CHAP. I. What a Tumor against Nature, vulgarly called an Impostume, is; and what be the differences thereof.
AN Impostume, commonly so called, is an affect against Nature,* 1.1 composed and made of three kind of Diseases; distemperature, ill-Conformation, and Solution of Con∣tinuity, concurring to the hindering or hurting of the Action. An humor, or any other matter, answering in proportion to a humor, abolishing, weakning, or de∣praving of the office, or function, of that part or body in which it resides, causeth it.
The differences of Impostumes are commonly drawn from five things: quanti∣ty matter, accidents, the nature of the part, which they affect or possess; and lastly, their effici∣ent causes. I have thought good for the better understanding of them, to describe them in this following Scheme.
A Table of the differences of Tumors.
The diffe∣rences of Im∣postumes are drawn prin∣cipally from five things, that is,
- From their quantity, by reason whereof Impostumes are called
- Great, which are comprehended under the general name of Phlegmons, which happen in the fleshy parts, by Galen, Lib. de Tumor. contra natu∣ram, & lib. 2. ad Glauconem.
- Indifferent, or of the middle sort, as Fellons.
- Small, as those which Avicen calls Bothores, i. e. Pushes and Pu∣stules, all kind of Scabs and Leprosies; and lastly, all small breakings out.
- From their accidents, as
- Colour, from whence Impostumes are named, white, red, pale, yellow, blew or black, and so of any other colour.
- Pain, hardness, softness, and such like; from whence they are said to be pain∣ful, not painful, hard, soft, and so of the rest.
- From the matter, of which they are caused and made, which is either
- Natural or
- Hot, and that either
- Cold, & that either
- Sanguin, from whence a true Phlegmon.
- Cholerick, from whence a true Erysipelas.
- Phlegmatick, from whence a true Oedema.
- Melancholick, from whence a perfect Scirrhus.
- Not-natural, which hath exceeded the limits of its natural goodness, from whence illegiti∣mate Tumors, there∣fore
- of a sanguine humor,
- of a cholerick humor,
- of a phlegma∣tick humour,
- of a melancho∣lick humor.
- Carbuncles, Gangrenes, eat∣ing-Ulcers, Sphacels are caused.
- Of the grosser, the eating Herpes; of the subtiler, the Herpes miliaris is made.
- Watery and flatulent Impo∣stumes, the Kings evil, knots and all phlegmatick swellings, and excrescences.
- The exquisite or perfect Scir∣rhus, hardnesses, and all sorts of cancerous Tumors.
- Natural or
- From the condition and nature of the parts which they possess, from whence the Ophthal∣mia, that is, a Phlegmon of the eyes. Parotis, a tumor near the ears. Faronychia, or a Whitlow, at the roots of the nails; and so of the rest.
- From the efficient causes, or rather the manner of doing. For some Impostumes are said to be made by defluxions, others by congestion; those are commonly hot, and the other com∣monly cold, as it shall more manifestly appear by the following chapter.