On the Illusions of Demons

...with the humors (humoribus): The four bodily fluids—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—thought to govern health and temperament and spirits (spiritibus): In early medicine, these were subtle vapors that carried out the functions of the brain and nervous system having been stirred up into this deception. The result is that these women know nothing else, nor can they confess to anything, except that they are the female authors of things actually carried out by a demon—either by God’s hidden will or His consent—such as plagues brought upon humans or cattle, or specific crimes and evils that were actually brought about by the course of nature. We often observe this same phenomenon: that the mind is harmed and filled with various images in those whose brain has been corrupted by black bile (atra bilis): The fluid associated with the "melancholy" temperament; an excess was believed to cause hallucinations and deep depression or its vapor.

Furthermore, these women possess no books, no exorcisms, no characters (characteres): Occult symbols or sigils used in ritual magic, or similar monstrosities, as the infamous mages do. They have no other teachers besides a mind harmed by a demon or a corrupted imagination. From this, it will be clear to everyone that they differ significantly from those infamous Mages. For the Mages are often learned and wise men, yet "curious" In this context, "curious" implies a sinful or illicit desire for forbidden knowledge, even traveling to distant lands to drink in the demonic art, so that they may display at least deceptions and mockeries of things that go beyond the natural way.

These others, however, are for the most part women, and old ones at that, faltering in mind and living hidden at home. Into their nearly sluggish imagination (phantasiam): The faculty of the mind that processes images and sensory data—as if into a suitable instrument or a seat accommodated to his efforts—the demon glides like a spirit, usually in the midst of the disease of melancholy, grief, or extreme despair. He does not so much delude them with tricks as he impresses any misfortunes, calamities, and deaths of men upon them with such vehemence that they believe they have committed these acts themselves (as I said), regardless of how great the events were. Nevertheless, they were entirely uninvolved in these matters and were completely innocent.

Poisoners. original: "φαρμακέας" (pharmakeas)

Likewise, I separate these women from the poisoners, whom the Greeks call pharmakeas: those who, whether by poison that is drunk or smeared, or in that place where...