thofe perfons ought to be accounted magicians and jugglers, who cover their ignorance with a veil of fanctity, by infufing fuch notions into the minds of the people.

But with regard to this power of the devils over human bodies, believed equally by the Jews and other nations, I have already faid, that the Divinity ought not to be made a party concerned in impofing difeafes, which may poffibly have natural caufes; unless it be exprefsly declared, that they were inflicted immediately by the hand of God *. For of all the diseases with which miferable mortals are tormented, there are none fo wonderful and dreadful to appearance, but may be the natural confequences of bodily indifpofitions. Wherefore God himself, if he thinks proper, can employ either natural caufes, or the ministry. of good angels, to inflict all forts of diseases on mankind. And I hope nobody will believe, that the devils have had the power granted them of torturing men at their wanton pleasure. But to fay more on this fubject seems the lefs neceffary; because two very learned divines of our nation have already treated it in a full and ample manner +.

Therefore, in order to put an end to these demoniacal difeafes, I will now briefly fhew, how they are to be treated. And first of all, particular care should be taken, to keep the patient's mind employed in thoughts directly contrary to those which poffeffed it before; for one fet of ideas gives place to another, and by effecting this change, the mind is brought out

* Chap. iii. P. 170. See the works of Jof. Mead, 1677, fol. difcourfe vi. and Inquiry into the meaning of Demoniacs, &c.

of

of the ftate in which it was: a circumstance, to which the generality of phyficians do not give fufficient attention. When this can be brought about, the disease is fometimes fpeedily cured. But when either the long standing of the diftemper, or fome other caufe, renders this total change impracticable; at least the strength of the prefent fet of ideas ought to be diminished and deftroyed by all poffible means. The vain fears of fome are to be diverted, and their difmal thoughts difpelled. The daring ferocity of others is to be curbed; for which end it is often neceffary to ufe hard words and threats. Likewife fudden frights, which may give the mind a different commotion, from that which before difturbed it, have been found to afford a temporary relief at least. The ancients prefcribed fome corrections, fuch as bindings and ftripes *. And indeed it is fometimes neceffary to bind those who are too unruly; to prevent their doing mischief to themselves or others. But there is the lefs neceffity for torments and ftripes, becaufe all madmen are of fuch a cowardly difpofition, that even the most frantic and mifchievous, after being once or twice tied, furrender at difcretion, and thence forward refrain from committing any outrage, through fear of the punishment.

As to the medical part, the grofs humours of the body are to be thinned, and the diforderly motion of the animal fpirits is to be calmed. For which end blood-lettings, emetics, cathartics, blifters, and fetons, alfo fometimes coolings of the head, are to be employed. To thefe the foetid guns are to be add ed, especially afà foetida, myrrh, and galbanum. *Vid. Celfus, lib. in. cap. xvii.

And

And camphire has been frequently found ferviceable in exceffive ferocity and want of fleep. But when the disease is accompanied by a fever, nothing is more proper than nitre, given in as large quantities as the ftomach will bear. Laftly, the patient is to be kept to a flender diet, and compelled to use exercise. But in all evacuations, a certain degree of moderation ought to be used, left the madness be changed into a contrary disease, which the ancients termed morbus cardaicus*, that is, an exceffive weaknefs of body. In which cafe, the patient is fo far exhausted, that medicines are of no avail; but the miferable dejected man drags the remains of life, alas! generally too long.

A

CHA P. X.

Of LUNATICS.

S fome ancient phyficians attributed the fallingficknefs to fome divine power, fo they afcribed madness to the influence of the moon. Yet the lunatic, Canvaμ, whofe difeafe is defcribed in the gofpels, was affected with the falling-fickness +. Wherefore this patient (for there is but one of this kind exprefsly recorded there) was either mad and epileptic at the fame time, which is not uncommon; or he laboured under a periodical epilepfy, returning with the changes of the moon, which is a very common cafe. For the account given of him is very fhort, that he oft-times fell into the fire, and oft + Matthew, chap.

*Celfus, lib. iii. cap. xix. xvii. ver. 15. & 18.

⚫ into

into the water. Now, in this distemper a perfon falls down fuddenly, and lies for fome time as dead; or, by a general convulfion of his nerves, his body is agitated, with distorted eyes, and he foams at the mouth. But at length he recovers out of the fit, and has no more knowledge or remembrance of it, than if nothing had happened to him. Yet Jefus is faid to have rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured. That this child's cafe was epileptic, appears more manifeftly from the account given of it by the evangelist, who was also a physician : for he fays, that as foon as the fpirit has feized the patient, he cries out, foams at the mouth, and is torn and worried by him *.

Now, as to thefe Couro, who are fubjoined to the demoniacs, as if their difeafes were different, and whom Jefus is faid to have cured t; they were either mad, or mad and epileptic together, which is not an uncommon cafe, as we have just now said. And as to devils, we have treated of them fufficiently. But with relation to the moon, there is not the leaft reason to doubt, but that the regular returns of the paroxyfms at certain times of the month, gave occafion to men to believe, that this difcafe was luFor that planet has fuch a real influence on this disease, that it frequently happens to fome patients, never to be feized with the fit but about the new moon; which feems to join its energy to those causes that are adapted to produce this evil. But the manner of accounting for this I have delivered in

nar.

* Luke, chap. ix. ver. 39. &c. chap. iv. ver. 24.

VOL. III.

D d

+ Matthew,

another

another place; where I have plainly fhewn that our atmosphere has its tides as well as the fea *.

And indeed the great Hippocrates has long fince taught, that this difeafe is owing to natural causes, and confequently, by no means divine t. For although, in his time, neither the inward parts of the animal body, nor the properties of the blood and humours, especially of the nervous fluid, were fufficiently known; yet, by his great fagacity and experience, he has left us feveral useful obfervations, in relation both to the nature of the difeafe, and to its cure. For he has fhewn, that it arifes from too great a quantity of humours in the brain; and therefore that the best method of cure is to dry up, and leffen the quantity of this peccant matter; without having recourse to incantations and juggling tricks, fo much in ufe in those days.

But when, in fucceeding ages, the ufe of medicines became more common, a great number of remedies for this dreadful difeafe were invented, fome of which indeed were too filthy and shocking: fuch as drinking the warm blood of a gladiator juft flain; eating human or horfe's flefh, the testicles and penis of fome animals, and other things of the fame kind ‡ ; as if matters fo repugnant to nature, could be contrary to fuch grievous defects of it. For fo it often happens, that when a rational medicine is not to be found, any improper and rafh one is attempted. But fuch experiments are to be abandoned to itinerant quacks, and credulous old women. Though

* See Influence of the fun and moon, chap. i. and ii. + De morbo facro. 1 See Celfus, lib. iii. cap.

xxiii, & Cæl. Aurelian. lib. i. cap. 4.