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 2. Chapter, of Boxing and Ventousing.

VEntousing which the Latines call Ʋentosatio, is no other thing but application of an instrument, either for the e∣uacuation of some humor vnder the skinne, or to diuerte the course of an humor to some other parte, and to draw a∣way such thinges, as is hurtfull, that nature cannot chace forth, and also to drawe out winde in some parte of the bo∣die. It is called cucurbitula, or pixis, made of brasse,* 1.1 horne, glasse, wood or earth in diuers formes some shorte, some long necked, for the most part wide bellied, and are called ventoses a ventre, as saith Auicen: some are bigge, some lesse, according to the proportion of the member, the mouth is reasonable wide, the lippes round and thicke, and are applied most commonly in diuers partes of our bodie. They are sometime applyed with scarrification & extracti∣on of bloud, otherwhiles without scarrification, as also on diuers parts of our bodie, according to the cause, as to draw out some hurtfull humor of the bodie, with scarrification and extraction of bloud. First we apply them in the necke to euacuate the humor from the head, for heauinesse of the head, fluxions on the eyes, affections of the face, and stincke in the mouth: secondly wee apply them on the middest of the necke behinde, for difficultie of breath and cough: thirdly vnder the chinne and sides of the necke for dolors and vlcers of the mouth, corruption of the gummes & Mi∣grim, Opthalmie, sore teeth. Fourthly on the shoulders for diseases in the Thorax, pleuresie, spitting of bloud, affecti∣ons on the shoulders, of repletion, for many affections of the head and throat. Fiftly on the region of the reines, good for apostumes and dolors of the reines & lyuer. Sixtly on the middest of the armes, for dolor in those partes, and in stead of bloudding, and is vsed both in olde and young. Seuenthly on the os sacrum and thereabouts, & is good for the hemerroides, and fistules in the fundament. Eightly on

the middest and rootes of the thighes, and is good to pro∣uoke the monethly course, for Strangurie, dolors of the matrix, bladder and kidneis. The ventouses without scar∣rification, which we call drie ventousing, are applyed for the most part in a xi. places. First on the open of the head, for [ 1] relaxation of Vuula,* 1.2 and to stay the rheume, as saith Galen. [ 2] Secondly, vpon the hypocondres, to diuerte the bleeding at the nose, as saith Galen, when the right nosethrill bleedeth, put the ventouses on the region of the lyuer, if the left side, on the milt, so in like manner on all partes that bleede, wee put the ventouses on the parte opposite for the communi∣cation that the vesselles haue one with an other. Thirdly [ 3] on the pappes, to diuerte the purgations that runne much, and for the ventositie about the lyuer.* 1.3 Fourthly in the be∣ginning [ 4] of the nerues for Palsie. Fiftly on the nauell for the windie collicke.* 1.4 Sixtly on the flancke for ventositie of the [ 5] [ 6] milte. Seuenthly, on the nauell or wombe, to reduce the intestine, or matrix fallen, and ventosities in the bellie, and [ 7] dolors which happen in time of purgations.* 1.5 Eightly wee [ 8] apply them on vritors, to drawe downe the stones and gra∣uell [ 9] to the bladder. Ninthly on the eares and mouth of [ 10] vlcers to drawe out any thing contayned therein, also for drawing out of poyson.* 1.6 Tenthly, if any where there is mattir deepe, to drawe it out to the superfice, as in bubons venerians, also in parotides maligne, or in any other parte where neede is to drawe any thing to the superfice. Ele∣uenthly, [ 11] on the necke for Squinancie.

Thinges requisite before the applying of Ventouses.

FIrst, if the body be plethoricke, it must be taken away by bleeding, otherwise the ventousing is noysome, next, if the bloud or humors be thicke, we vse to foment the

place with hotte water, & rubbe it long with a hotte cloth, that ye neuer scarrifie, except the application of the drie ventouses haue preceded,* 1.7 because the bloud must first bee drawne to the place, before it be vacuated, that it be not ap∣plyed in the bath, but an houre or two after.

The way to apply the ventouses.

THe Ventouses are applyed with hardes being fastened to the bottome with a little waxe, or emplaister, to holde it, that it fall not on the skinne, that being done, light them and apply them on the parte, Some vse two or three piece•• of waxe candles put on a piece of a carde, mo∣ney or golde, the breadth of a crowne, being lighted, set them on the middes of the parte, thereafter apply the ven∣touse, and beeing applyed a certaine space, ye shall, for to take it away, presse the fleshe vnder the lippe of it,* 1.8 to let in the ayre, and so it shall fall, which beeing done, make cer∣taine scratches in the skinne with a launcet, sometime ma∣ny, otherwhiles fewe: in delicate folke and children,* 1.9 wee make fewe scarrifications, if the bloud be thicke, make the scarrifications profound, if the humor and bloud be subtill, the scarrifications must bee superficiall, and apply the ven∣touses as before, let it remayne a reasonable time, and eua∣cuate the bloud, as ye shall finde expedient, if not suffici∣ently at one time, ye may reiterate twise or thrise, alwayes scarrifiyng, especially when there is venenositie or malig∣nitie in the place, by reason of the bloud being thicke and grosse. That beeing done, it shall be very necessary and expedient to drie the place with a softe cloth, annoynt it with oyle of roses, butter, cerat Galen, or rosat Mesnes,* 1.10 and sleepe an houre after.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Albucrasis.
• * 1.2

  15. therapeutic.
• * 1.3

  Bartapallia.
• * 1.4

  Cuido.
• * 1.5

  Auicen 3. canod
• * 1.6

  Haly Abbas. lib. 9.
• * 1.7

  Gal. Auicen.
• * 1.8

  Albucrafis. Haly Abbas
• * 1.9

  Galen.
• * 1.10

  Albucrafis li. 2.