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CHAP. V. Of Prognosticks.
IF the disease be lately taken, associated by a few symptomes, as with some small number of pustles, and little & wandring paines, * 1.1 and the body besides bee young and in good case, and the consti∣tution of the season bee good and favourable, as the spring, then the cure is easie, and may bee happily performed. But on the contrary, that which is inveterate and enraged by the fellowship of many and maligne symptomes, as a fixed paine of the head, knots and rottennesse of the bones, ill natured ulcers in a body very much fallen a∣way and weake, and whereof the cure hath beene already sundry times undertaken by Empyricks, but in vaine; or else by learned Physicians, but to whose remedies, approved by reason and experience, the malignity of the disease and the rebellious virulency hath refused to yeeld, is to be thought uncurable, especially, if to these so * 1.2 many evils, this bee added, that the patient bee almost wasted with a consumption and hectick leanenesse, by reason of the decay of the native moisture. Wherefore you must onely attempt such by a palliative cure; yet bee wary here in making your prognosticke: for many have beene accounted in a desperate case, who have recovered; for by the benefit of God and nature, wonders oft-times happen in dis∣eases. Young men who are of a rare or laxe habit of body are more subject to this disease, than such as are of a contrary habit and complexion. For as not all who are conversant with such as have the Plague, or live in a pestilent aire, are alike affected; so neither all who lye or accompany with such as have the Lues venerea, are alike infected or tainted. The paines of such as have this disease, are * 1.3 farre different from the paines of the Gout. For those of the Gout returne and torment by certaine periods and fits, but the other are continuall and almost alwaies like themselves; Gouty paines possesse the joynts, and in these condense a plaster-like matter into knots; but those of the Pocks are rather fastened in the middest of the bones, and at length dissolve them by rottennesse and putrefaction. Vene∣reous ulcers which are upon the yarde are hard to cure, but if being healed, they shall remaine hard and callous, they are signes of the disease lying hidde in the body.
Generally, the Lues venerea which now reigneth is farre more milde and easie * 1.4 to bee cured than that which was in former times, when as it first began amongst us: besides, each day it seemeth to bee milder than other. Astrologers think the cause hereof to bee this, for that the coelestiall influences which first brought in this dis∣ease, in successe of time by the contrary revolutions of the Starres, lose their power and become weake; so that it may seeme somewhat likely, that at length aftersome few yeares it may wholly cease; no otherwise than the disease termed Mentagra, which was very like this in many symptomes, and troubled many of the Romans in the raigne of Tiberius; and the Lichen, which in the time of Claudius (who succeeded Tiberius) vexed not onely Italy, but all Europe besides. Yet Phy∣sicians had rather take to themselves the glory of this lesse raging disease, and to re∣ferre it to the many and wholsome meanes, which have beene invented, used and opposed thereto by the most happy labours of noble wits.