at natural, which is more cold, and being immoderate, produceth a gentle
dotage. [2432]Which opinion Geraldus de Solo maintains in his comment upon
Rhasis.

SUBSECT. III.--_Causes of Head-Melancholy_.

After a tedious discourse of the general causes of melancholy, I am now
returned at last to treat in brief of the three particular species, and
such causes as properly appertain unto them. Although these causes
promiscuously concur to each and every particular kind, and commonly
produce their effects in that part which is most ill-disposed, and least
able to resist, and so cause all three species, yet many of them are proper
to some one kind, and seldom found in the rest. As for example,
head-melancholy is commonly caused by a cold or hot distemperature of the
brain, according to Laurentius _cap. 5 de melan_. but as [2433]Hercules de
Saxonia contends, from that agitation or distemperature of the animal
spirits alone. Salust. Salvianus, before mentioned, _lib. 2. cap. 3. de re
med._ will have it proceed from cold: but that I take of natural
melancholy, such as are fools and dote: for as Galen writes _lib. 4. de
puls. 8._ and Avicenna, [2434]"a cold and moist brain is an inseparable
companion of folly." But this adventitious melancholy which is here meant,
is caused of a hot and dry distemperature, as [2435]Damascen the Arabian
_lib. 3. cap. 22._ thinks, and most writers: Altomarus and Piso call it
[2436]"an innate burning intemperateness, turning blood and choler into
melancholy." Both these opinions may stand good, as Bruel maintains, and
Capivaccius, _si cerebrum sit calidius_, [2437]"if the brain be hot, the
animal spirits will be hot, and thence comes madness; if cold, folly."
David Crusius _Theat. morb. Hermet. lib. 2. cap. 6. de atra bile_, grants
melancholy to be a disease of an inflamed brain, but cold notwithstanding
of itself: _calida per accidens, frigida per se_, hot by accident only; I
am of Capivaccius' mind for my part. Now this humour, according to
Salvianus, is sometimes in the substance of the brain, sometimes contained
in the membranes and tunicles that cover the brain, sometimes in the
passages of the ventricles of the brain, or veins of those ventricles. It
follows many times [2438]"frenzy, long diseases, agues, long abode in hot
places, or under the sun, a blow on the head," as Rhasis informeth us: Piso
adds solitariness, waking, inflammations of the head, proceeding most part
[2439]from much use of