THE Opium, that was in Use in Ancient Times, was made thus:

When the Poppy (which was gene­rally the White, and sow'd then only in Gardens, and small Inclosures) was come to its full growth, and most turgid of Milky Iuice, which was in the hot Countries in May and Iune; they did, as soon as the Dew was up in the mornings, make several Incisions transversly or athwart the Heads of the Poppies, yet not di­rectly horizontal, but somewhat obliquely, taking [Page 2] care not to make them quite through into the cavity thereof; holding the Knife, or Instrument, with which the Incisions were made, with its Edge sloaping upward, while it wounded the Heads, and conveniently placing certain Shells to receive the Milky Drops, that issued out of the Incisions; and went backward among the Poppies, as they proceeded in this Work.

• 1. They chose the Time when the Poppy Heads were most turgid of Milk, to take it in the best Condi­tion for their Purpose; for if they gathered it sooner, it was not so Mature, and if afterward, some of its Vertue expired; and the quantity of the Juice was less, because dry'd up in some measure, if not taken timely.
• 2. They made several Incisions in every Poppy's Head, to have the greater Plenty of Juice.
• 3. They made them immediately after the Dew was up, to prevent its being tainted with any of the Dew; and because the great Heat of the Day, in those Countreys, would much diminish the Quan­tity of the Milky Iuice, and so thicken it, that it would not run out as freely as in the Morn­ings.
• 4. They made the Incisions transversly, thereby to cut and lay open more of the Milky Vessels.
• 5. They made them somewhat obliquely, that the Drops might the better follow, and overtake one the other, and thereby coalesce, and grow more considerable in Bulk, and that the oblique Wound might the better conduct them into the same part of the Shells; that they might find all together in a mass, when it was sufficiently dried or inspis­sated by the Heat of the Sun.
• 6. They did not make the Incisions quite through, (if they could avoid it) lest any of the Iuice should run into the Cavity of the Head, and so be lost among the Seeds contain'd therein.
• [Page 3]7. They sloaped the Edge of the Knife, or Instru­ment, upwards, as they made the Incisions, that the Iuice might the easier slide outwardly; especially in case they happened to make the Incisions quite through, which they could not always avoid, notwithstanding all the Care they used.
• 8. They went backward as they did it, to avoid going by the Shells, and incised Heads; lest they should disorder, or discompose, or throw them down, or wipe off any of the Iuice with their Cloaths.

This being done, they left the Milky Iuice in the Shells, to inspissate by the Heat of the Sun into a Pilular Consistence. I have been the more particular, to shew Men how to make Opium of English Poppies, which you'll find of good use.

The Milky Iuice, as it dry'd or thickened, did gradually change its colour from white to a kind of a reddish yellow (or tawny) colour, not unlike, that of a Lyon's Hair, which colour you may still observe on the inside of our common Opium, when rudely torn by force, if taken notice of upon the tearing; for the Air does soon blacken it.

This sort of Opium gathered in Shells, &c. (as is aforesaid) the Grecians (our Masters in Physick, from whom we derive the Names of many of our Medicaments, Diseases, &c.) called [...], which signifies the Iuice, by way of Eminence▪ as we call the Iesuits Bark (the Bark) because most useful, and excellent.

The Latines, who had also their Learning, and Words of Art, from the Grecians, called it Opium from [...]; it being usual with them in very many Cases, particularly in things made out of other Matter (as Opium is made out of [...] the Iuice) to change o [...] to um or ium, so that [...] (or Opos) was by them call'd Opium.

[Page 4]The Latines becoming Masters of the World, and of every Thing that was good and excel­lent; and all People observing their Manners, Fashions, Usages, &c. some of the Eastern People got the Use and Name of Opium from the Latines, which they in Process of Time called O [...]ium, by changing [...] (or pi) into fi; which is very com­mon in all Nations, because the natural Pursuit of Ease, and Pleasure, in the Run of Discourse, changes the harder, and harsher sounds, into such as are easier, and sweeter, when they are like in sound, as pi and fi are. The Sound of π (or pi) is harder than that of fi; 1. Because it quite stops the Breath, which the sound of fi does not. 2. Be­cause the sound of π (or p) requires the motion of the Lower Lip upward, against its natural gravity, and the motion of the whole Lower Iaw upward, by consent, to help that of the Lip; whereas in forming the sound of f, the Lower Lip moves only horizontally; which is the easiest of Motions, except the Natural motion of weighty Things downward, or light Things upwards; yet are both those Sounds like in their formation in se­veral other respects; as 1. Because both are non­vocalized Sounds. 2. Both are labial. 3. The Tongue lies still in its Natural P [...]sition in forming both. 4. The Uvula Valve, which shuts up the Passage of the Breath through the Nose, is shut in forming both; all which shews, that the sound of π (or p) [...] (or pi) is much ha [...]der to be form'd than that of f (or si) and yet considerably like; which is the true Cause why all Nations are apt to change the harder sound of pi into the [...]sier and like S [...]und of fi (or of p into that of f): I put pi and fi for Instance, because the Likeness ap­pears better in them by having the same Vow [...]l after both; whereas when you say p (or pee) f (or ef) the Difference of the Vowels added, and the sound [Page 5] of ee put after p, and of e before f, (to help the Consonants to sound) makes them seem unlike, by reason of the different Vowels, so dif­ferently placed; whereas pi and fi, having the same Vowel alike placed after them, do truly shew their likeness without confusion. It is by Rea­son of this Likeness,

• That Sapphick, Are sounded Saf-fick.
• That Sapphire, &c. Are sounded Saf-fire, or Safire.

That [...] is Translated Trophaeum (or Tro­faeum) a Trophy.

Besides, that the Arabians did and do very commonly change p to f,

• Saying Faunia, For Poeonia.
• Saying Osium, &c. For Opium. &c.

And this likeness of the Sound of p and f, is the Reason why ph is written for f, because h signifies the sound of Breath expired, which if you use upon sounding p, it will be the sound of f; so that f is a kind of a breathing p, that is ph.

Of which Matter, the Curious in such Things may find more to their satisfaction in my Phono­graphy, when published, which, I hope, will be suddenly, if not before this Book.

They call it, in some of the Eastern Countries, Assium, or Affion, instead of Osium, it being usual in all Countries to change the harder, and harsher sound of o, to that of a, which is like it, but easier and sweeter. It is hence,

• [Page 6]That we are apt to say Carat, For Carot.
• That we are apt to say Fagat, For Fagot.
• That we are apt to say Flagan, For Flagon.
• That we are apt to say Wagan, &c. For Wagon. &c.

Changing the Sound of o to that of a; be­cause the Sound of a is easier, and not unlike that of o (as was said.)

Some in those Parts call it Amphion, (or Am­pion) for like Reasons, all (doubtless) deriving the Names, that I have mentioned, from the Greek Word [...], the Latines saying Opium, (whence we have it) the Arabians O [...]ium, and some other Eastern People Asium, or Affium, and others Am­phion, &c.

The best Opium, that was in Use in those ancient Times, was had from Thebes, the Chief Town (or City) of the Country of Thebais in Egypt, (not Thebes in Boeotia, or Cicilia) which is now called Theves; Because, as p is apt to take the sound of f, so p and b are much more apt to take the sound of v, which is (as it were) a sweeter sort of f, with which it exactly agrees in its formation, but that the sound of v is vocalized, (which sweetens it) and that of f is not. It is from the aptitude of the sound of b and p, to change into the most sweet sound of v▪

• 1. That Children say, Marvel for Marble, &c.
• 2. That b or β in Ebur, Is tran­slated to v in Ivory.
• 2. That b or β in Guberno, Is tran­slated to v in Govern.
• 2. That b or β in [...] Is tran­slated to v in David.
• 2. That b or β in [...] Is tran­slated to v in Vado.
• 2. That b or β in [...] Is tran­slated to v in Virgilius.
• 2. That b or β in [...] Is tran­slated to v in Varro.
• 2. That b or β in [...] Is tran­slated to v in Vita.
• [Page 7]3. That p in Sapor, Is tran­slated to v in Savour.
• 3. That p in Papilio, Is tran­slated to v in Pavilion.
• 3. That p in Praepositus, Is tran­slated to v in Provost.

Which changing of b and p to v, must doubtless happen in other Languages, as well as those I mentioned, because the sound of v is so much easier, and sweeter, than either; yet like them in sound.

But the sound of b is more like that of v, be­cause the sound of both are vocalized, which that of p (as has been said) is not; so that b and v agree exactly as p and f; This makes the Egy­ptians say Theves for Thebes, as the Arabians say Ofium for Opium.

Who knows, but this may be the cause why P is a kind of shut F, and F a kind of an open P; for suppose P opened at the round part, to signifie that the Lips are not closed in sounding F, and that the lower stroak or part be left shorter, to signifie that the lower Lip is drawn inward in sounding F, the P becomes a perfect F.

The Reasons why the Opium, that came from Thebes, (now called Theves) was, and is the best, are, 1. That Thebes (or Theves) being in Egypt, lies in a hotter Country, that is, nearer the Line (or Equator) than any of the Countries on the North-side of the Mediterranean; for it is observed, that the Heat of Climates contributes very much to the Strength of Opium, which is weaker if you make it in England or Germany, than in France; in the Northern Parts of France, than in Languedoc, which borders upon the Mediterranean; and weaker there than in Smirna, Natolia, Aleppo, [Page 8] and Apulia, which are more Southern; and weaker in those Places than in Thebais in Egypt: For which cause we may Judge, that the Opium which comes to England from the East-Indies, that is yet hotter than Egypt, being much worse than that of Thebes, (or Theves) must in all probability be adulterated, or made of the Leaves and Stems of the Poppy, (as some say) otherwise it would be rather better, as coming from the hotter Coun­try. 2. That of Thebes may be better, because the Heat of Egypt is more constant, and uniform, than in Natolia, Aleppo, Smirna, &c.

The Quantity of Opium which was gathered by the Milky Iuice of the Poppy's Heads, dropping into Shells out of the Incisions aforesaid, being but small; and the Use of this most noble, pleasing, and generous of Cordials, and Medicaments, daily increasing, by the constant and insallible Benefit they found thereby; Men, partly to avoid the tediousness of gathering it by Drops, and partly out of necessity, but mainly ('tis to be doubted) out of covetousness, began to bruise and pound the Poppy's Heads, and to squeeze out the Iuice, for Expedition and Quantitic's sake; which bruising, and squeesing, caused it to look blackish.

This the Greeks, for Distinction's sake, called [...], from the Word [...], which signifies Poppy; still calling the better sort, which was ga­thered in Shells out of the Incisions of the Poppy's Heads, [...].

Thus have you the true Original of [...], and [...], which the Latines (and we from them) call Opium, and Meconium; Tho' (as it happens in most Things in Merchandise, to recommend the Goods) we now call the Meconium, Opium, by the better Name, as they do in another case (out of abundance of absurd Civility) call every Quack a Doctor.

[Page 9]Afterward (its Use growing more and more) they added the Leaves to the Poppy's Heads in the pounding, bruizing, and expressing the Iuice, boiling it for speed's sake to the consistence of a Confection; which cooling, comes to the consi­stence that we have it in (I mean the fresher and softer sort that we have) which by the forcible poun­ding, squeezing, and boiling, contracts a blackish Colour like that of Horse-Aloes on the out-side, to which Colour the Air does very much contribute, and pressing the Superficies close together; for if you rudely tear a piece of that we have (which is all of this last kind) it looks at first (as was said) of a reddish Yellow; but the Air, especially if moist, or any Moisture, and handling of it, and closing the Superficies together, soon makes it look blackish again. This (as was intimated) is that we now call Opium, and have in common Use.

Which being also in common Use among the Grecians when the Turks Conquer'd them, was by the Grecians themselves called Pous (or Pos with the o mouthed widely) which came doubtlesly from [...]; the Meconium at last gaining the bet­ter Name of [...] (or Pous or Pos) after the manner aforesaid to recommend it (as all Opium is now call'd Theban) and the O in the beginning of [...], passed over in the Run of Discourse, which is not uncommon with Vowels, because of their flat Sound, which is so by reason of the wide Passage that the Breath has between the Tongue and the Palate in the Formation thereof; for Wideness of Passage is the cause of Flatness; as Narrowness (in Birds, Children, &c.) is the cause of Sharpness of Sound; therefore the Sound of Vowels being flat, fading, and consequently not as much missed as sharper Sounds, we often omit Vowels, particularly in the beginning of Words, for Ease and Shortness sake. Thus it comes to pass,

• [Page 10]That Men say Pothecary For Apothecary.
• That Men say Prentice For Apprentice.
• That Men say Buttals For Abuttals.
• That Men say Larum For Alarum.
• That Men say Light For Alight.
• That Men say [...] (or [...] For [...]

And as [...] came to be sounded [...], so [...] (as naturally) to be sounded [...] (or Pous) because it is easier to sound u after o in this and some other cases, than to omit it, as it is easier to sound p between m and t &c. than not; as in tempt, crumpt, limpt, &c. which are more easily so sound­ed, than if the sound of p were left out which I call Easmess of Consequence. Hence it is

• That Bold Are sounded Bould.
• That Sold Are sounded Sould.
• That Hold Are sounded Hould.
• That Bolt Are sounded Boult.
• That Ioll▪ Are sounded Joul.
• That Toll &c. Are sounded Toul. &c.

Changing the o into ou, as the Grecians did Pos to Pous. For this and such reasons it is, that the National Greek can hardly be un­derstood by Scholars, when spoken by the Natives.

It is for the same Reason, that the Greeks write Greek, (as we do English, and the French do their Language) different from what they speak; so that if any Man should learn French, or English, and always sound it as it is writ, or printed, he would very hardly understand them, as they are vulgarly spoken; which is the very Case of such as learn Greek by Book, who always sound every [Page 11] Letter, whereas the Native Greeks do (what all Nations do more or less) shorten, and alter the Sound of Words in the Common Run of Dis­course by a natural Propensity unto, and Pursuit of Ease, Pleasure, and Speed, which by degrees very much alters the Sound of Words.

The Turks having been used to call the better Sort, that dropt out of the Incisions made in the Poppy Heads, Maslack, continued that Name to that Sort after they Conquer'd Greece, and call'd the other Sorf, which they found in Use among the Grecians by the Name that the Grecians gave it, viz. Pous; and such as commonly use it they call Pou­sti by way of Contempt, as if we should say Small beer-Drinkers, in comparison of Wine-Drink­ers.

You may easily perceive by what has been said, Why our Opium hath so much Filth in it.

Why it tastes sometimes of an Empyreum, or Burning, in not stirring it well while it is boiling into a Consistence, and not giving it only a gentle Heat when it begins to thicken, gradually lessen­ing the Fire, or letting it conveniently decay, and go out of it self; which is a very good Way for such as have not other Conveniences; for as the Matter thickens, the Heat declines, and so be­comes safe from a Taste of Burning, if the Fire be duly proportion'd: But all this Trouble is avoid­ed by inspissating by the Heat of the Sun, which is used in some Countries.

Note, That the Poppy of which Opium is made, in all Turky, Egypt, Thebes, &c. is the great White Poppy, which grows very freely in those Parts, and (as I am inform'd) without any manuring of the Ground in some Places; certain it is, that they now have whole Fields of that White Poppy, out of which they make the Opium, as is aforesaid, by pounding, pressing, boiling, &c.

ALL Opium being made in ancient Times by the Milky Drops that fell out of the Incisions mention'd in the last Chapter, which being a na­tural and simple way, made no difference in the Opium, but what Nature it self did; all their Knowledge of the best Opium consisted in distin­guishing the Theban from other Opium, which was not naturally so good.

• 1. Theban Opium was of a lighter Reddish Yellow than other sorts, therefore some call'd it White Opium, not that it was abjolutely white, but only relatively such in comparison with other kinds of Opium; as we say White Rosin, in respect of other Rosin, thô it is not white, but only lighter colour­ed than other Rosins.
• 2. Theban Opium was most hot, bitter, and biting in taste, from whence you may infer, that the Opium which has those qualities in the highest degree is the best.
• 3. It smelled rankly, and vehemently of the Poppy, which gives you another good sign to judge of Opium.
• 4. It burnt with a clearer Flame than any other.
• 5. Some say, that it was weightier than other sorts. Notwithstanding all which Differences, they did in time find ways to adulterate it, which were these:
  • 1. They adulterated it with Juice of Glauciam, (or Apple of Love.)

    [Page 13]This was discernable by the Yellow Tincture, that it gave to Water, and other Menstruums; whereas the Theban, and all true Opium gives a Red Tincture.

  • 2. It was counterfeited with resinous Things.

    This Cheat was discoverable by its not being uniform, nor so dissolvable in Water as good Opium.

  • 3. It was mix'd with Juice of Lactuca Sylvestris, or Wild Endive leav'd Lettuce.

    This made it of a duller colour, and not to smell so perfectly and rankly of the Poppy.

  • 4. It was sometimes mix'd with the Milky Iuice of Spurge, which being hot, bitter, and biting, was hardly discernable, but by its purging and disturb­ing quality, and somewhat less and different.

You may be sure, that this, and all the other Mixtures lessen'd its Vertue as an Opiate, if consi­dered in the same quantity, because they must take up room in the Mass; but Lactuca Sylvestris being of the nature of Opium, made the loss of its Vertue less discernable.

It is true, that we have none of the Opium that was gathered by the milky Drops out of the Inci­sions; and therefore what is said, doth not much concern us as to that sort; however these Observa­tions will enlighten us as to the Opium that we now have.

Of which I cannot find, that there is much Adulteration used, because (I suppose) that it is now grown considerably cheaper, by reason of the vast quantities that is made, with so much ease, that it is not worth while to counterfeit it, there being now great Fields of Poppy in Turky; so that our business will be rather to distinguish the Sort, than the Adulteration; thô this shall not pass unre­garded, as far as it may concern us.

[Page 14]There are two sorts brought over to us; one from Persia and the East-Indies; the other from Turky, as from Lesser Asia, (or Natolia) Smyrna, Aleppo, &c.

• I. That which is brought from East-India, Persia, Surat, &c. is (as I am inform'd) made of the Leaves and Stems of the Poppy, and is,
  • 1. More full of Filth within it, (for the outside is not so much to be regarded, because of Acci­dents.)
  • 2. It is not so uniform, smooth, and supple, but harsh and rugged.
  • 3. It is not so readily dissolvable in Water.
  • 4. The Indian is brought over in larger Pieces.

  • 5. It is not brought so wrapt in Leaves as the Turky Opium is.

    Bontius says, that they make it of the Stems and Leaves; if so, it must be much worse than the Turky Opium, that is made of the Heads and Leaves.

• II. Among those sorts that are brought out of Turky, (and indeed any sorts of Opium)
  • 1. That is best that is most bitter, hot, and biting.
  • 2. The lighter, whiter, and clearer its Flame is, when it burns, the better it is.
  • 3. The more uniform, even, smooth, tough, yield­ing, and complying it is to be wrought, or brought to any form, the better it is.
  • 4. The more it gives, upon, or against moist Wea­ther, or in a moist Air of any kind, and the bet­ter, speedier, freer, and more perfectly it dissolves in Water, the better it is.

  • 5. The redder the Tincture is that it gives in Wa­ter, Spirit of Wine, or any Menstruum, the better it is; and 'tis never good if it gives only a yellow Tincture.

    [Page 15]But Note, That even the best Opium, if you take but a very slight Tincture thereof, will appear yellowish, especially in a white Vessel. Therefore my meaning is, that the redder Tin­cture Opium causes in Water, quantity for quantity, the better it is.

  • 6. It should have no taste or smell of an Empyreum, or Burning; for that gives it a nauseous taste, and in some measure signifies a loss of its Vertue by burning, thô this may be inconsiderable.
  • 7. The less Filth it has on the inside, the better it is.
  • 8. The more it sparkles when cut, and afterward breath'd upon three or four times, the truer is the Opium; for those sparkling Particles are its noble Volatile Salt, (or Sal. Volatile-oleosum) and not its resinous Parts, as Wedelcus, and others affirm. 1. Because when the Rosin and Volatile Salt are separated, that sparkling follows the Volatile Parts and not the Rosin, wherein they do not appear in the least. 2. Because I find that they are the Parts that are most apt to dissolve in Water, which the Rosin is not. 3. Because they are much altered by a warm and moist Breath, which the resinous Part is not. 4. How could that Opium be the best (as 'tis found to be) that has most of them, if it were the Rosin, which is the worst Part of Opium? But 'tis highly consonant to Experience, that they should be the Volatile, or best Parts of Opium, which is so much the better, the more it abounds with them.
  • 9. If it yields any other Tincture than Red, it is not right; and the duller or paler the Red is, the worse or weaker it is.
  • 10. The best is heavier in proportion to its Bulk, which you may soon experiment thus:

[Page 16]Weigh an Ounce of each in the Air, then weigh them (just as they are) in the Brass Scales in Wa­ter, and the heavier will out-weigh the other in Water; for the heavier any thing is, the less Wa­ter takes from its Weight in proportion to its Bulk; this is an infallible, and most ready way to know the Weight of any thing in proportion to its Bulk.

Note, That my Discourse is most particularly concerning the best sort of Crude Turky Opium; that is the best that we have in common Use, and that its Effects and not those of any Preparation thereof, are set down in the following Chapters.

OPIUM used externally has two sorts of Ef­fects upon a Humane Body: 1. As, an Opiate to cause Sleep, take away Pain, &c. 2. As an Alterative of the Parts it is applied to.

• I. As an Opiate: It is of very uncertain and uneven Effects, when applied externally; for some­times it causes Sleep, takes away Pain; but it often fails; therefore it is generally much better, safer, more certain, and effectual, to use it inter­nally. I do scarce know the case wherein 'tis bet­ter to use it externally than internally, unless it be to smell to in some cases: But of these Things▪ more particularly, when we come to the Use of Opium in Curing, Preventing, or Paliating Dis­eases; for here we only lay down Effects, in order to a Disquisition of the Cause of the Operation of Opium, to which its internal Effects will mainly contribute; however, it may be very useful to that end, to lay down its alterative Effects, for thereby we shall in good measure know the Prin ciples by which it operates.
• II. Its external Effects, as an Alterative, are these, viz.
  • 1. It incides, resolves, and discusses.
  • 2. It relaxes and mollifies.
  • 3. It maturates and suppurates.
  • 4. It exulcerates, or causes Blisters, if it be very strong, and applied to Persons of a fine Texture, [Page 18] where the Skin is tender; but this Effect belongs more properly to the Maslack, or true [...], that drops from the Incisions made in the Heads of the Poppies, especially the Theban, which affords a very powerful Juice. Hence you may observe, that the more it exulcerates, or blisters, the better is the Opium, & vice versâ.
  • 5. It is a Psilotherick, for it prevents Hair to grow, and causes the shedding thereof.
  • 6. It is hurtful to the Eyes and Ears.
  • 7. It excites Itchings, applied (in a moderate manner) to the Skin.
  • 8. It excites Venery, applied to the Perinaeum.

• 1. THE moderate Dose in ordinary Use, to pro­duce the following Effects, is from one to three Grains, (more or less) according to the Circumstance, Condition, Case, Constitution, Age, &c▪ of the Person who takes it.
• 2. It operates generally in a short time after it is in the Stomach, that is, in about half an Hour▪ (more or less) if taken in a liquid Form; and in about an Hour (more or less) if in a solid Form, drinking a Draught of Water, or some Liquor, af­ter it; otherwise it may be sometimes near an Hour and a half before it has its full Effect. But the time of its Operation has a considerable Lati­tude, according to the Disposition of the Stomack, and other Circumstances, as the Vehicle it is taken in, &c.

• [Page 20]

  1. It causes a most agreeable, pleasant, and charming Sensation about the Region of the Stomach, which if one lies, or sits still, diffuses it self in a kind of indefinite manner, seizing one not unlike the gentle, sweet Deliquium that we find upon our entrance into a most agreeable Slumber, which, upon yiel­ding to it, generally ends in Sleep: But if the Person keeps himself in Action, Discourse, or Busi­ness, it seems (especially when given in a Morn­ning, after a moderate Rest at Night) like a most delicious and extraordinary Refreshment of the Spirits upon very good News, or any other great cause of Ioy, as the sight of a dearly beloved Per­son, &c. thought to have been lost at Sea, or the like, causing such a pleasant Ovation of the Spirits, Serenity, &c. as we find after a competent Mea­sure of generous Wine ad Hilaritatem, (as Men use to say.)

  It is indeed so unexpressibly fine and sweet a Pleasure, that it is very difficult for me to describe, or any to conceive it, but such as actually feel it; for 'tis as if a Good Genius possessed, or informed a Man; therefore People do commonly call it a heavenly Condition, as if no worldly Pleasure was to be compar'd with it: Helmontianus would doubt­less express it by the Archeus in his very best Humour.

  It has been compar'd (not without good cause) to a permanent gentle Degree of that Pleasure, which Modesty forbids the naming of; and 'tis well worth a Remark, that both are Pleasures of the same Sense, viz. that of Feeling; for it cannot be a Pleasure of any other Sense, since it is inter­nal.

• [Page 21]2. It causes a brisk, gay▪ and good Humour: Nor do I doubt but it has this Effect upon sleeping Persons, as far as their Condition is capable of observing it; for you shall have them often tell of pleasant Dreams after it, when they remember them, and speak of any. See Bauchin, and the Authors men­tioned below under the 4th Effect of Opium.

• 3. It causes Promptitude, Serenity, Alacrity, and Expediteness in Dispatching and Managing of Business: To which end, and that of a good and gay Hu­mour (which are near of kind) it is commonly taken in the Morning in the Eastern Countries, with most certain Effect.

  The truth of which Wedelius is forced to con­fess, though quite contrary to his Hypothesis of Opium's fixing and coagulating the Spirits; giving an instance of ‘a certain serene Person, who when she had any Affair of great moment to dispatch, did (be­fore-hand) take Opium with great advantage; for she thereby found her self every way better disposed for Business, and more enabled to bear the Fatigue thereof.’ Which is the Substance of what he writes in Latin.

  Many other Authors confirm the Truth of these Effects; but (above all) the constant Experience of the Eastern Nations, puts it out of all doubt.

• 4. It causes Assurance, Ovation of the Spirits, Courage, Contempt of Danger, and Magnanimity, much after the manner that generous Wine does; instead of which, the Turks, &c. use Opium before En­gagements, desperate Attacks, &c. (as is most no­torious) to make them Courageous, which it cer­tainly does: For your satisfaction as to this, and other Effects of Opium, not so commonly observed with us, for Reasons given in Chap. VIII. See Bel­lonius, l. 3. c. 15. p. 179. Erastus Disp. de Sapor. p. 6 [...]. Georg. Andreae Itenerar. Ind. l. 2. c. 9. p. 12. Camerar. Oper. Subcis. l. 1. c. 93. p. 437. Erastus Disp. de Nar­cot. [Page 22] Oberndorf. Historians also add, That when the Great Turk makes a considerable War, the Soldiers buy up all or most of the Opium; which may be worth a Merchant's Observation; for it thereupon grows dear, and is much cheaper in times of Peace.
• 5. It prevents and takes away Grief, Fear, Anxi­eties, Peevishness, Fre [...]fulness, &c. These are neces­sary Consequences of the former Effects.
• 6. It causes Euphory, or easie undergoing of all La­bour, Iourneys, &c. and that far beyond all Wines and hot Cordials, or Spirits; therefore it is very much used in Turky and the Eastern Countries, in labo­rious Undertakings, great Iourneys, &c. which Men perform by the help of Opium, after a prodi­gious and almost incredible manner: But the Mat­ter of Fact is so common and usual, that there is no place of doubt; besides, that some who tried it among us, have found it so.

• 7. It lulls, sooths, and (as it were) charms the Mind with Satisfaction, Acquiescence, Contentation, Equanimity, &c. How should it fail to cause these Effects, since it causes all the former gay, pleasant, and brave Humours?

  Dr. Willis, and others, having no true Experience, or Knowledge, of Opium, imagined that it caused Courage, Bravery, Equanimity, &c. by stupifying the Senses, Brain, &c. making People inadvertent, dull, and inapprehensive; which is a great Mistake, and a groundless Conceit; for it is a most certain Truth (which millions can affirm) that it produ­ces those Effects by an Ovation and Pleasure of the sensitive Soul and Spirits, as generous Wine does be­fore Men are suddled, or overcome with it; How else could they at the same time be more serene, and apt for the Management of any Business, and neat Dispatch of Affairs, as it is most certain they are? These fundamental Mistakes about Opium, have [Page 23] been (as you'll find hereafter) one great cause why its Operations have puzzled and quite baffled all En­quirers.

• 8. It quiets, allays, and composes all Perturbations and Commotions of the Spirits, (or sensitive Soul) Bloud, Humours, &c. as in Hysterical Cases, Diary Fevers, that proceed from Passions; as, Anger, Grief, Ter­rours, &c. from violent Motion, Labour, Heat, Iour­neys, Convulsions, &c. or from Pain; and stops Bleed­ings that proceed from such Commotions.
• 9. It causes a Relaxation of all the sensible Parts of the Body, as the Membranous and Nervous: This is notorious by its Effects, as causing Perspiration, Sweat, Relaxation of Sphincters, Vilatation of the Pupil of the Eye, Relaxation of the Cornea, and all other Effects of Relaxation, as you'll find more particular­ly hereafter.
• 10. It causes Indolence, or exemption from Pain, (as all know and allow) and that when Sleep does not intervene.
• 11. It stops, moderates, cures, or paliates all Fluxes, excepting those by the Pores, or such as depend (as that does) upon Relaxation, as when Sphincters are weak, or paralytical; but these last are unna­tural Accidents.
• 12. It mightily promotes insensible Perspiration.
• 13. It prevents Shiverings in Ague-Fits, and such­like Cases, if given in due time and quantity, which shall be shown in the Curative Part.
• 14. It prevents and cures Colds.
• 15. It causes a larger and slower Pulse, supposing no accidental Cause to the contrary.
• 16. It causes Driness in the Mouth.
• 17. It has most Effect in warm and moist Wea­ther.
• 18. It has more Effect upon lax and fine textured Persons, as Women, Children, &c. therefore Wo­men seldom use it in Turky, and the other Eastern [Page 24] Countries; where it is commonly used by the Men.
• 19. It causes an Efflorescence of the Skin, barring Accidents of Cold, &c.
• 20. It is observed by all, that it mainly affects the Genus Nervosum, and animal Spirits, and not the Bloud and Humors.
• 21. It increases Seed in some measure.
• 22. It causes a great promptitude to Venery, Ere­ctions, &c. especially if the Dose be larger than ordi­nary; which I would have Men believe without experimenting it; not that I fear to be confuted, but lest any should injure themselves by too great a Dose.

This is one great Cause (if not the chief) why the Infidels of Turky, and the Eastern Nations (espe­cially where Poligamy is allow'd, as among the Turks, &c.) use Opium so much, it never [...]ailing to produce this Effect in hale and healthy People, if the Dose be sufficient; as is too notorious in all (or most) Countries from Greece to Iapan inclusively, who use Opium for that end.

But as to the Truth of this Effect of Opium, not only Authors, and all the People of those Eastern Nations, but several Merchants, Factors, and Tra­vellers, now living in London, can attest, That it is used, for that purpose, in those Countries with Effect; yea, some in our own Nation, that use Opium in large Doses, can attest the same, upon Experience in their own Bodies. Those who desire to be satisfied, may also read Ioh. Iacob Saar. his Itinerar. Ind. p. 11. Olearius's [...]tinerar. Persio. l. 5. c. 15. & 18. B. D. D. Sacks, Tom. 11. Epher. Ger­man. Obs. 69. p. 126. Bauchin, p. 450. Cardanus, Sca­liger, Nich. Monordei, Fog [...]lius de Turcarum Nepenthe, Bellonius, and others; whose Words I do not re­peat, partly for Modesty's, partly for Brevity's sake.

[Page 25]It does (I confess) look like a Riddle, that a most relaxing and stupifying Medicament, which takes away much of the Sense of Feeling, (and con­sequently Irritations to Venery, as one would think) should notwithstanding irritate thereunto, cause Erections, &c. however, it is most certain, tho' a seeming Contradiction, of which sort you have many more among the Effects of Opium.

• 1. Sleep, which is so far from being a constant Effect of Opium, that it will in me, and many other Persons, prevent Sleeping, even when other­wise inclin'd to it.
• 2. Pleasant Dreams.
• 3. Stopping of Vomitings.
• 4. Stilling the Hiccough.
• 5. Taking off Convulsions and Contractions.
• 6. Causing Meat to stay long at Stomach.
• 7. Moderation, and prevention of Hunger.
• 8. Sweat.
• 9. The Flowing of the Menses, tho' not observed by vulgar Physicians.
• 10. The Flowing of the Lochia, which is as little observed.
• 11. Voiding of the Stone.
• 12. Delivery of Women.
• 13. Deadness of the Eyes, as you see in Drun­kenness.
• 14. Dilatation of the Pupil.
• 15. Growth of the Breasts, Penis, and Increase of Milk.
• 16. Veneral Dreams.
• 17. Nocturnal Pollutions.
• [Page 26]18. Itchings in the Skin.
• 19. Much Urine.
• 20. Nausea.
• 21. Swimmings in the Head.
• 22. Watching.
• 23. A kind of dubious State, between sleeping and waking.
• 24. It stops Hemorrhages in many cases.

Many more Instances of this kind might be given of its frequent and usual Effects in Diseases; but it would be endless and needless, since we have mentioned the Prime, General, and Fundamental Effects, upon which all such do depend, and that the particular Enumeration of its Effects in Dis­eases, belongs to its curative and paliative Virtue, which will be handled hereafter.

• 1. Temporary Palsies, as of the Bladder, and some­times of other Parts, tho' very rarely.
• 2. Faltring of the Tongue.
• 3. Loosness of the lower Iaw, as in the Drowsie, Drunkards, &c.
• 4. Prevention of Sweat, in such as sweat too much for want of Perspiration.
• 5. Abortion.
• 6. Prevention of Abortion in some Cases.
• 7. Intumescence of the Lips.
• 8. Curing of the Dropsie, of which Dr. Willis gives an Instance.
• 9. Curing of Stupors of some sorts, as those from Colds, &c.
• 10. Anxieties and Distresses.
• 11. Vomitings and Hiccoughs.
• 12. Convulsions.
• [Page 27]13. Syncopes, Leipothimies, and Faintings.
• 14. Death, tho' very rarely, and that in very weak People.
• 15. Purging.
• 16. Raising and reviving some Persons that are just expiring.
• 17. A long stay thereof at Stomach sometimes.
• 18. Stoppage of Urine.
• 19. It sometimes proves dangerous after Hemorrha­ges and large Evacuations.

1. Note, That the first Class of Effects being the most constant, are the most proper, genuine, and principal Effects, upon which all other Effects de­pend, unless they are accidental: It must therefore be, that these should best guide us in the Disqui­sition of the Cause of the Operation of Opium.

2. Note, That the second Class, tho' not so con­stant, are natural Effects of Opium, and will be also good Guide for the same purpose.

3. Note, That there is but little notice to be taken of the rare Effects for that purpose, because most accidental.

• 1. A general return of all the Diseases and Disa­sters that Opium paliated during its Operation; un­less it happens that some are cured thereby; which (i [...] they be) is generally by the Benefit of Sweat, or insensible Perspiration; as Colds, Pain from Wind, or Humours, that should have passed by the Pores; as in Coughs, Tooth-ach, &c. from Construction of the Pores; or by composing the Fury of the Spirits, or Bloud, which it very often (yea, generally) cures with one single Dose: But of these things, more in the Cura­tive Part.
• [Page 28]2. Sweat, tho' not constantly.
• 3. Frequent making of Water, sometimes.
• 4. A Loosness (sometimes) even when there was none before the giving of the Opium.
• 5. Diseases, seeming worse than before the taking of it.
• 6. A melancholy and sad Depression of Spirits.
• 7. A narrow Pulse.
• 8. Itching of the Skin.

• 1. A Heat at Stomach.
• 2. A sense of Weight at Stomach (some­times.)
• 3. Gaity of Humour at first. A [...] after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 4. Sardonick Laughter afterward. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 5. Laxity, and Debility of all Parts. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 6. Alienation of the Mind. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 7. Loss of Memory. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 8. Darkness of the Eyes. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 9. Laxity of the Cornea. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 10. Appearance of divers Co­lours. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 11. Deadness of the Eyes to the View. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 12. Faltring of the Tongue. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 13. A Sopor. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 14. A slow, and wide Pulse. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 15. A high Colour. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 16. Looseness of the Iaw, and Lips. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 17. Intumescence of the Lips. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 18. Difficulty of Breathing. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 19. Fury, and Madness. As after Drink­ing a great Quantity of Wine in a short time.
• 20. Venereal Fury.
• 21. Priapisms.
• 22. Violent Itchings.
• 23. Nausea's.
• 24. Swimmings in the Head.
• 25. Vertigo's.
• [Page 30]26. Vomitings.
• 27. Hiccoughs.
• 28. A turbulent Pulse.
• 29. Convulsions, and Cold Sweats.
• 30. Faintings and Leipothymies.
• 31. Cold Breath.

• 32. Death.

  Such as escape it generally have,

• 33. Plentiful Purging.
• 34. Sweats that smell of the Opium.
• 35. Violent Itchings in the Skin.

1. Note, That all these Effects do not happen to all, but some to one, and some to others.

2. That these Effects are greater, or less, ac­cording to the Dose, Constitution of the Person, and other Circumstances.

3. That they are most endanger'd thereby, that have a Lax, and fine Texture, and a weak Digestion.

4. That a Looseness upon it is a good sign.

5. That it affects some by making them Furi­ous, (as Wine does) and others Stupid; Generally the Furious are most safe from danger of Death: But of these Things more hereafter (by God's Help.)

• 1. RElaxation, and Weakness of all Parts.
• 2. Inhability, or Listlesness to do any thing, exept it be while the Opium Operates.
• 3. Inhability, or Listlesness to get up in the Morn­ing.
• 4. A dull, moapish, and heavy Disposition, (as in old Drunkards) except it be during the Operation of Opium.
• 5. Diminution of Appetite. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 6. Weakness of Digestion. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 7. Dropsies. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 8. Decay of Parts. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 9. Weakness of Memory. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 10. Stooping in the Back. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 11. Early Decrepiteness. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 12. Shortness of Life. As is obser­vable in old Drunkards.
• 13. Acrimony of Blood.
• 14. Inclinations to Venery.
• 15. Frequent Inclinations to make Water.
• 16. Priapisms, and frequent Erections.
• 17. Nocturnal Pollutions.

• [Page 32]1. Great, and even intolerable Distresses, Anxie­ties, and Depressions of Spirits, which in few days commonly end in a most miserable Death, at­tended with strange Agonies, unless Men return to the Use of Opium; which soon raises them a­gain, and certainly restores them; if it has time to operate, before they die; which it soon does in a liquid Form. Or, if they have not Opium, or will not take it, they must use Wine very plen­tifully, and often, as a substitute to the Opium, tho' it doth not perform half as well as Opium.
• 2. A return of all Diseases, Pains, and Disasters; that were palliated by the taking of Opium.
• 3. Dangerous Loosenesses.
• 4. Death follows the leaving it off, after a very long, and lavish use thereof.

The Inconveniences of leaving off the Use of Opium, do bear a certain Proportion to the Time, and Quantity, that it has been used in.

1. Note, That the Turks do drink some Water always after the taking of Opium, as being the best Menstruum to dissolve it.

2. Note, That it is usual with them to take a Drachm in the Morning, and so much in the After­noons, and so may we, as well as they, if used to it; and 'tis a very silly saying, that you'll find in Authors, That they are better able to bear it, because of the Climate, &c. whereas the more Northern Persons are better able to take it, than the Southern, as will hereafter appear most plainly. [Page 33] I am told of one near Banbury, that takes Two Ounces a Day.

3. Note, That among the Effects of Opium may be observed many seeming Contradictions, yet is there nothing more certain than the several dif­ferent Matters of Fact; which (no doubt) has been a great Cause to puzzle the World about it, and to run Men into strange Absurdities concerning its Operation; and all to deviate so far from the Truth, that nothing in Nature can be farther, un­less you'll say, that Heat cools, or what pleases the sensitive Soul, is at the same time abhorr'd by it.

Now, because these seeming Contradictions in the Effects of Opium, are the greatest Rubs to be met with, and that the Reader may take the better Estimate of the Undertaking, and my Explication of its Effects, when I come to it, I shall not fear to enumerate them distinctly, (tho' they will make the strangest Catalogue of Riddles, that ever was seen) trusting in Him, that created this wonderful Me­dicament, that he will enable me to explain all its Effects.

• [Page 34]1. It causes Sleeping, and Watching.
• 2. It causes, and prevents Sweat.
• 3. It relaxes, and stops Loosenesses.
• 4. It stops Fluxes, and causes that of Sweat, &c.
• 5. It stupifies the Sense of Feeling, yet irritates by that Sense to Venery.
• 6. It causes Stupidity, and Promptitude in Busi­ness; Cloudiness, and Serenity of Mind.
• 7. It excites the Spirits, and quiets them.
• 8. It is very hot, yet cools in Fevers.
• 9. It is hot, and bitter; yet lessens Appetite, even in Cold Stomachs.
• 10. It stops, and promotes Urine.
• 11. It relaxes, and weakens; yet enables us to undergo Labours, Iourneys, &c.
• 12. It causes, and prevents Abortions.
• 13. It stops Vomiting above all things; yet causes most violent, tedious, and dangerous Vomitings.
• 14. It stops Purging in a most eminent manner; yet sometimes causes it.
• 15. It is very acrimonious, yet (as all say) ob­tunds Acrimony; however, it allays Pain proceed­ing from Acrimony.
• 16. It causes a furious Madness; yet composes the Spirits above all things.
• 17. It causes [...]; yet sometimes cures them (as Willis says.)
• 18. It causes Palsies; yet have I known it to cure a Palsie.
• 19. It causes Drin [...]ss in the Mouth; yet takes off Thirst in Fevers.
• 20. It cures, and causes a Hiccough.
• [Page 35]21. It stanches Blood; yet causes the Blood to come outward, (as appears by the Efflorescence, or Redness of the Skin that it causes) yet moves the Menses and Lochia.
• 22. We have many Instances of it promoting, and hindering Critical Motions.
• 23. It raises very weak People, (when nothing besides will do it) yet it kills other weak People.
• 24. It causes, and cures Convulsions.
• 25. It causes Relaxation, and Contraction of the same Parts.
• 26. It Relaxes; yet causes Rigidity, Tension, and Erection of the Penis, Priapisms, &c.

Thus have I fairly, and faithfully, laid the whole Onus of the Operations, Effects, and Con­tradictory Phenomena's of Opium, upon my Shoul­ders; however I come off, and clear my self of the Intricacy, Mazes, and cross Effects there­of, by explaining them; which none upon the View thereof will think possible, and none be­fore me durst as much as enumerate for that End.

HAving, without any sly or sordid Evasion, or considerable Omission, (which has been the persidious Course of Authors in this Case) fully and truly enumerated the sensible and certain Ef­fects of Opium in Humane Bodies, and thereby empannel'd a Iust Iury for the Trial of Hypothesises, which must be Judged by the Effects or Pheno­mena's of Opium; I will now proceed to their Exa­mination. But because it would be endless to take every one particularly into Consideration, I will use their Stratagem, who blow up Foundations, to save the tedious Pecking at all the Parts of the Super­structures, which in this Case would require an Age, and take up all my Time in demolishing them, which may be better employ'd in erecting some­thing that may be useful.

I have considered, and find, That the Foundation, in which all Authors, both Ancient and Modern, agree, and whereupon they have hitherto endea­vour'd to build, (looking upon it as firm and War­rantable in all Ages) is this, viz.

That Opium operates by diminishing or disabling the Spirits (meaning the animal Spirits.)

The Ancients affirming, That it did so by an ex­treme cold Quality, &c. And

[Page 37]The Moderns (who observed it to act, while it is at Stomach, by affecting the Brain, Nerves, Animal Spirits, &c. and concluded no Action was perform'd without Contact) infer'd and agreed, (because no visible Passage could be found from the Stomach to the Head) that it must of absolute necessity act by Fumes, Vapours, Auras, or Effluviums sent up out of the Stomach to the Brain, Nerves, &c.

So that all the remaining Question among the Moderns is, Which Way those Fumes or Vapours do the Feat? all allowing the Fumes do it.

• One saying, That they stuff the Pores of the Brain, and so hinder the Generation of Animal Spirits.
• A Second, That they constringed, and closed the Pores together, thereby hindering the said Genera­tion.
• A Third, That they fix'd, and coagulated the Animal Spirits; as Wedelius, and others.
• A Fourth, That they clouded the Animal Spirits.
• A Fifth, That they acted as a Poison; as Willis, and many others.
• A Sixth, That they clog'd the Animal Spirits, by adhering to them, &c.

Not knowing, nor (I think) caring what they said, so they humour'd their own Imaginations, and Hypothesises; tho' utterly incapable of solving the Effects of Opium, especially its most constant, proper, and genuine Effects. For, how can a cold Quality, (which Opium never had) cause a gay and brisk Humour, Bravery, Magnanimity, Euphory in Labour, Promptitude to Venus, &c. And, how can Clouds of Vapours hinder the Generation of Ani­mal Spirits, by stuffing or constringing the Pores of the Brain? Poisoning, fixing, coagulating, clogging or [Page 38] clouding the Animal Spirits, cause a fine Ovation thereof, a Gay, Brave, Couragious, and Magnani­mous Disposition, Euphory, Promptitude to Venery, Serenity, Expediteness in Management, &c. Which are (as has been said) the constant and proper Effects of Opium.

Nor, indeed, was any of those Authors so fool­hardy as to attempt it; Why then did they write, and trouble the World to peruse their Books, when they were so far from explaining the Properties of Opium, that they scarce ever durst mention them, nor set their Hypothesises, and them, as much as in View of one another? Was not this a tacit Confession of the Incompetency of their Suppositions? I beg Pardon for calling them theirs, (tho' they themselves do) for I cannot of­fer them a greater Abuse, than laying their Spu­rious and lame Brats at their Doors.

Tho' one scarce need say any more of them, yet, lest I be thought presumptuous, or saucy, for so much as offering to suspect the general Foundation of all the famous Authors that ever lived, (as Ga­len, Avicenna, &c. among the Ancients; Etmul­ler, Willis, &c. among the Moderns;)

• 1. I will shew you very just Causes to suspect the Insufficiency of the general Foundation, viz.

  That Opium diminishes or disables the Spirits.

• 2. I will prove, That it does not do it by a Cold Quality.
• 3. That it does not do it by Vapours, Fumes, Aura, or any such Way.
• 4. That it diminishes, or disables the Spirits, by no Means whatsoever.

[Page 39]Which diminishing, or disabling of the Spirits, Cold Quality, and Fumes, (or Aura) comprehend the Foundations of all Opinions concerning Opium, that ever I read, or heard of; and consequently if those Two Fundamental Opinions be refuted, all the Superstructures that have been (in this Case) must fall to the Ground.

I Have shewn you, That the general Foundation of both Ancient, and Modern Authors, is,

And now I will plainly shew Iust Causes of my Suspicion of its Insufficiency, which are these:

1. I observe, That all Learned Men are, to this day, highly dissatisfied as to the Cause, and Man­ner of the Operation of Opium, notwithstanding all that has been written concerning it; and that it is the common Cry on all Hands, that none has illustrated the Operations of Opium to any Purpose, or given any Satisfaction therein; and therefore Learned Physicians are still as much upon the En­quiry, as ever they were.

It is much more Civil and Reasonable, to suspect the Foundation, that all former Authors have built upon, than a general Failure in all the most Judi­cious Master Builders, that ever endeavour'd to build thereon; for if all the best Architects of the whole World fail to erect a firm Superstructure upon any one Foundation, what can we think, but that the Foundation is infirm? especially when (as in our Case) no Way (that Care, Iudgment, Perspi­cacity, and Wit could invent, or think of) has [Page 41] been left untried to build thereon; so that (tho' I modestly call it a Cause of Suspicion) it amounts almost (if not altogether) to a Demonstration, that the Foundation that all Authors have gone upon is naught. Would not any considering Man, when he sees all the Iudicious Architects of the World fail to erect a firm Building upon a certain Foandation, seek for another? Therefore who can blame me, if I do? and not blame them, that did not? The meanest: Bricklayer, or Carpenter, that should be guilty of such Stupidity, as to attempt to build upon such a Foundation as always deceiv'd the Builders, would be thought too great a Blockhead to be employ'd in Building.

2. I observed, That most Men do (notwith­standing that Foundation is agreed upon) think it impossible to explain the int [...]icate, various, con­tradictory Phenomena's, and mysterious Effects of Opium; sitting contented, and perswaded, that it operates by an occult Quality, wholly unexplicable, and particularly reserved from the Knowledge of Mankind: But Nature works Mechanically in Weight, Measure, &c. Therefore it is more than probable, that it is only their being upon a wrong Bottom makes it seem absolutely occult; for it is impos­sible to find a thing, where it is not; or to build firmly upon an insufficient Foundation; whereas had it been right, and true, it is not to be imagined, but some or other would have thereupon done something, that would have stood against all Winds, and Storms; which none have done.

3. I observed, That none durst venture to lay the whole, no; nor one half of the Burthen of the Phinomena's, or Effects of Opium, upon that Foundation; foreseeing (doubtless) that it could not bear them, and that if they laid any more Weight thereon, the whole would totter, and fall to the Ground. The Project in every Hypothesis is to per­swade [Page 42] Men of the Truth thereof; and the only way to do it, is to solve all Phenomena's thereby; for if it fails but in one, it is an infallible sign of its Insufficiency: There was no Reason to omit any of the Phenomena's, if they could have discern'd, that the Hypothesis would have born them; there­fore (as has been intimated) it implies a Confes­sion of its Incompetency.

4. I observed, That ancient Authors writ of O­pium, before it came to be of common and general Use in the Day-time with Healthy Persons, (as it since is in many Nations) to cause a gay, pleasant, and good Humour, take off Sadness, Melancholy, and Anxiety; To cause Assurance, Boldness, Courage, Bravery, Magnani­mity, Euphory, or easie undergoing of Labour, Iour­neys; Promptitude in Business, Expediteness, and Se­renity; To excite to Venery, &c. Which Effects cannot be explained by that Supposition of disabling the Spirits, and that they used Opium only Medi­cinally for the sake of such other Effects as might be tollerably well explicated by that Hypothesis; so that they had not any Occasion, nor Inducement to look any farther.

The Effects they gave it for was only; 1. To cause Sleep. 2. To take off Pain. 3. To stop Fluxes. 4. To Compose the Spirits. 5. To cause Perspiration, and Sweat. All which are not inconsistent with the Hypothesis of diminishing or disabling the Spirits, as the other are, and therefore might well deceive them; For,

First, Sleep is caused by diminishing the Spirits by Labour, Watching, &c. as is most notorious over the whole World; so other Things that diminish the Spirits, as Bleeding, Vomiting, Purging, and many other Causes of diminishing thereof, do in­cline us to Sleep.

[Page 43]Secondly, Indolence, or Exemption from Pain, is caused by nothing more than want of Spirits, as in Paralytical Cases, Stupor [...], Obstructions, or Com­pressions of the Nerves, Syncopes, Leipothymies, De­liquiums, Faintings after Bleeding, and Sleep; which (as was said) is so much caused by loss of Spi­rits, &c.

Thirdly, Fluxes are stopt, or moderated, by no­thing better than Sleep, which generally (as was said) proceeds from loss of Spirits; What also stops, or moderates Fluxes, more than want of the Sense of the Irritation of Humours? And what takes away Sense more than want of Spirits? Thus want of Sense by the absence of the Spirits, in Paralytical Intestines, stops Fluxes; Thus fails a Paralytical Bladder to express the Urine. So a Palsie of the Membranes, that include the Glan­dules, must (as in Sleep, which relaxes them) stop, or moderate all Defluxions, Catarrhs, &c. because they are not sensible o [...] the Irritation of the Humour by Quantity, or Quality; which Irritation causes the Defluxions or Catarrhs, by ex­citing the Membranes, to contract, and thereby to squeeze out the Humours contain'd in the Glan­dules.

Fourthly, The Composure of the Spirits is pro­cured mainly by Sleep, which all loss of Spirits (as was shewn) inclines us to; so Bleeding, which diminishes the Spirits, compose their Fury in Fe­vers, Deliriums, Madness, &c.

Fifthly, Perspiration is caused by nothing more than Sleep; for we perspire twice as much in Sleep, as when we watch, as is most manifestly demonstrable by the Statick Experiments of Weighing People; nor is Perspiration ever so great as in Deliquiums, Syncopes, Leipothymies, and such like deadish Cases, which are caused by di­minishing, or disabling of the Spirits, nay, 'tis so in [Page 44] Animals, quite dead for a little time while they are hot, as is evident by like Statick Demonstra­tions: The true Cause of which is Relaxation of the Pores, Skin, &c. for want of Spirits to contract, and constringe them; as shall be fully proved here­after (by God's Help.)

These Things were (doubtless) the occasion of that Hypothesis, of diminishing or disabling the Spirits by Opium; but how likely are they to err by establishing it without any consideration of its enlivening, encouraging, and brisk Effects, as Ova­tion of the Spirits, Gaity, Bravery, Magnanimity, Euphory, Promptitude to Venery, &c. which can never be solved by Diminution, or Disability of the Spirits, till Depression and Elevation thereof are reconcilable, and consistent at the same time in the same subject; which can never be till Disabling and Not Disabling are the same thing? Have not we then good Reason to suspect that general Founda­tion of diminishing or disabling the Spirits by Opium, which was laid by such as never considered any thing of its generous and sprightly Effects, which (as has been shewn) are its constant, and therefore most proper and genuine Effects? Who can doubt then but they must err, in laying a Foundation quite contrary to the very Properties of Opium?

5. I observed, That all our Modern Authors, and Physicians, receiving the Knowledge of Opium, its Effects, and Uses, from those Ancients, do use it only for the same Ends and Purposes as they did; and that our Modern Authors, living in these We­stern Parts of the World, very remote from the Eastern Countreys, where it is used commonly, and in large Doses, by People in Health, in the day­time, to enliven, invigorate, and encourage them, and cause the brave, generous, and magnanimous [Page 45] Effects aforementioned, viz. Courage, Euphory, &c. and finding no Physician that went before them, to mention these noble, cordial, and glorious Effects; and, if they did at any time slightly touch them, to do it with all imaginable Disregard, Neglect, and Contempt, as if there was no Heed to be taken of them, but as idle Tales, and improbable Stories, be­ing contrary, and utterly (as they thought) in­consistent and irreconcilable with the daily, and most notorious Effects of Opium, observed among us; and to the Universal Opinion of all Authors, who stated Opium to be a Diminisher or Disabler of the Spirits, which could not produce (as they con­cluded) such contradictory, and therefore (to them) utterly incredible Effects, and fabulons Flams, ari­sing (as they fansied) from some silly Errours, as want of due Observation in Travellers, mistaken Discourses, and the like; so that (as the saying is) they let them in at one Ear, and out at the other, there being no such contrary Effects of any one Thing to be observed in the whole Creation; and they being well assured of the other Effects by daily Experience, and having never observed those lively Effects, (for the several plain Reasons that you'll meet in the following Paragraphs) had no cause to alter their Opinion, when all Things seem'd to them to make for their Hypothesis, for want of a Notion of those brisk Effects.

6. I observed, That those brisk Effects of Opium were not taken notice of by our Physicians, nor indeed, (all things considered) do I well see how they should, without getting out of the common Road of observing, which is sometimes (as I have found) very useful upon such Occasions. For,

First, Opium is seldom (if ever) given in these Western Nations, but to Sick People, (as the An­cients did) who are utterly incapable of those [Page 46] brisk Effects, or (at least) to any remarkable de­gree, that might call for a particular or special Advertency, or Atten [...]ion; without which, they passed off as they came, without any Reflection thereupon; and so signified nothing, as if they had never happen'd.

Secondly, We (as the Ancients did) generally give Opium when People are going to Bed, by which means all Opportunity of Observation is lost; because darkness, and being alone, hide, or hinder the shewing of any such Effects; and the Physician (whose only Business it is to be more curious in such Matters) is gone to his own Rest, tho', if he were present, not likely to take any Observations of such Matters, whereof he has least Thoughts, or Belief, as being, in his Opinion, contrary to all Reason, Sense, Experience, and the Opinion of all Authors, of the Stupefactive Quality of Opium, in which they all agree.

Thirdly, Opium is (as was said) given in these Countreys to cause Sleep, or such Effects to which Sleep conduces, as composing the Spirits, causing Indolence, stopping Fluxes, and promoting Perspirati­on; and therefore always given with all careful Directions, and Injunctions, that may conduce to that End, as going to Bed, lying still, putting out Lights, keeping Silence, &c. which concurring with the Opium, cause Sleep, which is utterly incon­sistent with shewing any of those lively Effects, that belong only to a waking Person to do; so that all Opportunity of Observation is utterly pre­cluded.

Now, (all the Premises considered) it cannot be conceiv'd, that such as set their mind upon con­trary Effects, and expect no other, much less con­trary ones, (against which also they are highly prejudiced by their Reason, Experience, and Read­ing) [Page 47] should observe such brisk Effects, if they did happen; and how can a brisk Humour, Courage, easie undergoing of Labour, Promptitude to Venus, &c. be observed in Sick, and Infirm People, lying in Bed, alone, and in the dark, or (which renders it utterly impossible) while they are asleep, and the Thing it self disbelieved, and esteem'd con­trary to Common Sense, and the Universal Senti­ment of the Learned, and all others. There­fore,

7. If (after all) any such brisk Effect did ever happen, it must be either not regarded, or if observed, (which is no way likely, as was shewn) you may be sure (for the many plain Reasons, and Causes aforesaid) that it was not imputed to Stu­pifying Opium, (as all esteem it) but to any other Cause, or Accident, rather than to a Thing well known to have quite contrary Effects. For In­stance:

If the Sick Person happen'd to be good humour'd, (of which he is seldom capable, and utterly in­capable of all or most of the other brisk Effects, as Euphory, Promptitude to Venus, Exertion of Courage, &c.) it was either passed by as an ordinary Thing of Course, and so not heeded, or else imputed to Refreshment by Sleep, Ease from Pain, or some A­mendment as to the Disease; or, indeed, to any Thing, rather than Dispiriting and Stupifying Opium, that is so far (in all Opinion) from exciting the Spirits, that all affirm, conclude, and agree, that it diminishes or disables them.

The like is to be said of any of the lively Ef­fects, in case they happen, and are observ'd; Tho' I do not see how they can, so (at least) as any Stander by will refer it to Opium; besides, that as to some of the brisk Effects, (especially that of [Page 48] Venery) greater Doses are requisite, to render it any thing remarkable, than are used in these Western Parts, and that Modesty would much hinder the discovery of this Effect.

Is it not therefore very manifest, that I had great cause to▪suspect, that both Ancient and Mo­dern Physicians consider'd things by halves, since they did not take the most genuine Properties into their Consideration, and that they laid their Foun­dation upon the most contrary Effects to them? It follows then, That the general Supposition of all the Learned can no more solve the true Properties of Opium in any Probability, than giving the Reason why Fire hardens Clay can explain why it softens Wax; The Reason, did I say! I should have said, than giving the wrong Reason why it hardens Clay, shews how it softens Wax; for it will appear in the following Chapters, that they gave no right Reason for any Effect of Opium, even those they ever allow'd to be its Effects; nor laid any true Foundation to explain the least, meanest and plain­est Effect thereof; forasmuch as all their Suppo­sitions are so false, that there never were any such Things as they lay down to explain the Effects of Opium, viz.

• 1. No such Thing as a Cold Quality in Opium.
• 2. No such Things as Fumes, &c. flying from O­pium to the Brain, while it is at Stomach.
• 3. No such Thing as diminishing, or disabling the Animal Spirits by Opium, any way whatsoever. Of which in their Order in the following Chap­ters.

HAving shewn just Causes of my Suspicion of that Universal Foundation of Opium's Dimi­nishing or Disabling the Spirits▪ I will now proceed to a more strict Examination thereof, beginning with the Opinion of the Ancients, who affirm'd,

I confess that much may be done towards the diminishing, or disabling the Spirits by Opium, if it had such a cold Quality as the Ancients attributed to it; for then it must be such a Coldness, as the coldest Things either actual, or potential, bore no Proportion to; for Ice, Snow, &c. bear no Propor­tion to it, in causing the same Effects by a cold Quality.

It was the manner of the Ancients implicitly to believe, and subscribe to what their great Au­thors, and Masters in Physick, or Philosophy, taught them; whom they adored as infallible Gods, as soon as their Mortality proved the contrary; which was as absurd, as asserting, Tha Opium, which is one of the hotest Things that Vegetables afford, is extream cold; (blessed be God for our Light in Religion, and Liberty in Philosophy!) There­fore some such admir'd Authors, or great Masters in Physick, having asserted, that Opium acted by an [Page 50] extream cold Quality, all did implicitly subscribe to it.

The Devil, whom they worship'd, could not (tho' a Deceiver from the Beginning) impose more upon their Faith, than in causing them (for I cannot think but it was some such Evil Power) to believe, that Opium was cold, against all the Evidence of Sense and Experience; he might have as well told them, that Hell Fire had all the Pro­perties of common culinary Fire, and yet nothing more refreshing by its cold Quality; for as many of our Senses, as can take notice of Heat and Cold, do plainly inform us, that it is very hot in it self, and Effects. For,

• 1. Its Taste is very bitter, rank, vehemently hot, burning and biting, all which Qualities are infallible Signs of great Heat, and the better the Opium is the more intense are those Qualities; Nay, it is observed, that its very Virtue is strictly combined to, or consisting in those Qualities, especially Bit­terness, which if lost, the Virtue is gone, as is commonly observed, and easily observable.

  It was a wise Fetch of Amatus Lusitanus, in Defence of its Cold Quality, to attribute all its Bitterness to Glaucium, that was mixt therewith; whereas Glaucium always gives a yellow Tincture to Water, and Opium a red; but the Opium, that gave no yellow Tincture, was bitter also; yea, that was most bitter, that gave the reddest Tincture; How comes Theban Opium, and indeed all other Opium, to be bitter before any thing is mixt with it? How inadvertently absurd People will be to defend Absurdities; it is pretty to see how they will expose themselves to defend a false Opinion.

• [Page 51]2. Its Smell, which is very rank, strong, hot, and such, as Things highly impregnated with Volatile Salt, and Sulphur, (the Two hottest Prin­ciples in Nature) do afford. It is from Volatile Salt that Cantharides, Pismire, Spear-Wort, Crows­foot, &c. are so very hot, as to blister, (or exul­cerate;) and are not all hot Spirits such, upon the account of their Sulphur? as Spirits of Wine, Brandy, &c.
• 3. The best and strongest Opium will also exul­cerate, (as all Authors agree) which only Fire, or such Things, as have the Particles of Fire lodged in them, as Lixiviates, &c. or the hottest Things in Nature, will do; as Cantharides, Spear-Wort, &c. It is,
• 4. For the like Reason, a Psilothrick, or Causer of Hair to fall; which only Lime, Orp [...]ment, and the hottest Things, do cause.
• 5. It is inflammable, which only Sulphurecus Things are.
• 6. It causes a Sense of a vehement Heat at Sto­mach, tho' taken but in the Quantity of a Drachm.
• 7. It causes Driness of the Mouth, and Thirst, tho' taken but in the Quantity of 3 Grains, which nothing does but hot Things.
• 8. It discusses; and all Discussers are hot, for it is by Heat that they do discuss, as Spirit of Wine, Cummin-Seed, Volatile Salts, and all Hot Spirits.
• 9. It soon Operates, and in a small quantity, which is an infallible Proof of the Activity of its Parts, which argues Heat, not Cold.
• 10. It causes a gay, pleasant, and merry Humour, which only Wine, and hot Liquors, &c. do; and one Grain of Opium will cause them as much as several Glasses of Wine, which argues, that its Heat is much greater.
• [Page 52]11. I would fain know how, or see any Instance of any Cold Things raising the Spirits, causing Courage, Magnanimity, enabling People to Labour, Iourney, &c. as Wine, hot Liquors, and Opium do.
• 12. Opium does very much open the Pores, and cause Perspiration, &c. which only Heat, as that in Baths, Bagnios, Hot Houses, and Hot Things do▪ but Cold shuts the Pores, as all know. There­fore,
• 13. Opium cures, and prevents Colds; which is another Argument of its Heat.
• 14. It is a great Aphrodisiack, or Exciter to Ve­nery, which Cold Things chill; but Hot Things, as Cantharides, Bees, Pismires, Onions, Garlick, Leeks, Rocket, Squills, Horse Radish, Sem. Human. &c. do promote.
• 15. Nothing causes Indolence, given internally, but Wine, Hot Liquors, &c. (as I can think of) and Opium causes it much after the same manner as Wine does, first causing Mirth, and Iollity, and, upon increase of Quantity, very considerable Indolence. It is true, that Cold will externally cause a Stupor, if it be intense, so as to constringe the Parts, and exclude the Spirits; but otherwise it makes the Feeling more nice, as all know by Experience, because every little Hurt affects us more when we are cold than hot: But this is not the Case of relaxing Opium, which is used inter­nally to take away Pain, as Wine, &c.
• 16. Nothing takes away the Effects of Opium (or Drunkeness) better than cold Things inter­nally, and externally; as acids, dipping in Cold Wa­ter, &c.
• 17. Opium relaxes all Parts, which Heat does; and Cold constringes, as was intimated.
• 18. Wedelius confesses, (tho' it makes against what he says) that he never observed a Soporose [Page 53] Distemper, where there was not a Preternatural Heat. Opiolog. Lib. 1. Sect. 1. Cap. 12. P. 46.
• 19. If it causes Sleep by its cold Quality, then all Things, that are cold, would do it proporti­onably; Cucumers, Purslane, &c. would be so great Hypnoticks, that we should not be able to eat a Drachm of them, but that they would cause a great Sopor; but there is no such thing; and hot Things are much more apt to cause Sleep, or a Sopor, as Wine, hot Spirits, Onions, Garlick, and such like.
• 20. Opium causes a Redness, or Efflorescence of the Skin, making it sensibly warmer, as Heat, Wine, and Strong Liquors do.
• 21. It causes also an Itching of the Skin, which only hot Things do.
• 22. Half a Drachm of Opium in Clysters has caused a violent Heat in the Guts.
• 23. It stops Diarrheas, or Loosenesses, which Cold causes.
• 24. It stops Defluxions, Coughs, &c. which Cold causes.
• 25. To pin up all, its predominant Principles appear, by Autopsie upon its Chymical Analysis, to be Volatile Salt and Sulphur.

Besides, this Opinion of the Coldness of Opium is very much exploded, and, indeed, it is so appa­rently false, and absurd, that I should not have thought it worth while to argue against it, but that it lay so in my way, that regularly I could not well avoid it, without Breach of Order and Me­thod.

I might have added, that it resolves, attenuates, &c. but it is needless to say any more.

[Page 54]It is very false, and erroneous, that it stops Fluxes by incrassating, and binding, which are accounted cold Qualities; if so, how should it stop them when Pounds of Incrassatives and Binders have failed, tho' the Opium was given only in the Quan­tity of a Grain or Two? How should it stop, or moderate Fluxes, even while it is yet at Stomach, as it most certainly does? It bears (as Etmuller well observes) no Proportion to the Bloud, and Humours, to have any Effect that may be re­markable upon them, for a Grain is but as 1 to 115200 to the Blood of him that has 20 Pound of Blood, which an ordinary Man has: Besides, How can Altenuatives, Resolvers, and Discussers, incrassate or bind? But, more especially, How can so great a Relaxer of Parts, be a Constringer thereof? That is perfect Contradiction: And how can a meer Sal Volatile Oleosum, in which all its Vertue lies, (as will plainly appear) thicken and bind?

The Truth is, that it stops Fluxes (as Sleep doth) by taking away the sense of the Irritation of Humours, which solicite the Parts to con­tract, and so to extrude and squeese them out; it promotes Perspiration by relaxing the Pores (as Sleep doth;) it also seems to thicken Rheum, (as Sleep doth) because it causing Sleep, or (at least) taking away a sense of the Irritation of the Rheum, is thereby suffered to stay till it thickens by the Heat of the Body; the Irritation also at Windpipe being less, because the Flux of the Rheum is mo­derated for the Reason aforesaid. But of these Things more fully when we come to explain the Cause or Causes of the Effects of Opium.

THO' the Opinion of the Cold of Opium is much exploded, that of Fumes, Vapours, or Aura's, arising from the Opium at Stomach, and moun­ting up to the Brain, &c. is as much received and embraced; I know none, but such as think it ab­solutely necessary, considering that it is most cer­tain, and allow'd by all observing Men, That Opium produces all, or most of its Effects, while it is at Stomach; That the Genus Nerv [...]sum is mostly concerned in its Operation; and that (as was said) there is no Operation, or Action, but by Contact: So that the Moderns, acquiescing in the Necessity of its operating that way, because they could conceive no other, (which is no Proof, but a Defect of their Conception) look upon it as invin­cible and uncontrolable Evi [...]ence o [...] its operating by Detachments of Fumes, or [...], sent up to the Brain from the Stomach; which appear'd so undeniably conclusive, that neither the want of a sensible Passage, nor any other Inconvenience, signi­fied any thing (with them) to the contrary; there­fore it became an established Foundation by com­mon Consent; only they differ'd (as was shewn) in the manner how those Fumes produced the Effects of Opium: And well they might, seeing there is no such thing, nor possibility (if they [Page 56] were) of ever explicating the various Effects of Opium by that means, as will manifestly ap­pear.

I confess, that if Opium operated by such Fumes passing from the Stomach to the Brain, &c. it would be easie to conceive how it should diminish, or disable, nay, utterly ruine the animal Spirits; and indeed impossible rationally to conceive how they could do otherwise: But then the enlivening, invigorating, and encouraging Effects of Opium, which are its constant and most genuine Off spring, would lie upon our hands, without any possibility of giving an account thereof; for certainly dull, heavy, unnatural, undigested, and cloudy Fumes, or Vapours, could not advantage the animal Spi­rits, cause a Triumph, or Ovation, thereof, at their access, Courage, Serenity, Promptitude, Magnanimity, Euphory, Inclination to Venery, &c. which we are most obliged to regard, as being its most natural and proper Effects.

This Opinion of the Moderns does presume, or suppose, (for they prove nothing)

First, That Fumes, or Vapours, do readily and freely pass from the Stomach to the Brain, because the gross Fumes (as they call them) of a Grain or two of Opium, always operate before it is out of the Stomach.

But they never saw such Fumes pass, nor their Passage, only suppose both; and that meerly upon an Imagination that it must be so, because they (forsooth) cannot conceive any other way by which Opium can affect the Head, Nerves, &c. while it is at Stomach; whereas I can, and shall (God willing) shew them another means, or way, to do it, that is sensible, and not wholly precarious, as theirs is, and that in the meanest manner; because all their Grounds to suppose it, is their Inability to con­ceive, [Page 57] or apprehend, what is (as I shall shew) very sensible, nay obvious also.

Secondly, They suppose, That such Fumes will serve to solve all the Phoenomena's and Operations of Opium; whereas it is utterly impossible they should solve the enlivening and invigorating Effects there­of, (as has been shewn, and shall be further pro­ved, if God permits.)

It were easie to evidence, but that it would be tedious and needless, (for their Incompetency to solve the most proper Effects of Opium, is more than enough) that such Fumes, or Vapours, can truly solve no Effect of Opium, unless it be that of Death, or some deadly Symptoms; nay, they will not solve the most likely to be caused by Vapours, viz. Sleep, which all Men (as Wedelius says) al­low to be the Effect of Fumes, or Vapours, (in his Opiologia, c. 11. p. 35.) ‘Somnum naturalem (says he) omnes concedunt producere suaviores, & blandas [...], seu Vapores primum [...] de­mulcentes, qui cum spiritibus animalibus mixti torpi­dos quasi illos reddunt:’ That is, ‘All grant that kind and gentle Fumes do cause natural Sleep, &c.’ Which is most certainly false; tho' I very much doubt, that this groundless Presumption, which (as he intimates) all embrace, has been a great cause of this airy Imagination of Fumes in the Case of Opium; because Men looked upon Sleep (agreed upon to be caused by Fumes) to be the prime, lea­ding, and most proper Effect of Opium; which is also false, it being but a meer Accident, (as has been shown) and when it happens, generally requires lying, or sitting still, to assist it; whereas the Watching, that is the Effect of Opium, requires no help, and cannot be put off (as Sleep can, by Motion, Action, &c.) notwithstanding all Endea­vours to the contrary. Now I would know of [Page 58] any Man, which is the most proper and natural Effect of any Cause, That which nothing can hin­der, or that which every Action can? But I run too far upon this matter, which belongs more aptly to that part of this Book, that explains all the Effects of Opium; and so must return to that of Fumes, which do not cause natural Sleep, as manifestly appears,

1. Because that which causes natural Sleep, must, in all Reason, (as it is always in the wise Work of Nature) bear a Proportion thereto; but Fumes (supposing their Being) bear no Proportion to our Sleep. Certainly a working Labourer, that toils all the Day, must spend the Fumes of his Body in the highest degree; and feeding upon dry Bread and Cheese, must breed fewest Fumes; yet none sleeps better or sweeter than he. The like is to be said of a travelling Man, a tired Person, &c. who often fall asleep before they eat or drink to renew their Fumes, which they had spent in an extraordinary manner. Why Sleep, that is de­sign'd for Refreshment and Recruit, should depend upon Fumes, no Man can tell; for then our Refreshment would wholly depend thereon, and no Man have any Recruit by Sleep, but in propor­tion thereunto. Who dares accuse our Wise and Good Maker of such Contrivances, who in Nature always proportions Things to the Exigencies there­of? and therefore Sleep not to Fumes, but to that which was impair'd in us for want thereof; which is always contriv'd by Wise Nature (if you'll ob­serve it) to be the prompting Cause to the Recruit; and then Proportion is duly observ'd, because we are prompted exactly according to the Exigence or Necessity of Nature, as becomes the Wisdom of our Creator and Preserver. This Rule (if duly at­tended to) will easily, speedily, and certainly [Page 59] lead you to the Knowledge of the true natural Causes of Hunger, Thirst, Inclination to Sleep, and all such Calls for Restauration. All which I could soon satisfie you in, but that it is not my Business at present, and that it will too much anticipate my designed Tract of Animal Mechanism.

Nor doth Labour it self bear any exact Proportion thereunto, because many healthy People, that are idle all day, sleep long, soundly, and sweetly, every night, as well as Labourers: So that (in short) it must be somewhat that belongs to Watching as such; for Sleep generally bears the best Proportion to Watching. If we watch much, or little, our Sleep bears some Proportion thereto; tho' there may be in this, as well as in Hunger, Thirst, &c. Accidents, that cause the Promptitude to be more or less, and so vary the true natural Propor­tion; all which have the Nature of Diseases, as canine Appetites, Coma's, Caros, preternatural Thrists, &c.

What it is that Watching causes to prompt us to Sleep, must be some Impair made thereby as such, and not the foolish Conceit of Fumes: And it were easie for me to illustrate what it is, but that it will require some Sheets of Paper, and (as I said before) anticipate my Discourse of Animal Mechanism, which I hoped to have published be­fore this Book, and would have been most conve­nient, because the Principles therein stated may serve to explain the Effects of Opium; but that the want of a few Experiments has (to my Grief) hi­therto delay'd it; and therefore I must be put to much Trouble in this Work for want thereof, be­cause I am resolved not to spare my self, in order to satisfie the Reader in this great and unexplicated Mystery.

[Page 60]2. If Vapours were the cause of natural Sleep, it is impossible that the prick of a Pin, or a sharp Sound, &c. should awake one ten or twenty times in an Hour; for either the Prick must in an in­stant discuss all the Fumes in being, which is im­possible to be imagined, and they as often return to cause Sleep again; or intercept their Motion from the Stomach to the Head, which no Man can have any Conception of the Efficacy of the Pin, or Sound, so to do: Or they must both discuss and intercept the Fumes, (which indeed if the case were such, would be necessary to make a clear Awa­king) which is yet far more unconceivable. What paltry Trifles does the World embrace, instead of Truth and Reason!

3. Several Persons (whereof I am one) do awake in a minute or two after they first fall asleep in Bed at night; which would be absolutely im­possible, if Fumes caused Sleep; for the Fumes would increase more and more, and make one more and more remote from waking.

4. Why should warm Baths, Fomentations, Feet­washes, Head-washes, warm moist Weather, the Act of Venery, the Pleasure of sweet Melody, gentle rubbing of the Head in a pleasant manner, scratching the Back where it itches, and all gentle Pleasures that are consistent with lying, or sitting still, which do all cause a very free Perspiration of Fumes at the Pores, (that are then most certainly opened by all those Causes, as may be proved by statick Demonstration, Magnifying Glasses, &c.) cause Sleep, seeing they all cause a spending of the Fumes?

Obj. Some half-witted, unthinking Caviller may say, That such Things stir up the Vapours, &c.

[Page 61] Answ. What such mean by Vapours stirr'd, is not easily determinable; but this I know, that all stir of Humours, or any other thing, hinders Sleep; and that the longer such Causes of open­ing the Pores, and consequently of perspiring Fumes do last, the more we are inclin'd by them to Sleep; so that the more our Fumes have been spent, the more we are inclined to sleep; which is a strange Contradiction, if Fumes be the cause of Sleep.

I can but smile to think how most Physicians come to call several things Vapours: First, they say, that Sleep is from Vapours; then call every thing Vapours (right or wrong) that inclines us to sleep, by reason of that false Supposition: How then comes Camphire not to be a great Causer of Sleep, that is so apt to evaporate?

5. Fear, Sorrow, Grief, Melancholy, Depression of Spirits, Cold, &c. do most certainly close the Pores, (as appears by statick Experiments) by which means Vapours are much crowded in the Body; yet all such Grievances do hinder Sleep, as they al­so do the Effects of Opium and Drunkenness: There­fore they do not proceed from Fumes, as the World imagines; for then these things that crowd in the Fumes and Vapours, would promote, not hinder Sleep.

6. If Fumes are the cause of Sleep, then are the cause of Sleep and Vertigo's (as the Vaporanians allow) the same, it follows then that we could ne­ver sleep without a Vertigo.

7. Many (as Dr. Willis says) eat their Meat, take their Drink, &c. as other People, yet do not sleep at all for many Weeks together; which were impossible, if the Fumes of Meat and Drink caused Sleep; for they, by eating and drinking, [Page 62] must have those Fumes, and consequently Sleep, as other People, if that were true.

Thirdly, They suppose and take it for granted, (which I do not, for I know the contrary) That Opium, while it is at Stomach, can affect the Brain, &c. no other way but by Fumes; which is a most groundless Supposition: For,

1. How should a Lump of Curd at Stomach, or the Hast of a Knife swallow'd, and many such things, which can send no Fumes to the Head, cause Convulsions, Head-achs, Vertigo's, Syncopes, Leipothymies of the whole Man, Manias, Furors, &c. if there were not another way for things to affect the Nervosum Genus, &c. while at Stomach, besides sending up Vapours to do it? But of this matter, to shew how a thing at Stomach may af­fect the Brain, and the whole System of the Nerves, &c. and how Opium does it without Fumes, the 17, 18, 19, 20, &c. Chapters will shew you at large: Therefore I shall say no more of this at present, for it is fit for us first to overthrow that Supposition of Fumes and Vapours, before we establish our own. For farther Satisfaction then, as to that general Supposition of Fumes, let us duly and fully consider Things; for it is not a slight matter to proceed against a General Opinion, that has continued through all Ages, or to wipe off the Prejudices ac­quired thereby. Observe,

• 1. That the Brain is a Principal Part.
• 2. That it is very soft, tender, and next to a Fluid.
• 3. That very small, fine, and gentle Things do highly offend it, as the Effluvia's of sweet, or ill­scented Things, causing hysterick and epileptical Fits, Syncopes, Faintings, &c. It is also notorious [Page 63] among us Physicians, that a little Fume, scarce sen­sible as to Quantity or Quality, rising from a Toe, Finger, &c and arriving at the Brain, causes dread­ful epileptical Fits, Vertigo's, &c.
• 4. That our Wise and Provident Creator, has therefore secured and fortified all the Avenues of the Brain, in a more particular manner, by seve­ral Circumvallations, viz.
  • First, With the Pia Mater.
  • Secondly, With the Dura Mater, called so from its Hardness, Solidity, and Strength.
  • Thirdly, With a strong Skull, of a round or arch­ed Figure.

  • Fourthly, With the Pericranium.

    All which belong to it particularly, besides other Integuments common to it, with other Parts; as, 1. The Skin. 2. The Cuticle. 3. The Membrana Carnosa. 4. The Periostium: All which do sur­round it; and after all, it is Thatched (as it were) with Hair.

• 5. That the same Providence has taken care (which is very observable) that none of the Ob­jects of Sensation, nor (probably) any Particle, or Effluvium, that flies from them, should ever reach the Brain, but only bare Impulses, and they not immediately convey'd, but by the Intervention of a fine, tenuious, soft, gentle, and most agreeable Aura, viz. the Animal Spirits, lest any Offence should be given in the least manner to this most tender, delicate, principal Part, and Royal Seat of the Soul; all which Care had never been, with­out Necessity; for God and Nature do nothing in vain.

  [Page 64]And if you'll duly consider the Organs of Sen­sation, that are near the Brain, you'll find that they are contrived as Shutters, to exclude all ex­traneous Particles from the Brain; for Impulses might have been contrived without their Interven­tion, because they do not alter or improve the Im­pulses received from Objects; for if they did, we should not have true notice of Things: And see­ing they do not alter, or improve the Impulses, of what Use should they be but to exclude extraneous Particles, Eumes, Effluvia's, &c.

  For instance: The tremulous Motion of the Air; in the case of Sound, would have as truly hit the Auditory Nerve, or Membrane, without the Tym­pan; and very often much truer without it, be­cause of the several Faults and Disorders that it is liable to: Yet so necessary was it thought by the best of Iudges, who cannot err, that it was ra­ther to be placed there, with all its Inconveniences that might follow, than any way expose the Brain, though to the most gentle of Bodies, viz. the Air, by which (in all probability) the Animal Spirits themselves are nourished, or su­stained.

  Were it not that extraneous Particles, or Air, would offend the Brain, What need is there of the Tympan, when we know as well by Experience, as by the aforesaid Reasons, that a Dog, &c. can hear as well without it, upon the first taking it off, but that the Hearing will afterward decay, because the Brain, &c. being exposed, will be in­jured?

  What is evident in the case of the Ear, may be made so as to the Nose and Eyes; for though some of my Readers may not easily conceive it, the Re­presentation of Things might have been conveyed by Reflections and Refractions of Light, without [Page 65] excluding the Air, but that it was more conve­nient and safe for the Brain, and Optick Nerve, (which is much the same matter with the Brain, and a Production thereof) that the Air should be excluded.

• 6. Notwithstanding all this Care to exclude extraneous Particles, how fine soever, we do find that those very Impulses, conveyed by the Ani­mal Spirits themselves, in the most gentle manner imaginable, do often offend the Brain.

  Now fairly consider the great Excellency and Use of the Brain, viz. to separate the Animal Spirits, to accommodate the Soul with a fit Seat for it; its Tenderness and Softness to be next to Liquidity; how carefully it is guarded with about nine or ten Cir­cumvallations, or considerable Integuments; that those we commonly call Organs of Sensation, are contrived for Shutters out (or Excluders) of the least extraneous Particles, Effluvia's, or Aura; that the least Fume that rises from any Part, and arrives at the Brain, causes such terrible and dis­mal Effects, and that most gentle touches of the Animal Spirits do offend it, so as to cause tragical Events, as hysterick Fits, Vertigo's, &c. Is it likely, that notwithstanding the Considerableness, Tenderness, Use, and Excellency of the Brain, the extraordi­nary Providence used in guarding it from Efflu­via's, or extraneous Particles, how fine soever, and the apparent Mischiefs that the least Fume, nay, bare Impulses, presented by the Animal Spirits, do cause; that the same Providence that so guarded it (which does nothing in vain) should, after all its Care and nice Circumspection to exclude the least Fume, &c. permit, and freely let loose upon it, and into it, whole and even continual Gusts, Blasts, and Vulcano's, of acid, acrimonious, putrid, hot, stinking, corrosive Fumes, Vapours and Steams, [Page 66] arising from glutted, debauch'd, and surfeited Sto­machs, containing all imaginable Trash, Hodge­podge, Vermine, Choler, &c. sure it is much fitter quite to discharge and rid Nature of them at Mouth, or rather send them downward with their fit Companions, the stinking Ordure and Excre­ments, than prefer them to the Highest and Noblest Part of the Animal and Sacred Mansion of the Soul.

  For if there be so ready, free, open, and con­stant a Passage (sensible, or insensible) for the Fumes of Opium, which never fails of its Effects; then certainly must the Passage be alike free to all other Fumes from the Stomach, seeing they are so to those gross, venomous, and pernicious Fumes of Opium, as Willis, and most of the modern and an­cient Physicians do state them to be: Then fare­wel Soul, Brain, Life, and all; for it is not con­ceivable that the Man can hold out one Hou [...] under such horrid and dismal Circumstances, and dreadful Eructations of rude and crude Fumes, who could not bear the arrival of the least Vapour, scarce sensible in Quantity or Quality, arising from any other Part; Or is it a peculiar Priviledge that the Stomach has, thus to send Farts with their Heels upward, (as Belching is call'd) without any offence, to perfume the Soul's Presence-Chamber, (saving your Presence however?) Foh! for shame! What sort of Opinions are these? What thick, stinking, and dark Clouds, Scotomies, and Stu­pors, must the Opiniators be under, by their own Consent?

• 7. If this were the case, no Part in the whole Body would be in such a miserable state as the Chief; for the Rectum, or Colon, are fitted and fortified by Nature to bear such Things; so is not the tender Brain.

• [Page 67]8. What Horse's Brain, much less Humane one, could bear, incessant Rakings, Penetrations, Stuf­fings of such unnatural, indigested, heterogeneous, rugged, acid, acrimonious, putrid, and impetuous Fumes? If ‘Gutta cavat Lapidem non vi sed saepe cadendo;’

  What would become of the tender Brain, thus [...]udely rubb'd and grated, all the days of our Lives, if it could hold out any? for it is incre­dible it should.

• 9. How would the Pores of that soft Substance, which have no less Office (as 'tis universally re­ceived) than to separate Animal Spirits, (which are or should be the finest and most subtile, te­nuious, and principal Things in an Animal, next the Soul it self) be discomposed, torn, dilated, stuff­ed? What a blessed S [...]retion of Animal Spirits (if any) would there be!
• 10. It is observed by all, That the Brain, tho' very soft, receives the least Change of any Part of the Body; which could never be (considering its ten­derness) if it were so raked by all sorts of Fumes; for then doubtless such a Body would be most changed of any in Colour, Substance, Texture, Big­ness, &c. What would become of Memory, and indeed of all the Faculties of the Brain? Can a soft, yielding Substance, continually discomposed, preserve Impressions made thereon? If Fumes flow'd continually through the Brain, they must wear out all Impression, yea, and the Brain it self, in a short time.
• 11. It would be very dangerous to eat or drink, if the Brain must suffer so much by the Fumes of Meat, Wine, &c. It would be hard to know whe­ther it was best to eat or not, for both must be fatal.
• [Page 68]12. What a vast Difference should we observe▪ as to Serenity of Mind, &c. when empty and full▪ For in this last case, the Brain must be all in a Cloud, or a Cloud in it, or both; yet are Men much more seren [...], prompt, and fit for any thing, after some Glasses of Wine, than before, and after moderate Eating, than when Hungry, which makes them faint, peevish, ill-humour'd, and listless.

• 13. If the Vapours, or Fumes, of Opium, flying up to the Brain, caused all its Effects, it is very strange that our Fumi venduli had not long since found out the Mountebank▪ Gambol of standing up­on their Heads, to prevent all Mischief from Opium taken in a great Dose; for Fumes in a warm living Body would not descend into the Head. I wonder they did not find out such an easie and natural Con­sequence of their Hypothesis, if true; they might then have boldly mounted any Stage, freely taken Opium in the sight of the admiring Rabble; their Summersets, Going upon their Hands, &c. would have secured them, and turn'd Danger topsie-turvy by the help of a comical Gesture. This is indeed somewhat to purpose, if it succeeds; if not, I should think 'twere enough to ridicule their Hypothesis out of all Credit, without any farther Arguments. I dare join Issue with them upon that Point, that it will not succeed, though a necessary Consequence of their Opinion, if true; wherein they will have this Advantage, That they'll confess with one that never did (or will) try it, as being well assured of the Falsity of both the Hypothesis, and the Experiment, without such a Trial of Skill.

  Now I think that I have said enough, and would willingly give over arguing, and spending any more Time to confute an Hypothesis so absurd, that it must needs appear so to any regular [Page 69] Thinker without my Help; but all are not such, and the Prejudices general and inveterate, and of some thousands of Years standing, having conti­nued through all Ages to this day; and I would fain quite put out this false Light, that (like Will of the Wisp) has brought many a Man into the Pit of Destruction, or Grave, while Physicians were guided thereby. Therefore it being no slight Work to undeceive many, and a very good Work (if possible) to undeceive all; I will (left what I have said be not sufficient to that end) add some­what more to the same purpose; though (I doubt) some will not be convinced till I shew them how Things while at Stomach, may cause all the Ef­fects of Opium, by a sensible Operation, without the Help of Fumes, Vapours, Effluvia's, Aura, or any any such thing; which have been the Asylum of the short-sighted, that could see no other Means, and therefore (as was said) concluded Things must be as they thought, presuming that nothing could be that they did not see. A special Infe­rence, and a very improving one, which must cause People never to seek for any thing! For why should they, that think there is nothing but what they see, look any farther? To proceed then:

• 14. It is agreed on all hands, (as I take it) That the Animal Spirits are not generated till there is an Appulse of the Bloud at the Brain: Can it there­fore be imagined, That Indulgent and Wise Na­ture should contrive a speedier Way to destroy, di­minish, or disable the Spirits, by Fumes and Vapours out of the Stomach, than to generate them? These are not the Ways of Equal Nature, which destroy [...] and generates by the same Road; so that if Ani­mal Spirits are generated by the Bloud, they are diminished by some Defect therein; as want of [Page 70] Matter in the Bloud for that purpose; the Bloud not arriving at the Brain, and the like.

  Note, That I spoke in the last Paragraph of di­minishing, (or destroying) not bare disabling the Spirits; for the Spirits, or sensitive Soul, may be depressed (or disabled) for some time, and exci­ted, or elevated, by other means than that of the Bloud, as by Pleasure or Displeasure, Ioy or Grief, &c. Thus good News, or the Pleasure of any of the Senses, enliven, invigorate, or elevate the Spi­rits, or sensitive Soul, in a moment; this is the way that God has provided for us upon sudden Exigen­cies, Deliquiums, Lepothymies, &c. and thus Cor­dials work so speedily (as you'll find hereafter;) so may there be a sudden Depression of the Spirits, as by ill News, Pain, &c. which (if you'll be pleased to remember) will much illustrate Things here­after.

• 15. The ordinary Strainers of the Body are so ordered, that they will not admit Particles of ano­ther Figure, especially if larger than the proper Particles; much more should it be so with the Principal Strainer of the whole Body, (I mean the Brain) both for its safety, and of the whole, which depends upon the Animal Spirits, that are strai­ned, or separated, from the Bloud in the Brain; therefore the Particles of Opium, which are esteem'd gross by all, (however are more so than the most tenuious Animal Spirits) cannot enter in­to the Pores of the Brain, to diminish or disable the Animal Spirits, in case its Fume arrived there.
• 16. It was never the Method of Nature to send Things crude, unprepared, and undigested, into the inmost and principal Recesses and Parts of the Body, without passing gradually by the several [Page 71] Digestions, Concoctions, Changes, Percolations, Cir­culations, &c. preparatory thereunto; therefore it will not permit crude and indigested Fumes any access to the Brain, till they have (as it were) per­formed their Quarentine elsewhere; nor will Na­ture, which always acts consentaneous to it self, provide any Passage for such rude and crude Foreign­ers and Strangers, to ravage the principal Part of an Animal.
• 17. They cannot pass by the Arteries, which carry nothing out of the Stomach, but all into it, or towards it, and that with a violent Mo­tion, which opposes any thing that would pass that way.
• 18. Nor by the Veins, which carry nothing in­to the Brain; but if they enter'd the Veins at Sto­mach, they must thence pass into the Right Ven­tricle of the Heart, where being rarefied by Heat, they must take up much room, and sadly discom­pose the Motion of the Bloud, and also enter this principal Part in a crude condition, (tho' much better able to bear them than the Brain) then must they pass into the Lungs, where you may be sure they will be so saucy as to take up the uppermost Room; and how they will be brought down again into the Left Ventricle of the Heart, (which they must vouchsase to do, before they can get into the Brain) none can tell: There then must they stick, and cause an Asthma, unless the Man has the good Luck to be rid of these Rov [...]rs by [...] ­thing, and then (Joy be with them! as there wi [...] be, when they are gone) they are lost, and never arrive at the Brain: And if it could be conceived, that they condescended to come down from the Lungs, (contrary to their Levity, which is not to be thought) what Pranks must they play in [...] Left Ventricle of the Heart, and what at [...] considering it cannot bear the [...] [...] [...] [Page 72] has been shewn;) whereas in this Case there must be a continual Stream thereof, and conse­quently a discontinuance of the Bloud, and its Mo­tion. See then how little Thought they must have, that assert it is convey'd with the Bloud ei­ther to the Veins or Arteries!
• 19. Nor by the Lympheducts; for then they must, contrary to their natural Levity, descend into the Receptaculum Chyli, and out of the Sub­clavials into the Right Ventricle of the Heart, and afterward run all that wild Risque mentioned in the last Paragraph, which was shewn to be im­possible.

• 20. Nor by the Nerves; for then they must either run up in the Road of the Animal Spirits, or in some By-way. If they passed by the Road of the Spirits, then must the Spirits be stopp'd for that time, (which is no short one) and we suffer a Pa­ralysis of the Stomach all that time, or be much distur­bed and interrupted; then should we have Convul­sions, or at least some degree of a Paral [...]sis of the Stomach.

  And if they passed by some By-way, or Road, besides that of the Animal Spirits, then must it be a full, or an empty one; if full, that Humour (as suppose a Succus Nutricius, for once) must be disturbed and discontinued, (as the Animal Spirits were shown to be;) and if empty, it would fol­low, that Nature had void and useless Ducts, which none ever had the Folly or Confidence to assert; or that Nature contrived them for that purpose, which is (as has been shown) directly against its Methods and Advantage.

  But after all, whither would you have them march in this By-Road? for they could not mix or communicate (as good Luck is) with the Spirits; and if they did, it is impossible it should be with­out such Disturbances as I mentioned would fol­low, if they passed in the Road of the Spirits; it [Page 73] is not common Sense, that such c [...]de Blasts should meliorate, or enliven the Spirits, to cause Briskness, Bravery, Serenity, Courage, Magnanimity, as Opium does, much less if those Fumes stopp'd and crowded in the Brain, and any way hinder'd the Genera­tion of Animal Spirits, as the common Assertion is.

  The like is to be said of their passing between the Pia Mater, and the medullary Part of the Nerve, (which cannot be allow'd, because of its close adherence thereto) with this addition, That they would constantly cause a violent Head-ach, which Opium, and Meals, (to which Fumes are par­ticularly attributed) do often cure.

  So if they got up to the Head, between the Pia and Dura Mater, it is Head-achs, and not the Sym­ptoms of Opium, that they would produce; which Head-achs (as was said) Opium and Meals do cure.

• 21. Lastly, If they passed by any means quite on the outside of the Nerves and their Membranes, (viz. the Pia, and Dura Mater) then must they take their Lodgment (if within the Skull) between the Dura Mater and the Skull, and produce no other Symptom but a Head-ach, which (as was said) Opium and Meals rather cure than produce; and if without the Skull, it is quite beside the Cu­shion, and the Vaporarians own Intention; for in all these last Cases, they could not affect the Ani­mal Spirits for good or evil. Many and very many things may be added, to shew the Impossibilities, Inconveniences, Incoherences, Absurdities, &c. that at­tend the Passage of the Fumes and Vapours into the Brain, Head, &c.
• 22. I had forgot [...] mentioning the Absurdity of its passing up at Gullet, and so to the Head, because I could not imagine that▪ any one would be [Page 74] so beastly an Animal as to belch up an Argument of that kind, considering our very Senses tell us, that what comes up that way passes out at Mouth or Nostrils, and because, if it were so, the Operation of Opium, &c. would be in proportion to our Belching, which is ridiculous.
• 23. The greatest Comfort of a Cordial is at first, or soon after it is taken; but if 'its Comfort were by Fumes, or Essluvia's, passing to the Bloud, or any where besides, the Comfort would (as their Cause of Fumes do) increase for a long time, and be more after a good while than at first. So,
• 24. If Opium operated by Fumes while at Sto­mach, which must gradually increase continually, how comes Opium to be at the height of its Ope­ration in a short time, viz. in about half an Hour after it begins sensibly to operate, or an Hour at farthest, and not increase continually in its Opera­tion, as their pretended Cause the Fumes must do by continual steaming?
• 25. If Opium operated by sending Fumes by Passages, &c. from the Stomach to the Brain, I should think that when it has got out of the Sto­mach, as into the Intestines, lacteal Veins, &c. there should be a kind of Interval of its Operation, (which is never observ'd) till it got into the Bloud again; therefore it does not operate by Fumes, for the Pylorus is always shut, but when somewhat is sent downward, which would hinder the mount­ing of the Vapours into the Stomach, in order to pass to the Brain.
• 26. If Vapours were the cause of Sleep after Meals, then should we be more sleepy two or three Hours after Meals, because of the abundance of the Fumes that would be crowded into the Brain by that time; but we are more sleepy presently after Meals, and if we indulge it but for a quarter of an Hour, we are refreshed, and far from sleepiness [Page 75] afterward, tho' the Fumes (if that Hypothesis were true) would be much more at Brain two or three Hours after the Meal: So it is in the case of Wine, if one take a short Nap after some Glasses, he may drink a great many afterward without being slee­py; which plainly proves, that it is not the Fumes of the Wine is the cause of the Sleep, because he is not at all sleepy, when there must be more Fumes.
• 27. All allow, that hot Fumes assaulting the Brain cause Phrensies; if that be true, then the Fumes of Wine and Opium (which are both very hot) must always do so; but Opium and Wine also do often cause Composure, Good Humour, Sleep, &c. which are contrary to Phrensies; therefore they do not operate by Fumes.
• 28. ‘If Sleep (says Helmont, the only Man that I have read who is against Vapours) is caused by Vapours ascending from the Stomach to the Head, obstructing and intercepting all the Passages of Sen­sation, Motion, Speech, Iudgment, &c. (as the Schools say) then a Disease would have been be­fore the Fall of Adam, because Sleep would have been a Disease, that is, a flatulent and vaporous Palsie.’
• 29. All allow Vomitives and Purgers to operate by Irritation, or a grievous Sensation of the Mem­branes of the Stomach; Why not Wine, Cordials, Opium, &c. by a pleasant Sensation? Cujus est Dolor (aut Gravamen) ejusdem est Voluptas; and as a grievous Sensation (or Pain) causes Melancholy, De­pression of Spirits, Fretfulness, Lassitude, &c. so a pleasant Sensation causes Comfort, Elevation of the Spirits, Euphory, &c. But we have not cleared the Way sufficiently for these Matters yet, which will in due time be solemnly considered.

Obj. It may be said, That both Vomitives and Purgatives take some time before they operate, un­less a Nausea upon Aversion causes them to work sooner; for Things must have time to insinuate themselves (or soak) through the Crusta Carnosa of the Stomach, and afterwards to affect its sensile Coat; which argues that Wine and Cordials, which operate immediately, do not operate that way, but by Fumes (or Effuviums) passing into the Brain, or Bloud.

Answ. I doubt indeed, that this Difference may be an occasion of referring the Effects of Cordials, and those of Emitticks and Catharticks, to different Causes; but it is very strange, that they should go so far as the Bloud, or Brain, to seek for the Cause of the Operation of Cordials, which operate in a Moment, and go no farther than the Stomach for the Cause of the Operation of Vomatives and Purgatives, which take more time to operate; especially seeing the Bloud and Brain have no Sensation, and that all sensitive Comforts happen by that means, I think it were much more pro­per, first, to consider the immediate Part upon which they insist, (when at Stomach) especially seeing it is so very sensible, before we run roving I know not whither, to seek for the Cause of a Thing that works, pleases, and comforts the Sto­mach, as soon as it is down. I take my self run­ning off the proper Subject Matter of this Chapter, and anticipating that of another; therefore I will be short, and deliver my Opinion in this Case by way of Position, with a familiar Instance to illu­strate it, which may in some measure prepare you for the Proof of it, and what is to be said thereof more at large hereafter

[Page 77]I say then, that hot spirituous Cordials, (for such indeed all proper Cordials are) as Brandy, Dr. Ste­phens's Water, and such-like, having sulphureous Particles so prepared and disposed towards Heat, or Fire, that they are as it were in Potentia pro­xima (or next Disposition) thereto; are mighty apt to contract a Heat, as you find by Spirit of Wine, or Brandy, kept the least time in a warm Place, or (to come closer to the matter) in your Mouth; wherein being actuated by its Heat, they will as in an instant grow so hot and active, that you can hardly bear them, because Particles of Heat which penetrate any Metal, Glass, &c. im­mediately as soon as applied thereto, will much more easily and sooner penetrate our soft Parts at Mouth, or the Crusta Carnosa at Stomach, and so reach the most sensile Coat thereof, pleasing, comforting, and exciting the Spiritus insitos as in a moment by their spirituous Heat, which we actu­ally feel and sensibly find to please and comfort the Stomach.

But if some Purging Tincture had been put into the Cordial, or Brandy, this would not have soaked through the Crusta Carnosa under some time, and consequently not operated till it had. This may be most manifestly illustrated by some hot Brandy, or indeed any hot Liquid put into a porous Dish set upon one's Hand, which presently warms it; but if the Liquid be tinged with any thing, that Tincture will not reach the Hand, till the Li­quor, which is its Vehicle, soaks through, which may be in an Hour (more or less) according to the Porosity of the Wood, which Tincture is to be compared to the Purgative at Stomach.

Hence it follows, That all Cordials should be a spirituous Liquid, if intended for sudden Refreshment, which Experience has taught, and be given actual­ly warm'd, if a very nimble Comfort be required; [Page 78] tho' the great Heat of the Stomach, above that of the Mouth, will generally be sufficient. Thus may the Stomach be pleased and comforted, grie­ved and purged, with the same Draught; but Gra­cious Providence has given the start to the Cordial, which immediately comforts us as a Heater.

• 30. If Opium operated by such Fumes, it would (at least in a liquid Form) begin its Operation as soon as it is at Stomach; for it would begin to send up Fumes as soon as it began to be warm, which is presently, and be at a very considerable Height of fuming, and consequently of Operation, in one minute, which is about the space of seventy ordinary Pulses; but we do not find it begin to operate in that Form, under twenty, thirty, or forty Minutes, which is much about the time that a more agreeable, and not nauseated Vomitive, or Purger, begin to affect the sensile Coat of the Stomach, and give intimation of their so doing. All which, and the Sense of Pleasure that we actually then seel at Stomach, makes it probable that it operates by affecting the Stomach pleasantly and comfortably, (after the manner of generous Wine) as Purgers and Vomatives do by af­fecting it grievously, all of them (except the Wine, that pleases and comforts sooner because of its Particles of Heat gain'd by Fermentation) opera­ting much in the same time, because they take like leisure to soak through the Crusta Carnosa to the sensile Coat of the Stomach.

• 31. All sensitive Pleasure, Comfort, &c. are re­ceived by the Senses; and though any Part were some way benefited, that has no Sense, no Com­fort would be perceived; without Perception, none could say that he is comforted: What fitter Part is there to be pleased, and comforted by Sensa­tion▪ than the Stomach? which has such exquisite Sense, that it can discern the vomitory Particles in [Page 79] Infusion of the Grocus, or Regulus of Antimony, which no Sensation but that at Stomach can discern; and so small, that a thousand Vomitories made thereof by Infusion, do not sensibly diminish the Grocus, or Regulus, as to Weight, or Bulk; nor can I con­ceive where any sensible Comfort can be perceiv'd by a spoonful of Cordial but at Stomach, where it actually is, and upon whose Coats it immediately insists; Is it not there that we feel the Comfort [...]? and where should we find it but there? What would the Effluviums of a Spoonful signifie, if mix'd with 100000 times as much insen [...]ile Bloud? and what Part (besides the Stomach) that the Bloud touches, can be sensible of it? So that if Effluviums were granted, 'tis thither they must re­turn to cause any considerable Pleasure, or Comfort: But what need any Re [...]urn of the inconsiderable Effluvia, when the main Body of the Cordial (yea, all) lies upon the Stomach already?

  I must forbear running into the Business of other Chapters, having been tedious enough upon the Subject of this, and the rather, because it was so general and so rooted an Opinion in the Minds of Men, in all Ages, and in all Sects of Physicians and Natural Philosophers, that I could not say too much to endeavour to free the World from the Slavery of such an Imposition, and the innumerable ill Con­sequences of such a fundamental and overgrown Errour.

  Which certainly must have been long since ex­ploded, if ingenious Men had first thought, and then spoke freely; but the Truth is, there were many and great Causes to the contrary, as those intimated in the last Paragraph, and the mighty Usefulness, and ready Officiousness of that Opinion of Fumes, to answer for all the more obscure and latent Causes of the Maladies and Disasters of the [Page 80] Brain and Genus Nervosum. If any enquired or called for the Cause of a Vertigo, the Physician an­swered (Fumes;) of Epilepsies, it was answered (Fumes;) of Scotomies, it was Fumes; of Head­achs, Megrims, Coma's, Caros, Lethargies, &c. it was Fumes; of Hysterick Fits, Convulsions, Spasms▪ Cramps, &c. it was Fumes; nay▪ they answered as Causes to all Distillations, Catarrhs, Epiphora's, (or weeping Eyes) and all, even ordinary Tears; all which they said were only these Fumes turn'd into Water by the Coldness of the Brain, as they are in a Still, or Alembick; so hot Fumes accounted for Phrensies, Deliriums, Ravings, &c. So that how­ever other Heads were, the Physician's was stuff'd therewith; and all Meteors of the Microcosm's Upper Region, whether hot or cold, were (as those in the Macrocosm) formed out of Fumes, as he ima­gined.

  Thus you see all the Opinions and Hypothesises that have been, concerning the Operation of Opium, to be most absurd, and directly contrary to all Sense, Reason, and Experience.

HAving sufficiently demonstrated, that Opium cannot diminish or disable the Spirits by the cold Quality of the Ancients, or Fumes of the Mo­derns, and that neither of them have as much as any Being; I shall now add, that Opium does not diminish, or disable the Spirits by any other means whatsoever.

I would not be mistaken, when I say, That Opium does not diminish, or disable the Spirits by any means, (for there is nothing so good in Na­ture, but will do it, if used unduely, or immo­derately, as Wine, Bread, Milk, Honey, Sugar, Beer, &c. in excess) for I intend, that it does not do it when duely and moderately used.

1. That which refreshes the Wearied, and highly prevents Weariness, must add to, or excite the Spirits, which is directly contrary to diminish­ing, or disabling them; but Opium does in a most eminent manner refresh the Wearied, and pre­vent Weariness, therefore it does not diminish, or disable the Spirits.

Some have been so silly, and inadvertent, as to object, that it refresh'd the Weary only by Sleep; It is Matter of Fact, that it refreshes them whether they Sleep, or no, and that without fail­ing as often as it is used in that Case.

[Page 82]Others (that were no Wiser) have said, that it only took off the sense of Weariness by stupify­ing, which happened by the diminishing, or dis­abling of the Animal Spirits. Bare Insensibleness cannot enable the Spirits to Labour with eminent Briskness and Alacrity, as Men most certainly do after Opium is taken, being finely enlivened, and invigorated, as with generous Wine; if they do not know this to be true, let them for shame hold their Tongues, till they know Matter of Fact, which if they will not, they proclaim themselves to be idle and impertinent Babblers; but if they will patiently and wisely abstain arguing, till they are satisfied as to Matter of Fact, then will they be past Opinion and Hypothesis in that Case; for they will have sensible and certain Knowledge of the contrary, and the Truth of what I say; which will end all Controversy, and precarious Squabbles upon false Suppositions, (as the manner is) that cannot lead them to what is Right, but by meer chance, and never to a true Knowledge, that they are in the Right, which makes it none in effect; for they can do nothing with Assurance, but only suppose, and hope they are in the Right, when they are as much out (to their Patient's sorrow) as Physicians have been in the cold Quality, and Fumes of Opium.

It is true, that a Grain (or Two) of Opium, will, if a Man composes himself, sitting, or lying still, cause a Sleepiness, equal to that caused by spending the Spirits by a Day's Labour; but spend­ing of the Spirits is not the only, no, nor best proportioned, or more adequate cause thereof, (as I have shewn:) If loss of Spirit were the adequate cause of Sleep, how should good and generous Wine cause Sleepiness after that eminent Rate as it does in most People? How should the most [Page 83] pleasing Musick incline such as lie, or sit still, to sleep? but if one Dances thereto, it makes him more lively and brisk than ordinary. The like exactly do Wine and Opium, if Men lie, or sit still; but otherwise, they make them much more brisk and lively, and able to undergo Labour, Action, &c. Which Note, that you may not any more wonder, that Enliveners and Exciters of the Spirits do cause Sleep, as well as Diminishers thereof; and observe, that they are all pleasing things, as Musick, Wine, and Opium, which cause Pleasant Dreams, Pleasant Watchings, Pleasant Hu­mours &c. Expect more of this Matter in the following Chapters, and all by degrees, according as I Judge the prejudiced World will bear Things: For a great Paradox (how true soever) must not be abruptly obtruded, but gently, and gradually ushered in by insinuating Reasonings, otherwise it will be entertained like a rude Stranger, that con­tradicts a Multitude in Fashions and Customs that they have always used, and judged to be the very best (however blameable.)

Consider, that if Opium diminished or dis­abled the Spirits, proportionable to the Sleepiness that it causes, as a hard Day's Labour does, then if Opium were given a Man after a hard Day's Labour, it would be, as it were, adding another hard Day's Labour to cure it, the Day's Labour and Opium impairing the Spirits alike; Think what a miserable Condition the poor Man would be in, especially if Sleep did not make him some amends, it would be such as were utterly intol­lerable; but so far is Opium from any such Effect, that it refreshes him tho' he Sleep; not at all after the hard Day's Labour, and not only so, but will enable him to Work all the following Night with great Alacrity, if need requires it.

[Page 84]What a Condition would those be in, who take a Drachm of it twice a day for 10, 20, or 30 years? Nay, how could any possibly do it for half 10 days, if a Grain or Two destroyed the Spirits so much, as to cause Sleepiness thereby, as hard Labour does? Which they must allow, that assert it causes Sleep by diminishing, or disabling the Spirits.

But some may say, (tho' very inconsiderately) that it only disables them for the time of its Ope­ration; That is strange, indeed, considering that even during that time they are mostly enabled to Work, or Labour, tho' tired before; and that it▪

2. Causes Comfort, Refreshment, Ovation of the Spirits, all the time of its Operation, as Wine mo­derately taken does, especially if People keep themselves in Action, Labour, &c. otherwise, in­deed, they may fall asleep upon the comfortable satisfaction, contentation of Mind, and acquiescence of Spirit, that it occasions, as Wine does.

3. The first Effect that we find of Opium (which may therefore probably be a very leading, funda­mental, and significant Effect) is, that it causes a most agreeable, pleasant, and charming sensation about the Region of the Stomach; which if one lies, or sits still, inclines him to Sleep, if not, it makes him gay, good humour'd, brave, &c. It is a Plea­sure so sweet, and delicious, that tho' I endeavour'd to express it by the Ovation of the Spirits upon Joy, a good Genius informing a Man, or the Hel­m [...]sians Archeus in his best Humour, or a continual V [...]real Pleasure, Wine drank ad Hilaritatem, &c. yet (I doubt) all my Ways of expressing it do come short of the charming Complacency that it causes; Therefore if Wine, Musick, a good Meal, agreeable Frication of the Head or Back, the sound [Page 85] of Waters, &c. do incline us to Sleep by the Plea­sure thereof, which lulls and sooths us to it, (as is most certain, if we sit, or lie still) much more must the high Charms of Opium cause it.

That it is a Pleasure that affects by one of our Senses, namely by Feeling, is indisputable; for it is not a Pleasure of the Eye, Nose, Tongue, or Ear, and it must be sensitive, because caused by Matter; and that Opium has (doubtless) the like Effect up­on Brutes, who have no other Pleasure, but what is sensitive; That it is at Stomach is also evident, where we can be pleased only by the Sense of Feel­ing; That it is involuntary, and pleases us whe­ther we will or no, and that the same Particles excite Venery, Itching, &c.

Now all the Senses (especially Feeling, and par­ticularly that at Stomach) are given us for Watches, and Sentinels, to discover and give notice of what is, or is not good and agreeable to our Ani­mal Nature; That upon notice of what is good, and agreeable, Pleasure, Comfort, Satisfaction, &c. are conceived; otherwise Displeasure, Discomfort, and Dissatisfaction.

What diminishes or disables our Spirits, does us the greatest Evil that can be, and consequently Sensation would, according to its Office, give us such notice thereof as would cause Displeasure, &c. otherwise these Sentinels, that God and Nature have appointed for faithful Notice, would (instead of trusty service, which is the End they are made for) deceive us, and consequently do us mischief, rather than good; which is very Prophane (if not Blasphemous) to assert, as being highly abusive of God's Goodness and Wisdom, to make Things in Nature, that would not only not answer, but [Page 86] act quite contrary to their Ends; it follows then, that what causes such a mighty agreeable, and pleasant Sensation at Stomach, which is the greatest, and most accurate Judge of what is, or is not agreeable to the Animal, cannot be destructive, or disabling of its Spirits, which are the most ex­cellent, and useful Things, that belong thereto; Therefore Opium, which so mightily recommends it self to, pleases, and comforts the greatest Iudge that God has given to a sensible Creature to discern what is good and evil for it, cannot diminish or dis­able our Spirits.

One may say, (what I dare not) that the Sen­sation at Stomach may deceive us.

We may deceive our selves, and say so, when that which pleases the Stomach, does not please our perverted Imagination, which makes no Ar­gument; let us therefore consider Things where there is no such vain Imagination to contradict the good Ends of Nature; if the Stomach and Senses in a Brute or meer Animal, which has no other means to Judge of what is good or evil for it, should not Judge aright, all the Animals in the whole World would soon perish. It is the vain Opinion of Men that perswades them that Things are cold, when hot, &c. as in the Case of Opium, when the Senses truely inform that it is hot; If you'll stand to your Imaginations, and Suppositions, (for such all must be without the Information of Sense) against the Dictates of Sensation, you must inevitably err.

But one may say, Is the Sense at Stomach such an infallible Guide always?

[Page 87]I believe it will be very hard to give many In­stances to the contrary, and prove it well; how­ever, if we do, or may allow something of this Kind to a perverted Stomach at certain times, (to avoid a squabble about it) it is never to be allow'd, That all the Stomachs in the whole World should be pleased with one and the same Thing at all times, and yet that this Thing should be so highly perni­cious to the Animal as to diminish or disable its Spi­rits; Then, indeed, it would follow, that the most exquisite Sense at Stomach, to discern what is or is not agreeable to the Animal, were abso­lutely in vain, which no Man of Reason, that has any Apprehension of the Wisdom of God and Na­ture, can assert.

3. What is more notorious, than that Pleasure, or being pleased, raises, and Displeasure, or being grieved, depresses the Spirits? Are not all People pleasant, gay, and good humour'd, brisk, prompt, &c. when pleased? Do not Men Travel, or Labour with more Ease in Pleasant Company, &c. But of these Matters, and the Reasons thereof, more in the following Chapters.

4. How can Opium, that revives People when they are so dispirited that they are even almost dying, (as when Opium is wanted by such as use to take it in Deliqui [...]ms and Agonies from Pai [...], &c.) diminish, or disable the Spirits? It is plain Contradiction to say that it should.

Next to Opium, nothing revives People in such Cases better than Wine, and those Things that produce the same, or like Effects, have like Na­ture; and who can say that Wine, that was made to glad the Heart of Man, diminishes or disables the Spirits? Or, that Opium, which produces all the sprightly, enlivening, and encouraging Effects of ge­nerous [Page 88] Wine, (in a more eminent manner than Wine, and in the 10000th Part of its Quantity, and for a longer time than Wine causes them) should diminish or disable the Spirits?

For Instance, Wine and Opium, in a due quantity, (but Opium, in a far less quantity, as was said) cause a pleasant, gay, and good Humour, Courage, Bravery, Magnanimity, Promptitude in Business, Expediteness in Management, Serenity, Euphory, or easy undergoing of Labour, Iourneys, Fatigues, &c. Both take away Sadness, Grief, Melancholy, Fear, Depression of Spi­rits, &c. Both cause Promptitude to Venery (Sine Cerere & Baccho friget Venus:) So Wine and Opium prevent and cure Cold, open the Pores, pro­mote Perspiration and Sweat, especially the following Mornings, as Sir Theodore Mayern, my self, and others, have observ'd of Opium, and is notorious as to Wine. Both cause Sleep, and take away the Sense of Pain, and require a greater Dose than ordi­nary in Proportion to the Pain; Both take off Shiver­ings from Fear, Cold, or Ague Fits, and cause Mirth, Contentation, and Acquiescence, Driness of the Mouth, Thirst, a Sense of Heat within us, a Dreaming Con­dition, pleasant Dreams, (if the Quantity of Wine be not grievous by its Heat, Load, &c.) N [...]cturnal Pollution, and in some Constitutions both cause Vigilancy; but Wine and Opium cause that more rarely than Sleep: Both stop, and cause Vomiting if they stay too long at Stomach; Both moderate Hunger, ( [...]) and are good in a canine Appetite; Both cause Swimming in the Head, &c. So

Do cause, at first, Mirth, and afterward a kind of Drunken Soper in some, in others Fury, or [Page 89] Madness, Sardonick Laughter, and Weight at Sto­mach, Vomitings, Hiccoughs, great Heat at Stomach, Debility, and laxity of all Parts, Faltring of the Tongue, Scotomies and Darkness of the Eyes, Ver­tigo's, Laxity of the Cornea of the Eye, Dilatation of the Papilla, Deadness of the Eyes to the View, Loss of Memory, Venereal Fury, a high Colour, profuse Sweats, Purging sometimes, Alienation of the Mind, Loss of Memory; and lastly, greater or lesser Effects ac­cording to the Dose, Constitution, &c. So

Causes a dull and moapish Disposition, Dropsies, Fall of Humours upon Weaken'd Parts, a Sleepy Disposition, Want of Appetite, Weakness of Digestion, Aptitude to Sterility, and Abortion, early Decrepite­ness, Stooping in the Back, Trembling of the Hands, Weakness of Memory, Shortness of Life, Difficulty and Danger in suddenly leaving them off, Revive such as sink for Want of either, and supply the Want of each other.

How can any have the Face to say, that a Thing which agrees so with generous Wine in Ef­fects, can be a Diminisher or Disabler of the Spi­rits? The Mischiefs of excessive Doses, and la­vish Use of either, is no Argument against their inspiriting Nature; if it were, then Wine is no Cordial; tho' made to glad the Heart of Man, be­cause of its ill Effects lavishly used: Therefore none can argue from that, that Opium diminishes or disables the Spirits, any more than Wine, or Bread does, a Surfeit of which is most dangerous. Omnis Repletio mala, Panis vero pessima; & corruptio optimi est pessima: That is, All Repletion is bad, but that of Bread is the worst; and the Corruption of the best is the worst.

[Page 90]The short is this; Wine and Opium agree in all their Effects, saving such as are Consequences of their different Accidents, as the Quantity of Wine that must be used to cause the same Effects with a little Opium; and Wine having been fermented; and Opium (as may be shewn) having some crude and viscid Rosin in it, which sometimes sticks to the Crusta carnosa, &c. of the Stomach; whence it happens, that Wine loads one more, heats more, and is more troublesome upon those Ac­counts, and that Opium offends the Stomach oftner even in a moderate Dose, causing Vomitings, Hic­coughs, Anxieties, Distresses at Stomach, Deli­quiums, &c. because of the indigestible Rosin stick­ing to the sides of the most sensile Stomach, as I shall farther prove hereafter, (by God's Help) shewing very easie Ways and Means to separate that Rosin, and so make it as safe, and less trouble­some, as it is more effectual than Wine.

Opium cannot diminish or disable the Spirits, be­cause (as has been proved) it sends no Part, Fume, or Effluvium to the Brain, or Animal Spi­rits, to cause such bad Effects while it is at Sto­mach, yet does it produce them while it is there; for, as the Vaporarians themselves (and indeed all Men) allow, there can be no Destruction without contact.

Sanctorius doth well and truely observe, by the Help of his Staticks, that nothing causes liberal Perspiration, but it raises the Spirits; it is most certain, that nothing in Nature ope [...]s the Pores, and causes Perspiration, more than Opium; There­fore nothing should, according to his Observation, elevate the Spirits more, and, indeed, nothing does, as appears by all that has been said, and will yet more plainly appear.

[Page 91] Loss of Memory by Opium (as some argue) is not so much a Loss of Spirits, as Lanity of the Brain; for People in Drink do not want Spirits, but there is a great Relaxation of the Brain, and its Membranes, and of the whole Ienus [...], which Relaxation causes a soft, loose, and labile Brain, that like Liquid Things retains no Impres­sion; besides, that I shall (God willing) shew you hereafter, that Impressions cannot be so well made upon the sensitive Soul, by the Animal Spi­rits, upon Relaxations of the Sensible Parts, as in Sleep, &c. for a very plain Mechanical Reason to be shewn in due time.

Thus have I, (by the Assistance of its Maker, who best knows it) cleared Opium from the false Aspersions of an extreme Cold Quality, and Parco­tick Fumes, both which were commonly call'd Venemous, fatal, and by all the ill Names imagin­able, but (as good Luck is) they abused nothing; because 'tis manifest, that there is no such Thing, nor has it any Quality by which it diminishes, or disables the Spirits, as is most evident from the Premises, so that all that has been said of Opium, by way of Hypothesis, to explain its Effects, de­pending upon its diminishing or disabling the Spirits by a Cold Quality, or Fumes, is come to nothing, I wish it had been as innocent.

ALL the general Foundations upon which Au­thors, either Ancient or Modern, erected their several Hypothesises concerning the Operation of Opium, having (as manifestly appears) no real Existence; What Enchanted Castles in the Air, or vain Phantasms, must their Structures be? And, how like deluded Wizzards must they appear, while they seem'd to take high Flights and glorious Prospects of Causes that had no Reality?

Thus am I left utterly distitute of either Foun­dation or Model, unless I find out that, and frame this; which (I hope) may be easily done, be­cause (the cloudy Supposition of Vapours having va­nished away) there now remains but Two Ways by which an Internal Medicament can Operate, viz.

• 1. As an Alterative of the Blood, &c. Or,
• 2. As affecting the Sense of Feeling, either grie­vously, as Vomits, Purgers, &c. Or pleasingly, as Cordials, generous Wines, titillating Amphrodisiacks, comfortable Warmth, Anodynes, and such like, that please the Nerves and Membranes; which way of Operating is too little observ'd by Physicians, tho' they take great Notice of the Operation of Things by grievous Sensation, as Irritatives to Vomit, Purge, Salivate, &c. by their Acrimony; whereas the Pleasers of Sensation, which must, as Contraries, have contrary Operations, are little regarded, or thought of.

[Page 93]1. Opium does not Operate as an Alterative of the Bloud, &c.

First, Because it Operates while it is at Stomach, or (at least) before it arrives at the Bloud; which manifestly appears several Ways; as,

• 1. Because it often Operates in a Liquid Form in few Minutes, and very commonly in a Quarter of an Hour, in which time it must be at Stomach, or, at least, far from arriving at the Bloud.
• 2. Because it has been very often Vomited up after it has Operated, and produced its usual Ef­fects for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and sometimes more Hours; as evidently appear'd by the Smell, Colour, Taste, &c. of what was Vomited; and by its Operation ceasing after such Vomiting; of which common Experience, and Authors, do inform us: See Helmont Ius Duumvir. 62. where he tells of Opium Operating at Night, and Vomited up next Morning.

• 3. Its bare causing Vomiting after it has Ope­rated for a good while, is of it self (tho' its Taste, Smell, &c. did not discover it) an infallible Argu­ment of its Operating, while it is at Stomach; for 'tis against all Reason to imagine, that Things should irritate it to Vomit after they are gone into the Bloud, and not do it while they are in the Stomach it self, as all Vomitories do.

  The Reasons why it stays so long at Stomach, are, 1. Its Indigestibleness, which plainly appears by Stools, Urine, and Sweat, smelling of it, when taken in any considerable Quantity; all the Cocti­ons, Digestions, Circulations, &c. that it passes in the Body, signifying very little to it, which its causing Itchings in the Skin, and affecting the Ve­nereal [Page 94] Membranes after its passing the Bloud, do also argue. 2. The clamminess of its resinous Parts sticking to the Stomach, cause (as I shall plainly prove hereafter) its long stay in it; for if the Rosin be separate from it, 'twill not then make such a long stay at Stomach, as I have often Ex­perienced.

• 4. We actually feel it causing a sense of Plea­sure at Stomach during its Operation, therefore it is then in it.
• 5. It has been carried off by Stool after it has produced its usual Effects; Therefore it Operated before it arrived at the Bloud.

• 6. All Observers do allow, that Opium Ope­rates while it is at Stomach; which gave the Oc­casion (as you may remember) to the Hypothesis of its Operating by Fumes rising out of the Sto­mach; because they could not think of any other Means by which it might affect the Head, Brain, Animal Spirits, Nerves, &c. while it was at Sto­mach, but by the Way of Fumes or Vapours.

  It is therefore past all doubt, That Opium pro­duces its common Effects while it is at Stomach, and before it arrives at the Blood, and therefore does not Operate as an Alterative thereof.

Secondly, Because a Grain of Opium, which Ope­rates very remarkably, bears (as Etmuller well observes) so small a Proportion to the Bloud, that it cannot produce such great, and notable Effects, as an Alterative thereof; for a Grain of Opium to 20 Pound of Blood, (which an ordi­nary Man has in his Body) is but as 1 to 115200, or (if 16 Oucnes be allow'd to the Pound) as 1 to 153600. But it is no Wonder if a Grain should affect the Membrane at Stomach, since the [Page 95] 1000 part of a Grain of the Vomitory Particles of Crocus Metallorum, or Regulus of Antimony, does affect it so eminently, as many other Things will in a very small Quantity; whereas the altering of the Blood to any observable degree, requires the Use of Alteratives in great Quantity for seve­ral Weeks: Which confirms the former Conclu­sion, That Opium does not Operate as an Alterative, as to its common and usual Effects.

II. Opium does not Operate by grievous Sensation, (or Irritation) as Vomits, Purgers, Errhines, Sali­vators, (or Apophlegmatizers) &c. do.

First, Because it manifestly causes a very agree­able, pleasant, and even charming Sensation.

Secondly, Because it takes away grievous Sensa­tion or Pain, thereby stopping Vomiting, Purging, and all other-Effects of grievous Sensation, by Acri­mony, &c.

As for the Vomiting that Opium sometimes causes, it is only (as shall be shewn) by its Resinous Parts sticking to the Coat of the Stomach, which being separated from it, Opium has no such Effect, tho' all its good Effects remain. So its Purging (which happens most rarely, and only when a great Quantity is given to Men of strong Digestion) it is only from its Rosin digested, and resolved in strong Stomachs; Hence it is that Dogs, and such as have canine Appetites, do generally Purge after a great Quantity of Crude or Rosinous Opium; whereas such as is not Rosinous causes no such Effect. But of these Matters more to your Satisfaction hereafter.

Thirdly, Because it causes all Effects that are quite contrary to those of grievous Sensation; It [Page 96] causing an Ovation of the Sensitive Soul and Spi­rits; Pain (or grievous Sensation) a Depression of Spirits; It causing Euphory and Pain, Weariness; For what tires more than Pain, or labouring in Pain? It causing good Humour, Pain Peevishness, Fretfulness, and ill Humour; Opium causing Relaxa­tion of all Parts, Pain Contraction; That causing free Perspiration, this checking it; That causing Sleep, this hindering it; That causing Conten­tation Acquiescence, this Discontent and Uneasi­ness; That composing, this discomposing the Spi­rits, Bloud, &c. That causing Fluxes by Irritati­on, &c. this moderating, or stopping them; That opening the Pores, Pain constringing them; Opium preventing the Shaking Fits in Agues, Pain bringing them on; That causing a large and slow Pulse, this a quick, hard, and narrow Pulse; That causing an Efflorescence of the Skin, this Pale­ness; That pleasant, this unpleasant Dreams; That stills Hiccoughs, this causes them; That takes off Contractions, Convulsions, &c. this causes them. To be short, Opium causes all the Effects of pleasant Sensation, and takes off all the Effects of grievous Sensation. What can be a more evi­dent Proof of its acting by causing a pleasant Sensation? It were endless to mention all the Proofs that may be made to the same Purpose, from Pleasers and Displeasers of Sensation.

Therefore we fairly conclude,

That Opium does not Operate by causing a grievoui Sensation, and there being no other Way left by which it may Operate,

It must Operate by causing a pleasant Sensation; which is the true and plain Reason why (as has been shewn) it takes off Pain, and causes all Effects quite contrary to that of grievous Sensation; [Page 97] Irritations by Acrimony, &c. which are most eminent upon the most sensible Parts, as the Sto­mach, Intestines, Venereal Membranes, Skin, &c. as you may observe where the Effects of Opium are enumerated.

Now (gentle Reader) consider, That Contraries are the true Cure of Contraries: What can then cure Pain, and all its Effects, better than Pleasure? 'Tis very strange then, that Millions for many Ages finding Opium cure, or take off Pain, and all its Effects, above all Things, should not attri­bute its so doing to its causing a pleasant Sensation, which is the direct contrary to Pain, especially since every Man that took Opium felt an actual Pleasure upon taking thereof, pleasant Dreams, a pleasant Humour, &c.

It may be said, What if it be granted, that O­pium Operates by a pleasing Sensation, (which I will Thank none for, that have Feeling at Stomach, or Reason at Brain) how is it possible that such pleasant Sensation should cause and explicate all the various, strange, wonderful, mysterious, and very often seemingly contradictory Phenomena's and Effects of Opium?

Answer. As easily as ever I explain'd any Thing in Nature, especially if my Tract of Ani­mal Mechanism were published; but it is my Mis­fortune that it is not, however it shall not be the Readers, tho' it will put me to a great Trouble; To evade which, is none of my Intention, by those Words, but rather to bespeak the Reader's Patience while I am premising some necessary Praecognita requisite to be known before I enter upon the Explication of the wonderful and seemingly inex­plicable Effects of Opium.

[Page 98]I therefore desire the Reader's Leave to premise some Things of the Nature of Sensation, and sensitive Pleasure, in order to his more clear and ready Understanding my Explication of this My­sterious and Momentous Matter, look'd upon as so dark and abst [...]use a Business to this day, that some have not only yielded it up as a Thing hidden from Mankind, but have earnestly and seriously argued, that it acted absolutely by an occult Quality, reserved in a special manner (as is the Nature of Spirits) from our Knowledge.

That it has been so hitherto, I think none can deny, as the Circulation of the Bloud was for Thousands of years, tho' the very Motion was seen by Millions; so as the Cause of the Operation of Opium has been felt by a far greater number, it therefore will (if I fail not in explaining it) appear so clear, that it will be much wondered at (like that of the Circulation of the Bloud) why so obvious a Thing was not found by every one that used Opium. But (whatever Opium is) God's Methods are unsearchable, and often his Wise Providence bestows good Gifts upon the Un­worthy, that his free Goodness may appear; To whom be all Glory, Praise, and Thanksgiving for ever and ever. Amen.

Note, That while I am upon the Preparatory Discourse about Sensation, Pleasure, &c. in the fol­lowing Chapters, you may sometimes wonder what I would be at, because you may not per­ceive the Drift, yet do they require your Atten­tion as being the Foundation of all that is to follow; which you'll plainly perceive afterward, when (I hope) you'll have good Satisfaction for your pa­tient and attentive Perusal of the Two following Chapters.

WHEN I had written this Tract thus far, I judged it best, first, to publish that of Animal Mechanism, because it contained those Principles that would explain the Matter of Opium; therefore laying this aside, I applied my self to that: But a New Art, rightly to Spell, Write, and Sweeten all Languages, (that I since call'd Phono­graphy) coming into my Mind, and thinking it might be very useful, and likely to lie for ever in Darkness, (as it had always been) unless I under­took the Drudgery, I set my self to it; which ta­king up more Time than I imagined, has to this day hindred the finishing of that Tract of Animal Mechanism, which I now much want, (as was in­timated:) Therefore because I resolv'd to publish this, (that was so long since promised) I am now forced, for want of that Book, to premise here some Things, concerning the Oeconomy of Sensa­tion, and the Nature of sensitive Pleasure, in order to explicate the Effects of Opium, which might have been spared, if that of Animal Mechanism had been published.

Considering that Opium must (as was shewn) operate by pleasing the Sense of Feeling, it will be requisite to consider,

• 1. The Oeconomy of Sensation, as far as it concerns the present Purpose, for which this Chapter is de­sign'd.
• [Page 100]2. The Nature of sensitive Pleasure, and its Effects upon the sensitive Soul and Body, which is to be the Subject of the following Chapter.

Five Things mainly concern the Oeconomy of Sensation: 1. The Object. 2. The external Me­dium. 3. The Organs of Sensation. 4. The Ani­mal Spirits, (or internal Medium.) 5. The sensitive Soul.

• 1. The Object is the Thing perceiv'd by any of the Senses; as, Light by the Eye; Sound (or tremulous Motion of the Air) by the Ear; Odour by the Nose; Tastes by the Tongue; Opium by the Feel­ing, or (as Helmont calls it) the Gustus (or Taste) at Stomach.
• 2. The External Medium of Sensation is that which receives Impressions from the Object, and conveys them to the Organs of Sensation. Thus the Air conveys Sound (or tremulous Motion) to the Ear, Light to the Eye, and Odour to the Nose.
• 3. The Organs are the Parts of the Body that God has fram'd to receive those Impressions, and communi­cate them to the Animal Spirits, (or Internal Me­dium.) Thus the Eye is the Organ to receive the Impression of Light, the Ear that of Sound, &c. And the Membranes in all Parts of the Body are the Organs that receive Impressions from Objects in the case of Feeling, which is our main Con­cern.
• 4. The Internal Medium is the Animal Spirits that receive the Impressions from the Organs, and con­vey them to the Sensitive Soul.
• 5. The Sensitive Soul, which perceives those Im­pressions convey'd to him by the Animal Spirits; which Perception is Sensation.

[Page 101]I. The Part, Office, or Business, of the Object, in the Matter of Sensation, is to make a sufficient Impres­sion either upon the External Medium, (or Air) as in the case of Hearing, &c. or immediately upon the Organ, (or Membrane) as in Feeling, &c. There­fore if there be no Impression of Light, Sound, (or tremulous Motion) Odours, Relishing Particles, &c. there can be no Perception; or if the Inpressions thereof be weak and faint, the Perception, or Sen­sation, must be accordingly; or if it be so incon­siderable, that it cannot at all affect the sensi­tive Soul, then is there no Perception thereof. For,

1. Sensitive Perception is not infinite, because there are Degrees of Light, Sound, &c. that cannot be perceiv'd, tho' they must be very small, and in­considerable: Thus the Light of a Candle at so great a distance that it can hardly be perceived, is some Degree of Light, and makes its Reflection proportionably from a Wall, Tree, &c. yet cannot that reflected Light from the Wall, or Tree, be perceived; so the smallest Things cannot be per­ceived. Yet GOD has in His Wisdom and Good­ness so ordered it, that,

2. Sensitive Perception is of excessively small Things: Thus the Sound of a Pin's Head, falling into a Brass Caldron, is heard at some distance; the hundreth part of a Grain of very hot and biting Things, are sensibly tasted; the thousandth part of a Grain of Ambergrise, Musk, &c. very sensibly smelt; the Light of an exceeding small Spark, struck out between Steel and Flint, is perceived at a great distance: And Light in general consists of such tenuio [...]s Particles, (if material) that none ever could take any estimate of their Bulk. So the Feeling at Stomach takes very eminent and remark­able [Page 102] notice of (as was said) the Vomitery Particles of Crocus Metallorum, or Regulus of Antimony, which are so small, that a thousand Vomits thereof does not sensibly diminish the Crocus, or Regulus, either in weight or bulk. Therefore it is no Wonder if a Grain of Opium should affect the Feeling so sen­sibly as it does, especially at Stomach, tho' it can­not make any considerable Alteration of the Bloud.

3. That whatever affects, or makes impression, up­on the Organs of Sensation, is in the same moment perceived by the sensitive Soul▪ So that it is no Won­der, that a Grain of Opium operates in so short a time, that is, as soon as a Tincture thereof insi­nuates it self through the Crusta Carnosa to the sensile Coat of the Stomach; whereas it must take a very long time, if it operated as an Alterative of the Bloud.

Now Note, 1. That there is no way for any thing to operate upon the sensitive Soul, in so small a Quanty, as Opium operates, or in so short a Time, as by affecting the most exquisitely dis­posed Membrane at Stomach. 2. That the speedy Way that God has contrived for our Refreshment, Comfort, raising of our depressed Spirits upon any sudden Occasion, as in Delīquiums, Faintings, Syn­copes, Leipothymies, &c. is by the Senses; especi­ally that most exquisite Sensation at Stomach, be­cause Refreshment by Nourishment and Alteration, cannot be perform'd but in a long time, where­in we might in many Cases perish before we could be relieved thereby: Thus a pleasing, and there­fore comfortable Odour, excites the Spirits in a moment; the sight of a beloved Mistress, or dear Friend, raises us immediately, when we are most cast down; as does also sweet Melody, and an aggreeable or pleasant Sensation at Stomach, as [Page 103] of Wine, Cordials, hot Spirits, &c. I hope none will say, That Musick, the sight of a Bag of Mo­ney, &c. send Eff [...]uvia's for that end, yet are great Comforters.

II. The Part, Office, or Business, of the External Medium, in the Oeconomy of [...], being to re­ceive and convey Impr [...]ssions, as Sound (or tremulous M [...]tion) from a Bell to the Ear, &c. it must be duly qualified for that purpose.

It is true, that we are not concerned as to this external Medium (or Air) in our Case, because Opium affects only our Feeling internally, and im­mediately at Stomach, where it touches the very Organ, (or M [...]mbrane:) However, because this External Medium (or Air) is to receive and con­vey [...] after the same manner, from the O [...]ject to the Organ, as the Internal Medium (or Animal Spirits) is to receive them from the Or­gans, and convey them to the [...] Soul, and therefore bear exact Analogy to each other; and because the External Medium (or Air) is more obvious than the Internal, (or Animal Spirits) I think it very convenient to consider its Disp [...]si­tions and Requisi [...]es, as a Medium, that we may the more clearly perceive those of the Animal Spi­rits, as such.

1. It is requisi [...]e that the Air, as a Medium, (be­ing a fluid Body) should be springy, (or elastick) be­cause nothing but what is so is capable of trem [...]lous M [...]tion, (which is material Sound) nor of Compres­sion, without which, a loose, [...], yielding Fluid, as the Air is, cannot be fit to convey Im­pressions; for the more solid any thing is, the fit­ter it is for that end; therefore Compression must render it firm, tight, and close, that one Part may briskly communicate its Motion, or Impression, to [Page 104] the next to it, and that to the next to it, and so [...]ndefinitely; yet can it never arrive at the Per­fec [...]ion of a Solid in carrying of Impulses: Henco it is that Sound decays by degrees. However, it has many great Advantages over a Solid, as a Medium for the purpose of Sensation:

• First, Because it receives Impressions better.
• Secondly, Because a Solid having weight, could not be so easily moved, in order to convey the [...].
• Thirdly, Because there would be no living or being in a Solid, as there is in the Air.
• Fourthly, Because if moved, &c. it would deal very rudely, grate and tear the very Organs, and not gently touch them, as the yielding Air does; besides many other Inconveniencies, which to mention is to little or no purpose. So being fluid, tenuious, yielding, &c.

[...]. It is (as was intimated) requisite, that it should be compressed, for the better conveyance of Impres­sions, the more the better; for then (like a Gut blown very tightly) a small Impression cannot be made upon one part thereof, but it is communi­cated a good way to other Parts: But if not com­pressed, you may compare it to a Gut half full of Air, or a loose soft Lock of Wooll, that yields, and will not convey Impressions at all, or very faintly; whereas if the Air be tightly compressed in a Gut, &c. you cannot make a little Impression (or Dent thereby) at one end of it, but the whole contain'd Air, having less room by so much, becomes more compressed, and consequently thrusts so much the harder against all the sides, and the fa [...]ther end there­of, especially if the Gut has no vent, or that it be not too wide; for, in the first Case, the Air, that should be kept in for the communication of the Impression, [Page 105] having Liberty at the Vent, takes its course that way, and so disappoints the continuation of the Impulse, (or Impression) either wholly, or in great measure; [...]n he Second Case, the Impulse bearing but a small Proportion to the whole, and also de­caying in Proportion to the Liberty it has to widen, becomes much more insensible, or less remark­able.

Thus if you make a Dent, or Impression, of the bigness of half a small Pea, at one end of a Gut so filled with Air, that is of the bigness of one's Thigh, and two Yards long, it will bear a very small Proportion to the whole, and consequently very insensibly affect it; for 'tis like a Drop (as the Saying is) added to an Ocean; but if an Im­pression (or Dent) of that bigness be made upon a Gut no bigger than a Pea in diameter, the Thrust, or Impression, will be very considerable at the other end, for the Reasons aforesaid. So that you plain­ly see, 1. That the more Air is compressed, the better it conveys Impressions: Hence it is that we hear Sounds better, and farther, when the Air is most compressed, and the Quicksilver high in the Barometer, (or Weather-glass) and upon low Grounds, tho▪ flat, and without any hollowness, than on the tops of high Hills that are flat also; because the Pressure of the Air is less on high Hills. I mention the Flatness in both Cases, le [...]t any should attribute it wholly to the more free Ex­pansion of the tremulous Motion on the tops of Hills, which indeed is a Reason where the Flatness is not alike, as far as the Sound goes. 2. That the nar­rower the Gut, Duct, or Pipe, the Air is in, the smarter and more sensible will be the Impression at the farther end thereof, which may be confirmed and illustrated by many Demonstrations, Instances, and Experiments.

[Page 106] Hence it is, That if one speaks at one end of a Pipe, that is but an Inch in diameter, you'll hear it much better at the other end than in a close Gallery of the same length, tho' this will advan­tage it much more than the open Air: That if one speaks ever so slowly at one end of a long Piece of Timber, it is manifestly and distinctly heard at the other end, through the narrow Vessels, and be­tween the Fibres of the Wood: That all Sounds are sharper in narrow Pipes, &c. How easie is it then to contrive invisible Whispering-Places, which the World so much admire, and some Religions make such great Use of to deceive the People by preten­ded Divine and Oracular Responses, of which the Reader may hereafter be aware.

It is for like Reasons that Guns, Bells, &c. are better and farther heard along hollow Valleys, than upon Plains; that Sounds are heard so well the ways that Rivers run; for it is a vulgar Error that the Water does advantage the Sound upon Rivers; if it did, you'd hear farther at Sea than upon Land; which is so false, that the quite contrary is true, Sounds being much farther heard by Land than at Sea. It is a common Observation in Sea-Fights, that the S [...]und is heard at a much greater distance upon the Land than at Sea.

There is indeed another Advantage in Valleys, (and therefore upon Rivers) viz. the several Re­verberations, or Eccho's, from the Hills and high Banks, Rocks, &c. on the sides thereof; but this not much concerning our Purpose, I must (for the present) pass them and several Observations upon Sounds.

For the aforesaid, and other ends, it is notorious that the Air is springy, and always under the com­pression of the Atmosphere, or else it would be of little use as a Medium.

[Page 107]I know but one thing more to our Purpose that is worth the mentioning, in reference to the Ana­logy between the Air and Animal Spirits, as Me­diums of Sensation, viz.

3. It is requisite, or convenient at least, that the Air have an homogeneous Continuity, which much more advances it in conveying Impulses, (or Impressions) than when it is discontinued, divided, or sever'd, by other heterogeneous Particles, especially if these be in motion between the Parts of the Air; for then they very much disappoint and disgregate the Impressions made thereon.

Therefore it is, that we hear so much better after Sun-set, or in the Nights, especially the Summer­time, than in the Day, when the Particles of Heat, and others thereby raised, do too much divide, discontinue, and disgregate the Impressions, and the Parts of the Air▪ Where you may observe how Good and Wise Providence orders Hearing to be more useful in the Night, when Seeing fails. It is a vulgar Errour, (tho' little thought so to be) That the Cause of the Difference of hearing Sounds before and after Sun-set, is the Noise that is made in the Day-time, and the Silence of the Evenings and Nights; which one single Instance (tho' thousands may be given) will fully demonstrate, viz.

In the Famous and Well-governed University and City of Oxford, there is scarce any Noise made at the Times of Divine Service on the Lord's Day, all People being either silent at Church, or shut up quietly and silently in their respective Houses or Colleges, (the Heat of the Days in Summer­time, but mostly the good Order of the Place, causing it:) But after Sun-set, most People are out, walking and discoursing, or talking at their Doors, Arbours, or Gardens; and all Chil­dren [Page 108] (that noisie Part of Mankind) are now per­mitted to go out, who act their Parts in Playing, Running, Calling, Yawling, and Crying out one to another; insomuch that (all things consider'd) I cannot imagine but there must be in general an hundred times more Noise made then, than in the the time of Divine Service in the Heat of the Day; yet may you, notwithstanding all the Noise, hea [...], in the Twilight, any thing twice as far as in the time of Divine Service in the Heat of the Day, (I believe I might have said four or six times as far.) The same may be observ'd in any Town or City that is kept in good Order at the time of Divine Service, or in Camps, &c. upon several Oc­casions.

It is not only consonant to Reason that the Air should be so discontinued by the Particles of Heat, &c. but obvious to the Sight that it is so; for in a great Heat, the Summer-time, and clearest Day, you may see the very Air in a wavering tremulous Motion, which could not be seen of it self, without the mixture of other Parts; for disgregation of Parts, (as you see even in pel­lucid homogeneous Things powder'd) causes Opacity.

III. The Business, or Office, of the Organs of Sen­sation, in the Oeconomy thereof, being to receive and communicate the Impressions to the Animal Spirits with all the smartness they can, it is manifest, that in the Membranes, (or Organs) Tension is their main Requi­site. Hence it is that when the Tympan of the Ear is tense, the Cornea, and other Tunicles of the Eye sufficiently so, we hear and see acutely and accurately; to that end God has given us a Power to render the Tympan more tense when we listen; to contract the Pupilla of the Eye when we look very intently, &c. And we see, that when the [Page 109] Cornea is relaxed, (as it is always when the Eye looks deadish, as in Sleep, Drunkenness, fainting Fits, &c.) yet then we either not seet at all, or much worse: So it is when the Tympan is relaxed. We also always put the Tongue in a tense condi­tion, when we would taste a Thing exactly. So when any Part is relax'd by Warmth, &c. we do not feel so well and nicely, as when the Part is cold, or more tense, or rigid; nor in Sleep, as when awake, because all Parts are relaxed in Sleep, and contracted when we are awake, which ma­nifestly appears,

• 1. Because we perspire less when we are awake, than when asleep, which happens because the Pores are closed by the Contraction, or▪ Constriction, when we are awake, and opened, or loosened, by Relaxation when asleep. In all Relaxations, as that which happens by Pleasure, Warmth, Leipo­thymies, Sleep, &c. we perspire more; and less in Contradictions, by Cold, Fear, Grief, Pain, or any grievous Sensation, or Passion.
• 2. Because all Parts are firmer when we are awake, and more loose and flaccid when we are asleep; none can doubt but Firmness is from Ten­sion, or Contraction: But in this matter you may expect farther Satisfaction by and by.

Obj. Some may needlesly say, How came Ten­sion and Contraction to be Concomitants, or Effects one of the other, seeing we make Things more tense, as a Drum's Head, &c. by Extension, not Contraction?

Answ. I purposely started this Objection to clear the Case. Therefore, 1. Observe, That Violin-Strings will grow so tense (as will any thing else of like Nature) by Contraction in moist Weather, [Page 110] that tears them to pieces sometimes upon that account, and always puts them upon a greater stress; for when a thing is fixed at both ends, it is the same thing to shorten, or contract, the String, to render it tense, as to take something from its length between those two fix'd Points; both the Contraction and the Winding do only take something of the Length away, that is between those two Points, where the Ends are fastned; which causes a great stress of the shortned String, to reach those two Points that it is fastned to: As, suppose you have a String of 11 Inches long, fast­ned at both ends at the distance of 10 Inches, it will be very loose; then shorten it one Inch, by winding up so much, or by some means contract the String to 10 Inches, or any way shorten it an Inch; then it will just reach the Points, and be tense, if fastned at them. So there is Contraction necessarily causing Tension, which was to be de­monstrated.

It will be the same in effect, if a String put round any thing is shortned by Moisture, or otherwise, it must grow more tense; and so must 500 Strings, if so shortned, or an entire Membrane that covers or includes the whole. Thus Membranes (as a Gut contracted upon included Air) must, when they contract, grow more tense upon the inclu­ded Animal Spirits in the Nerves, or otherwise; for it is the same as forcing much Air into a nar­row, or contracted Gut, or Bladder, which must make them tense, while the elastick Body must thrust out the harder, the more it is compressed. And that the Membranes, and all sensile Parts, are more contracted when we are awake, doth farther most plainly appear: Because,

[Page 111]3. The Cornea of the Eyes (which is a visible and certain sign of the Relaxation of all the sensile Parts of the Body) is relax'd in Sleep, as any one may see; for that is the cause of the deadness of the Eye in Sleep, which upon awaking is imme­diately gone, by the Cornea contracting into a tense condition upon its Contents, by which means it becomes tense, rotund, hard, smooth, shining, and reflects a brisk Speck of Light, (as round Things do) which makes it look lively; whereas when 'tis lax, as in Sleep, Syncopes, Faintings, &c. it is uneven, soft, and reflects an uneven, dull, inde­finite Light, all which causes the deadness of Looks. Therefore (as was intimated) there is no better sign of Relaxation than deadish Looks.

4. The Pupilla (which is another sign of Relaxa­tion) is relaxed, or dilated, in Sleep, and contra­cted when we are awake.

5. All Motions of the Body are better perform­ed when we are awake; which argues the grea­ter contraction of Parts; for Relaxation (as in Sleep, Deliquiums, Drunkenness, &c.) weakens all Motion.

6. That Efflorescence of the Skin which People have when asleep, (which is caused by the Re­laxation of the Skin admitting the Bloud more into it; as Paleness is by the Contraction of the Skin in Cold, Fear, &c. repelling the Boud) dis­appears upon awaking, by reason that the vigila­tive Contraction (so I call it) does send the Bloud out of the Skin by squeezing it back, or repelling it.

7. Measure the Body ingeniously and accurate­ly, and you'll find it contracted and narower, after awaking, than in Sleep.

8. Hence it is that you find, when the Body is pretty full of Moisture, and the Weather hot, a [...]udden Sweat upon awaking; because the whole [Page 112] Body contracting, does, like the contortion of wet Linnen, cause an exudation of its Moisture, by a mechanical expression, or squeezing.

9. Hence also it is that we are subject to take Cold, even in a warm Room, if we watch long; because the Pores being closed by that vigitative Contraction, hinder Perspiration too long, and too much: Therefore it is that all Colds are worse to­wards the Evenings, because that Contraction closes the Pores all day; and not only Colds, but many other Distempers, especially such as Perspiration is good for; as indeed it is for most Diseases, as be­ing the most natural and considerable Evacuation: Most natural, because it requires no voluntary Mo­tion, or Irritation of the sensile Parts, as that of Siege, Urine, &c. which either require the Will, or Irritation by Quantity or Quality, or both, or all three; but Perspiration (like Fumes in a Chimney) requires only that its little Funnels (the Pores) should be open, because our Fumes pass (as the other do) by their own natural Levity: And it is most con­siderable, because universal, and that much more is evacuated that way, than by all Means and Ways whatsoever.

Hence it is that all Membranes gaining a Tension, by the vigilative Contraction in manner aforesaid, are more rightly disposed to receive and commu­nicate smart Impressions to the Animal Spirits, while we are awake, which was the Thing aim'd at, and will be much more illustrated by the Consideration of the Animal Spirits, and the Sensitive Soul.

Note, That the Membranes, Vessels, and Roads of the Animal Spirits, being much narrowed and compressed by this vigilative Contraction, Two other main Requisites for exact Sensation do of [Page 113] course follow, (so consentaneously do the Works of God conspire to their Ends) viz.

First, That an Impression made upon the Ani­mal Spirits in Pipes so narrowed, is better, more exactly and smartly convey'd to the sensitive Soul, as has been shewn, by the Analogy of the External Medium in slender Pipes.

It is by such narrowing of the Nerves, Pipes, Roads, &c. of the Animal Spirits, that cold Wea­ther, which contracts the Parts, makes our Feeling more nice and smart than warm Weather, which relaxes the Vessels, and gives the springy Animal Spirits (for such they are, as shall, by His Assi­stance that made them, appear) leave to expand, by which means, and the Vessels widening, the Feeling grows duller, for want of compression of the Spirits.

By what has been said, you may see why Per­sons of a fine and delicate Texture (that is, of smaller and slenderer Vessels) have a more exquisite Feeling; that little Animals, as Spiders, Flea's, and many such, have most nice and accurate Feeling, because their Nerves, Vessels, Pipes, &c. are pro­portionably small, and the smaller they are, the more accute is their Feeling, for the Reasons afore­said; which was absolutely necessary, because they deal with small Things proportionably, as their Food, Treading, &c. and that small Things may harm them, unless they take distinct notice there­of to defend themselves; whereas Elephants, Ca­mels, Horses, &c. can, because of their large Vessels, scarce feel such Impressions, as would crush those little Animals to pieces. Lord, how manifold are Thy Works! In Wisdom Thou hast made them all!

[Page 114]It is from this Fineness and delicate Smallness of the Nerves, Fibres, and Membranes, &c. that one Part has a more exquisite Sensation than another, and that the extream Parts have (generally speak­ing) better Feeling.

Secondly, It follows, that by reason of the vigi­lative Contraction of the sensile Parts, the Animal Spirits must gain a considerable compressure, whereby (as the External Medium is rendred fitter to con­vey Impressions by the help of Compression) they are better disposed to convey Impressions to the sensi­tive Soul; for the Internal and External Medium ha­ving like Office in the Oeconomy of Sensation, and (as you'll find) like Qualifications, must be affect­ed alike by Compression; but whether they are the same thing, or no, I shall not need the Discussion of that Point here; therefore I leave it to my Tract of Animal Mechanism.

IV. The Office, or Busin [...]ss of the Animal Spirits (or Internal Medium) being to receive Impressions from the Organs, and convey them to the sensitive Soul, as that of the External Medium (or Air) was to re­ceive them from the Object, and convey them to the Organ; the requisite Dispesitions for its purpose, are manifest from the Analogy of the External Me­dium, viz.

First, That they should be springy, (or elastick;) and that they are so, appears,

• 1. From their very Office, which being tenuicus and fluid, they could never perform (as the Air cannot) without being springy.
• 2. If they were not elastick, and thereby com­pressible, their Vessels could never be so contracted (as has been shewn) without squeezing them quite [Page 115] out of them, which is a Disorder not to be sup­posed in the Works of God.
• 3. If they were not elastick (or springy) they would not fill their Vessels upon Relaxation thereof, which would leave a Vacuity, and thereby cause a discontinuance of Motion, or (at least) a great disorder of it▪ which would cause dismal Convul­sions, if not Death it self; which is most likely.
• 4. They could not be so active, nor indeed at all active, without springiness; for they cannot act up and down, and all manner of ways, (as they do) by either Levity or Gravity, or by any other known or imaginable Qualification, but Elasticity (or Springiness)
• 5. It cannot be conceived why they should be more active one time than another without Elasti­city; but they are more active at one time than another, as appears by several Places or Passages of the Premises, and in the waking more than in such as are asleep.
• 6. It is manifest, that they are elastick, by their springing into a Limb held up or down; and, that with such Force as to cause a great Pain, after they have been excluded from it by some Acci­dent, as leaning, or pressing too hard upon a Nerve, &c. for neither Levity nor Gravity can do so, especially both up and down (as was said;) nor is there any Propulsory Engine for them, as is for the Blond, therefore it must be from their springiness.
• 7. They could not cause brisk and smart tre­mulous motions in the Body, if they were not ela­stick, for such cannot be conceived by any means without it▪ but there are several brisk and smart tremulous motions, caused by the Animal Spirits, as in the Shiverings of Ague Fits, Frights, Cold, Sur­prizes, sudden or exquisite Pain, Tremors of the Hands, Head, &c. in Old Age, in some Conv [...], [Page 116] &c. Therefore the Animal Spirits that cause them are elastick.

• 8. Muscles have no springiness of themselves, when the Animal Spirits are excluded from them▪ as in Palsies, &c. but all Muscles in their Exertion are very springy, insomuch that if you hold any of them back, or restrain them from their mo­tion, and again suddenly leave them at liberty during the Exertion, they, or any Part moved by them, will spring out very violently, as in Flip­ping, an Arm held back, &c.

  But nothing proves this Matter better than the Tongue, in forming the Sound of the Letter R, for in that Case the Tongue, after it is put in Ten­sion and Exertion, being suddenly hit against the Inside, or Gums of the Upper Teeth, does there­upon (as Springy Bodies used to do) fall into a tremulous motion, or jarring, that causes the snar­ling sound of R, which nothing but springy Mat­ter can do.

• 9. Were they not springy, they could never convey the tremulous motion of sound to the sensi­tive Soul, and indeed over all the Systeme of the Nerves, by which is caused (as may be proved) that Motion of Consent call'd Dancing, and the Fingers, &c. to move and keep Time with the Musick, even when it, or the Finger, are not as much as thought of, because the Animal Spirits have the same Capacity with the Air, to receive and convey it, by Reason of their springiness, and greater by Reason of their more forcible Com­pression by the Vigilative Contraction, super added to the Compression of the Air, under which they are, as well as the Air it self, as plain Reason tells us; for that which Compresses the whole Body, must needs Compress the Animal Spirits: The [Page 117] Experiments of the Air-Pump do confirm the same.
• 10. There can be no doubt but the Animal Spirits are nourish'd, or sustain'd by the Air, if they be not Air; therefore they are elastick. What needs any more Arguments, when several of the former are Demonstrative? And, that,
• 11. All Physicians and Phylosophers (that I know of) do allow, that the Animal Spirits are ela­stick.

Secondly, It is requisite, (as was said of the Ex­ternal Medium) that they should be compressed, to render them fit to convey Impressions; and that they are compressed is evident (as was before in­timated.)

1. By the Atmosphere. 2. By the Vigilative Contraction; which makes them much more dis­posed to convey Impressions than the External Me­dium; besides, that very often Two other Contra­dictions (that are shewn in the remaining Part of this Chapter) are added thereto; and, that the Animal Spirits are wholly contained in Pipes, (to prevent their Expansion) and that of the nar­rowest sizes that can well be imagined; but the Air, or External Medium, is at large in the At­mosphere; so that all the Impressions made upon the Animal Spirits are very tightly, closely, and smart­ly convey'd, nor have they but a little Way to pass, that is, the length of the Animal at most, which also may be some Advantage to small Crea­tures. But in Sleep the Vigilative Contraction being lost, and the Animal Spirits thereupon expanded, all Impulses must needs be carried very faintly, both because the Organs (or Membranes) are in­disposed by Relaxation, and the Animal Spirits by Expansion upon that Relaxation, for want of due Compression to fit them.

[Page 118] Thus have you (after many vain Enquiries) the true Mechanical Cause of the Difference of Sensation, Sleeping, and Waking, and the plain Reason, why our Motions are so feeble in Sleep, viz. Because the Animal Spirits have lost much of their Force, Sprin­giness, &c. for want of due Compression, by Reason of the Relaxation of all the Vessels that include the Spirits.

Thirdly, It is (in some Measure) requisite, that the Animal Spirits should have an Homogeneous Con­tinuity, as was shewn by the Analogy of the Ex­ternal Medium, which does not convey Impressions as well in the Heat of the Day, as in the Night, or after Sunset; because its Parts are more discon­tinued and disgregated by the Particles of Heat, Fumes, &c. in the Day Time; nay, if Things be discontinued, they never carry Impressions so well, tho' placed contiguously afterward; Thus a long Tree that conveys sounds so exactly from one end to the other, while all is continued, and in one Piece, will not convey the sound so well if it be cut into many Pieces, tho' they are afterward put close one to the other.

As to this Matter of Continuity in the Animal Spirits, seeing it does not much concern us, and that People in a State of Health are supposed to have it, and that it is not our Business here to en­ter upon the Consideration of Nervous Distem­pers, I need not use any more Words about it; but that if it any Way happens to be discontinued, as either by the Penury thereof, that they do not quite fill all Parts of their Vessels, or any Matter intercepting their Parts, or that the Vessels should be so relaxed, or widen'd, that the Animal Spirits cannot so well fill them up, &c. such Causes must [Page 119] destroy or lessen Sensation, tho' the bare mixing of Fumes with them would not (considering the shortness of the Way that Impressions are carried in Animals) much alter the Case, as you find Fumes in the Air do not much hinder sound at the distance of a Yard or Two, wherein it is insensible (to common Observers at least;) so that if some Fumes from a Grain or Two of Opium, did mingle with the Animal Spirits, it would not cause a sensible difference of Feeling in the short space of the length of an Animal: But I have proved, That no such Fume from the Opium mixes with them, therefore need say no more of this Matter.

V. The Office or Business of the sensitive Soul in the Oeconomy of Sensation, being to perceive the Impres­sions conveyed to him by the Animal Spirits, that he may, if he finds them disagreeable, bestir himself in Defence of the Animal.

First, It is requisite he should attend to all Impres­sions offer'd him by the Animal Spirits, otherwise Impressions of great Concernment may escape his notice, and consequently want his Assistance by Way of Defence. For

It is manifest, That when his Attention is di­verted by any Object, more especially by such as mightily pleases him, as in the Act of Venery, and other Pleasures, especially if intense, that he does not perceive other Objects at the Time that he is so diverted; and if the pleasant Diversion be in­tense, and permanent, as in the Case of Opium and Wine drank in a considerable Quantity, he is so taken up, diverted, or charm'd therewith, that he does not attend to the Business of Sensation. This is one Reason why such as are far gone in [Page 120] Drink, have none of their Senses aright; but as to the Illustration of this Matter you may expect more hereafter.

Note, That the sensitive Soul is the only Thing i [...] an Animal that has Perception, and therefore the only Thing that is sensible of any Grievance, Weariness, Hunger, Pleasure, Comfort, &c.

Secondly, It is requisite, that it should use all Means that is in its Power, that the Impressions should be brought to it very entirely, exactly, smartly, &c. so as to have due notice of all Objects, and the smallest Impressions that may be.

For which good Ends and Purposes God has en­dued the sensitive Soul (as will be fully proved) with a Power of contracting all the sensile, small, and slender Pipes, Vessels, or Passages of the Animal Spirits, for the more express, distinct, and accurate Conveyance of all Impressions by the Help of Compression; Therefore the sensitive Soul taking the Advantage thereof, for better In­formation, in order to Self-Preservation, does (by the Appointment of the Preserver of all Things) execute his Power by the aforementioned Vigila­tive Contraction of those Parts, to cause their Ten­sion and greater Compression of the Animal Spirits, to improve the Impressions that are to be convey'd to him, and render them more observable; This God, who has made nothing to be idle, and par­ticularly ordered the sensitive Soul in Adam for Labour, especeally in Reference to their own Safety and Preservation, has made to be the ordinary Employ or Day-Work of the sensitive Soul, that by the said Vigilative Contraction, the Organs, Membranes, Vessels, &c. may be render'd more tense and firm, and the Animal Spirits more compressed, [Page 121] springy, prompt, flippant, and forcible, for the Benefit of Sense and Motion, upon all Occasions of Defence, Flights, Struggles, &c. which is our State of Vigilancy (as has been intimated.)

But the keeping of the said Parts, Membranes, &c. in continual Contraction, even against the Renitency of the elastick Spirits, (which resist, and thrust the harder against their Vessels, by how much the more they Compress them by the Vigilative Contraction) being a continual tedious Labour and Fatigue, of which the sensitive Soul being sensible, (as the only Perceiver of Lassitude, or indeed of any Thing besides, in an Animal) and in his Nature but material, changeable, fatigable, frail, subject to be worn out, and capable of Decay, (which makes the Certainty of Death in all Animals, and in us since the Fall into an Animal Nature) does, upon that Account, and lest the continual Contraction and tensive Stress of Parts, by that Means, should spoil their Tone, and to recruit the wasted Sprits by Rest, (after tuggingall Day at the Vigilative Contraction) grow willing to give over the Drudgery, however convenient for the Uses aforesaid; Therefore being allow'd convenient Rest by his Maker, he, for the great Benefit of Refection, without which he cannot continue his Being, and for the sweetness of Ease, loosens the Reins of Vigilative Contraction; where­upon Sensation and Promptitude to Motion (which were maintain'd by that Contraction, causing the Tension of Organs, and Compression of the Animal Spirits, as has been Mechanically demonstrated) fail by the Relaxation of those Organs, Membranes, and Vessels of the Spirits, and the consequent Expansion of the Animal Spirits; so that now only the Compression of the Atmosphere remains, which (as you see in a Gut half full of Air un­der that Pressure) is not sufficient to convey the [Page 122] Impressions with any Smartness, or cause the Ani­mal Spirits to spring vigorously into Motion; which Decay or Failure of Sense and Motion by Relaxa­tion, and the consequent Expansion of the Animal Spirits, is the State of Natural Sleep.

Note, That Relaxation is a necessary Conse­quence of the Privation of Contraction, and re­quires no Labour, but a bare Remission of that Contraction.

Note, That the Watching Part of our Lives is upheld by Force, and that Nullum violentum est diuturnum, and consequently a necessity of Sleep, and at last of Death it self.

Thus have you the true Reason of Sleeping and Watching, which will naturally, plainly, and easily solve all the Phenomena's thereof; for it is most evident from the Premises:

• 1. Why Watching and Sleeping observe a Pro­portion between them; the being tired with one being the cause of the other.
• 2. Why Sense and Motion do fail so much in Sleep, viz. by the Relaxation of all Parts, and Expansion of the Animal Spirits.
• 3. Why they always fail together, and in like Proportion.
• 4. Why they do not wholly fail in Sleep; be­cause the Compressure of the Atmosphere, &c. re­mains.
• 5. Why in Sleep the Limbs are (like a Gut half full of Air) lax, limber, flaccid, and yielding all manner of Ways; because all the innumerable small Vessels that contain the Elastick Animal Spirits, are (as that half fill'd Gut I mentioned) not tightly fill'd, which if they were, would be firm and [Page 123] tense, as such a Gut, blown up very full and for­cibly, is; which Vessels being all over the Body, con­firm the whole Tone when we are awake, and the Vigilative Contraction compresses the Animal Spirits into a Steadiness, and (as it were) a kind of Solidity.
• 6. Why (as appears by Statick Demonstrations, and Experiments) we perspire more when asleep than awake; because the Pores are closed by the Vigilative Contraction, and open'd in Sleep by the contrary Relaxation, which therefore always causes free Perspiration where ever it happens, as in faint­ing Fits, Syncopes, Leipothymies, and by Warmth, especially if moist and emollient, as in Baths, Fo­mentations, Feet Washes, Head Washes, &c. as also when Pleasure relaxes, as in the Act of Venery, great Joy, after good Meals, or some Glasses of Wine, &c. all which cause plentiful Perspiration, because they relax, and thereby open the Pores, (as more fully appears in the following Discourse) by Reason of the Pleasure that they cause, which diverts the sensitive Soul from his Employ of Con­traction.
• 7. Why, the Pores being open by the Relaxation, we sweat in our Sleep, if we are fill'd with Mat­ter for it, viz. [...], That is, Much Sweat in Sleep argues, that much Food (or Nutriment) was taken; of which Drink is the greatest Part in Bulk, even in Sober Per­sons. I mention this to shew the Difference in the Case of Perspiration and Sweating, for that always happens in Sleep, but not Sweat, unless the Body be well fill'd with Moisture; To shew the Cause of which Difference, will be the Business of my Tract of Animal Mechanism, if I have not hereafter an Occasion to do it in this Tract, as (I sup­pose) I may.
• [Page 124]8. Why Sleep cures Colds (by opening the Pores.)
• 9. Why the Skin is more florid in Sleep; be­cause (as has been said) it being relax'd admits the Bloud into it, which Vigilative Contraction does in good measure repel, and thereby cause the Skin to appear more white and pale, as it is, and any one may observe upon awaking.
• 10. Why the Eyes look deadish in Sleep, viz. because (as has been shewn) the Humors do not fill up the relaxed Cornea to a due Tension and Ro­ [...]undity, which (as was said) makes the Cornea shine, sparkle, and particularly to reflect a brisk Speck of Light, (as shining round Things must do) which Speck if Painters omit, the Eye looks deadish, therefore they should, when they have a mind to express the Deadness of the Eyes, as in Fainting Fits, Syncopes, Sleep, Death, Wanton loose Oglings of Lovers, Drunkenness, &c. omit that Speck, or rather draw it duller, wider, and discomposed in Figure, with the Pupil very large, and the Upper Eyelid falling down loosely, which would exactly express the Deadness of the Eye in all those Cases of Relaxation, in which alone it so appears. Note, That the Reason why some in such Cases see divers Colours before their Eyes, is, because the uneven Cornea variously retracts and reflects the Light, which I mention because none (that I know of) have observed the Cause.
• 11. Why People are more sleepy in warm moist Weather, viz. because the Parts are more relaxed, and the Pressure of the Atmosphere less to assist the Vigilative Contraction, to keep us in a waking State by the Compressure of the Animal Spirits: How much better therefore is a cool and dry Air, that raises the Mercury high in the Barometer, (or Weather Glass) both for Heath and Action? be­cause it renders the Animal Spirits more power­ful, [Page 125] prompt, and flippant by the Compression. This should be observ'd by such as are to run Races alone, lift Weights, or perform any Thing that requires Strength, Vigour, or Speed; nor can I doubt, but if we had an Artificial Means to com­press Men's Bodies in a high manner, (as by put­ting them into convenient Cavities, and forcing Air upon them) but they would be much stronger for the Time, and thereby enabled to do Ex­ploits beyond their ordinary Strength; which puts me in mind of several Things that confirm it very much, as Mens lifting of greater Weights in low Places, than on the top of very high Hills, where the Pressure of the Air is less to compress the Animal Spirits; The Contraction of all Parts in lifting of great Weights; The prodigious Leaps, and Swiftness of some Persons in great Frights, Terrors, &c. which mightily contract the sensile Parts, and Vessels of the Animal Spirits, by which Means they are render'd more springy and power­ful.

  Note, That the true Cause of Strength is the Compression of the Animal Spirits, and that (probably) the Force of Muscles may some way or other depend upon't, which is not my Business to explain at present.

  Note, That it is the Membranes are primarily contracted, and the Medullary Part of the Nerves, Spirits, &c. compressed thereby by Conse­quence.

• 12. Why the soft fleshed, and moist, are more sleepy, as Children, &c. viz. because the Compression of their Animal Spirits is not so great by Reason of the laxity of their Parts, so are they weaker for the same Reason, which tells you why little [Page 126] Men, whose Flesh is firmer, that are no bigger than Boys, are much stronger than Boys or Women of the same bigness.

• 13. Why warm and emollient Baths, Fomen­tations, Feet or Head Washes, &c. do (as moist and warm Weather) cause Sleepiness; and indeed all Things that cause Relaxation, or incline the sensi­tive Soul to leave off contracting, as Weari­ness, &c. do cause Sleep.

  Note, That in dry Bodies, as old People, &c. such Emollient Baths, Fomentations, &c. with the Use of Emollient Moistners inwardly, will cause Sleep very finely, when Opium it self will not; and that Opium in such Cases should be used with such Things both internally and externally; but (which is not observ'd) the Baths, Fomentati­ons, &c. should not be above the Warmth of Bloud, because the Heat may otherwise cause too much motion of the Bloud and Spirits, which is a great Enemy to Sleep, that consists in their Rest, and the aforesaid Relaxation of Parts, by both which co-operating, you may, and cannot fail to cause any Man to Sleep, if you can make them concur.

• 14. The same Relaxation causes the Pulse to be larger and slower in Sleep, Nocturnal Pollutions, want of due Contraction and Sensation at Sto­mach, by which Means the Meat stays longer there in our Sleep, than when we are awake; So,
• 15. Frets, Commotions, and Perturbations of the Spirits, &c. are composed by Sleep, because the sensitive Soul (who is the Original of all motion) is at Rest, and that the Animal Spirits being ex­panded, are nearer their absolute Rest, which consists in a full and perfect Expansion, so that there is no farther Endeavour towards Motion.
• [Page 127]16. Sensation being much lessened by the Ex­pansion of the Animal Spirits upon the said Relaxa­tion, the Sense of the Irritation of Humours is there­by lessened, or quite taken away, whereupon all Fluxes occasioned by the Irritation of Humours, as Diarrhea's, Disenteries, Catarrhs, &c. are stopt or moderated (at least) by Sleep; Besides, that Relaxation being quite contrary to Contraction, by which those Humours are squeesed out, lets the Humours stay quietly where they are, Relaxation being more for receiving, containing, detaining, and suspending Humours in the Parts, than send­ing them forward, as you see in a Spunge first contracted, and afterward suffered to dilate, or expand it self in a Dish that has some Water in it, which it takes into it self, and suspends till some­thing squeeses it out by contracting it.
• 17. Therefore it is that the Spittle does not come into the Mouth in Sleep, or very little, and that People are apt to awake thirsty, tho' it is soon taken off in some measure by the Vigilative Contraction squeezing out the Spittle into the Mouth, unless there is some special Cause to the con­trary.

• 18. For the same Reason the Menstruum of the Stomach comes but very slowly into the Stomach in Sleep, which is one Cause that Digestion goes on but slowly in Sleep.

  Note, That Digestion, and sending the Chyle out of the Stomach, depending both upon Con­traction, they are hastned and retarded in exact Proportion, so that the Extrusion keeps equal Pace with the Digestion. How equal and duely pro­portioned are the Works of Nature!

• 19. It is plain also from what has been Stated concerning Sleep, why Ague Fits seldom (if [Page 128] ever) take People in the time of their first sound Sleep, because the Shivering is caused by a grievous Sensation of the sensile Parts, which cannot well happen in that sound Sleep, wherein there is so little Feeling by Reason of the said Relaxation; and because Relaxation opposes Contraction, by which that Shivering is promoted. Such a Re­laxation, and Failure of Feeling thereupon, is the true Cause why Opium puts off Ague Fits, &c. So,
• 20. The Relaxation in Sleep stops Vomiting, by taking away the sense of the irritating Cause, and quieting (as I have intimated) all Motions in general; so Sleep stops Hiccoughs, Hemorrhages, Diary Fevers, &c.
• 21. Why Watching, Labour, or what impairs the Spirits, and tires the sensitive Soul, inclines us to Sleep, that is, disposes the sensitive Soul (the only Feeler of Lassitude) to give over Contract­ing the Sensile Parts, which (as will plainly ap­pear by and by) spends the Spirits, as Sleep by relaxing them causes a Recruit thereof.

To be short, (tho' one can hardly be too long in solving Phenomena's, which is the Proof of the Truth of a Man's Assertion) the Mechanical De­monstration that I have made of the State of Sleep­ing and Waking, does so evidently explicate all the Phenomena's of both, that I am even asham'd to run any farther upon such plain Matters, (so obvious are Things when the Truth is known,) and therefore (having mention'd those Circum­stances and Effects of Sleep, that mainly concern us) I must give over, lest the World should think, that I take all my Readers to be Idiots, by using too many Words in so obvious a Thing; or, that I am no better for using them without Cause; for the Truth of this Matter seems to me to out­shine [Page 129] all the Arguments I can make for it, such Splendour does Truth shew upon the first Glimps thereof, as I take the Account I gave of Sleep and Watching to be; for the Opinions I have met concerning them were quite contrary to, or very remote from what I have stated.

1. They went quite contrary to it that said, That the Animal Spirits were expanded, and the Pores of the Brain, &c. more open (and conse­quently more lax) in Watching, as Willis, and se­veral others; who therefore say that Coffee, Volatile Salts, &c. are Antihypnoticks, (or good against too much Sleepiness) because they cause an Expansion of the Spirits, and open the Pores of the Brain, supposing (forsooth) that they marched up and down, and so kept the greater stir upon the false Imagination of their Roads being more open, which (as was proved) are really more close. Coffee keeps us from Sleep by drying, binding, and both Ways constringing the Vessels, as also by a wide grating Quality, which therefore does irri­tate them to contract, besides that the Saline Par­ticles causing an Agitation, may contribute there­to, so that by constringing and agitating, it directly opposes Sleep, which proceeds from Relaxation and Quietness.

2. They were very remote from the Mark, that said (as Wedeli [...]s asserts all do) that Vapours were the cause of Natural Sleep, which bear no manner of Proportion thereto (as was shewn;) As they were also who m [...]dly talk'd, That the Animal Spirits, which have neither Life, Sense, Motion, or Election, did of themselves retire very knowingly to the Brain in S [...]eep, and left the Limbs, &c. de­stitute of them, whereas (as has been Mechani­cally proved) they have more Room than that at other times in [...] Limbs, and all the sensile Parts. [Page 130] But I will not argue against such senseless and precarious Absurdities; it is not worth the while, especially since the Truth is manifestly discovered: It would not have been so silly to have affirm'd the quite contrary, viz. That the Animal Spirits are forced into the soft and yielding Brain, in Watching, by the Vigilative Contraction of all the sen­file Parts repelling them, as when Cold repels them by a strong Contraction of the Parts, and causes a Stupor or Sleep thereof (as they call it.) But what have we to do with such insufferable Trash? Therefore bidding it adieu, let us pursue our Bu­siness.

That it is the Sensitive Soul, and nothing but it, has that Contracting Power, is evident;

1. Because it is the Original of all Motion in the Animal as such; and that nothing besides it has any Life, Perception, Motion, or Power, and therefore must rest till they are moved.

2. Because, That when the Sensitive Soul is di­verted by intense Pleasure, from attending his Bu­siness, immediately Relaxation follows; as in the Pleasure of the Act of Venery, by Wine, Ioy, &c. in which you have all the Effects of Relaxation, as Deadness of the Eyes, Dilatation of the Pupilla, plentiful Perspiration, Floridity of the Skin, a large Pulse, and sometimes a considerable Failure of Sense and Motion, as in the most pleasant time of the Venereal Act, Deliquiums, Drunkenness, Syncopes, or Ecstasies upon intense Pleasure, (which are very properly called Ecstasies) Leipothymies, Leipopsychies, &c. which signifie the Soul's leaving us without his Help by Contractions, which he then does not ex­ercise, as being charm'd, and wholly taken up with Pleasure. This is the true Cause of all Deli­quiums, &c. upon Pleasure, Ioy, &c. all which cause great Relaxations, and thereby Loss of Sense and Motion, as being its necessary Consequences.

[Page 131]3. Because grievous Sensation, which belongs only to the Sensitive Soul, puts us immediately out of Sleep into a Vigilative Contraction.

4. Because the Sensitive Soul can, when we are Sleepy, oppose it, by continuing the Vigilative Contraction; which proves Vigilative Contraction to be in his Power.

Note, That there is also other sorts of Leipothy­mies, Deliquiums, &c. upon the Sensitive Soul's being over-tired, (whereof Natural Sleep is but a common and ordinary Degree, that happens of Course for our Relief) or over-born with some Fatigue, &c. as when somewhat grieves at Sto­mach, and that it has laid about it all manner of Ways, by Vomiting, Convulsive Motions, &c. to be rid of it, till it can work no longer; whereupon it lays down the Cudgels, desists from all further En­deavour by Contractions, yielding it self to Ease, seeing all Striving is to no Effect: So, that tho' this Deliquium, and the former, differ in their first Causes, yet do they agree in the last and immediate, viz. the Sensitive Soul's not attending his Business of Contraction, whereupon follows a mighty Re­laxation, as appears by the Deadness (or Relaxation) of the Cornea, Dilatation of the Pupil, a great Laxity of all Parts, a large Pulse, or none, very plentiful Perspiration, Stops of Hemorrhages, and all Fluxes that require Contraction, &c. which happen both upon the Account of the great Relaxation it self, (as has been shewn) and the almost absolute Rest of all Things by the Sensitive Soul's withdrawing himself from Business, more than in Sleep it self. I therefore observing the Degrees of Sleep, &c. do Note, That (God and Nature using a due Proportion in all Things) the Sensitive Soul uses several Degrees of Relaxation, according as he is tired, and Refection is wanted: Hence it is, that [Page 132] such as are much tired sleep more profoundly, that our first Sleeps are the soundest, and that Sleep gra­dually declines in degrees (as we are recruited) till we awake; the nearer which we are, the more we dream, the state of Dreaming being a kind of Twilight between sound Sleep and Awaking, or between a full somniferous Relaxation and vigilative Contraction. And as the Sensitive Soul uses all degrees of Contraction below that of the Vigilative, till it comes to bare Compression of the Air; so it can exercise super-vigilative Contraction, (if I may so call it) that is, much higher degrees thereof than what was requisite ordinarily for a state of Vigilancy, as in Cases of Danger to the Animal, Frights, Ter­rours, grievous Passions and Sensations; by which means the animal Spirits being more compressed than under the ordinary vigilative Contraction, Sensation grows more nice and smart, and Motion more prompt and vigorous (they always going together) for the Defence of the Animal, by extraordinary Flight, Repulsion, or otherwise. Hence it is, upon Fear, Terrour, grievous Pas­sion, or Sensation, (which manifestly proves the Be­ing of such an extraordinary Contraction upon such Occasions) That,

1. Perspiration sails in a yet higher degree than under bare or ordinary vigilative Contraction, as appears by infallible statick Experiments and Demon­strations.

2. It is by reason of the said defensive Contraction, (for so I call it, because it is excited in an extra­ordinary manner for the defence of the Animal in time of need, or great Exigence) That in Frights, Terrours, &c. our Hair, Dogs, &c. does stand on end, or more upright; 1. Because the Pores do, by that violent Contraction, strictly close about the Root of the Hair, that it cannot swag, incline, [Page 133] or yield any way, by reason of its Weight, &c. as when the Skin is more lax and soft, and the Pores, wherein the Hair is fixed, more open. 2. Because (which is the main Reason) the said Contraction renders the oblique Pores more upright; as suppose the Pores and Hair do naturally stand obliquely, (as they do to carry off Wet, &c.) as in Fig. 1.

And that (a) in Fig. 1. is, by the said Contraction, brought nearer to (i), as much as is from (a) to (o), then will the Pores and Hair stand upright, as in Fig. 2. and the Skin a, o, e, i, s, contracted and brought within the prick'd Perpendiculars, whereas in Fig. 1. it excur'd beyond the Perpendi­cular n, m, as much as is from a to o.

3. For the same Reason it is, That the Face, in grievous Passions and Sensations, as acute Pain, &c. is contorted and wrung awry, as you see in Persons that cry because of Grievances, (after the same manner as when they strive to lift up a great Weight) and that at the same time Tears, and Moisture at Nose and Mouth, are squeezed out by the same Contraction; which makes People use the Saying of Casting Snot about when Men cry. It is for the same Reason that People's Mouths water [Page 134] extreamly when they are trimm'd with a bad Razor that puts them to Pain, which contracts the Parts, and squeezes out the Spittle.

4. The Pulse grows sensibly narrower and har­der by the same Contraction.

5. It is by the Contraction upon grievous Sensa­tion, that our Mouths water very much upon a Nausea at Stomach, because of the continuity of the Membranes of the Mouth and Stomach.

6. The same Contraction is the true Reason why People, upon Hunger (which is a grievous Sensation at Stomach) have so much Moisture (or Spittle) in their Mouths, and so much the more when they see good Victuals, and cannot have it, be­cause the Grievance which causes the Contraction that squeezes it out, is by so much the greater. This is the cause why the Mouth waters when hun­gry People see or smell good Victuals. By the same Contraction Moisture is squeezed out into the Oesophagus, (or Gullet) and the Menstruum into the Stomach at the same time; where (observe God's Good and Wise Providence) that Hunger which calls for Meat, at the same time provides Spittle to lubricate it for swollowing, and to help Digestion, render the Gullet slippery and disten­sible, and causes the Menstruum to flow more abundantly into the Stomach; and all this when most needed, and that exactly in proportion to the Hunger (or grievous Sensation) that causes the Contraction.

It is well worth your nothing, That God's Wis­dom does always cause the Want of what is neces­sary in sensile Creatures, to be the solliciting and urging Cause for supply, that a due Proportion may be observed between the Supply and the Want; which may upon the telling of it appear so plain a Case, that it is scarce worth the mentioning; but (believe me) it is so little observ'd, (as plain [Page 135] as it may seem to be) that People have, and do err extravagantly for want of noting it; which if they had noted, they could never have said that Vapours, or the retiring of Spirits into the Brain, &c. was the Cause, or Call of natural Sleep; nor feigned Menstruums to be the cause of Hunger; but would have duly considered what is mainly sup­plied by Eating, or recruited by Sleeping, &c. and then had nothing to do but to conclude the Defect of that to have been the Cause that solicited for the Supply in proportion to the Defect: Which, if ob­served, will most naturally and easily lead you to the true Knowledge of the Causes▪ of all Appetites in an Animal, upon a few Minutes Consideration; for want of which most plain and (one would think) very obvious Method, the deviating World has sadly puzzled it self about the Cause of Hun­ger, Thirst, Sleep, and the like, to this day, and still is in Disputes about them, of which (tho' my advertent Reader may well prevent me, by using that natural Method) I shall (God willing) give an account in my Tract of Animal Mecha­nism: Only note here, That I do not mean bare privative Defect, as such, to be the positive Cause▪ but that the Defect of what keeps or guards the Stomach, &c. from the Grievance, causes other Matter to grieve it, cause Hunger, &c. without which means, no Proportion can be observed be­tween Hunger and what takes it away, or our Food.

7. The same defensive Contraction does, upon grie­vous Sensation, as Pain, Cold, Terrour, &c. cause a Corrugation of the Scrotum, contract the Skin into little Tubercles like that of a Goose-Skin, &c.

8. By it, upon grievous Sensation, as by squeez­ing the Nose very hard, pulling the Hair, Sand, or any such thing, in the Eye, or a Grievance by the Volatile Particles of Onions, Mustard, Horse-Radish-Roots, [Page 136] &c. the Parts and Membranes about the Eyes contracting, squeeze out Tears, that what grieves the Eyes may thereby be washed away, or qualified, as much as the Tears can do it.

9. By this Contraction repelling the Bloud, the Skin grows Pale by Cold, Fear, Pain, &c. which also closing the Pores, stop Sweat, as in a moment. You'll have an account hereafter how Contra­ction may cause Sweat by squeezing in some Cases, and stop it by shutting the Pores in other Cases.

10. It is by it that Contraction, that Fear, Cold, &c. closing the Pores, and repelling the Bloud, stanch Bleeding: So happens also a greater Con­traction of the Pupil of the Eye by the same Cause.

11. It is the Violence of this Contraction upon Fear, Terrour, Pain, Cold, &c. closing the small Vessels of the Animal Spirits, and thereby repelling them, causes the Shivering in those Cases, by the Renitency of the elastick Animal Spirits springing back again, toties quoties, having gain'd more ela­stick Force by the very Compression it self, which that Contraction causes; so that by reason of the dubious velitation (or skirmishing) between the repelling Contraction and the springing Spirits, hap­pens a tremulous Motion, (as of quavering Springs;) which Shivering in Ague-Fits did formerly lead me to the Situation of the Cause of Agues (when I writ my Book De Febribus intermittentibus) in the Angustiae at the end of the Vessels, which termi­nate in the Membranes; the grievous Sensation of which, causes all the Shivering that happens in any Case to Animals.

12. By the same Contraction, when very violent, and of the whole Body, cold Sweats happen in Pain, Fear, Terrour, &c. while it violently squeezes out the outmost, and therefore coldest Moisture [Page 137] of our Bodies, as Laundresses do Water out of wet Linnen by Contortion. Thus if you dip one half of a wet cold Sheet in hot Water, wrapping the hot side within the cold, or let a warm Sheet that is contorted cool on the out-side of it, and then wring it as Women do Linnen, the Water that first exudates will be cold; for in this Case the closing of the Pores avails nothing to hinder it, as long as the expressing Force masters it; more especially in Animal Bodies, wherein the Parts are so contrived, that Humours design'd for Exoretion cannot well return, and therefore must, upon Contraction, run out▪

Hence it is that Alum, or Vitriol, which are very astringent, and therefore close the Pores, will notwithstanding cause the Mouth, or Nose, to run very plentifully with Moisture, by contract­ing all the Membranes about the Mouth, or Nose, and thereby squeezing out the Moisture design'd to be excern'd, which cannot return, because the Parts▪ are contriv'd against the return or read­mittance thereof; whereas Alum, or Vitriol, will stanch or stop Bloud by the same Contraction, be­cause it may return (as not being design'd to be excern'd) either into the Arteries, and so pass by other Branches thereof, or (which is more ready and natural) keep its course into the Veins. So the two Riddles (that I have known some Proud Physicians amaz'd at, tho' but Trifles) of Alum and Vitriol causing the Spittle, &c. to come out, in­stead of stopping it by their Astringency, and their stopping Bloud at Nose at the same time they cause the Snot, or other Humours, to run out, are unfolded.

13. It is by this mighty Contraction growing to an enormous degree, that the Animal Spirits being violently compressed, grow exceeding irrequiete, as upon Convulsions in great Pain, or very grievous [Page 138] Sensation at Stomach, &c. while the sensitive Soul compressing them with mighty Force, and some­what disorderly and unevenly, because of the Con­fusion and Hurry he is in to relieve the Animal, they by their springiness fling up and down with great Vigour. This makes convulsive Motions have great Strength.

14. The Body under this Contraction is ma­nifestly shrunk by measure, especially when the Sensation is very grievous, but most of all if they cause a general Convulsion; which I manifestly ob­served in a little Bitch▪ that was convulsive all over for three Hours, and was just expiring, when I gave her the Sal Volat. Oleos. of Opium, which perfectly restored her by relaxing the Vessels.

Some may think it strange, That Nature should contrive a more nice and smart Sensation (which the Contraction of the Vessels of the Animal Spirits must cause by compressing them, &c.) in Pain, and by it; which becomes so much the more acute; whereas one would judge, That Nature would ra­ther contrive its Ease than improve its Smart.

You are to know, That the Pain is in order to relieve the Animal, by exciting all its Powers to defend, expel, or reject the Cause; and that, without a grievous Sensation, the sensitive Soul is neither minded nor excited to do it; and the more the Pain is, the more it is stirr'd up to Self­preservation, and (as was shewn) the more vi­gorous do its Motions grow by the Compression of the elastick Spirits to perform that Work; so Na­ture, not regarding the Pain (which is rather for good) as much as taking away the Cause, advan­ces that, for this Purpose; like a wise Physician, who finding a Grievance at Stomach, not sufficient to excite effectual Vomiting, to throw away the grieving Cause, adds to the Grievance by giving a Vomit; which because (as was said) Nature is [Page 139] proportionably excited to, and invigorated for Self-preservation, sufficiently sollicites and enables it, by a stronger Contraction, to reject the grieving Matter.

As the greater the Relaxation is, the more is the Rest of all Parts; and the weaker the Anim [...]l Spirits (because less compressed) the gentler are all Motions, (as you see in Sleep) consequently the less is the Expence of Spirits; so that in Sleep we generate more than we spend, and are there­by recruited: So the more the Contraction is▪ the more violent is the Motion of the Heart, In­testines, and of all Parts, and consequently the Expence of Spirits is the greater.

Therefore it can be no Wonder, That Contra­ctions do cause great Commotions of Spirits, Diary Fevers, &c. when you consider,

• 1. That the sensitive Soul is, by the grievous Sen­sations, &c. that cause them, put upon a great Fret, Concern, and Hurry, to defend the Animal, and lays about him all manner of ways for Self­preservation.
• 2. That the Animal Spirits are, by means of great Compression caused by the defensive Contra­ction, in a very forcible Springiness, which causes all the Actions that are continual, involuntary, and of course, to be perform'd with great Violence, proportionable to its compressed Elasticity. Be­sides that,
• 3. The Systoles of the Heart are o [...]tener repeated. All which conspire to cause greater Commotions upon grievous Sensations, whereby Diary Fevers, &c. are caused, which are easily and naturally cured by Sleep, or Relaxation, at present compose and quiet those Perturbations. Who knows (tho' it is not my Business to discuss it at present) but that the Contractions in the cold Fits of Agues, have a great [Page 140] hand in causing the hot ones? How otherwise should Opium, by only taking away the grievous Sensation of the cold Fits, take off, or prevent the hot Fits also? But of this, in my often-mentioned Tract, (though not so often as it grieves me that it is not published.).

How reasonably may we now expect, That pleasant Sensation may cause quite contrary Ef­fects to that of grievous Sensation? viz. Relaxa­tion, and all its Effects, (which have been in some measure enumerated in the Case of Natural Sleep in this Chapter) viz. Satisfaction, Composure of Frets and Commotions; as of diary Fevers, hysterick Fits, &c. Perspiration, quieting of Vomitings, Hiccoughs, &c. lessening of Feeling, and consequently a stop and moderation of all Fluxes that depend upon Ir­ritation of Humours, as Diarrhea's, Dysenteries, Ca­tarrhs, Vomitings, Driness of the Mouth, (as in Sleep, for want of the Contraction to squeeze the Spittle out of the Glandules into the Mouth) Nocturnal Pollutions, &c. But of the Nature and Effects of Pleasure, you'll find more in the next Chapter.

Besides the Vigilative and Defensive Contractions, (which seem to be Things of course upon Waking and Grievances) the sensitive Soul has a Contraction at Will, as that of the Pupilla, when an Animal is intent upon Seeing; of the Tympan, when intent upon Hearing; of the Musoles of the Legs, when intent upon Walking; and so of all the Muscles of the Body, which I call Intentiv [...] Contraction, that he can perform either along with, or without the o­ther Contractions, or without any great degree there­of, as when one is considerably relaxed with the Pleasure of Wine, very good News, &c. nay, some­times even in Sleep, as is manifest by the Noctam­ [...]uli, (or such as walk in their Sleep) and such as [Page 141] speak, strike, &c. while asleep: And as the De­fensive Contraction does all it can in our Defence, without the Direction of the Will, as in Vomiting, Sneezing, Purging, &c. upon sensible Irritation; so this Intentive Contraction does all it can to the same Purpose, by the Direction and Dictates there­of.

Note, That in [...]ensile growing Things that do not move, as Trees, &c. have none of these Con­tractions, but what happens by Cold, and Compres­sion of the Atmosphere, which are sufficient it seems for Nutrition, but not for Sense and Motion; it follows, That in compleat Syncopes, when the sensitive Soul gives over all Contractions, that we are much in the state of a Plant.

All those three Contractions, viz. the Vigilative, Defensive, and Intentive do, because they promote Motion, and cause it more or less, (as you find the Vigilative causes much more of it than Sleep, and the Defensive more than that, &c.) spend the Spirits, cause Weariness, &c.

The Vigilative Contraction does of it self, with­out any considerable Grievance or Labour, that is, without the Denfensive or Intentive Contraction, tire the sensitive Soul in about 16 Hours: Hence it is that the idlest Person, that is most free from Care, Trouble, or Pain, cannot well hold out without the Recruit of Sleep any longer.

The Defensive Contraction, or that of Grievances, being added to the Vigilative Contraction, the Spirits are faster spent, and the Person tired pro­portionably sooner, according as the Grievance is more or less; and consequently the Endeavours of the sensitive Soul to be rid thereof.

[Page 142]To both which Contractions, (viz. the Vigilative and Defensive) if you add the Intentive, (or La­bour) then are you sooner and more tired than by only those two former Contractions; for this last Case is labouring in Pain, (or under a Grievance) which notoriously tires Man or Beast sooner than ordinary: The direct contrary to which, is sleep­ing soundly and sweetly, without Trouble, Pain, or Dreams; for a dreaming Condition has too much of the vigilative Contraction in it, to be pure Relaxation and Recruit.

Now according as these Contractions are, or are not added one to another, we are sooner or later before we are tired, (speaking generally, and not considering Custom and Habit, which concerns us not.)

You see that all the three Contractions con­ourring, do soon and sadly tire us, that no two of them tire us as much as the three together; that i [...], neither the Vigilative and Defensive, without the Intentive; nor the Vigilative and Intentive, without the Defensive; and the Vigilative alone least of all: Yet allowance must be made for the Intensness of the Defensive and Intentive; for either of these two being very intense, may tire as much as both, in a moderate degree: Thus a Man may be tired with violent Labour in four Hours, tho' not in Pain as much as one that moderately labours in some small Pain for the same time.

Observe, That we recruit in eight Hours (gene­rally speaking) as much by relaxation in Sleep, as we spend by vigilative Contraction in sixteen: I take the Reason of that to be, That Relaxation widening all the Passages of the Body, the Nutri­ment is admitted into them more fully and freely, [Page 143] as the Bloud is into the Skin in Sleep, and all Relaxa­tions, which cause an Efflorescence thereof in those Cases. Hence it is that we are so much recruited and nourished in Sleep; that Children grow more than others proportionably; that Relaxers cause the Breasts, &c. to grow.

Note, What a mighty Restaurative Relaxation is▪ By its help, for eight Hours in twenty four, we can watch all, and labour most of the other sixteen, all the days of our Life: It follows, That if we could any way half relax the vigilative Contraction while we Labour, take a Iourney, or the like, that we might perform prodigiously, without being [...]ired. Hence it is, That because Pleasure (as has been in­timated relaxes, as Grievances contract, (of which you may expect farther Proof in the next Chapter) that such as work, or travel, pleasantly diverted all the time, are tired very little or nothing in a long time; and that some will dance whole Night [...] with sweet Musick, and agreeable beloved Com­pany, without being so much tired, as they would be if they us'd the same Motions for a quar­ter of the time without either of the pleasant Diversi­ons. The like is to be said of any other Pleasure, as drinking a good Glass of generous Wine every half hour, or so often as to continue the sense of its Pleasure at Stomach all the time they labour or tra­vel; for 'tis a vulgar Errour, (tho' the universal Sentiment of Mankind, both Learned and Un­learned) That Wine, Cordials, &c. do comfort, elevate, and excite the Spirits, (as 'tis call'd) by adding their Spirits to, or joining them with ours; whereas it is only by causing a pleasant Sensation, particularly at Stomach: For which Paradox, I am obliged (tho' in great haste to come to the Ex­plication of Opium) to give my Reasons, which are as follows, viz.

• [Page 144]1. It cannot be imagined how a sensitive Crea­ture, as such, can conceive any Comfort, or be sensible thereof, but by Sensation: To say he is comforted, and not sensible of the Comfort, is a Contradiction; for Comfort, as such, belongs to a perceiving Being; and an Animal, as such, per­ceives nothing but by the Senses; and therefore there can be no Comfort but by pleasant Sensation; nay, as such it is his Comfort: So Musick, pleasant Sights, Odours, and agreeable Objects of all the Senses, are comfortable, because pleasant. I hope that none will say, That Musick, Sights, good News &c. (which highly comfort) have any Spirits to add to ours: The truth is, That God and Nature have given us our Senses for that end, and present Refection in Cases of Faintness, Depression of Spirits; And what more proper to convey Comfort to us, than what is sensible of it?
• 2. It is another thing to add by way of Nutri­tion to our Spirits, (which are insensible Things, and therefore never properly comforted any more than a Plant, that is nourished as well as they:) But the sensitive Soul being pleased, must needs con­ceive Satisfaction, Comfort, Ioy, &c. How he can be pleased when sensible of nothing, I know not; nor how he can be comforted without being first pleased, nor how pleased but by Sensation.
• 3. The Essence of Animal Comfort does not con­sist in having many Spirits; for one in most grie­vous Pain and Misery, by which he is much dis­comforted, cast down, depressed in Spirit, &c. may have great plenty of Spirits; and one that has not half as many, highly comforted, by plea­sing Objects of Sense, good News, &c.
• 4. If we staid for Comfort by a Meal of Meat, &c. till it added to our Spirits, we might stay long enough; nay, if we staid for Comfort till [Page 145] we found it by that Addition, we should never find it; for we cannot in that case find what we do not feel: We possibly, after two or three days eating and drinking, may find our selves stronger; but (after all) suppose us in very great misery at the same time, Where's the Comfort of it, when the Spirits are otherwise depressed by Pain, ill News? &c.
• 5. Hunger is a grievous Sensation at Stomach; which is cured, and we comforted, by causing a pleasant Sensation by Meat, Wine, &c. instead thereof; and not by adding Spirits, which is a great Mistake. It is true indeed, that we are comforted, but it is most manifestly by pleasing the exquisite Sensation at Stomach, which God has placed there for that End: Hence it is that all Cordials must be pleasing to the Stomach, or else they are no Cordials; and that Wine, and all such Things as please the Stomach, are apt to take away much of the Sharpness of Hunger, for a time at least.
• 6. How should Wine, which has a great Aci­dity in it, and so very good for Digestion, cure a canine Appetite, which is a grievous Sensation, but by causing a pleasant one in its room, by which means the grievous Sensation is taken off? For Plea­sure and Grievance, (or Displeasure) which are Contraries, cannot be in the same Subject at one time. Thus it is that Opium takes off Hunger, canine Appetite, &c. But of this hereafter.
• 7. How should a Quart of Wine; drank in a minute or two, have all the comfortable Effects of Wine in a quarter of an hour while it is at Stomach, if it were to stay for this Comfort till it added Spirits to ours, since the matter of Effluvia, or Fumes passing into the Rloud, is disproved?
• [Page 146]8. Why should our Comfort be so great while it is at Stomach, and none by that time it is got into the Bloud, but that the Stomach being very sensile, the Spirits of the Wine do highly please by their Agreeableness thereunto? It matters not whether it had Spirits or no, so it caused a pleasing Sensation; for a Draught of Water in a high Fever, and when we are very faint with Thirst, very much comforts us without any Spirits, as does a Venison-Pasty a hungry Person, by agreeable Sensation taking off the grievous Sensation (called Hunger) and all its consequent Faintness, &c. before it can add any Spirits by Nutrition.
• 9. What need we seek any farther? Do not we find a pleasing Sensation at Stomach, when we are comforted with any thing, and the Comfort to bear a Proportion to the Pleasure?
• 10. Are not we prompt, blithe, gay, and brave, while the Wine is at Stomach? And very often fit for nothing, dull, heavy, mopish, &c. by that time it is got into the Bloud?

Therefore we may safely conclude, That the Spirits of the Wine do comfort us, by causing a pleasing Sensation, and not by adding its Spirits to ours, according to the settled Sentiment of the World, that is not yet arrived to the Learning or Knowledge why the most common Cordial com­forts them. What Spirits has a Grain of Opium, while at Stomach, to add to ours; or can it add, if it had them? Yet no Wine comforts us as much as Opium, because it pleases us so much, (as was and will be yet much more fully shewn.)

Note, That besides what was said of the Grie­vousness of the three Contractions, to ti [...]e the animal or sensitive Soul, he is much deprest and cast down, upon the Perception of Grievances, as Hunger, Pain, &c. Because they, 1. Affect him with Grief [Page 147] and Displeasure, and consequently with Discomfort, Anxiety, &c. because of the very Dolour. 2. With Care and Solicitude how to be rid of it. 3. With the Toil of Defensive Contraction to endeavour it.

All which causes Melancholy, Depression of Spirits, Pusillanimity, Perturbations, Frets, Discomposure, Dis­satisfaction, Anxiety, Solicitude, Peevishness, Discom­posure, Discomforts, Listlesness, &c. as you see in such as are Hungry, or in Pain; to which if you add the Fatigue and Effects of the Defensive Con­traction, and the Intentive, as far as it is exercised for Self-preservation in this Case, you may (obser­ving what has been said) easily solve all the Pheno­mena's of grievous Sensation, and as easily conclude what must be the Phenomena's and Effects of plea­sant Sensation, by the Rules of Contraries, viz. Sa­tisfaction, good Humour, Ease, Comfort, Ovation of Spirits, Relaxation, &c. of which we are going to speak.

SEnsitive Pleasure is a Complacency of the sensitive Soul, resulting from the Agreeableness of the Object to the Organ of Sensation: Thus are we pleased with what is agreeable to the Eye, Ear, Tongue, Stomach, &c. And what is agreeable to those Organs, is agreeable to the Animal in general: 1. Because God has made and appointed them (especially the sensile Membrane at Stomach) to be as it were the Touchstone of what is agreeable to the Animal. 2. Because the Membranes (or Organs) are of the same active Principles with the Animal's Body in general; otherwise they would not be fit Tasters, Triers, or Touchstones of what is good or bad for the Body in general.

Now the active Principles of the Membranes, (or Organs) are Volatile Salt and oily Parts, or a Sal Volatile Oleosum, which is predominant in them, and all the Parts of the Body; therefore such Things as have a Volatile Salt join'd with some oily Parts, must be in a special manner agreeable and pleasing to the Membranes; for simile fimili gaudeat.

Hence it is, That what abound in Volatile Salt, as Snails, Earthworms, and Things of that kind, are such fine Anodynes, and so pleasing to the Membranes, &c. That the Seed of Animals, which is a Sal Volatile Oleosum, and Things of that na­ture, as Onions, Garlick, Rocket, Sives, Bears Gar­lick, [Page 149] Oysters, Cockles, Shallot, &c. do so please and tickle the Venereal Membranes, and thereby excite Venery; and that such Things are generally so very agreeable to the Stomach, (with which we are mainly concerned, as the Chief Judge of what is agreeable to the Animal) and so main Ingre­dients of Relishes, Sauces, &c. to render them pleasing to it.

Here it is obvious to note, (what is also very commonly observed) That the most pleasing Things to the Stomach, Venereal Membranes, &c. have those Principles more active, warm, and tickling, than the Membranes themselves, because the sensitive Soul is highly pleased with what fine­ly actuates, tickles, and causes an Ovation of the Spiritus insiti of the Membranes. Hence bare Warmth is so very pleasing, as are also gentle Frictions of the Head, Back, &c. for the same Reasons.

• 1. The oily Parts (as all know) do please the Feeling (with which we have to do) by their smooth, gentle, and soft touch. Thus Milk, Emulsions, and other Anodynes, as the Root and Flower of Water Lily, White Lily, &c. become agreeable to the Membranes, and theresore relax and ease Pain. Hence it is that all Aliments have an agreeable Sweetness, the Pleasure whereof takes off the grievous Sensation called Hunger.

  But the Pleasure of oily Parts, because they do not so actuate, stir, and titillate the Spiritus insiti, is but flat, slow, and dull, without they are joined with some other Particles that are pleasing to the Membranes, that actuate and finely titillate the Membranes, and Spiritus insiti; therefore to make them highly and charmingly pleasing, they should have join'd therewith,

• [Page 150]2. Volatile Salt being a more active agreeable Principle, which may finely and pleasingly excite, actuate, titillate, and cause an Ovation in the Spiritus insiti, as Onions, &c. at Stomach, Sem. Ani­mal. upon the Venereal Membranes, &c.

But, as was said of the Oily Parts, That they cannot cause so exalted a Pleasure without the Volatile Salt, so the Volatile Salt alone, or too little qualified, and smooth'd over with Oily Parts, is too rude, pungent, or acrimonious, as in Cantharides, Bees, Pismire, Asarabacca, Spear­wort, Crowsfoot, and other Vomitory Volatiles, which becomes so by over-stinging the Membranes, and stirring the Spiritus insiti overmuch into a sort of Fury, instead of an agreeable Ovation.

It follows therefore, That it is neither Oily Parts alone, which if too much, often nauseates the Stomach, nor Volatile Salt alone, no nor every Mixture thereof, but a certain due Proportion of both, so as to have the Volatile Salt somewhat more predominant than in our Membranes, that it may comfortably actuate, titillate, and excite our Spirits, as Warmth, Frications, &c. do, must cause the most charming and exalted Pleasure; For Things exactly of the same degree of Oil and Volatile Salt, with our Membranes, can cause but a slow Sensation, because they make little or no Alte­ration therein, which is one of the great Requisites of Sensation; for that which makes no Alteration, as the Saliva in the Mouth, the same degree of Light that is in the Eye, of Sound as in the Ear already, &c. cannot be perceiv'd, because where no Difference is made, nothing can be perceiv'd, for the Organ is affected but as it was before the Object was of­fer'd, and consequently we cannot perceive that any new thing was objected, and therefore can­not be at all sensible thereof; so if it makes but [Page 151] a small Difference, the Sensation can be but slow, and slight Proportionably, as of a little degree of Light more than is in the Eye, &c. for it is only that little that is perceived; for (as is notorious to all who understand any Thing of these Mat­ters of Sensation) it is only the Excess of Impression to what was upon the Organ before, that is per­ceived; for that is all that is n [...]w above what was thereon before, and therefore all that is to be, or can be perceived more than was before (as was said.) Hence it is, that Flesh or other Things, that have the Sal-Volatile Oleosum, or the same Prin­ciples, that the Membranes of the Stomach, Vene­real Parts, &c. have, in much the same degree, affect them but with a gentle Pleasure. There­fore we must have such a mixture wherein the Volatile Salt, as in Semine Animali, Onions, &c. is sensibly more active than in our Membranes, to actuate the Spiritus insui of the Membranes, and cause an Ovation therein, which is (as was said of Comfortable Warmth, Frications, &c.) very agreeable, and pleasant to the Sensitive Soul, who looks upon such as friendly and active Auxiliaries to our Spirits, whereas the other are as lazy Friends, wherein he takes not the like Compla­cency; You may perceive much of the Difference in this Case in Mustums, (or new unfermented Wines) which indeed do lazily please by their acceptable sweetness, but do not so actuate the Spi­ritus insiti as the same Oily Parts when rendered active, spirituous, and nearer the Nature of actual Heat after Fermentation; which then being very readily actuated by the Heat of the Stomach, do briskly and chearfully return the Kindness by actu­ating our Spirits, and putting them into a pleasing Ovation, of which I could give you a very pat and pregnant Instance in a Thing actuated into a very high degree of pleasing by Frication and [Page 152] Agitation, which was otherwise almost insensible; but Modesty forbids me.

Note, How the sluggish Oily Parts in Mustums do, by being spiritualized by Fermentation, as it were, supply the place of Volatile Salt in actuat­ing, and in some measure titillating, tho' not to that high degree as the more poinant Volatile salt in Semine Virili, and the like, because the Sulphu­reous Oily Particles, however separated, disgre­gated, and set at at liberty by Fermentation, re­tain much of their smoothness, and never can arrive at the titillating Power of Volatile Salts, as is evident in Amphrodistacks upon the Account of Volatile Salts, as Cantharides, Bees, Pismire, &c. which Wine in 100 times the quantity cannot e­qual in Titillation.

Nor is it enough to have the Sal Volatile Oleo­sum duely qualified, as to the Quantity and Quality of both the Oily and Saline Parts, and these pre­dominant, and of a fine brisk and gently tickling Activity;

But the Oleous and Salino Volatile Parts should (to make a compleat and permanent Pleaser of the Membranes) be very intimately combined, so as not easily to separate one from the other, o­therwise they will not duely conspire and co-ope­rate to cause the Pleasure, but the Volatile Salt will act separately as such, that is irritating, and not finely and pleasantly Tickling, as Semen Huma­num, &c. wherein the Oil and Volatile Salt are firmly join'd together.

I therefore conclude, That the most excellent Thing to please the Membranes, must be such as Semen Humanum, that is, not too Oily, (for then [Page 153] it would not sufficiently please by a fine Titilla­tion, and actuating of our Spirits) nor too full of Volatile Salt, as Mustard, Asarabacca, &c. nor have too accrimonious a Volatile salt with too little Oleous Parts to correct it, for in both these last Cases the Irritation would be grievous; nor have the Oleous and Volatile loosely combined. But,

That it should be a Sal Volatile Oleosum, where­in the Volatile Parts are brisker, and somewhat more active than ours, yet so corrected by Oleous Parts intimately combined therewith, as to render it of a most agreeable and pleasant Titillation, such as would please all Membranes, but especially those that have most accute Sensation, as the Stomach, and Vene­real Membranes, (both which Opium most sen­sibly pleases) which are ordered so to be for Pre­servation of the Individuum, and Species, the one to invite us to Eat, and the other to Procreate; But to satisfie you yet farther, as to the Stomach, which concerns us mostly,

Note 1. That the more exalted and intense the Pleasure is, the higher are its Effects upon the Sen­sitive Soul in pleasing, comforting, and elevating it; and upon the Body, in relaxing all the Sensile Parts thereof, as that of Wine is higher than that of Mustum, &c.

Note 2. That the better the Organ is disposed for Sensation, the higher the Pleasure or Displeasure is; for he that has his Nose, Tongue, Ear, Mem­branes, &c. ill disposed for Smelling, Tasting, Hear­ing, Feeling, &c. has not so much Pleasure in sweet Odours, good Tastes, Musick, Pleasers of the Feel­ing, &c. nor so much Displeasure in bad Scents, &c. It follows,

[Page 154] Note 3. That cujus est Dolor ejusdem est Voluptas, that is, the Part or Membrane that is capable of intense Pleasure, is so of intense Pain or Displeasure. For Instance, If the Stomach be capable of great Grievances, it is so of great Pleasure, God having distributed them also equally.

Note 4. That, since the great Use, End, and Business of Sensation, is to give notice, and inform the Animal of what is, or is not good and a­greeable to it, it follows, that the Wisdom that made us would place the most exquisitely and critically disposed Organ (or Membrane) of Sen­sation, where such notice is most requisite and use­ful; and consequently there must be more Pleasure or Displeasure conceiv'd at Things agreeable or disagreeable, that the descending and relieving Motions and Comfort, may be proportionable.

Note 5. That such exquisite, exact, and nice Notice is most requisite at Stomach.

First, Because all our Nutriment, good and bad, is to pass that Way to be Judged of.

Secondly, Because it is the last Part that it ar­rives at before it receives a considerable change; for when it is changed, no such true and sincere Iudgment can be given thereof, as could be be­fore.

Thirdly, Because the Faults, Defects, or Negli­gences of the Taste, and the External Senses, are to be remedied and corrected there, or no where, therefore the Stomach is as the last Judge of Ap­peal, and should be most exact and infallible in Iudging; or as the last inner, or Main Guard in a Fort, Town, or Castle, which if the Enemy pass, the whole is endanger'd, if not lost.

Fourthly, Because the Concern being so great, Sensation should be the more exquisite there, to excite the Animal Powers to make Defence, by [Page 155] repelling, rejecting, or detruding the Enemy, which Powers (as has been intimated) are excited according to the degree of Sensation, especially seeing there is no voluntary Power, or Contraction of the Stomach, but only the Natural, which is always excited by Sensation in such Cases, or not at all.

Fifthly, Sensation should be critical and accurate at Stomach, to inform us precisely when we should Eat or Drink.

Sixthly, To inform us exactly when we have Eaten or Drank enough; for all this is done by Sensation.

Therefore God has placed a most Sensile Mem­brane at the Stomach, as most manifestly ap­pears;

First, By its taking, and giving notice of such Minute Things, that no Sense, Part, Organ, or Membrane can; for it takes notice of, and informs the Sensitive Soul (as has been said) of the Vomi­tory Particles of the Crocus and Regulus of Anti­mony, which are so indefinitely small, that no o­ther Membrane or Organ of Sensation, but that at Stomach, can take notice thereof, because the Crocus and Regulus, after they have afforded 1000 Vomits from their Bodies, are not sensibly dimi­nished either in Weight or Bulk; nor doth the Stomach take and give a slight, but very remark­able notice thereof, that is sufficiently powerful to excite not only all the Natural Powers of the Part, and of all the Auxiliary Muscles that usually assist to Vomit, but to cause a Contraction (and that very often strongly Convulsive) of all, or most of the Muscles, and Membranes of the whole Body, so great is the Sway, or Regimen of the Stomach, by vertue of its exquisite sensility.

[Page 156] Secondly, By its giving notice of inimicous Par­ticles, and very tenuious Effluvias, that fly in the Air, which no Organ of Sensation, or Membrane, but that at Stomach, can observe. For Instance, Some that hate Cats very much, will know, that there is a Cat in the same Room with them, tho' silent, and shut up in a Trunk or Cupboard, where neither the Eye, Ear, Nose, Taste, or immediate Feeling, can be at all concerned or affected. That it is the Stomach that is affected, is apparent, (tho' a Thing not thought of;) 1. Because the first notice they have is plainly at Stomach by a kind of faint Distress, not unlike a beginning Nausea; If the Curious will enquire, they will find it to be as I say. 2. Because all Perception of Material Things is by Sensation, and that it is evident no other Organ of Sensation, or Membrane, is concerned. 3. Because, if the Cat continues in the Room, and is not removed, they fall a Vomiting, or into Anxieties or great Distresses at Stomach, or Faintings and Syncopes, which are the common and known Effects of a grieved or op­pressed Stomach.

Just so does it (tho' these Things are not, or not duely observed) take, and give notice of Pe­stilential Effluvias, which cause the like Faintings, or a kind of Nausea at Stomach; Thus People discern that they are (as they call it) Plague struck, and often fall (as in the Case of the Effluvias of the Cat) into dangerous Deliquiums and Syncopes, of which many in Plague Times suddenly dye, as Cat Haters would (for ought I know) if they continue long in the same Room with a Cat, as they do with Pestilential Effluvias; Therefore it were good presently to remove them from the Place wherein they were struck, because the Air (as the Room wherein the Cat is) is fill'd with the [Page 157] pernicious Particles; for you see in the Case of the Cat, that removing the Man or the Cat gives Relief, and it were better removing the Man, but that he is more Cumbersom, because the Room is already tainted with the Effluvias, and in the Case of the Plague it is only the Person that can be well removed. This proves how useful Re­movals may be, and how convenient in Plague Time it would be to remove to the Wind-side of a Town or City that is tainted, according as the Wind changes, and how convenient Winds are to convey away the Effluviams, and good Sto­machick Cordials, that are warm, and pleasant, to fortifie the Stomach, and open the Pores, which all Things that cause a sense of Pleasure do, as Wine, Spirits, &c. to which if some good Prepa­ration of Opium were added, it would be most convenient. How many Stories have we of Per­sons well fill'd with Wine, who wonderfully escaped Infection; I pray God this Hint may be improv'd to the Preservation of Mankind; There­fore I add, that much may be in a good Quantity of Wine in this Case; 1. Because, Quod intus est prohibet alienum, that is, What is within hinders in­gress of another Thing. 2. Because the Perspira­tion will be the greater, both upon the Account of the greater opening of the Pores by the Plea­sure of the Wine, and the greater Quantity of Matter to be perspired carry off the venemous Particles. 3. Because the Sensitive Soul is thereby much comforted, refreshed, and invigorated; but I would have the Wine so used, as to keep a continual Warmth, Pleasure, and Comfort at Sto­mach, which is the main Cause of all the good; I think a Glass every Hour, after taking 2 or 3 at first, may hit the Mark best, the Reason of which will appear hereafter.

[Page 158] Thirdly, The Stomach's exquisite Disposition to Sensation, above all other Organs and Membranes, appears by this, viz. That the Offences of the other Organs of Sensation (even by their proper Objects) do often affect the Stomach more than those very Senses or Organs themselves. For In­stance, If we smell a great Stench, the Stomach is often more offended thereat than the Nose, as is manifest from the Vomitings, Faintings, and Deli­quiums that are caused by the Stomach upon that Account; so the bare Seeing, Feeling, and Tasting of a nasty Thing, do cause Nauseas, &c. at Sto­mach, yea, the very naming of such Things has much offended it, and caused such Effects, which may be thought very strange, considering that there pass no Effluvias from the sound of Words, but the Reason will appear in the following Para­graph.

Fourthly, All Passions, Commotions, and Pertur­bations, that happen in the Body, do often affect the Stomach, and sometimes so grievously, as to cause Nauseas, Vomitings, great Anxieties at Sto­mach, Faintings, &c. Thus Fear, Terrour, Surprizes, Anger, Grief, Pain in other Parts, &c. causing some Motion in the Animal more than ordi­nary, (of which the Stomach being sensible) do cause the aforesaid Disturbances; Therefore it is no Wonder, if the Hearing one mention a Nasty Thing, which causes an Abhorrence, and the Mo­tions consequent thereunto, should (as was said in the precedent Paragraph) cause the nice Stomach to be offended.

It is most manifest from the Premises, that no Organ or Membrane, can compare with the Sto­mach, as to its exquisite Disposition for Sensation; it follows then,

[Page 159] That Grievances or Pleasure at Stomach must have the greater Effects;

• 1. Because the Intenseness of either will be proportionable to the Sensation.
• 2. Because the Powers of the Animal that are to defend it (which are Contractions) are affected according to the Sensation, and that it is there most requisite sensibly to affect them.
• 3. Because what affects the Stomach influences the whole Animal, more than the Sensation of any other Part.
• 4. Because of the considerable Stay that Things make at Stomach to cause Grievance or Pleasure, whereas that of Pleasure is generally very momen­tary in other Cases.
• 5. Because, being within the Body, we carry our Pleasure or Grievance with us, (as a Vade Me­cum) wherever we go, and therefore,
• 6. It is a Pleasure, &c. that cannot so well be taken away from us, as that of the Tongue, Ear, Nose, Eye, &c. may, by removing the Objects; and therefore it remains with us in our very Sleep, as far as we are capable of Sensation at that Time, causing pleasant Dreams, &c. and so agreeably entertaining us Sleeping or Waking, when the Plea­sure of all the other Senses fails us. Which will appear farther hereafter.

The Pleasure at Stomach excells even that of Venery, if not in Intenseness, yet in several other Re­spects, viz.

• 1. Because of its duration, that of Venus being momentary, but that of Wine at Stomach lasts a good while, and that of Opium many hours, 'tis therefore that the Effects of these Two are more remarkable and taken notice of.
• [Page 160]2. Because, that at Stomach may be continued as long as we please, by a new supply of Wine, Opium, Cordials, &c.
• 3. Because it may be excited, when, and as often as we please, if we have those Cordials at Hand.
• 4. Because it is not attended with any Expence of Strength, Depression of Spirits, &c. as that of Venery, but the quite contrary, viz. with more Vigour, Elevation of the Spirits, &c. one being by Emission, and the other upon Admission of what is agreeable.

It is for the several Reasons contain'd in the Pre­mises, that the Effects of Grievance, as Hunger, &c. or Pleasure, are more considerable and remarkable at Stomach, and that Things agreeable thereto have, by way of Eminence, gain'd the Name of Cordials; That Wine, Spirits, Opium, &c. do cause a more permanent and notable Gaity, Plea­santness, Good Humour, Serenity, Promptitude, O­vation of the Spirits, (or Sensitive Soul) Bravery, Courage, Magnanimity, Euphory, or easie under­going of Business, Relaxation, with all its Effects, as Deadness of the Eye, Dilatation of the Papilla, Perspiration, &c. which are hardly noted in other short Pleasures, unless it be in that eminent (tho' short) one of Venus, which is a Pleasure of the same sense of Feeling, as that of Opium and Wine are.

Therefore pleasing the Stomach is one of the greatest Things to be regarded in the Practice of Physick, to Comfort, Satisfie, or Compose the Spirits; by which Means I have often performed such Cures, that neither I, nor (I suppose) any other, could otherwise perform, namely, Dejecti­ons of Appetite, Untowardness at Stomach, &c. [Page 161] when all the ordinary and usual Means have failed, by asking them what they mostly desired or long'd for, and letting them have it; or if they could not tell of any Thing that they long'd for, I have mentioned to them all the Relishing Things that I could think of, and such as were grateful to the Stomach, till they fasten'd upon somewhat that they liked or fancied, and then being given them, it generally had the desired Success.

The Stomach is grieved (for it will concern us to know how, because Opium causes Vomiting, &c.) generally speaking;

• 1. By Things hard of Digestion, as heavy Bread, Mushroms, Rosins, and such like.
• 2. By Things acrimonious or pungent; as Vomi­tories of Asarabacca, Groundsil, Squills, &c. which abound with Volatile salt.
• 3. By Things that stick to the Stomach, which often cause most dismal and tedious Vomitings, and (when they fall to relieve, by rejecting the grieving Matter) Hiccoughs, Anxieties, Distresses, Syncopes, and sometimes fatal Succumbencies, Na­ture and all Endeavour failing to work any farther for the Animal's Relief; These Things happen most commonly when indigeslible Rosin sticks to the Stomach, especially if they be join'd with any Pungent, Volatile, or Acrimonious Particles. Hence it is, that Resinous Vomits are quite banish'd out of the Practice of Physick, and it were well if Resinous Purgers were so also, especially such as have considerable Acrimony, unless given with the Yolk of an Egg; Lixivials, or in Tinctures, with Spirituous Things to keep the Resinous Particles from Coalescence, and adhering to the Stomach, &c.

[Page 162]1. Note, (for we shall have some Occasion for it) That Resinous Things, join'd with Volatile ir­ritating Particles, have all the ill Qualities afore­mentioned, viz. Hardness of Digestion, Aptitude to stick to the Stomach, and Volatile Particles to irritate and tear its Coats all the time they so stick to it; and therefore such Things have dismal Effects, especially in weak Stomachs that cannot Digest them.

2. Note, That the Distresses at Stomach, caused by a grievous Sensation, are of Two sorts; 1. Such as are the Endeavours of Nature, or the Sensitive Soul, in Defence of the Animal, as all Vomitings, Purgings, Convulsions, Hiccoughs, Throws, Strug­glings, Agitations, Contractions, Watchings, &c. which are accompanied with Melancholy, Fretful­ness, ill Humour, &c. because of the Grievance. 2. Such as follow the Yielding and Succumbency of Nature, or the Sensitive Soul, after being tired and over-born by the Fatigue of Defensive Con­traction; as Faintings, Distresses, Agonies, Syncopes, and Leipothymies.

3. Note, That Syncopes, or Leipothymies, are caused by the Sensitive Soul's being over-born, (as was said) tired, and spent, and giving over his fruit­less Contractions, Defensive, and Vigilative, upon a sudden, as being to no Purpose, as he does gently and gradually give over Vigilative Contraction to cause Sleep; so that Syncopes are only greater, suddener, and more absolute Derelictions of the whole Concern of Contractions: Hence it is, that Perspiration is greater in Syncopes or Leipothymies than in Sleep, the Laxity of the Cornea and the whole Body greater, the Feeling less, or quite gone, that all Motions become much slower, or none, by the want of Compression of the Animal Spirits, and dismal Derelictions of all Contractions by the Sensitive Soul. Hence it is, that all the Effects of Sleep are yet greater in Syncopes.