JO On Popular Ilhifions. 



Andrews, wifhed to confult him, he declared without 

 hefijCation the exad fituation of the planets at his 

 nativity, which he afterwards verified, by calculating 

 his horofcope. Several hiftorians relate that after 

 curing the Archbiihop, he foretold the manner of 

 his death ; but the truth of this aflertion is extremely 

 doubtful, for Cardan, who was not difpofed to con- 

 ceal his own excellence, would not have failed to 

 boaft of fo extraordinary a circumftance, yet we find 

 no trace of the predidlion in his works, though he 

 publifhed Hamilton's Horofcope, among others, 

 with a commentary. Porta and Fernelius followed 

 Cardan in combining medicine with aftrology. Pa- 

 racelfus, by fuppofing a Ipirit derived from fbme 

 conftellation to refide in every human being, ren- 

 dered the connexion ftill more intimate. Severinus 

 and Hartmann followed his opinions. Horftius 

 believed not only that certain conjundions of the 

 ftars produce epidemics, but that evil afpe6ls pro- 

 duce miafmata*. The grave and fagacius Lommius 

 fuppofes that the appearance of comets prefages the 

 plague f. 



At length, the Cartefian Philofophy produced 

 inquiries that terminated in more rational conclu- 

 fions refpefting medicine ; the influence of fome of 

 the planetary bodies on the human frame was al- 

 lowed, as far as tliey could be fuppofed to affc£l 

 the date of the atmofphere, but the effedt of their 



* Page 258. t Obf. Med. p. 31. 



afpe5fs 



