Which is the Whole Key of Physick.

 

Chapter XV.

For the cure of any disease, take these few rules.

First, see what the disease is.

Consider who is the author or causer of it, and that you may see if you consider what planet governs that disease.

Consider whether it be caused by the sympathy or antipathy of the planet.

And that you may know this (which is the whole key of physick) consider whether the planet afflicting governs the part afflicted, and if he have any dominion in that part of the body, he causes it by sympathy. One example will clear all, as suppose diseases in the bones, spleen &c.; if Saturn be the cause of it, 'tis by sympathy because he governs those parts.

If by antipathy, consider what part of the body any planet afflicts either by his preference or aspects, and then secondly consider who or what planet governs that part, if the planet afflicting be an enemy to that planet governing that part, then the disease is caused by antipathy.

As is the disease, so is the cure. 

If by antipathy, then apply those medicines proper to the place affected and governed by the afflicted planet, for here is cure by antipathy. As suppose Saturn afflicts some parts that the Moon governs, here the disease is cured by antipathy because Saturn is an enemy to the Moon, to cure which apply things proper to the part affected and governed by the Moon, because they are antipathetical to the disease caused by Saturn. 

If the disease be caused by sympathy, then must you apply medicaments proper to the part affected or disease affecting, and governing by that planet afflicting; here is cure by sympathy, here the planet that kills or strikes is repelled, or is beat with his own weapons. 

A disease may be cured by sympathy or antipathy another way.

By sympathy thus: when a planet afflicts or causes a disease, the cure may be made by applying medicaments to the part affected or disease affecting (and that you must be sure always to observe) and governed by another planet with the afflicting planet.

By antipathy mutatis mutandis with this caution: use no antipathetical medicines. 

These few rules, well observed, may make a fool a physician.

By the foregoing rules, it seems all or most of the planets govern some one or more particular things proper to all or most diseases, bu which it will follow that every planet has a share in every particular member there by sympathy or antipathy as to the member itself or planet governing it. 

I answer in general: every particular planet has a compound or mixed share in every part, like as has the four elements, but particularly, every planet has share in every part, either sympathetically or antipathetically. Hereby you see without any college-light that one medicine may cure or be good for more diseases than one, and so may cure one disease by sympathy, another by antipathy. That which may cure a Saturnian disease by sympathy (viz. when Saturn causes the disease and afflicts any parts he himself governs) may cure a Lunarian disease by antipathy when the Moon afflicts any part that Saturn governs; so, whereas the medicine cured when he caused the disease himself, so here it cures being caused by another by antipathy because these things which Saturn governs are antipathetical to the afflictions or diseases of the Moon or Lunar causes.