CHAP. XVIII. Prognosticks of the Dislocated Vertebrae of the backe.
IF in Infancie it happen that the vertebrae of the backe shall bee dislocated, the ribbs will grow little or nothing in breadth, but runne outwards before; therefore the chest loseth its natu∣rall latitude, and stands out with a sharpe point. Hence they * 1.1 become asthmaticke, the lungs and muscles which serve for breathing, being pressed together and straitened; and that they may the eas••ier breathe, they are forced to hold up their heads, whence also they seeme to have great throats. Now because the weazon being thus pressed, the breath is carried through a strait passage; therefore they whease as they breath, and snort in their sleepe, for that their lungs, which receive and send forth the breath or ayre, be of lesse bignesse: besides also, they are subject to great distillations upon their lungs, whereby it commeth to passe, that they are shorter lived. But such as are bunch-backed below the midriffe, are incident to diseases of the kidneyes and bladder, and have smaller and slenderer thighes and legges, and they more slowly and sparingly cast forth haire and have beards; to conclude, they are lesse fruitfull, and more subject to barrennesse, than such as have their croo∣kednesse above their midriffe. The Bunches which proceede from externall causes are oft times cureable; but such as have their originall from an inward cause are absolutely uncureable, unlesse they be withstood at the first with great care & indu∣strie. Wherefore such as have it by kinde, never are helped. Such as, whilest they are yet Children, before their bodies bee come to perfect growth, have their Spine crooked and bunching out, their bodies use not to grow at the Spine, but their legges and armes come to their perfect and full growth; yet the parts belonging to their breasts and backe, become more slender. Neither is it any wonder, for seeing * 1.2 the veines, arteries, and nerves are not in their places, the spirits doe neither freely, nor the alimentarie juices plenteously flow by these straitned passages, whence lean∣nesse must needs ensue: but the limbs shall thence have no wrong, for that not the whole bodie, but the neighbouring parts onely are infected with the contagion of this evill. When divers vertebrae, following each other in order, are together and * 1.3 at one time dislocated, the dislocation is lesse dangerous, than if one alone were luxated. For, when one only vertebrae is dislocated, it carries the Spinall marrow so away with it, that it forces it almost into a sharpe angle; wherefore being more straitly pressed, it must necessarily bee eyther broken or hurt, which is absolutely