Part 9

Amatus lusit. cent. 2. cap. 90.

Procopius de bello Gothorum lib. 1. Amatus lusit. cent. 3.

Christoph. 'a Vega. li. 4. ca. 14 Corn. Celsus.

Gal. loco cita.

Aretæus lib. 5. cap. 7.

And concerning this disease whereof we doe intreate, Iohannes Montanus tels vs of a patient of his, who fell into the fits of the Mother vppon iealousie. Forrestus of another, who had her fits whensoeuer shee was angred: and of another that vpon loue fell into this disease. My selfe do know a Gentlewoman, who upon the sight of one particular man would alwaies feele an vterin affect: and another that vpon feare of being chidden, or seeing another in the fit of the mother, would also fall into it her selfe.

Consilio 311.

Lib. 28. obser. 28. lib. 10. obseru. 30.

Cap. 7.

Of the cure of this disease, so much as belongeth to the friends and attendants to performe.

The signes of this disease, seeing they are drawne principally from the causes and Symptoms before declared shall not neede any particular discourse, especially considering the vse of them belongeth properly to the Physition, to direct him in his cure. And therefore I thinke good to ease my selfe of this labour, which would bee altogether vnprofitable to the reader.

Concerning the cure also I thinke it not meete to say more then may concerne the friends and assistants vnto the patient to looke vnto: referring Physitions workes vnto Physitions. There are some things by the friendes to bee performed vnto the patient in regard of the presẽt fit, & some things in regard of the cause. In the fit let the bodies bee kept vpright, straight laced, and the belly & throat held downe with ones hand. Let heed be taken that they hurt not themselues by biting their fingers, striking their armes & legs against hard things, &c. apply euil smels to their nostrils, and sweet smels beneath tie their legs hard with a garter for reuulsion sake, &c.

Valetius in Hollerium. c. 59 Valescius di Taranta. lib. 6.

Paschal. li. 1 ca. 57. Altomar.

Rhasis ad Almansor. cap. 28.

Out of the fit, in regard of Externall causes, remoue from them all occasions of breeding or increasing the disease: as sweet sauors, pleasant meats and drinks, much rest and slouthfulnesse, &c. Also if discontinuance of any thing accustomed bee the cause of this disease, bring it into custome againe: if want of any thing necessary for their health, let it be supplied, let their diet be sparing and vpon cooling things, let them vse much fasting and prayer, and all other meanes to pull downe their bodies: and contrariwise abstaine from egges, wine, flesh, &c. If the perturbations of the mind be any occasion hereof, let them haue their proper remedies, as anger and iealousie are to be appeased by good counsell and perswasions: hatred and malice by religious instructions, feare by incouragements, loue by inducing hatred, or by permitting them to enioy their desires, &c. Galen boasteth that he did euery yeare cure many diseases by this stratagem of moderating the perturbations of the mind by the example of Æsculapius who deuised many songs and ridiculous pastimes for that purpose. To which end also other phisitions haue vsed diuers sorts of fallacies to encounter the melancholike conceits of their patients. Cardan tels of a Gentlewoman, who finding her self vexed with many grieuous Symptoms, imagined that the Diuell was the author thereof, and by Iosephus Niger was cured by procuring her son to make her beleeue that he saw three diuels in her looking glasse, & one great one to driue them out. Another like policie Marcellus Donatus tells vs of, which a Physition vsed towardes the Countesse of Mantua, who being in that disease which we call melancholia Hyppocondriaca did verily beleeue that she was bewitched, and was cured by conueying of nayles, needles, feathers, and such like things into her close stoole when shee tooke physicke, making her beleeue that they came out of her bodie. The like there he mentioneth also out of Trallian, of a woman who did thinke that she had a serpent within her, and was cured by the like meanes.

Hollerius nullum remedium melius marito. Valescus de taranta, Syluius: si nubilis est nec monialis nubat si non libet aut non licet nubere vtatur frigidis &c.

Mat. Rochius de morb. mal. cap. 5.

Guaynerius suppositio in hoc casu principatũ obtinet, &c.

Valetius in Holl. Cap. 59. istud genus demonii non eiicitur nisi multo ieiunio.

Paschali. Sinõ posit vti viro præcibus & ieiunio curabitur.

Guaynerius. Curpus macerãtibus vtatur.

Auicen, Fen. 1 3. c. 1. 4. tract. 4. de Ylisco.

Aretæus. lib. 1. cap. 5. De sani tuend. lib. 1. cap. 11. De subtilit. l. 19 De medica historia mirabili. lib. 2. cap. 1.

So that if we cannot moderate these perturbations of the minde, by reason and perswasions, or by alluring their mindes another way, we may politikely confirme them in their fantasies, that wee may the better fasten some cure vpon them: as Constantinus Affricanus (if it be his booke which is inserted among Galens workes, De incantatione, adiuratione &c.) affirmeth, and practized with good successe, vpon one who was impotens ad Venerem, & thought himselfe bewitched therewith, by reading vnto him a foolish medicine out of Cleopatra, made with a crowes gall, and oyle: whereof the patient tooke so great conceit, that vpon the vse of it he presently recouered his strength and abilitie againe.

The like opinion is to bee helde of all those superstitious remedies which haue crept into our profession, of Charmes, Exorcismes, Cõstellations, Characters, Periapts, Amulets, Incense, Holie water, clouts crossed and folded superstitiously, repeating of a certaine number and forme of prayers or Aue Maries, offering to certaine Saintes, pissing through the wedding Ring, and a hundred such like toyes and gambols: which when they preuaile in the cure of diseases, it is not for any supernaturall vertue in them, either from God or from the diuell (although perhaps the Diuell may haue a collaterall intent or worke therein, namely to drawe vs vnto superstition) but by reason of the confident perswasion which melancholike and passionate people may haue in them: according to the saying of Auicen, that the confidence of the patient in the meanes vsed is oftentimes more auailable to cure diseases then all other remedies whatsoeuer.

Another course hath beene taken sometimes in these cases, by remouing the cause of these affections, or by inducing of other perturbations of a diuerse nature. Whereby as (experience teacheth vs) most grieuous diseases haue beene oftentimes cured beyond expectation.

A yong man falling out of fauour with his father, fell thereupon into the fits of the falling sicknesse, and continued long and often molested there with; vntill a reconciliation was wrought with his father: who sending him a kind letter to that effect, the yong man was presently deliuered from that fearefull disease.