The generative organs, considered anatomically, physically, and philosophically / a posthumous work of Emanuel Swedenborg ; translated from the Latin by James John Garth Wilkinson.

Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The generative organs, considered anatomically, physically, and philosophically / a posthumous work of Emanuel Swedenborg ; translated from the Latin by James John Garth Wilkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    and every canal; which, if we may judge from the multitude of nervous fibres, they completely envelope around, and bestow upon it a kind of new tunic. We shewed by many considerations in Parts I. and that the nervous fibres in the body flow almost without exception into the bloodvessels^ and scarcely into any other parts. For as the organic mechanism of the body is principally called into existence by the bloodvessels^ so in order that the nerves may call it into action^ it is necessary that the fibres of the latter should enter into the closest rela- tions with the vessels : hence their nervous coat, and the others, which are in fact constructed of none other than nervous prin- ciples. For the one prevailing thing in the organic body, is even the fibre, which in descending by degrees, and forming its organism, essays in the first place to inform the sanguineous canals; as may be seen proved in the Part on the Fibre. Espe- cially is this the case in the testicle, which is entered by multi- tudes of fibres; for some go to it from the mesenteric plexus, and by consequence from the par vagum and great intercostal nerve, which accompany the spermatic vessels : also from the lumbar nerves; then again from the great ischiadic and crural nerve; and moreover a large branch is supplied thither from the fourth pair of sacral nerves ; as will be shewn below. As such a quantity of nervous fibre flows into the testicles, and comes closely into rela- tion with every tubule thereof, it follows that this fibre pours in its spirit or noblest essence immediately; and indeed, the very essence that the compound fibres, thus that the most simple fibres, contain. It is plain to be seen in all the viscera of the body, that the fibre applies itself to the vessels : so it is in the spleen, lungs, brain; also in the several costal vessels, which the fibre binds in a kind of ivied twine: see above, and the Part on the Brain. And as in these organs (the testes) the fibre winds round every tubule, and completely opens out or unfolds, (for it flows in in sufficient quantity to enable it to unfold,) so it follows that each and every simple fibre, thus unfolded and ter- minated, pours in here its essence, which is the innermost and first of all. See Part L, and the Part on the Fibre, where we shew that the nervous fibres pour their spirit into the blood- vessels exclusively, to the end that the blood may be impreg- nated therefrom, and be constituted the humor that plays the