The art of preserving and restoring health explaining the nature and causes of the distempers that afflict mankind : also shewing that every man is, or may be his own best physician : to which is added a treatise of the most simple and effectual remedies for the diseases of men and women / written in French by M. Flamand ; and faithfully translated into English.

CHAP. I.

Of the principal Causes of Diseases in the general.

THERE are four Causes of Diseases viz. two remote, which are Melancholy or Vexation, and Debauchery; and two imme∣diate, which are an excess of Blood, and the too long continuance of the Excrements in the great Guts.

Of Melancholy,

The first remote Cause of Diseases: Of the bad Effects which it produ∣ces both in the Body and Mind; and of its Remedies.

THere are very few Persons who are not acquainted with Melancholy, either by Reason or Experience, since the Life of Man is a continual Revolution of Prosperity and Adversity; and the Oppositions betwixt those two Conditions, excite in us contrary Motions, and very different Passions. That Tranquillity of Mind which accompanies good Fortune, is very proper to preserve the Health; for tho' the Mind and the Body are of a different Nature, yet they have an Affinity, which keep 'em in such Dependance one to the other, that there is nothing regularly done in the whole Composition, unless it be carry'd on by an equal Combination of the two Parts.

All our Actions are perform'd by the assi∣stance of the Vital and Animal Spirits; and 'tis their Commerce which maintains that perfect Union, between the Heart and the Brain, which are the principal Organs of the Body. For 'tis plain that the Brain cannot produce the Animal Spirits, unless the subtil

parts of the Blood be convey'd thither through the Arteries; and that the Heart, which is a Muscle, hath not power by its continual Motion, to diffuse the Blood through the whole Body, but by the assistance of the Animal Spirits: Now when the Mind is serene and undisturb'd, that all the Parts may be sensible of her Impressions, she furnishes 'em with a sufficient quantity of Spirits, to enable 'em to perform their respective A∣ctions.

But, on the other hand, when the Mind is agitated with a Croud of dismal Appre∣hensions, that give Entrance to Grief and Melancholy, she is perpetually ruminating on the Causes of her Disasters, and endeavouring with all imaginable Application, to remove 'em, which must needs occasion a vast ex∣pence of Spirits. So that all the Animal Spirits which are generated in the Brain, are scarce able to supply those Parts which are subservient to the designs of the Soul, in the performance of those hasty Motions she requires from 'em; and consequently since so large a quantity of the Spirits flows into the Nerves, that are bestow'd upon those Parts, there are but few left for the other Nerves: Now the Parts which help to change or digest the Aliments, and are subservient to all the Actions which are call'd Natural, being of no use to the Passions, 'tis plain that the Nerves which go to those Parts, re∣ceive but few Spirits from the Brain, and

consequently that their Fibres are very weak∣ly mov'd, and their Actions disorderly and ir∣regular; so that the Excrements can hardly be expell'd; and their too long continuance in the Guts is the immediate Cause of Dis∣eases.

We may add, that the great dissipation of the Animal Spirits, when the Soul is vex'd and disturb'd, is the occasion that a greater quantity of Blood than usual is sent from the Heart to the Brain, to make up the Loss of those Spirits; and consequently the Nou∣rishment of all the other Parts is both much lessen'd and chang'd as to its quality. For 'tis always the best part of the Blood that runs to the Brain, and the Body is depriv'd of its best Nourishment, particularly the Mem∣branous Parts, which are weakned and dry'd up, for want of fit Matter to preserve them; and this Inconveniency reaching the Intestines, as well as all the other Parts, 'tis certain that they cannot expel the Excrements with vi∣gour, by their Vermicular or Peristaltick Mo∣tion, being depriv'd of the Animal Spirits, by whose Assistance they were moved.

We also see, that those who are naturally of a melancholy and peevish Humour, who apply themselves to study, or to other Em∣ployments, which require much application, are usually lean, and subject to be often Co∣stive, and commonly fancy themselves to be extremely sick, before they have the least disposition or tendency to Sickness.

What ought to be done in order to pre∣vent the Effects of Grief or Me∣lancholy.

ALL Diseases, as well of the Body as of the Mind, may be cured either perfectly or imperfectly.

A perfect Cure consists in the entire destru∣ction of all the Causes of the Disease, which must necessarily cease when the Causes are re∣mov'd; Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus: This sort of Cure is call'd cradicative.

Grief is not only a Disease of the Body, but 'tis one of the most considerable Distem∣pers that can possibly afflict the Mind.

It cannot be always cur'd by an entire re∣moval of its Causes, since they are not always in our power; and the best Reasons that can be alledged, to persuade a Man to raise him∣self by the Strength of his Mind, above the reach of Ill Fortune, may serve indeed for a fine Amusement to a contemplative Geni∣us; but are rarely able to allay the torment of an afflicted Mind: For as it is easie for those on whom Fortune smiles, to comfort the Miserable, so it is hard for those who are in trouble not to feel the weight of their Mis∣fortunes.

As for Example; if a Man was entirely ruin'd, or reduc'd to extreme want by a litigi∣ous Action enter'd against him by his Ene∣mies;

a grave Philosopher might indeed ad∣monish him that the Estate he had lost was transitory and perishable, and that he ought not to have settl'd his Affections on it, neither as a Man, because he shou'd have consider'd that he must have left it sooner or later; nor as a Christian, because as such he ought not to look upon such fleeting Enjoyments as his Portion, but upon those which are Ever∣lasting? These are certain and undoubted Truths, but wou'd not, in all probability quiet the Mind of a Person in such Circumstances, or make him forget his Loss. And 'tis no less certain that the Recovery of his Estate wou'd be the most effectual Expedient to restore the Tranquility of his Mind.

Grief may be also occasion'd by many o∣ther Causes, which are no less without our power, and beyond the reach of Medicines, than the former.

But that which seems to be peculiar to this troublesome Distemper, is, that whereas o∣ther Distempers are commonly cur'd by things that are contrary to 'em; that which is con∣trary to this, commonly augments, rather than abates the Distemper.

For a Man who is drowned in Sorrow is incapable of taking Pleasure in any thing; and Joy, which is opposite to his Grief, is so far from easing him, that he cannot en∣dure to perceive the least appearance of it in another.

'Twou'd be needless then to attempt the Cure by endeavouring to divert his Thoughts; and therefore, (in expectation that Time, which is the only Physician in such Cases, may heal the Wounds of his Mind, or some of those unexpected Revolutions, to which all the World is subject, may put an end to the Cause of his Sorrow) we must content our selves with persuading him at least to resist the fatal Influence which this Passion may have upon his bodily Health, because of the strict Union that is between those two Parts which compose the Man.

'Tis certain that Grief may be the Spring and Fountain of many Diseases, by causing the Excrements to remain too long in the great Guts: And therefore we must endeavour to make the best use of the Signs by which the Internal Physician acquaints us with the stoppage of those Impurities in these Passages, lest the Mind shou'd by degrees communicate the infectious Contagion of its Distemper, to the Body; that is, we must expel those Excrements as soon as we perceive any signs of fulness; and in order to this, we must chuse the most convenient Medicines. For, as I intimated before, we must either entirely re∣move the Causes of a Disease, or at least en∣deavour to prevent their Fatal Effects.

Of Debauchery or Intemperance,

The Second remote Cause of Diseases.

DEbauchery consists chiefly in two things, viz. in excess of Drinking and Eating, and in the immoderate use of the Pleasures of Love; for 'tis by this means that the most healthy Persons destroy themselves, and shorten their Days, even tho' they be otherwise of a stronger Constitution than o∣thers.