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Lungs, I fay, are, for their better Security and Defence, fhut up in the fame Cavity with the

Heart.

V. In the abundant Provifion that is made against evil Accidents and Inconveniences. And the Liberality of Nature as to this Particular, appears, 1. In that he hath given many Members, which are of eminent Ufe, by Pairs, as two Eyes, two Ears, two Noftrils, two Hands, two Feet, two Breafts, [Mamma,] two Reins: That fo, if by any crofs or unhappy Accident one fhould be difabled or rendred ufelefs, the other might ferve us tolerably well; whereas had a Man but one Hand, or one Eye, &c. if that were gone, all were gone, and we left in an evil Cafe. See then, and acknowledge the Benignity of the Deity, who hath bestowed upon us two Hands, and two Eyes, and other the like Parts, not only for our Neceffity but Conveniency, fo long as we enjoy them; and for our Security, in cafe any Mifchance deprive us of one of them.

In that all the Veffels of the Body have many Ramifications: Which particular Branches, though they serve mainly for one Member or Mufcle, yet fend forth fome Twigs to the neighbouring Muscles; and fo interchangeably the Branches that ferve thefe, fend to them. So. that if one Branch chance to be cut off or obftructed, its Defect may, in some measure, be fupplied by the Twigs that come from the neighbouring Veffels. 3. In that fhe hath pro

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vided fo many ways to evacuate what might be hurtful to us, or breed Diseases in our Bodies. If any thing opprefs the Head, it hath a Power to free itfelf by Sneezing: If any thing fall into the Lungs, or if any Humour be discharg'd upon them, they have a Faculty of clearing themselves, and cafting it up by Cough ing: If any thing clog or burden the Stomach, it hath an Ability of contracting itself, and throwing it up by Vomit. Befides thefe ways of Evacuation, there are Siege, Urine, Sweating, Hamorrhaiges from the Nose, and hamorrhoidal Veins, Fluxes of Rheum. Now the Reafon why Nature hath provided fo many ways of Evacuation, is, because of the different Humours that are to be voided or caft out. When therefore there is a Secretion made of any noxious Humour, it is carried off by that Emuntory, whose Pores are fitted to receive and transmit the minute Parts of it; if at least this Separation be made by Percolation, as we will now fuppofe, but not affert. Yet I doubt not but the fame Humour may be caft off by divers Emunctories, as is clear in Urine and Sweat, which are for main the fame Humour carried off feveral ways.

To this Head of Provifion against Inconve niences, I fhall add an Obfervation or two concerning Sleep.

1. Sleep being neceffary to Man and other Animals for their Refreshment, and for the Reparation of that great Expence of Spirits, which

Part II. is made in the day-time, by the constant Exercife of the Senfes and Motions of the Muscles, that it might ease and refresh us indeed; Nature hath provided, that tho' we lic long upon one fide, we should have no Senfe of Pain or Uneafinefs during our Reft, no, nor when we awake. Whereas in Reafon one would think, that the whole Weight of the Body preffing the Muscles and Bones on which we lie, fhould be very burdenfome and uneafy, and create a grievous Sense of Pain; and we find by Experience that it doth fo, when we lie long awake in the Night, we being not able (especially if never fo little indifpofed) to reft one quarter of an Hour in the fame Pofture without fhifting of Sides, or at leaft etching this way and that way, more or lefs. How this may be ef fected is a great Question. To me it seems moft probable, that it is done by an Inflation of the Muscles, whereby they become both foft, and yet renitent like fo many Pillows, diffipating the Force of the Preffure, and fo preventing or taking away the Sense of Pain. That the Muscles are in this manner inflated in time of Reft, appears to the very Eye in the Faces of Children, and may be proved from that when we reft in our Cloaths, we are fain to loofen our Garters, Shoo-Strings, and other Ligatures, to give the Spirits free Paffage, elfe we fhall experience Pain and Uneafinefs in thofe Parts, which when we are waking we find not.

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The Reafon of this Phenomenon, viz. that ἀναλγησία or Want of Pain we experience in Sleep, during and after a long decubitus on one Side, Dr. Lifter in his Journey to Paris, p. 113. and Dr. Jones in his Treatife of the Mysteries of Opium revealed, attribute to the Relaxation of the Nerves and Mufcles in time of Sleep; and the Sense of Pain and Uneafi nefs when we lie awake to the Tenfion of them during that time. This I do not deny, but yet I think the Reason I have affigned hath a great Interest in that Reft and Eafinefs we enjoy when asleep.

2. Because Sleep is inconfiftent with the Senfe of Pain, therefore during Reft, those Nerves which convey that Motion to the Brain, which excites in the Soul a Senfe of Pain, are obftructed. This I myself have had frequent Experience of, fince I have been troubled with Sores on my Legs: Upon fudden awakening, finding myself at perfect Eafe, and void of all Senfe of Pain for a Minute's time or more, the Pain then by degrees returning, which I could attribute to nothing but the diffipating that Vapour, or whatever elfe it were, which obftructed the Nerves, and giving the dolorifick Motion free Paffage again.

Upon fecond Thoughts, and reading what Dr. Lifter and Dr. Jones have written concerning this Subject, I rather incline to believe, that the Motion caufing a Senfe of Pain, is convey'd to the Brain by the Nerves themselves in Ten

Part II. fion, as we see in Chords, any the leaft Touch at one End paffes fpeedily to the other when they are stretch'd, which it doth not when they are relaxed, and not by the Spirits paffing through them: And on the other fide, the Un fenfibleness of Pain proceeds rather from the Relaxation of the Nerves than their Obftrution. But yet this Tension of the Nerves and Mufcles is owing to the Spirits flowing down into them, and diftending them.

VI. From the Conftancy that is obferved in the Number, Figure, Place, and Make of all the principal Parts; and from the Variety in the lefs. Man is always mending and altering his Works But Nature obferves the fame Tenor, because her Works are fo perfect, that there is no Place for Amendments; nothing that can be reprehended. The most fagacious Men in fo many Ages, have not been able to find any Flaw in these Divinely contrived and formed Machines, no Blot or Error in this great Volume of the World, as if any thing had been an imperfect Effay at the first, to use the Bishop of Chefter's Words: Nothing that can be altered for the better; nothing but if it were altered would be marred. This could not have been, had Man's Body been the Work of Chance, and not Counsel and Providence. Why fhould there be conftantly the fame Parts? Why should they retain conftantly the fame Places? Why should they be endued with the fame Shape and Figure? Nothing fo con

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