A most certaine and true relation of a strange monster or serpent found in the left ventricle of the heart of Iohn Pennant, Gentleman, of the age of 21. yeares. By Edward May Doctor of Philosophy and Physick, and professor elect of them, in the colledge of the academy of noble-men, called the Musæum Minervæ: physitian also extraordinary unto her most Sacred Majesty, Queene of great Brittany, &c.

§. 10.

Yet for conclusion I have onely this one thing to note unto the world: how that these which seeme so rare, strange, and incu∣rable mischiefes, might be more familiarly knowne, and easily cured, if it were not for a babish, or a kinde of cockney disposi∣tion in our common people, who think their children or friendes murdered after they are dead, if a Surgion should but pierce any part of their skinnes with a knife: by which it commeth to passe, that few of those innu∣merable and marvellous conceptions, which kill the parents in which they are bred, (as your selfe with admiration have knowingly spoken to me of their infinite number which are generated in mans body) can ever be found out, or cured: so great a monster is begotten in the blood of fooles, and feare∣full people, which destroyeth the common good of man-kinde in a very great propor∣tion: whereas that knowledge of their generations, which Physitions have, is

commonly from the dissections of the bodies of Noble Personages, and of the Gentry, who with their friendes about them have beene bred to more fortitude, and are more wise and communicative, as most of our me∣dicinall histories, you know confirme, and your selfe likewise hath told me of some. All vertuous and heroick soules know that when their particle of divine perfection is returned to him that gave it, that then their bodies are to serve the universe (as that pious Bishop knew) who when he had gi∣ven away all besides his body, at last gave that also for the good of the living, when it should be found dead, and therefore bequea∣thed it to the Physitians to dissect it: but doubtlesse our Tradesmen, their wives and children, and our sugar-sop citizens are com∣pounded of a rarer, noli me tangere, when they are dead then when they were alive; And though Nobles and Princes may be cut in peeces, yet is it piacular, and the losse of grace for ever with them, if a Phisitian should but intimate such a matter as decently but to open any part of their most intemerate Impes.

But what good more frequent dissections might doe, what portentuous matters they might discover, and how facile they might finde the causes, and their cure, you suffi∣ciently know, and in part others may by this history understand: And although the

learning and knowledge of some Phisitions of our age be singular, and growne to such an happy degree of perfection, yet there are by dissections every day something to be learned: and how much the internall do sim∣bolize with externall, as in part I have dis∣covered, and J will yet give out one il∣lustration more: let but Phisitions well note their patients complections, and colours (for this time I will onely speake of the face) and let them take afterward if they come to dissect them notice of their livers, and if they be diligent, in few dissections they shall be able, looking into any mans face what∣soever, to know the affections very manifest∣ly of his liver. Sir, under favour, and with you J have thus much freedome as to tell some of my brother Phisitions and Sur∣gions, that the inspections and dissecti∣ons which they celebrate over the world, are not to inable men to talke of names, parts and places, but to doe, and to be able to judge of thinges hidden and secret, that they may not be deceived tou∣ching the causes of mens diseases: this is the chiefest end, and yet how few study out of entrailes this learning, I neede not intimate unto you.

The wayes of nature, by which opera∣tions are effected, as also the continuation of parts and vessels, their communication, and to finde the causes of sicknesses, their epi∣geneses,

their metastases, their apostases, their palyndromyes.

The wayes of Simptomes, reasons of re∣vulsions and the like, are the next: and so much subordinate to the other, and of lesse necessity, as obuious inspections shewe this to be more facile, and with lesse labour to be attained then that; the other therefore not being so well perfected to our dayes, I have by this extraordinary occasion, and out of my good wishes, ventured to speake a word by you, unto such as are wise in our owne profession, since Phisitians should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as our dictators word is, like Gods, what is in us in good skill, and good will, for the safety of man-kinde: that as it was said of his dayes, so it may of ours, in corum diebu; raro animae descendebant ad infernum: in their dayes, soules seldome descended into hell, if any at last forsaking divine grace shall des∣cend; yet that hell may gape a long time ere it receive them, and that others may have time to shake handes with Heaven, that our profession, the noblest and wisest of all others, (I speake of professions which con∣cerne this life onely, not of professions super∣naturall) may still be esteemed divinest (as the old Phisitians were crowned deservedly, and related among the Gods, above all others) while by our meanes, miserable men are restored to the onely blessing of this life, health; and (as I said) be preserved

from that great and eternall gulph of infelici∣ty, Hell (many of them not being in state of grace, because sicke upon their sinnes) and lastly, made live till they be friends and sonnes of God, and so rich as to come to Heaven: our Saviour Christ crowning us with such happy mindes, as to be made instru∣ments and meanes of many mens eternall salvation, by occasion of their temporall restitution.

FINIS.