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. XXI.

Of the Cure of the Colick.

I Shall speak by way of Presace. First, expect not any other Cure then that of wind alone, or joyned with glassie flegm. Secondly, be careful, lest it turn to a Joynt-gout, as Hippocra∣tes lib. 6. epid. part. 4. aphor. 3. saith, one that had the Colick had a Gout, and then his pain of the Colick ceased, but returned when the Gout ceased. Thirdly, bleeding is good, if the dis∣ease be vehement, and there be Plethory or Fe∣ver. Fourthly, beware of strong heaters, chiefly before flegm is evacuated. Fifthly, let the chief means be Clysters. Sixthly, cupping doth little good, but in season and in a fit body. There∣fore consider first whether the pain be from a flegmon in the Guts, or Choler that corrodes the inward Membranes, or glassie flegm, or from wind that stretcheth. If so, then observe if the pain be vehement or moderate, with or without a Plethora or fulness. If there be much blood with great pain, presently after a Clyster open a Vein, lest great pain attract blood, and cause an Inflammation or a Fever. Then use strong Clysters of Hiera Indi major, Hiera Logodii: for no medicine can better purge flegm from the

Guts. For Galen lib 5 meth. saith, that no∣thing taken at the mouth can come with its full force to the Guts, but a Clyster without trouble reacheth them: therefore a Clyster is best; for things taken at the mouth must needs be hot (for the disease is cold, and contraries are cured by contraries) and must be given in great quan∣tities at the mouth, if they do good. But all hot things being of thin parts, easily pass through the Meseraicks, and bring hot distem∣per to them and to the Liver, and make the blood flow. Also heat melts the clammy flegm, and makes more wind, and a good medicine abused, becomes venom. Therefore I advise Physitians to be wary in the use of Mithridate, Treacle, Diacalamints, and other Heaters in Colicks, before she glassie flegm fixed in the Guts be purged, and then use them not often. The best way is by Clysters first emollient, to carry the common Excrements. As,

Take Diacatholicon ten drams, Hiera simple with Honey half an ounce, Sugar an ounce, Salt a dram and half: dissolve them in a pint of the De∣coction of Mallows, and the five Emollients, Cha∣momil flowers, Bran, and red Pease. Then, as Galen lib. 2. ad Glauc. saith, inject Oyl of Rue, Bayes, or common Oyl, in which are boiled Heaters that extenuate, as Cummin, Smallage, Parsley, Aniseed, Seseli, Lovage, Carrot seed, Rue, and Bay-berries, adding Bitumen. Or this which is stronger.

Take Calamints, Pennyroyal, and Tansey, each a handful; Chamomil flowers a pugil, Cummin, Carrot seed, each three drams; Bay-berries half a pugil: In a pint of the Decoction strained, mix Oxymel of Squills an ounce, Oyl of Ru•• three oun∣ces, Electuary Indiamajor six drams, Hiera Logo∣dii a dram: make a Clyster.

If these do not cure, repeat them, or others, according to the greatness of the disease, plenty of flegm or wind, or weakness of the patient: remembring that still after the Clyster, he lye on the side pained. In the mean while give things moderately hot at the mouth, as the Decoction of Chamomil flowers in white Wine, or of Cummin, which are excellent; with an ounce or two of Oyl of sweet Almonds, Lineseed, or common Oyl. Or give new Oyl of sweet Al∣monds warm three ounces. Or,

Take Rhenish Wine four ounces, Oyl of Nuts a dram or two scruples, common Oyl a spoonful: give it hot with Sugar. Oyl is anodyne, and sup∣ples the parts, and stops the mouths of the ves∣sels, and weakens the attractive faculty, and makes the anodynes and correcters of cold, and discussers of wind to pierce sooner to the part; nor can they be so soon taken in by the Veins. For this disease is loathing, and many do vo∣mit: for such,

Take tops of Wormwood half a pugil, Cummin seed two drams, Chamomil and Rosemary flowers,

each a pugil; Cubebs half a dram: boil them in Wine, strain, and give it with Cinnamon and Su∣gar, or half a dram of Castor in Wine with Cin∣namon and Saffron. Such as have the belly much swollen, and are tormented, and have the Hic∣kets from cold clammy humours or gross wind, must take it in Vinegar and Water. If the dis∣ease be very stubborn, and they will take no Clysters, or flegm falls from the whole body in∣to the Guts, use flegm-purgers after prepara∣tives; they are mentioned before. If you will use Narcoticks with Purgers,

Take six drams of Electuary of Indi majoris, Troches of Alhandal, Castor, Opium, each four grains; with Sugar make a Bole. Or give this Infusion.

Take Agarick four scruples, Ginger a scruple: infuse them in the Decoction of Pennyroyal, Hysop, Rosemary, Chamomil twelve hours, strain, and add Diaphoenicon three drams, Philonium Persicum a scruple, or half a dram if it be old, with Sugar.

Or, Take Pills of Hiera with Agarick two scruples, Cochy one scruple, Diagredium, Castor, Opium, each three grains: with Wine make seven Pills. By this means flegm is purged, wind discussed, and pain abated. Galen lib. 2. ad Glauc▪ gives Narcoticks alone: if, saith he, pain remain, give Opium; you may not fear it, though it may do some hurt to the part afflicted: you must oppose that which most urgeth; it is

good to save a dying man with a small hurt, for the day following you may repair it. You may give half a dram or two scruples, or a dram of Philonium Persicum in Wine, or the Pills of Rondelet, which are these.

Take Powder of Galangal, Aromaticum rosa∣tum, each two drams; Castor half a dram, Eu∣phorbium ten grains, Opium prepared with a hot Pestel, and dissolved in Sack, a scruple and half, Pepper, Saffron, Mirrh, each half a scruple; make ten Pills of a dram: give four or five; or if the pain abate not, nine or ten. They must be small and soft, that they may be the better dissolved, and sooner give ease, and stay less while in the stomach. But give no Opiats before Evacuations, and that before meat fasting, and in extremity, and when other Anodynes do no good. A Colick from wind only requires neither preparatives nor purges, but only Clysters that allay pain, and discuss wind: as,

Take Lineseed Oyl, Decoction of Chamomil flowers and Cummin seed, each half a pint; Con∣fection of Bay-berries two drams, Diacatholicon and red Sugar, each an ounce; Sal Gem two scruples. This is good against pain, but this expels wind more.

Take Elicampane roots three ounces, Cala∣mints, Pellitory of the Wall, each a handful; Anise, Cummin, Cardamoms, each three drams; Juniper and Bay-berries, each a pugil: boil them

to a pint, strain, add Sack four ounces, Diacola∣minth three drams, Oyl of Rue or Nuts three oun∣ces. Or,

Take white Wine with Cummin, Aniseeds, and Bay-berries boiled in it a pint: give it hot.

In this of wind the medicines at the mouth may be hotter then in the Colick from flegm; as Confection of Bay-berries, Diacyminum, Diatrionpipereon. Cupping-glasses are good, if the pain be from wind only, and the belly not fat and swollen. I have a thousand times found them in vain, where there is much glassie flegm: For the pain which is like a fixed stick, is from a cold flegm, which will not away while the flegm is there. But a Cupping-glass evacuates no flegm, therefore takes not away the pain. In a fat belly the Cupping-glass is soon filled with flesh, and cannot reach to attract the Guts, & the passage of the wind is stopped; and when there is a Tympany, the hardness hinders the attraction. But if it be seasonably applied, being large, and with much flame, it will do wonders. Also make Bags of Milium, Bran, Lavender, Chamomil flowers, Dill, Calamints fryed with Wine or Vinegar sprinkled on; ap∣ply them one after another: Or make a Pultis of Horse-dung with Lineseed, Chamomil, or Dill, Oyl, Dregs of Oyl, Wine, and Lavender-Cotton in a Frying-pan, apply it hot: Or apply hot Tiles in cloaths dipt in Wine; or hot Bread.

But Fomentations, Baths, Cataplasms, if not used in season, they do hurt: as Galen meth. med. lib. I. saith, it is not always safe to heat the bel∣ly with Cataplasms and Baths, but only in such whose bodies are clean; it is very dangerous to others, & how is the pain in the guts from a cold humour fixed in them, cured? not by Cataplasms and Baths that are very hot; for all tough hu∣mours that are gross and cold are melted to wind by hot things, except they digest strongly. Therefore they must be cut and concocted with attenuaters, chiefly if they be not very hot. And such are best that most discuss wind, and dry, the forms of which are declared. There are also Amulets that help by propriety of sub∣stance, as Galerita, a Swines Ankle-bone burnt and drunk, the guts of a Wolf dried with Wine, his skin applied to the belly; also Girdles made thereof; and the white Dung of a Wolf drunk in Wine, or hung about the Neck to the Belly in a Nut-shell. I shall name no more, though Authors abound with them.