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. II. Of things which are the Causes of a Disease, and first of Non-naturals.

MOreover the efficient causes of Diseases considered absolutly, or as they are such; all things are the causes of Diseases, which can hurt the natural constitution, and turn it into a preternatural: and such things are either without the body, or within it.

Things that are without our bodies, are either necessary, * 1.1 and to be suffered by all, and none can avoid them; or not necessa∣ry, but may be avoided. Of the first sort are those things cal∣led non-naturals, and are in number six, Air, Meat and Drink, * 1.2 Sleeping and Waking, Exercise and Rest, Repletion and Inani∣nation, and the Passions of the Mind; whereof the four latter are rather to be called evident then external. Things befalling us not necessary, are those that wound us, knock us, or in such like manner hurt our bodies, which befall us by chance, which are not included within a certain number.

But both those, as well necessary as unnecessary, * 1.3 may be re∣duced to four heads; those things which are taken in, those which are carried; those that are put out and retained; and lastly, those that befal us externally.

Under the notion of those things which are taken, are com∣prehended Air by breathing, Meat and Drink, and Medicine in∣wardly taken.

By those things that are carried about, we comprehend all the motions of the body and mind, of what kind soever; such as the perturbations of the minde, anger, griefe, joy, sleep, wa∣king, rubbing the body, navigation, the course of our lives, and such like.

By Excretion and Retention is understood whatever is thrown out of the body; such are the Ordure, Urine, * 1.4 all sorts of Hu∣mors, Seed, Menstruis; for these as those that are emitted, alter the constitution of the body, belong to those which are called Excretions; and the same when they are deteined, are referred to Retentions.

Moreover those things that externally happen to us, * 1.5 compre∣hend them that encompasse us, as the Air, Baths, and those things that are applyed to our bodies; as Garments and Cove∣rings, Oyls, Unctions, and such like. Lastly, those things that by force and impulsion befal us, as Wounds, Contusions, and

such like; but since there is no certain number of them, we will onely speak of non-naturals, as they are the causes of Disea∣ses.

First from the air is made a great alteration, * 1.6 as being that wher∣in we continually live, and without which we cannot live a mo∣ment; for it alters us in a twofold manner; namely, as we draw it in by breathing, and as it encompasseth us, and by the Pores penetrates us, and communicates that distemper which it hath to our bodies; * 1.7 for the hot Air heats our bodies, dissolv•• humours, melts, attenuates, increaseth choler, and whets, in∣flames the spirits, so begets hot Diseases; for by calling forth and dissipating the natural heat, it weakens the concoction. The cold Air, * 1.8 on the contrary, cooleth, condenseth, closeth the Pores, thickens the humours. The moist moistens the body, hapeth up superfluous humours, drives out the natural heat, generates crude distillations, especially joyned with cold. But if joyned with heat, * 1.9 it is the greatest cause of putrefaction. Dry Air dries our bodies, and being joyned with heat, burns them.

First the constitution of the Air depends upon the season of the year, * 1.10 whereof the Spring is temperate, the Summer hot and dry, Autumn cold and dry, Winter cold and moist; and hence several Diseases happen at the several seasons of the year; of which Hypocrates in the third of his Aphorismes, 4, 5, 6.7, 8, 9.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23. The winds also conduce to the alteration of Air; so do Countries and Situati∣ons, of which Hypocrates 3. Aphorisme, 15, 17. And in his Book of Air, Water, and Places; and it doth not onely affect our bodies with primary qualities, but impresseth in us a ma∣lignant and pestilent disposition (if it be infected therewith) and can communicate to us those effects which it hath, and so ex∣cite malignant and epidemical Diseases in us; of which is spo∣ken in the doctrine of malignant and pestilent Fevers.

Secondly, [unspec 2] * 1.11 Meat and Drink, if either it be taken in too great measure, or be unwholsome, or if any fault be committed in the taking of it, may be the occasion of many diseases. Dyet then offendeth in quantity, manner of taking it, and quality; for if too great a quantity of meat stuff the stomach, it cannot be well concocted, but sendeth aboundance of vapours to the braine, which offend it, and is the cause of divers fluxes of Rhumes; and when the error of the first concoction is not cor∣rected in the second, that Crudity is the occasion of many Dis∣eases which arise afterwards in the whole body; and as an im∣moderate

quantity of meat and drink, is the occasion of many Diseases. So the want of them is hurtful; for thereby the good humours of the body are wasted, and the body dryed, 1. Aphor. 14. In an impure body it stirs up ill humours, * 1.12 whence divers parts are ill affected; for it is hurtful to eat meat whilest any is unconcocted in the stomach: variety of meats is also hurt∣ful.

As for the qualities of meats, * 1.13 those which have in them cer∣tain qualities, by which they can alter our bodies, are called medicamental, and they are changed into humours of a like qua∣lities with them, and in a sound body cause a like distemper; and in a sick body may introduce an unlike and contrary di∣stemper; to wit, if they are contrary to the preternatural di∣stemper, but if they agree with it, they encrease it. Meats dif∣fer not onely in the first qualities, but also in others, nay in the whole substance; some thick, others thin; some much, others little; some cause good Asiment, some bad; of which Galen in his books of the faculties of the Aliments, and in his book of good and evil Juice treateth; and we shall speak more in our fourth Book.

Thirdly, sleeping and waking moderately preserve health, [unspec 3] * 1.14 im∣moderately destroy it, 2. Aphor. 3. For too much sleep hindreth the natural evacuations and excrements, and dulls the heat of the body, and so is the occasion of cold diseases, and principally of Distillations. On the other side, too much waking dissi∣pates the Spirits, dryes the body, and whilest the humours are kindled and become adust, they are of themselves the causes of hot distempers; and whilest they dissipate the Spirits, the na∣tive heat is weakned, and the radical moisture is consumed, and by accident are the causes of cold diseases.

Fourthly, there is the same reason of exercise and rest; [unspec 4] * 1.15 for idlenesse and too much rest fills the body with Excrements, dulls the native heat, and renders the body slow and feeble; on the other side, too much exercise dissipates the Spirits, consumes the body, and by consequence cooles the whole body, hinders concoction; the veins and vessels often break, stirs up untimely humours, heats them, and causeth fevers; and especially if the body be full of vitious humours, they being stirred are carried through the whole body, and stir up fevers and other distem∣pers and symptomes.

Fifthly, [unspec 5] * 1.16 the affections of the mind make great alterations in the body; in anger the Blood and Spirits become extream hot, and are hurried to the external parts from the internal, whence

they inflame the whole body, and often kindle Fevers, and raise other Symptomes. Too much joy may so dissipate the Spirits, that it is observed one may die therewith; in fear and trembling the Spirits and heat desert the exteriour parts, and fly to the heart, and suffocate the heart; sorrow by degrees dissolveth the Spirits, cooleth the Body, dryes, spoils concoction, causes watch∣ings, and begets melancholly diseases.

Lastly, * 1.17 those things that are reteined in, and sent out of our bodies, are the causes of Diseases; for if the profitable humors be untimely sent out, it debilitates the body, and consumes it; but if the excrements are retained, diseases are bred that are like unto them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  External Causes.
• * 1.2

  Necessary. Unnecessa∣ry. Non-natu∣ral things.
• * 1.3

  Four ranks of things non-natu∣ral. Those which are taken. Which are carried.
• * 1.4

  Which are retained and reje∣cted.
• * 1.5

  Those which hap∣pen out∣wardly.
• * 1.6

  Air.
• * 1.7

  The effect of hot Air.
• * 1.8

  Of Cold. Of moist.
• * 1.9

  Of dry.
• * 1.10

  The con∣stitution of the Sea∣sons of the year. Of Wind and of Si∣tuation. Pestilent Air.
• * 1.11

  Meat and Drink. It offends in quanti∣ty.
• * 1.12

  Manner of using.
• * 1.13

  Quality.
• * 1.14

  Sleeping and wa∣king.
• * 1.15

  Exercise
• * 1.16

  Passions of the mind,
• * 1.17

  Excreti∣ons and retentions.