Anatomy and bodily qualities

Meaning

The Nature dialogue’s anatomy is an argument about formative power. Nature assigns hardness to bones, a chewing function to teeth, softness to liver and flesh, cold to nerves, moisture to brain and warmth to the heart; she fills the veins with blood. These are the passage’s qualitative descriptions, not modern physiological findings. The body’s differentiation displays an order the practitioner cannot manufacture independently.

The responding alchemist adds wonder at the limbs’ availability to the will, while refusing to derive the rational soul or will simply from Nature. Later, bones, flesh, blood and hair exemplify the human form already contained in seed. Anatomical detail thus supports both natural generation and the limit of natural agency. The English ‘bones’ is crucial for Beine here: the list is not merely a reference to legs.