AmNoX'i92iarm* }         Notes  on  Ancient  Medicine.  781 
through  the  ear,  and  this  belief  is  attributed  to  the  supposition  that 
the  animal  he  was  dissecting  had  had  the  ear  drum  destroyed. 
Aristotle  (fourth  century  B.  C.)  corrected  the  error  of 
Alcmseon,  but  had  himself  certain  delusions.  He  says  that  the  hearts 
has  three  ventricles,  that  there  are  but  eight  ribs  on  each  side,  and 
makes  no  distinction  between  the  arteries  and  veins;  he  also  be- 
lieved the  bram  was  not  provided  with  a  blood  supply. 
An  old  description  divides  the  body  into  two  parts,  the  "con- 
tained" and  "containing."  The  contained  consisted  of  four  humors, 
viz.,  blood,  bile,  water  and  mucus  or  phlegm,  to  which  was  some- 
times added  serum  (from  urine),  sweat  and  tears.  There  was 
further  an  -  imponderable  subtle  vapor  called  spirits,  which  was 
supposed  to  be  a  "common  tye  or  medium  betwixt  the  body  and 
soul."  This  view  was  accepted  by  Hippocrates,  later  with  certain 
modifications  by  Galen,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  in  much  later  times. 
I  have  before  me  a  work  written  in  162 1  which  does  not  show  a 
great  deal  of  advancement  on  Aristotle.  The"  description  of  the 
anatomy  of  heart  and  lungs  is  interesting:  "The  heart  though  it  be 
a  sole  member  yet  it  may  be  divided  into  two  creeks,  left  and  right. 
The  right  is  like  the  moon  increasing,  bigger  than  the  other  part,  and 
receives  blood  from  vena  cava,  distributing  some  to  the  lungs  10  nour- 
ish them,  the  rest  to  the  left  side  to  ingender  spirits.  The  left  creek 
hath  the  form  of  a  cone,  and  is  the  seat  of  life,  which  (as  a  torch 
doth  oyl)  draws  blood  unto  it,  begetting  of  it  spirits  and  fire;  and,  as 
fire  in  a  torch,  so  are  spirits  in  the  blood;  and  by  that  great  artery 
called  aorta,  it  sends  vital  spirits  over  the  body ;  and  takes  ayre  from 
the  lungs,  by  that  artery  which  is  called  venosa ;  so  that  both  creeks 
have  their  vessels ;  the  right  two  veins,  the  left  two  arteries,  besides 
those  two  common  ancractuous  ears  which  serve  them  both,  the  one 
to  hold  blood,  the  other  ayre  for  several  uses.  The  lungs  is  a  thin 
spungy  part,  like  an  oxe  hoof  (saith  Fernelius),  the  instrument  of 
voice ;  annexed  to  the  heart  to  express  his  thoughts  by  voice.  *  *  '* 
That  it  is  the  instrument  of  voice  is  manifest  in  that  no  creature  can 
speak  or  utter  any  voice  that  wanteh  these  lights.  It  is  besides  the 
instrument  of  respiration,  or  breathing;  and  its  office  is  to  cool  the 
heart  by  sending  ayre  unto  it  by  the  venosal  artery  which  vein  comes 
to  the  lungs  by  that  aspera  arteria  (trachea?),  which  consists  of 
many  gristles,  membranes,  nerves,  taking  in  ayre  at  the  nose  and 
mouth,  and  it  likewise  exhales  the  fumes  of  the  heart." 
