The sick-mans rare jewel wherein is discovered a speedy way how every man may recover lost health, and prolong life, how he may know what disease he hath, and how he himself may apply proper remedies to every disease, with the description, definition, signs and syptoms [sic] of those diseases. (Viz.) The scurvy, leues venerea, gonorrhea, dropsies, catarrhs, chollick, gouts, madness, frensies of all sorts, fever, jaundise, consumptions, ptisick, swoundings, histerick passions, pleurisies, cachexia's, worms, vapours, hypochondriack melancholly, stone, strangury, with the whole troop of diseases most afflicting the bodies of men, women and children; with a supply of suitable medicines; ... a piece profitable for every person and family, and all that travel by sea or land. By B.A.

CHAP. XIX. The description of the Dropfie (Book 19)

THe Dropsie in the Greek is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in Latin aqua-intercus, as to its spe∣cies is described to be a Tumor of the Belly, and of these there be Three sorts, which have their several Appellations, viz. Ascites, Tympanites, & Anasarca; that which is called Ascites may swell the whole Belly, even as a Bottle, and therefore is called the Bottle-Bellyed-Dropsie, the principal species is, it is a swelling of the Belly, having its rise from a waterish and serous Humour, Collected in the capaci∣ty of the Abdomen; and sometimes

there is concomitant a Tumor of the Thighs, Feet and Privy parts, the nearest cause of this effect is a waterish and se∣rous Humour collected in the Abdomen, together with the vice of the part con∣taining the Humour? the Liver is not always in the fault, as Anotomical Inspe∣ction of Hydropilal persons doth testifie; much less is the Spleen always to be blamed; but the Vasia Lymphatica be∣ing of late more clearly discovered, it is from the obstruction of these that the Water is poured into the Cavety of the Abdomen, by which they are obstructed and stopped with any viscid and gross Humour. The serous Humour which otherwise is wont to be carryed to the receptacle of the Chyle is forced to take its Journey another way, and being beaten back whence it came, it makes the part to swell, which for that cause is elevated with a Copidness, which being over much burdened, at last they break, and so the Serum flows very easily to the Abdomen.

Or the Dropsie may happen from the Liver, being evilly affected, and when it la∣bourerh with a Scirrhus obstruction or in∣flamation,

and so also a Dropsie happens from a great wait of the Bowels, the thin small Coats of Lymphatical Vessels being easily broke, as also from the Reins b••ing obstructed, the Bladder hurt, the Womb being easily effected, the Dropsie may sometimes follow, the Water is of∣tentimes in the Cavity of the Abdomen, and sometimes it is received into little Bladders of a various Magnitude.

The second description of a Dropsie is Tympanites or a Tympany, receiving its Name from a Drum, for the Belly be∣ing extended with Wind, if it be struck with the hand, it gives a sound resem∣bling that of a Drum, it is also Hydrops si••••is a dry Dropsie, in this the Abdomen swelleth from a Flatus shut up in the capa∣city or hollowness of the Belly, oftentimes also the Intestines in this Affect is per∣ceived to be distended from Wind shut up in them; but there is very seldom a Flatus to be found, but there is also a Wa∣ter mixed with it.

And oftentimes Winds are Generated between the Coat of the Intestines, and Messentery, or from a debilitated Heat, or from the same too much scorched

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drawing its own parts into a consent with the crude and gross Chyl.

Lastly Anasarca, which is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and hath a certain Affi∣nity with a Cachexia, and it is an equal Ex∣crement preternatural of the whole Mass of the Body, arising from the visciousness of Aliment, the cause is a Waterish Humour spread over the whole Body, produced from a debility and intemperature of the whole Bowels, by reason of which instead of good Blood there is generated a Crude and Flegmatick, whence it cannot aggluti∣nate sufficiently, a naughty nutrement necessarily follows. Others alledge the obstruction of the Lymphatical Vessels, by reason of which the serous Humour cannot be seperated from the parts.

These be the Signs of an Ascites, a swelling of the Belly, Feet, and often∣times of the Privy parts: The sick being rouled from one side to the other, there is observed the sound of a fluctuating Wa∣ter, the Urine is little and thick, and some∣times Red; they have a great Thirst, a dry Cough, a difficult Respiration, and an Extenuation of all the other parts, and also a Febris lenta & continuenta.

In the Tympany the Belly being struck, it sends forth the sound of a Drum, the bulk of the Abdomen is not so painful as in Ascites, but the Inflamation is greater, Pains and Torments go before, or pre∣cede, especially about the Navel, and the Side; the Sick lying upon his Face, the Belly remains distened and hard, when the Sick turns himself, and is roul'd to either side, belching and noise doth frequently break forth, there is heard Murmurings and Grumblings.

In the Anasarca not only the whole Belly, but the Legs, Shins, also the Hands, Arms, Breast, Face, and whole Body does swell, and the Fingers being prest into the Flesh, they leave the Marks and Footsteps of their Impression, and with these there Frequently follows a Pale and Cadaverous Colour of the Skin, the Flesh soft and loss, the Urine thin and White, the Respiration difficult, a continual and small Fever.