The externall causes of this disease are either such things as are ordinary and necessary for our life and which we cannot shun, as our meate and drink, motion and rest, sleepe and watching, euacuation and perturbations of the minde: or such things as happen vnto vs accidentally, and may bee shunned by vs, as bathes, ointments, plaisters, cloathes, smelles or vapours, medicines, venus, noyses, riding, swimming, sayling, wounds, contusions, falles, biting of venomous beasts, &c. which may be also referred to the former kindes. These and such like as they are the externall causes of all diseases, our bodies being subiect to be hurt and offended by euery one of them: so they are oftentimes accessary to this particular disease. [Sidenote: _Fernel. li. 1. de morborũ causis._] The aire which compasseth our bodies and which we breath into our bodies is the occasion of many infirmities in vs, if either it be distempered in quallitie or corrupted in substance, or suddenly altered. And this may be the cause why women are more subiect vnto this disease at one time of the yeare than at another, according to the constitution of the ayre: as in the winter time, by reason of colde and moyst weather the humors of our bodies are increased and made more crude and grose, and our pores stopped, whereby expiration is hindered, &c. [Sidenote: _Mathaus de gradi. Mercat. Rondel. cap. 69_] [Sidenote: _Hier. Mercuria_] But especially wee doe obserue that breathing in of sweete sauours doth commonly procure these fittes, either for that the matrix by a naturall propertie is delighted with sweete sauoures, as the liuer and spleene with sweete meates, or because the animall spirites of the braine beeing thereby stirred vp to motion, doe by consent affect the matrix with the like. [Sidenote: _Plater. pa. 443_ _Iacobus Ruffius de muliebribus lib. 6. cap. 8_ _Syluius Guaynerius._] And therefore wee doe especially forbid that they may not smell vnto any sweet thing that are subiect vnto this griefe: but rather vnto euill sauoures: which as _Platerus_ thinkes by stirring vp the expulsiue facultie of the matrix, are a meanes of the shortening of the fit. Meate and drinke is the Mother of most diseases, whatsoeuer the Father bee, for the constitution of the humors of our bodies is according to that which feedes vs. And therefore it is reckoned as a principall externall cause of diseases. [Sidenote: _De nat. muliebri. Lib. 2. obseru. 28._ _Hypp. libro citato quicquid ederit aut liberit ipsam molestat_] And _Hyppocrates_ in this disease forbids sweete and fatte meats (_a dulcibus et pinguibus abstineat, donec sana sit_) _Forrestus_ telles vs of a Bruers wife of _Delft_, who could neuer eate or drinke any thing that was sweete or pleasant but her fit would take her a fresh, and thereuppon was faine to mixe wormewood with euery thing that she did eate or drinke. [Sidenote: _Heurnius de morbis capitis pag. 310._]