Source edition
Aristotle. Aristotelis De animalium motione et De animalium incessu. Jaeger, Werner, editor. Leipzig:Teubner, 1913.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a medical and natural philosophical inquiry that seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of sustenance, growth, and movement of the innate breath (pneuma) within living organisms. Starting with the question of whether this breath is maintained through respiration or the digestion of food, the author critically examines preceding theories. By observing various organisms, including fish and oviparous animals, the work defines three key movements of the breath within the arteries: respiration, pulsation, and the distribution of nourishment. The text further investigates, from a teleological perspective, the pathways of nutrition for bodily tissues such as bones, tendons, and flesh, as well as the role of the breath as the true origin of movement. Finally, it discusses the complex role of vital heat and the mixing ratio of elements in shaping bodily parts, presenting an integrated system of life-sustaining processes.