CHAP. VII.

Of the PROVISION in Man's Body against EVILS.

H

Aving taken a tranfient View of the Structure and Lodgment of the Parts of human B Bodies, let us next confider the admirable Provifion that is made throughout Man's Body to ftave off Evils, and to discharge (1) them when befallen. For the Prevention of Evils, we may take the Inftances already given, of the Situation of those faithful Sentinels, the Eye, the Ear, and Tongue in the fuperiour part of the Body, the better to defcry Dangers at a Diftance, and to call out presently for Help. And how well fituated is the Hand to be a fure and ready Guard to the Body, as well as the faithful Performer of moft of it's Services? The Brain, the Nerves, the Arteries, the Heart (2), the Lungs, and in a word, all

the

(1) One of Nature's moft conftant Methods here, is by the Glands, and the Secretions made by them: the particulars of which being too long for these Notes, I fhall refer to the modern Anatomifts who have written on these Subjects, and indeed who are the only Men that have done it tolerably particularly, our learned Drs. Cockburn, Keil, Morland, and others at home and abroad: an Abridgment of whofe Opinions and Obfervations, for the Reader's eafe, may be met with in Dr. Harris's Lex, Tech. Vol. 2. under the Words Glands, and Animal Secretion.

(2) In Man, and most other Animals, the Heart hath the guard of Bones. But in the Lamprey which hath no Bones, (no not fo much as a Back-bone) the Heart is very strangely fecured, and lies immured, or capfulated in a Cartilage, or grifly Subftance, which includes the Heart, and its Auricle, as the Skull doth the Brain in other Animals, Powers Microf. Obfer. 22.

Book V. the principal Parts, how well are they barricaded either with ftrong Bones, or deep Lodgments in the Flesh, or fome fuch the wifeft, and fitteft Method, moft agreeable to the Office and Action of the Part? Belides which, for greater Precau tion, and a farther Security, what an incomparable Provifion hath the infinite Contriver of Man's Body made for the Lofs of, or any Defect in fome of the Parts we can leaft fpare, by doubling them by giving us two Eyes, two Ears, two Hands, two Kidneys, two Lobes of the Lungs, Pairs of the Nerves, and many Ramifications of the Arteries and Veins in the fleshy Parts, that there may not be a Defect of Nourishment of the Parts, in Cafes of Amputation, or Wounds, or Ruptures of any of the Veffels.

And as Man's Body is admirably contrived, and made to prevent Evils; fo no lefs Art and Cauti on hath been used to get rid of them, when they do happen. When by any Misfortune, Wounds or Hurts do befal, or when by our own wicked Fooleries and Vices, we pull down Diseases and Mifchiefs upon ourfelves, what Emunctories (3), what admirable Paffages (4),are difperfed through

out

(3) Here [from the Puftales he obferved in Monomotapa] were grounds to admire the Contrivance of our Blood, which on fome Occafions, fo foon as any thing deftructive to the Con ftitution of it, comes into it, immediately by an inteftine Com motion endeavoureth to thrust it forth, and is not only freed from the new Gueft, but fometimes what likewife may have lain lurking therein for a great while. And from bence it comes to pass, that most part of Medicines, when duly adminiftred, are not only fent out of the Body themselves, but likewife great Quantities of morbifick Matter; as in Saliva tion, &c. Dr. Sloane's Voy. to Jamaica, p.25.

(3) Valfalva difcovered fome Paffages into the Region of the Ear-drum, of mighty ufe (among others) to make Dif

charges

out of the Body, what incomparable Methods doth Nature take (5), what vigorous Efforts is fhe ena

bled

charges of Bruifes, Impofthumes, or any purulent, or morbifick Matter from the Brain, and parts of the Head. Of which he gives two Examples: oue, a Perfon, who from a blow on his Head, had difmal Pains therein, grew Speechlefs, and lay under an abfolute Suppreffion and Decay of his Strength, but found certain Relief, whenever he had a Flux of Blood, or purulent Matter out of his Ear: which after his Death Valfalva discovered, was through those Pasfages.

The other was an Apoplectical Cafe, wherein he found a large quantity of extravafated Blood, making way from the Ventricles of the Brain, through those fame Paffages. Valsal. de Aure bum. c. 2. § 14. and c. 5. § 8.

(5) Hippocrates Lib. de Alimentis, takes notice of the Sagacity of Nature, in finding out Methods and Paffages for the difcharging Things offenfive to the Body, of which the late learned and ingenious Bishop of Clogher, in Ireland (Boyle) gave this remarkable Inftance to my very curious and ingenious Neighbour and Friend, D'Acre Barret, Efq; viz. That in the Plague-year a Gentleman at the University, had a large Plague-Sore gathered under his Arm, which, when they expected it would have broken, discharged it felf by a more than ordinary large and foetid Stool; the Sore having no other Vent for it,and immediately becoming found and well thereon.

Like to which, is the Story of Jof. Lazonius, of a Soldier of 35 Years of age, who had a Swelling in his right Hip, accompanied with great Pain, &c. By the ufe of emollient Medicines having ripened the Sore, the Surgeon intended the next day to have opened it; but about midnight, the Patient having great Provocations to Stool, disburthened himself three times; immediately upon which, both the Tamor and Pain ceased, and thereby disappointed the Sur→ geons Intentions. Ephem. Germ. Anno 1690. Obf. 49. More fuch Inftances we find of Mr. Tonges in Philof. Tranfact. No. 323. But indeed there are fo many Examples of this nature in our Phil. Tranf. in the Ephem. German. Tho. Bartholine, Rhodius, Sennertus, Hildanus, &c. that it would be endlefs to recount them. Some have fwallowed Knives, Bodkins, Needles and Pins, Bullets, Pebbles and 20 other fuch things as could not find a Paffage the ordinary Way, but have met with an Exit through the Bladder, or fome other way of Nature's

OWB

Book V. bled to make, to difcharge the Peccant Humours to correct the morbifick Matter, and in a word, to fet all things right aagin? But here we had beft take the Advice of a learned Physician in the Cafe: " The Body (faith he) is fo contrived, as to be well enough fecured against the Mutations in the Air, and the leffer Errors we daily run upon; did we not in the Exceffes of Eating, "Drinking, Thinking, Loving, Hating, or fome "other Folly, let in the Enemy, or lay violent "Hands upon our felves. Nor is the Body fitted

66

δε

only to prevent, but alfo to cure, or mitigate "Difeafes, when by thefe Follies brought upon us. In most Wounds, if kept clean, and from the Air,the Flesh will glew together, with 86 its own Native Balm. Broken Bones are ceέσ mented with the Callus, which themfelves help ટ to make. And fo he goes on with ample Inftances in this Matter, too many to be here fpecified (6). Among which he inftanceth in the Distempers of our Bodies, fhewing that even many of them are highly ferviceable to the Dif charge of malignant Humours, and preventing greater Evils.

And no lefs kind than admirable is this Contrivance of Man's Body, that even its Diftempers should many times be its Cure (7), that when

the

own providing. But paffing over many Particulars, I shall only give one Inftance more, because it may be a good Caution to fome Perfons, that these Papers may probably fall into the hands of, and that is the Danger of fwallowing Plum ftones, Prune-ftones, &c. Sir Francis Butler's Lady had many Prune ftones that made way through an Abfcefs near her Navel. Philof. Tranf. No. 265. where are other fuch like Examples. More alfo may be found in No. 282, 304, &c. And at this Day a young Man, living not far off me, laboureth under very troublefome and dangerous Symptoms from the Stones of Sloes and Bullace, which he fwallowed 8 or io Years ago. (6) Grew's Cofmol. § 28. 29. (7) Nor are Difeafes themselves ufelefs. For the Blood in a Fever, if well governed, like Wine upon the fret, dischargetb

the Enemy lies lurking within to deftroy us, there fhould be fuch a Reluctancy, and all Nature excited with its utmoft Vigour to expel him thence. To which purpofe, even Pain it felf is of great and excellent Ufe, not only in giving us Notice of the Prefence of the Enemy, but by exciting us to use our utmoft Diligence and Skill to root out fo troublesome and destructive a Companion.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Confent between the PARTS of
Man's Body.

T is an admirable Provision the merciful Crea

It is an for the good of Man's Body,

by

it felf of all beterogeneous Mixtures; and Nature, the Disease, and Remedies clean all the Rooms of the Houfe; whereby that which threatens Death, tends, in Conclufion, to the prolonging of Life. Grew ubi fup. §. 52.

And as Difeafes minifter fometimes to Health, fo to other good uses in the Body, fuch as quickning the Senfes of which take these Inftances relating to the Hearing and Sight.

A very ingenious Phyfician falling into an odd Kind of Fever, bad bis Senfe of Hearing thereby made fo very nice and tender, that be very plainly beard foft Whispers, that were made at a confiderable Diftance off, and which were not in the leaft perceived by the Byftanders, nor would have been by him before bis Sickness.

A Gentleman of eminent Parts and Note, during a Distemper be had in his Eyes, had his Organs of Sight brought to be fo tender, that both bis Friends and himself have affured me, that when be waked in the Night, be could for a while plainly fee and diftinguish Colours, as well as other Objects, difcernable by the Eye, as was more than once tryed. Boyl deter. nat. of Effluv. ch. 4.

Daniel Frafer continued Deaf and Dumb from his Birth, till the 17th Year of his Age - After his Recovery from a Fever, he perceived a Morion in his Brain, which was very unealy to him; and afterwards he began to hear, and in Process of Time, to understand Speech, &c. Vid. Philof. Tranf. No. 312.

1