SECT. I. Of Animal Mechanism.

IT would be impossible to give any ra­tional Account of Diseases and their Cure, without a general knowledge of the Animal Oeconomy and the Method of Nature in preparing, digesting and secre­ting the several Liquors of the Glands, and the principal ends and uses for which they are intended. And as this can only be known by a careful observation of Facts and the method of Nature either in pre­serving Health, or in the Formation and Cure of Diseases, where there has been no Interposition of Art, and no Reasonings à priori or antecedent to the Facts them­selves: so it is no wonder that the Theo­rists [Page 12]in all Ages, who deviated from this good old way of the Antients, and set out with other Views and on other Principles, bewildered themselves and their Followers, and never arrived at any one point of real and useful Knowledge, or made the least Advance or Improvement in the Art of Healing.

THE most antient Physicians, who were always the best Philosophers of their time, grounded their Curative Intentions, upon the most obvious and sensible Effects of Medicines, as they either promoted or re­strained this or the other natural Evacua­tion, and thereby corrected any such Error either in Excess or Defect. And this most obvious and sensible Effect, visible to all By-standers or Observers, they called the Virtue, Power or Property of the Medi­cine; and herein they never expected or promised any sensible Effect in the Cure of Diseases, from insensible or unknown Cau­ses; or, which is the same thing, they were not let into the Mystery of our Modern Specifick or Corpusculariau Philosophy; they did not understand the Magick of [Page 13]Curing Diseases, by Occult Qualities in Medicines, or of producing sensible Effects without sensible Causes.

BUT our Modern Writers upon Physick and the Cure of Diseases, have for the most part inverted this Order of Nature, by a most ungeometrical and immechani­cal Application of Geometry and Mecha­nism, to the Animal Structure and Oeco­nomy: And not a few of the great Masters and Leaders of the Faculty, have either made their own Data, assumed false Prin­ciples without Proofs, or reasoned Illogi­cally, by drawing false Consequences from real Facts and just Principles. Of this I shall give some very pregnant and convinc­ing Instances, that I may not be thought to talk at random, or to lay in a Charge against our Modern Medico-Philosophers without Ground or Reason: for tho' I love Truth, yet I hate any thing that looks like Malice and Defamation, and had much ra­ther be convicted of Ignorance than Disho­nesty.

1. THEN the Antients had observ'd, that the small parts of some sorts of mat­ter, [Page 14]would attract and intimately unite or Incorporate with each other; while the Particles of other sort of matter, would naturally separate and disunite, and could not easily be Incorporated at all. Thus they observ'd that the Particles of Salts would readily dissolve in, and intimately mix and incorporate with Water, tho' they are Spe­cifically heavier; and that Oils and Sul­phurs would not do so, but, on the con­trary, disunite, separate and repel each o­ther, whatever their different Specifick Gra­vities might be.

THEY observ'd likewise in the Animal Body, that the several parts to be supply'd and nourish'd, would attract, imbibe and retain their proper Nutritive Matter, and repel or drive on any other sort of Mat­ter, not fit for such a purpose; and these different Powers or Properties, in the se­veral sorts of Matter which they observ'd to be so obvious and visible to the Senses, they call'd Sympathy and Antipathy, with­out knowing the Causes of it, or so much as pretending to reason from it à priori. And here therefore they could mean no [Page 15]more by it, than we do by Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces, or the mutual Attracti­on and Repulsion of the several parts of Matter. The most antient Philosophers and Physicians therefore had as clear and distinct Ideas of their Sympathy and Anti­pathy, and understood what they meant by it, as well as we do the Gravity and Vis Inertiae of Bodies in general, the Elastici­ty of the Air, or the Pressure of Fluids, and the different degrees of Attraction in Bo­dies. And, 'tis more than probable, were these Gentlemen now living, and ask'd to explain themselves on this Subject, that they might tell us they would assign the Causes of what they called Sympathy and Antipa­thy, as soon as we had explained and as­signed the Causes of any of the other Facts and sensible Appearances before mentioned; and that till we could do this, we should in reality be no wiser than they.

IT must be own'd that this Doctrine was afterwards very much corrupted and abused, and apply'd to a thousand Cases, where it could have no place, as the Peri­patetick Philosophy grew into Vogue, and [Page 16]came to be more and more celebrated in the Schools. For in this Philosophy, Words were never intended to signify any real Facts, Appearances or Phaenomena in Na­ture, but only the unknown Causes, or internal Constitutions of Things. This in­deed was a short way of talking, about every thing known or unknown, but a round-about way to Knowledge, as it ne­ver produced any. But as this cannot affect the more antient Physicians and Philoso­phers, or those who lived after Aristotle's time who still built their Knowledge of Nature upon Observation, Experiment and Fact, as much as if no such Philosopher had ever been born; so it is certain that no other real Improvement of natural Know­ledge has ever been made, or ever can be made, on any other Plan whatsoever.

WHEN the Antients were mistaken, it was generally owing to want of clearer Facts or Data to reason upon; but the Moderns, by wrong Reasoning upon Facts, and drawing false Consequences from Things given, have run into more and grosser Errors, than had ever been known before. In short, the most Antient Phy­sicians [Page 17]were very good Modern Philoso­phers, in every thing relating to their Pro­fession, whatever they might be as to other parts of Nature; while the Generality of the Moderns, tho' very good Philosophers in other Respects, are yet, with regard to the Medical Art, in spite of all the New­tonian Principles and Discoveries, down­right Atomists or Aristotelians.

THE Antients knew nothing of the Cir­culation of the Blood, from the Heart thro' the Arteries and back again by the return­ing Veins; nor of the particular Ducts thro' which part of the Chyle is conveyed from the Stomach to the Subclavian Veins. But the Moderns having made these Disco­veries, let us consider some of the Fruits of it, and the Consequences they have drawn from it.

FROM the Circulation of the Blood, as a Fact given, it has been commonly con­cluded, that the Action of the Heart, in its alternate Systole and Diastole, is the whole Force and adequate Power, by which the Blood is moved in the course of its Circu­lation. [Page 16] [...] [Page 17] [...] [Page 18]Knowing therefore that the Blood Circulates, and presuming that the Heart is the moving Force or Power, this Power has been exactly computed, at a great ex­pence of Geometry and Mechanism. And herein the Gentlemen, who have applyed themselves to this, have succeeded so well and come so near together, that they have differed only about the Force of the Heart, in the proportion of 500000 to I; for this, upon a just Computation, will be found to be nearly the Difference, between Dr. James Keil, and the famous Borelli in his Book de Motu Animalium. But in the mean while, might it not be as well to be quite ignorant of the Circulation of the Blood, as not to be able to apply it to better Pur­pose? Did not the Antients Bleed, when occasion required, before they knew any thing at all of the Circulation of the Blood? Nay, did they not use Phlebotomy with more Judgment and Success, by opening a Vein as near as possible to the Part affected; while the Moderns have absurdly run into the contrary Practice, against Fact and Ex­perience, as well as the Reason and Nature of Things; by falsly concluding that 'twould [Page 19]be indifferent from what part of the Body Blood should be drawn, since, in conse­quence of the Circulation, the Aequilibri­um of the Vital Fluid would necessarily be soon restored again. Or has the Knowledge of the Circulation, by any Use or Applica­tion whatever that has yet been made of it, at all improved the Art of Healing?

BUT farther, from the Discovery of the Chyliferous Ducts, which terminate chiefly in the left Subclavian Vein, tho' they are often found in the Right too, it has been concluded that the whole quantity of Chyle, and every thing that can be conveyed from the Stomach thro' the Lacteals, must pass this way into the Blood-Vessels; and that this Matter must afterwards be derived a­gain from the Blood in the Arteries, by the Glandular Secretory Ducts, before there can be any such thing as Animal Nutrition or Evacuation. But as this is contrary to all the Phaenomena of Animal Nature, and demonstratively false in Fact, it could not possibly have ever entered into the Heads of Men, who had not had the vast advan­tage of Modern Discoverys in Physick.

ANY Man, I think, who has made the least reflection upon this Matter, if not too strongly prejudiced, or accustomed to ano­ther way of thinking, must be convinced that the Natural Evacuations, in their in­creased or diminished Quantities, do not at all follow the Laws and Conditions of the Sanguineous Circulation, or the increased or diminish'd Velocity and Momentum of the Blood; but that one may be increased while the other is diminished, and pro­duce their Effects reciprocally. In Inflam­matory and Effluent Fevers, where the Ve­locity and Impetus of the Blood is greatest, the natural Secretions and Evacuations are generally greatly diminish'd. And, on the contrary, in the Paroxisms of Diabetical, Hypochondriacal and Hysterick Disorders, we often find a very great and extraordi­nary Profluvium of Urine, where the Cir­culation of the Blood is very low and lan­guid, or almost quite suspended; which could not possibly happen, I think, if these Evacuations were made from the Arterial Blood, and depended on the Velocity and Impetus of that Fluid.

IN Atrophys we frequently see People, running off all their Flesh, till they are reduced to mere Skin and Bones, and yet the Blood-Vessels remain still full and turgid, and the Blood, upon opening a Vein, comes off with sufficient Force and Freedom, and there are no Symptoms, or Indications at all, of any Diminution or Defect of that Fluid.

IN a Dropsy every thing that is drank, or taken in of a fluid Nature, fills up and distends the Ventricles of the Glands, the Lymphatick Ducts, and Membranous Cells throughout the Body still more and more; while the quantity of Blood, upon the whole, is not at all increased, but ra­ther much lessened and diminished: And Bleeding, in this Case, is so far from lessen­ing or abating any such Glandular, Lympha­tick or Membranous Plethora, that, on the contrary, it rather increases, strengthens and confirms it: And farther, in this Case such a Plethora, or Redundancy of Water, may be all drawn off, and discharg'd by Urine, Stools, Sweating, &c. without affecting [Page 22]or altering the State of the Blood, so far as can be discovered, either as to its Quantity or Quality.

THESE Facts; and Observations, to men­tion no more, are I think sufficient to de­monstrate, that there is no such Intercourse and Communication between the Glands and Membranous Cells and the Blood, as is commonly Imagined; and that a Defect, or Redundancy, may happen in either inde­pendent of each other, and consequently that those Lacteals, which convey a certain portion of the Chyle from the Stomach, to be emptyed into the Blood-Vessels, may receive either more or less than their share, as well as those which are to carry off and convey the same to the Breasts, Kidneys, Cutaneous Ducts, &c. and this indepen­dent on each other, as the Recipients, lead­ing to one part or the Other, may either be too Lax and Open, or too much Con­stringed and Obstructed. And from hence it is, that we find some Persons and Con­stitutions very much inclined and disposed to collect and accumulate Blood, while they are still Thin and Lean in Flesh; and others to [Page 23]grow Fat and Fleshy, with a Scarcity and Defect of Blood at the same time. Which yet, as plain and evident as it is in Fact, I think, could not possibly happen upon the Modern Hypothesis of Secretion, or if the whole quantity of Chyle or Nutriment from the Stomach, were to be conveyed and thrown into the Blood, before any o­ther part could be supplyed with the Same.

ANOTHER modern Discovery in Phy­sick, as a Consequence of the former, is this, That there is no such thing as different Fermentations, Digestions, and Separations of Liquors in the Ventricles of the Glands, from different Degrees of Heat and Mo­tion; but that all the variety of the different Secretions, is effected by a simple Colature from the Arterial Blood, thro' small Pipes of different Diameters, and which will ad­mit of Fluid Particles of one Size, but not of another, without any Glandular Con­coction whatsoever. Now if any body had a mind to look like a Mechanician and Chemist, without being one the Bel­linian Doctrine, would soon furnish him with Words that might sound very well; [Page 24]and a Man who is well versed in that Hy­pothesis, may possibly be thought a consi­derable Philosopher, while he is talking the greatest and most egregious Nonsense in the World. For tho' we see every Day, and in the whole Oeconomy and Process of Na­ture, very great Changes and Transmuta­tions made upon Fluids by Fermentation and Digestion, under different Degrees of Heat, Rarefaction and Intestine Motion, yet no Man could ever observe any such Thing effected by any sort of Colature or Straining whatsoever. And when these Gentlemen will be pleased to give us any Instances of turning Must into Wine, Wort into Beer, or Chyle into Milk, Urine, Bile, &c. by Straining, it will then be time e­nough to consider this Matter farther; but, in the mean while, if they will not be con­vinced to the contrary themselves, I hope they will give me and some others leave to laugh at such an Hypothesis, at least, till they are better able to support it.

THE Antients, tho' they had not the use of Microscopes, the Method of Injecting the Vessels, and several other Helps with [Page 25]which Providence has favour'd us, yet they were very careful and diligent Observers of all the obvious sensible Appearances, or Phaenomena of Nature, in the Animal Structure and Oeconomy. And from hence they form'd Judgments and Conclusions more certain and successful, concerning the Formation and Cure of Diseases, than ever the Moderns have done from a great num­ber of most precarious and false Hypotheses, under the pretence of a better Application of Geometry, Mechanism and Philosophy, to Physick and the Animal Oeconomy. The pretended Fermentations of Acids and Alkalys in the Blood; the various Combi­nations of the Chemical Principles of Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, in the Body, and the Effects from thence arising; the motive Power of the Animal Spirits, together with their several Suffocations and Explosions, Concentrations and Dissipations; the Spe­cifick Transmutations of morbid Matter, and the Miraculous Power of Medicinal Corpuscles upon the Blood; the mysterious Effects of Straining, or the Preparation of all the different Liquors of the Glands, by a Simple Colature from the Blood in the [Page 26]Arteries, These are some of the most pre­vailing Hypotheses which the Moderns have assumed and argued upon, as Facts, without the least Ground or Reason from any of the reast Appearances or Phaenomena of Nature: And, to which I shall here only add one more, as the Crown and Glory of all the rest, namely, that the Blood, in its Circulation, moves it self by means of the Animal Spirits, which are, at the same time, moved by the Blood. For, in this Hy­pothesis, the Blood cannot move till the Heart contracts, by the Influx of the Animal Spirits from the Nerves; and, on the other hand, the Animal Spirits cannot flow thro' the Nerves into the Heart, till they have been separated in the Brain, by the prior Motion or Circulation of the Blood. So that herein 'tis evident, that they are both supposed as the Antecedent Causes and Consequent Effects of each other; and the Blood, in this way of accounting for its Circulation, can have no Motion but what it communicates to, and returns upon it Self; and this against a constant Resistance, without any prior independent Moving Force at all. Which is just as good Sense [Page 27]as if any one should assign the Weight, Spring, or Moving Force, applyed to the Wheels, or Pullies, as the Cause of the Mo­tion of a Clock, Watch, Crane, or other Machine, and at the same time suppose the Motion of the Engine, to be the Cause of the Weight, Spring, or Moving Force. But this, notwithstanding all the expence of Geometry and Mechanism that has been laid out upon it, by its great Patrons and Defenders, and its being so generally re­ceiv'd on their Authority, as a first Princi­ple in Physick, is an evident Impossibility.

THE first and best Philosophers and Phy­sicians, who apply'd themselves to the Stu­dy of the Animal Oeconomy, by observing the great Alteration made upon our com­mon Food, by Fermentation and Digestion in the Stomach, whereby a Liquor was prepared to be afterwards farther conveyed to the several Parts of the Body, while the Excrementitious Indigestible Parts of the Aliment were separated, forced forward, and thrown out of the Body, carryed this Reasoning, by Analogy of Nature, to the other Glands and Ventricles of the Body, where they supposed a farther Concoction [Page 28]might, in like manner, be made and diffe­rent Liquors prepared and separated, under different Degrees of Digestive Heat and Motion, so as to answer the several Ends and Purposes of the Animal Constitution. And herein they argued right, and grounded their Principles upon the true Method and Oeconomy of Nature in all other like Cases. But how far the Moderns have mended this Theory, or any other practical Principle of the Antients, by any of the foregoing Hypotheses, or by their clearer Knowledge of Anatomy, I may leave any one to judge.

BUT, besides the Virtues, Properties or sensible Effects of Medicines, as they visibly promoted or restrained this or the other natural Evacuation, the first and most suc­cessful Students of this part of Nature, had another Class of Powers and Properties in things given, as they visibly and sensibly affected the Animal Constitution, with re­gard to the Primary or Elementary Quali­ties, as they chose to call them, of Heat Cold, Moisture and Dryness. Or which is the same thing, as Things given, whether [Page 29]a Medicine or Diet, were found to Heat or Cool, Moisten or Dry the Solids in ge­neral. And upon this they founded their Notion of the four Principal Primary or Elementary Constitutions of Hot and Dry, Hot and Moist, Cold and Dry, and Cold and Moist. Where these primary Elemen­tary Qualities were found to be so equally mix'd and contemperated, as that any one of them did not abound or prevail against the rest, this was called the Natural Tem­perature or State of Health; For while these Elementary Qualities were duly tempered and equally blended together, the Body remain'd Sound and Well, and performed all its Functions regularly and in good Order; and no Disease or Distem­perature could ever be observ'd, but upon the Prevalency of some one, or more, of these Qualities above the others: And from hence in every Disease the prevailing Humours were distinguished into Blood, Phlegm, Choler or Bile, and Melancholy or Black Bile: and the general Constitu­tions were from thence denominated, either Sanguine, Phlegmatick, Cholorick, or Me­lancholy, as this or that Humour prevail'd [Page 30]or had the Ascendency in particular Per­sons.

Now this, I think, is plain Sense and talking very Intelligibly; and the Moderns, who have found out other Hypotheses, better Methods of Reasoning in Physick, and nearer Ways to Health, as the Event has plainly prov'd, cannot pretend to be Ignorant of what the Antients meant by Blood, Phlegm, Choler or Bile, tho' they have been mightily puzzled to know what was understood and intended by their Me­lancholick Humour or Black Bile. And yet he who does not understand this, must either never have practised Physick, or else never have made any Observations and Re­flections on what he has seen and met with in Practice. For, in my Opinion, 'tis extreamly clear that the antient Physicians neither did, nor could, understand any thing else, by their Melancholia or Bilis Atra, but the Bile corrupted, vitiated, and dege­nerated from its natural State and Use; in which case it always turns Black, and be­comes a peccant distempered Humour. It is true, indeed, that all the Humours by [Page 31]Stagnation, Corruption and Fermentation, may change their Original Colours and Qualities, as well as the Bile, which was as well known to the Antients as to the Mo­derns, and taken notice of by them accord­ingly; but yet this Corrupt Bile, when it prevails, is so very extensive in its Conse­quences, and productive of so many and great Diseases, even where no Jaundice ensues, that it was justly taken notice of and distinguished, by them, as one of the Principal General Morbid Constitutions: And especially, as this Distemperature of the Bile naturally, and almost constantly, at­tends a Cold and Dry State and Habit of Body, or a prevalency of Cold and Dryness, above Heat and Moisture, in the General Constitution.

I am aware some trifling Objections may be made to what I have advanced here; but as they would all terminate in this, that the Antients could not always express themselves accurately enough to be under­stood by the Moderns; so in answer to them, without mentioning the particular Objections, it may be only said in general, [Page 32]that the Moderns, in this Case, have been equally culpable, in that they have not been always able to express themselves, with sufficient Clearness, to be understood by one another. But for any one gross Absurdity, or Falshood in Fact, which any Man shall produce from the Antients, a­bout the Cause, Formation and Cure of Diseases; I will undertake, in defence of the Moderns upon this Article, to give him five.

THE Antients had, indeed, a particular Notion that the Blood is made in the Li­ver, to which Viscus they ascribed the Act of Sanguification. This Opinion has been perhaps justly rejected by the Moderns, tho' they have not been able yet to settle any thing in the room of it; and therefore have had no ground for the Laugh. The An­tients, it seems, fell into this Mistake for want of a clearer Knowledge of Anatomy. Well, be it so; but how have the Moderns rectified this Error, by their farther Disco­veries, and better Acquaintance with the A­nimal Structure and Oeconomy; or to what particular Organ do they ascribe this [Page 33]Act of Sanguification? Perhaps it may be answered, with some Triumph here, that the Case is now very plain, and that since the Discovery of the Elasticity of the Air, 'tis evident enough that the Lungs are the only proper Sanguifying Organs; where, by the Intromission of a fine Elastick Au­ra, these Globules are form'd and blown up. But this is a very strange Account of the Matter, indeed, since 'tis certain, in Fact, that these Globules are specifically heavier, instead of being lighter than the Serum. And consequently, that they cannot be Vesicles or Bubbles fill'd and blown up with Air. And had one therefore a mind to maintain the Argument, for the sake of the Jest, it would be no great difficulty, in my Opini­on, to defend the Liver against the Lungs, in spite of all such Reasonings as this.

BUT he who would follow the Gui­dance of Nature, and build his Opinion herein on plain Facts and Observations, may perhaps see Reason to conclude, that the Act of Sanguification is not appro­priated to any particular Viscus or Bowel, [Page 34]that the Lungs contribute only their share in the Operation, and that the Blood re­ceives its peculiar Type and Form in the Arteries, where it undergoes the highest Degrees of Heat, Impetus and Motion.

FOR we may observe, in Old People, where the natural Heat, and Elastick Tone of the Solids are much impaired, that the Blood grows paler, fainter, and runs more into Water, and that the Globular Part or Cremor sensibly lessens in proportion to the Serum. And this likewise is remarka­bly the Case in a Chlorosis, or, indeed, any Obstruction of the Menstrual Secretion at­tended with Chilliness, Lowness, Pallor and Languor: In which Cases we often see the Globules almost lost, and the Blood is little else but Serum. But, by restoring the natural Heat, and strengthning the Elas­tick Tone of the Arteries, these Globules soon rise again, and the Crassamentum or Cremor is reduced to its natural and due State, whether this be done by any Inter­nal Means or External only.

THUS it may likewise be observed, that People of Hot, Biliose, and Sanguine Con­stitutions, whose Fibres are more firm and tense, and where consequently the mus­cular Force and Action of the Solids is stronger and more vigorous, than in other Temperaments, have proportionally more Cremor in the Blood than others; and, in some high Inflammatory Fevers, where the Elastick Force of the Solids is still greater and more exalted, the Blood becomes almost all Cremor, and affords but very little Se­rum after it has stood many Hours in a cold Place. Now, from these Observations, to mention no more at present, it may perhaps be justly concluded, that the Blood receives this Form from the Heat and Ela­boration it undergoes in the Arteries.

BUT to resume and consider a little far­ther the natural Constitutions, as depend­ing on the Primary or Elementary Quali­ties above mentioned, it may be proper to take notice, that the true alterative Method of the Antients, consisted in regulating and moderating these natural Constitutions and primary Qualities. And this they did not [Page 36]pretend to do by Specifick Alteratives, in the Modern Quack Sense, or by any Oc­cult Qualities, or Magical Effect, of Me­dicines on the Blood, where People were not to know what they took, or after what manner they were to expect Relief, but by a skilful Direction and Regimen in the Use of those Things, which have, I know not for what Reason, been common­ly called the Non-Naturals, such as Diet, Air, Exercise, &c. But I should rather chuse to call these the Universals or Con­stitutionals, because the Original Natural Constitutions and Primary Qualities do al­most entirely, absolutely and universally de­pend upon them, so far as Moderating and Tempering them can fall under the Consi­deration of a Physician.

A Flesh and Ale Diet increases the Cras­sament of the Blood, and accumulates Fat more than any thing else; it oilifies and enriches the Blood, and promotes the Heat and Humidity of the Constitution, which is the Characteristick of that Temperament which by the Antients was call'd Sanguine. But when this Constitution becomes In­temperate [Page 37]and Morbid, it is the Foundation of all those Diseases which are owing to an overgrowth of Fat, and a too thick and rich Blood.

A Milk and Vegetable Diet, join'd with Water-Drinking, encreases the Serum of the Blood more than the Crassament. It cools, refrigerates and moistens the Habit or Constitution, moderately contracts the Solids, and promotes the Alvine and Uri­nary Discharges. But it has not the same Effect on the Cutaneous Evacuations by Sweat and Perspiration, which it rather lessens and restrains. And yet, by joining this Regimen in Diet to a moderate use of warm Liquors, or such as contain a Vinous Spirit, any immoderate Check or Restraint of Perspiration may easily be prevented: As, on the other hand, Vegetables and Wa­ter-drinking are, in a good measure, Pre­ventatives of the ill Consequences, which might otherwise follow, from the too free Use of a Flesh and Ale Diet.

THE Choice of Air is undoubtedly of the utmost Consequence to moderate and [Page 38]reduce a Constitution, when it grows into any Intemperature; and here the Constitu­tion of the Air, with regard to the Prima­ry Qualities above mentioned, compared with the Constitution of the Patient, will afford any Man a sure and unerring Rule in the choice of Air. For 'tis certain that any Error of Constitution ought to be rectifyed and reduced by the contrary Tem­per and Quality of the Air, and no body would chuse a Hot Air for a too Hot Constitution, or a Cold Air for a Cold One, and so of the Rest.

IN a Phthisis, or natural Weakness of the Lungs, the softest and warmest Air is to be chosen, provided it be not too Thick, Moist and Boggy. But in an Asthma, Jaun­dice, Weakness and Relaxation of the Nerves, and almost in all thin declining Habits where the Lungs are sound, a thin, cool, dry and Elastick Air, is always best and most eligible. But Gross, Fat and Cor­pulent People can never be much mended by any Air, without a cooling attenuating Vegetable Diet and proper Exercise.

OF all Exercises for Health, as well as Pleasure, nothing can stand in Competition with Riding and Swimming; which won­derfully brace the Nerves and Solids in ge­neral, restore their Elastick Tone, open Obstructions, and promote the several na­tural Secretions and Evacuations, beyond any other Gymnastick Regimen whatsoever.

MODERATE Sleep is the great Solamen and Restorative of Nature, by which the Organs are warm'd, moistned and lubrica­ted, and the several Springs of Motion wound up, and prepared for farther Action in the waking Hours. But in this Case ex­cessive Indulgence of Sleep, or Overwatch­ing and Want of Sleep, are equally injuri­ous to, and produce different and contrary Effects upon, the Constitution. For Ex­cessive Sleeping checks and restrains all the natural Secretions and Evacuations, weakens and relaxes the whole Animal Frame, de­stroys the Tone of the Muscles, and induces such a weak, cold, humid and flabby State of the Nerves, as threatens a Palsy, and frequently terminates in one; which I have more than once known to be the Conse­quence of it.

ON the other hand, Overwatching and the Want of natural Sleep, wears and wastes the whole Animal Constitution, heats the Blood, drys and contracts the Nerves, and, in fine, either kills with a Fever attended with a Phrensy, or induces a Mania, Lu­nacy, or Distraction of some sort or other, as is but too commonly seen and experi­enced.

THE Passions have so great a share in the Constitutions and Diseases of the Body, that, in my Opinion, this ought to be rec­koned one of the principal Provinces of Physick; and indeed, with a Saving to the Divines, I think Physicians are the fittest Persons to apply a proper Relief, under those great Emotions and Perturbations of Mind; which either arise from the Body at first, or are soon materializ'd by a commu­nication with it. For these Passions are all either pleasing or painful Images, and have just the same Effect upon the Constitution, whether they arise from things without us, or have their Original from the Mind with­in.

'TIS evident that the pleasurable and painful Passions, have very different and even quite contrary Effects upon the Blood, Hu­mours, and respective Organs of the Body, of which a Mechanical Account and Expla­nation, may be seen in the Ingenious Dr. Morgan's Philosophical Principles of Me­dicine; a Book that can never be too much studyed by the young Physician, who in­tends to make a Figure in his Profession, and would build his Practice on plain Facts and indisputable Principles. To that Trea­tise, therefore, I shall refer the curious Reader; where, I can assure him, he will find this Subject: touch'd with uncommon Delicacy, and see the Origin, and different Modifications, of the Passions beautifully described, and their Effects on the Animal Organism, in a strong and masterly manner, Anatomically delineated and Mechanically accounted for: Which makes it the less necessary for me to enter farther into the Theory of the Matter here.

'TIS evident in Fact that Hope and Joy warm the Blood, diffuse the natural Heat, raise the Pulse, and take off any Irritation [Page 42]or painful Stimulus upon the Organs; and that Fear and Grief produce the quite con­trary Effects to all these. But 'tis observa­ble, that Grief is the most sinking, wast­ing, disanimating Passion of all; for Fear very often inspires the Person Affected, with a Resolution and Courage proportio­nal to the apparent or apprehended Danger, and thereby arms him, with suitable Strength and Firmness, to encounter with the Diffi­culties before him.

Hope and Joy affect the Blood and Hu­mours much after the same manner with Vinous Spirits, Opiates, and other such Exhilerating Volatiles; but Grief and Fear when they are strong and overbearing, with Acids and Salts upon the Stomach; i. e. they affect the Organs with Pain, lower the Pulse, repel the natural Heat, and dis­arm a Man of Spirit, Strength and Resolu­tion, or, perhaps, keep him constantly a­wake and attentive to the painful disagree­able Scene, till he has quite lost his Senses. From this short Account of the Mechanical and most obvious Effects of the Passions, the Methods of relieving them when they [Page 43]grow Exorbitant, may be easily drawn; and there is no need that I should farther insist on it here. I had some thought indeed of being larger on the consideration of these Consti­tutionals, which we so improperly call Non-Naturals; but the Bounds to which I must confine my Self, in this Essay, will not permit of a longer Detail at present; and I must, therefore, refer a more particu­lar and distinct Account of these Matters, to some fitter Opportunity.

SECT. II. Of the Materia Medica in general.

NOTWITHSTANDING the vastness of this Subject, I have no design to write a Volume upon it, nor do I think it necessary. But considering the Bulk to which the Materia Medica is grown, 'tis certain­ly, I think, high time to come to some pro­per Limitations and Restrictions concerning it, before it is quite run out into Infinity. For, to such an excessive Degree is this Mat­ter grown already, that a Man had almost as good read over all the Acts of Parlia­ment [Page 44]and Laws of England, as the Books of Physick, and the infinite Jumble and Confusion of Remedys of one sort or an­other. I am sensible, indeed, that the best and ablest Physicians among us, have very much reduced the Materia Medica, and brought it into a narrow Compass with respect to their own Practice; but this is no advantage to those who have not bought their Experience at so dear a rate, or who have not had opportunitys of making tryals themselves, but must still go on, in their Prac­tice, upon the Judgments of such as have pretended to vast Experience before them, and who have, hereupon, cryed up a prodi­gious number of Simple and Compound Re­medies as infallible, and fill'd large Volumes with them, when, perhaps, few or none of them, upon tryal, will be found to answer their Character. So that, amidst this huge Lumber, a young Practitioner must still be continually sifting out a Medicine, for his purpose, in most Cases, like a Pearl in the common Rubbish, or a Needle in a Heap of Sand.

THIS Uncertainty and Confusion in Phy­sick, have not arisen from any of the obvi­ous Sensible Properties or Effects of Me­dicines, as they affect the Natural Evacua­tions or the Primary Constitutional Quali­ties; for here the Practice stands upon a pretty good certainty: but only from the vain and fruitless search after Specificks, in the modern absurd Sense, or rather Non­sense, of the Word. This, as the Matter appears to me, has been the true Cause of all such Darkness and Obscurity, as we find the Materia Medica under to this ve­ry Day. I shall therefore, under this Sec­tion, lay down some Principles, well esta­blished in Fact, which may serve as so ma­ny certain Rules of Judgment, whereby the young Physician may govern himself in the choice Medicines, so as to render his Practice less precarious and uncertain, than it otherwise might be, upon his first setting out in the World. And herein, I shall proceed in this plain and natural Me­thod, by considering how far the several Parts of the Materia Medica, as it now stands, are Digestible or Indigestible; in what Cases and under what Circumstances, [Page 46]they are capable of passing the Lacteals and mixing with the Blood; and what Ef­fects may be expected from them, when they get there, which will take in all I intend to say on this Subject.

1. THEN it is certain, that nothing can pass the Lacteals, but what has been pre­viously liquified, and reduced to an Efflu­vium, or an exceeding fine, thin and rarefy­ed Vapour. Not only the Fibrous Solid Parts of our common Food, but likewise the more fix'd Oils and Salts, with which it abounds, are incapable of being dissolved, liquifyed and volatiliz'd, by the Digestive Heat and Action of the Stomach, and the Attractive Power of the Lacteals; and therefore the Residue of the Aliment, which cannot be resolved, attenuated and fluxili­zed, by such a degree of Heat and Motion during the time of Concoction, are by Na­ture precipitated, thrust forward and eject­ed out of the Body, thro' the common Al­vine Excretory Ducts and Passages. Now, if so considerable a Part of our common Aliment, which has no stronger or closer Texture than that of the Vegetable and [Page 47] Animal Solids, cannot be so far dissolved and attenuated in the Stomach, as to be strain'd off thro' the Lacteals; what shall we say to those vastly more solid and compact Substances which are often given as Speci­fick Alteratives? or by what Chemistry, or Mechanism, can our Specificians pretend to convey such Substances as these into the Blood, without first rendering them, by some previous Operation, Soluble and Flux­ilizable in Water?

Sulphur, Aethiops, Cinnabar, Antimony, Mineral Bezoar, and universally all Mi­neral Glebes and Metalline Calces, com­municate nothing to Boiling Water, but their Parts remain fix'd, inseparable and unalterable, against all the Power of such a degree of Heat and Motion; which is yet vastly greater than can be produced, by the natural digestive Heat and Action of the Stomach, during the time of Concoction. Nay, if the Parts of any such solid cohering Substances be first of all broken and di­vided, as far as possible, by any Grinding or Trituration whatever, yet still, when they are afterwards committed to boiling [Page 48]Water, such a degree of Heat and Motion makes no Alteration, and cannot break or divide them farther: but, after all, their smallest Parts, when examined by a Micro­scope, will appear to be many thousand times larger than any of the Orifices of the Lacteals, of which any Person may ea­sily be convinc'd upon tryal. And conse­quently, he who expects to pass such Parti­cles thro' the Lacteals into the Blood, even after their utmost Trituration, and conse­quent Maceration, in any Liquor which the Stomach can bear, will find himself deceived, and may as well attempt to thread a Needle with a Cable, or, to speak accord­ing to our English Translation, It is as im­possible as for a Camel to go thro' the Eye of a Needle.

2. SUCH Metalline Substances, as above mentioned, may indeed be converted into the form of a Salt, by the Power of strong Acids, such as Oil of Vitriol, Spirit of Nitre, &c. as is well known to the Che­mists; and in this Case they become Soluble in Water, and may be volatiliz'd in it, to any assignable degree of Tenuity. But then [Page 49]they are converted into Poysons, and can­not be thought fit Alteratives, unless the intended Alteration be Death.

I know that some of these Metalline A­cid Salts, may be given in some Cases, as Emeticks and Catharticks: bu tthen, as they are not intended to pass into the Blood, but to be presently thrown out of the Bo­dy together with such other morbid Matter as they derive from the remote Parts; so, in no case whatever, should they be exhibited as Alteratives in a long continued Course of Medicine, nor indeed us'd for any other purpose, but with the greatest Caution, and upon the utmost Necessity. They are edged Tools, and never to be meddled with without some Danger.

IT is true indeed, that some Physicians have recommended even the alterative Power of Poysons, when the first Passages are guarded against them, and they are safe­ly conveyed into the Blood and remote Recesses of the Body; but, upon what Prin­ciples this Practice is founded, I own, is be­yond my Comprehension. Would any but [Page 50]a Madman, trust an Enemy in his House, or Closet, that he knows would murder him in the open Street? or is it conceiva­ble that, the much thinner, finer and ten­derer Coats and Membranes of the remote Glands and smallest Vessels, under such Recluses, should be able to bear the Power of so vast a Stimulus, better than the Sto­mach it self where there is so free and o­pen a Discharge?

It is well known that Poysoning has been made an Art of, and reckoned a prin­cipal Part of Magick; and it has been re­ported of the Indians and some Italians, that they can give Poysons to operate in a certain assignable time, either longer or shorter, without producing any present ill Consequences when first exhibited. This method of Poysoning indeed, might, per­haps, receive vast Improvement from such a Notion of Alteratives; but, as this does not belong to Physick, I shall leave the consideration of it to others. And, since no Method has yet been discovered, of go­verning and directing the Venenous Parti­cles, when got into the Habit, to the mor­bid [Page 51]Matter only, or of preventing their baneful Impression, and deleterious Effects, on every part of the Animal Frame and Constitution; I shall not only absolutely reject the internal Use of any such sort of Medicines, but draw one practical Conclu­sion from the whole which I take to be of great Importance; sc. That any Medicine, endued with a strong Emetick or Cathartick Stimulus, should never be suffered to lie long in the Body, or to pass the Lacteals where it is capable of it, but ought to be thrown off, as soon as possible, by the near­est Outlets and properest Excretorys; toge­ther with such other Matter as it has de­rived and prepared for Evacuation.

BUT, besides those things that are abso­lutely Indissoluble, and cannot be convey­ed into the Blood at all, and such as, by reason of their violent Stimulus and Cor­rosive Qualities, ought not to be trusted there, there is another sort of Medicines which might justly be expell'd the Province of Physick, under this notion of Specifick Alteratives, tho' they are not absolutely Indigestible, nor endued with any hurtful [Page 52] Stimulus: What I here aim at, is the Testa­cea, Resins, Boles, and Earths, which will not impart a Tincture so as to be liquifyed and volatiliz'd with Water, or any other common potable Liquor.

ANY of these, when retain'd in the Body, must necessarily clog and obstruct the primary concoctive Organs, and do more Mischief, in a little time, than all the Advantages that can be expected from them. For, as they cannot be sufficiently resolv'd, liquifyed and sublimated, by the natural di­gestive Heat of the Stomach, so as to pass the Lacteals, they must needs foul and ob­struct the first Passages, impair the Appetite, suppress the natural Heat, weaken the Force of the Muscles and Elastick Fibres in ge­neral, and, by continuance, induce an Atro­phy of the worst sort, which arises from an Obstruction of the Lacteals, and a conse­quent depravation of Digestion and loss of Appetite.

BUT while I am exploding, and setting aside these things as Alteratives, or with regard to any good Effects they can have [Page 53]upon the remote Glands and Membranous Vesicles, I would not be thought to main­tain, or suppose, that they may not, at least some of them, be of use, in particular Cases, by their present Effects on the first Passages; provided they are extruded and thrown out of the Body, by Emeticks or Catharticks, as soon as they have answered their proper Intention. But this will be farther explain­ed in some of the following Sections.

ANOTHER principal thing, to be regard­ed in the Practice of Physick, is the Doses of Medicines, and the Manner of Exhibit­ing them. For 'tis certain, that where a Medicine is never so good and efficacious, and capable of answering the Intention of the Physician of it self; yet still this Effect may be eluded, and Nature deprived of the expected and intended Relief, by a wrong method of Exhibition, or by an Error com­mitted, either in the Quantitys or Forms of such Simple or Simples, on which the whole Intention of Cure depends.

AND nothing, in my Opinion, has prov'd more prejudicial in the Practice of Physick, [Page 54]than the Stated Canonical Doses of Me­dicines, whether Simple or Compound. When once a Man imagines himself to be pinn'd down, in the giving of Medicines, to any stated Authoriz'd Doses, he must not go beyond it, tho' he should miss of his Intention and lose his Patient. And from hence one may venture to say, that more hurt has been done by trifling with Effica­cious Medicines, and thereby losing Time, than by mistaking the Case, and directing things contrary to the Intention of Cure.

BUT this Error is oftnest committed in the Case of Compounds, which are com­monly look'd upon and regarded as so ma­ny Canons in Physick; and consequently entitled to an absolute and implicit Obedi­ence and Conformity. But, as this is cer­tainly the prudential Orthodox Method of Trifling, and of doing a great deal of Mis­chief by doing no Good, so I dare be bold to say, that he who shall govern himself by these Rules, without using his own Judgment in varying the Doses and Forms, as occasion requires, will not only often­times lose his Patient, but his Reputation into the Bargain.

It is certain that the Art of Composi­tion in Medicine, upon which all our com­mon Dispensatorys are founded, arose with the Specifick or Corpuscularian Philosophy, and with that it must sink again; for, while the Practice stood upon this Chimaerical Foundation, the Physician, for want of be­ing acquainted with the Obvious Sensible Qualities and Effects of Medicines, and the Method that unassisted Nature took to re­lieve her self, under any particular Disor­der, could have no other Intention in his Medical Processes, than to cure by Magick or Occult Qualities; and consequently must conclude that his chance of Success, always rose in proportion to the number of Ingre­dients in the Compound Remedy. But an Extemporaneous Practice is, certainly, the only true and rational Method of practising Physick; as this may, by the Physician who knows what he is about, be always accom­modated to the great Variety and Compli­cation of Symptoms in particular Cases: and nothing surely can be more Absurd and Irrational, than Extemporaneous General Prescriptions, or Stated Canonical Com­pound Remedys.

WHOEVER considers the most com­mon prevailing Compounds; will find them to be a general confused Jumble of Sim­ples of very different Virtues and Proper­ties; and, consequently, not containing, up­on the whole, the real Power or Efficacy of any one Ingredient in the whole Composi­tion. And if any such General Artificial Composition should happen to answer the Intention, in some particular Cases, it is more by chance than any thing else. And, in these Canonical Compounds, it may be pretty generally observed, that the Simple that gives it the Name, or from which the Denomination is taken, has the least share in the Composition, and might do much better alone, or with any easy extempora­neous Management.

BUT besides this Art of Composition, or confounding all Virtues and Properties together, there is another artificial Method of spoiling, or rendering Useless and In­significant, the best and most Efficacious Simples, by pretending to preserve and se­cure their original native Effects and Vir­tues, [Page 57]in their Distill'd Waters, Syrups, Con­fections and Conserves.

Simple and Compound Waters drawn from Vegetables, are, for the most part, sim­ply ineffectual as to any Intention for which they are given; and he, who makes use of them for any other purpose than as Vehicles, for Medicines of greater Efficacy, will always find himself disappointed; and, even for this purpose, the Simple or low Distilled Waters, not having Strength e­nough generally to keep from Mothering and Spoiling upon hand, are not half so good as Common Water or fresh Small Beer. But the Compound Waters, which are raised to a proof Spirit, may, some of them at least, do very well and be thought pleasant enough as a Dram, tho', I think, most of 'em are fitter to be sold at Inns and Coffee-houses than the Apothecarys Shops.

THE Medicated Syrups are, if possible, still more Insignificant; for, excepting a few of them which are intended as Purgatives, there is not one of them capable of answer­ing any other Intention in Physick: and [Page 58]since they are chiefly used in Juleps, as Specifick Sweetners by the Physician, and as Sugar it self would do much better and render the Medicine more agreeable and less nauseous, I think they may be very well left, to the Apothecary, for the pur­pose of particular Forms and to make up dry Substances into Boles, Pills and E­lectuaries.

Confections and Conserves may likewise answer some such use as to give an agree­able Relish, or to bring Electuaries to a due Consistence; but otherwise, their Medi­cinal Virtues may very well be spared.

BUT, by Decoctions, Infusions and Tinc­tures, the Native Essential Oils and Salts of Simples may be extracted, so far as the natural Heat of the Stomach is capable of doing it. And, since all the proper Medi­cinal Virtues and Powers of the Simples themselves consists and resides in these Salts and Oils, by such a Preparation and Ma­nagement, they may certainly be given to vastly greater Advantage than in their com­mon Gross Substances. For by this all the [Page 59]Efficacy of the Simples may be obtain'd fresh and pure, and to any given degree as the Case requires, so as to come up fully to the Intention. And hereby also the Stomach may be saved the Difficulty and Inconvenience of Solution, Digestion and Separation of the Parts; which is done be­fore-hand in this way of Preparation, to the great assistance of Nature. For it can­not certainly be a rational Method, or good Contrivance, to commit Gross, Solid and Strongly-Cohering Substances, to a sick, weak and distemper'd Stomach, which can­not perhaps retain and digest any ordinary solid Food.

AND, from the same Mechanism and Chemistry of Nature, it must likewise fol­low, that all nauseous, sickening and loath­some Medicines, ought as much as possible to be avoided; that is, they ought absolute­ly to be avoided and never given or urg'd at all. For 'tis a hard Case, indeed, when a weak languid Patient must be forced, with Things which he could never have taken, in his best Health, without loathing Reluctancy and sensible Disorder.

THE Notion of Specificks, and the vain pretence of curing Diseases by the Occult Operation of Medicines upon the Blood, has been the true ground of all such Vio­lence offered to Nature. For, if the Dis­ease is to be cured by Things which are to affect the Blood, after a secret and inexpli­cable Manner, the Patient must believe and suffer for the sake of Health, against all sensible Appearances to the contrary: for, no doubt, the Specifick Remedys will do their Work, and faithfully execute their Commission, when they get into the Blood and arrive at the Seat of the Disorder, what­ever Mischief or Injury they may occasion, to the Constitution, before they get there.

I have made these Observations, which appear to me plainly necessary, with regard to the general Use and Application of the Materia Medica, for the sake of such Gen­tlemen, only, as shall think it worth their while to form their Conduct upon the Reason and Nature of Things, and build their Practice on Facts and Experiments. And, if such Regulations should happen to [Page 61]throw out a great part of its many Particu­lars, I hope, however, it may serve to im­prove the Art of Healing, which is all I aim at.

SECT. III. Of Stimulating and Quieting Medicines.

THE Doctrine of Stimulation and Pa­cification, or the Effects of Pain and Pleasure, is of so vast an extent in Physick, and so essentail to all Animal Mechanism; that I thought it a matter of the utmost Im­portance, to consider this part of the Ma­teria Medica, in a distinct Section by it self.

Pain, or Uneasiness, is the universal Sti­mulus, or Principle of Motion in all Ani­mal Mechanism. When it arises from the Body it has a material Cause, and tho' when it arises from the Mind, and has no other Cause, but the various Modifications of Good and Evil as they appear to the Judgment or Understanding; yet still it [Page 62]may be observ'd, that this mere Mental Pain, when impress'd on the Animal Or­ganism, will have just the same Effect on it, as if it had originally arisen from some material Stimulus. And, in this Case, alter­ing the Judgment and thereby exciting Plea­sure, affects the Animal Constitution, much after the same manner, as a Vinous Spirit, Volatile Salt, Opium, or any other mate­rial Pacifyer. And this Consideration is of such consequence, that, without it, there can be no such Thing as either the Know­ledge, or Application of Animal Mechanism to the purpose of my present Subject. But having observ'd this once for all, I shall confine my self, in what remains, to the Consideration of Material Stimulation and Pacification; where the Pain, or Pleasure, Stimulation, or Pacification, arise from with­out and may be ascribed to some material Cause.

'Tis well know that the active Prin­ciples of Bodies are their Salts and Oils; and that these variously affect the Animal Solids and Fluids, as they are Pungent and Vellicating, or Softening and Lubricating, [Page 63]Fix'd or Volatile, Heating and Rarefying, or Cooling and Condensing. Nor are there any Operations of stimulating and quieting Medicines, but what may be understood and explained, by these their obvious sen­sible Properties or Mechanical Effects.

IT may be observ'd farther, that an Or­gan may be stimulated, vellicated, or put to pain, either by an immoderate Disten­tion or Compression: For, in either of these Cases, the original Structure and Confor­mation of the Organ or Vessel must be al­tered and broken, the natural Indication or Notification of which, in the Animal Constitution, is Pain. A Stimulus, there­fore, may be either Hot or Cold; i. e. the stimulating Substance may either be a strong, rigid, condensative Salt, or a heat­ing, rarifying or pungent Oil.

IN a cold condensative Stimulus, the Afflux and Weight of the Fluids, towards the Organs or Vessels stimulated, and the Evacuations depending thereon, will be in­creased. And when any such Stimulus is too strong and powerful, the Afflux of the [Page 64]Fluids to the stimulated Parts, will overbear the contractile Restitutive Force of the So­lids, in which Case the Parts must Swell, Mortify and Gangrene, or the Stimulus will act as a Poyson, and the Person thus affected dies, under all the Pain and Torture of such an Erosion, in the full force and vigour of his Senses, without any Stupor or Lethar­gick Symptoms.

BUT in a hot rarefactive Stimulus, the Symptoms will be very different, which I shall here briefly consider and explain. For, tho' the swelling of the stimulated Part will always be, caeteris paribus, in propor­tion to the quantity of the Fluid flowing to the Part, yet in this Case of a hot rarefactive Stimulus, the Organ or Vessel will be considerably more inflated and distended, by the Action of the heated rarefied Air included in the Fluid, and the circumjacent Vessels necessarily Compress'd and Con­stringed to a greater degree, and consequent­ly the influx of their Fluids will be inter­rupted or lessen'd in proportion. Now the Effects of this Inflation or Distention, will be most remarkable and sensible, when it [Page 65]happens in the Stomach, which is the prin­cipal and original Seat of the Action of Medicines. And here the heating rarefy­ing Oil, acting upon this Organ, and in­flating or distending it more or less, may in its Effects prove either Sedative, Pacifying and Composing; Sickening, Surfeiting and Stimulating; or Stupifying, Lethargick and Mortal; according to the different degree of such Inflation, and the different power of the Cause or Counterforce which it acts against.

LET us suppose then the Pulse lower'd, the natural Heat repelled, the Perspiration check'd, the Tyde of the vital Fluid sunk and depress'd, and consequently the Mem­branes of the Stomach, Intestines and Vis­cera, tumifyed and relaxed from a Redun­dancy and Surcharge of Fluids, occasioned and brought on by Fasting. Watching, hard Labor, immoderate Purging and Vomit­ing, and the like Cause. And 'tis well know that, in such Cases, a moderate quan­tity of Wine, or any generous heating and rarifying Liquor abounding with a Vinous Spirit or Volatile Oil, will give a very great [Page 64] [...] [Page 65] [...] [Page 66]and sudden Relief, by diffusing the natural Heat, raising the Pulse, and restoring the Perspiration. If this warm Effluvium, and consequent Inflation of the Stomach, be carryed somewhat farther, all the foregoing Effects of it will be increased; the Pulse will rise higher, the external Heat will be greater, and the augmented Perspiration will break out into Sweats; which Sweats in such a Case are vastly beneficial, as they deterge and purge the cutaneous Glands and excretory Ducts, which were before ob­structed by the Induration and Concretion of their contained Matter.

BUT, if this Distention of the Stomach shall be still increased, so as more strongly to compress the descending Aorta and Viscera contained in the Abdomen, and to throw a greater quantity of Blood upwards thro' the more patent Canals; this Increase, by compressing the Nerves in their Origin, will fix them, and induce Sleep, which will be more or less sound, and of longer or shorter continuance, according to the different Power and Efficacy of the Cause. But when this Cause is raised to its highest [Page 67]Degree, and acts with an overbearing Strength and Violence, it produces a Le­thargy, Apoplexy and mortal Stupor, un­der which, the Person thus affected dies Senseless and Convulsed, especially in the lower Parts which derive their Blood from the descending Trunk of the Aorta; while the superior Muscles, which are overcharg­ed with Blood, remain fix'd and in a man­ner motionless. But the direct contrary to all this happens, when a Person dies under the Power of any stimulating, acid or saline Poyson. And from hence it may appear, that Alkaline and Acid Poysons are a sort of Antidotes, or Counter-Poysons to each other: for as Vinous Spirits and Volatile Oils and Salts, especially Opium, mitigate the Violence of corrosive Salts and Acids, so do these restrain and moderate the other. And from hence it is evident, that Life or Death, Killing or Curing depend on the different Use of the same things; and what is a necessary Antidote in one Case or me­thod of Exhibition, will under different Circumstances act as a deadly Poyson.

Emeticks and Catharticks differ only in the degree of their Vellication or Sti­mulus. If their stimulating Power be such, as to act immediately on the Stomach, be­fore they can pass farther, they prove E­metick and are thrown off by Vomiting. But, where the rigid stimulating Salts or Acids, are intimately united with a soft lubricating Oil, in the essential Texture and Constitution of the Medicine it self, this qualifying Oil is not presently separa­ted from the more ponderous fix'd Oil and pungent Salts; and consequently, the Stimulation of the Medicine may not be sensible in the Stomach, nor its Action perceiv'd till it comes into the Intestines where it operates as a Purge.

As Emeticks and Catharticks differ from each other, in the degree of their Stimulus, so they differ very considerably, among themselves, according to their dif­ferent Strength or stimulating Power; or as their stimulating Salts and ponderous Oils, are more or less tempered and quali­fyed with a soft Lymph and lubricating Nutritious Oil. But, of all Catharticks, the [Page 69]strong purgative Resins artificially drawn upon Spirit of Wine, are the most detri­mental and attended with the worst Con­sequences; as the repeated Use of them most sensibly impairs the Appetite, obstructs the Lacteals, and fouls, clogs and weakens, the concoctive Organs and Viscera in ge­neral. And this, I think, one may lay down as a certain Rule, that where Nature has prepared a Medicine, it can never be much mended by Art.

Jalap in its natural state, is, perhaps, one of the best general Purgatives in the World. For tho' it possesses a sufficient stimulating Power, to answer the end of a Purge, even where strong and quick Purging is requisite; yet it abounds, at the same time, with Phlegm and Oil enough to correct and moderate its Operation, so as to render it safe as well as effectual: which good Pro­perties the artificial Resin is deprived of; nor can any Art afterwards restore them again. If this Cathartick can be at all im­prov'd, it is by mixing and grinding the powdered Root with about a third part of Calomel, which makes it more attenuating, [Page 70]dissolvent and detersive, and, at the same time, lessens its Stimulus and the adhesive Quality of its Resin.

Gutta Gamba makes a quick, safe and excellent Purge in Dropsies, or where-ever strong Purging is required, when corrected with Mercury: and tho', in its natural State, it be too violent and stimulating in its O­peration, to be given to any but grown Persons and those of strong and robust Constitutions; yet, under this management, I can affirm, from a constant course of Ex­perience for many Years, that it may be exhibited, with great safety, to the tenderest Habits and most delicate Constitutions. And this indeed, in general, is the only method of correcting every thing possessed with a powerful Stimulus, or at least, as far as I have yet found.

Rhubarb is a very moderate Purgative, but a great Astringent and strengthner of the Stomach and Bowels, when they are too lax and flaccid, and when given with about a third part of English Saffron, is an excellent and noble Diuretick, in all great [Page 71]Relaxations of the Renal Glands and Uri­nary Passages. But when 'tis made up into Pills with Quicksilver, first minutely divi­ded and incorporated with any proper Sub­ject of the Turpentine kind, its purgative Quality is greatly strengthned and improv­ed. For, where the first Passages are foul, and stuffed with a load of Matter which wants to be evacuated, Rhubarb thus given, will work as much as Jalap given alone, or in its natural State; and this without any Pain or Sickness, or uneasy Stimulus what­soever. And this, as I said before, is the true Art of correcting, not only Emeticks and Catharticks, but all other Medicines which would, otherwise, act by a too pow­erful and overbearing Stimulus on the Sto­mach and Intestines. For hereby the atte­nuating, dissolving and deobstruent Powers of the Medicine are increased and strength­ned, and, at the same time, the Stimulus and Vellication on the great Organs lessen­ed in the same proportion. And, indeed, a Physician ought never to suffer a Medicine to act by any powerful or too violent a Stimulus, so as to occasion excessive Pain; because, in this Case, it comes near to a [Page 72] Poyson, and threatens a Mortification or Gangrene of the Part thus stimulated. And whenever this happens, accidentally and beside the Intention, the only effectual way to prevent farther Mischief, and to quiet and pacify the Tumult raised in the Con­stitution, is immediately to give a sufficient quantity of some powerful Volatile, espe­cially Opium, to take off the Pain and, thereby, to prevent the fatal Effects of such a Stimulation.

Sudorificks act counter to Emeticks and Catharticks, and the Operations of these are, caeteris paribus, reciprocally proportional. Almost every body must have observed, that a Sweat raised stops a Diarrhoea; and that the checking of Sweat and Perspiration, occasions a Diarrhoea if the Intestines are not obstructed too at the same time. The Reason and Mechanism of this is very evi­dent; for, as all Muscular, Mechanical or Necessary, Motion is propagated from the Heart Undiquaque in the Direction of the Arterial Blood, 'tis plain that when the Flu­ids move in a surplus Quantity from the Heart inwards towards the Stomach and In­testines, [Page 73]and their Evacuation that way is increased by any Cause whatsoever, the Discharges, in the contrary direction, to­wards the external Surface or cutaneous E­munctories, must be diminished in the same proportion, and so vice versa reciprocally. And hereupon is grounded the true ratio­nal Method of curing a Diarrhoea.

Sudorificks, Diureticks and Catharticks, and indeed all other Medicines universally, will operate differently according to the different Constitution in general, or the present occasional State of the Animal Oe­conomy, with regard to the primary Ele­mentary Qualities before mentioned. And here the different Powers of Heat and Cold, or of Rarefaction and Condensation, com­pared with the different state of the Solids and Fluids, or with the nature of the Dis­ease as Effluent or Influent, must be the Physician's Guide. Every one knows that heating and cooling, rarefying and conden­sing Medicines, will either promote or re­strain Perspiration and Sweat, in their place and turns, or under different Circum­stances. No Man therefore, who knows [Page 74]what he is about, would attempt to promote Sweat and Perspiration by heating rarefy­ing Volatiles, where the cutaneous Dischar­ges had been obstructed and retained by a too great Efflux and diffusion of Heat before; or endeavour to promote this Evacuation, by cooling refrigerating Salts and Acids, in a low, languid, and depress'd State of the Blood and Animal Fluids. And yet, as wrong and irrational as this evidently ap­pears to be, any Person, who is but mode­rately acquainted with the Modern Practi­cal Physical Writers, especially those in the Specifick Way, must have observed, that very little regard has been had in Prac­tice, especially in Fevers, to this plain, obvious, and indisputable Principle. Sudo­rificks and Diaphoreticks, therefore, ought to be of one Sort or the other, or the Sim­ples of each kind variously compounded, in extemporaneous Practice, from a careful and judicious Observation of the difference in the simple, or complicated, Symptoms. And this farther shews the vanity and ab­surdity of Stated Canonical Compounds, or General Recipes, under the infinite diver­sity and various complications of Diseases [Page 75]and their Symptoms. But yet I must needs say, notwithstanding the general Doctrine here laid down, that there is one Preparation of Nature, so nicely tempered and adjusted with respect to Heating and Cooling, that, in this intention o [...] promoting Perspiration and Sweat, and thereby carrying off the foulnesses and impurities of the Glands, by the cutaneous Emunctories, is almost univer­sally Beneficial: What I mean here is Opi­um, which, at all Times, and almost in all Cases, greatly promotes the Sudorifick and Diaphoretick Indications, whether the ge­neral Intention, and the Medicines with which it is join'd, be otherwise Heating or Cooling, Rarefying or Condensing.

BUT, where Perspiration and Sweating are necessary, and the Intention cannot o­therwise be obtained, which often happens in Fevers, nothing can come into competi­tion with Blistering, which is not only a safe, but a sure, Refuge on such occasions. And this is so effectual to the purpose here mentioned, that 'tis great pity it should ever be made the last Resort, after other Methods have been tryed in vain, and when, [Page 76]perhaps this may come too late; especially since, in the modern Method of directing and governing it, the most dreaded and usual mischievous Consequences of this O­peration are so easily prevented.

To close this Section, I shall only make one Observation more, as a Matter of great importance; and that is, that the Metalline Salts, or such as are prepared by impreg­nating and incorporating Metals, especial­ly Iron and Copper, with their proper dis­solving Menstruums whether Acid or Al­kaline, are in many great Cases the most effectual Remedies of all; as they may be directed to any of the natural Emunctories, by a skilful and judicious management, and become, then, the most certain and effica­cious Dissolvents, Deobstruents and Deter­gents of any thing yet known. But a full Discussion of this cannot fall within the Bounds of a short Essay, tho' something farther will be observed upon it in the following Sections.

SECT. IV. Of Absorbents.

'TIS certain that some sorts of Sub­stances, which are in themselves in­digestible, and which can by no means pass the Lacteals, or mix with the Blood, do yet most powerfully attract, imbibe, and re­tain the morbid Salts, Acids, and Sulphurs or Inflammatory Oil which is often thrown on the first Passages, in Fevers and other Diseases of the putrefactive kind. And, on this account, such sort of Medicines may be of great use in Physick, provided that sufficient care be taken to extrude them out of the Body, as soon as they have done their work, and saturated themselves with the morbid Matter. By this means the peccant Humour is discharged and cast out, together with the Medicine that had attract­ed and imbib'd it. But nothing surely can be more irrational and absurd, than the giving such Medicines under the notion of their Digestibility and alterative Effects in the Blood; as if the Stomach could work [Page 78]Miracles and, by its natural Heat and Mo­tion, dissolve that which no Art can do by degrees of Heat and Motion vastly great­er. And besides, if such Substances were supposed capable of being dissolved and li­quifyed in the Stomach, so as to be strain'd off through the Lacteals and Lymphatick Recipients, yet still, as in this Case they must necessarily carry the morbid Fomes a­long with them, which they had before imbib'd and retained, and thereby corrupt and poyson the whole Mass; so consequent­ly the Practice, in this view, would be rather more absurd and irrational than before.

IT may be here observed, that such sort of Substances are the best Absorbents as are good for nothing else, and have no other remarkable Property whatsoever. Such as Chalk, dry Earths, powdered Shells, burnt Harts-horn, and the Mineral Glebes which have been first deprived of their Salts, Sulphurs and Mercury, or stript of their active Qualities, by proper chemical Processes, such as Diaphoretick Antimony, Mineral Bezoar, &c. I can­not therefore wholly condemn these things, [Page 79]as of no use at all in Physick, especially the Minerals before mentioned, as some very considerable Physicians have done, particu­larly that Prince of the Faculty the Great and Learned Boerhaave, because they could find them possessed of no active Qualities, and could easily prove them to be absolutely indigestible, and indissoluble in the Stomach, by the clearest and most convincing Expe­riments. For notwithstanding their Passive­ness in other Respects, yet, 'tis certain, they still retain the common Power of Attrac­tion. And as they attract, absorb, and re­tain Salts, Acids and Sulphurs, with the greater force and efficacy, for having been deprived and divested of them before; so, in this way of preparation of them, they may, I think, be deservedly reckoned some of the most efficacious Absorbents in the Materia Medica. But then, when the Use of such indigestible Substances is too long continued, which it always must be when they are directed under the Notion of Alte­ratives; or, where they are too long retain­ed in the Body, and due care is not taken to get rid of them, as soon as they have an­swered their Intention; they must neccssa­rily [Page 80]produce Effects very mischievous to the Constitution, and such as may, in some Cases, be absolutely Irretrievable. And herein Dr. Boerhaave's Observations and Reasonings, upon this Subject, are certainly right.

SECT. V. Of Deobstruents.

DEOBSTRUENTS act by attenu­ating, liquifying, and deterging or carrying off the viscid Concretions of Mat­ter, lodged in the Ventricles of the Glands and Membranous Cells, throughout the whole Body, but especially those of the Mesentery, and Viscera of the Abdomen, which are most liable to be thus obstructed, and where the Obstructions are commonly the most obstinate and invincible.

IN all Cases of Obstructions, great re­gard is to be had to the Nature and Qua­lity of the obstructing and retained Matter; as whether it be a cold, sluggish, indurated Phlegm, or a heating, acrid, concreted Oil [Page 81]and Salt. And as this is nothing, but ob­serving the Primary Elementary Qualities, in the Constitution of every Disease; so it is only to be known, by carefully regard­ing the general Temperament of the Pa­tient, the antecedent Causes by which the Obstruction may have been brought on, and the particular Symptoms and Appearan­ces of the present morbid Constitution. And this Distinction is of such Consequence, that all true Practice depends upon it.

IN all Obstructions occasioned by a cold, unactive, indurated Lymph or Phlegm, where the Complexion is pale, the Pulse low, the natural digestive Heat impaired, and the Serum of the Blood very much abounding, in proportion to the Crassa­ment; in such Cases, I say, Steel, join'd with the warm Bitters and Aromaticks, is a great and noble Deobstruent. It raises the Pulse, strengthens the Digestion, diffu­ses the natural Heat, restores the elastick Tone of the Arteries, and, in a little time recovers the Crassament of the Blood to a wonder, after it had been almost quite lost and run into Water.

BUT, on the other hand, when the Ob­structions are occasioned by a hot, acrid, concreted Oil and Salt, tending to Erosion and Ulceration, or where the natural Heat is excessive, and the Crassament of the Blood is very predominant in proportion to the Serum. Steel, in this Case, can hard­ly be born at all, and will be sure to do more Hurt than Good. For as Steel is in­disputably one of the warmest Deobstruents in the Materia Medica, so, it is from thence evident, it can have no place as a Medicine here, and can only, then, be proper, when the Obstruction proceeds from a contrary Cause, or, a cold, acid, Condensative Coa­gulation; and, in this Case, it is instar om­nium and has not its equal.

BUT the great universal Deobstruent, which may be accommodated to all Cases and suited to all Constitutions, is Mercury or Quicksilver, which is deservedly stil'd by Belloste a Miracle of Nature, and the greatest Gift of Providence in the whole Materia Medica. This noble and divine Medicament, being first well cleansed and purifyed from its original Arsenical Sul­phur, [Page 83]and all other Artificial Heterogene­ous Mixtures and Impurities, may be given, with the greatest safety, to the youngest, tenderest and most delicate Subjects: And, when under a skilful Management, may be directed to any of the natural Emunctories, so as to prove Sudorifick, Cathartick, Di­uretick, Expectorating or Salivatory, in a­ny degree, according to the Nature, Con­stitution and Appearances of Diseases, and their various Indications and Intentions of Cure: And this I can confidently affirm, from my own Experience, in repeated Try­als of it upon my Self and others, for a Course of many Years together. I confess indeed, that I have never yet observ'd any great or sensible Effects from it, beyond the first Passages, when taken by Ounces at a time, in the Vulgar Method and Quack way of Prescription: And notwithstanding the Facts published, in the Controversy on this Subject, which seem to prove the con­trary; yet, I am still of Opinion that the Relief obtained, in those Cases, was purely accidental, and owing rather to the casual Separation and Division of some part of the Quicksilver into its Minutissima, in its [Page 84]Passage thro' the Stomach and Intestines, from the long continued repetition of the Doses, than to any natural or necessary Com­minution of it, by the digestive Heat and muscular Action of those Organs. But, however it be, thus much, I think, is cer­tain, that it does not so quickly, easily and surely pass the Lacteals, in that way of ex­habiting it, as when 'tis antecedently divided by Art, and intimately combined and in­corporated with other Bodies: And, in this way of Management, I may venture to af­firm, it will seldom or never disappoint the judicious Physician's Intention, even in Dis­eases of the most obstinate Chronick kind, where any Relief is reasonably to be hoped for or expected. But a particular Consi­deration of this Matter, would open one into too large a Field for a short Essay, such as I only intend this to be. And besides, as I can give the World some Assurance of seeing this Subject more thoroughly hand­led by an abler Pen, I shall chuse to re­fer to that Treatise which, I believe, will be soon published, and in which, I am confi­dent, the Reader will find his Account.

I shall therefore conclude this Section with one Remark more, by way of Caution to the Quicksilver Devourers, especially such of them as take vast quantities of it out of mere Whim and Wantonness, which is this; That tho' Quicksilver be in it self, perhaps, the most innocent thing in Nature, and absolutely incapable of hurting the most delicate Constitution, if taken pure and in moderate Quantities; yet, since it will in­timately mix and incorporate with other Metals, especially Lead with which it is but too commonly adulterated, and which it will so strongly attract and retain, as not to be separated from it again by any sort of Straining, or other manual Operation: I say, since this is the Case, it may be worth such Persons while to consider, whe­ther Quicksilver thus sophisticated, with a Metal endued with such noxious Quali­ties, may not, in a long Course of taking it, become a Slow Poyson, and do more future Mischief to the Constitution, than can be ballanced by any present sensible Relief or Advantage whatsoever.

FOR my own part, I freely acknowledge, I dare not give it, even in small Quantities, for a long Time together, without being well assured of its Purity. And tho' a Per­son of Judgment may pretty well discover, upon view, from the degree of its Lustre, Polish and Fluidity, whether it be greatly adulterated or not; yet, I am very sure, from a great number of Experiments, that a sufficient quantity of noxious Particles may be so intimately blended with, and re­tain'd by it, as not only to deceive the ni­cest Eye, and elude all other Methods of Tryal, short of the Fiery One, but to do a great deal of Mischief, in a long Course of taking it in surplus Quantities according to the common Way: for which Reason, I never prescribe Quicksilver, but as Re­viv'd from Cinnabar, or Redistilled, accord­ing to Art, after it is got into the Apothe­cary's Hands.

I had here some Thoughts of considering the Materia Medica more particularly, in another Section, and of ranging and dispo­sing the most approv'd and efficacious Sim­ples, [Page 87]in their most natural and proper Or­der. But I must postpone this, to another Opportunity, for the Reasons already gi­ven; and the rather because I intend, one Day or other, if I have Time and Leisure to make the necessary Experiments, to trou­ble the World with a new Pharmacopoeia upon this Plan, in which I propose, accu­rately, to re-examine the whole Materia Me­dica, both Chemically and Mechanically, and to dispose the most efficacious Simples in every Intention, in distinct Classes, ac­cording to their most Obvious Sensible Powers and Properties, with regard to the Primary Elementary Qualities and Natu­ral Evacuations: And to place them in such a natural Order, according to their different Degrees of Power and Force in each Intention, that none but Empyricks, or such as have little or no acquaintance with Philosophy, and the Animal Structure and Oeconomy, shall be easily capable of erring in the Use and Application of them.

IN this Examen, the Reader, I believe, foresees that the Materia Medica, which, in its present State is enormously Bulky, [Page 88]will be greatly reduced and brought into a very narrow Compass. But, however, be­cause I would give no Offence to any Gen­tlemen of the Faculty, especially the Speci­ficians, who may possibly think themselves Neglected, if not Injured, by this Method of treating the Subject; I farther intend, for their Use, and the Entertainment of others, tho' it will cost me no small Pains, to take due notice of the remaining Simples, which, for want of proper Criteria, cannot be en­titled to a Place in the rational Part of this Pharmacopoeia; and which have no claim to any Regard or Esteem at all, but on the Foot of Magick and Specificism. These I shall place in opposite Columns, and in dis­tinct Classes likewise, according to their Traditional Occult Virtues and Qualities from the best Authorities. By this way of proceeding, the true State of the Contro­versy between the Mechanical and Speci­fick Gentlemen will at once be exhibited to View; and, if I am not much mistaken, will appear in so strong a Light, that a Man of no great Abilities may easily de­termine on which Side the Weight of the Argument lies: And whether the Newto­nian [Page 89]Philosopher, who confines his Rea­sonings to plain Facts and just Experiments, or the Corpuscularian and Rosicrucian, who is led by his Imagination into all the Lengths of Whimsy and Enthusiasm, is like to prove the better and more useful Physician.

UNDER this Article likewise, it will clearly appear, from the manifest Contra­diction of the Authorities produced in the course of the Evidence, that for one true Fact, upon Record, in the History of Spe­cificism, you have ten Falsities; that the Argument, therefore, from Authority only, has as little Weight in Physick as in Divi­nity; and consequently, that the Free-Thinker, in the one Profession as well as in the other, has ten times a better chance of being in the Right, in all Cases what­soever, than the Free-Believer or Enthu­siast.