a potentiall cauterie This must not be slightly done but strongly set on and deepely pressed in as Guilielmus Fabritius a famous and singular Chirurgion vpon his often experience heerein seriously aduiseth saying I speake by experience For the more the wound is put in a heat and inflamed the sooner wil the poyson be drawen forth After it is seared let the escharre or crust be caused to fall as soone as is possible by often annointing it with a mixture made of liquid varnish the white of an egge and fresh butter Or with fresh butter of it selfe as hot as the partie can endure it And if the crust by these meanes come not off within two daies space then may it be remoued by some instrument and handy operation lest by the long continuance thereof the venemous matter that remaineth vnconsumed may get a new strength and the vlcer be sooner cured then is conuenient for this maladie For it should be kept from healing the space of fortie dayes at the least Or after the ventozes be remooued there may be set on horse-leeches for the more effectuall drawing forth of the venemous bloud and then to cauterize as is aforesaid But if the bitten place be of exquisite sense or in tender bodies these meanes ought rather to be vsed to the parts next adioining then to it laying or apply-more milde things vpon the biting As if the bitten body can get one that will sucke out the venome with his mouth that is the gentlest way most harmlesse and yet very effectuall But hee that sucketh the wound must looke he haue no raw or skynles or vlcered part in his mouth lest he catch hurt himself while he doth his good will to help another And though his mouth be whole yet it is good for him to rinse or moisten it with some sweet oile before he goe to sucking For so hee shall keepe the venome from taking hold on any part thereof Next to this is commended the application of the fundaments of liue cocks or hens hauing the fethers pluckt froÌ„ about them and held to a good while together and if one die thereby then set to another presently holding their bâ—â— close that they breath not For so they will draw the more forciblie continuing this as long as any dieth by the strength of the poison Some rather like that these fowles or yoong pigeons should be split through the middest aliue and so layd to one after another or yoong whelpes in like sort Such as caÌ„not abide the searing with a hot iroÌ„ called an actual cautery may haue some potential cauterie applyed to the byting after the washing scarrifying and cupping thereof as before hath beene declared among which kinde of cauteries argentum sublimatum tempered with some cooling oyntment is much commended as a most helpefull medicine and the crust which it causeth doth commonly fall off within two dayes if it be often annoynted with butter Aetius commendeth the laying of stamped leeks or bread tempered with salt or onions or garlicke vpon the bitten place but especially this composition Take of sal fossile an ounce of aerugo russa as much of the seeds of Horehound a dram Let these be kept dry in a box of brasse vse them first dry til a crust be growne on the wound then vse them tempered with the oyle of roses till the crust fall off In very tender bodies some lay to the wound a plaster of pigeons dung and greene rue stamped together Or mustard seed stamped with wall-nut kernels garlicke salt and honie laid to plasterwise Ambrosius Paraeus affirmeth that treacle dissolued in aqua vitae or generous wine excelleth all other remedies to rub the green wound withall hard till it bleed after the wound is clean wipt dryed to lay liniments to the place tempered therewith after the remouing wherof it is good to lay on garlick or onions beaten with salt and turpentine With this only remedie he cured one of the daughters of the noble Lady Gron that was bitten in the calfe of the legge with a mad dogge I haue read great commendations in an old written booke of this medicine followings as sure remedie to helpe the byting of a mad dogge Take wormewood rewe hony and salt stamped well together and lay it plaster-wise to the bitten place and it will draw out the poyson sease the paine and take away the swelling The very like is noted also by Leuinus Lemnius Lib. 3. de occult naturae mirac Cap. 13. And by Ioh. Huera de capitis morbis Cap. 13. Dioscorides prescribeth an emplaster made of garlicke onyons and wheat-cornes chewed in ones mouth which hath beene proued very effectuall for the poorer sort of people and robust bodies It draweth forth the pison dilateth the vlcer but many times it causeth very great paine which wil be somwhat amended by tempering it with oile of Hypericon or oyle of wormes If it bee laid to euery other day it will suffice Galen lib. de theriac ad Pison affirmeth that hee hath applyed plaster-wise onely treacle mixt with oile of roses with very happy successe It is much commended to dresse the vlcer daily with precipitata as a thing that both keepeth it from healing and draweth out the poyson Or mix precipitata with any conuenient oyntment or emplaster and some vse it alone because it is very forcible to draw the poyson from the depth All these remedies doe cause paine more or lesse but Guiliel Fabritius saith hee regardeth not the paine they cause so that it be not excessiue because paine in this case is very profitable for with the attraction of his humours it draweth the venome outward to the mouth of the wound His manner was after hee had cauterized the wound to lay vpon it bombaste moistened with aqua-vitae that treacle hath beene dissolued in and after that to lay on this plaster following being spred vpon linnen Take of onions somewhat rosted in the embers of leuen and the powder of mustard seed each an ounce of treacle halfe an ounce of the leaues of rew and scordium each halfe a handfull mixe them in a morter by adding a little hony The next day after this maner of dressing he separated as much of the crust as he could with a penknife and then againe applied the same medicines til the crust were quite remoued and then to prohibit the closing vp of the vlcer he thrust a pease into it twice a day and by this meanes kept it from healing as long as hee thought good Some to keepe the vlcer open and draw foorth the venome lay on a plaster made of garlicke onions and the powder of mercurie beaten together If the vlcer be about to drie vp Rhasis aduiseth to lay on a peece of the salt fish called Tunnus or salt beaten or to sprinkle it with vineger But neuer let it bee washt with fresh water but rather with pure wine as Paulus aduiseth or with hot foamentations of camomile and lapathum that is
dockes boyled in water to procure it to bleed sucking it first or rubbing it strongly with the hand or with scarification or by setting to of horseleches or ventozes It is sayd that the ashes of a fig-tree cast vpon the bitten place being closed vp will open it againe But for the more suretie it were good withall to scarrifie it This plaster following is much commended to lay on the sore Take of the ashes of crabfishes burnt of garlicke mynt gentium aristolochia rotunda each two drams bay-berries bole armeniake each a dram Temper them with the ioyse of mynts and make a plaster and wash the place often with the vrine of a yoong boy This powder following is very excellent to bee cast on the vlcer twice or thrice a weeke Take of the powder of precipitata of bezer-stone and the powder of angelica rootes each a scruple Mix them together This doth wonderfully draw forth the malignity and is of great force against poyson Inwardly also must be vsed Antidotes that haue vertue against such kinde of poyson as that which is mentioned of Galen by the prescript of Asinius made in this maner Take of fresh water crab fishes dried and beaten to powder ten drams of gentium seuen rams of frankencense one dram Mix them and giue the bitten body euery day three drams in water to drinke for the space of 40. daies together Aetius putteth but fiue drams of gentium to the rest Another mixture very like this is set downe by Diofcorides in this sort Burne crabfishes with the twigs or proinings of vitis alba that is white brionie and reserue the powder of gentium roots thus Take of crabfish powder three drams with which may bee mixt the powder of gentium one dram and halfe of pure wine six ounces Let so much be drunke fower daies together which being ended let the double or triple quantitie be drunke certaine other dayes Some compound them thus Take of gentian roots two drams of crabfish powder three drams of terra sigillata halfe an ounce Mix a dram of this powder with some fiue or six ounces of the decoctioÌ„ of crabfishes and giue it euery day to drinke This composition I like very well and so doe I this which followeth described by Ioseph Quercetano Take of gentian and valerian rootes each an ounce and halfe of Consolida minor which some take for the herbe called Selfe heale but other for the daysie of dry rew and penny-royall that some call organy each a handfull of mummia and crabfishes calcined each an ounce Boile these together in wine Of this decoction giue the bitten body about two or three ounces in the morning fasting for the space of eight daies together Vntill things of greater efficacie can be prepared and made ready it is thought profitable to giue the bitten body some of the mad dogges liuer burnt to ashes and enioyne them withall to a conuenient diet as meats of good iuice rather moyst theÌ„ dry that the bodie be loose prepared with opening roots that haue vertue or power to procure vrine Aetius commendeth the giuing of Treacle about the quantitie of a filberd nut the three first dayes saying that he neuer knew any fall into hydrophobie that is the feare of water which is the extreame and last act of this tragicall infirmitie that vsed to drinke treacle And Petrus Salius also vpon his owne often experience giueth it the price aboue all inward medicines that euer hee made triall off The powder of harts horne burnt and the bezour-stone are very good also to be vsed heerein Some beside treacle aduise also the vse of mithridate or the confection called Diatessaron which specially is commended against the byting of a madde dogge to be giuen also after the poyson is spred into the vaines and arteries because they thinke that the inward parts are heereby fortified Howbeit Capinaccius sayth that the great Antidotes among which these are the cheefe should not be giuen at all after one is attached with madnesse although before that time they ought to be vsed with al speed tempered with sorrell water or the decoction of lapatium acutum which some call herbe-patience or some other apt or conuenient liquor There is no remedie more vsuall or better hoped off among the vulgar sort then presently after the byting to wash the bitten body two or three daies together in sea water Which hath beene found very effectuall in some bodies of good complexions or in light hurts but it is not catholicon that is to say it seemeth not in all persons Nether will it doe any good at all after the first three or fower dayes from the byting This practise was first deuised and vsed by such as dwell neere the sea whereupon such as haue dwelt farther from thence in imitation of these haue cast their bitten bodies into brackish water which is so far from doing good as it is indeed exceeding hurtfull by reason of the antipathie betwixt his kinde of poyson and fresh water from which it is very little different Neuerthelesse Corn-lius Celsus aduiseth that such as be entring into hydrophobie should suddenly bee cast vnawares into a poole or riuer of water and if they be vnskilfull in swimming to suffer then to sinke into the water as it may run well into their mouths then to raise vp their heads again But if they haue skil in swimming then to sowse their heads somtime vnder the water that they may drinke whether they wil or not For so both their thirst fear of water wil be amended as he saith But in this practise he wisheth one thing to be looked vnto that is least their weake bodies be caught with a crampe or conuulsion which if it happen he wisheth them to be put into a vessell of hot oyle after they haue been taken out of the poole But how weake a remedy this is hath been by example declared before out of Andraeas Baâ—cius Elpidianus Some put the bitten body into a bath and make him sweat therein as long as he is able to endure it the wound being kept open that the poison thereof might the more easily be soked out then doe they make him drinke a good draught of pure vnmixt wine which is esteemed a thing contrarie to all poisons This being done three daies together they thinke the bitten body safe from all danger This practise is somewhat agreeable to that which the Philosopher before spoken of vsed on himselfe that Actius maketh mention of But Oribasius would not that any should aduenture to bathe themselues before 20. daies after the biting were expited and some 40. daies and Auicen admitteth it only in the declination of the euill that is after all other medicinall practises which indeed is most agreable to reason Petrus Salius saith that the vulgar sort of his countrie people put so great confidence in the vertue of holy bread and holy water that whosoeuer eateth and drinketh thereof from the hand
of a Priest shall neede none other remedie then onely this for his cure But of what force this superstitious remedy is he sheweth by an example of one bitten by a madde dog who very orderly and deuoutly had taken this sanctified bread and water and had the wound well healed vp as he thought Yet about two monthes after catching a great blow or brusing vpon the botome of his belly he was presently vexed with a feuer and a doggish madnes with all the symptomes and consequencies that vsually accompany this manner of madnes and very shortly after in great wretchednes and miserie tooke his leaue of this world After the first three or foure daies from the beginning of the hurt if the venome be perceiued to be of so quicke operation as it is dispersed through the body let purging be vsed or if it seeme to be of slowe proceeding as in flegmatike and melancholike bodies whose humours are grosse and passages narrow let a longer time be past before purging hauing yet a care to apply conuenient remedies to the bitten place And when purging is perceiued to be needfull then let it be performed as the occasion shall seeme to require although the matter be neither concocted nor doe boile or mooue in the body The like consideration some hould of phlebotomie though Salius can in no fort like of this in any body tainted with any kind of poison And indeed the ancient Greekes as Dioscorides Galen Orâ—basius Paulus and Actuarius where they speake of this infirmitie doe show by their silence or not mentioning of phlebotomie to dislike thereof and some excellent men of the late writers as Fracastorius Fernelius and Capinaccius do disswade the practise of it But such as do approne it doe withall aduise that it be not in any wise put in practise in the beginning least the poison that remaineth then about the bitten place might thereby be drawne from thence into the inward parts of the body Neuerthelesse when such practise hath beene neglected as ought to haue beene vsed at the first and the venome is perceiued to be spred throughout the body then is it aduised as very requisite to open a veine especially if the body be plethoricke or full of humours whether it be in the biting of a dogge or any other venemous beast Or for a more generall doctrine this may passe that in bodies cacochymicke that is where the humours be corrupted or badly tempered purging should rather be vsed then letting of blood But in plethoricke or full bodies letting of blood rather then purging And where is both corruption of humours and plenitude there should both be vsed the conditions still being obserued that haue been before aduised Baptista Codronchus seing the diuersitie of opinions concerning this point and the reasons pro contra Lib. 2. de Hydroph Cap. 6. as a man not well knowing whether part to approue concludeth with these words Nos igitur in hoc ancipâ—ti casu c. That is to say We therefore in this doubtfull case hauing a respect to both would perswade that there should be euacuation by blood though not by cutting a vaine but rather by ventozes set to the lower parts by which may be drawne out more or lesse blood as we list according to the ability of the body and so may both the plenitude be abated and the venome be diuerted and drawne from the vpper downe to the lower extreame parts But now returning to purging The tenderer bodies may be purged with purgations made of sena epithymum polypodium blacke hellâ—bor and such like But the stronger with pils made of hellebor elaterium veratrum album and the most vchement medicines as antimonium and such like Petrus Salius a man of great experience in these doggishmaladies preferreth the vse of Elleborus albus prepared in such sort as he setteth downe before any purgers whatsoeuer in these affects Lib. de affect par ium cap. 19. except in weaklings fearefull extenuate bodies streight brested or trobled with a cough or other affects of the brest His manner of preparing and vsing it he hath set downe at large and therefore for breuities sake I passe it ouer referring the Reader to the place in the Margent cited This and other strong purges before named beside their forcible expelling of the poison haue also a secret qualitie like either to the offending humours or the doggish poison by which they deliuer the body thereof This following is a very good purge in this case Rost a great onion in the embers hauing first made a hole in the top of it and filled it with good treacle then stampe it and straine out the iuyce with water of pimpinella or carduus beneâ—ictus and mixe therewith a sufficient quantity of extractum ellebâ—ri and a little of the confection of Hamech and so giue it for a purgation Elaterium may be giuen to the quantitie of their graines in both or some proper decoction Or the seeds of Cataputia Some to purge also by vrine make a medicine of Cantharides mixt with equall quantitie of hulled lentils and giue thereof halfe a scruple at once many dayes together This is esteemed profitable by reason that the poyson hereby is led to the bladder and expelled with bloody vrine But Rhasis and Ioh. Damascenus two famous Physitians prepare cantharides as followeth Seperate from them their wings heads and feet and infuse them a night and a day in sower butter milke then drie them and mixe them with the flower of lentils and wine and so make them vp in trochises or little round cakes of a scruple-weight apeece Of these little cakes they gaue euery day one in some conuenient liquor many daies together And if it chanced by the vse of these that the sicke did pisse blood they gaue him new milke to drink which did amend the acrimonie or sharpnes of the vrine remedie the bleeding and so did they preuent the feare of water Yet some of good iudgement and practise bee very iealous and doubtfull in giuing cantharides into the body though neuer so skilfully prepared In the beginning of the disease cantharides are very profitable to lay to the bitten part But into the body ought none of these vchemeÌ„t purges by stoole vrine be giuen in the beginning while the poysonous matter resteth in the bitten part only or neere it Nether is phebotomie then to be admitted as hath beene noted before least the hurtfull pollution bee drawen thereby from the outward to the inward parts and therefore better to be vsed with the latest than with the soonest If in any diease Extrema extremis according to the rule of Hippocrates ought to be put in practise then surely in this as most both of the ancient and moderne Physitians haue counselled For after the poyson heereof is once dispersed through the body then will it not as they say be vanquished without the helpe of extreame and very violent remedies All which ought to be vsed
left because a great part of it had been consumed by washing in the sea application of the cauterie and for the remaining poison he thought it very requisite to doe that now which in the beginning might not be permitted His cure was to drawe forth as much as he could by the wound keeping it open almost 60. daies together and diligently clensing it to strengthen the inward parts with appropriate Antidotes and lastly to heale it vp For correcting and qualifying of his melancholike disposition and restrayning of the poison hee caused this Apozeme or syrupe following to bee made â„ž Borag bugloss amborum cum radicib suis lapatij acuticum toto ana M. j. summata tum fumer lupulor fraxini ana M. ss mellissoph M. j. beton tantundem sem citri acetos card benedict ana Ê’ ij polypodij queru recentis non corrosi purum contusi â„¥ j. pussulur exacinaturum N vj. Fiat omnium decoctio in aqua hordeacea recenter facta ad lib. ij colatur Colatura adde succorum Inmar lupulor pomorum redolentium ana â„¥ iiij aceti â„¥ iij. Fiat syrupus cum saccharo clarificatus aromatizatus cum puluere theriaculi Guidonis Ê’ j. This is to be giuen fower mornings together and to bee iterated againe some other three or fower mornings After the sicke man had vsed this sirupe eight daies together and now appeared some notes of concoction in his vrine and the grosse humors seeming sufficiently attenuated he purged him with this purgation following â„ž fol. sen Oriental mundat â„¥ iij. epithym Ê’ j. ss anis cinnamomi electi ana ℈ ij trium flor commumum folior meliss beton ana P j. Fiat decoctio ad â„¥ iiij coletur In colatura dissol rhabarb electi in sero lactis caprini per noctem infusi cum tantillo cinnamoni mane fortiter expressi ℈ iiij confect hamech prima descriptionis Ê’ ij ss thâ—riacae elect puluer theriaculis Guidonis ana ℈ ij syrup rosarum ex infusione rosar syrup de pomis ana â„¥ j. Fiat Potio By this purgation he auoided many cholericke burnt and melancholike excrements The next day following he gaue him treacle tempered with the powder of betonie and sugar For the bitten wound hee caused a cataplasme to bee made thus Take of white onions in number three make holes in the tops of them and fill them vp with treacle then couer the holes and rost the onions in hot embers till they be soft after which beat them in a morter and force them through a haire siue This done ad of both sorts of aristolochia beaten to powder each Ê’ iij. of galbanum bdellium myrrh each halfe an ounce of the powder of crabfishes siue drames Mixe them in the forme of a cataplasme spread it and lay it on the wound After the crust was seperated from the vlcer he prepared a mundificatiue made of rosine mixt with the powder of crabfishes and the rootes of aristolochia and vpon the vlcer he laid this emplastar Take of galbanum sagapenum and opopanax each halfe a drame of cuphorbium iridis Florentiae aristoloc rotund and gentian rootes each a dram powder of crabfishes two drams of waxe a sufficient quantitie of turpentine two ounces Mixe them and make a plaster This did drawe a wonderfull deale of filthie matter out of the vlcer and kept it from healing Inwardly hee gaue him this powder following for the space of fortie dayes together about two drams at once to drinke in buglosse water Take of the ashes of riuer crabfishes ten ounces of gentiaÌ„ rootes fiue ounces of olibanum one ounce Mixe them together and make a very fine powder When he had brought his cure to the point of healing he gaue the sicke epithymum in whaie of goats milke and sometime he purged him with diacatholicon and the confection of hamech and many times he washed the vlcer with the vrine of a yong boy For this a Auicen sayth doth forciblie draw forth the venome And lastly he healed it vp and recouered him perfectly from the danger of this cruell and fearefull euill But now to proceed as I began It is very wholesome to drinke the decoction of oxylapathum and pimpinella or mary-golds tempered with a spooneful of aqua vitae that gentium and treacle haue beene infused in Some country people haue made great account of a medicine made of rew wormewood garlicke daysie leaues mary-golds balme and a little blacke hellebor salt and vineger stamped and strained together and the iuice heere of giuen to drinke euery other morning fasting forthrice which is wont to purge them vpward and downeward in such manner that they thinke the venome of the byting is thereby so throughly expelled out of the body as they will neuer be touched with hydrophobie or water feare yet in the beginning while the venome resteth still in or neere the bitten place I thinke it not safe to vse it When the malignitie of the poyson is dispersed into the entrailes or inward parts some account the giuing of antimonium to bee a thing of speciall vertue because it maketh expulsion euery way as by vomit siege and sweat For in this case it is holden but lost labour to purge with other then such as be violent in operation In outward applications to the wound a hot iron as hath beene sayd before is much commended yet if three or foure daies after the biting be past without the vse of any other good meanes it is commonly to late to vse it but instead thereof may scarrifications be made and some blistering medicins as horse-leeches be applyed Such as are afraid of a hot iron may haue a potentiall cauterie instead thereof made of Vnguentum rosatum and sumblimatum tempered together Such as are vexed with this infirmity haue many times a continuall hot feuer withall for whose ease Aetius commendeth the vse of a medicine or antidote made of nuts as followeth R. sagapeniÊ’ij op ij Thebaici Ê’ ij Croci Ê’ ss Lycij Indici ℈ ixj ss Carnis nucum iuglandium non valde veterum Ê’ 40 Misce The dose of it is about a dram at once in raine water hot toward night and after the vigour of the feuer so that in the morning before be giuen an antidote of crabfishes and at night this of nuts For it is of very great efficacie to procure sleepe where is great want thereof After the cure is finished he aduiseth such as be cured to be purged once a yeere with Hiera for preseruation about the approching of that time of the yeere they were bitten in and vpon the instant day of their byting to take treacle for three dayes together For further cure of the sicke if need be Paulus sayth that Dropacismi Sinapismi with great profit be made all the body ouer But the most effectuall remedie of all other he sayth is the right vse of veratrum often practized and taken Which Salius seemeth to approue