CHAP. XVII. Of Repletion, and Inanition or Emptiness.
THere are, to be short, two sorts of Repletion, or of all excess; one is of a simple quality, without any defluxion, or society of any humor, as appears in distempers without matter: the other is of quantity and mass, the body being distended with too much meat, or too great quantity of humors; from whence proceed an infinite number of diseases. They call the Repletion of meats, satiety or fulness; and it is of two kinds; The one which is called Repletion or Fulness to the vessels; the other Repletion to the strength.
We judg of satiety to the vessels, by the distention and swelling of the veins, and entrails, as the stomach. We call satiety to the strength, when the body is loaded with more meats than it can well bear. But also there is a double Repletion of humors. For either it is of some one humor, or of all the humors; they call this by a peculiar name, Plethora. For Galen defines Plethora an e∣qual excess of all the humors. For if at any time he define a Plethora to be an excess of blood only; then verily by the name of blood, he understands an equal comprehension of the four humors as it is taught in Physick Schools.
The Repletion which is caused by some one humor, is termed by Galen in the place before mentioned, Cacochymia, (that is, An evil juice) whether the Repletion proceed of a Cholerick, Melancholick, Phlegmatick, or serous Humor.
Now Inanition, or evacuation is no other thing than the expulsion or effusion of humors which are troublesome, either in quantity or quality. Of Evacuations, some are universal, which expel superfluous humors from the whole body; such are purging, vomiting, transpiration, sweats, Phle∣botomy. Some particular, which are performed only to evacuate some part, as the brain by the nose, palat, eys, ears; the lungs by the weazon; the stomach by vomit and stool; the guts by stool; the liver and the spleen by urine and ordure. These evacuations are sometimes performed by nature, freeing it self of that which is troublesome to it; otherwhiles by the Art of the Physi∣tian in imitation of nature.
And again, One of these is good and requisite, when only the humor which is hurtful either in quantity or quality, is evacuated; The other not requisite, or immoderate, when the profitable Humors, together with the unprofitable, are expelled.
But what evacuations soever these be, they are performed and done, either by the scratching and rubbing of the skin, as when a Cholerick, Salt, or Serous Humor, or some windiness lying be∣tween the skin and the flesh, cause itching. For by scratching the skin, it gets passage out; which is manifest by the efflux of a serous matter burning, or causing scabs and ulcers, if the humor be somewhat gross; but insensible and not so manifest, if it be windiness, the skin by that rubbing being rarified, and the gross flatulency attenuated. Wherefore they do ill who hinder their Patients from scratching, unless they scratch so cruelly and hard, that there may be danger (by reason of the great heat and pain thereby caused) of some defluxion or falling down of humors into the part.
Or these evacuations are performed by much matter evacuated from an opened Bile, or run∣ning Ulcer, a Fistula, or such like sores. Or by sweats which are very good and healthful, especially in sharp diseases, if they proceed from the whole body, and happen on the critical days. By vomit, wch often violently draws these humors from the whole body, even from the utmost joynts, which purging medicines could not evacuate, as we may see in the Palsie, and Sciatica, or Hip-gout. By spitting, as in all who are suppurated either in the sides or lungs. By Salivation, or a Phlegmatick flux by the mouth, as in those who are troubled with the French-pox. By sneezing and blowing the nose; for by these, the brain opprest with moisture, disburdeneth its self, whether it be done without, or with the help of sternutatories and errhines; wherefore children, and such as have somewhat moist brains, purge themselves often this way. By hicket and belching; for by these the windiness contained in the stomach, is often expelled. By urine, for by this not only Feavers, but which is more to be admired, the French-pox hath often been terminated and cured.
For there have been some troubled with the Pox, in whom a flux of the vicious and venenate humor could not by Unctions of quicksilver be procured, either from the mouth or belly; yet have been wounderfully freed bv abundance of Urine, both from danger of death and their