Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Rosa Anglica (Author: [unknown])
section 3
3
The following are the causes of hectica. Everything that heats, and dries, and burns the heart, and the close members; and it also comes from other diseases preceding it, such as ephemera and causon and their like. And especially to those to
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whom abstinence is ordered in a wrong season,116 or who are refused a drink of cold water at a time when they should drink it; for it is easy for them, and those of a hot dry complexion to pass into hectica; also for lean people. It comes also through the fault of the heart, the lungs, and the chest, as are phthisis, and apostema, and their like. It is produced by accidents of the soul, which are long and puissant117, and especially pain and depression and oppression of mind, anger, and labour that fatigues body and soul, and long lying in prison. Therefore Avicenna says, he who leaves his usual work118 passes into hectica; the which is surprising, for they who avoid labour, rest for the most part, and resting moistens the body.