n The N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y of
Firft, I cannot think thefe Salt Humours that are the caufes of
intermittent Fevei% Can enter the Slubftatiee of the Brain, the Eaf-
fages or Tubes of the Nerves, or Nervous Membranes except
Vertigoes, Convulfions, Stupors, or the like Symptomes had
preceded the fit) which feldom happens here, Secondly, The
Orifices of the Nerves are fo fmall, that they are fcarce diftin-
guilhahleby the- moft improved Microfcopes, nor can we difcern
any tumefa&ion above a Ligature , how then can we Imagine
thefe Salt Crafs Humours, can penetrate the Genus Nervofum, fo
as to occafion intermittent Fevers, pardon me if I bring a Compa-
rifon from the facred Writ, no more than an Elephant can pals
toe Eye of a Needle.
To the Second and Third Objection brought again ft this Hy-
pothefis, the preceding Arguments may fuffice; To the
Fourth I reply, the Nervous Syftem is dpubtlefs deprived of its
due Pabulum, by the Vifcous Lympha entangling the Animal Spirits,
hence the Face grows .pale, the Strength decays, the Apr
petite foils, and the Subcutaneous Glandules , deprived of the
elaftick force of the Spirits which contracted them, now become
Flaccid, and open with wider Orifices, infomuchthat the ferous
part of the Blood continually throws off, and the patient diffolves
in Continual Sweats, for when we affirm the Serum of the Bloodi
to be over Vifcid^ it is not to be underftood of an Univerfal Coagulation,
but that various humours contain’d in the Mafs of Blood,
are condenfed according to the Quality,and Quantity of the Saline
Particles, hence the fits enfue at certain diftances of times,, by the
Circulation of the Blood, which granted it is plain enough to
conceive how thofe profufe Sweats come on ; To the fifth I An-
fwer,perhaps by the Mucus of the Stomach befmearing its Tuni«,
cles, tho’Salt and Acid Liquors may be immediately received into
it, notwithftanding that it is lb defended by it that no Agony can
inftantly arife,or perhaps by the various alterations the Saline Particles
undergo in the mafs of Blood, they become fo Volatilized
they produce different effects, the truth of which is plain from
the difference betwixt Crude and Fermented juices; Thefe
things allow d, we may readily fblve how by one only Dofe of
the
| - C A SHjR E, C HE SHIR E,
9 5
the, taken half an hour before the approach ofth^ fiT™
^nsdiver^t,_ ^ c o a d l y , ; how f t Pu^esthough v e ryg j.
tie, ^as even Mtlkgjifters,r.fthe; Diftemper returns,, thirdly how
toe fits reuew , within a.Mdnth, the not,being repeated •
and fourthly, this leads us, to a folution of, other Inflammatory
Cafes, as the Pleurify, Apoplexy, Rheuraati-fm, ColicL fo?
That a^fmall q u a n t i t y , t a k e n ' h a l f ah,hour beforb
the-;fi|, may produce thefe:effeds,: let, ussfuppofe,, that by the
innate heat of the Stomach and Bowels,;' and by the Humours
there lodged, in a Moment almoft a Tiij&ure is extracted from
Joft « weffe jjg Galls put into^inerriTWatJSven
m the thinking of an Eye it ^cprnes of a'^urpieColour’11 'and
Precipitates: by a Parallel; reafon may we allow thp [Cortex to
Precipitate the Saline or Auftere-Particles, hence the.MoEbifick
matter alter’d, the Nervous Tunicles are no longer twitched nor
Corrugated by their Points; thus many times by .one Angle Dofe
the fit is diverted : But this could never enfueiiu fo fhort a
by only one Dole of the Cortez, if the ^orbifiek matter lodged
in the very fubftance of the Nerves, aqd that, thy Particles of the
Cortez according to the Nervous Hypothefis, were to pafs intp the
very Genus I^iofum, whokfenetraltakfe too fmall^f fuchPar^
tides as we aflerted before, fame urge indeed that by a pundure of
theNerve many times alj/»pfwdiftils,but this does not demonfirate
thatzLympba paffes through the Nerves,but fatb# ioWs it to be i
Lympha flowing fromCapillaries adhering totheoutWard7 amc/w of
the Nerves,or it may be aLymphatickVeffel it felf wounded: but
againft thefe aflertions pne ftrong Argument remains, thatyf
intermittent Diftempers arife froip Saline Particles lodged in We
Stomach and Bowels , thrown of thither by the mafs of Blood
how comes it then fince the Circulation of the Blood is fo lwift
that the fits come not once every hour but only at Rated times
and hence are called Quotidian^ Tertian, and Quartan Agues.
To this we fojqit is very true the Circulation of the Blood is very
often and fwiftly performed, and-each in dividual Emundory
endeavours its proper Secretions, but the Lympha here having acquired
fuch a thicknefs, thatitearnjptdudy enter its proper Veffels,