CHAP. XI. Of the generall and particular causes of a Gangreene.
THe most generall cause of a Gangreene is, when by the dissolution of the harmony and joynt temper of the foure first qualities, the part is made * 1.1 unapt to receive the faculties, the Naturall, Vitall, and Animall spirits, by which it is nourished, lives, feeles, and mooves. For a part deprived by any chance of these, as of the light, languishes and presently dyes. Now the par∣ticular causes are many: and these either primitive, or antecedent. The primitive or externall are combustions, caused by things either actually or potentially burning; * 1.2 actually as by fire, scalding oyle or water, gunpowder fired and the like. But po∣tentially by acride medicines; as Sublimate, vitrioll, potentiall cauteries and other things of the same nature: for all these cause a great inflmmation in the part. But the ambient ayre may cause great refrigerations, and also a Gangreene, which caused * 1.3 Hippocrates lib. de Aer. to call great refrigerations of the braine Sphacelisme. There∣fore the unadvised and unfit application of cold and narcoticke things, a fracture, luxation and great confusion, too strait bandages, the biting of beasts, especially of such as are venemous; a puncture of the Nerves and Tendons, the wounds of the nervous parts and joynts, especially in bodyes which are plethorike and repleate with ill humors, great wounds whereby the vessels which carry life are much cut, whence an aneurisma, and lastly many other causes, which perturbe that harmony of the foure prime qualities which we formerly mentioned, and so inferre a Gan∣greene.