276 Mayow 



distribution of nitro-aerial spirits, and the other for 

 the diffusion of the blood, and besides for the reception 

 of nitro-aerial particles. If the obstruction takes 

 place in the former, the mass of the blood will lack 

 its due ferment, the influx of fermentative spirits being 

 shut off from the spleen ; but if the latter are ob- 

 structed, the saline-sulphureous particles of the blood 

 detained too long in the parenchyma of the spleen 

 and too much fermented, will acquire an acid and 

 dried up, or what is the same thing, an atrabilous 

 character. 



2. If the substance of the spleen is corroded by an 

 ulcer, or in any other way broken, the nitro-aerial 

 particles will not now as at other times be mixed in 

 its parenchyma intimately and uniformly with the 

 mass of the blood, but in a too crowded and confused 

 way, whence a too intense effervescence is set up, on 

 account of which the saline-sulphureous particles of 

 the blood become much dried up and sooty. 



From what has been said, it is not difficult to 

 understand how it is that an animal can live when 

 deprived of so notable an organ as the spleen ; for 

 although the offices here assigned to the spleen 

 conduce in no small degree to the correct carrying on 

 of the animal economy and to perfect health, still 

 they are not so necessary but that life can be kept up 

 in a so-so way without them. 



We may here note, by the way, that the parts of 

 all sorts of animals contain an ample quantity of 

 volatile salt, but scarcely any fixed salt, as is shown 

 by their distillation and combustion ; and yet many 

 animals live on vegetables only, and in these there is 

 little or no volatile salt to be found, but much fixed or 

 rather nitrous salt : so that it would plainly seem 

 that the fixed or nitrous salts of the food are trans- 



