Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
But give me leave to tell you, _Madam_,
that if your _Author_ believes magnetick or attractive cures (as he
doth, and in whose behalf he makes very long discourses) he doth in
this opinion contradict himself. He may say, perhaps, There is no such
thing as what Physicians name humors. But grant there be none, yet he
cannot deny that there are offensive juices, or moveable substances
made by evil, as irregular digestions, which may be troublesom and
hurtful to the nature of the body. Or perchance he will say, There are
such humors, but they are beneficial and not offensive to the nature
of the body. I answer: Then he must make an agreement with every part
of the body, not to make more of these humors then is useful for the
body. Also he mentions some few that took Purging Physick, and died.
Truly so they might have done without taking it: but he doth not tell,
how many have died for want of proper and timely Purges. In truth,
_Madam_, 'tis an easie thing to find fault, but not so easie to mend
it. And as for what he speaks of the weighing of those humors and
excrements, which by purging were brought out of some Princes body, and
how much by the Schools rules remained, and of the place which should
maintain the remainder; I onely say this, that all the several sorts
of juices, humors, or moveable substances in a body, do not lie in one
place, but are dispersed, and spread all about and in several parts
and places in the body; so that the several Laxative medicines do but
draw them together, or open several parts, that they may have freedom
to travel with their chief Commanders, which are the Purging medicines.
But your _Author_ says, the Loadstone doth not draw rust. And I say, no
more do Purging drugs draw out pure Matter: for it may be as natural
for such medicines to draw or work onely upon superfluities, that is,
corrupted, or evil-affected humors, juices or moveable substances, as
for the Loadstone to draw Iron; and so it may be the property of Purges
to draw onely the rust of the body, and not the pure metal, which are
good humors. But few do consider or observe sufficiently the variety of
Natures actions, and the motions of particular natural Creatures, which
is the cause they have no better success in their cures. And so leaving
them to a more diligent inquisition and search into Nature, and her
actions, I rest,
Madam,
_Your faithful Friend_
_and humble Servant._
[1] In his Treatise of Fevers, _c._ 5.
XXXV.
_MADAM,_
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