The womans doctour, or, An exact and distinct explanation of all such diseases as are peculiar to that sex with choise and experimentall remedies against the same : being safe in the composition, pleasant in the use, effectuall in the operation, cheap in the price / faithfully translated out of the works of that learned philosopher and eminent physitian Nicholas Fontanus.

CHAP. VI.

Of hard swellings in the Breasts.

THe Breasts are naturally thin, spongy, or fungous, and loose; for this rea∣son they are apt to entertaine any crude, and melancholy humours, flowing to them either from the Matrix, or from any other parts; these, if they are not rightly, and duly expelled, they breed painefull, yea malignant and cankerd Ʋlcers: wherefore you must addresse your selfe to the Cure, without any truce or delay; and this con∣sists

in three things; in prescribing a Diet, in the manuall operations of Surgery, and in outward and inward Medicines.

Let her therefore make choise of a pu••e ayre, let her drink be small beer boiled with annise and snakeweed; let her meat be of good concoction, and easie distributi∣on, as Mutton broth, Cock broth, and rosted Chickens; let her avoid meats that thicken the bloud, as milke, cheese, bacon, fish, and the like; open a veine, if she have not her Courses, in her ankle, or cut the Basilick veine twice or thrice, to ease the Liver, the Spleen, and the Kidneys, as the multitude of bloud shall require it.

Note that the humour must be prepared, and attempted with this Apozem.

Take

• the roots of Succhory,
• Polipody, of each an ounce.
• The barke of the root of the Caper, and Tamarisk tree, of each halfe an ounce.
• The leaves of Buglos,
• ...Fumitary,
• Balme, of each a handfull.
• Two drams of Fennill seeds.

Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of barley water to two pints, and to the strain∣ed liquor add

• Syrupe of Borage,
• ...

• Syrupe of fumitary, of each an ounce and a halfe.
• Ten graines of Spirit of Vitriol.

Mingle them, and make an Apozem.

Because the humour is thick and dreggish, you must purge her body severall times, till it be perfectly cleansed, this may be done with this decoction following.

Take

• an ounce of Polypody of the oake.
• The leaves Fumitary,
• ...Hops,
• ...Borage,
• Endive, of each a handfull.
• ...Epithymum,
• Century the less, of each halfe a handfull.

Boile them in a sufficient quantity of Bar∣ley water, to two pints, and in the strained liquor infuse a whole night,

• An ounce of Sena.
• Foure drams of Rubarb.
• ...Agarick Troch.
• Creame of Tartar, of each two drams.
• Epithymum, and
• The flowers of borage, buglos, and rosema∣ry, of each as many as you can grasp be∣tween your thumb and two fingers at twice.
• Two drams of annise seeds.

In the morning give it one or two bub∣lings,

straine and presse it, and to the li∣quor, add

• Syrupe of violets.
• Syrupe of fumitary, of each an ounce.

Make an Apozem, or

Take

• the leaves of buglos,
• Fumitary, of each a handfull.
• ...Balme,
• Germander, of each halfe a handfull.
• As much Epithymum, as you can containe between your thumb and two fingers.

Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of whey, to a pint, and a halfe, infuse for a night in the strained liquor

• Six drams of Sena.
• Two drams of white Agarick.
• A dram and a half of annise seeds.

In the morning presse out the liquor hard, and add

• Syrupe of Violets,
• Syrupe of fumitary, of each an ounce and a halfe.

Mingle them for an Apozem.

Confectio Hamech and Diacricu will be highly profitable; so also are Pils de Lapid. Lazuli.

Sometimes you may prescribe glysters, to temper the melancholy humour; as for ex∣ample.

Take

• the leaves of Mallowes,
• ...Marishmallowes,
• Violets, of each a handfull.
• Halfe a handfull of bran.
• Two drams of fennill seeds.

Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of barley water to nine ounces: in the strained liquor put in

• ...Confectio Hamech,
• Diacatholicon, of each an ounce.
• An ounce and a halfe of oyle of violets.

Mingle them, and make a glyster, or

Take

• half an ounce of Polypody roots.
• The leaves of buglos,
• ...Fumitary,
• Violets, of each a handfull.
• Foure ounces of sena.
• As much Epithymum as you can take up, between your thumb and two fingers.
• Two drams of fennill seeds.

Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of Cock broth to nine ounces, to the strained liquor add

• ...Diaprun. Laxativum,
• Confectio Hamech, of each an ounce.
• Half an ounce of Syrup of Violets.
• A dram of Sal gemme.

Mingle them, and make a glyster.

Leeches applied to the Fundament may much promote the Cure.

The event may likewise gratifie your triall, if you prescribe Cordials, Treacle, Mi∣thridate, Lozenges of Pearle, Alkermes, and the like: which with their coldnesse, drynesse, and cordiall vertue, retaine the spirits, cor∣rect the bloud, even when it is putrifying, and preserve the bowells in their due Sym∣metry, and naturall constitution; Note, that you may not forget to wash her legs, with a decoction of Hops, Violets, Fumitary, Roses, Mallowes, and Vine leaves.

If by the advantage of time it prove a cankerd, and a creeping Ʋlcer, you must not vex, and discompose the Patient with many, or strong Medicines, but you must institute a palliative Cure; for Galen boasteth that he thus cured a woman, who had a Cancer in her breast, for when the thinner part was brought away, it became thicker, more full of putrefacti∣on, and subject to exulcerate; for it is undenyable, as the same Author affirmeth, that the vehemence of the remedies inflame the humor, and set it on fire, by that acrimo∣nius quality, which is naturally in them.

Almost all Authors agree that Issues are convenient, for they supply the stead of Purges, and Phlebotomy, as Guido a good writer witnesseth in his book de Cauteriis.