IF to save a Roman Citizen of old was esteemed so meritorious, as to be gratified with Freedom of the Empire, and those glorious Immunities of those famed SOCIETIES, as the Ro­man Historians relate at large, it can­not be less deserving for Physicians, at all times, to redeem the Captiv'd from the Chains of Diseases, and loose them from those Bonds, which have been ever inveterate Oppressors of Humane Na­ture. [Page 2] I do not believe any Man so in­tentionally mischievous in Practice; and am unwilling to think any Man so negli­gent, as to pick Straws; or with Do­mitian, to catch Flies, when the Screecks of a Distressed calls to withhold the ready and prepared Hand, from cut­ting his Throat: No, it rather pro­ceeds from those various Hypotheses, and different Theorems Men make to themselves, in all Ages; and thereby erect too frequently the Structure on a Foundation of Blood, and the Sculls of Men, than any Proficiency in that Science, that has the Body of Man for its Ob­ject, in order to the Preservation of the same: For, certainly the Doctrines of so many Volumes of Ages are so in­sufficient from answering the Phaeno­mena of Nature, that they are rather Promoters of Quarels, and made the Philosophers die old in Controversie; than produce the least Peace or Ease to Nature, to tell us of Four Elements and those Principia quibus nihil est Prius; and at the same time to allow a Trans­mutation, viz. one Element to be chan­geable into another, is to allow of one [Page 3] only Element; which if it may be yet changed into something else, it is not before; it is not then certainly a Prin­cipium, the Mutability arguing some other Original besides it self. Principles by the known Rules of the Schools, are not to be multiplied; nor can they, since they must be found abroad, and existing otherwhere than in the Brains of fanciful Men: Why, without tor­turing of our Brains, may we not take one for all? Why not with Thales Mi­lesius, may we not as well think Water the Cause and Fountain of all Things, because, even like the Soul of the World, it pervades the Universe, and pene­trates the most intimate Recesses of Na­ture? If you say 'tis too much a Fluid to constitute such concreted Bodies as we see, and the various Species that are in the World, you may know that the most refined Water is not without a Capacity of producing a solid Body and Concrescence; for you cannot distil it so long, but it shall shew you Sabulous and Topaceous Grains; which by the Rule of Addition, may make Mountains, or Rocks, or Gems, or any solid Body, [Page 4] you can imagine, to be compact, or sub­stantial in the vulgar Account. What may not be said of Fire next quick to Lightning? What stupendious and ama­zing Effects does it produce, making a crass Body, as Gold, and other solid Mettals fluid. And then again, a Fluid by its Power on many Objects become compact, and firm, and solid to a Re­sistance of the Touch; to Insects, it re­news Life, and restores Nature; and a thousand Advantages it brings to the Being of Things, which are not very easily intelligible. Wherefore, Plato al­lows it a Pyranide Form always aspi­ring to the Gods from whence it came. And Cicero will have the Soul Light like Fire, that it may ascend to Hea­ven; yet, glorious as it is, and how wonderful soever it is in its Operations; yet we know for certain, there is no such stated Species in the World: It is a Creature of every Day and Moment, and nothing more than a Confluence of Minute Parts put into a quick and nim­ble Motion. The many Objections a­gainst the other remaining Elements, are as irresistible as Sence and Demon­stration [Page 5] can make them: And no less material are the Scruples about the Four first Qualities and Temperaments ari­sing from them; which Qualities have, it seems, been substantial enough for the Galenists to erect their Quaternion of Humours, and by a successive Mistake impos'd upon the World their own Ha­bits, acting by such Notions only as might by Speculative Deductions arise there from. Hence it is, that your Specificks have had their Value, being look'd on as the only Adaequate to cope with those various Humours in the Bo­dy, which by reason of their several assign'd Appartments, have gotten di­stinct Appellations, when, in Truth, it is one and the same Thing presented in a different Figure and Change of Shape, occasion'd by the Shape of the Receptacle, in which it lies, or else the Figure of the Ducts through which it passes: Nor is it any wonder, that the Blood in the Large and Capillary Vessels should present it self under the Aspect of Purple or Red; and yet by Vertue of several Percolations become Flegm or Choler, or the like; when [Page 6] thereby the Figure of the Fibres thereof are changed, and consequently reflect a Colour far different from what it was before. I say, we need wonder at this no more, than in the Consecu­tive Colours of Leaves that run the se­veral Stages of Nature; or of Cloaths that have the Advantage of Art to make them what they are. 'Tis not without good Authority attested, that a blind Man with a Touch of his Fin­ger, could distinguish the Nicities of Colours, on the Superficies of any Bo­dy; and was abundantly recompensed in the Loss of his Retina, by the Excel­lency of another Sensory. We are sure, whatever may be thought of this Man, that in the Ant of Dying such Things are used as contract or dilate, without speaking of any other Division, and thereby making more or less room, or space between the Threads of the Cloath, must thereby cause a Smooth­ness or Roughness, and consequently af­ford more or less place to Shade and Light, as the Figure of the Thing ne­cessarily requires. And therefore, since Nature is one intire undivided Being, [Page 7] though on the account of Place, she ac­quires different Aspects; the Mangling of her in Speculation must be Butcher­ly in Practice, and very hazardous to the Being of Man. As for Instance, were I to prescribe according to those Rules a Phlegmagogue, I must consider the Passages to the Head are tedious, and the Burthen to be brought from thence heavy and difficult; in order whereunto I order Coloquintida, Scam­mony, or some other Elaterious Medi­cine, which I must be sure is stout e­nough to bring thence the Oppressor, against which the Complaint is made; and what, after all the Catalogue of those Things we call Phlegm-purgers, do we see but a violent Contortion of the Membranes, which by reason of their Twistings and Strainings, pour forth great Quantities of Serum, the better part of Life, the Viscous Phlegm still remaining behind, and may have this Motto infix'd on it, Vestigia nulla retrorsum. True it is, that in Head­aches that proceed from Plethora's, or any violent Impulse of the Blood through the Carotidae, where the Serum is not [Page 8] much changed, nor grown lentiscent, 'tis very usual to receive Benefit and Ease only by Depletion of the Vessels; which amounts to no more than the thrusting away the most necessary Force out of a besieged City; because, for­sooth, they make too much Noise, and disturb those who would die sleep­ing and unawares: For, as 'tis said before, the Serum being so precious a Part of Life leaves being purged forth all other Parts, to which it was a Ve­hicle immoveable and defenceless, and Funus Tacitum behind it: And by too sad Experience, 'tis known many, even after moderate Purgation, have not on­ly been left too obnoxious to the Cir­cumambient, but altogether uncapable of Cure for those Distempers they la­bour'd under, 'twere too great a Task for me to oppose my self against all the Sons of Art; That were for a single Person to wage War with the whole World but in the Name of Peace; would I know since that a Diarrhaea is in it self a Disease, and that very often irrefragable and fatal: How it comes to be a Remedy by Art, and where [Page 9] those Humours are to be found, which we pretend to bring forth of the Body by such Operations; the not considering this has slain his Thousands and Ten Thousands: And 'twere to be wish'd, the whole Tribe of Purgers, some few for the first Passages excepted, were by common Consent, either banish'd the World, or destin'd only to the Use of Brutes, which are less dear to Hea­ven, than Mankind is; nor does the Error terminate in the Hydragogues, and those other Boutefeus to the Body, but diffuses it self in the Alterants, and whole Course of Practice. That Di­seases are to be cured by Contraries, is neither true, nor intelligible, though the constant Maxim of almost all Ages, nay; though we should be content to take the immediate Cause for the Effect, 'tis not reconcilable to Reason or Ex­perience; for we are not only ignorant in the Ratio formalis of Diseases, but as much, if not more, in the Energetical Power of Medicines that are Relatives to them: For, as a good Author says, ‘We know not the Vertue of the smal­lest Herb that grows, nor the Rea­son [Page 10] of that which is a common Life among us; for Heat, and Cold, and Dryness, and Moisture, which are De­grees given to Herbs, as well as Tem­peraments of Bodies, are the ultimate Effects.’ And so far remote Qualities from the first Cause, as that we want Ariadnes Clew to lead us through the Meander, and to the Primary Causes, from whence those said Qualities do proceed; and for that Reason alone, and because of such an Indication as is per­ceptible only by Sense: For any Man to direct the Antidote contrary, and diametrically opposite in the first No­tion to that Quality represented, is not only the Way to run the Risque of Dis­reputation, with a Re infecta, as to the Cure, but very often the Hazard of the Patient's Well-being and Life.

And that this may yet more appear, let us argue it in a Case or two that are obvious, and illustrating this Point to the meanest and most ordinary Ca­pacity. And,

First, As to Manual Operations, a Phlegmon is a Tumour with Inflamma­tion, [Page 11] where, by reason of the great Plenty of Blood restrain'd, we perceive an unusual Heat, even like Burning; as when a Member is too near a Fire, the first Sign here of Indication is Heat, affecting the Sense; for, we cannot on­ly see the Inflammation, and angry Co­lour, but at the least Touch perceive an extravagant and most intense Heat, and, that before we consider any other Quality of the Tumour: Wherefore, according to the said Position in this Case, we ought to apply such Things as are directly opposite to this Inflam­mation; and those in an abstracted No­tion must be Coolers, and nothing else, and then the Energy of those Coolers must appear, either by repelling this Humour into the Vessels, that it may no more affect our Sences with the Quality, which we call Heat, in the aforesaid Part. Or,

Secondly, It must appear in digesting and extracting this included Matter, and so leave the Part ulcerous, which requires all the Intentions to heal and unite again, which yet answers not the [Page 12] Position, because the Digestion required for this Purpose increaseth the Heat to some Degrees, there remaining no o­ther possible Means besides evacuating this Humour by Evaporation, which cannot be done by cold Stupes and Baths, other then what we have men­tioned before, we must conclude, that reiterating this Tumour, is in answer to the first Indication. Now if I repel back, or reiterate into the Vessels this before stagnating Humour, I taint the Blood with Corruption, and entail a soft Destruction at least on the Patient; for, with the Blood it fares as with the Limbs, Pars vivens mortuae consortis im­patiens esse solet; there can be no A­greement, no intimate Mixture betwixt them: The wounded Deer shall not mix with the Herd, least it hazard the Destruction of the whole Body. There are Thousands now living, that owe their Cachexys to such a male Treat­ment and Practice; if they remove the present Evil, they bring in far worse Inhabitants than before: And like cruel Statesmen in a Commonwealth, multi­ply a grievous Burthen, and diffuse it [Page 13] as an equal Torture to all, which be­fore was very containable and support­able enough by any one Member or Person. 'Tis no less Art in a Physician to provide for a future Health, than to deliver from the Jaws of a present im­pending Death; nay, it is more desira­ble to die at once, than see Death and feel it every Day, and that for sore lin­gring Years together, Vivens vidensque perit, sets the House always in Mourn­ing, and brings that not over-lov'd Spe­ctacle, a Coffin, into their Sight many Years before the Grave: These Igno­ramus's, however they came to have the Liberty of Killing, have yet no Licence for Torture and Cruelty: 'Tis far be­yond their Commission thus to play the boundless Executioners, and Curst-like Indians, that poyson for Months and Years at their Pleasure: I say, most of the Cachexies owe themselves to this sort of Practice, which is a Possession like that of other Devils, to be cured by our Prayers, that they may enter into Swine only, and be hurried to their Exit by choaking.

[Page 14] The next Instance, concerning this Position of curing Diseases by their Contraries, shall be Physiological, viz. a praeternatural Heat of the Body, I mean such as is perceived by us in Fe­vers, &c. where it is usually attended by Vomitings, Diarrhaea's, great Drought, Inquietudes, and Soreness of Bones, and the like: Notwithstanding which dis­mal Concomitants, which have one and the same Cause and Parent, though more immediate with the Heat, and very often appear as soon and as mani­fest as the Heat it self; yet, because upon the Touch of the Flesh, we find some intense Warmness, and upon the Touch of the Pulse, we find the Stroaks nimbler and faster than before; we pre­sently conclude, the Blood enkindled, the House is on fire; and therefore, by all means, this Fire ought to be ex­tinguish'd, and put out by its contrary, a (Cooler) this Pathognommick of Heat has made so great an Impress on al­most all Men, that this far-fetch'd Ac­cident of Heat is admitted into all their Definitions of Fevers; 'tis a Calor ac­census, cries one; 'tis Calor praeternatu­ralis [Page 15] in corde, cries another; a Sanguis ebbulliens, says the third, and a Luctus internus, such an Effervency as is caused between Spirit of Wine and Aqua fortis, or between Vegetatives and Acids, which causes a Hissing, a Smoak and a Heat, the Chymist defines it to be. Now, for Mercy's sake, what Satisfaction can this be for an enquiring Man, when he finds a Definition made up of poor Accidents, and such too as are common and inci­dent to many other Causes; and not only to Diseases, but to the State of Health and Encrasie: For, certainly a Man that walks stoutly at any time, but the space of few Hours, shall be un­avoidably attended with many Symp­toms common to a Feverish Body, his Pulse shall be far more rapid, his Flesh extreamly hot, his Muscles much fa­tigued, and his Colour for the most part increased to the Degree of Beauty; and yet this Man is most improperly said to be in a Fever: No, not so much as a Diary-again-immersion in a Bath will frequently procure an extraordinary Heat, a rapid Pulse, mighty Flushings, not any ways unlike those Accidents [Page 16] we find in a Febricitant Man, in his Discumbiture; yet were this Person to be treated as a Febricitant, viz. with Bleeding and Blistering, and the like, as is the common Practice in Feverish Cases, his Life would be most misera­ble, since his Physician must attend him always as close as the Shadow does his Body, for the curing those supposed Devils, which the innocent Non-natu­rals inevitably bring upon him. Now if this Definition be so deficient and unaccountable, what must the Practice on this Definition be but pernicious, or else useless, either destroying the Body, or emptying the Purse; and so leaving him fuller of the Disease than before: On this Definition, the Indi­cation for the Pharmaceutick part re­quires such Things as refrigerate, and mitigate, and overcome this Heat which is thus enkindled and praeternatural, and so depraving the Actions of Life and Motion. The thorough Nature and Energy of those Things we call Cool­ers, we are ignorant of; and therefore, if after the Use of those Things we reck­on so the Patient survives, 'tis no Fault [Page 17] of the Doctor's. I say, poor Man, 'tis not his Fault if the Patient lives, for he, good Soul, with his Notion of Coolers, does as much as in him lies, to stop the Motion of the Blood, and that be­cause the immediate Origin of Life it self is nought. But Heat procured from Motion, this certainly is shooting at the Deer, and killing the Man; for let such an Arrow flie as this should be, he wants for a Cooler, you'd see it fledg'd with Death, as sure as the Sun shines at Noon-day: 'Tis a Mercy then he knows not a right Cooler; if he did, he would be mischievous as a Plague, and fatal as the Biting of a Serpent. I remember a remarkable Observation of Hildanus, of a robust, labouring-like Fellow, who, when a Town was a fire, employ'd himself amongst the rest, to quench the Rage, which was so vio­lent, that to the great Hazard of pe­rishing by the Flames did these Men venture; that were thus employ'd to prevent their being catch'd by the Flames, care was taken to plant Engines to that Advantage, as might spout Wa­ter on the Labourers, to cool their [Page 18] Cloaths and Flesh; this Person, of whom the Observation is made, being in an excessive Heat and Sweat, was from the Engines plyed with their Coolers to the Purpose; for, no sooner was this Person from his Labour, but went Home to Bed, and next Morning had through­out his Body a Gangreen and Cadave­rous Flesh; and all this from the cool­ing Water alone, chaining up the Blood in the Muscular Fibres, and hindring it from Circulation. This Observation is too notorious to omit any Evasion; and I bring it to shew every Man is a Sufferer in some like measure, that is under the Misfortune of such an Hypothesis; on­ly, perhaps, there is not always such an Occular Demonstration for it, nor so plain and manifest a Prophasis in every Circumstance, to prove the ap­parent Danger, and dolorous Conse­quence of such Means and Maxims: For, if we consider the Quickness of the Pulse in Fevers, together with Pains of of the Head, and Soreness in every Part of the Body, and all the Effects besides of a Febricitant Body, we find Stop-pages enough, and to too many with­out [Page 19] their Coolers, to make us fear great Danger, and always suspicious of the worst of Evils, even Death it self. As for the Celerity of the Pulse, that cer­tainly must be from some Straitness and Contraction of the Vessels, quoad Latera, by reason of some Heteroge­neous Body, from the fluid Blood, got into those Vessels, and by their Bulk forcing the Fluid into a narrower Chan­nel; as Dirt or Sand on the Banks of Rivers restrain the Current; or like the Rays of Light in a Burning-glass, which by more intimate Unition be­come mighty powerful and dextrous; as by the wonderful Effects we may easily discover this must be allowed, unless you'll grant some greater Quan­tity of Blood, full 'twice as much, suit­able to the Ryshmus of the Pulse in Fe­verish Bodies, as was before in the same Bodies when sane and uncorrupted, which no Physician can allow; for, upon Supposition that the Pores of the Body are then shut up, for which Cause the Miasmata's and Habitus of the Body are recoiled upon the Blood, and conse­quently augment it, and swell it as Rain [Page 20] does Rivers; though no manner of Sence can or must perswade us to be­lieve all this, yet considering the usually large and sensible Evacuations, as Diar­rhaea's, Vomitings, Sweats, &c. which in those Cases happen; those Evacua­tions we say are equivalent to the Hali­tus, detained by the Pores of the Bo­dy, being shut up; nay, they must be far superant (Maugre all the Observati­ons of the Staticks) and the imprison'd Halitus; and that for this Reason, be­cause there is no Universal Swelling, nor any sensible Action of the Bulk of the Body observ'd in any Fevers, ei­ther Acute or Cronick, except Malig­nants and Pestilential, which belong not to this Treatise, whatever may be pre­tended by some Eagle-ey'd Men to have observ'd in those Cases, or gather'd by Consequence, by the Soreness and Load that then seems to be upon the Muscles: Yet, be they pleased to consider that what is spent upon the Flesh, is lost in the Channel of Blood, like the Sea, what it gain in one place, it must lose in another, being not able to afford Spring-Tides in all places at one and [Page 21] the same Hour; Let their Pretensions be what they please, they cannot deny, but many Parts in the Increment grow flaggy and loose, and in Articulo Mortis a seeming loss of Substance appears, as the Sharpness of the Nose, the Hollow­ness of the Orbit of the Eye, do most wofully demonstrate: So if this be ob­serv'd, the Blood seems rather dimi­nished, and abundantly lessened, and is perverted into somewhat different from its former Mode and Figure, viz. of a Fluid, which requires Extension; 'tis become a thick, heavy Lump, com­pact and solid, which takes up and re­quires lesser room and space than be­fore. The true Aitiology of the Cele­rity of the Pulse is a Work for the greatest Philosophers; 'tis enough for me to consider, that as Death is nought, but the grand and ultimate Bar to Mo­tion; so must every Disease agree in the Genus, with Death it self, and differ only in Point of Time and De­gree, from the grand and ultimate Bar to Motion, even Death it self: And now I hope by this time, we know what their Coolers mean, and what in ab­stracted [Page 22] Notion, we must conclude of their Energy, even an Explotion from all Hypotheses, wherein the Life of Man is concern'd. Let the Philosophers take the Dispute to themselves, and be content innocently to bandy it in the Schools, where there is no Blood spilt, nor any thing else but Time: For, al­ready innumerable are the Errors and Evils that have been brought upon the World, by allowing the Principles of the Schools, in the Schools of Physick: The World, though five thousand Years old and more, had the pretence of Physick almost coeval with its self; yet has not shewn a true Foundation of it scarce more than fifty or sixty Years. The Builders which are the Chymists alone, have not squared to the Basis; but have bewildred us with their Prin­ciples and Divisions, as much as the Pe­ripateticks did before. But we shall now content our selves with the best Reasonings and Observation we can make on this present Treatise of a Con­sumption: Which is, [Page 23] Definition.—A wasting of the whole Body, by some sensible Evacuation from the Lungs.

A Feaver, and a great Ptyalismus; together with an Inveterate Cough, are the almost constant con commitants & propria quarti modi of this Distemper, and shall be considered in their due Places: Mean while we are to examine the Genus and Difference of this De­finition, in Opposition to the Descrip­tion other Men have given of it: 'Tis very rare to be found in any Author, without a heavy Charge and Complaint against the Lungs, as if those Parts, by reason of some Male Conformation, gave Rise to the present Malady: Whereas the Lungs in many Bodies Dissected on this Occasion, have been found innocent and free from that Ul­cer pretended to be generated there in Consumptive Bodies: Sometimes, in­deed, we may allow a Laceration of the Vesicles of those Parts, as in case of a direful Hemoptisis, it many times happens, which proceeds from an over Plethora of those Lodgments of the Blood;—but not always attending [Page 24] the present Case, is to be exploded from the Difference already given.

The wonderful Expectoration, and that for so long a Time, seems to in­dicate an over Distention of those Ves­sels, caused by somewhat very Trouble­some and Mischievous, till it be thrown off by frequent Coughings through the Ductus of the Trachea, whereby the Part is eased and relieved for a Time, by a Truce only, and not by Peace; for there is a continuum Generans left behind, which as soon as it is recruit­ed with a fresh Supply, renews the Assault, and ceases not till it be forced out by Trachea Ductus, as before.

By Expectoration alone, frequently more than the weight of the Body is expended; and this is not hard to be understood, when we consider Expecto­ration, and that very large is the Work of every Day for six or eight, some few Months more, or less, without Inter­mission or Abatement; yet are we not to understand thereby, as if the Lungs were the only Passives in this Case; for all the Parts suffer and waste alike, the Head and the Feet partake of the [Page 25] middle of the Body, and the Discrasie of the Blood, is the same in all, only by reason of some proportion of Fi­gure, it has to the Pores of the Air-Vessels, it follows the Course of its Fibres, and Lodges where it finds the most agreeable Rest, and Necessity.

'Tis a worthy Query, why a putrid Synochus, where the small Vessels are most affected, (the Lungs, where usu­ally the greatest Vessels are, remaining free) should kill in seven, fourteen, or one and twenty Days, and why in a Pthisis, the great Vessels as well as small, being affected, the Patient should sur­vive so many Months, as we usually find they do? To this we answer, That the continual Evacuation, through the Lungs, is the alone Cause of the Ta­bid's Duration, and Life.—For, be­cause, by this Expectoration, the Lungs are discharged from the Burden, they groaned under before: The Travelling Blood therefore, has now more room, and is less obnoxious to Entanglements, and Stoppages, then it would have been, had the Expectoration not been made, whereas in a putrid Synochus, [Page 26] the lesser Vessels, being affected, as those of the Head and Limbs, and the Lungs being free, as we observ'd before, Na­ture has no such Emunctuary in those Parts, through which, she can so cer­tainly, and easily, discharge enough for the Preservation of Life, and Continu­ance of the Motion of the Blood; But yet, if at any time, a Parotis, or other Critical Swelling arises, in a putrid Sy­nochus, 'tis great hope, the Bitterness of Death is past, and all Clouds for that time are blown over, and away.

As Expectoration only, is the Cause of Continuance of Life, in Tabid Bo­dies; so does it continually require, a new Expence of Blood, for the Perpe­tuity of the Work; even to the last Drop, that is capable of Motion. There cannot be supposed any intimate Mix­ture of Chyle and Blood, because the Blood throws off every thing, so soon after its being taken into the Body, ei­ther by a Diarrhaea, or Vomiting, or dreadful Sweatings, at Night, which ways exceed the Tant-a-mount, by some Degrees, of what we introsum'd, but a few Hours before; so that the Blood [Page 27] spends somewhat of its own Stock eve­ry Day, and lives upon the wasting Remainder; (some very little part of the Aliment excepted) 'till it be swal­low'd up in that Gulph of Flegm, that gives a Quietus, to its Motion, for ever­more. How far the Blood is corrupt­ed, or perverted, in this Case, will al­low different Reasonings, and fine Ar­guments, by reason of the various De­grees of Gluten, that is thrown off through the Aspera arteria, by Expecto­ration: Withal, we must allow, though the Course of a Phthisis be usually short of a Year, by some Months; yet, we must observe on t'other hand, that it will take off some Persons, some con­siderable Portion of Time, sooner than the usual Course, or Stage, of the Di­stemper, is by virtue of the first Im­petus of Corruption, or Degree of Vio­lence, it first seizes them withal.

And of an extraordinary Degree of Violence, in the Corruption of the Blood, in this Case, I have seen a most demonstrative Instance: A Man of Thir­ty Years of Age, and upwards, was through too much neglect of himself, [Page 28] seiz'd with so violent a Cold, that immediately, though of an Athletick Body, he became enervate; and withall, labour'd under all the Symptoms of a Tabid Body, to a Degree, beyond all the Observations, I ever yet could make of Consumptive Bodies, even when they were in the Jaws of Death; for, besides all the rest of the Maladies he under­went, in a high Measure, his Expecto­ration was extream, and so intolerably faetid, as no inveterate Ulcer could ex­ceed it, though near a Gangreen, and utmost Peril of Life: I need not con­clude, it was from any Ulcer so sudden­ly produc'd in the Lungs, but rather from a bare Perversion of the Blood, and other Humours of the Body; as we find in Cadaverous Flesh, when 'tis expos'd to some Tempers of Air, easily contracts an ungrateful Odour, which our Sensories cannot well undergo.—I scarce remember a more ungrateful Smell from a dead Body, and though I certainly know pestilential and malig­nant Distempers, (those Thunder-bolts to Nature, that cut Men off presently) cause the Blood to suffer in the highest [Page 29] Degree of Degeneracy; yet, scarce is the Author to be found, that relates more of a Faetor in those Cases, than this Example mentions to us.

What we were wont to call, the Re­crements of the Blood, (amongst which Flegm is reckoned) is here the Blood it self, in Substance and Quantity, un­der this Discrasie and Disaster; which, indeed, is in so great a measure per­verted and degenerated to such a De­gree, as far exceeds all your celebrated Receipts, and Practice that is ordinarily shown, in this Case, to make a Regress, to the Habit of the Body, from that almost Privation, the suffering part, to wit, the Blood undergoes, in this Per­plexity.

I would not be understood, as if this Case were incurable, but I mean, that this hardened Flegm cannot be commi­nuted by the highest List of Practice, that has now obtain'd amongst all the Pretenders, to the Cure of this Evil;—Not so comminuted, I say, as to re­mix with the more fluid part of the Blood, but is by them sent away, as a Pepasmus, pretending, by the same Ex­pectoration, [Page 30] to preserve that part of the Blood, that is yet capable of Moti­on and Life, from striking on the same Rocks and Shelves, the other parts had done before. Whereas by this Pepas­mus, they pretend we see nothing less, than perfect Life, exhausted and dimi­nished, the Weight of the Body, many times over-spent, and the last Drop ready, and necessitated to the same Corruption, and Expectoration as the first.

Of the Inefficacy of this Method, by way of Expectoration, is sufficiently e­vident, and we perswade our selves, that notwithstanding this Faetor, and those other direful Symptoms we speak of, we see no Impossibility at all, why this unhappy Man was not as capable of a Cure, as one that has a cutaneous Ul­cer, or has in any Limb contracted a Faetor, treatible by Manual Operation, and bare Surgeons Art.

The several Degrees of Corruptions, in the various Species of Things, is no less curious a Speculation, than the Ways of Preservation of Bodies, if not the same; for, without the one, we [Page 31] can but blindly, and fortuitously per­form the other, nor preserve the Body, on which we are concern'd, but at the greatest Uncertainty and Random.—'Tis the Work of many Tomes and Years, to consider the several Degrees of Corruption and Perfection, as they all deserve; and I wish, I may live to see it done, by the Hands of some few Men, who I'm sure will make Demon­stration of most of what they write, and satisfie the Knowing part of the World, that Democritus's Well is not bottomless to the industrious and sedu­lous Enquirer of Nature's Treasures;—of this we may be abundantly satisfied, that the Qualities we are now speaking of, are as comprehensive, as the Objects of that Sense can be, which they effect in their Genera's, and far more delight­ful in their Speculation, since we are assured, that the ultimate Corruption in some Species of Things, is as grate­ful and pleasing, as the most odoriferous Drug; while on the contrary, other Things in their Putrefaction are detesta­ble, to an utter Aversion and Abhor­rency, as most unpleasing and intolera­ble [Page 32] to our tender Sensory, and Na­ture.

The Fever that accompanies this Di­stemper, is called Hectical, ab [...] habi­tus, having enkindled the whole Mass of Blood, and other Juices of the Body, even all the Stamina's of Life and Na­ture:—But by the Learned's leave, this is obtruding upon the World verba pro farinis;—here's Authority instead of demonstrative Reason, and Bunches of Multitudes for revealed Truths: For, though I should grant and allow, a Fe­ver in this Case, yet I hope, they'll be pleas'd to let us know, what an Hectick is, and whether by any means, it may not be adapted to any other sort of Fever, to be called Hectical, more pro­perly, and Specifically, than to this: For, in this sort of a Fever, we call a Consumption, we find People for the most part Cold and Languid, and abun­dantly wanting the pleasing Comforts of Heat and Warmth; as we shall see by and by: Most true it is, while the extream parts suffer, under a Fit of Ex­horrency, the middle Region, like Fire in a reverberatory Furnace, can only [Page 33] reflect upon it self, to grow thereby the more intensely Hot, not being able by reason of its Clausure, to extend it self any way, either for its own Liberty, or Refreshment of other parts, that stand so much in need thereof; and by this Straitness, and this Imprisonment of the Blood, in the middle Region, they may apprehend some Cause for a Hectick, the Inflammation being so extream, and sensible in that part: Which, yet me­thinks, argues no more a Hectick, than a Phlegmon, or an Erysipelas, in any Member, or Part, could do; for, in both those Cases, there is almost an in­tolerable Inflammation, there is the Blood chain'd up, with a non ultra, ci­trave; and yet, he that should pretend to be such an Alpheist in Physick, as to call either of those Hectick, might be rightly concluded, to have an Inflam­mation in his Brain, great enough to amount to a Phrensie, and wants the Air, and Hellebore of the Anticyra's to cure him.

Besides, I look on Hectick, as im­porting somewhat Habitual, to be Uni­versal like the Soul, all in all, and all [Page 34] in every part, and not Topical, as is this our Instance, where the Blood be­ing pent in a strait part, is forc'd to de­fraud all other places of its benign Streams, and pleasing Reflections. But however, a Fever we allow it, and as such, it differs from a Synochus, not only in the Duration of time, but like­wise, because it has long Intermissions of Heat; and then again, it differs from intermitting Fevers, because it is whol­ly free from the Fit of Exhorrency; and besides, is not obliged to the strict Pa­roxisms of Heat, and Cold, and Sweat, at certain Hours, as the Intermitting es­sentially is.

Whether the Paroxisms of an Inter­mitting Fever depends on the Succus Nu­tritius, is not easily prov'd, nor credit­ed: But thus much is certain, in our Case;—Our Paroxisms of Heat, owe their Original, for the most part, to Things introsum'd, or other of the Non-naturals and Accidents, from with­out. 'Tis observable, that after eat­ing, though a small Pittance, which is as much as their poor Stomachs can dispence withal, the Blood seems trou­bled, [Page 35] and appears in Scarlet Flushings, and greater Quantities in the extream Parts, than at other times it usually does, no less is observ'd, in Drinking, or Motion, the least of which, is some Violence to Tabid Bodies; the drowsie Blood is awakened, and shows a mighty Muster, and a more seeming numerous Force, than in Sane Bodies is commonly to be found: Now this Heat, and those Flushings, which continue a considera­ble time, are very rarely followed by any such Sweats, as we see are the con­stant Concomitants, and eternal Pe­riods of intermittent Feavers, and Agues.

'Tis true, there are Sweats in Con­sumptive Bodies, more certain and con­stant, than any Paroxism again that be­longs to this deplorable Evil; but as we said before, those Sweats are no ways depending, nor by any means con­sequent to those Heats, or Flushings we spoke of just now, but due purely to Sleep and Discumbiture; for, in Sleep, the Pulse moves not only faster than in vigilant Bodies, and consequent­ly drives more Blood to the Habit of [Page 36] the Body; but the Weight and Warmth of the Stragulae press the Muscles ex­treamly, all which contributes to that Expression, we call Sweat, and this as constant and periodical as Night it self. After which Deluge of Sweat, (for 'tis in extream) the Body grows cold, and languid, and enervate, being so great a Sufferer, by the Loss of so much Strength and Spirit; so that the ex­tream Parts, seem to be left even Blood­less, till refresh'd by means of the Non-naturals, or the like, it begins the Dance of Heat and Fury, as we said before.

Those are the constant Scenes, and this the usual Prophasis, during the whole Stage of this grievous Malady: As to that part of it, which respects the Fever; which, indeed, by reason of its Expence, and mighty Profusion, were enough of it self, to cause a Phthisis, (though here it be only as a Concomi­tant, or somewhat Symptomatical,) as it frequently happens in long Quartane Agues; but yet, as if this were not e­nough to precipitate the Body to the Grave; beside this mighty Expence and [Page 37] Profusion, we have been talking of, there is frequently a Diarrhaea Colliqua­tiva, and sometimes a Lientery; where­in 'tis observable, that this Diarrhaea does not tread on the Heels, nor follow so close the Introsumption of Meats, and Drinks, and the like, as the Feverish Heat and Flushings, we have been just speaking of, certainly does, but has the Intermission of some Hours, sometimes four or five; the Time Dr. Glisson al­lows after Refection, for natural Stools, before it follows; yet, then the Mis­chief is, 'tis more than ordinary fluid, and loose, as if it were caused by Ela­terium, or some poysonous Purgation, inwardly taken.

This Diarrhaea disheartens more Phy­sicians, than all the other Symptoms, at­tending this Case, and makes them cry out with a Conclamatum est, all's in De­spair, and irrevocably lost and gone: Certain it is, the whole oeconomy is disturb'd thereby, especially, if we go the old Way of Reckoning, three Di­gestions, then we must conclude an Er­ror in the first Concoction cannot be corrected in the other two that follow; [Page 38] and therefore, the Blood is too much burthen'd with an ungrateful Load, it knows not how to dispose of, nor dis­charge; but suffers a Secession of Parts, which is ever pernicious, in the Conse­quence, to the suffering Creature, in its well-being of Life and Health;—per­nicious, and sometimes fatal it is, when it is a Disease of it self, without the Adjuncts of any other Discrasie; But when 'tis the Consequence of a greater Disease than it self, as in this Case it is, it carries an Ilias malorum with it, and portends the greatest Difficulty, if not Despair and Ruine; for it does not on­ly accompany those other expensive E­vacuations, we mentioned before, but through want of Appetite, the Body is denied the Recruits and Refreshments, which should supply the Place of the aforesaid Profusion; And no Wonder is it then, if those Rivers of Blood and Juices are at last dryed up, since the Sea upon the same Occasion, would be­come dry Land.

In a Word, a Diarrhaea is not only as mischievous in this Confederacy, but somewhat more unnatural than any of [Page 39] the rest; for here we have Water for Solid, we have Faintness instead of Ap­petite, we have a Deluge instead of the natural Flowings of Life and Well-be­ing: If you compare it with Expecto­ration and Sweating, you'll find it more unnatural; for by Expectoration, of what soever it be, we find the Re­crement much of the same Consistence and Texture; we observe that Sweat­ing is no more than Transpiration pre­cipitated, and the Fugitive Miasmata's being now collected, become obvious to Sence, as much as the Miasmata's of Transpiration were to reason before: But in this of a Diarrhaea, those Excre­ments that usually were solid and com­pact, are now thin and fluid as Water. Neither is the Frame of the Lungs such, nor the curious Texture of the Skin any way so made, as to comminute a thick Body into a Fluid; but on the contrary, their Frame is such, as to ela­borate those Recrements they receive from a Fluid, to a Consistence, before they send them forth by Excretion.

[Page 40] To those Sallies of Life, and almost constant Sluces of Tabid Bodies, we may add, as a Catastrophe, an Haemop­tysis, which though it happens usually not till the last Stages of this Distem­per, yet equals them all in a direful As­pect and Prognostick: In the other Pro­fusions, we mention'd even now, there are Recrements and elaborated Cor­ruption, but in this, downright Blood and Life, Strength, Nectar and Spirit alone; as if Nature, giving up all for lost, came forth unattended, and blush'd at the cruel Dealings of its offending and mortal Enemy. 'Tis then common­ly it appears, when all its Channels are cramm'd with Corruption, and it self forc'd (not without strong Palpitations) to take that Passage, Qua data porta.—Those are the Profusions of Life, and those, the usual Ways, by which Na­ture decays and flies away in Consump­tive Bodies, which we see are little in­ferior, to what we find in the most fa­tal and pestilential Distempers; for in the Enumeration of the Evils that at­tend the Pestilence, none seem more direful than Haemoptysis, and Haemor­rhages, [Page 41] strong Palpitations, and Syn­copes, which sometimes in this Case, may likewise be found, which if Na­ture alone, the Subject of Sense; viz. of Pains and Ease, were to be consult­ed, might pass for Mercy, since they take away Ex improviso, without the Warnings of Pains and Torture, while Tabid Bodies die by Peice-meals, and see themselves cut down alive, by the Cruelty of those Executioners.

Thus much of the Disease it self, to­gether with the Concomitants, and u­sual Adjuncts which we meet with in the Course of this Disaster: We will next consider the several Causes, both procatarctick and evident, from which this Malady may have its Origin, or Be­ginning:—But first, we may under­stand, that 'tis either Primary, without the Precedence of another Distemper, or else consequential to some Distemper that has produc'd it, and by its Tyran­ny so perverted the Blood, as to cause this Malady in the Body, we call a Con­sumption.

[Page 42] If we consider it as Primary, without the Precedence of another manifest Di­stemper, it proceeds from these follow­ing Causes:

First, From a natural Discrasie of the Blood it self, such as is ex traduce, or in the Elements of Generation from the Parents, and is what we call a natural Consumption:—And this is so appa­rent, that whole Families have been prostrated, and that to a certain Num­ber of Years, which was a non ultra, they could not by reason of the Infirmi­ties of their Constitution pass over, and leave behind them: And this without any evident Cause, as is required, to the Reducing of an Athletick Body, to the like Case and Misery.

A Person of a macilent, but laborious Constitution, was seiz'd without any evident Sign of Error in the Non-natu­rals (which usually are the Causes in o­ther Persons that labour under this Di­sease) with a horrid Haemoptysis, as affrighted all the Spectators and Friends that were about him, and continued by Periods for some Days in that bloody [Page 43] Condition, with loss of Appetite, &c. By the repeated Instances of some of his Companions, he address'd himself to an old Woman, who stops the bleeding, which was presently succeeded by a Hoarseness, and small Cough; for which he takes the Country Air, where he was delivered from those troublesome Com­panions; but returning again to Lon­don, he brought those troublesome Com­panions again with him, and relapsed to much the same Condition as before he went, bleeding excepted, he declined all further Means; for, that he too freshly remembred the lamented Exits of Three or Four of his near Relations, who from Athletick Bodies, were re­duc'd by an unhappy Constitution, even to Shadows of Humane Bodies, before they reach'd the Grave.

Indeed, this sort of Consumption, which is a traduce, is accountable to no­thing but a slender, and a very weak Contexture of the Blood, either posi­tively as to the Fibres, which being brittle and too terrene, after the ex­hausting of so many Years, not only diminish themselves, but become inso­ciable [Page 44] to all other Parts; or respective­ly in regard of the Mixture, are forc'd through length of Time, to forge that Contract, and Association irrecovera­bly, which before they had with other Parts, and to which they were united.

Secondly, This Distemper is produc'd from an evident adventitious Cause, and that usually by the Air, or Meats, or Drinks, or Passions of the Mind: That 'tis produc'd by the Air, is known and acknowledg'd by the most vulgar and meanest sort: The Frigus Susceptum is a Stranger in no Country, nor Nation un­der the Sun.—We live in a State of War not only among our selves, but even with the Elements; as if they (if any such be allowable) do with one ano­ther those very Things that incur our Senses, viz. Earth, Water and Air, al­lowing them only for variety of Beings, that make up a Part of the World, those very Things enjoy every one their re­spective Places only by Force and blind Necessity, and prey upon one another, as profess'd and irreconcilable Enemies; and on all other Things, as well as them­selves, [Page 45] taking Advantages of thrusting out, or pressing too hard all such Bodies as are within their Sphere.

Of the Elastick Power of the Air, such stupendious Things are related, as now the poor, unhappy Philosopher, of whom Cicero speaks, is more pittied than blam'd, for esteeming it a God;—for it like a Deity, can kill as well as make alive; witness the wonderful Ef­fects of the Pneumonick Engines, and Neighbourhood of great Warlike In­struments of Death; and like a mighty Empire, were it not poiz'd by its own Weight, there is nothing in the World, but it would precipitate to Death and Destruction, quick as Lightning, or the Thoughts of the most active Soul in the World: And, although the wise Architect has confin'd it, and said to it like the Sea; Thus far shalt thou go, and no further:—Yet such is the Exten­siveness and Strugling of its very Being and Essence (and the Essences of Things we know GOD will never destroy) that through the minutest, and (to all other Things) imperviable Passages it extends self, and rejoyces in the Expansion and [Page 46] Liberty it can procure, though to the Ruine of other Bodies: And since it lies in wait, like a slumbring Lion, to seize that Body, which, by reason of the Tenderness of its Texture and Weak­ness of Frame, must either shrink, or give way to its Springiness and Force; no wonder, if very oft the Blood of Hu­mane Bodies, that by reason of its Fluidi­ty, cannot be very compact and resist­ing, couch under the Load of a Force much greater than its own.

We have already said, the Air has its Aequilibrium, as a Circumambient of Bodies, and nothing else to keep it from destroying those Bodies to which it is a place; and therefore, if at any time, either side, or part of the Circumam­bient be pantherous and violent; as we find 'tis in the Case of Gun-powder, &c. we see all Bodies set in any Neighbour­ing Parallel, suffer thereby, and seem to complain of an unwonted Violence done unto them. And though, when the Cold does seize us, as often it will, when after great Agitation and Fatigue, the Body shall be expos'd, or by bare Sessi­on in an Evening-Air, or by putting [Page 47] off Cloaths, or by walking in malevo­lent Winds; of which Hippocrates speaks so Divinely: I say, in those and many other Cases, though in that instant we find no Alteration; yet shortly after, in a few Hours or Days, we may digi­tate the Cause, by complaining of Sore­ness and Thickness, and a thorough In­disposition of the whole Body, and by recalling our Thoughts, point out that unhappy Moment which first began the Dance and Torture we at present feel:—We find this so general, and to that de­gree, that the most Pancratick Bodies are not exempted, but frequently be­come the lamented Subjects of the Ty­ranny of this Circumambient, which we justly have made, and prov'd to be a Cause of this deplorable Evil.

Thirdly, Besides the Air, there is another of the Non-naturals, viz. Ali­ments, Meat and Drink, that's very fre­quently an evident and most manifest Cause of this Consumption: As 'tis said by the Philosophers, we are nourish'd by Things of like nature with our Con­sistence; so sure it is, we perish and die [Page 48] daily by what we are nourish'd.—There is no Person, but after a Refecti­on finds himself not only not so light­some as before, but withal, very much in heat (except cold Weather be the Hindrance) that seems to proceed from some Reluctancy and Contention that is within, some difficulty the Blood finds in receiving the gross Fibres of those Foods we usually eat. 'Tis the Obser­vation of some very learned Men, that all the World, before the Floud, abstain'd from the Flesh of Animals, dedicating it to a more noble Deity than what dwells in the Belly, and temperating themselves to a more delicious Variety of what the Earth, either of her self, or by being cultivated, did produce, out-liv'd the now Wonder of half De­cads of a Thousand Years, even to that time, when the Thred of Life not wounded nor cut, but quite worn by Age and Time, brought them to the Grave in a good old Age, and Peace.—This was the Golden Age, of which the Poets speak of no acute Distemper then like a Chain'd Shot, to cut a Man in two, no Chronick to torment him, [Page 49] his Body was the least of his Care, and Ease and Peace were inseparable Jewels of his Life, because he knew not how to destroy himself, and that Gluttony was a stranger to him.

Not only to the Quantity of Things introsum'd, but to the Quality, is im­putable a great part of those Miseries, we every-where find Humane Nature oppressed withal; there are your Dys­pepta serv'd up to the Table every Day, and Death garnish'd round in many dis­guises.—There are but few that can digest Blood, and not many more that can away with the inherent Crudities, that are inseparable from the Constitu­tion and Being of Multitudes of Things, we daily use.

I know not why Antipathy should be reckon'd an occult Quality, when a Per­son shall be sensible of the Vicinity of some disagreeable Body, though nothing shall appear to Sight, or trouble him: Doubtless, from some former Injury re­ceiv'd, either by himself or Parent, by this very thing which now by its diffu­sed Miasmata's alarms the Blood again, a dangerous and irreconcilable Enemy:—Seldom, [Page 50] indeed, is there any greater hurt done in this Case of Antipathy, than raising some Disorder and Disquietude in the Blood, which by this means is sufficiently forewarn'd of meddling with what it knows is averse to its Nature and Well-being; the Danger is then only when we either greedily take in such Things as are either crude of themselves, or by some present unhap­py Circumstance of our Bodies, be­comes so to us in that juncture of time only.

A young beautiful Virgin, the Child of most robust and hail Parents, feed­ing one Night on Pidgeons, somewhat too green, fell into a grievous Vomit­ing and Loosness, and soon after grew Tabid irretrievably, notwithstanding the best Application of Means could be procur'd for her.

A Man of a moderate Constitution, by eating heartily of Eels (though well prepared) greatly hazarded the Tone of his Blood, and with very great dif­ficulty was sav'd from an Atrophy caus'd thereby.

[Page 51] Those are Instances to be pittied and deplored, because those were but single Acts, not voluntary Habits of Gluttony and Luxury, and would have been a­voided, either by a Pre-experiment, or present Counsel of Abstinence there­from, while others, rich and luxurious, set no Boundaries to their Desires, but satiate with the present Dainties, are quick in the Pursuit, and daring in the Entertainment of other Novelties, they are altogether ignorant of.

'Tis in this Case, methinks, a great Advantage to be poor and needy, to eat the Bread with Care, and digest it with Labour; the Savoury Appetite is a greater Mark of the Deity's Favour, than the mighty Treasure of the luxu­rious Man; who like Tantalus is set in the midst of Viands, but cannot taste, he is beset with Delicacies, but for a Curse and Reproach, as no way belong­ing to him;—Nulla aconita bibuntur fictilibus, tunc illa time cum pocula sumis gemmata, &c. The Cottage fears no Poyson, the Earthen Pot is fill'd from the Fountain, whilst their Bowls of em­bost Gold carry Death with them; and [Page 52] every Draught is as much Poyson taken into the Body, in very deed.

This Crapula has destroyed more than Wars or Plague; and though the Mischiefs that arise from Edibles are very many; yet, what arise from Drinks are innumerably many more; they are like the Caterpillar and Locust, what the one spares the other devours, if they are let loose on the Subject of their Prey. Every one that has sub­jected himself thus miserably to a bound­less Luxury, endangers his Health as well as Reputation.

When this languishing Distemper, a Consumption, is consequential to some other Disease, it is to be duely consi­der'd accordingly, that we may strike at the Root of it, on which it grows. Sic quoniam variant Morbi variabimus artes.

Melancholy is often a Cause of this Distemper: For, a troubled Spirit, who can bear? Sad Thoughts gather toge­ther in anxious Troops, to afflict the Distressed; every Person being just as unhappy as Thoughts suggest: We find our blessed Saviour himself complain­ing [Page 53] of it: But be what will the Parent of it, Obstructions are the constant Concomitants, or Introductives of it, evident from Reason and Experience. It is observable, some very few Days before Consumptive Persons expire, their Coughing and Spitting ceases; for, the Blood then being extreamly lessened by several Profusions, hereto­fore mentioned, can now send no fur­ther Supply, for a Maintenance there­of; so soon after the immortal Soul takes a Departure from its corruptible Mansion.

A Person taking Cold, by lying on the Grass, soon after was seiz'd with a violent Coughing and Spitting, which continued for some Weeks; he had likewise expensive Sweats in his Sleep, together with Loss of Appetite, and a visible Wasting of his Flesh: He was treated as followeth;

℞ Sulphuris Antimonii, gr. v. Elect. [...] Sassaphras, ʒj. M. ut fiat Bolus uno vice Sumendus.

[Page 54] It gave him Three Vomits, and Two Stools.

The next Day he had about Eight Ounces of Blood taken from his Arm; and the Day following he began to take Pills Morning and Night, and a restorative Drink afterwards.

℞ Pulv. Piperis albi, ʒiij. Vitrioli Mar­tis, ʒ ss. Balsami Sulphuris anisati, ℈j. Laudani Liquidi, Cydoniat. gut. xl. Extract. Gentianae, q s. ut fiat massa pro Pil. Medietat. Magnitud. Dos. N^o iv. bis in die.

℞ Rad. Sarsaparillae ℥iij. Fol. hederae Terrestris Manip. N^o iij. coq. in Aquae fontis lbvj. ad Dimid. partis Consumptionem, dos. lb ss. omni mane & nocte post Pilulas.

He continued taking the Pills and Drink for the Space of Three Weeks, during which time he daily grew bet­ter: And was at last restored to his former Health.

[Page 55] A young Man was taken with an A­cute Consumption, by over-heating his Blood with too much Exercise, and ex­posing his Body soon after to the Air, by sleeping on a Bench: He was first taken with a Fever, afterwards with a violent Coughing and Spitting, which held him for some time, and daily en­creased upon him. He requiring my Assistance, I first advised him to part with about Ten Ounces of Blood; and at Night to take the following Sudori­sick Draught:

℞ Aq. Theriacalis, ℥iij. Syr. de Me­conio, ʒvj. M. hora somni Sumend.

The next Day he appeared to be somewhat better, and his Cough some­what palliated.

Repetatur haustus hac nocte sumendus.

After which, being apparently a­mended, I advised the following:

℞ Entis Veneris, ʒij. Extract. Centaur. minor. q. s. ut fiat massa pro Pil. N^o xij. Cap. iij. Omni mane & nocte.

[Page 56] ℞ Decoct. Amari sine Senna, lbj. add. Tartari Vitriolati, ℈ij. Dos. ℥iv. bis in die post Pilulas.

℞ Syrup. de Meconio papar. Errattie ana, ℥jss. Ol. Amygdal. dulc. ℥j. Sacchari penidiati, ʒij. Spr. Sulphuris p. Campan. q. s. ad Gratum Saporem M. Cochleatim Sumend. Ʋrgente tusse.

This Method was continued about a Fortnight, to his great Relief; about which time, being taken with a vio­lent Looseness, he took the following Clyster:

℞ Lactis Vacc. ℥xiv. Confect. Fraca­storii, ℥j. M. ut fiat enema tepid. in­jiciend. hora quarta Pameridiana.

℞ Confect. de Hyacinth. ℈ij. Terrae Ja­ponicae, croci Martis astring. cum, ℈ss. Theriac. Venet. q. s. ut fiat Bolus hora somni Sumendus.

[Page 57] ℞ Spr. Cinnamomi, ℥ss. Aquae Germ. Quercus, ℥jss. M. ut fiat haustus post bolum sumendus. Repetatur ene­ma Pomeridiana sequente injiciend. etiamq. Bolus & haustus hora somni sumend. Bibat pro potu ordinar. De­coct. Alb. sequent.

℞ Decoct. Alb. lbiij. Spr. Cinnamomi. ℥iv. Syr. è Succo Cydoniorum, ℥iij. M. ad usum dictum.

℞ Croci Martis astring. ʒij. Balsami Peru. ʒss. Conservae fructi Cynosbati q. s. ut fiat massa pro pil. N^o xviij. capiat, iijs. ter in die horis medi­cinalibus.

℞ Cortic. Granat. confract. ℥j. flor. Balaust. ʒj. rosar. rubrar. M. j. Ci­namomi acuti contus. ℥j. coquantur simul in Aquae fontis, q. s. ad lbij. co­laturae ad Syr. de Rosis siccis Myrtin. ana, ℥jss. Spr. Cinnamomi, ℥iiij. M. & capiat, ℥iiij. ter in die post pi­lulas.

[Page 58] ℞ Laudani Liquidi Cydoniati ʒij. ca­piat gutt. viij. nocte maneq. in haust. potus ordinarij.

By this Method, his Loosness was ta­ken away in some few Days. I then Advised the following:

℞ Salis Martis, ℈iiij. Aquae Rosarum dam. lb ss. M. dos. Cochlear. j. omni mane in haust. fortis decoctionis Cen­taurij minoris.

℞ Laudani Lond. ℈j. Balsami Peru. ʒ ss. Balsami Sulphuris anisat. ℈ij. pulr. cubeb. piperis long. ana, ʒj. extract. Gentianae, q. s. ut fiat massa pro pil. N^o lx. capiat, iv ^o. qua (que) nocte.

I also advised him to the Country Air. Accordingly he went, and in some Time after, return'd to Town in perfect Health. About Eight Years since, a Gentleman, living at Peter­borough, in Northamptonshire, from Me­lancholly and great Anxiety of Spirit, had brought on himself a Consumption; some few Things he had taken in Lon­don, [Page 59] by the Advice of a Physician, but daily grew worse and worse. I meet­ing with him here, advised him to go into Northamptonshire (which if I mi­stake not) was his Native Place, assuring him, that Medicines would have much better Effect on him there, then in Lon­don; a Place, which when well, he did confess, did never agree with him: Having at that Time my self a Dwelling-house within Sixteen Miles of him. He desired me to take Care of him; accor­dingly he went into the Country, where I soon visited him: He had a most violent Cough, especially in the Night time, and spit great Quantities of pu­rulent viscous Phlegm; and when ever he slept or slumbred, he fell into faint and expensive Sweats, was for the most part Cold and Languid in the extream Parts, as Hands and Feet, a Pain in his Side; was much wasted, and had a Hippocratick Face. I begun with him, as followeth:

℞ Pulr. Corticis Winteraui cubebar. piperis longi ana, ʒj. Salis Martis ʒ ss. Balsami Sulphuris anisat, ℈ij. Lau­dani [Page 60] Liquidi Cydoniat. guit. xl. extr. Gentianae, q. s. ut fiat Massa pro Pi­lulis Medietatis magnitudinis Capi­at, iv. bis in die.

After taking of which he was some­what better.

Repet. Pil. Specific. sine sale Martis su­mend. ut antea.

℞ Limatur. Martis crudi, ℥iv. Caryo­phillorum, Macis, Zinziberis incis. ana, ʒj. Radic. Gentianae incis. ʒiij. Vini albi, lbij. Macer. in Balneo Ma­ria spatio Septimanae saepe agitando, post residentiam filtra ad usum. Dos. Cochlear. vj. Nocte Mane (que) post Pilulas.

The Pills and Steel-Wine he conti­nued taking for a Month, or Five Weeks, and was recover'd thereby to a great Degree; but presently return­ing to London again, his former Symp­toms encreased daily, which soon obli­ged him to leave the Town, in hopes the Country Air alone might relieve him: As I remember Norfolk was the [Page 61] Place, where he staid about a Month; and in his return to Peterborough, call'd upon me, at my House in Wisbich, in a very weak and bad Condition; he a­gain implored my Assistance, I endea­voured to do him all the Service I could, by the frequent Administration of Spices, Chalybeates, Opiates, Sar­saparilla Drinks, Milk-waters, &c. as I saw occasion; but not finding any thing to avail, I declared my Opinion of his Case, to be incurable: He after­wards confulted the ingenious Dr. Den­ham, the younger, of Stamford, in Lin­colnshire, who remarking the extream weak Condition he was in, advised him to lay aside all Medicinal Compositions, and betake himself to the drinking of the German Spaw-water; but growing weaker and weaker, he left off the Use of the Spaw-water, and drunk Asses Milk to his dying Day, which was soon after.

This Gentleman, on whom this Ob­servation is made liv'd under this Di­stemper about Eleven Months, which was longer than I ever could observe any one to continue, where the Disease [Page 62] terminated in Death. I remember, that he told me, that he had been troubled with a Cough, and frequent Spitting of purulent Matter for several Years; but without any evident Decay, or Dimi­nution of his Strength or Flesh, or Loss of Appetite, except within the afore­said time; and, until that appears, I think, we cannot properly pronounce any Person to be in a Consumption.

A Country Farmer, near Wisbich, in the Isle of Ely, upon the going off of a Fe­ver, fell into a Cachexia, and soon af­terwards grew Tabid: I gave him some Pills composed of Spices, Balsam of Sulphur, Anisated, Ens Veneris, Liquid Laudanum, and Extract of Gentian, drinking a Decoction of Sarsaparilla, and Hedera Terrestris after them. Likewise, I ordered him a middling sort of Drink, to be brewed for him, with good store of Hedera Terrestris, to be put into the Copper with the Malt; and in a small time, he regain'd his former Health.

[Page 63] A poor Woman at Boston, in Lincoln­shire, by taking Cold, was seized with a great Pain in her Side, and Difficulty of Breathing, which was soon followed with a great Coughing, Spitting and Sweating at Night, in her Sleep; she was much alter'd in her Countenance, and evidently decay'd, and wasted eve­ry Day: She took much the same Pills as the other, drinking after them an Infusion of Semen Sinapi in Stale-beer, which soon took off her Pain in her Side, and much abated the other Symp­toms. Lastly, I gave her the following Electuary:

℞ Pulv. Herbae Rorismarini in Clibano siccat, ℥ss. Mellis Despumati, q. s. ut fiat Electuarium Capiat quan­tit. nucis Moschatae ter quaterve in die.

By which, her Coughing, Spitting, and Shortness of Breathing, was totally taken away.

[Page 64] A Husbandman near Dounham, about Ten Miles distant from Wisbich, in the Isle of Ely, from frequent taking Cold, at last grew Consumptive; he cough'd, and spit purulent Phlegm very much, especially in the Night time; had faint Sweats in his Sleep; complain'd also of a Stoppage at his Stomach, and Pain in his Side; he was much wasted when first I saw him. I advised the fol­lowing:

℞ Pulv. Piperis albi, ʒiij. Balsami Peru. ʒ ss. Laudani Liquid. gut. xl. Extract. Gentianae, q. s. ut fiat Massa pro Pilulis, N^o xxxvj. Capiat iv. quaq mane & nocte superbibendo Cochlear. vj. Vint Chalybeati cum A­romattie. parat.

Upon this he mended apace; for his ordinary Drink, he made use of a plain Decoction of Sarsaparilla, and Hedera Terrestris, without the Adjunct of any other Ingredient; and, in about Six Weeks time, he was restored to his former Health. For a Restorative Dyet, I advised him to a strong Broath, made [Page 65] of the Lean of a Leg of Pork, and sea­soned very high with a great Quanti­ty of Pepper, and moderately with Salt.

A near Neighbour of mine, now li­ving, about Ten Years ago, was far gone in a Consumption, he was cured by a strong Decoction of Spices, Cortex Peru intermixt with Chalybeates, and Opiates.

I could insert more of the like Na­ture, and cured much after the same Manner; but, for Brevity sake, I shall omit them.

We shall next insert a Materia Me­dica, from which an experienc'd Person may form such Compositions, as are suitable to the Cause, Symptoms, and Constitution of his Patient, viz.

Radix Jalapae, vel Mechocannae nigrae, Rhabarbari, allii, Sarsaparillae, Chinae, Enulae Campanae, symphyti, eringii, Capparum, ari, Raphani sylvestris, Gentianae, Zinziberis.

[Page 66] Folia Satureiae, Cardui benedicti, Cen­taurii Minoris, absinthii vulgaris, Thymi, Majoranae, Salviae, anthos, Hyssopi, Tussila­ginis, Capillorum Veneris, Hederae Ter­restris Pulegii.

Cortex Peru; Tamarisci. Balsam. Peru, Crocus Britanicus, limaces, Icthiocolla, Vi­perae, Ambragisea, Terra Japonica, Aloes, Succotrina, capita papaverum alborum. Pi­per nigrum, Macis, Mars crud. Flores Ro­sarum Rubrarum. Balaustiarum, Semina Anisi, cannabis, recentis, sinapi. Aquae Minerales, vinum Scillitticum, Oxymel Scillitticum, Pil. de Cynoglossa, Laudanum Londinensis, Elixar Proprietatis, Balsa­mum Sulphuris Anisatum Tinctura Bal­sami Sulphuris Anisati, Spiritus Sanguinis Humani, Sulphur Antimonii auratum, Sal Martis ens Veneris, Sal Nitri, Tartarum Vitriolatum, &c.

But, before we take our leave of this Treatise, we cannot omit taking Notice of a general Error among many People, as to the Duration of a Pthisis, or Consumption, which they alledge often to be of many Years continu­ance; and are not wanting, in relating [Page 67] Instances and Examples of that Kind: But, as we said before, the usual Stage of it is (for the most part) short of a Year, but never beyond, as ever we could observe on many Instances, but what terminated within that time, ei­ther in a State of Health or Mortality; for, though some People may cough and spit a Quantity of Flegm for seve­ral Years together, yet, while their A­petite remains reasonably good, their Digestion laudable, and are free from any of the other Profusions and Ex­pences of Nature, incident to this Case, without any sensible Decay of the Bo­dy, as to Bulk or Strength, they can in no wise be properly said to be in a Consumption, although inclinable there­to, and on the least Occasion may slide into a Confirmation of it.

In a Word, Consumptions are to be cured (where the Party is not too far gone) by Measures far different to those of the Ancients, by a Method absolute­ly free from all nauseous Sweets, which clogs and vitiates the Stomach, and destroys the Appetite; and more fa­tal Coolers, which create Stoppages [Page 68] in the Blood, and cause it to suffer in the highest Degree of Degeneracy and Cor­ruption. Brisk, active, attenuating Me­dicines, being the only Adequates, to cope with this Distemper; and shall often (contrary to all reasonable Ex­pectation) effect a Cure.