VOL. XXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 675 



Now since we see that the particles of flesh, fat, and small membranes of the 

 whale, are no larger than those of an ox; and that the size of creatures de- 

 pends only on the number or quantity of their parts, we may easily conceive 

 why the animalcula in semine masculine of a whale, are not larger than those 

 in our common quadrupeds. 



Epistola D. J. Phil. Breynij, M, D. Gedanensis, et Reg, Societ. Lond. Sodal. ad 

 D. Hans Sloane, M. D. varias Observationes continens, in Itinere per Italiam 

 suscepto. Anno 1703. N*' 334. p. 447. 



The geographical and other observations, contained in this itinerary, are not 

 now sufficiently interesting for reprinting. 



Some Remarks on a Parchment MS. of Greek Surgical JVriters, in the Lau- 

 rentian Library at Florence ^ taken from Schelhammers Additions to Conrin- 

 gius's Introd. in Artem Medicam. Cap. xii. p. 401. — N° 334, p. 459. 

 An Abstract from the Latin, 



We have no treatises (says Conringius) on surgery by the ancients, except 

 those of Hippocrates, Galen and Celsus. 



On this it is remarked by Schelhammer, that Spon in his travels into Italy, 

 Dalmatia, &c. makes mention of a MS. in the Laurentian Library at Florence, 

 the only one as he (Spon) imagines of the kind in Europe. It is a large vol. 

 containing the surgery of the ancients; viz. of Hippocrates, Galen, Ascle- 

 piades, Bithynus, Apollonius, Archigenes, Nymphodorus, Diodes, Rufus 

 Ephesius, and Apollodorus Cytien«is. In this work there are figures drawn 

 upon parchment, illustrating the method of reducing luxations. The last men- 

 tioned writer, Apollodorus of Cytium, as well as Asclepiades, Apollonius and 

 Diodes, are occasionally quoted by Pliny. Archigenes is also frequently men- 

 tioned by Galen ; but the entire works of these writers are no where else to be 

 found. And, with regard to Bithynus, Nymphodorus and Heliodorus, they 

 are scarcely known to us even by name. 



If this account (observes Schelhammer) were correct, there would be much 

 reason to regret that the abovementioned MS. collection of Greek writers on 

 Surgery, should remain unpublished ; but Meibomius (who, during his stay at 

 Florence, carefully examined this MS. and was allowed to make extracts from 

 it) gives a very different account of it. This collection (he says) of ancient 



* These ai e very erroneous conjectures. The black complexion of the natives of Guinea and other 

 parts of Africa^ is not owing to any specific difference in the quality of their blood, but to the colour 

 of the rete naucosum, which lies immediately under the cuticle. 



4 r2 



