Veins either with the juyce of Mercury-leaves or of Figs or with a Suppository of Hiera simple with the root of round Birthwort but so as that an emollient Fomentation be premised 13. Or if they cannot be opened enough or will not run it will be good to open the Vena Saphena in the left Foot and to let him Bleed as his strength will bear 14. While you apply these Topicks to the Cure of his Thigh you may apply Topicks to his Head and in the first place Errhina which may draw Snivel out of his Brain then use Frictions of his Head with bags of discussing seeds Millet and Salt fryed 15. After which his Head being shorn to the Skin lay on a Plaster of roots of Florentine Orrice with Hermodactyles and Mustard-seed which being poudered must be made up with Melilot Plaster and a sufficient quantity of Turpentine And afterwards use a stronger if need require 16. And to the same purpose Cupping-glasses sometimes without sometimes with Scarification may be fastned to the hinder part of his Head and you must continue the use of these things with the foresaid Diet of Guajacum till both the inward and outward parts of the Body shall be cleansed from bad humors 17. Setons in the hinder part of his Head and Issues in the Coronal Suture have not that attractive faculty as was said before nor can they perform as experience teacheth that which the other remedies are able to do and many times they most sadly torment the Patients to no purpose 18. When the body and all its parts have been thus accomodated if yet any suspition of the Falling-sickness remains those Medicaments may oppertunely be applyed which are known by their whole substance and hidden properties to Cure the said Disease Ex Consiliis Fernelij XXVIII An Epilepsy easily cured 1. A Maid that had the Falling-sickness was Cured by taking Oxycratum a draught whereof she took every Morning and before her Fit she drank pure Vinegar 2. After the Disease was cured she was taken with pains in her Limbs which were removed by hot Baths Riverius Observ 601. XXIX The Falling-sickness in a young Girl 1. A Girl of twelve years old was frequently tormented with the Falling-sickness for the Cure whereof many Remedies were used but all in vain 2. She was taken also with a Pleurisy for which she was at divers times let Blood and from that time she was never afflicted with the Falling-sickness Riverius Observ 609. XXX The Falling-sickness coming every day 1. Experimented and approved by the Testimonies of many sick persons among whom I shall speak of the rest else-where was the Daughter of David Schon a Joyner and Citizen of Lauginga who being ten years old did for the space of three months fall every day into Epileptick fits 2. For towards Evening she did suddenly fall down being deprived of Sense and Motion but after a short space of time she came to her self and would rise of her own accord 3. I being desired by the Damsels Mother undertook the Cure of this grievious cruel and long Disease after this manner Having well purged her Head I gave her to drink five days together in the Morning fasting and at the coming of her Fits three drops of the Oyl of Lignum Heraclium by the use whereof to the wonder of all that knew her and the Glory of God she was perfectly freed from that long lasting and dayly afflicting Disease which for these many years hath never troubled her since 4. To God alone be the Honour and Glory who have Implanted in the said Oyl an hidden force and faculty to Cure the Falling-sickness Rulandus Cent. 2. Observ 6. XXXI The Falling-sickness in a Child half a year old 1. Experimented upon the Child of John Reschinger Chief Register in the Monastery of Medinga near Lauginga being half a year old who Night and Day was many times vexed with grievious Epileptick fits 2. It foamed at the Mouth trembled was frighted its Eyes were drawn awry c. 3. Being called I gave it being near a fit seven drops of the Oyl of Lignum Heraclium by which God be praised the fit abated the Infant came to its self and was perfectly cured and never after troubled with the like Disease but from that time many years afterwards it lived well and free Rulandus Cent. 3. Observ 61. XXXII The Fallâ—ng-sickness arising from Blood 1. Gordonius a most expert Physician in his Chapter of the Falling-sickness professes that this Disease is incurable for he ingeniously confesses That he never saw any one cured in all his Life I as many other Authors have done have seen many perfectly cured by Physick 2. A Gentle-woman of Quality twenty four years old strong and full of Blood is taken with a dangerous Epilepsy for violently turning of her Eyes and fiercely writhing of her Hands she was moved with so great and so reciprocal a motion of her whole Body and Head with the loss of her understanding and senses that you would have thought her to be possessed with Devils 3. I address my self to the Cure like Saint George to fight with the Dragon I pour Venice Treacle mixed with the sharpest Vinegar into her Mouth and Nostrils I prescribed sharp Clysters 4. I bound her Thighs so hard as to cause pain and I applyed Cupping-glasses to her Ribs I put strong Errhines into her Nostrils Lastly when the seventh fit had cruelly afflicted her for the space of twelve hours and I feared the Disease would turn to an Apoplexy when the fit was over I opened the Vena Cephalica so called which is in the Arm. 5. After this evacuation the eight fit came much more gently and she had her Senses a little which seeing I let her Blood again more plentifully in the Head Vein of the other Arm. Having used these Evacuations and her Belly being liberally purged by the use of biting Clysters she recovered this so grievious Malady Zacutus Lusitanus lib. 1. Observ 18. XXXIII A Falling-sickness cured by a Caustick 1. I have seen a wonderful Case A certain man had a trembling in the Thumb of his left Hand a long time together 2. This ceasing when the venomous Vapour was risen from his Thumb into his Brain he was frequently taken with this Disease by fits the Physicians devised several ways to Cure the same 3. At last with an actual Cautery after the manner of the Ancients applyed to his diseased Thumb he was cured for there issued abundance of crude humors from the Ulcer Zacutus Lusitanus lib. 1. Observ 19. XXXIV The Falling-sickness cured by syrup of Tobacco 1. Wonderful are those things which are related by Monardus Clusius and others diligent Writers of Spices concerning the admirable Virtue of Tobacco in the curing of cold Diseases but that is more wonderful which I have experimented concerning its Power to Cure this Disease 2. I have known diverse grown persons and of years to whom I have been given many
Neighbours Friends and such as came to visit him but could not Remember scarcely the names of any of them 8. When at any time he entred into the Discourse of Affairs he wanted words to express the sense of his thoughts at length there was not only a total Resolution in the right Arm and Leg but also a mighty tumor Oedematosus in them both insomuch that his Cure and the prolongation of his daies was so much doubted as that there was scarcely the least hope left 9. However I did not desist from the Method of Cure and the Assistance of the learned and skilful Physician Dr. Wharton but with joint Counsells for the Benefit of the sick we prescribed solutive Pills to be taken at certain times and at other days we ordered Cephalick Antiscorbutick and Antiparalytick Medicines to be taken at physical hours and a Plaster of Gum and Balsoms to be applyed to the head being first shaved as also the Parts affected to be annointed with Oyls and Balsams and strongly rub'd 10. While these things were used with some good Success as to the perspicuity and clearness of his Intellect he fell but by what means I know not into a Feaver about the middle of Winter every night he was afflicted with great heat and thirst and broken and interrupted Sleeps his Tongue was parched and rough his Pulse high and his Urine red 11. We did forbear Phlebotomy because of his Age Palsy and chiefly the Dropsy which was begun in the right side but yet a thin diet of Barly and Oatmeal Broths being Prescibed him we did exhibit from day to day Julleps Apozems and other Medicines provoking Sweat and Urine the Issue at the Shoulder-blade running at this time very plentifully 12. The sick was much better both in respect to his Memory and the Palsy and every day recovering from both these affects together with the Feaver he arriv'd at perfect health and continues so 13. In this sick person the motion and various alterations of the morbifick matter was very notable for that adhering to the Meditullium of the Brain to wit the Callous Body did excite an outragious Vertigo the same was afterwards augmented and as it is probable diffused farther into the Meanders and turnings of the Brain and so procured oblivion in the first affect 14. Afterwards the same matter moved by the Feaver and a little discussed or driven back partly falling into the one streaked body did bring a Palsy of one half of the Body partly coming into the compass of the Brain did almost deprive him of his Memory the calous body in the mean while obtaining as it were a clearness or serenity 15. Lastly It was not without the help of the other Feaver that the morbifick matter being driven out of all its Forts should be wholy defeated Willis Exercitat Patholog Cap. 7. Obs 2. XLVIII A Vertigo Ideopathetick 1. Being wearied with the importunate complaints of one afflicted with a Vertigo after many things had been used in vain I prescribed to be taken twice every day for the space of a Month about a spoonful of the following pouder drinking thereupon a draught of the Decoction of Sage or Rosemary impregnated with the Tincture of Coffee 2. Take the Roots of Male Peony two ounces and the flowers of the same bruised and dryed one ounce the white dung of Peacooks half a pound white Sugar two ounces make a pouder 3. It is scarcely credible how much good this person found in that Remedy after a Month he came to visit me but he seemed as it were another or a new man being free of his Vertigo he went briskly about his Affairs Willis Exercitat Pathol. Cap. 7. Obs 3. XLIX A Vertigo Convulsive 1. Some years since a stranger who lodged in this City sent for me I suspected at the first sight that he was possessed and believed that he had more need of a Conjurer than a Physician he was forty years old who at set times of the year for the space of three years had been wont to be afflicted with Convulsive motions 2. Whilst he by chance lodged here for a few daies about his occasions growing melancholy he had a fit of his Sickness greater than usual 3. He was wont for two or three dayes before hand to sensibly feell the coming of his Disease viz. from a great commotion within the forepart of the Head and almost a continual Vertigo and frequent dimness of his Eyes 4. But the fit coming upon him his Eyes at the first were variously roled about and inverted then a certain bulky substance like a living Creature was seen to creep from the bottom of his Belly upwards towards his Heart and Breast and from thence to his Head 5. I pressing his Belly with my Hand felt very discerningly this kind of motion and as long as I hindred this round thing from ascending with both my Hands and all my strength he found himself indifferently well 6. But as soon as this swelling creeping upwards by degrees had reached the Head presently the Members of the whole body were cruelly pulled together insomuch that he would dash himself against the Walls or Posts as if possest by an Evil Spirit he could hardly be held and restrained by four strong men with all their force but that he would leap from them and fling out his Arms Feet and Head here and there with divers kinds of motions 7. When he forbore strugling or leaping out his Members would be strongly extended and his Muscles stiff as if troubled with the Cramp 8. Such a fit would last about a quarter of an hour then coming to himself he would talk soberly and walk about in his Chamber he knew what he had suffered and asked pardon of the standers by 9. Immediately after he began to draw his Eyes inward and so swiftly to roul them about then presently the Convulsive Distemper returning acted over again the same Tragedy and after this manner he would have five or six of these kind of Convulsive Fits within the space of three hours 10. In the midst of one of these Fits a Vein in his Arm being opened and a large Orifice made the blood issued out leisurely and was seen presently to be Congealed it did not flow about in the Dish after the manner of Liquors with a plain and equal superficies but like melted Suet dropped into a cold Dish one drop being heaped upon another it grew to a heap 11. If this Distemper had hapned to a Woman it would have been presently concluded That it was the Mother or Hysterical and the cause of it would have beee ascribed to the fault of the Womb especially because the ascending of something like a bulk began the fit from the bottom of the Belly 12. But when this common ordinary solution which is oftenest the subterfuge of Ignorance cannot be allowed in this case it seems most agreeable to reason to refer all those Symptoms to the Evil affection of the Brain
Errhine of Turbith mineral 685 b Decoctum Catharticum Rulandi 9 a Decoctum Melanagogum 205 b Decocta Cepbalica 666 b Decoctum alterativum aperitivum Grulingii 753 b Decoctum vulnerarium Poterii 754 a Decoctum aliud vulnerarium Poterii ibid Decoctum astacorum Poterii ib Decoctum Coronopi Poterii ibid Decoctum purgans Sennerti ibid Decoctum evacuans humores mixtos Cratonis 754 b Diet for a pocky Head-ach 4 b 52 b Diet for a pocky Megrim 18 b Diet for a Head-ach 49 a Diet in a Vertigo 45 a Diet for a cold scorbutick Catarrh 139 a Diet purging 140 b Diet for an Hysterick Catarrh 142 b Diet for an Epileptick Child 245 a b Diet for an Epileptick Melancholy Woman 247 b Diet for a scorbutick Epilepsy 248 b Diet for an Epilepsy essential in the Brain 250 b Diet for a splenetick Epilepsy 252 b Diet for a general Epilepsy 344 a Diet for a Convulsion from the Cholick 367 b Diet for a Fistula 485 b Diseases of Intemperature 37 a Diseases of Repletion 37 b Diseases of Ablation ibid. Diseases of the Head 39 a Distillation into the right Eye 151 b Difficulty of Breathing 184 a 198 a 202 b Dropsy 568 b Dysentery 151 a E Electuarium arthriticum 173 b Electuarium phonoscorum 213 a Electuary against the Epilepsy 259 a 276 a Electuary of Mejeris against the Epilepsy 314 b Electuaries antepileptick compound 364 b 365 a Electuary against the Stone 395 a Electuary of Lithontriptick 399 a Electuary convusive 445 b Electuarium de Tamerendis apud Thonerum 757 a Electuarium arthriticum Plateri ib Elixir vitae Plateri 749 b Elixir panis ibid Elixir restorativa 750 a Emplaster vulnerary for the head 55 a Emplastrum Cratonis for the Epilepsy 311 a Emplastrum Antepilepticum Sennerti 366 b Emplaster for the Region of the heart 413 a Emprosthoton 451 b Emprosthotonos what 465 a Emplaster strengthning 484 a 486 a 487 b Emplastrum Diaphoreticum Adriani Mynsichti 492 a Emplastrum contra Rupturam Grulingi 760 b Emplastrum Mercurii vivi ibid. Emplastrum de vipera Poterii ib. Epilept Pouder of the Author 107 a b Epidemick Feavers 191 a Epilepsy 239 a see Falling sickness Epileptick Emplaster of Franciscus Valesius 294 a Epileptich Convulsion 311 b Epileptick motion 317 b Epileptick Persons 332 b Epilepsy its Names Definition and Kinds ' 333 a Epileptick Convulsions 464 a Errhines solid 3 a 45 b Errhines liquid 45 b Erastus his ancepileptick water 278 a Errhines of Platerus 343 b Errhines antepileptick 359 b Experiment for a pocky head-ack 53 b Extractum Bryoniae compositum Grulingii 750 b Extractum Mechoacannae compositum Grulingii ibid. Extractum arthriticum Grulingii ibid. Extractum Citrii Platerii 751 a Extractum adversus pestem Poterii ibid. Extractum aliud Poterii ibid Extractum Ligni Guajaci Poterii ibid. Extractum antivenereum Poterii ibid. Extractum antivenereum purgans Poterii ibid. Extractum hystericum Poterii 752 Extractum hystericum aliud Poterii ibid Extractum in Uterinis affictibus Poteris ibid. Extractum hystericum roborans Poterii ibid. Extractum sive Confectio uterina a quod am Empirico Chymico reperta apud Poterium 752 b Extractum catholicum Poterii ib. Extractum catholicum aliud Poterii ibid. Extractum nephriticum Poterii ib F Fasting 48 b Fainting of the Spirits 85 b 143 b Falling-sickness in a Child 239 a 263b 260 a 268 b 271 a 279 a Falling-sick in a young Girl 240 a 270 b 263 a 319 a 324 b 325 a Falling-sick in a young woman 241a 260 a 270 b 306 a b 307 a b Falling sick in a middle aged man 242 a 325 a b 326 a Falling sick in another girl 243 a Falling sick in an antient Man 243 b 277 b 321 b 322 a 324 a 325 a Falling-s in another ancient man Falling s in a woman 224 a 332b Falling-s in a Child 244 a b. 325b 331 a Falling-s in a little boy 245 a 265 a b 261 b 283 a 308 a 330 b 331 b Falling s in a Melancholy woman 245 b 256 a 318 a Falling s with the Scurvy 248 b 270 a Falling sic with disaffection of the stomach 249 a Falling sic essential in the brain 250 a 278 a 301 b Falling sic cured by a Sternutatory 251 a Falling sic with pain of the scleen Gout 252 a Falling sick with Obstruct of urine 253 a Falling sick in another young girl 254 a Falling sick in an old Woman wch became paralytick 255 a b Falling sick in an elderly matron 257 b Falling sick in a boy with a soald head 258 b Falling sickness in a Consumptive 259 a Falling-sickness with the Dead-Palsy 260 b Falling-sickness with fits of the Mother ibid. Falling-s after Child-birth 266 a 298 a Filling-s in a Woman with Child 266 a b Falling-s in a Man 266 b Filling-s cured by Stibium 267a Filling-s from an old Vlcer stopt 267 b Falling-s in a frighted boy 268b Falling-s in a Man from regurgitation of his Vrine 269a Falling-s Hereditary 269 a Falling-s by consent from the Stomach 261 a 369 b 281 a 282 b 294 a Falling-s with Lunacy in a Maid 271 a Falling-s from a Tumor in the Hand 273 a Falling-s from too great Intention of Mind 275 a Falling-s with concussion of the whole Body 276 b Falling-s with many other Symtoms 262 a 327 b Falling-s arising from Blood 263 b Falling-s cured by a Caustick 264 a Falling-s cured by Tobacco 264 b Falling-s from the Womb 283 a 331 a Falling-s from distemper in the Feet 284 a Falling-s in a young Man 285b 332 a b Falling-s arising from one of the Legs 286 a Falling-s cured by Guajacum 288 b Falling-s beginning with a Vertigo 300 a Falling with Convulsions 305b Falling-s from trouble of mind 308 b Falling-s from translation of the morbifick Matter 310 b Falling-s with Convulsions 311a Filling-s with a bastard Palsy 313 a Falling-s from Vapours and humours and the Cavities of the Brain 316 a Falling-s with the Cholick 316b 317 a Falling-s in a Youth 521 a b 522 b 523 a b Falling-s from Madness 323 a Falling-s in an aged Woman 326 b Falling-s with the Stone 327 a Falling-s with obstruction of the Lungs 328 b Falling-s from vehement Passion 330 a Falling-s its Pathology 333 a Falling-s its Signs 333 b Falling-s its causes 335 b Falling-s its Prognosticks 337b Falling-s in Infants its Cure 338 b Falling-s its Cure in elder persons 341 a Falling-s from distemper of the Womb 348 a Falling-s by consent from the Stomach 351 b Falling-s arising from Worms 352 b Falling-s simple its Cure in the Fit 353 b Falling-s pure or simple its cure out of the Fit 355 b Family-Pills virtue to kill Worms 571 b Family-Pills good against the Stone 598 a Feaver 43 a b 108 a 143 b 147 a Feaver epidemick 191 a Feaver Synoch 215 b Feaver burning 401 a Feaver 412 b 624 b Fumigation against the Catarrh 199 b G Galens Remedy
He was much troubled with Flegm fleshy and inclinable to be fat howbeit this extream pain with that Flux of Humors as he thought falling upon his Lungs had reduced him even to a Skeleton so that all that saw him concluded infallibly that he would dye In the last six Months he had a very great pain seized upon him on his left side so as he could very difficultly Breath moreover feeling upon the side a Tumor of the Spleen might easily be perceived what with the violence of this pain and Tumor of the Spleen and what with the vehement pain of the Head he fell into an extream Ephidrosis or sweating so that Life was indeed despaired of 3. He had been in many Physicians Hands from whom he received as he thought a Cart-load of Medicines but without doubt it was a great deal His last Physician had taken away from him at four several times threescore ounces of Blood and had made him two Issues the one in his right Arm and the other in his right Legg but these were after he had applyed the Secateum or Seton and had worn it in the Nape of his Neck for more than five Weeks He gave him several Cordials Potions Julebs together with manifold Opiates which last was indeed the true Cause of that vehement Ephidrosis or Sweating but the Opiate he pretended was designed against that pricking pain of his side however it introduced a Tabes or universal Consumption over his whole Body which made the by-standers despair of Life 4. But of what danger Opiates are if unwarily given or if not well prepared especially in persons either in or inclinable to a Consumption we have already declared in Our Synopsis Medicinae Lib. 3. Cap. 30. Sect. 7. § 3. Where you have these Words But you must be very cautious of Opiates and totally forbear them if the sick be but inclinable to sweating least they produce an incurable Diaphoresis which may bring the sick many Weeks or Months to his Grave sooner than otherwise he would and in sect 21. § 11. of the same Chapter If there be a great Colliquation by frequent and much sweating the sick is in great danger and seldom recovers this is often caused by unskillful giving of Opiates and Narcoticks Aâ—so in Lib. 3. Cap. 33. Sect. 14. § 11 You have these Words But this you are to Note That you be cautious of giving Opiates at the Mouth least you provoke an incurable Diaphoresis or Sweating which infallibly and speedily brings the sick to his Grave These things I thought good here to Remark against the Vanity of such who promiscuously give Opiates to all sorts of persons and in all Cases without any consideration of the Cause or danger of the Disease 5. The Case of our Patient here was truly desperate there was besides the pain in his Head a Catarrh and Obstructions of the Lungs for he could not speak loud an Obstruction of the Spleen for he was mightily pained thereabouts a Scirrhus of the Spleen begun for a small Tumor might be outwardly felt but not painful a violent Diaphoresis for he Sweat almost night and day and lastly an apparert Tabes or universal pining and Consumption of the whole body which was manifest by his extenuated habit so that his Sickness seemed to be a great complication of Diseases 6. In order to the Cure I considered the most dangerous Symptom which I concluded to be the violent Diaphoresis and that all care imaginable might be taken for the stopping thereof and my reason was that whatever was done in repect to any thing else if that was not taken away the sick must unavoidably and that suddenly too dye I ordered therefore his Body to be gently purged and that with Senna Cassia and such like gentle things because Purges naturally call the Humors now in Flux inward and so make a Revulsion 7. But that this Revulsion might be made profitable to other ends as well as that of the Diaphoresis only we ordered this of Riverius which not only keeps the body soluble and stops the Diaphoresis but is also of great power to take away the Scirrhus of the Spleen Take Ammoniacum Opoponax Bdellium of each two Drams dissolve in white Wine strain and boyl then add Confectio Hamech Diaphoenicon Pilulae Faetidae of each two Drams double Catholicon haâ—f an Ounce Mercurius Dulcis four Scruples mix for four Doses Also I ordered a strong Decoction of Juniper Berries Take Canary two Quarts Juniper-Berries well beaten so that the grains within may be broken six Ounces bâ—yl them in the Wine in a thin linnen Bag till it comes to three pints then strain and keep it in Bottles for use Of this I prescribed a Pint or more in a day to be taken in the morning fasting just before Dinner and last at Night going to Bed and to be made as tart as he could drink it with Oyl of Sulphur because that such acid things not only cool the whole mass of Blood but also bind up the Pores of the Body by this means in about ten days time his sweating was overcome but he had a weakness of the Bowels and a kind of looseness which after a while I removed with the Tragea Hepatica of Quercetan which see in my Pharm Lib. 4. Cap. 21. Sect 78. 8. Now that the Obstruction of the Lungs might be removed instead of the Oyl of Sulphur I prescribed the Spirit of Sal Armoniack to be given in the aforesaid Decoction to 8 drops whose use as also the use of the Decoction of Juniper I advised to be drank through the whole Cure for that we know by our own Experience That by the sole Use of that Decoction we have cured several hard Tumors of the Spleen after they have been given-over by other Physicians as uncurable as in their proper place we shall shew also we order'd the aforesaid composition of Riverius to be taken once a week continually till health was recovered 9. But now and then that the sick might not be wearied out with alwayes taking the same thing I caused the aforesaid Decoction to cease for 2 or 3 daies and gave in the Interval this following Take decoctum pectorale a quart Oyl of Tartar per deliquium an ounce Spirit of Sal Armoniack one dram Tincture of Spanish Juyce of Liquorice in spirit of Wine three ounces mix for a Potion Of this he drank 3 or 4 Spoonfuls about 4 times in a day by means of which the Obstruction of the Lungs was remov'd and the Sick came to his voice again and breathed well also the Catarrh insensibly went away 10. The pain of the head by this time much declin'd yet was not wholy removed so that it was necessary to apply our thoughts a little to that I ordered him to snuff up the Nostrills the powers of Sassafras and to bathe the place afflicted with the same this he did often by which his head was opened and gently purged and warm'd and
the pain after a miraculous manner went away such are the Virtues of this Preparation of Sassafras that they are wonderfull in this kind 11. Outwardly to the Region of the Spleen I applyed this Oyntment Take Ammoniacum strained one ounce Balsam of Peru Labdanum of each half an ounce Hens-grease two ounces Oyls of Roses and Melilot of each three ounces juice of Hemlock six ounces boil to the consumption of the juices With this I annointed after which I laid over it Ceratum de Ammoniaco Foresti by which means the Scirrhus of the Spleen diminish'd daily and went away If this Cerate could not have been had I might have applyed the Emplastrum de Galbano Crocatum Mynsichti Or Emplastrum è Cicuta cum Ammoniaco which you may see in my Dispensatory or Labdanum with natural Balsam and Wax Or that Cerate mentioned in Our Synopsis Medicinae lib. 3. cap. 31. Sect. 47. § 3. at the end thereof 12. During all this time the Tabes or Consumption was not forgot for things both as to Diet and Medicine were provided For Diet I advised to things light of Digestion but forbad all Milk-meats least they should be curdled by the Acids which were prescribed for the removal of other Symptoms The gravy and juyces of meat whether Beef Mutton Veal or Lamb not much above half boiled or rosted then cut and slash'd that the Juyce might drop forth he took plentifully with a drop or two of oyl of Sulphur in it but Gellies I forbad by reason of their Glutinous property As to Medicine the only thing he took was Electuarium ad Tabidos which you may see in my Doron Medicum lib. 2. cap. 22. Sect. 1. A most admirable thing in this Case and by which I have restored many Consumptive but this thing was not administred till all the former things in their order had in some measure taken place which was almost at a months end but whereas the sick had at first upon him a vehement sweating and that this Medicine if given in a large dose does also provoke Sweat I ordered the dose in a less proportion so as it might comfort and restore but not provoke the Diaphoresis By these means continued the sick was in about twelve weeks time restored to his perfect heâ—lth From my House at the Red Balls in Salisbury-Court Fleetstreet where my Synopses Mediciâ—ae are to be had London Printed for T. Dawks L. Curtiss sold by T. Basset J. Wright R. Chiswel 1681. The Chapter of the Megrim continued Numb 7. August 18. X. A Megrim which proved Mortal from a Sphacelation of the Brain 1. It happen'd in a youth of about 17 years of Age sanguin and of a robust and strong Body it began at the latter end of July or beginning of August and had continued about 15 dayes without any Interm ssion but sometimes there was a kind of remission of the Vehemency of the pain for some few hours 2. He took little or no rest during all that time and when upon any remission of the pain he had any sleep it was troublesom and terrible waking oft in much fear terror and affrightment so that there seemed to be sometimes an Alienation of the Mind 3. It was contracted at first by being in the Sun long in an extream hot day the youth having also surfeited himself by too much Eating and too plentifully drinking of Wine the day before yet it began without a Feaver and so continued to the seventh day at which time the pain raging more than before excited a violent continual burning Feaver which we call Causos for it was extream every third day 4. Many things were done in order to his Cure but without Success for the Disease resisted all Medicines he was plentifully let blood had Medicines given him internally and Topicks applyed outwardly pickled Herrings applyed to the Soles of his Feet at last other things not prevailing his Physician gave him an Opiate this did him no good but made him absolutely rave 5. His Case being desperate it was moved by some of the Family That I should be sent for When I came I view'd the Youth but with amazement saw him very dangerous which at first put me to a stand what to do I feared a Sphacelation of the brain at least an Inflamation thereof 6. Now a Sphacelation of the Brain is a Suppuration or Corruption of the substance of the Brain springing first from an Inflamation of the same by some it is called Gangreen by others Mortification it is treated of but by few Authors yet Hippocrates lib. 3. de Morbis has describ'd it 7. The Cause of it is Inflamation of the part now the Cause of the Inflamation is from Blood too much heated whereby it becoms too fluxil and sheds it self into the inner part of the Brain the cause of the Blood being too much heated may be from being too long in the heat of the Sun or too Violent exercise or by holding the Head too near the Fire whether on the Hearth or in the Oven Furnace c. Or from a Contusion of the Head or from a Wound or from Commotion of the Brain by a Fall Blow c 8. An Apostem Mortification or Sphacelus of the Brain is known by a great Head-Ach running by the hinder part of the Head to the Neck and Back with a decay of all the Senses both external and internal he tosses too and fro cannot abide in the same place lays hold with his hands upon his Head pulls his Hair scratches his Face as long as his strength will continue to do it there is a most sharp and strong Feaver which from third day to third day is exasperated nor will the sick either eat or drink by which the strength soon decays all these signs were found in this our Patient But had it proceeded from a Wound or Contusion there would be a kind of sadness and numbness in the Body with weakness of the Animal Spirits and as the Disease increases the matter begins to putrify a Feaver arises from whence comes Head-ach and sluggishness as the putrefaction encreaseth all the Symptoms grow more vehement the Feaver sharper the sick rises from his sleep of a sudden and roars out presently lying down again often putting his hand to his Head there sometimes coming forth from the Mouth and Nose a little before Death a filthy green and stinking matter 9. This Disease is for the most part Mortal and as Hippocrates saith Sect. 7 Aph. 51. in three days time They saith he who have a mortified and putrified Brain dye in three days but if they live longer they recover But this is not to be understood of a compleat Sphacelus or Mortification of the Brain for that is incurable but of that which is at hand by reason of great Inflammation thereof See my Synopsis Medicinae lib. 1. cap. 52. sect 28. and lib. 2. cap. 39. sect 28. where you may receive much satisfaction Now
over a gentle heat the next Morning take it out and split each string into three or four pieces after which boyl it with the other things in the foresaid quantity of Water for six or eight hours or till the Liquour is near half boyled away at what time the Water will be of a pretty high Colour in this Water dissolve spanish juyce of Liquorice one or two ounces let it settle in a proper Vessel then decant the clear which bottle up putting into each bottle a quarter of an ounce or better of white Sugar and a Clove split in halves 23. Of this the Sick ought to Drink a bottle or two every day drinking no other Liquor besides and to continue for sixty days or more as he shall see occasion 24. Now here is to be noted That if he be of a vehement hot Constitution the Diet as it is here ordered is sufficient enough but if the Constitution or Habit of body be cold and moist it will be necessary for him to add to the Decoction these following things Take Rosmary Lavender Sage sweet Marjoram Betony of each half an handful Hyssop Mint Cat-mint Origanum Thyme of each a pugil bruise them together and put them into the former Decoction half an hour before the end of the boyling after which dissolve the said juyce of Liquorice strain then let it settle after decant it clear and Bottle it up as aforesaid 25. Now that Sarsa sweetens the Blood above all other things that we know we are sufficiently satisfied from manifold Observations and Cures performed by the same which I may speak were even to My own admiration but it no ways answers the Intention unless as we have declared Chap. 1. sect 5. § 10. it be long taken and Liquor be made very strong thereof by boyling at lest eight ten or twelve times the proportion assigned by others Thus much for the Diet. 26. We come now to shew the use of the Hercules so called as beforesaid in respect of its mighty Operations the thing which chiefly answers to this is the Aurum Vitae Sennerti the other the Hercules of Bovius Lastly the Hercules of the Author hereof 27. Either of these may be given during the time of the taking of the aforesaid Diet once or twice a Week for eight ten or twelve Weeks together by what time an eminent alteration may be seen 28. If in the mean season the Body be bound you must take Care that it be opened with some Emollient Clyster among which that of Joel is not Improper Take Beets Marsh-Mallows Herb Mercury Rue Bay-leaves Nettles of each one handful Roots of Polypody one ounce Bark of Broom Carthamus-seeds flowers of Staechas Camomil-flowers of each one pugil cut them that are to be cut bruise them that are to be bruised boyl them in a sufficient quantity of Water to the consumption of the half strain and to a pound thereof add juyce of blew Flower-de-luce Roots clarified one ounce Hiera simple half an ounce Oyls of Rue Castor and Dill of each one ounce Honey of Roses half an ounce Salt one dram mix and make a Clyster and let it be given in the Morning fasting 29. After due Purging you may safely Sweat with the Solar Bezoar and other things three four or six times But among the number of the great Specificks proper against this Disease are accounted the Pilulae Lunares which may be given to three or four grains and that constantly of themselves or else alternately with other specifick Medicaments as those of Sennertus and Bovius aforenamed to which add also the Vitriol and Tincture of Luna 30. To the external parts of the Head may be applyed this following Liniment Take Oyl of Rue one ounce Mithridate Venice Treacle of each half an ounce spirit of Juniper in which a little Camphir is dissolved a sufficient quantity mix and make a Liniment to anoint the Temples and parts pained the Hair being first cut off also it may be spread upon Leather and applyed to the same place 31. Lastly From Joel we add the following thing which he says is an Experiment often tryed Take Juyces of Elecampane and Briony Liquid Storax and Turpentine of each one ounce Gum Elemni half an ounce Frankincense Orrice Root of each three ounces Oyls of Orrice and Hypericon of each a sâ—fficient quantity make an Oyntment thereof with which mix Quick-silver kill'd with Mans Spittle one ounce mix all well together and make an Oyntment according to Art and let those parts of the Arms where the Cephalick Vein is extended be anointed every day for many days together We here communicate it to others that they also may make Tryal thereof XXXIX The Cure of the Head-ach proceeding from a hurt of the Cranium or the Menâ—ngs of the Brain 1. In this Case when a pain of Head comes after the Healing of a Fracture in the Skull or a Wound in the Dura Mater Physicians have often applyed many Remedies but all in Vain and altho' the Pain has been eased for the present and the Sick seems to himself to be well yet upon the least Illness Indisposition or change of Air the pain has still constantly returned again and afflicted the Patient in the same place and after the same manner so that notwithstanding whatever Physicians have been able to Prescribe it has as it were remained Unconquerable 2. But there are some Natural Indications which if rightly used will not fail of the Cure or desired Effect Now the reason why the pain constantly returns upon any sudden change or alteration of the Air is this 3. The Animal Spirits in the Brain being only recreated and comforted by a clear and sereen Air and their being a reciprocall kind of sympathy and vnity among them by reason of the purity celerity and subtilty of parts it comes to pass that alwayes some hours before the said alteration happens the said Animal Spirits begin to be clouded and opprest and by reason of their endeavour to free themselves there from by their extream hastiness and rushing together they make a Collision amongst themselves by which the Pain is excited 4. But that this should come to pass some houres before the said change of Air yea sometimes a day before hand that is the great Wonder Truly this arises from the sensibility of the parts afflicted and exceeding subtilty of the Animall Spirits mutually Sympathizing with the Nature and quality of the Air who can for many hours before hand perceive and feel that which we cannot for as much as it is certainly to be believed that many hours before the actuall Change of the Weather the air has received the impression or prae-disposition of the said succeeding Alteration though no such thing be manifest to us 5. Whether this Pain be old and of long standing or not if that indeed it be extream we must come also to the Extream and last Remedy first without which all others will prove ineffectuall as to a
such that there was no real Intermission but only a small Remission or slacking of the heat for sometime during these kinds of Remissions there was a plentiful Diaphoresis which I thought was Critical at first but it proved much otherwise viz. Symptomatical of a begun Tabes or Pining wherein the flesh of the whole Body wasted from Head to Foot and of the like Quality was the Diarrhoea or Loosness before spoken of which indeed was nothing more nor less but a real Colliquation or melting of all the humors and juyces of the whole Body but during the time that this Diarrhoea and vehement Ephidrosis continued the Catarrh was much abated though not quite taken away 11. But it was the Diarrhoea next to the Tumor in the Collum which most afflicted Me the Tumor of the Collum was the most troublesom to Me but the Diarrhoea was the most dangerous and therefore required my more immediate consideration for dayly vast quantities of Water came from Me by Stool and that whether I eat or drank or no. This perpetual flux of the Water caused a dryness of the Ventricle so that a want of Appetite strait-way followed yet notwithstanding all this I very seldom desired any Drink And what Food I received in at any time caused almost a perpetual heat and Burning in My Stomach and the Breath which came through My Nostrils seemed to Me not much unlike the Mouth of a burning Furnace However the Food would be at length digested but by the extream heat as I apprehended of the Stomach and its vitious quality it caused a Colloquation or Liquifaction of the Food rather than a natural Digestion for whatever I eat all the Excrements of the Bowels proved nothing but Water 12. Upon this I weighed dilligently the State of My Body I knew My self to be Eusplanchnous that is one of Sound Bowels I never had any Obstructions of the Liver nor had I any stoppage of the Lungs the Gall performed its Duty rightly nor did I ever feel a disaffected Spleen or Mesentery nor had I ever any Disease of the Intestines save only now and then upon the taking of cold a Simple Diarrhoea as to the Heart its Pulses were Indifferent strong and for the most part equal and the Animal Spirits strong and vigorous in their Faculties Hereupon I concluded to take a Dose or two of an Opiate hoping it might be some means to stay the Colloquation and stopping the flux of the Bowels yet I doubted it would be pernicious to Me as to the Ephidrosis 13. I began with the Laudanum Opiatum at two grains and half and found no inconveniency in it the next Night I took the same Dose and the following Night the like upon the fourth Night I took three grains thereof upon the fifth Night three grains and a half upon the sixth Night four grains which Dose I took for a Week together Upon the thirteenth fourteenth and fifteen Nights I took four grains and a half upon the sixteenth Night and for fourteen Nights together I took five grains upon the thirtieth Night and for a Week together I took five grains and a half upon the thirty seventh Night and for fourteen Nights together I took a Dose of six grains After this rate I continued the taking of the Opiate till I made the Dose fourteen grains and more 14. What I observed upon taking this Opiate My self was quite contrary to all whatsoever I observed in any of My Sick Patients It stopt not the Diarrhaea in the least measure but the Loosness continued all along for compleat ten Weeks in like manner did the Feaver and the Diaphoresis with the loss of Appetite But this is to be noted that the said Diarrhoea was not painful and the Stools although almost all Water at certain equal or set hours every day the working of the Bowels though never so great and the Motions at Stool were always easy which I take to be the absolute effects of the Laudanum although it had not force enough so to alter the blood and habit of the body as to stop or hinder the Colliquation or meltings of the Humour and Flesh The Diaphoresis continued much in the same posture nor did it in my Apprehension though contrary to my Expectation in the least encrease it Yet this was observable that if I lay in My bed long beyond My usual hour it would then certainly encrease the Ephidrotick Flood to a very great excess All this while viz. during the said ten Weeks although I had not the least stoppage of Urine or pain in making Water yet I made but very little in quantity for as much as it was almost all of it carried away by Stool 15. I continued the taking of the said Laudanum till I found My self perfectly well which was for more than three hundred days during all which time I was so far from finding an Inconveniency in that Medicine that it perpetually gave Me a vast relief the which upon the pretermission of its use I became very sensible of Nor did I find My self at all made more dull by the same but on the contrary can truly say I was much more lively and chearful my Condition considered than I was in many other parts of My Life 16. At the end of eight Weeks My Condition was exceeding low accosted with a strong Catarrh vehement buurning Feaver great Loosness large Sweating and want of Appetite with a mighty Tumor of the whole Collum both external and internal and a vast extenuated body in such sort that I became a perfect Skeleton or heap of bones covered only with Skin accompanied now with so much weakness that I could not sit up in My Chair or scarce move Me in My bed In the midst of all these hopeless Symptoms I at last gave up My Self to dispair and truly the Sentence of Death was passed upon Me in my own particular and I had now resigned My self up into the Hands of My Maker and under the perfect Sense hereof I lay for some hours 17. But after all this Resignation that God might shew Me how Great he was and the mightyness of his Power as well as how Good and the large extent of his Love He gave a Reprieve and Countermand that My Soul should be Delivered from Death and My Life from the Power of the Grave For between twelve and one in the Morning the same Night I extreamly Thirsted after a little Wormwood Wine a thing formerly affected by Me though of late disused and My desire was so extream that My Life at that Moment seemed to depend thereupon It was gotten for Me though at so unseasonable a time and I drank a quarter of a pint of it it satisfied Me much excepting as to its quantity for I thought I could have drank a Gallon or two thereof and revived me above the Power or Force of the greatest Cordial Presently after I found I had a Stomach and desired to eat somewhat I did not much
care what I was answered that there was Mutton in the House and I caused two little Stakes to be broiled for me upon the Coals which was done and I eat it up and I drank after the same a draught of Ale and then reposed my Self to Rest This was more than I had done before from the beginning of My Sickness this continued for some days I drank dayly the Wormwood Wine a quarter of a pint or half a pint a day and my Appetite continued and I eat and drank freely and slept well and had in my own Soul again the Assurance of Recovery 18. Upon the Consideration and Experience of these things My Heart rejoyced in God My Saviour and my Soul gave Thanks unto him for his numberless Mercies Saying O God who art the God of Truth and Faithfullness the Preserver of the Just and of all that put their Trust in Thee Thou art the strong God a Refuge for the Afflicted the God of Health and Salvation and My Fathers God I know Thee therefore My Soul shall Trust in Thee for Ever I have taken Thy Name upon Me I bear the Character of Thine Holiness and the Seal of Thy Forgiveness so that I cannot but Acknowledge Thee I have proved Thy Loving Kindnesses of Old I have seen the Goings forth of Thy Salvation in former times therefore shall not My Soul despair But Thou O God of Mercies hast renewed the Seal of Thy Covenants Thou hast given to My Soul fresh assurances Of late even but Yester-day when Pangs did Surround Me when the Anguish of Death did take hold of Me even then I cryed unto Thee and thou heardst Me. When I said surely I shall Dye My Torment is greater than I can bear yet then secretly did Thy Right Hand sustain Me. I poured forth My Complaints unto Thee and Cryed unto Thee the Deliverer Thou sent forth Thy Saving Health in an acceptable time For I certainly knew that Thou wouldst hear Me and therefore My Soul put its Confidence and its Trust wholly in Thee O My Lord and My God For this Cause My Soul shall exult in Thy Goodness and make its boast of Thy Mercies nor so long as I have Breath will I cease to give Praise to Thy Holy Name But surely Thou still provest those whom Thou Lovest Thou still Tryest them Thou Visitest Thy Children with Afflictions to see how They will Receive it from Thine Hand To see whether they can accept of it as Their Dayly Bread and be as well pleased therewith as with Treasures But Thou O My God hast Taught Me Thou hast Instructed My Soul in Afflictions Thou hast Taught Me to draw the more nigh to Thee in the day of Distress What shall I give to Thee O Lord for all Thy Mercies for all Thy Secret Love and for Thine innumerable Favours towards Me I will offer up a Heart wholly Devoted to Thy Love a Soul Burning in the Flames of Thine Zeal a Body only destinated to Thy Service I will consecrate My whole Self an Oblation upon Thine Altar that I may be a Sacrifice of sweet Savour and become Thine intirely for Ever Now My Soul knows that in Thee only is Life and Health because Thou O Lord art that Eternal Fountain from which all the Streams thereof Flow. Thou art the Fountain of all Mercies and Goodness of all Loving Kindnesses and Forgiveness with Thee O health of My Soul there are yet innumerable Mercies reserved in store Wherefore then should I fear Or Why should Thy Servant doubt Why should Terrors Affright Me Or Pangs make Me to Dispair When I consider Thy Faithfullness through all Generations Thy Tender Mercies in Antient times and Thy out-goings of Old My Soul is bowed down before Thee How the Angel of Thy Presence accompanied the Children of Thy Love and Thy Mighty Power went before them How Thou broughtst them out of the Iron Furnace and Redeemed them from the Power of the Children of Oppression and said unto them fear not serve Me. Yet after all this They Dissobeying Thy Voice and with innumerable Rebellious provoking Thee Thou still stretched forth Thine Hand to have Mercy upon them Surely Thou art a God that changest not I know that time cannot alter Thee therefore will I forever put My Trust in Thee O all ye Powers of My Soul Trust in the Lord and Fear not but Praise and Magnify his Great and Holy Name for Ever and Ever Amen 19. But to proceed after this beginning of Amendment My desire was insatiable after the Wormwood Wine of which I notwithstanding drank but a small proportion every day by which I felt My Stomach continually bettered However I was very Cautious of taking it too Liberally or any way to satiate My Appetite after it for that I feared if I began once to loath that which was the dayly cause of My Appetite if My Appetite should afterwards fail that I should be then left without Remedy I continued long in this hopes of Amendment but for about fourteen days it was very apparent 20. At the end of about ten Weeks My Feaver and Diarrhoea left Me at once after which the Catarrh Tumor of the whole Collum and continual Sweating increased prodigiously by means of which My Appetite again decayed and My already extenuated Body wasted more and more every day till my Condition became very deplorable in the Eyes of all that saw Me The Catarrh now became more troublesome and because that long evacuation by Stool was now of its own accord stopt without doubt the Watery humor partly was exhausted by the Mouth and partly by Sweating and part of it fell upon the fleshy parts of the Collum thereby causing a most extream Swelling of all the parts thereof 21. In order to the taking away of the Catarrh I thought of two things the one was to Shave My Head and to apply thereto a Cephalick Emplaster with some powerful drawing things The other was That because I had for some Weeks taken Laudanum without Inconveniency to make some considerable Increase of its Dose upon this special occasion These things were accordingly done and by the same I received very much benefit for though the Catarrh was not wholly taken away yet I felt not that perpetual tickling of Rhume as before nor was I troubled with much Spitting also hereby I rested exceeding well But as I found good one way I found evil another for the Tumor of the Collum waxed greater and greater and the Diaphoresis was apparently inlarged which in the Eyes of some Physicians present was an incurable Symptome 22. In the mean season I was not unmindful of the other Symptoms Outwardly the Neck was extreamly swelled so that the Head could not be turned on either side without extream pain for this I caused it to be well bathed with the Powers of Amber Morning and Night and kept it warm with a Flannel five or six times double this gave Me sensible ease The internal parts which were Tumified
Country was desperate so that those that were with Me no longer expected Life yet it pleased God so to Bless Me under those Circumstances that I presently amended and My Body began to be repleat with Flesh even to a Miracle for in about eight days time I was to all appearance almost perfectly well and in less than fourteen days not only the hopes but the Evidence of My Recovery was indubitable whereupon I forthwith returned to London again 29. After My return to London in less than three Weeks time I Relapsed and My Distemper a fresh assaulted Me so that by Degrees I declined and in a very short time was reduced to the old condition and state if not worse I was taken again with the difficulty of swallowing and a soreness of the Throat so that I could have no rest Day nor Night My Body pined and languished away so that I became the Spectacle or Wonder of Mankind I was also of a sudden and unawars taken with Lameness again somtimes in one Leg which would be after two or three Weeks well and then all of a sudden on the other Leg so as that I could neither go nor stand no previous cause going before and somtimes with Lameness in My Arms and Hands so that I was forced to keep My Bed for six Weeks together and all this with great Pain loss of Appetite sickness at Stomach a profuse Catarrh Soreness of the Mouth and Throat and a Tumor of the whole Collum 30. I began now to consult de novo what I should do I gave over the taking for a Night or two My Laudanum but with so sensible and great a Detriment to Me that I could not repair it in many days after Wherefore in the first place I re-assumed the same with a Resolution never to give over the taking thereof till there was a Determination of My Disease in Death or Life And truly this I must confess That the benefit which I found by that Medicament as by Me prepared and specially for My Own private use is almost unspeakable it was the only thing next to the Blessing of God which preserved My Life And I am sensible had I not made use of it or declined it after a little while using thereof I had been long since in My Grave unless an Almighty Power had Miraculously sustained Me and pluckt Me out of the Jaws of Death 31. The continuation of the Laudanum and augmentation of its Dose as I saw need required was a good expedient against the Catarrh I also swallowed Morning and Night twenty grains of White Pepper split in half and thirty grains of choice Olibanum by the use of which things and taking a weak Lime-Water fitted to My Pallat as My Ordinary Drink the Ventricle was exceedingly Comforted and the parts weakned with too much Humidities dryed and strengthned However in the mean season I was not unmindful to strengthen and fortify the Brain and the Original of the Nerves which I did do by the constant taking three four or six times a day a little of the following Compositum Take black Cherry-water three ounces Volatile Salts of Amber of Hartshorn and of Mans skull of each two drams dissolve the Salts in the Water to which add of the strongest and purest Cinnamon-water dulcified a pint syrup of Alkermes three ounces spirit of Saffron one ounce Tincture of Saffron and Cocheneel made with rectified spirit of Wine half an ounce mix them well together by the continual use of these things alone the Catarrh was perfectly Cured 32. The External Tumor of the Collum and the Lameness of the external parts was removed by application of the following Take Powers of Amber six ounces Camphir one ounce mix in little pieces and dissolve With this all the parts swelled and pained were Morning and Evening very well Bathed and then wrapped up very warm and by the use thereof for two or three Weeks without weariness or giving over all those dis-affections became removed 33. My Mouth was Sore beyond all Immagination of Expression so that I could Swallow no kind of thing solid nor liquid without exceeding great pain all strong Liquors were dreadful to Me yea if it were but a little Ale and yet all this while there was no Rawness or Ulcer no Tumor or the lest appearance of Inflamation which makes the thing the more admirable after many Weeks an Exulceration appeared towards the beginning of the Pharynx for which I took this following Medicament Take Liquorice in Pouder white sugar Candy in Pouder of each two ounces Juyce of Limons enough to make a mass to be formed into large Balls to be dryed These I held about the root of the Tongue and let them dissolve down My Throat at leisure by which I found great ease and much good moreover I eat dayly the quantity of one Limon sliced with fine Sugar these things caused indeed the Sore and Exulcerated parts mightily to Smart which I endured for a Season after a while the Smarting and Soreness went away and My Mouth became perfectly Well so that I could Swallow as well as I could in all My Life and this was compleatly performed by the two last Simple Medicaments which considering how great a Cure it was and how extream and vehement My Pain and Misery I could not out of Thankfullness to God and Love to his Creatures but publish the same to the World and that Man also might see by what Simple means and weak Instruments sometimes he performs even the greatest things 34. The loss of Appetite and sickness of Stomach I repaired by the Constant taking of Wormwood wine or a choise Canary made sufficiently bitter with the Tincture of Wormwood This Tincture was made only of Common Wormwood two ounces put into a pint and almost half of Spirit of Wine rectified to the highest digested 20 days and then strained out by Expression into which the same quantity of fresh Wormwood was again put and digested as aforesaid till the Tincture became almost Blood red the clear of which was decanted into another bottle for use The Use of this took away the sickness at Stomach restored the lost Appetite strengthned the concoctive Faculty and took away all manner of Nauseousness from Me but now and then for change-sake I took a little Spirit of Cinnamon well dulcified by the use of which two things My hopes of a perfect Recovery were Daily strengthned 35. But yet notwithstanding all these things were thus happily accomplished the Tabes Atrophia or pining abated nothing Though the Catarrh was Vanished â—he Tumor of the Colum wholy abated the Soreness of the Mouth and Throat taken away and healed the pains and Lameness of the whole Body removed the Stomach strengthened and fortified so that I could digest my Food very well to my thinking and a good Appetite was begotten in me together with a good condition of the Bowels and a totall abolition of the Ephidrotick flood yet still for all these
3. After the Clyster this was Exhibited Take yellow Wax half an ounce Crocus Martis one dram make of them a Ball like a Nutmeg after put it into the midst of an Apple the Core taken out then Rost the Apple under hot Ashes so that they may be melted into the substance of the Apple and so Eat it fasting 4. Her drink was steeled her Diet was Panados made of French Barley dried and Crums of Bread with steeled Water and Sugar with these Remedies she was perfectly Cured I have also Cured many with Wax so prepared Hall on English Bodies Cent. 1. Observ 17. XXVIII A Catarrh with Pain of the Head 1. One Mr. Randulph Aged thirty five troubled with Pain of the Head great Distillation and continual spitting with Coldness of his Head so that he was Constrained to ware three Caps was delivered from all in seven days by the following 2. He took the Emetick Infusion one ounce This gave him six Vomits and three stools 3. The next morning were taken the following Pills Take pil Cochiae one dram Aureae half a dram Troches Alhandal six grains with Syrup Betony make seven Pills Thus purged there was taken away six ounces of Blood 4. Afterwards there was taken morning and evening one dram of the following Pouder Take pouder of Sena six ounces Rocket seed half an ounce long Pepper one dram and a half make a pouder thereof and after the taking of it seven days he grew well Hall on English Bodies Cent. 1. Observ 25. XXIX A Catarrh or distillation into the right Eye 1. One Mris. Symmons of Whitelady-Aston was for a year afflicted with a distillation of the right Eye without Pain and Redness by reason of which there was a Diminution of sight she was Cured by Me for fifteen years by the following Course 2. For the removing the Watering of the Eye this was used Take Fumitory Sena of each 3 drams they were boyled in Whey for one draught which was often reiterated After was used Pil. sine quibus To the Neck was applied Horstius's Vesicatory which I have a long time used with great success above the Eye effected 3. On the Temples I appointed Emplastrum contra Rupturam or in place of it that prescribed of Bole in some former Observation In the following Collyrium were dipt two little Spunges after wrung out and applyed to the Eye and there bound till dry it is most efficacious and approved 4. Take Pomgranate Peels one ounce boyl them in waters of Râ—ses Plantain Night shade each three ounces in the straining dissolve Blood stone two drams stir it till it be Red after cast away the faeces and add Myrrh half a dram Sarcocol washed in Milk one dram Ceruse Tutia each one dram White Vitriol Starch each one scruple pouder them all finely and mix with the liquor to compleat the Collyrium 5. Tnere may be also prepared the Mucilage of the Seeds of Line and Fenugreek and when you would use the Collyrium mix a little with it or in want of these the White of an Egg And thus she was happily Cured Hall on English Bodies Cent. 1. Observ 48. XXX A Catarrh complicated with other Diseases 1. Diseases quite different and of various Kinds are met in a Body long disposed to an evil Hâ—bit one is a Catarrh or Distillation from a cold and excrementitious Head sometimes into the Jaw-bones the Neck and Shoulder-blades at other times into the Lungs and lower parts with a Cough and shortness of Breath which indicates a Phthisick 2. Another is a Nephretick pain afflicting by fits proceeding from Gravel or a small stone although at present I see no sign of a stone bred and sticking in the left Kidney which either alters and twitches the Kidney or portends Nephritick pains at hand 3. The third disease is an over great loosness of the Peritonaeum in the Right Groin or a tearing the same asunder by the force of Coughing which menaces a Rupture of the Guts that Evil habit of Body which you gather from its swelling and dull Colour has its original from the Impurity and Obstruction of the Liver and Spleen 4. Now Diseases so variously Complicated cannot be Cured without very great care and Diligence In the first place Meats of a very good Juyce must be used and the Patient must Eat Capers young Hares Partridges small Birds Veal and sometimes Mutton and all these rather Rosted than Boyled 5. Suppings Broths and much Drinking must be avoyed also Figgs and such things as are of a bad Juyce Fullness Surfeting and over much crudity And his Diet must be very moderate and drying that by wasting the Superfluous moisture his Body may be dried and less subject to Distillations Cachexy and other Diseases 6. To this end moderate Exercises will very much Conduce lest his Body growing Dull by Ease and Idleness should be oppressed with superfluous Humors the use also of Medicaments is necessary both to prevent and Cure the aforesaid Infirmities 7. And twice a month his Body must be purged with the following Syrup which is exactly accomodated to the Head Liver and Lungs Take Roots of Cicory Sorrel Butchers Broom Asparagus and Parsly of each half an ounce Agrimony Endive Dodder Ceterach Betony Staechas Hyssop Colts-foot Burnet Saxifrage of each one handfull Seeds of Endive Dodder Marsh-mallows Musk-melons also Liquorice shaven of each two drams make a Decoction in a sufficient quantity of water for four doses to be taken as shall be said 8. When there shall be more need of Purgation and the distillation be over Violent and the Body too heavy if a slender Diet will not help add to the first dose two drams of Diaphaenicon 9. That matter which is already got into the Lungs in the intermediate days free from purging must be washed out and cleansed by the frequent use of this following Syrup which is also very good for the Kidneys Take Roots of Elicampane Polypody of the Oak seeds of Carthamus Raisins of the Sun of each half an ounce Jujubes Sebestens fat Figs four of each Hyssop Savory Colts-foot Betony Saxafrage of each one handfull seeds of Marsh-mallows Cotton Liquorice shaved each three drams make a Decoction to a pint and half in the strained Liquor dissolve nine ounces of white Sugar and four ounces of the best Honey make of all a syrup well boyled and aromatized with Florentine Orrice Cinamon of each two drams Let him take thereof frequently in a spoon in manner of a lick-pot and sometimes mingled with Barley-water 10. Item Take of the Pouder of Electuary Diatragacanthum Frigdum Diaâ—reos simple of each two drams Aromaticum Rosatum one dram and a half seeds of Parsly of Macedonia Saxafrage and Basil each half a dram White Sugar dissolved in Pellitory water four ounces make all into Lozenges or Tablets of two drams weight apiece Let him somtimes eat a Lozenge in place of the Syrup a good time after meals 11. The loseness of his Peritonaeum must as
much spoken of by the Antients and Corrected and made better by Forestus and by me found experimentally Usefull 4. Take the seeds of white Poppy one dram and half gum Tragacanth Arabick meal of Orobus of each one dram and half the seeds of Althaea Purslane Cucumbers Melons Citruls and Cotton-seeds of each two ounces and half the Ashes of water-Crabs white Coral burnt Amber Liquorish of each one dram and half sugar-penides the weight of them all mix them and make a pouder and let him take it with the syrup of Jujubes and Poppies of each one ounce and half Julep of Violets ten drams 5. Every other day let him make use of these preservative Rouls against a Consumption or wasting Take fox lungs prepared the flowers of Sulphur prepared of each half a dram old sugar of Roses one dram and half Pine-nuts sweet Almonds blanched of each one dram sugar Penides dissolved in the waters of Pauls Betony and Scabious of each a sufficient quantity mix and make Rouls 6. For the same Intention the following Liniment is directed Take Vnguentum Resumptivum three drams Oyl of sweet Almonds Oyl of Violets of each two drams Mucilage of the seeds of Althaea Tragacanth extracted with the water of Violets of each one dram Saffron bruised half a scruple Musk three grains with a sufficient quantity of Wax make a Liniment 7. But if his Cough be very troublesome he must take two spoonfuls Morning and Evening of the following mixture Take Oxymel of Squills three drams Aqua vitae well Rectifyed Aniseed-water spirit of Juniper of each one ounce species Diaireos Solomonis half a dram Oyl of Anise five drops Laudanum three grains choice Musk two grains white sugar Candy three drams mix them well and strain taking the straining off at one time he may take over and above one Tabulet of species Diatragacanthi frigidi Jo. Petrus Lotichius Obs 1. cap. 1. lib. 3. CXXV A Catarrh falling upon the Stomach 1. The Catarrh is a moist vapour which assaulteth the Head and afterwards falleth down again into the Stomach where it Ingrosseth and Corrupteth this moisture hath its beginning of the moisture of the Lungs and untill such time as the Lungs be discharged thereof the Catarrh will continue in its force 2. This Disease reigneth move in Flegmatick and Melancholy Bodies than in any of other Constitutions such as are troubled with it are not long lived because their Lungs consume by little and little and thereupon they are troubled with the Ptisick and consequently they perish if they be not quickly Relieved 3. Take Pulmonaria and Sena that is fresh and new Infuse them in wine and water over a small or gentle Fire till the wine have drawn out the Vertue then strain it and put thereunto our Quintessence and keep it close in a glass Let the Patient drink thereof every Morning three ounces luke warm for twenty days together let him Eat good nourishing Meats 4. If the Patient be weak you shall give him new-laid Eggs and good White wine If the humidity be perceived not to be quite expelled and evacuated then give him our Aromatico afterwards comfort him again with Restauratives and Cordials to make him strong 5. This method of curing this Disease differeth from the common course Physicians take who would Cure it by Diet Bleeding Mollifying Liniments and by causing them to spit and such like which are means rather to augment then diminish the Catarrh Phioravant LONDON Printed for Th. Dawks and L. Curtiss The Chapter of the Catarrh continued Numb 56. CXXVI Another Cure of the said Disease 1. If you would cure this Disease use these five things 1. Our Electuario Angelico 2. Our Quintessence solutive 3. Our pilulae pro descenso 4. Oyntments for the Stomach and Head 5. Our Quintessence Vegetable 2. The Electuary cleanseth the Head and Stomach the Quintessence solutive evacuateth the Body the Pills take away the cause of the descension the Oyntments dry and the Vegetable Quintessence preserveth the Body from all ill and noysom maladies 3. The Electuary must be taken first in the morning the Quintessence solutive you must take a spoonful of in the Morning in a little Broth and sugar keeping a good Diet this is to be done for four or six days then take the Pills in the Evening and in the mean time anoint the Head and Stomach with the Oyl of Wax and drink every Morning a little of our Quintessence which if you do use continually there is no doubt but the Body shall be freed from many troublesome maladies 4. There was a certain Woman of the age of fifty eight years who being grievously afflicted with a Catarrh was cured by the use of our Aqua preservans taking it Morning and Evening and by anointing the Stomach with our Balsam 5. One that was troubled with a Catarrh and a Stitch in his side was thus cured He took Our Aromatico twice then he took every Morning of our Quintessence solutive with the Broth of a Capon for seven or eight days together and every night when he went to bed he anointed his Stomach with Oleum Incombustibile and thereby was soon Cured 6. Another woman having a Catarrh with a pain of the Head and Stomach stoppage of her Menstrue's and loss of Appetite was thus helped first she took two doses of our Pilulae Angelicae then she took every Morning a spoonfull of Quintessence solutive with Broth and Sugar for five or six mornings together after that she took every morning one spoonful of our Aqua praeservans by these Medicines she was cured in a short time Phioravant CXXVII A Catarrh suffocative with an Ischuria 1. A Reverend Father aged sixty one years of a hot humid Nature hansom Feature and full well-set Body being given to Wrestling Ball-playing and Bowls would be apt to heat himself and Sweat much which course he took for about some eight or nine years 2. Afterwards upon a certain day he grew hot and in the night following when he should have taken his rest was taken with a suffocative Catarrh for the space of a quarter of an hour by which assault getting upon his Knees in his Bed he recommended his Soul to God with folded hands 3. He could scarce speak one word his Breath was so stop't and the Flux so impetuous at the end of which a most cold and an exceeding great sweat all over with which the Bed and the Cloaths were wet a continually weakning of the Body dayly follow'd after that first assault 4. When the Evening drew on and the time of sleep approch'd he was surprized with so great a Terrour in the months following that he durst not rest one moment except attended by his Freinds until in time he had accustom'd himself to a symptom cunningly creeping upon him 5. Twice or thrice yearly it came again upon him in like manner in his Sleep the chief occasions whereof were still almost either Anger or Sorrow and its declining was
Valesius 7. Inwardly the humor was derived by a decoction of Sena and Rhubarb in which a little Cream of Tartar was dissolved which purged her well and effectually after purging I gave her Crato's Epileptick pouder which she took every Morning fasting 8. Her drink was that mentioned in the former section made of Guajacum sarsa and sarsafras the which she drunk with a prohibition from all other Liquors and by the Use whereof she found much good 9. I caused her Head to be shaved and for twelve or fourteen days to be Bathed morning and night with the powers of Amber either alone or mixed in Equal quantity with the powers of Oranges and Lemons by which the Brain and nervous parts were comforted 10. Also I ordered her to take about two drops of the Oyl of Rosemary or rather twenty drops of the Powers of the same in all her Guajacum diet which warm'd dryed and comforted the Head and Brain 11. The using of these things caused an apparent Abatement of the force of the Disease and in length of time an absolute Cure 12. However after the fits seemed to have left her they Return'd again but at larger distances of time to wit about six months I advised to the assiduous Use of the same Medicaments concluding that that which had so far weakened the Disease as to make the Intervals of each fit to be five or six Months would if constantly followed totally take away the same and so it proved she continued the use of these things for three months or more after which she was perfectly Cured nor so far as I know had ever another Paroxysm VI. An Epilepsy in an Antient Man mortal 1. This Man being sixty three years of Age was siezed with the Falling sickness as he was a rich man so nothing was wanting towards a Cure nor did he spare any Cost for to attain his wish'd for Health 2. Several Physicians had him in hand and many things were done as Cupping Blistering Bleeding Purging Exhibition of specificks but all to no purpose he dyed in the fourteenth fit at which time I was sent for 3. Immediately concluded him Incurable as soon as I saw him of which opinion I was partly because of his great years and partly because of the vehemency and long continuance of the Paroxysm 4. And indeed it was the longest For he never lived to have another but dyed as was supposed as he was Coming out of the fit at which time he Used two or three short words of Prayer and so gave up the Ghost 5. After he was Dead the body was opened as also the Head As to those Viscera in the Breast and Abdomen he might truly be said to be Eusplanchnous that is one of sound Bowels but the Cavities of the Brain abounded with a watery humour which at first was clear and viscous but being Cold thickish and white 6. And in the fore Ventricle of the Brain was found a small Blader of water as for the substance of the Brain it was free from any contamination we could discern save its Vessels were very full of Blood from which Experiment and Observation somthing more of the Cause of the Epilepsy is to be understood 7. Another antient man was seised with the Epilepsy who also dyed in a fit when his Head was opened nothing was found within the Cortex of the Brain which might be called a preternatural matter but only an Abundance of moist humor the Brain it self as it were overcome and contaminated with a moist viscous Juyce 8. Also a Woman about fifty years of Age was taken Epileptick she lived three Months in which time she took many Medicaments nor in that space was there any probable means neglected at length she dyed of a fit 9. After she was dead there was a great flux of Blood at Nose her Head being opened the Cavities of the Brain were found filled almost with Blood which could not be but by a mighty Concussion of the Brain in which through the Violence of the Agitation some of the Blood-vessells chiefly the Arteries thereof must be broken 10. Indeed the whole Head was so full of Blood when it was opened that by reason thereof we could not make any singular Inspection into any other parts of the same 11. A Child also about a year and half old was seised with Epileptick fits and dyed in its fourth fit the Head being opened the whole Brain was so contaminated that it seem'd to be nothing but a mass of filthiness and putrefaction 12. Many of the like Examples we have seen but the most of those which were of grown years and dyed by force and violence of the Disease had either a bladder of water lodged in the Cavities of the Brain or the said Cavities were repleat with a watery humor or the substance of the Brain was continued with a viscous humidity LONDON Printed for Th. Dawks and L. Curtiss The Chapter of the Falling-sickness continued Numb 63. VII The Falling-sickness in a little Boy 1. This little Youth by reason of a fright fell into fits not very unlike those which we call Fits of the Mother which fits by degrees and length of time degenerated into a true Epilepsy 2. The Child was the only hope of its Parents and Heir to all their Fortunes which made them so much the more concerned for his Cure he first fell into the Hands of several Men of great repute and fame for their Learning but chiefly for their knowledge in Physick these men did him no good at all mistaking the Cause of the Disease 3. For when he was a little Infant he had a sore in one of his Leggs near the Ankle this drying up or being healed by Art without purging brought upon him an evil habit of Body so that he often complained of a heaviness or dull pain of his Head 4. From whence I conceive that the Disease might rather be caused from the Translation of the matter to the Brain than from any fright how great and sudden soever though I believe Nature might take advantage thereby to make the first manifestation of the Disease and no further I believe it to be a Cause 5. The first thing I did in order to this Cure was to make a couple of Issues the one on the same Legg where the Sore formerly was the other on the Thigh of the other Legg 6. This done I applyed Vesicatories first to the Soles of the Feet then to the Nape of the Neck upon the Vertebrae thereof also I made a gentle kind of Revulsion by Sternutatories and Errhines applyed to the Nostrils 7. I purged him gently with Sena stewed with Prunes which was repeated five or six times and was indeed all the purges I gave him 8. Afterwards I caused him to take my specifick magistral Antipileptick Pouder and to continue the same for two or three months 9. His Drink I ordered to be a Decoction made as follows Take Guajacum Sarsa Sarsafras
four days as occasion required for a Month together whereby the Bowels became well cleansed of a sharp acrimonious humor so that she seemed to be exceeding pleasant and to grow every day more chearful than other 22. After this I thought of other ways of Revulsion I caused two large Vesicatories to be applyed one upon each Shoulder these after healing I reiterated twice 23. I also caused two Issues to be made one in each Arm in the Brauny part above the Elbow they ran freely and well and vended a large quantity of matter 24. These things being done I caused the Hair of her Head to be shaven off and I applyed a Vesicatory over the Head this also was repeated three times after which her Head was very lightsom and pleasant also a dimness of Sight which she had for some years complained of was perfectly taken away and cured so that she confessed her self to see as well as she ever could in all her Life 25. Her Head being healed after the application of the third Vesicatory I caused the Seton to be applyed to the nape of the Neck putting a Skein of Silk thorough the hole this was kept open and running for above four Months and to her Head being shaved was applyed the Epileptick Emplaster of Franciscus Valesius which she wore a long time 26. In all this time we could not prevail with her to take any thing inwardly save the following Diet which she took for her ordinary Drink Take Water twenty quarts Guajacum rasped a pound Sassafras half a pound boyl to the consumption of six or seven quarts then add these following things take Sarsa Lignum Rhodium of each six ounces boyl again for half an hour after which add Misleto of the Oak Male peony-roots and seeds bruised of each four ounces Carraway and Coriander-seeds Nutmeg of each two ounces boyl them a while then strain all out hard by pressing to the strained Liquor add juyce of Male-peony-flowers a quart Virgin Honey enough to make it sweet mix them well together and whilst yet warm add Ale-yest a pint let it work putting these following things into it in a Bag. Take Rosemary Lavender-flowers Sage Bawm sweet Marjoram of each a handful Juniper-berries well bruised four ounces put all into a bag with a stone in it in the time of working where let it stay about six days till it is fit to bottle after which it may be bottled up putting into each bottle half an ounce of white Sugar and one Clove or a piece of Limon-peel 27. Of this drink she drank about a bottle a day and somtimes more for six whole Months together to wit from the first of our taking her in Hand by reason of this drying Diet and the many evacuations that were made the Epileptick fits grew fewer they came more seldom and stayed a much lesser time so that in the sixth month after the undertaking of this Cure she had not one in seven Weeks whereas formerly she used to have one every Week to wit every quarter of the Moon so that indeed it was matter of encouragement to go on 28. I at last of all prevailed upon her to take the following Confect Take Electuarium ad Tabidos two ounces Volatile Salt of Mans Skull two drams Volatile Salt of Harts-horn and of Amber native Cinnabar Peacocks-dung of each one dram and half with syrup of Alkermes a sufficient quantity mix and make a Confect 29. I ordered her the continual taking of this Electuary for three or four Months at least which she exactly performed also if her Body was at any time bound that she should keep it open with the forementioned Clysters 30. And with much perswasions I gained upon her to take now and then a Purge of Sena made by boyling it with Prunes the syrup of which she took without any disgust and it purg'd her very well 31. Also I ordered her that once a quarter at least if not oftener she should apply Vesicatories to the Soles of her Feet because they so powerfully attract from the Head and empty the universal Body of all sorts of humors 32. Upon the provoking of the Terms she had a sharp pessary put up and she swallowed every night going to bed about four or five nights before the time that the flux was expected Pills of washed Aloes half a dram and after them about the time of expectation one ounce of the Tincture of Colocynthis 33. By means of which and the Pessary aforesaid her Terms were effectually brought down and she confessed she found much benefit 34. Now whereas she complained that when the Epileptick fit came upon her it was as if she had been pulled backwards I caused all the hinder part of her Head and nape of the Neck as also the whole Back-bone it self from the Vertebrae of the Neck to the Os Coccigis to be very well bathed twice a day with the Powers of Amber alone and somtimes with the Powers of Amber mixed with the Powers of Rosemary Sage and Sassafras 35. These were constantly used for five or six Weeks by which she found not only her Head and Brain comforted but her whole universal Body warmed and strengthned 36. Thus was this supposed incurable Creature after a long use of Medicaments perfectly restored to Health although but a very few Medicines were given inwardly and she remained well and free from Epileptick fits for several years nor do I know that she was ever troubled with them after 37. In this observation there is somewhat worthy of remark to wit an old Hypochondriack Melancholy was totally abolished or taken away by only drawing Blysters at the Feet without the use of any Internal Medicament IX An Epilepsy acconpanied with the Scurvy 1. There was a young man who was for several years troubled with the Scurvy and last of all taking cold in the wet he fell into an Epilepsy about midnight in in his bed 2. He was of indifferent gross Body flaggy hair smooth skin and of phlegmatick habit of Body 3. Those fits when they first took him came now and then but afterwards by degrees they seised more and more upon him untill they came two or three times a day whereas formerly they came but once a week somtimes twice somtimes once every other day 4. They came constantly with an exceeding Crying out and a great fall the Physicians which had him in hand took away a great deal of Blood from him almost to fainting but that did no good 5. They likewise purg'd him with several things but all in vain For the Brain was so weakned and the passages so straitned that without the strengthening of the one and opening of the other there could be no hopes of a Cure 6. I Chose such a Medicament that had both these properties to wit the tincture of Luna of which I gave eight or ten drops Morning and Evening in a glass of wine moreover I purg'd him with Pil. Lunares three or four
Valesius by which the Head the Brain and the original of the Nerve were mightily comforted and strengthened 11. This constant drink was this following Take spring-water twelve quarts Missletto of the Oak Rosemary Sage Betony Bawm winter-savory Thyme Hyssop Mint of each three handfuls Angelica Tansy Rue of each one handful bruise all gently and boyl them in the Liquor to the Consumption of two quarts or more then strain it out by pressing to which add Juice of Plantain and Taragon of each a quart mix them with the decoction then put thereinto a bagg with Juniper-berries well bruised four ounces seeds and roots of Male-peony of each six ounces Caraway and Coriander-seeds bruised of each one ounce and half put all into the bag with a stone in it which put into the Decoction making it work with the Ale-yest having first made it pleasant with honey or sugar 12. After it had done working it became the youths constant Drink and was repeated till he had drunk it six or seven months 13. I commonly purg'd him once in three weeks or a month with Pil. Lunares which I repeated six or seven times also the specifick which I gave him him was Crato's Antepileptick pouder which he constantly took for a month afterwards our magistral Antepileptick pouder which he took for a month longer 14. Lastly to the compleating and perfecting of the Cure he took this following specifick a Medicament of wonderfull vertues Take Musk two drams Ambergrise salt of mans skull Powder of male peony-roots and seeds of each one dram mix them he took it for four months constantly 15. By the assiduous use of which for so long time he became perfectly Cured so as that he never had any more fits Here is to be Noted also that the back bone was also anointed twice a day with the former Balsam for the Head XII An Epilepsy which was Cured only with a Sternutatory 1. A young man of twenty years of Age was seised with the Falling-sickness the fits came somtimes once a week somtimes once in two or three days somtimes every day 2. This person had been troubled with this Disease for several years nor in the twenty sixth year of his age was he freed from it many Physicians had him in-hand and almost all methods were tryed as derivation Revulsion Medicaments internal and external Vomits Purges Clysters Blysters Application of the Seton Issues Gargarisms Errhines Sternutatories long and continued Diets with variety of specificks but all these things were done vain and after a long use of every thing that was thought to be proper the sick was given over as Incurable 3. And thus continued almost two years afterwards without taking any Physick wherein he had fits almost every day but at the Change full and quarters of the Moon he never failed of them and could always predict them himself almost to an hour 4. Last of all he met with a man Reputed an Emperick who told him he would certainly Cure him provided he would follow his Counsel and that with three or four doses of Physick at most the thing that was Exhibited was a pouder a sternutatory and indeed it was that of Deckers whose principal Ingrodient is Turphethum Minerale the composition of which you have in our Pharmacopaeia lib. 4. cap. 21. 5. A little of this was blown up each Nostril but in somewhat a larger proportion than what the Author limits when it was reiterated four times with fit Intervails the success was admirable but the Operation very troublesom and dangerous and the whole Head Face Neck Throat and Tongue was swell'd mightily so that the Patient could not speak 6. But he avoided by the Mouth and Nostrils such a lage quantity of filthy Corrupt Pus or matter that I should scarcely have beleived it at the report of another had not mine Eyes seen it it could not be Judged to be less then three quarts 7. Where or in what place this Corruption could be lodged is the question it is certain the Head could not hold it all but without doubt the Violence of the Medicament made an Attraction from all parts and cleared his Brest and Lungs as well as his Head 8. For he had a long time a mighty Obstructions of the Lungs with a difficulty of breathing and a disaffected Spleen which by vertue of the Operation of this single Medicament was Cured together with his Epilepsy 9. For after the fourth dose of this Medicament as the Emperick had before predicted he had no more Epileptick fits and so it fell out in this patient For he was freed from all his Diseases at once 10. I remember it is the opinion of some Physicians that a violent Feaver coming upon an Epilepsy commonly Cures it the matter causing the Disease being by the vehement heat of the Feaver either dissolved or dissipated and I am apt to believe that the operation of this Medicament was not much unlike 11. For besides the Actual drawing forth of the large quantity of that Corrupted matter there was a mighty Inflamation of the whole Head the whole Head and parts Adjacent being so Inflamed that one could not lay ones hand long upon them with pleasure this mighty Inflamation by degrees vanished as the matter evacated by means of which as aforesaid the Patient was Cured XIII An Epilepsy with a great pain of the Spleen and disaffection to the Joynts by some supposed to be the Gout 1. This man aged about forty years had been for a long time troubled with a great Pain and Obstruction of the Spleen with vehement pains in his extream parts chiefly the Joynts both of Hands and Feet of which he had lain ill several weeks together 2. He was much given to drinking and on a certain time playing the good Fellow having as it was supposed drunk too much fell into certain kind of fits which the by-standers knew not what to make of he was taken with the first sitting between two so that he could not well fall but the foaming of the Mouth gave evident demonstration of the nature and quality of the Disease 3. In the Interval of one of the fits I was sent for to discourse the Gentleman about his Cure when all in a sudden as he was Earnest in discourse he fell down sidewayes and as it were a little turning round not long after foaming at the Mouth 4. I perceived plainly that it was the Faling sickness and did my Endeavour that time to Restore him to himself again 5. I Caused to be put into his Mouth the spirit and Tincture of Castor I also caused his Forehead Temples and Nostrils to be bathed with the Powers of Amber which I take to be a specifick in this Case so that partly by the use of these Medicaments and partly by hard Frictions c. We restored him again 6. After he was brought to himself I felt upon his left Side where I felt a very great and hard Tumor the like of which I
Palsey was without pain only with a little numbness joyned with a trembling and weakness of the parts it continued upon her to her dying-day nor by the greatest help of Art could she meet with any the least benefit much less a Cure 7. In this person the Morbifick matter first afflicted the Brain whence came the Epilepsy but by a translation of the said matter to the Original of the Nerves and thereby to their various Branchings the Disease was changed from a Falling-sickness to a Palsey 8. This Woman after that the Epileptick Fits had left her and the Palsy had siezed her by I know not whose advice began to take Opiates which she continued the use of for some years and as she conceived with a manifold advantage to her self 9. She always said she found her self better after the taking of the Opiate than before and conceived it added very much strength to her for that after she had been used to it a while if she pretermitted for one night the taking thereof she should be the next day sick heavy and unpleasant and stomachless as to her Food 10. After the taking of the Opiate for a year or somewhat better she came to a good use of one of her Hands and she could also a little use the other which benefit no body could beat her out of but that she received it from the assiduous taking of the Opiate 11. And did verily believe that had not her great Age been an obstacle in the way that very Medicament alone would have restored her to her perfect Health such was her opinion and for any thing that I know there might be somewhat of Truth in it 12. But however the consideration of this Observation makes me believe that there is yet a greater excellency and vertue in Opiates than the World is awar of and I doubt not but some experiments of this kind might more confirm this Judgment 13. I remember Roger Dickson a Chyrurgian in Thames-street told me that he had once a Paralytick Patient to whom he gave upon occasion a Dose of an Opiate for rests sake after which his Patient would never let him rest without some few doses of it by her which she took for six or eight months together and thereby became Cured of a Palsy which had afflicted her many years XVII The Falling-sickness in a middle aged Woman proceeding from Melancholy 1. A Gentlewoman about forty years of Age having had for a long time a great deal of discontent upon her Spirit was extreamly troubled with Melancholy and to that degree afflicted with this pernitious humor that she has confessed that she had many times tempted to make away her self but the Cause or Reason of this trouble she would never reveal to any one 2. Some thought it to be unlawful Love and some thought it to be Discontent others some private grudge between her and her Husband but those that had been her associates and familiar acquaintances for many years knew the contrary but guessed it to be from other things 3. Some thought it to be a discontented Mind because she could not attain that Glory Pleasure Fortune and such like in the World as her equals had arrived to or that her ambitious Spirit might aspire after although she then lived happily genteely and free from any care trouble or turmoil 4. But what ever the true original of her Melancholy was I could never learn nor hear her confess this Melancholy discontented Condition so far increased upon her as to render her very unhappy in her person made her very thin and lean brought upon her great weakness so that sometimes she would Faint or Swoon away 5. Afterwards as the evil increased these fits degenerated and from Fainting and Swooning Fits she became affected with other Fits not much unlike the Mother 6. After these had afflicted her for about four or five months they still augmenting their force became at length Epileptical in so much that when or wheresoever they siezed her she fell down with a great Crying out and a froath and foaming at the Mouth 7. She had been under a Knights hands reputed a great Physician by whose advice and directions her Husband said he had spent two hundred pounds but without the least amendment he rather thought she grew worse and worse 8. When I understood what was done I partly conceived the cause of the miscarriage for whatsoever Antepileptick Specificks he might give her he gave her nothing which might repress these Hypochondriack disaffections and distempers of the Womb. 9. Moreover her Courses had been preternaturally stopt for about two years together during all which time she had a very large flux of the Whites which was a great trouble and weakning to her 10. I began in the first place to give her things that might evacuate the Melancholy humor among which was an Infusion of Rhubarb and Sena in white Wine with black Myrobalans and a small proportion of Castoreum with this I gently purged her for many days together 11. In the next place I provided an Injection for the Womb which was thus made Take Plantan water three quarts Infusion of Crocus Metallorum six ounces spirit of Wine eight ounces fine Aloes in pouder half an ounce or something more Roch Alum Salt of Vitriol of each three drams Saccharum Saturni two drams juyce of Liquorice one dram sal prunellae six drams mix dissolve decant the clear from the faeces filter it through brown Paper and keep it for use 12. With this I caused the Womb to be Syringed three or four times a day and somtimes oftner by the use of which Medicine and the internal means afore-mentioned I perfectly removed and cured her of this great flux of the Whites at which the Woman was very much pleased and became much more chearful than before 13. And because through the oppression of the Melancholy humor her Spirits had been much cast down I caused her to take the following things Take juyce of Alkermes six ounces choice Canary eight ounces blood red Tincture of Castoreum five ounces spirit of Hartshorn two ounces Salt of Mans Skull three drams white sugar candy in fine pouder half a pound mix all well together dissolve it over a gentle fire and keep it for use 14. Of this she took two large spoonfuls every Morning fasting drinking immediately after the same about an ounce or somewhat more of the best Angelica Water by the constant use of this Medicament she confessed her self to be so much cheared and revived so that she was in great hopes she should once again be well 15. Now although these Medicines had not done much as to the Epilepsy for indeed they were not levelled against it yet they had much abated the vehemency of her fits and also had altered the times of their coming so that whereas she had used to have them sometimes two or three times a Week or oftner she had them not now once a Week and sometimes
use them Morning and Evening 3. Take the Oyl of Nutmegs two scruples Vnguentum Pomatum one scruple the Oyls of Lavender of Marjoram of Rosemary-flowers of Amber of Rue of each two drops Castoreum two grains mix them and make a Liniment to anoint the nape of the Neck Nostrils and the Coronal Sutures Grulingius Cent. Observ 36. LXXX The Epilepsy without a Convulsion 1. A certain Woman about the Age of twenty eight having swallowed a Bodkin in her Infancy she presently felt no harm by it though it remained still in her Body 2. It was observed that being Married she often stood in amaze and stupefaction with Lips wide open and with Eyes pull'd aside looking sternly She suffered somewhat like to the Epilepsy therefore it was concluded that Vapours did ascend from the lower parts but that they could excite such grievious Fits and assaults as are in a strong Epilepsy is somewhat strange 3. They resemble rather these Vapours proceeding from a Vertigo which assault the Brain as it were without any Convulsion but with the Hallucination only and deception of the Senses 4. For evacuation I prescribed first Electuarium Diacatholicon and Diaphenicon Confectio Hamech of each one dram the extract of black Hellebor six grains Diagridium two grains Conserve of Betony one scruple Aniseeds half a scruple make a Bolus with Sugar 5. Secondly for purging the Head and Ventricle Take Pills of Mastich Cothiarum Aurearum Foetidarum of each half a dram Troches Alhandal half a scruple Diagredium three grains Mastich eight grains make with Betony-water one and twenty Pills to be taken thrice 6. And every month for three days before a Full Moon let her take a Dose at two a Clock in the Night and Sleep thereafter two hours 7. Thirdly For Corroberation Take Rob Juniperi one ounce Conserve of Betony two drams and half Peony one dram and half the pouder of the roots of Peony one dram the flowers of Orrice half a dram Misletoe of the Oak one scruple white Amber prepared half a scruple Human skull prepared six grains the seeds of Rue twenty three grains syrups of Betony and of Peony of each a sufficient quantity make an Electuary and take every Morning and at going to bed the quantity of a great Bean or more LXXXI The Epilepsy in a Maid 1. At the command of a certain Illustrious person a Dutchess I prescribed these following Medicines for this Noble Virgin Take the seeds and roots of Peony of each five grains choice Turbith roots of Mechoacan species Diaturbith with Rhubarb our Cathartick Pouder each seven grains Tartar vitriolated five grains Diagridium four grains Gum Guttae one grain choice Cinnamon six grains make a most subtle pouder 2. Take the leaves of Marjoram Thyme Rosemary of each two scruples the flowers of Lavender of Betony of Prim-roses of Tile-tree of Origanum and of Stoechas of each half a dram the seeds of Peony two drams of Anise one dram Fennel and Coriander prepared half a dram the roots of Peony of Orrice-flowers of each two drams and half the Wood of Sassafras three drams Misletoe of the Oak Cinnamon Mace Nutmeg of each one dram white sugar one ounce cut bruise and make a pouder of them and so let them be given 3. Take syrups of Peony one ounce of Betony six drams of staechas two drams of Cinnamon two drams and a half the extract of Juniper two drams of Zedoaria five grains Conserves of Rosemary-flowers one dram Conserves of Bawm of Borrage of Betony of each one dram and half spirits of Elder-flowers and of Juniper-berries of each two scruples the Essences of Rosemary-flowers one scruple the pouder of Peony roots half a dram Orrice-flowers one scruple white Amber prepared half a scruple the Epileptick water of Langius three drams Lozenges of sugar pearled two drams make a mixture Grulingius Cent. Observ 37. LXXXII The Epilepsy 1. A certain person called Marcus Antonius fell into terrible and outragious Fits not unlike those of the Epilepsy when at first this Disease assaulted him he was afflicted with manifest and noted Palpitations of the Heart which were also accompanied with a mighty oppression and wonderful dejection of the Strength together with some Convulsive Motions he was necessitated sometimes to make use of the nearest Seats or to sit down on the ground 2. At length being purged with Pil. Catholicae and the Brain being strengthned with Cephalick Conserves the Balsam of Vitriol being added he was restored to Health again 3. There was also exhibited a Stomachal Specifick by which chiefly he was eased Poterius Cent. 1. Obs 78. LXXXIII The Epilepsy in a Maid 1. This Maid was often afflicted for the space of three years with an Hereditary Epilepsy 2. A little before the assault and invasion of this Distemper she was taken with a dimness of sight and then fell flat on the ground being first siezed with a Convulsion of her Members 3. In this deplorable pâ—sture she would lye about half an hour as if she were Dead with Arms and Legs stretched out foaming greatly at the Mouth and being altogether forgetful of what had happened to her but the fit being over and the Muscles resolved she went to Stool 4. This affect she deriving as Hereditary from her Father I was earnest to search out the causes of so great a Malady and upon diligent scrutiny I found that her Father had not only fallen often into Fits of the Falling-sickness but had also been often besides himself and devested of the exercise of his Reason not unlike that kind of alienation of the Mind which happens to persons Lunatick 5. I am certainly perswaded the reason of this name comes from nothing else but the inordination of the several Motions because as some do observe this sort of affect is moved and excited in the new of the Moon and its quarters 6. But I am rather of the opinion That this is to be ascribed to the Seed of the Parent than to any such obscure and remote Causes 7. This Maid was at length freed from her Distemper by taking thrice the Marchasite of saturn which caused her to Vomit much flegm and greenish Choler and to this purpose we prepared by calcination the Marchasite of Sasaturn of which in our Pharmacopoeia spagyrica in 3 cap. de stibio She lived seven years after the Cure was performed without the lest hazard and suspition of a Relapse Poterius Cent. 2. Observ 48. LXXXIV The Falling-sickness in a Child ten years of Age. 1. A Youth of about ten years of Age was suddenly siezed with the Falling sickness He was first taken on the right side it began always when the Paroxysm came on his right Foot ascended up by degrees like a Vapour from his Foot to his Ankle so to his Knee then his Hip and from thence to his Arm Hand and Head where having taken possession of the Brain he presently fell down with a great crying out and a foaming at Mouth 2. He
proximate cause of so many direful symptoms we proposed this following Holagogue Take one ounce and a half of spiritus Vitae aureus by this Vomiting ceasing he did evacuate his Excrements by their proper Channel and we did allay the great pain of his Belly by a Bag made of Hogs dung Decocted in Vinegar 3. We mitigated the pain of his Testiculi with the following Fomentation Take the Oyl of Violets and Goats Milk of each three ounces in which wet a Linnen Cloath and wrap it warm about the Testes 4. And for preventing Inflamation as also for repelling the matter we ordered the opening of the Vein Malleoli 5. Afterwards we did exhibit this following Drink to be taken in the Morning Take the Whey of Goats Milk well boyled and clarifyed one pound and half in which we infused all night pure Sena half an ounce the grains of Peony hulled and bruised three drams Mans skull Ginger each one dram with a little Sugar boyl them all together at one boyling in the Morning afterwards strain them and let the Sick take seven ounces warm of the strained Liquor and on the following day the like quantity 6. By vertue hereof his Costive Belly and intestines that were streightned with the violence of flatuous flegmatick and sharp humors were sufficiently opened and eased and the Sick who was pittyed by all was freed from all his former pains Martinus Rulandus Cent. 7. Cur. 74. CXV The Epilepsy in a young Girl 1. A Maid about eleven years of age was afflicted for the space of three Months with grievious fits of the Falling-sickness the which I cured with this one Antepileptick Medicine 2. Take our Oleum Heraclium one dram and half Plantain-water one dram mix them I gave her fasting every day for four days together four large drops thereof by which the Paroxysm was remitted 3. And least that evil should return I ordered her to take the same number of drops for a whole Week together which had so good an effect that I hear she still lives free from any assaults of that Disease Martinus Rulandus Cent. 7. Cur. 90. CXVI The Epilepsy in another young Girl 1. Another Maid about the age of twelve years was troubled for half a year day and night with a most fierce Epilepsy as also Worms 2. As soon as the Disease first assaulted this Maid being suddenly Convulsed she fell made a noise foamed and trembled about half an hour after she came to her self Arose Vomited Rested and Slep't her Urine did appear froathy and muddy 3. The Mother with the Daughter coming to Me and begging my advice for they were Poor I ordered this following Take Saccharum Heracleinum of this Sugar she took every Morning fasting the bigness of a Nutmeg for three days together and after five hours she took Meat 4. By this little Bole she did eject many vitious excrements and above an hundred great and small Worms by this Saccharum alone this Maid was happily freed with a thin and little Diet she drank for a month water wherein Sage was infused Martinus Rulandus Cent. 8. Cur. 13. CXVII The Epilepsy in a Man about forty years of Age. 1. One about the age of forty years was grieviously vexed with the Falling-sickness at the first assault of this Disease he fell cryed out foamed and trembled 2. I being called to visit him I instituted the following Method for a month Saccharum Antepilepticum or Bezoardicum I did exhibite every day in the Morning one dram by which the Body was gently purged and cleansed from all its peccant and noxious humors 3. Moreover for three days before the new and old Moon I ordered her the use of our Sternutatory and for Drink small Wine in which were infused the flowers of the Tile-tree by this remedy the Gentleman was cured in the space of a month Martinus Rulandus Cent. 9. Cur. 91. CXVIII The Epilepsy or Falling-sickness in a Child or Youth 1 A Boy of ten years of age was often afflicted with this Disease both in the day and in the night and in the time of the Paroxysm his left Eye Mouth and Hand was convulsed his Speech was lost and his left Arm was benummed but the fit continued not long and he came presently to himself and did not fall as it happens in a more fierce Epilepsy 2. His Cure was thus instituted let him drink for a month the Water of the Decoction of Tile-flowers Take spiritus Vitae Aureus half an ounce at a time having taken this he did immediately evacuate a great many noysom thick flegmatick Excrements and began afterwards to speak and to grow better 3. I gave him two days after two drams of the same Spirit for four days together by which he was well purged and perfectly restored again to Health Martinus Rulandus Cent. 9. Cur. 99. CXIX The Epilepsy in a middle Aged man 1. A Man of thirty three years of age suffered a Convulsion Morning and Evening he was troubled with a Vertigo he fell and did breath with difficulty these Maladies siezed him the third day and continued a quarter of an hour afterwards he came to himself and could rise by his own strength without help 2. He was cured by these following Medicines Take the pouder of Sena laxative one dram and half Wine five ounces being mixed they did stand for a Night and then took it in the Morning by which many Excrements were evacuated 3. That Pouder of sena Laxativa is not the pouder of sena Montagnanae but is the pouder of sena laxativa Wieri the Composition whereof is as follows 4. Take the leaves of sena white Tartar of each one ounce Aniseeds Cloves Cinnamon Galangal of each one dram Diagridium two drams beat them into a subtle Pouder according to Art the Dose is from half a scruple to one dram and a half in the substance 5. The Dose in the Infusion is half an ounce this purged out much yellow and black Choller and Flegm and so he was freed from his Disease by these Medicines Martinus Rulandus Cent. 10. Cur. 3. CXX The Epilepsy 1. A Woman was taken with a light Epilepsy I prescribed her to take for Diet good Broths Pease Barley and Eggs and for Drink the Water of Tile-flowers sweetned with Lozenges of Sugar Pearled in her Meat the Tragaea Antepileptica was given 2. In the Morning our Sternutatory prepared with Musk the quantity of one Barley grain was put up into her Nostrils 3. Take syrup of sena two ounces and half Cinnamon-water half an ounce mix them for twice which every Morning he took for two days together whereupon he was perfectly freed from this Disease Martinus Rulandus Cent. 10. Cur. 12. CXXI The Epilepsy in an Elderly Gentleman 1. A Gentleman in the fiftieth year of his Age was taken with a grievious Epilepsy whom visiting I helped with these few Medicines 2. In the time of the Paroxysm I gave him thirteen drops of our Oleum Antepilepticum by which to
afflicted with this Disease Paracelsus CXXXII The Epilepsy proceeding from a sudden fright 1. A young Man about twenty years of age did complain of the pain of the Stomach and Bowels he had also the Falling-sickness 2. His Mother hearing That the Sick might be freed from it if any unknown to the Sick person or never seen by him at least since he was thus afflicted should suddenly and by way of surprize affright and terrify him she instantly called a Maid of hers bidding her to go to him and tell him that he must instantly prepare for being Sacrificed and that an Instrument was made ready for that purpose to cut him in the middle in two pieces 3. This being done the Epileptick person was struck with such dread and terror that he was not for the space of fourteen days thereafter troubled with any Fit of that Distemper 4. His Urine was Cholerick and Feaverish therefore I exhibited the following Potion Take Electuarium Elescoph one ounce the Decoction of the Flowers and Fruits in which it is to boyl one pint Agarick trochiscated a sufficient quantity mix and make a Potion 5. The middle Vein of the right Arm was opened by the benefit of these Remedies the abovementioned Symptoms vanished and he became perfectly recovered and freed from the Falling-sickness Gabelchoverus Cent. 4. Obs 23. CXXXIII Another Epilepsy from vehement passion 1. A young Man by Nature froward and pevish upon a slight provocation fell into such a passion which ended in Epileptick fits and he foamed at the Mouth Every time he was overcome and transported with Passion he became Epileptick 2. His Master consulted many Physicians and tryed divers means which profited the Patient but a very little it hapned that this young Mans Master desired him to do such a piece of Work which he had no mind to do but that put him into a Passion and this into his Fits again insomuch that he fell violently to the ground and likewise suffered a vehement Convulsion both in his Hands and Feet 3. His Master not being able longer to bear and dispense with the troublesom humors of his Servant took in his Anger a Bucket full of cold Water and threw upon him whereupon he came presently to himself and was no more troubled with the said Disease Gabelchoverus Cent. 4. Observ 24. CXXXIV An Epilepsy in a Boy 1. A Boy a year and three quarters old was taken with an Epilepsy I prescribed to him this pleasant Potion Take Coral Pearl prepared of each one dram Julep of Roses two ounces water of the flowers of the Tile-tree six ounces which were immediately mixt together 2. He was bound in his Belly by reason of a Feaver which was loosened with the Oyl of sweet Almonds two scruples Oyl of Anise one drop mixt together and the Flegm also was cleansed by the former 3. The day following the Boy was better and not long after got four Teeth 4. About a month after the same Boy was grieviously taken with Epileptick Passions with foaming at the Mouth I ordered him a Suppository of Honey and Salt by which he was losened in his Belly renewing the use of the precedent Potion 5. Thence he stept starting sometimes and stretching out his Arms but when he awaked he was taken twice or thrice with such like Startings 6. About five of the Clock in the Morning the next day when the Fit was over after this aforementioned Potion he was ordered to take Venice Treacle one scruple syrup of Violets two drams Water of the flowers of the Tile-tree one ounce spirit of Vitriol four drops all mixed together by which his Body was made hot and his Cheeks which before lookt pale were made red and the Fits left him for a season 7. In the Evening he was chearful the Morning following being all over in a mighty Sweat he was very well About a month after that the Child was weaned and fourteen days after he was wean'd he was grieviously troubled as was said with the Belly-ach he Vomited up in my presence some raw or undigested Cherries the Epileptick Fits immediately assaulted him with a manifest gnashing of his Teeth with a various and frequent shaking of his Head with wresting of his Body and with very cold Feet and Hands 8. Take Julep of Roses half a scruple Venice Treacle half an ounce the Water of the flowers of Tile-tree half a pound the waters of Male peony and Sorrel of each six drams Oyl of Vitriol six drops mix them 9. As soon as one spoonful of that Potion was given him in that Paroxysm that very moment the Symptom ceased the Boy began then to speak and ask for something two spoonfuls of the Julep were exhibited and reiterated which he took with ease and would have drunk more if it had been given him so that he slept the whole Night the next Morning and ever after he had his perfect Health Binningerus Cent. 2. Observ 64. CXXXV An Epilepsy from the Womb. 1. A Gentlewoman forty years of age of an angry melancholy Complexion when she was beating Hemp by extending and wresting her Arm too long and too violently which accidently caused a sharp and malignant vapour to ascend which proceeded from the Womb to the Brain and Neck afflicting the Nerves of the first second third and fourth Conjugation causing Convulsive Motions of the right Eye and Mouth with the pain of the Fingers Hands without the use of the outward Senses 2. Keeping this Course she continually struck many of those that saw her into terrour these Fits ended not hurting the remembrance of what things were past without the least sense of grief 3. I said it was an Epileptick motion from the Womb wherefore prescribing the Oyl of Amber and Hysterick Medicines she grew perfectly well Binningerus Cent. 3. Observ 91. CXXXVI An Epilepsy in a Child 1. A Noble Mans Child nine Months old was taken with some Epileptick fits her Belly was loose her Mouth somewhat hot with a Feaver and want of Sleep the whole precedent Night 2. I judg'd the cause to be the breaking out of her Teeth and the Milk waxing sower in the Ventricle troubled the Nerves of the supream Ventricle 3. I prescribed Julep of Roses Aqua Antepileptica of Bauhin of each half an ounce Water of the flowers of Tile-tree half a dram Harts-horn burnt half a scruple red Coral prepared half an ounce 't was a very pleasant and powerful Potion in so much that all Convulsive Motions being taken away immediately from her she was refresh'd sucking and drinking she slept long and quietly and awaking was perfectly cured Binningerus Cent. 4. Observ 35. CXXXVII An Epilepsy in a young Man 1. A Country Man nineteen year old complained to me that he was taken the precedent Summer with a frail disease at uncertain times I conjectur'd the Brain to be troubled by the Sympathy of the Ventricle which the putrid and malignant Vapours sent up were obnoxious to and forc'd to move against Nature
the Nerves and the Nerves themselves by consent CXLVI The signs of the Falling-sickness 1. The Pathognomick sign of the Falling-sickness is a Foaming at the Mouth for that it is scarcely observable to be common with any other Disease 2. The Diagnostick signs are a falling down to the ground by reason of the Convulsion of the parts there is a heaviness giddiness and pain of the Head a paleness of countenance and an inordinate motion of the Tongue and coldness of the extream parts there is also a fearfulness and sadness in the Sick 3. Sometimes one part is contracted by the force of the Convulsion sometimes many parts one has his Hands contracted another turns round some run up and down and others sit fome cry out aloud as if they were extreamly frighted some snort and gnash their Teeth some have an involuntary excretion of Excrements but most if not all Foam at Mouth 4. An Idiopathetick Epilepsy is known by the Distemper of the Brain heaviness of the Mind slowness dullness decay of Memory Vertigo pain of the Head and troublesome Sleeps the Sick also suddenly falls down without the least foreknowledge or sense of the fit and coming to himself again remembers not any thing that was done 5 If it be sympathetick and proceeds by consent from any other part it is known by the proceeding Distemperature of these parts 6. If it be from the stomach it is troubled with weakness indigestion want of appetite Wind loathing and pain 7. If it be from the spleen there is commonly a heaviness a dull pain and tumor upon the part 8. If from the Mesentery there are nauseous Vapors paleness sometimes an Atrophia or pining sometimes Melancholy preceeds as also such as are called Hysterick fits 9. If it be from the Womb fits of the Mother or Vapours often preceeded from all which certain Vapours are sent to the Brain or some of the Nerves of the par Vagum being hurt by the tumultuous approach of the Animal Spirits extending and twitching the Nerves causes the Brain immediately to be affected by consent 10. If it be from the extream parts it is known by certain Vapours or thin and subtle matter creeping upwards by degrees suppose in the Foot the Sick is sensible of the fit before it comes and a certain Vapour resembling almost as it were a Living thing creeps upwards by degrees first from the Toes thorough the whole Foot then from the Heel to the Ankle and by degrees creeps up to the Calf of the Leg then to the Knee afterwards to the Thigh Hip whole Side up the Shoulder by which the whole Arm and Hand is immediately affected and siezed from thence to the Neck drawing it a little aside Lastly the Head where it siezes the Brain and the original of the Nerves upon which the Sick immediately falls down with a great shreiking and crying out and for the most part toward the end of the fit with a foaming at the Mouth 11. Now in this Case when the Disease proceeds from the extream parts as is aforesaid the Sick is perfectly sensible of its first approach and feels it as perfectly to creep upwards by degrees as if he should put his Foot into cold Water and so shove it into the water deeper and deeper gradually whereby the Water rises higher and higher upon the part in such manner in all respects and with like coldness as the coldness of the water does the fit begin and take its progress to the Brain insomuch that he can tell you of its coming and how gradually it proceeds and talk rationally with you even till the cold Vapour siezes the Brain it self which will be about the time that you can leisurely tell a hundred or more 12. If the Disease be mild all the foregoing signs which we have ennumerated are not seen in the sick at once but sometimes one somtimes another and many times at the end of the fit there is no foaming at the Mouth 13. If it be strong and vehement the most vehement signs will be present and almost all of them besides the falling and divers motions of the Body there will be a staring and thrusting forth of the Eyes a great difficulty of Breathing a strong Convulsion of the parts especially on one side with a certain foaming at the Mouth 14. And it may be known whether it comes from the right or left side of the Head by this that on that side the Head will be more dull with a kind of obtuse pain there will also a noise be on the same side with a kind of thickness of hearing and the Eye on that side will be more dark and obscurer than the Eye on the other side 15. That which is Periodical comes commonly at the New or Full Moon or at the Quarters or twice or four times a year so that by observation the sick can certainly tell when the Fit will be 16. If it be Irregular it comes twice or thrice a day or oftner somtimes two or three times a Week but what time soever it comes the intervals between each Paroxysm are always unequal so that when the fit comes upon the Patient it is as it were by surprise 17. If it be Hereditary it is known by the Father and Mother and their Generations before them being Epileptical 18. If it comes not from Hereditary Parents it is always Accidental 19. That which is in Infants commonly makes them black in the Face like a Man that is Hang'd and the blood settled but that which happens to Age causes not such discrepancy in the colour of the Countenance 20. Hitherto of the signs of a perfect and present Epilepsy but there are other signs shewing an approaching Epilepsy or an Epilepsy to come in respect of the Animal Functions there is an accustomed trouble and disturbance of Mind dullness and heaviness of the Head Headach Vertigo desire of much Sleeping troublesom Dreams dullness of Mind fear trembling sorrow perplexity forgetfulness sloth heaviness of moving a deprivation of the Senses a cloudiness in the Eyes noise in the Ears heaviness or dullness of hearing stinking of the Nostrils unnatural Sneezing Yawnings c. 21. The vital Functions are also hurt the beating of the Pulse is unequal or irregular scarce at all to be felt at one time and at another time beating with extream vigour and vehemency there is also difficulty of Breathing shortness of Breath and an inclination to Anger upon triffles or no occasion 22. In respect of the natural Functions there is either a nauseating or loathing of Meat indigestion Heart-burning or pain of the Stomach or there is an immoderate hunger so that the Sick thinks he could devour all things he spits much his Urine is thin and crude there is paleness of Face swelling at the Brest and Stomach as if the party would burst and an indisposition to stir and move as if idleness or sloath had siezed the person 23. These are all of them signs
which she drank also for five or six days or more 9. But the things which compleated and perfected the Cure was this composition following Take powers of Juniper-berries four ounces Ens Veneris half an ounce water of Hydropiper enough to dissolve the salt mix them well together by shaking of this she constantly took a quarter of a spoonful in a glass of Wine morning noon and night and somtimes oftner for about fourteen days together in which time she confessed her self to be perfectly restored to her former health But one thing is to be noted that through the whole course of this Cure in any kind of extremity especially if it was Vehement we had recourse to Opiates among which my Guttae Vitae were chief and which she took from twenty five drops to forty as the vehemency or necessity required and several nights she took them about two or three hours after the taking of the Compositum of powers of Juniper-berries purely out of fear and for rest sake 10. While she took this last Juniperine Medicament she was observed constantly to avoid a great quantity of slime viscous filth and sand or gravel the gravel was in quantity near a pint with which she voided some little stones about the bigness of small pease which in a little time after crumbled into sand also However after her amendment she continued the use of the same Medicine for five or six weeks longer by the use of which she became so absolutly freed from her Disease of the stone that to this day and it is now about three years since she has not had the least symptom of its return VII Convulsion fits in the same Lady arising from an Hypochondriack Melancholy and extream Rigor 1. The same Lady last discoursed of about three years after the former illness was seized upon by degrees with Hypochondriack melancholly this getting the upper hand of her brought also with it a very great Rigor which by continuation introduced Convulsion fits The coldness was not only extream but also continued long somtimes for six eight or ten yea somtimes twelve hours in so much that the sick Gentlewoman fell into them with such a dread as to believe an Impossibility of her ever coming out of them again 2. She being in the Country her Friends sent to me a relation of her condition upon which I ordered her to take the Powers of Cloves in Canary and by reason she complained of an exceeding pain and weakness at Stomach with loss of Appetite I further prescribed a Magistery of sulphur with this following pouder Take Terra sigillata one ounce Crabs claws red Coral Oriental pearls all levigated of each half a dram Elks hoofs Mans skull philosophically calciâ—ed of each half an ounce mix them dose half a dram morning and night These things did her good as to her Stomach and took away the pain and Vomiting but the Rigor coming by fits remained 3. For her Convulsions and also to take a way the Rigor I order'd the Potestates Convulsivae to be taken 30 or 40 drops at a time in Sack three or four times a day or oftner The said Potestates are thus made Take the powers of Rosemary of Lavender of each one dram powers of Sage and of Pennyroyall of each two drams spirit of Mans skull of Elks hoofs of each three drams Powers of Amber half an ounce mix them 4. Externally I ordered her Head and Stomach as also the spina dorsi to be bathed with the Potestates Nervosae twice a day viz. morning and night The said Potestates are thus made Take Powers of Angelica and of sage of each two drams powers of savin and of Juniper-berries of each three drams powers of Limons and Oranges spirit of saffron of each half an ounce mix them and bath the places aforespecified therewith 5. For a farther Corroboration of her Stomach I ordered the Elixir proprietatis to be taken some drops at a time now and than for change of Medicines sake all these things had the good effect upon her stomach but as to the Rigor and Convulsive affection they did apparently got ground upon her in so much that a Coach was ordered for me and I was forthwith hasted into the Country 6. When I came there I beheld the deplorable object in all outward appearance without hope of recovery when the Rigor fell upon her it continued so long that she always dispaired of coming out of it any more neither the warming stone bottles of hot water applied to her Sides and Feet nor hot cloths laid continually upon her Head Stomach Bowels Thighs and Legs could procure any heat in her but oftentimes the Cold would last for ten or twelve hours and if at any time it lasted but five six or seven hours it would then return twice in twenty four hours space and in the time of the Rigor it was that these Convulsive fits so numerous invaded her 7. Finding all that I had don ineffectual I was at first at a stand what to do but considering that it was an universal cold disafection of the Nerves which so extreamly afflicted her and that it was caused from a stupendious Hipochondriack Melancholy joyned with taking some external Cold I plainly saw that though inward things might be good yet that with them we should not soon enough reach the conjoyned cause so as to dissolve it before possibly it might overturn or destroy the Patient For this cause sake I forbid her the taking of any cold thing inwardly and in all her drink to drink Powers of Cloves or some drops of the Potestates Nervosae or Convulsivae and withall ordered her to take either alone or in Sack three four or six times a day spirit of Saffron which last thing she found to do her most good in respect to her Hipochondriack affection 8. But seeing we wanted the thing which was most essential in order to this Cure by reason of the extremity of the Patient the next morning early I hastned home and sent down about threescore and ten ounces of the Powers of Amber ordering the Head or Temples and Forehead with the Nostrills as also the Stomach sides hypochonders spina dorsi Thighs Legs Feets and Arms to be twice a day well bathed with the same till such time as they either found help or that the whole quantity was used It is a neat Medicine for it neither greases as Oyl nor continues wet as water but momentarily drinks into the flesh so that it could not be nauseous to the most queasy Stomach By the time that the whole quantity was spent the Patient thanks be to God for so great a mercy became perfectly well to the great satisfaction of her afflicted Relations 9. It is wonderful how suddenly and how admirably the External use of the powers of Amber did not only dissolve that extream Rigor but also perfectly remove the Convulsive fits performing outwardly what no actual external heat could do for hereby momentarily
are wont to be sad and melancholick 3. Wherefore without the Help of the Caballine Fountain and the double topped or forked Parnassus only by the Assistance of Bacchus I am suddenly become a Poet and having drunk off his Cup thus he sung WHen Wine I drink all Cares do sleep No Harm I think nought makes me weep Then drink we Wine sweet Blood of Grapes Let 's cease to whine and ioy like Apes 4. The other being excellently read in Philosophy envying his Companion the Poet began thus to speak Many Commodities attend himi that loves Wine for Wine strengthens the Body helps the Digestion and Distribution of the Humours moves Urine and Sweat breeds Blood purifies the Spirits cherishes and refreshes them is of a very speedy Nutriment tempers the Humour makes men confident provokes the innate or inbred Heat causes Fruitfulness in Women is very like unto us and friendly to Nature repairing our decayed Forces tempering the Labours of old men the only Help against cold Diseases it causes Sleep breaks the Acrimony of bitter Choler drives away Sorrow makes the Mind cheerful resists all Poyson according to the Mind of all Authors 5. Lastly there is no Meat so sweet because it serves both for Food and Physick For it exceedingly helps swooning Persons and feeble in a word it makes the Faculties almost dead to revive again especially since with moderate though not with obscure Sweetness it sends from it self a most fragrant Odour wherefore prize Wine for its admirable Effects and for that every four-footed Creature is extreamly delighted therewith also Serpents themselves Swine Crows Bears Apes Elephants when Occasion is offered do exceedingly covet Wine as Pliny tells us Lib. 10. Cap. 72. 6. Whereupon having taken off his Cup thus he begane to sing with an audible and clear Voice WIne in my Crown all Cares doth drown I am rich and wise in mine own Eyes and Kings despise When Sprights of Wine themselves in twine With my sweet Spirit then I inherit Great Craesus's Wealth Wit Valor Health And All is mine by Force of Wine 7. I being tired out with so many words suddenly getting out of their hands who all this while kept me a Prisoner going up the stairs I visited my Patient and enquiring more particularly concerning his Condition I spent about half an hour coming down and devising hâ—â— to depart from that place without being seen again by them I find my Students as it were buried in Wine I feel their Pulses in one I and one in the other a very obscure one the former stept his last Sleep the latter being taken with a Convulsion many things being applied with much ado recovered 8. Wherefore true it is that of Hippocrates and Galen that from Drunkenness proceeds Speechlessness Convulsion Apoplexy Palsy dead Sleeps Stupefactions Falling-Sickness and other mortal Maladies but these are not the Faults of Wine simply considered but of over much Wine Zacutus Lusitanus Lib. 3. Obser 122. L. A Convulsion in a middle-aged Woman 1 The Wife of a certain Country-man about the age of forty was afflicted with a grievous Convulsion of the hands together with an intollerable pain in the rest of the Joynts yet without any Cramp 2. There was also the beginning of an Epilepsy and her Urine was pale and muddy for which Causes the cure was thus instituted by me Take of the water of Tile-flowers six ounâ—â—â— of Senna laxative one dram and half mix them 3. As for drink let it be Sage and Hysop-Wine the third day after Purgation she did wash in a Decoction of Cammomil Juniper-Berries Mugwort these things being administred she grew perfectly well within a few days Martinus Rulandus Cur. 21. Cent. 7. LI. A Convulsion in a middle-aged Man 1. A noble Polander about the Age of thirty was miserably afflicted with a Convulsion only in one Arm Hand and the Fingers of that Hand my Counsel was desired towards the subduing of this Distemper 2. I becuse he did affirm he was sound in all other parts and did appear also to be so did repel or remove this Disease in three weeks time by the following Bath and Ointment 3. Take Mallows Lillies Daffodil of each six ounces Sage-Leaves three handfuls Wormwood Origanum of each two handfuls Flowers of Cammomil Melilot and Stechas of each two handfuls and a half Line-seed Faenugreek of each one pound Boyl them all in a sufficient quantity of water for a Bath in which he is to fit before and after Noon 4. After he has used the Bath let the Neck Back-bone and all the Places afflicted with the Cramp be anointed with this Ointment Take Oyl of Violets three ounces of Lillies two ounces of sweet Almonds of Mastick of Roses of each one ounce mix them for an Ointment By these two Remedies only no other being tryed he recovered his former Health Martinus Rulandus Cur. 85. Cent. 8. LII A Convulsion in a Man grown into years 1. A certain Husband-man above four and fifty years of age did suffer under one of his Knees a Retorsion and Contraction with a pain of the Nerves insomuch that he was lame and could not stretch out his Foot he contracted all these Evills by a kick of a Horse but within a very short while he was cured by the following Medicines thus prepared 2. Take the Flowers of Cammomil Sage and Juniper-Berries of each ten handfuls they were boyled in a sufficient quantity of water for a Bath and he sat therein Morning and Evening 3. After the Bath the affected Ham under the Knee was well anointed with this Ointment Take grease of a Badger and of a Fox of each three ounces Oyl of Mastick two ounces Oyl of Spike one ounce Vinegar three drams over a fire they were well mixed for an Ointment by the use of which he could in the space of ten days stretch out his Knee Leg and Foot and could either stand or walk as he pleased Rulandus Cur. 92. Cent. 8. LIII A Convulsion of the Hands 1. A certain Nun had a Contraction of the Nerves of her Hands which within a few days I restored by the following things Take for a Purge the Pounder of Senna laxative one ounce Sugar one ounce the distilled Water of Carduus Benedictus one pound and half they were macerated a whole night in a warm place for an Infusion which being thrice strained was taken in the Morning and two hours before Supper 2. Take for a sweating-Bath Rue Wormwood Penny-royal Hore-bound Marjoram Origanum Sage Calamint Hyssop Centaury the lesser of each three handfuls Juniper-Berries five handfuls Flowers of Camomil four handfuls Sulphur one ounce Salt three ounces let them be mixed and boyled in a strong Lye as much as is fit in which Stones red hot is to be put This sick Sister did use the same Morning and Evening 3. After Evening bathing the convulsed hands were anointed with the following Ointment Take Foxes grease four ounces Badgers grease two ounces Mastick three drams
other preparations and to compound variously some with the others and to administer them diversly 68. It is not improbable that those kind of Medicines which are wont to be helpful to such as are bitten by a Viper or mad-dog or that have taken Wolfs-bane or poyson may be useful also in the aforesaid Convulsions 69. It may be lawful here according to the Example of Gregorius Horstius in his Tract of the malignant convulsive Disease and also of wonderful Convulsions to prescribe magisterial remedies in the form of a purging Electuary and also of a powder and convulsive antidote and to compound them variously partly of simple Alexipharimicks or Poyson resisters and partly of antepileptick Willis de Covulsivis cap. 9. Observ 4. LXII A Convulsion from a continual Feaver 1. An Illustrious Virgin about the age of fourteen fell into a Feaver with a signal diminution of strength and fear of the Measels which in the year 1614 were very epidemical after which a Palsie of some parts and grievous Convulsions the principal Faculties not being hurt 2. Medicines were used for easing the Belly then such as resist rottenness and by the benefit of sweat and occult transpiration move the peccant matter from the center to the circumference 3. First we applied this Clyster Take Marsh-mallows white Lillies of each three drams 〈◊〉 the leaves of Mallows Marsh-mallows Herb Mercury Beares-Breech Violets of each half an handful flowers of Cammomil Melilot one pugil Line-seed Faenugreek of each two scruples fat Figgs number eight boyl them all in a sufficient quantity of water take nine ounces of the Colature the flowers of Cassia six drams Electuarium Diaphaenicon two drams Oyl of Chammomil Honey of Roses strained of each one ounce common Salt two scruples 4. When this was used the Belly was well purged but the excrements were not very much altered because the digestive faculty was very much weakned 5. Afterwards we endeavoured to purge by exhibiting the Bezoar stone seven grains of which we prescribed with the water of Carduus Benedictus upon which because of the weakness of nature there was not any sweat yet there appeared some signs of the measels 6. And that nature might be helped in expelling we prescribed this following expulsive drink Take Terra sigillata half a draw the Bezoar-stone six grains Fumetory water two ounces and half the Vinegar of Elder two drams mix them and make a draught 7. After the use of this the Measels did more and more appear but they were few in number of whittish colour and a little resembling the colour of Blew which is rather the sign of a dying than of an expelling Nature 8. Her Feaver notwithstanding was continued and about the Evening for the most part outragious therefore because of her great vehement thirst we prescribed her a Decoction of the roots of Succorie and a Julep of the waters of Borage Sorrel and Fumitory mixed with syrup of Sorrel and Citrons 9. Within a few days a Paralytick weakness seised the right side as well as the Arms and Feet which was not continual in those parts but somtimes in one and somtimes in another place 10. This Paralytick distemper I take not to be a true Palsy but a bastard one much like to that which comes upon acute Feavers though but seldom where the malignity is not perfectly discussed by the musculous habit this symptom must be helped and followed with external Medicines Sudorificks and such things as resist its malignity 11. We did predict this Disease to be very difficult because it seem'd to take its original from the Malignant matter not perfectly expelled 12. While we did thus stick betwixt hope and fear we did again help nature because of the sluggishness of the Belly with a lenitive infusion and we did study to Evacuate the peccant matter by exhibiting a draught of the following Laxative Wine 13. Take the Leaves of choice Sena half an ounce Rubarb one dram and half Agarick two drams Roots of Succory Liquorish of each five drams the Flowers of Peaches six drams Borage one pugil and half the Seeds of Anis and Fennel of each one dram Mace and Galangal of each two scruples being cut and bruised infuse them for the space of four and twenty hours in half a measure of mild Wine 14. By this she had three stools and appeared to be much better nature being in some measure eased of that burthen with which formally it was oppressed because of the obstruction of the Belly there continued still a weakness of the extream parts upon which followed a Convulsion whereby not only all the Back-bone with the Vertebrae of the Neck the Brain and Organs of the external Senses remaining unhurt but the Arms also Hands and Feet were variously convulsed not without great pain to the sick and the commiseration of the By-standers 15. Although this Evil was fierce and outragious enough yet so great was the strength of nature that it did drive away the malignity from the fountain of the animal Faculty to wit the Brain to the back-bone and extream parts 16. We thought fit therefore to order this following Liniment for the back-bone to be used the first night Take Oyl of Cammomil half an ounce of Earth-Worms of Rue of each six drams Nutmeg by Expression half a dram mix them 17 We then exhibited a gentle Extension to the convulsed parts and a Fomentation of the precious Apoplectick Water distilled with Castoreum and mixed with the Water of Swallows by which Fomentation and Aspertion the Paroxisms oft-times were remitted to a miracle 18. But we thought it necessary to continue still anointing of the back-bone with yet a stronger Liniment Take the Oyl of sweet Almonds of Foxes of each one ounce Castoreum three drams the Flowers of Cammomil Rosemary and Marjoram of each one pugil the Apoplectick Water with Castoreum two ounces boyl them over a gentle fire to the consumption of the water strain and then add one dram and half of the Oyl of Turpentine mix them 19. In the mean time we did not neglect to exhibit Corroboratives such as restaurative broaths of the Gravey of Meat or Flesh and Rouls and Morsels proper for the Head and Heart 20. A Confection of Rouls was after this mannner Take Species Diambrae Diarrhodon Abbatis of each half a scruple white Amber praepared one scruple Pearls praepared half a dram Oyl of Nutmeg distilled five drops Sugar dissolved in Tile-flowers two ounces make a Confection in Rouls 21. Afterwards we granted Morsels for the Heart because of her feaverish heat they were such as were made of the Juice and Peels of Citrons a small quantity of Pearls prepared being added and a little Sugar dissolved in a sufficient quantity of Rose-Water 22. The fierceness of the symptoms being yet not very much abated for the further Dissipation of the malignant matter and the strengthning of the Nerves we ordered the following Cataplasm for the back-bone 23. Take Line-seed and Faenugreck of each
and Daffodil of each four ounces the fat or blood of a Swallow two ounces the fat of a roasted Eel two ounces Bdellium dissolved in the Vinegar of squills half an ounce Liquid Styrax one ounce Earth-worms well bruised four ounces Castoreum two drams red Styrax three drams Honey of Anacardiums half an ounce or old Treacle one ounce with a sufficient quantity of Wax make an Oyntment 11. If the Members be hard and distended because of the cold humors they are to be cured with hot remedies which are such as the Oyntments of Marsh-mallows Oesypus Emplaister of Melilot if dissolved in the Oyl of Lillies or in the Oyl of Line-seed or in the Oyl of Sesa-men Petrus Forestus lib. 10. Observ 114. LXXXII A Convulsion from a distemper in the Womb. 1. A certain Virgin by reason of the corruption of her seed fell into Convulsions of her whole Body to whom being called I held to her Nostrills Assa Faetida Castoreum and the like 2. Afterward applying to her Navel the following Emplaster Take Emplastrum contra matricem spread it upon Leather about the bredth of a Crown and that it may stick the better spread Galbanum round the edges thereof 3. I gave her also the following powder in a spoonful or two of beer not Wine it being hurtful to the Brain Nerves and Womb especially when the Womb is afflicted with any suffocation 4. Take the seeds of Daucus and Master-wort or in the place of seeds if they cannot be had take the root the root of Gentian of each one scruple make a subtle powder to be divided into two parts and to be taken as above-said Petrus Forestus lib. 10 Observ 115. LXXXIII A Convulsion from the Womb and by eating of Mushrooms 1. A certain Maid living in the Hague from a suffocation of the Womb fell into most horrible convulsive fits insomuch that the Mandible being convulsed her Mouth was shut very close and her Head was pulled backwards whilst she was in the Paroxysm he Eyes were convulsed as also her Hands and Feet 2. Another Physician did make for her oderiferous nodules to be held in the Womb as also odorificks for the Nostrils and did apply Cupping-glasses to the huckle-bone 3. These availing little or nothing we proposed opening of a vein which being done even to admiration the symptoms were abated 4. Afterwards a decoction was prepared of Cephalick herbs and such as were proper for the Womb and Nerves as the following Take Sage Cowslips Betony Mugwort Fetherfew Staechas the leaves of Senna Agarick Ani-seeds and a little Ginger boyl in water and make a decoction When she had taken twice of the decoction she was purged enough and grew presently well 5. Ex scholio ejusdem This digestive syrup is good because of the Mushrooms Take syrup of Fether few of Betony of Hysop of each half an ounce the water of Origanum Hysop Fennel of each two ounces mix them 6. Take Agarick trochiscated Oxymel of squills two drams Electuarium Eleschoph Diacarthamum of each two drams and half with the Decoction of Hysop Origanum Penny-royal of each a sufficient quantity mix them and make a Catharâ—ick potion by this she grew well 7. Afterwards I advised her to take for three days one after another fasting one dram of Treacle in a glass of generous wine Perus Forestus lib. 10. Observ 116. LXXXIV A Convulsion arising from the pricking of a Nerve 1. A young Man with a pen-knif accidentally pricked one of the Nerves in the top of his Finger an unskilful Chyrurgeon coming to him applyed a Medicine which presently closed up the Wound upon which a pain arose which with a light Convulsion creeping up his Arm greatly afflicting him 2. Another Chyrurgeon was sent for who immediately applyed an Anodyn made of the Crummes of white Bread with Saffron and the yolks of Eggs raw by which the pain was somwhat abated 3. My advice being also asked I ordered the Surgeon to keep the Wound open and that he would add to his own Cataplasm Earth-worms alive and washed well in Wine 4. And for his Convulsion that he would anoint the whole Arm as well as the Finger with the Oyl of Earth-worms and then apply the Oyl of Turpentine to the Wound if there was occasion by these he grew well Petrus Forestus lib. 10. Observ 119. LXXXV A Convulsion from a Wound in the Throat 1. A Baker in Delf being wounded by a shot in that part of the nape of the Neck declining to the seventh Spondula there grew a kernel which grievously afflicted both Neck and Throat going from the hinder to the fore-part under the Chin. 2. When at any time he drank or took any liquid supping meat it went out by the wound unless the wound was stopped hard and compressed by a Cloth the Nerve about the seventh Vertebra being broken it leading to the Hand his whole left Hand was taken with a Palsy 3. About the seventh day after this disaster he was taken with a Convulsion of his Shoulders the left Arm and Fingers there was also a Contraction of the left Ey 4. My Advice being desired I ordered because he was costive the following suppository Take pil Hierae picrae two scruples the powder of Alhandal trochiscated half a scruple with a sufficient quantity of Honey and a little Salt make a Suppository 5. Having taken this he went to stool but his Excrements were hard and black as if they contained coagulated Blood 6. The Blood coming from the wound and falling down on the Stomach some portion thereof descended to the Intestines if much had fallen it would have caused putrefaction and then a Feaver 7. Although he had no Feaver yet his Urine was not without some Tincture he had a Thirst therefore for cleansing of the wound and cure of his thirst I ordered him the following Syrups 8. Take Syrup of Lemons two ounces Syrup of the Infusion of Roses one ounce and half mix them and let them be taken often 9. And because his Excrement was hard after the suppository I gave him the same day one ounce of fresh Cassia in posset-drink which having taken gave him two stools 10. For his Throat and light Cough I gave him the following Lohoch which he was always to lick Take syrup of Violets syrup of the infusion of Roses of each one ounce Sugar peneds half an ounce make a Lambitive which use with a liquirish-stick 11. At Night because he lay always upon his Reins we caused his Loyns near the Reins to be anointed with the Oyl of Roses and because of the Convulsion and resolution the Chyrurgeon by our Direction anointed the Back-bone and nape with the Oyl of Earth-worms to which was added the Oyl of Hypericon 12. His Belly being yet hard we prescribed the retaking of the above named Suppository 13. Twice a day his wound was dressed and in the hinder part of the Nape a Tent was put but not in the forepart although the wound reached thither 14.
the Oyl of Salt and so was cured Paracelsus SCHOLIA The THEORY of CONVULSIONS By the Author W. Salmon CVIII The Pathology of Convulsions and first of the Notation thereof 1. The Names It is called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin Convulsio in English a Convulsion or Retraction 2. The Definition Convulsio Nervorum Musculorum versus suum Caput Originemque violenta praeter Voluntatem contractio est in qua voluntaria Extensio Articulorum laeditur Membrum à Figura naturali detorquetur acerbissimoque dolore afficitur A Convulsion is a forced Contraction of the Nerves and Muscles towards their Original viz. the Brain and spinal Marrow wherein the voluntary Motion of the Joynts is hurt its natural Form and Scituation is depraved or changed and the Parts affected are afflicted with a most sharp Pain 3. The Kinds or Differences First the Kinds of Convulsions are chiefly four First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emprosthotonos which is when the whole Body is bended or drawn forwards Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Opisthotonos which is when the whole Body is convulsed or drawn backwards Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tetanos which is when the Convulsion is equally both ways so that the whole Body is stiff like a Stake that it cannot be moved any ways Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spasmos a Convulsion which only happens to a particular Part as the Hand Arms Leggs Thighs Hips Bowels Stomach Neck c. Secondly the Differences are known from the Causes and Parts afflicted and so a Convulsion is either Vniversal afflicting the whole Body and arising from the Brain and spinal Marrow of which kind are the three first aforenamed Or Particular afflicting some Part as the Ey Mouth Arm Legg c. arising from a particular Nerve hurt of which kind is the fourth Species aforenamed Thirdly Some Authors make a Convulsion to be but two-fold arising from opposite or contrary Causes as Fulness and Emptiness Fourthly Riverius make a Convulsion to be either proper or improper The Proper is that which agrees with the prime Definition at § 2. above The Improper saith he Is a convulsive Motion and they are thus distinguished In a true Convulsion the Retraction of the Muscles is always but in a convulsive Motion the Retraction is continually renewed moreover in a true Convulsion the convulsed Part is immoveable but in a convulsive Motion the chief of which is the Epilepsy it may be moved divers ways CIX The Signs of a Convulsion 1. The Diagnosis of a Convulsion is manifest from the Definition aforegoing and the Signs are easily learned for in a true Convulsion the Nerves and Muscles are contracted stiff and immoveable the Part afflicted is distorted and drawn out of its natural Shape and afflicted with a most exquisite Pain 2. The kind of the Convulsion is known from the manner of Retraction whether it be forwards or backwards or both ways 3. A Spasm or particular Convulsion is known from a forceable drawing up the Nerves and Muscles of the Part afflicted as it sometimes falls out under the Chin by excessive yawning In the Neck through Cold or some sudden Motion so likewise in the Mouth Eyes Hands Arms Fingers Thighs Legs and Feet and sometimes there are remarkable Convulsions of the Stomach Guts Mesentery and other internal Parts 4. If there be a Convulsion of the Stomach it is known by exquisite Pain Vomiting and somtimes by Fainting away and Swooning 5. If there be a Convulsion of the Guts it is known by the exquisite pain great tumbling of the Guts and hardness of the Belly and the sick by reason of the torture is almost ready to go distracted 6. If there be a Convulsion of the Nerves of the Mesentery or Diaphragma the Pain is more dull there is a rising of somthing as it were out of the Belly into the Stomack great hard and round much like as in those which they call Fits of the Mother which at length by reason of its Prevalency and Force takes away the Senses of the sick so as that they neither see hear or understand any thing CX The various Causes of a Convulsion 1. The Causes of a Convulsion whether they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proegoumenine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procatartick are manifold and various the more frequent Cause is from an Irritation of the Brain pouring forth the Spirits into the Nerves which arises for the most part by consent from other Parts and those somtimes far distant from the Brain as in a prick of a Nerve or Tendon a vehement blow upon any part causing a concussion of the animal Spirits and putting them into disorder and confusion the biting of a Serpent or Viper or other poysonous Beast The hurting of the Nerves or Tendons with a poysonous Weapon which seizing upon the animal Spirits presently corrupts and poysons them whence arises immediately universal Convulsions over the whole Body 2. The Cause of an universal Convulsion is for the most part from a hurt of the nervous System together also with the Brain it self from whence it is that a Tetanos is always accounted the most dangerous because it arises from a compleat hurt of the animal Spirits both in the Brain and nervous System whereas an Emprosthotonos and an Opisthotonos are caused from a hurt of the animal Spirits either in the Brain alone or in the nervous System according to the Scituation 3. And therefore an Emprosthotonos is when the Body with the Head and Neck are forceably contracted and drawn forwards so that the Chin is joyned to the Breast and the Body is in some measure turned round not much unlike to the Keel of a Ship yea somtimes bended like a Bow and somtimes round somtimes the Head of the Patient is joyned to his Knees and that is caused from the Affection of two Muscles which bend the Head forwards 4. An Opisthotonos is caused by a disaffection of the twelve Muscles which extend the Head some or all of them being drawn together by which means the Head and Body are drawn backwards 5. A Tetanos is caused from an equal contraction of the Muscles both before and behind whereby the Parts drawn by the opposite Muscles being as it were ballanced they remain stiff and inflexable which is called Motus Tonicus and is the most violent of all Convulsions being caused from the contension or disaffection of all the Muscles 6. A Spasmos simply so called is a particular Convulsion caused by the contraction of the Nerves and Muscles of some particular Part which are ordained for its Motion from the Effects or Symptoms of which it somtimes has a peculiar Name 7. So the Convulsion of the Muscles which move the Eye is called Strabismus A Convulsion of the Muscles of the Jaws and Temples is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismos the Convulsion of the Mouth which is caused by a contraction of the Musculus latus on the one side is called Spasmos Cynicus a
nature would contribute something as to adding strength to it 7. Now to effect that intention We applyed that most admirable Emplaster of Mynsicht viz. his Diagalbano Crocatum a Medicament never sufficiently to be commended by the application whereof our feeble Patient in two or three months time was perfectly restored to my great Credit and the exceeding satisfaction of his indulgent Parents II. A Contracture of the Arm in an old Water-man in Southwark 1. This old Man aged about seventy for the space of seven or eight year had lost the use of his left Arm by reason of a Contracture so that he could not in any wise attend his Calling the poor old Man desired my help which I granted and performed the Cure as followeth 2. First I bathed the Contracture very well with the Spirit of Aniseeds then I caused it to be anointed with Oleum Nervinum after which I applyed Emplastrum de minio simplex made with Vinegar and Oyl without Wax it was boyled and taken off whilst it was red a little before it was going to turn black 3. In this Cloths was dipt and applyed to his Arm and about six or seven of these plasters or Sear-cloths performed the Cure 4. The poor old Man was able to give me nothing for my Cure but only gave me of his own free will a bottle of Sack However not long after as a further token of his graâ—â—ful spirit he helped me to a better Patient from whom I Received about fifteen or sixteen pound III. A Contraction in the left Ham in a certain Virgin 1. It was occasioned through a fall and a hurt in the part or parts adjacent being ill cured the Contracture was new but by reason the joint was great as also the parts contracted I was the more dubious of the Cure however being encouraged by the Friends of the party affected 2. I applyed the following things with success beyond Imagination first I caused the part affected to be very well bathed with the Spirit of Aniseeds then I anointed it very well with the expressed Oyl of Mace after which we applied for forty days together or more the Cataplasmum de stercore humano the praeparation of which you may see in our Doron lib. 3. cap. 7. sect 9. 3. The Cure succeeded much contrary to my expectation For the Patient could walk without Crutches or so much as halting 4. The like Cure I performed in a Child using only the same Medicaments IV. A Contracture in the Ham with a lameness of both the Ankles 1. This being a Youth about fifteen or fixteen years of age had this disaffection upon him by reason of a fall first I bathed all the weakned and disaffected parts with the Spirit of Aniseeds afterwards with the Powers of Amber 2. Immediately after I anointed with Oyl of Mace by expression after which I applied Emplastrum diasulphuris Rulandi by which my Patient seemed to be cured save only a weakness remained upon the parts lately disaffected 3. After the application of the Emplaster about eight or nine weeks it being renewed once in three days I caused the said weakned parts to be bathed with a strong tincture of Myrrh made with the best rectifyed spirit of Wine whereby the sick in a short time became perfectly well V. A Contraction Incurable 1. A young Man about seventeen or eighteen years of age was taken with the Sciatica by which he was vehemently afflicted this Disease either by nature or the Artifice of Empericks degenerated and the matter was translated into an Apostem on the outside of the Thigh which being opened a great quantity of corruption came out 2. But by the ill-management of the cure or unskillfulness of the Chyrurgion the Apostem fistulated and made Coney-borroughs as it were thorugh the whole Thigh which afterwards by another hand was Cut up and the bone laid open to be scaled being black and corrupted in many places 3. After two years time the Patient was in a sort cured leaving only a great Contraction of the Ham and one runing Fistula-sore which was no great trouble to him yet this evill Effect it had that thereby the whole Humidum Radicale was drained away the sick dying in a miserable Consumption 4. In his Life-time almost a thousand things were applyed to restore the contracted Hand but all in vain 5. Being dead I was desirous to see the contracted Tendon which being laid open and freed from the rest of the flesh and Vessels it had contracted not a Gristley but a kind of Boney hardness to the great Admiration of the Spectators this hardness by degrees decreased till it left the Nerve in its own natural state VI. A Contraction of the Fingers cured by a Woman Emperick 1. She first anointed the contracted parts with the Oyl of Cammomil which being don for two or three days she caused the Patient to hold her Hands in a hot Cows-Paunch for an hour or two which was five or six several times repeated 2. In the Intervalls of which and afterwards she only applyed this following Cataplasm Take Oleum Nervinum one ounce Oyl of Cammomil Oyl of Euphorbium of each half an ounce fresh Cow-dung half a pound mix them well together and apply them to the part affected 3. By the use of these meanes the Patient was in about five or six weeks restored again to perfect health VII A Contraction of the In-step with a scrophulous Tumor 1. This was supposed at first to come through a strain but whatever the cause there was a great flux of ill-digested humors to the part afflicted whereby followed a Contraction of the In-step with a great Tumor thereof and in the Ankle and indeed a swelling of the whole Foot Insomuch that the Patient a Youth about ten or eleven years of age could not go and was forced to keep his bed for many weeks together 2. Many things were used to resolve the Tumor and great Discussives were applied but all in vain at length we applied things to ripen it and to bring it to a Suppuration which in convenient time was done 3. The Tumor ran at first a great deal of thin matter afterwards the Sanies run more thick being broke we applied this following Cataplasm 4 Take Venice Turpentine two ounces Oyl of Roses one ounce Yolks of Eggs number two with Bean-Meal a sufficient quantity make a Cataplasm which apply 5. The Tumor seemed cavernous or hollow whereupon we cast thereinto with a Syringe this following Injection Take plantain-Water a pint Salt of Vitriol two drams Saccharum Saturni half a dram Tincture of Aloes made of white Wine one ounce and half Infusion of Crocus mutallorum Spirit of Wine of each two ounces mix and make an Injection to be cast in warm twice a day 6. The Tumor Lameness and Sore continued more than a year upon him Insomuch that the Friends of the Person were advised by several Chyrurgions to have it laid open 7. But by reason of the
place or scituation of the malady and the great number of the Vessels with which those Parts are stored as Veins Arteries Nerves-Limphaticks together with Ligaments and Tendons I told them my opinion That it could not be safely done but with apparent dangers and that unless he had a very skillful Chyrurgion indeed and if such yet he could assure them nothing he might endanger the cutting of some of the principal Vessels whereby he should be made certainly lame without any hope of Recovery whereas now whilst there was nothing hurâ— they might live in hopes of a perfect Cure 8. By my persuasions they desisted from the Chyrurgeons advice with a resolution only of following my Counsel Hereupon because it was in a depending part I ordered the sick to keep his bed for ten or twelve weeks or more applying the foresaid things casting in the aforesaid Injection and putting into the Cavitie tents dipt in Vnguentum Nicotianae swathing also up the parts above the Ankle 9. In the mean season we instituted this following Diet with which he was purged for twenty or thirty days or more together 10. Take new Ale three gallons choice Sena eight ounces Juniper-berries well bruised four ounces Caraway-seeds Ginger Coriander-seeds of each one ounce all well bruised Sal Prunellae bruised one ounce and half Sassafras rasped round Birthwort roots of each three ounces put all into a Bagg with a stone in it and let them work up with Ale of which when the working was over the Patient drank every day half a pint more or less as he found it to operate by which he became very well cleansed and the morbifick matter of the Scrofula was throughly carried off 11. This quantity of Diet was four times repeated and although the Disease was rebellious and long yet by the use and application of the above-named things in about a years space the Cure was compleatly performed 12. However by reason of the long disaffection of the part the whole Tumor did not vanish and such weakness was contracted that he could not go for many Months without Crutches 13. For the more perfect Resolution of the Tumor and Strengthening of the weakned parts and also to prevent a new Generation of the morbifick matter I ordered first a Repetion once more of the former Diet secondly the application of the following Emplaster Take Honey two ounces Mithridate four ounces Aloes in fine Pouder one ounce and half red Myrrh three ounces being in Pouder and dissolved or made soft with rectified Spirit of Wine mix them well together and spread them on Leather and apply them letting it lye for a week or more as you shall see Occasion 14. By the use of these last things in a short time he could not only go without Crutches but stoutly walk many miles in a day A like Cure not much differing from this I performed in a young Maiden of about fourteen years of age and almost in all respects with the same things VIII A Contraction in both Hands and Arms. 1. A young Man about thirty years of age having taken a very great Cold had universal Pains seized him running over his whole Body from Head to Foot at last they took up their station in his Hands and Arms with which he was vehemently afflicted night and day for a long time together 2. He had been under the hands of very many as well learned Physicians as Empericks But all their applications proved unsucessful at length I was sent for and I found that by unskilful practice the Patient had been miserably abused and that there was a great Contraction in both Hands and both Arms. 3 The Cure seemed difficult so that I was loth to attempt any thing therein However by perswasion I was wrought upon to make tryal what could be done In the first place I gave him a Dose of our Royal Pouder the praeparation of which you may see in our Doron in its proper place this was repeated four times Afterwards I sweat him with this following Take Venice Treacle Electuarium de Ovo of each half a dram Bezoar Mineral sixteen grains mix them and let the Patient swallow it 4. Immediately after which I gave this Take Spirit of Angelica the Greater Composition Treacle-Water of each half an ounce Syrup of Clove-gelly-flowers one ounce Oyl of Cinnamon one drop mix them 5. Outwardly I bathed all the afflicted parts with the Spirit of Aniseeds for two or three days Afterwards with this following Compositum Take Powers of Aniseeds Oxs-Gall of each a pint mix them together and let the Patient bath therewith Morning and Night this was done for a month or five weeks at the end of which time our Patient seemed to be perfectly restored but the sweating means was three times repeated after the same IX Another Contraction in the Arm. 1. This person by means of a fall had both a numness and Contraction so that the part seemed to be almost dead 2. I caused the part to be bathed three times a day with the Powers of Aniseeds for about twelve days afterwards with the Powers of Amber for five days which was done with great frictions or rubbing 3. Then this Cataplasm was applyed Take Pulp of Turnips baked with their skin on half a pound Oyl of Juniper-berries one ounce Orobus-meal enough to make it of the thickness of a Pultise mix them and apply it warm twice a day which was done for nine or ten days at what time the parts seemed to be in a manner restored 4. Afterwards we applyed Mynsicht his Emplastrum de Galbano Crocatum which was renewed every third or fourth day and the Patient was about two months time made perfectly well being freed both from the Contraction and numedness 5. We cured also a little Girl much in like manner afflicted having a Contraction in her Ham and Thigh occasioned by a vehement burning Feaver which came through taking cold the Medicines were the same in all respects 6. We also with the same Medicines cured a Baker who had a Contracture in his Arm but lately made through a Blow and ill application of Medicaments by an unskilful Chyrurgion X. A Contracture of one Thigh with a Fistula in the other 1. A Man about forty eight years of age who by a fall hurting of his Hipp after some few days the Pain fell from his Hips into his Thighs near the Ham wherein upon one there was a Contraction on the other an Apostem which afterwards degenerated into a Fistula 2. The Man for a long time had used much means and taken the Advice of many Physicians but all in vain somtimes he thought himself better and somtimes worse 3. However the Apostem was healed up too soon before it was throughly cleansed and fit for consolidation whereupon the icorus matter made new furrows and caused the breaking out of a sore about four Inches below the former Apostem 4. This for want of skillful looking after degenerated into a Fistula with
Mastich of each two drams gum-Juniper Galbanum dissolved in Vinegar of each half an ounce juice of Citrons one ounce and half and two drams Yellow Wax five ounces and half make an Emplaster which being spread upon linnen is to be applied to the Feet about the Heel twice a day renewing it this had a good effect 6. Here follows an Ointment for the Hands Take Mans-fat Bears and Wolves fat of each two drams Badgers fat three drams dissolve add the Oyl of Foxes two drams mix them being removed from the fire add the Oyl of Annis half a dram Oyl of Wax half an ounce By these things we did her so much good that she could stretch out her Hands take Food and walk 7. Lastly for greater strengthning we advised to the use of a Bath of the decoction of Herbs with a mixture of Mineralds the form of the Bath is thus Take Alum Sulphur Bay-berries of each one pound the Berries and tops of Juniper the leaves of Sage of each one handful bruise them all in a mortar then being put up into a bag boyl them all in water for a bath The half of this mixture is to be used for one bathing and it is to be continued for three days Thonerus lib. 2. Observ 5. XX. A Pain and Contraction of the Back 1. A Gentleman being miserably afflicted with a Pain and Contraction of the Back from a defluxion upon the Nerves was freed by the following Oyntment 2. Take Vnguentum Aregon Martiatum Agrippae of each two drams Oyl of Cammomil Oyls of Dill and Lillys of each one dram Oyls of Earthworms and of Foxes of each one dram and half Badgers-fat Mans and Foxes grease of each half a dram mix and anoint the parts with it warm Thonerus lib. 2. Observ 3. SCHOLIA The THEORY of CONTRACTURES By the Author W. Salmon XXI The Pathology of Contractures or Contractions and first of the Notation thereof 1. The Names This Disease is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contractio the Contraction or shrinking up of a part as also from the parts which are contracted which are for the most part the Nerves or Tendons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contractio Nervi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nervus contractus and from the Effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nervus corneus vel callosus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Callus Tendinum A Callous and horn-like Nerve or Tendon 2. The Definition A Contraction is a preternatural Tumor in a Muscle hardning and shrinking up a Nerve or Tendon in the same whereby the Parts adjacent are attracted to it and as it were bound up so as they cannot be stretched out 3. The Kinds or Differences Somtimes but one Nerve or Tendon is contracted Somtimes many as in a Contraction of the Wrist and other Joints where many Tendons meet It is either new and not wholly confirmed or confirmed and of a bone-like hardness It differs also according to the Scituation of the Parts in some the Contraction is in the Arm against the Elbow in others the Fingers are contracted in some the Hams are contracted in others the Toes and in some the Musculus latus which causes a wry Neck XXII The Signs of a Contracture 1. The principal Signs of a Contracture are manifest by the Definition as 1. Tumor in the Muscle 2. a hardning of the Nerve or Tendon 3. a shrinking up or shortning of the same 2. Where these three Symptoms of a Contracture happens there is also for the most part an Attraction or drawing up of the adjacent Part but this is more or less eminent according to the Magnitude of the Contraction 3. If one Tendon only be contracted the Tumor is not only the less but the Attraction almost inconsiderable but if many Tendons or Nerves be contracted the Tumor is the greater and the Attraction very manifest to the Senses 4. If the matter contracted be very hard so as that it is arived to a boney or horn-like hardness the Disease is then confirmed but this is most common where the Nerves or Tendons are very small or slender by reason of which they the more easily admit of Arefaction 5. Lastly a Contracture is known by feeling there being always an external hardness of the Part not much unlike to the streining of a Cord or Bow-string and this for the most part in the hollow or bending of the Joint XXIII Of the Causes of a Contracture 1. The Causes of a Contracture are manifold though the first and prime Cause is or can be but one to wit a deficience or cutting off of the animal Spirits and a siccasion or drying up of the neurotick Juyce and this may be somtimes caused by a Scirrhus or Node arising from the Excrements in the Muscles especially about the Tendons where many meet near the Joints as is often-times to be seen in the bending of the Elbow Wrists Ham c. wherein the Hand in the one and the Foot in the other are drawn upwards the one inwards as it were the other outwards or backward 2. It somtimes also comes to pass by a Callous in a Muscle Nerve or Tendon which may be caused from a Wound by which they were wounded wherein though they were not wholly cut in two yet by the gathering together of the lips of the Wound it contracts or shortens the body or tail of the Muscle and causes that Part into which it is inserted to be more or less bound up the which also has somtimes come to pass in a wound of the temporal Muscle wherein the Mouth was so drawn up that it would scarcely admit any thing of Food although the most liquid And in this case it is clear that there is a cutting off of the animal Spirits and while Nature is endeavouring to restore the Part whereby to entertain the Spirits in their Channels she by reason of their absence and loss of the neurotick Juyce forms only a Callous whence is the generation of a matter which perpetually obstructs the Motion and Course of the said Spirits and consequently of that softning Juyce which in part contributes to the constitution of the said Nerves and Tendons 3. There being thus a Siccation of the Muscles or the Tendons and with them somtimes the Nerves inserted into them being as it were wrinckled shrunk or bound up they become hardned and resemble a Callous so as that they cannot be extended or bent and so in what Scituation they remain in the same posture also they keep the member into which they are implanted fixt and immoveable which is either more or less contracted according to the urgency of the first Cause and these things somtimes come to pass in old Age or by reason of too much and long continued Labour which too plentifully exhausting the animal Spirits causes the Parts to become stiff and diversly crooked with a kind of horney hardness of the part as may be seen in the Hands and Fingers of such as continually use hard work or hold hard
then the part may be fomented with some of these things applyed warm as Mineral waters simple spring-water Cows milk fat broth of the head and entrails of a Sheep Calf or Kid or Water and Oyl mixed together Or Oyl and Wine which is better Or Oyl alone chiefly that of Violets or of Earth-worms 9. Or you may make the bath and fomentation with this following Decoction Take fresh roots of Althaea Bryony and Lillys of each a pound Earth-worms shell-Snails of each half a pound Mallows Violets Arrach Lettise Coleworts of each a handful Sage Ground-pine of each half a handful Aniseeds bruised four ounces Line-seed two ounces boyl them in water for a Bath to every quart of which decoction add at time of using of it Powers of Aniseeds two ounces Oyl of Tartar per deliquium one ounce mix them together for either a bath or fomentation or both as you see need requires Sulphur Baths are said to have a great vertue to mollefy and relax because nothing is fatter than Sulphur and therefore if you can meet with no natural Sulphur baths near you you may make one after this manner Take spring-water two gallons Salt of Tartar four ounces flowers of Sulphur six ounces boyl them well together for an hour and half stirring it continually being sufficiently boyled you may weaken it with a sufficient quantity of fresh warm water and so use it adding with all also at time of using of it to every quart of the liquor two ounces of the powers of Aniseeds as aforesaid 10. The Contracture being thus first bathed with the simple Spirit or Powers of Aniseeds then with some of the former Baths or fomented as aforesaid it will be then convenient if the Contracture be very strong to apply to it for some time Cataplasms which may be made according to these following forms Take pulp of Turneps white Bread of each a pound Oat-meal half a pound make it of a due consistence by adding Oyl of Earth-worms or Mans or Vipers fat or a little Nerve-Oyl mixing also therewith at time of application with every pound of the pultise half an ounce of the Oyl of Aniseeds but if the Patient be of a very hot constitution and complexion then mix therewith only two drams yet in a cold and moist habit you may encrease the proportion to six drams without any detriment such is the difference of Mens Bodies Or thus Take pulp of Turneps and of Bryony-roots of each two pounds Oat-meal well boyled with Milk to a convenient thickness of Past a pound and half Gelly of Harts-horn Gelly of Hogs feet of each a pound pouder of Orrice-root Venice Soap of each half a pound Barley flower enough to make it of a due consistence mix and make all into a Cataplasm to every pound of which add at time of using Oyl of Aniseeds from two drams to six 11. Some also make a Cataplasm of the Call Mesentery Kidney Liver Spleen or Lungs of a Hog Lamb Sheep Kid Calf c. being newly killed and the said parts or other intrails applyed to the Contracture warm which ought to be kept long on and to be often repeated the good effects of these things will be beyond expectation if the Patient be not uncurable 12. Platerus commends this Cataplasm as a very excellent thing Take fresh roots of Althea of Bryony of each two ounces of Mandrakes one ounce fresh leaves of Henbane which I have known saith he as also Mandrakes do wonders in molifying mallows of each one handful boyl them in Milk bruise them and add thereto Meal of Line-seed two ounces of Fleawort-seed Seeds of Quinces of each half an ounce Hogs and Goose-grease of each one ounce Oyl of sweet Almonds fresh Butter of each half an ounce Barberies two drams Saffron half a dram mix and make a Cataplasm This may be a good thing as the Author says but it would be much better if in stead of the Hogs or Goose-grease you add double quantities of Vipers and Mans-fat and in stead of the Oyl of Almonds and fresh Butter Balsam of Sulphur and Oyl of Earth-Worms adding also at time of using of it a small quantity of the Oyl of Aniseeds as before advised 13. Skins of Beasts newly kill'd pull'd off and applyed are excellent the Contracture being first bathed with Powers of Aniseeds then with the anisated Balsam of Sulphur Fox-skins are specially commended for the purpose and a Goose-skin with the Feathers but the Skin of a Lamb Sheep Kid Calf Bullock Ox c. are not to be despised being all of excellent use a fresh Cats-skin is also praised in this Case but above all a Dogs-hide which some say has so great a Power of resolving or relaxing as to make the contracted Muscle Nerve or Tendons too largely to extend themselves 14. The use of Baths Anointings Fomentations with the applications of Cataplasms and skins as aforesaid having been for a fit time used you may now come to the application of fit and proper Cerots or Emplasters among which the two former have few that excel mentioned at § 7. aforegoing to these you may add Emplastrum de Galbano Mynsichti and his de Galbano Crocatum both which are things of admirable use for this purpose others not without cause commend the Cerot of Ammoniacum of Forestus which he kept as a great Secret for a long time for the dissolving of any hard Tumor you may see it in our Pharmacopoeia Londinensis lately published and the Emplaster of Ammoniacum with Hemlock in my opinion is no way inferior all these Emplasters would yet be much more effectual if towards the end of their making up a proportionable quantity of Oyl of Aniseeds were added as in other Medicines we have directed A Friend of mine and a very ingenious Man a Chyrurgion mightily commended to me the use of the chymical Oyl of Wax either used alone or mixt with other things as Fat of Vipers Mans-Grease c. as a thing which had scarcely any Equal 15. If the contracted Members can be separated by manual operation being otherwise uncurable then though they be not made moveable again the which yet somtimes comes to pass nevertheless another form may be fitted for them which brings a less obstacle to the motion as if the Fingers being extended be stopt they are less prejudicial in catching hold of things than if they be contracted if the Foot remain contracted or drawn upwards being relaxed back again to the ground although by cutting though the Joint of the Knee remain fix't yet it restores the going which before was taken away 16. This we may somtimes do in some places with our Hands or by application of Instuments without cutting forcing the contracted Part down daily not with a great force but by little and little in process of time more and more relaxing the bound-up Tendons and Ligaments and that according to the nature of the Member contracted divers ways as if by reason of the Joint of
the Physicians or their formal and inconsiderable Consultations Oh how a Consultation of Doctors is magnifyed though peradventure not any two of them agreed and the casting Voice which gave the Recipe or Prescription was only a singular Oracle whose great Name and Reputation were the alone things that made it Orthodox and might peradventure have done as much perse if not more than he did in Conjunction But if the sick dies though from the male-Practice of the careless Consulters no Man is concerned nor is the Reputation of any of them hurt for that he dyed by the hands of the learned and was cast away by the Authority of a consulary Oracle in which no Man had so much as one grain of Reputation to loose Haec autem obiter 3. Two others being added to the Consultation it was thought fit either by them all or the greater or the lesser part of them to take away more Blood which was done at five times to the quantity in all of about seventy ounces or more by which the poor sick Man was made much weaker than before Purgations Vomits and other like things were again iterated idem ad idem to the end of the Chapter in so much that at last he was given over as uncurable and one of the said Doctors had the Vanity after all his fruitless Labour to say that he would be bound to give any Man five hundred pounds that could cure him But how unwilling he would have been to have made good his confident and vain glorious Promise had he been after put to it I cannot but smile to think of And how ill an Opinion he ought to have of himself when he considers the folly and falshood of this his lying Oracle and the weakness and insufficiency of his own Judgment and Understanding in the Art of Physick which I leave to all the learned in our Profession to determine 4. Being thus deserted in this wretched condition by the learned Tribe he for a season gave himself over to Despair at length some Friend commending me to him he requested my Advise his condition was truly deplorable but according to the vulgar Proverb whilst there is Life there is Hope and being perswaded to do my endeavour I prescribed to him the following method by which he was perfectly restored to his former Health first for his Cough and shortness of Breath c. I prescribed the dulcifyed Spirit of Sulphur to be taken in all his drink as often as he drank Take Spirit of Wine a quart Oyl of Sulphur or Vitriol six ounces put it in by drops digest two or three Months and draw it off in a Glass Retort with a very gentle Fire so that a thick Magma may be left behind this he took somtimes in Ale somtimes in Canary and somtimes in other Wine 5. Every Morning fasting he took this Composition Take Spirit of Earth-Worms Spirit of Vipers Spirit of Angelica the greater Composition Spiritus Vitae Matthioli of each four ounces choice Cinnamon-Water eight ounces mix and dulcify it with Syrup of Damask-rose-water Dose two spoonfuls every Morning fasting 6. An hour before Dinner I ordered him to take the quantity of a large Wall-nut of this following Take Electuarium ad Tabidos three ounces Salt of Mans-skull Salt of Amber of each half an ounce Indian green Ginger one ounce mix and make an Electuary to be taken in the quantity aforesaid 7. Lastly at Night going to bed I prescribed my Laudanum to be given constantly for some Months beginning with two grains and to encrease a grain every Week which he did till the Dose came to twelve or fourteen grains these were all the things I gave him by the assiduous use of which in little more than three Months time he became well in all Respects Observations from other Authors XIII The Night-Mare in a young Man 1. A certain noble Person about the thirtieth year of his age did complain that whilst he was awake he was as it were often oppressed with a great Weight and that he could not but with great difficulty either move or breath his Voice was uncertain small and scarcely discernable this Disease is called in Latine Incubus in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I helped him presently with the following things 2. Take Aqua Benedicta two ounces by drinking this he did vomit up many Crudities Choler and Flegm and He said he immediately found himself better his Body being well purged I caused Blood to be taken plentifully out of the middle Vein 3. His Meat was sparingly given and Hysop-Wine was given he never lay on his Back but on his side according to my Direction and he was presently well Mar. Rulandus Cent. 9. Cur. 67. XIV The Night-Mare 1. There was a certain Person who though he was well all day yet at Night when he would take his Repose and sleep this Disease seised him he asked my Advice 2. After an universal Evacuation by Panchymagogus Crollij I ordered him to make use of these Medicaments after eating which repress all Vapours from the Stomach such are a Confection of Anise Coriander Mastich Frankincense Quinces c. 3. I also exhibited these things which strengthen both Head and Stomach Take the Species of Diarrhodon Abbatis half a dram Aromaticum Rosatum Diambrae Diamoschi Dulcis of each one scruple white Sugar dissolved in the Water of Betony four ounces the Oyls of Amber of Rosemary flowers and Rosemary of each two drops make Rowls according to Art Grulingius Cent. 1. Cur. 25. XV. The Night-Mare in one Melancholly 1. An intimate Friend of mine of his natural Constitution melancholy and sad said that he felt in his Sleep a black Man lying upon him and when he would cry out his Voice was stopped by the said Man and was by him kept fast bound every Night 2. This Man came to me I acquainted him with the Danger he was in unless he prevented it by seasonable and suitable Remedies And that dreggy viscous humor sticking about his Praecordia and by its ugly Vapour possessing the Throat Midriff Lungs Brain and all his Senses with Visions and horrible Apparitions were evacuated and the bad quality thereof abated with Cordials I feared he would fall into a worse Disease 3. He smiling jeered me saying I do not care a button for all your purgation I flight and scorn them For this is not a meer fancy and toy wherewith I am troubled and so left me 4. Within two days after his Brother comes at midnight to fetch me in all hast to this miserable Man I found him lying in his Bed pale cold speechless scarce opening his Eyes when he was loudly called upon he was also forgetful stupid and drowsy I laid my Hand on the left side of his Chest and felt a very strong palpitation of his Heart 5. Having seen all this I provided Remedies I applied Cupping-glasses but he being taken with a ratling in his Throat dyed
a dose of my Laudanum made of a fermented Opium and repleat with volatile Salts I first gave her three grains the use of which she continued for a week every Night then I gave her four grains for a week more and augmented it a grain every week whilst she took it which was to the end of five weeks at which period of time she was restored to her perfect health 5. Since the performance of this Cure I have cured four other Persons who were affected with a Tremor from affrightment and that only with Our Laudanum but now above mentioned given every Night as aforesaid and augmented the dose only one grain a week being continued four or five weeks in like maâ—ner which Observations are truly worth the taking notice of IX A Tremor in the right Arm and Hand which was caused by overstraining it 1. A Servant Maid by some accident whether of lifting thrusting puling or holding fast I cannot now call to mind had so overstrained the part that such a weakness seised the Nerves and Muscles as caused a continuall Tremor or Trembling so that she could not hold any thing in her Hand but it would extreamly shake nor could she guide with it a Cup of Drink to her Mouth whereby she was for a while disabled for her Service 2. Upon this I caused for six or seven days time her said Arm to be very well bathed with the Powers of Amber Morning and Night and then to be bound up with new Flannel and so kept warm 3. A week being past I caused this Cataplasm following to be applyed Take Mithridate eight ounces fat Myrrh dissolved in a sufficient quantity of Spirit of Wine one ounce Orrice root in pouder enough to make it of a fit consistencie mix them well for a Cataplasm This was spread upon Lambs leather and applyed to the part affected it lay two Days and two Nights and then was renewed and was repeated in all about five times at the end of which she found her self well and her Arm restored to its compleat strength 4. But while these things were doing I thought good to give her a few doses of my Laudanum aforementioned which she took to four grains every Night for a fortnight together drinking after it a glass of Rhenish Wine and Sugar 5. Another Maid Servant who had a Tremor in one of her Arms and Hands which came by overstraining was cured by taking the Laudanum every Night as aforesaid and bathing the part affected with the said Powers of Amber but instead of the Cataplasm of Mithridate and Myrrh she applyed a Pultise made of raw Comfrey roots being cleansed and beaten till they were soft in a stone-Morter and then spread upon Leather which was renewed every third day and repeated four times 6. And by this latter method I cured a little Youth of eight years of age who had a Tremor seised upon all his extream parts caused as was supposed by a blow given him over the Reins of his Back the Youth lay several weeks in a very sad and languishing condition and also in perpetual Pain so that some Physicians thought it to be a Nephritis others an Apostemation of these parts or some other thing after three months time he fell into my hands by the first dose of my Laudanum the Child had ease of his Pain and by the assiduous use thereof it was wholy removed and the Cure was compleated by applying to the Reins of the Back the Powers of Amber and the Cataplasm of Comfrey roots in manner as aforesaid X. A Tremor of Trembling caused from a perturbation of the Spirit 1. A Woman near thirty years of age of a melancholy disposition of body and very apt to be frighted upon the least occasion was at length taken with a Tremor which had now continued upon her above two years so that a Palsie was feared to ensue she was Hypochondriack and complained of a great oppression of the Spleen which would be so great somtimes that she could not lye upon her left Side 2. This Woman oftentimes seemed to be indifferent well but if she drank any thing of strong liquors as strong waters or Wine she would be in a manner raging mad as if she had been affrighted out of her wits and this would befal her if that she drank but strong drink plentifully so that she would cry out of being kill'd frighted with Swords and that she saw Devils Ghosts and such like and so violent and extream would her fits be upon such an occasion that three or four Men could scarcely hold her that what with the dread or terror upon her Spirits and her violent strugling for two or three hours together she would be so weakned that when she came to her self she could scarcely stand alone but would tremble so that she could not hold a joynt of her 3. This great Trembling seldom lasted upon her longer than an hour after the affrightment was over but by reason of the many affrightments and other perturbations of Spirit which frequently followed her she became so enervated that at length although the great Trembling might goe off yet it left behind it upon the extream parts a very notable weakness so that she could not hold any thing in either of her Hands without a Tremor or shaking of the same which she thought to be a great affliction upon her 4. She had tryed many Physicians but all in vain and by their advice she lost at times above an hundred and forty ounces of Blood which they pretended was to cure her of her madness which whatever it might do in that respect I will not say one thing I am sure of that it vastly weakned her and contributed much to her Tremor or shaking I first purged the Melancholy humor with the following Tincture Take Sena two ounces Crystals of Tartar one ounce Scammony three drams Cinnamon Cloves Galangal Zedoary Aniseeds of each a dram and half juyce of Liquorice half a dram mix and with white Wine and choice Canary of each a pint make a Tincture This was given her at three times somthing more than three ounces at a time and that every third day with observation after taking the same as in other purges By the means of this purging the Melancholy humor was mightily abated and Our Patient grew after it very chearful and merry 5. In the intermediate days I ordered her to take Tinctura Paralytica Mylij which was given her three ounces or more at a time Morning Noon and Might The preparation thereof you may see in Our Pharmacopoea lib. 4. cap. 7. sect 36. by which she found much good for her Drink I ordered a small decoction of Guajacum Sarsa and Sassafras compleated with seeds to be taken at all times when thirst required 6. But whereas she complained much of the pain of her Spleen I ordered her every Night except the evening before the day of purging to take a dose of my Laudanum she began with
Alkermes three ounces mix them very well in a glass by shaking Of this he took two spoonfuls at a time also I ordered him once a Month to take a Purge which was that of the Tincture of our said Family Pills XVII A Palsie happening in a scorbutick habit of Body 1. A Gentlewoman about thirty eight years of age of a cold gross pituitous and scorbutick habit of Body was seised with the Palsie on both Sides so that she had an impotency of motion both in her Hands and Arms Legs and Feet whereby she became totally helpless moreover she had a great weakness at Stomach so that whatsoever she took down she for the most part vomited up again 2. Having lain about half a year in this distressed condition she sent for me I enquired into the cause of her Disease but could hear little for that it crept on her as it were insensibly and by degrees so that she was some months before her distemper came to the height it begining first with a light numbness then with a weakness after that with an Impotency of motion first in one part then in another till at length she became as aforesaid wholly helpless with a loss of Appetite 3. Perceiving her habit of Body to be extremely scorbutick for she was loaded with various colored spots in several parts of her Body her Gums were wasted and her Teeth loose with wandering Pains up and down I judged it highly necessary in the Cure to mix Antiscorbuticks with Antâ—paralyticks and especially such as were of a hot nature for that the Scorbute seemed to be in a cold habit 4. I began with gentle purgations which was performed with Sena and Rhubarb infused in a weak spirit of Scurvy-grass I purged her therewith at first twice a week for a month together afterwards but once a week which purgation was continued during the whole time of the Cure 5. In the Intervals of purging I prescribed this following Julep to be taken every Morning fasting Take Aquae vitae Matthioli two ounces spirit of Earth-worms four ounces spirit of Scurvy-grass six ounces water of Hydropiper eight ounces syrup of Citron-peels six ounces mix them well together by shaking them in a Glass Of this mixture she took three or four spoonfuls at a time 6. Nere Noon to wit an hour or thereabouts before Dinner she took this Take Cinnamon-water three drams Water of Onions one ounce Salt of Scurvy-grass Carduus and Wormwood of each four grains syrup of Rosemary flowers an ounce and half mix them for a dose This caused a great fermentation in the Stomach and somtimes endangered vomiting but by Dinner time the force of its operation would seem to be over so as that the Sick would eat a hearty meal and with a singular appetite 7. At Night going to Bed I prescribed this Take Electuarium ad Tabidos a dram and half salt of Scurvigrass volatile salt of Harts-horn and of Mans-skull of each five grains Oyl of sweet Fennel-seed eight drops mix them This was given at going to Bed so that she slept upon it and it had a very pleasant and sweet operation upon her for it composed her to rest and withall enforced upon her a gentle Sweat moreover the Oyl of sweet Fennel seed has a power of corroborating the Stomach which is performed in part from the suavity and gentle heat for that it is observable that Oyls of Aniseed and of sweet Fennel-seed have a natural and specifick virtue to comfort and strengthen the Nerves in particular and Genus Nervosum in general and the Tunicles of the Stomach being composed of a nervous substance and I fearing there might withall be a Palsie of the Stomach concluded nothing could be more proper than that thing of which I have had a large experience in outward application against the Palsie and truly at this time it was given with great success 8. For her constant drink I ordered her a Guajacum-Diet such as is prescribed a Sect. XIII § 12. aforegoing but not made too strong so that she even drank it also at meals but in all she drank at time of drinking of it there was dropt about thirty or forty drops of pure Spirit of Scurvy-grass and somtimes Spirit of Horse-Radish-root that withall we might encounter the Scorbute at the same time By the use of these things the running and Scorbutick Pains were perfectly removed and she began to eat her Food well and with a Stomach and withall the Paralysis in the extream Parts evidently vanished 9. However during the performance of all these things we were not unmindful of applying fit Topicks and therefore I caused all the Spina Dorsi from the highest Vertebra of the Neck to the lowest of the Loins as also all the paralytick Members to be bathed with the Powers of sweet Fennel-seed which was done Morning and Night for seven or eight days at the end of that time we did not only continue the use of the said Powers as already related but also after the bathing was over anointed all those Parts with this following Oyl Take Oyl of Ben fourteen ounces Oyls of Aniseeds of Rosemary of Lavender of Savin of Sassafras and of Limons of each an ounce and half Oyl of Caraways one ounce mix them well together by shaking in a glass By the use of these things in about four Months time she was perfectly cured 10. A young Woman of about seven and twenty years of age and of an extream scorbutick habit of Body was also completely restored by the Method above prescribed save in the internal Medicaments in stead of the Spirit of Scurvy-grass and Horse Radish there was used the Spirits of Water Cresses and of Mustard seed which had full as great an Effect upon her as the other Spirits had upon the other Woman Moreover in stead of the last Topical Oyl this following was used Take Oyl of Ben twelve ounces chymical Oyl of Rosemary eight ounces mix them together to anoint with by the use of these things she also was cured 11. A Man also of about fifty years of age extreamly over-grown with the Scurvy becoming withall Paralytick was cured both of his Scurvy and Palsy by the former Method save in stead of the Guajacum Diet he had only a Decoction of Juniper-berries made in half Water half Wine which he took with Spirit of Scurvy grass as aforesaid and in stead of the Powers of sweet Fennel-seed he bathed with the Powers of Caraways and then anointed with this Oyl Take Oyl Olive twelve ounces Oyl of Juniper-berries five ounces Oyl of Limons or of Oranges three ounces mix them to anoint with 12. A noble Youth through careless living acquired a Scorbutick habit and by taking an extraordinary Cold became Paralytick through his whole right Side many Galenick things had been used to him for six or seven Months time but all in vain for the Physicians not perceiving a Scorbute to be joyned with a Paralysis mistook their measures in
removed by taking inwardly this mixture and also holding some of it for a little while in the Mouth Take Spirit of Angelica the greater composition Aqua Vitae Matthioli of each three ounces Powers of Rosemary one ounce and half mix them together Dose two drams to half an ounce in Spirit of black Cherries but she held it in her Mouth without mixture somtimes for a quarter of an hour together 14. A Youth of about fourteen or fifteen years of age was so taken also viz. with a Palsy and a Lethargick Distemper the Lethargy would somtimes seem to be off yet then he remained as it were foolish and void of his reason and again in a day or two the Lethargy would return we cured him in about four Months time by the Method first above prescribed in this present Section and with the removal of his Distemper his Understanding was also restored to him as perfect as formerly XIX A Palsy in a Gentlewoman of about six and thirty years of age 1. This Gentlewoman being seized with a great Cold in her lying-in was presently taken lame and from thence became paralytick in all her extream Parts so that she wholly lost the use of her Limbs her Courses also were so stopt upon her that they could not be produced for above fifteen Months and her Belly swelled as if she had had a Dropsy or rather been with Child her Stomach likewise was impaired so that she scarcely eat any thing but what came up again and she complained of a vehement grinding Pain in her Bowels or Womb and in the Reins of her Back 2. In this distress she applyed her self to several persons for remedy she took advise of her Midwife and then of another Woman who pretended to do wonders but all to no purpose for she daily grew worse and worse These failing she sent for a Physician who tampred with her for six or seven weeks with as little success at length two or three other Gentlemen were called to consult withall but yet notwithstanding all their endeavours the event answered not nor indeed could they tell what their sick Patient ailed but one was of one opinion and the other of another however the Paralysis was evident 3. Thus about forteen or fifteen months was elapsed without remedy and the poor Gentlewoman remained without hopes for that such vast quantities and numbers of things had been so long tryed in vain but the wonder when enquired into soon ceased for examining the Apothecaries file I found such poor low spirited and almost insipid things to be inwardly ministred and such gross greasy and abominablâ— nauseous fooleries outwardly applyed that I rather began to wonder she was no worse I imputed the misery she went through and the long hopeless Cure to the ignorance of her Physicians who had for so long time attended her which although it was with small advantage or rather hurt to her the distressed Patient yet it was with a singular advantage and profit to themselves who received all their Mony and Fees not for doing nothing at all but rather for doing mischief by bringing this mirable creature under the terrour of an Incurable Disease 4. After a serious enquiry into the nature of her Distemper it sufficiently appeared that taking cold was the remote cause of all her illness And that the obstruction of her Terms very much contributed to the augmentation of her Disease That her Disease was become stubborn and habitual and that without powerful remedies and such as might be long taken so as to alter the universal habit no hope of cure could be expected 5. In order to this design I first prescribed this following Decoction to be taken as her constant and ordinary drink save at meals I permitted her to drink a glass of Hippocras Take mealy Sarsaparilla two pound Juniper-berries well bruised a pound infuse the sarsa forty eight hours in warm Water sixteen quarts then boyl it away till the half be consumed after which add the berries and boyl again till two quarts more is wasted this don put thereto white Wine two quarts and boyl again a walm or two then take it off cool and strain it and being settled decant and dulcifie it to the liking of the sick with double refined sugar and bottle it up for use 6. This was all the Drink she drank during her whole Cure and she continued the use of it for nine or ten months it is almost incredible what good she found by it and that in a very short space so that she confest all the grinding Pains in her Bowells Womb and Reins were perfectly removed and that in about three weeks time but at time of drinking thereof she for the most part dropt into each draught fifteen twenty or twenty five drops of the Powers of Caraways by the constant drinking of this Liquor her Courses also began to appear though but faintly 7. Now the more powerfully to provoke them I caused her to take every Night going to bed for about a weeks space before the time they used to flow the Angelick Pills of Grulingius to the quantity of two scruples which excellently purged her and that without Pain and according to our expectations they began to flow about the usual time admirably well both in quantity and colour by which this poor Gentlewoman found very much relief and to accustom them to the due time of their flux I caused her for two or three months one after another to take for four or five days before hand the said Angelick Pills so that at length they were again reduced to their ordinary course 8. By this time we began to be in hopes of a Cure and the Patient herself also encouraged us in Our undertaking for now the great tumor of her Belly was abated and gon and she began to eat her Food indifferently well but this is to be understood whilst all this was doing having first cleansed her whole Body from the filthy greasy and nauseous Oyls and Oyntments which they had applyed to her by a proper bath made of Juniper-berries and spring-water with venice soap I caused the whole region of the Abdomen to be Morning and Evening bathed with the Powers of Aniseeds somtimes alone and somtimes mixed with Powers of Fennel-seeds 9. Moreover as to the Paralysis we were not unmindful to administer proper things which were given her at three or four distinct times of the day In the Morning she took this following mixture Take Aquae Coelesti spirit of Castoreum of each one ounce Powers of Vipers twenty or twenty five drops choice Hippocras two ounces mix them for a draught This warmed her all over and heat the whole Genus Nervosum as if she had been by a good fire yet as I have formerly said without the least danger of putting her into a Feaver 10. About an hour before Dinner she took this Take Powers of Cinnamon thirty drops spirit of Angelica the greater composition spirit of
black Cherries of each two ounces mix them this not only contributed to the restoring the Nerves and removing the paralytick affection but also mightily strengthened her Stomach so that she in a little time after the use thereof eat and digested her Food with a very good Stomach and not only her vomiting but loothing also left her 11. About four a clock in the afternoon she took this Take Basils Tincture of Antimony forty drops Tincture of salt of Tartar two drams Powers of Vipers twenty drops choice Hippocras three or four ounces mix them for a draught This warmed and heat her again all over and that immediately so that to feel of her Hands or Face she would be as warm as if she had been heat by a fire such is the great force and virtue of the Powers of Vipers for they immediately put even the nervous juyce into a kind of formentation and warm comfort and excite the Animal Spirits above all other Medicaments whatsoever and therefore without controversy very much conduce to the restauration of all sorts of Paralytick persons 12. At Night going to Bed she took this Electuary Take Electuarium ad Tabidos a dram and half sal Cranii humani ten grains Oyl of Rosemary three drops mix them to be taken upon a Knives point having swallowed it down she drank after it somtimes a glass of Canary or Hippocras as she best liked and somtimes a draught of her Diet-drink if at any time she rested ill there was mixed withall a grain or two of our volatile Laudanum by means of which she had also gentle breathing sweats 13. Outwardly these Topicks were applyed to the whole Spina Dorsi and all the Paralytick parts Take Powers of Rosemary of Sassafras of Savin of Nutmegs of Limons of each three ounces Powers of Aniseeds of sweet Fennel seeds and of Caraways of each two ounces and half Powers of Juniper-berries an ounce and half mix them well together with this she was well bathed twice a day viz. Morning and Evening And by this method and the use of these things according to our order was this supposed incurable Patient perfectly made whole in the space of ten months time after our first undertaking her Cure And from hence the poorness and sufficiency of the vulgar shop Medicaments are more than sufficiently apparent XX. A Palsy in a middle-aged Gentleman cured by taking of Opiates 1. A Gentleman of about four and forty years of age through travelling in the extremity of cold in the Night-time was seized with the Palsy so that being wholly impotent he was forced to keep his bed Several great Doctors were sent for who used to him Purging Vomiting Bleeding Frictions Vesicatories Cuppings Oyls Unguents Baths c. so that scarcely any thing that was usual was unattempted 2. In this wretched Condition he lay near ten Months at length being wearied with these long tedious and uncomfortable Courses of Physick he resolved to give over and commit himself to the good pleasure of God for that his Physicians by their very Practice declared him incurable 3. It was not long before he had given over taking of Physick but a certain Emperick came to the place where he lived who visiting of him promised to cure him if he would commit himself to his care and disposal The Gentleman over-joyed at so great promises resolved to submit for that he knew if this his new Doctor succeeded not his Disease could be no worse nor he any more miserable than he was before 4. In the first place he well cleansed him in a Bath whereby the Pores of the skin were somwhat loosned and opened this done he was put into his warm bed and he gave him two grains of the Laudanum Paracelsi very exactly made up after which a small glass of Cinnamon-Water This in about three or four hours time put him into a plentiful Sweat In the time of sweating he still comforted him with a dram or two of Cinnamon-Water by which his Spirits were much refreshed 5. He gave him this Laudanum every day and every fourth day encreased the Dose a grain till it came to be ten grains causing him to be well sweated every Night and as before upon any faintness caused him to drink a little Cinnamon-Water to refresh his Spirits and comfort his Heart 6. The next Morning after the Sweat was over he caused all the palsied Parts as also the whole Back-bone to be well anointed with Oyl of Spike and the same was also done at Night going to bed save that before the anointing the Parts were very well rubbed with a course Cloth 7. In the day-time he caused him to take three four or five times a day a strong Tincture of Castoreum in a glass of Canary and somtimes he took it in Cinnamon-Water and whereas he was very subject to be griped he caused him often times to take with the same some drops of the Tincture of Pepper By the use of these things only the Patient was restored to perfect health after the using of all the aforenamed things in vain But the Person that did the Cure wholly imputed it to the Virtue of the Laudanum and his powerful sweating thereupon for so long time viz. for near eight weeks space in which the Cure was perfected beyond all expectation 8. By this very Method this Person assured me that he had cured many who had been paralytick and had laboured under their disaffections for some years and that he seldom or never failed of Cure if the Patient would be constant and regular and follow in all things his Directions as is above prescribed and I knew another Person a Woman of about thirty years of age whom he cured by the Method abovesaid and made her completely well in about six weeks time which still adds to the Credit of this opiatick Cure XXI Counsel and Advise sent in a Letter to a paralytick Patient 1. Madam I conceive your Disease to be of very difficult cure considering you have lain under this indisposition two years and five Months as you relate and have taken the Advise of so great and learned Men as you give an account of wherein scarcely any thing has been wanting to you which they have not attempted and yet notwithstanding all these things which have been done your Disease has continually got ground upon you 2. You write that you have a great Contraction in both your Hands so as that you can neither extend your Fingers nor suffer them to be extended by others Truly this may be caused from the very great resolution of the opposite Nerves which not being sufficiently able to cause extention nor keep the Parts so when extended suffered them to stand continually bent from which habitual position for a long season the Nerves and Tendons whose proper office it was to draw the Fingers in by degrees became contracted 3. The Weakness and Indisposition of your Stomach and want of Appetite may proceed from a coldness of the
impeded and so a Resolution in the respective Members is excited 9. As also because of the Thalamus Opticus where it is fixed to the Corpus striatum being compressed the Eye of that Side was deprived of Sight moreover the callous Body was a little compressed by the matter gathered together from hence the Principle of the animal Functions their Slowness Dulness and Heaviness were excited without any subversion of them 10. These kinds of Affections because of some Hurt affixed to the substance of the Brain do proceed from thence and not as we in another place asserted from the Impletion of the Ventricles which I do think is clear enough from this one Instance Willis Patholog Cap. 9. Observ 2. LXVI The Palsy in another middle-aged Man 1. A Farmer who belonged to a certain noble Man about the age of forty his Constitution was cholerick and his Blood sharp and not long since obnoxious to a Vertigo who while he was travelling a horse-back through a certain Village was suddenly taken with a Scotomy by which he fell presently to the Ground from whence being taken up by the Inhabitants and put into a Bed he lay for many hours insensible and as it were dead 2. Afterwards he was taken with an universal Palsy and did feel all the Members of both Sides resolved 3. Coming to see him I caused twelve ounces of Blood to be taken from him afterwards I prescribed Medicines to be both internally and externally administred not without good Success 4. For about five or six Days after he began to move his Hands and Feet and to extend and bow them here and there yet slowly and by a constant use of Remedies he began within the space of two Months to raise himself up to stand on his Feet and to walk a little with the Benefit of Crutches 5. And then having used an artificial Bath somtimes at home he grew every Day stronger and more capable of motion at length going to the Bath at the proper Season he was perfectly recovered and by the use of these Waters in the space of a fort-night where he left his Crutches behind him 6. In this Case the apopletick Matter falling from the Meditullium of the Brain being divided and largely diffused had got into both the Corpus striatum and this caused an universal Palsy but forasmuch as the same was expanded it was with less Density impacted in the medullar Pores and consequently more moveable and apt to be discussed and the Cure more facile and sudden 7. The hotter Sort of Medicines did not agree with this Man therefore I endeavoured to exhibite such as were of their own nature temperate 8. Now that the Palsy comes not only by cephalick Affects but also by a Colick and the Scurvy the following Relation doth evidently declare Willis Patholog Cap. 9. Obs 3. LXVII The Palsy in a young Woman after Child-birth 1. A certain fair and young Woman after Child-birth fell into a tertian Ague which afterwards became Quotidian she having some Intermission of her Feaver fell into a very feirce daily Cholick the Pains first only in the Abdomen were outragious being accompanied with Vomiting and most sharp Gripes 2. She being for a long time afflicted with these and almost consumed began at length to be troubled with a kind of stupefaction and sense of pricking much like to that which one feels when the Hand or Foot is said to be asleep 3. Not long after this a Palsy which was universal followed of which Disease the precedent Distemper is the usual Fore-runner in this helpless Condition she was carried to Oxford and committed to the Care of another Doctor and my self 4. This poor young Womans Arms Legs all the greater and lesser Members were so much resolved that she could not so much as move Hand nor Foot nor a Finger of either Hand Moreover she had so great a Consumption that there was no Flesh to be seen on the Bones and the Bones could scarcely stick to the Skin yet that which afforded us some small ground of hope was her good Pulse and a lively Aspect 5 After we had for many weeks exhibited several Medicines as well antiscorbutick as antiparalytick according to various Methods without Success we at length proposed to her and her Freinds Salivation as a Remedy more powerful but more dangerous then others 6. Therefore we did exhibite a small Dose of Praecipitatum ex Mercurio cum Sole and did repeat the same the next Day on the third Day a Salivation easy and moderate was continued for a week without any malignant Symptoms which did succeed well 7. Then the sick complaining of a greivous Head ach and Vertigo began to be afflicted with convulsive Motions for that cause it was necessary immediately to depress the Salivation and to break off this Course as soon as possible by diverting and deriving the Defluxion of the serous humor from the Head towards other Parts which may be effected by the application of frequent Clysters epispastick Emplasters and Revulsions together with Cordials and Opiats inwardly given 8. By these things this noble Lady found her self a little better and began to extend and stretch-out the Joints of her Hands and Feet and move the Members from one place to another 9. The Defluxion ceasing she began to be gently purged for many Days with the Decoction of China Sarsa Sanders Ivory c. with the addition of the dryed Leaves of Sage Betony Pauls-Betony c. with which there was wont to be mixed with the Spirit of Harts-horn or Soot cephalick and cardiack Confections as also the proper Pouder and Julap 10. In the space of a Month she could stand on her Feet being supported by her Servants and could walk a little in her Chamber moreover sleeping and eating indifferently well she grew every Day in Strength and in Flesh and at last became perfectly well by the moderate use of the Baths 11. The cause of this Distemper proceeded from the Blood which being corrupted and vitiated did bring an intermitting Feaver then because of the said Feaver the Blood being more vitiated did communicate its Infection to the Brain and the nervous Stock 12. This peccant Matter being thus interlaced with the Blood and the nervous Juyce first almost only spasmodick and also cheifly entring into the intercostal Nerves did excite the Cholick afterwards being diffused more largly into the Nerves of the Marrow of the Back-bone did cause painful Contractions in the nervous Fibres through the whole Body 13. And whereas by the daily abundant Incourse of the spasmodick Matter the Passages of the Brain and Nerves were very much opened the thicker Particles getting in at length did disseminate a paralytick Disposition throughout the whole Body 14. About the Therapeia the usual Remedies of it before Salivation have been less profitable because they force the morbifick Matter so far that the nervous Chanels or Conduits are obstructed thereby mercurial Particles as they did dissolve
take for many days the following Purgation Take Extract of Mechoacan compounded Diagridium Alhandal Cambogia of each one grain Pil. Rudii five grains make five Pills with two drops of the Oyl of Citrons It did operate five times 6. Inwardly I did exhibite four drops of the following Oyls every Morning in Broth Take Oyl of Rosemary-flowers four and twenty drops of Marjoram of Lavender of each six drops of Oranges four drops of Anise of Fennel of each eight drops mix them She took it in Rosemary-Wine 7. By these she had great profit but at length being seised with a Convulsion she dyed Grulingius Curat 7. Cent. 1. XXIV An Apoplexy in old Age. 1. This Disease somtimes happens in extream old Age or in Men in whom the vigor of the Senses is small through the Defect of the Spirits and because the continual defatigation of the Brain may occasion a cold Intemperature therefore the use of these Medicines may greatly comfort 2. Take the Spirit of the best and most pleasant Wine one pound and half to which put the leaves of Bawm the flowers of Lavender Lilly-Convally of Rosemary of Borrage of each one handful Grains of Paradice two drams Cubebs Cinnamon Nutmegs of each one dram Let them stand the Vessel being well closed that nothing may evaporate afterwards strain them out by pressing and let the expression be kept for use In Winter when the Air is colder every Month about the Conjunction of the Moon dip a peece of white Bread in half a dram of this Spirit and let him swallow it in the Morning sleeping a little thereafter 3. In Summer he may take of the Water of Lilly-Convally or Carduus Benedictus likewise about the new Moon one dram of the following Pouder Take white Amber and grind it on a marble Stâ—â—e with the Water of black Cherries to this Pouder add as much of Diarrhodon Abbatis 4. These two Medicines are profitable for they correct the humors and check the Vapours and remove the Obstruction As to Diet great Care must be had therefore all Meats must be shun'd which breed pituitous and flegmatick humors such as Fish Pot-Herbs things made of Milk and Meats fryed somtimes Pills may be taken of Alephanginae or Mastich or Aloes Rosata 5. It is most convenient also that the melancholy humor be evacuated and corrected by proper Medicines a better way of evacuating this humor cannot be than by the Hemorroids Fomentations also are to be applyed made of the Decoction of Mallows and Lin-seed and inwardly a scruple of Aloes Rosata is to be taken 6. This melancholy humor is to be contemperated by the use of the Extract of the Juyce of Bawm and Borrage and a spoonful of the following Syrup before Dinner or Supper may be taken 7. Take Syrup of the Juyce of Bawm three ounces of the Juyce of Borrage two ounces of the Peels of Citrons half an ounce the Species Aromatici Rosati one dram Diamoschi dulcis as much mix them and let it be given in a Glass for repressing the Vapours after Meat this Pouder may be taken 8. Take Coriander prepared one ounce choice Cinnamon two drams Mastich one scruple Mace half a scruple white Bread toasted three ounces white Sugar half a pound mix them and make a Pouder In the Morning the Person may take from a quarter of an ounce to half an ounce of the Confection with the Oyl of Anise the Oyl of Caraway Amber also a Confect of Diamoschi dulcis and Diambrae and somtimes Treacle and Mithridate if these things be followed great Benefit will accrew to the Person Crato apud Sholzium Cons 35. XXV Of an Apoplexy 1. The Disease of the Apoplexy is nothing else but an Obstruction in the Original of the Nerve or Brain whereby the Passages of the animal Spirits which give Motion to the whole Body are shut up and the Heart is hindred to distribute and diffuse the vital Spirits from whence there comes a Resolution of the whole Body and is deprived of Sense and Motion as the Heart of Respiration 2. The proper Note and Chararcteristicon of this affect is known by Respiration which according as is more or less suppressed the Danger is so much the greater or lesser 3. We must first consider from whence the animal Spirits are thus impeeded the causes are many and various yet they may be included under these four the first is the bad Temper of the Brain which does not presently invade for the Imbecility of the Brain and of the animal Faculties the Understanding and Memory will be felt long before as also a Numness Somnulency Anger Oblivion with a pain in the Head and Noise in the Ears 4. If the Apoplexy be expected to flow from that Fountain then it will be needful to strengthen the Brain and the Brain if possible is to be purged by the Nostrils moreover you may purge the Brain by an Apophlegmatismus every Morning the Mouth is to be washed by Sage-Water with Salt and you may use every day this Confect which will refresh the Spirit 5. Take Species Diambrae Species Diamoschi of each one dram Sugar dissolved in Lavender-Water make a confection in little Balls you may eat one of them every Morning and you may rub the Almonds of the Ears with Rosemary-Water let him often chew Rocket and Caraway seed 6. This Remedy will be greatly useful for an Apoplexy arising from a second cause to wit from the obstruction of the Brain by a gross and viscid Flegm in this case let him swallow the bigness of a Bean every day of Treacle and Mithridate 7. Aniversary Purgations will be useful as also dayly Frictions first in the Hands and Feet and then in the Back 8. A third cause proceeds from thick gross Vapours disturbing the Spirits for by bad Diet which generates those Vapours the Head is filled and the Spirits are corrupted and dissolv'd and this grievous Affect is generated also Drunkards and great Wine Bibbers are very obnoxious to this Disease 9. The Brain is preserved from thick Vapours by observing diligently a good Diet too much Sleep Banquetting and fumous Meats are to be avoided the seed of Caraway and Rowls made of the Oyl of Caraway and Anise are good for removing the Vapours and by washing of the Feet in the Morning and Frictions the Vapours are much diverted Care must be had that Crudities be not accumulated in the Stomach for which Ambergrise is good 10. A fourth cause is from the too great plenty of Blood or of Flegm or of Melancholy if from Blood then beware of such things as do much augment is a Vein must be opened and Cupping-Glasses affixed to diminish the excessive quantity of the Blood 11. But if from Flegm or Melaâ—choly then these humors must be purged by exhibiting Sena the Brain is to be strengthned the Nostrils are to be anointed with the Oyl of Sage and Rosemary-Water is to be drawn up through the Nostrils and the following Gargarism
and half the flowers of Rosemary one handful Cloves Nutmegs of each two drams and half Cubebs two drams Misleto of the Oak three drams and half the roots of Peony half an ounce the roots of white Ditany three drams and half split the roots and cut the rest and let the aforesaid distilled Water be affused upon them which is again to be put into the glass for the space of seven days in the Sun and to be often shaken or agitated then let them be distilled in Balneo Maris This Water is to be carefully kept 3. Take the following Tablets Take the seeds of Peony hull'd half an ounce Pearl one scruple Mace half a dram leaves of Gold number seven fine Sugar dissolved in the above-mentioned Water five ounces make Rowls or Tablets Reinerus Solenander Cons 14. Sect. 3. XLVII For an Apoplexy 1. Shave the Head in that part where the coronal Suture is then apply thereto an Emplaster of Mustard Castoreum and strong Vinegar â—y the Arms and Legs hard with bands rub the Hands and Feet with Sal Niter and under the Tongue put Castoreum 1. Afterwards the Saphena Vein of both Feet is to be opened then a Vein in the Hand or the Nose or the Jugular a day after a Clyster was repeated 3. Take Castoreum and Euphorbium of each one scruple lay it to the root of the Tongue it draws away a great plenty of Flegm by the Pallat in the space of an hour Johannes Heurnius ad Hypocrat Aphor. 42. Sect. 2. XLVIII An Apoplexy 1. A Physician should above all things consider when his Patient is apoplectick whether there be any signs of Life which if he can discern he should then apply himself to the cure 2. He should order that his Members be often rubbed his Hair shaven and the Crown of the Head and Nape to be anointed with the Oyl of Amber and if his Mouth be shut that it be opened and kept so 3. Let him apply often to his Head hot plates of Iron and also exhibite one spoonful of this antapoplectick Water of my composition which will be found very good both for preservation from and cure of this Disease 4. Take the flowers of Lilly-Convally gathered in the Month of May about the rising of the Sun which while they are ripe and dewy put them into a Glass without washing only the flowers must be used and then digest them in Malago-Wine or any other pleasant generous Wine before the Sun in a Glass-Vessel well stopt but you may omit so long till the Lavender has its flower whose flowers seperate from the stalks c. in equal quantity are to be put the flowers of Lilly-Convally in the same Glass to be close stoped up even to the Month of September following at length by an Alembeck in Balneo distil them and that which first comes forth will be a spirituous Water to be carefully kept For it is pretious and of great worth and efficacy in this Disease 5. The rest of the distilled Water is for use but hath not so much vertue as the first you may make use of it in the Frictions of the Members this Water will last long and is most fragrant 6. You may let blood if there be too much but a sharp Clyster should be first injected 7. You may use for vomits Aqua Benedicta but here â—t must be noted that it is to be always exhibited in a double quantity if Strength be not wanting In the Interim the exhibition of the apoplectick Water is to be continued Johannes Hartmanus Prax. Chimiatr Pag. 75. and 80. XLIX The Cure of the Apoplexy and Palsy 1. A Merchant about the age of sixty of a melancholick Temper by reason of some considerable Misfortunes hapning to him in the conduct of his Affairs just as he dined he fell I being present without Speech and Pulse without any sensible Respiration without Motion or Sense being at once deprived of the exercise of all Faculties and Powers both of Mind and Body 2. To me he seemed as one dead I gave him the Salt of Vitriol in common Water for I use always to carry about with me my Antimony and that Salt of Vitriol 3. After I had given him this Potion he immediately vomited up what he had eaten with a great quantity of vitrous Flegm 4. I also distilled into his Ears the Essences of Cloves and Time together with the distilled Oyl of Cinnamon mixed with the former as also into his Nostrils 5. And the Hair of his Head being shaved off I applyed both to his Head and Neck Vesicatories made of Cantharides and I did affix to his Shoulders Cupping Glasses with Flame and deep Scarification 6. At length he opened his Eyes after he lay in that miserable condition twenty four hours he also moved and breathed 7. In the mean season I gave Aqua Imperialis three ounces with the Extract of Treacle two drams and the Oyl of Cinnamon half a dram and the Oyl of Vitriol impregnated with the Tincture of Gold half a scruple These being all mixed I gave them him in one Potion which he swallowed without any inconveniency although he was at that time paralytick 8. The next day because he could not yet speak he made signs that he was grievously afflicted with Pain in the Head I gave him of my Antimony twenty five grains in choice wine by which Medicine he did vomit much for a whole day he did also evacuate both above and below and the next day he began to speak obscurely and stameringly yet he could not move his Arms Feet nor the Trunk of his Body unless with a slow and scarcely discernable Motion 9. The Things above mentioned were again repeated as also that which was infused both into his Ears and Nostrils with things cordial which he likewise took 10. The next day I exhibited to him again Sal Vitrioli by which he again vomited much vitrous and viscous Flegm the day following I gave him of my Antimony by which he was copiously purged both upwards and downwards 11. At length he speak distinctly but the Motion of his Members appeared very weak and slow his Testicles being also swelled I order'd to dip a linnen Cloth into the Spirit of wine and to apply it to the greived Part. 12. But yet the Tumor ceased not but grew greater and harder without any Inflamation then we applyed a mollifying Cataplasm of the Roots of Althaea and Lillies with the leaves of Mallows boyled in pure Wine and malaxed with the Bean-meal first anointing those parts with the rectifyed Oyl of Wax 13. This Remedy being continued for eight days the Tumor of the Testicles came to a Suppuration and being opened much filthy matter came forth and within a month we healed the Sore 14. The sick was purged twice in that month with our Antimony and his whole Body was anointed with the Spirit or Oyl of Wax and the Oyl of Cloves 15. And that he might Recover again the heat
other Symptoms 262 Sect. 28. An Epilepsy easily cured 263 Sect. 29. The Falling-sickness in a young Girl ibid. Sect. 30. The Falling-sickness coming every day ibid. Sect. 31. The Falling-sickness in a Child half a year old ibid. Sect. 32. The Falling-sickness arising from Blood ib. Sect. 33. The Falling sickness cured by a Caustick 264 Sect. 34. The Falling sickness cured by Syrup of Tobacco ibid. Sect. 35. One preserved from a cruel Epilepsy by a Vomit ibid. Sect. 36. A most excellent Remedy against the Falling sickness 265. Sect. 37. A cruel Epilepsy after Child-birth cured by applying Horse-Leeches to the inner part of the Womb. 266. Sect. 38. The Falling sickness in Women with Child arising from their Womb are safely cured by bleeding in the Ankle ibid. Sect. 39. The Epilepsy took a Woman with Child in her ninth Month she was cured by application of Leeches to the Hemorrhoid Veins ib. Sect. 40. The Eilepsy in a Man he was delivered here from by frequent opening the Saphena Vein ibid. Sect. 41. The Epilepsy in a Woman who had her Courses actually flowing is cured by a Vein opened in her Nose 267 Sect. 42. The Epilepsy cured by Stibium ibid. Sect. 43. The Epilepsy proceeding from an old Vlcer shut up in the tip of the Nose cured by an Issue made in the Leg. ibid. Sect. 44. A strong Epilepsy in a Woman that bore three Daughters presently after which she dyed thereof 268 Sect. 45. The Falling-sickness in a Boy frighted with shooting of Guns dyed thereof ibid. Sect. 46. The Falling-sickness in a Child ibid. Sect. 47. The Epilepsy in a Man by reason of a Regurgitation of Vrine was with much ado cured 269 Sect. 48. The Falling-sickness is somtimes hereditary ibid. Sect. 49. The Falling-sickness by consent from the Stomach ibid. Sect. 50. The Falling-sickness with the Scurvy 270 Sect. 51. The Falling-sickness in a Country Girl ibid. Sect. 52. The Falling-sickness in a Child 271 Sect. 53. A continual Falling-sickness with a Lunacy in a Maid grown up which never had her Flowers ibid. Sect. 54. A dayly Epilepsy which had its Original from a Tremor in the Hand afterwards turn'd into an Vlcer 273 Sect. 55. The Falling-sickness from too great Intentention of Mind 274 Sect. 56. The Falling-sickness with a Consumption of the whole Body 376 Sect. 57. The Falling-sickness in a Man sixty years of age 277 Sect. 58. The Falling-sickness whose Original is in the Brain 278 Sect. 59 The Falling-sickness in an Infant 279 Sect. 60. An Epilepsy in a Maid arising from a pituitous Matter in the Brain 280 Sect. 61. An Epilepsy in a young Man of fifteen years of age by consent from the Stomach 281 Sect. 62. An Epilepsy in a Boy by consent from the Stomâ—ch 282. Sect. 63. An Epilepsy in a little Boy of three years old 28â— Sect. 64. An Epilepsy arising from the Womb. ibid. Sect. 65. The Epilepsy having its Original from the Feet 284. Sect. 66. A Woman big with Child seeing another in a Fit of the Epilepsy brought forth a Child epileptick 285. Sect. 67. The Epilepsy cured in a young Man who was afterwards blind ibid. Sect. 68. The Epilepsy arising from one of the Legs 286. Sect. 69. The Epilepsy cured by the use of Guajacum 288. Sect. 70. The Epilepsy hapning in the Night 290. Sect. 71. The Advice of Rondeletius for the Falling-Sickness 291. Sect. 72. Another Falling Sickness hapning in the Night ibid. Sect. 73. Epileptick Remedies out of the Epistles collected by Laurentius Scholzius 293. Sect. 74. The Epilepsy in a Woman by consent from the Stomach hapning suddenly by reason of the wonderful plenitude of the whole Body but especially of the Brain was happily cured within the space of two days 294. Sect. 75. A certain noble Woman after difficult Labour in Child-bearing fell suddenly into Fits of the Epilepsy 298. Sect. 76. An Epilepsy beginning with a Vertigo 300. Sect. 77. An Epilepsy idiopathick or originally in the Head 301. Sect. 78. An Epilepsy with Convulsions 305. Sect. 79. An Epilepsy in a Maid 306. Sect. 80. An Epilepsy without Convulsions ibid. Sect. 81. The Epilepsy in a Maid 307. Sect. 82. The Epilepsy ibid. Sect. 83. The Epilepsy in a Maid ibid. Sect. 84. The Epilepsy in a Child ten years old 308 Sect. 85. An Epilepsy occasioned by Troubles of the Mind ibid. Sect. 86. An Epilepsy prevented 309. Sect. 87. An Epilepsy caused from the translation of the morbifick Matter 310. Sect. 88. An outragious Assault of Epâ—â—epsy by which was caused the contraction and shrinking of the Nerves of the right Hand and Foot 311. Sect. 89. An epileptick Convulsion ibid. Sect. 90. An Epilepsy with a bastard Palsy 313. Sect. 91. An Epilepsy not proceeding from Vapours only 316. Sect. 92. An Epilepsy with a Cholick wherein all things appeared as double ibid. Sect. 93. An Epilepsy with a Cholick proceeding from corrupt and stinking Humors 317. Sect. 94. An Epilepsy in a young Man having many â—â—ts in a day ibid. Sect. 95. Epileptick Motions in a young Woman ibid. Sect. 96. An Epilepsy in a melancholy Man 318. Sect. 97. An Eiplepsy in a young Girl cured in twenty days 319. Sect. 98. Out of Horstius against the Epilepsy ibid. Sect. 99. The Epilepsy in a Youth 321. Sect. 100. The Epilepsy in a middle-aged Woman ibid. Sect. 101. The Epilepsy in a young Man ibib Sect. 102. The Epilepsy in an aged Man ibid. Sect. 103. The Epilepsy ibid. Sect. 104. The Epilepsy in a Child 322. Sect. 105. The Epilepsy in an old Man ibid. Sect. 106. The Epilepsy in a middle-aged Person ibid. Sect. 107. The Epilepsy in a Youth ibid. Sect. 108. The Epilepsy vehemently afflicting a young Man ibid. Sect. 109. The Epilepsy 323. Sect. 110. The Epilepsy in a Youth ibid. Sect. 111. The Epilepsy proceeding from Madness ibid. Sect. 112. The Epilepsy in a sedentary young Man ibid. Sect. 113. The Epilepsy in an aged Woman 324. Sect. 114. The Epilepsy proceeding from the Iliack Passion ibid. Sect. 115. The Epilepsy in a young Girl ibid. Sect. 116. The Epilepsy in another young Girl 325. Sect. 117. The Epilepsy in a Man about forty-years of age ibid. Sect. 118. The Epilepsy or Falling-Sickness in a Child or Youth ibid. Sect. 119. The Epilepsy in a middle-aged Man ibib Sect. 120. The Epilepsy 316 Sect. 121. The Epilepsy in an elderly Gentleman ibid. Sect. 122. The Epilepsy in a middle-aged Man ibid. Sect. 123. The Epilepsy in a middle-aged Woman ibid. Sect. 124. The Epilepsy in a very aged Woman ibid. Sect. 125. The Epilepsy in another antient Woman ibid. Sect. 126. A Man epileptick afflicted with the Stone 327. Sect. 127. The Epilepsy with other Symptoms ibid. Sect. 128. The Falling-Sickness 328. Sect. 129. An Epilepsy with a vehement Obstruction of the Lungs ibid. Sect. 130. The Falling-Sickness 329. Sect. 131. The Falling-Sickness ibid. Sect. 132. The Epilepsy from a sudden Fright ibid. Sect. 133. Another Epilepsy from vehement
17. Cap. 4. XIX A Megrim returning in the Winter time 1. A certain person of middle Age black Hair and of melancholy complexion Anno 1584. near Winter was vexed with a pain in the right side of his Head which seized him sometimes at two or three of the Clock in the Night and sometimes at five or six in the morning when he awaked from sleep vexing him for three or four hours Thus it continued by intervals and returned for the space of five Weeks 2. This pain after certain purgations were used but no Blood-letting was sensibly abated but the following year viz. 1585 towards Winter it began to afflict him again on the same side and continued upon him till I cured it as in the former year 3. Anno 1586. about the beginning of November this Megrim invaded the same side of his Head again with much more vehemency together with a pain of the Teeth of the same side With these two pains together he was miserably Afflicted and although various Medicines were adhibited the pain notwithstanding was not diminished but increased 4. When Pills fitted for the Head were used by a Council of Physicians the disease yet grew stronger and returned with such Violence as almost to make the sick mad the pain chiefly being from the Crown of the Head falling to the Temples it was so great that it even pained his Teeth and although it was as it were immense yet it was a dull and obscure pain 5. For Diversion sake his feet were wont to be wash'd to his head many Anodyn things were applyed and various Electuaries and powders were taken to strengthen it When watchfullness troubled him he took a somniferous potion and for his weakness things restoring But notwithstanding these things were continued and altho' the pain did sometimes remit he alwayes felt the said right side of his head to be cold for which the Physicians proposed a dry bath to be used for 3 daies that the side of the Head growing hot it might extreamly sweat he consenting sweat with the same and began to be better his pain sensibly abating till he was able to go abroad in publick 6. But not long after his pain return'd again with much more violence by which he found himself as it were over come and its seat was chiefly on the right side of the head where the naked bones and void of flesh stick out as in the seat of the Crown in the extention of the forehead bone in the Yoak-bone from the Cheek to the Ear even to the lower Jaw chiefly there where it sticks out near the neck in which places he was mightily tormented so that he could not without difficulty and much labor speak nor was he able to hear others speak without pain he was miserably tormented and restless which way soever he turn'd his head he found no rest or ease his whol body trembled and often tears fell from his Eyes so that it made the By-standers to weep 7. At length my Counsel was desired and coming to him I ordered a Lixivium made after the ordinary way by passing water through Ashes to be prepared and therein Sage Rosemary Marjoram Rue Bawm Cammomil-flowers Elder Red-Roses Bay-berries and Anniseeds to be boil'd adding also thereto a glass of wine and with this all the pained places to be fomented by dipping a sponge therein and a little expressing it with your hand and then applying it as hot as he could well endure it and with the sponge also to bath it from the upper parts downwards which when it was done daily twice a day before eating he found the Extremity of his pain to be mitigated 8. But the Pain not being perfectly gon but sometimes returning again I perswaded him to apply Vigoes Emplaster spread upon Leather to the whole place where the pain was viz. from the Crown of the head the hair being first shaved off to the lower Jaw the Emplaster being applyed about two hours before Supper he sate down at the Table at which time such a noise was found to be made in his head as if much water should fall out of one Vessel drop by drop into another plac'd under it and the noise was so great that he did not only perceive it himself but they also which were near him heard it This noise in his head continued for two nights and one day One night when he slept he was much comforted but with the great noise he was awaked out of his sleep mightily afrighted cry'd out aloud and thought the house to be falling cast himself upon the floor and hid himself under the Bed This noise presently ceasing he had a pain extending from the Jaw-bone under the Eye to the Ear as if worms had been gnawing the place which pain continuing for some daies and nights 9. For this cause sake he began again to use the former Fomentation the plaster being taken away which where it cleaved to the skin was always wet as if it had been sprinkled with drops of water and again after the said Fomentation was adhibited he used it day and night till the pain remitting from day to day it was at last perfectly taken away and the Sick was restored to his prestine Health which for a long time he perfectly enjoyed except some small Symptoms which he felt upon any approaching cold or when his head was too much troubled with Studies and Cares Plateri Obs lib. 2. XX. A Megrim with Pain of the Eys and Inflammation of the Eye-lids 1. One as it was thought from drinking Wine too plentifully was seized with a vehement pain on the right side of the head which pain raged about Noon-time but was a little mittigated near Night and sometimes it would wholly remit 2. There was also an intense pain of the right Eye the whole white of the Eye was red the Veins turgid or swelled as if it had been covered with a red fleshy Pellicule or Skin as also both Eye lids both within and without the Pupilla was obfuscated or clouded so That although he could see the Light yet he was not able to discern things This Distemper had now troubled him for seven weeks 3. Being called to him the 9 day of September Anno 1597. I exhibited one Dram of my Purge prepared with Quinces which gave him two Stools I applyed a Cautery to the Nape of his Neck but when because of his Age it did nothing at Night I adhibited a Vesicatory made of bruised Flammula or Spearwort a kind of Ranunculus or Crow-foot Blisters arose by the next morning which being opened a yellowish Serum came forth after which I applyed upon them Colewort leaves smeared with fresh Butter and these often to be reiterated 4. To the Eyes I applyed a Collyrium of Pomgranate Peels in this manner you may drop one or two drops of it into the greater corner of the eye the head a little inclining after which the Eye-lid being closed you may apply a Sponge to the
same dipt in the said Collyrium mixt with the Mucilage of Faenugreek seed being warm and a little expressed with your hand which renew two or three times a day The Collyrium you may make by boyling the bruised Peels in Wine then straining and mixing it with a sufficient quantity of Water adding to every quart two Scruples of Salt of Vitriol 5. To his right Temple apply Emplastrum ad Herniam or the Plaster against Ruptures The following day he was again purged with my Electuarium Diapomorum Going away from him I ordered him to go on and after five days that the Hypochyma or Cataract might be discust to apply Veal or the Lungs of a Sheep to the part and from a Pigeons feather newly pulled off to instill the Drops of Blood at the end thereof into the eye 6. An Electuary to strengthen the Brain Take preserved Acorus Conserves of Marjoram Rosemary-Flowers Lavender Roses and Flowers of Sage of each equal parts mix them After some days whilst the redness is not yet perfectly taken away this Collyrium is to be used Take white Troches of Rhasis two Drams Rose-water eight ounces Strawberry water distilled with Goats milk and Camphir one ounce Fennel water half an ounce mix them 7. The Cautery which the Chyrurgian made in the Nape of his Neck for the repairing of the Sight and stopping of the Fluxion I caused to be healed up which had been long kept open and that with good success His Eye was freed from the Tumor and redness but he complained of the cloudiness of his Sight caused by the white spot upon the Pupilla and although he could discern some Light he was not in the least able to distinguish things I ordered him this Take Ox-Galls Turpentine Honey Sulphur Wine of each a like quantity mix and Distill therefrom a water which drop into the eyes Plateri Observ lib. 2. From my House at the Red Balls in Salisbury-Court Fleetstreet where my Synopsis Mediciâ—ae is to be had London Printed for T. Dawks and L. Curtiss Sold by T. Basset J. Wright and R. Chiswel 1681. The Chapter of the Megrim continued Numb 9. August 24. XXI A Megrim Cured by opening an Artery in the Temples that by all other means was incurable 1. Concerning the happy success of my Counsel in opening of Arteries I need not now write let us come to the thing 2. The sick labouring of an outragious Megrim I counselled to open an Artery of the Temples on the side affected it was done and immediately he became well and to this time being many years since the pain has not returned Scenkij de doloris Capitis curatione Obs 4. XXII A Megrim Cured by washing in cold Water 1. A certain man who for more than forty years had been troubled with the Megrim having used many Remedies in vain by the Councel of a Physician often washed his Forehead with cold water by which he became perfectly well but the matter being derived into the Oesophagus and there thickning hindred his swallowing 2. For the Brain being cold and a principal Member we are to be cautious of very cold things nor to use them but with the greatest judgment And Topicks which repel ought to be applyed warm where the matter is more cold and crude but cold where the matter is hot and cholerick Hollerij de Morbis internis ScholiÌ„ograh ad cap. 1. lib. 1. XXIII A Megrim arising from Gluttony 1. A young man-26 years old in August 1548 was taken with a strong Megrim he lived in idleness gave himself over to the pleasures of the Pallat filled himself with various sorts of drink and delighted himself continually in Feasting thereby became obnoctious to a heaviness of his Head 2. He first made use of an Empirical Physician but receiving not his desired Health he at length called me To whom his Belly being hard bound I would have caused a Clyster to be given him which he refusing I ordered a sharp suppository by which his Belly was made soluble 3. Then I prescribed the following Decoction to incide or cut the contumacious matter Take Betony Marjoram Staechas-flowers Rosemary-flowers of each alike make a Decoction with Water or Wine which sweeten with Oxymel 4. The Decoction being taken we exhibited these Pills Take Pilulae Aureae Pilulae Cochiae of each half a Dram Diagredium three Grains for he was of a strong Body make five Pills with Betony water to be taken after midnight by all which means the Belly was made Soluble 5. Soon after one or two days being between when he was strengthned Cupping-Glasses were applied to the Shoulders with Scarification which drew much Blood Then he took the following Decoction twice a day Take green or fresh Betony Vervain Bay or Violet leaves of each a handful flowers of both sorts of Staechas and of Camomil of each half a handful best Sena one ounce Guajacum and its Bark rasped an ounce and half Damask Pruns No. xv Raisons stoned one ounce Ani-seed and Fennel seed of each a dram boyl all in a sufficient quantity of Water according to Art with one pound of which mix syrup of Staechas four ounces By the taking of this much pituitous matter with a little cholerick and melancholy Excrements were avoided three or four times a day by which he had some ease 6. The place affected was anointed with this following Liniment Take Oyntment of Alabaster one ounce Oyl of Camomil half an ounce mix them This he used with Masticatories also thus prepared Take Pellitory of Spain two scruples and a half Mastick Cubebs of each a scruple and a half make them into a pouder and form two Masticatories by tying them up round with a thred in fine Linen cloth which every morning one after another let be chewed in the mouth so will much pituitous matter be brought away The Decoction being for a while used and the Unction aforesaid continued he became cured of this his vehement pain Foresti Lib. 9. Observ 58. XXIV A Megrim proceeding from a cold Humor 1. A Costard Monger was vehemently afflicted on the left side of his Head with a contumacious Megrim The chief hope of his Cure was in the concoction of the Humor and in proper purging 2. For this purpose I first prescribed this Apozem Take roots of Asparagus Fennel Parsly Peony of each half a dram Hysop Betony Bay-leaves Sage Marjoram Calamint of each one handful Rosemary Flowers Staechas of each one pugil Peony seed two Drams Raisons stoned one ounce make a Decoction in Rain-water to one pint of the straining add Oxymel simple Syrups of Staechas and of Calaminth of each one Ounce mix and make an Apozem for four doses 3. This being taken Take of the aforesaid Decoction four Ounces in which Dissolve Diaphoenican half an ounce Electuarium Indum one dram and half syrup of Staechas Oxymel Scyllitick of each half an ounce mix them This he took in the morning 4. This don I ordered him to repeat the
things therein as beating with a Pestel in a Mortar For here the Pores being mightily opened by the continual grasping of that heavy and hard matter there is first a too great exhausting of the animal Spirits in the part secondly a loss of part of the neurotick Juyce Blisters being raised these it is true after the first or second occasion would easily grow well again and the Parts come to their prist in State but a continual Exercise of the same Work as it is a continuation of the Cause so at length it causes so great an Irregularity as is scarcely ever to be retrieved 4. And the reason is the same in those who have crooked Backs and cannot raise themselves up straight for that they have for a long time carried heavy Burthens for which Cause the animal Spirits being obstructed in their Course are driven back to their Center and the neurotick Juyce likewise in like manner exhausted by unnatural Swearing and other insensible ways of Evacuation and withall a continuation of such like drudgery for several years an evil habit is at length caused so that for the want of Spirits and exsiccation of the nervous Juyce these wretched Creaturâ—s go all their days after bending downwards and these things may also come to pass in those who have long and often laboured under a Tetanos or other Species of Convulsions from whence there is the same loss of Spirits and exsiccation of the said neurotick Juyce the which humor being wasted by the aforementioned causes such a Consumption and leaness appears manifestly in the Muscles of the Limbs even outwardly especially in the greater that their Nerves and Tendons feem to consist rather of Fibres than Flesh and to represent dry Cords rather than soft Nerves 5. This is also caused in part from a defect of Fat which is wont first of all to be wasted by the aforesaid causes when as it growing both extrinsically to their Membranes and being intrinsically inbred with the Fibres of certain of the greater Muscles chiefly anointing and bathing them therewith as it were that they might be the easier extended and contracted in Motion being now deprived thereof renders them unfit for motion whence also follows a Consumption of that which Physicians call Ros Cambium Gluten or Glue with which the Tendons in like manner are wont to be smeared all which happens often-times from the force of an external Heat being too great and persevering long which doth as it were shrink up the Tendons and Muscles as well as dry them 6. Hence the Difference between a Convulsion and a Contraction is much more manifest a Convulsion proceeds only from the Irritation of the Nerves not their exsiccation but a Contraction from the exsiccation of the said Nerves either from too frequent and long Irritations or the Causes first above mentioned which every Artist is desired to take notice of and so it appears that a Convulsion is only a hurt of the animal Spirits in the Genus Nervosum c. A Contraction a cutting them off from the Part affected whence arises the aforesaid exsiccation and shrinking up But such an exsiccation can scarcely be caused from any internal heat though in the most burning Feavers And in an Hectick the Body being otherwise almost wasted yet the Members do not appear contracted except by accident in the Tongue or in the Midriff being over dryed c. 7. After these manners the Muscles almost proper to every part may be hurt whence only particular Contractions of those Parts do ensue Of one Part only if its particular Muscle be hurt Or more if one Muscle send Tendons to many Parts but these things never simply befal a Nerve being so small and slender a Part but they may be effected in the Tendon of a Muscle because it is so strong 8. Some Authors say That a Contraction may be caused from a pituitous or encrementitious humor falling upon and filling the body of the Muscle or Tendons which being thereby distended and made shorter it thereby attracts the Part into which it is inserted from whence they inferr that a Contraction may be caused but I should rather think that if an humor fallen down upon the Muscles possesses their spaces by which they are joyned together that it should rather cause a Pain and upon that account a difficulty of motion than a Contraction of the Part and if it bedew or smeer the Nerves or Tendons a Palsey should rather ensue 9. And this is a certain Truth that the Parts being deprived of animal Spirits their Functions must necessarily cease for from them are communicated to the Muscles the Power of moving and to the sensible Parts the Power of feeling and therefore if the Nerve be wholly destitute of them the remaining Part thereof from the place affected even to the Part into which it is inserted becomes useless the same comes to pass if its continuity with the Part be broken for then the passage of the said animal Spirits is interrupted And this may be somtimes when the Nerves are so straightned that the animal Spirits which require a free passage through them can no longer pass or fill them up or not sufficiently for that though they be most thin and subtile and do illustrate the Nerves like the Rays of the Sun yet nevertheless they may be hindred even as the Sun-beams also may be stopt And this happens if a Nerve or Tendon be so prest in any part of it that its substance doth wholly sink down Or if its substance be so condensed also whereby the passage of the said Spirits are interrupted 10. And the same may come to pass as well as from a solution of continuity straightness of the Nerves condensation preternatural Tumor simple Distemper c. from some fault of the Organ which may arise either from internal or external Causes hurts by compression ligatures blows c. whereby plenty of humor flowing from the adjacent Parts in those narrow places compresses the Nerves with its weight whereby is intercepted the passages of the animal Spirits as is aforesaid the which being detained by so much the longer stop by so much the more the humors become thicker and mucous which cooling and compressing the substance of the Nerves or Tendons destroys their proper temper and so hinders them from ever being filled with or enjoying the said animal Spirits any more 11. And truly this was the reason why we handled Contractures in this place for although they seem to be rather Diseases of the extream Parts yet being for the most part if not always caused from a hurt of the animal Spirits and Functions the Fountain of which resides in the Brain we thought good rather to treat of the same amongst Diseases of the Head and therefore have here added these few Observations and brief Theory as an Appendix to the Chapter of Convulsions being the first that ever we saw in print of this kind XXIV The Prognosticks of Contractures 1. Contractions
hours yea sometimes for a day or two at what time they oft times come to themselves again though without doubt many dye being thus taken 27. These if they recover out of the fit whether it be of short or long continuance do never fall into a Palsy or Hemiplegia as those for the most part do who are afflicted with an Apoplexy of the Brain and the reason is because that proper to the Cerebel proceeding either from a poysonous Gas or subtil vapour assaulting the Animal Spirits and suppressing them or from a vast diminution of them by reason of a total exclusion of the blood from the Brain leaves no substantial morbifick matter to fall down upon the Spinal Marrow and obstruct the Nerves thereof as the other kind of Apoplexy does which proceeds from and is caused by the afflux of humors heaped up in the Ventricles of the Brain and other hetrogene substances offending even the substance of the Brain it self and its more inward Marrow but the said Disease passing off as the said malign or poysonous Gas vanishes so by reason of the retribution of new and fresh Spirits the Sick remains afterwards in perfect health though with a paleness of countenance 28. Now the motion of the Heart may be thought to be hindred by reason of a contraction or Convulsion of the Cardiack Nerves chiefly within the Praecordia and Viscera caused as aforesaid by some venomous Gas or Vapour whereby the Spirits about to flow are suspended whence follows immediately great inordinations with a deprivation of Motion and Sense and a very slow and weak Pulse which causes the sick to lye for the time as if Dead And indeed those taken with an Apoplexy from the evil disposition of the Cerebellum are often troubled with the Incubus or with Swooning and failing of the Spirits and an intermitting Pulse 29. As to the Cause of the degrees of the Apoplexy as being either universal every function natural spontaneous and voluntary ceasing or particular this or that part being affected by it self or the faculties though they all without exception suffer an Eâ—lipse depraved more or less now this now that it arises from the quantity and quality of the morbifick matter descending to the middle or marrowy part of the Brain as also from its disposition and location possessing somtimes all its whole substance and sometimes but part of it as the fore middle or hinder parts thereof c. LV. The Prognosticks of the Apoplexy 1. This Disease is for the most part mortal always doubtful and never without present or successive danger for that the Spirits themselves are the immediate objâ—cts of its malignity or violence 2. That is most dangerous of all in which besides the abolition of all the spontaneous Functions the Pulse and Breathing are also defficient or are performed with great labour and difficulty and this for the most part happens with a cold clammy Sweat Snorting and a Foam at Mouth all which indicate immediately Death 3. In an apoplectick Fit if help follows the use of proper and fit means a recovery is to be hoped for but if on the contrary the Distemper continues without intermission above the space of four and twenty hours the Case is very desperate 4. If after the first Aphonick Paroxysm the sick becomes more stupid numb or dull or is frequently troubled with a Scotomia or Vertigo it is to be feared that more Fits will follow for then it is certain that the Disease proceeds from the morbifick Matter already heaped up in the Compass of the Brain and there dispersedly flowing descends through the small Pores only into the marrowy Part which malign and poysonous or neurotick matter increasing to a fulness hastens on a fresh Paroxysm 5. A strong Apoplexy saith Hippocrates Sect. 2. Aph. 42. is impossible to be cured and a weak one not very easily this Galen thus explains A strong Apoplexy is when the breathing is uneven and disorderly and somtimes intermitting and if such a breathing is very hard or difficult the Disease is stronger if the breath be stopt it is most strong but when there is some order that is regularity and easiness in the breathing the Disease is the weaker 6. A faint Sweat in an Apoplexy is evil for it shews great oppression of Nature and it is so much the worse if it be cold and clammy and with great difficulty of breathing 7. Hippocrates Sect. 6. Aph. 51. saith that those who are taken with an Apoplexy dye in seven days except a Feaver seise them but it must be a violent one and essentially springing from the inflamation of the Humors and Spirits otherwise it will not discuss the Matter which causeth the Apoplexy For otherwise if it be only symptomical and gentle or happning accidentally from a burning disposition in the Head through too much Blood in the Veins thereof the Feaver then causes Symptoms of Frenzy or Madness which weakens the animal Faculties rather than weakens the Disease 8. Moreover a Feaver which will have power enough to dissolve an Apoplexy must come in the beginning of the Disease whilst Nature has some kind of Vigour and Strength to make resistance for as Hippocrates in Coacis saith if a Feaver come upon an Apoplexy after it has continued long it is deadly 9. An Apoplexy of the Brain going off often degenerates either into a Palsy of the whole Body or into a Hemiplegia for that the morbifick Matter is not discussed otherwise than upon the spinal Nerves 10 If the Paroxysm is so extream as presently to deprive the Patient both of Pulse and Breathing so that a little after they grow cold and seem dead yet they are not presently to be laid out and given over without hope under three or four daâ— because such do somtimes revive again either of their own accord or by the use of means In such it is certain that the vital heat in the Heart was not totally extinquished but like fire raked up in Ashes it revives again the morbifick Matter being dissipated or evaporated from the Cerebellum 11. An Apoplexy hapning in Youth and in Summer time demonstrates the great Vehemency of the Cause and such an one saith Hippocrates Sect. 2. Aph. 34. is exceeding dangerous LVI The Cure of an Apoplexy in the Fit 1. The sick being in the Fit if it proceeds not from some external vehement hurt of the Head whether it proceeds from Blood let out of the Vessels or a serous or watery humor or the breaking of an Apostem in the Brain or other invincible Cause yet ought the Cure to be attempted in performing of which let the sick sit as upright as may be in a Chair for some hours for the Disease being a sleepy Disease if the sick should be put to bed it might incline the more to sleep which is expressly against the intention of Cure then let the extream Parts to wit the Hands Arms Thighs Legs and Feet be moderately chased and as
Sennerus advises be rubbed with Salt and Vinegar 2. Keep his Mouth open by putting somthing beween the Teeth and instil into the Mouth the Spirit or Tincture of Castoreum Or this following Mixture Take Spirit of Angelica the greater Composition two ounces Powers of Lavender and Rosemary of each an ounce Tincture of Castoreum half an ounce Syrup of Peony enough to sweeten them mix them together and give the sick half a spoonful at a time 3. However Physicians think their duty not well done unless the sick be let blood let the Disease proceed from what cause soever yet with Riverius he ought to consider whether blood-letting be a thing fit or not for as Celsus saith it either kills or cures and therefore ought to be well considered of aforehand for if Blood offend no way or if the Strength be quite gone or the Patient be very old blood-letting ought to be wholly pretermitted 4. You ought to offer violence to all his Senses his Eyes ought to be placed against the Sun or an extream Light a great Noise ought to be made in his Ears sharp things ought to be put into his Nostils as Rue Castoreum Vinegar c. and vehement biting and hot things into his Mouth his feeling ought to be stirred up besides frictions with pinching pulling of the Hair Ligature or binding bending of the Fingers c. 5. The Temples may be anointed with distilled Oyls as also the Nape of the Neck the spinal Marrow with this following or the like Take Oyls of Amber of Spicknard of Castâ—reum of each two scruples Oyl of the flowers of Hypericon Juyce of Rue strained of each three drams mix them and anoint therewith it is a thing of good use not only in the Apoplexy but also in the Epilepsy Lethargy Carus c. This following is better Take Powers of Rosemary and Lavender of each two ounces Powers of Castoreum and Juniper of each one ounce Powers of Cammomil and Marjoram of each half an ounce mix them 6. In the mean Season Sternutatories or Errhines either liquid or solid ought to be applyed to the Nostrils among the common and simple Errhines you have these the Juyces of Betony of Marjoram of red Beets of Brooklime of Water-Cresses of blew flower de luce of wild Cucumbers c. distilled Waters of sweet Marjoram of Betony Rue Sage Lavender Brooklime Water-Cresses Garden-Cresses Origanum Celindine c. The Spirit of Rosemary of Lavender of Juniper of Caraways of Sassafras of leaves of white Hellebor of Tobacco of Elaterium of the flowers of Lilly-Convally drawn with the Spirit of Wine c. to which add as things that excel Spirits of Urine of Soot of Sal Armoniack c. Infusions of Sage Penny-royal Time Lavender-flowers roots of Celandine of Sow-bread of blew flower de luce c. in Wine or some of the aforenamed distilled Water Pouders made of Rue Sage Marjoram Castoreum Orrice-root Ginger Galangal Staphisagria Nigella c. 7. Of simple Sternutatories these following hold the chiefest place roots of white Hellebor of Pyrethrum of Crowfoot of Horse-radish of Sea-radish of Aron of blew flower de luce of Sow-bread Leaves of Tobacco Seeds of Nigella of Rocket of Mustard of Water-Cresses Juyces of Euphorbium of Sow-bread of blew flower de luce to these add also Ginger black Pepper Cloves Castorium Agarick c. 8. Errhines and Sternutatories more compounded may be thus made Take sweet Marjoram Betony Brooklime bruise them and express their Juyce take of this Juyce half an ounce Castoreum in subtil Pouder a scruple mix them dip Cotten therein and put it up the Nostrils Or thus Take leaves of red Beets an handful and half Mustard-seed a dram and half cut and bruise them and affuse thereon sweet Marjoram Water White Wine of each an ounce and half digest an hour in warm Sand then press forth the Liquor for use Another Errhine Take Time Rosemary Sage of each half an handful Spanish-Tobacco a dram roots of blew flower de luce a dram and half cut bruise and infuse in Lavender-Water three ounces digest in warm Sand for a Night the next Morning express the Liquor for use 9. This following is particularly commended against the Apoplexy Epilepsy hysterick Fits and other chronick Diseases of the Head Take good Spanish-Tobacco tops of Lavender Time Hypericon of each half an handful flowers of the Tile-Tree of Lilly-Convally of each three pugils roots of Angelica and of white Hellebor of each three drams Castoreum a dram and half volatile Salt of Amber four scruples cut bruise and affuse thereon Spirit of Wine ten ounces digest in a Vessel close stopt for three days or more then with a very gentle Fire draw off the Spirit to dryness with which mix Spirit of Soot one dram digest a little and keep it for use Now here is to be noted that liquid Errhines need not be exhibited in quantity above three drams or half an ounce at most at one time a dram or two may serve at a time in ordinary Cases 10. Sternutatories in form of Pouder excellent for this Purpose Take the best Spanish Tobacco sweet Marjoram Rosemary Sage of each half a dram roots of white Hellebor Ginger of each a scruple Musk two grains make a subtil Pouder to sneeze with Or thus Take roots of white Hellebor and of Pyrethrum of each half a scruple flowers of Lavender of Rosemary of Lilly-Convally seeds of Nigella of each two scruples Castoreum ten grains Ambergrise three grains mix and make a subtil Pouder for a Sternutatory But the most admirable of all is this Errhine of Turbith mineral Take Turbith Mineral a dram Rosemary-leaves a dram and half Liquorice three drams mix and make a subtil Pouder soft like Flower 't is a famous thing and of excellent use but must be used with much caution it draws away indeed the morbifick Matter to a Miracle 11. In the mean Season while these things are doing it will be reasonable that a Clyster be prepared as follows to be exhibited with all convenient speed Riverius commends this Take Decoctum commune a pint and half Hiera Picra and Diaphoenicon of each an ounce Oyls of Rue and Lillies of each an ounce and half Honey of Roses two ounces Salt a dram mix and make a Clyster to be given immediately Or this of Deckers Take Rue Time Origanum Rosemary of each on handful Lavender-flowers three pugils roots of Masterwort of blew flower de luce of each two drams roots of Pyrethrum and of Sow-bread of each three drams Carthamus seeds tyed up in a Rag one dram Pulp of Colocynthis half an ounce boyl in a sufficient quantity of Spring-Water strain and to six ounces thereof add Electuary Diaphoenicon an ounce and half the best Castoreum in Pouder a dram Sal Armoniack half a dram mix and make a Clyster Or this of the same Authors Take Rue Asarum Tobacco of each an handful and half tops of the lesser Centory an handful roots