Platerus golden practice of physick: fully and plainly discovering, I. All the kinds. II. The several causes of every disease. III. Their most proper cures, in respect to the kinds, and several causes, from whence they come. After a new, easie, and plain method; of knowing, foretelling, preventing, and curing, all diseases incident to the body of man. Full of proper observations and remedies: both of ancient and modern physitians. In three books, and five tomes, or parts. Being the fruits of one and thirty years travel: and fifty years practice of physick. By Felix Plater, chief physitian and professor in ordinary at Basil. Abdiah Cole, doctor of physick, and the liberal arts. Nich. Culpeper, gent. student in physick, and astrology.

The Causes.

All immoderate Hunger or Thirst comes from a na∣tural cause, that is from the natural Appetite, which if immoderate is preternatural, as from the sense of the stomach from want of nourishment or moisture. Som∣times this overgreat and strange appetite is from a pre∣ternatural cause, as a cold and dry distemper of the sto∣mach or other quality.

The stomach desireth from sense which is mixed with Touching and Tasting and if it be exquisite it is easily afflicted, * 1.1 and feels a De∣fect, and desires more. * 1.2 This is from the Birth in some who eat more then others from the Cra∣dle; some have it from a custom of gorging continu∣ally not suffering the stomach to be empty; and ex∣cept it be ful alwaies, crave; as Gluttons, who serve their bellies night and day not so much from pleasure as from custom, or inbred ravening.

Want of nourishment which is dayly consumed as it causeth a natural hunger; * 1.3 so if it continue long it makes people ra∣venous. This is from a long want of meat, or because they have eaten things of small nourishment and quick digestion; or because they have long sickness, and want of Appetite eaten little or nothing: therefore upon re∣covery they are greedy. And when they have eaten, nature suddenly draws away the Chyle, which causeth them to be usually costive as I shewed in the suppressi∣on of the Belly; they are presently hungry again, and if they moderate not themselves, they get hurt and the accidents of Boulimos mentioned, and relapse into their Disease.

If the Chyle be snatched from the stomach too soon by exercise evacuation, sweats, * 1.4 the same hap∣pens. Or if the Chyle be wasted too much as Rondoletius observes with moist meats or drinks, and stay not in the stomach but descends pre∣sently. Or if it be snatcht away by Worms as they say, which must needs be very many to cause such a Disease. Some suppose it comes from the broad Worm, which is longest if it be so, it is not because the Worm∣seeds upon Chyle which is not alive as I shewed, but because the Chyle breeds it.

As a natural Thirst is for want of moisture, * 1.5 is so the preterna∣tural when it is long absent: And this is like Hunger for want of meat, when drink hath long been wanting or not actu∣ally cold which quencheth Thirst the best. This may be also from long Spetting which drieth the mouth and stomach; Hence they say much talking which causeth spetting causeth Thirst.

Some say that a cold distemper of the stomach causeth immode∣rate Appetite, * 1.6 because they saw some who lived in a cold Air and drank cold water eat very much. But in regard cold doth not whet the sense but blunt it, we propound ano∣ther cause if the stomach be hot, and the Appetite lost therby, as we shewed cold by correcting the Heat, and bringing the stomach to its natural temper, provoketh Appetite, rather than causing a cold distemper. And because in Winter through outward cold in cold coun∣tries, the heat is driven in and there contracted as Hip∣pocrates saith, the stomach is more hot, men need more meat, And therefore desire more meat: so, that as the same Hippocrates saith they that grow have more natu∣ral heat which increaseth the Appetite, and Cold dimi∣nisheth it. This being so, neither doth a sharp humor cause a Dog-like Appetite, although it may restore a dejected Appetite, and raise the stomach, as we shewed in defect of Appetite. Nor can a Melanchollick or

flegmatick Humor as they suppose, do the same by coldness or sharpness,

Driness of the inward coat there∣of, * 1.7 which goeth to the Gullet and Jaws if it be in any part thereof, causeth preternatural thirst, as on∣ly the want of natural moisture causeth thirst. And the greater the driness, the more the thirst. Heat causeth it by consuming the moisture, and the thirst is greater, because the stomach being hot also, desires cold as wel as moisture; As when the whol body is inflamed and the stomach by the same, Bathes, motion of body or mind, and in Fea∣vers, there is great thirst, And if the heat be great the heat is intollerable: Or if the stomach only be infla∣med from things taken in, as Wine, sweet things or Spices, or with sharp things, Herbs, rotten Cheese, or the like, all these taken intemperately cause a preterna∣tural thirst. Also from the Heat of a Purge there is thirst. Also Choler in the Stomach from meats eaten, or sent thither in Diseases causeth thirst, and the greater when it is hotter. And this may also come from hot vapors sent thither: And from things which only dry and do not (of their own nature) heat as all Salt things and such as are smoak-dryed: Also by Air long taken in with an open mouth, because it drieth the Jawes and the stomach by consequence. Some write that thirst may come from the heat and driness of the Wind-pipe and Lungs, to the Stomach. But, in re∣gard the Lungs want sense of feeling, if thirst come them or from other Diseases of the Breast, it is from the consent of the Tunicle of the Stomach, Gullet, and Wind-pipe, that the stomach is affected: Or by rea∣son of much spitting, or from a Feaver. Neither doth white spittle signifie that it comes from the Lungs; for the same may be made in the mouth from driness, and Air.

If any quality or propriety al∣ter the stomach; * 1.8 so as to raise the Appetite, it is the cause of disor∣derly Appetite, as we observe by melancholick humors which breed in the mesaraicks and mix with the blood, and get into the stomach by the Veins of the Spleen and other branches of the Gate-vein: which cause it not so much from sharpness which is in melancholy, and astringeth the stomach which causeth appetite; as from an hidden quality, which stirs up immoderate sence: which we conjecture to be so, be∣cause, sour things that bind prick, nor cold, as we she∣wed, nor other quality manifest, can so stir up the fun∣ction, as to increase, but rather allay appetite; except there be some hidden force in the humor. As those humors which Physitians cal melancholly, corrupted, and burnt to ashes can put on divers venemous quali∣ties, and cause Dog-like Appetite or Pica which is a desire of abominable things. And therefore the cause of these is a ve∣nemous force, * 1.9 which is better known by the effect than descri∣bed, in the humors sent to, or bred in the stomach, As Dioscorides speaks of some Poysons that tou∣chedor taken in do the same; or cause thirst as the bi∣ting of the Serpent Dipsas; such humors Galen saith may breed in the body and be turned into Poyson. That it is no wonder that women with Child and Vir∣gins that want their Terms should have the Pica. Or others a depraved appetite from a Cacochymy or evil juyce.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exquisite sense of the stomach causeth too great Appetite.
• * 1.2

  Or Evil Custom.
• * 1.3

  Want of Appetite.
• * 1.4

  Distribution of the Chyle too soon caus∣eth quick Appetite.
• * 1.5

  Want of moisture in the stomach cause of Thirst.
• * 1.6

  Coolng of a hot sto∣mach restoreth Ap∣petitie.
• * 1.7

  Driness of the Sto∣mach causeth Thirsl preternatural.
• * 1.8

  An occult quality in the Stomach is the cause of Dog-like Appetite.
• * 1.9

  An occult quality in the stomach is the cause of Pica. Poysons cause Bou∣linos and Thirst.