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CHAP. LXXXVI. Things Suscepted or Undergone. (Book 86)
THe fourth kind of things Received, I call things Suscepted; such as are Wounds made by a Point, or a Cut, or Stroak, by Darting, Beating, Casting, Renting, Biting, Bruising, Congealing, Scorching or Burning, or Straining; Likewise, breaking of a Bone, Displacing, Binding, close Pressing together, and in brief, whatsoever things are immedi∣ately subjected unto the Chyrurgion. For truly Ulcers which are bred not by a Wound rashly cured, seeing they are nourished by an internal Principle, they singularly have re∣spect unto a Physitian. And by so much the more evidently, because any kind of Ulcers, and how malignant soever, are perfectly cured by Arcanums taken in at the mouth: Therefore Arcanums being obtained, the Chyrurgion (being in penury) will at sometime be idle, who is to be occupied in manual labour only, about things Suscepted or undergone. But be∣cause the fulness of dayes hath not yet brought Arcanums into use, hence there is a Liberty for Chyrurgions to invade the Physitian. In the mean time I stay not in the difference be∣tween Diseases of the similar and organical members, which is so greatly enlarged in the Schooles: Because I measure a Disease by its Archeal and immediate Causes, but not by the hurtings of the Functions: Especially because all parts how organical soever, do not de∣part from their homogeniety or sameliness of kind: For neither do I judge it to be of concernment, whether many Offices do concurre in one part, or whether there be a parti∣cular defect of particular Offices: Because the eye being thrust out, a Disease doth not succeed, but a Death of the power of Seeing: And therefore, an incarnating being intro∣duced over it, causeth an healing of the Wound, but doth not restore the Death. Neither likewise do I clash with my self, although I have elsewhere said, that all Diseases do arise and are nourished from seminal Beginnings. But I will teach in this place that Wounds un∣dergone by a Sword, do operate, in entering after the manner of artificial things; Because the Diseases of things Suscepted are not so long as they are in their being made, but after their being undergone: For things suscepted have that thing peculiar unto them, that by themselves they rather introduce Death than a Disease: For it is by accident that a Wound doth cut asunder the fleshy part, or the Heart it self, or an Artery: And there∣fore a Wound in its beginning, doth threaten Death on the part whereon it is inflicted, and Susceptions do alwayes savour of the nature of artificial things: For Susceptions have first of all deceived the Schooles; For they have argued after this manner:
A Sword woundeth, that which is continual or holding together being divided, is wounded: But dividing is nothing but a relation of terms, and yet a Wound is a Disease; Therefore every Disease consisteth onely in a relation, or at least-wise in a disposition, or effect of that relation. Which is to say, That a Disease is either a Being of Reason, or a Non-Being, (such as is the rela∣tion of Terms) or that a real Being doth arise from the Being of Reason. But I who do not de∣stinguish Internal connexed Causes from the thing it self, do call Poysons, Foods, a Sword, &c. Occasions. I call a Wound, an absolute or sore threatned Death of that which is continual: But when they have brought their force into the Archeus, so that this shall be wroth through things applyed unto himself, I referre that which is imprinted by things Suscepted among Primary Diseases: For as soon as a Sword hath divided that which held together, the action of a violent occasional Cause being darted into the Archeus, is present, and this Archeus soon begins his tempests, that is, Diseases.