CHAP. VIII. Of Prognostick, in the Leprosie; and how to provide for such as stand in fear thereof.
* 1.1THe leprosie is a disease which passeth to the issue, as contagious almost as the Plague, scarce cureable at the beginning, incureable when as it is confirmed, because it is a Cancer of the whole body; now if some one Cancer of some one part shall take deep root therein, it is judged incureable. Furthermore, the remedies which to this day have been found out against this di∣sease are judged inferiour and unequal in strength thereto. Besides, the signs of this disease do not outwardly shew themselves before that the bowels be seized upon, possessed and corrupted by the malignity of the humor, especially in such as have the white Leprosie, sundry of which you may see about Burdeaux, and in little Brittain, who notwithstanding inwardly burn with so great heat, that it will suddenly wrinkle and wither an apple held a short while in their hand, as if it had laid for many daies in the sun. There is another thing that increaseth the difficulty of this disease, which is an equall pravity of the three principal faculties whereby life is preserved. The deceitful and terrible visions in the sleep, and numness in feeling, argue the depravation of the animal faculty; now the weakness of the vitall faculty is shewed by the weakness of the puls, the obscurity of the hoarse and jarring voice, the difficulty of breathing, and stinking breath; the decay of the natural is manifested by the depravation of the work of the liver in sanguification, whence the first and principal cause of this harm ariseth.* 1.2 Now because we cannot promise cure to such as have a con∣firmed Leprosie; and that we dare not do it to such as have been troubled therewith but for a short space, it remains that we briefly shew how to free such as are ready to fall into so fearful a disease. Such therefore must first of all shun all things in diet and course of life, whereby the blood and humors may be too vehemently heated,* 1.3 whereof we have formerly made some mention. Let them make choice of meats of good or indifferent juice, such as we shall describe in treating of the diet of such as are sick of the plague; purging, bleeding, bathing, cupping, to evacuate the impurity of the blood, and mitigate the heat of the Liver, shall be prescribed by some learned Physician.* 1.4 Valesius de Tarenta much commends gelding in this case, neither do I think it can be di∣sliked. For men subject to this disease may be effeminated by the amputation of their testicles, and so degenerate into a womanish nature, and the heat of the liver boiling the blood, being extingui∣shed, they become cold and moist, which temper is directly contrary to the hot and dry distem∣per of leprous persons; besides the leprous being thus deprived of the faculty of generation, that contagion of this disease is taken away which spreadeth, and is diffused amongst mankind by the propagation of their issue.