of the overabundance of choler and melancholy, but also of the extinction of the native heate. In Vlcers where tumors appeare, the patients suffer no convul∣sions, neither are franticke; for the tumor being in the habite of the body possessed with an Vlcer, argues that the nervous parts and their originall are free from the nox∣ious humors. But these tumors suddenly vanishing and without manifest cause, as without application of a discussing medicine, or bleeding, those who have them on their backs have convulsions and distensions, for that the spine of the backe is al∣most wholly nervous; but such as have them on their fore parts, become eyther franticke, or have a sharpe paine of their side, or pleurisie, or else a dysentery if the tumors be reddish; for the forepart of the body is replenished and overspread with many and large vessells, into whose passages the morbificke matter being tran∣slated, is presently carryed to these parts which are the seats of such diseases.
Soft and loose tumors in Vlcers are good, for they shew a mildnesse and gentle∣nesse of the humors, but crude and hard swellings are naught; for all digestion in some measure resembles elixation. Vlcers which are smooth and shining are ill, for they shew that there resides an humour maligne by its acrimony, which frets asun∣der the roots of the haires, and depraves the naturall construction of the pores of the skin; whence it is that such as are troubled with Quartaine agues, the Leprosie or Lues venerea, have their haire fall off.
A livid flesh is ill in Vlcers which cause a rottennesse or corruption of the bones lying under the flesh; for it is an argument of the dying heare and corruption of the bone, whence the flesh hath its originall and integrity.
These Vlcers which happen by occasion of any disease, as a Dropsy, are hard to be cured; as also those whereinto a varix or swollne vessell continually casts in matter; which a present distemper ••oments; which have swollne, hard and callous lips; and such as are circular or round. An Hypersarcosis, or fleshy excrescence usually happens to Vlcers not diligently mundified; and if they possesse the armes or Legs they cause a Phlegmon or some other tumor in the groines, chiefly if the body bee full of ill humors, as Avicen hath noted. For these parts by reason of their rarity and weakenesse are fit and subject to defluxions. Albucrasis writes that for nine causes Vlcers are difficultly replenished with flesh and cicatrized. The first for want of blood, in a bloodlesse body; the second by reason of ill humors and the impurity of the blood; the third by the unfit application of unconvenient medicines; the fourth by reason of the sordidnesse of the Vlcer; the fifth by the putrifaction of the soft and carionlike flesh encompassing the Vlcer; the sixth when they take their origi∣nall from a common cause which every where ••ages with fury, such as are those which are left by the pestilence; the seaventh by reason of the callous hardnesse of the lips of the Vlcer. The eighth when the heavens and aire are of such conditi∣on as ministers fuell to the continuance of the Vlcer, as at Sarogoza in Aragon; the ninth when the bones which lye under it are waisted by rottennesse.
An Vlcer that casts forth white, smooth, equall quitture, and little or no stinking, is easily healed; for it argues the victory of the native heate, and the integrity of the solid parts. We terme that smooth quitture which is absolutely concocted, neither yeelds any asperity to the touch, whereby we might suspect that as yet any portion of the humor remaines crude; we call that equall wherein you can note no diversity of parts; and white not that which is perfectly so, but that which is of an ash co∣lour, as Galen observes. But it is ill, if when the cure is indifferently forward, a fluxe of blood suddainly breake forth in those Vlcers which beate strongly by reason of the great inflammation adjoyned therewith. For as Hippocrates observes, an effu∣sion of blood happening upon a strong pulsation in Vlcers is evill; for the blood breaking out of an Artery cannot be stayed but by force; and also this blood is so furious by reason of the heate and inflammation the nourishers of this Vlcer, that it breakes its receptacles, and hence ensues the extinction of the native heate, whence the defect of suppuration and a Gangreene ensues. Now for that there flowes two sorts of excrements from maligne Vlcers, the more thinne is tearmed Ichor or sanies, but the more grosse is named sordes; that is virulent and flowes from pricked nerves, and the Periostia when they are evill affected; but the other usually flowes from the