SUBSECT. 4. Symptomes of Maids, Nunnes, and Widows Melancholy.

BEcause Lodovicus Mercatus in his second book de mulier. affect. cap. 4. and Rodericus à Castro de morb. mulier. cap. 3. lib. 2. two famous Physicians in Spain, Daniel Sennertus of Wittenberg lib. 1. part. 2. cap. 13. with others, have vouchsafed in their works not long since published, to write two just Treatises de Melancholia virginum, Monialium & Viduarum, as a peculiar species of melancholy (which I have already specified) distinct from the rest: for it much differs from that which commonly befals men and other women, as having one only cause proper to women alone) I may not omit in this generall Survey of melancholy Symptomes, to set down the particular signs of such parties so mis-affected.

The causes are assigned out of Hippocrates, Cleopatra, Moschion, and those old Gynæciorum Scriptores, of this ferall malady, in more ancient Maids, Widows, and barren Women, ob septum transversum violatum saith Mercatus, by reason of the midriffe or Diaphragma, heart and brain offended with those vicious vapours which come from menstruous bloud, inflammationem arteriæ circa dorsum, Rodericus adds, an inflammation of the back, which with the rest is offended by that fuliginous exhalation of corrupt seed, troubling the brain, heart and mind;

the brain I say, not in essence, but by consent, Universa enim hujus affectus causa ab utero pendet, & à sanguinis menstrui malitia, for in a word, the whole malady proceeds from that inflammation, putredity, black smoky vapours, &c. from thence comes care, sorrow, and anxiety, obfuscation of spirits, agony, desperation, and the like, which are intended or remitted; si amatorius accesserit ardor, or any other violent object or perturbation of mind.

This melancholy may happen to Widows, with much care and sorrow, as frequently it doth, by reason of a sudden alteration of their accustomed course of life, &c. To such as lye in childe-bed ob suppressam purgationem; but to Nunnes and more ancient Maids, and some barren Women for the causes abovesaid, ’tis more familiar, crebriùs his quam reliquis accidit, inquit Rodericus, the rest are not altogether excluded.

Out of these causes Rodericus defines it with Areteus, to be angorem animi, a vexation of the mind, a sudden sorrow from a small, light, or no occasion, with a kind of still dotage and grief of some part or other, head, heart, breasts, sides, back, belly, &c. with much solitarinesse, weeping, distraction, &c. from which they are sometimes suddenly delivered, because it comes and goes by fits, and is not so permanent as other melancholy.

But to leave this brief description, the most ordinary symptomes be these, pulsatio juxta dorsum, a beating about the back, which is almost perpetuall, the skin is many times rough, squalid, especially as Areteus observes, about the arms, knees, and knuckles. The midriffe and heart-strings do burn and beat very fearfully, and when this vapour or fume is stirred, flyeth upward, the heart it self beats, is sore grieved, and faints, fauces siccitate præcluduntur, ut difficulter possit ab uteri strangulatione decerni, like fits of the mother, Alvus plerisque nil reddit, aliis exiguum, acre, biliosum, lotium flavum.

They complain many times, saith Mercatus, of a great pain in their heads, about their hearts, and hypocondries, and so likewise in their breasts, which are often sore, sometimes ready to swoon, their faces are inflamed, and red, they are dry, thirsty, suddenly hot, much troubled with winde, cannot sleep, &c. And from hence proceed ferina deliramenta, a brutish kind of dotage, troublesome sleep, terrible dreams in the night, subrusticus pudor & verecundia ignava, a foolish kinde of bashfulness to some, perverse conceipts and opinions, dejection of mind, much discontent, preposterous judgement.

They are apt to loath, dislike, disdain, to be weary of every object, &c. each thing almost is tedious to them, they pine away, void of counsell, apt to weep, and tremble, timorous, fearfull, sad, and out of all hope of better fortunes. They take delight in nothing for the time, but love to be alone and solitary, though that do them more harm; And thus they are affected so long as this vapour lasteth; but by and by as pleasant and merry as ever they were in their lives, they sing, discourse and laugh in any good company, upon all occasions, and so by fits it takes them now and then, except the malady be inveterate, and then ’tis more frequent, vehement and continuate.

Many of them cannot tell how to express themselves in words, or how it holds them, what ailes them, you cannot understand them, or well tell what to make of their sayings; so far gone sometimes, so stupified and distracted, they think themselves bewitched, they are in despair, aptæ ad fletum, desperationem, dolores mammis & hypocondriis. Mercatus therefore adds, now their breasts, now their hypocondries, belly and sides, then their heart and head akes, now heat, then wind, now this, now that offends, they are weary of all; and yet will not, cannot again tell how, where or what offends them, though they be in great pain, agony, and frequently complain, grieving, sighing, weeping and discontented still, sine causâ manifestâ, most part,

yet I say they will complain, grudge, lament, and not be perswaded, but that they are troubled with an evill spirit, which is frequent in Germany, saith Rodericus, amongst the common sort: and to such as are most grievously affected, (for he makes three degrees of this disease in women) they are in despair, surely forespoken or bewitched, and in extremity of their dotage, (weary of their lives) some of them will attempt to make away themselves. Some think they see visions, confer with spirits and devils, they shall surely be damned, are afraid of some treachery, imminent danger, & the like, they will not speak, make answer to any question, but are almost distracted, mad, or stupid for the time, and by fits: and thus it holds them, as they are more or less affected, and as the inner humour is intended or remitted, or by outward objects and perturbations aggravated, solitariness, idleness, &c.

Many other maladies there are incident to young women, out of that one and only cause above specified, may ferall diseases. I will not so much as mention their names, malancholy alone is the subject of my present discourse, from which I will not swerve. The severall cures of this infirmity, concerning Diet, which must be very sparing, Phlebotomy, Physick, internall, externall remedies, are at large in great variety in Rodericus à Castro, Sennertus, and Mercatus, which who so will, as occasion serves, may make use of.

But the best and surest remedy of all, is to see them well placed, and married to good husbands in due time, hinc illæ lachrymæ, that’s the primary cause, and this the ready cure, to give them content to their desires. I write not this to patronize any wanton, idle flurt, lascivious or light huswives, which are too forward many times, unruly, and apt to cast away themselves on him that comes next, without all care, counsell, circumspection, and judgment.

If religion, good discipline, honest education, wholesome exhortation, fair promises, fame and loss of good name cannot inhibit and deterre such, (which to chast and sober maids cannot chuse but avail much) labour and exercise, strict diet, rigor and threats may more opportunely be used, and are able of themselves to qualifie and divert ill disposed temperament.

For seldom shall you see an hired servant, a poor handmaid, though ancient, that is kept hard to her work, and bodily labour, a course country wench troubled in this kind, but noble virgins, nice gentlewomen, such as are solitary and idle, live at ease, leade a life out of action and imployment, that fare well, in great houses and joviall companies, ill disposed peradventure of themselves, and not willing to make any resistance, discontented otherwise, of weak judgment, able bodies, and subject to passions (grandiores virgines, saith Mercatus, steriles & viduæ plerumque melancholicæ) such for the most part are misaffected, and prone to this disease.