CHAPTER VI. Of Convulsive Motions, whose cause subsists about the extre∣mities of the Nerves, or within the nervous foldings.

SOmetimes Convulsive distempers do arise, without any fault in the Head, by the irritation and explosion of the spirits, remaining about the extremities of the nerves, which plainly appears, because, when medicines haul sharply the Ventricles or Intestines, or worms gnaw them, there do not only follow Convul∣sions Page  42 in those parts, but besides, convulsive motions do sometimes torment (or are retorted on) the members, and outward Limbs: for indeed, as we have shown elsewhere, when the sense of a very grievous Trouble torments any part, and from that is communicated to the chief Sensorie, presently from thence, an involuntary, and irregular motion, is wont to be reflected on the spirits in that place irritated; and that not only by the same nerves, to which the sense of the pain was carried, but sometimes also the Convulsion is reciprocated, by others, either neighbouring, or altogether extraneous: So the Stone being fixed in the Ureters, and irritating very much its nervous fibres, excites Convulsive motions, not only in the distemperd Vessell, but almost in all the Viscera of the Abdomen; So that, the urine being suppressed, Torments diffused here and there, and very often horrid Vomitings follow. Wherefore, 'tis not at all to be doubted, but that both diseases, and some Convulsive Symptoms, are very often induced, by rea∣son of an outward hurt, brought to the Tops of the Nerves, terminating with∣in the membranes, muscles, or Viscera: yea, in the hysterical, hypochondriacal, and certain other passions, if at any time Convulsive motions are excited, in the hurt head, by the fault of the womb, spleen, or other Inward; verily they a∣rise by this only means, to wit, by the Trouble of the rest of the parts, being translated this way through the Nerves, (but in no wise, by the Vapours) to the brain, and are propagated, all about, into various Regions of the Body.

*But it should here be noted, that although the evident Solitary cause, foras∣much as it is strong and vehement, may sometimes induce Convulsions of it self, and without a praevious disposition: because indeed the Animal Spirits being ir∣ritated, beyond measure, begin greater and more than ordinary explosions, as in overgreat purging, and Vomiting, and the fits of the Collick, and Stone, is ordinarily wont to happen; yet in many other Convulsive Distempers, whose fits are often and habituall, besides the irritation made, about the extremities of the nerves, which serves for the most part for the evident cause, also a certain more remote cause is present, to whose efficacy the assault of the disease is chiefly be∣holden; to wit, when Convulsive motions are wont to be excited, and at every turn repeated, by the fault of the Spleen, womb, or other private part, it may be suspected, that the animal Spirits, of the Fibres in the distemperd part, and those disposed in its neighbouring parts, had first contracted an heterogeneous, explosive Copula,* by which being filled, to a running over, they were provoked, by a light occasion, to Convulsive explosions: Then, those being first begun, about the extremities of the nerves, creep upwards by the passage of the same nerves, and are often caryed to the same nervous origine, and sometimes beyond, to the middle of the brain: from whence, lastly, being reflected, on the nervous stock, they also secondarily, cause the Convulsions of the members, and Limbs: But after the Brain, and a Superior portion of the nervous System, are wont to suf∣fer, and be affected often, by the Convulsions below excited, the spirits inhabi∣ting those parts, also begin to be themselves adulterated at length, and to admit an heterogeneous and explosive Copula, and so to acquire, in part, a procatartick cause; hence at length, a Convulsive procatarxis or more remote cause, becomes Common to either end of the Trunk of the same nerves, and the animal spirits of one nerve, or more, being evilly disposed, both at the head and tail, conceive explosions from either part, and deliver them presently to the other, as shall be more largely declared below, when we treat particularly of hysterical, and o∣ther passions. in the meantime, we will add some histories, and observations, of Convulsions, arising from the farther ends, or extremities of the Nerves.

[Observation. 1] A fine maid, about the 16th. year of her age, falling from her horse, and light∣ing upon a Stone, grievously hurt her left breast, from whence a Tumor arose, with pain, which Symptoms notwithstanding by the use of medicines, at the be∣ginning seem'd to be mitigated, and to be indifferently well, for a long time after. Three years after, she having taken cold, and having observed but a bad course of dyet, all things began to be exasperated, the hurt part swelling into a bigger bulk, troubled her with an accute, and almost continual pain, that the sick Vir∣gin, for the cruel torment, could take no rest, for many days and nights, neither could she suffer the glandula's of her Breast, being then made more tumid, to be either touch'd or handled, yea nor any noyse, or shaking to be made in the Cham∣ber.

Page  43When to this Tumour, about to degenerate into a Cancer, they had applyed fomentations, and Cataplasms of hemlock, and mandraks, and other stupifying and repercussing things, this gentlewoman began to suffer certain Convulsive affecti∣ons, infesting her very often: At first, as often as the pain in her breast did most cruelly torment her, she felt in that place, prickings, also convulsions, and con∣tractions, running about here and there: then presently her Ventricle, and hypo∣chondria, and often the whole Abdomen, were wont to be inflated, and very much distended, with an endeavour of belching, and Vomiting; by and by, the same distemper, being leasurely translated to the superior parts, excited Insensibi∣lity; to which shortly after, Convulsive motions succeeded,, in the whole Body, so strongly, that the Sick party could scarce be held, by three or four strong men.

These kinde of fits, at first were wandring, and only occasionally excited: to wit, they would come, as often as the pain of her brest was strained, by some e∣vident cause: Afterwards, these Convulsions did more often infest her, and at last, they became habitual, and periodical, twice in a day, to wit, they were wont to come again constantly, at so many set hours after eating: And when after this manner, the sick Gentlewoman, had been miserably afflicted, for six months, at length, she began to be molested with a vertiginous Distemper of her head, exercising her almost continually: for which evill, when a fomentation of aromatick and cephalick herbs, had been a good while administred to her head, she became better, as to the giddiness; but then she was perpetually infested, with a quite new, and admirable Symptom, viz. an empty cough, without spitting, night and day, unless when she was overwhelmed with sleep: After this worthy Virgin, had tryed without much benifit, diverse medicines and remedies, pre∣scribed by several Physitians, she was at last helped, by making use of the most temperate Bath, at the Bath; then being presently married, after she had con∣ceived, and was brought to bed, she by degrees grew well.

If the reasons of the whole disease and its Accidents, be inquired into,* without doubt, the convulsive distemper, was first of all excited from the tumour, or pai∣ned place of the breast; the cause of which was, partly the most sharp sense of pain, being impressed from its fibres and nervous parts, but partly by the hetero∣geneous Copula, being affixed on the spirits inhabiting those fibres and nerves; for truly, it may be suspected, that the most sharp humour impacted in the Tumor, which perhaps had in some sort flowed thither, by the passages of the Nerves, being repercussed, by the use of Topicks, had entred the fibres and nervous fila∣ments, or little strings disposed thorow the whole border or neighbourhood, and so the heterogeneous, and explosive Copula, had clove to the spirits; for the shaking off of which, as often as by pain they were excited, they entred into con∣vulsive explosions, and together with them, other spirits flowing within the neighbouring Nerves, by consent of the forms (as it often happens) were ex∣ploded after the same manner: Then the convulsive distemper, when it first had begun in the extremities of the Nerves, being continued thorow their passages, even to the head, was wont to cause the insensibleness, and from thence, leaping back upon the whole nervous system, the convulsive motions, of the Limbs and all the members: The fits, about the beginning of the sicknesse, being excited after this manner, by reason of pain, from the distemper'd part, were carried secon∣darily to the brain, and its appendix: But afterwards, when the spirits inhabiting those places, being often explosed, by sympathy, had so loosned, and weakned the pores of the containing parts, that there lay open a passage, within the same, for all heterogenious particles to enter, with the nervous juce, the convulsive procatarxis or more remote cause, also increased in the head; and the spirits in∣habiting the Encephalon, being infected with an heterogenious Copula, they them∣selves begun the convulsive fit, or at least afforded the first instinct to its assalt, which did return, for the most part, at such set hours after eating, because the morbific matter, was carried in, together with the nervous juce, almost in an equal dimension: In truth, in such cases, where the convulsion being generall, doth possess almost all the parts of the whole nervous system successively, we may suspect, that the animal spirits, had contracted an heterogenious and explosive Copula, in the whole nervous stock, which, when it is arisen, at the set time, to a fullness, incites the spirits themselves, at the appointed time, in like man∣ner Page  44 to explosions, and the same explosion, being begun somewhere, is propaga∣ted in order, to all, after the manner of a fiery enkindling.

As to that empty cough, which succeeding the fomentation of the head, exer∣cised this sick person allmost incessantly for many months; it seems, that this Symptom should depend altogether from the nervous origine being distemper'd, and not at all on the stuffing of the Lungs, for she did not avoid any thing with the cough; and if at any time that force of coughing was violently restrained, pre∣sently she was troubled with the sense of choaking in her Throat: So that, as it is very likely, the morbific matter laid up near the nervous origine being rarified and stirred, by the fomentation, entred more deeply the heads of the nerves, ap∣pointed for the Lungs, and stirred up in their fibres, and filaments, perpetuall con∣vulsions: after the like manner, as when the nervous juce, which waters the fi∣bres, and tendons of the Muscles, being made sharp, and degenerate, induces to those parts, continual leapings and contractions: hence, when a Convulsion or spasm was stop'd, in some branches of the distemper'd Nerves, so as she could not cough, presently the Convulsive motion, running into other branches, of the same neighbour Nerve, stirred up that choaking in the Throat. I will here pro∣pose another example of a Convulsion, arising from the extremities of the Nerves being affected.

[Observation. 2] A noble Matron, of fifty years of Age, after her courses had left her for about half a year, began to complain, first in a pricking pain of her left pap, then af∣terwards, that distemper leaving her, she was ill about her ventricle, for there arose an hard, and as it were a schirrous Tumour, with a sad pain; upon this came an inflation of the stomach, with difficulty of respiration, a nauseousness, and frequent Vomiting: Then the disease encreasing, with a more sharp pain run∣ning about here and there, she fell into Convulsive distempers of the ventricle: to wit, in that place, she was allmost continually troubled, with Convulsions vari∣ously running about, just as if her ventricle had been torn to pieces: Besides a con∣stant perturbation of minde, with thirst, and watchings, and a freqnent deliqui∣um of spirits, as if she had been just dying, exercising this sick Lady: All which symptoms, she plainly perceiv'd to arise, from that Tumour in her ventricle: They saw that all vomitory, cathartical, antiscorbuticall, and hysterical Medi∣cines, did her no good, but were rather hurtfull, and troublesome; she received some benefit, by the taking away of blood by Leeches, and by the use of Asses milk, and afterwards she was much eased, by the long drinking of spaw-waters.

*The aforesaid Symptoms, which commonly are ascribed to the hysterical passi∣on, and the vapours from the womb here plainly appear, to have proceeded from a Tumour, arising about the bottom of the ventricle: for that the blood of this Lady, being very hot, and melanchollick, when it could be no more purged, by her courses, flowing from her, it laid up its recrements, and adust faeculencies, at first in her breast, and then from a new beginning, in the membranes of her stomach: From the tumor there made, sharp and heterogenious particles falling down perpetually, entred the fibres and nerves, planted round about; which clea∣ving continually to the spirits, dwelling in, and flowing into those parts, excited them to frequent explosions, and so made Convulsive distempers, in all the neigh∣bouring parts: But that sometimes the convulsive motions were more light in that place, hence it appears, that the whole nervous stock, and the head it self (as is wont to be in greater convulsions) had not as yet been touched, with the same distemper: But the disorder of spirits, arising about the parts affected, and from thence transfer'd, by a smaller undulation or waving to the head, and so only lightly disturbing the spirits, inhabiting it, induced watchings, with a great heat, and perturbation of the phantasie, what we have hitherto discoursed of Convulsions, from the morbific cause setling upon either end of the nervous sy∣stem, will more clearly appear, when we shall hereafter trear particularly of the chief kinds of convulsions, viz. the hysterical, hypochondriacall, and other pas∣sions: In the mean time, there will be no need to add a Curatory method, for this Hypothesis of convulsions, arising by reason of the extremities of the nerves being affected, because the ways of curing may be better accomodated, to the passions of this kinde, hereafter particularly to be spoken of: But for the pre∣sent, it behoves us, to proceed to the unfolding of the convulsive passions, whose cause, or morbifick matter, seems to subsist, within the nervous foldings.

Page  45We have largely enough, in another place, discoursed of the nervous fol∣dings, and in their description, and use, we have shown, that 'tis very likely, the more grievous fits of convulsive motions, beginning oftentimes within these parts, are from thence propagated on every side, into the neighbouring parts, and not seldom to a great distance: at least, that it seems much more probable, that the heterogenious and explosive particles, after they have overcome the tract of the head, and its medullary appendix, and being more deeply slidden into the Chan∣nels of the Nerves, and their passages, together with the juce watering them, do spread their stores within the nervous foldings, as it were in Cross-streets, and by paths, and there sometimes make their stations, untill at length, being more plentifully heaped up, they as it were with Collected forces, produce the more cruel convulsive distempers: This I say, appears to be much more probable,* then (what is commonly said) to suppose them vapours, arising from the womb, spleen, ventricle, or any other inward, in which all the fault is easily thrown: For within these foldings, there are spaces large enough, for morbific mines, that the matter may be there at leasure laid up, and remain, till it be gathered to a fullness: But then, because we believe, that great plenty of spirits lodge there, more than in any other little cells, the heterogenious Copula growing to them, lays as it were tinder for more grievous explosions, so that, the spirits being ex∣plosed within these bodies, do not only inflate, and dilate them, but elevate and lift them up, from their Place (even as a house blown up with gun-powder;) wherefore the parts lying over them, are suddenly lifted up into a tumour, and loose are drawn violently hither and thither. That after this manner, the more cruell fits of Convulsions, about the praecordia, and Viscera, are very often stirred up, I have found to be true, besides the Arguments taken from reason, not long since by my own sight: For when I opened the dead body of a Gentlewoman who had been exceedingly troubled with (as they say) the Mother fits, or hysterical Distempers, I found the womb wholly faultless, but the Nerves near the fol∣dings of the Mesentery, (as it seem'd) only to be lifted up, and elevated into a bulk, and the membranes of that inward, appeared torn, and loosned one from ano∣ther, as being on every side tumid, and loose, as it were blown up into little bubbles, or bladders.

Indeed there are more considerations of solid reasons, whereby we are induced [Observation. 1] to believe, that the passions called hysterical, do most often arise, from the con∣vulsive matter, heaped up within the Mesenterick enfoldings, and by turns explo∣sed: which shall be more clearly manifested, where we treat especially of those diseases: But, neither is it less probable, that the Collick-pains, do very often proceed, from a more sharp and irritative matter, contained in the same enfol∣dings. Besides, as often as the convulsive fits seem to begin from the spleen, or ventricle, by reason the beginnings of which are inflations, and very great distur∣bances of those parts, it is likely, that the nest of the convulsive matter, was hid within the nervous enfoldings, belonging to the spleen or ventricle: Also, this kinde of matter, seems to excite within the Cardiac foldings, most heavy trem∣blings, and passions of the heart; and within the pneumonic, or cervical, (or those belonging to the Lungs and throat) enfoldings, most terrible fits of the Asthma. In our Treatise of the Nerves, we have related a notable case, of a worthy Gentlewoman, to whom a serous matter, wonted to distill from the forepart of her head, through her left nostrill, fell down behind her ear: where, when the most cruel pain did infest her, Convulsions also, and admirable contra∣ctions followed: whereby the joynting or compaction, now of the brain, and the whole head, seem'd to be pulled downward, now the throat, praecordia, and Vis∣cera upwards: which kinde of Convulsions, vexing the parts so opposite, and at such distance, by turns, when they did proceed from one and the same seat, of the disease, planted in the midst, it will be obvious to conceive, that the grieved place, as the origine of either convulsive affection, was the ganglioform enfol∣dings, planted near the Parotidae, or the two chief Arteries of the throat: into which, the Nerves both of the wandring pair descending from the head are en∣tred, and out of which the shoots do stretch themselves, into the muscles of the throat and branches, into the praecordia, and viscera. Further, front the same cause, to wit, the convulsive matter, heaped up; and by turns explosed, within the ganglioform enfoldings, we think, (and not undeservedly) that sense of Page  46 choaking in the Throat, so often excited in the convulsive fits, did proceed. But there will be a more fit place, to speak of this, when we shall particularly handle, the convulsive diseases, and symptoms. We shall now endeavour, to search into what remains, of the last kind of Convulsions, of which we made mention above, to wit, which relies on the nervous Liquor being infected, thorow its whole mass, with heterogenous and explosive particles, and for that reason, irritate∣ing the whole processes of the Nerves, and the nervous bodies, into universal Spasms, or Convulsions; and those either continual, or intermitting.