Physiological Introduction or Principles of the Human Body

who, I ask, will venerate GOD as the maker of this universe, the creator of his own person, and the sole preserver, if he is ignorant of the substance that constitutes him? One is indeed forced to know, just as the most unlearned person is conscious through his own experience, that he is composed of 1. a material principle, namely a machine, which is manifestly material and organic, and which performs its miracles—now of internal parts such as the heart, arteries, stomach, intestines, uterus, etc., now of external ones such as limbs—without any prior counsel or cognition. 2. of another principle, namely an inconspicuous substance, which explains its much more admirable powers—by thinking, doubting, deliberating, willing, denying, and in a word, reasoning—evidently. And although that material principle must necessarily be called a body, since it lies open to the senses as a material and extended substance, while this is the mind or soul: nevertheless, whether this is not at least a thin matter, if not as coarse as the body, composed of invisible atoms according to the mind of the Epicureans followers of Epicurus, who held that the world is composed of atoms, or whether it is another and far different substance, namely an incorporeal and immaterial one, no one can know thoroughly unless the nature of matter has first been more keenly perceived from the foundations of true philosophy. Yet in such great neglect of this, few seem to be those who are scientifically convinced of the immateriality of their soul and the immortality deducible from it. But what is this crudeness of men? What is this plebeian and truly brutal ignorance of men concerning themselves? They know not only their souls but not even their own bodies if they are destitute of physical science. Wherefore we have decided to set forth the matter and form of our body, and what are said to pertain to its completion, through two distinct questions, each of which we shall again explain through three special points. The first of these will contain the opinion of the Galenists followers of Galen, the ancient medical authority, the second of the Chemists early proponents of chemical medicine, and the third of our Atomists proponents of atomic theory, for the sole purpose that it may be free for anyone to choose one of these three opinions on principles according to the greater probability he perceives. In order for this to succeed more happily:

about principles, it seems necessary first to consider the body in general, as it relates to our intention, and indeed 1. as the simplest, which contains no parts within itself. This is absolutely and strictly simple, and is called now an atom, consisting in the indivisible, now a corpusculum a very small body consisting of no component parts, yet extended in length, width, and depth, and always indefinitely divisible; and such a body is truly simple even with respect to any composition whatsoever. 2. as simple by the simplicity of mixture, which consists of parts behaving as homogeneous matter and form, from which it is truly constituted. Such a simple body is commonly called a Peripatetic element an element according to Aristotle, such as fire, air, water, or earth, and this body is called by the Peripatetics an integral part of the mixture. 3. as a mixture which consists not only of essential parts (namely matter and form), as the Peripatetics want, but also of integral parts, or as the Atomists think, which consists not only of homogeneous but also of heterogeneous matter, with something else behaving as form. Such a body consists of the very elements mixed in various ways. 4.