Part 8

Mercurialis.

Bottonus locis citatis.

Hercules Saxonia de plica. ca 14. et. 34.]

The other substance which most commonly is found culpable of this disease, is nature or sperma: which besides the suspition of superfluitie in some persons, may also receiue diuers sortes of alteration, and likewise of corruption, able to worke most strange and grieuous accidents in our bodies. For as it is a substance of greatest perfection & puritie so long as it retayneth his natiue integritie: So being depraued or corrupted, it passeth all the humors of our bodie, in venom and malignitie. For it must needs be a vehement and an impure cause that shal corrupt so pure a substance, which would easily resist any weake assault: and a substance so pure and full of spirits as this is, must needes proue most malitious vnto the bodie when it is corrupted. And therefore it is compared to the venom of a serpent, a Scorpion, a Torpido, a madde dogge, &c. which in a small quantitie is able to destroy or depraue all the faculties of our bodies at once.

Galen comparing the corruption of these two together, affirmeth that although from the putrefaction of bloud, diuers most terrible accidents doe arise, yet they are not so deadly as those which proceede from the corruption of nature; and proueth it by this obseruation that diuers women enioying the benefit of mariage, yet through the suppression of their ordinary euacuation falling into this disease, had their respiration and vitall faculties vntouched, although otherwise they were most grieuously affected.

Others also hauing those ordinarie matters in good sorte, yet being widdowes and taken with this grief haue felt decay in those faculties as well as in the rest.

How these two substances by consent may affect the whole bodie according to their seuerall natures, hath beene shewed before: But one scruple remaineth here to be discussed, namely how this venemous matter may lurke so long in our bodies in silence not shewing it self but at certaine times only.

Galen in the former place declareth this by the example of a mad dogge, whose venom being receiued of us, although but by the foame of his mouth, will remaine sometimes sixe moneths within our bodies vndiscouered, and then hauing gotten more strength and ripenes vnto it selfe, and opportunitie of conuaying his euil quallity vnto the parts, breaketh forth to open view by diminishing or peruerting the faculties of those parts. I had once a patient in Kent who feeding vpon a mad hogge which hee had killed for couetousnesse sake, found himselfe distempered therewith at the first, but within fiue or sixe moneths after grew suddenly to be starke madde, and before his death, being by Phisicke restored to some reasonable vnderstanding, he confessed the eating of that hogge to haue beene the true cause of his disease. Diuers reasons may be yeelded of this as well as of the fits of intermittent agues of Epilepsies, of sweating, &c. which oftentimes haue their due recourse by the yeare, moneth, weeke, day or houre, according to the nature of the humor: which being crude expecteth his concoction in our bodies and giues no signe of his presence vntill such a proportion of it be digested and resolued into vapours, as for the offẽce therof the part affected is not able to brooke and for the weaknesse of the expulsiue facultie not able to auoide out of the bodie: but filling the vaines, arteries, and the habit of the body, is communicated to the principall parts; diminishing or deprauing their functions so long, vntill that portion of vapours be discussed through naturall heate: and ceasing againe so long vntill by fermentation and concoction, another portion of the corrupt humor shall be digested.

The vniformitie of this humor and of the heate of concoction causeth the vniformitie of fits. And this is the cause of the due periods or circuites which oftentimes are obserued in this disease, whereof wee haue spoken before: 2 according also to the condition of the part affected, which seruing as an euacuatorie to the whole bodie, is accustomed to such kind of humors and therefore can endure them better then other parts can. And this is another cause why this humor giues no signe of his presence vntill it may communicate with the principall partes: which are soone offended either with the plenty of those vapours, or with the malignity, or with the vnwonted and vnaccustomed approach of them.

The externall causes of this disease are either such things as are ordinary and necessary for our life and which we cannot shun, as our meate and drink, motion and rest, sleepe and watching, euacuation and perturbations of the minde: or such things as happen vnto vs accidentally, and may bee shunned by vs, as bathes, ointments, plaisters, cloathes, smelles or vapours, medicines, venus, noyses, riding, swimming, sayling, wounds, contusions, falles, biting of venomous beasts, &c. which may be also referred to the former kindes. These and such like as they are the externall causes of all diseases, our bodies being subiect to be hurt and offended by euery one of them: so they are oftentimes accessary to this particular disease.

The aire which compasseth our bodies and which we breath into our bodies is the occasion of many infirmities in vs, if either it be distempered in quallitie or corrupted in substance, or suddenly altered. And this may be the cause why women are more subiect vnto this disease at one time of the yeare than at another, according to the constitution of the ayre: as in the winter time, by reason of colde and moyst weather the humors of our bodies are increased and made more crude and grose, and our pores stopped, whereby expiration is hindered, &c.

But especially wee doe obserue that breathing in of sweete sauours doth commonly procure these fittes, either for that the matrix by a naturall propertie is delighted with sweete sauoures, as the liuer and spleene with sweete meates, or because the animall spirites of the braine beeing thereby stirred vp to motion, doe by consent affect the matrix with the like.

Iacobus Ruffius de muliebribus lib. 6. cap. 8

Syluius Guaynerius.]

And therefore wee doe especially forbid that they may not smell vnto any sweet thing that are subiect vnto this griefe: but rather vnto euill sauoures: which as Platerus thinkes by stirring vp the expulsiue facultie of the matrix, are a meanes of the shortening of the fit.

Meate and drinke is the Mother of most diseases, whatsoeuer the Father bee, for the constitution of the humors of our bodies is according to that which feedes vs. And therefore it is reckoned as a principall externall cause of diseases.

Hypp. libro citato quicquid ederit aut liberit ipsam molestat]

And Hyppocrates in this disease forbids sweete and fatte meats (a dulcibus et pinguibus abstineat, donec sana sit) Forrestus telles vs of a Bruers wife of Delft, who could neuer eate or drinke any thing that was sweete or pleasant but her fit would take her a fresh, and thereuppon was faine to mixe wormewood with euery thing that she did eate or drinke.

The Essex Gentlewoman of whome I spake before, could neuer take any comfortable sustenance, but she was sure to haue a fit of the mother. The reason of this may be the same which we haue alleaged of sweet vapours.

The errours about euacuation are also an externall cause of diseases, and doe breed an internall cause afterwardes.

As in this disease the want of due and monethly euacuation, or the want of the benefit of marriage in such as haue beene accustomed or are apt thereunto, breeds a congestiõ of humors about that part, which increasing or corrupting in the place, causeth this disease. And therefore we do obserue that maidens and widowes are most subiect thereunto. Motion and rest being well ordered do preserue health, but being disordered do breed diseases, especially to much rest and slothfulnesse is a meanes of this griefe, by ingendering crudities and obstructions in womens bodies, by dulling the spirits and cooling naturall heate, &c. So likewise sleepe and watching, the one by benumming, the other by dissipation of the spirits and natural heate, may occasion this griefe.

Lastly the perturbations of the minde are oftentimes to blame both for this and many other diseases. For seeing we are not maisters of our owne affections, wee are like battered Citties without walles, or shippes tossed in the Sea, exposed to all maner of assaults and daungers, euen to the ouerthrow of our owne bodies.

We haue infinite examples among our Historiographers, and Phisitions of such as haue dyed vpon ioy, griefe, loue, feare, shame, and such like perturbations of the mind: and of others that vpon the same causes haue fallen into grieuous diseases: as women deliuered of their children before their time, vpon feare, anger, griefe, &c. others taken with the Falling sickenesse, Apoplexies, Madnesse, Swounding, Palsies, and diuerse such like infirmities vpon the like causes.

Plinium. valer. max. Volateranum. Pontanum. Landum, Gellium, Krantzium.

**Cornex lib. 1 consultat. med. cap. 3.

Gal. 2. Sympt. causis cap. 5. de præcognit. ca. 6 Beniuenius.

Gal. in 5. Aphorism. 45. Amatus lusit. Cent. 3.

Gal. loc. affec. 5. de Grammatico Ioh. Montanus cõsilio. 50 Matheus de grad. de proprio filio. cap. de Epilepsia.