Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and humble Servant.
[1] Ch. Call'd The Erring Watchman, or Wandring Keeper.
[2] Ch. call'd The Spirit of Life.
[XXXIII.]
MADAM,
I do not approve of your Authors Doctrine, forbidding Phlebotomy or blood-letting in Fevers, opposite to the received Practice of the Schools; his reason is, that he believes there can be no corruption in the blood. Corrupted blood, says he,[1] cannot be in the veins, neither doth a state of ill juice consist in the veins; for Gangrenes do teach, that nothing of Putrified matter can long persist without a further contagion of it self. Also he says, That the blood of the Veins is no otherwise distinguished by its several colours and signs, then as wine is troubled when the vine flourisheth. To which I answer, first, That I can see no reason why there should not be as well corrupt blood, or an ill state of juice in the veins, as ill humors in the body. Perchance he will say, There is no corruption in the body. But Ulcers do teach the contrary. He may reply, Ulcers are not parts of the body. I answer, 'Tis true; but yet they are evil Inhabitants in the body, and the like may be in the Veins. But surely some men may have corrupted parts of their bodies, and yet live a great while; witness Ulcers in the Lungs, and other parts. But your Author may say, When a part of the body is corrupted, it is no longer an animal Part. I grant it: but yet, as I said, that transformed part may remain in the body some time without destruction of the whole body; and so likewise, when some of the blood, is transchanged from being blood, so as not to be capable to be reduced again, it may nevertheless remain in the veins without definition of the veins, or of the whole body: Neither do I conceive any reason, why corrupt blood should Gangrene in the veins, and infect the adjoyning parts more then corrupted lungs do. Next, as for the comparison of the various colours and signs of the blood, with Wine being troubled when the Vine is flourishing; I answer, That it doth not prove any thing; for we speak of such colours, as are signs of corrupted, and not such as are signs of troubled blood: Besides, it is an unlike comparison; for though Wine may become thick by much fermentation, yet it doth not turn into water, as blood in some sick and diseased persons will do. But corrupted blood may be, not onely in the veins of sick, but also of healthy persons; and the story says, that Seneca, when his veins were cut, they would not bleed, although in a hot Bath, by reason that which was in the veins, was rather like a white jelly, then blood, and yet he was healthy, though old; which proves, that it is not necessary for the blood to be so pure and fluid as your Author will have it. The truth is, the more fluid the blood is, the weaker it is; like balsam, the more gummy it is, the stronger it is: but veins, which are the mouth, to receive or suck in juices, as also the stomack which digests the meat that after is turned into blood, may be defective either through weakness, superfluity, obstruction, corruption, or evil and hurtful diet, or through the disorders of other particular parts, which may disturb all the parts in general, as skilful Physicians have observed, and therefore apply remedies accordingly; for if the defect proceeds from weakness, they give strengthening remedies; if from superfluities, they give evacuating remedies; if from evil diets, they prescribe such a course of diet as shall be beneficial, and conducing for the restoring of health to the whole body. But your Author, as I perceive, believes the blood to be the chief vital part of the body; which surely it is not: for if it were, the least disturbance of the blood would endanger the life of the whole body, and the least diminution would cause a total dissolution of that animal Creature which has blood: Not but that blood is as necessary as breath for respiration, and food for nourishment of the body; but too much blood is as dangerous to the life of the animal body, as too great a piece of food, which cannot be swallowed down, but doth stick in the throat, and stop the breath, or so much quantity as cannot be digested, for too great a fulness or abounding makes a stoppage of the blood, or which is worse, causes the veins to break, and an evil digestion, makes a corruption, or at least such disorder as to indanger the whole animal Figure. But some veins breed more blood, and some less, and some better, and some worse blood, some hotter, and some colder, some grosser, and some purer, some thicker, and some thinner; and some veins breed rather an evil juice or corrupt matter then pure blood; the truth is, blood is bred somewhat after the manner of Excrements, for the veins are somewhat like the guts, wherein the excrements are digested. But you will say, A man may live without excrements, but not without blood. I answer: a man can live no more without excrements and excremental humors, then he can without blood: but yet I am not of your Authors mind, that bleeding and purging are destructive; for superfluities are as dangerous as scarcities, nay more; like as an house filled with rubbish is in more danger to sink or fall, then that which is empty; and when a house is on fire, it is wisdom to take out the Moveables, but a folly to let them increase the flame. But your Author says, Blood-letting takes not onely away the bad, but also the good blood, by which it diminishes and impairs much the strength of the body. I will answer by way of question, Whether in War men would not venture the loss of some few friends, to gain the victory, or save the whole body of the Army: or whether the destroying of the enemies Army be not more advantageous, then the loss of some few friends? For although some good blood may issue out with the bad, yet the veins have more time, room, and some more power to get friendly juices from the several parts of the body, which will be more obedient, trusty, and true to the life and service of the whole body. But neither Fevers, nor any other distempers, will be more afraid of your Authors words, Stones, Spirits, as also Rings, Beads, Bracelets, and the like toys, fitter for Children to play withal, then for Physicians to use; then an Army of men will be of their enemies Colours, Ensigns, Feathers, Scarfs, and the like; knowing it must be Swords, Pistols, Guns, Powder and Bullets, that must do the business to destroy the enemy, and to gain the victory: Wherefore in Diseases it must be Bleeding, Purging, Vomiting, using of Clysters, and the like, if any good shall be done. 'Tis true, they must well be ordered, otherwise they will do more hurt then good; for Diseases are like Enemies, which sometimes take away our Armes for their own uses. But your Author says again, That the Matter of a Fever floats not in the veins, nor sits nigh the heart. I answer: There are several sorts of Fevers; for all Fevers are not produced after one and the same manner, or from one and the same cause, as is very well known to wise and experienced Physicians; but although some Fevers are not in the blood, yet that doth not prove, that the blood is never in a Fever; for sometimes the blood is in a Fever, and not the solid parts; and sometimes the fluid and moveable humors, and not the blood, or solid parts; and sometimes the solid parts, and not the blood, nor the liquid and moveable humors; and sometimes they are all in a Fever; and sometimes onely the radical parts, and neither the blood, humors, nor solid parts: and this last kind of Fever, which is a hectick Fever, in my opinion, is incureable; but the others may be cureable, if there be not too many varieties of distempers, or irregular motions. And as for a Fever in the solid parts, Letting of blood, and taking away the humor, may cure it; for the veins being empty, suck the heat out of the solid parts, which solid parts cannot draw out a distempered heat in the veins, and the opening of the veins gives vent to some of the interior heat to issue forth: Wherefore it is very requisite, that in all sorts of Fevers, except Hectick-Fevers, blood-letting should be used, not onely once, but often; for 'tis better to live with a little blood, and a little strength, which will soon be recovered, then to die with too much, or too hot and distempered blood. Also Purging, but especially Vomiting is very good; for if the humors be in a Feaver, they may infect the vital parts, as also the blood; but if they be not in a Fever, yet the solid parts or blood may do the same, and so make the contagion greater; for the humors are as the moveables in a house, which ought to be cast out if either they or the house should be on fire; and if a disorder proceeds from the error of a particular part, then care must be taken to rectifie that part for the health of the whole: Wherefore Physicians use in some cases Blood-letting, in some Purging, in some Vomiting, in some Bathing, in some Sweating, in some Cordials, especially after much evacuation, in some they prescribe a good diet, and in some they mix and prescribe partly one and partly the other, and in some cases they are forced to use all these remedies; for though great evacuations may cause weakness, yet they often save the life; and there is no Patient, but had rather lose some strength, then life; for life can gather strength again; but all strong men are not always long lived, nor all long-lived men very strong; for many that are but weak, will live to a very old age. Lastly, concerning what your Author says, that there is but one Choler and Phlegme in Nature; I answer, That is more then he knows: for all that is in Nature, is not nor cannot be known by any Particular Creature; and he might say, as well, the same of particular Metals, as that there is but one sort of Gold or Silver, when as there is great difference in the weight, purity, colour, and gloss, of several parts of Gold and Silver; Neither is all Gold found in one place; but some is found in Rocks, some in Sand, some in Mines, some in Stones; and so Silver, some is found in the bowels of the Earth, some in the veins of Stones, and some in other Metals, as Lead, and Iron, and some in Coals. And the like may be said of Choler and Phlegme; for they may be several in several places or parts of the body, and be of different colours, tastes, odours, and degrees of heat or cold, thinness or thickness, or the like; for though there is but one Matter in Nature, yet this onely Matter by its several actions or motions changes into several figures, and so makes several sorts of Creatures, and different particulars in every sort. And thus, Madam, I have delivered unto you my opinion concerning the cure of Fevers by Blood-letting: Which I submit to the correction of your better judgment, and rest,
Madam,