vapor which is the most common cause of it but if a cold distemper either inward or outward give this Disease a beginning the Remedies which cure it are to be taken out of the first Chapter of this Book And lastly it plenty of blood have begot this Disease or doth maintain and nourish it it is very proper to diminish it by opening a vein You must advise the Patient to a hot and moist Diet as in al Diseases that come from a Melancholly humor CHAP. V. Of the Palsey or Paralysis A Palsey is the loss of Sence and Motion in some parts of the Body by reason of the stopping of the Passages of the Animal Spirits There are many kinds of Palseys for either it is in all the parts of the Body below the Head and then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else it possesseth only one side of the Body and then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or it possesseth but one part of the Body and then it is called a Particular Palsey although some Authors use all these terms as Paralysis Hemiplegia Paraplegia Paresis and Resolutio promiscuously for one and the same disease which is a loss to Sence and Motion in any part of the Body There is therefore a double Palsey one called Perfect in which Sence and Motion is quite gone another Imperfect in which Sence and Motion are decayed and diminished and if it be a smal diminution it is not a Palsey but a Numbness or Dulness called Torpor or Stupor which is the way to a true and perfect Palsey and the forerunner thereof There is another kind of Palsey which is When the Motion is hurt and the Sence not or when the Sence is hindered and the Motion not The Causes of a Palsey are generally al those which hinder the passage of the Animal Spirits into the Nerves and Muscles The chief of al is a waterish Humor which by stopping compressing condensing or making thick refrigerating or making cold hinders the passage of the Animal Spirits This watery Humor comes from the Brain and fals upon the Nerves and Marrow of the Back So a light Apoplexy turns into a Palsey when the Humor that caused it falls from the Head upon the Marrow and beginning of the Nerves and so gets into the substance of them and shuts up those insensible Passages through which the Spirits come to the Parts or descending by the hollow of the Back-bone and by the Marrow of the Back and running upon the Nerves it compresseth and streightneth them whereby the Animal Spirits are hindered in their Motion Moreover The same Humor may so thicken the substance of a Nerve by its coldness that it cannot be passed through by the Animal Spirits And lastly The Passage of the Animal Spirits to the parts of the Body may be so hindered by a simple distemper in cold and moistness that the Native temper of a Nerve and the heat in it may be destroyed and the Animal Spirit not perform his office for the heat of the Animal Spirits must be joyned with the Natural heat of the part for the performance of its Office There is a Controversie whether other Humors may be the cause of a Palsey which we will not omit though they are very seldom mentioned by others Trallianus in his first Book Chap. 6. reports of a certain man that fell into a Palsey through sadness and grief and after taking of Hiera he became immovable without motion and had died if he had not used al moistening things for his meat and drink and other things to bring him to a temperate condition especially many Baths and Oyntments of Hydroetrum that is of Water and Oyl beaten together Paulus in his Third Book Chap. 28. and 43. talks of a Palsey which came of a Chollerick Chollick which is cured by cooling means and in our time the Chollick of the People of Poicteurs in France is very remarkable for it turns for the most part into a Palsey and all men of understanding acknowledg it to proceed of a Chollerick matter of which I shall speak more at large in my Treatise of the Chollick An example is given by Forestus in his 97. Observation and his tenth Book of a yong man who had an extenuation for want of nourishment in his Limbs and when he grew worse by hot and dry Medicines which Physitians prescribed for him was at last restored only by the taking and applying of moistening Medicines And Reason doth cleerly shew this for Choller Melancholly or any other Humor falling upon the Nerves if they fall upon them inwardly they may stop the insensible passages of the Nerves or if they fall upon them out wardly they may so press upon them that they may bring a Palsey Nor do the Reasons which Rondeletius gives to the contrary any way convince when he saith That Choller and Melancholly do rather dry than soften and mollifie the Nerves and Choller is more likely to produce a Convulsion by his sharpness and griping than a Palsey For although commonly a Palsey be called a Resolution and softening of the Nerves which is alwaies in a Palsey that cometh of flegm yet it is not requisite that a Resolution of the Nerves should be in every Palsey because it comes more properly and essentially from a stopping and hindering of the passage of the Animal Spirits which when it may be caused by a compression or straitening of the Nerves and the like it doth not alwaies proceed of softening and mollifying But the opinion of a Palsey coming from a relaxing and softening of the Nerves came from hence namely Because the parts which have the Palsey being not able to be stretched forth seem as it were to be relaxed and softened for the motion of parts is by the extension or stretching forth of the Muscles and by the contraction of drawing together of the same to their Original which extension when the parts do want they are said to be relaxed although they have neither been extraordinarily moistened nor softened Moreover Since there are divers sorts and degrees of Choller it is not necessary that every sort should have such acrimony and sharpness as is able to beget a Convulsion Furthermore There is a various mixture of Humors and flegm or water may be mixed with that choller which produceth the Palsey and so contemperate or mitigate his sharpness Such a mixture doth often happen in Bastard Tertain Feavers which are probable to be those which Fernelius saith turn into Palseys Finally This is very manifest from the Scorbutick Palsey or that which is joyned with the Scurvy which hath often a Convulsion accompanying it as Galen in many places and Sennertus in his Book of the Scurvey the fifth Chapter and albeit a true Scorbut or Scurvy is seldom seen in our Country yet we often see certain Scorbutick infirmities in which some symptoms of the true Scorbut do evidently appear And therefore in our 74. Observation and the first
Centaury and in our 98. Observation and the second Centaury were given two examples of Scorbutick Palseys accompanied with Convulsions There may be divers other Causes of a Palsey which are little observed As first A cold and moist Distemper simple and without matter may by congealing of the Spirits not only hinder their passages and influence upon the parts but also by destroying the temper of the Nerves make them uncapable of receiving the animal Spirits whereby they have Sence and Motion and this cold and moist distemper from overcoldness of the air or from the touching of a cold thing as Galen teacheth 4. de Loc. Aff. Chap. 4. of a certain man who when in a cold season and a great storm he had wrapt his wet Cloak a long time about his Neck fel into a Palsey in his hand the Nerves which come from the Neck and Marrow of the Back-bone being thereby made too cold and moist Some of our late Writers have reported That a Palsey may be procured by a stupifying or numbing quality which is inhaerent in some Medicines and Poysons and somtimes in the humors themselves And hence they say comes that Palsey which is caught by touching of the Torpedo or Cramp-fish but it is not so much to be termed a Palsey which cometh by that way as a Stupor or Stupifaction and numbness such like as that which Goldsmiths and Gilders have often by the touching and much using of Quick-silver and Looking-glass makers also which is often seen in Venice And Platerus supposeth that Wine by narcotick or stupifying quality begets Palseys and Numbness although others differ from his Judgment yet Fernelius seems to favor his Opinion affirming in the place above cited that he once saw a man whose skin by gluttony and drunkenness was all over stupified and insensible And Petrus Fabius in his Notes upon Altimar Chap. 14. relates a story of a certain Barbar who after he had been strongly tipling of Wine awaked at mid-night and fell suddenly into an universal Palsey of all the parts of his Body beneath his face so deprived of Sence and Motion that he felt not when he was cut and scarrified with a knife nor when he was pricked deeply with needles But his surfet and drunkenness being past he was cured in the space of three daies only by revulsions and resolving Oyntments applied to the back Notwithstanding this Author doth not impute this Palsey to the Narcotick or stupifying quality of the Wine but to those gross vapors which arose from his surfet and stopped the Nerves and this cause may be accounted among otheres that produce this Disease We have shewed in our Treatise of sleeping Diseases That there is a stupifying quality in corrupt and malignant Humors which being carried to the Nerves may hinder their Actions and since the Humors which produce the Scorbut have a venemous and malignant quality they may also have a stupifying forâ—e which may cause also a Palsey with the Scorbut or a Scorbutick Palsey although as we said before an obstruction or stopping or pressing of the Nerves may be sufficient to cause a Palsey alone Moreover Tumors growing by the Back-bone and its Nerves may without doubt cause a Palsey by pressing upon the Nerves So the cutting and pricking of a Nerve may produce the same effect The dislocation luxation or making loose of any of the Back bones or other Joynts may cause the same by pressing upon the Nerves And lastly The Condensation or thickning of the Nerves may hinder the influence and passage of the Spirits which comes either by too much exsiccation or drying or of a gross Earthy Humor which is taken into the substance of them So in those that have the Leprosie called Elephantiasis the sence and feeling of many parts is lost by reason of their growing too thick and hard by an Earthy and gross Nourishment which they receive The Causes of different Palseys are these In a perfect Palsey which supposeth a perfect privation of both Sence and Motion there is more plenty of the matter which causeth it by a general obstruction or stopping and binding of the Nerves But in an imperfect Palsey there is less matter to stop and bind the Nerves whereby it comes to pass that the passage of the Animal Spirits is not altogether so closed up but it wil suffer some portion of them to have their recourse Somtimes the Motion is hindered and the Sence not because there is more vertue to cause Motion than to cause sence or feeling in regard feeling is a kind of passion but Motion consists altogether in action Somtimes the Sence is hindered and not the Motion for in some parts of the body those nerves and their branches which serve for sence do not serve for motion as those nerves which are in the skin if they only be hurt the Sence only is hurt which is seen in a particular Palsey which is in one part only of the Body But if the chief nerves which are carried to the Muscles be hurt the sence cannot only be hindred but the motion also The Diagnosis or Knowledg of this Disease is directed to three things namely The kind or sort of the Disease to the part affected and to the cause that produceth it We may easily know what kind of Palsey it is because the want of motion and the privation of sence are to be discovered by the eye It is harder to know the part affected but it is found out by the knowledg of Anatomy which declareth the original and joyning of the nerves For if the right side of the face or left hath the Palsey and no other part be hurt the Brain is only hurt in that part from whence the nerves are brought that come to those sides of the face But if the parts under the head be hurt together with the Face then it is a sign that the Back bone is hurt as wel as the Brain And if the parts beneath the Head are hurt and not the face the fault is only in the Back bone If half the Body have the Palsey only one half of the Back bone is affected but if the whol body suffer then is the original of the Back bone hurt When the Palsey is in the Legs the part affected is about the bottom of the marrow of the Back and the Vertebrae or turning Bones of the Os Sacrum and so we must search out for the place whence the nerves spring which are brought to that part which is troubled with the Palsey Somtimes also the searching into the outward Cause doth much avail for the knowledg of the part affected Two examples whereof are brought by Galen one whereof we mentioned before out of his fourth Book de loc affect chap. 4. concerning a man in a cold stormy time wrapt his wet cloak so long about his neck til he fel into a Palsey in his hand Another is in his first Book de loc affect chap. 5. of Pausinias Syrus who lost the sence
by reason of the superfluous Humor which is contained in the Veins being an Enemy to Nature yet it cannot be denied but it is greatly decayed by those grievous vomits and stools It is better therefore first to allay the violence of the Humors and after the symptomes are asswaged to open a Vein And because in this Disease the strength quickly fails by strong evacuations you must be very careful in the restoring of it by that way which is shewed in the Cure of weakness in the eighth Book and the third Chapter Chap. 10. Of Pain in the Stomach called Dolor Ventriculi IT is a sad and troublesom sence in that part from some things that gnaw and stretch it till it break or be wounded In the Stomach you must consider three parts which much differ one from the other namely it s upper Orifice and its lower called Pylorus and the rest of its Body which maketh up the whol Cavity The upper Orifice is of exquisite sence by reason of the great Nerve which it hath from the sixth Conjugation and therefore pain therein is very sharp and makes the Heart which is the most noble part and neer unto it sensible of the same from thence it is called Cardialgia and Cardiogmos for there is such a neer consent between the mouth of the Stomach and the Heart that the Ancients called it by the name of the Heart Cardia But if the Membranes of the Cavity or the Pylorus be pained it is called simply Dolor Ventriculi and somtimes Colica Ventriculi especially when it comes of wind The immediate Cause of this pain is solution of Continuity by things sharp and distending and they are chiefly Humors or Wind and somtimes Worms gnawing the Tunicles Sharp and malignant Humors as green Choller or black salt Flegm corrupt Matter sent into the Stomach from an Imposthume broken in the Liver or Breast and all other sharp Humors which may cause pain Also sharp vapors coming from those Humors use to cause this pain The Wind contained in the Cavity of the Stomach doth cause swelling and painful distension especially if it be restrained within its Tunicles which makes a very stubborn Disease and cannot easily be sent out The Diseases both of the Stomach it self and of the parts adjoyning use to breed this pain as any great distemper either hot or cold and especially an Inflamation and somtimes a Schirrus or other hard Tumor which maketh a heavy pain as also Wounds and Ulcers of the same part and swellings in parts adjoyning by wind or other waies cause this pain by compression of the Stomach Now these Humors and Winds which cause pain in the Stomach either come from the whol Body or some parts thereof From the whol Body in Feavers or when the Body is filled with evil Humors And from other parts especially the Liver Spleen and Brain from the Liver there comes Choller from the Spleen Melancholly and from the Head salt Flegm Also this pain may arise from other extraordinary Causes not usual as Schenkius observes from stones bred in the Stomach lib. 3. observat And Fabricius Hildanus observ 33. lib. 4 reports that a Woman had a piece of Rind or rusty Bacon two yeers in her Stomach wherewith she was continually pained and which after by taking a Vomit she threw up and was cured The external Causes of this Disease are either evil qualified or of sharp Nourishment which of themselves produce it or things apt to breed Wind or things taken in too great a quantity which putrifie and turn sharp or things that are too hot and breed much Choller As also strong sharp deadly Medicines either taken in too great a quantity or not sufficiently corrected and poyson The Diagnostick Signs are from the part affected and the cause And first when the pain is under the Cartilage Ensiformis or Xiphoides it shews that the upper Orifice of the Stomach is affected but that it is a true Cardialgia in the mouth of the Stomach you may know more certainly when there is a most sharp pain from the exquisite sence of the part with such trouble and disturbance that the Patient cannot stay in a place or in one posture but often swounds and fainteth by consent and sympathy of the Heart with the Stomach not only by neerness to it but also by reason of the dissipation of the Spirits by the pain Somtimes the Brain consents by Reason of the famous Nerve which is in the Stomach and the sharp vapors which are directly sent into the Head from thence from whence come Cephalalgia Hemicrania Vertigo and Epilepsie In other parts of the Stomach there are great pains but they have not so great Symptomes and therefore they are like the Chollick differing only in place The Causes also are known by their proper signs The most manifest are taken from the Excrements for Choller Flegm Wind or Worms are voided at the Mouth or Belly it is easie to conjecture that the Disease depends upon these Causes But if no Humor be discharged we may know when Choller Flegm or Wind abounds by their proper signs and the signs of Worms are to be taken out of their proper Chapter As also the proper diseases both of the Stomach and parts adjoyning which produce this Disease are known by their proper signs The knowledg of the Humor causing this pain is also taken from the time of its coming encrease and cessation Some are troubled most violently before meat and this shews that Choller is predominant which is stirred in time of emptiness and drawn to the Stomach and made more sharp Some are pained presently after meat because the raw biting Humors which before were quiet and fixed to the Tunicles of the Stomach are moved when Meat is taken or they which were in the bottom of the Stomach are raised up and disturb the mouth of the Stomach Others are pained in time of Concoction because sharp gnawing vapors arise from the Matter causing the Disease from the heat encreased in the Stomach in time of Concoction Others are pained four or five hours after meat because it is corrupted by evil concoction and so gnaweth the Stomach Some are worst after sleep and that comes from a Catarrh from the Head in the time of sleeping which being heaped up in the Stomach produceth pain afterwards Somtimes the pain is appeased after Meat because the sharpness of the Humors is qualified by the sweetness of the Meat As for the Prognostick it is most certain that Cardialgia is more dangerous than any other disease of the Stomach by reason of the exquisite sence of the Mouth of the Stomach and its great consent with principal parts The danger is more or less according to the malignity of the Cause and the vehemency of the symptomes A continual acute Feaver joyned with a great pain of the Stomach threateneth great danger as Hippocrates saith Aph. 65. Sect. 5. In Feavers if there be great heat about the Stomach and
Liver be cooled nor can the thin vaporous Excrements be evacuated The Matter that Causeth the Obstructions commonly is a gross Excrement viscous and clammy which being not able to pass freely sticks in the passage and is more and more thickned by the heat of the part so that the longer Obstructions continue the worse they are Somtimes plenty of Humors cause an Obstruction as Galen sheweth 10. meth cap. 2. in there words Of Obstructions some come of abundance of Humors and some from the Quality as when they are gross or clammy Blood letting is the best Remedy against those which come from plenty and the use of attenuating things is best against those that come of Quality This Obstruction which comes from plenty of Humors happens chiefly in the Vessels and their cavities when being too full they are so distended that they cannot contract themselve for the sending forth of the Matter contained As we may observe by the Bladder when it is stretched ouâ— by long retention of too much Urin that it cannot contract it self from whence there comes a stoppage of Urin or difficulty of voiding thereof Not only Humors but also somtimes many gross Vapors which cannot easily be discussed because the way is not open as in the Chollick may be the Cause of Obstruction as Galen teacheth 3. de loc aff which Causes are very rare and absolutely denyed of some The Humors which stoppeth with its thickness is chiefly Flegm which wil easily grow gross and clammy Melancholly is next which by its coldness thickness and drossiness may cause Obstructions Also Blood may do the same by its quantity and thickness And lastly Choller staying long in the Liver grows thick and breeds dangerous Obstructions The Antecedent and Princâ—pal Causes are al things that produce thick and clammy Humors and thick and cloudy Air Meats of gross Juyce viscous hard of Concoction and distribution astringent cold and not fit for to be eaten as Pears quinces Services Medlars Mushrooms Cheese Pulse Pease or Beans Beef and Pork slymy Fish and dryed in the smoak Bread not wel baked Rapes Chessnuts thick red and astringent Wine and muddy Ale Also an evil Disposition of the Liver especially a cold distemper which may also produce Obstructions from good Juyce as when it doth not wel Concoct but turns the meat into a salt tartarous and mucilagnous or slymy Matter Also the Distemper of the Stomach may be a Cause of Obstructions when it begets too crude a Chyle which cannot after be wel ordered by the Liver because the sault of the first Concoction is not amended by the second The Signs of this Disease are to be divided into divers sorts some signifie the kind of the Disease others the part affected and others the cause that produce it The Signs that shew the kind of the Disease are common to al natural parts that are subject to Obstructions for they shew only Obstructions lying in the lower Belly and these therefore wil serve for the knowledg of the Obstructions of the Spleen and Mesentery especially These Signs shew that there are Obstructions in the said parts The Excrements of the Belly being out of their natural condition especially when they are moist white chylous or bloody white Urine thin and watery and as it were strained because the thicker parts cannot pass through by reason of the Obstructions but only the pure water comes through unmixed and it may be yellow if there be heat Difficulty of Breathing especially when the Patient walketh fast or goes up a hill or pair of stairs because the parts obstructed do draw the Midriff down-wards and hinder its free motion the Face is pale there is leanness and dulness over the whol body the Pulse is unequal and lastly there is such a sense of weight in the Hypochondria as they who have been feeding very hard Therefore Hippocrates 4. de victus ratione in acut calls that heavines a fulness of the Hypochondria attributing that Disease to the Hypochondria which properly belongs to the Stomach for as often as the Spleen and Liver are filled with evil Humors and swel they are pressed and feel a heaviness after the least eating of the lightest meats as they who have over-gorged themselves This Sign doth so surely declare the Obstruction of the Hypochondria although there be neither pain nor apparent swelling that Prosper Martianus in his Comment upon the aforesaid Book of Hippocrates assirmeth That he hath concluded that the Bowels were obstructed before ever he handled the Hypochondria The stretching of the right Hypochondrion sheweth the part affected together with the other signs and somtimes pain that is heavy and dul which encreaseth after meat especially if exercise immediately follow somtimes a dry Cough difficulty of Breathing by reason of the neerness of the Diaphragma and a greater weight of that part than of any other The Signs of the Causes are if it come from Humors the pain is more heavy extending and fixed if from Wind it is sharper and more moveable if from cold Humors there is more sense of weight in the right side the Face is more pale there is no Feaver nor thirst there was a cold and thick diet without exercise that preceded if it comes from hot Humors there is less weight more thirst the Face is yellow by reason of Choller or red by reason of Blood there is a Feaver and a pricking pain somtimes and hot diet went before The Prognostick of this Disease is to be made thus A New Obstruction is easily taken away an Old hardly An Obstruction of the Liver except it be speedily and wholly taken away useth to bring many Evils namely Putrefaction of Humors Feavers Inflamations divers Fluxes of the Belly constant and vehement because the nourishment can pass to the parts the Chollick Jaundice Evil Habit of body Dropsie Scirrhus and other infinite Diseases so that Avicenna calls Obstructions the Mother of Diseases An Obstruction made by Humors is worse than that which comes of Wine That which comes of Crude and Flegmatick Humors or of Wind is somtimes cured by a Feaver because the Heat doth discuss the Flatus or Wind makes Flegm thin and more apt to flow The Cure of an Obstruction is to be begun with an universal Evacuation of the whol body by a Potion agreeable to the nature of the Disease Afterwards if there be signs of Plethory or sulness and if the body be not very thin you must draw blood out of the Liver Vein in the Right Arm. Then prescribe this Apozeme Take of Smallage Parsley and Fennel Roots infused a whol night in white Wine of each one ounce the Roots of the greater Celandine two ounces Fearn Roots Elicampane barks the Roots of Capars the inward bark of an Ash and Tamarisk of each half an ounce Wormix ood Agrimony Maiden-hair Germander the tops of Saint Johns-wort and the Lesser Centaury of each one handful Smallage Parsley annis and Fennel seeds of each half an onnce clean
of Wax Nutmeg and Sage of each two drams After you have anointed you must cover the part affected with a hot Sheeps skin and when it is cold iâ— you have not a fresh one make it warm again with the Oyl of Dill or the like hot Oyl We apply successfully to the part affected the hot Lungs of a Sheep as also yong Pidgeons Whelps and â—hickens slit in the middle Put the pâ—rt aâ—fected into an Ox or Sheeps Belly or other great Creatures newly killed and let it remain there â—hile it is warm Baths of Head herbs are good putting to them a third part of Oyl or anointing afterwards Some commend this Emplaster Take of Colopâ—ony two ounces Rozin and Pitch of each one ounce Frankinsence Mastich Ceruss of each haâ—f an ounce Sanguis Draconis common Salt Ammoniacum and Terepintine of each two drams new Wax two ounces white Vitriol two drams Mother of Pearl two ounces Load-stone half an ounce yellow Amber one dram and an half Oyl of Egs and Roses of each two drams Make a Plaister upon Leather Baths coming of Brimâ—tone are excellent especially in constant Convulsions Also dry Baths of the fume of the Decoction of Sage Rosemary Stoecnas Chamepitys or Ground-pine Origan and the like in white Wine sprâ—nkled upon stones fire hot or Iron It is very good to foment the hinder part of the Head and the Neck with hot Aqua vitae Penotus doth wonderfully extol the following Medicine for quite Curing of a Convulsion Take Oyl of Turpentine half an ounce Oyl of Cloves six drops of the Mucilage or slime of Briony so much as is sufficient to make a Limment Anoint the part affected and the root of the Nerve which comes unto it Others say they quickly cure a Member with the Oyl of Turpentine of Wax Chamomel and the like mingled with Spirit of Salt The following Liniment is very powerful Take old Butter and Bacon of each a quarter of a pound Bdellium and Ammoniacum of each one ounce Mirrh and Castor of each two drams Stoechas and Rosemary flowers of each one pugil Nutmeg and Cloves of each one dram a Kitten or yong Cat flead bowelled and cut in pieces Stuff a Goose with these and roast her cast away the first dripping which is watery the next which is fatty receive in a Vessel half full of Vinegar Anoint the parts affected and the backbone therewith Sometimes the pain is so intollerable that it must first be cured For which this is good Take of Oyl of Violets Lillies and Chamomel of each an ounce and an half Oyl of sweet Almonds Mastich and Roses of each one ounce If you wil have stronger make this Bath Take of Marsh-mallow Roots and Lillies of each one pound and an half of the Leaves of Origan Violets Mallows Sage and Wormwood of each two handfuls Linseeds and Fenugreek of each one pound Boyl them for a Bath in which let the party fit not long but come ouâ— as soon as he finds ease It is sufficient if the parts affected be only bathed therewith Others make Baths only of Oyl and if the Patient be rich they boyl a Fox or two in it While these are doing purge the Head with neesing and chewing described in the first Chapter As also you must strengthen with the Cephalick or Capital Opiate Apoplectick Water Treacle and the like Rondoletius speaks thus of his Water of Swallows A Water made of Swallows and Castor presently cureth a Convulsion coming of Repletion You may find the description of it in his Chapter of the Epilepsie CHAP. VII Of the Epilepsie or Falling-sickness THe Epilepsie is a Convulsion of the whol Body not continually but by fits with a hinderance both of the Mind and Sences The Word Convulsion is not here taken properly and strictly for a true Convulsion but improperly for a Convulsive Motion For an Epilepsy is a Convulsive Motion not a true Convulsion But we keep the name of Convulsion in imitation of Galen who calls an Epilepsy alwaies a Convulsion This Definition is taken out of Galen 3. de loc aff cap. 7. and lib. de diff sympt cap. 3. and defines a perfect Epilepsie in which all the Body is contracted and all the Sences both internal and external are abolished Yet there are imperfect Epilepsies in which only the Head or Arm Leg and Thigh or half the Body is only contracted There is also an Epilepsy in which the mind remains sound and the external sences and also the voluntary motion of some parts I saw a Nun which in her Epileptick fits had divers contractions somtimes of the Arms then of the Legs somtimes of the Head afterwards of the whol Body yet she saw those that stood by and spake nay she also endeavored a voluntary motion against the Convulsive so as she did in a manner diminish the involuntary motion somtimes she was in a smal fit only and walked about her Chamber but with a disorderly motion leaping and using strange antick postures by which she caused the rest of the Nuns to be very merry and she at that time laughed with them and spake when she pleased Every convulsive motion as I said in the former chapter cometh of provocation which proceedeth from the quantity or quality of the matter The quantity of matter which causeth the disease burdening Nature stirs her up to expel that which is troublesom to her Whence the Opinion of Galen is confirmed which is so disputed by late Physitians That an Epilepsy comes of an imperfect obstruction of the Ventricles of the Brain for if the humor obstructing or stopping is burdensom to Nature the Brain will labor to expel it In the quality there is no difference for all agree in this That the expulsive faculty is stirred up by sharpness and acrimony and by any quality which is offensive to Nature The Causes stirring up or provoking are either contained in the Brain and make a proper Epilepsy or come from other parts and so make an Epilepsy by consent or sympathy And that provoking or irritation makes an Epilepsy when the Brain laboring to expel that which is offensive shakes its self and by consequence all the Nerves which are adjoyned to it There is in Galen and almost all Authors a threefold Epilepsy The first is that which hurts the Brain in which the Disease is The second is that which hurts the Brain by consent from the Stomach The third is when the disease is sent from other parts of the Body to the head And these have their proper names The first as being chief is called Epilepsia the second Analepsia the third Catalepsia But by Galens leave that division is superfluous and in vain is that Epilepsy which comes from the Stomach separated from those which comes by sympathy from other parts when all ought to be called Sympathicae or Epilepsies by consent Neither is it sufficient to say that an Epilepsy from the Stomach is distinct from others because it is most frequent
since that which comes from the Stomach and Spleen is as usual and as frequent if not more Therefore we divide an Epilepsy into a Proper one and one by Consent Again we subdivide that which is by consent according to the divers parts from whence these sharp and malignant vapors are sent to the Brain for there is almost no part in the Body from which a malignant vapor cannot be sent Two Stories are related by Galen in the place quoted the one of a Boy of thirteen yeers old who at the first had the Epilepsy in his Leg after that it ascended into his Thigh and Bowels and by the sides into the neck til it came to the head which at first touch made him not able to stand Another is of a Youth who in the beginning of his fit perceived as it were a cold air to ascend But it is remarkable and well known that an Epilepsy comes for the most part from the Guts the matter that breeds worms from the Matrix and other parts and it is confirmed by many Authors Therefore it is manifest from what hath been said how Galens Opinion may be defended who affirms That a proper Epilepsy comes of an imperfect obstruction of the ventricle of the Brain which we cannot defend to be the constant cause as Galen seems to grant who laies down no other but we are rather forced to confess that it is less usual than the rest Nor do the Arguments brought against Galen any way convince the chief whereof are these First As Fernelius saith if an Epilepsy comes from plenty of Humors it would come most in the sleep at which time there is plenty of Humor I answer That the humor of which sleep is begot is in the substance not the Ventricles of the Brain and therefore doth not stir up the expulsive faculty which resideth most in the Ventricles Secondly Fernelius saith That because an Epilepsy is quickly dissolved it should turn into a Palsey as an Apoplexy doth when the humor is cast into the nerves I answer That in an Apoplexy by reason of the weakness of the expulsive faculty which is oppressed by many humors they are cast into the parts adjoyning but expulsion being stronger and more free in an Epilepsy they are sent to those parts which are ordained by Nature for their discharge And it is false which Fernelius saith That an Epilepsy never ends in a Palsey for we have seen a Palsey come after it And somtimes Apoplexies at their first coming are turned into Convulsions before there be a perfect obstruction of the Ventricles of the Brain and also many Epileptick men die by an Apoplexy when a little obstruction turns into a total stopping Thirdly Against Galen some argue thus As a compleat Obstruction of the Ventricles totally takes away the functions of the Brain in an Apoplexy So an incompleat Obstruction would only diminish not deprave the Functions nor produce such convulsive motions as are somtimes more violent than sound motions I answer That Nature being wholly oppressed by a total obstruction doth not labor for expulsion but she hath strength enough in a half obstruction to move and stir up the Brain to expulsion This is confirmed by the Example of a defluxion falling upon the Lungs which if it fill the whol Lungs it makes great difficulty of breathing without a Cough as cometh to pas in an Astma or shortness of breathing But if a smal quantity only of humor do fall the Lungs are stirred up to expulsion whence cometh a Cough The Signs of an Epilepsy are of three sorts Either they are such as signifie an approaching Epilepsy or one that is present or such as shew the difference of Epilepsyes The Signs of an Epilepsy approaching are two-fold Either they signifie the first coming of the Disease or some Fit to be at hand â—he same signs serve for both but most surely in those who are actually possessed therewith do they shew the condition of it in its return for in those who never had this disease formerly these signs are doubtful for the most part and may declare many head diseases but all of them together may give some certainty Therefore al signs of an eminent Epilepsy are to be propounded with this admonition That al signs do not meet in al but some in one some in another as the causes and constitutions do differ But that they may orderly be laid down we must search the originals of these signs which flow from Animal Vital and Natural actions from excrements qualities changed and proper accidents In respect of the Animal Functions and unaccustomed disturbance of the mind and Body threatneth an Epilepsy heaviness of head head-ach vertigo or giddiness or much sleep from whence the Body hath no refreshment troublesom dreams dulness of mind or perplexity forgetfulness sorrow fear dread sloth graveness of actions snatching and trembling of the parts dulness of the sences a down look clouds and other things flying before the eyes noise in the ears a stink in the nostrils a stiff tongue and its inordinate Motion yawning and neezing In respect of the Vital Function these with others are the signs Anger Beating or palpitation of the heart straitness of Breast and alteration in Breathing In respect of Natural Functions these are forerunners of an Epilepsy disdain of meat or immoderate Appetite Squeamishness heart-burning In respect of Excrements these are signs Much spittle thin and crude Urine often Nocturnal Pollutions In regard of qualities and proper accidents changed Paleness of Face and swelling of the heart A present Epilepsy is easily known if it be perfect but it hath many differences which cause difficulty as we shall shew In a compleat fit all the Sences both internal and external are hindred The party suddenly falls and the whol Body or at least some parts are diversly moved Moreover there is a staring and thrusting forth of the eyes gnashing of Teeth a difficult breathing as in those that are hanged the seed dung and urine are sent forth involuntarily and about the end of the fit he foameth at the Mouth and Nose which happen only in a vehement Epilepsy and the fit being ended he forgets all things he then acted Some of the Ancients make three kinds of Epilepsies One which is like a deep sleep another which doth shake the body after divers motions a third which is made of both the former The late Physitians deny the first kind saying That it is more like a Coma or a Carus than an Epilepsy and these two Diseases cannot be otherwise distinguished but that in a Coma is a deep sleep without a Convulsion and a Convulsion is a certain sign of an Epilepsie But Avicen saith otherwise namely That an Epilepsy comes many times without an apparant Convulsion And experience teacheth us That many men in Epilepsies have fits like Coma and it 's known to be an Epilepsie not a Coma or a Carus by this The sleep in an Epilepsie cometh and
it is most certain that this Disease is also begot by adstriction and compression of the Optick Nerves which compression may come both or a moist humor gathered about the optick Nerves and pressing upon them as also of blood filth or matter Whence somtimes certain tumors rising in those parts produce the like Disease For Experience teacheth That somtimes blindness in one Eye somtimes in both comes upon inflamation of the Brain and from Phrenzy in malignant Feavers And Platerus reports lib. 1. Observation That he saw a blindness which came from a round tumor growing in the Brain and compressing the optick Nerves which appeared by opening of the Head after the Patient was deceased Finally Wounds in the Head in which the Optick Nerves are divided without controversie do cause that the Animal Spirits can no more come to the Eyes This Disease is known in that the Eyes seem to be in their natural condition and there is no fault apparent in them only the Pupilla seems blacker and larger But in distinguishing the differences of Causes there is great difficulty for although the Disease coming of blood or matter is known by inflamation aposthume or wound going before yet no certain sign can be given by which we can distinguish a compression made with flegm from an obstruction but we may in some part conjecture for in the obstruction only of the optick Nerve the Eye is only affected but if a compression be made of the same Nerve by flegm gathered about the roots of the Eyes and Mamillar Passages that matter possesseth other parts of the Brain and then all or some of the other Sences are hurt but if it seize only upon the Optick Nerves there is more plenty of humor sent forth at the Nostrils and the Patient perceives a heaviness in the fore part of the Head especially about the Eye-brows As to the Prognostick part If this Disease be absolute that is if there be a total loss of sight especially if it come from obstruction of the optick Nerves it is for the most part incurable as we see in Palseys also that they are scarce or never cured which come from the obstruction of the Nerves especially if the Patient be old But if the obstruction be imperfect which only causeth a diminution of sight but not blindness there is more hope of recovery although it cannot be brought about without much pains and long use of Medicines But if this Disease come of humors gathered in the fore part of the head which compress the Nerves it may be more easily cured So saith Fabricius Hildanus observ 19. cent 5. That a certain man after a strong vomit lost his sight and that he cured him with giving him the same Medicine again for as the humors being too much stirred by a violent vomit and cast upon the Optick Nerves compressing them did hinder the passage of the Spirits to the Eyes so the same humors being carried away by the same Medicine the disease became cured Almost the like story is mentioned by Sennertus of a certain Student who taking too strong a Purge became suddenly blind He also affirmeth That certain women after they had conceived with child became blind through the straightness of the optick Nerves and that this Disease went away after four or five months or in the time of their Delivery We also have seen some which fell suddenly into extream diminution of sight who within fifteen daies were cured by universal Evacuations and some revulsions and by the easiness of the Cure we supposed that the humor was not fastened within the substance of the nerve but only gathered together in the Brain about the original of those Nerves For the Cure of this Disease The matter fastened upon the Nerves or cleaving thereto and maketh the obstruction or adstriction is to be evacuated which cannot be done except first the whol body be clensed as Galen saith 4. meth The Eye is not to be cured before the whol Head nor the Head before the whol Body And that Remedies may be set down in a convenient Method we will first set down a Course of Diet which must be attenuating and moderately drying And first The Air must incline to hot and dry and a thick cold cloudy and moist Air must be altogether avoided Let him cat meats of good and laudable Juyce avoiding them which beget gross Juyce as Pork and all Swines flesh Geese Fish Pulse Cheese and the like as those which are windy and fill the head as Milk-meats and hot Spices viz. Pepper and Ginger c. Let his Bread be made with Fennel Water or with the Seeds thereof being careful that the Wheat of which it is made be not mixt with Darnel which all the Ancients beleeved to be very naught for the Sight hence in the Comedy he that derideth another for defect in his sight I think saith he thou hast sed upon Darnel In the sawce to his Meat and in his Broths let him use things extenuating as Hysop Fennel Marjoram Bettony Sage Eye-bright and especially Nutmeg which strengtheneth the Brain and clears the Sight He must eat Turneps often which are thought to quicken the Sight So do Sparrows Pidgeons often eaten Cold Herbs must be forborn and especially Lettice which hurts the Eyes Let him take but a smal quantity of Meat at a time and let the sick man never fill himself immoderately Let his Supper be less than his Dinner and to abstain from a Supper twice or thrice in a week is very good At his Meat instead of Salt let him use this Pouder following Take of common Salt two ounces Eyebright dried two drams Nutmeg one dram Cinnamon two scruples Mix them into a Pouder After every Meal let him take one spoonful of the Pouder following Take of Coriander seed prepared half an ounce Annis seeds and Fennel seeds of each two drams Cinnamon and Nutmeg of each one dram Eyebright dried three drams Sugar of Roses a double weight to all the rest Make a Pouder Wine in this Disease is not good because it is too full of vapors and fills the Head and is apt to cause defluxions therefore a Deoction of Sarsaparilla sweetened with Liquoris and aromatized with Coriander will be very profitable But because the Disease is of a long continuance and all cannot abstain so long from Wine if we must permit Wine let that be chosen that is weakest and less vaporing and it would be more beneficial if Eye-bright dried were first steeped therein and that he may make Eyebright Wine for a long time in the Vintage let him put Eyebright into a vessel filled with new Wine and let the Patient use that for his ordinary Drink Let his sleep be less and shorter than usual and let him he upon his back with his face upwards as much as may be Let him avoid sleeping at noon because it is very hurtful Let his Exercise be moderate and instead of exercise let him use frictions or rubbing
great sound Ulcers in the Ears a hot distemper weakness and exquisite sence A stroak by moving the Spirits in the Head too violently causeth a noise A great sound doth violently move the natural Air. And Ulcers by the heat of the matter boyling and working make a noise and by the Spirits gathered thither and moving the Natural Air. A hot distemper fills the inward Arteries of the Ear with much Spirit whence a great beating noise proceedeth Somtimes too much Spirit is sent by those Arteries into the Ears and the Natural Air is thereby moved from whence cometh a noise And from this cause may come a continual none for some months or yeers Weakness of hearing useth to make a noise in the Ears as in sick people because every sence debilitated is hurt by every violent or moderate object so they who have weak sight are offended by a small light And lastly When the sence is most exquisite as Galen lib. 3. de comp med sec loâ— cap. 1. there will be a noise in the Ears becauâ—e even moderate objects are too vehement for it Now this exquisite sence must be preternatural for the exquisitness of â—ence cannot of its self produce a depraved action but rather the more exquisire it is the leâ—s will it Err. This preternatural exquisitness of sence comes from a hot distemper ulcer or the like as parts inflamed do depravâ—dly that is painfully feel moderate touchings Or if the exquisitness of sence be Natural you must suppose that the cauâ—e of the noise is Preternatural for the vapor which is so little that it cannot be felt of dull sence and so the action not be hurt will be felt of him that hath exquiâ—â—te â—ense and will cause a noise so that in one it is Preternatural in another Natural There are divers sorts of sounds in the Ears which proceed either from the quantity of the vapors as they are more or few thinner or thicker swift or slow in motion for if the vapor be much thick and of quick motion it wil make a noise like swift running water or like a drum or like â—ome such Musical Instrument or a rushing wind or the like but if it be little thick and move quick the noise is like the falling of a â—ree or House If it be much thin and swift in motion it causeth a hissing or is like falling of a gentle Water If it be little thin and quick in motion it causeth a tickling If it be much thick and of slow motion it makes a murmuring noise If the matter be little thick and slow in motion it makes a kind of whispering noise If it be much thin and of slow motion it causeth a hissing And lastly Because the degrees of thickness and thinness of greatness and smalness of swiftness and slowness are infinite therefore there are innumerable sorts of sounds in the Ears There is no certain knowledg of the causes aforesaid as Galen teacheth 3. de comp med sec loc c. 1. but we may make conjecture from the precedent Causes and Circumstances We conjecture that the noise comes from wind because somtimes it ceaseth and returneth again as also when the Patient hath formerly used to eat windy meat It cometh by consent from other parts when there is some peculiar disease in them It appears to come from the Brain when pain and heaviness of the Head went before and when other sences also are hurt That the fault is in the Ears appears by a continual noise without any intermission We know that that Disease comes from a cold matter if the Patient be better for the use of hot things and if in time of health great noise be not much disturbance The difference of sounds above mentioned do shew whether the disease comes of thick or thin many or few vapors it will easily appear by what hath been said When it comes from the weakness of the faculty of hearing as from some Diseases aforegoing of which the Patiâ—nt is scarce recovered We conjecture that it comes from a hot distemper and from an exquisite sence coming thereupon when the Patient perceiveth a heat in his head about his Ears when some hot Causes went before and Medicines that discuss wind do encrease the disease as also when the Patient in time of his health could not endure any great noise by reason of the exquisitness of sence As to the Prognostick A new begun noise in the head is easily cured but an old hardly and the more if it come from the French Pox. That which proceeds of a hot cause is more easily cured than that which comes of a cold An old noise coming of flegm contained in the Ear turneth to deafness for when the matter is encreased the passage of Hearing is stopped The Cure of this Disease is divers in respect of the diversity of Causes And first the Cure of Noyse in the Head coming from consent with other parts depends upon the Cure of the Diseases of those parts and must be taken from their proper Chapters But that which comes principally from the Ear Distempered must have its proper Cure And if it come of a cold Distemper and thick Vapour it wil be â—ured as in the Treatise or thickness of Hearing for they are complicated and joyned together For Noyse in the Ears is the fore-runner of thick Hearing and Deafneâ—s Therefore al Remedies both Universal and Particular may be used here which we prescribed in the former Chapter of Deafness and thick Hearing If the Noyse come from an Ulcer in the Ear it requireth no other Cure than that which is proper for the Ulcer And that shal be laid down in the following Chapter If it cometh from weakness of Sense as in them who are lately Recovered of some great Disease it wil vanish of its self as the Body gathereth strength yet you may drop some proper temperate Oyls somtimes into the Ears to mitigate as Oyl of Chamomel Dill Sweet Almonds and the like And Finally If it come from a hot distemper and exquisite Sense you must prescribe a Cooling and Moistning Diet as also drop Cool things into the Ears beginning with mild first and after proceeding to stronger And first Uâ—e the Decoction of Barley Violets Lettice Water-Lillies to which you may put a little Balm or Chamomel to make it pierce which not prevailing you must use the juyce of Lettice Purslain Henbane Galen alloweth the Juyce of Poppy and Opium its â—elf but these must be used sparingly and with much Caution lest by weaking the natural heat of the part the Hearing grow more dull Chap. 3. Of Pain in the Ears PAin of the Ears called Otalgia in Greek is a violent Disease both in respect of the part affected namely the inward Membrane which goeth about the Cavity of the Ear as 〈◊〉 by reason of the neerness of the Brain which often suffereth at the same time But since al pain comes from the solution of Continuity al those things do cause
the Root and Membrane which inwardly covers their Cavity but also in their proper substance and saith That the Teeth and other parts of the Mouth do taste as also doth the tongue And in his Book of Bones cap. 5. he saith Of Bones only the teeth are partakers of the tender Nerves of the Brain and for that cause they alone do manifestly feel Therefore pain reacheth not only to the Nerves and inward Membrane but also to the substance of the teeth The Tooth-Ach comes from a Flux of Humors either Cold and Flegmy or Hot and Watery Salt and Sharp hence comes the Distention or Convulsion of the parts these Humors either flow to the Membranes of the Jaws and of the holes wherein the Teeth are or to the Nerve which is inserted in the root of the Teeth or to the substance of the Teeth Although some think that the Teeth cannot receive into their own substance afflux of humors and distention because they are most hard and thick yet this is taught by Avicen Fen. 1. Lib. 1. Doct. 1. Cap. 5. and Fen. 7. Lib. 4. Tract 1. Cap. 4. And somtimes saith he there is matter which doth imposthumate the Tooth it self Which Opinion he confirmeth and treateth of chiefly Fen. 1. Lib. 3. Tract 3. Cap. 1. in these words It is not as some Physitians think that the Brain it self wil not imposthumate reasoning thus That which is soft as the brain and hard as a bone is not extended and that will not imposthumate which cannot be extended But this is erronious because that which is soft if it be viscous or claminy may be extended and bones are imposthumated as Galen teacheth we wil shew in our Chapter of the Teeth Moreover we say that whatsoever is nourished is extended and encreased with the nourishment and it is likewise possible that it may be extended and augmented with its superfluity and that is an imposthume This Avicen teacheth from the Doctrine of Galen who Lib. 5. de comp med sec loc cap. 8. saith Because the Teeth cannot grow without nourishment they are only obnoxious to these two Diseases following namely of want and superfluity of nourishment by want of nourishment they grow dryer and thinner and by superfluity of it there will be an inflamation about the fleshy parts Thus Galen But it is probable that pain is more usual if it be vehement in those parts which have most exquisite sence namely the Nerve and the Membrane in the hole of the Tooth next to the root which doth not only suffer distention and vellication but also somtimes inflamation of the humors flowing down for it blood be mixed with other humors then the pain hath two causes namely Distention and Compression which comes from the hardness of the Tooth which the Membrane being inflamed cannot endure and this Inflamation of the Membrane is for the most part accompanied with the inflamation of the Gums which also is reckoned by Galen and Avicen among the causes of the Tooth-ach Now the Humors commonly flow from the Head upon the Teeth and parts adjoyning somtimes from the inferior parts for when any bad humors especially watery bred in any part are abounding in the Veins Nature desiring to cast off her burden sends them to the weakest parts And if the seeth by reason of the distemper foulness or erosion are such the flux will chiefly come thither Charls Piso propounds an Experiment of this who also thinks the Toothach con comes chiefly from a serous humor lib. de morb ab illuv ser obs 7. where he reports that himself being troubled with the Tooth-ach for many daies halr an hour after he had taken a purging Medicine vomited up above a pint of cleer water with such success that ten yeers after he was never troubled with it By which Experience he alwaies prescribed Medicines that purge water to them who were so troubled and with good success Moreover he striveth to prove that it comes from this cause by this sign Because they who have the Tooth-ach do continually spet Besides the Causes mentioned there are also Worms in rotten Teeth and they breed of any matter which is contained and putrified in the Cavities whether it be excrementitious or come of putrifying meats especially flesh and sweet meats which by reason of their clamminess stick to the Cavities of the Teeth Others think that the Tooth-ach comes sometimes from wind contained between the Cavity and the Nerve which doth violently stretch the inward Membrane whence comes such intollerable pain The principal external causes of Tooth-ach are all those things which cause defluxions the chief are Cold Air South winds staying in the Sun or night Air Surfet and all faults in Diet. Ad to these things that debilitate the part and make it more fit to receive a defluxion as rotteness and hollowness in the Teeth which sometimes make violent pains The diversity of Causes is k own by divers igns For pain when it comes from hot humors is stronger the constitution hotter the age yonger if Summer there is heat sensibly in the part and inflamation of the Gums often times it is better for the use of cold and worse for hot things But if it come from a cold humor the signs contrary to these will appear If worms are the cause of pain it will be intermitting coming and going often and somtimes the motion of the worm will be felt When it comes from Wind it is known by the excess of pain and sensible stretching and it ends in short time and is easily cured with discussing Medicines The Prognostick is divers according to the variety of the Causes for that pain which comes from a hot thin watery sharp and salt humor is more violent but sooner at an end by reason of the sudden change of the humor but that which comes from a cold and flegmy humor is less and lasteth longer A Tumor rising in the Gums or Jaws takes away the pain of the Teeth for the flux is carried to the external parts so that it no longer lieth in the internal Cavity of the Tooth The Cure must be directed for the taking away the Cause and mitigating the pain for although Anodines profit but little except the defluxion be stayed yet somtimes we are constrained not only to use them but also Narcoticks or Stupefactives before we take away the Cause therefore the humor flowing to the Teeth is to be revelled evacuated and repelled and that which is there is to be derived and discussed First therefore if the pain comes of hot humors open a vein in the Arm on the same side by which the humor flowing will be revelled But if it come of cold bleeding is not so good but in regard of the defluxion it may be used because it is the chief reveller But then you must take less blood except there be a Plethory in which regard although it be from fiegm you may bleed freely according to Galen who said that
Wine only Amatus Lusitanus Commends Exceedingly Sandarach boyled in Vinegar and Wine Thus. Take of Sandarak one ounce Wine and Vinegar of each half a Pint boyl them and let the strained liquor be held a long time in the mouth The Decoction of the Roots of the great Nettle with a little Nutmeg and Saffron made in equal parts of Wine and Vinegar and held warm in the Mouth doth wonderfully draw the Humors forth But at the first the pain wil seem to encrease but afterward it wil be mitigated and cease The Root of the sharp Dock gathered in the Spring before it groweth forth and dried applied to the Tooth pained doth appease the pain by a specifical propriety which is confirmed by the experiment of Forestus in Obs 6. lib. 4. where he saith That he applied this Root green and cut in smal pieces to the Tooth of a Maid with good success and that he Cured many other therewith after he had given them universal Medicines If the body be wel purged and the head be not very ful of flegm Masticatories to draw the Humors from the part affected wil do very wel which are made either of Pelitory of Spain a long time hâ—ld in the mouth and chewed or as followeth Take of Mastich Pelitory of Spain and Staphisagre of each one dram the seeds of Henbane half a dram Pouder them and mix them together and make little balls thereof in a thin linnen Rag which let him long chew to make him spet Commonly the Oyl of Cloves is used in a little lint to stop the Tooth if it be hollow or otherwise for so the humor adhering to the part is drawn forth and the part strengthened Oyl of Camphire is very profitable for the same purpose Or Dissolve eight grains of Camphire in one dram of the Oyl of Cloves and use it as above But above al the rest the Oyl of Box is extolled which being but once dropt into the Tooth presently staies the pain This Oyl is made of Box cut in smal pieces and then Distilled by descent in two Vessels the one put into the earth the other above upon which you must make a strong fire and so the Oyl wil fal into the lower vessel Besides the aforesaid Oyls the Chymists commend the Oyl of the Hazel Nut used in the same manner If the pain be so great that it wil not away with the aforesaid Medicines you must come to Narcoticks which are set down by Practitioners undâ—r divers forms although their effect is as uncertain as others but they do surely stupifie the Pain Among the rest Laudanum is chief which doth not only appease the pain but also stop the Flux and it may be given safely after universal Remedies to the quantity of three or four grains if it be wel prepared Many Topicks made of Narcoticks are carried about These Two following are the best Take of Opium Myrrh and Labdanum of each one dram Pouder them and with white Wine boyl them into a Liniment which put with lint into the Tooth The Other is the Emplaister of Riverius Chief Physitian to Henry the Great above mentioned If Worms be in the Teeth you must kil them with bitter things And this following is good for that Take of Aloes one dram Camphire half a scruple Aqua Vitae half a dram mix them and apply thereof with lint to the Tooth It is to be observed That the Teeth do seldom ake except they be hollow to the Nerve therefore to take away the sence of pain burn the Nerve with an actual Cautery or with Aqua Fortis or Oyl of Vitriol which often done to a very hollow Tooth it wil be broken in pieces and so drawn forrh If the Pain stil continueth and the Tooth be very hollow you must draw it out and then the pain wil presently cease and never return But you must take heed that you draw not the Tooth when the Defluxion falls violently or when the Head aketh or the Gums swel or when there is great pain And the Chirurgion is to be Admonished That he pul it not out violently at one pul lest the brain be too much shaken and the Jaw bone broken from whence comes a great Flux of blood a Feaver and somtimes death After it is Drawn close the part with your fingers then let the mouth be washed with warm Oxycrate and let him take heed of Cold Air lest a new Defluxion fal upon the other Teeth But if the blood flow so fast that it wil scarce be stanched which somtimes happeneth by the breach of the Vein and Artery without the breach of the Jaw And Varaiola reports of one that had his Tooth pulled out without iron or force but with the fingers and yet bled a pint at one time and as much the next day from the Artery under the Gum This Flux of blood is stopt by laying a hard peice of lint like a ball and holding it down for one hour or two with the fingers If that wil not prevail apply burnt Vitriol and lay a Ragg upon it dipt in Vinegar and compress it with your finger til you make an eschar The last Remedy is an actual Cautery by which the blood wil presently be stopped If any fearful people refuse burning and require other means you must try those which Authors prescribe As Paste made of the milk of Spurge and the pouder of Frankincense mixed with a little Starch the Root of Crowfoot the Bark of the Mulbery Root the pouder of Earth-worms Pellitory of Spain stâ—ept in Vinegar and the Root of Wild Cowcumber so steept and the like But the Leaf of Elleboraster rub'd upon the Tooth is best but you must not touch the other lest they also fal out A Country man troubled with the Tooth-ach was perswaded by another to rubb his Tooth with Elleboraster he unwittingly rubb'd al the Teeth on that side and presently almost al his Teeth fel out Therefore if any wil try this Medicine I advise them to defend the other Teeth with soft Wax Although when there is a Tumor in the Jaws the pain for the most part ceaseth because the matter is carried outwards Yet for the quick Dissolving of it use this Liniment Take of Fresh Butter and Hens Grease of each one ounce the Pouder of Flower-de-luce-Root one dram Saâ—â—ron half a scruple Oyl of Chamomel and sweet Almonds of each half an ounce make a Liniment A Cataplasm made of Figgs Bread and Vinegar is better A Nettle bruised and laid to the Jaw doth quickly asswage the pain This is the Cure of the Tooth-ach for the present But if it return often as is usual you must use prevention which is to hinder the breeding of those humors that flow thither and let the Teeth be strengthened that they may be less capable to receive them Therefore if it proceed from a hot cause you must use such Medicines as were prescribed in the Cure of a hot distemper of the Liver and
bladder of which you may give two three or four drops in Broth or in Juleps or in this following Syrup Take of Cinnamon Water four ounces the best Rose and Orange flower Water of each six ounces Mix them and dissolve therein as much Sugar candy as you can and make it into a Syrup without fire with a spoonful whereof mix four Drops of the aforesaid Cordial Liquor Of the Ingredients remaining from the former Liquor with as much of Damask Roses and four times as much Benjamin you may make Cakes to perfume the Chamber Apply both Liquid and Solid Epithems to the Heart and yong Pidgeons slit and sprinkled with Cordial Pouders Apply to the Stomach bags of Spices dipped in Wine Let the Stones and privy Members be fomented with Confection of Alkermes dissolved in Wine Let the Arteries of the Temples Hands and Feet be touched with Confectio Alkermes adding a little Cinnamon Water Apply this following to the Nose Take of the Leaves of Balm Bazil and Marjoram of each two drams Citron peels yellow Sanders and Cloves of each one dram Saffron half a scruple Amber-greese six grains Musk four grains tie them in a clout and dip them in Rose and Cinnamon Water and smell thereto often Or make a Balsom to anoint the Nostrils with the Chymical Oyls aforesaid of Nutmeg Cinnamon and Cloves with a little Wax The End of the Eighth Book THE NINTH BOOK OF THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICK Of the Diseases of the Stomach The PREFACE AS there are divers Actions of the Stomach so there are divers Hinderances of those Actions which Cause variety of Diseases For this part being ordained to Concoct meat and make the Chyle for the performance thereof first it is constrained to desire Meat and Drink by the Appetite which may be diminished abolished or depraved When it is abolished it is called Anorexia Apositia When 't is diminished it is called Inappetentia and Loathing But when it is depraved it is called Doggshungs or Pica or Malacia Too great desire of Drink is called Sitis Morbosa These Diseases mentioned do concern the attractive Faculty they which concern Concoction as it is diminished abollished or depraved are comprehended under the name only of Concoction hindered if the Retentive and Expulsive Faculty be hurt it consists in Vomiting and Hickocks There are divers kinds of Vomitings according to the divers Condition and nature of the Matter Vomited forth And because the Stomach is of exquisite sence of Feeling by reason of the famous Nerve it hath from the sixth Conjugation it is therefore as other sensible Parts subject to pains and it hath somtimes Tumors as other parts and Inflamations Imposthumes and Vlcers That therefore we may in this Book explain all the Ordinary Diseases of the Stomach we will Comprehend it in Eleven Chapters The First Of Inappetentia or Loathing or meat The Second Of Fames Canina or Dogs Appetite The Third Of Pica and Malacia or Green-sickness The Fourth Of Sitis Morbosa or diseased Thirst The Fifth Of Concoction hindered or hurt The Sixth Of Hickocks The Seventh Of Vomiting The Eighth Of Vomiting Blood The Ninth Of the Disease called Chollera The Tenth Of Pain in the Stomach The Eleventh Of its Inflamation Imposthume and Vcer Chap. 1. Of Want of Appetite or Loathing of Meat INappetentia and Loathing is either from the abolished or diminished Action of the stomach When it is Abolished it is called Anorexia Apositia but when it is Diminished it is called Dusorexia but by Custom Anorexia Apositia are used for both The Causes of this Disease are divers which that we may bring into Order let us consider the Natural Causes of Hunger or Appetite These are called by Galen lib. 1. de symp caus cap. 7. Symptomes and are Five The First whereof is emptiness of the parts The Second is the Natural Appetite of those parts so emptied The Third is the Sucking and Attraction of the Mesaraick Veins in the Stomach and Guts The Fourth is the sense of their sucking in the Stomach The Fifth is the Animal Appetite wch cometh from the Nerve in the mouth of the stomach which comes from the Brain and is endued with great sense and feeling As also the Melanchollick Humor which comes from the Spleen to the mouth of the stomach which with its sharpness gnaws the inmost Tunicle of the stomach and is like sawce to stir up Appetite which that it may be natural it is necessary that al those Causes be in Order for if there be any fault in either then there is a hurt or hinderance of Appetite Therefore the First Cause which is Emptiness of Parts if it be wanting there is no Attraction made by them from other parts and the stomach and so there is no Appetite now this Emptiness is wanting either when the parts are filled with plenty of crude juyces by reason of gluttony or drunkenness or for want of exercise or usual evacuations or when there is so much fat that it is sufficient to nourish the parts Also the great stoppage of the pores of the skin doth hinder the emptiness or the parts or great weakness of the natural heat so that it can disperse none or but little of the substance of the Parts or the calling of that heat to the concoction of the matter of a Disease wherby the nourishment of Parts is neglected as in Feavers The Second Cause is Natural Appetite and the Attraction of nourishment to the stomach and this is depraved when the Parts though empty wil not draw by the veins by reason they have lost their strength but languish and forget their duty As happeneth in acute malignant pestilential syntectick and hectick Feavers And in immoderate evacuations as in Flux of the Liver Womb Haemorrhoids Bleeding at the Nose Great Sweat much Lechery long Fasting and the like The Third Cause is The Attraction of the stomach by the Mesaraick Veins which useth to be depraved by stoppage of those veins by which means the empty Parts cannot attract their Chylus nor make the mouth of the stomach sensible so we may perceive in Children troubled with Struma to consume by a long Flux of Chyle by reason al the Mesentery is full of Glandles which stop its Veins and hinder the passage of the Chyle to the Liver by which means it is sent half concocted forth by siege and the Parts are deprived of their necessary nourishment The Fourth and Fifth Causes which are Sense of Sucking and Animal Appetite do require a good disposition in the Stomach brain and nerves Therefore whatsoever can alâ—er their dispositions may also destroy Appetite so every great distemper of the belly especially if it be hot and dry doth hinder Appetite Great heat by dispersing the moist substance of the stomach doth take away Appetite as also great Cold not only positive as when the bowels are so cold that they are stupified by Air Water Frost Snow and the like but also privative when
disease about the fourth month because then the Child is grown greater and so consumeth more of the humors and the mother hath sent it forth by often vomitings but if it last longer 't is dangerous for it signifies that the evil disposition of the Stomach hath taken deep root which will hardly be pluckt up It is better for people in this disease to desire sharp and sowr things it is worse if they desire things contrary to Nature as Avicen teacheth fen 13. lib. 2. tract 2. cap. 20. for it signifies a greater distance from the Natural state which is harder to be cured The Cure of this disease is divers according to the variety of the Bodies affected In Women with Child few Medicines are to be used by reason of the unfitness of the subject and danger of Misearriage but you may give them gentle things and such as were prescribed in the Cure of want of Appetite to clense and strengthen the Stomach Nor must you omit blood-letting which done sparingly and often is of great consequence But in Virgins of the Clorosis or green sickness this disease is cured with the same Remedies which shall be prescribed for the Cure of Clorosis in its proper place But the Pica which is in men is very seldom because it comes from obstructions of the Liver and Spleen you may use those things which shall be prescribed for the Cure of them Chap. 4. Of the Thirsty Disease called Sitis Morbosa THe Appetite of Drink or Thirst may be three waies hurt as that of Meat by diminishing abolishing and depraving it is diminished many times by a sweet insipid humor which moisteneth the Tunicle of the Stomach or from too much moisture in the whol Body from whence it is that the parts do not draw the drink from the Stomach It is abolished by acute Diseases through interception of the sence when the mind is sick or because the Natural Faculty is decayed by the extinction of the Natural heat from whence Hipp. saith It is evil not to thirst when a cause of thirst is taken and since thirst diminished doth depend upon the same cause from which want of Appetite is produced and thirst abolished is only in acute Diseases we shall not speak here of them particularly But we will only speak of thirst depraved as being most usual and this is to be divided two waies and Hunger The one requiring divers kinds of Drinks the other great quantities and often That which desireth filthy drink is to be referred to Pica as when they desire Vinegar Lemmons and salt Water It remains that we speak of thirst encreased which is an usual Symptome when the Appetite offends in the quantity of Liquor and much drink is desired The immediate Cause is a want of moist nourishment and driness of the Stomach and of other parts which make the Stomach sensible of their wants This driness and want of moisture useth to come from all such things which can consume the dewy moisture of the Stomach and the whol Body and dry it up and they are hot and dry The dry do principally suck up the Humor and the hot things secondarily Also this disease is either by Propriety or by Sympathy It is by Propriety when the innate moisture of the Stomach is altered and drawn forth by an unequal distemper dry or hot or both somtimes by a simple distemper but often by that distemper which is joyned with matter as a salt sharp or filthy humor fixed in the mouth of the Stomach or contained in its Cavity But that which is by Sympathy comes by consent from the whol Body or some part whose Veins having lost their moisture do suck from the Stomach as it is in Feavers Inflamations of the Liver Lungs and other parts as also in hot and dry distempers especially of the Reins as you may see in a Diabetes or invoiuntary pissing which is called by the name of Dipsacus by reason of the great thirst which accompanieth it The outward Causes are all such as extraordinarily heat or dry as very hot and dry Air long continuance in the Sun or at the fire use of Salt meats sharp and spiced much use of old rich Wine great watchings too much evacuation especially by purging The Hermetical Physitians say that immoderate preternatural thirst comes from some thirsty spirits which are bred of Sulphureous excrements which will not be satisfied with simple cooling and moistening but with other Spirits like unto themselves as we see in Feavers that a strong thirst is little allayed with much Water which with sharp Spirits of Vitriol Sulphur Salt and the like wil be satisfied with a less quantity of Water The knowledg is easie for the Patients will complain But the Causes are known by their proper signs as a hot and dry distemper cleaving to the Stomach and other parts as also sharp salt and bitter humors some whereof are somtimes cast forth or they have their tasts in their mouths if the humors are in the Stomach but if thirst come by consent from other parts the signs of those Diseases will be manifest As to the Prognostick That thirst which comes from Primary Causes is safest for that is quenched presently with drink But that which comes from internal Causes is more or less dangerous according to their differences That thirst which comes with Feavers and other easie cures endeth with them But if it come from great and dangerous Diseases it is very dangerous as in a Dropsie in which thirst is not slacked but rather encreased with drink The Cure of this Disease is often in Feavers and Inflamations of some parts which is described sufficiently in our Method of the Cure of Feavers Sect. 2. Cap. 2. But if Thirst be contracted by immoderate Evacuations causing a dry distemper of the Stomach and other Causes the Cure is by suppressing those Evacuations and by restoring the empty parts with moist Medicines Therefore first having ordered a restoring Diet as in a Hectick Feaver Consumption and Marasmus Two Remedies prescribed by Galen are the best 7. meth namely Milk and Baths Although Hippocrates Aph. 64. Sect. 5. forbids milk to thirsty people that is to be understood of those who thirst from abundance of Choller and putrid Humors in whom Milk is easily putrified not of those who thirst from driness and Consumption We shewed the use of Milk in the Cure of a Consumption Let the Bath be made of the Decoction of Althaea Roots and Lilly Roots with Mallows and Violet Leaves and of a Decoction of the Heads Feet and Guts of Sheep or melt fresh Butter or Oyl in warm Water to be changed often Going out of the Bath let the Loyns Back and Stomach be anointed with Oyl of Violets the Marrow of a Veal Bone and the like with which let as much Breast or Goats Milk be mingled as they will receive Let the Patient in the mean while use restoring Syrups and Lozenges and other Remedies which shall
do commonly bring about the desired effect except Hypochondriack Melancholly rise from thence which useth to be called the shame of Physitians by reason of the rebellious Nature of the Melanchollick Humor But because this part hath not exquisite sence and the Obstructions do not alwaies greatly disturb the Patient they are often neglected and become the causes of other most dangerous diseases The Cure of this Disease is the same with that of the Obstruction of the Liver and you must fetch it from the Chapter treating thereof Chap. 2. Of the Inflamation of the Mesentery WHen the Mesentery as I said is as it were the sink into which the Noble Parts do send their superfluous Excrements which afterwards are sent forth by Nature either by Vomit or Stool as you may see in some who send abundance of Humors forth at divers times by Vomit and Stool if those Evacuations be hindered by stoppage of the waies by which they are made or by any other cause those Humors which are there detained staying long in the part do get a preternatural heat from whence come putrefactions inflamations divers Feavers and imposthumes But an Inflamation is peculiarly made when blood heaped up in the Meseraick Veins by the opening of some branch is sent into the substance of the Mesentery but because by reason of Obstructions it is chiefly gathered in those Veins therefore all the causes of Obstructions may be referred to the Causes of Inflamation For the making of this Inflamation that sharpness and gnawing of the Humors gathered together do much conduce a fall or stroak upon the Belly the weakness of the attractive concoction or retentive faculty of the Liver too much heat of the body or inordinate use of cooling things the critical motion of Nature in malignant Diseases or smal Pox by which it sends the peccant Humors into this sink a Diarrhoea or Dysentery suddenly stopped The signs of the Inflamation of the Mesentery are a lingering Feaver without Thirst and great Symptomes want of Appetite a sence of stretching and heaviness beneath the Stomach without great hardness and which is not felt but by the hand pressing of it and without pain worth the speaking of because the part is of dull sence Chollerick stools which commonly hath thin matter without pain somtimes pure somtimes mixed with Excrements If the Mesentery be only inflamed all the aforesaid Symptomes are milder But if the Liver or Spleen or Guts are also inflamed all the Symptomes are stronger And besides the signs of the aforesaid parts affected will appear which are to be taken out of their proper Chapters And because the Inflamation and Imposthume of this part are very hard to be known if they be alone by reason of the dull sence of the part and because it performeth no action in the body whose hinderance may be perceived but only serveth for the distribution of the Chylus and the Blood therefore they are rather to be discovered by consequence than directly and according to artificial conjecture namely when there is a Feaver and other Symptomes and no sign of the Liver Spleen or Guts distempered A half Tertian Ague sheweth that the Guts are inflamed with the Mesentery which Spigelius observed to come commonly from the Inflamation of these parts Also this Difease is distinguished from the inflamation of the Muscles of the Belly because the Tumor and pain is enlarged according to their proportion and they are commonly long or over the whol belly and more in the outward parts so that they are perceived by the least touch and they use to bring great pain and a Feaver Lastly This Disease is to be distinguished from the Humors of the Midriff which have been as yet known to few Physitians for in them there is alwaies great difficulty of breathing removing of the Hypochondria a Pulse hard and smal without any sence of Tumor in the Hypochondria And if the Tumor come of a hot cause a sharp Feaver great pain doting and Convulsions do follow which Symptomes never happen when the Mesentery is only inflamed As for the Prognostick This Disease is very dangerous for it either ends in an imposthume or there follows a rottenness and corruption of the Mesentery Oftentimes the Matter of the Disease is sent by Nature another way and yet is not clean taken away whence the Disease returns and continues for many yeers somtimes till death now with a Feaver then a Chollick or Inflamation The Cure of the Inflamation of the Mesentery is not unlike to that of the Liver and Spleen and therefore you must peruse that Chap. 3. Of the Imposthume Vlcer and Scirrhus of the Mesentery THe Inflamation of the Mesentery often turneth into an Imposthume yet every Imposthume thereof is not from Inflamation but many times from vitious Humors therein contained which putrefie so that these Imposthumes come by degrees without a Feaver afore going or other great Symptomes as we see in other parts when Atheromata Steatomata and Melicerides and other kinds of Imposthumes are bred without Inflamation going before And when they are broken the Matter being voided there remains an Ulcer which is hard to be cured â—â—t if those Humorsare very flegmatick or Melanchollick and resist putrefaction they grow and somtimes are hardened and turn to a Scirrhus somtimes they are as hard as a stone as many affirm who have fouâ— stonâ—â— in the Mesentery The Knowledg of the Imposthume in the Mesentery is somtimes easie somtimes hard for if it comes from an Inflamation of that part that being perceived by the â—igns in the former Chapter it is a sign that the Inflamation could not be discussed but suppurated and turned into an Imposthume But when an Imposthume comes from evil Humors remaining long in the Mesentery and at length putrefying it is hard to know it so that many Authors who have written Observations upon such kind of Imposthumes say that they never were known but after death when the Bodies were opened For although for the most part they may be known by the touch yet somtimes they lie so deep that they cannot be touched and the part being dull in sence that they will not be discovered by pain But because they come divers waies they must be thus distinguished If the Imposthume of the Mesentery hath a visible Tumor it is first to be diâ—cerned from an Inflamation and a Scirrhus It is distinguished from an inflamation if it come not from it when there is no Feaver or at least but smal when none went before nor any other signs that may sâ—ew an Inflamation but if it follow an Inflamation it can no other waies be distinguished than by hardness continuance for if the signs of Inflamation have continued twenty or thirty daies it is a sign that it is turned into an Imposthume It is distinguished from a Scirrhus by hardness which is great in a Scirrhus but in an Imposthume there is some kind of softness as also by the want
or from a great destruction of al the Faculties which followeth the extinction of the Natural hear In Children it is cured when they grow elder and the superfluous humidity is by degrees consumed and the parts that were loose are more knit But if they be not cured before twenty five yeers of age they are incurable The Cure is wrought by amending the cold and moist distemper and loosness of the Sphincter Muscle but that which comes by sympathy from other diseases must be cured by the removing of them as also that which comes from Wounds Ulcers and other manifest Diseaseâ— depends upon the Cure of them Therefore we shall lay down a way of Cure proper both for Children and men provided that the Physitian be skilful in the choyce of his Medicines to give the gentlest to Children and that he encrease and diminish the quantity according to the Patients age First Here is little use of Phlebotomy because it comes from a cold distemper and flegm except there be a general Plethory in the whol Body being youthful But Purging is alwaies necessary in this Disease made of things that purge flegm mixed with some astringents that are not only Alterers but Purgers as Rhubarb and Myrobalans and the like After to dry up the Matter that is slegmatick and to knit the part you may use Pouders Opiates and Physick Wines and the like made thus Take of Cypress Nuts and Myrtles dried at the fire shavings of Ivory Coriander seeds prepared red Coral and Amber of each two drams Spodium or burnt Ivory one dram Cypress Roots and Galangal of each half a dram With the Syrup of Citrons make an Opiate of which let him take the quantity of a Chesnut morning and evening Drink after it a little red Wine Or you may give the aforesaid Pouder from half a dram to a dram with red Wine twice in a day long after and before meat Take of Comfry Roots half an ounce Cypress Roots and Galangal of each one dram Plantane Hors-tail and Five-leaved Grass with the Roots of each one handful Cypress Nuts Acron Cups of each four scruples Rue seed Agnus Castus Frankinsence and Ivory shavings of each half a scruple red Roses one pugil red Wine four pints Infuse them twenty four hours strain them through an Hippocras Bag adding of Cinnamon half an ounce Sugar as much as is sufficient to make a Claret of which let him take three or four ounces twice in a day Many proper things are propounded by Authors which do conduce to the Cure of this Disease Galen in his Book of Local Medicines and of things easie to be prepared commends the Brain and Stones of a Hair burnt Also a Snail burnt with its shell given to Drink The Modern Physitians give Hares dung pouder of burnt Mice the Hoofs of Hogs burnt the ashes of Date stones roasted Hazel Nuts pouder of Egg shels But above all are commended the Pouder of Agrimony and the inward Skins of Hens Gizzards dried given either by themselves or mixed together with red Wine Solenander witnesseth that he saw happy success in a Medicine invented by one Gilbert Holland a Roman Physitian He took the Throat of a Cock and dried it at the fire til it would pouder He gave it before supper in red Wine or with Oxycrate for some daies together In people of yeers sweating Decoctions used twenty daies together are good to dry the Body made of Guajacum and Sassaphras or Stuphs Hot-houses Brimstone Baths and those of Niter For his Drink let him take sharp red Wine without mixture or with a little Ironed Water They who can drink only Water may take Ironed Water or that in which Coriander seed or a little Mastich hath been boyled Or lastly for the better astringing let them take Water in which new Tiles have been quenched and boyl their meat with the same But they must drink but little especially at Supper And let the Patient make water when he goes to bed and be raised again at midnight and in the morning for the same purpose and this wil alter custom Outwardly to the Privities apply warm strengthening and drying things thus made Take of Elicampane Roots Calamus Aromaticus Acorus and Cypress Roots of each half an ounce Mints Sage Organ Calamints and Wormwood of each half a handful Cypress Nuts Myrtles Galls and Pomegranate flowers of each one dram red Roses one pugil boyl them in equal parts of Smiths Water and red Wine to two pints In the straining dissolve of Salt and Allum of each one ounce Foment the Privities and Perinaeum warm morning and evening Or you may make a Bath of the same things in larger quantities After the Fomentation anoint the same parts with an Oyntment of Oyl of Foxes Rue Flowerdeluce Unguentum Martiatum Aregon with Pouder of Mastich Cypress and Myrtles Or you may use Storax Liquid or Indian Balsom dissolved with a little Wine or for rich folks Musk and Civet dissolved in Muskadel Or apply this Plaister to the parts aforesaid Take of Labdanum Mastich of each two drams Wood of Aloes Styrax Calamita Cinnamon Turpentine of each one dram Myrtles and Cypress Roots of each half a dram Juyce of Mints and Hors-tail drawn with red Wine as much as will make a Plaister Lastly If there be a defluxion from the head which causeth the weakness you must divert by Errhines Masticatories and Causticks to the Neck or Arm and other Remedies mentioned in the Cure of the Catarrh Chap. 8. Of stoppage of the Vrine and Strangury THe stoppage of Urine is called by Authors Ischouria but when little is voided it is called Strangouria although this word be larger and comprehends all dropping of Urine but if it be without pain and the Urine come by drops with straining it is a smal sschuria but if it be with pain it must be referred to Dysuria or scalding of Urine Therefore Ischuria or a whol suppression of Urine is two-fold namely true when the bladder is full or Spurious when the Bladder is empty and not thing comes to it from the Reins A true Ischuria comes of three Causes The first is when the sence is lost in the Bladder by reason of the Palsey and obstruction of the Nerve that comes to it or by the eversion of the Spirits by whose defect it comes so that the Bladder feeleth no pricking to expel as in doting and sleepy diseases The second cause is a distemper of the Bladder coming from internal or external cold causes which dull the sence of the Bladder and weaken its expulsion The third Cause is the narrowness of the Neck of the Bladder which will not suffer the Urine to pass Galen gives three causes of this 1. de loc affect cap. 1. either the Muscle is swollen by an Inflamation Scirrhus or Imposthume or the like or there is a little flesh grown in the passage by reason of a former Ulcer or there is a hardness from some thick Humor of long continuance
Also the Passage is stopped by the Stone by a Crude and Thick Humor by a Clod of Blood or Matter Besides The Urine may be stopt by a Tumor in some part nigh to the neck of the Bladder from the swelling of the Womb from the Excrements in the straight Gut or from the Hemorrhoids growing big Somtimes it comes from the long holding of the Water by which the Bladder is so stretched that it cannot contract it self to expel Urine by which stretching the passage is stopt and contracted Now the Bladder is filled by Urine too long detained two waies First when a sound man by urgent occasions in the Market Senate Church Banquet Running and the like holds his Urine for want of opportunity to void it which stretcheth it so that it cannot again contract it self and the pricking of the Urine is not perceived by reason of its dull sence from the distemper of the Nerves which come thither when those Nerves which are for the contracting of the Muscle are well and sound which Galen saith befel one 6. de loc aff cap. 4. when his Back bone was strained That is called a bastard Ischuria in which the Urine is stopped and the bladder empty because no Water descends into it There is a two-fold Cause why no Urine comes to the Bladder either because the Kidneys do not draw that wherof the Urin is made and send it down or because the Ureters wil not receive it therfore either the attractive or expulsive Faculty of the Reins is hurt The attractive or drawing Faculty is hurt by the Error of the Object or in its self This is from a strong distemper especially cold or from some stoppage in the Reins or in the Emulgent Veins These Obstructions proceed from the Stone thick flegm or Matter that falls down thither The obstruction of the Emulgents comes somtimes from too much blood or serous Matter a Story whereof we have in our Observations Observ I. Cent. I. By the fault of the Object the attraction of the Reins is hindered when the serum or water is spent as in burning Feavers or sent to other parts as in a Dropsie The Expulsive Faculty is hurt by the same Causes namely distemper the stone clods of blood matter or gross flegm or Inflamation The Ureters do not receive the Serum nor send it to the Bladder by reason of Inflamations or Obstruction by the Stone a clod of Blood Matter or thick flegm or by a compression from some humor in a part adjacent We must observe that both Kidneyes or Ureters are affected for the total stoppage of Urine for if one be open the Urine may pass The aforesaid Causes if they be violent may make a total Obstruction of Urine which is called Ischuria but if they be smal or remiss they make only an evacuation in part which is called a Strangury and both Diseases come from the same cause different in degrees A true Ischuria is known by the weight and enlarging of the lower part of the belly and by a Tumor in form like the bladder The Causes are known by things aforegoing or that accompany it For if it come from too great a quantity of Urine which hinders the Contraction of the Bladder the Patient wil tel you how that he forbore to piss by reason of long riding or the presence of some people of Honor and that before he never had any distemper in those parts But if he hath had a Delirium a Palsey or the like you may refer the stoppage to them The Stoppage which comes from Tumors of those or the adjacent parts or other Causes before mentioned wil be known by their proper Signs The stopping of the passage of the Bladder is known by a searing Candle put in or a Catheter which if they cannot pierce but are stopped by the way shew that there is a either stone or a Caruncle or a little Excrescens of flesh or the like in the passage And these are to be distinguished for if it be a Stone there was formerly a pain of the Reins whether it came from the Bladder or Reins If a Caruncle there was a stinking Gonorrhoea or running of the Reins or an Ulcer in the passage of the Yard that did long run And lastly If there be a Clod of Blood or Matter or Flegm you shal see some part of it come out of the Yard or it wil stick to the Catheter A Bastard Ischuria is hence known There is neither extension nor Tumor nor weight about the Privities but rather a kind of emptiness thereabout there is no desire to piss no tickling in the bladder and no Urine made there went before the signs of the Stone in the Kidneys or Ureters or of Inflamation or great fulness or much drink was taken which was not plentifully pissed forth whence the Veins might be swoln or else there is a burning Feaver or a Dropsie which signifie the revulsion and turning away of the Water or serous Matter As to the Prognostick The stoppage of Urine is very dangerous and if it continue above seven daies it is deadly for the Serum being retained in the Veins doth oppress the Liver infect the blood and runs into the whol body it brings danger of choaking and being carried to the brain produceth a Coma or kind of Lethargy The stoppage of Urine which comes from the back being wounded or by a fall or straining of the Vertebrae or back-bone is incurable If the Patient stink of Piss at his mouth or nose it is deadly If a Tenasmus or Needing follow a suppression of Urine it is death in seven daies And also if the Hiccough follow upon it The Cure of the stoppage of Urine whether it be total or partial must be by aiming at the Causes And first that supprestion which is called spurious and depends upon the Diseases of the Reins or Ureters is to be found in the Cure of the Inflamation pain or stone of the Kidneys that which comes from the fulness of the Emulgent Veins is to be cured by large bleeding and Medicines that purge Water A true Ischuria is cured by things that take away the cause and first if it come from Inflamation of the bladder or parts adjoyning you may find Medicines for it in the Cure of the Inflamation of the bladder But if it come from a stone in the neck of the bladder you must use these Remedies following First you must lay the Patient upon his Back with his Thighs lifted up and then shake him soundly to make the stone return into the Bladder And if this wil not do it use the Catheter But if the stone be in the passage of the Yard and you must labor to get it out with your fingers gently stroaking it to the end of the Yard and you must put the Yard into warm Water or Milk or the Patient into a Bath to open the Passage But if you can neither get it out nor in Practitioners say that you
somtime it possesses the whol Head otherwhiles the forepart and then again the hinder part thereof and sometimes it is felt about the Eyes in such manner as if the Patients Eyes would leap out of her Head Now these pains are caused by the aforesaid sharp and malignant Vapors mounting into the Head and twitching as it were or grating upon these Membranous parts Also evil humors brought from the womb to the Head may cause the said pains For vitious Blood especially the more thin and wheyish part thereof ascends from the womb into the Head and being shed into the Membranous parts breâ—ds those pains VVhich pains are somtimes pricking smarting and sore as an Ulcer by reason of the sharpness of the Vapors or Humors ascending Sometimes they are stretching as it were and swelling because of the plenty and multiplicity which discend and stretch Somtimes they are pulsatory pain beating like the Pulse when the Vapors or Humors are carried thither in the Arteries or when the Arteries of some peculiar part of the Head are filled with over hot Blood The Falling-sickness springs from the womb being caused by the aforesaid sharp and malignant Vapors which being possessed with a very great Acrimony and malignity do vehemently and sharply smite the Nervous parts whereby they come to be contracted and whilst they endeavor to expel what offends them they draw themselves together and express these convulsive mocions Palpitation of the Heart is often caused by the said Vapors being carried from the womb to the Heart and provoking the expulsive faculty to the Heart Also a Pulsation is caused in the Arteries of the Back and about the short Ribs by reason of an over hot Blood carried from the womb into those Arteries and distending them whereby their Pulsation becomes greater which smiting the adjacent parts causes a feeling of the said Pulsation in them Yet somtimes such Pulsations are caused in Hypochondriacal melancholly which when we come to the Signs of this Disease we shal distinguish Divers disorders are likewise raised from the womb in the stomach liver and spleeâ— from the stomach disorders arise as appetite lost or more than is fit or desirous of absurd things or Hiccoughs Vomitings Belchings Heart-burnings al which Symptoms do spring from the aforesaid vapors sent into the stomach by the Hypogastrick and Caeliack arteries or other blind passages those vapors do stir up this variety of Symptoms according to the diversity of their Nature and the different degrees of their putrefaction and malignity For by their heat they cause want of appetite and thirst but if they be cold they hurt digestion And the coveting of absurd things as Chalk Oat-meal Smalcoles Linsey-Wolâ—ey cloth c. is caused by the malignant quality of the Humors and Vapors as we have shewed in our Discouse touching that Symptom and according to the different kind of malignity it comes to pass that the Patients appetite inclines her too long for this or that od thing as some for Coales others for Clay or Morter Salt Cinnamon Nutmegs c. And from a certain kind of malignity springs likewise the loathing of some certain meats and which is more wonderful in some hath been observed an universal loathing of al kind of Drink as Ludovicus Mercatus relates concerning a noble Gentlewoman which would not away with any Drink and of another who though she desired Drink yet did she Vomit it al up again being likewise vexed with other grievous Symptoms Where we may conjecture that the evil Humors in that Gentlewoman had attained such a kind of malignity as that is which causes Water-Fear in such as have been bitten with a Mad-dog It is notwithstanding undeniable that the diversity of parts into which these Humors and malignant Vapors are carried conduce not a little to the variety of the Symptoms For If they are carried unto the mouth of the Stomach they stir up Belchings and Vomitings if they stick to the Coates of the Stomach they induce perpetual inclinations to Vomit if they are endued with any singular Acrimony they cause Hiccoughs or pains of the Stomach which pains may also arise from the plenty of Humors weighing heavy upon and stretching the parts containing The Liver is easily offended by menstrual Blood retained and by the Veins â—lowing back thereinto hence springs the Green-sickness by reason of bad Blood flowing from the Womb into the Liver and from the Liver shed abroad into the whol Body Hence come Swellings Feavers and other Diseases very many in the whol Body and several parts thereof forasmuch as all of them are nourished by the Liver But if the vitious Blood aforesaid do flow back from the Womb unto the Spleen Swellings Stoppings and melanchollick and Hypochondriacal Diseases are wont to be raised And To conclude Women feel divers kinds of pains in their Loyns Thighs and other parts which arise from filthy Humors and Vapors conveighed from the Womb into the said parts Al which Symptoms taking rise from the Womb shal be distinguished from others which arise from other parts and are like them but produced from different causes in our following Description of the Signes of this Disease In the first place therefore Womb-sickness is known for the most part by what hath already been said of it For the fore recited Symptoms do appear therein not al in every one but some in one Patient some in another according to the differing condition of the Causes Now these Symtoms are Breathing depraved so as sometimes the Patient seems to be choaked other whiles her breathing is lessened or wholly taken away without any trouble or Sence of Suffocation Refrigeration or cooling of the whol Body and stopping or Interception of the Pulse somtimes also a taking away of Sence and motion somtimes Ravings Convulsions Swoonings Vomitings and Hiccoughs are joyned together But for a more clear Discovery of this Disease those Signs are first to be propounded which shew the Disease approaching such as have a noyse in their lower Belly first from the Navel downwards with belching or inclination to Vomit Wearinesses Yawnings and stretchings proceeding from a flatulent matter which begins to mount from the Womb into divers parts of the Body a sad Look pale Face caused by the drawing back of the Natural heat from those Parts to it's Fountains When the Disease gathers strength a sence of strangling begins to trouble the Patient as if they had swallowed some great morsel which stuck in their Throat Afterward their breathing stops and their Suffocation is increased And in conclusion al their Vital and Animal actions are depraved diminished or abolished Hence spring Ravings Convulsions and other grievous Symptoms In some the Womb is sensibly tossed and tumbled and gathered round like a Foot-bal and felt after that manner in divers parts of the lower part of the Body And when the Hysterical or Womb-Fit begins to go over a certain moisture flows out of the Water-gate their Guts rumble they lift up
heated with the Sun Fire or Stove by which means hot air being drawn in with the Breath and received by the Pores of the Body it doth inflame the Spirits Also by Surfetting Drunkenness and especially by over large taking in of Meats and Drinks that are of an hot Nature as Peppered Meats and stroog Wines by which more Vapors are raised than can exhale Also by Retention of hot Excrements and that not only of the Dung and Urine but especially of those Sooty Vapors which are wont to pass through the Pores of the Skin if those Pores be shut up with cold an Alluminous Bath and such like Causes Also this Ephemera Feaver is bred of internal Causes as from a Bubo and other Swellings of the Thighs or Arms especially whiles they break from an hot fiery Swelling of the Extremities of the Body when hot Matter shut up together in one certain place doth offend the Heart not by its putrefaction but heat alone Also by some smal Obstruction of the Vessels by which means the sooty exhalations being retained do cause a Feaver as is wont to happen in Distillations when they arise in hot Natures and a thick habit of Body This Feaver is known both when some of the Causes specified hath gone before and also by a swift frequent and great Pulse breathing frequent and great Headach and Heat there is neither cold nor shaking no sence of weariness nor want of Appetite Yet may there be somtimes a shivering or shaking fit namely when the Feaver is occasioned by the heat of the Sun or by cold Feeling the Patients Hand we find a mild and gentle heat the Urine is concoct like that of one in health unless by some Obstruction or Crudity it be changed It is commonly terminated in the space of twenty four hours with an easie gentle Sweat yet it reacheth somtimes unto the third day which if it pass it degenerates into a simple Synochus a Putrid or an Hectick Feaver For the Cure of this Feaver the Ancients did chiefly use a bath of luke-warm Water which they did also frequently use in their Health But seeing it is in these times out of use neither is it in practice in the Cure of these Feavers Neither is it counted safe in regard of a Plethorick or Cacochymical Constitution of Body Putrefaction or flux of Rheum which may be in such bodies or may be feared wil happen But this Feaver is better cured by a Cooling and Moistening Diet as Barley Cream Cooling Broths Smal Drink and Sugar common Ptisan Drink or Fountain Water with Syrup of Lemmons Maiden-hair mixed there with But the Cure admits some variation according to the Nature of the Cause So if it spring from the Heat of the Sun or Air a cooling Diet is good and the Patient must be conveighed into a cool lodging and Vinegar of Roses must be applied to his Forehead to the Temples and former part of the Head it self if there be pain as commonly there is when the Feaver comes from the heat of the Sun If it come from being in the Cold especially if the Patient being hot with Exercise went presently into the Cold Sweat must be provoked especially towards the end of the Fit If it come from the Skins thickness and closing up of the pores the same Cure must be used and to both these Causes smal Wine very well allaied with Water may be convenient because it opens the pores and helps to sweat If the Disease was caused by Labor the Patient must rest and be nourished more liberally with Meat of easie Digestion If from weariness the Patient must be artificially rubbed Tranquillity of mind and cheerfulness must be opposed to Anger and Choller must be tempered with Meat and Drink of a cooling Nature To Sadness Recreation of the Mind is a Remedy and the use of thin smal Wine If the Feaver was caused by watching let the Patient sleep by application of things convenient If by fasting let the Patient eat cooling Meats of good Juyce If by over eating or drinking let the Patient abstain from Meat and Drink not omitting such things as strengthen the Stomach both inwardly given and outwardly applied also with an Emollient and Laxative Clyster part of the Crudities is to be taken away If Putrefaction be feared Vomit may be procured or a Purge given If the Feaver arise of Obstructions we must consider whether the Patient be Plethorick or Cacochymical viz. Whether the whol Mass of blood be over great or only some bad Humors abound in the blood If the Patient be too ful of blood blood-letting must be advised if evil Humors only abound a Purge must be prescribed And if the Obstruction wil not easily be removed this Feaver changeth into some of the other sorts of Feavers whose Cures shal be described in their proper places Chap. 2. Of the Feaver Synochus Simplex THe Causes of the Feaver Ephemera aforesaid if they light upon a Plethorick Body and thick skinned they cause the Feaver Synochus Simplex Yet may this Feaver arise only from abundance of Blood stuffing the Veins and yielding many Vapors more than can breath through the pores of the Skin This Feaver is known by a thick and swelling habit of Body the color of the Body and Face is ruddy the Head is pained with a stretching or distending kind of pain the Patient is sleepy hath a beating in the Temples is unquiet hath a straitness in the Chest with difficulty of breathing the Pulse is great even frequent full the Veins strut with blood whence a stretching kind of weariness doth proceed the Urine is thick little differing in color from a Natural Urine only somwhat redder the heat is to ones hand mild tempered with a steamy Vapor the Feaver holds an even progress for either it holds one and the same tenor or it lessens by degrees or it encreaseth equally never remitting or ceasing Whence there are reckoned three Differences of this Feaver For that which continually encreaseth is called Epacmastica That which continually decreaseth is called Paracmastica That which keeps one and the same tenor is called Homotonos or Acmastica It lasts til the fourth day and somtimes til the seventh and then it is terminated by bleeding or sweating and if it be further prolonged it degenerates into Synochus Putrida The Cure of this Feaver is performed by blood-letting by cooling and by opening the pores of the Skin Galen in the ninth Book of his Method Chap. 4. cures this Feaver by two Remedies only viz. Letting of Blood til the Patient faint away and by giving a great quantity of Water to the Patient to drink Blood-letting is absolutely necessary in this Disease because it is bred by fulness of blood and a Vein must presently be opened at what hour soever the Physitian is called unless the Patients Stomach be ful of Meat the digestion whereof must be expected for certain hours And although Blood must be plentifully drawn and Galen reports in
when the same blazes out again they grow hot Assades Febris the Feaver so called is a kind of burning Feaver in which the sick do tumble and toss and are exceeding unquiet much oppressed with the disease being for the most Part subject to stomach sickness and vomiting Because it is wont to arise from the vexation of the Stomach by sharp and Chollerick Humors biting the orifice or Coats thereof The Feaver Elodes is that in which the Patient prepetually Sweats and it is caused by a mighty Putrefaction or Maliginty of Humors dissolving the Substance of the Body The Feaver Syncopalis is that in which the Patient often Swoones and Faints away Avicenna makes two sorts hereof one of thin sharp and Venemous Choller another of much Flegm or abundance of crude Humors The former is called Syncopalis Minuta because it arises from a little Quantity of Humor but thin and malignant The latter Avicenna doth call Syncopalis Humorosa vel Repletionalis because of a great Quantity of crude and Flegmatick Humors abounding therein and there is also Joyned a weakness of the mouth of the stomach by which means eâ—pecially the sick persons come to Swoon so often That Feaver is by Galen termed Epiala 2. de diff Feb. cap. 2. Lib. de inaequali intemperie cap. 8. in which at the same time through the whol Body in the smallest particles thereof there is felt both cold and heat For albeit one and the same Part cannot be the subject of contrary qualities yet is that which hath been said of this Feaver to be understood of the smallest particles in respect of sense but not indeed and in truth Galen shewes that this Feaver is caused two waies the one is by means or Glassy Flegm mingled with bitter Choller and â—o diffused into the whol body For Choller causes a sence of heat and the Flegm a sence of cold The other is by means of Glassy Flegm alone but partly putrefied and partly void of putrefaction For inasmuch as Glassy Flegm is extream cold and clammy it doth not readily putrefy nor al at once but only by peecemeal so that one portion thereof being putrefied the other remains unputrefied That Part of the said flegm therefore which is not putrefied being shed among the sensitive Parts causes a sence of cold by reason of the extream coldness thereof and that which is putrefied causes a sence of heat And so the whol body at one and the same time feels both cold and heat Platerus also hath invented a way how this Feaver may be bred viz. when intermitting Feavers or Agues do one fal upon the Neck of another the same day in the same Patient so that the cold fit of the latter Ague begins ere the hot sit of the former be ended or else when intermitting Feavers coâ—cide with those which are continual so that the heat of the continual Feaver and the cold of the Intermitting happen at one and the same time There are likewise other accidental differences of continual Feavers which because they are wont to be reckoned among the Symptomatick Feavers they shal be discussed forthwith in the Description of the said Symptomatick Feavers Now although the Cure of Symptomatick Feavers depend upon the Cure of those Diseases in particular from whence they arise yet must we declare their Nature least they come to be confounded with Essential or Primary Feavers Those therefore are called Symptomatical Feavers which arise from the Inflamation and putrefaction of Humors conteined in some of the Bowels Of which kind are those Feavers which accompany the Pleurisy Inflamation of the Lungs Frenzy Squinzy Inflamation of the Liver and other Inflamations Ulcers or Impostumes of the internal Parts And it is diligently to be observed as a thing of great moment in Practice and by few taken notice of that al Feavers perpetually which are Joyned with Inflamations of the Parts of the Body are not Symptomatical But that some of them are essential the foresaid Inflamations do follow upon them For it often falles out that Blood corrupted or filled with evil Humors after it hath raised a Feaver comes to be agitated by Nature and her as hurtful to her expelled to the weaker Parts or to such as are most convenient to receive them whereupon an Inflamation is caused in those Parts which doth not cause the Feaver but is rather a Consequent thereof So we may often see in the Course of our Practice the Patients sick of a continual Feaver for a day or two before Pain in the side and other Signes of a Pleurisy appears So many on the third or fourth day fal into a Phrensy so al Gouty persons in a manner before they are troubled with Pain swelling and Inflamation of their Joynts are wont to have a continual Feaver for a day or two So they which have the Rose or Saint Anthonies Fire have a Feaver somtime before the swelling break forth The same thing appears by the Urine which in such Inflamations as these do shew manifest signs of putrefaction in the Veins For in the beginning they appear crude and undigested and in the progress they shew tokens of concoction dayly encreasing Also Blood is often taken away very corrupt Which things would not happen if such Feavers were only Symptomatical simply depending upon those Inflamations And these Feavers whether they be Symptomatical or primary and attended by Inflamations of the Parts have their accidental differences For if the Inflamation be of Blood the Feaver is called Phlegmonodes if it be of Choller Typhodes And peculiarly an Erysipelas or Chollerick Inflamation of the stomach and Guts brings the Feavers called Zipyria in which the outward Parts are very cold and the inward Parts burn For the inward burning doth draw the Blood and spirits co the Part inflamed whereby the heat is so encreased that the inward Parts seem to be burned with unquenchable thirst but the outward are cold being destitute of heat and spirit Lenta Febris the flow or Lingring Feavers is wont also to be reckoned amongst Symptomatical Feavers which arises from some hidden obstruction and putrefaction sticking so close to some Bowel and so impacted that the substance of the Bowel is for the most Part Vitiated And when a portion of the putrid Humor is shed into the Veins and mixed with the Blood it stirrs up a slow Feaver and so mild that it troubles the Patient with no greivous symptom yea and the Patient is scarse sensible of any Feaver Yet some notes of putrefaction appear in the Pulse and Urin. And somtimes this Febris Lenta is bred of the putrefaction and corruption of some of the bowells because by the Veins inserted into that Bowel putrid and hot Vapors do breath unto the Heart Such a kind of Feaver is often bred in the Consumption of the Lungs which degenerates into an Hectick It is also somtimes caused when the substance of the Liver or spleen corrupts or when putrefaction settles upon the Mesentery
the inner bark of the Nut-tree sleeped in Vinegar which he saith had been by him used with success Finally Others apply such things as are apt to blister the Skin as Garlick Onions Crow-foot and the like which are less safe than the former and very troublesom to the Patient Chap. 4. Of a Quotidian Feaver A Quotidian Ague is so called because its fits do return every day Wherein it agrees with a double Tertian and a triple Quartan but is distinguished from them by signs proper to it self This Feaver is most rarely seen so that among six hundred Patients that have Agues which come every day scarce one of them is troubled with a Quotidian or every day Ague This Ague is caused by flegm putrefying in the first Region of the Body And therefore all such things as multiply flegm in the Body may cause this Ague such as are a cold and moist distemper of the Bowels old Age Childs Age an idle life Autumn Season Meats cold and moist long Sleeps and such like The Diagnostick Signs are such as testifie flegm to abound in the Body as greatness of bulk softness and fatness white color or pale dull sence profound sleep and dreams of Waters Also this Feaver for the most part comes in the night and that without shaking only with a coldness or light shivering because the Morbifick Matter being benign and not much an Enemy to Nature doth less provoke her and therefore the heat is not suddenly drawn inward as in a Tertian Ague but retires by little and little The time of Coldness being over Heat is slowly and unequally kindled so that the Patient feels somtimes heat and then cold and then heat again Also the heat is mild and not at all scorching and thirst little The Urines are at first white thin and undigested and in the process they appear more thick and better colored The Pulse is smal seldom and slow The Parts about the short Ribs do swel and are commonly puffed up and distended The fits do commonly last twelve hours and do not end but so as to leave some Feaverish heat behind them because this Feaver is like a fire of green wood which is both long in kindling and leaves much smoak behind it Somtimes the sit is extended to twenty four hours and it seems to be a continual Feaver Now these Signs are very variable and appear more intense or remiss according as the flegm is either simple or mingled with other Humors and likewise according to the different kind of the flegm which putrefies So that according to Galen in his Book of Plenitude Chap. 11. Salt flegm makes the Patients thirsty acid or sowr flegm makes them hungry sweet flegm makes them sleepy tastless flegm makes them without appetite to Meat and likewise Feavers which are caused by acid or Glassie flegm are wont to come with a shaking fit This Feaver is wont to be perpetually long because of the thickness and contumacy of the Morbifick Matter and lasts forty daies and somtimes three or four months Neither is it without danger seeing it may degenerate into a Cachexy Dropsie Lethargy and other grievous Diseases The longer or shorter durance of this Feaver is known by the signs of Crudity and Concoction and also by the Evacuations which for the most part Nature endeavors by Vomit Stool or Sweat For those Evacuations appearing shew the Disease shorter but if Nature endeavor no Evacuation the Disease wil prove the longer A Quotidian Ague that comes in the day time is less dangerous than that which comes a nights as Hippocrates doth teach us in 3. Epidem Sect. 5. T. 64. He calls the former a Diurnal the latter a Nocturnal The reason of which Prognostick is because that the Diurnal have longer fits for teaching unto night in which the pores of the Skin are closed the putrid vapors are kept within not having freedom to breath forth by which means the fits are lengthened and as Hippocrates himself saith do very often bring the Patient into a Consumption Ad hereunto That seeing the Intermission happens in the night we are forced to give the Patient Meat in the night which is unâ—easonable and hinders the Patient from sleeping by which means great weakness is caused and the Patient is much hurt and the Functions of the Body quite put out of frame The Cure must be in a manner the same with that which was propounded for a bastard and lingring Tertian yet so as that among such things as prepare the Humors and open Obstructions we make choyce of such which have a greater power to attenuate and cut the Humors Also in this Feaver a special care is to be had of the Stomach which for the most part is grievously afflicted and therefore must be recreated with strengthening Medicaments both given in and out wardly applied The Cataplasm of Mint and Worm wood propounded in the Cure of a Tertian Ague is very good in this case Zacutus Lusitanus propounds two Medicines with which he glories that he had vanquished most stubborn Quotidian Agues The one is a Decoction of Chamomel made after this manner Take Flowers of Chamomel three pugils Tops of Roman Wormwood two pugils Boyl all in three pints of Water to a pint and an half Add to the strainings four ounces of Sugar Let the Patient drink five or six ounces every morning The other is a Decoction of China and Guajacum drunk twenty five daies together which though Physitians are afraid to use in such Feavers as these because of the over-great heating and drying Faculty yet is it mightily commended by such as have writ whol Books of the Spices and Drugs of India Yet we must remember that Zacutus Lusitanus practiced Physick in a Country cold and moist where these Medicines may more safely be used And therefore in other Countries that are hotter they must not be given save unto very Flegmatick and Cachectical bodies Chap. 5. Of a Quartan Ague AQuartan Ague is that which hath its Fits returning every fourth day and it is caused by Melancholly putrefying in the first Region of the Body Now Melancholly is of two sorts Natural and Preternatural The Natural is bred of the thicker and more earthy part of our Nourishment being cold and dry The Preternatural is caused by adustion of Choller and is therefore hot and dry Hence arise two sorts of Quartan Agues for that which is bred of Natural Melancholly is called a legitimate Quartan that which is bred of Preternatural Melancholly is called a bastar Quartan Howbeit the bastard Quartan may also come of Natural Melancholly being mingled with some portion of Choller Again A Quartan Ague is either Single Double or Triple A Single Quartan is when one Fit alone comes every fourth day A Double is when two Fits happen upon two daies one immediately after the other and the third day is free A Triple Quartan is when the Fits come every day as they do in a Quotidian and in a
by the Influence of the Stars the ayr is so long and so far changed by excess of the first qualities of Heat Moisture Cold and Dryness that at length it 's proper Substance becomes vitrated the other is by occult qualities when by the secret power of the Stars without any notable excess of the first qualities the substance of the ayr is so changed that it receives a certain degree of corruption contrary to our Life Touching the first no man doubts seeing it is clear by Common Consent of Phylosophers that inferior Bodies are governed by the Heavenly Constellations And as the alterations of the Ayr which happen in the four seasons of the yeer do arise from the yeerly motion of the Sun so the great diversity of yeers whereby one proves very moist another exceeding dry the Sun holding every yeer the same Course in the Zodiack can depend on nothing but the various aspects of the Constellations The other way because it is occult is not so freely granted by all How be it by common Consent of Astrologers it is held for certain that the Stars do act upon inferior Bodies in a three-fold manner viz. by their Motion Light and Influence The light and beat do alter these Sublunary Bodies according to the first qualities and especially Heat But the Influences doe induce both the first qualities for example the cold which Saturn causes cannot depend upon his Motion nor his Light and also the hidden and occult ones For seeing Pestilential Diseases doe ostentimes happen no great mutation being made in the ayr in regard of the first qualities but when they ragâ— the 〈◊〉 appâ—ares exceeding pure and puret sometimes than it is wont to do when there is no pestilence stirring neither have very hot and moist seasons preceded from which great putrefactions are wont to arise it to be coniectured that these pestilential Diseases doe arise from some malignant Influence of the Stars Adâ— hereunto that Pestilences are wont to rage even in the depth of Winter which no remarkeable alteration of the first qualities hath preceded For in such a Case these diseases are to be attributed to the hidden power of the Starrs which have as Astrologers teach a power of corrupting the Air no extraordinary mutation of the first qualities being made therein And this is that divine principle in diseases which Hippocrates acknowledged and according to the Exposition of Galen is in the Air but is produced by the Celestial Bodies and hidden causes It is also hinted at by the same Hippocrates in the second Epidem Sect. one When he saies The time and the Diseases doe answer one another unles some innovation happen in the Superior Powers Neither does that hinder which is brought as the opinion of Plato out of his Epinomis that the Course of the Heavens and heavenly Bodies have alwayes good influence here below and from them nothing but preservation and benefit doe flow And Aristotle in the ninth of his Metaphisicks Chap. 10. Saies that in those Bodies which are eternall and aethereal neither error nor corruption is found And Averrhoes saies in his 1 De Caelo cap. 24. The Heavenly Bodies doe containe the Elements preserve them and universally are unto them instead of a form whence it 's collected they cannot infect them with a poysonous and malignant qualitie Ad hereunto that if pestilential diseases should be raised by influence of the Starrs they would at one and the same time inâ—ect the whol World almost seeing those influxes are universal causes and by the circulation of the Heavenly Bodies doe affect all the quarters of the World But these diseases doe peculiarly invade som one Region onely And finally if the Stars were said to be malefick and of an evil disposition God the Author of them would be accounted the cause of Mischief which is full of Impiety These objections I say doe not a whit prejudice the truth propounded which may thus be answered All created substances are considered two waies either as they are things in being and do concur to the compleating and perfection of the Universe and in that respect they are all good for to be and to be good are one and the same neither hath the High God blessed for ever created any thing which ought to be termed evil simply considered or they are considered in regard of their operations and then they may be termed evil forasmuch as they may damnefie some other things by reason of the antipathy inbred Enmity of Nature And although almost innumerable contrarietyes of nature are found in the world yet must they al be termed good in respect to God their maker in regard of the Univers whose perfection consists chiefly in variety Furthermore the operations of things created may be termed evil two wayes absolutely or simply considered in themselves or in respect of somwhat else They are absolutely evil when at all times in all places and upon all occasions they doe perpetually evil and in this sense no Creature can be found which is evil in respect of some other thing the operations of things may be termed evil when they hurt one and doe another good and so there is nothing in the whol universe so hurtful but that it hath some other ways its uses benefits for which it was created So al poysons though most hurtful to men or other Animals yet conveniently us'd they doe a great deal of good to them And in the Art of Physick there is scarce so deadly a poyson found but that out of it by skil of Art an healthfull medicine may be drawn And finally the actions of Stars upon these inferior Bodies are considered two waies either in respect of the whol sublunarie world containing the Elements and al mixed things and so the action of the Heavens and Stars is simply benign ingendering conserveing vivifieing all things doing al other good offices which tend to uphold the univers in this sence most true it is that these inferior Bodies are cherished susteined by the influence of the Heaven and Hevenly Bodies or they are considered in respect of the proper nature of this or that Element or this or that living creature and then it is no absurdâ—â—â—e to say that there are some influences hurtfull to som Element or living Creature in such or such a part â—â— and so affected which depends not of any fault of the stars for they are of a most perfect nature but rather of the imperfection of sublunary things which cannot suffer any considerâ—ble mutation without the corruption of their proper substance now these divers natures and qualities of the stars produced in sublunary Bodies by their divers concourse and influence were ordained by the great Architect of this universe for the Conservation of the whol world which being 〈◊〉 up of so divers and so contrary natures had need of as g eat variety in the influence of the Stars that all things might be preserved as it were in
of three fingers and when Galen understood that he fel from his Chariot upon his back he concluded that some part was hurt in the original of that nerve which comes from the seventh Vertebrae or Spondil therefore after he had in vain applied Medicines to the fingers he used means to the back and so wrought a brave Cure The Diagnosis or knowledg of the Causes of this Disease if fetcht from the primary Causes the Diseases afore going and the temperament and constitution of the sick party And therefore when external cold Causes and moist went before when the patient is old when he is flegmatick of Constitution the weather cold diet cold and moist and an Apoplexy hath formerly been it signifies that a disease is approaching from a Cold Distemper and Flegmatick Humor But when a Palsey is caused of a Chollerick Humor or Melancholly these signs declare Feavers did go before or are present a Chollerick temper and Constitution or else a Melancholly one the coming of the disease in hot weather Summer or Autumn the use of Spices Salt and other hot Meats heavy and long passions of Mind avoiding of chollerick or melanchollick humors sharp and sowr many sharp defluxions falling upon divers parts and putting them to pain and lastly when pain and a convulsion accompany the diminishing of Sence and Motion and the patient is the worse when he takes hot and dry things but the better by the use of cold and moist When Tumors Luxations or Dislocations or Wounds cause a Palsey they are evident of themselves As for the Prognostick part in the Treaty of this Disease you may foretel events as followeth 1 A Palsey coming of flegm fixed to the substance of the nerves is hardly cured because it wil not be easie to discuss or divide the Flegm from the nerves by reason of their coldness and their weakness in expulsion or sending forth of that which offendeth which must co-operate or work together with the Medicine and in regard of the deep scituation of the Spina and Nerves so as the whol force of the Medicine cannot reach them and because the Patient must of necessity continue long in the use of Medicines which for the most part people cannot endure and therefore wil not be cured 2 A Palsey coming after an Apoplexy is seldom cured and often returns into an Apoplexy by a new flowing of the same matter into the Brain which is made weak by the former disease 3 A trembling coming upon or after a Palsey is healthful for it signifieth that the passages of the nerves are somwhat open by which some of the Animal Spirit beginneth to pass for to move the Muscles 4 If the part affected hath an actual heat in it there is hope of health but if it be alwaies actually cold it is difficult to be cured 5 An Atrophy or want of Nourishment in the Paralytick part with great paleness takes away al hope of cure for it doth not only signifie a decay of the animal Spirit but a neer extinction of the shews natural heat 6 If the Eye on that side which the Palsey happeneth be hurt thereby there is little hope for it a great want of Spirits in that part 7 A Palsey in the Legs and Feet is easier cured than in the upper parts because those Nerves are harder and stronger 8 In old men the Palsey is incurable by reason of their want of natural heat 9 In Winter a Palsey cannot be cured but in the Spring and Summer it may if other things agree 10 A strong Feaver coming upon a Palsey is good for it may consume the matter which causeth it 11 A Diarrhoea or loosness coming upon a new and weak Palsey is good for Rhasis saith 1. Cont. that he hath seen many Paralyticks cured by a Diarrhoea The Cure of this Disease is to be altered according to the variety of the Causes And since for the most part it cometh of flegm and a cold distemper we must labor chiefly to take away that cause which we must begin to do by a general clensing and emptying of the whol Body As for bleeding it can scarce do any good because the fault is not in the Blood but Flegm and this disease comes for the most part to old men such as are flegmatick and cold by nature But if plenty of crude blood unconcocted seems to produce flegm and to feed it we may open a vein in his Arm on the sound side of his Body but take but little blood least his weak natural heat should be extinguished After we have omitted blood-letting or taken a very little away we must go on to take away the antecedent Cause which is a cold distemper of the Brain which must be done as before was shewed by Apozemes or opening drinks by Pills sweating Diet Bags for the head Emplaisters Errhines for the nose neezings Masticatories Gargarisms that draw flegm Vesicatories or Blisters or Cupping head pouders Caps Fumes Magistral Syrups ordinary Pills a strengthening Opiate or Electuary by Caustick or burning by digestive Pouder and Baths A Diet Drink in this disease ought to be made of Guajacum alone and his Bark and after he hath taken a draught he must have hot bricks applied to the diseased parts but first they must be quenched in a Decoction of this good for the head made with white Wine and Vinegar and be wrapped in a linnen cloth for the stirring up of the weak heat which is in the parts and every fourth or fifth day you must purge but it is better to give a purging drink fifâ—een daies before you give the sweating that al the load of crude humors may be better cast out and afterwards the reliques and remainder may be discussed by the habit of the Body Which may be thus made Take of the chips of Guajacum three ounces of the bark of the same one ounce of spring Water four pints Infuse them twenty four hours then let them boyl to the consumption of half adding in the conclusion one ounce of Senna Turbith and Hermodacts of each two drams Let him take half a pint of this strained every morning for fifteen daies not sweating Apply a Caustick to the hinder part of the Head or to the sound Arm if the other be affected If the Legs be affected apply a Caustick to them both After his Diet let him use for his ordinary Drink a Decoction of Guajacum or Water and Honey wherein hath a little Rosemary been boyled Let him abstain from Wine which is very hurtful in this Disease but if he desire to drink Wine let Bettony and Sage be boyled therein And it is far better if in the Vintage time those Herbs are put into a full Vessel of new Wine If the Disease be perverse and stubborn omitting the usual Pills and Magistral Syrup after his Diet use stronger Medicines made thus Take of Pill Foetida the greatest and Pill Cochie the less each half a dram of Troches of Alhandal four
their Eyes redness springs up in their Cheeks Sence and motion is restored their Body grows warm they fetch deep Sighs and so the Sick-Party by little and little is freed from her Fit By the Signs propounded Womb-sickness may easily be distinguished from such infirmities as are of kin or otherwise like the same viz. the Syncope Swooning-sickness Apoplexie blasting Planeâ—-striking and the Falling-sickness howbeit the difference between Womb-sickness and those diseases aforesaid is peculiarly to be noted And in the first place by three general Signs we may conjecture that these Symptoms which are common to Womb-sickness and the aforesaid maladies do proceed rather from the Womb than from any primary misaffection of the Heart or Brain The first whereof is that if the sick Patient be subject to Womb-sickness and hath been often anoyed with aforesaid Symptoms when they come afresh we may conclude the Disease to be no other than Womb-sickness The second is That when Women begin to feel those Symptoms they complain that their Womb is out of order A third is That in Womb-sickness Women do feel great ease when stinking things are put to their Noses and sweet smelling things are put in by the Water-gate which in those other infirmities falls not out And the Hysterical or womb-sickness is more peculiarly distinguished from that which we cal Syncope or the Swooning-Fits because in the Syncope the breathing and Pulse do wholly cease but in the VVomb-sickness it remaines in a small measure til they come into the very height of the Fit wherein is most danger Secondly The Swooning Fits come more quickly and seaze upon the Patient as it were on a sudden But in the VVomb-Fit there proceed evident tokens of the approaching Fit Thirdly The Patients Face is paler in the Swooning-fits than in the Womb-fits yea verily some Women have a ruddy countenance in their Fits of the Mother and than the Disease is sufficiently known by that Sign alone Fourthly In the Swooning Fits we find commonly cold and Diaphoretick Sweats which in the Womb-fits appear not Fiftly The Swooning Fits aâ—e shorter and the Patient is soon either wel or dead but the strangling Fits of the Mother last longer continuing a whol day or divers daies together sometimes But it is to be remembred that the Swooning-sickness and the Womb-fits are somtimes joyned together when the Heart is more grievously afflicted than ordinary or when the Patients strength hath been much weakned by protraction of the Disease and then the Symptoms of both Diseases may be mixed one with another The Womb-Fit is distinguished from the Apoplexie First because that in the Wombs-Choaking-Fits the Joynts are not so loosened neither is the Sence of feeling wholly gone as in the Apoplexie but if they be pricked or have their hairs puld off they give a sufficient Sign with their Hands that they feel the pain Secondly In persons Apoplectical Planet-struck as the simpler sort do phrase it there is a perpetual snorting of the Patient but in the Womb-stranglings not Thirdly Womb-strangled Patients when their Fit is over remember what was done and said during their extremity but in the Apoplexie it is not so It is distinguished from the Falling-sickness First Because convulsive motions are not alwaies â—â—yned with Hysterical Suffocations and those that do accompany the womb-Fits are not so Universal as in the Falling sickness but molest only one or two members Secondly The Pulse is greater in the Fits of the Falling-sickness than it uses to be when the Patient is wel but in the Mother-Fits it is quite contrary Thirdly In the Falling-sickness the Patient fomes at the mouth but in the Mother-Fits there is no such foming Fourthly In the Falling-sickness the Patient remembers not what was done to her during the Fit but in the Mother-sickness she remembers al as we shewed before Fiftly Those that have Fits of the Mother do in the end of the Fit come to themselves like persons awaked from sleep with a noyse in the lower part of the Belly the Womb as it were becoming quiet and returning to it 's Natural place and sometime much humor flows from the Womb which doth not befal such as have the Falling-sickness We must also enquire how such as are in the Fits of the Mother may be distinguished from those that are quite dead seeing many Histories relate that some Women in that Case have been accounted dead appointed to buryal yea and some buryed The waies which Authors prescribe to make this tryal are divers For either they lay teazed wool or light Feathers upon the Patients mouth and if they stir not she is given over for dead or they apply a bright looking Glass to her mouth which will be dulled with her breath if she be yet alive or they set a cup full of water upon her breast and if the water stir not they account the party dead These Signs do for the most part hold good but they are not perpetual neither do they put the matter past dispute seeing as was said before some VVomen in these Fits do live only by Transpiration as those live-wights which live in holes al the winter and fetch no breath at al by their mouths VVhich though it very seldom fals out yet it is a very good Caution not to suffer women which die of this Disease to be buried til the third day after their death or at least til they begin to stink The Signs of the Causes are likewise to be declared which Causes we have shewed to be three viz. Seed retained and corrupted Menstrual Blood in like manner retained and corrupted and vile humors contained in the vessels or in the Cavitie of the womb If this Disease arise from Seed retained or corrupted there have preceeded al those Causes which might encrease gather together and corrupt the Seed in the vessels as flourishing age ripe for Generation or formerly accustomed to the actions thereof which of late it hath left off Sanguine complexion an idle life and given to pleasures a rich and plentiful table with the use of such meates as are easily corrupted In such persons if the womb-Fits happen they having their Courses wel we may guesse they come from Seed retained If these womb-Fits depend upon the Menstrual Blood retained and corrupted as their cause the Patients Courses are either wholly stopt or flow very little and to no purpose and she her self is not to seek for carnal Embracements but wel provided And some Symptoms do attend this suppression as Melancholly Waspishness Sluggishness Drowsiness Head-ach swelling of the Dugs heaviness of the Loyns and Thighs That this Disease comes from evil Humors is known by the Patient having her Courses well being exercised sufficiently with actions of Generation by her being stept into years or being very sull of evil Humors or being troubled with some other Disease in her womb We must also set down these Signs of those other Symptoms which we formerly described as springing from
heat of the Patient should be wholly extinguished And therefore it is only good when an Hectick is feared or in the beginning thereof and to such as are accustomed thereunto and while the Body is yet sufficiently ful of blood Motion of the Body is not good but the Patient must be enjoyned to rest howbeit before Meat if strength wil bear it some light exercise wil be good or instead thereof a few light frictions or rubbings may serve turn especially presently after sleep beginning at the inferior parts of the Body for they provoke the Humors outward And the Patient must be rubbed no longer than til a light redness begin to appear upon the Skin for to rub longer would dry the Body Carnal Embracements must be above al things avoided which do very much consume the substance of the Body Let the Patient sleep neither very long nor very little For long sleep encreaseth the heat of the Bowels by the retiring of the Natural warmth inwards too short sleep dries the body more But there is less inconvenience from sleeping a little over largely than too scantily because sleep doth exceedingly moisten which in this Feaver is very much to be desired Let the Patient sleep in a soft bed and that a Flock-bed not a Feather-bed and large enough Let the Patients Linnen be often changed which must be sprinkled with Rose-Water before they be put on If there be Costiveness the Belly must be provoked with a Suppository or a Clyster of Chicken Broth with Barley Mallows and Violet Leaves boyled in it adding Cassia Honey of Roses Butter and the Yolks of Eggs. Finally The Mind must be preserved in peace and cheerfulness avoiding vehement Perturbations as Anger Sadness Fear As for point of Medicaments fit for Hectick Persons they are Internal or External Among Internal in the first place Purgers must be considered and because addition is more necessary than detraction in this Disease Purgers can hardly be convenient unless a putrid Feaver be joyned with the Hectick Yet if the first Region of the Body seem filled with Excrements because of Crudities arising from a weak Stomach Purgation may safely be used with Cassia Manna or Syrup of Roses Nay verily if strength be not deficient the Infusion of Rhubarb may be given with a Decoction of Prunes Tamarinds Myrobalans Bugloss and Violets But Altering Medicines may be reduced into the form of Juleps Broths and Emulsions after this manner Take Waters of Endive Lettice Sorrel of each four ounces Syrup of Violets Water Lillies Apples of each one ounce Mix all into a Julep for three Doses to be taken at several times in one day and to be continued for divers daies together Or Take Whol Barley one pugil Leaves of Endive Cichory Lettice Pimpernel of each one handful Flowers of Borrage Bugloss Violets and Water-lillies of each one Pugil Damask Prunes three pair Boyl all to a pint and an half In the strained Liquor dissolve simple Syrup of Cichory and of Water-lillies of each two ounces Make of all a Julep for four Doses Of the same Simples with a Chicken or a Pullet may be made a Broth for the same use Or Take Roots of China one dram and an half Entire Barley two pugils the four greater cool Seeds half an ounce Beat all together and therewith fill the Belly of a Capon or yong Pullet and make Broth to which add Sugar of Roses half an ounce Let the Patient take of this broth a long time together It restores flesh and fatness Take sweet Almonds blanched and infused in cold Water one ounce the four greater cool Seeds and of white Poppy seeds of each one dram Beat all together in a marble mortar powring on by little and little a pint of barley Water In the strained Liquor dissolve Sugar Cakes made 〈◊〉 Pearl four ounces Make hereof an Almond Milk for three Doses If we be minded more powerfully to cool we must add to every Dose of the Julep or Emulâ—â—â—â— two scruples or one dram of Sal prunella In the use of Refrigerating things this is to be observed That we use not the more 〈…〉 of a sudden or frequently for they might extinguish a weak heat But it is better to 〈…〉 and little than suddenly And Moisteners are alwaies safer than Coolers because they exercâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Operations slowly While the foresaid Remedies are using we must be careful to strengthen the Bowels by a câ—â—â—â—nient Opiate which may be made after this manner Take Conserve of the flowers of Borrage Bugloss and Violets of each one ounce Conserve of the flowers of Water-lilly half an ounce Pouder of the Electuary Diamargaritum frigidum four scruples Shavings of Ivory Bones found in hearts of Stags of each half a dram Pearls prepared and Coral prepared of each one scruple three Leaves of Beaten Gold With Syrup of Apples make of all an Electuary In extream consumption of the Flesh nourishing Clysters are frequently to be injected of the Broth of a Chicken or Weathers Head with Sugar and the Yolks of Eggs. But their Quantity must be smal or else compressing the Guts they wil provoke the Expulsive Faculty to drive them out But among other Medicines most convenient for Hectical Persons Milk is a principal one it being endued with all the qualities which can desired in this Disease namely of cooling and mostening it nourisheth much and is easily distributed into all parts of the Body In the use whereof the same Cautions must be observed which were set down in the Cure of a Consumption Among External Remedies a Bath of fresh Water is principal for it powerfully cools and moistens and relaxeth the external Parts that they may more readily receive Nourishment Among the Ancients the use of Baths was most frequent and there were four parts of the bathing place In the first somwhat warm they put off their Cloaths In the second there was a bathing Vessel of hot Water In the third a bathing Vessel of cold Water In the fourth the Sweatiness and Moisture was dried off Galen in 10. Meth. Chap. 19. doth thus moderate the use of these parts of the Bath That the Patients should be brought into the first part of the Bath which was heated with the vapor of the bath that the pores of their bodies might be opened then being anointed with fresh sweet Oyl they were to be plunged in the hot Water to moisten their bodies and then they were of a sudden to be thrown into the cold Water quickly to be taken out again and to be dried and anointed with Oyl that the pores being closed the moisture may be received from the hot bath might be retained But inasmuch as the Industrious Diligence of the Ancients in the use of bathing is long since out of use and our Practitioners have likewise left this Method of bathing Hectical persons which they judg unsafe seeing it is to be feared lest by the sudden receiving of the cold Water the Patients Body should be hurt and
the Patient not be able to endure the sudden sence of contrary qualities So that our Practitioners do more advisedly and more compendiously whiles they conveigh the Patients into a bath of Water moderately hot in the morning after a stool procured by Nature or by Art and two or three hours after they have eaten some broth or milk or the Yolks of Eggs wherein they abide solong till it grow luke-warm of it self and at last cold For seeing Galen conceives the use of a cold hath after an hot to be so necessary that without it the hot bath doth no good the use of a cold bath is supplied if the Patients stay so long in the bath til of it self it grow luke-warm and cold But this Caution is to be observed That whereas a three-sold quality may be had in the same bath the Patient must abide in the hot a little while in the luke-warm longer in the cold least of al. And although the Ancients were wont to make their baths of simple Water yet is it good to make them more moistening by boyling therein Emollient and moistening Herbs as Mallows Marth-mal-lows Violet Leaves c. or with barley and beaten Almonds especially in the Summer because a bath of Decoction of Herbs is sooner corrupted After bathing the sick is softly to be wiped with hot Cloaths then to be anointed with Oyl of Violets sweet Almonds with fresh Butter and after some time of rest let the Patient eat some broth or other food A bath of Water and Oyl is exceedingly cried up by Zacutus Lusitanus in the 35. Observation of his third Book of wonderful Cures where with he saies a yong woman was cured when a bath of simple Water and Goats Milk could not help The reason of which great good he renders to be this Because bath made of fresh Water with store of Oyl in it doth soften the distended stiff parts doth moisten the dry and withered and by opening the pores obstructed and through dryness contracted it draws the Nourishment to the outmost and most distant parts of the body When the Patient cannot use baths apply an Epithem to the Heart and Liver in this manner compounded Take Waters of Roses Water-lillies and Purslain of each three ounces Juyce of Pome-Granates an ounce Pouder of Diamargaritum frigidum two drams Bones out of the Stags Heart one scruple Camphire four grains Make an Epithem for the Heart Take Waters of Endive Lettice Cichory of each three ounces Vinegar of Roses one ounce the three Sanders of each two scruples Burnt Ivory one scruple Make an Epithem to be applied to the Liver Also the Region of the Liver may be anointed with Oyntment of Roses or Ceratum Santalinum But Oyls and Unguents must be sparingly used because they may somtimes encrease the Feaver Among the Symptomes which are wont to come upon this Disease the chief is a Loosness which is wont to bring the Patients to their death This is to be bridled with a Decoction of French-barley toasted for their ordinary drink Syrup of Quinces dried Roses Chalybeate Milk Rice boyled in Milk and such like SECT II. Of Putrid Feavers The PREFACE PVtrid Feavers are divided into Continual or intermitting The continual Putrid Feavers are generated when a putrid Vapor or a preternatural Heat which ariseth from putrefied Humors doth perpetually afflict the Heart and stirs up therein a continual Heat from whence likewise is perpetually diffused a Feaverish Heat into the whol body But the intermitting Feavers are caused when the said Vapors are carried unto the Heart only at certain distances of time Continual Feavers are again divided into Essential and Primary or Symptomatical Those are called Essential and Primary which spring from a putrefaction inflamed in the common Veins and not in any particular part of the Body Those are Symptomatical that arise from the putrefaction or suppuration of som particular part inflamed out of which part by communion of the Vessels a putrid vapor may continually be carried unto the Heart Such feavers are seen in the Pleurisie Inflamation of the Lungs Inflamation of the Liver and in the Inflamation of other Internal Parts Again the Primary continual Feavers are two-fold for some are without any Exacerbation or Fits and remission but continue alike from the beginning to the end and are called Sunochi or Continentes But others have manifest Exacerbations or fits and remissions and are called Sunecheis or Continuae by the name of the kind And these again from the difference of their Exacerbations or fits and remissions are divided into three sorts For some are called continual Tertians which have their Exacerbations or fits every third day others continual Quotidians that are exasperated every day others continual Quartans that are exasperated every fourth day The intermitting Feavers or Agues are likewise divided into Tertians Quotidians and Quartans according as their Fits are wont to return every third every fourth or every day There are other Differences of Feavers likewise which are either Accidental or arise from the Composition of those aforesaid all which we shall Particularly and briefly Explain Chap. 1. Of Continual Putrid Feavers ALthough there are divers sorts of a continual putrid Feaver yet have I determined to describe the Cure of them all together because in a manner the same Remedies are suitable to all of which some differ only in more or less and are accordingly to be varied which depends more upon the Judgment of a Physitian and his Dexterity attained by Practice than upon particular Precepts Yet shall I as neer as I can observe what is peculiar to every sort of Feaver in its peculiar place Feavers Putrid Continual and Primary or Essential are wont to be bred of the putrefaction of Humors which are contained in the Veins and greater Arteries And according to the various Nature of putrefying Humors several Species do arise Synochus Putrida is distinguished with no fits or exacerbations but its whol time is taken up as it were with one fit which reaches from the beginning to the end of the Disease and of this as of a simple Feaver there are made three differences The first whereof is that which continues all alike during from the beginning to the end The second is that which encreases by degrees The third is that which decreases by little and liâ—tle The first is named Acmastica or Homotonos and it happens when the whol course of the Disease the manner of putrefaction is one and the same The second is called Epacmastica when more putrefies than is dissipated The third is called Paracmastica when less putrefies than is dissipated Yet allthough these kind of Feavers do perpetually increase or decrease or keep the same Tenor yet doth not this hinder but that they have four times if they terminate in health but some have them longer others shorter if they be considered according to the vehemency of the Symptomes So that which is called Homotonos hath a very breif beginning and