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

CHAP. XII. Certaine memorable Histories.

HEre I thinke good for the benefit of young practitioners, to illustrate by examples the formerly prescribed Methode of curing wounds made by Gunshot. The famous and most valiant Count of Mansfelt, Gover∣nour of the Dutchy of Luxembourge, Knight of the order of Burgundy, comming to the ayde of the French King, was at the battell of Moncon∣tour, where in the conflict, he received so great a wound at the joynt of the left arme with a Pistoll bullet, that the bones were shivered and broken in so many peeces, as if they had bin layd upon an Anvill and struck with an hammer: hence proceeded many * 1.1 maligne symptomes, as cruel & tormenting paine, inflammation, a feaver, an oedema∣tous and flatulent tumor of the whole arme even to the fingers end, and a certaine in∣clination to a Gangraene: which to resist, Nicolas Lambert, & Richard Hubert the Kings Chirurgions, had made many and deepe scarifications. But when I came to visite and dresse him, by the Kings appointment, and had observed the great stinch, and putrifa∣ction, I wished that they would use lotions of Aegyptiacum made somewhat stronger than ordinary, & dissolved in venegar & aqua vitae, and do other things more largely spoken of in the chapter of a Gangreene. For the patient had also a Diarrhaea or fluxe, whereby he evacuated the purulent, and stinking filth which flowed from his wound. Which how it might come to passe wee will show at large when we come to treate * 1.2 of the suppression of the Vrine. For this seemed very absurd to many, because that if this purulent humor flowed out of the arme into the belly, it must needs flow backe into the veines, bee mixed with the blood, and by its pernitious and contagious pas∣sage through the heart and liver, cause exceeding ill symptomes, and lastly death. In∣deed he often swounded by the ascent of the filthy vapours raised from the ulcers to the noble parts; which to resist, I wished him to take a spoonefull of aqua vitae with some Treacle dissolved therein. I endeavoured to represse the oedematous and flatu∣lent Tumor possessing all the arme with stoups dipped in oxycrate, to which was put a little salt and aqua vitae; these stoups I stayed & held to the part with double clothes, sowed as strait as I could. Such a compression held the broken bones in their places, pressed their Sanies from the ulcers, and forced backe the humors flowing to the part into the center of the body. If at any time I omitted this compression, the tumor was so encreased, that I was in a great deale of feare, least the native heate of the part should bee suffocated. Neither could I otherwise binde up the arme by reason of the excessive paine which molested the pati∣ent upon the least stirring of the Arme. There were also many Abscesses

about his elbow and over all his arme bessdes. For the letting forth of whose mat∣ter I was forced, to make new incisions; which he endured very stoutly. At length I cured him with using a vulnerary potion, and by cleansing the ulcers, and correcting the putrifaction with Aegyptiacum dissolved in wine or honey of roses, and so poured * 1.3 into the ulcers, and repressing the growth of proud flesh, with the pouder of burnt Alome, drying it after the detersion with liniments. Now this I can truely affirme and professe, that during the time of the cure, I tooke out above threescore splinters of bones, and those necessarily, amongst which there was one of the length of ones finger; yet by Gods assistance at length he became sound in all things, but that hee could not put forth, or draw in his arme.

Not long after by the Kings command I went to see Charles Philip of Croy, Lord of Auret, the Duke of Aschos brother, not farre from Mounis a City of Henalt. He kept his bed seaven monthes by reason of a wound made by a Bullet the space of three fingers above his knee. When I came to him, hee was afflicted with these symptomes, intollerable paine, a continuall feaver, cold sweats, watchings, excori∣ation * 1.4 of the hippes by reason of his long lying upon them, his appetite dejected with much thirst. He oft sunke downe as if he had the falling sicknesse, had a desire to vomit, and a continuall trembing or shaking so that he could not put one hand to his mouth without the assistance of the other: he swounded frequently by reason of the vapours ascending to the noble parts. For the thighbone was broken long wayes and sidewayes with many splinters of bones, whereof some were plucked out and others remained sticking fast in. He besides also had an ulcer in his groine which reached to the midst of his thigh, and many other sinuous ulcers about his knee. All the muscles of his thigh and legge were swolne with a flegmaticke, cold and flatulent humor, so that almost all the native heate of those parts seemed ex∣tinct. All which things being considered, I had scarse any hope to recover him, so that I repented my comming thither. Yet at length putting some confidence in his strength, and prime of youth, I began to have better hopes. Therefore with his * 1.5 good liking, first of all I make two incisions, so to let forth the matter, which lying a∣bout the bone did humect the substance of the muscles. This had happy successe, and drew out a great quantity of matter; then I with a syring injected much Aegypti∣acum dissolved in wine, and a little aqua vitae into these incisions, so to restraine and a∣mend the purrifaction, represse the spongie, loose and soft flesh, resolve the oedema∣tous and flatulent tumor, asswage the paine, and stirre up and strengthen the native heate almost opprest by the aboundance of excrementitious humors, so that it could scarsely assimulate any nourishment and adjoyne it to the parts. Then I fomented the affected part with Sage, Rose-mary, Time, Lavander, Chamomile and Melilot * 1.6 flowres and red-rose leaves boyled in white wine, and lye made of Oake-ashes, ad∣ding thereto as much salt and vineger as I judged requisite. This fomentation did at∣tenuate and draw forth the morbificke humour. Now we used them long and often, so to waste the humour more by drying up and breathing thorow the passages of the skinne, more thereof than fell into the part. For this same purpose, we ordained that * 1.7 he should use frictions with hot linnen clothes, and that these should be made from above downwards, from below upwards, and so on every side, and somewhat long withall: For a short friction drawes more humour into the part than it can resolve: I wished that each other day they should lay bricks heated hot in the fire about his leg, thigh, & soale of his foot; but they were to besomewhat quenched, & sprinkeld with wine and vineger, with a small quantity of aqua vitae. Much watrish moisture by this moist heat, did sweat out of these parts, the tumour was leslened, and the native heat * 1.8 by little and little restored. Then shoupes dipped in lye made of Oake-ashes, wherein Sage, Rosmarie, Lavender, salt, and cloaves, were boyled, some aqua vitae added, were applyed thereto; but the rowlers were so gently, and artificially wrapped about, that he did easily endure them without any paine, and that with such happy successe, that if they were omitted but for one day, the tumor became very great. But thicke linnen boulsters were layd upon the lower cavities of the ulcers; that so the sanies or filth might be more easily pressed forth. But I had alwayes a speciall care that the orifices of the ulcers should be kept open with hollow Tents or pipes put therein:

and sometimes this following cataplasme was applyed to resolve the tumor. ℞. Far. hord. fabar. & orobi, an ℥vj. mellis com. & tereb. an. ℥ij. flo. chamam. melil. & ros. rub. * 1.9 an. ℥ss. pulv. rad. Ireos, Flor. cyper. Mast. an. ʒiij. oxymel. simp. quantum sufficit; fiat cata∣plasma ad formam pultis satis liquidae. And Emplastrum de Vigo without mercury was applyed thereto, whereby the paine was much asswaged, and the tumor lessened: yet were they not applyed before the parts were throughly heated by the fomentati∣on, frictions, and evaporations; for otherwayes this Emplaster could never have beene activated, by reason of the excessive coldnesse of the affected parts. Neither did we omit catagmaticke powders, fit for the taking, and drawing forth of broken bones. He used a vulnerary potion for 15, dayes. Also besides the particular fricti∣ons of the affected parts, I appointed other generall frictions of the whole body, which was become very leane; for by these, blood together with the spirit was drawne to the parts, and the acride, and fuliginous vapours were breathed forth.

To conclude, his feaver and paines being asswaged, his appetite restored, by fee∣ding plentifully upon good meates according to his strength, he in a short time be∣came more lusty; and lastly by the singular mercy of God, recovered his health per∣fectly, but that he could not very well bend his knee. I thought good to recite these things, not to glory or bragge of the happy successe of those patients, which have recovered by my meanes, and the favour of God; but that thus I may more fully and perfectly by familiar examples instruct young practitioners in the operations of Chirurgery.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The maligne symptomes which usually happens upon wounds made by Gunshot.
• * 1.2

  Matter may flow from the wounded Iimbes into the belly.
• * 1.3

  A breefe recid tall of the manner of the cure.
• * 1.4

  Horride symptomes occasioned by a wound made by Gun-shot.
• * 1.5

  Incisions wherefore made.
• * 1.6

  Wherefore I used fomenta∣tions.
• * 1.7

  Mixed or round fricti∣ons, as they terme them.
• * 1.8

  A medicated Lye.
• * 1.9

  A discussing Cataplasme.