Praxis medicinæ, or, the physicians practice vvherein are contained inward diseases from the head to the foote: explayning the nature of each disease, with the part affected; and also the signes, causes, and prognostiques, and likewise what temperature of the ayre is most requisite for the patients abode, with direction for the diet he ought to obserue, together with experimentall cures for euery disease. ... Written by that famous and worthy physician, VValter Bruel.

A method seruing for the knowledge of the ouerflowing of the monthly tearmes.

THe superfluous flux of moneths is, when as it doth tend rather to the hurt then good of the women, be∣cause hereby they be purged more then they should; but in such women that are of a moister constitution, because of their good diet and much ease, the moneths may be suf∣fred to flow more then ordinarily they are wont•• where∣fore not so much the quantity, quality, or kind of substance must be obserued, but rather whether they flow in season, or out of season, or else for the good of the patients in such women that are with child, or that do giue suck, or are lately deliuered of their child, they must stand stil; yet

they breake forth in the first moneth, when women be with child, and not against reason, because the mouth of the wombe is not so fast bound, as it is afterwards, when as the smallest body cannot get in. And sometimes in women with childe, after that the mouth of the wombe is clozed vp eyther moneths, (as it doth sometimes fall out in maids,) or somewhat like vnto the moneths is voyded through the branches of the hollow veines, which are fastned to the necke and mouth of the wombe, in such fort, as the Hemroids veines are terminated in the end of the right guts.

The Part affected.

The wombe is chiefely affected, when the moneths o∣uerflow, sometimes the whole body simpathizeth, and is alike affected. This affect is an accident which appertaines vnto immoderate excretion, and it is not altogether a∣gainst nature, as it is in the bleeding of the nose, or other bleedings, for herein only too great a quantity of the moneth is vnnaturall.

Signes.

If the moneths flow immoderately, the appetite is taken away the digestion is hindered, and crudities are in all parts of the body. The whole body is weake, and a great feeble∣nesse of strength followes, and this is a certaine signe that the moneths flow too fast. The colour of the face is chan∣ged, feauerish heats arise in the body: sometime the whole body with the feete is swelled, and a Dropsy followes.

The Causes.

Superfluity of moneths run out, first by reason of the heate of blood, thinnesse, or abundance, more then is requisite: or else be cause of the continuall motion thereof, for when these

concurre, nature is defeated. Sometimes there is such store of blood, that it doth not only open the veines, but doth breake them open by force, which sometimes happens by too violent exercises. This doth chance to those that are vntimely, deliuered & also to those that are deliuered with paine, whether it be by the infants crosse comming out, or else by his bignesse: the hot season of the yeere, the vse of hot baths, and such like do cause the opening of the vessels. Sometimes this flux happens, because some veines are open by a fretting exulceration, which happens in the necke of the wombe, by the sharpnes of blood: and this is knowne by that which is voyded, because mattry and virulent matter is voyded with the blood, and sometimes it is stinking. Also a greater paine is felt about the wombe: Sometime store of blood is voyded by the rupture of the greater veines, whereof many are terminated in the mouth of the wombe. The lesser veines voyd but little, and that confusedly. Againe this flux is caused by too frequent copulation, as also by the weaknes of the retentiue faculty; and in conclusion, venemous, putrified and biting humors cause this flux.

Prognostiques.

Immoderate fluxes caused by the birth of a great babe, are lesse dangerous, because they will stay of their owne accord. If by vntimely birth, the danger is sudden, and therefore the greater: If it be caused by fretting or an vlcer, it is hardly cured; because of the euill complexion of the hu∣mors which are gathered about the wombe, and because many superfluities are mixed with the blood, medicines are prescribed in vaine. And as by the vtter stay of the moneths, there is danger of a dropsy; so also by the im∣moderate flowing of the tearms, the same disease is also to be feared; especially if the body be weakned, or the colour of the face changed, because a woman is heereby brought vnto great coldnes, faintnes of the heart, swounding; and sometimes death is like to ensue.