The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latin and compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are added three tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the veines, arteries, & nerves, with large figures. Also a table of the bookes and chapters.

CHAP. XII. Of the Antecedent Causes of a Gangrene.

NOw the Antecedent or Internal and Corporeal causes of a Gangrene, are, plentiful and abundant defluxions of humors, hot, or cold, falling into any part. For seeing the faculty of the part is unapt and unable to sustain and govern such plenty of humors, it comes to pass that the native heat of the part is suffocated and extinct for want of transpiration. For the Arteries are hereby so shut or pent up in a Strait, that they cannot perform their motions of con∣traction and dilatation, by which their native heat is preserved and tempered. But then the Gan∣grene is chiefly uncurable when the influx of humors first takes hold of the Bones, and inflam∣mation hath its beginning from them. For in the opinion of Galen, all these kinds of affects which may befal the flesh, are also incident to the bones. Neither only a Phlegmon, or Inflammation, but also a rottenness and corruption doth oft-times first invade and begin at the bones; for thus you may see many who are troubled with the Leprosie and French disease, to have their skin and flesh whole and fair to look on, whose bones notwithstanding are corrupt and rotten, and oft-times are much decayed in their proper substance. This mischief is caused by a venemous mat∣ter, whose occult quality we can scarse express by any other name than poyson inwardly gene∣rated. Oft-times also there is a certain acrid and stinking filth generated in flesh with a malign and old ulcer, with which if the bones chance to be moistned they become foul, and at length morti∣fied: of which this saying of Hippocrates is extant, Ulcers of a years continuance, or longer, must necessarily foul the bone, and make the scars hollow. Whither also belongs this saying of the same party; An Erisipelas is ill in the laying bare of a bone. But this flowing venenate and gan∣grenous matter is somewhiles hot, as in pestilent Carbuncles, which in the space of four and twenty hours by causing an Eschar, bring the part to mortification: otherwhiles cold, as we see it divers times happens in parts which are possest with a Gangrene, no pain, tumor, blackness, nor any other precedent sign of a Gangrene going before. For John de Vigo saith, that happened to a cer∣tain Gentlewoman of Genoa under his cure.

I remember the same happened to a certain man in Paris, who, supping merrily, and without any sense of pain, went to bed; and suddainly in the night time a Gangrene seised on both his legs, caused a mortification without tumor, without Inflammation; only his legs were in some places spred over with livid, black, and green spots, the rest of the substance retaining his native colour: yet the sense of these parts was quite dead, they felt cold to the touch; and if you did thrust your Lancet into the skin no bloud came forth. A Council of Physitians being called, they thought good to cut the skin, and flesh lying under it, with many deep scarifications; which when I had done, there came forth a little black, thick, and, as it were, congealed bloud; where∣fore this remedy, as also divers other, proved to no purpose; for, in conclusion, a blackish colour coming into his face, and the rest of his body, he dyed frantick. I leave it to the Reader's judg∣ment, whether so speedy, and suddainly cruel a mischief could proceed from any other than a venenate matter; yet the hurt of this venenate matter is not peculiar, or by its self. For oft-times the force of cold, whether of the encompassing air, or the too immoderate use of Narco∣tick medicins, is so great, that in few hours it takes away life from some of the members, and divers times from the whole body, as we may learn by their example, who travel in great Snows, and over mountains congealed, and hoar'd with frost and ice. Hence also is the extinction of the native heat, and the spirits residing in the part, and the shutting forth of that which is sent by nature to aid or defend it. For when as the part is bound with rigid cold, and, as it were,

frozen, they cannot get nor enter therein. Neither if they should enter into the part, can they stay long there, because they can there find no fit habitation, the whole frame and government of nature being spoiled, and the harmony of the four prime qualities destroyed, by the offensive do∣minion of predominant cold their enemy; whereby it cometh to pass, that flying back from whence they first came, they leave the part destitute and deprived of the benefit of nourishment, life, sense, and motion.

A certain Briton, an Hostler in Paris, having drunk soundly after Supper, cast himself upon a bed; the cold air, coming in at a window left open, so took hold upon one of his legs, that when he waked forth of his sleep, he could neither stand nor go. Wherefore thinking only that his leg was numb, they made him stand to the fire; but putting it very nigh, he burnt the sole of his foot without any sense of pain, some fingers thickness; for a mortifi∣cation had already possessed more than half his leg. Wherefore after he was carryed to the Ho∣spital, the Chirurgeon who belonged thereto, endeavoured by cutting away of the mortified leg to deliver the rest of the body from imminent death; but it proved in vain; for the mortifica∣tion taking hold upon the upper parts, be dyed within three days, with troublesom belching and hickering, raving, cold sweat, and often swounding. Verily all that same Winter, the cold was so vehement that many in the Hospital of Paris, lost the wings or sides of their nostrils, seised up∣on by a mortification without any putrefaction. But you most note, that the Gangrene which is caused by cold, doth first and principally seise upon the parts most distant from the heart, the fountain of heat, to wit, the feet and legs; as also such as are cold by nature, as gristly parts, such as the nose and ears.

Notes

• How defluxi∣ons cause a Gangrene.
• An uncurable Gangrene.
• Lib. de tumor. praeter. natur.
• Aph. 5. sect. 6. A Gangrene by efflux of a cold matter.
• A notable Hi∣story.
• Simple cold may cause a Gangrene.
• A History.
• What parts are usually taken by a Gangrene proceeding of cold.