To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
THAT is malignant that hath worse symptoms, and is harder to be cured then ordinary. Malig∣nity is an adventitious quality to a disease that makes beyond its nature more difficult or dangerous.
It is from manifest or occult qualities, as when an ulcer is in a part only distempered by a ma∣nifest quality, it may be cacoethick, or of an ill condition, but that is only from manifest quali∣ties. On the contrary, if a part be stung by a ve∣nemous
beast, or bitten, there wil be an ulcer al∣so, but such as is from an occult quality: here we shal speak only of malignity that flows from occult qualities.
Hence it is cleer that malignity differs from poyson, for malignity comes after another dis∣ease, but poyson by i••s pernicious force brings a hidden disease without another disease, so the Plague poyson can kill without a feaver of it self, and so wil Hemlock, Napellus.
Poyson therefore is that which of its own force by an occult way doth vehemently and im∣mediately afflict the body and endanger life, but the doubt is whether it be a quality or a sub∣stance, therefore distinguish it, somtimes it is ta∣ken for the thing poysoned, somtimes for the form of action and hurting our bodies privately. If it be taken for the thing poysoned, it is of a double nature: some are bodies and act by a bodily contract, and though they touch not all with their own body, yet they send forth Atoms and small bodies that infect, and move to & fro in the air in the time of contagion. Others act by intentional species, that is, spiritual qualities that kill, as the poyson of the Torpedo that ben••••••s the hand of the Fisher through the Spear. If poyson be taken for the venemosity it self, it is an occult and dangerous quality.
The differences of malignant and venemous diseases are from the effects and causes, for we are ignorant of their forms, therefore we shall describe every poyson in its proper place by it•• proper signs: but here we shall propound the differences of occult diseases fetcht from their causes▪ they are bred in or without the body; from evil humors bred in the body are divers
sorts of malignant feavers, and pestilent feavers, and the plague.
The causes without the body are divers both malignant and venemous. 1. The air drawn in, Inspiration sent out by transpiration. 2. Bad water drunk. 3. Contagion or Infection any way communicated to the body hurts secretly. 4. Poysons taken have power to cor∣rupt the body. 5. The stingings and bitings of venemous creatures, either piercing the body, or any other waies hurting, as by sight, hissing, venemous breath, or spiritual species. Also ve∣nemous oyntments with which darts or swords are infected: all these poysons are taken from Plants, Animals, or Minerals; of which in order.