A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. XII. The Diseases of the Penis, and its Cures.

THe Penis often transgressing the Laws of Chastity in the irregular In∣dulgence of Venery, hath its sensual Pleasure countermanded by se∣vere Pains, as a piece of Gods Justice and Mercy too, to give us a sight of our Prevarications, by making us reflect upon them in the Glass of Punish∣ment, whereupon this unruly little Member payeth dear for its Faults, and is made obnoxious to variety of Diseases; Now and then it is distorted and puf∣fed up, other times Inflamed, Ulcered, and Gangreened, which chiefly hap∣peneth to young Men, as most addicted to Venery.

A distorted Penis proceedeth from an over-long Coition, * 1.1 whereby the Nervous Bodies and spongy substance of the Urethra are filled with so great a quantity of Vital and Animal Spirits, in hot Plethorick Bodies: of this dis∣affection Arantius maketh mention, De Tumoribus praeter Naturam, Cap. 50. ••tenim Genitale distentum, ac Spiritu turgens tristi cum doloris sensu distorquetur, quo fit ut Semen in Uterum recte ejaculare nequat. And in the same Chapter the Author saith afterwards, Qui vero Veneri nimis indulgent, frequenter{que} & diu in Mulierculis placeant, distento sunt Genitali, in hoc Malum incidunt. Etenim Spi∣ritus ille inclusus in aliquam alterius Ligamenti Concavi partem impetum faci∣ens, ejus particulam ita impellit, ut eam relaxet, ac protuberare faciat, quo fit ut quantum latitudini affectae particulae adjicitur, tantum Longitudini Detrahi∣tur.

A Priapism is near akin to this Disease, as being an Inflation of the Yard, * 1.2 derived from a quantity of vaporous and flatulent Blood, distending the loose Compage of the Penis. This Disease, coming from a quantity of Blood, is Cured by opening a Vein, and by Apozemes contempering the Blood, and by cooling and emollient Fomentations, allaying the flatulent hot Swelling of the Yard.

Sometimes the Penis is afflicted with a red painful Tumor, * 1.3 vulgarly called an Inflammation, produced by a great quantity of Blood impelled by the Hypogastrick Arteries into the Spongy Substance of the Penis, so that the Extremities of the Veins cannot give a reception to the gross or too great quantity of Blood, which if it be not quickly discharged, * 1.4 de∣generateth into an Ulcer, proceding from the Chymous or Serous parts of the Blood, acquiring a Caustick quality, whereby it Penetrateth the Substance and Integuments of the Penis, causing a Flux of putrid Hu∣mours, which sometimes grow so corrupt, that they produce a Gangreen, * 1.5 and other times degenerate into a malignant quality, attended with a Can∣cerous Indisposition.

As to the Inflammation of the Penis, it denoteth Bleeding, * 1.6 and Cool∣ing and moistning Juleps and Fomentations, and if this Disease be attend∣ed with an Ulcer, having a gross and a Watry Excrement, the Indi∣cations may be satisfied with cleansing and drying Medicines, made of China, Sarsa Parilla, Guaicum, and Vulneraries of Ladies Mantle, Prunell, Mouseare, &c. and lastly detergent and drying and consolidating Topicks

may be administred to consummate the Cure, * 1.7 and if the Glans be Ulcer∣ed in the beginning, the Ulcer is to be cleansed with Plantain and Rose-Water, and Hydromel, or with Water in which Alom is dissolved, and af∣terwards with Wine, in which the Leaves of Brambles, Myrtle, Plantain, Nuts of Cypress, Pomegranat Flowers, and Alome, have been Boiled, and applied warm with Linnen Cloaths to the Glans; as also the white Oint∣ment Camphorated, Diapompholygus, Tutia, and others of Aloes, Lythargyrum, Ceruss, Saccharum Saturni, &c.

And if the Ulcers of the Glans be Sordid, * 1.8 or Virulent, it may be Anoint∣ed with Honey of Roses Strained, Ʋnguento Apostolorum, Ʋnguento Aegyp∣tiaco, and also with Medicines mixed with Precipitate, &c.

And if there be an imminent Danger of a Gangreen, a Defensative is to be applied, and the affected part is to be Scarified, as also Unguent. Ae∣gyptiac. Apostolorum, mixed with Honey of Roses dried, Turpentine, Dra∣gons Blood, Myrrh, &c.

If a Gangreen or Mortification hath seized the Yard, * 1.9 it is most safe to Cut off the Mortified Part, and to apply Medicaments proper to Heal an Ulcer.

The Yard is Subject in its Glans to Warts, Nodes, Schirrhus, and al∣so to many soft Spongy Excrescences, which may be taken away by Ma∣nual Operation; and afterward proper Topicks may be Administred, to Heal the Part.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The distorti∣on of the Pe∣nis.
• * 1.2

  A Priapism proceding from Infla∣tion.
• * 1.3

  The Inflam∣mation of the Penis.
• * 1.4

  The Ulcer of the Penis.
• * 1.5

  The Gangreen and Cancer of the Penis.
• * 1.6

  Bleeding is good in the Inflammation of the Penis.
• * 1.7

  The Ulcer of the Penis is to be Cured by detergent and drying To∣picks.
• * 1.8

  The Cure of a sordid Ulcer of the Yard.
• * 1.9

  The Yard is to be cut off in Mortificati∣ons.