Diabrosis The Antecedent Causes are the same with the Conjunct but they differ in place for when blood offending either in Quantity or Quality doth immediately open the Veins it is called a Conjunct Cause and the same being contained in the Veins is called an Antecedent Cause The parts sending of which the chiefare the Head Liver Spleen and Womb are antecedent Causes Often times Blood is carried from the Head to the Stomach by the Pallat and Gullet or Oesophagus and also a violent Catarrh of sharp and Salt flegm doth corrode the Stomach and open the Veins thereof It is carried from the Liver and Spleen by the Veins that go to the Stomach from the Womb when blood by the stoppage of the Terms runs back and opens the Veins of the Stomach so that some Women have had their Terms by vomiting blood constantly at the time Vomiting of blood comes oftener from the Liver and Spleen than from other parts and from the Spleen than the Liver because it doth more consent with the Stomach For it is evident by Anatomy that the great branch of the Gate Vein or Porta goeth to the Spleen from which many Veins are sent to the Stomach both above and below and these are so great that being distended with wind or blood they are as thick as the middle finger this we have observed in Dissection Moreover the Vas breve being wide as in a natural state it doth continually send Melancholly into the Stomach so being in a Preternatural state it may send great plenty of blood But observe here that in this case that blood is voided by stool as well as vomit both because a part thereof which went to the Stomach is sent downwards and also because the Meseraick Veins are open and send blood into the Guts which by its long passage through the Guts groweth black and comes forth like Tar. The external Causes are all things that can wound or bruise as also great heat which causeth boyling of the blood hence it is that yong men to the age of thirty five are very subject to vomit blood and other bleeding as also great cold by too much astriction may endanger to break the Veins the same doth unseasonable Motion and Labor unusual Exercise great hallowing and the like which move the blood violently in the Veins And finally All the Causes of Blood-spitting afore mentioned For Blood being violently moved either in the Veins or Arteries whether from an external or an internal Cause goes soonest to that part which is weakest and most fit to receive it and therfore if the Stomach or the Veins going thither are so disposed there will be vomiting of Blood rather than any other way of bleeding The Diagnostick of this Disease lieth chiefly in the discovery of the part from which the blood comes If from the Stomach the scituation of the part and the constant pain and heaviness thereof will demonstrate and there is less blood for the Veins of the Stomach are smal and it comes with loathing and there is a biting when they swallow as also somtimes it comes forth mixed with Meat Flegm or Choller If it come from the Head there will be tickling about the Jaws and Pallat and some blood will be blown out of the Nose with Snot there went before it some Head-ach or heaviness which after bleeding ceaseth If from the Liver or Spleen there is more plenty of blood and somtimes a tumor or dolor in the part From the Liver the blood is red and frothy from the Spleen it is thick and black Also Blood from the Liver goes most downwards because it commonly goes from thence to the Guts through the Meseraicks and must ascend from them into the Stomach to cause Vomiting but it doth easier descend Contrarily that which comes from the Spleen is rather by vomit because the Veins from the Spleen to the Stomach are shorter and narrower Lastly If from the suppression of the Terms you may know it from the Woman and it wil come at those times which wil be more probable if there be no disease in any other part As for the Prognostick Vomiting of Blood of what cause soever is dangerous for it either threateneth death suddenly or if it stay in the Stomach and putrifie it breeds faintings swoonings and suffocations Vomiting of blood from suppression of the Terms is less dangerous than that from the Liver or Spleen for when they are brought down it is usually cured as Hippocrates taught Aph. 34. Sect. 5. in these words When a Woman vomiteth Blood if her courses breakdown she is cured And in this case only the opening of the inferior Veins doth provoke the Terms especially if she take somthing besides for that purpose They who after Vomiting of Blood fall into the Dropsie called Ascites do die thereof Dodonaeus doth testifie that he never knew any that escaped and Experience teacheth that a Dropsie from any kind of bleeding is deadly for it comes from a great dissipation of Natural heat which cannot be repaired For the Cure of this Disease use Medicines which revel the Blood from the Stomach and correct its distempers and the open Veins with astringents and glutinatives To which ad those things which concern the part chiefly affected from whence the Blood is sent into the Stomach according to the divers Nature and Disease of the part And because Diet is of chiefest concernment in this Disease let us shew some Rules therefore Let his Nourishment be commonly astringent and Emplastick and cold both actually and potentially as Barley Almonds Rice Panadoes Gellies and especially Starch made without Chalk and boyled in Milk which is good also in spitting of Blood to all these you may alwaies add some Pomegranates or Vinegar of Roses Also hard Eggs steeped in Vinegar are good Bread crums steeped in cold Water and Chicken Broth with Sorrel Purslam Plantane and unripe Grapes the feet and hips of Sheep Kids and Calves boyled to a Jelly for the first course let him take that which is a stringent as a Quince or sowr Apple or Pear roasted in the embers Marmalat of Quinces or Jelly of sharp Cherries Medlers or Services Let him abstain from all sharp salt peppered and fried Meats as also from things that breed much Blood except he grow weak and then you may give him them sparingly He must be but little nourished for the less Blood is bred the Disease will be the less and the empty parts by their attraction will stay the flux Let him drink little only a little Iron Water with a little Juyce of Pomegranates He must drink no Wine except it be thick and sharp which we call Tortium and it must be when there is no Feaver Let the Air be cool without Wind Sun or Moon shine let him sleep little and not in the day for although all fluxes are said to be stopped by sleep yet this by long keeping the heat in the Center may be encreased Let his Belly be loose
in this Disease are chiefly the Brain Stomach Liver Spleen Mesentery and the Bladder which dispatch their Excrements unto such parts as are more weakly and so more disposed to receive them These Excrementitious Humors are bred in the Womb because when it is unable to digest its proper nourishment by means of the weakness of its Retentive or Concoctive Faculty the greater part of its Aliment is turned into Excrements being imperfectly digested or corrupted rather It is imperfectly digested in cold distempers of the Womb and it is corrupted in hot distempers thereof And seeing the Womb by want of Digestion is defrauded of its Nutriment it presently draws new Aliment which being turned into Excrements is by the Womb expelled as unprofitable and new Aliment is continually drawn whereby this flux of evil Humors from the Womb becomes both plentiful and continual The Womb is weakened and more disposed to the Reception of these Excrements by Child-bearing travelling in Child-birth Abortion and Contusion Inflamation Imposthumes or Ulcers The Signs of this Disease are referred to the Infirmity it self to the part affected or to the cause producing the Disease The Disease it self is easily known by relation of the sick party and it is often times attended with divers Symptomes viz. Paleness of Face want of Appetite sickness of Stomach short breathing weakness swelling of the Eyes fulness pensiveness and sadness thick Urines turbulent and many other accidents which differ according to the diversity of the Humors offending as we shall declare more distinctly by and by The part affected and the place in which these Excrementitious Humors causing the flux are bred may beknown by these following tokens If the matter of the Flux is bred in the whol Body these signs do shew it viz. Weariness and heaviness not proceeding from any work of which the Patient is eased having disburdened her self by the flux plentifully and then again when new matter is collected she begins to be weary and heavy as before her Veins are full her Feet Hands and Thighs are apt to be numbed And these signs do especially discover only a plenitude of Humors But that corrupt Humors do abound in the whol Body is known by an evil habit in the whol Body that is an ugly sickly appearance in the looks and whol outward state of the Body a puffing up of the Hands and Feet an itching and stinging in the whol Body if the Humor be sharp and many such signs as these If the matter offending reside in some peculiar part the Symptomes and Excrements proper to that part discover the same as for example A pain heat and swelling of the Liver with Chollerick Excrements do shew the Liver to be affected and the same Symptomes happening on the left side with Excrements of a Melanchollick appearance do argue the flux to spring from the Spleen Flegmatick Excrements Stomach-sickness want of Appetite and somtimes extream Appetite frequent corruption of the meat and sowr belchings or fatty as of the Dripping-pan or over-scorched flesh are sure tokens of the Stomachs faultiness Pain of the Head Froathy Excrements some usual evacuation by the mouth or nostrils being stopped do witness that flux springs from the Head If none of the aforesaid signs of some part affected appear then we may conjecture that the flux proceeds primarily from the womb Also the Woman in such a case is well colored the matter flowing is but little in quantity being the excrement of the womb alone There have preceded such causes as weaken the Womb as are hard Travel Abortion a Fall upon the Belly or Back immoderate Carnal Embraces especially if the woman have been too young married Tumors Ulcers and other Infirmities of the Womb whose signs are propounded in their proper Chapters The Humor causing the Flux is known chiefly by the colors of that which comes away which were a little before declared and which appear in the cloaths wherewith it is received if as Hippocrates teacheth in his second Book of Womens Infirmities the said cloaths being dried shall be after washed in Water alone and dried in the shadow for so they manifestly declare the color of that Humor which most abounds in the Excrements Hereunto may be added the signs of an Humor abounding in the whol Body usually delivered in that part of the Institution of Physick which treats of Signs In the last place We are to propound such Signs as distinguish this Disease from others like unto it as namely Excretion of Purulent matter proceeding from an Ulcer of the Womb and the Gonorrhoea or flux of Seed It is distinguished from purulent Matter by the signs of an Ulcer in the Womb which shall be set down in their proper Chapter as likewise because the Purulent Matter or Quittor is much thicker whitish and lesser in quantity if it be digested rightly but if it be of a goary sanious and fleshy appearance like blood and water mingled there is then blood amongst the matter and it is wont somtimes to come away with strings from the Womb and with exceeding pain also the Women that have Ulcers in the Womb or its Neck admit not of Copulation but with pain which exasperates their Disease but those which are troubled only with the Whites do willingly and patiently suffâ—r themselves to be embraced by their Husbands In the Gonorrhoea the matter which comes away is not so much in quantity is thicker of a more shining whiteness holds up longer from flowing and seldom or never stinks But if it be a virulent or venemous Gonorrhoea such as accompanies the Letchers Pocks it is known by sharpness of Urine Ulcers of the Privy parts and other Signs that argue Malignity The Predictions or Prognosticks of this Disease are as followeth This Disease in one respect may be called good in another respect bad Good forasmuch as commonly it is not attended with any danger of death and bad because it is a stubborn Disease long lasting and most exceeding hard to be cured forasmuch as the flux of evil Humors having once taken this course is very hardly turned out of its Channel because the Womb as we said before is the Draught of the whol Body whereby even in time of Health the superfluous Humors of the whol Body are monthly evacuated If this Infirmity get head it may bring many other Evils upon the Patient as Barrenness falling down of the Womb Exulceration Cachexia Dropsie and Consumption A Flux of Whites blewish bloody stinking is worse than the white pale not stinking The longer this Disease hath lasted the harder it is to cure It attends old Women to the grave for the most part because of their abounding with flegm and the weakness of their Concoctive Faculty The Cure of this Disease is to be begun by a convenient purging of the Peccant Humor And because â—legmatick and wheyish Humors do most commonly oftend such things as purge those Humors must chiefly be used and with them Purgers of Choller or
require Hence Four Impediments of Conception do arise viz. If the woman receive not the Seed If she retain it not If she preserve and cherish it not If she nourish it not so as it encrease and grow Reception of the Seed is hindered by many Causes by things Natural things not Natural and by things Preternatural Among things Natural hindering the Reception of the Sperm in the first place is reckoâ—ed yongness of Age in which by reason of the smalness and straitness of the Genital Parts the woman cannot receive the mans yard or not without very great pain which makes her worse for Genial Embracements The same effect is caused by over great Age seeing that in elderly Virgins the Genital Parts through want of being exercised in actions tending to Generation do become withered flap and flaggy and so strait that they cannot afterwards easily â—dmit a mans Yard Likewise all such as are naturally lame with distorted Legs and their Crupper-bone depressed can hardly put themselves into such a convenient posture during the genial Embracement as a necessary that the Seed may be duly and rightly received Hereunto add over great fatness which straitens the Passages of the womb and by greatness of the Belly hinders the right and fit Conjunction of the man with the woman And lastly a cold distemper of the womb makes women dull and listless so that they enjoy no pleasure to speak of in the Genial Embracement or it is long before they are provoked with desire so that the inner Orifice of the Womb is not timely enough opened to receive the Mans Sperm Among things not Natural Passions of the Mind hold the first rank and especially hatred between Man and VVife by means whereof the VVoman being averse from this kind of pleasure gives not flown sufficient quantity of Spirits wherewith her Genitals ought to swel at the instant of Generation that her womb skipping as it were for joy may meet her Husbands Sperm graciously and freely receive the same and draw it into its innermost Cavity or Closet and withal bedew and sprinkle it with her own Sperm powred forth in that pang of Pleasure that so by the commixture of both Conception may arise The things Preternatural which can hinder the Reception of Seed are certain Diseases incident to the Genital Parts or to such as border neer upon them as Tumors Ulcers Obstructions Astrictions Shuttings up Distorsions Stone in the Bladder and other such like The Second fault in Women which hinders Conception viz. When the Seed is not retained depends either upon the over great moisture of the Womb namely when the womb is filled with many excrementitious Humors by which becoming looser and more flaggy than is fit it doth not rightly purse and contract it self together so as to retain the Sperm or the Orifice of the Womb is so slack that it cannot rightly contract it self to keep in the Seed which chiefly is caused by Abortion or hard Labor in Child-birth whereby the fibres of the Womb are broken in pieces one from another and they and the inner Orifice of the Womb over much slackened And that same immoderate moisture may arise both from the proper Constitution of the woman and from external causes of moisture such as Baths Idleness moist Diet and especially from the Whites which flux of Whites happens very frequently since the Womb is as it were the Common-shore whereinto all the parts of the Body do discharge their Superfluities so that this is wont to be the most frequent and ordinary Cause of Barrenness The Third Cause hindering Conception viz. When the Sperm is not sufficiently nourished in the Womb depends upon such things as are apt to corrupt the Seed as every distemper of the womb namely a cold distemper which extinguisheth the Seed an hot distemper which dissipates the Spirits a moist distemper which robs the Seed of its due thickness and a dry distemper consumes and drinks up the Seed and thus the Seed being by these distempers corrupted and degraded from its natural Constitution becomes unfit for Conception To these Causes Authors do add Witchcrafts and Charms by which all confess that Conception may be hindered Likewise external things as Meats and Poysons may do as much such as are reckoned up by Authors viz. Among Meats Vinegar Mint Water-Cresses Beans and such like and among Poysons or at least such things as have a certain venemous property causing Barrenness The Agate or Jet â—he Matrix of a Goat or Mule Glow-worms Sapphires Smaragds and the like And lastly Malignant and venemous Diseases may exceedingly corrupt the Seed and render it unfit for Generation as the Consumption Leprous Infections Whores-Pox stinking and cancerated Ulcers The Fourth and last Cause of Barrenness viz. When the woman doth not yield convenient matter to form the Conception and to augment the same depends upon a want of Seed and Menstrual blood so over yong women and over old do not conceive through want of both those Materials The Age of a woman fit for to conceive is commonly determined to be from the fourteenth to the fiftieth yeer of her Age. Yea and though those foresaid Materials are not wanting if yet they are ill disposed they are not fit for Generation And they may be ill disposed through divers distempers and other Diseases likewise by reason of bad Diet producing none of the best blood So women which gorge themselves with much raw fruit and cold smal drink breed wheyish blood unfit for Generation Yet we must needs confess that some women have conceived who never had their Courses as may be collected out of the Observations of divers Authors yet so much Menstrual blood was collected in those women as useth to remain over and above in such as have their Courses though they had not so much as to cause their monthly Courses To the Causes hitherto mustered up must be added a certain disproportion or unsutableness between the Mans Sperm and the Womans which makes they cannot be rightly mingled nor conspire to the Joynt-making up of an Embrion or Rudimental Infant though there be in the mean while no sensible defect either in the Man or Wife And it somtimes happens that the same man can have a child by another woman and the same woman by another man whereas they have lived together in the married estate barren It comes likewise to pass That a woman shall live with a man for ten or more yeers together and not conceive child and afterward shall begin to conceive and bring forth the Cause of which accident is The change of Temperature caused by yeers whereby the Seed comes to have another temper so that being before disproportioned to the mans Seed it comes by change of Age to be fitly proportioned thereunto Now this disproportion of Seeds consists chiefly herein When men much exceeding in some quality belonging to their temper are joyned with women which partake of the self same excess viz. When over hot men
an Apple so called Pubes the hairy Hillock above the privities in men and women The word signifies ripeness because that hair being grown out testifies the parties to be fit to engender Paerineum the space which runs like a ridge between the privities and fundament in men and women Praeposterous unnaturall undue unfitting Perturbation of the Eyes a troubled drousie frighted look of the Eyes Procatarctick Causes primarie first working and occasional Causes So in a Feaver the next immediate Cause is putrefied choller c. but the first working occasional causes were the patients taking cold by swimming in the cold-water whereby the pores became shut and the Matter of the Disease was retained in the Body So the Procatarctick Cause of worms in Children is their greedy eating of Fruit but the immediate Cause is putrid humors occasioned by those Fruits out of which humors the worms breed Precipitated thrown head-long forcibly cast down Palliative Cure is when a Disease is not taken away but only mitigated and made more mild so that the patient may have as much ease as possible Or if the Disease deform the Body a palliative Cure does hide as much as may be that deformity So an Eye being thurst out cannot be properly cured but it may admit of a palliative cure in asswaging the pain and other Symptoms and by putting into the place thereof a Glass or other Artificial Eye Potent powerful Perspirable the Body is said to be Perspirable when the invisible Pores or holes in the skin are kept open so that the vapors arising from evil Humors may freely breath out See Transpiration Pernicious deadly causing death destruction Protraction is a lengthening out of a Disease and making the same to last long Pharmaceutick Remedies whatsoever kind of Medicines are made by the Apothecary Praeposterous disorderly undue unfit the Cart before the Horse Quittor See Matter R Repletion over much fulness of blood or Humors Resolution weakening or dissolving the strength of a part as when it is palsyed c. Revulsion drawing back of blood or Humors from the part affected Repelling Medicines which draw back the humor from the part affected Repellers the same Relaxing Slacking as the string of a bow when the bow is unbent is said to be relaxed or slackned To Revel to draw back Humors from the part diseased Remitted lessened abated Restriction exception limitation Ruption breaking or tearing asunder Reliques remainders of an Humor after Solemn purging bleeding c. Retraction drawing back Radical moisture the fundamental juice of the Fundamental juice of the body which nourishes and preserves the natural heat as the oile in a lampe preserves and feeds the flame Revelled drawen back Revulsives remedies to draw back the Humor from the Diseased part Repelled driven away Retentive faculty the power in our body and its parts to hold fast its nutriment and what ever is agreeable thereunto Rough Arterie or Aspera Arteria is the wind-pipe or Wesand which is rough on the out side with circles and gristly rings Reduced brought bach againe Refractions breaking of the Representations of visible objects a terme used by the writers of Opticks or the Art of seeing Recruted repaired restored made up a military Resolving medicaments are such as loosen and scatter evil humors which are gathered and combined together in some diseased part of the Body Reâ—ercussives medicines which drive back the Humors from a diseased part Relaxation loosenes Refrigerating cooling Resp ration breathing Reflux flowing back again Recipient part is that part which receives the Humor offending S Suppository that which is put into the Fundament to cause solubleness Sudoâ— osick that is causing sweat Subeth a deep sleep Scarefication is a cutting of the Skin that it may bleed into a Cupping-glass Superficies the outside of any thing Stuphes Stoves or Hot-Houses to sweat in Spiritus acousticos is that portion of the spirit which in the Eares discerneth sounds Strangulation choaking Sternon the breast bone See Veslingus Anatomie in English Sphinchter is the Musle of the Arse Stupor dulness Spasmus cramp or Convulsion A Scruple is twenty graines or the weight of so many barley cornes Sternutatories medicines to snuf into the nose to provoke sneezing Stupefying taking away the sence of feeling benumming Stupid that is benummed besotted hath no feelling or sense blockish Symptomes evil dispositions of the Body which depend upon and accompany a disease as Heat thâ—â—st Headach want of sleep stomach-sickness faintings swoonings c. Sympathy fellow-feeling a disease is said to come by sympathy when the principal cause is in some other part with which the part offended hath a fellow-feeling So paines of the Head caused by evil Humors in the stomach are said to come by sympathy And sickness of stomach caused by stone in the kidneys is a disease of the stomach by sympathy Nerves Sinnewes certaine strings carrying the facultie of Motion and sence from the Braine into all parts of the Body see Veslingus Anatomie in English Scorbut the Scurvie Steeled in which steel hath bin quenched or infused Scorbutick persons that are troubled with the scurvy Spinal of or belonging to the Back-bone Serous matter wheyish like whey Sutures seams of the Head where the parts of the skull are joined together Species of the Objects representations of things seen For the visible things themselves do not enter into the eyes but certain images and figures of them Scituation place or posture Species retained in the Mind the shapes and patterns of things seen or heard c. State of the disease is when it is at the highest and does neither encrease nor decrease Saphena A vein of the foot which is usually opened in woemen see Veslingus Anatomie in English Sal-prunellae salf-peter purified with Brimstone Clean white salt Peter is as good for use only the Chymists love to mend Magnificat and many times take great pains to little purpose Sphacelus deadnes of any part when the flesh and bone are dead sphacelation signifies the same Superfluous over much unnecessary c. Speculum Oris an Instrument wherewith the Mouth and throat is kept open that the parts diseased may be seen and dealt with Scirrhus an hard swelling without paâ—â— Suppurated an Impostume is said to be suppurated when it gathers matter enclines to break Suppuration a collection of matter in an impostume Suppression stoppage Solution of continuâ—â—ie a dividing of such parts as were naturally united so every wound and Sore is called a solution of continuity c. Stupes cow or Cotton-wooll Sealed Earth Terra Sigillata it is a kind of Medicinal Earth brought out of the straights sealed in little flatt cakes to avoid Imposture the Seal is wont to be the great Turks badg viz. the half moon Sparadrap a cerecloath Sediment the settlings and dregs of Urine or any other liquor Suppression stoppage Sincere excrements are such as are pure and unmixed as choller alone c. Sudoroficks medicines causing Sweat Suffocating choaking
or Sweet-bread 365 Chap. 5. Of the Diseases of the Caul or Omentum 366 The Fourteenth Book of the Practice of Physick Of the Diseases of the Reins and Bladder The PREFACE CHap. 1. Of the Stone in the Kidneyes and Pain in the Reins called Dolor Nephriticus 367 Chap. 2. Of the Stone in the Bladder 378 Chap. 3. Of the Inflamation of the Reins and Bladder 382 Chap. 4. Of Pissing of Blood 385 Chap. 5. Of the Vlcer of the Reins and Bladder 387 Chap. 6. Of Diabetes or extraordinary Pissing 390 Chap. 7. Of Pissing the Bed of Involuntary Pissing or not containing of Vrine 392 Chap. 8. Of stoppage of the Vrine and Strangury 394 Chap. 9. Of Dysuria or Scalding of the Vrine 397 The Fifteenth Book of the Practice of Physick Of Womens Diseases The PREFACE CHap. 1. Of the Green-sickness called Chlorosis 400 Chap. 2. Of the stoppage of the Terms 403 Chap. 3. Of the Immoderate Flux of the Courses 409 Chap. 4. Of the Whites 413 Chap. 5. Madness from the Womb. 417 Chap. 6. Of the Mother-Fits or Womb-sickness 420 Chap. 7. Of Inflamation of the Womb. 431 Chap. 8. Of an Vlcer of the Womb 434 Chap. 9. Of a Scirrhus or a Painlesshard Swelling of the Womb 490 Chap. 10. Of a Cancer of the Womb. 492 Chap. 11. Of Mortification or Gangrenation and Sphacelation or Blasting of the Womb. 493 Chap. 12. Of the Wombs Wind-and-Water Swelling or Dropsie 494 Chap. 13. Of the falling down of the Womb 498 Chap. 14. Of the Womb shut up or Imperforated 501 Chap. 15. Of Barrenness 502 Chap. 16. Of Acute and Chronical Diseases of Women with Child 509 Chap. 17. Of Abortion or Miscarriage 512 Chap. 18. Of Hard Child-birth 517 Chap. 19. Of a dead Child 520 Chap. 20. Of the After-birth retained 521 Chap. 21. Of Immoderate flux of the Loches or Child-bed Purgations 523 Chap. 22. Of Suppression of Child-bed Purgations 524 Chap. 23. Of Gripings after Child-bearing 525 Chap. 24. Of Acute Diseases of Women in Child-bed 527 The Sixteenth Book of the Practice of Physick Of Diseases of the Joynts and Rheumatick Pain of the whol Body The PREFACE CHap. 1. Of Pain in the Joynts called Arthritis or the Gout 531 Chap. 2. Of the Hip-Gout or Sciatica 544 Chap. 3. Of Rheumatick Pains of the whol Body 547 The Seventeenth Book of the Practice of Physick Of FEAVERS The PREFACE SECT I. Of Simple Feavers The Preface CHap. 1. Of the Feaver Ephemera 553 Chap. 2. Of the Feaver Synochus Simplex 554 Chap. 3. Of an Hectick Feaver 555 SECT II. Of Putrid Feavers The Preface Chap. 1. Of Continual Putrid Feavers 560 Chap. 2. Of the Symptomes which accompany Putrid Feavers 575 Chap. 3 Of a Tertian Ague 580 Chap. 4 Of a Quotidian Feaver 585 Chap. 5 Of a Quartan Ague 586 Chap. 6 Of Compounded or Complicated Feavers and particularly of a Semi-Tertian 593 SECT III. Of Pestilential Feavers The Preface Chap. 1. Of a Pestilential Feaver 611 Chap. 2. Of the Measlles and smal Pox 637 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICK Of the Diseases of the Head The PREFACE IN this our Treatise of Head-Diseases we speak first only of those which are in the substance of the Brain and the Films which contain it For although the Eyes Ears Tongue Teeth Gums Jaws and Pallat go to the making up of the Head yet we think it fit to speak of their Diseases in several Books for better Method sake And to call the Diseases of the Brain and its Meninges or Films by the name of Head-diseases most properly so from the excellency of the parts wherein they are These come from the hinderance of the Action of the Brain either in respect of Sence Motion or Nutrition The Sence is divided into Internal and External The Internal hath the chief actions as Imagination Reasoning Memory as also Sleep and Waking the Diseases of which are Frenzie Madness Melancholly Catoche Coma waking sleep and Coma long sleep Lethargie Carus Apoplexy The External Sences are five namely Sight Hearing Smelling Tast and Feeling But because the first four have their peculiar Organs or parts which have divers Diseases which we shall treat of in several Books We will in this Book lay down and declare those which belong to the sence of Feeling because they come immediately from the Brain and its Membranes or Films disturbed and are either termed Palsies which come from Sence destroyed or diminished or Headaches which comes from Sence depraved When the actions of the Brain are hindred in respect of motion there ariseth Convulsion Falling-sickness Palsey Apoplexy Giddiness or swimming of the Head called Vertigo and Trembling Finally When the acting or working of the Brain is hurt or hindred in its Nutrition or Nourishment the Disease is either in distemperature or disorder of the excrement of the Brain of which cometh a Catarrh defluxion or distillation We shall bring all these Diseases under their proper Heads and Chapters in that order which is most usual for the way of Cure Therefore we shall first declare the Cold Distemperature of the Brain and then all Diseases that come from thence because the ground of their Cure is in the Cure of that Afterwards we shall lay down the Diseases that come from a Hot Distemper and Hot Humors which will all more clearly appear in their several Chapters CHAP. 1. Of the Distemper of the Brain ALL Distempers are usually divided into Simple and Compound Material and Immaterial Simple or single Distempers are seldom seen as also immaterial distempers for they come from Primary Causes and either vanish of their own accord or with very smal Remedies or Medicines But Material Distempers produce all the Diseases of the Head therefore we will fall close to discourse of them which few Authors have done in handling them severally because in the laying down of the Diseases which are produced of those Distempers they are sufficiently explained We therefore will transfer the handling of the Hot distemper of the Brain and also the Moist and dry Distempers to the Chapters which contain those Diseases which are produced from them But because the greatest number of Diseases of the Head come from a Cold and Moist Distemper of the Brain we thought sit to discourse of that by it self in the beginning of this Treatise that the Cure of that may be as the Foundation of the Cure of all Diseases coming from thence and that the Medicines may be found in this Chapter which appertain to the Cure of their Cause Therfore we will avoid the vain repetition of those Diseases which is the Custom of almost all Writers of Practical Physick who by that means enlarge their Volumns and make the Art more difficult and tedious to yong beginners The Cold Distemper of the Brain which is Compound and Material or joyned with Matter is for the most part waterish and moist because the Brain is that Mother of Moisture or Flegm and Coldness long abiding draws moisture to
of his who when he had wearied himself with long Study fel into a Catalepsis or Congelation He lay saith he like alog all along not to be bent stiff and stretched out and seemed to behold us with his eyes but spake not a word and he said that he heard us what we said at that time although not evidently and plainly and told us some things that he remembred and said all that stood by him were seen of him and could remember and declare some of their gestures at that time but could not then speak or move one part of his body But Fernelius in his third Book of the Parts of Diseases Chap. 2. relates two Stories which are these One while he being very studious and writing was so suddenly struck with this disease that sitting and holding his pen with his eyes open and looking upon his Book you would have thought he had been hard at study til he was by calling and jogging found to want alsence and motion Another I saw like a dead man lying along with neither seeing hearing nor feeling when he was pinched but he breathed freely and whatsoever was put into his mouth he presently swallowed if he were taken out of his bed he did stand alone but being thrust he would fall down and which way soever his Arm Hand or Leg was set there it stood fixed and firm you would have taken him for a Ghost or some rare Statue You may read the like Stories iâ— Schenkius Marcellus Donatus Rondeletius Jacotius and others From whom you may gather That in this disease there is found a destruction or hinderance of the internal and external Sences with a stiffness of all the Members and somtimes the Sences are not so much hindered but the sick party heareth those that speak unto him somtimes the Members are not so stiff but they may be bent and bowed by them that stand by and put into divers Postures The Causes of this Disease are divers Galen in his Comments Aphor. 3. Sect. 2. saies that a Catalepsis comes from a cold distemper of the Brain which distemper chiefly seizeth upon the hinder part of the Head makes it stiff and thick from whence the Nerves proceeding are also made stiff and such a distemper may seize upon al the Nerves whether it come of an external or an internal cause but some question this cause supposing that no living body can be so cold as to have such a Congelation But Galen answereth this in his 5. Chap. of his Book of the Difference of Diseases by a Reason taken from Experience in these words For those who in a journey are taken with cold which is unto death are thus stiff whom the Greeks call Emprostotonos or Bowers forward Opistotonos or Bowers backward Tetanos extended streight and others that are killed with cold are taken with this Catoche or Congelation Therefore Galen teacheth us that a Catalepsis may be got by external cold and Reason may easily perswade us to it for they which are killed upon the way with great cold do first grow stiff they have a stiffness or Congelation before they die therefore cold may bring a less stifness than that which bringeth Death So we see that Congelation of the Nerves or Catalepsis may come of a cold Distemper and the sooner if it be mixt with a dry distemper But this Disease is most often gotten by a cold and dry distemper joyned with matter that is an Humor or Melancholly Vapor from which cometh a Constipation or Congealing of the hinder part of the Brain and extention of the Nerves and also a stiffness of the same from this humor it cometh I say not only in respect of its quality which is cold and dry but also in respect of its quantity which by repletion makes a distention or stretching forth of the Nerves Aetius in his sixt Book and fourth Chap. saith that a Congelation may be caused of blood Unto which thing Rondeletius consents saying that it comes to pass when the Veins and Arteries of the Brain are so full that the Body groweth stiff and distended or stretched out like those bodies that are congealed with cold weather he confirms his Opinion by a History of a Noble woman taken with a continual Feaver called Synochus who had in the ninteenth day a Congelation which was cured by a large flux of Blood from her Nose Sennertus hath found out a new cause which he saith is a congealing Spirit by which the Animal Spirits are fixed and made immovable he denies that the force of congealing and fixing depends upon a cold and dry distemper but riseth from some hidden quality Such Congealing Spirits are found in the greater World as in Thunder when men are thereby made stiff and as it were congealed As Cardanus reports of eight Mowers which supping under an Oak were struck with Thunder so as they kept the same shape of Body the one seeming to eat the other to lay hold of the pot another to drink when they were all dead It is usually reported that Wine wil be congealed in the Vessel by the spirit of Thunder In Earth-quakes many times such Spirits break forth suddenly out of the Earth as make men and other living Creatures to be stiff and stark Moreover Sennertus addeth that there is great congealing force in Nitre and other Minerals he brings no Examples We shal only bring one Instance taken from Lead whose Vapor doth so fix and congeal Mercury or Quick-silver that it becomes thereby malleable or to be beaten with the hammer This Opinion of Sennertus were not wholly to be rejected if he had not made this the only cause of the disease and cast off al the rest which when they are allowed and confirmed by Galen and the best of Authors are not easily to be cast off and denyed Nor is it needful that we fal to hidden Causes when there are enough visible and manifest able to produce such effects as is before declared And when Sennertus saies that this his congealing spirit is caused of a melancholly humor he seemeth to differ from the common Opinion which is That a Congelation cometh of a cold and dry or Melancholly vapor The Knowledg of this Disease or Diagnosis is manifest from the Stories of Galen and Fernelius already mentioned for the evil befals a man quickly and leaves him in that posture in which it found him and keeps him unmoved as if he were congealed The diversity of Symptoms which we propounded before is seen plainly We foretel this Disease by the same signs as we do other sleeping Diseases as the Symptoms are greater or less so is the Disease more or less dangerous The way of Cure is Two-fold either in the time of the fit or out of the fit In the fit you may use those Medicines which are set down for sleeping Diseases Out of the fit you must labor to cure Melancholly the disease so called if the Congelation come from a Melancholly humor or
of the inferior parts Let his Belly be alwaies kept loose and let him avoid disturbance of mind The course of Diet being thus ordered you must begin your Cure from Universal Evacuation And first you must purge with the following Medicine Take of clean Senna half an ounce Fennel seeds one dram the Leaves of Bettony Eyebright and Vervain of each half a handful Liquoris three drams Boyl them to three ounces Dissolve in the straining three drams of Diaphaenicon Syrup of Roses one ounce Make a Potion and give it in the morning with orderly Government After this first Purge let the Physitian consider seriously with himself whether he may bleed or not For it is disallowed in this case by almost all Practitioners because it is a Chronical Disease of long continuance coming of a cold distemper and of a flegmy humor Hence they fear least by blood-letting the Brain should be made more cold and so beget more flegm and least the conjunct cause of the Disease should be more incressated or thickened and so become more difficult to be discussed and dissipated But although their Opinion may take place as to old men and such as are of a Phlegmatick Constitution yet it is not to be admitted to them that are yong or of a hot Constitution especially if there be manifest signs that blood doth predominate for then there is no doubt but seasonable blood-letting may much profit Nay where the aforesaid signs of blood do appear it is profitable in the judgment of Paulus and Aetius after the Vein in the Arm is opened to open the particular Veins of the Head and those which are neerest the Eyes namely the Frontal and Temple Veins and those which are in the corners of the Eyes neer the root of the Nose But you may better apply Hors-leeches to the Forehead as also behind the Ears Some Practitioners do relate that some by a wound in the Forehead have been cured of blindness In which it is most probable that the cause of their blindness was the compression of the optick Nerves by the Veins and Arteries adjoyning and swelling with too much blood which the Wounds aforesaid emptied forth Whence Spigelius as Plempius reports in his Book of the Eyes was wont in Gutta serena with good success to open the middle Vein in the Forehead and let it bleed while it stop of it self But if the suppression of the terms went before this Disease you must draw blood from the lower veins or apply Leeches to the Hemorrhoids if the Patient had formerly a flux thereof which then is stopped or if he have a very hot Liver or be of a melancholly temper Afterwards the whole body is to be more exactly purged by this following Apozeme Take of Fennel Roots and Sarsaparilla and Flower-de-luce-roots and Elicampane roots of each one ounce the Leaves of Bettony Marjoram Balm Eyebright Fennel Vervain and Celendine the great of each one handful Liquoris sliced and Raisons of the Sun stoned of each one ounce Annis-seed and Fennel-seed of each three drams clensed Senna two ounces Gummy Turbith and Agerick newly made into Troches of each two drams Ginger and Cloves of each one scruple flowers of Stoechas Rosemary and Lavender of each one small handful Boyl them in five quarters that is a pint and a quarter of water dissolve in the straigning four ounces of white sugar make an Apozeme clarifie it and perfume it with two drams of the best cinnamon for four mornings draughts After the Apozeme is done let him take these Pills Take of the mass of Pill Lucis major and Cochia the less of each half a dram malax them with Bettony water make six guilded Pills thereof which let him take early in the morning After this general Evacuation the antecedent Cause is to be revelled and the conjunct Cause is to be derived and discussed For this Frictions of the extream parts especially beneath are to be used every morning Cupping-Glasses must be applied to the shoulders and back without sacrification especially to the hinder part of the Head with scarification for they do so powerfully draw the humors from the fore-parts and the principle of the Nerves that some presently after the application thereof have recovered their sight At the same time apply a Vesicatory to the hinder part of the neck and let the Blysters that are raised be kept long open with Beet or Colewort Leaves often applied When the Vesicatory is dried up apply a Caustick to the hinder part of the head or neck between the second or third Vertebra or as it is now most usual apply two Causticks to the Neck behind upon the fourth and fifth Vertebra so that the back bone may lie untouched between them and both may be Cured with one Playster Instead of Cauteries a Seton applied to the same part is most efficacious but the tenderness of our Country men hath almost abolished the use thereof If the aforesaid Cauteries avail not you may lay a potential Cautery to the Coronal Suture which sometimes hath done the work when other Remedies have failed When these things are doing presently after universal Evacuation by seege you must order a sweating Diet of the Decoction of Guajacum Sassaphras and the Roots of Sarsa according to the method prescribed by us in the Cure of the Cold distemper of the Brain Observing this That towards the end of the Sudorifick Decoction you and those things which peculiarly respect the Eyes as Vervain Fennel Eyebright and Celondine the greater And for the better drying of the Brain let the Bags prescribed in the Chapter above mentioned be applied to the Temples if you fear not an inflamation Also after the Sudorifick Diet it is very convenient to use Sulpherous and Bituminous Baths and washings of the head because they are very proper for the correcting of a Cold and Moist Distemper for the consuming of Flegm and strengthening the brain Besides the universal Evacuation of the body and Head particular may be ordered as Medicines that cause spitting called Apophlegmatisin by which the Rhewm is brought out of the Brain by the Pallate which may be made either in the â—orm of a Gargarism or Masticatory according to the forms prescribed in the Cure of the cold distemper of the brain Errhins and Sternutatories or Neesings are condemned by almost al Practitioners in this Disease because they draw humors to the eyes but yet if some of the milder and gentler sort be used after an exact purging of the whose body and head for some few dayes they may be profitable in regard they may by degrees draw forth and derive the humor which causeth the Disease and is fastned in the Optick Nerves nor can they fetch any thing from the profound part of the brain to the fore-parts Otherwise in every derivation which is an evacuation by the part affected or that which is neer unto it we should alwayes fear lest there should be an attraction to the part affected
If it come from Chollerick Blood there will be sharpness of tears and not only the corners of the Eyes but also the very cheeks will be corroded there will be a pricking and intollerable pain a little swelling with redness inclined to yellow and the patient hath formerly used immoderate exercise been inflamed by the Sun subject to anger and eating of sharp things his complexion is Chollerick or he is yong and the disease cometh in hot weather If it come from flegm there will be a heavy pain little heat not much redness little shooting no sharp tears but many and slimy and glutinatious If it come of Melancholly the Tumor will be smal the redness will be dusky few tears little clamminess but very thick a Melanchollick constitution and the like signs of Melancholly If the defluxion come from the inner parts of the Head there will be a pain in the Head internally coming to the Roots of the Eyes But if the defluxion come into the Eyes by the exterior Vessels the pain of the Head will be more external the Veins of the Forehead will be distended and also there will be perceived a great beating in the Temples The Prognostick is either in respect of an Ophthalmy coming or already begun An imminent Lippitudo is known by an itching and pricking in the Eyes with heat also and the disposition of the Eyes to receive defluxions doth give advantage to the prognostick of it wherefore they who have great Eyes are more subject to this disease Moreover the season doth much conduce to the breeding of it as Hippocrates teacheth Aph. 11. Sect. 3. If the Winter be dry and full of North winds and the Spring rainy and with South winds in Summer you shall have sore Eyes very common especially in women and men of moist constitutions A flux of the Belly coming upon an Ophthalmy is good according to Hippocrates Aph. 17. Sect. â—6 because the superfluity of humors is discharged and carried downwards An old pain in the Eyes is very dangerous for it signifies the cause to be violent and it is to be feared lest Imposthume Suppuration or Ulcer do follow An Ophthalmy beginning in one Eye useth ordinarily to pass to the other For the Cure of an Ophthalmy the external causes must be first removed as also the antecedent causes are to be evacuated revelled and repelled the conjunct cause is to be derived and discussed and the part affected strengthened For the performing of which Indications there are these usual means to be applied First Let his Diet be cooling and moistening of Meats that breed good nourishment boyled rather than roasted of suppings rather than solid things because the Eyes are moved in chewing let him avoid sharp things Salt and Pepper As also things that Fume and wil fill the Head with vapors As also such as quickly turn into Choller as Milk Sugar Honey and al sweet things Wine especially is not good but instead thereof use Barly water with Liquoris and cooling things Sleep is very profitable because then the Eyes rest from motion which is apt to stir up pain and defluxion besides pain is asswaged by sleep and the matter causing the Disease is concocted Let the Patient sleep with his Head high and more inclined to that side which is least affected Let him avoid almotion of his Body for rest is so profitable that Celsus commands that the first day of Cure they speak not lest by that motion matter be carried to the head The Belly must be kept Solluble for Hippocrates saith it is good for him that hath sore eyes to fal into a looseness Let him avoid Passions especially Anger Let the Air be temperate and pure without Smoak Dust and Winds and somwhat dark of the light by moving the Spirits causeth defluxion Let him have a black green or sky colored cloth before his eyes and keep not only his sore but his sound eye shut or covered for while the sound eye is moved towards the Objects the sore is moved also whence the pain encreaseth and this is the reason why men have greater pain when one eye is affected than when both The Diet being thus ordered let us lay down the Cure of the Disease and since it comes for the most part of external Causes first let them be removed lest they nourish it next make a Collyrium or Eye-water or Rose and Plantane Water with the white of an egg and Womans milk and let that be instilled into the Eye often in a day as also let a linnen clout be dipped therein and applied At the same time let him sleep as much as he can for sleep is very profitable to concoct and discuss the matter causing the Disease If it yield not to these you must use the Remedies proper for a true Ophthalmy in this Order First open a Vein having given a Clyster on the contrary Arm and do it often till you have made sufficient Evacuation and Revulsion For Avicen teacheth That in a true Ophthalmy you may let blood till they faint But Galen lib. de curat per sangu miss cap. 17. tells a story of a Steward which was freed of a great Ophthalmy by blood letting first three pound and four hours after one pound And in his 16. cap. of the same Book he affirmeth That Ophthalmies are often cured in an hours space only by Phlebotomy which could not be but by loosing of a great quantity as they did in those times in that case Phlebotomy must be regulated and moderated according to the temper age sex strength and kind of the Disease for in a Plethorick body and when it comes from blood you must take a greater quantity but in a Chollerick body or Melancholly or Flegmatick and other Circumstances which prohibit blood-letting you must take less If the whol body be ful of blood first open the Liver or Median vein after the Head vein but if you intend to loose but little blood begin with the Head vein But in them who have a stoppage of any ordinary accustomed Evacuation by the Terms or Hemorrhoids you must open the veins beneath or apply Leeches to the Hemorrhoid veins After you have bled enough you must labor to make Revulsion by applying of Cupping glasses to the shoulders and the back both dry and with scarrification Frictions also are good for the same and Ligatures in the lower parts To the aforesaid Revulsions you must ad means to derive which are by the opening of the veins of the Forehead and Temples to which some ad the opening of the veins in the corners of the Eyes others apply Horsleeches to the Temples others behind the Ears al which derivations are very profitable after sufficient Evacuation Galen 13. Meth. Cap. 22. Commended the opening of an Artery in the Temples when the Disease comes of very hot blood And though this way of Practice is not used in our times yet it is very excellent and profitable without any danger for in those lesser
the Root and Membrane which inwardly covers their Cavity but also in their proper substance and saith That the Teeth and other parts of the Mouth do taste as also doth the tongue And in his Book of Bones cap. 5. he saith Of Bones only the teeth are partakers of the tender Nerves of the Brain and for that cause they alone do manifestly feel Therefore pain reacheth not only to the Nerves and inward Membrane but also to the substance of the teeth The Tooth-Ach comes from a Flux of Humors either Cold and Flegmy or Hot and Watery Salt and Sharp hence comes the Distention or Convulsion of the parts these Humors either flow to the Membranes of the Jaws and of the holes wherein the Teeth are or to the Nerve which is inserted in the root of the Teeth or to the substance of the Teeth Although some think that the Teeth cannot receive into their own substance afflux of humors and distention because they are most hard and thick yet this is taught by Avicen Fen. 1. Lib. 1. Doct. 1. Cap. 5. and Fen. 7. Lib. 4. Tract 1. Cap. 4. And somtimes saith he there is matter which doth imposthumate the Tooth it self Which Opinion he confirmeth and treateth of chiefly Fen. 1. Lib. 3. Tract 3. Cap. 1. in these words It is not as some Physitians think that the Brain it self wil not imposthumate reasoning thus That which is soft as the brain and hard as a bone is not extended and that will not imposthumate which cannot be extended But this is erronious because that which is soft if it be viscous or claminy may be extended and bones are imposthumated as Galen teacheth we wil shew in our Chapter of the Teeth Moreover we say that whatsoever is nourished is extended and encreased with the nourishment and it is likewise possible that it may be extended and augmented with its superfluity and that is an imposthume This Avicen teacheth from the Doctrine of Galen who Lib. 5. de comp med sec loc cap. 8. saith Because the Teeth cannot grow without nourishment they are only obnoxious to these two Diseases following namely of want and superfluity of nourishment by want of nourishment they grow dryer and thinner and by superfluity of it there will be an inflamation about the fleshy parts Thus Galen But it is probable that pain is more usual if it be vehement in those parts which have most exquisite sence namely the Nerve and the Membrane in the hole of the Tooth next to the root which doth not only suffer distention and vellication but also somtimes inflamation of the humors flowing down for it blood be mixed with other humors then the pain hath two causes namely Distention and Compression which comes from the hardness of the Tooth which the Membrane being inflamed cannot endure and this Inflamation of the Membrane is for the most part accompanied with the inflamation of the Gums which also is reckoned by Galen and Avicen among the causes of the Tooth-ach Now the Humors commonly flow from the Head upon the Teeth and parts adjoyning somtimes from the inferior parts for when any bad humors especially watery bred in any part are abounding in the Veins Nature desiring to cast off her burden sends them to the weakest parts And if the seeth by reason of the distemper foulness or erosion are such the flux will chiefly come thither Charls Piso propounds an Experiment of this who also thinks the Toothach con comes chiefly from a serous humor lib. de morb ab illuv ser obs 7. where he reports that himself being troubled with the Tooth-ach for many daies halr an hour after he had taken a purging Medicine vomited up above a pint of cleer water with such success that ten yeers after he was never troubled with it By which Experience he alwaies prescribed Medicines that purge water to them who were so troubled and with good success Moreover he striveth to prove that it comes from this cause by this sign Because they who have the Tooth-ach do continually spet Besides the Causes mentioned there are also Worms in rotten Teeth and they breed of any matter which is contained and putrified in the Cavities whether it be excrementitious or come of putrifying meats especially flesh and sweet meats which by reason of their clamminess stick to the Cavities of the Teeth Others think that the Tooth-ach comes sometimes from wind contained between the Cavity and the Nerve which doth violently stretch the inward Membrane whence comes such intollerable pain The principal external causes of Tooth-ach are all those things which cause defluxions the chief are Cold Air South winds staying in the Sun or night Air Surfet and all faults in Diet. Ad to these things that debilitate the part and make it more fit to receive a defluxion as rotteness and hollowness in the Teeth which sometimes make violent pains The diversity of Causes is k own by divers igns For pain when it comes from hot humors is stronger the constitution hotter the age yonger if Summer there is heat sensibly in the part and inflamation of the Gums often times it is better for the use of cold and worse for hot things But if it come from a cold humor the signs contrary to these will appear If worms are the cause of pain it will be intermitting coming and going often and somtimes the motion of the worm will be felt When it comes from Wind it is known by the excess of pain and sensible stretching and it ends in short time and is easily cured with discussing Medicines The Prognostick is divers according to the variety of the Causes for that pain which comes from a hot thin watery sharp and salt humor is more violent but sooner at an end by reason of the sudden change of the humor but that which comes from a cold and flegmy humor is less and lasteth longer A Tumor rising in the Gums or Jaws takes away the pain of the Teeth for the flux is carried to the external parts so that it no longer lieth in the internal Cavity of the Tooth The Cure must be directed for the taking away the Cause and mitigating the pain for although Anodines profit but little except the defluxion be stayed yet somtimes we are constrained not only to use them but also Narcoticks or Stupefactives before we take away the Cause therefore the humor flowing to the Teeth is to be revelled evacuated and repelled and that which is there is to be derived and discussed First therefore if the pain comes of hot humors open a vein in the Arm on the same side by which the humor flowing will be revelled But if it come of cold bleeding is not so good but in regard of the defluxion it may be used because it is the chief reveller But then you must take less blood except there be a Plethory in which regard although it be from fiegm you may bleed freely according to Galen who said that
a hot Catarrh If from a cold Cause you must take that course which is prescribed in the Cure of the cold distemper of the Brain but you must strengthen the Teeth with the Medicines in the Chapter following Chap. 2. Of the blackness and rottenness of the Teeth MAny times the Teeth do contract a black livid or yellow color from the evil Humors cleaving unto them which by long continuance do also corrode them and make them rotten and these Diseases come from filthy vapors that fly upwards and are engendered of evil nourishment or from the distemper of the stomach which corrupteth good nourishment Quick-silver doth black the Teeth whether it be used to the whol Body as in the Pox or only to the Face Hence it is that women which use Mercury to make them fair have black and ill color'd Teeth For the Cure you must first remove the antecedent Cause and if it comes from evil humors in the stomach they must be discharged and the distemper of the parts which produce them must be corrected and a good diet prescribed and those things forbidden which do corrupt the teeth especially sweet things Infinite Medicines are prescribed by Authors for making teeth white which may be experienced We are contented with one which presently makes them white clenseth them and keeps them from rotting namely the spirit of Sulphur or Vitriol in which you must dip a little stick and rub the teeth with the end thereof and then wipe them with a clout In a great foulness you may use the Oyls by themselves otherwise you must mix them with Honey of Roses or fair Water lest by the often use of them the Gums should be corroded Montanus consil 113. reports that he learned that at Rome of a Woman called Greek Mary to whom when he came when he was yong and she twenty yeers old and after when she was fifty he found her almost in the same condition and she confessed that her Beauty and strength was preserved by the Spirit of Vitriol and that her Teeth which were very bad in her youth were by that made very fair and firm and also her Gums and also that she perceived her self by the use thereof to seem more youthful and she used every day one drop or two to rub gently her Teeth and Gums The Ashes of Tobacco is very good also to clense and make white the Teeth For prevention and to preserve the Teeth first clense them with a Tooth-picker made of Mastich Wood or the like then wash the mouth with Wine and rub the Teeth with this Pouder Take of the Roots of Snakeweed Allum and white Coral of each one ounce Make a Pouder to rub the Teeth Or wash them with this Water Take of the fine Pouder of burnt Allum two drams whol Cinnamon half a dram Spring and Rose Water of each four ounces boyl them in a Glass upon hot Embers to the consuming of the third part Wash the Teeth therewith every morning with a cloth dipped therein Chap. 3. Of the Erosion or eating away and of the Exulceration of the Gums THe Gums are eaten away and exulcerated by sharp corroding humors which come unto them The parts from whence they come are the Brain Stomach Spleen and others Men that have Diseases in the Spleen are most subject to Ulcers in the Gums as in the Scurvy somtimes the erosion of the Gums comes from worms or the corrupt humors which cause worms so that it is a plain sign of worms when it continueth long So saith Fabricius Hildanus Obs 59. Centur. 1. the Son of a Citizen of Dusseldorp was long troubled with erosion of the Gums and died after the use of many internal Medicines and Topicks when he was opened we found abundance of worms which had eaten through his Guts and many in his Stomach The Cure is first to be directed to the antecedent cause and the vicious humors are to be evacuated by blood-letting and purging the sharp and hot humors are to be tempered with Apozemes Juleps and Physical Broths and the like The flux of the same is to be diverted by Cupping-glasses and Cauteries fitly applied And lastly the faults of the parts affected are to be corrected Afterwards you must use Topicks which are to be altered according to the greatness of the disease so that to a simple Erosion you must apply only those which astringe and dry as this Water following Take of unripe Galls Acorn Cups and Flowers of Pomegranates of each one ounce red Roses one pugil Allum three drams boyl them in two parts of Forge-water and one part of old red Wine and wash the Gums often therewith If the Erosion be not taken away with that use this Opiate Take of Dragons blood three drams Lignum Aloes red Roses Spodium and burnt Harts-horn and Cypress nuts of each one dram Mirrh and Tobacco Ashes of each three scruples Allum one dram Make them into Pouder and mix them with Honey and a few drops of Spirit of Vitriol or Sulphur Make an Opiate which must be spread upon linnen cloth and laid to the Gums at night The Spirit of Vitriol and Sulphur as they clense and whiten the Teeth so they take away the rottenness of the Gums either alone or mixed with Honey of Roses or Water as in the former Chapter If the Ulcer be deep and foul anoint with this Take of choyce Mirrh and Sugar-candy of each equal parts pouder them and fill the white of an hard Egg cut in the midst therewith then tie it with a thrid and hang it in a Wine-Celler with a glass under it and there will come forth a Liquor or Balsom with which anoint often But if by the use of the aforesaid the disease be not cured if the Tooth neer the Ulcer be rotten you must pull it out and then it will be presently cured otherwise never Chap. 4. Of bleeding at the Gums SOmtimes abundance of blood flows from the Gums either Critically or Symptomatically although the former be very seldom yet it is somtimes so we may see by Experience and by reading So saith Dodonaeus Obs 14. A certain Quarrier having the smal Pox had a flux of blood from his Gums and being stopt it made the Urine bloody which being stopt it returned again to the Gums and there continued till he recovered of the smal Pox. Amatus Lucitanus Curat 5. Centur. 5. saies that some have had benefit by bleeding at the Gums and have been worse when it was stopped Also Zacutus Lucitanus obs 86. lib. 1. Praxis admir speaks of a Goldsmith who when he fell into a Feaver by laboring at the Furnace being of a strong constitution lost much blood by opening a Vein and amended so that the seventh day having had an itching of his Gums and a pain in the lower Lip the blood gushed from the Veins of his lower Gums for three daies in such a quantity that he lost above five pints more and the more he bled the more
Throat are for the most part inflamed as aforesaid but also the parts adjacent and the outward part of the Neck as shall be said in the Diagnostick and Prognostick of this Disease In all these kinds of Angina's when there is great danger by the difficulty of swallowing then those things which are given use to fly out at the Nose especially if they be liquid things which are more hard to be swallowed at that time because they spread themselves abroad and therefore cannot so easily be comprehended of the Muscles to be sent into the Oesophagus which Muscles cannot sufficiently contract themselves by reason of the inflamation but solid nourishment being more corpulent need only the superficial action of the Muscles and are swallowed down by a smal contraction of them But it somtimes falls out that solid things are harder and liquid things easier to be swallowed which dependeth upon the diversity of the parts affected For the Muscles of the Larynx are ordained for to swallow meat as well as for the voyce and when the meat is thrown into the Oesophagus the Larynx is lifted up with the Tongue But for to swallow drink we use the Tongue most which while it is drawn inwards it brings the drink from the Lips to the Jaws If therefore the Muscles that move the Tongue are more affected it is harder to swallow drink But if the Muscles of the Larynx are more hurt it is harder to swallow meat Here by the way we must mark that Hippocrates somtimes by the word Angina doth understand only the inflamation of the Larynx and so it is taken more strictly of which there is an Example 6. Epid. Sect. 8. Text. 1. where he saith thus Some had inflamations of their Jaws some had Angina's where by the name Angina he understands the inflamation of the Muscles of the Larynx and distinguisheth it from the inflamation of the Jaws A Bastard Angina is without a Feaver and is two-fold The first and most ordinary comes of Rhewin falling upon the Jaws and parts neer unto the Larynx The other comes from the Luxation of the Vertebra's of the Neck by which the passage of the Gullet and Throat is pressed and made narrow The Cause of a true Angina as of other inflamations is either pure blood or mixed with Choller Flegm or Melancholly which falls upon the parts aforesaid out of the Branches of the Jugular Veins and this is either attracted by the heat or pain of those parts or sent from other parts because these parts are weak loose and fit to receivea defluxion especially if the whol Body abound with humors or the Head or the parts neer the Jaws For when evil blood aboundeth in the whol Body and is carried unto the Head if the Brain be strong it will not receive it but sends it down by the same Veins into the lower parts hence come divers inflamations as Parotides or tumors under the Ears Ophthalmies Angina's and the like Yong men are more subject to the Angina than old because they have much Chollerick blood and because they are full bodied and have much blood especially in the Head Some Authors say that men are more subject to Angina's than women which it seems Hippocrates observed 6. Epid. Sect. 7. where describing an Epidemical Constitution in which Angina's Coughs and Peripneumonia's or Inflamations of the Lungs were frequent he affirmeth that few women were sick and he gives no other reason but because they went less abroad than men and therefore were not so subject to injuries from the Air. Which Reason doth not agree with the universal Proposition That women are less subject to Angina's than men but this may be a true Reason because women have colder Blood a less Larynx or Wind-pipe and narrower Veins of the Throat For which Reason those parts do not so easily receive defluxions The precedent Diseases may be reduced to their internal Causes as continual putrid burning and especially Epidemical Feavers such as were mentioned by Forestus Obs 2. Lib. 6. which happened in the yeer 1517. at which time all that were infected had an inflamation of the Jaws and died within sixteen or twenty hours except they were let blood within six hours But in this Angina the Feaver is not Symptomatical but Essential and the Angina is symptome to it because part of the matter causing the Disease is sent to this place for in Epidemical Feavers Angina's Pleuresies Inflamation of the Lungs Disenteries and the like do happen from some secret force and influence of the Stars by which somtimes one part of the Body and somtimes another is more affected Whatsoever can cause a flux of humors to these parts may be reckoned among the external Causes of this Disease As Southernly winds according to Hippocrates Aph. 16. Sect. 3. in time of much rain many diseases happen as long Feavers Fluxes of the Belly Putrifactions Falling-sicknesses Apoplexies and Angina's Also for the producing of this last the inequality of weather doth much when the parts are made loose by heat and by cold suddenly coming thereupon the humors are sent thither A sudden cooling after heat and drinking of cold water doth the same or if the Head be kept too hot or too cold The first Cause of a Bastard Angina is propounded by Hippocrates 4. de vict rat in morb acut text 39. where he saith an Angina comes when in Winter and Spring time much slimy flegm falls from the Head to the Jugular Veins which obstructeth the passages of the Spirits with its cold glewiness There is another Cause of a Bastard Angina given by Hippocrates 2. Epidem Sect. 2. namely a Tumor rising in the Vertebra's of the Neck and especially in that which is called Dens or the shape of a Tooth by Hippocrates by which the Vertebrae are drawn inward and therefore a Cavity appears in the external part Now this Tumor either comes from flegm removing by its encrease the Vertebra from its seat or from blood falling upon the Muscles from whence comes an inflamation by which the Muscles being contracted draw the Vertebra's inward and then it is a true Angina coming from the inflamation of the said Muscles There may also be a Luxation of the Vertebrae by a flegmatick humor loosing their Nerves and making them slippery between the Joynts And lastly it may come from an external Cause as a fall or stroak as in other parts An Angina is generally known first by its proper signs namely difficulty of breathing and swallowing when there is no fault in the Breast and Lungs and when pain is felt about the Jaws and Throat and in a true Angina redness heat and a feaver are signs The Differences may be distinguished by their proper signs In Synanche there is less difficulty of breathing but great difficulty in swallowing so that moist things can scarce be swallowed but come out at the Nostrils In Parasynanche there is less difficulty of breathing nay very little because the inflamation of
and first open the Veins called Ranulae under the Tongue it is commended by Hippocrates Galen and the Modern Physitians by which the blood which doth immediately cause the inflamation is drawn forth The Ancients in a desperate Angina open the Jugulars which though some late Writers have approved yet it is out of fashion being thought dangerous by reason of the bleeding which can scarcely be stopped by reason of the largeness of the Veins But Experience hath taught that this operation is not so dangerous if it be well administred First then bend the Patients Head on one side as much as you can til his chin almost touch his shoulder then open the Vein without a Ligature with a smal Orifice according to its longitude for so it will more easily cicatrize and having taken a sufficient quantity of blood bring the Head to its natural position and so somtimes the blood will stop of its self But you must presently apply Galens Emplaster described 5. Meth. Cap. 4. made of Hares hair Aloes Frankinsence and the white of an Egg so the flux of Blood is surely stopped Trallianus reports in Lib. 4. Cap. 1. that he cured many of the Squinzy with opening of the Jugular Veins and Zacutus Lucitanus obser 89. lib. 1. Praxis admir tells of a Spaniard which was cured of a most violent Angina A Cupping-glass with Scarrification under the Chin is good for derivation by which Zacutus Lucitanus obs 88. lib. 1. Prax. adm saith he cured a woman of a Cunagche or dog Squinzy Scarrifications under the Jaws and upon the Neck are good if deep by which means Benivenius faith in lib. de abdit morb caus cap. 38. Nicholas Rota was cured of a desperate Angina whose story Sennertus hath fully related Pract. Med. lib. 2. part 1. cap. 24. While the aforesaid Medicines are used the inflamation of the Throat and Jaws is to be allayed with Topicks and they are to be varied according to the time as in other inflamations so in the first Repelling Medicines are good made into Gargarisms that they may presently touch the part inflamed Take of Plantane Nightshade and Woodbine Water of each three ounces Syrup of Mulberries three ounces Sal prunellae one dram and an half Make a Gargarism Or of a Decoction thus Take of Plantane Sorrel and the tops of Brambles of each one handful the Grains of Sumach half an ounce one Pomegranate beaten with grains and peel red Roses one pugil make a Decoction to a pint Dissolve in the straining Syrup of Mulberries and the composition made of Nuts of each one ounce and an half Sal prunella two drams Make a Gargarism Concerning Gargarisms you must observe that they are to be suspected because the parts inflamed are moved thereby which should be at rest but you may remedy that if you hold the Gargarism in the Mouth turning backwards and not move it Without Gargling you may use the Spirit of Salt Sulphur or Vitriol which mixed with Water to qualifie their sharpness are to be taken by little and little for by passing through the part affected they qualifie its heat and being sent from the Stomach to the Liver and Veins it allaies the heat of the blood which remedy is also good in the Inflamation of the Jaws and Tonsils While you use repelling Gargarisms you must apply outwardly to the neck loosning and resolving Liniments that the matter may be brought forth thus made Take of Oyl of Chamomel Lillies and sweet Almonds of each one ounce Hens grease and fresh Butter of each one ounce and an half Saffron one scruple Make a Liniment to be applied with greazie wool This Liniment will asswage pain which if violent it may be qualified also with a Gargarism made of Milk or an Emulsion made of the four cold great seeds or of Mucilages of Fleabane and Quinces drawn with Rose water adding Syrup of Violets or Cassia dissolved in Whey or in a Decoction of Marsh-mallow Roots After the beginning of the Disease when it encreaseth or is at a stand you must mix Digesters and Dissolvers with Repellers which must be done the second day because the Disease is most acute Take of the Leaves of Hysop and Plantane of each one handful Liquoris Raisons stoned of each one ounce fat Figs twelve red Roses and Barley of each one pugil make a Decoction of a pint Dissolve in the straining Honey of Roses and Syrup of Violets of each one ounce Make a Gargarism Observe That as long as the Inflamation continueth you must mix some things that repel with Dissolvers and Astringents lest the part which by Nature is soft should be more relaxed and made more fit to receive a defluxion But outwardly you must apply Dissolvers most with a Swallows nest which by the Opinion of all Writers hath a specifical property against this Disease Take of the pouder of a Swallows nest and of Album Graecum of each one dram the pouder of Flower-de-luce Roots and Chamomel of each half a dram Hens grease and Oyl of Lillies of each one ounce yellow Wax a little Make a Liniment Or it may be made into a Cataplasm thus Take one Swallows nest Mallows Violets of each one handful Althaea Roots Lilly Roots of each half an ounce fat Figs three or four Chamomel and Melilot Flowers of each one pugil boyl them and beat them then put to them Barley meal Linseeds and Foenugreek of each three drams Saffron one scruple fresh Butter one ounce Oyl of Chamomel and sweet Almonds of each as much as will make a Cataplasm to be applied to the fore part of the Neck In the mean while you may use Eclegma's or things to be licked now and then that the matter which breaths forth of the part or falls upon it from the head may be clensed Take of the pouder of the Electuary of Diatragacanth frigid two drams Simple Diaireos one dram Sugar-candy and Penides of each half an ounce Diamoron one ounce Syrup of Jujubes as much as is sufficient Make a Lohoch If the Tnmor will not be discussed but tendeth to suppuration which useth to be upon the fourth or fifth day you shall assist it with the Cataplasm aforesaid and other Emollients and Suppuratives and he must hold those Medicines at the same time in his mouth which was prescribed formerly for asswaging of pain Or Take of sliced Liquoris and Raisons stoned of each one ounce fat Figs six Althaea and Quince seeds of each two drams the flowers of Chamomel one pugil boyl them in Hydromel Dissolve in the straining boyled Wine two ounces Make a Gargarism It is also good to hold Cassia new drawn in the mouth that by degrees it may dissolve into the Throat for it asswageth pain dissolveth and maturateth If the Tumor come to suppuration which may be known by the decrease of symptomes and will not break let the sick man or some about him put their fingers into his mouth and endeavor to break the imposthume which
a Rexis or Anastomosis The same blood offending in quality as when it is too hot or too thin it wil come forth by way of Anastomosis but because heat wil open the Orifices and the thinness causeth it to flow more easily Also the same qualities make a Diapedesis or Rarifaction for heat doth make thin the Tunicles of the Vessels and the thinness of the blood causeth it to flow more easily through the pores of those Tunicles Lastly The sharpness of the blood doth gnaw the Tunicles of the Veins and exulcerate them so cause a Diabrosis or Erosion this also is caused by sharp or salt humors which distil from the head or coming from other parts to the Lungs Moreover The External Causes do concur for the production of this Disease either mediately or immediately It is produced immediately by a stroak fal wound or the like but they produce it mediately which encrease blood heat and attenuate as high and hot feeding stoppage of Terms or Haemorrhoids too much exercise great clamor heat long staying in the sun and many others Moreover External Cold may cause the Ruption of the Vessels by making their Tunicles harder and not so easily to be extended but with this must be joyned strong Motion or abundance of Humors The Diagnosis of this Disease is difficult in respect of the part from whence it comes yet Galen declareth it in few words 4. de loc affect cap. 6. namely blood coming from the Gullet and Stomach is put forth by vomit when it comes from the Vital parts by Cough from the Jaws and Weazand by Hawking from the Mouth by simple spetting which wants a more cleer explication when blood comes from the head to the inner parts of the Weazand and the Jaws it comes forth by Coughing and so it doth when it comes from the breast and therefore it is not distinguished by this sign Moreover When blood coming from the Lungs or Breast is brought out by Coughing There are other necessary signs from which the parts affected may be distinguished First therefore when blood comes from the head although it somtimes cause Coughing yet the greatest part thereof is put forth by Hawking and there is a tickling in the Pallat as in a Catarrh as also when you look into the Pallat it appeareth to be foul and bloody and it is more confirmed to be from the Head if at that time the Nose bleed When the blood comes from the Lungs it is distinguished from that which comes from the Breast by Galen in the place mentioned for that which comes from the Lungs is froathy in greater plenty and without pain but from the Breast it is black little and with pain But it may be objected That blood coming from the breast is carried by the Lungs and by consequence is froathy because it is mixed with the air taken in as that which comes immediately from the Lungs And Avicen saith That blood from the breast is froathy I Answer That it is one thing to spet some froath mixed with the blood and another thing to spet nothing but froath which only comes from the substance of the Lungs Therefore you may observe Three degrees of froath for it is either wholly froathy from the flesh of the Lungs which it resembleth for the Lungs are but a congealed froath or it comes from the Vessels of the Lungs and is very froathy or it is mixed with froath and comes from the breast But the most certain sign that it comes from the Lungs is taken from the pain which is fixed and continueth where the solution of continuity is And you must observe That blood is somtimes sent from the Liver Spleen Matrix and other parts into the Lungs and spet forth so that the Breast is not primarily but secondarily affected which thing is hardly to be discovered But we may conjecture of it namely if any of the aforesaid parts be troubled with pain inflamation or any other distemper and there neither is nor hath been any other fault in the breast You may find out the signs of the Causes from what hath been said For if blood be brought by the Anastomosis of the Veins there went before some Cause that opened the mouth of the Vessels then blood is thrown forth in a pretty quantity and without pain But if it come forth by Diapedesis or Rarefaction then is it waterish little and without pain When it breaks forth by Rixis or Eruption it is very much if a Repletion went before or any External Cause that might break the Vessels Lastly If it comes by Diabrosis or Corrosion of the Vein there went before salt and sharp diffillations from the head The blood is salt and sharp and ill coloured and some Causes of sharp humors were formerly in the beginning there is but little blood but after when the Corrosion is greater then is much blood spet forth and at last there is a spetting of Matter Hippocrates Aphor. 25. Sect. 4. doth lay down the Prognostick of this Disease as what kind of blood soever is spet out of the mouth from any part below it is evil for every opening of a vessel which letteth blood come forth so is dangerous especially in the Lungs concerning which his Aphorism chiefly speaks But somtimes such spetting of blood may be without hurt namely When Nature by a critical Motion doth purge the superfluous blood by those waies And it is observed That Women which have had their Terms stopt have without harm at certain times spet blood from their Lungs by the Anastomosis of the veins In respect of the Causes Diapedesis or Rarifaction is less dangerous than Anastomosis or Apertion and Eruption is most dangerous for unless it be healed within three or four dayes there cometh an inflamation which being suppurated produceth an Ulcer from whence cometh a Consumption Whence Hippocrates saith Aphor. 15 16. Sect. 7. That from spetting of blood there followeth spetting of Matter and from spetting of Matter a Phthisis or Consumption But Diabrosis or Corrosion is most dangerous and Galen saith That it is incurable by reason the Ulcer that followeth it is incurable The Cure of Haemoptoe or spetting blood is wrought by Revulsion of blood from the Lungs by correcting the evil quality thereof and closing the vein that is opened by astringing and conglutinating means First therefore let blood from the Arm on the same side on which you find heaviness or pricking in a smal quantity often and at a distance for the better Revulsion After that open the vein in the Foot and so you wil make a Revulsion to a further distance and this will be more profitable if the disease come from obstruction of the Terms If the Patient be subject to the Hemorrhoids you must open them with Hors-leeches Also apply Cupping-glasses with Scarrification to the shoulders and back or without Scarrificaon to the Groins and under the Ribs Rub and bind the extream parts and in all the time of the Cure
Diseases But the Heart hath a Natural Faculty to contract and dilate it self therefoâ—e a Palpitation cannot be without its motion And they do in vain muster up Galens Reasons so thought by them to prove that the Palpitation of the Heart comes not by Nature but by a Diâ—ease or cause of a Disease For Galen in all those places speaks of no other Palpitation than that which is in the Skin and other external parts and not of the palpitation of the Heart which is of another Nature and Galen 2. de sympt caus cap. 2. saith that the Palpitation of the Heart and Arteries is different from that of the other parts Therefore the Palpitation of the Heart is an immoderate and preternatural shaking of the part with a great Diastole or Dilatation and a vehement Systole or contraction which somtimes is so great that as Fernelius observes it hath often broken the Ribs adjoyning somtimes displaced them which are over the Paps and somtimes it hath so dilated an Artery forth into an Aneurism as big as ones fist in which you might both see and feel the pulsation This immoderate shaking of the Heart comes from the Pulsative Faculty provoked But here may be objected That in Feavers all these things are found for this is an immoderatâ— Systole and Diastole by the provocation of the Faculty through some troublesom matter or by encrease of heat in the Heart To this we answer That the motion of the Heart in Feavers is distinguished from Palpitation only by its degrees and the depraved motion of the Heart when it is vehement is called Palpitation but if it be not vehement it is called a quick great and swift Pulse and is referred to the differenceâ— of Pulses Now the Efficient Causes of this Palpitation may be referred to Three Heads Either it is somwhat which troubleth and pricketh or necessity of Refrigeration or defect of Spirits which two latter may be referred to the encrease of Custom The Molesting Cause is most usual so that many Authors knew no other the other are rare and that is either a vapor or wind which troubleth the Heart either in quantity or quality or both The quality is either manifest or occult A vapor troublesom in a manifest quality is either in the Heart and its parts adjoyning or it is sent from other parts and this suddenly getting to the inmost parts of the Heart doth stir up the Expulâ—ive Faculty which being Naturally very strong ariseth powerfully with all its force to expel the enemy In the Heart and thereabout especially in the Pericardium are gathered somtimes cold and thick Humors which send up vapors to the Ventricles of the Heart which cause Palpitation But from more remote parts vapors and wind are sent to the Ventricles of the Heart as from the Stomach Spleen Mother and the other parts of the lower Belly Many times a Vapor that troubles the Heart by an occult quality ariseth in malignant Feavers Plague and after Poyson and somtimes from Worms putrified and the terms stopped from corrupt feed or other putrid matter which do much stir up the Expulsive Faculty thereof Divers Humors do molest the Heart either with their quantity or quality so too much Blood oppresâ—ing the Veins Arteries and Ventricles of the Heart so that they cannot move freely makes a Palpitation by hindering motion which that the Faculty may oppose it moveth more violently So Water in the Pericardium being in great quantity doth compreâ—s the substance of the Heart and its Ventricle so that they cannot freely dilate themselves The same do Humors flowing in abundance to the Heart as it happens somtimes in Wounds Fear and Terror Humors offending in quality hurt the Heart if they be venemous putrid corrupt sharp or too hot especially burnt Choller coming to the Heart and provoking its Expulsion Also Tumors though seldom cause this Disease as Inflamation of the Heart Imposthumes or Swelling in the Arteries of the Lungs neer the Heart which Galen saith befel Antipater the Physitian 4. de loc aff by which after an unequal Pulse he fell into a Palpitation and an Asthma and so died so Dodonaeus reports that he found a Callus in the great Artery next to the Heart which caused a Palpitation for many yeers Also Tumors in the Pericardium whether they be without humors and scirrhus or with humors in them as the Hydatides or watery Pustles and little stones bones and pieces of flesh are somtimes growing in the Heart which cause Palpitation So Platerus reports that in one who had a long Palpitation and died thereof there was found a bone in his Heart But Schenkius reports that in a Priest who was from his youth to the age of forty two troubled with a Palpitation there was found in the bottom of his Heart an Excrescens of flesh which weighed eight drams and resembled another Heart The Second Cause of Palpitation is necessity of refrigeration which is when there is a pretâ—â—natural heart in the Heart by which the Spirits are inflamed within and therefore the motion of the Heart and Arteries is encreased that what is spent may be restored and the heat cooled and this comes somtimes from an internal cause which is rare but oftener of an external as anger vehement exercise and the like As Platerus observed in a yong man who being hot and angry at Tennis fell into a Palpitation of the Heart and so died The third Cause is the defect of Spirits which comes by hunger watching anger Joy fear shame and great Diâ—eases and other causes which do suddenly dissipate the Spirits which defect the Heart laboring to repair that it may beget more quick and plentiful and send them into the whol Body sooner it doth enlarge its motion and make it quicker You must observe for conclusion that it is more ordinary to see a Palpitation which comes by consent from other parts than from the Heart it self For it hath a consent with all parts by the Veins and Artâ—ries by which Vapors Wind and Humors are sent Which all shall be shewed in the Diagnosis following The Diagnosis or knowledg of this Disease is directed either to the Disease or the Causes which produce it The Disease is subject to sence it may be felt with the hands somtimes seen and heard for the Artery may be seen to leap especially in the Jugular And Forestus saith it may be heard by an Example of a yong man that they who passed by might hear it by laying their Ear to the Window Also the Causes are distinguished by their Signs A hot distemper is known by the greatness of the Pulse and swiftness by a Feaver and heat of the Breast by great and often breathing and desire of cold things If the Palpitation come of wind it quickly comes and goes and is presently raised by little motion and the Breath is difficult with trembling somtimes at the knees mists in the Eyes noise in the Ears and somtimes pain of some
Many Practitioners do not only apply these Remedies before to the Cartilage called Xiphoides like a sword but also behind upon the thirteenth Vertebra because the proper orifice of the Stomach inclineth backward but the thickness of the Vertebra is such and of the Muscles under them that the strength of the Medicine cannot pierce through to the Stomach Take of Galangal and Calamus Aromaticus of each three drams Mastich and Cloves of each two drams one Nutmeg dried Citron peels half an ounce Annis seeds one dram and an half Make a bag of these being bruised and put into red silk pricked through and into musked Cotton to be worn alwaies upon the Stomach The Skin of a Vultur dressed and worn upon the Stomach is commended for the same in want of which a Hairs Skin or a piece of Scarlet may be used Chap. 2. Of Dogs Appetite called Fames canina HAving in the former Chapter spoken of Appetite diminished and abolished now we shall speak of it depraved And this is done two waies When it either offendeth in quantity or quality It offends in quantity when nourishment is required in a greater quantity than Nature would and this is called Boulimia or Dogs Appetite It offends in quality when things are required which are evil or are not food and this is called Pica or Kitta Of the first we shall speak in this Chapter of the last in the Chapter following The word Boulimia comes apo tou bou kai limou because the Particle Bou put to other words encrease the signification as if it were compared to the greatness of an Ox. It is also called Phagedaina which word is given to Ulcers which eat the flesh and enlarge and therefore called Vlcera Phagedaina that is spreading Ulcers Now it is called Fames Canina or Dogs Appetite because they who have it are hungry as Dogs But you may observe that these two words Boulimia and Fames Canina are somtimes confounded and used for the same thing and somtimes distinguished so that it is called Fames Canina when after much feeding they vomit like Dogs But some purge rather than vomit when Nature throweth down that which it cannot concoct In Boulimia vomit doth not follow but somtimes Lipothymia There are some who feed unsatiably and yet vomit not nor purge but concoct all and if they have not presently more are sick As Sennertus reports of a Scholler who was black colored who eat not only in the day but night and digested it without vomiting he could not be satisfied with delicate meats but required gross and therefore would eat no Bakers Bread but such as the Country people made and would eat as many raw Parsnips in a Summer morning as could be bought for six pence without damage Hence it appears that this disease is a Symptome of an action depraved in respect of quantity which action being encreased is called Dog-like or an Appetite beyond Natural Measure The part affected is chiefly the mouth of the Stomach The cause containing is sence of sucking and vehement pulling which stirs up the Appetite Galen 2. de symp caus cap. 7. reduceth the immediate causes of this Disease to two Heads in these words Evil Appetites exceeding in quantity which are called by some Caninae are then when either some evil sharp Juyce biteth the Stomach or when the whol Body immoderately concocting wants nourishment for evil Juyce which is cold biteth like the Natural sucking and produceth appetite by the resemblance of Nature The immediate cause of a preternatural Appetite according to Galen is first a vicious humor and cold sticking to the Stomach Secondly want of Food by over much concoction Evil Humors sticking to the Stomach cause immoderate Appetite because they by their too much coldness sharpness and sowrness do constringe wrinkle and pull the mouth of the Stomach and so make a sence of feeling like a natural sucking and beget a false Appetite This Humor is either sowr flegm staying long in the Stomach or many times Melancholly sent from the Spleen into the Stomach which in a natural state and a moderate quantity and quality begets a moderate and natural Appetite but if it be preternatural and exceed it makes the Appetite too great The want of Food by reason whereof the Veins do continually suck from the Stomach either it comes from too great Evacuation by bleeding purging vomiting sweating and the like or from too great a Consumption of the alimentary substance by reason of the immoderate heat of the parts or the thinness of the humors and body and loosness of the pores watchings baths immoderate exercise much venery all which do dissolve the substance making humidity and by these emptiness being caused and want of food the meat is carried from the Stomach sooner than it ought Also this Fames Canina or Dogs Appetite may come from Worms which devour the Chylus as Trallianus reports lib. 7. cap. 4. of a Woman in this Disease which voided a worm twelve â—ubits long by the use of Hiera and was cured The Hermetical Physitians do lay down another cause of this wonderful Appetite namely a certain dissolving Spirit begot in the Body which by an inhaerent property doth so readily consume whatsoever meat is taken so that it doth not allow Nature a lawful and necessary bound of nourishment This they call a hungery devouring salt sharp vitriol Spirit For say they as from divers Salts Vitriol Niter common Salt and Salt Armoniack with the like Aqua fortis is made by Chymistry which will dissolve the hardest Stones Mettals into Liquor in a short time so that Gold which will not be dissolved in a month by a strong fire in a quarter of an hour will be dissolved in Aqua regia and be turned into a Liquor of the same color This Doctrine is diligently to be examined for as the digestion of the Stomach in its Natural condition hath somthing to be admired by the curious Searchers into Nature so the same being made preternatural hath somthing to be wondered at This is wonderful in the Natural digestion of the Belly that the hardest meats are digested therein and in three or four hours space are turned into a Chylous Liquor so thin that it may be strained through the narrowest branches of the Venae lacteae and that Dogs do turn the hardest bones into the same Liquor is not to be attributed to a stronger concocting heat because meat in a pot although the fire be never so hot cannot in twenty four hours or many daies be converted into the same The Galenists hold that this comes from the faculty of the Stomach which faculty works not without an Instrument because if there is an Idiosyncrasia or a certain proportion of the first qualities as is commonly reported its chief action must be from heat for cold moisture or driness do nothing to that great dissolving of food and heat as it is said hath not that power Therefore the Idiosyncrasia is somwhat more
by reason of the superfluous Humor which is contained in the Veins being an Enemy to Nature yet it cannot be denied but it is greatly decayed by those grievous vomits and stools It is better therefore first to allay the violence of the Humors and after the symptomes are asswaged to open a Vein And because in this Disease the strength quickly fails by strong evacuations you must be very careful in the restoring of it by that way which is shewed in the Cure of weakness in the eighth Book and the third Chapter Chap. 10. Of Pain in the Stomach called Dolor Ventriculi IT is a sad and troublesom sence in that part from some things that gnaw and stretch it till it break or be wounded In the Stomach you must consider three parts which much differ one from the other namely it s upper Orifice and its lower called Pylorus and the rest of its Body which maketh up the whol Cavity The upper Orifice is of exquisite sence by reason of the great Nerve which it hath from the sixth Conjugation and therefore pain therein is very sharp and makes the Heart which is the most noble part and neer unto it sensible of the same from thence it is called Cardialgia and Cardiogmos for there is such a neer consent between the mouth of the Stomach and the Heart that the Ancients called it by the name of the Heart Cardia But if the Membranes of the Cavity or the Pylorus be pained it is called simply Dolor Ventriculi and somtimes Colica Ventriculi especially when it comes of wind The immediate Cause of this pain is solution of Continuity by things sharp and distending and they are chiefly Humors or Wind and somtimes Worms gnawing the Tunicles Sharp and malignant Humors as green Choller or black salt Flegm corrupt Matter sent into the Stomach from an Imposthume broken in the Liver or Breast and all other sharp Humors which may cause pain Also sharp vapors coming from those Humors use to cause this pain The Wind contained in the Cavity of the Stomach doth cause swelling and painful distension especially if it be restrained within its Tunicles which makes a very stubborn Disease and cannot easily be sent out The Diseases both of the Stomach it self and of the parts adjoyning use to breed this pain as any great distemper either hot or cold and especially an Inflamation and somtimes a Schirrus or other hard Tumor which maketh a heavy pain as also Wounds and Ulcers of the same part and swellings in parts adjoyning by wind or other waies cause this pain by compression of the Stomach Now these Humors and Winds which cause pain in the Stomach either come from the whol Body or some parts thereof From the whol Body in Feavers or when the Body is filled with evil Humors And from other parts especially the Liver Spleen and Brain from the Liver there comes Choller from the Spleen Melancholly and from the Head salt Flegm Also this pain may arise from other extraordinary Causes not usual as Schenkius observes from stones bred in the Stomach lib. 3. observat And Fabricius Hildanus observ 33. lib. 4 reports that a Woman had a piece of Rind or rusty Bacon two yeers in her Stomach wherewith she was continually pained and which after by taking a Vomit she threw up and was cured The external Causes of this Disease are either evil qualified or of sharp Nourishment which of themselves produce it or things apt to breed Wind or things taken in too great a quantity which putrifie and turn sharp or things that are too hot and breed much Choller As also strong sharp deadly Medicines either taken in too great a quantity or not sufficiently corrected and poyson The Diagnostick Signs are from the part affected and the cause And first when the pain is under the Cartilage Ensiformis or Xiphoides it shews that the upper Orifice of the Stomach is affected but that it is a true Cardialgia in the mouth of the Stomach you may know more certainly when there is a most sharp pain from the exquisite sence of the part with such trouble and disturbance that the Patient cannot stay in a place or in one posture but often swounds and fainteth by consent and sympathy of the Heart with the Stomach not only by neerness to it but also by reason of the dissipation of the Spirits by the pain Somtimes the Brain consents by Reason of the famous Nerve which is in the Stomach and the sharp vapors which are directly sent into the Head from thence from whence come Cephalalgia Hemicrania Vertigo and Epilepsie In other parts of the Stomach there are great pains but they have not so great Symptomes and therefore they are like the Chollick differing only in place The Causes also are known by their proper signs The most manifest are taken from the Excrements for Choller Flegm Wind or Worms are voided at the Mouth or Belly it is easie to conjecture that the Disease depends upon these Causes But if no Humor be discharged we may know when Choller Flegm or Wind abounds by their proper signs and the signs of Worms are to be taken out of their proper Chapter As also the proper diseases both of the Stomach and parts adjoyning which produce this Disease are known by their proper signs The knowledg of the Humor causing this pain is also taken from the time of its coming encrease and cessation Some are troubled most violently before meat and this shews that Choller is predominant which is stirred in time of emptiness and drawn to the Stomach and made more sharp Some are pained presently after meat because the raw biting Humors which before were quiet and fixed to the Tunicles of the Stomach are moved when Meat is taken or they which were in the bottom of the Stomach are raised up and disturb the mouth of the Stomach Others are pained in time of Concoction because sharp gnawing vapors arise from the Matter causing the Disease from the heat encreased in the Stomach in time of Concoction Others are pained four or five hours after meat because it is corrupted by evil concoction and so gnaweth the Stomach Some are worst after sleep and that comes from a Catarrh from the Head in the time of sleeping which being heaped up in the Stomach produceth pain afterwards Somtimes the pain is appeased after Meat because the sharpness of the Humors is qualified by the sweetness of the Meat As for the Prognostick it is most certain that Cardialgia is more dangerous than any other disease of the Stomach by reason of the exquisite sence of the Mouth of the Stomach and its great consent with principal parts The danger is more or less according to the malignity of the Cause and the vehemency of the symptomes A continual acute Feaver joyned with a great pain of the Stomach threateneth great danger as Hippocrates saith Aph. 65. Sect. 5. In Feavers if there be great heat about the Stomach and
But it is chiefly good for them who have the worms and a flux withal In which diseases coming together he commends also the Juyce of Plantane and the Decoction of Knot-grass given to drink To which may be added Topicks applied to the Belly partly astringent and partly having vertue to kill worms Women do use common Oyl given with Wine for that Oyl stops the pores of the Worms and so choak them for want of breath and VVine kills them by its sharpness But when there is a Feaver it is better to give Oyl with the Juyce of Lemmons or Pomegranates or which is better Oyl of bitter Almonds with the said Juyces or Orange flower water Stocherus in his Empirical Medicines commends the Oyl that is taken out of a dâ—ied Hazel stick if it be given but a drop or two at a time to a child or to a youth three or four in a crum of Bread For saith he it doth immediately kill them and cast them forth by stool also by but touching of Worms or Lice out of the Body it killeth them The best Authors will have this Oyl of Hazel to be the Oleum Heraclinum by which Martin Ruland did cure Children of the VVorms in a moment by anointing only their Lips and Navils as you may see in his Centuries But we have found by Experience that the Oyl of Juniper given but a drop at a time in Broth to be excellent for children so troubled if they have not a Feaver But Quick-silver would exceed all if we durst give it in wardly which great Doctors say may be done Some of whom I wil mention so that they who please to try it may have Authority for it Mathiolus in his fourth Epistle to Stephanus Laureus the Emperors Physitian saith Because Quick-silver as Dioscorides saith doth no otherwise kill but by tearing the Guts with its great weight we fear not that it will do it in a smal quantity especially because its weight and roundness will easily carry it through the Body Therefore let us not wonder why Brassavolus that famous Physitian of our Age hath written that he gave Quick-silver to Children without any inconvenience And also a padua Physitian used it with good success but never would tell us the way of giving and preparing of it And I though I never gave it have seen Midwives give a scruple or half a dram to Women that had hard labor without inconvenience and alwaies with good success Thus Mathiolus Fallopius in his Tractate of the French Pox Cap. 76. If saith he Quick-silver be drunk down it doth not so much as when it is used with an Oyntment I have seen Women to cause Abortion take a pound thereof without hurt I give it to Children for the Worms and it doth bring no symptome but only kill the Worms Platerus in the Cure of the Worms saith the same Give a drop or two or half a scruple of Quick-silver and it kills the Worms or makes them crawl out of the Body and it may be done without hurt as we shewed elswhere Fabricius Hildanus in his 71. Observation Cent. 2. saith of a woman troubled with the Worms sent to him by Gilbert Saracenus thus Having reckoned up many Medicines to these saith he I added the excellent Medicine of Quick-silver a dram and an half strained through Leather and yet she was not freed of them John Baptista Zappata in his Book of Womens Secrets Chap. 5. tells many famous Stories of the Cure of Worms by Quick-silver when Aloes and VVormwood would not do it He shews two waies of giving it The first is this Take of Quick-silver one dram but a scruple or two for little Children Benjamin half a scruple four or five drops of Aqua vitae mix them in a glass mortar with a glass pestle then put to it a little Conserve of Roses or Violets for a Bolus which let the Patient take in the morning by it self or with a little Bread The second way is this Take a little course Sugar and three or four drops of Spring Water mix them in a glass mortar till they are like Honey then put to it as much Quick-silver as was aforesaid mix them together with six or seven drops of Oyl of sweet Almonds which will keep the Quick-silver from coming again to its body And with a little Conserve of Roses make a Bolus Baricellus in his Book called the Genial Garden saith thus Quick-silver which some account poyson is safely given against worms and it is accounted so certain a Medicine in Spain that the Women there give three grains thereof to children which pewk up their milk I cured a Widdow which vomited nine daies together by reason of Worms and scarce eat in three daies neither could retain any thing she took to whom I gave two scruples of Quick-silver with a little Conserve of Quinces and she voided downwards above an hundred Worms and was cured the same day and went about her business to the great admiration of her Parents being formerly weak and lean I have given it also to others and with good success alwaies and I keep continually at home Quicksilver infused Water which Water I give to children for Worms nor did I ever receive any discredit thereby Mathiolus used the same Horatus Angenius and many other famous men who all do extol the benefit of this Medicine You may give it to Children in substance one scruple and to youths two scruples or a dram It is mortified and corrected with red Sugar in a glass mortar wherein it must be so long stirred that it be invisible and least it should return to its former condition you may add thereto two of the Oyl of sweet Almonds Give it with Sugar of Roses Violets or Quinces fasting Thus Baricellus Sanctorius in meth vitand error lib. 5. cap. 11. saith That except we use strong Medicines to kill worms as washed aloes or a scruple of Quick-silver with a little Turpentine and Aloes made into a smal Pill we do nothing They who fear to use Quick-silver crude may give it prepared as Mercurius dulcis not only thrice but six times calcined for by often preparation the malignity of it is abated with some few grains of Diagridium to carry it sooner out of the Body and expel both the Worms and the Matter of which they breed You must enlarge or diminish the quantity according to the Age of the Patient As for example to a Boy of eight or ten yeers old it may be thus given Take of Mercurius dulcis twelve grains Diagridium six grains Make Pouder to be given with a roasted Apple and Sugar or the like For ordinary drink the Water made of Quick-silver which was formerly mentioned is very profitable or that in which Quick-silver hath been shaken in a glass half full for the space of one hour Also VVater wherein melted Tin hath been often quenched But if you will rather use Quick silver it is better to let the Water boyl
suffering do all escape but they who are corrupted in the very fleshy substance of the Liver die and there is good reason to be given why they do The immediate Causes of this Disease are too much Blood or the boyling heat thinness and sharpness of the same or the motion and stirring of it in the Veins from whence by the aforesaid Causes it is easily thrown into those parts which are most fit to receive it The Liver is most sit to receive blood abounding when it is too hot or hath any pain for heat and pain do attract or if it have any Natural or adventitious weakness For all parts that are burdened with any Humor do disburden themselves upon the weakest Among these Causes you may reckon the obstruction of the Liver by which the thick Humors are retained and are inflamed by a Preternatural heat The External Causes may be many as too much heat of the body from immoderate Excercise the Sun or fire but Meats sharp and spiced immoderate taking of two much strong Wine too much Letchery Fear a Stroak or Fall upon the Liver side also hot Medicines applyed without reason thereto as Fabricius Hildanus reports of one who having a cold distemper of the Stomach had Emplaisters and hot Oyntments of Pepper Cardamons Oyl of Cloves and the like applyed to him by which means the Inflamation of the Liver was encreased for the Liver covereth the Stomach and the Medicines which are applied to the Stomach do first touch the Liver with their Vertue Cupping Glasses applied to the Region of the Liver wil do the same of which Fabricius Hildanus brings an Example concerning one who bled at the Nose to whom he applied great Cupping Glasses upon the Region of the Liver which stayed the blood but a great Inflamation of the Liver followed The Signs of this Disease are many according to Galen and other Authors which we shal lay down severally because many errors are committed in the discovery thereof The First Sign is Heaviness in the right Hypochondrion which comes from the Repletion and Distention of the Liver because being of its own nature large and very compact if it be filled with much Humor it wil grow very heavy which the Patient apprehends when he turâ—eth from one side to the other The Second Sign is Pain which somtimes is perceived in one place somtimes in two or three in the Region of the Liver there is a weighty Pain somtimes it is very extending in the lower Ribs when the Inflamation reacheth to the Ligaments of the Liver which are fastned to the Ribs somtimes the Pain is communicated to the Throat by the continuation of the Membranes which have consent with the Membrane which covers the Liver The Third Sign is a Feaver which is commonly at night and is more or less sharp according to the Humor offending for in a Chollerick Inflamation it is most burning but in a Flegmatick gentle and in a Sanguine Inflamation moderate between both The Fourth Sign is Difficulty of Breathing because the Liver is tyed to the Diaphragma or Midriff and therefore by its weight forceth it downwards as also presseth it with greatness and swelling so that both wayes the free motion of the Diaphragma is hindered The aforesaid Signs are Universal or proper to declare the Disease there are many other equivocal Signs which also do much avail to the knowledge of the Disease As a dry Cough a hard Pulse unequal and like a Saw the colour of the Tongue first red and then black great Loathing of meat unquenchable Thirst vomiting of Choller and somtimes of Flegm a pale Colour of the whol Body tending to the Jaundice yellowish red and flaming Urin which is sharp when the Patient lieth with his face upwards he is more at ease than when he lieth on either side because when he lieth upon the right side the Liver is pressed upon by the Stomach when he lieth upon the left it is extended by its own weight hanging down the Belly is bound by reason of the Heat which consumeth al the moisture of the Chylus matter Somtimes it is loose namely when a great weakness of the Liver is joyned with the inflamation for then the Excrements are sent forth moist like the Water wherein Flesh hath been washed The Signs of the Differences are these If the Gibbous or Convex part of the Liver be affected there is a Tumor to be felt in the right Hypochondrion and it makes the figure of the Liver like a half Moon there is great pain in the Breathing and it reacheth to the right side of the Throat so that it seemeth to be pulled down There is a greater Cough and Difficulty of Breathing and greater weight But if the Hollow part of the Liver be affected the Tumor is not so easily felt but because as I have said one part of the Liver cannot be inflamed but the other must also suffer when the part is touched and pressed down some pain is perceived Moreover Because this part lieth upon the Stomach there is a greater loathing of Meat vomiting thirst and loosness of the Belly from the food corrupted in the Stomach which is distempered by the neerness of the Liver to it The Signs of the Causes are these If the Inflamation come from pure Blood there is either a perfect Red or duskish colour in the face the Pulse is great soft and waterish the Urin is red and thick the Body is full of flesh there is sweetness in the mouth the party is yong and hath fed high If Choller predominate the Face is yellow the Pulse swift hard and unequal the Urin thin and very yellow somtimes flaming the Body is lean and thin the Eyes hollow the Mouth bitter there is vomiting of Choller and Causes that bred Choller went afore But because the Inflamation of the Muscles of the Abdomen or Belly is very like the Inflamation of the Liver there we must distinguish them by their proper Signs In the Inflamation of the Muscles of the Abdomen the skin is so extended that if you lay hold of it you cannot move it the humors of the streight Muscles are long and over the whol belly comprehending the Navel and the inflamation of other Muscles is in the form of them On the contrary the Inflamation of the Liver is in the shape of the part affected and if you lay hold on the Muscles they yeild and the Tumor is somwhat deeper Moreover The color of the whol Body is of much concernment for the distinguishing of these Diseases for in the Inflamation of the Muscles it is fresh and almost in its Natural condition but in the Inflamation of the Liver it is pale yellow and like the Jaundice There is a famous Example of this in Galen 5. de loc aff cap. 7. of one Stesianus who when he was judged by other Physitians to have an Imposthume in the Liver Galen being sent for at the first view of his face
and the Membranes doth often stir up a deadly Looseness After Liniments or if they be omitted you may apply Cataplasms or Emplaisters This following is the best Take of the Roots of wild Cowcumbers well bruised and steeped twenty four hours in Vinegar of Squills one pound clarified Honey two Pints mix them and boyl them to the consistance of a Cerat and ad in the 〈◊〉 your ounces of the Pouder of Cumminseed make an Emplaister for the belly to be renewed evâ—â—y day Or Take of dryed Cow-dung one pound Brimstone and Cummin seeds Poudered of each two drams New Wine boyled called Sapa or of the Vrine of a Boy as much as will make a Cataplasm A Cataplasm of Rhadishes bruised and laid to the Navel and Reins doth provoke Stools and Urine Galen Commends a Cataplasm of Snails bruised with their Shells which must be kept to the belly till it fal off of its own accord it draws water forth violently Valeriola makes it in form of a Plaister thus Take of Cow-dung one pound Goats-dung half a pound boyl them in strong Vinegar and beat them in a Mortar with three ounces of Brimstone and one ounce of Allum the Juyce of Spurge and dwarf-Elder newly drawn of each three ounces Lupine and Orobus meal of each two ounces the Pouder of Soldanella Annis Fennel and Cummin of each two drams common parched Salt three drams Turpentine four ounces Pitch six ounces make a Plaister It is worth the Observation which Wierus and Varignana say they have found by Experience that a Toad found in the Woods cut through the belly and tyed to the Reins doth provoke Urine violently and when you wil evacuate more apply another Petraeus also reports that the Pouder of the same Toad dried and calcined in an Oven drunk half a dram in Wine or other Liquor doth wonderfully expel the Dropsie by Urine The first Inventor of which Experience desiring thereby to destroy himself was cured thereby contrary to expectation Also this following Cerat made of a Toad is excellent Take of Toads two pound the Juyce of dwarf Elder three Pints Oyl one pint Wax half a pound boyl them in a luted Pot to the consumption of half strain them for a Cerat spread this upon a Leather and lay it to the Spleen it evacuateth all waters All the time of the Cure you must strengthen the Liver and Stomach if the humor doth begin to abate or is not so great that it hinders the Vertue of outward Medicines from coming to the part Take of the Oyl of Orange flowers one ounce the Oyl of Spike three drams the Oyntment of Roses the stomach Cerot of Galen of each two drams distilled Oyl of Mastich two scruples the distilled Oyl of Wormwood one scruple Oyl of Nutmegs one dram and an half white Wax a little mix them for a Liniment to be applied to the stomach Take of Sea Wormwood three drams Horehound and Rosemary of each two drams Red Roses two pugills Ghamomil flowers and Bay Leaves of each half an handful Orange peels and sweet wood Aloes of each three drams Cypress Roots Schoenanth and Spikenard of each half an ounce with two parts of the best Wine and one part of Wormwood and Agrimony Water make a Decoction with which Foment the Region of the Liver with a spunge first washt in Wormwood Water Take of the Oyntment of Roses and Cerot of Sanders of each three ounces Red Roses Endive and Sorrel seed of each one dram Spikenard Schoenanth dryed Wormwood and Styrax Calamita of each four scruples Oyl of Mastich or Wormwood as much as will suffice to make a Liniment to be applied to the same part after the Fomentation For the most part in a Dropsie the Thighs Legs and Feet have a cold swelling and for the discussing of it a Lye is good in which the Roots of Dwarf Elder and Elicampane Rosemary Leaves Marjoram Thyme Bayes Organ Salt and Allum have been boyled Although the things aforesaid are chiefly used yet somtimes they are not necessary namely when the Dropsie comes in a hot and dry Constitution from hot causes which disperse the natural heat as in vehement Chollerick Feavers for then cold things for the Liver mixed with warm Openers are best such as are used in continual Feavers And the Magistral Syrup above mentioned made of the Juyce of Roses Succory and Agrimony For ordinary Drink give a Decoction of Succory Roots and Calcitrapa or white Chamelion which is not unpleasant or of other Openers but in a greater quantity than above which may quench thirst asswage the heat of the Liver and moisten the driness thereof It is not amiss to confirm this Doctrine by a famous example though it be allowed by Avicen Trallian and others because it seems strange to some and is of great Consequence Baptista Montanus reports Cons 263. in these words I saw saith he in Venice a certain Predicant Frier that was cured of an Ascites and Tympanites there were with me many famous Physitians namely Papiensis Eugubinus Trincavella and others He had as I said an Ascites with a Tympany and a Consumption with a Hectick Feaver therefore we were bound both to dry and moisten therefore we were in a great contention I was willing that he should drink much but things that Open because he had many obstructions and that moisten because he had a Consumption I prescribed the Syrup of Vinegar with all things that provoke Vrine Eugubinus would not allow him to drink and told a story of one who was cured by dry things Papiensis to end the controversie said That he should neither drink much nor at all we argued till night the Noblemen brought their Physitians to their Boats and there Papiensis said to a Nobleman what he had concealed formerly If you would have this man cured there is nothing to be done but what Baptista Montanus saith In this case also Medicines of Steel Tartar and Vitriol are excellent because they strongly Open and provoke Urine without any great heat But the tart Vitriol Mineral Waters are best because they powerfully open the Bowels provoke Urine and correct the Distemper of the Bowels whence experience sheweth us that many Dropsies are every yeer cured at the Spaw Avicen reports in the Chapter of the Cure of Ascites of a Woman which had a great Dropsie and eat an incredible number of Pomegranats whereby she was cured And Varignana reports out of Platearius That an Old Woman boyled the Juyce of Plantane to the Consumption of half and gave it to one that had a Dropsie from a Hot Cause every day and so Cured him By these Examples it is plain That somtimes a Dropsie is Cured with Cold things and to these we may ad the testimony of Christopher a Vega lib. 3. art med sect 8. cap. 12. who saith there We saw one that had a Tympany from the Hot Distemper of the Liver whom we cured with cold things laying upon the Liver the Juyce of Endive and
thus Take of Comphry and Plantane Roots of each one ounce Plantane Leaves one handful Pomegranate Flowers and yellow Myrobalans of each one dram Plantane and Purslain seed of each half a dram red Roses one pugil boyl them to a pint In the straining dissolve of Syrup of Quinces three ounces make a Julep for three Doses For the same end you may make a Pouder or an Opiate thus Take of Plantane Purslain and Coriander seeds prepared and red Roses of each one ounce prepared Coral Bole-armenick prepared Pearl and Tormentil Roots of each one scruple Nutmeg half a dram mix them into Pouder Take of old Conserve of Roses four ounces Bole prepared Coral and burnt Harts-born of each one scruple with Syrup of Quinces make an Opiate Erastus highly commends the Syrup of Comphry Roots and Sloes which he saith he used with good success in these Diseases Also Narcoticks or Stupefactives used wisely are very good as new Treacle Syrup of Poppies and Laudanum If it continue long Sheeps Milk Cow or Asses Milk are excellent if you first consume the Whey thereof with often quenching Flints therein and he may use it in the morning as we shewed in other Cures Sweating is commended by Authors by which means the serous Humor is drawn outward But it is to be mistrusted because it is very like to purge by Urine and encrease the distemper of the Bowels But if it be used at any time it must be of the mildest sort as of Roots of China Sarsa Endive Borrage Sorrel boyled in Water or for those who are consumed in Chicken Broth but we think it safer to provoke sweat by outward means as by a vapor from some convenient Decoction in a wooden Instrument Such Sudorificks as are prescribed in malignant Feavers are excellent especially if Spirit of Vitriol be in them to quench Thirst stay the flux and resist the malignity For Drink let the Patient use Iron'd Water with sharp and astringent Syrups or a Decoction of Sloes and the inward Bark of an Oak by which Medicine even alone Erastus saith that he cured this Disease in a Boy Outwardly Apply a Fomentation to the Loyns made of Sorrel Roots Plantane Pomegranate peels Sumach Seeds and the like with a little Vinegar or which is most proper make a Bath of the same Decoction to sit in And anoint the part with Unguâ—nt of Roses Sanders and Comitissa mixed together or this following Take of Oyl of Roses and Myrtles of each one ounce red Sanders red Roses and red Coral of each one scruple Juyce of Plantane one ounce Wax as much as will make an Oyntment Then you must allay the Symptomes that accompany this Disease as thirst watching consumption and the like by their Remedies mentioned in their proper Chapters Chap. 7. Of Pissing the Bed of Involuntary Pissing or not containing of Vrine THe not holding of the Urine consists in the hurting of the Retentive action of the Bladder as Diabetes or extraordinary pissing comes from the hurt done to the attractive faculty and Dysuria from the distemper in the Expulsive so this comes from the disorder in the Retentive Faculty of the Bladder This comes somtimes to people awake and then the Disease is worse somtimes to them asleep and then it is less because then the animal Functions are exercised less freely And this in time of sleep comes two waies either from weakness and loosness of the Sphincter Muscle of the Bladder as in sucking Children weak people and somtimes in them of yeers or from the hurt of the Imagination for many do piss their Beds either from too much drink or from the exquisite sence of the Bladder and the Urines sharpness with some consent of their will when they dream they are pissing against a wall or other place and they are so accustomed to it that it is done without any distemper either of the Bladder or its Sphincter nor are they to be cured with Medicines but by change of their foolish Imagination as Children by whipping or in those of yeers by adorning those places which they dream they piss upon with some costly things and shewing them often The true cause of this is in the Sphincter Muscle which suffers either from its self or by consent from other parts It comes divers waies by consent as when the whol Body is weak and the vital heat spent as in dying men or when the whol Body or half of it is taken with the Palsey or those branches of Nerves which come from the Os Sacrum to the Bladder somtimes the loosness of the Muscle comes from the pain only and neerness to other parts affected as in Women with Child from the swelling and pain of the Womb and in the great Disease of the straight Gut The Sphincter Muscle suffers divers waies by its self as when it is wounded as in cutting for the Stone or in deep Ulcers which hinder its contraction and shutting But the chief and usual cause is a cold and moist distemper which is most fit to weaken and make loose the part Which is produced of a cold and moist Native temper Youth old Age Women and the Diseases of the whol Body or some parts thereof coming of a moist and cold distemper to these you may add external causes often mentioned But here we may dispute how contrary Effects may be produced of the same Cause for Hippocrates in Coac saies that stoppage of the Urine comes of a cold cause in these words A stoppage of Vrine coming of cold is worst of all now not holding and stopping are contrary We must answer that when a cold distemper doth only hurt or abolish the sence of the Bladder there may be a suppression of Urine because the Bladder cannot be sensible of provocation to expel Urine but if the motive faculty which is in the Sphincter Muscle be hurt by reason of the loosness of it the Urine cannot be retained The Signs of this Disease either shew this Disease to be by consent and these must be taken from the Diseases before mentioned which are apt to produce this not holding the Urine which if you find you may conclude that the disease comes from them but if they be absent then you must bethink yourself of the propriety of the Disease to the part which will be easily discovered if it come from a wound and Ulcer or the like Disease of the Sphincter but if neither of these appear you must consider of the cold and moist distemper of the part and this is known by the causes both internal and external and by the effects which depend upon them as softness of the whol Body whiteness loosness of the Nerves and Privities Childhood Age evil Flegmatick Concoction and the like As for the Prognostick This Disease is incurable in old men by reason of their great moistness and the loss of Vital heat which cannot be repaired In an acute Feaver involuntary Pissing is very dangerous for it comes either of a Delirium
half an ounce beat them in a stone Morter powring on by degrees the Decoction of Barley Liquoris Purslain and Mallow tops one pint and an half make an Emulsion for three Doses adding to each Dose one ounce of the Syrup of Violets and one dram of Lapis prunellae and if the pain be great add a little Syrup of Poppies and one dram of Gum Arabick in pouder or the Syrup of Marsh-mallows according to Fernelius or of Mucilages You may make Broths thus Take of Marsh-mallow Roots half an ounce Mallows one handful Liquoris half an ounce Quince seeds one dram boyl them with Chicken Broth make it often The Whey of Goats Milk is very good given in great draughts as we said in the hot distemper of the Liver And if there be no Feaver you may with more profit give Milk by it self because it doth not only clense but allay pain and temper the sharpness of the Humors In an old Disease it is good to give Mineral Waters that cool especially Allum Iron and Vitriol Waters for by Experience we find that they have cured this Disease when it hath been inveterate Instead of the aforesaid Juleps the simple Decoction of Mallows with Syrup of Violets may be used by which Forestus saith Obs 4. Lib. 25. he cured a grievous Dysury many times and that there is nothing like it Forestus also Obs 3. of the same Book that an Apothecary cured himself and others with the white of an Egg beaten with Rose Water He also reports that a woman cured an old man of Delf with Chamomel flowers boyled in Milk Amatus Lusitanus 58. Curat Cent. 6. saith that a Woman was cured when all means failed with Conserve of Mallow flowers she took one ounce morning and evening and drunk after it three ounces of Mallows Water And Curat 59. he saith that one who had a Dysury after he had voided a stone was cured by the same in three daies The Conserve of Marsh-mallow slowers is of the same or greater Vertue Some commend the Troches of Winter Cherries given with convenient Liquor the quantity of a dram because they are Diuretick abate sharpness and pain When the pain is very great it is good to put the Yard when you piss into warm Milk or a Decoction of Mallows and white Poppy seeds or warm Water only A smal Decoction of Mallows with Syrup of Violets and Conserve of Roses is good for ordinary Drink You may also make Injections into the passage of the Bladder of Milk or of an Emulsion of cold Seeds Plantane Water or Whey with the Water of a white of an Egg beaten or one scruple of the Troches of Winter Cherries External Medicines are also good as Baths half Baths Fomentations to the Privities made of cool Herbs Liniments of Oyl of Roses Water Lillies Unguent of Roses Galens cooling Oyntment Populeon with Camphire and the Mucilage of Fleabane made with Plantane Water Also you must apply Epithems that cool to the Reins and Liver and the aforesaid Liniments and the things mentioned formerly for the same When sharp and chollerick Humors flow from the Liver you may derive by an Issue in the right Leg or by opening the Hemorrhoids which is very good in al diseases of the Reins and Bladder according to that of Hippocrates Aph. 11. Sect. 6. because from the Spleen Vein called Ramus Splenicus there are branches go to the Reins Bladder and Hemorrhoids The End of the Fourteenth Book THE FIFTEENTH BOOK OF THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICK Of WOMENS Diseases The PREFACE THose are called Womens Diseases which are proper to them only and come from the defect of that part which is distinct in them from men viz. the Womb of which Democritus in his Letter to Hippocrates said that it was the cause of six hundred miseries and innumerable Calamities But we to lay down those Diseases of the Womb which are most usual will divide them thus Some come from the Vessels and some from the Body of the Womb or Cavity others are in respect of its chief and noblest act of Generation From the distemper of the Vessels of the Womb and the preternatural causes come Chlorosis or green Sickness stoppage of the Terms immoderate Flux the Whites Rage of the Womb and the Mother In the Cavity of the Womb are Inflamations Vlcers Scirrhus Cancer Gangrene Dropsie coming forth and shutting up thereof these may hinder Generation but by accident The Diseases which are in respect of Conception Breeding and Bringing forth are Barrenness acute and Chronical Diseases of Women with Child Abortion difficult bringing forth dead Child Secundine retained immoderate flux or suppression of blood and the acute Diseases of women in Child-bed All which Diseases we will speak of in as few words as the dignity of the Matter will permit Chap. 1. Of the Green-sickness called Chlorosis THis Disease by Hippocrates is called Chlorosis by the Modern Physitians the white Feaver the Virgins Disease the Pale color of Virgins the white Jaundice but vulgarly the Green-sickness It may be defined thus An evil habit of Body from the Obstruction of the Veins of the Liver Spleen and Mesentery and especially of those which are about the Womb which is accompanied with a heaviness or unwildiness of the whol Body beating of the heart difficulty of breathing a desire of evil Food and the like This Disease depends immediately upon the Obstruction of the parts in the lower Belly especially of those Veins which are about the Womb whereby the free passage of Blood to the Womb is hindered which abounding in Virgins when they begin to have their Terms and being hindered of its Natural course by those Obstructions runs to the upper parts and oppresseth the Heart Liver Spleen Diaphragma or Midriff and other parts destroyes their Natural heat stops the Vessels hence is there an evil Concoction in the Bowels and from thence their Body is ful of Crudities which being carried forth make an evil Habit. In other parts they produce divers Symptomes in the Hypochondria a swelling of the Bowels by which the Midriff is oppressed which causeth shortness of breath And because gross blood and wind are carried by the Branches of the hollow Vein and great Artery into the Heart which contend against them for fear of Suffocation by often moving of its Arteries there is a palpitation of the Heart and often a beating in the Temples Besides they have in this Disease a loathing of meat because the Stomach is filled with crude Excrements by reason of its evil Concoction and distribution which excrements having gotten an evil quality by a peculiar kind of corruption cause a desire of evil meats and things not ordained for nourishment as Salt Spices Chalk Coals Ashes and the like which Disease is called Pica Malacia or strange Longing which we have at large spoken of in its proper place among the Diseases of the Stomach The Causes of the Obstructions in the Veins of the Womb and the Hypochondria are
thick slimy and crude Humors coming commonly from evil Diet for these Virgins drink great draughts of Water at bed-time or in the morning fasting or eat Vinegar Herbs unripe Fruits Snow or Ice hence it is that they lose their Natural heat and there is abundance of crude Excrements Others sleep too much or are very idle as Seamsters which by sitting stil al day are very cold Others watch too much and use unseasonable exercise as dauncing presently after meat and so continuing with their Sweet-hearts all night Moreover they have great cares and disturbances of mind by which the Concoction is destroyed and the Body filled with evil Juyce The Knowledge of this Disease is easie from the Symptomes following First The Face and all the Body is pale and white somtimes of a Lead color blew or green for crude flegmatick and â—erous Humors abounding and being carried to the habit of the body do discolor it and if Choller or Melancholly be mixed with that flegm the color wil be yellowish greenish or blew The Second is Swelling in the Face and Eye-lids especially after sleep because the motive heat being closed and contracted at night raised more vapors than it could discuss The Leggs also and Feet especially about the Ankles and the whol Body is loose and soft by reason of the abundance of flegm Thirdly Heaviness and Idleness in the whol Body a lazy stretching forth of the Leggs from the Humors being fallen down Fourthly There is difficult breathing especially when they move themselves or go up Hils or steep places then the thick blood grows warm and thence arise many vapors which cause shortness of breathing Fifthly There is Palpitation of the Heart and beating of the Arteries in the Temples when the Body is exercised by reason of the same evaporation which is raised from thick Humors heated by Exercise Sixthly There is often a great Head-ach and somtimes in the hinder part of the Head when the Womb suffers but in the Forehead when the vapors arise most from the Hypochondria Seventhly The Pulse is swift and quick as if they were in a Feaver and therefore this Disease is called the white Feaver by reason of the quickness of the Pulse which is so for this reason The vital faculty being weak makes the Pulâ—e little therefore Nature supplies the smalness of it with often beating Eightly The sleep is very sound they sleep til midnight except they be forcibly awaked and this is from many thick vapors which arise from the filthy flegm Ninthly There is a great loathing of wholsom meat by reason of the great collection of Crudities in the Stomach and parts adjacent and these Humors when they grow worse cause the Pica or longing for things that are not to be eaten Lastly When the evil encreaseth and the Obstructions are multiplied the Terms stop which shews the Disease to be at the height and confirmed As for the Prognostick That Disease commonly is not dangerous and continueth a long time But if it be too much neglected and suffered to take root so that the Nourishment is hindered there follow great Diseases of the Natural parts as Scirrhous and other Tumors and corruption of the substance of them which cause death by Dropsies long Feavers and the like When the Disease is less and comes only from the Obstruction of the Veins of the Womb in yong women it is cured by Marriage Women that have long been in this Disease either are barren or their Children are diseased and weak There is great hope of recovery when the Terms keep their ordinary course and their due quantity and quality The Cure of this Disease is by opening Obstructions by emptying of the filthy Humors from the whol Body and correcting the distemper of the Bowels and strengthening of them The Obstructions are taken away by the Medicines which were mentioned in the Cure of the Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen adding some things which respect the Womb and that are more proper to open those Veins First then give a purging Medicine agreeable to the Patients temper made of gentle things to clense the first Region only and a Clyster before it if the Body be bound Then open a Vein if the Disease be not very old and the Maid very much without blood and inclining to an evil habit Let the Vein of the Arm be opened first although the Terms be stopped for if then you draw blood from the Foot the Obstructions of the Veins of the Womb will be greater by their fulness And if the Liver be most stopped take blood from the right Arm if the Spleen from the left After you have bled sufficiently you must give an ordinary Purge by way of an Apozeme such as was prescribed in the Cure of the Obstructions of the Liver To which you may add some Herbs that are proper to the Womb as Mugwort Feaverfew Peny-royal and if the Spleen be stopped you may add proper things for that as Capar barks Ceterach or Spleenwort Harts-tongue It the temper be Chollerick and there be signs of a hot and dry Liver you must take all the hot simples out of the Apozeme and put in cold openers instead thereof For the more delicate Virgins instead of Apozemes you may give the Broths prescribed in the aforesaid Cure of the Liver and change the simples as we said of the Apozeme In the mean while you may use Fomentations and Liniments prescribed in the same Chapter not only to the Liver but to the Spleen and Womb. After Purging 〈◊〉 this Bath following to open and loosen the Vessels and to dissolve and digest the Matter 〈◊〉 Obstructions which are of such force that we have known somtimes the Terms to begin to flow at the third or fourth bathing when they have formerly been long stopped Take of Marsh-mallow Roots Lilly Roots Elicampane Briony wild Cucumer of each two pound Mallows Violets Mercury Penyroyal Feaverfew Balm of each four handfuls Linseed and Fenugreek beaten of two ounces boyl them in spring Water for a Bath Let her go into it warm twice in a day not sweating long before and after meat for two daies renewing each day the Decoction The day after the last Bath if the Terms be stopped let the lower Veins be opened and take away three ounces of blood and this may be done twice or thrice at that time in which the Terms used to flow Or if they never did appear at that time in which the Patient is most asslicted After these Medicines to strengthen the Bowels and to wear away the reliques of the Obstructions an opening and strengthening Opiate wil do very wel described in the place mentioned to which you may add two drams of Foecula Brioniae and as much of Salt of Mugwort But because somtimes the Obstructions are so great that they wil not presently be cured you must make a Magistral Syrup of the Ingredients to the Apozeme before mentioned with an encrease of the purging Medicines in quantity and
let the Patient take it twice or thrice in a month The ordinary Pils mentioned in the Cure of the stoppage of the Liver are most excellent to which you may add the Medicines there mentioned of Tartar Vitriol and Steel Zacutus Lusitanus Observ 99. Lib. 2. reports of a certain Woman which had the Green-sickness ten yeers with stoppage of her Terms and could not be cured with divers opening and purging Medicines and some made of Steel that he cured her with nothing but Conserve of Mugwort given thirty daies together drinking after it the distilled Water of Savin in which Rhubarb had been a whol night insused The same Zacutus Observ 117. Lib. 3. tels of a Virgin which eating much Salt every day felinto a Diarrhoea of Choller mixed with a Consumption which he cured after general Medicines with Goats Milk steeled and cold things applied to the Liver In the greatest Obstructions an Issue made in the right or left Legg as the Liver or Spleen is affected is very good After the Obstructions are opened you must diseuss the flegm like serous humors that remain in the Veins and in the habit of the Body by sweats for which you must use the Decoction of Guajacum in cold Constitutions or of China and Sarsa in those that are hot for fifteen or twenty daies with this Caution That every fourth or fifth day you give a Purge to clense the Bowels of Humors which cannot be sent forth by sweat and which if they continue wil grow hard and putrefie and be the occasion of Feavers and other Diseases For this Purpose you may use Brimstone Baths both for drink and bathing for by the drinking thereof when the passages are first open by the Medicines aforesaid the Humor that is contained in the first and second Region of the Body is clensed and sent forth by the belly and urine and the third Region is clensed by sweating in them And lastly Copulation if it may be legally done after the use of opening Medicines is very good for thereby the Natural heat is stirred up in parts Natural by which the Vessels of the Womb are much enlarged And Experience teacheth that somtimes these Women have their Terms the first night after Marriage and that others who in good health have them before their accustomed time Chap. 2. Of the stoppage of the Terms THe Terms are said to be stopped when in a Woman ripe of Age which gives not suck and is not with Child there is a seldom smal or no evacuation of blood by the Womb which used to be every month The cause of this stoppage is either in the Womb or in its Vessels or in the blood which comes or ought to come that way Divers Diseases of the Womb may cause this Disease namely a cold Distemper and dry which thickeneth and bindeth the Body of the Womb or a hot and dry distemper by drying the part or burning up the nourishment thereof from whence come evil humors which being fastened in the part hinder the Terms from flowing Also the Organical Diseases of those parts as inflamation or scirrhus the turning of the inward mouth thereof or compression from the Tumors of the parts adjacent or the Omentum or Caul growing too thick The thickness of the Womb it self Ulcer or Scars which they leave or from the tearing of the Cotyledones or Mouths of the Vessels in a great Abortion The Vessels of the Womb do often suffer Obstruction which is the chief cause of stopping of the Terms and they come from cold and thick Humors somtimes there is a suppression of those Veins by binding of them and that is from the parts adjacent being stretched and swoln as we said in the binding or closing of the Womb. The blood offending either in quantity quality or motion may be cause of the obstruction of the Courses It offends in quantity when it is too much or too little too much when it stretcheth out the Veins so that they cannot contract themselves to expel it as in the bladder when it is too full of Urine it cannot contract it self to send it forth too little when the Body hath not blood enough to nourish it The blood offends in quality when it is thicker and more slimy of its own Nature by reason of the cold distemper of the Liver and other parts or from the mixture of thick and flegmatick or melanchollick humors from whence commonly Obstructions come The blood offends in motion when it passeth other waies as by the Nose vomiting spittle urine hemorrhoids and many other parts I saw a Maid who had a Sore in her head which opened every month and bled plentifully and we have seen many that have sent forth blood at fixed times by their Lungs and this evacuation was instead of a Menstrual flux The external Causes are cold and dry Air Northern winds often going into cold water especially in the time of their flux too little or two much meat either too thick and cold or too astringent also hot things as too much Salt and Spice by drying of the substance of the Liver and other parts and by drying up the blood by which it groweth thick and fit to stop violent exercise and watchings which do consume the blood long sleep and idleness which do weaken the Natural heat and cause Crudities too long retaining of Excrements by usual bleeding at the Nose Hemorrhoids Diarrhoea and other evacuations by vomit urine or sweat and lastly great passions of the mind anger sudden fear sorrow jealousie and the like The Knowledge of this is to be taken from the Patients relation but because it comes either from Natural or Preternatural Causes we shal lay down some distinguishing signs left the Physitian be deceived by Women that would dissemble their being with Child and left he should rashly prescribe Medicines to provoke Terms to Women with Child First If they be with Child they have commonly their Natural Complexion but others are pale and ill colored Secondly The Symptomes which Women with Child have at the first do dayly decrease but in others stoppage of the Terms by how much the longer the Terms stop by so much the more the Symptomes encrease Thirdly In Women with Child after the third Month you may perceive the Scituation and Motion of the Infant by laying your hand upon the inferior Belly in others there is a Tumor to be felt but it is oedematous or flegmatick not hard neither is it proportionable to the Womb. Fourthly If a wise Midwife touch the inward Mouth of the Womb it will not be so close shut as in women with Child but rather hard and contracted and full of pain Fiftly Women with Child are commonly merry and little disturbed but when the Terms are otherwise stopped they are sad and sorrowful The Signs of the Causes are these The faults of the Womb which use to cause stoppage of the Terms shal be laid down in the following Chapters but the greatest
a drachm Saffron one scruple With clarified Honey make all into a Pessarie which put into a warm thin rag and conveigh into the Womb but let it not abide long there for fear of inflamation Pilulae Cochiae minores brought into the form of a Pessarie doth excellently move the Courses Also injections are wont to be made into the Womb which are wont to be called Womb-Clysters for they wash away the filth which cleaves to the sides of the Womb and they open the internal Orifices of the Veins Now they are made of the Decoction of the Fomentation aforesaid â—leaving out the more sharp things or with a Decoction of fat Figs with Mugwort Penyroyal and Mercury or of the juyce of Mercury alone purified in which a little Benedicta Laxativa is dissolved For we must by no meanes use more sharp Ingredients for fear of Inflamation Yea and after the use of the aforesaid Injections which ought to be retained but an hour it will be good to Inject a Decoction of Mallows Barley and Violet leaves or a little Hydromel tempered with Whey of Goats-Milk In an old inveterate Disease Issues made in the Legs may do very much good For although Sennertus approves not of them because they rather derive from the Womb and teach the humors which were wont to flow unto the Womb to come rather that way and hinder their inclinations to the Womb Yet have they been found to do much good by the frequent experiences of Mercurialis Varandaeus and others For by those Issues the superfluous humors are continually evacuated and the Course of the humors is guided into the inferior parts And the derivation of superfluous humors from the Womb is so far from hindring the Flux of Courses to the Womb that it rather furthers the same by making the Blood more pure and more obedient to the command of Nature which with the Humors aforesaid is not drawn unto the Issues And hereunto that these Humors if they be not by these waies evacuated being retained inthe Veins they double the Obstructions and so do augment the suppression of Courses Howbeit We are of opinion that the menstrual purgations being restored to their due Course the Issues ought to be closed up that Nature may accustome her self to exclude superfluous Humors by the Womb. In the Use of the Remedies aforesaid some precepts are to be observed worthy of Note First That we must never use Medicines that move the Courses but after Universal Purgations least the Humors being plentifully carried to the Veins of the Womb should increase Obstructions or being much attenuated should reach into other parts of the Body and produce grievous Diseases As Schenkius relates in his Observations that a Physitian of Venice gave a Woman that wanted her Courses a certain Apozeme to move them not having first purged her Body of Flegm and a little after she had taken her Apozeme she fell into a Palsey Secondly That in giving such things as bring down the Courses we must begin with the gentler proceeding by little and little to such as are stronger Thirdly That Medicaments procuring the Flux of the Courses must be given in greater quantity than ordinary because their vertue is abated in their long passage from the Stomach unto the Womb. Fourthly That the Medicaments aforesaid are to be given either in the morning when the Patient is fasting or somtimes at her going into or coming out of the Bath For so the Medicine slipping into a warm and opened Body doth powerfully exercise it's strength and this it doth yet more effectually if it be given a little before the inferior Veins be opened Fifthly That Pessaries and Womb-Clysters or Injections are only to be prescribed to married Women and such as have been carnally imbraced by Men but to Virgins we must prescribe Nascalia viz. Wool dipped in the Medicament Fomentations Baths to sit in and Suffumagations Sixtly In Cholerick or Melanchollick Constitutions all hot Medicaments are to be avoided and only the gentler and milder sort are to be used and with them temperate Aperitines or openers as also moistning and softning Medicaments are to be mixed Chap. 3. Of the Immoderate Flux of the Courses WOmens monthly Courses being moderate in quantity and flowing in due season are Natural But if they exceed in quantity or come too often or stay too long They are to be accounted Immoderate and besides the intent of Nature The Causes of this Immoderate coming down of the Courses are the same which we in it's proper place have shewed do concur to Cause spitting of Blood viz. An opening of the ends of the Veins a soaking of the blood through the Coates of the Veins a forcible rending of the Veins and heir being eaten through by sharp humors all which are caused by the bloods over great abundance Heat Thinness or Sharpness By some blow fall or wound Which we have at large declared in our Speculations touching spitting of blood so that it is needless here to repeat the same Let the reader be pleased to peruse that Chapter The Signes of this Infirmity are either of the Disease it self or of it's Cause Immoderate Flux of the Courses is known by the il-bearing of the Patient decay of strength want of appetite to meat indigestion of Humors ill Habit of the whole Body colour of face like a dead Corps swelling of the Legs and other more grievous maladies caused by decay of Natural heat past away in the Blood To know the Causes observe these signes following A thin Habit of Body and softness of the Flesh with such a diet as tends to increase the wheyish and thinner parts of the Blood and especially the Blood it self appearing thin and watry in the cloaths coming from the Patient doth shew that the Blood hath soaked through the Veins That the Immoderate Flux is caused by an opening of the ends of the Veins or a breaking of their Coates is known by the Foregoing of Wounds Falls or Bruises by the use of dancings long outcries carrying unusual weights by a Person corpulent and full of Blood By some foregoing great heat extream Cold Immoderate carnal imbraces great Anger and the like The same may also happen after fore labor in Child-birth or by the unskilful handling of a Midwife after a miscarriage or after a long stoppage of the monthly Blood which makes the same being collected in too a great quantity breaks out on a sudden with violence That there is an Exulceration in the Womb whereby the Veins are eaten through appears by the Bloods dropping out by little and little with a sence of pain and sharpness and by the Bodies being replenished with salt and sharp Humors Also the blood which comes away is at first Matterish Wheyish Blackish or Yellow and afterward if the Exulceration increase some bits of the parts affected are eaten off whereupon follows a great effusion of Blood hard to be stopped Also there have proceeded such things as are wont to
which by a peculiar property diminish and cool the Seed Among which take these that follow for example Take Leaves of Water-lilly Willow Agnus Castus of each four handfuls Lettice Purslain Penny-wort or Two-penny Grass of each a handful the four larger cooling Seeds Lettice and white Poppy seeds of each half an ounce Dill seeds two drams the flowers of Water-lilly and Violets of each one handful Let all be stamped being fresh and let them be sprinkled with Juyce of Lemmons and distilled in Balneo Mariae and to every pint of the Water add a dram of Camphire Let the Patient take an ounce divers times Or of all or some of the Simples aforesaid a Decoction may be made and sweetened with Sugar and a little Camphire put to it to be taken divers times one after another Or an Emulsion may be made of the greater cool Seeds Lettice seeds and white Poppy seeds extracted with the Waters of Lettice Willow and Water-lillies and sweetened with Syrup of Violets An Electuary may be prescribed after this manner Take Conserve of the Flowers of Water-lillies Violets and Agnus Castus of each half an ounce Conserve of Roses half an ounce Lettice Stalks preserved one ounce Coral and Smaragd prepared of each one dram with Syrup of Violets and water-lillies make an Opiate In the greatest extremity of the Patients raving such things as procure sleep are very profitable both inward and outward Medicaments as they are set down in the Cure of Phrenzy and Madness In the whol course of the Disease Clysters which cool and gently purge are to be used taking heed of sharp Clysters and such as vehemently purge which do exagitate the Humor contained in the Womb or its Vessels whereby the Symptomes are wont to become more fiery Also Injections may be made into the Womb of the Decoction of such Herbs as have formerly been set down for Baths and other Remedies whereunto Sal Saturni may profitably be added Frequent Clysters may likewise be good to the same intent being made of Vinegar allaied with Water Also cooling Oyntments are to be applied to the Loyns Privity the Share and between the Water-gate and the Dung-gate made of Oyl of Water-lillies Oyntment of Roses Vnguentum Album Camphoratum with the Juyces of Nightshade Henbane and Water-lillies melted together adding a little Camphire Also a Plate of Lead is good to be worn continually upon the Reins In regard of the immediate Cause seeing the evacuation of the sharp and corrupted Seed may cure the Disease it is very good Advice in the Beginning of the Disease before the Patient begins manifestly to rave or in the space between her fits when she is pretty well to marry her to a lusty yong man For so the Womb being satisfied and the offensive Matter contained in its Vessels being emptied the Patient may peradventure be cured But if the Patient cannot so conveniently be married or the condition of her life will not bear that estate some advise that the Genital Parts should be by a cunning Midwise so handled and rubbed as to cause an Evacuation of the over-abounding Sperm But that being a thing not so allowable it may fuffice whilst the Patient is in the Bath to rub gently her Belly on the Region of the Womb not coming neer the Privy parts that the luke-warm temper of the Water may moderate the hotness of the Womb and that it may by the moisture be so relaxed as of its own accord to expel the Seminal Excrement and that nothing else be done with the hand save a little to open the Womb so as the Water may pass into its more inward parts forasmuch as the water will operate as much as any of those Medicines which are used to extinguish the seed withal Pessaries may be compounded to the same intent of the Leaves of Mercury bruised with a little Mirrh or the Pouder of Aristolochia or Birthwort which must be put up when the Patient is in the Bath lest otherwise the VVomb should be over-heated and after an hour it must be taken away And afterward let an Injection be made into the VVomb of VVhey or Barley water with a little Juyce of Nightshade Housleek or Hemlock which is specially commended in this Disease To purge out the Seed the following Bolus or Morsel will be very profitable Take of Venice Turpentine three drams Agaricktrochiscated one dram Carrot seed Hemp-seed and Lignum Aloes poudered of each eight grains With Sugar make all into a Bolus or Morsel to be swallowed If the Disease do yet continue let Issues be made in her Thighs for nothing is better than by such meanes to draw the matter downward from the Womb to those inferior parts And if swellings of the Spleen shall arise and Obstructions during this Cure as it often times happens they must be carefully cured with their proper Medicaments Finally Because in this Disease the Brain and Heart are grievously affected by reason of Vaporsarising from the Womb they are both of them diligently to be provided for the Brain being secured by rubbing and chafing the lower parts and by Cupping-glasses frequently fastened upon the Hipps and Groins and the heart defended by Cordial things out wardly applied both Liquid and Solid such as are described in our Chapter touching decay of strength Chap. 6. Of the Mother-Fits or Womb-sickness WHen Seed and Menstrual Blood are retained in Women besides the intent of Nature they putrefie and are corrupted and attain a malignant and venemous quality from whence venemous Vapors are elevated and carried to divers parts of the Body from whence divers Symptomes do arise and those so divers that Democriâ—us might justly say in his Letter to Hippocrates That the VVomb is Author of a thousand sad Sorrows and innumerable Calamities And Hippocrates himself saies in his Book of Virgins Diseases That miserable VVoman-kind is commonly laded with incomprehensible and manifold Diseases All which Infirmities we intend to explain in this Chapter under the name of Mother-Fits herein imitating Galen who in his sixt Book of Parts Affected and the fift Chapter saies that the Mother or Hysterical Passion is but one name indeed yet comprehending under it divers and innumerable Accidents Notwithstanding all late Writers in a manner do handle â—he Suffocation of the Womb under the Title of Hysterical Passion calling a particular Symptome by such a name as is common to many others because it of al the rest is most frequent and most troublesom But herein the very best Authors seem to have been superfluous in their Treatises of Womens Diseases while in different Chapters they describe several Diseases springing from the Womb viz. Suffocation of the Womb Head-ach Epileptical fits Palpitations of the Heart Pulsation of the Arteries about the short Ribs and in the Back the Diseases of the Stomach Liver and Spleen arising from the Womb and divers pains in sundry parts of the Body arising therefrom seeing all these Infirmities do arise from one and the same
cause and are to be cured by the self same Medicines so that the aforesaid Authors are fain to repeat the same things over and over in several Chapters not without much weariness to the Reader We therefore That we may more briefly and methodically set down the Nature of all these infirmities think it worth our labor first to set down the universal Causes of them all and afterwards to declare how those Diseases arise from the said Causes We have shewed in the beginning of this Chapter that there are two special Causes of all these Symptoms viz. the Womans Seed and the Menstrual Blood being retained beside the intent of Nature and corrupted and possessed of a malignant and venemous quality out of which malignant Vapors do arise and afflict divers parts of the Body Unto which Doctrine generally propounded two other things of greatest moment must be added viz. First That not only the Seed and menstrual Blood do produce Hysterical or Womb-sicknesses but divers Humors also of an excrementitious Nature flowing into the VVomb and by a long abiding growing putrefied and sending out filthy Vapors This is verfied by many Ancient VVomen who being destitute of menstrual Blood and of Seed are yet very much subject to these VVomb-sicknesses or Hysterical passions Secondly that not only vapors arising out of the aforesaid substances are causes of these distempers but the very Humors themselves are a cause which finding no free vent by the Veins of the Womb into which as a Common-shore Nature disburthens superfluous Humors by reason of the stoppage of the Monthly Courses or of the Whites they flow back again into the superior parts of the Body and doe infect the said parts with that vitious quality which they have contracted by their long abiding in the Vessels of the Womb or by their mixture with Seed or Menstrual Blood corrupted These Foundations being thus laid down let us see how Hysterical Symptomes are stirred up by the Causes aforesaid beginning with the Suffocation or strangling fits of the Mother which is the most frequent and principal Sickness of these kind of Women being accompanied with very many and those most grievous Symptomes For besides their breathing impaired and somtimes abolished their whol Body becomes cold their Speech and Pulse is intercepted so that they lie like dead Women and some have been accounted dead and laid out for Burial and yet afterward Revived Now this Sickness comes by fits which makes their returns somtimes sooner somtimes later and endure somtimes a longer somtimes a shorter time according to the quantity of the Humor offending which is somtimes quickly collected and somtimes long in gathering somtimes soon discussed and somtimes long before it can be discust For such like Causes of Diseases in the Body of Man have their times of digestion and exaltation which having arrived unto they do suddenly and as it were in a moment break forth into action Yea and such Humors being already collected in the Body may for a season lie hid until being stirred by some internal or external Cause they shed forth their poysonous blasts and vapors into other parts of the Body Now the most frequent and noted Caused of this Commotion and Agitation of these Humors are sweet smelling things coming neer the Patients Nose or sweet Meats taken in which quickly bring Women subject to this Insirmity into their fits also vehement Anger Terror and other grievous Passions of the Mind Now there are divers Degrees of this Sickness according as the Matter offending differs in Quantity or Malignity For somtimes the Choaking-fits with want of breathing are light and soon go over somtimes it is extream so that the Patient breaths not at all and is attended with other Hysterical or Womb-sicknesses such as Vomitings Ravings Convulsions and Swoonings or Faintings away And for the most part more grievous Symptomes do arise from corrupted Seed than from Menstrual Blood or other corrupted Humors For look how much Seed retaining its Natural Disposition is of a more excellent Nature than Menstrual Blood by so much does it degenerate when corrupted into a greater or worser kind of Venom or Poyson There are likewise other Differences of this Choaking Mother-sickness to be observed viz. That somtimes the Patients have their Breath stopt as it were somtimes they complain that they are choaked as it were with a Rope that strangled them and somtimes their breathing is much abated or abolished without any pain or sence of strangling The Reason of which diversity is this That the simple Suffocation and difficulty of breathing do arise from abundance of Vapors which do somtimes very much abound in Hysterical or Womb-sick Women especially when the Hysterical Passion and Hypochondriacal Melancholly are joyned together Which Vapors or Winds do compress the Midrif and Lungs as it is wont to fall out in the windy Asthma but the sence of choaking in which the Patient feels her self as it were strangled in her Throat depends upon a special property of the venemous Vapor as there are other Poysons in the greater World which have such a property of throatleing and choaking as is known of one sort of Mushroms And that the venemous qualities bred in Hysterical Women are divers Galen does sufficiently hint in his sixt Book of the parts affected Chap. 5. where he compares the malignity of this Vapor to the venom of the Fish Torpedo and to the sting of a Scoâ—pion which Poysons though in quantity they are smal in operation they are mighty and being received into mans Body they do in a short space of time grievously afflict the same and produce therein most vehement Symptomes As for Respiration diminished or abolished it is caused by the said Vapors being endued with a Narcotick or Stupefactive power which being mighty contrary unto the Heart and Vital Spirits their action is thereby hindered whence follows a cooling of the whol Body through defect of that Spirit which should flow from the Heart and a cessation of Respiration because there is now no need thereof For seeing that drawing of Breath is necessary to cool our Hearts when the Heart is extreamly cooled by the venemous Vapors aforesaid it needs none of that cooling which is caused by drawing in the Air and so breathing ceases because there is no use thereof We may also say That the said venemous and stupefying vapor does assault the Brain and hinder the Influx of the Animal Spirits whereby the motion of the Midrif and the Muscles serving for respiration is hindered ad hereunto That the Vital Spirits being destroyed the Animal Spirits which are made of the Vital must needs be destroyed likewise In the place before alleaged Galen resolves a Doubt which is this That seeing it is generally held that a man cannot live without breathing therefore it is impossible that Hysterical persons should in their fits be quite deprived of breathing To which he answers That in an extream cooling of the Heart there is no need of
their Eyes redness springs up in their Cheeks Sence and motion is restored their Body grows warm they fetch deep Sighs and so the Sick-Party by little and little is freed from her Fit By the Signs propounded Womb-sickness may easily be distinguished from such infirmities as are of kin or otherwise like the same viz. the Syncope Swooning-sickness Apoplexie blasting Planeâ—-striking and the Falling-sickness howbeit the difference between Womb-sickness and those diseases aforesaid is peculiarly to be noted And in the first place by three general Signs we may conjecture that these Symptoms which are common to Womb-sickness and the aforesaid maladies do proceed rather from the Womb than from any primary misaffection of the Heart or Brain The first whereof is that if the sick Patient be subject to Womb-sickness and hath been often anoyed with aforesaid Symptoms when they come afresh we may conclude the Disease to be no other than Womb-sickness The second is That when Women begin to feel those Symptoms they complain that their Womb is out of order A third is That in Womb-sickness Women do feel great ease when stinking things are put to their Noses and sweet smelling things are put in by the Water-gate which in those other infirmities falls not out And the Hysterical or womb-sickness is more peculiarly distinguished from that which we cal Syncope or the Swooning-Fits because in the Syncope the breathing and Pulse do wholly cease but in the VVomb-sickness it remaines in a small measure til they come into the very height of the Fit wherein is most danger Secondly The Swooning Fits come more quickly and seaze upon the Patient as it were on a sudden But in the VVomb-Fit there proceed evident tokens of the approaching Fit Thirdly The Patients Face is paler in the Swooning-fits than in the Womb-fits yea verily some Women have a ruddy countenance in their Fits of the Mother and than the Disease is sufficiently known by that Sign alone Fourthly In the Swooning Fits we find commonly cold and Diaphoretick Sweats which in the Womb-fits appear not Fiftly The Swooning Fits aâ—e shorter and the Patient is soon either wel or dead but the strangling Fits of the Mother last longer continuing a whol day or divers daies together sometimes But it is to be remembred that the Swooning-sickness and the Womb-fits are somtimes joyned together when the Heart is more grievously afflicted than ordinary or when the Patients strength hath been much weakned by protraction of the Disease and then the Symptoms of both Diseases may be mixed one with another The Womb-Fit is distinguished from the Apoplexie First because that in the Wombs-Choaking-Fits the Joynts are not so loosened neither is the Sence of feeling wholly gone as in the Apoplexie but if they be pricked or have their hairs puld off they give a sufficient Sign with their Hands that they feel the pain Secondly In persons Apoplectical Planet-struck as the simpler sort do phrase it there is a perpetual snorting of the Patient but in the Womb-stranglings not Thirdly Womb-strangled Patients when their Fit is over remember what was done and said during their extremity but in the Apoplexie it is not so It is distinguished from the Falling-sickness First Because convulsive motions are not alwaies â—â—yned with Hysterical Suffocations and those that do accompany the womb-Fits are not so Universal as in the Falling sickness but molest only one or two members Secondly The Pulse is greater in the Fits of the Falling-sickness than it uses to be when the Patient is wel but in the Mother-Fits it is quite contrary Thirdly In the Falling-sickness the Patient fomes at the mouth but in the Mother-Fits there is no such foming Fourthly In the Falling-sickness the Patient remembers not what was done to her during the Fit but in the Mother-sickness she remembers al as we shewed before Fiftly Those that have Fits of the Mother do in the end of the Fit come to themselves like persons awaked from sleep with a noyse in the lower part of the Belly the Womb as it were becoming quiet and returning to it 's Natural place and sometime much humor flows from the Womb which doth not befal such as have the Falling-sickness We must also enquire how such as are in the Fits of the Mother may be distinguished from those that are quite dead seeing many Histories relate that some Women in that Case have been accounted dead appointed to buryal yea and some buryed The waies which Authors prescribe to make this tryal are divers For either they lay teazed wool or light Feathers upon the Patients mouth and if they stir not she is given over for dead or they apply a bright looking Glass to her mouth which will be dulled with her breath if she be yet alive or they set a cup full of water upon her breast and if the water stir not they account the party dead These Signs do for the most part hold good but they are not perpetual neither do they put the matter past dispute seeing as was said before some VVomen in these Fits do live only by Transpiration as those live-wights which live in holes al the winter and fetch no breath at al by their mouths VVhich though it very seldom fals out yet it is a very good Caution not to suffer women which die of this Disease to be buried til the third day after their death or at least til they begin to stink The Signs of the Causes are likewise to be declared which Causes we have shewed to be three viz. Seed retained and corrupted Menstrual Blood in like manner retained and corrupted and vile humors contained in the vessels or in the Cavitie of the womb If this Disease arise from Seed retained or corrupted there have preceeded al those Causes which might encrease gather together and corrupt the Seed in the vessels as flourishing age ripe for Generation or formerly accustomed to the actions thereof which of late it hath left off Sanguine complexion an idle life and given to pleasures a rich and plentiful table with the use of such meates as are easily corrupted In such persons if the womb-Fits happen they having their Courses wel we may guesse they come from Seed retained If these womb-Fits depend upon the Menstrual Blood retained and corrupted as their cause the Patients Courses are either wholly stopt or flow very little and to no purpose and she her self is not to seek for carnal Embracements but wel provided And some Symptoms do attend this suppression as Melancholly Waspishness Sluggishness Drowsiness Head-ach swelling of the Dugs heaviness of the Loyns and Thighs That this Disease comes from evil Humors is known by the Patient having her Courses well being exercised sufficiently with actions of Generation by her being stept into years or being very sull of evil Humors or being troubled with some other Disease in her womb We must also set down these Signs of those other Symptoms which we formerly described as springing from
Child a Mole or an After-birth for then according to Galen in his Third Book of Natural Faculties the same thing betides the womb which is wont to happen to two wrastlers who endeavor to throw one the other upon the ground till both fall together Hereunto add frequent setting of Cupping-Glasses upon the Thighs and very vehement agitation of Body or of Mind Relaxation or slackening of the Ligaments is caused likewise by divers causes as by a long-lasting Catarth divers Crudities which are cast out into the womb as the sink of the whol Body Whence it is that women long troubled with the Whites can scarce avoid this Disease especially elderly women which are most of all troubled therewith Add hereunto external causes as over-frequent bathing especially in cold water Southern and moist Air especially being received into the womb after Child birth moist Diet much drinking Idleness long sleep and all other causes which may decrease flegm and cause its flux into the womb The Signs whereby to know this Disease are evident to the sence For the womb is found sticking in the Water-gate like an Hens or Gooses Egg or like a Clew of Thrid with the perceivance of a weight pressing upon the Water-Gate when the Patient stands upright And while they sit or go to stool a vehement pain is felt about the privy Parts and the Region of O sacrum or the Hanch-bone If it hang far out the greater pain and heat is felt the urine comes away by little and little and makes the womb smart as it passeth The Causes procuring this Falling-down of the womb may be thus distinguished If it proceed from loosness or slackness of the Ligaments it comes by little and little hath the less pain and white Purgations have preceded or other Causes moistening the womb and relaxing the Ligaments thereof But if it proceed from a breaking of the Ligaments the pain is more vehement and blood somtimes breaks forth and such Causes have preceded which have been able to break with violence the Ligaments As for the Prognosticks belonging to this Disease The Disease of it self is not dangerous yet is it very unhandsom and troublesom hindering the Patient from freedom to go and walk at will also from Conception and convenient expurgation of her Courses Yet may it somtimes occasion death if pains Feavers convulsions or other grievous Symptomes be joyned therewith Also the womb in this Case is somtimes corrupted through distemper of the Air or by violent impulsion and becomes Gangraenated which necessitates it to be cut off The Disease being fresh and the womb coming not far out is more easily cured than when it is an old Infirmity and the womb comes far out In yonger women the womb is more easily restored to its place than in Elderly women Falling down of the womb by reason of the Ligaments being broken is incurable To come to the Cure The womb is to be thrust back into its Natural place and to be detained there and the fault of its Bands or Ligaments must be corrected If they be broken by things that do glue and sodder together if they be relaxed or slackened with things drying aftringent and strengthening All which may be done by the following Medicaments In the first place therefore That the womb may more easily be restored to its place the Guts and Bladder must be disburdened left pressing the Neck of the womb they should hinder its reduction forasmuch as the neck of the womb rests upon the streight Gut and the bladder rests upon the neck of the womb VVhen the Gutts and Bladder are discharged of their Excrements let the woman lie along upon her Back with her thighs wide asunder and her knees drawn upwards and let her with her hands thrust her womb inwards and force it still upwards into the neck so as to turn it inwards as it goes till all is returned within the cavity of the Belly which should contain the womb Or if she is not able to do it her self let her do it by help of the midwife or use a thick blunt ended stick with Cloaths wrapt about it by which it may be forced further into the Cavity of the Belly than is possible by the hands to drive it Or for fear of hurting her Body a Pessary may be made of Linnen Cloth often doubled and rowled together with a string tied fast thereunto and accommodated to this service of thrusting up of the womb But if the womb fallen from its place shall swell so that it cannot enter into the cavity of the Belly the swelling must in the first place be removed And if there be an inflamation such things must be applyed as are sit to heal the same If otherwise it be blown up such things must be used as will discuss the inflation Rodericus a Castro washes the swollen womb with a Decoction of Beets and then sprinkles it with vineger and salt and so when the swelling is aborted he reduceth the same The same Rodericus a Castro writes that it is very good towards restoring the fallen womb for a Physitian or a Chyrurgion to come with burning red hot Iron in his hand and to make as if he would thrust it into the womb by that means nature contracts her self and the womb with her and any other part that sticks out of the Body For he relates that a certain very expert Chyrurgion did by this stratagem force Back a mans Gutts that were ready to come out at a wound in his belly when other remedies did no good For holding a great red hot Iron in his hand the Patient looking on he made as if he would Clap it upon the wound VVith the sudden fright whereof the Gutts were presently drawn back into their place Avenzoar in his Second Theizir Tract 5 Chap. 4. Propounds some such thing as this When this disease saith he begins first to appear the Physitian may gently cure the same And it is reduced all these wayes viz. by your hand If you please and if not make her he on her Back and let some Body sit upon her brest and another upon her thighes and then cause her to be frighted putting some creeping Vermin upon her Leggs such as Mice Efts frogs and such like by which let her be so frighred as to endeavour to get away by drawing her Leggs and thighs up to her whereby all her Members and her whol Body may at once be contracted by which meanes the Womb will return unto its own place Zacutus Lusitanus following Avenzoar relates the following story in the 66 observation of his Second Book Coming to a woman saies he Which had her Womb fallen down the space of a year an half with extream hardness it seemed very hard by reason of its stretching out to be reduced to its place especially seeing Avenzoar saies that this work must be done before the Womb be grown hard I devised many remedies for this disease astringent Insessions Pessaries
are joyned with over hot women over cold men with over cold women for those distemperatures can procure no mediocrity in the Seeds and other causes necessary to Generation Some fly likewise to occult or hidden qualities which make the Sperms to agree or disagree though no excess of the first qualities can be discerned To these Authors add an hidden kind of Disposition which makes some women barren though no manifest cause of such Barrenness appear in them The Signs of Barrenness we will run over according to these four sorts of Causes propounded And in the first place Causes hindering Reception of Seed are not hard to be discovered being evident to our very Sences For tenderness of Age is easily observed and so is an over elderly state of yeers and the evil constitution of those parts which border upon the womb as when women halt have crooked wreathen Legs have their Crupper-bone deprest or are over fat as for the cold distemper of the womb we shall treat of that in our third Rank of Causes Hatred between Man and Wife is known by relation of themselves or of those that live with them Also the particular Diseases hindering the reception of Seed as Tumors Ulcers Obstructions Astrictions shuttings up Distorsions may be known through search of the Genital Parts made by a Midwife or Chyrurgion Of the Causes hindering the retention of Seed which make the second Rank we shall treat of over great moisture among those of the third Rank as for Abortion and hard Travel they are known by the womans relation The Causes of the third Rank viz. Which have power to corrupt the Seed to require more exquisite signs to know them by which we shall prosecute as followeth A Cold Distemper of the Womb is hereby known In that the Woman longs not after Carnal Embracements and feels little pleasure therein her Face is soft whitish and cloudy her feeling is dull about her Share Loyns and Thighs she voids thin and crude Sperm and with little pleasure her Courses are suppressed or they come every sparingly and keep no constant orderly time and they are pale and discolored Add hereunto Diet preceding of a cooling Nature consisting of a long use of Fruits and Herbs with much drinking of cold smal Drink A moist distemper of the womb is known by the lax and slap flaggy soft habit of the womans body her much sitting frequent and almost continual flux of Whites plenty of Courses thin and watry no appetite to fleshly Conjunctions heaviness of her Loyns aptness to miscarry plenty of Urine and a moist Diet. An hot Distemper is known by the manly and strong habit of the womans Body such as is seen in Viragoes and Amazones by a ruddy countenance black hair of the Head and Eye-brows a strong and manly voyce she is frequently disposed to be angry over prompt to all kind of actions heâ— thirst cannot be satisfied her Urine is yellow her Courses few their color is a dark red their heat and acrimony so great that oftentimes they exulcerate the secret Passages their Privities itch and they are prone to carnal Embracements they are quick and suddain in the voiding of their Seed they have frequent Polâ—â—tions and lustful Dreams A dry distemper of the womb is known by the smal quantity of Courses driness itching and choppings of the Mouth of the Womb little excretion of Sperm in the Genial Embracement trouble arising from over much carnal Conjunction and Leanness If the Seed be corrupted and Barrenness caused by Witch-craft all other signs will be absent which are wont to declare the Natural and manifest causes of Barrenness There will be likewise some alienation of minds between the married Couple of which neither of them can give any handsom account yea and somtimes they can both of them but seldom shoot forth their Seed and that with Labor and Difficulty Diet or poysons that extinguish Seed if they have been taken in we shall come to knowledg thereof by diligent questioning of the woman and those that are about her And lastly Malignant Diseases such as are of power to extinguish the Sperm as Leprous Manginess the Whores-Pox and such like are known by their proper signs The fourth Cause of Barrenness which consists in defect or badness of the Menstrual blood is known first by the over great fatness of the whol Body to the nutriment whereof the blood is carryed away and consumed and is not allowed for the nutriment of the child in the womb The same is likewise known by great Leanness of the Body and extream slenderness â—â—r when there is not blood enough to nourish the Body it can hardly superabound to nourish the Conception And in a word All such things as consume and much diminish the blood if they have preceded or be at present in the Patient they signifie want of blood in her body such as are extream labors and pains-taking immâ—derate sitting up and watching austere fastings large bleedings at nose or elsewhere 〈◊〉 or chronical Feavers Fistulous Ulcers and Issues that run much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over great quantity of blood doth hinder the nourishment of the Seed and of the 〈◊〉 for the Seed is oppressed with so great plenty and cannot exerciâ—e its formative faculty which is 〈◊〉 to happen in full bodyed and ruddy women such as live a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and delight â—n Feasting 〈◊〉 wombs are alwaies bedabled with a continual moisture Now the 〈…〉 on of the womans blood may be known by the ill habit of her Pody the color of her 〈…〉 her strange dispositions together with an ill diet foregoing The 〈…〉 and the Wiâ—es Seed is hardly known but if both of them be of a very hot or a very hot 〈◊〉 Constitution we may conjecture That the disproportion 〈◊〉 from those distempers 〈◊〉 more manifest causes of Barrenness do not appear It is yet harder 〈…〉 hat kind of Barrenness which depends of a certain hidden disposition no manifest 〈◊〉 thereof appearing Yet many Experiments are related by Authors whereby to know whether a Woman be â—â—turally Barren which though they carry no great certainty with them yet are Physitians 〈…〉 somtimes to make use of them in favor of Princes and Nobles who are permitted to divorce their Wives in case of Barrenness Hippocrates in â—phor 59. Sect. 5. saith If a Woman conceive not and thou wouldest know whether she shall conceive or not cover her with blankets and burn some perfume under her and if the smell proceed through her Body up to her Nostrils and Mouth know that she of her self is not Barren The same Hippocrates supposeth that it may be known whether a woman be fruitful or not by putting a head of scraped and peeled Garlick into her Womb for if the next day the smel shall come into her mouth she is apt to conceive if not she is barren Or put Galbanum softened at the fire and enclosed in Silk into the womans womb at night and bind her whol head
of the extream bitterness is an enemy to the Child and is thought to open the mouths of the veines But if sometimes the use thereof seems necessary in some grevious infirmities of the stomach which are wont frequently to infest women with Child the first months of their being with Child bearing let it be carefully washed with Rose-water that the acrimony thereof may be taken away or let it be mixt with strengthening and astringent things as Rhubarb Mastich and such like Clysters are not very safe because by compressing the Womb they may cause abortion So that when there is need of them and in women accustomed to that kind of evacuation they must be made in less quantity and of such things as are rather mollfying and lenefying than much purging In a word touching Sweat-drivers Piss-drivers and such things as move the Courses our Opinion is That Movers of the Courses properly so called are never to be used in women with Child And Piss-drivers because they likewise are apt to bring down the Courses ought to be suspected and if the necessity of some disease require the use of them the gentler must be made choice of And finally Sweat-drivers may be safely given because they drive the humors out by the habit of the Body whereby no danger of abortion is incurred in so much that some women in the middle of their being with Child have bin Cured of the whores Pox without harm to their Child Chap. 17. Of Abortion or Miscarriage ABortion or Miscarriage is the bringing forth of an imperfect or unripe Child And consequently a child dead in the Womb is not counted an Abortion till it be excluded So that whether alive or dead Child be brought fourth not being ripe nor having attained to the just term of growth which it ought to have had in the Womb it is to be termed an Abortion or Miscarried Child The Causes of Abortion are some internal some external The internal may be reduced to four heads viz. to the Humors to the Child to the Womb and to the Mothers diseases The humors may cause Abortion while they offend in quantity or in quality They offend in Quantity either by way of excess or of Defect Humors offending by way of excess are seen in a Plethorick or over-full Constitution of Body for Blood being more plentyfull than is requisite to Nourish the Infant in the Womb flowes into the veines of the Womb and is excluded by way of the monthly Courses and brings away the Child with it Defect of Humor fitting to Nourish springs from such Causes which are able to draw the Nourishment from the Child as fasting whether voluntary or forced as when women with Child loath all kind of Meat or vomit it up again a thin diet in acute diseases immoderate bleeding by the Nose Haemorrhoides Womb or by immoderate Phlebotomy Whereupon Hippocrates in Aphor. 34. Sect. 5. If a woman with Child go very much to stool it is to be feared that she will Miscarry Hereunto may be referred extream leanness of the whol body wherein there is not Blood enough to nourish the Infant Of which Hippocrates in Aphor. 44. Sect. 5. Speakes thus Women with Child being very lean not by nature but accident as famin long-sicknes c. they Miscarry untill they get their flesh again In respect of the Child Abortion may happen if it be over great so that it cannot by reason of its bulk be contained in the Womb hence it falls often out that little Women miscarry especially if they be married to Men Bigger than ordinary whose Children grow very great and find not in the Womb place large enough to contain them till they come to their perfect growth Which made Hippocartes say In his Book of superfoetation If any Woman conceive frequently and do duly and at a certain period of time Miscarry as in her second third or fourth month or later the narrowness of her Womb is in fault which is not able to contain the Child as it grows great Also plurality of Children may cause abortion as when two or three or more are contained in the Womb at one time for then the Womb overloaden excludes the Children before the fit time which is the cause that Women often Miscarry of twinns Also the dead Child is to be reckoned among the causes of Abortion for as soon as the Child is dead Nature doth forthwith set her self to cast it forth Abortion happens in respect of the Womb it self if it be not of largness and capacity enough sufficiently to widen itself according as the child grows as was shewed above out of Hippocrates As also if there be any thing preternatural in the Womb as an Inflamation a Scirrhous Tumor an Impostume and very many diseases besides And finally if the Womb be overmoist and slack that it cannot contain the Child so well as it ought to do In respect of the Mothers diseases Abortion comes two waies First of all when as her diseases are communicated to the Child whereby it is killed or so weakened that it cannot receive due nourishment nor growth such as are continual and intermitting feavers the Whores-Pocks and many such like Secondly when the said diseases of the Mother do cause great evacuations or great commotions or the Body as â—â—rge Bleedings from what part of the Body soever fluxes of the Belly grievous swoonings Falling-sickness Vomiting and Tenesmus that is perpetual going to the stool and voiding nothing but a little slime which above all other diseases is wont to cause Abortion because by that frequent and almost continual endeavour of going to stool which perpetually attends this disease the Muscles of the Belly are perpetually contracted and do more compress the Womb than the streight Gutt upon which the Womb rests which continual compression or squeezing of the Womb doth at last cause Abortion External causes which further Abortion do some of them kill the Child others draw away its nourishment and others dissolve those bands wherewith the Child is fastened to the Womb. The Child is killed by greivous commotions of mind as Anger sadness Terror c. meates earnestly longed for and not obtained strong purging Medicaments such things as provoke the Courses such things as drive forth the Child such things as are reckoned by a secret property to destroy the Child in the Womb abominable smells especially the stink of a Candle ill put out The Child is deprived of its nourishment by the Mothers being famished and by immoderate loss of her Blood especially when the Child is big As Hippocrates teaches in the Aphor. 60 Sect. 5. The bands which fasten the Child to the Womb are loosed by vehement exercise Danceing Running Rideing or Jolting in a Coach or Cart carrying of an heavy weight or lifting it from the ground a violent fall and squelch a Blow upon the Belly that mauls the Child vehement motion of the Belly by coughing vomiting loosness neezing convulsions crying out immoderate or
over wanton venereal embraces And in a word vehement motions of the Armes by drawing somewhat violently to a Body by turning a wheel or doing some such work may exceedingly further Abortion or Miscarriage The Signs of present Abortion are manifest of themselves But such as go before Abortion and prognosticate the same are these An unusual heaviness of the Loyns and Hips a loathness to stir Appetite gone shivering and shaking coming by fits pain of the head especially about the Roots of the Eyes a straitening of the sides and of the Belly above the Navel the flagging or falling and extenuation of the Dugs which made Hippocrates to say in Aphor. 37. Sect. 5. If the Dugs of a woman with child do suddenly grow small that woman will miscarry For the extenuation of a womans Dugs in such a case doth signifie want of blood in those Veins which are common to the womb and to the Dugs by means of which defect the child is in danger to miscarry But if Abortion shall be caused by some external essicient causing violent agitation of the Child in the Womb and a bursting of the Vessels with a pain raised in those parts the Spirits and Blood run speedily to the genital parts of which the Dugs being destitute grow smaller than they were Furthermore Plenty of Milk dropping from the Dugs doth argue weak Child and consequently portends Abortion according to Hippocrates in Aphor. 52. Sect. 5. But if frequent pains aâ—d almost continual do torment the Reins and Loyns reaching towards the Share as far as Os sacrum with a certain endeavor of going out of the Womb it is a certain sign of a woman that will shortly mscarry For those parts do signifie that the Membranes and Lâ—gaments wherewith the child is fastened to the womb are stretched and torn in â—under And if so be that pure Blood or such as is wheyish or water flowing from the Womb do â—ollow the foresaid pains and endeavors of coming out it shews that Abortion is hard at hand and that the Vessels and Membranes of the Womb are broken and the mouth of the Womb open At the same time the cituation or posture of the Child is changed for whereas it lay high and possessed the middle of the Womans Belly like a Sugar-loof bearing out it is now gathered round like a Foot-ball and roiled down towards the Water gate Also oftentimes there follow grievous Symptomes as shiverings tremblings Palpitations of the Heart Swoonings and abundant Bleeding Hereunto may be added what Hipâ—ocâ—aâ—es teacheth us in the second Book of Popular Sicknesses Text 17. That if after violent external câ—uses such as are blow a fall and such like vehement pain and perturbation arise in a Woman with Child she suddenly or at most the same day miscarries but if the external cause were weak the Abortion may be differred till the third day which being once over there is no longer danger of Abortion because such wounds and hurts are wont to grow well again upon the third or at most the fourth day or very much to be mitigated and asswaged whereupon the Child is again confirmed in the Womb and retained Which Precept is of great moment in the Practice oâ— Phyâ—ick that women with child being hurt by some external accident should keep their bed for â—nree daies or longer and use such Remedies as prevent Abortion The Prognosticks oâ— Abortion may be divers after this manner Women are more endangered by Abortion than by due and timely Child-birth because it is more violent and unseasonable for as in ripe Fruit the Stalks are loosened from the Boughs and the Fruit falls of it self so in a Natural Birth the Vessels and Ligaments wherewith the Child is tied to the Womb are loosened and untied as it were of their own accord which in case of Abortion must needs be violently broken asunder Very many women become Barren by their Miscarriages by reason of those exceeding rendings tearing which do wholly overthrow the dispositions of the Womb. Much bleeding accompanied with fainting raving and convulsions is wont to cause death and Aresaeus testifies he never saw any escape who in the time of their Abortion or aiterwards had Convulsion fits Inâ—lamation of the Womb caused by Abortion is for the most part deadly for Blood flowing to the Womb in great quantity is not purged out but putrefies therein and regurgitatâ—s or slows back into the upper parts whence arise burning Feavers pantings of the Heart Heart-burning and other Symptomes enumerated before Abortion is more dangerous in a woman that never bore Child before because being unaccustomed to Pains and having those Passages more strait she is longer and more vehemently tormented Women very lean or very fat are more endangered by Miscarriage the former because of their weakness the latter because of the narrowness of those Passages by which the Child must come forth Abortion is more dangerous in the sixth seventh and eight months because the Child being the greater is excluded with the more pain and difficulty Women which have a more loose and moist womb than ordinary domiscarry commonly without danger especially in the first month because those parts in such women do easily give way whence their pain and trouble is the less Hippocrates in the second Book of Popular Sicknesses affirms That to miscarry of a male Conception of three-score daies old helps a Woman whose Courses are stopped By stopping of Courses he understands only their imminution when women are not sufficiently or conveniently purged at their monthly seasons for by such an Abortion or Miscarriage as aforesaid those stopped passages are opened and the Blood is drawn towards the womb which came thither but slowly in former times Our ordinary women seem to have taken notice of the truth of this saying of Hippocrates who touching an Abortion of a few months are wont to say by way of proverb Amiscarrying woman is half with child again The Cure of Abortion consists in Preservation for that which is past cannot be helped But all the Symptomes which follow Abortion are the same which accompany women duly brought to bed The Preservation from Abortion hath two principal Points or Heads The one concerns the woman before she is with child The other when she is with child Before the woman is with child all evil dispositions of body which are wont to cause Abortion must be removed as fulness of blood badness of Humors and peculiar Diseases of the womb viz. Distempers Swellings Ulcers and such like Fulness of Blood opens the Veins of the womb or strangles the Infant while it is in the womb This if it be a pure and simple Plenitude may be cured by Blood-letting such as shall answer the quantity of blood super-abounding But badness of Humors is either chollerick and sharp so as to open the Orisices of the Veins or by provoking Nature to stir up the expulsive faculty whereby the child comes to be expelled with those evil humors or by
reason of plenty of excrements heaped together in the first Region and distending the Belly it suffocates the child or it vitiates the blood in the whol habit of the Body rendring it unfit to nourish the child or it fills the Vessels of the womb which retain the child full of slime and snot This Badness of Humors may likewise be holpen by blood-letting but it must be in a lesser quantity seeing the principla scope of the Cure is by frequent Purgations to take away the super fluous Excrements of the Body And in the spaces between Purge and Purge such things must be used as help the distemper of the Bowels mitigate the sharpness of Humors if there be any or thicken the said Humors in case they be too thin Or if slegmatick Humors are too rife they must be discussed by Sweat-drivers Piss-drivers and other Remedies Howbeit we must diligently observe that whatever ill humor abounds Issues are wonderful profitable to prevent Abortion of which Zacutus Lusitanus gives a special note in these words By most happy Experiments I have observed That frequent Abortion caused by corrupted Humors which slow from the whol Body to the Womb and by their evil disposition or abundance do kill the child is hereby as by a most present help prevented Many women did miscarry upon this very account among which some having often times brought forth a Child of seven months or four months growth but torn and putrefied could by no other means be freed from so great a Calamity save by Issues made in their Arms and Thighs which were alwaies made at the beginning of the fluxion by which means they went out their time and brought forth Children healthy and not defiled with any Infection The peculiar Diseases of the Womb as over great Moisture Swellings Ulvers and such like must be cured by their proper Remedies described in the Chapters which treat of them In women with Child if the same Causes be present as in other women the difficulty is yet greater because big-bellied women cannot so easily bear all kind of Remedies Yet lest being destitute of all help they should remain in extream danger of Miscarriage and Death some kind of Remedies are to be used In case therefore the Patient be too full of blood she must have a Vein opened though with child especially in the first months and that the second and third time if need be Alwaies remembring that there never be much blood taken away at a time Of which kind of bleeding we have discoursed more at large in the foregoing Cure And when there is an abundance of some very bad Humors gentle Purgations must be reiterated especially in the middle months of a womans being with Child And if a moist rheumatick snotty or windy distemper do annoy the Patient we may somtimes proceed to a Sudorifick Diâ—t at least a gentle one in the stronger sort of women Mean while in the whol course of being with child astringent and strengthening Medicaments are to be used such as have a vertue to hinder Abortion Many of which have been described in our Chapter of immoderate flux of Courses whereunto these following may profitably be added Take of Kermes and Tormentil Roots of each three drams Mastich one dram and an half Make all into a Pouder of which give the Patient half a dram at certain distances of time or as much as may be taken up upon the point of a knife Or Take red Coral two drams Kermes berries Date Stones of each one dram Shavings of Ivory half a dram Pearls not bored through ascruple Make of all a Pouder Or ler her swallow every day certain grains of Mastich in the morning Our ordinary women do frequently use Plantane Seed which they take in the morning about the quantity of half a dram with Wine and Water or in an Egg or Broth or by it self almost every day the whol time of their being with Child and that not in vain To the same purpose very effectual Electuaries are compounded according to this following Example Take Conserve of Roses two ounces Citron peels candied six drams Myrobalans candied Pulp of Dates of each half an ounce Coral prepared Pearls prepared and Shavings of Ivory of each a dram With Syrup of quinces make all into an Opiate of which let the Patient take often the quantity of a Chestnut If a Liquid form shall be more desired a Decoction of Tormentil Roots sweetened with Conserve of Roses may profitably be given The following Lozenges are very good for they strengthen and do by little and little free the Body from Excrements though somtimes they do not visibly purge Take Mace the three sorts of Sanders Rhubarb Senna Carals Pearls of each a scruple Sugar dissolved in Rose-water four ounces Make all into Lozenges weighing three drams apiece Let her take one twice a week by it self or dissolved in a little Broth. Outwardly Oyntments and Plaisters are to be applied made after this manner Take Ship-pitch half an ounce Frankincense an ounce Mastich half an ounce Dragons Blood and red Roses of each two drams Make all into a Cerate or Plaister Or Take Oyl of Myrtles and Mastich of each an ounce red Sanders and yellow Hypocistis Acacia of each half an ounce Spodium red Roses of each two drams Bole Armoniack Terra Sigillata Shavings of Ivory of each two scruples Turpentine washed in Plantane Water an ounce Wax as much as shall suffice Make all into a Cerate or Plaister spread it upon a Cloth and apply it to the Reins Plaisters are compounded of the Mass of Emplastrum pro Matrice and Emplastrum contra Rupturam to be applied to the Region of the Share and of the Loyns Or after this manner following Take of the Mass or Rowl of Emplastrum pro Matrice three ounces Bistort Roots Acacia Hypocistis Pomegranate peels of each half an ounce Ladanum six drams Moisten and soften them with Juyce of Quinces and make a Rowl of Plaister for the use aforesaid Concerning Plaisters it is to be observed That they must not be worn long together but taken off ever and anon otherwise if they stick too long upon the Back they do so heat the Kidneys that the poor women are somtimes troubled with sharpness of Urine or do somtimes piss Sand Stones yea and Blood it self Neither must we omit such things which are accounted by a secret property of their Nature to retain a Child in the womb as an Aegle-stone worn about the Neck a Load-stone applied to the Navel Corals Jaspers Smaragds Bones found in the Hearts of Stags and such like worn under the Arm-pits or hanged about the Neck Zacutus Lusitanus in Obs 152. of the Second Book of wonderful Cures commends a Girdle made of the Hide of a Sea-horse and if that be not to be had he saith a Wolfs Skin may profitably be used instead thereof And that the success of these Medicaments may be happy the Patient must be enjoyned to rest
one foot or when it endeavors to come forth doubled with its breech or its belly foremost In regard of the Childs Adjuncts or certain things belonging to the Child difficulty of Travail happens when those membranes which enclose the Child are more thin than ordinary so that they come to break sooner than they should whence followed an over quick effusion of the waters conteined therein whereupon the mouth of the Womb remaines dry at the time of the exclusion of the Infant or where the foresaid Membranes are more thick and compact than ordinary by which means the Child is hardly able to breake them External Causes depend upon things necessary and things contingent the things necessary are such as Physitians commonly call res non naturales things not natural So a cold and dry air and the Northern-wind are very hurtfull to women in travail because they straiten the whol Body drive the Blood and spirits inwards and prove very destructive to the Infant coming forth of so warm a place as the Womb. Also air more hot than ordinary dissipates the spirits and exhausts the strength both of Mother and Child easily introduceing a feaverish Inflammation into a Body replenished with ill humors and exagitated Meates raw and hard to digest or of an astringent quality taken in a large Quantity before the time of travail may render the same laborious the stomach being weakened and the common passages stopped which in this case ought to be very free and open Sleepyness and Sottishess do slacken the endeavours both of the Mother and the Child and shew nature to be weak Unseasonable stirring of the woman doth much delay the Birth of the Child whenas she refuses to stand to walk lie down or to sit upon the Midwifes stoole as need shall require or when she is unduely agitated to and fro whence it comes to pass that the Child cannot lâ—â—ue in a sitting posture or looses the good posture it had by reason of the Mothers undue and disorderly moveing her self The retention of Excrements at the time of Travail as of Urin distending the Bladder of hard excrements in the streight Gutt and hemorrhoids much Swelled do straiten the neck of the Womb and divert nature from her endeavour of expelling the Child And in a word vehement Passions of mind as Fear Sadness Anger may very much encrease the difficulty of Child birth To things contingent are referred Blowes Falls wounds which may very much hinder the Birth hereunto likewise appertain the parties assistant in time of travail to help the labouring woman viz. strong women and maid servants which may lift her up and support her when she is in her labours and especially an expert Midwife which ought to mannage the whol Business For if the Midwife err in her office it is wont to cause difficulty of Birth For sometimes the Midwises do over soon exhort the Childing woman to hold their breath and to strain themselves to exclude their Child while the bands which fasten the Child to the Womb are as yet unloosed by which means the strength of the woman is wasted before hand which should have bin reserved to the just time of her travail Yea and the truth is while the Midwifes do oversoon perswade the Childing women that the time of their travail is at hand they bend all their strength to exclude the Child and oftentimes violently break those bands with which the Child is fastened and cast themselves into no small Jeopardy Hard Travail is known both by the Childing woman and by the Assistants but especially by the Midwife And in the first place if the woman continue a longer time than ordinary in her Labors as two three four or more daies whereas a truly natural Child-birth ought to be accomplished within the space of 24. Houres Again it is a Sign of an hard Labor if the womans paines be weak and are long before they return and if her paines are more about her Back than Privities And the Causes of hard travail are known by relation of the Childing woman and are for the most part evidently to be seen So the weakness of the woman her over leanness or over fatness is perceived by the habit of her Body Diseases of the Womb are known by their proper Signes The Childs weakness is known by its weak and slow moving it self But the Signes of a dead Child shall be declared in the next Chapter The greatness of the Child may be gathered from the stature of the Parents especially when a big-Bodyed man is matched with a little woman But when there are none of these Signes and the woman labours stoutly and the Child stirrs and makes its way sufficiently and yet the travail is hard and painful it is a token that the secundine or After-birth is stronger than ordinary and can hardly be broken which conjecture is more probable if no water or moisture come from the woman dureing her Labors The disorderly posture of the Child is perceived by the Midwife and the other Causes are visible to the Eye as we said before As for the Prognostick Hard-Travail is of it self dangerous in which sometimes the Mother sometimes the Child and sometimes both do loose their lives If a woman be four daies in Labor it s hardly possible the Child should live Sleepy diseases and convulsions which befall a woman in Travail are for the most part deadly Sneezing which befalls a woman in sore Travail is good Out of Hippocrates in his Aphorismes To cure difficulty in Child-birth first all causes which may delay the birth are as much as may be to be removed And afterwards such Medicines as further the Birth are Methodically to be administred And in the first place it is common among the women to give a groaning wife a spoonfull or two of Cinnamon Water Or Cinnamon it self in Pouder with a little Saffron may be given or half a dram of Consectio Alkermes may be drunk in a little Broath Also Saffron alone being given ten graines in every Mess of Broath the woman takes or every hour being taken in a little Wine is very good Or. Take Oyl of sweet Almonds and White Wine of each two ounces Saffron and Cinnamon of eath twelve graines Confectio Alkermes half a dram Syrup of Maiden Hair one ounce and an half Mix all and make thereof a potion If this shall not suffice but that stronger things must be used the following potion wil be most effectual which I have had frequent experience of Take Dictamnus Cretensis both the Birthworts and Trochiscs or Cakes of Myrrh of each half asc uple Saffron and Cinnamon of each twelve grains Confectio Alkermes half a dram Cinnamon Water half an ounce Orange-flower and Mugwort Water of each an ounce and an half Make all into a potion Among the more effectual sort of Medicaments are numbred Oyl of Amber Oyl of Cinnamon and extract of Saffron which do in a little quantity work â—â—ch viz. Extract of Saffron
to five or six grains Oyl of Cinnamon to four or five Drops Oyl of Amber to twelve or fifteen Drops in VVine Broth or other Liquor Sneezing hastens the Birth or Hippocrates in the Aphor. 35. Sect. 5. Sneezing which happens to a woman in sore Travail is good Sneezing may be provoked by the following Pouder Take White Hellebore half a dram Long Pepper one scurple Castoreum five grains Make all into a Pouder and blow thereof into her â—stâ—â—lls the quantity of a Pease The same Hippocrates prescribes another Remedy in the first Book of womens diseases which is omitted by all authors almost And that is the opening of one of the lower veines of the Body which he propounds in these words But if saith he a Big-bellied woman be so stopped that she cannot bring forth but continues divers daies in her â—ains if she be a yong woman vigorous and full of Blood her Anckleveines must be opened and Blood taken away according as her strength will bear Although this remedy be never used by our Practitioners and it seems much to be feared because in Travail nothing is so needful as strength which may be weakened by Blood-letting Yet if difficult Travail do arise from fullness of blood which Hippocrates doth insinuate in those words where he saies If the woman be yong and in the prime of her strength and very full of Blood there is no question but bleeding may be very profitable because the Veines being very full of Blood are wont to make al other inward passages of the Body more strait Whence it comes to pass that in pains of the Stone in the kidneys the like Blood-letting doth often work wonders and facilitate the expulsion of Stones conteined both in the kidneys and Ureters Also hard Travail may be holpen not only by those inward Medicines prescribed but likewise by outward Let the Midwife therefore frequently anoint the Womb of the Childing woman with Oyls of Lillies sweet Almonds Lin-Seed and such like Also let her belly be fomented on the nether parts with an emollient Decoction of Marsh-mallow and Lilly Roots Leaves of Mallows Violets Mugwort Seeds of Line and Fenugreek with the flowers of Chamomel and Melilot Let sharp Clysters be administred by the provokeing virtue of which the expulsive faculty of the womb may be likewise â—oused up and the Gutts being emptied will afford larger space for the womb Let her Navel be anointed with Oyl of Amber Some commend the Gaul of an Hen applyed to the same part Also such things may be used which are thought by a peculiar property to help the Birth as Aegle-Stone Load-Stone Storax and the rest being fastened to the Hipps Hartmannus Commends the Eyes of an Hare taken in the month of March which are carefully to be taken out and dried entire with Pepper Let one of these with Pepper be so tied to her Belly that the Sight of the Eye may touch her belly and it will bring forth the Child be it alive or dead Which being done take away the Eye least it bring forth the Womb it self He saies likewise that it is good to bring out the Mole Heed is likewise to be taken that the woman carry no Precious Stones about her either in rings or otherwise but let her lay them al away for many of them are conceived by a peculiar property to retain the Child in the womb If the Child seem to be weak it must be refreshed both with strengthening things given to the Mother as warm wine Confectio Alkermes Cinnamon Water and also with things outwardly applied as with a Crust of Bread or a Rose Cake strewed with Pouder of Nutmegs Cinnamon Cloves Kermes Berries and sprinkled with Aqua Imperialis or with warm Wine Or with a peice of Wether-Mutton a little broiled upon a Gridiron and sprinkled with Water of Roses or of Orange-flowers with the call of a wether newly kil'd not yet cold and such like If the Child begin to come forth in a disorderly manner as by putting out one Foot one Hand or any other way the Mid-wife must no waies receive it on that manner but thrust it into the Womb again and compose it to a right and natural posture or form of egress Which must be done by laying the Childing woman on her Back in the Bed with her Head somwhat low and her Buttocks high and then gently pressing her Belly towards the short Ribs and thrusting the Child into the Womb. Afterward let the Midwife endeavour to put the Child into a right posture for coming out by an artificial Hand procuring that the Child turn its face towards the Mothers Back and its Buttocks and shighes let her lift up towards the Mothers navel and so hasten the same unto a natural manner of coming forâ—h When all Hope of the Childs coming forth is past or when the Mether is almost dead some Authors proceed to the Caesarean Section that is to cut the Child out of the Womb as Caesar was cut out of which Francilcus Rossetus hath Printed a most elegant Treatise in which by many reasons and examples he endeavours to shew that such a thing may be somtimes done with good success Howbeit seeing this Operation is very dangerous and terrible it ought seldom or never to be practised by a discreet Physitian that would preserve his own reputation Chap. 19. Of A Dead Child IN sore Travel of Child-birth by reason of great and long Labour the Child is oftentimes killed and somtimes before a womans pains come upon her the Child happens to die through some preternaturall accidents such as those which are wont to cause Abortion and if it hath not attained to the due time of natural Birth it causes Abortion but if it have it causes an hard and sore Travel Because in a due and naturall Birth both the Mother and the Child ought to join their Forces to bring it from the Dark Dungeon to the Liberty of Day All such things therefore which cause difficult Child-birth being in a greater and more grievous degree are of power to kill the Child But especially the Child is wont to be kild if it come in so untoward and preposterous a figure that it can by no means be brought forth in that manner neither can the Midwife or Chyrurgion draw it forth or reduce it to a better Posture For while sticking thus in the mouth of the Womb it frustrates all the endeavours of the Mother straining her self to exclude it it comes to pass that in those sâ—â—ainings various motions and compressions somtimes both Mother and Child somtimes the Mother alone and somtimes the Child alone doth die It is to be admired which Fabricius Hildanus writes touching two women which died through hard Labour in whom their Wombes were found broken a sunder and the Heads of the Infants in their Mothers Bellies By which we may gather how strongly a lusty Child doth labour to work it self out of the Mothers Womb. A Dead Child is
retained which is not so easie to be known yet it may be known because the Womb after the Birth doth yet labor to cast somwhat forth although those endeavors are not so great as formerly there is perceived in the womb a sence of pain and heat and after certain daies a â—ilthy and carrion-like smel exhales from the Womb. The Retention of the Secundine is a very dangerous thing and if it continue some daies in the womb it acquires a silthy putrefaction whence ariseth an acute Feaver aptness to vomit fainting difficulty or breathing a Diaphoretick Sweat Coldness of the extream parts Hysterical Fits Fits of Falling-sickness and at last death it self Hippocrates in the Second Book of Popular Sicknesses by the example of a certain Carriers Wife doth hint unto us That it is good in this case when corrupt blood doth suddenly come from the womb in large quantities for it is hopeful that those Membranes being rotted and wasted will flow forth upon the sixth or seventh day The After-birth retained is expelled by the same Remedies which were propounded to drive out the dead Child whereunto we may add some appropriated or specifick Medicaments mentioned by Authors Gesnerus and Augenius do very much commend the stones of a gelded Horse cut in pieces and dried in an Oven The Pouder whereof is given as much as can be taken up between three fingers with the Broth of a Pullet which Medicine if need be must be twice or thrice reâ—â—erated Rulandus gave thirty drops of Oyl of Juniper with happy success Some advise the Childing Woman to hold an Onion hard between her Teeth and squeeze it there swallowing down the Juyce and she is to bite it so three or four times still sucking out the Juyce and swallowing the same and at last to drink a draught of warm Wine upon it which presently helps her Forestus makes relation of a certain Midwife which received this following Secret from a â—ewish Physitian Shee took the green Tops of Lovage she stamped them and strained out the Juyce with the best Rhenish Wine and gave a draught of it to the Patient Angelus Sala commends Mercurâ—us vitae in this Case as well as in the Expulsion of a dead Child Hereunto add Sneezings Fumigations Fomentations Liniments and other Medicines both inward and outward soâ—â—erâ—y described in the case of a dead Child The following Decoction used by a Country woman of ours hath done wonders Take Vinegar of Roses eight or ten pints Bay Leaves and Bay Berries of each three handfuls one Rose Caze cut in bits Boyl all together and let her Hips and Legs be a long time together bathed from her gâ—oyns down to her feet Vpon the use hereof the Womb hath opened of its own accord and the After-birth fallen away To this Decoction may fiâ—â—y be added of Mirrh and of the two Birthworts of each one ounce And among other helps the hand of a skilful Chyrurgion can do much being put into the womb before the Inflamation or Inflation be augmented For he laying hold of the After-births and gently turning them this way and that way may draw them out and free the woman from so many Symptomes and tiresom Medicines If the Secundine can by no means be perswaded forth but stick strongly to the womb and there putrefie suppurating things are to be put into the womb clensing things being mingled with them that as much as is putrefied may be by little and little brought forth To which intent Rondeletius commends Vnguentum Basilicum especially if it be dissolved in the following Decoction Take Leaves of Mallows with their Roots three handfuls Roots of the two Aristolochia's or Birthworts of each six drams Lin-seed and Foenugreek seed of each half an ounce Violet Leaves one handful Flowers of Chamomel and the smaller Centaury of each half a handful Boyl all in Water mixing therewith if there need great supâ—â—ration or reduction to Matter a little Oyl but if there be more need of detersion or clensing add a little Unguentum Aegyptiacum Chap. 21. Of Immoderate Flux of the Loches or Child-bed Purgations THe Immoderate Flux of Child-bed Purgations called from the Greek Loches is not to be estimated from the quantity or the time of continuance because that in divers Natures Ages and Courses of Life it is very different but from the ill-bearing of the woman and her weakness therefrom arising The Causes of this immoderate Flux are the over wide opening of the Vessels or their rending in hard Travel or the violent drawing forth of the After-birth or a more than ordinary quantity of blood which hath been collected in the Veins of the Womb during the whol course of the Womans being with Child or the thinness and sharpness of the said Blood which doth too much open the Mouthes of the Veins and provoke Nature to Excretion Immoderate flux of the Child-bed Purgations is known as hath been said from the strength of the woman which is dejected through the exhaustion of her spirits that issue with the blood also the blood is clotted and the Patient loaths all meat is pained under her short Ribs feels a distention of her Belly her Pulse is weak and frequent her sight is dimmed she hath noise in her Ears is subject to Swooning and Convulsions As all great Fluxes of Blood are dangerous because blood is the Treasure of our Life so immoderate flux of the Child-bed Purgations is more dangerous than the rest because of the Travel which goes before and weakens the Patient But the danger is more or less according to the greater or less quantity of the Blood which comes away and as the Symptomes are more light or grievous which attend the same which made Hippocrates to say in the 55. Aphorism of the fift Section If Convulsion or Swooning betides a Woman upon her Feminine Purgations it 's a shrewd sign The Cure of an Immoderate flux of Blood consists in one only Point viz. The stoppage of the said flux Yet extraordinary care is to be taken lest that be kept within which by these Purgations was wont to be carried away and so prove the cause of grievous Infirmities And therefore if the flux do not extreamly urge we must begin with lighter Medicaments proceeding by little and little if need shall require to such as are stronger And in the first place The violent Motion of the Blood is to be bridled by an incrassating of thickening Diet as by Panadaes Gellies Rice Starch with Calves-foot Broths Pears and Quinces boyled Rosted Flesh sprinkled with juyce of Pome-granates Let her have pretty plenty of Meat but not at once but divers times one after another For by this means the Heat and Spirit which in the Womb do aslist to the Expulsion are called away to the Stomach and by that means the Patients strength is restored Let her Drink be Water that hath had Iron quenched in it or Gold or in which a little Mastich hath been boyled Then such things
are to be used as do revel the Blood into the superior parts as rubbings and bindings of the upper parts Cupping-glasses fastened under the short Ribs on either side It is good likewise to bath the Patients hands in hot Wine in which Confectio Alkermes or Venice Treacle hath been dissolved Also let her Belly be moderately swathed with a Rowler or Swath-band because hereby the Vessels of Blood will be pressed together and the immoderate flux hindered Let Linnen Cloths be applied to her Loyns moistened with a mixture of Water and Vinegar by which the blood contained in the Vena Cava is tempered and the motion thereof hindered If the flux be very immoderate and weaken the Patient so that there is danger of Death we must have speedy recourse to stronger Remedies Among the rest this following Potion hath commonly good success Take Waters of Plantane Orange flowers and Roses of each one ounce Syrup of Corals or where it is wanting of red Roses one ounce Sal Prunella one dram Dragons blood ten grains Make all into a Potion If the flux do yet continue a Pouder or an Electuary for divers Doses may be prescribed after this manner Take Blood-stone four scruples Pouder of Bole-Armoniack red Coral prepared Pearls of each one dram Seeds of Plantane Coriander prepared and grains of Sumach of each two scruples Mix all and make them into a most fine Pouder of which let her take one dram with the Decoction of Knotgrass and Syrup of Quinces Take Conserves of Roses and of Comfrey Roots of each one ounce Bole-Armoniack Troches de Carabe and prepared coral of each one dram with syrup of coral or of dried red Roses make all into an Electuary of which let her take the Quantity of a Chestnut drinking a little of her ordinary drink after it Also a fomentation and an Oyntment will profitably be applied outwardly made after this manner Take Topps of the red Mastich or Lentisch Plantane Cypress Olive and Solomons Seal of each one handfull Red Rose Leaves two pugills Myrtle Berries one ounce and an half Cypress-Nuts six Peels of Pomgranates two pugils Boyl all in Steel-quenched Water and astringent harsh red Wine and with the strained Liquour bath the Privie Parts very lukewarm and almost coldish Take of the Countesses Oyntment or Uuguentum Comitissae two ounces Jâ—yce of Plantane one ounce worke them together into one Oyntment to be used after the fomentation Also an Injection may be made of the Juyce of Plantane into the Womb commended by Galen in the fifth Book of his Method or of the Decoction of the foresaid fomentation Other remedies not helping to open a vein in the Arm is a present Cure if the Blood be drown out in distant spaces of time for experience hath taught that many women given over as it curable have by this means recovered And finally the disease still remaining all Medicines prescribed for the immoderate flux of the monthly courses may be used in this Case likewise And among the Medicines for immoderate Courses Cataplasmes were propounded to be applied to the share and Loines unto which the following Cataplasm or pultis may be added very good for all immoderate fluxes of Blood but especial for these Child-Bed Purgations Take Pure Soot from the Chimney not mixt with Dart eight ounces work it lustily with the strongest Vineger and make a pultis to be applied to the Reines of the Back And it is here specially to be noted touching sleep that while the Blood flowes plentifully the woman must not be suffered to sleep for many by that means are taken away because the natural heat retiring inward causes the flux to be greater And if sleep in such a case cannot be avoided some must be alwaies by of the servants to feel her pulse and mark how she fetches her Breath In a word if clotters of Blood do settle in the Womb and cause a pain and stretching therein endeavour must be used speedily to bring it out least coming to putrefy they transmit filthy vapours to the Brain and Heart and cause a feaver Therefore the Childing woman if strong enough ought to walk gently or stand bolt upright for some time together or to sit upon the groaning Chair as if she had list to stool And if this suffice not the clotters are to be dissolved with a warm Decoction of French Barly and a little Oxymel or honey of Roses injected into the Womb. But here we must go warily to work least while we bring out the clotters the flux of Blood be afresh provoked Chap. 22. Of Suppression of Child-bed Purgations THe good and happy success of Child-bearing doth especially depend upon the convenient and orderly flux of the Loches or Child-bed Purgations seeing the Impurities which have bin collected in the veins of the Womb during the nine months time of the womans Belly-bearing are wont to be avoided by these evacuations but if they be suppressed wholly or diminished insinite Dangers and Calamities arise thereby viz. acute Feavers Phrenzies Madness Melanchollies Squinzâ—es Pleurisies Inflammations of the Lungs and other swellings which are for the most part malignant The Cause of this supression or imminution are the thickness of the Blood narrowness or obstruction of the vessells which hinders the free egress of the Blood cold air heedlesly received into the Womb which closes the Orifice of the vessels taking cold at the feet drinking of small cold Drink fear Affrightment sadness and other Passions of the mind which withdraw the Course of the Blood from the Womb. This Suppression is manifest of it self and the diminution thereof is not to be judged by the Quantity which comes away because some women have more superfluous blood and some less But the perfect knowledg thereof is gathered from the supervenient Symptoms such as are a swelling of the Belly a pain possessing the nethermost part of the Belly the Loines and Groines redness of face difficulty or breathing perturbation of the Eyes shivering fits Feavers Fainting fits and other Symptomes related before The Prognostick is drawn out of the Symptomes propounded as supervenient to this Disease for they being for the most part dangerous the cause from which they spring must needs be very dangerous likewise Childing women are freed from the foresaid danger if some other evacuation happen which may at least in some measure supply the desect of these purgations as Bleeding at the Nose or by the hemorrhoid veins plenty of Urine with a sooty setling or plentiful sweating Or if after some daies Lead-colored black and stinking matter begin to flow forth But it is to be feared lest by the corrupt blood ulcers should be bred in the womb The whol Cure of this Malady consists in the provocation of these Purgations which must be endeavored by such Medicines as provoke the Course of the Blood downwards and open the Vessels of the Womb. And in the first place Emollient Purging and Opening Clysters are to be administred made after
Bay-leaves Calaminth Carrot seed Cummin and Caraway Seeds Flowers of Cheiri and Chamomel in Water white Wine or Milk Or the following Cataplasm may be applied Take three or four Onions well boyled in Water beat them in a Morter and put thereto Seeds of Line and Cummin beaten of each one handful As much Chamomel flowers Barley Meal as much as shall suffice to make all into a Pultiss And if need be add a little of the Water wherein the Onions were boyled Spread it upon a Cloth and apply it warm to her Navel It is likewise profitable to apply the Skin of a weather newly flead off while it is warm to her Belly For this kind of warmth is very neer of kin to our Natural heat concocts and mitigates the cause of the pain also it hinders the Skin of the Belly from gathering into wrinkles These following Medicines may be given inwardly Take Carrot Seeds poudered one dram white Wine three ounces Mix them Give it warm twice a day Or Take Nutmeg Annis seed Cinnamon of each one scruple mix them into a Pouder to be taken in white Wine or give one scruple of Oyl of Nutmegs in Broth. Or Take Date and Peach Kernels of each half a dram Nutmegs four scruples Pouder of Diamargaritum Calidum two drams Annis seed one dram Cinnamon two scruples Saffron ten grains Sugar the weight of all the rest Make all into a most fine Pouder whereof give two drams in Wine twice or thrice a day if the pains are much Forestus gave a Decoction of Chamomel flowers in Beer or a Decoction of Mugwort and Chamomel in Puller Broth with good â—ucceâ—s It 's good presently after the is brought to bed to give her the Broth of an old Cock three daies together earâ—y in a morning while she is fasting with a little Cinnamon and Saffron The following Pouder taked presently after the delivery of a woman doth wonderfully preserve her from Gripings insomuch that it is thought If it be given a woman after her first Childing she wil never after in her following Lyings-In be troubled with these Gripes Take the greater Comfry Root dried one dram Peach Kernels and Nutmeg of each two scruples Amber half a dram Amber-greece half a scruple Make all into a Pouder of which let her take one dram in white Wine or if she be Feaverish in Broth. For her ordinary Drink let her use a Decoction of Mugwort with Cinnamon If the Gripings be caused by Chollerick and sharp humors they are cured much after the same manner that the Chollick is cured when it proceeds from Choller As for Example Take Syrup of Vioâ—â—ts and Borrage of each one ounce Mucilage of Quince seeds drawn out with Violet Water half an ounce Water of Borrage and Scorzonera of each three ounces Mix all make thereof a Julep for two Doses Or Take Oyl of sweet Almonds two ounces Syrup of Violets an ounce Borrage Water half an ounce Mix all for a draught External Medicines must likewise be used such as are laxative and emollient which do likewise by one and the same labor ease pain Oftentimes after they are brought to bed women are pained in their Groyn by reason of their wombs being gathered together like a ball in their Groyn It is cured by applying to their Navel a Plaister of Galbanum and Anafoetida in the midst whereof some grains of Musk must be put Chap. 24. Of Acute Diseases of Women in Child-bed WHat we said before touching the Acute Diseases of women with Child we may now repeat touching the Acute Diseases of women in Child-bed viz. That they have the same Essence and the same Signs with the like Diseases in women which are not with Child and in men So that we shal refer the Reader for the Theory of these Diseases to their proper Chapters Now these Acute Diseases are for the most part continual Feavers both Essential as Synchus putrida a continual Tertian and the rest and also Symptomatical which accompany inward Inflamations as the Pleurisie Inflamation of the Lungs Inflamation of the Liver Phrenzy and such like Yet there is a peculiar sort of Feaver which besals almost al women in Child-bed which is called by them the Feaver of their Milk which is wont to befal them about the third or fourth day after they are brought to bed when their Milk begins to encrease in their Breasts and it ariseth from the reflux of the blood from the womb to the Dugs and the motion and agitation thereof Which kind of Feaver is reckoned among the Diary Feavers of the longest durance neither needs it any Medicines because within three or four daies viz. about the ninth after her delivery it is finished by sweat It is distinguished from putrid Feavers because commonly it seizes the woman about the fourth day after her being delivered and her Dugs begin to be filled with Milk and to be troubled with hardness pain and heat with heat and heaviness in her Back and Shoulders also her Child-bed Purgations slow duly which seldom is seen in putrid Feavers Now putrid Feavers do befal women in Child-bed from three causes viz. Suppression of their Child-bed Purgations or diminishing by the heaping together of bad Humors during the time of their Belly-bearing which were agitated by her Labors or by Errors in their Diet. Some add immoderate flux of the Child-bed Purga ions which is rather a sign of the secret badness of Humors causing the Feaver but cannot be it self any cause thereof In suppression of the Child-bed Purgations the blood and vitious humors which are collected during the whol time of her going with child do flow back again into the greater Veins and there putrefie and somtimes are câ—rrâ—ed to the Liver Spleen and other parts in which they raise Inflamations or if they abide in the Veins of the womb they putrefie and so cause a Feaver in those women which were before in perfect health But if the Child-bed Purgations duly flowing a feaver arise it comes either from superfluity of Choller or from errors in Diet. Evil Humors agitated by the Labors and Pains of Travel do easily inflame and putrefie and stir up a feaver Errors of Diet may happen divers waies And first in point of eating in which women that he In are wont to be very faulty stopping themselves with plenty and variety of Dishes which cannot be by them digested but causeth putrefaction in their Bodies Another error is committed when Childing women do unadvisedly expose themselves unto the cold Air especially while their Milk-feaver is in its vigor which is wont to be terminated by sweating and transpiration which is hindered by heedless admission of the cold Air whence it comes to pass that the Feaver which of it self was void of danger and would in a few daies have ceased is changed into a dangerous putrid Feaver There is yet another frequent Cause of the Feavers of Childing Women viz. When the After-births are not wholly cast forth but some
begun and an Inflamation bred which proves very troublesom whether the woman be sufficiently purged or not the superior Veins are presently to be opened right against the Part affected because such an Evacuation draws Blood out of the Part Affected But if the inferior Veins should be opened which are neither next the part affected neither can evacuate therefrom both the strength of the Patient will be weakened by the evacuation and that matter which is by Nature driven into a corner and subdued wil not be thereby diminished And so you must either draw all her blood in a manner out of her Veins to revel the matter of the Disease from the part affected or the woman will be killed by the Disease before sufficient Revulsion be made Neither need we fear lest by taking blood from the upper Veins we should draw the Course thereof from the womb because in such Cases the superior parts of the Body do abound with blood And although much blood be taken away yet are not the Veins so emptied that they should be forced to draw new blood from other parts Yet for the greater Caution it will not be unprofitable before blood be taken from the superior Veins to cause the Thighs to be lustily rubbed and presently after to tie them with bands so hard as to pain the woman which must abide so bound til the bleeding be over and a little after they may be loosened and now and then Cupping-Glasses must be fastened to the same parts or at least they must be again wel rubbed So we may procure an evacuation of the Matter offending and yet preserve the Natural course of the blood towards the Womb. The same course is to be taken in vehement and burning Feavers For although the matter offending be dispersed through the Body yet is the burning heat so great about the Heart and Bowels that it cannot be so wel extinguished by the opening of a smal and far distant Vein as by the opening of a neerer and greater such as is the Vein called Basilica This Method of Curing may be observed not only in Child-bed women but in other women who are taken with Acute Diseases and have their monthly Courses upon them If in the end of a Womans Lying-In an acute Disease befal her the same Course must be followed as in the middle the same conditions being observed observing this for a Rule That by how much a woman is further from the beginning of her Lying-In by so much more safely may the uper Veins be opened but the neerer she is to the beginning yea even in the middle we are to open those Veins with the greater premeditation And if the Disease be not importunate nor the sharpness thereof require such a thing and the Natural Purgation be copious we must wholly abstain But if the Purgation be scanty we must open the inferior Veins to supply that which is wanting in the Evacuation But if the contrary shal happen let us follow that Rule which we presceibed to be followed in followed in the urgency of an acute Disease The use of Purging in Childing Women that are held with acute Diseases shal be comprehended in these following Maxims While the Child-bed Purgations do Naturally flow a Purge is never to be administred for it is to be feared lest Nature be diverted from her business But if the Child-bed Purgations are not kindly we must consider whether their consist its Quantity or in Quality If they offend in Quantity so as to be too little so that the woman be purged either not at al or not sufficiently After al Remedies fit to procure these Purgations have been given in vain and the Morbisick matter appears digested eight ten or twelve daies being past since she was brought to Bed according to the more or less urgency of the Disease she may be purged gently wholly abstaining from al stronger Purgatives If other Purgations offend only in Quality so that a white flux or some other unnatural color do proceed from her the Matter being ripe she may in the last part of her Lying-In be safely purged But this must evermore be generally observed That by how much the longer a Childing Woman is distant from the day of her bringing to bed by so much the more safely she may be purged and contrarywise For Experience hath taught us That women wanting their Child-bed Purgations if after the seventh or ninth day they are taken with a loosness they commonly scape But if the Loosness seize upon them upon the first daies viz. on the secoed third or fourth for the most part they die And so have we finished the Cures of Womens Sicknesses all Praise and Honor be given to God therefore The End of the Fifteenth Book THE SIXTEENTH BOOK OF THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICK Of Diseases of the Joynts and Rhewmatick Pain of the whol Body The PREFACE THough all Diseases of the Joynts depend upon the same Causes differing only in respect of the place affected and are wont to be cured with the same Medicines yet is there some difference between the Sciatica or Hip-Gout and the pains of other Joynts by reason of the structure and largeness of those parts of which the Huckle or Hip-bone is articulated and made up in respect of which it requires some diversity in certain Medicines therefore it is that I have resolved to treat of the Sciatica by it self And because the Rhewmatick pain incident to the whol Body hath great Affinity with the running Gout which afflicts only the Joynts I have thought good to annex the Explication thereof in this place so that this Book will consist only of three Chapters Of which The First will treat of the Pains of the Joynts in General The Second of the Pains of the Huckle-bone called Sciatica The Third of those Rhewmatick Pains which seize all Parts of the Body Chap. 1. Of Pain in the Joynts called Arthritis or the Gout ARthritis or the Gout is a pain in the Joynts which comes for the most part by fits stirred up by an Influx of Humors into the said Joynts The parts pained are Membranes Tendons Nerves and al the Nervous parts that are neer the Joynts which are stretched by the Humor which flows into them or by their sharpness are pricked and twitched but the Ligaments which spring out of the Bones are void of sence Now the Humors which cause the Gout do seldom flow into the very Cavities of the Joynts and that only in an old Gout and where the Cavities are wider than ordinary as it happens in an old Sciatica in which somtimes the Thigh-bone fals out of its place the Ligaments and other parts binding the Joynts together being loosened and then the Cavity of the Joynt is filled with a snotty kind of flegm as we see in Hippocrates Apor 59. Sect. 6. It is wont here to be demanded why the Humors flowing into Nervous and Membranous Parts and distending and twitching then they should not cause a
the putrefaction which it gathereth by long continuance hence comes a Feaver and Thirst namely from the stinking salt vapors which do infect the mouth of the Stomach It falls out somtimes that this Watery Humor is not contained in the Cavity of the Belly but in certain Bladders growing to the parts of the lower Belly An Example whereof is given by Schenkius Lib. 3. Observation and Mauritius Cordaeus Com. 5. in Hipp. Lib. 1. of Diseases in Women Galen supposed and almost all Physitians new and old have followed him that every Dropsie comes of a cold Liver which cannot Sanguisie or make Blood compleatly but instead thereof much Water Flegm or Wind. Which Opinion as it is most true in Anasarca and approved so in Ascites and Tympanites it is much questioned by many Modern Writers because in the opening of many that died of Dropsies the Liver hath been sound very sound as is manisest by many relations in those Authors mentioned Moreover Hippocrates 2. Prorrhet wittily affirms that a Dropsie may come either from the Liver or from some empty part by an empty part he meaneth all that space from the Ribs to the Guts and the parts contemed in it Also Hipp. 4. de morb Mulierum mentions a Dropsie coming from the Spleen To which places of Hippocrates they usually answer thus That the Liver is alwaies affected either primarily or secondarily so that there is never a Dropsie before there is a hinderance of Sanguification or breeding of Blood But two Reasons do strongly oppose this Doctrine The first is from the Experience before mentioned namely That if the Liver ought necessarily to suffer in the producing of a Dropsie it would never be found free and unknit in the Dissection of a dead Body The second is That if the Liver should breed watery Blood it would be sent into the whol Body as in Anasarca nor can a sufficient reason be given why that serous Humor bred in the Liver should be sent to the Belly and not to other parts As for the cold distemper of the Liver that is denied by Trallianus Avicenna and others who affirm that a Dropsie may arise from a hot distemper of the Liver and cannot be cured but by cooling means And this may be maintained by the Authority of Hippocrates in 2. Progn A Dropsie saith he coming after an acute disease is evil for it doth not take away the Feaver If therefore a Dropsie may come while the Feaver is it is cleer that there is still a hot distemper Neither could that ever please me which is usually spoken by Galens Servants That the Native heat is dissolved by a hot distemper and much diminished and that diminished heat may be called cold For so in a Hectick Feaver and other constant Feavers in which the Natural Heat is much diminished we should alwaies blame a cold distemper and the Symptomes which follow should be impured to cold and not to heat From whence who doth not perceive that there would arise a great consusion in the searching into the Causes of Symptomes Among the late Writers Carotus Piso whom Sennertus followed hath dived most deep into the true Causes of Ascites which he affirms to come from a serous Matter contained in the Meat and Drink which by reason of some preternatural Cause is stayed too long in the Gate and Hollow Veins not sent into the Body as in a Natural state and condition it useth to be but into the capacity of the Abdomen This serous Humor is retained in the Veins from the whol Body by reason the attractive faculty of the Parts to which it should be carried is either hurt or hindered Now the chief parts which draw the serous Matter are the Liver and the Spleen For they attract the Chylous Matter in which the moisture of Meat and Drink is contained As also the Spleen draws Drink to its self pure and without mixture as Hippocrates taught and Experience confirms That they who drink much after Meat do presently avoid it by Urine which learned Authors say is by reason the Spleen sucks the watery Matter before there is a perfect Concoction made in the Stomach The Attraction or drawing quality of the Liver and Spleen is lost chiefly by defect and weakness of Natural Heat the Natural heat is debilitated by a cold or hot distemper or by Suffocation A cold distemper coming either from too cold a Diet from loss of too much Blood and Spirits or any other Cause doth destroy the Natural Heat of the Liver and Spleen and so hinder their Actions A hot Distemper doth disperse the Native Heat whence being made weaker the Liver and the Spleen become less Active This comes from Feavers much Wine or hot Meats Lastly The Natural Heat is weakned by Suffocation when there is too much Blood in the Veins especially if it be foul as when the Terms of Hemorrhoids are stopt by which the blood was clensed formerly but now by stoppage corrupted Also the Attraction or drawing vertue of those parts is hindered by Obstructions which hinder the free passage of the serous Matter So a Dropsie followeth a Scirrhus of the Liver and Spleen not only because those parts being weakened cannot produce good Blood but especially because they are not able to attract and send to other parts whatsoever is drunk Here it may be objected That in a Dropsie the whol Body is nourished by Blood bred in the Liver of a Chylous Matter which it draweth to it self We answer That the Liver doth better attract that which is most familiar unto its self and most sit to be made blood but it draweth to it less than is sufficient by reason of the weakness of the attractive faculty Hence it is that the Body grows lean because it draws some water along with the Chylus and leaves the rest in the Meseraick Veins and the Veins of the lower Belly which is by degrees carried into the Capacity of the Abdomen We do not deny that Sanguisication or making of Blood is hindered in a Dropsie especially when the distemper is very cold or very hot or the Obstruction or Scirrhus great for then there cannot be a perfect making of blood But we deny that that is the next and immediate Cause of a Dropsie but rather an effect thereof when the Water corrupted in the Abdomen doth also corrupt the Bowels that swim therein Next to the Liver and the Spleen the Reins do attract the watery Matter which is in the hollow Vein and free the whol body from the superfluity thereof so that if at any time they do not their office there remains much matter in the veins which being sent to the Abdomen do quickly make an Ascites now the attraction of the Veins may cease for divers Causes because of a Cold Distemper Tumors Ulcers and Obstructions which wil Diminish Abolish and intercept their Function Lastly The distribution of Water is hindered from some external Cause as when much cold Water is drunk
which Nature cannot govern nor sufficiently distribute into the Veins So Carolus Piso reports of a yong man that had a Tertian Ague and drinking Water exceedingly in his Fit fel into an Ascites from which by the taking of one Lozenge of Diacarthamum he was Cured by discharging the Water which was in the Abdomen but if he had continued drinking so much water any louger he had not been so easily Cured because it would have brought great obstructions and a cold distemper of the Bowels by reason of the loss of natural heat But it is questioned of many by what wayes that serous matter should be carried by the Veins into the Capacity of the Abdomen to whom we may plainly answer by saying from Hippocrates that in a living body al things are passing to and fro so that in time of necessity not only thin and serous Matter but also that which is very thick may be sent through the insensible passages So in a Pleurisie blood and matter wil pierce through the thick substance of the Pleura and Membrane which covers the Lungs and be spit forth at the mouth So in a Fracture of the Leg or Thigh which hapens without hurt to the Muscles and Skin the matter which floweth from the broken bone pierceth through the substance of the other parts and wets the boulsters and rowlers So also in a Dropsie often times a great quantity of Water is vented in one day by giving of Quicksilver which cannot be except the Water conteined in the Abdomen do pass through the Tunicles of the Guts Nor is the Objection of Fernelius of any force when he saith that Nature had in vain made so many open wayes if the Humors can pass through those invisible passages For we Answer That in an ordinary and natural motion of Humors ordained for the nourishment of the whol body those passages are necessary through which they may easily flow but in an extraordinary case provident Nature doth find out extraordinary wayes by which she may cast out hurtful Matter or at least send it to a place less dangerous Fernelius Objects again That in them who have died by a stoppage of Urine for twenty dayes together it was never perceived that any Water went through those blind passages We Answer That Nature doth not alwayes work the same way in preternatural Causes nor send hurtful Humors to the same places but especially to those parts which are more disposed to receive them through weakness So in the Suppression or Stoppage of Urine the Serous Humor flowes openly through the Veins and Arteries and fils them and if it find any part weaker than the rest it falls forceably upon it hence it is that some die of the hurt of one or other remarkable part So nothing hinders if the parts of the Abdomen in which the Veins and Arteries end be grown weak but that the Watery Humor may be sent into its capacity or hollowness Nor is that true which Fernelius would infer namely That a Dropsie never comes from suppression of Urine for Reason and Experience teacheth the contrary as we shewed afore in the Discourse of the Loss of Attraction in the Reins but you must observe that the Stoppage of the Urine doth make an increase of Water rather in the branches of the hollow Vein then of the Gate Vein or Vena Porta by which the watery Humor chiefly flows into the capacity of the Abdomen as appears by what followeth Therfore we may Answer this Question by saying That the water got into the hollow of the Abdomen by the insensible passages though there are also other manifest wayes by which it may pass Hippocrates Aph. 55. Sect. 7. hath shewed them for saith he they who have much Water about the Liver if it get into the Omentum or Kels their belly will be filled with Water and then they die The meaning of which Aphorism is though Galen did not plainly see it that the Water from the Liver doth flow into the Branches of the Vena Porta which go to the Omentum and when they are filled either by their Tunicles made thin by Diapedesis or Rarefaction or by the mouths of the Vessels being opened by Anastomosis the Water gets into the Cavity of the Abdomen This happens often in the Spleen also when it draws Water in abundance from the Stomach as appears by many sayings of Hippocrates and in lib. 4. de morbis he saith That Water may press from the Spleen to the Omentum or Kell in these words Drink is also carried into the Stomach with which when it is filled the Spleen takes it from thence and sends it to the Veins and the Omentum From which we may perceive That Water chiefly gets into the Abdomen by the Veins of the Omentum which are called Epiploicae and Gastrepiploicae although it may pass also through their Veins Besides the aforesaid Causes of a Dropsie which are more ordinary there are mentioned by Authors some less usual confirmed by Observation and these come from the disorder of some peculiar part not only of the Liver and Spleen but also of the Mesentery Sweet-bread Stomach Guts Reins Bladder and Womb namely when the Homiosis or faculty to convert nourishment into themselves is hurt from sâ—me great Disease so that their proper nourishment is corrupted and turned into Water So Galen Comment Aph. 55. Sect. 7. saith that watery Bladders are somtimes in the out-side of the Liver which being broken send Water downwards into the Cavity of the Abdomen the encrease whereof breeds a Dropsie Fernelius supposeth that the Liver being very dry hath clefts like the parched Earth and that through them there flows a constant Water which fills the Cavity of the Abdomen Others say that a Dropsie may come from the Guts if they be perforated or pierced through and yet the Patient dieth not presently but a watery Humor still flows through them into the Cavity It comes also from the Kidneys if they be much Ulcerated and water flow from them So Platerus reports of one that in a Dropsie had many Ulcers in both Kidneys from whence both matter and water flowed into the Cavity There is also a Story in Sennertus taken out of John Heinzius of a certain Woman who had a Dropsie from the distemper of the Womb whose Bowels were all sound except the Testicles or Stones which were found to be swollen as big as the Head of a new-born Child being blew hollow and full of Ulcers from which there came a serous Matter which caused the Dropsie The Dropsie called Tympanites hath its name from Tympanum a Drum because the Abdomen is stretched out like a Drum and if you strike it with your hand it sounds like it This stretching comes from wind shut up in the Cavity of the Abdomen But somtimes this wind is in the Cavity of the Guts which Platerus observed saying in some that have been thought to die of a Tympany after they were opened have