The disease of London, or, A new discovery of the scorvey [sic] comprising the nature, manifold differences, various causes, signs, prognostics, chronology, and several methods of curing the said disease by remedies, galenical and chymical : together with anatomical observations, and discourses on convulsions, palsies, apoplexies, rheumatisms, gouts, malignant fevors, and small pox, with their methods of cure and remedies : likewise, particular observations on most of the fore-mentioned diseases / by Gideon Harvey ...

CHAP. IX. Of the Procatarctic Causes of Lixivial Alcalized Salt, in Scorbutique Blood. (Book 9)

1. That Volatil Salt is nothing but Fixt Salt volatilized by the commix∣ture of Sulphureous Particles is pro∣ved by Experiment. The manner how a Volatil Salt is fixable. 2. The remote Causes of Saponary Blood. 3. That Salt is capable to produce two contrary effects, viz. an Acid and an Alcali. 4. A farther proof of the Saponary Synthesis of Scor∣butic Blood.

§. 1. THe Fixt Salt of the Hu∣mors is the Original and Conservative of the Volatil, for (ac∣cording to one of the Hermetick Theorems formerly recited) a Subtil Sulphur penetrating into the pores of the Fixt Salt, closely knits it self with its particles, and being of a subliming nature, that is derived from the

igneous minims it contains, doth le∣vitate, sublime, and volatilize the said Salt. Experiment doth assert this a certain truth; affuse Spirit of Wine on Calx Vive (which beyond all Ob∣jection is praegnant of Fixt Salt) after a short digestion, abstract it, and some part of the Fixt Salt will be vo∣latilised and sublimed with the Sulphur of the foresaid Spirit. Possibly here may be demanded, how doth it ap∣pear any of the Fixt Salt is volatili∣ved? Hereunto I answer, 1. By the Taste, the foresaid Spirit proving more igneous, vibrating and pungi∣tive to the Tongue. 2. Spirit of Wine, by reason of its Sulphur, is inflamable to the last drop; but being united to this Volatilized Salt, doth very diffi∣cultly receive a flame, or when infla∣med, will scarce continue. One Ex∣periment being too scanty, I will of∣fer you another. Volatil Salt of Am∣ber is fixed by abstracting Spirit of Salt from it; and being so fixt, affuse on it Spirit of Wine, digest them a while, and then abstract the Spirit of Wine from it, and you shall find the Fixt Salt volatilized again. Hence I

infer, 1. That the Fixt Salt is not on∣ly the original matter, but also the sole conservative and nourisher of the Vo∣latil, by yielding new sublimable parts. 2. That the Constituent principles of a Volatil Salt are a Sulphur and a Fixt Salt. This being allowed or at least praesupposed, doth detect the manner, How a Volatil Salt is fixable, viz. by divelling the Sulphur from it, or strip∣ping it of its force and efficacy; so that those externals that act against the foresaid Sulphur, are to be aesteem∣ed the Procatarctic Causes of ren∣dring the Blood Scorbutic, and of lixiviating its Fixt Salt.

§. 2. The same remote Causes, which in one of the praecedent Chap∣ters were declared Efficients of a Pu∣trid Acid, are also impowered to lixi∣viate and alcalize the Fixt Salt of the Blood, though not in the same man∣ner, or univocally, but per accidens, and aequivocally; so the Sun is virtu∣ated to produce contrary effects aequi∣vocally, in engendring Cold and Hot Bodies, moist and dry. A Salin Diet and Salin Air, by vertue of their Salt

Marin, do absorb and concentrate the Sulphurous minims of the Blood, which being inflamed, and rendred corroding, partly through its own na∣ture, partly by its union and am∣plexe of the Saline parts, and being withal thereby Fixt, are both praeci∣pitated to the Fixt Salt of the Blood, whereunto also uniting, do all be∣come Soapy and Lixivial. Secondly, The Fuliginous Salts, that are too co∣piously occasioned in Saline Scorbu∣tic ebullitions, are a principal cause, but for a more ample satisfaction I re∣fer you to Chap.. How greatly the familiar sipping of Brandy and o∣ther adust Spirits, do contribute to the inflaming the Sulphurous particles of the Blood and lixiviating of it, is sufficiently obvious; likewise that fuming Tobacco, under the notion of concentrating and fixing the Sulphu∣rous and Volatil particles, doth lixi∣viate and fix the Blood, needs no farther proof.

§. 3. Least I should leave the least scruple, that might induce the Reader, to supect the contents of this Discourse,

I apprehend it expedient, to remove this Objection, which is offered by way of Quaery, How can a Salt Diet or Air, or rather Sea Salt, occasion two contrary effects, viz. of rendring the Blood Acid, and Lixivial or Alcalious. I hin∣ted before, that these effects are de∣rived in a various manner, to wit, an Acidity is caused, as was explain'd for∣merly, by the separation of the Vola∣til Salt and Subtil Sulphur, which is an effect per accidens; an Alcali is impressed on the Salt of the Blood, by an effect the Marin Salt produces per se; for through its igneous facul∣ty, and especially when its tumid with the absorbing the Sulphur of the Blood, it alcalizes the Fixt Salt. 2. The fore-mentioned Marin Salt is not only naturally fiery, but vigorous∣ly augmented in its igneous quality, by its conjunction with Lixivious Salt, or Excrementitious Choler, that naturally ought to be separated and evacuated by the Gall Bladder and Cholidochus, whose passages in a con∣firmed Leg-Scorvey are commonly for a time constipated, the Excrements of

the Guts through their paleness and livor signifying as much; but withal observe, that the Cystis Bilis and Du∣ctus Cholidochus continue obserated only for a certain space; for after∣wards the foresaid passages are forced open, by the abundance of gross lixi∣vial Choler, which then impresses a deep red Tincture on the Excrements of the Guts. Furthermore observe, That commonly the Mouth-Scorvey praecedes a Leg-Scorvey, and seldom do both invade the Body at the same time, but one upon the neck of the other; so that if the Mouth-Scorvey continue any considerable space, the Leg-Scorvey must necessarily fol∣low.

§. 4. Observe likewise, That some continual and intermittent Fevors, especially Quartans, do sometimes exchange into Alcalious, but no Acid Scorveys, as by their internal Causes and Symptoms, which the deep red Tincture and vehement stink both in Urine and Ordure, likewise a very sa∣line Sweat and Spittle, do attest lixivial, is evidently declared; and that which

doth positively evict the cause of these kinds of Scorbuts to be Alcalious and Saponary, is their Cure, which is chiefly to be performed by Acids, as Spirit of Salt, Antimony, &c. and by Subtil Sulphurs, and Volatil Salts; but in no manner by Fixt Alcalies, upon which an irreparable detriment hath oft en∣sued. Lastly, To prove the undeni∣able truth of these Observations, the vulgar management of Sea-men (who are out upon long Voyages) in their Scorveys, which so inevitably they are incident into, using nothing but Acids, as Spirit of Salt, Juices of O∣ranges and Limons, wherewith they are abundantly stored, tells us, it's an Alcalious Saponary Scorvey they are subject to, against which an Acid is the diametrically contrary Remedy.