(c) Vitalis Spiritus in sinistro cordis ventriculo suam Originem habet, juvantibus maximè pulmonibus adipsius generationem. Est spiritus tenuis, caloris vi elaboratus, flavo colore, igneâ potentiâ, ut sit quasi ex puriore sanguine lucidus, vapor: generatur ex facta in pulmone mixtione inspirati aeris cum elaborato subtili sanguine, quem dexter ventriculus sinistro communicat. Fit autem communicatio hæc non per parietem cordis medium ut vulgo creditur, sed magno artificio à dextro cordis ventriculo, longo per pulmones ductu, agitatur sanguis subtilis; à pulmonibus præparatur; flavus ejicitur, & à venâ arteriosâ in arteriam venosam transfunditur; deinde in ipsâ arteriâ venosâ inspirato aëri misccetur & exspiratione à fuligine repurgatur; atque ita tandem à sinistro cordis ventriculo totum mixtum per diastolen attrahitur, apta supellex ut fiat spiritus vitalis. Servet. Christian. Restit.Text as well as any of his Commentators, who have written since the Greek Tongue; and much more, since the Ionic Dialect has ceased to be a living Language.
Since the Ancients have no Right to so noble a Discovery, it may be worth while to enquire, to whom of the Moderns the Glory of it is due; for this is also exceedingly contested. The first Step that was made towards it, was, the finding that the whole Mass of the Blood passes through the Lungs, by the Pulmonary Artery and Vein.
The first that I could ever find, who had a distinct Idea of this Matter, was Michael Servetus, a Spanish Physician, who was burnt for Arianism, at Geneva, near 140 Years ago. Well had it been for the Church of Christ, if he had wholly confined himself to his own Profession! His Sagacity in this Particular, before so much in the dark, gives us great Reason to believe, that the World might then have had just Cause to have blessed his Memory. (c) In a Book of his, intituled, Christianismi Restitutio,printed
