The Blazing World

mentioned effects, and cleared both the stomach and several other parts of the body, then it works upon the brain, and brings forth of the nose such kinds of humours as it did out of the mouth, and much after the same manner; then it will purge by stool, then by urine, then by sweat, and lastly by bleeding at the nose, and the hemorrhoids; all which effects it will perform within the space of six weeks, or a little more; for it does not work very strongly, but gently, and by degrees: Lastly, when it has done all this, it will make the body break out into a thick scab, and cause both hair, teeth, and nails to come off; which scab being arrived to its full maturity, opens first along the back, and comes off all in a piece like an armour, and all this is done within the space of four months. After this the patient is wrapt into a cerecloth, prepared of certain gums and juices, wherein he continues until the time of nine months be expired from the first beginning of the cure, which is the time of a child’s formation in the womb. In the meanwhile, his diet is nothing else but eagles-eggs, and hinds-milk; and after the cerecloth is taken away, he will appear of the age of twenty, both in shape, and strength. The weaker sort of this gum is sovereign in healing of wounds, and curing of slight distempers. But this is also to be observed, that none of the imperial race does use any other drink but limewater, or water in which limestone is immerged; their meat is nothing else but fowl of several sorts, their recreations are many, but chiefly hunting.

This relation amazed the Empress very much; for though in the world she came from, she had heard great reports of the philosopher’s stone, yet had she not heard of any that had ever found it out, which made her believe that it was but a chimera; she called also to mind, that there had been in the same world a man who had a little stone which cured all kinds of diseases outward and inward, according it was applied; and that a famous chemist had found out a certain liquor called alkahest, which by the virtue of its own fire, consumed all diseases; but she had never heard of a medicine that could renew old age, and render it beautiful, vigorous and strong: Nor would she have so easily believed it, had it been a medicine prepared by art; for she knew that art, being nature’s changeling, was not able to produce such a powerful effect; but being that the gum did grow naturally, she did not so much scruple at it; for she knew that nature’s works are so various and wonderful, that no particular creature is able to trace her ways.

The conferences of the chemists being finished, the Empress made an assembly of her Galenical physicians, her herbalists and anatomists; and first she enquired of her herbalists the particular effects of several herbs and drugs, and whence they proceeded? To which they answered, that they could, for the most part, tell her Majesty the virtues and operations of them, but the particular causes of their effects were unknown; only thus much they could say, that their operations and virtues were generally caused by their proper inherent, corporeal, figurative motions, which being infinitely various in infinite nature, did produce infinite several effects. And it is observed, said they, that herbs and drugs are as wise in their operations, as men in their words and actions; nay, wiser; and their effects are more certain than men in their opinions; for though they cannot discourse like men, yet have they sense and reason, as well as men; for the discursive faculty is but a particular effect of sense and reason in some particular creatures, to wit, men, and not a principle of nature, and argues often more folly than wisdom. The Empress asked, whether they could not by a composition and commixture of other drugs make them work other effects than they did, used by themselves? They answered, that they could make them produce artificial effects, but not alter their inherent, proper and particular natures.

Then the Empress commanded her anatomists to dissect such kinds of creatures as are called monsters. But they answered her Majesty, that it would be but an unprofitable and useless work, and hinder their better employments; for when we dissect dead animals, said they, it is for no other end, but to observe what defects or distempers they had, that we may cure the like in living ones, so that all our care and industry concerns only the preservation of mankind; but we hope your Majesty will not preserve monsters, which are most commonly destroyed, except it be for novelty: Neither will the dissection of monsters prevent the errors of nature’s irregular actions; for by dissecting some, we cannot prevent the production of others; so that our pains and labour will be to no purpose, unless to satisfy the vain curiosities of inquisitive men. The Empress replied, that such dissections would be very beneficial to experimental philosophers. If experimental philosophers, answered they, do spend their time in such useless inspections, they waste it in vain, and have nothing but their labour for their pains.

Lastly, her Majesty had some conferences with the Galenic physicians about several diseases, and amongst the rest, desired to know the cause and nature of apoplexies, and the spotted plague. They answered, that a deadly apoplexy was a dead palsy of the brain, and the spotted plague was a gangrene of the vital parts: and as the gangrene of outward parts did strike inwardly; so the gangrene of inward parts, did break forth outwardly: which is the cause, said they, that as soon as the spots appear, death follows; for then it is an infallible sign, that the body is throughout infected