A new and needful treatise of spirits and wind offending mans body wherein are discovered their nature, causes and effects / by the learned Dr. Fienns ; and Englished by William Rowland ...

CHAP. XI.

Of the Prognosticks of Wind.

ALL diseases of wind in any part, are hard to be cured, if it cannot get forth; the thicker and more close it is, the longer it remains, and causeth worse Symptoms. When it separates the parts, it causeth pain, and pain causeth flux of humours, and the humour getting into the crannies of the part stretched, causeth a tumour, the tumour distends the skin and membranes, and contracts them: hence, the blood being not cooled, comes corruption and increase of preternatural heat. If this tumour be hard, and yield, red and beating, it is an inflam∣mation; if it be white, yielding to touch, and pit, it is an Oedema; if it be white, yielding, and transparent, it is an inflation. Sometimes wind makes a Dropsie, as Hippocrates lib. de Flatibus saith, wind gets through the flesh, and makes thin the pores, and then follows moisture, to which the wind before had made a passage; and the body is moistned, the flesh melts, and the humours fall down to the Legs, and then comes a Dropsie. They in whom wind hath long remained, are subject to all these diseases, as the Aphorism saith. They who have pains

about the Navel and Loyns, that will not away with Physick or other ways, will have a dry Dropsie. This wind is not discussed by medi∣cines, or other things, by reason of the habitual distemper of the part, which persevering, caus∣eth a Tympany, the worst of Dropsies: I never knew it cured when confirmed. If then it be so dangerous, because the wind will yield to no remedies, by reason of the cause that feeds it, Hippocrates Prognost. lib. 1. said well, it is very healthful for wind to pass forth without noise; but it is better to break with noise, then stay and move about, and cause pain. If any from mo∣desty, when they are sound, will rather dye then fart, let them know that they dote, or must endure pain. If one fart willingly, it sig∣nifies no ill, but only it were better to be voided without noise: For a noise shews much wind or straitness of the vessels; but that noise which is heard in new diseases in the Hypochondria, pains or swellings, is not bad. Hippocrates lib. 2. Prognost. saith, new pains and swellings in the Hypochondria without inflammation, are dissolved by noise, chiefly if there be stools and urine; and if the wind goes not forth, it is good that it goes downward. These tumours being only of wind, are dissolved by their rumbling, it shews wind joyned with a humour, and sign fies good, that is, that the wind will go forth with the humour it is mixed with; or

if not, that it will go downward, and the pain and tumour will cease. And Hippocrates Aph. 73. lib▪ 4. saith, they who have stretched Hypo∣chondria with rumbling, and after that a pain in the Loyns, will have a moist belly or loosness, except they fart or piss much. The Hypochon∣dria rumbles and swells from wind alone, or mixed with humours; and if it alone breaks forth upward or downward with the humour, it is without danger, and the pain and tumour suddenly depart. For the Liver and Spleen lying in the Hypochondria, if they be much pained, it is from strong inflammation or wind; if from wind, a Fever coming, removes the pain. As Hippocrates Aph. 52. lib. 7. saith, they whose Liver is much pained, are cured by a Fever; for the heat of it doth discuss the wind. Now a Fever doth not follow an inflammation, but comes with it; nor doth it take off pain, but increase it. It appears that the heat of a Fever discusseth wind, because they in the Jaun∣dice seldom have fits of wind, because they are hot of constitution, as Hippocrates Aph. 78. lib. 5. saith, they in the Jaundice are not much windy: For they are cholerick, and Choler will not suffer wind to raign, but discusseth it. But Phelgmaticks, and they of a moist and cold sto∣mach, and the sanguine, are troubled with wind, and easily have the Colick. And all know that great pains of the Colick are more

dangerous then less, and a total collection of excrements and wind into one part of the Colon, is worse then when they run about many parts. Therefore there is less danger when wind is broken by Clysters, and the stools take away the pain, then when not. But if wind cause a a doting, contraction of Nerves, fainting, cold limbs, cold sweat, constant vomiting, stoppage of all excrements, as it doth when it comes from venomous matter, it is deadly, and there is a Convolvulus. It is best to be without wind, or easily discuss it; but this cannot be without diligent caution and good diet in the use of the six natural things.