Articella

This, however, arises from the left auricle of the heart, which is called the aorta, which is split in two. And this indeed is carried downwards through the interior and is divided into the right and left, to the lower parts as far as the feet and toes. The other, however, is again carried upwards and is divided similarly into the right and left, into the hands and head. And that which is carried to the head makes the arteries that are called the parotids. That which is carried internally into the right and left tends to the arms and elbows, and again to the extreme fingers of the hands. The present description, however, has the intention to expound the motion of pulses, and their cognitions, and their causes.

¶ How often is the pulse changed.

It is changed in three ways, from those things that are according to nature, and those that are against nature, and those that are not nature referring to non-natural factors like environment or lifestyle, just as the crasis the temperament/constitution of humors of men and women, and ages, and other conjugate things. For of humans, some are males, others are females. And of these themselves, some are warmer according to constitution, others are colder. And some are slender by nature, others are fat and fleshy. And men are generally warmer and stronger than women according to nature. Deservedly, therefore, the pulses in them are faster and more vehement; [while those] of women, as they are colder, are slower and lighter. In both of these, however—I mean in men and women—an intense constitution also intensifies the pulse. ¶ In the warmer, they are indeed larger and faster; for heat is quickly mobile. In the colder, they are smaller and slower; for cold is slowly mobile. ¶ Habits, however, are found in both, such as slender and fleshy. In the slender, the pulses are very subject to touch; in the fat and fleshy, however, they are lower. ¶ Therefore, one must consider the conjugate things, such as regions and times, and ages and particular constitutions. And one can say regarding the times: [there are] four, indeed, of the year existing: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Of these, two are well-tempered, spring and autumn; but winter and summer are distempered. Deservedly, therefore, in spring and autumn the pulses are large and very strong due to the temperament of the quality; it is manifest that they are proportioned according to ages. In summer, indeed, they are faster and denser, by necessity inducing this in any age, because of the heat of the air containing us from the outside. In winter, however, the pulses become rarer and slower because of the coldness or constriction of the containing air. ¶ Similarly, however, in each region, the pulse is changed according to its constitution. The warmer region indeed makes large and fast pulses. The colder is the opposite. ¶ Let us speak, however, about ages. If, therefore, the ages are different, their pulses will also move differently. The pulses of children, indeed, are fast and light and dense; but according to magnitude and strength, they are medium. Fast, indeed, because the natural heat abounds in them according to substance; dense, on account of the heat abounding in them according to quantity; light, however, because the powers are imperfect in them. For we say that they are light because they are made from the imbecility of the powers. Of the old, however, the opposite: slower and rarer, in comparison to children, on account of the imbecility and coldness that is in them. [End of page].