Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. I. Of the Nature of the Pestilence.

HItherto we have finished the essential differences of Fevers; it remains that we now should speak of the accidental. Amongst which, the principal and most necessary to be known, are those that enfold the Pestilence, pestilential Fevers and ma∣lignant.

And indeed concerning the Plague, with which, * 1.1 although not alwaies, yet most commonly a Fever is joyned; That name is most noted to be attributed to the most pernitious and destru∣ctive of all others: But what the nature of that disease is, amongst Authors is much controverted. For first of all, sithence various and several kinds of diseases and symptomes may appear in the Plague: Yet because they are also often perceived without the plague, the nature of the plague is not to be placed in so ma∣ny diseases and symptomes differing in specie, but in some pecu∣liar sort: Nor doth the being epidemical or contagious, con∣stitute the nature of the pestilence, since other diseases also may be universal and contagious.

But since that this is granted by all, * 1.2 that the Plague spreads most, when many are infected together with the same disease, and they die, and others are infected: Hence it may easily ap∣pear, that the plague is primarily a disease of that part on the which life depends chiefly, and the which being hurt, a man is in very great danger of his life, namely the heart, the fountain of life, and store-house of vital heat: For although the humour wherein the venome inhereth may subsist in divers parts (whence the same diseases and symptomes in every pestilence are not the same to appearance) yet in what place soever it subsisteth, it hath

a peculiar antipathy with the heart, and thereby destroyeth a man so suddenly.

But from whence that force and quality so mischievous and inimicous to the heart, * 1.3 hath its original, and dependeth, of that there is a very great controversie amongst Physitians; and in∣deed, some do conceive that the Pestilence only consisteth of pu∣trifaction, and conclude, that by putrifaction the nature of the Pestilence may be consumed. But because they themselves ac∣knowledge that all putred Fevers are not pestilential, they strive variously to determine it in putrifaction, and that they divers ways strive to explain, but all in vain. Whatsoever therefore putrifaction is concluded to be, it sufficeth not to constitute the pestilence; for there are measures and degrees of putrifaction al∣so whatsoever they are, since that they differ only according to magis and minus, they differ not in their kind, neither do they separate the plague from the rest of the putred Fevers. Moreover the Plague hurteth in another kind then a putred Fever doth; for it spreads it self for the most part in a moment, and brings forth pernicious effects, it diffuseth it self in an astonishing man∣ner, and into whatsoever it enters, a very little of the pestilent venome may lie hidden any where a long time, and remain whole, and afterwards be taken into the body, and on a sudden produce such grievous symptomes, and brings forth such effects as are not in the power of the primary qualities, on which the ground of putrifaction depends: Moreover, if the plague should pro∣ceed from putrifaction only, a Fever also would never be without the pestilence: yet since it is observed that a Fever is without the plague, as out of Hippocrates 3. epid. comm. 4.25.55. Galen de simp. med. facult. de terra Armenia. Jac. de partib. in 1. quarti Avicen. cap. de Febre Pestilent. Alex. Benedicto, Fr. Valleriola loc. comm. lib. 3. c. 18. and out of others it is mani∣fest. Lastly, the way of cure is far different from that of other putred Fevers, and the pestilent poyson indicates and requires a∣lexipharmall means, which in other putred Fevers are neither indicated nor have any place.

Therefore we have determined that the plague doth consist in a hidden quality, and in its nature wholly adverse to the heart, and that the pestilential poyson is endued with such a quality, which by the effects of it, as we lately said, beyond the primary qualities doth prove.

Contagion is joyned with the pestilence, and pestilential poy∣sons have always contagion joyned with them as a proper acci∣dent, because it belongs to all plagues, but not only to the plague.

Therefore we define the pestilence to be a venomous disease of the heart, from venomous matter, * 1.4 and in its whole substance pe∣culiarly adverse to the heart, and gotten by infection, and there∣fore is of it self infectious, and suddenly and joyntly hurting all the actions of the heart, very acute, deadly, introducing de∣structive symptomes of all sorts.

But what the specifique nature of this venome is, and what its differences are in divers constitutions pestilential, no man can easily explain. To me it seems probable to be the highest degree of corruption, which indeed the humours in our bodies can pos∣sibly receive; to which through many alterations, mutations, and fermentations it comes, and into which diseases which went before, at length degenerate: Whence it comes to pass, that when the Plague reigns, other sporadick diseases that come not by or∣dinary means, and all benigne diseases for the most part are si∣lent, and those epidemical diseases that reigned before cease.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What the Plague is.
• * 1.2

  The plague a disease of the heart
• * 1.3

  Whether the nature of the plague con∣sist in pu∣trifaction.
• * 1.4

  Definition of it.