The whole course of chirurgerie wherein is briefly set downe the causes, signes, prognostications & curations of all sorts of tumors, wounds, vlcers, fractures, dislocations & all other diseases, vsually practiced by chirurgions, according to the opinion of all our auncient doctours in chirurgerie. Compiled by Peter Lowe Scotchman, Arellian, Doctor in the Facultie of Chirurgerie in Paris, and chirurgian ordinarie to the most victorious and christian King of Fraunce and Nauarre. Whereunto is annexed the presages of diuine Hippocrates.

The eighteene Chapter, of the Tumor in the belly, called Hydr••psie,

HIdropsie is a Tumor against nature, ingendred of great quantitie of water, winde or phlegme, sometime disper∣sed through the whole bodie, and is called vniuersall: other∣whiles in some part thereof, & is called particular, most com∣monly in the capacitie of the Peritone, of the which there are three kindes, to witte, ascites, timpanites and anasarca. Asci∣tes is a maladie, that causeth the bellie and legges to swell, through a waterie humor, the rest of the body is small and leane. Tympanites is a maladie, in the which is more flatuosi∣tie, and lesse humor, and in touching soundeth like a drumme. Anasarca or L••ncophlegmatia is a disease, wherewith the whole bodie▪ but chiefely the priuie partes are swollen with a pituitous humor, white and clare, accompanied with feuer. The cause is either externe or interne: externe as stroakes, falles, heate, colde, fluxe of bloud, or great and long run∣ning of the hemerhoides, or through dissenteria, also great vsage of humide meates, as sewens, euill water, and such like, whereof we had good proofe at the siege of Paris, al∣so euill regiment, Plato saith, that in the time of Apollo and Aesculapius, neither caiter nor hydropsie, nor many other diseases which now raigne were knowne, and that, through their great sobrietie. The cause interne commeth chiefely of the vertue alteratrix and concoctrix of the liuer, in like manner apostumes of the liuer, also passions of the stomacke, through the vice of the veines meseraicks, in∣testine, matrix, bladder, lightes, milte, and kidne••s. The Iudgementes are, that all hydropsies after a hotte feuer, or in the feuer, are euill: if after apostume of the liuer, it recei∣ueth no curation, if by vsing remedies the sicke groweth better, & within 3. or 4. daies is ill againe, he healeth not,

if hee become laxatiue, and haue no ease of his paine, it is mortall, if the spittle, the breath and extremities do stink, they are signes of death, if flux with difficultie of resprati∣on, he shall die within three dayes, of all sorts ascites is the worst, those that are yong and robust, vsing exercise, and if the humor be not putrified, may be cured. For the cure hereof, there are 3. intentiōs, the first is good diet tending to hot and drie, of good nourriture and light digestion it is good not to drinke at all, but if it be any, let it be a little old man. I knewe a man, that was cured, by abstayning from drinke halfe a yeare. Anthonius Bene uenius repor∣teth that he knew men cured, by abstayning from drink a yeare, without vsing any other remedies. Let their bred be of barley, wherwith shal be mingled the pouder of worm∣wood▪ annisseede▪ betonie, calamint, calamus aromaticus, succorie, fennell, which thinges may also bee put in their pottage & drinke, asses & goates milke is also good. The second intention is, with fomentions and vnguentes reso∣tiues, as ye haue heard in Edema. The third intention is to corroborate the intemperie of the lyuer as is ample set downe by Albucrasis. Some counsell to make incisiō the which I haue often seene, but with euill successe, & there∣fore not to bee vsed, as being reiected by Celsus, Paulus, Trallianus▪ Gordonius and others. The manner of incision is thus, make the incision with a bistorie by the nauell▪ but 3. fingers vnder it, towards the flanck, shuning the Linaea, put a hollow tent in it, and euacuate the humor by little & little. I haue set downe an excellēt remedie in the poore mans Guide for the curation of this disease, if the fault be not in the liuer, whereby I healed many in Paris, during the time of the siege. There are many other things, which might be spoken of this matter, which I leaue to the me∣diciners, being more medicinall, than Chirurgicall, but by reasō that sometime it falleth vnder the Chirurgians hāds, I thought good thus much to intreate of it.

Notes

• Definition.
• Gal. lib. 2· de facul. natura. et cap. 6. lib. 5. de locis affectis.
• Difference.
• Theodericus.
• Gal. com. 2. aph Called drie hy∣dropsie by Hip.
• Cause.
• Theodericus partie. 6.
• Signes.
• Gal. de facul na. cap. 7. et 5. de locis affectis. et lib. 3. cap. 29 Alexander Trallianus. Hip. lib. 2. prognost. Gordonius pa••••▪
• Cure.
• Paul. lib. 3. cap. 48. & lib. 4. ca. 6.
• Lib. de abditis morbor. causis.
• Lib. 3. haly ab∣bas & Guido.