Sect, il

Of Nervous Simples'.

S7

Clafs 3. Of Hyfierics.

WHAT we have reduced un-der this Head, may peihaps bemore properly ftyled Utérines; forwe fhall here include, not onlyall thar are called Hyfierics' bythe Writers of Phyfic, but alfofuch Simples as are accounted lèr-viceable in menftrual ObftruBions:For fuch Diibrders bring on a greatmany Symptoms which are alwaysreckon'd Hyfterical ; and confequent-ly, the means of removing themjuftly comeintothis Clafs.

AH of this kind are very remark-able for their ftrong Scent; andhave been by fomediftinguifh'dintoOdoriferous and Fetid Medicines.But of the former, iuch as Musk,Ambergrestfe, and the like, there areib extremely few Conftitutions withwhich they will agree, that we haverefus'd moil of them a place here,and rank'd them in the firft Clafs ofthis SeBion.

Diibrders of the Womb, a\l whichcome under the Name of HyflericalAffeBions, ariiè from too titillatingor from too uneafy Seniâtions. Theformer proceed from that Irritationof the Nerves, which the Make andSecretion of thofe Parts have natu-rally iùbjected them to : This in fomefort of Conftitutions arifes to thatdegree, as to draw the whole Syfteminto diforder, and occafion a iiir-prizing Variety of Symptoms, asièveral forts of Convullions, andSpecies of Madnefs ; which there-fore are by fome term'd FuroresVterini. Now theièDifordersfeemto be moil- effectually allay'd byfuch things, as are in a manner theReverfe of Cordial, and are both inSmell and T.tfie very offensive anddifagrceable. And they fcem to an-

fwer this End, by fuffociting as itwere the Spirits, and damping theirinordinate Sallies, lb that fuch Sti-mulation ceail's, and the Fibres re-tín n to their natural Tone and Mo-tions. For, as what is grateful to theSenfes gives an incxprellible Emo-tion to the fine nervous Filaments,fo does what is fetid and difagree-able quitedeftroy that Emotion, anddçadenit. And as the former kindccniifts chiefly of fine iubtile vola-tile Parts, by which, as was beforeexplain'd, they are the fitter to pene-trate the Nerves; fo theiearc gene-rally of a clammy vifcous Contex-ture, and therefore the fitter to en-velope and entangle that iubtileJuice, whereby its Motion is muchretarded, and confequently the Fibresrender'dlels fpringy.

In the latter Cale, the Uncaiinefsof the Burden in Geftation, and of-ten theDiibrdersorthefteíttí itièif,brings the Womb, and by dc¿rt.esthe whole nervous Sy;rem,intocor.-vuliive Diforders ; winch admit oflittle or nothing to be done by wayof Medicine, but are beft reined)'dby contributing to the Eafe, ;»ndGratifications of allthe Delires andCravings ot the Mo her. But theworft mifchicf to 1 h le Parts, is froma Lodgment of iome di&gteeableMatter upon then Glands, whe:they are frequently apt to glow can-cerous; or fro n an Obftruâion ortheDifcharges, which at certian timesNature (that is the Conftitu ion)requires to be made fi om thofe Parts.In the firft of thcie, ail iiich thingscome to be deem'd Hyfierics, w . ehby their deterûve Q¿a.ities openthoiè Glands, and by degrees wearaway the OL-itru£ted Humours. InG 4 the