Van Helmont's works containing his most excellent philosophy, physick, chirurgery, anatomy : wherein the philosophy of the schools is examined, their errors refuted, and the whole body of physick reformed and rectified : being a new rise and progresse of philosophy and medicine, for the cure of diseases, and lengthening of life / made English by J.C. ...

CHAP. CXI. The Occasions of Death. (Book 111)

I Have compared the Fire and Light, unto Life, because it bears something before it, which seemeth to be vital: For vital Forms are either the Lives, or Lights of things: Therefore there shall likewise be as many occasions of Death, as there are withdrawings of Light.

First therefore, the Light is blown out, and likewise the Flame perisheth by pressing to∣gether, which they call, through defect of Air. But I have demonstrated, that that hap∣pens through want of a new Magnal; but not that the Fire is nourished by Air: So also by the constriction of a strange Smoak.

So indeed in Vaults, and Burrows, Lamps are extinguished, but the Light is blown out by the Wind, or another Flame: For oftentimes Candles are extinguished by a filthy or deformed Flame, being stirred up by the Powder of Rosin, or Gun-powder.

Lastly, Fires die through want of Nourishment.

Death in like manner, doth many wayes rush on us: For either a live Body is sudden∣ly dashed together, or sore shaken by weight.

Also a speedy pouring forth of Blood from a large Wound, pours forth the Life, and blows out the Light of Life: So an inordinate Prodigality of corrupt Matter, Water, or Wind being abundantly made; likewise Baths, Hunger, loosening Medicines, intro∣duce an untimely Death.

Also by the pressing together of the Breath in Burrows, of the Asthma, of a Cord, of drowning, of Smoak, and by the Symptoms of the Womb; likewise by the Resolutions and Palseys of the Sinews subjected to breathing.

In like manner, by Burnings, Destructions, Coalifyings, Gangrenes, and Congelations of Cold.

Also by Poysons, Alculies, gnawing Things, Escharrers, Putrifiers, or Things that trample upon us by a fermental Contagion.

Likewise by retained Excrements, Obstructions, and the denied Commerces of Parts.

Likewise through Defect of some certain Digestion, an Atrophia and Consumptions of a Part, or of the whole Body.

Also by over-pourings of the Blood within the Skull, Breast, bottom of the Belly, by corrupt mattery Impostumes, Pleurisies, affects of the Lungs, &c.

Likewise by displacings of the turning Joynts, Contractures of the Parts apppointed for expurging of Filths.

At length, by reason of a Feeble, Decrepit, and woren-out Death of the Seeds and Powers.

And also by reason of the more grievous Passions of the Mind, and Enchantments.

Death therefore, doth so many manner of wayes steal away Mortals, whose Life not∣withstanding, is alwayes simple and single: For therefore, there is a diverse and differ∣ing Consideration of Life and Death; for a Sword takes away Life; Yet there is far different Speculation of preserving Life, than of healing of Diseases by the removals and hinderances of the Cause: For truly, Causes are partly external, as a Wound, the Plague, Scorching, &c. the healing whereof therefore, doth not depend on the removal of their Causes: For neither therefore is the Fire which had burned any one, to be ex∣tinguished from the Hearth, that he may be cured; even as, neither is the Sword to be broken, that the Wound may be healed up. But for the preservation of Long Life, the contemplations and removals of external Causes do no less occur or come to hand, than those of a vital Fewel: For indeed, although no Infirmities should molest, yet Death should not for that Cause cease dayly to strew a way for its entrance: For although health hath respect to Life as its Foundation; yet Life doth not include health: For a Blind, Lame, Gowty Person, &c. doth no less live, than a Healthy or Sound Per∣son.

What if Life ends through a Disease, that is forreign and by accident unto the Life; as a Sword contains Death, but not but by Application.

Otherwise, Death doth by it self respect Life; but diseasifying Causes become Mortal only by accident, or by their Application unto the Spirit of Life: For from hence it is, that the Impediments of Long Life are seriously to be heeded, and diverted, if we expect length of Life. From the Beginning therefore, the meditation of Life consisteth not without, but in the Life it self: To wit, after what manner Life may be preserved in the Body.

For the sensitive Soul, now forthwith after Sin (as I have said) drew the whole pro∣perty of Life unto it self, and became the bond of Life with the Body: But seeing that very Soul is in it self Mortal; it must needs be, first of all, that all the vital Pow∣ers co-aeval, or of a like Age with the Life, should be slideable and mortal: From hence at length, Death. For a long continuance of Life therefore, first, a curing of Diseases is required, as well of those which touch at the Life of the whole Body, as those which have regard unto the Dammages, or preservation of a Part and Functions, and which in this respect do lay in wait for the Life: For truly, seeing there is a single conspiracy of the Members, certain principal Powers cannot chuse but at length go to decay, also the subordinate ones being only diminished: Wherein I disagree from Para∣celsus, because he thought that every Disease was of necessity to be taken away by a Medi∣cine for long Life: Because that good Man was no less ignorant of a Medicine for Long Life, and the use thereof, than of the very Essence and Properties of Long Life: And therefore his Arcanums do very much conduce into a healthy or sound Life, or unto a removal of Impurities; yet they do not any thing directly and primarily tend to long Life, as unto their ultimate end: Because that, as the Life; So the Tree of Life chiefly concerns the preservation and renewing, or making young again of the vital Faculties implanted in the Arts.

In this therefore the Arcanums, or Secrets which are for the taking away of Superflui∣ties, differ from the Tree of Life: That those indeed do cure Diseases, even those which our parent Nature doth by her self, never Cure: To wit, the Leprosie, Stone, Palsy, Consumption of the Lungs, Dropsie, &c. but the Tree of Life doth not heal these Dis∣eases being now admitted: For if Hippocrates hath dictated, that Natures themselves are the Physitianesses of Diseases; that is, to be pardoned in his Age, and beginning Art.

After another manner, Arcanums (which had not then as yet been made known, and do at this day, lay in a manner hid) do exceed the Powers of Nature, even as Art doth very often overcome Nature: And that is not only true in Secrets which heal Dis∣eases; but also in the Tree of Life, which restores defective Nature: Therefore the Or∣dination of that tree, is the Preservation of Life, with a certain kind of renewing of Youth; but with the Remedy of the Tree, the Leprosie, Stone, &c. continues. Therefore, there is plainly one Consideration of the Secrets of Paracelsus, and another of the Tree of Life: The which I thus confirm.

Let a young man be considered with some of the aforesaid Diseases: For his flourishing and lively youth doth not cure these Diseases, therefore neither also the Tree of Life; Because this hath respect onely to the Fewel of that flourishing Life; the which surely, is as yet received after the manner of the receiver: Therefore there always remains in the part receiving, a diseasie disproportion of strength in respect of the parts that are in good health, which was before the Medicine of the Tree of Life was taken: For although all particular parts should equally participate of that Medicine; yet they should not be re-amended with an equal strength.

First therefore, the impediments of Long Life are universally to be removed: But a∣mong impediments, some do shorten the Life actively, such as are Diseases, Inordinacies of living, &c. But other impediments do limit and curtail the Tree of Life in its good∣ness, that it cannot attain the ultimate end of its appointment.

This indeed, concerning our Tree of Life, but not concerning that of Paradise; and con∣cerning a corrupted Life, not of the Life of Adam before the Fall.

Those are therefore some Diseases; and likewise much profound strong speculation, and that not pleasant, and perturbations, yea and enchantment: Even as in its place.

Happy therefore are they, and for the most part long-lived, who being far from the cares, usuries, busie affaires, and stormes of their age, can Till their fathers lands with their own Oxen in peace, and live cheerfully.

Whatsoever therefore is to be thought of for the obtainment of Long Life, is to be thought of in a peace void of care, with a full resignation unto the most pleasing will of God: For that cause we must think, how much ridiculous thoughts do weary in Fevers, how much serious studies do weaken the strength, and how much anguishes do overthrow the number of Daies: Because thus the Spirit is lessened, and the Dayes are abrevi∣ated.

Furthermore, Venus or carnal Lust obtains its chiefdom among the impediments of Long Life; because it doth abundantly exhaust the Life.

Much, and unseasonable Gluttony or Drunkenness succeeds Venus; and the rather if the Drink be hurtful.

Also Tobacco, and Mushroomes do hurt, and what things by reason of a hidden poyson largely creeping, do prostrate the vital faculties: For Tobacco doth not allay hunger, as if it did satisfie the defect; but inasmuch as it takes away the sence of the defect, and also the exercises of the functions.

In the next place, the impediments of Life, are frequent Baths, Blood-lettings, Wounds, also the frequent use of loosening Medicines: To wit, which things make the generation of the begetter to be the less flourishing, and therefore also do hasten Old Age.

Lastly, As Climates do make for Long Life, so also some do hinder it: For there are some with which an Old Man is rare: Others with whom Old Age is in honour. For Endemicks of Arsenick which are under the Earth, do mow down a flourishing Life, being as yet in its Flower.

There are some Climates also, whereunto there is a nearness of overflowed Countries: For whatsoever hath of its own accord waxed hot, and was resolved in water from putrefa∣ction, ought also to be brought to be brought to us together with the Vapour, and to be supped up by us.

Therefore pernicious are the Vapours of the Fens which breath forth a putrified matter; and then, those Vapours which puffe out a semi-putrified Salt, together with the filths of a dissolved Clay or Mud.

For I have seen at Antwerp, after the Field of Austerweele conceived of Waters, the leaves of the Teil-Trees in the Walls, to be dryed from August, and that as it were with a gnawn rottenness; the which, before the Inundation, were kept green in the Tree, even unto October.

The same thing is seen at Amsterdam, whenas the leaves of the Trees of Leidon do as yet counterfeit the Moneth of May: For the leaves do suffer this destruction from a Se∣mi-salt-Vapour.

What at length is not to be thought to be done on the tender coat of the Lungs, and the sponge of its Substance?

Truly, so many Enemies do on every side lye in wait for our Life, that unless we shall depart far from the hurtful contagion of the Air, there will scarce under a full grant of the

Tree of Life, be awished for participation of Long Life: For the original Tree of Life in Eden, was for its own Inhabitants; but not for the Natives of the Vale of Miseries.

Therefore whosoever will enjoy the Goodness of the Tree of Life, and profit by the labour of Wisdom; let him make choice of a Region, which in all places nourisheth many Old Men; and wherein Diseases do in all places seldome rage.

Then Lastly, Let him begin to make use of the Tree of Life from a Child, (the more rightly, if the Child begin first in both parents, presently afterwards also in the Nurse) while the nourishment is snatched away for the increase of the solid stems.

But those things which hinder and diminish the Medicine of the Tree of Life, that it cannot ascend unto its height, are hereditary and inbred weaknesses, total, or in part; and in whom attained weaknesses drawn in through inordinacy, do suc∣ceed, and the which, have happened through the undue torments of the paines of Diseases and Labours: For whosoever hath suffered a notable injury of Life, let him de∣spair to be fully renewed by the Tree of Life: But he who being a Child, hath admixed the Medicine with the first constitutives of Life, and hath thus waxed of ripe years (for truly, the Tree of Life is not more perfect, as that it is able to restore de∣crepit Bodies into their former state) let him hope that he shall attain that which the Court Physitians of Kings can scarce believe.