Erōtomania or A treatise discoursing of the essence, causes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure of love, or erotique melancholy. Written by Iames Ferrand Dr. of Physick

CHAP. XXXII. Medicinall Remedies for the Prevention of Love, or Erotique Melancholy.

THE first Medicinall remedy shall be a Clyster, composed of cooling and moystening Ingredients: among which it will doe well to mixe Hemp seed, Agnus Castus, and the like. And the next day after, you shall give him a sufficient quan∣tity of Cassia, Catholicon, Diaprum, or Tryphera Persica, with a litle Agnus Ca∣stus: or else a very gentle Purge: for wee must not in this case use any violent Pur∣gation, or which would make the body o∣ver Laxative: as both Avicen, and Aëtius are of opinion, who to this purpose pre∣scribes the Decoction of Betes, Mallows, or the hearbe Mercury. For all violent Medicaments doe heat the Humours, and inrage the Blood, driving downe the Ex∣crements toward the Inferiour parts, and

Spermaticall Vessels. And for this reason Arnaldus de Villa Nova, cap. de Regim. Cast. Ʋivent. preferres Vomits, in this case, before Purging.

Then let the party take every morning a litle milke, or else some broath, or Iulip that may refresh the blood: using also some Medicinall drinke, which is of a contrary nature to the generation of seed: especial∣ly if the party be of a moyst complexion: for, for such persons, these kinde of Medi∣cines are very good, as Avicen saith.

This Medicine I commonly use.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rad. Buglos. borag. & cichor. ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 5. fol. Endiv. acetos. portul. lupul. & la∣ctuc. ana m. j. sem. 4. frigid. major. & minor. ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. j. semin. viticis & papav. albi ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ij. passul. Corinth. flor. Nenufar. & viol. ana p. j. decoq. ad lib. j. in colat. dissol. sirup. de pomis redolent. viol. & Nenufar. ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 j. & misce, fiat Iulep. clarif. & aromat. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. j. santal. albi pro tribus, aut 4. dosibus matu∣tinis.

Sometimes also I adde hereto some few graines of Camphire: or else I tem∣per it with water of Lettice, Purslane, or water-Lillies: and so give it him to drinke

for some certaine Mornings: especially the party affected be of a Hot and Chole∣rick constitution. For, as Dioscorides saith these hearbs are very powerfull and effi¦cacious for the Prevention and cure of this Malady.

The Athenian Priests were wont to take Hemlocke for this purpose: notwith∣standing that it was the Ordinary poyson that the Areopagites used to put Malefa∣ctors to death withall: as we may observe out of Plato. And S. Basil, (who is re∣ported to have been as well an excellent Physitian, as a Divine,) affirmes that hee had seen women, that have quite extin∣guished all their unchast Heats, meerely by drinking of hemlock. But we must take heed that we use not any Diureticall Me∣dicines, & that for the reason before allea∣dged concerning Purgation. Besides, all such Medicaments are commonly Hot and Dry, except they be qualified with a litle quantity of milke and water, which may temper their Heat. For Mercurialis affirmes, that hee hath cured women of this Love-Madnesse, by these remedies only. Or else let them use this.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lent. palust. p. 5. sem. lact. port. & ••apau. albi, ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. j. rosar. & nenuf. anae •• 5. coquant in aqua, & cum q. s. sacchari ••at sirup. quo utatur singulis diebus. Some ••ake and boyle in their broaths a litle Mo∣••ell, and Hemlocke; but I am not of their Opinion.

And if there be any danger of Ventosi∣ty, as there may very well be in such per∣sons as are of a Melancholy constitution: then you shall use Decoctions, Iulips, or Oyntments, and the like; rather then cool∣ing Simples.

After that he hath taken these drinkes, it would not be amisse, to purge him, with those Medicines above set downe; or else with Rhubarbe, & sirupe of Roses, or with the sirupe of Succory, compounded with Rhubarbe.

But methinkes it is a very Ridiculous conceit of Arnaldus Ʋillanovanus, where he saies, that there is no better way in the world to secure a man from this Disease, then to carry about him a knife, with a haft made of the wood of Agnus Castus.

It is also very good to bath the privy members in Vineger, the juyce of Morell,

Plantaine, Hipwort, House leeke, or the like liquors: especially if the party doe no marry. But for my part I conceive, that a•• there is lesse danger in bathing ones self in cold water, so perhaps there might n•• lesse benefit issue there from: considering that those wenches of Lions were hereto¦fore cured of this disease, only by leaping into the river Sosne, as we have before re¦lated. This bathing, which must bee done with cold water in the summer, and i•• luke-warme in winter, you may reiterat•• oftentimes, alwaies anoynting the reine•• of the backe, and the Groyne, with Galen. Refrigerating Oyntment, or Mesues Ro••∣satum, or Camphoratum. To which you may also adde the juyce of those cooling Hearbes before mentioned. Yet must there be great heed taken, as Aegineta saith, least while we are so carefull of cooling the Privy parts and loynes, the reines doe not suffer too much by it. There is also great danger of stopping the course of their monethly Tearmes in Women and Vir∣gins; if so bee that these Stupefactive and cooling Medicaments bee used too fre∣quently. And therefore, least that avoyd∣ing

one inconvenience, we fall into a grea∣ter, we must take heed of giving women ••ay inward Medicines, that have Vinegar •• thē: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: saih Hippocrates: It ••ffends the Matrix and secret Parts, cause∣ing great paine and gripings in them. And Avenzoar gives the reasons hereof, unto whom I must referre the Reader for more particular satisfaction herein.

Aetius, besides the annointing of the ••eynes, Loynes, and the parts adjoining, adviseth to bath the forehead and Tem∣ples also with Oxyrhodeum; especially if there be any danger of Madnesse, Vterine Fury, or Erotique Melancholy.

If it should seeme to bee somewhat dangerous for the patient to have these Oyntments, Cere-cloathes, or cooling Fomentations aplied unto him: you shall doe well then to gird him about with a thin plate of lead; to which both Galen, Avicen, Aegineta, Andreas Laurentius, and all our moderne Physitians attribute great vertue in this case. But they must take heed that hee weare it not too long, for feare it may offend the Reines. Besides all these Remedies already set downe,

Arnaldus de Villa-Nova addes yet ano¦ther, the use whereof he commends to a•••• that desire to live chast, and especiall Friers, and other Religious persons: which is, to goe Barefoot.

There are yet some other Remedies that concerne particularly the cure of the disease in Women, who are the most of a•• subject unto it. And these are commonly Clysters, composed of very cold Hearbes mixt with a certain quantity of Camphir•• Castorium, or Rue. Or else they may us•• Vterine Clysters, such as this.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lent. excortic. p. ij. flor. salic. & rosar. ana. p. i. fol. olivae m. i. fiat decoct ad lib. i. in qua dissol. trochisc. de Cam••¦phor. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. i. misce, fiat Clyster: injiciatur i•• sinum pudoris.

Or else this other, out of Aëtius.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nitri & Cardamomi ana 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. i. cum ceratis excipito: fiat pessus, quem pudendis subdito. Vel certam quantitatem Diacordi•• cum solani sucoo mixtam in sinum Ʋeneri•• indito.

There are also diverse other Remedies and Prescriptions, in case of this disease, which have been left us by women, that

have had some proportion of skill in Phy∣••••cke: such as was Cleopatra, sister to Ar∣••oë, who in her Prologue to her booke desires to be called, The Queen of Physiti∣ans. Her advise to her daughter Theodota ••••, that if the disease be already growne to Madnesse, or Vterine Fury, that then she ••hould intra portulam Ʋeneris radiculam ••mmittere panno involutam: dicit{que} (mirum dictu) super pannum hunc exinde repeti∣um Ʋermiculos quosdam inveniri.

And here I would desire the Reader to take notice by the way, that my desire ••s to speake as modestly as possibly I can: ••et must I withall observe the Precepts and Tearmes of Physicke, which cannot so well stand oftentimes with the Civili∣ty and modesty of Language. Amo Ʋere∣••undiam; (saith Tully,) sed magis amo li∣bertatem loquendi. I love Modesty: but yet I love the Liberty of Speech more. And yet am I not one of Zeno's sect, cui placuit suo quam{que} rem nomine appellare; who would have every thing called by its own name: and maintained, that nothing was Obscene, nor unfit for the chastest eares to heare. And indeed it may seeme to bee

something a disputable businesse, whether or no the names are obscene and disho∣nest, when as the Parts themselves that are signified by them, are not so, but are Natu∣rall, usefull, and necessary: and of which also we oftentimes make publicke disse∣ctions and demonstrations, and discourse openly of their substance, number, figure situation, connexion, Actions, and use.

Perrot, a French Physitian, adviseth to take Camphire, and distill it a douzen times: assuring us that this remedy excel all other in vertue, and efficacy. And Ar¦naldus de villa nova, saies, that if a man take the right stone of a Wolfe, and put i•• under the right stone of the party affected he will in a short space forget all his un∣chast desires. But this is not the only tri∣fling devise, that is to bee found in that booke of his, de Ʋenenis. But if this should be true, which yet I am very apt to sus∣pect, we must attribute this effect to some certaine Occult quality: to which wee must also referre the vertue which both he, and diverse other Physitians doe im∣pute to the Carbuncle, Saphire, Emerauld, and Iaspir stones, for the preserving a main

from Love-Melancholy, if he weare any of these precious stones on the Ring-fin∣ger of his left hand.