WELLmight the excellentDemocrituswrite to hisScholar, the far more excellingHippocrates, that theWombis theSource of Six Hundred Griefs, and theSpring of innumerable Sorrows to theWoman: Because of the manifestSympathyorAffinity, which theWombhas with almost all the otherPartsof the Body. And as we may reasonably conclude from such anAffinity, that theseSymptomsmust needs be bothNumerousandDifferentin Kind; so I think, for the same Reason, they may beAllpertinently comprehended under theGeneral TitleofHysterick Maladies.
BUTbefore we enter upon the Particulars of theseUterine Affections, it may be first requisite to make out theRealityof thisAffinityorConsent; which will be no difficult Matter, when we considerFirst, thethree Principles, in which the same consists,viz.in aSimilitude of Parts; in aVicinity of Parts; and in aConnexion of Vessels.Secondly, how bythese, as theWombis aMembranous Substance, it has a SubstantialAffinitywith theMembranes: And by itsVicinity, with theBladder,Rectum, andIntestines; As by itsVeins,Arteries, andNerves, it has with almost all the otherPartsof the Body; such as with theBrain, byVeinsandArteries, as well as by theNervesandSpinalMembranes; with theHeart, byArteries; with theLiver, byVeins; with theStomach, by certainAnastomoses, betwixt theVeinsof theWomb, and those of theMesentery, as well as byArteries;with theSpleenbyArteries; with theBreasts, partly byVeins,[230]and partly byNerves, &c.
HENCEit is that I can scarce find anyPartof the Body, which may not be affected by theIndispositionsof theWomb; theHeart, theDiaphragm, theHead, theBrain, and consequently all theOrgansof Sense and Motion, theLiver, theSpleen, theVentricle, theMesentery, theBelly, theBladder, theRectum, theBack, theLoins, theThighs, theLegs, theArms, &c. All whichPartsare from thence subject to innumerable variousSymptoms, which commonly come and go byPeriods, after the manner ofConvulsive, orEpileptickFits, to which theHystericalhave also a very near Relation; in that theCirculationandRecourseof all theThree, and some more such,Distempersagree exactly, sometimes with theCourseof theMoon, andSun, and sometimes with the veryMotionof theSea; and asthesevary, so theFitsof eitherAffectioncome on quicker or slower[231].
THESEThings are also most Judiciously made out by the excellent Dr.Mead, saying, that,the New and Full-Moon being of equal Power, this sort of Distempers sometimes reign in the one, and sometimes in the other, as the Body happens to be more or less fitted and adapted to receive theInfluence;and as the aboundingHumoursare more fitted for this,than that period of thePlanet[232]. And the sameAuthorof great Experience, gives us an Account of a certainBoyof a Year old, who everyFlood-Tide, was taken withConvulsiveFits, and everyEbbcame to himself again[233]. WhichInfluenceof theSea, no doubt depends upon theMoon’s approachingourVertical Point, orthatdirectly opposite, as theFloodencreases and comes to itsHeight, Moreover again,——
CONSIDERINGtheWomb, not only as theCenter, in which the vitiousHumoursare accumulated from all the otherParts, but also as thePumpof theBody, we may readily conclude that as long as it regularly ejects theMenstruous Blood, it does at the same time duly evacuate together with it, all thoseHumoursof whatsoever sort they be: Whereas we may easily conceive that whatever obstructs or impedes theWombin any of its naturalFunctions, may occasion variousSymptomsto theWoman: However the most ofthese, as well as the most dangerous, take theirOriginfrom theRetentionof theSeedand thesuppressionof theMenstrua.
THEMenstruous Bloodflowing in a natural Course to theUterine Veins, when itsPassageis so obstructed, that it cannot break forth; whether inVirgins, because of theAstrictionof theOrifices; or inWidows, because of theThicknessof theBlood, or of any other gross viscidHumour; in theseCases, it must of course regorge thro’ theBranchesof theVena Cavaand the greatArtery, to theHead,Heart,Liver, andVeinsof theMidriff; whence of Consequence proceed variousSymptomsin all these and their dependentParts: Which notwithstanding, I take the too long retain’dSEEDto occasion the more dangerous and severeSymptomsto theWoman.
BUTinCaseof either ofThese, namely, either theSeminal, or theMenstruous Matter, beginning to corrupt, and consequently to acquire malignantQualities, then they produce divers most severe and dreadfullSymptoms; andthatnot only in differentPatients, but also sometimes inoneand thesame Woman; and not only atdifferent Times, but also sometimes atoneand thesame Time: However these Things always happen, according to the differentQuantityandQualityof the corruptedHumours, as well as according to theConstitutionof theWomb, in which theCorruptionsucceeds. Again more particularly——
IFthe MalignantVapoursarising hence, penetrate to theHeart, (the principalOrganofLife, as well as of theCirculationof theBlood) I would observe, that, they occasion vellicatingPalpitations, as also aDejection of Spirits, andAnxiety of Mind, attended with frequentLypothymiesandSyncopes: If to theDiaphragmandLungs, aDifficultyofBreathing, attended (as it were) withSuffocationsorStrangulations.
IFtheMatterascends to theHead, and diffuse it self thro’ theexternal Parts, diverse grievousPainsassail theWoman, andthatvery differently; insomuch, that, sometimes thewholeHeadis (as it were) tortured, and sometimes but inPart; sometimes on theright, and sometimes on theleft Side; sometimes in thehind Partof theHead, orCrown, and sometimes in theFore-Heador about theEyes: Whereas if it tend to theBrain, and distribute it self among theOrgansofSenseandMotion, both the internal and externalSensesmust needs suffer accordingly; upon which the poorPatientis not only taken with anAphoniaforWant of Speech, but also with a Helpless or Senseless Stupidity; and moreover, not only seiz’d with aResolutionorDebilityofHandsandFeet, but also withTremblingandConvulsive Fits.
IFthesameascends to theLiver, the wholeHabitorConstitutionof theBodyis perverted: For as thevitious Humoursare easily communicated from theWombby theVeinsto theLiver, so the affectedLiveragain readily diffuses itsInfectionby theVeinsto the wholeBody. If to theSpleenandMesentery,Murmurings,PainsandTormentsarise in theBelly; which are commonly attended with aPainin the leftSideand leftBreast,extending it self to theJugulum, or fore-part of theNeck, Difficulty ofBreathing, frequentBelchings, a siccid boundBelly, and all the otherSymptomswhich usually are theConcomitantsof theHypocondriack Affection.
IFto theVentricle, thence proceedFastidy,Pica,Vomitings,PainsandGnawingsof theStomach,Sobbings,Yawnings,Belchings, &c. But, and if the saidMatterdistributes it self thro’ the wholeCircuitof theBody, then thePatientis frequently seiz’d, sometimes with a suddenred, and sometimes with apale Colour; as also sometimes with asudden Heat, andArdourin herFace, which she commonly perceives or feels to vanish and go off as suddenly: Again she is sometimes also taken withsudden Cold, and sometimes with assudden hot Fits.
FROMall which, it evidently appears, how justlyGalensays[234], that theHysterick Passion(under one Appellation) comprehends innumerable variousSymptoms: Even somany, that at least (I think) they cannot be possibly comprehended in thisVolume, which extorts anotherApologyfrom me in this Place; namely and plainly, that as I have no Ambition to be accounted any extraordinaryPersonof greatLearningorReading; so I far less desire to set up or give my self out forOneofUniversal PracticeorExperience: And as at theBeginning, I only design’d thisBookfor the immediateServiceofMidwives, and the common Good ofWOMENand theirCHILDREN, thePoor, I mean in general, as well as theRich; So I am yet resolv’d, rather, to stifle or restrain myInclinationsfor the present time, and suppress what might be otherways pertinently added on theseSubjects, than to put it out of the reach of thePurchaseof either ofTHOSE. I say, for these reasons, I shall not undertake at this time toenter upon every particularHeadorBranchof theHYSTERICKS; only that I may not be censur’d asChurlishorPeevishto the more delicateLADIES, and tenderly constitutedWomen, who always labour and suffer most under theseDistempers, I shall however yet endeavour to discuss particularly the mostdangerous, as well as the mostcommon Case, belonging to this generalTopick; and not only so, but, according to myAbility, I shall also endeavour init, if possible in a few words, to include and comprehend all the rest of theseFemale Indispositions: Andthatto thePurpose, and under theTitle, following,viz.——