The surgeons mate or Military & domestique surgery Discouering faithfully & plainly ye method and order of ye surgeons chest, ye uses of the instruments, the vertues and operations of ye medicines, with ye exact cures of wounds made by gunshott, and otherwise as namely: wounds, apos fumes, ulcers, fistula's, fractures, dislocations, with ye most easie & safest wayes of amputation or dismembring. The cures of the scuruey, of ye fluxes of ye belly, of ye collicke and iliaca passio, of tenasmus and exitus ani, and of the calenture, with A treatise of ye cure of ye plague. Published for the service of his Ma. tie and of the com:wealth. By John Woodall Mr. in chyrurgerie.

Somewhat of the healing vertues of common salt.

COmmon sea-salt, boyled in the strongest beer to the consumpti∣on of three parts of the same beer, and being made salt as brine, is an excellent bath to ease the pains of the gout, as my selfe have pro∣ved* 1.1 often. It is also good to cure the Serpigo of the hands, Tetters of hard curation. Paracelsus speaking of the vertues of salt saith as fol∣loweth.* 1.2 All those which are vexed with any disease, proceeding of grosse crudity, or natural humidity, as rheumes, itch, scurfe ring∣worms, or the like noysome griefs: let them make a bath of com∣mon sea-salt, and strong bear boyled together to a third part, and as warm as they can possible indure it fit in it and sweat therein and after go to a warm bed and sweat againe, and doing so sundry times they shall feele help thereby: I have had credit by it when divers greater medicines have failed me, especially in the pains of the Gout & other aches, I have done much good with it; and further, it is so harmlesse a* 1.3 thing that none need to feare the use thereof: whereas many other kinds of bathing although they be good in one kind, yet hurt in ano∣ther

but this is merely harmlesse to any, provided withal, before the* 1.4 use of this bath, a due preparation and purgation of the body be thought upon.

Moreover, there is an ordinary Lixivium, made by expert Chirur∣gions, for the healing Ulcers, which is Mundificative, Abstersive, Discussive, and very Sanative, performing much in Chirurgery, the chiefe ingrediences whereof is vegetable and mineral salts made by decoction with vulnerary herbs in faire water to a just consistence:* 1.5 this Lixivium in Tumors, Ulcers, Fractures, Dislocations, as also in great Contusions, Obstructions, Gangrenes, and many other like infirmities, is a very good and ready medicine, the description whereof is set downe in the cure of fractures.

* 1.6 Also the causticke stone, called commonly Lapis Infernalis, is no other thing, then meerely a vegetable salt, the virtues and making whereof, is not proper in this place to be spoken of, but shall in an∣other place be mentioned. Thus much at this time concerning com∣mon salt.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Good for the Gout.
• * 1.2

  Serpigo. Tetters.
• * 1.3

  Good for cold Aches.
• * 1.4

  The body to be purged before it be with a salt hath bathed.
• * 1.5

  The vertues of this Lixivium.
• * 1.6

  The Caustick stone is made of salt.