Black Bile & Melancholy
“Black Bile possesses in its constitution many varieties of matter.
Some portion of it appears to be like the sediment of blood,
and is sufficiently dense like the dregs of wine, but one portion
of it is very much thinner in its consistency than these“.
(Syrian Book of Medicine)
Melancholy and Black or Burnt Bile are the names given to that portion of the Blood which is more Cold and Dry. Its seat is the Spleen, and like other Humors it is Physiological when pure and in balance, but Pathological when impure or in excess.
Melancholy Humors are caused by foods which are hard of digestion, as well as weakness of the Digestion (Spleen-Stomach). Here we can see the similarity with the TCM concept of Damp. Damp likewise causes obstruction and hinders digestion, but is also enhanced by a weak Spleen function. The importance of the quote at the top of the page is important to note here. What is called Melancholy can be either a sediment or “ash” of the blood, or else a very thin, fine penetrating fluid. The latter equates with the Damp of TCM.
Because the nature of Melancholy is opposite to the Nature of our Body, which is Warm and Moist in nature when in Health, it is associated with various obstinate and chronic diseases. Leprosy, Fibroids, Cancer, Depression, Mental Illness as well as all diseases which deform or destroy the body.
Melancholy has a number of varieties. Any of the Humors, when Burnt, can cause Melancholy Humors, such as Burnt Bile, Burnt Phlegm, Burnt Phlegm-Bile etc.
See also
Depression
Hypochondriac Melancholy
Preparers and Purgers of Melancholy
The Treatment of Melancholy (Wirtzung)
Treatment of Melancholy from Praxis Medicinae Theorica et Empirica
Special Formulas
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PILLS TO PURGE MELANCHOLY i. Indian Pills, 2 parts Hiera Logadii, 1 part form pills with Syrup of Dodder. ii. Indian Pills Pills of Lapis Lazuli, equal parts form pills with Syrup of Dodder. INFUSION FOR MELANCHOLY Aniseed, 3 drams Senna leaf, 1 ½ oz. Dodder, ½ oz. Prunes, 10 in number Beat them and infuse in (Goat) Whey for a day. Strain and make a potion. This of course can be infused in water too. ELECTUARY FOR MELANCHOLY Rose 3 oz. Cyperus 2 ½ drams Clove Mastic Indian Spikenard Asarum 1 dram ea. Mace Cardamon Nutmeg ½ dram ea. Emblic Myrobalan ½ pound Boil the Emblic Myrobalan in 4 ½ pounds of water until 2 pounds have wasted; strain, add ½ pound Honey and boil the thickness of Honey, than add the rest in npowder and form an Electuary. Dose: 2 drams. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615) ELECTUARY FOR MELANCHOLY Aloeswood Clove Cardamon Spikenard Borage flower Bugloss flower Roasted Walnut 2 drams ea. Senna Sweet Almonds Jujubes 1 oz. ea. Lapis Lazuli prepared 3 drams Aniseed Fennel seed. 2 oz. Saffron 2 scruples Bone of a Stag’s Heart Doronicum Valerian Jacinth (Zircon) Emerlad Sapphire Basil seed 1 scruple Pearls 2 drams Powder and form an Electuary with Honey of Violets. Take 1 ½ drams with wine twice daily. (Secrets of Alexis) |
ELECTUARY i. Letificans Galeni, 2 scruples Dianthos Electuary of Gems, 2 drams each) Diamargariton Frigidum, 1 ½ drams Conserve of Violet Conserve of Bugloss, 1 ½ drams each ii. Electuary Letificans Galeni, 1 ½ oz. Confected Citron peel 3 drams Sugar of Violet Sugar of Rose, ½ oz. each Form an Electuary with Syrup of Borage LOZENGES i. Electuary of Gems 1 oz. Dianthos Diambra, 2 scruples each With Sugar dissolved in Violet water, form lozenges. ii. Electuary of Gems 1 oz. Letificans Galeni, 2 drams Saffron 1 scruple With Sugar dissolved in Rose water, form lozenges. |