things prove ineffectuall infuse a whole night six graines of Antimony in wine and let her drinke it if her body be strong enough to abide the conflict of the medicine for besides that it draws back the humours from the Matrix by provoking to Vomit it likewise purgeth away by stool that tenacious phlegmatick and thick humour which is the cause of the Disease Wormewood beere is not unwholsome for her or instead thereof prescribe to her beer wherein China roots have been infused for this disperseth the humour to the skin and dries up the superfluous moisture for the same purpose we advise with Galen that a Bath of hot sand be prepared that after the use thereof the body be well rubbed and anointed with honey heated by the fire then as we prescribed above make an Issue in her knee CHAP. V. Of the Complication of the Menstrunm with other Diseases THe Complication of the Menstruum with other Diseases is hard to be known and not easie to be cured for if any woman be sick of any Disease and if her Courses be supprest or appeare not the Physitians are at a stand what is most fit during this Judication to be done for if we follow the motions of Nature who worketh rightly and open a vein in the ankle this will not cure the Disease which is rooted in the upper parts And if you draw bloud from the arme you pervert the course and order of Nature to the great disadvantage of the sick woman But you will say in such a case as this what is to be done I shall tell you in few words The Disease is either vehement or moderate and of long continuance if the Courses appeare or come down in a disease of long continuance you may defer the opening of a vein till a more convenient season be it either a vein in the arme or in the ankle which you intended to cut for you can doe no hurt by omitting or at least suspending this remedy But if the Disease be acute and require a speedy evacuation you must observe whither the Menstruum be answerable to the plentie of bloud which abounds in the body if her Courses come down according to the prescription of Hippocrates you must not be busie but leave the whole matter to Nature of the same opinion is Galen also for saith he if at that time when you are letting bloud it should so fall out that her Courses come down or that she should on a sudden have the Piles you must desist from phlebotomy and commit the whole businesse to Nature if you are satisfied that the Menstruum commeth away in a sufficient quantity but otherwise take from her so much bloud as may make good the deficiency of her Courses But if a burning Fever be upon her if she have not her Courses according to custome and to the satisfaction of her own desires then this defect must be supplied with medicines by opening a veine in her ankle applying Cuppinglasses with scarification to the calfes of her legs or Leeches to the Hemorrhoids to take away the superfluity of the bloud One thing must be considered namely if a woman after her delivery have a burning Fever upon her her Courses actually flowing whither it be lawfull in regard of the vehemence of the Fever to open the upper veines Fernelius Valeriola Amatus Lusitanus and divers others of good account assent the lawfulnesse and expediency thereof for although some have imagined that if the upper veines be opened the bloud will ascend to the upper parts yet if it be true which they imagine more profit and advantage will accrew thereby to the sick woman then hurt or danger for when a veine in the ankle is cut although it bring down the Courses and supply the defective motion of Nature in respect of the part particularly affected yet is it not equally prevalent against a most vehement inflâ—mmation nor altogether so profitable in a most acute disease because the bloud must be drawn out from some vessell that is nearer to the part affected that the conjunctive cause may be taken away and although by cutting a vein in the ankle we can draw the whole masse of bloud out of the body yet the bloud is not so fitly taken from one part as from another for in a Quinsey or a Pleurisey 't is more commodious to open the Basilick veine to temper the heat then any other veine in the whole body CHAP. VI. Of hard swellings in the Breasts THe Breasts are naturally thin spongy or fungous and loose for this reason they are apt to entertaine any crude and melancholy humours flowing to them either from the Matrix or from any other parts these if they are not rightly and duly expelled they breed painefull yea malignant and cankerd Vlcers wherefore you must addresse your selfe to the Cure without any truce or delay and this consists in three things in prescribing a Diet in the manuall operations of Surgery and in outward and inward Medicines Let her therefore make choise of a pure ayre let her drink be small beer boiled with annise and snakeweed let her meat be of good concoction and easie distribution as Mutton broth Cock broth and rosted Chickens let her avoid meats that thicken the bloud as milke cheese bacon fish and the like open a veine if she have not her Courses in her ankle or cut the Basilicâ— veine twice or thrice to ease the Liver the Spleen and the Kidneys as the multitude oâ— bloud shall require it Note that the humour must be prepared and attempted with this Apozem Take the roots of Succhory Polipody of each an ounce The barke of the root of the Caper anâ— Tamarisk tree of each halfe an ounce The leaves of Buglos Fumitary Balme of each a handfull Two drams of Fennill seeds Boile them in a sufficient quantitie oâ— barley water to two pints and to the strained liquor add Syrupe of Borage Syrupe of â—umitary of each an ounce and a halfe Ten graines of Spirit of Vitriol Mingle them and make an Apozem Because the humour is thick and dreggish you must purge her body severall times till it be perfectly cleansed this may be done with this decoction following Take an ounce of Polypody of the oake The leaves Fumitary Hops Borage Endive of each a handfull Epithymum Century the less of each halfe a handfull Boile them in a sufficient quantity of Barley water to two pints and in the strained liquor infuse a whole night An ounce of Sena Foure drams of Rubarb Agarick Troch Creame of Tartar of each two drams Epithymum and The flowers of borage buglos and rosemary of each as many as you can grasp between your thumb and two fingers at twice Two drams of annise seeds In the morning give it one or two bublings straine and presse it and to the liquor add Syrupe of violets Syrupe of fumitary of each an ounce Make an Apozem or Take the leaves of buglos Fumitary of each a
distribution potentially cold and moist that is cold and moist in their qualities and operation though they be actually hot when she eats them it would be superfluous to name them having already sufficiently spoken of them in the precedent chapters of a hot dihemper in the Matrix and an inflammation in the Matrix It will be convenient to draw bloud from the basilick vein in the right arme and if the hot dishemper be the cause that the Patient hath not her Courses cut a veine in her ankle Moreover you may prepare cooling and moistning Juleps after this manner Take Syrup of Violets and water lillies of each two ounces Twelve ounces of Endine water Six drops of Spirit of 〈◊〉 mingle them or Take Syrup of horage and Syrupe of purselane of each an ounce and a halsâ—â— A decoction of letâ—uce wash â—â—cumber citrull gourd and melon feeds of 〈◊〉 a diam and a halfe take a pint and alhalfe of the decoction mingled with the Syrups and 〈◊〉 her drink it at three doses Prescribe a Purge also to evacuate â—holer Take three drams of the best rubarb A scuple and a halfe of citron seeds Macerate them a night in a sufficient quantity of a decoction of tamaâ—inds to two ounces and a halfe in the morning straine and presse them and to the liquor add three drams of the Electuary Diaprun laxative Halfe an ounce of Syrupe of Violets by infusion mingle them and give it in the morning Whey of it selfe is exceeding wholsome or else you may thus compound it for your Patient Take an ounce of borage roots Two handfulls of sorrell leaves with the roots Endive and borage leaves of each a handfull Six drams of tamarinds Boyle them in a sufficient quantity of whey to a quart and in the strained liquor infuse for a whole night Halfe an ounce of choise rubarb Two scruples of Cinamon In the morning let them bubble a little over a gentle fire and when you have prest them hard add Three ounces of Syrupe of roses laxative Mingle them together for an Apozem Which is of most excellent vertue to correct the heat and distemper of all the veynes and principall parts this Bath also will be very effectuall to coole the body Take foure handfulls of vine leaves The leaves of mallowes violets and endive of each two handfulls A handfull and a halfe of bran A handfull of salt Boyle them in a sufficient quantity of water to eight quarts let her hold her feet in the strained water two or three houres together You may likewise prepare fomentations of the hearbe aforesaid and bath the privities the Liver and the Reynes of the back and afterwards you may make use of this oyntment Take two ounces of unguent infrigidantis Galeni An ounce of Cerat Sautalin Oyle of roses and oyle of violets of each halfe an ounce Two drams of the powder of red corall Halfe an ounce of vinegar of roses With a sufficient quantity of white wax make an oyntment according to Art Take the liquor which is distilled out of Cockles Snailes or Frogs mingle it with Saccharum perlatum and give it her to drink as a most effectuall remedy against this Disease A decoction of young Chickens boiled with prunes and borage leaves and taken every morning upon an empty stomack doth refresh the body strengthen the spirits moisten the Matrix cleanseth away the foulnesse that groweth in those parts and very powerfully resists the causes of barrennesse When unfruitfulnesse proceedoth from a cold distemper you must observe a contrary method of cure as for example The ayre must incline to hot and dry the meat must be also potentially hot and dry and because this cold distemper in perpetually consociated with moistuâ—â— whereby cloudy and grosse vâ—pours get into the Matrix which is cold and neâ—vous therefore it will be requisite to correct this coldnesse to take away the moisture and to consume and dissipate those windy vapours from hence you may gather that this is a very frequent cause of barrennesse and abortivenesse and so likewise are flatulent and windy humours for they extreamely swell the Matrix so that the seed cannot be perfectly retained neither can the child be held fast by the Cotyledous When you attempt the Cure abstaine from Phlebotomy unlesse it be preparative onely to disburthen the oppressed vessells when the Patient is in the spring of her yeares and at the Spring of the yeare least by taking away the bloud the spirits should be wasted the humours should become more cold and indigested which otherwise were not the bloud prodigally let out might be seasonably concocted and this you may observe with the learned Fernelius to prescribe a Purge before you open a veine in crude bodies that the first region may be cleansed if any man shall rashly proceed to a contrary course doubtlesse with great disadvantange to the Patient he shall pervert the right order of Nature for when as he hath emptied the veines by Phlebotomy he will fill them again with that filthy accumulation of corrupt humours which they suck in with greedinesse from the first places and so he shall not lessen but double the disease the Purge may be made as followeth Take a dram and a halfe of the whitest agarick Two drams of bastard Saffron seeds A scruple of Ginger Halfe a dram of Anniseeds Macerate them a whole night in a sufficient quantity of marjoram water to three ounces in the morning presse them hard and add Diaphenicon and Diacuicum of each halfe an ounce Mingle them and let her drink it in the morning If her body be not sufficiently open give the same potion every third day or else prescribe this Glyster following Take nine ounces of a mollifying decoction made with marjoram and groundpine or germander of each a handfull Diacarthamum and Diaphenicon of each an ounce An ounce and a halfe of honey of roses strained Mingle them and make a Glyster When you have thoroughly purged the body and taken away the cause the parts must be strengthned and the distemper must be corrected with these pills Take a dram of right lign aloes beaten to powder Two scruples of aloes ro sat Musk and amber of each a scruple With a sufficient quantity of alkermes make thirty five pills Let her swallow five of them or fewer every morning they are exceedingly provocative and withall they strengthen the braine the heart the liver and the Matrix when the man and the woman intend conjunction let him anoint his yard with oyle of mastick and wormewood mingled with a few graines of musk and civet and let the woman also anoynt her privie parts therewith as well within as without for by this meanes there is raised a mutuall inclination to Venery and the seed is received with a greater pleasure and is more duely retained and elaborated reason it selfe will convince us that sweating remedies made of ebony and Salsapaâ—illa will mightily help and prepare the Matrix for they expell
handfull Balme Germander of each halfe a handfull As much Epithymum as you can containâ— between your thumb and two fingers Boile them in a sufficient quantitie oâ— whey to a pint and a halfe infuse for â— night in the strained liquor Six drams of Sena Two drams of white Agarick A dram and a half of annise seeds In the morning presse out the liquoâ— hard and add Syrupe of Violets Syrupe of fumitary of each an ounce anâ— a halfe Mingle them for an Apozem Confectio Hamech and Diacricu will bâ— highly profitable so also are Pils de Lapiâ— Lazuli Sometimes you may prescribe glysters tâ— temper the melancholy humour as for example Take the leaves of Mallowes Marishmallowes Violets of each a handfull Halfe a handfull of bran Two drams of fennill seeds Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of barley water to nine ounces in the strained liquor put in Confectio Hamech Diacatholicon of each an ounce An ounce and a halfe of oyle of violets Mingle them and make a glyster or Take half an ounce of Polypody roots The leaves of buglos Fumitary Violets of each a handfull Foure ounces of sena As much Epithymum as you can take up between your thumb and two fingers Two drams of fennill seeds Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of Cock broth to nine ounces to the strained â—â—quor add Diaprun Laxativum Confectio Hamech of each an ounce Half an ounce of Syrup of Violets A dram of Sal gemme Mingle them and make a glyster Leeches applied to the Fundament may much promote the Cure The event may likewise gratifie your â—riall if you prescribe Cordials Treacle Miâ—hridate Lozenges of Pearle Alkermes and the like which with their coldnesse drynesse and cordiall vertue retaine the spirits correct the bloud even when it is putrifying and preserve the bowells in their due Symmetry and naturall constitution Note that you may not forget to wash her legs with a decoction of Hops Violets Fumitary Roses Mallowes and Vine leaves If by the advantage of time it prove aâ— cankerd and a creeping Vlcer you must not vex and discompose the Patient with many or strong Medicines but you musâ— institute a palliative Cure for Galeâ— boasteth that he thus cured a woman who had a Cancer in her breast for wheâ— the thinner part was brought away iâ— became thicker more full of putrefaction and subject to exulcerate for it iâ— undenyable as the same Author affirmethâ— that the vehemence of the remedies inflamâ— the humor and set it on fire by that acrimoâ—nius quality which is naturally in them Almost all Authors agree that Issues anâ— convenient for they supply the stead oâ— Purges and Phlebotomy as Guido a good writeâ— witnesseth in his book de Cauteriis The end of the first Book of Womens Diseases THE SECOND BOOK Written by NICHOLAS FONTANUS OF Womens Diseases The first Chapter OF the Mother THat Disease which we commonly call the Mother the Physitians terme the Strangulation or Suffocation of the Matrix and sometimes the Ascent of the Matrix Gaâ—â— took it to be a drawing back of the Maâ—ix to the upper parts Hereupon some of the Ancients conceived the Matrix to bâ— some stragling Creature wandring too and fro thorough severall parts to which phantasticall conceit Fernelius Eugenius and Laurentius contributed a credulouâ— Assent for though a woman be dead yet can you not with an ordinary strength remove the Matrix from the naturall place neither is that reason which Fernelius alledgeth of any moment who saith that in these diseases he hath toucht it upwards seeing that this is not the true Matrix but a grosse windie swelling of a roundish figure and somewhat resembling the Matrix you will say the Matrix doth remove and slip from its proper place I grant it for by reason of the moisture wherewith those parts abound the Matrix is loosened and exceedingly stretched and this is the truth of the whole matter The Cause of this Disease is twofold the Retention of the Seed and the Menstruum which are the materiall cause and a cold and moist distemper of the Matrix breeding phlegmatick and thick juices which is the efficient cause for when the Seed is retained and the Menstruum hath not the customary and usuall vent they burthen the Matrix and choak and extinguish the heat thereof then upon the diminishing of the naturall heat windy humours are bred especially in the Matrix which by nature is a cold nervous and bloudlesse part after the same manner if the seed be kept too long it disturbeth the Function of the spiritous parts and the Midriffe it oppresseth the heart causeth fainting and sounding fits bindeth as it were and girteth about the parts and seemes in such a manner to stop the breath that the sick woman is in danger to be strangled her puls is sometimes weake various and obscure she hath inward discontents and anxieties and is most commonly invaded by at least very subject unto Convulsion fits she lies as if she were astonished and void of sense and from her belly you may heare rumbling and murmuring noises she breatheth so weakly that it is scarce discernable and indeed she is so sad an object that the by-standers may eaâ—ily mistake her to be dead The drowsie and sleepy disease called Carus differs from this because they who are affected with it have the use of their breath free without any molestation and it differs from a Cataâ—psy another drowsie disease casting the â—â—ck into a profound and dead sleep because they who are taken with that liâ— without any motion but they who havâ— the mother are tormented with Convulsioâ— fits their legs and their hands are stretcheâ— and wrythed into unusuall figures anâ— strange postures and by this it is distinguished from an Apoplexy unto which it is exceeding like Galen wondreth how these women caâ— live who are â—roubled with these crueâ— fits of the Mother without any puls oâ— breathing in as much as it is impossible foâ— one that liveth not to breath or for onâ— that breatheth not to live for so long â— we live so long we breath To this I answeâ— that although these women live withouâ— respiration yet doe they not live without transpiration for this being performed thorough the pores of the skin by thâ— motion of the arteries conserves the symâ— metry of the vitall heat for then thaâ— small heat retiring to the heart as to Castle may bepreserved by this benefit oâ— transpiration alone Now to procure an assurance whithâ— the woman be living or dead hold a feather or a loâ—king-glasse to her mouth the former stir or the latter be spotted it is an undoubted signe that she liveth This is a most acute Disease and soone dispatcheth the sick woman especially if it took beginning from somevery contagious and poisonous vapours lecherous women and lusty widowes that are prone and apt to Venery are most subject to it but married women that injoy the company of their husbands and such as are
thinke upon that Oracle of Hippocrates and obey his words as a sacred Law when he saith the true way to provoke them is by drawing bloud from the ankle provided that there be no reason to oppose this injunction having so done and laying Leeches to the Hemorrhoids thâ— use whereof is exceeding profitable in thiâ— disease if the body be full and the diseasâ— be found to be common to the whole body open the Basilick veine on the righâ— side from whence if an earthy and blacâ— bloud flow away Galen adviseth you tâ— take out a large quantity If the Patient be young leane black anâ— hairy adventure upon deep scarification made in her back and fasten great Cuppiâ— glasses to her arteries These universall administrations beinâ— premised and the humour being rightlâ— prepared it will be convenient to prescribe a Purge to cleanse her body froâ— melancholy to this purpose Take three drams of Sena A dram of the roots of black Hellebore Two scruples of agarick Trochisht Halfe a dram of fennill seeds Macerate them in a sufficient quantitâ— of fumitary water for a night and when iâ— the morning you have prest out the liquor take three ounces of it and add Three drams of Diacatholicon Two drams of Confectio Hameâ—h Halfe an ounce of Syrup of Violets Mingle them and make a Potion She must not take any Pills for they are too great driers both in respect of their forme and also in regard of the ingredients whereof they are compounded But by all meanes let her have somewhat to dispose her to sleep as this or the like emulsion Take the seeds of Gourds Melons Citruls Cucumbers of each an ounce Six sweet Almonds blanched Two drams of white Poppy seeds With ten ounces of a decoction of Lettuce and Poppy heads and an ounce of Syrupe of Poppy make an Emulsion to be taken about nine a clock at night and at two a clock in the morning Embrochations also may be prepared for the head you may make them of a decoction of poppy heads barley roses violets waterlilles nightshade lettuce coriander and mandrake roots Anoynt her nose and her Temples with this oyntment following Take halfe an ounce of unguent Populeum Two drams of unguent rosarum Half a dram of Opium dissolved in vinegar of roses Mingle them for the use aforesaid Let her have cooling Lotions to bath the palmes of her hands and the soles of her feet if the cruelty of the disease be such as to deprive her of all sleep prescribe this draught following yet suspend the use thereof till you have tried other meanes to procure rest for the sick Creature Take a scruple of Philonium Romanum Three ounces of Lettuce water Mingle them and let her drink it when she goeth to bed or Take Philonium Persicum Requies Nicholai of each a scruple Two ounces of a decoction of poppy Mingle them for a Draught Sometimes we use to exhibit two or three graines of laudanum opiatum yet forbear this remedy unlesse an urgent occasion prompt you to it Baths are most wholsome if they be made of the decoction before prescribed or else you may follow this example Take two ounces of Barley The leaves of Violets Vine leaves Lettuce Willow leaves Mallowes of each two handfulls The leaves of red rose water lillies of each a handfull Boile them altogether in a sufficient quantity of broth made with a sheeps-head and let her bath her selfe in the strained liquor A Bath prepared of oyles and sweet waters is very effectuall so also is a Bath of Asses milke for these things temper the earthy humour mitigate the acrimony thereof correct the drynesse and parchednesse of the skin render the bloud more apt to descend provoke sleep qualifie the furious motions of the spirits and nourish and fatten such bodies as are dryed up and consumed You must also comfort the heart with Cordialls and to the same purose Take the waters of Borage Balme of each six ounces Syrupe of the juice of Borage Syrupe Regis saboris of each an ounce Two drams of Cinamon water Mingle them and make a Julep or Take Conserve of rhe flowers of Violets Borage Oringes of each an ounce Confectio Alkermes Confectio de Hyacyâ—tha of each a dram and a halfe Species Diamargarit frigid Species Diambrae of each a dram With a sufficient quantitie of Syrupe de pomis Regis saboris adding two leaves of gold make a mixture or Take the species Letificant Galeni The species Diambra of each halfe a dram Pearle prepared Bezoar stone of each a scruple Two ounces of Sugar dissolved in Rose-water Make them into Lozenges according to Art If these remedies get not the victory we counsell you to make deep issues upon the knee and if the disease be inveterate prescribe an extract of black Hellebore and apply Causticks to the region of the spleen by the force and strength whereof the black and cloudy humour which sticks so close to the bowell may by degrees be brought away CHAP. IV. Of a cold Distemper or a swelling in the Matrix THe Matrix is sometimes swelled either because the Courses are stopped or else in regard of a continuall suppeditation of cold aliment which generates a cold distemper in those parts which because it cannot be simple or solitary therefore it presently consociates it selfe with moisture and from thence arise thick slow and cloudy windes in the very cavernes or hollow parts of the Matrix tormenting the woman with unspeakable paines The signes are a swelling below the Navell neare the privie parts slow windes with rumbling and murmuring of the guts forsaking of meat sadnesse slothfulnesse heavinesse in the head and about her secret parts This is a grievous disease because many times it turnes to a Dropsey in the Matrix for in regard that those windie humours are bread and increased by the diminution of the naturall heat as Galen hath observed in his book de Sumpâ—om Causis it comes to passe that the feeble heat now generating winde proceeding from a cold distemper in the Matrix doth so weaken it that instead of winde water or a waterish humour is produced This disease is cured by an extreame thin and drying diet wherefore let the ayre incline to hot and dry but if the place be such as doth not naturally afford such an ayre prepare it by art sprinkling aromaticall things about her chamber as sage nip betony rosemary â—â—echas thyme origanum and lavender Let her choise be of those dishes which will be of good nourishment to the body â—asie to digest and soon distributed to all the parts as thrushes young sparrowes partridges pheasants and pigeons she may not eat the flesh of goats Kids hares cowes sheep nor Deer meats made with milke are unwholsome for her so are roots sallads and pothearbs new laid egs raisins and figs may be allowed her but command a forbearace of chesnuts and almonds for they are thick and windy let her eat the whitest bread baked with