therefore Aneurisma's are absolutely made by the Anastomôsis, springing, breaking, Erosion, and wounding of the Arteries. These happen in all parts of the body, but more frequently in the Throat, especially in women after a painful travail. For when as they more strongly strive to hold their breath, for the more powerful expulsion of the birth, it happens that the Artery is di∣lated and broken, whence follows an effusion of bloud and spirits under the skin. The signs are, a swelling one while great, another small, with a pulsation and a colour not varying from the na∣tive constitution of the skin. It is a soft tumor, and so yielding to the impression of the fingers, that if it paradventure be small, it wholly vanisheth, the Arterious bloud and spirits flying back into the body of the Artery, but presently, assoon as you take your fingers away, they return a∣gain with like celerity. Some Aneurismaes do not only when they are pressed, but also of them∣selves, make a sensible hissing, if you lay your ear near to them, by reason of the motion of the vi∣tal spirit rushing with great violence through the straitness of the passage.
Wherefore in Aneurismaes in which there is a great rupture of the Artery, such a noise is not heard, because the spirit is carryed through a larger passage. Great Aneurismaes under the Arm∣pits, in the Groins and other parts wherein there are large vessels, admit no cure, because so great an eruption of bloud and spirit often follows upon such an Incision, that death prevents both Art and Cure. Which I observed a few years ago in a certain Priest of Saint Andrews of the Arches, Mr. John Maillet, dwelling with a chief President Christopher de Thou. Who having an Aneurisma at the setting on of the shoulder about the bigness of a Wall-nut, I charged him, he should not let it be opened, for, if he did, it would bring him into manifest danger of his life, and that it would be more safe for him to break the violence thereof with double clothes steeped in the juyce of Night-shade and Housleek, with new and wheyey cheese mixt therewith: Or with Unguentum de Bolo, or Emplastrum contra rupturam, and such other refrigerating and astringent medicines, if he would lay upon it a thin plate of Lead, and would use shorter breeches, that his doublet might serve to hold it too, to which he might fasten his breeches in stead of a swathe, and in the mean time he should eschew all things which attenuate and inflame the bloud, but espe∣cially he should keep himself from all great straining of his voyce. Although he had used his dyet for a year, yet he could not so handle the matter but that the tumor increased: which he obser∣ving goes to a Barber, who supposing the tumor to be of the kind of vulgar Impostumes, applyes to it in the Evening a Caustick causing an Eschar so to open it. In the Morning such an abundance of bloud flowed forth from the tumor being opened, that he therewith astonished, implores all possible aid, and bids that I should be called to stay this his great bleeding, and he repented that he had not followed my direction. Wherefore I was called, but when I was scarse over the threshold, he gave up his ghost with his bloud. Wherefore I diligently admonish the Chirur∣geon that he do not rashly open Aneurismaes, unless they be smal, in an ignoble part, & not indued with large vessels, but rather let him perform the cure after this manner. Cut the skin which lies over it until the Artery appear, and then separate it with your knife from the particles about it, then thrust a blunt and crooked needle with a thred in it under it; bind it, then cut it off, and so expect the falling off of the thread of it self whiles Nature covers the orifices of the cut Arte∣ry with the new flesh, then the residue of the cure may be performed after the manner of simple wounds. The Aneurismaes which happen in the internal parts are incurable. Such as frequently happen to those who have often had the unction and sweat for the cure of the French disease, be∣cause being so attenuated and heated therewith, that it cannot be contained in the receptacles of the Artery, it distends it to that largeness as to hold a man's Fist; Which I have observed in the dead body of a certain Taylor, who by an Aneurisma of the Arterious vein suddenly whilst he was playing at Tennis fell down dead, and vessel being broken: his body being opened, I found a great quantity of bloud poured forth into the capacity of the Chest, but the body of the Artery was dilated to that largness I formerly mentioned, and the inner coat thereof was boney. For which cause within a while after I shewed it to the great admiration of the beholders in the Physitians School, whilest I publiquely dissected a body there; whilst he lived, he said he felt a beating and a great heat over all his body the force of the pulsation of all the Arteries, by the occasion where∣of he often swounded. Doctor Sylvius the Kings Professor of Physick at that time forbad him the use of Wine, and wished him to use boyled water for his drink, and Curds and new Cheeses for his meat, and to apply them in form of Cataplasms upon the grieved and swoln part. At night he used a Ptisan of Barly meal and Poppy-seeds, and was purged now and then with a Clyster of refrigerating and emollient things, or with Cassia alone, by which medicines he said he found himself much better. The cause of such a bony constitution of the Arteries by Aneu∣rismaes is, for that the hot and fervid bloud first dilates the Coats of an Artery, then breaks them; which when it happens, it then borrows from the neighbouring bodies, a fit matter to restore the loosed continuity thereof.
This matter whilest by little and little it is dryed and hardened, it degenerates into a gristly or else a bony substance, just by the force of the same material and efficient causes, by which stones are generated in the reins and bladder. For the more terrestrial portion of the bloud is dryed and condensed by the power of the unnatural heat contained in the part affected with an Aneurisma; whereby it comes to pass, that the substance added to the dilated and broken Artery is turned into a body of a bony consistence. In which the singular providence of Nature, the Hand-maid of God, is shewed, as that which, as it were, by making and opposing a new wall or bank, would hinder and break the violence of the raging bloud swelling wich the abundance of the vital spi∣rits;