Medica Sacra Part 2

[32] _John. Ep. i. Chap. iii. ver. 8._

And here it may not be improper, once for all, to inform the reader, that I have generally made use of _Sebastian Castalio_'s version of the bible, because, upon collating it in many places, I found it to be not only excellent Latin, but also very accurate, and particularly well adapted to the sense and meaning of the words in the Hebrew and Greek.

Nor can I refrain from declaring, that I have not writ these essays for the profane or vulgar; but for those only who are well versed, or at least initiated in theological or medical studies: and for this reason I chose to publish it in Latin; which language has for many ages past been made use of by learned men; in order to communicate to each other, whatsoever might seem to them either new, or expressed in a different manner from the common notions. Wherefore if any person should intend to publish an English version of this book, I give him this timely notice, that he will do it, not only against my will; but likewise in direct opposition to that equitable law, whereby every man is allowed to dispose of his own property according to his pleasure.[33]

[33] This declaration seems to have been intended only to prevent any surrept.i.tious translation of this performance from appearing, seeing most of the works of our learned author have heretofore been greatly disgraced by attempts of that kind. Nevertheless the public may be a.s.sured, that Dr.

_Mead_ not only approved, but inspected what is now offered to them.

But to bring this preface to a conclusion; it is manifest that the christian religion requires of all its members in a most especial manner, to practice every act of humanity and benevolence towards each other. Wherefore the utmost care ought to be taken, that this beneficent disposition of mind be not corrupted by any means whatsoever: and nothing contributes more towards bringing on this corruption, than opinions derogatory from the divine goodness. Upon this account, as such is the misfortune of our times, that it is not only allowed, but even by many deemed a commendable action, to oppugn, and by every method to invalidate, the doctrine and authority of the christian religion; no interpretations of the histories of miracles ought to be look'd upon as out of season, provided they appear neither improbable, nor repugnant to the nature of the facts related.

In fine, it was not my intention to treat of every disease mentioned in holy writ; but to confine myself more particularly to those, the nature of which is generally but little known, or at least to such as I had some peculiar medicine for, or method of cure, to offer to the public; and to perform this task, in the same order, in which they occur in those sacred writings: excepting only _Job_'s disease, to which I have given the first place, on account of the great antiquity of that book. The Saviour of the world, in order to make his divine power manifest to mankind, cured many other diseases, both of the body and mind, besides those which I have mentioned in this work: the nature and causes of all which diseases, whosoever would intend to enquire into, must of necessity compile a body of physic, which was not my present design. But if providence protract my life, I am not without hopes of laying more of my thoughts on this subject before the public, for the honour which I bear to my profession, unless

_Frigidus obst.i.terit circ.u.m praecordia sanguis._

In the mean time, whatever be the fate of these essays with my readers, I shall rest satisfied from a consciousness of the rect.i.tude of my intention, in having thus employ'd some of my hours of leisure.

A COMMENTARY ON THE DISEASES Mentioned in Scripture.

CHAPTER I.

_The Disease of Job._

Job's disease is rendered remarkable by some uncommon circ.u.mstances and consequences; such as the dignity of the man, the sudden change of his condition, his extraordinary adversity, his incredible patience under them, his restoration to a much happier state than he had ever before enjoyed, and lastly the singular nature of the illness with which he was seized.

His habitation was in the land of _Uz_, which, according to the learned _Friderick Spanheim_,[34] was situated in the northern part of _Arabia deserta_, towards the _Euphrates_ and _Mesopotamia_. He was a very ill.u.s.trious man, the most opulent of all the Orientals, very happy in sons and daughters, of a most upright life and exemplary piety. Now it is related that G.o.d, in order to try his integrity and constancy, permitted Satan to afflict him by all means which he could devise, except the taking away of his life. "In pursuance of this permission, Satan brought the most dreadful calamities on him; for all his oxen and a.s.ses were driven away by the Sabeans; his sheep and servants were consumed by fire from heaven; his camels were carried off; his sons and daughters were crush'd to death by the falling in of the house upon them in a violent storm of wind; and soon after he himself was afflicted with scabs and foul ulcers all over his body; so that he sate down among the ashes, and sc.r.a.ped himself with a potsherd." Thus from a very rich man he became extremely poor, and from the heighth of prosperity he sunk into the depth of misery. And yet all these evils did not give the least shock to his firmness of mind, nor to his piety towards G.o.d:[35] wherefore the Lord, moved by his prayers, put an end to all his calamities; gave him twice as much wealth as he had lost, and made him more prosperous than he had ever been before.[36]

[34] _Histor. Jobi, Cap. iv._

[35] _See Job Chap. i and ii._

[36] _The same, Chap. xiii._

Now the book of Job may justly be esteemed the most ancient of all books, of which we have any certain account: for some are of opinion that it was written in the times of the patriarchs; many others, that it was composed about the days of Moses, and even by Moses himself; and there are but few who think it posterior to him.[37] For my part, I embrace the learned Lightfoot's opinion, that it was composed by Elihu, one of Job's companions, chiefly because he therein speaks of himself as of the writer of this history,[38] and if so, it will appear to be older than the days of Moses. However this be, it is most certain that this book carries with it manifest tokens of very great antiquity; the most material of which seem to be these. In it there is not the least mention made of the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt, of Moses, or the Mosaic Law. After the manner of the Patriarchs, Job, as the head of his family, offered sacrifices in his own private house, for the sins of his children.[39] When he declares his integrity he scarcely mentions any other Idolatry, but that most ancient one, the wors.h.i.+p of the sun and moon,[40] which we know to be very old, and to have first obtained among the neighbouring Chaldeans, and Phnicians. In fine his own age, protracted far beyond the life of man in Moses's time, is a proof of its antiquity, for he lived a hundred and forty years after an end had been put to his calamities; so that it is reasonable to believe that he lived above two hundred years in all. For that he was aged, when his misfortunes crowded on him, may be hence inferred, that, altho' his three friends are stiled old men,[41] yet in his disputes with them, he does not seem to honour them for their age, as Elihu does. To avoid prolixity, I join with Spanheim in opinion, that Job's time coincides with the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt, so as to be neither posterior to their quitting that country, nor anterior to their entering it.

[37] _See Spanheim's learned dissertation on this subject in the book above quoted, Chap. viii. and ix._

[38] _His Works, tom. 1. page 24._

[39] _Job, Chap. i. v. 5._

[40] _The same, Chap. x.x.xi. v. 26, 27._

[41] _Job Chap. x.x.xii. v. 6._

But there subsists a dispute of a different nature between very grave authors, and that is, whether this narrative be a fable or a true history: If I were allowed to interpose my opinion, I would say, that it is not a parable invented by ?p?t?p?s??, but a dramatic poem composed upon a true history; and perhaps with this design, that from the example of this ill.u.s.trious and upright, yet afflicted and most miserable man, the people of Israel might learn to bear with patience, all those evils and hards.h.i.+ps, which they were daily suffering in their Egyptian captivity. That this book is metrical, as well as _David_'s _Psalms_, the _Proverbs_, _Ecclesiastes_, and _Solomon_'s _Song_, is generally allowed: and the persons of the drama are G.o.d, Satan, Job and his wife, his three friends, and Elihu. _Wherefore it is_, says Grotius, _a real fact, but poetically handled_.[42] Poetry was certainly a very ancient manner of writing, and poets were wont to embellish true histories in their own way, as we see in the most ancient among the Greeks and Romans. And among the Hebrews likewise, long after the time above-mentioned, Ezechiel comprised the history of the departure out of Egypt in a dramatic poem; upon which account he is called by Clemens Alexandrinus, _the poet of Judaic tragedies_.[43]

Nor indeed, in my opinion, can there be found, in this kind of writing, any thing more admirable, and better adapted to move the pa.s.sions than this piece; whether we regard the sublimity and elegance of style, the description of natural things, or in fine, the propriety of the characters ascribed to all the persons concerned in it; all which circ.u.mstances are of the greatest moment in a dramatic performance.

[42] _Est ergo res vere gesta, sed poetice tractata. In loc.u.m._

[43] ? t?? ??da???? t?a??d??? p???t??. _Stromat. book 1. p.

414 of the Oxford Edit. 1715._

... _Quo propius stes Te capiet magis._

The nearer you behold, The more it strikes you.

Before I close this chapter, it may not be improper to offer my conjecture concerning the disease of this ill.u.s.trious man. But previous to this, it is proper to remark, that it is not Job himself, or his friends, but the author of the book that attributes his calamities to Satan; for this author's intention seems to be, to shew, by a striking example, that the world is governed by the providence of Almighty G.o.d, and as the holy angels, whose ministry G.o.d makes use of in distributing his bountiful gifts, punctually execute all his commands; so Satan himself with his agents are under the power of G.o.d, and cannot inflict any evils on mankind without the divine permission.

Thus, _when the Sons of G.o.d_ (angels) _came and presented themselves before the Lord_, it is said that _Satan came also among them_. Now the word _astare_ to present one's self, as Moses Maimonides[44]

observes, signifies to be prepared to receive Jehovah's commands, but Satan came of his own accord and mixed with them without any summons.

[44] _More Nevochim, Part. iii. Chap. xxii._

Now as to the disease, it is plain that it was cuticular, and as it is certain that the bodies of the Hebrews were very liable to foul ulcers of the skin from time immemorial; upon which account it is, that learned men are of opinion that they were forbid the eating of swine's flesh (which, as it affords a gross nourishment, and not easily perspirable, is very improper food in such const.i.tutions) wherefore by how much hotter the countries were which they inhabited, such as are the desarts of Arabia, the more severely these disorders raged. And authors of other nations, who despised and envied the Jews, say that it was upon this account that they were driven out of Egypt; lest the leprosy, a disease common among them, should spread over the country.[45] But there is another much worse disease, so frequent in Egypt, that it is said to be endemial there,[46] though it may also be engendered in this hot country, I mean the Elephantiasis. Perhaps it was this, which is nearly of the same nature with the leprosy, that had affected the body of our righteous man: but on this subject we shall treat more largely in the subsequent chapter.

[45] _Justin. Hist. Lib. x.x.xvi, C. 2. & Tacit. Hist. Lib. v.

ab initio._

[46] _Lucret. Lib. vi. v. 1112._

_Est Elephas morbus, qui propter flumina Nisi._ _Gignitur Aegypto in media._

CHAPTER II.

_The Leprosy._

A most severe disease, to which the bodies of the Jews were very subject, was the Leprosy. Its signs recorded in the holy scriptures are chiefly these. Pimples arose in the skin; the hair was turned white; the plague (or sore) in sight was deeper than the skin, when the disease had been of long standing; a white tumour appeared in the skin, in which there was quick flesh; the foul eruptions gained ground daily, and at length covered the whole surface of the body. And the evil is said to infect, not only the human body, but also the cloaths and garments, nay (what may seem strange) utensils made of skins or furs, and even the very walls of the houses. Wherefore there are precepts laid down for cleansing these also, as well as the lepers.

Medical authors are of different opinions concerning the contagion of this disease. And whereas neither the Arabian nor Greek physicians, who have treated largely of the leprosy, have given the least hint of this extraordinary force of it, whereby it may infect cloaths and walls of houses; the Rabbin doctors dispute, whether that which seized the Jews, was not intirely different from the common leprosy; and they all affirm, that _there never appeared in the World, a leprosy of cloaths and houses, except only in Judea, and among the sole people of Israel_.

For my part, I shall now freely propose, what I think most probable on the subject. One kind of contagion is more subtile than another; for there is a sort, which is taken into the body by the very breath; such as I have elsewhere said to exist in the plague, small pox, and other malignant fevers. But there is another sort, which infects by contact alone; either internal, as the venom of the venereal disease; or external, as that of the itch, which is conveyed into the body by rubbing against cloaths, whether woollen or linnen. Wherefore the leprosy, which is a species of the itch, may pa.s.s into a sound man in this last manner; perhaps also by cohabitation; as Fracastorius has observed, that _a consumption is contagious, and is contracted by living with a phthisical person, by the gliding of the corrupted and putrefied juices_ of the sick _into the lungs of the sound man_.[47]

And _Aretaeus_ is of the same opinion with regard to the Elephantiasis, a disease nearly allied to the Leprosy: for he gives this caution, "That it is not less dangerous to converse and live with persons affected with this distemper, than with those infected with the plague; because the contagion is communicated by the inspired[48]

air."

[47] _De morbis contagiosis. Lib. ii. Cap. ix._

[48] _De causis diuturnorum morborum, et de curationibus eorundem, Lib. ii. Cap. xiii._