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CHAP. XI. The other generall remedies for the Gout.
THe defluxion of serous humours is very ••itly diverted from the joints by * 1.1 the urine by the use of diureticke medicines. Therefore the roots of Sorrell, parsly, ruscus, asparagus, and grasse, and the like, shall bee boyled in broth, and given to such as have the gout: for when the urine flow∣eth much and thick, the paine is lessened. Many have found benefit by * 1.2 issues; for the Arthritick malignity flowes forth of these, as by rivelets: experience shewes it in such as are troubled with the Lues Venere••, for in those that you cannot overcome the malignity by the proper antidote, that is, Quicksilver, they feele no greater ease of the pain, than by application of Causticks, and making of issues. They shall bee made in sundry places according to the difference of the pained joints, * 1.3 to wit, in the beginning of the neck, if the defluxion proceed from the braine, and fall into the joints of the Collar-bones or shoulder; if into the Elbow or hand, under the muscle Epomis; if into the hip, knees, and feete, some three fingers breadth under the knee, on the inside: for thus there will follow more plentifull evacuation, by reason that the Saphei•• runneth downe that way. Yet if the patient bee troubled with much businesse, and must travell much on horse-back, then shall they be made * 1.4 on the outside of the legge, betweene the two bones thereof, that so they may trou∣ble him the lesse in riding. If any had rather use an actuall cautery, let him take such an one as is triangular and sharpe, that so hee may with more speed and lesse paine performe that which hee intends, and let him thrust it through a plate of iron which hath a hole therein, and let the place bee marked lest hee should ••rre; the ulcer shall be kept open by putting in a pill of gold, silver, lint, of the root of orris, hermoda∣ctiles, gentian, waxe, wherewith some pouder of vitrioll, mercurie or allum shall be incorporated, lest it should fill up with flesh sooner than the Physician shall thinke * 1.5 fit. In the meane space, the head, oft-times the originall of the evill, shall be evacu∣ated by taking in the winter the pills cochiae, and de Assa••ereth; but in summer sine quibus, or Imperiales, before the Full of the Moone. ℞. pul. hyer•• simp. ʒi. agar. re∣cent. troch. & rhei an. ʒii. myroball. chebul. ʒss. tamarind. ℈ii. cum infusione senae, fiat massa de qu•• formentur pill. vi. pro drachma; let the patient take two before supper every eighth day; the day after he shall drinke some broth of the decoction of Ci∣cers and the Diureticke roots. Also these following pills will bee good to purge the phlegmaticke and serous humour. ℞. pillular. foetid. & de hermodactil. an. ʒss. for∣mentur cum succo vel syrup. rosar. solut. Or else, ℞. al••ës. ʒiii. agarici trochis. & rhei, an. ʒi. massae pilul. arthrit. & de hermodact. an. ℈ii. diacrid. ℈i. cum me••••e rosat•• fiat massa, capiat pondus, ʒi. as the Physician shall thinke fit, by whose advice these shall be used and changed as occasion shall offer it self, and the nature of the humour cau∣sing the disease. The day after the purging, the patient shall take three houres before meat half a dram of Treacle, to strengthen the entrailes: pils are preferred before li∣quid * 1.6 medicines, for that by their long stay in the stomack they easily attract the noxi∣ous humor from the brain, & the other more distant parts. I have known some Phy∣sicians who mixing with ordinary pils a good quantity of scamony, as 7. or 8. grains, with a little ginger, lest it should hurt the stomack, have purged by stool a great quan∣tity * 1.7 of serous humours; the day following they gave barly creame to correct the harme which the scamonie may have done to the stomacke. Others for the same purpose give treacle, which doth not onely strengthen the entrailes, but also wea∣kens the virulencie of the gouty malignity; the orifice of the ventricle must be shut after meate, that so the vapours ascending to the braine may bee restrained: for this * 1.8 purpose common Drige powder, Marmelate, or conserve of roses are good. In a wet season use Cephalicke perfumes thus made. ℞. thu••is, vernicis, & mastich. an. ʒi. granorum juniperi, baccarum lauri, an. ℥ss. ligni aloës ʒii. ass•• odora•••• ʒi. ss. Let them bee grosly beaten; let the fume be received in row or carded Cotton, and so applyed to the head. Also the excrementitious humours shall bee dried up by the follow∣ing powder strowed on the patients head for fifteene dayes. ℞. fol. ros. rub. senae, staechad. utriusque an. m. ss. milii, ℥iiii. furfuris loti in vino albo, ℥ iii. florum chamaem.