The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. XIIII.

¶ For to stop a lask and knit the belly: for the flux proceeding from the imbecilitie of the stomacke: for the dysenterie or bloudy flix: for the ventosities and inflation of the belly: for rup∣tures: the straining vpon the seege without doing any thing: for the wormes in the guts, and for the cholique.

TO stay the running out and extraordinary loosnesse of the belly, these medicines follow∣ing be conuenient: Imprimis, the bloud of a stag: Item, the ashes of an harts horne: the li∣uer of a bore fresh and without any salt at all, taken in wine: likewise the liuer of a sow ro∣sted [unspec M] or of a male goat sodden in one hemine of water: the crudled rennet in a hares maw, drunk in wine to the quantity of a cich-pease; or in water, in case the patient haue an ague. Some there be, who put gall nuts thereto; others content themselues with Hares bloud alone sodden with milke. Also the ashes comming of horse dung drunke in water: the ashes of that part of an old

bulls horne which groweth next to the head, strewed into a draught of water. In like manner, [unspec A] Goats bloud sodden vpon coles. A Goats skin or fell, haire and all boiled together, yeeldeth a decoction which is good in this case to be drunke.

Contrariwise, to loose the belly: the runnet found in a Colts maw: the bloud of a femal goat, or els hermarrow or liuer, are thought conuenient laxatiues. Item, a plaster made with a wolues gal, together with the juice of a wild Cucumber, and applied to the nauil. Also a draught either of Mares or Goats milke, taken with salt and hony. The gall of a she-Goat is good for this pur∣pose, if it be taken with the iuice of Sowbread and a little Allum. But some there be who think it better to put thereto salnitre and water. Buls gall stamped and incorporat with Wormwood, made into a round ball, and so put vp in stead of a suppositorie, will giue a stoole, and make the body soluble. [unspec B]

Butter eaten in any great quantity, is good for those who haue a flux occasioned by the weak∣nesse of the stomack, and a dysenterie or bloudy flix: so is a Cowes liuer: the ashes of an Harts∣horn, taken to the quantity of as much as three fingers will comprehend, in a draught of water: likewise the rennet of an Hare wrought in dough for to make bread: or if the patient do voyd bloud withall, the same ought to be incorporat in parched Barley meale. The ashes of a Bores, Sowes, or hares dung, is good to spice a warme potion of wine in these infirmities. Moreouer, an ordinary Veale broth, as it is commonly giuen, is counted one of the remedies for these kind of fluxes abouenamed, whether they come of feeble stomacke or exulcerat guts. But if the patient drink Asses milk for this purpose, it will be the better, if hony be put thereto. Furthermore, the ashes of an Asse dung taken in wine, is as effectual in operation as the rest, for both diseases. As [unspec C] also the first ordure of the Asse fole, which we termed Polea in the former chapter. The cruds or rennet of an horse fole maw, called by some Hippace, is soueraign for such lasks, yea, though the patient did shere bloud vpon the stoole. The ashes also of horse dung, and the pouder of Horse teeth is said to be singular: yea, and Calues milk sodden and so drunke. But if the flux do proue to be a dysentery, Physitians giue aduise to put therto a little hony: if gripes come thick, they prescribe the ashes of Harts horn, or buls gall tempered with Cumin seed: and the fleshy substance of a Gourd, to be laid in maner of a cataplasme to the nauill. The tender cheese curd of Cowes milke clysterized, is passing good both for the stomack flux, and also for the bloudie flix. In like fort the butter made of Cows milk taken to the quantity of foure hemins with two ounces of right Terpentine, either in the decoction of Mallowes or oile of Roses. The suet of a [unspec D] Calfe, or beasts tallow, is likewise an ordinary remedy in these cases. But diuers there be who seeth the marrow forth as well of the one as the other, with meale, wax, and a little oile, yet so, as the broth be clear, that it may be supped off. Their marrow also is vsually incorporat in the past whereof bread is made, and so taken with great successe. Goats milke sodden vntill the halfe be consumed, is reputed also a proper medicine. And in case the guts besides be wrung & griped, there would be put thereto a little vnpressed wine of the first running, called Mere-goutte: how∣beit, some there be who think it sufficient for to appease the torments of the wombe, to drinke Hares rennet but once in a draught of wine warm: but the wiser sort and those that deale more warily, think it good withall to make a liniment of goats bloud, incorporat with barley meale and rosin, & therewith to anoint the belly. And they also aduise their patients for any violent [unspec E] flux of the belly whatsoeuer, to apply thereto soft cheese: but if the flux be from the stomack, or dysentericall, they prescribe old cheese to be grated and giuen to the patient in wine, with this proportion, that in 3 cyaths of wine there be a third part of cheese. Goats bloud boiled with this marrow, is singular good for the dysentery or bloudy flix. The liuer of a female goat rosted, is a soueraign medicine for the fluxions of the stomack, but it were better if the male Goats li∣uer were taken in drinke after it hath bin sodden in some green and austere wine, or with oile of Myrtles reduced into a cataplasme, and so laid to the nauill: some seeth the same in water, from six sextars to one hemine, and put Rue thereto. Others rost the milt of a goat, male or female (it skilleth not) and vse it for the same purpose, or else they take the suet of a buck goat with bread that hath bin baked on the harth vnder the embers. But aboue all they hold, that the suet taken [unspec F] from the kidnies of a she goat, & so drunk alone by it selfe, is a singular remedy for these infir∣mities: but they inioin the patient presently therupon to drink a little cold water. Yet there be others who ordain the same suet to be boiled in water with fried barly groats, Cumin, Dill, and vineger mixt all together. And they giue order to such as haue the stomack flux to anoint their

bellies with Goats dung sodden with honey. And for both these fluxions, as well from the sto∣mack [unspec G] as the vlcer of the guts, they prescribe the rennet of a Kid to the quantity of a Beane for to be drunk in Myrtle wine: also a pudding made of the bloud thereof, which kind of meat we call in Latine * 1.1 Sanguiculus. Moreouer for the dysenterie, they ordaine to iniect into the guts by a clystre, Buls glue resolued in hot water.

For any ventosities, Calues dung is holden to be singular good for to resolue them, if it be sodden in wine and the decoction thereof vsed. But if the guts be diseased any waies, the rennet of red Deere is very effectuall, sodden with Lentils and Beets, and so eaten with meat. Likewise the ashes of the haire of an Hare boiled with hony. Also to drink Goats milk sodden with Mal∣lowes and a little salt put thereto, is good for the said infirmities: but if the rendles be mixed therewith, the opperation wil be the better. Of the same vertue is Goats suet, taken in any warm [unspec H] supping; with this charge, that the Patient drinke presently vpon it cold water. Moreouer, it is said, that the ashes of a kids hanch hath a wonderfull vertue to souder the rupture, whereby the guts are falne downe. Likewise, Hares dung sodden with hony, and taken euery day to the quan∣tity of a Beane, is a medicine for a rupture, so soueraigne, that it hath bin knowne to cure them who were past all hope of remedy. Much commended also is the decoction of a Goats head sod∣den, haire and all together.

The disease called Tenesmos, which is a desire to go often to the stoole without doing any thing, is cured by drinking of Asses and Cowes milke.

All the sort of worms bred in the guts, the pouder of Harts horn taken in drink, doth expell.

There be, as I said before, certaine bones found among the excrements of a Wolfe, which if [unspec I] they be hanged about the arme, do cure the Collicke; if this regard were had before, that they neuer touched the ground. As for Polea (whereof I made mention before) which is the first or∣dure of an Asses fole, it is singular good in that case. Likewise the pouder of a Sows dung taken in the decoction of Rue sodden in water, with Cumin, is singular for the collicke. Finally, the a∣shes of a yong Harts horne while it is new come vp and tender, incorporat with the shell fishes of Barbary, stamped shels and all together, and so taken in a draught of wine, is highly commen∣ded for the passion of the cholicke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i. a blouding.