CHAP. VII. Of a Seate, being the fourth kinde of a broken Scull.
HIppocrates calls a seate that kinde of Fracture of the scull, when the weapon * 1.1 so falls upon the scull, that the fracture reteining the print thereof is nei∣ther stretched forth any further, nor contracted to any lesse space.
And seeing there be many formes hereof, they all whether they shall bee superficiary, or shall pierce even to the Diploe, or else passe through both the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, * 1.2 whether it be with any losse of the bonie substance, whether it runne long wayes, or else be but short, or otherwise are dilated to some breadth, or else bee but narrow; whether they shall be done with a cut, or with a pricke with a dagger, stelletto, la••ce or other kind of weapon, whether they shall have this or that accident joyned with them, I say all of them, how many and various soever they be, ought and must be cu∣red by some of the formerly described Instuments and meanes. Yet this must be noted, which as yet wee have not remembred, that if it happen by a violent stroake, and great wound, that a portion of the bone is wholy so cut off, that it is cleane severed from the rest of the scull, and hang only by the Pericranium and musculous skinne; yet you must not plucke it from the Pericranium, and cast it away as unprofitable, but restore it to its proper seate and plaoe, so by the force of nature, to be glewed by a Callus, as Celsus hath observed. * 1.3
I have tryed the truth of this experiment, in captaine Hydron not very long agoe. He had the middle part of the Os Coronale, of the bredth, and length of three fingers, * 1.4 so cut with a sharpe sword, that it stucke not to the rest of the bone; but scarse adh••a∣ring to the Pericranium and musculous skinne; but lay turned downe over his face, so that the Dura Mater was plainely seene; wherefore I prepared to plucke it from the skinne, and cast it away, but that I remembred Hippocrates precept, where hee bids, that the Braine should not be robbed of its cover and left bare. Wherefore first of all I wiped away the blood which was fallen upon the Dura Mater, whose motion you might plainely see, then I restored the portion of the bone, to its place, and fastned it on the upper side with a suture consisting of three slitches; and that the residue of the matter might have passge forth, I filled the places betweene each stitch with linte; by this meanes, he by the mercy of God, recovered, though at the same time he received many other large wounds in his bodie; which is a certaine experi∣ment, that we must cast away no part of the scull, nor of the Pericranium, no not of the musculous skinne, unlesse necessity urge; therefore much lesse to leave the braine naked and despoiled of its coverings.