The method of chemical philosophie and physick. Being a brief introduction to the one, and a true discovery of the other. namely, of diseases, their qualities, causes, symptoms, and certain cures. The like never before extant in English.

CHAP. XXIV. Of the Essence of Seed.

WE insisting in the steps of Paracelsus hitherto have explained the three Beings of Diseases, the Being of Stars, the Being of Nature, and the Being of Poison; though Paracelsus makes five Beings of Di∣seases, yet seeing three only have natural causes, and admit explication, the other two, (namely, 1. the magi∣cal being which is opposed directly against a Christian man, 2. and the real being which is an unsearchable se∣cret) are left unexplained of us, seeing that these three being explained suffice any Physician.

Perchance some may wonder wherefore we have not made mention in the general explication of Diseases, of the three principles to the which Paracelsus ascribes all the causes of diseases. I answer, that Paracelsus in his book 1. and 2. Param. writes that all diseases consist in three beginnings, in Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury, but it is not simply to be understood; but in his 1. book de origine Morb. ex tribus substantiis in the end of the 2. Chap. he expresses his mind, saying, that every disease is to be conferred with man through all his parts, & he proceeds, that this is the ground of the knowledge of diseases, if a disease must be conferred with man according unto his accident or proper and essential adjuncts, for so the four Elements, the three Principles, or three Substances, the four Stars, four Earths, four Waters, four Airs, four Fires, and all the conditions and properties of man are comprehended, without which no disease can be. In the greater World we see the sublimation of Mercu∣ry, in which there are three beginnings essentially, for an individual by it self is absolute. In the less World such a digestion is wont to be made from too much Fire of

digestion. This sublimed Mercury is the greatest poison in the Microcosm, begets the Epilepsie or Falling sick∣ness. But none will perswade himself that this Mercu∣ry alone is a beginning, but an individual, in which not one but three beginnings concur. Paracelsus oftentimes calls it Mercurial Salt of Vitriol, in which he comprehends all those which we have brought; sometimes he calls it the Epilepsie which is from sublimed Mercury. He speaks truly & Philosophically, not as of a beginning, but as of an individual, in which Mercury notwithstanding predominates. So it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the disease of Mercury, the disease of Sulphur, and the disease of Salt.

But that we may proceed to the being of Seed, we must call in mind that there are impurities and tinctures ad∣joyned to every kind and worldly root which endeavour death and dissolution, and for this cause all things are obnoxious to death and corruption. Again, that there are impurities and tinctures superadded to the individu∣als and beginnings which are usual unto mankind for lust and intemperance, of which we set down the being of Seed, for in them oftentimes the roots of the principles are so polluted, that by propagation the impressions of impurities are conserved unto the third or fourth Gene∣ration, which impressions of impurities we call hereditary diseases in Generations; for diseases are brought unto man after a threefold manner, either 1. a by the hurt of the aliments, 2. by the hurt of external impressions, 3. b by the hereditary seed of the Parents; for the seeds of diseases which happen unto us by the hurt of the aliments, or noxious resolutions of the ele∣ments may turn into hereditary diseases, in as much as they yet exist in the First Matter. But when the seeds of diseases have happned unto us

either by the hurt of aliments or by the hurt of external impressions, and are come to their last matter, and have admitted a corporeal coagulation or transmutation there never chance hereditary, because only the First Matters concur in mans composition, and all the seeds of man are spiritual; from hence it comes to pass that those which have not the Gout are begot of those which have the Gout, and those which have the Falling-sick∣ness are begot of those which have it not, from those which have the Stone are begot those which have not the Stone. But when the seeds of the diseases do con∣cur with the seeds of the Parents in the First Matter whatsoever it be they cause hereditary diseases, and from hence it is that those which have the Gout are be∣got of those which have it not, so those which have the Epilepsie or the Stone are begot of those which have not the Epilepsie or Stone, unless the Mothers seed be altoge∣ther disagreeable and repugnant, for the seed of the Male and Female commix and become one seed, there∣fore when their seeds have conspired and conjoyned with the properties and seeds of the diseases, they gene∣rate one polluted with hereditary diseases, but if the seeds of the Male and Female be disagreeable in regard of the impurities and seeds of diseases, the strange and unnatural principles of diseases are separated in the womb by the power and vertue of natural Balm, for they do not agree with the First Matter, but with the indi∣viduals and principles of mans nature and anatomy, which is made manifest from hence, because they come unto divers differences of ages, as sometime the heredi∣tary diseases happen to end at the fourth Off-spring, sometime at the sixth, sometime at the tenth. The Roots therefore being spent and consumed, those which have not the Gout are begot of those which have the Gout, and those which have not the Epilepsie are

begot of those which have it, of Mad-men and Melan∣cholick are begot those which are not Mad and Melan∣cholick.

Concerning that we said that the diseases from the being of seed of the Parents contain in them the four courses of the Elements, Planets, Humours and Quali∣ties, these four courses are but one course, for in every disease these four concur. First, all diseases are ele∣mentated and have their beginnings. Secondly, all di∣seases are from the Planets by reason of their places, for all diseases whether they rise by the hurt of the aliments or hurt of the external impressions, or being of the seed of the Parents, either are Solar, Lunar, Saturnine, Mar∣tial, Venerial, Mercurial or Jovial. Three Salts con∣cur in every disease, for from three principles all di∣seases are generated and not from one; four qualities are found to be in all diseases, for the diseases are either hot or cold, moist or dry.

Notes

• a

  And these Diseases are called accidentary and acquisitiv•• Diseases, v••z. by Ttansplantation from outward things.
• b

  These are called proper Diseases because we have them from the first ori∣ginal, being got of the vi∣clous seed of the Parents.
• Sev. p. 221.
• From Le∣pers Lepers are still be∣got. The cause of it in Sev. p. 222.