A treatise of the rickets being a diseas common to children. Wherin (among many other things) is shewed, 1. The essence 2. The causes 3. The signs 4. The remedies of the diseas. Published in Latin by Francis Glisson, George Bate, and Ahasuerus Regemorter; doctors in physick, and fellows of the Colledg of Physitians at London. Translated into English by Phil. Armin.

CHAP. I. The Antiquity and first Origine of this Disease, the Name of it, and the Derivation of the Name. (Book 1)

THAT some new Diseases altoge∣ther unknown to the Ancients, have, for some Ages lately past invaded divers parts of Europe, is a known & undoubted truth (whether we attribute it to the vicissitude of things, or impute it to the Sins and Impieties of men, and their cor∣rupt manners) as the French-pox, the Scurvy, the * 1.1Plica, and the like; in which number this very affect we are now about to handle may be justly Registred. For if we exa∣min al the diseases of In∣fants & children descri∣bed either by the Anci∣ents or Modern Writers in their Books of the Diseases of Infants, we shall meet with none which with a sufficient

exactness doth delineate the condition and Idea of this evil. For although it may seem to hold a correspondence, or to have some affinity with a chronical Feaver, a Consumption, the ex∣tenuation or leannesse of Infants, and the ‡ 1.2Hydro∣cephalos; yet to speak truth it is an affect evidently dif∣ferent from them in the Species. For you may observe many to be vehemently affli∣cted with this Malady without any Feaverish∣distemper, or any cause of such suspition: in like maner although a Con∣sumption doth frequēt∣ly supervene upon this Disease before the disso∣lution of the Patient, yet is it seldome seen to ac∣company the first invasi∣on thereof, as for the meagerness or leanness, although some parts are perpetually observed in

this affect to be made lean, yet this doth not hap∣pen in all alike, as in a right and true leanness, but you may perceave the parts about the head and face to be in a thriving condition as to outward appear∣ance, and well complexioned, even to the last day of life. Finally, The Hydrocephalus is very fre∣quently complicated with this affect, yet we have dissected some whose Brain hath been sufficiently firme, and not over-moistned with this superfluous humour. Some have conjectured that this Disease is an imp or fruit of the French-pox or Scurvy, de∣scending from the viciated Bodies of the Parents upon the Children: For we deny not but the Pa∣rents, being infected with the Scurvy or the vene∣rous Pox, may propagate and bring forth an Issue, not only affected with that Pox & Scurvy, but like∣wise infected with this evil, and this even hath also faln under Observation: yet for the most part this Disease in the propriety of its Essence, hath neither affinity nor familiarity with those affects, and besides it requireth a different progress of cure; we have sometimes likewise observed a strumatical and swelling Malady to be complicated with this; but we have also many times beheld this to be well distinguished from that, and that from this.

But why do we dwel so long upon this inquisiti∣on? seing that he, who wil accurately contemplate the signs of this affect, as in their due places they shal be propounded, may most easily perswade him∣self, That this is absolutly a new Disease, and never described by any of the Ancient or Modern Writers in their practical Books which are extant at this day, of the Diseases of Infants.

But this Disease became first known (as neer as

we could gather from the Relation of others after a sedulous enquiry) about thirty years since in the Counties of Dorset and Somerset, lying in the western part of England; since which time the observation of it hath been derived unto other places, as London, Oxford, Cambridge, and almost all the Southern and Western parts of the Kingdom: in the Nothern Counties this affect is very rarely seen, and scarcely yet made known among the Vulgar sort of peo∣ple.

The most receaved and ordinary Name of this Disease is, The RICKETS: But who baptiz'd it, and upon what occasion, or for what reason, or whe∣ther by chance or advice it was so named, is very un∣certain▪

However it obtained that Name, yet in so great a variety of places through which it hath ranged, it hath not to this day been known by any other De∣nomination.

But it is an accident well worth our admiration, That this Disease being new, and not long ago nameless, at least not known by this Name, neither spreading so much in remote as in adjacent places, yet no man hitherto could be found out, who knew, or could shew, either the first Author of the Name, or the Patient to whom the appellation of the Dis∣ease was first accommodated, or the peculier place where it was don, or the maner how it cam to be di∣spersed among the common people: for the inha∣bitants having gotten a Name for the Disease, re∣ceave it with acquiescence as a thing done with di∣ligence and deliberation, and are not at all further solicitous either about the Name, or the Author of the Name.

But because they which are expert in the Greek & Latin tongues, may peradventure expect a Name from us, wherof some kind of Reason maybe given, we have made fit together divers Names to this Disease, yet we conceave it somewhat unnecessary to make a particular rehearsal of them in this place: Nevertheless it may perhaps be proper and profi∣table to commemorate the Rules which we pro∣pounded to our selves in the designation of the Name: The First therefore was, That the Name should comprehend some notable condition of the Disease. The Second was, That it should be suf∣ficiently distinct from the Names of other Diseases and Symptoms. The Third was, That it should be sufficiently familiar, easie of pronounciation, ac∣cōmodated to the Memory, of no undecent length, and not studiously, and laboriously compoun∣ded.

Whilest we bend our employments to the satis∣faction of these Rules, One of us by chance fell up∣on a Name which was complacenceous to himself, and afterwards pleasing to the rest; now this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. or indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (for that termi∣nation is not altogether abhorrent from the com∣mon Gender) the Spinal Disease, also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the disease of the Spine of the Back: For the Spine of the Back, is the first and principal a∣mong the parts affected in this evil. Then no other Malady or Symptom did by the prerogative of time vindicate this appellation from it; besides the Name is familiar and easie. And finally, The English Name Rickets, receaved with so great a consent of the people, doth by this Name seem to be excused, yea, justified from Barbarism. For without any

wracking or convulsion of the word, the name Ri∣ckets▪ may be readily deduced from the Greek word Rachitis, or Rachites; provided, That we will but al∣low that consideration of change, which in vulgar pronounciation usually happeneth to words tran∣splanted from one Language to another.

Object. You will say, That they which imposed first the English name Rickets, were peradventure altogether unskilful in, and ignorant of the Greek tongue, or that they never thought of the Greek word Rachites, at least under∣stood not that the Spine of the Back was the principal a∣mong those parts which were first affected in this Disease?

Answer. We Answer, It concerns not us whether they were ignorant of, or thought not upon the Greek word, or whether they did not understand the principal part that was first affected; yet are thes things freely asserted. For we knew many at that time when the Disease did first spring up, and the Name was imposed, indeed learned men and skil∣ful in the Greek tongue, to have their Residence in those places, to whom it was not perhaps any diffi∣culty to observe that conspicuous debility of the Spine in this affect, and thereupon they might assign this Name unto it; although tis very possible, yea probable, That the common people by the error of pronounciation might somewhat pervert the Name so given, and expresse it, as to this day they retain it by the word Rickets. But whether it were, or were not so, we are not at al solicitous. If the matter were so, the imposed Name will (as is manifest) be alto∣gether congruous, and perhaps also at the last will most fitly correspond with it. For suppose you

should fall upon some Name, received not so much by choice as chance, yet so fit, that a more comodi∣ous Name could scarce be devised by councel and deliberation, nor one more consonant to Reason; in such a Case, What would you do? Would you extirpate and banish the receaved word, to intro∣duce one that was new and nothing better? This practice would usurp upon the priviledge of Con∣versation, and be injurous to the custome of Speak∣ing: Words contract a value by their use, and ought not to be denizen'd with rashness, or innovated by timerity: Or would you not rather confirm the Name receaved, yet as a new one, and from that time to be deduced from a new Origine: for this would be at the least like a chosen Science in∣oculated upon a new stock, which by reason of the affinity with the Root, would without any difficulty receave strength and nourishment: Or if this please you not, suppose if you please, That we now newly devised the English name of this Disease, and de∣duce it from the Greek word Rachites: the English word resulting from hence would be the Rachites: and how little is the difference between that and the ordinary word Rickets? Certainly so little, That the vulgar pronounciation is not wont to be greatly so∣licitous about so smal a difference: But we trifle too much in staying so long upon these trifles. Let the Greek Name therfore of the Disease be nósos Rachi∣tis, or Rachites (if the word may be allowed to be of the common Gender) or tes Rácheos; in Latin Mor∣bus Spinali••, vel Spine Dorsi: and by coyning a Latin Substantive out of the greek Adjective Rachitis—idis let the ordinary English name Rickets be retained, or in stead of it, to gratifie more curious ears, you may

substitute the Rachites. And thus much, if not too much, of the Name.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A most loathsome and horrible Disease in the Hair, unbeard of in former times, bred by modern luxury and ex∣cess: It seizeth specially upon Women; and by reason of a viscous ve∣nimous humour, glues together (as it were) the hair of the head with a prodigious ugly folding & entanglement: som∣times taking the form of a great Snake, some∣times of many little ser∣pents: full of nastiness, vermine, and noysome smel: And that which is most to be admired, and never eye saw be∣fore, pricked with a needle, they yeeld bloody drops. And at the first spreading of this dread∣ful Disease in Poland, all that cut off this hor∣rible and snakie hair, lost their eyes, or the hu∣mor falling down upon other part of the body, tortured them extream∣ly It began first, not many years ago, in Po∣land: It is now entered into many parts of Ger∣many H Saxo▪ Profes∣sor of Physick in Padua.
• ‡ 1.2

  A Dis∣ease in the head, co∣ming frō Rhewm.