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CHAP. XXX. Of curing the Lues Venerea in Infants, and little children.
INfants oftimes conceive the seeds of this disease in the wombs of their mothers, and are born infected therewithal, pustles presently arising over all the bodies, infecting with the like disease, as many nurses as give them suck; they scarce ever recover thereof, for that they contracted the disease from their first confirmation. But such as are somewhat bigger, if they chance to catch the disease after they are born, by sucking some infected nurse, or by any other occasion or kind of contagion,* 1.1 often times receive cure. For first, you shall cause the nurse to use the Aqua theriacalis, here-under described, for the space of twenty or more dayes, that so she may the bet∣ter arme her self against the contagion of this disease, and yield milk which may have the facul∣ty both of meat and medicine; she shall be careful, as often as she gives the child suck, to wash and dry her te••t or pap, lest the virulency that the childe breaths out at his mouth, be impact in the little holes of the teat through which the milk flows out. Now the pustles of little children shall be anointed with some ointment that receives Argentum vivum in some small quantity, as Ʋnguentum enulatum cum mercurio, or the like. Then shall it be swathed or bound up in swathes and clothes aired with the formerly described fumigations. For the rest, it shall be kept as warm as you can in some warm place. These and the like must be done, not in one continued course, but at several seasons, otherwise it is to be feared, that it would cause ulcers to arise in the mouth, or else salivation. If any Ulcers arise in the mouth, and spread therein, they shall be touched with the formerly described waters, but made somewhat weaker, having regard to the tender age of the patient; if the Infant shall get this disease of its nurse, let the nurse be presently changed, for it being otherwise nourished with tainted and virulent bloud, can never be healed. Many have by these means recovered; but such as have perisht, have not perisht by the default of medicines, but by the malignity and vehemency of the disease.