Galeno-pale, or, A chymical trial of the Galenists, that their dross in physick may be discovered with the grand abuses and disrepute they have brought upon the whole art of physick and chirurgery ... To which is added an appendix De litho-colo ... / by Geo. Thomson ...

CHAP. XIII. Of the second Supporter, fruitless Purgation.

TIs not without great reason that excel∣lent Hippocrates mentions one Aphorisme no less then four several times, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, If that be carried out of the Body by Purgation that ought to be, the sick man findes himself the better for it, and his spirits more chearful, and better able to bear his Disease; as if he had foreseen the great mischief that was like to come upon indiscreet Evacuation, with deletery Catharticks, which putrefie and colliquate the lately tinged Chy∣mus into a faetide and cadaverous substance; whereby some juggling Physicians take op∣portunity to impose upon their credulous Pa∣tients, that they are in a fair way of recovery, (though they finde it otherwise) sith so many ill Humours, as Choller, Phlegme, &c. are purged out of their Bodies, whereas in very truth not a jot of the morbifick Cause hath been so much as touched.

We have a History to confirm this out of Helmont, & experto credamus, for the worthy

Author tells us, that taking his leave of a young Lady, holding her by the hand he caught the Itch; whereupon he sent for two of the most eminent Galenical Physicians in that City, to consult with for the cure of it: who, upon the sight of a Purulent Scab pre∣sently delivered their opinions, That there was abundance of Adust Choller and Salt Phlegme in his Body, which occasioned a de∣praved Sanguification in his Liver. Upon this account, after they had largely bled him, and prepared the Humour (forsooth) with their fulsom and nauseous Apozemes, containing about fifty Ingredients, with addition of Aga∣rick, Rhubarb, every fourth or fifth morning, to the end that this supposed retorrid Choller and Salt Phlegme might be drawn forth, ac∣cording to that innate similitude of Substance, that they would fain make us believe is be∣tween the Purgative and the Humour; and at length they gave him those virulent Pills de Fumaria every third day three times, which wrought so liberally, that they almost filled two buckets with the foresaid Humours: But hear with what event in his own words, Iam venae mihi exhaustae erant: Genae conciderant, vox rauca, totus corporis habitus concidens tabue∣rat: descensus quoque è cubiculo atque gressus

erant difficiles, quia genua me vix sustinebant. That is, Thus at length were my Veins emp∣tied, my Cheeks fallen away, and I could hardly speak for hoarsness; my whole Body was wasted, so that I could hardly get down out of my Chamber, it being most tedious to me to stir, for my Legs were scarce able to bear me up; yea, my Stomack failed, that I had neither Appetite nor Digestion: and with∣all my Itch was as bad as ever.

Thus was this great Philosopher (who at first, setting aside this Cutaneous infection, was found Winde and Limb as we say) brought almost to the gates of Death by this enormous Purgation, who without doubt might have been cured very suddenly, if that true peccant matter, which is the principal occasional cause of Diseases, and is but little in quantity, had been carried off by some appropriate Solutive, and the Miasma which stole in through the pores of the Skin, and there settled in the in∣nate Archeus, had been mortified; which course Helmont at last took for his recovery, after he had been macerated, and excarnified by a Hypercatharsis, alwayes accompanied with a Dysphoria and ill effect.

This remarkable Story of Helmont (the same being re-acted many thousand times

since) may give men a strict Caveat how they put their Lives into the hands of such despe∣rate, persidious Evacuators, who cast men into Purgatory, and yet never expiate the Disease, Assuredly those Physicians that exterminate out of the Body good and bad at random, the Cruor or good Juyce, and the Scoria or Dross, with such uncorrected Catharticks, that are no better then absolute poison, leaving some∣times an impression behinde hardly deleble; seldom giving any alleviation, unless (as cla∣vus clavum expellit) per accidens, may be very well compared to a mad person, that in clean∣sing a foul house, casteth out with the filth some of the most useful Furniture belonging to it. And yet what is more commonly pra∣ctised amongst the Galenists, who being con∣sulted, do upon the bare inspection of the Urine, frequently and rashly prescribe Bleeding and Purging; the last whereof being best of the two, though bad enough as they order the matter, doth generally more mischief then good.

We speak not this utterly to condemn some moderate Evacuations, both by Vomit and Stool, sith we our selves oftentimes intend the same and make it our Scope; but we never give them so uncorrected as they, to the injury

and impairing of Nature: but they are such that are alwayes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, consentient and com∣petent Remedies for the profligatiag the Dis∣ease, leaving behinde an Euphoria, an alacrity of the Patient, and an abatement of the Infir∣mity according to his capacity.

Neither do we depend upon Solutives sim∣ply, as sufficient to cure any difficult Disease, but having often that most excellent Rule of Hippocrates in our thoughts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, to carry the Morbifick mat∣ter that way Nature is most enclined to send it our, supposed the passage be commodious. We never give any Purgative Medicine, but the same is Diaphoretick, Diuretick, and Expe∣ctorative: For whereas your Catharticks are often pernicious in malignant Feavers, as the Pest, Small Pox, Spotted Feaver, and the like, so that the Archeus being distracted upon the admission of such an unwelcome guest, leaves the propulsion of the malignant matter, and bends all her forces to conflict with the late received poison, whereby it comes to pass that the venom of the Disease, which before tend∣ed to the Peripheriae, or outwards parts of the Body, hastens forthwith to the Centre, and there fixes upon some of the noble Viscera,

We on the contrary can safely exhibit, in any of the foresaid Diseases, some Medicament that may rid the first Region either upward or downward of trash and trumpery, which encumbers it there; and at the same time both kill and drive out the Venom to the ex∣tream parts, and grand Emunctory of the whole Body the Skin: questionless he that omits this last principal intention, shall sel∣dom cure any Feaver, or any other Malady as he ought. And indeed it is most happy for us that what Hippocrates faith is most true; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, That is, our whole Body is porous and transmeable, especially our Skin: for did we not freely breathe out those hurtful Atomes, that are engendred within, and likewise insinuate into us from without, we should perpetually be obnoxious to Fea∣vers, and other horrid Diseases, that would quickly destroy the World; for never did any one recover of a Feaver, but by Transpi∣ration either sensible or insensible; which ought especially to be regarded by all legitimate Physicians, that they may labour vigorously with their own hands to have in readiness such noble Arcana's, that may reach the sixth Di∣gestion, and there joyn with the Archeus, to extinguish any malignity, to difflate and dis∣sipate

the gross Peritomata, and virulent Excre∣ments therein contained. He that is ignorant herein, may as well presume to cure the sting∣ing of a Scorpion, the biting of a Viper, or Tarantula, by Purgatives, as with any assurance to heal most Infirmities that are predominant among us at this day. For very many Dis∣eases have in them that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of Hippocrates, something of a more spiritual and invisible Nature, then to be carried off by gross Pur∣gatives.

Hath not the Apoplexie (that destroyes a man in the twinckling of an eye) something in it like the poison of a Basilisk? Is there not in the Palsie something of the stupefying Nature of the Fish Torpedo? Have not some Plagues destroyed men suddenly like some Mephitical or pernicious Damps, arising in the subterranean and deep caverns of the Earth, which happens to those that dig in mines? Questionless the Letharigie arises from a poi∣son analogous to Opium or Hyoscyamus. The Itch may be compared to the venom of Cowich, The Spots in Feaver and the Scurvy, to the biting of Fleas. The small Pox to some viru∣lent Epispastick; and the Measles to Nettles or Gnats.

There is sometimes engendred in our Bodies

an nitrosulphurous matter, that may be compa∣red to Gun-powder, which puts us as it were in∣to a flame, and would quickly shatter us in pieces like a Granado, were there not free vent for its expiration through the pores of the skin. In a Gangrene, the part is mortified as if some potential Cautery were applied to it. What a strange poison is there in the Rickets, that often makes an Exostosis, and bends the Bones of Children like a bowe? But most prodigious is that poison in Plica Polonica, that in one night doth so complicate and con∣tort the Hair, that all the art of man cannot untangle and unsnatle it; which if you at∣tempt to cut off with a pair of Sciffers, a large Haemorrhagie or flux of Blood present∣ly follows, to the hazard or ruine of life.

Many more Diseases in this Microcosme might be instanced, that do manifestly express a poisonous Nature of affinity with those in the Macrocosme; but this may suffice to con∣vince those men of most palpable ignorance, that think the common course of Scouring the Body with ordinary and deletery Laxatives, is sufficient to cure most Diseases that consist of so subtil and almost immaterial substance. It is as possible to hinder the Magnetick Ope∣ration of the Loadstone upon Iron, by the

interposition of a piece of Lawn, as to be able to cure the foresaid Diseases by faeculent col∣liquating Catharticks. Certainly that can∣not be an appropriate and adequate Remedy, that is not in some degree proportionable to the Disease, as it is more or less graduated and sublimed in its activity: For let us take into our contemplation, what an inconsiderable thing in bulk is able from without to discom∣pose, and disorder the whole frame of our Bo∣dies, turning them as it were topsie turvie in a trice.

In what a minute subject matter doth the poison of a mad Dog, a Viper, a Tarantula re∣side? of what little moment is it in bulk to our eye, and yet how admirable are their ef∣fects to our speculations? Sith then Venoms no whit inferiour to the forementioned, are oftentimes produced in our Bodies, being ex∣alted to that degree of malignity, that they sometimes destroy us solo intuitu et radio, how sollicitous and sedulous should we be to enquire after such Antidotes, which the great Creator hath ordained, equivalent to their poisons; that may be able with as much cele∣rity and vigour to preserve and restore us, as the other to pessundate and destroy us.

This undoubtedly might be compassed by

industrious and learned labourers in Chymi∣stry, did not these obstinate Galenists (who alwayes stick in the mire of their stercoreous Purgatives, as, Scammony, Colocynthis, Agarick, and Rhubarb, utterly to be sequestred from the Body of man so unprepared, (as is evident through their whole Dispensatory) and never to be made use of so crude and hostile to Nature by any Son of Art) discourage and disparage us, and take off the hearts of Princes from favouring us, by falsly tradu∣cing this Honourable Science, and the Pro∣fessours thereof.