Disciples or as wée may tearme them Schollers and diuerse and sundrie sects and opinions did growe vp amongest them by meanes whereof there was great controuersie contention and disputation of a long time some suppose it was a leauen hundred yéeres but the matter was not concluded indéede till the time of Hyppocrates which after long and manie disputations confuted their fonde and erronious opinions and brought this most excellent arte vnto a most perfect waie and methode of curing which before his time was vnperfect and vsed onelie by Experience without anie methode Some of the same Experimenters affirming that they coulde cure onelie by dyet all manner of diseases and other some affirming that by purging medicines they coulde doe the same and other some were of that opinion that with outward medicines onelie these might bée done vtterlie condemning the other two Many other foolish opinions there were which héere were too long to bée rehearsed Now after all these commeth Hyppocrates that most excellent and noble Philosopher indued by the spirite of God with such excellent wisedome and knowledge in this most worthie arte that his lyke was neuer before or since hée established this art and made it most perfect that before his time was vnperfect He wrote manie worthie Bookes of this arte and speciallie for the curing of Wounds Vlcers Tumours against nature Fractures and Dislocations wherein hée shewed himselfe not onelie to bée excellent in knowledge but also in practise as it may most manifestlie appeare by the Methode therein contained he did diuide the arte of Medicine into diuerse partes that it might be the better learned and vnderstanded declaring which ought first to be learned which second and so to the third and fourth and so to the fifth as it shall héereafter bée set foorth more at large Soranus in the Preface of his booke named Isagogus did saiy that Apollo dyd first finde out the arte of Medicine And Aesculapius dyd inlarge it and constitute it an Arte but that noble man Hyppocrates dyd finish it and make it perfect He sayth that by the excellent knowledge of this arte hée dyd driue awaie the plague out of all Grecia and was rewarded with a crowne of golde of greate value by a Decrée made in the Citie of Athens for his great paines and good deseruing toward the common wealth After his death the Grecians did make in a perpetuall remembrance of his Honourable déedes a most fayre Tombe at Delfus where they did most solempnlie burie his bodie and wrote vppon his Tombe this Epitaph which followeth Hyppocrates of Thesalia and by kinde of the Countrie of Coos doth lie buried in this place begotten of the seede of the immortall God Phoebus leauing in the world manie bookes of Medicine to put awaie sicknesse and to preserue health what shall we neede to saie more of this worthie worthie man there is no mannes cunning that may giue him his condigne praise After his tyme there was manie in the Countrie of Grecia which practised the Arte of Medicine not onelye Kinges but great learned Philosophers Princes Dukes and Lordes and by their worthie déedes in preseruing of mennes liues and putting away of sicknesse they dyd obteine immortall fame I saye such fame did indure longer and was more estemed then the fame of theyr Kingedomes as for their names I let passe for that there be many wryters haue spoken of them at large there was other diuers professers of Medicine before the tyme of Galen that were of worthie fame as you may reade more at large in the first booke of Cornelius Celsus wherefore we lette them passe After all these came that worthie manne Galen who was without any comparison from the beginning of the worlde vnto this daye except Hippocrates not onely for his excellent learning in so many famous Artes which he was perfect in but specially for this Arte of Medicine which he was most excellently séene in both in the Theorike and Practike parte thereof his worthie Commentaries vppon Hippocrates doeth well declare his excellent knowledge wherewith he hath most bountifully garnished the Arte of Medicine as our latter writers doe saye more like vnto a God then a man How excellent be these bookes which he hath written of the method of curing called Methodus Medendi some part whereof wée haue with great trauaile brought into the Englishe tongue and likewise other of his bookes also as hereafter followeth Well I will saye no more of him but what séede so euer were sowen abroad in the vniuersall worlde be the excellent learned men in the Arte of Medicine not onely of Hippocrates who was the Father and fountaine of all Medicine as Galen himselfe doeth witnesse but the séedes of other menne he hathe gathered together sowne in one plaine fielde and watered them with such diligence that they haue so increased that at this daye the vniuersall earth hath receiued nourishment by them perpetuall commoditie and pleasure and he for his great vertue and painefull trauaile hath wonne vnto himselfe immortall fame which shall remaine to the worldes ende After him came Aesius who hath written diuers worthie bookes in the same arte of Medicine Also Oribasius Actuarius and Paulus Aegeneta were worthie writers in the same Arte as you may sée by their workes which they haue written Dioscorides also which was before Galens time I may not forget for his paineful trauaile in knowledge of the simples as it doth apeare by a worthie booke which he hath made thereof All these and many more were worthie men amongst the Grecians and professers of the arte of Medicine and dyd alwaies extoll and take Apollo as the chiefe Captaine and first beginner of the arte of Medicine and Aesculapius his sonne to be a setter forewarde of the same and Hippocrates did make it perfect and finish it What shall I saye for the worthie Arabians as that noble man of Cartage named Aunconius Prince Auisen Auorois Auinsor Rasis Mesuea Albucasius and many other worthie men that spronge emongest the Arabians who hath not a little garnished the Arte of Medicine with a great number of most excellent bookes which are to be séene at this daye All these men I saye toke their beginning of Galen and doeth honour him as their principall head and doeth glory and exalte them selues in his name for that they neuer had perfect method of curing before his time but cured onely by experience as they were taught of their maisters For Hippocrates workes before Galens time were so short and obscure that they were vnto most men not vnderstanded by meanes whereof many doubtes did grow but Galen by most worthie commentaries made vppon the same bookes made those doubtes most plaine and euident vnto all people by meanes whereof not onely many worthie Grecians as I haue sayde before haue taken a courage to write but also many of these moste famous Arabians haue followed their steppes and examples in setting foorth many excellent woorkes in the same Arte
he sawe such vertue in herbes and other things as is aforesaid and how profitable they were for mankinde in helping of diseases woundes pestilence and many other things wherewith many people in that countrey were afflicted he hauing compassion vpon them and minding to leaue a perpetuall remembrance in writing of the natures and properties of those herbes and other things aforesaide and what diseases they serued for He called vpon the eternall Gods to strengthen assist him in his enterprise with wisdome and cunning with length of time that he might set forth these things to their euerlasting praise to the vniuersall profit and commoditie of mankinde And so he began to wryte and wrote foure bookes in tables of wood as Strabus doth affirme and some saith that those tables indured to the time of Ptolome the great who did dedicate them vnto the gods and deliuered them vnto the Priestes of the Temple where afterwarde they were destroyed by the meanes of warre Some hold opinion that Chiron Sentaurus hearing of this excellent man Mercurie went forth of Grecia into Egipt to learne of him and became excellent in diuers artes and specially in the arte of medicine and in knowledge of the simples and afterwards he returned againe into Grecia his owne countrie and in that time there reigned in Grecia a noble Prince named Apollo who was of excellent wisedome and diligent in studie to further the common welth of his countrie with knowledge and he hearing of this excellent man Chiron Sentaurus sent for him and gaue him great rewards and so he learned of Chiron Sentaurus as some writers affirme to know the natures of herbes and other thinges appertaining to the Arte of Medicine hauing knowledge of them and their natures he put the same in vse to the great comfort reliefe and helpe of the diseased and sicke people and to his owne immortall fame for that he did help such diseases and sicknesses which before that time coulde neuer be holpen wherefore the people did honour him as a God and supposed that he was a counsaile with the Gods in that that he did knowe the nature and propertie of these hearbes and other thinges which they did affirme no man might know except he learned it of the Gods themselues and after the death of their king Apollo they lamented and mourned throughout all the Countrie thinking the art had bene vtterlie lost but hée béeing carefull for his Countrie had taught the same vnto Aesculapius his sonne which when the people vnderstoode and for the worthinesse of his owne good déedes they gathered great summes of money throughout all the lande of Grecia and builded therewithall a rich Temple and buried his bodie in a meruailous rich Sepulcher within the same and called it the Temple of Apollo and dyd honour him as a God for his most vertuous life and painfull trauaile as concerning the common wealth of his Countrie and speciallie for that hée dyd not disdaine to cure the most miserable diseased people which before his time perished without remedie And now that wée are entered in amongest the Grecians and for that some affirmeth Apollo to bée the first inuentour of Medicine wée will procéede foorth to the noble men of that Countrie which had this arte in so great honour and estimation that they most diligentlie aboue all other artes studyed it and in time dyd growe so excellent therein that they excelled all other Nations in the world as it doth most manifestlie appeare by their most worthie Bookes lefte vnto their posteritie for a perpetuall memorie of their most vertuous and painefull trauaile which redoundeth vnto our greate commoditie and to the helpe and succour of those that be diseased The most auncient of all the Grecians I supposed to bée Apollo who dyd cure many great and wonderfull diseases by the helpe of the forenamed Chiron Centaurus and some suppose for that that the same Chiron dyd cure manie grieuous malignant and virulent vlcers amongst other diseases that the name of the Arte of Chirurgia was first deriued from Chiron for that hée dyd minister medicamentes with his hands and so cured the people and being the first that practised with medicines by the vse of the hande it is supposed that hée gaue it that name Then after Apollo came Aesculapius his son who was no lesse diligent and studious in the same arte than his Father and calling vnto him diuerse Philosophers and other noble men of his Countrie and by their aduice and consent hée dyd constitute it an Arte and made it lawfull for his subiectes that had studied the same and béeing brought vp with men of greate experience and practise to vse the same arte amongest his people to the restoring of their health in curing of their diseases and infirmities By meanes whereof Aesculapius got vnto himselfe immortall fame and was called the sonne of the Gods and first constituter and founder of the arte of Medicine as you maye reade in the Historie of Tragus Homer and manie more of the Gréeke writers and the same Tragus doeth saie that those men which vsed the arte of Medicine were named Iatroes for that they dyd cure all manner of griefes woundes and sores and in our auncient English tongue they were called Léeches and in the Latine tongue Medicus which names doeth signifie no other thing but curing and healing of mennes bodies with conuenient medicines Then next after were Aesculapius two sonnes called Machaon and Podalirius who béeing well instructed in the foresayde arte by their Father Aesculapius became wonderfull excellent as it may appeare more at large in the Storie of the Troyan warres by their cures which they dyd vppon the wounded sore and sicke men These two noble Princes as Tragus sayth had manie Disciples which they taught this arte vnto and they and their Disples by continuall practise in proouing experiments found out manie meruailous remedies against poisons of vncleane meates and drinkes and against the poyson of Hearbes Serpents and many other things and against the poisoning of Swoordes Dartes Arrowe heades and Speares as it is sayd by Demosthenes and other writers Then of their Disciples did growe a greate number which were dispearsed into diuerse partes of the worlde some were sent for into Aegypt some into Persia some to the Romanes and some to the Scithians whereas they were had in great estimation with the Princes and noble men of those Countries for that they did cure and helpe their wounded and hurt Souldiers in the time of warres and also did reléeue and cure their people in the time of pestilence and other grieuous infections to the great safegard helpe and comfort of their people and to the great securitie and staie of the Realme which if their people had dyed of these contagious infections that were saued by them their Country should haue lien open to haue ben taken and possessed of their enimies Now of these men vsing this arte in diuerse Countries hauing many
fewe woordes I haue proued here bothe by reason and by experience that the knowledge of this part named Phisiologia doeth chiefely and specially apertein to the arte of Chirurgerie and without the knowledge hereof we shal neuer rightly or methodically cure any maner of woūd griefe or disease neither is he worthie to take the name of a Phisition neither yet of a Chirurgion but to be called by the name of an Emprike or experimenter curing onely by chaunce without any reason but euen as the blinde Carpenter which Galen hath spoken of before sometime cutting to much and some time to little and many times marring all his woorke for want of skill ere that he beware Now to conclude for this first part he that will be further instructed herein let him reade Hip. de natura hominis humoribus elamentis de natura formatione fetus many other bookes of Hyppocrates and chiefelie that where he diuided the similer parts As Osteotome that is to saie the diuision of the bones Condrotome the Cartalages Syndestmotome the ligaments Arteriotome the Arteries Phlebotomae veines Neurotome the nerues Miotome diuiding of the Muscles Tenontotome the tendons c. There be diuers other bookes of Galen which be verie profitable to be read for this matter as his bookes of Anathomie also his bookes De temperamentis de optima corporis constitutione de facultatibus naturalibus de placitis Hippocrates Platonis de motu musculorum de causis respirationis and manie more worthie bookes of his which we will let passe There bée manie other bookes also written by diuerse men as Guido and other which doe intreate of these naturall things and speciallie of the Anatomie of mans bodie and for that you may the easilier better vnderstand these naturall things which euerie Chirurgion ought to know and haue in perfect memorie to that end he may remoue those things which doth hurt them or let them of their perfect operation which you may easilie knowe if you vnderstand their natures and properties figures c. Which Table followes héereafter as you may heholde Naturall things Eelements be foure Fire Aire Water Earth Temperaments Simple be foure Hot. Colde Moist and Drie Equall one Cōpound be foure Hot and Drie Hot and moist Colde and moist Colde and drie Foure humours Sanguine Flegmatike Cholerike and Melancholie Members Similer Bones veines arteries cartilage flesh fatnesse pannicle ligament nerues and skinne cōpound Head heart liuer lungs armes and legges Three faculties Animall Vitall and Naturall Operations or actions Animall Feeling and moouing Vitall Beating of the pulse And breathing Naturall Generatio Auctio and Nutritio Spirites be three in nūber Animall Vitall Naturall In The braine The Heart The Liuer Pathologia is that part of the arte which hath the knowledge of sicknesse against nature with their Symptoma and accident and they be thrée in number that is to saie sicknesse it selfe the cause of sicknesse and the accidents which followeth after sicknesse sicknesse it selfe may come two waies either of outward causes or of inward causes we do commonlie call the outward causes primatiue the Gréekes call them Cathertica the inward causes we do cōmonlie name Antecedent or Internam The affectes commonlie followe these causes and if the affectes come of outward causes then commonlie they be wounds contusions fractures dislocations biting of mad dogs of serpents c. If they come of inward causes then they make tumors against nature as Phlegmō Eresipula Oedema Sirrhus with many kinde of malignant and stubburne vlcers to be cured which tumours and vlcers cannot be made whole except their causes with their euill affects may be remoued and taken awaie I suppose that there is no man but hée will iudge this part of the art chieflie to pertaine to Chyrurgerie for that it taketh cure of wounds vlcers and tumors against nature as I haue said before Then if this part doe appertaine to the art of Chyrurgerie as it is most certaine it doeth it behoueth the Chyrurgion perfectlie and rightlie to vnderstand what kinde of sicknesses there be with their differences names what partes of the bodie these sicknesses may be in and what manner of sicknesse it maketh in the same partes As for example euill complection maketh a distemperature in the similer parts euil constitution or euil cōposition maketh a deformitie or imbecilitie in the instrumentall partes And solution of vnitie or continuitie chaunceth both in the similer partes and instrumentall And all these doe appertaine to the Chirurgion to haue most exact knowledge of for he that taketh vpon him to cure an vlcer or a wound or anie other manner of griefe and doth not know the nature of the parts neither yet what part it is in neither yet the cause neither how to remooue the same cause it is vnpossible as I haue sayde before that he shoulde cure the same griefes or diseases rightlie And therefore these blinde emperikes that haue neither reason nor method to leade them to doe those things which they dailie doe I saie their dooings are so pernitious that many people taketh great hurt thereby shall I saie hurte nay rather brought to vtter destruction and many times to death The Symptoma or accidents which followeth sicknesse is also diuided into thrée partes The first is the qualitie being altered as with vehement heate in Phlegmon The action or function hurt but not vtterlie depriued The action vtterlie depriued and taken awaie For these causes aboue rehearsed it is speciallie required that a Chirurgion shoulde be learned and also to haue greate experience that hée maye rightlie iudge and discerne one disease from another with their natures and causes to the end that when you come to the curation thereof you may take right indications what to do first what next and so foorth to the end for other waies you may applie medicines nothing fit for the purpose but those that might doe great harme and you might also applie those first that would be applied last and those last which should be applyed first and in the end marre all your workes as the blinde Carpenter doth Thus farre I haue proued for Phisiologia to be one part of Chyrurgerie or of the Art of curing as we may tearme it and I thinke there is no man that will count him to be a right Chyrurgion that lacketh this part of the Arte or that is not verie expert in the same And for the further knowledge héereof there be certaine bookes appointed of Galen and other auncient writers that you may reade concerning the same part as hereafter followeth Libro Hippocrates de Morbis libro Epedimsorum Hippocrates Galen de locis affectis Galen de Morbis Symptomatis de 4. temporibus morborum Galen de differentijs morborum causis Smptomatis Galen de inequali intemperie Galen de arte Medica Galen de tumoribus praeter naturam Hippocrates de Vulneribus vlceribus Fistulis fracturis immorodibus c. And also
curteouslie to amend the same or else to giue mée knowledge and I shall be as willing to amend them as I haue bene diligent in setting it forth praying you to leaue off slaunderous wordes and euill iudgement by meanes whereof I haue bene greatlie impaired not onelie in my good name but also in the profite and commoditie of my arte which is to my great hinderaunce and this hath partlie risen by a booke of Chirurgerie which I haue latelie set forth to my great cost and charge and some men haue not let to saie that it was onelie Doctor Cuninghams dooing and none of mine Vnto whom I answere That Cuningham was the writer thereof and put the same booke in order as you may now sée for I my selfe hauing not perfect vnderstanding of the tongues required him for the more perfection thereof to put in the Gréeke Latine words in such sort as he thought good And for the matter in the most part therein contained you may verie well perceiue that it was mine owne practise as the stories therin contained for the curation of diuerse people doth declare which I my self did cure as it may more at large appeare in the same booke And for the medicines that be written in the same booke their names which deuised the same medicines are put vnto theÌ„ so that this is but a slaunderous vntrue malitious reporte onlie to deface me of my good name without any deseruing or cause reasonable For it is well knowen that Maister Cuningham neuer did anie such cures as there is mention made of neither yet is Maister Cuningham anie Chyrurgion as yée may perceiue farther in his own Epistle written vnto the same booke wherein he doeth not onelie declare my paines and trauaile in collecting certaine partes of Chyrurgerie but also my great expenses and painfull labours in collecting and setting forth of the same These slaunderous and euill wordes haue caused me to set pen to booke my selfe to auoide that foule and euill fauoured monster false detraction and also to spare my expenses which I before did lâ—…se amongest vnthankfull and ingrate persons And I haue taken paines now mine owne selfe without anie other helpe of liuing men at this present daie but of mine owne trauaile and collected them out of these famous authors which I haue before rehearsed vnto you and although it be not in so good forme and eloquent stile as it might haue bene if a better learned man had taken it in hand yet the truth is not to be reiected because of the barbarousnesse of the stile or words Thus I leaue off least I should be tedious vnto you Now I will speake of the â—…d of this noble art or as you will saie to what ende this art doeth serue The end of this art of Medicine is to restore mans bodie to health as much as lieth in this Artist to do so that the end of this art consisteth in the curation of diseases or as we may tearme it restoring of health For man at his birth was cast into this world naked and vncouered requiring the helpe of other things to couer his nakednesse withall neuer leauing crying and wéeping till such time as reason and nature had prouided for him such necessarie thinges as dyd growe vppon the earth either else vpon some other creatures by meanes whereof hée was both nourished and also clothed and also by the vertue of other thinges that the Earth brought forth restored to health in the time of his grieuous infirmities But how was he restored to health Truelie by Arte. And by what Arte euen by the art of Medicine which doth comprehend both Phisick and Chirurgerie with the knowledge of all simple Medicines and compound medicaments and all other things whatsoeuer doe appertaine vnto the same And therfore I will saie as that worthie man Hippocrates did That this art is most honourable and worthy for that it doth intend to kéepe mans bodie in health and to remoue sicknesse Therefore it is said that the end of Chirurgia is the restoring of mans health Now let vs consider whether this art be like vnto other artes or not In some thinges wée saie it is like vnto other arts and in some things it is not It is like vnto other arts in that it doth consist in a multitude of principles whose affectes are rightlie to bring to passe or finish some thing which we intend to doe for Aristotle in his .6 Ethic. cap. 4. doth define Art to be a certaine order of doing placed with habit and vnderstanding working vppon some subiect to bring to passe and finish some thing that he doth intend by the same art so that what thing so euer is brought to passe or done it must néeds be done by some one art In this the art of medicine is like vnto all other artes for that it consisteth in doing and bringing to passe or as we may tearme it in restoring health or curing mans bodie being subiect therevnto But other waies it doth differ and doth require a further knowledge than the common Artist doth It is requisite that this Artist which intendeth to vse the arte of Medicine should be verie well learned in the speculatiue part of his arte as well as in practise It is vnpossible to carrie in minde so many considerations so many obseruations and so many inuentions as this art doth require and therefore it is requisite that he be not onelie well learned in the principles of his arte but also that he be studious in the workes of other excellent men wherein he may learne their wittie and ingenious deuises to helpe this Artist the sooner to bring to passe his desired end In this it doth much differ from other artes which worketh onlie by experience in wittie bringing of things to passe without anie further consideration neither doe they néed anie such excellent learning for that theirs doth consist chieflie vppon experience and practise and hath not so much regard vnto the life and health of man For this art doth onelie intend to saue mans life in the time of necessitie also to remooue awaie such grieuous sicknesses as might anoie and disquiet both bodie and minde Wherefore this Artist is chieflie to be considered and looked vnto not onelie to be rewarded for his excellent cunning in restoring mannes bodie to health but to bée seene vnto and throughlie examined whether he bée learned in this arte or not if he be not learned neither vnderstandeth the principles of this arte then he is to be forbidden this art for the worthinesse thereof for this worthy art worketh vpon mans bodie for whome all this worlde was made and all things therin contained and the almightie Lord had so great care for man that he did not onelie make these things for him but also made him Lord of theÌ„ and gaue vnto him straight lawes that he shoulde foresée that one man should not kill and destroie another neither wilfullie neither yet willinglie Then I