VOL. II.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 241 



An Account of some Books. N" 34, p. 660. 



' I. W. Sengwerdius, P. D. de Tarantula. Lugd. Bat. 1668, 12mo. 



As the subject of this treatise will present itself more than onc€ in the sub- 

 sequent volumes of these Transactions, (See Lister in vol. vi. and Cirillo, in 

 vol. Ix.) we shall only observe on the present occasion, that the very extraordi- 

 nary effects formerly attributed to the bite of this insect, and minutely described 

 by this author, together with the pretended cures by music and dancing, are 

 now justly referred to imposture in many instances, and to the influence of the 

 imagination in others. It is nevertheless true that the bite of the aranea taran- 

 tula is not wholly innoxious. On the genus aranea, see Linnaean Trans, vol. ii. 



II. Regneri de Graaff,* M. D. Epistola, de nonnuUis circa Partes Genitales 

 Inventis Novis. Lugduni Batav. 1668. (See also N° 38). 



III. Johannis Van Home,-}* M. D. Observationum circa Partes Genitales 

 in utroque Sexu, Prodromus. Lugd. Batav. 1668. (See also N° 38). 



De Graaf, 1 . Rejects the opinion of those that teach a conjunction of the se- 

 minal arteries with the veins by visible anastomoses, and that reckon the testicles 

 among glands. 2. He affirms that he has often unravelled the whole substance 

 of the testicles to a great length. 3. He asserts to have showed in a clear man- 

 ner the communication of the vesiculae seminales with the vasa deferentia, and 

 the size, shape and termination of these last in the urethra. To which he says 

 he has added a very easy way of examining the body of the prostatae. From 



* Regner de Graaf was born at Schoonhaven in 1 64- 1 ; he studied at Leyden under De le Boe Syl- 

 vius and Van Home 3 but took his doctor s degree at Angers, and practised at Delft. He was author 

 of the following anatomical treatises: De Succi Pancreatici Natura, 166-1- and 1666; De VirorumOr- 

 ganis Generationi Inservientibus, l6'6'8j De Mulierum Organis Generationi Inservientibus, l6"72; De- 

 fensio Partium Genitalium, 1673, These were collected into one 8vo. vol. and reprinted after his 

 death under the title of Opera Omnia, Leid. 1677. He died prematurely when only 32 years of age, 

 in consequence, as is supposed, of great uneasiness of mind, brought on by the warm disputes in which 

 he was involved with Swammerdam. In his tract on the pancreatic juice, he gives an account of a 

 very difficult anatomical experiment which he performed on a living dog, opening the abdomen, and 

 inserting a tube into tlie pancreatic duct, for the purpose of collecting the juice thereof^ to which 

 (with Sylvius) he ascribed acid properties. By his other writings he tlirew considerable light on the 

 structure and uses of tlie different parts belonging to the organs of generation in both sexes. 



f Van Home was a native of Amsterdam j but he spent many years in Italy, practising at Venice, 

 Padua, and other places. On his return to Holland he was appointed to tlie anatomical and chirurgical 

 professorships at Leyden, where he bestowed great pains on the art of injecting the vessels, preparing 

 the various parts of the body, and making anatomical drawings. He wrote several anatomical treatises, 

 (such as his NoAOis Ductus Chyliferas, 16.52 5 De Ductibus Salivalibus, 1656; Microcosmus seu 

 Manuductio ad Histor. Corp. Hum. 16603 Prodromus Obs. circa Partes Genitales, 1668, &c.) all which 

 have been since reprinted in one Svo. vol, under the title of Opuscula Anatomico-chirurgica, Leips. 

 1707. He died at Leyden in 167O, being only 49 years of age. 



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