A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays — John Shaqi
A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several EssaysMead, Richard
Science
A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays
Mead, Richard
Poisons -- Early works to 1800; Venom -- Physiological effect -- Early works to 1800
For this we have a Famous Testimony in _Galen_ himself, (56) who tells
us, that _Æsculapius used to recover Those in whom violent Motions of
the Mind had induced a hot Temperament of Body, by Melody and Songs_.
_Pindar_ (57) mentions the same thing; and indeed from hence not only
the Notion, but the very Name of _Charming_ (58) seems to have taken
its Origine. _Athenæus_ (59) relates that _Theophrastus_ in his Book of
_Enthusiasm_ says, _Ischiadic Pains are Cured by the Phrygian Harmony_.
This sort of Musick was upon a _Pipe_, and the most vehement and brisk,
of all the Ancients knew; so that indeed it was said to raise those who
heard it to downright Fury and Madness (60): And such we have observed
to be required to the Venom of the _Tarantula_.
But what is besides in this last Authority very observable to our
Purpose, is the manner of using this Remedy, and that was (61) by
_Playing upon the part affected_, which confirms what we have just now
advanced concerning the Effect of the _Percussion_ of the Air upon the
Contractile Fibres of the _Brain_, for _Piping upon_ any Member of
the Body, cannot be suppos’d to do Service any other way, than by such
Succussions and Modulated Vibrations as we before mention’d. And this
indeed _Cælius Aurelianus_ (62) agrees to, who calls this Practice,
_Decantare Loca dolentia_; and says, that the _Pain is mitigated and
discuss’d by the Tremblings and Palpitations of the Part_.
_Aulus Gellius_ (63) not only relates this same Cure of _Ischiadic_ Ails
as a thing notorious enough, but adds besides out of _Theophrastus_,
that _the Musick of a Pipe rightly managed healed the Bites of Vipers_.
And not only does _Apollonius_ (64) mention the Cure of Distractions of
the Mind, Epilepsies, and several other Distempers this same way; but
_Democritus_ (65) in his Treatise of Plagues, taught, that _the Musick
of Pipes was the Medicine for most Diseases_; which _Thales_ of _Crete_
confirmed by his Practice, when sent for by the _Lacedæmonians_ to
remove from them the Pestilence, he did it by the help of Musick (66).
All which Instances do evince this Remedy to have been very ancient in
many Cases; and indeed as _Cælius-Aurelianus_ (67), takes notice that
the first use of it was ascrib’d to _Pythagoras_ himself, so He having
settled and founded his Sect in those very Parts of _Italy_ which are
the Country of the _Tarantulæ_, going then under the Name of _Græcia
magna_, now _Calabria_, it is not, I think, at all improbable that he
may have been the Author and Inventor of this Practice there, which
has continued ever since. Especially since _Jamblichus_ affirms (68),
not only that he made use of Musick in Physick, but particularly that
he found out and contrived some Harmonies to ease the Passions of the
Mind, and others for the _Cure of Bites_: But of Musick enough.
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