Borelli's On the Movement of Animals - On the Force of Percussion [Paperback]

This volume provides an introduction to Borellis theory on the movement of animals and demonstrates the nature of the energy of percussion, its causes, properties and effects. Building on and moving away from the theory of mechanics as formulated by Aristotle and Galileo and countering objections expressed by Stephani degli Angeli among others, Borelli presents a completely mechanical account of the action of muscles and analyzes the way in which the center of gravity of the animal shifts in locomotion.

Originally published in Italian in 1667, then translated into Latin in 1686, the text of this volume has now been translated into English, making the text accessible to a wide readership.

This volume is the first of two volumes that contain the Introduction and physical-mathematical illustrations necessary to understand Giovanni Alfonso Borellis work On the Movement of Animals, the founding text of seventeenth century biomechanics. The second volume, entitled?On The Natural Motions Resulting From Gravity, describes his theory and scientific experiments relating to the natural movements of bodies in a fluid environment.

Foreword of the Author.-?Chapter I?On the nature of movement in general.-?Chapter II On the causes and principles of movement.-?Chapter III Projectiles after being separated from their impeller are not moved forwards by the fluid environment in which they are.?Chapter IV Projectiles are moved forwards by a virtue impressed by the throwing subject, after they are separated from the latter.-?Chapter V On the properties and actions of the motive virtue.-?Chapter VI How the impetus of the throwing subject is distributed and?transmitted in the projectiles and why it is decreased.-?Chapter VII The velocity which is transmitted by the blow to the projected body, by its nature, is distributed, not over a certain time, but in an instant.-?Chapter VIII?The velolS—