Part 50 (2/2)
Diminutives and purges may [4383]be taken as before, of hiera, manna, ca.s.sia, which Monta.n.u.s _consil. 230._ for an Italian abbot, in this kind prefers before all other simples, [4384]”And these must be often used, still abstaining from those which are more violent, lest they do exasperate the stomach, &c., and the mischief by that means be increased.” Though in some physicians I find very strong purgers, h.e.l.lebore itself prescribed in this affection. If it long continue, vomits may be taken after meat, or otherwise gently procured with warm water, oxymel, &c., now and then.
Fuchsius _cap. 33._ prescribes h.e.l.lebore; but still take heed in this malady, which I have often warned, of hot medicines, [4385]”because” (as Salvia.n.u.s adds) ”drought follows heat, which increaseth the disease:” and yet Baptista Sylvaticus _controv. 32._ forbids cold medicines, [4386]
”because they increase obstructions and other bad symptoms.” But this varies as the parties do, and 'tis not easy to determine which to use.
[4387]”The stomach most part in this infirmity is cold, the liver hot; scarce therefore” (which Monta.n.u.s insinuates _consil. 229._ for the Earl of Manfort) ”can you help the one and not hurt the other:” much discretion must be used; take no physic at all he concludes without great need.
Laelius Aegubinus _consil._ for an hypochondriacal German prince, used many medicines; ”but it was after signified to him in [4388]letters, that the decoction of China and sa.s.safras, and salt of sa.s.safras wrought him an incredible good.” In his _108 consult_, he used as happily the same remedies; this to a third might have been poison, by overheating his liver and blood.
For the other parts look for remedies in Savanarola, Gordonius, Ma.s.saria, Mercatus, Johnson, &c. One for the spleen, amongst many other, I will not omit, cited by Hildesheim, _spicel. 2_, prescribed by Mat. Flaccus, and out of the authority of Benevenius. Antony Benevenius in a hypochondriacal pa.s.sion, [4389]”cured an exceeding great swelling of the spleen with capers alone, a meat befitting that infirmity, and frequent use of the water of a smith's forge; by this physic he helped a sick man, whom all other physicians had forsaken, that for seven years had been splenetic.” And of such force is this water, [4390]”that those creatures as drink of it, have commonly little or no spleen.” See more excellent medicines for the spleen in him and [4391]Lod. Mercatus, who is a great magnifier of this medicine.
This _Chalybs praeparatus_, or steel-drink, is much likewise commended to this disease by Daniel Sennertus _l. 1. part. 2. cap. 12._ and admired by J. Caesar Claudinus _Respons. 29._ he calls steel the proper [4392]alexipharmac.u.m of this malady, and much magnifies it; look for receipts in them. Averters must be used to the liver and spleen, and to scour the mesaraic veins: and they are either too open or provoke urine.
You can open no place better than the haemorrhoids, ”which if by horseleeches they be made to flow, [4393]there may be again such an excellent remedy,” as Plater holds. Sall.u.s.t. Salvian will admit no other phlebotomy but this; and by his experience in an hospital which he kept, he found all mad and melancholy men worse for other bloodletting. Laurentius _cap. 15._ calls this of horseleeches a sure remedy to empty the spleen and mesaraic membrane. Only Monta.n.u.s _consil. 241._ is against it; [4394] ”to other men” (saith he) ”this opening of the haemorrhoids seems to be a profitable remedy; for my part I do not approve of it, because it draws away the thinnest blood, and leaves the thickest behind.”
Aetius, Vidus Vidius, Mercurialis, Fuchsius, recommend diuretics, or such things as provoke urine, as aniseeds, dill, fennel, germander, ground pine, sodden in water, or drunk in powder: and yet [4395]P. Bayerus is against them: and so is Hollerius; ”All melancholy men” (saith he) ”must avoid such things as provoke urine, because by them the subtile or thinnest is evacuated, the thicker matter remains.”
Clysters are in good request. Trincavelius _lib. 3. cap. 38._ for a young n.o.bleman, esteems of them in the first place, and Hercules de Saxonia _Panth. lib. 1. cap. 16._ is a great approver of them. [4396]”I have found (saith he) by experience, that many hypochondriacal melancholy men have been cured by the sole use of clysters,” receipts are to be had in him.
Besides those fomentations, irrigations, inunctions, odoraments, prescribed for the head, there must be the like used for the liver, spleen, stomach, hypochondries, &c. [4397]”In crudity” (saith Piso) ”'tis good to bind the stomach hard” to hinder wind, and to help concoction.
Of inward medicines I need not speak; use the same cordials as before. In this kind of melancholy, some prescribe [4398]treacle in winter, especially before or after purges, or in the spring, as Avicenna, [4399] Trincavellius mithridate, [4400]Montaltus paeony seed, unicorn's horn; _os de corde cervi_, &c.
Amongst topics or outward medicines, none are more precious than baths, but of them I have spoken. Fomentations to the hypochondries are very good, of wine and water in which are sodden southernwood, melilot, epithyme, mugwort, senna, polypody, as also [4401]cerotes, [4402]plaisters, liniments, ointments for the spleen, liver, and hypochondries, of which look for examples in Laurentius, Jobertus _lib. 3. c. pra. med._ Monta.n.u.s _consil. 231._ Montaltus _cap. 33._ Hercules de Saxonia, Faventinus. And so of epithems, digestive powders, bags, oils, Octavius Horatia.n.u.s _lib. 2. c.
5._ prescribes calastic cataplasms, or dry purging medicines; Piso [4403]dropaces of pitch, and oil of rue, applied at certain times to the stomach, to the metaphrene, or part of the back which is over against the heart, Aetius sinapisms; Montaltus _cap. 35._ would have the thighs to be [4404]cauterised, Mercurialis prescribes beneath the knees; Laelius Aegubinus _consil. 77._ for a hypochondriacal Dutchman, will have the cautery made in the right thigh, and so Monta.n.u.s _consil. 55._ The same Monta.n.u.s _consil. 34._ approves of issues in the arms or hinder part of the head. Bernardus Paternus in Hildesheim _spicel 2._ would have [4405] issues made in both the thighs; [4406]Lod. Mercatus prescribes them near the spleen, _aut prope ventriculi regimen_, or in either of the thighs.
Ligatures, frictions, and cupping-gla.s.ses above or about the belly, without scarification, which [4407]Felix Platerus so much approves, may be used as before.
SUBSECT. II.--_Correctors to expel Wind. Against Costiveness, &c._
In this kind of melancholy one of the most offensive symptoms is wind, which, as in the other species, so in this, hath great need to be corrected and expelled.
The medicines to expel it are either inwardly taken, or outwardly. Inwardly to expel wind, are simples or compounds: simples are herbs, roots, &c., as galanga, gentian, angelica, enula, calamus aromaticus, valerian, zeodoti, iris, condite ginger, aristolochy, cicliminus, China, dittander, pennyroyal, rue, calamint, bay-berries, and bay-leaves, betony, rosemary, hyssop, sabine, centaury, mint, camomile, staechas, agnus castus, broom-flowers, origan, orange-pills, &c.; spices, as saffron, cinnamon, bezoar stone, myrrh, mace, nutmegs, pepper, cloves, ginger, seeds of annis, fennel, amni, cari, nettle, rue, &c., juniper berries, grana paradisi; compounds, dianisum, diagalanga, diaciminum, diacalaminth, _electuarium de baccis lauri, benedicta laxativa, pulvis ad status. antid. florent. pulvis carminativus, aromatic.u.m rosatum, treacle, mithridate_ &c. This one caution of [4408]Gualter Bruell is to be observed in the administering of these hot medicines and dry, ”that whilst they covet to expel wind, they do not inflame the blood, and increase the disease; sometimes” (as he saith) ”medicines must more decline to heat, sometimes more to cold, as the circ.u.mstances require, and as the parties are inclined to heat or cold.”
Outwardly taken to expel winds, are oils, as of camomile, rue, bays, &c.; fomentations of the hypochondries, with the decoctions of dill, pennyroyal, rue, bay leaves, c.u.min, &c., bags of camomile flowers, aniseed, c.u.min, bays, rue, wormwood, ointments of the oil of spikenard, wormwood, rue, &c.
[4409]Areteus prescribes cataplasms of camomile flowers, fennel, aniseeds, c.u.min, rosemary, wormwood-leaves, &c.
[4410]Cupping-gla.s.ses applied to the hypochondries, without scarification, do wonderfully resolve wind. Fernelius _consil. 43._ much approves of them at the lower end of the belly; [4411]Lod. Mercatus calls them a powerful remedy, and testifies moreover out of his own knowledge, how many he hath seen suddenly eased by them. Julius Caesar Claudinus _respons. med. resp.
33._ admires these cupping-gla.s.ses, which he calls out of Galen, [4412]”a kind of enchantment, they cause such present help.”
Empirics have a myriad of medicines, as to swallow a bullet of lead, &c., which I voluntarily omit. Amatus Lusita.n.u.s, _cent. 4. curat. 54._ for a hypochondriacal person, that was extremely tormented with wind, prescribes a strange remedy. Put a pair of bellows end into a clyster pipe, and applying it into the fundament, open the bowels, so draw forth the wind, _natura non admitt.i.t vacuum_. He vaunts he was the first invented this remedy, and by means of it speedily eased a melancholy man. Of the cure of this flatuous melancholy, read more in Fienus de Flatibus, _cap. 26. et pa.s.sim alias_.
Against headache, vertigo, vapours which ascend forth of the stomach to molest the head, read Hercules de Saxonia, and others.
If costiveness offend in this, or any other of the three species, it is to be corrected with suppositories, clysters or lenitives, powder of senna, condite prunes, &c. [Symbol: Rx] _Elect. lenit, e succo rosar. ana [Symbol: Ounce] j. misce_. Take as much as a nutmeg at a time, half an hour before dinner or supper, or _pil. mastichin. [Symbol: Ounce] j_. in six pills, a pill or two at a time. See more in Montan. _consil. 229._ Hildesheim _spicel. 2._ P. Cnemander, and Monta.n.u.s commend [4413]”Cyprian turpentine, which they would have familiarly taken, to the quant.i.ty of a small nut, two or three hours before dinner and supper, twice or thrice a week if need be; for besides that it keeps the belly soluble, it clears the stomach, opens obstructions, cleanseth the liver, provokes urine.”
These in brief are the ordinary medicines which belong to the cure of melancholy, which if they be used aright, no doubt may do much good; _Si non levando saltem leniendo valent, peculiaria bene selecta_, saith Bessardus, a good choice of particular receipts must needs ease, if not quite cure, not one, but all or most, as occasion serves. _Et quae non prosunt singula, multa juvant_.
THE SYNOPSIS OF THE THIRD PARt.i.tION.
Love and love melancholy, _Memb. 1 Sect. 1._
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