:
Aristotle - On The Parts Of Animals
Atec Февраль 16 2008 20:01:06
Книга только для ознакомления
. As to the neck, it is present in all the Vivipara,
but only in some of the Ovipara; for while those that have a lung also
have a neck, those that do not inhale the outer air have none. The
head exists mainly for the sake of the brain. For every animal that
has blood must of necessity have a brain; and must, moreover, for
reasons already given, have it placed in an opposite region to the
heart. But the head has also been chosen by nature as the part in
which to set some of the senses; because its blood is mixed in such
suitable proportions as to ensure their tranquillity and precision,
while at the same time it can supply the brain with such warmth as
it requires. There is yet a third constituent superadded to the
head, namely the part which ministers to the ingestion of food. This
has been placed here by nature, because such a situation accords
best with the general configuration of the body. For the stomach could
not possibly be placed above the heart, seeing that this is the
sovereign organ; and if placed below, as in fact it is, then the mouth
could not possibly be placed there also. For this would have
necessitated a great increase in the length of the body; and the
stomach, moreover, would have been removed too far from the source
of motion and of concoction.
The head, then, exists for the sake of these three parts; while
the neck, again, exists for the sake of the windpipe
: