GREEK BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 



process). Nutrition is an addition to these 

 without expansion." 



The faculty of growth is present in the 

 embryo, but subordinate to the genetic faculty 

 until birth. Then, till the animal has reached 

 its full size, the faculty of growth dominates 

 while the alterative and nutritive faculties act 

 as its handmaids. " What then, is the property 

 of this faculty of growth? To extend in every 

 direction that which has already come into 

 existence, that is to say, the solid parts of the 

 body, the arteries, veins, nerves, bones, carti- 

 lages, membranes, ligaments, and the various 

 simple and homogeneous coats of the stomach, 

 intestines, arteries, etc." 



Galen then describes how children stretch 

 and blow up pigs' bladders; but the bladders 

 get thinner as they are expanded. The children 

 cannot make the bladder get bigger, as only 

 Nature can, through nourishment. 



" It will now, therefore, be clear to you that 

 nutrition is a necessity for growing things. 

 For if such bodies were distended, but not at 

 the same time nourished, they would take on 

 a false appearance of growth, but not a true 

 growth. And further, to be distended in all 

 directions belongs only to bodies whose growth 



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