De morbis puerorum, or, a treatise of the diseases of children;: with their causes, signs, prognosticks, and cures, for the benefit of such as do not understand the Latine tongue, and very useful for all such as are house-keepers, and have children. With the contents of the several chapters, as also an alphabetical table of all the diseases mentioned herein. By Robert Pemell practitioner in physick, at Cranebrooke in Kent. May the 29. 1653.

The cause.

The causes hereof are impure and filthy vapors which mingle themselves with the animal spirits, and trouble the same, represen∣ting terrible fancies to the imagination; now these vapors arise from the bad concoction of the stomach. Therefore this disease is very subject to children, who suck the milk very greedily, or eat abundantly, and so receiving more nourishment then the stomach can digest, it is corrupt, and so these vapors arise to the brain, and trouble he animal spirits. Neither is it absurd to say that these vapours do not onely ascend by the * 1.1Oesophagus or gullet, but that by the veins they ascend up to the head. Elder children are subject to this disease as well as younger.

Galen saith, these fears, are caused when there is a natural imbe∣cibillity or weaknesse of the childs stomach, and the meat received is corrupted in it, which cause vapours to arise up to the head, and bring these startings. Sometimes they come from worms, and when they breed their teeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Oesophagus is that part, by which meat and drink are turned down into the stomach.