On the Movement of Animals, Part Two

appended Z. And when a rope is corrugated many times, then as many pairs of powers pulling toward opposite parts are required as there are corrugations, and all the aforementioned corrugating powers have the same proportion to the same resistance Z as the multitude of corrugations taken four times has to unity; thus, if there were one hundred corrugations, and the weight Z were of one pound, the forces of all the contracting powers would be equal to a weight of 400 pounds. And such a great expenditure of forces arises from the useless contrary traction upward and downward, without which the contraction of the rope could not have been effected. But this is not the end of the absurdities. I consider in the second place that no motive power of an animal can pull a resistance unless it leans and is fastened somewhere; for it does not move like the wind, as has been shown; but of necessity the machine, or the fiber SO or RG, must be tied to a fixed term, such as a nail S or R; and if these fibers are to be contracted again b Tab. 15. Fig. 9. by corrugation at a, b, and c, d, then again contrary powers f, g, h, i must be applied, which will also be quadruple of the resistance, and must be multiplied as many times as there are corrugations in the transverse threads SD, RC. c Tab. 15. Fig. 6. And because, thirdly, those contrary corrugating powers again do not move like the wind, but contract the transverse ropes branched by new corrugations; therefore they will likewise be quadruple of the resistances, and must be multiplied as many times as there are new corrugations, and so on further to infinity; and since this is absurd, it must be said that the fibers of muscles are not shortened through corrugation, but through the sole diminution of their length.