Ex gratiosi ordinis Med. Bas. decreto M. Jacobus Seidelius Olaviensis Silesius ... ad X. Calend. Octob. hora locoque solito de arthritide respondebit

1. Arthritis original: "ΑΡΘΡΙΤΙΣ" derives its name from the arthra joints, which are affected in this disease, whence it is also called the articular disease by the Latins. The "barbarians" a contemporary term for non-classical or medieval writers call it gout, because they believe the defluxion occurs drop by drop.

2. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, excited by humors flowing into them from some part of the body.

3. Those humors are propelled to more remote parts mostly from the head, sometimes from the liver, spleen, uterus, and other parts, due to a grievance of either quantity or quality, sometimes through patent and manifest paths, such as veins, arteries, and nerves, and sometimes through hidden and obscure ones.

4. They are either simple, such as blood, bile, phlegm, and melancholy, or composed of one another. Yet, it is mostly phlegm, both thin and watery, and also thick mixed with some thinner humor, by which it is carried as a vehicle into deeper places.

5. And just as they flow down to different parts, they also constitute various species of arthritis: in all or most of the joints of the body, it is called arthritis properly so-called; in the hands, chiragra hand-gout; in the ischium, that is, the hip, ischias hip-gout or pain of the hip-joints; in the knees, gonagra knee-gout; in the feet, podagra foot-gout.

6. The causes are whatever can increase vicious humors in the body, or move those already increased, and render the joints weak.

7. Vicious humors are increased by food and drink containing bad juices, crudities, an idle life, untimely and long sleep, the weakness of any part serving for nutrition, or the omission of some accustomed evacuation, such as bloodletting, purgation, sweat, vomiting, hemorrhoids, menses, etc.

8. They make the humors fluid and move them through all foods that transmit sharp fumes to the brain, such as potent wines, mustard, large radish, garlic, etc.; more vehement exercises, such as jumping, running, horse-riding; untimely use of Venus; and vehement affections of the mind, such as anger, sadness, etc.

9. Weakness is induced in the joints by an intemperature, both hot, which draws humors