Of the suffocation ofthe Mother.
Of the suffocation ofthe Mother.
That this disease doth oftentimes giue occasion vnto simple and vnlearned people, to suspect possession, witchcraft, or some such like supernaturall cause.
The passiue condition of womankind is subiect vnto more diseases and ofother1sortes and natures then men are: and especially in regarde of thatpart2from whence this disease which we speake of doth arise. For as it hath more varietieof3offices belonging vnto it then other partes of the bodie haue, and accordingly is supplied from other partes with whatsoeuer it hath need of for those vses: so it must needes thereby be subiect vnto mo infirmities then other parts are: both by reason of such as are bred in the part it selfe, and also by reason of such as are communicated vnto it from other parts, with which it hath correspondence. And as those offices in their proper kindes are more excellent then other; so the diseases whereby they are hurt or depraued, are more grieuous. But amongest all the diseases wherevnto that sex is obnoxious, there is none comparable vnto this which is calledThe Suffocation of the mother, either for varietie, or for strangenesse of accidents. For whatsoeuer straunge accident may appeare in any of the principall functions of mans bodie, either animall, vitall, or naturall, the same is to bee seene in this disease, by reason of the communitie and consent which this part hath with the braine, heart, and liuer, the principall seates of these three functions;Altomarus de medend. hum. corp. malis cap. 110. Barth. Montagnana Consilio. 226.and the easie passage which it hath vnto them by the Vaines, Arteries, and Nerues. And whatsoeuer humor in other partes may cause extraordinarie affects, by reason of the abundance or corruption of it, this part will affoord the like in as plentifull a manner, and in as high a degree of corruption: and with this aduauntage that whereas in the other, some one or two of the faculties onely one are hurt (as inApoplexies,Epilepsyes,Syncopyes, subuersions of the stomacke, &c.) and not all (vnlesse as inSyncopyesby consent, where the vitall function ceasing, all the rest must needes cease) in this case all the faculties of the bodie doe suffer;Mercatus lib. 2. cap. 2. & 3.not as one may do from another, but all directly from this one fountaine, in such sort as you shall often tymes perceyue in one and the same person diuerse accidents of contrarie natures to concurre at once.
And hereupon theSymptomsof this disease are sayd to be monstrous and terrible to beholde, and of such a varietie as they can hardly be comprehended within any method or boundes.Valetius scoffing at their ignorance calleth this disease a kind of diuell.in Holler. cap. 59.Insomuch as they which are ignorant of the strange affects which naturall causes may produce, and of the manifold examples which our profession of Phisicke doth minister in this kind, haue sought aboue the Moone for supernaturall causes: ascribing these accidents either to diabolicall possession, to witchcraft, or to the immediate finger of the Almightie.
But it is no maruell though the common people and men also in other faculties verie excellent may bee deceyued by the rarenesse and straungenesse of these matters, which are hidden out of their Horizon amongest the deepest mysteries of our profession:Cosmocrit. li. 1 cap. 7. pag. 153 Inexperto medico sapè suspitionem ñuminis præb̃ueruntwhen as Phisitions themselues, asCornelius Gemmatestifieth. If they bee not verie wel exercised in the practise of their profession, are oftentimes deceyued, imagining such manifolde straunge accidents as their hee mencioneth to accompanie this disease, (assuffocationin the throate, croaking of Frogges, hissing of Snakes, crowing of Cockes, barking of Dogges, garring of Crowes, frenzies, convulsions, hickcockes, laughing, singing, weeping, crying, &c.) to proceede from some metaphysicall power, when in deede (as hee there sayeth) they are meerely naturall.
Auicenalso in his Chapter of this disease,Fen. 21. 3 cap: 26: tract: 4:speaking of the causes of it, sayth, that there were some wise Phisitions in his time which said, that the cause of this disease was vnknowne: Because asIacobus de Partibusexpoundeth it, they did thinke it to be inflicted from aboue, yet notwithstanding he setteth downe naturall causes of it, and a naturall cure.
HippocratesLib. de morbo sacro in principio.also long before finding this error to bee helde by some in his time maketh mention of diuerse of theseSymptoms, and sayeth, that hee doth not see anie thing in them more supernaturall, or more to bee admired, then there is in Tertians, and Quartans, and other kindes of diseases: imputing it either vnto ignorance, and want of experience that Phisitians of his time did iudge otherwise; or vnto a worser humor, when as beeing loath to bewray their owne defects through pride and arrogancie:Inscitia palliũ maleficium & incantatio. R. Sc: li, 1. cap. 3and not knowing what to prescribe would flie vnto diuine causes, and neglecting naturall meanes for their reliefe, would wholy relie vpon expiations, incantations, sacrifices, &c. cloaking their ignoraunce vnder these shadows, and pretending both more knowledge, and more pietie then other men: by which course they gained this aduauntage, that if the patient chanced to recouer, they should bee highly renowmed for their skill; if not, their excuse was readie that Gods hande was against them.
This hee speaketh of the Phisitions of his time, whome he confuteth principally by two reasons, which may serue for excellent rules for all men to discerne such cases by. The first is, that there is no supernaturall Character in theseSymptoms, as hee proueth by an induction of diuerse ofthem, which in the cõmon opinion were thought to be aboue nature: yet hee proueth to haue their naturall causes in the bodie of man as well as others haue.
The strength of this argument will better appeare hereafter in the particularSymptoms, which we are to entreate of: where it shall be made manifest that the most of them doe both depende vpon such naturall causes as other diseases haue in our bodies, and also are oftentimes mixed with other diseases which are accompted naturall.
It may likewise appeare by this, that whereas all other diseases are knowne by their notes and signes which resemble their cause (asCholler,Flegme,Melancholy,&c.haue their proper markes, corruption and putrefaction, their proper notes and malignity his Character) so there must be some Character or note of a supernaturall power in these cases (as4extraordinarystrength or knowledge or suffering) or else we haue no cause but to think them naturall. If the diuell as an externall cause, may inflict a disease by stirring vp or kindling the humours of our bodies, and then depart without supplying continuall supernaturall power vnto it;5then the disease is but naturall, and will submit it selfe vnto Physicall cure. For externall causes when they are already remoted, giue no indication of any remedy.
The second argument of this is, that theseSymptomsdo yeeld vnto natural causes, and are both procured and also eased by such ordinary meanes, as other diseases are:and6therefore they must needs be naturall.
The strength of this argument is grounded vpon the very foundation of our profession which hath beene laydby7Hyppocratesand8Gallenlong agoe and euer since confirmed by the practise and obseruations of all learned men; that diseases are cured by their contraries. I saycontrary9both vnto the disease, vnto the cause, and vnto theSymptom. And the more exact the contrarietie is; the more proper is the remedy: as when they are equallin10degree or in power. But what equality of contrariety either in degree or in power, can there be betweene a supernaturall suffocating power, and the compression of the belly or throate. They are disperats in Logicke, but not contraries. For contrarietie is betweene such as are comprehended vnder one generall. And where one is opposed vnto one alone, and not indifferently vnto many. Neither doe I thinke, that any man wel aduised, will say that by compression of those parts, he is able to suppresse the power of the diuell. The like may be saide of the application of cupping glasses, of sweete plaisters, of ligatures, &c. beneath, and of euell smelles aboue; by all which we do obserue those kindes of fits to be mitigated: and yet there can bee no such contrary respect in thẽ against a supernatural cause, as is between a remedy and a disease. They are also procured vpon sweete smelles, vpon pleasant meats and drinkes, vpon feare, anger, iealousie, &c. as in theparticular causes shall bee farther declared: and yet no such consent can bee shewed in them with any supernaturall affect, as that they may any way cause or encrease it. Wherefore the rule ofHyppocratesmust needes be true; that if theseSymptomsdo yeeld vnto naturall remedies, they must also bee naturall themselues.Georg. Godelman. de magis. &c. lib 1: cap 8.Bruno Seidelius de morbis incurab: pag: 19: Centuria 5, curat: 75.And thus much in explanation of these two arguments ofHyppocratesagainst the errour of his time: which notwithstanding hath been continued in the mindes of men vntill this day, and no maruell: vnlesse the same corruption which bred it at the first, had beene remoued out of the world. And therefore diuers of our Authors doe make especiall mention of this case wherein they report the common people to haue beene deceiued by imagining witchcraft or possession, where indeed there was none.
Amatus Lusitanusreporteth of oneDiua Clara, a maide of 18. years of age, which had euery day two or three such strange fits, as those that were about her, gaue out that she was haunted with an euill spirit.
In those fits euery part of her body was distorted, she felt nothing, nor perceiued any thing: but had all her senses benummed, her hart beating, her teeth close shut together: yet for an houres space or two she would haue such strong motions, that shee would weary the strongest men that came at her. When she had beene three weekes in this case, her left arme began to be resolued with a palsie, &c. He being called vnto her prescribed such remedies as are usuall in this case, and within few dayes recouered her, to the great admiration of the beholders.
Petrus ForrestusObseruationũ medicin: lib: 10 obseru: 30.maketh mention of another maid of 22. yeares old, which dwelt with a Burgermaster ofDelftinHolland, who falling in loue with a yong man, fell also into these fits of the Mother: which held her many houres together with such violent horrible accidents, as hee neuer sawe the like: her whole body being pulled to and fro with convulsiue motions, her belly sometimes lifted vp, and sometimes depressed, a roaring noise heard within her, with crying and howling, a distortion of her armes and handes: insomuch as those about her thought her to be possessed with a diuell, and out of all hope of recouery. He being called vnto her in Ianuarie 1565. applied conuenient remedies as there he setteth downe, and in a short time restored her to her health againe.
Thaddæus Dumus miscall: cap 9.Many more such like examples might bee produced both out of authenticall writers in our profession and out of our own experiences, which yet do liue (were it not that late examples would bee offensiue to rehearse:) but these may suffice to show how easily men vnexperienced in those extraordinarie kinds of diseases, may mistake the causes of them: when through admiration of the vnwonted and grieuous accidents they behold, they are caried vnto Magicall and Metaphysicall speculations. But the learned Phisition who hath first beene trained vp in the study of Philosophy, and afterwards confirmed by the practise and experience of all mannerof naturall diseases, is best able to discerne what is naturall, what not naturall, what preternaturall, and what supernaturall, the three first being properly subiect to his profession: and therefore they doe wrong vnto the faculty of Phisicke, and vnto them selues, and oftentimes vnto others, who neglecting that light which wee might yeeld them, doe runne headlong and blindefold into many errors and absurdities. For preuention whereof I haue breefly set downeLib. 28. obseru. 26:what the doctrine of Phisitions is concerning this disease of the Mother, which of all other is most subiect vnto misconstruction. For that asForrestussaieth it is a harde matter to discerne in what maner the Mother may occasion such strange and manifold accidents.