Book II SVPHILIS 151

Jupiter and Mars. 'This is a conjunction that seldom occurs,
and when it does, it always brings in its train great events;
partly because those stars are the most powerful of all, partly
because that conjunction lasts a long while, because of their
slow movements, especially that of Saturn and Jupiter. When
astrologers observed that conjunction, they predicted novel
and severe maladies. Accordingly, if it be possible to make
a probable hypothesis as to the principle of this serious con—
tagion, we must suppose that this is what happens. We may
believe that, when that conjunction of the heavenly bodies
occurred, it drew forth an immense amount of vapors; these
mingled with the air and were agitated in diverse ways and
directions, until finally they induced a foul putrefaction, and
the germs from it were carried to us. 'These germs were analo—
gous with the foul and mucous humors, I mean thick and mucous
phlegm; and in this phlegm, finally, that contagion came to
birth which presently infected so many human beings and so
many eountries; in part because the air itself carried thither
the principles and germs, in part because the contagion was
transmitted by one person to another. 'This then is what I
had to record concerning the origin and principles of this
disease.

Now with regard to its substance, with which those principles
were analogous.  That this is as I said, foul, thick phlegm, may
be seen unmistakably if we consider the pustules; for they were
all plump and discharged an incredible quantity of mucus.
The gummata, also, consisted of a mass of phlegm; and even
the pains in the muscles will furnish the same evidence, for
they lasted long, were extensive, tormented the patient at night,
and when dissections were made, viscous matter was revealed
coextensive with the nerves and muscles. Accordingly it must
be clear to all that the substance of this contagion is foul and
mucous phlegm. 'The pustules seem to have had their origin
in & somewhat thinner substance, the gummata in very thick,
and the pains in moderately thick substance.  For, as the con—
tagion crept through the mass of blood and found nourishment
for itself in the phlegm, the thinner and less sluggish part was
driven out to the skin, and there by degrees formed into pustules.
But the somewhat thicker part, which was less readily driven
out to the skin, settled about the nerves and muscles and, ex—
tending along them, caused the most acute pains. But the