(834)
But here he declareth, that he seeth not, how that Explosion, by which the Muscles are so suddenly inflated and contracted, should proceed from the Arterious Bloud and the Nervous juyce. He esteems rather, that the nitrous particles proceeding from the inspired Air, do by the Afflux of the Arterious bloud everywhere flow between the fibres of the Muscles, and lodge therein, and that the animal spirits, made up of at very volatile salt, and not much differing from the distilled spirit of bloud, highly rectifi'd, do, as often as they are tent from the Nerves for motion, meet with the former nitrous and differing particles; by which mixture of a kind of Volatile Spirit of bloud, and a Salin liquor, united together, is caused that sudden explosion, and consequently the inflation and contraction of the Muscles. To which Ebullition, he saith, may perhaps something also conduce the Bloud, forasmuch as its sulphureous particles, conjoyn'd with the Niter inspired, may render that juyce Nitro-sulphureous, and yet more explosive. And thus he thinks the motion made in the heart, (a musculous substance) to be done no otherwise, than that in other Muscles. Whence he concludeth, that upon the suppressing of Respiration, when that darting Niter, so requisite to all motion,is deficient, the Cardiaque Nerves convey their inHu; in vain, so that the pulhition of the heart cealing, and consequently the afflux of the Blood to the Brain, Death must needs follow; but yet that the Animal may live a while without; Respiration, forasmuch as the Blond contained in the vessels of the Lungs, and impregnated with Air enough, may suffice to maintain for some few moments the motion of the heart.
And thus much of the first Tract, the other treating of the Rickets, examins in the first place, wherein Nutrition consists, and finds, That the Nervous Juyce performs not alone the whole office of that operation, in regard that besides it, the Blond diffused through the Arteries, hath no small share in that work, seeing that the nervous liquor mixt with the blond, causeth a certain effervescence, whereby the matter, fit for nutrition, is precipitated, and that for want of this nervous liquor, the Bloud in this distemper of the Rickets, though it be laudable enouih, yet being destitute of its one ferment, is not able to excite Heat in the parts, nor to execute the office of Nutrition. So that the Rickets, in the opinion of this Author, are a disease, caused by an unequal distribution of the Nervous juyce, from whose either defect or superabundance, some parts defrauded of nourishment, are emaciated others, being surcharged, grow into a disproportionate bigness. Proceeding to assigne the Cause of this inequality in the distribution of the Aliment, he finds it not in the influx of the Brain, but in the obstruction of the spinal Marrow, whence it happens, that, that high way of the passage of the spirits being damm'd up, the parts, to be sustain'd and cherish'd by that nutritious Juyce, must needs languish, and fall into an Atrophy and the highest Consumption.
