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 Cause of Madness.

§ 6. As for what belongs to the find∣ing out the Cause of these distractions, there was never person yet that could please himself, much less any body else. The Antients were of opinion, that Madness did proceed from an Idiopathia, by an immoderate heat, the Brain be∣ing burnt by the Summer Sun, or Me∣dicines burning with extraordinary heat being applied to the head, or by the

excessive use of Spices and strong Wines But this often arises from the de∣pravity of the Matter itself. And this Matter is hot: for it is either the Blood, Yellow Choler, or burnt putrid Me∣lancholy. Fernelius asserts, that Mad∣ness proceeds from hot blood. Mad∣ness is said to proceed from Choler, and that for the most part burnt. When heat without a Fever shall come to that immoderate height that it shall burn the juice, by which means rapid flames are driven about; so, that what is fluid in the juices, is converted into foul soot, and burns the rest into black feces. Hence arise foul spirits, and according to the sierceness of the flame, so is the raving more or less: for Choler, of what sort soever it is, by its sharp power doth inrage men. The provocations of yellow burnt Choler are very sharp. Wherefore in regard Madness doth arise from the vicious juices, they can be no other than biting juices; and of this sort only are yellow and black Choler. Neither can it come from Melancholy, unless it is defiled with some putrid mat∣ter, or roasted by a sharpness, which gives it a malignant acrimony. There∣fore

Phlegm is not any way accessory to it. Briefly then to run over these matters, Madness owes its original, ei∣ther from an intemperate heat of the brain without matter, or from matter extreamly burnt, that is, hot Blood, yellow Choler roasted, or not duly boil∣ed, or putrid or burnt Melancholy. Hippocrates says that Madness rages most in Autumn, and seizes upon a great ma∣ny. It may be answered, that it is for this reason, that in Autumn that sharp Choler is suppressed that grew in the Dog days; but it corrupts by the power of colder weather: for sometimes it turns putrid without adustion, as is most evident in a quartane Fever.

Phrenzy, Madness, and Melancholy differ, by reason they proceed from dif∣ferent causes, as I have shewn before. Thus they may be discriminated: A Phrensy is attended with a vehement Fever, and soon destroys a man, but Madness is void of a Fever, and may continue a long time. Melancholy is different from both, being quiet, free from raving pride, tho oftentimes it may break out into Madness, and turns fear into audacity. The matter of Me∣lancholy

is cold. I now proceed to the common differences. It is indeed a very great malady, but yet not incura∣ble, though not without great hazard, the least degree of Madness being very unsafe. Paracelsus and others attribute the chief cause of Madness and Rage, to certain Spirits in Nature that wan∣der about, which he calls Phantasms; and says that they are neither celestial, nor infernal, yet invisible; and follow men about like dogs, and insinuate themselves into the minds of men of too copious fancies, and make them distract∣ed. We shall pass by these notions, in regard they exceed our apprehension, and would rather with others be con∣tent to be ignorant of the real cause, than to run the hazard of being mad our selves, by endeavouring after enqui∣ries beyond our abilities. It is very pro∣bable then, that something supernatu∣ral is the cause of Madness: for it is impossible that by nature, an humane body, for the most part consisting of an icy substance, should endure the most severe cold of the winter without being frozen, or so much as growing torpid; but Mad men are not affected

with any such matter, but will lye along day and night naked upon the coldest Marble without any harm, and if you touch them shall feel them warm; and yet we see Animals that are accustomed to the cold, and fortified against it with thick hairy Skins or close Feathers, can∣not endure so much cold without pre∣judice, but require warm Stables; Birds either hide themselves, or retire into warmer Countries; the wild beasts hide themselves in Dens and Caves; Water freezes into Ice, Bread, Eggs, Apples, and Flesh freeze so very hard that you cannot cut them, and nothing hardly is proof against frost but igneous Spirits, as Spirit of Wine, Nitre, Vitriol, Salt, Urine, &c. We also read in the Evangelists of many distempers that proceeded from Spirits, as that Luna∣tick, Mark 19. That was sorely afflict∣ed, and falling often into the water and fire, his distemper was occasioned by a Spirit within him, which our Sa∣viour calls a dumb and deaf Spirit, and Luke 11. he cast a Spirit out of the dumb man; Luke 13. mention is made of a Woman that had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, that had bowed her

down that she could not stand straight. Why may not diseases proceed from diverse Spirits now in our days, and so be partakers of the same original. I now go on to the Signs of the Causes.

§ 7. From an intemperate heat, void of matter; if this be the case, the deli∣rious person will be like one drunk and out of their wits, and the delirium will be continual, without remission, and it will encrease by little and little, so that there will appear no evident cause that occasioned it. If it proceed from yel∣low Choler not burnt, it seizes all on a sudden, attended with mighty brag∣ging, without sleep, and they ll be very studious to do mischief; they are thought∣ful and diligent: for the Choler is mova∣ble. There are many afflicted with this sort of Madness. They are in a continual restlesness, by reason of their variety of opinions, occasioned by the wandring images that are in their minds, whence comes their rambling talk from the swelling juice. They are watchful. The worst sort of Madness proceeds from yellow burnt Choler: These are always prompt to cruel actions, full of Pride, making a great noise, cruel and

rash: But if it proceed from Melancho∣ly defiled by putrid matter, not burnt, they are angry, and break out into rage, with tears and silence. But if from burnt Melancholy, then they are very angry, and will fall upon persons silent∣ly with cruel rage, and when once they begin to talk, never leave off. These are very mischievous, but not so raging as those whose distemper proceeds from Choler. After we have by these signs discovered the Causes of Madness, let us now shew by what Remedies it may be relieved. And here indeed is occasi∣on for a Physician of sound judgment: for Remedies ought speedily to be ap∣plied to these Madmen, lest the distem∣per grow too obstinate.