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 weake∣nesse of the stomacke.

THe crudity or weakenesse of the stomacke, is a disposi∣tion of the alteratiue faculty, wherein eyther the ali∣ment is not altred, or else not well concocted. In the former

there is a depriuation of the alteration of nutriments, in the latter a deprauation of the alteratiue faculty. For if the sto∣macke be in its right temper, the nourishment therein re∣ceiued will remaine pure, but if it bee oppugned by some cause contrary vnto nature, the action of the alteratiue faculty is depraued, and then the crudity of the stomacke doth follow.

The part affected.

The stomacke with its faculty is affected: for all men herein agree, that the stomake is the cause of the nutriments alteration; and then the faculty of the stomacke failing, and crudity of the stomacke doth follow by some externall cause, and sometimes this happens, though the faculty there∣of be not depraued.

The Signes.

Slow and difficult concoction, the stomacke doth no•• boyle after the accustomed manner, and the quality of the nutriment doth remaine in the stomacke; sowre belchings are frequent, and the stomacke is surcahrged with fumy vapors.

The Causes.

The stomacke of such as haue recouered of a long dis∣ease, is weake, and sometimes so weake, that it neyther is able to receiue nourishment, and yet if it doth receiue any, cannot well digest it. The reliques of the disease left behind, may be the cause of this, which may hinder the attractiue power that the stomake eyther hath, or ought to haue: some∣times it hath this attractiue power, the body being very leane, and for this only cause desires nurtiment, and cannot concoct it, by reason of the weaknes thereof. Sometimes they that are in perfect health (as most men may thinke) haue a weake stomacke, by reason of a hote or cold, dry, or moist distemper, which peraduenture may chance to come single, but it cannot long hold out, vnlesse other offending humors ioyne therewith. For the digestiue fa∣culty of the stomacke being weakned, raw humours must

needs bee gathered together eyther hot or cold, or else disturbing the stomacke by some outward quality, and then follows a loathing of meate, a loading of the stomacke, belchings and vomitings; and this is often caused by phleg∣my, and putrified humors; and then the rellish which is communicated vnto the pallate, is sweet, or watrish, and much spettle is voyded without coughing or hemming; his belch is sowre, his concoction is hindered, the sto∣macke is puffed vp, and stretched some houres after meate, great gripings, and paines are stirred vp therein, whereof the dropsy, collicke, Iliaca passio, are caused. Sometimes it is caused by choler, and a gnawing of the stomacke is felt, especially by fasting, a bitter humour is cast vp by vomit, whereby the mouth becomes bitter; and sometimes this disease is turned into the former, namely Cardialgia, or paine in the stomacke. If it be caused by a melancholy iuyce, a sowre taste is bred in the mouth. He is sad, fearefull, and disquieted with dreams, a panting is felt on the left side, the appetite for a time doth increase, and so it doth become an hypocondriall melancholy, or fal∣ling sicknes, the muscles also of the calues are shrunke. Some∣times there happens a crudity of the stomacke when the faculty is not hurt, but is hindred by some externall error, as too much waking, exercises presently after meate, more store of food taken in then can be well digested, or else some bad quality of these meats. Sometimes it is caused by vicious humours, sent vnto the stomacke from some other parts, as will happen by the suppression of moneth∣ly tearmes, and hemroides. Likewise in diseases of the ioynts, the matter is oft conueyed vnto the stomake, which is wont to be deriued vnto other parts.

Prognostiques.

That crudity is worst which is caused by ill nourish∣ment; and it is bad in those that do abound with choler, for it presently causeth an ague; but dayly crudity must bee auoyded; for sundry long and sore diseases are bred thereof:

it is in a word the mother of all materaill diseases, as dropsy, Colicke, Iliaca passio, flux of the stomacke, and many other diseases of the like kind. An euill complexion of the stomacke if it bee ancient, cannot be cured. They who spet much, and cast vp sowre water, haue a cold stomacke.