Of the true Crysis or Criticall and Judiciall dayes.

The true Crysis is found out by the motion of the Moon, viz. By her square and opposite place to the sign, degree and minute in which she was placed at the parties first falling sick, therefore for finding the exact Crysis, or Critical dayes, observe these ensuing rules.

1. At the time of the parties first falling sick, let the place of the Moon be exactly rectified: note in what sign, degree, and minute of the Zodicack she is then placed.
2. Observe when she cometh to the square thereof, for that is the first Crysis.
3. When the Moon comes to her true opposition, viz. To the opposite place in the which she was at the parties first falling sick, then is the 2d. Crysis.
4. When she comes to the next Square, it is the 3d Crysis.
5. When the Moon hath run round the Heavens, and comes to the very same sign, degree and minute, in the which she was placed at the time of the parties first falling sick, it is the fourth Crysis.

Now the Judiciall dayes are the middle between the two Crysis, there may be discerned also an alteration of the disease, of sudden change thereof, when the Moon comes to be distant from her true place, at the time of the parties first falling sick 45 degrees, so likewise when she is distant 90 degrees, and also when she is distant 135 degrees: and as the Crysis is the sudden change of the disease, or alteration for better or worse, viz. Tending either to health, or a further sicknesse, so the dayes criticall, and decretory, shew a more certaine and sure judgement, whereby the Physician^[1] may fully discerne which way the disease will tend, or whereby the Crysis may be exactly judged, for the decretory or crytical dayes, declares a more sure judgement of the infirmity afflicting, viz. Whether it will be more powerfull, or in a lesse measure at those times, when the exact Crysis is, for when the Crysis is, there is a sharp contention betwixt nature and the disease, and if at the time of this Crysis, nature is more prevalent then the disease, it is then a good signe; but on the conrary, if the sicknesse prevaile, then the crysis is dangerous, but I shall leave the prosecution of these things until some other opportunity be offered: onely by the way, observe these Aphorismes.

1. Then seeing that it is most certaine that the Moon by her motion sheweth the true crysis, and that also the judicial or criticall dayes are found out by her motion in the Zodiack, then we must be sure to have regard how she is disposed, whether fortunate or unfortunate, and how she is aspected by the benevolent Planets, or the malevolent or malignant Planets: and further observe, at the time of the true crysis, whether she be in configuration with the Lord of the 6 house, or Lord of the 8, for if she shall be at the time of the crysis in any malevolent aspect of the Lord of the 6, it is an ill sign, so likewise if she shall be afflicted by the Lord of the 8, it gives great cause to judge the death of the sick party upon that crysis.
2. If she be then going to the square or opposition of the Lord of the 6, the disease and sicknesse encreaseth, if she be fortunately aspected at the time of the crysis, by Jupiter or Venus, and they not Lords of the 6, 8, or 12 houses, it is a good crysis.
3. The Moon transiting the cusps of the 12, 8, or 6, at the time of the crysis, death or prolongation of the disease is to be feared.
4. In Judiciall dayes, the Moon fortunate and well aspected, declares a good Crysis to be expected: but if she be unfortunate, she declares the contrary.

Some doe thinke that the seventh and fourteenth dayes are criticall, and that these dayes after the first falling sick of the party, are the first and second crysis, which is a very absurd opinion, in regard that the criticall and decretory dayes proceed not from inferiour causes, as some men thinke, for the learned doe observe, that the Moon hath great influence and dominion upon our inferiour bodies; whereby the humors are stirred up by her motion, so that thereby the true crysis of the disease is declared: and in regard the Moon sometimes moves very swiftly, and againe at other times very slowly, being many times unconstant in her motion, therefore she maketh the true crysis, not every seventh day, as many conceive: but of these matters I shall have occasion in another treatise hereafter to speak more copiously therof, therefore at present let the former rules suffice.

FINIS.

Footnotes

1.   The original book, as published in 1656, used the spelling, “Physitian.” Here, we changed the word to use the modern spelling, “Physician.”