Culpeper's last legacy left and bequeathed to his dearest wife, for the publicke good, being the choicest and most profitable of those secrets which while he lived were lockt up in his breast, and resolved never to be publisht till after his death. Containing sundry admirable experiences in severall sciences, more especially, in chyrurgery and physick, viz. compounding of medicines, making of waters, syrrups, oyles, electuaries, conserves, salts, pils, purges, and trochischs. With two particular treatises; the one of feavers; the other of pestilence; as also other rare and choice aphorisms, fitted to the understanding of the meanest capacities. Never publisht before in any of his other works. By Nicholas Culpeper, late student in astrology and physick.

CHAP. XVII. Of Catalepsis.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greeke, is called in Lattin, Occupatio, detention, and Deprebensio; Mo∣derne Writers call it Congelatio, in English it is cal∣led congelation, or taking, and by the ignorant struck with a Planet.

It is a sudden detention and taking both of bo∣dy and mind, both sense & moving being lost, the sick remaining in the same figure of body wherein he was taken; whether he sit only, or whether his mouth and eyes were open or shut, as they are taken in the disease so they remaine.

This disease is a meane between a Lethargy and a frenzie, for it commeth of a melancholly humour; Therefore in respect of coldnesse it agreeth with a Lethargy, and in respect of drinesse with a frenzy; and the effects are in a medium between them both; Sometimes abundance of blood is joyned with the melancholly humour, and sometimes on∣ly

pure melancholly; both invade the hinder part of the braine.

They that are taken with this disease, are alwaies taken sudddenly, both speech and sense are taken from him; he neither speaketh nor heareth, his breath scarcely to be perceived; he lies like a dead man, his pulse is small, weake, and very thicke; his egestion and urine are either very little or none at all, which seemes to proceed from want of sense; for the sick abounds (most commowly) with moy∣sture; For melancholly is an humour dry in operation, ☜ not in quality; Their face is sometimes red, and that is when blood is mingled with the melancholy; and sometimes swarth, and then pure melanchol∣ly oppresseth; the eyes in this disease remaine im∣moveable, as though they were frozen.

The diet is different according to the cause; on∣ly in generall let him avoyd all such meates and drinkes as send vapours up into the head; also wa∣ter is hurtfull be cause it swelleth the spleene. Barly water wherein Cinnamon hath been boyled is good.

If blood abound, and strength and yeares per∣mit; let him blood in the Cephalique of the arme, as much as strength will permit.

If melancholly abound, cleanse the gutts with clysters made of things proper for melancholly: such be borrage, buglosse, fumitory, time, epithimum, polipo∣dium, ☜ senna, cassia fistula, confectio Hamech, &c.

If the head be hot, coole it with oyle of fleabane; if too cold, heat it with oyle of vervaine.

Black hellebore corrected with Cinnamon is very medicinall; so is mother of time.

If trembling accompany the disease, give Casto∣reum.

As for other remedies, you may find them in the chapters of frenzie, and lethargy before; and in the Chapter of melancholy, which is to follow af∣ter.

Notes

• Name••. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. detentio, occupatio, congelatio. Descripti∣on.
• Cause.
• Signes.
• Diet.
• Bleeding.
• Clisters.
• Refrige∣ration.
• Cure.