1130. There are others besides, who work within the head in almost the same way, but not with such an obvious force of suction - for instance, those in the vicinity of the left inner ear, who were also so working for quite a while. I was told they were the ones who almost in the same way draw the spirituous chyle from the brain and guide it toward the heart, so that it may join with the body's chyle. So they constitute what answers to the jugular veins, which likewise have a drawing power. It is a known fact that the jugular vein descends to the region where the body's chyle rises up through the thoracic duct, with the purpose of joining the cerebral spirits 1with the body's chyle, to form the blood.
Those who were working within were those constituting that province or region where the jugular vein is, above the thoracic duct, as well as those making up the upper part of the duct. Into this also run some ducts carrying lymph.
Footnotes:
1. I. e. the "animate spirits" or "the soul's spirits," being the purest substance of the blood.
1130. Moreover, there are also others who act within the head, and indeed about the internal region of the left ear, in an almost similar manner, though not with so manifest a force of suction; they were also so acting [upon me] for some time. It was said that they are those who in almost the same way attract the spirituous chyle from the cerebrum and lead it towards the heart, in order that it may be conjoined with the chyle of the body. Thus they constitute that which the jugular veins [carry], these veins also having an attractive force. For it is well known that the jugular vein descends to the region where the chyle of the body rises up through the thoracic duct, and this to the end that the spirit of the brain and the chyle of the body may be copulated for the preparation of the blood. Those who were acting within were they who constitute that province or region where the jugular vein is above the thoracic duct, and also those who constitute the upper part of the duct into which latter some ducts containing lymph are also inserted.
1130. Praeterea etiam alii sunt, qui agunt intus in capite, paene similiter, sed non cum tali vi suctionis manifesta, et quidem circa regionem internam auris sinistrae, qui 1
etiam per aliquantum temporis quoque agebant, dictum est, quod ii sint, qui attrahant paene similiter chylum spirrtuosum e cerebro, et inducant eum versus cor, ut cum chylo corporis conjungatur, sic constituunt id quod jugulares venae, quibus vis quoque attractiva inest, notum enim est, quod vena jugularis descendat ad regionem ubi chylus corporis per ductum thoracicum assurgat, ob finem ut spiritus cerebri, et chylus corporis copulentur, ad sanguinem parandum. Qui intus agebant, fuerunt qui eam provinciam, seu regionem constituunt, ubi vena jugularis est supra ductum thoracicum, tum etiam qui supernam partem ductus constituunt, in quam quoque ductus cum lympha aliqui inseruntur.
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has quae