Chap. XVI. Of a Palfy. 6t 



CHAP. XVI. 



Of a Talfy, 



THE ancient Farriers, and many of the Country Peo- 

 ple to this Day, when they fee a Horfe or Bullock 

 have his Limbs fuddenly taken from him, and not being 

 able to think what ftiould be the Caufe of fuch an unex- 

 pedled Change, believe him either to be planet- ftruck, or 

 Shrow-run ; but molt or all thofe Accidents are owing to 

 the Palfy, and therefore we fhall include them under that 

 Denomination. 



A Palfy is an Inability to Motion, arifing ^p^j. ^^^^,^^ 

 either trom a Fault m the Blood or animal ■" 



Spirits, or from both together ; and it feizes fometimes 

 the whole Body, fometimes one Side, and fometimes a 

 particular Part only. 



When the Caufe happens from the animal Spirits, then 

 Senfation is in a Manner loft ; and fometimes with an Ina- 

 bility to Motion alfo ; and becaufe the nervousFluid is ren- 

 der'd thick, and unapt to Motion, and the Nerves them- 

 felves relax'd and moift, and confequently unfit for lively 

 Vibrations. There will alfo be fometimes a Numbne(s 

 and Infenfibility to the Touch, but yet a Capacity of Mo- 

 tion may be preferv'd. But when a Palfy arifes from a 

 Fault in the Blood, viz. from an over-great Humidity, or 

 when it is rendered too thick : In the firft Cafe the Mufcles 

 are ftretch'd out in Length, and their Fibres relaxed, and 

 by lohng their Tone, they become incapable of Contradli- 

 on ; and therefore tho' there may be a Diftribution of the 

 nervous Juice, yet Motion is loft by Reafon of that over- 

 Relaxation ; while at the fame time Senfe may remain ; 

 and in the other Cafe, though there be a Concourfe of 

 Spirits, yet the Blood is fo thick, that it cannot be fud- 

 denly enough rarefied to produce Motion. But, laftly, 

 •when the Blood and Spirits are both affeded in a Palfy, 

 the Senfe and Motion will both be loft : And if the 

 Nerves or Blood be affeded within the Brain, then the Pal- 

 fy will be accompanied with an Apoplexy or Vertigo. 



And therefore the Caufes of a Palfy are all n-i r- r e 

 tnoie things that may induce an over-great a Palf> 

 Humidity into the Blood and Spirits, fo as ' 



to 



