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Chap. 5. Of Emollients.
TEe use of Emollients, is to soften hard places, and bring them to their pristine estate, of which we spake more at large in the Simples.
- 1. Common.
- 2. Propper.
Those are common, whose general operation is to soften hard swellings, and such parts and places of the body, as are hardened by Congralation.
They are Propper which are apropriated to pecu∣liar humors, and belong to my scope at present; for I intend not a Treatise of Chyrurgery, but to givea Candle and a Lanthorn, to light you through the Oyls, Oyntments, and Plaisters; that you may see what a mist the Colledge being ballanced with igno∣rance, and Sailing by the wind of Authority, hath hitherto wrapped you in, and compassed you round a∣bout with: for take this for a general rule, and you (if you have any Ingenuity in you) must needs con∣fess, Ignorance is encroaching, and seeks Authority to back it; But wisedom desires to be publick, and is alwaies justified of her children.
To proceed, consider that Emollients are more temperate than Attractives, but less temperate than Suppuratives; of which more in the next Chap∣ter.
Also take notice that if the tumor be in any princi∣pal part of the body, mix your Emollients with A∣stringents.
Emollients are either Simple or Compound.
Simple are,
Almost, if not altogether, all Marrows, as of a Stagge, Dog, Horse, Caìfe, Bear, Man, Hog, Hen, Goose, Duck, Lion, Goat, &c. The Colledge in their Simples rattle you up enough of them, one after another, (I promised then to tell you what they were held to be good for, and now I am as good as my word; and although I am of opinion, that there is a far neerer and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 way to cure diseases than they use, yet this book (if you have but wit enough to be a Physitian) this Book I say, if heedfully read and examined, will so furnish you with the vulgar rules, that you may be able to understand, that when God shall enable me to put it forth. A man shall never know any thing of the mysteries of his Creator, till he knows himself: and he shall never know himself, First, Till he hath the honesty freely to impart to others, what God hath freely revealed to him for the publick good; Secondly, Till he hath the Discretion to impart every thing in its due season. But to pro∣ceed to Simple Emollents where I left) Gum Amo∣niacum, Bdellium, Opopanax, Galbanum, Turpen∣tine, Rozin, Colophonia, Pitch, the Emollient hearbs (you have them in rank and file, at the be∣ginning of the Compounds) Linseed, Fennugreek seed, white Lilly roots, Astrach, Figs, Wheat and Barly Meal, Malt, Flower, &c.
Compounds are,
Oyls, Oyntments, and Plaisters, made of all or a∣ny of these, Oyl of Lillies, Oyl of Chamomel, Oyl of Earth-worms, Oyl of Foxes, Oyntment of Marsh∣mallows, Resumptivum Diachylon, cum muliis ali∣is.
I shall give a notion or two, and then I have done with this, (you had had them before had I not for∣gotten them, and now before I go any further let me advise those that intend to reap any benefit by my writings, to take a pen and ink, and note down what ever they find of consequence in them; for I know and they shall find by experience; that once writing of a thing, seates it better in the memory, then a hun∣dred times reading of it.)
- 1. The grease of all males is hotter, then the grease either of foemales, or Eunuchs, as for exampte; the grease of a Bull is hotter by far, than either the grease of a Cow or an Ox.
- 2. The grease of wild Beasts, is hotter then that of such as are tame or demostical, as the grease of a wild Cat is hotter than that of a house Cat; judge ye the like of Fowles, the grease of a wild Duck, is hot∣ter than that of a tame. A word is enough to the wise.