De Morbis Querorum OR A TREATISE OF The Diseases of Children WITH Their Causes Signs Prognosticks and Cures for the benefit of such as do not understand the Latine Tongue and very useful for all such as are House-keepers and have Children With the Contents of the several Chapters as also an Alphabetical Table of all the Diseases mentioned herein By ROBERT PEMELL Practitioner in Physick at Cranebrooke in Kent May the 29. 1653. LONDON Printed by J. Legatt for Philemon Stephens at the guilded Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1653. The Authour to the Reader Kind Reader PRomise is a debt In my Book of the nature of Simples I did promise to do something more that might be helpful to young Practitioners as also to the Vulgar I have therefore taken some pains to write concerning the diseases of Children and have handled them methodically that so it might be more useful and profitable to such as shall Read the same And because I see my glasse runs apace and I know not how short my time is therefore I have made the more hast and taken the present advantage yet have I not made it my hoc age my onely busines but have done it at rapt hours Whatever I have done I now offer it to thy view and submit to thy Charitable censure desiring my good will and affection may be accepted December 1. 1652. Thine to serve in what I may Robert Pemel Medicus The Contents of the several Chapters OF Vlcers and sores in childrens heads Chapter 1. Of Lice Chap. 2. Of the Scab and Itch. Chap. 3. Of the Falling sicknesse and Convulsion Chap. 4. Of pain in the ears with inflammation Chap. 5. Of breeding and coming of Teeth Chap. 6. Of inflammation of the mouth and throat with ulcers and sores thereof Chap. 7. Of Feavers Chap. 8. Of the small Pox and Measels Chap. 9. Of watching out of measure and want of rest Chap. 10. Of fear starting and terrible Dreams Chap. 11. Of Rheume the Cough and shortnesse of breath Chap. 12. Of Vomiting and weaknesse of the stomach Chap. 13. Of the Consumption or leannesse and of the Rickets Chap. 14. Of the Hicket Chap. 15. Of Gripings and fretings in the belly Chap. 16. Of loosenesse and flux of the belly Chap. 17. Of Costivenesse and stopping of the belly Chap. 18. Of Worms Chap. 19. Of Ruptures and Burstings Chap. 20. Of swelling or coming forth of the Navel Chap. 21. Of inflammation of the Navel Chap. 22. Of the swelling of the Cods Chap. 23. Of falling of the Fundament Chap. 24. Of the Stone and difficulty of making water Chap. 25. Of Pissing in bed Chap. 26. Of the disease called Saint Anthonies fire or wilde fire as also of burning and scalding Chap. 27. Of fretting chafing or galling of the skin in the groines Chap. 28. Of the diseases of Children CHA.P. I. Of Ulcers and sores in Childrens heads CHildren are many times troubled with running sores and ulcers in their head both when they suck and when they be weaned The cause The cause hereof are excrementitious humors thin and sharp or they proceed from a mixt humour partly thin and sharp and partly thick and melancholy and altogether salt and nitrous from whence these ulcers and sores look sometimes white sometimes red sometimes yellow and sometimes black alwayes salt and fretting whereby they cause itching and from thence they are forced often to scratch Now these humours are gathered together or produced partly in the womb from the impurity of the mothers blood whereby the infant is nourished partly from the vitiousnesse or corruption of the milk whereby the infants are nourished either from the mother or nurse The signs are Manifest These sores and ulcers if they be but gentle and easie are judged to be very healthful for children because nature expelleth ill and noxious humours from the inward parts to the outward and if they dry up many times children fall into fears and other diseases Hippocrates * De morb sac fol. 139. saith that if ulcers or sores arise in the heads of children or in their ears or face or in any other part of their body they are freed from the falling sicknesse These ulcers are many times cured without means as strength and age increaseth If they continue long and run much it is to be feared least these exulcerations pierce to the skul and brain If these ulcers continue long and grow crusty and black they are hard to cure The cure Concerning the Cure care must be taken that such things as are cooling and binding be not used Let the Nurse use a good Dyet and abstain from all sharp and salt meats and such as breed vitious or bad juyces as Onions Garlick Leeks Peese Beans Raddish salt Beef Porke c If the Nurse have need of purging give her a purge of the Electuary called Confectio Hamech or Diacatholicon and let her use Burrage Buglosse Fumitory Sorrel Succoâ—…y c. Or sirup of any of these The child if of any bignesse may take the sirups likewise or half an ounce of Manna or more according to its age A Bath First let the childs head be bathed with a decoction of Mallows and Barly or with a decoction of Dock roots mallows Celendine the greater Wormwood Fenegreek Cicers Lupines Beans c. If there be need of greater cleansing you may boyl the foregoing herbs in wine or make a Lotion with decoction of Marshmallow roots made with Urine of the infant alone or mixt wih Barly water Then anoint the head with oyl of Roses and oyl of bitter Almonds mixed with a little litharge of gold or silver in fine powder or take of the juyce of Beets and Celendine the greater of each one ounce Hogs grease two ounces boyl them together a while then being almost cold put in of Brimstone in powder a drachme make an ointment with which anoint the parts affected morning and evening Or wash the head with Sope-suds made strong If these ulcers eat to the skul then use hony of Roses mixed with a little spirit of Wine and afterwards the powder Birthwort and natural Balsam CHAP. 2. Of Lice breeding in Children IF persons of years do live nastily and not change often they soon become lousey But t is very familiar for Children to breed Lice The cause They arise from a hot and moist matter which putrifieth in the skin or pores of the body Sometimes they are bred by eating of Figs in grown persons because they ingender bad juyce The signs The signs are apparent for the lice are bred both nhead and body The Prognosticks This disease is a foul and filthy disease and very troublesome because it causeth a constant scratching but especially if they breed in the whole body as many times it happneth Lice are wont to leave those that are ready to die and to creep away in heaps which surely cometh to passe because that hot moist nourishment which bred them is wanting and noysome vapours arise
is subject to watchings else use not the last Outward means Outward means are these following make a Bath if it be Summer of the tops of Dill Cammomil flowers Mallowes Willow leaves Vine leaves and the heads of Poppy white or red and wash the feet therewith You may anoint the temples with oyl of Roses or oyl of Violets or water Lillies or with Populeon oyntment or you may use oyl of Nutmegs made by expression to the temples warm or you may make a Pulcis of white Poppy seed womans milk or Rose water or Nightshade water and the white of an egg with a little Saffron Anoint the nostrils with oyl of Violets mixed with the juice of Nightshade If it proceed from breeding of teeth then use those means set down in the Chapter of breeding teeth Let the Nurse use a good dyet and means that may cause sleep as Almond milk made with a decoction of Lettice and white Poppy seeds Or she may take a spoonful of sirup of white Poppy for three or four nights together in Posset drink CHAP. 11. Of Fear Starting and terrible dreams AMong the diseases that are incident to children Hippocrates mentions great fears and startings which is nothing else but troublesome sleep accompanied with terrible dreams The cause The causes hereof are impure and filthy vapors which mingle themselves with the animal spirits and trouble the same representing terrible fancies to the imagination now these vapors arise from the bad concoction of the stomach Therefore this disease is very subject to children who suck the milk very greedily or eat abundantly and so receiving more nourishment then the stomach can digest it is corrupt and so these vapors arise to the brain and trouble he animal spirits Neither is it absurd to say that these vapours do not onely ascend by the * Oesophagus is that part by which meat and drink are turned down into the stomach Oesophagus or gullet but that by the veins they ascend up to the head Elder children are subject to this disease as well as younger Galen saith these fears are caused when there is a natural imbecibillity or weaknesse of the childs stomach and the meat received is corrupted in it which cause vapours to arise up to the head and bring these startings Sometimes they come from worms and when they breed their teeth The signs The signs are manifest for they often start in their sleep screech and cry out suddenly and many times they shake and are all in a water and most times a hot and stinking vapour proceedeth out of the childs mouth The Prognosticks This disease must not be sleighted because many times it is the forerunner of the Falling sicknesse The cure For the cure hereof means must be used to take away the corrupt humours in the stomach Let the Nurse keep to a moderate dyet and use meats that hinder corruption and abstain from all vitious and corrupt food as Pease Beans Leeks Onions Colewort c. that so the milk may be good which the childe sucketh Let the childe suck but sparingly and moderately least by too often sucking the stomach be oppressed neither let the childe after sucking or feeding be laid to sleep but kept watching a while that so the nourishment may descend to the bottome of the stomach and the concoction be the better When it is laid to sleep let it not be much rocked for overmuch shaking of the child hindreth digestion and causeth the childe many times to vomit To remove the corrupt food in the stomach let the childe take oyl of sweet Almonds or sirup of Succory or Manna or a little hony of Roses solutive you may give a spoonful or two of either for these will cleanse the corrupt humours and provoke to stool Give the child half a scruple or more of Pyony seeds in a little milk morning and evening or give it a little Magister of Coral Or Take Magister of Coral a drachme species Pleres Archonticon a scruple Sugar dissolved in Rosewater one ounce make rouls or cakes and give of them to the childe or dissolve them in beer and so give them Let the stomach be anointed morning and evening with oyl of wormwood Mints Nardus Mastick or oyl of Nutmegs Or Take oyl of Wormwood and Mastick of each a drachme Cloves in powder ten grains wax half a drachme make a Liniment and anoint the stomach therewith If starting come of worms or from a feaver then use those means set down in the several Chapters Great care must be taken against all occasions of fear and frighting be taken away CHAP. 12. Of Rheume the Cough and shortnesse of breath THe Cough Rheume and shortnesse of breath doth oftentimes much molest and disquiet children The cause The cause of rheume in children is from their natural constitution or moist temper of brain from which many excrements are easily heaped together And this happens from abundance of milk oppressing the stomach from whence many vapours arise up to the brain and fill the same For if the brain be filled with excrementitious humours or molested with the cold air which the child was not used to in the mothers womb or with too much heat or being kept too hot either the head or body the matter gathered together in the brain doth plentifully fal down to the nostrils mouth or lungs Now if these excrementitious humours cannot be purged by the nostrils they slide down into the rough artery cause a cough If they fall down to the lungs they cause shortnesse of breath The Signs Whether the humor be hot or cold is easily known for if it be hot the humour is more thin and the child doth often sneese the face and cheeks are hot and the mouth of the child is hot which may be perceived by the nipples of the nurse as also in sucking If the humour be cold then the contrary is found Now whether the shortnesse of breath proceed of matter descending from the head or from a phlegmatick blood ascending from the veins to the lungs may be thus known if it come from the head there is a cough and rheume doth follow and sometimes as they breath they snort and make a noise because the air is stopped coming from the lungs But if it come from a flegmatick humour arising from the hypochonders then there is neither cough nor rheume and the hypochonders are puffed up and swollen The Prognosticks Rheumes and also the cough following and shortnesse of breath in infants and children are not to be neglected because strong Coughing doth not onely cause watchings and vomiting but Ruptures and Rheumes also bring suffocations and death many times These Rheumes and Coughs in children are not so easily cured because those medicines cannot be used which bring expectoration or spitting and to cause the matter to be easily spit out The cure Let the nurse keep a temperate dyet avoiding all sharp and salt meats as also all things that cause vapours to ascend up to
teeth or from fears the signs of those diseases will manifest If fear be the cause the standers by or tenders can evidence the same Now if none of these be the cause then it is probable it may arise primarily from the brain The Prognosticks The Falling sicknesse and convulsion are diseases very horrible to behold and dangerous in all persons and ages and doth kill many children that are taken therewith so soon as they be born Where these fits happen to young children 't is more dangerous then in grown persons because they can bear and endure the fits better The cure For the cure of these diseases somthing must be done in the fit and something when the fit is over What is to be done in the fit First in the fit give three or four drops of spirit of Castor in beer or milk also black Cherry water with a little sirup of Pyony or give a small spoonful of this following Julep A Julep Take of Piony water and linden water of each one ounce sirupe of Piony compound half an ounce spirit of black Cherries two drachmes magister of Coral a scruple mix them together and give it as before is shewed Put to the nostrils Rue bruised or oyl of Amber or Balsam of Amber Apply to the Region of the heart and to the Temples Mithridate or London Treacle with the juice of Rue and a little wine or water Epileptick of Langius Let the nape of the neck and the ridge of the back be anoynted with this following Take oyl of Castor or oyl of Euphorbium half an ounce the juice of Rue one ounce boyl them together to the consumption of the juice and use it Hang about the neck of the childe a thin slice of Piony or white Briony roots as green as you can What must be done when the fit is over Secondly something must be done out of the fit If the child be five or six years old you may give it this potion A purging potion Take of Agarick trochiscated four scruples infuse it five or six hours in Oxymel of Squils strain it hard and add thereto of Castor in powder three greins sirupe of Roses solutive with Agarick one ounce Balm water one ounce make a potion and give it in a morning fasting Let the child constantly take of the Julep before mentioned and be kept anointed with the oyl of Castor and juice of Rue also let it wear about it's neck constantly a root of male Peony or white Briony In Italy and other places where this disease is very frequent 〈◊〉 soon as children be born they cauterize or burn them in the neck with a hot iron or else drop a burning wax candle upon the place where they desire to make an Issue and that to prevent the falling sicknesse for hereby they think the brain is dryed and by pain the humour which doth flow or may flow is drawn and derived â—o the hinder part of the head especially if the Issue be made by burning for thereby whatsoever is gathered together in the brain that is offensive is evacuated Cornelius Celsus was of the same minde Lib. 3. Cap. 28. fol. 40. for he adviseth to have an Issue made there in two places and he saith it is the last refuge or remedy for to cure the Falling sicknesse But I conceive that it is not safe to use such a remedy in young and tender bodies for if the bodies of such young and tender children will not suffer purging or bleeding how shall they endure burning when as this must needs bring continual pain and watchings whereby the strength must also decay Again although an Issue may be profitable where the falling sicknesse ariseth primarily and chiefly from the brain yet when the Falling sicknesse ariseth from the lower parts which doth often happen to children it doth not profit when as the matter or ill vapor that cometh from the lower parts cannot be turned from the brain If the Falling sicknesse arise from worms then use means against worms as you may see in the Chapter of worms to which means may be added the root of Piony red Coral c. Let the Mother or Nurse keep a good dyet and neither eat nor drink any thing that may offend the childe or occasion these fits See more in my book of the chief diseases of the head in the 6. 7. Chapters CHAP. 5. Of the pain in the ears with inflammation moistures ulcers and worms thereof AMong the diseases of children a Hippocrat Appli sect 3. 24. Hippocrates in his Aphorismes doth nominate the moisture or running of the ears For when the brain of infants is very moist great part of that superfluous moisture is evacuated or purged by the ears yet this doth not often happen without inflammation Therefore when abundance of moist humours do flow plentifully to the ears they cause inflammation also grievous pain is joyned therewith which in moist bodies of children cannot be dispersed or dissolved but is turned into matter so that blood and matter doth flow out of the ears The cause The cause is abundance of moist humours and excrements of the brain which nature cannot expel by the nose and Palat. The signs The moisture of the ears is easily known by it's running but pain and inflammation thereof is not so easily discerned because infants cannot declare the same but it may be known by their crying out and unquietnesse especially being touched neer their ears also rednesse and heat is perceived about the ear or ears The Prognosticks These diseases are not to be sleighted for such pains in grown persons have proved dangerous much more therefore in children if it continue long Inflammation of the ears is many times dangerous and brings a delirium or dotage and indangers life In ulcers of the ears if the matter be white not too thick nor too thin neither bloody nor much stinking it is the better Inveterate and long continued Ulcers of the ears are dangerous because they soon turn to a Fistula The cure For pain of the ears use oyl of Roses or oyl of Violets warm or milk warm dropped into the ears and afterwards stopped with wool or drop therein the juice of Origanum and milk mixed together Or drop in a little Linseed oyl warm or use a decoction of the heads of white Poppy or the white of an Egg beaten and mixed with a little milk or put a little Saffron into the ears Against moistnesse of the ears and ulcers thereof use hony of Roses and water of hony dip a clout or tent therein and put it warm into the ears or put in oyl of bitter Almonds warm For worms in the ears use oyl of bitter Almonds and Myrrhe in powder as in two drachmes of oyl put of Myrrhe in powder a scruple or thirty grains or put the juyce of Wormwood warm into the ears Or take of Aloes Myrrhe and the seeds of Coloquintida of each a drachme boyl them in two ounces of oyl of Roses
morning and evening warm You may anoint the stomach morning and evening with oyl of Mace made by expression If the milk be very hot then anoint the stomach with oyl of Quinces or oyl of Myrtles or oyl of Roses Or Take oyl of Roses and oyl Myrtles of each one ounce Vinegar two drachmes red Coral and the three Saunders in powder of each half an ounce mix them together and use it to the stomach Coral doth much prevail herein by an occult or hidden property and therefore it is hung about the neck of children to stay vomiting CHAP. 14. Of the Consumption or Leannesse of the Rickets CHildren do many times wax lean without any manifest cause and although they suck much or feed well yet they are not therewith nourished The cause Now the causes are many as the corruption of the milk for being either too hot or too cold it turns into ill humours and so hinders the breeding of good blood or it may come for want of suck from whence we see many times that when a childe consumes and pines away with sucking one Nurse if it suck an other it soon thrives and growes Again worms may be the cause both such as are bred in the belly as also in other parts or it may come by reason of a Feaver or from a flux of the belly The signs The signs are manifest The Prognosticks If the child consume for want of milk or a good Nurse this may soon be cured by getting a better Nurse If it come from worms in the belly or other parts it is not easily cured The Consumption in most children is dangerours if it be not taken in time and kills many The cure If the fault be in the milk that must be rectified by good dyet of the Nurse or if that do not help then the Nurse is to be changed If worms be the cause then means must be used to kill worms as you may see in the Chapter of worms If leannesse come from a Feaver or without any manifest cause make this following Bath A Bath Take the head and feet of a Wether boyl them till the bones fall asunder then bath the childe with this liquor twise a day and after bathing anoint with this following oynment Take of fresh Butter oyl of Roses and of Violets of each one ounce Hogs-grease or the fat of raw Pork half an ounce wax a quarter of an ounce make an oyntment and anoint the body with it warm twise a day Or Anoint the body with oyl of sweet Almonds and fresh butter mixed together or else anoint the body with the oyntment called Resumptivum or Resumptive oyntment Or If it come from great drynesse of the stomach bathe the stomach with milk warm and use this following Take of fresh Butter Hens grease of each half an ounce Saffron in powder five or six grains oyl of Violets or Wormwood three ounces mix them together and anoint the stomach morning and evening warm If it come from a flux of the belly then use the means to stay the loosenesse as in the Chapter of the flux of the belly Concerning the Rickets there is a learned Treatise set forth lately by three or four Doctors and since translated into English where you have that disease accurately and exactly handled unto which I refer the Reader CHAP. 15. Of the Hicket The cause THe Hicket in children is caused from the corrupt nourishment in the stomach or from abundance of milk in the stomach or from the coldnesse of the stomach by the outward air The Prognosticks The Hicket in children most times is void of danger and the cause being taken away it doth soon cease But if it happen to continue long or be complicated with some other disease as the Falling sicknesse or Convulsions many times it proves deadly The cure If the Hicket come from corrupt nourishment or fulnesse of the stomach 't is good to make the child vomit either by putting your finger in the throat of it or by putting down a feather anointed with oyl or by some other light and easie means that hereby the offensive matter may be taken away then use means to heat and strengthen the stomach as in the 13. Chapter and let the child be sparing in sucking and eating If it proceed from corruption and fault of the milk then means must be used to amend the same by good dyet of the Nurse as before and the corrupt milk to be purged away by syrupe of Roses or hony of Roses solutive then to use Conserve of red Roses with red Coral in powder or Bole-armoniack If it come from cold then let the stomach be warmed both with inward and outward means Give the child sirup of Mints or sirup of Betony and let the stomach be bathed with a decoction made of Mints Organy Wormwood Cyperus roots afterward anoint the stomach with oyl of Dil oyl of Mastick or oyl of Mints or apply a Pultis made with Mints and Dill seed bruised and oyl of Mastick Or Apply Mastick and Frankincense in powder mixed with the white of an egg to the hole of the stomach Or Take of Mastick one ounce Frankincense Dill seed ana Ê’ 2. make them into powder and mix them with the juice of Mints then wet Hempen clouts therein and apply it to the stomach warm CHAP. 16. Of Gripings and Frettings in the belly CHildren are very often troubled with gripings in their belly which sometimes commeth alone and sometimes with fluxes of the belly The cause These gripings come chiefly from the milk either being too windy or too sharp for if abundance of milk oppresse the childes stomach crudities and winde are soon bred which also doth the sooner happen if the Nurse have used windy meat or if the belly of the childe be tender and cannot endure the cold air But if the milk be corrupted in the stomach when it descends to the bowels it doth gnaw and pinch them so that it causeth great pains and gripings Sometimes worms are the cause thereof The signs These gripings are easily known for the childe is very unquiet and cryeth frequently neither will it suck and many times cannot make water because of the wind that oppresseth the neck of the bladder and stoppeth the urine If these gripings come of winde sometimes the pain remitteth or ceaseth and sometimes increaseth and the belly is puffed up and maketh a noise If they proceed from a humour the pain is almost continually and if from a tough and flegmatick humour the belly is most times bound and the excrements are like snot or snivel If they proceed from corrupt milk or choler and sharp humours then the belly is most times loose and that which is voided is yellow or green If worms be the cause then the signs of worms are manifest The Prognosticks These pains if they continue long they weaken the spirits and many times bring Convulsions and the Falling sicknesse Those pains are worst or most dangerous that
digestion If the Infant suck or not and the flux be of some continuance means must be used to stay it and such means as first cleanse and then bind the body as sirup of Roses solutive or hony of Roses solutive Clysters may be used A Clyster Take of Barly water made with steel four ounces red Sugar one ounce mix them together and make a Clyster Where the humours are cleansed and the flux doth proceed from a hot cause give sirup of dry Roses sirup of Quinces sirup of Mirtles sirup of red Coral c. Or give the powder of Mirtles with a little Dragons blood or give Sorrel seed Plantain seed or red Roses in powder with the yolk of an Egg rosted at the fire Or Take of Mullein flowers red Roses of each half a small handful of Comfry roots the greater and Tormentil roots of each a drach bruise the roots and boyl them all in water strain it and to three ounces of the clearest add one ounce of sirup of Quinces and give the child often of it or take Nutmeg and Mastick in powder of each a scruple give it at twise with the juyce or a scruple of Quinces Or Take Acorn cups Sorrel seed and the kernels of Raisons dryed of each a drachme white Poppy seed half a drachme make them into powder and give ten grains or twenty grains of it morning and evening in sirup of Quinces or sirup of red Coral Outward means must be used also Take oyl of Mirtles oyl of Roses oyl of Mastick of each one ounce with half an ounce of wax make an ointment and anoint the belly therewith morning and evening warm Or Bath the belly with a decoction made of red Roses Mullein Plantain in red Wine Or Take red Rose leaves Mullein of each a handful Cipres roots two drachmes Mastick half an ounce make them into grosse powder and make a quilt or bag which being boyled in red Wine apply it warm to the belly Or Take of the pulpe of Quince boyled in red Wine 4. ounces of tosted bread wet in Vinegar one ounce and a half with a little oyl of Mastick make a Pultis and apply it to the belly and stomach warm Or lay to the belly a plaister of a crust of bread or the Cerot called Stomachale If it come from a cold cause and that the excrements be white give sirup of Quinces with Mint water Some commend the maw of a Kid or Hare if ten grains thereof be given and the child to take no milk that day least it curdle in the stomach but give it bread boyled in water with Rosewater and Sugar Apply outwardly Mints Wormwood Mastick and Comin seed Or Take of Rose seeds one ounce Comin seed and Annised of each two drachmes make them into powder and with oyl of Mastick oyl of Wormwood and a little wax make an ointment and use it warm to the belly Or Apply Mints boyled in red Wine to the stomach or a crust of bread wet in Mint water or make a quilt or bag of Mints Wormwood red Roses Mastick Nutmegs and Cloves and apply it to the belly CHA.P. 18. Of Costivenes or stopping of the belly AS Children are often troubled with fluxes of the belly so are they many times troubled with stopping thereof The cause It may proceed from extream cold and drynesse of the belly which happens to some children from their birth or from tough and flegmatick humours which are as it were rowled up with the excrements and cleave so fast to the bowels that they are hardly voided or from corrupt milk with which the childe is nourished from whence tough and flegmatick humours are bred in the stomach which cometh to passe by reason of the weaknesse thereof as also when the mother or nurse feed upon tough meats and drink but little for it seldom happeneth that children are fed with such dyet except grown children or it may come from the intemperate heat of the Liver spleen or reins of the childe whereby the excrements become dry or it may happen when Choller that comes from the gall and should be carried down to the bowels is turned some other way The Signs The signs are manifest If it be from a natural drynesse then the childe is constantly bound and stopt If tough and thick flegme be the cause the excrements that are voided are mixed with the same If there be any error in the Mother or Nurse by ill dyet that is easily known If it be from the heat and drinesse of the Liver and Spleen or Kidneys it is known by those signs that shew the heat of those parâ—s If Choller be turned an other way and that be the cause then the excrements are white and not dyed at all with Choller and the skin of the child looks yellow The Prognosticks Children that are much bound in their bodies have seldom their health well and it is far better for youth to have their bellies loose then bound ill vapours arise from the excrements to the whole body and cause gripings of the belly pain of the head and many other distempers The cure First let the Mother or Nurse use a loosening dyet and such things as are mollifying And let them take also Manna Cassia or sirup of Roses or a little Hony in the morning If the child be of some reasonable growth then you may give it Manna or Cassia as from two drachmes to one ounce or if it be young you may give it half an ounce or one ounce of sirup of Roses Suppositories also made of Hony and Salt and put up into the body are good and safe or Violet comfits anointed with oyl and so used or Clisters may be given as take common oyl two three or four ounces of brown Sugar two or three drach the yolk of an egg Salt three or four corns make a Clyster and administer it Or Take of Marsh-mallowes half an ounce common Mallowes Pellitory of the Wall of each half a handful Cammomil flowers Linseed and Fenigreek bruised of each a drachme boyl them in sufficient water and take of the strained liquor three four or six ounces according to the age of the childe in which dissolve of Cassia two three or four drachmes common oyl one ounce or one ounce and a half with the yolk of an egg make a Clyster You may anoint the Navil of the childe with Butter or oyl of sweet Almonds either alone or mixed with a grain or two of Scammony or Coloquintida The Gall of an Ox or Cow laid upon a clout and so laid on the Navel causeth loosenesse or a plaister made with the gall of an Ox a rosted Onyon and Butter mixed together and applyed warm to the belly doth the same If you desire stronger means then take the juice of Walwort and Mildust boyl them together and apply them warm to the Navel CHAP. 19. Of Worms AMong all the diseases that are incident to children this of Worms is not the least There are
three sorts of wormes round flat and small worms called Ascharides and are bred in the fundament The cause Worms are caused of a crude and putrified flegme and other ill humours but never of Choller nor Melancholy For all bitter things kill worms All manner of fruits also breed worms especially in children and moist bodies signs of long and round worms The signs of long and round worms are these The mouth aboundeth with moisture the breath stinketh terrible and fearful dreams follow and they gnash and grind their teeth in their sleep and start suddenly in their sleep their tongues are hot and dry and they often rub their noses they have a dry cough and sometimes vomiting and the Hicket followeth they feed much sometimes and sometimes little great drought doth most times accompany wormes the belly is hard and swollen and sometimes bound but most times loose The urine is most times white and thick and great gripings of the belly doth follow especially when the belly is empty The body waxeth lean for want of that nourishment which the worms consume Oftimes they have cold sweats the face is sometimes red and sometimes pale and many times they are taken with Convulsions and fevers happen The pulse is very uncertain But the most certain sign of all is when they void worms in their excrements Signs of long and flat worms If the worms be long and flat they have a great appetite to feed and except they do eat they have a great pain and grawing in their belly and many times they faint the body waxes lean and groweth weak but the most certain sign is if with their excrements they void flat substances like Gourd seedes Signs of the least sort of worms Signs of the least sort of Worms which are engendered in the great Gut are these A great itching in the fundament and an often desire to go to stool the excrements are like beasts excrements and very stinking and these worms come oftentimes forth in the excrement which is the most certain sign The Prognostiks Although sometimes children have worms and that without any great hurt or danger yet many times they produce dangerous symptomes The small worms are lesse dangerous then the others because they are small and cleave to the right gut and so are far distant from the noble parts yet sometimes they cause ulcers in the right gut Broad Worms are hardly cured and produce bad symptomes yea and many times death Long and round Worms are most hurtful and bring most dangerous symptomes and do many times pierce through the bowels It is better that Worms be thin and small then full or great and filled with blood It is better if a few worms be voided then if many be voided If the Worms be white it is far better then to have them yellow livid red or black It is more dangerous to have worms voided by the mouth then by stools Worms are more dangerous with a Fever then without a Fever If a Convulsion with gnashing of teeth and losse of appetite happen to such as void Worms it is dangerous Of the place where the Worms breed For the place where Worms breed it is the bowels chiefly and that for these reasons First because the matter or substance of which they are bred beeing a crude and raw humour is so plentifully found in the bowels that there is sufficient to breed and nourish them Indeed crudities or raw humours are found in other parts of the body but not sufficient to breed Worms Secondly because there is room enough for them to breed the bowels being very large And the veins they are too narrow to breed them there Thirdly because nature shewing her care of life hath so appointed it that although worms many times kill yet that they should be bred in such places where they may do least hurt and be with more facility and ease cast out of the body Now although Worms be chiefly engendered in the bowels yet Authors mention many other places where they are found Sometimes Worms have been brought forth out of the nose Benivenius de abdit Morb. Caus cap. 100. fol. 19. Schenchius observat lib. fol. 179. Sometimes Worms have been found in the corner of the eyes and have come forth Amat Cent. 7. cur 63. Schench observat lib. 1. fol. 179. Sometimes they have come forth out of the ears Schenchius observat lib. 1. fol. 191. Sometimes they have been found in the teeth Schench obser lib. 1. fol. 218. Antonius Benivenius relates of one that was troubled with a Cough and had used many means but all in vain at length counsel was given him to take the juyce of Horehound with hony for many dayes with which he fell a Coughing and brought up a worm and was thereby cured Beniven de abd morb caus cap. 77. fol. 16. Sometimes worms have been found in the blood Schench obser lib. 3. fol. 457. Sometimes in the heart and memorable is that of late years of a Serpent or Serpentine worm that was found in the left ventricle of the heart in John Pennant of the age of one and twenty years You may see the full relation thereof put out by Dr. May Printed 1639. Sometimes they have been found in the liver Schench obser lib. 3. fol. 452. and sometimes in the Kidneys Schench obser lib. 4. fol. 509. Sometimes they have been found coming out of the groyn Tulpius observ lib. 3. cap. 12. Sometimes they have been voided by urine Roussens Epistol 10. fol. 39. Sometimes Worms and other living creatures have been bred in the womb Schench observ lib. 4. fol. 718. Sometimes worms have been found in womens breasts Schench observ lib 2. fol. 338. And sometimes they have eat their way through the stomach bowels Navel Hypochonders and groyns Schench observ lib. 3. fol. 409. I could weary the Reader with many more observations of the like nature but it is time to come to the cure of worms The cure First to preserve children from worms let their dyet be such as may not engender worms Let them avoid all sweet fatty and tough meats as also milk Fish Figs and all fruits They may take the shavings of Harts-horn or Harts-horn burnt in powder in Beer or in their Broth. If children be of any reasonable growth you may give them Aloes Hiera picra or Rubarb in powder made up in pils with London Treacle or sirup of Roses Or give them in the pap of an Apple or give them Trosses made of Diaturbith with Rubarb Many herbs also that dry and resist the breeding of worms are profitable as wormwood Centory water Germander c. But because these are so bitter children will hardly take them you may give them a decoction of the roots of grasse and mouse-ear with the juyce of Lemons or Citrons And sometimes you give them a drop or two of the spirit of Vitriol in Beer or posset drink The cure Secondly for the cure of Worms There are many common medicines