Anatomical Observations on the Lungs

whether the vessels are joined by a mutual anastomosisoriginal: "anastoinosi" [anastomosi]; a connection or opening between two things that are normally branching, such as blood vessels., or whether they instead gape open into the common substance and cavities of the lungs. These are problems that, when solved in larger creatures, will pave their own way and place the operations of nature more clearly before our eyes. To untangle these mysteries, I have sacrificed nearly the entire race of frogs—a loss far greater than what occurred even in that fierce Battle of the Frogs and Mice original: "batrachomyomachia"; a famous Ancient Greek parody of Homer's Iliad describing a war between frogs and mice. attributed to Homer. Indeed, during the dissection of frogs—which I undertook with the support of my most distinguished colleague Mr. Carlo Fracassati—so that I might be more certain about the membranous substance of the lungs, I happened to see such things that I might, with good reason, use that line of Homer’s as better suited to the present subject:

For in the frog, because of the simplicity of its structure and the transparency of its vessels and nearly its entire body—which allows the eyes to see more clearly into the inner parts—matters are demonstrated so clearly that they will eventually bring light to other, more obscure animals.

In the frog, then, once the abdomen has been cut open lengthwise, the lungs burst out, attached to the heart on both sides. Unlike in other animals, they do not immediately go limp, but remain stretched out at the animal's will. These lungs are nothing more than a kind of membranous bladder which, at first glance, appears to be sprinkled with very small spots arranged in order, like the skin of a monkfish original: "piscis squatinæ"; the angelshark or monkfish, known for its rough, sandpaper-like skin.—commonly called Shagreen shagreenoriginal: "Sagrino"; a type of granulated rawhide often made from shark or ray skin.. In its shape and the protrusions of its exterior, it resembles a pine cone. It is bound together, however, on both the inside and outside by a network of vessels branching in various ways, which, by their pulse, their opposing motion, and their connections, are the pulmonary veins and arteries. In its hollow and inner part, the lung is almost entirely open, forming a space dedicated to receiving air; yet it is not smooth throughout, but is partitioned by intersecting alveolioriginal: "alueolis"; small cavities or cells; Malpighi was the first to accurately describe these air sacs.. These are formed from membranous walls raised to a slight height. They are not all of the same shape, but as the walls are drawn out and joined in length and width, they form almost hexagonal original: "exagonos" cavities. At the corners of these cavities, when the membrane is stretched and slightly bent, something like a small funnel is formed; and so mi-