"The most difficult Problem in all the Animal OEconomy, is, to give any tolerable Account of Muscular Action or Animal Motion. The Similitude of a Machin put into Action and Motion by the Force of Water convey'd in Pipes, was the readiest Resemblance the Lazy could find to explain Muscular Motion by."
— Cheyne, George (1671-1743)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for G. Strahan
Date
1733
Metaphor
"The most difficult Problem in all the Animal OEconomy, is, to give any tolerable Account of Muscular Action or Animal Motion. The Similitude of a Machin put into Action and Motion by the Force of Water convey'd in Pipes, was the readiest Resemblance the Lazy could find to explain Muscular Motion by."
Metaphor in Context
The most difficult Problem in all the Animal OEconomy, is, to give any tolerable Account of Muscular Action or Animal Motion. The Similitude of a Machin put into Action and Motion by the Force of Water convey'd in Pipes, was the readiest Resemblance the Lazy could find to explain Muscular Motion by. It was easy, from this Resemblance, to forge a thin, imperceptible Fluid, passing and re-passing through the Nerves, to blow up the Muscles, and thereby to lengthen one of their Dimensions, in order to shorten the other. On such a slender and imaginary Similitude, the precarious Hypothesis of Animal Spirits seems to be built. But as their Existence is, I fear, precarious, so, were it real, they are not sufficient to solve the Appearances in the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms, as shall be more particularly consider'd hereafter. [...]
(pp. 74-5)
(pp. 74-5)
Categories
Provenance
Reading at the British Library; some text from Google Books.
Citation
At least 8 entries in ESTC (1733, 1734, 1735).
See The English Malady: or, a Treatise of Nervous Diseases of All Kinds, As Spleen, Vapours, Lowness of Spirits, Hypochondriacal, and Hysterical Distempers, &c. In Three Parts. Part I. of the Nature and Cause of Nervous Distempers. Part II. of the Cure of Nervous Distempers. Part III. Variety of Cases That Illustrate and Confirm the Method of Cure. With the Author’s Own Case at Large. (London: Printed for G. Strahan in Cornhill, and J. Leake at Bath, 1733). <Link to ESTC>
See The English Malady: or, a Treatise of Nervous Diseases of All Kinds, As Spleen, Vapours, Lowness of Spirits, Hypochondriacal, and Hysterical Distempers, &c. In Three Parts. Part I. of the Nature and Cause of Nervous Distempers. Part II. of the Cure of Nervous Distempers. Part III. Variety of Cases That Illustrate and Confirm the Method of Cure. With the Author’s Own Case at Large. (London: Printed for G. Strahan in Cornhill, and J. Leake at Bath, 1733). <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
06/20/2014
