An account of the nature, causes, symptoms, and cure of the distempers that are incident to seafaring people with observations on the diet of the sea-men in His Majesty's navy : illustrated with some remarkable instances of the sickness of the fleet during the last summer, historically related / by W.C.

An account of the nature, causes, symptoms, and cure of the distempers that are incident to seafaring people with observations on the diet of the sea-men in His Majesty's navy : illustrated with some remarkable instances of the sickness of the fleet during the last summer, historically related / by W.C.

Table of contents

Title page

TO THE Right Honourable THE Lords Commissioners For executing The Office of Lord High Admiral of England, Ireland, &c.

THE CONTENTS.

PART I. An account of those Sicknesses that are incident to Seafaring People.

The Second Part. CONTAINING Some Historical Observations OF THE Diseases in the FLEET During the last Summer. With the Method that was observed in their Cure. PART II. Historical Observations of the Sicknesses of the Fleet the Last Year,

Observation I.

Observation II.

Observation III.

Observation IV.

Observation V.

Observation VI.

Observation VII.

Observation VIII.

Observation IX.

Observation X.

Observation XI.

Observation XII.

Observation XIII.

Observation XIV.

Observation XV.

Observation XVI.

Observation XVII.

Observation XVIII.

Observation XIX.

Books lately Printed for Hugh Newman, at the Grashopper in the Poultry.

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FINIS.

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An Account of The Nature, Causes, Symptoms and Cure OF THE DISTEMPERS That are incident to Seafaring People. WITH Observations on the Diet of the Sea-men IN HIS Majesty's Navy. Illustrated with some Remarkable Instances of the Sicknesses of the Fleet during the last Summer, historically related.

Libera per vacuum posui vestigia princeps,

Non aliena meo pressi pede.

Horat. epist. xix. lib. 1.

By W. C. of the Colledge of Physicians, London: And Physician to the Blue Squadron of his Majesty's Fleet.

LONDON, Printed for Hugh Newman at the Grashopper in the Poultry. 1696.

TO THE Right Honourable THE Lords Commissioners For executing The Office of Lord High Admiral of England, Ireland, &c.

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My Lords,

YOUR Lordships having been pleased to appoint me One of the Physicians of the Fleet, I thought my self obliged, to use my utmost endeavours for discharging the [Page] Trust you committed to me: and therefore I, not only, kept a Journal of the Mens Names, and a History of their Sickness; but of the Medicins I gave them, with the Success they had. And when I had considered the way of their living, and other circumstances, there appeared to me a very reasonable View of the Diseases at Sea, which I first committed to Paper [Page] for my own Assistance in the Service; but am now perswaded to submit those Thoughts to the Censure of the World. Yet, in This I shall run no great Risque, under your Lordships Protection, which, I hope, you will not deny me; since 'tis your Lordships gave Them, first, Life, and They have grown up under your Favour to what They are: so that if They [Page] obtain the End, I design'd Them for, the publick Good; 'Tis the Publick must thank you for Them. I am, with great Respect,

My Lords,

Your Lordships Most Humble and Faithful Servant, W. Cockburn.

THE CONTENTS.

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THE Ʋsefulness of this Work pag. 1

A prospect of it 3

What the Sea Victuals are 5

The consequence of this Victualling 8

Is first the Scurvey 9

Its description ibid.

How these symptoms are produc'd 10

How that extraordinary weakness 13

And unequal Pulse 15

How the Inflammation of the Gums 16

Their Rottenness and Itching ibid.

How the Scurvy and Melancholia Hypochondriaca are distinguisht 17

What may follow upon the use of their Bread 21

What from their Burgoo 24

And Pease 25

What the Inconveniencies from their Lodging 26

As catching Cold 27

And a Fever 28

Its description 29

An hypothesis for helping us to account for its symptoms ibid.

[Page] How the weight & heaviness is produc'd 31

How the lesser activity 32

And lesser weakness ibid.

How the Coldness over the whole body 33

How the Coldness in the extremities 34

And not in the Brain 35

How the pain is produc'd 36

And such an One as when one is beat 37

Why the Pulse is weak 38

Rare ibid.

And depress'd 39

How a want of Appetite 40

And Costiveness 41

How the sleepiness ibid.

How the warmth begins 44

The Pulse becomes great and strong ibid.

They are restless 45

And very dry ibid.

How the roughness of the tongue 46

And its Blackness ibid.

Why they are hard of Breathing ibid.

How their breath is like fire 47

Why they are light headed ibid.

Fevers end in death 48.

Or by Sweating, a Looseness, &c. 49

The former supposition is not a meer Hypothesis ibid.

This interrupted perspiration makes Diarrheas 51▪

And Agues 53

[Page] An enumeration of their symptoms ibid.

The symptoms accounted for, and first the Coldness after dinner 55

The Paleness of their Lips 56

Their Trembling ibid.

Their weak Pulse 57

Why they are insensible, while their external senses are right ibid.

How their Bodies like a Corpse 59

And a great drought ibid.

Yet in the place of Death comes Warmth and Heat 60

Which ends in sweating 61

Their Pulse stronger and more frequent ib.

And a beating in their Head ib.

A great drought 62

The Pulse natural for some time 63

Why it recurs every day, every third, or fourth 65

How it ends sometimes in death, and that in the return 70

The Seamens life, as to what concerns their temperance, &c. ibid.

A hint at the diseases got nearer or under the line 73

Why I have neglected the common stories of Poyson, &c. 74

Why Poyson ibid.

Why the Chymical Principles 77

Why Acid and Alkali 82

The Contents of the Second Part.

[Page]THE Way of relating these Observations 89

First Observation of a Fever 90

General hints for its Cure ibid.

Why the Practice is unsuccessful 91

What my thoughts are about these general hints 93

What of Blee [...]ding, Sweating, &c. 94

A remarkable history of a Patient of Dr. Willis's 96

The particular Cure 99

Observation 2d of a Fever 101

Observation 3d 102

A Remark 104

Observation 4th 105

Observation 5th 106

Observation 6th 108

Observation 7th 110

Observation 8th of an Ague 112

The General Cure ibid.

An Account of the Jesuits Bark 116

A necessary Corollary deduced from this account 119

[Page] The Chymists have given no account of its way of working 121

Its astringent power is unaccountable 123

Why the Bark has sometimes so pernicious effects 125

The particular Cure 126

Observation 9th 128

Observation 10th 131

An Examination of Helvetius's Bark-Clyster practice 135

Citations from his Book ibid.

The answer 141

Observation 11th of the Scurvy 150

Observation 12th 152

A particular Remark 153

Observation 13th of a Diarrhea or Looseness 154

Observation 14th 155

A remark of a particular Medicin 156

Observation 15th 157

Observation 16th 159

Observation 17th of a Decay 161

Observation 18th of a Clap 164

A singular way of curing it ibid.

Observation 19th of a Quinsey 168

Two Remarks 169

PART I. An account of those Sicknesses that are incident to Seafaring People.

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The usefulness of this Undertaking. THere are none who have us'd the Sea for any time, especially in the Royal Navy, but must be highly sensible how useful an undertaking of this nature is; and how assisting to most of the Surgeons, who pursue their employments at Sea, and particularly in the Meridian for which this is calculated; and yet 'twas never attempted by any, of what Nation soever, as far as I can learn, either by reading or conversation. Officers and Sailers must needs have their courage (which is naturally great, besides its being supported by the Applauses and [Page] Rewards of Honour) much augmented, by the security they may have in the suitable provision that is made for their health; and the Surgeons themselves, having a full view of all the maladies they are to encounter upon that Element, will surely be better provided than when their expectations are more general.

Its use, I think, by these small hints, is put beyond all exception; and I do heartily wish I could have as good help to my practising in Medicin in our world, the warry Element; but since I can have none, I doubt not but the ingenious will very easily pardon a Treatise of this kind; and almost any mistakes, I can fall under, since the paths of former Curers are as little perceptible, as the furrows made upon the face of the angry Abyss, by our lofty floating Forts, can prove guides to the Seamen that steer the same course but next hour: for my own part, I should have no more ventur'd upon it, than I should have been the first that put to Sea, were it not that the station Providence has plac'd me in, might seem to demand some testimony of [Page] my diligence in the same; which, I must confess, is not so great as the Service requires. This I was, once, resolved to perform by the way of a Journal of those Sicknesses, that happen▪d since my concern in the Fleet; but thinking, again, that this should be more complete, if I should consider in general, by their way of living, the Sicknesses they might be most subject to, and then year after year, so long as I am to continue with them, to give the particular History of the Sicknesses of that year, with an exact account of the success in the same; which will be so many confirmations of my general Theory, and evince how well or ill it is established. And therefore I shall first endeavour, toIts order. discover such sicknesses as may be peculiar to people that use our narrow Seas; to distinguish them from those that may be got nearer, or under, the line; from those that may be common upon the land, to what we have sometimes at Sea; and lastly, in the history of this year, to denote, in some measure, the Indications for, and the Method of Cure.

But that all these may be pursu'd with the greatest exactness imaginable, [Page] it will be highly necessary, first to describe the particular way of their living; that from this we may see and deduce as naturally, as is possible, those infirmities, that most especially follow thereupon; and this we shall do, first by considering their victuals allowed them for their daily sustenance; their way of living; and lastly their life, as to their temperance or debauches. I am not ignorant how useful, yea necessary▪ it had been, to have had some respect to, and consideration of the temper and constitution of the air, they live in, and how satisfying it would have proved to such as are curious and ingenious, to have made some Remarks upon the differences of that at sea and land: but all I can say upon that head being so general and precarious, and of so little real use in my design, that I have rather chosen to pass it by in perfect silence, and not to offer that to the world, of which I have so little satisfaction my self: yet, this I did not leave quite unattempted, but did carry a very good Baryscope on board with me, and did hang it as conveniently as I could contrive; yet in the calmest weather, and at anchor, [Page] the heaving motion of the Ship did so much disturb my Mercury, that I did conclude it of no use, and perfectly unpracticable, when under sail with the easiest gale of wind; And therefore to say no more of this, I do betake my self to the considerations I have just now proposed.

Their Victuals. And first, the victual, allow'd them for their daily sustenance, are Pork and Pease On Sundays and Thursdays; on Mondays Oatmel (Burgoo) Butter and Cheese; on Tuesdays and Saturdays Beef and Pudding, or all Beef, which they please; on Wednesdays and Fridays But [...]er and Cheese, or Oatmeal and Pease, and with all these abundance of Bread. Now all these victuals are so sound, and the meat so well salted▪ that not only there can be no better found any where, but 'tis generally believed, that the Sea-Pork, especially, is the best in England; and they have a greater allowance of all these in their proper turns, than is sufficient to satisfy an ordinary Eater. So that whatever a Sailer may complain of in the Royal Navy, his victuals are a great deal better, and his allowance larger, than in any Navy or Merchantships [Page] in the world. Their drink is as good Table beer as any Family in England can drink; and the quantum is what they will. So that, in the general, if we consider the number of men, the length of the Voyages, in Convoys and Cruisers, the Grand Fleet in the Channel, and their Work; their Diet will be found, in all these circumstances, to be almost as well provided and adapted, even for the preservation of health, as it can possibly be.

'Tis true, salt victuals have been found, by experience, the worst of all other to digest; and Sanctorius, in his book of Statical Medicin, has declared, that they are the victuals by which we perspire least; and still less by Pork than the rest▪ and so, by the laws of Perspiration, it must be concluded to contain the grossest juices and the worst nourishment: but all this will be more plain and evident, than I could here, without a needless digression, demonstrate, if we consider the requisits for digestion and nutrition, which I have laid down very plainly, and in few words, when I purposely treated of that subject, in the beginning [Page] of my Aeconomy of the h [...]man body, printed last year, to which I refer you for a further information. Yet, after all, the bodies of such working people, not only make the best of such solid food; but this, ev'n, seems necessary for those who are oblig'd to undergo so great labour; for tho the stomachs of sedentary people, and of those who use little exercise, are not able to reduce such parched and solid food into Chyle, in twelve or fifteen hours time; and when that is done, this Chyle is so thick, that it is scarcely able to perform its first voyage thro the lacteal vessels, but stops and makes obstructions in those passages, and disposes such people to Dropsies, the Jaundice, and other Cachectical diseases. And even tho it shou'd escape these obstacles, brought its full length, the contraction of the Heart in those, and the force of their Lungs in the exspiration are so faint, and most of their other Muscles being seldom acted, the Chyle, as it is carried along their blood-vessels, is not sufficiently press'd, or broken into small enough particles, that it may become homogeneous, at least to our [Page] senses, with the blood; and so is apt to produce all those inconveniencies, grosser blood or bodies greater than the blood carried about in it, are said to do: yet things being quite otherwise with our Sailers, and in one part of their business or another, scarce one muscle of the whole body being left unimploy'd, their digestion and nutrition not only go as well on with them in this diet, as the most delicate food with Ladies; but this sort of victuals is, even, necessary for their toyl and labour, and that which is finer and more easily digested, would not prove of long enough continuance for their work.

The consequence of this victualling. From what has been said, 'tis evident, that the greater the work and labour is, in this way of living, the digestion and nutrition will be the better perform'd; the motion of the blood will be more exact, and the health of the Sailers will be more firm; and, upon the other side, the less their work is, the hardness of the food, and its saltness, will proportionably have their effects, and the indigestion that follows upon the one, and the fiery heat that attends the [Page] other, will be the more sensible and considerable; and so, all this will fall more severely upon the Seamen of the Royal Navy, than upon those in the Merchant Service; because their labour and work is abundantly greater than that of the Men of War: tho there is a sort of remedy against that, in their other victualling, as we shall see hereafter; and in effect, none find the smart of this so much as the Boatswains Favourites; for the most of them, especially of the press'd Landmen, are very fit Theaters for this Tragedy, which is acted, indeed, to the life; and their case is just the same with that of the Ape's Puppies in the Fable; that which she hates comes to be a lusty strong Monkey, while she overlays the other thro her fondness; the Seamen, whom the Boatswain turns out to their watch, and who have the fatigue of the Ship, are in perfect health, while his Favourites are over-run with the Scurvy; whichIs first th [...] Scurvy. appears first in red spots, which afterwards become blue, and then black, upon the legs and other parts, with an extraordinary weakness, and besides attended with a redness, itching, and [Page] rottenness of the gums, and a looseness of the teeth; their pulse all this while being very unequal, i. e. sometimes weak, and sometimes very great: and all these accompanied with a great many more severe symptoms singled out, and describ'd by▪ Riverius, and our learned Doctor Willis; which, therefore, I shall forbear to enumerate, but especially since 'tis none of my design to write a Treatise of the Scurvey, but only to give such illustrations, as may be useful for understanding our Sea Sicknesses, and helping us in their Cure.

'Tis very evident from the heating properties of Salt, and especially of its corrosive bittern, that 'tis that only, which can produce such an extraordinary sense of heat, as we find after a meal of such victuals; and because that heat cannot be produc'd, without a greater degree of velocity of the blood, and a greater secretion of animal spirits, which contract the heart, and produce this velocity; and they cannot be separated without a greater attrition of the blood: therefore, since this heat is felt, it is this bittern of the S [...]lt that makes this attrition▪ and [Page] produces this heat: now in this production, both the parts of the bittern, that divide and break the particles of the blood, and the parts of the blood thus broken and divided, possess a greater space than when they were compact, and before there were other bodies added. So that, in this greater possession of space, rarefaction, and artificial moles, as we may say, the thinner, and more capillary vessels have not cohesion enough to resist this new bulk; but the blood breaks over its banks, and in as great a quantity as the force of the motion of the rarify'd blood, the greatness of the emissary, and the resistance of the place, into which it breaks, will allow; so that if this be superficial, if any great quantity is separated, and the blood's motion so weak, that there is not matter enough perspired, which both by its quantity and force may keep it fluxile, and carry off some of the smaller parts of the blood, thus let out by its ow [...] common motion; then, the blood, now fallen out, will corrupt after the same manner, we see it, when out of the body; having, always, respect to the quantity separated, and the place [Page] where it is lodged, i. e. the blood being thus separated, is in a state of quiet and corrupts; and, in the different degrees and transitions in this corruption is blue, black, &c. as we see in this, and cases of the like nature; only, it is longer a corrupting, because of its small quantity, the fluxility of the perspiring steams, and the temper of the place; as we might particularly demonstrate if it would not prove too long. And these mechaical intimations will take off the necessity of absorbing that is so much talkt of in this case. Besides, this way of the blood's possessing greater space, may still be augmented, if we consider, that their victuals, we have just now spoke of, must needs breed very thick blood; which is not so easily broken in pieces, but ra [...]ifying in bulk, is more apt to stop, and by its stoppage to make a greater pressure in its channels, and to produce the abovemention'd effects. And since the extraordinary space is possest by this viscid and rarify'd blood, the blood vessels that are so fill'd, compress those parts that are contiguous to them, and have less power to resist, than their sides have to go outward; [Page] and therefore, in this stuffing of the Arteries in the soft brain, their sides, thus bending outwards, will especially press such vessels, that are touch'd by 'em, whether they are veins, arteries, or nerves; if their resistance be less than the force that thrusts 'em out, and so the liquors stagnating in all those, must press the neighbouring vessels, and hinder the transmission of their liquors, in proportion to those powers by which they are prest. Thus a smaller quantity will be carry'd along their cavity; and by reason of this compression, the quantity of animal spirits that glides into the cavity of the nerves with an extraordinary weakness is diminisht, because their coats are deprest, and their channels straitned; so that since by their influx into the nerves, and derivation into the muscles, their contraction is perform'd, and upon this the strength of the whole body depends; then, in this small distribution of the animal spirits, which is less than what is natural, the contraction of the muscles is not so powerful as naturally it oughtWith an extraordinary weakness. to be, and the weakness of the body extraordinary. Moreover, since the [Page] heart hath the same properties, and is subject to the same laws, with the other muscles; and they being more weakly contracted, because of a lesser quantity of animal spirits, that are deriv'd into them; so must the heart be more faintly contracted too; and since, by the consent of Physitians, and the evidence of reason, the motion of the blood depends upon the strength of the hearts contraction; the contraction of the heart being weaker, 'tis plain, that this confus'd mixture of viscid and rarify'd blood, will have but a very weak motion; which is continu'd in the blood, till its return to the heart, bating what it has communicated, in its circulation, to the arteries and blood to be propelled; but since it is still losing part of its motion, the further it goes from the heart; the blood will be, on all occasions, apt to stagnate in the smaller and remoter vessels; and so produce those red, blue, &c. spots, we have spoken of. Besides, since the Pulse is only occasion'd, by the greater quantity of blood propell'd into the narrower sections of the arteries; and this impulsion depends [Page] upon the contraction of the heart, as we have said; therefore because, in this heated and rarify'd blood, there is sometimes a greater, and sometimes a less quantity of animal spirits separated; and since the contraction of the heart depends on their separation and influx, that will be sometimes greater, and sometimes weaker, and so the protrusion of the blood being sometimes perform'd in a shorter time, and sometimes in a longer, and in a greater or smaller quantity; consequently,And an unequal Pulse. the Pulse will be quicker and slower, greater and weaker, as we find by experience. Because the blood is thus viscid and rarify'd, and apt to stagnate in the capillary vessels, especially in the remotest parts; and while 'tis thus stopt by a greater power of obstruction, than the following blood has power to drive it forwards, the succeeding blood coming to the place, and not being able to propel the sticking blood, nor to recoil, because of the Impetus of the blood that succeeds it; it stagnates too, and encreasing in quantity, distends the sides of the vessels, in which it stopt, to their utmost extent. If those vessels are [Page] superficial and visible to the eye, the blood will shine thro in its ow [...] Their Gums inflam'd, colour; and because the Gums are such, when they are thus stuff'd, they appear swell'd and red. And since the liquors that are thus slowly propell'd, and subsist, and are wholly obstructed in some parts, the parts,Rotten and stinking, where this total obstruction happens, are ulcerated and stink; for the stagnating liquors are entirely corrupted, and become too sharp and weighty for their channels, and so break thro, as inulcers. But if, before this total stoppage and obstruction, the parts of the blood now greater than ordinary, can be carried thro those parts by way of perspiration; yet in their passage they effect the pores, rub upon them, and produce that sense ofAnd Itching. itching, which sometimes provokes us to scratch those parts; and, by the bleeding that follows upon that, we frequently prevent a more sudden obstruction. Yet, in all this misfortune, the Teeth losing their security, must needs become loose, and fall out. 'Tis from this viscid and weaken'd state of the blood, that we see such swellings of the legs, in chronical diseases, especially [Page] in the evening, after it is somewhat weakned, by the little exercise our bodies have in the day; while it cannot climb up, in its return to the [...]eart, the steep precipices of our legs, out stops and begets that swelling we feel in the evening; till by the adventitious warmth of the bed, and the direct posture of our legs, it goeth off again against morning. After the same manner, by considering the condition of our other liquors, and their motion, I could demonstrate their depravation, and explain, (tho at too great a length for this place) the other symptoms that appear. But seeing they may be brought from these fountains, which I have sufficiently dwelt upon; I think, I have said enough to explain the way, how this sickness is produced with us, and to show that 'tis a necessary consequence of an idle life, and of feeding on Salt Beef and Pork; and therefore I shall proceed to the next proposition, I laid down. Only, I must put you in mind,The Scurvy and Melanchol. Hypochon. are not the same. that I am not for confounding this distemper with the Melancholia Hypochondriaca, as Riverius, and some other Authors do; which makes us call [Page] every sickness a Scurvy or Scorbutical; because there are some symptoms common to both: For if this principle were allowed, we could have no distinct notions of diseases, but they would all be involv'd in one confus'd and inextricable Chaos. Thus, for example, we frequently see vomiting in Fevers, Scurvys, the Iliac Passion, the Stone in the Kidneys or Ʋreters, a Fall, and many more; yet would it not be thought ridiculous to say, that a Fever is an Iliac Passion, the Stone, a Fall, &c. tho they are both attended with vomiting. And (which is worse) this would prove very fatal in the curing of diseases: and therefore it were to be wisht, that all diseases were exactly described, brought under certain Classes, and confin'd to their respective Families and Tribes. I cannot upon this occasion omit, what the most expert Physitian Dr. Sydenham says on that subject, in the 307 page of his Practice of Physick, printed at London, in the year 1685, in the 5th Chapter of that Book▪ of the Rheumatism. ‘Hic enim (says he) obiter, sed & libere tamen dicam, quod licet nullus dubitemquin Scorbutus in his Plagis [Page] Borealibus revera inveniatur, tamen eum morbum non tam frequentem, quam vulgi fert opinio, occurrere persuasum mihi habeo; multos autem ex iis affectibus (ne plurimos dicam) quorum nomine Scorbutum incusamus, vel morborum fientium nondum vero factorum, quique nullum adhuc certum induerunt typum, effe [...]tae esse; vel etiam infelices, reliquias morbi alicujus nondum penitus devicti, a quibus sanguis, caeterique humores contaminantur, v. gr. &c.’ By the way I must observe, that tho I doubt not but the Scurvy is really to be found in these Northern Countries; yet, I am perswaded it is not so very frequent, as 'tis commonly imagined; but that many of those distempers (if not the most) we ascribe to the Scurvy, are either the effects of approaching ills, not yet form'd into diseases, or the unhappy relicts of some unconquered sickness, which still pollutes the blood and other humours, v. gr. &c. 'Tis true, the learned Dr. Willis has spoke a little more distinctly, when he calls the one a cold, and the other a hot Scurvy: but in this, he has too much sacrific'd to the humour of the Ancients, since the last only [Page] deserves that name, and the other does not, really, differ from the Melanoholia Hypochondriaca▪ Of all Men, I have the least inclination to dispute about words; but if things were better settled by proper definitions and names, we should not fall into so many mistakes; and there's nothing more common, than to see people catching hold of some words, that are apt to mislead them in their practice; for instance, besides the Banter of Openers, Malignant, and the like, who does not, but at the name of Scurvy, immediately fly to Scurvy-grass, Water [...]resses, and Horse-radishes; but to what advantage, may be easily understood by our foregoing Theory, and is fatally felt by such as are truly Scorbutical; But I'm afraid I have wander'd already too far from my subject. And I shall proceed to the next thing to be consider'd in order, which may be sufficiently and easily understood, from what I have said of the preceeding two.

Their Bread. The next thing I shall consider is their bread, of which every man is allow'd one pound a day. Moderate eating of bread has, in all ages, been [Page] esteemed to contribute very much to the preservation of our health, tho none have approv'd of quantities. Omnis Repletio mala, panis pessima; a surfeit of any thing is bad, but one of bread is the worst: its substance is tough and tenacious; and therefore is not so easily broken and divided by the stomach, and if eaten at any time in a greater quantity, than is sufficient to give a body to the Chyle, it is very apt to make way for obstructions, and to breed very thick and gross humours. But an entire abstinence from bread deprives the Chyle of that due and necessary body, that is requisite to make its passage slow enough thro the Guts, that it may be the better thrust into the indiscernible doors of the lacteal vessels: and therefore, in such a famine and scarcity of bread, the body is depriv'd of those juices that are made of our victuals, besides gripings, most troublesome loosenesses, and such other sicknesses as attend them. Having spoken thus much of bread, in the general, I shall neither pretend to determin the sufficient quantities of bread that are to be eaten, nor enquire, whether the crumb [Page] of crust of bread are the most wholsome. For these questions are not proper for this place; since all that concerns us, is the consideration of the effects our Sea-bisket may have upon their bodies, who are oblig'd to make it a part of their daily food.

First then, a pound of bread so dry and solid as that must be, that it may be the fitter for keeping, if it were brought to the consistence of common bread, would at least be thrice as big as it is, while in Bisket; which, I'm apt to believe, is a little too much for men generally to eat. Besides, after it is ground by the teeth, and sent into the stomach, 'tis extremely hard to be digested, if it be not very fine; and if fine, it so imbibes the small quantity of Chyle, that is made of the other victuals, that the mass of blood receives a very small quantity of it; and that mash which passeth the guts, where the lacteal vessels are inserted, is so hardned and compact, that people upon that diet but seldom trouble the Stool; which every one knows to be of very ill consequence, and especially at Sea. From what has been said, 'tis not only evident, that [Page] the abovementioned victuals, are not fine enough to produce those subtile animal spirits, that make people so easily advert to, and apprehend at sight, whatever is proposed; and so, not fit to make Wits: but by the grossness of their humours, the Seamen are dispos'd to most Chronical Diseases, so soon as they are in the least overcome with idleness and laziness: tho, otherwise, all the inconveniencies that happen, are excessive costiveness, that troublesom attendant of our sicknesses. So that we may say, that a little too much eating of such bread, not only thickens the humours too much, and so disposes our men to other sicknesses; but immediately produces that dangerous costiveness, which is apt to produce so many other Maladies, and always obstructs the cure of Fevers. For when our Intestins are stuff'd with a great many days victuals, they are so distended, and the blood vessels in them so prest or straitned, that the circulation through them is very much interrupted, and not only the blood that us'd to flow that way, but even that of the neighbouring parts is [Page] forced from its channels, and equally filling the channels of the rest of the parts of the body, that have less resistance, in some degree press the Origin of the Nerves in the Brain, and blood vessels of the eyes; and so produce that Stupor and Thickness of Sight, people frequently feel in that case. Besides the Chyle must needs be very much interrupted, and kept from being convey'd in a sufficient quantity for recruiting the mass of blood, by the pressure of the lacteal vessels, which are interwoven with the guts: for the Chyle is forced along the whole length of the guts, with the grosser mash; and so, the body is not only depriv'd of its necessary nourishment, but there's an eminent hazard of obstructions in the lacteal vessels, which very often produces those dangerous Ascites's that are so seldom cur'd.

Their Burgoo. Touching their Oatmeal victuals (or Burgoo) which of it self is very fit to correct that thickness of the humours and costiveness, that are the unavoidable consequences of the abovemention'd diet join'd with the least idleness: for Oats being of a thin substance, and of all the grains we use [Page] for victuals, that out of which the greatest quantity of oyl may be drawn, they not only preserve that motion, that's requisite to make a due perspiration, by adding spirits to the blood, but preserve it in a convenient degree of fluxility; and by their cleansing power and vertue to keep the belly open, this Burgoo victualling is highly necessary for our seafaring people. Yet, 'tis the least lik'd of all their victuals because of the small quantity of Butter, they pretend is allowed them to sawce i [...]: and therefore perhaps 'twere worthy the consideration of those, to whom it belongs to order this supply, and who are every way so careful of the Seamen, to see whether an addition in their Butter might be allow'd; for I am sure, that if that part of the victualling were made more grateful and agreeable to the Sailers, 'twould infinitely contribute to the preservation of their health. What I have said on this subject, is in a great measure applicable to their Pease, which in their own nature areTheir Pease. more temperate than Oatmeal, since they are esteem'd by Physicians, and the learned Galen, I De Aliment. Facultat. [Page] Cap. 21. A sort of medium between things of good and bad nourishment. And therefore I shall proceed to the next consideration I proposed, which was concerning their Lodging.

Their Lodging. This is as convenient, warm and easy, as may be at Sea, and for such a number of men; yet what by the pilfering of Hammocks one from another, their lying on Deck▪ or betwixt Decks, when they are pretty warm after a Can of Flip; and the prest Mens real want of Cloaths, they sensibly contract a cold, which is the beginning of most of their miseries. 'Tis not necessary, I should demonstrate here, the way how that is catcht; since 'tis evidently so by that heaviness they complain of, pain of their breast, soreness in their bones, and such other symptoms, Physicians have determined to be the constant attendants of a Cold. But since I shall have occasion afterwards to treat more particularly of this subject, I shall at present content my self with putting you in mind, that I have already demonstrated in another place, and have put it beyond exception, in the [Page] judgment of very many, that there is no power in the Air, different from its weight or gravity, able to produce those symptoms, that are said to follow upon obstruction, or shutting up of the pores, when we catch cold, and so may disturb and interrupt perspiration, and breed so many fatal distempers, which 'twould be needless to insist upon in this place, since the thing is generally agreed upon; yet I cannot forbear observing, that an untimely use of Sweating Medicines in some, and thickning Lozenges in others, is more frequently the productive cause of Fevers, Phthisicks, &c. and of more fatal consequence than a Cold could have been, if left to the strength of the blood and abstinence, without employing any other Auxiliaries; but more for the confirmation of this, may be easily collected from what follows in this Discourse. I say, then, since so far is already clear; and because too, the force of the perspiration is only kept up, by a certain impetus and degree of the velocity of the blood, and that is only interrupted by the falling or diminution of this, 'twould be an easy task to give a more [Page] genuine and conceivable account of catching cold, than is generally assign'd to be done by (I don't know what) nitrosity or nitrous power in the Air; which, upon various occasions, Authors make use of for making the blood fluxile and tenacious, two very different effects; tho 'tis fit for neither, as I have already prov'd in its proper place. But I shall content my self at present with enumerating those symptoms, that constitute the essence of a cold, and then proceed to consider the effects of this, by the different symptoms that naturally attend it.

Since then, I find 'tis agreed on by all Physicians, that perspiration in a catch'd cold, is not so free as in a natural state, but is interrupted; and a great deal of that substance, that is usually sep [...]rated that way, is detain d in the mass of blood! That which is so detain'd, will proportionably encrease its bulk, and fill the vessels; and so becomes the source of all those symptoms that are observed to attend a catch'd Cold, by a necessary consequence I shall afterwards have occasion to demonstrate: The Symptoms [Page] that usually appear in this case are these, and in this order. First, a weight orThe Symptoms of our Fevers. heaviness, a pain in the breast, a less activity over all the body, sudden weakness, a coldness in all the extremities except the Brain, Costiveness, such a pain in the bones, as when one is beat, a weak, sunk, and depressed Pulse, sometimes accompanied with a great inclination to sleep; in a day or two the Pulse is great and strong, they become very warm, restless, and thirsty; the tongue is dry, black, and rough, the breathing difficult, the breath striking those that stand near the sick person like Fire; they are delirious, cannot sleep, and their sickness is terminated in Death, by Sweating, Hemorrhagie, Looseness, &c.

Having thus enumerated these symptoms, that appear constantly in our Fevers, and in the same order in which I have rank'd them: I shallAn Hypothesis. now endeavour to evince the necessity of their attending an interruption of perspiration, as I intimated before; and hereafter I shall endeavour to demonstrate, that that fulness, which gives rise to all these appearances, is more especially to be attributed to an interruption of perspiration than [Page] any other cause; and so the Hypothesis, tho own'd by every one, will be more than one that is merely such.

First then, an interruption of perspiration will encrease the Moles or bulk of the Fluids, proportionably to what is left unexpell'd, of the quantity which usually passeth thro the pores; and because Sanctorius in his Statical Medicin, has taught us that we perspire, according to the different constitutions of our bodies, about forty, fifty, or sixty ounces in 24 hours; therefore if but a sixth part of this be detain'd, as I could prove it to be; it must needs produce a very great Plethora in a day or two, in such that were in perfect health before, besides the addition may be suppos'd to be made by our daily food, and, perhaps, rarifying liquors. The blood upon this consideration admitting of a vast augmentation, distends the sides of its Channels, is more unfit for motion, and presseth the neighbouring parts, and so may easily produce the sense we have, and very often complain of an unnatural weight: for in this weight or heaviness [Page] we have the same sensation, as when loaded under a great burden, and therefore in this, the parts are the same way affected, as when a weight presses our body; but by this weight, the Membranes, Nerves and Muscles are so prest, and the Bones so forc'd into their Joinings, that they could not subsist, if it were not for the violent Nisus of the Muscles; neither could those Muscles be contracted, but by a more abundant influx of the animal spirits overcoming this pressure; nor could they be propell'd thro the compressed Nerves, unless they were pusht on by a greater force; and by this greater force is known that by which is meant to press; and therefore 'tis evident, that the blood thus filling its vessels, may easily produce that sense of Weight, asThe weight or heaviness. was said. The blood, while in this fulness, because of its bulk and the viscidity it contracts, by this stagnating fulness, both in its own nature, and by reason of the diminution of its motion, is not so capable to separate its subtile parts or animal spirits, because it is not so well divided or broken into such small particles. Now [Page] since the abundance and separation of the spirits in the brain, are necessary for the motion of the muscles, upon the contraction of which the strength and activity of the whole body depends; 'tis plain that in such a case, where the motion of the blood is so languid, and the secretion of the animal spirits so small; there will be aLess Activity. laziness and a diminution of activity over all the body. And because this artificial Plethora, that lessens the activity is very sudden, i. e. in two or three days, this less activity will be suddenSudden Weakness. too, or a sudden weakness will happen; which was to be shown. When the blood is thus stopt, and become very viscid, 'tis evident that the body must proportionably want of its warmth; since that is only an effect of the greater liberty the small parts of the blood, that make the heat, have, to disperse themselves over the body; and this liberty is procur'd by the parts of the blood in their motion, justling and breaking each other into smaller parts. But the blood being viscid or tough, is not so easily, in its nature, broken and dissolved; and therefore the warmth is still more [Page] violently lock'd up and confin'd. Moreover, while the blood is so viscid, its motion is ev'n slower than naturally it should be; and consequently the heat is lessen'd, and the blood not so well divided, because the breaking of it into smaller parts depends upon its motion. So that according as the motion is diminished, and the force of the viscidity greater, the coldness is proportionably greater over the whole Coldness over the whole body. body: and because the blood hath its motion from the heart, and in its whole journey round the body, is still losing part of that motion, (for the reasons assign'd before) more or less in respect of the wideness of the vessels thro which it is propell'd, and their distance from the heart; therefore 'tis evident, that that Coldness will not be so sensible in the parts that are nearer the heart, or about the heart it self and the Thorax, as in the parts that are more remote or the extremities of the body; for, not only for the reasons we have just nam'd, this Coldness is first felt in the parts that are furthest from the heart, but the motion of the muscles in the extremities is not so strong; and [Page] therefore they do not so powerfully press the blood that glides thro those veins and arteries, that go to the composing of these muscles, as in the other muscles, whose contraction is perform'd with greater force and energy; And consequently the blood too, will be more apt to stagnate in those remote parts than in the other; A Coldness in all the extremities▪ so that this coldness will be more sensible in them, as was asserted. Moreover, the vessels in those remote parts, growing always smaller and smaller, the further they go; this thick blood will be propell'd with the greater difficulty thro these vessels, than if they were wider; besides, that by reason of the Glewiness of this [...]ough and thick blood, 'tis more apt to stick to the coats of the vessels; and so more ready to subsist and to produce the abovemention'd coldness; but tho this coldness is more apt to begin in the extremities, than in any other parts, and tho there are a great many small arteries in the Brain, as well as in the other parts; yet this coldness will not be felt in it so soon as in them, because the arteries are but short, and soon discharge themselves [Page] into the wide Sinus's; so that, tho the blood is very apt to stagnate, and produce that coldness in the extremities; yet that happens not so soon in the Brain. Now, the realExcept the Brain▪ continuation of this coldness over the whole body, may be very well conceived, if we consider, that while the blood is thus stopt in the capillary arteries, we can assign no time in the whole circulation, in which a lesser quantity of blood flows not from the arteries into the veins, than would have flown in a natural state; and therefore a lesser quantity of blood flowing more slowly, in the ordinary time of the circulation than is naturally usual, there will a lesser than a natural quantity come into the heart in every contraction; and this small quantity will not fill the arteries in that proportion, that is necessary to force it forward, so as to break and divide it, and to display its heat. Besides the blood being in this tough and viscid condition, there will ev'n be fewer of its fine and subtile parts separated in the Brain, and dispos'd of into the muscles of the whole body▪ and the heart in course will have a [Page] fainter contraction, and a weaker power to propel the blood, which consequently will not be so well divlded, nor the heat so well diffus'd. Now supposing that this Lentor or Toughness could consist with the natural motion of the blood, and that the viscidity could not be broken or dissolv'd by the natural motion, it cannot be expected it ever should by a degree of motion, much below that which is natural; and therefore this sense of cold must be felt in the other parts, and over the whole body. Pain is nothing else but a solution or disjoyning of continuous parts, and while the blood stagnates, and its quantity is constantly augmented, it must needs distend the sides of its channels, where it stops, and ▪stretch the arteries beyond their ordinary pitch. And therefore those vessels, that have not a natural or an adventitious resistance to oppose this forcing outward of the blood, will have their parts disunited, [...] Pain. i. e. this sense of pain will be produc'd in them. Now, the bones in themselves are not affected with pain, neither is there any such sensation produc'd in them, but by the membrane, [Page] that surrounds and invests them▪ called the Periostium: 'tis evident, that because this may be affected with any sort of pain, the bones are said to be thus affected; and in beating there are great contusions, i. e. the vessels have their sides so prest, by the weight and motion of the instrument, by which these contusions are made, that the blood either circulates very slowly, or not at all in those sections of the vessels so comprest. And the Periostium is either so prest by the contus'd muscles, that this feeling is produced in it; or, having its vessels a little comprest, the subsisting liquors in the comprest part do stop the succeeding liquors in the same channel, that they actually protrude the sides of their vessels, and make this sensation of pain: And since the blood in this accidental fulness and viscidity may affect the vessels after the same manner, 'tis but natural to conclude, that such a pain, as when one is beaten, may be produc'd in this state of the massAs when one is beat. of the blood. The blood in this state of viscidity, is less capable of separating its fine and subtile parts, as has been said; and there being a less [Page] quantity of them, the contraction of the whole muscles will be so much the weaker; and consequently, since the heart gives the greatest force to the blood's motion, and its contraction being weaker, the blood will be squeezed out of the left ventricle into the Aorta, and thro the whole series of the Arteries, with less velocity; and therefore cannot distend the sides of the Arteries, with that force that is usual, but affects our touch moreA weak Pulse. weakly; so that the Pulse is weak in this state of the blood: for the same reason those spirits being produced in a less quantity, and longer in falling into the muscles, and their contraction not being so frequent: Now the motion of the heart and arteries being synchronical, i. e. the contraction of the first, and the filling of the second, being perform'd at the same time, since the contraction of the Heart is not so frequent, the sides of the Arteries are not so frequently forced outward, and seldomer affect our touch, i. e. the pulse will be thatA Pulse that's rare which we call a Rare Pulse. The blood too, in this its thick and viscid state, is less attrited and less fluxil, as has [Page] been said; but its parts being thus penn'd up and compact, cannot possess that space it did, when its parts roll'd more freely one upon another, and were kept at a greater distance, by the impulse of its subtile parts; and therefore it has not force enough, to sustain the weight of the sides of its Channels, and they falling closer one upon another, diminish, as to their bigness, sensibly, and even to our sight; so that they being thus contracted, shrunk, and as 'twere withdrawn from our touch; and the pulse being thus removed, is said to be depressed, sunk, &c. While theAnd depressed. blood is so viscid, and the contraction of the muscles so weak, so few animal spirits separated, and all the secretions almost stopt; the musculous Coat of the Stomach will lose a great deal of its force, and the liquor of the Stomach will be separated in a less quantity; the contraction of the Ventricle is not only weaker, but our victuals that are lodged there, are not dissolv'd, attrited and turned to Chyle; but putrifie and remain undigested; and therefore the Stomach being constantly full, there can be no [Page] A Want of Appetite, sence of hunger, as our experience tells us. The same Unactivity and want of contraction, we find in the muscles of the stomach, are felt, for the same reasons, in the muscles of the intestines; so that their vermicular contraction being much abated; whatever is contained in their cavity, will not be sufficiently comprest, that it may be protruded thro the whole process of the guts; besides their incapacity in respect of the excrements, that are contained in them; for these excrements being in a very small quantity, both because of the small supply that is sent from the stomach, and yet smaller from the blood, by the known passages; they want of that weight, that is necessary to overcome the constriction of the muscles of the Anus; and little or no secretion being made into the guts from the blood, there's somewhat wanting of that due fluxility for their easier propulsion thro the intestines, besides what excrements so fluxil may be suppos'd to do by way of Stimulus; so that upon all these accounts, especially by the help of our Bisket, as has been said, there will be a vast [Page] disposition to costiveness. Lastly, ifAnd Costiveness. at any time the blood is so viscid, that it is even interrupted, or has a great deal slower motion in the brain than is usual, and keeps the coats of the arteries bent outward; then, both because of the small secretion of spirits there, and the arteries compressing the origin of the nerves, there cannot be a sufficient quantity of spirits derived thro these nerves; and consequently is produced that Stupor orSometime [...] a Sleepiness. Sleepiness we sometimes observe. Now since the warm parts of the blood are confin'd and penn'd up in its viscid parts, and if they be so prest, that the force of this pression (together with the natural force, that the small, hot, and fiery particles have to extricate themselves) be greater than the power that confines them; these hot particles will at last break out, and running along by the sensible parts, excite the sense of heat; and seeing this viscid blood stagnates and stops in the small arteries, they are so stuff'd up with that constant supply, that is made in the parts where it thus stagnates, that this compression will be very considerable, by the blood that [Page] is constantly added, and by the power of contraction in the arteries, that hinder this stuffing and bending outwards of their sides; so that this compression being continually augmented, at length its power will become greater than the power of cohesion betwixt the viscid and small parts of the blood; and so the heat will be extricated, and give its sense to the nerves: and after that some part of it is set at liberty, and moves to and fro with all freedom, it must mightily facilitate the setting at liberty of the other small parts from the viscid parts of the blood, by wedging themselves into them, and breaking their continuity; and making the viscid parts themselves more fluxil. Now since the hot and warm parts of the blood are delivered from their confining viscid parts; because the power of compression is greater than the power of cohesion, which proceeds from that viscidity; and since the power of compression is proportionable to the velocity of the blood, and its velocity is greatest in these arteries that are next the heart; the power then of compression in [Page] those arteries, that are next the heart, will be greater than in these that are more remote, i. e. the heat will be felt in the parts that are more remote from the heart, or the extremities, a great while after 'tis felt in the parts that are nearer the heart, and they have been warm; and the coldness in the remote limbs, after the rest of the body has been warm, may last even till the power of compression in their arteries be augmented by the continual afflux of blood, and is able to subdue ▪the force of the viscid and intangling parts; and since these two powers are uncertain and undetermined, there can be no time assigned, wherein this coldness may last in the remote limbs, after the rest of the body has been hot; only we may assert, that the coldness will last the longer in the extremities, the more viscid the blood is, and the more firmly and closely it envelopes and confines the heat. Thus a great deal of heat being set at liberty, it is derived with the other parts, that can easily be dissolv'd and are more fluxile, into the veins; and therefore this heat being more free, rarifies and warms the blood it meets with in the [Page] They are very warm. veins, and excites a great sence and feeling of heat over all the body. The heat then proceeding thus, the blood is more free, moveable, warm and rarified; and consequently the arteries are fuller, and distend their sides further, and so seem to rise up out of the flesh, and to come nearer the skin: and the vessels being fuller, the pulse will also feel greater; and because the blood is now more than naturally warm, more perfectly dissolv'd, and carried in a greater quantity to the Brain, there is also a more plentiful secretion of animal spirits, which coming into the heart in a greater quantity and degree of determination, make its contraction the stronger, and consequently propel the blood thro the vessels with more force, and distend more strongly the sides of the arteries, and produce that sort ofTheir Pulse great and strong. Pulse we call strong: so that tho the Pulse in the cold fit was not to be felt, either because the blood was not propell'd thro these parts, where we observe the Pulse, or propell'd with lesser velocity than was necessary to affect our Touch: yet the velocity being recovered, the blood circulates [Page] thro these parts again, affects our Touch, and makes the Pulse great and strong, as has been said: If we consider in the next place, the extraordinary warmth of which our Patients complain, we shall not need to have recourse to any unnatural contraction of the muscles to account for their Restlessness, and continual tossing about the Bed; but if we remember either what incites our selves to it, or what our Patients tell us induces them, we may very fairly account for that symptom; and this is nothing but a constant desire to remove into those places we had not lain in before, for a relief to our scorching heat; and so as we warm in one place, we cast about and tumble into another, which is truly that Restlessness we may observe. Moreover,They are restless, in this extraordinary heat there is a less secretion of spittle, and that which is separated is immediately exhal'd by this unnatural heat; and therefore the tongue and all that neighbourhood being very dry, the senseAnd very dry. of thirst is felt; but because of this dryness, and the particular contexture of the tongue, which has its fibres [Page] running across in its composition;Their Tongue is rough These fibres rise, stare, are stiff and rough, and appear to our touch as if we run our fingers over a grater, so soon as it is depriv'd of its humidity; and while the fibres and blood vessels stare thus, they cannot be easily contracted, and so the parts of the blood that are drier, cannot move, but stagnate under the surface of the tongue, while its more fluid parts are press'd forward; and the parts of the blood, that are thus stopp'd, being of a high red colour, appear very easilyAnd black. to be black and a little inflam'd. And if this heat increases naturally or by Art, 'tis evident, that the blood will be mightily rarify'd, and flowing thro the lungs in this great and rarify'd quantity, 'twill press them violently on all sides; so that they will not be so easily expanded, and therefore theThe Respiration difficult. Respiration will be also difficult, and the small quantity of Air, that is received into the unexpanded lungs, being warmed with the hot blood which then circulates thro that part affects us so, when expir'd, as the Air of a Chamber that is agitated, by the small parts of our fires, that [Page] move among it, and this affects us with heat; so the breath of those sick, strikes those that stand near like fire. Seeing he blood is driven aboutTheir Breath's like fire. in such a hu [...]y▪ the animal spirits separated i [...] so great abundance, the blood so very fluxile, and these spirits running thro a great many different Tracts in the Brain, present to us so many different Ideas, according to which we express our selves; and they being different, and of several sorts, our thoughts are found very incoherent and unconnected, which is to Rave, or to be Delirious. That watchfulness They are delirious, and cannot sleep. too we daily observe, proceeds from these live representations, and velocity of the blood and spirits. And since in all the stages of this Illness, there either may be too great a distension of the blood-vessels in the Brain, and so no spirits deriv'd into the Nerves, which will entirely destroy the contraction of the Heart, and bring Death; or the blood may be in such a condition, that it can give no supply of such spirits; and upon this account too, there can be no contraction of the heart, no motion of the blood, which is the want [Page] of life it self: and in both these respectsThey end in Death. 'tis evident, how Death may be the fatal consequence of this sickness; for in the first, the blood being either very viscid in the cold fit, or extremely rarify'd in the hot (by the patients own constitution, the heat of the place where he liveth, or warming Medicins) is so interrupted in the Arteries of the Brain, and being augmented by the succeeding blood, it may distend the sides of the Arteries, and produce the named effect; or if the blood in the cold fit is so viscid, and confines the spirits, that they cannot be separated, or there be a real want of spirits in the blood, which turn to the same account; there can be no secretion of spirits, where there are none; and therefore there will none be derived into the Nerves, for the motion of the muscles, and contraction of the heart. By the by, 'tis no less evident, that when the blood is thus infinitely comminuted, and still broken down into parts lesser and lesser, by an indiscreet management, and want of drinking of something, that may be a body to the spirits; the blood is not only [Page] depriv'd of that Serum, that should have preserv'd its fluxility, and been that Body, but of its spirits too, and so must needs produce the fore-going effect, and make this melancholy tragedy end at last in Death. Lastly, since the sick must continue in this condition, so long as the state of the blood is in this way, and seeing those parts, which are thus broken in this motion, may be carried off by the Glandules of the Skin, breaking open of the pipes, by the Intestins, &c. and by these means the blood may beOr the sickness cur'd by Sweating, Hemor. Looseness. rendered more compact, and equal in its motion▪ therefore 'tis plain, that this Sickness may be judged by Sweating, Hemorrhages, Looseness, &c.

Thus having demonstrated the necessity of these Symptoms, from the supposition of an Interruption of Perspiration,The Vindication of the Hypothesis. I would proceed to considerations of the like nature, if I were not first oblig'd to vindicate this Hypothesis from one that is merely such, as I but lately promised: If therefore any one will take one, more, or all of these Symptoms, and let him have [Page] no respect to any hypothesis, but read them backward, according to the known and familiar rules of Nature, he shall find them necessarily proceeding from a real or factitious Fulness, which are the same as to their effects▪ and since we come by this fulness in our ordinary way of living, 'tis plain, that 'tis not that that is its cause: but there's no way else we can acquire it, except by retaining somewhat for some time we usually lose; and since 'tis not the first, the last is either by the suppression of the secretions made by Stool, by Urine, in the Respiration, or by the Skin, or Perspiration; now, we see the foregoing symptoms rendezvous'd into a great number, while neither the Evacuations by Stool, Urine, or Respiration (the others I name not, they being very inconsiderable) seem to be much altered from what we see them in a natural state; and therefore 'tis Perspiration only, that is able to produce these effects and this Fulness, as I justly supposed. Moreover, Sanctorius has taught us, by making out the proportions of secretions in the 5, 6, [Page] 21, 59, 60th Aphorisms of the first sect of his Statical Medicin, that secretion by Perspiration, is at least double of all the other secretions; and therefore, when that is interrupted, it can produce that fulness in as short a time as all the secretions together could, and since they, or the most of them are good, while the named symptoms have grown into a great number; therefore this fulness has its rise from an Interrupted Perspiration, and so the supposition was just, and a great deal more than a mere Hypothesis, as I was oblig'd to prove.

The Perspiration thus interrupted in hotter constitutious, hot Countries, or a warmer season, these Fevers do not begin with so long a continued coldness, but the heat succeeds a great deal sooner, as may be collected from what I'm to say hereafter, when I give some intimations of the sickness of hotter Countries. Yet, the blood having sometimes that velocity, we assign'd it to have, in another place, when it is most apt to make secretions by the Stomach, Intestines and Pancrea's; which secretions being sent [Page] into the guts, in a greater or less quantity, and finding them less constricted, and the humour thus separated not so viscid as to subsist, it must needs get out the natural way and produce aDiarrhea's may be. Looseness: and tho the guts were very firmly shut, yet if there be such a quantity, that the power of its Moles is greater, than the force whereby they are constracted, it will make way to it self by the intestines, as before. But supposing the guts thus shut up, and the quantity so small, that it cannot make its way by the intestines, because of its moles, yet if it's very thin, sharp, and forced forward, either by its own motion, or the compression of the neighbouring parts, or both; so that it can dilate the guts, there will be a Looseness, as is evident. But since in our way of living, and in the Channel, where the Air is seldom very sultrie, 'tis but rare for our blood to be in these circumstances here required; and almost never but in scorbutical cases; therefore we shall trouble you no further about this affair, but mind you, we are to account our Diarrhea's amongst [Page] our accidental sicknesses, and to be treated as such in these observations that make the second part of this.

Since we have seen, very plainly, these two different ways of the bloods being affected in an interrupted Perspiration, or a catcht Cold; there's a third, that in a colder season, with the blood a little weakned; wherein not only the blood, but the rest of the humours, contract such a lentor and viscidity, as we spoke of just now; yet, when 'tis comminuted, and has past the several stages, as before, returns again by a fresh supply of such matter, that is able to produce the same, or like effects; and in the discovering of this, I shall use the same method, I did in the former, i. e. I shall endeavour to give a plain and genuine History of the symptoms or appearances in that order they affect; and I shall unfold them, in a natural, familiar, and conceivable way; that we may be the better able to make such inferences, that may be useful in our Practice. First then, they feel a coldness after Dinner, their lips are pale, they tremble, their Pulse is weak; while they are thus affected they have an [Page] insensibleness, and trouble of mind, while all the external senses are right, and sometimes the external senses are faulty, when the mind is serene and thinks very clearly, their whole body like a dead Corpse, and have a great drought; yet instead of death comes warmth and heat, which lasts for some time and ends in sweating; at this time the Pulse is strong, and more frequent than is usual, they have a beating in their head, a great drought, and after the sweating the Pulse becomes sometimes natural; It recurrs every day, every third or fourth day inclusive, and acts over the same Tragedy, it ends sometimes in death, and that in the return.

We have seen very clearly in the foregoing part of this discourse, that this viscidity of the blood, that confines the hot and small parts, and makes it so apt to stagnate in the extremities, and afterwards in the other parts, is the true and genuine cause of that coldness we observe; but the blood thus dispos'd, and not actually stagnating, and producing this coldness, is reduc'd to act by any thing that has greater parts than the parts [Page] of the blood; so that they cannot be intimately mixed with the blood, and become one homogeneous body; and since the chyle is of such a substance as is here requisite, as I have plainly shown in another place; therefore this viscidity will have its power to make the blood stagnate, after the chyle has entered the blood, and not throughly comminuted by the lungs, so that the parts of the chyle may glide along equally with the parts of the blood. And since the chyle is separated from the other mass into the lacteal vessels in an hour and an half,They feel a Coldness after Dinner. or two hours after dinner; therefore in an hour and a half, or two hours after dinner, this coldness is felt. Now in this viscid state of the blood, it is more compact, and distends not its channels sufficiently, and they, as 'twere, withdraw and disappear; and because the vessels of the lips are more superficial, and are only covered with a very thin skin, so that the blood in a natural state, may almost, be seen running in these vessels, and give that fine red we daily see; yet when the vessels thus subside, and withdraw, the blood is thicker and more compact, [Page] and nothing remains to be seen but the genuine colour of the membranes and fibres, that compose these muscles, and they being of a pale and Clay▪like colour, the Lips will be pale, Their Lips are pale. as was said. The blood then being so viscid, weak, and having the spirits so confin'd, must needs separate very few animal spirits for the reasons often assign'd; and so the Nerves will be but not perfectly empty; now the motion of the spirits I have already prov'd to be alternate, and the continual efflux to proceed only from the abundance of these spirits in the Nerves; and therefore, when at this time there are so few spirits separated, this fulness of the Nerves ceases, and so must the continual efflux too; and their alternate influx must be more sensible, i. e. because their motion is alternate, the motion of their propelling power being alternate, they flow alternately into the muscles, these weights which they are to sustain; and because of that alternate influx, they are contracted alternately, and this alternate contraction of the AntagonistialThey [...]emble. Muscles being that which Physicians call trembling; 'tis plain [Page] that there must be a trembling in this want of animal spirits; tho Physicians have thought fit to express it quite another way. Now, supposing that this viscidity was so great, that it could even fill up the vessels in the brain, and therefore the viscid blood thus filling those vessels, being not so fit to separate animal spirits, and in this distention of the full vessels they do so compress the origin of the Nerves, that those spirits are not derived into the Nerves, and propell'd in that quantity into the heart, that's fit to make its contraction able to force out the blood into the Arteries, that they may affect our touch as usually; and their sides neither being distended so much, as in a natural state, nor with so great a force, make that sort of Pulse which is called aTheir Pulse is weak. weak Pulse. In the midst of all this viscidity, the spirits are both in a lesser quantity and more confin'd; therefore in this real want of spirits, the mindThey may be insens [...] ble, the external senses being right. cannot execute its office, they being necessary for the functions of the soul. Thus the Patient is insensible, while all the external senses may be in a good state; tho the converse of this may be true, [Page] that, viz. any one, or all the external senses may be faulty, when the mind is in a thinking condition; supposing that this viscid stuff is huddled up by chance in a greater quantity about any Artery or plexus of Arteries, and if these Arteries involve or go round the Nerve, that serves for Hearing, Seeing, Tasting, &c. These Arteries then being stuff'd up, and fill'd by the continual afflux of new blood, their sides will be more distended and bent outwards; so that the Nerve that touches with them shall be comprest; till at length by this continual stuffing, the Nerve is so totally comprest, that it hinders the motion of the animal spirits, or at least interrupts their motion, tho the sides of the Nerve are not quite squeez▪d together; and therefore it may very well happen, that one may be thick of hearing, or perfectly deaf, may not see, taste, &c. and yet recover of a sudden, the coldness being over, and this lentor protruded into the veins. And if this stoppage of the blood in the brain be so great, and its cohesion so firm, [...]hat it cannot be dissolv'd by a thousand justlings in the plexus of the Pia [Page] Mater; so that almost no animal spirits flow thro the Nerves, either because there can be no spirits made out of this viscid blood, or that those few that are made, cannot be deriv'd in the Nerves, that are shut up by the force of this stagnating blood; then those spirits equally distributed into the muscles, keep them equally pois'd, and in this equilibration and viscidity there will be a want of motion and sense with an intense coldness, and these being the conditions of a dead body or Corpse, 'tis evidentTheir Body like a Corpse. at this time our bodies will be like a Corpse. This lentor being so great over all the body, 'tis so too in the Arteries that furnish matter, for the Spittle that is separated in the Glands about the mouth and throat, and no Spittle can be separated from the Arteries in these Glands; so that in this lesser secretion there can be no afflux of that moisture to these parts, and the want of that occasioning a driness and drought, therefore this stoppage is attended with aA great Drought. drought. Yet tho there is but a small quantity of animal spirits separated in the brain, and they deriv'd into the [Page] comprest nerves and muscles very sparingly and disorderly; so that the actions of the body seem at an end, and the muscles in equilibrio, the heart which has no antagonistical muscle shall have its contraction continued; and if that motion thus continued can dissolve and attrite this blood not quite stagnating, the bodyIn place of Death comes warmth and heat, that seem'd dead and a Corpse shall become warm as before, and have its life prolong'd. So the blood being once more free and fluxil, and the body hot, in the way we demonstrated before; the attrition and comminution, that produce this heat, depending very much upon the velocity of the blood, so that the greater it is, the greater is the solution of heat, and the greater the solution of heat is, the velocity is the greater too; because there's a greater quantity of animal spirits separated by this solution of heat; and so successively, til [...] the viscid blood thus subsisting is so comminuted and attrited, and acquires that degree of velocity, we determined it to have when fit for perspiring; and in that the small parts of the blood will be propell'd [Page] thro the neighbouring pores in a great quantity, and produce that appearanceAnd ends in sweating. we call Sweat, so that this warmth is continu'd and ends in Sweat, as we shall see more clearly in the sequel. Yet before this sweating, while the blood is thus commiuuted, there's both a greater quantity of animal spirits, and this quantity is faster convey'd to the heart, and the heartThe Pulse stronger and more frequent. is oftner contracted, and that with greater force, and therefore the Pulse will be stronger and more frequent, than in a natural state. And because of the great rarifaction and comminution of the blood, and its rapid motion, the sides of the Arteries are distended to a greater pitch and very strongly; therefore the more superficial Arteries going outward with a great deal of force, affect the parts that are touch'd by them, and produce that feeling and noise, that's convey'd to us, upon the beating of one body uponThey have beating in their head. another. While the blood is thus hurry'd about in this rapid and impetuous motion, and no great secretions of any sort; there is a great driness in our mouth, because of the small quantity of Spittle that is separated, [Page] and that little is so divided into insinite parts by the force and warmth of the circulating blood, that these parts are left perfectly dry, and they dispoil'dA great Drought. of their moisture, produce that insatiable drought. And since this lentor is at length entirely carried out of the Arteries, they will be of their natural wideness, after it is carried out, and so the blood may be propell'd thro them, without its being more attrited, comminuted or dissolved, or the heat of the blood will not encrease in its progress thro the vessels: and since the blood thus dissolv'd, perspires very easily; this heat shall not only not encrease, but be diminisht, the Perspiration lessening its quantity. Moreover, the heat thus dissolv'd partly perspires, as was said; and is partly mixt with the rest of the blood, and is not comminuted, the slowness in which the blood moves thro the veins giving sufficient time for this mixture; and the heat may easily insinuate it self into the grosser parts, and they may somewhat confine this heat, and restrain its force by opposing this Penetration. Besides, since there's an abundance of time [Page] betwixt both Excursus, the blood must frequently flow thro the Lungs; and so be frequently dissolv'd, and have its hot parts conveniently mixt with the other parts, and for this reasonThe Pulse natural for some time. will be more natural; from which every thing that's natural will come; and therefore the body will be in perfect health, at least for some time. Tho then the paroxism is thus judg'd by the assigned perspiration; yet if that viscidity that produc'd the first, is not consum'd, but returns in a certain time: or if that is consum'd and purg'd off by some of the known ways of Excretion, or so comminuted, that it is chang'd into the nature of sincere blood; yet the cause that produc'd the first viscidity, produces its like that can last out the same time, affect with the like symptoms, and be reduc'd to sincere blood like it; and so there are two ways of making these returns, as we see. Let us suppose then, that there are two returns every day, and at the same hour (there may be assigned the same reason for the rest, that recurr in the same difference of time) and the first is produced by a lentor that lasts for one day, and [Page] threafter is either purg'd out of the body, or chang'd into sincere blood and the second, by a piece of viscidity of the same quantity and quality with that which occasioned the first then, I say, that either of these lentors, or any other that can invade a [...] the same hour, and takes up a whole day before it is consumed, may successively and by degrees be stored up in the blood vessels, so that it eithe [...] flows thither insensibly, or constantly in the smallest particles, or be bre [...] within the same; till it can produce [...] sense of cold, and the other symptom that attend that. And because, before that this cold and its attendan [...] can seize us, 'tis necessary that thi [...] lentor subsist in the capillary Arteries which cannot be, unless its quantity i [...] so great, that it cannot be mixed with the blood, so that it may flow freely thro the Arteries. Therefore, eithe [...] this great quantity of lentor is bred a [...] once in the blood vessels, which i [...] possible; or is at once derived into them from somewhere else, which i [...] not unconceiveable: but even this i [...] evident, that this very quantity ma [...] flow into the vessels by degrees, or b [...] bre [...] [Page] by degrees in the same; and therefore 'tis possible, that in the space of one day, either some lentor, or something that may breed this lentor may get into the vessels; yet in so small a quantity, that only after one day there be such a quantity collected, that is able to produce that coldness with its attendants. And therefore, in the end of the day this coldness will begin again, and will make a new return by this lentor, that was stored up in the space of a whole day; which lentor if consumed in the space of the next day; and, in the mean while, anIt recurrs every day, every third, or fourth, &c. equal quantity of another lentor be stored up in the blood, 'twill make a third return, and so it may be said of the rest, not made by the same lentor returning oftner, tho slowly, but made by a new one, the former being quite consumed: but this consumption may be sooner or later, in the same day, according to the different nature of that lentor, the bodies that are mixt with it, and their dissolution in the encrease and height of the disease. It can be no objection that this lentor or viscidity of the blood is collected gradually, and therefore may be exterminated [Page] or comminuted, as soo [...] as it can be collected, since it circulates thro the lungs and other part [...] some thousands of times in one day but this will seem not so difficult o [...] hard to be granted, if we conside [...] some examples of as great difficulty and yet most certain: for there's non [...] that can be ignorant, how Nurse [...] Milk and our Urine retain, mor [...] than one day, the [...] colour an [...] smell of Asparagus, Onions, Ca [...] sia, Rhubarb, Turpentine, &c. [...] certain argument that there are some what of these bodies carried into th [...] breasts and kidneys, without ever losing of its nature; tho it has bee [...] carried often, and even some thousands of times thro the lungs; so that i [...] may be highly probable, that this visci [...] stuff may be very often carry'd roun [...] the body, without any considerable alteration. What is better known▪ than that the poyson of a mad do [...] shews not itself before the thirtieth o [...] fortieth day, and sometimes longer so that before its appearing in these forty days, it has circulated some thousands of times thro the lungs, without suffering any diminution of its [Page] [...]trength; and therefore if some such [...]hing be suppos'd of this viscidity, [...]hat is mixt with the blood, there will be no place left for our further doubting. Now, this lentor may be [...]upplied by every thing that gives us [...]ourishment, passions, &c. which are [...]oo remote, to be of any great use to us in knowing them: and therefore I [...]hall confine my self to consider this [...]entor, either coming from the primae viae in our Chyle or otherwise, or else being supplied by such viscera that are said to contain liquors: and first, if the Chyle or any other humor to be mixed with the blood, should be generated according to nature in the unnatural state of the blood (which is hard to be suppos'd) yet this natural humour mixing with the blood would be chang'd into its nature; and consequently become viscid, that is, a liquor fit to produce that lentor, which if mixt with the blood confusedly and without order, the returns too can have no order; but if it be carried into the blood in an exact order, the returns will be very exact and orderly: for if the blood have still that unnatural power, and the humour [Page] brought into it still retain its natura [...] power, there will be always the sam [...] time required, to change that natura [...] humour into that which is not natural; and this time may be one, two or three days; but if any one or all o [...] them are of a different nature, th [...] proportion of time will be chang' [...] and the Returns disorderly; but [...] this natural humor is deriv'd at different times, from the same or differen [...] parts, and immediately, or in th [...] same distance and interval of time, acquires an unnatural power from th [...] unnatural blood; there may be abundauce of Returns orderly and disor [...] ly, as the Derivations are orderly o [...] confus'd: and if those humors are o [...] different natures, consisting of par [...] of different sorts, every one of the [...] requiring a different interval of time before they can degenerate into th [...] kind of lentor; the variety of Return will be altogether uncertain, and kee [...] no order. Next, let us suppose that i [...] the Viscera, that are said to have considerable secretions made in them, th [...] liquors being viscid are return'd b [...] their veins into the Cava, and in th [...] order of the former viscid parts circulate [Page] with the blood thro the whole [...]ody, till they acquire such a thick [...]ess or quantity of viscidity, that may make them fit to stagnate in the small [...]apillary Arteries, and to produce [...]hat Coldness and other Symptoms, [...]s before: 'tis evident, not to resume our former reasoning, that their Returns will happen in certain intervals of time, orderly and disorderly, accord [...]ng as the supply is made from all [...]hose Viscera, or from any one of them, and as that is mixt in a greater or less quantity, orderly or confus'dly. But if there is so great a quantity of this lentor mix'd with the blood, that it cannot be propell'd from the small Arteries into the Veins; or tho the quantity be less, yet if its adhesion to the vessels be stronger than can be broken off, so that it cannot be carried thro them: then the blood cannot be propell'd, and in a short time the body will be cold, there will be no blood deriv'd into the Muscles, it either comes not to, or totally stagnates in the Brain, so that there can be no animal spirits separated in the nerves, and consequently there will be an irrecoverable deprivation of sense and [Page] motion, or (which is the same thing) there can nothing happen but Death since that lentor is suppos'd to be so great, that it cannot be protrudedIt ends sometimes in death and that in the Return. and carried thro the Arteries: and all this happens while this lentor stops in the Arteries, and this stoppage being in the Return, 'tis evident, that Death will also happen in the Return.

I have been longer upon this consideration than any of the rest, because the difficulties of Fevers and Agues are the greatest; tho now, I presume, they are clearly demonstrated from the interruption of perspiration, that great and most considerable inconvenience of their Lodging: and now I shall proceed, and reflect upon the other propositions, in that order theyTheir Life, as to what concerns their temper. &c. come to hand; and therefore the next thing comes to be considered, is their life, in respect of their temperance and debauches. As to the first of these, 'tis certain, as there is nothing more valuable than a temperate life, so that is never more valuable than at Sea; and if we look a little back, and remember their salt Victuals, Cheese and Bisket, there will be no great Rhetoric requir'd to defend their [Page] innocent Saturday night's Cabals, in drinking the Wives; for without the temperate use of spiritous liquors, their victualling, with all their fatigue, will be little enough to afford necessary Chyle, gross enough to make their thick blood, that cannot be so easily sent round their bodies, without the help of a Bowl of Punch or a Can of Flip: So that, in short, they are so far from being disswaded from such moderate drinking, that 'tis to be enjoyn'd for health's sake; and I doubt not but this way of drinking will not only prevent, in a great measure, the sicknesses we have named, but even keep them from falling into the Dropsie, Jaundice, and Melancholia Hypochondriaca. Yet to speak truth for the honest Sailors, they seldom fail in this point, so long as they can have an occasion to exchange the base Metal for the noble Spirit of Wine: but are oftner very ill husbands, exchanging all at once, and destroying the whole purchase at a down-sitting; so that being got drunk, and not being able to crawl into their Hammocks, they spend the night fast asleep upon the cold Deck, and contract [Page] those sicknesses, that attend an interruption of Perspiration: Only their blood being full of the Spirits of this liquor, they do not lye so long under the Coldness that begins all Fevers, as in Fevers otherwise gotten; for the small parts of the liquor soone [...] break and divide the viscid parts o [...] blood, than when it is without them and because of the comminution o [...] this lentor, the small parts of th [...] blood are set at liberty, and the hea [...] felt over all the body: therefore whe [...] the perspiration is interrupted, an [...] the blood full of these Spirits, the attrition and comminution will be sooner perform'd, i. e. the Coldness wil [...] be sooner at an end, and so the Feverish heat begin a great deal th [...] sooner, which, according to the constitution and age of the patient, th [...] time of the year, and way of Cure will make the disease of greater di [...] ficulty.

Thus having ended the discover of these Diseases, that are peculia [...] to people, that use our narrow Seas which is the first part of my promise I proceed to give an account of thos [...] that may be got nearer or under th [...] [Page] line; which it will be sufficient to hint at in short, and leave that to be finished by others, whose peculiar province it may be; and 'tis enough at this time, to have given such necessary views, that may help our curing in the Channel; tho, in my opinion, the reasoning will hold somewhere else; but to speak no more of this, I say, that since the Diet and Victualling here and in other places is much after the same way, whatever proceeds from that may reasonably be suppos'd to hold, since that is only to be thought a cause, which, when it is suppos'd, the effect necessarily follows: so that the only difference will be in the Air; which we know is more se [...]ene and warm in those places: and therefore, because of its gravity, (which is always greatest in a serene Air) the blood and all that's carried along in it, are more minutely broken and divided in the lungs, as I haveThe diseases got nearer, or, &c. demonstrated in another place at great [...]ength; and therefore is more apt to separate its small and fine parts, and so to have a greater motion and all the consequences that follow upon that: besides, the Air too being very [Page] warm, the parts of the blood are extreamly rarify'd, take up an infinite space, and distend the sides of their channels to a great wideness, compress the neighbouring parts, induce weakness, and ev'n break thro the smallest and thinnest of their channels, overflow their banks, and produce all the inconveniencies, that might be made out according to the abovemention'd principles, if it was proper in this place.

But as for those sicknesses that are not peculiar to the Sea, but are also common to the Land, I shall consider them as interloping diseases in the second part of this Treatise; where I am to lay down the Indications for, and Method of Cure: but before I leave this part, I shall give a shortWhy I have neglected the common stories of Poyson, &c. Why Poyson. account why, in this explication, I have not us'd the accustomed story of Poyson, the Chymical Principles, and of Acid and Alkali; and then proceed to the observations themselves, which make up the second Part.

And first, as to that poyson, which some assert to be in the spirits, fit to produce these Fevers, 'tis altogether unexplain'd by its Patrons, and is very unintelligible [Page] as yet; neither is it allowable for us to run straight to the animal spirits for the solution of every Phenomenon, and to neglect the blood it self, of which they are made, and which must be always supposed in demonstrating their nature; and truly there can be nothing found in the most malignant Fevers, that does really distinguish them from any other continued Fever, for the whole difference that can be alledged, is ad majus & minus, and I doubt not but that they may be naturally accounted for, by a greater or lesser quantity of this lentor, its greater or lesser cohesion, and its different solution. 'Tis better then to give laws to that boundless and unaccountable poyson, so much spoken of by some Authors, tho seldom more than by the name, without so much as its counterpoyson for a Cure, which would been very necessary, considering how great differences there are betwixt poysons themselves. But what seems the strangest and most surprizing to me is, that if in a Family of ten or a dozen people, there is one whom we should determine to have the best blood, to [Page] be of the most athletick and robust habit of body, before the invasion of this Malignant Fever; yet this one shall catch it the soonest, and run the greatest Risque in his Life; while the more sickly, aged, &c. shall never feel it, or if he does, recover without any great care or pains. But, in short, those Fevers that are commonly reckon'd malignant, are not really different from the containing Fevers; and that they have their beginning from the same lentor that causes other Fevers, may be evident from this; that the most of those malignant Fevers succeed these very Fevers, both quotidian and tertian, in which there are greater quantities of heat and humidity, that dissolve this lentor; tho they come not so frequently after quartans, in which the viscidity is greater, and the warm parts more confin'd: so a single intermitting Fever easily degenerates into two intermitting Fevers, coming in the same time that the former did; they into two containing Fevers per subintrantiam, and they into one, which is quickly call'd malignant. And since all these changes are only certain degrees of this lentor, [Page] as 'tis more or less tenacious, and sticking to the vessels; 'tis evident, that no more can be said, but that the last of all these Fevers suceeeding in that order, or the formidable malignant Fever, is of the very same stock with the rest: and since they proceed gradually, from the smaller to the greater degrees of this lentor, this can only be said to have its time in a greater degree of the lentor, as I intimated before.

Why the Chymical Principles. As for the Chymical principles, they are so far from being simple, and having the requisite properties of principles, as one of the learnedst Chymists has demonstrated, that 'tis strange any man should advise us to assume propositions so unknown, in order to the explaining of Sciences, that have so useful and necessary a practice; they think indeed, if they can tell us a story of the dissolution of some bodies, and give but a gross guess at the strength of their different menstrua, they may very well undertake the explication of all the phenomena in nature, by their different solutions and coagulations, before they have found out their universal dissolvent, which might prove [Page] of very great use: but they must commit infinit mistakes even in this, since they are intirely ignorant of those powers, that give fluxility, solidity, motion and rest to any Body, tho their fermentations, solutions and coagulations depend upon them, as their frequent disappointments in their repeated practices must convince them, if the impudence, as well as ignorance, of the common Chymists were not incorrigible: and we shall find as little truth or solidity in their way of arguing concerning the strength of their Menstrua, if we pursue their ordinary way of reasoning; so little do they know of their own fam'd and belov'd Menstrua. For when they assert that such a Menstruum is corrosive, and produces such effects by this power, 'tis evident, that corrosiveness being the productive cause of those effects, then by adding somewhat else that is corrosive, it should produce them better; whereas the contrary is so well known, that I shou'd not alledge any proof or instance, if I were not convinc'd they will deny what they daily see. Let us then take Aqua fortis, which, they say, is able to corrode [Page] Silver, and dissolve it into the most minute atoms, by its corroding power it has from the Vitriol and Allom, of which it is made; then, by adding another thing to the composition, that is equally sharp and corrosive, if not more, the Menstruum should in all reason act the more powerfully; and therefore by adding Sal Armoniac, which is a great deal more corrosive than Allom or Vitriol, it should still corrode the Silver more, which is so far from being true, that it is not able to make the least impression upon it, unless the plate be extremely thin, and red hot, and not much then. And that Nitre and Sulphur, which is so much inflam'd in the blood, when we have a Fever; mixt together and burnt, make up the Sal prunellae, so much us'd in curing Inflamations and Fevers; but of this more hereafter: and I shall only add, that if the Chymical principles were allowed to have half the certainty their Authors pretend to, yet they never made them of use enough to us, since they were never able to give such laws, by which we may have [Page] any certainty of the degrees and application of Motion in their fermentation and Menstrua: and since it is motion in its different velocities, contacts and occurrencies, with other bodies in a different state, and in their several parts, that constitutes all the variety in the known world; our work should be to enquire into that, and so we should be better able to judge firmly of things, tho we must not debar our selves of any help, that may assist us in this disquisition. And truly, when a Chymist stumbles upon two or more liquors, that make a curious colour when mixt, he can say iust as much of it, as of a white, red, or yellow Ribband and no more; he can, perhaps, tell you how he made his Liquors, but how by their combination they came to give this colour, he can give no better account than the Dyer of his Ribbands; so that while we advance no further, we are like to make a wonderful progress in the knowledge of things. Now because the Chymists tell us, that a Fever is nothing but too great a quantity of sulphur in the blood, or that too much exalted; let's enquire into its [Page] power of doing this and producing that effect. And that we may proceed with more order and exactness, let us suppose this Rule, which is admitted by all the Philosophers, as most agreeable to the dictates of nature; namely, If any thing be suppos'd as a cause, and the effect always follows without the help of any thing else; we may, without doubting, assert and believe, that to be the productive cause of this effect: and on the contrary, if the pretended cause be there, and the effect follows not upon it; or if that which is said to be the effect, be present without the cause, then that cause never produces that effect. And therefore since adding of sulphureous Medicins to the blood, will not only heighten the power of the sulphur in the blood, but produce more; 'tis plain that upon that addition we must always have a Fever; yet after the drinking salt and sulphureous Bath▪waters, which are intimately mixt with the blood, and dispos'd over all the body, we see no such feverish fits produc'd. Yea in a Suppression of Urine in the Stone, the sharp and pungent ammoniacal [Page] salts of the Urine, should infect the mass of the blood, and produce those feverish effects, which nevertheless are never observ'd to happen. Besides, we know that we can pour a drachm or two of Oyl of Sulphur immediately into the blood of a live Dog by his blood vessels; and after the vessel, into which it is injected, is bound up with a moan or two, and the Dog set at liberty; he is so free and safe from any Fever, that he skips about full of health, and eats up whatever comes in his way for his purpose: and therefore if the blood, when altered with so great a quantity of Salt and Oyl of Sulphur, is not in the least feverish; we must acknowledge that an alteration made in the blood by saline and sulphureous juices and spirits, is not the productive cause of a Fever.

Why Acid and Alkali. And lastly, to discredit the principle of Acid and Alkali, it would be sufficient to observe, that they who set up for it have not let us know what it is, when they tell us, that an Acid is that which can ferment with an Alkali; and we know, that some Medicins both simple and compounded, [Page] ferment with such as are declar'd Acids, and then with others that are determined to be Alkalies; and it might seem very needless to alledge their ridiculous evasion, but that they'll mumble it over at the reading of the objection; and 'tis this, that that Medicin contains some Acid and some Alkali in its parts, by which, in these two respects, it may ferment with both; and so by this settlement they make neither Acid nor Alkali, because the bodies are mixt, and all mixt bodies partake and share of all the principles, whatever they be, according to the Philosophers, and are said to be of this or that nature, Acid or Alkali, which ever predominates, and bears the greatest share in the composition; and if they be suppos'd equal, our noble principles must scuffle for the Mastery. And even tho this were partly allow'd, we might sufficiently disprove this Hypothesis, by considering any one disease, where we may find a vast number of not only antecedent causes, but other symptoms enumerated by Medicinal Writers, that can never be accounted for, either by an Acid or Alkali. [Page] Yea so much are its Patrons in the dark about their principle, that we find them daily betray'd into the greatest absurdities. For instance, its great stickler Dr. Blankard, who is follow'd by all the rest, has expresly declar'd, in a whole system of practice he compos'd according to those principles, that all Diseases proceed from the faultiness of the Acid only, which is the most ridiculous thing can be said in a few words: for supposing, that Acids and Alkalies are the true Ingredients or Components of bodies, and that they concurr as principles in their action, and bear contre-parts in this action; then, because the influence of either upon the other, may be augmented, diminished or lost, and this is to be faulty or vitious; therefore 'tis evident, that either of 'em may have its defects, and consequently that the blame should not be entirely laid upon one.

I hope, by this time, no reasonable person will censure me, for not speaking a language, which neither I nor its Admirers can understand, when I declare my [Page] thoughts about our Sea-sicknesses; which I have endeavour'd to dispatch with all the shortness, plainness, and accuracy, I am capable of.

The End of the First Part.

The Second Part. CONTAINING Some Historical Observations OF THE Diseases in the FLEET During the last Summer. With the Method that was observed in their Cure.
[Page] [Page] PART II. Historical Observations of the Sicknesses of the Fleet the Last Year,

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IF, in relating our Observations, I should oblige my self to give but the names of those I have visited, since my concern in the Fleet, they would make up a Book as large as these observations ought to be: and truly, considering the uncertainty of the Event, either thro the negligence of some Surgeons in pursuing directions, or sometimes the same Medicins not being given according to order; it would prove of no use to any body to be inform'd of such a practice; and therefore I shall confine my self to such Observations, I made on board the same Ship, I was in my [Page] self, or in the Hospital, by the help of Mr. M'kie, and Mr. Connel, two careful and ingenious Surgeons on board these Ships.

Observation I.

Observ. I. Isaac Pett was taken ill, on board his Majesties Ship the Elizabeth, with a heaviness in his head, pain in his bones and thorax, want of appetite, and a sudden weakness; his Pulse was depress'd, and slower by 8 or 10 strokes in a minute; about 30 hours after, his Pulse was more free and quick, he had a great drought, and his tongue was very rough.

Hints for Curing Fevers. In the Cure of Fevers, we see, that those people, that are left to themselves, and take no Medicins, shake off their Fever by Sweating, Looseness, a Hemorrhagy, Diabetes, &c. which gave the first intimation to practitioners to provoke Sweat (some with internal Medicins, others in Baths, and the Irish of old by lapping themselves up in Blankets, throughly wet in cold water) to give Clysters (for farther their Hellebor, Aloes and Scammony would not allow them to go) to open [Page] a Vein or an Artery with Lancets, or by Cupping with Glasses or Horns (which some use to this day) to give Medicins that provoke Ʋrine, &c. But even all these have been disprov'd in part, in some one place of the world or another; by observing, viz. in Bleeding, that, because it is more frequently us'd in France and Spain than in Italy, they conclude, that if Bleeding contributed notably to promote the Cure of Fevers; then, where that is practised, more would recover, than where it is neglected; and consequently, that if they did recover their Patients in Italy with as great success as in France or Spain, Bleeding may be reckon'd indifferent: And in Turkey, where they cure their violent containing Fevers (as Physicians call them) with Abstinence and Sherbett, they condemn us for our frequent use of Diaphoreticks and Sudorificks; and we return the charge upon them, without any further consideration. The reason of unsuccessful practice.But, which is yet worse, men are apt to give up their reason, to such a degree, that they obstinately retain that sort of practice, in which they were bred, where ever they come, and will stiffly [Page] and positively maintain that to be the only safe method, and all others fatal and pernicious. But those Countries too, that are settled to one sort of practice, so soon as by some alteration in the Season, (perhaps to the better) and other circumstances of Curing, they find their way not to answer, and to be more uncertain (if any thing can be more so than a set practice); then the Disease is malignant, quite new, mankind chang'd, &c. which would make people believe, that, whatever certainty there may be in Medicin, yet there is little or none in the cure of Fevers. But besides all these mistakes, there is still another more considerable one, of which very many are guilty; and that is, because we see, that all these different ways of practice, are and have been successful in different Ages and Countries; therefore we may use them promiscuously, and all at once; whereas we should also consider the conveniencies for putting them in practice, and the way how we expect they are to produce their effects; and, because in the abovemention▪d methods, the way of performing the [Page] one is quite opposite to the other, we shall seldom, if ever, succeed by doing all at once; and we are to bear with, any method already begun, and endeavour to make the best of it, even tho it is not the most genuine, natural, and convenient; and must never venture upon any other in acute diseases, of which we speak, if it has been continued for some time.

But to return to our subject; if weWhat our thoughts are about the former intimations. reflect upon the Theory demonstrated in the first part of this, 'twill be evident, that because this disease proceeds always, with us at least, from an interruption of perspiration, and because the mass of blood is corrupted and vitiated, by the quantity of the steams thus detain'd, that the genuin and natural way of curing this, is by evacuation, either according to the quantity of the detain'd moles; or at least in such a proportion, as may set the parts of the blood at greater liberty; and so, because the different secretions depend upon the different degrees of the bloods velocity, when the blood acquires a velocity, like that which is natural, it will also have natural [Page] secretions, and in this manner be reduc'd to its natural Contact and Cohesion, i. e. it will be propell'd in its ordinary and natural way, and the Patient will recover his health; since health is nothing else but the most natural circulation of the blood. Now since Evacuation thus perform'd answers our Designs in Curing Fevers, both by lessening the quantity and altering the mass, 'tis certain, that all the consequences drawn from the former intimations are just, and may be put in practice upon reasonable occasions. The next question may be, which of all the mentioned ways may be the most natural and convenient for a general Practice: and since Blooding, Sweating, and Purging, are most commonly received among us, I shall enquire which of these we may most generally depend upon.

What of Bleeding, Sweating and Purging. And first, since both they that allow of Sweating, and they who recommend Purging for the most general Practice, affirm that Blooding is agreeable for both their designs, there is no occasion left for disputing about the Necessity or Usefulness of that Operation, if the necessary cautions [Page] be observ'd with regard to the quantity of blood that ought to be taken away, so that the controversy lies intirely betwixt Sweating and Purging, which I shall endeavour to determine with all the impartiality imaginable, and that by enumerating the advantages and inconveniencies of both. And first, because the secretion by the pores, is double of all the other secretions in the rest of the body; 'tis plain, where this secretion can be perform'd, that there may be a greater quantity separated from the blood, in a certain time, than may be by all the other ways together in the same space of time; so that for that reason it may seem the most convenient and agreeable; yet since it must be excited by Medicins, that supply the blood with spirits, and consequently unlock the spirits of the blood, that are confin'd by its viscidity; if those Medicins be given to sick people, that are young, have an abundance of blood, and that very rich, 'tis plain that they must so break and divide the parts of the blood, and excite such a velocity, by which few or no secretions of any sort are made, [Page] as we see but too often in our daily practice; and therefore this practice can only agree with those that are older, and have not so rich blood. I need not give my judgment about the other two ways of provoking Sweat, since they are not in use with us; yet I think it will not be far from the purpose, to remember you of a story Dr. Willis tells us, in his Book of Fevers, of a young woman that lay ill, and was his Patient, and for whom he had prescrib'd a great many Medicins, that might judge her Fever by Sweating, but all to no purpose; and at last, I think, he gave her two Drachms of the Spirit of Harts-horn, but nothing like Sweating appear'd: on the contrary, her Pulse was higher, she was very hot and delirious; and among the rest of her idle talk, being doubtless incited by an extraordinary drought, she desir'd to go a swimming, and up she got for her Journey; but was kept in, till her friends resolving to humour her, concluded to carry her to the water; and accordingly, they not living far from the River, carry'd her down (whether with the Doctors consent I remember not) [Page] and when they had secur'd her from sinking, or going too far out of their reach, at length threw her into the water; and, after she was brought out again, was put to bed, where she sweat off her Fever. Some such like cases happen very often to our Sailers, who, in the time they are delirious or have Calentures (this word our Surgeons use for violent Fevers, yet 'tis only a general word in Spain for a Fever) when lying in their Hammocks in a calm Summers day, they see the Sea thro the Gun-Ports very plain and smooth, and imagining it to be a green Meadow, get up a walking, and fall into the Sea, if they are not stopt in their way; but if they get at last into the Sea, and are taken up and laid into their Hammocks, they sweat very plentifully, and shake off their Fever. I do not take notice of these instances, with a design to perswade people to such a practice, while we can perform the Cure a great deal better; but only to be an example in practice for the proposition I have establish'd in a Theory of the velocity of the blood somewhere else, and nam'd just now. And I think that [Page] proposition is very well confirm'd by these instances: since we see, that this rapid motion of the blood in this dilirious and mad state is check'd by the coldness of the water; and being thus check'd sends out abundance of its parts by sweating, as I alledg'd.

Upon the other hand, if purging Medicins can evacuate as much out of the blood, as the moles that's detain'd amounts to, without heightening, or at least not considerably, the motion of the blood; then that will be a more certain practice, and no less reasonable than the other. Now, I could make it plain, by a great many experiments, that the detain'd steems, that produce these symptoms, we find in Fevers, do not exceed three or four lib. and since 'tis agreeable with our daily observation, that we can give Medicins that evacuate by Stool, a greater quantity without heating the body: Therefore 'tis very evident that the administring of Medicins that evacuate by Stool, will be a more certain and safe way of curing Fevers. But whatever may be said on this subject, I admire how that practice can be thought agreeable at Sea, [Page] where there is so piercing and sharp an Air for, at least, eight months of the year, that none that's overheated by any violent exercise, would think it convenient to go into, and far less to take a sweating Medicin in it. This matter then being clear, I proceed to the way of curing our Patient; and because bleeding not only brings down the moles to a natural quantity, but sets at liberty the spirits thus huddled up; and his Pulse beating but about ten strokes less than naturally, I order'd twelve ounces of blood to be taken away, and prescrib'd him six grains of Tartarum Emeticum next morning; that there might be no conveyance of any thing from the stomach, that might confirm the cohesion of the stagnating parts, but might even break and divide those that were already in a stagnating condition; for the reasons to be mention'd hereafter. Having thus been let blood in one day about ten a clock in the morning, and next day his Vomit working very well; about four a clock in the afternoon of that next day, his Pulse was at least ten or twelve strokes higher than naturally, [Page] and therefore he took a dose of the following Powder, to restrain that growing motion about the evening.

℞ ocul. canc. ppt ʒ iij. sal. prunel. ℥ss. crem. Tart. ʒ j M. ac Divid▪ in IX part▪ [...]eq▪ Capiat unam ter in die.

All the while he drunk as much Barley water, sharpned with Vinegar, as he pleas'd, in pursuance of this design; and after three days when his Powders were done, I prescrib'd him that which follows to be taken next morning.

℞ Pulver. Cornach. ʒ ss Tart. vitriolat. gr. v. M. ac Ca [...]piat cum debito regimine.

It purg'd him some eight or ten times very gently; he slept very well that night, and got rid of his Fever: but that he might recover his strength the better, he eat nothing for three days but Burgoo, Watergruel, and the like, and drunk six ounces of the Deco [...]tum amarum alterans every morning for that time; all which he did with the desired success.

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Observation II.

Observ. 2. Shelborow Roydon, in the same Ship, a Man of about thirty years of age, and of such a constitution that has a Pulse of sixty strokes, or thereabouts, in a minute, was taken ill with a pain in his head, a want of appetite, a sudden weakness, a costiveness, a depress'd Pulse, which grew more frequent the second day, and then he was very hot, restless, and his tongue dry. I ordered him to be let blood, for the reasons I intimated before; and because he had not gone to Stool for two or three days, I desir'd he might have a Clyster in the evening, that might purge him once or twice, and next morning six grains of Tartarum Emeticum, with which he vomited five times and purged twice; he was very easy after his vomi [...]ing, his pains began to go off▪ and his Pulse to beat a great deal quicker; on the third morning he took the first dose of the following Powder.

℞ ocul. cancr. ppt. vel pulver. testar▪ ovor▪ non calcinat. ʒ ij Sal prunell. ʒ jss. Sal Tart. ʒ ss aut ℈ij. M. ac divid. in IX [Page] part. aequal. ut capiat unam ter in die.

Next morning after the taking all the doses of this Powder, he was purged with that which follows.

℞ Pulver. radic. Jalapp. ʒ ss. Resin. Jalap. gr. iij. Crem. Tart. ℈j. M. ac capiat hora septima matutina.

During the whole progress of his sickness I allow'd him the Barley Decoction acidulated, as before: and while he took the Powders, he had one or two Stools a day; and after his Purging Powder the Fever was perfectly vanquished: but, that he might recover his strength the sooner, I order'd him twenty drops of Elixir Proprietatis in Barley-water for three or four days; and to begin to take them a day or two after his Fever was perfectly over.

Observation III.

Observ. 3. Walter Griffin, a man of five and twenty or six and twenty years, and of a bilious Constitution, was taken on the fifteenth of June last with a Shivering and Coldness, that lasted ten hours, his pulse was depress'd, and he was troubl'd with pains over [Page] all his body: the same evening he began to be hot; his pulse beat 90 times in a minute, and he had an insatiable drought; about the time his Pulse began to rise, and his heat to encrease, he had a very large sweating, but without any benefit.

He was let xii ounces of blood that morning; on the 16th he took iv grains of the vomiting Tartar, by which he vomited six or seven times, and went thrice to Stool; and was a great deal easier the greatest part of that day; on the 17th he begun to take a dose of the Testaceous Powders I prescrib'd, and continued till he had taken nine doses: but on the 18th his Pulse was very high, and beat more than a hundred in one minute, and he inclined to be delirious. And therefore I order'd him to be let sixteen ounces of blood more, and to continue the use of the Powders: only he took in the evening two grains of Camphire in that Dose, and had a very good night; on the 19th he took his Powder without any addition, and the following Purgative on the 20th.

[Page] ℞ Decoct. Tamarind. amar. purgant. an ℥iij. Syr. de Rhamno ℥i. M.

This purg'd him twelve times very easily, and so he got rid of his Fever: I order'd him all the time of his sickness to drink as much of the following [...]ec [...]ction as he pleas'd; and he drank at least three quarts in some days.

℞ radic. oxylappath. acetos an ℥ii hord. mund. M. j. Coq. l. a. in S. q. aq. font. ad lb ij. circa finem addendo passul. Maj. integr. ℥iij. Colatur. clarae affund. acet. a [...]errimi q. s. ad gratam aciditatem pro potu ordinario.

Now, tho by this method our Patients are speedily recovered, and are never, or very little delirious; yet all the Winter, and in the beginning of the Spring, (as I observ'd in visiting the Fleet at Black-stakes) the coldness lasts four or five days, tho not such a coldness as we feel in Agues; and therefore there must be a great deal more circumspection us'd in Bleeding, sometimes in a lesser, and sometimes, tho not so frequently, in a greater quantity; but this must be done with respect to the Patient's constitution and circumstances, provided always, that the powers of the [Page] faculties be not lessen'd; at this time too, 'tis sometimes necessary to repeat the Powders and Purgatives a second time, and sometimes to take the following Powder, when the pains are more obstinate and hard to be removed.

℞ Ocul. cancr. pat ʒ ss. Antimon. diaphoret. sal. Absynth. an. ℈j. M. ac Divid. in 3 part. aeq. quas consumat partitis vicibus eodem die.

Observation IV.

Observ. 4. William Richards, on board the Elizabeth, being about 30 years of age, whose natural Pulse strikes 60 in a minute, was taken on the fifth of July last with a shivering, sudden weakness, a want of appetite, and pains in his bones; then he grew hot, restless, had a great drought, and could not sleep. He was let 12 ounces of blood on the 6th, by which his Pulse was sensibly rais'd while he was a bleeding. he took vii grains of Emetick Tartar, and being well plv'd with thin Water-gruel, after his Vomit began to work, he vomited five or six times, and went thrice to [Page] stool, and was very quiet all that day: I gave him no Paregorick in the evening, as I do in some other cases, because I constantly observe, that all Opiat Medicins heighten the Fever extreamly, and make the Patient sooner delirious; and therefore he took nothing else that day: but on the 8th in the morning he began the restaceous Powders, of which I ordered nine doses to be prepar'd and taken as before. In the latter part of the tenth day he had a great blooding at the Nose, and lost about twenty ounces that way, tho we had let him blood and vomited him before; and he had a Stool or two every day while he took his Powders; yet with his blooding his Fever went off. He continu'd the Barley-decoction sharpned with Vinegar for his ordinary Drink, and took the following Purge on the 14th in the morning.

℞ Decoct. amar. purgant. ℥iv. Syr. de Rhamn. ʒ ij. aq. Theriacal. ʒ ss. M.

This purg'd him five or six times very gently, and he recovered daily. Note, that his Pulse was very high, and his face of a red and fiery color before the Hemorrhagie; which we [Page] did not very much endeavour to stop, tho he bled a Pint.

Observation V.

Observ. 5▪ About the same time, when we had some very sultry days, John Wheeler, in the same Ship, about 38 years of age, was taken with a coldness, loss of strength, a want of appetite, and a nauseating of his victuals; his Pulse was depress'd, and he had a pain in his breast: about 12 or 14 hours after came a violent heat, which made him very restless and dry.

I order'd him to be let nine ounces of blood on the 9th of July, and that evening he took a Bolus of the Conserve of Wood-sorrel and Sal Prunellae; next morning six grains of Tartarum Emeticum, which began to work half an hour after he had taken it, and he drunk a large draught of thin Water gruel after every vomiting: he vomited six times, had two Stools, slept four hours after, and was much easier. On the 11th he begun the testaceous Powder, of which he had nine doses for three [Page] days, three to be taken every day, all that time he went to stool once a day, and pist a great deal; on the 14th he took nothing but the Decoction, I had ordered him for his ordinary Drink, and on the 15th he took the following Purge.

℞ Pulv. radic. Jalapp. ʒ ss. resin. Jalapp. gr. iij▪ Crem. Tartar. ℈i. M.

This Purgative gave him eight Stools, and had done working by 12 a clock, after which he found himself a great deal better, his drought abating, and his Pulse more natural, he called for victuals, and eat a little Water-gruel; and that evening he lost six or seven ounces of blood at his Nose, and recovered daily.

Observation VI.

I [...]erv. 6. one John Wallin on board the Hospital Ship, who was put on board her that day; he seem'd to have been a man of a very good habit of body; but his Blood running about like Lightning; his Pulse beat 132 in a minute, he was very dry and delirious: he took that night Conserve Lujul. ʒss. Sal. prunell. ℈i. in [Page] a Bolus with v. grains of Camphire. I ordered a large blistering Plaister to be laid to the Nape of his Neck, and one behind each Ear; they rose very well, and were removed next morning, and the parts drest with the Empl. de Melil. simpl. and so he was freed from his Delirium: he rested indifferently well that night, and next day took this Powder.

℞ Occul. cancr. ppt. ʒ j Sal. prunel. ℈ij. Pulver. serpentar. virginian. gr. xv. M. ac divid. in vi p. ae. ac Capiat unam ter in die.

Next day in the afternoon, a Clyster was injected, which purg▪d him thrice▪ and made him very easy and sensible; he drunk what he would of the following Decoction, and recover'd on board.

℞ Radio. Oxylapat. ℥ij. aoetos. ʒ i Scorzoner. ʒ ss. Hord. mundat. M. j. Coq. in s. q. aq. font. ad Hordei crepituram, circa finem addendo Passul. Maj. integr. ℥iij. Colaturae, per subsidentiam, clarificatae, adde aceti acerrimi q. s. ad gratam aciditatem.

These, by the bye, are the fatal, but almost perpetual, consequences of a diaphoretical practice in Fevers; especially [Page] on young people, in a hot season of the year, or a warm climate: for when they are put into a Sweat, they catch cold in the end, relapse, take new doses of Diascordium, and Venice Treacle, which (especially when they are not allowed to drink liberally) dissipate and destroy the spirits and serum of the blood, that it cannot be kept fluxil, but by the hot parts of those Medicins, which break down the almost solid blood, and supply animal spirits to the last drop of blood, and so dye unexpectedly as in Hectick Fevers; only their Fate is harder, and their Exit not so deliberate, for they are kept mad and delirious all the while, whereas the other dye in their senses.

Observation VII.

Observ. 7. At the same time I saw another who was put on board there, on the 16th day of his Fever; his Pulse did not beat above 37 strokes in a minute, he could not speak, but star'd, and made signs for drink. That night he had had three such Plaisters, as I mentioned in the former case, applied to [Page] his Neck and behind his Ears. He took now and then two or three spoonfuls of a Julep made of ℥vi. of Barley▪ decoction, ℥ss of a Cordial Tincture, and ℥i of Syrup of Clove-Gillo-flowers. This Cordial Tincture Mr. M▪kie told me, he had made of the rad. serpentor. virginian. Cochinel. and Spirit of Wine; and, when by the use of these Medicins he had recovered his senses, he began to use this Powder.

℞ Ocul. Cancr. ppt. sal. prunell. an ʒl pulver. radic. serpentar. virginian. ʒss. M. ac Divid. in vi. p. ae. Capiat unam bis in die. He recovered apace while in the Ship; but she being ordered for England, our Patient in a day or two was sent ashoar at Portsmouth, to the care of Dr. Smith, and my most ingenious Friend Mr. Heart.

'Twould be an easy task to produce many other instances of this kind, but these which are faithfully related, may suffice to convince us, that this Method is surer than the Diaphoretical Practice. And therefore I shall proceed, first to give an account of our other constant sicknesses, and then of our interloping distempers.

[Page]

Observation VIII.

Observ. 8. Mr. Nobs, Purser to the Elizabeth, was taken after Dinner with a coldness and trembling, which lasted six hours; his Pulse was all the while extremely depress'd, and beat not above 40 strokes in a minute; then came the warmth, which first begun about the trunk of his body, and was afterwards diffus'd over all. As it encreased, he grew very restless, and his Pulse became very quick and strong; till at last he began to sweat, and his heat abated proportionably as the sweating encreased. He was well for the rest of that day and all the next, but was troubled with a looseness; and the third day he was taken ill again, and suffered over all the former symptoms.

'Tis very plain from what I said inThe General Cure. the first part of this Book, that that viscid and slimy Lentor, which first stagnates in the capillary Arteries, and then in these larger Vessels, must be broken and divided, that it may be made a substance capable of being carried round the body without stopping [Page] or stagnating. And because this Lentor has its supply from the primae viae, the Liver or other viscera that are said to separate liquors, by some or all of these liquors being viscid; we must endeavour to cut off and intercept that supply, and to break and render fluxil the liquors that are thus tough and viscid. Now from which of all these this lentor proceeds and is supply'd, is not always very evident, tho sometimes it may happen to be so. Let us first suppose then, that this supply comes wholly from the primae viae; and upon this supposition we may conclude, that those things which empty the stomach and intestines of those impurities will do the business effectually. And because a Vomit performs that work with the greatest certainty, then a Vomit would be all that's requisit to compleat that Cure, and the more gentle it is, 'twould be more for the ease of the Patient and satisfaction of the Physician. But I have proved before, that the other viscera may discharge some of their vitiated liquors into the blood, which not being chang'd into the perfect nature of the blood, they [Page] stagnate in the Capillary Arteries in that quantity and way, that are fit to produce the foregoing Phaenomena. And they being in such circumstances, as make them fit to affect the blood, 'tis evident that those faulty and vitious humours must be broken and divided, that they may be fitted to circulate with the blood without stagnating; and that the blood, which is thus affected, must be reduced to a state of greater fluxility. If they had their viscidity from the primae viae, that work could be done very easily; but 'tis certain that the blood may be infinitly chang'd, without any fault in these first passages; and the viscera, that are now affected, must have their juices altered, or else they will still be in a condition to give a continual supply, supposing the blood to be otherwise in a good condition. Now the only way that liquors, which stagnate in their channels, can be propell'd and made fluxil is, by some power that may compress, break and divide the liquors thus stagnating; and because this breaking and dividing must be perform'd by somewhat, that contracts or violently compresses [Page] the obstructed parts, and breaks the stagnating juices; and this can only be perform'd by the contraction of the muscles, and their compressing the viscera, that are near them; therefore the moderate exercise of those Muscles will be very agreeable: but in our natural or voluntary contractions, they have not that violence, that is necessary to make a sufficient compression fit to break and divide this lentor. And since there are a great many Muscles, that are obstructed, and could have sufficiently broken the stagnating liquors in the neighbouring viscera, that cannot be moved and contracted by the power of our Will; some way must be contriv'd to make such a violent contraction of those Muscles especially, that are able to compress the neighbouring viscera; and if we examine all the consequences that attend the giving of any Medicin, we shall find none that exercises more Muscles, and that with greater violence than vomiting; for not only the Muscles of the Thorax and Abdomen are contracted with a prodigious force, and are able, by their contraction, to compress the [Page] Lungs, Stomach, Liver, Spleen, or any thing that may be contained in them, and in all their capacity, but even the whole Muscles of the Body are affected; and therefore 'tis vomiting only that can produce the required effect. Thus we have demonstrated the way of cutting off the supply of this lentor, that is made by the primae viae and the viscera, that are said to contain liquors; so that if there were not such a season of the year, in which the viscidity of the blood is much promoted and augmented, the blood extreamly weakned and dispirited with repeated paroxysms or otherwise, this disease might be conquer'd by these very means. But when the Air is foggy, moist and cold, and the blood weak, we must have respect to that, if we will cure our Patient; and such things must be given, that may make the blood richer and maintain its fluxility.

We have an infinit number of Medicines, that are said to produce such effects; but the long, tedious and unsuccessful practice of former ages convinces us of the contrary. We heard indeed a great deal of specifick [Page] Medicins of opposit powers; but never saw any thing, that deserv'd that name before the Indian B [...]rk. We had diapho [...]etical and warming Medicins, that broke and divided the blood, and made it more fluxil for some time, but were so far from being able to keep it so, that on the contrary having destroyed the native spirits and serum of the blood, they rendred it more apt to stagnate and to be obstructed. The Indian Bark then, or Jesuits Powder, being by daily experience that Specifick we desir'd, we ought not to neglect it, tho it was not found in a Matras. But not to insist upon experience in a thing, where we have so many reasonable proofs, tho that, of its self, is a sufficient proof: for we see how the sinking and languishing Pulse is rais'd by the taking of it, and that without any burning and extraordinary warmth; i. e. we find it has such a power as is able to introduce a freer motion, which cannot be done but by freeing the confin'd spirits, that they may be separated in due time and proper place. And since this [...]ing the spirits at liberty can only be [...]rformed by [Page] breaking the viscid blood, and this attrition is the thing required; therefore the Jesuits Powder, Quinquina, &c. answers our desire, and gives us what we require. Now, tho 'tis plain that the Jesuits Powder produces this effect, it is not the Jesuits Powder, as such, or its name alone, that is able to charm and lull asleep this intermitting Fever; but since we see plainly that it can do so, we should give it in a sufficient quantity to produce that effect; and when we give it, to be sure it may be carried into the blood: For if this be not done, 'tis quite as good, if not better, to keep it in the Paper and look upon it, and from that to expect your Cure, than to take it into a foul stomach, full of thick impurities, there to be clogg'd up in impure matter, and perhaps to be carried out of the body with the excrements, or else to be carried in this condition into the mass of blood to the misfortune of the Patient: or, if neither of these happen, given in the time of a Looseness, to be immediately carried off by Stool, and never reaching the blood to communicate its efficacy and vertue. [Page] As to the way how its effect is produced, I know not, nor ever shall, without a revelation from that Being, who knows the determined motion, size of the parts, and the different cohesion of matter, that produce the modified bodies we see; and yet, I think, there may be sufficient certainty to assist us pretty exactly in doing such things, as the support of our infirm nature may require. For, considering the nature of intermitting Fevers, of which we are as certain as of any thing in Physicks, and that we have a Medicin, that alters the condition of the blood and makes it more fluxil; and this fluxility being acquir'd in a certain way, therefore the China China is endu'd with a like power to that which makes the blood fluxil. This knowledge▪ we have of the Barks efficacy, without the knowledge of its constituent parts is so sure, that we can deduce very certain and almost infallible Corollaries from it, and this one for instance; If this Powder be able to break, divide, and make fluxil our viscid blood, then in a state where the blood is faulty thro its fluxility, richness; and [Page] extraordinary motion, this Powder is never to be given; so that in a containing Fever, where the blood is such, the Jesuits Powder must be very noxious; and 'tis very obvious to every mans Observation, that the more the blood is in these circumstances, the consequence is always the more fatal. I cannot omit what that candid Relater of Medicinal cases Dr. Sydenham says, in the 36 p. of of his Letters, as they are printed in the Edition of his book in 1685, at London: ‘At in Peste atque Epidemicis continuis, quae eandem ordine excipient, debellandis, non alios effectus ex ejus usu expectare licet, quam eos, quos hodie in Pleuritide, Peripneumonia, Anguina, ac id genus Febribus inflammatoriis videmus, quibus non tantum non prodest, sed & plane obest.’ But in curing the Plague and continual Epidemicks, which will orderly follow these, no other effects are to be expected from it, than these we now find it produces in a Pleurisie, Peripneumonia, Quinsey, and such other inflammatory Fevers, in which case 'tis not only useless, but evidently hurtful. But whatever may be thought of my pretended [Page] certainty; 'tis at least as well grounded as a great many maxims in the Hydrostaticks, &c. which no Ship-Carpenter or Man of sense doubts of; but on the contrary, finds all his calculations and inferences orderly made, to▪ answer his expectation in his practice.

The Chymists at present are engag'd in an extraordinary bustle and smoak with their fire and menstrua, to resolve by their Instruments which they do not understand, the constituent parts of this Specifick; and at last tell us that 'tis a Rosin, and that its power in curing Agues is lodg'd in its Rosin, which is as much in plain English as the first question; and we understand just as much, when they tell us of its vertue being in its Rosin, as if they had told us, that it is in the Bark. We know indeed that its tincture, made with any spirituous liquor, is the strongest, and that because 'tis the property of Rosins to be best dissolv'd in Spirits; 'tis plain that this Bark contains a great deal of Rosin, which is all that can be concluded from this experiment. But to proceed, let us suppose, that all the [Page] vertue is extracted in this Rosin, which cannot be pretended (because of a like experiment of its yielding its sanative power in common water) yet we shall still be as much puzzled about the way of this Rosins working, as the working of the Bark in Powder, before it was a Rosin▪ And if they think they have answered the question, by telling us that it produces these effects, as it is a Rosin, then all other Rosins will do the same; and therefore, they may trust to the Rosin of Jalap, or any other they're oblig'd to by their principles; and we shall have an opportunity to observe the conclusion.

The other way, that has been taken, to account for the vertue of the Bark, is by imagining it to be astringent; a power quite destructive of the requisits, we have clearly laid down for curing an Ague; and no less repugnant to common observation, as I shall demonstrate. What has been the foundation of this assertion, I could no where find out so clearly, as in a Discourse written by one of the Members of the Royal Society, I think in the year 1678; where consuting [Page] the power of the Bark in curing Agues, he says, that if the Patient be troubled with a looseness while he is taking the Jesuits Powder, it can have no success; therefore, says he, the Bark has its power in a contrary way, and is astringent; then he subsumes for his own purpose, that, because it is astringent▪ it must be very hurtful in a disease that must be cur'd by evacuation. To pass by at this time, our Author's neglecting to prove that this disease must be cur'd [...]y evacuation▪ which I very much doubt for the reasons intimated before; I have said enough already to evince the weakness of his Observation. 'Tis strange, that one should expect, that any kind of Medicins, which produce not their effect in a minute, but require some hours, at least, to affect the blood; should exert their vertue, when they never come thither; and this being the case of the Jesuits Powder in a Looseness, we may easily conclude, that the Quinquina will not cure an Ague in that case, whether it be astringent or not. By the bye, since I have had occasion to examine this argument [Page] against the Barks power of curing Agues, I cannot forbear taking notice of another very good argument this Author brings for the poisonous qualities of the Bark, and that is an experiment from its hindering the fermentation of Yest and Wort; that, because if a due quantity of the Jesuits Powder be cast into Wort, before the Yest is added, the Wort never ferments, and therefore this Powder is poisonous. I confess, I know not how to answer an argument which I do not comprehend; but if every thing that hinders the fermentation of Yest and Wort be poisonous; what must become of us poor Mortals in the poisonous times either of a frosty or very hot season, for the Brewers find their Ale and Beer ferment but very ill in such seasons: and besides, Sugar, Spirit of Harts▪ horn, &c. poured into Wort in a due quantity hinder its fermentation; yet they were never reckon'd among the number of Poisons: But, on the contrary, if I thought the Hypothesis of Acid and Alkali tolerable, I should like the Bark the better for the experiment this Author [Page] has helpt me to: for in that way, the blood in an Ague is viscid, by the power of the coagulating Acid, which can only be destroy'd by a powerful Alkali, such as this experiment proves the Bark to be.

Now as for the astringent power asserted, because it is so, and for no reason yet assign'd, is very ridiculous: and if it cur'd Agues as it is astringent, then as strong, or more powerful astringents would have the same effect, which is contrary to any trial or observation can be made: on the contrary, we know 'tis used every day with the best success in Hysterical Fits, and the Suppression of Womens Monthly Courses, where no body ever advised so powerful an astringing Medicin, as they would have the Bark to be.

'Tis true, we have seen some ill symptoms appearing after the giving the Powder; but the Question is, whether these symptoms are the Disease's, the Bark's, or the Physitian's; and this I shall endeavour to resolve, by following out Helvetius, a Physitian in France, who has lately writ a Book, he dedicates to the French King, [Page] and allows a great many of them to be owing to the Powders being given by the Mouth, and contrives a new way of giving it, and that by Clysters. I shall first then enquire, how far his allowance is good, and to be follow'd, and what's to be thought of his new practice; which, I think, will be very obliging. But before I do this, 'twill be necessary to shew, that I have not forgot my Observation; and therefore when I have related one or two more I shall come to those Reflections.

And first, because Mr. Nobs was troubled with a Looseness; and that it might not hinder the Operation of the Vomit, I intended to give him for the preceding reasons, the night before I prescrib'd him the following Bolus to be taken going to bed.

℞ Conserv. Ros. rub. ʒ ss. Sanguin. Dracon. ℈i. Laudan. Opiat. gr. jss. Syr. de Mecon. Parum ut f. Bolus.

Next day, being to have the Fit about two a clock in the afternoon, I ordered him, upon the former design, vi grains of Tartarum Emeticum to be taken about noon; he vomited five times, and drunk not so much after [Page] every Vomiting, as I allowed my Patients in Fevers; that the compression by the contraction of the Muscles might be the greater, he went once to Stool, and about the [...]nd of the working his coldness began, and lasted only two hours; then succeeded a very sharp heat, which went off sooner than before, by sweating, which was very plentifully: for I had desired him to bear with the hot Fit, and lie very close, that he might sweat, else I would give him no Medicin till the next Fit; which he did: and being temperate, the blood being now comminuted, and sufficiently fluxil for its motion, I ordered him to begin the Powder I had caus'd to be made up, into an Electuary, that it might be convey'd into the blood in its healthy state; that it might too, comminute more easily any viscid matter that would be convey'd to the blood by any of its ways of supply; and in that quantity I thought reasonably could destroy the viscidity of one paroxism, and this he took in as great quantities, as he could easily digest before he took more.

[Page] ℞. Pulv. Chin. Chin. subtiliss. pulverat ℥j Conserv. Ros. rub. ℥ss. Syr. e Chalyb. q. s. ut f. Electuar. Cujus capiat quantitatem Nucis Myristicae majoris, tertia qua (que) hora, superbibendo Vin. Hisp. Cochl. ij.

In the Dose he took before Bedtime, I ordered him j. grain of London Laudanum. He miss'd of his Fit, and din'd at five a clock in the afternoon upon a Chicken, and drunk a Glass or two of red Wine at Dinner. Next morning he began an Infusion I had ready for him to take of, till his blood was strong and should recover its strength, and 'twas this,

℞. Rad. Gentain. ℥ij. Scorzoner. ℥j. Serpentar. Virginian. ℥ss. Summit at Centaur. Min. M. ij. Fl. Chamom. M. j. Cortic. Aurant. ℥ss. Winter an ʒ ij. M. ae infundant. per Biduum in Vini Xeresens. generosiss. lb ij. Dein capiat Cochl. v. bis in die.

By the use of these Medicins he recovered his Health, without the least suspicion of a Relapse.

Observation IX.

observ. 9. Mr.—Lient, of the—, was taken ill after Dinner with a [Page] Coldness, which lasted an hour and a quarter; his Pulse was depressed, and beat about 50 in a minute; for he being of a thin habit of body, his blood very warm, it beats about 80 in that time: he had a pain in his head, then came the heat, which began about the Trunk of the Body, and was sensibly diffus'd over the rest; it lasted three hours, after which he began to sweat and judg'd his Fit; it recurr'd the third day inclusive, and had his cold Fit not above half an hour, but the hot Fit lasted some seven or eight hours before he began to sweat; next day I wa [...] sent for, and ordered him iij grains of Tartarum Emeticum to be taken an hour and a half at least, before we expected the Fit: he vomited some six or seven times, and went twice to Stool; I ordered him to drink largely between his endeavours to vomit: when the Medicin was almost done working, the Fit began to seize him and the cold Fit lasted little more than a quarter of an hour, and as it was a going off, I order'd him to take the following Powder.

℞. Pulver. Gasconic. ℈i Laudan. opia [...]. gr. ss. M.

[Page] After he had taken it about twelve minutes he fell asleep, and slept almost two hours; but before he was awake he was in an excellent Sweat, so he lay still till the end of the Sweating, and thereafter begun this Electuary.

℞. Pulver. Quinquin. subtiliss. ℥j. Conserv. Acetosel. ʒ vi. Syr. e Succ. Citr. q. s. [...]t f. Electuar. Molle. Quod capiat ad magnitudinem Avellanae tertia quaque hor a superbibendo Vini rubri Gallici Cochl. ij. vel tria.

By the use of this Electuary he miss'd his Fit; and began next morning to this Infusion, I ordered for the strengthning his blood,

℞. Rad. Gentian. ℥j. Scorzoner. Helen. [...]n ℥ss. fl. Chamom. M. ij. Summitat. Cent. min. M. j. Baccar. Juniper. ℥ij. Cort. Aureant. ℥ss. Tart. alb. crud. ʒ ij, pp [...]i [...] so a. affund. Vin. rubelli lb ij. Stent per biduum in Infusione, dein capiat colat [...]r. clarae Cochl. iv. bis in die. Repetatur Infusio super eadem Medicamenta ad alteram vicem.

He continued in the use of these Medicins, and drunk both the Infusions without any thing of a Relapse. All the time I allowed him to eat any kind of meat that was easily digested [Page] and drink a glass of Wine or two in a day.

Observation X.

Obser. 10 [...]. Since the last two histories are two different cases, and we see required a different way of giving the Cortex, that it might not overheat the last: now, that I may keep up the variety, which is always delightful, tho perhaps 'twere necessary to have two or three of one sort, which is too long at this time, and it may be I may have another opportunity for this: I must ask the liberty not only to go into another Ship, but ev'n go back one year to give you an Observation of a poor Man, that was miserably afflicted with an Ague for eighteen months.

This was one Mr. Humble in the Grafton, to whom I was call'd May 1694, at Spithead, by Mr. Leckie, who was then Surgeon to that Ship. He was first taken with a Tertian Ague, for which he was put ashore; and after he had staid out his time, he came back with it upon him, for he was some Officer or another, and so would not leave the Service; and expecting [Page] his Cure aboard, he was taking something all that time, but to no advantage. So, when I was call'd he had a Quartan, and his cold Fit used to last him some four or five hours, his hot or Fever Fit one hour, or an hour and a half, and then sweat: he was brought very low. I ask'd him when he expected the next Fit, and he told me to morrow about eight in the morning; for it shifted forward and backward, from Tertian to Quotidian, from Quotidian to Tertian, from a Quartan to a Hemitritaea, and from that to a Quartan again. I ordered him to take iv grains of Emetic Tartar that morning, about 6 a clock; which had just done working as his Fit begun to come upon him; his cold Fit after his Vomit lasted two hours, his hot Fit two hours, and so went off by the Sweating. I had been speaking to the Surgeon about the giving him the Jesuits Powder; but he told me he had been so often let blood, purg'd, and taken so much of the Powder ashore and aboard, that he could not take more; and therefore I was resolved to try the Powder, my learned Collegue Dr. Morton recommends [Page] in his Book of Fevers.

℞. Pulver. fl. Chamom. ℥j. Sal. Absynth. Antimon. Diaphoret. an ℥ss. ac capiat ʒ ss. tertia quaque hora, superbibendo Vini cujusvis generosi Cochl. iij.

He took his Powders very orderly, till he had spent that vast quantity, but without the parting of his eighteen months Companion. He did no more till the next return, but drunk of the following Infusion.

℞. Rad. Gentian. Raphan. Armorac. an ℥ij. Zedoar. Serpentar. Virginian. an ʒ ij. Summitat. Centaur. min. Card. Benedict. an M. j. ss. fl. Chamom. M. j. Cortic. aurant. ℥ss. Winteran ʒ ij. Limatur. Mart. ℥j. Tart. alb. crud. ℥ss. M. s. a. ac infund. in Vin. Hispan. generosis. lb iij. Stent per hor as vi. in Baln. aren. ac bibat Cochl. v. ter in die.

And that morning he expected his Fit, he took the preceding Vomit, which wrought very well, and his cold Fit lasted not above an hour, and his hot an hour and a half, and judg'd the Fit by Sweating. Things succeeded so well, I desired he would try the Jesuits Powder once more, and if it had no success, he should be at his choice; he was persuaded, and had it made up in this form.

[Page] ℞. Pulver. Patrum ℥iss. Conserv: Ros. rub. ℥j. Theriac. Andromach. ʒ ij. Extract. Gentian. ʒ j. Sal Absynth. ℈ij. Syr. e Chal. q. s. ut f. Elect. molle: cujus capiat quantitatem Nucis Moschatae maj. tertia quaque hora, superbib. Vin. Canarin. coch. iv.

And if he scap'd his Fit, to continue with the former Tincture till he recovered his strength; but the next day, after I left that Ship, I was taken with a violent containing Fever, which lasted five days with the practice before; and e're I was fit to go abroad, our Fleet was divided, and that Ship went to the Streights in company of the rest, that have made England the Admiration of all Europe, under the command of the Right Honourable Admiral Russel, who must needs make a great figure in the History of afterages.

I enquired, tho, of one of the Surgeon's Mates, after this Humble, who, he tells me, is now in good health; and recovered, he thinks, before he left the English Air. And thus having ended the Observations, I trouble you with, of Agues, I proceed to the Considerations about Helveti [...]s's Bark-Clyster Practice.

[Page] Places marked from this Author's Book, p. 4. The Reasons, he saith, in the 4th page, made him look out for another way of giving the Bark than by the Mouth, are the complaints some make, of an unsupportable weight and a violent pain in their Stomach: others finding their Thorax chang'd very much, from what it uses to be in a natural state, and such an extraordinary heat in their Breast as it were dried up: and lastly, because there's an abundance of people, that make resolutions every day never to take it more, tho they have been cured in this way. Passing the known inconveniencies page 5 of the Quinquina, and the general complaint sick people make that way; besides the particular grievances page 6 of its disagreeable and ill taste, its bitterness, which we can never remove from this Medicin, in whatever way give it, provided we take it in at our Mouth; and 'tis still the more incommodious, that, notwithstanding the aversion sick people declare against it at first taking, yet must needs renew this troublesome and nauseous impression, by taking it a great many times a day, for six weeks at least: not accounting upon our necessity to [Page] begin its use a second time upon the occasion of a Relapse. And therefore 'twas, that thinking upon the train of disagreeable circumstances, that attend this Remedy, I have discovered this more convenient way of giving it, whereby we may enjoy all its good effects, and evite all that's troublesom in it. And this way is no other than by giving it in Clysters.

page 7 Therefore he says, we must take an ounce of the best Quinquina in Powder, and mix it well, without any addition, with a Quart of milk-warm Water.

In Intermitting Fevers this Clyster must be given in the end of the paroxysm, and must be repeated thrice every day, till the Patient is perfectly cur'd, which is not long [...]'re 'tis done; for 'tis very extraordinary to see another Fit, very rarely two, and I, almost never, see a third. After he is page 8 cur'd, we must be sure to take the like Clysters for twelve days more, one in the morning and another in the evening for the first six days; and one in the evening only for the last six. And because 'tis very necessary, in page 9 this practice, to keep the Clysters as [Page] long as is possible; and there be some people that can keep them but a very little time, we must add for those, half an ounce of the Syrup of White Poppies to the Powder of Quinquina, which will mightily conduce to the keeping the Remedy without any trouble.

We must observe, that those that page 12 can keep it but a little time, must continue its use the longer, to do that by a greater number that cannot be done by one, and so to promote the Cure. This must not only be understood of those, that take the whole Dose, but of those too, that take but a part.

There's nothing amongst all the page 15 symptoms that attend Fevers, that page 16 can forbid the use of this Remedy, but the Swelling of the Belly. So there's no more to be observ'd, but that as there are some people that cannot keep this Clyster; so there are others that give no further account of it, and they find themselves swoln as 'twere, and puff'd up; and therefore 'twill be their best way to take a purging Clyster once in two days, which will help them to disburthen it: and [Page] 'tis not beside the purpose to take notice at this time, that those Clysters not having a purgative faculty, and not being given for that end, the sick people need not be disquieted or concerned, if they see not an Evacuation of Bile and other Humours; as in our ordinary Clysters.

page 31 'Tis evident then, says he, that the sick person shall be no more offended with its bitterness, since he's to take it no more by the Mouth; besides he can find that weight in his Stomach no longer, because the thing that produc'd that effect, is no more there.

page 32 But to get over the inconvenience of warming the Patient he takes a wonderful way; ‘A l'egard, says he, de la Chaleur, il est certain, que les parties grossieres du Quinquina, qui en sont la seule Cause, ne sejournant plus dans le corps qu' autant de temps qu' il en faut a la Chaleur naturelle pour le digerer & en tirer ce qu' il a de volatil & de salutaire, le marc qui en reste etant rejette aussi-tot, sans etre oblige passer par toutes les voies qu' il parcourt quand il est pris par la bouche, le corps ne peut que profiter de tout ce qu' il y a [...]aisse d'utile, sans jamais etre incommode de tout ce qu' il [Page] pourroit avoir de pesant, d'embarassant & de nuisible, qui est ce qui cause le Chaleur dont on se plaint tant.’

Touching this heat, says he, 'tis certain that the gross parts of the Powder, which are its cause, staying no longer in the body than is necessary for the natural heat to digest it, and to extract its parts that are volatile and wholsom; and the Mash that remains, being cast out of the body, without being obliged to pass all those ways it goes alongst, when taken in by the Mouth: the body cannot but reap a vast advantage from all the useful parts that are left, without being, in the least, hurt by any thing of it that's heavy, embarrassing and injurious, which are the things, that make all those heats they complain of. He adds in the next paragraph, that the people that have the Piles, are the only to whom he gives not these Powder-Clysters; either not in so great a quantity, because the rough Powder, rubbing up the vessels in the passing, is apt to provoke the Piles, or else he gives a strong decoction of it, which does almost as well, and entirely prevents this inconvenience,

[Page] page 39 Then, he rallies all his scattered proofs he had brought for the Cures being more certain by taking the Powder-Clysters, than in any way it can be taken by the Mouth: for first, it is given in a greater quantity than it can be by the Mouth; secondly, 'tis always given in substance, and so has the greater force: and thirdly, the subtil parts, which only act upon the ferment of the Fever, and destroy its ebullition, can insinuate themselves easier into the mass of blood by the orifices of these vessels, that open into the Intestins: and lastly, experience puts this more ready and sure way of curing beyond dispute.

Thus having pickt out almost all this Author says, either to the disadvantage of the Q [...]inquina's being taken in at the mouth; the benefit of his own way of giving it, and the consequences of that: I must confess the World is oblig'd to any one that endeavours to better any Science by useful and well established Theories, or Intimations to perfect its Practice, by discovering such instruments and helps, that can make it more sure: yet, I think, a man that communicates [Page] any thing, may claim and arrogate a little too much to himself; except the practice or opinion he advances be, without controversy, better than those that were established and thought of before: and therefore to speak my mind freely, without a Navy Physitian's declaring war against a French Doctor, I think that this Trial may stand us in very good stead, upon the pinch of saving the life of one, who rather chuses to die than taste this Medicin; and of these there are very few: but I should judge that man very rash, that would recede from the known way of giving the Jesuits Powder he has found so safe, that nothing can be more; and would go to a practice so very doubtful, and hardly press'd with the same difficulties, can be brought against the taking it by the Mouth, upon any lesser consideration; as we shall see immediately by the answering his Arguments, which I shall do with as great brevity and clearness as I can.

As to the weight and pain some feel in their Stomachs, after having taken the Jesuits Powder, 'tis certainly a very great inconvenience; but shall [Page] be judg'd by all the world, if that swelling they feel in their Bellies be not quite as ill, and can sooner breed a Dropsy, Jaundice, &c. than any disease that can be so soon brought on by it: besides, if we will be at the trouble to look back to what I have said, in the first part of this Book, about that symptom of an Ague, the weight in the Stomach; he shall see it clearly made out, that this weight is nothing but a heap of undigested and slimy stuff that's lodged there; and therefore of it self is apt to make the necessary supply, to keep up the force of the Ague; and intercept too, any Medicins that are given in by the Mouth for its Cure, as I have said since I begun to speak of Agues. And if he would persuade us to the using his Clysters in these circumstances, we shall never be able to cure this Ague, tho they were supposed to have a hundred times the force he pretends to: whereas if we give a Vomit to make a clear passage, we shall fell no such inconvenience, but especially if the Fit were well judged before we began our Medicin; and so this complaint comes more from the neglect of [Page] something th [...]t [...]hould been done, than from any defect in the Bark; unless, perhaps, it may add its own quantity to this nasty mass, and rarify that too by its subtile parts. And so the Argument will go no further than this. Opium, Steel, Antimony, &c. have been given in very ill times, and too great quantities, and no doubt there's been abundance kill'd so; but for all that, should we leave off the use of these Medicins? no surely; and they will prove useful and noble Medicins in good hands. But why may not our Author try, what a decoction of the Powder he uses for Clysters upon certain occasions, can do, to shun this inconvenience of the Powder; especially since our learned Collegue Dr. Morton, had published, some two years before this Author wrote his Book, such a decoction for this very end; which would have prevented most misfortunes from that hand, when we know not this fit time to give a Vomit.

Then for the second inconvenience, 'tis much of the same kind; and if any one will consider the proof I brought for the way how the Bark had its effect, [Page] and the Corollary I deduced from it, shall not be very much puzzl'd to find out, that 'tis only those that are of thin habits of body, and whose blood is thin, easily rarify'd, and incline to be hectical, that find this burning Heat our Author assigns, and after they have taken the pure powder; and I dare appeal to himself, or any man of practice, if ever they found this accident but in these circumstances; and a wise Physician can easily provide against that, as I have endeavoured in part, by giving the Cortex as in my 9th Observation. but to see what a miserable shift he takes to weather this difficulty is wonderful, from what he says in the 32 page; and if he had done any thing he should first told us, what the ferment of the Fever is he talks of in the 39 page; how the parts, and what parts are fittest to bring it under; and lastly, what vessels these are that have their mouths open into the Intestins; none of these things he has told us any thing of, yet they were necessary to be known▪ and of all things in the world I doubt most of his certainty in the citation from the 32 page; and would have [Page] thought the gross parts of any body the least capable to produce heat; and to guide all this right, he tells us, that Nature keeps it just so long, and not one half second longer, than was necessary to separate those sanative parts from its grosser hot parts; this is indeed wonderful, but she that can do all this, why did she put him to the trouble of contriving Syrup of White Poppies, to cause some to keep their Clysters longer, and purging Clysters to help others off with theirs; I'le help him out for once, and remember him that Nature's of the she-kind, and he's an old man. But of this Banter too much. The rest of his Citations are about the way of giving it, which I have nothing to do with here; tho I thought fit to shew them, if any one be for them; and all the rest may be comprehended in this, that they may be better given his way, because, as he says, the Bark is given in substance, and in a greater quantity. And first, I believe all the Physitians in France, at least all or most here, give it in substance, and have done these thirty y [...]s, as well as Helvetius; and in a way too, that [Page] our six Drachms must turn to a greater account than his three ounces, and allow him ten more; and this we shall make very plain, by considering that betwixt the lower end of the Duodenum to the end of the Ileon, there are infinite numbers of Lacteal Vessels to be seen, whereby this Powder, its Tincture made in the Stomach, and other parts, may be very easily carry'd into the blood, and by which is carry'd of one substance and another, at least, 3, 4, 5 pounds in a day, and so may be a very good way for 3 drachms, ℥ss, ʒvi, or ℥j, of this Powder, however digested and prepared in a clean Stomach; whereas in his way, all the Lacteals that are said to be there, are supposed upon ill made experiments, and not one to be seen; and so, I think, our six drachms can produce more powerful effects than his thirteen ounces, we have allow'd him; but suppose all the Colon were as full of Milky-Vessels, as the Milky-way is full of Stars (which we see he [...]ust not pretend to) yet I'm in the opinion he could not much better himself; for his Clysters could get no great [Page] length; which will be very evident to any one, that will bring into his thoughts, or lay before his eyes the Guts in their natural posture, and any one with a Clyster-Syringe impelling the Liquor; I say, if he considers this, he shall have no great difficulty to agree to my assertion: for first, if they were supposed full, then 'tis evident the resistance of the Excrements were to be accounted for; and perhaps this would do the business: but now, we'll suppose them perfectly empty, and their sides flaccid, as we see them at that time; then, upon the one hand let us remember, that the motion they have is from the Stomach downward, and that they are ten [...]ile; then next, that the Colon, where it joins the Straight Gut, lyes not rectum with the cavity of the Straight Gut, but cuts it at oblique angles; and upon the other hand all the force this impell'd liquor has, is only by the compressing the sides of a Bladder, or a more valid propulsion by the Syringe; and therefore passing the small resistance from the motion of the Guts, there's first so much motion [Page] lost by raising the sides of the Straight Gut, whereinto it may be propell'd without any other; but so soon as it comes to the joining of the Colon, it must reflect at every section of this Gut, and the reflection too, is to be made upon a soft, tensil body, which is more than enough to overcome a ten times greater force, than can be conceiv'd to be given to this liquor by the propulsion by the Syringe. And therefore, since the Straight Gut has no lacteals, and the Colon were supposed to have; yet his Clysters not going any length there, could turn to no great account; at least, not the twentieth part, very modestly speaking, as the other way.

But next, for the convenience of this Practice, I think 'tis the most inconvenient could have been contriv'd; for who can bear fifteen Clystering days, and to take about twenty four Clysters in that time; and then as many in case of a Relapse▪ this is not only one of the most troublesom Practices, but the most expensive that can be by the Jesuits Powder; for supposing an Apothecary should let us have them at [Page] Crowns apiece, this is no less than 12l. for these 48 Clysters, besides other Medicins, which is a great deal too much for the most that grudge 4ss. and a Crown for an ounce of the Powder, which always cures them with the help of such a tincture I have spoke of in my Observations: and therefore by this time 'tis plain, that Helvetius's Practice is neither so reasonable, nor so convenient, as the giving the Powder by the Mouth; and the misfortunes complain'd of are truly the Physician's, and none of the Bark's: but we must allow him that the taste will not be so ungrateful, as when taken our way; tho in so many Clysters it will be felt, as I have found in curing of some very tender People of Claps by Clysters, which in three or four days became almost as nauseous, as if they had taken Medicines by their Mouth; yet at best this is but an inconvenience to a few, for a settled inconvenient, expensive, and unreasonable Practice.

[Page]

Observation XI.

Obser. 11. The Scurvy. George Manning, aged 27 years, of a bilious Constitution, and a thin habit of body, was taken, on board the Elizabeth, with an out-breaking of abundance of red spots upon his Legs and Arms; a great many of those upon his Legs became of an olive colour, yellow, blue, and black.

'Tis evident from what I said before of the Scurvy, and as that is really distinguished from the Melancholia Hypocondriaca; that the [...]retty, rarify'd, and disunited parts are to be made closer, and of a stricter cohe [...]ion: and thus the small parts of the blood, not being separated in so great a quantity, in the brain, by the perspiration, into the Intestines, &c. there can be no such feverish affections, faintings, quick and slow pulses eruption upon the skin, &c. as we see every day. Now this compactness and stricter cohesion, can only be acquired by such Medicins, that, by their quantity, or of their own nature, can give body to the blood, or make [Page] that more compact; which must be in a natural state, and produce every thing that is natural, so soon as it acquires this natural cohesion. Now, ashore, we have really great numbers of Medicins, that answer this design, which can produce wonderful effects, when given in time, and in a way that this view shews us. Those are all the Medicins, we call temperate, besides those that are Analeptical, and mostly prescrib'd in Hectick Fevers, into which this disease naturally runs, tho sooner when helpt on by the use of the common Antiscorbuticks.

But at Sea, where all the victuals, that are for their nourishment, encourage this sickness so much, and encrease it: and all the provisions of Medicins, that is made for our Seasicknesses, have no respect to that: I think it not unreasonable to acknowledge that disease not to be cur'd at Sea.

Yet I was willing to make the best I could of our Patients in Scurvies; and therefore, that the Medicins we have might have the better effect, and the Chyle, that's very often the [Page] best alterative, might be convey'd in its full force; I order'd him a Vomit of ʒss Sal vitriol. in ʒiij of Oxymel of Squils, to be encouraged with large draughts of thin Water-gruel; he vomited three times, and an abundance of nasty stuff: then I ordered him to take as little of his Beef or Pork, for his Meal, as possible; and rather to live upon Burgoo, or Watergruel; his ordinary Drink was Barly Decoction, to every quart whereof I ordered ℥ij of Syr. de Alth. to be added; and for Medicins, I prescrib'd him the following Electuary to be taken of thrice a day.

℞. Pulp. Passul. maj. ℥iij. Cons. fl. Cynosbat ℥ij. fl. Lujul. ℥iss. [...]c. 69 ppt. ʒ iij. Syr. e Suc. Limon. q. s. ut f. Elect.

After these Medicins were taken for three weeks, which time he was very exact in following directions, he recovered apace, and came to his perfect health.

Observation XII.

Obser. 12. Thomas Leonard, in the same Ship, and much of the same habit of body, and constitution with the former, [Page] was troubled with red, blue, and black spots, which run into one, swell'd and became a stinking fetid Ulcer.

His Ulcers were drest, and he had the same Diet, and Medicins, with what else the place would afford, to that design: he was a little better, but having no prospect of a perfect Cure was sent ashore, where he recover'd his former health.

These being all that had a true Scurvy, in the whole Summer I was in that Ship, I very willingly leave off this melancholy Practice of a disease, that's put out of our power to be cur'd at Sea▪ and at Land too, is one of the most troublesom, as every one, that knows its practice, unanimously acknowledges. But, before we leave this subject, I'm oblig'd to remember my Brethren of the Navy, that of all the sicknesses in Medicins, Evacuation is to be done here with the greatest discretion. There is no sickness where blooding can do more harm, and is of greater advantage; vomiting and purging Medicins work more violently, and in lesser doses; and every purgative that has Aloes or [Page] Scammony, for their ingredients, in any quantity, are intollerable; and heighten the disease beyond what we can think. And all other ways of evacuating are not so much as to be dreamt of.

Observation XIII.

Obser. 13. T—B—was troubled with a Looseness, that he went to ftool some 15 times a day, for two days. On the third I saw him, and ordered him next morning the following Medicins.

℞. Rha. b. el subtil. pulv. cina [...]n. an. ℈i. M. ac capiat mane cum regimine.

This Powder seemed not to make him go more frequently to stool than he had formerly, and rather not so often, for he had only eight Stools by it▪ yet, in the evening, I prescrib'd him the following Julep.

℞. Aq. Plantag. lact. alexiter. an ℥ii. cinam. hordeat. ℥i. Syr. Myrtil ℥ss. Diasc. Fracaster. ʒ i. Confect. de Hyacinth. ʒ ss. M. ac capiat Cochl. 3 vel 4. singulis horis.

He slept very well that night, and had but two Stools all the next 24 [Page] hours, and thereafter continued in a natural way, without any further help.

'Tis true those kinds of Medicins serve our purpose pretty well, when the cause of Diarrhea's is confin'd to the first passages, yet when they are produc'd in hot Countries, in people of a thin habit of body, and that very hot, &c. they are not quite so certain, but we must depend upon Medicins of greater force, and blooding to the strength of the Patient. 'Twere a work of Supererogation to unfold the nature, and different states of this sickness, after the way of the former, since it is not, so much, our constant Companion; and therefore, it should be a little from the purpose: yet, in short, I must advertise my brethren (contrary to the most of practice) that the most powerful Medicins given in a liquid form, and in any quantity, cannot prove half so successful, as Medicins of half the force in the contrary circumstances.

Observation XIV.

Obser. 14. 4. George Gardner, was taken ill with a [Page] Looseness, for ten days, by which he went above thirty times a day, for all that time. When I saw him his Pulse was weak and frequent, his tongue full of deep chinks, he had a great drought, and was a very Skeleton.

I ordered him a drachm of a Powder, I give in such cases, made into Pills with a little old Conserve of Red Roses; which he took about bed time, and drunk none for two hours after; tho I allowed him as much of the Decoctum album as he pleased to drink, when that time was over; he slept indifferently that night, and had not a Stool all next day, but recovered daily; tho 'twas at least ten days before he recovered his flesh or colour.

I conceal this Medicin, because I think it better than the Fr. Ipicochoana it self, by which Helvetius has made so plentiful a fortune; for I dare affirm with all modesty, that I have tried it with above 200, when I thought a Diarrhea was to be stopt, without ever missing of the success, and that without any vomiting or violent consequences that attend the [Page] other, and a great deal more certain. Yea I have given it with Bals. capoiv. Opobals. Bals. Peruvian. and the like, with wonderful success, in Dysenteries themselves, and but seldom was oblig'd to give a second dose. But its further confirmation, I leave to experience, and the trial of others. I tried it for stopping Gonorrheas, in their proper time, but it did not answer expectation.

Observation XV.

Obser. 15. James Graham, of a thin habit of body, and very hot blooded, fell into a most violent Looseness, such as Physicians commonly call a Colliquative Diarrhea, he went some eight or ten times to stool every day.

Having no symptom, that could signify to me any thing of an indigestion, or of those impurities in the Guts, that are said to, and may maintain, and produce a Looseness, and his blood being of that nature, and velocity to make considerable secretions that way; my design was to alter that cohesion and velocity by letting him blood: and therefore I [Page] ordered him to be let eight ounces of blood, which was all I judg'd he could spare for that end, and that the powers of the faculties might not be lessened; accordingly all that day he had no Stool, and was very regular▪ that way thereafter; but the Rectum and Anus being very much excoriated by the sharpness of the humour, which he complained of, as a violent heat in that part, three days after; and therefore to prevent any Inflammations and their Attendants, as a Sphacelus and Gangrene, I thought it most reasonable to prescribe him the following Clyster.

℞. Aq. font. moderat. tepidae ℥x. Syr. de Alth. Fernel. ℥iij. M. f. enema.

He kept this Clyster two hours, and then rendered it, and was very easy and well. Now, when I relate this, it brings into my memory a pretty singular sort of a case that happen'd last year, when I was on board the Vanguard; and because 'twill not want its use, I shall presume to go back so far to relate it.

[Page]

Observation XVI.

Obser. 16. Mr. Moxum, a very brave and good Officer, then a Lieutenant in the Vanguard, had a Looseness for a day or two, about the time the Fleet was at Diep; it went off, but he was troubled with a most violent Tenesmus, or a desire to go to stool. At that time I had been aboard the Royal William, attending the Marquis of Carmarthen in a Fever, and was commanded for England, at his desire, to perfect that Cure; so I knew nothing of that Gentleman's illness at home, till about eight days after the Fleet came to Spithead; and then I admir'd what a change was upon him, in ten days or a fortnight since I had seen him: he was a perfect Skeleton, he could not rest a nights, and his Tenesmus coutinued; I advis'd him to go ashore for his Recovery, which he did; but the Fleet sailing six days after to the Downs, he followed the Fleet in the Ship's Pinnace, which happen'd to be ashore when the Fleet sailed, and came to us six or seven hours after we came to an anchor in [Page] the Downs; he was then worse, and complained of an inflammatory sort of a pain in his Intestines, which was very troublesom, when he grew warm in bed. He told me he could but die, and that he would do aboard, under my care, if I would not order him Medicins ashore; so he went ashore by Capt. Fairborn's leave, and before he was four days in Deal, he was a great way in his Recovery, by the use of the following Medicins.

℞ Decoct. fortior. brassic. & fl. Melilot. in aq. commun. ℥x. Syr. de Alth. ℥ij. Terebinth. Venet. Vitel. ovi solut. ʒ ii Sal prunel. ʒ j. M. f. enema, quod injiciatur quoque mane hora nona, ac hora quinta pomeridiana.

At bed times he took this Bolus.

℞ Bals. Lucatel. ʒ ss. nitr. corollat. ℈j. Laudan. opiat. gr. j. Syr. de ros. sicc. q. s. ut f. Bolus.

His ordinary Drink was a small Decoction of Sarsa and new Milk, and his Diet, Bread and Milk, or Bread and Whey; but after 4 or 5 days I allowed him Chicken, and such Victuals as are easily digested; and about eight days after, he came aboard in perfect health, and only took those [Page] Medicins for six or seven days more.

Observation XVII.

Obser. 17.—Follen, a Servant of Capt. Greenaway's, in the Elizabeth, was ill of a spitting and vomiting of blood a whole year, by which he was brought very low and weak; the night before I saw him he had vomited up a great deal, and was a spitting of blood that day.

When I saw him I intended to make a Revulsion, and preserve the full force and determination of the blood into some other part by letting him blood, yet in such a quantity that he should not be further weakened; and therefore he was let seven ounces of blood in his right Arm, with the Orifice of the Wound wide enough to allow the blood a quick and free passage; all which succeeded so very well, that he declar'd he was a great deal lighter; and easier while a doing, and spit nor vomited any more all that day: yet to make the blood thicker for some time, that the broken capillaries might the better unite, I prescrib'd him the following Electuary▪

[Page] ℞ Conserv. ros. rub. antiquar. ℥j. acetos. germin. querc. an ℥ss. sang. Dracon. ℈ij. Lapid. haematit. ppt. ℈j. syr. de ros. sicc. q. s. ut f. Electuar. De quo capiat quantitatem nuc. myristic. major bis in die.

He consum'd this Medicin in ten days; in all which time he had nothing of his vomiting or spitting of blood.

The next thing to be done, was to repair this Skeleton, whose Pulse was very frequent, and in every seven strokes intermitted the time of two▪ and this I endeavoured by the following method. I first ordered him this P [...]isan for his ordinary drink.

℞ Rad. Sars. ℥ii. Symphit. ℥j. chin. ℥ss. lign. Sassaf. ʒ ii. Coq. l. a. in s. q. aq. font. ad lb ij. circa finem addendo passul. maj. integr. ℥iv. Colatura clara reponatur in lagaena vitrea pro usu.

He took this Electuary for six weeks.

℞ Pulp. passul. major conserv. flor. cynosbat an ℥ij. radic. helen. condit. cortic. aurant condit. an ℥ss. Theriac. Andromach. ʒ ij. nitr. corollat. ʒ j. syr. alth. q. s. ut f. Electuar. mollior consistent. Capiat quantitatem nuc. avellan. bis in die, superbibendo vini Canarini cochlearia d [...]o.

[Page] 'Twas surprizing to see the change was made on him in a [...]rtnight or three weeks; he recovered his flesh, strength and colour, till in the latter end of the year he got the Kentish Disease in the Downs, and was put sick ashore at Deal. Then I ordered him first to be vomited, next to take the Jesuits Powder, as I have prescribed it in the 9th Observation; and then to begin the use of his former Medicins, so soon as his Ague was removed, but to take the following Infusion, after his Electuary, in place of the Canary.

℞ Radic. Gentian. ℥ss. fl. Chamomil. summitat menth. an M. ij. cortic. aurant peruvian. an ℥ss. pptis s. a. affund. Vini rubelli lb ij. Stent per biduum in infusione; dein capiat cochl. 3 vel 4 tempore dicto.

He miss'd of his Ague by these Medicins; but I can say no further about his Recovery, the Ship I was on board of being ordered to the Buoy of the Nore.

[Page]

Observation XVIII.

Obser. 18. K—B—of the—was troubled with a pain in his Yard, after an impure copulation; which very soon appear'd in a running, and that but very small, at first; but encreas'd daily, and was of a green colour, he had an Chaude Pisse, une chorde, and the erection was very painful.

He complain'd of it to me when at Sea, and I cured him of the Gonorrhaea, and its Appendices, in a fortnight, without taking one grain of Mercury, Mercurial Preparations, Turpentine, Decoctions of Woods, Injections, and other Medicins, that are generally prescribed with all the uncertainty imaginable. I could very willingly communicate this way of curing for publick use, if I might in honour; being no longer at my own liberty to dispose of it, since I have communicated this method to a learned Member of our College, in lieu of a practice he values very much. Yet without any breach of Faith, I assert, that the tedious, uncertain, and dangerous practices in this disease, have [Page] proceeded from the misunderstanding Physicians are in about it; whereas if its place, force, and way of communication were more sensible and obvious, we might soon discover more certain, genuine, and more natural ways of curing▪ and those be, even, improved, beyond what any Man has hitherto thought of. But it not being convenient, upon this occasion, to evince those mistakes too particularly, for this place; I will content my self to prove, that the cause of this Disease is not entertained in the Prostatae, vesiculae seminales, or any ways further than the Yard it self; without going too deep into the argument, or answering the Objections may be reasonably made against its being there, thinking it the first part of knowledge not to be imposed upon, and the second the putting things to rights; and tho we are not able to do this, and are sure of the first, yet ought we fairly to confess our ignorance, that very substantial piece of Humanity, rather than to speak things of which we have no thought, and a great deal less, to build our other reasonings and practice upon so sandy foundations: [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] Now that we may do the first, and discharge our thoughts of such a cheat, let us call into our memory the Hypersarcoses we daily see, and let us but compare this spungy flesh, that thus fills up the passage of the Urine, with any thing else we find upon other occasions; and I'm sure a Man that sees like another, and has the sense to compare, can find it not much different (but especially in its growing) from the like Excrescencies that happen, in curing wounds, ulcers, &c. a certain Argument that there is a solution of unity in the part, where those Mushrooms sprout, which cannot be kept down and checkt like other fungous flesh, and is seldom to be prevented in the healthiest people by a disorderly practice. I know it may be said, that there may be little ulcers bred in the Urethra, by the sharpness of the matter that flows that way, from the affected parts, and they may make this false flesh, tho these ulcers can never supply this running: but to drive this argument no great length, and not to outshut a common sight, I shall demonstrate very plainly, that these ulcers are begun only in the Yard, [Page] and afford this running from it; and at some other time make it plain, that this running comes not from above three inches within the Yard, and how that is done. For the present purpose let us remember, that our Anatomy teaches us, that there is a valve placed at that end of the Penis that's next the belly, that hinders the Regurgitation of the the Urine; and in the second place that Runnings can be stopt by Injections, tho very often to the misfortune of the Patient. Now these Injections, at best, are as solid, if I may so say, as our Ʋrine, and this valve hindering the repassing of the Urine, we may conclude, that it hinders the passage of a body not more fluxil than the Urine: but since these Injections stop a plentiful running, and yet not going out of the Yard, we may conclude, that it is in the Penis they have their effects; and if so, then it's from the Penis this supply is made, which was to be demonstrated, against the common Hypothesis; and therefore it is no wonder, that Men are not able to better the Practice, from so unthinking Theories.

[Page] I foresee distinctly, the inconveniences can be alledged against what I hint at, yet I should think it an unpardonable digression to obviate them in this place, and do promise to demonstrate, even to a certainty, the seat and nature of this Disease, about which Physicians are as much in the dark, if not more, as about the time it was first known in the world.

Observation XIX.

Obser. 19. Captain Poulten, then commanding the Charles Galley, was taken with a violent Quinsey, on our Voyage to St. Malo; for which his Surgeon gave him some things; but that day being in very hot service, and being oblig'd to speak very much, in giving his necessary orders, the pain and inflammation were very great, and he could not sleep all that night: next day, being Saturday, he sent for me in the morning; and finding that he was sick three days before, my business was to discover the state of the Disease, and to what height it was come, that accordingly as the symptoms of suppuration appeared, o [...] not, I might [Page] proceed in the Cure. Finding, then, no intimations of the suppuration, and a sufficient revulsion being made, by the blood his Surgeon let him but two days before; considering too the violence of the other symptoms.

I ordered him to be let ten ounces of blood out of the Jugular Vein of the most inflam'd side; which being done, I troubled him not with Gargarisms, which are not always so safe, ev'n when they can reach the part affected; but ordered him to keep the part warm, to eat only Watergruel, and to use the following decoction for his ordinary Drink.

℞ Rad. Bardan. ℥iij. acetos. ℥j hord. mundat. M. j. Coq. s. a. in aq. font. q. s. ad crepituram horde [...]. Colatur. per subsidentiam depurat lb ij. add. mel. opt. q. s. ad gratiam.

And next day he took this purging Potion.

℞ Fol. Sen. sine stipitib. ℥ss Rad. Rhabarb. el. & incis. ʒ ss cinnamom. acerrim. ℈i. Infund. per noctem in decocti passularum majorum ℥vi▪ Colaturae per expressionem factae add. Syr. de Spin. Cerv. ʒ iij. M. ac bibat h [...]ra septima cum regimine.

[Page] It purg'd him ten times very easily, and he was mightily relieved; he could swallow any thing down, and talk'd with any body if convenient. The Inflammation being thus vanquished, I begun the use of such Powders that promote the fluxility of the blood, but wrapt them up in a convenient Syrup, left they should offend the parts, in the passing, by their roughness.

℞ Ocul. cancr. ppt. coral. rub. ppti, an ʒ ss antimon. Diaphoretic. gr. xv syr. alth. ℥ij. M. ac Capiat tribus vicibus, superbibendo cochlear. julapij sequentis, quod

℞ Aq. Spermat. ranar. fl. chamomil. (seu eorundem decoct.) an ℥ij. aq. cinnamom. hordeat ℥ss sal. prunell. ʒ ss syr. capil. vener. ℥i. M. f. julap.

He continu'd the use of the Ptisan prescrib'd for his ordinary drink, and on the Tuesday took his purging potion as before, and was perfectly well thereafter.

There are two things I would have observed in this disease; first, that the Medicins upon the past design be never given till we be convinc'd that the obstruction in the capillary arteries, of [Page] the part thus affected, is not so powerful; for when they are given before that time, as a great many Authors perswade us, they only squeeze out the thinner part of the blood, and leave the rest despoiled of a vehicle fit to maintain its fluxility, and so very convenient to heighten the obstruction, which causes this inflammation and its consequences: and therefore he must be sure to blood plentifully, and the right way, before we think of giving internal Medicines.

The other is, that we busie not, nor amuse our selves with the idle, and not only idle, but useless, and impracticable distinction the Authors make in this disease; when they tell us, that since 'tis an inflammation about the Throat, if that be of the internal muscles of the Larynx it must be call'd a Cynanche; but if of the external muscles, a Paracynanche: and if on the internal muscles of the Pharynx, a Cynanche; if on the external muscles of that part a Paracynanche. And that this distinction is impracticable, is evident to any one that knows the Anatomy of these parts; how small [Page] the proper muscles of the Larynx are, and how near the internal and external muscles are one to another; and they only divided and parted by a thin membrane, which cannot only not hinder the inflam'd muscles of the one sort to press hard upon the other, but is even itself affected with this Inflammation. But they should have told us too, the symptoms of This part's being affected, and such signs whereby we may distinguish the Inflammation of the one sort of these muscles from That of the other: but of this too much.

Thus I have run over, with an indifferent exactness, my Disquisition into the marine diseases, and the History of those in the Fleet last Summer; which, I presume, may correct a great many errors and mistakes in that affair, and highly contribute to an amendment of others, of the same nature: and cannot doubt, but that the Candor of the ingenious will very easily cover any pieces of Frailty I may have committed in this first Essay; and for that favour, I shall endeavour to better it, if I find encouragement [Page] suitable to the Undertaking. Yet, all these things will better appear, in the Histories of the next years service, that are to be continued with this.

Books lately Printed for Hugh Newman, at the Grashopper in the Poultry.

[Page]

OEconomia Corporis Animalis. Autore Gulielmo Cockburn, Collegii Medic. Lond. Perm. Ac Classis Sereniss. Regis Magnae Britanniae Medicorum Altero. Octavo, price 1 s. 6 d.

Chirurgorum Comes: Or, the whole practice of Chirurgery. Begun by the Learned Dr. Read; continu'd and compleated by a Member of the College of Physicians in London. To which is to be added, by way of Appendix, two Treatises, one of the Venereal Disease, the other concerning Embalming, Octavo, price 6s.

Dr. Sydenham's Compleat Method of Curing almost all Diseases, and description of their Symptoms. To which are now added, five discourses of the same Author, concerning the Pleurisy, Gout, Hysterical Passion, Dropsy and Rheumatism. Abridg'd and faithfully Translated out of the [Page] Original Latin. With short and useful notes in the former part, written by a late Learned Physician, and never printed before, Twelves, 1s. 6d.

Advice to a Physician: Containing particular directions relating to the Cure of most Diseases: With reflections on the Nature and Uses of the most Celebrated Remedies. By way of Aphorisms. Done from the Latin.

Musaeum Regalis Societatis. Or a Catalogue and Description of the Natural and Artificial Rarities belonging to the Royal Society, and preserved at Gresham Colledge. Made by Nehemiah Grew, M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society, and of the Colledge of Physitians. Whereunto is subjoyned the Comparative Anatomy of Stomachs and Guts, by the same Author. Illustrated with a great number of Cuts curiously Engraven on Copper Plates. Folio, price 12s.

A Treatise of the Gout. Written Originally in the French Tongue, by Theodor. Turquet de Mayerne, Kt. Baron of Aubonne, Councellor and Chief Physician to the late King and Queen of England; whereunto is added, advi [...]e [Page] about Hypocondriacal Fits, by the same Author.

Philosophical Dialogues, concerning the principles of Natural Bodies: Wherein the principles of the old and new Philosophy are stated, and the new demonstrated more agreeable to Reason, from Mechanical Experiments, and its usefulness to the benefit of Mankind. Twelves, price 1s. 6d.

Medela Medicorum: Or, an enquiry into the Reasons and Grounds of the Contempt of Physitians, and their noble Art; with proposals to reduce them to theit wonted Repute; maintaining the joynt Interest of Doctors, Chirurgeons, and Apothecaries, against all Intruders. Twelves, price 1s.

Medecina Magnetica: Or, the rare and wonderful Art of Curing by Sympathy: Laid open in Aphorisms; proved in Conclusions, and digested into an easie method drawn from both: Wherein the connexion of the Causes, and effects of these strange Operations, are more fully discovered than heretofore. All cleared and confirmed by pithy reasons, true experiments, and pleasant relations▪ Preserved [Page] and published as a Master piece in this Skill. Octavo, price 1s. 6d.

Every Man his own Gauger: wherein not only the Artist is shown a more ready and exact Method of Gauging than any hitherto extant. But the most Ignorant, who can but read English, and tell twenty in Figures, is taught to find the Content of any sort of Cask or Vessel, either full or in part full; and to know if they be right siz'd. Also What a Pipe, Hogshead, &c. amounts to at the common rate and measure they buy or fell at. With several useful Tables to know the Content of any Vessel by. Likewise a Table shewing the Price of any Commodity, from one pound to an hundred weight, and the contrary. To which is added, the true Art of Brewing Beer, Ale, Mum, of Fining, Preserving and Bottling Brew'd Liquors, of making the most common Physical Ales now in use, of making several fine English Wines The Vintners Art of Fining, Curing, Preserving all sorts of Wines, of making Artificial Wines. Distilling of Brandy and Spirits from Malt, Malasses, &c. Together with the compleat Coffee-Man, teaching [Page] how to make Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Content, and the Richest, Finest Cordials, &c. Of great use for common Brewers, Victuallers, Vintners, Wine-Coopers, Distillers, Strong water-men, Coffeemen and all other Traders. Twelves, price 1s.

P. Ovidij Nasonis Metamorphosem Libri XV. Interpretatione & notis Illustravit Daniel Crispinus, Helvetius, ad usum Serenissimi Delphini Recensuit Joh. Freind Aedis Christi Alumn. 80.

Romae Antiquae Notitiae: Or, the Antiquities of Rome, in 2 parts. 1. A short History of the Rise, Progress and Decay of the Commonwealth. 2. A description of the City, an account of the Religion, Civil Government, and Art of War, with the remarkable Customs and Ceremonies, publick and private, with Copper Cuts of the principal Buildings, &c. To which are perfix'd two Essays: Concerning the Roman Learning, and the Roman Education. By Basil Kennett of C. C. C. Oxon, Dedicated to his Highness the Duke of Gloucester. 80.

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

Tractatum hunc cui Titulus [An Account of the Nature, Causes, Symptoms and Cure of those Distempers that are incident to Sea [...]aring People, &c.] dignum judicamus qui imprimatur.

Samuel Collins,
Praeses.

Tho. Burwell,

Rich. Torlesse,

Gul. Dawes,

Tho. Gill,

Censores.

Datum in Comitiis Censoriis ex Aedibus Collegii, Febr. 21. 1695.

Information about this book

Title statement

An account of the nature, causes, symptoms, and cure of the distempers that are incident to seafaring people with observations on the diet of the sea-men in His Majesty's navy : illustrated with some remarkable instances of the sickness of the fleet during the last summer, historically related / by W.C.

Cockburn, W. (William), 1669-1739.

Edition statement

1696

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A33550

ID [STC]

Wing C4815

ID [STC]

ESTC R24229

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

08084223

ID [OCLC]

ocm 08084223

ID [VID]

40814

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A33550)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 40814)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1226:9)

Source

— An account of the nature, causes, symptoms, and cure of the distempers that are incident to seafaring people with observations on the diet of the sea-men in His Majesty's navy : illustrated with some remarkable instances of the sickness of the fleet during the last summer, historically related / by W.C., Cockburn, W. (William), 1669-1739..

Extent

[9], 173, [1] p.

Printed by Hugh Newman,. London :: 1696.. (Reproduction of original in the Cambridge University Library.)

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