The truth is, it is one of old Aristotle's opinions which crept into his noddle as he was marring Plato's philosophy.

 

What diseases distinctly are under every sign of the Zodiac.

Under Aries are all pushes, whelks and pimples, freckles and sunburning in the face; the smallpox and measles, polypus or noli me tangere; all diseases in the head as headache of all sorts, vertigo, frenzy, lethargy, forgetfulness, catalepsy, apoplexy, dead-palsy, coma, falling sickness, convulsions, cramps, madness, melancholy, trembling. 

Amongst all these I can justly except but against one, which is smallpox and measles.

Under Taurus are all diseases incident to the throat as king's evil, quinsy, sore throat, wens in the neck, flux of rheum in the throat. 

Diseases under Gemini are all such as are incident to the hands, arms and shoulders, whether they are really or by accident, as fractures, dislocations and such as come by bloodletting, corruption of the blood, windiness in the blood. And indeed I have often found by experience that Gemini signifies wind in the blood more than any other sign.

I have now done with Gemini, after I have told you my own opinion, which is that the upper part of the shoulder, namely that with which we carry burdens, is under Taurus, which is the emblem of labour, and not under Gemini as the common received opinion is.

Under Cancer are all inperfections of the breast, stomach or liver whatsoever, as also whatsoever are incident to the breast of women as cancers there, and that inflammation which women commonly call the ague in the breast; plurisies, want of appetite to victuals, want of digestion of victuals, coldness and overheat of the stomach, dropsies, coughs. You may find out the rest yourselves; the rule is as plain as the nose on a man's face. 

Under Leo are all passions of the heart as convulsions, saith my author. 

But if I may make so bold as to digress a little, I shall tell you, and prove it too when I have done that convulsions are not a disease of the heart but of the brain.

The truth is, it is one of old Aristotle's opinions which crept into his noddle as he was marring Plato's philosophy. The nerves have their original from the brain; convulsion is a plucking or twitching of the nerves, ergo it is a disease of the brain and not of the heart. 

But to return to my purpose, under Leo are all diseases the heart or back is subject to, as qualms and passions, palpitation and trembling of the heart; violent, burning fevers, sore eyes, the yellow jaundice, and all diseases of choler, and such diseases as come of adustion of blood as the pestilence. And I am afraid London will find this too true; so soon as Saturn comes into Leo, I pray God mitigate this evil influence toward them at that time.

Under Virgo are all diseases incident to the bowels, the mesaraic veins, the omentum, the diaphragma, spleen. Take a few instances in this particular: worms, wind in the guts, obstructions, the cholic and iliac passions, hardness of the spleen, hypochondriac melancholy. 

Under Libra are diseases of the reins or kidneys, which you please, for the significations of the words are the same; heat in the reins in women, which sometimes causes death in travail, many times abortion, always hard labour; the stone or gravel in the reins. 

And now let me teach you a little: if Mars be significator of the disease and in Virgo, it is the wind cholic without appearance either of gravel or stone. Have a care of your patient, lest it turn to gravel in the kidneys when he comes into Libra, and to the stone of the bladder when he comes into the Scorpion.

By your ingenuity, if you have any, you may by this example find out twenty more like to it.

Lastly, under Libra are all diseases coming of wind and corruptions of blood.

Under the Scorpion are gravel and stone in the bladder, inflammations and ulcers there; all difficulties of urine whatsoever; all imperfections of the urine, ruptures, fistulas, hemorrhoids, the French pox, running of the reins, priapismus, all diseases that infect the privities of men or women. All the diseases of the womb, of which more in my guide for women, already in print. 

Under Sagittarius are all diseases in the thighs and hips as the sciatica, fistulas in those places, heat of blood, pestilential fevers. And take this for a general rule, that Leo and Sagittarius signify falls from horses and hurts by four-footed beasts, they being both of them signs of horsemanship; besides, Sagittarius prejudices the body by choler, heat, fire and intemperance in sports.

Under Capricorn are all diseases in the knees and hams as pains, sprains, fractures and dislocations; leprosies, itch, scabs; all diseases of melancholy, and all rumours called schirrus.

Under Aquarius are all diseases incident to the legs and ankles; all melancholy coagulated in the blood, cramps, and the truth is thickness of blood most usually proceeds from this sign. Ask old Saturn, and he will tell you the reason

By this, the ingenious have a plain way to find out more, and by this Doctor Experience got materials to work with.

Under Pisces is all lameness, aches and diseases incident to the feet as gouts, kibes, chilblains &c. All diseases coming of salt-phlegm, mixed humours, scabs, itch, botches and breaking out about the body, the small pox and measles, all cold and moist diseases, and such as come by catching wet and cold at the feet. 

And if you will be pleased but to consider the affinity holds with Aries, you will soon see a reason why wet taken at the feet strikes so speedily up to the head. 

As for the Houses of Heaven, they have the same significarions with the signs; the First House with Aries, the Second with Taurus, and so analogically till you come to the Twefth House, which has the same signification that Pisces has.

I have now done with this part. Only be pleased to take notice that the fiery signs stir up diseases of choler, airy signs diseases of phlegm,; signs of double bodies, diseases of mixed humours. 

And thus much for this part, the pains of which have been mine, the benefit shall be yours, if you will but turn idleness out of doors and place ingenuity in his room.