The Medicinal Consideration.
THe Gall-Bladder is subject to few Diseases. The most common are, when its Cavity or its Channels are obstructed. When its Cavity is ful of little stones, or filled with one great one, by reason of thick Choler changed into a stony sub∣stance. Its passages are stopped in the Liver, or in the Gut. Also it is broken, through violeut motion in Vomiting; and sometime it is so distended with Choler, when the passages are stopped that should Evacuate the same, that it has been seen as big as both a Mans Fists.
Somtimes, when it is empty of choler, it dries up, so that nothing therefore remaines saving the ductus Hepaticus. If we beleive Fernelius, there could be no other Cause found of the death of some persons, than that their Gall-Bladder had no Choler in it: if so, the evil and venemous Quality of the suppressed Choler was so great, as to infect the heart, or to weaken and corrupt some noble part.
The Symptomes of this Part are more manifest; which do consist in its action hurt, or in the undue proportion or quantity of the Excrementitious Choler. The Action of the Gall-bladder is attraction of Choler, which is either diminished, or abolished. The undue proportions or quantity of the Choler is, when either too little or too much is voided forth.
Which Symptomes cheifly appear in those Parts which Sympathise with the Gall∣bladder, as in the Stomach, when Choler is vomited up; in the whol body, when Choler is shed abroad through the Veins into the habit of the Body, and deformes the Skin; or when it takes its Course into the Guts and causes a dysentery, or a Cholerick looseness.
But the original of these Symptomes is to be charged upon the Liver, being il dis∣posed.
And Democritus had good Reason to search diligently into the seat and Nature of Choler, when he made dissection of divers living Creatures, that he might be more able rightly to cure the Diseases of Body and mind.
When I see in an extream Yellow Jaundice, the whol Skin infected with Choler, & that the Urins die cloaths Yellow, the stooles being in the mean time whitish; And when I see in another sort of Jaundice, both the Urins and stooles Yellow; This confirmes to me, that there are two sorts of Choler, and several waies for the expur∣nation of each of them. In the Yellowest sort of Jaundice, in which the stooles are whiteish, the Meatus Hepaticus or Liver passage of Choler is stopped in the Ca∣vity of the Liver. In the other sort of Jaundice when the stools are Yellow, it shews that a quantity of Choler passes away by the Urins and Guts, and the ob∣struction