then a plaister applyed made of the white of an Egge, Bole Armenic, and Aloes. The following day you must apply Emplastrum de Janua, or else de gratia Dei, until the wound be perfectly healed. But, if it be deeper and penetrate even to the Pericranium, the Chirurgeon shall not do amiss, if at the second dressing he apply a digestive medicine (as they call it) which may be made of Venice-Turpentine, the yolks of Egges, Oyl of Roses, and a little Saffron, and that shall be used so long, until the wound come to maturation; for then you must add Honey of Roses and Barly flour to the digestive. Hence must we pass to these medicines, into whose composition no oyly or un∣ctuous body enters, such as this; ℞ Terebinth. venetae, ℥ ij, syrupi rosar. ℥ j, pul. Aloes, Myrrhae, & Mastich. an. ʒ ss. Let them all be incorporated and made into an unguent, which shall be perfect∣ly regenerated, then it must be cicatrized with this following powder. ℞ Aluminiis combusti, cor∣ticis granatorum combust. an. ʒ i. Misceantur simul & fiat pulvis: but if the wound be so large, that it require a suture, it shall have so many stitches with a Needle, as need shall seem to require.
Whilst I was at Hisdin, a certain Souldier, by falling of the earth whilst he undermined, had the Hairy scalp so pressed down even to the Pericranium, and so wholly separated from the beginning of the hind-part of his head, even to his fore-head, that it hung over his face. I went about the cure in this manner; I first washt all the wound with Wine, a little warmed, that so I might wash away the congealed bloud mixed with the earth; then I dryed it with a soft linnen cloth, and laid upon it Venice-Turpentine mixed with a little Aqua-vitae, wherein I had dissolved some Sanguis Draco∣nis, Mastick, and Aloes; then I restored the hanging skin to its former place, and there stayed it with some stitches, being neither too strait, nor too close together, for fear of pain and inflammation, (which two chiefly happen whilst the wound comes to suppuration) but only as much as should serve to stay it on every side, and to keep forth the air, which by it entrance doth much harm to wounds: the lower sides of the wound, I filled with somewhat long and broad tents, that the mat∣ter might have passage forth. Then I applyed this following cataplasm to all the head. ℞ farinae h••rd. & falarum an. ℥ vi, olei rosati ʒ iij, aceti quantum sufficit, fiat cataplasma ad formam pultis; this hath a faculty to dry, cool, repel, mitigate pain and inflammation, and stay bleeding.
I did not let him blood, because he had bled much, especially at certain arteries which were broken neer his Temples; he being dressed after this manner grew well in a short time. But if the wound be made by the biting of a wild Beast, it must be handled after another manner, as shall ap∣pear by this following History. As many people on a time stood looking upon the King's Lyons, who were kept in the Tilt-yard at Paris, for the delight of King Henry the second, and at his charges: it happened that one of the fiercest of them broke the things wherein he was tyed, and leaping amongst the company, he with his paws threw to the ground a Girl of some twelve years old, and taking her head in his mouth, with his teeth wounded the musculous skin in many places, yet hurt not the Skull. She scarse at length delivered by the Master of the Lyons from the jaws of Death and the Lyon, was committed to the cure of Rowland Claret Chirurgeon; who was there present by chance at the same time; some few days after, I was called to visit her; she was in a Feaver, her head, shoulders, brest, and all the places where the Lyon had set his teeth, or nails, were swoln; all the edges of the wound were livid, and did flow with a waterish, acrid, virulent, ca∣daverous, dark, green and stinking matter, so that I could scarse indure the smell thereof; she was also opprest with pricking, biting, and very great pain; which I observing, that old saying came in∣to my mind, which is: That all wounds made by the bitings of beasts, or of men also, do somewhat participate of poyson. Wherefore there must principally great care be had of the venenate im∣pression left in the wounds by the nails and teeth, and therefore such things must be applyed, as have power to overcome poyson. Wherefore I scarified the lips of the wounds in divers places, and applyed Leeches to suck out the venenate bloud, and ease the inflammation of the parts, then I made a Lotion of Aegyptiacum Treacle and Mithridate, after the following manner.
℞ Mithrid. ℥ i, theriac. ℥ ij, aegyptiac. ℥ ss, dissolvantur omnia cum aqua vitae, & Carduiben. Let the wounds be fomented and washed with it warm; besides also Treacle, and Mithridate were put in all the medicines which were either applyed, or put into the wound; and also of the same with the conserves of Roses and Bugloss dissolved in the water of Sorrel and Carduus benedictus, poti∣ons were made to strengthen the heart and vindicate it from malign vapours.
For which purpose also this following Epithema was applyed to the region of her heart. ℞ aquae rosar. & nenuphar, an. ℥ iiij, aceti scillitici ℥ j, corallorum, santalorum alborum & rubrorum, rosar. rub. pulveris, spodii. an. ℥ j, Mithridatii, Theriacae an. ʒ ij, flo. cordial. pulverifatorum p. ij, croci ʒ j, dissolve them all together, make an Epitheme and apply it to the heart with a scarlet cloth or spunge, and let it be often renued. Verily, she drest after this manner, and the former remedies but once used, pain, inflammation, and all the malign symptoms were much lessened; to conclude, she recovered, but lingred, and was lean some two years after, yet at length she was perfectly restored to her health and former nature. By which you may understand, that simple wounds must be handled after another manner, than these which have any touch of poyson.
But now that we may prosecute the other affects of the hairy scalp; say that it is contused with a blow without a wound; that which must be first and alwayes done, (that so the affect may better appear, and the remedies which are applyed may take more effect) the hair must be shaven away, and at the first dressing a repelling medicine applyed, such as this following Oxyrhodinum. ℞ ol: ros. ℥ iij, album ovorum nu. ij, pulveris nucum cypressi, balaust. alumin. rochae. rosar. rub. an ʒ j. Let them be all incorporated, and make a medicine for the former use; or in stead thereof you may ap∣ply the catalpasm prescribed before, consisting of Farina hordei, fabarum, aceto & oleo rosaceo.