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. For, having to act the part of a clasp, it must be of
glutinous character, and at the same time sinewy so as to admit of
stretching.
Such then are the reasons for the existence of marrow, in those
animals that have any, and such its nature. It is evidently the
surplus of the sanguineous nutriment apportioned to the bones and
fish-spines, which has undergone concoction owing to its being
enclosed within them.
7
From the marrow we pass on in natural sequence to the brain. For
there are many who think that the brain itself consists of marrow, and
that it forms the commencement of that substance, because they see
that the spinal marrow is continuous with it. In reality the two may
be said to be utterly opposite to each other in character. For of
all the parts of the body there is none so cold as the brain;
whereas the marrow is of a hot nature, as is plainly shown by its
fat and unctuous character. Indeed this is the very reason why the
brain and spinal marrow are continuous with each other. For,
wherever the action of any part is in excess, nature so contrives as
to set by it another part with an excess of contrary action, so that
the excesses of the two may counterbalance each other. Now that the
marrow is hot is clearly shown by many indications. The coldness of
the brain is also manifest enough. For in the first place it is cold
even to the touch; and, secondly, of all the fluid parts of the body
it is the driest and the one that has the least blood; for in fact
it has no blood at all in its proper substance
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