IMPROVED. ^7 



needful to thofe who are concerned In the Cure 

 of Diflempers, whether in Human or Brute Crea- 

 tures. 



A Fibre is an Animal-Thread, of which there j\^ Fibre, 

 are different Kinds ; fome are foft, flexible, and adcfcribed. 

 little elaftick ; and thefe are either hollow, like 

 fmall Pipes, or fpongious, and full of little Cells, 

 as the Nerves and flefhy Fibres : Others are more 

 folid, flexible, and with a ftrong Elafticity or 

 Spring, as the membranous and cartilagmous Fi- 

 bres : And a third Sort are hard and inflexible, as 

 the Fibres of the Bones. In fine, the whole 

 Animal Body is nothing elfe but a Compofition of 

 feveral Kinds of Fibres ; and of thefe fome are very 

 fenfible, but others deftitute of all Manner of Senfe 

 or Feeling : Some fo very fmall as not to be eafily 

 perceived ; and others, on the contrary, fo big as 

 to be plainly feen with the naked Eye : And moft 

 of them, when examined with a Microfcope or 

 Magnifying Glafs, appear to be compofed of Hill 

 fmall er Fibres. 



Thefe Fibres firft conftitute the Subftance of the 

 Bones, Cartilages or Grillles, Ligaments, Mem- 

 branes, Nerves, Veins , Arteries, and Mufcles. 

 And again, by the various Texture and different 

 Combination of fome or all of thefe Parts, the 

 more compound Organs are framed : fuch as the 

 Lungs, Stomach, Liver, Leg?, and Arms, the 

 Sum of all which makes up the Animal Body. 



As for that particular Property of Elafticity or 

 Power of Contraftion, after the Diftraftile Force is 

 removed, upon which the Knowledge of the 

 Animal Mechanifm fo much depends, too much 

 Pains camiot be taken for rightly Uunderftanding it. 

 And 



Fir/}, it is well known that any VefTel or Mem- 

 brane may be divided into very fmall Fibres or 

 Threads, and that thefe Threads may be drawn out 

 into a very conflderable Length without breaking ; 

 and that when fuch external Force is removed, 



they 



