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

by Edward Jorden

This disease is called by diuerse Cardamus de causis sig. 13 locis morborum cap. 114.
Altomarus cap. 110. Guaynerius cap. de suffo: matricis. names amongst our Authors. Passio Hysterica, Suffocatio, Præfocatio, and Strangulatus vteri, Caducus matricis, &c. In English the Mother, or the Suffocation of the Mother, because most commonly it takes them with choaking in the throat: Æesius tetr: 4 Serm. 4. cap. 68 P. Ægineta lib. 3. cap. 71. Victor Trincavel. lib: 5. sect. 3 cap. 9. and it is an affect of the Mother or wombe wherein the principal parts of the bodie by consent do suffer diuersly according to the diuersitie of the causes and diseases wherewith the matrix is offended.

I call it an affect in a large signification to comprehend both morbum and Symptoma. For sometimes it is either of them, and somtimes both. For in regard the actions of expulsion or retention in the Mother are hurt. It may be called a Symptoma in actione læsa: in regard of the humor to be expelled which corrupteth and putrifieth to a venemous malignitie. It is likewise a Symptom in excremento vteri mutato. And in regard of the perfrigeration of the Mother, and so of the whole bodie. It is also a Symptom[11] in qualitate tangibili mutata, not morbus ex intẽperie:[12] because it is suddenly inflicted & suddenly remoued. But in regard of the rising of the Mother wherby it is somtimes drawn vpwards or sidewards aboue his natural seate, compressing the neighbour parts, & so consequently one another. It may be said to be morbus in situ, in respect of the compression it selfe, causing suffocatiõ and difficultie of breathing. It may be[13] causa morbi in forma by causing coarctation of the instruments of breathing. And sometimes these are complicated and[14] together with a venemous vapour, arising from this corrupt humor vnto diuers parts of the bodie, there will be an euill position of the matrix also: either because the ligaments, vaines and arteries beeing obstructed:[15] by those vapours are shortened of their wonted length, and so draw vp the part higher then it should be, or[16] for that the matrix being grieuously anoyed with the malignity of those vapours doth contract it selfe and rise vp by a locall motion towards the midrif.

I say of the Mother or wombe because although the wombe many times in this disease doe suffer but secondarily, yet the other parts are not affected in this disease but from the Mother: Galen. 6. loc. affert. cap. 5. Auicen. Fen. 21 3. cap. 16. tract 4. initium est ex matrice et peruenit ad communitatẽ fortem cordis et cerebri &c. Horatius Angenius Epistola 6. (Radix suffocationum vterus) which finding it selfe anoyed by some vnkind humor, either within it selfe, or in the vessels adioyning or belonging vnto it, doth by a naturall instinct which is ingrafted in euery part of the body for his owne preseruation, endeuour to expell that which is offensiue: in which conflict if either the passage be obstructed, or the humor inobedient or malignant, or the functions of the wombe any way depraued, the offence is communicated from thence vnto the rest of the body. The principall part of the body are the seates of the three faculties, which do gouerne the whole body. The braine of the animall, the hart of the vitall, the liuer of the naturall; although some other parts are plentifully endewed with some of these faculties, as the stomacke, entrailes, vaines, spleene, &c. with naturall faculties, the instruments of respiration[17] with animall and naturall. These parts are affected in this disease, and do suffer in their functions as they are diminished, depraued, or abolished,[18] according to the nature & plenty of the humor, and the temperament and scituation of the Mother: and that diuersly: Petrus solius diuersus pag. 400 Mercat. pa. 170 Merca. pa. 174 For somtimes the instruments of respiration alone doe suffer, sometimes the heart alone, sometimes two or three faculties together, sometimes successiuely one after another, sometimes one part suffereth both a resolution and a conuulsion in the same fit, or when as it suffereth in one part and not in another, as we see oftentimes sense and motion to bee taken away and yet hearing and memorie to remaine, the speech failing and respiration good. Sometimes respiration, sense, and motion do altogether faile, and yet the pulse remaine good: So that the varietie of those fits is exceeding great, wherein the principall parts of the body doe diuersly suffer.

Another diuersitie there is, in the order of these fits: for somtimes they keep due[19] periods or circuits yearly or monthly, according to the falling sicknes, and sometime euery weeke, sometimes[20] euery day, &c. I know a gentlewomã in this towne, who for 2. yeares together neuer missed a fit of the Mother in the afternoone. The like is hereafter mentioned in the Essex gentlewo. who for 16. years together had euery day a fit of the Mother at a certaine houre. D. Argent and I had another patient, in whome for 10. weeks together we obserued a fit of the mother euery saturday. I adde by consent of the Mother to distinguish those Symptoms or diseases from such as are caused originally by the part affected. For being procured but by consent, they endure no longer thẽ the fits of the mother do continue. The consent or communitie by which the matrix hath with those principal parts of the body is easily perceiued, if wee consider the anatomy of that part, & the diuers waies whereby it may and doth communicate with them. The fũctions of this part, besides that which is commõ to all other for their nutriment deriued from the naturall facultie, are 2. the one respecting the preseruatiõ of the whole body, as it is an Emunctory of diuers superfluities which do abound in that sex. Gabr. Fallopius de med. purg. Cap. 17. et 23. via euacuationis. The other for the propagation of mankind, where it is to be conceiued and nourished vntill it be able to appeare in the world. In regard of these offices this part hath neede of great varietie of prouision, according as the vses are manifold. The substance is neruous, for the great necessitie it hath of sence and motion.

Constant. Varelius lib. 4. cap. 3 It is also Porous for the better entertaining of the vitall spirits and the necessitie it hath of distention and contraction.

It is tied vnto diuers partes of the body that it might the better beare the weight of an infant: backwards by little strings vnto the lower gut, vnto the loines and os sacrum: Gasparus Bauhinus historia anatom. p. 71. forwardes vnto the necke of the bladder and os pubis by certaine membranes deriued from the peritoneum: on each side it is tyed vnto ossa illii by a ligament growing from the muscles of the loynes. It receiueth also for the former vses, vaines from the liuer, arteries from the hart, and nerues from the braine and backe, which are all inserted into the substance of the part, to deriue vnto it the benefit of those 3. faculties, both for the proper vse of the part, and for the vse of propagation and to discharge the whole bodie of diuers superfluities, which otherwise would be an occasion of many infirmities in them.

Now according to this description let vs consider how by consent, the principall partes of the bodie may bee affected from the matrix.

The partes of our bodie doe suffer by consent[21] two manner of wayes. The one is when they doe recyue some offensiue thing from another parte which is [22]called Communitas non absoluta. And this is either a qualitie as in venemous and infectious diseases, where the malignitie creeping from one part to another doth alter the qualitie of the parts as it goeth, and at the last is communicated to the principall parts, as the head, heart, liuer, longs, &c. or a substance which either by manifest conducts, as vaines, nerues, arteries, &c. Fernel. pathologiæ li. 6. ca. 16 or by insensible pores (as Hyppocrates saith, our bodies are transpirable, and transmeable) is conuaied from one part to another: whether it be a vapour or a humor, as wee doe commonly obserue in the fits of feuers, where a vapour arising from the part affected, disperseth it selfe through the whole body, and affecteth the sensiue parts with colde or heate, the motiue parts with trembling, the vitall parts with fainting, sounding, inequalitie of pulse, &c. Forestus lib. 10 obseru: 115: in scholsis. the naturall parts with deiection of appetite, subuersion of the stomacke, &c. vntill nature haue ouercome and discussed it. In these Feuers also many times humors are so plentifully sent vp vnto the braine, as by custome or long continuance they breede some proper affect there.

The other kinde of communitie is that which they call Communitas absoluta, wherein the part consenting receiueth nothing from the other, but yet is partaker of his griefe: either for similitude of substance or function, which causeth mutuall compassion: as all neruous partes haue with the braine: whereby if any Nerue or neruous part bee hurt or pricked, the braine suffreth a convulsion, or for neighbourhood and vicinitie, whereby one part may offend another, by compression or incumbencie: as in the prolapse of the Mother, the bladder or fundament is oftentimes offended in their naturall excretion. And in this disease which we haue in hand by the locall motion of it vpwardes, the midriffe is straightned of his scope, whereby the lunges doe faile in their dutie, or by reason of connexion or continuitie which it hath with other parts, Gal: locorum affect: 1: cap: 6 by Vaines, Nerues, Arteries, Membranes, Ligaments, &c. whereby the offence is easily imparted vnto other partes. Or lastly by priuation of some facultie or matter, whereof the part hath neede. As in the obstruction of the Spina Dorsi there followeth a resolution or palsie of the legges or armes, by reason that the animall facultie that should giue sence or motion to the part is intercepted and hindered in his passage. Rondeletius cap 69. Trincauell loco citato: Likewise in a resolution of the Muscles of the brest, as in a wound of that part, or in swounding the voice is taken away, because the matter of it which is breath, is either not sufficiently made, or is carried another way, or not competently impelled to the organs of voyce.