CHAP. XXVIII. Of Cataplasmes and Pultisses.
CAtaplasmes are not much unlike to emplasters lesse properly so called, for they may be spred upon linnen cloaths and stoupes like them, and * 1.1 so applied to the grieved parts. They are composed of roots, leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds, herbes, juices, oiles, fats, marrowes, meales, ro∣sines. Of these some must bee boiled, others crude. The boiled are made of herbes boiled tender, and so drawne through an haire searse, adding oiles and axungia's thereto. The crude are made of herbes beaten, or their juices mixed with oile and flower, or other powders appropriate to the part or disease, as the Phy∣sitian shall thinke fit. The quantity of medicines entring these compositions can scarce be defined, for that they must be varied as we would have the composition of a softer or harder body. Verily they ought to be more grosse and dense when as we desire to ripen anything, but more soft and liquid when wee endeavour to discusse. We use cataplasmes to asswage paine, digest, discusse and resolve unnaturall tumors * 1.2 and flatulencies. They ought to be moderately hot and of subtle parts, so to attract and draw forth; yet their use is suspected the body being not yet purged, for thus they draw downe more matter into the affected part. Neither must wee use these when as the matter that is to be discussed is more grosse and earthy, for thus the subtler parts will be oaely discussed, and the grosse remaine impact in the part unlesse your cataplasme be made of an equall mixture of things, not only discussing, but also emollient, as it is largely handled by Galen.
This shall be largely illustrated by examples. As, ℞. medul. panis, lb ss. decoquan∣tur * 1.3 in lacte pingui, adde olei chamam. ℥ ss. axung. galin. ℥ i. fiat cataplasma. Or, ℞. rad. alth. ℥ iii. fol. malv. senecionis, an. m i. sem. lini, faenug. an. ʒ ii. ficus, ping. nu. vi. de∣coquantar * 1.4 in aqua, & per setaceum transmittantur, addendo olet lilior. ℥ i. far. hord. ℥ ii. axung. porcin. ℥ i ss. fi at cataplasma. Or, ℞. far. fab. & orob. an. ℥ ii. pulv. chamam. & melil. an. ʒ iii. ol. irin. & amygd. amar. an. ℥ i. succi rut. ℥ ss. fiat cataplasma. Pultisses differ not from cataplasmes, but that they usually consist of meales boiled in oile, water, hony, or axungia. Pultisses for the ripening of tumours are made of the floure of barly, wheat, and milke, especially in the affects of the entralles; or else to dry and binde, of the meale of rice, lentiles, or Orobus with vinegar; or to cleanse, and they are made of hony, the floure of beanes and lupines, adding thereto some old oile, or any other oile of hot quality, and so make a discussing pultis. Also anodine pultisses may bee made with milke; as thus for example, ℞. farin. triticeae, ℥ ii. mica * 1.5 panis purissimi, ℥ iii. decoquantur in lacte, & fiat pulticula. ℞. farin. hordei & fab. an. ℥ ii. far. orob. ℥ iii. decoquantur in hydromelete, addendo mell is quart. i. olei amyg. amar. ℥ ii. fiat pulticula. Wee use pultisses for the same purpose as wee doe cataplasmes, to the affects both of the internall and externall parts. Wee sometimes use them for the killing of wormes, and such are made of the meale of lupines boiled in vine∣gar, with an Oxes gall, or in a decoction of Worme-wood, and other such like bit∣ter things.