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

CHAP. XI. An advertisement to the young Chirurgion touching the distance of times wherein maligne Vlcers are to be dressed.

TO shew the use of Asclepiades his medicine described in the former Chap∣ter, * 1.1 and convince the errour of these Chirurgions, who thinke they doe well for their patients, if they twise or thrice on a day dresse maligne Vlcers, I have heere thought good to digresse a little from my purpose and to interpose Galens authority. Rightly (saith Galen) hath Asclepiades added these words to the formerly described medicine: And loose this after three dayes, and foment the Vlcer, and fasten the same emplaister being washed, and apply it againe; for unlesse the medicine adhere long to the skin, it will doe no good. Which thing notwithstanding many Physitions have beene ignorant of, thinking if they wi∣ped away the Sanies from the Vlcer thrice on a day, they should doe better than those who did the save but twice a day. But those who dresse it but once a day, are reprooved by the patients as negligent. But they are much mistaken; for you must remember, as we have delivered in most of our writings, that the qualities of all neighbouring bodies do mutuall actuate and affect each other in some degree, al∣though the one thereof bee much more powerfull; for by this reason in space of time they become somewhat alike, though they otherwise differ much; But when the quality of the medicine shall bee like in species to the body to bee cured, there followes the better successe. Wherefore he which moved by these reasons first ap∣pointed to use the emplaster formerly applyed, is worthy of commendations; and we ought to follow him much the rather, seeing that which he found out by reason, is approoved by experience. Neither did he unadvisedly command to foment the wound every third day, that is, at every dressing; for seeing it is a powerfull medicine, therefore it stands in neede of mitigation. Thus much Galen, whose opinion groun∣ded * 1.2 on reason, he can againe confirme with another reason. It is already sufficient∣ly knowne, that medicines can doe nothing in us unlesse by the force of the native heate, which stirres up the faculty of the medicine to operation. But in Vlcers which are absolutely maligne, the native heate of the affected part is very languid, being

broken and debilitated by the presence of the preternaturall heate; so that it stands in need of a great space of time to actuate the vertue and faculty of the medicine. Wherefore, if in that time, when as the native heate hath much moved and stirred up the faculty of the medicine, the ulcer be loosed or opened, and that emplaister cast away which was layd upon the part, and a fresh one layd in steede thereof; the heate implanted in the part is either dissipated by the contact of the ayre, or is weakned and driven in; and that endeavour which was made by the emplaister was to no purpose, being as it were stopped in the midst of the course. But a new emplaister being layd on, the heate of the part must undergoe a new labour, so to stirre up the faculty to bring it to act.

For all medicines are, what they are, in faculty. Equall to this is their errour, who by too oft renewing their emplaisters on the same day, doe too powerfully * 1.3 clense; for so they doe not onely take away the excrementitious humors, both Sordes and Sanies, but also the alimentary juice; to wit, the Rob, Cambium, and Gluten, which are the next matter for procreating of laudible flesh. Wherefore it is not good to dresse Vlcers so often in one day, and to loose them to apply new emplaisters, unlesse some grievous symptome (as paine) force us to doe it, which requires to be asswaged and mittigated by the often changing and renewing of Anodyne medicines.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gal, lib, 4, de comp, med: sec. gen: Cap. 5.
• * 1.2

  Galens reason further explai∣ned.
• * 1.3

  Medicines are onely such in faculty.