This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
SInce we have hitherto explained what health is, * 1.1 and wherein it consists, and what is the diffe∣rence of things contrary to nature; we now rightly come to the Method of healing and pre∣serving health, and are to teach by what means health may
be preserved, and diseases taken away, * 1.2 but neverthelesse since arts are conversant about individuals, and a Physi∣tian doth not cure in general man, but Peter and Paul, &c. The Method and way is first to be explained whereby the present constitution of every man, both sick and well may be known, which now lies hid in indivi∣duals, they may be found out by the signs of a disease, and what may be known and hoped for, of the event and end of diseases, and the Method of signs are to go before. Moreover there is that benefit of this Method, that whilest the sick, see those things that may happen to them, being known to the Physitian, they may trust the more to him, and obey him; for the Physitian when he foresees those things which shall happen to the sick may have time to prevent them, and avoid the reproaches of the vulgar, whilest he foretells those things which shall come to passs, and that they may not rail against the best Medicines, being given to those that are desperately sick
By the name of Signs we do understand all those things which signifie any thing, * 1.3 or all evident things which lay open a hidden matter, or as the Author of Physical de∣finitions speaks, A sign is a manifestation of somewhat hidden, or every thing that shews any of those things which are in the Method of healing, and can demonstrate them, and make them manifest.
OF Signs of this kind there are certain differences; * 1.4 first according to varieties of Bodies, some Signes are counted wholesome, which shew soundnesse and health; others unwholesome, which shew unsound∣nesse, others are neutral, which shew a disposition to neither.
Secondly, certain Signs are called Diagnosticks and Deloticks demonstrating, and demonstrative, * 1.5 which demonstrate those things which shew the present constitu∣tion of the body, whether it be according to nature, or contrary to nature; certain are Prognosticks, * 1.6 which
foreshew what shall come to passe; * 1.7 certain are Anamne∣sticks which call to memory the state of the body which is newly past.
Thirdly, * 1.8 some signs are proper, others common, pro∣per are such as agree to one disease onely, Common are such as are found in many diseases. Galen, in the first of the differences of Fevers appoints three kinds of proper Signs, and the one he calls unfeparable, another proper in its kind, a third proper and inseparable; also he calls those unseparable, which cannot be separated from the effect which they shew, and agrees to every such effect, but not onely proper, are such as agree to those alone, but not to all, Proper and inseparable are such as agree to such an effect alone, and to all.
Out of this division there ariseth other differences of Signs, they are called by the Greeks Pathognomonick, Synedruors, Epiginomens, Epephanomens; in English ••••separable, sociable, concomitant, subservient, and such as appear afterwards.
Pathognomonicks are such as follow the disease also and necessary inhere in it, * 1.9 and therefore prefently in the beginning of a disease is present and cannot be sepa∣rated from it, and agrees to every such disease, and al∣wayes where they are, they shew the disease that must ne∣cessarily be there present, yet it seldom happens that there is one Pathognomonick sign, but for the most part the Pathognomonick signs are constituted of more joyned together, which if they are taken severally are not Pa∣thognomonicks.
Synedruons, * 1.10 that is sociable ones, are such as are not inseparable from a disease, nor do they necessarily cohere to the essence of a disease, nor are alwayes present, but besides the Pathognomonicks, sometimes they appear presently at the beginning, sometimes they follow afterwards, and sometimes they are not present at any time of the disease; and therefore they do not shew the disease it selfe, or its kind, but signifie some condition thereof.
Epiphanomenaes and Epiginomenaes are such as neither shew the kind of a disease, * 1.11 nor the condition thereof, but shew onely its mutation, and they are threefold; some signs are of concoction, and crudity, o∣thers signifie health and death, others are Critick,
or decretory which foretell the termination of a dis∣ease.
OF the heads of Signes, although there are many, * 1.12 yet they seem to be reduced to theee; the first are taken from the nature and essence its selfe of the thing, or as Galen speaks from things essentially enhering in the substance; whether it be a disease, or a cause of a disease, or a Symptome; namely, when a thing in its own nature is so manifest to the sen∣ses that there needs no other signes.
Secondly, signs are sought from diseases, that is, [unspec 2] * 1.13 from all things which follow health; a disease and the causes of diseases, accidents and Symptomes, whether they be actions, or excrements, and reten∣tions, or qualities of the body.
Thirdly, from causes whether they be external, [unspec 3] * 1.14 or internal, by themselves, or by accident, or what other soever.
Whereunto belongs ability and disposition of bo∣dy, and from hence tis easie, or difficult to fall into this, or that disease, for this shewes alike temper, that a contrary, such as helpe also, and such as hinder; as those which encrease a disease are an argument that the disease hath an agree∣ment with the thing, which increases it, but that which delights, and profits is a token that there is in nature something contrary to the dis∣ease.
To these heads of signes some adde such as are alike and disalike, understanding by those things, * 1.15 either a body which is compared to another body, or a part, which is compared with another part, or with it selfe, yet others think that similitude and dissimilitude is not a peculiar head of signes, but rather a reason of fitly c••mparing other signes a∣mong themselves, but the comparison may be right
the manners properly, and nature of the sick should be known, wandring diseases commonly belong to these; when if many happen to be sick of one common infirmity, and he which is sick begins to be so as the rest were, it is to be suspected that he hath the same disease.
Necessity of the Se∣miotick Method.
The benefit of it.
A Sign what 'tis.
Differen∣ces of signs wholesome and un∣wholesome.
Diagno∣stick.
Progno∣stick.
Anamne∣stick.
Proper. Common.
Pathogno∣monicks.
Synedru∣ons.
Epiphano∣menaes and Epigino∣menaes.
Fountains of signs. 1 Essentially inhering.
From the effects.
From the cause.
Things a∣like and unlike