Praxis catholica, or, The countryman's universal remedy wherein is plainly and briefly laid down the nature, matter, manner, place and cure of most diseases, incident to the body of man, not hitherto discovered, whereby any one of an ordinary capacity may apprehend the true cause of his distempers, wherein his cure consists, and the means to effect it : together with rules how to order children in that most violent disease of vomiting and looseness, &c. : useful likewise for seamen and travellers : also an account of an imcomparable powder for wounds or hurts which cure any ordinary ones at once dressing / written by Robert Couch ... ; now published with divers useful additions (for publick benefit) by Chr. Pack ...

Illiaca Passio: or, the Wind in the Small Gut.

IT hath been an old received opinion, that this Disease comes from the twist∣ing of that long and small Gut: but I have reason to believe the contrary.

This great Torture is not from the wind contained there, but from an excre∣mentitious matter that doth adhere unto the Illion; it is as it were glued unto it by its slimy matter, which it is lined withal, and in time is coagulated into a very obdu∣rate and hard substance.

I remember when I was in Dunkirk, there was a Soldier which was miserably troubled with this Disease for some days: after general Evacuation, Vomiting, Cly∣ster, then carminative and fumous Clysters, and abundance of other means, he found not the least ease: there was given him three or four ounces of Quick-silver, and that came soon through him, yet no ease: at last I gave him four of the biggest Musket Bullets I could get; about six or

eight hours after I came to him, and he was discharged of pain, and was fallen asleep, which he had not before for several nights; after he awaked he had a Stool, wherein was two of the Bullets, and about eight or nine great round pieces of excrement, greater than the Bullets, and they did seem to be as hard.

Besides, it could not be wind, for it is always repleted with wind, to hinder such accidents, by making the more clearer and more slippery way for the Chyle, and when there is a redundancy of it, it is ea∣sily forced forth behind, without any Gri∣ping or Torture.

So you see it is not from Wind, or knotting of the Gut, but from some excre∣ment that doth adhere unto the same.