Sect. XI. Apoplexia & Catalepsis.
THe Apolexia is a depri∣ving the whole body of sense and motion; they have pain in the head, sleep deeply, gnaw the Teeth, feel not when hurt, open not the eyes, An∣swer no questions, make little Urine, its sediment is like meal, and its colour like Rust or Can∣ker, they snore, and breath Page 35little. 'Tis said to be caused through obstruction of those passages whereby the spirits are carryed from the Heart to the Brain. If this distemper be a strong one 'tis uncurable, and how weak soever, not ea∣sily helped: 'tis the worst when it seizeth young people in the summer. And if Medicines prove effectual against the A∣poplexia, yet commonly it leaves a Palsie either in the whole or part of the body.
Catalepsis is a kind of Con∣gelation, sudden detention or benuming both in Body and Mind, the Patient lies as though he was dead, moves not the eyes. Sense and Motion are lost, the pulse is weak, Page 36and he remains in the same fi∣gure of body in which he was taken, whether he lye, stand▪ or sit, with his eyes shut or open, the disease (if cured) de∣generates many times into an Apoplexia, or Lethargy.
The Cure.
In both these distempers, the Essence of Rosemary is excellent, a quarter of an ounce at a time or 10 drops of the Chymical oyl taken in 2 or 3 spoonfuls of wine, or 15 drops of the spirit of the brains & blood of a sheep, taken often. Aurum Potabilie 6 grains at once, transcends all other medicines; bath the head with tincture of Papper, and a∣noint it with Balsamum Poly∣chrestum. Elixir Proprietatis 15 Page 37grains in wine, is proper in these cases.
