Enchiridion medicum containing an epitome of the whole course of physicke: with the examination of a chirurgion, by way of dialogue betweene the doctor and the students. With a treatise contaning a definition of all those difenses that do chiefly affect the body of a man, and an antidotary of many excelllent and approued remedies for all diseases. Published for the benefit of young students in physicke, chirurgian, and apothecaries.

Of the Scorbie.

Stud.

Scorbutus is a disease obstructing the splene, wherby the course & passage of melancholy is hindred: which being mingled with the rest of the bloud, in∣fecteth all the body with vild wastings and corruption, the groster part wherof falling downe, staineth the legges with spots, like vnto the couler of pomgra∣nets, and the thinner patt being carried vp, doth desile the gummes with sharpe fretting, and loathsome ouergrowing of the flesh. This disease is thought to bee that which Plinie maketh mention of in lib. 25. of his naturall history calling it Stomocace and Sccletyrbe.

Doct.

What is the cause of this disease?

Stud.

The cheife cause of this disease, is grosse and corrupt diet, as may be per∣ceiued by those that trauell by sea, by long voyages; and our fishers that trauel to the Newfound-lands, wanting fresh and sweet waters, and vsing corrupt and stincking waters, & especially in an hot aire, in which the waters will most spee∣dely corrupt: in like manner, flesh tain∣ted, and stinking, lard putrified, and mouldie, venson tainted, fish of grosse substāce, bread twise baked and sub mu∣cid, garlick, drinkes ingendring cuill iuice, bacon, martlemas beefe, fish dried in the smoake, being ouer-salted, & such like. But aboue al things, a full diet, and delicate, vsing no exercise is the cause of this disease; and somtimes this disease doth follow the quartan Feuer.

Doct.

What are the certaine signes of this disease?

Stud.

The signes of this disease, is first an euill sauor of the mouth, swelling and bleeding in the gummes, loosnes of the teeth, black & leadie spots of the legs, & somtimes in the face, also weaknes of the joints, & disability to walke; difficulty of breathing, & chiefly when they moue or

stir, and when they offer to rise, or set vp right, they are ready to die, and their spi∣rits faile them, but when they lie downe they are refreshed & breath more freely. In like māner the sicke for the most part are greedy of meat, and do desire to eate often, & for the most part their stomack neuer faile them, also the belly for the most part is bound and the patient go∣eth hardly to stoole, and yet there are some that are subiect to a continual slux. Moreouer, the spots of the legs do some∣times swell and tumisie, in some the legs are so vlserated, that the shinbone doth often lie bare. And in a word, this disease in some bodies doth turne into a kind of leprosy, for the spots resolue into a black kind of scales, as is wont to bee in the morphue, and leprosie of the Greeks: al∣though in other some, it is but light, e∣quall and shining.

Lastly, those that die of this disease, are sound to be spotted ouer all the body, & veins of the legs, & about the tongue are filled & swolen with melancholy blod: & these are propper signs of this disease.

Doct.

Let me now know the manner of of your cure of this disease?

Stu.

Letting passe general remedies I wil

shew you the particular cure of this dis∣ease, which must if there be Plethoria and fulnes be begun with blood-let∣ling, if strength, age, and other things permit: but it is not thought good to draw blood in abundance; but if it be possible to draw blood from the haemor∣rhodial veines, it is more conuenient; and if the splene be particularly affected, the veine called Lienaris or middle veine of the left arme is to be opened: but if the liuer be more affected, and that the bo∣die is perceiued to abound with blood, then we must open the liuer veine of the right arme, or the Basilica or middle veine.

But where the Physition is neuer or seldome called, vntill the disease hath taken deepe roote, and is become despe∣rate: that is, when it hath spread it selfe into the legges, and other parts of the body; we must then altogether abstaine from blood-letting.

Doct.

What course must wee then take?

Stud.

Then we must purge the body lightly with sena, & such like; as for ex∣ample:

Rec.

• Senea Alex. Drag. iiij.
• ...

• Epithymi cretens. Drag. iij.
• Passular. Corinth. ℥. ss.
• Som. feniculi. Zuinziberian. dr. ss.
• Fiat infusio in ℥. viij.

Seri lactis per noctem super cineres calid & mane fiat colat. & capiat.

In like manner may be giuen halfe an ounce of this powder following: being infused as aforesaid. Rec. Senae ℥. j. E∣pithymi, tartarivini albi an. ℥. ss. Cinamomi, Gariophil. galangae, sem. anisi an. Drag j. ss. fiat puluis subt. & seruatur advsum.

In like maner pils De fumoterra, and Diasena, are also profitable in this disease. Some vse pils ex Lapide Lazuli, and Ar∣meno: but they are not thought to be so good. Some giue Confectio hamech, but with good caution: for this disease doth not admit any vehement purgations; for thereby the heart is easily affected and hurt.

The body being lightly purged, wee giue the patient twice a day: viz. in the morning, and at iiij. of the clocke in the afternoone, the quantity of iiij. ounces of these iuices following: Rec. Chochleariae, menthae aquat. Cardamines, sysimbriae, ••an. partes aequales: Bechabungae partem semis.

These hearbs being greene, let them be beaten in a stone morter with a pestle of wood, and then strained, and to euery dose may be added a quantity of suger to make it pleasant: & if it be possible let the patient sweat after the taking therof Doct. How may this profit in this disease?

Stud.

The Chocheleria, water-mints, and Cardamines, doeth deuide and exte∣nuate and also purge by vrin, and the Cresses doth moderate the strength of the rest: and these hearbes may be di∣minished or increased, as the Physition shall thinke good according to the dis∣ease and body of the patient: It may be giuen also in goats milke, or for want thereof in Cow-milke, so that euery day it be made fresh. It is approued to be very good when the hearbes haue beene boiled in whey, & also in whit wine; but yet the ioyces being giuen, is much to be preferred aboue the rest.

There may also be added amongst the said herbs, of our common wormewood, and sometimes fumoterra, and German∣der: also to strengthen the bowels & the ioynts may be admixed Numularia.

If the Physition will, he may make a

greater mixture: they may make their choice of these things following:

Myrobalan: Indorum: cort. radicis capparis corticis fraxinae: Cuscutae, Asari, Thymi: Epi∣thymi, Capilli veneris, Matricaricae, Chelido∣niae, Betonicae, Hyssopi, Agrimoniae, Scabiosae, Pimpinellae, Phyllitis, Cetrarchae, Tamarisci, acetosae, Radicum Valerianae, Bistortae, Enulae Campanae, Polypodij, Lapathi acuti, Peniculi, Petrosilini, Cichoriae, Borraginis, Buglossae, Rhapontic. Aristolochiae rotund. Lequiritiae, passularum florum genistae, florum sambuci, Anisi. sem. feniculi, 4. sem. frigid. viticis, and such like. Also diuers haue been cured by this remedy following:

Rec. Fol. absint hij siccats gran. Iunip. an. M. j. Lactis Caprini lib. iiij. Let al boile vn∣till the third part bee consumed, then straine it, and mixe with the strayning of Saffron one Drag. then let it boile ouer the fire for ij. or iij. walmes, and againe straine it: of this decoction you shall giue three times in a day warme: viz. in the morning, and at three of the clock in the afternoone, and at the entrance in∣to bedde.

In like manner Syrupus Sceletyrbicus described by Forestus shall much auaile

in this disease. Rec. Succichochleariae succi Becabungea an. lib. iij. sacchar. albis. lib. ij. clarificetur succus cum albumine oui, and then boiled to the forme of a syrupe, and so let the patient receiue thereof in a spoone euery day thrice.

And thus haue we finished our dis∣course of the scuruy; of which disease if any man desire more knowledge, let him read Forestus his ob∣seruations in diseases of the Splene.

Notes

• De Scorbu∣to.
• 25. Lib. hist. natu∣ralium.
• cap. 3. Strabo geograph lib. 16. Grosse di∣et the cause of the Scor∣by.
• Signa Sborbuti.
• Cura.
• Nota.