CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

CCIX.

Worthy Sir,

I Received your Letter, and am Glad to see you write, that you doubt not of Curing Mrs. T. of her Painful Disease; as for the Numbness in her Hand, Thigh, Leg, and Foot, give me leave to tell you my Opinion, which is, that it Pro∣ceeds not from a Coldness but a Dryness, for if it were only a Stupifying Cold, her Sweating would have Rarified and Evaporated that Con∣geal'd Cold, or her Purging would have Carri∣ed or Driven out that Gross, Cold Humor, or her Dry, Strict Diet would have Consumed that Obstructed Cold, or Cold Obstruction, but she hath felt that Numb Disease since she hath used those Remedies, at least, it is more Appa∣rent, which shews, it Proceeds not from Cold,

but Dryness, which Inward Heat and Dryness causes a Cold outward Effect, for Numbness and Deadness of Parts Proceed from Divers, and Different Causes, as from Cold, either Outward∣ly taken, by the Cold Weather, or Climat, or Clothing, or the like, or by Inward Cold, as by Overcooling Meats, or Drinks, or Cold Obstru∣cting, or want of Blood, or too much Watry Hu∣mors, which Quench out the Natural Heat, and this Numbness is easily Cured. Another Numb∣ness Proceeds from Obstructions of the Inward Parts, or Veins, either by Clammy Humors, or by Burnt and Adust Humors. Another Numb∣ness Proceeds from a Driness of some Particular Parts, which being Insipid, cannot be Active, or Move according to their Functions, or Faculties, or Proprieties, and a Ceasing of Motion is Death. Another Numbness Proceeds from some Cold, or Thick Gross Humors that fall upon the Si∣news or Muscles. Another Numbness is caused through Excessive Heat, which hath Burnt out the Natural Heat. Another Numbness Proceeds from a Decay of some Noble Parts, and this Numbness is Incurable. But the Reason why I think Mrs. Ts. Numbness Proceeds from Dryness, is, that she hath been of a very Spare Diet three or four Years, Eating and Drinking but once a Day, and that not Much, her Meat be∣ing for the most part Rost Mutton, and when she was with Child, she did Eat so Little, & Seldom, as sometimes not in two or three Dayes, as I have often wondred how she could Live, and Nourish

her Child within her, which Excessive Fasting must oeeds Dry, and so consequently Heat her, for though Fasting may Cool after Excess, Wast∣ing the Superfluities, which would otherwise cause too many Vapors, or Corruption, which Corruption, or Vapors, might cause an Unusual, or Unnatural Heat, yet in Scarcity, or where there be no Superfluities, Fasting doth Heat, the like doth Sweating; and thus Mrs. T. finding her Stomack Weak, or rather Ill Digesting, to Strengthen or Ease it, hath Overheated, and Dri∣ed the other Parts of her Body, and hath fill'd her Body, or rather her Thread-Veins, with Thin, Sharp, Salt, Bitter Humor, which Humor Proceeds from Heat, and Heat and Dryness ma∣ny times Proceed from those Humors; where∣fore there should be Applyed such Remedies as to Draw out those Pernicious Humors which are Corroding, Burning, and Drying, and there∣fore I pray Use Cooling and Moistening Reme∣dies, lest in striving to Cure one Disease, a Worse be Produced, but Cooling and Moisten∣ing will not only Cure her Numbness, but the Overflowing of her Natural Flux, which is cau∣sed through Heat, which Over Rarifies the Blood, and makes it Flow when it should Ebb, like as a Double Tide; But I leave all to your Better Judgment, Skill, Practice, Observation, and Wisdom, and rest,

Your very loving Friend.