A treatise of the rickets being a diseas common to children. Wherin (among many other things) is shewed, 1. The essence 2. The causes 3. The signs 4. The remedies of the diseas. Published in Latin by Francis Glisson, George Bate, and Ahasuerus Regemorter; doctors in physick, and fellows of the Colledg of Physitians at London. Translated into English by Phil. Armin.

CHAP. XXXVI. Things to be Externally Applied. (Book 36)

THese remedies (as we have said) do not only prerequire Friction, but for the most part they are administred with a gentle Friction.

Now they are either General, or Universal, respecting all parts alike, or Particular, and dedicated to certain Regions of the Body. The matter of the Uni∣versals is almost the same with that which we have pro∣pounded above in the Chapterof Specifical Alterant Remedies: but the matter of the particulars must be di∣stinguished according to the variety of the Regions of the Body unto which they are applied. The forms of either kind seem to be common, and they are five in number, Liquors, Oyls, Liniments, Oyntments, Playsters: although Plaisters are dedicated rather to certain parts, and never are at once applied to the whol Body.

Liquors that have been commended by long experi∣ence in this Affect are almost all kinds of Wine; but especially Muskadine. But some do prefer the Pruisian Beer, which indeed may help much to strengthen and consolidate the Parts, but very little or nothing at all to effect the equation of the Blood, or an equal distributi∣on of it. The same judgment is also to be made of A∣ligant, as also of red Wine. Some instead of Wine use ordinary Aqua vitae, which is beleeved to be no∣thing

inferior to Wine, Decoctions also may be prepa∣red for the same use. As,

Take the Roots of Royal Osmond, the Leaves of Sage, the Flowers of Marigolds, the Leaves of Bay-tree, Pauls Betony, Hartstongue, of each half an handful; Rosemary, red Roses dried, of each one pugil; boyl them in Fountain Water, and ordinary Aqua vitae, of each a pound, to the consumption of the third part; strain it and keep for your use. Or

Take the roots of the male Fernbrake one ounce, the leaves of royal Osmond, Clary, Bay tree, Sage, Pauls Be∣tony, of each half a handful, infuse them in some Wine, and keep the strained liquor for your use.

But these Liquors are seldom or never administred a∣lone, but must be mixt with equal parts of Oyls, Lini∣ments, or Ointments; and indeed they must be used be∣fore a warm fire, and rubbed on with a hot hand til they be dry.

Compound Oyls such as are approved in this Affect are very few, and those ineffectual: but there are many Simple Oyls, as Oyl of Earth-worms, Chamamile, Ma∣rygold flowers, Pauls Betony, Neats-foot Oyl, unto which you may also ad Oyl of Foxes, Oyl of Whelps, Oyl of Swallows, provided that these last be prepared Simply by themselves without any commixture of ex∣tream hot ingredients.

Oyl of Exeter, although some Practitioners use it, and though it be a little hotter then is fit to be used alone to so tender an age as is troubled with this Diseas, and so are other things which are vulgarly used, as Oyl of Ca∣storeum, or Jacobi de Manliis, and Ung. Antiparalyticis, and other Ointments, as, de Nervino, Martiato, Aregon, and the like. And the reason is, because such a numness afflicts not these as it doth such as are Paralitical, nor

the same Defect of Vital Spirits, nor the same unequal distribution of nourishment. But because this is a new Diseas, if any desire Oyls, Ointments, or Liniments proper to the Evil, let him make use of a right Method, an able Physitian, a specifical way either of Oyls or Ointments as we shal shew you by these examples:

Take the leaves of red Sage, Betony, Pimpernel, Ma∣rygold flowrs, of each two handfuls: the roots of royal Osmund six ounces, May Butter three pound, white Wine half a pound: cut the Herbs, bruise the Roots, and boil them according to art til the Wine be consumed: After∣wards strain them being yet hot, and put to them oyl of Nutmegs drawn by expression one ounce and an half, mingl them diligently, and after setling, casting away the dregs, make your Ointment, which you may reserve in a glass Vessel for your use. Or,

Take the leaves of Brooklime, Chamomile, Watercresses, garden Scurvygrass, Pauls Betony, Motherwort, Maiden∣hair, Hartstongue, Ceterach, Bayleavs, the tops of Mint, red Sage, Rosemary, Ivy-berries, of each half a handful: the Roots of royal Osmund four ounces, Muscadale half a pound, May Butuer three pound: cut the Leaves, bruis the Berries, and boil them all to the consumption of the Wine, strain it whilst it is hot, and separating the pure substance from the setlings, make an Ointment according to art. Or,

Take the leavs of red Sage, Pauls Betony, Hartstongue, stinking Gladon, of each two handfuls: the roots of roy∣al Osmond six ounces: the tops of Lavender, Rosemary, Bay-leavs, of each a handful: common Aquae vilae, one pound: Oyl of Neats-feet, and Foxes, of each half a pound: Deers-suet, or the suet of an Ox, Oyl of Worms, of each one pound, boil them to the consumption of the Aquae vitae: strain out the Ointment whilst it is hot, and

making a seperation of the dregs, keep it for your use.

Fourthly, Take the green leavs of royal Osmond, six handfuls: Pimpernels, Morigold-flowrs, the leavs of red Sage, Clary, Mother-wort, Brook-lime, Watercresses, of each a handful: the leavs of Rosemary, Bay, of each half a handful: chop them together very smal, and beat them diligently in a Marble or Wooden Morter, with a wooden Pestle, with six pound of unsalted Butter, and so let them stand fourteen days, then melt them gently in a Bath, and as soon as they begin to be hot, strain them, and then put in a new quantity of Herbs as before: at length strain and purify your Ointment, and keep it for occasions.

To these general external Remedies som particular ones relating to som certain parts of the Body may be sub-joyned: as if the region of the Abdomen, especially the Hypocondria, be stretched, hard and swelled, and this stretching hardness, and swelling would not yeild to a Purgation though rightly administred, then you must proceed to Local Remedies: As,

Take Oyl of Capers, Wormwood, Elder, of each one ounce: of the general Ointment first described, one ounce and an half: mingle them and make a Liniment.

Or,

Take Ointment of the opening juyces Foesius three ounces, the first general Ointment two ounces, mix them together and make them one Ointment: also Oyl of Saxi∣frage made of a manifold infusion, and boiling of the bruised Herb in common Oyl is much to be commended to be mixed with it.

In the time of using it, this and the like Liniments or Unguents may be mingled for penetration sake with som appropriat liquor: As,

Take the flowers of Elder, the flowers of red Sage, Bay-berries bruised, white Sanders slightly beaten to pou∣der, of each two drams, white Wine two pound, steep them for three days in a cold place in a glass vessel accu∣ratly stopt with Cork, and shake it twice a day: when you use it, strain as much as will serve your present oc∣casion, then stop your vessel again. Or, if you desire a stronger,

Take the roots of white Bryony well dryed and sliced, Bay-berries, Goos-dung, of each two drams: Cummin∣seeds one dram: the leavs of red Sage, the flowrs of El∣der, of each one pugil; boil them in one pound and a half of Rhenish-wine to a pound: keep the Decoction in a cold place diligently stopped.

These and the like Liquors mingled with the Oynt∣ment, and heated at the fire, must be rubbed upon the Abdomen, and especially the Hypochondries, even to driness. Let the Nurse also having well warmed her hands, handle those parts gently, somtimes pressing the Bowels upwards, somtimes downwards, somtimes to the right hand, and somtimes to the left, according to our former Directions.

The most galent thing of all is the Balsom of Tolu mixed with any Oyntment or Plaister, and so applied to the Region of the Back either in form of an Oynt∣ment or Playster.

Plaisters also seem to contribute somthing. As Take three ounces of Ceratum santalinum; Gum Am∣moniacum dissolved in Rhennish Wine, or in som other medicated wine above described, purified and boyled a∣gain to a thickness, one ounce: make your Plaister ac∣cording to art. Spread part of this upon Leather and lay it upon the right Hypochondry, or els the left, if the hardness be there most sensible, which indeed is very seldom. Or

Take the Juyces of Brooklime, Watercresses, Gar∣den-Scurvygrass, Wormwood, the bark of Elder, the roots of the male Fernbrake, of each one ounce: Let the Juy∣ces be purified with a gentle heat, and being extracted reduce them to a thick body, then ad one dram & an half of Mace, and two drams of yellow Sanders in pouder.

Take of this Mixture one ounce and an half: Gum Ammoniac. dissolved in Wine and boyled to a body four ounces. Mingle them bot, and stir them continually till they begin to wax cool and hard, and make a Plaister to be applied as the former.

Moreover, when the Lungs are il affected many times a peculiar pectoral Plaister is very useful. As

Take Oyl of Violets, white Lillies, and the Ointment of Orenge flowers, of each one ounce: Mingle them and make a Liniment to be rubbed with a hot hand upon the Breast, laying a Lawn Paper over it lined with Wool or linen cloth. To this Liniment you may ad a smal quan∣tity of Natural Balsom. Or

Take two ounces Unguent. Pectorale; an ounce and an half of simple Ointment of Liquoris: one ounce of Oyl of Violets. Mingle them and make a Liniment to be used after the same manner.

The Ointment of Liquoris is thus made.

Take new and Juycy Liquoris four ounces: new un∣salted Butter washt in Rose water one pound: slice the Liquoris and beat it wel with the Butter in a stone Mor∣ter, afterwards fry them, then strain and squeeze them, and repeat the same labor thrice with a new quantity of Liquoris.

Again, Som Plaisters may be prepared proper against the weakness of the Back, which very frequently hap∣neth in this Affect. In the Shops you may have the Plaister of Betony, and Diachalcitheos, unto which ne∣vertheless

when you use them, you must ad Mastich and Olibanum in pouder of each half a dram: the Plaister also which is called Flos Unguentum may hither be re∣ferred, provided that you omit the Camphire, in like manner also Emplastrum Nervinum. Or

Take two ounces of the first general Oyntment; five of the Herbs that are contained in that Composition, cut and chopped very smal; Yellow Wax four ounces; the purest Rosin eight ounces: the Oyntment, Rosin, and Wax, being melted ad the Herbs and according to art make a Plaistrr. Or

Take fifteen ounces of the third general Oyntment; Litharge of Gold beaten smal and sifted nine ounces; boyl them together continually stirring them to the consi∣stence of a Plaister; then ad Wax, Burgundy Pitch, of each three ounces; Oyl of Nutmegs by▪ expression three drams; Mastich, Olibanum, Mirrh, of each one dram and an half; Costorium half a dram; white Vitriol in pouder half an ounce; make your Plaister according to art.

The Practioners in Physick differ in the Figure, and about the Application of these Plaisters. Some chuse a longish and narrow Figure, and apply it according to the length of the Back-bone. Others appprove a broa∣dish and almost

[illustration]

triangular Fi∣gure, such as you see here, and they extend it from the Loyns, downward upon the Os sacrum, e∣ven to the utmost end therof. But when the lower parts of the Back-bone, as also the Knees and Legs, namely those parts which bor∣row their Nerves from the lower part of the Spine, are weaker than the Superior, we do

not judg this latter to be a convenient form; but when the upper parts of the Back-bone seem to be the weaker, we suppose the former longish form to be the more a∣greable.

In like manner some commend a Liniment for the weakness of the Back-bone which consisteth of Gelly of Harts-horn, made with such things as strengthen the Sinews, adding the Flowers of Sage, and the Roots of our Ladies Seal. In the time of anointing mingle ther∣with a little Oyl of Nutmegs by expression, or Oyl of Worms, or Mans Grass. And thus much of external Remedies.

FINIS.