These functions are also depraued in too much wakefulnesse through the commotion of the animall spirits, Vigilia.
Insomnium. also in dreames, where somtimes besides the deprauation of the fantasie they wil walke, talke, laugh, crye, &c. And lastly in that disease which is called[41] Saltus Sati viti, or Saltuosa dispositio membrorum wherein they will daunce, and leape, and cannot endure to be quiet.
This deprauation of the internall sences, is so ordinary in the fits of the Mother, as Horatius Augenius Epistola. 6. seemes to make it of the essence of this disease, that the imagination is ever depraued in it. But [42]Hyppocrates, Galen, Auicen, and most of the best Authors in our profession, do affirme that very often there happeneth an alienation of the minde in this disease, whereby sometimes they will waxe furious and raging depriued of their right iudgement and of rest.
Priuatio visus
Auditus.
Gustus.
Olfactus.
Tactus. The second function of the animall facultie is the externall sensitive function; which giueth to the eye the facultie of seeing, to the eare of hearing, to the tongue of tasting, to the nose of smelling and to diuers parts of the bodie the power of feeling.
This function in all these kindes is diminished, depraued, or cleane abolished, but especially in this disease of the mother, we do obserue the offence which is done to the feeling facultie, when the parts are benummed or do not feele at all, or when they feele [43]paine and offence, or when they feele things falsely and otherwise then they are.
Concerning hearing, although [44]Hyppoc. Rhasis and diuers others doe obserue that sometimes it is hindred: yet it seemes to be in the former kinde where the internall facultie doe suffer. For Mercatus puts it as a difference from the falling sicknes, that in this suffocation of the matrix they doe commonly heare. The priuation of the other sences of seeing, tasting, smelling and feeling, are verie ordinarie in this disease, as you may obserue in the Histories following, and in these quotations.
The third function is that which giues motion to the whole bodie. This motion serueth either for a voluntary vse onely, or for a naturall vse also. The motions for the voluntary vse are the free motions of the externall members of our bodies: as to bowe the whole bodie and the head by meanes of the backe, to apprehend with the hand, to stand and goe with the feete and legges, to chewe with the iawes, to open & shut the lips & eyelids, to moue the eies, &c. This functiõ is diminished in that affect which we cal lassitudo, werines or vnweldines, wherein we are not able to move so strongly and nimbly as we should.
Paralysis. It is abolished, either by a resolution or palsie where the sound part drawes the sickly part, that is the part resolued, & depending draws the muscles & nerues &c. or by a Spasmus or contractiõ of them [45]where the sick part drawes the sound part, that is, the muscle which is affected, drawes the member which is wel.
A resolution or palsie is either generall of both sides of the bodie [46]exempting the head, or of one side called Hæmiplegia, or yet more particular of the hand, legge, finger, &c. called [47]parapligia.
A Contraction or Spasmus is also of like sortes, sometimes the bodie is held vpright and cannot be bowed any way in that affect which is called Tetanos, sometimes it is bowed forwardes Emprostotonos sometimes backward Opistotonos, somtimes the back is crookt in some part of it, as in Gibbo, sometimes the iawes, lips, face, eyelids, &c. are contracted, wherby they make many strange faces and mouthes sometimes as though they laughed or wept, sometimes holding their mouthes open or awry, their eyes staring, &c. Sometimes the handes, armes, legges, fingers, toes, &c. are contracted, sometimes particular muscles in the sides, backe, armes, legs, &c. one or more at once, as in crampes.
It is depraued where the motions are immoderate, peruerse, inordinate, or indecẽt, as when they are vnquiet, & cannot abstaine frõ motions and gestures, casting their armes and legges to and fro, vp and downe, dauncing, capring, vawting, fencing, and in diuerse maners forming their motions. Marcellus Doc natus. li. 2. ca. 4 Also in Convulsions of the members, where they are shaken and pulled by inordinate motions, as wee see in the falling sicknesse. Felix Platerus de motu deprauato. pag. 401. Also in trembling, palpitation, rigor where the teeth do chatter, horror where the haire standes vpright, stretching, yawning, gasping twinckling of the eyes, &c. These impediments and deprauations of motion are dayly obserued in vterne affects: as may appeare by these testimonies. Hyppocrat. de morbi muliebr. lib. 1. Albas oculorum partes subuertit, dentibus frendet, & similis fit his qui herculeo morbo detinentur. Item fit cõuulsio fortis articulorum corporis, claudam facit aut impotentem præ rigore, alias atque alias seipsam iactabit. Horror. Erectæ ceruicis spiratio ipsam tenet, & quicquid ederit aut biberit ipsam molestat. Torpor occupat manus & inguina, & crura & poplites. Magnis pedumigitis conuelluntur gybbosa fit, de nat. muliebr. Gal. lib. de semine cap. 3. Tensiones lumborum & manuum, & pedum viduam apprehendebant loc. affect. 6. 5. Aliis crura & bracchia contrahuntur. Auicenna. minor suffocationum est quæ facit accidere spasmum & tetanum, sine nocumento in ratione & sensu. Quandoque claudit oculos & non aperit eos. Stridor dentium, percussio oculorum, & motus inuoluntarius lacertorum. Rhasis, Stridor dentium cum spasmo & torquedine extremitatum, dolores fortes adeo vt mulierem torquere faciant vndique & caput genibus implicari. &c. Mesue loco superius citato. Aetius. Oculi post multam grauitatem attolluntur, vterus paulatim laxatur & intellectum & sensum recipit. &c.