The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXXVI. Of Apophlegmatismes, or Masticatories.

APophlegmatismoi in Greeke, and Masticatoria in Latine, are medicines * 1.1 which kept or held in the mouth and somewhat chawed, doe draw by the mouth forth of the braine excrementitious humours, especially phlegme: now they are chiefly made foure manner of waies; the first is * 1.2 when as the medicines are received in hony or waxe, and formed into pills, and so given to chaw upon. The second is when as the same things are bound up in a fine linnen cloath, so to be held in the mouth. The third is when as a decocti∣on of acride medicines is kept in the mouth for a pretty space. The fourth is when as some acride medicine, or otherwise drawing flegme, as pellitory of Spaine, ma∣stich, and the like, is taken of it selfe to the quantity of a hasell nut, and so chawed in the mouth for some space. The matter of masticatories is of the kinde of acrid me∣dicines, as of pepper, mustard, hyssope, ginger, pellitory of Spaine, and the like; amongst which you must make choice chiefly of such as are not trouble some by any ingrate taste, that so they may be the longer kept in the mouth with the lesse offence & loathing. Yet masticatories are sometimes made of harsh or acerbe medicines, as of berberies, the stones of prunes or cherries, which held for some space in the mouth, draw no lesse store of flegme than acrid things; for the very motion and row∣ling them up and down the mouth attracts, because it heats, compresses, & expresses: the quantity of the medicine ought to bee from ℥ss. to ℥iss.: as, ℞. py∣reth. staphisag. an. ʒiss. mastich. ʒss. pulverentur & involventur nodulis in masticatoria. Or, ℞. zinzib. sinap. an. ʒi. euphorb. ℈ii. piper. ʒss. excipiantur melle, & fiant pastilli pro masticatoriis. ℞. byssop. thym. origan. salv. an. pi. bolie them in water to wash the mouth withall. Or, ℞. zinzib. caryoph. an. ʒi. pyreth. pip. an. ʒss. staphisagr. ʒii. mastiches, ℥ss. excipiantur, fiant pastilli pro masticatoriis. We use masticatories in old * 1.3 diseases of the braine, dimnesse of the sight, deafnesse, pustles of the head and face, and sometimes to divert the excrements which runne to the nose being ulcera∣ted.

Masticatories are very hurtfull to such as have their mouths or throats ulcerated, * 1.4 as also to them whose lungs are subject to inflammations, destillations and ulcers; for then errhines are more profitable to derive the matter of the disease by the nostrils.

For though the humour drawn from the braine into the mouth by the meanes of the masticatory, may bee thence cast forth by coughing and spitting, yet in the interim nature will bee so inured to that passage for the humour, so that it will run that way when as wee sleepe, and fall downe upon the parts thereunder, weake either by na∣ture or by accident.

The time fittest for the use of Apophlegmatismes is the morning, the body being first purged: if any ingratefull taste remain in the mouth, or adhere to the tongue by using of masticatories, you shall take it away by washing the mouth with warm wa∣ter, or a decoction of liquorice and barly.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What an apo∣phlegmatism is.
• * 1.2

  The differences
• * 1.3

  The use of ma∣sticatories.
• * 1.4

  To whom hurt∣full.