A needefull, new, and necessarie treatise of chyrurgerie briefly comprehending the generall and particuler curation of vlcers, drawen foorth of sundrie worthy wryters, but especially of Antonius Calmeteus Vergesatus, and Ioannes Tagaltius, by Iohn Banister ... Hereunto is anexed certaine experiments of mine ovvne inuention, truely tried, and daily of me practised.

To the worshipfull the Maister, Wardens, and gene∣nerall assistauntes of the fraternitie of Chyrurgians in London, Iohn Banister, (a member of the same) wisheth to them a••l, the true direction in the perfect way of knowledg to this misterious science, according to their profession.

BEfore the gratious good∣nes of God, had created medicine on the earth, be∣fore (I saye) he vnfoulded y^e misterie therof to world∣ly wightes, and mortall creatures, no mā knewe what plantes could preuayle, not one could shewe the nature of herbes, e∣uerie man was ignoraunt of the proper∣ties of simples, many mineralles were vnknowen, moste gummes vnfound, an•• all seedes vnsought. (To conclude) all natures benefites (that nowe so ofte pre∣serue and keepe mans healthful state fri¦hurt) lay hugely heaped in the boisterous

bowels of confused Chaos, distaunt from light, absent from knowledge, and farre from doing good. Whiche nowe (being brought to light by the same almightie his prouidence) not only ministreth helth to the sicke, ease to the painfull, pleasure to the sorrowfull, & health to the health∣full, but ofttimes as we dailie proue (euē by fine force) encountreth the merciles might of fell disseases, and preuenteth the dreadful dartes of death (whilest the skil∣full only haue her in vse. But as enuie that subtile Serpent hateth all vertue, contemneth all good thinges, and spiteth the prosperous successe of famous scien∣ces: so hath she of late procured and stir∣red vp•• suche a sort of beastlye abusers, or diuelishe dissemblers, as (studie onlye to deceiue the worlde) inuente willingly to embase the worthy arte, and seke shame∣fully to slaūder the godly studentes ther∣of. As it is not vnknowen vnto you (ther∣fore needeles for me to tell) howe Phy∣sicke and Chyrurgerie haue in time past bene renowmed throughout the worlde: No more is it to you ignoraunt, how litle it is in these dayes regarded, which if we

compare time present with that is past, we shall see and plainely perceiue it, ra∣ther despised (as needles) then regarded as necessarie, such slender iudgement and fond affection raigneth at this daye, and so is the worlde vpside down turned: that what so afore time hath ben best accōpted of, the same is now the basest, that which was principall, is (at this time) y^e poorest, and the chiefest become lest estemed. In this case (therefore) as I must needes blame the fickle state of the worlde and moste of al accuse the fraile estate of mās nature (I meane the cōmon sorte of peo∣ple, who are always readie to turne with euerie blast of Eolus wauering wynde without stedfastnes or consideration of righteous••causes) So can I not altoge∣ther excuse thē, vnto whom authoritie is geuen, to establishe orders and reforme malefactours with the causes of offence, whose onely slacknes, and vntimely cle∣mencie is the greatest encouragement that offenders haue. I speake not this as seeming to cōtroll your worships (know∣ing you will rightly conceiue, it cōmeth of a zelous harte) but if the loue of oure coūtrie, & eminent desolatiō (which might

happē by want of this arte) doe not draw vs all hereunto, yet (at the least, if wee loue our selues) we are forste to crie out vpon abuses, deplore double dealing, and seke for spedie reformation. Uerie harde it were for suche a rowte of Rogishe li∣uers, so boldly to practise, and to fill all places with the slaunderous shauinges of their deuelishe practises, were they not permitted of some (in authoritie) & win∣ked at of suche as should them punishe. I doe not a litle marueile also, howe and by what meanes or merit, so many gette their authorities or licenses to practise, when as in examination they (not onlye) shewe them selues ignoraunt Asses, and in their workes bussardly beyardes, but also of them selues altogether disposed to incontinencie, and dayly dissimulation, without either feare of God, or obediēce to their Prince, I (my self) knowe them at this daie, the moste beastly deceiuers, and licentious liuers that euer profest a∣nie arte, (hauing neither knowledge, mo∣destie, nor honestie, and yet practise their accustomed deceites, vnder the colour of admittaunce frō our hal, being (in deede) farre fitter for the cart thē Chyrurgerie.

Smally shall it auaile y^e learned to take paines, & lesse encourage the willing to spende their time in opening thinges ob∣scured, & reuealing misteries vnknowen, when euerie saucie Sicophant shall (not only by peuish permissiō) defame vs with their desperate doinges, & sucke our com∣moditie with ••their chattring charmes: but also wrest & construe our laboures at their poopishe pleasures, accompting the best basest, & the worst worthiest (like spi∣ting spiders, which turne good to badde, sweete to sower, and bonie to poyson. If therefore your worshippes woulde pre∣uent these proude practisers, & plucke vp these wicked weedes, which thus pollute the vineyard (as already you haue godly begonne) I doubte not but more cōmen∣dations wil growe of the arte in shorte space then ther was in the time that A∣pollo* 1.1 first founde it, more estimation thē when Aesculapius* 1.2 amplyfied it, & more feruently embraced then in the time of Hippocrates* 1.3 who made it perfect. And you for discrete gouernaunce & politique orders shall (not onely) winne a greater fame perpetually, then either y^e Romains for their hardines, or y^e Lacedemonians

for their valiauut courages haue gained, but also so stimulate & pricke forward the hartes of mindeful studētes (such as God be praised, are of late frutefully sprōg vp amōgst vs) so as they shal rightly accōpt their trauailes worthely taken, & their la¦bours wel bestowed. At y^e like stay stand I at this present time, offering these my loitered labours, to the skanning eies of the stately world, & abiding (as at a view) to see if courage wilbe moued (by y^e than∣kefulnes of such godly patrōs as you be) to resorte to me againe, for recompence, which then (as I haue here debated of the curation of Ulcers, as the most necessary part of Chirurgerie at this daye) I will shortly (if God lende me life) enforce my penne to extend her trauaile to the cura∣tiō of Tumors against nature. In y^e mean time (crauing your worships assistaūce in protecting these my firste enterprises (so much as you may) frō y^e tēpesteous taūtes of such witles wisardes as alwayes loue to finde faultes in the best, & them selues not amending the simplest. I commende to you at all time, present health, and la∣sting ioye in the world to come.

At my house in Nottingham, the.vi. of Iune. 1575.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apollo.
• * 1.2

  AEscula∣pius.
• * 1.3

  Hyppocr.