The Kitchin-physician, or, A guide for good-housewives in maintaining their families in health wherein are described the natures, causes, and symptoms of all diseases, inward and outward, incident to the bodies of men, women, and children : prescribing natural, useful and proper medicines, both in physick and chirurgery, as well for the prevention as speedy cure of the said distempers : adorned with sculptures ... / published for the common good ... by T.K., Doctor in Physick.

100. A Cure for the Oppilation of the Milt.

The Milt receiveth the black-gall, clean∣sing and purifying the Blood, that it may the better nourish. As long as it is in

good order, it makes a man chearful and merry, but when it swells, and groweth bigger than is fit, by too much black gall, the Oppilation or stopping of the Milt is occasioned, which hindreth good Blood; hereby nourishment is corrupted, the Members suffer and dry up, the Heart is sad, the Face is black, and after meal the patient will find a pain in his left side.

Whether it proceeds from an hot or cold humour, the Cure may be this.

Open the Milt-Vein, (Salvatella) which is between the heart-finger and the little finger of the left hand.

If the pain be accompanyed with thirst, loathing, or dryness of the Tongue, 'tis a sign the stopping proceeds from a hot humour.

Then let the patient take four or five mornings fasting, Syrrup of Endive, or Harts-tongue.

Then let him take a Potion of half an ounce of the juyce of Roses, and three ounces of the Decoction of Harts-tongue and Caper-Roots, which the patient shall take five or six hours before dinner.

Also half an ounce of Cassia, and six eighth parts of an ounce of prepared Sene-powder, with water of Harts-tongue.

These cleansing Potions being used,

anoint the Milt with oyl of Roses, or Flax-seed: or, lay thereupon a Plaister of the aforesaid Oyls with Flax-seed and Caper-Roots: or, of Night-shade, Purslain-seed, and Powder of Lambs-tongue mingled with wine.

If the sick have but little desire to eat, and cannot well digest what he hath eaten, or hath sowr belchings, it sheweth that his sickness proceeds from black gal∣ly cold humours.

Then given him a Syrrup of Staecha, and of Harts-tongue: or, vineger of honey setting of water, (Oxymel diureticum,) with a Decoction of Harts-tongue and Ca∣per-Roots: you may (increasing this De∣coction) add thereto Roots of Ladies-mark, Parsley, Mint, and Thamarisk.

Then purge the black gally humour with this Potion.

Take Diacatholicum one ounce, prepa∣red Sene-powder a quarter of an ounce, water of Wormwood, or Harts-tongue, or of the aforesaid Decoction three ounces, to a Potion.

As for outward Remedies, you must anoint the side of the Milt with Oyl of Flower-de-luce, and of Dill, or with sweet Butter, or Suet, Hens-grease, or Partridge Suet; mingle all these together.

Or, you may chafe the left side with the Salve of Dialthaea: let the sick drink white-Wine, or the Decoction of Harts-horn, night and morning.

Let him also eat two Figs, with the powder of Pepper, Hysop, and Ginger; let him mingle his Wine with steeled wa∣ter: he shall also use Capers, with Oyl and Wine-vineger.