nutritâ—… signifying non-nutrition or little nutrition This is very frequent with us in England the sâ—…re have given it a peculiar title and call 〈◊〉 Tabes Anglica By an Atrophy you are to understand a leanness diminution or decay of the body from a fâ—ustrated nutrition Not a few there are who enjoying their health at least not complaining of any manifest infiâ—mity and eat their meat indifferent well yet do not thrive in their bodies but pine away and grow lean thin and weak What secret causes there arâ— to deprive the body of nutrition we shall endeavour to detect and discover that a right course for Cure may be instituted A Consumption Atrophy is either universal when the whole body languisheth by reason of some principal part that is ill affected or particular when some part only decays diminishes and becomes weak from a particular defect of that part To know the causes of an Atrophy is first to know exactly the causes and after what manner nutrition is performed with the requisite Circumstances The Philosopher saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tria sunt requisitâ— nutritionis There are 3 things requiâ—… to nutrition Quod alit quo alitur â—… quod alitur Quod alit is the Soul Qâ—… alitur is the food or alimentary matteâ—… Quod alitur iâ— the body That which nourisheth as the priâ—… efficient cause is the material and moâ—… Soul under which the subordinate câ—…ses adjuvant and instrumental are incâ—…ded and do act This principal efficient cause being â—…seminal production and corruptible â—… subject to the deficiencies inabilities aâ—… decays as other perishable bodies froâ— whence I shall draw this Conclusioâ—… That Consumptive Atrophies sometiâ—… take their rise from the labefaction aâ—… infirm radication of this vital principlâ—… that does senescere tabescere decline aâ—… waste sooner or later pro seminalium â—…positionum conditione and therefore wâ—… need not wonder that some persons 〈◊〉 their juvenile years and prime of thâ—… age whose bodies are equally fabricatâ—… and organized with others and laudablâ—… preserved yet decline and terminaâ—… their course sooner then the accustomeâ—… time of Nature which if so as it is truâ—… and rational to affirm then I must superadde these two Assertions First That the debility infirmity and declension of the mortal soul is upheld and preserved 〈◊〉 â—xtra by the fortitude and magnanimity of the rational and therefore it is that a cheerful placid and vigorous soul does bear up against many bodily infirmities that a pusillanimous dejected drooping mind does sink under and unable to bear and gives advantage to their infirmities Secondly That the mortal Soul this vital principle being extended per partes corporis receiving its increment and decrement and hability for operation according to organical disposition and Crasis is maintained and preserved à sinistra in power and well-being to act by their integrity and aptitude for their subservient duties The instrumental efficient cause is the Archaeus or vital Spirit the Souls grand Agent in all the faculties serving to nutrition which being deficient weak and insufficiently supplyed by an auxiliary influxed spirit these faculties are languidly or depravedly performed The next considerable about nutrition is quo alitur the nature of our food wherewith this nutrition is maintained our bodies being in a continual tranpsiration efflux and emission requireâ— constant reparation to preserve the bâ—dy rom decay and Consumption aâ—… this is supplied by aliment or food â—…ceived to be assimilated and converâ—… into the substance of the body but 〈◊〉 this food be improper or unfit in its oâ—… nature or the circumstances attendiâ—… discordant and irregular that this foâ—… obtains not its due end for which it is â—…ceived then instead of a good nutritiâ—… there follows an Atrophy or Caâ—…rophâ—… although the digestive faculties be stroâ—… yet if the food be aliene and diâ—cordâ—… to that body carrying in its nature foâ—… noxious altering property perhaps noâ—… man in specia but to this or that indâ—…duum does act per modum medicamâ—… is as medicine to change the body 〈◊〉 aliment to nourish Food may be unfit for the body thâ—… ways or in three respects either in 〈◊〉 substance the quantity or quality 〈◊〉 substance I understand consistence wâ—… it is gross hard or tough so that the â—…paration of parts by fermentation is iâ—perfect and also a slower distributioâ— in quantity food is injurious when 〈◊〉 either too little that the body decays iâ—… want or too great which causeth â—…structions crudities and depraved nutriment the digestive faculties not being able to elaborate it but are oppressed and over-loaded non enim ingestis nutrimur sed iis quae ingesta concequuntur saith Menjotius we are not to account of nutrition by the quantity and proportion of food received in but according to the digestions whether good or bad in quality food offends or is less nourishing by exceeding not only in the first qualities but in the second also as too salt too sowr sweet c. therefore according to the nature of our food and circumstances that attend it caeteris paribus is our nutrition good or bad more or less Some kind of Creatures there are that can live a long time without food of which the Poet speaks Tota mihi dormitur hyems pinguior illo Tempore sum quo me nil nisi somnus alit Mart. But to man seven days fasting according to Hippocrates is accounted mortal so that nutrition and life are Consorts and have a mutual dependence upon each other that Atrophia is not meerly privative but imminutive not an absolute cessation from nutrition but a diminuâ—…on and therefore the Philosopher said Nos tamdiu nutriri quamdiu vivimus Quod alitur is the body and here 〈◊〉 must take notice that a body fit for nâ—trition must have a due crasis and orgaâ—…zation especially the principal parts tâ—… body as to the figuration and fabricatiâ—… of parts must be rightly framed and â—…ganized each part being right in statioâ—… figure and magnitude ductures of Communication for reception and emissiâ—… free and open which if otherwise dâ—…poseth the body to various diseases anâ— therefore those which are gibbous eitheâ— back or breast are most of them consumptive The Spleen sometimes increases beyond its due magnitude and robs thâ— rest of its fellows and therefore Hipâ—…crates saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vbi lien floret â—…pus tabescit L. de loc in hom When thâ— spleen increaseth the body diminisheâ—… Contumacious obstructions of the Mesâ—…tery are sometimes the cause of an Atrophy Worms do often defraud thâ— body of its nutriment and corrupt 〈◊〉 and therefore such persons do not thriâ—… in their bodies but pine away and become leane other diseases there aâ—… which may procure a Consumption Atrophy whose causes are apparent but there is an Atrophy frequent in this our Region and therefore called by some Tabes Anglica whose causes are more latent and creeps on more slily and few there are that know how to
never to be totally amended but will admit of some correction and palliationâ— and therefore Patients sometimes wrongfully complain of their Physitians for that they have a continual propension to such or such diseases which is not in the power of man to eradicate being so planted by nature in the fabrication and first constitution of parts A Survey of the vital and fundamental Principles Conjunctim HAving traced through the vital principles apart and viewed their distinct beings and proprieties we will make some result thereof by applying it to our present design as the front of this work does import and promise and having surveyed them disjunctively in their offices and peculiar proprieties we will consider them in their co-ordinate and subordinate acts in their mutual compliance and assistance one to the other in vital and animal actions and what relation they have to health and sickness These vital principles are â—he basis upon which the whole discourse of Physick ought to move and to which it does refer for health is the integrity and perfect state of the vital principles performing the operations and functions of the body duly and sickness on the contrary is their deficiency depravation and decay so that health and sickness have their dependence here as the approximate causes These principles are not equal in degree and power but one is principal and more noble than the other which is instrumental and subordinate man considered as a mere animal hath his vitality or performeth his vital actions from these three principles the sensitive or brutal soul the vital spirit and the ferments of the parts these are joint agents in vitality and co-operate consentaneously have their defections and roboration sympathâ—tically the one is not depressor but the other is languid and when on is exalted and elevated the other iâ— strengthened and fortified if the Souâ— be sad the spirits are dull the ferment languid and digestions weakly performed if the spirits be exhausted by immoderate fluxes bleeding Venus c. the soul is sad heavy and drooping the ferments not so acute and active in their several offices of transmutation if the ferments be alienated from their genuine proprieties by improper irregular and disproportionate food or otherwise or spontaneously languishing through their innate disability to a longer duration in their integrities soon follows a defection depauperation and drooping of spirits since their generation and supply depends upon a vigorous and due fermentation in the grand elaboratories of transmutation Thus the vital principles in a due harmony concur and consent in all vital operations each being assistant and coadjuvant one to the other and participating in the ill or welfare of one another but any one disordered or depressed disturbs the regular oeconomy of the vital functions tending to ruine and decay of the whole frame of man body this is the golden chain of health one link whereof being broken enâ—rvates the strength of the whole man these are the springs that move in the performance of all the functions and vital operations whose vigour and harmonious consent preserve the body in a prosperous and flourishing state but being weak and languid man declines and degenerates from his pristine vigour of vitality when this trine conjunction of co-operation and subserviency begins to be dissolved What is Health but a due performance of all the Functions What is Sickness but their disorder irregularity and deficiency and both health and sickness depend upon these fundamental principles since all the functions are performed approximately and immediately duly or unduly from their regularity or depravation If so as it is most true here is the centre of all our discourse concerning health and sickness here is the basis upon which health and sickness depend and here are we to aim and direct our endeavours for the preservation and continuance of the one and also for the remove of the other I have read voluminous large Discourses and tedious Tracts in Physick bâ—… with much dissatisfaction acquiring thereby a superficial and distracted knowledgâ— only particularly a large Scheme 〈◊〉 Schedule of diseases is drawn out methodized in that order as some nay thâ— most take for a compleat platform am I was of that opinion wherein every part of mans body hath its diseases assigned and from hence an innumerable company of medicines are mustered up singly to oppose them but upon due examination and scrutiny into the wholâ— matter I was better informed and taughâ— how to contract both Diseases and Medicines into fewer Heads and Classes not relating to temperaments and humours nor the variety of parts of manâ— body but respecting the vital Principle from whence result both health and sickness that so applying to these whicâ— are but few in number their assistancâ— required for reduction and restauration is not so perplexedly various as the granâ—… Authorities our Predecessors would have it and their disciples the maintaineâ—… of it in this our age who relish nothing but what savours of Antiquity who stoop and yield to an ipse dixit being more prevalent with them than the strength of reason But to proceed they that look only or mainly at temperaments and the various sorts of degenerate humours are such whose knowledge gives them not admittance to view nature stript naked ript up and her intrinsick parts but externally to behold her invested in such a garb What are temperaments and humors but a result and the effects of the vital principles changing into this or that state and condition from whose various gradations mutations compliance and mutual assistance variety of humors and degenerate matter is producted which for distinction sake you may call humors and temperaments but you must not content your self with the nominal knowledge of these visible appearances but make disquisitions into the invisible procurers why do you so much eâ—e and aim at effects neglecting their causes applying Remedies only à posteriori when you may and ought to do it radically and à priori at the springs from whence they arise The result of this discourse I shall sum up in this corollary That the fragility and morbificâ— state of mans life depends or ariseth aâ— well from the active principles of vitality declining spending and hasteninâ— to a period ex natâ—…ae imbecillitate 〈◊〉 detrimento ab extra as also from thâ— passive principles of mans composition constituting the Fabrick and organicâ— parts being subject to dissolution diâ—junction and decay If so as it is moâ—… true then Physicians need not so mucâ— insist upon and mire themselves to find out Diseases in the superfluous humoâ—… and excrements of mans body which 〈◊〉 the producted matter and requires only evacuation but chiefly to eye the principles of our vitality which are tâ—e spriâ—… from whence Diseases take their rise râ—quiring restauration reduction to the integrities roboration and confirmâ—tion Of a Consumption Atrophy Tabes Anglica THe word Atrophia is a Compound of a privative or rather diminutive and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
are differenced in their stations the one more noble than the other according to the eminency and degree of their vitality as the vegetative life of a Plant is below the sensitive life of animals and this sensitive life of animals inferior and ignoble compared with the rational life of man Now in respect of conjunction they agree equally that the vegetative soul of a Plant is as really united to its body as the soul and body of man is coupled here is no gradation in connexion to distinguish them therefore Life is something else that will admit of degrees and here many arguments might be used to prove and some objections to be answered but it was not my intention to ingage so far in polemical discourse and controversie therefore I pass on Cardan and others determine vitam esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formae life to be the operation or action of the soul and by how much the actions or operations in one Creature are more noble than in another by so much is the life of that Creature more noble than his fellows and although Greg. Horstius condemns this opinion and adheres to the Aristotelian yet it is much more rational and less intangled with objection Helmont speaking of the life of Creatures in general gives this definition vita est lumen initium formale quo res agit quod agere jussa est Life is a formal light of a luminous nature and he accounts the life and form of every thing to be synonimous natura recipit distinctiones specificas à lumine formali there is so many distinct lights in nature saith he as there is things Formae quaedam nitent ut in lapidibus mineralibus quaedam aucta luce splendent ut in plantis aliae verò sunt etiam luminosae ut in animantatis by which we understand their degrees in eminency of being And the same author in another place creating of the life of man saith vita humana est lux formalis life is a formal light and if we admit of this Definition all vital operations or actions are emanations and streams issuing from this formal light so that lumen formale est causa actus vitalis Now because forma est indemonstrabilis à priori the essence of things is not demonstrable in their causes but are the ne plus ultra the bounds and limits of our reasoning and disquisition I shall level the following discourse that you may take a view of this life à posteriori since the Creator hath vailed the face of the Creature that we should not behold their essence as being his prerogative For these two latter definitions of life although they differ yet we may receive information from both the last appropriates the word life to the soul or specific individual form of every thing and so vita anima forma are synonimous the other to the operations that do emanare proceed from that form or soul and in this aceeptation vita is actus vitalis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 istius formae what this life is as it is actus primus forma anima rei I shall discourse in due place following and as vita is act us secundus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formae action or operation I think it necessary to explicate And here I might observe and lay open the variety and difference of life in the several species of Creatures yea those things that seem to be dead and inanimate are alive do edere actiones perform operations more or less eminently to testifie and prove that there is life in them and therefore Minerals as Stones and Metals do live and can exert their power proportionable to that life which is in them though their life is not so perspicuous and refulgent as those of a higher orb and degree in vitality yet their life is not so mean and contemptible as some may imagine but their operations are such as may and oftentimes do cause our admiration vivunt animalia vegetabilia mineralia suo quaelibet vivendi mode But I must wave what collaterally falls into this discourse and prosecute directly the intention of this Treatise and therefore setting aside the life of other Creatures I shall strictly examine the life of man in its initiation or plantation gradations and exaltation declensionâ— and period and for the better understanâ—ing of this life in its several degrees of vitality how â—nd by what means the life of man is so fluxible and mutable I shall bring into consideration the principles of life which is the subject of our discourse in the following sâ—ction Of vital and fundamental Principles and their operations HAving undertaken to declare the life of man what it is wherein the ratio formalis does consist wâ—ich we have determined to be operation or action and since vital operation is not simple and univocal but equivocal and various humane vitality being compounded of or admiting different actions comprised within its latitude I shall therefore examine how it comes to pass and from whence these different actions do proceed that the principles and foundation of this life may be discovered The vital and fundamental principles I call such as are principally and fundamentally concerned in vital operations and they are three the sensitive Soul the Archaeus or vital Spirit and the ferments and these are the three grand wheels upon which the life of man doth move by their distinct causations cooperating subordinately and consenting in uniformity and conformity with each other In natural actions of compound bodies there is both agent and patient part moving and part moved in humane vital actions there is first anima movens efficienter the Soul moving as an efficient principal cause secondly there is also spiritus movens instrumâ—ntâ—liter the vital spirit moving as agent or instrument Thirdly there is fermenta partium the ferments which is the peculiar and different Crasis of each part the two former are active and more general in causation the latter passive special and distinct determining the other and specificating their efficiency to produce various effects to which organization and different fabrication of parts suiting those purposes does contrâ—bute The proprieties of life result from these principles hereby the Creatures are distinguished one from the other producing such and such distinct operations answerable to the principles of their vitality so that their peculiar distinct beings and operations arise from the peculiarity of their vital and fundamental principles and if these vital principles be the basis on which the several degrees orders of Creatures do stand by which they are ranked and placed in their proper stations as their distinguishing characters then we must conclude that a right notion and conception of these unfolds the Creature discovers its being by this light of their vitality which unknown our knowledge is very dark and uncertain and as life consists in and manifests it self by operation then by how much those operations are more noble
the Elixir which so strengthened the digestive faculties that she daily improved grew strong and in a short time obtained perfect health To reflect upon this Story Here was a latent Scorbutic Impurity that deaded the appetite and what was forced down the stomack did not digest but degenerate so that the body could not thrive nor had the benefit of that little food received but this vitious matter being carried off by a proper medicine and the loaded tyred parts refreshed and relieved b a generous spirituous Medicine nature then revives and retuâ—…s to her wonted duties with that strength and regularity as formerly I might instance in many cases parallel to this that I have met with in Scorbutic Patients but I must be brief and proceed Not only in Diseases of the stomack but also in the subsequent Digestions I have found these Pills most effectually Abstersive and Aperitive opening Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen Mesentery and Gutts exonerating and discharging those parts of crude coagulated depraved fâ—rmenting matter from whence arise pains and flatulent humors of those parts Cachexies or ill habits of body Fluxes Colicks Hypochondriac Melancholy c. and here I must relate the case of a Patient pertinent to this place worth your observation which was thus A Gentleman aged between Thirty and Forty something studious and melancholy complaining of pain sometimes in his left side under the short Râ—bs sometimes in the other side opposite to it sometimes he was Costive a stool once in two or three dayes sometimes Laxative two or three stools in a day with some gripes and wind his Belly often puffed up and distended at which times he complained of a shortness of breath streightness over his Breast and difficulty of breathing like one that is Asthmatick in the night often afflicted with frightful dreams and Palpitations of the heart after this manner with other Circumstances which I omitt he continued for the space of four years or there abouts all which time he was not negligent in procuring help nor sparing of his Purse having wherewith to do it but applyed himself here and there for advice some was of one opinion another of a different judgment and having tryed variety of medicines with little success was tyred and resolved to sit down contented with his infirmities and gave over Physick nere six months But meeting with one formerly a Patient of mine that I had cured though a different case encouraged him to come to me or acquaint me by Letter first with his condition whereupon he wrote to me living at a great distance and gave me a full Relation of his case desiring my advice and assiâ—tance theâ—ein submitting to what course I should appoint him I considering the whole story I was sufficiently satisfied of the Disease that he was deeply seised with the Scurvy as the Syndrome and Concurrence of symptoms did certaiâ—ly discover Whereupon I sent him my Treatise of the Scurvy to contemplate his Disease at large and to be useful to him as a Guide with a Box of Scorbute Pills and an Elixir and bad him proceed in the use of them according to Directions which he did for three weeks then gave me an account that the violence of his Dâ—sease was much abated the Symptoms more mâ—…d â—nd ease and not so frequent thâ—se 〈◊〉 it s he â—…k a Pill he slept more quâ—etly then at other 〈◊〉 in his stools came away little lumps of a slimy jelly of a dark colour or blackish after which he was much at ease his Belly and Hypochonders were more flat and soft that since his Physick some dark spots appeared in several parts of his body with a moisture upon his skin as enclining to sweat some nights but chiefly towards morning This I liked well and farther appointed him the Sudorisick Medicine hereafter mentioned to help forward and procure breathing Sweats twice in the week which I judged to be of great advantage to him this he diligently performed seven or eight times until the spots vanished and then his spirits were more brisk and chearful and more fit for business having thrown off that impure matter and dispersed the Cloud of Scorbutic vapours that clogged and darkned his spirits his sleep now was quiet and to be short the sâ—mptoms that formerly molested him did not appear but was reduced beyond expectation I gave him some cautions and advice lest he might relapse which he punctually observed and stood firm for seven or eight months after Since I hear nothing of him but suppose him to be well for which he was not ungrateful I might Comment largely upon this case and illustrate the Scurvy in the several Symptoms though disguised by various names usually given not respecting the causes but I pass on I have yet a farther Account of these Pills how and in what principal Cases I have used them successfully for dâ—seases and infirmities of the Head so accounted though arising from inferior parts most often as Apoplexy Epilepsies Convulsion Palsies Vertigoes Soporiferous and drowsy Infirmities Rheums Head-aches c. This Medicine is profitably used by Eradicating their causes that require Abstersion and Evacuation in the lower Regions of the Body Diseases ascribed to the Head though appearing there yet for the most part do arise from inferiour parts occasioned by their Impurities Obstructions and Disorder for one that is Idiopathically Afflicted ten are Sympathically affected by consent of parts and transmission of some Morbifick matter thither the Disease appears in one part but the foundation and cause is Radicated in another and to that paâ—t mâ—st the cure be directed And therefore if well observed we frequently meet with Scorbutic Palsies Scorbutick Convulsions Apoplexies Sleepy Diseases pains of the head Giddiness trembling of the Nervs Deafness dull Sight and Blindness and all these arising from the Scurvy or Scorbutick impurity of the body oftentimes and these are not cured but by Anti-scorbutic Medicines and those that endeavour otherwise with their Specificks and appropriate Medicines to the parts where such Symptoms and Diseases do appear labour in vain and are frustrated in their intended Cures I might instance in many more cases wherein this Medicine hath done me good service but that would be too tedious to relate therefore in general I must say for Sorbutic persons and the various Symptoms that attend that Disease whether in this part or that part these Pills are the best Abstersive and Purgative Medicine I ever made use of being so amicable and friendly to nature in their Operation performing with so much ease and gentleness that I have given them to the weakest bodies with good success proportioning the dose according to the ability of the body I shall here set down the Dose and Circumstances that belong to the taking of these Pills The ordinary Dose for man or woman is three Pills some Bodies though very seldom require four and sometimes two Pills is sufficient for weak bodies and such as work freely with a small