ARISTOTLE. 33 



probably after they had been hunted to death that he 

 examined them. Now, it is generally admitted that 

 coagulation under such circumstances is imperfect and 

 even uncommon. The statement as to the richness in 

 fibres of the blood of bulls and boars has been con- 

 firmed by some modern investigations, which have 

 shown that the clot bears a proportion to the strength 

 and ferocity of the animal. The remarks, however, as 

 to the relative rapidity of coagulation would appear to 

 be contradicted by later observations, for Thackrah 

 came to the conclusion that coagulation commenced 

 sooner in small and weak animals than in strong. 



Of the brain Aristotle makes the following among 

 other assertions : " Of all parts of the body there is 

 none so cold as the brain. ... Of all the fluids of the 

 body it is the one that has the least blood, for, in fact, it 

 has no blood at all in its proper substance. . . . That 

 it has no continuity with the organs of sense is plain 

 from simple inspection, and still more closely shown by 

 the fact that when it is touched no sensation is produced. 

 . . . The brain tempers the heat and seething of the 

 heart. ... In order that it may not itself be absolutely 

 without heat, blood-vessels from the aorta end in the 

 membrane which surrounds the brain. ... Of all animals 

 man has the largest brain in proportion to his size : and 

 it is larger in men than in women. This is because the 

 region of the heart and of the lung is hotter and richer 



D 



