and Arteries may be broken, not only these which pass through the Sutures, but also those which are dispersed between the two Tables in the Diploe, both that they might bind the Crassa meninx to the Skull, that so the Brain might move more freely, as also that they might carry the alimen∣tary juyce to the Brain wanting Marrow, that is, bloud to nourish it, as we have formerly shewed in our Anatomy.
But from hence proceeds the efflux of bloud running between the Skull, and Membranes, or else between the Membranes and Brain; the bloud congealing there, causeth vehement pain, and the Eyes become blind, Vomitting is caused, the mouth of the Stomach suffering together with the Brain, by reason of the Nerves of the sixt conjugation, which run from the Brain thither, and from thence are spread over all the capacity of the ventricle; whence becoming a partaker of the offence it contracts it self, and is presently, as it were, overturned; whence first, those things that are contained therein are expelled, and then such as may flow, or come thither from the neigh∣bouring and common parts, as the Liver and Gall; from all which Choler, by reason of its natu∣ral levity and velocity, is first expelled, and that in greatest plenty; and this is the true reason of that vomitting, which is caused and usually follows upon fractures of the Skull and concussions of the Brain.
Within a short while after, inflammation seizes upon the Membranes and Brain it self, which is caused by corrupt and putrid bloud proceeding from the vessels broken by the violence of the blow, and so spread over the substance of the Brain. Such inflammation communicated to the Heart, and whole body by the continuation of the parts, causes a Feaver. But a Feaver by altering the Brain, causes Doting; to which if stupidity succeed, the Patient is in very ill case, according to that of Hippocrates; Stupidity and doting, are ill in a wound, or blow upon the Head. But if to these evils, a Sphacel, and corruption of the Brain ensue, together with a great difficulty of breathing, by reason of the disturbance of the Animal faculty, which from the Brain imparts the power of moving to the Muscles of the Chest, the Instruments of Respiration; then death must necessarily follow.
A great part of these accidents appeared in King Henry of happy memory, a little before he dyed. He having set in order the affairs of France, and entred into amity with the neighbouring Princes, desirous to honour the marriages of his daughter, and sister, with the famous and noble exercise of Tilting, and he himself running in the Tilt-yard, with a blunt-lance received so great a stroak upon his Brest, that with the violence of the blow, the vizour of his helmet flew up, and the trunchion of the broken Lance hit him above the left Eyebrow, and the musculous ••kin of the Fore-head was torn even to the lesser corner of the left Eye, many splinters of the same Trunchion being struck into the substance of the fore-mentioned Eye, the Bones being not touched or bro∣ken; but the Brain was so moved and shaken, that he dyed the eleventh day after the hurt. His Skull being opened after his death, there was a great deal of bloud found between the Dura, and Pia Mater, poured forth in the part opposite to the blow, at the middle of the Suture of the hind-part of the Head; and there appeared signs, by the native colour turned yellow, that the substance of the Brain was corrupted, as much as one might cover with ones Thumb. Which things caused the death of the most Christian King, and not only the wounding of the Eye, as ma∣ny have falsly thought. For we have seen many others, who have not dyed of farr more grievous wounds in the Eye.
The History of the Lord Saint-Johns is of late memory: he in the Tilt-yard, made for that time before the Duke of Guises house, was wounded with a splinter of a broken Lance, of a fingers length and thickness, through the visour of his Helmet, it entring into the Orb under the Eye, and piercing some three fingers bredth deep into the head; by my help and Gods favour, he reco∣vered, Valeranus and Duretus the Kings Physitians, and James the Kings Chirurgeon assisting me.
What shall I say of that great and very memorable wound of Francis of Lorain the Duke of Guise? He in the fight of the City of Bologne had his head so thrust through with a Lance, that the point entring under his right Eye by his Nose, came out at his Neck between his Ear and the Vertebrae, the head or Iron being broken and left in by the violence of the stroak, which stuck there so firmly, that it could not be drawn or plucked forth, without a pair of Smith's pincers. But although the strength and violence of the blow was so great, that it could not be without a fra∣cture of the Bones, a tearing and breaking of the Nerves, Veins, and Arteries, and other parts; yet the generous Prince by the favour of God recovered.
By which you may learn, that many dye of small wounds; and other recover of great, yea, very large and desperate ones. The cause of which events is chiefly and primarily to be attributed to God, the Author and Preserver of Mankind; but secondarily to the variety and condition of Temperaments. And thus much of the commotion or concussion of the Brain; whereby it hap∣pens, that although all the Bone remains perfectly whole, yet some veins broken within by the stroak, may cast forth some bloud upon the Membranes of the Brain, which being there concrete may cause great pain, by reason whereof it blinds the Eyes; if so••e that the place can be found against which the pain is, and when the skin is opened, the bone look pale, it must presently be cut out, as Celsus hath written. Now it remains, that we tell you how to make your Prognosticks, in all the fore-mentioned fractures of the Skull.