fined within these bounds, but that sometimes there is
still an accession of others.

For loss of strength in old age does not terminate at the limbs, or
extremities of the body; the spine of the back also loses considerably
of its firmness, by the daily diminution of power in its muscles and
ligaments: hence an old man can seldom stand upright, but stoops his
body towards the earth, which is shortly to cover it. This part is
likened to a _silver chain_, which is said to be _broken asunder_. For
the _vertebrae_, of which it is composed, may be looked upon as the
rings or links, and they give way outward by the bending of the body.
Moreover the _medulla oblongata_, which passes through them, is of a
_silver_ or whitish colour.

These points, which we have hitherto handled, are very difficult of
explanation. But the three inconveniencies, which close the discourse,
are true aenigma's, and require an Oedipus to solve them. And as such
an one, in my opinion, has not appeared hitherto, I will use my
endeavours to do it. _The golden ewer_, says he, _is dashed in pieces:
the pitcher is broken at the fountain-head; and the chariot is dashed
in pieces at the pit_.

Old men are troubled with defluxions from the head to the nose, mouth
and lungs; which are compared to water rushing out of a broken bottle
or ewer. And the ewer is said to be _of gold_, to express the dignity
of the head.

Nor does phlegm flow from the head alone; but other parts also pour
forth their juices too abundantly or irregularly. For the serosities,
which are secreted by the kidneys (whose cavity is even at this day
named pelvis by Anatomists) runs into the bladder; which, by reason of
the relaxation of its sphincter, as if the pitcher were broken at the
fountain head, is not able to retain its contents a sufficient time.
Hence an incontinence or dribbling of urine is continually
troublesome.

Now, the evils hitherto enumerated lodge in particular parts; but the
last calamity, both in this discourse, as well as in old people, is
that the whole body is afflicted. The very course of the blood is
interrupted; hence wretched man is seized with difficulty of
breathing, apoplexies or lethargies. The heart also, the principle and
fountain of life, sinks thro' want of its usual force, _and the broken
chariot falls into the pit_. The ancients indeed did not know of the
circulation of the blood; but they could not be ignorant, that it was
moved thro' the body,