Chapter V: Part 5

If we enquire into the Reason of such ill Effects, we must consider, that _Clay_ is a _Mineral Glebe_, and that the gross Particles and Metallick Salts with which Waters passing thro’ such a Bottom do abound, are, as Dr. _Lister_ (187) observes, not to be mastered, that is, indigestible in the Humane Body. Not only therefore will these Cause, as He very well Argues, calculous Concretions in the _Kidneys_, _Bladder_, and _Joints_; and as _Hippocrates_ experienced, hard Swellings in the _Spleen_; but they must necessarily oftentimes by their Corrosive quality twitch and irritate the sensible Membranes of the Stomach and Bowels, and thus hinder and interrupt the Digestion of our Food. Nay, besides all this, when they come into the Blood, it is no wonder if the small Canals of insensible Perspiration are frequently stopt and obstructed by ’em; for it is upon this Score that _Sanctorius_ (188) teaches Us, that _heavy Water converts the Matter of Transpiration into an_ Ichor, _which being retained, induces a_ Cachexy.

What Mischiefs will insue hereupon every one sees; not only Pains in the Limbs, livid Spots in the Surface of the Body, Ulcers, _&c._ from the Acrimony of the undischarged Moisture; but many besides of those perplexing Symptoms which go by the Name of _Hysterical_ and _Hypochondriacal_, may take their rise from the same Source; for the before cited _Sanctorius_ (189) has remark’d, that the _Flatus or Wind_ so inseparable from those Cases, is no other than _the Fluid of Perspiration rude and unfinished_.

If these Inconveniencies are oftentimes not felt, at least not till towards the declining Age, in strong and active Habits of Body; yet I am, from very good Experience, assured, that they deserve Consideration in weaker Constitutions, and a Sedentary Life, especially of the more tender Sex.

I have the honour to be nearly related to a worthy Person, who led formerly an afflicted Life from the frequent returns of Violent _Colick Pains_, till she was with happy Success advised by the Noble _Van Helmont_ not to Drink (as she then did) Beer Brewed with _Well-Water_; and her Health is even now so far owing to this Management, that an Error in It is unavoidably follow’d with the wonted Complaints.

For these Reasons _Pliny_ (190) tells Us, that _Those Waters are Condemn’d in the first Place, which when Boiled do incrustate the sides of the Vessels_; And that our _Well-Waters_ do this, no Body who looks into the _Tea-Kettles_ of our Gentlewomen can be Ignorant.

And indeed in Ancient Times, when Physick was more a Science, which is now more a Trade, as that Part of It, which relates to _Diet_ was more carefully studied, than it is Now-a-days; so this Point particularly of which we are Treating was of so great Moment, that _Hippocrates_, who wrote the best Book (191) on the Subject that ever was Publish’d, has in a great Measure accounted not only for the Diseases, but even for the Temper and Disposition of the People of several Countries, from the Difference of the _Waters_ with which Nature has supplied Them.

FOOTNOTES to ESSAY V.

(152) _Virgil_ Æn. 7. v. 8.

―― _Sævamq; exhalat. opaca Mephitim._ _Vid. Servium, ibid._

(153) _Scaliger. Conject. in Varron._

(154) Lib. 13.

(155) _De Situ Orb._ l. 1. c. 13.

(156) Ἐιν Ἀρίμοις ὅθι φασὶ Τυφώεος ἔμμθυαι ἐυνάς. Il. Β. v. 783.

(157) _Nat. Quæst._ l. 6. c. 28.

(158) Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 93.

(159) _L. di Capoa delle Mofet._ pag. 37.

(160) Vid. _Malpigh. de Pulmon._

(161) _Vid. L. di Capoa Mofet._ pag. 40.

(162) Pag. 128.

(163) _Epidem._ l. 2, & 3.

(164) _De Temperament._ l. 1. c. 4. & _Commentar. in Epidem._ l. 3.

(165) L. 6. v. 1098.

(166) Histor. Afric. _l._ 1. _c._ 1. Vid. Purchas’s _Pilgrims_, _l._ 6. _c._ 1.

(167) _Prognostic._ 1. & _Galen. Comment_.

(168) Sect. 3. Aph. 11.

(169) _De Febre Malign_ l. 1. c. 11.

(170) _De Aere, Locis, & Aquis._

(171) Φύσιες Νούσων ἰητροἰ. _Hippocr._ Epid. 6.

(172) _Dissertatio de opera quam præstant corpora acida vel alcalica in Curatione Morborum._

(173) _De Febrib._ Prop. 27.

(174) _De Motu Cordis_, Prop. 9.

(175) _Tumulus Pestis_, pag. m. 163, & 172.

(176) _Vid. Lister_’s Voyage to _Paris_.

(177) _Quis tumidum Guttur miratur in Alpibus._ Juvenal Satyr. 13.

(178) Lib. 31. cap. 2.

(179) _Metam._ lib. 15.

(180) _De Therm._ lib. 6.

(181) _N^o. 8._

(182) Dr. _J. H. Scelera Aquarum_: Or, a Supplement to Mr. _Graunt_ on the Bills of Mortality.

(183) Lib. 25. c. 3.

(184) _Geogr._ lib. 6.

(185) _Prorrhet._ l. 2. c. 16.

(186) _De Aere Aquis & Locis_, _sub finem_.

(187) _De Fontib. Med. Angl._ _P._ 2. pag. 75. _At fossilia sive Metallica salix aliæ atq; alia sunt, & nobis & pene igni dixeram indomabilia._

(188) _Medicin. Static._ Sect. 2. Aphor. 6.

(189) _Ibid._ Sect. 3. Ap. 13. _Flatus nil aliud est quam rude perspirabile._

(190) _Lib._ 31. c. 3. _Damnantur imprimis Fontes quorum Aquæ decoctæ crassis obducunt Vasa crustis._

(191) _De Aere, Locis, & Aquis._

_FINIS._

_The Explication of Those Figures which are not Explained in the Treatise._

_Fig. 1._ Represents the Head of the _Viper_ in its Natural Bigness, with the Mouth open, and Fangs Erected.

(_a_) Marks the Poisonous _Fang_.

(_b_) The Eye.

(_c_) The Hole of one Nostril.

(_d_) The _Larynx_.

(_e_) The Forked Tongue.

_All the Other Figures relating to the 〈Viper〉 are drawn larger than the Life._

_Fig. 7, & 8._ Exhibit some Muscles, which serve for the Motion of the Jaws.

(_a, Fig. 7._) _Elevator Maxillæ Inferioris._

(_b_) _Depressor ejusdem._

(_c_) _Depressor Dentis Venenosi._

(_d_) A Strong Ligament fastened by one Extremity to the Spinal _Apophysis_ of the Second _Vertebra_ of the Neck, and by the other to the end of the _Elevator Maxillæ Inferioris_.

(_a, Fig. 8._) A Muscle, which being fixt to the Extremity of both Jaws, serves to pull them backwards, and may be call’d _Retractor_.

(_b_) The Internal side of the _Depressor Dentis Venenosi_.

(_c_) _Elevator Dentis Venenosi._

(_d_) The Extremity of the Lower Jaw.

(_e e_) _Flexores Capitis._

(_f_) The Internal Part of the Skin covered with some Muscular Fibres.

_Fig. 17._ Shews the Head of the _Scolopendra_.

(_a a_) The Wounding Claws.

(_b_) The Mouth.

(_c c_) The Two First Feet.

_Fig. 18._ The Weapons of the _Nhamdu_ in their Natural Bigness.

* * * * * *

Transcriber's note:

Footnotes were moved to the ends of chapters and renumbered 1–191.

Original spelling and grammar are generally retained, with a few exceptions noted below.

Page viii. The phrase "Which do no not promise a" was changed to "Which do not promise a".

Page 19. Changed _impregdated_ to _impregnated_ in the phrase “tho’ it be duly impregdated with Salt”.

Page 20. “Strenghning” is retained.

Page 23. “Royal Acamy” is retained.

Page 26n. “Sanie & hnmano Sanguine” to “Sanie & humano Sanguine”.

Page 83. In this discussion, the footnote designators are the original printed ones, which have been changed to numbers in this edition. There were four footnote anchors [a, b, c, c] on the page, which begins with “Nerves, with a great inward”, and four distinct footnotes labeled [a b c c]. The fourth has been herein given its own distinct anchor and label. Then on page 84, which begins “That this Disease is accompany’d with a _Delirium_”, there were two printed footnote anchors [e, f], and three footnotes [d, e, f]. The footnote originally labeled “d” is herein eliminated from page 84; it said “_Vid. Galen. de Theriac. ad Pison_, l. 1. cap. 16.”.

Page 94. The third footnote (now numbered 89) originally read approximately thus: “(f) _Vid. Aetium._ .6: c. 24.” but there is a smudge preceding the “.6:”, possibly a number or some other character.

Page 97. There were three footnotes [f g h] on this page, which begins with “this Spongy Excrescence, if it be”, and only two footnote anchors [g h]. The first footnote (f) is a duplicate of the third and last footnote from page 96, and so has been removed from this edition.

Page 120. Changed _Treament_ to _Treatment_, in “Symptoms from so severe a Treament”.

Page 122. The phrase “found in Mines of God” is retained, but is perhaps wrong. The first footnote, now labeled 130, beginning “(f) _Lib._ [smudge]” is partly illegible.

Page 127. Changed “substitued” to “substituted”.