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. VI. Of the causes of Symptomes wherein all or most animal actions are hurt.

THe cause of a Vertigo is inordinate and circular motion of the animal spirits in the brain; * 1.1 but the causes which perform this circular motion in the brain are internal, or external; internal is an inordinate motion of a flatulent spirit, moving the animal spirits cir∣cularly, and exhibiting a false representation of the mo∣ving of external things, and of its own body; but this flatulent spirit takes the occasion of its motion, either from its selfe, seeing that every spirit by nature is move∣able and fluid, especially if it be hotter, and more fervent then ordinary, or moved by somewhat else, whereas here∣after shall be shewen, which the straitness of the vessels, or of the Pores of the brain occasioneth; for if both the flatulent spirits, and animal spirits are moved in passages that are obstructed, they return back and move circularly, they are generated either in the brain, whence a Vertigo by Idiopathy ariseth, or are sent from elsewhere upward, either from the whole body, as in some Fevers, or from some part, as the Stomach, Spleen, Womb, whence it is called a Vertigo by Sympathy, the external and manifest causes are whatsoever humors can suddenly turn into and dissolve into vapours, or stir up an inordinate and circu∣lar motion, with winds, and spirits; such as when the constitution of the air is suddenly altered, immoderate and untimely exercise, emptinesse, baths, anger, turning round of the body, the beholding of bodies swiftly tur∣ning round, or otherwise moving with violence, looking down from a high place, shaking of the head, a fall and such like.

The cause of an Incubus, or riding of the Mare, * 1.2 is a thick vapour ascending from the lower parts of the body and obstructing the hinder parts neer the Spinal marrow, and hindering the passages of the spirits to the muscles of the brest, whence respiration is hindered, which when a man perceives in his sleep, considering various causes, he faineth and adviseth with himselfe, and even from this

or that, he imagineth himselfe to be oppressed and suffo∣cated in his dream. This vapor is, elevated from thick flegm, or a Melancholy humor residing in the Hypocon∣dries, or proceeds from surfetting, or swelling by lying supine, or flat on the back: in children also a vapour of the same nature is occasioned by worms.

A Lethargy commonly proceeds from a flegmatick humor thickning in the brain; * 1.3 and so the matter of its selfe is cold, yet by accident it happens to be hot, but it is impossible that out or flegm only putrified, both a fever and a deep sleep should arise; for this humor is neither apt of its selfe to admit of putrefaction, especially in the head, neither if it should admit of it, can it utter so much as will diffuse the heat over the whole body, and kindle a Fever, and heart the Heart especially if it putrifie without the substance of the Brain, or its vessels in its bo∣somes and turnings; but it is more agreeable to reason that this drousinesse either is not a primary disease of the brain, but occasioned from stupifactive and pituitous va∣pors rendring the animal spirits dull, and are the Symp∣tomes of a Fever, which are called companions; namely, of a continued Quotidian of a bastard Tertian, and Semi∣tertian, or if it be a primary disease of the Brain, it doth not seem to have its beginning only from putrified flegm, but rather from a petuitous inflammation of the Brain, or from an inflammation arising from the blood mixt with flegm. In both these Lethargies there is present great heavinesse, and hurt of memory, by reason of stupi∣factive, and pituitous vapors, but a delirium, by reason of vapors risen out of the putrid humors troubling the animal spirits.

The cause of a Carus is either the straitnesse of the Brain by compression, * 1.4 or obstruction neer the bottom thereof from cold humors, or a moistning, cooling, and repletion of the Brain from a c••ld and pituitous humor, and an alteration of the spirits by the same, or a stupefa∣ctive power, rendring the animal spirits unfit for the acti∣ons of the senses and motions; wherewith not ••nly stupe∣factive medicines are endued, but also some poysons, hu∣mors in certain Fevers, Smoaks, and Vapors of Coals, new Wine, and new strong Beer, &c.

A Catoche hath its beginning from a cold and dry va∣pour, * 1.5 endued with a peculiar force of fixing the animal

spirits rushing into the brain, and in some sort stopping the spirits, rendring them immovable, and, as it were, con∣gealing them, which for the most part is stirr'd up by a Melancholy humor; such also is the force in a Thunder∣bolt, and it is sometimes taken from the vapors ascending out of the earth in an Earthquake, and breaking out of their cells, but the spirits serving for imagination, and ratiocination are rather fixed and stopt then those which lately were disperst into the members of the body, which is apparent from hence, that although those that are Ca∣taleptick move no member, yet if they are moved by an∣other the power of moving exerciseth its selfe, and being struck they fall down, and moreover spreading their eye∣lids they keep their eyes open.

The immediate cause of an Apoplexy is a flowing of the animal spirits into the organs of the body, * 1.6 hindering sense and motion; but the influx of the animal spirits is hindered either by the passages through which they should flow into the organs of sense and motion, or the narrownesse of the beginning of the Nerves, or through the unaptnesse of the animal spirits themselves, or by too great a quantity, or perturbation of the same. The straitnesse of the passages of the animal spirits is made when the beginning of the Nerves in the bottom of the brain is so shut, that the passage and way for the animal spirits and motion into the organs of all the external sen∣ses are intercepted; a few onely resisting, which flow from the Cerebellum, which scarce suffice for the motion of the brest which striveth exceedingly for respiration. The beginning of the Nerves cause this straitnesse, first the flegmatick humor poured into these places performs it by obstruction, or compression, which the Antients took for the principal, nay some for the only cause of an Apo∣plexy. Secondly, blood poured out of its vessels by a stroak, or any other cause whatsoever into the basis of the Brain, and pressing the beginning of the Nerves. Third∣ly, placing of flegm when the vessels of the Braine, their being plenty of blood, are filled and stretched that the substance of the Brain is compressed, and the Pores and passages being made narrower, a free ingress for the animal spirits into the Nerve is hindered. Fourthly, a blow, or fall violently pressing the Brain it self, and so the begin∣ning of the Nerves, rendring the animal spirits slow,

as it were degenerated from their nature, and are made altogether unfit to perform animal actions, bring forth vapors which contain in them a stupefactive power; more∣over the effusion of animal spirits by deep wounds, and troubling of them by a stroak, and by a great fal and com∣motion of the Brain may take away all sense and motion from a man, but that Apoplexy which ariseth from a pi∣tuitous and stupefactive power is the chief, and is under∣stood for the most part when mention is made of a per∣fect Apoplexy, to wit, which is occasioned by its sefe, when the other Apoplexies by reason of the differences of causes, either are occasioned by some external and vio∣lent cause, as by a stroak, by a fall, or they follow other diseases.

An Epilepsie is occasioned from a vaporous and thin matter, * 1.7 whether by its acrimony, or venomous and malig∣nant quality vellicating and molesting the Brain and all the Nerves, and together afflicting the animal spirits, darkning and troubling of them: and there are to help this matter forward not onely certain humours corrup∣ted in a peculiar manner, and fit for an Epileptical dis∣position, but also parts of the body corrupted in like man∣ner, as Worms, After-birth, and such like.

An imperfect Epilepsie hath the same cause with the perfect Epilesie, but mote gentle and less store of hu∣mours, which otherwise could not vellicate all the Nerves, yet may trouble them all, but cannot trouble and darken the animal spirits in the Brain.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of a ver∣tigo.
• * 1.2

  Of an In∣cubus.
• * 1.3

  Of a Le∣thargy.
• * 1.4

  Of a Carus.
• * 1.5

  A Caroche.
• * 1.6

  Of an A∣poplexy.
• * 1.7

  Of an Epi∣lepsie.