Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	disease_n	humour_n	3,248	5	8.1860	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08913	A treatise of the plague contayning the causes, signes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure thereof. Together with sundry other remarkable passages (for the prevention of, and preservation from the pestilence) never yet published by anie man. Collected out of the workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned chirurgian Ambrose Parey.	Paré, Ambroise, 1510?-1590. aut; Johnson, Thomas, d. 1644.	1630 (1630)	STC 19192; ESTC S103146	56,219	88

alteration or by alienation as if the constitution of the whole yeere be moyst and rainie by reason of grosse and blacke Clouds if the Winter be gentle and warme without any Northerly wind which is cold and dry and by that meanes contrarie to putrefaction if the Spring which should be temperate shall be faultie in any excesse of distemper if the Autumne shall be ominous by Fires in the Aire with Starres shooting and as it were falling downe or terrible Comets neuer seene without some disaster if the Summer be hot cloudy and moist and without Winds and the Clouds flye from the South into the North. These and such like vnnaturall constitutions of the seasons of the yeere were neuer better or more excellently handled by any then by Hippocrates in his Booke Epidemion Therefore the Aire from hence drawes the Seeds of Corruption and the Pestilence which at the length the like excesse of qualities being brought in it sends into the humours of our Bodyes chiefly such as are thin and serous Although the Pestilence doth not alwaies necessarily arise from hence but some-whiles some other kind of cruell and infectious Disease But neither is the Aire onely corrupted by these superiour causes but also by putrid and filthy stinking vapours spread abroad through the Aire encompassing vs from the Bodyes or Carkasses of things not buried gapings or hollownesses of the Earth or Sinkes and such like places being opened For the Sea often ouer-flowing the Land in some places and leauing in the Mudde or hollownesses of the Earth caused by Earth-quakes the huge Bodyes of monstrous Fishes which it hides in its Waters hath giuen both the occasion and matter of a Plague For thus in our time a Whale cast vpon the Tuscane shore presently caused a Plague ouer all that Countrey But as Fishes infect and breed a Plague in the Aire so the Aire being corrupted often causes a Pestilence in the Sea amongst Fishes especially when they either swim on the top of the Water or are infected by the pestilent vapours of the Earth lying vnder them and rysing into the Aire thorough the Body of the Water the latter whereof Aristotle saith hapneth but seldome But it often chances that the Plague raging in any Countrey many Fishes are cast vp on all the Coast and may be seene lying on great heapes But sulphurous vapours or such as partake of any other maligne qualitie sent forth from places vnder the ground by gapings and gulfes opened by Earthquakes not onely corrupt the Aire but also infect and taint the Seeds Plants and all the Fruits which we eat and so transferre the pestilent corruption into vs and those Beasts on which we feed together with our nourishment The truth whereof Empedocles made manifest who by shutting vp a great Gulfe of the Earth opened in a Valley betweene two Mountaines freed all Sicily from a Plague caused from thence If Winds rysing sodainly shall driue such filthy exhalations from those Regions in which they were pestiferous into other places they also will carrie the Plague with them thither If it be thus some will say it should seeme that wheresoeuer stinking and putrid exhalations arise as about standing Pooles Sinkes and Shambles there should the Plague reigne and straight suffocate with its noysome Poyson the People which worke in such places but experience finds this false We doe answer that the putrifaction of the Plague is farre different and of another kind then this common as that which partakes of a certaine secret malignitie and wholly contrarie to our liues and of which we cannot easily giue a plaine and manifest reason Yet that vulgar putrefaction wheresoeuer it be doth easily and quickly entertaine and welcome the pestiferous contagion as often as and whensoeuer it comes as ioyned vnto it by a certaine familiaritie and at the length it selfe degenerating into a pestiferous malignitie certainely no otherwise then those Diseases which arise in the Plague time the putrid Diseases in our Bodyes which at the first wanted virulencie and contagion as Vlcers putrid Feauers and other such Diseases raysed by the peculiar default of the humours easily degenerate into pestilence presently receiuing the tainture of the Plague to which they had before a certain preparation Wherefore in time of the Plague I would aduise all Men to shun such exceeding stinking places as they would the Plague it selfe that there may be no preparation in our Bodyes or humours to catch that infection without which as Galen teaches the Agent hath no power ouer the Subiect for otherwise in a Plague time the Sicknesse would equally seaze vpon all so that the impression of the pestiferous qualitie may presently follow that disposition But when we say the Aire is pestilent we doe not vnderstand that sincere elementarie and simple as it is of its owne nature for such is not subiect to putrefaction but that which is polluted with ill vapours rysing from the Earth standing Waters Vaults or Sea and degenerates and is changed from its natiue puritie and simplicitie But certainly amongst all the constitutions of the Aire fit to receiue a pestilent corruption there is none more fit then a hot moyst and still season For the excesse of such qualities easily causes putrefaction Wherefore the South Wind reigning which is hot and moyst and principally in places neere the Sea there Flesh cannot long be kept but it presently is tainted and corrupted Further we must know that the pestilent malignitie which rises from the Carcasses or Bodyes of Men is more easily communicated to Men that which rises from Oxen to Oxen and that which comes from Sheepe to Sheepe by a certaine sympathy familiaritie of Nature no otherwise then the Plague which shall seaze vpon some one in a Family doth presently spread more quickly amongst the rest of that Family by reason of the similitude of temper then amongst others of another Family disagreeing in their whole temper Therefore the Aire thus altered and estranged from its goodnesse of nature necessarily drawne in by inspiration and transpiration brings in the Seeds of the Plague and so consequently the Plague it selfe into Bodyes prepared and made ready to receiue it CHAP. IIII. Of the preparation of humours to putrefaction and admission of pestiferous impressions HAuing shewed the causes from which the Aire doth putrefie become corrupt and is made partaker of a pestilent and poysonous constitution we must now declare what things may cause the humours to putrefie and make them so apt to receiue and retaine the pestilent Aire and venenate qualitie Humours putrefie either from fulnesse which breeds obstruction or by distemperate excesse or lastly by admixture of corrupt matter and euill iuice which ill feeding doth specially cause to abound in the Body For the Plague often followes the drinking of dead and mustie Wines muddy and standing Waters which receiue the sinkes and filth of a Citie and Fruits and Puls eaten without discretion in scarcitie of other Corne as Pease Beanes

A TREATISE OF THE PLAGUE CONTAYNING The Causes Signes Symptomes Prognosticks and Cure thereof Together with sundry other remarkable passages for the prevention of and preservation from the Pestilence never yet published by anie man Collected out of the Workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned Chirurgian AMBROSE PAREY PSAL. 91. 5 6. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse LONDON Printed by R. Y. and R. C. and are sold by Mich. Sparke in the green Arbor Court in little Old Bailey at the blew Bible 1630. To the Reader REader for a publike good I haue aduentured to vndergoe a publike censure in those times totally addicted to criticisme induced thereto by thinking it better to helpe with those small forces I haue in this dangerusi nuasion than through feare of censures to be silent chiefly seeing those who at other times shew themselues prime leaders and souldiers to expell common and vsuall assailants become the first and cheife fugitiues in these cases of extremity And hauing found one whose knowledge and experience exceeds the greatest part of our common practitioners I make bold here to present him to thy eye and vse hee speakes plainely and honestly and handles not nice controuersies to small purpose nor tires with tedious and impertinent discourses wherefore if thou be destitute of counsell it shall not repent thee to vse his In which if thou finde comfort giue thankes to him to whom onely all praise is due who of his mercy diuert or if not assist vs in all times of his visitations farewell A Treatise of the Plague CHAP. I. The description of the Plague THe Plague is a cruell and contagious Disease which euerie-where like a common Disease inuading Man and Beast kils verie many being attended and as it were associated with a continuall Feauer Botches Carbunkles Spots Nauseousnesse Vomitings and other such maligne accidents This Disease is not so pernitious or hurtfull by any Elementarie qualitie as from a certaine poysonous and venenate malignitie the force whereof exceeds the condition of common putrefaction Yet I will not deny but that it is more hurtfull in certaine Bodyes Times and Regions as also many other Diseases of which Hippocrates makes mention But from hence we can onely collect that the force and malignitie of the Plague may be increased or diminished according to the condition of the Elementarie qualities concurring with it but not the whole nature and essence thereof to depend thereon This pestiferous Poyson principally assailes the Vitall Spirit the Store-house and originall whereof is the Heart so that if the Vitall Spirit proue stronger it driues it farre from the Heart but if weaker it being ouercome and weakned by the hostile assault flies backe into the Fortress of the Heart by the like contagion infecting the Heart and so the whole Body being spred into it by the passages of the Arteries Hence it is pestilent Feauers are some-times simple and folitarie other-whiles associated with a troope of other affects as Botches Carbunkles Blaines and Spots of one or more colours It is probable such affects haue their originall from the expulfiue Facultie whether strong or weake prouoked by the malignitie of the raging matter Yet assuredly diuers symptomes and changes arise according to the constitution of the Body of the Patient and condition of the humour in which the virulencie of the Plague is chiefely inherent and lastly in the nature of the efficient cause I thought good by this description to expresse the nature of the Plague at this my first entrance into this matter for we can scarce comprehend it in a proper definition For although the force thereof be definite and certaine in Nature yet it is not altogether certaine and manifest in Mens minds because it neuer happens after one sort so that in so great varietie it is verie difficult to set downe any thing generall and certaine CHAP. II. Of the Diuine causes of an extraordinarie Plague IT is a confirmed constant and receiued opinion in all Ages amongst Christians that the Plague and other Diseases which violently assaile the life of Man are often sent by the iust anger of God punishing our offences The Prophet Amos hath long since taught it saying Shall there be affliction shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it On which truly we ought alwayes to meditate and that for two causes The first is that we alwayes beare this in mind that we enioy health liue moue and haue our beings from God and descends from that Father of Light and for this cause we are alwayes bound to giue him great and exceeding thankes The other is that knowing the calamities by sending whereof the Diuine anger proceeds to reuenge we may at length repend and leauing the way of wickednesse walke in the pathes of godlinesse For thus we shall learne to see in God our selues the Heauen and Earth the true knowledge of the causes of the Plague and by a certaine Diuine Philosophy to teach God to be the beginning and cause of the second causes which well without the first cause cannot goe about nor attempt much lesse performe any thing for from hence they borrow their force order and constancie of order so that they serue as Instruments for God who rules and gouernes vs and the whole World to performe all his workes by that constant course of order which he hath appointed vnchangeable from the beginning Wherefore all the cause of a Plague is not to be attributed to these neere and inferiour causes or beginnings as the Epicures and Lucianists commonly doe who attributing too much yea all things to Nature haue left nothing to Gods Prouidence On the contrarie we ought to thinke and beleeue in all our thoughts That euen as God by his omnipotent Power hath created all things of nothing so he by his eternall Wisedome preserues and gouernes the same leads and enclines them as he please yea verily at his pleasure changes their order and the whole course of Nature This cause of an extraordinarie Plague as we confesse and acknowledge so here we will not prosecute it any further but thinke fit to leaue it to Diuines because it exceeds the bounds of Nature in which I will now containe my selfe Wherefore let vs come to the naturall causes of the Plague CHAP. III. Of the Naturall causes of the Plague and chiefely of the Seminarie of the Plague by the corruption of the Aire THE generall and naturall causes of the Plague are absolutely two that is the infection of corrupt Aire and a preparation and fitnesse of corrupt humours to take that infection for it is noted before out of the Doctrine of Galen that our humours may be corrupted and degenerate into such an alienation which may equall the malignitie of Poyson The Aire is corrupted when the foure seasons of the yeere haue not their seasonablenesse or degenerate from themselues either by

of his Beames haue wasted and dissipated into Aire this pestiferous dew hanging and abiding vpon boughes and leaues of Trees Herbs Corne and Fruits But on the contrarie that Pestilence which proceeds from some maligne qualitie from aboue by reason of euill and certaine coniunction of the Starres is more hurtfull to Men and Birds as those who are neerer to Heauen CHAP. VI. By vsing what cautions in Aire and Dyet one may preuent the Plague HAuing declared the signes fore-shewing a Pestilence now we must shew by what meanes we may shun the imminent danger thereof and defend our selues from it No preuention seemed more certaine to the Ancients then most speedily to remoue into places farre distant from the infected place and to be most slow in their returne thither againe But those who by reason of their businesse or employments cannot change their habitation must principally haue care of two things The first is that they strengthen their Bodyes and the principall parts thereof against the daily imminent inuasions of the Poyson or the pestiferous and venenate Aire The other that they abate the force of it that it may not imprint its virulencie in the Body which may be done by correcting the excesse of the qualitie inclining towards it by the opposition of its contrarie For if it be hotter then is meet it must be tempered with cooling things if too cold with heating things yet this will not suffice For we ought besides to amend and purge the corruptions of the venenate malignitie diffused through it by smels and perfumes resisting the Poyson thereof The Body will be strengthened and more powerfully resist the infected Aire if it want excrementitious humors which may be procured by purging and bleeding and for the rest a conuenient dyet appointed as shunning much varietie of Meats and hot and moyst things and all such which are easily corrupted in the Stomacke and cause obstructions such as those things which be made by Comfit-makers we must shun satietie and drunkennesse for both of them weakens the Powers which are preserued by the moderate vse of Meats of good iuice Let moderate exercises in a cleere Aire and free from any venemous tainture preceed your Meales Let the Belly haue due euacuation either by Nature or Art Let the Heart the seat of Life and the rest of the Bowels be strengthened with Cordials and Antidotes applyed and taken as we shall here-after shew in the forme of Epithemes Ointments Emplasters Waters Pilles Powders Tablets Opiates Fumigations and such like Make choyce of a pure Aire and free from all pollution and farre remote from stinking places for such is most fit to preserue life to recreate and repaire the Spirits whereas on the contrarie a cloudy or mistie Aire and such as is infected with grosse and stinking vapours duls the Spirits deiects the Appetite makes the Body faint and ill coloured oppresses the Heart and is the breeder of many diseases The Northern Wind is healthfull because it is cold and dry But on the contrarie the Southern Wind because it is hot and moyst weakens the Body by sloth or dulnesse opens the Pores and makes them peruious to the pestiferous malignitie The Western Wind is also vnwholsome because it comes neere to the nature of the Southern wherefore the Windowes must be shut vp on that side of the House on which they blow but opened on the North and East side vnlesse it happen the Plague come from thence Kindle a cleere Fire in all the Lodging Chambers of the House and perfume the whole House with Aromaticke things as Frankensence Myrrhe Benzoine Ladanum Styrax Roses Mirtle-leaues Lauender Rosemary Sage Sauory Wild Time Marierome Broome Pine Apples peeces of Firre Iuniper Berries Cloues Perfumes and let your Cloathes be aired in the same There be some who thinke it a great preseruatiue against the pestilent Aire to keepe a Goat in their houses because the capacitie of the Houses filled with the strong sent which the Goat sends forth prohibits the entrance of the venemous Aire which same reason hath place also in sweet smels and besides it argues that such as are hungry are apter to take the Plague then those who haue eaten moderately for the Body is not onely strengthened with Meat but all the passages thereof are filled by the vapours diffused from thence by which otherwise the infected Aire would find a more easie entrance to the Heart Yet the common sort of People yeeld another reason for the Goat which is That one ill sent driues away another as one wedge driues forth another which calles to my mind that which is recorded by Alexander Benedictus that there was a Scythian Physition which caused a Plague arysing from the infection of the Aire to cease by causing all the Dogges Cats and such like Beasts which were in the Citie to be hilled and casting their Carcasses vp and downe the Streets that so by the comming of this new putrid vapour as a stranger the former pestiferous infection as an old guest was put out of its Lodging and so the Plague ceased For Poysons haue not onely an antipathy with their Antidotes but also with some other Poysons Whilst the Plague is hot it is not good to stirre out of doore before the rysing of the Sunne wherefore we must haue patience vntill he haue cleansed the Aire with the comfortable light of his Beames and dispersed all the foggy and nocturnall pollutions which commonly hang in the Aire in dirtie and specially in low places and Valleys All publike and great meetings and assemblyes must be shunned If the Plague begin in Summer and seeme principally to rage helped forward by the Summers heat it is the best to performe a Iourney begun or vndertaken for performance of necessarie affaires rather vpon the night time then on the day because the Infection takes force strength and subtiletie of substance by which it may more easily permeate and enter in by the heat of the Sunne but by night Mens Bodies are more strong and all things are more grosse and dense But you must obserue a cleane contrarie course if the malignitie seeme to borrow strength and celeritie from coldnesse But you must alwayes eschew the Beames of the Moone but specially at the full For then our Bodyes are more languid and weake and fuller of excrementitious humors Euen as Trees which for that cause must be cut downe in their season of the Moone that is in the decrease thereof After a little gentle walking in your Chamber you must presently vse some meanes that the principall parts may be strengthened by suscitating the heat and Spirits and that the passages to them may be filled that so the way may be shut vp from the Infection comming from without Such as by the vse of Garlike haue not their Heads troubled nor their inward parts inflamed as Countrey people and such as are vsed to it to such there can be no more certaine preseruatiue and antidote against the pestiferous