The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. II. Of a Polypus, being an eating disease in the Nose.

THe Polypus is a Tumor of the Nose against nature, commonly arising from the Os Ethm••ides of spungye bone. It is so called, because it resembles the * 1.1 fect of a Sea Polypus in figure, and the flesh thereof in consistence. This Tumor stops the Nose, intercepting and hindering the liberty of speaking and blowing the Nose. Celsus saith the Polypus is a caruncle or Excrescence one while white, another while reddish, which adheres to the bone of the Nose, and sometimes * 1.2 fills the Nosthrils hanging towards the lipps, sometimes it descends backe through that hole, by which the spirit descends from the Nose to the throtle; it growes so that it may he seene behinde the Vvula, and often strangles a man by stopping his breath. There are five kinds thereof, the first is, a soft membrane, long and thin like the relaxed and depressed Vvula, hanging from the middle gristle of the nose, being filled with a * 1.3 Phlegmaticke and viscide humor. This in exspiration hangs out of the Nose, but is drawne in and hid by inspiration; it makes one snaffle in their speech and snort in their sleepe. The second, hath hard flesh, bred of Melancholy blood without adustion, which obstructing the nosthrils intercepts the respiration made by that part. The third, is flesh hanging from the Gristle, round, and soft, being the off-spring

of Phlegmaticke blood. The fourth is an hard Tumor, like flesh, which when it is touched yeelds a sound like a stone; it is generated of Melancholike blood dryed, being somewhat of the nature of a Scirrhus confirmed and without paine.

The fifth is as it were composed of many cancrous ulcers spred over the trans∣verse surface of the gristle.

Of all these sorts of Polypi, some are not ulcerated, others ulcerated, which send forth a stinking and strong smelling filth. Such of them as are painefull, hard, * 1.4 resisting, and which have a livide, or leaden colour, must not be touched with the hand, because they savour of the Nature of a Cancer, as into which they oft de∣generate; yet by reason of the paine which oppresses more violently, you may use the Anodyne medicines formerly described in a Cancer, such as this fol∣lowing.

℞. Olei de vitell. ovorum ℥ij, Lytharg. auri, & Tuthiae praep. an. ℥j. succi plant. * 1.5 & solani an. ℥ssj. Lapid. haematit. & camphorae, an ℥ss. Let them be wrought a long time in a leaden mortar, and so make a medicine to be put into the nosethrills. Those which are soft, loose and without paine, are sometimes curable, being plucked a∣way with an instrument made for that purpose, or else wasted by actuall cauteries put in through a pipe, so that they touch not the sound part; or by potentiall cau∣teries, as Agyptiacum composed of equall parts of all the simples with vitrioll which hath a facultie to waste such like flesh. Aquafortis and oyle of vitrioll have the same facultie, for these take away a Polypus by the rootes; for if any part thereof re∣mayne * 1.6 it will breede againe. But Cauteries and acride medicines must be put in∣to the nostrills with this Caution, that in the meane time cold repelling and astrin∣gent medicines be applied to the nose and parts about it to asswage the paine, and hinder the inflammation. Such as are Vnguentum de bolo, and vnguentum nutri∣tum, whites of Egges beate with Rose leaves, and many other things of the like nature.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The reason of the name.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 6. Cap. 8.
• * 1.3

  The differen∣ces thereof.
• * 1.4

  Which of them admit no ma∣nuall operati∣on.
• * 1.5

  An Anodyne.
• * 1.6

  Why it must be taken cleare away.