A key to Helmont, or, A short introduction to the better understanding of the theory and method of the most profound chymical physicians

CHAP. II. A Consideration of the Actions of the vital Spirit as tend to our purpose.

IF the vital Spirit form'd us according to the Omnipo∣tent decree, I presume 'twill be easily granted, that the same Spirit preserves us in that form, and is the sole active and sensitive part of the body; for having taken its flight

from us, we are no longer capable of Disease or Cure.

I shall presume to give my sentiments, how that Spirit doth universally act for us and against us, and thereby hope to elucidate that saying of Helmont, that the cause of life is the cause of death. I must first premise, that all creatures in the universe are sustained by nourishment, which I call the conversion of some other parts of the Creation into a symbolizing nature to the creature nourished, which is said to be altered by vertue of the ferments; but what nature the Leven of these ferments are, is rather guessed at than known. It hath been endeavoured to be describ'd by manifest qua∣lities, as Heat, Acidity, Acid and Alkali, but the coldness of Fishes, and sweetness of healthy Ventricles, being sud∣denly and without terror destroyed, overthrow the two former. And if Acid and Alcali be unequally mix'd, it would be tasted also, if equally I could never find (out of the body), that it had any power to digest, corrode or putrifie, but is e contrà agreat, preserver of bodies from putrefaction. Praeternatural Heat and Acidity, are the u∣sual concomitants of Diseases; and we well know that a diseased person cannot digest well according to Hippocrates's Aphorism, Corpora impura quò magis nutrias eò magis laedas, a Rule as little taken notice of by many Physicians as un∣known to Nurses, who think they can never do the sick right longer than they are suggesting something to eat, lit∣tle thinking whatever gross substance they take, that is the object of digestion, is converted by a deprav'd ferment into filthy matter fit to feed the disease; for 'tis not so much what we eat or drink, as how our Alterative faculty is: The same Joynt of meet that nourishes the well, loads the sick; nay, will be converted into Dogs-flesh, Swines-flesh, Fish-flesh and Birds-flesh; in a word, into the several spe∣cies of all creatures that will eat of it. And we see the poor that feed on the coursest of fare, as vigorous and as

strong as those that feed most opiparously. But pardon me this digression. I lament therefore, that so many in∣genious and industrious men, have and do still spend so much precious time to find out the causes of vital ferments, thinking it to be so material, as to be discovered by their senses; whereas it seems to me most rational, that that which gave us our formation, should also prepare our aliment, and distribute to us fit Juices for our preservation, and so to unform the aliment (if I may so speak it) to form some∣thing for the preservation of its own concrete out of it. If so, we shall never know it a priori, being too subtile for our most assisted senses, but must be contented to guess at it a posteriori, by its effects and parts it inhabits in. How∣ever I confess and acknowledg, that these ingenious in∣quirers have found cut several curious and different parts in the Ventricles, and other parts of things of different species, undoubtedly filthly adapted to work with to alter food of such and such a Texture, to such an end. But I must beg their pardon, that I cannot think them the cau∣ses of fermentation, sith of themselves they are but dead things, longer than they are animated by the vital Spirits; but conceive them as Engines stupendiously fitted for the vital Spirits to operate withal. We see, that creatures of different specist delight in different foods, which no doubt are such that best agree to the Textures of their bo∣dies, and are most fit to be digested by their peculiar fer∣ments. Now sith it's undeniable, that we being depriv'd of the sensitive soul, we are uncapable of sickness and health, and all sensation whatsoever, and all ferments, ex∣cept the putrefactive one cease; though when present and active the smallest prick of a pin, or any other the least injury given to the remotest parts, offend all the whole body, by startling the vital Spirits, whose resentments of injuries, and disturbance thereby, cause them to form mor∣bifick

Ideas, either through its own passions, or other ex∣ternal accident, or deprav'd matter. So we say with Hel∣mont, that though there may be millions of irritative ma∣terial causes, or external accidents, yet the sole formal cause is the vital Spirit, which either being enrag'd, transport∣ed or suppressed, frame diseases accordingly. Patients are alter'd according to the energy and design of the Agents. Now in all bodies the vital Spirit must be the Agent, (as the Excellent Sir Francis Bacon saith in his Natural Histo∣ry, lib. 1. Exper. 98. being the only active part of the bo∣dy, the rest being but a dead lump when that is gone, or become unactive, absolutely insensible, and consequently uncapable of Disease or Cure. When this Agent acts vi∣gorously placidly, and without disturbance, he doth all things for the best; but if disturb'd, it stirreth up such a hurry and disorder in him, that he mouldeth pretern u∣ral Forms or Textures; and thence we affirm, that the cause of life and health, when in order, is the cause of sickness and death when in disorder. Now the vital Spi∣rit is the occasion of diseases of it self, as it admits of ill Impresses or Ideas, by the senses from without, as we see the same Spirit that is now pleasant and sedate, will on a sudden degenerate into passions of different, nay, con∣trary effects, according to the nature of the irritative cause from without, or the diseased matter disturbing the free exercise and government of the vital Spirits within variously, according to the quantity, quality, and tex∣ture of such morbifick matter; But it cannot be said, that they are first or last in point of time, they being as A∣gent and Patient, and therefore corival and co-existent, though in respect of the irritative cause, we compute them one before another. For the vitals can be no sooner from their duty, but matter will in some measure degenerate for want of its due preserver; and there can be no of∣fensive

matter in the body, but must in some degree affect the vitals, though many times it be so little that we can∣not discern it. Hence cometh the insensible creeping on of Chronick Diseases.