MEMB. II.
Retention and Evacuation rectified.
I have declared in the causes what harm costiveness hath done in procuring
this disease; if it be so noxious, the opposite must needs be good, or mean
at least, as indeed it is, and to this cure necessarily required; maxime
conducit, saith Montaltus, cap. 27. it very much avails. [2956]
Altomarus, cap. 7, commends walking in a morning, into some fair green
pleasant fields, but by all means first, by art or nature, he will have
these ordinary excrements evacuated. Piso calls it, Beneficium ventris,
the benefit, help or pleasure of the belly, for it doth much ease it.
Laurentius, cap. 8, Crato, consil. 21. l. 2. prescribes it once a day
at least: where nature is defective, art must supply, by those lenitive
electuaries, suppositories, condite prunes, turpentine, clysters, as shall
be shown. Prosper Calenus, lib. de atra bile, commends clysters in
hypochondriacal melancholy, still to be used as occasion serves; [2957]
Peter Cnemander in a consultation of his pro hypocondriaco, will have his
patient continually loose, and to that end sets down there many forms of
potions and clysters. Mercurialis, consil. 88. if this benefit come not
of its own accord, prescribes [2958]clysters in the first place: so doth
Montanus, consil. 24. consil. 31 et 229. he commends turpentine to
that purpose: the same he ingeminates, consil. 230. for an Italian abbot.
'Tis very good to wash his hands and face often, to shift his clothes, to
have fair linen about him, to be decently and comely attired, for sordes
vitiant, nastiness defiles and dejects any man that is so voluntarily, or
compelled by want, it dulleth the spirits.
Baths are either artificial or natural, both have their special uses in
this malady, and as [2959]Alexander supposeth, lib. 1. cap. 16. yield
as speedy a remedy as any other physic whatsoever. Aetius would have them
daily used, assidua balnea, Tetra. 2. sect. 2. c. 9. Galen cracks how
many several cures he hath performed in this kind by use of baths alone,
and Rufus pills, moistening them which are otherwise dry. Rhasis makes it a
principal cure, Tota cura sit in humectando, to bathe and afterwards
anoint with oil. Jason Pratensis, Laurentius, cap. 8. and Montanus set
down their peculiar forms of artificial baths. Crato, consil. 17. lib.
2. commends mallows, camomile, violets, borage to be boiled in it, and
sometimes fair water alone, and in his following counsel, Balneum aquae
dulcis solum saepissime profuisse compertum habemus. So doth Fuchsius,
lib. 1. cap. 33. Frisimelica, 2. consil. 42. in Trincavelius. Some
beside herbs prescribe a ram's head and other things to be boiled. [2960]
Fernelius, consil. 44. will have them used ten or twelve days together;
to which he must enter fasting, and so continue in a temperate heat, and
after that frictions all over the body. Lelius Aegubinus, consil. 142. and
Christoph. Aererus, in a consultation of his, hold once or twice a week
sufficient to bathe, the [2961]water to be warm, not hot, for fear of
sweating. Felix Plater, observ. lib. 1. for a melancholy lawyer, [2962]
will have lotions of the head still joined to these baths, with a ley
wherein capital herbs have been boiled. [2963]Laurentius speaks of baths
of milk, which I find approved by many others. And still after bath, the
body to be anointed with oil of bitter almonds, of violets, new or fresh
butter, [2964]capon's grease, especially the backbone, and then lotions of
the head, embrocations, &c. These kinds of baths have been in former times
much frequented, and diversely varied, and are still in general use in
those eastern countries. The Romans had their public baths very sumptuous
and stupend, as those of Antoninus and Diocletian. Plin. 36. saith there
were an infinite number of them in Rome, and mightily frequented; some
bathed seven times a day, as Commodus the emperor is reported to have done;
usually twice a day, and they were after anointed with most costly
ointments: rich women bathed themselves in milk, some in the milk of five
hundred she-asses at once: we have many ruins of such, baths found in this
island, amongst those parietines and rubbish of old Roman towns. Lipsius,
de mag. Urb. Rom. l. 3, c. 8, Rosinus, Scot of Antwerp, and other
antiquaries, tell strange stories of their baths. Gillius, l. 4. cap.
ult. Topogr. Constant. reckons up 155 public [2965]baths in
Constantinople, of fair building; they are still [2966]frequented in that
city by the Turks of all sorts, men and women, and all over Greece, and
those hot countries; to absterge belike that fulsomeness of sweat, to which
they are there subject. [2967]Busbequius, in his epistles, is very copious
in describing the manner of them, how their women go covered, a maid
following with a box of ointment to rub them. The richer sort have private
baths in their houses; the poorer go to the common, and are generally so
curious in this behalf, that they will not eat nor drink until they have
bathed, before and after meals some, [2968]and will not make water (but
they will wash their hands) or go to stool. Leo Afer. l. 3. makes
mention of one hundred several baths at Fez in Africa, most sumptuous, and
such as have great revenues belonging to them. Buxtorf. cap. 14,
Synagog. Jud. speaks of many ceremonies amongst the Jews in this kind;
they are very superstitious in their baths, especially women.
Natural baths are praised by some, discommended by others; but it is in a
divers respect. [2969]Marcus, de Oddis in Hip. affect. consulted about
baths, condemns them for the heat of the liver, because they dry too fast;
and yet by and by, [2970]in another counsel for the same disease, he
approves them because they cleanse by reason of the sulphur, and would have
their water to be drunk. Areteus, c. 7. commends alum baths above the
rest; and [2971]Mercurialis, consil. 88. those of Lucca in that
hypochondriacal passion. He would have his patient tarry there fifteen
days together, and drink the water of them, and to be bucketed, or have the
water poured on his head. John Baptista, Sylvaticus cont. 64. commends
all the baths in Italy, and drinking of their water, whether they be iron,
alum, sulphur; so doth [2972]Hercules de Saxonia. But in that they cause
sweat and dry so much, he confines himself to hypochondriacal melancholy
alone, excepting that of the head and the other. Trincavelius, consil.
14. lib. 1. refers those [2973]Porrectan baths before the rest, because
of the mixture of brass, iron, alum, and consil. 35. l. 3. for a
melancholy lawyer, and consil. 36. in that hypochondriacal passion, the
[2974]baths of Aquaria, and 36. consil. the drinking of them.
Frisimelica, consulted amongst the rest in Trincavelius, consil. 42.
lib. 2. prefers the waters of [2975]Apona before all artificial baths
whatsoever in this disease, and would have one nine years affected with
hypochondriacal passions fly to them as to a [2976]holy anchor. Of the
same mind is Trincavelius himself there, and yet both put a hot liver in
the same party for a cause, and send him to the waters of St. Helen, which
are much hotter. Montanus, consil. 230. magnifies the [2977]Chalderinian
baths, and consil 237. et 239. he exhorteth to the same, but with this
caution, [2978]that the liver be outwardly anointed with some coolers
that it be not overheated. But these baths must be warily frequented by
melancholy persons, or if used, to such as are very cold of themselves, for
as Gabelius concludes of all Dutch baths, and especially of those of Baden,
they are good for all cold diseases, [2979]naught for choleric, hot and
dry, and all infirmities proceeding of choler, inflammations of the spleen
and liver. Our English baths, as they are hot, must needs incur the same
censure: but D. Turner of old, and D. Jones have written at large of them.
Of cold baths I find little or no mention in any physician, some speak
against them: [2980]Cardan alone out of Agathinus commends bathing in
fresh rivers, and cold waters, and adviseth all such as mean to live long
to use it, for it agrees with all ages and complexions, and is most
profitable for hot temperatures. As for sweating, urine, bloodletting by
haemrods, or otherwise, I shall elsewhere more opportunely speak of them.
Immoderate Venus in excess, as it is a cause, or in defect; so moderately
used to some parties an only help, a present remedy. Peter Forestus calls
it aptissimum remedium, a most apposite remedy, [2981]remitting anger,
and reason, that was otherwise bound. Avicenna Fen. 3. 20. Oribasius
med. collect. lib. 6. cap. 37. contend out of Ruffus and others, [2982]
that many madmen, melancholy, and labouring of the falling sickness, have
been cured by this alone. Montaltus cap. 27. de melan. will have it
drive away sorrow, and all illusions of the brain, to purge the heart and
brain from ill smokes and vapours that offend them: [2983]and if it be
omitted, as Valescus supposeth, it makes the mind sad, the body dull and
heavy. Many other inconveniences are reckoned up by Mercatus, and by
Rodericus a Castro, in their tracts de melancholia virginum et monialium;
ob seminis retentionem saviunt saepe moniales et virgines, but as Platerus
adds, si nubant sanantur, they rave single, and pine away, much
discontent, but marriage mends all. Marcellus Donatus lib. 2. med. hist.
cap. 1. tells a story to confirm this out of Alexander Benedictus, of a
maid that was mad, ob menses inhibitos, cum in officinam meritoriam
incidisset, a quindecem viris eadem nocte compressa, mensium largo
profluvio, quod pluribus annis ante constiterat, non sine magno pudore mane
menti restituta discessit. But this must be warily understood, for as
Arnoldus objects, lib. 1. breviar. 18. cap. Quid coitus ad
melancholicum succum? What affinity have these two? [2984]except it be
manifest that superabundance of seed, or fullness of blood be a cause, or
that love, or an extraordinary desire of Venus, have gone before, or that
as Lod. Mercatus excepts, they be very flatuous, and have been otherwise
accustomed unto it. Montaltus cap. 27. will not allow of moderate Venus
to such as have the gout, palsy, epilepsy, melancholy, except they be very
lusty, and full of blood. [2985]Lodovicus Antonius lib. med. miscet. in
his chapter of Venus, forbids it utterly to all wrestlers, ditchers,
labouring men, &c. [2986]Ficinus and [2987]Marsilius Cognatus puts Venus
one of the five mortal enemies of a student: it consumes the spirits, and
weakeneth the brain. Halyabbas the Arabian, 5. Theor. cap. 36. and Jason
Pratensis make it the fountain of most diseases, [2988]but most
pernicious to them who are cold and dry: a melancholy man must not meddle
with it, but in some cases. Plutarch in his book de san. tuend. accounts
of it as one of the three principal signs and preservers of health,
temperance in this kind: [2989]to rise with an appetite, to be ready to
work, and abstain from venery, tria saluberrima, are three most
healthful things. We see their opposites how pernicious they are to
mankind, as to all other creatures they bring death, and many feral
diseases: Immodicis brevis est aetas et rara senectus. Aristotle gives
instance in sparrows, which are parum vivaces ob salacitatem, [2990]short
lived because of their salacity, which is very frequent, as Scoppius in
Priapus will better inform you. The extremes being both bad, [2991]the
medium is to be kept, which cannot easily be determined. Some are better
able to sustain, such as are hot and moist, phlegmatic, as Hippocrates
insinuateth, some strong and lusty, well fed like [2992]Hercules, [2993]
Proculus the emperor, lusty Laurence, [2994]prostibulum faeminae Messalina
the empress, that by philters, and such kind of lascivious meats, use all
means to [2995]enable themselves: and brag of it in the end, confodi
multas enim, occidi vero paucas per ventrem vidisti, as that Spanish
[2996]Celestina merrily said: others impotent, of a cold and dry
constitution, cannot sustain those gymnics without great hurt done to their
own bodies, of which number (though they be very prone to it) are
melancholy men for the most part.
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