968. On those who constitute the province of the renal capsules, a continuation
The function of the suprarenal glands prevails throughout the fetus, because at that stage they perform the duty of many of the internal organs that meanwhile go without a function. But later, they have the function of attracting the purer blood when it is about to circulate, so that it will not be absorbed by the spermatic vessels, and of urging it, through a short circle, into the vena cava, and so into the heart, thus enlivening the blood from its direction, as the brain does from above. But this occurs only so long as the spermatic vessels, or genital parts, are not strongly active; but when they are strongly active, seizing the better elements of the blood, then the renal capsules are deprived of this vital blood, and so the purer serum is taken away from them.
968. CONTINUATION CONCERNING THOSE WHO CONSTITUTE THE PROVINCE OF THE RENAL CAPSULES
The function of the succenturiate glands is universal in the fetus, because they perform the function of many viscera which in the meanwhile lie dormant. Afterwards they perform the office of attracting the purer blood when it is about to circulate, lest it should be absorbed by the spermatic vessels, and by a shorter circle pour it into the [vena] cava, and so into the heart. It then vivifies the blood from this region also, just as the cerebrum vivifies it from the upper region. This is the case so long as the spermatic vessels, or the genital organs, are [not] acting powerfully. But when these members do act powerfully and snatch away the better parts of the blood, then the renal capsules are deprived of this vital blood, and thus the purer serum is snatched away from them.
968. De iis qui provinciam capsularum renalium constituunt, continuatio
Munus glandularum succenturiatarum est universale 1
in foetu, quia tunc plurium viscerum, quae interea muneris expertia jacent, officium obeunt, postea vero id munus agunt, quod, dum sanguis purior circulaturus est, ne absorbeatur a vasis spermaticis, illum attrahunt, et per brevem circulum conjiciunt in [venam] cavam sic in cor, tunc vivificat 2
quoque sanguinem, ab ea parte, sicut cerebrum a superiore; sed hoc, quamdiu vasa spermatica, seu membra genitalia [non] fortiter agunt: at vero dum haec fortiter agunt, et meliora sanguinis rapiunt, tunc capsulae renales orbantur vitali hoc sanguine, et sic rapitur ab iis serum purius.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has universalis
2. sic Manuscript forte pro vivificant