I Cannot say, Dizziness belongs only to the Head of an Animal Creature, because we may observe, by irregular Drinkers, that sometimes the Leggs will seem more drunk than their Heads; and sometimes all the Parts of their Body will seem to be temperate, as being Regular, but only the Tongue seems to be drunk: for, staggering of the Leggs, and a staggering of the Tongue, or the like, in a drunken Distemper, is a sort of Dizziness, although not such a sort as that which belongs to the Head; so that, when a man is dead-drunk, we may say, that every part of the Body is Dizzily drunk. But mistake me not; for I do not mean, that all sorts of dizzinesses proceed from drinking; I only bring Drunkenness for an Example: but, the Effects of dizziness of the Head, and other parts of the Body, proceed from different Causes; for, some proceed from Wind, not Wine; others from Vapour; some from the perception of some Forrein Object; and numbers of the like Examples may be found. But this is to be noted, That all such sorts of Swimming and Dizziness in the Head, are produced from Circular Figurative Motions. Also it is to be noted, That many times the Rational Corporeal Motions are Irregular with the Sensitive, but not always: for, sometimes in these and the like Distempers, the Sensitive will be Irregular, and the Rational Regular; but, for the most part, the Rational is so compliant with the Sensitive, as to be Regular, or Irregular, as the Sensitive is.
[CHAP. IV. Of the Brain seeming to turn round in the Head.]
When the Human Brain seems to turn round, the cause is, that some Vapours do move in a Circular Figure, which causes the Head to be dizzy; as when a man turns round, not only his Head will be dizzy, but all the Exterior Parts of his Body; insomuch that some, by often turning round, will fall down; but if, before they fall, they turn the contrary way, they will be free from that dizziness: The reason of which is, That, by turning the contrary way, the Body is brought to the same posture it was before; as, when a man hath travell'd some way, and returns the same way back, he returns to the place where first he began his Journey.
[CHAP. V. Of WEAKNESS.]
There are many sorts of Weakness; some Weakness proceeds from Age; others, through want of Food; others are occasioned by Oppression; others, by Disorders and Irregularities; and so many other sorts, that it would be too tedious to repeat them, could I know them: But, such sorts of Weakness, as Human Creatures are subject to, after some Disease or Sickness, are somewhat like Weariness after a Laborious or over-hard Action; as, when a Man hath run fast, or laboured hard, he fetches his breath short and thick; and as most of the Sensitive Actions are by degrees, so is a Returning to Health after Sickness: but, all Irregularities are Laborious.
[CHAP. VI. Of SWOUNDING.]
The cause why a Man in Swound, is, for a time, as if he were dead; is, an Irregularity amongst some of the Interior Corporeal Motions, which causes an Irregularity of the Exterior Corporeal Motions, and so a general Irregularity; which is the cause that a Man appears as if he were dead.