An essay towards a real character, and a philosophical language by John Wilkins ...

Of SICKNESS.

THose kind of Impotencies of the Body, as to its natural Functions, which are usually accompanied with Pain,* 1.1 are styled by the com∣mon name of SICKNESS, Disease, ill, Malady, Relapse, unhealthy, unwhol∣som, crazy, Distemper, Indisposition, ail, Fit, mortality, taken with, Spittle.

To which is opposed HEALTH, Sanity, Soundness, heal, incurable, wholsom, recover, safe and sound, well, clear, how do you.

The principal Notions referring to this Head may be distinguished in∣to such as signifie either

• The more general CAUSES OF DISEASE. I.
• The Diseases themselves; whether
  • Common to the whole Body, and the various parts of it, in respect of
    • DISTEMPERS. II.
    • TUMORS. III.
  • Peculiar to some parts; either the
    • HEAD, or ARISING THENCE. IV.
    • MIDDLE REGION, the Breast, or its parts. V.
    • LOWER BELLY or Bowels. VI.

Besides the Diseases enumerated in the following Tables, there are di∣vers others not here provided for, because they may be otherwise suffici∣ently expressed: As for instance, those that belong to the Appetite, may be exprest by the notes of Excess, Defect, Depravation.

And thus likewise may it be with those other Functions of Concoction, Sanguification, Nutrition, Augmentation, &c.

Those that belong to the Organical parts, in respect of any Imperfe∣ction as to their just Number, Magnitude, Conformation, Site, Connexion, &c. may also be otherwise sufficiently expressed.

* 1.2I. The GENERAL CAUSES OF DISEASE, may be distinguished into such as are either

• Extrinsecal, and without the body; whether from
  • Other bodies of a malignant dangerous quality, ‖ either spreading their efficacy by insensible Effluvia: or such as being taken in a small quantity, prove destructive to life.
    1.
    • CONTAGION, Infection, taint, catching, run, spread, diffuse.
    • POISON, Venom, envenom, virulent.
  • Violent motion; causing either ‖ a dissolution of continuity: or too great a pressure upon the parts, when the skin is not cut.
    2.
    • WOUND, Hurt▪ Sore, vulnerary, cut, break ones head, Scarr.
    • BRUISE, Contusion, crush, batter, shatter.
• Intrinsecal; with relation to the
  • Humors; whether ‖ as to the error of Excess: or bad disposition.
    3.
    • PLETHORA, Fulness.
    • CACOCHYMIA, Ill humors.
  • Qualities; ‖ according to the general name, denoting Excess or Defect: or that particular Indisposition which is most frequent, name∣ly, too much Heat.
    4.
    • DISTEMPER.
    • INFLAMMATION.
  • Parts and Vessels; with respect to the
    • Stopping, or blowing of them up.
      5.
      • OBSTRUCTION, Oppilation.
      • INFLATION, puffed up, flatulent, windy.
    • Putrefying, of them; considered according to the usual
      • Antecedent, or Cause; ‖ a Collection of putrid matter.
        6.
        • ABSCESSUS, Aposteme.
      • Consequent, or Effect; in relation to the
        • Aperture or Cavity made by the Corrosion of this putrid mat∣ter; being either ‖ roundish, or oblong.
          7.
          • ULCER, Sore, Botch, Canker.
          • FISTULA.
        • Defect of animal spirits, whereby Sense and Motion is to be com∣municated, so as a part becomes cadaverous and mortified, ac∣cording to a ‖ lesser: or greater degree.
          8
          • GANGRENE.
          • SPHACELUS.

II. Diseases belonging to the whole Body, or the various parts of it,* 1.3 in respect of DISTEMPER, are distinguishable into such as do arise either

• From some putrid matter, causing a preternatural heat; being either
  • Not infectious; seated in the
    • Humors; whether ‖ continuing: or intermitting, according to cer∣tain seasons.
      1.
      • FEVER, Calenture.
      • AGUE, quotidian, tertian, quartan.
    • Habit of the Body, which is usually accompanied by a wasting away of the parts.
      2.
      • HECTIC.
      • CONSUMPTION, tabid.
  • Infectious; by
    • Effluvia; being usually accompanied with
      • Spots in the skin, ‖ according to a lesser: or greater degree of dan∣ger.
        3.
        • MALIGNANT FEVER, Spotted fever, Purples.
        • PLAGUE, Pestilence, Pest, pestiferous, pestilential, the Sickness, Murrain.
      • ...Breakings out in the skin.
        • More dangerous; according to degrees greater: or lesser.
          4.
          • POX.
          • MEASLES.
        • Less dangerous; accompanied with pain of itching and burning, from bilious matter; ‖ either that which doth usually over∣spread the whole body: or that which is commonly only in some parts, being apt to diffuse it self gradually, being accompani∣ed with redness and scurfiness.
          5.
          • ITCH, Mange.
          • TETTER, Ring-worm, Shingles.
      • ...Roughness in the skin.
        6.
        • LEPROSIE, Lazer, Leper.
        • SCURF, Morphew, Scald.
    • ...Contact in Venery.
      7.
      • LUES VENEREA, French-pox.
• From some humor not in it self corrupted, but by its superfluity distending the inward membranes of the Bones, the Muscles or Nerves: or dis∣colouring by Redness, and heating the outward skin; being a thin light matter that may be easily discussed.
  8.
  • GOUT, Arthritis.
  • ERYSIPELAS, St. Anthony's fire.

* 1.4III. Those Diseases by which the parts are swelled and distended be∣yond their due proportion, are styled TUMORS, Rising, swell, turgid, node.

These may be distinguished into such Tumors as are either in the

• Cuticle, or upper skin, with little or no pain; being ‖ small collections of watery matter hindered from transpiring: to which may be ad∣joyned that which is subsequent upon the drying of this and such other putrid matter, causing a roughness upon the skin with little exulce∣ration.
  1.
  • PUSTULE, Wheal, Whelk, Pimple, Push, Sty.
  • SCAB.
• Skin it self and Flesh.
  • ...With purulent matter.
    • Not poisonous: either ‖ of a bigger magnitude, and apt to pass from one part to another, of more difficult cure: or of a lesser magni∣tude, more frequent, and less dangerous.
      2.
      • KING'S EVIL, Scrophula, Struma.
      • BOIL, Blain, Sore, Whitlow, Ancome.
    • Poisonous and corroding; being either ‖ hard and unequal, disco∣louring the skin by paleness or blackness, with Veins about it re∣sembling the Leg of a Crab, and exceeding difficult in the Cure: or else a collection of thick putrid bloud violently hot, with fret∣ting and malignity.
      3.
      • CANCER, Wolf.
      • CARBUNCLE, Sore, Plaegue-sore.
  • ...Without purulent matter.
    • Not discolouring the skin; whether of a
      • Bigger magnitude; either ‖soft: or hard.
        4.
        • WEN.
        • SCIRRHUS.
      • Lesser magnitude; being kinds of Plants rooted ‖ in the skin: or below it.
        5.
        • WART
        • CORN.
    • Discolouring the skin with redness, and occasioned by Cold.
      6.
      • CHILDBLANE. Kibe.
• Veins or Arteries immoderately distended.
  7.
  • VARIX.
  • ANEURISMA.
• ...Tendons.
  8.
  • GANGLION, Spavin.

IV. The DISEASES belonging to the HEAD, or NERVES,* 1.5 or a∣rising thence, may be distinguished into such as relate more

• Immediately to the Brain it self, the seat and organ of the principal Fa∣culties; either in regard of its
  • Substance; when it is indisposed for the
    • More principal and noble Faculties; either by ‖ some hot Vapour or Humour diffused: or from some particular Hurt or Inflammati∣on, causing a depravation of the Intellectuals, Fancy and Memo∣ry; either ‖ with a Fever, or without.
      1.
      • FRENSY, Delirium, frantic, light-headed, phrenetic.
      • MADNESS, out of ones wits, raving, distraction, besides ones self, wood, brain-sick, crack-brained, crazed, lunatic.
    • Less principal Faculties; by the
      • Superfluity of cold pituitous matter, causing ‖ excessive drowsiness: or by crass crude vapours rising from the stomach, working a kind of Suffocation in sleeping by a sense of weight upon the Breast.
        2.
        • VETERNUS, Sopor.
        • EPHIALTES, Night-mare, Incubus.
      • Corruption of some crass phlegmatic humor, either ‖ in the Brain, causing much drowsiness and deliration: or in the Arteries which should convey the spirits to the Brain, causing first a giddiness, and then an abolition of Sense and Motion.
        3.
        • LETHARGY.
        • APOPLEXY.
      • Defluxion of Humours (which are sometimes salt or sharp) ei∣ther ‖ on the Lungs: or other parts of the Body, Limms, or Ioynts.
        4.
        • CATARRH, Distillation, Rheum, Defluxion.
        • RHEUMATISM.
  • Ventricles; ‖ when any hot Vapour doth agitate and disturb the motion of the spirits, so as objects seem to turn round: or when any cold phlegmatic humour doth obstruct their motion, causing a privation of Sense, with convulsive motions in several parts.
    5.
    • VERTIGO, Giddiness, Swimming in the head, Dizziness, Scotomy.
    • EPILEPSY, Falling-sickness.
• Mediately to the
  • Nerves; which may be either
    • Obstructed; whether ‖ the greater-Nerves, and for a longer continu∣ance: or the lesser Branches, for a shorter space, whereby Sense and Motion is hindered.
      6.
      • PALSIE, paralytic.
      • NUMNESS, Stupor, asleep.
    • Contracted more generally: or distended in some particular part.
      7.
      • CONVULSION.
      • CRAMP, Stitch.
    • Oppressed with superfluous moisture, causing an unequal growth of the parts, specially the Head and Joints.
      8.
      • RICKETS, Rachitis.
  • Throat; by such an inward Swelling and Inflammation as doth hinder Swallowing and Respiration.
    9.
    • SQUINANCY, Quinsie.

* 1.6V. The Diseases belonging to the MIDDLE REGION and its parts, may refer either to the

• Lungs; in their being
  • Obstructed by some crass phlegmatic matter adhering to the sides of the Pipes, from whence follows
    • ...Too frequent Respiration.
      1.
      • SHORTNESS OF BREATH, Anhelatio, Panting, Pursiness.
    • Difficulty of Breathing, according to ‖ a lesser, or greater degree: by the latter of which men cannot fetch their breath, unless in an upright posture.
      2.
      • ASTHMA, Tissick, broken-winded, wheeze.
      • ORTHOPNOEA.
  • Vlcerated, and by degrees putrefying; from whence sometimes doth proceed much purulent matter to fill up the cavity of the Thorax.
    3.
    • CONSUMPTION, Phthisis.
    • EMPYEMA.
• Heart; by some noxious vapours or humours, which do either
  • Provoke to too frequent and vehement motion for the freeing it self from them.
    4.
    • PALPITATION.
  • Hinder the motion of it; according to ‖ a lesser: or greater degree.
    5.
    • FAINTING, Failing, languish, Qualm.
    • SWOUNING, Swound, Leipothymia.
• Side; from some Inflammation within the Membranes covering the in∣side of the Ribs, causing difficulty of breathing, and provocation to coughing, upon which great pain follows, accompanied with a Fever.
  6.
  • PLEURISIE.

* 1.7VI. Diseases belonging to the LOWER BELLY or Bowels, may be distinguished into such as do concern the

• Stomach; by sharp humors corroding the mouth of it, causing sometimes Fainting and cold Sweats.
  1.
  • CARDIALGIA, Heart-burning.
• Liver and Gall; being caused by some impotence in them for the doing of their Functions, in not digesting & distributing the humors belong∣ing to them; causing either ‖ Paleness of colour, Faintness, Indisposition to stir: or Yellowness and Swarthiness of colour, accompanied with faintness and nauseousness.
  2.
  • GREEN-SICKNESS, Cachexie.
  • JAUNDISE, Yellow-jaundise, Black-jaundise.
• Stomach and Liver, and other Bowels jointly; which, being defective in the works of Concoction and Distribution, do occasion a superfluity of serous matter distending the skin of the belly and other parts of the body, accompanied with some wind: and sometimes a windy vapour, accompanied with some watery humors, stretching the belly.
  3.
  • DROPSY, hydropical.
  • TYMPANY.
• Spleen; by its dispersing sour and feculent humors: or noxious vapors, into other parts of the body; the former of which is usually accompanied with faintness, weariness, loosness of teeth, spots on the body, and spe∣cially on the legs.
  4.
  • SCURVY, Scorbute.
  • HYPOCHONDRIACAL VAPOURS, Spleneti••.
• ...

• Guts; ‖ from some sharp humor that corrodes, or vapor that distends the Co∣lon: or from some hardned excrement, or some other like matter, stopping the Ilia or smaller Guts.
  5.
  • COLIC, Belly-ach.
  • ILIAC PASSION.
• Faculties of excretion; whether by
  • Stool; either as to the excess of this: or the voiding of bloud.
    6.
    • DIARRHAEA, Lax, Looseness, Flux.
    • DISENTERY, Bloody-flix.
  • Vrine; either by some stony concretion in the Kidneys or Bladder: or a continual involuntary urining by drops.
    7.
    • STONE.
    • STRANGURY.
• Lower part of the belly or Scrotum; ‖ by a breach of the internal Mem∣branes, or too much distention of it, or by superfluity of waterish or windy matter: or in the Veins about the Fundament.
  8.
  • RUPTURE, Hernia, Burst, Broken-belly.
  • HAEMORROIDS, Piles.
• Mother or Womb; by ‖ causing convulsive motions: or stopping of the Breath.
  9.
  • HYSTERICAL PASSION, Mother.
  • SUFFOCATION.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. V.
• * 1.2

  I. GENE∣RAL CAU∣SES OF DISEASE.
• * 1.3

  II. DISTEM∣PERS of Body.
• * 1.4

  III. TU∣MORS.
• * 1.5

  IV. DISEA∣SES of the HEAD and NERVES.
• * 1.6

  V. DISEA∣SE•• of the MIDDLE REGION.
• * 1.7

  VI. DISEA∣SES of the BOWELS.