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. LXXII. The passage unto the Buttery of the Bowels, is stopped up. (Book 72)

1. The difficulty of curing a Disease is concluded from the very seat of the Soul. 2. An example of a quartane Ague. 3. A remarkable thing concerning Reme∣dies hitherto used against a Quartane. 4. Wherein purging Medicines have hi∣therto decieved the unwary. 5. Purging things have sometimes cured by acci∣dent, and have remained through this deciet. 6. A reckoning up of incurable Diseases. 7. Distillation brings forth new generated things. 8. Singularities in things produced by the fire. 9. Deccocted things differ from distilled things. 10. What was the scope of the Author in times past. 11. Some Remedies have decieved the Author. 12. An examination of Remedies. 13. An examinati∣on of Digestions. 14. An examination of Water-remedies. 15. The abilities of the Stomach. 16. Whence the chief variety of conditions is.

AFter I had discerned that the Stomach was the root of the tree, or the root as well of a universal Digestion, as of all particular ones whatsoever, I had alike seriously known, that the Mortal or sensitive Soul, the Mistris of all kind of actions whatsoever in us, and the Dispenseress of Life throughout the whole Body, did inhabit there: That indeed also the Frameress of the first conceptions, was there scituated; likewise the shop of sleep, no less than of watchings, and madnesses; I held it consonant to reason, that the immortal mind, or Image of God, could be no where more decently infolded, or co-knit, than in the aforesaid formal and vital Light; to wit, in a spiritual princi∣ple, for that reason also most near, because akin unto it. And when as the Monarchy of Life being thorowly searched into, I saw, and optically or clearly knew, that every Disease did essentially consist in the Life, and arise out of the same, the causes of difficul∣ties in curing Diseases offered themselves unto me, especially those which are not silent of their own free accord, or which do not hasten through their own violence unto the end of their period, but do accompany the Life which they do bitterly molest.

Wherefore of the more lingring Diseases, I saw a Quartane, an Atrophia or Consumption for lack of nourishment, a Cacochymia or state of bad juice, likewise weaknesses, and

afterwards, as well those which have chosen their bed in the outmost habit of the Body, (such as are the Leprosie, Palsey, Sciatica, Convulsion or Cramp, Gout, &c.) as those which are fast tied to any of the Bowels (as the Apoplexie, Epilepsie, Astma, affect of the Stone, Dropsie, Madness, &c.) were not cured, not indeed through a defect of de∣sire of curing, but through want of a remedy alone; but I long laboured in that remedy, and I many times retreated, until I knew that it should respect the very fountain of Life, or sensitive Soul.

Wherefore first, I took the Quartane Ague it self in hand, because it was obvious, most tiresome or tedious, and plainly known; and the which while it did despise the usu∣al remedies of Physitians, it rendred the hope of the same void. First of all, I was more assured by the same, that wheresoever any material Diseasie product lay hid, the appli∣cation likewise of a convenient remedy was required; or else it was to be feared, that the effect raised up from that occasional Cause would remain surviving: And therefore from the correlative of this proposition, I found no remedies of Physitians hitherto; how∣ever through their fame, unstopping, resolving, cleansing, or purging Medicines may be [unspec 3] boasted of; yet that the same do only come or are brought down at most, even unto the entrance of the spleen alone, which bewraies it self to be the inn of a Quartane Ague, by a sensible testimony: Therefore I being from hence certainly instructed, have conjectu∣red, that that unstopping, &c. force of a remedy, doth soon even in the Stomach perish, wax mild, is tamed, or banished through the intestines, if at least-wise it shall not first die: But if any quality of remedies shall remain safe from their middle Life, something broken, and being recieved, shall more fully or inwardly pierce; (as Mace, or Terpen∣tine do from the necessity of Magnum Oportet, retain their Savour in the Urin) but at least∣wise the same offers it self so gelded and dismembred, that it doth not effect any of those things, to which end, and for which things sake Medicines are swallowed. Eggs indeed and the Fleshes of Beasts do represent the favours of the nourishment which fatted them: But surely while they pass over into a vital family-administration, although they may re∣tain the foot-steps of their former taste, and so may contain some testimonies of health; yet the helps of these are so sluggish, for the rooting out of any Diseasie product, that long and lingring Diseases have long agoe manifested the boasting of these remedies to be vain, yea and have taken away their hope. But purgative things only have most es∣pecially deceived, and do deceive as well Physitians, as the unwary Patients hitherto, [unspec 4] because they have more subtilly blinded or deceived them than other remedies have done: For as they are of the race of poysons (the which I have on purpose shewed in the Book of Fevers) they do presently stir up a confusion about the first roots, and mothers of di∣gestion: And so whatsoever was taken the day before, or elsewhere also rightly subdued, that thing, solutive Medicines do presently also defile with the Character of corruption, and the more crude Blood being attracted out of the Mesentery, it is straightway wholly driven forth, upon the account of a defiled ejected liquor; the which indeed is there like∣wise straightway corrupted, until the poyson of the solutive Medicines be satisfied and extinguished by working: It hath been thought hitherto, that this stincking liquor of the venal Blood and Fleshes, was the very matter of Diseases; or that the now mortified and stinking liquor which is fetched from far, by solutive or purging Medicines, is a Hu∣mour (one of the four) selected, and magnetically or attractively drawn unto them before others. Therefore this perverse Doctrine, hath even hitherto most powerfully decieved Mortals, because solutives did promise, and shew forth some effect, although for the most [unspec 5] part a vanishing, and now and then a cruel one; yet not the Author of health, unless sometimes by accident, nature shall suffer its fardle detained in its first entry, to fall out together with them; which effect by accident although it be rare, yet it hath given unto solutives, the smoaky name of purging, and hath caused a right of imploring solu∣tives, and of hanging upon their help, as it were a sanctuary; and in the mean time, most Diseases have remained un-touched, and more cruel: For as many Diseases as do not of their own accord presently hasten unto an end or bound, are accounted uncurable, [unspec 6] and they are commanded to be quiet by the vain expected tyranny of solutives: In the mean time, as many remedies as did endeavour by a notably cruelty to compel Nature unto their will, have forthwith felt the resistance of our Life, and for that very Cause are hurtful, because they lay in wait for the Life, while they change the Blood into a mor∣tal poyson: they have become I say, hurtful and dangerous helps; for if they were suspected of poyson, and the degrees of tyranny, presently assoon as they were taken, they were re∣jected as infamous, because they seemed to stir up a notable storm of disturbance, confu∣sion, and fainting, and nothing besides a threatned turbulency, and slaughter; but only [unspec 7]

and alone, the greater secrets, whereinto an endowed faculty of Nature is instilled from above, or being made glorious through the praise of purity, and subtilty, have equally supplanted all tyranny of Diseases, and have thus arose into an universal Medicine, by the one compendium of restoring Life. I have said elsewhere, that every distilled thing is a new Creature produced by the fire; and so not of the first institution of its own con∣crete Body: Verily even as the fire is a certain thing made for artifices or crafts, yet na∣tural; so whatsoever bewrayes it self by the fire, although it be natural, yet it issues from an oblique or crooked principle of nature, wresting seminal Beginnings aside unto the will of the fire.

Hence whatsoever is made or composed by the fire, doth at once attain its first, middle, and last Life, and they are melted joyntly together, as one only seminal principle, which [unspec 8] hath flowed together into the matter, being before subjected unto, and distinct in divers terms, is co-united by the fire, and also is thereby made a new Creature, arising indeed from beginnings existing in the concrete Body: Notwithstanding, those seminal begin∣nings are so altered by the fire, that by a certain co-melting, a new Being is thereby rais∣ed up, and the three Properties of Life do arise together with it: Wherefore also, all distilled things are free from corruption; the which otherwise in a recieved succession of the three Lives, is familiar unto things: For from hence it is manifest, that decoctions [unspec 9] are not such Beings as are allured forth by distillation; but only translations of one be∣ing into a middle one, forreign unto it self; and therefore they do easily putrifie or stink, and are altered. Furthermore among simples, some have manifested themselves, being bewrayed indeed by no signate; the which notwithstanding have obtained a particular property to restrain the figures of an exorbitant Life in Diseases: For those Simples, al∣though they do not ascend unto the largeness of general kinds, yet they seem to be spe∣cifically directed by the glorious bestower of things, for the rooting out of some Diseases: For I who had long since declined from the horrour of purging things, and in thorowly viewing round about, had taken notice of the almost nullities, or unprosperous applica∣tions of remedies; and in the mean time, while the secrets of the art of the fire were covered with their vaile of darkness, and that the specifical efficacy of those Simples did lay hid; I diligently enquired, whether I could not (while as new Creatures in spring∣ing up are renewed by the fire) prepare remedies by art, which might either profoundly [unspec 10] pierce into the Branches of the Veins, or at least-wise might disperse a somewhat light or gentle property of themselves, together with the venal Blood, and Urine, and might seal it among the family-administrations of Life? Which lightish quality indeed, is not understood to bewray it self in taste, but the which should remain so safe, and unbroken in the Kitchins of the Digestions, that without a notable unclemency of savour, it might reach unto the scope had in creating Medicine from the Earth.

First of all, the contemplation of provokers of Urine smiled on me; to wit, the which [unspec 11] did seem to be dispersed from the Mouth, through the Reins, even into the Bladder: The same thing a vulnerary drink perswaded, uttering its Fruits even into the external joynts: But at length I manifestly knew, that Diureticks themselves, do not indeed ma∣terially descend into the Bladder; as neither vulnerary Drinks, into a remote wound; but that all the aid of Diureticks or Urin-provokers, and wound Potions, is framed in the Stomach it self.

By way of an Example of the Stone of Crabs, or of the most fixed Stone for broken Bones, a helper as well of wounds, as of the difficulties of Urin: For this is not dissolved by Mans [unspec 12] Stomach, neither therefore also doth it pierce unto far distant places in its stony matter, or milky form; but if it be not resolved into its first Being, neither also doth it return into the substance of Milke: But the sharpness of the Stomach, and its native ferment, dissolves as much as it can of the injected Stones, not indeed by a retrograde resolution towards its first Being; But only, after the manner of soure things it dissolves those Stones, that is, into Powder: Even as in the Book of Fevers, I have profesly by handicraft operation demonstrated: For from hence it is, that if they are first dissolved in Vinegar, they do more powerfully afford their aide, than if they are first boyled in Wine; also because they are more dissolved in sharpish Wine, than in Water, or Ale: Therefore also they do more powerfully succour, than if they are drunk in the broath of Fleshes, or Water: be∣cause sharp things do break those Stones into the most subtil atomes, and seeing they have as yet a native cream in them, tameable by the Stomach: Therefore also by how much the more subtilly they are broken or prepared, by so much also the ferment of the Stomach doth obtain the more of that Cream. Likewise, although Mace, Terpentine, &c. are taken, and shall change the odour of the Urine: Yet their aides are but weak in the Dis∣ury,

and suppression of Urine: For in very deed, all the Testimonies of the former Life of Simples is annihilated within the Stomach, and none but the flaggy footsteps of tasts do remain; so that the Nutmeg, and Terpentine (which do very much differ in their savours) yet they do breath one only and alike Odour in the Urine, which is a mani∣fest sign, that in the first shop of the Stomach, the primitive Crases's of things taken, do perish, but that new ones do arise, being gotten by cocting: For otherwise, of Terpentine, and its Oyle, and Mace, a sameliness of Odour could not result in the Urine, as neither an acceptable Odour of Violets from thence: So Asparagus stinks in the Urin, as a cer∣tain putrifaction being adjoyned unto it, doth hasten the same into banishment. But vulnerary or wound-drinks, do no otherwise succour a wound, than as they do so dimi∣nish the unjust sharpness in the Stomach, that they do also restrain, and expel sharpness out of the wound (all which out of the Stomach is hurtful, Diseasie, and a Companion of putrifaction, as I have elsewhere demonstrated concerning digestions:) For truly the general digestion of the Stomach is chief over every Kitchin of all the digestions: Yea [unspec 13] indeed, Birds are throughout their whole Body actually, and notably hot, and so they do somewhat long sustain the night rigours of Winter; But they piss not, because they want Reins and Bladder. Therefore whatsoever a drinking Pigeon drinketh, doth wholly de∣part by unsensible transpiration: Hence therefore it is manifest, that the Kidneys only do make Urine, which else would be sweat: And Urine in Man, differs not indeed in the matter of the first Latex; but in the efficient ferment of the Reins alone: And it is also manifest, that Birds do unsensibly eject every superfluous excrement without sweat; Therefore Urine differs from sweat, more than in matter only: besides the proper Essence of Urin not formally received from the Kidney, it doth receive a liquid, and tinging dung into it self, which is not attracted upwards unto the veins in a Bird, neither do they sweat although they are wearied: Therefore because sweat in a Man, is not unsensibly blown away, even as otherwise in a Swine, the Kidney of Man hath the blame: Even as also, that the liquid dung is separated, and drawn from the Bowels upwards, within the veins, the Kidney hath the blame: But the use of that drawing for the Stone, is shewn elsewhere: But the Urine is not tinged, that it may the more readily be ejected; for the Urin is sharper, and doth more prick, as oft as it is without tinging dross: As the Kidney therefore is the cause of the Urin, and of the aforesaid things, so also it is the cause of the Dropsie, as the Kidney closeth it self, through the indignation of its own Archeus; whose indignation if it be restrained by a due remedy of the Stomach, forasmuch as its Duumvirate, sits president over the Kidney, the Dropsie is for certaine, soon holpen: [unspec 14] For the wheyinesses of the Dropsie are oftentimes expelled out of a swollen, and extended Abdomen, by purgers of water, the solutive Medicines themselves having as yet stayed but a little while within the Stomach: But the Dropsie doth soon repeat the same, because the Kidney being wroth as before, doth persevere in the closure, and diversion of the Urin: For the water which the Kidney hath laid up in the Abdomen, the Stomach fetch∣eth from thence, and dejects through the Paunch, and so sheweth that it can command the follies, or trifles, and indignations of the Reins, as also reduce the wheyinesses unto the intestines by unknown wayes: Not indeed that such solutives are materially, and pre∣sentially present even unto the Abdomen, and that by a purgative poysonous faculty they do reduce the deposited fardle of the Dropsie with them: Nay, but these are the Atchieve∣ments of the one Stomach, and the priviledges of the Life and vital Duumvirate.

The Pipes or Channels indeed are unknown to us, but the Life, the directress, and mistris of these, reflects it self unto its own seat or center, that is, unto the Soul: And [unspec 15] therefore from the very Life it self of the Soul, the Functions, Offices, Vigours, Valours of Powers, and all the defects of these are to be fetched: for the Soul doth distribute all its Offices unto the parts, and doth govern them by the Life; neither only doth it distin∣guish the Offices by the parts, so that it hath seperated diversities in the very vessel of the Stomach, as well in its Orifice, as in the Pylorus; but also it hath co-knit the powers themselves unto a beginning alike in parts indeed; but those which do every one of them perform their own tragedies: Which thing surely is no where more manifestly seen, than in Diseases, and so in the defects of the faculties; because that they strow the way [unspec 16] unto disorder, and a dis-joynted discord of unity: Seeing that the mortal mind is belie∣ved to be of an univocal or simple identity; therefore also conditions, inclinations, cruel∣ties, &c. come to be ascribed unto the mortal Soul: The which indeed follows a mate∣rial variety of dispositions: from hence therefore is blockishness, barbarousness, furies, madnesses, as also provocations to leachery, quicksightednesses or sharpnesses of wit; and lastly, the ruin of sciences, and extinguishments of memory, &c.