The Anatomy of Melancholy

Diocles supposed this kind of melancholy to have its origin in inflammation of the pylorus, which is the lower opening of the stomach. Others name the mesentery or midriff disordered by heat, a disordered womb, suppression of haemorrhoidal bleeding, and many similar causes.

Laurentius, in chapter 12, reduces all these to three: mesentery, liver and spleen, from which he names hepatic, splenic and mesenteric melancholy. External causes are bad diet, worry, griefs, discontents—in a word, all those six non-natural things, as Montanus found from experience, consultation 244.

Solenander, in consultation 9 for a citizen of Lyons in France, tells his reader that he knew this affliction to be caused by a medicine made from cantharides, which an unskilful physician gave his patient to drink “to arouse sexual desire.”

But most commonly it begins with fear, grief or some sudden disturbance or agitation of the mind, especially in bodies already poorly disposed. Melanchthon, in treatise 14, chapter 2 on the soul, holds that it is as common in men as the disorder called “the mother” is in women, arising from some grievous trouble, aversion, passion or discontent.

For, as Camerarius records in his life of him, Melanchthon himself suffered greatly from it and could therefore speak from experience. Montanus, in consultation 22, “for a delirious Jew,” confirms it: grievous symptoms of the mind brought the patient to it.

Randolotius relates that one day, while deeply intent on copying out a physician’s notes, he was troubled by some incident and fell into a hypochondriacal attack. To escape it he drank a decoction of wormwood and was relieved.

Melanchthon, since the disease is so troublesome and frequent, considers it most necessary and useful for everyone to study its manifestations, and dangerous to be ignorant of them. He would therefore have everyone understand its causes, symptoms and cures to some degree.