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CHAP. VI. Of the Fracture of the Nose.
THe Nose is gristly in its lower part, but bony in the upper. Wherfore it * 1.1 suffers no fracture in the gristly part (unless peradventure a Sedes) but only a depression, distortion or contusion. But a fracture often happens to the bony part, & so great a depression to the in nerside, that unlesse it be pro∣vided for by diligent restoring it, the nose will become flat, or wrested aside, whence there will be difficulty of breathing. That this kinde of fracture may be restored, * 1.2 that bone which stands too farre out must be pressed downe; but that which is de∣prest, must be lifted up with a spatherne, or little sticke handsomely fashioned and wrapped about with cotten or a linnen ragge, so to avoyd paine. Therefore you shall hold the spatherne in one hand, and reduce and order it with the other. The bone being restored, directories or tents of a convenient bignesse shall be put into the nose; which tents shall bee made of sponge, or flaxe, or a peece of a beasts or sheeps lungs. For these things are soft, and doe not onely hinder the bones of the Nose that they fall no more, but also lift them up higher. And then the Nose shall be in some sort stayed with boulsters on each side, even untill the perfect agglutina∣tion of the bones, lest the figure and straitnesse should be vitiated and spoyled. I have oft times put golden, silver and leaden pipes into fractured noses, and fastned them with a thred to the Patients night cap, which, by one and the same means, kept the bones from being again deprest, gave the matter free passage forth, and no∣thing hindred the breathing. In the mean time we must see, that we do not presse the Nose with too strait binding, unlesse peradventure some other thing perswade; lest they become eyther too wide, too flat, or crooked. If any wound accom∣pany the fracture, that shall bee cured after the same manner, as the wounds of the head. The fracture restored, the following medicine, which hath a facultie to repell and represse the defluxion, to strengthen and keep the part in its due posture, and to dry up and waste the matter which hath alreadie fallen downe, shall bee apply∣ed to the Nose, and all the other dry parts.
℞. thuris, mastiches, boli armeniae, sanguinis draconis. an. ℥ss. aluminis rochae, * 1.3 resinae pini. an. ʒ ij. pulverisentur subtilissimè: Or else, ℞. farinae volatilis ℥ss. al∣buminum ovorum quantum sufficit, incorporentur simul, & fiat medicamentum.
Neither shall you use any other art to cure the cartilagineous part of the nose being fractured. Wherefore Hippocrates termes that solution of continuitie that * 1.4 there happens, A fracture, as if it were in a bone; because hee could finde no o∣ther name more fitly to expresse it: for a gristle, next to a bone, is the har∣dest of all the parts of our bodie. A Callus uses to grow in fractured noses, unlesse something hinder within the space of twelve or fifteene dayes.