THISMaladyis anIndispositionvisibly discolorating the Complexion, and nothing else, but aComplicationof diversDiseasesandSymptoms: Wherefore it is variously represented and taken, sometimes for aDisease, and sometimes for aSymptom.
BEthat as it will; it is so Familiar, or rather Peculiar toMatureVIRGINS, that mostPhysicianscall it theVirgin-Disease, orVirgin-Fever; asotherscall itFebris Alba, or pale Fever: Not that it is always join’d with aFever; but because theaffectedPartyrepresents (in most Respects) aFeverish Person, by the Celerity and Frequency of HerPulse,&c.
ITis also call’dFebris Amatoria; I suppose, (partly) because of theColour, according to thePOET;Palleat omnis Amans,Color hic eft aptus Amanti: And (partly) because of theAge, which may be the fittestTimeforLove; which madeDiogenessay, at sight of a certainPatient, Thatshe was dead in herOWN,but alive in ANOTHER Body: As it is otherwise denominatedIcterus Albus; because, as in anIcterusorJAUNDICE, the wholeBodyis tinctur’dyellow: So in thisDisorder, it is changedPaleandWan; and from hence it is commonly call’d theGREEN-SICKNESS, because of theColourandAspectinclining a little that way. As it is likewise also term’d,Fœdus seu pallidus Virginum Color, or theugly pale Colour of languishing VIRGINS.
HOWEVERyet I have known manyWomen, inFrance, andGermany, who have been so far from thinking it an uglyColour, that they have esteem’d it mostBeautiful; and have used verypernicious Thingsto gain and appropriate thisColourto Themselves: EsteemingFresh-looking-Women, of a fine sanguineComplexion, mereRUSTICKS.
THISdisagreeableAffectionof the Body, however it istitled, most certainly implies aComplication of several different Maladies; annoying all theActionsof theNatural, andMotionsof theAnimal Faculty: Or, in short, perverting the wholeOeconomyof theBody. And because it is always join’d withMost, if not withAllthe followingSymptoms, I think it may be regularly thus defin’d.
THEVIRGIN-DISEASE, is a Change of the natural Colour of the Face into a pallid greenish Tincture; with a Dejection of Strength, Gravity of all the Members and Parts of the Body, Fastidy of Victuals, Malacia or Pica, Heaviness and Palpitation of Heart, Difficulty of Breathing, a slow Fever, Pains of the Head, Melancholy, Inflations, and Oedematous Tumours of the Feet, Legs, Eye-lids, and the whole Face; with a frigid Intemperature, and Cachexy of the wholeBody; proceeding from a deprav’d Nutrition, and the abundance of crude Humours, ingender’d from a perverse Disposition of theLiver,Spleen,orVentricle.
HENCEproceed theOBSTRUCTIONSof theUterine Vessels, and neighbouringParts, of theVeinsof theLIVER, andSPLEEN; but especially, of theMESENTERY: So that thenatural Calidityof the wholeBodybeing thus suffocated, and oppressed, by thosecrude Humours, an Irregularity, or Suppression of theMENSTRUA, must needs ensue.
BYthisDefinition, theDISEASEmay easily be known; tho’ in someCircumstances, it may differ, according to the differentQualityof the predominantHumour: Especially considering, that if all the foremention’dSigns, orSymptoms, do not concur in allPATIENTS; yetMostof them commonly do happen in mostPersons, andAllinSome. Whence I comemethodicallyto denote more particularly itsCauses.
INorder to which, I may justly premise, that theProximous Causeis aCollectionof deprav’dcrude Humoursin the Body: As theRemote Cause, is aSuppression, orIrregularityin the Course of theMenstruous Blood.
NOWthisBloodflowing to theWomb, as soon as theVIRGINisMature; if thePassagesare not capacious or patent enough, itregorgesto theMajor Veins, and thence to the veryBowels; extinguishing theHeat, and obstructing theVesselsof theLIVER,SPLEEN, andMESENTERY: From whence proceeds a viciousConcoctionandSanguification; and consequently aCollection of crude Humours, which excite variousSymptomsthro’ all Parts of the Body. And it commonly happens, that an irregular or improperWay of Living, especially about the Time ofPuberty, or in the Time of thenatural Course, engenders a pituitous and viscidBlood; which, together with the aforesaidHumours, totally obstructs theUterine Vessels.
THISDistemperis very dangerous, if not timelycur’d; because if theHeartbe very much affected, and theVital Facultyquite oppressed with it, thePatientoften dies suddenly: Or, otherways, it commonly turns to aDropsy; and, when theHumoursfly into theHead, it causes aFrenzy.
NOWas I come gradually to set forth theCureof thisDistemper, I shallFirstobserve; that, as variousDiseasesandSymptomsdo concur towards itsComplication, allTheseare to be discreetly remov’d by properMeansandMethods. But that I may be better understood,SOMEare more prudently (perhaps) to be remov’dsingly; andOTHERS,jointly: As for Instance, if any oneSymptombe more troublesome and dangerous than theRest, it ought to be chiefly regarded above Allothers; and, if notremov’d, at leastmitigatedin the First Place.
SECONDLY, That a properRegulationofDietandRegimenofBody, is to be judiciously directed, as another initial necessarySteptowards theCure; which we have hereafter more fully treated of.
THIRDLY, That thisDistemperis more easily and soonercur’d, inSpringorSummer-Time, than inAutumnorWinter; because when the properConstitutionofWEATHERandAIRconcurs with themedicinal Means, more may be done towards effecting itsCurein aWeek, than otherways can be expected in aMonth. WhereforeThesebeing premised, theCurewill most rationally depend upon the four following methodicalSTEPS;viz.
I.THATthe vitiousHumourslodged in theBody, especially in theBowels, be dulyprepar’dfor Expurgation, and then effectuallyevacuated.
II.THATtheIntemperatureandObstructionsof theVENTRICLE,LIVER,SPLEEN, andWOMB, be All carefully and regularly removed.
III.THATtheMenstruabe duly rectify’d, and physically reduc’d to aNatural Course, by the bestConductof Art and Judgment.
IV.THATthe Rest of the morbifickHumours, whetherCrude,Aqueous, orSerous, lurking behind in theBody, be in due manner discharg’d.
BUTmore particularly; TheCuremay be begun with a gentleEvacuation of the Belly, and, if Strength and other Circumstances shall permit, with repeatedVENÆSECTIONS[32], orBlood-lettingin theFoot, not only for removing thePlenitude, but also for resolving theObstructionsof theMENSTRUA.
ANDbecause theHumoursareThickandFrigid, properwarmingandattenuating, or preparing and purgingMedicinesare to be used in their Turns; orrarefyingandinciding Mattersmay be mixed with thePurgatives. As also in Case theHumourslodge about theVentricleandMesentery, a gentleVomitmay be convenient.
BUTbecause diversPartssufferOBSTRUCTIONSin this sicklyAffection, properAperitivesare to be made use of; andThosechiefly, which have anatural Affinitywith every respectiveaffected Part: As for Example;Hepaticks, for theLIVER;Spleneticks, for theSPLEEN;Uterines, for theWOMB, &c. Wherefore thePhysicianought to weigh and consider well, whether theVeinsabout theVENTRICLEandMESENTERY, orLIVERandSPLEEN, be mostobstructed; since the most special Regard must be had to thePart most affected.
INtheBeginning, suchMedicinesas serve best to open theObstructionsof theMESENTERY,SPLEEN, andLIVER, sparingly mix’d with such as provoke theMENSTRUAorMONTHS, are to be discreetly used: But afterwards, inProgressof theCure, theUterinesmay (by Degrees) be prudentiallyaugmented.
HOWEVER, at last it often happens, that tho’ thegrosser HUMOURSare evacuated: yet somewatry, serous Humoursremain in the Circuit of the Body, too much refrigerating and infesting it still; which are most conveniently remov’d bySudorificks.
BUTbecause the compleatCUREof thisDiseaserequires some Length of Time, I would advise properPreparatives, Purgatives, andCorroboratives, to be exhibited by Turns; as also the veryFormandCompositionof theMEDICINESto be varied in their Courses, for the preventing ofNauseousness.
THEPatient’s REGIMEN, must likewise be well prescrib’d, and curiouslyregulated; especially herDiet. She ought to live upon Victuals of the bestNutrition, and easiestConcoction, carefully avoiding allothersthat are not so agreeable: Especially such as are of afrigid or humid Quality; such asPot-herbs,Garden-Fruits,MilkFish, &c. She may drink generousWine, or goodAlecautiously abstaining from allsmall Drinks, and other such like noxiousLiquids, as much as possible.
MOREOVER,MotionandExerciseare very convenient, not only in theBeginning, but also in theDeclensionof thisDISEASE; especially by stronglyChafingandRubbing, with warmFlannels, every Morning inBed.
BUTSleepis not to be too much indulged, especially not in theMornings; altho’shebeThenmore propense to it, by reason of the abundance ofVAPOURSascending to theBrain.
LASTLY, to perfect and confirm thisCURE, I would recommend[33]Hippocrates’s sound Advice to thePatient; which is to the followingPurpose, ofmarryingbetimes for the sake ofHealth, and to prevent all the future ill Consequences of this growingMalady.
“EGO,inquit, Autor sum, ut Virgines hoc malo affectæ quà m celerrimè viris conjungantur; iisq; cohabitent: Si enim conceperint, convalescent. Si verò in pubertate hoc malo non corripiantur, tum paulo post eas invadit.â€
UPONwhich excellentSentence, the two followingObservationsmay, (I hope) appositely here follow and take place,viz.
I.Quod etiam Ratione & Experientiâ confirmatur[34]: Venere etenim Uterus & partes circa Uterum incalescunt, viæq; aperiuntur & laxantur, ut sanguis Menstruus postea faciliùs ad Uterum confluere & per eundem effluere possit.
II.Rectissimè etiam dictum, convalescent, si concipiant; quia Sanguis, qui præter Naturam antea retinebatur, jam in Fœtûs Formationem absumitur; & si quid vitiosorum humorum in Utero cumulatum sit, id post partum evacuatur.
I have thought it proper to insist themoreupon thisHead; because I knownoneelse among all theIndispositionsof Life, which can properly be accountedpeculiartoVirgins.
SOMEhowever may think perhaps, that I had a fair Opportunity in thisPlace, to introduce the variousDiseasesandSymptomsof theWOMB,VAGINA, andPUDENDUM; the diversSymptomsof theMenstruous Flux, together withThosewhich are incident to allWomenafterPuberty.
WHICHObjectionI humbly beg leave briefly to answer, that atwofold Reasondissuaded me from undertaking to treat ofThose Headsin this Place.
I.BECAUSETheyarecommonto allWomenin general, and incident to theWife, orWidow, as well as to theVirgin; wherefore, I hope, anotherPlacein thisBOOKmay be assigned toThem, more proper and convenient thanThis, without anyDigression.
II.BYreason the severalBranchesof theseHeadsare so very many and different, that to discuss ’em allHere, as I ought to do, would too much swell theBulkof theVolume, and enhance thePriceof thisBOOK; which I design for the Good of thepoorerSort ofWomen, as well as the Benefit of theRich. However, what is mostEssentialand necessarilyRequisite, shall not be omitted (at leastcoincidently) in itsproper Place. Wherefore I shall leave theVirgin, after a digressiveHint in the followingSection, upon her darlingPassion, [LOVE]: and supposing her to havealter’dherCondition, I shall thenceforward treat her as aWife.