Published Originally in 1600s
Source: Earth English Books
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash Knives, Scissars, Bryars, whole Eggs, Dogs Tails, crooked Nails, Pins, Needles, sometimes threaded, and sometimes with Hair, Bundles of Hair, pieces of Wax, pieces of Silk, live Eels, large pieces of Flesh, Bones and Stones, and pieces of Wood, Hooks, and pieces of Salpeter; conclude they are bewitched; and that such have been vomited, or voided by stool, and that from Witchcraft. See Alexander Benedictus, Lib. 7. Cap. 25. of his Practice, Tho. Bartholinus, in Histor. Anatomicis, An∣tonius Benivenius, Obs. Med. Cap. 8. Cardanus de varietate Rerum, Lib. 15. Vierus, de praestig. Daemonum, Nicolas Remigius de Daemonolatreia, Forestus in Obs. Med. Lib. 18. Langius, Lib. 1. Epist. 38. Cornelius Gem∣ma, Lib. 2. de Divinis Naturae Characterisimis, Cap. 4. Laurentius Scholt∣zius in Epistolis, Greg. Horstius in Epist. Iacobus Deidetius in Epistolis, and others, Witnesses enough, and men of credit enough.
The Reader is here to be advertised, that he mistake not; He must in∣quire what went before, what was eaten, and if a suspected Witch was offended: Secondly, He must consider whether such might not be ge∣nerated in the Body: Thirdly, He must see how many such strange things they vomit or egest; none vomited all the aforesaid things, and all vo∣mited some of them; commonly they vomited three or four kinds; one vomited Glass, Nails, and Hair together; another vomited often Gob∣bets of Flesh, Brass Pins, with Wax and Hair folded up together, and crooked Nails. Guess at the rest, by these.
Some died, and cold not get up nor down these things: as Alexander Benedictus shews; some were opened, as Ulricus Newsesser, as Iohannes Langius, and Vierus affirm; there were found in his Stomach four Iron Knives, partly sharp, and partly like Saws, long and smooth pieces of Wood, such as possibly could not be swallowed or vomited forth; two rough Iron Tools, each a span long, and a bundle of Hair: If Ulcers, Boiles, or Apostems, have in them any of these preternatural things that were never swallowed, if other things correspond therewith, suspect Witchcraft. See Ioh. Langius of a Woman of Bononia, Epist. 38. Lib. 1. and Vierus, Lib. 3. Cap. 12.
Object. There are those that go up and down, that swallow Pebbles, Coals, Pieces of Iron, Bones, &c. and these may by use so facilitate their Stomach, that they may vomit them when they will, and so be either admired, or pittied and relieved.
Answ. Such have been: But, 1. Abundance of these things for their sharpness, roughness, and largeness, could never be swallowed.
2. The Persons that voided them, and in whom such were found being dissected, were silly Men, Women, and Maids; and then they would Page 6 not have been so sick, and vomited them so difficultly, and so long together, and have lain so long miserably tormented, yea, and to die at last.
To be continued....
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