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. XXVII. Certain documents concerning the parts, whereon the Patient must necessarily rest, whilest he lies in his bed.

THose who have their leg or the like bone broken,* 1.1 because they are hindred by the bitter∣ness of pain, and also wish for their cure or consolidation, are forced to keep them∣selves without stirring, and upon their backs in their beds for a long time together. In the mean space, the parts whereupon they must necessarily lye, as the heel, back, holy-bone, rump, the muscles of the broken thigh or leg, remain stretched forth and unmoveable, set at liberty from their usual functions: Whereby it comes to pass, that all their strength decayes, and growes dull by little and little: Moreover also,* 1.2 by the suppression of the fuliginous and acrid excrements, and want of perspiration, they grow preternaturally hot; whence defluxion, an abscess and ulcer, happen to them, but principally to the holy-bone, the rump, and heel: to the former, for that they are defended with small store of flesh; to the latter, for that it is of more exquisite sense. Now the ulcers of these parts are difficultly healed, yea, and oft-times they cause a gangrene in the flesh, and a rottenness and mortification in the bones thereunder, and for the

[illustration]

The figure of a Casse.

AA. Shews the bottom or belly of the Casse. BB. The wings or sides to be opened and shut at pleasure. C. The end of the wings, whereto the sole or arch is fitted. DD. The Arch. EE. The sole. FF. An open space, whereat the heel hangs forth of the Casse.

most part a con∣tinued feaver, de∣lirium, convulsion and (by that sym∣pathy which ge∣nerally accompa∣nies such affects) a hicketing: For the heel and sto∣mach are two ve∣ry nervous parts, the latter in the whole body ther∣of, and by a large portion of the nerves of the sixt conjugation; but the other by the great tendon pas∣sing under it, the which is produ∣ced by the meet∣ing, and as it were growing together of the three mus∣cles of the calf of the leg. All which are deadly, both by dissipation of the native heat by the feaverish, and that which is preternatural; as also by the infection of the noble parts, whose use the life cannot want, by carrion-like vapours.* 1.3 When as I con∣sidered all these things with my self, and (become more skilfull by the example of others) un∣derstood how dangerous they were, I wished them now and then to lift my heel out of the bed; and taking hold of the rope which hung over my head, I heaved up my self, that so the parts, pres∣sed with continual lying, might transpire, and be ventilated. Moreover also I rested these parts upon a round cushion, being open in the middle, and stuffed with soft feathers, and laid under my

rump and heel, that they might be refreshed by the benefit and gentle breathing of the air: and I did oft-times apply linnen cloathes spred over with unguentum rosatum, for the asswaging of the pain and heat:* 1.4 Besides also, I devised a Casse of Lattin, wherein the broken leg being laid, is kept in its place, far more surely and certainly than by any Junks; and moreover also, it may all be moved to and again at the Patients pleasure. This Cass will also hinder the heel from lying with all its body and weight upon the bed, putting a soft and thick boulster under the calf, in that place where the Cass is hollow: besides also, it arms and defends it against the falling down and weight of the bed clothes, having a little arch made over and above of the same matter: All which shall be made manifest unto you by the precedent figure. Now it remains, that I tell you what reme∣dies I applyed to the abscess which happened upon my wound.* 1.5 When therefore I perceived an abscess to breed, I composed a suppurative medicine of the yolks of eggs, common oyl, turpen∣tine,* 1.6 and a little wheat flower, and I used it until it was opened; then to cleanse it I used this fol∣lowing remedy. ℞. syrupi rosati & terebinth. venetae, an. ℥ ii. pulveris radicis ireos florentiae, aloes, mastiches, farinae hordei, an. ʒ ss. incorporentur omnia simul, & fiat mundificativum: but I had a care that the place whereat I conjectured the quite severed scales of the bones must break forth, should be filled with tents made of sponge or flax, that so, by this means, I might keep the ulcer open at my pleasure:* 1.7 But I put into the bottom of the ulcer catagmatick and cephalick powders, with a little burnt alum, to procure the egress of the formerly mentioned scales: These at length cast forth, I cicatrized the ulcer with burnt alum; For, this having a drying and astringent faculry, con∣firms and hardens the flesh, which is loose and spongy, and flowing with liquid sanies, and helps forward natures endeavour in cicatrization. For, the fragments of the bones, they, by reason of their natural driness and hardness, cannot be joyned and knit together by themselves without a medium: but they need a certain substance, which, thickning and concreting at their ends, doth at length glue them together,* 1.8 and (as it were) fasten them with soder. This substance hath its mat∣ter of the proper substance and marrow of the bones; but the former from the native hear, and emplastick medicines, which moderately heat: For, on the contrary, these medicines, which, by their too much heat, do discuss and attenuate, do (as it were) melt and dissolve the matter of the Callus, and so hinder the knitting: Wherefore for this purpose, I would wish you to make use of the following emplasters, of whose efficacie I have had experience; for, hence they are called knitting or consolidating plasters.* 1.9 ℞. olei myrtil. & rosarum omphac. an. lb. ss. rad. altheae lb. ij. rad. fraxini, & fol. ejusdem, rad. consolidae majoris & fol. ejusdem, fol. salicis, an. m. j. fiat decoctio in sufficiente quantitate vini nigri, & aquae fabrorum, ad medietatis consumptionem, adde in colaturâ pul∣veris myrrhae & thuris an. ℥ ss. adipis hirci, lb. ss. terebinth. lotae ℥ iv. mastiches ʒ iij. lithargyri auri & argenti, an. ℥ ij. boli armeniae, & terrae sigillatae, an. ℥. i. ss. minii ʒ. vi. cerae albae quantum sufficit: fiat emplastrum, ut artis est. In stead hereof you may use the black emplaster, whereof this is the de∣scription.* 1.10 ℞. lithargyri auri lb. j. olei & aceti lb ij. coquantur simul lento igne donec nigrum & splen∣dens reddatur emplastrum, & non adhaereat digitis. Or else, ℞. olei rosat. & myrtill. an. ℥. ij. nucum cupressi, boli armen. sanguinis drac. pulverisatorum an. ℥. ss. emplastri diachalcitheos ℥. iv. liquefaciant simul & fiat emplastrum secundum artem.* 1.11 In defect of these, you may use a Cere-cloth, or tela Gual∣teri, whereof this is the description. ℞. pulveris thuris, farinae volatilis, mastiches, boli arm. resinae pini, nucum cupressi, rubiae tinctorum, an. ℥ ij. sevi arietini & cerae albae an lb ss. fiat emplastrum: into which (whilest it is hot) dip a warm linnen cloth, for the forementioned use. Emplastrum Dia∣calcitheos, by the common consent of all the Ancients, is much commended for fractures; but it must undergo different preparations, according to the condition of the time; for in the Summer it must be dissolved in the juice of Plantain and Night-shade, lest it should heat more than is fit. It is convenient, in the interim, to have regard to the temper of the affected bodies; for neither are the bodies of children to be so much dried as these of old men: otherwise if such drying medi∣cines should be applied to young bodies as to old, the matter of the Callus would be dissolved, it would be so far from concreting; wherefore the Surgeon must take great heed in the choice of his medicines;* 1.12 For, oftentimes remedies, good of themselves, are by use made not good, because they are used and applyed without judgment; which is the cause that oft-times pernicious acci∣dents happen, or else the Callus becomes more soft, hard, slender, crooked; or lastly, concretes more slowly by the great error, and to the great shame of the Surgeon.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The natural faculties lan∣guish in the parts by idle∣ness, but are strengthened by action.
• * 1.2

  How and what Ulcers happen upon the fra∣cture of the leg, to the rump and heel.
• * 1.3

  Remedies for the prevention of the foresaid Ulcers.
• * 1.4

  The use of a Lattin Casse.
• * 1.5

  A suppurative medicine.
• * 1.6

  A detersive.
• * 1.7

  Catagmatick powders have power to cast forth the scales of bones.
• * 1.8

  The causes both efficient and material of a Callus.
• * 1.9

  Medicines con∣ducing to the generation of a Callus.
• * 1.10

  The black pla∣ster.
• * 1.11

  The Descripti∣on of a Spara∣drapum, or Cere-cloth.
• * 1.12

  Medicins good of themselves, not good by event.