Volume 1

The brain : considered anatomically, physiologically and philosophically / by Emanuel Swedenborg ; edited, translated and annotated by R.L. Tafel.

  • Swedenborg, Emanuel, 1688-1772.
Date:
1882-1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The brain : considered anatomically, physiologically and philosophically / by Emanuel Swedenborg ; edited, translated and annotated by R.L. Tafel. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    concealed by the vapoury lialitus. 9. The blood itself pronounces and declares the same thing on its own behalf; for all that is venous in the blood is poured by the heart into the lungs; and all that is arterial is poured back, changed in nature, appearance, and condition, that is to say, become florid, lively, and brisk, by the lungs into the heart, 10. And indeed, when poured back, it is found to have been reduced in quantity in the filters and strainers of the lungs; for the vein which goes into the left auricle of the heart is less than the vein which goes up into the lungs from the right ventricle of the heart, contrary to the usual habit of nature in other parts of this kingdom. 15. As the lungs load the air thrown out by expiration, with the adulterations and impurities cleared away from the blood, so they thoroughly examine the air attracted by inspiration, and alternately a welcome guest: and should it have brought any rich or choice presents in its vaporiferous bosom—any members of the volatile families of salts, sulphurs, and nitres—the lungs suck them in delightedly by their veins : although as soon as ever they have enjoyed the banquet, they throw out the air as the most deadly enemy of the blood, and, as we said before, load it like a mule with a baggage and burden of adul- terations, and force it to carry them out. Let us now consider more minutely the successive stages of its immigration and arrival. The atmosphere, impregnated with effluvia exhaled abundantly from the three kingdoms of nature, and filled with odours, fragrant or the reverse, is attracted in volumes by the spiracles of the nares. The olfactory papillae exquisitely anticipate whatever is concealed in these volumes, whether favourable or unfavourable to the pulmonic blood; if favourable, they imbibe it with open lips, and carry it home, as con- sisting of nectareous dainties and preserves, into the very depths of the vesicles of the lungs; but if hostile, they keep it out of doors by the compression of the alae or pinnae, and dread its approach, and chase it away. But the nares carefully supervise and examine whatever they admit for the sake of breathing, and invite for the sake of refecting the blood j all heavy and inert particles, sooty flakes, saline spicuhu, miasmata, and the like, which are of great weight and no value, they ensnare in their viscid mucus, and bury in their moist lacunae. Those matters which go past the nares are similarly purified by the trachea. The bronchia likewise assist in the work, and finally their subordinate branches and ramifications, upon all points of which the intruding air impinges. Thus the air, closely examined at every corner of the way, and emunged of its impure accompaniments, at length comes to the lungs in their smallest form, namely, to the vesicles, and now warm and bathed in vapours, it has nothing in its bosom but what is friendly to the blood—nothing but delicate and welcome presents, which the