drammes of Borage Buglosse Balme and Hoppes of each halfe a handfull of Anise and Citron seede of each adramme of orientall Sene three drammes of the three cordiall flowers a pugill boyle them all take of this decoction foure ounces and infuse therein of Rubarbe a dram and a halfe after the straining of it dissolue therein of the syrupe of Roses an ounce and of the syrupe of Apples as much make thereof a decoction which you must take in the morning and keepe your chamber There are some which take in the broth of a chicken halfe an ounce of Sene others an ounce of Cassia or else the infusion and expression of ten drams of Catholicum The maner of preparing of the melancholike humour This sleight purgatiue hauing gone before the rest of the humour must bee prepared for to thinke of the rooting out of the preparing of whole at the first blow forcibly as the Emperickes doe were to ouerthrow the sicke partie Wee must attenuate soften and dissolue the same and follow the precept of famous Hippocrates which sayth in his Aphorismes that when we will purge any bodie we must first prepare it and make it fit to flow for such preparation there is good vse to be made of Iulebes and Apozemes An Apozeme Take of the rootes of Buglosse and Elecampane of the rindes of the rootes of Capers and Tamariske of euery one an ounce of the leaues of Borage Hops Succorie Fumitorie Capillus Veneris crops of Time and Balme of each a handfull of Anise Fennell and Citron feede of each two drammes of the three cordiall flowers of the flowers of Oranges and of Epithymum of each a pugill boyle them all in fountaine water and after you haue strained out a pound and a halfe put thereto of the syrupe of Hops two ounces and as much of the syrupe of Fumitorie and make thereof an Apozeme clarifie it and aromatise it with a dram of the powder of Cinamome or of Electuarium de gemmis it must be taken foure mornings together Stronger meanes for the purging of this humour The humour being thus prepared the bodie may be purged againe with the decoction before appointed whereto you shall put of Catholicum or else of Confectio Hamech which purgeth melancholie very well or ir you please you may prepare an Apozeme which will purge euery second time it is taken the same which is alreadie set downe will serue if you boyle some orientall Sene and Polypodie in it If this humour bee too rebellious and that you cannot purge and auoide it by these benedicts and gentle remedies you must bee forced to come to such as are stronger Piolomeus the king vsed in rebellious melancholie Electuarium Hieralogadium but the Hieras doe drie ouer much The Arabians commend the pilles of Lapi lazulus Pillulae Indae pilles of Fumitorie and those of Lapis armenus There are some which make a powder for melancholike persons and it is an excellent one A purgatiue powder Take of Lapis lazulus well washed in Violet water an ounce of oriental Sene two ounces of good Polypodie an ounce and a halfe of Anise and Citron seede halfe a dramme of Sugar candie three ounces of the foure cold seedes two drammes of the flowers of Elder-tree three drammes make thereof a powder take thereof the waight of two French crownes All both Greeke and Arabian Phisitions doe appoint in such diseases of melancholie The vse of Hellebor as are old and hardly remoued Hellebor should bee giuen It is true indeede that wee must in this case vse discretion and not to giue it in substance for the decoction or infusion thereof must be taken and choise made of that which is blacke and good for the Apothecaries doe oftentimes sell for blacke Hellebor a kinde of Aconitum which is very hurtfull and pernicious the white is not to bee vsed at all in these cases there must also diligent care be had not to mixc any thing with the Hellebor wee vse which hath any astringent or binding facultie such as are Mirabolanes least thereby it might bee staied too long in the stomacke The Poets that haue written long agoe haue acknowledged this propertie of Hellebor that it hath against melancholike diseases when as they send melancholike persons vnto Anticyra where the best Hellebor groweth and in Homer in his second Odissea Melampus a great Phisition is brought in healing the foure daughters of king Pretus with Hellebor who because they would bee equall in beautie to Iuno were for a iust punishment of their arrogancie and pride made fooles Some there bee which vse Antimonie prepared Antimonie but all such forcible meanes must be prescribed aduisedly and with discretion I could like it better to vse milder things and to reiterate them the oftner as a good magistrall syrupe or else some Opiate A magistrall syrupe The syrupe may be made of the iuyces of Borage Buglosse and Apples with some Sene or else you may vse the syrupe of the Apples of Sabor the king There may an Opiate be made after this fashion Take of good Cassia drawne in the vapour of the decoction of Mallowes an ounce and a halfe or if you will haue it somewhat stronger in the vapour of the decoction of black Hellebor for so it will retaine some little part of the force vertue thereof afterward take of Tamarisk an ounce of Catholicum sixe drams of Sene halfe an ounce as much of Epithymū 3. drams of good Rubarbe besprinkled with the water of Endiue vntill it become soft and relenting incorporate all together and mingle them with the syrupe of Violets or Apples and make thereof an Opiate whereof you shall take euery fiue daies in forme of a bole the quantitie of an ounce more or lesse according to the effect and working thereof And thus much of purgatiues Alteratiue medicines The second kinde of remedies is such as doth alter the melancholike humor that is to say which doth take away the distemperature therof This humour offendeth in coldnes and drines but more in drienes this is that very qualitie which maketh it so rebellious hardly to be remoued the alteration of it thē doth consist in the moistning of the same That there is more good done by moystening then by purging of the melancholike humour Galen in his third booke of diseased parts as also Trallianus do make more accompt of these alteratiues then they do of the diminutiues do confidētly professe to haue cured moe melancholike persons by moystening the humours then by purging of it This moystening is accomplished by inward and outward meanes the inward are brothes apozemes syrupes I haue sometime caused a melancholike man to vse for a long time together the broth of a chicken with Borage Buglosse Brothes Succorie Burnet and a little Saunders and Sassefras which I caused to be added thereto whereupon hee found himselfe exceedingly well amended The sympe of Apples
also as the rubbing of the thighes and legs will be of good vse to diuert and turne away the vapours which rise vp to the eyes The particular exercises of the eyes The eyes haue their particular exercise to moue them very suddainely and circularlie doth weaken them as also to keepe them fixed a long time in one place and as it were immoueable doth yet wearie them more for that in this pawsing motion all the fibres of the sixe muscles are equallie stretched as we see in birdes which houer in the ayre not stirring out of their place It is better therefore to keepe them in a moderate motion for that the muscles performing their actions successiuely doe comfort and relieue one another It is not good to reade much especially after meate nor yet to trouble himselfe with too small a letter or any other curious and choise peece of worke because that both the facultie or power and instrument are put to great paines being occupied about these little things It is not good to beholde things that moue swiftlie nor yet such as turne round Of the passions of the minde The bellie must be kept soluble All passions of the minde doe much hurt the sight but aboue the rest melancholike dumpes and much weeping The belly must be soluble alwaies in all the diseases of the eyes which Hippocrates obserued by the example of them which haue blood-shotten eyes as also such as are vapour-eyed But and if it be costiue it must be helped by all meanes that are gentle and easie as laxatiue brothes Prunes and Raisins laxatiue lenitiue clisters and such others Some cause damaske Prunes to be stewed in a syrope with Sene Agaricke and Sugar whereof foure or fiue are to be taken in the morning before breakefast or dinner CHAP. XIIII Select and choise remedies for the preseruation of the fight and the order that is to be kept in the application of them SEeing that the weakenes of sight commeth ordinarilie either of the distemperature of the braine or of the euill disposition of the eye the rationall and methodicall Phisition ought alwaies to haue regard vnto these two poynts The braine if it bee too moist must be dried and the eye if it be weake must be strengthened Plato in a dialogue of his doth counsaile us neuer to attempt the drying or strengthening of the eye by outward remedies without hauing first purged the head The purging of the whole bodie and of the braine We will therefore take our beginning at the purging of the head and for as much as it is hard to purge the same well if the whole bodie which doth ordinarilie send great stoare of excrements thither be not very cleane it will be requisite to chuse a remedie which in purging the braine may gentlie emptie the whole bodie also and therewithall somewhat respect the eye That forme which is proper to pills is most fit for this purpose The Arabians commend the pilles called Elephangine the pilles of Agaricke and pillulae lucis maiores and minores Wee may prepare a masse of this mixture A description of such pils as are to be vsed Take of Aloes well washed in Fennel and Eyebright water three drams of good Agaricke one dram and a halfe of Rubarbe a dramme of the flesh of Citrine mirobalanes chafed in the oyle of sweete Almonds foure scruples of Sene of the East well powdred a dramme of Masticke Ginger and Cinnamome of each halfe a scruple of Trocisks al and hall fiue or sixe graines to acuate it withall infuse all these in the iuyce of Fenel and sirope of Stechados and make vp a masse thereof take a dramme twise euery moneth either at euening or morning Or else Take of the powder of Hiera two drammes of good Agaricke foure scruples of Anise seede Fennel seede and Seseli seede of each halfe a scruple of Maces Cinnamome and Mirrhe of each fiue graines with honie of Roses Rosemarie flowers and the water of Fennel make these vp in a masse and take thereof a dram euery weeke they which cannot swallow pils shall vse this magistrall sirop A magistrall sirope Take of the roote of Fennel Acorus and Elecampane of euery one an ounce of the leaues of Eyebright Betonie Fumitorie Mercurie Succorie Germander and Veruaine of euery one a handfull a dozen of damaske Raisins and as many Prunes of Anise and Fennel seede two drammes of the flowers of Sage Stecados Rosemarie and eyebright of euery one a pugil boyle them all in faire water and when you haue strained it adde thereto the expression of three ounces of Sene which haue bin infused a good while in the foresaid decoction warme as also the expression of an ounce of Agaricke with a dramme of cloues and as much Cinnamome boyle them all together againe with a sufficient quantitie of Sugar vntil it haue the consistence of a sirope that is well boyled aromatize it with halfe a dramme of Nutmegs and as much of the powder of Diarrhodon If in the ende and shutting vp of this sirope there be put thereto the infusion of the weight of halfe an ounce of Rubarbe strongly pressed out it cannot chuse but be a great deale better Hereof one shall take euerie fiue daies the quantitie of two ounces more or lesse according to the working and that in some broth or decoction appropriate vnto the head and eyes Clisters The often vse of Clisters is requisite in all the diseases of the eyes eares and head Decoctions prouoking sweate If the braine should be very moist and that the temperature of the bodie doe not withstand the vse of the roote China or of Zarza Perilla putting thereto of the leaues of Eyebright and of the seede of Fennell would be of very good effect For together with the consuming of the superfluous moisture of the whole body it would strengthen the braine and the eye and yet I beleeue that the vse of Sassafras hauing the smell of the Anise-seede would be a great deale more fit The bodie being purged by these vniuersall remedies the braine may afterward with greater securitie be euacuated by the mouth and nostrels which are the ordinarie draines that nature hath ordayned for the cleansing thereof I should better allow of Masticatories then Irrhines because the nose is seated very neere vnto the eyes and communicateth greatly therewith Masticatories by the hole which goeth through them to the great corner of the eye in such sort as that there being any forcible attracting of any humour through the nose it might be the occasion of drawing the same vnto the eye which is the part that is diseased This is also the appoyntment of that great Phisition Hippocrates in the second section of his sixt booke of Epidemicall diseases It is meete and necessarie saith he that humours falling vpon the eyes should be diuerted vnto the palate and mouth It were better therefore to chawe and masticate something as damaske reasons
I am of minde that as concerning mad men and them which haue much heate about the inward parts or bowels and in the braine wine is very contrarie but in melancholike persons that are colde and drie as those of whome wee intreate in this place a little white or claret wine which is neither sweete nor thicke but indifferently delaied is very good Zeno said oftentimes that wine doth mitigate the sharpenes of mens manners as water taketh away the bitternes of Lupines And Auerrhoes writteth that wine reioyceth the minde and spirits Artificial wine One may make in the vintage time an artificiall wine with Borage and Buglosse which is most singular in all melancholike diseases and drinke his first draught thereof either at dinner or at supper If a man doubt the sweete sent hee may cast a bunch of the flowres of Borage onely or of the hearbe it selfe also into the wine which he ordinarilie drinketh Watching is altogether enemie to those that are troubled with this disease for we must with all the skill and cunning we can procure sleepe the meanes to doe it follow in the next chapter Moderate exercise may serue to very good purpose but it must be done in pleasant and delightsome places as gardens medowes greene-plots in places where there are many water springs or some riuers a man must not tyre himselfe in these exercises he must rest himselfe oft Melancholike persons should neuer be alone they should alway haue some such companie left with them as might best like and please them sometimes they must bee flattered and yeelded vnto in some part of that which they desire for feare least this humour which is rebellious by nature and giuen to selfe wilfulnes should grow raging and furious some whiles they must be chid for their foolish imaginations as also reproched and made ashamed of their cow-hardinesse they must be imboldned to the vttermost that we can and praised in their actions and if they haue in some cases done something worthie of praise wee must put them oft in minde thereof vphold them with merrie tales wee may not call to their minde any thing that might cause them to feare not yet bring them any vnpleasant tidings To be short wee must turne backe and driue away as much as wee can from their vnderstanding al maner of passions ouerthrowing the mind especially choler feare and sadnes for as Plato saith in his Dialogue called Charmides the greatest part of the mischiefes that fall vpon the bodie doe come from the minde Musicke very meete for melancholike persons The old writers doe commend Musicke in all melancholike diseases whether they bee hot or cold The Arcadians did reclaime the maners of such as were sauadge and vnnurtured by Musicke Empedocles Agrigentinus did mitigate and appease the furiousnes of a certaine young man with the melodiousnes of his song Clinius the Musition as soone as he perceiued his melancholike fit to come vpon him would betake him to his harpe and keepe backe by this meanes the motions of the humour Dauid also when the euill spirit came vpon Saul made him merrie with his harpe and he found ease thereby The belly must be kept soluble The belly must bee kept alwaies soluble in all melancholike diseases and therefore if it neede wee must stirre it vp by all the meanes we can CHAP. IX How we must cure such melancholike persons as haue the disease growing in the braine All melancholike diseases are rebellious and very hard to be cured DAily experience plainly teacheth vs that all melancholike diseases are rebellious long and very hard to cure and the reason thereof is as cleere for the melancholike humour is earthie and grosse enemie to the light contrarie to the two principles of our life heate and moysture resisting the meanes and remedies neither giuing eare to good aduise nor yet obeying the holesome precepts of Phisicke And to be short it is the very scourge and torment of Phisitions Aristotle in his seuenth booke of Ethikes sayth that melancholike folk haue alwaies something which doth gnaw and feede vpon them and this is the cause why they are alwaies running after the Phisition and yet we ought not to leaue them helplesse I will set downe in this chapter the most speciall remedies that I haue been able to obserue together with the order how such melancholike persons must be handled Three sorts of remedies requisite in melancholike diseases It seemeth vnto me that for the cure of melancholie wee had neede of three kindes of remedies that is to say diminutiues alteratiues and comfortatiues The diminutiues are either letting of blood or purgation As concerning the letting of blood which is vniuersall Blood-letting respecting the whole body Galen appointeth it to be ministred in that melancholy which is within the veines and throughout the whole habite of the bodie and willeth that if the blood issuing shew fayre and thinne that it bee stayed by and by but in that melancholie which hath his seate in the braine and which commeth of a colde and drie distemperature he hath forbidden it most expressely The Arabians commend in the cure of this kinde of melancholie Blood-letting respecting some particular parts the letting of blood called particular to the taking away of the conioyned cause they open the veines of the forehead of the nose and of the eares they set cupping-glasses vpon the shoulders hauing first scarified the place they apply horseleaches vpon the head and in all melancholike diseases whether essentiall or accidentall they cause the hemorrhoides to be opened hauing the eleuenth Aphorisme of the sixt booke for their ground and warrant which saith that in melancholike and mad men the varicous tumour or hemorrhoides appearing doe heale the same but all these particular openings of a veine haue no place in the beginning of this disease Purging Wee must begin with that other kinde of euacuation which is purgation It may bee performed by the often vsing of Clister Decoctions Syrupes and Opiates the forme of an ordinary Clister for melancholike persons shall be such as followeth Take of the rootes of Holihocke one ounce of the leaues of Mallowes Mercurie 〈◊〉 Clister Violets and Hops of each a great handfull of Anise and Linseede of each two drammes of Damaske prunes one dozen of the flowers of Borage and Violets and of Barlie a handfull boyle all together in cleere water and straine them adde thereto afterward of Cassia an ounce of Catholicon halfe an ounce of oyle of Violets two ounces and as much of honie of Roses make thereof an ordinary Clister A potion minoratiue The Arabians vse in the disease of melancholie pilles of Aloes of Hiera and of Lapis lazulus but I doe not so well like of this forme as of the liquide it were better therefore to vse decoctions This potion may serue in the beginning for a minoratiue Take of Licotice halfe an ounce of Polypodie of the oke three
Gourds and of the rootes of Lettuse of each an ounce of the conserue of Roses and Water-lillie of each halfe an ounce of the powder of the colde Diamargaritum a dram of Poppie seede two scruples make thereof an Opiate with the syrupe of Violets Of this you must take at night the quātitie of a chestnut For varietie sake you may make a Marchpane A Marchpane Take of sweete Almonds blanched and washed in hot water and afterward infused in Rosewater a pound and a halfe of white Poppie seede very new and well mundified three ounces of fine Sugar two pound worke them into a paste and with the water of Roses make a Marchpane of this you shall take when you go to sleepe There are in like maner resumptiues Restauratiues or restauratiues of a liquide forme Take the white of a good Capon of water of Roses and Water-lillies of each a quart of Buglosse Purcelane and Sorrell waters of each foure ounces of the powder of colde Diamargaritum two drammes distill all these together in Maries bath The potion may be prescribed after this maner A Potion Take of the syrupe of Violets Apples and Poppie of each halfe an ounce of the powder of Diamargaritum a scruple make hereof a potion with the decoction of Lettuses and Endiue And for such as may delight in a bole this which followeth may serue A Bole. Take of the conserue of Roses three drams of Requies Nicolai one dram and with a little Sugar make a bole Orelse Take of the conserue of the flowers of red Poppie two drammes Pilles of new Treacle one dram and with a little Sugar make a bole If pilles be in request then let there be made as followeth Take of the pilles of Hounds-tongue or of Styrax one scruple let them bee moystned with the syrupe of Apples The Chymists make a Laudanum But in the vse of all these stupefactiue medicines taken inwardly wee must take heed to deale with very good aduise for feare that in stead of desiring to procure rest vnto the sillie melancholike wretch wee cast him into an endlesse sleepe Outwarde meanes to procure sleepe The outward remedies are not altogether so dangerous and wee may frame tenne or twelue sorts of them as head powders frontlets bags emplasters oyntments epithemes nosegaies pomanders and lotions for the legs Take of the flowers of red Poppie and red Roses of each three drams of Lettuse A powder Purcelane and white Poppie seede of each two drams of red Saunders and the seede of Coriander prepared of each a dramme and a halfe make them all into powder and cast it vpon the head the haire being shaued A Frontlet Of the them same powder may a Frontlet bee made putting thereto of the flowers of Water-lillies and a little Margerome You may make great bagges after the fashion of pillowes Bags which shall be filled with the flowers of Roses and the leaues and seedes of white Henbane An Epitheme You may applie this Epitheme vnto the head Take of the distilled waters of Lettuse Sorrell and Roses of each three ounces of the powder of cold Diamargaritum one dram of red Roses and red Saunders two scruples make thereof an Epitheme Let the oyntment bee like vnto this An oyntment Take of populeon halfe an ounce and as much of Galens colling oyntment of oyle of Roses an ounce mixe all together with a little vineger and therwith annoynt the head browes and nostrils You may also make this plaister An Emplaister Take of Castoreum a dram and a halfe of Opium half a scruple mixe both together with a little water of life and make two small plaisters thereof and applie them to the temples You may make Nosegaies of flowers of Violets Nosegaies Roses of Willowe and a little Margerome they must be dipped in rosed vineger and in the juyce of Lettuse and Poppie wherein a little Opium and Camphire hath been dissolued Or else Take two heads of Poppie beat together Nodules tye them vp in three nodules or knots then hauing in readines of Styrax three drams of Rose water sixe ounces and a little Opium dip these nodules in the licour and smell vnto them oftentimes A pomander There may also an Apple be made to smell vnto Take of the seede of Henbane of the rinde of the rootes of Mandrags of the seede of Hemlocke of each one dram of Opium a Scruple of the oyle of Mandrags a little mixe all these with the iuyce of Fumitorie and Houseleeke and make an apple thereof which if you smell vnto it will cause you now and then to sleepe put vnto these to correct them a little Amber and Muske There are some which with good successe doe applie Horseleaches behinde the eares Blood suckers or horseleaches and hauing taken away the Horseleaches they put by little and little a graine of Opium vpon the hole Lotions for the legs Lotions for the legges doe much auaile to cause one to sleepe Take of the leaues of the Orange tree and of Margerome of each a good handfull two heads of white Poppie of Roses and Waterlillie flowers and Camomill of each a pugill boyle them all together in two parts of water and one of white wine and herewith you must wash the thighes and legges of the sicke partie at night letting it be good and hot I thinke that by this meanes you may procure sleepe vnto the most melancholike man in the world It is true that to preuent that these cooling things may not altogether quench that small store of naturall heate that is in them you must cause them to take now and then some cordiall Syrupes or comfortable Opiates And thus much for the cure of that melancholie which chiefly affecteth the braine That melancholie which commeth of a drie distemperature of the whole bodie is cured almost by the same helpes I come therefore vnto the windie melancholie but because there is one kinde of this essentiall melancholy which happeneth through raging and fond loue and that it requireth a speciall maner of curing I will first speake of the same CHAP. X. Of another kinde of melancholie which commeth by the extremitie of loue THere is another kinde of melancholie verie ordinarie and common which the Greeke Phisitions call Erotike The names of amourous melancholie because it commeth of a furie and raging loue the Arabians call it Iliscus and the common sort the diuine Passion imputing the cause thereof to the pettie god which the Poets haue made so great reports of Cadmus Milesius if we may credit Suydas hath written foureteene great volumes of this subiect which are not at this day to be found I will onely make two chapters of it the one describing the maladie the other the remedies I will not here curiously search out the crimologie of loue and why this name Eros was giuen vnto it neither will I vndertake to define it seeing very
and a halfe of the infusion of Agaricke made in the water of Minthes with a scruple of Ginger and with a sufficient quantitie of Sugar boyle them all together to the height of a syrupe which you shall keepe for your ordinarie vse Hereof you must take two ounces once euery moneth or twise with the broth of a Chicken wherein are put Borage Buglosse Hops and the Capillar hearbes you may make a syrupe with the iuyces of the same hearbes and put thereto the same laxatiues An Opiate The Opiate that I haue set downe may serue here but it may be made of a far other fashion which purgeth most gentlie Take of the iuyce of Mercurie well purified as much as shall neede infuse therein for the space of foure and twentie howres two ounces of Orientall Sene and causing them to boyle once afterward straine them strongly and after boyle the licour strained out with Sugar till it come to the forme of an Electuarie whereunto you shall adde of Cassia new drawne out of the cane two ounces of Epithymum halfe an ounce of Cloues made in powder two drammes the mixing all well together you shall make an Opiate whereof you may take halfe an ounce or more They which cannot vse decoctions nor Opiates shall take pils The extraction of Sene to be made into pilles made of the extract of Sene Agaricke and Rubarbe for other pilles are not so fit in this disease Take of good Polypodie foure ounces the rootes and leaues of Succorie Buglosse Fumitorie Hops of each a handfull of damaske Raisines a dozen of the three cordiall flowers one handfull make a decoction vnto a pint and boyle therein two ounces and a halfe of Sene of Epithymum sixe drammes of good Agaricke halfe an ounce all these hauing infused together one whole night straine and presse them out very strongly putting thereto of good Rubarbe which shall be infused in the foresayd decoction with a little Cinamome halfe an ounce afterward you shall put all this together vpon hote ashes you shall thereupon drie them til they come to a reasonable thick consistence and then putting thereto of Epithymum three drams you shall make all vp into a masse of pilles which will purge very gently if you giue thereof at one time the quantitie of foure scruples And let these serue for gentle and easie purgations only you may adde hereunto the often vse of Clisters which may serue for the windie melancholie But for as much as this humour is grosse and for the most part lurking in the most inward veines it is not very easie to purge it well if it bee not first prepared wee must come therefore vnto the second kind of remedies which we haue called Alteratiues Inward Alteratiues The alteration to be made must consist in moystning and making thin of this humour this may bee done by inward and outward remedies Apozemes The inward are Apozemes which must be somewhat opening because of obstructions and it must be looked vnto with great care that they be not made with too hot a fire It will bee very fit to make them of such hearbes as properly respect the liuer and the spleene and amongst the rest wee must not forget Wormewood for all good practitioners doe confidently affirme that the onely decoction of Wormewood hath preserued an infinite number of persons from the windie melancholie It will not bee amisse to lay in steepe these grosse humours and for the opening of the vessels to commaund to bee vsed the decoction of the roote China with a little Sassafras for the space of twelue or fifteene daies The vse of the roote China Broths Broths that doe alter and moysten the humour the maner of liuing and vse of milke will serue marueilously well for the preparing and moystning of this drie humour Outward alteratiues As concerning outward remedies bathes for the whole bodie deserue to be most chiefly accounted of there may fomentations also bee applied to the spleene and all ouer Mesenterium as also oyntments and liniments The fomentations must be mollifying somewhat opening and making thinne or apt to attenuate hauing mixt therewithall some carminatiues or things to breake winde the manner of making them is common enough The oyles of Capers bitter Almonds Broome Elder Lillies Of the berries Camomil Danewort berries are most fit proper The last kind of remedies is of such as are corroboratiues Comiortable medicines for there are in this disease of the windie melancholie many parts that are much weakned hauing bin branded with this humor as the hart the stomack and the braine The weakenes of the heart is caused through the beating and light faintings of the same the weake stomacke filleth all full of cruditie the weakened braine causeth that the imagination and reason are oftentimes troubled in this disease Wee must therefore haue regard vnto these parts Meanes to comfort the heart An Opiate The heart is strengthened by inward and outward meanes the inward are Opiates Condites and Lozenges Take the conserue of the rootes of Buglosse and of the flowers of Borage of each an ounce of the flesh of Mirobalanes and of the rindes of Citrons confected of each halfe an ounce of the confection of Alkermes two drammes Confectionis laetificantis of Pearle and of the powder of Mirth of each one dramme make thereof an Opiate with the syrupe of Apples whereof you must take twice or thrice euery weeke with a little of the water of Buglosse Take of the powder of the electuarie of precious stones and of Mirth of each a dram Lozenges of the confection of Alkermes halfe a dram of Pearle Emerald made in powder of each one scruple of Sugar dissolued in the water of Buglosse or Balme so much as needeth make vp Lozenges of the waight of 3. drams you must take hereof euening and morning twice or thrice euery weeke For such as are more delicate and daintie there are some that make confections of Muske Musk-cordials Take the third part of a Nutmeg confected of the rindes of Citrons three drammes and as much of Mirobalanes confected of Ambergrise halfe a dramme and as much of Muske of Sugar the double quantitie of all the rest and with the muscilage of Gumme Tragacanth drawne in the water of Buglosse make Muscardins You must not often vse these hote medicines in the Hypochondriake disease for feare of mouing and enraging of the humour Outward remedies Liquide Epithemes The outward remedies to fortifie the heart withall are liquide and solide Epithemes oyles oyntments and bags Take the waters of Buglosse Balme and Roses of each foure ounces of white wine an ounce and a halfe of Dyers graines of cordiall flowers of each a dram of the powder of Diamargaritum and Diamber of each halfe a dram of Saffron halfe a scruple mixe all together and make thereof Epithemes which you shall applie vnto the heart Solide Epithemes Take
water and Honey boyled together If the stomack cannot indure the vse of these waters Wine you must make choise of some well conditioned Wine which is small and neither sweete nor biting Muscadels Hypocras and such like mightie and strong Wines doe altogether strike vp into the head and fill the braine with vapours To drinke assoone as a man is set downe at the table doth cause and increase the rheume mightily and there is nothing so daungerous to them which are troubled with the rheume as to drinke when they goe to bed Excesse of sleepe maketh the bodie heauie and heapeth together store of excrements Sleepe it shall bee sufficient to sleepe sixe or seuen houres and in the meane time the head and the feete must be kept couered for as Aristotle obserueth cold taken in the vttermost parts doth infinitly indamage them which haue a cold and moyst braine In sleeping it is good to lye with the head somewhat high and vpon the sides for to sleepe vpon the backe heateth the bodie of the great hollow veine which lieth vpon the backbone and sendeth great quantity of vapours vnto the braine Let euery man watch well ouer himselfe that he vse no sleepe at noone neither yet by and by after meate it will be more healthfull to bestow the time in some short or gentle walke or in some pleasant and religious talke You must not straightwaies after meate applie your selfe to reading or writing or any deepe meditation because such action might turne the course of naturall heat out of the way which ought altogether to be imployed in making disgestion Long watching may hurt as much as ouer much sleepe for that it spendeth naturall heate and cooleth the braine Watching It is good to rise early and walking vp and downe the chamber to cough spet and free ones selfe of all naturall excrements The exercises of the whole bodie are much commended of Hippocrates that famous Phisition Exercise and those which are of particular parts as frictions will serue for good vse Frictions but if the head bee weake and very replete it will require that such friction be begun in the lower parts and from thence to come vnto the thighes backe armes and necke and to rubbe the hinder part of the head with bags or spunges artificially contained and made And seeing the head is the fountaine of all distillations it will be meete and conuenient to haue a speciall regard and consideration thereof it must not be ouerladen neither yet too sleightly couered but after a meane and middle maner and yet it is alwaies better to indure too much heat then too much cold vpon it it is not good to tye it too hard least it might draw humours from below The bellie must be kept soluble continually CHAP. VI. A generall methode for the curing of Rheumes FOr as much as in all distillations there is a part sending and another receiuing the Phisition must haue speciall consideration vnto them both The head is the welspring and fountayne of all distillations wherefore we must bestow one part of our labour and trauell to purge the head and to drie and strengthen it that it may not gather any new excrements or superfluities I will appoynt and set downe an order to be vsed in colde distillations comming of a colde and moist distempcrature of the braine because that those are most incident and this method may serue for a rule vnto the other sorts The first intention The first intention which we are to propound and set before our selues is to purge this welspring to draine it and vtterly to drie it vp if we can This will be effected and wrought by vniuersall and particular cuacuations the vniuersall must alwaies be first vsed Blood-letting If it be a full bodie a hot rheume an ague accompanying the same and that the liuer be exceedingly hot blood letting will profit very much but if no one of these particulars fall out then it hath no place and profitcth nothing and this is it which the Arabian writers meane when they say that the rheume meerely considered as a rheume doth neuer require bloodletting but onely when it is accompanied with some accident Purging Wee will come therefore to the maner of purging which must first begin with a Clister which will purge the whole bodie and draw also from the head A Clyster Take of the common decoction whereunto hath been added Margerom Hissope Sage of each a handfull the quantitie of a pinte of Annise seede three drams of the flowers of Camomile Stechados and Rosemarie of each halfe a handfull after you haue strained the whole dissolue therein of the blessed Laxatiue one ounce Benedictâ— Laxatiua of Diaphenicon an ounce of the honie of Rosemarie flowers or Mercurie oneounce of oyle of Dill two ounces of salte a little and make hereof a Clyster Pils A potion The daye following you shall take a dram of Pillulae Cochiae which shall serue in steede of a minoratiue or else this potion Take of good Agaricke one dramme of Rubarbe as much infuse them all one night with a little Cinamom and a few Cioues in the water of Hisope or Minthes and after you haue pressed it out dissolue therein of Diaphenicon or else of Diacarthamum two drams and of syrupe of Roses laxatiue one ounce make thereof a potion Preparation of the humours An Apozeme If the humours bee colde grosse and slimie it will bee good to prepare them with this Apozeme Take of theroores of Acorus of Cyperus and of Galanga of each halfe an ounce of the leaues of Betonie Hissope Margerome Sage Balme Agrimonie of each a handfull of Anise and Fennell seede of each three drams of the flowers of Rosematie Stechados and Betonie of each a pugill boyle all together to a pinte and a halfe wherein dissolue of he honie of Rosemarie flower or of course Sugar three ounces and make thereof an Apozeme clarifie it and aromatise it with a dram of Aromaticum Cariophillatum and with a little Cinamom to take foure mornings together After this the bodie shall be purged again with the same pils or with the pils of Agaricke Sine quibus or Pillulae foetidae and the same potion but in somewhat greater quantitie The Arabians make a prettie obseruation about pils as that they must be somewhat great that so they may abide the longer time in the stomacke and so not being so soone disolued may draw from further of And thus much concerning purgations vsually to be taken in such rheumes Decoctions procuring sweate Dyet drinkes that doe prouoke sweate may be put in the number of vniuerfall euacuations for they auoide all the waterish parts which are conteined in the veines and drie vp the superfluous moisture vvhich is within the bowels We shall make them with Guaiacum Zarza-perilla the roote China and Sassafras the maner of the setting downe of such as also of the
ransackt euery part therof brake forth with so great violence at the mouth as that all those that stoode by were afraide and then the fit ceasing the sicke partie felt himselfe relieued And yet this is not all for two or three moneths before he died he had euery day two or three little and light soundes his heart fainted and fayled him by reason of an extreame great desire that he had to pisse and when he had pissed became to himselfe againe but the fiercenes of the sickenesse was so great that the Soule in the ende was constrained to forgoe her lodging I was called to the opening of the bodie because that ordinarilie I had counselled him in his sickenes together with one of my fellow Phisitions Mounser Hucher Chancellour of our Vniuersitie whom I am willing for honour sake to name and as knowing him to be one of the most learned and best practised Phisitions of our times I found his breast halfe full of blacke and stinking water therewith the left ventricle of the heart was all filled and in the trunke of the great arterie a man might see the same colour At which time I calling to minde a notable place in Galen in his sixth booke of diseased parts I shewed vnto the companie that the cause of these faintings and of his earnest desire to pisse came of this cursed humour which hauing pained the heart passed from thence by the arteries vnto the reynes A worthie obseruation for the defence of Galen and from thence vnto the bladder It was my intent to stand vpon this by the waie that so I may take occasion to defend Galen against the false accusations of young Phisitions which thinke that putrified and purulent matter gathered in the breasts of those which are troubled with the disease Empyema and Pleurisies cannot purge and conuay it selfe away by the heart or arteries I haue handled this matter more largelie in the third booke of my Anatomicall workes The second historie The other historie is also very strange I obserued it this winter at Towers and was called to counsaile about the same with Mounser Anselmeau Valeseau and Vertunian very learned Phisitions and of great experience A young Lord euer since he was eight or nine yeares olde was troubled with this Hypochondriake disease he heard euery day about nine of the clocke in the morning a little noyse on his spleene side afterward he perceiued avapour to rise which made all his breast and face red and seazed the top of his head the veines of his temples did beate very forciblie the veines of his face were puffed vp and at the corners of his browes where the veines doe end he felt an extreame paine which passed not the breadth of a shilling the rednes ran all along his left arme euen vnto the fingers ends and was like a Saint Anthonies fire or cholerike tumour called Erisipelas the right side went altogether scorfree All the time of the fit he was so cast downe as that he was not able to speake a word teares trickeled downe his cheekes aboundantlie and out of his mouth ran an incredible quantitie of water without he burned and within he was colde asyce his left legge was all full of swolne veines and that which I finde most strange on the left side of the head where the hard and rockie bone groweth there was a peece of a bone carried and sunke somewhat inward and that without any apparant cause as blow or fall going before neither could he suller one to touch him in that place the disease hath hitherto been so rebellious as that all the remedies which the best learned Phisitions haue appointed for him could neuer finde the way to asswage and cure it It was agreed vpon by all our consents Or new remedies deuised of our owne braines that it should be impugned by extraordinarie remedies and by inward cordials whereof wee haue not as yet heard what is the successe See how these grosse burnt and melancholike humours continuing in the veines of the liuer spleene and Mesenterium may cause an infiuite number of strange accidents and are the occasion of a very great iarre and strife to the disturbing of all that good order and gouernement which should be in the whole bodie CHAP. XV. The cure of the Hypochondriake disease THere are necessarie for the curing of the Hypochondriake disease two sorts of remedies The one to be appoynted and vsed when the fit is not and they are called preseruatiues the other are to be vsed in the time of the fit euen then when the partie is haunted of all these accidents but I will begin with the former The preseruing of a man from this disease To preserue a man from the Hypochondriake diseease Euacuating medecines Blood letting is attempted by three kindes of remedies namely Diminutiues Alteratiues and Corroboratiues The Diminutiues are letting of blood and purging vniuersall Phlebotomie may serue to correct the hote distemperature of the liuer and to emptie away some part of melancholike blood it must be done vpon the Basilike veine which the Arabians call the blacke veine The opening of particular veines as the Hamorrhoids is counted amongst the number of the most famous and sure remedies for the cure of the Hypochondriake in as much as they emptie the spleene and all the Meseraicke membrane There are some which praise the opening of that veine which goeth to the little finger of the left hand which is called Saluatella Furging The other diminutiue is performed by purgation which must not be strong least this humour should growe more fierce You must purge therefore very gentlie and at seuerall times The purgations must be such as purge fleagme and melancholie because these are the two humours which doe most offend Sene and Agaricke haue the chiefe and principall place I haue described in the chapter of the first melancholie the receipts of many purgations which may serue heere in this place but for as much as the humour causing the windie melancholie is compound pound we must beforced to set downe some other fort A magistrall Syrupe I like and approue of magistrall syrupes and Opiates greatly and they may be framed after this fashion Take the rootes of Buglosse and Asperagus the rindes of the rootes of Capers-tree and Tamariske of each an ounce the rootes and leaues of Succorie Borage Buglosse Hops Fumitorie Ceterach Maidens haire of each a Handfull of Sea wormewood and Balme a pugill of Licorise and Corans washt in warme water of each an ounce of the seedes of Citrons blessed Thistle and Endiue of each two drammes of the three cordiall flowres of the flowers of Succorie of the crops of Tyme and Epythymum of each a pugill boyle them all in a sufficient quantitie of cleere water and hauing strained it well take two pintes thereof and adde thereto of the infusion of orientall Sene made in the former decoction with a dramme of Cloues an ounce