of our mind and our bodily ftrength with furprifing promptitude; yet we are grofsly ignorant of the manner and principle of all our actions, the knowledge of which feems quite unneceffary for leading a good and happy life.

However, we can eafily perceive the effects of the commotions of the mind on our corporeal frame; nor is it any wife difficult to difcern the alterations which they occafion in the blood and humours. For some of them retard, others accelerate the motion of the circulating fluid; while others again act as checks and fpurs alternately. Thus grief and fear flacken its pace; anger, indignation, and intemperate luft, drive it on at full gallop; and a combination of thefe and the like commotions produces precipitate and fudden viciffitudes of flownefs and quickness. And it may not be amifs to obferve, that inordinate affections, dwelling long on the mind, frequently become tedious diseases according to their respective natures. Sơ anxiety, defpair, and grief caufe melancholy; and anger ends in fury and madness. But the paffions do not act with equal force on all individuals; their effect varies according to the diverfity of constitutions both of mind and body; and even in the fame individual, the disturbances which they raife, are different at different times. So thoroughly incomprehenfible is the conftruction of our fabric.

But there is another very wonderful circumftance, which I do not find recorded by any other medical writer but Aretæus *. For it is not only true, as he obferves, that the affections of the mind bring on bodily diseases; but thefe difeafes likewife in their turn * De caufis et fignis diuturnorum morborum, lib. ii. c. I.

engender

engender paffions, and fuch fometimes as feem quite contrary to the nature of the difeafe. And this he exemplifies in a dropfy, which, though it be a moft pernicious disease, yet infpires the fick with courage and patience; not from any alacrity, or good hopes, as happens to those who are in prosperity, but from the very nature of the difeafe. A fact, fays he, which we can only admire, without being able to difcover its caufe.

But all thofe things are performed by the intervention of the animal fpirits, which make that great engine of the blood's motion, the heart, contract with leffer or greater force. Wherefore the pulfe difcovers thofe alterations even in their very beginning.

But before I come to the medical treatment of the diforders of the mind, it may not be improper to take notice, that the omnipotent Creator has given us thefe natural commotions for very wife ends; which feem to be, that thereby we may be urged with a kind of impetuofity to fhun evil, and embrace good. Wherefore the paffions are not bad in themselves; it is their excess that becomes vitious, when they rife to fuch an extravagant pitch as not to be governed by the dictates of reafon.

Now, to affuage thefe fwelling furges of the foul is the business of philofophy. But, alas! in this point all the precepts of the very Stoics commonly prove ineffectual; for the followers of this fect frequently speak mighty things, but live not up to their doctrine :

Naturam expellas furca licet, ufque recurrit.

Nature expell'd by force refumes her courfe.

VOL. III.

S

However,

However, we ought to use our beft endeavours; for the more difficult the conflict, the more glorious will be the victory. It will poffibly be faid by fome, that a phyfician fhould confine himfelf to the cure of bodily distempers, and leave thefe moral points to be controverted and fettled by philofophers. Now, whatever force this advice may have in other cafes, this before us feems to me of fuch moment, that I beg to be indulged in the liberty I take, of interfperfing this medical work with fome few incentives to virtue, which I have learned in their schools.

First, then, we all have a natural propenfity to pleafures; but thefe are of two very different forts, the fenfual and the mental. Senfual pleasures ingrofs the greatest part of mankind; while thofe few only, quos æquus amavit Jupiter, are taken with the beauties of the mental. And the reason why so many run after pleasures of the first fort seems to be; because they hardly ever allow themselves an opportunity of tasting the sweets of an upright confcience, or of feeling that joy, which arifes to a good man from the moderation of his irregular defires; and being entirely devoted to the gratification of their fenfual appetites, they never give the least attention to the real charms of virtue. Wherefore whofoever defires to enjoy this folid happiness, ought to inure himself by degrees to the love of virtue, and ever carefully to avoid adding fuel to the fire of his paffions.

Appofite to these fentiments is that faying, which Cicero puts into the mouth of Cato, as by him received from the great Archytas of Tarentum; that nature never afflicted mankind with a more capital plague, than bodily pleasure; the eager defires of

which fpur on to enjoyment with ungovernable rafhnefs *. And the rest of what that great philofopher has written on this fubject, muft delight the mind of every wife man in the perufal. Wherefore, Virtue's exclamation in Silius Italicus, is very juft:

Quippe nec ira deûm tantum, nec tela, nec hoftes;
Quantum fola noces, animis illapfa voluptas †.
Pleasure, by gliding on the minds of men,

More mischiefs haft thou wrought than hoftile arms,
Than wrath of gods.

But as the due government of the paffions ftrengthens the mind, fo temperance in diet renders the body lefs exposed to thefe turbulent motions. And this rule holds good, not only in those who are naturally of a hot conftitution, but even in those who curb their appetites; because it keeps them in a state of tranquillity.

And this is the way in general, to resist these evils, or at least to diminish their effects. But when they have taken deep root in the body, each of them requires its own proper remedies. In thofe commotions which check the courfe of the vital humours, fpurs are neceffary; but curbs, when they gallop too faft. The ftrong-fmelling gums, caftor, volatile falts, and fpirits extracted from animals, and things of this kind, are very convenient ftimuli. Blood-letting, keeping the body open, nitre, and all other coolers, restrain the impetuofity of the blood. But it is of the utmoft confequence to frequent the company, and follow the advice of persons of fortitude Punicorum, lib. xv.

* De fenectute, cap. 12.

ver.

94.

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and

and wifdom; for in every stage and state of life great is the power of example, whereby we infenfibly learn to give ear to reafon, and govern our paffions; which, unless brought into entire fubjection, will become our tyrants.

But as for thofe who would have us to be entirely devoid of paffions, and to fupprefs all the affections of the mind, as if they were fo many evils; they certainly have a wrong notion of the wisdom and goodhefs of the almighty Creator, who has inferted, and, as it were, interwoven them into our frame for excellent purposes; for they are not only beneficial to individuals upon many occafions, as I have already faid; but even neceffary for keeping up fociety and connections between mankind.

CHA P. XIX.

Of the diseases of women.

N the difeafes of women there seems to be the

a

of authors have taken vaft pains in their defcription and cure. Yet, to avoid the cenfure of neglecting that lovely fex, I will briefly touch on a few points relating to their ailments; beginning by thofe which are often the confequences of a fingle life. the most frequent is

Of thefe

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