CHAP. XXV. Of the Cure of a Scirrhus.
THe Cure of a Sirrhus cheefly consists of three heads. First, the Phisition shall prescribe a convenient diet, that is, sober and moderate in feeding, ten∣ding to humidity, and indifferent heate; for his manner of life, let it be * 1.1 quiet and free from all perturbation of anger, griefe and sadnesse, as also abhorring the use of venery. The second is placed in the evacuation of the antece∣dent matter, as by Phlebotomy, if need require, and by purging, by procuring the haemorrhoids in men and the courses in women; let purgations be prescribed of Dis∣catholicon, Hyera, diasenna, polipody, Epythymum according to the minde of the lear∣ned Physition. The third consists in the convenient use of Topicke medicines, that is, emollient at the beginning, and then presently resolving, or rather such as are mixed both of resolving & emollient faculties, as Galen teaches; for by the use of only emol∣lient * 1.2 things there is danger of putrefaction and a Cancer, and only of resolving there is feare of concretion the subtiler part being resolved, and the grosser subsiding.
The emollient shall be thus: ℞. Rad. alth. lib. s. rad. liliorum ℥iij. conquantur in aqua com. pistentur, traijciantur per setaceum, addendo olei chamaem. & lilior. an. ℥ij. oesipi humidae ℥ss. emplastri diachyl. alb. cum oleo liliorum dissoluti ℥iij, cerae albae quantum * 1.3 fit satis, fiat cerotum. Or ℞. gummi ammoniaci, galb. bdellij, styracis liquidae in aceto dis∣solutorum, an. ℥j. diachyl. mag. ℥jss, olei liliorum, & axungiae anseris, an. ℥j. ceroti oesip. descriptione Philagr. ℥ij. liques••ant omnia simul, cerae quantum sit satis, ut iude fiat cerotum satis molle. When you have sufficiently used emollient things, fume the Tumour with strong Vinegar and Aqua vitae poured vpon