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Aristotle - On The Parts Of Animals
Atec Февраль 16 2008 20:01:06
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. But such is not invariably the case with hearing or
with smell. For fishes and the like hear and smell, and yet have no
visible organs for these senses in the head; a fact which demonstrates
the accuracy of the opinion here maintained. Now that vision, whenever
it exists, should be in the neighbourhood of the brain is but what one
would rationally expect. For the brain is fluid and cold, and vision
is of the nature of water, water being of all transparent substances
the one most easily confined. Moreover it cannot but necessarily be
that the more precise senses will have their precision rendered
still greater if ministered to by parts that have the purest blood.
For the motion of the heat of blood destroys sensory activity. For
these reasons the organs of the precise senses are lodged in the head.
It is not only the fore part of the head that is destitute of flesh,
but the hind part also. For, in all animals that have a head, it is
this head which more than any other part requires to be held up.
But, were the head heavily laden with flesh, this would be impossible;
for nothing so burdened can be held upright. This is an additional
proof that the absence of flesh from the head has no reference to
brain sensation. For there is no brain in the hinder part of the head,
and yet this is as much without flesh as is the front.
In some animals hearing as well as vision is lodged in the region of
the head
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