The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XVIII. Of the Perturbations, or Passions of the minde.

THe Perturbations, are commonly called the accidents of the minde; because, as bodily accidents from the body, so may these be present and * 1.1 absent from the minde, without the corruption of the subject. The know∣ledge of these must not be lightly passed over by the Chirurgion; for they stir up great troubles in the bodies, and yeeld occasion of many & great diseases; of which things, Ioy, Hope and Love, may give a apparent testimony. For by these motions the heate and spirits are sometimes gently, sometimes violently diffused o∣ver all the body, for the enjoying of the present, or hoped for good. For then the heart is dilated, as to embrace the thing beloved, and the face is died with a rosy and lively colour. For it is likely, that the facultie it selfe is stirred by the object, by whose power the heart it selfe is moved.

For it is first necessary, before wee be moved by any Passions, that the senses in * 1.2 their proper seates, in which they are seldome deceived, apprehend the objects, and strait as messengers carrie them to the common sense, which sends their concei∣ved formes to all the faculties. And then, that each facultie, as a Iudge may a fresh examine the whole matter, how it is, and conceive in the presented objects some shew of good, or ill, to bee desired, or shunned. For what man that was well in his wits, did ever fall into a laughter, unlesse he formerly knew, or saw somewhat said or done, which might yeeld occasion of laughter? Therefore Ioy proceeds from the * 1.3 heart, for the thing causing mirth or joy, being conceived, the facultie moves the heart, which shaken and moved by the faculty which hath dominion over it, is di∣lated and opened, as ready to embrace the exhilarating object. But in the meane time by the force of that dilatation, it sends forth much heate, and spirits together with the bloud into all the body. A great part of which comming to the face, di∣lates it, the forehead is smooth and plaine, the eyes looke bright, the cheekes become red, as died with Vermilion, the lips and mouth are drawen together, and made plaine and smoth; some have their cheekes dented with two little pits (which from the effects are called laughing cheekes) because of the contraction or curling, which the muscles suffer by reason of their fulnesse of bloud and spirits, all which to be briefe is nothing but to laugh.

Ioy recreates and quickens all the faculties, stirres up the spirits, helpes con∣coction, makes the body to bee better likeing, and fattens it, the heate, bloud, * 1.4 and spirits flowing thither, and the nourishing dew or moisture, watering and refreshing all the members; from whence it is, that of all the Passions of the minde, this onely is profitable, so that it exceed not measure; for immoderate and unac∣customed joy, carries so violently the bloud and spirits from the heart, into the habit of the body, that sodaine and unlookt for death ensues, by a speedy decay of the strength, the lasting fountaine of the vitall humour being exhausted. Which thing principally happens to those who are lesse heartie, as women and old-men.

Anger causeth the same effusion of heate in us, but farre speedier than joy; therefore the spirits and humors are so inflamed by it, that it often causes putrid * 1.5 feavers, especially if the body abound with any ill humor.

Sorrow, or griefe dries the body by a way quite contrary to that of anger, be∣cause * 1.6 by this the heart is so straitened, the heate being almost extinct, that the accu∣stomed generation of spirits cannot be performed; and if any be generated, they cannot freely passe into the members with the bloud; wherefore the vitall facultie is weakened, the lively colour of the face withers and decaies, and the body wastes away with a lingering consumption.

Feare in like sort drawes in and calls backe the spirits, and not by little and little * 1.7 as in sorrow, but sodainely and violently; hereupon the face growes sodainely pale,

the extreame parts cold, all the body trembles or shakes, the belly in some is loo∣sed, the voice as it were staies in the jawes, the heart beate with a violent pulsation, because it is almost opprest by the heate, strangled by the plentie of bloud, and spi∣rits abondantly rushing thither; The haire also stands upright, because the heate * 1.8 and bloud are retired to the inner parts, and the utmost parts are more cold and drie than stone; by reason whereof the utmost skinne and the pores, in which the rootes of the haires are fastened, are drawne together.

Shame is a certaine affection mixed, as it were, of Anger and Feare; there∣fore * 1.9 if, in that conflict of, as it were, contending passions, Feare prevaile over Anger, the face waxeth pale, (the bloud flying backe to the heart;) and these or these Symp∣tomes rise, according to the vehemency of the contracted and abated heat. But if on the contrary, Anger get the dominion over Feare, the bloud runnes violently to the face, the eyes looke red, and sometimes they even some at the mouth.

There is another kinde of shame, which the Latines call Verecundia (wee Shame∣fastnesse) * 1.10 in which there is a certaine fluxe, and refluxe of the heate, and bloud first recoiling to the heart, then presently rebounding from thence againe. But that motion is so gentle, that the heart thereby suffers no oppression, nor defect of spirits; wherefore no accidents worthy to be spoken of, arise from hence: this affect is familiar to young maid es and boyes; who if they blush for a fault commit∣ted unawares, or through carelesnesse, it is thought an argument of a vertuous and good disposition.

But an agony, which is a mixt passion of a strong feare, and vehement anger, in∣volves * 1.11 the heart in the danger of both motions; wherefore by this passion, the vi∣tall facultie is brought into very great danger. To these sixe Passions of the minde, all other may be revoked, as Hatred and Discord to Anger: Mirth and Boasting, to Ioy; Terrors, Frights and Swoundings, to Feare; Envy, Despaire and Mourning, to Sorrow.

By these it is evident, how much the passions of the minde can prevaile, to alter and overthow the state of the body; and that by no other meanes, than that by the compression and dilatation of the heart, they diffuse and contract the spirits bloud, and heate; from whence happens the dissipation, or oppressions of these spirits.

The signes of these Symptomes quickly shew themselves in the face; the heart, * 1.12 by reason of the thinnesse of the skinne in that part, as it were painting forth the notes of its affections. And certainely the face is a part so fit to disclose all the affections of the inward parts, that by it you may manifestly know an old man from a young, a woman from a man, a temperate person from an untemperate, an Ethiopian from an Indian, a Frenchman from a Spaniard, a sad man from a merry, a sound from a sicke, a living from a dead. Wherefore many affirme that the manners, and those things which we keepe secret and hid in our hearts, may be understood by the face and countenance.

Now wee have declared what commoditie and discommoditie may redound to * 1.13 man from these forementioned passions, and have shewed that anger is profitable to none, unlesse by chance to some dull by reason of idlenesse, or opprest with some cold, clammy and phlegmaticke humor; and feare convenient for none, unlesse peradventure for such as are brought into manifest and extreme danger of their life by some extraordinary sweat, immoderate bleeding, or the like unbridled evacua∣tion, Wherefore it behoves a wise Chirurgion to have a care, lest he inconsiderately put any Patient committed to his charge into any of these passions, unlesse there bee some necessitie thereof, by reason of any of the forementioned occasions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why the Pas∣sions of the minde, are called Acci∣dents. Their force.
• * 1.2

  From whence they have their force.
• * 1.3

  The reason of Ioy.
• * 1.4

  The effects of Ioy.
• * 1.5

  Anger.
• * 1.6

  Sorrow.
• * 1.7

  Feare:
• * 1.8

  Hippocrat. lib. 4. de morb.
• * 1.9

  Shame.
• * 1.10

  Shamefast∣nesse.
• * 1.11

  An agonie.
• * 1.12

  Why the first signes of pas∣sions of the minde appeare in the face.
• * 1.13

  The use of passions of the minde.