the strength of the sick repeat it either in the first place or make a new Apertion Thus you may doe every day till the matter be all discharged By this Instrument may a Hydrocele be also discharged and likewise the Dropsie of the Breast and Abdomen They that desire more directions in this Operation may peruse Hieronymus Fabricius ab aqua pendente in Libro de Operationibus Chirurgicis CHAP. III. Of the consumption or Phthisick and an Hectick Fever THE Consumption is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabesco because in this disease the sick doth consume or waste away It is called in Latin Tabes which is a general Tabes name for all Consumptions whether it be Atrophia Cachexia or Phthisis but it may most properly be taken for an Extenuation of the whole body caused by an Ulcer of the Lungs The purulent matter of the Ulcer circulating with the bloud doth infect and by degrees corrupt the whole mass of it which makes it unfit for nourishment hence it is that all the parts of the body do waste and consume The causes are many sometimes purulent Causes matter may be communicated to the Lungs from the Plurisie or Empiema inflaming and corrupting them which causeth an Ulcer Sometimes a salt and sharp Rheum flowing down from the Head to the Trachea Arteria which doth not onely cause a vehement Coughing but doth corrode the Lungs being naturally tender Hence an Ulcer will be caused Also many times Pustules or Tubercles are generated in the Lungs and coming to suppuration they break and the matter flowing to the Bronchia it may be spit up if the Patient have strength but oft times an Ulcer remaineth which causeth a Consumption These causes depend sometimes on Choler sometimes on the juice of the Pancreas sometimes on Spittle sometimes on Chyle sometimes on Lympha any way Vitiated by which the mass of bloud in time becomes also corrupted When the Lungs decline from their Natural consistency they Will soon become hard and tumorous and so by degrees they will be corrupted and ulcerated and the matter of the Ulcer corrupting and makeing the mass of bloud glutinous in circulating with it doth so weaken and corrupt all the parts of the body that they become unfit to perfect natural nourishment and therefore of necessity the universal body must consume and pine away sometimes it is caused by an obstruction of the lacteal veins which hindreth the natural passage of the Chylus Authours mention many more causes of Consumptions as Gonorrhoea Nocturnal Pollutions want of Nourishment c. The signs of a Consumption begun are a Signs great defluxion of Rheum into the sharp Artery causing a violent Cough by which the Lungs are exasperated and there follows a Hectick Fever sometimes putrid from the purulent matter flowing into the Veins To know whether the Lungs be ulcerated let the Patient spit into water if it sinks it is matter which is an infallible sign of an Ulcer for Phlegm always swims in water When the Ulcer is confirm'd there is difficult breathing and wasting of the whole body the spittle is thick and of various colours If the Ulcer of the Lungs and Consumption Progn hath not been long and the strength of the sick remains there may be hopes of recovery e contra The Hectick Fever is called in Greek Febris Hectica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ab habitu quod in habitu corporis vel in partibus solidis consistat It is an unnatural heat which hath seized upon the solid parts and wasteth the moisture of them The heat in an Hectick Fever is but little and therefore rarely troublesome to the sick except one or two hours after meat at which time the heat is a little sharpned and increased which may be known by an over frequent though weak Pulse but it soon returns again to its former equality But here it will not be amiss to shew you that there is a threefold moisture in the body viz. bloud in the Veins and Arteries a dewy substance in every part and also a glutinous moisture which doth not onely nourish but moistneth it and keepeth the substance of each part together In the beginning when the moisture begins Signs to fail the Hectick Fever is not easily discerned because there is still sufficient moisture to entertain the natural heat but if by the long continuance of the Hectick Fever the radical moisture of the solid parts begins to consume it may then be easily known for there follows a continual and lingring leanness of the whole body which being reduc'd to its extremity may be call'd in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in English an extenuating Fever The Latin Authours call it Marcor which signifies Corruption or Rottenness It is an immoderate dryness and Consumption of the whole body by reason of the defect of the substantial humidity There are two degrees of it according to Liber 12. de marc cap. 4. Galen the one is when this extenuation of the body is in fieri in consuming the other is when it is in facto esse or consummate in which the body is reduc'd to such leanness that it seemeth to be nothing else but a walking Sceleton The causes of an Hectick Fever are External Causes or Internal The External causes are all that may occasion any of the other Fevers for oft times Hectick Fevers are observ'd to follow other diseases and especially Fevers of one day proceeding from a great errour in Diet and also from continual and intermitting Fevers when they are very vehement but most frequently from Inflammations of the Bowels especially of the Lungs for when an Ulcer follows then the whole mass of bloud is infected by matter and gets a singular glutinousness which being communicated to the other humours spoils them with the same fault and renders them unfit to perform the natural Functions rightly Sometimes Hectick Fevers are observ'd to arise immediately from excess of the nonnatural things as most vehement anger too much watchings immoderate sorrow continued labour want of food c. The Internal cause is the over viscousness of the bloud and humours because of which not onely the appetite of all food is diminished and at length dejected but the nourishment of all the parts of the body is dayly decreas'd for when there is loathing of food then fermentation separation of usefull from unusefull parts sanguification generation of the Animal Spirits c. is hindred and destroyed whence the toughness and sluggishness of Choler Spittle the juice of the Pancreas and Lympha is dayly augmented and the evil becomes by degrees greater and at length incurable If you perceive that there is so much of Progn the radical moisture remaining as is able to cherish the natural heat which you may discern if the colour of the body be fresh if the figure be decent if the proportion of the
hard Labour are easily known Signs if the Child do stir and there be strong pains and no water appear the Secundine is strong If pains be weak and long before they return and more in the Back than Belly the Infant is weak If the Woman be little and her Husband big and full shouldred then there is a great Child which will cause tough work 1. Hard travel in Child-birth is very dangerous Progn for sometimes the Mother sometimes the Child and many times both do lose their Lives 2. If the Woman be in Travel above four days the Child can hardly be alive and therefore must be drawn away before it be too late for if it be neglected it will cause Fevers Faintings Convulsions Sleepiness c. which are the Forerunners of Death 3. If sneezing cometh of its own accord it is a good sign of deliverance First give this Cordial to strengthen both the Mother and Child Indications Take Waters of Baum Vervain Cinamon Cordial Iulep of each two ounces Syrup of Clove-gilliflowers Saffron of each six drachms Spirit of Saffron Confectio Alkermes of each one drachm mix it If the Child be situated on Os pubis it must be removed and all other unfit Postures must be rectified Then such things as hasten the Birth may be safely administred To encrease the Pains and further the Womans Labour I commend sneezing and also the following Medicines Take the Livers of Eels prepar'd with Cinamon-water Powder and dried one drachm Powder of Borax whitest Amber Mirrh Saffron Dittany of Crete round Birth-wort of each half a drachm mix it and give a Scruple of it at a time in three spoonfulls of this Julep Take the Waters of Vervain Mugwort Iulep of each two ounces Syrup of Saffron one ounce Confectio Alkermes one drachm Extract of Saffron six grains Oils of Cinamon Amber of each three drops mix it Some things have a peculiar property to help the Birth as the stone Aetites Loadstone Storax the Eyes of a Hare c. held near the privities The time being come the Woman must be put into a posture which every Midwife doth understand and let her not labour too much till strong pains come and then let her resolve on patience and not be disorderly in the time of her Travel If she be faint you may give her some of the formention'd Cordial Julep to comfort her Let your hands be anointed with some Anodine Ointment After the water is broke if the Head cometh with the Face towards Anus receive it if not endeavour to place it right Then turn your Finger round about the Child's head gently to make way for the Birth If the Child cometh any other way you must endeavour to gain the Feet and bring it away with the Face towards Anus as before mention'd The Child being born you must bring away the Secundine gently by degrees after which put a Closure to the Woman to prevent Cold from entring the Womb. Then prepare her for the bed and give her some Sperma Coeti or Irish-slate in a little burnt White-wine with Cinamon If the Woman doth flood much or be troubled with after-pains give her some of the following Cordial Opiate Take of small Cinamon-water the waters Cordial Opiate of red Poppies Baum of each two ounces Syrups of Clove-gilliflowers white Poppies of each one ounce Laudanum opiat three grains Oil of Cinamon two drops mix it and give three spoonfulls of it often If the Child be born alive after the Navel string is secured give the Child ten grains of prepar'd Coral in a little Breast milk or black Cherry-water dulcifi'd with Syrup of Peony to which you may add a little Oil of sweet Almonds new drawn If the Child be troubled with gripes you may give it a little Powder of Anise-seed in the Pap. But if the Child be dead and the Labour gone or if the Child's head be very big and the passage too strait so that the Midwife cannot doe her Office you must then speedily implore the help of the Man-midwife as we are called If a Woman in Child-bed hath a costive Body give her a Suppository of Castile-soap or Honey boiled and after three or four days you may administer an emollient carminative Clyster Clyster If a Woman after hard Travel cannot hold her Urine bathe her secret Parts and Region of the Womb with this or the like Decoction Take of Plantain Comfry Shepherds-purse Tops of Brambles Penny-royal Rosemary Fomentation Sage Stoechas of each one handfull let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in a Gallon of Smiths-water till half of it be boiled away then strain it and bathe the parts affected very warm with woollen Stuphs Afterward anoint the grieved parts with this Linament Take the Ointment Comitissoe Oil of Mace by expression of each one ounce Oils of Earth-worms Foxes Lillies Goose-grease of each half an ounce mix it CHAP. XXI Of Nephritick pains and of the Stone in the Reins and Bladder DIseases of the Reins are called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ren. In Latin they are called morbus Renum which comprehends not onely any Ach in the Kidneys but also the Stone and Gravel in the Reins Nephritick pains may be caused divers Cause ways 1. First by a sharp salt matter or a sharp and serous Lympha in the Kidneys which doth easily concrete into a Stone especially when the Ferment of the Reins is much vitiated which may be known by those cruel torturing Fits that come by intervals 2. Worms in the Kidneys which for the most part arise from Bloud there corrupted may be the cause of pain 3. An Abcess or Tumour in the Kidneys following an Inflammation doth hinder the passage of Urine and is always accompanied with great pain 4. It may also be caused by glutinous Phlegm obstructing the fleshy parts of the Kidneys and hindring the separation of Urine so that it is not strein'd into the Funnels of the Reins as usual but is deprav'd and vitiated Whence the natural descent of the Urine through the Ureters into the urinal Bladder is also hindred The same also may happen sometimes by Observacion a stone sticking in the Funnel and stopping the entrance of the Ureters Although I think that Stones sticking in the Ureters themselves cannot long hinder the passage of Urine because it hath been found by experience in dissecting of dead Bodies that Stones near the bigness of a Doves-egg have been sticking in the Ureters by the sides of which Stones Urine descended freely which was evident because the Ureter was no were distended unless where the Stone did stick Neither was there any Urine contain'd in the Ureter above the obstruction besides when the Party was living there was no stoppage of Urine Those fits which come by intervals are caused by a debility or vitiousness of the Ferment of the Kidneys which generates crude salt and sharp matter which causeth those cruel Tortures
is called stupor corporis it being an Abolition of sense and motion through the whole Body The parts affected are the Brain Spinalis medulla and Nerves the motion of the Animal spirits through them being deprav'd The causes are either external or internal The external is much cold and moisture Cause which doth chill and over moisten the Head and extreme parts and this seems to prove Cause internal that phlegmatick and watry Humours abiding about the Ventricles of the Brain and Nerves may over moisten and perhaps so far loosen the Tunicles or Membranes of them that it may render them unfit to let the Animal spirits pass through them hence it is that sometimes one particular Member hath been Paralytick by too much Cold and Moisture and sometimes more parts have more or less lost sense and motion It is the opinion of most eminent Physicians both ancient and modern that the Animal spirits being severed from the Bloud in the Brain c. are from thence carried through all the Nerves to exercise the external senses and Animal motion which is continual and equal in healthy persons but changeable and unequal according to the divers diseases of the Body or Mind Wherefore when no Animal spirits are carried to the Organs of the external Senses or Animal motion the functions of seeing smelling tasting hearing and touching and the sense of heat as also of motion in the Palsie and Apoplexy cease all that time The Signs of the Palsie are manifest to wit deprivation of sense and motion of the Signs Paralytick parts the Eye and half the Tongue viz. of that side affected is much weakned and deprav'd The signs of the Apoplexy approaching are these a sudden crying out for help with an abolition of sense and motion 1. If the Palsie or Apoplexy do invade the sick in the decrease of the Moon and the Patient Progn be old 't is an ill sign 2. If the sick do snort and is droughty and cast spume or froth out of the Mouth and have great sweat with difficult breathing 't is mortal But if the Person be young and a strong Fever immediately happen 't is a good sign for the Fever consumes the superfluous moisture and makes a Dissipation of the gross and phlegmatick Matter 3. A Palsie coming after the Apoplexy is ill and many times turns to the Apoplexy again When any of the extreme parts be Paralytical Cure or when the Head is ill affected by the external coldness of Air Water or Snow or a stoppage of the Head be also bred thereby or the defect of the Animal spirits chiefly urge then the sick may be cur'd by driving out whatsoever cold has pierc'd into the Head or any other parts of the Body which may be done by spirituous and volatile Sudorificks for they do not onely alter and correct the cause of Cold and other Evils accompanying it but do also amend the harm entring into the Body containing and contained To this end I commend this following Form Take of Treacle-water one ounce Fennel-water Cordial to cause sweat and Epidemical-water of each two ounces Syrup of red Poppies and Syrup of the Juice of Scurvigrass of each half an ounce Bezoar-mineral Antimony Diaphoretick of each ten grains Laudanum opiat three grains Spirit of salt Armoniack twenty drops Oil of Cloves four drops mix it give the sick three or four spoonfulls of it and expect to sweat being meanly covered and a spoonfull every half hour afterward till the sweat break forth then give them some pure Broth with a little Wine in it whereby strength may be recreated and the Patient enabled to bear a Sweat longer for nothing so much helps the sick as a sweat continued mildly a while which experience hath often taught me For by the help of this spirituous and volatile and also Aromatick medicine or one like it the troublesome Cold and dulness of motion are discust They who let bloud in this Distemper caused Observation by external Cold or think they can carry out the Cause of this Evil either by vomit or siege put the sick into danger of death or at least of most grievous Evils But when phlegmatick and watry Humours stick about the Nerves c. And too much moistening and loosening their Membranes and Marrow be the cause of the Palsie and Apoplexy and if the same humours much abound in the Body then Phlegmagogues and Hydragogues may conduce to the Cure after Clysters and internal Aromatick Sudorificks Wherefore to begin the Cure of this you may first give this or the like Clyster which must be made strong Take of sweet Marjoram Betony Sage Penny-royal Clyster Hyssop Rue Mercury Marsh-mallows the lesser Centaury the Flowers of Chamomel and Stoechas of each half a handfull Anise-seed sweet Fennel-seed Juniper-berries of each half an ounce let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in a quart of Fountain-water till half of it be boiled away then strain it and dissolve in it the Electuary Diaphoenicon benedicta laxativa of each half an ounce pil Cochioe twenty grains common Salt one drachm Oil of Rue two ounces mix it for a Clyster The next day if the sick have a Plethorick body you may draw bloud from either arm to eight or nine ounces If Phlebotomy cannot be done apply Ventoses with Scarification to the shoulders afterward sweat the Patient with the aforesaid Sudorifick Sometimes Suppositories may be used in stead of Clysters This may serve for Example Take the Powders of Coloquintida Salt-niter Suppository Hiera-picra simple of each one drachm Euphorbium half a drachm Honey boiled as much as will make it into a Suppository But if it appear that phlegmatick and viscous Humours do abound in the Body Purgers may be prescrib'd most conveniently in the form of a Pill because the Gums are most apt above all other Medicines to loosen and cut viscous Phlegm neither can they be easily dissolv'd in any liquour Let this or such a like form of Pills serve Take the Gums Amoniacum and Galbanum of each two drachms dissolve them in Vineger Purging Pills of Squills strain it and boil it to a due consistence then add Powders of Troches Alhandal Scammony Mastick of each one drachm Oil of Anise-seed eight drops make it into a Mass of Pills according to Art Let the sick take five or six small Pills of this in the morning fasting and an hour after drink some thin broth If the humours be more serous I commend this Electuary Take Juniper-berries one pound boil them in six pints of Fennel-water till Purging Electuary half of it be boiled away then add the Fruit of Tamarind eight ounces and pulp them both through a Sieve To which add Powder of Jalap and Scammony prepar'd of each three ounces Cinamon sweet Fennel-seed of each half an ounce white Sugar one pound make it into an Electuary according to Art The dose of this effectual Medicine is to half an
with those intermitting having some fits and again remissions so that they are not intermitting but still remain continual These fits come sometimes every day sometimes the third and sometimes the fourth day whence it may deservedly be nam'd either a Quotidian Tertian or Quartan continual Fever These Fevers upon the account of their divers causes may not unfitly be distinguish'd into Cholerick and Lymphatick Fevers And because under the general name of Lympha we do not onely comprehend that Lympha which goes from the conglobated Glandules and other parts to the Heart but also the Juice of the Pancreas and Spittle it self proceeding from the conglomerated Glandules and also the Liquour that ariseth from the three-fold sway of the Guts all mixt together with Lympha and the bloud in circulating with it Hence may Lymphatick fevers be subdivided into glandular pancreatick and salivary Fevers All these Fevers may differ something according to the divers Constitution of other humours together being in the Body But I shall wave the nice descriptions and differences of Fevers and let the dextrous and judicious Physician put a difference between them as their Symptoms shall direct and indicate for though there are many sorts of continual Fevers not putrid yet the Cure is almost the same in all I shall therefore in a few words mention some of their differences taken from the more grievous Symptoms oft accompanying them after the example of famous Practioners and chiefly great Platerus and the most famous Helmont and judicious Sylvius c. 1. First let us take notice of the exceeding heat and most urgent burning which Symptomes attend some Fevers It is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth signifie Causes burning in which the sick is very dry and thirsty which is hard to be quenched This heat is not of the essense of the disease but proceedeth from the inflamed spirits as is before mention'd in page 98. Neither doth the great thirst in Fevers proceed from heat and driness as in a true and natural thirst but from some excrementitious matter which adhereth to the sensitive faculty of the internal membrane of the Stomach which is common to the Throat Mouth and Lips as that famous Physician and ingenious Anatomist Doctour Alexander Read did well observe which is also the cause that those parts are always afflicted in this dry and thirsty distemper In this Symptome Choler is peccant not onely in a salt Acrimony but also an inflamable oiliness hence the Pulse is very great and over frequent c. 2. Raving may be oft observ'd in many Fevers which is grievous to the sick for some time chiefly when the Fever is malign or epidemical The cause of this is Choler peccant as aforesaid which so diminisheth the viscousness of the Juice of the Pancreas that it causeth a vitious Effervescency with it and being made sharper it produceth a humour not much unlike black Choler which causeth the Head-ach and Watchings and hence Ravings and at length sometimes Convulsions and Death it self There are many more Symptoms belonging to continual or synochal Fevers 1. As first a speedy wasting of several parts of the body caused by Choler the Cure whereof may be referred to the Cure of a Hectick Fever 2. A malignity which suddenly dejecteth the vital strength without manifest cause which for the most part is Epidemical But of this I intend to treat particularly in Chap. 8. of this Book 3. The last Symptome which I shall here mention is seldom observ'd in which all the time of the disease the external parts are cold while the internal parts burn and therefore 't is called by the Latins Lipyria febris and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia destituitur Lipiria febris ardore externo Some think this distemper consists of a double Fever Cholerick and Pancreatical and not without reason because such like vapours may be continually rais'd in the small guts by the Juices of the Pancreas universally over-sour which may be confus'd onely with the Mass of Bloud and breed a sense of cold in the habit of the Body whilst a burning heat is stir'd up in the internal parts by a Fever caused by Choler more oily than sharp The cause of every continual Fever not Cause putrid is sometimes Choler vitiated sometimes Lympha together with the Juice of the Pancreas and Spittle and many times all these together are ill affected These vitiated humours flowing always to the Heart cause a continual Effervescency in the right Ventricle of it whence the Pulse is continually produc'd more frequent against nature Fevers in Children are caused either by the Food abounding in quantity or by some vitious quality of it or from an ill disposition of the digestive ferment Milk is the general Food of Children and there is such a propensity in its own nature to curdle that if it be not quickly digested it obeyeth the acid Ferment of the Stomach and is soon coagulated like new tough Cheese and if it be not speedily vomited up it begets a putrefactive Ferment which produceth terrible Symptoms as griping scouring vomiting c. I know a Woman that had a young Child Hystory about a Month old which was taken very ill with Convulsions after which followed a thorough Thrush with a Fever accompanied with the aforesaid Symptoms as griping c. which continu'd many days till the whole body was so maciated that it was in a total Atrophia and when there was no hopes of recovery the Nurse gave the Child a little of the infusion of the Antimonial Cup which caused it to vomit up a Curd three or four inches long very green and as tough as new Cheese After which the Child did wonderfully recover and grow fat Continual acute Fevers are oft times accompanied Progn with a secret malignity and therefore dangerous parvoe febres quandoque valde malignoe The Stomach in continual Fevers is Pars affecta most commonly primarily affected through undigestion or else from Excrements not being separated and orderly evacuated which causeth an irregular Ferment or nonnatural heat in the Stomach which though begun else where is much aggravated by vitiating Juices found in this first Elaboratory of decocting Nature For as in humane frame the first heat of Nature preparatory to all her depending motions is the digestive heat for Chylification in the Stomach so likewise the corrupting or exasperating of the same either by the sour Ferments or too much of the overflowing Gall is the Cause of most Fevers Therefore in the beginning of the Cure Cure evacuation by vomiting never ought to be neglected by the carefull Physician provided it be duely timed because then most commonly it removeth the sole cause of the feverish Intemperature without the help of any other means And here I commend Antimonials well prepared before all others seeing that Antimony as well rightly prepar'd as administred serves no less to purifie Man's body than
later if so be that their continuance and the grievousness of Symptoms daily accompanying be diminish'd There is great diversity among Authours concerning the Causes of intermitting Fevers which I shall not insist on but in a few words will set down the true Causes of them The causes then are either external or Causes internal The external Cause of Agues is a stop of the usual necessary discharge of fermenting humours the porous skin being shut by external sudden cold denies passage to the constant discharge of the sweatty humours which happens most commonly about Autumn and likewise when any comes suddenly out of a hot Climate into a cold Region for the sweatty Vapours being detain'd by the Constipation of the skin or shutting of the Pores the same condense and thence become sour which chills the external parts and causeth the shaking or shivering cold fit at the first invasion of this disturbing Foreigner after which the inflaming Ferment of Choler being exasperated doth act its part and having gain'd Dominion it doth rarefie the Bloud by degrees whence the Pulse becomes greater and stronger which is increas'd by an irritation of the Acrimony of Choler and the rarefaction of the Bloud at the Heart for the heat and burning in the Heart and thence in the whole Body is increas'd by Choler successively over-ruling The internal Cause of Agues or intermitting Fevers is an obstruction of one or more of the lateral ducts or branches of the Pancreas or Sweet-bread by reason of viscous Phlegm which being separated from the Bloud by the Glandules of the Pancreas is there collected by degrees whence it is sent in too large a quantity to the main duct or pipe thereof which detaineth the Juice of the Pancreas contrary to nature which ought continually to flow into the small Gut called Duodenum The Juice of the Pancreas which is naturally sourish being compelled to stand still in its passage quickly grows more acrimonious or acid because the Volatile Spirit which is naturally conjoin'd to it to temper it doth gradually fly away by which this Juice becoming more sharp and acid acquires a putrefactive Ferment whence at length it makes way through the obstructing Phlegm and is effused into the Duodenum where meeting with Choler it stirs up a vitious effervescency or preternatural Ferment from whence comes the Ague fit with all its Symptoms as in the beginning Horrour Chilness Cold Shaking c. then presently follows Reachings Yawning and Vomiting c. At length acrimonious and flatulent Vapours raised by the aforesaid vitious Effervescency are carried through the Lacteal veins and Thoracick passage and so through the Vena cava ascendens in what form soever to the right Ventricle of the Heart and by its Acrimony alters and troubles the vital Effervescency and by over stirring the Heart causeth a more frequent Pulse and many times produceth grievous Symptoms as great Heat and Thirst difficulty of breathing Heart-ach Raving Swouning and all other Symptoms that happen in all intermitting Fevers The nature of viscous Phlegm is such The cause of the Return of the fit that though it be pierced through by the Juice of the Pancreas too acid and acrimonious yet it doth presently run together and unite again and so repairs and renues the obstruction that was in part opened and the Juice of the Pancreas being stopped as before grows sour by standing still as aforesaid so that it forceth through the Phlegm that stopped its natural passage and so produceth a new fit sooner or later as the Phlegm obstructing the lateral passage of the Pancreas is pierced through by the foremention'd Juice For if the obstructing Phlegm be not very glutinous and the Juice of the Pancreas be plentifull and acid a new fit of an intermitting Fever will return in the space of twenty four hours and therefore 't is called a Quotidian Quotidian But if the Phlegm be very viscous and plentifull and the Juice of the Pancreas be little in quantity and also tart and obtuse so much the slower will the new fit of the intermitting Fever be produced so that it is sometimes three sometimes four days before the returning of the fit from whence it is called a Quartan or Quintan c. So likewise as oft as the obstructing Phlegm and the Juice of the Pancreas are in a medium viz. The Phlegm more glutinous and plentifull than in the Quotidian but not so much as the Quartan as likewise the Juice of the Pancreas is more in quantity and more acid than in the Qutartan but not so plentifull and acid as in a Quotidian so oft new fits of intermitting Fevers will return almost every other day from whence they may be called Tertians which much differ in their Symptoms beyond what other intermitting Fevers do although none of them return in the exact intervall of the Days or Hours before mention'd but return quicker or slower for the most part The Cure of all intermitting Fevers will Cure be perform'd 1. First if the glutinous coagulated Phlegm which is the cause of the obstruction be cut and dissolv'd and wholly carried out of the Body 2. If the increas'd Acidity and Acrimony of the Juice of the Pancreas be temper'd and corrected 3. If its vitious Effervescency with Choler c. In the small Gut behindred and amended Phlegm obstructing will be cut most commodiously with Aromaticks and any Volatile Salt This Volatile Aromatick Julep may serve for Example Take the Waters of Carduus Parsley Fennel Fumitery Succory Treacle Cinamon Cordial Iulep of each one ounce Syrup of Carduus the five opening Roots of each an ounce and half Powder of Crabs-eyes Tartar vitriolated of each one drachm Salt of Amber Antimony Diaphoretick of each half a drachm Laudanum opiat ten grains Oil of Cloves six drops mix it Take a spoonfull of this Volatile Medicine often in a day throughout the whole Cure using some exercise that thereby the whole Body may grow warm and the force of the medicine being disperst over all the Body may come at last to the lateral passages of the Pancreas and dissolve the obstruction Three or four hours before the coming of the fit you may give three or four spoonfulls of the aforesaid Cordial which will not onely cause a breathing sweat but will temper and correct the increas'd Acidity and Acrimony of the Juice of the Pancreas and hinder and amend its vitious Effervescency with Choler c. in the small gut which will conduce much to a Cure Three hours before the return of the next fit administer an antimonial Emetick which is in this case proper before all others for by the help thereof not onely Choler abounding but also phlegm obstructing will be expell'd to the small gut and thence to the Stomach and at length by the mouth and the straining to vomit doth many times procure a stool or two which is very beneficial But if the sick be a Female or vomiting be prejudicial or not
Laudanum prescrib'd for it will much conduce to ease the sick of all these symptoms If there be a Bubo apply a strong Vesiccatory and when the Blister is well raised open it and dress it with Mustard and Basilicon of each equal parts after cure it according to Art If there be a Carbuncle apply Leeches or Ventoses with scarification or the Actual or Potential Cautery after which often apply Mithridate 'till the Eschar be separated then dress it with Unguent Basilicon and Aegyptiacum or else you may use Butter of Antimony 'till the Ulcer be well cleansed and fitted for the last consolidation which may be performed by any desiccative Medicine CHAP. X. Of the Small-pox and Measles THE Small-pox and Measles are called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin Morbilli quasi parvi morbi vel parvorum morbi They are also called Variolae Pustulae ex vario vel varium facio quod cutis fit varia Because the skin is of various forms These distempers are most commonly attended with a Malign Fever which oft proves Epidemical Contagious and Mortal and therefore may justly be termed Pestilential The Small-pox is a cutaneous Eruption or large Pustules something like to Warts on the Skin with Inflammation which in few days comes to suppuration if the sick recover The Measles are little Pustules in the Skin with a deep redness and may be best perceived by feeling they are usually discussed in five or six days without suppuration There is an other sort of Pustules or Tubercles like little Bladders incident to Men Women and Children which are without Inflammation or redness and also without a Fever Some call them Cristals others Blisters but Country people call them Swine-pox Hen or Chicken-pox c. To these also may be referred those red fiery spots which break out about the fourth or fifth day in Malign Fevers all over the Body and if the sick recover they vanish about the eighth day after which the Cuticula cometh away in flakes this is commonly called the Scarlet Fever The signs of the Small-pox approaching Signs are pains of the Head shining before the Eyes with redness and swelling of the Face and sometimes bleeding at the Nose also a grievous pain of the Back which reacheth to the Neck with great heat and pricking all over the Body there is often loathing of the Stomach and vomiting with trembling of the Heart great terrour in sleep difficulty of breathing and sometimes raving and convulsion The cause of the Small-pox and Measles Causes is an ill quality or impurity of the Mothers bloud with which the Child was nourish'd in the Womb which doth communicate pollution and defile the mass of Bloud and after the Child is born when there is an ill disposition of the Air proportionable to the disease there followeth a peculiar effervescency or ebullition of the Bloud and other humours by which nature is inraged and provoked to cast forth the impurity The excrementitious matter is either thin or thick if it be thin the Measles follow if thick the Small-pox are produced And if there be a Malignant constitution of the Air it causeth not onely a purging forth of the corrupt matter of the Bloud c. but corrupteth the whole mass of Bloud and so produceth a dangerous and Epidemical Small-pox If they come out red and soon ripen or Progn turn white being round pointed and outward in the skin if the voice and breathing be free without any grievous symptoms there is no danger but if there be a great Fever which is not abated after their eruption with great thirst and difficulty of breathing also black or bloudy Urine or Stool Hemorrhage at the Nose Mouth c. doth signifie a great acrimony and malignancy of the bloud that nature is compelled to evacuate it by such preposterous ways and are most commonly mortal signs So likewise if it be long e'er they come out and they be green blewish or black and sink in again the sick is in great danger of Death As for the Cure of these distempers if they be Malignant or Epidemical let the same Cure means be used as is prescrib'd in Malignant Fevers but if there be little or no sign of Malignancy you may first administer an Antimonial Emetick and after its operation give this or the like Cordial Take the Waters of Carduus Dragons Cordial Iulep Treacle Scordium compound of each two ounces Venice-treacle two drachms Syrups of the Juice of Limmons Carduus Saffron of each one ounce Confection of Hyacinth one drachm mix it for a Cordial Let the sick take two or three spoonfulls of this every half hour till a sweat be promoted after sweating keep the Patient in a warm Room till the danger be over Before the Eruption if there be eminent signs of a Plethora and the sick be adult Phlebotomy may be used with good success Phlebotomy Bezoar and Gascoign's Powder and Diascordium are commonly used in these Diseases You must endeavour to defend the inward parts with the pectoral decoction to which you may add a little Saffron Also a Saffron Stay in which is put a few Sows called Millepedes bruised is excellent to defend the Throat For the Eyes this water is good Take the Waters of Plantain white Roses Water for the Eyes of each three ounces of Camphire Saffron of each ten grains mix it Or you may use Womens milk and Saffron If the Throat and Mouth are inflamed make a Gargarism with Plantain-water and Gargaris Syrup of Mulberries To defend the Nose put up this with a rag or feather Take of red Rose-water Vinegar of red Roses of each one ounce Powder of red Nodulas Saunders Camphire of each one drachm mix it When the Small-pox begins to dry anoint them often with Oil of sweet Almonds and Oil of the Yelks of Eggs which will prevent their pitting OF DISEASES OF THE BELLY BOOK III. CHAP. I. Of the Thirsty disease THIS is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sitio to be thirsty In Latin 't is called sitis morbosa Thirst is the first natural Passion of Mankind and also of Beasts as is manifest by their first sucking milk out of the Breast to asswage it The causes of thirst augmented are either Cause external or internal The external are the Air over heated by the Sun over salt Food too much exercise of body vehement passions of the mind as much anger c. prolong'd watches the Body either too costive or too loose much sweating Urine voided too plentifully any notable Evacuation of Bloud Milk or Seed c. The internal Cause is deduced for the most part from too sharp Choler carried down into the small Gut where it raiseth such an Effervescency with the Juice of the Pancreas flowing thither that thence are elevated salt Vapours to the Stomach and Gullet and there produceth a sense of drought It
gangrene of the Guts attended with a violent vomiting of the excrements 'till death do put a period to the Patient's misery These evils are often encreas'd by fomentations too hot apply'd as also by a preposterous and strong rubbing of the swell'd part and violence us'd to repell the Guts The immediate causes of the cholerick Causes of the cholerick passion passion are sharp putrid cholerick humours collected in the Stomach and Bowels because of external errours commited in diet or by the taking of poison uncorrected which doth immediately disturb and corrupt all the humours The cause of vomiting bloud is to be deduced Causes of vomiting Bloud most commonly from the Pancreas by reason of some vessel open'd by its over sharp juice caused by a vitious effervescency with Choler from whence most of it is driven up to the Stomach to be vomited out whilst some of it may descend downward to be voided by stool This distemper may also be caused by bloud flowing out of the vessels of the Stomach or Guts either broken by vehement Coughing or corroded by sharp humours 1. If vomiting be from repletion or be critical Progn 't is a good benefit of nature and therefore must not be stopped but if it be symptomatical 't is an ill sign especially if it be caused by inflammation of the Stomach or adjacent parts or by poison taken 2. If the cause of Ileos be from excrements indurated in the Gut Ileon it may be cur'd if taken in time but if it be from a Rupture of the Peritonaeum 't is dangerous and for the most part mortal especially if there be inflammation and Tumour of the Guts c. 3. If the sick vomit bloud 't is dangerous neither is the cholerick passion without danger The Cure of this manifold vomiting may Cure be performed diversly according to the variety of each cause If vomiting be rais'd too much by an Emetick or any other nauseous thing taken it may be represt by this aromatick Opiate or one like it Take of Mint-water four ounces Tincture Cordial Opiate of Cinamon half an ounce Syrups of Mint Erratick Poppies of each six drachms Laudanum opiatum six grains Spirit of Nitre twenty drops mix it Let the sick take a spoonfull of this every quarter of an hour till the vomiting ceaseth If a Catarrh be the cause of vomiting look for the cure in its proper Chapter If the cholerick passion be caused by Cure of Cholerick Passion poison or plentifulness of cholerick humours in the Stomach c. then nothing hinders but that a gentle Antimonial Emetick may be given to which may be added those things which will temper the too great effervescency of the aforesaid humours For example Take of the infusion of Crocus Metallorum Vomit Mint-water of each six drachms Cinamon-water two drachms Syrup of Erratick Poppies half an ounce Laudanum opiatum two grains mix it After the evacuation of the peccant humours upward and downward an Opiate may be profitably used because it will not onely temper the Acrimony of Choler but asswage the acid juice and stupefie the outward sense and procure rest which will be very gratefull to the sick Take the waters of Fennel Plantain Mint Cordial Opiate Purslain of each two ounces Cinamon-water Syrups of Myrtles Purslain white Poppies of each one ounce Confect de Hyacintho Diascordium Venice-treacle of each two drachms Laudanum opiat eight grains Spirit of Niter twenty drops mix it Let the sick take two Spoonfulls of it often which will conduce to amend the faultiness of any humours whether acrimonious salt or sour for in the disease of Cholera it will powerfully asswage the too much effervescency that is raised in the small Gut staying the fierce motion of the troubled humours A bloudy vomiting requireth speedy help Cure of bloudy vomiting whence soever the bloud cometh The following Astringent medicine will wonderfully conduce to the cure Take the waters of Plantain Comfrey Astringent Iulep of each three ounces Cinamon-water distill'd Vinegar of each an ounce and half Syrups of Mirtles Quinces of each one ounce Powder of Dragons-bloud half a drachm Laudanum opiatum six grains mix it The sick may take two or three Spoonfulls of this Astringent Julep every hour with good success for it will cure the most ruptions of Vessels and stop the flux of bloud beyond expectation After Vomiting is supprest if the Patient be troubled with belching of wind c. in this case the following exemplary mixture may bear the praise for it doth not onely conduce to curb and discuss wind remaining as well in the Stomach as Guts but it doth temper and correct both Phlegm and Choler and hinder wind in its rise and will dissipate it when it is bred Take the waters of Mint Fennel of each Carminative Iulep four ounces the Carminative water of Sylvius Syrup of Mint of each two ounces Spirit of Niter twenty drops Chymical Oil of Mace ten drops Laudanum opiatum ten grains mix it Let this be taken by Spoonfulls often or more slowly as pains or stretchings do more or less urge If bloud be thought or feared to be clotter'd in the cavity of the Guts to dissolve it you may add to the above mentioned Carminative Julep pul ocul Cancror Antimon Diaphoret Sperma Coeti of each one drachm The voiding of matter by vomiting and stool is not to be staid but mildly promoted seeing it is wholly unnatural and hurtfull to the Body but its new rise is to be hindred as much as may be seeing it is bred of bloud which is the fuel of our vital fire and the sustenance of all parts of the Body Among all the medicines that move or promote the voiding of matter and hinder the continual breeding of it out of corrupt bloud I prefer and commend Antimonials rightly prepar'd as well Emeticks as other preparations of it as Antimonium Diaphoretic and above all a Balsam made artificially of its flowers which will powerfully conduce to alter and correct the harms befalling the Body by matter and hinder the new producing of it Also Balsam of Sulphur with Oil of Anise-seed is excellent to cleanse and consolidate any inward Ulcer if two or three drops of it be taken often in a day in any pleasant healing vehicle In all preternatural vomitings keep the Belly open so that the sick may have at least every day a stool either by Nature or Art and let the peccant humours remaining be emptied out by siege with these or the like Pills Take Extract Rudii half a drachm Resin Purging Pills of Jallop Salt of Wormwood Tartar vitriolated of each ten grains Oil of Cinamon three drops mix it for two doses to be taken in the morning The cure of Ileos or Iliaca passio may Cure of Iliaca passio for the most part be performed by the aforesaid medicines But for the sake of young Practitioners I shall add some few directions for
with this following Decoction Take of Guiacum four ounces Roots of Purging Decoction China Sassafras Lovage of each one ounce Seeds of Anise sweet Fennel Berries of Bays and Juniper of each two drachms let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in two quarts of Fountain-water till half be consumed strain it and add of the best Manna Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb of each four ounces Cinamon-water two ounces Spirit of Niter two drachms mix it and take two ounces of it every Morning and Evening The following Pills with Gums will be also very usefull and potent to educe the viscous Phlegm c. Take Galbanum prepar'd with Vinegar of Purging Pills Squills two drachms Resins of Jallop and Scammony Powders of Castor Mastick Mirrh Vitriol of Mars calcin'd to whiteness of each half a drachm Saffron ten grains Powder of Troches Alhandal two Scruples Oils of Harts-horn Cloves of each ten drops beat them all into a Mass for Pills Let the sick take three or four of these Pills in the morning fasting which will kindly expell the vitious humours After which let them take some of the aforesaid Julep to procure rest and ease Oily volatile Salts and Spirit of Niter are excellent not onely to correct Choler and other peccant humours but do potently discuss wind CHAP. VIII Of the Worms WOrms may be generated in all parts of the Body those which are bred in Ulcers may more fitly be called Maggots in Latin termetes but I shall onely treat of those which are bred in the internal parts of the Body Every man living in all places and climes doth more or less suffer by the frequent generation of these little intestine Enemies especially the weaker state of Man as Infants and the female Sex whose ferment or digestive heat being not sufficiently master of their great moisture part of it is turned into putrefaction which corrupteth the humours Wherefore it is no wonder that active Nature being never at rest by the quickning animating heat which causeth Concoction doth frequently generate Worms either in the Stomach or Guts according to the various occurrences of matter and seminal dispositions There are three or four kinds of these inbred disturbers which we may take notice of The first are called in Latin Teretes a terendo quod quasi terendo rotundum sit vel ex Teretes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. terebrando They are long and round like Earth-worms but whiter they are more common than the rest and are bred in the Guts but do sometimes get up into the Stomach The second are called lumbrici Lati longi because they are broad and long They are also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex Taenia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tendo i. e. fascia extensa Because they are something like a womans Head-band This worm is full of joints and is a native of the Jejunum which is a fit place to nourish these Milk-suckers or craving Vermine there being the most supply of milky Juice by reason of the numerous lacteal Vessels Some of these worms have been of an incredible length Pliny lib 11. nat hist. cap. 33. affirmeth that some have been thirty foot in length If you peruse Schenckiu's his observations lib. 3. pag. 411. you may reade variety of such Histories The third are called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Ascarides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salio In Latin they are called Vermes exigui intestinorum quod ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è sordibus nascantur They are little and slender some call them Arse-worms because they commonly lye in the Intestinum rectum near the Sphincter Muscle There is another kind of worms though seldom seen in the Colon like the Botts in Horses they may be called in Latin Vermina Vermina ex vertendo quod rependo torqueant sese vertant cum quodam minuto motu Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serpo The material cause of all worms is most commonly the inconcocted part of the Chylus which is produc'd of such nourishment as easily putrifieth in the Stomach as green fruit c. which gives sufficient matter to these intruding Vermine This part of the Chylus being crude and unfit for sanguification is left undrawn by the lacteal Veins in the intestines where it is mixed with pituitous humours and elaborated by the temperate heat of the guts which is the efficient cause of such like generations The form which lay hid in this matter before is afterward generated by the temperate heat of the Bowels and according to the diversity of the latent forms sundry sorts of worms are bred In the aforemention'd title of Schenckius you may reade of the stupendious Figures of Worms set down by learned and famous Men in their Monuments The signs of worms are many If they be round there is a pinching or Signs of Teretes gnawing pain in the Belly especially being hungry also a stinking Breath a frequent dry Cough Loathing and sometimes Vomiting and Looseness with distention of the Belly and a symptomatical Fever the sleep is often disturb'd with horrible Dreams and starting and gnashing of the Teeth the Face is pale the Nose itcheth wherefore Children that have them do often rub and pick their Nose If the long broad worm be in the small Signs of Taenia guts the party hath an insatiable Appetite the Body consumeth having quick stools after eating in which there is often a substance like to the Seeds of Cucumbers If the small worms called Ascarides be Signs of Ascarides bred in the intestinum rectum there is a painfull itching in Anus with provocation to stool in which they often come away If the short thick worms like Botts be bred Signs of Vermina in the Colon there is a wringing troublesome pain and they often come from the Patient night and day without any Excrements or motion to stool These last mention'd are of all others the worst and most difficult to destroy especially Progn if they continue long and grow numerous because they enclose themselves in a Cystis or Bladder for shelter which they run out and in to as a Coney into her Burrough whereby they defend themselves from the power of those things which are given to kill them The broad long worms are also hard to destroy and if the round ones continue long and are many they cause Convulsions and sometime Epilepsie and if they come out alive in acute Fevers it betokeneth great Malignity of the morbifick matter which they labour to shun The Ascarides are not dangerous for they may be easily killed with Clysters As for the Curation it is perform'd by two Cure indications the first is by killing of them the second by expelling of them when killed And here the place or residence of the offending Vermine is to be considered viz. whether it be the Stomach or Bowels if the Bowels whether the most external as the
sorrow of mind or great passion be the Cause it ought to be prevented as much as may be both by Philosophical and Theological reasons about any troublesome matters and by confirming the mind whereby the sick may be the better enabled to bear and suffer stoutly any adversity This ought to be observed also in all other Diseases If Ebriety be the cause I commend Sobriety to cure it Sublata causa tollitur effectus If the humours be over viscous or glutinous the following Decoction will not onely alter and correct but mildly educe the peccant humours by which the Jaundice may in a short time be cured Take of Rhubarb the Roots of Madder Smallage the greater Celandine of each Decoction one ounce the Flowers of Broom one handfull Hemp-seed two ounces the Seeds of Anise Parsley and Columbines of each half an ounce Saffron two drachms white Tartar three drachms let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in White-wine and Fountain water of each three pints till the third part be boiled away then strain it and add the best Manna Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb of each three ounces mix it Let the sick take four spoonfulls of this three times a day till the viscous phlegm and Choler be sufficiently evacuated and the natural colour of the body restored As oft as the Jaundice is caused by the poison of a Viper or any other venemous thing whatsoever you must administer as soon as possible a volatile sudorifick to correct and expell the venome The following will serve to both indications Take the waters of Carduus Fennel Fumitory Sudorifick of each two ounces Treacle-water Syrups of the juice of Carduus red Poppies of each one ounce tincture of Saffron two drachms Venice-treacle half a drachm Bezoar-mineral Antimony diaphoretick Salt of Harts-horn of each one scruple Spirit of Salt-Armoniack six drops Laudanum opiatum six grains mix it and give three or four spoonfulls to provoke sweat and after it breaks forth give a spoonfull or two now and then to promote it Also this Decoction or one like it may be prescrib'd for the Icterick patient it being both Sudorifick and Diuretick Take the Roots of Scorzonera Juniper of Diuretick Decoction each two ounces Roots of Master-wort Sassaphras of each half an ounce Berries of Juniper and Bays of each one ounce and half Seeds of Nettles Hemp and Columbines of each one ounce shavings of Harts-horn three drachms the tops of Carduus Scordium Scabious the lesser Centaury of each one handfull let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in two quarts of Fountain-water till half of it be boiled away then strain it and add Syrup of the juice of Carduus four ounces Treacle-water two ounces Salt of Tartar vitriolated two drachms mix it and give four spoonfulls every two or three hours Soap of any sort conduceth to the cure of the Jaundice upon a twofold account both by reason of its fixt lixivial Salt and also by reason of its fatness or oil for the Lixivial Salt doth correct and diminish the over volatileness and spirituousness of the vitiated Choler and the oil doth blunt the sharpness of the volatile and spirituous Salt ruling in Choler The following mixture is very effectual Take of Hemp-seed two ounces Soap two Opiate drachms bruise the seed and boil it in half a pint of new Milk till half of it be consumed then strain it and add Syrup of Saffron half an ounce tincture of Saffron two drachms Laudanum opiatum four grains mix it and give half of it in the morning fasting and the remainder at night going to bed CHAP. XII Of a Cachexy AN ill Habit of Body is called in Greek Cachexia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habitus It may be called in Latin mala corporis habitudo There are many causes of this Distemper which may be distinguisht according to the diversity of the conjoin'd Symptoms It doth accompany all Chronical Diseases as Dropsies of all kinds Hypochondriack suffocation Scurvy Pox and Gout c. for it doth spare none neither Peer nor Peasant of any age or sex but it most frequently seizeth on Women when their monthly terms are supprest The cause is either external or internal The external cause is either bad Diet a long time receiv'd or for want of good refreshing Food after sickness for the Stomach being weak cannot digest course Diet by which the nutriment of the Body doth by degrees become peccant in quality vitiating the humours and Bloud it self so that an ill nourishment of the Body doth follow The internal cause may be the suppression of the Terms in Women which is more or less corrupted about the Womb having not its natural evacuation from whence the whole mass of Bloud is indued with a vitious quality by which the nourishment of all parts of the Body is deprav'd Also Choler and the juice of the Pancreas which are always confus'd with the Bloud being alike vitious or peccant in quality do not onely corrupt the separation of usefull and unusefull parts but by the vitious effervescency of these humours manifold flatuous vapours are rais'd which do not onely increase anxieties about the Midriff but being carried to the Heart there follows a pressing pain and palpitation thereof and in circulating through the Lungs it causeth a Dyspnoea or difficult breathing and being thence transferr'd every way throughout the Body it doth breed a general weariness in all parts But when the vitious humours abound together in plenty then several kinds of the Dropsie at length succeed if not the universal Body groweth lean by degrees From what hath been said the production of every Cachexie may easily be deduced by a judicious Physician The signs are paleness of the Face shortness Signs of breath palpitation of the Heart and often apressing pain of it accompanied for the most part with a lingring Fever either continual or intermitting or compounded of both in which the Urine is crude or watry at length there is a weariness of the universal Body which in some doth pine and become lean but in others the Body doth swell and is turgid If this Disease be not helpt in time it will become by degrees so stubborn and rebellious Progn that it will puzzle the wisest and most experienced Physicians to cure it for by the long continuance thereof phlegm becometh very tough and glutinous on which all Chronical or prolong'd Diseases depend besides all the other humours are by degrees vitiated which incorporate with the Bloud and diminish its effervescency so that the separation and excretion of the excrementitious parts to be voided together with Urine do not follow from whence many grievous symptoms succeed which oft proves mortal The cure of every Cachexie will consist in Cure the correction and amendment of the Bloud any way vitiated If flegm be tough and glutinous it must be corrected and evacuated for which
are augmented more or less according to the strength and debility of parts to resist or consent and be depraved The Hypochondriack suffocation is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel quod Hypochondriacus ad Hypochondria pertinet vel sub cartilagine fita fit It is called by the Latins Hypochondriaca melancholia The Ancients thought that this was an uterine disease in quibus mulieres uteri fuffocatione laborant and therefore it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin morbus Hystericus vel Hysterica passio and in English 't is called Fits of the Mother it being most subject to Women from the suppression of their monthly Courses But because men are also molested with longing and suffer often both the Sense and Disease of Suffocation especially when they become Cachectick or of ill habit of Body and also they are cured with the same medicines that Women are cured with when they are vexed with this distemper therefore I think this suffocation may be more properly called Hypochondriacal It may be called the Mother of the Scurvy because the vital Principles in this disease are seduced to declension and deviation from their rectitude the digestive offices being all depraved The causes of these diseases are either external Causes or internal The external are sometimes a sedentary studious and melancholy life by which the vital Principles do receive much prejudice decay and fall off from their functions and become languid and feeble also the Air being infested with noxious Vapours is a procuring cause of these distempers for such Air being drawn into the Body by inspiration doth commix with the spirits and debilitate and deprave the faculties from whence Scorbutick and Hypochondriack effects do ensue and as the Body is perspirable or impervious these diseases are more or less varied and remitted in their Symptoms and therefore the constipation of the pores prohibiting transpiration is a partial organical cause of preternatural Spots in the Scurvy which appear chiefly upon the Thighs and Legs not from the gravity of the material cause and ponderous propension of gross matter downwards but because those parts are more weak in their assimilation being remote from supply of vital Spirits therefore they have the first tokens of defection The internal Cause is a vitious quality of all the humours and also of the Animal spirits which are confus'd with the bloud and communicate their faultiness to it by which the bloud is also vitiated so that the nourishment of the Body is deprav'd several ways according to the variety of the quality peccant in which the colour of the native Skin and especially of the face languisheth and is changed pale In these diseases not onely the appetite of food but its fermentation is also deprav'd wherefore Anxieties about the Midriff and Hypochondries and a pressing pain of the Heart will soon follow For when the food is ill fermented and driven forward through the small Gut it is confus'd with the Juice of the Pancreas and Choler which are a like vitious the Pancreatick juice being too sharp and acrid and the Bile over thick and salt from whence the separation of usefull and unusefull parts is not onely corrupted but also by the vitious Effervescency of these humours are rais'd manifold halituous Vapours which do not onely increase the fore describ'd Anxiety but being carried to the Heart do breed a Palpitation of it whence it circulates through the Lungs and causeth a difficulty of breathing and thence being driven every way it causeth a weariness in all parts of the Body and if an Acrimony of the humours do concur then it is manifested internally with pain The cause of the inordinate effervescency of Bloud in the Hypochondriack suffocation is not onely the unequal flowing of Lympha but also of the Liquour rising out of the threefold humours vitiously effervescing in the small Gut from whence vitious Vapours are sent to the right Ventricle of the Heart and procure a great Confusion and disturbance in it hence followeth a notable Palpitation of the Heart by which sometimes the Effervescency of Bloud seemeth to cease in the right Ventricle for a time with its motion and pulse and also respiration is taken away to outward sense The symptoms and signs of these diseases are very many yet are never seen to concur in one and the same Body The usual signs are pain of the Head palpitation of the Heart puffing up of the Stomach Loathing Vomiting Belching Hicket Cough Tumour and Putrefaction of the Gums with much spitting looseness and blackness of the Teeth and sometimes great pain in them the breath stinketh and is sometimes fetched with much difficulty also Convulsions Palsie Gout Dropsies and all other obstructions sometimes the Colick and trembling and looseness of the Lims with red purple spots dispersed also the Pleurisie pain of the Hypochondries and also of many of the external parts as the Neck Arms Hands Thighs Legs Feet and Anckles with laziness and often faint sweats there is also sometimes malign Ulcers dry hard Tubercles Erisipelas and Edematous tumours with many others which to enumerate were to comprehend an universal Genus of Atomes within a very narrow Limitation 1. These diseases for the most part are of long continuance and are seldom cured Progn and therefore may be called the disgrace of Physicians 2. If the Patient hath a continual pain and giddiness of the Head it doth threaten an Epilepsie or Apoplexy 3. The more aged the sick are the more grievous are the Symptoms and the more dangerous and difficult to be cured 4. Vomiting Flux of the Belly and Hemorrhoids if they are moderate are hopefull signs of recovery In some Regions these diseases are complicated with most other distempers or at least do easily degenerate into them by which they are rendred the more difficult of curation As for the Cure of these stubborn and rebellious Cure diseases the sick must observe a good diet without which Physical means will profit but little and here we may also observe that no Aliments or Medicines whether altering or purging will be very profitable unless specifick Antiscorbuticks be mixed with them The best Antiscorbutick simples are the Roots of Horse-radish Butter-bur Liquorish Dandelion Scorzonera China Zedoary Angelica Elicampane Polypodium the five opening Roots the Wood and Bark of Guiacum and Sassaphras the Herbs Scordium Scurvigrass Brook-lime Water-cresses Sorrel Rue Fennel Golden-rod and Penny-royal Fruits of Oranges Limmons Pomcitrons Pomgranates Apples c. Seeds of Mustard Angelica Radish and Juniper-berries cum multis aliis of which may be prepared diversity of good medicines both Chymical and Galenical The volatile Salts both of Animals and Vegetables are excellent to open all obstructions and temper the humours Also Elixir proprietatis the Spirit of Salt Armoniack Horse-radish and Scurvigrass the Spirit of Niter and of Salt dulcified Salt of Steel Wormwood and Tartar Oil of Juniper Cloves and Cinamon are all Specifick
Vera Effigies Roberti Iohnson Praxis Medicinae Reformata OR THE Practice of Physick REFORMED BEING AN Epitome of the whole Art Wherein is briefly shewed The true Causes Signs Prognosticks and Cure of most Diseases Published for the Benefit of all Persons By Robert Johnson Med. Professor Medicina Experientiâ Ratione fundari debet LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhil 1700. TO THE READER IN this little Tract I have bestowed some Pains in searching out and proposing the true Causes and Cure of Diseases Which I hope will induce other Ingenious-spirited Artists to a farther Enquiry that so the Art of Physick may be the better illustrated and many things in it that are yet obscure may be made known The Chief End of Physick is to maintain and recover Health wherefore I think it would be more for the Honour of all Learned Physicians to employ themselves in the Improvement of the Materia Medica which have been hitherto too much neglected than to content themselves with a formal Way of Practice For Diseases cannot be cured by Scholastick Twattle or Fine Words but by good Remedies The great Platerus Helmont and the famous Franciscus de la Boe Sylvius c. did endeavour to reform the Practice of Physick and excelled many others their Contemporaries in the most difficult Cures yet because they had recourse to Chymical Remedies in the Cure of many Diseases the more lazy Tribe of Physicians made it their Business to traduce them Truly there are too many such carping Zolius's at this Day who envy Glory to all except themselves from whom I must expect the same Fate I can do no more but pray for them Lord forgive them for they know not what they do From the lower-most Door on the Right-hand in Norfolk-street in the Strand THE INTRODUCTION Containing the CAUSES and CURE OF DISEASES In GENERAL AS ALSO Some Choice SPECIFICKS for the Cure of DISEASES THE Causes of Diseases depend on Lympha any way vitiated because it will in time corrupt the whole Mass of Blood Quicquid enim sive Bilis sit sive Pituita sive succus Pancreaticus sanguisve menstruus Lympham reddere potens acriorem dolorem morbos facile causat parte affecta male sese habente This is the Hypothesis of most eminent Physicians both Ancient and Modern Spittle being continually swallowed down and adhering to the Gut the more fluid part of it is dissolved by the continual Conflux of Choler and the Juice of the Pancreas or Sweet-bread in the small Guts If Choler which abounds with a bitter volatile Lixivial Salt be mixt with the Juice of the Pancreas which is naturally sourish as hath been sufficiently evinced by the indefatigable Industry of the most ingenious Anatomist Regnerus de Graaf they must of necessity stir up an Effervescency in their Concourse there As long as the aforesaid Humours are well tempered the Effervescency will be mild and friendly to Nature and therefore cannot be perceived in healthy People The Humours rising from this mild Effervescency pierceth into the Lacteal Veins and circulates with the Lympha to the Heart and seems to give the natural Consistency to the Bloud The more viscous part of these Humors passeth by degrees to the thick Guts and being there mixed with the Excrements makes them more viscous and yellow and helps the Excretion of them But if there be an Obstruction of the Lacteal Ducts or Branches of the Panereas or Sweet-bread by reason of viscous Flegm which being separated from the Bloud by the Glandules of the Pancreas is there collected by degrees it is sent from thence in too large a quantity to the main Duct or Pipe thereof which detaineth the Juice of the Pancreas contrary to Nature which ought continually to flow into the small Guts The Juice of the Pancreas being compelled to stagnate or stand still in its passage quickly grows acrimonious because the volatile Spirit which is naturally conjoin'd to it to temper it doth gradually fly away by which it becometh more acrid and acquires a putrefactive Ferment whence at length it makes way through the obstructing Flegm and is effused into the small Gut called Duodenum where meeting with Choler peccant in a Lixivial Salt Acrimony it stirs up a vitious Effervescency or preternatural Ferment which raiseth acrimonious Humors and halituous or flatulent Vapours which are carried through the Lacteal Veins and Thoracick Passage and so through the Vena Cava ascendens to the right Ventricle of the Heart from whence it circulates with the spirituous Blood and Lympha vitiating and corrupting the whole Mass of it with its fermental Acrimony Which is the Cause of most Chronical Diseases as the famous Franciscus de le Boe Sylvius hath accurately observed If the acrid Humours do affect the Head it may cause most Distempers incident to it as Head-ach Convulsions Epilepsie Palsie Apoplexy c. If it invades the Lungs it causeth Difficulty of Breathing Inflamations Ulcers and Phthisis or Consumption If it penetrates the Membrane Pleura it causeth the Pleurisie If it possesseth the Joints it causeth Arthritick Pains or the Gout which hath its Name from the Part affected If there be a Defluxion of acrid Humors on the Reins Bladder or Womb it may cause Inflammations Ulcers or Cancers in them If it be conveyed to the obscene Parts especially after too much impure Coition it may cause malign Eruptions c. If the Lympha becomes very acrid in the conglobated and conglomerated Glandules and if Nature be over-burthened by its plentifulness it may be the Cause of Catarrhs Rheumatisms Scrophula c. If acrid Humors be luxuriant in the Blood and Lympha it may be the Cause of all Eruptions as Itch Scabs Erisipela's Leprosie c. Acrimonious and flatulent Vapours may be the Cause of all Ague-Fits with all their Symptoms as in the beginning Horror Chilness Cold Shaking c. then follows Reaching Yawning and Vomiting c. At length these sharp halituous Vapors are carried to the right Ventricle of the Heart and by their Acrimony alters and troubles its Vital Effervescency and by over-stirring the Heart causeth a more frequent Pulse and many times produceth grievous Symptoms as great Heat and Thirst Difficulty of Breathing Raving Heart-ach Swooning and all other Symptoms that happen in all Intermitting Fevers If Choler become peccant not only in a Lixivial salt Acrimony but also an inflamable Oyliness the Humours that are produced from its vitious Effervescency with the too tart Pancreat Juice and over-viscous Flegm in the small Guts will be the more acrid and fervid and circulating with the spirituous Blood and Lympha to the Heart will cause an Effervescency in the right Ventricle of it which will stimulate and incite it to a more forcible Motion whence the Pulse is continually produced more frequent against Nature after which follows great Heat and Burning c. and therefore may be called a Fever so that this may be the
agitation and very fierce motion of the Animal spirits and by a continual and grievous Irritation urging about the beginning of the Spinalis medulla is the cause of an universal Convulsion or Epileptick-fit in which all the Muscles of the Body are most vehemently contracted The Irritation in a particular Convulsive motion or the Cramp which may be oft observ'd in the thigh or leg and other extreme parts may be also ascrib'd to the same sharp and sour flatuous Vapours carried to the beginning of the Nerves and Tendons of the said Members fretting and gnawing them sometimes with great pain The signs of Convulsions are manifest Signs The preceding signs of the Epilepsie are trembling sadness fearfulness vertigo numness debility of the senses troublesome sleep with great pain of the Head The signs of the Epilepsie presently approaching are a vehement shaking of the whole Body foming at the Mouth and a sudden deprivation of all the Animal functions 1. A Convulsion or Epilepsie being hereditary is incurable Progn 2. If a pregnant Woman be taken with either of them it is very dangerous and also after Abortion 3. Children are most subject to these diseases because they abound with abundance of moisture and flatulent Vapours in the Brain and because they have Nervorum poros angustos whereby the Brain is easily filled with such vapours and therefore we see that Children are often troubled with them young People more rarely and old Folks but seldom and we find that Children better suffer them than either of the other who frequently die of these fits especially of the Epilepsie when in their falling there follows snorting gnashing of the teeth a ghastly countenance much some at the Mouth involuntaria seminis effusio and great cryings out 4. Of all the kind of Convulsions Tetanos is the most difficult to cure because it is as it were composed of the other two kinds but if a fever happen in this or any other Convulsion the sick will suddenly recover because a fever dissolveth it but if a Convulsion should succeed a fever it is very dangerous especially from a wound or proceeding from venemous matter So likewise it is very dangerous if it be caused by taking of Hellebor When a particular Convulsion is caused Cure from a prick of a Nerve or Tendon as it may happen sometimes by the unskilfulness or precipitancy of the Chyrurgeon in opening a vein then most speedily pour into the wound or puncture the Oil of Turpentine with rectifi'd Spirit of Wine both actually hot as that famous Chyrurgeon Mr. Ambrose Parey adviseth in his ninth Book Chap. 11. of which I have had large experience with good success The like course may be taken with all other wounds of the nervous parts But if the wound of the Nerve or Tendon yield not to this medicine the same is to be cut asunder cross-ways seeing it is safer to lose the action of one part than that the sick should be exposed to the danger of a deadly Convulsion When the Nerves or Tendons of the Muscles are prickt by sharp splinters of bones the grievous pains succeeding soon cause a particular Convulsion of that part and at length an universal Convulsion will attend the Patient if there be not speedy help Wherefore if possible the sharp fragments of the bone must be cut away or if this have been neglected or could not be done and an universal Convulsion be feared you must hasten to amputation of the member For Necessitas non habet legem If a particular Convulsion be occasion'd by a hot Tumour or any other sharp pain which hath rais'd an inflammation let the pain be diminisht as well by internal as external Anodines and Narcoticks to allay the over encreas'd motion of the Animal spirits To this end you may give the sick two or three grains of Laudanum opiat at a time either in a Pill or dissolve it in a little Wine or other convenient Vehicle And if the ingenious and judicious Physician or Chyrurgeon do add a little volatile Salt either of Animals or Vegetables to his topical Medicaments whether fomentations Cataplasms or Ointments he will wonder at the incredible benefit for by the help thereof the Tumour will be mollified and dissolved the internal obstruction loosned and the pain eased If a Convulsion be caused by the taking of Hellebor or any other venemous matter administer an Antimonial vomit with all speed But if it be a Child give it ten grains of Salt of Vitriol or half an ounce of Oxymel of Squills with a drachm of Oil of Almonds After the operation of the Emetick and also at other times you may give some of this Julep Take of Black-cherry-water the Water of Iulep Line-flowers of each two ounces Briony-water compound Syrup of Peony of each one ounce Tincture of Castor half an ounce Confection of Alkermes one drachm Spirit of Salt Armoniack twenty drops mix it and give three or four spoonfulls every fourth Hour Having briefly hinted at the Cure of particular Convulsions I come now to those more universal as likewise Convulsive motions and the Epilepsie And seeing there is little difference in the remote causes of them in the Body these diseases may for the most part be cured with the same Remedies 1. First then the peccant humours are to be temper'd and diminisht 2. The rising of vapours is to be hindred and their expulsion procur'd by sweat or insensible transpiration By which the over motion of the Animal spirits will be restrain'd and brought to tranquillity that is a more quiet motion All Aromaticks and all things abounding with either a fixt or volatile Salt do not onely correct and by cutting amend the viscous phlegmatick humours but do powerfully temper and destroy the over acidity and tartness of the juice of the Pancreas To temper and diminish these humours I commend these medicines Take the Roots of Male-peony Valerian Infusion Missletoe of the Oak and Peony-seeds of each two ounces Castor half an ounce let them be all bruised and infus'd in Peony-water compound the Water of Line-tree-flowers of each one pint for the space of twenty four hours then strain it out very strongly and add Syrup of Peony and Stoechas of each three ounces Spirit of Castor half an ounce mix it and give three spoonfulls at a time every fourth hour with which you may mix Spirit of Salt Armoniack Elixir proprietatis of each six drops Also you may give the Patient half a drachm of the following powder in three or four spoonfulls of this Infusion with the aforesaid Spirit and Elixir Take of Crabs-eyes Salt of Tartar vitriolated Salt prunella of each half an ounce volatile Salt of Harts-horn Salt of Amber of Man's skull prepar'd of each two drachms make it into a fine powder which may be taken half a drachm at a time morning and evening The peccant humours being temper'd and diminisht by the frequent use of the abovesaid medicines the inordinate
it hath also acquired that Name in which they cannot stir nor call for help though they have a great desire and do strive very much to cry out but are possessed with a panick fear The cause of this distemper is most commonly Cause intemperance in eating and drinking especially in the Night whereby crude halituous Vapours are bred in such plenty that nature cannot disperse nor dissolve them before sleep and therefore they are raised up to the Ventricles of the Brain by which imagination sense and motion are all depraved The giddy motion is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. obscuritas oculorum In Latin 't is called Vertigo ex vertendo quod Caput vertere videtur Vertigo In this disease the Animal spirits are wrong mov'd which makes the sick believe that not onely all things they look on go in a Circuit about but their Head and other parts seem to turn round which many times causeth them to be in danger of falling or tumbling headlong The cause of the giddy motion is either Cause external or internal The external are either an intent looking at any object that turns round or about especially if very remote or a frequent turning about of the Body it self The internal cause is the ascent of flatuous Vapours to the Head together with the spirituous part of the Bloud and carried with the Animal spirits into the passages of the Brain and Cerebellum by which the motion of wheeling about is communicated to the Animal spirits and anon carried to the Cristalline humour of the Eyes by the Optick nerves and so a Giddiness seems to be produc'd For the Cure of these diseases seeing they are the Forerunners of the Apoplexy and Epilepsie I refer you to those excellent Medicines prescrib'd for the Cure of them Let such as are subject to these distempers be very sparing in their diet let them avoid all Herbs Roots and Fruits that are windy and all viscous and gross diet such as is of hard Concoction Let the external Causes be remov'd and the internal causes corrected Sublata causa tollitur effectus CHAP. V. Of the Lethargy Coma Carus and Catalepsie or Catocus THE Lethargy is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est ab oblivione Lethargus inertia Because in this disease the sick is very forgetfull and slothfull In this distemper there is a very great Signs propensity to sleep accompanied with a Symptomatical Fever and sometimes with the Hiccough with difficulty of breathing dulness of the Head and many times a deprivation of the Senses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sopor altus is an insatiable inclination to sleep the sick being called unto Coma. they open their Eyes and answer but presently fall a sleep again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called in Latin crapularis redundantia because it is sometimes caused Carus by surfeiting end drunkenness It is deep and profound sleep whereby imagination sense and motion are all depraved In these there is no Fever in which they differ from the Lethargy Catalepsis vel Detentio is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a with-holding or restraining because in this distemper the mind with the senses and motion are all suddenly surprized so that the sick remain stiff and immoveable in the very same posture in which they were taken with their Eyes open The causes of these diseases are either Causes external or internal The external causes are gross food idleness spirituous wine or any other inebriating liquour taken in excess and sometimes by the Air inspir'd which is defil'd by the Smoak of Coals or other mineral Fumes by which the Air may be infested The internal cause is a Narcotick force mix'd with the Animal spirits bred by degrees in the Body by the frequent use of opiats not well corrected which not onely dulls the mind but causeth a sluggishness of the whole Body for the Animal motion being deprav'd the external as well as internal senses will be thence soon infected and defil'd These diseases are all very dangerous and except they are speedily cur'd they will soon Progn hurry the sick into the Boats of Acheron or devouring Jaws of Death But if a Phrensie cometh immediately after any of them it cureth the Patient with little help of medicine To cure these diseases let the drowsie Animal Cure spirits be stir'd up and rais'd from sleepiness and stupidness by potent external Objects which may sharply move the external senses let the sick be kept in a light room and be often called upon very strongly and let sharp smells be applied to the Nostrils such as Spirit of Salt Armoniack Harts-horn c. Also sharp spices or salts should be put into the mouth and gentle frications us'd with warm Cloaths to those parts that are affected with Numness The Animal spirits may be freed from the Narcotick force mingled with them and likewise slothfulness and sleepiness may be by little and little diminished by the frequent use of sharp volatile Salts and all Medicines endued with an Aromatick biting such as Pepper Cloves Castor Garlick Horse-radish Mustard Scurvigrass c. Of which you may make diversity of Medicines for example Take the Waters of Hedge-mustard Scurvigrass of each two ounces Syrup of the Iulep Juice of Scurvigrass one ounce Tincture of Castor two drachms Oil of Cloves four drops mix it and give the sick two or three spoonfulls every two hours This decoction is also very effectual Take the Roots of Horse-radish the best Decoction China of each two ounces Roots of Galangal half an ounce Scurvigrass Hedge-mustard of each one handfull Cloves one drachm let them be all cleansed bruised and infused in White-wine and Fountain-water of each a quart for the space of a Night very hot the next morning boil it gently for half an hour then strain it and add Syrup of Hedge-mustard Scurvigrass of each three ounces Cinamon-water two ounces mix it Let the sick lying in bed meanly covered take often in a day five or six spoonfulls of this decoction whereby a light sweat may break forth to ease them By the frequent use of these medicines the Animal spirits will not onely be freed from their drowsiness but even the Narcotick force bred in the Body either in the length of time or received in from without may be corrected and by degrees gently educ'd by insensible transpiration So that at length these dangerous distempers may happily be overcome Let Clysters and Suppositories be often administred as need requires Those prescrib'd in page 17 18. in the Cure of the Palsie and Apoplexy are very effectual here If strength and age permit let a vein be opened in either Arm or Foot as you shall see cause for generally Authours consent to it besides Experientia docet Let Ventoses with or without Scarification be applied to the shoulders and hinder part of the Neck And let Sternutatories be
mortal so likewise is it very pernicious if it turn either to the Lethargy or Convulsion In the Mania or Madness if the stomach or appetite decay and the sick be very fearfull and hath continued long it is most difficult to cure but if the party be merrily conceited it is not so dangerous 3. If the swelling of the Veins in the Legs called Varices or the Haemorrhoids or Menses or any other flux of bloud should happen to them that are mad or frantick there may be hopes of recovery And that we may pass on to the cure of Cure these lamentable diseases let the following Golden precept be speedily observ'd Principiis obsta sero medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras For unless speedy help be procur'd for the Phrensie it killeth the party in a short time and likewise Mania or Madness becomes oft by degrees so stubborn and rebellious that it can be cur'd onely late or never Ttherefore the friends of the sick are to be admonish'd to consult with the honest Physician so soon as the signs begin to be manifest for when it hath taken deep root it is hard to be eradicated or overcome unless by an Herculean labour First therefore let a Clyster be administered Take of Mallows Marsh-mallows Violets Clyster Lettice Beets Pellitory of the wall Mercury Centaury Water-lillies of each one handfull Damask Prunes twenty Boil them in a quart of Barley-water till half be consumed then strain it and add Electuary Lenitive Syrup of Violets Roses Solutive of each one ounce Oil of Violets two ounces Common Salt one drachm Mix it for a Clyster After the Operation of it you may open a Vein in the Arm. But if Menses or the Haemorrhoids be suppressed then open the Saphena in either Foot and let the orifice be made pretty large because thereby sharp and fatty vapours may more plenteously be effus'd together with the bloud whereby the troublesome heat will be the better temper'd and not a little diminisht Neither will it suffice to let bloud once but this evacuation is oft to be iterated till by the diminisht feverish heat it appears that the cause is remov'd or overcome But let Phlebotomy be warily done where choler abounds because sanguis est fraenum Bilis wherefore I advise the young Practitioner to take away but little bloud at a time which may be done so often as need requires either by an instrument or leeches to the Haemorrhoids Ventoses with scarification may be applied to the shoulders also Vesiccatories to the armes thighs inter scapulas in extremis morbis extrema sunt adhibenda remedia Choler over plenteous in the body may be safely diminisht by a mild chologogue for example Take of Dandelion Succory Sorrel of Iulep each two handfulls Tamarind-fruit two ounces Boil them in a quart of Barley-water till half be consumed Strain it and add the waters of Cinamon and Fennel of each one ounce The best Manna Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb of each three ounces Spirit of Niter twenty drops Let the sick take oft a draught of this Julep till the body be made soluble but if there be a strong constitution of body I refer you to those excellent Medicines prescribed in page 8. 9. of this book which evacuates choler more powerfully by stool But where the Stomach is full and nauseous let a vomit be administred without delay and here I prefer Antimonials before all o-thers both because they do most happily empty any humours promiscuously and because they are most friendly to humane nature bringing all the humours by degrees after a peculiar manner to a most laudable state And because in this distemper the sick is always attended with a greivous and furious raging let those things be given which will not onely promote sleep but powerfully temper the sharp cholerick humours To this end I commend any fixt Mineral Sulphur of Vitriol or Antimony which will temper the Acrimony of choler and free the bloud from such matter perhaps before all others But where these choice Medicines are not to be had Opium well prepared will conduce beyond any commonly known Medicine which may be used both Internally and Externally This Cordial Opiat is of great virtue Take the Waters of Sorrel Lettice Penny-royal Opiat Fennel of each two ounces Cinamon water Syrups of red and white Poppies of each one ounce Laudanum ten grains Tartar vitriolated half a drachm Oil of Vitriol ten drops mixit and give two spoonfulls of it often whereby the body may the sooner be reduc'd to sleep and the mind to tranquillity The following Epitheme and Linament may be used outwardly to give ease and promote sleep Take the Waters of Betony red Roses of Epitheme each two ounces Vinegars of Roses and Marygolds of each half an ounce Opium twenty grains Mix it Let Linen cloaths be dipt in it being warm and applied to the Forehead and region of the Temples and as often as the cloaths are dry moisten them with the same till pain be diminisht and sleep follow Take Populion half an ounce Opium dissolv'd Linament in Oil of Poppies half a drachm mix it for a Linament wherewith anoint each region of the Temples and spread some of it on brown Paper and apply it Let the diet be very thin and cooling Avoid hot spices Wine and other strong Liqours Dieta and let the common drink be Barley-water with Syrup of Limmons Pigeons cut asunder and applied to the Soles of the Feet do many times avail by drawing down hot Vapours and Fumes from the Head By this you may know how to cure not onely Phrensies but all ravings and watchings which are ingendred by Fevers for it will not be very hard from what is aforesaid to frame or join such helps as may conduce to the same In mania or madness when Phlegm is over viscous and the Juice of the Pancreas too tart and harsh exceeding and over-ruling the other humours in the Body whereby sharp halituous Vapours are continually rais'd disturbing the sick both in Body and Mind Speedy care must be taken to correct and educe the vitiated humours to amend and discuss the hurtfull flatuous Vapours and also to compose the immoderate passions of the mind Volatile Salts and Aromatick Oils do not onely correct viscous and acid Phlegm but sour and tart Vapours also for they have power to cut and dissolve that which is viscous to temper and correct that which is sour and tart and to discuss and dissipate what is vaporous and windy The following Julep whose power is singular and stupendious may be deservedly preferr'd before many others Take the Waters of Parsley Fennel Mint Iulep Penny-royal Scurvigrass of each two ounces the Waters of Treacle and Cinamon of each half an ounce Syrups of Fennel Poppies and the five opening Roots of each one ounce Laudanum opiat twenty grains Spirits of Salt Armoniack and Niter of each twenty drops Oils of
Annise-seed and Cloves of each ten drops mix them By the frequent use of this Julep or such like the hurtfull humours and vapours will not onely be corrected and amended but a new Production of them will be hindred and both Body and Mind reduc'd to a more quiet frame These Pills will be also usefull to correct more and mildly educe or expell the vitious humours Take of Galbanum prepar'd with Vinegar Purging Pills of Squills Powders of Mastick Troches Alhandal Rozin of Scammony and Jallop of each one drachm Powders of Castor Mirrh and Saffron of each twenty grains Oils of Cloves Harts-horn Balsom of Sulphur with Oil of Anise-seed Spirit of Salt Armoniack of each ten drops beat them all into a Mass for Pills of which you may give half a drachm at a time in the Morning fasting It will be convenient to take these Pills twice a week for the better vanquishing the rebellious and redoubl'd humours Also let Antimonial vomits rightly prepar'd be sometimes administred they being endued with an universal force of cleansing Man's body from all harm and impurity By these forms any judicious Practitioner may easily invent other prescriptions in some things to be varied as the disease requires Thus having premis'd a rational and dogmatical cure of these grievous diseases confirm'd by experience I think it my duty once for all to admonish the honest Physician and others who attend the sick to be often seeking the Lord for a Blessing on the means And if all refuge fails to take the Advice of the Apostle James in the 5th Chapter and 14 and 15. verses This was the Custome of the Primitive Christians without doubt and I wish it were more in use amongst us at this day for God is as able to heal the sick now as he was then for he is the same yesterday and to day and for ever I thank God I have had some experience of his great goodness and mercy extended towards some of his poor Creatures by means of this ordinance when all other help of medicine c. have prov'd unsuccessfull for which uni Deo trino Gloria CHAP. VII Of CATARRHS THE Catarrh is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluo It is called in Latin distillatio because it is a defluxion of excrementitious and sharp Rheumatick humours from the Head into most parts of the Body invading not onely all the conglobated and conglomerated Glandules by which the Circulation of Lympha and Spittle are deprav'd But also the Nerves which causeth intense or vehement pains and inflammations in the parts ill affected which is most commonly attended with a Symptomatical Fever especially if the Rheum be thin and sharp and do flow very violently And seeing this distemper is not enough explain'd in Authours either ancient or modern I therefore God prospering my indeavours will bestow some pains in searching out and proposing the true causes and effects of it which I hope will induce other liberal and ingenious spirited Artists to a farther inquiry after the occult causes not onely of these but other obscure diseases daily occurring in practice that so by little and little many things in the Art of Physick as yet most obscure and confus'd may be illustrated and most commodiously explain'd Experience confirms that there are many kinds of Catarrhs some are more thick others more thin some acid and salt others more sweet some Rheums are hot and sharp flowing more violently other cold and pituitous flowing but slowly hence it is that some Catarrhs are attended with Fevers and some without The causes of Catarrhs are either external Cause or internal The external cause is from external sudden Cold shutting the pores of the skin hindring the discharge of sweaty Vapours by insensible Transpiration for if the usual ports of the skin do deny passage to the sweat it will in a little time condense and thence become sour by which the extreme parts are chilled which doth manifest it self by a shivering as any one may experimentally observe after taking Cold. These humours having not vent through the porous skin which is absolutely necessary by the habit of the Body they are conveyed to the Head together with the Lympha through the Lymphatick Vessels The internal cause arises from pituitous humours gradually collected besides Nature in the conglobated Glandules observeable about the Plexus Choroides in the side Ventricles of the Brain and elsewhere perhaps in the Tonsils and all the rest of the small Glandules about the trachoea Arteria hence the Lympha becomes sourish salt as is tasted in a Coryza Whence also we may probably conclude what way soever the conglobated Glandules are hurt that the Lympha declines from its natural State and Quality And as its depravation is milder or sharper more grievous or lighter pains are thence bred of which we have many times an ocular demonstration in the flowing down of the Rheum through the Nostrils which is oft so sharp that it doth corrode the skin and superficies of the face where it comes If it be in quantity moderate it is conveighed to the infinite little salivary Ducts or Chanels in the conglomerated Glandules which open into the palate of the mouth and there pour out the salival Liquour which they contain which is either swallowed down into the Stomach or else it is evacuated by spitting and if Nature be overburthened by its plentifulness it is also sent forth by the Nostrils But if the Lympha becomes more sharp acid and salt in the Glandules before mention'd it produceth first a stoppage and burthensome Pain of the Head which overcomes the retentive and provokes the expulsive faculties so that Nature being driven to most violent motions doth extravasate and intravasate the Rheumatick humours hic ubique a Capite ad Calcem through the most abstruse and inconspicuous passages of nature so that it is the opinion of many learned Physicians that a Catarrh is the original of many diseases incident to humane Bodies 1. Catarrhs happening to Children are dangerous especially if there appear plenty of Progn humours because they abound with moisture and are full of excrements Wherefore if a sudden defluxion happens to any of a tender age desperate accidents may follow 2. If the Rheum flow through the Nostrils it is but gentle if to the Throat 't is worse but if to the Lungs worst of all and if it becomes inveterate it is very hardly cured In the Cure of Catarrhs the Head is Cure chiefly to be taken care of because the Rheum doth continually flow from it therefore the Head ought to be corroborated and the superfluous moisture thereof to be dried up And likewise the part or parts to which the Rheum flows must be strengthned the vitious quality of Lympha and the other humours is to be corrected and their plenty diminisht As Catarrhs consist of a different matter and afflict divers parts so they require diversity of
immediately brought up but if vomiting hurts the sick the humours may be evacuated downwards by gentle purgation with powerfull and effectual Phlegmagogues and Hydragogues such as is prescrib'd in the Chapter of Catarrhs page 56. 57. If the Patient hath a costive Body let carminative Clysters be often administred and if the Body be plethorick let a vein be opened either in the Foot or apply Leeches to the Haemorrhoid veins which will much conduce to free the respiration Such medicines as have an expectorating quality and have power to temper and discuss the over sharp vapours may be often us'd in a little quantity The following Julep may be commended in this case Take of the pectoral Decoction half a pint Pectoral Iulep Cinamon-water Syrups of Hore-hound Fennel of each one ounce and half Spirits of Salt Armoniack Niter of each twenty drops Laudanum opiatum ten grains Oil of Sulphur per Campanam ten drops mix it Quercetanus his Syrup of Tobacco is commended in this distemper Also Tobacco taken in a Pipe or chewed in the mouth draweth abundance of viscous Phlegm out of the Stomach and Lungs Many more medicines might be inserted but I refer you to the Chapter of Catarrhs where you may be throughly furnished CHAP. II. Of the Pleurisie and other Inflammations THE Pleurisie is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latus quod tunicoe costos succingentis Pleuritis lateris dolor It is also called in Latin Pleuritis Inflammatio it being an Inflammation of the Pleura and also of the intercostal Muscles and other adjacent parts as the mediastinum pericardium diaphragma c. It is attended with many Symptomes as difficulty of breathing shooting and pricking pain of the sides which is the more Signs exasperated by coughing and is common in this distemper the Patient hath also a continual acute Fever which is most commonly symptomatical The Inflammation of the Lungs is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peripnmonia pulmo quod a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiro It is also called in Latin Peripneumonia Peripneumonicus morbus It is not different in the causes or signs from a Pleurisie The cause of the Pleurisie and Peripneumony Caus and all other inflammations is an obstruction of the Capillary vessels in the inflamed part by glutenous Phlegm carried together with the bloud through them and if a Plethora concur the bloud and humours will soon be stagnated and become acrid and fervid which preternaturally distends the vessels by which circulation of the Bloud is hindred so that at length the vessels break and the Bloud is poured into the part affected which there corrupts and increaseth the pain and inflammation and consequently produceth a tumour whee the putrid bloud and humours being â—y degrees corrupted are converted into â—urulent matter for the bloud being stagnated or standing still in any part the sâ—irituous and more volatile and sâ—btle parts that are wont to temper both the acid and salt parts do afterward begin to vanish whence both being made sharper do more fiercely rise up one against another and stir up an hot Effervescency because of the Oily parts of the bloud present yea by degrees do so corrupt the bloud as it turns it into matter which is different according to the variousness of the bloud corrupted 1. The sooner the inflammation and Tumour Progn comes to suppuration the more easie will be the Cure 2. If a Pleurisie follow an Inflammation of the Lungs there may be hopes of recovery but if a Peripneumony follow a Pleurisie or Quinzy 't is dangerous and for the most part mortal 3. If much matter be expectorated by coughing and there still remain difficulty of breathing 't is an ill sign so likewise is it if in coughing nothing be spit up 4. If the Pleurisie or Peripneumony remain above twelve days an Empiema will inevitably ensue for the bloud standing still is by little and little collected in its vessels and beâ—ng peccant in a great excess it distends them more and more till at length they burst whence there happens an effusion of bloâ—d into the Cavity of the Breast and being there collected and corrupted into matter it constitutes a suppuration called Empienâ—a Empiena Cure To â—ure a Pleurisie and any Inflammation and Aposteme following it is required that 1. The obstruction of the vessels be opened that the Circulation of the Bloud stopt and standing still may be restor'd 2. That the Bloud effus'd out of its vessels if possible may be discuss'd before it turns to matter 3. That if the Suppuration cannot be hindred it must be promoted with all expedition that the purulent matter collected might be evacuated 4. That the cleansing and consolidation of the Ulcer be speedily performed An obstruction of the vessels by viscous Cure Phlegm or bloud coagulated in them may be cur'd by volatile Salts prepar'd not onely of several parts of Animals but also of Scorbutick plants viz. Dandelion Hedge-mustard Scurvigrass Garden and Water-cresses c. To these may be referred Crabs-eyes the Jaws of a Pike the Bone of a Harts-heart Mummy Sperma coeti Antimony Diaphoretick Opium prepar'd c. as also all fixt metallick and mineral Sulphurs These volatile medicines have an egregious Power of dissolving all things coagulated and conglutinated in Man's body and of reducing the same to their wonted fluidity and do mildly promote sweat hence it is that often by one such Diaphoretick given in season both a Pleurisie and Piripneumony and also Inflammations of other parts have been most happily and safely cured without Phlebotomy But where a Plethora concurs after a stool hath been procur'd by a carminative Clyster let a vein be opened for thereby the bloud standing still will be restor'd to its wonted Circulation for some of the bloud being let out there will be a larger space made in the veins for a more brisk and swift motion of the universal Mass of it After a sufficient quantity of bloud is taken away it will be profitable to give a Sudorifick This may serve for example Take the pectoral Decoction four ounces Sudorifick the Waters of Hyssop Fennel Parsley Juice of Horse-dung clarified distilled Vineger of each three ounces Treacle-water Cinamon-water Syrups of the five opening Roots and of red and white Poppies of each one ounce Powder of Crabs-eyes two drachms Mummy Sperma coeti of each half a drachm Laudanum opiatum ten grains volatile Salt of Harts-horn half a drachm Spirit of Salt Armoniack twenty drops mix it Let the sick take often a spoonfull of this Julep which is rich in volatile Salt and powerfully corrects the acidity of the bloud by the help whereof the clottering of it will not onely be hindred but it s over thick parts incided and by degrees attenuated and it s over thin parts will be discust and evacuated together
parts be according to nature and the sick can in some good measure perform all actions you may conceive some hopes of recovery But if the Body be extenuated almost like a Sceleton viz. when the body seemeth to be nothing else but Skin and Bone as the vulgar proverb is acquaint the sick with the danger least Death seize upon them unprepared Nevertheless if the sick implore your aid of Christian Charity withdraw not what comfort you are able to procure unto them The Cure of a Consumption and Hectick Cure Fever will differ not a little according to the diversity of causes producing them When an Hectick Fever comes with or succeeds Fevers with or without fits then upon their account the cure may be varied according to the divers harm of the humours differently peccant If a Consumption or Hectick Fever be caused by purulent matter from an Ulcer of the Lungs c. then you must endeavour to free the bloud and humours from matter which may be done by any Antimonial medicines rightly prepared perhaps before all others whether they be Diaphoreticks Purgers or Vomiters as experience doth manifest for it hath been observ'd even in a Phthisick and an inveterate great Ulcer of the Lungs to bring away a good quantity of matter by Stool and Urine so that then for many days no matter was cast forth by a Cough Among common things all Vulnerary plants are good used in Decoctions Let this or one like it be a form of a Decoction in this case Take the Roots of Plantain Comfry Round-birthwort Liquorish of each two ounces Fennel Scabious Plantain of each two handfulls Figs Raisons of the sun stoned of each four ounces let them be all cleansed bruised and boiled in three quarts of Barley-water till a third part be boiled away then strain it and add Syrups of Hore-hound and Hyssop of each two ounces Laudanum opiatum ten grains Mix it Let the sick drink two ounces of this Decoction oft in a day and if you add one or two drops of Balsam of Sulphur with Oil of Annise-seed to every draught it will be the more effectual The Balsam prepared of the truly Sulphureous and inflameable Flowers of Antimony is most excellent in this distemper if it may be had which may be taken as the Balsam of Sulphur Also those medicines may be used which mildly amend and correct the viscousness and glutinousness of all the humours for which I commend all mild Aromaticks and Oily Volatile Salts as that cut and alter every viscous humour and reduce it into its natural state Those medicines are to be selected as do most conduce to and agree with the constitution of every sick person Vitriolated Tartar is an excellent medicine which will agree with all constitutions and may be taken from ten to twenty grains every other morning in a little warm Broth. Also the following medicine is very effectual Take the Powder of Cream of Tartar Powder and Tartar Vitriolated of each half a drachm Volatile Salt of Harts-horn Salt of Amber of each ten grains Mix it for two doses which may be taken in Chicken Broth in the morning These choice medicines will conduce much to cleanse the bloud and humours from all purulent matter if there be any hopes of the Patient's recovery All Effusions of Bloud Seed and Milk are to be shun'd except the wonted emptyings which are natural and serve the individual Let the motions of the Mind be moderate and the exercise of the Body be gentle and let sleep and watchings keep a mediocrity Appoint a moistning and nourishing Diet which is of easie fermentation as Broth and Jellies of young Creatures and Milk of Goats Sheep and Cows and chiefly of wholsome Women A Panado made with the Broth of a Chicken the Crums of White-bread and the Yelk of a new laid Egg may sometimes be given the sick for a change Let cooling Herbs be boiled in the Broth and Jellies adding other ingredients that are cooling moistning and cordial both to strengthen Nature and revive the Spirits Let the sick drink Barley-water made pleasant with some Pectoral Syrup and if they have been accustomed to drink Wine let it be well diluted with water As for Fruit Apples are much commended especially Pippins and Permains which will much refresh the sick If the Patient be costive you may sometimes administer a Clyster of Milk and the yelk of an Egg. The worst symptome that can attend these diseases is a Loosness if it so happen give Goats or Cows milk wherein steel hath been quenched and Rice boiled in it adding a little Powder of Cinamon and let the sick eat commonly of it CHAP. IV. Of the Palpitation of the Heart THIS Disease is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin palpitatio Cordis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod leviter ac frequenter commovet because there is an over frequent Pulsation or leaping of Bloud in the Heart c. It is a Convulsive motion of the Heart with a vehement Systole and Diastole of it which sometimes hath been so inordinate that the Pulsation hath not been onely seen but heard at a notable distance yea sometimes it hath been so great that the adjacent Ribs in young and tender people who have been afflicted with this distemper hath been dislocated and the Aorta or great Artery hath been much dilated See Fernelius lib. 5. cap. 12. pag. 292. This deprav'd motion or Palpitation of Cause the Heart is for the most part caused from sharp viscous and flatuous humours frequently arising out of the small Guts and transmitted to the ventricles of the Heart and adhereth to them by which the Heart is provoked to a vehement and unequal contraction of it self without intermission These humours are mov'd and driven forward either by their vitious effervescency or else they are stirr'd up by violent motion or exercise of the Body especially in the quick ascending of a steep hill and sometimes they are constrain'd or urg'd by grievous Passions of the mind Sometimes there have been observ'd fleshy Tumours and Cartilaginous excrescencies in the Substance of the Heart when dissected and those poor Creatures when living were never free from a vehement Palpitation Also Worms have been found in the Pericardium of some that have been dissected after death which without doubt caused a deprav'd motion or pulsation of the Heart when living That which is caused by fleshy Tumours Progn Cartilaginous excrescencies Worms or any other extraneous thing in the Pericardium or substance of the Heart is incurable But the Palpitation of the Heart which is caused by acrimonious flatuous and viscous humours may be cured Those medicines must be administred Cure that cut and discuss and temper an acid Acrimony The following Julep may serve for an example Take the Waters of Parsley Fennel of Iulep each three ounces Tincture of Cinamon Syrup of Mint of each two ounces Chymical Oil of Mace ten drops Spirit of Salt
Armoniack twenty drops Laudanum opiat ten grains mix it let the sick take a spoonfull of it every quarter of an hour till they get some ease If the distemper hath persever'd long the peccant humours must be emptied out by purging and to educe them I prefer before all others Pills to be made of Gums seeing they loosen the glutinous humours and dispose them to be easier carried out For example Take of Galbanum prepar'd with Vinegar Purging Pills half an ounce Powder of Scammony prepar'd Troches Alhandal of each two drachms Oil of Carraway twenty drops make it into a Mass for Pills Take five or six of these Pills in the Morning fasting twice a week They who abhor Pills may use an Aromatick and purging Decoction The following though bitter is very efficacious Take the five opening Roots of each one Purging Decoction ounce Roots of Angelica Berries of Bay and Juniper of each half an ounce the best Senna Orange-peel Carraway-seed Coloquintida of each one drachm Guiacum four ounces let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in two quarts of Fountain-water till half of it be boiled away then strain it and add Syrup of Roses with Senna four ounces Cinamon-water two ounces mix it Let the sick take four ounces of this bitter Decoction every other Morning which will by degrees diminish and mildly educe the hurtfull humours by purging But seeing not onely the cause ought to be removed but also the Symptomes asswag'd by refreshing the Heart you must administer cordial Medicines which have power to corroborate the Heart and to cherish and strengthen nature The following Cordial may be preferred in this Case Take the Waters of Baum Mint Borage Cordial Iulep Cinamon of each three ounces Syrups of Baum red Poppies of each two ounces Laudanum opiat Amber-greese of each ten grains mix it Let the sick take two spoonfulls of this rich Cordial every three hours which will wonderfully refresh and delight the sensible Stomach from whence the perfumed impressions will soon be communicated to the whole Body by which all the vital and animal Functions will be refreshingly cherished and strengthned and the Palpitation of the Heart eased and abated If the Patient hath a costive Body let a carminative Clyster be sometimes administred and if a Plethora concur let a vein be opened either with an Instrument in the Arm or by Leeches applied to the Haemorrhoids CHAP. V. Of an universal Languishing as also of Swouning and Syncope AN universal Languishing of the strength of all the parts and functions is sometimes observ'd to remain after some disease preceding not rightly cured especially when the Infirmity hath been grievous for then a weariness or defect of the Animal motion doth usually concur together with a weak or little pulse and dulness and debility of the internal and external senses whereby the sick continues weak and more languishing by certain intervalls than is natural All the kinds of Swounings may be divided for methods sake into two viz. the lighter kind and the most grievous The lighter kind of Swouning or fainting is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin animae defectio ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deficere because it is an Imbecility or Feebleness of the Heart and Courage The most grievous and singular kind of swouning is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syncope concido to cut away quod praeceps virium omnium lapsus It is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. pulsus privatio because there is no pulse neither indeed presently in the fit is there any Animal or voluntary motion or respiration to be observ'd so that they are more like dead than living Creatures The signs of these fits approaching are Signs yawnings a Cardialgy Anxiety of Compression of the Heart griping and distension of the Belly tinkling in the Ears dimness before the Eyes and a Giddiness and at the approach of a Syncope there are often Convulsive motions with a cold and glutinous sweat and paleness of all the parts of the Body The causes of these distempers are either Causes external or internal The external are many as extreme weariness of the Body exceeding passions of the mind prolong'd hunger or thirst ungratefull smells the sight of any Person or thing that is envied too great effusion of Bloud Seed or Milk over great evacuation of the humours by Vomit Stool Sweat Urine c. It may also be caused by the biting or stinging of any venemous Creature and by any other vehement pain Sometimes it is produc'd by a great heat either of the Sun Fire Bath or Fever Any of these Causes mention'd being extreme may so change and diminish the natural effervescency and rarefaction of the bloud that the Heart it self is not thereby enough expanded and contracted So that the vital bloud cannot be sufficiently effus'd into the Arteries and therefore the Pulse is felt less and more languishing yea sometimes none The internal Cause is glutinousness encreased in the bloud and the other humours and sometimes an encreased Acidity in the Juice of the Pancreas Lympha and Spittle by which the Circulation of the Bloud and Humours becomes too slow hence the Ventricles of the Heart are not enough dilated which causeth the Pulse to be weaker than is natural for the effervescency of the bloud and humours being not potent enough cannot provoke the Heart to contract it self and therefore a Swouning or Syncope will inevitably ensue They who are much subject to a Swouning Progn or Syncope dye suddenly Those fits which are produc'd from some evident cause as vehement passions of the mind immoderate evacuations c. are less dangerous than those which come from an internal cause as glutinousness of the bloud and humours c. Which in a great measure hindreth its free Circulation through the Ventricles of the Heart whereby there is a sudden and swift sailing of the vital Spirits and consequently of all strength To cure an universal languishing as also a Cure Swouning and Syncope the phlegmatick glutinous and acid Humours must not onely be corrected but when they abound must be diminish'd and educ'd out of the Body Therefore to correct and amend the said humours abounding both in the universal Body and Bloud I will here set down some forms of select medicines for the sake of young Physicians The following Decoction is an efficacious Medicine Take the Roots of Elicampane Galangal Decoction Angelica Calamus Aromaticus the sive opening Roots of each one ounce Sage Baum Betony sweet Marjoram the Tops of Hore-hound Centaury Wormwood the Flowers of Rosemary Staechas Chamomel Clove-gilliflowers of each one handfull the Seeds of Anise Sweet-fennel Parsley Cardamoms Berries of Bays and Juniper of each two drachms Orange-peel Cinamon of each half an ounce Nutmegs one drachm let them be cleansed bruised and infused
Gold But if the Patient's body be costive and there be eminent signs of a Plethora or great fulness of Bloud then let a carminative Clyster be first administred and after its operation let a Vein be opened and draw seven or eight ounces of bloud at a time and if there be occasion let it be reiterated for I always prefer it s repeated less diminution as need requires sometimes instituted in the same day before great evacuations made suddenly which hath brought many Evils to the sick It matters little what vein be opened unless in Women because of the monthly Terms either at hand or hindred And seeing it is the duty of every honest Physician to be Natures helper he ought to endeavour to remove all impediments whereby the sick may be cured more quickly safely and pleasantly without demurs to magnifie the Cure and inflame the reckonings Wherefore since the first curative intention of most Fevers is the discharge of the first turgent Monitor from the Stomach and adjacent parts by vomiting as is before said Let the Patient upon the discovery of the assaulting Enemy take an Antimonial Emetick and if one doth not suffice let it be reiterated by which the Morbifick matter will be evacuated nature calmed and the contemperating of the incited or enraged nonnatural heat will be the easier performed But here the Sex is to be consider'd the Female not so well enduring this evacuation Cautio because Emeticks cause great Commotions and flatuous Vapours in them which may also prevent or corrupt natures own intentions in her great discharge of turgent humours Wherefore administer no Emetick to them except they vomit very easily but rather let the peccant humours be diminisht or emptied out gradually by the following decoction to be taken twice a day to three or four ounces Take the Roots of Parsly Fennel Plantain Purging Decoction Peony Dandelion Succory of each two ounces the Leaves of Endive House-leek Fumitory Damask-roses of each one handfull Let them be cleansed bruised and infused for a Night in one quart of Fountain-water very hot then boil it gently till a third part be consumed strain it and add Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb the best Manna of each two ounces Powder of Cream of Tartar and Tartar vitriolated of each two drachms Oil of Sulphur twenty drops mix it all together This pleasant Medicine will conduce much to correct the salt sharpness of Choler and will also amend its Oily inflameableness and separate it from the Bloud and mildly dispose it and the rest of the abounding humours to be voided out by stool After these Evacuations give the sick the following Medicine twice a day in a little thin broth or Water-gruel Take Salt of Amber volatile Salt of Harts-horn Volatile Powder Tartar vitriolated of each six grains mix it This excellent volatile Medicine is both abstersive and Diuretick and will cleanse the Stomach and Intestines of the remaining Sordes and expell them by Urine In the Declination of the Fever if sleep be wanting this following Julep will much avail both to cause rest and refresh the spirits Take the Waters of Carduus benedict Fennel Cordial Iulep of each two ounces Treacle-water Syrup of red Poppies of each one ounce Laudanum opiatum six grains Salt of Wormwood half a drachm Spirit of Salt twenty drops mix it and give the sick three or four spoonfulls every three hours By the frequent use of this Cordial Julep or one like it all pains will be eased nature quieted and relieved and the importunate thirst allayed But if thirst still urgeth give the dulcified Spirit of Salt or of Niter in Posset-drink and all the Liquids they take from six to ten or twelve drops at a time If you fear there be any Malignancy in the Fever give the sick eight or ten grains of Bezoardic mineral every fourth hour in a spoonfull or two of the aforesaid Julep or good sound Canary-wine to keep the Patient in a breathing sweat As for the Cure of Fevers attended with grievous and furious raging and watchings c. I refer you to the Chapter of Phrensies which is full to this purpose I shall now give some directions to young Physicians and Nurses and so conclude this Chapter of Fevers in general 1. First give no Opiats in the beginning of a Fever because they tye up the Archaeus of the Stomach and first passages thereby hindring it from expelling the occasional cause of the Disease 2. Give the sick neither Mithridate nor Diascordium as is the common custome nor apply it to the Wrists nor Stomach nor any thing else that is nauseous whilst Nature and the Disease are strugling but if the Patient tends to coldness you may moisten a piece of Rose-cake or a tost of stale Bread in Sylvius's Spirit or for want thereof in Brandy dulcified and apply it to the Stomach twice a day which will revive nature and fortifie it against the invading Enemy 3. Give no meat whilst the disease is on them for the Stomach is not fit to receive it neither hath it strength to digest it and therefore it will become a recruit or supply to the Disease except it be speedily vomited up again 4. If it be a Child give it not any Milk and if it Suck wean it for Milk is the first matter and foundation of this disease in them neither give it Beer nor water nor any cooling things to correct the heat because it will weaken nature and strengthen the Disease But hot Posset-drink turn'd with White-wine or sound Beer with a little Vinegar may be drank liberally after the Cause is removed 5. If the sick be Adult you may give two parts of Water and one of good Wine either French Wine or Sherry but Malaga or any other sweet Wine is not so good 6. When the Patient begins to recover the plainest broths and gruels are the best till then a little is too much and if you did use Salt and Vinegar instead of Spice and Sugar it would agree better with them CHAP. VII Of intermitting Fevers AN intermitting Fever is that which returns after intervalls sometimes longer sometimes shorter in divers Fits whence according to the divers space of every access or fit the same gets also divers Names for if a new Fit return daily answering the precedent in proportion it is called a Quotidian If it comes every other day it is called a Tertian If the fit return after two days intermission it is called a Quartan and so forward although Quintans Sextans c. are seldom observ'd And here you may note that intermitting Fevers do but seldom return in the exact Observation intervall of natural days of twenty four hours but return quicker or slower for the most part wherefore then they are said to anticipate the expected time for some hours which is disliked or to come later which is commended by some Although it matters not whether the fits anticipate or come
weakness or toughness of the matter Nausea Loathing is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Navis quod navigantibus proecipue contingit All loathing is either natural or adventitious The natural for the most part is common to Women with Child wherein 't is thought by some that the mind of the Child in the Womb is affected as well in this distemper as in the disease called Malacia or longing wherein if the Woman have not presently what the longs for wheresoever she first puts her hand on any part of her body in that part the Child is mark'd as we may see often by experience The adventitious loathing or that which cometh by accident is stir'd up in healthy People by prejudice they esteeming some sorts of food ungratefull or prejudicial to their Health and therefore their Stomachs loath them Sometimes nauseousness and loathing even to vomiting immediately follows Intemperance in eating and drinking which is dangerous That we may the better judge of the causes of this distemper let us first consider what is the natural Cause of Hunger by which we may the easier discover it I judge the chief Cause of natural hunger to be the remainders of food fermented in the Stomach and the longer it stays there it is still more and more fermented by the Spittle which is continually swallowed down and intermix'd with it and at length it raiseth a somewhat sour and gratefull Vapour which pleasingly affects the upper Orifice of the Stomach and so natural hunger seems to be produc'd And if food be with-held somewhat longer than ordinary then this hunger is increas'd even in healthy People which I think is promoted and augmented by the Juice of the Pancreas having a friendly Effervescency with Choler and Phlegm in the small Guts from whence sour and gratefull Vapours are sent to the Stomach which increaseth hunger and if food be seldom taken it may proceed to fainting fits Hence we may gather that if there be a Cause vitious Effervescency of the aforesaid humours in the small Guts then vitious Vapours are thence produc'd which rising up to the Stomach and other parts adjacent not onely diminish hunger but more or less deprave Thirst as also the senses of tasting and smelling hence it is that the sick do loath all sorts of food as soon as they smell taste or see it 1. Want of Appetite or Loathing is a digression Progn from the natural State and is therefore dangerous and is worse in Children than Adults because they require more Nourishment 2. In all diseases this is an evil Symptome and if the sick recover and want Appetite or loath their Food there is danger of a relapse This distemper either in healthy People or those that are sick may be cur'd Cure 1. First by freeing the mind from every prejudice 2. By correcting or purging out the vitious and peccant humours If the Humours incline upward they may be safely carried out by an Antimonial vomit and after the operation at night going to bed let the sick take this Cordial Opiate Take the Waters of Damask-roses Baum Cordial Opiat and Cinamon of each one ounce Syrup of Clove-gilliflowers red Poppies of each half an ounce Confectio Alkermes half a drachm Laudanum opiat four grains Oil of Vitriol six drops mix it But if the humours be very viscous and the Stomach be not nauseous let them be purged out by stool with such Medicines as have power to alter amend and evacuate the vitious humours For example Take of the Decoction of Senna Gereonis Purging Decoction four ounces the best Manna Syrups of Epithymum Roses Solutive with Senna of each half an ounce mix it for two Doses to be taken in the Morning fasting After purging the Stomach must be strengthned which may be done by this excellent Diet-drink Take the Roots of China Sarzeparilla of Diet-drink each eight ounces Guiacum two pound Cinamon Mace Nutmegs of each one ounce Raisins of the Sun stoned one pound Anise-seed Liquorish of each one ounce and half let them be bruised and infused in two Gallons of Fountain-water very hot for the space of twenty four hours then boil it to the consumption of the third part strain it and add Syrups of Cinamon and of the Juice of Rasberries of each four ounces mix it and let it be put into Bottles The sick may drink four ounces of it three times in a day Also candied Ginger and Nutmegs preserv'd are good to corroborate the Stomach a little of either of them may be eaten before the taking of the Diet-drink You may anoint the Stomach with Oil of Mace by expression after which apply a Plaster Stomachicum magistr to the Region of the Stomach CHAP. IV. Of the Hicket or Hiccough THE Hicket is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin singultus ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum gula quod fere gula fiat vel a sono gulae It is called in English a Sobbing or Yexing being something like the Clocking of Hens with Chickens This disease was thought by the Ancients to be a deprav'd motion of the Stomach onely by which it striveth to expell something which is hurtfull but experience doth manifest that it is a convulsive Motion of the Midriff and not of the Stomach because in this distemper expiration is deprav'd and this is chiefly perfected by the Muscles of the Belly both by drawing down the Breast and compressing all that is contain'd in the Belly and driving them forward towards the Midriff and so compelling it upward its proper motion together concurring by which a greater straitness is made in the Breast which causeth the Lungs also to be straitned and consequently the Air contain'd in them to be suddenly expir'd 'T is true in this distemper the Stomach is primarily affected by sharp Vapours Wind or humours whencesoever proceeding which piercing to the membranous Centre of the Midriff provoke it by pricking or corroding to perform that convulsive motion in which the Diaphragma is contracted with a great force towards the Region of the Stomach which suddenly and violently driveth it forward and outward the convulsive Motion soon ceasing and again often repeating The causes of the Hicket are either external Cause or internal The external are hurtfull sharp and poisonous food or medicines taken into the Stomach by which the Midriff is soon affected and compelled to this violent and presently interrupted convulsive Motion The internal cause riseth up out of the small Gut by the vitious Effervescency of the humours there meeting from whence sharp halituous or windy Vapours are rais'd to the upper Orifice of the Stomach by which it is soon corroded and thence the sharp flatuous Humours or Vapours are presently carried through the Vessels of the Diaphragma and sticking in its substance do corrode its sensible parts and compell it to that Convulsive repeating contraction of it self When the
Hicket is the Symptome of any other grievous disease as an acute Fever Inflammation Progn c. it is dangerous and sometimes mortal In most ordinary Hickets the party is easily Cure restor'd either by stopping the Breath or by suddenly surprising them with fear But as often as sharp poisonous Food or Medicines or any flatuous humours be in the Stomach c. causing the Hicket they must be presently expelled by an Antimonial Emetick which will not onely empty the peccant humours upward and downward but will correct and amend the hurtfull humours in the Body After the Operation of the Emetick the following Cordial Opiate will conduce to dissipate the molesting Vapours which remain about the Mouth of the Stomach and will stay the Hicket and mildly procure sleep Take the Waters of Treacle Cinamon Cordial Opiat Syrup of Mint of each one ounce the Waters of Baum and Mint of each two ounces Coufectio Alkermes two drachms Laudanum opiatum six grains Spirits of Harts-horn Niter dulcified of each twenty drops mix it Let the sick often take two spoonfulls of this Opiate till they be dispos'd to rest If this distemper be obstinate and yields not to the aforesaid Medicine it shews that over-viscous Humours are conjoin'd to its Cause Therefore in an obstinate Hicket it is better that the peccant humours be emptied downwards with such Medicines as will both cut and educe them For which I commend these Pills Take pil foetidae ex duobus of each fifteen Purging Pills grains Oil of Harts-horn four drops make it into Pills take them in the Morning fasting Let these or the like Aromatick Pills with gums be taken at least twice a week which will not onely educe the hurtfull humours but discuss Vapours and Wind. In the interim let not the frequent use of the aforesaid Cordial Opiate be neglected for it will wonderfully conduce to the Cure Sometimes it is good for the Patient to sneez for it hath often prov'd succesfull Drinking of warm Milk from the Cow is also much commended because it will asswage the hurtfull humours which remain about the Stomach c. CHAP. V. Of Belching BElching is called in Latin ructatio ructuatio esculenta quae fit ab homine saturo because it comes most commonly after a full Stomach Any thing which breaks up from the Stomach in the kind of a rift or windy Vapour and is expell'd by the Mouth with noise may properly be called belching The cause of this distemper is either outward Cause or inward The outward is from windy food or other flatuous things taken as Beans Pease Radishes c. The internal cause is either from a phlegmatick viscous humour adhering to the Stomach where it is rarefied into wind by Aromaticks taken or from the same viscous humour in the small Guts turned into wind by Choler over fat and volatile and thence it is driven forward to the Stomach whereby the Fermentation of Food is deprav'd into a noisome Crudity whence Belches like rotten Eggs c. are rais'd which doth distend and gnaw the Stomach If the Phlegmatick matter which cleaveth Progn to the Ventricle or small Guts be very tough the belching is more hardly excluded whence often a swelling and troublesome Distension of the Stomach follows e contra The Cure may be safely and happily perform'd Cure onely by correcting and educing the Phlegmatick viscous humours abounding for which there are variety of Medicines prescrib'd in the third and fourth Pages in the Cure of the Head-ach CHAP. VI. Of Vomiting and of the Cholerick and Iliack Passion VOmiting is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vomo It is a deprav'd motion of the Stomach and a certain sign of health weakned for in perfect health nothing is wont to be expell'd out of the Stomach by the Mouth In vomiting sometimes food either crude or more or less fermented is cast out by the Gullet and Mouth sometimes Bloud sometimes Choler and other times manifold humours and matter of divers Colours Taste and Consistency and sometimes the Excrements returning to the Stomach as in Iliaca passio is expell'd by that preposterous way of vomiting wherein omnia naturae praepostera legibus ibant All the differences occurring in several sick People are very difficult to be numbred or reduc'd into a certain order and much more to make an exact Examination of all the Symptoms and thence to give a solid Judgment of every one In this distemper the Stomach is either primarily or secondarily affected The Stomach is primarily affected to vomit when the cause is in it self As by taking a Vomit or when there is an Inflammation or Exulceration of it for then it is easily stir'd up by food or any other thing swallowed to a violent and preternatural Contraction and turning of its motion whereby it is compell'd to cast out whatsoever is contain'd in it The Stomach is secondarily affected when it is drawn by consent of other parts first distemper'd as by the contracting motion of the Guts either in part or wholly in that most grievous disease called Ileos or Iliaca Ileos passio or by the vehement shaking of the Midriff together with a potent Contraction of the Muscles of the Belly caused sometimes in a grievous Cough By which all the Bowels contain'd in the Belly are compressed upward toward the Breast and urge the Stomach to change its natural motion As often as Cholerick humours are plentifully voided out as well upward as downward with great force accompanied with troublesome Anxieties of the Midriff it is Choler Cholerica passio called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bilis And in Latin cholerica passio When there is a forcible pouring out of Bloud by vomiting it is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin vomitio sanguinis Hoemoptysis The Cause of Ileos or Iliaca passio is an Cause of Ileos excrementitious viscous matter that doth adhere unto the Gut called Ileo which in time is coagulated into a very hard substance almost in the form of Bullets of which I have had large experience whence all passage through for the excrements by siege is stopt and anon their regress and ascent to the Stomach follows with a miserable vomiting of them The Rupture of the Peritonaeum may be also the cause of this grievous disease especially if it be so great that not onely the small Guts but the great ones also fall through the lacerated hole either by reason of their weight or else by the perpetual approaching of what is contain'd in them which renders them uncapable to be reduc'd or put back through the same hole whence the excrements having not passage downwards are more and more hardned to that degree that they can hardly be dissolv'd so that a hard and unsupperable Tumour doth soon follow which hinders the reflux of bloud and causeth an inflammation and consequently a
Dysentery doth proceed either from the Cause of a Dysentery thickness of the bloud by reason of over viscous phlegm being mixed with Lympha or the juice of the Pancreas too acid accompani'd with sorrow of mind whereby the bloud doth become too gross for its wonted circulation through the Capillary Vessels of the Guts wherefore it causeth a great distension of them till at length they burst and pour out the bloud into the cavity of the Guts Or else it may be caused from Choler too salt sharp and plenteous in the bloud whereby it doth become extravagantly serous and eager through extraordinary fermentation extremely agitating the humours to a Colliquation especially where fierceness of anger or great heat of mind do concur by which the bloud is the more rarifi'd to pierce through the tender restraint of the vessels and doth flow out by indirect ways sometimes by great loss to the endangering of life A Tenasmus is caused by a phlegmatick viscous Cause of Tenasmus humour joyned with a sharp acid humour which doth fret the Gut about the siege stirring up a troublesome Ulcer there The flux of the Hemorrhoids and of the Cause of Hemorrhoids c. Liver is to be deduc'd from much serous matter mixt with the bloud and also relaxing the vessels The Hemorrhoids are either critical which useth to ease the sick or symptomatical and much weakneth them The signs of Fluxes are manifest from Signs what hath been said 1. If any looseness continue long with loathing Progn 't is an ill sign especially if it be with a Fever 2. If the small Guts are affected the pain is sharper than when it is in the thick Guts 3. In the Dysentery if the dejections be very bloudy or black and fetid with great Thirst Hicket c. for the most part they are mortal signs but if the erosion be onely in the internal membrane of the Gut and there be no great pain nor other bad symptome there is great hopes of recovery If the bloud and humours be too thin and Cure serous they must be corrected and evacuated Chalk and Harts-horn or any other burnt bone reduc'd to powder and given often in a small quantity doth imbibe and correct watry moisture and also over much fatness which may be the cause of a looseness After which the peccant humours may be evacuated by stool with Hydragogues and by sweat and urine with Sudorificks and Diureticks Toasted Rhubarb will satisfie to many indications seeing that it doth not onely evacuate water together with Choler abounding but will soon correct the over-loose body by its mild tartness Wherefore when the Bloud doth abound with much serous liquour let the sick take this Powder in a little Broth. Take the Powder of Jallop Cinamon of each fifteen grains Powder of Rhubarb Purging Powder tosted half a drachm mix it After the operation of it you may give the following Cordial by spoonfulls Take the Waters of Plantain Comfry Cordial Iulep of each two ounces Cinamon-water half an ounce Syrup of Mirtles one ounce Confectio de Hyacintho Diascordium of each one drachm Laudanum opiat four grains mix it It will be also convenient sometimes to educe the humours by urine and sweat for which I commend the following Decoction of China c. Take the Roots of Burdock the five opening Decoction Roots Sarzeparilla Contra yerva of each one ounce China four ounces Gromwell-seeds Juniper-berries of each half an ounce let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in two quarts of fountain water 'till half of it be boiled away then strain it and add Syrup of the five opening Roots six ounces Spirit of Niter one drachm mix it Lâ—t the sick take a quarter of a pint of this warm twice or thrice a day and especially in the morning fasting which will the easier procure a breathing sweat or else urine more plentifull by which the serosity of the bloud will be consum'd by little and little so that the bloud and humours will thereby become more pure If a Dysentery or Bloudy-flux arise from a sharp humour corroding the Vessels it may be cur'd by correcting and tempering the sharp acid humours and consolidating the Vessels fretted The following Powder is excellent to correct and amend the aforesaid acid humours and stop all fluxes of bloud Take the Powders of red Coral Pearles Powder prepared white Chalk Dragons bloud of each half a drachm mix it for six doses which may be taken in three spoonfulls of the following Julep every two or three hours Take the Waters of Plantain Comfry of Astringent Iulep each two ounces Tincture of Cinamon Syrups of Quinces Mirtles of each one ounce Laudanum opiat ten grains Oil of Juniper ten drops mix it If there be an Ulcer in the thick Guts and Clysters can come to the part affected let the following be often injected and instruct the sick to retain them so long as they can Take new Milk wherein Steel hath been Clyster quenched one pint Honey of Roses one ounce Venice Turpentine half an ounce the Yelk of one Egg Balsam of Sulphur four drops mix it The following Bolus may be sometimes given in the Morning fasting Take the Powder of Rhubarb tosted two Purging Bolus Scruples Nutmeg one scruple make it into a Bolus with Conserves of red Roses And this Bolus may be given at Night going to bed Take Diascordium Conserves of red Roses Bolus Opiat of each half a drachm Laudanum opiat three grains mix it By the frequent use of these choice Medicines the Ulcer will be cleans'd the Gripes asswag'd and the Consolidation of the ulcerated Gut both in the Tenasmus and Dysentery c. will be wonderfully promoted But if the Ulcer be in the small Guts the following vulnerary Decoction will more conduce to the Cure Take the Roots of Comfry Plantain Knot-grass Decoction of each two ounces the Tops of Saint John's wort Sanicle Germander red Roses of each one handfull Shavings of Harts-horn Cinamon of each half an ounce let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in three quarts of Fountain-water wherein steel hath been quenched till half of it be boiled away then strain it and add Syrup of dried Roses Tincture of Cinamon distill'd Vinegar Syrup of Marsh-mallows of each two ounces mix it and give the sick four spoonfulls every two or three hours If you add two or three drops of Balsam of Sulphur made with Oil of Anise-seed to every dose of the Decoction c. it will be the more effectual both to cleanse and consolidate the Ulcer The flux of the Hemorrhoids if it be symptomatical and weaken the sick is then to be hindred which may be effectually done by the afore-mention'd Medicines If much serous Liquour can so dilute the Bloud and relax the Vessels that part of it may be carried out of them into the Guts and produce a Flux like the washing of Flesh commonly called a Flux of
the Liver it may be cur'd by driving forward the serous Liquour out of the Body by Sudorificks and Diureticks and also by tart strengthning things that repair the hurt of the loosened Vessels The Diuretick decoction of China before mention'd is excellent in this case to be taken as is there directed Also the following Diaphoretick may be sometimes used with good success Take the Waters of Treacle Cinamon of Sudorifick each half an ounce Plantain-water two ounces distill'd Vinegar three drachms Confectio de Hyacintho Diascordium of each one drachm Powder of Crabs-eyes Antimony Diaphoretick of each half a drachm Syrups of Mirtles dried Roses of each six drachms mix it for two doses Also the Powder and astringent Julep prescrib'd in page 192 193. is excellent to corroborate the loosened Vessels c. Anoint the Belly with the Oil of Quinces Mirtles Roses Wormwood c. mixed with unguent Comitissae which is also good in all Fluxes of the Belly CHAP. X. Of the dry Belly-ach THIS cruciating disease may be called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Latin Spasmus Abdominis quod sub umbelico est ad Pubem and because of the additional Torments it may be also named Tormen Abdominis quod dolore torquetur Abdomen This disease doth also need as well the Name as the invocation of Miserere mei Deus the sick being in such extreme misery that 't is incredible to all but them that have endur'd it The most urgent and exquisite pain under this affect being in that most tender and sensible part viz. the Belly may seem to have some Alliance with the Iliack or Colick passion and indeed they are sometimes its Concomitants but much different from it The causes of this lamentable Distemper Causes are either external or internal The external general occasional cause is contracting Cold in the Region of the Belly c. which doth cramp not onely the Muscles of the Abdomen but also the tender Fibres of the Intestines cruciating all the affected parts with obdurate Contractions which is more aggravated when the Moon doth come to opposition with the Sun Which may be also observ'd in all Spasms and convulsive motions that about the full of the Moon the tide of such nervous diseases doth rise highest Especially in those places where the direct aspects of the nocturnal luminary have the most power which demonstration will evince to be between the Tropicks which many of our Mariners who have sailed that way can tell by wofull experience Another external procuring cause of this grievous disease is a mineral Gas ascending from the Caverns of the Earth infesting the Air with its poisonous Fumes whereby not onely the tender fibrous and nervous parts of the Belly are oft times crampt with Convulsive spasms but the mineral Fumes being inspired with the Air into the Body produce most eminent apparent evils as the Corruption of the Chyle into porraceous and adust Choler from whence followeth irritating Vomitings and the Constipation of the Belly with obdurateness of the excrements which inflames the Bowels and entails Signs a Symptomatical fever with a heavy and slow pulse and as the pain doth aggravate more and more there is want of sleep and rest with other uneasiness and commotions of Body and Mind as the Operatours in Chymistry have sometimes experience of to their cost and trouble in mineral preparations for if a Vessel chance to break the sharp and acid Vapours or Gas of the mineral immediately seiseth the Animal spirits of all that are in the Elaboratory by which they are mov'd unequally against the will through the Nerves to the Musculous parts which causeth Convulsive motions with trembling and shaking of the Limbs and other accumulated evils The like grievous Symptoms though not so violent happen to many People that inhabit near the mineral Mines in Hungaria and also in some Places of England as Derbyshire c. Where there are Lead-works from whence mineral Fumes continually ascend from the separating Oar which infesteth the Air and is a great producer of such Convulsive effects At the first seisure of this evil the Muscles of the Abdomen and sometimes those of the Breast and Back through contractions prove hard and painfull as in our ordinary Cramps which Symptoms will evince that these Vapours are peccant in an acid Acrimony The internal Cause is also sour Vapours arising most commonly out of the small Guts which the concurring symptoms consider'd and weighed with an attentive mind will confirm for these Vapours being sharp are driven forward into the Nerves and gnawing them with great pain aggravate and produce this Convulsive spasm 1. If this miserable and afflictive Distemper Progn hath continu'd to a long durance it causeth such obstructions in the fibrous and nervous Passages of the Muscles that thereby Lameness and an Atrophy soon succeeds increasing the Weakness of all the Members of the Body till at length it ends in a Paralitical resolution of them 2. If a pregnant Woman or a Woman after Abortion be afflicted with this grievous evil it is very dangerous and many times mortal As for the Cure we must endeavour to Cure ease the pain and strengthen the weak parts with all expedition The pain may be eased and diminish'd as well by internal as external Anodynes and Narcoticks to allay the violent Motion of the Animal spirits and abate the grievous Spasms succeeding The following Cordial Diaphoretick opiate is excellent in this Case Take the Waters of Fennel Peony Treacle Diaphoretick Opiate of each one ounce Syrups of Stoechas Peony Scurvigrass of each half an ounce Powder of Crabs-eyes Antimony Diaphoretick Bezoar-mineral Salt of Tartar vitriolated Salt of Amber volatile Salt of Harts-horn of each one scruple Tincture of Castor two drachms Spirit of Salt Armoniack Oil of Cloves of each four drops Laudanum opiat six grains mix it and give four spoonfulls every three hours By the frequent taking of this Volatile and Anodyne Sudorifick the peccant humours will be temper'd and diminisht and the inordinate involuntary and impetuous motion of the Animal spirits will be reduc'd and brought to tranquillity by which the binding Constrictions of the Belly-ach will be the easier remov'd Bathing in this distemper hath been often us'd with admirable success for by the frequent use thereof the cutaneous and muscular Fibres will not onely be relax'd from contracted Spasms but the pores will be also kept open for the constant discharge of transpiring Particles A natural Bath such as is in the City of Bathe is excellent but when it is not to be had an artificial Bath may be very usefull for the ends propos'd For example Take of Elder Dwarf-elder Vervain Betony Chamomel Bays Rhue Time Hyssop Bath Ground-pine Organ Penny-royal Sage sweet Marjoram of each six handfulls Flowers of Stoechas Chamomel Melilot of each four handfulls Roots of Pellitory of Spain Briony Master-wort Virginia Snake-root of each four ounces Spicknard Berries of
Juniper and Bays of each two ounces Brimstone six pound Salt Niter two pound let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in twenty Gallons of Fountain-water till a third part be boiled away Let the sick be well bathed in it as often as strength will permit and let them sit therein as long as they may well bear the same Then let them be rub'd dry and remov'd into a Bed and let the affected parts be well anointed with this or the like fragrant Ointment Take Oil of Earth-worms Ointment of Ointment Orange-flowers Jessamy of each three ounces Oil of Mace by expression one ounce Oil of Juniper Bricks of each two drachms mix it As often as the Body is costive let a Suppository or carminative Clyster be administred to make it soluble Let the weakned parts be fortifi'd with the aforesaid unguent upon which apply a Plaster of Sylvius's carminative Emplaster spread on Leather which you may remove once in twenty four hours using warm frictions to the pained parts and apply the Plaster again and over it you may apply a Fox-skin drest which will keep the parts warm and conduce to the cure which course may be continu'd 'till strength be restor'd to the grieved Limbs CHAP. XI Of the Yellow Iaundice THE Yellow Jaundice is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab avicula quoe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur Icterus quod ea oculos flavi vel aurei coloris habet It is also called Icterus in Latin it being a spreading of a yellowish Colour over the whole body It was the common received opinion of the Ancients that the chief cause of this Disease is an obstruction of the Cystick passage to the small Gut so that Choler is thereby wholly hindred in its natural descent wherefore it doth ascend to the Liver and so to the Bloud with which it is transfer'd to the habit and superficies of the body where it doth shew it self in its colours But it may be manifested from many observations and experiments both Anatomical and Practical that the Jaundice may be produc'd without an obstruction of the passage of Choler Although I suppose that the Jaundice may probably be raised by an obstruction of the Meatus Hepaticus for if there should be a great stoppage in this Vessel by any glutinous or lapidescent matter the Choler that is generated in it may possibly regurgitate there being no Valves to hinder it and thereby become mixed with the Blood by which means it may in a short time be conveyed over the whole Body But if the Meatus Cisticus should be stopped by a small stone c. as I have sometimes seen in dissecting Icterical Patients where I observed that the Excrements were not dyed so yellow as usual yet it is impossible that there should be any regurgitation of Choler to the Liver out of the Gall by reason of the three Valves looking from without inwards which do potently hinder the recourse of it and although the Meatus Hepaticus is without Valves yet seldom in a Jaundice is either that passage or the Ductus Communis obstructed but many times wider as the most ingenious Salmon hath accurately observed Wherefore that we may the better judge Cause I. of the true Cause of this Disease let us first consider that Man's Body abounds with an Animal salt which doth circulate with the Blood through the whole Body so that not onely the internal but superficial parts are replenished therewith 2. Secondly it is the Nature of Volatile and Animal salts to sublime and upon their mixture with other fit Bodies to excite or stir up new appearances of Colours according to the Nature of the Salt for if a solution of Salt of Tartar be mixt with a solution of sublimate in fair Water it gives in a moment a reddish yellowish or orange tawny Colour although both the solutions be as clear as Cristal and with Armoniack salts in proper liquors may be made many Colours to appear From whence we may judge that if the Animal salt of Man's Body become too volatile or be too much sublimed which may be done either by the biting of an enraged Viper or by the power of poyson or from the over heating of the Body by violent exercise or by exceeding sorrow of mind or great passion or by excessive drinking of hot liquors or from burning Feavers whereby the universal Body comes to be inflamed the Spirits vehemently agitated and thereby the Volatile saline Principle to be violently moved out of its Place or Domicil to the Circumference of the Body but meeting with the viscous Juice of the Cutis is there hindred from flying away and being dissolved and mixt with the Cutaneous Humidity it excites the Jaundice whether yellow black or greenish according to the Colour of the Poyson which the Patient hath casually taken or predisposition of the Body to so notable a mutation Hence it is that many who have been in perfect health have been suddenly invaded with this Disease some by the biting of an enraged Viper others by running a race c. who immediately after were all over as yellow as if they were dipt into the Juice of Saffron and yet notwithstanding it could not be judged that the Gall-juice was either affected or disaffected in the least measure for it cannot in reason be supposed that the Venome or Poyson of the Viper should be so particularly directed to the Gall to work such an effect in so short a time as to distribute that viscous heavy Juice so universally over the whole Body much less can any one imagine that either the drinking of strong liquours or any violent exercise c. should any ways so operate upon the cholerick Humour as to volatize it and so immediately disperse it universally over the whole humane Frame for it is impossible that the glutinous Substance of Choler should be dispersed in so short a time to all the superficial Parts of the Body Therefore it is more probable that the volatile Animal salt of the Body being moved and carried out of its Domicil by the extream heat of the internal Parts and violent Motion of the Spirits and being mixt and dissolved with the cutaneous Juice as is before mentioned doth not onely excite the Jaundice but may possibly be the Cause of Purple Spots in the Spotted Feaver as also of many other sudden and great Changes in the Bodies of humane kind The Jaundice invading a Patient in a Fever before the seventh viz. the Critical Progn day is dangerous if it comes upon an Inflamation of the Liver or a Schirrus and the Cure be not hastned a Dropsie Cachexy or deadly pining will in a short time succeed If it be critical upon acute Feavers nature Cure effects the Cure if it be symptomatical the Cure depends upon the Cure of the Disease by which it comes If it be essential from the obstruction of the Meatus Hepaticus the obstruction must be opened If
there are variety of choice medicines prescrib'd in the fourth page of the cure of diseases of the Head in the use whereof you must persevere for some time or else the laudable success and happy wisht for cure will be expected in vain Any other humours that are peccant in quality by which the bloud is vitiated must be alter'd and reduc'd to their natural Constitution by selected Medicines which will amend and empty them out by degrees In the interim good Food which is easie of digestion and wholsome nourishment must not be neglected whereby nature may be cherished and health by degrees procured Those Medicines which are prescrib'd for the Cure of the Dropsie and Scurvy are proper for this Disease wherefore I shall forbear prescriptions here CHAP. XIII Of Dropsies THE Dropsie is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hydrops ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aqua quod nomen sumpsit ab aquoso humore Cutis The Ancients have assigned three sorts of Dropsies 1. The first is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ascites uter pellis 'T is called in Latin aqua intercus ex inter cutis because the Water is between the Skin and the Flesh. This is the most proper Dropsie in which the Abdomen Secrets Thighs and Legs are affected 2. The second is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod tumor est ad similitudinem tympani vel tympani sonum referens As this is the most rare so 't is the most cruel and afflictive 3. The third is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caro quod hydrops toto corpore diffusus It is also called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 album 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phlegma vel pit uita because it is caused of white Phlegm gathered in all parts of the Body Some Authours make a difference between Anasarca and Leucophlegmatia that Anasarca is caused by a serous humour and Leucophlegmatia by a phlegmatick and more viscous humour but all Dropsies except Tympanies seem to me to be little less than a distinction of degrees of one and the same Disease Cause The Ancients did take the Liver to be the chief part male-affected in these distempers but Helmont who was happy in a remedy to cure it doth severely reprove them and is so bold to tax the whole Schools with the ignorance of Anatomical dissections he having inspected many Carcases of dropsical Persons of whom he makes distinct mention doth assert the Livers of them all no-way vitiated and therefore he concludes the Liver faultless in dropsical affects and he derives the Cause of Dropsie to be an obstruction of the Kidneys with the Stone or Gravel and so the water which should be transferr'd through the Kidneys to the Bladder to be evacuated by pissing is forced into the Cavity of the Abdomen But experience teacheth that Dropsies may be caused many ways wherefore I shall betake my self to a more evident description thereof The causes of Dropsies are either external Cause or internal The external Cause is the Constipation of the porous Skin impeding transpiration whereby the discharge of sweaty Vapours through the Habit of the Body is lessned and interrupted hence what moisture is usually carried off by sweating doth rebound inwards and condense into an Ichorous water and is there by degrees aggravated and increased through the hindrance of the necessary transpiration till at length a great quantity of water is accumulated and stagnating in the affected parts in time may work farther alterations on the subjected Bowels Matter of fact hath evinced this to me having cured several Hydropical patients onely by sweating and external applications The internal Cause of the Dropsie may be over viscous Chyle or Phlegm of the Guts coagulated in the lacteal Veins and causing an obstruction in more or fewer of their Branches so that the Liquour rising either from the continual Conflux of Choler the Juice of the Pancreas and the Phlegm of Spittle or else from Chyle or from drink plentifully drunk being stopt and intercepted in its motion it doth by degrees more and more distend the Vessels that at length they burst and the moisture receiv'd into them is poured out between the Membranes of the Mesentery and presently after into the Cavity of the Abdomen This disease is sometimes suddenly produc'd by much drinking in a burning Fever join'd with an urgent and permanent Thirst. After the same manner though difficult to be known may a Dropsie of the Breast be caused viz. by an obstruction of the lateral Lymphatick Vessels by glutinous Phlegm carried together with Lympha into the said Vessels and there coagulated by which the motion of Lympha is hindred so that the Lymphatick vessels being much distended by the great quantity of Lympha gathered in them at length they burst and the Lympha piercing through the Pleura into the Cavity of the Breast procureth a Dropsie in it The cause of a Tympany is wind together Cause of a Tympany with a serous humour piercing through the Guts into the Cavity of the Belly and being there detained it is more and more rarified by which the Peritonoeum is not onely expanded but the whole Abdomen inflated and violently distended The signs of Ascites are swelling and Signs of Ascites fluctuation of the Belly difficult breathing a dry Cough accompanied sometimes with a symptomatical Fever and great Thirst. The signs of Anasarca are weakness faintness Signs of Anasarca and swelling of the whole Body which being pressed with the Finger it doth pit and leave an impression breathing is also difficult with a continual Fever In a Tympany the Belly is distended and Signs of a Tympany being struck upon there is a noise like a little Drum 1. Every Dropsie is difficult of Curation Progn especially if it hath been of long continuance 2. If the Hydropical persons have a good digestion and void more moisture both by stool and urine than they either eat or drink it is a hopefull sign of recovery e contra Dropsies may be cured by strong Hydragogues Cure Sudorificks and Bathing and sometimes by a Paracenthesis or boring the Belly The Best Hydragogues are prepared of Elder Dwarf-elder Jallop-roots Elaterium Gum-gutty Crystals of Silver c. of which you may prepare purging Infusions Pills c. for example Take the Roots of Flower-de-luce Dwarf-Elder Purging Infusion Madder Liquorish the five opening Roots of each one ounce the tops of Saint John's wort Centaury the less Agrimony the best Senna of each one handfull the Barks of Capers Ash Tamarisk Cinamon of each six drachms Flowers of Beans Elder Dwarf-elder Broom of each half a handfull seeds of sweet Fennel Parsley Gromwell Juniper-Berries of each one ounce and half Cloves Salt of Tartar of each half an ounce let them be cleansed bruised and
Antiscorbuticks The Hypochondriack suffocation having great affinity with the Scurvy the same medicines are proper for both The following Julep is both Diaphoretick and Diuretick and very profitable for the sick in these diseases to be taken two or three days in a week Take the Waters of Penny-royal Scurvigrass Iulep Treacle Syrup of the juice of Fennel of each two ounces Tincture of Castor half an ounce Oils of Amber Mace and Cloves of each six drops Spirit of Salt Armoniack twenty drops mix it and give three spoonfulls every two or three hours This Electuary may also be prefer'd Take of Conserves of Scurvigrass three Electuary ounces Confectio Alkermes half an ounce Powder of Crabs-eyes two drachms Flowers of Salt Armoniack Tarter vitriolated of each half a drachm Spirit of Castor one drachm Oil of Cloves twenty drops mix it and give two drachms morning and evening After the frequent use of this Electuary you may purge with this Powder Take Powder of Cream of Tartar half a drachm Salts of Wormwood Amber Purging Powder Scurvigrass Resin of Scammony of each ten grains mix it for two doses If the Patient like Pills better these may serve For Example Take Extract Catholicon Rudii of each ten grains Resin of Jallop Agarick Salt Armoniack of each six grains Oils of Amber Cloves of each two drops make it into eight Pills for two doses A Medicinal Wine may be prepar'd very effectual in these distempers Take of Water-cresses Brook-lime Scurvigrass Medicinal Wine Rue of each one handfull Roots of Polypodium Jallop Horse-radish Angelica Cream of Tartar of each half an ounce white Nettle-seed one ounce Orange-peel Cinamon Salt of Tartar of each two drachms let them be cleansed bruised and infused in three quarts of White-wine for two or three days then strain it and give four spoonfulls in the morning fasting In the Hypochondriack suffocation you may often hold to the Nostrils a glass with a narrow mouth containing the Spirit of Salt Armoniack for by its sharp smell the sick for the most part are wont to be rais'd both from that suffocation and from the Epilepsie If the Gums are putrified let the mouth be washed with the following Tincture mixed with some Plantain water and Syrup of Mulberries Take Powder of Gum Lacca one ounce Tincture burnt Alome half an ounce the small Spirit of Salt Armoniack one quart let them digest together 'till it be of a red colour then filtrate it through brown paper and keep it for use If the sick hath a costive Body you may administer a Carminative Clyster once or twice a week In pains of the Belly and Hypochondries this linament is effectual Take Oils of Earth-worms Scurvigrass Linament Chamomel of each one ounce Oil of Mace by expression half an ounce mix it with which anoint the parts affected This Antiscorbutick water will be very profitable to be taken two or three spoonfulls at a time morning and evening Take the Barks of Ash and Capers the Roots of Tamarisk Polypodium Horse-radish Water against the Scurvy of each three ounces Water-cresses Scurvigrass Brook-lime Sorrel Centaury the less Harts tongue of each four handfulls Berries of Bays and Juniper Goose-dung of each one ounce the Seeds of Citrons Mustard Carduus benedictus Cloves Cinamon Nutmegs Ginger of each half an ounce let them be cleansed bruised and digested in one Gallon of White-wine and two quarts of Spirit of wine being close covered for three days then distill them with a glass Still according to art and keep it for your use Frictions Ligatures Ventoses Sternutatories c. are all profitable to stir up the sick in the Hypochondriack suffocation CHAP. XV. Of the Green-sickness and Suppression of the Courses THE Green-sickness is called in Latin Icteris Febris alba In English the Virgin 's Disease the White Fever and the White Jaundice because in this disease the native colour of the Face is pale This disease is caused either from defect of Bloud or it proceedeth from plenty of Cause crude viscous phlegmatick humours obstructing the veins about the Womb by which the courses are supprest the veins of the Matrix being obstructed that superfluous Bloud which nature hath ordained to be evacuated that way having not passage doth return to the greater Vessels and is circulated with the whole mass of Bloud and humours by which they are in time vitiated and a Cachexie or ill habit of body is thence caused for the Bloud and natural humours being indued with a vitious quality the nourishment of all the parts of the body will be deprav'd several ways according to the variety of the quality peccant whence likewise not onely the fermentation of Food but also the Appetite of it is deprav'd wherefore Anxieties and Palpitation of the Heart c. troubleth the sick as well before as after Food taken in This distemper may be also caused by external coldness of the air c. and sometimes great fear and sudden shame may be the cause of the suppression also aliments and medicaments that are too astringent taken inwardly In these diseases the Urine cometh away Signs crude thick and less colour'd because the phlegmatick watry humours abounding incorporating with the Bloud do diminish the desired effervescency so that the separation much less excretion of the excrementitious parts to be voided together with Urine doth not follow If the Hypochondries be afflicted and the veins of the Womb obstructed there will be great loathing of wholsome Food and a desire after those things which ought not to be eaten as Ashes Salt Coals c. which is called Pica and in Women with Child Malacia of which we have hinted in the Chapter of Hungar Vitiated page 145 146. 1. These distempers are sometimes of long Progn continuance causing much weakness and oft times barrenness in them that have been so afflicted and if they do conceive they bring forth weak and sickly Children and those that are very melancholy are in danger of falling into madness or other grievous affects as Palpitation of the Heart Swouning Vertigo Epilepsie Apoplexy c. 2. If the obstruction be onely of the vessels of the Womb and have not been of long continuance it may be easily cur'd 3. Bleeding at the Nose is sometimes beneficial but if the Bloud doth disburthen it self by the Eyes Ears Mouth or Bladder it is preposterous from whence may arise other bad Symptoms In the cure of these distempers such medicines Cure are to be selected which will mildly and by degrees alter correct and evacuate tough and glutinous Phlegm seeing that all prolong'd diseases depend on it either wholly or at least in part for by the frequent use of such medicines the Bloud and peccant humours will be the easier reduc'd to their natural constitution especially by the help of good Food easy of digestion in the mean while not neglecting the moderate use of the rest of the nannatural things An obstruction
Rhubarb let it be made into twelve Pills for three doses After purging these Astringents will be profitable Take of Cinamon the Roots of Bistort Tormentile Astringent Electuary Rhubarb Seeds of Plantain Dill Flowers of red Roses Balaustins red Coral sealed Earth whitest Amber Harts-horn Gum-dragon and Arabick of each two drachms Saccharum Saturni Dragons-bloud Salt Prunella of each two scruples Laudanum opiat Camphire of each ten grains let them be all finely powder'd and searced and with Honey of red Roses Syrups of Quinces and Comfry of each equal parts let it be made into an Electuary according to Art Let the sick take the quantity of a Nutmeg of this Electuary every morning and evening either upon the point of a knife or dissolve it in two or three ounces of red Wine to which you may add a few drops of Tincture of red Coral and drink it This Julep is also of great virtue Take the Waters of Comfry Plantain Astringent Iulep Oak-buds Knot-grass red Wine of each four ounces in which infuse red Rose-buds Balaustins Flowers of Comfry Bugloss of each one handfull for the space of twenty four hours then boil it gently for half an hour strain it and add Tincture of red Coral Syrups of dried Roses Comfry and Mirtles of each two ounces Oil of Vitriol twenty drops mix it and take six spoonfulls every three hours Let the Region of the Womb be anointed with this Linament Take Unguent Comitissoe Oil of Mirtles Linament of each one ounce Saccharum Saturni one drachm Camphire ten grains mix it After the part is anointed let this Plaster be applied Take the Plaster against Ruptures Diapalma Plaster of each one ounce the carminative Plaster of Sylvius half an ounce mix it and spread it on leather and apply to the region of the Womb. In the Whites let this be used for a Fume Take of Olibanum Amber Cloves of Fume each half a drachm red Rose-buds Balaustins of each two drachms beat them all together into a gross powder put a little of it at a time upon a pan of coles and let the Woman sit over it CHAP. XVII Of the Falling Down of the Womb and Fundament IF the Womb falleth down it may be called in Latin Procidentia Matricis So likewise if the Fundament cometh down it is called Procidentia Ani. The Causes of these distempers are either Cause External or Internal The External Causes may be any violent exercise with much striving also falls or blows on those parts also bathing in cold water c. The Internal Causes are serous and phlegmatick humours a Dysentery with a Tenasmus the Whites continuing long a violent drawing the Child or After-birth out of the Womb also much Sneezing or Coughing especially in Child-bed to conclude all things that may cause a Rupture or relaxation of the Ligaments of the Womb or sphincter Muscle of the Anus may be the cause of these griefs In a Procidentia Ani there is always a Signs mucous and purulent dejection from a phlegmatick viscous and sometimes also a sharp acid humour adjoining about the seige which often causeth a troublesome Ulcer by fretting In young people these distempers may be Progn easily cur'd if they have not continued long and do not come very far out and be not ulcerated But if there be a Rupture of the Ligaments of the Womb it is incurable likewise great pain and inflammation are very difficult and if either the Matrix or Anus be Gangrenated it is mortal without speedy amputation You must begin the Cure with removing Cure the symptoms and discharging the Guts of their Excrements either with Clysters or Lenitives Then anoint the part with some astringent Oils and endeavour to reduce it gently by degrees The manner of the reduction every ingenious Artist knows and therefore needs not any directions When the Womb is reduc'd it may be kept with a Pessary fram'd of Cork as thick as necessary and cover'd with Wax mixed with a little Castor and Assafoetida which may there continue If there be pain and inflammation let the part be bathed with this Take the Flowers of Chamomel Elder of Bath each one handfull Marsh-mallow-roots one ounce Seeds of Flax and Foenugreek of each half an ounce boil it in two quarts of Milk till half be consumed then strain it and add Malaga Wine one pint mix it Let Stuphs be moistned in this and wrung out and applied hot after which apply a Plaster of ad herniam to the lower part of the Belly Before you reduce the Anus anoint it with Oil of Mirtles and bestrew it with Powder of Album Groecum or the following Take of red Roses Pomgranat-rinds Cypress-nuts Powder Mastick Crocus Martis burnt Lead of each half an ounce beat them all into a fine powder A Bag quilted with the following astringents and applied hot to either griev'd part three times a day will conduce much to keep it up Take of Plantain Sanicle Buds of Oak For a quilted Bag. and Medlar red Rose-buds Balaustins of each one handfull Roots of Comfry Tormentil Bistort Cypress-nuts Seeds of Anise sweet Fennel of each one ounce beat them all into a gross powder Inwardly may be given Astringents and Strengthners but not in time of the courses those prescrib'd against the immoderate flowing of the Terms are good CHAP. XVIII Of Barrenness BArrenness is called in Latin Sterilitas It may be called in English Unfruitfullness it being an impotency of Conception We reade in the Scripture that the Women of old did think it a reproach to be Childless and therefore when Elizabeth had conceived who before was Barren she said the Lord hath taken away my reproach among Men as you may reade at large in the first Chapter of Luke's Gospel Very few Women in a Marriage state but desire Children yea some would give all they have in the world for a Child and are very impatient if they do not Conceive Rachel said to Jacob in Gen. 30 ver 1. give me Children or else I dye I will now briefly shew you what may be the cause of Sterility 1. First want of Love between a Man and his Wife way hinder Conception 2. Any malignant distemper in the womb may corrupt the Seed and be the cause of Barrenness Some are of opinion that Witch-craft may be the cause But to conclude the Whites or any moist distemper of the Matrix may be the cause of Barrenness Sometimes the cause is in the Man for if he doth want Sperm or is unable to erect his Genital by reason of any weakness or distemper in his Secrets or if he be effeminate and taketh little or no delight in the act of Venery he is not fit for Venus School There are some Rules left by the Ancients to try whether a Woman be naturally Barren or no. Hippocrates adviseth to put a Clove of Garlick or a little Galbanum into her Womb and if her Breath do smell
of it be sure she is fruitfull If Barrenness be caused by any Disease afflicting either the man or the woman then Progn there may be hopes of Conception when health is procured but if it be evil shape of of the members in the woman or the man not fit for Venus-School patientia est optima virtus In the cure you must endeavour to remove Cure whatsoever hindreth Conception Many things are antipathetical to fecundity as Jet Glow-worms Saphires Smaragds the Matrix of a Goat or Mule likewise Vinegar Mints Watercresses Beans c. all which I advise you to avoid and make use of those things which have a peculiar virtue to help or cause Conception and remove Barrenness The After-birth of a Woman dried and powdred and taken often a drachm at a time also the Stones and Liver of a Bore-pig the Juice of Sage the Roots of Satirion and Eringo candied are all good There are many medicines prescrib'd in Authours to help Conception Quercetanus doth commend this infusion Take the Matrix of a Hare and the Stones of a Ram prepar'd with Whitewine of Cinamon Infusion Ginger Mace Cloves Seeds of Bishops-weed of each half an ounce Saffron two drachms Kernels of Fistick-nuts one ounce let them be all bruised and infused in a quart of Muskadel-wine for two or three days then strain it and add more Wine to the ingredients for a second infusion The following Electuary is also excellent Take the Roots of Satirion and Eringo Electuary candied of each one ounce candied Ginger and preserv'd Nutmegs of each two drachms Kernels of Hazle-nuts and Fistick-nuts of each half an ounce Powder of a Bull's-pizle of Ivory Seeds of Rocket Bishops-weed of each one drachm Species Diambroe Diamosc dulcis of each six drachms Confectio Alkermes one ounce and half with Syrup of the juice of Citrons make it into an Electuary according to Art Let the Woman take the quantity of a Nutmeg of it every night going to bed and drink a glass of Sack or Muskadel or of the aforementioned Infusion after it If a cold and moist distemper of the Body and Womb accompanied with the Whites be the cause look for the cure in its proper Chapter If it be caused by Witchcraft there are some things commended by Authours to be worn about the party against Fascination viz. the Pizle of a Wolf a Diamond a Jacinth-stone Rue Squills Sea-holly Sagapenum Amara dulcis Hypericon c. But above all let fervent and devout Prayers be put up to the Throne of grace for help and reject and despise Incantations or Charms and all other Diabolical means CHAP. XIX Of Abortion or Miscarriage ABortion is called in Latin Abortus vel intempestivus foetus Because it is an untimely Birth the Child being brought forth either dead or alive before its fit time of deliverance This is the worst Symptom that attends breeding Women It may happen from the first Moment of Conception to the end of the sixth Month but it is most usual in the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth Month. The causes are either external or internal Causes The external Causes are a great excess in things nonnatural as too great Anger Fear and other Passions or else it may be through defect for if the Mother undergo Penury or Famine or lose much Bloud the Child wanteth Nourishment Many times things longed for and not obtained kill the Child Also strong purging Medicines that provoke the terms and all fetid smells falls blows lifting carrying dancing running riding or any other outward violence may be the Cause of Abortion The internal Causes may be the depravedness of the humours by which the Mass of Bloud becometh vitious also Acute or Chronick diseases especially of the Womb and also violent Coughing Sneezing Vomiting Convulsions and Fluxes of the Belly may loosen the Ligaments of the Womb and so cause miscarriage The signs of Abortion at hand are great Signs pain about the Loins and Share-bones sometimes with shivering the Breasts growing little and flaggy the Situation of the Child changed towards the Bottom of the Belly with a bearing down and evacuation of Bloud c. 1. Women who have moist and slippery Progn Wombs are most subject to miscarry but with little danger except it be the first Child and that very big 2. Much bleeding with fainting raving or Convulsions is for the most part mortal To prevent Abortion if there be an evil Cure disposition of the Body or Womb you must endeavour to remove it if the Woman hath a plethorick Body let a Vein be opened in the Arme especially in the first six months If ill humours abound purge often with gentle means This purging Infusion may serve Take of Cinamon Rhubarb Anise-seed of each two drachms let them be bruised Purging Infusion and infused in four ounces of Plantain-water very hot for the space of a Night then strain it and add Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb the best Manna of each half an ounce mix it and give it in the Morning fasting Also the Pills prescrib'd in page 240. may be used in this case If the Woman be troubled with a Rheumatick distemper accompanied with Wind and if she be pretty strong you may sweat her gently sometimes with this or such like Cordial Diaphoretick Take the Waters of Treacle Carduus Fennel Cordial to cause sweat of each one ounce Cinamon-water two drachms Syrups of the Juice of Carduus Coral of each half an ounce Confectio de Hyacintho half a drachm Spirit of Niter six drops Oil of Cinamon two drops Laudanum opiatum three grains mix it and give to provoke sweat Let the Womb be strengthned with Cordial Astringents Those prescrib'd in page 239. 240. are excellent CHAP. XX. Of hard Travel in Child-birth HArd labour may be called in Latin partus vel enixus laboriosus quod ipse nitendi pariendi actus The time of a natural Birth ought to be accomplished in the space of twenty four hours if the Womans travel continue longer time with vehement pains and dangerous Symptoms it may be called hard labour or difficult Travel in Child-birth There are various Causes of hard Labour sometimes tender Women by reason of pain Causes are very fearfull and do endeavour to hinder pains and consequently the Birth also Sometimes the Child being weak or dead and not following the Water in Due-time before the passage be too dry may be the Cause especially if the Mother be weak by reason of any Disease afflicting her or by too much Evacuation of Bloud or there be not sufficient Motion of the Womb and Muscles of the Belly Sometimes the Child's head may be too big or the passage too strait Also the Child may be turned in the Womb and the Hands Shoulders Back Belly or Buttocks c. may come forward to the Birth and then the endeavour to bring forth will be painfull and difficult The signs of
natural Constitution also all the Functions being in time vitiated For the spinalis medulla being primarily affected all the Nerves which proceed from it in its passage through the spina Dorsi must of necessity be stupifi'd and vitiated with a loose Feebleness hence also all the nervous membranous and fibrous parts through which those Nerves are carried or inserted into must consequently be vitiated with an inward weak Slipperiness so that the very ends of the bones as well as all the Faculties of the Body bear a share in this Distemper When the Rickets is confirm'd in Infants it seems to have some affinity with divers other Diseases viz. a Chronical fever an extenuation or leanness of the Body and an Hydrocephalus and many more which are frequently complicated with this affect And indeed not onely this but most other Observatio Diseases in process of time do unite unto themselves other affects of a different kind and therefore for the most part there is a complication of Chronical diseases before Death The Causes are either external or internal Causes The external may be any of the Non-naturals exceeding either in excess or defect All things cold and moist do powerfully contribute to this Disease especially an over cold and moist Air which is most frequent in the Spring the Air being then cloudy thick rainy and full of vaporous Exhalations Hereupon the Children of those which inhabit near the Banks of the Sea or great Rivers Ponds or Marshes that are obnoxious to too much Rain or are fed with a great Number of Springs are more or less subject to this affect for by the Continuance of such cold and moisture the Bloud and Humours becomes too slippery and therefore in their Circulation they must unavoidably cause a softness and looseness in all the parts Also experience testifieth that those Children which are born and nursed near the Lead-mines in Derby-shire c. are generally affected more or less with a languidness of the Limbs For the Air being infected with noxiousmetalline Exhalations which for the most part fight against the inherent Spirits of the parts by a kind of venemous malignity by which the spirituous pulsificative Force of the external parts is extinguished and the strength of the Limbs and whole Body much weakned and diminish'd Hither we may also refer fine soft Linen applied actually cold and moist being not well dried by reason of the moistness of the weather to the Spine of the Back which is near the Original of the Nerves the use thereof being too long continu'd it cherisheth the Roots of this Disease in that tender Age. Likewise Aliments of any kind which are too moist and cold or too thick viscous and obstructive do manifestly cherish this Distemper And I am induced to believe that Ebriety in English people especially the Gentry and eating of much Flesh and not using frequent labour or exercise may be a reason why this Disease is more common and natural to Children in England than in other Regions perhaps far exceeding it both in cold and moisture as Scotland Holland c. wherein this affect hath not been observ'd to be very common And therefore ebriety and eating of much Flesh and defect of motion and want of exercise doth most frequently and most effectually concur to the production of it because the inherent heat in stupid and sluggish People is not sufficient to resist and expell the superfluous moisture by a due transpiration By which means the Circulation of the Bloud is become slow and lesned and the production of the vital heat very feeble and weak so that nature is thereby forced to permit all the parts of the Body to be affected with a certain softness looseness and internal lubricity more than is meet which do sufficiently evince that this is an efficacious cause and a part of the essence of this Disease Hence we may easily infer that the Children of such Parents are more inclined to this distemper than others who drink moderately and eat less Flesh and are more active and lively The internal Causes are excrementitious Humours luxuriant in the Body especially Phlegm and serous humours retained and vitiated being naturally cold and moist and little spirituous and affected with an internal slipperiness wherefore upon a superfluous accumulation of these humours the production of this affect succeedeth because thereby a Colliquation of the parts and a dissipation of the inherent Spirits will be easily introduced whereby all the parts will afterwards be rendred obnoxious to this cold and moist Distemper Many diseases preceding this affect may be the cause of it especially those which do extenuate and much weaken the Body as all Fevers c. And also all cold and moist phlegmatick and cachochymick Distempers which will induce a stupour and dulness in the affected parts and cause obstructions Also any great Pain Inflammation Tumour Fracture Luxation or any other preternatural affect that hinders the standing and playing of the Child may be some cause of this Disease Presently after the beginning of the Disease Signs a kind of slothfulness and numbness doth invade the Joints and by little and little is increased so that daily they are more and more averse from motion besides in the beginning of this affect there is usually observ'd a certain laxity softness and flaccidity of all the first affected parts after which followeth a great debility languidness and enervation of all the parts subservient to motion so that for the most part they speak before they walk which is vulgarly held to be a bad Omen and if it vehemently increase they do not onely totally lose the use of their Feet but can scarce sit with an erected posture and their weak and feeble Neck can hardly sustain the Burthen of the Head In the progress of the Disease the Head and Face increaseth in bigness but the fleshy parts below the Head are daily more and more worn away There is also observ'd in this affect certain swellings and knotty excrescencies about some of the Joints these are chiefly conspicuous in the Wrists and somewhat less in the Ancles and in the tops of the ribs the Bones in the Armes and Legs and sometimes the Thighs and Shoulder-bones wax crooked the Teeth come forth slowly and with greater trouble than usual and at length the Breast becomes narrow and the Abdomen swollen with an extension of the Hypochondriacal parts which hindreth the free motion of the Diaphragma downwards and by consequence doth somewhat interrupt the breathing so that respiration becomes difficult accompanied with coughing the Pulse being also weak and small and in the increase of the Disease all these signs become more intense and evident and many and more grievous are daily accumulated 1. If this Disease be light and gentle the Progn Children affected therewith may be easily restored to health sometimes by the sole benefit of Age the vital heat being increased and summoned forth to the external parts by
bottle it up for the Child 's ordinary drink In the Cure you must endeavour to resist all symptoms as Fluxes Worms Venereal affects breeding Teeth with great pain c. In any Flux Gripes or urgent pain you may give half a grain of Laudanum opiat dissolved in any convenient Vehicle so often as necessity urgeth If Worms or venereal affects be fear'd you may sometimes adminster this gentle purging Bolus Take of Mercur. dulcis six grains Diagredium Purging Bolus Rezin of Jallop of each three grains with Syrup of Roses solutive make it into a Bolus give it in the morning fasting In your Broths and Panadoes you may boil Harts-tongue Ceterach Liver-wort Maiden-hair Sage the Bark of Tamarisk red Sanders Saffron the Roots of China and Sarseparilla c. but let all things be made acceptable to the Palate All kinds of exercise unto which Children are accustomed may be usefull in their time and season as Rocking Going Swinging Playing c. Also Frixions are excellent in which begin at the Spina dorsi and rub with a course warm linen Cloth and also under the Short-ribs and afterwards all other parts let it be done gently to cherish and incite the natural and vital heat and attract the Nourishment to the affected parts External Medicines may be also applied to strengthen the weak parts as Emplasters Ointments c. These forms may serve for Example Take Ointments of the opening Juices Linament Tobacco Marsh-mallows Oils of Capers Wormwood Elder Earth-worms Bricks Balsam of Peru of each half an ounce mix it With which let the weak parts be anointed with a warm hand before a Fire Take the Plasters Nervinum De minio ad Plaster Herniam of each one ounce the Carminative Plaster of Sylvius Balsam of Peru of each two drachms mix it and spread it on thin Leather It may be applied to the Back or any other weak part after anointing If the Lungs be affected anoint the Breast with the following Ointment Take the pectoral Ointment two ounces Pectoral Ointment Oil of Mace by expression Oil of Violets of each half an ounce mix it After which apply a Plaster They that desire more variety of Medicines c. let them peruse that excellent and learned tract of the Rachites written by the famous Doctours and Fellows of the College of Physicians at LONDON Ornari res ipsa negat contenta doceri CHAP. XVIII Of the Gout and Rheumatism THE Gout is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab Arthritis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Articulus quod Articulos infestet hence it is called in Latin Articularis morbus it being a Disease of the Joints This is a general Name for all Gouts or when all or most of the Joints are affected But when any particular Joint is infested with a Gouty distemper it doth from thence take its denomination For if it invadeth the Jaw-bones it may be called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maxilla 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soevio quod maxillarum usum impediat It being for the most part accompanied with a fierce and cruel Pain And so likewise if it invade any of the rest of the Joints If the Vertebroe of the Neck c. be affected it may be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collum vel cervix c. That which molests the Shoulders may be fitly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humerus c. If it affects the Collar-bones you may call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clavis vel clavicula c. That in the Elbow may be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cubitus c. The Gout in the Hand is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manus c. That in the Hip may be called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coxa c. quod ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lumbus In Latin Coxendicum dolor quod coxendices proecipue infestat If it be in the Knee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genu c. If in the Foot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soevio Quod pedum usum impediat which may be added to every particular This and all other Gouts are most commonly accompanied with a fierce cruel tormenting pain and thus much if not too much of the Names of the Gout The Causes are either external or internal Causes The external Causes are Gluttony Drunkenness immoderate Venery Idleness external Cold and excess or defect of any of the non-naturals The internal Cause of all Arthritick pains is the Juice of the Pancreas too acid and sharp which raiseth a vitious Effervescency with Choler c. whereby a Fermental sharpness is increased and when it is exorbitant it is sent forth into the extreme parts and meeting with that seedy Glue which is between the Joints doth not onely affect it with its fermental Acrimony but is also the grand Cause of the virulent tormenting pain and inflammation in the part affected But seeing the pains are different not onely in divers People sick of this Distemper but also the Pains of the Gout are divers in the same sick party we must therefore as well by reason as experience search into the true Cause thereof Therefore in as much as the present molesting pains are not always freed with the same medicines no not in the same fit much less all that are Gouty We may hence consider that divers humours as Choler Phlegm c. are diversly mixt and fermented with the Juice of the Pancreas which is peccant in a sour Acrimony being the primary Cause of all Gouts And here we may note that this over acid Observatio humour doth molest the sick chiefly in the beginning of the fit with a corroding pain but after a while when Choler by its exceeding heat hath gotten the Predominancy it causeth a divers burning pain according to the diversity of its faultiness But if viscous Phlegm be predominant the pain is much dull'd and the motion of the part hinder'd with a phlegmatick Tumour rather than an acute pain which ought to be accurately observ'd by every ingenious Artist When the Gouty humour hath invaded Signs any joint there is presently an unusual heat and more exquisite sense in it than formerly so that the least touch of any hard thing doth hurt the part and the longer it continues the more the Pain increaseth with redness and swelling of the part affected and most commonly attended with a Symptomatical Fever 1. The Gout is a Chronical disease attended Progn with violent Pain but is seldom mortal except in very weak Bodies that are much decay'd by Sickness or old Age. 2. If it continue long till the Joints are knotty it
is incurable according to Ovid Tollere nodosam nescit medicina Podagram But if there be no Knots in the Joints and the Patient is laborious and the Body is for the most part soluble and there be swelling of the Veins called Varices then it may be happily cured 3. If it becomes habitual to the sick the morbifick Idea is implanted in the vital Spirit and transfer'd through the seed which makes it Hereditary The Cure of the Gout will consist Cure 1. First in defending the afflicted Joints as well against future Pain as freeing them from that which doth molest at present 2. In the universal amendment of the juice of the Pancreas 3. In the correcting and evacuation of the vitious Choler 4. In the altering and diminishing of Phlegm any way peccant To asswage the present Pain I commend the following Medicaments which will conduce much to mitigate the sharpness of the acrimonious humours in all Gouty people and ease the part affected When there is excessive heat you may bathe the Gouty part with this Fomentation very hot with wollen Stuphs which must be often renewed Take the Waters of the Spawn of Frogs Fomentation Fumitory Elder of each one quart Vinegar of Mary-golds one pint Opium Camphire of each half an ounce mix it according to Art But when the Pain is more corroding than burning I commend the following to be used as the former Take of Treacle-water half a pint the Waters of the Spawn of Frogs Parsley of each one quart Opium Camphire of each half an ounce mix it After Bathing with either of these apply this Cataplasm Take Powders of the Roots of Marsh-mallows Pultess Flax-seed Barley-meal of each four ounces new Milk three pints boil it to the Consistence of a Pultess and add Oils of Flax-seed Earthworms the Ointment Martiatum of each three ounces Camphire half an ounce mix it according to Art Where exceeding heat doth concur and the Body abounds with sharp Choler instead of sweet Milk you may substitute Butter-milk Also a Pultess made of the Crums of White-bread new Goats or Cows milk and Saffron with Oil of Lin-seed and Earth-worms may be deservedly commended to asswage any Pain If the sick be very phlegmatick and impotency of motion doth afflict more than pain then Opiats may be omitted and things more Aromatical may be used in all external Applications The following Pultess or one like it may serve for Example Take the Powders of Orris-roots the Cataplasm Flowers of Chamomel and Elder Cummin-seeds Barley-meal of each four ounces the Tops of Wormwood Mints of each four handfulls boil them in two quarts of water of the Spawn of Frogs to the Consistence of a Pultess when it is almost cold add Treacle-water Oils of Chamomel Earth-worms of each three ounces mix it Also the Root of Briony and Cuckow-pintle bruised and made into a Pultess with Cow-dung is excellent If you add Volatile Salts of Animals or Vegetables to your Medicines whether Fomentations Cataplasms or Ointments they will be the more effectual You may prepare an excellent Volatile Salt of Earth-worms of great Virtue for the Gout which may be resolved into Liquour by fermentation and putrefaction If the Gouty Patient do abound with Phlegm or the Juice of the Pancreas exceed in an acid Acrimony causing a corroding Pain it may happily be mitigated and remov'd with Balsam of Sulphur made with Oil of Amber with which let the grieved part be embrocated and it will forthwith raise a very hot Effervescency which will presently cease again and remove the great Pain in a moment even to admiration After the pain is over you may apply one of the former Cataplasms or some Anodyne Ointment to comfort and by degrees restore again the membranous parts The following Linament may serve for Example Take Oils of Earth-worms Scurvigrass Linament Saint John's-wort of each one ounce Chymical Oils of Rosemary Rue of each twenty drops mix it Afterwards you may apply a Plaster of De minio cum sapona In the mean time inward means to take away the Cause and ease the pain must not be neglected If the Patient have a plethorick Body after a Stool hath been procured by a Carminative Clyster with Electuar Caryocostinum c. Let a Vein be opened Bloud drawn from the Vena poplitis or sciatica Vein hath been succesfull in the sciatica But Leeches applied to the Hemorrhoidal veins are effectual in all Gouts Two or three days after bleeding you may administer the following Pills Take of Pills Hermodactils faetidae ex Purging Pills duobus Mercur. dulcis of each one scruple mix it for two doses and give them in the Morning fasting Or you may give half a drachm or two scruples of pul Arthriticus in any convenient Vehicle But if the sick be inclining to vomit administer an Antimonial Emetick You may purge and bleed so often as you see occasion Issues near the part affected and also to raise Blisters upon the part have been found by experience to be very effectual Also bathing and sweating in nitrous or sulphurous Baths either natural or artificial are much approv'd of That which is prescrib'd in the Chapter of the Belly-ach is very effectual which may be used as is there directed I might fill a Volume with receipts against the Gout but I shall onely commend the following water or spirit to be often taken inwardly in any fit Vehicle the quantity of half a spoonfull at a time Take the Roots of Orris Angelica Saffaphras Water against the Gout of each two ounces the Tops of Ground-pine Penny-royal Sage Mother of Time the Flowers of Saint Johns-wort Chamomel Prim-roses Rosemary Lavender of each three handfulls the Berries of Bays and Juniper of each one ounce Castor two drachms let them be all cleansed bruised and infused in six quarts of Spirit of Earth-worms compound for the space of twenty four hours then distill it in an Alembick according to Art The Rheumatism is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rheumatismus ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluo it being a distillation of Rheumatick humours not onely affecting the Joints but the adjacent parts yea sometimes the whole Body especially the Muscles Membranes and Periostium of the Thighs Legs and Hip-bones The humour is of a very malign Nature and soon causeth a Cariosity of the Bones if it be not prevented The Cause is the same with the Gout but sharper Cause 'T is seldom mortal but may be of long Progn continuance with great Pain so that the Sick cannot endure to be touched In the Cure of this Distemper Phlebotomy Cure must be often repeated and carminative Clysters often administred Foment the pained parts with stale Urine made very hot wherein Castle-sope is dissolved after which anoint with this following Take Spirit of Salt Armoniack Oils of Linament Guiacum Bricks of each two ounces in which dissolve Opium one ounce Spanish Sope four ounces
infused in two quarts of White-wine for two or three days then strain it and add Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb six ounces mix it and give four ounces of it in the morning fasting If any like Pills better I commend the following Take the Resins of Jallop and Scammony Purging Pills Tartar vitriolated Mercur. dulcis of each half a drachm Oil of Juniper one scruple make it into Pills with Venice-Turpentine of which you may give twenty grains at a time in the morning fasting The following Pills are also very effectual Take of Elaterium Gambogia Resin of Jallop Pills of each ten grains Oil of Nutmegs six drops make it into Pills with Venice-Turpentine for two doses The obstructions in the Lacteal veins or Lymphatick vessels may be cur'd by Medicines that do powerfully cut and happily open the said obstructions This Aromatick Sudorifick may be commended for these intentions Take the waters of Treacle Scurvigrass Sudorifick Fennel of each one ounce waters of Parsley Fumitory of each two ounces distill'd Vinegar half an ounce Syrups of the juice of Carduus and the five opening Roots of each six drachms Powder of Crabs-eyes Antimony Diaphoretick Salt of Amber Beans Worm-wood of each one scruple Spirits of Salt Armoniack Niter of each twenty drops mix it and give four spoonfulls of it every two or three hours After the Vessels are freed from the noted obstruction by the medicines before-mention'd or such like they will be easily consolidated again by conglutinating food in which you may boyle the Roots of Comfry Plantain and Solomon's Seal for the more quick and easie cure In a Tympany the dulcifi'd Spirit of Niter is excellent being taken in Broth or Sack three or four times in a day from six to twelve drops at a time for it doth correct both Phlegm and Choler and hinder Wind in its rise and dissipate it when it is bred Also the following exemplary Julep doth curb and discuss Wind remaining as well in the Stomach as Guts Take the Waters of Mint Fennel of Carminative Iulep each four ounces the Carminative Spirit of Sylvius Syrup of the juice of Mints of each two ounces Laudanum opiat eight grains Spirit of Niter one drachm Salt of Amber half a drachm Chymical Oil of Mace ten drops mix it and take three or four spoonfulls every three hours You may prepare a Medicinal Wine for the rich very beneficial in Dropsies Take the Seeds of Anise Fennel Caraway Medicinal Wine Coriander Berries of Bays and Juniper of each two ounces Salt of Tartar half an ounce let them be bruised and infused in three pints of White-wine for three days then strain it and add Spirit of Niter half an ounce Salt of Amber two drachms Syrup of Mint three ounces mix it and take four or five spoonfulls of it often Sweating is very profitable in all Dropsies either in Bed with the forementioned Sudorifick or in a Bagnio or Hot-house by which the water standing beside nature in any part of the Body will by degrees be emptied through the pores of the Skin Also it may be necessary especially in persons more elderly to use warm Baths That which is prescrib'd for the cure of the Belly-ach in page 201 202. is also very profitable in Dropsies into the which it may be agreeable to descend at evening before Bed-time and there to continue so long as the Patient can well endure without fainting after which Frications may have their proper use and great benefit And to strengthen the cutaneous Fibres and restore their true tone for their better service of the offices of Nature let the affected parts be anointed with the following fragrant Balsamick Ointment Take of Flanders Oil of Bays Nerve-oil Ointment Oil of Earth-worms of each two ounces Oil of Mace by expression half an ounce mix it Galen commendeth a Cataplasm of Snails bruised with their shells and laid upon the Navel But a Pultess prepar'd of the ingredients of the Bath and applied to the affected parts will be more effectual to discharge the Ichorous water Or you may make a Cataplasm after this manner Take the tops of Elder Dwarf-elder Vervain Pulcess Worm-wood Chamomel of each two handfulls Horse-radish-roots four ounces let them be cleansed bruised and boiled in two quarts of the juice of Wild-cucumbers till they are very tender then strain it and beat them very well and add Barley-meal one pound and with the same liquor boil it into the consistence of a Pultess Let the Patients diet be drying and let them drink moderately you may infuse Juniper-berries Tamarisk and Elicampane-roots in their ordinary drink And for the benefit of those Physicians and Chirurgeons that live in the West-Indies there groweth almost every where in moist places a large Cane much like the Sugar-cane the Planters generally call it the dumb Cane because they that taste it are presently dumb and unable to speak for two or three hours after which the Tongue returns to its former use and volubility without any prejudice The reason why this remarkeable Plant doth so affect the Tongue upon the touch of it is its power of attracting such plenty of moisture into it as doth distend all the Vessels thereof and render it immoveable till the crouded moisture be gradually discharged Hence we may conjecture and indeed experience teacheth that of this Plant may be prepared diversity of medicines as Cataplasms Oils Ointments c. Which will be effectual to attract and easily and kindly discharge the swollen part of the Ichorous water which may be used for some time after the evacuation of it the better to prevent a farther accumulation or return of the Disease Likewise may medicines be prepared by a skilfull Artist of this Plant very effectual to be taken inwardly not onely against Dropsies but the Scurvy Gout c. If these choice medicines are not to be had and nothing be effected by other means A harmless Paracenthesis may be instituted in the Dropsie of the Breast or Abdomen provided the Apertion be made by such a little hollow instrument as is describ'd in page 81 82. of the Cure of the Pleurisie for by such a small wound there is no danger to the sick But this operation must not be delay'd lest the humour collected get an hurtfull Acrimony and by degrees corrode and corrupt the Membrane and hence the substance of all the parts contain'd and so make the Disease incurable CHAP. XIV Of the Scurvy and Hypochondriack Suffocation commonly called the Fits of the Mother THE Scurvy being a Hypochondriack disease it will not be amiss to treat of them together The Scurvy is called in Latin Scorbutus it is a Complication or Concatenation of Diseases generated by the Conjunction of divers Causes contributing to a scorbutick Deformity The Scurvy is generated or planted essentially in the vital Principles or digestive Offices and therefore it is not discerned by sense but the effects are distributed throughout the Body and