Medica Sacra Part 7

And indeed the great Hippocrates has long since taught, that this disease is owing to natural causes, and consequently, by no means divine.[131] For altho' in his time, neither the inward parts of the animal body, nor the properties of the blood and humors, especially of the nervous fluid, were sufficiently known; yet by his great sagacity and experience, he has left us several useful observations, in relation both to the nature of the disease, and to its cure. For he has shewn, that it arises from too great a quant.i.ty of humors in the brain; and therefore that the best method of cure is to dry up, and lessen the quant.i.ty of this peccant matter; without having recourse to incantations and juggling tricks, so much in use in those days.

[131] _See influence of the sun and moon, Chap. i. and ii._

But when in succeeding ages, the use of medicines became more common, a great number of remedies for this dreadful disease were invented, some of which indeed were too filthy and shocking: such as drinking the warm blood of a gladiator just slain; eating human or horse's flesh, the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es and p.e.n.i.s of some animals, and other things of the same kind;[132] as if matters so repugnant to nature, could be contrary to such grievous defects of it. For so it often happens, that when a rational medicine is not to be found, any improper and rash one is attempted. But such experiments are to be abandoned to itinerant quacks, and credulous old women. Though even in our days our art is not sufficiently purged of this filth in these cases; seeing the dung of some birds, and the hoofs of quadrupeds are still ordered to be swallowed down by the sick. But whereas chemistry has furnished us with the means of extracting the salts, and other most active principles from bodies; to me it is matter of admiration, why physicians do not choose to order these principles to be taken pure into the body, rather than the coa.r.s.e and fculant substances, that contain them; which are always disagreeable, and sometimes hurtful also, to the stomach. But this most difficult distemper demands helps far superior to these; nor will any one method of cure answer in all cases, but the course must be altered according to the difference of const.i.tution, &c. However, I will here propose those things, which have been found to be most generally serviceable.

[132] _See Celsus, Lib. iii. Cap. xxiii. & Cael. Aurelian, Lib. i. Cap. 4._

Blood is to be taken away several times, according to the strength of the patient, in order to check its impetus. Vomits are to be administered now and then, but cathartics more frequently. It is particularly requisite to draw the redundant humor from the head, which is done by blisters; but better, by applying a caustic near the occiput, and making an issue, which is to be kept constantly running.

These remedies contribute indeed to weaken the paroxysms; but for removing the cause, when it can be done (for sometimes it cannot) other helps are requisite. For it is manifest, that the cause lies chiefly in the nervous fluid, commonly called animal spirits. But to investigate the manner how this fluid is affected in diseases of this kind, would, in my opinion, be a fruitless labour. However, as I have shewn on another occasion,[133] that it consists of very minute particles secreted from the blood in the brain, and receives and imprisons a considerable quant.i.ty of that elastic matter, universally diffused throughout all nature; it cannot be doubted, but that it may be so corrupted by some indisposition of the body or mind, as to become more or less improper for executing the functions of life, and perform all animal motions, not at the command of the will, but in a disorderly manner, and with a certain ungovernable impetuosity. Now the best remedies for correcting this depraved condition of the animal spirits, are chiefly those, which have the most powerful faculties of attenuating the humors, and throwing them out of the body by sweat.

Of these the most excellent are the _Root of wild Valerian_, _Russian Castor_, _the ftid Gums_, and _Native Cinnabar_, taken daily in pretty large quant.i.ties; with the interposition of cathartics at proper intervals, among which there is none better than the _Tinctura sacra_. I have long known by experience, that the celebrated _Misleto of the Oak_, is an useless weed. And indeed how can it be otherwise, since it has scarcely any taste or smell, and is entirely indebted to the religion of the Druids for its great character. Wherefore it is to be rank'd with those other frivolous things, which superst.i.tion has introduced into physick; unless a person can work himself up into a belief, that the golden sickle, with which it was cut down, the priest's snow-white garment, the sacrifice of white bulls, and other such trifling circ.u.mstances, are conducive towards a cure.[134]

[133] _Account of poisons, ed. 3. introduction._

[134] _Plin. hist. nat. Lib. xvi. --. ult._

CHAPTER XI.

_The issue of blood in a woman._

Saint Matthew relates, that "Christ, by his word alone, cured a woman who had been diseased with an issue of blood for twelve[135] years."

[135] _Chap. ix. v. 20._

And here arises a question, concerning the nature of this disease. But as the words in the Greek are ???? ???????sa, I am of opinion, that it was a flux of blood from the natural parts, which Hippocrates[136]

calls ???? ??at?d?, and observes, that it is necessarily tedious.

Wherefore having been exhausted by it for twelve years, may justly be said to be incurable by human art.

[136] _De morb. Lib. i. Sect. 3._

CHAPTER XII.

_Weakness of the back, with a rigidity of the back-bone._

"There was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was so bowed together, that she could in no wise lift up herself, and Jesus laid his hands on her, and she was freed from her infirmity, and immediately made[137] strait."

[137] _Luke, Chap. xiii. v. 11, &c._

This woman was s????pt?sa, that is, _stooping forward_; being unable ??a???a?, or _to lift up her head_. Now that spirit, according to the common way of speaking of the jews, was satan. For thus Christ himself, answering the ruler of the synagogue, who was angry that the woman had been cured on the sabbath day, says, that _satan had held her bound these eighteen years_. And exactly in the same sense saint Mark employs p?e?a ??a??? for a _spirit, which obstructed the faculty of speech_.[138]

[138] _Chap. ix. v. 17._

This infirmity often befalls those, who have been very long afflicted with a disorder of the loins: whence the muscular fibres of that part become contracted and rigid. Wherefore it is very probable, that this tedious disease proceeded from that very cause, and was curable by the divine a.s.sistance only.

CHAPTER XIII.

_The b.l.o.o.d.y sweat of Christ._

Saint Luke relates of Christ himself, that, "when he was in an agony by the fervency of his prayers, his sweat was like drops of blood falling down on the[139] ground."

[139] _Chap. xxii. v. 44._

This pa.s.sage is generally understood, as if the Saviour of mankind had sweated real blood. But the text does not say so much. The sweat was only ?se? ????? ??at??, as it were, or like drops of blood; that is, the drops of sweat were so large, thick and viscid, that they trickled to the ground like drops of blood. Thus were the words understood by Justin Martyr, Theophylactus and Euthymius. And yet Galen has observed, that _it sometimes happens, that the pores are so vastly dilated by a copious and fervid spirit; that even blood issues thro' them, and const.i.tutes a b.l.o.o.d.y sweat_.[140]

[140] _Lib. de utilitate respirationis._

CHAPTER XIV.

_The disease of Judas._

In the number of diseases, I rank the death of Judas, the wicked betrayer of Christ; of which I shall treat the more willingly, because very learned interpreters of the holy scriptures have run into different opinions concerning it. And about fifty years ago, two famous professors of history in the university of Leyden, Jacobus Gronovius and Jacobus Perizonius, handled this controversy in print with too much pa.s.sion. For polite literature does not always polish its admirers.

The origin of the dispute was this. Perizonius had published aelian's variae historiae, with his own notes and those of others; where taking occasion from what aelian says of Poliager,[141] he diligently examines the signification of the verb ?p???es?a?, which saint Matthew[142]

employs in relating the death of Judas; and insists that that word does not only mean strangling with a halter, but also sometimes excessive grief, by which a person is brought to the brink of death, and frequently even destroys himself. This criticism was taken amiss by Gronovius, who had already published a book _de morte Judae_, wherein he had said that the wretch had voluntarily put an end to his life by a halter; wherefore he drew his pen, in order to refute his adversary's reasonings, and corroborate his own. Moreover he quarrels with Perizonius about the phrase p????? ?e??e???, which he positively affirms ought to be understood not of a dying man, but solely of one actually dead, or of a dead body cast or tumbled down. For St. Matthew simply says ?p???at?,[143] but St. Luke more fully, p????? ?e??e???

?????se ?s??, ?a? ??e???? p??ta t? sp?????a ??t?,[144] that is, _falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out_. Wherefore, if the verb ?p???es?a? can bear no other signification than that _strangling, which is performed by a halter_, it is plain that the two evangelists do not agree together; unless we say with the learned Casaubon, that Judas hanged himself, but the rope broke, and he tumbled headlong down. But this does not explain the manner of his death; which saint Luke manifestly seems to have intended; but barely adds a circ.u.mstance of little moment, which happen'd after it, or at the very instant of it. Upon the whole it is certain, that by this word is not only meant _suffocation by hanging_, but also _excessive grief_, with which those who are violently overpowered, frequently compa.s.s their own death. For, as Ovid says: _strangulat inclusus dolor_. And indeed Perizonius has clearly proved this point by a number of examples, drawn from ancient authors.[145] Nor is it less to be doubted, but that the expression p????? ?e??e???, may be used for one, who _voluntarily throws himself headlong down_, as well as for one, _who falls headlong by some accident_: which he has amply demonstrated.

[141] _Lib. v. Cap. 8._

[142] _Chap. xxvii. v. 5._

[143] _Ibid._

[144] _Acts, Chap. i. v. 18._

[145] _Vid. dissert. de morte Judae, & responsones duas ad Gronovium, Lugd. Bat. 1702 & 3._

This controversy cost more than one dissertation. But after seriously considering the strength of the arguments produced by both parties; I am of opinion, that the words of saint Matthew may be reconciled with the account given by saint Luke from saint Peter's speech, in this manner. When that most unhappy traitor saw that Christ was condemned to death, he began to repent of his deed; and being thereupon wreck'd with grief and despair, or seized with the swimming in the head (which often happens in such cases) he fell headlong down some precipice; or, which is more probable, he designedly threw himself down, and his body chancing to pitch on some large stone or stump of a tree, his bowels burst forth, and he was killed. Wherefore Matthew declared his tortures of mind, which made him destroy himself; but Luke has clearly and properly determined the manner of his death. Thus this kind of death ought, with good reason, to find a place in the list of diseases, upon account of the real disorder of the mind.

CHAPTER XV.