An Account of Two BooksTractatus Duo, prior de Respiratione; alter de Rachitide by A. Joh. Mayow; A Discourseconcerning Physick, and the many Aluses thereof by the ApothecariesPhilosophical Transactions (1665-1678), Vol. 3 (1668), pp. 833-836Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/101313 .

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(8 33) fn Account of tnwo Bo!',

T. TRACTATUS D U O, pror d RES REPIATI ON E; a trr de R A H I T I D E, A, 7 o H. .M A rO ir, &c. Oxon.i Ct8. /n 8°.

He Author in the former of thefe 7r,acts, having firft given an ac- count , how the Air by its Elaflick fbrce is infpired, and upon

the dil.tation of the Cheal, caufed by the intercoflal Mufcles, drawn upwards, rufhes into the Lungs, which are thereby expanded, being nothing elfe but a Body m de up of very thin little Membranes, in the form of innumerable fmall bladders; delivers his thoughlts of the Ufe of Refpiration, waving thofe opinions, that would have Refpiritionferve either to cool the heart, or to make the Bloud pats through the Lungs out of che right ventricle of the heart into the left, or to reduce the thicker venal blood into thinncr and finer parts ; and affirming, That there is fomething in the Air, abfolutely neceffiry to life, which is con- veyed into the Blood; which, whatever it be,being exhaufted,the reft of the Air is made ufelefs, and no more fit for Refpiration. Where yet he doth not exclude this Ufe, That with the expelled Air, the vapors alfo, (leaming out of the Bloud, are thrown out together.

And inquiring, what that may be in the Air, fo neceffry to life, lie conjeAures, that 'tis the more fubtile and nitrom particles, the Air abounds with, that are through the Lungs communicated to the Bloud: And this Aereal Niter he makes fo neceffary to all life, that even the Plants themfelves do not grow in that Earth, that is deprived thereof, which yet, being expofedto the Air, and afrefh impregnated by that fertilizing falt, becomes fit again to nourifh thofe Pl?nts.

And confidering futher, what part this Nitrom Air a&s, and what operation it performs in the Animal Life, he is of opinion, that this Niter , mixt with the fulphureom parts of the Bloud, caufeth a due fer- mentation, which 1ie will have raifed, not only in the Heart alone, but immediately in the Pulmonary veffels, and afterwards in the Arteries no lefs than in the heart. Examining alfo the reafon, why Death fo fudr denly enfues upon Refpiration fuppreffed, the Bloud being then not yet unfitfor motion, he inquires yet after another Ufe of Refpiration,which maketh it fo very neceffary to Life. And confidering with himfelf , that the Life of Animals confifis in the Diftribution of the Animal fpirits, for the fupplyof which is required the Pulfation of the heart, and the Afflux of the Bloud to the Brain, it feems to him, that Refpiration is highly neceffary to the motion of the heart, forafmuch as the heart is one of the Mufcles, the motion of every one of which abfolutely re- quires this Aereal Niter, fo that without the fame, even the beating of the Heart cannot be performed,

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(834 ) l3ut he're he declareth, that he feeth nor, how that Explofion,by whlich

thle M uscles are fo fuddenly inflaited anid contradfed, fhould proceed from the A- terl~'ota 81kud anid the NVervou juyce. He efleems rather, that the ni,trcui particles proce-eding fromi the inifpired Air, do by the Afflux of the I. Arterioui bloud everywhere flow between the fibres of the Mufcles,. and lodge thierein; and that the anima/ fpirits, made up of a very yolu.. tIle (;It, and not much differing from the diRilled fpiritrof b'.oud, highly readif'd do, as often as they are fent from the Nerves for motion. meet withi the former nitrou and differing p-irticles ; by which mixture -of a kind of VcIatile Spi'rit cf £Ioffd, and a Sadin/i-quor, united together, is caufed that fudden eA~plofion, and confequently the inflation and con- tradion of the Mufcles. To which Ebullition , he faith I, may perhaps foniething alfo conduce the Bloud,I forafmuch as its Jfiolph6reoas Particles, conjoyn'd with the Niter inipired , may render that juy'ce Nvitro_-/d.1 phiireoAis., and yet more e::1.plofive. And thius he thinks the motion ma de ini thelhea-rt, ( a mufculous fubfl ance) to be done no otherwife, than th-at in other Mufoles. VWhfence he concludeth, thar upon the fupprefl-ing of Refpiration , when that darting Niter, , fo requifite to all motion is deficient, the Cardiaque Nerves convey their influx. in vain, fo that the pulfation of the heart ceafing, and confequently the affiux of the IMood to the Brain, Death muat needs follow; but yet th.,,t the Animal1 ma,,y live a white "Without' Refpiracion, forafmuch as the Bloud con- tained in the veffels of the Lungs , and impregnated with Air enough, mnay fuffice to maintain for fom-e few moments the motion. of the heart.

And thus much of the firat Traa&I the ctker treating of the Ric& tr_, emIs in the flrfl place, wherein Nutrition confifis,I and finds, -t1hat

the NVervbdlls Yoiyce performs not alone the whole office of that operation, in reg ird th-at betid-es it trh-e Bloud diffufed throug1h the t! rteries, hath no fmall ffvire in that work, feeing that the nervous liquor mixt with the bloud, c iufech a certain efffrvefcence, whereby the matter, ft for nutrition, is pre - cipitated, and that for want of this nervous liquor,the Bloud in this diftem- per of tlie Rickfts,though it be laudable enoug h, yet being delitute of its one ferment, is niot able to excite Hear int, departs , nor to exeocute thie office of Nutrition. So tha-t the I?ick~etr, in the opiniion of this Au- thor, are a 'difeafe, cauifcd by an unequal1 difiribution of the Nervouis jtayce,~ from whofe'eithtr defe& or fuperabundance,. fome pa-rts de- traud'ed of nourifhimen-L are emadiated, others, being furcharged, grow inlo a'difp1roportionatebignefs. Proceedingc to Riffigne the Caufrf of this inequaility? in the di(tIriburion of the Aliment, he finds it nor in the ini- flu"x of the, Brain, but in th obatruc&ion of the fpinal Marrow, whence iC happens, thartrhat high w ,y of the pafrige of the fpirirs being damm'd. vp, the parts, to be fultain'd and cberifh'd by that nutritious juyce-, muft needs la nguiifl, and fall into an Atrophy and the highefi Confumnption.

Having

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(8$35 ) Having affigr?d this caufe, he endeavours from thence -to dleduice all che

Appearances and Symuptomes peculi,ar to this Difea fe, and fuggeals that uponl that gond it oughit to be th-e 'Main intention of the phvfitian, to rcrno~ e ftuch Obftruetons, and to firengthen the Nerves: fubjoyninig a ge-neral method for curing, this I nfrmity, and f'pecify ing the principal remedies,. both internal and External, to be ufed therein ;amoung whiichi he chiefly re- commends thie fpirits of ~Sal A,-rzoniack, Ngrts'korn,.e, Blood) Vrinel, St,t as fuch, that by the high volatility and fubtlenefs of their p-rts are ab!e to diflodge, thiofe ObtIrudions, which caufe this Difeafe.

IL. A DISCOURSE concerning PHYSICK , and the many A LU$SS t hereof by thbe A POTfH ECARxI ESly L ondon', A. .i6 68. in 8 '.

I N this Difcourfe'are chiefly pt:erforrn'd thefe 7wo things. Fi'rJI, TLec I nterefl of the Patient, in reference to PhY-fic4kand Phyjit;ans,is foberly

debated. And here, the Patienvts bein they, who are moil highly injur'd by the unwarrantable pradifes of tho, thiat are in this Tra&f accufed, the Autbor reprefents, that, although many intelligent perfons among the Pco& ple are fufficiently fenfible of the Abufes, here manifefted, and that it is of abfolute neceffity, fome reformation be made ; yet all are not thlus per- fwaded, fince we miy daily obferve, thlat many, who are lefs difcerning,be..

ing deciv'd b an Imginary good,. covet unawares their own mie1 n unleO thiey be g'iven to undert}and, which is the Eviland which the Good, by perfons in who'm they hiave reafon to confide, they mnu' necefTarily runA much hazard. The Autbor thierefore liath here endeavour'd to unde- ceive them,difcovering both the many inconveniences, they are lya.ble to, and the many tbings;, whereof moft A pothiecaries are highily guilty,ais Care- lefsnef&, UnskilfLilnefs', Vnfairhfiullnefs-on the one hand, and intruFion into the PhyCitians Itmployment ( the Pradfife of phyfick ) on the other:- on oll which accounts, he thinks, he hatli demonfirated they are exceedingily inj'urious to the Publick.

In order to the Prevention of fuich intolerable A bufes of the People he makes this Prcpofal, That Phyricians prepire and difpence their own" Me.. d-icin's, and flhews at large, that the AdJvantages of fuicli a Conflit-ution wIll be many and great : As, th',t it wvili much. abate the Expence-of Phy-

fick; ~nid the Medicins thenifelv,ts will1 be miore f4e .-nd effie&ual, than nAow they are, Intereft obliging Phyfl4-iia -s to h-v t hei hFi,ck as go Orrs they can contrive or prepare ; anid that fuch a flate of Phyfick of all other cannot but be moft defirAble, whereiniNo A'an having- the It reN, ean have the PoWver, nor any havtio~i tdir) Por,er, can h4zie thbe Znt~efte to pr~pa're Mfedicin unfaithfully ~ w hereini b a_d men ffl hr I1 made good, -nd thec good never be tempted to become difhone(i So ti it, ir the Sickh- ve regard either to profit or fafety, they will add.rcrs ~hrfelVC3 to thofe Perfons ,who fuipply them with the beft of Remed iesland atclel p.6t rates.

Secondly, As to Pby/itians, the Antlzr te-lls the1m, thiit they muff veccf. A.UriIly put their Aftfiiirs into fom e fu ch :xiie tho %, as s1 here corunmwnded i f the1 y

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( 836) iiave any concern for their P4tientx,or inetend to imp"rove Pbaym.1y it feW Heire lie confiders, that if Phyfitians depend oniely uponi what they read in 'Books, they iball never promote this Art beyond its prefent limflits;- and .that, if phiytitians in former timies had niot been kniowing in Simplesl, ex, amnin'd their Vertues and Tempes inquired inco their effeds, and mi~ them witvh their ownhd; there lhad been no fiich Science as Fhyfick an-ld

therforethoe thngs Which gave a-being to this noble Facuily ouht to -help to m-ke it compleat; towards which i.'s nothiing can contribute more thian thle improvement of Pharmacy; fo nieither can any thi'ng promote thait more, th,n Phyfiti~ans takiiig it inito their minagement. Befid s all which, h3le thinks.it moft fit, that they, who cxercife thiemfelves in the pr4a. Rtife of Phyfick.,,be fifisfy'd, their Medicins are good., whereby their mnind ,will, be free and without any clog which would add more difficulties and dangers to a things, by it felfhbard and d,ingerous enioughi.

Th'er.e and other Confidercitiongs, inCifted on in this Difcorirfe, will, inl the Author's perfivafion, induce all Phyfirians, who hiave refpe&t to the Good of their Patients , Honour of their Profeffion', or own Reputation'. 'to put Pharmacy into other hands, and better miethods (for which hie irti. -mates, that a flrong refolution is alreai'y taken) thian thofe, wherein now it is;- whereby thiey, who difhonour it (mec ning the Apothecariesf) will eithier be reduced to a fenfe and performance of tlheir Duty, or fufliciently puiniffhed.

BeCides all this, there are interfperfed in this Difcourfe not a few p articu. lars, both Philofophical and Phyfical ; fuch ais concerne the Improvement of Natural Pbilofophyjby the exercife of,* Ihymiftry i'n the hands of difcreet and able Phyfitians: the Difcovery and tife of abundance of Generouls Re- medies, hitherto indufirioufly concealed by their Poffeffors from the?- ipO. thecaries and Common Chymifas, upon t-he confiderationi, that they would imake a prepofterous ufe of them., fuch as are the L]f6zces of PLznts made by the vnion of thieir rolatile Spirit!,, EfTential ojies, cand fixed Sa/ts,Vo. la tile Salt or Spirit of rartar, Tinature of Corals, Effenices of Pearl! and Crab~s Eyes, Valentinus's Tinfture of Antimony his Mlineral Bezoar, P"el- monts Elix'ir Pro prietati-s, his LaldanMm , the Volatil Spirit of Vitriol, theC Anodine Sldphnr of Vitricl, its Effentia-l ojie, the [rindure of Gold, &c. All which the Autchor affures to have feen himfelf, and declares h-imfelf ready to witnefs,- thiat they have had extraordinary Effeds. And he omits not particularly to infinuate, how much Diet can contribute to the cure or mo,deration of Diflempers ; and hie affirms boldly, That there is fcfarce any Chronical Difeafe, that is cured by the Shop-mnedecines, whi'ch m~y not be cured withl more certainty, eafe and pleafure by Drinkr, (joy n'd with at rega,lar Dyet) as Wine, Ale, fleer, Cider, &~c. impregnated in the time of their Fermentation, withi the Vertues of Simples, Animal, Vegetable or Mineral, or thetir Prepiarations &~c.

L IcS A V C T. printed by T.N. for 7o1:n J4fartjn Pf in:er to the R?ojal Seci*ety, anid are

to be folid at th-e Bell -a little without Temple.B&r, i 08

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