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Of the diseases in the Spleene.
THe Splene, as I haue said before in many places, is the receptacle of melancholy, and of the dregs of blood, and is subiect to the like diseases that the liuer is, that is to say, to swelling, obstruction, hard knobs, and inflamation: for the substance of the splene is spongeous, and there sort apt to sucke in al filth and to dilate it selfe, where∣fore being ful it must needs swel, which wil appeare in the left side vnder the short ribs, and such swelling causeth also shortnesse of breath, and especially when the body doth [ 10] labour or trauel. It is painful also to lie on the right side, because the splene being swollen so oppresseth the midriffe, and especially when the stomacke is ful of meat, and the pati∣ent hath worse disgestion than appetite, and is troubled with much winde, both vpwarde and downeward. Moreouer the vapor of the humor doth offend the hart, making it faint and causeth al the body to be heauy and dul, and if such swelling be suffered to go vncu∣red, then if it be a melancholy humor, and abounding ouer-much, it waxeth euery day thicker and thicker, causing obstruction not onely in the vaines and artires, which is to be perceiued by heauinesse and greefe on the left side, but also in the splene it self, where∣as by vertue of the heat it is hardned euery day more and more, and so by little and lit∣tle waxeth to a hard knob, which doth not only occupy al the substance of the splene, but also many times al the left side of the wombe, and thereby maketh the euil accidents or [ 20] griefes before recited much more than they were.
Now as touching the inflammation of the splene which chaunceth very sildome, for so much as euery inflammation proceedeth of pure blood, which sildome entereth into the splene: I shal not need to make many words, but refer you ouer to the chapter of the Liuer, for in such case they differ not, but proceeding of like cause, haue also like signes, and do require like cure. The old writers say, that horses be often▪ greeued with griefe in the splene, and specially in Summer season with greedy eating of sweet green meats, and they cal those horses Lienosos, that is to say splenetike. The signes whereof (say they) are these, hard swelling on the left side, short breath, often groning, and greedy appetite to [ 30] meat. The remedie whereof according to Absirtus is to make a horse to sweat once a day during a certaine time, by riding him or otherwise trauelling him, and to poure into his left nostril euery day the iuyce of mirabolans mingled with wine and water, amounting in alto the quantity of a pint. But methinks it would do him more good, if he drank it as Hie∣rocles would haue him to do. Eumelius praiseth this drinke: take of Cummin seed and of hony, of each six ounces, and of Lacerpitium as much as a beane, of Vineger a pint, and put al these into three quartes of water, and let it stand so al night, and the next morning giue the horse thereof to drinke, being kept ouer night fasting. Theomnestus praiseth the decoction of Capers, especially if the barke of the root thereof may be gotten sodden in water to a sirrop. Or else make him a drinke of Garlick, Nitrum, Hore-hound, and worm-wood, [ 40] sodden in harsh wine: and he would haue the left side to be bathed in warme water and to be hard rubbed. And if al this wil not helpe, then to giue him the fire which Absir∣tus doth not allow saying the splene lyeth so, as it cannot easily bee fired, to do him anye good. But for so much as the liuer and splene are members much occupied in the ingen∣dring and seperating of humors, many euil accidents and griefes doe take their first be∣ginning of them, as the Iandis, called in a horse, the yellowes, drinesse of body, and con∣sumption of the flesh, without any apparant cause why, which the Phisitians call Atrophis also euill habite of the bodie, called of them Chachexia, and the Dropsie. But first wee will speake of the Iaundis or Yellowes. [ 50]