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for by reaſon of their bonineſſe and ſinnewineſſe, they be verye ſtrong & mightie. Alſo after the head, the necke is higheſt of the bodye aboue other lyms, that be ſet vnder the head, as it fareth in all beaſtes. And ſometime the ſhoulders be grieued without by woundes & by diuers hurtings, and by continuance of great trauayle and bearing: and then they be chiefely cured by reſt, or by annoynting with ſome oyntments. And Ariſtotle ſaith li. 7. that men vſe to annoynt the ioynts of the Elephaunt with Oyle Olyue, the more eaſelye to ſuffer trauayle and charge of bearing, and to ſleepe the better. Alſo ſometime ye ſhoulders be grieued by flowing of humors, that come to the ioynts in the ſinewes of the ſhoulders, by the which, the ſinnewes are grieued and let in their effectes and dooings. And ſometime the ioyntes are full of ſuperfluitie of humours, by the ſharpneſſe and byting whereof, ache breedeth in the ſinewe of feeling.
¶Of the Armes. Cap. 27.
ARmes are called Brachia[1] in Latine, and haue that name of Darim in Greeke, that is ſtrong, as ſayth Iſidore. In the armes be brawnes-called Thori, and they be of great ſtrength, and are called Thori, for that they be defending members, as ſayth Iſidore. Conſtantine ſayth, That the arme is made of two boanes: one is aboue, that is called the ouer Cubite: and the other is beneath, that is called the neather Cubite. The neather boane is more than the other; for the bearer ſhoulde beée more ſtronger than the thing yt is born. The arme is cheyned together with the ouer ſhoulder, and is knitte with moſt ſtrong ſinewes: by meane of which ſinnewes, the arme taketh féelyng and ſpéedie mouing & ſendeth it after to ye hande. The armes be round, to be more able to worke, to moue, and to withſtand the better, that they be not lightly grieued. And they be bending and plyant in thrée ioynts, that is to wit at the hand, at the elboe, & at the ſhoulders, to be the more able to quicke mouing, & more ready to be obedient to ye commandement of the will. Alſo in compariſon to other lims, ye armes be leſſe fleſhie, & that is through the ſubſtance of bones & ſinewes, of the which they be cōpoſed, & to haue ye more vertue & ſtrength: For in the armes is the moſt ſtrength of a man, to beare, to lyfte, to hold hard, to put from, to fight, & to worke. Alſo the bones of the armes be great, hard, holow, and ful of marow. They be great & hard, that they breake not lightlye: they are hollowe, that they ſhould not be too heauie by maſſiueneſſe. They are full of marrow, to moyſt the drye and hard bones by fatneſſe therof: and that the ſpirites that come from the ſinewes and veynes be ſaued by temperance of marrow, and nouriſhed. They are cloathed and couered with ſkinne, brawne and ſtrings, with fleſh among: that they ſhould not be lyghtly hurt & grieued by any thing without. And alſo they are couered in ioynts & whirlbones, with griſtles, that the ſinews of féeling he not grieued by hardnes of bones, that ſmite and moue together, & that the ſame bones in their ioynts, moue the more ſpeedely by ſmoothneſſe and ſoftneſſe of griſtle, and that they be not taried, neyther let by méeting and féeling of roughneſſe. Alſo for that the armes are nigh the heart, they take ſpirite and pulſe by veynes and ſtrings and diuers chaungings, for to know and ſhew the ſtate of default or profit in the veynes of pulſe. Alſo for the armes are nigh the braine, they haue a kindly and a priuie accorde with the head, and take of him influence of priuie vertue. And therefore for defence of the head by féeling of kinde, & without aduiſement, ye armes put them forth againſt hard ſtrokes. Alſo ye veyns of ye body, & namely they that are about the head and the heart, & the liuer; come together in the hands and the fingers, & féede them. And therefore they that féele themſelues full of bloud & grieued, vſe to open ſome veyne of the armes: and ſo the armes are oft times wounded and grieued to cauſe the other lims to haue the profite of good heale.
Alſo Phiſitions ſay, as it is written in
- ↑ Brachium