The art of curing sympathetically, or magnetically, proved to be most true by its theory and practice exemplified by several cures performed that way: with a discourse concerning the cure of madness, and an appendix to prove the reality of sympathy : also an account of some cures perform'd by it in London / written originally in Latin by H.M. Herwig ...

The Signs of Melancholy.

§ 5. The conceits and imaginations of Melancholy persons are very various. Some have imagined themselves to be earthen vessels; others that they were brute Animals; others desire death, which they very often procure for themselves; and, which is very much to be wonder'd at, at the same time are much terri∣fied at and afraid of it. Some, imitating of Democritus, always laugh; others, like Heraclitus, are in perpetual mourning. There are those also that fancy themselves divinely inspired, and believe they can predict things to come. But it would be too tedious to recite all their wild fancies in this short Treatise, and much more too long to shew all their causes; this being a thing of that nature that is accounted amongst im∣possibilities; but if any person pleases to exercise himself in this contemplation, he shall have my free leave for it; but on this condition, that he Philosophi∣cally explain himself: for Example sake, let him demonstrate that Dryness was the cause that made the person believe

himself to be an earthen vessel, and that Levity was that which induced another to believe that he had no head, to cure which an Hat of Lead was made use of, the weight whereof soon made him un∣derstand that he was not headless. But let us proceed to the particular marks: Those persons whose whole constituti∣ons are affected with Melancholy are attended with these symptoms: they are slender, lean, have broad Veins, are hairy, nasty, rough, black, sometimes red, but never yellow; then they ap∣pear melancholy in all circumstances, either by reason of their own natural constitution, or on account of want of sleep, cares, anger, sorrow, their for∣mer diet, which might burn up the blood, and convert it to Melan∣choly. Hypocondriack Melancho∣ly is thus known; you'll first observe all the symptoms of a bad stomach, Flatus, gurgulations, crudities, acid belchings, a dryness of the belly, and a levity per∣ceived by the belching, and that the distempered person shall be apprehen∣sive of all the uneasinesses that attend the Hypocondriack. The reason of this sorrow and fear is, the cloudiness of

the Brain and Animal Spirits, which of their own nature ought to be clear. I will demonstrate it by this example; for if external darkness occasions fear and sorrow, will not that which is in∣ternal more effectually cause them? But perhaps you will say, are not fear and sorrow passions of the Heart, why then do you place their causes in the Brain? I answer, The aforementioned passions have their original from the opinion of evil; but when the spirit is dark and cloudy, it will deprave the imagination, so as to raise in us an opinion of present and future evil, and on this account it affects us with fear and sorrow.