we must not only be possest of an unshaken Firmness and Resolution but be furnish'd with constant Supplies of Grace for Chastity in Youth is a sort of Martyrdom or as a Father of the Church terms it Martyrium sine sanguine This Consideration obliges me to advise all unmarry'd Persons to abstain entirely from the Pleasures that are propos'd to them by this Passion provided their ordinary Food be not too Juicy and provocative such as new-laid Eggs Capons Partridges Woodcocks Pigeons Artichokes Asparagus Celery all sorts of Salt and Pepper'd Meats as also some kinds of Pulse because of their Windiness as Pease and Beans and therefore such Persons must content themselves with less Nourishing Food and cool their Bodies more or less according to their Age and Constitutions which they may do very easily by consulting their Physicians for otherwise they may by abstaining entirely from the Pleasures of Love render themselves obnoxious to many Diseases as Stoppage of Urine the Gravel Stone Vapours Faintings the Jaundice and Green-Sickness 'T is certain that an excessive use of the Pleasures of Love is more dangerous than an entire abstinence from them for the Ebullition of the Blood ending sooner or later with Age the Passions are extinguish'd with it and the Calm we enjoy after the Storm makes us soon forget all the Pain we suffer'd to resist it whereas the Inconveniencies that remain after the immoderate use of those Pleasures such as the trembling of the Nerves Palsie Shortness of Breath Phthisis Gout c. make us pay very dear in a long and infirm Old Age for the transitory Charms we enjoy'd and the frivolous Amusements of our Youth What has been said may suffice to give us an Idea of the remote Causes of Diseases and therefore in the next place we must proceed to consider their more immediate Causes CHAP. IV. Of the Redundancy or too great Abundance of Blood the first immediate Cause of Diseases THE Blood which is the Treasure of Life when it exceeds either in Quantity or Quality may prove the Cause of Death when there is more than a sufficient quantity of it in the Body which we call a Plethora or a fulness of Blood or when it hath acquired some bad Quality which we call Cacochymia or a depravation of the Humours Bleeding destroys or removes the former and Purging the latter We may easily comprehend how Diseases may be occasion'd meerly by the Quantity of the Blood if we reflect upon the Disposition of the Organs which contain and convey the Blood and conduce to its Motion In order to this we may compare the Veins and Arteries of our Bodies to the Pipes of a Fountain the first of which or those that are next the Spring-head are very big and large but grow insensibly smaller as they spread themselves into Branches supposing for Example that the first gives passage to a Foot of Water and that the last do not give passage to above an Inch. The same Observations may be apply'd to the Blood-Vessels The Arteries which proceed from the Heart are very large and are divided into others of a middle bigness these again are divided into smaller Branches which are successively subdivided till they become so small that they are usually call'd Capillarie or Hair-like and Invisible And in all parts of the Body where these invisible Arteries are found they meet with very small Veins which grow larger as they meet and join with one another and return at length to the Heart where they terminate and are as large as the Arteries at their coming out of the Heart Now the Blood flows thro' all those Pipes and the Heart directs its Motion as a Conduit-Maker directs that of the Water in the Pipes of the Fountain And as it often happens that the Water-Pipes are either stopt or broken when a Body that is Bulky enough to fill up the Passage enters with the Water or a greater quantity of Water than they can contain so the Blood-Vessels are frequently obstructed and sometimes broken when the Liquor they contain is either redundant or thicker than it ought to be from whence proceed Fevers Ebullitions of the Blood Abscesses or Impostumes both in the inward Parts and upon the Surface of the Body Bleeding at the Nose and other Parts Apoplexies Suffocating Defluxions and Obstructions of the Intrals which make way for an infinite Number of Diseases But if the Abundance of Blood may be look'd upon as the Cause of so many Distempers 't is certain that the depravation of it may produce a far greater Number of more stubborn and dangerous Diseases CHAP. V. Of the Depravation of the Blood consider'd as an immediate Cause of Diseases occasion'd by the retaining of the Excrements in the Body SINCE the retaining of the Excrements in the great Guts is that which most frequently makes the Blood lose that good Disposition in which our Health consists and occasions a Cacochymia which we have already intimated to be the Cause of the most stubborn Diseases 't will be convenient to give the Reader a comprehensive View of this fatal Source of Distempers The Meat which we eat receives its first Change in the Mouth by the help of the Teeth which are as it were small natural Knives to mince it and of the Spittle which may not improperly be said to serve instead of Salt to help its Concoction From the Mouth 't is carry'd through a long Chanel which Anatomists call the Oesaphagus or Gullet into a spacious Cavity call'd the Stomach where either by a proper and peculiar Vertue belonging to that Part or by the help of an Acid or some other Ferment which it meets with there 't is chang'd into a liquid and greyish Substance which they call Chyle Then continuing its Journey downwards it goes out of the Stomach by its inferiour Orifice and slips into the upper part of the Intestines to the several Parts of which Anatomists have given different Names according to certain Remarks and Observations they have made upon these Parts The first part which in the dissection of several Animals they found to be about twelve Inches long is call'd the Duodenum that which follows which some pretend is not so full as the rest is term'd the Jejunum that which consists of most Folds is call'd the Ileon and so of the rest The greatest part of this Intestine is fasten'd about a Part which by reason of its Folds or Plaits resembles those Ruffs that were formerly worn about the Neck and is call'd the Mesentery Its Figure renders it very apt to retain in a small space a considerable part of this Intestine which is variously wound or twisted about its Folds 'T is in this part of the Intestines that the most useful part of the Chyle insinuates it self into the Mouths of certain Vessels call'd the Lactean or Milky which run along between the Membranes of the Mesentery And the grosser Particles which cannot enter into the Branches of those Vessels
away more than from three to six Ounces of Blood From six to ten or twelve Years you may take six or eight Ounces From twelve to fifteen and so to fifty you must observe the Signs of Repletion and the Strength of the Patient and accordingly you may take away from nine to twelve or fifteen Ounces of Blood After fifty Years of Age we must be more cautious and moderate both as to the frequency of Bleeding and the quantity of Blood we take away for fear of causing too great a dissipation of the Spirits which from that Age to extreme old Age are daily decaying both in Quantity and Quality The visible Signs of a Redundancy of Blood in the Vessels are the large or frequent Evacuations of it by the Nose or other parts of the Body the swelling or distension of the Veins Boils Pimples or other Eruptions frequent Ebullitions or Flushings towards the Skin Erysipela's Inflammations of the Eyes and Throat a continual desire to Sleep and a Weariness and Heaviness of the whole Body not occasion'd by any Labour or violent Exercise When you perceive all or most of those Symptoms and when they continue for some time you must immediately open a Vein and take away a large quantity of Blood for the superfluous Blood which is not employ'd in the Nourishment of the Body if it be not evacuated will soon putrefy and occasion a Fever Obstructions in the small Passages of the Intestines or an Accumulation of Humours in some part of the Body In fine that we may make right use of Bleeding we ought to consider how the Patient usually bears it for those who undergo it easily may be let Blood oftener and more plentifully than those who cannot bear it without trouble and difficulty Thus one who commonly finds himself weak or faint after Bleeding ought rather to Bleed twice and in small quantities than to put himself in danger of fainting or swooning away by a large Evacuation For 't is certain that Fainting and Swooning do extremely disturb the whole Oeconomy of the Body notwithstanding the ridiculous Opinion of those who imagine that Bleeding can never be effectual unless it be continu'd till the Patient faint away Bleeding without necessity that is when there is no Superfluity to be voided no excess of Heat to be allay'd and no Putrefaction to be corrected robs Nature of the pure Blood which is necessary for the Nourishment of the Body and the production of Spirits which are the principal Instruments of the Soul in all its Actions 'T is plain from hence that after such unnecessary Evacuations Nature acts slowly and feebly that the Entrails are heated and that all the Parts are dry'd up which makes way for a long Train of Diseases It is not therefore pertinent to use Remedies at all times for the preservation of our Health But 't is necessary before we take 'em that our Instinct shall let us know the necessity of 'em by the presages of some future Distemper CHAP. VIII Of the Signs by which Instinct makes every particular Person foresee most of his Diseases THE most usual Symptoms of an approaching Distemper are a Weariness and Heaviness of all the Body without having been fatigu'd by any violent Exercises A Yellowness all over the Body An Erysipela or Ulceration all over the Skin The Itch or Scab Boils or Inflammations in divers parts A sudden pining away or leanness of all the Body and of the Face Wandering and frequent Rheumatical Pains accompany'd with irregular Shiverings An almost continual desire to Sleep but chiefly after Eating or on the other hand want of Sleep or an interruption of Sleep by frightful Dreams and vain Fears An unaccountable Dulness and Melancholy which will not give way to any sort of Pleasure Nocturnal Sweating Frequent Pains of the Head Vertigo's and a Numness of the Part when one puts on his Hat A Redness all over the Face A languishing and sinking or an unusual shining of the Eyes a Tincture of Yellow or Black on the Eye-lids Bleeding at the Nose or any other Part of the Body A Singing or Hissing Noise in the Ears Redness or Dryness of the Cheeks and Lips Yawning and involuntary Sighs Little Whitish Ulcers on the Palate and in all the inside of the Mouth The Clamminess or Foulness of the Tongue Dryness of the Throat especially in the Morning unless the excess of the foregoing Day be the cause of it Kernels about the Ears Necks and Arm-Pits and painful Tumours in the Groyne Stinking Breath not proceeding from any Corruption of the Teeth or from any Ulcer or Impostume in the Mouth Loss of Appetite or a rising of the Stomach against Meat Vomitting of sweet bitter or salt Water especially in a Morning Rheums or Defluxions a Cough and Difficulty of Breathing without a sharp Pain of the Breast but rather proceeding from Oppression or Stoppage The Distension and Swelling of the Belly with a Noise and Griping in the Guts and small Loosenesses which return frequently A Hardness and Heaviness in the Stomach as if it were a great Stone and a troublesome Sensation as if the Belly were squeez'd with a Cross-Bar Piles or Emerods of long continuance and painful Great Heat in the Palms of the Hands A Swelling of the Veins in the Face and in all the Extremities of the Body All these Symptoms and many others of which every one may have had Experience are so many signs to give us notice that our Health is in danger of yielding to the Insults of a Disease if we do not take care to support it The Inquiry wou'd be more curious than necessary to examine for what Reasons those Symptoms give us notice of approaching Distempers for as it is sufficient for a Pilot to have a Needle touch'd with a Load-Stone and to know that it turns always towards a certain Pole without being oblig'd to know the natural Cause of so surprizing a Phaenomenon so 't is also enough for any Body to know that the signs of which we have spoken are so many Fore-runners of Distempers without troubling himself to examine particularly why every one of these Symptoms is an effect of this general Cause wherefore we are forewarn'd sometimes by some of them and sometimes by others sometimes by one alone and sometimes by many But it being generally known that one or many of 'em or this and that Symptom are certain Marks of a Depravation of the Health we may chuse either to wait till the Disease appears and afterwards cure it with difficulty or to prevent it easily before it is form'd Now 't is most certain that a Man shou'd rather be his own Physician while the Disease is yet unform'd than to wait till it appear that he may avoid fallling into those Extremities to which it may reduce the stoutest Heart by excess of Pain impatient uneasiness under the Cure and perpetual fear of Death From this Principle we may infer that 't is not only unnecessary but
THE ART OF Preserving and Restoring HEALTH Explaining the Nature and Causes of the Distempers that afflict Mankind Also shewing That every Man is or may be his own best Physician To which is added A Treatise of the most Simple and Effectual Remedies for the Diseases of Men and Women Written in French by M. Flamand M. D. and faithfully translated into English LONDON Printed for R. Bently in Covent-Garden H. Bonwick in St. Paul's Church-yard and S. Manship at the Ship in Cornhill 1697. THE French Author's PREFACE I Shall have all the Reason in the World to complain of the Injustice of the Public if my Charitable Design in Publishing this little Treatise be look'd upon as an effect of my Vanity or an Arrogant Undertaking to prescribe Rules to Physicians I am sensible of the vast acknowledgments we owe for the daily and important discoveries they make in that useful Art and that they do not stand in need of any Light to direct 'em but what they acquire by their own Experience and Studies I never entertain'd a Thought of controverting the just Right they are possess'd of to give Laws to the rest of Mankind nor was ever guilty of the least Intention to disswade my Readers from following the Instructions of their lawful Guides My only Design was to serve the Necessities of those who tho' they are not profess'd Physicians are nevertheless Masters of a sufficient Stock of Sense and Judgment and are neither too scrupulously fond nor unreasonably negligent of their Health for 't is eertain that the two opposite Extremities are equally to be avoided upon all Occasions I hope I shall easily obtain pardon for retaining some Terms of Art when the Subject cou'd not be distinctly handl'd without 'em especially since I have always taken care to explain ' em I never intended to court any Approbation but that of the Candid Reader and I shall think my self abundantly recompens'd for all my Labour if there be any thing found in my Book that may deserve it A TABLE OF THE Principal Matters Contain'd in the following Treatise THE Art of Preserving Health and Preventing Diseases by Instinct assisted by the Light of Reason Page 1 OBSERVATION I. That Man is endu'd with Instinct Ib. The Definition of Instinct according to the Ancient Philosophers Ibid. Of the Nature of Instinct according to des Cartes and other Modern Philosophers 2 The Doctrine of Instinct confirm'd by Reason and Experience Ibid. Cato the Censor was Physician to himself and to his whole Family 3 Montaigne relates the same of his Ancestors tho' he was a profest Admirer of Medicine 4 That Man may be assisted by Reason in the choice of proper Remedies 5 That a Man cannot make use of a better Physician than himself Ibid. OBSERVATION II. Of the Temperaments or Constitutions of Bodies and of the Causes of Diseases in general 6 Of the Nine sorts of Temperaments according to the Doctrine and Definitions of the Schools Ibid. That the Knowledge of the Temperaments serves to discover the Inclinations of Men and the Distempers to which they are subject 7 That there are two sorts of Persons the one strong and healthy the other Feeble and Tender 8 CHAP I. Of the principal Causes of Diseases in the general Ibid. That there are Four Causes of Diseases two remote and two more immediate Ibid. Of Melancholy The first remote Cause of Diseases Of the bad Effects it produces both in the Body and Mind and of the Remedies that may be us'd against it 9 What ought to be done in order to prevent the Effects of Vexation and Melancholy 12 That there are two sorts of Cures the one perfect or eradicative and the other imperfect or palliative Ibid. That Melancholy is a Distemper both of the Mind and of the Body Ibid. The Cure of Melancholy or Vexation 14 Of Debauchery or Intemperance The Second remote Cause of Diseases 15 CHAP. II. Of Excess in Eating and Drinking Ibid. How Distempers are occasion'd by Excess in Eating and Drinking Ibid. Rules to be observ'd with respect to Eating and Drinking by those that are in Health 17 The Signs of good and wholsome Food or Nourishment Ibid. CHAP. III. Of the immoderate Vse of the Pleasures of Love 18 That the immoderate use of Amorous Enjoyments is prejudicial to health and for what reason Ibid. What ought to be done by such as live single in order to subdue their lustful Inclinations 19 20 Of the Diseases that may be occasion'd by a rigorous abstinence from the Pleasures of Love when care is not taken to prevent 'em by the use of cooling and opening Medicines Ibid. That the excessive use of those Pleasures is more dangerous than an entire abstinence from 'em and for what reason 20 CHAP. IV. Of the quantity or abundance of the Blood the first immediate Cause of Diseases 21 How Diseases may be occasion'd meerly by the quantity or abundance of the Blood 22 An account of the Distempers that proceed from the Redundancy of the Blood 23 CHAP. V Of the Depravation of the Blood consider'd as an immediate Cause of Diseases occasion'd by the retaining of the Excrements in the Body 24 How the Digestion of the Aliments is perform'd by the Stomach Ibid. How a Cacochymy or ill dispositition of the Blood is produc'd 26 Two Objections answer'd 27 28 The Excrements compar'd to a heap of Dung 28 That the Liver alone is not able to free the Blood from all its Impurities and for what reason 29 How that little quantity of Blood that passes thro' the small Vessels of the Gut Colon may infect the whole Mass of the Blood Ibid. CHAP. VI. Of the Cure or Removal of the First immediate Cause of Diseases by lessening the Quantity of the Blood 30 Two ways to lessen the quantity of the Blood Abstinence or a spare diet and Bleeding Ibid. How the quantity of the Blood is lessen'd by Abstinence and in what Cases this Method is most proper 31 Of Bleeding and when we shou'd have recourse to it Ibid. CHAP. VII Of the ways to remove the Second immediate Cause of Diseases occasion'd by the too long continuance of the Excrements in the Cavities of the great Guts 32 Four ways with which Animals are inspir'd by Instinct to hasten the Expulsion of the Excrements 32 c. Diet is the first Expedient that contributes to the Evacuation of the Excrements 33 The ill consequences of an irregular Diet Ibid. What use ought to be made of this Expedient in order to prevent Distempers 34 Bleeding is the second way to facilitate the voiding of Excrements that are too long retain'd Ibid. The Vsefulness of Bleeding in Defluxions Wounds Child-birth c. Ibid. How Bleeding promotes the Expulsion of the Excrements 35 That Bleeding ought to precede the use of purging Medicines and for what reason Ibid. Of the most proper times for Bleeding 36 Of the Rules that are to be observed in order to make a right use of Bleeding 37 38.
an Infant assoon as 't is born applies it self to the Nipple which is presented to it by the Mother or Nurse and sucks out the Milk without considering that it wants it for its Nourishment And soon after when the Organs of his Senses are strengthen'd and when he begins to fix his Eyes upon such Objects as present themselves to his sight do not we see that he endeavours to avoid those that are disagreeable to him that he cries and is troubled when an unknown or deform'd Person takes him out of his Nurse's Arms And is it not plain that these are the Effects of Instinct since Beasts do the same without the Light of Reason But we are not only guided by Instinct during our Infancy for we are sensible of it even in the Vigour of our Age. How often does it happen that while our Thoughts are â—ntent upon some important Affair we approach the Fire in the Winter or eat a hearty Meal and do several other things without thinking on them Cato the Censor one of the wisest Persons among the Romans was Physician to himself and to his whole Family and he who writes his Life tells us that that Illustrious Roman was wont to boast that he always kept himself and his Family in perâ—ect Health by the help of such Physick as he prepar'd himself which is as much as â—f he had intimated to us that he was a diâ—igent Observer of the Dictates of Nature Montaigne one of the most refin'd Witâ— of our Age relates the same of his Ancestors in the Second Book of his Essays Chap. 3â— My Father says he liv'd seventy four Years my Grand-father sixty nine and my Great Grandfather near eighty without so much as tasting any Medicines for whatsoever was not commonly us'd serv'd them instead of Drugs Nevertheless 't is certain that he did noâ— write this because he had an Aversion to Physick for he was too wise and judicious noâ— to have a particular value for so useful aâ— Art as appears by another Passage of hiâ— Works where he expresses himself in theâ—â— Words Health is a precious thing which reaâ— deserves that a Man shou'd employ not only bâ— time but every thing else for its Preservation If Men will join Reason to their Natural Instinct they may know themselves beâ—ter than the Beasts can possibly do whicâ— perhaps have no Knowledge or at leâ—â—â— are incapable of Reflexion I am not ignorant that Monsieur de 〈◊〉 Chambre a very Learned and Eminent Physician hath written a particular Treatise coâ—cerning the Reasoning of Beasts But tâ—â— Reader will give me leave to own that 〈◊〉 am neither of his Opinion nor of that 〈◊〉 some other Philosophers who affirm thâ—â— Beasts act formally and directly for the aâ—taining of their End tho' in an imperfeâ—â— manner since according to the Philosopherâ— the distinction of Degrees or More and Leâ—â— does not imply a special Difference and since there is no Effect that does not depend upon or proceed from an Internal Cause which can hardly be allow'd to Beasts Besides Reason enables a Man to choose out of many Remedies that which he knows to be the most proper for himself whereas all other Animals of the same Species use the same Remedies because they are not capable of making so nice a Distinction To conclude as 't is plain that certain Junctures of Time and other Circumstances have a considerable influence upon the Effect of Medicines it must also be acknowledged as wholly owing to Reason that a Man who has made use of the same Remedies at different times when he comes to reflect upon their various Effects is able with more exactness and Judgment to choose fit Opportunities to secure or promote their Success 'T is thus that many Husbandmen Labourers and other Country People preserve their Health for the space of seventy or eighty Years and live to a great Age without having need of any but their own Internal Physician that is their natural Instinct and the Light of their Reason which admonishes 'em to avoid Debauchery Excess and Ambition 'T is certain then that we can make use of no better Physicians than our selves provided we wou'd seriously apply our selves to the Preservation of our Health and Strength and diâ—igently follow our Instinct and the Light of our Reason OBSERVATION II. Of the Temperaments or Constitutionâ— of Bodies and of the Causes of Diseases in general 'T WOU'D be needless to trouble thâ— Reader with the Definition or Etymology of the Word Temperament or Constitution and its Division into nine different Species which are the common Subjects of Disputation in the Schools since there are verâ— few who know not that a Temperament â— nothing else but a Mixture of the four Qualities viz. Heat Coldness Moisture and Dryness And on the other Hand tho' a Man shouâ—â— know that there are nine Species of Temperaments viz. one temperate and the other eight intemperate he wou'd not perhaps bâ— the more Learned Nevertheless lest my Silence shou'd be imputed to Ignorance I wiâ—â— give such an account of 'em as may in somâ— measure satisfie the Reader 's Curiosity The Temperate Constitution is that which is composed of a due and convenient Mixture of the four first Qualities either according to the Quantity which we call a Temperate Constitution ad pondus i. e. to weight or according to the Quality ad justitiam fit for every Faculty to perform its Operations aright I leave it to be decided by my more Learned and Experienc'd Brethren whether they ever met with such a Constitution in their Practice An Intemperate Constitution is that in which there is an Excess of one or more Qualities above the Temperate and it is twofold viz. Simple and Compound The Simple is that which is caused by the Excess of any one Quality viz. Hot Cold Dry or Moist separately The Compound is that which is produc'd by the Excess of two or more Qualities Thus Heat and Moisture conjunctly make a Sanguine Constitution which answers to Adolescency and the Spring Heat and Dryness agree with Youth Choler and the Summer and so of the rest An Intemperate Constitution as well Simple as Compound may be either Healthful or Sickly Equal or Unequal with or without Matter c. But since these Distinctions wou'd engage me in unprofitable Debates I refer the Reader to those Authors who have treated on that Subject And tho' the Knowledge of the Constitutions may be of some use to discover the Inclinations of Men and many Diseases to which they are subject I will chuse rather to say with a late Author that there are but two sorts of Persons one that are endow'd with a healthy and strong Constitution and the other with a feeble and weak Constitution who are almost always sick and enjoy but very little Health 'T is a great Advantage to be naturally well-disposed both in Body and Mind for such a Person may enjoy a perfect Health by leading a regular
Life But when one is naturally of an ill Constitution he loses his Health as often as he neglects the Admonitions of his Instinct and consequently must lead a very troublsome and uneasie Life CHAP. I. Of the principal Causes of Diseases in the general THERE are four Causes of Diseases viz. two remote which are Melancholy or Vexation and Debauchery and two immediate which are an excess of Blood and the too long continuance of the Excrements in the great Guts Of Melancholy The first remote Cause of Diseases Of the bad Effects which it produces both in the Body and Mind and of its Remedies THere are very few Persons who are not acquainted with Melancholy either by Reason or Experience since the Life of Man is a continual Revolution of Prosperity and Adversity and the Oppositions betwixt those two Conditions excite in us contrary Motions and very different Passions That Tranquillity of Mind which accompanies good Fortune is very proper to preserve the Health for tho' the Mind and the Body are of a different Nature yet they have an Affinity which keep 'em in such Dependance one to the other that there is nothing regularly done in the whole Composition unless it be carry'd on by an equal Combination of the two Parts All our Actions are perform'd by the assistance of the Vital and Animal Spirits and 't is their Commerce which maintains that perfect Union between the Heart and the Brain which are the principal Organs of the Body For 't is plain that the Brain cannot produce the Animal Spirits unless the subtil parts of the Blood be convey'd thither through the Arteries and that the Heart which is a Muscle hath not power by its continual Motion to diffuse the Blood through the whole Body but by the assistance of the Animal Spirits Now when the Mind is serene and undisturb'd that all the Parts may be sensible of her Impressions she furnishes 'em with a sufficient quantity of Spirits to enable 'em to perform their respective Actions But on the other hand when the Mind is agitated with a Croud of dismal Apprehensions that give Entrance to Grief and Melancholy she is perpetually ruminating on the Causes of her Disasters and endeavouring with all imaginable Application to remove 'em which must needs occasion a vast expence of Spirits So that all the Animal Spirits which are generated in the Brain are scarce able to supply those Parts which are subservient to the designs of the Soul in the performance of those hasty Motions she requires from 'em and consequently since so large a quantity of the Spirits flows into the Nerves that are bestow'd upon those Parts there are but few left for the other Nerves Now the Parts which help to change or digest the Aliments and are subservient to all the Actions which are call'd Natural being of no use to the Passions 't is plain that the Nerves which go to those Parts receive but few Spirits from the Brain and consequently that their Fibres are very weakly mov'd and their Actions disorderly and irregular so that the Excrements can hardly be expell'd and their too long continuance in the Guts is the immediate Cause of Diseases We may add that the great dissipation of the Animal Spirits when the Soul is vex'd and disturb'd is the occasion that a greater quantity of Blood than usual is sent from the Heart to the Brain to make up the Loss of those Spirits and consequently the Nourishment of all the other Parts is both much lessen'd and chang'd as to its quality For 't is always the best part of the Blood that runs to the Brain and the Body is depriv'd of its best Nourishment particularly the Membranous Parts which are weakned and dry'd up for want of fit Matter to preserve them and this Inconveniency reaching the Intestines as well as all the other Parts 't is certain that they cannot expel the Excrements with vigour by their Vermicular or Peristaltick Motion being depriv'd of the Animal Spirits by whose Assistance they were moved We also see that those who are naturally of a melancholy and peevish Humour who apply themselves to study or to other Employments which require much application are usually lean and subject to be often Costive and commonly fancy themselves to be extremely sick before they have the least disposition or tendency to Sickness What ought to be done in order to prevent the Effects of Grief or Melancholy ALL Diseases as well of the Body as of the Mind may be cured either perfectly or imperfectly A perfect Cure consists in the entire destruction of all the Causes of the Disease which must necessarily cease when the Causes are remov'd Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus This sort of Cure is call'd cradicative Grief is not only a Disease of the Body but 't is one of the most considerable Distempers that can possibly afflict the Mind It cannot be always cur'd by an entire removal of its Causes since they are not always in our power and the best Reasons that can be alledged to persuade a Man to raise himself by the Strength of his Mind above the reach of Ill Fortune may serve indeed for a fine Amusement to a contemplative Genius but are rarely able to allay the torment of an afflicted Mind For as it is easie for those on whom Fortune smiles to comfort the Miserable so it is hard for those who are in trouble not to feel the weight of their Misfortunes As for Example if a Man was entirely ruin'd or reduc'd to extreme want by a litigious Action enter'd against him by his Enemies a grave Philosopher might indeed admonish him that the Estate he had lost was transitory and perishable and that he ought not to have settl'd his Affections on it neither as a Man because he shou'd have consider'd that he must have left it sooner or later nor as a Christian because as such he ought not to look upon such fleeting Enjoyments as his Portion but upon those which are Everlasting These are certain and undoubted Truths but wou'd not in all probability quiet the Mind of a Person in such Circumstances or make him forget his Loss And 't is no less certain that the Recovery of his Estate wou'd be the most effectual Expedient to restore the Tranquility of his Mind Grief may be also occasion'd by many other Causes which are no less without our power and beyond the reach of Medicines than the former But that which seems to be peculiar to this troublesome Distemper is that whereas other Distempers are commonly cur'd by things that are contrary to 'em that which is contrary to this commonly augments rather than abates the Distemper For a Man who is drowned in Sorrow is incapable of taking Pleasure in any thing and Joy which is opposite to his Grief is so far from easing him that he cannot endure to perceive the least appearance of it in another ' Twou'd be needless then to attempt the Cure by endeavouring
to divert his Thoughts and therefore in expectation that Time which is the only Physician in such Cases may heal the Wounds of his Mind or some of those unexpected Revolutions to which all the World is subject may put an end to the Cause of his Sorrow we must content our selves with persuading him at least to resist the fatal Influence which this Passion may have upon his bodily Health because of the strict Union that is between those two Parts which compose the Man 'T is certain that Grief may be the Spring and Fountain of many Diseases by causing the Excrements to remain too long in the great Guts And therefore we must endeavour to make the best use of the Signs by which the Internal Physician acquaints us with the stoppage of those Impurities in these Passages lest the Mind shou'd by degrees communicate the infectious Contagion of its Distemper to the Body that is we must expel those Excrements as soon as we perceive any signs of fulness and in order to this we must chuse the most convenient Medicines For as I intimated before we must either entirely remove the Causes of a Disease or at least endeavour to prevent their Fatal Effects Of Debauchery or Intemperance The Second remote Cause of Diseases DEbauchery consists chiefly in two things viz. in excess of Drinking and Eating and in the immoderate use of the Pleasures of Love for 't is by this means that the most healthy Persons destroy themselves and shorten their Days even tho' they be otherwise of a stronger Constitution than others CHAP. II. Of Excess in Drinking and Eating THAT we may comprehend the manner how Diseases are occasion'd by excess in Eating and Drinking we must examine the Action of the Stomach and Guts in converting the Food into Chyle for if we consider that all the Fibres which compose the Contexture of those Parts are as it were so many small Springs being which successively slacken'd and contracted keep the Food in a continual Motion which with the assistance of dissolving Acids attenuates bruises and entirely changes its Nature Now 't is plain that these Springs may lose their force and activity by a continual Pressure and distension occasion'd by an excessive quantity of Food which fills the Spaces that are formed by their Turnings and Windings even as the Springs of our Machines are stopt when their Relaxation is hinder'd by a strong Pressure For as a Bow cannot long retain its Spring if it be kept continually bent and the finest Machine in the World will decay insensibly if it be not diligently kept in Order so the most vigorous Stomach may be spoil'd by an over-proportion'd quantity of Food because the Fibres both of that and of the other Parts which help Digestion are either broken or so weaken'd by a continual Extension that they cannot afterwards contract and expand themselves either to concoct the Food or to expel the Excrements that are separated from it Now Indigestion and the Stoppage of the Excrements in the Body are in a great measure the immediate Causes of Diseases But let us suppose that the Stomach tho loaded with Food may nevertheless be able to digest it when the Body is very strong and vigorous what must be the consequence of such a Digestion but that the redundant Chyle flowing out of the Stomach and not being admitted into the Milky-Vessels of the Mesenterium must remain in the small Guts and afterwards pass with the Excrements into the greater where it must quickly be corrupted for want of a sufficient ferment to keep up its Motion and consequently must of necessity corrupt the Excrements and occasion all those Disorders which shall be mentioned in the Chapters that treat of the immediate Causes of Diseases We ought therefore diligently to avoid excess in Drinking and Eating and for that reason 't is necessary that every one should be acquainted with his own Constitution As for Example the Cholerick have occasion to eat oftener than the Phlegmatick because those are much hotter than these and the Heat not meeting with Matter to digest takes hold of the Alimentary Juice and thereby insensibly weakens the principal parts of the Body Whoever enjoys a perfect Health ought to use indifferently every thing that is fit to Nourish him especially when he has observ'd that any particular sort of Food is endu'd with all the necessary Qualities as first when it is agreeable to the Taste for when the Stomach loaths any particular kind of Meat tho' at the same time it be very good and wholsome we ought to abstain from it because it will infallibly either cause Indigestion or provoke Vomiting Secondly When 't is easily digested without occasioning either a slackness or straitness in the Belly These are the surest Marks of wholsome Food and there remains nothing more to be observ'd but that the Quantity must always be moderate We must then to preserve our Health eat when we are hungry and drink when we are thirsty whatsoever is proper to be eaten or drunk without forcing Nature and without either starving or cloying our Stomachs CHAP. III. Of the immoderate Vse of the Pleasures of Love THIS sort of Intemperance is no less dangerous and prejudicial than the former I need not mention those infamous Marks and Effects of Lechery the Gonorrhaea both simple and virulent Phimosis Paraphimosis Excrescencies Bubo's and in a Word the Disease which is commonly entertain'd by all Nations tho' none of 'em are willing to own it as a Native these are the usual Consequences and the just Rewards of unbridl'd Lust But besides it is certain that the immoderate use of those Pleasures dissipates the Spirits extremely weakens the Brain robs the Nerves and Membranous Parts of their proper Nourishment is fatal to those who have a weak Breast heats and drys up the whole Body and makes way for a whole Army of Diseases by weakening the Action of the great Guts by dissipating the Spirits and by drying up the Fibres It is therefore necessary to moderate the Pleasures of Love if we wou'd preserve our selves from irrecoverable Ruine and consequently in our amorous Inclinations we ought to consult our Strength and never to give a full career to our eager Desires We must be entirely Masters of our selves that we may be able upon Occasion to curb the heat of a Passion which has in all Ages fooled the wisest Heads and baffled the severest Vertue since the Wisdom of Solomon the Holiness of David and the Strength of Sampson could not moderate the Sallies of this ungoverneable Passion And 't was this that made the modest Virgil say Omnia vincit Amor nos cedamus Amori Reason which ought to guide us in all our Steps is never less obey'd nor more strangely puzzl'd than when she attempts to calm the impetuous Motions of Love that are stirr'd up in us by an infinite Number of Objects and after a thousand several ways To make our selves Masters of this Passion
continuing their Course descend from that part of the Intestines which is fix'd to the Mesentery and enter into the great Guts where they are stopt This being premis'd I proceed to shew that the remaining part of the Chyle which is properly an Excrement after its entry into the great Guts infecteth the Blood by its too long continuance in that part witâ— a Cacochymia which as I intimated before iâ— the immediate Cause of most of our Indispositions For since the Excrements are unfit for Nourishment and are of no use in the great Guts they cannot continue there long without Corruption Now there can be nâ— Corruption of any Matter without Fermertation by which some subtil Particles aâ—â— loosen'd and separated from the corrupteâ— Matter which meeting with a Porous Substance are easily disperst thro' it by the iâ—petuosity of their Motion Thus the Cacchymia is at last communicated to the Hâ—mours for the Excrements that remain loâ—â— in the great Guts are fermented after whicâ— the Subtil Particles that are separated by thâ— Fermentation striking against the Sides 〈◊〉 Coats of the Guts find the Pores of thâ—â—â— Vessels which surround them fit to receivâ— them and slipping into those Passages communicate their Corruption to the Blood thâ—â— circulates thro' those Vessels which coâ—tinuing for a considerable time they infâ—â—â— the whole Mass of Blood and this Infâ—ction proves the Source of many Diseases It may by objected that it does not seem probable that the Excrements shou'd be corrupted by remaining in the Body since it has been observ'd that those which have remain'd long in the Body are not so stinking as those that have lain there only so long as they ought to do naturally that Stench is the most certain Mark of Corruption and that consequently the longer they stay they ought to stink the more if they corrupted proportionably to the time of their continuance in the Guts But the reason why the Excrements stink less when they have remain'd long in the Guts is because their Humidity is dissipated by the continu'd Action of the Heat for the moist Particles being rarify'd and subtiliz'd by the Heat exhale from the Mass of the Excrements and finding as I observ'd before the Pores of the Vessels which environ the great Guts disposed to receive 'em they slip into these small Passages and produce an Alteration in all the Blood that passes that way which makes it degenerate from its natural State and therefore it will not follow that the Excrements which are retain'd are exempted from Corruption because their Smell is not so offensive but that the Heat having consum'd all the Moisture that was on their Surface and having dry'd or rather burnt it up they cannot be suppos'd to yield so noisome a Smell as before those Steams were exhal'd The same Alteration may be observ'd in a Heap of Dung which after it has been long expos'd to the Sun casts forth no bad smell provided it be not mov'd or agitated but if it be turn'd or mov'd to the Bottom it will smoak and cast forth a more noisome smell than when it was first brought to the Dunghil After the same manner the Excrements that have remain'd long in the Body are dry'd up in their Surface and are scarce offensive to the Smelâ— when expell'd naturally but when they are agitated by the Bile as in a Diaâ—rhoea or Loosness their Stench is insupportable It may further be objected that the Veiâ—â— and Arteries which environ the great Guts are so inconsiderable that 't is hard to conceivâ— how that little quantity of Blood which passâ—â— thro' them can spoil the whole Mass because thâ— small Portion of Blood being forthwith carryâ—â— back from those Vessels into the Trunk 〈◊〉 the Vena Porta is freed from all its impurties and even supposing that there remainâ— some ill quality in it it may be presumâ—â— that so small a quantity of ill Blood passiâ—â— from the Roots of the Vena Porta into thâ— Vena Cava and from thence to the Heart 〈◊〉 so at last mingling with all the Blood of 〈◊〉 Body can no more corrupt the whole Maâ—â— than a Glass of Water thrown into a Hogsheâ—â— of Wine can weaken that Spirituous Liquoâ— For a satisfactory Answer to this Objection we must examine whether the Liver is able to purge the Blood of all its Impurities now 't is certain that the Liver alone is not able to perform so great a Task since the Spleen Reins and other parts are appointed for the same use and since the Liver serves properly to purge the Blood only from the Bile It will not then follow when the Blood is infected with corrupt Particles that slip into the Vessels which environ the great Guts that in its passage thro' the Liver it throws off all its Infection upon that Entral because that Part being only proper to separate the Bile 't is probable that the Corpuscles which insinuated themselves into the Vessels of the Intestines being of another Figure than those of the Bile may pass thro' the Liver with the rest of the Blood without any Stoppage or Separation In the second place we must consider whether the small quantity of bad Blood which passes thro' the minute Vessels of the Gut Colon is able to communicate its ill qualities to all the Blood of the Body To this second Difficulty I answer that since the Blood circulates thro' the whole Body 't is plain that a great quantity must pass in one Day thro' the smallest Vessels and consequently that the Fermentation of the Excrements which are not unfrequently retain'd eight Days and sometimes longer in the great Guts giving occasion during all that time to a continual Efflux of Subtil Particles which are receiv'd into the Pores of the Vessels of that Intestine may in many Circulations corrupt so large a quantity of Blood that it may in a short time infect the whole Mass And by the same Hypothesis we may give a Natural and Satisfactory Account how the venomous Particles that are darted by a poysonous Insect into one of the Capillary Vessels and that even in the Extremities of the Body may in less than an Hour spread their Infection thro' the whole Mass of the Blood CHAP. VI. Of the Cure or Removal of the First immediate Cause of Diseases by lessening the Quantity of the Blood THERE are two general ways by which we may lessen the quantity of Blood viz. by preventing its Increase and by evacuating with all convenient speed what is already generated And to answer these Indications there are two great Remedies viz. Fasting and Bleeding We may have recourse to the first when we perceive some inconsiderable Symptoms of Diseases that proceed from the excessive quantity of the Blood in which case we may content our selves with a very regular Diet which tho' it has not so quick an Operation as Bleeding at last it produces the same Effect and that without occasioning any remarkable weakness for Abstinence hindering the
production of new Blood does for the same reason occasion a dissipation of part of that which is already generated and consequently answers both the Indications that were propos'd But if the Disease requires a speedy Cure which cannot be perform'd by Abstinence as it oftentimes happens we must have recourse to Bleeding which by a present Evacuation of the Blood destroys the Cause of the approaching Disease ' Twou'd be ridiculous to object that Bleeding causes greater Alterations in the Body than Abstinence or a thin Diet that it occasions a sudden dissipation of the Spirits and consequently is attended with a much greater decay of Strength for that Loss will be much sooner and more easily repair'd than the Disorders that are occasion'd by Diseases CHAP. VII Of the ways to remove the Second immediate Cause of Diseases occasion'd by the too long continuance of the Excrements in the Cavities of the great Guts ' THO the Excrements that are retain'd in the great Guts are meer Impurities and extremely prejudicial to Health yet we must proceed with Caution in the means we use to expel them We must not begin with the quickest ways because they occasion great Disorders in the Body and it has been too often observ'd that inconsiderable Distempers have been exasperated and confirm'd by an over-hasty Cure and therefore gentle Remedies are both safest and most successful Instinct has furnish'd Animals with two sure and effectual Expedients to procure the expulsion of the Excrements that are retain'd in the Cavities of the great Guts viz. Clysters and Purgative Potions which 't is probable Men began to use when they observed the great Advantages which Animals receiv'd from them Bleeding and Abstinence which second the Effects of the former Remedies are also Lessons which Men owe to the Brutes and these four Expedients acting either jointly or separately are the safest and most effectual Means that can be made use of to hinder the stoppage of the Excrements in the great Guts and consequently to prevent the Diseases which proceed from such Obstructions It is easie to conceive how Abstinence or a regular Diet may contribute to the Evacuation of the Excrements if we consider that those Excrements are the remainders of our Nourishment That the more we eat and drink the more Excrements are bred in those Parts so that the Evacuation of those Excrements wou'd be an endless Work if the empty'd Guts were presently fill'd with the superfluities of a greedy Stomach But in the mean time a Diet which is only prescrib'd for prevention ought not to be so regular or thin as that which is enjoyn'd to sick Persons It is known that too nice or sparing a Diet is prejudicial to Health and is so far from assisting Nature in the Evacuation of the Excrements that it renders her unable to expel ' em Besides the Liquor which serves to dissolve the Food not finding Matter to work upon acts upon the parts that contain and receive it by drying and consuming them It may be further added that a Man who takes Physick only for prevention does not abstain from Labour and Exercise and therefore stands in need of Nourishment to repair the expence of his Spirits Wherefore to prevent Diseases one ought only to fast moderately at the same time he ought to avoid as much as he can eating in Company because People are usually wont to eat a little more than is necessary and besides he ought to chuse such Aliments as will leave but few Excrements in the Body and especially he must take care never to eat to satiety The second Expedient we propos'd to facilitate the Passage of the Excrements is Bleeding which is doubtless one of the best Methods that Nature cou'd suggest to Animals for it is certain that besides that there is no Remedy which depends more absolutely upon the Pleasure of the Person who either orders or performs it so there is none which in most Cases gives more speedy relief to the Patient Every Surgeon knows how useful Bleeding is to put a stop to Defluxions and the falling down of Humours which are always apt to fall upon wounded Parts how effectual it is to dissolve large Tumours with which Wounds are frequently accompany'd how powerfully it stops the inordinate Flux of Blood in the Wounds of the Vessels and both Surgeons and Midwives know how helpful it is to facilitate so difficult a Work Our Business at present is to enquire how it may contribute to the Expulsion of the Excrements out of the Cavities of the great Guts The Expulsion of the Excrements retain'd in the Cavities of the great Guts is perform'd chiefly by the Contraction of its moving Fibres assisted by those of the Muscles of the lower Belly and by the continual Inspiration which obliges the Diaphragma to press all the Guts All these Actions are perform'd by means of the Animal Spirits which upon such Occasions flow plentifully to the Parts which are the Organs of these Actions Now these Spirits are continually dissipated and that expence must be repair'd by the Blood of which they are compos'd provided there be a reasonable quantity in the Vessels which are appointed to contain it for when there is a Redundancy of Blood the Spirits are as it were suffocated and drown'd in the abundance of their Matter so that the best Office we can do to Nature on such Occasions is by Bleeding to reduce the Mass of Blood to a moderate quantity in order to ease her of an unnecessary Burthen which obstructs the liberty of her Actions Bleeding ought always to precede Purgations when both these Remedies are indicated by the signs of a Redundancy excessive Heat or Corruption of the Blood For we find by Experience that Purgatives operate both more gently and effectually when the Vessels are empty'd and the excessive heat of the Blood allay'd and its Depravation corrected by Bleeding 'T is further observable that we ought rather to bleed early in the Morning than at any other Hour of the Day and that when we are oblig'd to have recourse to this Remedy in very hot Weather we ought to be let Blood before the Rising or after the Setting of the Sun and in very cold Weather at Noon But in the general we ought to avoid Bleeding as much as we can when the Season is either excessively hot or cold for 't is certain that Bleeding is always attended with better Success when these Cautions are observ'd than when they are neglected With respect to the Age of the Patient we ought to bleed Infants less frequently and to take less Blood from them than from other Persons because a great part of their Blood is consum'd in the Nourishment and Growth of their Body in all its Dimensions So that from six Weeks or two Months after the birth of an Infant which is the time at which we may begin to let him Blood if there be a pressing Occasion to the Age of five or six Years I wou'd not take
even dangerous to take Physick when we are not troubl'd with any of those Symptoms because nothing that is able to cause an Alteration in the Body can be taken without making some Impression on it either good or bad For Example the Food which we take in too great a quantity or which is of hard Digestion engenders a great quantity of Crudities and Excrements which are as we have already intimated the Cause of most Diseases Purgative Medicines taken without necessity drive the useful Liquors or Juices towards the places where they are expell'd and not finding any that are superfluous or deprav'd weakens the Fibres of the Intestines Veins and Arteries by unnecessary Irritations and produces an unusual Heat in the whole Body When we are forewarn'd of Diseases either the Symptoms are many and pressing or few and inconsiderable When they are many and our Instinct seems to redouble its Admonitions we must lose no time but without having regard either to the Season of the Year the Age of the Moon or the Temperature of the Air take such Physick as we think necessary to preserve us from falling into any Disease But if these Symptoms are but small and few in Number since we know by Experience that Purgatives work more mildly and easily in a Temperate Season as in the Spring and Harvest than during the excessive Heat of the Summer and great Cold of the Winter when the Moon is in her Wane or Declination than during her Increase in Dry rather than Moist Weather and that they weaken the Body much more in the Dog-Days the Solstices and Equinoxes than at other times we may defer the use of Physick for some Days that we may take it at a time when all those Circumstances or most of them will be in a condition to make it succeed the better 'T is commonly believ'd that only weak and sickly Persons ought to take care to preserve their Health that those who are of a strong or healthy Constitution ought not to trouble themselves about it because Nature can in strong Bodies remove and destroy by its own Force the Causes of all their Distempers and because Physick disturbs the Oeconomy of our Body much more than it is of use to support it since we see by Experience that most of those imaginary sick Persons who spend all their time in the Preservation of their Health die sooner than those who never have recourse to Physick but when they are absolutely forc'd thereto by some pressing Distemper I know that it is dangerous to be too fond of Medicines that is either to take too much or too often but I may venture to affirm that there is no Man let him be never so strong and healthy but has sometimes need of the help of Physick for as the best Water in the World leaves always some Dregs in the Pipes thro' which it passes which gathering insensibly Obliges those who stand in need of the Water to cleanse the Pipes and to hinder their being quite stopt so it is certain that the best Blood that can be imagin'd to flow in a perfectly sound Body will leave some Dregs and Filth in the Vessels thro' which it passes to all the Parts of the Body And these Dregs gathering by degrees in the Vessels hinders the free Motion of the Blood the interruption of which occasions those premonitory Disorders which we call Presages of Instinct and in this Case 't is plain we ought to take Physick to prevent Sickness For it happens at last that most of those obstinate People who despise all sorts of Remedies under pretext of the healthiness of their Constitution are attack'd with Diseases which are so much the more troublesome and dangerous as their Health seem'd to be perfect so that oftentimes their Aversion to Physick costs 'em their Life And tho' they escape they must expect to suffer all the Incommodities of a tedious languishing Distemper and will never be able to recover what they have lost CHAP. IX Of Clysters and Medicines AS for the way of purging by Clysters 't is certain that they may be us'd at all times when we find any Symptoms of the Stoppage or retention of the Excrements in the great Guts for it being impossible to make these Injections ascend higher than the Intestine call'd Caecum because of the Obstacles they meet with there they cannot be suppos'd to occasion a great Irritation in that Passage whose Structure is not so sine as that of the small Guts unless they be impregnated with very violent Purgatives We must not make the taking of Clysters a setl'd Practice or Custom as many People do who wou'd fansie themselves sick if they shou'd omit 'em two Days for the too frequent use of Clysters makes Nature lazy and the laziness of Nature is the fatal Cause of many Diseases Yet I will not pretend to censure those who bleed and purge constantly in the Spring and in Autumn especially if they be young vigorous and of a full Body if they eat much or live a sedentary Life without Motion or Exercise or if they are already habituated to that Custom for it is certain that many Diseases may be prevented by this means and that one exposeth himself almost infallibly to very dangerous Distempers by interrupting this practice after he has once accustom'd himself thereto It may also be proper to take Physick after a long Journey or extraordinary Labour and to conclude we ought always to purge once a Year if our Instinct discovers any Symptoms of a future Disease for thereby we may prevent the great Collection of Excrements in the great Guts where they are always apt to stick unless they be expell'd by the irritation occasion'd by purging Remedies CHAP. X. Of the way of using Medicines in Order to the Preservation of Health SINCE Health is no less preserv'd by the right use of Meat and Drink than by Medicines that are able to remove the Causes of our Distempers the Reader must remember what we hinted about Diet that we must avoid all manner of Excess and abstain from all sorts of crude Aliments and such as are apt either to make the Belly too loose or too costive that every Man is able to make a right choice and Judgment of the Medicines that are most proper for him and that after he has found some that are agreeable to those Rules he ought to prefer them before any Remedies that may be recommended to him by others I will not repeat what I have already said about Diet or the use of Aliments which do not deserve the Name of Medicines but briefly consider the two general ways of attaining to Health viz. Bleeding and Purging And since I have also deliver'd my Opinion concerning Bleeding and the Rules that ought to be observ'd in that case I shall content my self with referring the Reader to what I have already said on that Subject and only treat of the use of Laxatives or Purging Medicines ' Tho'
the Purgatives of which Clysters are compos'd cannot much disorder the Body yet there are some Measures to be taken in order to the right use of these Remedies First they ought to precede the use of such Purgatives as are to be taken by the Mouth because they facilitate their Operation by procuring the Expulsion of the Excrements that are retain'd in the great Guts which wou'd oppose their Passage and that of the Excrementitious Humours which they draw from the Stomach small Guts Veins and Arteries for as in a Woodmonger's-Yard when People come to buy Wood for Fuel when one Pile is sold and the Woodmonger designs to sell another since it wou'd be a needless trouble to climb up to the top of the Pile to serve every single Customer he overturns the whole Pile by drawing out five or six pieces of Wood at the bottom the same effect is produc'd by Clysters which by voiding the greatest part of the Excrements and Filth retain'd in the Cells of the Intestines facilitate the Operation of purging Potions which finding the Passage free are easily able to carry off the Matter they have squeez'd out of the Arteries and the slimy and gross Humours which they bring from the Stomach and from the small Guts and besides expel the rest of the Gross Excrements which they find lodg'd in the Cells of the great Guts We must further observe that the Operation of Clysters is very irregular for in some Persons a Clyster of Oxycrate will procure wonderful Evacuations which in others wou'd be altogether unprofitable and in some the strongest Clysters will not produce the least effect And that which operates well at one time will not work at all at another wherefore we must learn to prepare several sorts observing nevertheless to chuse always such as are mild and simple rather than such as are violent and hard to be prepar'd As for Purgatives that are taken by the Mouth 't is better to take them by way of Infusion than in Substance that we may spare the parts thro' which they must pass a double Labour for besides that they must suffer the Operation of the Medicines that are taken in Substance they must also unfold and disentangle the Particles in which their Purgative Vertue consists from many others of which they are compos'd whereas the Liquor in which they are infus'd imbibes only their Purgative Particles and by reason of its fluidity infinuates it self more easily into the small Passages of the Body than the gross Substance can be suppos'd to do In order to the right use of these Medicines there are four Observations to be made The First is to take 'em by degrees that is to begin with the most Mild and Simple But if their Weakness hinder their Operation we must augment the Dose or take a stronger Medicine till such time as the Evacuation be made proportionable to the Symptoms we perceive of a greater or smaller fulness or redundancy of Humours The Second Observation concerns the quickness of their Passage which is of great importance because they cannot remain long in the Body without occasioning a violent Irritation of the parts they touch which may be attended with very dangerous Consequences for a purging Medicine has almost the same Operation on the parts of the Body thro' which it passes as a Spur has upon a Horse because as the Horse goes faster when the Rider spurs him but once and kicks and winces when he keeps the Spur constantly in his Sides so the Purgative by its first Irritations moves the Parts thro' which 't is carry'd to expel the Excrements that are contain'd in 'em but when it stays too long it enflames the Parts and renders the Humours hot and dry and consequently unfit for Evacuation so that its Operation is both inconsiderable and extremely troublesome to the Patient To avoid this Inconveniency in the use of Laxatives they ought always to be accompany'd with some Vehicle that is to say a Substance fit to insinuate it self into the closest parts of the Body notwithstanding all the Obstructions it may meet with in the Parts that are appropriated for separating the Humours as the Liver Spleen Pancreas and all the Entrals These Vehicles may be made of Decoctions impregnated with the subtil Parts of certain Plants that are proper to slip into the smallest Pores of the Capillary Vessels as are for Example the Decoctions of the Roots of wild Succory Strawberry-Leaves Dog-Grass Agrimony Sorrel Chervil and many other Herbs which are endu'd with the same Virtues Instead of these Decoctions you may use the Juice of a Limon or Orange Verjuice White-Wine Whey and many other Remedies which every one may chuse from his own private Experience to facilitate the Operation of Purgatives The Third Rule to be observ'd in the use of purging Medicines is to chuse such as do not make you costive after the use of 'em for this is the surest Mark that the Physick is proportionated to the Strength of the Patient on whom it works especially since 't is but too frequently confirm'd by Experience that the more violent the Medicines are the Patient is the more costive after the use of them One might inferr from hence that the same thing happens on these Occasions to the moving Fibres of the Intestines as to Persons who being forc'd to undergo involuntary Labour are so wearied and jaded with their forc'd Exercise that they work no longer than while the Rod is over their Heads so the Fibres of the Intestines having been too roughly and frequently shaken by the Operation of the Medicine are so weary'd with these forc'd Contractions that they cannot afterwards perform the Motions that are necessary for the Expulsion of the Excrements which gather daily in their Cavities so that we are obliged either to accustom our selves to Physick or if we neglect to use it must expect a new Accumulation of Excrements which will soon after be the Cause of a new Disease To conclude The last Observation in the use of Purgatives relates particularly to those weak Medicines that produce little or no Effect when they are often repeated in a little time for the moving Fibres of the Intestines are soon accustom'd to the Impression of such Remedies and become perfectly insensible of such feeble Irritations Just as the Organs of the Senses are not sensible of the Impression of these Objects to which they are accustom'd In this case we must change the Remedies because even the weakest Purgatives remaining in the Body cannot but occasion some disturbance in it CHAP. XI Of Purgatives and how they operate Of the Time and Manner of using them IT is certain that the Operation of Purgatives destroys the most immediate Causes of the greatest part of our Diseases whether they be taken inwardly or injected by way of Clysters However it must be acknowledg'd that the way of administring 'em occasions some difference in their Operation for since Clysters reach no further than the