You may almost whip a Snail as fast.

 

Chapter XI.

How the nature and kind of the disease may be found out by the figure of the Decumbiture.

The nature of the disease is to be found out three ways, first by the Houses of Heaven, of which the Sixth, Seventh and Twelfth signify diseases; by the nature of the signs, of which fiery signs signify choler and diseases thence proceeding, earthly signs the diseases of melancholy, aery signs diseases of blood and wind, watery signs diseases of watery and salt phlegm; by the planets themselves and their aspects.

All this I shall make clear by this subsequent discourse, before which I shall premise these following aphorisms.

If Saturn signify the disease, 'tis like to continue long enough, if not too long; yet if he be with benevolents, it mitigates, if with malevolents, it increases the evil.

Saturn in Leo or Capricorn with the Dragon's Head or Tail, or with Venus combust, or with violent fixed stars, he stirs up pestilences or other pernicious fevers that are little better.

Saturn alone in fiery signs shows hectic fevers.

In watery signs, sicknesses or watery humours, the disease comes of gross and vicious humours which will continue long, with continual fluxes and cold tremblings.

Saturn in movable signs shows flux of humours in all parts of the body; imagine the dropsy or other diseases like it. And yet it is some question to me whether Saturn cause dropsies, yea or no, unless assisted by the Moon in signification.

Saturn in common signs gives compound diseases, and such as run out of one disease into another. You may almost whip a snail as fast. ou may easily see it before it come, if your eyes be in your head. 

Saturn in fixed signs, if in Leo, gives hectic fevers; in other fixed signs, quartan agues, gouts, leprosies and other diseases that stay longer than they are welcome. 

If Jupiter cause the disease, look to the liver, for that's afflicted, the digestion is bad, blood abounds either in quantity or in quality a thousand to one if it be not too hot.

Jupiter in fiery signs bestows upon men such fevers as come of blood without putrefaction, such as the Greeks call synochus non putrida, they last but a very little time.

Mars gives violent fevers with putrefactions, and the Sun gives no other.

If you find Mars in a fiery sign, judge the disease either a burning fever or else the pestilence; if Saturn bear a share in signification with him, melancholy bears a share or else adust choler, which is most usual.

Mars in common signs varies the disease; take heed of a relapse. The crisis is as certain as a weathercock, so exceeding swift and sudden will they come, even as swift as the wind, not waiting the Moon's leisure. In such a case you may more safely judge by the aspects of the Moon to the planets than by the crisis.

Mars in Leo afflicts the heart; the disease is a fever, and the cause of it choler.

Always when Mars signifies the disease, it is very short, but extreme acute.

If the Sun at the Decumbiture be afflicted by the body or quartile opposition, antiscion of Saturn, the disease is Saturnine melancholy. and will in all probability last longer than you would willing have it. 

If the Sun be afflicted in the same manner by Mars, the cause is choler. The motion of the disease is as swift as the wind, and as violent as the whirlwind. 

If Venus be ill-affected to the sick, the disease comes of intemperance either one way or other, perhaps with drinking, perhaps by venereal sports. What e'er the cause be, those parts of the body signified by Venus suffer for it. 

Venus in fiery signs causes one-day fevers. But if Mars join with her in signification, the fever is rotten and proceeds from phelgm.

If Mercury be unfortunate and cause the disease, he proclaims that the infirmity lies in the brain, perhaps madness or falling sickness, or it may be the man dreams waking.

If Mercury join in signification with Mars, you may be confident the disease is a frenzy.

The Lord of the Ninth in the Sixth, witchcraft is to be feared, or else the disease lies very occult. I doubt my author is mistaken; surely it should be the Lord of the Twelfth in the Sixth, for the Lord of the Ninth should rather occasion the disease about some whimsies in religion.

The Moon in Aries in the Eighth afflicts the head with a disease too hot for it to bear, whether the disease lie in the mind or in the body.