Page 152
Chap. 1. Of ANODINES.
SUch Oyls, Oyntments, and Plaisters, as ease pain are called by Physitians (because you should not know what they mean) Anodines.
All pain is caused by heat, or driness, or both, for moisture seldom, unless heat be joyned with it cau∣seth pain.
Anodines, also some divide into proper and impro∣per, improper Anodines, (if a man may call them A∣nodines) they call Narcoticks, for I assure you if crab∣bed words would cure 〈◊〉〈◊〉, our Physitians would come behind none in the world: the truth is, these words were borrowed from Galen, and are Greek words, and Galen writing in his mother tongue, they were understood well enough there; ours retain the same words, only to blind peoples eyes, that so they may not prie into the Mystery of their Monopoly, for then all the fat were in the fire. But to pro∣ceed.
Proper Anodines are either temperately hot or temperately cold.
Hot Anodines are
Oyl of sweet Almonds, Linseed Oyl, Oyl of Eggs, Oyl of Saint Johns-wort, Hen-grease, Ducks grease, Goose grease, Chamomel, Melilot, Fenugreek seeds, Dill, Bay leaves and berries, Juniper berries, Rose∣mary, Oyles and Ointments made of them; Oyle of Earth-worms Oyle of Elder, Wax, Turpentine, Oyntment of Marshmallows, Martiatum, Arregon, Resumptivum, Oxycroceum.
If any external part of your body be pained, these, or any of these made into fomentations, to both the part pained, or into pultifses, or Oyls, or Oyntments by adding Hogs grease, or Plaisters, by adding Wax, or Rozin, or both to the Oyntment; and applyiug it to the place, ease pain.
But if together with the pain there be an inflama∣tion, then Anodines of a cooler nature are more con∣venient, such be Oyl Omphacine, viz. Oyl of O∣lives pressed from them before they be ripe, Poppies, Roses, Violets, Pellitory of the wall, Flea∣wort: these, or any of these made into Pultisses, Oyls, Oyntments, or Plaisters, Oyntment of Roses, Unguantnm Album, Populeon, Refrigerans, Gale∣ni, &c.
Improper Anodines, or Narcoticks which you please, are Medicines of another nature, and (you may thank the Colledge of Physitians, for training you up in such ignorance) scarce fit for a vulgar use, till they have learn'd more skill in Physick than yet they have; yet be pleased to consider, that in taking away pains, three things are to be considered; The cause, the pain, the part pained. To these are medicines apropriated, for some take away the cause, but these belong not to my present scope; others take away the pain, and meddle not with the cause, as those proper Anodines I mentioned before: and some take away neither cause nor pain, but only stupifie the sences, that so it cannot be felt: these are to be u∣sed with abundance of skill and discretion, and never but in cases of necessity, when the pain is so vehement that Nature is not able to bear it, or a Feaver thereby threatned. Of this Nature, and for this use are Nar∣coticks.
Of these some are Simple; As,
Mandrakes, Henbane, Poppies, Opium, Lettice, Sengreen, Nightshade, Camphire, Hemlock, &c.
Compound are, Oyls and Oyntments of these, Philonium Persicum, Philonium Romanum, Pilulae è Cynoglosso, or Pills of Houndstongue, Pilulae è Sty∣race; and most Opiates you meet withal in the Dis∣pensatory.