The surgions directorie, for young practitioners, in anatomie, wounds, and cures, &c. shewing, the excellencie of divers secrets belonging to that noble art and mysterie. Very usefull in these times upon any sodaine accidents. And may well serve, as a noble exercise for gentle-women, and others; who desire science in medicine and surgery, for a generall good. Divided into X. parts. (Whose contents follow in the next page.) / Written by T. Vicary, Esquire, chyrurgion to Hen 8. Edw. 6. Q. Mary. Q. Eliz.

Signes of Life or Death by the Pulses.

Spigm••s is named the Pulses, and there be twelue Pulses the which doe take their Originall at the Vitall spirits: Three of which belong to the Heart, the one is under the left Pap, the other two doe lye in the Wrists of the armes directly against the Thumbs.

The Braine hath respect to seaven Pulses, foure be principall; and three be Minors, the foure principall are thus scituate; in the Tem∣ples two, and one going under the Bone called the right Furkcle, and the other doth lye in the corner of the right side of the Nose, one of the

three Minor Pulses in the corner of the left side of the Nose: And the other two lye upon the Mandibles of the two Jawes, the Liver hath respect to the two Pulses which lye upon the Feet.

By these Pulses, expert Physitians and Chyrurgions by their knocking and clapping, doe judge what principall member is diseased or whether the Patient be in danger.

If any of the principall Pulses doe beate truely, keeping an equall course as the minute of a clocke, then there is no perill in the Patient, so be it they keepe a true course; or pulse without any pause or stopping; which is to say, if the Pulse give five knockes and cease at the sixth knocke: or else seven and pause at eight, or else knocke tenne and lea••e over the eleventh, and begin at the twelfth, the Patient is in perill, else not; for it is not in the agility, as too swift or tardie beating of the Pulse, but in the pausing of the same con∣trary to its course, that the Patient is in perill.

In such causes let the Physitian be circum∣spect, and carefull, for Sincopies in the Patient, let him sit upright in his Bed with Pillowes, and let one sit at his backe to give him drinke, and let the Patient smell to Amber greece or Rosewater and Vin••ger, or else rub the Pulse with Aqua Vitae.

Also, when you touch the Pulse, marke under which finger it strikes most strongest, as thus; If the Pulse under the little finger, be feeble and weake, and under the rest more weake, it is a token of Death: But con∣trariwise, if under the little finger strong, and under every finger stronger it is a good signe.

And if you feele the Pulse under the fore∣finger strike untill the eleventh stroke and it faile in it, is a good signe, but if he beate swift and unorderly, an evill.