teeth or from fears the signs of those diseases will manifest If fear be the cause the standers by or tenders can evidence the same Now if none of these be the cause then it is probable it may arise primarily from the brain The Prognosticks The Falling sicknesse and convulsion are diseases very horrible to behold and dangerous in all persons and ages and doth kill many children that are taken therewith so soon as they be born Where these fits happen to young children 't is more dangerous then in grown persons because they can bear and endure the fits better The cure For the cure of these diseases somthing must be done in the fit and something when the fit is over What is to be done in the fit First in the fit give three or four drops of spirit of Castor in beer or milk also black Cherry water with a little sirup of Pyony or give a small spoonful of this following Julep A Julep Take of Piony water and linden water of each one ounce sirupe of Piony compound half an ounce spirit of black Cherries two drachmes magister of Coral a scruple mix them together and give it as before is shewed Put to the nostrils Rue bruised or oyl of Amber or Balsam of Amber Apply to the Region of the heart and to the Temples Mithridate or London Treacle with the juice of Rue and a little wine or water Epileptick of Langius Let the nape of the neck and the ridge of the back be anoynted with this following Take oyl of Castor or oyl of Euphorbium half an ounce the juice of Rue one ounce boyl them together to the consumption of the juice and use it Hang about the neck of the childe a thin slice of Piony or white Briony roots as green as you can What must be done when the fit is over Secondly something must be done out of the fit If the child be five or six years old you may give it this potion A purging potion Take of Agarick trochiscated four scruples infuse it five or six hours in Oxymel of Squils strain it hard and add thereto of Castor in powder three greins sirupe of Roses solutive with Agarick one ounce Balm water one ounce make a potion and give it in a morning fasting Let the child constantly take of the Julep before mentioned and be kept anointed with the oyl of Castor and juice of Rue also let it wear about it's neck constantly a root of male Peony or white Briony In Italy and other places where this disease is very frequent 〈◊〉 soon as children be born they cauterize or burn them in the neck with a hot iron or else drop a burning wax candle upon the place where they desire to make an Issue and that to prevent the falling sicknesse for hereby they think the brain is dryed and by pain the humour which doth flow or may flow is drawn and derived â—o the hinder part of the head especially if the Issue be made by burning for thereby whatsoever is gathered together in the brain that is offensive is evacuated Cornelius Celsus was of the same minde Lib. 3. Cap. 28. fol. 40. for he adviseth to have an Issue made there in two places and he saith it is the last refuge or remedy for to cure the Falling sicknesse But I conceive that it is not safe to use such a remedy in young and tender bodies for if the bodies of such young and tender children will not suffer purging or bleeding how shall they endure burning when as this must needs bring continual pain and watchings whereby the strength must also decay Again although an Issue may be profitable where the falling sicknesse ariseth primarily and chiefly from the brain yet when the Falling sicknesse ariseth from the lower parts which doth often happen to children it doth not profit when as the matter or ill vapor that cometh from the lower parts cannot be turned from the brain If the Falling sicknesse arise from worms then use means against worms as you may see in the Chapter of worms to which means may be added the root of Piony red Coral c. Let the Mother or Nurse keep a good dyet and neither eat nor drink any thing that may offend the childe or occasion these fits See more in my book of the chief diseases of the head in the 6. 7. Chapters CHAP. 5. Of the pain in the ears with inflammation moistures ulcers and worms thereof AMong the diseases of children a Hippocrat Appli sect 3. 24. Hippocrates in his Aphorismes doth nominate the moisture or running of the ears For when the brain of infants is very moist great part of that superfluous moisture is evacuated or purged by the ears yet this doth not often happen without inflammation Therefore when abundance of moist humours do flow plentifully to the ears they cause inflammation also grievous pain is joyned therewith which in moist bodies of children cannot be dispersed or dissolved but is turned into matter so that blood and matter doth flow out of the ears The cause The cause is abundance of moist humours and excrements of the brain which nature cannot expel by the nose and Palat. The signs The moisture of the ears is easily known by it's running but pain and inflammation thereof is not so easily discerned because infants cannot declare the same but it may be known by their crying out and unquietnesse especially being touched neer their ears also rednesse and heat is perceived about the ear or ears The Prognosticks These diseases are not to be sleighted for such pains in grown persons have proved dangerous much more therefore in children if it continue long Inflammation of the ears is many times dangerous and brings a delirium or dotage and indangers life In ulcers of the ears if the matter be white not too thick nor too thin neither bloody nor much stinking it is the better Inveterate and long continued Ulcers of the ears are dangerous because they soon turn to a Fistula The cure For pain of the ears use oyl of Roses or oyl of Violets warm or milk warm dropped into the ears and afterwards stopped with wool or drop therein the juice of Origanum and milk mixed together Or drop in a little Linseed oyl warm or use a decoction of the heads of white Poppy or the white of an Egg beaten and mixed with a little milk or put a little Saffron into the ears Against moistnesse of the ears and ulcers thereof use hony of Roses and water of hony dip a clout or tent therein and put it warm into the ears or put in oyl of bitter Almonds warm For worms in the ears use oyl of bitter Almonds and Myrrhe in powder as in two drachmes of oyl put of Myrrhe in powder a scruple or thirty grains or put the juyce of Wormwood warm into the ears Or take of Aloes Myrrhe and the seeds of Coloquintida of each a drachme boyl them in two ounces of oyl of Roses
from the party ready to die If lice be onely in the head in many it preserves their health because they consume much excrementitious humors Lice are engendred in the beginning of the Leprosie and in the second and third kinds of hectick Feavers If they breed much and that all over the body they are not onely very irksome but sometimes bring death The cure First for the prevention of lice and to hinder the breeding of them it will be very necessary to keep the child often changed and to comb often the head and to avoid all meats of ill juyce If the child be of any bignesse the body may be purged in this manner Take of Sene and Polipodium of each two drachmes Fumitory one drachme and a half Cream of Tartar a drach Licorice and Anniseed of each a drachme bruise the Polipodium and Licorice then infuse or steep them all in half a pint of water on hot embers and afterwards gently boyl them strain it and to the clear add of sirup of Roses one ounce let the child take every morning two or three spoâ—nfuls fasting and fast one hour after it then to take some warm posset-drink or broth Make a bath as followeth A Bath Take of Elecampane root bruised two ounces white Briony root bruised half an ounce Beets Mercury Sopewort Centory the lesser of each a handfull Lupines bruised one ounce Nitre half an ounce boyl these in water and make a bath for the head with which let the head be bathed morning and evening warm After bathing anoint the head once or twice a day if a strong child twice if a weak child but once with this oyntment following An oyntment Take of Stavesacre one ounce Wormwood Rue of each half an ounce Brimstone and Nitre of each two drachmes make all into powder and with two or three ounces of oyl of Bayes and one ounce of oyl of Wormwood make an oyntment Or take of Brimstone in powder half an ounce of Stavesacre in powder one ounce oyl of Wormwood two ounces and a half vinegar one ounce make all into an oyntment and use it as before is shewed Or take seawater or else Brine and strong lee of Ashes of each a quart Wormwood a good handful or two boyl it a while therein and afterwards wash the body or head therewith Many use stronger oyntments made with Arsenick or Quicksilver and white Hellebor but for young children it is not safe to use them This powder following is very good and safe A powder good and safe for Lice in the head Take of Coculus Indy a quarter of an ounce white Pepper a drachme beat them into a grosse powder and strew it into the heads of children for it will soon destroy the lice Or you may dip a comb in strong Mercury water or water made with Arsenick and so comb the childs head therewith CHAP. 3. Of the Scab and Itch. THe Scab and Itch is an infection of the skin sometimes with crusts or scabs sometimes dry sometimes onely in the head and sometimes in the whole body and doth much provoke to scratching The cause These come from the sharpnesse of the milk or from some salt humour abounding in the body and sometimes they bring this infection into the world with them The signes The signs are manifest Prognosticks If the Scab or Itch be small and do not hinder sleep it is the easier cured but if it do much molest and disquiet the childe in the night it is the more difficult to cure If they be of long continuance and have got a habit in the body they are not easily cured The cure For the cure of the Itch and Scab many use to give common Treacle which I do not approve of but rather advise to use flower of Brimstone morning and evening in milk or Posset drink Also sirup of Fumitory is good to give often half a spoonful thereof to children of growth If the head be scabby it is usual to anoint with burnt butter but this many times strikes into the body and makes the child sick You may anoint with this oyntment following An Oyntment Take oyl of Roses four ounces quick Brimstone in powder one ounce juice of Lemmons two ounces Rosin three ounces make all into an oyntment and anoint the head face or body with it but observe this that you do not anoint all over where the itch or scab is but anoint first at one place and when that is killed then use it to another place and so the rest one after another You may also anoint with the white Camphire oyntment or with Tarr and Hogs grease boyled together or you may use a decoction of Tobacco stalks boyled in water and vinegar If the Itch or Scab be hot and burning then use this oyntment following Take white lead and Lytharge of gold in fine powder of each five drachmes lee made of the ashes of a vine three drachmes oyl of Roses an ounce wax as much melt the wax and oyl first then put in the rest keeping it stirring and last of all add two yolks of eggs or rather the whites make an oyntment and use it See more in my book called Help for the Poor in Itch and Scab pag. 21 22. Cap. 23. CHAP. 4. Of the Falling sicknesse and convulsion THhese are diseases very incident to children newly born and because they are so neer of affinity I shall joyn them together The cause The falling sicknesse cometh sometimes by consent of the inferior or lower parts especially of the stomach and bowels when milk is corrupted in the stomach or hath an ill quality which doth often happen when the nurse is of an ill complexion or from the nurses ill dyet and to frequent drinking of wine and so ill vapors arise from the stomach too the brain and affect the membranes thereof or worms the Small Pox and Measels or Fevers may cause these fits or primarily it may come from the brain being ill affected Sometimes it may be Hereditary and come from the Parents Also vehement pains of the teeth whereby the brain is drawn into consent may cause convulsions in children Moreover sudden fears or beating the child may occasion these fits Some will have flegme to be the cause of the Falling sicknesse but if it were so then why might not old men whose brains are flegmatick have the Falling sicknesse and Infants as well as old men be taken with the Apoplexy which notwithstanding we see by experience doth not happen Therefore the falling sicknesse doth not proceed from flegme but rather from an occult and sharp quality which doth oppresse the membranes of the brain For although children do abound with flegme from whence suffocating rheumes and other diseases be bred yet doth not the Falling sicknesse follow except there be some venomous and corrupt vapour joyned therewith The signs The signs are manifest But whether it proceed from vitious or corrupt milk or from worms the small Pox or Measels breeding of
the brain Let the nurse take often of this pectoral decoction Take of Figs and Jujubes of each twenty in number Sebestens thirty in number Raisons of the sun stoned ten drach Licorice 2. drachmes Maidenhair Hyssop and Violets of each an ounce boyl them in three pints of water to the consumption of the third part then being strained give it as before If the child be bound you may give it sirup of Roses Manna or Cassia And give the child oyl of sweet Almonds with white Sugar candy which will not onely loose the belly but ease the Cough If shortnesse of breath proceed from fulnesse of the stomach and hypochonders then give the child some Hony mixed with a little Fenegreek seed and Comin seed in powder Afterwards give the juyce of Fennel in milk or sirup of Jujubes or sirup of Maidenhair or make Almond milk with some Pine kernels in Colts foot water or Scabious water and sweeten it with sugar Candy Or Take one ounce of sugar Pellets and being dissolved in two ounces of Hyssop water warm them on the fire and give a spoonful often of it Or you may give sugar Candy and Hyssop water in the same manner If the child be of any bignes you may give it often pectoral Roules or Trosses to eat or sugar Pellets Let the breast be anointed morning and evening warm with oyl of sweet Almonds mixed with Capons grease or sweet Butter or with the oyntment called Pectorale Or Take of the oyntment called Resumptivum oyl of sweet Almonds of each one ounce Capons grease and Goose grease of each two drachmes mix them together and use it To dry up the Rheume lest the childs headclothes be perfumed with the powder of red Roses and Frankincense at night And you may bath the childs feet with a decoction made with Rosemary Sage Marjoram c. And afterwards anoint the feet with oyl of Bayes or oyl of Costus warm And because the Rheume sometimes falls down by the rough artery so that the nostrils of the child are dry and much stopped therefore you must anoint the same with fresh Butter or put up some therein or with oyl of sweet Almonds or with this following Take of the juyce Beets of and Marjoram of each two drachmes of the juyce of Chickweed half an ounce oyl of sweet Almonds one ounce mix them together and anoint the nostrils therewith or put up Basil Cloves or Marjoram in powder into the nostrils to provoke sneesing that thereby the matter which flowes down by the rough Artery may flow out of the nose If the Cough hinder the child from sleeping give it at night of sirup of Jujubes sirup of Violets and sirup of white Poppy of each a like quantity mixed together or give Conserve of red Roses if the child be of any bignesse CHAP. 13. Of vomiting and weaknesse of the stomach MAny times the childs stomach is so weak that it cannot retain any sustenance taken The cause The cause hereof is either abundance of milk which the child greedily sucketh or the ill quality of the milk or worms from whence ill humours are stirred up and so cause vomiting It may also proceed from flegme falling down upon the stomach but this is more rare in children and doth not often happen The signs If it come from abundance of milk sucked the Nurse may soon know it besides the childe after vomitting is better If it proceed from the corruption of the milk 't is known by the quality thereof for the milk is yellow green or of some other bad colour which is vomited up and hath an ill savour or smell also the milk of the Nurse is not good If worms be the cause then you have the signs in the Chapter of worms The Prognosticks Vomiting in children is most times little dangerous for it is a common saying among women that those children are most lively and vivacious that being young do vomit and there wants not reason to second this opinion for the child being newly born hath some vitious humours in the stomach which was collected in it's mothers womb and then receiving fresh nourishment from the Nurse which it was not accustomed to moreover the stomach being lax or loose moist and weak it soon happeneth that the milk is corrupted Therefore if these vitious humours be cast out by vomit it is far better then if they were retained in the stomach If vomiting proceed from abundance of milk there is lesse danger and most times after vomiting the childe is better If from the corruption of the milk it is worse because thereby may follow other dangerous symptomes If vomiting continue long it is dangerous because it may bring an Atrophy or leannesse of the whole body and so death at length If that which is vomited be white and flegmatick 't is better then if it be yellow green or blackish The cure If vomiting proceed from too great plenty of milk sucked then let not the childe suck so often nor so long If it come from corruption of the milk then the fault of the milk must be mended as is before declared and that which is corrupt must be cleansed by the use of syrupe of Roses solutive or hony of Roses solutive Now that the stomach of the childe which is weak and loose may be strengthened you may use syrupe of Mints syrupe of Qâ—inces c. Or A powder or lohoch Take of wood Aloes red Coral Mastick of each half a drach Galangal half a scruple make them into powder and give of it to the child in milk as much as will lye upon two pence or three pence at a time or make a lohoch or licking medicine thereof with syrup of Quinces and give it often to the childe Marmalade of Quinces also is very good for the child or a Quince rosted tender and given with Sugar and Cloves in powder Apply outwardly to the stomach the plaister of a crust of bread the Cerot called distomachale or a crust of bread wet in Muscadel Or Take oyl of Mastick oyl of Quinces oyl of Mints oyl of Wormwood of each half an ounce oyl of Nutmegs by expression half a drachme Cloves in powder a scruple mix them together and anoint the stomach therewith morning and evening warm Or Take of red Roses half a handful Mints a drachme Cyperus roots and Myrtle berries of each two drachmes Boyl them in red wine and bathe the childes stomach therewith warm Or Wet a spunge or wollen cloth therein and lay it warm to the stomach Or Take Mastick Frankincense red Roses of each two drachmes Cloves a scruple make them into powder and with the juice of Mints or the distilled water thereof make a Pultis and lay it to the stomach Or Take of oyl of Mastick or oyl of Wormwood two ounces wax one ounce and a half Cloves Mace and Cynamom in powder of each two drachmes make all into an oyntment adding thereto a little Vinegar Anoint the stomach with it
proceed from corrupt milk and sharp humours They are dangerous also that arise from worms The cure If these gripings come of winde and crude or raw humours and the body be bound it will be necessary to give the childe this or the like Clister A Clyster Take Pellitory of the wall and Camomil flowers of each half a handful boyl them in broth made of meat strain it and take two three or four ounces of this liquor and add to it hony of Roses solutive one ounce half the white of an Egg and make a Clister which may be given to a child of a moneth or two moneths old Or give it some oyl of sweet Almonds new with a little Sugar one hour before it sucks for this will loosen the belly and ease the pains Or You may give a scruple of Anniseed grosly beaten in Pap Milk or such like sweetened with Sugar To a child newly born it doth help herein and profitably purges away or expels from the bowels green choler and filthy flegme This doth Heurnius * Heurn meth ad prax lib. 2. cap. 26. fol. 293. commend by his own experience You may also give the child Penniroyal water with Sugar or Diascordium at night Outward means also which do moderately warm make thin and expel wind must be used as the oyl of Dill or oyl of Camomil with which anoint the belly warm morning and evening Or Bruise Pellitory of the wall and boyl it in oyl of Camomil or Sallad oyl and apply it warm to the belly Or Take Camomil flowers the tops of Dill of each a handful Fenegreek and Linseed bruised of each half an ounce boyl them in Wine and twise a day before feeding or sucking let the childs belly be bathed therewith If they come from corrupt milk and sharp humours then cleansing means are to be used as sirup of Roses hony of Roses solutive or sirup of Succory with Rubarb or give a Clyster made of the decoction of Bran and Pellitory of the wall adding one ounce or one ounce and a half of sirup of Roses solutive Or Take of the decoction of Barly 3. or 4. ounces oyl of Dill one ounce or one ounce and a half the white of one Egg make a Clister and give it Anoint the belly with oyl of Roses or oyl of Dill and oyl of Camomil mixed together The nurse must avoid all windy meats as Pease Beans Beets hard Eggs c. CHAP. 17. Of loosenesse and flux of the belly FLuxes of the belly and loosenesse doth often happen to children and that many times about the time of breeding their teeth as Hippocrates witnesseth Hip. Aph. 3. 25. The cause The cause hereof is bad concoction or corruption of the milk or nourishment For a Fever doth commonly follow the breeding of teeth so that by the unnatural heat the digestion is hurt then by much watching pain is increased and the concoction hindred Also by pain the necessary heat which brings good digestion is drawn from the stomach and so concoction is disturbed Moreover the heat of the fever doth stir up many humours which flowing to the belly cause these fluxes Again by reason of the Fever which happeneth to children about the time of breeding their teeth they suck or drink more then is meet and also the Nurse most times that shee may content the child doth often offer it the breast and so dispose it to sleep more then is necessary by which means both food and drink not being well concocted are avoided by stool both crude and corrupt * Mer. de morb pueror lib. 2. ch 25. fol 147. Mercurialis addeth an other cause of this flux while children breed their teeth viz. from the pain that is stirred up by unnatural heat from whence the humours are drawn to those parts they become putrid salt and sharp and so falling down to the stomach and from thence to the bowels stir up exceedingly the expulsive faculty from whence follow these fluxes But some do not concieve this to be probable First because those humours thus attracted or gathered together do not stay or abide in the mouth or gums but fall down to the stomach Secondly because the teeth and gums by the continual use of the milk or sucking are made more soft and temperate Thirdly because in moist children there cannot be so great a heat which can produce so much acrimonie and saltnesse Fourthly because if these humours were so salt and sharp they would soon breed ulcers of the mouth Sometimes when children do not breed teeth the cause may be from the outward air whereby the stomach belly of the child are too much cooled and therby concoction is hindred or when the stomach is oppressed with too much food or nourishment whereby crudities and corruption of the food doth follow so that if the same be not rejected or cast up by vomiting it is carried down to the belly and causeth these fluxes or it may arise from bad nourishment or from the badnes of the milk from whence corrupt juyce is bred in the stomach which nature expels by stool Sometimes it may proceed from the moistnes and loosenes of â—he bowels which moisture hath its original from some sharp humours in the stomach and from thence falls down in to the bowels The signes If the flux come from the breeding of teeth it may be known from the signs of breeding of teeth as in the sixt Chapter If it come from crude humours then the food is voided not concocted and the child is troubled with belching also the excrements are white and frothy If it come from hot humours and corrupt nourishment then the excrements are yellow or green also stinking and the pains of the belly are greater The Prognosticks If the flux in children be not violent the danger is not great neither must it be suddenly stopped because the corrupt humours in the stomach hereby are evacuated or purged which if they were stopt would prove dangerous From hence saith Hippocrates * Hip. de dentione fol. 59. except blood come forth stop it not till the seventh day be passed Such children as have loosnesse when they breed teeth are lesse subject to convulsions then those that are bound If children do not easily endure the flux but have weak stomachs and the spirits are low also the flux continuing long and they grow lean then must the loosenes be stayed That flux is dangerous in children if it come by reason of acute or sharp fevers and especially if the excrements be black The cure In the cure of loosenesse of the belly we must consider whether the child suck or not then whether the teeth break forth or not For if the child suck then the nurses milk must be looked on whether it be good or bad If bad then it must be mended or the Nurse changed The Nurse must use a binding dyet and abstain from fruits and raw nourishment as also from those things that are of hard
digestion If the Infant suck or not and the flux be of some continuance means must be used to stay it and such means as first cleanse and then bind the body as sirup of Roses solutive or hony of Roses solutive Clysters may be used A Clyster Take of Barly water made with steel four ounces red Sugar one ounce mix them together and make a Clyster Where the humours are cleansed and the flux doth proceed from a hot cause give sirup of dry Roses sirup of Quinces sirup of Mirtles sirup of red Coral c. Or give the powder of Mirtles with a little Dragons blood or give Sorrel seed Plantain seed or red Roses in powder with the yolk of an Egg rosted at the fire Or Take of Mullein flowers red Roses of each half a small handful of Comfry roots the greater and Tormentil roots of each a drach bruise the roots and boyl them all in water strain it and to three ounces of the clearest add one ounce of sirup of Quinces and give the child often of it or take Nutmeg and Mastick in powder of each a scruple give it at twise with the juyce or a scruple of Quinces Or Take Acorn cups Sorrel seed and the kernels of Raisons dryed of each a drachme white Poppy seed half a drachme make them into powder and give ten grains or twenty grains of it morning and evening in sirup of Quinces or sirup of red Coral Outward means must be used also Take oyl of Mirtles oyl of Roses oyl of Mastick of each one ounce with half an ounce of wax make an ointment and anoint the belly therewith morning and evening warm Or Bath the belly with a decoction made of red Roses Mullein Plantain in red Wine Or Take red Rose leaves Mullein of each a handful Cipres roots two drachmes Mastick half an ounce make them into grosse powder and make a quilt or bag which being boyled in red Wine apply it warm to the belly Or Take of the pulpe of Quince boyled in red Wine 4. ounces of tosted bread wet in Vinegar one ounce and a half with a little oyl of Mastick make a Pultis and apply it to the belly and stomach warm Or lay to the belly a plaister of a crust of bread or the Cerot called Stomachale If it come from a cold cause and that the excrements be white give sirup of Quinces with Mint water Some commend the maw of a Kid or Hare if ten grains thereof be given and the child to take no milk that day least it curdle in the stomach but give it bread boyled in water with Rosewater and Sugar Apply outwardly Mints Wormwood Mastick and Comin seed Or Take of Rose seeds one ounce Comin seed and Annised of each two drachmes make them into powder and with oyl of Mastick oyl of Wormwood and a little wax make an ointment and use it warm to the belly Or Apply Mints boyled in red Wine to the stomach or a crust of bread wet in Mint water or make a quilt or bag of Mints Wormwood red Roses Mastick Nutmegs and Cloves and apply it to the belly CHA.P. 18. Of Costivenes or stopping of the belly AS Children are often troubled with fluxes of the belly so are they many times troubled with stopping thereof The cause It may proceed from extream cold and drynesse of the belly which happens to some children from their birth or from tough and flegmatick humours which are as it were rowled up with the excrements and cleave so fast to the bowels that they are hardly voided or from corrupt milk with which the childe is nourished from whence tough and flegmatick humours are bred in the stomach which cometh to passe by reason of the weaknesse thereof as also when the mother or nurse feed upon tough meats and drink but little for it seldom happeneth that children are fed with such dyet except grown children or it may come from the intemperate heat of the Liver spleen or reins of the childe whereby the excrements become dry or it may happen when Choller that comes from the gall and should be carried down to the bowels is turned some other way The Signs The signs are manifest If it be from a natural drynesse then the childe is constantly bound and stopt If tough and thick flegme be the cause the excrements that are voided are mixed with the same If there be any error in the Mother or Nurse by ill dyet that is easily known If it be from the heat and drinesse of the Liver and Spleen or Kidneys it is known by those signs that shew the heat of those parâ—s If Choller be turned an other way and that be the cause then the excrements are white and not dyed at all with Choller and the skin of the child looks yellow The Prognosticks Children that are much bound in their bodies have seldom their health well and it is far better for youth to have their bellies loose then bound ill vapours arise from the excrements to the whole body and cause gripings of the belly pain of the head and many other distempers The cure First let the Mother or Nurse use a loosening dyet and such things as are mollifying And let them take also Manna Cassia or sirup of Roses or a little Hony in the morning If the child be of some reasonable growth then you may give it Manna or Cassia as from two drachmes to one ounce or if it be young you may give it half an ounce or one ounce of sirup of Roses Suppositories also made of Hony and Salt and put up into the body are good and safe or Violet comfits anointed with oyl and so used or Clisters may be given as take common oyl two three or four ounces of brown Sugar two or three drach the yolk of an egg Salt three or four corns make a Clyster and administer it Or Take of Marsh-mallowes half an ounce common Mallowes Pellitory of the Wall of each half a handful Cammomil flowers Linseed and Fenigreek bruised of each a drachme boyl them in sufficient water and take of the strained liquor three four or six ounces according to the age of the childe in which dissolve of Cassia two three or four drachmes common oyl one ounce or one ounce and a half with the yolk of an egg make a Clyster You may anoint the Navil of the childe with Butter or oyl of sweet Almonds either alone or mixed with a grain or two of Scammony or Coloquintida The Gall of an Ox or Cow laid upon a clout and so laid on the Navel causeth loosenesse or a plaister made with the gall of an Ox a rosted Onyon and Butter mixed together and applyed warm to the belly doth the same If you desire stronger means then take the juice of Walwort and Mildust boyl them together and apply them warm to the Navel CHAP. 19. Of Worms AMong all the diseases that are incident to children this of Worms is not the least There are
in use as Aloes Sea-mosse Wormseed c. The manner of giving them you may see in my Book of the nature of Simples Wormseed and Figs Wormseed and hony or wormseed and muscadine is a very good medicine for children that are of some bignesse if you give it in the morning fasting and let them fast one hour after it Give this powder following Take of Wormseed and mosse of each a drachme and a half white Dittany roots and Tormentil roots of each half a drachme make all into powder and give it from ten grains to a scruple or more in any convenient liquor Or Take of Wormseed two drachmes Seamosse Harts horn burnt of each a drachme Piony root white Dittany magister of Coral of each a scruple make all into powder and take it as before If a Fever be joyned therewith then use medicines more cooling and such as resist malignity as the juyce of Lemons and Oranges Vinegar Harts horn Bezar c. Or make this Potion Take of the distilled water of Grasse four ounces sirup of Citrons one ounce sirup of Violets half an ounce spirit of Vitriol two or 3. drops mix them together for a Julep and give a spoonful or two thereof at any time Also note that in killing worms bitter things be given at the mouth and sweet things administred by Clysters for by the bitter things they descend lower and feeding on the sweet they are soon brought away after the giving of any medicine to kill worms you may give a Clyster of milk and Sugar or this following Take of Raisons in number ten Figs in number seven boyl them in water strain it and in 4. or 6. ounces of the decoction dissolve of Sugar one or two ounces Note also if one medicine do not bring away Worms that you must use variety of medicines or continue one medicine for some time as about the full of the Moon give your medicine at the least two or three dayes together Give a spoonful of sirup of Succory with Rubarb for divers mornings together Before you give medicines to children for the Worms it is convenient to give sweet and fatty things as milk Hony Sugar c. And it is very profitable to mix sweet things with such medicine as we give for the Worms Outward means to kill worms Outward means are to be used also as you may boyl Wormwood and Centory Peach leaves and Lupins in water and apply them warm to the belly or apply Cumin seed with Ox Gall or Bulls gall or anoint the belly with the oyl of Savin or oyl of Rue morning and evening warm Or Take of London Treacle or Mithridate half an ounce mix it with the juice of Wormwood spread it on leather and lay it to the belly Or Take of Pills called sine quibus half a drachme Wormwood in powder a drachme Myrrhe and Aloes in powder of each two scruples Lupins in powder a drachme and a half with Ox gall make a plaister and lay it to the belly CHAP. 20. Of Ruptures or Burstings The cause CHildren are often troubled with this disease and that chiefly male children and the cause may be from too much crying coughing and too frequent going to stool In elder children it may come by too much motion of the body as running or leaping by a fall or riding astride for the Rim or film of the belly in children is but weak and doth soon break or grow loose and so the guts fall into the cods The signs The signs are manifest The Prognosticks The Rupture in children is more easie to cure then in Elder persons and that because the Rim of the belly is as yet more soft and so is sooner joyned together Some hold that all watery Ruptures are worse to cure then the Rupture wherein the guts fall into the cods but in infants 't is not so for experience doth witnesse that the watery Rupture is cured soon with fit means as they grow up to any bignesse The cure In Ruptures of the bowels care must be had that the childe be loose bellyed and that it take not too great plenty of nourishment wherby the belly may be distended or swollen also the child must be kept from crying and from all vehement motion For the cure hereof lay the childe upon his back that his head may be lower then his feet and gently reduce the bowels with your hand into their due place but first let the place be anointed with oyl of water Lillies or oyl of Cammomil then apply this Pultis following A Pultis Take of Plantain leaves and Sanicle of each half an ounce meal of Lentils and Lupins red Roses of each three drachmes Olibanum a drachme Allom half a drachme make them into powder and take part of it and with the white of an egg beaten make a Pultis and apply it warm or make this Plaister A Plaister Take of the oyntment called Desiccativum two ounces Mastick Olibanum Sarcocol Cypresse nuts in powder of each a drachme with a little wax and oyl of Mastick make a loft plaister apply it to the place and binde it on or get a Trussand put on Or you may apply a Plaster of the plaister called Emplastrum ad Herniam Or take the leaves of thorough wax and the root of great Comfrey bruise them and apply it warm on a linnen cloth after twelve hours put on fresh and so apply four or five one after another Or take great Comfrey root bruised and cleansed apply it as the former Inward means Inward means are also very necessary as give the childe five or ten grains of Osmund oyal or water Fern more or lesse as the childe is in bignesse in milk or pap morning and evening or give as much of the herb called Rupturewort Or Take Sanicle Plantain of each half an handful Egrimony a handful Comfrey root the greater half an ounce boyl them in about a pint of water strain it and being sweetned with Sugar give the childe often to drink of it Or Take Comfrey the greater and Knotgrasse of each a handful Boyl them in milk and give the childe often of it Mous-ear in powder is very profitable being given in milk or pap So is small Moonwort boyled in red wine alone or boyled with Comfrey and so taken Thorough wax also taken in powder or decoction helpeth Ruptures Be sure the bowels be wel put up before inward or outward means be used If the Cod be swollen of reason of water use oyl of Elder oyl of Rue or oyl of Bay or make Pultis of Bean flower Linseed Fenegreek Camomil flowers Elder flowers and Cumin seed in powder and with a sufficient quantity of oil of Elders make it up Let the childe be kept in bed and as quiet as may be and to avoid all windy and watery meats CHAP. 21. Of swelling or coming forth of the Navel The cause THis may happen when the Navel is not well bound and when it is cut too long or when the