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* 1.1BEfore I descend to shew that the notion of Specifick Medicines is agreeable to spe∣cifick Medicines, I shall first represent, that I am induced to believe that there are such, by
the common Observations of a great many learned Men and able Physicians; and to favour this common Observation, viz. That there are such Substances which have peculiar effects, which can be ascribed to no manifest Qualities, I shall urge the effects of Poysons taken in a very inconsiderable quantity. And I am told, that something that fell from a Spider into a Man's Eye caused him to lose his sight, to which I shall add, that Spiders are observed to kill flies, much sooner than cutting off their Heads, or running them through with Pins will do it. To which instances we may add, that most Poysons are cured by appropriated Antidotes; and as perfumes cause ill symtoms in many Histerick Women, so the fumes of Feathers burnt relieve them. And I have found that the smell of Spirit of Harts-horn or Sal-Armoniack, hath recovered People made sick by fragrant Odours. But beyond all o∣ther Arguments is experience; for Galen tells us, That the ashes of a burnt Craw-Fish will cure the biting of a mad Dog, and that their effects are much more considerable, if to ten Parts of burnt Craw-Fish we add five of Gen∣tian and one of Frankincense. And Diascorides commends them against the same Disease that the Pergamenian does. And tho' the stings of Scorpions usually produce very acute Pains and formidable Symtoms, yet the mischief is easily remedied, either by crushing the Body of the Scorpion upon the Hurt, or by anointing the Part with Oyl of Scorpions, tho' the Liquor appears not to have any sensible Qualities, to which their Efficacy may be ascribed.
And to these Instances I might add, that Verginian Snake-weed cures the sting of a rat∣tle Snake, and the Jesuit's Powder is a speci∣fick in Agues. And tho' it be argued against the Virtues of specifick Medicines, that they are altered by the ferment of the Stomach, and other strainers of different Textures, and that a great deal is carried off by Excrements, or is assimilated and converted into the Substance of our Bodies; yet to these things it may be answered, that not only Oyntments, Plaisters, Periapta, &c. work upon the mass of Humours; but even those Medicines which are allowed to work by manifest Qualities, perform what they do upon the account of their Particles al∣terering, and differently disposing the Hu∣mours of our Bodies, and in doing of that they are liable to the same objections offer∣ed against specifick Medicines. Besides, it is observable that Rhubarb, will tinge the Urine of those that take a considerable Dose. And there is a Fruit called prickled Pears in the English American Colonies, which passes by Urine, so much unaltered, that the People think, when strangers to it, that they piss Blood. And Elaterium so much impregnates the Milk of a Nurse, that it will Purge the Child that takes it. And I remember that in the confines of Savoy and Swizerland, when the Cattle fed on a Herb called wild Garlick, the butter would sensibly taste of it. And in Ireland they have a kind of Sea-Fowl which feed upon Fishes, which is so little altered, as to make some question whether it be Flesh or Fish.
And tho' it be further urged against Speci∣fick Medicines, that so little is dispersed through the habit of the Body, that it can have no considerable effects; yet their Efficacy may answer for their smallness in quantity. For I am told that the Negroes have a Poyson, which tho' it work slow, is nevertheless Mortal, and this they conceal under the Nails of their Fin∣gers, and drop into the Aliment of those they have spite to. And I know a Vegetable Sub∣stance, half a Grain of which will be too vio∣lent a Purgative; and sometimes Mortal: And tho' English Vipers are looked upon as no Poyson, yet by the Wound of a single Tooth I knew one who was taken with violent Vomitings. To which may be added the ter∣rible effects of Scorpions in the Island of Java. And we see that several Women, otherwise strong and lusty, will fall into Swoons upon the smell of Musk or Civet, tho' all the Effluvia that affect them, would not amount to the hundredth part of a Grain; and by Effluvia, perhaps not more plentiful these Symptoms may be again removed. And the Portions of Crocus Metallorum in Wine, or of Quick-Silver in Water, tho' small have very considerable effects, so that when a Child who obstinately refused all Medicines, drank small Beer im∣pregnated with Mercury, he was much reliev∣ed in a violent worm Fever.
* 1.2Having said thus much of specifick Medi∣cines, I shall now proceed to lay down some things in the following Propositions, to shew that they be mechanically explicated: But first I shall premise, that I would not have the
Body to be considered as a dull lump of matter, but as an admirably contrived Mechanical En∣gin, consisting of Parts exquisitely contri∣ved and adapted to their particular Uses; and that the effects of Bodies upon it may be considered in reference to that Disposition of their Parts.
This being premised there is no need to think, that all specificks act after the same manner, or the same way, and sometimes the specifick may operate by a joynt and in a compound way. But to proceed to the fol∣lowing Propositions.
Thus the Blood impregnated with Medici∣nal Particles, may act upon gross Humours which obstruct the Parts, and are not to be resolved without specifick Solvents, which by their figure and agitation may get in betwixt and separate those Viscous Parts; so Blood impregnated with Sal-Armoniack dissolves Copper, not by manifest Qualities; but by Virtue of the Shape, Bulk, Solidity, and other Mechanical affections of its Parts, which con∣cur to enable it to disjoyn the Parts of a Body, of such a determinate Texture. And indeed there are not only a great number of
Menstruums very different from one another, but their effects evidently appear not to depend upon manifest Qualities, since it several times happens that a Menstruum less Acid, may dissolve this or that Body, which a much stronger Menstruum will not work upon; so Wa∣ter will dissolve the white of an Egg, which Spirit of Wine will coagulate, and so will Spirit of Salt and Oyl of Tartar it self; and thus dephlegmed Spirit of Urine will more readily dissolve filings of Copper than Spirit of Vitriol, and yet the latter will speedily dissolve Crabs Eyes, tho' the other leaves them untouched; so Quick-Silver will dissolve Gold in the cold, tho' Aqua Fortis assisted by Heat leaves it untouched; yet Aqua Fortis will dissolve Iron, and Quick-silver will not. And Brimstone will be dissolved by com∣mon Oyl, tho' not by Aqua Fortis. And I know a Liquor of which one may safely drink a Wine Glass full, tho' it will have such an effect upon Stones and Metals as can scarce be matched.
And if specifick Medicines may act upon Humours in the Body, after the manner of Menstruums, we may easily guess why they have peculiar Virtues, viz. By reason of their aptness to work upon peculiarly disposed Bo∣dies, so, as I have elsewhere noted, Aqua Fortis will not work upon Silver if too strong, till diluted with Water.
And as the dissolution of a Body may part∣ly depend in its disposition, to be acted on by such a Menstruum, from thence may be
deduced a reason, why a Medicine which hath good effects in one Disease may have but in∣different ones in others; for tho pure Spirit of Wine will easily dissolve Gumm, Guajacum, and that Rosinous matter lodged in the Pores of the Wood, yet the same Menstruum will not work upon the Wood it self. And if so, no wonder that those Medicines which cure one Distemper in one Person, will not cure it in another, since a Variation in the Texture of the Morbifick matter, is enough to vary the effects of the Medicines. And that a slight alteration of Texture varies the effects of a Menstruum appears, since, tho' Spirit of Nitre or Salt separate will each dissolve Copper; and tho' the Spirit of Nitre will dissolve Silver, yet if Spirit of Salt be added to it, it soon loses that Quality.
And here, tho' some object against speci∣fick Medicines, that since they rove up and down in the Blood, they cannot act well on particular Humours, yet if we suppose the Medicines act by impregnating the Blood, and that they turn it into a kind of Menstru∣um, it is possible that both the Menstruums may be appropriated to the peccant Humour, so as to resolve it more easily than any other Humour of the Body. As if you take some Bone ashes, Crocus Martis, Saw-dust, Pow∣dered Sea-Salt, and filings of Gold, and mix them together, common Water will dissolve the Salt and leave the others untouched, and Quick-Silver will alone dissolve the Gold: And those that work in Spanish Gold Mines
tell us, that Quick-Silver poured upon pow∣dered Ore of Gold and Copper mixed, it will scarce meddle with the latter, till the former is licked up.
And from what hath been said, we may be furnished with a reason of the effects of Periapta Amulets and Appensa, especially if we consider what hath already been delivered of the Effluviums of Bodies, and the Porosity of Animal Bodies; and tho' these Effluvia be very small in quantity, yet their effects may be more considerable, in as much as they are neither altered nor consumed, by previ∣ous digestions, and circulating through Parts, in which they might be in a great measure dispersed, and carried off a-long with the Ex∣crements.
Tho' I believe not that all Distempers are, yet I question not but that a great ma∣ny are caused either by Acids, or their ill effects or Productions; and which may be cured by specifick Medicines two ways, viz. either by mortifying them by a positive Hostility, such as Alkalizate Salts, whether fixt as the lixiviate Salts of Plants, or Volatile, as those of Urine, &c. Or, by taking off or blunt∣ing
their edges; as a Knife may lose its power of cutting, by putting it in a sheath, or sticking something upon the edge; for the edges of an Acid may be taken off, as well by being lodged in a Porous Alkaly, as by having their edges broken off; and thus it is that Minium takes off the Acidity of Vinegar; Chalk takes off the edge of Aqua Fortis, and Lapis Calaminaris lessens the Aci∣dity of Spirit of Salt and Spirit of Nitre; and that Acids are rather sheathed than alte∣red by these Bodies, I am apt to believe, be∣cause as Glauber tells us, they may by a strong fire be drawn out of Lapis Calaminaris much stronger and more dephlegmed than be∣fore.
And tho' it may be urged by those that plead against specifick Medicines, that they act by a manifest Quality, viz. their Alka∣lious Nature, or their Acid; yet there is so great a variety betwixt Acid and Alkalious Medicines themselves, that I am perswaded they perform a great deal upon the account of something else, besides their Acid or Al∣kalious Nature, since Aqua Fortis will not dissolve God tho' it will Silver, but if it be altered by an addition of Spirit of Salt, it will dissolve Gold and not Silver. And a different Modification may not only make a difference betwixt Acids, but a contrariety; since Spirit of Salt will precipitate Silver, which Aqua Fortis hath dissolved: And Spirit of Nitre will precipitate out of Butter of An∣timony, an Antimonial powder with a consi∣derable
Conflict and Effervescence; yet this Butter of Antimony is so highly Acid, that a little quantity of it put into a little Water makes it so sower, that many Chymists call it Acetum Philosophorum. And as there are seve∣ral kinds of Acids and of Alkalies too, so every Alkaly will not mortifie the same Acid; for tho' Chalk will precipitate a Solution of Cop∣per in Aqua Fortis, yet a Volatile Alkaly will not. And indeed when I consider what diffe∣rence there naturally is betwixt Acids, it is not unreasonable to expect, that there may be Acid Humours produced in the Body utterly un∣known to us, and which may require a speci∣fick Alkaly to correct them, as it is observed, that tho' neither Spirit of Vinegar, nor Spirit of Salt, nor Oyl of Vitriol, will dissolve a Calculus Humanus, yet Spirit of Nitre will, and by that means loses its Corrosive∣ness.
And to what hath been said, I shall add, that I am of opinion that particular Acids may be the occasion of Distempers, which they are by some rather taken to be Remedies; for tho' Acids are looked upon to be of an incisive Na∣ture, and tho' in some cases I am willing to allow them those Virtues; yet I believe that Ob∣structions and the Diseases depending therein, are caused by Acids coagulating, some fluids disposed to be thickned by them; which might be exemplified by the Coagulation I have made of some Acid Salts, as Spirit of Salt, of the white of an Egg, which by be∣ing beaten is reduced to an Aqueous consi∣stence:
And Milk will be coagulated not only by Spirit of Salt, but Rennet and Juice of Li∣mons, and it hath been found by experience, that some Acids transmitted into the mass of Blood, have coagulated it in living Ani∣mals.
But tho' I believe a great many Distempers are occasioned by Acids, yet I conceive some are occasioned by Acid Salts uniting with o∣ther Saline Bodies; as Spirit of Salt, and Spirit of Urine produce a Sal-Armoniack. And Spirit of Nitre with Salt of Tartar dissol∣ved in common Water will coagulate with it into Salt-Petre; and the same Spirit of Nitre with Spirit of Urine will produce a very fusi∣ble Salt, different from either of the Ingre∣dients; and Oyl of Vitriol or Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium will produce Tartarum Vitri∣olatum; in which both the Acidity and Al∣kaliousness of the Ingredients are much in∣fringed, the Body resulting from the compo∣sition being different from both the Ingredi∣dients: And if besides these instances we con∣sider how many different Substances may be produced by Nature, I am apt to believe, that specifick Qualities are requisite to alter or destroy them, in the Medicines made use of for that purpose.
And to what hath been said, I shall further add, that I have mixed two Liquors together neither of which were Acid or Alkalious, and yet the resulting Body was a consistent Coa∣gulum. And I have prepared a certain Li∣quor, which upon the affusion of Spirit of U∣rine
will be turned into a Gelly. And the like I have produced without the help of either an Acid or an Alkaly. And I have had a Substance prepared without the help of a Vo∣latile Alkaly, which would in a trice coagu∣late highly rectified Spirit of Wine; and as Spirit of Salt will coagulate the white of an Egg, so will dephlegmed Spirit of Wine; so that an Animal Substance may be coagulated without an Acid.
Tho' Precipitation be generally a Consequent of the Mortification of Acids or Alkalies, by Corpuscles of a contrary Quality, yet some A∣cids and Alkalies may be mixed without a pre∣cipitation of any thing; and several Precipita∣tions may be caused without any such manifest Hostility. As in certain mixtures of Spirit of Sal-Armoniac made with Salt of Tartar or Pot∣ashes, and Spirit of Nitre, or Aqua Fortis; and also when Spirit of Urine and Salt, are mixed in a certain proportion, make Sal Armoniac, which the Phlegm of those Liquors will keep swimming; and that there may be Precipitati∣ons without any appearance of contrariety, is evident, when Silver being dissolved in Aqua-Fortis, the Menstruum is diluted with Thirty
or Forty Parts of Distill'd Water; for if clean Plates of Copper be immersed in the Solution, the Metal will be slowly precipitated out of it, in the form, not of a Calx, but pure shining Scales of Silver; and if you rub Dantzick Vitriol upon the Blade of a Knife well wetted with Water, the Steel in a trice will be overlaid with a reddish substance, which by its Colour and Signs appears manifestly cupreous. And here I shall add, that there are in Nature, Pre∣cipitants which silently precipitate some Bodies dissolved in Urinous Menstruums.
And tho' against the Use of Precipitating Medicines, it may be urged, that the Hetero∣genous Particles precipitated, may be of dan∣gerous consequence, yet they may be less per∣nicious than those hostile Particles that pro∣duce the Disease. And further, they may not be so big, but that it is possible for them to be carried out of the mass of Blood, since those Mineral Substances dissolved in Tunbridge Waters, and the Sulphureous ones in the Bath, chiefly perform their effects by being disper∣sed through, and acting on the several Parts of the Body.
But moreover it is possible Precipitations may be made in the mass of Blood, without the Medicine getting into it, which is obser∣ved in the use of Chalybeat Medicines; where were it urged, that they pass through the Pores of the Guts, then there is no reason why there are not Pores in the Body large enough to carry off the Precipitated Parts of the mass of Blood.
And not only Sennertus makes use of Medi∣cines in Fevers, to Precipitate the febrile matter, but Kergerus very solemnly declares that he cured thousands only by a Precipita∣ting Medicine.
And that Precipitating may be of use in Physick, I am the more inclined to believe, if a Putrefaction of Humours be rightly assign∣ed as the cause of some Distempers; because I know a Liquor which being dropped into stinking Water, Precipitated a light Feculen∣cy out of it, upon which the Liquor was wholly freed from its stink, nor could I per∣ceive that the Feculency it self had any; and what was more remarkable was, that the taste of this Precipitant was neither Bitter, Acid, Urinous or Lixiviate.
That a Medicine may have peculiar effects on this or that Part, I am inclined to believe for the following reasons. First, because the se∣veral Parts of the Body are of different∣ly framed, and have different Humours lodged in them; and consequently the Parts of a Medicine dispersed through the Body, may be more aptly appropriated to be receiv∣ed or detained in those Parts; and the Parts being thus strengthened may be more able
to resist the influence of Morbifick Humours, by which means they are thrown upon more ignoble Parts, for which reason, some Per∣sons are seised with the Gout; and I know a Gentleman, who tho' he could drink Wine without much hurt, yet Brandy would cause him to have a severe Tooth-ach.
But to illustrate what I was saying, of the disposition of some Parts of Medicines to associate themselves with those Parts they seem friendly to; I shall add, that in nou∣rishing Children, Milk does not only afford grosser Faeces, and various other Excrements as Urine, Mucous, and a Humour by insensi∣ble Transpiration, but Particles which upon their being assimilated increase the bulk of the Body; and whereas it is observed, that some Cartilages in Children acquire a Bony hard∣ness in older Persons, this change cannot be supposed to be the bare effect of Exsicca∣tion.
And as Specifick Medicines may confirm the strength of a Part, so they may conduce to the restoreing of strength to the weak Part, by removing Distempered Humours; and this they may do, not only by altering the whole mass of Blood, but their peculiar dispo∣sition to act on the Distempered Humour And as the Morbifick matter is diversify'd, ac∣cording the disposition of the part it is lodged in, so must the Medicine be Speci∣fically appropriated. And as they contribute to the removal of a Distempered Humour, so consequently they will to the strengthening
of the fibres of those Parts; either by giving them a firmness; or by correcting their im∣moderate Heat or Cold; or correcting the Humours lodged in the Pores of the Part, or by takeing away the Convulsive or inordinate motions of the Parts; or by relaxing, or o∣therwise altering their Pores, or causing the matter lodged there to be expelled by a gentle or violent agitation; as when Cantharides cause an Excretion of Urine, or Gravel, by irri∣tating the fibres of the Bladder: And the effects of this Medicine alone are sufficient to prove, that there may be Specifick Medicines which chiefly respect particular Parts; since Cantharides pass through the Body, without affecting any other part but the Bladder.
And tho' at the first a Medicine may chiefly respect a particuler part, without altering the Blood, yet when once it hath caused a change in it, the Blood it self, as it successively circu∣lates through that Part, may in some measure act Specifically upon it. And tho' a Medicine may communicate to the Blood Particles of matter so modified, that they may not imme∣diately relieve the Part, by either strengthen∣ing it, or causing the Distempered matter to be carried off by a gentle irritation, yet it may do it by both these ways, as when Rhubarb is taken, it not only purges the Liver of Choler, but strengthens the Tone of the Parts by its astringency. And Osteocalla is observed to be a Specifick, by promoteing the Generation of a Callus, to cement broken Bones.
And this is agreeable enough with what most Moderns hold, viz. That Distempers chiefly depend upon the Temper and ill Con∣stitution of the Humours. And a change in the Humours may be effected.
By furnishing the Blood with some sort of active Corpuscles, which may agitate and fer∣ment it, and to quicken the Circulation of the Blood. Upon which occasion it may be ne∣cessary to advertise, That the Medicines usu∣ally made use of for that purpose being very hot; there are several Constitutions of Patients, and several other Circucumstances, upon which account they do more harm by their Heat, than good by their Spirituousness; besides the sluggishness and want of fermentation in the Blood, may proceed from causes which this sort of Medicine will not correct; for I have tryed, that a Vinous Spirit would not dissolve Blood which was a little dryed, nor draw a Tincture from it, tho' an Urinous Spi∣rit presently did; so that a Specifick Medi∣cine in such a case may perform what is in∣tended, without the inconveniences which other
Medicines are liable to: For we know that experienced Physicians, call some Medicines cold Cordials, as Sorrel, which hath an Acid taste; and it is possible sometimes those Hu∣mours whch make the Blood sluggish may not be of a cold, but a hot Nature, in which cases hot Remedies may rather increase than diminish their ill effects; as if the white of an Egg be reduced to Water by beating, Spi∣rit of Wine will instead of diminishing in∣crease its Viscidity. And I once prepared a Vegetable Substance, which upon an additi∣on of Wine became much more Viscous than before.
But to proceed, a Specifick Medicine may alter the mass of Blood, by contributing to its Tenacity, without respect to its Fermen∣tation; for if the Blood be too thick, it can∣not readily pass through the small Capillary Vessels, by which Circulation is in a great means retarded; as on the other Hand, if it be too thin, it gets out of the Capillary Vessels, and first Stagnates, and then Putrifies; but these ill consequences may be prevented, by such Medicines as either on the one Hand divide the Parts of the Blood, and make them more minute, or on the other such as associate them, and stick them together.
Another way by which a Specifick Medi∣cine may rectifie the state of the Blood, is, by working so upon the Heart, as to make it transmit Blood more advantageously; and that either by corroborating its fibres, or dissolving some ill distempered matter, that
obstructs the Contraction of it; and that a small alteration in the Constitution of the Heart, may do much in respect of the Cir∣culation of the Blood, will be easily granted by any one, that does but consider what in∣sensible Agents actuate it. And that the al∣most insensible Obstruction of Circulation pro∣duces considerable effects in the Body is evi∣dent, from the effects of Sorrow, which presently puts the whole Body out of order; and also from the effects of Joy or shame, both of which promote the Circulation of the Blood; and it hath been observed, that Joy hath had so sudden and considerable an effect, as to take off the sharpness of Hunger; and that Medicines may affect the Heart after the same manner, I am inclined to believe; especially since I knew a Lady, who was so affected upon the smell of perfumed Gloves, that the Blood flew into her Face, and put such a colour into it as if she had blushed. And if the state of the Blood may be thus altered, it may much contribute to the removal of some very troublesome Distemper, induced for want of a due Circulation of the Blood.
And this seems to me to be the most genuine effects of a Specifick Medicine; and when peccant Acids are lodged in the Spleen, or any other part less sapid, Alka∣lies may unite with them, without creating any manifest disturbance; and form a harm∣less Liquor; as Aqua Fortis, by being digest∣ed and distilled with a very ardent Spirit, loses its corrosive Acidity and ill scent, and becomes a harmless, sweet, and fragrant Li∣quor; and I knew one who relieved a Ne∣phritick Patient, with the use of inflamable Spirits. And I have elsewhere shewn, that Spirit of Wine acts not upon all Acids uni∣formly, but variously, according to the Na∣ture and proportion of the Acid. And Spi∣rit of Wine mixed with rectified Spirit of Urine, will in a great measure take off the corroding Qualities of it, and composes a Salt which is weaker than the Spirit, and be∣ing sublimed or reduced to a Liquor, becomes a good Medicine; and with a little skill will make a very good Menstruum in several Chy∣mical Experiments.
A few Grains of Glass of Antimony taken inwardly, will both Vomit and Purge, but if instead of Spirit of Wine we make use of that of Vinegar, and when by digestion the Liquor is sufficiently impregnated, it be ab∣stracted, Antimonial and Acetous Corpuscles will emerge, several Grains of which may be taken without either Vomiting or Purging; from whence it appears, that all Correctors are not to be esteemed Alkalies, since Acids themselves prove to be Correctors too. And after a like manner not improbably, the Poysons of Animals and others may be sub∣dued.
And it is not improbable, that by a Com∣bination of a Distempered Humour with a Medicine a Salutiferous Liquor may be formed, and tho' sometimes a Medicine is altered before it comes to the part affected, yet that alteration may render it Medicinal: An in∣stance of the former we have in the Preparati∣on of Mercurius Dulcis, where by uniting Poy∣son with Quick-Silver, an Efficacious Medi∣cines is made; and an Illustration of the lat∣ter may be brought from that Odour which it gives to the Urine of the Person who takes it, different from any smell it had of it self be∣fore.
And tho' against what hath been been said, for Specifick Medicines some may offer that there are some which are only externally ap∣plyed; yet from what hath been said, of the Porosity of Bodies and the effects of Effluvia, it will easily appear how they may influence
the Body, and alter the Humours which cir∣culate in it; and to what is there offered we may reasonably add, the ill effects of Amu∣lets of Arsenick mentioned by Diemerbreck, and the effects of Cantharides upon some Per∣sons who only wore them in their Pock∣ets.
And indeed there are a great many Medi∣cines externally Specificks, which one would not take to be so, as Camphire, which inter∣nally is very hot and good in some Malig∣nant Fevers, yet outwardly it is used to take off Heat Pimples in the Face, and in cooling Oyntments, and against Burns; and Spirit of Wine, tho very hot when internally used, yet it, if presently applyed, takes out the fire of Burns. And so mild a Body as Bread, if chewed and outwardly applyed, hath conside∣rable Virtues in external affections. And I have several times eaten a thing without any such effect, which a Physician told me exter∣nally applyed would Purge Children, being neither offensive in colour, smell or Gripe∣ing.
And to these instances I shall add, That Ga∣len tells us, that an Epileptick Boy was free from such Fits, as long as he wore only Piony Root as an Appensum. And I knew one who was Paralitick, that was suddenly relieved in violent Cramps, only by handling the Tooth of a River-Horse; and I as well as others have been relieved in the Cramp, by putting a Ring made of an Elks Hoof upon my fin∣ger. And I knew another cured of an In∣continentia
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Ʋrinae, by the sole use of an Appensum. And a Lady had a Scrophulous Tumor di∣spelled, only by successively applying the Body of a dead Man to the part affected, till the cold sensibly penetrated into it. And I my self had not only a violent Haemorrhage speedily stopped, by holding moss of a dead Man's Skull in my hand; but a Gentleman told me, that if when he was let Blood he held it in his hand, no Blood would flow out till he laid it aside. And another told me, that he had been freed from a Palpitation of his Heart, which usually fell upon him after a few hours sleep with great terror, only by wearing smooth and flat Cornelians in a bag over the pit of his Stomach.
Galen tells us, That Jaspers worn after the same manner are good for the Stomach; and Monardes tells us, that the Bleeding of the Hemorrhoids have been stopped, by wearing a Ring made of a Blood-Stone upon the fin∣gers. And not only Boetius and Johannes de Laet commends Lapis Nephriticus, but the ex∣perienced Monardes and others. And Untzerus tells us, that by wearing this Stone some Parts of the Stone were made so minute as to be expelled out at the Eyes: And that one that had a Catarrh was Purged fourteen times in one day by wearing of it; and it had the like effect, tho' not so strongly upon another. But,
To conclude this Discourse, I shall here ad∣vertise the Reader, that tho' I have laid down
several ways by which Specifick Medicines might operate, yet I think not those always singly effectual, but that sometimes they joyntly contribute to the producing of the effect; without enlarging upon this account I shall only subjoyn, that I hope from what hath been already delivered it may appear, that the Doctrine of Specifick Medicines is not irreconcileable to the Principles of the Corpuscular Philosophy.
Of specifick Medicines.
That their Operations may be Me∣chanically solved, is proved in the follow∣ing Proposi∣tions.
Prop. I.
Prop. III.
Prop. V.