[39]Forestus of Alkmar in north Holland, but lately dead, setteth downe the like example of another, that lay in that maner 24. houres, and was by him restored to health againe.
The like also he citeth out of Leouellus, in that place, of one that lay with her eyes shut, and dumb a whole day, and by conuenient remedies was deliuered from her fit, and could rehearse all that was done about her in the time of her fit. De hominis generat. cap. 46. But the most pitifull example of all other in this kinde, is that which Ambrose Paræe reporteth of Vesalius a worthie Physition, & for anatomicall dissections much renowned, who being called to the opening of a Gentlewoman in Spaine, which was thought to be dead through the violence of one of these fits, began to open her, and at the second cut of the knife she cried out, and stirred her limbes, shewing manifest signes of life to remaine. The beholders were exceedingly amazed at the sight, and blamed the Physition much for it: who though hee tooke her for dead, yet tooke he great apprehension of sorrow for that accident, that he estranged himselfe. After through griefe and remorse of conscience for his error, pretended (as others say) a pilgrimage for the absenting of himselfe, and therein died. Many more examples to this end could I produce out of Authenticall writers, and late experiences, if it were free for mee to mention them: but these may suffice to shew how wonderfully the vitall facultie is ouerthrowne in this disease, and withall respiration, sense, motion, and all the functions of the bodie by reason of this.
Cap. 4.
Of that kind of this disease wherein the animall facultie is offended.
The second kind of this disease is, where the animall facultie doth principally suffer; and it is that faculty whereby we do vnderstand, iudge, and remember things that are profitable or hurtfull vnto vs, whereby also we haue sense and do feele the qualities of things, and moue to and fro, & performe diuers other voluntary actions for the cõmoditie of the bodie. For nature had made vs but base creatures, if she had giuen vs onely the vitall facultie barely to liue, and the naturall to grow, and to supply the expence that is daily made of naturall moisture: If she had not withall giuen vs knowledg and vnderstanding of such things as we are subiect vnto, and abilitie to moue our bodies at our pleasure, to apprehend that which is profitable & to shun that which is offensiue, &c. And therefore as a facultie making most for the dignitie and vse of man, it is placed principally in the braine; from whence it disperseth his beames of influence into euery part of the bodie, according to the seuerall vses and necessitie of each part.
This animall facultie hath this peculiar difference from the vitall and naturall faculties, that the functions of it are subiect vnto our wil, & may be intẽded remitted, or peruerted at our pleasure, otherwise thẽ in other faculties: For no man can make his pulse to beate as he list, or alter the naturall functions at his will and pleasure. But these animal functions may be abused both by our owne will, and by the violence of some disease, and by both, as Galen testifieth, lib. 2. de Symptomatum causis cap. 12. De motu musculorum lib. 2. cap. 7. 8. That it may be abused by our owne will, he proueth also in another place, where he bringeth an instance of a seruant (serui barbari) who killed himselfe to anger his maister by holding of his breath. De ciuitate Dei lib. 4: Cosmoscrit. lib. 1. pag. 156. S. Augustine saith that he knew a man that could make himselfe to sweate when he list, by his imagination only. Cornelius Gemma saith, that he knew one that could weepe when he list: others that could make their bodies stiffe like an image, imitate the voyces of all kinde of creatures, raise a hickocke, and breake wind as often and in what manner they would. Medici parisienses in historia Martha. Brossier.
1. Sam. 21. 13. Gal. lib quomodo deprehendũtur qui agrotare se fingunt. cap. 1. And S. Augustine tels of one that would make a kinde of musicke that way. Adrian Turnebus saw a rogue that gayned much money by shewing this feate, we do also daily see that some can counterfait madnes, some drunkennesse, some the falling sicknesse, some palsies and trembling, some can play the fooles and supply the roomes of innocents, some can make noyses & speake in their bellies or throates, as those which Epidemiorum 5. R. Scot. lib. 7: cap. 1. Hyppocrates calleth Eugastrimuthoi ventriloqui, such as was the holy maid of Kent, and Mildred of westwall, &c. And it is strange to see how young bodies will be bowed and writhed diuersly, as wee see in tumblers iuglers, and such like companions. Hereupon diuers haue counterfaited diseases as I once saw a poor fellow being arested for a smal debt coũterfaited a fit of the falling sicknes, with strange and violent motions: whereby the creditor in compassion was moued to release him. Being released he was well againe, and vnto his friendes seemed to confesse the cousonage: others haue counterfaited possessions, either vpon meere deceit or inticed therto through the conceite of some disease wherewith they haue beene troubled. Lib: 16. cap. 4. But for this point I referre you to the histories of Agnes Brigs, Rachel Pinder, Martha Brossier, &c. Ren. Scot tels of one that being blind, deafe, and dumbe, could reade any canonicall Scripture, but no Apocripha: But was discouered by inserting a leafe of Apocrapha: among the canonicall. Another faining her selfe to be possessed with a diuell, would answere to any question made in English, but vnderstood no latine. Diuers such like examples might bee procured to shew how the animall functions may be abused by our owne will. But against our willes this faculty doth suffer by consent in the suffocation of the Mother diuersly according to the varietie of offices or functions which it performeth.
The functions of it are three, the first is called Internall and principall sence which doth gouerne and direct all the rest by Imagination, Reason and Memory: which if it bee hurt either by imminution or deprauation or total abolishment, then the inferior functions doe necessarily participate with the offence. Hebetudo mentis. They are hurt by Imminution when a man doth not Conceiue, Iudge, or remember so well as hee ought to doe, Imprudentia obliuio. as in dulnesse or blockishnesse,[40] as wee call it in vndiscretion, foolishnes or want of iudgement, in obliuion or forgetfulnes, &c. Sopor. They are abolished either in those drowsie affects which wee call Caros, Coma, veternus, Lethargus &c. or in those astonishing Symptoms wherein all the animall faculties are at once taken away, Apoplexiæ.
Epilepsia. sometimes with a generall resolution or palsie, as in Apoplexies: sometimes with a generall conuulsion, as in the falling sicknes: sometimes with a Catalepsis. Stifnesse or congelation of the body, wherein they lie like an image in the same forme they were taken.
These internall sences are ouerthrowne either in part or in whole in this suffocatiõ of the mother: and thereupon it is likened vnto these former diseases: and this kind is accounted by Auicen to be the most grieuous of all other, where the imagination and reason is hurt: and the other which holds them with conuulsions, contractions, &c. he accounts to bee the milder and the more vsuall. And therefore he saith that commonly they can remember what was done about them in their fit: vnlesse it be of this most grieuous kinde.
The Internall sence is depraued when a man doth imagine, iudge, or remember thinges that are not as if they were, or things that are, otherwise then they are indeed. Whether they do it in cogitation alone, or do expresse it by word or deede. Insania.
Delirium.
Melancholia.
Furor. As we see in those fooles which we call naturals, in mad men, in melancholike men, in those that are furious, in such as do dote, in such as are distracted through loue, feare, griefe, ioye, anger, hatred, &c. In some of which they will laugh, crye, prattle, threaten, chide, or sing, &c. according to the disposition of the party or the cause of the affect.