A Briefe Discovrse of a Disease called the Suffocation of the Mother

by Edward Jorden

Cap. 3.

Of the kinds of this disease, and first of that wherein the vitall facultie is offended.

Now I come to the kinds and sorts of this disease, which may bee reduced vnto three principall heades, according as euerie part of the bodie belongeth vnto some of the three principall functions which do gouerne the bodie of man. Affectus corporis vel excretionum vitiæ. Not that euerie Symptom in this disease doth hurt some of the three functions, for some are onely molestations or deformities, as sudden Collickes, windie humors, noyses, alteration of colour, &c. But because euerie part may well bee mustred vnder some of these generals: and we doe seldome see any hystericall affect wherein some one or mo of the functions are not affected. These functions as they are distinct in office, so they possesse in our bodies seuerall seats and haue seuerall instruments belonging vnto them.

1 The vitall function which by preseruing naturall heat in a due temperature, maintaineth the coniunction of soule and bodie togither, hath his principall mansion in the heart, and from thence by his Arteries conueyeth vitall spirites vnto euery member. So as without this wee could not liue: and therefore it is accounted the principallest function, because the rest receyue their being from this, and this fayling they must needes all cease. This function is performed by the motion of the heart, and Arteries, which in this affect of the Mother is drawne into consent as it is either diminished, abolished, or depraued. The deprauation of this motion is either when it is too fast and quick, or when it beates disorderly. The pulse in this disease is oftentimes too quicke, although it bee weake withall: but seeing it brings no great offence with it, the patient doth seldome complaine thereof. The greater offence is when it beates disorderly, and keepes no equall nor orderly stroke, but either trembleth and daunceth in the motion, or else is violently impelled: Trincauel. li. 4 cap. 24. De partium morbis et symp. lib. 5: cap. 12. insomuch as it doth not onely remoue ones hande being applied to some part where the Arteries are great and near to the skinne (as lately appeared in a noble Gentleman of this lande now dead) but as Fernelius testifieth, hath sometimes displaced the ribbes, and sometimes broken them through the violent motion of the heart.

This Symptom is called the palpitation or beating of the heart, or Arteries whereof Maximillian the Emperour died, as Crato reporteth, and wherewith Charles the fift was oftentimes molested, as Vesalius writeth. It is chiefly to bee perceyued where the Arteries are great & neare the skin: as vnder the left ribbes towards the backe, and in the necke: as you may obserue in Maides that haue the greene sicknesse, by the shaking and quiuering of their ruffes, if they sit close to their neckes: where sometimes through the dilatation of the Arterie there ariseth a [25]tumour as bigge as ones fist. This Symptom is euerie where mentioned by our [26]Authours in this disease and our dayly experience confirmeth it.

This motion of the heart and Arteries in this affect of the Mother is oftentimes diminished either in part or to sense totally. In part, where the pulse in this disease is weake, slow, obscure, intermittent, &c. and the whole bodie accordingly feeble and slow in euery action, for want of influence of vitall facultie from the heart. It is totally diminished in that Symptom which is called Syncope or swounding, the very image of death, where the pulse is [27]scarcely or not at all perceyued; the breath or respiration cleane gone: by reason that the heart wanting his motion, hath no neede of the helpe of the lungs to refresh it withall, all the faculties of the body fayling, it self lying like a dead corpse three or foure houres togither, and [28]sometimes two or three whole dayes without sense, motion, breath, heate, or any signe of life at all (like as wee see Snakes and other creatures to lie all the winter, as if they were dead, vnder the earth) insomuch as diuerse [29]errors haue beene committed in laying foorth such for dead, which haue afterwards beene found to haue life in them, and haue risen vp in their burials, whereupon there haue beene lawes enacted, as [30]Mercurialis reporteth, that no woman which was subiect to this disease should be buried vntil she had beene three dayes dead. Or as [31]Alexander Benedictus of Bolonia sayth 72. houres, which commeth to the same reckoning. [32]Petrus Bayrus setteth downe diuerse reasons why they should not be buried before three dayes bee ended, besides the experience of some (as hee saith) that haue beene found aliue in their graues after they had beene buried. I will refer the reader for the reasons to the author himself, and to [33]Forrestus in his obseruations.[34]Plinie maketh mention out of Heraclides, of a woman who for seuen dayes together lay for dead in a fit of the mother, and was restored againe to life: which (saieth [35]Marcellus Donatus) is not to be thought a fabulous tale, seeing it is not repugnant to the rules of Philosophie and Phisicke. And [36]Galen making mention of the verie same hystorie vnder the name of Apnæa, discourseth of the reasons of it.

[37]Rabbi Moses an ancient Author in Physicke, reporteth also of a woman, that in the fitte of the mother, did lie six dayes without sense and motion, her Arteries being waxt hard, and she readie to be buried, and yet recouered.

[38]Bottonus a late professor of Physicke in Padua, reporteth of a woman that beeing giuen ouer for dead in a fit of the Mother, was by such conclusions as he tried, discouered to be yet aliue, and recouered her former health againe by such remedies as he prescribed.

[39]Forestus of Alkmar in north Holland, but lately dead, setteth downe the like example of another, that lay in that maner 24. houres, and was by him restored to health againe.

The like also he citeth out of Leouellus, in that place, of one that lay with her eyes shut, and dumb a whole day, and by conuenient remedies was deliuered from her fit, and could rehearse all that was done about her in the time of her fit. De hominis generat. cap. 46. But the most pitifull example of all other in this kinde, is that which Ambrose Paræe reporteth of Vesalius a worthie Physition, & for anatomicall dissections much renowned, who being called to the opening of a Gentlewoman in Spaine, which was thought to be dead through the violence of one of these fits, began to open her, and at the second cut of the knife she cried out, and stirred her limbes, shewing manifest signes of life to remaine. The beholders were exceedingly amazed at the sight, and blamed the Physition much for it: who though hee tooke her for dead, yet tooke he great apprehension of sorrow for that accident, that he estranged himselfe. After through griefe and remorse of conscience for his error, pretended (as others say) a pilgrimage for the absenting of himselfe, and therein died. Many more examples to this end could I produce out of Authenticall writers, and late experiences, if it were free for mee to mention them: but these may suffice to shew how wonderfully the vitall facultie is ouerthrowne in this disease, and withall respiration, sense, motion, and all the functions of the bodie by reason of this.