5117Century I.
THere is a ſecret way of Cure, unpractiſed by Aſſuetude of that which
1161. in itſelf hurteth. Poyſons have been made by ſome Familiar, as hath
22Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Cu-
ſtom. been ſaid. Ordinary Keepers of the ſick of the Plague, are ſeldom infected.
Enduring of Tortures, by cuſtom hath been made more eaſie: The brook-
ing of enormous quantity of Meats, and ſo of Wine, or ſtrong drink, hath
been by cuſtom made to be without Surfeit or Drunkenneſs. And generally
Diſeaſes that are Chronical, as Coughs, Phihiſicks, ſome kinde of Palſies,
Lunacies, & c. are moſt dangerous at the firſt: Therefore a wiſe Phyſitian will
conſider, whcther a Diſeaſe be incurable, or whether the juſt cure of it be
not full of peril; and if he finde it to be ſuch, let him reſort to Palliation,
and alleviate the Symptom without buſying himſelf too much with the
perfect cure: And many times (if the Patient be indecd patient) that courſe
will exceed all expectation. Likewiſe the Patient himſelf may ſtrive, by
little and little to overcome the Symptom in the Exacerbation, and ſo by
time turn ſuffering into Nature.
1161. in itſelf hurteth. Poyſons have been made by ſome Familiar, as hath
22Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Cu-
ſtom. been ſaid. Ordinary Keepers of the ſick of the Plague, are ſeldom infected.
Enduring of Tortures, by cuſtom hath been made more eaſie: The brook-
ing of enormous quantity of Meats, and ſo of Wine, or ſtrong drink, hath
been by cuſtom made to be without Surfeit or Drunkenneſs. And generally
Diſeaſes that are Chronical, as Coughs, Phihiſicks, ſome kinde of Palſies,
Lunacies, & c. are moſt dangerous at the firſt: Therefore a wiſe Phyſitian will
conſider, whcther a Diſeaſe be incurable, or whether the juſt cure of it be
not full of peril; and if he finde it to be ſuch, let him reſort to Palliation,
and alleviate the Symptom without buſying himſelf too much with the
perfect cure: And many times (if the Patient be indecd patient) that courſe
will exceed all expectation. Likewiſe the Patient himſelf may ſtrive, by
little and little to overcome the Symptom in the Exacerbation, and ſo by
time turn ſuffering into Nature.
DIvers Diſeaſes, eſpecially Chronical, (ſuch as Quartan Agues) are ſome-
3362. times cured by Surfeit and Exceſſes; as exceſs of Meat, exceſs of Drink,
44Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Ex-
ceß. extraordinary Faſting, extraordinary ſtirring, or Laſſitude, and the like.
The cauſe is, for that Diſeaſes of continuance, get an adventitious ſtrength
from Cultom, beſides their material cauſe from the Humors: So that the
breaking of the Cuſtom doth leave them onely to their firſt cauſe; which,
if it be any thing weak, will fall off. Beſides, ſuch Exceſſes do excite and ſpur
Nature, which thereupon riſeth more forcibly againſt the Diſeaſe.
3362. times cured by Surfeit and Exceſſes; as exceſs of Meat, exceſs of Drink,
44Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Ex-
ceß. extraordinary Faſting, extraordinary ſtirring, or Laſſitude, and the like.
The cauſe is, for that Diſeaſes of continuance, get an adventitious ſtrength
from Cultom, beſides their material cauſe from the Humors: So that the
breaking of the Cuſtom doth leave them onely to their firſt cauſe; which,
if it be any thing weak, will fall off. Beſides, ſuch Exceſſes do excite and ſpur
Nature, which thereupon riſeth more forcibly againſt the Diſeaſe.
THere is in the Body of Man, a great conſentin the Motion of the ſeveral
5563. parts: We ſee it is Childrens ſport, to prove whether they can rub up-
66Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Mo-
tion of Conſent. on their Breſt with one hand, and pat upon their Forehead with another;
and ſtraight ways they ſhall ſometimes rub with both hands, or pat with
both hands. We ſee, that when the Spirits that come to the Noſtrils, ex-
pel a bad ſent, the Stomack is ready to expel by vomit. We finde that in
Conſumptions of the Lungs, when Nature cannotexpel by Cough, Men fall into
Fluxes of the Belly, and then they die. So in Peſtilent Diſeaſes, if they can-
not be expelled by Sweat, they fall like wiſe into Looſneß, and that is common-
ly Mortal. Therefore Phyſitians ſhould ingeniouſly contrive, how by Mo-
tions that are in their power, they may excite inward Motions that are not
in their power, by conſent; as by the ſtench of Feathers, or the like, they
cure the riſing of the Mother.
5563. parts: We ſee it is Childrens ſport, to prove whether they can rub up-
66Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure by Mo-
tion of Conſent. on their Breſt with one hand, and pat upon their Forehead with another;
and ſtraight ways they ſhall ſometimes rub with both hands, or pat with
both hands. We ſee, that when the Spirits that come to the Noſtrils, ex-
pel a bad ſent, the Stomack is ready to expel by vomit. We finde that in
Conſumptions of the Lungs, when Nature cannotexpel by Cough, Men fall into
Fluxes of the Belly, and then they die. So in Peſtilent Diſeaſes, if they can-
not be expelled by Sweat, they fall like wiſe into Looſneß, and that is common-
ly Mortal. Therefore Phyſitians ſhould ingeniouſly contrive, how by Mo-
tions that are in their power, they may excite inward Motions that are not
in their power, by conſent; as by the ſtench of Feathers, or the like, they
cure the riſing of the Mother.
HIppocrates Aphoriſm, in Morbis Minus, is a good profound Aphoriſm.
It im-
7764. porteth, that Diſeaſes contrary to the Complexion, Age, Sex, Seaſon of
88Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure of Diſ-
caſes which are
contrary to
Prediſpoſition. the year, Diet, & c. are more dangerous than thoſe that are concurrent. A
Man would think it ſhould be otherwiſe; For that when the Accident of
Sickneſs, and the Natural diſpoſition, do ſecond the one the other; the
Diſeaſe ſhould be more forcible. And (ſo no doubt) it is, if you ſuppoſe like
quantity of Matter. But that which maketh good the Aphoriſm, is, becauſe
ſuch Diſeaſes do ſhew a greater collection of Matter, by that they are able
to overcome thoſe Natural inclinations to the contrary. And therefore in
Diſeaſes of that kinde, let the Phyſitian apply him ſelf more to Purgation, than
to Alteration; becauſe the offence is in the quantity, and the qualities are
rectified of themſelves.
7764. porteth, that Diſeaſes contrary to the Complexion, Age, Sex, Seaſon of
88Experiment
Solitary,
touching
Cure of Diſ-
caſes which are
contrary to
Prediſpoſition. the year, Diet, & c. are more dangerous than thoſe that are concurrent. A
Man would think it ſhould be otherwiſe; For that when the Accident of
Sickneſs, and the Natural diſpoſition, do ſecond the one the other; the
Diſeaſe ſhould be more forcible. And (ſo no doubt) it is, if you ſuppoſe like
quantity of Matter. But that which maketh good the Aphoriſm, is, becauſe
ſuch Diſeaſes do ſhew a greater collection of Matter, by that they are able
to overcome thoſe Natural inclinations to the contrary. And therefore in
Diſeaſes of that kinde, let the Phyſitian apply him ſelf more to Purgation, than
to Alteration; becauſe the offence is in the quantity, and the qualities are
rectified of themſelves.