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

¶The .vii. Chapter, of the cure of For∣mica.

WE haue declared, what formica is & the kyndes and al the sygnes of the same. Nowe we wyll treate of the cure of Formica. And we saye, that foure intentions ben requyred to the cure of Formica. The fyrst is the go∣uernaunce of lyfe: The seconde is the digestion of the matter antecedent. The thyrde purgation of the same. The fourthe remotion of the matter conioynct. The fyrste intention is ac∣complysshed in gyuynge to the pacy∣ent, meates declynynge to colde∣nesse, and moystnesse, lette hym vse therfore a gruell of breade, sodde in water, or in the brothe of a chycken, sodden wyth Laictuce, and a lytle cleane barleye. And herewyth it is good to vse a fewe Almondes blaun¦ched, or commune seede called Se∣mina communia stamped wyth a ly∣tle sugre.

Also the patient maye vse at the begynnynge the brothe of a Chekyn sodde wyth Borrage, Endyue, Pur∣selane, Betes, and Spynnache.

For drynke he maye vse the wyne of Pomegranattes that is not sharpe, but well mengled wyth water.

The seconde and thyrde intention is accomplysshed by takynge of this syrupe. ℞. of syrupe of vyolettes, of vynagre, of the iuyce of Endyue, ana ʒ. iiii. of the water of Endine, hoppes and vyolettes Ana .ʒ. i. mengle them.

After that the pacyent hathe vsed thys syrupe thre or foure dayes, he must take thys purgation in the mor¦nynge. ℞. of Electuarye lenitiue, of Cassia Ana .ʒ ss. of Electuarye of Ro∣ses after Mesue ʒ. iiii. wyth the wa∣ter of Endyue and hoppes, make a small potion, addynge in the ende of syrupe of vyolettes .ʒ. i. ss.

An other purgation Recipe. of the wheye of gootes mylke .ʒ. iiii. of ele∣ctuarye. De psillio .ʒ. ii. and ss. of Dia∣catholicon, Diaprunis non solutini. Ana .ʒ. ss. mengle them, and make a potion.

Yf it be Formica Corrosiua, we muste digeste the matter after thys sorte. ℞. of syrupe of Fumiterye, of hoppes, Ana .℥ ss. of water of fumiter, hoppes and Buglos. Ana .℥. i.

After that he hath vsed this syrup as it is sayde of the other, he muste take this purgatiō. ℞. of Cassia that is newlye drawen out, of Diacatho∣licō an̄ .℥. ss. of the cōfectiō of hamech. ʒ. iii. make a potion of fumiter, ad∣ding in the ende of it syrupe of violet∣tes.

ʒ. i. 7.

The fourth intention which is to take away the matter conioynct shal be accōplysshed with the medycines vnder wrytten, of whiche the fyrst is this. ℞. one Pomegranade aygre. of Lentyles, of cleane barly, of plātayn called Arnoglossa, or shepes tonge, or waybredth. ana. m̄. i. of the rotes of¦red dockes, called Lapathiū acutum ℥. iiii. of lupines .℥. ii. seeth these thyn∣ges in suffycient water, with a lytle vynegre, tyll the barly be broken, thā stampe them and strayne them, and sette them agayne vpon the fyre, the space of a quarter of an houre, and putte to these thinges, of oyle of Ro∣ses omphacine, of oyle Mirtine Ana .℥. ii. of whytewaxe ℥. x. make a com∣position whiche shall be betwene the forme of a cerot and of a playstre. This plaistre is a present remedy to resolue all kyndes of Formica ambu¦tiua, and Corrosiua.

An other resolutyne for the same intention. ℞. of oyle of roses, of vn∣guentū Populeon, Ana .℥. ii. of oyle Myrtyne ℥. i. and. ss. of the iuce of plā∣tayn and nyghtshade Ana .℥. i. of roch alumme .ʒ. i. of the floures of Pome∣granades. m̄. ss. of the seede of roses .℥. i. of docke rootes .℥ ss. of vinegre .℥. ii.

Lette them boyle all vnto the con∣sumption of the iuces and vynegre, than sturre them aboute in a mortar of leade an houre, and put therevnto of litharge of golde and syluer Ana .℥. ii. of cerusse .℥. i. of Tutia .ʒ. ii. yf nede be of greater exiccation or drying, ye maye well adioyne of the refuse of yron called Scoria ferri, fynely serced .ʒ. ii. of verdegres .ʒ. i. and ss. and so moche lyme, that hath bene ten ry∣mes wasshed.

This plaistre hathe so greate ver∣tue in hys operation, that there is no poynte of Formica, but that it maye be resolued by the same.

And yf it so chaunce that the For∣mica can not be resolued, but that it spreadeth it selfe in sondrye places, wyth malignitye, and vlceracyon, we fynde these two remedyes vnder wrytten present and good to morti∣fye the sayde Formica, bothe Corro∣siua, and Ambulatiua.

The fyrste is thys. ℞. of Arse∣nicke of Auri pigmentū, Ana .ʒ. ii. of the iuyce of Plantayne, of the iuyce of Nyghtshade, of the iuyce of coole∣wortes, an̄ .℥. ii. of y^e rinde of a walnut yf it can be gotten .℥. ss. or in the stede of it of Celidonye, otherwyse called Salendyne, ℥. ss. lette them boyle all in a brasen vessell, vnto the consum∣ption of the iuyces, thā stampe them fynely, addynge of Camphore bray∣ed accordynge to arte, ʒ ss. of Opium. ℈. i.

The seconde remedye. ℞. of Arse∣nycke, of Auripigmente. Ana .ʒ. i. stampe them wel, and let them boyle wyth a pynte of lye vnto the consum∣ption of two partes, and putte there into of Rose water li. ss. and let them seeth one boylynge more.

In the application of these two re∣medyes, ye must regarde this meane namelye, that the place be wasshed wyth lynte, made after the maner of a bolster, plonged, and steped in the decoction aboue wrytten, and layde too, twyse, or thryse. Thys water hath infallibly vertue to take awaye the malignite of an vlceratiō cōming of formica. The poudre aboue ordey∣ned hath the same vertue, whan it is layde to the place, in the fourme folo∣wing. The vlcered place must be was¦shed wyth a decoction of barley, or of rose water, & incontinently you must putte the poudre in the sayde vlcered place, not wypyng the place, whyche

thyng done ones or twyse, yf ye per∣ceyue the malignite of the vlcere to be mortifyed, (whyche thynge is easely knowen by the swelling of the place) than ye must procure to make the es∣chare to fal away and to appayse the payne, & inflāmation by thys meane. Take of y^e leaues of mallowes, and violettes an̄. M. ii. and boyle them tyl they ben perfectly sodden, than stāpe them wyth barley floure. And with y^e decoction make a styffe playster, ad∣dynge of freshe buttyre of swete oyle, an̄ .℥. ii. and two yolkes of egges, put in to the foresaid thinges incontinēt∣ly after that they bene taken from the fyer.

Thys playster is principall to ap∣payse gryefe caused by stronge medi∣cines. Ye may also profitably foment or bathe the place wyth thys decocti∣on before ye laye to the sayd playster, with cloutes weted in the decoction, and it muste be layed too, as hote as the patient canne suffre it. And after∣warde whan they eschare shall be ta∣ken away, the sayd vlcere shalbe hea∣led wyth the oyntment aboue wryt∣ten, which is compouned of the iuyce of herbes and of litarge, or wyth vn∣guētum de Minio, written in our an∣tidotarie, or wyth the oyntmēt aboue named in this present chapiter, in the whych is tutia. Item our poudre re∣mouyng superfluous fleshe wythout payne hathe a prerogatyue aboue o∣ther to take away the malignite of vl¦ceres, and hath lyke effecte in thys a∣posteme

The auncient doctours, and also the later haue wrytten sondrye reme∣dies, in which I haue founde lytle v∣tilite, and therfore I haue ouerpassed them, and haue wrytten those onlye whych I haue founde true.

Notes

• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Formica
• Diete.
• Syrupe
• Purgation
• Purgatyon.
• A playstre.
• A poudre.
• The fourme of admi∣nistration of the pou∣dre.
• To remoue an Eschare