Cap.1. That this disease doth oftentimes giue occasion vnto simple
and vnlearned people, to suspect possession, witchcraft,
or some such like supernaturall cause.
Cap.2. What this disease is, and by what means it causeth such
varietie of Symptoms.
Cap.3. Of the kinds of this disease, and first of that wherein the
vitall facultie is offended.
Cap.4. Of that kind of this disease wherein the animall facultie
is offended.
Cap.5. Of that kind wherein the naturall facultie is offended.
Cap.6. Of the causes of this disease.
Cap.7. Of the cure of this disease, so much as belongeth to the
friends and attendants to performe.
[Illustration]
TO THE RIGHT WOR
shipfull the President and Fellowes of the
_Colledge of Phisitions in_
London.
_As I am desirous to satisfie all indifferent men concerning the
occasion and intent of this my discourse: so I thought good to direct
the same especially vnto this societie, whereof I am a member; to
testifie both how iustly or rather necessarily I haue beene drawn to
the vndertaking and publishing hereof: as also how willing I am to
submit my selfe to your learned censure; the argument of my writing
being such as none can better iudge of then your selues._
_And first I protest vpon that credit which I desire to haue among you,
that I haue not vndertaken this businesse of mine owne accord, as if
I esteemed of mine owne knowledge and obseruation in this case aboue
other mens. For (if it had beene thought good to haue imposed it vppon
others) I do acknowledge that there are many among vs better able then
my selfe to haue written in this kind, vnto whome I would willingly
haue put ouer my taske. Neither did I euer find my selfe prouoked
hereunto upon any peeuish humor to contradict or to disgrace any who
doe iudge otherwise of some pointes contained herein, then my selfe
doe: many of them being such as I do loue and affect well. Neither vpon
any fawning humor to please or flatter any person whatsoeuer; which I
doe esteeme more base then begging. But disclayming both hony and gall,
I haue plainely set downe the true doctrine of Phisicke concerning
that disease which giues to great occasion of distraction among many
good men: especially such as haue not learning sufficient to resolue
them of this point, or not that moderation and humilitie of spirit to
acknowledge their insufficiencie, and to hearken vnto others whom in
all reason they might thinke able to direct them better in such a case._
_For if it be true that one man cannot be perfect in euery arte and
profession, and therefore in cases out of our owne callings, we do
depend vpon those which haue beene trayned up in other particular
subiects, beleeuing men in their owne professions: Why should we
not prefer the iudgements of Phisitions in a question concerning
the actions and passions of mans bodie (the proper subiect of that
profession) before our owne conceites; as we do the opinions of
Diuines, Lawyers, Artificers, &c. in their proper Elements. Neither
haue I done this as taking vpon me to reforme the mindes of men which
are not vnder my charge (for I could willingly haue permitted euery
man to enioy his owne opinion:) But being a Phisition, and iudging
in my conscience that these matters haue been mistaken by the commõ
people; I thought good to make knowne the doctrine of this disease,
so farre forth, as may be in a vulgar tongue conueniently disclosed,
to the end that the vnlearned and rash conceits of diuers, might be
thereby brought to better vnderstanding and moderation; who are apt
to make euery thing a supernaturall work which they do not vnderstand,
proportioning the bounds of nature vnto their own capacities: which
might proue an occasion of abusing the name of God, and make vs to vse
holy prayer as vngroundedly as the Papists do their prophane trickes;
who are readie to drawe forth their wooden dagger, if they do but see a
maid or woman suffering one of these fits of the Mother, coniuring and
exorcising them as if they were possessed with euil spirits. And for
want of worke, will oftentimes suborne others that are in health, to
counterfait strange motions and behauiours: as I once saw in the_ Santo
_in_ Padua _fiue or sixe at one sermon interrupting and reuiling the
Preacher, vntill he had put them to silence by the signe of the Crosse,
and certaine powerlesse spelles_.
_Wherefore it behoueth vs as to be zealous in the truth, so to be
wise in discerning truth from counterfaiting and naturall causes from
supernaturall power. I doe not deny but that God doth in these dayes
worke extraordinarily, for the deliuerance of his children, and for
other endes best knowne vnto himselfe; and that among other, there may
be both possessions by the Diuell, and obsessions and witchcraft, &c.
and dispossession also through the Prayers and supplications of his
seruants, which is the onely meanes left vnto vs for our reliefe in
that case. But such examples being verie rare now adayes, I would in
the feare of God aduise men to be very circumspect in pronouncing of
a possession: both because the impostures be many, and the effects of
naturall diseases be strange to such as haue not looked throughly into
them._
_But let vs consider a little the signes which some doe shew of a
supernaturall power in these examples. For if they say there neede
no such signes appeare, because the Diuill by witchcraft may inflict
a naturall disease: then I ask them what they haue to doe with the
Diuell, or with dispossessing of him, when he is not their present,
but hath beene onely an externall cause of a disease, by kindling or
corrupting the humours of our bodies; which disease as well as other
will submit it selfe to physicall indications: as is shewed, cap. 1.
Wherefore they must needes make him to be an internall cause, and to
possesse the members and faculties of the bodie, and holde them to
his vse: or else they vnderstand not what they say, when they doe
peremptorily disclaime naturall meanes, and auouch that they speake
certaine wordes, and performe certaine voluntarie motions vpon his
incitation, and are hindred by him from speaking other wordes which
they would faine vtter. And therefore to this end diuerse signes and
Symptoms are alledged by them, as arguments of a supernaturall and
extraordinarie power inhærent in the body._
_One of their signes is_ Insensibilitie, _when they doe not feele,
being pricked with a pin, or burnt with fire, &c. Is this so strange a
spectacle, when in the Palsie, the falling sicknesse, Apoplexis, and
diuerse other diseases, it is dayly obserued? And in these fits of the
Mother it is so ordinarie as I neuer read any Authour writing of this
disease who doth not make mention thereof. This poynt you shall finde
proued both by authorities and examples in the 4. Chapter._
_There also you shall find conuulsions, contractions, distortions, and
such like to be ordinarie Symptoms in this disease._
_Another signe of a supernaturall power they make to be the due &
orderly returning of the fits, when they keepe their iust day and
houre, which we call periods or circuits. This accident as it is
common to diuerse other chronicall diseases, as head-aches, gowtes,
Epilepsies, Tertians, Quartians, &c. so it is often obserued in this
disease of the mother as is sufsiciently proued in the 2. Chapter._
_Another argument of theirs is the ofsence in eating, or drinking, as
if the Diuell ment to choake them therewith. But this Symptom is also
ordinarie in vterin affects, as I shew in the sixt Chapter: and I haue
at this time a patient troubled in like maner._
_Another reason of theirs is, the comming of the fits vpon the presence
of some certaine person. The like I doe shew in the same Chapter, and
the reasons of it, from the stirring of the affections of the mind._
_Another maine argument of theirs, is the deliuerance vpon fasting
and prayer: which we will imagin to be so in deed, without any
counterfeiting in that point. You shall see in the 7. Chapter, how this
may be a naturall remedie two maner of wayes: the one by pulling downe
the pride of the bodie, and the height of the naturall humors therof; a
verie conuenient meanes, and often prescribed by our Authours in yong
and lustie bodies: the other by the confident perswasion of the patient
to find release by that means: which I shew in that Chapter by rules
and authorities in our profession and also by examples, to be a verie
effectuall remedie in curing diuerse diseases of this nature._
_Many other such like instances they may produce, according vnto
euerie ones seurall conceit: which were in vaine for me to repeat
perticulary: vnlesse I knew wherein they would principally insist. But
in the discourse following I haue as neare as I could described al the
Symptoms of this disease; whereby euerie man may readily find answers
to his seuerall obiections._
_Now to testifie my loue and affection to this societie of ours, and
that I esteeme more of the censure of a fewe learned and graue men,
then of the opinions of a multitude of other people: I thought good
to choose no other persons to patronize this slender discourse then
your selues, who are best able of any in this land, or any such like
societie elsewhere (that euer I could find) to iudge whether I write
true doctrine or no._
_Wherefore desiring you to accept it in good part, and
as occasion may serue to giue testimonie vnto it according
as your iudgements and consciences
shall lead you, I take my leaue this
2. Martii, 1602._
Your louing friend and Colleague.
_Ed. Iorden._
[Illustration]
Of the suffocation of _the Mother_.
Cap. 1.
_That this disease doth oftentimes giue occasion vnto simple and
vnlearned people, to suspect possession, witchcraft, or some such
like supernaturall cause._
[Sidenote: _Altomarus de medend. hum. corp. malis cap. 110. Barth.
Montagnana Consilio. 226._]
[Sidenote: _Mercatus lib. 2. cap. 2. & 3._]
The passiue condition of womankind is subiect vnto more diseases and
of other[1] sortes and natures then men are: and especially in regarde
of that part[2] from whence this disease which we speake of doth
arise. For as it hath more varietie of[3] offices 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 called _The 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; 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 in _Apoplexies_, _Epilepsyes_, _Syncopyes_, subuersions of the
stomacke, &c.) and not all (vnlesse as in _Syncopyes_ by consent, where
the vitall function ceasing, all the rest must needes cease) in this
case all the faculties of the bodie doe suffer; 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.
[1] _Hyppocras. 6 vulgar. part. 7._
[2] _Galen 6. locorum affect. cap. 5. radix suffocationum
vterus._
[3] _Mercatus de muliebr. lib. 2, cap. 1._