MEDICINE 199 



sions ; but for the sake of helping our finite under- 

 standing, which is not able to grasp the power of the 

 Infinite, we are forced to accept the theory of a variety 

 of causes, hoping thereby to sharpen our intellect for 

 the comprehension of finite things, until by the illumi- 

 nation of Divine Wisdom we shall become able to behold 

 with the eye of Faith the eternal Unity of the All." 



" We have therefore divided the cause of all diseases 

 into five classes, which are as follows : — Ens Astrale, 

 Ens Venenale, Ens Naturale, Ens Spiritimle, and Ens 

 Decde ;^ but the latter is the fundamental cause of 

 everything that exists." 



" As there are five causes of disease, there are also five 

 difierent methods of treating diseases, and five classes 

 of faculties or sects of physicians which follow these 

 methods. Each method is alone sufficient to treat all 

 the five classes of diseases, and each physician should 

 be well experienced in the methods of the sect to which 

 he belongs, and he should not change from one system to 

 another, but confine himself to the one he has chosen to 

 adopt.^ He should not be wavering and uncertain, but 

 he should be firm and full of faith, and be able to know 

 more by his own internal power of recognition than by 

 external observation or by what the patient may tell 

 him ; for the patient, being only conscious of suffering, 

 is not in a condition to judge his own case correctly, and 

 the physician must be able to see things which are not 

 seen by every one." 



But the origin of some particular disease may be not 

 in only one of these causes, but in two or more of them, 

 and unless a person is able to recognise all the causes 

 of such a disease he will be unable to prognosticate the 

 time of its duration. An astrologer may calculate your 

 horoscope correctly, and tell you by what diseases you 



^ This means : astral causes or origins, causes from poisons or im- 

 purities, causes that spring from morbid conditions in the body, spiritual 

 causes, and such as come through the action of the moral law {Karma). 



' Those who are Jacks of all systems are usually masters of none. 



