The Anatomy of Melancholy Part 9

I further advise you, not to asperse, or calumniate, or slander, Democritus Junior, who possibly does not think ill of you, lest you may hear from some discreet friend, the same remark the people of Abdera did from Hippocrates, of their meritorious and popular fellow-citizen, whom they had looked on as a madman; "It is not that you, Democritus, that art wise, but that the people of Abdera are fools and madmen." "You have yourself an Abderitian soul;" and having just given you, gentle reader, these few words of admonition, farewell.

"Herac.l.i.te fleas, misero sic convenit aevo, Nil nisi turpe vides, nil nisi triste vides.

Ride etiam, quantumque lubet, Democrite ride Non nisi vana vides, non nisi stulta vides.

Is fletu, his risu modo gaudeat, unus utrique Sit licet usque labor, sit licet usque dolor.

Nunc opes est (nam totus eheu jam desipit orbis) Mille Herac.l.i.tis, milleque Democritis.

Nunc opus est (tanta est insania) transeat omnis Mundus in Anticyras, gramen in h.e.l.leborum."

"Weep, O Herac.l.i.tus, it suits the age, Unless you see nothing base, nothing sad.

Laugh, O Democritus, as much as you please, Unless you see nothing either vain or foolish.

Let one rejoice in smiles, the other in tears; Let the same labour or pain be the office of both.

Now (for alas! how foolish the world has become), A thousand Herac.l.i.tus', a thousand Democritus' are required.

Now (so much does madness prevail), all the world must be Sent to Anticyra, to graze on h.e.l.lebore."

THE SYNOPSIS OF THE FIRST PARt.i.tION.

In diseases, consider _Sect. 1. Memb. 1._

Their Causes. _Subs. 1._

Impulsive; Sin, concupiscence, &c.

Instrumental; Intemperance, all second causes, &c.

Or Definition, Member, Division. _Subs. 2._

Of the body 300, which are Epidemical, as Plague, Plica, &c.

Or Particular as Gout, Dropsy, &c.

Or Of the head or mind. _Subs. 3._ In disposition; as all perturbations, evil affection, &c.

Or Habits, as _Subs. 4._ Dotage Frenzy.

Madness.

Ecstasy.

Lycanthropia.

Chorus sancti Viti.

Hydrophobia.

Possession or obsession of Devils.

Melancholy. See [Symbol: Aries].

[Symbol: Aries] Melancholy: in which consider

Its Equivocations, in Disposition, Improper, &c. _Subsect. 5._

_Memb. 2._ To its explication, a digression of anatomy, in which observe parts of _Subs. 1._ Body hath parts _Subs. 2._ contained as Humours, 4. Blood, Phlegm, &c.

Spirits; vital, natural, animal.

or containing Similar; spermatical, or flesh, bones, nerves, &c. _Subs. 3._ Dissimilar; brain, heart, liver, &c. _Subs. 4._

Soul and its faculties, as Vegetal. _Subs. 5._ Sensible. _Subs. 6, 7, 8._ Rational. _Subsect. 9, 10, 11._

_Memb. 3._ Its definition, name, difference, _Subs. 1._ The part and parties affected, affection, &c. _Subs. 2._ The matter of melancholy, natural, &c. _Subs. 3._ Species, or kinds [_Subs. 4._], which are Proper to parts, as Of the head alone, hypochondriacal, or windy melancholy. Of the whole body.

with their several causes, symptoms, prognostics, cures

Or Indefinite; as Love-melancholy, the subject of the third Part.i.tion.

Its Causes in general. _Sect. 2._ A.

Its Symptoms or signs. _Sect. 3._ B.

Its Prognostics or indications. _Sect. 4._ C.

Its Cures; the subject of the second Part.i.tion.

A. _Sect. 2._ Causes of Melancholy are either

General, as _Memb. 1._

Supernatural As from G.o.d immediately, or by second causes. _Subs. 1._

Or from the devil immediately, with a digression of the nature of spirits and devils. _Subs. 2._

Or mediately, by magicians, witches. _Subs. 3._

Or Natural

Primary, as stars, proved by aphorisms, signs from physiognomy, metoposcopy, chiromancy. _Subs. 4._

Or Secondary, as

Congenite, inward from Old age, temperament, _Subs. 5._ Parents, it being an hereditary disease, _Subs. 6._

Or Outward or advent.i.tious, which are Evident, outward, remote, advent.i.tious, as, Necessary, see [Symbol: Taurus].

Not necessary, as _M. 4. S. 2._ Nurses, _Subs. 1._ Education, _Subs. 2._ Terrors, affrights, _Subs. 3._ Scoffs, calumnies, bitter jests, _Subs. 4._ Loss of liberty, servitude, imprisonment, _Subs.

5._ Poverty and want, _Subs. 6.

A heap of other accidents, death of friends, loss, &c. _Subs. 7._

Or Contingent, inward, antecedent, nearest. _Memb. 5.

Sect. 2._

In which the body works on the mind, and this malady is caused by precedent diseases; as agues, pox, &c., or temperature, innate _Subs. 1._

Or by particular parts distempered, as brain, heart, spleen, liver, mesentery, pylorus, stomach &c.

_Subs. 2._

Particular to the three species. See [Symbol: Gemini].

[Symbol: Gemini] Particular causes. _Sect. 2. Memb. 5._