Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/37

 to the Brain, and there, by its viscosity, obstructs the Nerves in the place where they meet, and so hindring the Animal Spirits to pals into the Organs, causeth sleep; or, by its activity (so quick, that the Nerves cannot be obstructed by the Vapors, and a passage is constantly open'd for the Spirits to issue into the Organs) produceth continual Wakes.

If it be demanded, how Musick becomes a remedy, and inciteth the Patient to dance? 'Tis here answered, That Sound having a great influence upon the Actions of Man, and being a motion of the Air, the Air mov'd, causeth a like motion in the next Air, and so on, till the like be produced in the Spirits of the Body, to which the Air is impelled. Wherefore since the commotion of the Passions depends on the Spirits, and the viscous humour of the Tarantula, is a capable subject of sound, hence 'tis (faith this Author) that the Air being mov'd by a Musical Air, suitable to the Patient, the poison of this Spider and the Spirits of the Man are by the same agitation put into a commotion; whence follows a propension to dance: And the Nerves being by the same agitation vellicated, and the Spirits in the Nerves stirr'd more vehemently, and consequently the Muscles moved, the whole Body cannot but perform that dancing motion.

If it be asked, how the cure is made by Dancing, The answer here is, that by that vehement Motion the Bloud is heated, the Pores open'd, the Poison rarified and dispersed, and by Sweat ejected: But that these Patients are not cured by Sudorificks, the reason thereof is given from the difference between Sweat caused by Dancing, and that which is provoked by Medicines, forasmuch as Medicines are not capable so to stirr the little partcles, wherein the poison lodges, as Dancing is.

But if it be insisted, why all that are thus bitten, are not curable by Dancing, some being known to have Danced 30 or 40 years, without being cured; Here is no other cause alledged, but that in some the poison is pertinacious and unrarifiable.

These, and the like Phænomena (viz. why several Patients are cured, and several Tarantulas affected by several Tunes; why the Tarantulas in Apulia only produce these effects, &c.) are fully explicated in the Book it self. Rh