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. XI. Of the causes of distemper with matter.

SInce every humour hath its peculiar Temperature, * 1.1 and com∣municates it, and impresseth the part which it adheres to, The blood which is hot and moist, heats and moistens; yellow Choller which is hot and dry, heats and dryes; Phlegm which is cold and moist, causeth a cold and moist distemper; Melancholly which is cold and dry, causeth a cold and dry di∣stemper.

The matter which is the cause of distemper in the affected, * 1.2 either is collected by degrees, or else falls on it on a suddain; 'Tis collected either through the error of the Aliment, or default of the part; through the fault of the part it is collected, when ei∣ther the faculty of concoction is weak, and doth not rightly ela∣borate the Aliment, and from thence causes excrements, which either the expulsive faculty can expel, or the weaknesse of expul∣sion is such, that it cannot expel; that too great quantity, or some disease of conformation, and straitnesse of the passages, suf∣fers not the Excrements to be cost forth; But by default of the Aliment the matter is collected, when that is not good, but

such, by reason whereof great store of excrements are generated, or slimy and viscious humours are produced, that the expulsive faculty cannot expel them.

A flux is either when humours are drawn to a part, * 1.3 or sent to a part. Attraction is principally through heat and pain; not because they draw, but because they afford occasion for humours to flow to the part, to which you may adde, for the supply of vacuity.

But humours flow to the parts affected, * 1.4 though they are not drawn for two reasons; first because the humours collected in the vessels, by their own violence begin to flow into some part, ac∣cording to its situation, and its respect to the vessels. Secondly, because the parts which have strong expulsive power, tire, or de∣cay in their strength, or quality, or being burthened with plen∣ty of humours; unlade themselves, and lend that which is trou∣blesome to another part; either the whole body sends forth venc∣mous humours, or else some parts.

Yet that there be made a flux, there is required not onely the part flowing, but the part receiving, which is either weak, or apt and disposed to receive fluxions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The causes of distem∣per, with matter.
• * 1.2

  A collecti∣on of mat∣ter.
• * 1.3

  A flux made by drawing.
• * 1.4

  Transmis∣mission.