforce,whereasontheheadtheyoccupytheweakestpartofthewholebody。Momuswasbutdull-sightedinmakingthishostilecriticism。Forhadthehornsbeensetontheshoulders,orhadtheybeensetonanyotherpartthantheyare,theencumbranceoftheirweightwouldhavebeenincreased,notonlywithoutanycompensatinggainwhatso::ver,butwiththedisadvantageofimpedingmanybodilyoperations。Forthepointwhencetheblowscouldbedeliveredwiththegreatestforcewasnottheonlymattertobeconsidered,butthepointalsowhencetheycouldbedeliveredwiththewidestrange。Butasthebullhasnohandsandcannotpossiblyhaveitshornsonitsfeetoronitsknees,wheretheywouldpreventflexion,thereremainsnoothersiteforthembutthehead;andthisthereforetheynecessarilyoccupy。Inthisposition,moreover,theyaremuchlessinthewayofthemovementsofthebodythantheywouldbeelsewhere。

  Deeraretheonlyanimalsinwhichthehornsaresolidthroughout,andarealsotheonlyanimalsthatcastthem。Thiscastingisnotsimplyadvantageoustothedeerfromtheincreasedlightnesswhichitproduces,but,seeinghowheavythehornsare,isamatterofactualnecessity。

  Inallotheranimalsthehornsarehollowforacertaindistance,andtheendaloneissolid,thisbeingthepartofuseinablow。Atthesametime,topreventeventhehollowpartfrombeingweak,thehorn,thoughitgrowsoutoftheskin,hasasolidpiecefromthebonesfittedintoitscavity。Forthisarrangementisnotonlythatwhichmakesthehornsofthegreatestserviceinfighting,butthatwhichcausesthemtobeaslittleofanimpedimentaspossibleintheotheractionsoflife。

  Suchthenarethereasonsforwhichhornsexist;andsuchthereasonswhytheyarepresentinsomeanimals,absentfromothers。

  Letusnowconsiderthecharacterofthematerialnaturewhosenecessaryresultshavebeenmadeavailablebyrationalnatureforafinalcause。

  Inthefirstplace,then,thelargerthebulkofanimals,thegreateristheproportionofcorporealandearthymatterwhichtheycontain。Thusnoverysmallanimalisknowntohavehorns,thesmallesthornedanimalthatweareacquaintedwithbeingthegazelle。Butinallourspeculationsconcerningnature,whatwehavetoconsideristhegeneralrule;forthatisnaturalwhichapplieseitheruniversallyorgenerally。Andthuswhenwesaythatthelargestanimalshavemostearthymatter,wesaysobecausesuchisthegeneralrule。Nowthisearthymatterisusedintheanimalbodytoformbone。Butinthelargeranimalsthereisanexcessofit,andthisexcessisturnedbynaturetousefulaccount,beingconvertedintoweaponsofdefence。Partofitnecessarilyflowstotheupperportionofthebody,andthisisallottedbyherinsomecasestotheformationoftusksandteeth,inotherstotheformationofhorns。

  Thusitisthatnoanimalthathashornshasalsofrontteethinbothjaws,thoseintheupperjawbeingdeficient。Fornaturebysubtractingfromtheteethaddstothehorns;thenutrimentwhichinmostanimalsgoestotheformerbeingherespentontheaugmentationofthelatter。Does,itistrue,havenohornsandyetareequallydeficientwiththemalesasregardstheteeth。Thereason,however,forthisisthatthey,asmuchasthemales,arenaturallyhorn-bearinganimals;buttheyhavebeenstrippedoftheirhorns,becausethesewouldnotonlybeuselesstothembutactuallybaneful;whereasthegreaterstrengthofthemalescausestheseorgans,thoughequallyuseless,tobelessofanimpediment。Inotheranimals,wherethismaterialisnotsecretedfromthebodyintheshapeofhorns,itisusedtoincreasethesizeoftheteeth;insomecasesofalltheteeth,inothersmerelyofthetusks,whichthusbecomesolongastoresemblehornsprojectingfromthejaws。

  Somuch,then,ofthepartswhichappertaintothehead。

  3

  Belowtheheadliestheneck,insuchanimalsashaveone。Thisisthecasewiththoseonlythathavethepartstowhichaneckissubservient。Thesepartsarethelarynxandwhatiscalledtheoesophagus。Ofthesetheformer,orlarynx,existsforthesakeofrespiration,beingtheinstrumentbywhichsuchanimalsasbreatheinhaleanddischargetheair。Thereforeitisthat,whenthereisnolung,thereisalsononeck。OfthisconditiontheFishesareanexample。Theotherpart,oroesophagus,isthechannelthroughwhichfoodisconveyedtothestomach;sothatallanimalsthatarewithoutaneckarealsowithoutadistinctoesophagus;Suchapartisinfactnotrequiredofnecessityfornutritivepurposes;forithasnoactionwhatsoeveronthefood。Indeedthereisnothingtopreventthestomachfrombeingplaceddirectlyafterthemouth。

  This,however,isquiteimpossibleinthecaseofthelung。Fortheremustbesomesortoftubecommontothetwodivisionsofthelung,bywhich——itbeingbipartite——thebreathmaybeapportionedtotheirrespectivebronchi,andthencepassintotheair-pipes;andsuchanarrangementwillbethebestforgivingperfectiontoinspirationandexpiration。Theorganthenconcernedinrespirationmustofnecessitybeofsomelength;andthis,again,necessitatestherebeinganoesophagustounitemouthandstomach。Thisoesophagusisofaflesh-likecharacter,andyetadmitsofextensionlikeasinew。Thislatterpropertyisgiventoit,thatitmaystretchwhenfoodisintroduced;whiletheflesh-likecharacterisintendedtomakeitsoftandyielding,andtopreventitfrombeingraspedbyparticlesastheypassdownwards,andsosufferingdamage。Ontheotherhand,thewindpipeandtheso-calledlarynxareconstructedoutofacartilaginoussubstance。Fortheyhavetoservenotonlyforrespiration,butalsoforvocalpurposes;andaninstrumentthatistoproducesoundsmustnecessarilybenotonlysmoothbutfirm。Thewindpipeliesinfrontoftheoesophagus,althoughthispositioncausesittobesomehindrancetothelatterintheactofdeglutition。Forifamorseloffood,fluidorsolid,slipsintoitbyaccident,chokingandmuchdistressandviolentfitsofcoughingensue。Thismustbeamatterofastonishmenttoanyofthosewhoassertthatitisbythewindpipethatananimalimbibesfluid。Fortheconsequencesjustmentionedoccurinvariably,wheneveraparticleoffoodslipsin,andarequiteobvious。Indeedonmanygroundsitisridiculoustosaythatthisisthechannelthroughwhichanimalsimbibefluid。Forthereisnopassageleadingfromthelungtothestomach,suchastheoesophaguswhichweseeleadingthitherfromthemouth。Moreover,whenanycauseproducessicknessandvomiting,itisplainenoughwhenthefluidisdischarged。Itismanifestalsothatfluid,whenswallowed,doesnotpassdirectlyintothebladderandcollectthere,butgoesfirstintothestomach。

  For,whenredwineistaken,thedejectionsofthestomachareseentobecolouredbyitsdregs;andsuchdiscolorationhasbeenevenseenonmanyoccasionsinsidethestomachitself,incaseswheretherehavebeenwoundsopeningintothatorgan。However,itisperhapssillytobeminutelyparticularindealingwithsillystatementssuchasthis。

  Thewindpipethen,owingtoitspositioninfrontoftheoesophagus,isexposed,aswehavesaid,toannoyancefromthefood。Toobviatethis,however,naturehascontrivedtheepiglottis。Thispartisnotfoundinallsanguineousanimals,butonlyinsuchofthemashavealung;norinallofthese,butonlyinsuchasatthesametimehavetheirskincoveredwithhairs,andnoteitherwithscalyplatesorwithfeathers。Insuchscalyandfeatheredanimalsthereisnoepiglottis,butitsofficeissuppliedbythelarynx,whichclosesandopens,justasintheothercasetheepiglottisfallsdownandrisesup;risingupduringtheingressoregressofbreath,andfallingdownduringtheingestionoffood,soastopreventanyparticlefromslippingintothewindpipe。Shouldtherebetheslightestwantofaccuracyinthismovement,orshouldaninspirationbemadeduringtheingestionoffood,chokingandcoughingensue,asalreadyhasbeennoticed。Soadmirablycontrived,however,isthemovementbothoftheepiglottisandofthetongue,that,whilethefoodisbeinggroundtoapulpinthemouth,thetongueveryrarelygetscaughtbetweentheteeth;and,whilethefoodispassingovertheepiglottisseldomdoesaparticleofitslipintothewindpipe。

  Theanimalswhichhavebeenmentionedashavingnoepiglottisowethisdeficiencytothedrynessoftheirfleshandtothehardnessoftheirskin。Foranepiglottismadeofsuchmaterialswouldnotadmitofeasymotion。Itwould,indeed,takealongertimetoshutdownanepiglottismadeofthepeculiarfleshoftheseanimals,andshapedlikethatofthosewithhairyskins,thantobringtheedgesofthewindpipeitselfintocontactwitheachother。

  Thusmuchthenastothereasonwhysomeanimalshaveanepiglottiswhileothershavenone,andthusmuchalsoastoitsuse。

  Itisacontrivanceofnaturetoremedytheviciouspositionofthewindpipeinfrontoftheoesophagus。Thatpositionistheresultofnecessity。Foritisinthefrontandcentreofthebodythattheheartissituated,inwhichwesayistheprincipleoflifeandthesourceofallmotionandsensation。(Forsensationandmotionareexercisedinthedirectionwhichwetermforwards,anditisonthisveryrelationthatthedistinctionofbeforeandbehindisfounded。)

  Butwheretheheartis,thereandsurroundingitisthelung。Nowinspiration,whichoccursforthesakeofthelungandforthesakeoftheprinciplewhichhasitsseatintheheart,iseffectedthroughthewindpipe。Sincethentheheartmustofnecessitylieintheveryfrontplaceofall,itfollowsthatthelarynxalsoandthewindpipemustofnecessitylieinfrontoftheoesophagus。Fortheyleadtothelungandheart,whereastheoesophagusleadstothestomach。Anditisauniversallawthat,asregardsaboveandbelow,frontandback,rightandleft,thenoblerandmorehonourablepartinvariablyisplaceduppermost,infront,andontheright,ratherthanintheoppositepositions,unlesssomemoreimportantobjectstandsintheway。

  4

  Wehavenowdealtwiththeneck,theoesophagus,andthewindpipe,andhavenexttotreatoftheviscera。Thesearepeculiartosanguineousanimals,someofwhichhaveallofthem,othersonlyapart,whilenobloodlessanimalshaveanyatall。Democritusthenseemstohavebeenmistakeninthenotionheformedoftheviscera,if,thatistosay,hefanciedthatthereasonwhynonewerediscoverableinbloodlessanimalswasthattheseanimalsweretoosmalltoallowthemtobeseen。For,insanguineousanimals,bothheartandliverarevisibleenoughwhenthebodyisonlyjustformed,andwhileitisstillextremelysmall。Forthesepartsaretobeseenintheeggsometimesasearlyasthethirdday,beingthennobiggerthanapoint;andarevisiblealsoinabortedembryos,whilestillexcessivelyminute。Moreover,astheexternalorgansarenotpreciselyalikeinallanimals,buteachcreatureisprovidedwithsuchasaresuitedtoitsspecialmodeoflifeandmotion,soisitwiththeinternalparts,thesealsodifferingindifferentanimals。Viscera,then,arepeculiartosanguineousanimals;

  andthereforeareeachandallformedfromsanguineousmaterial,asisplainlytobeseeninthenew-bornyoungoftheseanimals。Forinsuchthevisceraaremoresanguineous,andofgreaterbulkinproportiontothebody,thanatanylaterperiodoflife,itbeingintheearlieststageofformationthatthenatureofthematerialanditsabundancearemostconspicuous。Thereisaheart,then,inallsanguineousanimals,andthereasonforthishasalreadybeengiven。Forthatsanguineousanimalsmustnecessarilyhavebloodisself-evident。

  And,asthebloodisfluid,itisalsoamatterofnecessitythatthereshallbeareceptacleforit;anditisapparentlytomeetthisrequirementthatnaturehasdevisedtheblood-vessels。These,again,mustnecessarilyhaveoneprimarysource。Foritispreferablethatthereshallbeonesuch,whenpossible,ratherthanseveral。Thisprimarysourceofthevesselsistheheart。Forthevesselsmanifestlyissuefromitanddonotgothroughit。Moreover,beingasitishomogeneous,ithasthecharacterofablood-vessel。

  Againitspositionisthatofaprimaryordominatingpart。Fornature,whennoothermoreimportantpurposestandsinherway,placesthemorehonourablepartinthemorehonourableposition;andtheheartliesaboutthecentreofthebody,butratherinitsupperthanitslowerhalf,andalsomoreinfrontthanbehind。Thisismostevidentinthecaseofman,buteveninotheranimalsthereisatendencyinthehearttoassumeasimilarposition,inthecentreofthenecessarypartofthebody,thatistosayofthepartwhichterminatesintheventforexcrement。Forthelimbsvaryinpositionindifferentanimals,andarenottobecountedwiththepartswhicharenecessaryforlife。Forlifecanbemaintainedevenwhentheyareremoved;whileitisself-evidentthattheadditionofthemtoananimalisnotdestructiveofit。

  Therearesomewhosaythatthevesselscommenceinthehead。Inthistheyareclearlymistaken。Forinthefirstplace,accordingtotheirrepresentation,therewouldbemanysourcesforthevessels,andthesescattered;andsecondly,thesesourceswouldbeinaregionthatismanifestlycold,asisshownbyitsintoleranceofchill,whereastheregionoftheheartisasmanifestlyhot。Again,asalreadysaid,thevesselscontinuetheircoursethroughtheotherviscera,butnovesselspreadsthroughtheheart。Fromthisitisquiteevidentthattheheartisapartofthevesselsandtheirorigin;andforthisitiswellsuitedbyitsstructure。Foritscentralpartconsistsofadenseandhollowsubstance,andismoreoverfullofblood,asthoughthevesselstookthencetheirorigin。Itishollowtoserveforthereceptionoftheblood,whileitswallisdense,thatitmayservetoprotectthesourceofheat。Forhere,andherealoneinallthevisceraandindeedinallthebody,thereisbloodwithoutblood-vessels,thebloodelsewherebeingalwayscontainedwithinvessels。Noristhisbutconsistentwithreason。Forthebloodisconveyedintothevesselsfromtheheart,butnonepassesintotheheartfromwithout。Forinitselfitconstitutestheoriginandfountain,orprimaryreceptacle,oftheblood。Itishowever,fromdissectionsandfromobservationsontheprocessofdevelopmentthatthetruthofthesestatementsreceivesitsclearestdemonstration。Fortheheartisthefirstofallthepartstobeformed;andnosoonerisitformedthanitcontainsblood。Moreover,themotionsofpainandpleasure,andgenerallyofallsensation,plainlyhavetheirsourceintheheart,andfindinittheirultimatetermination。This,indeed,reasonwouldleadustoexpect。Forthesourcemust,when。everpossible,beone;and,ofallplaces,thebestsuitedforasourceisthecentre。Forthecentreisone,andisequallyoralmostequallywithinreachofeverypart。Again,asneithertheblooditself,noryetanypartwhichisbloodless,isendowedwithsensation,itisplainthatthatpartwhichfirsthasblood,andwhichholdsitasitwereinareceptacle,mustbetheprimarysourceofsensation。Andthatthispartistheheartisnotonlyarationalinference,butalsoevidenttothesenses。Fornosooneristheembryoformed,thanitsheartisseeninmotionasthoughitwerealivingcreature,andthisbeforeanyoftheotherparts,itbeing,asthusshown,thestarting-pointoftheirnatureinallanimalsthathaveblood。A

  furtherevidenceofthetruthofwhathasbeenstatedisthefactthatnosanguineousanimaliswithoutaheart。Fortheprimarysourceofbloodmustofnecessitybepresentinthemall。Itistruethatsanguineousanimalsnotonlyhaveaheartbutalsoinvariablyhavealiver。Butnoonecouldeverdeemthelivertobetheprimaryorganeitherofthewholebodyoroftheblood。Forthepositioninwhichitisplacedisfarfrombeingthatofaprimaryordominatingpart;and,moreover,inthemostperfectlyfinishedanimalsthereisanotherpart,thespleen,whichasitwerecounterbalancesit。Stillfurther,thelivercontainsnospaciousreceptacleinitssubstance,asdoestheheart;butitsbloodisinavesselasinalltheotherviscera。Thevessel,moreover,extendsthroughit,andnovesselwhatsoeveroriginatesinit;foritisfromtheheartthatallthevesselstaketheirrise。Sincethenoneorotherofthesetwopartsmustbethecentralsource,andsinceitisnottheliverwhichissuch,itfollowsofnecessitythatitistheheartwhichisthesourceoftheblood,asalsotheprimaryorganinotherrespects。Forthedefinitivecharacteristicofananimalisthepossessionofsensation;

  andthefirstsensorypartisthatwhichfirsthasblood;thatistosayistheheart,whichisthesourceofbloodandthefirstofthepartstocontainit。

  Theapexoftheheartispointedandmoresolidthantherestoftheorgan。Itliesagainstthebreast,andentirelyintheanteriorpartofthebody,inordertopreventthatregionfromgettingchilled。Forinallanimalsthereiscomparativelylittlefleshoverthebreast,whereasthereisamoreabundantcoveringofthatsubstanceontheposteriorsurface,sothattheheathasinthebackasufficientamountofprotection。Inallanimalsbutmantheheartisplacedinthecentreofthepectoralregion;butinmanitinclinesalittletowardstheleft,sothatitmaycounterbalancethechillinessofthatside。Fortheleftsideiscolderinman,ascomparedwiththeright,thaninanyotheranimal。Ithasbeenstatedinanearliertreatisethateveninfishestheheartholdsthesamepositionasinotheranimals;andthereasonhasbeengivenwhyitappearsnottodoso。Theapexoftheheart,itistrue,isinthemturnedtowardsthehead,butthisinfishesisthefrontaspect,foritisthedirectioninwhichtheirmotionoccurs。

  Theheartagainisabundantlysuppliedwithsinews,asmightreasonablybeexpected。Forthemotionsofthebodycommencefromtheheart,andarebroughtaboutbytractionandrelaxation。Thehearttherefore,which,asalreadysaid,’asitwerealivingcreatureinsideitspossessor,requiressomesuchsubservientandstrengtheningparts。

  Innoanimalsdoestheheartcontainabone,certainlyinnoneofthosethatwehaveourselvesinspected,withtheexceptionofthehorseandacertainkindofox。Intheseexceptionalcasestheheart,owingtoitslargebulk,isprovidedwithaboneasasupport;justasthebonesserveassupportsforthebodygenerally。

  Inanimalsofgreatsizethehearthasthreecavities;insmalleranimalsithastwo;andinallhasatleastone,for,asalreadystated,theremustbesomeplaceinthehearttoserveasareceptacleforthefirstblood;which,ashasbeenmentionedmorethanonce,isformedinthisorgan。Butinasmuchasthemainblood-vesselsaretwoinnumber,namelytheso-calledgreatvesselandtheaorta,eachofwhichistheoriginofothervessels;inasmuch,moreover,asthesetwovesselspresentdifferences,hereaftertobediscussed,whencomparedwitheachother,itisofadvantagethattheyalsoshallthemselveshavedistinctorigins。Thisadvantagewillbeobtainedifeachsidehaveitsownblood,andthebloodofonesidebekeptseparatefromthatoftheother。Forthisreasontheheart,wheneveritispossible,hastworeceptacles。Andthispossibilityexistsinthecaseoflargeanimals,forinthemtheheart,asthebodygenerally,isoflargesize。Againitisstillbetterthatthereshallbethreecavities,sothatthemiddleandoddonemayserveasacentrecommontobothsides。Butthisrequiresthehearttobeofgreatermagnitude,sothatitisonlyinthelargestheartsthattherearethreecavities。

  Ofthesethreecavitiesitistherightthathasthemostabundantandthehottestblood,andthisexplainswhythelimbsalsoontherightsideofthebodyarewarmerthanthoseontheleft。Theleftcavityhastheleastbloodofall,andthecoldest;whileinthemiddlecavitytheblood,asregardsquantityandheat,isintermediatetotheothertwo,beinghoweverofpurerqualitythaneither。Foritbehovesthesupremeparttobeastranquilaspossible,andthistranquillitycanbeensuredbythebloodbeingpure,andofmoderateamountandwarmth。

  Intheheartofanimalsthereisalsoakindofjoint-likedivision,somethinglikethesuturesoftheskull。Thisisnot,however,attributabletotheheartbeingformedbytheunionofseveralpartsintoacompoundwhole,butisrather,asalreadysaid,theresultofajoint-likedivision。Thesejointingsaremostdistinctinanimalsofkeensensibility,andlesssointhosethatareofdullerfeeling,inswineforinstance。Differentheartsdifferalsofromeachotherintheirsizes,andintheirdegreesoffirmness;andthesedifferencessomehowextendtheirinfluencetothetemperamentsoftheanimals。Forinanimalsoflowsensibilitytheheartishardanddenseintexture,whileitissofterinsuchasareendowedwithkeenerfeeling。Soalsowhentheheartisoflargesizetheanimalistimorous,whileitismorecourageousiftheorganbesmallerandofmoderatebulk。Forintheformerthebodilyaffectionwhichresultsfromterroralreadypre-exists;forthebulkoftheheartisoutofallproportiontotheanimal’sheat,whichbeingsmallisreducedtoinsignificanceinthelargespace,andthusthebloodismadecolderthanitwouldotherwisebe。

  Theheartisoflargesizeinthehare,thedeer,themouse,thehyena,theass,theleopard,themarten,andinprettynearlyallotheranimalsthateitheraremanifestlytimorous,orbetraytheircowardicebytheirspitefulness。

  Whathasbeensaidoftheheartasawholeisnolesstrueofitscavitiesandoftheblood-vessels;thesealsoifoflargesizebeingcold。Forjustasafireofequalsizegiveslessheatinalargeroomthaninasmallone,soalsodoestheheatinalargecavityoralargeblood-vessel,thatisinalargereceptacle,havelesseffectthaninasmallone。Moreover,allhotbodiesarecooledbymotionsexternaltothemselves,andthemorespaciousthecavitiesandvesselsare,thegreatertheamountofspirittheycontain,andthemorepotentitsaction。Thusitisthatnoanimalthathaslargecavitiesinitsheart,orlargeblood-vessels,iseverfat,thevesselsbeingindistinctandthecavitiessmallinallormostfatanimals。

  Theheartagainistheonlyoneoftheviscera,andindeedtheonlypartofthebody,thatisunabletotolerateanyseriousaffection。Thisisbutwhatmightreasonablybeexpected。For,iftheprimaryordominantpartbediseased,thereisnothingfromwhichtheotherpartswhichdependuponitcanderivesuccour。Aproofthattheheartisthusunabletotolerateanymorbidaffectionisfurnishedbythefactthatinnosacrificialvictimhasiteverbeenseentobeaffectedwiththosediseasesthatareobservableintheotherviscera。Forthekidneysarefrequentlyfoundtobefullofstones,andgrowths,andsmallabscesses,asalsoaretheliver,thelung,andmorethanallthespleen。Therearealsomanyothermorbidconditionswhichareseentooccurintheseparts,thosewhichareleastliabletosuchbeingtheportionofthelungwhichisclosetothewindpipe,andtheportionoftheliverwhichliesaboutthejunctionwiththegreatblood-vessel。Thisagainadmitsofarationalexplanation。Foritisinthesepartsthatthelungandliveraremostcloselyincommunionwiththeheart。Ontheotherhand,whenanimalsdienotbysacrificebutfromdisease,andfromaffectionssuchasarementionedabove,theyarefoundondissectiontohavemorbidaffectionsoftheheart。

  Thusmuchoftheheart,itsnature,andtheendandcauseofitsexistenceinsuchanimalsashaveit。

  5

  Induesequencewehavenexttodiscusstheblood-vessels,thatistosaythegreatvesselandtheaorta。Foritisintothesetwothatthebloodfirstpasseswhenitquitstheheart;andalltheothervesselsarebutoffshootsfromthem。Nowthatthesevesselsexistonaccountofthebloodhasalreadybeenstated。Foreveryfluidrequiresareceptacle,andinthecaseofthebloodthevesselsarethatreceptacle。Letusnowexplainwhythesevesselsaretwo,andwhytheyspringfromonesinglesource,andextendthroughoutthewholebody。

  Thereason,then,whythesetwovesselscoalesceintoonecentre,andspringfromonesource,isthatthesensorysoulisinallanimalsactuallyone;andthisone-nessofthesensorysouldeterminesacorrespondingone-nessofthepartinwhichitprimarilyabides。Insanguineousanimalsthisone-nessisnotonlyactualbutpotential,whereasinsomebloodlessanimalsitisonlyactual。Where,however,thesensorysoulislodged,therealsoandintheselfsameplacemustnecessarilybethesourceofheat;and,again,wherethisistherealsomustbethesourceoftheblood,seeingthatitthencederivesitswarmthandfluidity。Thus,then,intheonenessofthepartinwhichislodgedtheprimesourceofsensationandofheatisinvolvedtheone-nessofthesourceinwhichthebloodoriginates;andthis,again,explainswhytheblood-vesselshaveonecommonstarting-point。

  Thevessels,again,aretwo,becausethebodyofeverysanguineousanimalthatiscapableoflocomotionisbilateral;forinallsuchanimalsthereisadistinguishablebeforeandbehind,arightandleft,anaboveandbelow。Nowasthefrontismorehonourableandofhighersupremacythanthehinderaspect,soalsoandinlikedegreeisthegreatvesselsuperiortotheaorta。Forthegreatvesselisplacedinfront,whiletheaortaisbehind;theformeragainisplainlyvisibleinallsanguineousanimals,whilethelatterisinsomeindistinctandinsomenotdiscernibleatall。

  Lastly,thereasonforthevesselsbeingdistributedthroughouttheentirebodyisthatinthem,orinpartsanalogoustothem,iscontainedtheblood,orthefluidwhichinbloodlessanimalstakestheplaceofblood,andthatthebloodoranalogousfluidisthematerialfromwhichthewholebodyismade。Nowastothemannerinwhichanimalsarenourished,andastothesourcefromwhichtheyobtainnutrimentandastothewayinwhichtheyabsorbthisfromthestomach,thesearematterswhichmaybemoresuitablyconsideredandexplainedinthetreatiseonGeneration。Butinasmuchasthepartsare,asalreadysaid,formedoutoftheblood,itisbutrationalthattheflowofthebloodshouldextend,asitdoes,throughoutthewholeofthebody。Forsinceeachpartisformedofblood,eachmusthavebloodaboutandinitssubstance。

  Togiveanillustrationofthis。Thewater-coursesingardensaresoconstructedastodistributewaterfromonesinglesourceorfountintonumerouschannels,whichdivideandsubdividesoastoconveyittoallparts;and,again,inhouse-buildingstonesarethrowndownalongthewholeground-planofthefoundationwalls;becausethegarden-plantsintheonecasegrowattheexpenseofthewater,andthefoundationwallsintheotherarebuiltoutofthestones。Nowjustafterthesamefashionhasnaturelaiddownchannelsfortheconveyanceofthebloodthroughoutthewholebody,becausethisbloodisthematerialoutofwhichthewholefabricismade。Thisbecomesveryevidentinbodiesthathaveundergonegreatemaciation。

  Forinsuchthereisnothingtobeseenbuttheblood-vessels;justaswhenfig-leavesorvine-leavesorthelikehavedriedup,thereisnothingleftofthembuttheirvessels。Theexplanationofthisisthattheblood,orfluidwhichtakesitsplace,ispotentiallybodyandflesh,orsubstanceanalogoustoflesh。Nowjustasinirrigationthelargestdykesarepermanent,whilethesmallestaresoonfilledupwithmudanddisappear,againtobecomevisiblewhenthedepositofmudceases;soalsodothelargestblood-vesselsremainpermanentlyopen,whilethesmallestareconvertedactuallyintoflesh,thoughpotentiallytheyarenowhitlessvesselsthanbefore。

  Thistooexplainswhy,solongasthefleshofananimalisinitsintegrity,bloodwillflowfromanypartofitwhatsoeverthatiscut,thoughnovessel,howeversmall,bevisibleinit。Yettherecanbenoblood,unlesstherebeablood-vessel。Thevesselsthenarethere,butareinvisibleowingtotheirbeingcloggedup,justasthedykesforirrigationareinvisibleuntiltheyhavebeenclearedofmud。

  Astheblood-vesselsadvance,theybecomegraduallysmallerandsmaller,untilatlasttheirtubesaretoofinetoadmittheblood。

  Thisfluidcanthereforenolongerfinditswaythroughthem,thoughtheystillgivepassagetothehumourwhichwecallsweat;andespeciallysowhenthebodyisheated,andthemouthsofthesmallvesselsaredilated。Instances,indeed,arenotunknownofpersonswhoinconsequenceofacachecticstatehavesecretedsweatthatresembledblood,theirbodyhavingbecomelooseandflabby,andtheirbloodwatery,owingtotheheatinthesmallvesselshavingbeentooscantyforitsconcoction。For,aswasbeforesaid,everycompoundofearthandwater-andbothnutrimentandbloodaresuch-becomesthickerfromconcoction。Theinabilityoftheheattoeffectconcoctionmaybedueeithertoitsbeingabsolutelysmallinamount,ortoitsbeingsmallinproportiontothequantityoffood,whenthishasbeentakenexcess。Thisexcessagainmaybeoftwokinds,eitherquantitativeorqualitative;forallsubstancesarenotequallyamenabletoconcoction。

  Thewidestpassagesinthebodyareofallpartsthemostliabletohaemorrhage;sothatbleedingoccursnotinfrequentlyfromthenostrils,thegums,andthefundament,occasionallyalsofromthemouth。Suchhaemorrhagesareofapassivekind,andnotviolentasarethosefromthewindpipe。

  Thegreatvesselandtheaorta,whichaboveliesomewhatapart,lowerdownexchangepositions,andbysodoinggivecompactnesstothebody。Forwhentheyreachthepointwherethelegsdiverge,theyeachsplitintotwo,andthegreatvesselpassesfromthefronttotherear,andtheaortafromthereartothefront。Bythistheycontributetotheunityofthewholefabric。Forasinplaitedworkthepartsholdmorefirmlytogetherbecauseoftheinterweaving,soalsobytheinterchangeofpositionbetweentheblood-vesselsaretheanteriorandposteriorpartsofthebodymorecloselyknittogether。Asimilarexchangeofpositionoccursalsointheupperpartofthebody,betweenthevesselsthathaveissuedfromtheheart。

  ThedetailshoweverofthemutualrelationsofthedifferentvesselsmustbelookedforinthetreatisesonAnatomyandtheResearchesconcerningAnimals。

  Somuch,then,asconcernstheheartandtheblood-vessels。Wemustnowpassontotheothervisceraandapplythesamemethodofinquirytothem。

  6

  Thelung,then,isanorganfoundinalltheanimalsofacertainclass,becausetheyliveonland。Fortheremustofnecessitybesomemeansorotheroftemperingtheheatofthebody;andinsanguineousanimals,astheyareofanespeciallyhotnature,thecoolingagencymustbeexternal,whereasinthebloodlesskindstheinnatespiritissufficientofitselfforthepurpose。Theexternalcoolingagentmustbeeitherairorwater。Infishestheagentiswater。Fishesthereforeneverhavealung,buthavegillsinitsplace,aswasstatedinthetreatiseonRespiration。Butanimalsthatbreathearecooledbyair。Thesethereforeareallprovidedwithalung。

  Alllandanimalsbreathe,andevensomewateranimals,suchasthewhale,thedolphin,andallthespoutingCetacea。Formanyanimalsliehalf-waybetweenterrestrialandaquatic;somethatareterrestrialandthatinspireairbeingneverthelessofsuchabodilyconstitutionthattheyabideforthemosttimeinthewater;andsomethatareaquaticpartakingsolargelyofthelandcharacter,thatrespirationconstitutesforthemthemanconditionoflife。

  Theorganofrespirationisthelung。Thisderivesitsmotionfromtheheart;butitisitsownlargesizeandspongytexturethataffordsamplitudeofspaceforentranceofthebreath。Forwhenthelungrisesupthebreathstreamsin,andisagainexpelledwhenthelungcollapses。Ithasbeensaidthatthelungexistsasaprovisiontomeetthejumpingoftheheart。Butthisisoutofthequestion。Formanispracticallytheonlyanimalwhoseheartpresentsthisphenomenonofjumping,inasmuchashealoneisinfluencedbyhopeandanticipationofthefuture。Moreover,inmostanimalsthelungisseparatedfromtheheartbyaconsiderableintervalandliesaboveit,sothatitcancontributenothingtomitigateanyjumping。

  Thelungdiffersmuchindifferentanimals。Forinsomeitisoflargesizeandcontainsblood;whileinothersitissmallerandofspongytexture。Intheviviparaitislargeandrichinblood,becauseoftheirnaturalheat;whileintheoviparaitissmallanddrybutcapableofexpandingtoavastextentwheninflated。Amongterrestrialanimals,theoviparousquadrupeds,suchaslizards,tortoises,andthelike,havethiskindoflung;and,amonginhabitantsoftheair,theanimalsknownasbirds。Forinallthesethelungisspongy,andlikefoam。Foritismembranousandcollapsesfromalargebulktoasmallone,asdoesfoamwhenitrunstogether。Inthistooliestheexplanationofthefactthattheseanimalsarelittleliabletothirstanddrinkbutsparingly,andthattheyareabletoremainforaconsiderabletimeunderwater。For,inasmuchastheyhavebutlittleheat,theverymotionofthelung,airlikeandvoid,sufficesbyitselftocoolthemforaconsiderableperiod。

  Theseanimals,speakinggenerally,arealsodistinguishedfromothersbytheirsmallerbulk。Forheatpromotesgrowth,andabundanceofbloodisasureindicationofheat。Heat,again,tendstomakethebodyerect;andthusitisthatmanisthemosterectofanimals,andtheviviparamoreerectthanotherquadrupeds。Fornoviviparousanimal,beitapodousorbeitpossessedoffeet,issogiventocreepintoholesasaretheovipara。

  Thelung,then,existsforrespiration;andthisisitsuniversaloffice;butinoneorderofanimalsitisbloodlessandhasthestructuredescribedabove,tosuitthespecialrequirementsThereis,however,noonetermtodenoteallanimalsthathavealung;nodesignation,thatis,likethetermBird,applicabletothewholeofacertainclass。Yetthepossessionofalungisapartoftheiressence,justasmuchasthepresenceofcertaincharactersconstitutestheessenceofabird。

  7

  Oftheviscerasomeappeartobesingle,astheheartandlung;

  otherstobedouble,asthekidneys;whileofathirdkinditisdoubtfulinwhichclasstheyshouldbereckoned。Fortheliverandthespleenwouldseemtoliehalf-waybetweenthesingleandthedoubleorgans。Fortheymayberegardedeitherasconstitutingeachasingleorgan,orasapairoforgansresemblingeachotherincharacter。

  Inreality,however,alltheorgansaredouble。Thereasonforthisisthatthebodyitselfisdouble,consistingoftwohalves,whicharehowevercombinedtogetherunderonesupremecentre。Forthereisanupperandalowerhalf,afrontandarear,arightsideandaleft。

  Thisexplainswhyitisthateventhebrainandtheseveralorgansofsensetendinallanimalstoconsistoftwoparts;andthesameexplanationappliestotheheartwithitscavities。ThelungagaininOviparaisdividedtosuchanextentthattheseanimalslookasthoughtheyhadactuallytwolungs。Astothekidneys,noonecanoverlooktheirdoublecharacter。Butwhenwecometotheliverandthespleen,anyonemightfairlybeindoubt。Thereasonofthisis,that,inanimalsthatnecessarilyhaveaspleen,thisorganissuchthatitmightbetakenforakindofbastardliver;whileinthoseinwhichaspleenisnotanactualnecessitybutismerelypresent,asitwere,bywayoftoken,inanextremelyminuteform,theliverplainlyconsistsoftwoparts;ofwhichthelargertendstolieontherightsideandthesmallerontheleft。NotbutwhattherearesomeevenoftheOviparainwhichthisconditioniscomparativelyindistinctlymarked;while,ontheotherhand,therearesomeViviparainwhichtheliverismanifestlydividedintotwoparts。Examplesofsuchdivisionarefurnishedbytheharesofcertainregions,whichhavetheappearanceofhavingtwolivers,andbythecartilaginousandsomeotherfishes。

  Itisthepositionoftheliverontherightsideofthebodythatisthemaincausefortheformationofthespleen;theexistenceofwhichthusbecomestoacertainextentamatterofnecessityinallanimals,thoughnotofverystringentnecessity。

  Thereason,then,whythevisceraarebilateralis,aswehavesaid,thattherearetwosidestothebody,arightandaleft。Foreachofthesesidesaimsatsimilaritywiththeother,andsolikewisedotheirseveralviscera;andasthesides,thoughdual,areknittogetherintounity,soalsodothevisceratendtobebilateralandyetonebyunityofconstitution。

  Thoseviscerawhichliebelowthediaphragmexistoneandallonaccountoftheblood-vessels;servingasabond,bywhichthesevessels,whilefloatingfreely,areyetheldinconnexionwiththebody。Forthevesselsgiveoffbrancheswhichruntothebodythroughtheoutstretchedstructures,likesomanyanchorlinesthrownoutfromaship。Thegreatvesselsendssuchbranchestotheliverandthespleen;andtheseviscera-theliverandspleenoneithersidewiththekidneysbehind-attachthegreatvesseltothebodywiththefirmnessofnails。Theaortasendssimilarbranchestoeachkidney,butnonetotheliverorspleen。

  Theseviscera,then,contributeinthismannertothecompactnessoftheanimalbody。Theliverandspleenassist,moreover,intheconcoctionofthefood;forbothareofahotcharacter,owingtothebloodwhichtheycontain。Thekidneys,ontheotherhand,takepartintheseparationoftheexcretionwhichflowsintothebladder。

  Theheartthenandtheliverareessentialconstituentsofeveryanimal;theliverthatitmayeffectconcoction,theheartthatitmaylodgethecentralsourceofheat。Forsomepartorothertheremustbewhich,likeahearth,shallholdthekindlingfire;andthispartmustbewellprotected,seeingthatitis,asitwere,thecitadelofthebody。

  Allsanguineousanimals,then,needthesetwoparts;andthisexplainswhythesetwoviscera,andthesetwoalone,areinvariablyfoundinthemall。Insuchofthem,however,asbreathe,thereisalsoasinvariablyathird,namelythelung。Thespleen,ontheotherhand,isnotinvariablypresent;and,inthoseanimalsthathaveit,isonlypresentofnecessityinthesamesenseastheexcretionsofthebellyandofthebladderarenecessary,inthesense,thatis,ofbeinganinevitableconcomitant。Thereforeitisthatinsomeanimalsthespleenisbutscantilydevelopedasregardssize。This,forinstance,isthecaseinsuchfeatheredanimalsashaveahotstomach。Sucharethepigeon,thehawk,andthekite。Itisthecasealsoinoviparousquadrupeds,wherethespleenisexcessivelyminute,andinmanyofthescalyfishes。Thesesameanimalsarealsowithoutabladder,becausetheloosetextureoftheirfleshallowstheresidualfluidtopassthroughandtobeappliedtotheformationoffeathersandscales。Forthespleenattractstheresidualhumoursfromthestomach,andowingtoitsbloodlikecharacterisenabledtoassistintheirconcoction。Should,however,thisresidualfluidbetooabundant,ortheheatofthespleenbetooscanty,thebodybecomessicklyfromover-repletionwithnutriment。Often,too,whenthespleenisaffectedbydisease,thebellybecomeshardowingtotherefluxintoitofthefluid;justashappenstothosewhoformtoomuchurine,fortheyalsoareliabletoasimilardiversionofthefluidsintothebelly。Butinthoseanimalsthathavebutlittlesuperfluousfluidtoexcrete,suchasbirdsandfishes,thespleenisneverlarge,andinsomeexistsnomorethanbywayoftoken。Soalsointheoviparousquadrupedsitissmall,compact,andlikeakidney。Fortheirlungisspongy,andtheydrinkbutlittle,andsuchsuperfluousfluidastheyhaveisappliedtothegrowthofthebodyandtheformationofscalyplates,justasinbirdsitisappliedtotheformationoffeathers。

  Ontheotherhand,insuchanimalsashaveabladder,andwhoselungcontainsblood,thespleeniswatery,bothforthereasonalreadymentioned,andalsobecausetheleftsideofthebodyismorewateryandcolderthantheright。Foreachoftwocontrarieshasbeensoplacedastogotogetherwiththatwhichisakintoitinanotherpairofcontraries。Thusrightandleft,hotandcold,arepairsofcontraries;andrightisconjoinedwithhot,afterthemannerdescribed,andleftwithcold。

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