The philosphical and physical opinions written by Her Excellency the Lady Marchionesse of Newcastle.

Chap. 196. Of Convulsions, and Cramps.

COnvulsions proceed from contrary contracting motions, quite from the natural motions of the body, as winding up the sinews, nerves, or veins; but especially those sinews, which joyn, and impair the muscles together, drawing not onely contrary, but contracting several wayes, and after divers man∣ners; for some time the nerves are as if we should tie strings in bowt-knots, others as if we should winde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Lute strings on pegs; and some are twisted like whip-cord, and many the like wayes, which would be too long to recount, but these contractions proceed either from a winde got into the nerves, or veines, which troubles them as the winde-cholick doth the guts, or a sharp humor that shrivels them together, or as salt watery humor, mixt with winde, which strugling and striving together turns windes, folds, or roles up the nerves, like the waves of the Sea, or a cold icy humor, which draws and gathers in the nerves, as frost will do, all spungie bodies, or some thick clammy humor which stops some passages, which causeth the natural motions to turn irregular, but if the humor be onely in the veins, it is cured by letting bloud, if the bloud be corrupted, sharp or salt, or if the bloud be cold, windy, or watry, hot liquid medicines cure it, or cordial water, or the like; and if it be a cold humor in the nerves, hot oyls, and ex∣traordinary hot medicines cures it, as the spirit of Caster, oyl of Amber, and the like; but if it proceed from a salt, sharp, watery humor, or a thick clammy humor in the nerves, it is seldom or never cured, because it is not easily got out, neither* 1.1 can medicines so suddenly get into the nerves, as into the veins; for though the cold in the nerves may be easily cured, by melt∣ing, and dissolving by the comfortable warmth, or violent heats from the hot cordial medicines, which spread about the body, as a great fire in a chimney, which spreads about and heats all the room, if the fire in the chimney be answerable to the bigness, or largeness of the room it is in, and the lesser the room is, and the bigger the fire is, the hotter it is; wherefore it is to be considered, that those that are at full growth, or are larger of body, if thus, the diseased ought to have a greater proportion, or a larger quantity of those medicines, then a childe, or those that are but little of stature, for though those that are of little stature may be more stronger then those that are of a far bigger bulk, yet in the cause of diffusing or dilating medicines, the circumference of the body must be considered, as well as the strength of the medicines; and if the convulsion be in the stomach, caused by the aforesaid humor; purging medicines or cordials may cure it, unless the stomach is ga∣thered, shrivell'd, or shrunk up by an unnatural contracting

heat, like as leather that is put into the fire, which when so, the stomach can no more be cured then leather to be made smooth, which is shrunk up in a purse, by fire; after the like manner as cor∣vulsions or cramps, but cramps most commonly are only contra∣ctions of the smal veins, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tie or twist them up, & many times so hard as they break; for those that have been much troubled with the cramp, wil have all the skin, where the cramp hath taken them all stretch'd with broken veins; I mean the small hair veins, but rubbing the part grieved with a warm cloath, will untie and untwist them again, by dissolving the cold, or dispersing the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or rarifying the bloud therein, this we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by experi∣ence; wherefore I should think that in convulsion fits, that are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the like, that if the diseased should be rubbed with hot cloaths, outwardly applied, as well as hot medicines inward∣ly taken, it may do the patient much good. But I must remem∣ber my Readers, that in Convulsions, the strength of the medi∣cines inwardly taken, must be according to the strength of the fits; for if they be strong fits, weak medicines do no good; for more strength goeth to untie a hard knot, then a loose knot, or to untwist a hard string, then a loose string; besides, it is hard to know after what manner the knot is tied or twisted, and many indeed are so ignorant of medicines, as the manner of the disease, to apply such as shall hap of the right end, as those which are cured by chance, and chance hits so seldom right, as not one of an hundred escapes of these kinde of diseases, if the disease is any wayes violent, for then the motions tie so fast, and so strong, as they break the life of that figure asunder. There be natural contractions, and unnatural contractions; that is, proper or improper to the health of the figure.

Notes

• * 1.1

  For as long as the humor remains, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are repea∣ted.