gruel did not relieve, but he grew phrentic and idle in his Talk. I gave him, after a while, a very strong Decoction of Sena in Water, which took effect, working four or five times, but it was so far from alleviating his Distemper, that he grew worse. He lost his Sight quite, although his Eyes look'd well and without blemish, for which I order'd him to be bled. I blister'd him in the Neck likewise, and thought his Distemper uncurable, if at Full Moon, or two or three Days after, he did not recover. He slept not, but had strange Persuasions or Imaginations in his Head, and dos'd at first, but afterwards fell into a perfect Lethargy. When his Sleepiness was over, he awak'd, but seem'd to be pensive at some strange things in his Mind. I apply'd Blisters to his Wrists, and on the Day of the Full Moon, he came to see somewhat, and at the same time recover'd some of his Understanding; yet, a great many things were blotted out of his Memory, so that the Remembrance of things past, not only during his Sickness, but likewise before, were lost, and some Imaginations and Fancies, were so fast imprinted in his Mind, during the time of his being not Compos Mentis, that afterwards, when he discours'd and reason'd very well, there was need to take Pains with him to undeceive him, and make him sensible of his Mistakes, but in a few Days that Reason and Experience had taught him to judge rightly, he was well. When he was recovering, it was very hard for him to bring out some Words at first, which, I suppose, might proceed from his forgetfulness of them. This blindness is not a very common Symptom with the Cholic, or Belly-ach, but yet appears now and then. I have my self seen several Instances of it. There appears no Blemish in the Eye in this Case, and they are struck Blind unknown to themselves or the by-standers, till they come to try their Eyes upon any occasion. This sort of Gutta Serena goes off in some Days, and they recover their Sight, at least as many as I have seen or read of, recover'd it by the use of Bleeding, Purging, Blistering and Cephalics.
The End of the Introduction.
