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 sixte Chapter, of Bathes and their Effectes.

BAthing, as by the learned Hierodotus is at large decla∣red, is a washing and steeping of the whole body, for the better preseruation and conseruation of mans health, and recouerie of that which is lost, which was had in great vse and custome amongest the Auncientes, as among the Greekes, also among the Arabes and Latines, and is also very much vsed and practised in all Nations in these our dayes: whereof there are two sortes, one naturall, and an other artificiall. The naturall are saide to bee such, as come and proceede naturally out of the ground, and are alwayes warme and hotte of themselues, but yet are reported to be of diuers sorts qualities and vertues according to the diuer∣sitie of the places, from whence the water commeth and proceedeth, as if it come from Salt, Allom, Sulphur, Brasse, Copper, Golde, Iron and such like. The Salt is good for pi••uitous, colde and humide Maladies, Hydropsie, dolors, paynes and aches of the belly, stomacke, matrix and kid∣neis, also it is good for all Catarrhes, Epilepsie, dolors of the bladder, head, stomacke and eares, whites of women and scabbes generally through all the body, as is at large dis∣coursed and s••t downe by Galen. The Alluminous are drying and heating, and is good for all colde and humide diseases and sickenesses, vomiting of bloud, staying the he∣merrhoides, the monethly course of women, aborting with childe, varices on the legges▪ hydropsie, maligne vlcers, ••otten waterie ••umors, for all sortes of vomiting. The Sulphurous are drying in the 4. degree, & heale the partes neruous, which are cold & humide, soften the hard parts, ap∣pease dolor, & comfort the stomacke & milte, they are good for the stone and strangu••ie, for all cold & humide maladies,

Palsies, Hydropsies, Apoplexies, yet they must bee mode∣rately vsed. Those, whose minerall is iron and steele, are colde, stipticke and drie, good for hotte and humide mala∣dies, as Gow••es, and dolors of the articles debillitie, and softnesse of the stomacke and milt, apostumes in the eares, monethly course, fluxe of vrine, hemerro••hdes, outcom∣ming of the fundament, & all vlcers in the bladder, as saith Fuchius. The Copperous, which heate, resolue, cleanse, consolide, are good for colde and humide diseases, dolors of the guttes, maligne vlcers, and members contused, also for maladies in the mouth, inflamation in the throat and a∣migdalles, all sickenesse of the eyes. Those that haue their minerall golde, are hotte and drie & good for the col∣licke, voluulles, fistules, gowte, maligne vlcers, colde sto∣mackes, the stone, rupture, scabbes, leprosie, diseases of the eyes▪ stincke in the mouth, palpitation of the heart, as saith Fuchius. The Leade being the minerall, they are good for all maligne vlcers, canckers, fistules, diuers affections of the skinne, kidneis and blader, whites in women & hemer∣roihdes. There are some mixed with diuers of these to∣gether, as in Lorraine, Burgundie, and diuers partes of Al∣maine and Italie, of the which W••ckerus and Fuchius haue amply written. The artificiall bathes are artificially made, by imitation of the naturall, to supplie the want thereof, as of running water and mixtion of one or moe of these mi∣nerals, diuersifiyng & appropriating them according to the disease, sometime to heate iron and steele redde hotte, and ••lake it in the water, & so it participateth the vertue. Some time by mixing of hearbes, flowers, roo••es, sometime sim∣ply, sometime the decoction of them, sometime of milke or wine, according to the disease, as to appease dolor, to soften, to open the conduites, to loose or binde in all these sortes. Sometime we vse water called balneum aquae dulois, of the which come great effectes, so that it bee alwayes warme, it is good for all outward affections of the bodie, it heateth, appeaseth dolor, openeth the pores of the skinne,

tempereth and euacuateth ill humors prouoketh the pur∣gations and hemorrhoides in women, discusseth and dige∣••eth the excrements, softneth the hard partes, humecteth all the parts of the body, prouoketh sleepe, corroborateth the ventricle, & helpeth the concoction & naturall heate, good for all affections of the matrix, inflammation of the lightes, good for all intemperie, except the humide, dolor of the head and eyes, maladies of the lightes, lassitude of the stomack and back, for all fluxions and members vlce∣red, for all scabbes and vices in the skin of both olde and yong, it softeneth the articles, clarifieth the voice, moueth vrine, bringeth the flesh and skin in good temperature, it mundifieth and is good for hectick feuers and phrensies as saith Hippocrates, it discusseth flatnosities, and sharpe ex∣crements, the watee must not be too hot, for it healeth & closeth the pores, and so letteth the excrements vnder the skin to come foorth.

Caution before Bathing.

NOtwithstanding of the great benefit, which commeth of it, it must bee moderately vsed, the excessiue vsing hereof offendeth the heart, causeth syncope, taketh away appetite, loseth the ioyntes, resolueth the naturall heate, prouoketh nee••ing, it moueth humors and offendeth the vlcers as saith Galen. The bathe must be made in this sort, first there must be a vessell of the length of the party of two so b••e broad, of height two and a halfe or three, it must be almost full of water. After he hath remained a while in the bath, fill it with warme water, the vessell aboue with a couerlet, shee••e, or some such like thing, hauing remai∣ned therein as long as is needefull, the partie shall come forth of the bath and dry himselfe with hot clothes, put a hot sh••••te abou•• him and couer all his body warme, so he will swea••e, which being dryed he shall rise and hold him warme all that day. If he will he may afterwardes doe in

like manner the after noone, and so continue three or sixe dayes as shalbe thought expediēt, entring sometime once a daye, otherwhiles twise, adde commonly to the water chiefly in the spring and sommer, when they are in vertue these hearbs, mallowes, marsh-mallowes, violetts, parie∣••arie, fumit••rie, Dragon or Buglossie, Plantine, patience, a∣grimonie, beare foote, hearts toung, betonie, toses, which all or some of these may be sodden a little afore they bee put in the bath.

Thinges to be obserued before ye en∣ter into the Bath.

FIrst as counselleth Antillus a verie auntient medicine, the partie should be fasting, or else foure howers after meat, for as saith Hippocrates, a man must not enter in ha∣uing his bellie full of meate and drinke, so it is meetest time in the morning, or foure howers after noone. Nexte ye must beware that no noble part be offended, nor much debilitated, for if the humor bee moued by the bathe, the pores & waies dilated, the humor goeth easily to the part offended. The partie must also before he enter be purged, no weake body should enter the rein. While he is in it, hee must keepe himselfe warme, the bathe must be meanely warme, neither too hot nor cold, for if it be too hot, it clo∣seth the pores of the skin, letteth the foorth cōming of the excrements, & heateth the blood. Hippocrates coūselleth to be silent in the bathe & in no waies cōmoned, if he wax feeble, he may take a litle wine or a sop of bread dipped in it, or some pruns to quēch his thirst, as coūselleth Cassius in his problemes, let him dry the sweat of his face & tēples & behind the eares. He must not stay so long the first day, as the rest, Hierodotus counselle••h to remaine halfe an hower at the first, afterwards an how•••• or two. After the cōming forth, the party must be well dried chiefly his head as coun∣selleth Hippocrates, for humidity is as gret an enemy to the head as cold, he must haue the passage open to the naturall excremēnts, & not eat of one houre after he come foorth of the bathe.

Notes

• Natural bathes
• Salt. c.
• Alluminou••.
• Sulphuro••••.
• Ironand steele.
• Copp••rous.
• Golde.
• Leade.
• Artificiall bathes.
• Gal. de sauitate ••uenda lib. 3. Hip. Celsus. F••chius.
• Hierodotus lib de temediis fo∣ris abhibendis.
• Antillus.
• Hip. apho. 54.
• Hypp.
• Hierodotus.