GREEK BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 



Lprocess). Nutrition is an addition to these 

 without expansion." 

 I'" The faculty of growth is present in the 

 j embryo, but subordinate to the genetic faculty 

 I until birth. Then, till the animal has reached 

 | its full size, the faculty of growth dominates 

 ! while the alterative and nutritive faculties act 

 I as its handmaids. " What then, is the property 

 f of this faculty of growth? To extend in every 

 i direction that which has already come into 

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

 I 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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