AN Anatomical Account OF THE ELEPHANT Accidentally Burnt in DUBLIN, ON Friday, June 17. in the Year 1681. Sent in a LETTER To Sir WILL. PETTY, FELLOW OF The Royal Society. TOGETHER With a Relation of new Anatomical Observations in the Eyes of Animals; Communicated in another LETTER to the Honourable R. boil, Esq FELLOW of the same SOCIETY. By A. M. Med. of Trinity College near Dublin. London, Printed for Sam. Smith, Bookseller, at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1682 Honoured Sir, MY Ambition to serve the R.S. in general, & my Obligations to yourself in particular, are the only Motives that induce me to communicate my Observations on the Elephant burned here last Summer; for I understand that they are likely to be made public, and am very unwilling to appear in Print, especially at the disadvantages which now I must: For People admiring the Elephant, as well for his docility, as bulk, and rareness in these Countries, will expect so curious an account of him, as may furnish them with the Reasons, why he comes to be more capable of doing things which seem to require Ratiocination, than any other Brute that we know. They may moreover think that from an exact description of the several parts of his Body, most, if not all Vessels and Organs being larger considerably in him, than in other Creatures, a great light into the true uses of parts might be had. Now Sir, I must desire you to inform that Honourable Society, for whom you design these following Notes, and of whom you are a Member, with the Reasons why I cannot answer such great expectations. My want of Optic Glasses, and of other helps for curious Observations were considerable. Moreover the Circumstances of time and place were unfortunate; for the Booth wherein the Elephant was kept, took fire about Three a Clock in the morning, on Friday the 17th of June; upon this the City being alarmed, multitudes were gathered about the place: And when the fire was extinguished every one endeavoured to procure some part of the Elephant, few of them having seen him living, by reason of the great rates put upon the sight of him. To prevent his being taken away by the multitude, the Manager, Mr. Wilkins, procured a File of Musqueteers to guard him, till he should build a shed where he might securely disjoint him, in order to the making of a Skeleton: This he got finished at Seven a Clock at Night, and about Eight I heard of his design. Being desirous to inform myself in the structure of the Elephant, I made search for him, and having found him I proffered my service to him; of which when he accepted, I endeavoured to persuade him to discharge some Butchers which he had in a readiness to order the Elephant after their way, and to leave the whole management of the matter to me, and to such as I thought fit to employ, designing a general dissection, and that the Icons of each part should be taken in order by some Painters, with whom upon this occasion I could prevail: But my endeavours proved fruitless, because that about Ten a Clock that night, when we went to the shed, to find what condition the Elephant was in, he emitted very noisome steams. These made the Manager fear (the shed being very near the Council-Chamber, and the Customhouse,) that the Ld. Lt. or Ld. Mayor would order it to be taken away as a nuysance, and that so in all probability it should be lost, and that perhaps he himself should be punished for suffering it to be there. When I considered, that in case he did not dispose of him that Night, the next Day being Saturday, I should be able to accomplish but a small part of what I designed, and that it would be both chargeable and difficult to preserve him from the rabble till Monday, and that then the stink would be altogether intolerable, if it should increase in proportion to what it had done that day. I consented to have the business done that night, and for expeditions sake, to make use of the Butchers as Assistants, but so as to be directed by myself in every thing: But their forwardness to cut and slash what came first in their way, and their unruliness withal did hinder me from making several Remarks which otherwise I would have made: Thus the Elephant was disjointed by Candle-light. Some parts were burnt, most of those that were not, were more or less defaced by being parboiled. This may satisfy the R. S. how difficult it was to give a satisfactory Anatomical Account of the Elephant, and that the following slender one is given to show my readiness to serve them, and my Obedience to your Commands. I shall not trouble you with a Repetition of what has been said of the Elephant by Pliny, Gesner, Tavernier, and others, being very little, if any way, instructive to any desirous to understand the Anatomy of that Creature, but shall faithfully, and as plainly as I can, acquaint you with what occurred remarkable to me, upon a view of the several parts of his Body, and shall add only some conjectures of my own concerning the uses of some parts derived from their structure. Cuticula. I shall begin with the Cuticula, (of which I keep a piece which was raised by the Fire from a part of the Cutis, on which the Elephant was found lying, and which therefore was not defaced) when I examined this, I found it covered all over with a strange sort of Scab, in many places resembling old Warts, deeply jagged, and the carnous Fibres of the Muscles of Beef, when much boiled, and transversly cut, but of a dirty tawny Colour. These Scabs (if I may so call them) both slit and cut, looked like short pieces of Whalebone. They did so firmly stick to the Cuticula, that I could not pull them from it, nor the parts of which they consisted (though they were much divided) from one another, without tearing it. And yet the Cuticula was much tougher and thicker than any that I have seen. The length of these Scabs was in some ⅓ or ¼ but in other places not above 1/10 or 1/12 of an Inch. The cause of which difference I take to be the Elephants wearing, by rubbing or lying, some parts of them, whilst others were slightly or not at all worn. I could find but very few Hairs without this scab, but many within, and even with it. The Elephant's inclinations to Itch, and to rub himself against whatever came in his way, kept those Hairs that were even with the outside of the aforesaid scab, from appearing of any considerable length. The hardness of the scab by keeping the Roots of the Hairs fast, did very much contribute to their wearing on the outside, as well as to their preservation on that within. The length of the Hairs for the most part was equal to that of the Scabs. The Hair. The Hair in the Cutis, when divested of its Cuticula, were numerous, and many of them were considerably stiffer and thicker than the bristles of a Hog. They were black, and as many as were found in the Cuticula, when separated from the Cutis, were plainly covered over with thin Membranes, from the extremity of the Roots to the Cuticula. These (with submission to better Judgement) I take to be the linings to peculiar ductus, which by the heat of the Fire were separated from them, as the Cuticula was from the Cutis. In these ductus the Hairs were manifestly planted. Now seeing that close about the Roots of Hairs, as well as on the Pores, near which there is no Hair, a dew may be discerned soon after sweat is wiped away. I take it to be reasonable to think, that there are two sorts of Pores in the skins of Animals. One small, designed altogether for the separation of such Liquors and Vapours, as are usually thrown off by insensible Perspiration and Sweat. The other to contain and nourish Hairs; for at the bottom of each of these ductus there appeared to the naked Eye small Glandules when the Skin was divided to the extremity of the roots. These I suppose to be the glandulae miliares, observed by the most accurate Anatomists, Signior Malphigi, and Dr. Steno, in their structure of the Cutis. These probably separate from the mass of Blood an excrementitious matter, fit for the nourishment of the Hairs, and what is not spent in that, is (I suppose) cast out between the Hairs and the aforementioned thin Membranes, which, upon that account, may be properly called Lymphducts; and so likewise may the smaller sort, (of which more anon) and each of them a proper Vas excretorium to a Glandula Miliaris. The Hairs which came out of the Skin, and which were in the Cuticula, were from the end of the root to the Cuticula in length between ¼ and ½ of an Inch. Cutis. The outward superficies of the Cutis, freed from the Cuticula, was very uneven, by reason of a vast number of Pyramidal papillae, about the bigness of small Pins heads: To fit each of these there were cavities in the Cuticula. These papillae were probably pores, being to the sight like those that a sudden Cold produces in our Skins, and which unquestionably are such. Now if it be granted, that in Brutes there is an insensible Perspiration (which all rational men that sees them sweat will allow, forasmuch as what is by that cast off, is not so gross a Body as Sweat,) and if their insensible discharge be granted proportionable to that of a man; it will follow, that the Elephant being a Creature of extraordinary bulk, must have very many pores, and very large ones too, such as may be discerned by the naked Eye, when we find them to be so even in Men, in the Palms especially of the Hands, and in them all other Vessels are proportionably less than they were in the Elephant. I say, that the pores must be both numerous and large, for the use aforesaid, especially if we may confide in Sanctorius his Statical Observations of a man's insensibly perspiring in a Winter's day 50 Ounces, and upwards, which is somewhat more than a 54th part of an ordinary man's weight, which I take to be about 170 l. (and upon such meaning himself, I suppose him to have made his Experiments,) and allow the Elephant to perspire proportionably, we will find that his daily insensible evacuation will amount to very near 93 l. if we may believe some that has seen the Elephant put on Shipboard, and taken off, that said he weighed 2½ Tuns or 5000 l. of which 93 l. is about a 54th part. Though I am not forward to believe, what I have at several times been told, as to his weight, nor assured that his Transpiration was proportionable to that of a man, because of the outward scab, which might bar it; yet that he did much transpire I believe, from the vivacity of his species, and have together with many Arguments for perspiration in general, one in particular to allege for the great necessity of it in this Animal, and that is this, his blood and flesh did extraordinarily abound with an urinous Salt, which made the mass of humours extraordinary active, and consequently capable of making their way through the smallest passages, the pungency of the Salt not a little irritating the pores to an excretion. I suppose moreover that this Salt ought to be necessarily and continually cast off with serosities, to prevent diseases consequent to too great a quantity of Volatile Salt in the Body. Why the exorbitancy of this sort of Salt, as well as that of a fixed Marine Salt in Scorbutic Persons, should not cause many distempers, (though few of such may be known to the Inhabitants of our cold Climates,) I cannot guests; but that he did so abound in an Urinous Salt, did appear not only from the urinous effluvia which so affected my Nostrils that I was scarce able to endure them; but also from the smarting which his blood occasioned, (contrary to what I ever observed in that of other Creatures) lighting on a cut which I accidentally at that time received in one of my Fingers. The difference between the pungency of the Salt in this Blood, and that in stolen Urine was such, that the latter usually in a little time ceases to stimulate a tender part kept steeped in it, whereas the former did make my Finger all that night, and the next day whilst embrued in it continually smart. But more especially it appeared from the taste of his Flesh when dressed on the Coals, before a fire, or fried, (boiling in Water took it clear away) which was, as near as I can guests, like that of lean Beef seasoned with Salt of Hartshorn. It is not only probable therefore that the Elephant did insensibly perspire much, but also that those Pyramidal Papillae were the passages through which he did transpire, nothing except them and the places of the Hairs appearing any way like pores. Cutis substantia. When the Cutis was cut through, as far commonly as the roots of the Hairs reached, it was like the callous or horny part of Brawn; but the inner part was very glandulous with a little fat interspersed. Crassities cutis. The Cutis before it dried was in some places 1¼ Inch thick, and in other places not above an Inch, and in others somewhat less. I could find no cutaneous Vessel of any remarkable bigness, and but very few small ones. Panniculus carnosus defuit. I made search for the Panniculus carnosus, but found none. I was the more diligent in my search for it, because that I understood it was usual with the Elephant to kill the Flies which lighted on the cracks in his Skin, and tormented him; and this he did by bringing the sides of the cracks close together of a sudden, which I thought to be performed by that cutaneous Muscle, meaning the aforesaid Panniculus carnosus, but nothing like it appearing, I concluded that what I supposed aught to have been done by that Muscle, was in this Animal done by putting himself suddenly in a posture to wrinkle the skin of that side that was attacked by the Flies, and this to be done by bending his body that way, by which means what was before straight for him, being now too full, the sides of the cracks were forced close together, & thus the Flies were bruised. Defuit & Membrana adiposa. There was no Membrana adiposa to be seen about him, neither was there inwardly or outwardly, except a little in the Perineum, any appearance of fat; but instead of the two last mentioned integuments, there was a very strong nervous Membrane, obliquely descending from the Spinae dorsi to the Sternum, and the linea alba. Membrana nervosa. This Membrane was very tough, and very near as hard to be cut as Whale-bone of the same thickness; which all along the backbone was about ⅙ of an Inch; but the nearer the end I tried it the thinner I found it. This Membrane seemed to terminate in the linea alba, as the tendons of the Muscles of the abdomen usually do. The nervous Fibres of which this Membrane was made, were very distinguishable, and might easily be separated for their whole length. I have nothing to say as to its Origin, unless it proceeded from the dura Mater. This doubtless was designed to strengthen this Creature, and perhaps that the weight of the Viscera contained in the Abdomen, should not distend the Peritoneum, and the Muscles adjoining, so as to let them hang lower than was convenient. The Taxwax. The Ligament, commonly called Taxwax, reached from the Head, to which it grew, to about the 13th vertebra of the dorsum; it was double, one on each side of the Spinae vertebrarum colli & dorsi; it was both very thick, and very broad, and consequently very strong; its use doubtless was to assist the Muscles and other parts of the Neck, to bear the extraordinary weight of the Head, being placed not flat, but edgewise, like Planks used as Joices to bear up Floors. And this piece of Architecture is found in most, if not all Quadruped's, for the very same purpose; but being needless, it's wanting in men. I made no other Remark on the Muscles, but that they were very large, and consisted of Fibres much thicker than those of Beef. Musculi duo Retractores Penis. In searching for the Testes, I found Muscles so like them, that I doubted not but that they were the very Testes; their shape did most exactly resemble them: and their tendons, before the Testes are taken out of the Processus of the Peritoneum, might pass for the seminary Vessels; nothing by Candle-light, but an examination of them by dissection, could have undeceived me. I was very desirous to see the Anatomy of one of them, and did what I could to inform myself that way, by which means I discovered my Error, and having found two Muscles unlike any that ever I saw, I traced them to the inner and lower side of the Os Ischion; where I found them implanted; I traced the tendons likewise, and found that when they had gone singly near upon 4 Inches, that they joined in one, which went directly under the middle of the Penis, and reached beyond a crookedness that I observed in it: this was in length about 8 Inches, it was then within 6 or 7 Inches of the Glans terminated: having expanded itself into a Membrane. There was, besides these, a nervous Body that began underneath, near the aforesaid tendons, about 8 Inches from the root of the Penis, and reached (distinct from the Yard) 9 Inches, before it was inserted again in it, at a place 5½ Inches from the Glans. Eorun usus. When I considered that the Actions of all Muscles were, by a Swelling and a Contraction of their Fibres, I was of opinion on the account of those Muscles, and of that nervous Body so conveniently placed for that purpose, that the Elephant was a Retromingent, and very probably a Retrocoient Animal. The crookedness and bending downwards, which I observed in the Penis, somewhat short of the end of the Tendon confirmed me in that Opinion, & lastly the confession of those that were his constant Attendants, put the business out of doubt; for they said, that whensoever the Elephant would make water, they observed him unsheathe his Penis, and turn it backwards, and so piss between his hind Legs outwards. Here nature manifested her care in making a peculiar provision for this unwieldy Animal to prevent his wallowing in his own Excrements. After this, and a long search, I found the Testes which were not contained in a Scrotum or Capsula, but lay in the Perineum, close joined on each side to the Penis; they were neither of the usual shape, bigness, nor included in a processus of the Peritoneum. Their shape was very like that of a Chestnut; they were thicker on the side that grew to the Penis than on the opposite. They were flat & round. They were not suitable to the other parts of his Body; for if I had the curiosity to weigh them, I believe that both should be found to weigh but little more than 3, or at most 4 ounces. They were joined to the Penis by a great many, at least 100 seminal Tubes, which may be properly called Vasa deferentia, & which deposited the elaborated Semen in several Rhomboid Cells, placed in the body of the Penis, which in this Creature was the common and only repository for the seed that I could find. These Cells were turgid with Sperm, and so were the Tubes; the latter were larger than any that ever I saw, in the Testes of other Animals; most of them without any force receiving a Block Tin Wire of equal thickness with the biggest of the ordinary Pins; and this they received for an Inch, and sometimes more, when the Tube was straight, as most of them were; but when I followed them further into the Body of the Testis, they became sensibly smaller & smaller till they disappeared. I searched for that which Dr. Highmor calls a Ductus, and De Graafe more truly makes the Stabilimentum to the Vessels in the Testes both Blood and Seminary; but could not clearly see it. The blood Vessels came into the Testes by the Vasa deferentia. Though these were small and disproportionable, yet I took them to be the Testes, nothing else outwardly appearing that contained Seminary Vessels, till I understood by the curious Anatomist and learned Physician Dr. Needham, that my description of the Testicles of the Elephant did agree to the Prostatae of a Boar; upon which I concluded that I mistook the Testes for the Prostatae, there being a great resemblance between these Animals, and having found Two Substances (of which more anon) between the Kidneys and the neck of the Bladder, which might very well be Testes, and which, till I discoursed that ingenious Gentleman I did not well know what to make of. I shall, when I come to the inward parts, say something of the vasa praeparantia. The vagina for the Penis was, at the opening, horny, and was shut up so close, that there was not room for a man's little finger to get in. We could not, without dividing it, come at the Yard. ●●nis. The Penis looked more inconsiderable by being so closely shut up, than it did when freed from the Sheath; it was larger than that of a Stone-Horse, but hardly so long. ●rethra. The Urethra was large, for it admitted a round stick, near as thick as a man's Finger, which was thrust into it to straighten it. ●●ritone●m. The Peritoneum was a very tough, thick, white Membrane, much wrinkled, that might be divided into many, though not distinct, Membranes. ●mentū. The Omentum was nothing but a very thin and double Membrane, together with a net of small blood-vessels, accompanied with small threads of Fat; its insertions were as usually they are in other Animals. ●entricu●lus. The Ventricle was in length 4 foot, and about 3 inches, it was round about 3½ Foot. The Aesophagus was not inserted in the extremity of it, as in Men, Dogs, and many other Animals, but a Foot from that, towards the middle of it, in which (if I mistake not) it agrees with the Stomach of a Horse. There was but one, contrary to what some did imagine, if we do not reckon the Coecum and the Colon for two. I found several pebble stones in it, whereof some were large, which if weighed, would be found to be between 3 and 4 ounces. By their colour and shapes I should guests them to be taken, not long before, from some Sea shore. They were swallowed, I suppose, to cleanse the Stomach & Guts. I did not find any thing else remarkable in the Stomach, its shape, Coats and Fibres agreeing in other things, with that of Men, Dogs, etc. Intest●●● The Intestina tenuia were burnt in many places, tenui● but not quite through any where, excepting two or three. Ileum Jejunu● The Ileum and Jejunum were not extraordinary big, but were in length about 52 Foot. Duode●●● The length of that which is commonly called the Duodenum, was about 4½ Foot. Coecum The Coecum was very large and distended with hard dung; its Coats were thicker, and its Fibres were stronger than those of the Stomach. The thickness of the Fibres was very discernible where a part of this Gut was burnt. The length of this Gut was about 20 inches, but its measure round about was about 2½ foot. Colon. The Colon was monstrously big, for it was in some places upwards of 3½ Foot round, and in others it wanted somewhat of 3 Foot; its length was to an inconsiderable matter, 15 Foot, though I searched diligenly for the Valvula coli, I could perceive nothing of it. ●●ctum. The Rectum (by which I mean the remainder of the Intestina crassa, (though a part of them could not be properly so called) because of the equality for the most part of their Diameters, and disproportion to the Colon, and of my want of a name for a new Gut.) was about 4 Foot in length; and so the whole length of the Guts was about 75 Foot, or 25 Yards. ●●brarum ●●●ciculus There was a Fasciculus of straight Fibres, near as thick, and altogether as broad as a man's middle Finger; this (to the best of my remembrance) began at the Coecum and reached to the Anus. This was opposite to the Mesentery, and was, I suppose, designed upon occasion to shorten that side of the Guts, as the Mesentery did the opposite; that so the motion of the Guts might be more equal, and consequently, that the Excrements might be the more easily protruded, the passage being more direct; and also that their propulsion might be in less time, because that the journey is thereby shortened. The Fibres of the Guts, both straight and spiral (for so they seemed to be, and not truly circular) were very strong and thick. There were many large Veins in the Guts, and between the inner Tunica (which by the buy was very glandulous and thick) and the third, or that next it, there was a curious Plexus retiformis of Blood-vessels. Mesente●ium. The Mesentery was very strong, being very thick, it had no fat about it, neither was there any relic of it. Vena ●●saraica The Mesaraick Veins were very large, many of them equalling, and some exceeding in bigness the Vena cava of a Mastiff Dog. I do not remember to have seen any remarkable Glandule in it. Hepar. The Liver was very large, and consisted of 2 Lobes only, each long, round, and a little flattish. The Fissure which made those Lobes reached ⅔ of the length of the Liver. I found the Stomach placed between these two, one lay upon it, and the other lay between it and the vertebrae of the back, like a bolster: Whether this was the natural place of the Stomach, or put there by the Elephants struggling to get lose to avoid the fire, I will leave to you to determine. Membr●na hepar investie●… The Membrane that invested the Liver was raised from it for a considerable way, as if it ne'er had been joined to it; though this Membrane seemed to be whole, and looked like the Cuticula raised by a blistering Plaster, yet there was not serum contained in it; and where it seemed to be intimately joined to the Liver, by a gentle pull it came off, without tearing any thing that I could take notice of, as if it had been but very slightly fastened to the Liver, or rather a bag which contained it, and exactly fitted it: But for all this I cannot but think that this Membrane, as well as every one, which immediately includes any of the Viscera have besides other uses, this one; namely to terminate and shut the capillary vessels; so to prevent a gleeting of serous humours, which would inevitably follow, and which would soon ulcerate as well the adjacent, as the part itself, and we find that Nature does most commonly obviate such inconveniences; therefore I must wholly impute the clear in some places, and in others that easy separation of the Membrane from the Liver, to the fire. ●●●is. The Bilis was deposited at the end of the first Gut, improperly called the Duodenum in this Creature, that is 4½ Foot below the Pilorus, from which place I traced the ductus communis to the Liver, to see the vesica fellea, but it was wanting, and in the place of it I found the Porus Biliarius come out of the Liver, ●●rus bili●●●us. as the Ductus hepaticus usually does. I observed likewise (which before I have done in other Creatures) that the Bilis found in that, differed both in colour and consistency from that which I found in the Ductus Hepaticus; for the latter was a clear light yellow, and was congealed with all like a Jelly; whereas that of the former was of a dark green; and was somewhat more fluid than the Galls of an Ox. That there is this difference in the Galls of most Animals, is a thing that I believe time will discover, which then will excite discerning men to find out their different uses. I could find nothing peculiarly remarkable in the substance of the Liver by cutting, only that it was manifestly glandulous, as the sagacious Malphigi observed. ●●ncreas. The Pancreas was very long, and large; for it reached from about the middle of the Stomach to the Jejunum, which space could not be less than 6½ Foot: it was a Glandula conglomerata as the Pancreas always is, and had its ductus so wide, that it could without force contain my little Finger; it opened into the Gut where the ductus felleus did: Whether both the passages joined in one before their aperture into the Intestine or no, is a thing that I forgot. Ejusde● ductus. I found a Succus in the ductus, not limpid as usually it appears, but of a very dark green colour, and yet very fluid, seeming to contain no viscid Phlegm. I wanted the curiosity to taste it. Lien. The Spleen was between 3 and 4 Inches in breadth, and in length 4 Foot, and somewhat more; it was very glandulous, agreeable to the same Malphigi's Observations in his Book De Viscerum structura. I saw nothing else in it that deserved particular notice to be taken of it. Gland●●● renales The Renes succenturiati, or Glandulae renales, were placed in this, as in other Animals, but they differed in their length (which was about 3 inches) from that of other Creatures; they were hollow, and contained an ill coloured blackish blood, for which, I suppose, they are called Capsulae atrabiliariae; they were thicker than a Man's Thumb. Renes. The Kidneys lay, in a hollow exactly fitting them, in the Loins, and could hardly be discerned, though each of them was little less than a Child's Liver. Their Figure was Oval; they were included in a very strong Membrane, which was fastened to them in no place, but at the emulgent Vessels. When this was taken off, each of the Kidneys was found to consist of six Lobes. The Cavity usually found in other Kidneys, called the Pelvis, here was wanting. ●reter. I found the Ureter divided into 6 parts, one for each Lobe, each of them (as near as I can guests) of equal Diameter with the Ureter itself. These went into their respective Lobes, about an inch before their arterial substance terminated. There were no Carunculae Papillares, neither could I find any thing that made the manner of separating the Urine, more intelligible than formerly it was. The Ureter was no wider than that of an Ox; it had nothing peculiarly remarkable, except its disproportion to most of the other parts of the Body. Vesica U●inaria. The Vesica Urinaria was much of the same size with an Ox's Bladder, but much stronger, having thicker Fibres. Venae praeparantes. The Venae praeparantes were large. I divided that which was inserted into the emulgent, lengthwise; and, within a little more than an inch to its insertion, I found many valves, I guess about Eight or Ten, these were of divers shapes, all fitted to hinder the return of the Blood into the variously divided Spermatick Vein; which here from Eight or Ten Rivulets became one great Channel. Within about an inch of this, and somewhat more than two of the Kidneys, I found a substance of the shape of a Pear: but near three times as big as the largest Pear ever I saw. I did what I could by different ways of dissection to find out what manner of thing this was, which was altogether strange for aught I knew: but after all can give but a very imperfect account of it; for the Butchers very unluckily did cut it out, and so its communications with the testes, the penis and other parts could not be discovered. What I observed in it is this, the Spermatick Vessels at first entered but a little way into this substance; but, below the middle on't, I found them more deeply placed; and their Branches grow small and less numerous to the sight: as if here the Veins began. (By the buy I take the beginning of Veins to be from the extreme Parts, as that of the Arteries is from the Heart.) The inward Parts of this Substance looked of a palish, but somewhat muddy red Colour; It was very spongy, not much more compact than the Lungs of young Animals. I doubt not but this Substance was designed to prepare the Semen. But by what Vessels it was brought to the Penis, or to any repository (It self containing none) I could not discover for the reasons above mentioned. Neither could I find any peculiar Vessel, or Ductus, or any thing that resembled one in that aforementioned Substance by which I might be directed in my enquiry. It lay lengthways from the Kidneys to the Testes, with the biggest end lowest. I was so intent upon a search for some peculiar Ductus in this Part, that I clearly forgot to take notice of the Arteriae Praeparantes; from what I heard the most accurate Anatomist, Dr. Nedham, say of the parts, generationi inservientes, in general, and particularly of those of a Boar; I doubt not but that these two Pears fashioned now described Substances were Testes; their place, size, figure, together with the want of the vasa deferentia, occasioned by the Butcher's unadvised cutting them out, were the causes of my ignorance heretofore in this point. I had the Penis cut out, with its aprendices, as carefully as I could; and yet I saw not Vesiculae seminales. vesiculae seminales, nor any other common receptacle for the Semen, except the formerly mentioned Rhomboide Cells observed in the sides of the Penis itself. But after all this I cannot but suspect my own unwariness to be the cause of my not observing them; for as much as I was at first convinced; that what I found to be really the prostatae, was the Testes. Their being closely joined to the Penis, and having there a free passage for the Semen, into the Cells before mentioned; took off my Curiosity to find out what is generally meant by the Vesiculae seminales, having suspected no such thing. Diaphragma. The Diaphragma was made of very strong carneous and nervous Fibres. Thorax. The cavity of the Thorax was filled by the Lungs and Heart; Pulmones. for the Lungs contrary to what I ever observed in other Quadrupeds, grew to the Pleura as far on each side at least (I forgot whether they grew likewise to the Sternum or not) as the Cartilages of the Ribs. For thus far I well remember to have separated them, they were so joined that there was not one place, where you might see a natural separation of them. When I parted the Lungs and the Pleura, I found that they were joined by Membranes that might be split at pleasure: but I could make no clear distinction of them into several Membranes. By their manner of sticking, they resembled the Lungs of Fowl. By this you may guests how big they were; in other things they agreed with the Lungs of other Animals. Motus Thoracis. I suppose that this Animal as well as others, inspired by enlarging the Cavity (if I may so call it) of the Thorax; which I suppose to be done principally by the motion of the Ribs from acute, to right Angels, as Dr. Mayo well observed. And this I take to be performed by the intercostal, Diaphragm, and Muscles of the abdomen; thus the Cavity of the Thorax, being every way enlarged, readily receives the Air forced in impetuosly by the weight of the Atmosphaere, and I take his expiration to be done by a cessation of the motion of the aforesaid Muscles. Pericardium. The Pericardium was a strong Membrane, and contained a good quantity of Serum. Cor. The Heart was of the usual conical figure, and placed as in other Animals: but it was as large as an ordinary Pompion. The Vessels belonging to it were proportionable. Arteria Aorta. For the Ateria Aorta (of which I keep a piece though much shrunk) is round eight inches: and the Vena Cava was as much larger than the Arteria; as it is usually in other Creatures. Vena Iliaca. By the bigness of the Vena Iliaca, you may perhaps guests better at the Cava; The former when slit, did receive and almost cover my four fingers put into it edgewise. Cordis auriculae & valvulae. The Auricles and Ventricles were of a size that was suitable to the bigness of the Heart. The Valves were so too, and were the same both in number and figure with those in other Animals. Arteria pulmonaris. I opened the Arteria Pulmonaris and cut out the three Valvulae Mitrales; which when I measured, I found to be upwards of six of my inches in length. There was no passage to be seen in the Septum Medium. I could not find the bone in the Heart, which Galen says he found in Caesar's Elephant, dissected by his Order at Rome. The Carotid Artery of this Animal was very large; for it readily received a large cane into it. Aesophagus The Aesophagus after the usual manner was outwardly Muscular, and inwardly Membranous, The Muscular Fibres were much thicker than ordinary; for their thickness upon the Membrane was about ⅓ of an Inch. Maxilla Inferior. The lower Jaw of this Beast, did resemble that of a Hog, the most of any thing. Lingua. His Tongue was somewhat bigger than that of an Ox, and placed after the usual manner. But this it had peculiar in it, that the passage to the Ventricle was through it; for there was a hole near the Root of it, and exactly in the middle of that part. Which hole was the beginning of the Aesophagus; there was no communication between this and the passage into the Lungs, contrary to what we may observe in Men, in all Quadrupeds and Fowl that ever I had an opportunity to dissect. For the Membrana Pituitaria Anterior, reached to the very Root of the Tongue below the Aesophagus; and so quite stopped the passage of the Air into the Mouth. From whence we may conclude, that he could not utter any voice by the mouth, and but little by the trunk or nose. ●embra ●●tuitaria posterior. The former Membrana Pituitaria had many passages for the Saliva usually separated there. There was between the end of the Proboscis and the Larinx a Membrana Pituitaria posterior, which had very many of the same sort of ductus. The Proboscis was only a nose prolonged, The Proboscis. where it was separated from the Forehead, the substance of it looked exactly like that of a Neats-tongue slit: the flesh of it being curiously interlarded. Where the fire had entered upon it, I could distinctly perceive three Orders of Fibres; one obliquely and spirally descending; another spirally but croswise descending; the third were straight Fibres. Several of the notions of his Proboscis might be performed by the aforementioned three distinct Series' of Muscular Fibres. Proboscidis motus varii. As its contraction, motion up, or down, to the right or to the left: But by what means he was able at pleasure, to shoot it out from a foot upon any sudden occasion to five foot long; and that with extraordinary force, I cannot clearly perceive. This sort of motion seems to require a particular Theory, being very different from the other motions in the Body of this, and of other Animals; for to me all Muscular motion seems to be by a contraction of Fibres, even when the extension of a Part is designed. In which case the Bones of the Parts are drawn, and kept directly one before another, by the contraction of some of the Muscles. Now we do not find any part without a Bone, (except this) that is Spontaneously protruded or prolonged, and so kept for some time. Some may Imagine that the Tongue is moved after this manner; but 'tis certain, that the Musculus geneoglossus by the help of the Myloglossus draws the root of the Tongue, and consequently the Os Hyoides forward, that is, to the fore part of the Maxilla inferior where they are inserted, and that so it is that the Tongue is protended. The only way that I can guests this motion to be performed is by circular Fibres; seeing that there was no Bone towards the end of it, beyond the upper Jaw, which might be a Stabilimentum to Muscles that might pull it forwards; as the Geneoglossus does the Tongue, by drawing the Basis of it towards the middle of the Muxilla inferior. From the swelling of these Circular Fibres (which I suppose to be in the Trunk) we may expect the lengthening of it, for as much, as each of them (being kept from starting outwards by the aforesaid three orders of Fibres and the Skin) must require much more room than they took up before they were swollen. This contraction of annular Fibres must likewise make the Proboscis smaller, as, upon its shooting out, it was observed always to be. Now whether de facto there were this kind of Fibres in it or not, I cannot tell, being hindered by the manager to search for them, lest I should make it unfit for preservation; the Nostrils for the little way that I saw them, were Cartilaginous. At the end of the Proboscis there was, of the same substance with it, a little thing that pointed out like a peak; by which the Elephant was observed to take up very minute Bodies. I can say nothing of the structure of this part. Doubtless the Elephants care to preserve the Proboscis was great, for when we disjointed him, we found it thrust near Two Foot into a very hard ground; upon which account we thought that it had been Burnt, till the Head was divided from the Body, and that we found it kept fast to the ground by the Proboscis. Aspera Arteria. The Aspera Arteria was large, and destitute of an Epiglottis; there being no danger of any things falling into the Lungs, from Eating or Drinking, seeing that there was no communication between the Aesophagus and it. The Cartilagines Aritaenoides made a glottis, in length about Three Inches and a Quarter, and in breadth about One and a Half towards the middle; this Aperture was somewhat Oval. To the outside of these Cartilages I found another grow, which was fastened to them, but so, as to be capable of motion up and down, by the help of some Muscles which were implanted in it. It was strong on both sides of the Aspera Arteria; but opposite to the Aesophagus, or on the under side, it was very limber. This wanted about Two Inches and a Half of coming round the aforesaid Cartilages, on the upper side, or that next to the Aesophagus. This seemed to me to supply in some measure the want of an Epiglottis; in lessening the Glottis to prevent the creeping in of Animals into the Thorax. Larinx. The Muscles of the larinx were very strong. I suppose, that from the structure of this part, we may guests at the reason, why the Elephant is afraid of a Mouse, for the Mouse having room to creep up his Proboscis, might get into his Lungs, and so stifle him; there being no Epiglottis to hinder its passage, and the aforesaid Cartilege being hardly sufficient to shut the way against it; to avoid this danger, this Creature was observed always, when he slept, to keep his Proboscis so close to the ground, that nothing but Air might get in between them. Aspera Arteria. The Windpipe of this in other things, was like that of other Animals. Oculi. The Eyes were not so remarkable for any thing, as for their disproportion to the rest of the Body, having but little exceeded a Sheep's Eyes. Aures. The Ears were very large, and indented round; they were always observed to hang, except at such times as the Elephant was vexed, and then they were gathered like a Purse, and stood forward; at which time he always contracted his Proboscis, and so made ready to shoot it out, and to punch either Man or Beast that angered him, and came within his reach. Planae pedum. The Soles of his Feet were plain, and covered, not with an Horny substance, or Hoof like other Quadrupeds, but with a Skin (like a Camel, as I am informed,) not half as thick as that of his Body, but somewhat harder; it might easily be cut with a Knife in any part. By this means these Animals are secured from being foundered in their Travels, in the much heated Sands of their native Countries; which they could not avoid if they were hoofed; round the outside of this by the ground, there were five little knobs, answering his five Toes; within this skin there was a great quantity of a greasy substance, contained in tough Membranes, in little Cells; this was designed to defend the Toes from wearing. The Tusks had Cores in them somewhat like Marrow, but were more compact, and seemed to have some mixture of Glanduls in them. Dura & pia mater. When I Sawed the Skull I found a very strong dura mater; and a pia mater that might without being torn, be separated in many places, from the substance of the Brain; Cerebrum. the Brains were much discoloured, and very tender withal, and therefore could not be taken out entire; and so they were very unfit for Observations. Ejus pars corticalis. The Pars Corticalis of the Cerebrum seemed to be whiter than ordinary; and the Gyri more regular than in Men. The Cerebellum was like that of a Man, Cerebellum only that it was bigger; both it and the Cerebrum vveiged Ten Pounds. If I forget not, I saw the Ten Pair of Nerves, as Doctor Willis describes them; and can say nothing in particular of them, but that they were very large. I preserved a piece of one of the Nerves of the Os Sacrum, which was flattish, and but little smaller than a Bulls Pizle. Although I cannot certainly tell, whether that part of the Nerve which I prescribed, was taken from the Femur, where the coalition of Four or Five Nerves, proceeding from the Os Sacrum, is usually found, or not; and consequently cannot so probably guests at the size of the other Nerves, as otherwise I might; yet this may show, that the Nerves were proportionable to the other parts of this Animal. The Skeleton is better expressed by a Plate well Engraved, then by any description whatsoever, and therefore, if you design to make this Public, I desire you would employ one to take the Icon of it; you may find it with Mr. Dockwra Merchant in Lime-street, London. I shall not trouble you or myself with a tedious description of every Bone; but shall in short give you the few Notes I thought convenient to take, before a Copper Plate of the Elephant might be had, which may a little inform you, in case this be not thought worth Publishing. Cranium. The outward Table of the Cranium was very thin, and fragile; between this and the inner, which was not altogether so brittle, there was nothing but a great number of Cells, (which if I forget not) were for the most part Triangular; these were lined with thin Membranes, in which were many Blood Vessels curiously branched; these Cells were made of thin Plates of Bone. The greatest distance between the outward and inner Table, was Seven Inches, and the least, Four; the intermedial were the most common; this I would have understood of that part of the Skull which I Sawed for the taking of the Brains. In this place the Head was from outside to outside, Twenty Inches and Three Quarters. The whole Cranium was so brittle and thin, that without a plate of Iron nailed in the Roof of the Mouth, in which the Iron rod that ran through the Vertebrae of the Dorsum and the Neck was fastened, we could not join the Head to the Body without a manifest danger of its being torn to pieces by its own weight. If the space between the Tables had been as solid in the Skull of the Elephant as it is in those of other Animals, the weight of the Head would be too great, for even the Elephant himself to bear. And this may in some measure appear from the weight of the Maxilla inferior, which was but small in respect of the other Bones of the Head. This I am told weighed sixty pound, or near upon it. I suppose therefore, that the aforesaid Cells were formed to obviate that great inconveniency, that is, the Heads being too heavy for the Body. Dentes. The length of each of the Tusks was (as I have been informed) three foot and a half. When I searched for them I found one of them burnt to within less than a foot of the upper Jaw, in which they both grew. The other was broken off somewhat longer; they were bend towards one another, and crosted each other near their extremities. The Elephant was observed to feed himself with his Promuscis, sometimes thrust through the space made by the arched Teeth: at other times by prolonging of it beyond their place of crossing, and then turning of it inwards: and at several times by winding of it about the outside of each of the Tusks to his mouth. Both these reached on the upper Jaw, as far as the Sockets for the Eyes; from which they were divided only by thin shells of Bone. These helped to keep the formerly mentioned Cores within the Teeth. There was, besides the Tusks only four Teeth in each jaw, two in every side. The length of each of the inner Teeth of the lower Jaw, was about Six Inches and a Half; but the outward of the same Jaw, was only One and Three Quarters long. The length of the hinder Tooth in the right upper Jaw, was Four Inches; but that of the opposite, was but Three Inches; the Two outward Teeth of the upper Jaw, were somewhat longer than those of the under; the greatest breadth of the Teeth, was Two Inches and Three Quarters; and the least, about an Inch; the breadth of the Teeth of both Jaws was equal; the height of the Teeth above the Gums, was about an Inch and ¾; these Eight Teeth were Molares and so he had no Incisores. The length of the Maxilla inferior was 21 Inches and ¾, and the breadth, that is, Maxilla inferior. from the outside of one of the processus condylodes to the outside of the other, was 16 Inches and a half. Vertebrae colli dorsi. The Vertebrae of the Collum were 7. those of the Dorsum were 20. To each of the latter there was a pair of Ribs, Lumborum ossis Sa●i. the Vertebra Lumborum were only 3. those of the Os Sacrum (which are more properly divisions than Vertebrae) were six, a good part of the Tail was burnt, and I could not therefore find out the number of Joints in it. Processus transversales & spinae. The Processus transversales ac spinae, dorsi & colli were distinct Bones from their Vertebrae, and joined to them by sutures. Vlna. The Vlna and Radius did cross one another so, as that the former came from the back part of the Os humeri its proper and usual place, and was fastened by its other end, to the fore part of the Carpus, and the latter went contrariwise; Radius. this posture of these Bones is unusual, and seems to add strength to that part. The Back was arched like that of a Hog, which Figure contributes the most of any to the strength of it. I shall give you no further trouble, only desire you would satisfy the R. S. that I preserved most of the parts, that were not much defaced by the Fire, nor likely to perish suddenly; till I had leisure to examine them carefully. And in the mean time, I did what I could to inform myself in the Anatomy of those parts which were more or less altered by the heat, and were most subject to corruption. And to convince them of this Truth, I desire that you assure them, that I have some parts of the Elephant at this time, which I preserved then; and that as oft as I thought fit, I had the use of those parts which were preserved, and sent away with the Skeleton; and that so it was that I was able to give even this imperfect account of the Structure of that Creature; this favour I desire from you, lest any of them that reads the beginning of this Letter, should believe me unfaithful in relating the matter of fact, when upon the perusal of the remainder, they may find more then possibly they expected; their compliance herein, and kind acceptance of this, may encourage me to present you with other things of this nature. Sir, Your most Faithful, and most Obedient Servant, A. M. Trinity College, May 12th, 1682.