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VVE call that an Impotency of Motion, which also we may call an immobility, when either we cannot at all, or not sufficiently perform those motions which are made by our will only, the which seeing they are many and various in the Body, so many & divers kinds also of Immobility do offer themselves; of which sort are, in the defect of stronger Motions, not to be able, or hardly able, to raise one self up, or
bend; to stand or go, to lay hold on, and handle things, to take things firmly and break them with the Teeth; but in the defect of weaker motions, not to be able to open or shut the mouth or the Lips, the Eyes or Eyelids, or cast about the Eyes.
Which first of all do chiefly differ in this, that in such like Immobilities, sometimes the member which ought to be moved, is Relaxed and Languid, and it is called a Palsie, a Resolution, which is as it were a parti∣cular Apoplexy, when that is done without an apparent hurt, but if it be with a hurt it is called according as that is, somtimes a Fracture, sometimes a Luxation, somtimes a Wound: but at other times the member is attracted or for a time Convulsed and then it is called either a Spasm, or particular Convulsion to distinguish it from a general Convulsion which we have called an Epilepsie and Catalepsie, of which the Spasm here pro∣perly called is a part, seeing it is improperly also called a Spasm which the Germans call Krampf, the Arabians Alcuzez, of which notwithstanding the cause is far o∣therwise, than of a true Spasm, whence this also is cal∣led Flatulent; but at other times, when the member is attracted 'tis only named a Contraction, a certain per∣severing stiffness of some member, which particularly if it be in the back is called a Gibbus; which names af∣terwards we shal use in this signification; but in these kinds of Immobility somtimes more motions together do fail, somtimes particularly only some.
Somtime more of the foremen∣tioned Motions are taken away together, * 1.1 in a Palsie therefore cal∣led General, the Members which ought to exercise motions, being Palsied, Languid, and impotent, without pain, as how this comes to pass in every motion, we shall shew in particular Palsies: which sometimes happens in the Members of both sides, and in their motions, which Species of a Palsie is called Paraplegia; but somtimes this happens in one side only the right or the left, which Species they cal Hemiphlegia, in which never∣theless this most commonly falls out, that either side of the trunk of the body being palsied, and its motions a∣bolisht, the motions of the rest of the parts placed in the Face, remain sound and whol, somtimes some only receive dammage, as the motion of the Lips, but also to the forementioned Immobilities of voluntary mo∣tions somtimes are joyned some other Defects of the motions of Respiration and Excretions, as shal be ex∣plained in their places: amongst which Speech of∣ten faileth. And it happens also that both the Voice and Breathing do suffer hurt together that when they would speak out any thing clearly, or fetch breath strongly, they are vehemently troubled with cry∣ing out, Laughing, Weeping, Coughing, and in dan∣ger of Suffocation. To these somtimes is added, that they cannot retain their water, and they cast forth other Excrements.
But also besides these Defects of Motions, the sense of Feeling is abolisht in the palsied Members; yet somtimes that also remains, seeing a Palsie is a symp∣tom of Motion rather than of Sense.
But in others there is discovered rather a Stupidity with sense of Formication or of Heat or Cold, as hath been said in a Stupidity. In a peculiar Palsie but very frequent in our times which follows the Collick pains, besides a resolution of certain parts, which oftentimes is wont to begin and continue with a trembling of the Member, a grievous and cruel pain doth moreo∣ver possess the plasied Members: which Palsie is wont for the most part to turn to Convulsions, and kill the Patient.
Some would have it, that all the Voluntary Motions may be abolisht together, * 1.2 and all the Members may be convelled, or rather be rigid, and as it were congealed, in the said Spasm, as it is in an Epilepsie and Catalepsie, so that it shal differ from them, especially from a Catalepsie, no otherwise, than that here, because the senses remain otherwise than in them, they feel cruel pains in their Members; which Disease Celsus hath called a Tetanos or Rigor, * 1.3 and Galen hath reckoned it amongst the peracute Diseases, because it kils a man in four daies space, and he hath declared that it is very rare, seeing the cause which causeth it must needs be great as he saith, which can breed such grievous pains, that it doth rather cause a true Epilepsie, or Cata∣lepsie.
Yet it comes to pass more frequently that a Spasm doth not invade at once all parts, but only some, which otherwise as shal be said, it is wont to possess singly, and it is perceived in the Back and Joynts, and some parts of the Face, somtimes also for the same reason as a Pal∣sie, doth by slackning, so this by contraction, doth pre∣judice, the Speech, and Voice; which particular Con∣vulsion, certainly manifesting themselves in many pla∣ces, are the Foretellers, and as it were the Preface, and somtimes the beginnings of a general Convulsion or Epilepsie by and by to follow, but sometimes are the relicks remaining after a Paroxysm of an Epilepsie that went before, which is now cast off, as hath been said in an Epilepsie. And we have seen also in a certain man a certain Spasm of the Members that hath lasted twenty yeers, somtimes abating a little, somtimes contracting the Back, Feet, Arms, and moreover with a pain run∣ning up and down, wonderfully afflicting him; so that at the least touch of any thing he would cry out, and the pain beginning in that place, & discovering it self by a yellow speck which presently grew, now it runs like an Air into the ends of his fingers, by and by into the tip of his Nose, and other outward parts, at the touch of the which he cryed out: and also that Spasm which they call Flatulent is oftentimes wont to molest many parts at once, * 1.4 and to be troublesom to certain men by Fits, which doth not so much differ from a true Spasm, both in the cause, and danger.
Somtimes also Voluntary mo∣tions may fail apart, * 1.5 their parts being slackned, or convulsed, or contracted, or otherwise hurt, as being now about to explain these in particulars: by what means it may come to pass, we shal reckon up divers particular kinds of im∣potency of motion.
Somtimes a Raising up or Bending of the body can∣not be performed, the back being palsied which scarce happens to these motions of the back apart, but also with other motions taken away too, as hath been said in a general Palfie: from this Spasm in the back it som∣times happens that tis convulsed, as the senses being en∣tire, we have sometimes seen that by this means it hath a long time bent one upwards from the bed, and again relaxing him smite the bed: the which also may happen from a Contraction without a Spasm, first of all in ge∣neral, that it cannot be bent, and the body remain ri∣gid
& stretched in that called a Teta∣nus or Rigor (which name although they apply it only to the Back Con∣vulsed, * 1.6 yet we also may apply it to that, if it proceed from a Contra∣ction) or that it cannot be erected, and they go with a crooked body, and it inclines either to the foreparts in that called an Epistotonos or to the hinder parts in an Opisthotonos, or to either side. Also some part only of the Back being contracted its motion is somwhere stopt, either some part of the Back bunching forth back∣wards in that called a Gibbus, * 1.7 or towards the sides, or which seldomer happens it being bent forwards, and that in every one more or less, and a greater or lesser porti∣on of it being carried thither; whence they cannot erect the Body and they shew it short, crooked, with an uncomly figure of the breast, the breast especially hanging out very much, and the Back prest in, and the Head inclining backwards if the Back be crookt to the foreparts, but the Back ap∣pears immoveable also by another means, it loosing its motion by a Contusion or Wound.
Going and Standing, Holding things, and Handling them, somtimes cannot be deformed; and that of∣tentimes, the Thighes, Arms being palsied, but chiefly the Hands, Feet, and their Fingers and Toes their mo∣tions being taken away apart, or many together, as hath been shewed in a general Palsie; and then one part, or more so affected do languish, and hang, and cannot be moved but by the benefit of a sound part, and because they are idle, they are found cold and moist by the touch; and somtimes are insen∣sible or stupid, after divers manners as hath been said formerly; also some motions of them are sometimes hindred by a Spasm and certain parts causing them, ei∣ther more or fewer are troubled with it, not only with that which is called Flatulent which doth so often cramp with the highest torment the Toes of the Feet and somtimes also other parts, but also certain rudi∣ments of a true Spasm do create trouble in these pla∣ces, for the same reason as a Flatulent one doth, such a one as we have said in the causes of an Epilepfie hath sometimes manifested it self upon the taking of a vio∣lent Medicine; and also the motions that are perform∣by the Joynts do cease, if these parts are contracted, which if it be done singly is wont to happen to some one only: whence they appear Crooked, Bowed, or Stiff; which is a permanent and frequent evil in the Feet and Hands and their Fingers and Toes, in those whom the common people call cramped, * 1.8 although when these parts are palsied and pendulous about the Wrist, they are bound up and contracted in the Fingers, and Atrophy moreover of the Hands supervening especially betwixt the Thumb and Fore∣finger, the flesh being wasted there, and a conspicuous hollowness appearing, an evil most commonly remai∣ning after Collick pains: this happens also with ano∣ther fault of the forementioned parts in form and situa∣tion, that they cannot be moved, when either being a∣breviated, or otherwise crooked, bent or hurt in their length, or about the Joynts, they are found to have changed their scituation, and that with pain of the place especially whiles they endeavour to move their Limbs, there being joyned somtimes a heat with a tu∣mor and somtimes a hollowness appearing in one part, especially about the Joynts, they and a certain protur∣berancy in the opposite place to it, as we shal shew in the causes doth befall broken and luxated bones, where also we shal explain how an Immobility of these parts doth happen with a Wound and other manifest Hurts.
Somtimes they cannot take things firmly and divide them with their Teeth when the inward Cavity of the mouth can no waies be shut, * 1.9 but remains open with the Teeth drawn asunder and the Mandible hanging down; and that comes to pass without pain that being palsied which seldom happens particularly to that, much less in a general Palsie; or with pain and trouble that being palsied, the mouth standing right or crooked if this come to pass only in one side, somtimes there is some other eminent hurt, or a solution of Continuity. But at other times the Mandible cannot be opend, and 'tis exactly bound up, or only in one side, with the Teeth joynd together, neither doth it suffer them to take in meat, or any thing else, and it is either a Spasm called by a peculiar name Trismos if it befal this part, * 1.10 or some other Con∣traction: somtimes the Teeth be∣ing set on edg by this trouble, they are hindred in che∣wing of meats.
Somtimes they cannot shut or o∣pen their Mouth, * 1.11 or decently joyn and disjoyn their Lips, which chief∣ly prejudiceth Sucking and Sup∣ping; and then the Lips either are wanting or they hang down being palsied chiefly in a general Palsie, seldom in a particular Palsie only of this part, but most commonly it happens in the Palsie only of one side that this motion might not altogether pe∣rish, seeing both the right and left part of the mouth joyned together, makes one month, one side of which being hurt, the other remaining moveable doth draw the immoveable side, & then the Lips with the Cheeks hang down on one side only. As also if they be con∣velled or contracted on one side, they also are drawn thither upwards. * 1.12 And because then in both sorts, one part of the mouth hanging down∣wards or drawn upwards, the mouth is rendred Oblique & Wreathed as it is wont to appear in those that cry, whether it be from a Resolution or Convulsion or Contraction, they have called it, a wreathing of the mouth. But if the Lips with the Cheeks are drawn together on both sides in a Spasm, then the Mouth is wont to be seen drawn transverse, as in men Laughing, or in Dogs when they gape being angered, * 1.13 and they call it a Dog∣like Spasm; as indeed Laughing also and Crying are kinds of a certain par∣ticular Spasm or Cramp, seeing they do involuntarily so distort the mouth, as by and by shal be said in the Causes.
Somtimes also they cannot cover and hide their Eyes with their Eye∣lids, * 1.14 and the Eye remains bare and open, and is more exposed to exter∣nal injuries, which evil some call Gessa and whom this befalls, they rest not commodiously in sleep, which is best acted with the Eyes shut, Seeing being so hindred; which discommodity may also come to pass by a Pal∣sie, for although it were palsied, nevertheless it would remain collected in the upper part of the Eye (for so the Eyelid ought naturally to be when it is not drawn, whence also in the dead their Eyes remain open) but
this yet scarce happens, unless the Palsie be altogether general, as in the Apoplectical their Eyes continue o∣pen: but as this sometimes happens from a Tumor which then also appears too, so frequently that the Eyebrow and Eyelids, when the Cheeks palsied do hang downwards, do somwhat appear depending on the outer side also. But if the Eye cannot at all be opend, then the Eyelids drawn over the Eye and ga∣thered together do hinder the sight, but if they be only lightly drawn asunder then they are said to wink with their Eyes, the which notwithstanding in some doth more rightly direct their sight than hinder it; this also scarce happens from a Spasm that the Eye is wholly covered (unless this fall out with an impediment of the motion of the Eye, as shal be said by and by) as it is that the Eyebrow is somwhat drawn down with the Cheeks; yet somtimes that also comes to pass from some private hurt or Tumor of it, which sometimes meeting in the Eyelid, or Eye, bring such an Impedi∣ment, as shall be said there: in sleep they wink natu∣rally.
The rowling or moving of the Eye is scarce abolished, * 1.15 unless in an Apo∣plexy, with which those that are ta∣ken have their Eyes fixt, and alwaies with the same a∣spect, as hath been said there, and in Convulsions also they appear Convelled, Contorted, and as they call it Broken.
Yet somtimes also a certain short Spasm or Cramp as it doth convell the other Members, so the Eyes also with a certain pain, not suffering them so long to be rowled, as neither the Eyelids to be opened.
The which befals some rouzed out of a deep sleep, that whiles they endeavor to open and move their Eyes, seeing they are bound up as it were with a Spasm, yet they cannot do it last, but with Labour and Pain.
Somtimes also Squinting is caus∣ed, * 1.16 rather by a Contraction from the birth than by a Convulsion, the Eye being somwhat perverted, and the Eye a little turned hither and thither, looking upon one not streight but obliquely, it rather gives a stern Aspect than hinders the Sight, seeing the apple is scarce carried so far as to be hid by the Eyelids.
The immobility of many parts together, or a general Palsie or resolution is a spe∣cies of general im∣mobility.
A Spasm or particu∣lar Convulsion is a Species of general immobility.
A Tetanus or Rigor is a species of Spasm
A flatulent Spasm.
An immobility of private parts or a particular Palsie, Spasm, Contracti∣on, is an impotency to exert or bend the body.
A Tetanus Epi∣stotonos Opi∣stothonos are a species of contra∣ction.
A Gibbus is a Species of Contra∣ction.
The Contraction of those which the Ger∣mans call Contrakt is a Species of impo∣tency to go or lay hold of a thing.
An Impotency to Bite and Eat.
Trismos a Spe∣cies of Spasm.
An Impotency to open and shut the mouth.
A wreathing of the mouth, is a species of Spasm.
The Dog-like Spasm, a speci∣es of Spasm.
An Impotency to open and shut the Eyes.
An Impotency to rowl the Eyes.
Squinting a sort of Contraction.