Chap. 2 6. \A Treatife of BODIES. 2pj 



Fourthly, what fhould liindcr the bloud from coming in, be- 

 fore the hearc be quite empty and fhrunk to its loweft pi'tch ? 

 For as foon as ihc vapour yieldcth within, new bloud may 

 fall in from without ; and fb keep the heart continual, 

 ly dilated, without ever fuffering it to be perfe&Jy and com. 

 pletely fhut. 



Fifthly, the heart of a viper layed upon a plate in a warm 

 place will beat fbure and twenty houres, and much longer, if 

 it be carefully taken out of its body, and the weather be warm 

 and moyft : and it is clear, that this is without fucceflion of 

 bloud to caufe the pulfes of it. Likewifc, the fevered members 

 of living creatures will ftirre for (bme time afcer they are part- 

 ed from their bodies: and in them, we can fufpcdr, no fuch caufe 

 of motion. 



Sixthly , in Monfieur des Cartes his opinion, the heart 

 fhould be hardeft when it is fulleft ; and the eruption ofthe 

 fteam out of it , fhould be ftrongeft at the beginning , whereas 

 experience fhcwcth, that it is fbfteft when it is at the point of 

 being full, and hardeft when it is at the point of being empty j 

 and the motion ftrongeft, towards the end. 



Seventhly, in Monfieur des Cartes his way, there is no a- 

 gent or force ftrong enough to make bloud gufh owe of the 

 heart : for if it be the fteam onely that openeth the doores, 

 nothing but it will go out ; and the bloud will ftill remain be- 

 hind, fince it lieth lower then the fteam, and further from the 

 iflfue that letteth it out * but Doctor Harvey findeth by expe- 

 rience ( and teacheth how to make this experience ) that when 

 a wound is made in the heart, bloud will gufh out by fpurts at 

 every fhooting ofthe heart. 



And laftly, if Monfieur des Cartes his fuppofition were true, 

 the arteries would receive nothing but fteams ; whereas it is 

 evident that the chief filler of them is bloud. 



Therefore we muft enquire after another caufe of this pri- 

 mary motion of a fcufitive creature, in the beatings of its heart. The Au thfturf 

 Wherein we fhall not be obliged to look farre : for feeing we opinion con- 

 find this motion and thefc puliations in the heart when it is ie- 

 parated from the body , we may boldly and fafely conclude, 

 that it muft of ncceffity be caufed by fomething that is 



T 3 within 



