Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[1] In the Plague-grave, ch. 17.
[2] Ch. Call'd, The Lunar Tribute.
[XL.]
MADAM,
Concerning the disease of the Stone, your Author seems to be of an opinion, That the stone in the Bladder, and the stone in the Kidnies, are not made after one and the same manner: For, says he,[1] The Bladder and the same Urine in number procreates a duelech of another condition, then that which is made in the Kidney. And truly, Madam, it may be so; for there are several ways or modes in irregularities, as well as regularities, and not every kind is alike, no not every Particular, but there is some difference between them: Wherefore, it may very well be, that the corporeal motions that make the stone in the Kidneys, are not just alike to those that make the stone in the Bladder; and as each sort of stone is different, so their particular causes ought to be different; but this is to be observed, that generally all diseases which produce hardness, are made by contracting, condensing and retenting motions, and therefore the remedies of them must be dilating, rarifying and dissolving. Next your Author says, The Stone is not bred by heat, but heat is rather an effect of the stone; neither is a certain muscilage, or a slimy, snivelly Phlegme the cause or matter of the stone, but the stone is the cause of the phlegme. But, in my judgment, it seems more probable, that a slimy matter is more proper for a stone to be made of, then that a stone should make slime, except it be in its dissolution; that is, when the stone, as in its generation or production it did change from a slimy or liquid substance to a stone by condensing and contracting motions, doth, by dilating and rarifying motions, dissolve again into such a liquid and slimy body. I will not say always, to wit, that the stone must needs be resolved into a slimy matter, but oftentimes it may be so. Neither can I absolutely affirm that either heat or cold onely is the cause of a stone; for some may be produced by hot, and some by cold contractions and densations, there being as many several sorts of stones as there are of other Creatures: But this is to be well noted, that as some sorts of hot contractions do make stones, so some sorts of hot dilations do dissolve them: The like of cold contractions and dilations. Again: your Author speaking of the womb wherein the stone is made; Every generated thing or being, says he, must of necessity have a certain place or womb where it is produced; for there must needs be places wherein things may be made before they are bred. I answer: As there is not any body without place, nor any place without body, so the womb is not the place of the body generated, neither before nor after its generation, no more then a man can be said to be in a room when he is not there, but every body carries its place along with it. Moreover, concerning the voiding of bloody Urine, which happens sometimes in the disease of the Stone, my opinion is, That it doth not always proceed from the Stone, but many times from the breaking or voluntary opening of some Veins. But as for the cure of the disease of the Stone your Author,[2] is pleased to affirm, That no disease is incurable, and so neither the disease of the Stone, For he himself has cured many of the Stone to which they had been obedient for some years. Indeed, Madam, I fear his words are more cheerful then effectual; however it may be possible, if the Kidneys be no ways impaired, or the Bladder hurt; but if there be some such imperfection in either or both, then it is as much, in my opinion, as to say, Man can do more then Nature doth: Neither can I believe, that then any of your Authors Chymical preparations, as Aroph, Ludus, Alkahest, and the like, if they were to be had, would do any good, no nor Daucus, or wild Carrot-seed, if the disease be as yet curable, will prove an effectual remedy for it, although your Author is pleased to relate an example of a man, to whom it did much good; for I can affirm the contrary by other the like Examples, that it never did any good to those that used it; nor the liquor of the Birch-tree, whose venue and efficacy I do not believe to be so great as your Author describes:[3] But for the stoppage of Urine, Marsh-mallow and oyl of Almonds, which he despises, I approve to be good, and better then any of his Unknown, Chymical Secrets; for those Chymical Medicines, as he himself confesses, are hard to be had, especially Alkahest, which is onely to be obtained by a Particular favour from Heaven, and is rather a supernatural Gift, then a natural remedy. But your Author doth wisely, to commend such remedies as can never, or with great difficulty be obtained, and then to say that no disease is incurable. And so leaving him to his unknown secrets, and those to them that will use them, I am resolved to adhere to the Practice of the Schools, which I am confident will be more beneficial to the health of,
Madam,