The marks of a hot liver are, largeness of the veins, redundance of
yellow bile, and, in manhood, of black; the blood hotter than natural,
and by means of it the whole body, unless the parts about the heart
antagonise; and thick hairs upon the hypochondriac regions, and over
the stomach. Those of a cold are, smallness of the veins, much phlegm,
cold blood; the whole habit of the body colder than common, unless
warmed by the heart; no hair on the hypochondriac regions, nor over
the stomach. Those of a dry are, thick and scanty blood, and the veins
and the habit of the whole body drier. Those of a humid are, the blood
abundant and liquid, the veins softer, as also the whole body, unless
the heart antagonise. The marks of a temperament at once hot and dry
are, the hairs very thick on the hypochondrium, the blood at the same
time thicker and more scanty, a redundance of bitter bile, and in
manhood, of black, largeness and hardness of the veins, and the whole
body hot and dry. The heat proceeding from the heart may indeed overcome
the coldness proceeding from the liver, in like manner as the coldness
may the heat; but it is not possible for the dryness to be changed to
the contrary state by the humidity of the heart. It is obvious that,
when the temperaments of those two prime organs combine together, the
whole body is affected accordingly. The humid and hot liver, less than
the hot and dry, renders the hypochondrium shaggy; but the blood is
abundant, the veins large, and the whole habit humid and hot, unless
the heart antagonise. But, should it be preternaturally changed as to
both these qualities, persons so affected will be readily seized with
putrid diseases and disorders from bad humours; and more particularly if
the humidity be much increased, and the heat but little, they will be
liable to cacochymies. In the humid and cold, the hypochondrium is free
from hairs, but the blood is pituitous, the veins contracted, and the
whole body in like manner, unless changed by the heart to the opposite
state. The cold and dry renders the blood scanty, the veins of the body
contracted, and the body colder; and the hypochondrium is without hair,
unless the heart overcome this state.
* * * * *
COMMENTARY. According to the views of the ancient physiologists, the
liver is the seat of the Natural powers, being the grand organ of
sanguification, and the blood being the pabulum which nourishes the whole
body. That the liver performs an important part in the fabrication of the
blood seems probable from all the veins of the stomach and upper portion
of the intestines passing to the liver, whereby it is to be supposed,
that a considerable proportion of the nutritive juices will be conveyed
to it; and from this viscus being proportionally large in the fœtus when
it is much required to form blood, and cannot be supposed necessary for
any other purpose. The ancients taught that the liver, by its attractive
power, attracts the chyle from the stomach; that, by its retentive, it
retains the same until the alterative convert it into blood; and that
then the expulsive separates the superfluities of the blood, namely, the
bile, and conveys them to the gall-bladder. See Galen (T. ii, 285, ed.
Basil), and Avicenna (iii, 4, 1.)
Aristotle held that the spleen is part of the hepatic system. (De
Partibus Animal. iii, 7.) His commentator, Averrhoes, in like manner,
considers the spleen as a second liver. (Collect. i, 9.) Their reasoning,
on this point, appears to me exceedingly acute and conclusive.
The following extract from Actuarius contains a clear exposition of
ancient opinions on the subject we are treating of: “When the food in the
stomach is changed and digested, the meseraic veins, which derive their
origin from the liver, by their vein called ramalis, suck the stomach
and intestines; and having emulged, as it were, the purer part, (namely,
the food converted into chyle,) and having drawn it as if through a
strainer, they convey it to the concave part of the liver, and deliver
it over to the sanguificatory power. Here, then, if nothing impede it,
when it is changed into blood, whatever is subtile and acrid is received
by the gall-bladder, which is placed at the convex part of the liver,
and attracts the bile; but whatever the blood possesses of a terrene and
melancholic humour is attracted to the spleen, by some natural faculty,
whereby every part attracts whatever suits its nature. Thirdly, the
serous humour remains. It is attracted by the kidneys.” (De Urinis, § 4.)