FOOTNOTES:

FOOTNOTES:[91]See Matthew, Chap. viii. and ix., and John, Chap. v.[92]See Cotovici Itinerarium Hierosolymitarum, Lib. ii. Cap. ii. and Maundrell’s Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, 8vo. p. 107. Oxford 1714.[93]Onomasticon urbium & locorum sacræ scripturæ, in voceΒηζαϑά.[94]Lib. iii. Cap. xxvii.[95]Lib. xxxi. §. 32.[96]Ib. §. ii.[97]Ib. §. 19.[98]De Dea Syria.[99]Vid. Ortelii Theatrum orbis terrarum.[100]Vid. Geo. Wernher. de admirandis Hungariæ aquis.[101]Palæstina ex monument. vet. illustr. p. 300, &c.[102]Loco citato.[103]Αλεξικακον.

[91]See Matthew, Chap. viii. and ix., and John, Chap. v.

[92]See Cotovici Itinerarium Hierosolymitarum, Lib. ii. Cap. ii. and Maundrell’s Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, 8vo. p. 107. Oxford 1714.

[93]Onomasticon urbium & locorum sacræ scripturæ, in voceΒηζαϑά.

[94]Lib. iii. Cap. xxvii.

[95]Lib. xxxi. §. 32.

[96]Ib. §. ii.

[97]Ib. §. 19.

[98]De Dea Syria.

[99]Vid. Ortelii Theatrum orbis terrarum.

[100]Vid. Geo. Wernher. de admirandis Hungariæ aquis.

[101]Palæstina ex monument. vet. illustr. p. 300, &c.

[102]Loco citato.

[103]Αλεξικακον.

Thatthe Dæmoniacs, δαιμονιζομένοι, mentioned in the gospels, laboured under a disease really natural, tho’ of an obstinate and difficult kind, appears to me very probable from the accounts given of them. They were indeed affected various ways. For sometimes, they rent their garments, and ran about naked; striking terror into all those whom they met, and even wounding their own bodies; so very furious, that tho’ bound with chains and fetters, they broke their bonds, and rambled in the most lonely places, and among the sepulchres of the dead. Sometimes also they cried out, that they were possessed by many devils, whichthey imagined could pass out of themselves into other bodies.[104]At other times, either they were worried, and made a hideous noise;[105]or were thrown on the ground, without being hurt, and the devil went out of them.[106]

These are all actions of madmen; but the dispute is, whether they were wrought by devils, or by the violence of the disease. Thus much is certain, that in those times it was a common opinion among the jews, that evil spirits frequently took possession of people, and tortured them in so surprizing a manner, as if they were agitated by furies. For in the whole catalogue of diseases, which afflict mankind, there is no other, that seemsso much to surpass the force of nature, as this, in wretchedly tormenting the patient by fierce distractions of the mind, and excessively strong, tho’ involuntary, motions of the body. But most certainly we find nothing sacred in all this, nothing but what may arise from a natural indisposition of body. And in order to place this my opinion in the stronger light, it may not be improper to give a short discourse on madness; not indeed on that species, which comes on in an acute fever, and goes off with it, which is called a phrenzy, and is always of short duration; but that other sort, which is rivetted in the body, and constitutes a chronical disease.

Wherefore all madness is a disease of an injured imagination, which derives its origin from the mind, having been too long a time fixed onany one object. Hence proceed uneasiness and anxieties of mind concerning the event. And by how much the things, whose images incessantly occur to the imagination, are of greater moment in life, the more violently they disturb the person; examples of which we see particularly in love and religion, wherein hope, fear, despair, and other contrary passions, succeeding each other by turns, drag the person different ways. That this is the case, will not be doubted by any one, who recollects, that a madman often has a good memory; manages his affairs, except when some vain ideas come across his mind, with tolerable prudence, nay sometimes with more than ordinary cunning; and that he ofttimes recovers the intire and permanent use of his reason, by a course of proper medicines. Therefore in this disorder the person is first over-whelmedby terrifying ideas, which are followed by wrath and fury, as attendants on anxiety: whence he threatens and attempts to do acts of the utmost cruelty to those who approach him, and thro’ excess of anguish, frequently lays violent hands even on himself: then he grows again melancholic; and thus rage and dejection of spirits affect him alternately: moreover it is no uncommon thing to see a person under these circumstances, especially when the disease has taken deep root by length of time, seeking unfrequented and solitary places, in order to avoid the conversation of his fellow creatures,

Ipse suum cor edens, hominum vestigia vitans.[107]Gnawing his heart, shunning the steps of men.

Ipse suum cor edens, hominum vestigia vitans.[107]

Gnawing his heart, shunning the steps of men.

Now, people afflicted with thisdisorder, often live a long time. For all mad folks in general bear hunger, cold, and any other inclemency of the weather; in short, all bodily inconveniencies, with surprizing ease; as they enjoy a strength of constitution superior to what might be easily imagined. Likewise it frequently happens, that an epilepsy comes on madness of a long standing. For these diseases are nearly related; and in this case, we know by experience, that there remain not the least hopes of recovery. Lastly it is to be observed, that the patient is either frantic or melancholic, according as his habit of body is disposed to receive this or that injury.

But that the casting out of devils, is nothing more than the removal of madness, many do not believe, upon this account, that those things whichhappen to persons thus affected, seem to them impossible to be done by the force of nature. But certainly these gentlemen are too much strangers to physic, and have not sufficiently attended to phœnomena no less surprizing, which daily occur in other diseases. Do we not often see that violent affections of the mind are the cause of death? A sudden fright has destroyed many, and even excessive joy has been fatal. A dangerous distemper sometimes passes from one part of the body to another, in the twinkling of an eye. The venom thrown into the mass of blood by the bite of a mad dog, generally lies still a good while; and at the end of some weeks, sometimes months, exerting its strength, it produces symptoms not inferior to those, which are said to be produced by devils. What is more surprizing than some things which fall out in pregnancies? If apregnant woman happens to have an eager desire for any thing, and is disappointed, she sometimes marks the fœtus with the figure or likeness of the object longed for, on this or that part of the body. And, what is still more, and approaches to a prodigy, upon the mother being terrified by a sudden injury done to any one part, that very part in the child suffers the same evil, and decays for want of nourishment. I know that the truth of stories of this kind, is called in doubt by some physicians; because they cannot conceive, how such things can happen. But many examples, of which I have been an eye-witness, have freed my mind of all scruples on this head. Now, the power of the imaginative faculty is so stupendous, that the mind is not less affected by false, than by true images, when daily subjected to them. This we find by experience in those women,who are called witches, who, being under the influence of such an error of the mind, frequently imagine that they not only converse with devils, but also have enter’d into compacts with them; and persist in these notions with such obstinacy, that, when they are brought to a trial, they confess themselves guilty of wickednesses, which they never perpetrated, though they know that they must suffer death for their confession. Moreover, every body knows how wonderfully the mind is disturbed in melancholies. One of them thinks his head is made of glass, and is afraid of stirring abroad, for fear of having it broken: another believes himself to be actually dead, and refuses food, because the dead ought not to eat. There are a thousand stories of this kind. I remember, a man of letters, with whom I was well acquainted, whopositively asserted that he was big with child, and was vastly anxious for a happy delivery. I saw two others, who, when alone, fancied they heard the words of people whispering them in the ear. Nor is their case different, in my opinion, who persuade themselves that they see ghosts and hobgoblins. For deliriums are a kind of dreams of people awake; and the mind in both cases affects the body differently, according to the nature of its objects.

From what we have said, it manifestly appears, how many different ways the lessons of imagination, when they are confirm’d by long habit, are capable of affecting a man, and entirely ruining his whole frame. But every body knows, that the human mind is disturbed by nothing more than by fear; the cause of which is self-love ingrafted in all men. Whereasthen, as Cicero very justly observes,there is no nation so savage, no man so rude, as not to have some notion of the gods;[108]it is no wonder, that men conscious of wicked deeds, should be struck with the fear of God, whose empire over all created things they acknowledged. For, as they attributed every good thing, every benefit of this life, to the gods; so they were of opinion, that evils and calamities were sent down by them in punishment of crimes. Now, idolatry, as I said above,[109]had its origin among the Chaldeans; and at first it consisted in the worship of the sun and moon, but afterwards it was extended to the adoration of dæmons.[110]But these were believed to be divine ministers; and that they were originally the souls of heroes andgreat men, who were worshipped for services done to mankind in general, or to their native country in particular. And this dæmoniac religion being propagated from the Chaldæans to the Phœnicians, then to the Egyptians, came afterwards to the Greeks, thence to the Romans, and in progress of time to the other nations.

But the jews, accustomed to ascribe every uncommon or wonderful work of nature to the agency of angels, as ministers of the supreme deity, could easily work up their minds to believe, that some dreadful diseases, which injured the mind and body together, the causes whereof they could not investigate, arose from the operation of evil angels. For we learn from Philo Judæus,[111]with whom Josephus also agrees in opinion,that they believedthere were bad as well as good angels; that the good executed the commands of God on men, that they were irreprehensible and beneficent; but the bad execrable, and every way mischievous.[112]But a more illustrious example of this matter cannot be given, than in the narrative of Saul’s disease,[113]of which I have already treated.[114]Nor were madness and the epilepsy the only diseases, which they imputed to devils. When Jesus had restored speech to thefurious dumb man, he is said to have done it bycasting out a devil.[115]And when he had cured another furious person, who wasblind and dumb, the pharisees reproached himwith casting out devils by beelzebub the prince of the devils.[116]In fine, Christ himself usesthis common way of expression, on occasion of thewoman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, whom he freed from that infirmity; by saying, thatsatan had held her bound these eighteen years.[117]

And this custom of taking madmen for demoniacs, was not so peculiar to the jews, but that it prevailed in other nations also. Hence in Herodotus king Cleomenes is said to be driven into madness, not by any dæmon, but by a habit of drunkenness, which he had contracted among the Scythians, whereby he became frantic.[118]And whereas δαιμονᾷν signifies the same thing as δαιμόνιον ἔχειν, Xenophon uses this word forfurere, to be raging mad or furious.[119]Moreover Aristophanes, intending to express a high degree of the same disease,employs the word κακοδαιμονᾷν, and calls the highest degree of madness, not μανίαν, but κακοδαιμονίαν[120]. Hence also, as Aretæus observes, this disease was calledmorbus sacer, or the sacred disease,because it was imagined that some dæmon had entered into the man.[121]Wherefore the physicians found it absolutely necessary to oppose this false notion with all their might. Because the people were generally persuaded, that diseases, which they believed to be caused by evil spirits, were to be expelled, not by medical skill, but by religious rites and ceremonies. Upon this account the prince of physicians Hippocrates, or at least some one of his scholars, wrote a very useful piece,[122]wherein he assertsthat no diseases are inflicted on man, immediately, by any divine power; and that those persons ought to be accounted magicians and jugglers, who cover their ignorance with a veil of sanctity, by infusing such notions into the minds of the people.

But with regard to this power of the devils over human bodies, believed equally by the jews and other nations, I have already said, that the divinity ought not to be made a party concerned in imposing diseases, which may possibly have natural causes; unless it be expresly declared, that they were inflicted immediately by the hand of God.[123]For of all the diseases, with which miserable mortals are tormented, there are none so wonderful and dreadful to appearance, but may be the natural consequences of bodily indispositions.Wherefore God himself, if he thinks proper, can employ either natural causes, or the ministry of good angels, to inflict all sorts of diseases on mankind. And I hope nobody will believe, that the devils have had the power granted them of torturing men at their wanton pleasure. But to say more on this subject seems the less necessary; because two very learned divines of our nation have already treated it in a full and ample manner.[124]

Therefore in order to put an end to these demoniacal diseases, I will now briefly shew, how they are to be treated. And first of all, particular care should be taken, to keep the patient’s mind employed in thoughts directly contrary to those, which possessed it before: for one setof ideas gives place to another, and by effecting this change, the mind is brought out of the state in which it was: a circumstance, to which the generality of physicians do not give sufficient attention. When this can be brought about, the disease is sometimes speedily cured. But when either the long standing of the distemper, or some other cause, renders this total change impracticable; at least the strength of the present set of ideas ought to be diminished and destroyed by all possible means. The vain fears of some are to be diverted, and their dismal thoughts dispelled. The daring ferocity of others is to be curb’d; for which end it is often necessary, to use hard words and threats. Likewise sudden frights, which may give the mind a different commotion, from that which before disturbed it, have been found to afford a temporary relief at least. Theancients prescribed some corrections, such as bindings and stripes.[125]And indeed it is sometimes necessary to bind those, who are too unruly; to prevent their doing mischief to themselves or others. But there is the less necessity for torments and stripes, because all mad men are of such a cowardly disposition; that even the most frantic and mischievous, after being once or twice tied, surrender at discretion, and thence forward refrain from committing any outrage, thro’ fear of the punishment.

As to the medical part, the gross humors of the body are to be thinned, and the disorderly motion of the animal spirits is to be calmed. For which end blood-lettings, emetics, cathartics, blisters, and setons, also sometimes coolings of the head are to be employed. To these thefœtid gums are to be added, especiallyassa fœtida,myrrh, andgalbanum. Andcamphirehas been frequently found serviceable in excessive ferocity and want of sleep. But when the disease is accompanied by a fever, nothing is more proper than nitre, given in as large quantities as the stomach will bear. Lastly, the patient is to be kept to a slender diet, and compelled to use exercise. But in all evacuations, a certain degree of moderation ought to be used, lest the madness be changed into a contrary disease, which the ancients termedmorbus cardaicus,[126]that is, an excessive weakness of body. In which case, the patient is so far exhausted, that medicines are of no avail; but the miserable dejected man drags the remains of life, alass! generally too long.

FOOTNOTES:[104]See Matthew, Ch. viii. v. 28. Mark, Ch. v. v. 2. and Luke, Chap. viii. v. 27.[105]Mark, Chap. i. v. 23-26.[106]Luke, Chap. iv. v. 33-35.[107]Cicero, Tuscul. Disp. Lib. iii. 26. who has turn’d into Latin this verse of Homer:“Ὁν ϑυμὸν κατέδων, πἀτον ἀνθρώπων ἀλεείνων.”Il. Z. v. 202.[108]Tusc. quæst. Lib. i. 13.[109]Cap. i. p. 5.[110]See Sir Isaac Newton’s Chronology, p. 160.[111]Lib. de gigantibus.[112]De bello judaico, Lib. vii. Cap. 6.[113]See Samuel (or Kings) Book i. Chap. xvi.[114]Chap. iii. page 28, &c.[115]Matthew, Chap. ix. Verse 32.[116]Ib. Chap. xii. Verse 22.[117]Luke, Ch. xiii. v. 16.[118]Lib. vi. Cap. 84.[119]Memorabil. Lib. i.[120]Vid. Plutum, Act. ii. Scen. 3. v. 38. & Act. ii. Scen. 5. v. 15.[121]Διὰ τῆς δόξης δαιμονος ἐς τον ανθρωπον ἐισόδȣ.De causis morbo diuturn. Lib. i. Cap. 4.[122]De morbo sacro.[123]Chap. iii. page 30.[124]See the works of Jos. Mede 1677 fol. discourse vi. and enquiry into the meaning of demoniacs, &c.[125]Vid. Celsus, Lib. iii. Cap. xviii.[126]Idem, Lib. iii. Cap. xix.

[104]See Matthew, Ch. viii. v. 28. Mark, Ch. v. v. 2. and Luke, Chap. viii. v. 27.

[105]Mark, Chap. i. v. 23-26.

[106]Luke, Chap. iv. v. 33-35.

[107]Cicero, Tuscul. Disp. Lib. iii. 26. who has turn’d into Latin this verse of Homer:“Ὁν ϑυμὸν κατέδων, πἀτον ἀνθρώπων ἀλεείνων.”Il. Z. v. 202.

[108]Tusc. quæst. Lib. i. 13.

[109]Cap. i. p. 5.

[110]See Sir Isaac Newton’s Chronology, p. 160.

[111]Lib. de gigantibus.

[112]De bello judaico, Lib. vii. Cap. 6.

[113]See Samuel (or Kings) Book i. Chap. xvi.

[114]Chap. iii. page 28, &c.

[115]Matthew, Chap. ix. Verse 32.

[116]Ib. Chap. xii. Verse 22.

[117]Luke, Ch. xiii. v. 16.

[118]Lib. vi. Cap. 84.

[119]Memorabil. Lib. i.

[120]Vid. Plutum, Act. ii. Scen. 3. v. 38. & Act. ii. Scen. 5. v. 15.

[121]Διὰ τῆς δόξης δαιμονος ἐς τον ανθρωπον ἐισόδȣ.De causis morbo diuturn. Lib. i. Cap. 4.

[122]De morbo sacro.

[123]Chap. iii. page 30.

[124]See the works of Jos. Mede 1677 fol. discourse vi. and enquiry into the meaning of demoniacs, &c.

[125]Vid. Celsus, Lib. iii. Cap. xviii.

[126]Idem, Lib. iii. Cap. xix.

Assome ancient physicians attributed the falling sickness to some divine power, so they ascribed madness to the influence of the moon. Yet the lunatic, σεληνιαζόμενος, whose disease is described in the gospels, was affected with the falling sickness.[127]Wherefore this patient (for there is but one of this kind expresly recorded there) was either mad and epileptic at the same time, which is not uncommon; or he laboured under a periodical epilepsy, returning with the changes of the moon, which is a very common case. For the account given of him is very short, thathe ofttimes fell into the fire and oftinto the water. Now in this distemper a person falls down suddenly, and lies for some time as dead; or by a general convulsion of his nerves, his body is agitated, with distorted eyes, and he foams at the mouth. But at length he recovers out of the fit, and has no more knowledge or remembrance of it, than if nothing had happened to him. YetJesusis said to haverebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured. That this child’s case was epileptic, appears more manifestly from the account given of it by the evangelist, who was also a physician: for he says,that as soon as the spirit has seized the patient, he cries out, foams at the mouth, and is torn and worried by him.[128]

Now, as to these σεληνιαζομένοι, who are subjoined to the demoniacs, as iftheir diseases were different, and whom Jesus is said to have cured;[129]they were either mad, or mad and epileptic together, which is not an uncommon case, as we have just now said. And as to devils, we have treated of them sufficiently. But with relation to the moon, there is not the least reason to doubt, but that the regular returns of the paroxysms at certain times of the month, gave occasion to men to believe, that this disease was lunar. For that planet has such a real influence on this disease, that it frequently happens to some patients, never to be seized with the fit but about the new and full moon; which seems to join its energy to those causes, that are adapted to produce this evil. But the manner of accounting for this I have delivered in another place; where I have plainly shewn that our atmospherehas its tides as well as the sea.[130]

And indeed the great Hippocrates has long since taught, that this disease is owing to natural causes, and consequently, by no means divine.[131]For altho’ in his time, neither the inward parts of the animal body, nor the properties of the blood and humors, especially of the nervous fluid, were sufficiently known; yet by his great sagacity and experience, he has left us several useful observations, in relation both to the nature of the disease, and to its cure. For he has shewn, that it arises from too great a quantity of humors in the brain; and therefore that the best method of cure is to dry up, and lessen the quantity of this peccant matter; without having recourse to incantationsand juggling tricks, so much in use in those days.

But when in succeeding ages, the use of medicines became more common, a great number of remedies for this dreadful disease were invented, some of which indeed were too filthy and shocking: such as drinking the warm blood of a gladiator just slain; eating human or horse’s flesh, the testicles and penis of some animals, and other things of the same kind;[132]as if matters so repugnant to nature, could be contrary to such grievous defects of it. For so it often happens, that when a rational medicine is not to be found, any improper and rash one is attempted. But such experiments are to be abandoned to itinerant quacks, and credulous old women. Though even in our days our art is not sufficientlypurged of this filth in these cases; seeing the dung of some birds, and the hoofs of quadrupeds are still ordered to be swallowed down by the sick. But whereas chemistry has furnished us with the means of extracting the salts, and other most active principles from bodies; to me it is matter of admiration, why physicians do not choose to order these principles to be taken pure into the body, rather than the coarse and fœculant substances, that contain them; which are always disagreeable, and sometimes hurtful also, to the stomach. But this most difficult distemper demands helps far superior to these; nor will any one method of cure answer in all cases, but the course must be altered according to the difference of constitution, &c. However, I will here propose those things, which have been found to be most generally serviceable.

Blood is to be taken away several times, according to the strength of the patient, in order to check its impetus. Vomits are to be administered now and then, but cathartics more frequently. It is particularly requisite to draw the redundant humor from the head, which is done by blisters; but better, by applying a caustic near the occiput, and making an issue, which is to be kept constantly running.

These remedies contribute indeed to weaken the paroxysms; but for removing the cause, when it can be done (for sometimes it cannot) other helps are requisite. For it is manifest, that the cause lies chiefly in the nervous fluid, commonly called animal spirits. But to investigate the manner how this fluid is affected in diseases of this kind, would, in my opinion, be a fruitlesslabour. However, as I have shewn on another occasion,[133]that it consists of very minute particles secreted from the blood in the brain, and receives and imprisons a considerable quantity of that elastic matter, universally diffused throughout all nature; it cannot be doubted, but that it may be so corrupted by some indisposition of the body or mind, as to become more or less improper for executing the functions of life, and perform all animal motions, not at the command of the will, but in a disorderly manner, and with a certain ungovernable impetuosity. Now the best remedies for correcting this depraved condition of the animal spirits, are chiefly those, which have the most powerful faculties of attenuating the humors, and throwing them out of the bodyby sweat. Of these the most excellent are theRoot of wild Valerian,Russian Castor,the fœtid Gums, andNative Cinnabar, taken daily in pretty large quantities; with the interposition of cathartics at proper intervals, among which there is none better than theTinctura sacra. I have long known by experience, that the celebratedMisleto of the Oak, is an useless weed. And indeed how can it be otherwise, since it has scarcely any taste or smell, and is entirely indebted to the religion of the Druids for its great character. Wherefore it is to be rank’d with those other frivolous things, which superstition has introduced into physick; unless a person can work himself up into a belief, that the golden sickle, with which it was cut down, the priest’s snow-white garment, the sacrificeof white bulls, and other such trifling circumstances, are conducive towards a cure.[134]

FOOTNOTES:[127]Matthew, Chap. xvii. v. 15 and 18.[128]Luke, Chap. ix. v. 39, &c.[129]Matthew, Chap. iv. v. 24.[130]De morbo sacro.[131]See influence of the sun and moon, Chap. i. and ii.[132]See Celsus, Lib. iii. Cap. xxiii. & Cael. Aurelian, Lib. i. Cap. 4.[133]Account of poisons, ed. 3. introduction.[134]Plin. hist. nat. Lib. xvi. §. ult.

[127]Matthew, Chap. xvii. v. 15 and 18.

[128]Luke, Chap. ix. v. 39, &c.

[129]Matthew, Chap. iv. v. 24.

[130]De morbo sacro.

[131]See influence of the sun and moon, Chap. i. and ii.

[132]See Celsus, Lib. iii. Cap. xxiii. & Cael. Aurelian, Lib. i. Cap. 4.

[133]Account of poisons, ed. 3. introduction.

[134]Plin. hist. nat. Lib. xvi. §. ult.

SaintMatthew relates, that “Christ, by his word alone, cured a woman who had been diseased with an issue of blood for twelve[135]years.”

And here arises a question, concerning the nature of this disease. But as the words in the Greek are γυνὴ ἁιμοῤῥοȣσα, I am of opinion, that it was a flux of blood from the natural parts, which Hippocrates[136]calls ῥόον ἁἱματώδη, and observes, that it is necessarily tedious. Wherefore having been exhausted by it for twelve years, may justly be said to be incurable by human art.

FOOTNOTES:[135]Chap. ix. v. 20.[136]De morb. Lib. i. Sect. 3.

[135]Chap. ix. v. 20.

[136]De morb. Lib. i. Sect. 3.

“Therewas a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was so bowed together, that she could in no wise lift up herself, and Jesus laid his hands on her, and she was freed from her infirmity, and immediately made[137]strait.”

This woman was συγκύπτȣσα, that is,stooping forward; being unable ἀνακύψαι, orto lift up her head. Now that spirit, according to the common way of speaking of the jews, was satan. For thus Christ himself, answeringthe ruler of the synagogue, who was angry that the woman had been cured on the sabbath day, says, thatsatan had held her bound these eighteen years. And exactly in the same sense saint Mark employs πνευμα ἄλαλον for aspirit, which obstructed the faculty of speech.[138]

This infirmity often befalls those, who have been very long afflicted with a disorder of the loins: whence the muscular fibres of that part become contracted and rigid. Wherefore it is very probable, that this tedious disease proceeded from that very cause, and was curable by the divine assistance only.

FOOTNOTES:[137]Luke, Chap. xiii. v. 11, &c.[138]Chap. ix. v. 17.

[137]Luke, Chap. xiii. v. 11, &c.

[138]Chap. ix. v. 17.

SaintLuke relates of Christ himself, that, “when he was in an agony by the fervency of his prayers, his sweat was like drops of blood falling down on the[139]ground.”

This passage is generally understood, as if the Saviour of mankind had sweated real blood. But the text does not say so much. The sweat was only ὡσεί ϑρόμβοι ἁίματος, as it were, or like drops of blood; that is, the drops of sweat were so large, thick and viscid, that they trickled to the ground like drops of blood.Thus were the words understood by Justin Martyr, Theophylactus and Euthymius. And yet Galen has observed, thatit sometimes happens, that the pores are so vastly dilated by a copious and fervid spirit; that even blood issues thro’ them, and constitutes a bloody sweat.[140]

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