the altering or concocting faculties, especially of the liver, which hath beene caused by a Scyrrbus, or any kinde of great distemper, cheifly cold, whether it happen pri∣marily, or secondarily by reason of some hote distemper dissipating the native and inbred heate, such a Dropsie is uncureable; or else it comes by consent of some o∣ther higher or lower part; for if in the Lungs, Midriffe, or Reines there be any distemper, or disease bred, it is easily communicated to the gibbous part of the Liver by the branches of the hollow veine, which runne thither. But if the mis∣chiefe proceed from the Spleene, Stomacke, Mesentery, Guts, especially the Iejunum and Ileum, it creeps into the hollow side of the Liver by the meseraicke veines, and other branches of the Vena porta or Gate-veine. For thus such as are troubled with the Asthma, ptisicke, Spleene, Iaundise, and also the Phrensie, fall into a Dropsie.
Lastly, all such as have the menstruall or haemorrhoidall bloud suppressed or too im∣moderatly flowing contrary to their custome, either overwhelmes, diminisheth or extinguisheth the native heate; no otherwise than fire, which is suffocated by too great a quantity of wood; or dieth and is extinguished for want thereof. We must looke for the same from the excrements of the belly or bladder, cast forth either too sparingly or too immoderatly: Or by too large quantity of meates too cold, and rashly devoured without any order; To conclude by every default of externall causes, through which occasion, error may happen, in diet or exercise.
The Ascites is distinguished from the two other kinds of Dropsies, both by the magnitude of the efficient cause, as also by the violence of the Symptomes, as the dejected appetite, thirst, and swelling of the Abdomen. And also when the body is moved or turned upon either side, you may heare a sound as of the jogging of water in a vessell halfe full. Lastly the humor is diversely driven upwards or downewards, according to the turning of the body and compression of the Abdomen; It also causeth various Symptomes by pressure of the parts to which it floweth. For it causeth difficultie of breathing and the cough by pressing the Midriffe; by sweating through into the capacity of the Chest it causeth like Symptomes as the Empyema. Besides also the Patients often seeme, as it were, by the ebbing and flowing of the waterish humor, one while to be carryed to the skies, and another whiles to be drowned in the water; which I have learnt not by reading of any author, but by the report of the patients themselves. But if these waterish humors be fallen downe to the lower parts, they suppresse the excrements of the Gutts and bladder by pressing & straitning the passages. When the patient lies on his backe the tumor seemes lesse, because it is spread on both sides; On the contrary when hee stands or sits, it seemes greater, for that all the humor is forced or driven into the lower belly, whence hee feeles a heavines in the Pecten or share. The upper parts of the body fall away by defect of the bloud fit for nourishment in quality and consistence, but the lower parts swell by the flowing downe of the Serous and watrish humor to them. The pulse is little, quicke, and hard with tention.
This disease is of the kinde of Chronicall or long diseases; wherefore it is scarce, or never cured, especially in those who have it from their mothers wombe, who have the Action of their Stomacke depraved, and those who are cachecticke, old, and lastly all such as have the naturall facultie languishing and faultie.
On the contrary young and strong men, especially if they have no Feaver, and finally all who can endure labour and those exercises which are fit for curing this disease, easily recover, principally if they use a Physition before the water which is gathered together doe putrifie and infect the bowells by its contagion.