Kitap 3
8
Thus, as regards digestion, even though he neglected everything else, he did at least attempt to prove his point — namely, that digestion in animals differs from boiling carried on outside; in regard to the question of deglutition, however, he did not go even so far as this. What are his words?
8
The stomach does not appear to exercise any traction.cf. p. 97.
8
Now the fact is that the stomach possesses two coats, which certainly exist for some purpose; they extend as far as the mouth, the internal one remaining throughout similar to what it is in the stomach, and the other one tending to become of a more fleshy nature in the gullet. Now simple observation will testify that these coats have their fibres inserted in contrary directions.It appears to me, from comparison between this and other passages in Galen's writings (notably Use of Parts, iv., 8), that he means by the two coats simply the mucous and the muscular coats. In this case the straight or longitudinal fibres of the inner coat would be the rugae; the circular fibres of the inner intestinal coat would be the valvulae conniventes.And, although Erasistratus did not attempt to say for what reason they are like this, I am going to do so.
