CHAP. I. Representing some Vanities of common Receipts, Herbs and Herbals.

1. THo' all Nations are imbued with various Speci [...]ick Qualifications, wherein each differ from the o­ther, yet that of Credulity, or an easie rash and inconsiderate belief may be conceived, to be universal to Mankind, and to which not improbably ought to be imputed the sequel of the most frequent and greatest Errors, Deceits, and Impostures, most Men are daily and hourly plunged in, as the source and spring of all, as may be plainly Evidenced in each of the three subsequent Faculties, I mean Divinity, Law, and Physick. The Popish, Mahometan, [Page 2] Sun, Moon, and Devil Worshipping Religions, embraced by such innumerable Multitudes, also all Heresies, Schisms, pretended Witch­crafts, Sorceries, and Exorcisms, howsoever er­roneous, imposing, and deceitful these all may be censured, [...]low from no other head or fountain, than an easy inconsiderate belief given to the insinuations of cunning subtil little Priests; And he that gives a precipitant credit to the Language of a Seller of Lands, Hou­ses, or other Merchandizes, doth not rarely repent his rash belief, especially when he adds to his [...]rror, his too easie acceptance of relief, from the doubtful remedies of a vulgar Law­yer: But it is the third Topick beforemen­tioned, is design'd for the chief subject of the present Discourse, which I shall endeavour to expl [...]in in its extent.

2. That most of Men do very readily take upon trust any Remedy, or receipt, that is con­fidently recommended to them, can scarce be contr [...]dicted; and their fond passion in the inconsiderate belief of 'em is so great, that without any loss of time, they are to be Registred in their Book of Receipts, handed to them possibly by their Grannam, and Ar­chive like to be lock'd up in their Desk, secu­red in a lock'd Closet, within a lock'd Room. Three such Locks being broke open by a Notorious Thief, Stole thence a Hundred Pounds in Moneys numbered, and a Book of manuscript Receipts finely covered. The party injured condoled the loss of his Remedy-Ma­nuscript to such a degree, that it wholly drow­ned [Page 3] the loss of his Money-bag, which he would readily have compounded for the re­storing of the Book, which the blank paper in it excepted, would have been overvalued at Two-Pence.

3. The next recital coming within my knowledge, will give you a farther taste of this sort of foolish Credulity. The Servant of a Linnen-Draper had so great an Interest in her Mistress, as to borrow out of her Hus­band's Closet a Book of scribled Receipts, which through a Communicative kindness to one of my Maid-Servants, was entrusted with her to be Transcribed; but the Master daily conversing in his Closet, soon missed what he so frequently eyed, and valued above all what was in it; upon a strict enquiry after the matter, his Wife as soon qualified his un­easiness, by acqainting him where this valua­ble Treatise was to be found, who not long after accosted my Maid several days, being delayed for want of an opportunity of Tran­scribing. The person being tired by unsatis­factory answers, resolved to disclose to me the cause of his so frequent Conferences with this Menial of mine; and promising to use my Authority with her, I did not doubt, but I should oblige him with the return of his Book next Morning at a certain Hour, at which time precisely he came, when I did not fail to discharge my promise, in repossessing him with his Book, which he received from me with all the respectful Reverence, that Hands and Knees could express. You will not judge [Page 4] it improbable, that my Curiosity should lead me to inspect these Papers, which to the best of my Memory contain'd an excellent way to Stew a Calves-Head with Oysters, another to make Fritters, and some other pieces of Cooke­ry; also a Salve for Chilblains, a Plaister for all sort of Swellings, an infallible Drink for the Stone, a most certain Remedy against a Consumption, and all sorts of Coughs of the Lungs, being a Syrup jumbled of most strange Materials. Varieties of other Infallibilities of Remedies equally foolish I pass by, and shall only remark the immensity of this Man's be­lief, by his Mournful Countenance, whilst his Book of Secrets was absent from him, and to what serenity he was restored upon his rein­statement.

4. Suppose one of these Medicines were to be taken out of this Magazine of Health, and to be applied against a Consumption, Stone, or any thing else, the failure he would most certaintly attribute to the want of some of the Ingredients, their too long being ga­thered, too much or too little being boyled, or to a hundred other Miscarriages, inso­much, that it would not give the least shock to the stability of his belief, which might not be singular in this person, but general in thou­sands.

5. It would by many be Censured an Usu­ry in a person, that from the Expence of thir­ty or forty Shillings, in the purchase of a Ge­rard's Herbal, or such like picture Book, he should expect such an excessive Interest for [Page 5] his Money, as the value of knowing the fa­ces and vertues of so many hundreds, or ra­ther thousands of Plants doth amount to: And indeed the Bargain of that Plant-Book would prove extraordinary Cheap, did what is contain'd in the hundredth part of it, an­swer to Truth in matter of Fact, which gives me occasion to make this Inference; that Herbals are sitter for Gardiners than Physici­ans, in furnishing the former with a Scheme of Figures of so many thousand Weeds there described, and consequently to throw them out of their Manures, as Absorbers of the juice of the Earth, that should give Nourish­ment to their Esculents. However, to pre­vent contradicting the Old Phrase, Natura nihil facit frustra, it may not untruly be affirmed, that the generality of Herbs growing in Fields, Meadows, and Hills, Nature seemed chiefly design'd to bestow upon Beasts. It would therefore be an Employment sitter for Boys, that love Rambling and santring about Fields, and Hedges, to go upon Simpling, (as our Botanists do term it,) than for Men, to make such needless, and not unchargeable Journeys, to the remotest Hills, and Woods, only to be acquainted with some New faces of Plants, and take the Portrait of 'em, to be placed together in some bulky Volume, whose immensurable industry doth no more than e­qual those, that have taken the pains to ab­stract the Pictures of variety of Beasts, Fishes, Birds, Flies, and other Insects, in the man­ner of Aldrovandus and his Mimicks, who in [Page 6] that sort have passed their Lives in doing of nothing.

6. What respect is paid to Hippocrates and Galen, for their Services in Medicine, and to Geber or Paracelsus in Chimistry, Dioscorides may Challenge in Herbary, he being by Pro­fession an Old Soldier, and worn out by the Fatigues of Campaigns, with the assistance of his Crutches and Stumps made a shift to Per­ambulate Woods, Hills, and Dales, in pur­suit of Herbs and Weeds, with a design to get his Bre [...]d, by Experimental Application in the Cure of Diseases, wherein be attained the suc­cess of Gypsies, that by foretelling the igno­rant their good or bad luck, sometimes hit, and sometimes missed. Their casual hitting gives them Reputation enough, to perswade people, that their missing is occasioned by their misunderstanding the South-Sayer's Pre­dictions, or their own forgetfulness of what was told them, so that many do readily be­lieve these Gypsies to be never failing Progno­sticators, not unlike Dioscorides his Herbal performances, who by his green Remedies ob­serving some Diseas [...]s disappearing, made no doubt of ascribing their Cure to 'em, and as boldly to hand the Probatums to succeeding Ages, which as confidently without the least scruple, even to this day do receive them, not thinking that length of time, change and spareness of Dyet, alteration of the Air and Season, universal and particular evacuations might perform the main part; the Truth of which seems by many instances to appear to [Page 7] me. That Betony, Rosemary, Sage, Lavender, Mother of Tyme, French Lavender, Piony, May-Lilly, Lime-Tree-Flowers, and the like, upon the use of 'em, by direction of the Learned, for many Days, Weeks, and Months, have failed in the Cure of Head-Aches, Tremb­lings, Swimmings of the Brain, Convulsions, and other Distempers of the Head, can best be attested by the Advisers; though it cannot be denied, that some of these Diseases have gone off in very few, upon the application of the foresaid Vegetables; but whether to be imputed to the vertue of these, may be mat­ter of inquiry: However, hit once and miss a hundred times, is a sign of no great infall [...] ­bility.

7. That a Million of Consumptives labour­ing of an ulcerous Disposition of the Lungs, have been frustrated by a very long use of Ground-Ivy, Maiden-Hair, Ysop, Scabious, Lung­wort, Coltsfoot, Sanicle, Golden-Rod, Ladies-Mantle, Bugle, and forty more, though used in all the forms and shapes; is sufficiently re­corded in most of the Church-yards of this Island.

8. The Stone-grinding and Piss-driving-Herbs, as Saxifrage, Maiden-Hair, Spe [...]dwell, Horse-Radish, Fennil, Persly, Broom, Gromwell, Dau­cus, Butchers-Broom, Cicers, Winter-Cherries, and the rest, are not much depended upon by those, that have made trial of 'em for four or five Months successively, though now and then one or other, that hath fancied a great relief, doth revive their dying Reputation. These and the [Page 8] like instances do aptly compare the practice of Physick to a Lottery, where one Fortunate Adventurer saves the sinking credit of that Cheating Mystery, against a hundred blank Miscreants, by being proclaimed such by sound of Trumpet.

9. To Madder, and many other Vegetables is ascribed Opening, Stopping, Binding, cu­ring of the Jaundice, removing Obstructions of all sorts, suppressing the Menstrua, Loose­nesses, and all sorts of Bleedings, besides ma­ny other feats, that are contrary to each other. As for Amulets and other Transplanting and wonderful deeds, theyare appropriated toabun­dance of Plants, of which, and several Physick Golden Legends the Herbarists speak wonders, if you can believe them. As for my own parti­cular, beyond forty or fifty Vegetables, tho' I have made trial of hundreds of 'em, I find no great occasion for them, and therefore shall supersede taking any farther notice in this place.

CHAP. II. Of the insignificancy of the Old and New Philosophy.

1. THings in Philosophy and Medicine, which we do not know, are beyond all manner of Comparison more than those things we do know.

2. The greatest part of those things in Medi­cine, which we pretend to know, is conjectural, and uncert [...]in.

[Page 9]3. Many, if not most of these things, which we do peremptorily affirm to be this, or that, to be caused by this, or that, or to cause and effect this or that, are, or may be proved, to be false, [...]r erroneous.

These Positions being only my particular Creed, whereinto the weakness of my capa­city hath been wrought by thousands of in­stances, I shall undertake to offer only some few, the shortness of my purpose no other­wise permitting.

1. Natural Philosophy is propounded un­der Two Heads, viz.. Physica generalis, & spe­cialis; that is to say, Gene [...]l Natural Philoso­phy, and particular. The former expounds in general terms, what a Natural Body is, name­ly, That it is a thing extended, moved, or quiet, figured, and so or so placed, Scituated, or posited. Corpus Naturale est res quanta, mo­ta, vel quieta, figurata, & taliter, v [...]l taliter po­sita.

2. What is all this but Metaphysicks, namely, general Notions drawn from all particular Bo­dies? A Natural Body doth consist of Quan­tity, that is, extension into length, breadth, and depth, mensurability, or divisibility into Particles, (it's much as one in the Original,) of motion, or rest, of figure, and position or scituation. Upon these five Topicks follows a very long Cant, and of little more significa­tion than the Predicaments, or Materia, For­ma, and Privatio. But its a wonder to my crude Thoughts, Number was lest out, since there is no compleat Natural Body, but doth consist of a definite number of Particles; how­ever [Page 10] ever it may be presumed, that Number is comprehended under Extension, sc. Quantitas discreta.

3. The Physica Specialis depends upon the application of the forementioned, to every Subgenus, Species, and particular Body, and by that you are to know, what any particular Body is, of what it doth consist, and how each is differenced from the other.

4. What sound this modern Science of Bo­dies makes upon an anvil, the following reci­tal will inform you. A Smith being very se­dulous in the management of his hot Iron, found himself much interrupted by the importunities of a begging Scholar, inforcing his Argument for an Alms of a small piece, with an Harangue of his Merits, arising from his being a Master of Arts, of I know not how many years standing, a Doctor in Philosophy, em­broider'd with Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and a­bundance of other Giblets of Learning. The Smith to free himself of all this impertinence, asks, what that red hot thing was, he held in his Tongues, what it was made of, and what difference there was between that and Copper; to which the Beggar replied, it was Iron, a Mettal, or a Business dug out of the Groun [...], that will melt, and can be hammer'd; and so is Copper, infers the Smith; Ergo, Copper is Iron. No Master, saith the Medicant, there is a vast discrepancy between them in their insensible particles, which are of different in­sensible extensions, insensible figures, insensi­ble positions, insensible motions, and insensi­ble [Page 11] immobilities. Ergo, then saith the black opponent, no two Bodies can be alike, two drops of Milk, of Water, of Wine, or any liquid may be insensibly different. Thou art a most insensible Philosopher, a Man is not a Horse, a Sow is not an Elephant, Wood is not Ch [...]ese, and so of all others, because their Particles are of various insensible figures, positions, &c. The most subtil Particles of the Forge fire, and the insensibilities of this Arts Master, had by this time fermented Vulcan into a torrent of Maledictions, crying out, you are a Cheat, to defraud the impotent poor of what, they may justly crave from the Charity of all Men; a lazy, slothful, unthankful Knave, enjoying the fruits of thy laborious Mother Earth, with­out returning the gratitude of a days Plowing, or Dunging, which you are made for; an in­corrigible sturdy Beggar; see how the sleeves of your totterdemalion Gown are cram'd from the Elbow to the Ground with Pie-crust, and pieces of Roast-Beef, and what's here in the bottom? a couple of Silver Spoons, two laced Hankerchiefs wet, as if newly stolen off of some Hedge. You pilfering Dog, disrobe that Friar Bacon's Livery, off with your square pancake Bonnet, and put on that Old Coat of mine there, and this Old Hat; blow the Bel­lows, and I will teach you an Art beyond all your Masterships idle soppish Arts, and Scien­ces, that shall get you an honest Livelihood, or else away to the House of Correction, that will soon drive out your insensible Particles, and make you sensible of what it is to Beg, Cheat, Pilfer, and Steal.

[Page 12]5. To what degree of satisfaction this Glo­bular sort of Philosophy, pretending by its insensibilities to explicate the principles, cau­ses, and affections of natural Bodies, doth su­perate the old pedantick Sophistry of matter, [...]orm, privation, and the four Elements, to­gether with their assigning the effects of natu­ral Bodies to occult qualities, may justly be inquired into, since the answer is equal, that such or such things are caused by occult qualities, or by insensible Particles, of insen­sible blind figures, and unknown positions. However, both the Globular and Peripatetick Philosophy afford matter sufficient to Chatter, Cavil, and trifle away the flower of a Man's time, as if design'd only for an Employment to divert from Idleness and Debauchery, not unlike sending Children to School, to prevent them from Carts and Coaches in the Streets or High-ways. Those do properly enough come within the saying of Salust. Vitam silen­tio veluti pecora transeunt; especially when con­tinuing in an University, and possibly in a Fellowship, till their Bodies are grown rusty with Sloth and Laziness, and their Heads turn'd mouldy with grey Hairs, whose Studies in­deed ought to have been determined in seven Years, were it only to quicken their Industry, and make way for other indigent Students to succeed them. A Peacock in all his gawdy Plumage is a Creature less stately and proud, than a Master of Arts treading to the Schools in his Formalities; and though Homage be paid him in his way thither by Undergradu­ates, [Page 13] and Bachelerios, his resined Manners will scarce allow his Mastership to [...]ouch the angl [...] of his Bonnet. Clarissime M [...]gister quare ri­des? Rideo, quia Magister sum.

CHAP. III. Of the Digestion and Indigestion in the Sto­mach, and the vanity of the cause thereof.

IT might be reasonably expected from the Tradition of so many Ages, and the Stu­dies of six or twelve Months of so many Ma­sters of Arts of seven Years standing or walk­ing, before they assume the tusted Gown, that Galen's Theory would be render'd as Diapha­nous, and demonstrable as Euclid; yet to my dimme Oculation, Many, if not most of their Notions, seem still to be plunged in a dark Chaos; for as obvious as the Digestion of the Food in the Stomach may be, though it be the first Operation in the Body of Man, and therefore ought to be better understood, yet to me seems now, nothing can be worse explained, than by asserting the dissolution into Chyle, to be performed by the natural and adventitious heat of the Stomach, brought to it by the Arteries and warm coverings of the Liver, Spleen, and other adjacents. A Share, Sea­Wolf, and other Fish, if Credit may be given to all those Writers of India Voyages have been found to contain in their Bellies a whol [...] [Page 14] Man, being thrown overboard, with all his Cloaths upon him, great Joynts of stinking Beef, with their huge Ox Bones in them, and Carcasses of Sheep with their Wool on their Backs, all which were discerned almost dige­sted into a thick slimy Juice, without obser­ving any sensible heat, but rather coldness. The like may in proportion be instanced in a fresh water Share, I mean the Pike, whose vigour in digesting an Ox paunch, and other Garbage, likewise Boney Fish of considera­ble bigness, without any sensible heat in their Bowels, or any steaming warmth, is an Ar­gument, that inforceth the former. The heat in the Maws of Poultrey, which is inferiour to that of the Stomach of a Man, cannot be con­ceived in any wise proportionable, to dissolve the husks of Barley or Oats, and especially small pebbles, which the extremity of Fire may melt, but not dissolve, and yet the heat of the Stomach of a Horse, though much more intense, doth make much less impressi­on upon Grain, which commonly slip away untouch'd with their Dung. It hath likewise been decided by common observation, that those who heat their Stomach at Meals with Wine, or soon after with Brandy, have a more difficult Digestion than others, who moisten their Victuals with small Beer, Wine diluted with Water, or only Water, as is usual to three fourths of the Universe.

2. Neither am I convinced, that those who [...]scribe the Energy of Concoction to an Acid [...]erment, have in any wise hit their Mark; [Page 15] for considering fermentation imports proper­ly an insensible, and in some thing [...] a sensible small ebullition or simpering of any natural, or artificial, mixt, or compound liquid, soft, or consistent Body, which by rarefaction, or widening and opening the close parts, doth let out, or expel such particles, or bodies, that are Heterogeneous, whereby a depu [...]ation of the said mixt body is attained: And if this rarefaction, or widening, and multiplying of the pores of the Body, be protracted to too long a continuance, or performed with too great violence, the most subtil particles of that body, which are the chief constituents of it, are forced, or let out together with the Hete­rogeneous, whereupon a dissolution, putre­faction and corruption of the whole mixture must necessarily ensue, as appears in the fer­mentation of Wine, Beer, Cider, &c. which being rais'd too high, or continued too long, doth most certainly convert them into Vine­ger. Dow, by yist or levain, is huft up (or in the common phrase doth rise) or rarefied, that is, opened, or widened in all its pores, and oft multiplied, whereby the most subtil particles, or matter of the fire (being the heat of the Oven) is let in, which together with the constituent most subtil particles of the Dow, do expel the nitrous, and other hetero­geneous slymy parts, which otherwise would prove very offensive to the Stomach, and in some be render'd indigestible. Now if the Dow continue too long in rising, or rise too fast, it soon falls, and is apt to turn sowr, and [Page 16] being then put into the Oven, can never b [...] well baked, and doth in a short time turn mouldy.

3. To say then, that Bones, Grissels, or any other hard matter, is rarefying in a Dog's stomach, meaning thereby fermenting, and consequent­ly digesting, to me seems a very improper way of speaking; for fermentation doth in my Opi­nion ever follow Solution, in order to depu­ [...]ate and render homogeneous, what is dissol­ved; how then can those Bones be said to be fermenting before they are dissolved and dige­sted?

4. It is to the Spittle many Physicians of good Fame do attribute the chief, or rather sole power of dissolving the Victuals into Chyle, by raising a Fermentation in the Meat and Drink, that's swallowed down into the Stomach; for being chawed, crush'd, rowl'd, and turn'd about in the Mouth, it's mixed with such a proportion of Spittle, which by its Spirits and salive Particles, assisted some­what by the native and ambient hea [...] of the Stomach, penetrating through the pores of the Victuals, raises a sort of a small Ebulliti­on, whereby they are dissolved. But if you consider the nature and use of Spittle, proba­bly this matter may appear otherwise. Spit­tle cannot properly be called an Excrement, which is of no use, and ought to be thrown out and expelled; but a Recrement, which is of use and ought not to be expelled, unless it be abounding, and after it hath performed what its int [...]nded for▪ Horses, Cows, and other [Page 17] Animals have their Mouths and Throat al­ways moistned with Spittle, but which is sel­dom or n [...]ver expelled by them by spuration, as very oft it is by the Humane kind, when its become superfluous; which is an Argument, its no Excrement. The use of it to me appears, to moisten the several parts of the Mouth, Gullet, and Windpipe, and to keep them con­stantly glib, smooth, and soft; for otherwise the Tongue and Jaws by their frequent moti­on, and the steems that continually pass out of the Lungs in the expiration, would ren­der those parts so dry, stiff, rough, and un­pliable, that they would b [...]come useless. The Windpipe would be so corrugated and con­tracted, that it would put a stop to the respi­ration; the Gullet would likewise through want of Spittle suffer such a streightning and roughness, that it would be utterly incapable to give passage to the Victuals. Touching the nature of Spittle, it is in no wise different from Lympha, which is contained in other Lymphae-ducts, the Ductus Salivales being no other, and as long as it continues in the said Ductus, its much fuller of volatile saline Spi­rits, which renders it limpid, fluid, and thin; but being come to the Mouth and the other parts, out of the said Ductus, those volatile saline Spirits do soon evaporate, and fly away, whereby the Spittle becomes thick, mucila­ginous, and oft frothy, by the admixture of extraneous Air, and other slimy Particles, it meets about the Mouth and Throat. So that if Spittle be of this nature, it must rather hin­der [Page 18] fermentation, and consequently the pre­tended solution into Chyle, which that it doth, is manifest in those Melancholians, that are commonly termed Spitters, who generally have a very bad Digestion. But suppose a Man that abounds with Spittle, should spit a quantity of it warm out of his Mouth into a warm bolt head hermetically closed, contain­ing a small bit of Meat, that had been well grinded in a warm Mortar, and then this mix­ture being put into a warm sand Bath, do you believe, here would happen either a fer­mentation, ebullition, or solution into Chyle, though it were to continue there six Weeks? Or, suppose a Man should swallow several great lumps of Flesh without chawing of it, or mixing it with his Spittle, do you not think, he would digest it into a Chyle, though it might take up some longer time, than if his Meat was chawed? What Spittle doth a Shar [...] or Pike mix with those great pie­ces of Flesh and Bones, which they swallow without chawing, and yet digest them sooner, than any other Creature could, as they are in the Water?

4. That the Lympha in all the Lymphae-ducts, (and the Spittle also though more sparingly) is perfused with some remaining proportion of volatile saline (that is Animal) Spirits, appears to me by the similitude of Argument, for establishing the circulation of the Blood out of the Arteries into the Veins, and thence in­to the Arteries again. The chief motive to me being, that the Heart throwing at every [Page 19] Pulsation such proportions of Blood into the Arteries, these must of necessity swell to an extremity and burst, were there not other Vessels, namely, the Veins, ready to receive and unload the Arteries; as for the swelling of the Arteries on the side towards the Trunc, and of the Veins towards the extremities of the Body, upon a Ligature made on any of the Joynts; or the Arterial Blood upon Arte­riotomy slowing from the Trunc, and the Venal Blood upon Phlebotomy flowing to­wards the Trunc, would scarce be persuasive enough to me to receive that Doctrine, since other Reasons might be given for those diffe­rent Intumescencies upon a Ligature, or the different issuing out of the Blood out of the Arteries and Veins. In like manner I do sup­pose, that the Nervous Lympha, which is the Vehicle, and containing Liquor of the Ani­mal Spirits, is always flowing or dripping from the Brain, and Medulla Spinalis to most parts of the Body through the Nerves; and cannot be supposed to return back again naturally, which therefore must of necessity extreamly swell, and stiffen the Nerves, unless received and disburden'd by some other Vessels, which in all probability must be Lymphae-ducts, con­taining in substance, tenuity, clearness, pe­netrative vertue, and other qualities, a Lym­pha not unlike the gleet, that distills from a wounded nerve. Moreover, considering the valves in the said Lymphae-ducts, opening to­wards the Trunc, and shutting towards the ex­tremities, doth add to the apparency of the [Page 20] forementioned supposition, implying there is a circulation of the Animal Spirits and Lym­pha. The foresaid Lympha being received by the Lymphae-ducts, must necessarily be much impoverish'd in its volatile saline Spirits, and consequently have lost its power of appor­ting of motion and sense, though otherwise of very great use.

5. Neither can I conceive, that the Stomach is capable to contain any Acid juice powerful e­nough to dissolve Bones, Grissels, Sinews, Skin, and all sorts of Flesh without hurt, and danger of perforating its membranes, being much softer and easier to be dissolved, than Bones or Si­news. If you pour the strongest Vineger, or Aqua fortis, upon those edibles beforemention­ed, and set them over any degree of Fire in a Vessel, stop'd as close as if Hermetically Sealed, for the space of ten or twelve Hours, you will scarce find any Solution, or at least not com­parable, to what a sound Stomach performs in two or three Hours. Moreover, where [...]ny person by sower Belches perceives his Stomach to be charg [...]d with a sower juice, his Victuals will scarce be digested, or dissolved into a good Chyle, but into that sort of slime, which Phy­sicians term Cruditas acida. And I have fre­quently observed, that many upon Drinking sower Beer, or eager Wines, or using sower Sauces to their Victuals, have not only under­gone a very laborious and painful digestion, but oft-times been forced to throw up their whole Cargo.

[Page 21]6. The Stomach doth sometimes re­ceive such sorts of aliment, as Pudding, Pan­cake, Custard, Tansie, Minced-Pie, Plum-Broath, Plum-Cakes, and the like, which in most persons will ferment, and be rarefied to a degree, that will huff up, distend, and swell not only the region of the Stomach and Hy­pochonders, but also their whole Belly, to an extension and uneasiness, that will oblige them to unbutton, and widen their wasteband. Those recited, and the like edibles, contain­ing a fermentative spirit in them, seldom fail in fermenting, during which, as it suspends, or at least retards the Concoction, (notwith­standing they seem matters so easily digestible, and incomparatively less difficult than Beef, Pork, &c.) yet the solution cannot, or is sel­dom perform'd with vigour, until the for [...] ­said fermentation ceases, which is perceived by the subsiding and relaxing of their drum bellies. Hence it is, that many do find, they cannot digest so easily upon drinking bitter or sower Small-beer, or strong Ale, Beer, or Wine, as a small alish smooth Beer, Water, or Wine and Water, because the former con­tain such a large proportion of fermentative spirits. And it is upon the same considerati­on, that new Drink not being sufficiently clea­red of its yist, and other feculencies, proves so offensive to digestion.

7. Since I can in no wise apprehend the dissolution of Victuals in the Stomach to be caused by heat, fermentation, or any cutting corroding acid juice, no more than Gold, [Page 22] which the extremity of heat will melt, and not dissolve, nor will a strong corroding A­qua Fortis touch it, yet a small proportion of fluid Mercury, (which in that form hath no manner of a corrosive sharpness in it,) with the assistance of a very little warmth, doth in a short interval of time very expeditiously and potently, by its most subtil particles insi­nuating into its pores, though more close than in any body whatsoever besides its self, tare it asunder, dissolve, and divide it into the minutest particles. In the same manner I do conceive, that all sorts of Victuals, be they hard or soft, are as easily and readily digested in strong and sound Constitutions, by the most subtil saline particles of the Body, (which are the Animal spirits) steaming in clouds out of those large Nerves of the sixth pair, that are inserted into the Stomach, and their numerous branches that are disseminated through its tunics, which forcing into the pores of the alimentary substances, rare them asunder, divide, and dissolve them into the minutest particuls, and being mixt with the moisture of your Drink, are converted into that juice we call Chyle, Hereunto the warmth of the Stomach derived from the Arteries, and cirrounding Bowels, is very assistent, though it hath been oft observed, that some whose Stomach hath been commonly felt very cold by t [...]ems [...]lv [...]s, yet nevertheless had a very po­tent digestive faculty, that would subdue the hardest and rawest of meats.

[Page 23]8. Now when the inward coat of the Stomach (Tunica rugosa) is cover'd with too much slime, (for it is necessary it should be cover'd with a little, to defend it from the sharpness and roughness of all sorts of Vi­ctuals it receives) so as to stop and plaister up the pores of the Nerves, whereby the foresaid most subtile saline Particles are in some propotion hindred from flying out, the digestion becomes slow, laborious, painful, and difficult, confecting a slimy chyle, which in process of time doth turn into many sorts of Diseases.

9. Of those that drink thick, austere, or ad­stringent Wines at, or soon after Meales, or close their repasts with Quince-Marmelade, Chesnuts, Almonds, or the like, I have expe­rimentally found, that in many, to whom either the lessning the use, or wholly wean­ing themselves from those Things, hath been advised, their digestion hath been soon redu­ced to its former Vigour, which before, by the continual closing of the Pores of the Stomach-Nerves, was exceedingly debilitated, by the foresaid cloging, and adstringent things.

10. It is likewise as consonant to experience, that those who usually drink any Wines, not being diluted with Water, or that commonly conclude their Dinners or Suppers with Ban­quets of Sweet-meats, Custards, Chescakes, Creams, and Gelies, do weaken, and in time destroy their Concoction, so as few of them are found to be long livers; because those be­fore-mentioned ma [...]rials containing a fermen­tative [Page 24] Juyce, by raising a Fermentation, do extreamly interrupt and impede the dissolu­tion of Aliments in their Stomachs. Those Fermentations in the Stomach, upon Fermen­tative Edibles, are frequently causes, that pro­duce those flushings in the Face soon after M [...]als, and at other times in many Women, and some Men that have weak Digestions, and contain something in their Stomachs that is Fermentable, against which drinking of Wa­ter, or Water mixt with very little Wine, hath oft proved an effectual remedy.

11. Some that have for several Years been afflicted after Meals with pain and disturbances in their Heads, drowsiness, uneasiness in their Limbs, palpitations, faintnesses, belches, huf­fings up, and tensions in their Hypochonders, and Bellies, have been totally cured of all their turbulent Symptoms, by throwing off all Malt-drinks, and Wine, and gradually using themselves to drink Water, when all o­ther remedies were so far from giving them r [...]lief, that they rather aggravated their com­plaints. But what is more, it hath been ob­served, that Chronical-Coughs of many Years continuance, have been not only remo­ved, but perfectly cured, by exchanging of Malt-drinks and Wine into Water, or in­to Water refresh'd with a little Wine. And those that have travell'd through Germany, and the Low-Countries, might have observed, that the strongest and healthfulest Bodies are found among the Boars, who for their ordinary Drink are scarce acquainted with any thing [Page 25] but Whey, or clear Water, which contribu­ting so much to perfection of digestion, may very reasonably be esteemed the true cause of their Health, Vigour, and long Life. These and many more like instances do force this concession from me, that the choice of Drinks is of greater importance than of Edi­bles. When Fermentative Drinks, as strong Beer, and Wine shall disturb and retard Dige­stion, and cold Water which suppresses Fer­m [...]ntations (as appears in many Hysteric Wo­men, that by drinking a Glass of fair Water, do in a moment turn off a fi [...]) shall in many promote and enliven Digestion, how can it then be thought, that Digestion is caused by the heat of the Stomach, or by Fermenta­tion?

12. Though drinking Water hath on se­veral occasions proved successful to admirati­on, yet particular regard must be had to the Climate, season of the Year, Age, Sex, Cu­stom, and other Circumstances; for should drinking Water be recommended to one, who from his Infancy hath been used to small Beer, and living in a Northern cold Climate, in a rough friezing season, and of a tender Constitution, very unhappy consequences must be expected from such unadvisedness. Wherefore, where change of Drink shall be judged necessary, from the continual use of strong Beer, or Wine, you may descend to small Beer, Barley-Water, clarified Whey, a weak Mead, thin Grewel, or the like.

CHAP. IV. Of the passing of the Chyle into the Guts, and its depuration there.

1 FRom what is here incidently discoursed, I return to a farther explication of the Digesture of the Stomach, where the Victu­als being dissolved, and by continuance of Concoction smoothed, and brought to an e­quation, the Chyle doth then require depura­tion, which is a separation of the thiner and finer parts from the groser and feculent, by a Fermentative juyce, which I suppose to be an Acid, joyn'd to igneous Spirits, by an interme­dium of some glutinous emplastic Particles, as may be discovered in Yest, or Levain. This Fermentation (I will only suppose) happens at the close of the Digestion, and be­gins to rarefie and huff up the Chyle in the Stomach, whereby the lighter and thiner parts become rising and swelling, and gradu­ally work over the Pylorus into the small Guts, the Stomach in the same proportion contra­cting it self into a lesser and shallower com­pass, as it is emptying and growing less full, and distended, by which means the trajecti­on of the Chyle is facilitated, until there is nothing left, but a gross and feculent acid juyce, serving to assist as a dissolvent to digest what may remain more difficult, be it some grisly [Page 27] or sinewy, or other tough hard part of the Victuals, Pye-crust, or any thing else that is more difficult to digest, than what is already wrought over the Pylorus into the small Guts; which being performed, the same acid juyce by its sharpness pricks and stimulates the Fi­bres of the Stomach, (contracting it self into a very narrow Volumn) throws that also, to­gether with what it hath dissolved, over the Pylorus. Whence I do give my self a proba­ble reason, why the latter part of the digesti­on is always acid, and why at that time we are subject to four belches, and how it hap­pens, that the fulness and distention of the Stomach, which most are sensible of at the end of their Meals, doth gradually lessen, and as soon as the sour appears is quite allay'd, and the digestion finish'd. And if I attribute not too much to fancy, I do observe, that ma­ny Persons towards the end of Concoction, do perceive an uneasiness of heat all over, especi­ally in their Faces, extremities of their Hands and Feet, but particularly those that are weak­ly, as Hypochondriacks and Hystericks, who about that time, and a good while after, are subject to have flushings in their Faces, and their symptoms (as faintnesses, palpitations, roaring Winds, &c.) set into motion.

2. Upon the dripping of the Chyle into the small Guts, the Fermentation is considerably augmented, by the meeting with the excre­mentitious Juices from the Glanduls of the Pancreas, and Mesentery, mixt with Gaul from the biliary Vessels, whereby the Chyle is [Page 28] wholly depurated of all its feculencies, which being separated, are term'd excrements of the Belly. That there is such a fermentation in the Guts, appears by the tension and intume­scence of the Belly, in some more, in others less, which may be perceived two, three, or four Hours after Meals, according to the ex­pedition of their digestion, separation, and subsequent fermentation.

3. As I am not very flexible to recede from the general opinion of the Antients and Mo­derns, importing, that the first Concoction is performed, either by vertue of the heat of the Stomach, or by force of Fermentation, as it is asserted by most of the learned, that were cotemporaries with the famous Dr. Wil­lis, and others that do succeed him: Neither am I willing to be thought so criminal, as to be contumatiously guilty of Heresie in Phy­sick, yet its pardonable, if not allowable, to be Shismatical in ones proper opinion, which in all Mankind is free, and not to be compel­led; and therefore I do declare, that nothing but late experiments of no small number, do induce me to retract my former sentiments of this, and many other matters in Medicines, as firmly believing, what I have expressed con­cerning the first Concoction, and Fermenta­tion, as that the Sun is the cause of Day­light; though at the same time its very pos­si [...]le for me to be under a mistake. But whe­ther all this be really true, or only in appear­ance, I am thence provided with the soluti­ons of hundred of difficulties, offering them­selves [Page 29] on those subjects, and the full and plain discovery of the causes of many, if not most Diseases, and what is beyond all, not unsuc­cesfully conducted in the practical part, which to me is a satisfaction beyond what I have met with, either in conversing with Printed Authors, or with Men reputed very learned and experienced in the Faculty.

4. Upon the well beginning depends the well finishing and compleating, the Stomach be­ing the beginning of the whole Body, it is from the true Knowledge of its fabrick, Con­stitution, Action, or Operation, the know­ledge of the Constitution of all the Bowels, their Actions, and Operations of the whole Animal is derived. The Stomach is the only and true tuning part of the whole Body, which being well or ill tuned, causeth a Har­mony, or Discord of all the Bowels. The Stomach being strong and vigorous, perform­ing its Office, or Action, and Operation in perfection, renders the Body Strong, Health­ful, and long Lived; but in proportion, as it is defective in any part of its Office, Diseases in it self, and all other parts of the Body are en­gender'd, answerable to the degree and quality of its defect, and to the dependency all the Bowels have on it; for being the Laboratory of the whole, whatever is ill prepared here, cannot be mended afterwards, by any of the succeeding Bowels, the Chyle being vitious or corrupted, can never be converted into good Blood, nor that into good Animal spi­rits, no more than you can make good But­ter [Page 30] or Cheese out of sower or corrupted Milk. And as most, if not all internal Diseases, (En­demic and Epidemic excepted,) are Original­ly produced in the Stomach, they are like­wise to be cured by the Stomach, internal Re­medies exerting their first and stronger force upon it, the vertues whereof it afterwards transmits to the part Diseased. Neither is it to any purpose, to pretend to cure any in­ternal Disease, without first of all having put the Stomach into good order, which done, most Diseases are ready to go off of them­selves.

5. The Stomach bears an adequate Analogy to the root of a Tree, and may properly e­nough be called the root of a Man; for as the root of a Tree is the beginning of it, re­ceives or draws the juice of the Earth, to pre­pare and convert it into Food for the Trunc, and all the Branches, and being well digested, transmits it to all the parts; in like manner, when the Tree is observed not to be thriving, or the Branches to be decaying, changing of colour, withering, or dying, where do they look for the cause, but at the root of the Tree? Even so is it with the nourishing of the parts of the Body, and the Diseases they are subject unto, in relation to the Sto­mach.

CHAP. V. Describing Medicines to preserve Health, and their Preparations.

BY the deduction from the preceding Dis­course, my Opinion perswades me, that the weakness of the Stomach, and its faintly performing its Office, is only occasioned by the debility of the Stomach Nerves, and its numerous branches, by being plaister'd up by too much Fleam, gross acid dregs, indige­stible Meats, or offensive Drinks, or other matter admitted into the Stomach, which by lodging there too long, assume a corroding Quality; or by too much heat, and too little moisture, are converted into a nidorous cru­dity. This supposed, I do believe, and have experimentally observed, that all those Cor­roboratives of the Stomach, whose vertue is commonly asserted, to consist in a gentle re­strictive and warming Quality, whereby those slimy Humors are more firmly cemented, such as Aromaticum Rosatum, Caryophyllatum, Cin­namon-water, those hot spicy Brandy-waters, a red Tincture of Roses, Methridate, Treacle, all those Compound Electuaries framed of heating Conserves, Condits, and Peptick Pouders, are so far from contributing the least strength to the Stomach, that rather a contrary effect hath ensued, and being long continued, do carry danger with them. The [Page 32] only means I have hitherto found to streng­then the Stomach, are proper abstersive Me­dicines, gently wiping off those clammy sub­stances from the tunics of the Stomach, and the terminations of the Nervous branches, and among these I have not yet detected any thing, equal to a good Elixir Proprietatis, well prepared by a long Digestion in a Sand-bath, the proportion of the Ingredients being some­what altered from the common, and some­thing also substituted in place of the Myrrh: A drop of this shall exceed a pound of Peptick Pouders, Electuaries, and other fop Stomach­icks. Do only keep your Stomach clean, you will certainly preserve its Strength, and pre­vent most Diseases.

2. It is not to be understood, where a heap or weight of crudities is accumulated, so gently absterging a Remedy can have a power to disengage the Stomach, no more than a wet Mop can be supposed to rid a Room of a heap of Rubbish, in which case something more stimulating is required, that may be used in all Seasons of the Year, be it sultry or friezing, without the inconvenience of con­finement to Diet, or warmth of the Air, and without offence to the Stomach, or putting the Body into any disorder, to which purpo­ses, the Pill I here now describe, I have Ex­perimentally found to be effectually answer­ing in most respects.

3. Take one Ounce of the clearest shining Aloes, which at the Druggists will cost about a Groat, or sometimes Six-pence an Ounce, [Page 33] this being free from any considerable dross▪ will not require any depuration. Pouder it in a Mortar, covered over with a brown Pa­per, having a hole in the middle for a passage to the Pestil, to prevent the little pieces of the Aloes from leaping up, while you are in the beginning of your pounding; For afterwards the paper may be removed. Observe to a­noint thinly the bottom of the Mortar and Pestil, with a little Florence Oyl, to keep it from sticking to the bottom. When its redu­ced to a gross Pouder, by gr [...]nding it with the Pestil you must bring it to a smooth fineness. Put the Pouder into a small glazed flat-bot­tom'd earthen Pan, that will contain about half a pint, pouring upon it about a quarter of a pint of fair water, wherein hath been dissolved two drams of Spanish juice of Li­quorish, which is done by slicing it very small, and setting the water in a porringer o­ver a gentle heat; place this small earthen pan into one somewhat bigger, having sand in the bottom to the height of an inch, and afterwards [...]illing it up to the brim. Set them over two piles of bricks, of three or four bricks high, laid flat. The piles must stand at such a distance, that they may reach the edges of the bigger pan, to support it. Then make a moderate fire of Charcoal under it, to heat the sand, to cause the superfluous moisture to be evaporated, until the Aloes is brought to the thickness of Honey. Or you may by dropping two or three drops on the back side of a plate to cool, make trial, whe­ther [Page 34] it be reduced to the consistency of Dow; for if it be overdone, the mass being render'd brickly, will not only lose most of its virtue, but also its aptness of being framed into Pills; and if itbe not evaporated enough, it will be sticky, and not apt to be brought to a Mass.

4. The lesser pan being taken off, when the evaporation is sufficient, before its quite cold, you must with a Spatula, or slice, take out the Mass, and between your Fingers, being a lit­tle anointed with Florence Oyl, or Oyl of Sweet Almonds, to prevent the sticking, rowl it into a round ball, which you may keep in a Sheep's Bladder, being likewise thinly wetted over on the inside with the same Oyl, for many Months, if necessary, without any great impair of its vertue.

5. A small piece of this Mass being form'd into six, seven, eight, or nine little Pills, of the bigness of a Pepper-corn, is a Dose suffi­cient to give two or three motions, accord­ing to the number of Pills, and the loose or Costive Constitution of him that takes them. The safety of this Medicine adds much to its Character, since the taking of one Pill or two more or less, imports as little hazard, as the taking it very oft, or in any kind of Season, be it hot or cold, unless your Body be subject to a Looseness, or the Hemorrhoids, or your Constitution be thin, hot, and dry.

6. By the addition of the juice of Liquorish the Aloes is design'd to be obtused in its too pungitive quality, whereby its apt to raise the [Page 35] Piles, and becomes somewhat less precipita­ting, and consequently hindered from lessen­ing expectoration, which in this Climate is so necessary in Coughs and Pththysicks.

7. The same correction may also be attain­ed, by dissolving the same proportion of clean Aloes, in half a pint of juice expressed from the contusion of an Ounce of Bugloss, or Borrage Roots, or a large handful of their Leaves, and stirring half a pint of warm water with them in the bruising, and clarified by subsi­dence, in letting it stand in a Sellar for a day or two, and pouring it off the Faeces or Dregs in the bottom. This evaporated in the same manner will produce a Mass, almost equal in goodness with the former.

8. I cannot hitherto observe, that the use of these Pills, though frequently taken, either once in a Week, Fortnight, or a Month, ac­cording to the time, the Stomach by reason of its degree of weakness in the digestive fa­culty may require, doth in any wise debili­tate those, that may properly use them; but on the contrary, rather corroborate their Sto­mach, by assisting it to throw off that heap of rubbish, and crude Humours, which those that eat and drink plentifully, and either live sedentary Lives, as many that are Educated to Professions, or others that are not used to exercise or labour, are subject to engender, especially if naturally of a weak Constitution, or of an advanced Age.

9. For three or four days succeeding the use of these Pills, a good Elixir Proprietatis [Page 36] taken Morning and Evening, in a proporti­onable Dose, hath by my Observation ever had the good effect of preserving Health and preventing Diseases.

10. To what I have mentioned touching the advantages of a familiar Acquaintance with those Mundifyers, both the Pills and the Elixir, the inquiry I made of a fresh colour'd vigorous Dutch Burgher, I casually met in my Travels, who exceeded the Age of four score, may in somewise add a confirmation. He did averr to me Bona side, that for 40 Years last past, he had seldom or never omitted once in a fort­night, or sometimes sooner or later, according to the direction he received from his marks of fulness and uneasiness, to cleanse with Seny stewed with Prunes, from which custom he did derive his capacity of eating a hearty Meal of any thing he liked, without advising of the wholesomness, or easiness of Digesture, and at times of drinking a Glass of Wine to an Alti­tude, to accommodate his Friend.

11. As lesser Purgatives do rather contri­bute strength by their consequence, so the greater being properly used, do not carry that danger with them People commonly imagine, since I have known many, that for Three Months successively, have taken strong churlish purging Pills every Morn­ing, some few days only omitted; I may say, some have swallow'd a pottle of strong Purga­tive Pills in a few Years, and lived in full h [...]alth to a remarkable Age, and not without a libertine Mode of eating and drinking. [Page 37] Whence its apparent, that the toughness of the Nerves, upon which the strength and action of the Bowels only depend, doth suffer as lit­tle by the strongest Purgatives, as an India Cane by a thousand times bending, which notwithstanding will recover its former figure and full strength. It were to be wished, that bleeding could be administred with the same safety, of which it may be justly said, that the Lancet hath, and doth in proportion kill more Men than the Sword, and it's as commonly observed, that those Physicians who do so generally practise it, know little else what to do; and on the other hand their Patients are as rash and prodigal of their lives, to submit to their heedless advice. As the first and second bleedings may be of great use to many Bodies and Distempers in the colder Climates, so I have ever remark'd, that the third and fourth have proved as detrimental, and not seldom fatal; having observed, that with two bleedings at most, succeeded with other proper remedies, incomparatively more continual Feavers, Rheumatisms, Pleurisies, and Phthysicks have been cured; then have survived those frequently reiterated bleedings, which in common Practice usually give the parting blow.

12. Its a consequence an Ideot inserts, be­cause a Person having been blooded eight or ten times in a great Distemper, doth recover his Health, he owes the benefit of it to the bleedings, whereas it ought rather to be said, neither the Distemper nor bleeding could kill him.

[Page 38]13. To return from this Deviation to the use of Purgatives; tho those that are strong, are required in great Diseases, they ought to be avoided in lesser Distempers, or where pre­vention is only intended; for all Purgatives deriving their power from a specifick fermen­tative Spirit, or Salt, by rarefying or huffing up morbisick Humours, and afterwards by stimulating the Nerves to throw them off af­ter separation, when strong ones are taken, where no Disease is engender'd, they are apt to cause one by fermening, or rarefying and stimulating the laudable juices or operating upon those dormant humours, which by strength of Nature, or assistance of mild pre­venting Purgatives, and abstersive Corrobora­tives, might easily have been worn off. Thus it hath oft been observed, that some by taking Extractum Rudij, have soon after fallen into continual Fevers; others through a preventing care to avert the Gout, have immediately fal­len into a violent fit, upon taking Elixir Sa­lutis, Bromfield's Pills, Golden Spirit of Scurvy Grass, or the like empirical Medicines, which is not all the mischief such sort of Purgative vendibles have occasioned, as being unskilfully invented, and more unskilfully prepared, since not a few have been thrown into mortal Diseases by the use of them. Yet I stand more amazed at the folly of Mankind, that is so easily allu­red by vain boasting and mendacious Enco­mia's upon Laudanum liquidum plainly prepa­red, or disguised by a solution of Opium into volatile oleaginous drops, to the frequent and [Page 39] constant use whereof, a Man being once debauch'd under pretence of ease, and quiet­ing himself of a few Gripes, Fumes, or Va­pours, he can no more leave it off for a Fort­night, a Week, or a Day, than a labourer his Bread and Chese, or a Man throw off his Coat and Wastcoat in a hard Winter, or a Brandy-Drinker forsake his Spirits and return to small Beer. Using ones self to such plain or disguised Opiates, is like making a contract with the Devil, to live easie and well for a few Years, upon condition he shall have his Soul to torture afterwards: For certain it is, that the familiar use of Opiates, after some Months, or very few Years, either doth whol­ly desist from being friendly, by suffering your trouble or Distemper to return in a more hor­rible manner, or create a new one, incom­parably worse than the former, or strangles you with an Apoplexy, or some other sopo­rous Distemper, which is most amply proved by those, that make Opium their Sacred Refuge in every fit of the Cholick, Gout, or Stone, who seldom or never fail of a speedy Exit, by some incurable Disease of the Brain, in very few Years; and those that do advise such a lethi­ferous remedy for a common use to their Pa­tients, have a greater title to a Halter, labell'd with an Inscription of Mathews's Pills, or Pa­cifick Drops, than those that murther a Man in the High-way. In what manner those fits of Gout, Stone, Cholick, and other sharp tor­turing Gripes, appear to me to be occasioned, [Page 40] and by what causes, I shall give my opinion af­ter this following interlocution.

14. I have in the preceding Discourse gi­ven you my sentiment, that to preserve Health, and prevent Diseases in valetudinary Consti­tutions, (for strong vigorous Bodies stand in no need of other preservatives, or preven­tives, than moderation in their Non-naturals, the knowledge and sense whereof, Nature hath implanted in all other Animals, as well as in Men,) no better ways and means can be used, than applying at certain intervals, to those cleansers or abstersives here before men­tioned; as for Aurum Potabile, or any preten­ded Lapis Philosophorum, or all Faber's Quin­tessences, upon their just trials, they have been found to contain less vertue in preserving Health, than a good Chicken Broth.

15. You may remember a caution was gi­ven in one of the foregoing Paragraphs, in­terdicting all Aloetics to thin, hot, and dry Bodies, and such also as are subject to the Hemorrhoids; and in regard that such Con­stitutions, especially when promoted in Years, do also require the keeping the Stomach clean, and free from all slimy and nidorous crudities, I do recommend a good Lenitive Electuary, not the common, which is so ill contrived, and fill [...]d with rubbish. This fol­lowing description gives you the form of an easie, gentle, and effectual Laxative. Take four ounces of the best Cassia Fistularis newly drawn, and evaporated to a consistency, (the manner of doing it you may read in a Trea­tise, [Page 41] called the Family Physician and House Apo­thecary,) Rhubarb pouder'd, white Me­choacan grated and pouder'd, and clean Rhe­nish Tartar pouder'd, of each a quarter of an Ounce, sweet Fennil-Seeds pouder'd, a Dram and half, Syrup of Marsh-mallows, as much as will suffice to make it into an Electuary. You may take hereof a quarter, or half an Ounce, or sometimes a whole Ounce, dissolved in a quarter of a pint of thin grewel, barley-water, posset, or thin Chicken-broth, once in a Week, Fortnight, or a Month, according to the di­rection given concerning the Aloetics.

16. Rhenish Tartar I do prefer for a Laxa­tive, far before Cream of Tartar, which doth lose all or a great part of its solutive vertue in the preparation.

CHAP. VI. Causes of the Stone, Gout, Cholick, Pleu­risies, Rheumatisms, Apoplexy, &c. Assign'd from a different Hypothesis.

1. TOuching the causes of those pains, which are felt to be the [...]cutest and most ex­quisite of any by them, that suffer the Stone, Gout, Cholick, and sharp dry gripes; certain sharp subtil serositie, or rather a vitiated lymph discharged from the Brain through the Nerves on the extremities, being there lock'd up, cause those corroding Gout-pains, upon those sensi­ble nervous parts, though sometimes serosi­ties, [Page 42] and lymphatic fluors, dripping from o­ther vessels, may cause great pains, but less sharp, and being more subject to be incrassated, may cause swellings near the Joynts. The same subtil nervous serosities, or vitiated Lympha, being thrown upon the Kidneys, tare and vellicate their most sensible membranes to such a degree, that scarce any torture can equal it, and that sometimes, though seldom, without the least suppression of Urine, but for the most part with a total, or partial suppression, and a great sharpness of Urine, which is then cal­led a Fit; the pain which at other times the Stone in the Kidneys doth occasion, being only a heavy obtuse pain of a long continu­ance, and more frequent returns, which at great intervals, as Spring and Fall, doth in­vite those cutting serosities to the part, and then also are the greatest Fits; for I cannot conceive that the Stone turning angular, and grating upon the Membranes, is so general a cause of a Fit of the Stone, as many of the Learned do imagine, since a Stone once re­moved out of its bed or seat, whereto its ce­mented by a glutinous tartarous slime, can easily, if ever return to its place, and be there fastned again as before, for which reason Phy­sicians are very cautious of administring strong Diuretics, for fear of driving the Stone out of its place. Neither do I believe, that those bloody Urines, which are so frequently made by Nephitical Patients, are caused by the corners of the Stone being moved, and [...]ounding or grating of the Veins, but are ra­ther [Page 43] caused by a sharp Serum corroding the mouths of the vessels, or blood may be squeezed out of the vessels by the internal swelling of the Parenchyma of the Kidneys. It doth oft hap­pen, that some of those forementioned most sub­til limpid serosities have taken another channel, through branches of the same Nerve, that tends to the Kidneys, being divaricated and inserted into the great gut of the Colon, where they cause that great pain, (though less acute than the other, that part being by much less sensi­ble, than the internal membrane of the Kid­neys,) which is termed the Stone-Cholick. Since then this acute pain in the great Gut cannot be caused by the Stone, at that di­stance, its more than probable, that those most exquisite pains in a sit must be occasioned by some other cause, which by many Arguments to me can be no other, than the foresaid se­rosity. Secondly, you must consider also, that all Opiates being inwardly taken, perform their Operation by exerting their power up­on the Brain, in principio nervorum, in with­holding the influx of the Animal Spirits, (that communicate sense to the Guts,) and streight­ning the Nerves, whereby pains are not only appeased in any singular part, but in all parts equally, supposing they were all in pain. Thirdly, you are to conceive, that there being a digestion perform'd in the Brain, in con­verting the Arterial Blood into Animal Spirits, there must be a solution, and afterwards a se­paration and expulsion of Excrements, which in part are a limpid serum, that is abandon'd [Page 44] to the ventricles of the Brain, which are the proper receptacles of that Excrement, as much as the thick Guts are of the Excrement of the Chyle, or the Bladder of the Urine, being the Excrement of the Blood. Fourthly, this con­cession is also required, that this most subtil sharp excrementitious serosity, having quite filled up the ventricles of the Brain in a grea­ter measure, than they can well contain, or throw off through those passages Nature hath ordained, the thinnest part is forced into the principium nervorum, (the other part being received into the Veins and Lymphae-ducts) and carried either to the Extremities, or Kidneys, where it causeth the Gout or Stone, or to the Teeth, where it occasioneth a most exquisite Tooth-ache, or several external parts or joints, producing those violent pains, that are termed a Rheumatism, or to the Pleura, where those shri [...]king Pleuratic pains do en­sue. Summarily I do believe, there scarce happens any pain, (unless caused from with­out,) Tumor, or Pustul, where this nervous Excrement is not a principal cause, which may be more plainly explained in another place.

2. Against this Discourse may be objected, That the Nerves obtaining no visible hollow­ness, cannot be supposed, to transmit such a quantity of Limpid Serum, as must be con­ceived to cause those before recited Diseases. Secondly, That its uncommon, and not na­tural, [...]or any sort of vessels in the Body, that are destinated to contain, and convey their [Page 45] natural and proper Liquors, Juices, or Hu­mors, toconveigh any other that is excrementiti­ous, or praeternatural. To the first its answered, there must necessarily be proportionable ca­vities in the Nerves, to contain such great measures of Juices, as have been frequently observed to drip from Nerves, though small ones, that have been cut through in Wounds, and much more from great Nerves; and therefore those larger Nerves near the Brain must be thought capable to contain a very copious quantity of moisture. If the Nerves when cut out of the Body and Dead, do not shew any visible cavities, it is because being emptied of their Spirits, and a great part of their moisture, their pores and channels do subside and fall to a close compactness. Be­sides a Nerve that is cut out, and grown from a greater bigness to that of an ordinary pack­thread, when its dried and condensed, its re­duced to the smallness of a fine Thred or Fibre, which when it was tumid within the Body, and fully extended, must necessarily have contained a great hollowness, though divided into innumerable very small or mi­nutest passages. In answer to the Second, it hath been more than once observed, that purulent matter from Imposthumations in the Lungs, and Pleura, hath been evacuated through the Kidneys and Bladder by Urine, whither it hath been circularly conveyed by the veins, that have taken it up. The thin­ner part of the Turpentine, that by Glyster hath been injected into the great Guts, hath [Page 46] been taken in by the vessels, and by circulation carried to the Kidneys and Bladder, as ap­pears by the Urine, giving by its strong smell of Violets a plain evidence of it. True it is, these instances are not natural conveyances, neither is it to be understood so of the Nerves, but to be preternatural.

3. This premised, if you apprehend this Hypothesis to be only probable or apparent, (which I do believe to be Truth, though at the same time I must own, that I do retract from my former Opinions, being thereunto induced by sundry Experiments and Obser­vations) it must necessarily follow, that Opi­ates frequently used, do at length not only with-hold, but intirely stop the afflux of the Animal Spirits, and closely shut up the be­ginning of the Nerves, whereby those acute serosities are pent in, and thrown back into the medullar substance of the Brain, which hapning an Apoplexy, Palsie, Lethargy, or some other Mortal soporous Disease must un­avoidably succeed; and hence it is, that in all those, who expire upon their seisure with those Distempers, the anterior Ventricles of the Brain upon dissection, do ever appear filled with such a sort of acrimonious limpid sero­sity, the Nerves and other vessels being either too much filled, or too much closed by subsi­dence, obstruction, or otherwise, to admit of a regurgitation thence.

4. Notwithstanding though the daily, week­ly, or frequent use of Opiates is most certain­ly attended with most pernicious consequen­ces, [Page 47] yet the extraordinary and stupendious benefit it imports, even very oft to the reco­vering a Man from the jaws of Death, when cautiously and necessarily advised in a fit of intollerable pain, a profuse Hemorrhage, an impetuous Catarrh, violent Vomitting, a flud­ding Diarrhaea, long and strenuous Hysterick Fits, when they begin to threaten danger, want of Sleep for many Days and Nights, and such like urgent symptoms, may give a just cause to hold a correspondency with that or the like Medicine, provided it be not too fa­miliar, and be very well prepared, and that in the interval you prevent the necessity of cal­ling this dissembling pacisick Friend in again, by removing the cause of those hazardous Diseases, and that the Patient have Strength, and Spirits enough to wrastle with such a fal­lacious and dangerous Guest, should he prove too rude. Wherefore I account it the greatest boldness in so many little Quacks and empi­ricks, even some Widwives, and Nurses also, who being intirely destitute of the necessary skill in preparing this ruffian Juice, and much more of the true knowledge of applying it, dare assume the confidence of administring it so indifferently to the loss of so many Lives, who in my Judgment can scarce have too se­vere a Law made against them, especially where a Man may be Murder'd privately, without giving the least jealousie, that any thing else besides his Distemper killed him.

CHAP. VII. Hypotheses of the motion of the Heart▪ and of Respiration.

1. I Have for a long time with an implicite Obedience submitted to the Dogmata of the Ancients, confirm'd by the approbation of the Learned succeeding Ages, as appears in former writings, touching the Animal Spi­rits and Pulsation, which latter in the Heart and Arteries is by them resolved, to be cau­sed by a pulsifick faculty in both, or as some will have it, originally in the Heart, and from thence derived or continued in the Ar­teries. This sort of explication now appears to me very negligent, and universally appli­cable to any thing; for to say the pulsation is caused by a pulsifick faculty, is equally to saying, that Sight, Hearing, Vomiting, or Purging, is perform'd by an Optick, Audito­ry, Emetic, or Cathartic faculty; or, to be shorter and more general, by a specifick or occult faculty; from which any inquisitive person can receive but little satisfaction, or scarce make a solution of any Phaenomenon, with the least advantage to the practical part of Physick. Wherefore to make my marks bear the better, in resolving many doubtful Queries, and serving for a true and safer con­duct in the practick, I do rather make choice to say, (in imitation of Copernicus's affirming [Page 49] the motion of the Earth to the exclusion of that of the Sun or Firmament,) that the Heart and the Arteries do not move the Vital or Ar­terial Blood, but that the Blood moves the Heart and Arteries to a pulsation; in the same manner as may be conceived, that the Air pressing and silling the Lungs, at the same time press the Air, that fills the inter­stice between them and the Diaphragm, and in a great measure moves the latter to a dila­tation in the Inspiration, lifting up at the same time the Belly with all the included Bowels, and crowding or condensing the ambient Air, the weight whereof (if I may so call it,) or its inclination to be relaxt again, (in indeavouring to return to its former po­sition,) together with the fuliginous steems, that are forced out of the whole circumfe­rence of the Body, in their turn cause the retraction or repercussion of the Belly and di­aphragm, in the Expiration; for its a plain and received Doctrine, that the motion of the Diaphragm, which is accounted a great instrument in Respiration, is as much natural, and more natural I may say, than it is spon­taneous in Beasts and Infants, or voluntary in Men; and I do farther conceive, if there were no Diaphragm created in Men and Beasts, the ambient Air is sufficient, to set the wheels of the Lungs on going: For there are abundance of moving living Creatures or Animals, that have Lungs, and do inspire and expire, on which Nature hath not bestowed a Diaphragm. So that the great use of the [Page 50] Diaphragm seems to me, to be an instrument of expulsion, in causing, or chiefly assisting to exonerate the Guts of its Excrements by Stools, the Stomach of its offensive contents by Vomit, and the Lungs by Coughing. It may be likewise compared to a Flabellum, or Fan, that [...]oves and ventilates all the inter­nal Air contained in the great cavities of the Body. The motion of this internal Air, I do conceive, is as much assistent to the motion of the Spirits and Blood in the Arteries, Veins, and Nerves, and to the peristaltic motion of the Stomach, as the Air and Wind is to the mo­tion of the Sea, which latter the greater it is, the higher the Waves are moved. Secondly, Natural Philosophy doth Teach us, That as much Air as is inspired and admitted into the Body by the Lungs, so much Air must n [...]c [...]ssarily be forced out of the Body, to make way for its entrance, which plainly tells us, that the inspiration by the Lungs is the cause of an universal transpiration through the whole Body, and that the same ambient Air being lately squeezed out of the Lungs, must necessarily by expiration return into the Body again, through the ambient pores, to make way for that, or else you must allow a vacuum, or void place in the Air, which is impossible, for a place (locus vocatur, quia continet locat [...]) is that which containeth and circumscribe [...] something, and how can a place then contain nothing, which is a va­cuum? Thirdly, I take the Diaphragm to consist of two Muscles, which appears plain [Page 51] enough in the dissection and narrow inspecti­on of a Bullocks Midrif, whereof one is made use of in the dilatation, and the other in the contraction of the Breast; for its ab­surd, to believe, that the same muscle can perform two contrary motions.

That no living Creature can subsist without the Air, and perspiration, is allowed by all, but for what Reason, or what use or benefit the Air doth afford it, is only slightly as­serted, viz. That it is for ventilation only, that is to say, it gently fans and moves the living Spirits, and therein assists them in sepa­rating Fuliginous, and other Heterogeneous little Bodies or Particles, which otherwise would choak, or suffocate the said living Spi­rits. In the same manner I do conceive, That the Air in ventilating the focal Fire, or any burning flame, doth assist its most subtil parti­cles in separating and expelling fuliginous and other corpuscles, and rec [...]ives them also in those places, which it (I mean the Air) leaves to fill the places, left by the said fuliginous and other corpuscles; so that a Fire or flame seems to be extinguish'd, or rather suffocated, through want of Air, because it hath no places to de­pose its fuliginous and other corpuscles into, and stands in need of its assistance for ventila­tion and gentle motion.

From this premised Discourse, I deduce these consequences to my self. 1. That upon the goodness of the Air (which consists in a just temperament, a due thinness, and clear­ness or purity) depends chiefly the Health [Page 52] and long life of Man. Too much heat, or too great thinness of the Air moves the Ani­mal Spirits too impetuously, and consequent­ly disperses and consumes them, weakens the Body, and hinders all Digestions; whence it is, that people are short lived, and weakly in the Indies, long lived and strong in the Nor­thern Climates. Frequently and gently mov­ing, and oft changing the Air from one place to another, though only out of one room in­to another, seems to me to conduce very much to Health, because by those frequent removes you avoid inspiring the same fuligi­nous Air, which you do expire; on the other hand, they that live sedentary Lives, that are slothful, or much addicted to lie in Bed, are seldom Healthful, but commonly crazy, and dull in their senses.

2. If change of Air generally is of so great an Advantage, it is far greater, and conse­quently of necessity to those, that labour un­der any Distemper of the Lungs, or any kind of difficulty of breathing; so that I have ob­served, that many cannot be cured without change of Air, notwithstanding the assistance of the best and most proper Applications, which sometimes the Air alone doth Cure, and other times being assist [...]d with very small Remedies.

3. That using oft violent motion, and con­tinued long, doth at last render the Body Dis­eased, and is very contrary to Health; for its observed, few of those are long livers.

4. I am apt to believe, That in the Air are contained most subtil corpuscl [...]s, that are ho­mogeneous [Page 53] to the Spirits, (though in some kinds of Air more, in some others less,) t [...]at nourish or multiply, increase, or are added to the Animal Spirits, whereby the Body is con­siderably strengthned. Lastly, I do believe, That the Air is the Primum movens externum of all living Creatures; for by inspiration it moves all the Animal Spirits, (as after my manner I have shewed before) which move all the humours and muscles of the Body. Take away the Air, and Life (which consists in motion of the Animal Spirits,) ceases at the very moment.

CHAP. VIII. Of the motion of the Blood, and the cause thereof, also of its quickness or slowness.

1. I Return to the Heart, which to me ap­pears for use, like unto a draining Wa­ter-Mill, serving to throw off, and disperse the water to any parts, whither the Wheelshall cast, or direct it by its impulse; in like manner the Heart is an instrument, whose principal Office is, to throw the Arterial Blood to all parts of the Body; And as the spirituous and for­cible eruption of Water out of a deep cavern of the Earth at the source of spring head, to­gether with its being highest in scituation, (in respect of the declination of those places, to and over which its impelled,) is the cause of that motion, so the Brain may very probably [Page 54] be esteem'd the Source, as being the highest scituated; whence the Animal Spirits do for­cibly rush out into all the Chanals, Humors, and Parts of the Body. Wherefore, I sup­pose the Brain and it [...] Animal Spirits, in re­spect of the Microcosm, to be what the Sun and its Spirits, or Particles (being its Irradi­ations or Beams) are, that are distributed to all parts of the Terraqueous Globe, where motion is perceiv'd, penetrating to the deep­est bottom of the Waters, and through the closest and most compact heap of Earth, into its Bowels, where Metals and other subterraneous Bodies are engender'd. In like manner do the Animal Spirits penetrate, from the high­est part of the the Body to the extremest parts, as Toes and Fingers, which the sense of Feel­ing doth attest to us; and likewise to the deepest parts of the Bowels. I do not imagin, that the Animal Spirits being transmitted through the Nerves, must arrive to the ex­tremities of them, before they can be dispers'd to all the circumjacent parts; but that the Nerves are pervious throughout all their ex­tent, with lateral Pores, or minute Chanals, through which they burst out in their descent, giving motion to all parts moveable. Neither do I believe there are any Vital or Natural Spirits, (as they are commonly term'd) but they are all Anim [...]l Spirits (though in a greater Proportion in the Arteri [...]s than the Veins,) that occasion the Blood to circulate; for to me it appears improbable, that the motion in the Art [...]ri [...]l Blood, should cause the Blood in [Page 55] the Veins to move at so great a distance from the Heart, when necessarily their motion must be spent at the Capillars, if the force of mo­tion in the Arteries, be by experience found to be less and less, in proportion of its greater distance from the Heart. But that the same mo­tion of the Arteries, should cause the motion of the Animal Spirits, seems to me much more ab­surd; for the Animal Spirits being incompa­ratively more subtil, and infinitely stronger and more forcible (as appears by moving all the Joints together with the whole Body) can in no manner be conceiv'd to be moved by Vi­tal Spirits, that are much more gross, and of so little force, that they cannot make the least impulse upon them. If these Maxims be true, that Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessi­tatem; And In omni genere oportet ut sit quid­dam primum, Principium numeri est unum, & omnes numeri consistunt ex uno, (or if I may so say) DIVERSIS UNIS; The Brain doth justly challenge the dignity of being the first and sole principal part of the whole Body, having an absolute Empire and Command over all other parts, performing by its Animal Spirits all the Motions, Functions, Actions and Offices of, and in every Bowel, Humor, and all other subservient Parts, which are only Instruments that modify and determine the said Spirits. This whole premis'd Discourse is plainly pro­ved to me, by this sole Argument. The whole body of Man is created for the exter­nal Senses, and local Motion, and these for the internal, viz. Understanding, comprehend­ing [Page 56] humane or rational Imagination, com­mon Sense and Memory, which are only th [...]ee distinct Acts of one sole and chief Fa­culty of Understanding; of which, the Brain is the Seat, and the Animal Spirits the Instru­mental Cause; so consequently all the Parts of the Body must be created, to be subser­vient to the Brain and its Animal Spirits, Se­condly, That the Animal Spirits do move the Arterial Blood, and the Heart, is clearly evinc'd by the Observation of Passions. The Sight, or Hearing, perceiving any dangerous Object, conveys it to the understanding Fa­culty in the Brain; which, by retracting its Animal Spirits, do at the next instant, cause a slow languid motion upon the Blood, Heart, and sometimes wholly stop it. On the other hand, upon perceiving a pleasing Object, a crowd of Animal Spirits are impell'd into the Blood, which immediately occasions a quicker and more lively motion in the Blood, Heart and Arteries, as may be felt by their pulsati­on: Whence it appears, 1. That the Seat of Passions is in the Brain, and not the Heart. 2. That the Animal Spirits are perfused thro' all the Arterial, and consequently Venal Blood. 3. That nothing in the Body, doth move so swift as the Animal Spirits. 4. That the whole Body is pervious with Pores, and most subtle Chanals, of various Figures and Dimensions. Mercury by external unction, or sumigation, is let into the Body, through the ambient ex­t [...]rnal Pores, even to the Bowels, and the Brain it self, though applied never so remote. [Page 57] Aloes by friction about the Navil, or any part of the Belly, passeth through the Pores to all the circumvestient Membranes and Muscles, until it arrives to the Guts, where it moves Stools, kills and expess Worms. Tobacco applied to the Wrist, by penetrating through the exter­nal Pores to the Vessels, Humours and Spirits, by circulation reaches the Stomach, pro­voking it afterwards to Vomit, and in some Bodies violently enough. Cantharides exter­nally applied commonly cause sharpness of Urine, and sometimes bloody. Opiated Un­guents, though applied to the Soles of the Feet, soon reach the Brain. On the other hand, I have oft observ'd the scent of some Medicines, which I us'd to give in Venereal Distempers, to pass through the Body to the external Skin, which always prov'd a certain sign the Patient would be cur'd. By all which it appears, that those foremention'd Exter­nals were impell'd through the ambient Pores, by the Air lately expir'd, and crouding into the Body again, at the next inspiration, and that those Antivenereal Medicines, were dri­ven out of the Body to the circumferential parts, by the Air expiring. 5. That the Heart is not a principal part of the Body, but an in­strumental and subservient part. 6. That the Animal Spirits are Toti in toto, & toti in qua­libet parte, performing, as I said before, chiefly and principally, as the sole primar efficient Causes in all the Body, and in every part thereof, all the Offices, Functions and Acti­ons, except the Rational; wherein its only [Page 58] Instrumentally subservient to the Anima Rati­onalis. I must confess, that this Paragraph is not very Philosophically express'd, neither am I endu'd with Sense enough to defend it from all Obj [...]ctions, and seeming absurdities, and therefore, ought rather to be referr'd to Me­taphysicks, or a Cred [...]ndum. 7. It also fol­lows, that we need give no greater respect to Cordials, then to Hepatics, Pulmonics, Sple­netics, or to any other appropriated Medi­cines; but the chiefest and principal Medi­cine ought to be reputed a Cephalic, so that instead of saying per Excellentiam, this or that is a Cordial, we ought to say, its a Cephalic; for all those that are commonly call'd Cordi­als, are no other than true Cephalics, and no otherwise helpful, than by relieving the Ani­mal Spirits, and comforting the Brain and Nerves. Moreover, all the Hypochondriac and Hysteric Symptoms, as Palpitations of the Heart, various Pulsations, sometimes slow, quick, low, or intermittent, Faintnesses, Swoonings, faint Sweats, Convulsions, swim­ming in the Head, (Vertigo) choakings in the Throat, sti [...]fled, difficult, oppressed, and insensible low Breathings, frequent Sighing, tottering weakness of the Joints, desponding sorrowful thoughts, Urine som [...]times as clear and limpid as fair Water, othertimes white, turbid and muddy, sometimes high colour'd, othertimes pale; Gripings, croaking and thundering Noises about the Bowels and Guts, Vomiting, and sharp continuating Pains at the Stomach, Belchings, Yawnings, Dimness, [Page 59] and recurring darkness of Sight, (Scotomia) noise in the Ears, creepings between the Skin, Crying or Laughing, or maddish Passions, besides many more, are all Symptoms of a diseased Brain and Nerves, preternaturally a [...]fected, discompos'd or vitiated Animal Spi­rits, and are reliev'd no otherwise, than by Medicines, that relieve and operate upon the Animal Spirits, and immediately by them up­on the Brains and Sinews; such are chiefly oleaginous volatil Spirits, and more especially those that consist of a penetrating durable Sul­phur; for if they are only Volatil Spirits, (tho' in that form they are experimented to be very helpful) they exert, lose, and spend their Virtue before they can arrive to the Brain; and there­fore its necessary they should be oleaginous and sulphurous, and consequently more last­ing. It is also found experimentally, that gentle Narcotics have a great influence, in suddenly suppressing all those recited Symp­toms; which being universally owned to ope­rate only upon the Animal Spirits, Brain and Nerves, is a manifest Argument, they are oc­casion'd by an ill affected Brain, and Vitious Animal Spirits. All these prenumerated Symp­toms do accompany a preternaturally affect­ed Brain. and must be acknowledg'd to pro­ceed from vitious Animal Spirits, viz. Con­vulsions, tottering weakness of the Joints, sorrowful Thoughts, dimness of Sight, noise in the Ears, &c. excepting Palpitations, in­tercurrent and various Pulsations, which can­not be thought a Primar, but a Secondary [Page 60] (per deuteropathiam) Affection of the Heart, occasion'd through the Vitiousness of the Ani­mal Spirits, stimulating, or othertimes retard­ing the Fibres of the Ventricles, and Valves of the Heart in their motion. How and by what means the Animal Spirits may be vi­tiated, either by the ill mixture of the con­stituent parts of the blood, and its impurities, and commixtures with adventitious, or other noxious Particles, will take up more room to explain, than I purpose to allow here in this small Volumn, which otherwise may easily be render'd intelligible, or applicable by every Judicious Reader in Physick, and therefore I shall forbear any further Discourse about it. 8. To corroborate my Assertion in the pre­ceding Paragraph, viz. that Cordials ought ra­ther to be call'd Cephalics, may be plainly dedu­ced from the sudden Relief, Patients in Swoon­ings and Faintnesses do receive, fromthe scents of Spirits of Sal Armoniac, of Hartshorn, Cra­nium humanum, Sanguis humanus, of Galbanum, Assa foetida, and the like; also from the fricti­on of the Temples, with the thinner spiritu­ous Oyl of Amber, which being admitted in­to the branches of the Carotidal Arteries, are convey'd to all the parts of the Brain, where they rouze up, quicken and stimulate the Animal Spirits, and disintangle them from any adhering offensive Particles, whereby the Pati­ent being suddenly revived out of his Faintness, and Swooning, and the inordinate pulsation of the Heart reduced, is a manifest proof, that these Symptoms commonly are not depending [Page 61] upon any Primar Affection of the Heart, but upon the disturbance of the Animal Spirits. 9. Many have been much puzzl'd in some doubtful Matters relating to Infants in the Womb; as, Whether in that Station they have Respiration, and whether their Heart and Arteries have Pulsation; and consequent­ly, whether the Blood in the Infant doth circulate, and whether the Animal Spirits exercise the same Functions which they do after it is come out of the Womb. I do conceive, the Infant, as long as it continues in the Womb, doth only live the Life of a Plant, and is like to a Sucker that receives its Growth from the Tree, in receiving its Nu­ment and Augmentation from the Mother: it hath no Respiration, or as little as can be imagin'd; and consequently, that its Heart and Arteries do not undergo any Pulsation; neither doth the Blood circulate in its Vessels, nor do the Animal Spirits perform those Fun­ctions they are intended for after the Birth of the Infant. The Parts of the Infant in the Womb lying so compact and close, and every place fill'd up with Humours, Excrements and Internal Air, there is no room left to ad­mit Air from without; especially being in­closed by two thick Members, and a surround­ing Moat of Serous Humours: It being the External Air forcing into the Lungs is the chief Cause of Inspiration and Expiration, as I have expressed before that being excluded, there can be no Respiration in the Infant in the Womb. What I have to say concerning [Page 62] the Manner and Causes of Pulsation, may be best understood by a Comparison to the Sea; which (tho' it be in the calmest Season) is subject to heave up and sink down, or to be dilated and contracted, as appears by its Waves, which is not unlike the Pulsation or Diastole (Dilatation,) and Systole (Contraction) of the Heart and Arteries. The Heaving up of the Sea I will only suppose to be caused by an Expansion and Rarefaction occasion'd by the Motion of the Salin Spirits of the Sea, of which it may be thought very pregnant by the strong Smell (being a parte objecti the Sa­lin Spirits acting upon or vibrating the Olfa­ctive Organ) of Sea-men's Clothes, and other things. The Air being crouded or conden­sed by the swelling of the Waves, forces, them down again by the Inclination it hath to recover its former place: In the same man­ner I do conceive that the Animal Spirits that are copiously perfused through the Arterial Blood do expand, dilate and raresie it, which causeth the Diastole or Dilatation in the Heart and Arteries, whereby the Air that is enter'd by Inspiration into the Lungs and all other Ambient Parts of the Body, and filling all the Pores that are capable to receive it, is con­densed and crouded; they relaxing, beat back the Sides of the Heart and Arteries, which be­ing streighten'd, have an Inclination to return, and then occasion the Systole, or Contraction. The fore-mention'd Comparison differs in this, that the Arteries are moved continually, in Contraction and Dilatation, throughout their [Page 63] whole Length, reciprocally, all at once; whereas the Sea is moved into innumerable discontinuated Waves, that are lifted up and fall again at opposite and different times; while one Wave rises, the other falls. To which I can only answer, Were the Sea coated about with a thick strong Coat, as the Arteries in proportion are, all the Parts of the Sea, or the whole Surface, would be uniformly heaved up at one and the same time, and fall in the same Order, as the Arterial Blood doth in Pulsation.

2. This Hypothesis (how probable soever, or true seemingly, it may be, I will not dis­cuss at this time) implying the Necessity of Admission of External Air to cause Pulsations, explains that the Heart and Arteries of the In­fant in the Womb do not pulsate regularly, or orderly; neither do I doubt but that the Animal Spirits do in some wise move the Blood, (which else by Stagnation, would be subject to Putrefaction,) tho' not circulate. And here a Question may be moved, Whether the Blood in its Circulation, or passing out of the Extremities of the Arteries, into those of the Veins, is pressed out by the Rarefaction and Expansion of the Arterial Blood by the Animal Spirits in the Diastole; whereby ta­king up more room, and as it were overflow­ing, it is squeez'd out; or whether it is forced out by the Vigour of the Animal Spirits, and the Compression of the Arteries in the Systole? But then another Question must follow; How, and by what Force, is the Blood mo­ved [Page 64] in the Veins, where there is no sensible or manifest Pulsation? For to say that 'tis the Force of Pulsation doth move it out of the Extremities of the Arteries, into the Extremi­ties of the Veins, through the fibrous, inter­curring, most minute Passages, or Pores, by Pulsation, or rather Protrusion: or thrusting forward, must run us into great Difficulties, if not Absurdities. For, First, Considering that the Force of Pulsation or Protrusion must be extreamly abated in the aforesaid Extremi­ties of the Arteries, and more in the Intercur­ring Passages, and yet more in the Extremities of the Veins, which suppose in the Toes, can you rationally imagine, that the Force of Pul­sation, that is so very much diminish'd, if not wholly extinguish'd, can be sufficient to force and thrust forward through so great a Length (as reaches to so far a distance as the Heart) so great and weighty a Mass of Blood, which it must by Process encounter with in the big­ger Veins, besides the Resistance it must meet with in the several Meanders, Turnings and Windings, and a great many Valves (making a great Resistance) of the said Veins, that will still yet more deaden the Force of Protrusion; and yet more, if the Body by streightness of Clothes, or lying upon one Side, suffer a Com­pression and Narrowness in the Veins and Ar­teries? Secondly, Suppose the left Ventricle, when fill'd, to contain two Ounces, more or less, of Blood (according to the Opinion of some Anatomists) in a Heart of a mean Size; and that, according to the same Opinion, by [Page 65] every Systole the said two Ounces are with a violent Explosion, as if it were with a Spring, thrown into the Arteries, it must follow, that by every Pulsation so much is receiv'd and impell'd into the Veins, which being desti­tute of a forcible Pulsation to return it to the Heart, cannot possibly in the same length of time discharge it; especially, the Blood being now grown more condensed, incrassated, more fibrous, less spirituous, and possibly from a lower to a higher place, and through all the Valves, which as I said before, make a very considerable resistance. If then the Vein [...] can not receive so much Blood, as is thought to be propuls [...]d by two Ounces at a time, by every Systole, when probably they cannot receive a Dram or two at most, at every Sy­stole, what must become of the remaining fourteen or fifteen Drams, that is by every Pulsation thrown out of the Heart? Abating so much Arterial Blood as is ta­ken up in the nourishment of the parts, and in the supply of matter for ani­mal Spirits. It must either return, and regurgitate into the Heart, upon which, either an intermittent Pulse must follow, or a total stagnation, and conse­quently Death. In short, to make the Veins capable of receiving as much, as by Pulsation is thrown out of the Arteries, you must grant as rapid a motion or flowing in the Veins, as there is in the Arteries, which all that have the least sense must deny; for the Blood in [...]n Arteriotomia doth spurt out of the Arteries with ten times the force, and in ten times the quantity, in the same proportion of time, and consequently is moved ten times swifter. It must then follow, that in every Diastole the [Page 66] Ventricles of the Heart are either not quite fil­led, or not entirely emptied in every Systole, which I do verily believe is so. By what is here discoursed, it appears, that very oft the cause of an intermittent Pulse is the incapa­city of the Veins, by being obstructed in some place or other, to receive the proportion of what is thrown into them by the Arteries; and the cause of an universal stagnation may be thought too great a repletion in the Veins, wholly excluding the reception of any Blood from the Arteries.

3. Should it be allow'd, that the Heart by every Systole throws two Ounces of Blood (which some do assert the left Ventricle to be capable of containing) into the Veins, and that they receive it; then it will follow, that reckoning only 500 Pulsations in a quarter of an Hour, there must be circulated fifty Quarts; and consequently, that the whole Mass of Blood, or all the Blood that is in a moderate Man's Body (which is thought to contain from Eight Quarts to Twelve, according to the greater or lesser quantity of the fullest, or thinnest of Men, being in Health, must be circulated or moved round from the Heart through the Arteries into the V [...]ins, and thence into the Heart again in three or four Minutes, and about a Pint every [...]ighth part of a Minute, which must require a motion more rapid, and make a greater noise, than the Th [...]mes under London-Bridge. Such a career in the Blood must be suppo­sed to make more way in fewer Weeks, than [Page 67] the Sea and Wind together do, in carrying a Ship to the East Indies in many Months. Besides, such a violent motion would not on­ly burst the Veins, and break the Fibres of the Blood, but chern it into Red Butter, and Blue Butter-Milk. Moreover, motion causing heat, such a violence would immediately put the coldest Icelander into a burning Fever. It is observ'd, that the too violent and quick motion in a continual Fever, makes a separation in the Blood of the Oyly sulphurous parts, swim­ming on the serous.

4. That the Ventricles of the Heart are not fill'd by every Diastole, nor quite emptied by every Systole, appears plainly in Hypochon­driacs, and Hysterics, who sometimes having a large, high and quick Diastole, (as may be felt by feeling the Pulse of the Wrist) and a low, streight, and slow Systole, shews that the taking in, must be more than the going out. Soon after the Diastole is chang'd from large to low, small and slow, and the Systole quick, which signifies a lesser repletion of the Ven­tricles, and consequently, that they were not fill'd as before. What can you think of a ver­micular Pulse? Here you must allow, that the Ventricles are far from being filled in the Diastole, or emptied in the Systole. I do fore­see, that it may be reply'd, that notwithstand­ing the Pulses do vary from large and full, to narrow and small, the Ventricl [...]s may be sil­led, because in those narrow, low Pulses, the sides of the Ventricl [...]s do fall, and then conse­quently may be fill'd accordingly▪ That is to [Page 68] say, the Fibres of the Heart are relaxed, and so the Ventricles must fall into a narrower compass, like unto a Bag that's empty, for want of something to sill it; but then, still its a Sign they have a capacity of being fill'd, which they are not by every Diastole, as I have shew'd before.

5. From this premis'd discourse it must ne­cessarily follow, that the inslux of the Blood into the Ventricles, is the cause of silling them more or less, according to the propor­tion of the Blood flowing in, and conse­quently to that, that its the Blood moves the Heart by rarefaction and stimulation, accor­ding to the proportion of quantity, and quality of the Animal Spirits its repleted with. If the Blood be thick and gross, for want of Animal Spirits to rarifie and move it, the Di­ast [...]le must nec [...]ssarily be slow and low, be­cause the Blood through its thickness, cannot enter in any great quantity, nor stimulate; if it be thin, much rarified, and full of good Animal Spirits, the Diastole must be large and high, and if very stimulating, quick. So that the variation of tunes of all the Pulses must be caused, in my opinion, by the quantity and quality of the Animal Spirits, and the Blood; and the causes of stagnation, intermission of Pulses, and several other affections of Pulses, of Apoplexi [...]s, and abundance of other diffi­culties can [...]ot so readily be assigned, and rea­sons giv [...]n thereof, but by supposing only (though it w [...]re really otherwise) that the in­s [...]e of the [...]lood is the moving cause of Pul­sation, [Page 69] and not the Heart; which notwith­standing all Objections, whereof in the next Paragraph I shall recite the chief of them, I do believe to be true.

6. That a Muscle is the cause of motion, its vulgar definition, or rather description doth imply, viz. A Muscle is [...]n Instrument of voluntary motion, which seems to overthrow, what is by me asserted for a supposition, on which the proceeding Discourse of the cause of Pulsation doth depend; and consequently that the Heart being a Muscle, must be the cause of the motion of the Blood. To which I do answer, That the Heart cannot properly be term'd a Muscle, because its motion is not voluntary, as must be own'd by all, but Na­tural, and if so, must be moved by an Intrin­sick (in relation to the Heart) moving cause, which can be no other than the Blood and the Animal Spirits, wherewith its repleted: for Quicquid movetur, movetur ab alio. True it is, the fabrick of the Heart is very like to a Muscle, I should rather say to a two fold Muscle; whose Fibres consis [...]ing of two diffe­rent Orders, Positions, Figures and dissemin­ations, do both meet in the Con [...], exactly re­sembling a two-fold Tendon, so that one Muscle seems form'd for dilatation, or open­ing to admit the Blood, and the other for contraction, or shutting out, or disp [...]o [...]ing of the Blood, both these analogical [...]uscles receiving their Animal Spirits from a branch of the sixth pair.

[Page 70]7. Touching the motion of the Blood in the Veins, which to me appears, cannot be caused by pulsion of the Arterial Blood, as being moved incomparatively slower, by rea­son of its consisting of thicker and grosser parts, and fewer Animal Spirits, and being much hinder'd by the Valves, breaking the force of its mo [...]ion, which said motion I do suppose, is caused by rarefaction of the Blood, through the continual and forcible agitation of the Animal Spirits, by which means it's squeesed or pressed forward; and further­more, I am apt to think, that there is a kind of pulsation in the Veins, but so weak and low, that it's scarce perceptible. It is like­wise my opinion, that the local motion of all the Humours, whether natural or preter-na­tural, or excrementitious, is caused by rare­faction. Before I leave this Subject, I think my self oblig'd to let you know, I am not so forgetful, as not to remember, that in some former Writings, I have set down some Opi­nions much different, and others contrary to these I have now declar'd, being missed by commonly receiv'd Sentiments of the Learn­ [...]d, and now (as I do believe, for I shall fearce be ever positive in any thing) better in­ [...]orm'd by many Experiments.

CHAP. IX. Of Celebrated Remedies against Con­sumptions.

1. FOR the present I have detain'd the Reader long enough in Theoretics, I will now make bold to offer some Observa­tions on the Practick, the Vanity whereof in many particulars, appears to me very extra­vagant: And in regard I would avoid being troublesom, I shall only make choice of those Diseases, that are most universal, and begin with Consumptions, I mean such as are occasi­on'd, by an Hectick Fever, and attended with a chronical putrid Cough; namely, such as is caus'd by a putrid slime, and some­times accompanied with an Ulcer in the Lungs, known by its purulent expectorati­ons. I will not undertake here to enter into a discourse of its Causes, and Indications, that are to be drawn thence, but only recite such Remedies, to which many do attribute great Virtues, and make appear, how vain, fruit­less and deceitful they are. By the way let me tell you, there are many consumptions, that may properly be so call'd, that are neither occasioned nor accompanied with an Ulcer in the Lungs, but sometimes in the Bronchia, other­times in the Aspera Arteria, and sometimes with no Ulcer at all, but very oft with an ulc [...]rous [Page 72] putrid slime only. Passing by the gentle Pur­gatives, as Cassia, Rhubarb, &c. that may be nec [...]ssary in the beginning, and sometimes in the Progress; I shall only examin the Reme­dies, that are so highly recommended against Ul [...]ers in the Lungs, and ulcerous Coughs of Consumptions.

2. Syrup of Turnips is a very celebrated Re­medy here in England, and no where else; which after it had been used by many in pro­po [...]tionable quantities, at seasonable times for three Month successively, they have notwith­standi [...]g all its Praises, gone off, without the l [...]ast aba [...]me [...]t of their Coughs, or improve­ment in their habit of Body. Neither can I any ways discover, wh [...]nce those pretended V [...]tu [...]s should proce [...]d, or in what part of the Turnip its wonderful strength doth lye. Its apparent enough, that the expressed boyl'd Juice is wat [...]rish and windy, not nourishing, nor ab [...]ersive, neither hath it such a cooling quality, as to have the least prevalence in a­bating the [...]ctic Fever; so that I do look upon it to be a foolish vain Medicine. True it is, that the Sugar in it may seem to allay the s [...]lin [...]ime, smooth; and lenify the Gullet, which upon t [...]is occasion is [...]ver very rough, and so in s [...]m [...] measure seem to case that part for a li [...]l [...] [...]ime; but after it hath been some li [...]tle time in the Stom [...]ch, turns into a very s [...]r, [...]ie [...]ging, and almost corroding moi­s [...]ure, which allowing a [...]ter some considerable time it doth arrive to the Lungs and Wind­pipe, must under those qualifications render [Page 73] the said Parts more rough, and rather pro­voke, than in the least abate the Cough.

3. But Ground Ivy, alias Ale-hoof, alias un­der several other Names, is the Catholicon of the Vulgar, and of many Physicians also, who appropriate it to the Eyes, Kidnies, Blad­der, Lungs, and to the cure of internal and external Ulcers, proclaiming it the chief of all Vulneraries. These singular commenda­tions do incourage many to use it in all their ordinary Drink; some for to cure and pre­serve their Eye-sight, others against the Stone, Gravel, Hypochondriac Vapours; and in Consumptions supposed to be caused by an Ulcer in the Lungs, it is entertain'd for a None-such. Quercetan the Armenian gives you his word, that with the Juice of it boil'd into a Syrup with Sugar of Roses and penid Sugar, mix'd with Flowers of Brimstone into a Lohoch, he hath recovered many desperate Consumptives, who either in my opinion, were not in a proper Consumption; or Chy­mist like, boasted of what he never observ'd. All those eminent qualities of this Ground-Ivy, are supposed to flow from a diuretic and abstersive Virtue, as most Traumaticks are thought to do their feats by. But where this subtil Spirit, or bitter Salt is to be found, I am yet to seek. I have sundry times advis'd it to Consumptives, to be used sometimes singly in a Syrup, other times join'd to Bugle, Speed­wel, Sanicle, St. Iohnswort Flowers, China root, (and sometimes S [...]rsaparila) Dates and Liquo­rish boil'd to a good strong Decoction, to be [Page 74] sweetn'd with Sugar of Roses, and taken at Horis Medicis; besides a smaller Decoction made with the addition of a few fresh Ingre­dients, to be drunk at other times. This though used ten or twelve Weeks successive­ly, with a good Barly Broath and Milk Por­rage Diet, I have observ'd to be as ineffectual, and unsuccesful, as all of the other celebrated Rem [...]dies I shall hereafter write. True it is, that many youthful, or otherwise strong Bo­dies, that have been molested with a long strenuous Couch, copious and foul Expecto­rations, so as a sensible wasting of the Flesh and other parts hath ensu'd, have been resto­red to Health, upon taking Pectoral Syrups, and Decoctions made after the forementioned Model, whence to those Remedies the Titles of Infallible and Sovereign have been attributed, whereas the Disease was not accompanied with an Ulcer in the Lungs, or an Hectic Fe­ver, but remov'd by spareness of Diet, and possibly change of Air, so that not the least advantages have been derived from these Pect­orals, but rather a detriment, If you will with me believe, that all Sugars and sugared Medi­cines turn sour in the Stomach, and assume a sharp fretting, and sometimes corroding qua­lity. Is it not a dayly Observation, that ma­ny Persons of the best Quality laboring under a Consumption, whose Fortunes do enable them to be assisted by a Chorus of Physicians, performing their utmost endeavours, by pre­scribing all the noted Pectorals, maugre all their useless efforts, are forced to yield to the [Page 75] fury of their Distempers? However, take no­tice that I do not offer this sort of discourse, to discourage any Consumptive from applying to a Physitian; for considering, one so Disea­sed is under a Sentence of death, and to conti­nue so, is to dye every Day, every Week and every Month, which is more terrible than a Pessilential F [...]ver, whereof a Man dieth but once, the advising with a Physician, who shall give you hopes every Day, Week and Month, of r [...]covering of you, will whol­ly ab [...]t [...] v [...]ur terror, until the very fatal Mo­ment yo [...] leave him, and he leaves you.

4. St. Iohns-wort in its Flowers, under the notion that it's one of the chiefest Tranmatics, having by infusion in Water, Mead, or Small-Ale, and a little boi [...]ing towards the latter end, impregnated either of these Liquors with its Vir [...]ues, and with Sugar, or rather Honey seduc'd into a Syrup, is by many approved very soveraign to Consumptives; the truth whereof can be best attested, by several that have used it several Weeks to no purpose.

5. Among all the decant [...]d Remedies against Consumptions, I find Physicians have a great respect for Sugar of Roses, and for being a kin to that, for Conserve of Roses; of which for­mer, it is the report of Avicem, that a certain Woman, who was in a desperate Consumpti­on, was not only recover'd by it, but made fat thereby; add hereunto a concurring testi­mony of Mesues, that many have been cured by it of Consumptions, that being no less recom­mended to them than the latter, viz. Con­serve [Page 76] of Roses by Montanus, Valleriola, and Fo­restus, who pretend abundance to have been cur [...]d by using vast quantities of it; and Ri­verius tells you likewise, that he knew an A­pothecary, that was cur'd of a Consumption, only by almost continually eating Sugar of Ro­ses. On the other hand I am well assur'd, that most practising Physicians, if they are pleas'd to speak the Truth, can tell you, they have known hundreds of Consumptives, that have used it in gross quantities, without the least benefit; as for my own particula [...], I am so far from believing, that any Consumptive, to whom at any time I have advis'd it, upon the credit of the forementioned Authors, have receiv'd any advantage, that they rather were render'd much worse by it: And my Opini­on further is, scarce any thing is more un­wholsom than Sugar, whose greatest use is to please the Palates of Women and Children, and to preserve Fruits and Herbs from cor­rupting. It cannot be denied, but that eating much Sugar destroys the Appetite, by raising fermentations and ebullitions, which extream­ly annoy Digestion; sometimes causes loose­nesses, Fevers, ill habits of Body, &c. and is no ways P [...]ctoral.

6. Of all Sweets, nothing is more Pectoral than Eng [...]sh Liquorish, and its Juice; and if it be tru [...], that most Countries afford a native Rem [...]dy for Endemick Diseases, they are sub­ject to breed, Liquorish may very well be ac­counted as such in Coughs, and those Disea­ses of the Breast.

[Page 77]7. We are then to consider the Sugar in the Conserve, and Sugar of Roses, to be intend­ed only as a preserver to the Flowers, and their Juice; and therefore the principal Vir­tue must reside in the Juice; and how far that is Pectoral, or abstersive to the Ulcers in the Lungs, I cannot well apprehend, especi­ally if it be said to be drying, binding, stop­ping, restringent, and consolidating, which most certainly are qualifications contrary to smoothing or absterging; for what is bind­ing and rough, must cement, thicken, de­tain, bind and fasten the putrid matter in the Lungs, and entirely hinder and stop up the Expectoration, either of purulent matter, or putrid slime. So that I cannot conceive those Authors recommended those Rosie Remedies against Ulcerous Consumptions, but only against such asthey supposed to be occasion­ed by a Catarrh from the Brain of thin salin Rheumsupon the Lungs, which the drying and constrictive quality of the Roses might thicke­en, and by straigthning the passages, put a stop to the Catarrh. That humours falling upon the Lungs do cause a Cough, cannot be appre­hended; for being without sense, and ha­ving no Nerves disseminated through them, are not capable of being stimulated into a Cough; so that what ever is conceiv'd to oc­casion a Cough, must be something anoy­ing and stimulating of the Bronchia, or Lung­pipes. Neither is it probable, there can be any Catarrh fall from the Brain, that being shut up as close as a Box by its Membranes, [Page 78] and bones of the Cranium. Wherefore those Rheums can only be thought to drip out of the Glandules of the Throat, and Aspera Arte­ria, upon which those astringent Medicines do seem to have an Influence.

9. Certain it is, that such saline Rheuma­tick Constitutions are very subject to be ex­tremely emaciated, against which its no won­der, if a Diet of Asses, or other Wheyish Milk, together with their Hordeata, and A­mygdalata, Snail waters, Decoction of Snails, Lobsters, and yellow Saunders, proved such auxiliary Remedies; though I can never be­lieve these Hordeata, Amygdalata, Waters, or Decoctions of Earth Worms, Snails, Claws of Lobsters, (whereby as Cardan doth write, he hath cured many desperate Consump­tions, to whom being more an Italian Ro­mantick Astrologer, than a Physician, little credit can be given.) Syrup of Comfry, of Milfoil, Bugle, and the like, they being all thickners, ever cured the least Ulcer in the Lungs.

10. Much less can I believe, that ever E­rastus, Fracastorius, and other Italian subtle fourbs ever cur'd so many Consumptives (as they pretend more out of a d [...]coy to allure Patients, than a real Truth) with a Decocti­on of Guaiacum, who probably were macera­t [...]d by a Pocky Consumption, which is so E­pidemick among them, and no less endemick, being the place of its Nativity.

11. Some are so void of Sense, to approve of Spirits of Sulphur, or Vitriel, given in four [Page 79] or five drops, in a small Glass full of Plantain or Rose-water.

12. The Narcotick Thickning and Empla­stick Powder of Hali Abbas, consisting of the Seeds of white Poppy, Cucomber, Melon, Citrul, Quince, Gourd, Porcelane, and Mal­lows, Gum-arabick, Tragant, Starch, burnt Ivory, Juice of Liquorish, Penid. Sugar, is a meer heap of Rubbish, by which V [...]lascus de Taranta and Forestus do each affirm, to have cured a single Patient of a proper Con­sumption; but ought not to be credited, that probably being only an Emaciation from such a Catarrh of a saline Rheum, as is before mentioned; notwithstanding this Powder is still in great esteem among many Physitians, who never yet observ'd their Patients receiv'd any great benefit by it.

13. An Elixir Proprietatis tartarised, and so prepared, as to be very little bitter, and not laxative, used in a Decoction of Mallows or marsh Mallows in Whey, Mead, or very small Ale, is a Medicine far more commendable than any yet proposed. But the most pro­per Remedy I could hitherto yet discover, is a subtil penetrating Balsamic Tincture, taken in a true pectoral Decoction for a month, or six weeks.

14. As for Asses-Milk, it is rather a medi­cinal Diet, than a proper Remedy; and, as I said before, by diluting and nourishing is helpful to salin emaciated Bodies, and to ul­cerous Consumptives also, though if it ever singly cured one such, it hath fail'd a thousand times in others.

[Page 80]15. Sulphur, though indued with an extra­ordinary Virtue against all internal and exter­nal Ulcers, is not to be understood as such, being exhibited in substance, whether in Flowers or otherwise, but ought to be dissol­ved and open'd by a proper Menstruum.

16. Before I conclude this Chapter, I can scarce pass by an Observation upon some deceit­ful Empirics, who after Patients have La­bour'd a long time under a proper Consump­tion, and a tedious fruitless cure of Physicians, have found a way to let themselves in by a specious Promise, accompanied with a large Declaration of bombast Words, that they shall be Cur'd in 6 or 8 Days, by only administring some common pectoral Julep or Apozem, pro­portionably enforc'd with Diacodium, or Lau­danum Liquidum, by which, on a sudden pro­curing rest, abating the Cough by suppressing Expectoration, and through those Narcoticks putting a stop to the violent motion of the Animal Spirits, (into which they are irrita­ted by the pungent purulent, or putrid slimy matter adhering to the Bronchia, or sides of the Asp [...]ra Arteria; for according to what I have observed before, the Anim [...]l Spirits are the sole causes of all motion in the Humors) the Patient hath seemingly b [...]en wond [...]rfully recover'd, and f [...]lt himself at a great deal of ease, though in eff [...]ct, this way of proceed­ing did considerably hast [...]n his Death, (by locking up the matter) which though hap­ [...]ing so suddenly, the Empirick notwith­standing, finds a way to get great reputation [Page 81] by it, only by telling the standers by, that they may plainly observe by the great Bene­fit the Patient received in so little time before his death, that had he been called sooner, in all probability, as they may judge themselves, he might have cured him. Among the rest of those Quacks, I knew one, that by many was called the Consumption-Doctor, who did confess to me, that his usual Medicine was what follows. He took of Penny-royal-water and Scabious-water, of each half a pint, therein he dissolved of Oxymel Simplex (and sometimes Oxymel scilliticum) four Ounces, and as much of Diacodium, which made a thick Julep, or a thin Syrup; hereof he would cause the Patient to take four or five Spoonfuls three or four times in a day. This was the same Person, and the same Medicine, by which he pretended to have Cured one Captain O Brian of a Consumption, which at that time made a great noise, and was taken notice of by his Majesty King Charle [...], as the Treatice, which was written upon it, men­tions; though at the same time, you are not to conceive this Patient to be otherwise trou­bled, then with a long chronical Cough, oc­casioned by Debauches; being without an hectic Fever, nor having his Lungs toucht in any sort, of which, and his Leanness, he was rather recovered by the continuance of a Milk-Diet, and his detainure from Brandy [...] and other strong Liquors, which had caused this Distemper, though the giving seasonable Rest to his Animal Spirits by the said Narco­tic [Page 82] did also in some measure contribute to it.

17. Air being the life of the Lungs, a Con­sumption cannot be hoped to be protracted, or palliated, much less cured, without ex­changing from a worse to a better, which is most agreeable in a dry, gravelly, stony or sandy Soil; not low, because subject to damps, nor high and mountainous, because exposed to sharp Winds, that are more offensive to the Lungs than Damps, Vapours or Fogs; nei­ther can the Air of any place situate West­ward of any great River, Bog, Marsh, Pond, or Moat, be healthful, because the Damps, Vapours or Fogs, that are raised by a Setting-Sun, continue all night, and are not discussed before the Sun-rising the next day.

18. I am fully convinced, that Consumpti­ons in youthful Bodies, strong before their Illness, not being very much depraved in their Bowels by a foul ill habit of Blood, and other Juices (cacochymia) are curable, if un­dertaken six Weeks, or a month, at least, be­fore their expected end, and opposed by pro­per Remedies given frequently, and in large Doses; for I have oft observed, that many Medicines have failed in their expected effects by being under-dosed.

19. As for Issues made in the Neck, or Arms, they can bring no relief, in respect of clean­sing the Ulcer in the Lungs, or correcting of the putrid Slyme, neither can External Fumi­gations signify much.

CHAP. X. Of continual, putrid and malignant Fevers.

1. LOnger Experience hath induced me to recede from my former Opinions in continual putrid, and malignant, I may say, in all sorts of Fevers, where the Blood tend­ing to a dissolution of the mixture (I ought not to say subversion of the Crasis, or tem­perament, being less intelligible) of its con­stituent parts, namely of its most subtil parts, which are the Animal Spirits from the less subtil, and grosser, or of its sulphurous from the mercurial, and saline parts, may properly be termed Putrefaction, which is not necessary, or constantly observed, to be attended with a stink, as appears in a Gangrene of any part of the Body, that is sel­dom or never accompanied with a stink; though a Corruption, sphacelus, or Mortifica­tion, always is. By this separation the most subtil parts, or Animal Spirits running to­gether, and being accumulated in greater heaps, do move much more impetuously, whereby the said mixture is more and more dissolved every minute. By this acceleration of Motion the natural Heat (whereof Local motion is the sole cause, as appears by attri­tion, or rubbing any thing for a long time together causes a Heat; or by the quick and [Page 84] violent motion of Spirits of Vitriol, being a [...] ­fu [...]ed upon Steel, raising a great heat, i [...] augmented into a greater and preternatural heat, so that the preternatural heat follow­ing the dissolution of the mixture, cannot be thought to be the cause (which must pre­cede the effect) but a consequent Symptom, and effect of a putrid Fever, whose Essence therefore cannot be said to consist in a pre­ternatural Heat, or can it so be [...]efin [...]d. Moreover, there are some Fevers, where­in no preternatural Heat, quick Pulse, or high-colour'd Urin is perceived, as appears in many malignant Fevers, where the mix­ture of the Blood is dissolved by a sudden extinguishing, or mortifying the Animal Spi­rits by venomous Particles commonly admit­ted from without, or sometimes bred within the Body, which confirms, that a Fever is not a preternatural Heat first kindled in the Heart, whereas its oft kindled in other parts: As for Instance, when an Inflammation of any Bowel, as Lungs, Liver, &c. or where any great pain is raised, there the Heat is first kindled, and thence communicated to the Heart, and all the pa [...]ts of the Body: That there is such a dissolution in the Blood, is e­vident by the Blood, that is drawn off by bleeding in putrid Fevers, the parts being plainly separated one from the other. So that advising all the Coolers you can ima­gine, be it Snow-water, Frog-spawn-water, the coldest Spring-water, Whey, sowr Butter-Milk, or Juleps made of Succory, Edive, [Page 85] Water-lilly, or any other Waters, though inforced with Spirit of Vitriol, Sulphur, Nitre, or Salt, and a Solution of Sal prunella, they avail so little in Fevers, that they are gene­rally found to increase them in all the Symp­toms, as the preternatural Heat, high and quick Pulse, deep-colour'd Urin, and the rest are sensibly raised to a much higher pitch. Neither doth Bleeding in the least contribute to the abatement of a Fever by cooling per fe, but by some other way per accidens, as I shall endeavour to explain here­after. That Physicians have most of em, if not all, wholly abandoned prescribing such sort of cooling Juleps, as being rather de­trimental, and content themselves with ad­vising small clear Posset, thin Gruel, &c. is an Argument, that putrid Fevers are not pre­ternatural heats, nor are they not primarily caus'd by them.

2. That the Circulation of the Blood in putrid Fevers is too quick, and the Blood too much rarefied, by the too quick motion of the Animal Spirits, is very apparent, and therefore lessening the Blood by bleeding, must also lessen the Circular motion, and diminish the Animal Spirits; which being re­duced to a moderate measure, as may be done by one bleeding or two, is as much as can be expected from that remedy; the Spi­rits being thereby render'd more free, and the Vessels more Capacious, are put into a State of performing their Office with more ease, in throwing off heterogeneous, and very [Page 86] offensive particles, that are got into the Blood, either from without, or bred in the Body. But should you proceed to a Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bleeding, you will draw off so many Animal Spirits, that the remainder must be insufficient to perform their aforesaid Office, wherein the cure of a Fever doth consist; and should you tap off all, or most part of the Blood in the Body, as I fear too many do, and have done out of Igno­rance or Stubbornness, the Fever would and must still continue proportionably in the same Vigour and Degree; so that this way of pro­ceeding, must sooner kill the Patient than the Fever. As for Malignant Fevers, the most Sanguinary Physician will scarce Adventure beyond a single bleeding, which the more judicious think to be one too many.

3. Glysters, gentle purgatives, and Laxatives, also mild Vomits, used sometimes in the be­ginning are not look'd upon a Remedies per se, and directly opposite to Fevers, but only help­ful per accidens, in removing excrementitious Humors, that otherwise might annoy the Spi­rits, and deteriorate the Fever: Neither can E­pispastick or Blistering Plasters be thought to be otherwise advantageous, than by stimu­lating the Animal Spirits, (upon which as I intimated formerly, they seem to Operate peculiarly) to throw off those heterogeneous and febril particles; for I cannot conceive, any are so wanting of Judgment, as to think, that the cause of the putrid, or Malignant F [...]ve [...] is in the Serum, whereof part is con­tain'd [Page 87] in those Bladders or blisters, the Can­tharides have occasioned.

4. It remains then, that the whole Stress in curing continual, putrid, and Malignant Fevers, is by most of our modern Physicians, laid upon such Compounds, as are call'd Cor­dial and Alexipharmacal Waters, Powders, and Electuaries, also some Chymical Preparati­ons, as Antimonium, Diaphoreticum, Bezoar­ticum, Minerale, Spiritus cornu cervi, Spiritus fuliginis, &c.

5. The chief of those Cordial Alexiphamacal Waters now most in use, are Aqua Theriacalis, Aqua Prothericacalis, (perhaps the better of the two, as consisting of fewer Ingredients,) Aqua Epidemica, &c. The Electuaries are Theri­aca Andromachi (which is accounted more temperate than Mithridate.) Theriaca Londi­neusis, and Diascordium. The compound alex­ipharmacal Pouders are usually compiled out of some testaceous Pouders, as pulvis echelis cancrorum compositus, and others of Crabs-eyes and Claws, Perl, Oriental Bezoar, burnt Harts­horn, and sometimes mixt with Radix Carli­na, Contrajerva, Serpentaria virginiana (which are the chief) Dictamnum Creticum, Angelica, &c. By these, and the like, as the Goastone, pulvis Pannonicus ruber, its supposed the Heart is much strengthned, and the Animal Spirits encreased, and propoked to throw out the materia febrilis by sweat; so that they do esteem Diaphoretics to be the only true and adequate Remedies, against all continual Fe­vers, as the Physicians of the Southern parts do only acknowledge Bleedings.

[Page 88]5. We are to observe, that the Animal Spi­rits are continually employed, from the be­ginning of a continual Fever to the declina­tion, in subduing the Materia febrilis, which is commonly termed a Digestion, or Conco­ction; at the Declination they apply them­selves to the separation, and expulsion of the said febril matter, which in these colder Cli­mates is more frequently by Sweat and Urin, and sometimes by Stool, Hemorrhage, Im­posthumations, or some few otherways.

6. If then the chief scope is to throw off and expel the febril matter by sweat, three things ought to be considered. 1. Whether Diaphor [...]tics ought to be used before the Declination of a Fever, at which time only they appear to be helpful in assisting Nature to throw off; for it must be own'd by all experienced Practicers, that the causa febrilis, be its vitious humours, heterogeneous parti­cles, or what other offensive matter they are please to allow, must be first subdued, or di­gested, and separated, before it can be ex­pelled by Sweat; and therefore should you exhibite the largest Doses of Diaphoretics, that Nature can possibly bear, and second them by loading the Patient with a number of Bed-cloaths, he will scarcely be brought to sweating; and if peradventure he should happen to be forced into a Sweat in the be­ginning, augment, or state of the Fever, it must be to a very great detriment, by diver­ting the Spirits from their necessary task, and squeezing the serum from the Humours, where­by [Page 89] they are thickned and hardned, which ought rather to be diluted at those Seasons. Moreover by putting so great a force upon the Spirits, they must necessarily be much divided, dissipated and inflamed. Secondly, whether Sudorificks given in moderate Do­ses, so as to be insufficient to provoke Swear, do not assist the Spirits by increasing them, (I mean, such as contain some vinous Spi­rits, as Epidemic, as Treacle-water) and put­ting them into a gentle agitation, whereby the febril matter may be subued, or digested. Vox Medicorum doth proclaim they do, and therefore they are prescribed by them from the beginning to the ending of Fevers, in no greater measures, than what nature seems to require. For my own particular, I can scarce believe, that those Spirits are, or can be render'd homogeneous to the Animal Spirits (whatever they are when a Man is in health) being now under a great disorder, and disturbance; and as for the other subtil particles, that are supposed to be in the In­gredients of the said Alexipharmacal-waters; how far they are conducing in subduing the febril matter, can best be prov'd by the suc­cess, ten dying under the use of them, to one that recovers, whose Recovery may rather be attributed to the strength of Nature, a due regimen in his Diet, and do­ing him no hurt by improper Remedies. Thirdly, supposing fictitiously, that Diapho­retics were proper, the uncertainty of their Operation would often occasion a failure of [Page 90] the effect that is expected from them. Pur­gatives and Vomitories seldom or never fail in their operations, if justly dosed: But Su­dorificks and Diureti [...]s very oft, though administred in great quantities. Many quar­terns of Plague-water have been drunk for pleasure at one time by several that are in health, without the least sweat following up­on it: And as many diuretic Juleps have been swallowed by Nephritics, who have not made a drop of Urin the more after them.

7. Wherefore I do much suspect, that there is scarce any Remedy used, that may be true­ly termed an Antifebril; though there are a great many that are in common use, and yet not commonly known, or acknowledged to he such, which, if well Dosed, and oft exhi­bited in proper Seasons, may evidently and sensibly be di [...]covered by any heedful Physi­cian, to subdue the febril matter, though but slowly, and therefore ought to be began to be given very early, and continued. Besides these, there are o [...]her Medicines, which in four and twenty hours do abate all the com­mon Symptoms in a continual and malignant Fever, though even these, if applied too late, the Spirits being then almost wholly [...]ubdued, and the febril matter increased, and render'd indigestible, may fail in their per­formances. As for the Peruvian Bark, I have [...]veral times attentively observed, that the continual Fever being under very promising circ [...]msta [...]ces, hath upon the use of it chan­ged sensibly into worse Symptoms in six or [Page 91] twelve hours, so that no means afterwards could be applied capable to retrieve that Error.

8. Narcotics are seldom forgotten in this Distemper, especially where so seeming a re­lief is perceiv'd on a sudden, in the sudden suspension of its Symptoms, by detaining or holding fast of the Animal Spirits from Ope­rating upon the Febril matter, that causeth these Symptoms, which soon return with a greater fury, upon the letting loose of the said Spirits, by the dissipation of the Force of the Hypnotic Medicine. This seeming alle­viation doth oft incourage the Physician to a continuated use of Dormitives, throughout the whole course of the Fever, the benefit whereof is experienced, not only to consist in a longer delay of death, but also in a more certain consequence of it. Notwith­standing this great abuse doth not remove the necessary, seasonable and seldom use of Narcotics, when and where urgent Symp­toms may require them.

CHAP. XI. Of the Stone.

1. THAT the Urin is saturated with Sal Armoniac, its distillation doth plainly confirm to us, and that the serum of the Blood where of the Urin doth consist must first contain the same, or else the latter could not receive it; for nihil dare potest quod non habet, and consequently that the whole Mass is thorowly replenish'd with it, doth also appear from the distillation of Human Blood, which yields a plain Spirit of Sal armoniac, little or nothing at all different from the o­ther. That Sal armoniac is the most tough Salt of all others, cannot be disputed by those, that have pounded common Salt, Sal gem­mae, nitri, or any other Salt, in a mortar, these being the most friably and brittle, and consequently the less unfit singly to be coa­gul [...]ted into a Stone, whereas Sal armoniac being so tough and tenacious, especially being mixt with crude slimy mucous dregs, that remain after the imperfection of the Dige­stion in the Stomach, together with some sabulous Matter of the Blood, I do con­ceive may easily be coagulated together by a vitious, limpid gle [...]t dripping out of the Nerves (as I have already mention'd in one of the preceding Chapters) that are dissemi­nated through, and are terminated in the par [...]nchyma, and membranes of the Kidneys. [Page 93] So that the pretending that Slime-adhering to the Kidneys, or its inward membrane, [...]s baked into a Stone by a preternatural heat of the Kidneys, like unto Clay baked in a Kill into a brick by the extream heat of a fire, seems a Jest to me, since it cannot be ima­gined, that any heat of that degree is ever felt by any nephritick Patient, or, if possible, could it be endured by him. Moreover their pale Complexions, pale Urin, sluggish­ness, infrequent Urination, or making of Water, are all indications of Coldness; add hereunto, that Chrystal is generally found, and probably bred in the Snow; Rocks, Flints, and other Stones in the Bowels of the Earth, where no degree of Heat was ever per­ceiv'd. Wherefore what ever extraordinary or preternatural Heat may be felt by Nephri­ticks about their Loins or Kidneys, is com­monly caus'd by Gravel, Stone, or some o­ther obstructing matter, occasioning pain and consequently heat.

2. In what part soever this Urinous Salt, or Sal Armoniac is found, (through want of being separated and expelled by the Kidneys) be it in the Gutts, Urinary-Bladder, Gall-Bladder, Liver, Spleen, Brain, Stomach, Lungs, in the fleshly part of the Tongue, and of the Kidneys themselves, also about the Joints, though as remote as the extremities of the Fingers, there Stones may be, and have been engender'd, as is attested by a multitude of Authors. Some of these parts being allow'd by most Physicians to be of a cold Tempera­ment, [Page 94] as the Brain, Guts, Bladder, &c. is a second Argument, that plainly evinces, the Stone is not engender'd efficiently by Heat, though it may sometimes very considerably conduce to it. But to say, there is a Litho­poetic Faculty, or an innate calculous and fabulous constitution in the Kidneys, as is asserted by so great an Author, as Fernelius, seems to me very idle; as if he would infer, that none were subject to the Gravel and Stone▪ but such as deriv'd hereditarily a fabu­lous, and calculous disposition of Kidneysfrom their Parents: What satisfaction there is in the Word Lithopoetic, I cannot well apprehend.

3. Before I recede from this subject, I ought to answer one Objection, viz. That there is not always mucous Matter concur­ring to the generation of the Stone, as ap­pears in the Stone, that is sometimes found in the Gall-Bladder of a Man, and very oft in that of an Ox, which consisting of Gall or choler, cannot be supposed to have any Slime, Phleam, or Mucus adjoin'd to it, being for the most part found simple unmixt, and con­trary to the Nature of Mucus, or Phleam, which is always Glutinous or Viscous; I al­low the whole, and make answer, that the Stone in the Gall-Bladder is oft formed by con­cretion, through the separating or drying a­way of its thinner and moister parts; in like manner Mortar dryeth in some time into a Stony substance; as also doth Tartarum Vitrio­latum, that's made by concretion, besides many others; on the other hand I must tell [Page 95] you, I am not the first, that hath observed the Gall in the Gall-Bladder very Viscous and roapy, through the admixture of some Slime or Mucus, that's separated with i [...] from the Blood, and then it will be allowed to be mat­ter very proper for the Formation of a Stone. In the same manner a Stone in the Kidneys may be formed by concretion, without the admixture of Mucous Matter, but then the Stone becomes friable, and not very hard, and of a more reddy colour, whereas according to the proportion of Mucous matter, concuring to the formation of the Stone, it becomes hard and pale.

The Stone of the Kidneys is commonly observed to precede that in the Bladder; and any Stone, though of a very small dimension, falling from thence, through either of the Ureters into the Bladder, is conceiv'd to be the Foundation of one there, which by lying a considerable time, doth receive a daily growth from the Urinous Salt, and Slime, that descend thither. This in my opinion is not always necessary, it being possible enough for a Stone to grow in the Bladder, without having the Rudiments laid in the Kidneys; moreover it hath been observ'd, that at the same time one of the Kidneys, and the Blad­der, have each contain'd a Stone.

4. To the formation of the Stone, must be concurring. 1. Depauperated or Vitious ani­mal Spirits, that are too weak to perform the separation and Expulsion of the abounding Serum of the Blood in the Kidneys. 2. A Se­rum [Page 96] too much Saturated with a Sal Armoniac, that's mixt with too much common Salt, which all edibles do contain in some pro­portion, and so do Urine, Beer, Whey, and other Drinks; for you are to understand, that Sal Armoniac is a mixt Salt, consisting of common Salt, and a Fuliginous Salt, united together, as appears by the Artificial making of Sal Armoni [...]c, which is by mixing a pound of common Salt, to half a pound of Soot, and and boiling them in three or four pints of fresh Urines, to the thickness of Hony, which is then to be sublimed in subliming-pots into Sal Armoniac. The natural Salt Armoniac is Urin of Chamels, Horses, or Oxen, con­creaced or Evaporated by the hot Sands of Arabia into a Salt. 3. A Slime or Mucus to Cement the Salt with the 4th, which is Sabu­lous Dregs of the Blood, 5 narrow passages of the Kidneys. So that Salt, Salt-Meats, Pickles, and Spices, are chi [...]f materials for the Stone. 6. A Vitious gleet dripping from the Nephritic Nerves, Coagulating the mate­rials together. This is the short Theory I do propose to my s [...]lf, of the generation of the Stone in the Kidneys, which is suggested to me by practical experience, though I could wish, that among so great a number of very ingenious Physicians we have h [...]re in England, (who are as capable, as any in the whole Universe, though not so industrious) some would take the pains, to detect a more prob [...]ble Theory of the Stone, and other Distemp [...]rs, which would [Page 97] certainly prove a great Advancement to the Art of Physick, and no less Benefit to misera­ble Patients. However, as defective and Hy­pothetical only this Theory may be, it con­ducts me much more successfully in the Pra­ctick against the Stone, and other Diseases of the Kidneys, than the common Doctrine. I do own, that this and all the other prece­ding Theoretick Notions might be render'd much plainer, by branching their Illustrations into so many particular Volumes; but my in­vincible Aversion to all manner of Prolixity, together with my weak Capacity of rendring them any more than scarcely probable, or other than meerly supposititious, doth entire­ly discourage me from any such Attempt.

The Practical Part of the Stone consists in these Particulars; 1. In the Means to prevent the Growing of it. 2. In the Cure of the Stone. 3. In the Removing a Fit, or Paro­xism of Pains, occasion'd by the Stone. 4. In the preventing the Return of a Paroxysm of the Stone, which may be term'd a Palliative Cure.

1. Those that live Sedentary Lives, and use little or no Exercise, as most Students; and Debauchees in sharp Wines, and very new, or stale Strong Beer, are very subject, and properly dispos'd to breed the Stone; but beyond all, those that eat much Salt with their Meat, or feed much upon Flesh or Fish Salted, Smoak'd, or Pickl'd. Wherefore in­terposing moderate Exercise between their Studies, and abstaining from their grave [Page 98] Thoughts, by intermixing Chearfulness and sober Mirth, to alleviate the Animal Spirits, which are the chief Agents of Health, and, being indispos'd, or vitiated, of Diseases. This is one Way to prevent the Stone in the former; And exchanging sharp Wines into milder, and diluted with a light thin Spring-Water, and using them with a quantum sufficit, and a total Abstinence from Stale Beer, sub­stituted by Small Ale, will produce the like Effect in the latter. To drink Wine at Meals, as it lays a Foundation for the Stone, so using Small Drink in its stead prevents it: And in my Opinion, pure Wine ought not to be drunk, according to the Rules of Health, be­fore the Chylification is finish'd, and the Di­stribution at hand, unto which it may be very assistent. A Fish-Diet moisten'd with too much sharp Wine, and a Bread and Cheese-Diet, seldom fail of administring sufficient Matter for the Stone. In short, Keeping the Stomach clean, in the manner as hath been before describ'd, is the chiefest Way and Means to prevent breeding the Stone.

2. The Cure of this Disease is commonly attempted by Bleeding in the Arm (though some judge it more advantageous in the Foot) in Bodies, that are moderately replete, to make room in the Vessels, which the subsequent Laxatives and Purgatives will necessarily re­quire, as working by Fermentation, that will occasion a Rarefaction of the Humours, and consequently a Distension of the Vessels, which otherwise might cause some Local Di­sturbance [Page 99] of the Stone, or occasion a Paro­xysm of Nephritick Pains. Among the La­xatives, Cassia Fistularis newly drawn over the Steem of a Decoction, made of Emollient or Diuretick Vegetables, is made choice of as a sacred Remedy, either by it self, or mix'd with Rhubarb and Cream of Tartar, or Diasen­na; which is oft suspected, because the Scam­mony, that is an Ingredient in it, is accounted too rough, as causing too high a Fermentation, or Ebullition; or Pulvis Senae comp. maj. or Pulvis Sen. comp. min. This is judg'd necessa­ry to be repeated once or twice, at convenient Intervals; which, as I have try'd more than once, I have always found, not to reach the Morbisick Matter, and therefore am oblig'd to make use of such Additions, that should pe­netrate without any Hazard of putting the Spirits upon a Ruf [...]le. This being premised, the Saxifragers, or Stone-breakers, are to be introduc'd, with this Election and Preference, That those, which have an extraordinary Cha­racter stamp'd upon them by great Authors, or Physicians, ought only to be recited; for, should they all be enumerated here, to which the Faculty of Stone-breaking is attributed, a Quire of Paper would be insufficient to con­tain them, there being no Disease in the whole Body of Man, against which so many Simple and Compound Remedies (in all manner of Galenical and Chymical Forms) of Vegeta­bles, Minerals, and Animals are recommend­ed, as against the Stone; for I do believe I ne­ver met with a Physician, Apothecary, Sur­geon, [Page 100] Empirick, Midwife, or any Old Wo­man, that had not an infallible Remedy against the Stone and Gravel.

But before I make mention of any of these Stone-Grinders, it will not be amiss to en­quire by what Quality, Vertue, or Means it is expected by Physicians, they should perform this great Work of Breaking the Stone in the Kidneys and Bladder. Some endeavour to ef­fect it by Medicines, that have a Corroding Quality, by which insinuating into the Pores of the Stone, tear all asunder, and dissolve it, in like manner as Aqua fortis dissolves Silver, Copper, and Tin; Aqua regia Gold; and Juice of Limons, and distill'd Vinegar Crabs-Eyes, Pearl, Coral, &c. To this purpose, for Cor­roding and Dissolving the Stone, are recom­mended Spirit of Vitriol, Sulphur, Salt, Nitre ▪ and Iuice of Limons. I have experienc'd most of these in the Cure of the Stone, and ever observ'd, that within less than an Hour, they would certainly put the Patient into an horrid Fit of the Stone-Cholick, besides the Pain in the Back; against which, an Emollient Laxa­tive Clyster, with the Exhibition of a gentle Narcotick at the end of its Operation, gave present Relief; and glad I was to come of [...] so. That a few Drops of any of those reci­ted Spirits, well diluted with a Parsley or Fen­nil-water, and sweeten'd with Syrup of the five Opening Roots, being thus obtused, and afterwards broke in their Virtues, by passing the Stomach and other Parts, and carrying thence some slimy Particles to blunt them [Page 101] more, should at last, upon their Arrival to the Kidneys, be endu'd with a Force sufficient to crack a hard Stone, is very wonderful. But to clear the Point, pour Spirits of Vitriol up­on Steel, as it is directed in the Preparation of Vitriolum Martis, these readily entring the Pores of the Steel, whose Figures are adapted to receive them, move very quick and impe­tuously, piercing through the whole Body of the Steel in a very few Minutes, whereby not only a very great Heat and high Ebullition are occasion'd, but the Sulphurous Particles, that ty'd the Salin together into a Body, are totally expell'd; as you may perceive by the great Stink attending of them in their Evapo­ration; and the Remainder is turn'd into its First Principle of Vitriol. In like manner the Spirits of Vinegar, or of Juice of Limons, piercing into the adapted Pores of Bezoar­stone, Pearl, Coral, Crabs-Eyes, Egg-shells, Oyster and Mussel-shells, Crabs-Claws, and the like, by the quick and violent Motion of their most subtil pointed Particles, cause an Heat and Ebullition, and chase out the Sul­phurous connecting Particles; whereby no­thing is left in the Vinegar but a Tartar, (Li­mus, or Faex,) and if wash'd, may be call'd a Calx extinct, though honour'd by Chymists with the Name of Magistery; that is, after the Precipitation with Oil of Tartar, and the sweetning of it with several Lotions of warm Water; which in reality, is no other than a Terra damnata; and among those recited, I take the Bezoar-stone to contain the finest [Page 102] Earth; and next to that the Perl. As for the rest, I look upon them all as equal.

2. Now if you can suppose the Pores of a Nephritic Stone in the Body, to be adapted in Figures, answerable to receive the pointed Particles of the Spirits of Vitriol, Salt, Nitre, Tartar, Vinegar, or Limons, you may rea­sonably believe, there is a Virtue and possi­bility in these Acids, of dissolving the Stone in the Kidn [...]ys or Bladder, notwithstanding that they are not taken in so great a quanti­ty, as almost to corrode, and that they do not arrive in their full force to those remote Places; yet their frequent Repetitions, and long continuance of them, under a milder Virtue, will answer their improportion­able dosing, and accomplish the same effect: So that if this supposition were true, as it is most certainly false and erroneous, you are not to apprehend, that thos [...] Acid Stone-breakers were to perform that Work, in the time almost that you may crack an Apricock Stone, as most of these Medicine-mongers and Empiricks pretend to do, in twice or three times taking. But to subvert your Sup­position, and consequently to divert you from losing your labour in the use of Acids, I need only to alledge to you, that they are in no wise shaped in the figures and dimensi­ons of their Particles, proportionable or a­dapted to enter the Pores of a Stone bred in the Kidnies or Bladder, as you may easily make trial, by pouring of Spirits of Vinegar, (I mean, Vinegar twice or thrice distilled) [Page 103] Juice of Limons, or simple water acuated with such a proportion of Spirit of Nitre, Salt, or Vitriol, as to bring it to such a de­gree of sharpness, acidity, or virtue, as Spi­rit of Vinegar, or Juice of Limon is; for a­bove that degree, no Acid can be taken into the Body, without corroding the Stomach) upon an indifferent hard Stone, taken out of the Bladder or Kidnies, which being inclo­sed in a Matrass with its blind Head, and placed in a warm Sand Bath for Twenty Weeks together, at the expiration of which, you may take out the Stone, so far from be­ing pierced by the Acids, that its grown much harder than it was before▪ But what is more, should you pour the strongest Aqua Fortis, or Regia, or Spirit of Vitriol not diluted upon it, and let it stand as long as you please, the Stone will come out harder than it was put in. As Gold and Silver cannot well be reduced, or dissolved into a Calx by ignition, but by amalgamation, and immersive (as the Chymists term it) Calcination by corrosive Acids; so on the contrary, the Stone that's bred in the Bladder and Kidnies, cannot rea­dily be dissolv'd into a Calx, by an immersive Calcination, but by Ignition. Because the Sul­phur, that ty­eth the constitu­ent parts of the Stone together, can only be con­sum'd or destroy­ed by fire, where­as no acid will, or can attempt upon Sulphur.

3. That all Acids (Quatenus Acids, and per­se) are Enemies to the Nerves, nervous Parts, (as Membranes, Tendons. &c.) and to the Animal Spirits, common experience doth at­test; whence it is, that most Men, upon on­ly tasting of a very sour thing, being Potable or edible, are apt to make sour Faces, and to [Page 104] shiver, or to undergo small Tremblings all over, (which are small concussions of the Nerves, Tendons, and circumvestient Membranes of the Body) by pricking of the Membranes; and though this Pricking in tasting of any very sour thing, is only perceiv'd by the Nerves and Membranes of the Mouth, it is nevertheless felt all over by the continuity and contiguity of all the Nerves, nervous Parts, and Membranes of the Body, like un­to two, or more unison Fiddle strings, where­of one being touch'd, causeth the same sound in all the others; or like unto a Cord that's extended, which when smartly struck at one end, makes the whole Cord shake as far as the other end; whence I do infer, that what ever expulsion, whether by Vomiting, Stool, or Urine, (and sometimes per accidens sweat) is occasion'd by the force of Acids, is by pricking, stimulating, or irritating the Nerves, or nervous parts, by their rigid Pointed Par­ticles, and a faculty, (which all Acids possess, contrary to all suliginous and armoniac Salts) of precipitating of them, and consequently throwing of them down the Ureters; and therefore I doubt not, but that in some kinds of suppression of Urine occasion'd by th [...] Stone, Gravel, Mucus, Crumbs of Blood, and at some seasons, Acid Medicines may be of great use, among which, I do in my opinion prefer this following.

℞ Aceti Vini albi Gallic [...] destillati, (vel s [...] [...] sucet [...] citri, cujus po­sterioris [Page 105] usus praestat) ℥j. Ol. amygdal. dulc. rec. extract. ℥jss. probe & diutine cum Sacohar. candi vel Sacchari Althaeae. ℥ss. triti. vin. alb. gall. ℥iiij. M.

This proves very diuretick in many, and that by stimulation, as I have said before. But its observed of Juice of Limons, that if frequently used, its apt to cause a Thrush in the stomach, by its too sharp, or rather somewhat corroding quality, occasioning sometimes Vomiting, or a violent Looseness, for which reason the Juice of Citron is pre­ferred, consisting of an acid not so acute, and yet not less diuretic. However, White-wine Vinegar distill'd is experienced to excel either of them in the diuretic Faculty, and many others, as being much more penetra­ting, and consisting of Particles more subtil and Volatil. Though Vinegar is vulgarly reputed a potent restringent, yet it cannot deserve that denomination so much as Spirit of Salt, Nitre, Juice of Limons, or the acid of Tamarinds; and to speak the truth, it can­not properly be term'd Adstringent, which is a quality that's binding, pursing, (draw­ing together like a Purse) and contracting, proceeding from austere Particles, such as are perceived in Allom, Juice of Slows, and the like; but nothing resembling that, can be discover'd in Vinegar, no more than in Juice of Limons, or Spirit of Salt. True it is, that all Acids cause an Asperity or Rough­ness by their acute Particles, pricking the [Page 106] Nerves and Membranes, that are nervous ex­pansions, which by a sort of resistance rise up into those minute Points, Like unto a Goose-skin. thereby endeavouring rather to expel and throw out; whereas the others by their Austerity, though occasioning a Rough­ness, yet it is such, as doth detain, and bind in what [...]ver they contain: What is in Vinegar, but an Acid Spirit, united to an Acid Tartar, mel­ted as it were per deliqueum into a moisture or Liquor? Vinegar is so far from binding, that it renders any thing, to which its united, more piercing, expulsive, and solutive also, as ap­pears in Sal Tartari Sennerti. Colocynthis steep'd in Vinegar, is render'd mu [...] more purgative, than when macerated in Brandy or Wine. Three Grains of Laudanum Opiatum taken to cause Sleep, and drinking upon it a Draught of any Julep, that contains an Ounce of distill'd Vinegar, or only as much Oxymel Simplex, shall occasion a deeper Sleep, than if ten or twelve Grains of Laudanum had been swallow'd, whereout probably some would never awake again. Others upon drinking of sour Beer, (being of the same nature as Vinegar) are im­mediately put into Gripes and Looseness. How­ever I will not be positive in this, or scarce in any thing else; but to me, the Adstrin­gent quality in Vinegar seems a vulgar Error of some Ages.

That Acids (excepting those that are meer­ly Austere) are the chief and most proper Medicines (I will not say certain, for they don't prove always so) for Expulsion, and [Page 107] promoting or irritating the Expultrix Faculty efficiently in the Animal Spirits, and Instru­mentally in the Nerves and Membranes, may be Instanc'd in Vinegar, which in a greater quantity provokes Vomiting, in a lesser, Stools and Urin, and Sweat in those that are dis­posed. It is certain, that Prophylactic Waters made by Infusion, and not distillation, being commonly well impregnated with Vinegar, and Acetum theriacale are imcomparatively more ready and potent in half the proportion, in promoting Sweat, (which also is by ex­pulsion) than Treacle-water, (wherein is con­tain'd only the Phlegm of some Acids, the heavier and stronger part not coming over the Helm in distillation) Aqua Epidemica, or Protheriacalis. One Dram of Virginian serpen­tary, being macerated in Vinegar, shall raise a quicker and more copious Sweat, than three Drams infus'd in Wine or Brandy. Cream of Tartar, and Tamarinds, by their pungent Acidity, move the Expultrix Facul­ty of the Guts to Stools. Iuice of Limons, Citrons, Oranges, Spirit of Tartar, Nitre and Salt, prompt the Kidnies to expel Urin, &c.

4. Spiritus tartari, Nitrum tartarisatum, and Tartarum Vitriolatum, are by most that have made tryal of them, accounted the most powerful of Diuretics. But there being so offensive an empyreumatic stink in the Spirit of Tartar, proceeding from a remaining Ad­mixture of some lixivial Earthy Particles, im­perceptible to the Eye, whereto the Empyre­um is almost inseparably adherent, causeth [Page 108] its use to be much neglected, which howe­ver may be removed, by mixing the Spirit with fine wheaten Flower into a Paste, and that equally mix'd with the Caput mortuum of Vitriol, and so drawn off twice or thrice in a Glass retort, or mixing the Spirit of Tartar with Golchotar, i. e. Calchantum rubefactum, and drawing it over once or twice in the same manner; wherein you need not to fear, that any Vitriolic Spirit will mix with it, in regard that the degree of heat, that will be sufficient to raise the Spirit of Tartar, is not by much intense enough, to force out the Spirit of Vitriol. After all, a pure Acetum destillatum is not much inferior to it.

5. By what means those Magisteries of Crabs-Eyes, of Mussel-shells, Egg or Oyster-shells, operate those pretended effects of for­cing down Urin, and breaking the Stone, is my next business to enquire. It is common­ly concluded, that whatever drives down Urin forcibly, doth break the Stone by oft dripping upon it, like the [...]ropping of a Gutter falling oft upon a Stone under it, doth by length of time make a hole into it. Gutta cavat Lapidem non vi, sed saepe cadendo. It is then inser [...]'d, that those recited Magiste­ri [...]s are potent Diur [...]ties, (which my little experience doth wholly contradict,) but whe­ther they do their work by cutting, hammer­ing, or dissolving the Stone tota substantia, ought to be consider'd. It cannot be pre­tended, that in those Magisteries, and par­ticularly in that of Crabs-Eyes, there is anything [Page 109] besides a fine Earth, the acid Particles of the Vinegar, having entirely driven out the sulphurous Particles of the Crabs-Eyes, and seated themselves in their rooms and Pores; which they had left; so that you are not to apprehend, that the Vinegar is there­by sweetned, because the Alcalious Particles (which in them ought not to be so call'd, for they are not such) are mortified or broken, and thereby the Liquor, wherein the acid Particles were, remains insipid; no, this is quite otherwise; for the same acid or Vine­gar Particles are still in being, having only chang'd their place; for put the whole solu­tion together, viz. the insipid Liquor, and impregnated fine Earth of Crabs-Eyes into a Glass retort, and being placed in a Sand Fur­nace, you will by distillation with a smart heat, have your Vinegar return'd to you a­gain, not at all, or imperceptibly little im­pair'd in its sharpness, or lessen'd in quantity; so that this pretended Magistery, Solution, im­mersive Calcination, or what else you are pleas'd to call it, is nothing else, but a con­centration of the Spirit of Vinegar, in the entirely destroy'd Crabs-Eyes, which being wash'd off from the saline acid Particles of the Vinegar, or first being precipitated by the in­stillation of Oil of Tartar, and afterwards wash'd with repeated lotions of warm water, is left not worth a straw, and fit for nothing but to make a very indifferent Fucus, or Cos­metic, which that of Egg-shells doth by much excel. Wherefore Crabs-Eyes by Triture [Page 110] upon a Porphir reduc'd to an Impalpable Powder, and exhibited in a convenient Ve­hicle, do in a Moment remove that trouble­some Symptom, improperly call'd the Heart-burning, by admitting the acute Particles of the almost corroding acid Liquor (floating in the Stomach, and vellicating its Nervous Tu­nicks) into their minute Recesses, whence the Sulphurous Particles were so suddenly chac'd; and if upon this the Patient takes twelve or fifteen Grains of pure [...]rystallized Salt-Petre, (not Sal Prunellae,) in a Draught of Barley or Milk-water, at a few Minutes distance, he shall perceive the Crabs-Eyes, with the con­tain'd corroding Particles, sensibly precipita­ted into the Guts.

6. Crystallized Nitre is certainly the most wonderful Salt of any, and the most active and potent Diuretick, or Piss-driver, of all the whole Catalogue. It is a Salt entirely consist­ing of Sulphurous Spirits or Particles, concen­ter'd or clos'd up in a very little Saline Mat­ter: Its Activity and quick impetuous Motion is beyond all others, except Mercury; for no sooner can you touch your Tongue with it, but immediately its subtile piercing Particles enter the Pores of the Moisture residing in the spongy Recesses of your Tongue, and of the Spittle about it, which they divide, attenuate, expand, and dilate, or raresie so very quick, that your Mouth seems to run over with Moi­sture in an Instant. This Nitre, or Crystal Mineral, being taken in a proportionable Dose, in a sufficient quantity of a sutable Vehicle, [Page 111] doth soon after raresie, attenuate, and tuinesie all the Humours, Liquors, Serosities, and Moi­stures it meets with in the Stomach, and other Bowels and Passages, whereby the thinner Parts are separated, thrust forward, squeez'd, and expell'd towards the Kidneys, and thence to the Ureters and Bladder; so that I have not yet found any thing comparable to it for a Piss-driver. Tha [...] I do prefer it thus unpre­par'd before Sal prunellae, is, because by the melting and inflaming Sulphur upon it, a grea [...] part of the most active and penetrating Spirit [...] ▪ and most subtile Particles are driven out, and consequently much enfeebl'd. But perhaps you may reply, That their crude Particles are by the inflaming of the Sulphur expell'd, and the Nitre thereby digested; which is all fan­tastick. Beside this extraordinary Virtue, these Crystals Mineral have a Power so surprising in [...]he Thrush of the Mouth, Internal, and Exter­nal Inflammations, and many other Diseases, that 'tis a great Wonder to me, it is no more taken notice of in Physick.

7. To return to the Remainder of Enquiry into the Manner and Ways, whereby these Virginal Earths of the aforesaid Testaceous Magisteries do drive down Piss; upon the strictest Search my slender Capacity can make, I do not find any thing to attribute that Facul­ty unto, except to little cutting pointed Sands of those Earths, that by pricking the Mem­branes of the Stomach, Guts, and other Parts, they stimulate them; and by Contiguity, and Continuity of Parts, stimulate all the [Page 112] Membranes of the Body to expel loose, sepa­rated, and floating Serosities to the Kidneys and Ureters. That by pricking one Mem­brane, you do, as it were, prick all the rest, appears in the Instances above-written, of a Touch upon a Cord extended, or a Sound made upon one Unison; or by the pricking of the Membrane of the Tongue by any very sowr Taste, all the Membranes of the Body seem to be affected with the same little Pun­ctures, as appears by sudden small Shiverings all the Body over; as likewise, in another In­stance of the Bladder, which oft, upon having made Water newly, the Air from without presses into it, to fill up the Vacuum in some measure, whose Nitrous Particles wherewith it is repleted, do prick the Membranes of the Bladder; upon which, a sudden Shivering (which is an Attempt or Endeavouring of Ex­pelling) happens all over the Body, by the propagated Sense of pricking to all the Mem­branes.

8. 'Tis in this respect, that Glass being powder'd, is also recommended for a potent Diuretick, by reason of those acute cutting or pointed Particles, that are suppos'd to be in it, which pricking and stimulating (being likewise accompany'd with Weight, that con­tributes very much, and therefore ought to be administer'd in greater Quantities, than are usually given) the Tunics of the Stomach im­pel Serosities to the Kidneys in manner before express'd. Upon the same Consideration it is, that Lapis Iudaicus, Lapis Nephriticus, Lapis [Page 113] Spongiae, Medlar-stones, and probably Peach and Apricot-stones, Mountain-Crystal, Lapis Lyncis, little Stones that are found in the Sto­mach and Gall-Bladder of an Ox in the Month of March, in the Liver of a Wild-Boar, in the Head of a Perch, and in the Throat of a Carp, and the Stones that are taken out of the Kid­neys and Bladder of a Man, and indeed all other hard Stones, that being reduc'd to a Powder, do still retain some acute cutting Particles; for if any hard Substance be fine­ly pulveriz'd, and afterwards grinded in­to an Alcool, or impalpable Powder, upon a Porphir▪ so as all the Points of the Minute Particles are obtused, and entirely broke, it loseth all its Diuretick Virtue. Wherefore it is, that the Magistery of Crabs-Eyes, and other Testaceous Bodies are so far from being Diu­retick, that they prove Emplastick, and con­sequently putting a stop to all manner of Ex­pulsion. For the Reasons alledg'd I am of Opinion, that Crabs-Eyes, Coral, Bezoar, and the rest of Testaceous Bodies are destroy'd by all manner of Preparations, (whether in order to Magisteries, Tinctures, Salts, or De­liqueous Oils,) except moderate Pulverisation, which renders them more susceptible of Acid Salts, whereof the Moisture or Liquor being disrobed, now serves for Increase of Serous Matter, that is to be expell'd to the Kidneys for the Matter of Urine, or the Ambient Pores of the Body for the Matter of Sweat, whereunto the Membranes are stimulated by the Acid Spirits, wherewith the Testaceous Pow [...]ers are impregnated

[Page 114]9. Among the pre-cited Stones, Dogma­tists pay the most Respect to the Nephritick Stone, and Crystal; which latter, when brought into a Powder, by how much it retains more hard, subtile, acuated and pointed Particles, so much the more it is adjudged to exceed Glass in a Diuretick and Saxifragous Quali­ty, both operating in the same manner, and by the same means: As for the N [...]phritick Stone, there are such wonderful Stories recor­ded of it, that I am almost asham'd to offer the Recital of them; and at the same time, am surpriz'd at the unlimited superstitious Belief of Mankind: Before I proceed, I ought to give you some Description of it, that you may not be impos'd upon by a false one. The best of these Stones are brought from Turkey, and the Spanish West-Indies, which they call Igiada ▪ though some slight ones are sometimes taken up in some Parts of Bohemia, Spain and Carniola ▪ Others are of a very considerable Weight and Bigness. They are fine Stones to look upon, of a dark green Colour, clouded, though some are of a lighter Green; the Sur­face feels always greasie. 'Tis reported by some, that this Nephritick Stone being grinded into a fine Powder, or prepar'd probably by Calcination, or making it red-hot in a Fire, and afterwards quench'd in strong Vinegar, whereby it is easily reduc'd into a subtile Pow­der, and given to the quantity of a Dram and an half, in Fennil or Parsley-Water, doth in a Moment remove the violent Pains in a Fit of the Stone; and being taken three or four [Page 115] times, doth in a wonderful manner dissolve the Stone into a Slime, Mud, Gravel, and Crumbles, as they pretend to instance in the perfect Cure of abundance of Nephriticks in Germany, where their Wines, and the com­mon Excess in drinking of them, do in abun­dance of People breed Stones in the Bladder and Kidneys. They add further, That if it be given in too large a Dose, or taken too oft, it breaks so fast, that the Mud and Gravel, in­to which it is dissolv'd, come down so fast, that they are apt to dam and choak up the Ways, as containing too little Room to give Passage to so much Rubbidge.

10. But the Excellency of this Lapis Nephri­ticus consists more in the External Use of it, than Internal, the various Narratives whereof appear wholly incredible. Authors tell you, That being worn on the Wrist, many have been cur'd by it, who could not receive the least Benefit from any other Internal Medi­cine. Another Author tells you, That by wearing a piece of this Stone about the Neck, next the Skin, a Person that was miserably troubl'd with the Stone, which though stub­born to all manner of Remedies, yet in a short time was so dissolv'd into Gravel, that was not only avoided at the Bladder, but by the Cor­ners of the Eyes, through the Pores of the Skin by Sweat, and by Stool also. The same Au­thor confirms the Truth of this, by the like Success upon a great many others. Monar­des lib. d [...] occult. Medicam. propriet. adds, That a certain Dutchess, whom he names, had un­dergone [Page 116] three Fits of the Stone in a short time; but upon wearing Bracelets made of this Stone, she had been freed of them for ten Years together. The same Author reports further of a Noble-man, that was afflicted with the Stone; who, upon the wearing the Nephritick Stone about his Arm, was used to throw off such vast quantities of Gravel, that he was forc'd sometimes to leave it off, for fear the avoiding so much at a time might do him some Hurt. The Excellencies of this Stone are farther display'd, by their produ­cing several Instances of Persons, that have been cured of otherwise incurable Catarrhs, or Defluxions of Rheum upon the Lungs, of Dropsical swell'd Legs, of any sort of Sup­pression of Urine, and of Aedematous Swel­lings in other Parts; all which was effected by expelling Urine in great quantities: And as a Proof that all this was to be attributed to the Virtue of this Stone, they tell you, That upon leaving o [...]f the wearing of it, those Di­stempers would return, and as soon cease again, as the Application of the said Stone was renew'd. They further add, That some­times it would move Stools as violently, as if caus'd by a strong Purgative. But one great Inconvenience they mention the wearing of this Stone is attended with, viz. of causing a very troublesome Itching all over the Body; which would at any time be remov'd by leav­ing off the Stone for two or three Days, but return again upon the Re-application.

[Page 117]11. Chymists set no less Value upon the Stone, that is taken out of a Man's Bladder or Kidneys, and is call'd by them Ludus Paracelsi; the Preparation whereof consists only in calci­ning it with a vehement Fire into a Salt, and letting it turn into an Oleum per Deli­queum, by standing in a Cellar, or other damp place. Whatever Vertue may be suppos'd to be in the aforesaid Stone, is to be attributed to the Sal Armoniac that is in it; which, whe­ther it be not destroy'd by Calcination, may justly be doubted; and therefore, the Urine new­ly made by an healthful Young Man, using Wine, doth seem to be endu'd with a greater Diuretick and Stone-breaking Power: To which purpose, I have known several Ne­phriticks have chosen to take several Draughts of their own Urine (as having an Aversion to that made by others, who possibly may be diseas'd of some foul Distemper, or other) for many Days together, with good Success: For which Reason, Physicians do rather chuse to recommend Goats Urine, which is im­pregnated with much more Sal Armoniac, than that of any other Animal; and herein they all agree, being thereto induced by the manifold successful Experiments upon Ne­phritick Patients, that it excels all other Diu­retick and Stone-breaking Medicines. The aforesaid Urine must be saved, by tying a Bladder to the Goat. Others prefer the Blood of a Goat dry'd, as not only containing a great quantity of Sal Armoniac, but its other Particles being dry'd, are harden'd into Cut­ting [Page 118] Acute Sands. Both the one, and the other, ought to be us'd in large Doses, fre­quently repeated, and continu'd for several Weeks, if any great matter is to be expected from them.

12. In Conclusion, my Opinion touching the Virtues of those pre-numerated Stones is, That Flints being render'd brittle by Ignition, and Extinction in Water, or Small Beer, or Wine, wherein a good Lump of Sal Armoniac hath been dissolv'd, and afterwards grinded into Powder, taken in large Doses, in a Draught of the same Liquor wherein it hath been quench­ed, may be endu'd with a far greater Power to drive down Urine, Slime and Gravel, and dissolve the Stone by a long continuated Use, than any of the most celebrated of them.

Because those that are troubl'd with Gravel or Stone, are almost perpetually upon drib­bling, which is increas'd by all sorts of Moi­sture they can or do drink, whether binding, stopping, attenuating, laxative, or endu'd al­most with any Quality, be it ever so contrary to the Stone, or Gravel; for it all runs to the Kidneys, as being the Parts affected, (as I shall further explain below:) And for that Reason, almost every thing is by the Physi­cians call'd Diuretick, tho' operating by Qua­lities wholly repugnant to that sort of Eva­cuation. Hence it is, that Porcelane (tho' adstringent, and binding, and consequently, contrary to a Diuretick) is in Consil. Crato­nis mention'd, to expel the Stone to a Mi­racle; and by Rondeletius said to break the [Page 119] Stones of the Kidneys. And Knot-Grass, as astringent as it is, is by Matthiolus Com. in 4 cap. lib. 4. in Dioscorid. Solenander, and Mizal­dus Cent. 4. Distinc. 4. asserted, to expel the Stones of the Kidneys and Bladder. Also, Rupture-wort, no less binding, and restringent, is highly recommended by Rondelet in Con­sil. 150. Craton. Gesner, and Quercetan. in Phar­ma. rest. cap. 10. for a most effectual Plant to break the Stones in the Kidneys. And Moss that grows on the Ground, a potent Restrin­ger, is by Durandes in Hort. Sanitat. Heur­nius, and Lonicerus, mention'd to be a certain Stone-breaker. Plantane, that noted Adstrin­gent, by Mr. Ray; and Oaken Leaves, a great­er Adstringer, by Platerus; and Cinquefoil, by Scroder, are recommended for Diureticks, and Stone-breakers; besides many other Adstrin­gents that can be nam'd. Moreover, it may be taken notice, that most other Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals are highly commend­ed, tho' specifically appropriated to some part or other: As, among Cephalicks; Pyony, by Trallianus, Dioscorides, Durandes, Lonicerus, and Fernelius; Betony, by Galen and Matthiolus; Calamus Aromaticus, by Tabernae Montanus and Solenander; the Rind of a Bay-Root: And a­mong the Pulmonicks, or Thoracicks; Mai­den-Hair and Carduus Benedictus, and all other kinds of Thistles; Eryngo, Figgs and Liquorish: Among the Cordials, White Dictamnum, and most (if not all) Aromaticks or Spices, which you may find mix'd in the celebrated Com­pound Diuretick and Stone-grinding Electua­ries, [Page 120] and distill'd Waters: Also among Sple­neticks, Tamarisk, Spleen-Wort, Roots of Cap­per; Mugwort, and others, among the Emme­nagoga; most of the Hepaticks; among the Anti- [...]corbuticks, all, or as many as can be found, tho' more particularly, Black Radish, and Horse-Radish; all the Vulneraries, chiefly Golden-Rod, and Speed-well; besides a great Number of Miscellanies, appropriated to se­veral Bowels, and particular Diseases; as, Birch-Tree, Guaiacum, Dropwort, Grass-roots, the five opening Roots, and their Seeds, Bur­net, Saxifrage, Horse-Mint, Samphir, Ashen­tree-wood and Bark, the Juice of Birch-tree, Nettle-Juice and Seeds, Valerian, Orris, Eli­campane, Bramble-roots, Soapwort, Bastard-Rhubarb, Asarabacca, Wake-Robin, Baise, O­nions, Squill [...], Garlick, Cabbage and Colewort-leaves, Lovage, Garden-Madder, Birchwort, Restbarrow, Featherfew, Penny-royal, Tansie, O­rigan, Spignel, Poley, Calaminth, Hysop, Pellito­ry, Germander, Groundpine, Vervain, Southern­wood, Strawberry-leaves, Willow-leaves, Water-Germander, Wild Thyme, Skirrets, Chamomil, Lark-spur, and St. Iohn's wort-Flowers; besides abundance of other Roots, Leaves and Flow­ers, which by one approv'd Author or other are all esteem'd Diureticks, and Stone-grind­ers, as well as all Carminative Seeds, viz. Parsley, Fennil, Cummin, Anis, Dill, Carui, Dau­cus, Cardamom, Marsh-Parsley, Lovage, Seseli, Gromwel, Parsnips, Macedonian Parsley, Broom­seeds, Coriander, Garden-Cress, Basil and Fennel-Flower, the four greater and lesser cold Seeds, [Page 121] of Mallows, and Marsh-Mallows, Cotton-seeds, Linseed, and Foenugrick-seeds, &c. Lupins, all manner of Vetches, Millet, Red Cicers, Bay and Iuniper-Berries, Berberries, Winter-Cherries, Hipps, Bitter Almonds, Peach, Apricot, Cherry, Plumb, Walnut, and Hazel-Nut Kernels. A­mong Gums and Rosins; Gum-Elemi, Arabic, Dragant, Olibanum, Bdellium, the Gum of a Cherry, and Plumb-Tree, Gum-Lac, Therebin­thin, Amber, &c. Among the Animals; the Ashes of an Hedge-Hog, of an Hare, of Swal­lows, of an Ass's Liver, of the Feathers of a Goose and a Ring-Dove, and of Earth-Worms; the Skull of a Man, powder'd; the Jaw-bone of a Pike, and the Parings of an Horse's Hoof, powder'd; Mouse-Dung, se­ven or nine for a Dose; Pidgeon's Dung, Pullet's Dung, Sow's (Millepedes vel Aselli) Grass-hoppers dry'd, Beetles, the Powder of an After-Birth dry'd in an Oven, the inward Skin of a Cock's Maw dry'd, the Guts of a Swan, the Powder of a young Pidgeon dry'd in an Oven; the Powder of the Bird Wag­tail, dry'd by the Smoak of a Chimney; the Ashes of a Troglotite Sparrow, (of which abundance of Authors speak Wonders;) the Blood of a Fox, drunk warm, as it comes out of the Veins; the little Bone taken from the hinder Knee of an Hare, (greatly extoll'd by Forestus and Fernelius;) Cantharides, which some Authors tell you, may be given in a to­tal and long-continuated Suppression of U­rine, caused by the Stone, which if not re­mov'd, the Patient must die; and therefore [Page 122] as a desperate Disease requires a desperate Re­medy, some that have more Courage than Discretion, have adventur'd to give it in a Dose, from half a Fly, unto a whole one, powder'd, in a Draught of Clarify'd Whey, Emulsion of the four greater cold Seeds, or Skimm'd Milk once boil'd up, and grown to be luke-warm, with very ill Success; for considering, that the Patient's Strength is re­duced to a very low and deplorable State, be­fore it is administer'd, if peradventure the venomous Medicine hath wrought through, so as to strain or squeeze out some Drops of Urine, which appears bloody also, it hath left such a painful burning Strangury, which, with the Addition of the Nephritick Pains, and Defect of Spirits, hath soon put an end to the miserable Sufferer; so that it had been better to let a Man die, than to kill him: But where that Medicine doth not pass, it doth infallibly torture the Patient out of his Life. However, if any be fond of the Use of them, they must either toast them, and half, or wholly calcine them into Ashes, which then will have entirely divested them of their Diu­retick Faculty, no other Virtue remaining in them, than what is in the other Ashes; or calcine them by Corrosion, which is dissolv­ing them in Spirit of Salt, or Nitre, where­by their venomous Quality is much infring'd, and the Diuretick in a great measure pre­serv'd. The Toasting is in holding them over an hot Fire in an Earthen Pan, and there stirring them, until they fall almost in­to [Page 123] Powder, which doth greatly abate their Venom, together with some part of their Diuretick Power. In the same manner Bee­tles (Scarabaei) may be serv'd, being not ve­ry much inferiour to the afore-mention'd Cantharides in their Pissing Faculty. The Case being well consider'd, where Diureticks exhibited in large Doses, and frequent Repe­titions, do not answer the End, 'tis most cer­tain, the true Cause of the Suppression of Urine is mistaken; and consequently give what you please of that kind, it will prove unsuccessful; for a very small Remedy, if it hits the Cause right, doth ever bring sudden Relief; and therefore in such Cases, we ought to use our greatest Industry, in enqui­ring what other Cause may in all probabili­ty cause such a Suppression, and not persist in an Opinion, the first Appearance of the Distemper hath put us in. Cantharides may be an useful Medicine externally apply'd, but a very suspicious one internally given. I do remember, I have several times made Trial of infusing two Drams of them in a Quart of French Brandy, and being filter'd through a Paper, have given thereof, from one Spoon­ful to two, in Clarify'd Whey, or Ptisane, against inveterate virulent Gonorrhaea's, but I could never find I advanc'd much in the cu­ring of them.

I have here got together a large Catalogue of Diuretics and Lithontriptics in Simples, yet it is not a compleat one; for upon a further search of Authors, it may be increas'd to [Page 124] double the Number, so that as far as I ob­serve, no less than the whole internal Mate­ria Medica, even the addition of Purgatives and Vomitives, (which seldom move Stools without provoking Urin) cannot be sufficient to make up a full and compleat List of Piss-drivers and Stone-grinders. The cause of increase of so great a Number of these, I can assign to no other, than to an incautelous Cre­dit Physicians have given to all sorts of Peo­ple, that upon pretence of being troubl'd with this or that sort of suppression of Urin, Strangury, or other symptoms of the Stone, have declar'd a relief they received from this or that Remedie, though never so contrary, improbable, or preposterous (as you may per­ceive by the aforesaid recital of Simples, and other Compositions thence fram'd), without examining the bottom, the possibility, or pro­bability, and manner of acting of such like Remedies, in respect to the Indications, that ought to be taken from the Disease it self, the Causes thereof, the Symptoms, and chief­ly from the Actio laesa of the Kidnies, which cannot well be performed, without the true knowledge of the Function or Action of the Kidnies, and their Modus agendi, which (and indeed the Function of all the Bowels, and the Modus agendi) in my weak opinion is slubber'd over, or at least very insufficiently discoursed, so that its scarce possible to give any good Judgment of it. In order to that, I shall presume to set down some Positions, which (to speak modestly) you may please on­ly [Page 125] to take for Suppositions. 1. That the Ante­cedent cause of a laesa mictio is very oft in the Kidnies, and consequently that the cause of a total or partial suppression of Urin, a Strangu­ry, a Diabetes, (which is an Aucta mictio) Ardor Urinae and other Symptoms are in the same part. 2. The Office or Function of the Kidneys be­ing chiefly the separation, and excretion of the superfluous serum, all, or most liquid or potable Matter, that's admitted into the Bo­dy more, than is necessary for the Blood to be supply'd with, doth naturally and by In­clination (if I may so speak) flow, and tend or is impell'd by the Spirits, or (if you like the Expression better) by the parts of the Body to the Kidnies, especially if in any wise preternaturally affected; the reason is, because the Spirits (I mean the Animal) chiefly flow­ing to succour any part that is in distress, and they being the only and chief impulsors of all the Humors in the Body, it must follow, that all Potables, be they adstringent, gross, thick, thin, sharp, sweet, sowr, or indued with any other quality, must be impell'd to that part, whither the Spirits flow most▪ which must be to the Kidneys, if preternatu­rally affected. Hence it is then, that Physick Authors observing all manner of Simples and Compounds being either potable of themselves, or given in any thing that is po­table, do provoke Urine in those, whose Kid­neys are any wise preternaturally affected, have taken in so many hundreds of Simples and Compounds, to the almost innumera­ble [Page 126] Number of Diuretics and Lithontriptics, tho' far from being to be esteem'd as such, either by Reason or Experience; for to assert that Adstringents (as many of the reputed Di­ureti [...]s are) do move Urin otherwise, then Medlars do Stools (per accidens) comprimendo, cannot be thought reasonable: And daily Ex­perience doth prove, that many Diuretics, that are suppos'd to be properly such, are taken in large quantities, by those that are in Health, without adding a drop of increase to their ordinary measure of Urin, as appears by those, that have continu'd the infusion of Millepedes in their Drink for a considerable time, and in others that drink great quanti­ties of French and Rhenish Wines, without any proportionable increase, and sometimes scarce piss before the next day, which, as I said heretofore, renders the operation of Diu­retics very uncertain; whereas other Evacua­tives, as Vomitories and Purgers, have a more certain operation in most Bodies.

As to the Modus Agendi of the Kidnies in their Function, I cannot imagin, that the Serum is separated from the Blood in their Parenchyma, colando (as it is commonly ex­pressed by Physicians) by being strained thro' their narrow passages, as if it were by a Sieve; because the Serum is so throughly perfused and mix'd with the Blood, which in many bili­ous Constitutions is as thin, if not thinner than the Serum it self, that consequently the Blood must pass with it, which would always occasion a bloody Urin. So that there must [Page 127] be another sort of separation, conceived by me, to be efficiently performed by the Ani­mal Spirits, which you are not to apprehend to be singly floating in the Nerves, like Air in a Bladder, but that they are contain'd in a most subtil piercing Lympha, as may be per­ceived by the wound of any Nerve, which gives occasion to the said Lympha to drop out, and is then call'd a Gleet of a Nerve. This Spirituous Lympha, that's perfused through the Body of the Kidneys, doth by its most piercing subtil Particles, coagulate the more sulphurous and glutinous Particles from the abounding salin Armoniac, (that are dissol­ved in the Serum) which by having some re­pugnancy and contrariety against them, it doth, together with the Serum precipitate down the narrow Chanals of the Parenchyma of the Kidneys to the Ureters, whence by stimulation, and their own weight, they are moved to the Bladder. That the aforesaid Function is performed efficienter by the Ani­mal Spirirs, is proved by several Instances of the same Import, viz. some may remember many Years past, I Publish'd a Treatise, In­titl'd the Case of a Nobleman (then) lately de­ceased, wherein was given an account of a puncture of a Nerve in the Plexus Nervorum, that's near the Groin, occasion'd by the wound of a Sword, that passed slaunt thwart the Abdomen down thither, upon which a co­pious Gleet ensued, and soon after among o­ther direful Symptoms, a suppression of Urin. This those Physicians, as Learned and Famou [...] [Page 128] as they were, could impute to no other cause than the Stone; but they were deceiv'd by their Conjectures, as appear'd plainly after­wards, upon the defection of the said Noble­man's Body after Decease; his Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder being found clear of all manner of obstructions, either by Mucus, Gravel, or Stone, though the Kidneys were exceedingly wasted, and shrunk into a much lesser Demen­sion, than comonly is found in Men. Upon this fatal Mistake, and consequently wrong Indications, the foremention'd six Phy­sicians did very boldly prescribe the most powerful of Diuretics in very large Doses, and long continuated frequent Repetitions; until by chance, one of their Medicines having a power beyond their Expectation did give a check to the Gleet, that by derivation had deprived so great a proportion of nervous Lympha, (wherein the Animals do reside) from the Kidneys, as not to leave a sufficient quantity in them, to make separation of the salin Armoniac Serum for Urin, which there­fore ought rather to be called a suppression of the Serum in the Kidneys, than suppres­sion of Urin, and ought not to receive that Name, before its arrival into the Blad­der. But what follow'd? The Animal Spi­rits being return'd to their former Function, and meeting with a great quantity of Serum, (that had not been separated during the long interval of suppression) mix'd with the Blood, that was extreamly attenuated and fused by the preceding Diuretics, they separated and [Page 129] excerned such a prosluvious torrent, as caus'd a most violent Diabetes, which by my pre­scriptions was removed in a very little time. Further more you are to take notice, here was not only an abolition, or at least a dimi­nution of the separation of the Serum, or Urin, as it is improperly called, but an Atro­phia, or defect of nourishment in the Kid­nies, caused through want of the spirituous Lympha, or animal Spirits; so that as I hin­ted in one of the former paragraphs, these are the efficients (causae efficientes, but in no wise materiales,) of nutrition, separation, and excre­tion of all the parts of the Body. Add to the former Instances several others of the Gleets. I have before and since observed, occasion'd by the cutting thro' of Nerves in a Wound, and punctures of Nerves in the Arm upon unskilful Bleedings, which though they did not effect so intire a suppression, as the puncture of a Nerve near the Kidnies, yet they have caused an evident diminution of Urin, and an Atrophia in that part, into which they were inserted.

Several other suppressions of the Serum in the Kidnies I have now and then met with, that were mistaken for suppressions of Urin, occasion'd by the Stone, to the fatal ruin of the Patients, among which I have given an account of one very remarkable in a Treatise called, The Art of curing Diseases by Expecta­tion. I shall here make a short discourse up­on the Aetiology of the before-cited Disease, wherein the use I make of the Hypothesis late­ly [Page 130] set down touching the modus agendi of the Kidnies in the separation and excretion of the Serum, will plainly appear. The Patient there mentioned was of a healthful robust Constitution, and fleshy habit of body, much on Horseback, and scarce at any time long sedentary; his Appetite was much to salt Fish, Pork, Beef, Cheese, and other substantial Food. His Blood upon phlebotomy in the Arm appeared florid, thick and glutinous, with very little Serum. He felt constantly from the beginning of his Illness a weighty pain about his Loins, and pulsatory also; his Urin was pale, crude, dreggish and turbid, made at pretty long intervals, and in very small quantities, because the Serum was not, neither could it be separated in the Kidnies: For his Blood being engendred out of a thick glutinous Chyle, and this out of gross, gluti­nous Aliments, must necessarily be [...]esinous, or thick and glutinous, and consequently as impossible and unfit to mix with an obtuse Serum, as Rain-water with Therebinthin, un­less something be added to the Water to ren­der it pierceing, whose sharp points may divide, cut and insinuate into the pores of the viscous Resin. Though the Patient did drink great quantities of Liquor of one kind or a­nother, the greater part of the Serum it pro­duced, was thrown out by insensible perspi­ration, and very oft by copious Sweats, whilst a small proportion would crowd into the Kidnies, and yield matter for that little Urin that was made. This glutinous, thick [Page 131] and fibrous Blood must be impelled through the Extremities of the emulgent Arteries with great difficulty, and very slow, and with grea­ter difficulty and slowness into the extremi­ties of the emulgent Veins, whereby a full­ness and distention must be occasioned, that caused the weighty obtuse and pulsative pain in the Loins, through the defect of a just and sufficient Circulation, which could not but raise great distentions in the hypochon­ders, unequal pulsations, and other Symp­toms, too many to be here discours'd of by retail. From no other Remedies, but such as obtain a power to remove that clammy, stringy Constitution of the Blood, could any benefit be expected; though on the contra­ry, improper lithontriptic diureticks were advised, impelling the Blood more into the Kidneys, and cramming them, whence the pain increased, and the Serum was more damm'd up, until at last the Patient being inju­diciously sent to the Bath, those hot acidu­lous Waters inwardly taken, put a quick pe­riod to the whole matter.

Neither is it always a want of salin armo­niac Serum, or defect of its permixture with the Blood, that are the causes of a suppres­sion or abolition of the separation and ex­cretion in the Kidnies, is evident in an Asci­tes, or Dropsie, where there is salin Serum in abundance, and so thorowly mixt, that the Blood is but little thicker than Water, and so little glutinous, that the least drop will scarce stick to any thing; yet notwith­standing [Page 132] very little Serum is evacuated by the Kidnies into the Bladder, which redounding therefore so much in the Vessels, is thrown into the Legs (which are then improperly called pedes oedematosi) thighs, scrotum, or the capacity of the Belly. So that the sup­pression of Urin, as its commonly termed, is the most frequent cause, and which mos [...] Physicians do agree unto, of an Ascites and Pedes oedematosi, succeeding a long Ague Chronical cachexia, Jaundice, continuated de­bauches of Brandy, or other strong Liquors and great Haemorrhages. Though in mo [...] sorts of such Dropsies, the most potent o [...] supposed Diureticks are used, and lixivia Remedies, as Lies of Broom-ashes, and others taken to excess, yet no more Urin, but ra­ther less is expelled, and the Dropsy increa­sed. In some of these cases, I have know [...] monstrous hydropical Swellings reduced b [...] a month or two's drinking of the Bath Wa­ters, which, at proper Seasons of the Year, [...] Course of Spaw would have perform'd i [...] less time. The cause of this kind of sup­pression can only be imputed to the Anima [...] Spirits, or the spirituous Lympha being vitia­ted. But in regard that this subject, toge­ther with the examination of its Remedies that are no less numerous than those agains [...] the Stone, would take up too much room I chose to reserve it to another time.

Among that farrago, and mixt heap of Di­ureticks, and Lithontripticks, there remain I should reduce them to a more choice an [...] [Page 133] select number, such a [...] are chiefly in use, and most celebrated among Physicians, and afterwards give you my slender Opinion up­on their modus agendi, or manner of Ope­ration.

The Roots of the most approv'd are the five opening Roots, but more especially Persly, Restharrow, black Radish, and Horse-radish; among the Leaves, White Saxifrage, and Bur­n [...]t Saxifrage; the chief Seeds, Berries, and Fruits, are, Grumwell-seeds, Burdock, Broom, Daucus, Persly, Fennil, Anis, &c. Winter-cher­ries, Hipps, and Iuniper-berries, more particu­larly Red Cicers; In the number of Animals, Millepedes, or Sows; and among the Stones, Salts, and Minerals, Ludus, or the Stone taken out of a Man's Kidnies, or Bladder, Goats Blood, and Goats Urin; Lapis Iudaicus; Cine­res lep [...]ris combusti, vitrum ustum, sal succini, sal prunellae, and Tartarum vitriolatum.

The principal of the most famed Compo­sitions are Electuarium Lithontribon, and Ele­ctuarium Iustini, the description whereof you may read in Cordus and Wecker's Dispensato­ries, being a rude and unaccountable empi­rical hodg-pot of abundance of Carminative Roots and Seeds, some deobstruent Roots, most sort of Spices, some Gums, &c. as ill pro­portion'd, as may be.

Among the Magistral Compositions, by this following Syrup Horatius Augenius doth affirm to have cur'd Six Hundred of the Stone, which is above Five Hundred Ninety and Nine more, than I do believe.

[Page 134] ℞ Rad. Saxifr. Rusc. Eryng. Levist. Onon. Alth. Gram. Foen. Petros. ā ℥ss Raphan. sylv. ℥ij. fol. Beton. Pimpin. Alth. Urtic. Puleg. Na­sturt. Calam. Polygon. Min. Pariet. ā m. 1. fruct. Alkek. N^o. xx. Sebest. N^o. xv. còrt. rad. Lauri ʒiij. Sem. Ocym. Bardan. Petros. Daue. Sesel. Mil. Solis ā ʒij. Uvar. pass. liquir, ā ʒvj. Capil. Ven. Polytric. ā m. 1. Coq. S. A. in Aq. Capil. ven. lbx. in duplici vase ad lbvj. e qui­bus cum Sacchar. fin. lbiiij. & Mell. despum. lbij. f. syr. perfecte coct. & aròmat. Clnam. ℥j. & Nuch. Mosch. ℥ss. m.

Montaguana recommends the following E­lectuary to that degree, that he doth avow, there can be no Stone, which by it cannot be broke, and grinded into Sand.

℞ Sem. Apii, Petros. gran. Mil. Sol. Rad. Sa­x fr. Polii Mont. Aristol. rot. ā ʒj. Lap. Spong ▪ Judaic. Lync. ā ʒjss. Vitri combust. Sang. Hirci praep. ā ʒiij. liquirit. pulv. ʒss. Oxymel. compos. Sacchar. alb. ā lbss. Acet. Scillit. ℥ [...]. M. pro Electuario.

The five Opening Roots, Grass-Roots, Car­minative Seeds, with other Roots, Barks and Seeds like them, are suppos'd to contain a subtile hot Spirit, or subtile moving Particles, which by putting the Animal Spirits upon a quicker Motion, do by attenuating and rare­fying the Blood, separate the Serum from it, and consequently make Matter for the Urine, [Page 135] which being driven down, acquires them the Name of Diureticks, that can no otherwise deserve the Title of Stone-grinders, than by ofent dripping by or upon Stones, may in Length of Time make little Holes into them, and render them brittle.

The Millepedes containing a subtil acidulous Spirit, are thought not only by precipitating the Serum to be very diuretic, but also by piercing into the Pores of the Stone, whose Figures seeming to be adapted for the re­ception of those acid pointed Particles of the Sows, become thereby Stone-breakers. But considering their preparation, they are not only thereby deprived of those few subtil acid Spirits, that fly away by the drying of them in an Oven, or otherwise, which is one way of preparation; or are wholly destroy­ed in their Substance and Virtue, by the o­ther way of preparing them, which is, by washing them well in Rest-harrow-water, next soaking them throughly in Spanish Wine, which being poured off, they are to be put into an Earthen Pot or Pipkin, very closely cover'd and stop'd, and then to be dried in an Oven after the Bread is drawn, which if it be not done with a very mild heat, and several times repeated, they will be apt to be stewed, and never fit to be reduced into Powder; others do chuse after washing of them in White-wine, to dissolve them in Spirit of Vitriol, whereby not only the Spi­rit of Vitriol is obtused and impaired, but the acidulous subtil Spirit of the Sows amortised. [Page 136] This solution is pretended to dissolve the Stone in the quantity of five or six Drops, given in Persly-water, or such like Vehicle. In my Judgment Millepedes need no other preparation, than washing the dirt and slime off them with fair Water, after which they are to be but just broken, or very little brui­sed in a Stone Mortar, and about the num­ber of two or three hundred put into a Ma­trass or Bolt-head, and pouring three Pints of White-wine upon them; the Glass Vessel being closely stop'd, they are to stand 24 Hours, and the Wine is to be filter'd off, the Remainder is to be dried in an Oven in an open Pipkin, and then reduced to Powder; hereof from Two Scruples to Four may be taken in nine or ten spoonfuls of the impregna­ted Wine. That this will prove diuretick to those, that are Nephritick, is oft observ'd, though I have known them taken, being bruised and steeped in Ale, for their ordina­ry Drink, for a quarter of a Year together by those, that were troubled with running Eyes, dimness of Sight, Bloodshed, and In­flamations of the Eyes, Dropsies, Jaundice, Phthisick, and other Distempers, without any abatement of those Diseases, or causing more Urine than ordinary; so that People need not be so scrupulous in their Dose in any other Distemper, but that of the Kidneys, whither they, as all other Diuretics, are apt to carry all gross slimy Humours, they meet with in their passage. Many will put seven or eight of 'em in a Mortar, bruise them into a mash, [Page 137] and pour a Glass of White-wine upon them, and drink it off without straining. Others hang four or five hundred of them in a Linnen Bag in a Firkin of Ale, and after a Fortnights Infusion, drink the Ale for their ordinary Drink.

From a pretended Observation, that Goats Blood will break the hardest of Stones, which is a Diamond, most Physicians prefer it be­yond all other Lythontriptics, advising it to be taken warm, as it comes out of the Veins: this requires some further preparation accor­ding to the Sentiments of Vulgar Authors, which is feeding a young Goat with Persly, Fennil, Carrot and Parsnip Tops, Cabbage Leaves, and the like supposed Diuretics, for three Weeks or a Month about the Spring; though others prefer the Autumn, near the Vintage, at which time a Goat is apt to feed much upon Grapes, if he can come at them, whereby they think his Blood is render'd the more diuretic, and cutting. Being then kil­led, they prefer the Blood, that comes out of his Veins, about the middle of his Bleeding, before that which flows out first or last. No Blood of any Animal doth sooner coagulate in the Air, and dry into a hard, brittle, and sandy substance. On the contrary, the Blood of a Stag only will not coagulate at all, but continues fluid. Now whether the Blood of a Goat being drunk warm, will not so coagu­late in the stomach, as to occasion a great weight, pain, and indigestion there, whereas the Blood of a Stag consisting of more Vo­latile [Page 138] piercing Salts than any other whatsoever, cannot coagulate, by reason of the said copi­ous Volatil Salts, which at the same time will render it the more diuretic, and piercing: so that two Drams or more of Stags Blood warm, as it comes out of his Veins, with four or five Ounces of Goats Urine, will make a more potent Medicine, than any of that kind. Many in a Fit of the Stone, and the Cholick thence caused, by drinking their own Urine (which is much worse than that of a healthful Young-Man) have suddenly re­moved both to a wonder, and continuing the use of it Mornings and Evenings for several Days together, have render'd the Stone brittle; but this sort of Urinous Draught is attended with a great inconvenience of taking away the Appetite, and weakning Digestion. Beyond all doubt the Urin of a Fox is strong­er, and more piercing than any of the be­fore mentioned, as feeding chiefly upon Blood and Flesh, which abounds much more with Volatil Armoniac Salts, than most sorts of Herbs.

As for Alcalious Salts, or such as are by Fire render'd lixivial, as the Ashes of several Animals, their Hair and Feathers, also Dungs, and several Chymical Salts of Vegetables and Minerals, operate by an abstersive stimulati­on, and shrinking or contracting the Vessels, whereby they propel the Humours, and pre­cipitate those that are acid: But all lixivials are experimentally found to abate the Appe­tite, and extremely disturb the digestion of the Stomach.

[Page 139]The red Cicers (which are no other than red Pease, and little different in substance and taste from Common Gray Pease) that are in so high esteem for moving Urine, perform it no otherwise than by a flatuous Spirit, where­by they distend the Bowels and Vessels, and rarefie the Humours contain'd in them, that are forc'd forward to gain more room; which is no more than what a Decoction of Tares, and most sorts of Vetches, Pease, Horse-Beans, and Cabbage can, and some of them do effect in a more powerful manner.

It is to be further observ'd, that all Diure­ticks, of what kind soever, must be used with the highest Caution in the Stone, Gravel, or any kind of Suppression of Serum, or Urine, lest by forcing and bringing down gross Hu­mours with them, they cramb and choak up the Passages more than they were; for which Reason they are rarely prescrib'd singly, or in great Doses, and frequent Repetitions, in a Fit of the Stone, Gravel, or Suppression; but either mix'd with those Remedies, that have a Power by their Mucilaginous and Un­ctuous or Balsamick Particles, to smooth, re­lax, widen, and render the Passages slippery; as, Oil of Sweet Almonds and Linseeds; Mal­lows, Marsh-Mallows, Pellitory of the Wall, Bear's-Breech, Violet-Leaves, Borrage and Bug-loss; or giving small Doses of the milder sort of them, and seldom, &c. And in a Fit, they chuse to consine themselves only to Mu­cilaginous and Emollient Medicines; also to Balsamicks, as Therebinthin, Lucatellus's Bal­sam, [Page 140] Balsam of Tolu, of Peru, &c. by Mix­ture with some other Balsamicks, or gentle Diureticks, made into Bolusses, Electuaries, or Pills, and sometimes Elixirs, and Tinctures; at Intervals advising Clysters, Emollient and Carminative, and now and then Narcoticks; also Half-Baths, up to the Middle, and whole Baths, besides Bags and Cataplasms.

The Prevention of the Return of Fits con­sists in gentle proper Purgatives and Laxa­tives, follow'd by proper Diureticks; Mine­ral-Waters, whether wholly Diuretick, as the Sulphurous Waters at the Bath, Sunning-Hill near Windsor, Heywood-Hill near Totte­ridge, Islington, Richmond, Astrop, Deptford, Henden, and other Waters; or both Purga­tive and Diuretick, as Dulwich-Waters, Bar­net, Epsom, Chigwell, Pancras, Acton, Pescot-street at Windsor, Stretham, &c. operate by Quantity, Weight, and Stimulation, some by Fermentation and Rarefaction, and others by Quantity, Weight, Stimulation, Fermenta­tion, and Rarefaction.

To conclude the whole Matter, I could ne­ver yet, among all these fore-mention'd Re­medies, find any beyond proper Oleous Bal­samick Volatile Elixirs, and Tinctures; and these ought to be framed of Ingredients as various and different, as the Causes of Sup­pression of Urine, and Generation of the Stone and Gravel in the Kidneys, may be supposed.

CHAP. XII. Of Madness.

1. I must own, that among the whole Ca­talogue of Diseases, nothing seems more abstruse, and inexplicable, than that Preter-natural Disposition of the Brain, that is attended with a Madness; either without a Fever, as a Mania; or with a Fever, as a Phrenitis; or any sort of Delirium, as a Para­phrenitis with, or without a Fever, which doth affect the Brain only secondarily, and per Deuteropatheian, as the two former do pri­marily, and per Protopatheian. In all these are Laesa the Imaginatio, Sensus Communis, and Memoria. The Manner or Modus of their Laesion cannot well be understood, without first apprehending the manner, how they are perform'd in their natural State, which is the great Difficulty, that neither all my Reading, nor the Meanness of my Capacity can remove. I am apt to conceive, there is properly called (without any Necessity of terming it Analo­gous) a Sensitive Memory, Common Sense, and Imagination in all Animals, in some more, greater, or more exquisite, and of greater Power, than in others. A Dog seeing a piece of Meat held to him, at a greater distance than he can be suppos'd to smell it, the Ide [...] or Impression which at another former time [Page 142] the said piece of Meat, or something like it, made upon his Sight or Smell, is an Argu­ment of Memory, or else would no more run at it, than to a Stone, or a Logg; the distin­ction he makes, that it is neither a Stone or Logg, or any thing else, but a piece of Meat, signifies he hath common Sense, and many Dogs though they are not hungry, and can­not eat it, they will run at a piece of Meat, or a Bone, carry it away into some retired place, and there bury it, whither they will repair, to dig it up and eat it upon the re­turn of their Hunger, all which implies evi­dently, they are endu'd with Memory, com­mon Sense, and Imagination; which appears plainer, when a Dog hath been observ'd sometime to bark, walk about, return to the place he left, and do several other Actions as if he were awake, in his Sleep, caused by Impressions or Idea's made in his wakeful time, that move his Animal Spirits when sleeping; the variety of which motion excited by those impressions, imply Imagination, Common Sense, and Memory, which is further confirm­by the Madness or Mania, Dogs, Hogs, and other Beasts, feeding upon Carrion and cor­rupted Food, are subject unto, depraving their internal senses, so as to commit Vio­lence to all Creatures, they formerly were fa­miliar with: And lastly their sensitive Passi­ons, (so termed in distinction to those, th [...]t are excited by the intellective or rational Fa­culty) as Love, Fear, Anger, hatred, is a sign they do know, and distinguish, which are [Page 143] Acts of the Internal Senses. The Love of a Dog is easily perceiv'd by his Fawning, his Fear is discover'd by the holding a Stick at him, his Anger by biting, and his Hatred, which is a continuated Anger, by his Ag­gressing of Cats, Rabbits, Bears, Bulls, &c. And among all Beasts, the exercise of the In­ternal Senses, and Sensitive Passions is most re­markable in an Elephant, as may be observed in the several wonderful Relations, very cre­dible Authors do make of them. For a little digression the affinity of the Subject puts me upon this Query, Whether a Maniac or a Madman biting another Man, or a Dog, may not have the same Influence upon the Man, or Dog that's bit, in causing him to go Mad, and occasioning an Hydrophobia, as the biting of a Mad Dog has upon a Man, a Dog, or a Hog? Though it be probable, that the ve­nomous bite of either is reciprocal, yet I ne­ver heard it confirm'd by experiment.

Without ascending so high as the Intel­lective Faculty, comprizing the Rational Me­mory, Common Sense, and Imagination, I shall for the present endeavour to satisfie my self in the Modus of these sensitive, or Animal Internal Senses, by the following Notion. I will suppose, that all external Sensation (of the external Senses) is performed by an Im­pression, or rather Pressure, made by the sen­sible external Object upon the Sensory or Or­gan immediately, and mediately by that, up­on the sensitive Nerve, be it Seeing, Hear­ing, &c. Or it may be conceived thus; [Page 144] Sensation is the perception of any sensible Ob­ject: All Perception is by Contact: All Con­tact is by corporeal Impression, and Impressi­on by local Motion. Here ariseth an Ob­jection, that its not likely, that a visible Ob­ject at fifty or threescore Leagues distance, as the Peak of Tenariff, should reach so far, as by Contact, Impression, and local Motion, to affect the Tumica Cornea or Sight; or that the fixt Stars, Which are more remote beyond all Comparison, should reach the Eye, so as to make a corporeal contact upon it. The Answer contains no difficulty, if you will suppose that no obsect is visible by it self, but by light or Lumen, and that Lumen is a circu­lar Emission or Emanation of luminous Par­ticles from Lux (which in reference to the precited Instances is the Sun) and is extended as far above the Sun probably, as it is to us below it. The Interception of the said lu­minous Particles by colour'd, figur'd and quantitative Bodies, and their being by them in the Interception modified and determined, do thence reach to our Eyes. And why should not Light be as diffusive, or dispersive a Body as Air, (filling so vast a Region as it doth) being much more subtil than it, as passing through every pore of it? Light hath quantity, viz. Longitude, Latitude, and Pro­fundity as much, and as properly, as Air, or any other Body. Being condensed by a thick Convex Glass, it hath Weight or Gravity, a [...] might be experimentally found, were the Glass artificially weighed) No less than Air [Page 145] condensed in a Retort by a Pump. Light ra­refies the Air, which Darkness condenseth. The Light, and Colours, which are only Mo­difications of the Light, (for without Light, all things are dark, and of no Colour,) make a Pressure upon the External Tunick of the Eye, (consisting chiefly of the Filaments of the Optick Nerve, whence it is this Mem­brane or Tunick becomes the most sensible of any in the whole Body, scarce enduring the softest Touch of any external thing without an exquisite Pain,) which is very perceptible to those, that look against the Light of the Sun; this being continuated to the Optick Nerve, and thence to its Beginning, is what I understand by Sight.

But here an Objection may be offer'd; Quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum Recipien­tis. The Sensitive Nerves, as the Optick, Auditory, &c. being all of one Composure, Constitution, or Temperament, and the Spi­rits that actuate them, being all the same, must receive the Impression of Sensible Ob­jects all alike, and after the same manner; and consequently Light must be tasted, or a Sound must be seen, &c. which is false.

To this I give in Answer, That all Sensa­tion is by Contact, that is, by a real or mate­rial Action, and not by immaterial Species, or Emission of Animal Spirits, which are vain Expressions. The said Contact i [...] the same, and made in the same manner, but the Positions and Figures which it makes up­on the Nerves, and its minute fibrillous Parts, [Page 146] are different as much, as the Figures upon a piece of Dow, (which is the same in com­parison throughout all its Parts,) made by se­veral Stamps; so that the Figures made by a visible Object upon the Pores of the Optick Nerves, and upon the Spirits included in them, are different from those that are made upon the Nerves of other Senses by other Sensibles. 2. That the Sensitive Nerves do differ each from the other in Softness, Bigness, Density, and other Qualifications. 3. That the immediate Sensation is not in the Nerves themselves, and the Animal Spirits contain'd in them, but in their invisible minutest Ter­minations, or subtilest Fibrillae; and therefore I assert, that the Sight is in the Tunica Cornea, the Hearing in the Tympanum or Drum, as much as the Sense of Feeling is in the Exter­nal Cutis: For supposing that the Tunica Cor­nea, and indeed all the Tunicks of the Eye, are Expansions of Nerves, and composed of innumerable most minute Chanals, that com­municate with the Por [...]s, wherewith all the Humours of the Eye are pervious, and all fil­led with Animal Spirits; the Positions they are pu [...] into, and Figures that are impressed upon them, are continuated to the Optick Nerve, and thence to its Beginning in the Brain. I will not here undertake the Task of an Oculist, in explaining the Concentration of the Optick Spirits about the Pupil, and the several Changes of Figures they undergo by Reflections in the Humours of the Eye, but pass ov [...]r to the Hearing, the Seat whereof [Page 147] (as asserted before) I take to be in the Drum, and the Terminations of Fibres of the Audi­tory Nerve in it, upon which Pressure being made by the Air containing the Sound, and continu'd to the Beginning of the Auditory Nerve, is the Cause of Hearing. Wherefore I can in no manner be persuaded, that the Sound made upon the Drum, beating the Hammer (Malleus) against the Incus (Anvil,) and propa­gating the Sound to the Internal Air contain'd in the long crooked Passage beyond it, is by the Means thereof carry'd to the Auditory Nerve; the Use of the said Internal Air being rather to keep the Drum stretch'd, (as a Bladder is kept distended by the Air that is blown into it,) and magnifie the Sound by the Hollow, containing nothing but Air, as you may ob­serve in a Military Drum, the Hollowness whereof doth exceedingly magnifie the Sound that is made upon it by any sort of Percussion. That these little Bones placed in the Hollow of the Air, are so instrumental to Hearing, I cannot well understand, but do rather con­ceive their Use to be for a Stabiliment or Fulciment of the Hollow, and keeping the Drum, and the Circumvestient Membrane of the said Hollow distended. Hence it is, that the Drum of the Ear being by moist Weather, or damp Southerly and South-West Winds somewhat relax'd, the Hearing is dull'd, and not so sharp as it is in clear dry Weather, when the Wind gently blows Easterly, or North-East. Moreover, when the Drum hath been extreamly stretch'd by a near violen [...] [Page 148] Noise, Thunder, or Great-Gun, so as it cannot return to its due Streightness, but must fall into a wrinkl'd Skin, the Hearing is either wholly lost, and destroy'd, as it hath happen'd to several having a thin dry weak Drum, up­on a near and extream sharp Sound; or is so obtused, that they can hear but very indi­stinctly. The like Accident may happen to the Sight, when any very Luminous Body makes too long and too near an Impression upon the Tunica Cornea, whereby being too much thinn'd, and distended, it doth cause a Blindness; to prevent which, Nature hath framed the said Horny Coat thicker and stronger, than any of the inferiour Tunicks of the Eye, the Use whereof (namely the Tu­nicks) I take chiefly to contain the several Humours, which reflect or turn back the vi­sible Object, or Pressure made by it, to the Tunica Cornea, as the Quick-Silver on the back-side of the Looking Glass stops, or re­turns the Object to the Surface of the Glass.

The most excellent of the External Senses is the Sight: Its Organ, that wonderful Ma­chine of the Eye, consists of a greater Num­ber of fine smooth polish'd Parts, than any of the other Senses, and is more in Use and Exer­cise than all of them together; for a Man that is awake is always seeing, and is com­monly accounted awake, because we observe his Eyes are open; so that necessarily a far greater Proportion of Animal Spirits, and the finest and subtilest of them, is consum'd by Seeing, than by all the other Senses con­junctly; [Page 149] whence it is, that Sleep being desti­nated for the repair of the Animal Spirits, we always perceive the necessity of it ap­proaching first in our Eyes, which makes People commonly say, they are so sleepy, they cannot keep their Eyes open; and there­fore we do as commonly conclude a Man to be in sleep, because his Eyes continue shut. It is no wonder then, if blind Men can abstain longer from sleep than others, or that their other Senses are much more exquisite, than in those that can see; because that great flood of the finest Animal Spirits which the sight doth require, is distributed to the other external Sensories. Their internal Senses are also much stronger, in regard many blind Men have been observed to have stupendous Memories, and wonderful Phantasies: Thence it is likewise, that when a Man hath a desire to call any thing to mind, which he had al­most forgotten, or to think very seriously up­on a Subject, he is apt either to shut his Eyes, or look down to the ground, whereby a pro­portion of the optick Spirits are kept in the Brain, to assist the [...]nternal Senses. More­over, because so vast a supply of Animal Spi­rits is requir'd, to be transmitted to the Eyes for Sight, Nature hath fram'd the Op­tick Nerves bigger, than any in all the Body, b [...]ing the only Nerves, that have a perceptible hollowness in them, and thereby render'd capable to give passage to such great Floods of Spirits; not only to supply for that long continuance of Seeing, but also to sup­ply [Page 150] that variety of Parts, which is greater than those, the Organs of Hearing, Smel­ling and Tasting do consist of. I expressed, that commonly a Man seeth, or useth his Sense of Seeing, as long as he is awake, by reason of the constant readiness of visible Ob­jects, that will crowd in upon the Sight; he doth not in like manner always hear, or his Hearing is not always in exercise, though he can always hear, by reason there is not al­ways a Sound or Noise in Being, to crowd in upon him. And though it is possible for a Man to consume or spend abundance of A­nimal Spirits, by hearing a continual Noise from Morning to Night, so as thereby to make him sleepy, yet it seldom doth happen, because Nature can better endure the waste of Auditory Spirits, which are incompara­tively grosser than the Optic, the loss and wasting whereof being much greater, and a greater abundance being required for the Sense of Seeing is the cause, why we all­ways perceive the necessity of Sleep in our Eyes, before any of the other Senses, in which also the like necessity is perceptible, in regard, that when a Man grows sleepy, he doth not care to hear, or use any of his other Senses. And though by much stirring or local Motion, and other Labours, the wasting of the Animal Spirits in the Joints, doth occasion sleep, yet its always first per­c [...]iv'd by weight or drowsiness of the Eyes, because they are deprived of their due pro­portion of Animal Spirits, that were trans­mitted [Page 151] to the Limbs, and wasted by their continuated Exercise.

Before I recede from this Subject, its con­venient I should explain, what I mean by de­scribing all Membranes to be expansions of the extremities of Vessels, in order to make it appear, that the Seat of all the External Senses is in the Membranes, and not in the Nerves. That the cutis or ambient Skin of all Animals is a Membrane, cannot be doubt­ed, when its look'd upon, after its dress'd by the Tanner of Fellmonger into Leather. That it consists of the Expansion of the Ex­tremities of all the Vessels, as of Nerves, Ar­teries, Veins, and Lymphaeducts, is evident by its exquisite Sence of Feeling, and by the least superficial hurt of a Scratch, causing small owsings of Blood, and by Sweat, the extremities of the Nerves importing feeling, as the extremities of the other Vessels lets out Blood and Sweat. By expansion, I do not understand a flat spreading out of the ends of the Vessels, as if it were Dow expanded by a Rowling-pin, but I do apprehend the said Vessels towards their terminations, to be divided into thousands of small Filaments, and glewed together in the Cutis, by a gluti­nous substance, (engendred out of the Hu­mours, brought thither by the aforesaid Ves­sels) that is not so stringy or sibrous, as to be call [...]d Flesh. It is fearce denied by any of the Learned, that the Ambient Skin is the chief Seat of Feeling; for though other Membranes, as the Periostium, the Internal [Page 152] Membrane of the Kidneys, and most of all the Tunica cornea, and next to that, the drum of the Ear, are of a much more exquisite Sense, than the Skin, as consisting of a far greater proportion of Nervous Expansions, and consequently too tender, and therefore not so proper to distinguish all sorts of Touch­es or Impressions, as hard, soft, rough, smooth, hot, cold, &c. which Impressions are thence continuated, by the nervous Filaments to the bodies of the Nerves, and at the same Instant to the beginning of them, and thence to the Common Sense, which doth distinguish these Touches or Tacts into specifications of hard, smooth, &c. And here by the way, it may be observ'd from the instance of some Para­lytics, who have lost the Sense of Feeling in some of their Joints or Members, though their mobility or motion remains intire, that for the most part those Nerves, that proceed from the Brain, bring the Sense of Feeling, and those from the Medulla Spinalis are causes of local Motion, which is an Argument, that the Spirits that flow immediately from the Brain, are much more subtil, than those that are derived from the Marrow of the Back-Bone.

What I say here, is not to be understood so generally and absolutely, which made me only intimate, that for the most part, and not all, the Nerves immediately proceeding from the Brain, do only bring Sense; for some of them do also conveigh motion, but withal a motion so agil, nimb [...] and durable, [Page 153] or frequently repetible, beyond what any of the Spinal Nerves do or can perform, as ap­pears in the nimble and frequently repetible motion of the Eye and Eye-lids, of the Tongue, &c. Neither do I exclude the Spi­nal Nerves, from transmitting Sense and Mo­tion together; but am to be understood, that these fine Spinal Branches of Nerves, and consequently containing Spirits more subtil, that are disseminated through the Cutis, be­ing the Seat of the Tact do communicate the Sense of Feeling, and the other that are more gross, and dispersed through the Bodies of Muscles, cause Motion.

That the Sense of Feeling is more exquisite at the ends of the Fingers and Toes, proceeds from the greater concourse of fine capillar Nervous Terminations in those extreme parts.

The spongie Membrane of the Tongue, which appears to be an expanded Contex­ture, out of the Filaments of the gustative Nerves, and of the Extremities of the Coats of Arteries, Veins, Salival and Lymphaeducts, is likewise found to be the Seat of the Taste, especially about the Tip, where there is a greater concourse of Nervous Filaments.

In like manner, I do conceive the Drum of the Ear to be a thin subtil Membrane, com­posed of the Filaments of the Auditory Nerve, and the extremities of other Vessels, that are inserted into it. The sound that from with­out makes its pressure upon the Drum, being enlarged by the hollow [...] the Tortuous nar­row passage, is carried by those Filaments to [Page 154] the Trunc of the said Nerve, and thence con­tinuated to the beginning of it, and to the Common Sense: So that the sound to me doth not appear, to be carried down to the fur­ther end of the said tortuousPassage, and thence to the Auditory Nerve, no more than the pres­sure of a luminousObject upon the Horny-coat, is continuated to the Crystalline and vitreous Humour at the bottom of the Eye, to be thence communicated to the Optick Nerve, with which it doth not seem to have any im­mediate Communication; for as I said be­fore, the humours of the Eye wrap'd up by the several Coats to keep them together from dropping asunder, seem to me only intend­ed, to modify and reflect the Object back again to the Horny tunic, whose contexture is chiefly of the numerous Filaments of the Optic Nerve. The Tunica Cornea to be apt­ly disposed to receive the Pressure of visible Objects, must be kept up distended by the watery Humour (humor aqueus) under it, which if it be any thing lessened, either by evaporation in a hot Season, or by a Fever, so as to relax the said Tunic, the Sight im­mediately grows dim upon it; and if it wholly runs out by a Wound, so as the Tu­nic happens to fall in wrinkles, then the Sight is wholly lost. In old Men the Sight becomes dim, and so it doth oft upon a con­tinual Fever, by reason that by length of Time, or Age, and by Exiccation, the humor aqu [...]us is somewhat diminish'd, and the Tu­nick thereby is somewhat relaxed, which [Page 155] makes it seem thicker, and consequently not adapted to receive so vigorous an Impression.

It may likewise be observed, and is now gene­rally so received, that the Seat of Smelling is not in the Olfactory Nerves (I do not mean those that are commonly so call'd by the Antients, that had mammillar terminations, (Processus mammillares) which are now taken to be ra­ther carriers off of some Excrements of the Brain) but in the internal Membrane of the the Nostrils, through which the Olfactory Nerves are expanded in Filaments.

Since then it appears, that Nature having plac'd the Seat of all the other external Senses in external Membranes, as parts to which the external sensible Objects do first arrive, and make their first and most sensible Impres­sion; it is a perswasive Argument to me, that the Seat of the Sight is in the Tunica Cornea, or Sclerotica, being the most sensible, and con­sequently chiefly consisting of Expansions of the Optic Nerve, whereas the Tunica Uvea or Choroeides, consists more of a contexture of Terminations of other Vessels. It will not be impertinent here to offer a few seeming Reasons out of a great many, that induce me to suppose the Cornea the Principal Seat of Vision, without excluding the necessary con­currence of every Tunic and Humor of the Eye, a great Fault in any of them being as capable to occasion an abolition, diminution, or depravation of Sight, as the least conside­rable Wheel in a Watch being disorder'd, may cause it to stand, move too slow, or too fast▪

[Page 156]I have before asserted, that all Sense is by immediate Contact of any corporeal sensi­ble Object. The Touch, Smelling, and Taste are by simple Contact, their Objects consisting of grosser Particles; but Seeing and Hearing are, as it were by a double Contact, that is, by reflection, because their Objects are more subtil, and without a due reflection, could not be perceived by the Eye or Ear; for by Reflection the sensible Object is much strengthned, and consequently obtains a greater force to move the Sensorie. The found made upon the uppermost Skin of a Drum, would not be so strong, or make such a sort of a found, were it not reflected by the undermost Skin. Wherefore Light, or any luminous Object, being a Body the most subtil of all others, must necessarily require a due Reflection, before it's powerful enough to move the Sight. Its allow'd by most, that Light passeth in Rays, that is in Lines of con­tinuated luminous Particles through the Cor­nea, and Humor Aquens, to the Foramen Uveae, where being contracted, or gathered closer, they make a conical Figure.

The Cryst [...]llin being the most Diapha­nous, Compact, thick, and fullest of Pores, is capable to be crowded with a great quanti [...]y of [...]u [...]inous Rays (not unlike thick Glass, [...] by co [...]densing the Rays do magnif [...] the Light) that are reflected or turned back by the Humor Vit [...]eus, which in colour and capacity of receiving luminous Beams, through want of sutable [Page 157] Pores, may aptly be resembl'd to Quicksilver behind a Looking-Glass, reflecting luminous Objects. That those Rays are reflected by the Humor Vitreus is seemingly at least proved to me, by the seeing of those false Appear­ances of Flyes and Motes in a Suffusion, which appear to the Sight to be floating in the Air before the Eye, or Tunica Cornea: For sup­posing that the Light carried those little Flies or Bowls directly down to the Crystalline, and thence to the Vitreus, Retina, and Optic Nerve, how can they appear floating in the Air, or on the outside of the Cornea, unless they were reflected back again from the Vi­treus to the Cornea, to make their Impressions there? All Refractions, which in Opticks are vulgarly imputed to a duplex medium of different Natures, are double, or broken Re­flections, as appears in a Stick, that's partly in the Water, and partly in the Air; so that a Refraction not being possible without Refle­ction, it follows, that where a Man seeth every thing double, by reason of the remo­val of the Crystalline Humour out of its place by a fall, blow, or other violence, the visible Ob­jects are refracted, by a part of the Crystalline that retains its place still, and partly by the Medium that is in that part, whence the Cry­stalline was removed.

To shew, how these sensible Impressions are at the same instance carried to that part of the Brain, where the Internal Senses are s [...]ated, is my chief Design; and in Reference to that, I have been the more particular in explaining [Page 158] the external Senses, and the Modus sensationis. I do conceive then, that the Nerves do consist chiefly of congregated Filaments, drawn in to length, besides others that are lateral, and that the beginning of the Nerves are Fila­ments of the medullar part of the Brain, (whereof its only supposed it doth consist) congregated and gathered together into one united body, which by being afterwards divi­ded into so many lesser congregated Bodies, doth constitute each of the beginning of the said Nerves. Wherefore I do apprehend, that an impression made upon any of the sensories that consist of Nervous filaments, the impres­sion by continuation (in the manner former­ly mention'd in the Instance of a Cord) is carried to the beginning of the Nerves, and thence to the united body of the Filaments of the Medulla cerebri, were one object is distinguish'd from another, which I term com­munis sensatio, or sensus communis. I will like­wise suppose, that besides those prolonged Filaments, the Nerves are filled with innu­merable lateral ones, of several figures, and minute dimensions, the various positions of which being actuated by Animal Spirits in­to several representations, impressions and fi­gur [...]s, if permitted to remain so, is Memo­ry, and when compar'd, and variously com­posed, one to another is Imagination. So that I do conceive Memory to be the basis, and antecedent to Imagination, as common Sense is of Memory, which I cannot appre­hend to be other than various Acts of the Cog­noscitive, [Page 159] or Sensitive faculty. I do very well know, that applying the same Assertion to Rational Memory, and affirming that Me­mory is the basis, and antecedent Cause of Rational Imagination, admits of a considera­ble Objection, viz. That very oft Persons of the weakest Memory have the strongest Ima­gination, and the best Judgment, and that the Memory may be lost, though the Ima­gination and Judgment solely depending upon that, continue entire; which I do de­ny, for as much of the Memory of things as is lost, so much of the Imagination must be lost; for supposing that you have intire­ly forgotten the Idea of a Horse, Cow, or Dog, you can never frame any Phansie or Imagination of them; so likewise if your Common Sense is so far abolished, that you cannot conceive or make a distinction of the impressions those Animals made upon the Filaments of your Brain, it is not possible for you to remember them. Probably then this Inference may be made, that the greater Memory a Man hath, the greater must be his Phansie, Knowledge, Wit and Judgment; which is otherwise observed, in regard that very oft the greatest Memories are not attend­ed with the greatest Wit and Judgment. That they are attended with the greater Know­ledge is most certain; for a Man that re­members a great many Objects, or Sub­jects, must know so many more than ano­ther, who doth not remember so many; though for what concerns his Phansie, Wit [Page 160] and Judgment, they may be quicker, or nim­bler, and more agreeable to right Reason in one of a weaker Memory, but no farther, and of no more Subjects than the number he re­members.

It may be abjected against what I asserted before, that Common Sense, Memory and Imagination, are only three several Acts of one Faculty; that Mad-men oft retaining their Common Sense and Memory intire, and having only their Imagination deprav­ed, is an evidence they must be three di­stinct Faculties, whereof one being deprav­ed, doth perform depraved Acts, and the o­thers that are intire, do perform Acts as they they ought; wherefore since a found Act, and one that's depraved, cannot proceed at the same time from one and the same Fa­culty, it sollows, they must be three distinct Faculties. I do Answer to this, that the Common Sense and Memory in a Mad-man are depraved, to the same proportion his Imagination is depraved; for to him a Horse may appear to be a Cow, or he may and doth remember things to be otherwise than they were first represented to him. The fame Animal Spirits, the fame Nerves, and medullar filaments of the Brain, do all act in the exercise of the internal Senses: And that perceiving of sensible Objects (which is the act of Common Sense) the retaining them, (being the Act of Memory) and the com­posing them variously together (which is the Act of Phansie) should be other than [Page 161] Acts of the same Sensitive or Cognoscitive Faculty in Beasts, or of the Rational Facul­ty in Men, I can in no wise apprehend.

In regard the Memory of Beasts) though some of them have a Brain of greater dimen­sions than a Man) is so little capable of re­taining many sensible Impressions, which are certainly material; and whereas a Man is ca­pable of retaining of innumerable and infinite impressions of Words, Languages, and all things sensible and intelligible, it cannot be concei­ved, but that the Rational Faculty, and con­sequently the Soul must be immaterial; for should you suppose, as commonly its taught, that the Memory is only an Impression made upon, and retained either by the soft sub­stance of the Brain, or upon its Animal Spi­rits gathered into a soft Cloud; were the Brain of as large an extent as a Church, and could harbour as many Spirits, that nor these could be capacious enough to retain a tenth part of things, which a Man is capable of remembring. So that I say, the Rational Fa­culty must be immaterial, that is, cannot be performed by a material Organ, as the Brain, and its material Animal Spirits; and therefore its impossible for any Man to con­ceive the manner of operation of the Rati­onal Faculty, as long as the Soul continues confin'd and immerged in a material or cor­poreal substance: And were the Soul of Man material, as some do believe for want of true Reason, it could be capable of discerning and remembring no more Objects, than the Soul [Page 162] of a Beast, the Brain of some Beasts being as organically and aptly framed, as the Brain of a Man, and in some the Animal Spirits much more sine and subtil.

From this Discourse I do infer, that the Cognoscitive internal Senses, (which are subservient to the Rational Faculty, compre­hending a Rational or intellective Common Sense, Memory, and Imagination) in a Mania are only affected; for the Intellective being im­material, can in no wise be subject to be af­fected by any thing that is material; neither could any material Remedy have a power to act upon an immaterial Disease of a Man, as Madness must be termed, were the Intelle­ctive part touched, more than upon the im­material Madness of a Devil.

This premis'd, I am of opinion, that the Animal Spirits in the Brain being irregularly and violently mov'd, is the cause of a Mania, by putting those sensible Impressions, that are made upon the lateral minute Filaments of the Brain, into a disorder, and changing their Positions, which occasions the Com­mon S [...]nse, Memory and Phansie to be so depraved: That the Fury and Heat, which Maniacs are so frequently impell'd into, are occasion'd by the continuated, quick, and impetuous Motion of the Animal Spirits, which thereby are grinded into very sharp cutting, piercing Points, that disunite the lateral Filaments, stimulate, prick, cut, and pierce those Filaments of the medullar part of the Brain, and of the Nerves, and by the [Page 163] foresaid rapid Motions the whole sensitive Machine is put into a Flame: That their continual wakefulness proceeds from the a­bundance of Animal Spirits (the cause of which shall be explained below) the Brain of Maniacs is furnish'd with, the wast of Spirits, their paucity, Feebleness and slow motion, giving commonly occasion for Sleep. That they are in no wise subject to Fevers, taking Cold, Obstructions of any of their Bowels, or scarce any other Distemper, or any preternatural Symptom, except over-wake­fulness, (vigiliae immoderatae) is to be im­puted to the Rapid Motion of their Ani­mal Spirits, attenuating their Blood, promo­ting of its circulation, rendering the Body pervious, and free from all Obstructions of the internal and external Pores; their Blood being more salin and dry, than sulphurous, is not so much exposed to a febril Putre­faction: Though it must be observ'd, that very oft before Mani [...]cs fall into their Di­stemper, there is a great Calm and slowness of Motion in the Animal Spirits, which oc­casioneth a very slow motion in the Hu­mours about the Bowels, and very oft a Stag­nation, that disposes them to a particular sort of putrefaction, whence gradually pro­ceeding some putrid, salin, sharp, acuated or pointed Particles, that oppress the Animal Spirits, dull their Motion, and cause such a disorder in their Blood, that is productive of such Symptoms, which commonly Melan­cholic Hypo [...]hondriacs are troubled with [Page 164] as Sighing, heavy, sorrowful and desponding Thoughts, palpitations of the Heart, Frights, Fears, Sloathfulness in stirring, Languid­ness, &c. These forementioned putrid, salin Particles, as they arise, and separate gradual­ly, and are afterwards mix'd with the whole Mass of Blood, increase the prenumerated Symptoms, until at length great Crowds issuing thence, do so violently move, stimu­late, impel, and hurry the Animal Spirits in­to a Tempest and Fury, whence soon after those other Manical Symptoms do follow.

A Mania or Madness, though it be only a Symptom, and the chief and most urgent of the others, that are associated with it, is as all other chief Symptoms, commonly called a Disease by a Metonymia Adjuncti pro subjecto. By the same tropical manner of speaking a Fe­ver, or rather Fervor, is called a Disease, from the burning heat that doth oft accompany it, though it be but a chief Symptom. This I thought fit to observe, to prevent your judging it a mistake in me, in calling a Ma­nia, and many, if not all chief Symptoms a Disease▪ which is a very common way of speakin [...] among most Physicians.

That in Maniacs the functions of the Bow­els, and other parts are performed with greater vigour than in others, appears by their di­gesting almost any thing that's edible, by their copious Excretions by Stool, Urine, and Swea [...], by their wonderful and almost in­credible strength of their Limbs, so as some­times the strength of a Madman, shall exceed [Page 165] the united force of four or five Men, that have their Senses intire. Their Hearing, Seeing, and other Senses are much more ex­quisite (though [...]epraved) than in others, in regard Madmen will hear the least noise, and see the least Object, beyond what they could do when they were Compotes. The Cause and Reason of all which is the abun­dance of Anim [...]l Spirits, that are contained and engendred in Madmen, insomuch that it may be presumed▪ the greatest part of their Blood is spiritualiz'd, or convert [...]d into Ani­mal Spirits; for without sup [...]osing this vast plethory of Spirits, it's impossible they should be always, Night and Day, using their Tongues and Limbs in so furious and violent a manner, without any long intermissions of Rest or Sleep. This Plethory ariseth from the all­most perpetual, violent, quick and nimble motion of the Animal Spirits, piercing, grind­ing, and subtilizing the greatest part of the Blood into Spirits similar to themselves.

If a Madman, after he hath continued in a long raving Fury, falls into a long inter­mission of Silence, hardly to be provoked out of it, that must be adscribed to the great ex­pence and wast of Animal Spirits, by his long fit of Fury, which he is forced to repair, by giving the remainder of his Spirits time to breed more.

His reciprocal seasons of Madness, inter­mix'd with intervals of Rational Discourse, in some for a longer time, in others shorter, may be attributed to the variety of motion [Page 166] in his Spirits, which sometimes moving re­gularly and naturally, are the occasion of the latter, to wit his lucid Interval, whereas he is impell'd into the former by Fits, as fre­quent, as there is a new fallying out of a crowd of the forementioned putrid falin Par­ticles, mixing with the Blood, and upon its arrival to the Brain, mixing with the Spirits.

I have been obliged to make an expatia­tion in the Theory of the external Senses, to the end I might more easily explain the man­ner of natural Operation of the Internal, there­by in some sort to apprehend the manner of their preternatural Operation in a Mania; which I did the rather, that I might give my self the occasion of [...]xamining the pra­ctic part, relating to the curing of Diseases of the Eyes and Ears, as w [...]ll as of the Brain. If I have not been so successful in these most difficult and abstruse Matters, as I could wish, or as others of a much better capacity might have been, I hope I may be excused for my attempt, were it only for proposing the Sub­jects, and giving others an opportunity to exercise their Industry and great Abilities. However, I shall presume to give you an Ac­count of what use I make of the said Theory.

First, In relation to the Eyes, the laesion of the Sight is either caus [...]d by the fault of the Optic Nerves, and their expan [...]d Filaments, the decay, waste, and vitious constitution of the Animal spirits, or the vitious disposition of the Tunics of the Eye, but especially of the Horny-coat, or by the fault of the Hu­mours, [Page 167] I mean the aqueous, vitreous, and crystalline, whose Office I did only suppose is, to support and keep the Tunics justly distend­ed, and by Reflection, to return the visible Impression to the Horny-coat.

I do only pretend here to take notice of some defects of the Horny-coat, the Humor aqu [...]us, and Optic Nerves; for should I here insert, what may be practically observed, concerning all or most Diseases that are in­cident to the Eyes, and their several Coats, Humours, Muscles, and Optic Nerves, a large Volume would be scarce capacious e­nough to contain it.

The forementioned Tunic being of too thin a texture (from the tenuity of the Nervous Expansion) and the extreme subtility of the Op­tick Spirits, and the tenuity of the Aqueous Hu­mour making too little resistance to the lumi­nous Particles, coming from a great distance; the said luminous Particles being too much thinned, and lo [...]ing some part of their Lustre, are thereby not congregated enough, by rea­son of the rarity of the foresaid Tunic and Hu­mour, and consequently have too little force to act upon them; whereas in a Tunic, that is of a more compact texture, and consisting of more numerous, though much streighter Pores, the luminous Rays are much easier gather'd together, and consequently may operate from a greater distance. This laxity of the said Tunic and Humour is two fold; one natural, and the other adventitious, by reason of some Disease, as a Fever, Con­sumption, [Page 168] &c. The former is in no ways to be medled with. The latter either ceaseth upon the removal of the Disease, that caused it, or if it should continue, may be remedied by washing the Eyes daily with water, where­in a very little Salt-Petre, or rather Sal Pru­nellae hath been dissolv'd; or you may two or three times in a Day drop into the Eye, a drop or two of this Solution, viz. two Grains of white Vitriol dissolv'd in two Ounces of some clear Well-water; wherefore you are to take notice, that most common Eye-waters, that are cried up for Sovereign Remedies against all, or most Diseases of the Eyes, are strictly to be avoided in all short Sights, whereby they would be rendred much worse. Such sort of Waters are usually di­stilled from Fennil, Celandine, Eye-bright, Rue, Vervain, Male pimpernel, Hogs-Fen­nil, &c. Besides, in short Sights the disten­tion of the Horny Tunic is too weak and slack, by reason of the loose texture, and thinness of the said Tunic and Aqueous Hu­mour, upon which the seeble and almost spent Rays, that arrive from a great distance, can scarce act or exercise such an Impression or Motion, as is necessary for Sight. On the other hand, where the said Tunic is of a good Texture, and fully distended, Objects are perceptible from a much remoter distance: But where the forementioned Tunic is grown too thick, and consequently less diaphanous, and less porous, that Sight is neither good at a distance, nor near, as its oft observ'd in old [Page 169] Folks. Moreover, in those the Humor Aque­us is very much thickned, so as to deny a full and free passage to the luminous Beams; the said Humour is also become less turgid, and of small compass, whereby the Horny Tunic becomes less distended, and a little flatted, so that the visible Object must necessarily act very feeble upon it, the Rays not being suffi­ciently congregated, through its defect in convexity. Add hereunto, that in them the Optic Spirits are grown few, gross, and fu­mous, which renders the perception of the Object dim, and cloudy.

To preserve the Eye-sight, is to retard, and hinder it from becoming such, as it is in old People; that is, 1. By rendering the Ani­mal Spirits light, subtil, clear, and more co­pious. 2. By attenuating the Horny Tunic, and the watery Humour. 3. By avoiding straining of the Sight, by exercising it long and often upon very small, shining, disper­sing, or very distant and remote Objects.

The first of these means consists in keeping the Body clean of gross Excrements, which gave so frequent occasion to the Antient Phy­sicians, to invent Pills peculiarly appropriated to the Sight, and distinguish'd with Names referring to it; As Pil. Lucis majores and mi­nores; and others, as Pil. Aureae, sine quibus, Cochiae majores and minores, &c. I cannot think, any of these Compositions hath any more regard to the Eyes, than to the Toes; but because in the mass of Pil. Lucis maj. and min. is contained a very small proportion of [Page 170] Eye-bright, mix'd with Aloes, and Colocynthis, together with a great many contrary Ingre­dients, which serve for nothing else, but to clog the Medicine, and all this is to be made into a Paste, with Juice of Fennil, they thought they had reason enough, to expect from them and the others forementioned, all the Virtues, whereby to preserve Sight, and cure the Eyes of all Diseases past, pre­sent, and to come; but what is a greater wonder to me is, that still there are many Physicians, that allow a very great respect to the said Pills in Diseases of the Eyes, whereas most certainly a good Extractum Rudij, or Catholicon well composed, and made up, will serve abundantly better, cheaper, pleasanter, and more effectually in any Disease, that may require strong Purging; so that were all those Colocynth and Scammoniack Compositions, which modern Dispensatories are cramm'd with, thrown out, it would be much more profitable to the Patient, and less troublesom to the Apothecary.

What I mean by keeping the Body clean, is to take now and then those Pills, which are rec [...]mended in the foregoing part of this Treatise, without adding the least grain of Eye- [...]right to them. Besides this, its ne­cessary to abstain [...]rom all gross, windy, steam­ing [...], Salt-Fish and Flesh, sowr Sauces, strong Drinks, [...]edi [...]g chiefly upon Meat of a goo [...] Juice. and that yi [...]lds but little Excre­men [...], and using Drink that's clear, well di­g [...]d, and moderate in str [...]ngth. Nothing [Page 171] hitherto hath been observed a greater Ene­my to Sight, than Wormwood, which being used in Drink, or otherwise, hath been the occasion of dulling the Sight in some, and of Blindness in others; yet notwithstanding Dioscorides commends it for a sharpner of the Sight, and therefore little credit ought to be given to these old Authors in many of their Characters. Onions, Leeks and Garlick, come not much short of that Plant. All raw Sallads are experienc'd hurtful to the Sight, by contributing matter for Crudities, and be­ing windy. Weeping in Women, a long sorrowful and melancholic Disposition, and too much gravity do lessen, condense, and blunt the Optic Spirits, which ought to be serene and agil. Living in a dark House in a foggy Air, work effects little different from the [...]ormer. Too much Sun-shine reflected from a sandy Ground, hath been the cause of Blindness in many that live in Spain. Very hot Countries contain more Blind, than those that are temperate, or cold, tho' in the lat­ter, they are not commonly quick or fa [...] Sighted, excess of Cold condensing the Op­tick Spirits too much. As Weeping and great Debauche [...]s do oft furnish their Eyes with an outward glazie Coat, so they do not seldom according to the common Phrase, drink their Eyes out. It may probably be said, Visum debilitant Balnea, Bacchus, Amor, as well as Corpora: And on the other hand, whatever may be said to preserve the Body in Health, doth preserve the Sight. Smoak [Page 172] and Dust are none of the least Enemies to the Eyes.

The attenuating the Horny Coat and the Humor Aqueus, (which at the same time atte­nuates the Optick Spirits, depurates and ren­ders the foresaid Tunic and Humour clear and diaphanous) is commonly attempted by inward and outward Medicines, that have a power to discuss Winds, and move Urine, proceeding from their subtil Particles, that are supposed to be very attenuating, and conse­quently diuretic, and discussive. These Me­dicines are usually called Oxydercica, that is, sharpners of the Sight, from [...], acutum & [...], video. Such are accounted all the greater and lesser hot Seeds, but chiefly Fennil and Duncus, Elicampane, Orange-peel, Ma­sterwort, Calamus aromaticus, Virginian Snake­weed, Cubebs, Galangal, Rad. cyperi longi, & rotundi, Paradise Grains, Cardamum, Zedoary, sem. sileris montani. sem. seseli Massi­liensis, Nutmegs, and most sort of Spices. On the other hand, all Antiscorbutics, especially Mustard and Garden-Cresses, are accounted pernicious to the Eyes, and Ginger, Pepper, and Persly, as discutient as they are, offend the Sight, and so do most Sowrs. These fol­lowing are esteemed specific Oxydercics, viz. Eyebright, the greater Celandine, Vervain, Fu­mitory, Valerian, Avens, Rue and Clary, than which last, nothing can be found a greater Darkner of the Sight, and more offensive to the Eyes; for b [...]ing put into Wort to fer­ment with it, renders the Drink the most in­ebriating, [Page 173] and discomposing all the Senses, beyond any other vegetable, excepting Dar­nel. And yet being outwardly applied, is very excelling in thinning the Coats of the Eyes, and watery Humours, and very discu­tient in clearing the Sight from dimness or cloudiness. As great an Author as Platerus is, he r [...]commends Radishes and Mustard for specific Sight sharpners, than which common experience doth most certainly convince us, nothing can be a greater Enemy to the Sight: which informs us, that we are not to take things upon trust so slightly, as most Physi­cians and others are apt to do, without com­paring them with the Rules of Experience and Reason.

Those forementioned Aromatics, Seeds and Roots, are discutients of Wind by their subtil Particles, which they perform by atte­nuating of gross Humours into Bubbles, which breaking, emit those Winds, or crude mix'd Aery Spirits, that afterwards are sometimes avoided upwards or down­wards, or are impell'd into the Vessels; these mounting upwards, do for a time much disturb the Sight, until they are either dis­cussed by the Spirits, that are in the Eyes, and assisted therein by a further continua­tion of the use of the said attenuating A­romatics, and Seeds. Hence it is, that very oft those attenuating Oxydercics do render the Sight much worse, and sometimes in Phlegmatic Constitutions usher in Blindness at first, though othertimes also the continua­tion [Page 174] of them may discuss the Winds they first rais'd; wherefore a great deal of Caution ought to be used in the Application of them: So that it appears plainly, that the same Oxyde­rcics may remedy the Sight, and keep off Blindness in some; though in others they most certainly cause Dimness of Sight, and Blindness.

Diureticks, by carrying off the Salts of the Blood by Urine, (they by drying up the A­queous Humour, and corrugating or con­densing the Horny Coat, thicken and lessen the former, and harden the latter in Old People, whose Eyes therefore do appear thick, dull, flat, slow in Motion, &c.) have been experimentally found very advantageous, not only in preserving and meliorating of the Sight, but in preventing and removing ma­ny Diseases incident to the Eyes. Among those Millepedes or Sowes moderately used ei­ther in Ale, or otherwise, are universally, and by common Experience, preferr'd be­yond all others; for being copiously furnish'd with very subtile penetrating light Spirits, they do not only carry off Salts by Urine, but attenuate and discuss what is gross in the Watery Humour, and all the Tunicks, and subtilize the Animal Spirits; which Qua­lities seem to render them specifick to the Eyes▪

Some do use Ground-Ivy in their ordinary Drink, to preserve their Sight, to no great purpose: But in Valerian and Vervain (a quantity of one or both being added to the [Page 175] Wort before, or while it is working) many do affirm to have experienc'd a great Power, in preserving their Sight, and removing Dim­ness. To mend the Taste of such sort of Ale, a moderate Proportion of Elicampane-Root, Orange-Peel, or a few Daucus-Seeds might be added. Bean-Stalk Ashes, to the quantity of five or six Ounces, if they are clean, put to a Firkin of Small Ale after the working, jumbling them well together, and allowing them four or five Days to settle to the bot­tom, did they not blunt the Taste of the Drink so much, would prove more power­ful, than any of those Vegetables.

As for the Externals, I should be loth to advise any Person to Compounded Eye-Wa­ters, to preserve his Sight: The Washing the Eyes daily with clear Spring or Rain-Water is sufficient. Water that hath stood long in a Leaden Cistern, is accounted hurt­ful, there rising a very sharp offensive Steem in Length of Time from the Lead, that mix­eth with the Water.

Those whose Eyes are weak from thei [...] Birth, ought to avoid tampering with any sort of Oxydercicks, Internal, or External, their Weakness of Sight depending much upon a natural Laxity of the Optick Nerves, and Tunicks; their Humours of the Eye be­ing also thin, and their Optick Spirits loose, and not compact; all which may be easily render'd worse by uncertain Remedies, and never or seldom better, though their Growth in Age, Change of Climate, or Diet, may [Page 176] considerably contribute towards the Meliora­tion of their Sight. A Weakness of the Eyes, that Sickness might have left, doth oft go off with the Weakness of other Parts, by the Re­covery of Strength of the Brain and Bowels. But if that Weakness should singly remain, then besides due Evacuations, general and particular, Recourse may be had to proper Internal and External Oxydercicks, which ought to be chosen with the strictest Cau­tion.

Among Diseases of the Eyes, I do account a Suffusion, Cataract, and Gutta Serena the most dangerous; and an Ophthalmia, or In­flammation, the most painful, and oft an An­tecedent Cause of the others.

A Suffusion, or Hypochyma, seems to me to proceed either from some subtile Winds, or Windy Spirits, sallying out of the Arteries, or Pores of the Nerves, and breaking into the Watery Humour of the Eye, there caus­ing very minute Bubbles of various Figures, which being actuated or moved by the Lu­minous Rays, (for when a Man's Eyes are shut, whereby the said Luminous Rays are excluded, he is not in the least sensible of them,) do produce those Appearances of little Bouls, Flies, and other small Shapes, floating or flying to and fro before the Eyes.

There are commonly observ'd two kinds of those Suffusions: The one arising from Crudities of the Stomach, or Flatuous Hypo­chondriack Humours of the Bowels, is not [Page 177] durable, though oft returning by Intervals. Those little Figures, that do deceitfully im­pose upon the Sight, moving much quicker, than in the other kind, and meeting toge­ther, join into a Cloudiness, that quickly va­nishes, by reason that those Windy Spirits, which issue through the Pores of the Arte­ries, being of a Vaporous or Watery Com­posure, are much lighter, move nimbler, and are much easier discussed, than those Windy Spirits, that are pressed out of the Pores of the Nerves, which being of a more faline, tough, heavy, and compact Mixture, consequently durable, and constantly abiding, (because not easily discussed,) make Repre­sentations of larger Figures, and are moved much more slowly; and consisting of clam­my or viscous most minute Particles, are ve­ry apt to unite; whence it happens, that their Representations are disposed to grow daily bigger and bigger. These Viscous Windy Spirits are subject to be precipitated, or impelled to the Pupil, or Foramen Uveae, by the constant passing of the Luminous Par­ticles in Beams or Rays towards the said Foramen Uveae, where they are concentra­ted, or gather'd together in the Figure of a Cone, the said Foramen forming the narrow End of the Cone, as the Cornea Tunica doth the broad. So that it is the said Viscid Ner­vous Winds, impell'd by the continual pas­sing of the Luminous Rays to the Foramen Uveae into an united Body, which at length doth form that Preter-natural Skin, called a [Page 178] Cataract, being a discernable Cause of Blind­ness, in Contradiction to a Gutta Serena, the Cause whereof is not externally discernable, but commonly ascrib'd to gross Humours, obstructing the Hollow of the Optick Nerves, and stopping the Influx of the Optick Spi­rits. I cannot but wonder, whence those gross thick Humours should be sent, or how convey'd; not from the Medullar part of the Brain, where Arteries or Veins are scarcely discoverable, and whose very Compact Substance is no more susceptible of of any thing that is gross, than the Begin­ning of the Optick Nerves: Besides, such sort of slimy gross Humours might easily, in the beginning of a Gutta Serena be melt­ed down, and carry'd off by the common Head-Purgers, which are generally very strong and churlish; as Pil. Cochiae maj. and min. Pil. Arabic. e duobus. Elect. Indum maj. & min. and all their compounded Hie­ra's. So that to me the Aetiology of this, and almost of all the rest of the Diseases of the Eyes, seems gratis dictum.

It is more apparent to me, that the most frequent cause of a Gutta serena is the nervous Lympha, (which is the Vehicle, or rather is the Materia constituting the grosser Particles, which united with the subtiler and most sub­til Particles, separated out of the best and finest parts of the Arterial Blood, do compose the Animal Spirits) being grown too gross, thick and viscous in the Optick Nerves, stagnate­there, and makes a Damm, thereby hindersing [Page 179] and putting a stop to the influx of the A­nimal Spirits, from the Brain to the Eye, which ought not to be termed Optick Spirits before they arrive thither. By this supposition, a Gutta serena seems to be a Palsie (Paralysis) of the Optic Nerve; all other Palsies, whether universal or particular, being engender'd by no other cause, than by the stagnation of the Nervous Lympha, (being render'd gross and viscous) in the beginning of the Nerves in the former, and in particular Nerves in the latter. After a proper Purge or two to clear the Passages, and make room in the Vessels, how little advantage can be exp [...]cted from frequent Cathartics, though violent, or any other Remedies vulgarly in use against a Gutta serena, or any other Palsie, may be easily un­derstood from the forementioned Hypothesis; for should you purge ad infinitum, you can ne­ver pretend to draw off that coagulated Ner­vous Lympha, but rather by drying all the Humors in carrying off the moister and thin­ner part, you must necessarily render it worse, which by long continuance doth turn into a hard substance, much tougher than the Nerve it self, or the toughest Leather, and conse­quently must be incurable. And much less ad­vantage can be hoped from any of the celebra­ted Eye-Waters, some whereof are pretended to have cured those that have been blind 20 years, and go under the Name of some Queen's or Lady's Eye-water, all whic [...] is no more to be credited, than the Atchievements of a Knight Errant; for you may as reasonably [Page 180] pretend to break the Stone in the Bladder by applying Millepedes to the Soals of the Feet, as to dissolve a Gutta serena by an Eye-water, if you consider the great distance from the Horny Tunic (to which they are to be apply'd) to the Optic Nerve, the several Coats and Hu­mors of the Eye, the extream tenderness and sensibility of the said Coats, and the necessity of an extraordinary piercing Remedy, which [...]ure I am, is not greatly to be found in those Aromatics, Se [...]ds, and Oxyd [...]rcic Leaves, of which most Eye-waters consist, and are very repugnant to the qualities of Aloes, Honey, Tuthia, white Vitriol, Sugar candy, Sugar of Lead, and other Materials, that are oft ridicu­lously enough added to them, I do know, that sometimes, once possibly in two or three Ages, a Gutta serena hath been removed by an accidental Salivation, othertimes by a sudden violent Fever, that by rarefying all the Hu­mours, and putting the Animal Spirits into a violent motion, the viscous Damm hath been pierced through, and violently expelled. But these are means, that if imitated, do s [...]ldom or never attain the success hoped for.

Besides the cause forementioned, Convul­sions, and Tumors of the Muscles of the Eye near the heads of them, have caused a Gutta Serena; the former, by contorting the Optic Nerves, and altering the Figures and Positi­ons of their Filaments, which I do remember occasioned a Gutta Serena in the Lord G's La­dy, when living in the Pall-Mall, upon the taking of Vinum Benedictum (Maledictum some­times) [Page 181] prescribed by her Physician, at the re­quest of the Patient I presume, and probably ill prepared, and overdosed by the Apotheca­ry, contrary to the directions of the Doctor: The latter perform this unfortunate effect, by compressing the Optic Nerve, which sometimes is removed, but not always.

A Gutta Serena may sometimes be removed with great difficulty in the beginning, praemis­sis universalibus, by potent, sulphurous, and oleous internal Medicines, which under that shape, may preserve a great part of their Vir­tue until their arrival to the Brain and Nerves, and possibly some of them may externally be let in by the Vessels of the Head, but then those Internals must be frequently exhibited in large Doses, and continued for a long time, even to the brink of a Fever, or some other contrary Distemper; and this is the only Me­thod to cure all other sorts of Palsies, which I have followed more than once.

A Cataract is best cured in the beginning, and whilst it continues to be a Suffusion. In­ternal means are as n [...]c [...]ss [...]ry as external. Sugar of Lead, b [...]ing w [...]ll prepared by di­gesting Spirit of Wine with it, and ab­stracting it af [...]erwards by distillation, and dis­solv'd in a convenient Vehicle, is not only an excellent Topic in this Disease, but in many others of the Eyes, especially in an Ophthal­mia, taraxi [...], and Chym [...]sis, Ulcers of the Tu­nics, and Epiphora, &c. for there is a Spirit in Lead, b [...]i [...]g w [...]ll corrected and managed, i [...] the most discutient and penetrating of any [Page 182] in respect to the Eyes; besides, the Salt, contains a great Sweetness, and is indued with many singu­lar Virtues.

An Ophthalmy I do suppose to be occasion'd by Evaporations of the Lympha, contained in the ca­pillar Nervuli, disseminated in the Tunica conjun­ctiva, being grown very sharp and corroding, (as is formerly mentioned) which Evaporations being condensed into small drops or gleets, and meeting with other Juices, cause an effervescency and coa­gulation, to which pain supervening invites other Humours, that together produce such a sort of Inflammation. I have oft observ'd, that the appli­cation of cold Medicines (as whites of Eggs, Con­serve of Roses, and other Restringents) hath so little abated the Distemper, that it render'd it much worse. This Disease is sometimes painful to extremity, and very oft of a long continuance, insomuch that I have known it protracted to nine or ten Weeks, and doth not seldom leave other mischievous Diseases behind it.