334 HISTORY OF 



4. Living creatures are nourished by the mouth, plants 

 by the root, young ones in the womb by the navel. Birds 

 for a while are nourished with the yolk in the egg, whereof 

 some is found in their crops after they are hatched. 



5. All nourishment moveth from the centre to the circum 

 ference, or from the inward to the outward ; yet it is to be 

 noted, that in trees and plants the nourishment passeth 

 rather by the bark and outward parts than by the pith and 

 inward parts; for if the bark be pulled off, though but for 

 a small breadth round, they live no more ; and the blood in 

 the veins of living creatures doth no less nourish the flesh 

 beneath than the flesh above it. 



6. In all alimentation or nourishment there is a twofold 

 action, extusion, and attraction ; whereof the former proceeds 

 from the inward function, the latter from the outward. 



7. Vegetables assimilate their nourishment simply, with 

 out excerning ; for gums and tears of trees are rather ex 

 uberances than excrements, and knots or knobs are nothing 

 but diseases. But the substance of living creatures is more 

 perceptible of the like; and, therefore, it is conjoined with 

 a kind of disdain, whereby it rejecteth the bad and assi- 

 milateth the good. 



8. It is a strange thing of the stalks of fruits, that all the 

 nourishment which produceth sometimes such great fruits, 

 should be forced to pass throngh so narrow necks ; for the 

 fruit is never joined to the stocks without some stalk. 



9. It is to be noted, that the seeds of living creatures will 

 not be fruitful but when they new shed, but the seeds of 

 plants will be fruitful a long time after they are gathered ; 

 yet the slips or cions of trees will not grow unless they be 

 grafted green, neither will the roots keep long fresh unless 

 they be covered with earth. 



10. In living creatures there are degrees of nourishment 

 according to their age ; in the womb, the young one is nou 

 rished with the mother s blood ; when it is new-born, with 

 milk ; afterwards with meats and drinks ; and in old age 

 the most nourishing and savoury meats please best. 



Above all it maketh to the present inquisition, to inquire 

 diligently and attentively whether a man may not receive 

 nourishment from without, at least some other way beside 

 the mouth. We know that baths of milk are used in some 

 hectic fevers, and when the body is brought extreme low, 

 and physicians do provide nourishing glisters. This matter 

 would be well studied ; for if nourishment may be made 

 either from without, or some other way than by the stomach, 



