found the business so or so to hold in the state and continuation of health it was likewise very obvious unto him may be so too unto any considering person seriously pondering the mater that this subtile insensible because little noticed often times vitiated evacuation altho but in part any long time lesed that it must heaping up copious morbifique matter sow the seeds and become the fewel of manifold Diseases which any slender and dispositive cause may soon precipitate into the continent and immediate cause of a Disease Therefore that sagacious Man observes from statical Experience that the foreseeing of the approach of Diseases is more certain and timeous by the observation of the perspiration then from the Lesions of the Actions The due expulsion of this perspirable matter depends upon the integrity of all the concurring causes thereof whither efficient matterial or instrumental And as an efficient here beside the first impellent the common efficient of all the motions of the Body the Air by its elasticity and expansive power seems to have no small influence thereupon for the Air being in the act of inspiration drawen into the lungs and the vesicles thereof filled thereby by the Heat of the lungs it is also rarefied and thereby requiring a greater room does also by its force distend these vesicles whose structure being with a narrow entry and large cavity the Air therein contained and in expiration compressed is not all in proportion to that compression expelled at the orifice of the vesicle but some thereof must be forced also into the smal branches of the pulmonick vessels be mixed with the Blood in the pulmonick vein returning to the heart and this air being once gotten into the capillar Veins of these pulmonick Vessels by the continual expansion and contraction of the Lungs throw which these Vessels are interspersed that air is pressed and driven on with the Blood towards the greater trunks of that Vein For the motion therein being made from a lesser cavity unto a greater is by that structure of the Organ more easie and the Bloods advance facilitated and its regress hindered So that by the motion of the Lungs alone and without any Pulses it is not only thus carried to the left ventricle of the Heart but receives its whole complement and perfection in the progress by the continual agitation of the Lungs which do attenuat and grind and most intimately commix it with the air as appears by the Blood in that Pulmonick Vein which has its colour more florid and is it self more spumose and rarified then before its ingress in the Lungs and that alone by the Airs congress and agitation therewith And further the mixture of the Air with the arterial Blood is clear by that Experiment of Mayow Page 144. who putting venal Blood into the pneumatick engine and pumping of the Air therefrom found it made only a small ebulition But having used arterial blood so it made a wonderful expansion and boiled up into a great deal of spumosity and that by reason of the great Quantity of Air contained therein which expanding upon the weakning the pressure of the ambient Air does dilate it self and the Blood in which it is inviscate in proportion to the pressure of the Air that remained after the Pumping And further the ingress of the Air into and mixture thereof with the blood is clear by this phaenomenon that the superfice and extremities of the body become tumified when the body is heated by motion for then there are ordinarly more frequent and greater inspirations of Air into the Lungs which the violent motion of the Body disperses thorow the several Members As also the same is made further evident because the Hypothesis gives only the clear solution how the skine rises upon the application of cuping glasses for the Air within the Body finding the Air within the Glass not of equal resistance doth by its elasticity expand it self and raise the flesh therewith And moreover the Airs influence and activity for promoving of perspiration as an efficient is plain by the above-mentioned experiment of Mayow for the arterial blood appears turgid with such arerious particles because these by their volatility serve to sweep off the perspirable matter And further that same blood exhausted and stripp't off these aerious particles is by the Veins carried back to the Lungs to be of new impregnate therewith And likewise the Necessity and Utility of the Aires sweeping and sifting thorow the Body by its entry at the Lungs and going throw the Arteries and out again at the pores disperse devery where throw the superfice of the Body appears from this as Helmont observes tractat de blas hum that heat alone is not sufficient to expel all these reâ—rements that are in the Blood and Body For Heat in its operation as in destellation leaves alwayes a great remander or caput mortuum Yea as Boil observes in the origin of formes the most limpide rain water being a hundred times redistilled leaves alwayes some Earthy and fixed recrements that can be altered by no vehemency of fire so that to eliminate and expell this perspirable matter without recrements beside the action of heat there is further required some other proper volatilising efficient which the Air may be clearly judged to be For as Helmont and Tachenius observes timber putriefying in the free Air gives by calcining little or no fixed Salt And dry Herbs give far less quantity thereof then green Herbes do For this reason that the Air being the proper menstruum of that Salt Yea even of the same Salt within our Body does dissolve extract it And likewise the influence that pure Air has upon our Bodies and which is observed by Helmont must be also from this reason For in serene and cold Air we eat and digest better Because that Air not being Saturat with fuliginous and noxious Particles In running its course throw the Body sweeps out powerfully the perspirable matter and for the like reason these that Sail long on the Sea eat very much and have fewer sensible excrements then otherwayes Because the continual and swift motion of the Body not only promoves digestion and distribution of the aliement as will be shown afterward but also promoves perspiration by the continual agitation and shaking of the Body Which looses any of the Particles of the perspirable matter that incline to stick in the passages and pores and so the Air more easily sweeps off that perspirable matter And also as our worthy Author Sydenham observes long riding has the same effect and it may be thought for the same reason and the effects of both these motions are likewise observed by Sanctorius in his Aphorismes Sect 7. where he shews that ryding respects most the expulsion of the perspirable matter above the Loynes And that ambling is most wholsome but trotting unwholsome and that the being long carried in a Boat or in a Litter is also most wholsome as
accounted is clear from this that the Blood which is sent from the right Ventricle of the Heart by pulsation unto the Lungs is nothing different from the rest of the Venal Blood While the same Blood being immediatly sent back to the left ventricle of the Heart from the Lungs has before it enter the heart both the colour consistence and rarefaction proper to the Arterial Blood And differs nothing from the Arterial Blood in the Aorta or great artery Now in the case of a Fever althô the grosser Particles or Globuls of the clotted Blood returning from the Veins into the Lungs are grinded and levigate over again and then the Blood gives small token of its fault Because being so near it is also under the brisk impressions of the Hearts motion and also being crumbled by its passage throw innumerable ramifications and small capillary vessels in the Lungs while they are likewayes under a perpetual Systole and Diastole it is so attenuaâ— and grinded that any tendency to coagulation or obstruction is soon put off But yet when such Blood comes to the extremities of great Arteries where the force and strength of pulsation cannot be propagated in proportion to the Bloods slowness there then it must loyter and stop And moreover in some Fevers which are indeed very dangerous ones the slowness of the Blood 's passage even throw the vessels of the lungs is conspicuous that always making high difficult frequent breathing And moreover the Blood is also depurate and defecate from its crudities and viscosities by its passage through the Lungs And so by their taking care of the whole and endeavoring to repair the faults of the other functions they smart for them and become the Seat of many Diseasâ—s themselves for that same viscosity and grosness of the Humores does frequently make blemishing Impressions on them by obstructing tumefying their glands many of which obstructions are shaken off by the force of respiration but not always For althô the Motion of the Systole and Diastole of Lungs contrarying alwayes the direct Motion of the Blood in the vessels of the Lungs must subtilize attenuat the Blood So that it stickes not easily in the Channels of the Lungs yet often the fault of the former functions is so deep ingrained that the Blood sent here cannot be sufficiently attenuated and the crudities and viscosities expelled by the glands of the Lungs But does obstruct and tumefie them And breeds that disease called Pâ—hisis or Comsumption of the Lungs Now this Disease being of as universal extent among Chronick Diseases as a Fever is among acute ones is most Learnedly treated by Dr Morton in his Pthifilogia But alas as he wisely observes the Practise in this Disease is rarely attended with success For this reason that the Disease steals on the Patient unawares And before he peâ—ceives he is irrecoverably taken with the Distemper It is then hoped it will be thought no impertinent or useless digression if to instruct every one against the surprize of such a remediless attack there be transferred here from his work which is in Latine such apposite signs as may admonish every one of the aproach of that Disease and put them upon their guard in case of imminent danger to prâ—vide the timeous help of a faithful and skilful Physician The first sign he gives is The Descent from Parents that have been Pthisical For this Disease seems most hereditary of all Distempers 2 An evil frame of the Breast whether natural or aâ—cidental and that is either narrow or strait 3 A small Voice and Hâ—low 4 White and soft Skin with a thin habit of Body 5 A soft and Phlegmaticâ— habit of the Muscules 6 Oppression or Weight in the Breast 7 Thoughtfulness anxiety sadness and anger without a manifest cause 8. The Suppression of usual evacuation by Issues old Ulcers or any other usual 9 Spitting of Blood 10 A continual haughing of Viscide and black plegm in the â—orning 11 Salt or sharp phlegm haughted up 12 A pronness to copious evacuation of spittle either with or without an evident cause 13 An continued and increasing prostration of appetite without any other Disease accompanying it and with oppression of the Stomach and Spontaneous Laâ—â—itude in time of digestion 14 A Troublesom and continual Heat especially in the Soles of the Feet and Palms of the Hands cheiâ—ly after meat with a Pulse something too frequent 15 A shortness of Breath with difficulty of respiration 16 A great disposition to the Cough which is brought on frequently either by a slender or no evident Cause at all which is the most evident signe of an imminent Pthisis And the more of these signes there be the more still is the danger Now this Disease having alwayes a Fever accompaning it and that with an exacerbation some houres after Meat answering exactly to the time when the Chyle comes to the Blood doth also confirm the foresaid Hypothesis of Fevers For the chyle coming with the Venal Blood unto the Lungs to receive there its attrition and perfection While they are affected with obstructions and tumors in â—heir glands that must be superficâ—ally done And many of the Particles of the Blood do therefore return back to the Heart without sufficient elaboration which coming to the small Channels oâ— the Arteries betwixt them and the veins pass there also with difficulty So that to distribut the nourishment a fâ—equent Pulse is raised until the Particles by often passing that way be yet farther polished attenuated And so passing with greater ease the Fever and Pulse is remitted If any shall yet judge that this grosness of the Blood should be rather productive of tumors and inflamations then of Fevers It is to be considered that Fevers and Inflamations have that common to them both that they use to be generate together And also Fevers do depend on tumors inflamations which shews they are near of Kin to one another but yet they seem to differ in this that Fevers depend on an universal altho lesser grosness of the Blood which makes it with difficulty pass the small vessels and tremors depend as upon greater grosness so upon total obstruction of the Blood or other Liquores in some particular vessel And oftentimes they are generate and propagate by compression And perhaps it is the perverse figuration of some particles of the Blod or humours in respect of the Pores and Channels of a vessel which wholy stoping makes a total stagnation therein and this stagnation making a compression on the neighbouring vessels and these again upon the next adjacent affects them all with stagnation likewayes And thus that obstruction that begins in a point may have the sphere of its activity so extended as to infect all the neigâ—ouring parts with that tumour as is seen in a Thorn which pricking the Flesh doâ—s compress the next adjacent vessâ—ls and makes the Blood to stagnate therein And they again compressing these nixt
has found the use of Cuppings Leitches and Frictions to be very beneficial in these Fevers The cause wherereof being enquired into will also confirm this Hypothesis For these being used in several places of the Body as they alwayes are when beneficial by their raising the Flesh and Skin they do shake and loose throw all the circumambient parts that congealed and clotted Blood obstructing the capillary Veins which does facâ—litate the arterial Blood to run more easily throw them and that by clearing these Passages of Obstruction And for Frication and Rubbing of the Skin that makes such Impressions on the capillary Vessels by pressing them hither and thither that it must necessarly force the obstructing Matter into motion again And moreover the benefit that even in Fevers has redounded to some by riding yea when the Patient was necessitate to be held on Horse-back for a while can be no other wayes accountable but by the Impressions that the jogging of the Body makes on the fixed and coagulated Humores to set them again a going Now as to these Phaenomena which are hurtful in Fevers it is no less certain that these being duely pondered will also confirm this Hypothesis for it is clear that in many Fevers the sick are poured forth all in Sweats And that without any ease thereby but rather with great hurt and weakening Therefore as our experimented Author observes these ought not to be indulged but rather checked Now this Phaenomenon may be easily solved by considering that the serosity of the Blood is in this case by the frequent Pulses squeezed out from the Globuls whereby the Blood being much thickned the obstructions are increassed while Sweats called criticall and giving ease which rarely fall out in long and great Fevers Because these are nourished of a copious and viscide fewel in the first wayes fall out in diseases only caused by perspirable matter first attenuat and comminuted and nixt expelled by Sweat and as this evacuation is altogether the effect of Nature so it rarely succeeds happily by stimulating Medicines Which after its wisely argued is most reasonbly concluded by Sydenham in his Schedula Monitoria And further as our Author observes and dayly experience also confirmes it is very much Hurtful to Persons in Fevers to ly continually in the naked Bed For the continual Heat of the Bed doth exceedingly lash enervat and relax the tone and firmness of the pores and fibers Whereby they shrinke and creep in And so retain the perspirable matter which ought to be evacuate throw them and this matter retained recoiling on the Blood does much increase all the tumult and disorders there But by exposing of the Body to a moderat refrigeration by putting on the Cloathes some Hours in the day the Natural Heat is both Concentrate to expel that perspirable Matter and the Tone and Firmness of the Pores and Fibres are restored to give a free passage to it And this is very suitable to the Experimental doctrine of Sanctorius who finds and Declares reasonably that the inward heat being by the external heat too much diffused is not sufficiently Concentrate bended to expel the perspirable matter as it happens in Aestival heat that is very troublesome to the Body not so much because of any vehement Impressions it makes thereon For every part of the Body is hotter of it self then the external heat affecting it But because of the detension of the Perspirable matter through the defect of sufficient Concentration of the Internal heat to expell it And indeed this state of the internal heat does also render iâ— subject to several indirect and refractive Motions instead of the direct motion by which the perspirable matter should be sweeped â—orward and expelled so the lesion of perspiration upon these reasons seemes in this case to be amended by the Patients keeping out of the naked Bed several hours of the day and lying on the top of the Bed with their Cloaths on And in that Situation rather than the upright posture of the Body the vacillant reflux of the Blood unto the heart is also promoved as was shown And also as our Author observes it is hurtful in Fevers and several other Diseases to ly with the Head much depressed it being more conducible to ly with it raised somewhat because in that posture the lighter finner Particles of the Blood as Des Cartes thinks are sublimed up to the brain for the generation of nervous Liquor and Spirits and the grosser and heavier parts are carried by a descent downward And so in that posture only there is an ascent of the Blood throw the Arteries unto the Head in so much that the subtilest Particles thereof prove alone obsequious to the Impulse And if it chance that any grosser parts mixed therewith do endeavour likewayes to ascend they secede and turn off at the axillarie Branches So that nothing but the most sublime parts of the Blood in this posture does ascend like the subtile Spirits of Wine which are only carried so high as is fit to separate them from the Phlegm But when the head lyes level with the Body and that especially in Sickness and when the Blood is vitiated in its Particles and Motion because then and in that posture there is no ascent to the Head nor descent to the rest of the Body the grosser parts of the Blood being carried indifferently to the Head do there generate Obstructions Which must certainly produce all such Phoenomena as are competent to the Brain and Nerves being affected SECT XV. Some Difficulties concerning the Hypothesis Answered IF perhaps there remain any difficulty in the mind concerning this Scheme because it may be thought that the Blood being alwayes first strained throw the narrow Vessels of the Lungs before it come to have difficult passage in the small Vessels betwixt the Arteries and the Veins that it should leave or Imprint some marks of its grosness in the Lungs To Answer this difficulty it is fit to premise something concerning the progress and pedigree of Sanguification And therefore it may be reasonably thought very likely that the Lungs are not only the Colatory for and Test of the Bloods sufficient Attrition and Comminution but also they by their Braying and Levigating thereof give the same the outmost Perfection and Complement which they do by their continual motion and agitation For their contraction and dilatation meeting with the Pulse of the Blood coming from the Heart into the Lungs must necessarly make such impressions on the Particles of the Blood going throw the Arteries of the Lungs as will attenuate smooth and polish them and thereafter the Lungs sends them thus levigated and intimately mixed with the Air back again and that under the notion and name of Arterial Blood unto the Heart to be dispersed by it as a Pump throw the whole Body And indeed that the Blood receives its outmost perfection in the Lungs and not in the Heart As is commonly