Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/295

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NUT

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NUT

The Female is that chiefly ufed among us ; Its Form is even then, the Liquor thus given to the Ernbrid, is exceed- round, its Smell agreeable, and its Tafte hot and pun- ingly thick, in companion with what it is to be when con- ' gent. verted into its Veffels and Vifcsra.

The 'Male is a wild Nut, of a longifh Form, and without Now the fir It tender Solids arifing from this fubtile Hu-

either Tafte or Smell; yet fometimes put off, while yet mour, do again pafs infinite intermediate Degrees, e'er they

in the Pod, for the Female. arrive at their utmoit State and Confidence; as is fhewn

The Nutmegs are enclofed in three different Covers : The by Malfighi in F.ggs, and by Ruyfch in Emhio's and Ffl?f«jV=

firft, thin, reddifh, of an agreeable Smell and aromatic Hence, therefore, ii follows, that the Solids, in their firfl

Talie, call'dMace; by others, tho' improperly, Flower of Formation out of the Liquids whence they arile, only differ

Nutmeg. This wraps up the Shell, and opens in proportion from 'em in Reft, Cohefion, and Figure. Therefore fuch a

as the Pod grows. The Shell, which makes the fecond Particle, now in its fluid State, will become a part of the

Cover, is hard, thin, and blackifh. Under this, is a green- Solid to be forra'd out of it, as foon as there happens to be

\{h Film of no ufe ; and in this is found the Nutmeg, which a Power to effect its Cohefion with the other folid Parts ;

is properly the Kernel of the Fruit. Every Nutmeg has a howfoever that Cohefion is effected.

little Hole in it, which fome ignorantly take for a De- This Cohefion is eafily produced in a Fibre already

feet, form'd, if there happen to be a proper Cavity in the Solid,

The Veft Nutmegs are thofe gathered in April. They muff left open by fome loft Particle, and at the fame time a

be chofen heavy, of a whitifh brown Colour, well marbled Particle in the Fluid, anfwerable thereto in Bulk, Figure,

without fide, reddifh within, having a fat unctuous Hu- mour, and an agreeable Smell.

As to the Mace, it mult be chofen in large Leaves of a high Colour, like the Nutmeg in Tafte and Smell. See Mace.

Nutmegs comfited green, are excellent to fortify theSto-

id Nature; and lailly, a Power wherewithal to intrude it into that Place, or accommodate it thereto. Thus will a- rife a real Nutrition of the Solids in the minute Veffels, by whofe Union the large ones are form'd ; that is, in the Nerves, or in Veffels fimilar thereto. Which being irn-

/ield an Oil,

mach, and rctfore the natural Heat. They are particularly practicable by any other Liquid than that brought into

thefe Veffels ; it appears very evident that the nervous Juice, at leatt a Juice perfectly like it, is the immediate Matter of Nutrmon .- Whence Nutrition appears one of the laft and molt perfect Actions in the Body 5 fince to have this laudable, ail the precedent Actions mutt of neceffity have been fo. See Spirit.

The Chyle therefore, which fome make the immediate Matter of Nutrition, is, indeed, fitted to fill the larger Veffels, but cannot nourifh or reltore them. This, when attenuated, chang'd, more intimately mix'd in the Lungs by means of Reipiration, and thus fitted for the Palfage of certain Veffels, is, indeed, rendred fitter, yet far from being quite fir, to be the Matter of Nutrition. See Chyle.

But, by the repeated Action of the Lungs, the P'ifcera, Veffels, £>c. there is form'd out of this Humour, a foft, te- nacious, plaftic, infipid Serum, which thickening by the Fire, becomes perfectly like the White of an Egg. This Fluid^ therefore, has in it all the Conditions found in that from whence, by fure Experience, we know all the folid Parts of an Animal, arife, by nicer Incubation. It is therefore a

efleem'd Carminative. The Powder, Duke, eiteem'd a So vereign againfl Rheums, is only Nutmeg pulverised with Sugar, and a little Cinnamon.

Nutmegs, by Diflillatiun, or Expreffion. faid to have wonderful Virtues.

The whole Commerce of Nutmegs is in the hands of the Dutch Eaji -India Company.

The Nutmeg-Tree is propagated after a particular man- ner. Ta-vernier tells us, that the Birds devouring the Nutmeg when ripe, give it back whole by Stool ; and that thus falling down to the Ground, btfmear'd with a vifcous Mam r, it takes Root, and produces a Tree. See Misleto.

NUTRITION, in the Animal Oeconomy, the Acceffion or Appofition of new Parts in the Body, fimilar to thofe it already confifled of; either for its Augmentation, or for the Reparation of fuch as are wore off.

By the continual Motion of the Fluids in the minute Veffels of the Body, and the Actions of the Mufcles, ££c. fmall Parcels are of neceffity wore off from the Solids, be- come mix'd with the Fluids, move with them, and are at

length eliminated and exhaled thro' the Pores. See Pore ftep nearer, but is not yet quite difpofed for Nutriment,

and Solid. Much lefs is the Cruor, or red, globular Part of the Blood

And at the fame time, the Fluids, diminifh'd as they are fo. Neither are yet fitted to enter the Veffels; yet both

by a conftant Attrition, apply to the Orifices of the per- the one and other are, by different Authors, made the Nu-

fpiring Veffels, and vanifh out of the Body. See Perspi- trithe Juice. See Blood, Serum, and Ckuor.

ration. But as the Heat of Incubation, fo the Action of theVif-

Hence the Animal Body, by the very Condition of its cera and Veffels, on the Serum, introduces various Changes

Frame, becomes foon liable to Deftruction* therein; till at length a part of it be rendred fubtile e-

To preferve Life, therefore, 'tis nee effary that a Reffi- nough for the Purpofe required. This, when exhaufted, is

tution be made to the Juices and Solids of the Body ; e- inftantly repaired; and thus we have the true immediate

qual, and fimilar to thofe loft in thofe Motions; which is Matter of Nutrition.

what we call the Action of Nutrition. But this fame Humour lofing too many of its oily Parts,

Now the loff Juices are eafily fupply'd by Meat, Drink, by many repeated Circulations, is rendred too fliarp ;

Air, &c. taken into the Stomach, digefled, converted into ana " being likewifc flrip'd of its moft liquid Parts, from the

Chyle, then into Blood, and thence fecreted by the proper f A me Caule, becomes too denfe ; and is thus rendred un-

Ducts, and carry'd by the Action of the Body, to the proper £ t for this Secretion. Hence the neceffity of new Chyle,

Receptacles; after the manner laid down under the Articles aiH f new Food, to keep up Nutrition.

Digestion, Chylification,. Sanguification, and The Matter of Nutrition thus afccrtain'd; the Manner

Secretion. wherein, and the Ca ufe whereby it is cffeBed, are as follow.

But the Nutrition of the folid Parts is much more ob- A Juice being driven directly thro a full, conic or cylindric,

fcure. This indeed has proved the Subject of infinite elaltic or rigid Canal ; if its Courfe be from a wider to a

Doubts and Differences among Authors ; nor had we any narrower Part, or if it have any thing to oppofe its Motion,

rational or fatisfa&ory Account of the fame, till that of the will endeavour to ftretch the Sides of its Canal according

accurate Boerhaave, whofe Doctrine is as follows. to the Axis of its Length. This muff be the Cafe, every

Every folid Part of the Body confifls of other leffer ones, in all refpects like the larger; Veffels, 1: g. of Veficle?, and thofe of others frill fmaller; Bones of Ojfdes, i£c. Which Structure goes beyond all Limits of Senfe, however affifted by Art; as appears by, the Experiments and Ob

here in the Body, except, perhaps, in the Veins and Re- ceptacles. By this Nijus, or Endeavour, how weak foever, continually repeated, the Veffels will be infenfibly leng- then'd out ; and inlengthning, will be made more and more ilender. Hence the laft Extremities of the Veffels, which

fervarions of Malpghi, Ruyfch, Leewenboeck, and Hook. Yet ; n Man are extremely fmall, are continually ftretch'd and

is it fcarce poffible this Divifion and Subdivifion fhould be rendred lefs and lefs coherent, i. e. flill nearer and nearer

infinite, as that of Foods and Juices is. to Diffolution ; and thus at length will they cohere fo

Again, it appears from Microfcopes, Injections, fmall weakly, as fcarce to differ from Fluids. Wounds, Exficcations, ££c. that thejolid Parts of the Body While fuch Motion goes on, therefore, and the Propulfion

are very fmall, compared with the Fluids ; and it is almoft demonftrable from confidering the Rife, and Generation, of the Veffels, and the Refolution of the greater Veffels into their fmaller conflituent ones, that all the folid Mafs in the Body is conflructed of mere Nerves, as its Ele- ments. See Nerve, Stamen, %$c.

And in effect, all this Mafs, an incredibly fmall Parti

continued, there will, of neceffity, happen thefe two things: Firft, the outmoffc Particles of the minuteft Tubes be- ing torn off, will again be converted into a kind of Humour, what part of the Body foever they flick in. Secondly, the fmalleft Particles, which by their Union compofed the flendereft Fibrille, will be fo feparated from each other, as to leave open Tnterflices in thofe Places, where, before, they

cle only excepted, at firft arofe out of what was a very cohered. " Both thefe Effects will be produced at all times',

fmall Colliquament, much like the nervous Juice itfelf; as and in all parts of the Body, fo long as Life continues*

is abundantly fhown by the great Malfighi in his two Trea- efpecially where Nature is ftrong, and the Actions of the

tifes on incubated Eggs. For neither does the White of Body violent. But the fame Humour whereby thefe EC

the Egg nourifh, till, by means of the Incubation, it have fects are produced, containing abundance of Particles fimi-

pafs'd innumerable degrees of Fluidity, from irsfirfl Thick- lar to thofe thus feparated and loft, conveys and applies

nefs to that exceeding Subtility wherein it terminates. But them to thofe Interftices, by that very Impetus whereby it

en-