were asleepe because the substance of their braine is too thicke and the spirits laboured therein too grosse these are no fit men for the vndergoing of weightie affaires neither apt to conceiue of profound mysteries a bed and a pot full of pottage is fitted for them Whereunto the sanguine complexion is inclined The sanguine persons are borne for to be sociable and louers of companie they are as it were alwaies in loue they loue to laugh and bee pleasant this is the best complexion for health and long life because that it hath the two maine pillars of life which are naturall heate and moysture in greatest measure and yet such folke are not the fittest for great exployts nor yet for high and hard attempts because they bee impatient and cannot belong in doing about one thing being for the most part drawne away either by their sences or els by their delights whereto they are naturally addicted Cholerike persons being hote and drie haue a quicke vnderstanding The properties of a cholerike persons abounding with many sleight inuentions for they seldome sound any deepe and hidden secrets it fitteth not their fist to graple with such businesses as require continuance of time and paines of the bodies they cannot be at leisure their bodies and spirits doe let them their spirits are soone spent by reason of their thinnesse and their weake bodies cannot indure much watching I will adde also that one thing which Aristotle mentioneth in his Ethickes as that they loue change of things and for this cause are not so fit for consultations of great importance The melancholike are accounted as most fit to vndertake maters of weightie charge and high attempt That melancholike persons are ingenious and wittie Aristotle in his Problemes sayth that the melancholike are most wittie and ingenious but we must looke that we vnderstand this place aright for there are many sorts of melancholie That there are three sorts of melancholie there is one that is altogether grosse and earthie cold and drie there is another that is hot and adust men call it atrabilis there is yet another which is mixed with some small quantitie of blood and yet not withstanding is more drie then moyst The first sort which is grosse and earthie maketh men altogether grosse and slacke in all their actions both of bodie and minde fearefull sluggish and without vnderstanding it is commonly called Asse-like melancholie the second sort being hote and burnt doth cause men to be outragious and vnfit to be imployed in any charge There is none then but that which is mixed with a certaine quantitie of blood that maketh men wittie and causeth them to excell others Why melancholike men are wittie The reasons hereof are very plaine the braine of such melancholike persons is neither too soft nor too hard and yet it is true that drynes doth beare the sway therein But Heraclitus oftentimes said that a drie light did make the wifest minde there are but small store of excrements in their braine their spirits are most pure and are not easilie wasted they are hardly drawne from their purpose and meaning their conceit is very deepe their memorie very fast their bodie strong to endure labour and when this humour groweth hot by the vapours of blood it causeth as it were as kinde of diuine rauishment commonly called Enthousiasma which stirreth men vp to plaie the Philosophers Poets and also to prophesie in such maner as that it may seeme to containe in it some diuine parts See here the effects of the foure complexions and how they may all foure be within the bounds of health It is not then of these sound melancholike persons that we speake in this treatise We will intreate onely of the sicke and such as are pained with the griefe which men call melancholie which I am now about to describe CHAP. IIII. The definition of Melancholie and all the differences of it DIseases commonly take their names either from the place which they seaze vpon or of some irkesome accident accompanying them Whence melancholie tooke his name or of the cause which causeth them Melancholie marcheth in his hinder-most ranke for this name was giuen it because it springeth of a melancholike humour Wee will define as other good authors doe a kinde of dotage without any serue hauing for his ordinarie companions feare and sadnes without any apparant occasion Dotage in this definition standeth for the Genus the Greekes call it more properlie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Delirium The diuerse sorts of dotage There are two sorts of dotage the one without a feuer the other with a feuer that which is ioyned with a feuer is either continuall and haunteth the sicke continually or else it taketh him at certaine times distinguisht by distance that which is continuall is properly called frensie and it commeth either through the inflammation of the muscles called Diaphragma and this is the cause why the auncient Greeke writers do call the said muscle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dotage which commenth by fit happeneth commonly in burning agues and in the stage or full strength of feuers tertains and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other sort of dotage is without a feauer and it is either accompanied with rage and furie and then it is called Mania or madnes or else with feare and sadnes and then it is caled melancholie Melancholie therefore is a dotage What dotage is not coupled with an ague but with feare and sadnes We call that dotage when some one of the principall faculties of the minde as imagination or reason is corrupted All melancholike persons haue their imagination troubled for that they deuise with themselues a thousand fantasticall inuentions and obiects which in deede are not at all they haue also verie oft their reason corrupted Why melancholie is not accompanied with a feuer Wherefore we cannot make any doubt whether melancholie be a dotage or no but it is ordinarylie without a feuer because the humour is drie and hath these two qualities coldenes and drynes which are altogether contrarie vnto putrefaction so that there cannot any putrisied vapour breath out of them no more then there doth out of meere ashes which might be conueyed to the heart there to kindle the fire and procure a feauer Feare and sadnes are vnseperable companions of this miserable griefe for some reasons which I will set downe in the chapter following Beholde here the description of melancholie as it is a symptome or accident which hath relation to some action hurt and hindered that is to say to the imagination and reason depraued and corrupted This accident is as it were an effect of some cause and dependeth immediatlie vpon a disease for as the shadow followeth the bodie euen so the symptome followeth and accompanieth the disease Melancholie is a similar disease All the Phisitions both Greekes and Arabians doe thike that the cause of this accident
is a similar disease that is to say a cold and drie distemperature of the braine The braine then is the part grieued and hurt How that in it the temperature of the braine is hurt but that not by reason of any misshapednes of the same either by any tumour against nature neither yet by any thing oppressing or obstructing his ventricles as it happeneth in the Apoplexie and falling sicknes but in his proper substance and temperature the temperature is corrupted it is become too drie and colde How it commeth to passe that melancholike men fall into the falling sicknes Hippocrates hath obserued the same in his Epidemikes and Aphorismes very excellently Such saith he as haue the falling sicknes become melancholike and such as are menlancholicke fall into the falling sicknes according as the menlancholike humour doth possesse the ventricles or the substance of the braine if this humour corrupt the temperature which he calleth the minde because that it seemeth that the most excellent powers of the minde doe execute their functions by the helpe of this temperature without doubt it will cause melancholie but if it shut vp it selfe in the ventricles and cauities of the braine it will cause the falling sicknes because the ventricles being stuffed and the spirit not being able to passe freely to the sinewes the braine draweth it selfe together thereby to enlarge his ventricles and in this retraction doth equallie and as much draw and pull his great tayle from whence all the sinewes doe arise as it selfe and thus thereupon ariseth an vniuersall conuulsion I take it that the definition of melancholie is made cleere and plaine enough by this little discourse Now let vs come to the differences and diuers sorts thereof The differences of melancholie There are three kindes of melancholie the one commeth of the onely and sole fault of the braine the other sympatheticallie proceedeth from the whole bodie when as the whole temperature and constitution of the bodie is melancholike the third ariseth from amongst the bowels but especially from the spleene liuer and the membrance called mesenterium The first is called simplie and absolutelie by the name of melancholie the latter is called the windie melancholie with an addition The first is the most tedious of all the rest it vexeth the patient continuallie affoording little or no breathing whiles vnto him that which riseth from amongst the bowels doth handle the grieued nothing so roughlie it hath his periods oftentimes making truce with the diseased The first hath many degrees of afflicting if it haue nothing in it extraordinarie it shall not alter his name but and if it fall out to affect the partie altogether with sauage conditions it shall be called Wolues melancholie if with raging and violent passion of loue Knights melancholie The flatuous or windie melancholie hath also his degrees for there is some sorts of it but easie and light and there are other some that are very fierce and violent And now intending to handle all these sorts in order I will begin with that which hath his seate in the braine CHAP. V. Of melancholie which hath his proper seate in the braine of all accidents which doe accompanie the same and the causes of feare sadnes watchings fearefull dreames and other Symptomes THat melancholie with commeth of the drie cold distemperature of the braine is ordinarilie accompanied with so manifold and tedious accidents that it should stirre vp euery one to be moued with pitie and compassion for the bodie is not onely cast into a traunce but the minde is yet a great deale more violently set on the racke The accidents happening to melancholike persons For here beholde all the tirannous excecutioners and tormentors of melancholie feare keepeth companie with it day by day and now and then assayleth the partie with such an astonishment as that he is made afraide and becommeth a terror vnto himselfe sadnes doth neuer forsake him suspition doth secretly gall him sighings watchings fearefull dreames silence solitarynes bashfulnes and the abhorring of the Sun are as it were vnseparable accidents of this miserable passion Here we haue ample occasion administred to enter into some Philosophicall discourses and for pleasure sake I minde to recreate my selfe in searching out all the causes of these accidents beginning with that of feare The greatest Phisitions are at controuersie from whence this feare in melancholike persons should come Why melancholike men are alwaies afraide Galen his reason Galen imputeth all vnto the colour which is blacke and thinketh that the spirits being made wilde and the substance of the braine as it were cloudie and darke all the obiects thereof appeare terrible and that the minde is in continuall darkenes And euen as wee see the night doth bring with it some maner of feare not onely to children but sometimes also to the most confident Auerrhoes mocketh Galen euen so melancholike persons hauing in their braine a continuall night are in vncessant feare Auerrhoes that had deeper insight in Philosophie then same for his skill in Phisicke and being the sworne enemie of Galen The colour of the humour is not the cause of feare The first reason laugheth to scorne this reason The colour saith he cannot be the cause of this feare because colours can alter nothing but the eyes being onely the obiect of the sight so that the minde can see nothing without the eyes But there is neuer an eye in the braine how then can it finde it selfe agrieued at the blacknes of the melancholike humour seeing that it cannot see it The second I adde for the more confirmation of Auerrhoes his argument that the blacknes of the colour is so farre from being any cause of this feare in melancholike persons as that it is rather that colour which they most loue as being enemies to Sun and light and following darkenes altogether seeking after shadowed places walking often in the night and that with greater boldnes then vpon the day The third Furthermore madnes is caused of an humour as blacke as that which causeth melancholie for the humour called blacke choler is altogether blacke and glistning like pitch and therefore can make blacke the spirits and braine as well as the other But we see it falleth out that mad men are nothing fearefull but rather bolde and furious not taking acknowledgement of any danger as appeareth in their headlong casting of themselues into the deuouring fire The fourth and vpon the murtherous knife Finally if blackenes should be the cause of such feare it should follow on the contrarie that whitenes should make them bolde but how is it then that such as abound with Phlegme are also commonly fearefull the colour therefore cannot be the cause of this feare But saith Auerrhoes Auerrhoes his opinion it must needes be that the cause hereof is the temperature of the melancholike humour which is colde and worketh effects contrarie vnto those of heate Heate maketh men
doe sufficiently witnesse the same Why they be suspicious The accident of suspition followeth the two former hard and close at the heeles the melancholike party is euermore suspicious if he see three or foure talking together he thinketh that it is of him The cause of such suspition riseth of the former feare and of a corrupt kinde of reasoning for being alwaies in feare he thinketh verely that one or other doeth lie in wait for him and that some doe purpose to slay him Melancholike men sayth Aristotle doe deceiue themselues commonly in matters which depend vpon choice for that they oftentimes forget the generall propositions wherein honestie consisteth and chuse rather to follow the motions of their foolish imaginations The cause of their restlesnes They are neuer at rest either in their bodies or in their spirits they can make no answere to such questions as are propounded them they oftentimes change from one kinde to another This disquieting and distracting of themselues ariseth of the diuersitie of matters which they propound and set before themselues for receiuing all maner of formes and stamping them with the print of dislike they are constrained oftentimes to change and to find out new things which being no more acceptable to them then the first doe still continue them in these restles distractions The cause of their sighing Melancholike folke are commonly giuen to sigh because the minde being possessed with great varietie and store of foolish apparitions doth not remember or suffer the partie to bee at leisure to breathe according to the necessitie of nature whereupon she is constrained at once to sup vp as much ayre as otherwise would serue for two or three times and this great draught of breath is called by the name of sighing which is as it were a reduplicating of the ordinary manner of breathing In this order it falleth out with louers and all those which are very busily occupied in some deepe contemplation Sillie fooles likewise which fall into a wonder at the sight of any beautifull and goodly picture are constrained to giue a great sight their will which is the efficient cause of breathing being altogether distracted and wholly possessed with the sight of the image Why they watch and can not sleepe There is yet another accident which is very tedious and euen consumeth these poore melancholike men euen continuall watchings I haue seene some that haue abode three whole moneths without sleepe The causes of sleepe Now the causes of such watchings are easie enough to vnderstand if wee know what it is which causeth vs to sleepe Men are giuen to obserue in sleepe the materiall formall finall and instrumentall cause The materiall is a pleasant vapour which is cast vp from the first and second concoction which whē it commeth to slacken and stop all the sinewes by his moysture it causeth all sence and motion for to cease The finall cause is the repayre of spirits and the rest of all the animall powers which hauing been wearied by continuall labour doe craue a little reliefe and recreation this end cannot be obtained if so bee the minde which setteth all the powers of the bodie on worke be not vouchsafed some maner of peaceable rest in this sort the sillie Dido all ouer whelmed with musing pensiuenes could not espie the approach of night to the shutting vp of her mournfull eyes or easing of her oppressed heart The formall cause of sleepe consisteth in the withdrawing of the spirits and naturall heate from the outward parts to the inward and from all the circumference vnto the center The instrumentall cause is the braine which must be of good temperature for if it be too hot as in frenticke folkes or drie as in old folkes the sleepe will neuer be with peace and quietnes The causes of all that watchfulnes which is in melancholike persons In melancholike persons the materiall is wanting the minde is not at rest the braine is distempered the matter is a melancholike humour drie as ashes from whence cannot arise any pleasant and delightsome vapour the braine is distempered and greatly ouerdried the minde is in continuall restlesnes for the feare that is in them doth continually set before them tedious grieuous things which so gnaw and pinch them as that they hinder them from sleeping But if at one time or other it fall out that they be ouertaken with a little slumber it is then but a troublesome sleepe accompanied with a thousand of false and fearefull apparitions and dreames so dreadfull as that it were better for them to be awake The causes of all these dreames are to bee referred to the propertie of the humour The causes of all their fearefull dreames for as the phlegmatike partre dreameth commonly of riuers of water and the cholerike of flaming fire so the melancholike person dreameth of nothing but dead men graues and all other such mournfull and vnpleasant things because he exerciseth his imaginations with formes altogether like vnto the humour which beareth sway in him vpon which occasion the memorie beginneth to stirre and rouse vp her selfe or else because that the spirits being growne as it were wilde and altogether blacke ranging the braine throughout and bending themselues to the eye doe set before the iamgination all manner of darke and obscure things The cause why they loue darknes Melancholike men are also enemies to the Sunne and shunne the light because that their spirits and humours are altogether contrary to the light The Sunne is bright and warme the melancholike humour is blacke and colde They desire solitarines because they vsing to bee busie and earnestly following their imagination doe feare to bee drawne away by others their presence and therefore doe auoide it but the cause of such their vncessant perseuerance in their imaginations is because their spirits are grosse and as it were immoueable They haue their eyes fixed and as it were set fast by reason of the cold and drines of the instrument they haue a hissing in their cares and oftentimes are troubled with swimmering or giddinesse Why they loue to be silent and as Galen obserueth they loue silence out of measure and oftentimen cannot speake not for any defect of the tongue but rather because of I cannot tell what maner of conceitednes finally they inuent continually some one or other strange imagination and haue in a maner all of them one speciall obiect from which they cannot be weined till time haue worne it out CHAP. VI. Whence it commeth that melancholike persons haue all of them their particular and altogether diuers obiects whereupon they dote THe imagination of melancholike men bringeth forth such diuersitie of effects according to the difference of the matters where about it is occupied as that a man shall searse finde fiue of sixe among then thousand which dote after one and the same maner Whereupon ancient writers haue compared this humour to wine for as wine according
bolde quicke of motion and headlong in all their actions colde on the contrarie maketh them fearefull leaden-heelde and not resoluing of any thing All such as are of a colde temperament become fearefull olde folkes ordinarilie are fearefull and so are gelded men also women are alwaies more timerous then men and to be briefe the qualities of the minde doe follow the temperament of the bodie The authors iudgement Loe here here the contrarie opinions of these two great and famous men I thinke they may be reconciled if wee would ioyne these two causes together that is the temperature of the humour as the chiefe and principall and the blacke colour of the Spirits as that which may much further and helpe forward the same The melancholike humour being colde doth not onely coole the braine but also the heart being the feare of this couragious facultie of the Soule which men call the instinct and pronenes of nature vnto anger and rebateth the flames therein hence creepeth out feare the same humour being blacke causeth the animall spirits which ought to be pure subtile cleere and lightsome it maketh them I say grosse darke and as it were all to be smoked But the spirits being the chiefe and principall instrument of the minde if they be blacke and ouercooled also doe trouble her most noble powers and principally the imagination presenting vnto it continually blacke formes and strange visions which may be seene with the eye notwithstanding that they be within This is a deepe reach which no man hitherto it may be hath attayned and it serueth infinitely for the defence of Galen That with our owne eyes we may see something within the same The eye doth not onely see that which is without but it seeth also that which is within howsoeuer it may iudge that same thing to be without Those which haue some small beginnings of a Cataract doe see many bodies flying like to Ants flyes and long haires the same also doe such as are readie to vomite Hippocrates and Galen place amongst the signes adn tokens of a criticall fluxe of blood these false apparitions as when one seeth red bodies hanging in the ayre which yet notwithstanding are not there because that then euery one should see them this is an inward vapour which offereth it selfe vnto the christalline humour in his naturall colour and so if it arise of blood it appeareth red if of choler yellow and wherefore then should not the vapours of the melancholike humour and of the spirits being blacke ordinarilie present themselues and appeare in their naturall colour vnto the eye and so vnto the imagination The melancholike partie may see that which is within his owne braine but vnder another forme because that the spirits and blacke vapours continually passe by the finewes vaines and arteries from the braine vnto the eye which causeth it to see many shadowes and vntrue apparitions in the aire whereupon from the eye the formes thereof are conueyed vnto the imagination which being continuallie serued with the same dish abideth continuallie in feare and terror That which maketh me to ioyne the blacke colour with the temperature is because the braine is very oft of colde distemperature and notwithstanding we finde not the partie troubled either with such feare nor yet such gastlie sights Fleagme is yet more colde then melancholie and notwithstanding it troubleth not the imagination because his whitenes hath some resemblance of the substance of the braine That the melancholike humour is altogether contrarie to our spirits and with the colour and cleerenes of the spirits but the melancholike humour is altogether opposite and enemie vnto the same Our spirits account colde and darkenes to be their enemies feeling the colde they drawn themselues in and as darkenes presseth on more and more so they flie blacke into their fort and castle forsake the vtter parts and procure vs to sleepe the melancholike humour hath both these properties it is colde and darke it ought not therefore to astonish vs if that we see it to molest the most noble and principall powers of the minde seeing it tainteth and brandeth with blackenes the principall instrument thereof which is the spirit which passing from the braine to the eye and from the eye to the braine backe againe is able to moue these blacke sights and to set them vncessantly before the minde Loe heere the first accident which haunteth melancholike persons they are alwaies full of feare for they feare euery thing euen that which is furthest off from feare they are hartlesse they honour their enemies and abuse their friends they conceiue of death as a terrible thing and notwithstanding which is strange they oftentimes desire it yea so eagerlie as that they will not let to destroy themselues but this falleth out then only when feare is turned into dispayre it is true in deede that this happeneth so oft vnto those whom melancholie simply assaileth as vnto those which are mad Mad men doe more oft kill themselues then melancholike perspons Wee haue very few examples of meere melancholike persons which haue slaine themselues but of mad men very many are found and those of great reputation Empedocles Agrigentinus became mad and cast himselfe headlong into the burning flames of the mountaine Aetna Examples Ariax the sonne of Telamon was out of his wits for that he was not thought worthie of Achilles armour but that it was adiudged vnto Vlisses Whereupon he passed ouer some part of his furie in killing all maner of cattell he met withall thinking he had slaine Vlisses and all his companions Cleomenes being likewise out of his wits slew himself with his own sword Orestes hauing slaine his mother Clytemnestra was so furiously outraged that if his deare friend Pylades had not carefully watched ouer him he had destroyed himselfe a hundred times It falleth out therefore more oft vnto mad then to melancholike men to kill themselues Why melancholike persons are sad The second accident which almost neuer leaueth melancholike persons is sadnes they weepe and know not wherefore I beleeue the distemperature of the humour is the cause thereof for as ioy and cheerefulnes proceede from heate and moysture well tempered so heauines and sadnes come from the two contrarie qualities which are found in this humour For the most part of men of sanguine complexion are cheerefull and merrie because they consist of a mixture of moysture and heate cholerike persons are way ward and vnpleasant because their heate is drie and hath as it were an edge set vpon it melancholike persons are sad and peruerse because they bee cold and drie Euen so it befell the sillie Bellerophon who as he is very artificially set out in Homer went wandring through the defart places continually mourning and lamenting And the Ephesian Philosopher named Heraclitus liued in continuall teares because sayth Theophrastus that he was possessed of melancholie and as his writings altogether confused and darkned with obscuritie
caused by some maner of disturbance happening to the same Some define this kinde of dreame to bee nothing else but that which hath passed the day before either through the sences or through the vnderstanding This kinde of dreame happeneth oftest for if wee haue seene or thought vpon or talked of any thing very earnestly in the day the night following the same thing will offer it selfe vnto vs. The fisherman sayth Theocritus dreameth commonly of fishes riuers and nets the souldier of alatums taking of nothing in the night but of their loues obiect Supernaturall dreames The last kinde of dreames exceede the course of nature the power of the sences and the reach of mans vnderstanding these dreames are either immediatly from God or from the Diuell those which come from God Diuine dreames doe oftentimes put vs in minde of that which must happen vnto vs and maketh vs partakers of reuelations containing in them great mysteries Such haue been in the old Testament of the drames of Abraham Iacob Ioseph Salomon Nabuchadnezzar Pharoah Daniel Mardoche and in the New Testament of holy Ioseph the three kings of the East and Saint Paul Dreames stirred vp the diuell The dreames called Diabolicall happen very oft of the subtiltie of Satan who goeth walking round about vs euery day and seeketh to intrap vs waking or sleeping Wherefore he setteth before vs oftentimes strange things and discouereth vnto vs hid and vnknowne secrecies in our sleepe euen such as nature her selfe may seeme to haue concealed he troubleth our imaginations with an infinit number of vaine illusions Loe here bee all the causes of dreames The imagination of melancholike men is troubled three wares We may say as much of melancholike persons Their imagination is troubled onely three waies by nature that is to say by the constitution of the bodie by the minde that is to say by some violent passion whereunto they had giuen themselues and by the intercourse or medling of euill angels which cause them oftentimes to foretell forge very strange things in their imaginatiōs CHAP. VII Histories of certaine melancholike persons which haue had strange imaginations I Haue largely enough described all the accidents which haunt those which are properly to be tearmed melancholike persons and haue searched out the causes of al these varities it behoueth me now in this chapter to the end I may somewhat delight the reader to set down some exāples of such as haue had the most fantasticall and foolish imaginations of all others Strange histories I will pick some out of the Greeke Arabian and Latine writers and I will adde some such as I haue seene with mine owne eyes Galen in his third booke of diseased parts maketh mention of three or foure very well worth the marking The first There was a melancholike man which tooke himselfe to bee a pitcher and prayed all that came to see him not to come neere vnto him least they should dash him in peeces The second Another imagined himsefe to be a cocke and did crow when her heard other cockes crow and bet his armes as the cockes doe clap their wings The third Another melancholike man was greatly perplexed in himselfe fearing that Atlas in the end would be wearie of bearing vp heauen and so might let it fall downe vpon him The fourth Aetius writeth of one which thought himselfe to haue no head and did speake it openly euery where that there was one which had cut it off for his tyrannous dealings This man was cured very cunningly by the skil of a Phisition named Philotimus For he caused a skull of yron waying very heauie to bee put vpon his head and he thereupon crying that his head did grieue him was by and by confirmed by all them that stood by which also cried then you haue a head which hee acknowledged by this meanes and so was freed from his false imagination The fift Trallianus writeth that he saw a woman which thought that she had swallowed a Serpent he healed her causing her to vomit and casting now and then a Serpent which hee had and held all readie in his hand into the basen The sixt I haue read that a young scholler being in his studie was taken with a strange imaginaton for he imagined that his nose was so great and so long as that he durst not stirre out of his place least he should dash it against something and the more he was dealt with and disswaded so much the more did he confirme himselfe in his opinion In the end a Phisition hauing taken a great peece of flesh and holding it in his hand secretly assured him that hee would heale him by and by and that he must needes take away this great nose and so vpon the suddaine pinching his nose a little and cutting the peece of flesh which he had he made him beleeue that his great nose was cut away The seuenth Arthemidorus the Grammarian hauing seene a Crocodile was taken with such a feare as that he forgot all that euer he had knowne and setled this opinion so deepely in himselfe namely that he had lost an arme and a legge as that he could neuer be perswaded the contrarie The eight There haue been seene very melancholike persons which did thinke themselues dead and would not eate any thing the Phisitions haue vsed this sleight to make them eate They caused some one or other seruant to lie neere vnto the sicke partie and hauing taught him to counterfeite himselfe dead yet not to forsake his meate but to eate and swallow it when it was put into his mouth and thus by this craftie deuise they perswaded the melancholike man that the dead did eate as well as those which are aliue The ninth There hath been seene not long since a melancholike man which affirmed himselfe the most wretched and miserable in all the world because he was nothing The tenth There was also of late a great Lord which thought himselfe to be glasse and had not his imagination troubled otherwise then in this one onely thing for he could speake meruailouslie well of any other thing he vsed commonly to sit and tooke great delight that his friends should come and see him but so as that he would desire them that they would not come neere vnto him The eleuenth There is yet an honest man and one of the best French Poets that is in this Realme which is fallen within these few yeares into a foolish conceite Being coursed with a continuall feauer which was accompanied with much watching the Phisitions appoynted for him a stupefactiue oyntment called Populeon and therewith rubbed his nose forehead and temples since which houre he hath Populeon in such hatefull loathsomenes as that euer since he casteth them from him and will weare them no more in other points hee is able to talke very sensiblie and ceaseth not to goe forward in his Poetrie It hath been
least the blood beginning to waxe hot should rouse vp the flesh and thereby renew the olde fire Take away idlenesse take away bellie cheere and quaffing of strong drinkes and without doubt lecherie will fall starke lame The Poets faigne that Ladie Lecherie could neuer insnare notwithstanding all her wiles and subtile inchauntments these three Goddesses Pallas Diana and Vesta Pallas painteth out vnto vs the state of warriours Diana of hunters and Vesta of such as are giuen to fasting and austerenes of life If all these plots and an infinite number moe set downe by Nigidius Samocrates and Ouid in their bookes of the remedies of loue proue nothing worth and that the bodie bee fallen into such extremitie as that it compelleth the minde to follow the temperature thereof then must wee hindle these amorous persons in such maner The same course of Phisicke is to be taken with these amorous ones and after which is appointed for the melancholike and after the same order which I haue appoynted for the melancholike in the chapter going before and almost with the very same remedies wee must purge at sundrie times and with gentle medicines the humour which hath grauen such a drie distemperature in the braine we must moysten him by vniuersall bathes and by particularly applying of remedies vnto particular places by an order of diet that is very moyst you shall feede him with broths with Almond-milke with mundified barley made into a creanie with the broth and milke of a kid If watching doe oppresse him then you shall make your choise out of such medicines as I haue set downe against it You must also sometimes cheere vp the heart and the spirits with some cordiall Opiate Diuelish and forbidden meanes There are certaine remedies which the old writers haue set downe for the cuting of this raging loue but they are diuelish and Christians ought not to vse them They cause the partie to drinke of the blood of him or her which is the object of the mischiefe and doe warrant that the parties griefe shall incontinently dye and decay The historie of Faustina very strange to consider I haue read in Iulius Capitolinus that Faustina the wife of Marcus Aurelius confessing her griefe caused to be assembled all the Chaldeans Magicians and Philosophers of the countrie to haue a speedie and certaine remedie for this her maladie they in the end gaue counsaile to cause the teacher of defence secretly to bee slaine and to cause his wife to drinke of his blood and the same night himselfe to lye with her This thing was accordingly put in practise and Faustina her fire was quenched but so as that of this fierie coniunction was ingēdred Antoninus Commodus which was one of the most bloodie and cruell Emperours of Rome resembling rather the swash buckler than his father and which neuer stirred from amongst the companie of masters of defence See here how Satan vseth euery day his malicious crafts and as it were a sea of deceiuers and brasen faced fellowes which goe about abusing the world CHAP. XII Of the third kinde of melancholie called the windie or flatuous melancholie and of his differences THere is a third kinde of melancholie which is the sleightest and least dangerous of all the rest but the most difficult and hard to be throughly knowne for the greatest Phisitions doe make doubt of his essence causes and particular seate of residence it is commonly called Hypochondriake or flatuouse Why it is called the Hypochondriake or windie melancholie Diocles his opinion because it hath his seate vniuersally in the region of the bodie called Hypochondria it is called the windie or flatuouse malancholie because it is alwaies accompanied with windines Diocles supposed it to be an inflammation of Pylorus which is the nether mouth of the ventricle because the partie affected doth feele himselfe greatly oppressed in that place as also greatlie pained and swelled in the stomacke enduring a vehement heate and as it were a burning fire throughout his bellie and much windines which breaketh vpward with a waterishnes which ordinarilie runneth out of the mouth as if it were some humour flowing from the braine Galen his opinion Galen in his third booke of diseased parts seemeth to approue this opinion neuerthelesse it hath been confuted and reproued by all the later Phisitions for that if it were an inflammation of the stomacke it would be accompanied with a continuall seuer and the disease would be sharpe or of a shott crisis but wee see the contrarie for the Hypochondriake melancholie is a diuturne disease not iudged but in longtime and seldome consorted with an ague Theophilus thinketh that it is an inflammation of the liuer Theophilus his opinion and of the entrals if he meane that it is a drie inflammation called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his opinion is the better to be liked of but if he vnderstand by inflammation the tumour called Phlegmon which is a swelling caused of blood against nature it may be condemued in him as well as in Galen for that euery Phlegmon of the liuer and guts is counted in the number of sharpe diseases The difinition of the Hypochondriake disease The most learned Phisitions of our time haue defined the Hypochondriake melancholike to be a drie and hote distemperature of Mesenterium the liuer and spleene caused by an obstruction comming of grosse humours which being heated doe breath abroad many vapours which cause al such accidents as we wil speake of in the next chapter This definition contayneth all the essence of the Hypochondriake melancholie in as much as it toucheth and teacheth the parts The parts affected in this disease The midriffe and the causes of the disease The partes where the Hypochondriake melancholie is begotten are the Mesenterium liuer and spleene the Mesenterium hath a large compasse for it contayneth a million of veines an infinite number of glandules and all that red substance which is called Pancreas This Mesenterium is as it were the mine of a million of diseases and especiallie of intermitting agues There may rest and grow hote the humour causing the Hypochondriake melancholie and that not alone in the veines thereof but oftentimes in the red substance called Pancreas which commeth very neere vnto the stomacke and lieth vpon the gut Duodenum or Pylorus and heereby may Diocles and Galen be excused which tooke the nether mouth of the stomacke for Pancreas by reason that these two parts doe touch one another The liuer The other part where the Hypochondriake breedeth is the liuer That the Spleene is for the most part the seate of this disease when it is much heated and draweth from the ventricle the meates therein halfe disgested or else burneth the humours very much and keepeth them in his owne veines but that part which procureth the Hypochondriake melancholie most of all is the spleene in as much as nature hath made it for the purging of the blood
of feculent and melancholike iuyce in such sort as that if it attract and draw not the same vnto it or cleanse it not to nourish it selfe withall or expell not that which is superfluous as in dutie it ought we neede not doubt but that this grosse iuyce casting it selfe into the next veines doth there take an vnnaturall heate and maketh a marueilous hurlie-burlie in the whole order of nature Thus you may heere beholde and learne the parts affected in Hypochondriake melancholie The cause of the Hypochondriake disease that is to say the Mesenterium the liuer and the spleene The cause of their disease is an obstruction for the veines of these parts are stuffed and filled of some kinde of humour This humour is sometime simple as onely a naturall melancholike humour or a humour adust and made of blacke choler or else a flegmatike and raw humour sometimes it is mingled of two or three together which falleth out a great deale more oft but alwaies it is required that this humour should growe into some excessiue heate for to cause the Hypochondriake disease to arise thereof If the matter be cholericke or adust it is quicklie and easilie set on a heate if it be colde by nature as is fleagme and melancholie the long continuance of it in that place and the breathing of it out being hindred may cast it into a heate or else there neede no otherthing but a little leauen which will be supplied by a small portion of choler adust to leauen the whole lumpe and set it in a heate this heate hath been called of olde writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in such maner as that we may define the Hypochondriake disease to be a drie inflammation of the veines of Mesenterium The diuerse sorts of this disease senterium the liuer and spleene rising of the suppressing of some grosse humours from this definition we shall gather all the different sorts of the Hypochondriake disease which are taken either from the part affected or from the matter or from the accidents thereof If we looke vnto the parts affected we shall finde three kindes of the Hypochondriake disease that is Hepatike Splenetike and Meseraicke The Hepaticke The Hepaticke is caused through the fault of the liuer which draweth by his excessiue heate ouer-great a quantitie of crudities from the stomacke and also it selfe ingendreth through the same distemperature ouer hote humours which it either retayneth in his owne veines which are in so great number as that no man can describe them or else distributeth them amongst all the braunches of the veine called Porta The Spleneticke commeth through defaulte in the Spleene The Splene-t cke when it cannot either attract disgest or expell the melancholike humour These defects happen when it is too great or too little or when being puffed vp with winde it cannot attract or retayne all the feculent and grosse part of the blood whereupon it must needes cast much of it out againe and all the bodie growe leane This is it which Hippocrates hath obserued very well in his Epidemikes when hee saith that they who haue a great Spleene become leane of their bodie and the Emperour Traianus was wont to compare the Spleene vnto the Exchequer for looke how the inriching of the Exchequer is the impouerishing and ruine of the people euen so the greatnes of the Spleene doth make a thin and leane bodie the smalnesse also of it comming through default of the framing facultie may be an occasion of this accident for being disabled thereby to attract or retaine all that melancholike humour which it ought it is constrained to cast it vp againe and to disperse it throughout all Messenterium There is a house of great nobilitie which is subiect vnto this Hypochondriake disease there haue been three or foure of them which haue died at the age of thirtie fiue and no other cause found of such vntimelie death but onely the littlenes of the spleene for it was so little and straite as that it could not doe his office The Mesenteriacke The last kinde of the Hypochondriake disease is that which is called the Meseraicke which is begotten either in Panchreas or in the veines and glandules of the Meseraicke membrane Hippocrates and many other Phisitions do acknowledge an Hypochondriake disease caused of the wombe or matrix after the suppression of the tearmes or some other matter it causeth the same accidents that the other and is oftentimes most fierce and furious because of merueilous sympathie which the matrix hath with all the rest of the parts of the bodie The second difference The second difference of the Hypochondriake disease is in respect of the matter there is one kinde which is made of that melancholie which is colde and naturall which keeping it selfe within the veines and being there pinched for lacke of roome groweth hote another is caused of an adust and burnt humour and the third of fleagme and other raw crudities mixed with some small quantitie of choler The last difference The last difference is taken from the accidents for there is some kinde of Hypochondriake disease that is sleight and easie and there is some other that is more churlish and violent There is some but young and in the beginning and there is other some which is come to his state and perfited CHAP. XIII The signes of Hypochondriake melancholie and the causes of all the accidents that accompanie it The accidents of the Hypochondriake disease complete and come to his perfection THe Hypochondriake disease being throughly growne and perfected is commonly coupled with an infinite number of grieuous accidents which by times holde the partie with such pangs as that they thinke to dye euery moment for besides the feare and sadnes they suffer as common accidents to all maner of melancholie they feele a burning in the places called Hypochondria they heare continually a noyse and rumbling sound throughout all their bellie they are beaten with winde on both sides they feele a heauines in their breast which causeth them to fetch their breath double and with a feeling of paine oftentimes they spit a cleere and thinne water they haue a swilling in their stomacke as though it did swimme all in water they feele an extraordinarie and violent kinde of mouing of the heart called the beating of the heart and on the side of the spleene there is something which biteth and beateth continually they haue some little cold sweats accompanied sometimes with a little sowning their face is oftentimes very red and there appeareth to them in maner of a flying fire or flame which passeth away their pulses doe change and become little and beating thicke they feele a wearisomnes and feeblenes all ouer their bodie and yet more specially in their legs the bellie is neuer loose in the end they grow leaner and leaner by little and little The particular causes of all these accidents The cause of heate All
these accidents depend vpon the generall cause which I haue set downe but wee must therewithall search and finde out the speciall The heate and burning which they feele on the spleene side on the liuer side and about Mesenterium commeth of the burning of this grosse humour whether it bee flegme or blacke choler which in this his heate comming as it were to boyle is puffed vp and sendeth his vapours into all the parts neere thereabout The noyse which they heare in euery part of their bellie The cause of windines commeth of the winde which doth runne to and fro in euery place and doth so much accompanie this melancholike disease as that for this cause old writers haue intituled it the windie melancholie wee will obserue in the begetting of this windines the materiall and efficient cause The materiall is a grosse blacke cholerike or flegmatike humour The materiall cause These two humours are almost alwaies mixt in this disease because that the liuer being ouerheated as it is ordinarily in Hypochondriake persons attracteth and snatcheth from the stomacke which is his very neere neighbour such meates as are no better then halfe concocted so that there is heaped together a world of crudities within the veines by such attraction of the liuer as also there is made a broode of hot and burnt humours by the distemperature of this noble part in such maner as that thereby is caused to bee continually in the veines some humours that are raw and not sufficiently concocted and other some that are ouer much concocted the crude and scarse disgested was attracted too speedily the ouer much concocted and burnt was begotten in the member it selfe The weakenes of naturall heate is the efficient cause of windines The efficient cause for in mouing and stirring of the matter it is not able to ouercome it throughly and although the agent or naturall heat should be strong enough yet not being like vnto the matter in proportion it may be called weake The cause of heauines The heauines which they feele in their breast commeth either of winde or grosse vapours which beare downe the muscle called Diaphragma the principal muscle of respitatiō or else they pitch themselues vpon the muscles running betwixt rib and rib or lastly within the coates of the ribs either inward or outward and hence come those great tormenting paines which rise vp to the shoulders and goe downe againe oftentimes vnto the armes by the continued proceeding of the membranes and sympathie of the muscles The cause of the water and swilling which they haue within them The water which melancholike persons doe ordinarily auoide at their mouth is one of the most infallible tokens of the Hypochondriake disease if wee will beleeue Diocles the cause thereof must be imputed vnto the coldnes of the stomack which filleth all full of crudities This coldnes commeth of the excessiue heate of the liuer which draweth the chylous matter out of the stomacke altogether vnprepared wasteth and consumeth all the fat of the stomacke and seedeth rauenously like a gulligut vpon the heate of all the parts neere about it I adde further that oftentimes while the humour is neere vnto boyling the crudest parts thereof are cast backe againe into the stomacke and cooleth it in such sort as that wee may obserue therein the two kindes of cold that is to say the priuatiue and the positiue as the Philosophers are wont to speake The cause of the beating of the heart The inordinate motion of the heart and all the arteries is caused of the vapour of this matter so stirred which setting vpon the heart with great force and seeking the ouerthrow thereof as commonly happeneth in euery conflict and fight causeth it to bestirre it selfe with a double diligence but so as that therein it looseth oftentimes his iust and well proportioned stroke and thereby the pulses also faile sometimes in that iust measure and time which they ought to keepe The causes of the rednes and flushes appearing in their face The cause of their colde sweates The rednes which appeareth in the face the vniuersall beatings ouer all the bodie and the tickling stingings which they feele in euery place as it were little Pissemires ariseth either of a sharpe and subtile winde or else of vapours sent from the lower parts Colde sweates happen when the vapours rising from the places called Hypochondria as from a fournace doe pitch themselues vpon the skin which is a great deale more colde and therefore doth congeale and turne them into a thicker substance The cause of their lassitude The lassitude or wearisome feeblenes which they feele in all their parts commeth partlie of vapours which running amongst the emptie spaces of the muscles and mingling themselues with the substance of the sinewes doe make them more loose and lanke and make as it were a sencelesnes and partlie of crudities and waterish parts which are in the blood The cause of their leanenes Leanenes happeneth because there is defect and want of sufficient store of good and laudable blood The bellie is hard and giuen to costiuenes by reason of the excessiue heate of the liuer which wasteth all the moisture of the excrements CHAP. XIIII Very worthie and not able histories of two persons grieued with the Hypochondriake disease THere are found sometimes diseases so straunge in their kinde as that euen the best able and most sufficient Phisitions know not what to iudge of them I haue feene two Hypochondriake persons so raging mad as that the former ages neuer saw the like and it may be the ages to come shall not see such other two of a long time The first historie There was at Mompelier an honest Citizen of a melancholike disposition and by constitution most subiect to blacke choler who hauing been grieued by the space of two or three yeares with a milder and lighter kinde of windie melancholie suffered the disease to growe so farre as that at length he saw himselfe brought to this extremitie He felt twise or thrise euery day a light kinde of mouing all ouer his bellie but chiefely on the side whereupon the spleene lieth there was also so great a noyse made in his bellie as that not onely the sicke partie but also all those that stoode by heard the same This rumbling would last about halfe a quarter of an houre and afterward vpon the suddaine a vapour or winde seazing vpon the midriffe and the breast did lye so wonderfullie heauie vpon him and so accompanied with a drie cough as that all men would haue thought him to haue beene short breathed This accident being somewhat lesned all the rest of the bodie was in such sorte shaken that you would haue iudged it like vnto a ship tossed with a most raging storme he heaued and set and his two armes were seene to moue as if they had indured some conuulsion In the end these windes hauing coursed through his whole body
of the conserue of the flowers of Borage of Roses and a Balme of each two ounces of the confection of Alkermes and of the Iacinth of each two drammes of the powder of precious stones and of Mirth of each halfe a dramme make thereof a solide Epitheme in forme of a cataplasme with the water of Balme or of the flowers of Oranges and this you shall spread vpon a peece of scarlet Oyles and apply it to the heart Take the oyle of lesamin and of Costus one ounce of Amber grise three graines chafe therewith the region of the heart or else prouide you some naturall Balme An oyntment Take of the flowers of Camomile Rosemarie and Orange tree of each two drams of Ziloaloe of sweete Saunders of each one dram of the oyle of lesamin and naturall Balme of each one ounce of Amber and Muske sixe or seuen graines make hereof an oyntment with a little white waxe and annoynt therewith the region of the heart Bags Take of the leaues of Balme of the flowers of Borage and Buglosse of each halfe a handfull of the rindes and seede of Citrons two drams of the seede of Balme Basill and Cloues of each a dram of the powder of Pearle Emerauld and lacynth of each halfe a dram of the bone of a Harts heart one dram of red and yellow Saunders one dram of good Amber foure or fiue graines pound them all and make a stomacher of red taffata well quilted and weare it ordinarily vpon the hart Thus much concerning the proper remedies as well inward as outward for the strengthening of the heart and taking away of such weaknes as commonly happeneth to them that haue the windie melancholie Meanes for the strengthening of the stomack The other part to bee strengthened is the stomacke and to preuent that it may not beget such great store of crudities you shall vse powders helping disgestion and certaine oyles properly vsed in such cases for the annoynting thereof The digestiue powder must not be too hot A digestiue powder Take of Anise and Fennell confected of each three drams of the rindes of Citrons confected one dram of prepared Pearle and red Corall of each one halfe a dram of fine Cinamome two scruples of rosed Sugar foure ounces make them in powder and take thereof a spooneful alwaies after your meate Outwardly you may strengthen the stomacke Meanes to be applied outwardly to the stomacke by annoynting it with the oyle of Nutmeg Spikenard Wormewood or with some bag made of Wormewood Balme Cloues Macis Cinamome red Roses and such like powders it is meete that diligent care be had that they bee not applied vpon the place of the liuer because the hote distemperature of this part is commonly the originall of all Hypochondriake diseases And for this cause you may annoint the liuer with the oyntment of Roses and Saunders well washed in Succorie water or else you shall apply thereupon Epithemes of the waters of Succorie Endiue Sorrell the seedes of Endiue cordiall flowers and red Saunders As concerning the braine which is weake to the end it may not be subiect to so great quantitie of vapours you may strengthen it with powders appropriate for the head and sleight parfumes And thus much as concerning preseruatiues which are to be vsed when the fit is not and which without all doubt will keepe the fit from comming for taking a way the cause of accidents it must needes fall out that the effects cease Remedies to be vsed in the accesse of the disease But when the fit of the windie melancholie shall put the sicke partie in paines you must vse other meanes which the Phisition shall alter and varie according to the accident which is most strong and vrgent As if it be feeblenes Remedies and helpes against feeblenes you shall leaue to doe all other things and only strengthen the heart and that by vsing the remedies before described As you may take of the confection of Alkermes of bread dipped in wine of Lozenges cordiall Opiates and the rindes of Citrons You shall also apply vnto the heart liquide and drie Epithemes oyles baulmes oyntments and bagges Remedies against oppression through windines If heauines which is the most common accident in the windie melancholic as that which is caused of the grosse vapours or of the winde which waigheth downe the midriffe and membranes doe lye grieuously vpon the partie it will be good to chafe and rub the thighes and legs lightly to minister a Clister to breake windines to apply great cupping glasses vpon the region of the spleene vpon the nauell and all ouer the bellie and if the griefe of these windes be very great you may take a spoonefull of Ros Solis or Cinamome water distilled or Aquacoelestis or else two or three drops of the essence of Anise seede in a little broth very hote or a little Treacle and Mithridate if the winde doe continue vnremoued and will not stirre out of the breast you shall remoue them with some bags applied very hote and these shal be made of the flowers of Camomile and Melilot of the crops of Dill of Millet and fried Oates You may in like manner apply vpon the region of the spleene fomentations which will resolue and waste some part of these grosse vapours These are the three sortes of melancholie which ancient writers haue deliuered vnto vs that is to say that which hath his seat in the braine that which commeth of the sympathie of the whole bodie and that which ariseth ordinarily from the places about the short ribbes which is more common then either of the other and which is so often happening in these miserable times as that there are not many people which feele not some smatch thereof I come to the third disease of Madame Dutchesse of Vzez which is the Rheume THE THIRD DISCOVRSE WHEREIN IS HANDLED THE breeding of Rheumes and how they are to be cured CHAP. I. That the braine is the seate to cold and moysture and by consequent the fountaine of rheumes and distillations IT is not without cause that Hippocrates that great oracle of Greece that written in diuers places That the brain is the mansion of colde and moysture that the braine is the principall seate of cold and moysture for if we looke vnto his marrowie substance his cold temperature his round forme hollow and somewhat long like to the fashion of a cupping glasse and his high situation receiuing al the vapours of the inferiour parts we shall finde that all these dispose it and make it apt to beget and containe great quantitie of water The substance of the braine was of necessitie to be soft and marrowie that so it might the more easily take the stampe of formes and to the end that sinewes which must spring and rise from thence might with least annoyance and paine bend or bow themselues But indeed this marrowie substance is not so called for any resemblance
we beleeue Galen is an accident of the third kinde that is to say That the rheume is an accident an error in the excrements this accident ordinarilie followeth another and that is the weakning of some action the action in this case weakened or hurt is concoction For the braine not being able to disgest his nourishment well ingendreth greater store of superfluities then it ought This disease that causeth this accident The concoction offended being an accident doth immediatly depend vpon some disease I thinke that this is for the most parta colde and moist distemperature a drie distemperature may by accident sometimes bee cause hereof as in detayning the vapours and hindring them from passing any further a hote distemperature also may be the cause in resoluing the humours present and too much drawing of the vapours absent but this happeneth but seldome The braine then is the part that is principally diseased in the case of rheumes The disease is a distemperature which immediatly hurteth the digestion of the member distempered and of this hurt of disgestion commeth that which is amisse in the excrement The definition of rheume But to vnderstand the nature of a rheume it is needefull to play the Philosopher in this sort A rheume or distillation is no other thing then the mouing of humours from one place to another which the Philosophers call locall But in euery locall motion Fiue things to be noted in a rheume Aristotle hath obserued fiue things in his Phisicke The moueable that is to say the thing which is moued the mouing that is to say the thing which doth make the motion and three tearmes or limits as the place from whence the motion began the place by which the motion was made and the place where such motion staied and ended In rheumes the moued is a humour of what condition soeuer it bee as whether hot or colde gentle sharpe salte thin 1. The moued thicke simple or compound The mouer of this humour 2. The motiue or mouer and causer of it to change his place which is called in one word the motiue is twofold the one inward and the other outward Againe the inward is twofold the forme of the humour and the foule The inward mouer that is to say the power expulsiue the humour if it follow his nature and clementarie forme must euermore of necessitie fall downeward because it is heauie and weightie But it often falleth out that the humour being no longer within the power and iurisdiction of the soule as when the retentiue facultie is altogether weakened falleth downe of it selfe hauing no other motiue of such motion but onely his owne forme or weightines So we see the most part of them which die to be smothered with a rheume the braine hauing altogether lost his force and being as it were resolued The other originall that moueth the humours being inward is the soule for nature hath giuen vnto euery liuing part a vertue expulsiue to expell whatsoeuer may annoy it The braine then being stirred vp either by the aboundance of the humour which oppresseth it or by the qualitie which stingeth and biteth it straineth it selfe to expell it The outward mouer and to thrust it from it as far as euer it can The outward motiue is all that which from without may pinch and presse together relaxe or loosen or shake the braine the colde ayre presseth the braine together and causeth the humours to fall downe the ayre and bathes that are hote doe loosen and resolue the humours strokes fals and violent passions of the minde may shake the humour which is within the braine and make it change his place And thus much for the mouing or motiue It remaineth that we finde out the three tearmes or boundes within which euery locall motion is bounded The place from whence the humour beginneth to moue The end wheras the motion beginneth is within and without the braine The humour oftentimes keepeth within the ventricles and the whole substance of the braine and beginneth to departe from thence sometimes it keepeth without the braine betwixt the bone and his membrane and causeth outward distillations The places by orthrough The bounds through which which the humour falleth which is the second bound are the ordinarie and extraordinarie passages of the braine the ordinarie are the nose and the Palate the extraordinarie are the eyes eares sinewes marrow veines arteries and space which is betwixt the bones and the membranes or the spaces of the muscles The bounds where it endeth The tearme and limit where the humour endeth his course may bee any part of the bodie prouided that it bee in an inferiour region or place that is lower then the head and therewithall weake for you shall neuer finde a rheume to rise from a lower part vpward And thus much for the vnfolding of the definition of a Rheume let vs now come vnto his differences CHAP. III. The differences of a Rheume Differences of rheumes according to the matter that makes them THe principall differences of rheume are taken from the matter that falleth downe from the parts receiuing or sending from the accidents accompanying the same and from the maner of their generation The matter of al rheumes is a humour I call a humour all that which is actuallie liquid and swimmeth But in the humour we may obserue many things the substance temperature qualitie taste and mixture and from euery one of these wee shall draw some differences of rheumes The substance or consistence of the humour for so Phisitions are accustomed to speake is either thin and subtile The first difference drawne from the substance of the humour The second difference from the temperature or grosse and thicke or indifferent and betwixt both There are then some rheumes that are subtile thin and sharpe and there are others more thicke The temperature of the humour is hote or colde so then there are hot and there are cold rheumes but colde rheumes are more common and are begotten of a colde and moist distem perature of the braine the colde distemperarure weakeneth the concocting facultie and causeth the braine to gather moe excrements then it needeth and that it cannot disgest the remainder of his colde nourishment The moist distemperature weakeneth the retentiue facultie and suffereth the humours to fall downe although they bee not superfluous Signes of a colde rheume Men may discerne this colde rheume by many signes for the humour that falleth downe is nothing sharpe or pricking the braine is drowsely inclined the eyes daseled the hearing heauie the nostrils stopt all the sences dull the face pale the bodie slowe heauie and lumpish because that the strength of the armes and legges commeth of the stiffenes of the muscles and sinewes but in this case the sinewes are softned and as it were relaxed because the braine which is their common originall and fountaine doth swim all in water The Phisition shall
the excrements and superfluities of the principall parts Hippocrates hath debated this matter so well in his booke of Glandules as that a man cannot tel how to adde any thing therevnto The skin was by nature made weak to the end it might containe al the superfluities that are frō within whereupon some call it the vniuersall emunctorie Parts may also be weak by some accident as by a fall or blow or some distēperature in what maner soeuer they bee weake it maketh them apt to receiue the refuse of their neighbour parts How the part attracteth the humour to it selfe The last cause is the part his attraction of the humour The Arabians haue acknowledged three causes of this attraction heate paine and the auoyding of vacuitie Heate attracteth of it owne nature because it rarifieth the parts neere about attenuateth and maketh thin the humours and enlargeth the waies and passages for the humour to runne through How paine attracteth Paine doth not attract of his owne nature because it is an affect of feeling but feeling is a patient and no agent and euery one of the sences is executed by taking in of some thing but the humours flow to the pained part by reason of the weakenes of the same as also because the naturall heat thereof is weakened by the paine and cannot well concoct the humour it must needes bee that it should stay in that place They who affirme that the humour floweth vnto the part which feeleth the paine because nature sendeth thither both spirits and blood that she may comfort the same doe deceiue themselues in my judgement and offer great wrong vnto nature for if she knew that such a part stood in need of spirits and blood she would know therewithal that in sending this blood she should profit the part nothing at all but rather hurt it so that paine doth not properly attract and draw The last cause of distillations is imputed to the humour For if it bee thin in substance hot in temperature sharpe and pricking in qualitie it will be a great deale the more apt to flow CHAP. V. A generall order of diet to be obserued for the preuenting and curing of Rheumes and distillations I Will follow the same order and course in the laying downe of this regiment which I haue taken in the other two going before Wee must therefore so dispose of all the sixe things which are called not naturall as that they may not only hinder the engendring of rheumes but also consume and cure the same being alreadie begotten Let euery man therefore make choise for himselfe of such an ayre as is temperate in his actiue qualities and as for the passiue that it bee altogether drie I say that it must be temperate in heate and cold because that a hot ayre resoluing the humours of the braine and a cold pressing them out causeth them to fall downe aboundantly If the ayre bee too cold it may bee corrected with good fires made of Iuniper Rosemarie Bay-tree Oke and Fig-tree if it be exceeding hote it may be cooled with hearbs and flowers that are indued with such propertie There must care be had to auoide the Northerne and Southerne windes because the one filleth the head full and the other presseth it out You must not abide much in the Sunne-beames nor yet in the open ayre The windes which pearce through chinkes and rifts are extreamely dangerous for the rheume The inequalitie of the ayre as Celsus obserueth very well doth mightily further the begetting of rheumes it is called an vnequal aire when it is now hot now cold As concerning the passiue qualities the ayre-must in all maner of distillation incline vnto drines and for that cause it is good to dwell vpon mounted places and such as are farre from riuers In meates three things are to be obserued the quantitie qualitie and manner of vsing them As concerning the quantitie In meats three things are to be obserued all repletion and full gorging is enemie to such complexions as are subiect vnto rheumes we may not at any time eate to the full it is better to rise from the table hungrie and hee cannot but fare the better which cutteth of one meale in a weeke As concerning the qualitie it must bee contrary vnto the disease or the cause thereof the cause of rheumes is a superfluous humour so that it will bee fittest to vse such meates as may dry vp the same All vaporous meates in generall must bee abstained as also meates that are grosse windie full of excrements and hard to disgest In the maner of vsing of these meates there must many rules bee obserued as there must no new meate bee taken into the stomacke before the former bee throughly disgested You must content your selfe to feede vpon one onely dish and that such as is good for varietie filleth all full of cruditie and it mingleth it selfe with the blood in the veines and ministreth rheumatike matter vnto the braine You must vse to eate more at dinner then at supper in as much as sleepe which succeedeth supper within a short time doth send great store of vapours vnto the braine which are afterwards turned into water The bread must bee of good wheate and throughly baked Bread not cleane purged from his branne but retaining a little branne and mixt with some salt it must neuer be eaten hot at the latter end of meate you may eate bisket wherein some Anise and Fennell seede haue been put Rosted meates are much better then boyled Flesh and of them such as doe not abound with humours we allow the vse of Capon Pigeon Partridge young Hare Kid Hart Feasant Quailes Turtle doues and all birds of the mountaines all which maybe interlarded with Sage and Hissope of the mountaines The vse of water-fowles Porke Lambe Mutton and young Veale is forbidden broths and pottage are very ill Fish is exceedingly contrary Fish All sort of milk-meates is an enemie in rheumatike diseases as also all maner of pulse As concerning hearbes Hearbes the Arabians recommend vnto vs Sage Hissope Mints wilde Time Margerome Rosemary Burnet Cheruill Fennell and Costmarie Aetius tolerateth Coleworts and Leekes but he forbiddeth in expresse tearmes Garlick Onions because they send vp many vapours and all cold moyst hearbes as Lettuse Purcelane Sorrell and such like All fruites that abound in moysture Fruites as Apples Plums Melons Cucumbers and Mulberies are forbidden But as for such as haue propertie to drie as Pine apples small nuts Pistaces Almonds Peares Quinces Figs drie Raisines Medlers Ceruisses they may be vsed after meate And thus much concerning meate As concerning drinke Drinke cold water and all maner of licour that is actually cold it is enemie to al such as are subiect to the rheume if so bee that such rheume be not extreame hot pricking and accompanied with an ague Barley water with a little Sugar and Cinamome is very good and fit or a Ptisane or
braine and of a merueilous simpathy with the same will suffer first of all The euill disposition of the eye weakeneth the sight very oft although that the facultie be intire and strong Such disposition is found sometimes in the whole eye as when it is too fat and great or too small and leane sometimes in some speciall parts thereof as in the tunicle humors muscles spirits sinewes veines and arteries vnto euery of which doe happen their particular diseases which I will runne through in the chapter following The sight depraued and falsified The corrupting or falsifying of the sight falleth out when the obiect sheweth it selfe to be of another colour forme quantitie or situation then it is as for example if a white thing should shew yellow or red because the instrument of sight is tainted with some colour this it is which maketh them that haue the yellow Iaundise to see euery thing yellow when the thing which standeth fast seemeth to moue as it falleth out in them which haue the disease called Vertigo through the disordered and extraordinarie mouing of the spirits and when one single thing seemeth two and this falleth out either through default of the instrument or through the euill situation of the obiect or of the eyebeames If both the eyes be not in one and the same leuell but that the one be high and the other low out of doubt euery thing which they behold will shew double the causes hereof are oftentimes a palsie in the one and a conuulsion in the other The nerue opticke also being relaxed and mollified on the one side causeth all things that are looked vpen to seeme double as it happeneth to such as are drunke If you presse and beare downe the one eye with your finger not touching the other you shall see euery thing double of which missight the situation of the instrument is the principall cause and the situation of the obiect is the next As if you whirle a staffe round about you would thinke that it were a circle and if long wise you would iudge it to be nothing but a long stretched line which happeneth by the swift mouing of the obiect out of his place for so before the first figure be worne out a second commeth into his place The last cause consisteth in the diuerse situation of the eye beames as if you looke yourselfe in a crackt looking glasse your face will seeme two faces vnto you The losse of the sight The vtter losse and depriuation of the sight which we call blindnes commeth either of the drinesse of the humors or of the hindring of the two lights that they cannot meete and ioyne together in the christalline humour The inward which is the animall spirit is hindred by the obstruction of the nerue opticke and this disease is called gutta serena the outward is hindred by the cataract which shutteth the apple of the eye the window of the christalline humour Therefore the sight cannot be hurt but by one of these three waies CHAP. XII A briefe rehearsall of all the diseases of the eye I Doe not intend here to trouble my mind in drawing forth an exquisite description of all the diseases of the eye the attempt would be too great and I could not make so few as twentie chapters of the same seeing there are so many particular diseases of the eye I will content my selfe to lay out the way and best ordered course thereunto for the benefite of young Phisitions and Chirurgeons for whose sake I haue made choice of this chapter The diuision of the diseases of the eye Now then as concerning the diseases of the eye some of them are common to the whole member some others are proper vnto some particular part of the same Those which concerne the whole eye are either similar or instrumentall or common The similar ones are the moyst the drie the hote the colde distemperature The diseases to be referred to the whole eye as also the simple the compound the distemperature without matter and that which is accompanied with matter The instrumentall doe shew themselues in the euill shape of the eye as when it is ouer great or ouer little or not so situate as were requisite for comelines and vse The diseases comming of the bignes of it are when the eye is either too great or too little The greatnes of the eye the great eye is called the oxe eye it hindereth the action of the eye for the sight is not so quicke by reason of the excessiue expence of spirits neither is it so readie in motion The cause of this greatnes is either the error of the first forme and shape committed by nature or else some accident whether flegmatike humor or inflammation or else some great fluxe of humours falling down vpon the same The disease contrarie to this The smalnes of the eye is the smalnes of the eye which either is the worke of nature and is called the Pigges eye or else happeneth by some other meanes as by wasting of the naturall heate by suffering of intollerable paines much watchings sharpe rhewmes and continuall agues in such cases the whole eye being weakened it attracteth not his naturall nourishment or though it doe yet it cannot concoct it and this disease is called the pining away or leanenes of the eye The eye bolted out The diseases of situation is when the eye is out of his place as when it commeth out and when it falleth quite downe if it come forth it is called a falling out of the eye in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auicen obserueth that it happeneth either of an outward cause as of a blowe a fall or straine in coughing vomiting blowing or of an inward cause as of some suddaine falling down of humors which looseth all the muscles and whole bodie of the eye or of a great inflammation or other humor Solution of continuitie The common disease is called the solution of continuitie which happeneth when the eye is burst or when all the humours thereof are mingled and iumbled together Loe these be the diseases which may be referred to the whole bodie of the eye for the diseases called Nictalopia Myopiasis and Amblyopia are Symptomes touching onely the spirits or humors and not the whole eye The particular diseases of the eye The particular diseases differ according to the parts of the eye Now we haue alreadie obserued for parts of the eye the humors coates sinews and muscles of the same so then there are diseases proper vnto euery one of these parts I will begin to describe those which happen to the humours as being the noblest parts of the eye as also because Galen in his booke of the causes of accidents hath taken the same course The disease of the christalline humour Glaucoma The christalline humour is subiect to all maner of disease but the most vsuall is a drie distemperature and his going out of his place
His drie distemperature is the cause of an accident which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a shrinking together and drienes of the christalline humour thereby becomming as it were white Hippocrates in his third booke of Aphorismes obserueth that this disease doth seldome happen but to olde folke and wee iudge it incurable The christalline may shift out of his place many waies for either it may shift to either side or rise higher or fall lower or it may shrinke further into the eye or come forward toward the forepart of the eye Howsoeuer it remoue and shift The accidents that fall out when the christalline humor is remoued out of his place it hurteth the sight very much if it bee sunke farre backe into the eye it causeth that wee cannot behold things which are neere at hand if it be set too forward it letteth from seeing a farre off if it be more to the one side or to the other we see a squint and when it is too high or too low euery thing seemeth two because they are not leuell The diseases of the watrie humour The waterish humour being also a part as well as the others hath his particular diseases If it be too much dried as it falleth out very oft in cataracts it taketh the sight cleane away If his store be greatly diminished the christalline humour drieth the grape-like coate withereth the hornie membrane shrinketh and the outward light is not rebated As concerning the glassie humour writers haue not noted any diseases properly belonging thereto but in my iudgement it is subiect to the same affects that the waterish both in his temperature substance and quantitie The diseases of the coates The tunicles of the eye are sixe but there are not any moe then three which haue been noted to haue particular diseases that is to say the coniunctiue the hornie and the grape-like for no man hath designed any vnto the cobweb-like net-like or glassie one The diseases of the white coate Inflammation The diseases proper vnto the coniunctiue are three inflammation the naile called in Latine Pterigium and mortification The inflammation of this membrane is sometime so sleight as that it healeth of it self and then it is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cause thereof is for the most part outward as smoke winde the Sunne dust open ayre the smell of onyons if this inflammation be greater it is absolutely called Ophthalmia if it bee very great in so much as that it causeth the white to be very much puffed vp and thereby the apple of the eye to seeme to stand in a hollow the Greekes doe call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are inflammations proceeding of blood others proceeding of choler others of fleagme The differences of the inflammation of the the eye and some of melancholie Galen speaketh both of moyst drie ones Hippocrates of symptomatical and criticall ones Trallian of such as are accompanied with a consumption and such as are not of maligne ones such as are vsuall in the plague time such as are not maligne of continuall ones and such as keepe ordinary returnes The naile The second kind of disease is called Pterigium This is a sinewy flesh which beginneth to grow most commonly at the great corner of the eye and from thence spreadeth it selfe like a wing vnto the apple of the eye it is also sometime like vnto a naile it followeth very often the inflammations that are not orderly cured it is accompanied with some itching as also with a little rednes and with some teares The seuerall sorts of it There are many kindes of it which are all distinguished either by their colour or manner of fastning of themselues or by their substance or greatnes As for the difference of colour there are white red and yellowish ones They differ in respect of their fastning because some sticke fast and close to whereas others doe suffer themselues to bee easily separated They differ in substance because some are thicke and some thin some soft some hard some membranous like skinnes some fatty and like vnto grease and some varicous which are like vnto a net knit and made of many small veines and arteries The bignes maketh the last difference for some are so small that they passe not the white othersome so great as that they reach vnto the apple of the eye and doe greatly hinder the sight The third and last disease proper to the white tunicle Mortification is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blacknes or the mortification of the eye Paulus Aegineta and Aetius had defined it a bursting of the veines of the eye which causeth the blood to settle it selfe all vnder the white tunicle and the hornie also making all things seeme red vnto the eye The cause hereof is ordinarily outward as some blow or fall sometimes it is inward as the fulnes of the veines and the thinnesse of the blood There are some other diseases of the white tunicle as pustules and white spots in maner of a skarre but they are common with this vnto the hornie membrane The diseases of the hornie membrane Pustules The diseases of the hornie membrane are pustules common maligne and cankerous vlcers the retention of purulent matter called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the skarre and the rupture The pustules are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Grecians and Bothor of the Arabians These are like vnto little bladders proceeding of a thin and waterish humour which gathereth amongst the small skinnes of the hornie membrane and setteth them vpon the stretch The diuers sorts of pustules Their differences are knowne by their colour for some are blacke and therefore growing betwixt the first and second leafe and some are white and do grow betwixt the third and fourth leafe They differ in situation because some are more superficiall and others more deepe They differ in respect of matter because some doe rise of a cholericke humour others of a cleere and thinne water Vlcers commonly happening in the hornie membrane If the purulent matter continue long after that the pustules bee broken it maketh an vlcer in the hornie membrane The Phisitions both Greeke and Arabian make seuen sorts of vlcers three inward and foure outward the first of the inward is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three vlcers within the hornie membrane of Paulus Aegineta and Auicen annulus of others Fossula that is to say a small streite hollow vlcer hauing no matter in it the second is wider and not so deepe Paulus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auicen lilimie the third is very filthie and croustie the Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Arabians Alficume The outward vlcers are foure The foure vlcers in the vtter part of the horny membrane the first is like vnto a grosse smoke and maketh the apple of the eye blacke they call it 〈◊〉