CHAP. IIII. Of the Prognosticks in Impostumes.
TVmors arising from a melancholy, phlegmaticke, grosse, tough, or viscors humor, aske a longer time for their cure, than those which are of bloud or * 1.1 choler. And they are more difficultly cured which are of humors not naturall, than those which are of humors yet contained in the bounds of nature.
For those humors which are rebellious, offend rather in qualitie, than in quantitie, and undergoe the divers formes of things dissenting from nature, which are joyned * 1.2 by no similitude or affinitie with things naturall, as suet, poultis, hony, the dregs of oile, and wine; yea, and of solid bodies, as stone, sand, coale, strawes, and some∣times of living things, as Wormes, Serpents, and the like monsters.
The tumors which possesse the inner parts, and noble entrailes, are more dangerous and deadly, as also those which are in the joints, or neere to them. And these tumors which seaze upon great vessels, as veines, arteries, and nerves, for feare of great effu∣sion of bloud, wasting of the spirits and convulsion. So impostumes of a monstrous bignesse are often deadly, by reason of the great resolution of the spirits caused by their opening. Those which degenerate into a Scyrrhus are of long continuance and * 1.3 hard to cure, as also those which are in hydropicke, leprous, scabby and corrupt bo∣dies, for they often turne into maligne and ill conditioned vulcers.