The pearle of practise, or Practisers pearle, for phisicke and chirurgerie. Found out by I. H. (a spagericke or distiller) amongst the learned obseruations and prooued practises of many expert men in both faculties. Since his death it is garnished and brought into some methode by a welwiller of his.

THE PROEME, OR ENTRANCE, INTO THIS COL∣LECTION: CONTAINED IN THE first foure Chapters.

CHAP. I What the dutie of an expert Chirurgian is.

A Good and true Chirurgian, is no other, thē a minister and helper of nature: who hath three operations to performe, in curing of woundes. The first is, that he ioyne the se∣perated parts close together, the second to preserue it from paine: the third, that he keepe it from putrifaction: all the rest he may leaue vnto na∣ture, which will worke with good expedition. And this is a sure intention: concerning the cure of woundes. Neuer keepe the flesh open, with tents or pledgets, neither weaken nature, by letting of bloud, or by purging, nor yet by strait diet, to cause the paine to increase, but keepe the wound al∣wayes cleane, washing it with Aqua balsami; and lay vpon the wound, clothes wette in Magno licore. This is a good, and an approued order: whereof whosoeuer wil know more, let him looke in Leonardo Fiorauante his booke, of Rational secrets, where he shall be satisfied more at large.

CHAP. II The cure of all manner of vvoundes in generall.

ALl kinde of woundes, may be healed, with these mede∣cines following (according to the method before men∣tioned)

viz. with our balsamo, with Aqua balsami, balsamum artificiale, quintaessentia vini, oleum resinae pini, oleum cerae & terebinthinae, magno licore, cerotum magistrale, elixir vitae, o∣leum hypericonis compositum, our secret powder, all which are set downe, in the forenamed booke, and for the most part, are to be had, for a reasonable consideration, at the house of M. Iames Fourestier, student in Phisicke dwelling in Lon∣don, in the Black Friers, betweene the two tennese courts.

CHAP. III. The cause vvhy vvounds cannot heale quicklie.

THough there be many more, yet chieflie they may be reduced vnto two causes. The one is an immoderate & extreme diet, which weakneth the stomack and body so much, that nature cannot preuaile, to conglutinate or so∣der the flesh together. And thus thorough want of naturall heate, the wound falleth to impostemation, Gangrena, fi∣stulaes. &c. and can hardly be cured. The second cause is, the keeping of them to much open, by reason of their tents or pledgets, so that they cannot ioyne together agayne, but grow to Cancers, and Fistulaes, whereupon many times, the patient remaineth lame euer after, or else speedie death is the end thereof.

CHAP. IIII. Of vvoundes in the head, how they must be dealt vvithall.

ALl wounds in the head, must be close ioyed and kept together, the bloud must be crushed out, then wash it well, with some-thing that hath vertue to liquifie the bloud, as the Quintaessence of wine, or such like. Then lay thereon lint, wet in oleum benedictum: this medecine you shall change in foure dayes, but euery day once wash the wound round about, with that Quintaessence, and annoint with the said

oyle, and at the fourth dayes end, dresse it agayne, and let it remaine two dayes more, & after that for a day more, & the wound (by the helpe of God) shalbe cured in xij. or xiiij. dayes. Thus may you deale, with all wounds, saue those, that are made in the bellie. As for all other, either simple or com∣pound wounds: you finde their cure, methodically shewed, in the Rationall secrets, of Leonardo Fiorauante published in English.

CHAP. V The healing of a greeuous vvound on the side of the head.

THe wound was made, on the side of the head, almost to dura mater: and it was healed in this manner. First there was put into the same, the Quintaessence aforsaid, then a litle balsamo, then there was applied a cloth which was wet in magno licore, made very hote, vpon which cloth, was layd our secret powder, couered with lint, and thus he was dres∣sed, once euery day, till he was whole. You must note, that whensoeuer the scull is hurt, vnto dura mater, there must be cast vp at the nosethrilles, our balsamo: that the smell may pierce vpward, and resolue the offence. Sometime also, in stead of a defensatiue, you may annoint round about the wound, with the foresaid balme; which preserueth from pu∣trifaction, and alteration.

CHAP. VI. A daungerous vvound in the head, cured in fiue dayes.

IT was healed very quicklie, by putting therein our Aqua caelestis, and balsamo, and by applying vnto the same, very hote clothes, wet in magno licore.

CHAP. VII. The cure of a vvound, on the eare to the scull.

A Sore wound was made on the care, which was cut vn∣to the scull of the head, and was healed in this manner:

first by annointing it with our Quintaessence, which caused it to waxe very hote, the space of two houres. After that, there was put in, our oleum philosophorum, de terebinthina & cera, and so he dressed it euery day once.

CHAP. VIII. How three vvounds in the head, vvith fracture of the bone or scull vvere healed by I. P.

A Certaine miller in Buckinghamshire, called Peter Bull, being sore wounded in the head, whereof one wound was in the midst of the head, with fracture of the scull, an o∣ther within an inch of that, six inches long, he had an o∣ther wound, ouer his eyebrow two inches long. Besides the woundes in his head, he had also a great wound, in the bowt of his arme, beside the elbow, so that a mā might haue layd: his three singers in it, diuers of his fingers were also cut, and he lost two ioynts. This man bled by the space of seuen or eight houres, before it was stinted: neither was he dressed, vntill the next day, but yet he was cured in this manner. First the haire was shauen away, round about the woundes on his head, and the wounds were made cleane, then was there dropped into the wound, balsamum sulfuris, made ve∣ry warme: and a sine cloth wet therein was applied to the wounds, and round about the wounds there was a defensa∣tiue applied: thus he was dressed once in 24. houres, and within the space of three weekes, he was perfectly holpen, that he ware no plaster at all. Also you shall note that vpon the wound, next the cloth, there was layd cerotum ma∣gistrale, of Leonardo Fiorauante: Forget not that this bal∣same must alwayes be vsed warme, with a fine linnen cloth, or a peece of Cambrick, and not with any lint. This bal∣same did cause the haire to grow so fast about the wounds: that it was fayne to be shauen away verie often.

CHAP. IX. Of contused vvounds on the head or other parts of the bodie.

THe auncient practitioners, haue esteemed contused wounds to be verie dangerous. For they say contusions must first be brought to putrifactiō, & turned into matter: which opinion is not to be allowed, for the bruses are to be dissolued without maturatiō, which hath bene a thousand times proued in the warres, after this manner to haue bene performed. Recipe, magno licore, oleum benedictum, ana, mixe them, & being verie hote, wet clothes therein, & lay there∣on twise a day, and in three or foure dayes they wilbe resol∣ued. Also the oyle of Franckinsence, or oleū philosophorum de tereb. & cera, will resolue any simple bruise in three or foure houres, only by continual annointing the place therewith, so fast as it drinketh in any. Prouided, that the bruise be not aboue six or eight houres old, for if it be, then will your worke be somwhat the longer, before it be finished.

CHAP. X. A contused vvound in the head, healed by I. P.

A Young man of 28. yeares of age, that had a great con∣tusion on the head with a staffe, was helped thereof in nine dayes; by applying thereunto balsamum sulfuris, be∣fore mentioned.

CHAP. XI. A vvound in the head, vvith fracture of the scull, cured by I. P.

A Litle boy, with a fall from an horse, had a fracture in the scull, which was healed with balsamum sulsuris, & cerotum magistrale Leonardo. The child, did at his dressing, vomite verie often: which argued the breaking of his scull, yet was he healed in seuen dayes.

CHAP. XII. To heale vvoundes speedily.

FIrst wash them verie well with our aqua balsami, then ioyne them verie close together, and lay thereon a cloth wet in olco resinae pini: and (through Gods helpe) they shall quickly be healed.

CHAP. XIII. To heale vvounds, by shot, or launce.

HE that will cure woundes, that are made with shot, launce, arrowes, &c. must first wash the wound well with vrine, & dry the wound well, then let him put therein the Quintaess. of wine and forthwith ioyne the wound close & hard together. Then let him put immediatly therein, fiue or six drops of our balsamo artific. and lay a cloth vpon the wound, wet in magno licore, which must be applied so hote, as he may suffer it: thus must he do the first day. That be∣ing done, he must put thereon our Quintaessence of wine, & then a litle balsamo, after that, some magno licore (as before was said) and so let him hold on, vnto the end of his cure.

CHAP. XIIII. A most singular and vvonderfull remedie, to heale vvoundes quicklie.

VVOunds must be holpen, with drying medecines, (as was noted in the third Chapter) such mede∣cines I say, as haue vertue, to preserue the part offended, frō putrifaction. This will be performed with our aqua balsami, and the oyle distilled from vernice liquide: for these two, are apt to heale all sortes of wounds: if ye wash them with the water and annoint them round about with the oyle, for they do not onely keepe the wounds from putrifying, but they helpe to cicatrise quicklie, and in such manner, as it

seemeth maruailous, most profitable for the woūded patiēt, but best for the good and honest Surgeon, which abhorreth in his worke, to play the tinker, which in stopping of one hole, is wont to make three, but with as much safetie and speed, as nature and art will yeld, to bring to passe all his ho∣nest intentions.

CHAP. XV. A vvound in the eye, vvith a splinter, healed by W. H.

A Splinter of wood, leapt into the eye of a certaine mai∣den, as she was chopping of stickes. The wound was so grieuous, that the gellie of her eye came forth, by the space of a moneth: all this while, she could neither see, nor take any rest. By the blessing of God within foure dayes after, she could thred a needle, and was recouered in this manner. First there was dropped into her eye, balsamum sulfuris warme, and then a cloth wet therein, was applied thereunto by which onely she was cured: the maid dwel∣leth in Nottinghamshire.

CHAP. XVI. A pricke in the eye, vvith a knife, healed by W. H.

A Child of seuen yeares of age, had a puncture in the eye, with a knife, which was cured, by dropping therein, balsamum sulfuris warme, and laying a defensatiue round about it.

Another cure performed in like manner by W. H.

ONe George Clarke, seruant to the right worshipfull, M. Butler of Denham (then high Sheriffe of Bedford) was healed, of a punct•••••• in his eye, with the foresaid medecine.

CHAP. XVII. An hand flat squatted, and contused, healed by W. H.

AN old man, called Thomas Smith, of Carton in North∣amptonshire, husbandman, in lopping of a tree, had his hand caught betweene two boughes, and was squatted in peeces; this contused hand, was presently put close toge∣ther, and annointed which oleum philosophorum de Tereb, & cera, and through Gods goodnesse, was perfectly cured in eight dayes.

CHAP. XVIII. A vvou•••• or puncture thorough the arme. I. P.

A Young man called Hudson, a Carpenter of Carlton in Northamptonshire, being thrust thorough the arme, with a pitchforke, was thus cured. First there was iniected Magno licore (as hote as he could abide it) into the wound. Then was there a linnen cloth, wett in the same oyle, ap∣plied vnto the wound, vpon the which cloth, was also layd, a pledget, of cerotum magistrale: this wounded man was healed in fiue or sixe dayes.

CHAP. XIX. Fiue vvoundes in the brest.

A Certaine man, that had fiue stocadoes into the body, was thus cured. First there was put into the woundes, the Quintessence of wine. Then were the woundes dressed, with balsamo artific. which caused him to vomite, and to a∣uoid much bruised bloud. After that he dranke, euery mor∣ning a litle aqua balsami, and in short time by Gods helpe was perfectly cured.

The manner to stay anie fluxe of bloud, or vayne: you shall finde in the 17. Chapter of the second part of this collectiō, and in the secrets of Leonardo Fiorauante, vvhere he intreateth of vvoundes.