and short, others deepe and long; some runne alongst the nervous body, others runne broadwayes; some cut the part quite asunder, others onely a portion thereof. The symptomes which follow upon such wounds are, vehement paine, and de fluxion, inflammation, abscesse, feaver, delirium, sowning, convulsion, gangrene, sphacell; whence often death ensues by reason of that sympathy, which all the ner∣vous parts have with the braine. Amongst all the wounds of the nervous parts, there is none more to be feared than a puncture, or pricke, nor any which causeth more cruell and dangerous symptomes. For by reason of the straitnesse of the wound, medicines can neyther be put in, nor the sanious matter passe forth: now the sanious matter by long stay acquires virulencie, whereby the nervous parts are tainted and swollne, suffer paine, inflammation, convulsions and infinite other symptomes; of these the wounds are most dangerous, by which the nervous and membranous bodies are but halfe cut asunder. For the portion whereof which remaines whole, by its drawing and contracting its selfe towards the originall, causeth great paine and convulsion by sympathy. The truth hereof is evident in wounds of the head, as when the pericranium is halfe cut, or when it is cut to apply a Trepan. For the cutting thereof infers farre greater paine, than when it is cut quite asunder. Wherefore it is safer, to have the ner∣vous body cut quite off, for so it hath no cōmunity, nor consent with the upper parts, neither doth it labour, or strive to resist the contraction of its selfe; now this contrari∣ety, and as it were fight, is the cause of paine; yet there arises another misery from such a wound, for the part whereinto the nerve which is thus cut insunder passes, thence for∣wards looseth its action.