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. VII. Of the Symptomes of the Internal senses.

THe Symptomes of the Internal senses are watchings and slee∣pings, when either of them are contrary to nature; * 1.1 as like∣wise dreams; the error in watchings are when men either sleep not at all for a long time, or if they do, they sleep too little.

Sleep is opposite to watching, if it be too much, which comes to passe when it is natural, but not absolutely such; but lon∣ger either from the repletion of the head by vapours, and exhala∣tions, as in drunkenness, or by the consuming of the heat and spirits through too much labour.

But preternatural sleep is such as doth proceed from a morbi∣fique cause, which is a Cataphora, or a Co••na, that is, a dimi∣nution of the action of the common sense, which, as it were, a wreathing, neither suffers the Animal Spirits to be diffused into the external senses; nor being entertained by them, doth know, and judge aright of other objects. A Coma is two-fold, * 1.2 somnolent and vigilant; somnolent is that which is oftentimes called an absolute Coma; with which disease those that are affe∣cted, the eyes being shut, do sleep sound and too much: but a vigil is when the sick have a propensity to sleep, yet nevertheless they cannot; but onely shutting their eyes and winking, they are possessed with too great a desire of sleep.

In sleep there oftentimes happens dreams, wherein the action of the phantasie doth concur; * 1.3 for dreames are nothing else but the deliriums of the brains of sleepers, although dreams happen to those which are well, yet contrary to cu••••ome, they often remain longer, and during the whole night, or are terrible, and trouble the mind exceedingly, and bring great anxiety in sleep, and wearisomness when one is awake.

To these kind of Symptomes belongs an extasie, * 1.4 and that na∣tural, which is nothing else but a heavy sleep, with heavy dreams, and hence sometimes cometh a delirium therewith.

As also the affects of Sleep-walkers, who whilest they sleep, * 1.5 arise out of their beds, walk, and perform certain works, as w••∣king people do, at that time when they ought to rest; yet if the imagination be together offended, these Symptomes may be re∣ferred to that rank wherein many internal senses are hurt.

As for what belongs to the offending of the rest of the Inter∣nal senses, * 1.6 sometimes one of them is offended, sometimes ma∣ny together; for the most part the Phantasie and Ratiocination are offended together, yet not alwayes; for although the un∣derstanding be busied about Phantasms, yet the understanding acting, illustrates the Phantasms, and frees them from their sup∣posed matter, and runs from one thing to another, and is busied about the Idea's retained by the memory, by which the errour of the Phantasie may often be known, sometimes also the memory is together offended; yet sometimes remains safe from the errors of the phantasie, and the reasonable faculty.

But those actions are either abolished, * 1.7 or diminished, or depra∣ved; neverthelesse the memory whose office it is not to judge, but only to receive representations, may be so much debilitated and a∣bolished, namely when it does not receive, and retain those things which it ought, or it receives nothing, and retains nothing, and so a man forgets all things: it cannot be depraved, but if sometimes it receives and retains false objects that is not to be ascribed to it, but to that faculty which discovers absurd and false representations, the memory seems then to be depraved to some, when it doth not render things in that order which it re∣ceived them, but errs in order; but this seems to happen onely by reason of the weaknesse of the memory.

The principal actions are abolished and diminished in the imbecility and dulnesse of the mind, * 1.8 slownesse of the Wit, stupi∣dity, when a man hath a certain knowledge of the chief things, and draws some conclusions from them, but with great la∣bour.

The greatest fault, and the greatest hurt of the Phantasie, and Ratiocination, yet without delirium, is fatuity.

But when a man is so destitute of all ingenuity, and the phanta∣sie and Ratiocination are so hurt that they can neither know the first principles, and can beget no conceits, it is called foolishnesse, and madnesse; especially if the action depraved concurre, and a man judgeth not only a little but false.

But the imagination and reasonable faculty is depraved in deliriums, * 1.9 whereof there are several kinds; for a deliri um is either with a Fever, or without a Fever; with or without a Fe∣ver, * 1.10 is either simple, viz. A moderate delirium, and without madnesse stirred up by hot vapours in a Fever, or by watching, or drinking too much Wine, which the Greeks call Paraphrosune, or Paraphrora.

A Frenzy is with a Fever, which is a continued delirium,

arising from the inflammation of the Brain and its Mem∣branes.

But a delirium without a Fever is Melancholy, and madnesse; Melancholy is a Delirium without a Fever, with sorrow and sadness, as it is commonly defined; or a failing of the Phantasie and reasonable Faculty about one certain thing: and indeed the Phantasie is principally offended, but the reasonable Faculty not alwayes nor in all, but the memory for the most part is safe.

To melancholy Deliriums also is referred Mad Love, wherein concur various passions, * 1.11 now they conceive joy with hope of ob∣taining the thing beloved; where they do many things, and speak beyond decency, and now sorrow and anger when they despaire of obtaining the thing beloved.

Madnesse is a delirium without a Fever, with Fury, Fear, * 1.12 Au∣dacity, Anger, Quarrels, and Ferosity.

To madnesse are referred Wolf-madnesse, Dog-madnesse, Bad∣ger-madnesse, fear of Water, viz. a Disease wherein if one be bitten with a Dog, a Wolfe, a Badger, or any other ravenous A∣nimal, he becomes altogether averse to all liquid and potulent drinks, although as for other things, they do not shun them; also those that are bitten by a Tarantula, leap and dance, and a Corea or company of S. Viti, which is a kind of delirium and madness, with which those that are affected strive to dance night and day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Symptomes of the com∣mon sense. Too much watching. Too much sleep.
• * 1.2

  Coma two-fold. Somnolent Vigilant.
• * 1.3

  Dreams.
• * 1.4

  An Exta∣sie.
• * 1.5

  Sleep-wal∣kers.
• * 1.6

  Whether the Phan∣tafie, and reasonable faculty be always hurt toge∣ther.
• * 1.7

  The Me∣mory abo∣lished and diminish∣ed.
• * 1.8

  The Phan∣tasie, and rational faculty di∣minished and abo∣lished. Folly. Foolish∣nesse. Madness.
• * 1.9

  A Deliri∣um.
• * 1.10

  Melancho∣ly.
• * 1.11

  Mad love.
• * 1.12

  Madnesse.