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. XII. Of the causes of Organick Diseases.

NOw for the causes of Organick Diseases, and first the figure of Conformation is vitiated either by it selfe, or by acci∣dent.

By it selfe it is vitiated first in the womb, * 1.1 through some error of the formative faculty. Secondly, out of the womb through vi∣olent motion, either of those things that happen externally, or those which are with us, or in us, or by the errors of our Mid∣wives, Nurses, or Chyrurgions. Thirdly, by too great repletion and encrease, and on the contrary, by Inanition, or Defect of Aliment, and lesning the due magnitude, or in default in num∣ber. By accident the figure is hurt, when any parts grow not, as they ought, but another way, through loosening of Nerves, Convulsion, Inflammation, or swelling, a Scyrrhus or hard bunch on the Liver, the cutting of a Nerve or Tendon, or by some hard skin growing in them.

Moreover to what belongs to Diseases in the Channels of the Body. Diseases in the Channel, are either in excesse or defect; * 1.2 in excesse the passages are too much dilated by something, filling them contrary to nature, and stretching them sometimes too much; But straitness of the passages is either from our first forma∣tion when our stomachs are narrower then they ought, or by re∣pletion, or when in an Empyema, an Impostumation or Ulcer is generated in the brest, and there broken, and flowes, and makes it narrower; or whilest a stone groweth in some hollow part; or by compressure, when from what cause soever a hollow member

lying under its Cavity is pressed too close, or by the closing of its outsides, or by constriction, when by too much use of binding things the stomach is contracted.

Diseases of the passages since they are in excess or in defect; * 1.3 An Anastomasis is caused first by the too great quantity, or the quality of humours initating the expulsive faculty, or the mouth, of the vessels opening themselves; moreover sometimes by Medicines, and other things which have power to relax and loosen the mouths of the vessels. A Devision is made by some gnawing or cutting cause, such may be sharp humours, or fretting Medicines, either stretching them too much, as too great store of humours, * 1.4 or else breaking them, as violent motion, clamours, heavy burthens, knocking. An opening the Tunicles of the ves∣sels is by moistning and rarefying things. * 1.5

The causes of the defect of passages, or of narrownesse of them are five; Obstruction, Constipation, Cealescence, Compres∣sure, Subsidence. The cause of obstruction is, first, that which is conteined in a passage, and is not generated, for such are thick or viscide humours, clots of blood, quitture, hard dung, stones, worms, and too great abouncance of humours.

The cause of Constipation is hard flesh; as when there is a Tumour, the flesh growes in the passage; Coalescence is cau∣sed when after a wound the walls of the passages grow toge∣ther.

Compression is made by things externally hapning, which have power by weight and violence, or otherwise, to p••esse the passages, and have strength to force them inward, as divers tumours and bones out of joynt, are amongst the internal causes; amongst the external, Bones, Con••usions, Stroakes, and such like; * 1.6 Subsidence is when the outsides of the passages, by too much moisture are made looser then they ought: to which some adde Constriction, by cooling and astringent things.

The causes of Diseases on the outside, * 1.7 or extremities of the body, are such as make it rough or smooth; rugged things make it rough, so does gnawing things, and such as dry overmuch, as sharp humours, and medicines endued with such qualities, sharp vapours, Wind, Smoak; sharp Meates, things endued with contrary qualities make the body smooth. Moist••ning things make the body soft, contrary to nature; drying things make it harder, the mixture of black humours, and such as give a tincture, spoyles the clearnesse of comple∣xion.

The cause of Diseases of defect, * 1.8 in number are either from a mans birth; namely defect of matter, or imbecillity of the facul∣ty, drawing matter, being not able to retain and elaborate the same, or error of formation: Or else after one is born, by out∣ting, burning, gnawing, putrefying, and too much cooling; either natural things abound contrary to nature, and that from our beginning, the cause whereof is either too great plenty of profitable matter, and the strength and error of the formative faculty; or after our birth, as is a Membrane, a Tubercle, the cause whereof is plenty of good matter, and by it occasion is gi∣ven of breeding an Ulcer; or somewhat contrary to nature a∣boundeth, as Warts, Stones, and such like; the cause whereof is peccant matter.

Magnitude is encreased contrary to nature, * 1.9 either accor∣ding to some dimensions only, or according to all. First, it is encreased by things contrary to nature; as by wind, as in a Timpany, and a windy Tumour; or by water, as in a Dropsie; or by the falling of one part into another, as when one is bur∣sten. Augmentation is made according to all the dimensions, by the spreading of humours over all the substance of the body, which comes to passe either by reason of profitable humours, which happens to fat people, and in the encrease of certain parts; or from an unprofitable and Excrementitious, which happens in divers kinds of tumours.

Magnitude is lessened by weakness of virtue, * 1.10 and want of suste∣nance, or by cutting, burning, gnawing, putrefaction, refrige∣ration.

Lastly, parts change their places by reason of the loosenesse, * 1.11 or solution of unity of those parts wherein they are conteined, or contraction of ligaments, or when they are violently put out of their places.

The vicinity and connexion for the most part is hurt by the same means; namely, * 1.12 if the parts by whose intervening they are knit together, are loosened, broken, or wounded.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The causes of the fi∣gure viti∣ated,
• * 1.2

  Diseases of the pas∣sages.
• * 1.3

  The causes of Diseases of passages Anastoma∣sis. Diaresis.
• * 1.4

  Diapedesis.
• * 1.5

  The causes of defect and strait∣nesse of passages. Obstructi∣on. Constipa∣tion. Coales∣cence. Compres∣sion.
• * 1.6

  Subsidence.
• * 1.7

  The causes of Disea∣ses in the Superfici∣es.
• * 1.8

  Causes of Diseases in number.
• * 1.9

  Of Mag∣nitude en∣creased.
• * 1.10

  Diminish∣ed.
• * 1.11

  Of chan∣ging place.
• * 1.12

  Of Con∣nexion.