CHAP. XI. How to use the Ʋnction.
THe body and humors apt to cause or nourish a plethora or inflamation, being prepared by digestive sirups, and evacuated by purgeing and bleeding as is fitting, according to the direction of some Physician, the patient shall be shut up in a parlor or chamber, hot either by nature or art, and free from cold blasts of winde; For cold is most pernicious in this disease, both for that it hurts the nervous parts,* 1.1 already ill affected by reason of the disease, as also for that it lessens the efficacy of medicines. Wherefore many do ill in this, who, whether in winter or summer annoint their patients in a large room, exposed on every side to the windes. They deal somwhat more wisely, who put a cloth fastned like half a tent presently behind the patient, though annointed by the fire-side, so to keep away the cold air from him. Yet it is safest to set, and a∣noint the patient either in a little room, or else in some corner of a large room, separated from the rest of the room by some hangings, and building a stove, or makeing some fire therein, for so he may stand or sit as he best likes, the longer, and with the less offence, and be equally heated on every side, whereas such as are annointed in a chimney by a fires side cannot but be heated une∣qually, being ready to burn on the one side, whilst the other is cold, which motions are contrary and hurtful to that we require: besides, if the patient shall be weak he cannot stand and endure the heat of the fire. Or if he be shamefac'd, he will be unwilling to shew all his body at once naked to the Surgeon, but he may without any harm, and with modesty, lying on a bed in a little room, wherein a stove is made, have all his limbs annointed about the joynts, and presently bound up, either with stoups, or carded cotten, or brown paper.