The sixth book of Practical physick Of occult or hidden diseases; in nine parts Part I. Of diseases from occult qualities in general. Part. II. Of occult, malignant, and venemous diseases arising from the internal fault of the humors. Part III. Of occult diseases from water, air, and infections, and of infectious diseases. Part IV. Of the venereal pox. Part V. Of outward poysons in general Part VI. Of poysons from minerals and metals. Part. VII. Of poysons from plants. Part VIII. Of poysons that come from living creatures. Part IX. Of diseases by witchcraft, incantation, and charmes. By Daniel Sennertus, N Culpeper, and Abdiah Cole, Doctors of Physick

THE THIRD PART. Of occult Diseases from Water, Air, and Infecti∣ons, and of infectious Diseases. (Book 3)

Chap. 1. Of occult and malig∣nant Diseases, and Venom that arise from Waters.

MANY Diseases come from bad waters, as Dysentery and Dropsie and malignant Dis∣eases also, as the Scurvey. Marsh standing Pools easily corrupt, and the drinking thereof in Armies, causeth malignant pestilent Feavers, because they are infected by Froggs, Toads and Serpents, and other venemous Creatures.

Also Waters are unwholsom, in which Flax or Hemp are steeped. And some Fountains have killed them that have drunk thereof, and there∣fore the Waters of the River Styx are so odious, among Poe••s. Pausanias and other Historians mention of many poysons that wil infect waters

You may cure these Waters by boyling thē or quenching steel, or stone, or iron in them when you are in Armies, or on a Journey, and cannot boyl them, at least you may strain them.

And if any have drunk such Waters, let him presently take an Antidote.

Chap. 2. Of malignant Dis∣eases from the Air.

AIr as it is a pure Element, neither corrupts, nor is infectious;* 1.1 but it may be corrup∣ted by other things.

Paris is seldom free from the Plague, by rea∣son of inundations, for besides the stink of the mud, all the Jakes of the City are full of stink∣ing water, that go not into the Common-shore, but to the Gates of the City, and cause a stink, especially in hot weather.

Also malignant vapors arise from Dens and Caves, saith Mercurialis,* 1.2 he had seen many Caves near Rome, into which, if either man or beast go, they presently die.

The air becomes pestilent, when the smal bo∣dies that use to be in the air (that of themselves are not venemous) do corrupt.

These are all dangerous diseases, and none can be secure from them, for none can live without air. Therefore let such as by reason of their im∣ployments, or the like, cannot flie, never go a∣broad, but with good Antidotes in their mouths and anointed about their noses.

Chap. 3. Of Contagion.

IN contagious diseases. 1. There is the dis∣ease which is called Contagious, because it infects another with the same disease. 2. There is the Medium by which the like disease is produced in another. 3. There is the action by which the like disease is produced in another. And lastly the disease which is produced in ano∣ther▪ A contagion is an infection, or a body sent from a sick body, that can produce the like disease in another.

To clear this. 1. Consider the contagious body. 2. The infection by which it doth infect another. 3. The body that is infected.

1. The contagious body is not onely a man, but an Ox or Sow, or the like. And that is on∣ly contagious that can breed any thing in it self, which being sent to another of the same kind, produceth the like disease.

2. When that Contagion passeth to another body, with which it hath some likeness, the pas∣sage is by infection or seed, in which there is force to act by the quality that flows from the force. But we are ignorant of that quality and the form from whence it flows: therefore it is truly cal∣led an occult Quality. For this quality and form are in as smal a body as an Atome, and is so cal∣led; and as one saith, The infection of diseases is multiplied by little bodies, that like seeds, comprehend the whole essence of the disease.

Now the quality by which the infection acts so powerfully, is not manifest; for no manifest quality hath such force; but it is occult, and not sensible, but known only by the effect. Nor can

you say that this infection is the effect of rotten∣ness, for that putrefaction be made many altera∣tion are required, and long time. But Conta∣gion taken in suddenly infecteth, and often kills, and begets the like contagious humor in the par∣ty; and works like contagious poyson before there is any putrefaction wrought, as appears in the Plague.

This Miasma or Contagion is spred and sow∣ed about, by the pores of the skin. Somtimes it comes forth with the sweat, or sticks to the skin with a thicker excrement or filth. Somtimes it goes out of the body by the breath: somtimes by matter or quittor that comes out of the ulcers. Somtimes those Atomes flie about in the air, and therefore the seeds of the Plague are sowed far a∣bout.

A Contagion or Miasma is sowed and spred abroad two waies, either by fewel alone, or by the air, and by its fewel. This fewel is not the subject of that form, but gives a place to the con∣tagi••••. Such are all things that are porous and thin, as wool, flax, cotten, feathers, hairy beasts skins, and walles may receive Contagion, as ex∣perience shews: and some solider things, as stones and Metals, but then they are soul, for when they a••e clean from silth, they cannot receive it so ea∣sily.

3. The body that is infected, and receiveth the same disease thereby, is somwhat like it. For it is received into garments, wool, but the like disease is not produ••ed in them, because they have no Analogy with the body infecting. Nor doth the same Contagion infect all alike, for the Plague which in Sows infects not men nor Ox∣••n, and that which infects men, in••ects not ••ogs

nor Oxen. And all men, and are disposed to re∣ceive all Contagions, but the kindred are most sit to receive, by reason of the agreement of hu∣mors.

Chap. 4. Of the Differences of infectious Diseases.

IN cōtagious diseases there is an excremēt bred which like a vapor or little body, or by silth, infects another body with the same disease. Catarrhs are often contagious, and malignant pestilent Feavers, sore Eyes, Consumption, Dy∣senteri••s, Scurvey, Scabs, Itch, scald Heads, A∣rabian Leprosie, Dogs madness, the French pox, of which we spake before in a Treatise in Folio in English.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Paraeus lib 10. c. 13.
• * 1.2

  De ven. c. 13.