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

by Edward Jorden

All these manner of wayes hath the Matrix by consent to impart her offence vnto other parts. For there wãteth no corruption of humor, vapour, nor euill qualitie, where this part is ill affected, to infect other partes withall, there wantes no oportunitie of conueyance or passage vnto any part, by reason of the large Vaynes, Arteries, and Nerves, which are deriued vnto it, with which it hath great affinitie and similitude of substance, besides the connexion it hath with the heart, liuer, braine, and backe. It is linked also in neighborhoode with diuerse partes of great vse, as the bladder, guttes, midriffe, &c. which are likely to bee warmed when this part doth burne. According to the varietie of causes and diseases wherewith the wombe is offended, these Symptoms doe differ in nature, or in degree. [23]A plentifull matter produceth a vehement Symptom: a corrupt matter according to the degree of corruption, and the qualitie of the humor corrupted, causeth like accidents. The diseases also of the Mother being cõplicated with the former corrupt humors do yeeld varietie of Symptoms: as the rising of the Mother, which alwayes causeth shortnes of breath: [24]Empostumes of the Mother according to the place where they are bred, and the quality of them, doe also bring a difference in Symptoms. And thus much for explanation of the definition.

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.