Читать книгу The Female Physician - John Maubray - Страница 35

CHAP. VII. Of the PICA or LONGING.

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WOMEN subject to this Symptom, are indeed desirous of Meat and Drink; yet commonly of such, as is not only disagreeable, but also offensive and prejudicial to Nature.

THE violent Excess of this vicious or degenerate Appetite is wonderful; as frequently appears by many unnatural Instances, which I shall forbear mentioning in this Place, for fear of ill Consequences; so that I can only recommend the Curious to the^[59]Authorities of the Margin.

THE Cause of this SYMPTOM proceeds from the various Humours of deprav’d Qualities, inherent in the Tunicks of the STOMACH, vitiating the Ferment of the VENTRICLE; and so affecting the Orifice, that it becomes the very Seat and Source of this Evil: from whence arises the Variety of the Humours, exciting a strange and uncommon Variety of Appetite.

THE Nature and Quality of these HUMOURS, have occasion’d many learned Disputes, which yet remain undecided. But tho’ Platerus takes upon himself to call them Malignant and Poisonous, yet it is the Opinion of many learned Men, and as excellent Authors, that They are not to be justly accounted for, any farther than that they are of an occult perverse Quality, generated in the STOMACH, from irregular Diet, improper Food, and bad Concoction, attended with an erroneous Regimen in other Cases.

THIS Symptom begins commonly about the 40th Day from Conception, and continues to the 4th Month: Against which time, part of the vitious Humours are excreted or thrown up by Vomiting, and the Remainder (by degrees) imbib’d by the growing Infant; which Humours being so consum’d, the Distemper ceases of Course.

THIS Effect is more extreme and disorderly in bearing a Girl than a Boy; the pituitous Humours having less Concoction, because of the want of requisite Heat: Which for the same Reason also occasions disagreeable Flatulencies, Belchings, and Fluctuations.

I have, in the Course of my Experience, observ’d this Evil to be most common in Holland; partly because of the thick condensed Air of the Country, and partly because the Commonalty of the Women live but on gross and cold Food, Fruit, Acids, &c. and are consequently of a cold humid Temperature, very subject to this Evil.

THE Diagnostick Signs of this SYMPTOM, are Weakness of Body, Dissolution of Limbs, Gnawing of Stomach, Loathing of wholesome Food, (and even That very often which the Party lov’d before) Anxiety, Pensiveness, frequent Spittings, and (at several times) Vomitings.

IF the Ventricle or Stomach is only slightly affected with some sort of viscous and frigid Humours, the Party generally longs for sharp and tart Meats; if with calid and hot ones, she craves for those which are bitter and biting: But if more severely affected, with Humours of some perverse occult Quality, she longs for strange unaccountable Matters; and hence it is that all monstrous APPETITES proceed.

BUT if such Humours become Connatural to the Woman, by the deep Impression of Diuturnity, she longs for things resembling the very same Nature of the Humours: As for Example, if they be of a burning or parching Nature, she covets to eat COALS, CINDERS, &c. if of a gross and thick Quality, CHALK, LIME, &c. if of a Saltish Kind, SALT itself: if of a Melancholick Temper, EARTH, CLAY, DUST, &c. For because, as the Thing containing changes the Contents, so the Contents (in process of time, by Force of constant Impression) change the Thing containing. In like manner as deprav’d Wine imparts a vitious Taste or Savour to the CASK, so those Humours convert the Temperature of the STOMACH into their own Natural Qualities.

THE Similitude and Dissimilitude of Humours and Temperature, may be thus known and distinguished, viz. The Appetite, longing for things of a like or resembling Nature (as above), remains still unsatisfy’d, tho’ plentifully indulg’d with the Thing desir’d: Whereas the Appetite of different or^[60]discording Things, having obtain’d the Thing long’d for, is easily satiated, and immediately ceaseth.

THIS Malicious or Lusting SYMPTOM, is most dangerous; degenerating commonly into a Cacochymy, Dropsy, Phthisick, or some other heavy Disease.

BUT the greatest Hardship or Misfortune, after All, is This; that, if the Woman doth not indulge her corrupt APPETITE, she languishes and pines to such a degree, that her^[61]Life is often endanger’d, together with the Foetus, by the Disappointment: and if she does so gratify herself, This often proves of the worst of Consequences, even sometimes to a mortal Fatality.

HOWEVER, in short, this SYMPTOM is like many Others, more easily prevented, than cur’d: Wherefore all Women, as soon as they conceive, ought (at repeated Times) to use proper Anti-kittean Medicines (that is, against PICA or Longing) and be very careful of their Regimen and Diet: But when, perhaps, by neglect of those Means, the Distemper appears inordinate, the Method of Cure consists in evacuating the Humours, and in absterging, alterating, and corroborating the Stomach.