CHAP. XIII. Of the signes of a Gangreene.
THe signes of a Gangreene which inflammation or a phlegmon hath caused, are paine and pulsation without manifest cause, the sudden * 1.1 changing of the fyery and red colour into a livid or blacke, as Hippo∣crates shewes where hee speakes of the Gangreene of a broken heele. I would have you here to understand the pulsificke paine not onely to be that which is caused by the quicker motion of the Arteries, but that heavy and * 1.2 pricking which the contention of the unaturall heate doth produce by raising a thicke cloud of vapours from these humours which the Gangreene sets upon. The signes of a Gangreene caused by cold, are, if suddenly a sharpe pricking and burning paine assaileth the part; for penetrabile frigus adurit (i) peircing cold doth burne: if a * 1.3 shining rednesse as if you had handled snow, presently turne into a livid colour; if in stead of the accidentall heate which was in the part, presently cold and numbenesse shall possesse it, as if it were shooke with a quartain feaver. Such cold if it shall proceede so farre as to extinguish the native heate, bringeth a mortification upon the Gangreene; also oft times convulsions and violent shaking of the whole body, wondrous troublesome to the braine and the fountaines of life. But you shall know * 1.4 Gangreenes caused by too streight bandages, by fracture, luxation, and contufion, by the hardnesse which the attraction and flowing downe of the humors hath cau∣sed; little pimples or blisters spreading or rising upon the skinne by reason of the great heate, as in a combustion; by the weight of the part occasioned through the defect of the spirits not now sustaining the burden of the member; and lastly from this, the pressing of your finger upon the part, it will leave the print thereof as in an aedema; and also from this, that the skinne commeth from the flesh without any manifest cause.
Now you shall know Gangreenes arising from a bite, puncture, aneuris∣ma, or wound in plethoricke and ill bodies, and in a part indued with most * 1.5 exquisite sence, almost by the same signes as that which was caused by inflamma∣tion.
For by these and the like causes, there is a farre greater defluxion and attracti∣on of the humors than is fit, when the perspiration being intercepted and the passages stopt, the native heate is oppressed and suffocated. But this I would admonish the young Chirurgion, that when by the forementioned signes hee shall finde the Gangreene present, that hee doe not deferre the amputation for that hee findes some sense, or small motion yet residing in the part.
For oft times the affected parts are in this case mooved not by the