Andrea Argoli: some aphorisms about Decumbiture

from De diebus criticis et aegrorum decubitu libri duo: ab auctore denuo

recogniti ac altera parte auctiores paeneq[ue] noui. Patauii : apud Paulum
Frambottum , 1651-1652.
Translation from Latin by Margherita Fiorello, revised by Lucia Bellizia
On the other hand, sometimes diseases have their root in some transit more than in the
return and in a different moment than the return of the Sun in the place where it was in
the birth time, and that moment will be the moment of decumbiture, about we will talk
more in the following book. In the decumbiture or beginning of disease, always one of the
Lights or the Ascendant or the Ascendant ruler, is corrupted in some way from malefics
and especially the Moon. The Ancients left to posterity many aphorisms, according the
disease, by nature and quality of the illness, and among them we will present some of
them.
If the Sun in the hour of decumbiture is in the place of radix Saturn, or in the place of
Saturn opposition, or square, or commanding or obeying antiscia, or in whatever else way
afflicted by Saturn by ray or body it gives in the native illness deriving by an excess of cold
humours, melancholy, Saturnian in nature, deriving from the causes we mentioned in a
dedicated chapter.
If the Sun is afflicted by Mars, illness will derive from by bilious humour, from the dry
and muddy blood, according Mars nature.
If Jupiter is ill disposed, Ascendant ruler or Lord of the year, afflicted by malefics and
placed in the 6
th
house, illness will derive from the excess of blood and purulent humour
and from inflammation, from liver afflictions and other of Jupiterian nature.
If Venus is afflicted illness will derive from a venereal cause, from repletion
1
or and
similar things.
If Mercury is corrupted diseases from brain ailments, epilepsy, coughing and Mercurian
diseases.
An afflicted Moon brings diseases of the same nature, sleepiness, weariness and things
like that.
Saturn with the Sun in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, dry and hot signs, illness with continuous
2

fever. In the watery Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, diseases deriving from cold and moist matter,
fluxions,
3
articular pains, and similar diseases.
In the earthy Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn diseases caused by melancholy, quartan (( a kind of
fever recurring every 4 days)) and chronic diseases.

1
overfullness resulting from excessive eating or drinking; surfeit.
2
hectic in the text.
3
affluence of humours especially to the head and the chest.
Andrea Argoli: some aphorisms about Decumbiture

In fixed signs, Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, persisting, creeping fevers, and in the same way
quartan, and in addition to fevers, leprosy, articular diseases, gout, podagra, sciatica.
Saturn in movable signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn signifies humours' fluxions,
weakening genitals.
In the common signs, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces, it brings composite pains, change
in illnesses, and makes them longer.
If Saturn is with the Moon nodes, the Dragon Head or Tail or with a combust Venus, or
violent stars
4
or in Leo signifies pernicious or pestilent fevers.
Mars in fiery signs afflicting Lights, the Ascendant or its rulers, threatens pestilential or
burning fevers or something like that: if Saturn is joined, melancholic and atrabiliary too.
If Mars is in the 6
th
, or in the 12
th
, grants burning, intense and pernicious fevers especially
in fiery signs, Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
In movable signs acute fevers, ending shortly, generally in bad way.
In common signs acute, double, sudden fevers, usually recidivous.
Generally Saturn grants long ones, Mars short: if Mars is with the Sun sanguine ones, or
continuous fevers accompanied with putrefaction.
Jupiter in fiery signs produces sanguine fevers with putrefaction, Venus in fiery signs,
fevers lasting a day, while with Mars putrid fevers deriving from pus. Mercury in fiery
signs composite fevers, and in the same way the Moon catarrhal, putrid ones.
Moon in opposition to Mars in the same fiery signs poisonous, pestilential fevers, and
malicious but of short duration,
With Mars in airy signs, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - especially in Gemini- gives dangers
from sword too, and similar weapons.
Moon in Aries in the 8
th
house gives hot diseases to the head.
Planets in water signs signify putrid fevers, especially if they are combust; in earthy signs
in fact they don't give putrefaction.
Planets in signs of short ascension - Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini
signify short diseases; in signs of long ascension - Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio,
Sagittarius- long and chronic. Malicious fevers are signified by an afflicted Sun, and Leo is
rising.

4
in previous pages of this book Argoli mentions as violent stars Antares, Aldebaran, Hercules (Pollux, beta
Gemini), Bellatrix, South Scale, Algol, Regulus .
Andrea Argoli: some aphorisms about Decumbiture

With the help of experience, it is not of little importance in illness diagnosis the
examination of the 6
th
house and its dispositor: if, in fact, in this house there is a fiery
sign, the illness will be dry or choleric, if a earth sign, a melancholic disease, if an airy sign
sanguine, if watery a rheumy one; in the same way it will be possible conjecturing about
the illness according the planet which is in the 6
th
house or ruling it.
In the same way from the sign where the Ruler of the Ascendant is we can deduce which
part is attacked by the illness, according the signs' rulership on the body limbs. If in Aries,
it will be an head disease, if in Gemini in arms, and the limbs ruled by Gemini, in the
same way, we will judge about the remaining signs, according their rulership on the
human body.