Diseases of the soul a discourse divine, moral, and physical. By Tho. AdamsDiseases of the soule a discourse diuine, morall, and physicall. By Tho. Adams

Flux and Prodigality. Disease 13.

Fluxe and Prodigalitie. Disease 13.

There be divers Fluxes according to Physicians: Lienteria, a smoothness of the bowels, suffering the meat to slide away not perfectly digested: Difenteria, which is an exulceration of the bowels; (whereof also they make four forts:) Tenasmus, which is a continual provocation to siege, that the patient can neither defer, nor eschew, yet vents nothing but slime. The Flux Diarrhea is the general, as being without exulceration or inflammation. To this I compare Prodigality, which is a continual running out.

THere bee diuers Fluxes according to Physicians: Lienteria, a smoothnesse of the bowels, suffring the meate to slide away not perfectly digested: Difenteria, which is an exulceration of the bowels; (whereof also they make foure forts:) Tenasmus, which is a continuall prouocation to seege, that the patient can neither deferre, nor eschew, yet vents nothing but slime. The Fluxe Diarrhea is the generall, as being without exulceration or inflammation. To this I compare Prodigalitie, which is a continuall running out.

Cause.

The corporal disease is caused: First, either by debility of the instruments that serve to digestion. Secondly, or through abundance of nourishment, moist and viscous soon corrupted. Thirdly, or through weakness of the retentive faculty. The similitude holds well in the causes of Prodigality. There is first a weakness of his understanding & brain, to digest that which his friends left him. Secondly, abundance of goods hath made him wanton; and the most part being slimy and ill gotten, it wastes like Snow, faster then it was gathered. Thirdly, the debility of his retentive virtue is a special cause. For Prodigality is pictured