14. The nature of our bodies is such, that when endued with life and feeling by conjunction with a sentient soul, they become something more than inert, insensate matter. They feel when touched, suffer when pricked, shiver with cold, feel pleasure in warmth, waste with hunger, and grow fat with food. By a certain transfusion of the soul, which supports and penetrates them, they feel pleasure or pain according to the surrounding circumstances. When the body is pricked or pierced, it is the soul which pervades it that is conscious, and suffers pain. For instance a flesh-wound is felt even to the bone, while the fingers feel nothing when we cut the nails which protrude from the flesh. And if through some disease a limb becomes withered, it loses the feeling of living flesh: it can be cut or burnt, it feels no pain whatever, because the soul is no longer mingled with it. Also when through some grave necessity part of the body must be cut away, the soul can be lulled to sleep by drugs, which overcome the pain, and produce in the mind a death-like forgetfulness of its power of sense. Then limbs can be cut off without pain: the flesh is dead to all feeling, and does not heed the deep thrust of the knife, because the soul within it is asleep. It is, therefore, because the body lives by admixture with a weak soul, that it is subject to the weakness of pain.

329 14. Unde in corporibus sensus.---Ea enim natura corporum est, ut ex consortio animae in sensum quemdam animae sentientis animata, non 0352B sit hebes inanimisque materies: sed et attacta sentiat, et compuncta doleat, et algens rigeat, et confota gaudeat, et inedia tabescat, et pinguescat cibo. Ex quodam enim obtinentis se penetrantisque animae transcursu, secundum ea in quibus erit, aut oblectatur, aut laeditur. Cum igitur compuncta aut effossa corpora dolent, sensum doloris transfusae in ea animae sensus admittit. Denique vulnus corporis usque ad hos dolet, et digiti excidentium (alias, excedentium) ex carne unguium praesegmina nesciunt. Et si quando accedente vitio pars aliqua corrupta membrorum, sensum vivae carnis amiserit; ea cum vel desecabitur vel uretur, dolorem quisquis esse potuisset, non manente in ea animae permixtione, non sentiet. Aut cum gravis necessitas recidendi corporis 0352C manet, medicato potu consopitur vigor animae, et in emortuam sensus sui oblivionem mens succis violentioribus occupata conficitur. Ac tum 0353A doloris nescia membra caeduntur, et omnem alti vulneris plagam sensus carnis emortuus, sensu animae in se torpentis evadit. Affert itaque dolorem per animae infirmis admixtionem, in infirmum sensum suum corpus animatum.