in the vvhich vve feare least the cōmon sovv∣inge or stitchinge might chaunce to breake, & cut through the edges of the vvounde.
The fourth is called the drye stich, or sovv∣inge, because this may be done vvithout pear∣cinge of the skinne or fleshe: vvhich vve are vvonte to doe vvith tvvo strōge peeces of lin∣nen cloth, vvhich are cut of the syde or edge of the clothe, and vvhich in the endes are cut sharpe or picked, as heere before in the figure vve may see, on the vvhich other ende vve must spreade a verye dravvīge & fast houldin∣ge playster, vvhich qvicklye may be dryed, vvhich must thus be praepared, vve shall ap∣plye this same one both sydes of the vvound, a little higher then the foresayed vvounde, & in such sort that bothe the sharpe endes of the peeces of cloth, may be situated close vnto the edges of the vvounde. This beinge cleaved ve∣rye fast to the skinne, vve must as then so∣vve bothe ther endes close together, vvith∣out touchinge of the skinne, and dravve them together vvith the threde, through the vvhich meanes, vve may compacte the lippes of the vvounde as close together, os vve please. Such a māner of stitchinge is very vvillingelye vsed in the vvoundes of the face vvhēas vve desire to have noe great cicatrice left therin.
The fifth incarnative sovvinge or stitchin∣ge, is effected vvith iron hoockes, vvhich one both there endes vveare crooked, vvith the vvhich vve must hould both the lippes of the vvounde, bringinge the foresayed lippes close together: but because they cōtinuallye pricke & are never vvithout causing of payne, & mo∣reover might chaunce to sticke in anye mem∣brane, vvhich might suscitate & cause payne, concurringe of humors, & inflammatione, in the vvoūded parte, it is novve a dayes noe mo¦re in vse. The seconde suture is, the bloode-stoppinge suture, soe called, because she sten∣cheth & stoppeth bloode, and hindereth that the ayre can not enter into the vvoūde, vvhen as in manner of revolutione vve turne the needle, (as the furriers are vvōte to doe, vvhen as they sovve together the skinnes, & lay the stiches, reasonable close, harde, & on by the o∣ther. Some vse this suture, or stitchinge, vvhē as the great vaynes or arteryes, are hurt or cutt of, cōsideringe the great sheddinge of bloode, through the vvhich they are compelled to doe soe, & soe the more easyer to ioyne & bringe together and shutt the lippes of the vvounde.
But this stitchinge, is nothinge to certay∣ne, because the one stitchbrekinghe, all the other breake & goe loose, moreover the bloo¦de vvhich is therin cōtayned causeth that part to svvell, and leeseth as it vveare himselfe be∣tvveen the muscles, vvhich alsoe therafter by cōtinuance of time corrupt & are mortifyed. VVherfor I vvoulde councell the yonge Chi∣rurgiane, that he should rather tye or binde the mouth of the vayne or arterye, or vvith a Cauterium cauterize it together, thē to vse such a stitchinge, vvhich is farre cōvenienter, in the vvoundes of the small guttes, or entralles, of the blather, or in the vvoūdes of the stomacke to be effected, if at the least in the tvvo last it may anye vvay possible be brought to passe.
The thirde sovvinge, or stitchinge vve call the conservative, or the praeservinge suture, because she praeserveth, & Keepeth, the lippes op the vvounde vvhich are verye vvyde sepa∣rated the one frome the other, or els because they are plettered, & crushede, or els because ther is anye parte of them lost, throughe the vvhich they cā not by any meanes be brought & ioyned agayne, the one vvith the other, re∣qviringe onlye to be defēded, & mayntayned in that estate, till such time as the vvounde be come to a goode suppuratione & incarnatio∣ne: vvher through the vvoūde, is soe much the the sooner cured & cicatrised, vvithout anye greate, or deformed cicatrice, remayninge in the place. This stitchinge is alsoe vsed vvhen vve suspecte, that ther is anye thinge cōtrarye to nature in the vvoūde, vvhich vve vvilling∣lye vvould have therout , vvherfore vve doe not bringe the lippes of the vvounde so close together, as in other sutures, contentinge our selves, that in such sorte vve may continue it.
Touchinge the time, vvhē vve ought to cut a sunder the stitchinges, ther is noe certayntye therof, because in some bodyes, the vvoūdes are sooner cured, then in others, alsoe the one parte healeth sooner then the other, vvher∣fore vve ought not to cutt loose the stitches, before the vvounde be soe far come, that she hath noe more neede of the stitches, vvhich cuttinge, must alsoe be done one divers man∣ners, as the stitchinges are divers: for the knot¦ted stitchinge, must be done, by cuttinge eve∣rye stitche aparte, right at the knott, liftinge vp the threde vvith the privette or searchinge iron, havinge in this sorte cut of the knott of everye stitche, vve shall as then vvith the pin∣cet or pinsinge iron dravve them out by there knot layinge the one finger one the stitch, to hould that fast that the one lippe of the vvoū∣de, be not dravvē out vvardes. That stitchinge vvhich happeneth to be done vvith one or more needles, as in the haremouthes, in these vve cut a sunder the vvhole threde, vvhich is vvoūde roūde about the needle, thē gentlelye takīge the same avvaye, & therafter the needle alsoe. The pēned suture, is takē avvay through the discidinge or cuttinge avvaye, as is above sayed, that vve ought to cut everye stitche abo¦ve the knotte, and ther gentlye dravve forth the thredes therout. The drye stitch is taken