Apozem Every other morning let her have foure ounces of it fasting If all these 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 Menstruum 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 it 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 suddeu 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 inflammation 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 puâ—e 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 Basilick veine twice or thrice to ease the Liver the Spleen and the Kidneys as the multitude of 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 and 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 of barley water to two pints and to the strained liquor add Syrupe of Borage Syrupe of fumitary 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
oyle of Violets Two drams of common salt Mingle them and make a glyster But if the Disease arise from a suppression of the Courses 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 the use whereof is exceeding profitable in this disease if the body be full and the disease be found to be common to the whole body open the Basilick veine on the right side from whence if an earthy and black bloud flow away Galen adviseth you to take out a large quantity If the Patient be young leane black and hairy adventure upon deep scarifications made in her back and fasten great Cuppinglasses to her arteries These universall administrations being premised and the humour being rightly prepared it will be convenient to prescribe a Purge to cleanse her body from 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 quantitie of fumitary water for a night and when in the morning you have prest out the liquor take three ounces of it and add Three drams of Diacatholicon Two drams of Confectio Hamech 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 dâ—â—solved 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 roses 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 â—he flowers of Violets Borage Oringes of each an ounce Confectio Alkermes Confectio de Hyacyntha 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 â—imes it turnes to a Dropsey in the Matrix for in regard that those windie humours are bread and increased by the diminuâ—iâ—n of the naturall heat as Galen hath observed in his book de Sumptom 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 stechas thyme origanum and lavender Let her choise be of those dishes which will be of good nourishment to the body easie 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 raisiâ—s and figs may be
â—rovoke urine yet when steele is quenched 〈◊〉 it it is wonderfull wholsome for her â—s Hippocrates affirmeth concerning the Son â—f Erotelaus lying sick of a bloudy Flux for â—hen he had drunk whey in which red hot â—nts were quenched his evacuations were â—ore moderate although they were bloudy â—nd in a short time they ended here is to â—e noted that whey although upon a slight â—onsideration it may seeme to be Diuretiâ—â—ll and so to provoke rather then to stay â—he flux yet if steele be frequently quenched 〈◊〉 it till the thin and fiery parts thereof â—e wasted away it stayeth the Flux If these Remedies prevaile not to perâ—â—ct the Cure I shall counsell you to make â—n Issue upon the knee for this being kept â—pen the corrupt humours are evacuated â—ithout any decay of the spirits which â—therwise doe many times produce grieâ—â—ous and vehement Symptomes we have â—poken of the coming away of the Menstruâ—m by Drops with the terrible Symptome which accompanies it namely a vehement â—nd insupportable paine but because this â—aine proceeds from divers causes the Cure â—ust be also diversified Women therefore which are of a cold Constitution especially if they be young prone to Venery Black and Hairy must be purged that the Cause may be taken away and therefore their bodies must be first prepared before you can hope to appease the paine You may evacuate the humour with Diaphenicon Benedicta laxativa or with Pills of Hiera and you may prepare the humour with smallage and fennill roots with agrimony and Motherwort leaves boiled in water wherein steele hath been quenched with Rhodomel The paine must be appeased with unguent Populeum unto which you may add a few graines of opium or else you may apply fomentations to the head A vein also must be opened as we have shewed you above If a woman or Virgin have the whites which come away of a thick and fattish substance you must proceede as in the former Cure but you must be exceeding cautious how you let bloud for such bodies are full of raw humours by reason whereof the spirits are much exhausted and her body is weake and infirme according to the Judgement of Galen in his book de Sanguin missione chap. 11. wherefore in such cases I counsell the Patient to goe to the Spaw waters or some other of the like Nature for they purge away the thick humour both by siege and by urine but especially the melancholy juice which is the cause of this disease A Decoction of China and Salzapavilla cannot be improper nor Leeches applied to the Hemorrhoids Note that the Caul of a Ram or Weather newly killed must be laid to the affected part being first anointed with oyle of Castor for as the skull of a man is good against the Falling Sicknesse and the Lungs of a Fox against the stoppage of the pipes by a specificall vertue or hidden similitude so is this good for the stomack and the Loynes The Whites are defined to be a lasting distillation from the Matrix however it be affected for Nature indevoureth to expell that superfluous moist and excrementitious bloud thorough the Matrix and even at the same time disburtheneth the body from this unprofitable and offensive humour This evill is reckoned among the Symptomes of those things which are immoderately expelled out of the body the Causes whereof are divers for sometimes a predominancy of choler sometimes a phlegmatick juice many times melancholy and very often bloud is evacuated this is easily known because a snottie kinde of humour drops and distills continually from the Matrix which if it be red it proceeds from bloud if white from phlegme if yellow it takes beginning from choler The sick woman complaines of a general weaknesse over all the parts of the body her legs and eyelids are swelled she cannot digest her meat her stomack failes her she is lazie and loves no exercise and cares not to stir up and down so that at length her strength decayeth and her spirits faile through the abundance of bloud which hath come from her wherefore this disease calls for early help least it degenerate as not seldome it doth into a Dropsey or a Consumption or the like terrible Diseases If the body therefore abound with much bloud let a veine be opened in the arme to draw back the course of the humour which is hastening from all parts of the body to the Matrix Thus we read that Galen cured the wife of Boetius unto whom other Physitians had preposterously prescribed Medicines without opening a veine Afterwards you must prepare the phlegmatick humour with a decoction of wormewood unto which add Syr. of Roses or Syr. â—de artemisia the cholerick humour must be prepared with a decoction of endive sorrell unto which may be added Oxysaccarum or Syrup de succo Cichorii if it be a Melancholy humour prepare it with a decoction of Fumitary Buglos unto which add Syr. of Fumitary and Syr. Lupuli Then expell the humour with some gentle purge if it be phlegmatick Take three scruples of white agarick Troâ—chischt Two scruples of the root of Mechoacha A dram of Annise seeds Macerate them the space of a night in a sufficient quantitie of fennill water in the morning to two ounces and a halfe of the liquor which you presse out add Three drams of Diacarthamum Halfe an ounce of Diacnicum Mingle them together for a Potion If Cholerick humours abound in the body Take two drams and a halfe of the best Rubarb Citron myrobalans Cinamon of each a scruple Macerate them a whole night in a sufficient quantity of endive water presse them with all your might and add An ounce and a halfe of Syrupe of roses laxative Mingle them and give it her to drinke in the morning If Melancholy humours be predominant Take two drams and a halfe of Sena A dram of Annise seeds Macerate them over night in a sufficient quantity of fumitary water in the morning presse out the liquor and add To two ounces and a halfe of the liquor strained and prest Two drams of Confectio Hamech Halfe an ounce of Syrup of fumitary Mingle them for a Potion If the Disease yield not to these Medicines expell the humour by an Epicrasis that is by some Decoction that by degrees will digest open and evacuate the humour and also mightily provoke urine this Apozem following hath all these vertues Take the roots of Parsly Fennell Buglos Polypody of the Oake of each halfe an ounce The leaves of Maidenhaire Agrimony Motherwort of each a handfull Six drams of Sena Two drams of rubarb One dram of agarick As much Epithymum as you can graspe between your thumb and two fingers Two drams of Annise seed Macerate them together a whole night in two pints of barley water upon hot embers in the morning allow them one or two gentle bublings and when you have strained them add Syrupe of fumitary Syrupe of roses laxative of each an ounce Mingle them for an