The Economy of the Animal Kingdom, Considered Anatomically, Physically, and Philosophically

By Emanuel Swedenborg, late Member of the House of Nobles in the Royal Diet of Sweden; Assessor of the Royal Metallic College of Sweden; Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Upsala, and of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockholm; Corresponding Member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg.

Translated from the Latin by the Rev. Augustus Clissold, M.A.

Paucis natus est. Qui populum aetatis sucae: multa annorum millia, multa populorum supervenient: ad illa respice, etiamsi omnibus tecum viventibus silentium ... [aliqua causa] indixerit: venient, qui sine offensa, sine gratia judicent. (SENECA, Epist. 79.)

Contents of First Volume (Part I.)

Introduction 1

Chapter I. The Composition and Genuine Essence of the Blood. 29

Chapter II. The Arteries and Veins, their Tunics, and the Circulation of the Blood. 116

Chapter III. On the Formation of the Chick in the Egg, and on the Arteries, Veins, and Rudiments of the Heart. 241

Chapter IV. On the Circulation of the Blood in the Foetus; and on the Foramen Ovale and Ductus Arteriosus belonging to the Heart in Embryos and Infants. 316

Chapter V. The Heart of the Turtle. 372

Chapter VI. The peculiar Arteries and Veins of the Heart, and the Coronary Vessels. 387

Chapter VII. The Motion of the Adult Heart. 460

Contents Of Volume Two (Part II.)

Chapter I. On the Motion of the Brain; showing that its Animation is coincident with the Respiration of the Lungs. 653

Chapter II. The Cortical Substance of the Brain specifically. 721

Chapter III. The Human Soul. 860

Index of Authors, List of Unverified Citations, Bibliographical Notices of Authors 1020

Appendix

721.(69) CHAPTER II. THE CORTICAL SUBSTANCE OF THE BRAIN SPECIFICALLY.

WHEN designing to treat of the brain, I was for a long time in doubt from what point to commence; whether from the dura mater, which is the first part that comes in view on opening the head, or whether from the arteries of the brain, considering that in the former Part I had treated of the arteries of the body. But wherever I turned, I could not help recognizing in the brain a more than Gordian knot, and all things so concatenated, that one was to be sought in the other, the last and the middle in the first, and vice versa; so that unless I would make up my mind to unravel the entire brain, it would be in vain to attempt to unravel a part: proving that a special treatise dedicated to one part of it alone, would serve only to defer the reader's hopes, and to refer him onwards to the next links in the chain. Still, to evolve the entire brain in the method already begun, I found to be a work of greater extent than could be comprised within the limits of a single Part. What then was to be done? I must begin somewhere; and therefore I resolved to begin from that which is specifically called the cortical and cineritious substance. The reason is, that this substance, proximately, is the principal efficient cause of the operations not only of the brain, but also of the body; for it is this substance that animates and spirates, and excites the whole of the animal machine to motions and modes: that elicits the purest spirit of the blood from the arteries, end transfuses it into the fibres of the medullary substance, and from thence into the fibres of the nerves; or, finally, this it is that is situated in the middle, between the principal fluids of the animated system, namely, the blood and the fluent spirit; and consequently in the centre of all the fluids, or in the first and last term of all. Wherefore, in order that I might contemplate the posterior sphere from its first principle, and the sphere of consequents from its highest antecedent, I was under the necessity of beginning, or taking my principles, from this substance. This substance once explored, it becomes easy to turn to whatever point I please, either to the surfaces of the brain, namely, its arteries, sinuses, and membranes; or to its inner substance and members; or to the inferior sphere, namely, the body itself.