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 ...

COLLICK.

THe Collick is commonly from Excre∣ments contained beyond their course, which vitiates the Ferment of the place,

whence cometh those windy Blasts, which are not wind, but far more subtle and rare than the most rarified air, being of an inco∣agulate nature; whereupon those retained excrements adhere so firmly to the Gut, that it contracts it, which is the cause of that violent dolour. I had a man that was shot (at the Siege of Iper in Flanders) in the lower Belly;* 1.1 which penetrated the Colon: all his Excrements came out at his wound for about six days, so that the Intestinum Rectum, or Arse-gut became useless: this wound lay twenty four hours exposed to the wind before he was dres∣sed. I made a Suture to the external Ori∣fice, and cured him by vulnerary Cly∣sters, &c.

Besides, how many wounds have I seen that have penetrated the Breast and Belly, and yet never troubled with those windy Pains or Tortures; and yet we see there is hardly a Distemper amongst us, but we accuse wind, troubled with wind, &c. but the small benefit those discussors of wind have brought, is able to convince a∣ny, that wind is not the cause.

But indeed this aiery Blast, which is made by a bad digestion of things, that

seems to be wind, (which is perceived to move between the Muscles of the sides, and causeth those Ructations and Belch∣ings) hath never been thought on by the Schools, and but of very late years treat∣ed of.

To confirm Mr. Couch's opinion con∣cerning the Illiaca Passio, I shall here add another experiment, which is this; A∣bout a year ago a certain man was sorely tormented with the excruciating pains of this Disease, commonly called the twisting of the Guts, his Physician treated him with (I suppose) all the usual Remedies, and some other Devices, one of which was I remember to blow wind into the In∣testinum Rectum, or Arse-gut with a pair of Bellows, but nothing taking effect to give the miserable man any ease, the last Remedy was instituted, which was three pound weight of Quicksilver, which the Patient poured down his Throat on Friday about ten or eleven in the Fore∣noon, and presently (as advised) rode a little way for the better agitating of his Body, but yet to no purpose; for on the Sunday Morning following I was at his House by accident, with another person,

who was a Physician, and then none of the Quicksilver had made any passage; he had the very aspect of death, and complained of an intollerable cold and weight in his Belly, went not to bed in three nights, and if he fell into the least sleep, nothing but dotage and distraction appeared, His Physician was at a ne plus ultra, thinking him a dead man, as all that saw him. Up∣on enquiry we understood that he was not forbid the taking of any thing, nor yet di∣rected to any thing besides Canary, where∣fore we advised that he should abstain from the use of all acids & others that might have any power to coagulate any of the Quick∣silver in his Body, and to drink sweet Oil plentifully, the which he presently put in execution, and the next day being Mun∣day, the Quicksilver began to come away like Small Shot, and the use of the Oil be∣ing still continued, by Tuesday night he had parted with it all, or most; for what they had collected wanted but four ounces of the three pounds, after which some∣body well advised him to swallow Golden Bullets, which he did divers times, and so to a wonder recovered, and is well to this day. Now had this Torture been oc∣casioned only by wind, such a quantity of

Quicksilver could not possibly have been thereby detained in the Body one quarter of an hour: or again, that it should be the twisting of the Gut, as is commonly believed, is impossible; for it cannot be, that the Gut should be so closely twisted up by any accident that may happen either within or without the Body, that three pound weight of this active ponderous Mineral should not in three days time find a passage; besides (which I had almost forgot to tell you) his Excrements came away with the Quicksilver in small hard Bits, like dried Sheeps Dung, which plainly proves that the occasional cause of this Disease is the Excrements grown to a preternatural hardness. I will here set down (for the sake of the poor) a cheap and easie remedy against this cruel Enemy.

℞ of the Seeds of Annise, Fennel, Car∣raway and Coriander, each half an ounce, let them be all bruised, put them into a quart of Ale, or somewhat more, boil them gently in a Vessel close covered for about three quarters of an hour, then take it from the fire, and strain it, and let the Patient drink half a pint at a time warm. And by God's blessing he shall soon have ease.

This is also good in the Wind Chollick.

But the Balsamick Pill is the most immedi∣ate Remedy for the Wind Chollick that I ever yet knew; but it is not to be given in the Illiaca Passio; therefore I will here, for the sake of the ignorant, shew how they may distinguish those Diseases from one another. The pain called the Twist∣ing of the Guts lies about the Navel, and higher, and is felt only before, not extended to the Right and Left Sides: that of the Chollick is about the Navel and lower, going cross the Belly to both Sides, even to the Back, the pain gene∣rally pressing to the bottom of the Belly, with a stoppage of the Urine, which ne∣ver is in the former; there are some Sym∣ptoms which are common to both, as Burning, Chilness, Reaching, Vomiting, &c. but what I have said before is suffici∣ent for any to know them asunder.

A Gentlewoman living in Greenwich was lately seised with a pain in all her Bones. and a violent Loosness, for which she took a Dose of the Balsamick Pill, and in two hours time was at perfect ease, and the Loosness stopped. The next morn∣ing she took a Dose of the Powder, and at night a Dose of the Pill, but sleeping very soundly, with the Cloaths off of her,

got cold, which turned to an Ague; after she had had two Fits, she took a Dose of the Powder an hour before the access of the third, and so was cured of her Ague, the next day she fell into a Fit of the Cho∣lick and Stone, for which she took a Dose of the Pill, which gave her ease, and by another Dose the night following was quite freed. Thus you see divers Disea∣ses (and those not trivial ones neither) to be cured by the same Medicine. This was performed by a Gentleman in that Town that buys those Medicines of me.

This Disease having its Inn in the thick Guts (particularly the Colon, from whence it hath its denomination) may be eased by Clysters, for which purpose the following is good.

℞ of the Seeds of Coriander, Annise, Fennel, Carraway, each a quarter of an ounce, let them be all well bruised in a Mortar, then boil them in a pint of Posset-drink gently for a quarter of an hour in a Vessel close covered, then strain it, and add thereto two ounces of Oil of Cammomile (and if you will, a little Canary, and let it be administred convenient∣ly hot. If you put to it six or seven drops of the Oil of Harts-horn it will be then stronger and better.

The Fume or Smoak of Tobacco is a present remedy for ease, being blown up into the Guts by a Pipe put into the Fun∣dament. The forementioned Drink with Seeds is also good in this Disease. And forasmuch as the Chollick is many times wont to be accompanied with a grievous Symptomatical Vomiting, it is necessary that it should speedily be stopped, not only in regard of its own molestation, but also because it hinders the retention of any Me∣dicine in the Stomach, to which end use the following mixture.

℞ of Simple Mint Water three ounces, A∣qua Mirabilis an ounce, Tincture of Cinna∣mon two drams, Laudanum Opiatum three grains, Syrup of Myrtles and Mint of each half an ounce, mix, and let it be taken often by a spoonful at a time.

After the violence of pain is over, purge the Body gently with this follow∣ing.

℞ of fine Manna an ounce and a half, Cream of Tartar half a dram in powder, mix them, and lot them be dissolved in a draught of warm Ale, or rather Posset-drink, and give it in the morning fasting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hypogastrium.