Syl. Syl. Cent. 9.
Exper. 888.
Ibid. Cent. 10. 959.
Obs. Medic. Cent. 2. p. 96.
Hist. 6.
6. It is very strange to consider what learned and grave Authors have left recorded of the Ligation or binding of Husbands that they might not be viripotent, or be able to have to do with their Wives for a longer or a shorter time; nay some even have proceded so far as to write it, and seem also to believe it; that by venifice or Witchcraft, the virile members may be quite taken away; as is related by Codronchius, of a certain young man that had his members quite taken away by a Woman Witch, which notwithstanding she restored again, by beating and putting her in the fear of death. And of this incredible story, Sennertus a professed maintainer of the impossible power of Witches, doth notwithstanding give this censure. “The Devil doth often delude men by prestigious and jugling deceits, and perswadeth them that he hath brought such Diseases as indeed are none at all, as this taking away the virile member, related by Baptista Codronchius. For although some be of that opinion, that the genital members may really be taken away and restored by the Devil: notwithstanding (he saith) I had rather hold with those that believe such things are meer juglings and delusions; seeing it is not in the power of the Devil to restore unto man a member lost or taken away. The most learned Lord Bacon doth affirm, that this kind of Ligation or binding, to make men impotent for Coition, is frequent in Santonne and Gascoigne, and is used to be done upon the Marriage day, and that it is often performed by the Mothers to prevent that incantation by others, and that they may loose it when they please. And doth think it no light matter because punishable by their laws. And saith after, If it exceed not nature it hath its force from the Imagination of the binder of the virile member,” and adds: Putem ego illud ab incantatione alienum esse, quia non à certis personis tantum (quales incantatores) sed à quolibet fieri potest. But that which puts it forth of all doubt that it is nothing but melancholy, and the abuse of the fancy, is manifest from the observation of perspicacious Salmuth, which is this: “I have known two (he saith) who did imagine themselves impotent to the act of Venery, and thought themselves maleficiated or bewitched, when as before they had afforded themselves sufficiently strenuous in that warfar also with their Wives. But both being (he saith), handled and cured by me, as persons melancholick and Hypochondriacal, have afterwards sufficiently laughed at themselves. But I did conjecture them to be melancholick by this, because they did complain, that about that act they were overwhelmed with an heap of Cogitations. From whence it is manifest from what cause that effect did proceed. And therefore it is deservedly doubted of Wierus, whether or no there be any true impotency at all, but what is from natural Causes.”
Curat. Emp. Cent. 91. p. 222.
Hist. 7.
7. That the most of those vomitings of strange things is only caused from natural Causes, as poysonous Potions, Philters and the like, is manifest by another example given us by that famous Chymist and learned Physician of Frisuiga in Bavaria, Martinus Rulandus, which is this: “David Held Student in the Arts about the twentieth year of his Age did receive from a wicked Woman Cakes, which he did eat, and departing from her forthwith in the way he began to doat, and being brought home he began to rage more, and fell into madness. And to help this madness the Students came unto me and declare the insanity, the Philter that he had taken, and his being infected or brought into that madness by it, and desire some help against it. To oppose which (he saith) I gave six Ounces of my Aqua Benedicta, which I commanded straightway to be given him in the name of Jesus. And this being taken soon after by vomiting he cast up the Philter, or invenomed Cakes that he had swallowed, which being cast upon the Earth, they did with the admiration of the by-standers begin to wax hot and to boil, as meat with the fire doth grow hot and boil. So that this poison being cast up as a thing unhoped for, soon after the insanity is driven away, and within two days his understanding was perfectly restored, and by the power of the Almighty did totally recover.” So that it is manifest that these kind of people that are commonly called Witches, are indeed (as both the Greek and Latin names do signifie) Poysoners, and in respect of their Hellish intentions are Diabolical, but the effects they procure flow from natural Causes. If any require more ample satisfaction in this point, they may find divers Histories recorded in Schenkins his Observations, lib. 7. de venenis, to verifie this particular.
Injaculat. mod. intrand. p. 603, 604.