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tion, which came into my mind, of a piece of fine Cloth (which consists of so many several minute Hairs, call'd Wool) was no discouragement to this opinion, Yet I durst not be so presumptuous as to indulge my self too much in it; much less to venter presently to speak of a thing, which seem'd to contradict so many Learned Men's belief. But being restless, till I might receive more satisfaction in the thing, I iterated experiments over and over; some of which prov'd so successfull to my apprehension, that I was encouraged in the years 1663. and 1664. to discourse of it to several very worthy Persons, as Mr. Boyle, Sir William Petty, Dr. Williams, Dr. Lenthal, Dr. Jaspar Needham, Dr. Samson, (who afterwards sent me a Letter from France, intimating the acquaintance, he had made with the Learned Steno, who hath since publisht something of the same Discovery) Mr. Daniel Cox, and Mr. Samuel Parker, &c. who doubtless cannot but remember, that then I related to them, I found much cause to believe, that that substance, commonly call'd Parenchyma, was in most, if not in all its Parenchymous parts, full of Vessels; however it had been imagin'd by all, I could ever meet with, to consist in great part of a substance, in many places void of Vessels, designed for such uses, as are above mentioned.
Against which I have now further to alledge, 1. That I observe in a piece of Musculous Flesh (so call'd) either raw, rosted, or boyled, &c. that if I so far extend it, as to make it to be seen through, I can (assisting my Eye) perceive it full of Vessels, placed as thick as is possible to be imagin'd (the fat if there be any, being first removed) there appearing then nothing, but vessels, yet so as with a Microscope may be seen through, when they are extended. 2. That, if any one, as he is at dinner, take a piece of flesh, and begin either at the head or tail of a Muscle, he may divide it in infinitum, all along from head to tail, without breaking any thing of that, called Flesh, only these transverse Fibres, that seem to stich them together, and (as I am apt to think) pass through the very Bodies of the smallest of them, and quite through the whole Muscle up the very Cutaneous porosities; so that there is not one of these small ducts, that run per longitudinem but 'tis furnish'd with a sufficient number of outlets, when need requires, though too minute to suffer any alimentary juice to pass transversly (in a living Body) or any other liquor, when the Body is dead and cold. But to wave their use at present, and to return to what I was saying, Compress between the fingers this bit of flesh, and you shall find the Juice, especially if the Meat be Hot, to go before your fingers toward either end you please; but if you compress both ends, you shall see it swell into the middle; and again, if you press the middle, it will run out at both ends. But further, suppose a piece of flesh, called Parenchyma, as big, or as little as you please, in any part of the Body, and let me prick it with a Needle, where you shall appoint; if you feel it, I presume you will acknowledge, a Nerve, or a Fibrilla, related to it, is touch's: if you feel it not, I am sure some liquor either sanguineous or other, will follow the Needle: And from whence can that come, but out of Vessels? unless
