Galen being aware of this, succeeded much better in his reasoning upon the Matter, and very happily imputed the Critical Changes not to the Power of Numbers, but to the Influence of the Moon; which he observes, has a mighty Action upon our Earth, exceeding the other Planets, not in Energy, but in Nearness[49]. So that according to him, the Septenary Periods in Diseases are owing to the Quarterly Lunar Phases, which are the times of the greatest Force, and which return in about seven days.[50]

The result of the whole Affair, in short is this, A Crisis is no more than the Expulsion of the Morbific Matter out of the Body, thro' some or other of the Secretory Organs; in order to which, it is necessary that this should be prepar'd and comminuted to such a degree, as is required to make it pass into the Orifices of the respective Glands; and therefore as the most perfect Crisis is by Sweat, (both by reason that the Subcutaneous Glands do naturally discharge more than all the other put together, and also that their Ducts being the smallest of any, whatsoever comes this way is certainly wery well divided and broken) so the most imperfect is an Hæmorrhage, because This is an Argument that what Offends is not fit to be cast off in any Part, and consequently breaks the Vessels by the Effervescence of the Blood. An Abscess in those Organs which separate thick, slimy Juices is of a middle nature betwixt these two.

Now it is very plain, That if the time, in which either the Peccant Humour is prepar'd for Secretion, or the Fermentation of the Blood is come to its height, falls in with those Changes in the Atmosphere which diminish its pressure; the Crisis will then be more compleat and large. And also, that this Work may be forwarded or delay'd a day, upon the account of such an Alteration in the Air; the Distention of the Vessels upon which it depends, being hereby made more easie, and a weak Habit of Body in some Cases standing in need of this outward Assistance. Thus a Fever which requires about a Week to its Period, may sometimes, as Hippocrates observed, have a good Crisis on the sixth, and sometimes not till the eighth day.

In Order therefore to make true Observations of this kind, the time of Invasion is to be considered, The genuine course of the Distemper must first be watched, which is not to be interrupted by any violent Methods: The strength of Nature in the Patient is to be considered, and by what Secretions the Crisis is most likely to be performed; and it will then be found, that not only the New and Full Moons, but even the Southings, whether visible or latent, of the Planet, are here of considerable Moment.

For Confirmation of which, we need only to reflect on what Mr. Paschal has remark'd, concerning the Motions of Diseases and Births and Deaths[51]. Dividing the Νυχθήμερον into Four Senaries of Hours, the first consists of three hours before the Southing of the Moon, and three after; the second of the six hours following, and the third and fourth of the remaining Quarters of the natural day; He takes notice that none are born, or die a natural Death in the first and third Senaries, which he calls first and second Tides, but all either in the second or fourth Senaries, which he calls first and second Ebbs. In like manner, that in Agues, the tumult of the Fits generally lasts all the Tiding time, and then goes off in kindly Sweats in the Ebbs. From whence he very rationally concludes, that Motion, Vigour, Action, Strength, &c. appear most, and do best in the Tiding Senaries; and that Rest, Relaxation, Decay, Dissolution, &c. belong to the Ebbing Senaries.

[25] Τας τῶν ἐπιλήπτων τηρεῖ περιόδους. De Dieb. Critic. lib. 3.

[26] Alexand. Trallian. lib. 1. c. 15.

[27] Matth. c. 17. v. 15.

[28] Apuleius de Virtutib. Herbar. cap. 6. & 95.

[29] Anatom. Centur. 2. H. 72.