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. IV. The signification of the urine according to the Antients.

1. The division of Urines. 2. No unfit observation of Paracelsus. 3. The Au∣thours aime. 4. It hath been erred hitherto in judgment, concerning the circle of the urine. 5. From whence the circle in the urine is. 6. A childish opinion of Galen. 7. It is proved that Gaul is not in the urine. 8. The unconsiderateness of the Schools. 9. VVhat the yellownesse of the urine may betoken. 10. That nothing of Choler or Gaul is in the urine. 11. A threefold errour in this thing. 12. A begging of the principle. 13. That Choler is not snatched out of the urine unto the brain. 14. Some accompanying absurdities. 15. From Anatomy. 16. From the Jaundise. 17. VVhat watery urines suddenly after tinged ones in Fevers, may fundamentally denote. 18. That the prognostications of the urine have been meer dreames hitherto. 19. A channel is wanting. 20. Under the division of motions. 21. The little cloud of the urine, whether it denoteth phlegm. 22. All things are cocted in us for one only end; to wit, that they may nourish. 23. VVhy the spleen hath a double ferment. 24. VVhat that may be, which the spleen doth sometimes belch forth into the stomach. 25. That any effect is not taken away, the cause being removed. 26. VVhat a confused or troubled urine may be speak. 27. VVhence erudity in the urine is. 28. VVhy the strangury is scarce cured in old folks. 29. Whence the lumpy sediment or ground is. 30. Errours about contents, as well those proper as forreign, elsewhere con∣cerning Duelech. 31. As yet a new method of judging of the urine by the weight thereof.

ANd moreover, the Schools for the divination of urine, presuppose a washy of wa∣tery matter; on the opposite part to this, a thick one, and then a moderate one: [unspec 1] And likewise, confused, turbulent, dark, even as also cleer and perspicuous urines: But some, of confused ones, do by heating, return into their former transparency; others remain troubled.

Lastly, some urines being made cleer, are presently again disturbed; but others with difficulty.

Secondly, they consider almost all colour, from the watery, white, milky, and dull; and also from the cleer watery, even unto the blackish colour.

Thirdly, its proper, and forreign contents are viewed: Forreign ones indeed, I call, slimy, bloody shavings, sands, and stones: And those either soon affixed to the urinals, or freely setling: But proper contents are those, which are almost ordinarily thrust down out of confused urines, or which swim in cleer ones, in their superficies, a little under it, in the middle about the bottom, or laying on the bottom it self; and those either cleaving together, or rent asunder.

Fourthly, they consider the froath, and bubbles.

Fifthly, they at length consider of the circle. But Paracelsus moreover, distinguisheth the body of the urine, into the urine of the drink, and mixt of both: He cals it that of the [unspec 2] blood, if he that makes water in the morning hath not as yet drunk, the day before, in the evening, and in the night: But the urine of the drink is that which is col∣lected from much, and little waterish drink: Also he calls that a mixt urine, which is that of sober or temperate persons. Furthermore, what he feigneth concerning an Alco∣oled, and tartarous urine, shall be manifested in the treatise of Tartars. First of all, I protest, that I do not any where strive to reckon up those things that have been well

written by Ancestours, and much lesse to chastize them, nor to handle the precepts of the judgments of urine, nor to explain the inventions of others, as neither to make an Apo∣logy for them: But I only desire to discover the Antient errours of the Schools that have arisen from feigned humours, that juniours may not hereafter be led aside accord∣ing to rash beliefs of dreams.

First therefore I will reckon up the errours concerning the circle of the urine; and then [unspec 3] those committed in its colour; thirdly, those which happen in the little cloud or swim thereof; and fourthly, I will make manifest those which have happened in the judgments of its coagulations, or contents: From whence, any one may easily understand, that the judg∣ments and prognostications of the urine have hitherto stood without judgment, and a foundation: To wit, that the wonderfull impostures of Gordon have been set to sale unto ignorant poor people, under the false title of a Diviner.

First of all therefore, they have stumbled in the circle of the urine, since it hath hi∣therto been unknown, why the circle is oftentimes, of another colour than the rest of [unspec 4] the body of the urine: Indeed it hath been supposed, that the circle is separated from the rest of the body of the urine, as the fat from the watery part, or as it were the cream from the Milk whereon it swims: In the mean time, although the urine be stirred, yet the same circle which was before, forthwith appeareth, and not any thing hath been fur∣ther searched diligently into, concerning the circle out of its supposed bounds: They see indeed the circle to be oft-times more red, and more full than the colour in the remayning body of the urine: yea, that a more ruddy, and more deep yellowness doth for the most part want a circle distinct from the colour of the urine:

Yet have they not diligently enquired, from whence there should be that variety of the [unspec 5] the circle and urine: Notwithstanding, neither therefore is the circle a certain colour falsly appearing, and deluding the eyes with a false shew of it self:

For neither otherwise, could a somewhat yellow urine, yield a more red, and heightned colour by a naked reflexion of it self; but should rather paint out a more pale colour, than a yellowish one, if the colour of the circle were only appear∣ing from a reflexion: Therefore the reason of the altered colour in the circle of the urine, dependeth in very deed, on the very body of the urine it self; And so, the circle alone, shewes the whole consistence, colour, and transparency of the urine, because it con∣teineth them: which thing the wood Nephritical or for the stone of the kidneys, teacheth by a notable example: For this wood being steeped in rain water, if thou shalt after∣wards behold its infusion sideways, it is wholly red in its body; but that decocted, or infused steepage hath an Azure or Sky-coloured circle, however disturbingly thou shalt shake it at thy pleasure: For so the colour of the blood being beheld thorow a vein, appears of an Azure colour: So also, the sky-colour in the circle of the decoction of the Nephritical wood, is indeed Azury; but being multiplied, it lookes more black, and of an obscure colour, tends more to white, than a red one, being diametrically seen thorow a glasse, or vein: After the same manner, in the body of the urine a red colour appears simply such, as it doth in the circle; which being re-bounded or weakned from a crosse the urine, is not of so citron a colour in the circle. The circle therefore, is a true token of colour in transparent urines; but in dark or thick and troubled ones, a circle doth not apear. But as to what pertains unto the colour of urine; the Schools say, that a watery, thin, pale urine, is a sign of digestion being deficient, even as that which is tinged with a manifest yellownesse is a token of good digestion.

It is a saying of Galen; I make water after midnight, the which while I see it not yet to be ting∣ed with a due yellowness, I return to sleep: And awaking two or three hours after, I again [unspec 6] make water, and I find my urine filled with a due colour: Whence I conjecture that a perfect digestion, and yellow Choler of the Gaul, is now poured on my urine: This is also the moderne doctrine of the Schools: Yet I, as yet doubt, whether the yellownesse of the urine may be always attributed to one cause; Since they unconstantly attribute it, sometimes unto digestion being finished, but sometimes, unto yellow Choler being mixt there∣with: But least they should erre, they have joyned both. I therefore, since I found none who hath distinguished himself herein, am constrained to explain both: For the urine [unspec 7] of him that is feverish, is yellower than that of him who is in good health; yet the diges∣tion of this is far more lively, which thing is without controversy: Therefore let the yellownesse of urine only without a laudable swim, be a deceitfull sign of a good di∣gestion.

And then, if but one only drop of Gaul, shall be in two points of urine, the whole becomes bitter: but the urine although of a Citron, and Saffron Colour, is never

bitter: Therefore it receives not Gaul admixed with it, nor is the tincture thereof, of Gaul.

Truly, if the Schools do judge of things by savors or tasts, why are they so little care∣full, [unspec 8] as that they have never made tryal of that thing concerning urines? For doth yellow∣nesse only suffice, that Gaul may be judged to be in urine? Or is it a more beseeming thing for a Physitian to teach falshoods, and to affirme lyes to the destruction of the sick, than to have once tasted down his own urine? seeing that not so much as the most full yellow urine of the jaundise, bears any thing of bitternesse before it. Pride there∣fore hath justly discovered the errour of the Schools: At least wise, it is not to be doubt∣ed from the words of these Schools, but that a tincture is added to the urine about the end of digestion.

The which, if it be so, why at leastwise, have they not from thence acknowledged the yellownesse of the urine to happen not from Choler or Gaul, but from elsewhere? Because if Choler were made in sanguification, together with the blood and urine, and being co-bred together with, and sprinckled on the urine from the beginning, should ting the urine; Choler should neither be the last thing constituted in the Liver, if it were a constitutive part of the blood, and its superfluity should be straightway wiped forth with the urine, neither should it make a seperated Inn for it self, for a time: Or if that be supposed, at least that Inn ought to be named, and by Anatomy to offer it self and to be found.

But seeing yellownesse in the urine of Galen, is more late than the body of the urine, a place of the utmost part of the gut Ileon is denoted, where, when as now the cream begins [unspec 9] to wax dungy, something of the liquid dung is drawn from thence through the veins of the mesentery, in the end of the Ileon, which is besprinckled on the urine, as profitable for its own ends (even as before concerning Fevers, and elsewhere concerning the disease of the Stone.) But that the yellownesse of the urine is of that liquide dung, and in no wise of the Gaul, not only the tast of the urine, but also its distillation do manifestly approve: For truly, the stink therof riseth up in distilling: But for what end, the liquid dung may be conuenient in urine, is taught tin he places cited.

Now it is sufficient, that the Gaul of a bird, or fish, being even but slenderly burst, however most exactly they may be washed, yet a bitternesse remains: Therefore if there [unspec 10] were but the least of Gaul in the urine, or liquour Latex which swimmeth on the blood let out of the veins, it should be of an unexcusable bitternesse: But the consequence is false, therefore also the antecedent.

The Schools therefore, have trebbly erred in this matter.

First, while as they being ignorant, that yellow and liquid dung is mixed with the urine, [unspec 11] suppose it to be Choler.

Secondly, Because from yellownesse alone, and a custome of subscribing, they have conjectured of Choler: As if nothing were of a saffron Colour in us, which ought not al∣so to be Gauly.

They indeed prove the same thing by it self: To wit, that Choler is in nature, be∣cause it is manifest in the urine: And again, that what is yellow in the urine, that ought [unspec 12] to be Choler: Because, with us, nought else but yellow Choler should be of a yellow colour.

Thirdly at length: For the judgment erring concerning the ordinary colour, and so concerning the very content of the urine, it must needs be, that prognostications of the urine do fall to the ground, as many as have hitherto been supported by Colours, and con∣tents: But at least wise, since it is now manifest, that the yellownesse of urine is not Choler, but a dungy excrement; it is no wonder, that another yellow excrement is bred in the stomach, which also is bitter, by a far different, and proper errour of its own ferment, which therefore ought not to be of the family of the Gaul.

Furthermore, seeing that in Fevers, yellow urines do suddenly wax pale, and a fu∣ture doatage is signified, and since that thing is interpreted by the Schools, to come to [unspec 13] passe, as Choler is snatched into the brain; It is a faulty argument, of not the cause, as for the cause.

For it is sufficient, that it hath been already demonstrated, that that doating delusion is not bred from Choler snatch't up into the brain; but because the liquid dung which was wont to go with the urine, is now detained in the Hypochondrial or place about the short ribs; neither is it mixed with the urine, as it was wont to be: That doatage there∣fore, draws its original from that seat from whence all madnesses derive theirs, as I teach in its own treatise: For by this title also alone, some madnesses are therefore named Hypo∣chondriacal ones.

For otherwise, who should that snatcher of Choler be, which should bring this unmixt, into the brain, and being seperated from the blood of the veins through which it should [unspec 14] be brought, or from the urine? For to what end should it snatch that Choler, since no∣thing is done without an object, at leastwise appearingly good? How should he bring it thorow the blood unto the brain, without contagion? After what manner should it be rightly seperated from the blood: for truly, the supposed Choler swims not on the blood let out of the veins, unlesse the blood be first dead and coagulated in the veins, not so much as in those of a dead carcase? Again, into which bosome of the brain, at length should that uriny Choler be powred sorth, wherein it should work a speedy death? Who in the next place, shall that seperater be, who should now wrest aside that Choler that was wont to incline to the urine, out of the little bag of the Gaul, unto the head? And which way should that be done? Shall the diseasie matter it self, voluntarily ascend to the brain, and shall it be the mover of its own self? Then at least wise, besides great absurdi∣ties, it should of necessity be, that every such Fever should not consist out of the little bag of the Gaul, which none hath as yet hitherto supposed.

But to what end should a Fever (which they account a meer accident) stir up Choler to the head? Shall it be judged best in nature, to have now at length banished the matter of the disease which a good while lurked in the midriffs, into the head? Or what if it wandringly floateth in the veins, as being seperated from the blood, and of its own ac∣cord shall climbe upwards, why is it not rather banished out of doores thorow an ac∣customed passage? Shall mans nature, now procure its own death, contrary to the uni∣versal endeavour of things? Shall such a fury at length, be fit for the sequestring of Cho∣ler, which was not seperable but by an appeased vigour? Doth happily, the Gaul be∣ing defirous of a wandring state, of its own accord and voluntarily seperate it self, and as∣cend to the head? At length, in what bottle doth Gaul lurk in the head, that it may stir up a Feverish madnesse? Is it in the bosoms of the brain? Is it in the feigned arterial weaving of Galen? But on both sides it should presently be mortal; and Gaul would drop down thorow the doating nostrils.

Again, if watery urins in Fevers, after yellow ones, do afford safe doatages, with laughter; Yet surely, according to Hippocrates, then these kind of doating de∣lusions [unspec 15] shall not be from Gaul: And so neither shall the urine being now spoil∣ed of its yellow Colour, have that for which it may be deprived of Choler, nor whereby it may lay aside snatched Choler into the brain: For truly, doatages with laughter ex∣clude all Choler.

At length in the Jaundise, the brain it self is yellow: But if the Jaundise be from Choler, why is it without doatage? Without an Erisipelas, or great inflammation of all [unspec 16] the bowels? But if not Gaul it self, but the vapour thereof (an unconsiderate evasi∣on) ascending into the brain, stirs up these doatages of Fevers: why therefore, will the Schools have the Gaul, materially, and according to its tincture, to fail in the urine?

A waterish urine therefore, after yellow ones, in Fevers, denoteth, that the tincture of the urine or liquid dung (it is the liquour of meats in the bowels, immediatly before they [unspec 17] become dung) is without mixture deteined in the midriffs: For a vein strongly beat∣ing in the places about the short ribs, denotes madnesse to come, according to Hip∣pocrates: As the Liquid dung being not rightly purged, tumulteth in the Hypochon∣drials.

Therefore they are meer dreams, which the Schools do hitherto, as it were from a three-legged stool, foretel concerning the colour of the urine. They have indeed learn∣ed [unspec 18] by the effect and observance, that things are wont mutually to follow each other: To wit, that doatage in a Fever, is from a cleer urine after a yellow one: Rightly indeed, if they had stuck in a naked observation: but when they came unto the causes, and dispos∣ed of those causes according to the rite or custome of Theoremes, and command of feign∣ed principles, they all of them rashly subscribed unto each other hitherto: For there is no Choler in nature, never any Gaul in the urine; and much lesse, that which may be se∣perated from thence, and carried unto the head: There is no Choler in the whole body, because there never was any in nature: Neither is Gaul Choler, but the very liquour of the Gaul is a vital bowel, of great moment, between which, and the kidney, and brain, nothing interposeth as common: Neither is there any passage, nor fit society of the Gaul with the urine: Neither doth it appertaine unto the Gaul, whether the urine be wa∣tery, or yellow, and thick: The chest of the Gaul hath not a vein unto the head.

But if they will have Gaul to be brought thorow the hollow vein, how should not Gaul mix it self with the blood? Should not the whole blood of those feverish persons be bit∣ter? [unspec 19] By what channel therefore, shall it hasten unto the head? What conducter shall lead Gaul unto the head: What shall seperate it from the blood, that it may not be de∣teined in its journy? To what end should nature attempt such impertinencies? How shall the blood remain without contagton from the forreign Gaul? That ascent shall be a vo∣luntary motion, or a sending, or a drawing.

A dreaming old woman said so long ago, and the Schools have followed her: For if [unspec 20] Gauly Choler climb by its own motion, now every man shall have a continual doatage. But to what end shall the hollow vein send Gaul unto the brain? Shall it thus cure the Fe∣ver? Shall it diminish the burning heat? But surely the feverish matter remaines shut up, whether Choler be snatcht from the urine, or Gaul out of the little bag, into the brain, or not. To what end also, should the brain allure Choler unto it self, being moist with a lively juice, and that a far better, and nearer? And that thing also fights with the ordina∣tion of the Liver: For nothing is sent, or drawn, at least without the choice, end and ap∣poyntment of the Archeus: Is therefore Choler carried into the brain, from the wed∣lock of the other three Humours, or is it drawn by this? Surely the brain was thus already before, befooled, and not after the comming of Choler, neither had it need of Choler, for to doate. At length, why doth a watery urine rather argue a doating delusion, in a continual Fever, than in a intermitting one; than in a drinker? Than in the disease of the stone? Than in a vitiated concoction of the Stomach? But because death is in the midriff, where the Fever then also is.

Vain therefore is the fiction of the Schools, concerning yellow Choler in the urine, and [unspec 21] of its journy unto the brain. But besides, when as a little cloud appeareth in urines, straightway the Physitian cries out, and as if himself had overcome the disease, saing with the consent and observance of the Schools, that the diseasifying Humour is concoct∣ed, and that it is safely to be purged for the future. I will shew first, what that little cloud may be; And from thence any one shall at length judge, that in the aforesaid par∣ticulars, nothing but meer mockeries are conteined: For indeed that little cloud or swim is a sign of the digestion of the stomach; but not of a diseasifying matter.

But be it a sign of digestion, because the ferments of the stomach, Gaul, and Liver have returned, which before were hindred, shut up, &c. Whence there is hope, that the [unspec 22] strength will be recovered: otherwise, the matter, which they call that which maketh the disease, is never attempted to be concocted: Because nature intends not to coct, neither doth coct any thing, but for a single end, and after a single manner, to wit, that she may reduce it into her own noruishment, and for no other end: but the fer∣ments (to whom only it belongs to transchange things) being now restored, will subdue the matter of the disease under the Ferule, in the Inns of digestion, and root it out at pleasure: For I have taught concerning digestions, that sharpnesse in the stomach, is not from the brackishnesse of things being recieved into the body, but from the sharp or sout specifical ferment of the stomach it self: But even as it is the property of sharpnesse to coagulate milky substances; therefore, whatsoever of the Cream of the stomach is in it self milky, cannot be so exactly seperated in the Liver, as that a smal quantity thereof is not snatched with the urine, and there doth not make a little cloud. The little cloud therefore is a signe of the ferment its returning into the stomach: For neither is that swim in the urine, from the nature or matter of the Fever, neither doth it accuse, or excuse the same: Neither at length, is that little cloud a sign of the proper Ferment of the Gaul (for this is not sharp, but salt, and of the tast of the vital spirit; even as elsewhere, concern∣ing long life) but of the Ferment of the spleen; to wit that which the spleen breaths into the stomach the patronage whereof it undertaketh: For therefore in a Quartan ague, that smal cloud, oft-times appeareth, and again, oft-times dispesreth: while as, the appetite and digesti∣on are restored, and again departeth, the same Quartan in the mean time, always remayning: otherwise, if that little cloud should signify the mater of the disease, as its object, or ef∣ficient, certainly, it should constantly persevcte, being once bred; Since the matter being once cocted, doth not regularly wax crude again. Therefore for its own family-administration, and the proper digestion of that bowel; the spleen hath obtained a vital ferment, from a spirit implanted in, and proper to it self: For therefore, it is of the property, odour, and cast of the vital spirit; The which, seeing it is saltish, and balsami∣cal (even as concerning long life) it ought also, to subdue and overcome the matter of a Quartan: But a care of the stomach is committed to this bowel, and for this cause it sits president over the digestion thereof; and therefore it hath obtained another acide Fer∣ment

to this end; the which, unlesse it be inspired into the stomach, in a due dose, lack of appetites, crudities, yea and an inordinate hunger or appetite it self, do arise.

Therefore if this comely ferment of the defence of the stomach be exorbitant in the spleen, there are made, bloody and black spittings out into the stomach, which the Schools [unspec 24] have judged to be black Choler: when as otherwise it is nothing but an expurging, and renewing of nourishable blood from the spleen it self: Therefore the sharp ferment of the stomach, although it be the cause of the little cloud, and the whole soure cream, be ordinarily turned into salt, under the dominion of the Gaul (as concerning digestions elsewhere) yet the little cloud remayneth, being bred from sharpnesse.

By reason whereof, we must note, that the cause being removed, the effect is taken [unspec 25] away for time to come, but not for the time past: Because the effect for the time past, is a product now subsisting by it self; oftentimes also, having no longer need of the accom∣panying of former causes: It being that which hath never been hitherto considered, as nei∣ther distinguished of in the Schools. Therefore a confused urine is oftentimes pis∣sed [unspec 26] forth by those that have the stone and likewise in the beating of the heart, and other∣wise: But another urine, although it be cleer, yet it is of its own accord, voluntarily disturbed in the air: And indeed, every troubled urine conteineth an hidden sharp∣nesse, and the lesse thereof, if it hath been once cleered at the fire, and is not troubled afterwards: At leastwise, it betokeneth a defect of the ferment of the Gaul: Because there is denoted, that a very smal quantity of lukewarmth shall coct and overcome the sharpnesse that is left: For so, apples not yet ripe, wax sweet with the Sun. As oft also, as the ferment of the little bag or bowel of the Gawl, tramples one the ferment of the [unspec 27] stomach, and vitiateth the Pylorus, so often there is a crudity of digestion, and so al∣so the urine is without a swim. In the stomach also, there is now and then a bitternesse, from its digestion erring, which brings forth such a superfluity.

But if the ferment of that bowel be supplanted, there is a grosse and white sediment of the urine, nor ever without the strangury or pissing by drops, the which therefore in old [unspec 28] people, is difficult to be cured: But that sharpnesse of the urine in stranguries, although it be not manifest to the tast; yet in how smal a quantity soever it be, it is sufficient for the aforesaid effects of pain; which is manifest in the urine of new Ale, as yet unpercieveably participating of the brackishnesse of its Ale: But while the ferment of the Liver doth too much exceed the activities of the stomach and Gaul, there is a Bolar orlump-like sediment, in a troubled and red-yellow urine: As if that did wish to be made blood, which is unfit for that appoyntment.

But a red sediment in a yellow urine, and that which easily melteth through the heat of [unspec 29] the fire, denots the ferment of the Liver to be exasperated by a forreign impediment: Which historie of ferments is inserted in the treatise of digestions. There are also last of all, mani∣fold errours & sluggishnesses about the original contents; which in the treatise concerning [unspec 30] the disease of the stone, I have profesly weighed. There is in the mean time, a safe method of examining urines by their weight; To wit, anounce weigheth 600. grains. But I had a glas∣sen vessel of a narow neck, weighing 1354. grains: But it was filled with rain water, [unspec 31] weighing besides, 4670. grains: the urine of an old man, was found to weigh in the same vessel, 4720. grains; or to exceed the weight of the rain water, 50. grains: But the urine of an healthy woman of 55. years old, weighed 4745. grains: The urine of an healthy young man of 19. years old, weighed 4766. grains; But that of another young man of a like age, being abstinentious from drink, weighed 4800. grains: The urine a young man of 36. years old, undergoing a tertian ague with a cough, weighed 4763. grains: But the afore∣said youth of 19. years old, with a double Tertian, had drunk little in the night aforego∣ing: but his urine weighed 4848. grains; which was 82. grains more than while he was healthy. A maid having suffered the beating or passion of the heart, made a water like unto rain water, and the which therefore, was of equal weight with rain water: A luke∣warm urine is alwayes a few graines lighter, as also more extended than it self being cold: And therefore, let the vessel be of a short neck and sharp pointed, that it may measure the urine almost in a poynt. Another shall add and meditate of more things: And it is a far more easy method, than that which is reduced into Aphorisms by weighing of the whole man: I have always breathed about the essences, remedies, and applications, or for the curing of a disease: and who am one that have hated the common applause: I have hated also the prognostication, prediction and fore knowledge which was familiar to divinations: I have rather rejoyced to heal the sick party, than by speaking doubtfully, to have foretold many things.