child nor hauing bin deliuered of childe haue milke in her breasts her monthly courses haue failed her 40 Madnesse is signified to happen to those women in whose dugs or paps there is bloud collected and heaped together 41 If you will know whether any woman haue conceiued or no giue her a potion of hony water mixed togither going to sleep if she feele gripings and wringings of the belly she hath conceiued if she doe not shee hath not conceiued 42 If a woman conceiued with childe doe beare a manchilde shee is well and fresh coloured if she beare a maide childe she is ill coloured 43 If the inflammation called Erysipelas be bred in the womb or mother it is a perniuous and deadly thing 44 Those women which are verie leane contrarie to nature and doe beare children do suffer vntimelie deliuerance vntill they come to better plight and be fatter 45 Those women which being reasonable fat making abortion the second or third month without anie manifest cause haue acetabula vteri plena mucoris neither are they able to coÌ„taine the foetus because of his heauy weight but those Cotylidons being broken it falleth downe 46 Those which are fatter then Nature requireth and doe not conceiue childe haue os vteri compressed closed togither by the omentum and cal of the guts and therefore they cannot conceiue vntill they waxe leaner 47 If the wombe shall apostumate in that part where it lieth neer the hip or huckle bone it is necessary to cure it with tents lipped in liquid medicines such as the Greekes do call Emmota 48 Men children doe lie are carryed on the right side of the womb and women children rather on the left side 49 A medicine procuring sneesing put into the nostrills doth driue and force out the secuÌ„dine so that you stop the nostrils mouth close with the hand 50 If it please a woman to restraine her accustomed courses apply a very great cupping glasse to her brests 51 Those women which are conceiued with child haue the mouth or gate of the mother shut and closed vp 52 If milke flowe plentifully out of the dugs of a woman bearing a child in her wombe it signifieth that the childe is weake but if the paps be hard and stiffe they declare a stronger coÌ„ception 53 The dugges and pappes becom slender and limber to those women which shal loose their foetus But contrarilie if the pappes become hard paine shall eyther molest the pappes hips eies or the knees but they shal not suffer aborcement 54 Those women haue the mouth or gate of the womb closed or shut vp which haue the same hard 55 Childe-bearing women which are takeÌ„ with feuers or are brought to a lowe state without a manifest cause doe bring forth the birth painfully and with danger or are in hazard of life by vntimely vnseasonable deliuerance 56 If a Convulsion or swouning happen to a flux of a womans flowers it is an euill thing 57 Womens terms flowing immoderately diseases are ingendred being supprest stopt of their due course diseases do likewise happen from the wombe 58 The strangurie or dropping out of the vrin dooth happen by the inflammation of the straight gut likewise of the wombe or mother to the reins that be exulcerated also if the liuer be inflamed the hicket or yexing doth happen in the meane while 59 If a woman doe not coÌ„ceiue and thou wouldest know if she shall conceiue at all let her be wrapt and lapped round about with clothes and make a sume vnder the lower parts and if the sent bee perceiued to passe through her bodie to her nostrills her mouth knowe that shee is not barraine by any default in hir selfe 60 If the monthly purgations doe keepe their course to a woman with child it is impossible that the foetus should be in health 61 If a womans monthly courses stop and she haue neither shiuering cold nor ague comming vpon her and shee loath her meate make account that shee is conceiued 62 Those women which haue their wombe cold drie doe not conceiue and such as haue them ouer moyst cannot bee conceiued for the seede is extinguisht perished in them Also those women cannot conceiue which haue those places ouer drie and hot for the seed becoÌ„meth corrupted for want of due nâ—â—rishment But those women which haue obtained a moderate temperature of the places in respecte of both the oppositions and contrarieties doe excell in fruitfulnesse 63 The same consideration and reason is likewise to be respected in men for either through the spoungy and poery substance of the body the spirits are dissipated and scattered abroade so that they cannot cast forth seede or else the moisture dooth not issue forth because of his grossenesse thicknesse or else because of coldnesse it doth not coÌ„ceiue any heat that it may be collected in his proper place or the verie same thing doth may happen through heate 64 It is not good to giue milke to them which are troubled with headach or with agues nor to those which are troubled with the disease called status Hypochondriacus nor to those which are troubled with thirst It is also nought for them which auoide cholericke excrements downewards or to those which haue sharpe feuers or haue had some copious euacuation of bloud But it is good for those which are in a consumption so they be not troubled with any vehement feuer It is also good for long lingring and milde agues so that none of the signes before spoken be present It is good also for them which are brought lowe without any apparant reason or occasion 65 They are not much trobled with convulsions or with madnesse which haue apparant and euident tumors with their vlcers or sores But convulsions and the crampes named Tetani doe happen to them to whome the tumors shall suddenly vanish awaie if it shall happen on the hinder part of the bodie but if they happen in the forehead or forepart there hapneth madness vehement paine of the side Empiema and spitting of matter Dysenteria if the tumors or swellings shall be red 66 If no tumour nor swelling appeare in great and badde wounds it is a great euell 67 Soft tumore aregoods but those which are hard and vndigested are euill 68 To one which hath pain in the hinder part of the head the venarecta in the forehead beeing opened doth profit 69 Colde shakings and shiuerings for the most part doe begin to women from the loines and through the back do come to the head But to men they doe rather beginne in the backe part then in the forepart as from the hinder parte of the thighes and from the elbowes the raritie and thinnesse of the skinne is a token ther of which thing the hayre there growing dooth declare and manifest 70 These which are taken with a Quartane ague are not much assaulted with convulsions but if before they haue bin assayled vpon
Here followeth the 5 Section The Argument THe fift Book or Section is variable yet almost it doth wholly intreat of the diseases of women of the good and badde dispositions of the wombe 1 A Conuulsion by taking Elleborus is deadlie 2 A Convulsion after a wound is pernicious and deadly 3 The hicket or a convulsion after a copious flux of bloud is euill 4 After an immoderat purgation which the Greeks call Hypercatharsis a convulsion or hicket is euill 5 If any drunken man do suddainly waxe dumbe he shall die with convulsion vnlesse hee be taken with a feuer or presently recouer his speech at that hower in which the surfet is dissolued 6 Those which are taken with the cramp or distention named Tetanus do die within fowre daies but if they shall ouerpasse them they recouer their health 7 The falling sicknesse which is before ripenesse of age is remoued awaie but that which hapneth after the 25. yeer of the age doth for the most part accompany vs vnto death 8 Those which are sick of a plurisie vnlesse they bee purged vpwardes within fowrteene daies shall haue the disease turned into an impostume 9 A consumption most especially hapneth in those ages which are fro the 18 yeere to the thirty and fift yeere 10 Those which haue the euill cause of the squinancie conuerted into the lungs do drie within seuen daies but if they escape them they are affected with corrupt and filthy matter called empiema 11 If the spittle which they auoid by coughing that are affected with a consumption doe stinke strongly being cast vpon the coles and the haires of the head doe fall off it is a pernicious deadly signe 12 If a flux of the belly happen to them which haue their haire falling awaie by a consumption death is neare at hand 13 Those which cough forth frothy bloud do â—etch and drawe the same out of the lungs 14 If a fluxe of the bellie come vpoÌ„ him which is in a consumption it is a pernicious signe 15 Those which are infected with an impostume by a plurisie if they be purged from the corrupt matter within fortie daies after the breaking of the apostume are cured or otherwise they passe into a consumption 16 Hot water too often vsed bringeth these discommodities tendernesse of the flesh distemperature of the sinewes heauinesse drowsinesse of the minde fluxes of blod swounings faintings of life to which death is incident 17 But the vse of colde water bringeth convulsions the crampes called Tetani blackness cold shakings vsuall in some feuers 18 Colde water is hurtfull to the bones teeth sinews braine and marrow of the backe but that which is hot is good and profitable 19 Wee must heate those things which are ouercold except those which powre forth bloud or are inclined to powre forth bloud in short time 20 Colde water biteth and nippeth vlcers hardneth the skinne hindreth the sorenesse from maturation of the corrupt matter causeth blacknesse bringeth forth colde shiuering fittes of agues convulsions crampes and distention of the sinewes 21 Notwithstanding ther is some time when in the crampe without an vlcer in a well flesht young man in the middest of sommer plentifull powring out of colde water doth call back the heate and so the heate doth dissolue the crampe 22 Hot water yeeldeth vnto vs a great token of security and safety in that vlcer and sore in which it causeth ripe and wel digested matter it softneth and mollifieth the skinne it maketh it thinne it dooth appease paine it mitigateth and asswageth colde shakings convulsions the cramps named Tetani it dissolueth heauinesse and paine of the head it profiteth broken bones very much especially if they bee bare without flesh and principally in the head also it profiteth those things which are mortified exulcerated through colde Lastly it is profitable to eating vlcers in the suÌ„dameÌ„t priuie members wombe bladder to all those hot water is a friend and comforter but cold water is an enemie and a destroyer 23 We must vse cold water to those sores from whence bloud dooth issue or is about to issue and not to be applyed in the same place by which it issueth but to those places from whence it floweth And if anie inflammation or burning of the parts do incline to a red and bloudie colour with fresh cleare bloud apply colde things or cold water vnto them but if the inflaÌ„mations bee inueterate and old it maketh them black Also it helpeth the fiery inflammation named Erysipelas if it be not vlcerated For being vlcerated it hurteth 24 Things that are verie colde as snowe and yee are hurtfull to the breast they procure coughs they cause ruptures of the veins and also rhumes 25 Cold water powred forth aboundantly doth ease and diminish the tumours and paines of the ioints which are without vlceration also gowty swellings and pains and convulsions for the most part dissolueth dolour and pain for a smal benumming hath the force of dissoluing and putting awaie of paine 26 Water that is quickely made hot quickly cold is most light 27 It is good for them which haue great desire to drinke in the night to fall a sleepe being verie thirstie 28 A fumigation or perfume of odoriferous spyces dooth bring forth the terms It would also be profitable for manie other things if it did not breede heauinesse and pain of the head 29 Thou shalt purge a woman with childe if it bee needful the fowrth month after conception and so forwards vntill the beginning of the seuenth month but those that come neere the seauenth month not so much but the foetus being yonger or elder thou shalt abstaine 30 A woman with child a veine being opened aborteth is deliuered before due time and so much the rather if the foetus bee of any bignesse 31 It is pernicious deadlie if a woman great with childe bee taken with anie sharp disease 32 A woman is cured from vomiting bloud her moÌ„thly tearms issuing forth 33 A flux of bloud at the nose is good and healthfull to a womaÌ„ her flowers failing contrarie to the due course of nature 34 If the wombe bee verie laxatiue and loose to a woman with childe there is danger of aborcement 35 Sneesing hapning to a woman grieued with suffocation of the wombe or hauing a painfull and difficult deliuerance is good 36 The monthly courses being discoloured neyther comming forth alwaies in the same maner and time do declare that a purgation is necessarie for the woman 37 If the paps be suddenlie extenuated and become lanke to a woman with childe aborcement dooth follow 38 If one of the dugs be extenuated and become lank to a woman coÌ„ceiued with child with twins she bringeth forth one of them before due time And if the right dug becom sleÌ„der she bringeth forth the male childe before due time but if the left dug becom lank she maketh aborcement of the female 39 If any woman neither with
the comming of the Quartan they are deliuered and freed 71 Those which haue their skinnearid withered and drie doe dye without sweate but those who haue their skinne loose and open do end their life with sweate 72 Those that are diseased with the Iaundis are not much molested with windinesse The end of the fift Section of the Aphorisms of Hypocrates Here followeth the 6. Section The Argument THIS sixt Section dooth almost altogether concerne that part of the Art which foretelleth good and euill things to happen in diseases 1 In a long lubricitie and slipperinesse of the guts if a sowrish belching do happen which was not before it is a good signe 2 Those which haue their nostrils more moist then others by nature and their seede also doe inioy their health but badly but those which haue the contrarie properties doe leade their life more healthfully 3 In long difficulties pains or fluxes of the bowelles a loathing of meate is euill and with a feuer it is more euill 4 Vlcers or soares which are smooth and glaber are maligne and euill 5 In the paine of the sides and of the breast and of the other parts wee must learne if the sicke do differ much or keepe at a staie 6 The diseases and infirmities of the kidneies and bladder are of hard difficult curation in old men 7 Dolours and paines of the bellie being aloft in the vpper part are more light and easie not being aloft are more tedious and forcible 8 Vlcers or sores arising in the body of those which are diseased with the dropsie are not easily cured 9 Wheales being broade are not very full of itching 10 Corrupt matter water or bloud issuing out by the nostrils mouth or eares dissolueth and cureth a vehement grieuous headache 11 The Haemorrhoids happening to those which are troubled with melancholy and paine of the kidneies are good and profitable 12 Vnless in the cure of the Haemorrhoids which haue long continued there be one veine kept open it is to bee feared that a dropsie or consumption will shortly follow 13 The hicket or yexing trobling or vexing vs is put away by sneesing 14 If water flowe from the veines of him which is diseased with the dropsie to the bellie the disease is dissolued if nature it selfe make euacuation 15 Vomiting comming by the benefit of nature dissolueth and riddeth away a long flux or loosenesse of the bellie by reason of the retraction drawing back of the humours which did bend downwards 16 A loosenesse of the belly happening to one afflicted with a pleurisie or the disease of the lunges named peripneumonia is an euill thing 17 It is a good thing for him which is troubled with a watrish running of the eies called lippitudo to be taken with a flux and loosenesse of the bellie 18 It is a deadly thing when the bladder is wounded or the braine or the heart the midriffe anie small gut the stomach or the liuer 19 A bone perished or cut off or a cartilag gristle or sinew or any little parcell of the eye lid or the praeputium beeing diminished doe not growe or ioine together 20 If bloud flowe into the belly contrarie to nature it corrupteth and is putrified of necessitie 21 If the swelling of veins in the legs named varices or the Haemorrhoids shall happen to them which are madde and frantick then the disease of madnesse is dissolued 22 Breaches or fluxes of humors which do descend frō the backe to the elbow are dissolued by opening of a veine 23 If feare and sadnesse doe continéw long it is a signe of melancholie 24 If anie small or slender gut bee wounded or pearced it dooth not close or grow togither againe 25 If the cholericke tumor Erysipelas being outwarde be returned inwards it is euill but if being inward it be turned outwards it is a good thing 26 Those burning feuers are dissolued with dotage or rauing in which there are trembling shakings 27 If the corruption matter or water do flowe out altogether at once from them which are burnt by catire or cut by the Chirurgion for the cure of the inwarde apostumation betweene the lungs and the breast or of the dropsie thē the diseased shall die without all doubt 28 Eunuches or gelded men are not diseased with the gout neither do wax bald 29 A woman is not troubled with the gout vnlesse her monthly termes doe faile her 30 A young stripling is not troubled with the gout before he hath vsed venerie 31 Drinking of strong wine or a bath a fomentation phlebothomy or letting of bloud or a purgation doth cure paines of the eies 32 Those which slammer are taken most commonly with a long flux of the bellie 33 Those which haue sower belchings are not much subiect to a plurisie 34 Great swelling veins named varices are not incident to them which are balde but yet they haue their haire growing againe on their head to whom the swellings veins do happen being balde 35 If a cough come vpon them which are diseased with a dropsie it is an euill thing 36 Phlobotomie or bloud-letting cureth the difficultie of making vrine but we must opē the inward veins 37 If a tumour appeare in the neck to him that is diseased with angina it is a good thing 38 Those which haue hidden or deepe Cancers are not to bee healed or cured of them for they which are healed die sooner and those which are not cured of them liue the longer 39 A convulsion is caused either by repletion or by euacuation so is also the hicket or yexing 40 Those which haue paine at the Hypocondrium without an inflammation are cured by a feuer hapning to them 41 If corrupt matter giue forth no signification nor signe of it self in the bodies of the diseased the cause that it dooth not disclose it selfe nor appeare is either for the grossenesse and thicknesse of it selfe or of the place 42 If the liuer vvaxe hard to them which are affected with the yellow iaundis it is an euill thing 43 The spleneticke which are taken with a bloody fluxe of the bowels do die of a dropsie or a slipperinesse of the bowells called a lientery following a long fluxe 44 They die within seauen daies to whom the disease named Ileos or pain in the small guts shall happen after a strangurie vnlesse a feuer comming vpon them store of vrine shall issue forth 45 If vlcers continew a yeer or longer the bone of necessitie must growe fowle and bee corrupted and so hollow cicatrizes are caused 46 Those vvhich become crookt backt by shortness of wind or a cough before they attaine to ripenesse of age doe die quickly 47 Those are to be let bloud or purged in the spring time to whome opening of a veine or purging may do good 48 The difficulty of the intestins and guts comming vpon them which are diseased with the splene viz. with hardnesse is good 49 Goutie diseases the inflammation
curable is those that bee of colour citrine more harder then the other and of forme round wherefore it may not be laid right downe in the eie for it will not abide there because of the said roundnesse and hardnesse of it therefore it must be laide in the corner of the eie to the eare ward there be kept with the needle a great while as is aforesaid And thus to conclude I do you to vnderstand there needeth not anie abstinence from meats which be clean and healthsome after the cure is perfectly atchieued saue only in the third kind which thing to be true experience hath taught mee Neuerthelesse it behoueth oftentimes to vse comfortatiues nutritiues for the visible spirits in the eye afterwarde Of the three kindes of Catharacts vncurable THe first kinde of Catharactes vncurable is that which the Physicians of Salerne in Italie doe call Guttam serenam and these be the signes whereby yee may knowe it when the pupil of the ey i. the place of the middest of the eye hath the depth of the visible part blacke and cleare as though it had no spotte and the eyes are alwayes moouing their lids trembling as though it were quickesiluer Verilie this kinde of Catharact is ingendred caused of a corruption in the mothers wombe and therfore they that haue these kinds of Catharactes bee blinde euen at their natiuity of which sort I haue seen many and haue assaied by many waies and medicines to cure them but the successe was not worthy my labour neither yet haue I heard that any other haue sped better in dealing with that sort Neuerthelesse in processe of time I perceiued that of this manner of Catharact ther were diuersities of kinds For som of those persons which had them might see the brightnesse of the sunne went by the way with open eies as though they had perfectly seene yea moreouer som of them might see the stature of a man or a beast or anie other thing and some enioyed this little portion of sight vnto their liues end whereas in othersome it doth vanish awaie and they become starke blinde Therefore assure your selues they that haue such maner of Catharacts be deplorat and without al possibilitie of cure by mans hand For why the nerue optique is deplorate and mortified so that there is no manner of helpe in power of hand or medicine for them and this aforesaide kinde is called Gutta serena because it is engendred of a corruption comming downe from the braine like a droppe of water which one droppe corrupteth and dissolueth all the humour naturall in the eye in so much that from thence forwards the concaue hollow nerues be oppilat and ouerlaid in that the visible spirits may no more passe downe by them into the eye The second kinde of Catharact vncurable is that which doth appeare in the eye of greene colour like water standing in watrie places not much mooued with running This sort is yet worse then al the other and springeth of the immoderate and excessiue coldenesse of the brayne with great beating and diseases of the head with vnmeasurable fasting such like The third and last kind of curelesse catharacts bee those in which the circles may not bee seene within the tunicles of the eye but the eye appeareth all ouer blacke or all ouer white and who so busieth himselfe to cure anie of these three kinds of Catharacts he abuseth his time and labour more worthie to bee reproued for his ignorāce then any wayes commended for his fruitlesse diligence Here followeth the cure of Ophthalmia and other diseases of the eies THis Ophthalmia is an inflāmatiō of the whol eye hapning by som great diffluxion from the brain and in the tunicle of the eie which is called coniunctiua this infirmitie is somtimes cured by dropping into the eye womans milke with the white of an egge and especially if it shall happen from some outwarde cause or from bloud If it chance to happen by some blowe or through colde then the yolke of an egge boyled hard and mixed with oyle of roses and a little saffron must be applyed If it shall happen through dust or smoak wash the eie with colde water if from repletion or fulnesse open the head veine which is a present remedie if the humors be grosse and thicke administer an euaporation of the decoction of lentiles with water also wash the eye with sponges intincted in a decoction of foenugraeck In this disease it is verie good to vse abstinēce from meate and drinke the dyet must incline to colde and moysture Wine egs and all sweete things are hurtfull An excellent Collyrium which doth mitigate re presse and beat backe heat inflammation TAke the muscelage of psyllium of gum dragant of quinces being prepared in rose water of either 3. drams of womans milk giuing sucke to a girle fiue drams of the white of an egge well beaten two drams mixe them and instill thereof into the eye Or else vse this emplaster against an hot fluxe of the eye Take of the iuyce of the hearbe vermicularis of virgapastoris of plantaine of nightshade of endiue of purslan such like with the flowre of barley and oyle of roses make an emplaster which must bee applied to the temples of the forehead or dippe linnen clothes in the iuyces and applie them to the forehead The face may be washed with running water rose-water mixed with a little vinegar so that will alter the biting humor flowing to the eye If the eye happen to bee hurt or wounded with a thorne needle or knife we must presently make repercussion Take bole armonick sanguis draconis tutia prepared gum arabick dragant of either a dram make a powder mix therwith 6. ounces of rosewater in a glasse viol then let it stand in hot water the space of an howr thē afterwards add 1. ounce of the wine of pomgranats so let it stand for 1. whol daie then straine it of that straining put a little into the eie Morn Euen and for to lay ouer you shall frame an emplaster with the iuices of houslike niteshade of either two ounces or in their place take rosewater bole armonicke myrrh gumdragant and araback of either one ounce make it into pouder and so apply it in the form of an emplaster to the eyes for it doth both beat back and cure For spots or webs in the eie beeing remaining after the cure we must presently vse this remedie Take young Pyes out of the nest a little before they are readie to flie let them bee cleane puld and cut in peeces and then distilled of which water put into the eyes an houre before supper and in the morning it remoueth away al redness spots and cataracts this remedie is confirmed by experience some doe affirme the same virtue to be in Consolidaregalis Sometimes the eyes do weepe and water against