The most excellent workes of chirurgerye, made and set forth by maister John Vigon, heed chirurgie[n] of our tyme in Italie, translated into english. Whereunto is added an exposition of straunge termes [and] vnknowen symples, belongyng to the arte

¶A Chapter of crusty scalles in chyldernes heedes, or of apo∣stemes in the neckes of the same.

FOr the cure of these scalles, yf the chylde be yet suckynge, it is good to purge the no¦rice with cassia, or mā¦na, and to wasshe the chyldes heed, with a decoction of ma¦lowes, violettes, fumiterrye, branne, rubbyng afore it the scalde heed with the yolke of an egge, and if nede be, ye shall remoue the heeres. which done, ye shall annoynte the heed with but∣ter wasshed with the foresayde deco∣ction, and laboured in a mortare of leade, leyinge vpon the heed, the lea∣ues of blacke coole wortes, beetes, or lettuse. And when the crustes shall be mundifyed, ye shall onelye laye fayre lynnen cloutes thereupon, and annoynt the heed with the foresayde butter, and fynallye, for perfyte cura∣tion, and desiccation, ye shall admyni∣ster thys linyment folowynge. ℞. of buttyre wasshed, as is aforesayde, of vnguentum album camphoratum, an ounce and an halfe, mengle them, and laboure them in a mortar of lede the space of two houres.

Yf the chylde be not suckynge, it maye be purged with cassia, or man∣na. As touchynge apostemes in the neckes of chyldren, procedynge of the sayde crustes, they are for the mooste parte, of the nature of phlegmon, and ende by suppuration.

And therfore ye must procede with maturatiues, as is this that folo∣weth. R. the leaues of mallowes sod∣den in the broth of flesshe, or in swete water, two handefull, of crommes of breed, halfe a pounde, stampe thē, and incorporate them togyther, and make a styffe playster in the decocti∣on of the sayde mallowes, with whe∣ate floure, addynge, of buttyre, of cō∣mune oyle, of euery one two ounces, the yolkes of an egge.

Item, it is good to embroke the place wyth hoote cloutes dypped in thys decoction. And for as moche, as communelye these apostemes breake by theyr owne accorde, ye maye pro∣cede wyth the sayde maturatiue vn∣to perfyte maturation.

whan it is broken, ye shall vse di∣gestiues, the space of thre dayes, mū∣difyinge it afterwarde, wyth syrupe of Roses, or with vnguentum basili∣cum, or diaquilon wythout gūmes, of our description. For cicatrisation, ye shalle applye vnguentum de mi∣nio, and yf anye superfluous flesshe growe there, ye may easely remoue it wyth our pouder of mercurie.

Remedies whych are conuenient for the diseases of y^e eares, are these. And first to swage y^e payne of them

oyle of yolkes of egges and buttire, la¦boured in a mortar of leade, with oyle of swete almondes, is a singuler reme¦dye. Lykewise womans mylke or cowes mylke is good in thys case. And so is thys suffumigation folow∣yng. R. of barly, branne, malowes, vi∣olettes. ana. m̄. ii. of camomylle, melli∣lote. ana. m̄. ss. of the sede of quynces .ʒ. iii. of spelta. m̄. i. the head of a wether somwhat broken, seeth these thynges tyll halfe be consumed. For the same intention, we vse the oyle of chestwor∣mes, whyche is thus made. ℞. of oyle of roses odoriferous, oile of violettes, an̄ .℥. i. of vinaygre of roses .ʒ. i. ss. of saf¦franne, graynes .ii. of water of roses ℥. ii. of womans mylke, of chestwor∣mes whyche are founde vnder wood in moyst places, and drawe them sel∣ues arounde together, an̄ .ʒ. x. of earth∣wormes, of snayles. ana .ʒ. ii. of freshe buttyre .℥. vi. seeth them al together tyl the vinaygre and water be cōsumed, then streyne them & vse this oyle hote. And yf ye wolde labour it in a mortar of leade, the space of an houre, it shuld the better swage peyne and inflāma∣tion. These forsaid remedies ar good when the mattier is hote, but yf the matter be colde, it is good to vse oyle of bytter almondes, mengled wyth oyle of the yolkes of egges, or buttyre boyled wyth an apple, or in an oyny∣on, puttynge the buttyre into the eare actuallie hote, and layenge the apple rape, or oynyon, vpon the eare in the fourme of a playster.

Thys fumigation is also conueni∣ent for the same purpose. ℞. of fenu∣greke, of lynsede. ana. m̄. i. of camomil, mellilote, dylle. ana. m̄. i. ss. of swete fe∣nell, of licorice. ana .ʒ. vi. seeth them all together wyth sufficient broth of a we∣thers heade, tyll halfe be consumed. And yf ye wolde seeth herwythall, of cumyne .ʒ. vi. of corianders .ʒ. iiii. of ma¦iorum .ʒ. ii. of honye .℥. ii. it shulde be a singuler remedye agaynst wyndynes and soundyng of the eares.

The remedyes conueniente to rype hote apostemes of the eares, bene of thre sortes, of whyche the first is this. R. of oyle of violettes, oyle of sweete almons, of y^e marye of a calues legge, ana .ʒ. iii. of freshe buttyre or hennes grese. ana .℥. ss. of the decoction of malo∣wes, violettes, quynces, psilium, fenu¦greke one cyathe, seeth them all toge∣ther tyll the decoction be consumed, & put therof into the eare actually hote.

The seconde is thys. R. of the meat of rosted apples .℥. iiii. or in stede ther∣of of cromes of breade, of the leaues of malowes sodden in water and stā∣ped .℥. iii. of womans mylke .℥. i. of but∣tyre .℥. ii of barlye floure .ʒ. x. of oyle of violettes .ʒ. vi. mengle them and seeth them alytle, styrryng them about, and adde in the ende, the yolkes of two eg∣ges.

The thyrde is after thys sort. R. of the leaues of malowes, violettes, and lettuce. ana. m̄. i. of barlye, and branne ana. m̄. i. ss. of camomyll, mellilote. an̄. m̄. ss. of the rotes of holihocke .ʒ. ii. seeth them al together wyth sufficient rayn water, tyll halfe be consumed, & streyn them, & minister thys decoction vpon the eare wyth hote cloutes.

Remedies to heale the vlcers of the eares, are of thre sortes also, whereof the fyrst is made of one parte of honye of roses, and halfe a part of the oyle of yolkes of egges, and the thyrde parte of terebentyne, and the fourth of sarco¦colle. And it is a singuler remedy for newe vlcers of the eares.

The seconde is good for olde vlcers of eares, and is in thys fourme. R. vn∣guentum apostolorum .ʒ. iii. of vnguē∣tum egiptiacum made wyth wyne of pomegranades and wyth water of plantayne .ʒ. ii. mengle them.

The thyrde is after thys sorte. ℞. of oyle of roses omphacyne, oyle myr∣tyne. ana .℥. ii. of oyle of swete almons ʒ. ii. of goates & wethers talowe. ana .ʒ. iii. of antimonium, of litarge of gold and syluer. an̄ .ʒ. ii. of cerusse .ʒ. i. ss. seeth them all together, and styrre them a∣bout, tyl the colour be very blacke, and make a cerote wyth sufficient whyte waxe, addynge when ye shall take it frō the fyre, of tutia preparate, of brent leade. ana .ʒ. ii. synders of yron .ʒ. i. mē∣gle them, and laboure them in a mor∣tar of leade the space of two houres. Thys oyntmēt dryeth the vlcers of y^e eares after the mūdification of them.

Here folowe remedies conuenient to heale the diseases of the eyes, and fyrste, for ophtalmia comynge of hote causes, after this sorte. R. the whytes of two rosted egges, of water of ro∣ses, wyth the muscilage of psilium, & quynces .℥. ii. of tutia preparate .ʒ. i. of womans mylke .ʒ. vi. mēgle them, and whē they haue stande the space of two houres streyne them.

The seconde is goates mylke, co∣wes mylke or womans mylke, wyth a lytle suger.

The thyrd, is a whyte sief wythout opium, dissolued wyth the fyrst receit.

The fourthe is a decoction of fenu∣greke as it foloweth. R. of fenugreke washed w^t reyne water .ʒ. iii. of quince seedes .ʒ. i. of the seede of psilium .ʒ. ss. of water of roses .ʒ. iiii. seeth them all to∣gether besyde the psilium, tyl y^e thyrde parte be consumed, and then, when ye take the reste from the fyre, put in the psilium, and let it so remayn the space of thre houres, and afterwarde streyn them all.

The fyfth fourme is the playster fo∣lowyng. R. of the meate of rosted ap∣ples .℥. iii. of barlye floure, of womans mylke, of water of violettes, and ro∣ses, ana .℥. ss. seeth them wyth a softe fyre, styrrynge them about tyl they be thycke, and adde the yolke of an egge.

The sixte fourme is thys. R. of mel¦lilote, camomille, roses. an̄. m̄. i. of fenu¦greke .℥. i. of wormwood, of floures of rosemarye. ana. a lytle. Seeth altoge∣ther w^t reyne water & swete wyne, tyl the thyrde parte be consumed.

The seuenth fourme is the water fo∣lowynge. R. of water of roses .℥. iii. of odoriferous whyte wyne .ʒ. i. of clo∣ues in number foure, of aloes epatike ℈. ii. of sarcocoll dissolued w^t womans mylke, graynes thre, of suger candy of syrupe of roses .℥. i. of mirobalane ci∣trine .ʒ. ss. mēgle them & seeth thē toge∣ther a lytle, and then streyne them.

The eight is a repercussiue made af¦ter thys sorte. R. of oyle of roses om∣phacine .ʒ. ss. of the iuyce of plantayne, of the wyne of pomegranades. ana .℥. i. of vinaygre of roses .ʒ. ii. seeth them al together tyll the wyne, vinaygre, & iuyce, be consumed, then streyne them, & put to the streynyng of white waxe, ʒ. x. of all the saunders. ana .ʒ. ss. of terra sigillata, of bole armenye. ana .ʒ. i. of beane flour .ʒ. vi. mengle them & make a sofee cerote.

The nynth is a vesicatorie thus or∣deined. R. of cātarides .ʒ. iii. of leuē .℥. i. of vinaygre of roses .℥. ii. mengle them & make a vesicatorie, stāpynge thē in a mortar, the wynges and heades of the cantarides fyrste beynge taken a∣waye.

The tenth is a bathe as foloweth. R. of roses, of myrtilles, of camomyll, rosemarye, sage, wormewood, stica∣dos. an̄. m̄. i. of corianders .℥. ii. of squi∣nantum, a litle, of honye. li. ss. of alume and salt. ana .℥. i. of maiorū and nepte, ana. m̄. ss. seeth them all together wyth sufficient lye, and a lytle odoriferous wyne, tyll the fourth parte be consu∣med.

Vniuersal remedies, are these that

folowe. The fyrste is diete, whyche must be slender from the begynnyng, to the state. The seconde is phleboto∣mie diuersiue, of the veyne cephalyke on the contrary syde, whiche is conue∣nient from the begynnyng to the aug∣mentation. The thyrde is by phleboto¦mye euacuatiue in the veyne cephali∣ca on the same syde, when opthalmia is in the state. The fourth is digestion & purgation of the euyll matter, which muste be vsed at the begynning wyth cassia, manna, or wyth a lectuarye of roses, pilles of assagereth, or of hiera wyth agarike. The fyfth is applicati∣tion of bloodsuckers vpon the emoroy¦dal veynes, and about the eares, from the begynninge to the augmentation. The sixte is the application of vento∣ses, vpon the shulders. The seuenth is a clyster mollificatiue after this sorte. R. sufficient quantitie of the brothe of a wethers heade, of honye of roses or violettes .℥. i. ss. the yolkes of two eg∣ges, a lytle salt, of oyle of violettes, or of comune oyle .℥. iii. of cassia .ʒ. vi. or of benedicta simplex .ʒ. v.

These remedies must be thus ordei¦ned. Fyrst ye muste vse diuersiue phle∣botomye in the contrary part, and the daye before, ye muste geue the patient the forsayd clyster, applieng the parti∣culer remedies, as they be afore wryt∣ten, and layeng the repercussiue vpon the foreheade, and washynge the ar∣mes and legges, in the last decoction. As concernynge digestion, and purga∣tion, ye shall resorte to the chapter of ophtalmia. And when the disease is in declination, it is good to applye the water of cloues, called aqua gariofi∣lata, to consume the matter. Item it is very profitable to laye vpon the eye w^t a sponge the decoction of mellilote.

Notes

• The oyle of chest wormes