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 first booke of the Presages of diuine Hyppocrates. (Book 1)

Prologue.

ANy Medicine Chirurgian desiring to purchase glory & honour, the loue of the people, and some wealth by his Science, ought to shew himselfe skilfull & expert, and that by declaring to the Patients the signes past, present & future of their Maladies, and shewing the thinges ouer past by the sicke men, and aduertising or reducing to their memory things forgotten: which the sicke persons knowing will the more confidently commit themselues to their hands, presuming and thinking that he hath generall knowledge of all Ma∣ladies, and that they shall be spedily cured, the which is true: For hauing such knowledge of things past, present, & future, he may more easily helpe the Maladies although it be impossible to any Medicine Chirurgian to cure and heale all diseases: for it should be a greater thing then to foretell the future accidents. For it sometimes happeneth that t••••e sicke die by the violence or malignitie of the Ma∣ladie before the Phisitian be called: some die shortly after the Chirurgian is arriued, the same day: also one or twoo dayes after before that by his science and diligence he may correct and take away the perill and dangerous accidēts. Therefore he ought to endeuour and enforce him to knowe the nature and peruersitie of such sicknes, also the strength of the sicke to the end hee may auoyde defamations, oppro∣bries and reproches: which he shall doe and make himselfe

admirable and more deuine then humane, presaging death to one, health to another, hauing likewise regarde to the qualitie, goodnes and malignitie of the aire as wee parti∣culer, vz. which circumuirons the sicke as the vniuersall, & the times on their qualities and the yeare, also the good & euill aspects of celestiall bodies, which foreseing hee shall eschew dishonour, and shall get renowne and freinds.

¶ Here he beginneth to Presage by signes of the Face.

NOw to foretell well, to foresee or presage by signes in dangerous & vehement Ma∣ladies. It is requisite to consider & con∣template the Face of the sicke. First to knowe if it be such as in health, or but a litle difference: and if it be so, the medi∣cine Chirurgian may haue a good presagement and hope of Recouerie. But if it be greatlie altered and changed as followeth, hee shall esteame it perill and danger of death, when the nose and nostrels are extenuated and sharpened by the same Malady, and the eyes hollow, and the temples viz. the parts betweene the eares and forehead are leane, and the skinne of the brow is hard, dry, and loose, and the eares cold and shronke, or almost doubled, and all the face appeareth black, pale, liuide, or leaden and greatly defor∣med, in respect of that which it was in time of health: When these things before mentioned appeare in the Face, or the most part of them, In the beginning or first daies of the Maladie he must enquire (if he cannot knowe by any other token) if it happen not by watching too much, viz. that the Patient hath not had time nor opportunitie to sleepe, or if he hath had a naturall flux of the belly, or if the said thinges haue happened by famine: for if it be so, he ought not to feare danger. On the contrarie, if the Face

appeare such and continue, and the Patient saith that the said things doe not proceed of watching, loosenes of body, nor by fasting, the Medicine Chirurgian may assuredly presage death approching and if the maladie hath already continued three or foure daies, after hauing considered that as is aboue mentioned it behooued him to contemplate by other signes, as by the eyes and other parts of the body.

To presage by the signes of the Eyes and Lippes.

JF the Eies cannot see the day or light, and weepe or powre out teares against nature, and against the Pa∣tients will: Also when it seemeth that they are like to fall out of the head, or that the one is euidently giuen lesse or diminished, or that the white of the eyes is red, and the vaines appeare red or liuide, or that they are bleared or dimme, or trembling and very moueable, or deepe & sonck in: also when the sick becommeth squint eyed and looketh ouer thwart, and hath a terrible and obscure looke, and hath the visage all disfigured & fearefull: all these signes are pernicious and mortall. Also when the Patient slee∣peth with his eyes halfe open (he doth not so by custome) and the white of the eye shew it selfe, the eye lids being onely closed, and this happeneth not by the flux of the body, nor by laxatiue medicines, it is a signe of death. Also when the eye lids, the lips, and nose seeme to be crooked and drawen awry, also mortified and liuide: these signes with the preceding foretell death to the sicke. Likewise when the lips are leane, hanging downe, colde and pale, against the nature of the sicke, the Medicine Chirurgian may pre∣sage and prognosticate death to approch.

To presage by the maner of Lying and Reposing.

AS for Lying it is a very good signe when the Pati∣ent reposeth and resteth on the right side or left at his

ease hauing his hands vpon his stomack or elsewhere, not being stiffe, nor his legs but flexible, and to repose as in health is best. For to lie with neck, hands, & feet stifly ex∣tended and vnflexible is an euill signe. Likewise when the sicke turneth, wrings and tosseth vp & downe often times with starting either in sleepe or waking, and making the beds feet where the head should be, casting himselfe down, not knowing what he doth, is an euill signe: Also if hee often vncouer himselfe hauing no great heat in the extre∣mities, & that he casteth forth his armes, legs, feet & head, sōtime on this side, somtime on that, it is a signe that he is in great anguish & distresse: also it is a pernitious signe to sleepe with the mouth open contrarie to nature: likewise to sleepe with the face vpward hauing the legs enterlaced and folded together as it were cords, and that by the force and violence of the Maladie, is a bad signe, or when they are much enlarged against reason. Likewise he that slee∣peth contrarie to nature & custome with the belly downe∣ward laid close to the bed, sheweth and signifieth confusion and alienation of sences, or great rage & dolor of the belly. Also whosoeuer in the day of Critication and force of the Maladie constraines and forceth himselfe to rise & sit vp∣right, and is impatient, puts himselfe in danger, and it is an euill signe in all vehement & great Maladies, but worse in pulmonick passions.

¶ To Presage by the Teeth.

ƲƲHen one gnasheth the teeth (not as a man that hath extreame cold) but with collision in the Feuer, & hath not had it naturally, nor by custome, it signifieth trē∣bling of the spirit & consequently death, and if he be shortly after voide of reason and alienated, it signifieth death ap∣proching.

¶To Presage of the signe of Death by the Ʋlcer.

IF there happen to the sicke person any Vlcer Antrax or

Carbuncle, whether it goe before the Maladie, or come with the Malady: if the Vlcer dry vp, and it become nei∣ther greene, liuide, nor black, and you perceaue the sicke to grow worse, you may prognosticate death ensuing.

¶To presage by the Handes.

ƲƲHen the Patient sicke of the burning Feuer, or in the Maladie of the lights called Peripneumonia, or in bastard frenzie, and not perfect, or in great dolor of the head, seekes haire, and there about below & vpon the bed, as threds, and haeres of the face, also feathers, or filth of the couerings, also straw, rushes, and other thinges, & thinkes to take hold of the seeling & walles, the which are al mor∣tall signes.

¶To presage by Breath or Respiration.

THe Breath or Respiration signifieth often dolors or in∣flammations, or burning in the spirituall members, as in the heart and lights, but when it is great and rare, so that there is any long space betwixt the Respiration, it sig∣nifieth alienation of vnderstanding and reason. And when the breath issueth out of the mouth & nostrils very cold, it foretels great perill of death. But gentle Respiration in any hot Maladie being ioyned and accompanied with a Feuer is signe of health in those that do end in fortie daies.

¶ Of the Prognostication by Sweat.

THe healthfull, commendable, and good Sweat in all hot Maladies, is that which hapneth in the day of Cri∣tication & Iudgement, and chifly when it is vniuersall & the Patient findes himselfe thereby eased & strengthened. And if it happen not in the same day & be not vniuersall, it is no good signe. For the mortall Sweat is particular & cold as in the forehead, in the head or face only, and this in the burning Feuer and other Maladies declareth continu∣ance of the Maladie.

¶ To presage of the Right side and Left.

WHen the Patient feeles not any dolour, tumor, hard∣nesse, or Inflammation vpon the Ribbes, it is a very good signe, and when the one side is as soft as the other, without dolour. But if there be dolour, tumor, hardnesse, or Inflammation on both sides, or on the one more then the other, it is an euill signe. For if he feele great motion or pulsacion in one of the sides, one may prognosticate great distresse and dolour, or alienation and confusion of Reason. If with this pulsation the eyes be very moueable, the Pa∣tient is in danger of Frensie and to be franticke, or to de∣stroy himselfe.

¶ To presage by signes of Apostumes vnder the sides.

THe Collection of Apostume in a burning Maladie vn∣der both the sides with tumor and dolour, is more dan∣gerous then vnder one of the sides onely, and chiefly lesse dangerous vnder the left side then vnder the right: and if the Patient die not in the first daies, and if it continue xx. daies and the feuer cease not, nor the Apostume diminish, it is a signe that it shall come to maturation, and if it hap∣pen on the seauenth daie with the flux of blood at the nose, it easeth well, which the Medicine Chirurgian may prog∣nosticate when the Patient saith that he hath paine in the head or forehead, and that his eies are dimme or obscure, & chiefly when the Patient doe not exceed 30 or 35 yeeres of age. And when the collection or Apostume is soft and without dolour, and moueth or varieth when it is handled, it requireth longer time to be cured then the precedent, but it is not so dangerous. And if it continue 60 daies, and the Feuer cease not, neither the tumor diminish, it shall come to maturation and purgation: you shall prognosti∣cate so much of Apostumes in the belly: the Apostume then

being hard, great, and with dolour, is dangerous & mor∣tall: The soft without dolour and volable from one place to another, is of longer continuance, but without compa∣rison lesse dangerous.

¶ To presage of Apostumes in the bottome of the Belly.

THe Apostumes of the Belly doe neuer become so great as those that breed vnder the Midriffe, and yet they are lesse which engender vnder the Nauill, and most com∣monly they come to suppuration or putrefaction: It is a good signe whē they purge by flux of blood at the Nostrels from the parte of the Apostume: also all such Apostumes by laps of time and in the end may come to putrefaction and purga••ion by maner as followeth. It is then conue∣nient to consider that the forenamed Collections or Apo∣stumes come by diuers meanes to putrefaction or purgati∣on, for some purge altogether outwardly and are little, round, and sharpe or pointed, they are most healthfull and feast mortall: The sarge, grosse, and flat, spatious and not round nor sharpe, are dangerous: and those which breake and purge within the belly, although they make some tu∣mors outwardly, are more pernicious & dangerous, then those which make no imminence outwardly, and which haue not the skinne discoloured.

¶ To presage what the matter ought to be that issueth out of Apostumes.

THe Corruption and matter which commeth out of A∣postumes altogether white and not vnsauorie is good and healthfull: that which is otherwise, howe much the more it deflects from white, so much the more is vitious and bad.

The end of the first Booke.