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. XIX. Of strange or monstrous accidents in Diseases.

WHat monstrousness soever was in the last mentioned parties, it was made up by the craft of beggars for filthy gain. But if there be any monstrousners in the following narrati∣ons, it is of nature, but working as it were, miraculously, by some secret and occult means;* 1.1 for thus there are ofttimes monsters in diseases. Before the town of St. John de Angeley, a souldier called Francis, of the company of Captain Muret, was wounded with a Harquebuz-shot on the belly, between his navel and sides; the bullet was not taken out, because the Surgeons, who searched him diligently, could not finde it: wherefore he was troubled with grievous and tor∣menting pains, untill the ninth day after he received the wound, the bullet came forth at his fun∣dament: wherefore within three weeks after he was perfectly whole. He was healed by Simon Crinay, the Surgeon of the French companies.

* 1.2James Pope, Lord of St. Albans in Dauphine, was wounded at the Skirmish at Chasenay, have∣ing three harquebuz-bullets entring into his body, one whereof pierced under his throat, where it buncheth out as with a knot, neer to the pipe of his lungs, even to the beginning of the vertebrae of the neck, in which place the leaden bullet stuck, and as yet doth remain. Hereupon he was afflicted with many and fearful symptoms, as a fever, and a great swelling of his whole neck, so that for ten whole daies he could swallow nothing but broaths and liquid things. Yet he recove∣red,* 1.3 and remaineth well at this present, by the cure of James Dalam the Surgeon.

Alexander Benedictus makes mention of a certain country-man, who, shot into the back with a dart, drawing out the shaft, the head was left behind, being in length about the bredth of two fingers, but hooked and sharp on the sides. When as the Surgeon had carefully and diligently sought for it, and could by no means find it, he healed up the wound, but two months after this crooked head came forth at his fundament.

The same author telleth that at Venice a virgin swallowed a needle, which some two years after she voided by urine, covered over with a stony matter, gathered about viscous humors.

Catherine Perlan, the wise of Williaem Guerrier, a Draper of Paris, dwelling in the Jewry, as she rode on hors-back into the country, a needle out of her pin-cushion, got under her by accident, ran so deep into her right buttock, that it could not by any art or force be plucked forth. Four months after she sent for me to come to her, and she told me that as often as she had to do with her husband, she suffered extreme pricking pain in her right groin; putting my hand thereto, as I felt it, my fingers met with something sharp and hard: wherefore I used the matter so, that I drew forth the needle all rusty: this may be accounted a miracle, that steel, naturally heavy, should rise upwards, from the buttock to the groin, and pierce the muscles of the thigh, without causing an abscess.

* 1.4Anno Dom. 1566. the two sons of Laurence Collo (men excellent in cutting for the stone) took forth a stone of the bigness of a Wall-nut, in the midst whereof was a needle, just like those that shoo-makers use: the Patients name was Peter Cocquin, dwelling in the street Galand at the place called Maubert at Paris, and I think he is yet living. This stone was shewed to King Charls the ninth, for the monstrousness of the thing, I being then present, which being given me by the Sur∣geon, I preserve amongst my other rarities.

[illustration]

The figure of a Stone taken forth of the bladder of a Confectioner.

Anno Dom. 1570. the Dutchess of Fer∣rara at Paris, sent for John Collo, to take a stone out of a Confectioner. This stone, though it weighed nine ounces, and was as thick as ones fist, yet was it happily taken out, the pa∣tient recovering, Francis Rousset, and Joseph Javelle, the Dutchess Physici∣ans, being present. Yet not long af∣ter this Confectioner died by the stop∣page of his water, by reason of two other little stones, which about to descend from the kidnies to the blad∣der, stayed in the midway of the Ure∣ters. The figure of the extracted stone was this.

Anno Dom. 1569 Laurence Collo the younger, took three stones out of the bladder of one dwel∣ling at Marly, called commonly Tire-vit, because being troubled with the stone from the tenth year of his age, he continually scratched his yard, each of the stones were as big as an hens egg; of colour white, they all together weighed twelve ounces. When they were presented to King Charles, then lying at Saint Maure des Faussez, he made one of them to be broken with a ham∣mer, and in the middest thereof there was found another, of a chesnut colour, but otherwise much like a Peach stone. These three stones, bestowed on me by the brethren, I hare here represented to the life.

[illustration]

The effigies of the three fore-mentioned stones, whereof one is broken.

I have in the dissecting of dead bodies, observed divers stones, of various forms and figures, as of pigs, whelps, and the like. Dalechampius telleth that he saw a man, which by an abscess of his loins, which turned to a Fistula, voided many stones out of his kidnies, and yet notwithstanding could endure to ride on horseback, or in a coach. John Magnus, the Kings most learned and skil∣ful Physician, having in cure a woman, troubled with cruel torment and pains of the belly and fun∣dament, sent for me, that by putting a Speculum into the fundament,* 1.5 he might see if he could per∣ceive any discernable cause of so great and pertinacious pain: and when as he could see nothing which might further him in the finding out of the cause of her pain (following reason as a guide) by giving her often glysters and purgations, he brought it so to pass, that she at length voided a stone at her fundament of the bigness of a Tennis-ball: which once avoided, all her pain ceased.

Hippocrates tells that the servant of Dyseris in Larissa, when she was young, in using venery,* 1.6 was much pained, and yet sometimes w••thout pain, yet she never conceived. But when as she was six∣ty years old, she was pained in the after-noon as if she had been in labor. When as she one day be∣fore noon had eaten many leeks, afterward she was taken with a most violent pain, far exceeding all her former, and she felt a certain rough thing rising up in the orifice of her womb. But she falling into a swound, another woman putting in her hand, got out a sharp stone of the

bigness of a whirl, and then she forthwith became well, and remained, so.

* 1.7In a certain woman, who, as Hollerius tells, for the space of four months was troubled with an incredible pain in making water, two stones were found in her heart, with many abscesses, her kidnyes and bladder being whole.

Anno Dom. 1558. I opened in John Bourlier a Tailor, dwelling in the street of St. Honorè, a wa∣try abscess in his knee, wherein I found a stone, white, hard, and smooth, of the thickness of an Almond;* 1.8 which being taken out, he recovered. Certainly there is no part of the body wherein stones may not breed and grow.

Anthony Benevenius a Florentine Physician writes, that a certain woman swallowed a brass nee∣dle without any pain,* 1.9 and continued a year after without feeling or complaining of it: but at the end theteof she was molested with great pains in her belly; for helping of which she asked the advice of all the Physicians she could, making, in the interim, no mention of the swallowed nee∣dle. Wherefore she had no benefit by all the medicines she took; and she continued in pain for the space of two years, untill at length the needle came forth at a little hole by her navel, and she recovered her health.

* 1.10A Scholar named Chambelant, a native of Bourges, a student in Paris, in the Colledge of Presse, swallowed a stalk of grass, which came afterwards whole out between two of his ribs, with the great danger of the Scholars life. For it could not come there unless by passing or breaking through the lungs, the encompassing membrane, and the intercostal muscles; yet he recovered, Fernelius and Haguet having him in cure.

* 1.11Cabrolle Chirurgian to Mounsieur the Marshall of Anville, told me that Francis Guillenet the Chi∣rurgian of Sommiers, a small village some eight miles from Mompelier, had in cure, and healed a certain Shepherd, who was forced by theeves to swallow a knife of the length of half a foot, with a horn handle of the thickness of ones thumb: he kept it the space of half a yeer, yet with great pain, and he fell much away, but yet was not in a consumption, untill at length an abscess rising in his groin, with great store of very stinking quitture, the knife was there taken forth in the pre∣sence of the Justices, and left with Joubert the Physician of Mompelier.

* 1.12Mounsieur the Duke of Rohan had a Fool called Guido, who swallowed the point of a sword of the length of three fingers, and he voided it at his fundament on the twelfth day following, yet with much ado: there are yet living Gentlemen of Britany, who were eye-witnesses thereof.

There have been sundry women with childe, who have so cast forth piece-meal children that have died in their wombs,* 1.13 as that the bones have broke themselves a passage forth at the navel, but the flesh, dissolved as it were into quitture, flowed out by the neck of the womb and the fun∣dament, the mothers remaining alive, as Dalechampius observes out of Albucrasis.

Is it not very strange that there have been women, who troubled with a fit of the Mother, have lien three whole daies without motion,* 1.14 without breathing, or pulse that were any way apparent, and so have been carried out for dead?

A certain young man, as Fernelius tells, by somewhat too vehement exercise, was taken with such a cough, that it left him not for a moment of time, untill he therewith had cast forth a whole impostume of the bigness of a pigeons egg, wherein, being opened, there was found quit∣ture exquisitely white and equal. He spit blood two daies after, had a great fever, and was much distempered, yet notwithstanding he recovered his health.

* 1.15Anno Dom. 1578. Stephana Chartier, dwelling at St. Maure des Faussez, a widow of forty yeers old, being sick of a tertian Fever, in the beginning of her fit vomited up a great quantity of choler, and together therewith three hairy worms, in figure, colour, and magnitude like the worms cal∣led Bear-worms, yet somewhat blacker; they lived eight whole daies after without any food: the Chirurgian of this Town brought them to Dr. Milot, who shewed them to Feure, Le Gross, Marescot and Courtin Physicians, and to me also.

* 1.16This following history, taken out of the Chronicles of Menstrele, exceeds all admiration. A certain Franck-Archer of Meudon, four miles from Paris, was for robbery condemned to be han∣ged: in the mean time it was told the King by the Physicians, that many in Paris at that time were troubled with the stone, and amongst the rest the Lord of Boscage, and that it would be for the good of many, if they might view and discern with their eyes the parts themselves wherein so cruel a disease did breed, and that it might be done much better in a living then in a dead bo∣dy, and that they might make trial upon the body of the Franck-Archer, who had formerly been troubled with these pains. The King granted their request; wherefore opening his body, they viewed the breathing parts, and satisfied themselves as much as they desired, and having diligent∣ly and exactly restored each part to its proper place, the body, by the Kings command, was sew∣ed up again, and dressed and cured with great care. It came so to pass, that this Franck-Archer recovered in a few daies, and getting his pardon, got good store of mony besides.

Alexander Benedictus tells that he saw a woman called Victoria, who having lost all her teeth, and being bald, yet had others came up in their places, when as she was fourscore yeers old

* 1.17Stephen Tessiter a Chirurgian of Orleance, told me that not long ago he cured one Charls Verig∣nol, a Serjeant of Orleance, of a wound received in his ham, whereby the two tendons bending the ham, were quite cut in sunder. He took this order in the cure; he caused the patient to bend his leg, then he sewed together the ends of the cut-tendons, then placed the member in that site, and handled with that art, that at length he healed the wound, the patient not halting at all. Truly this is a memorable thing, and carefully and heedfully to be imitated by the young Chirurgian.

How many have I seen, who wounded and thrust through the body with swords, arrows, pikes, bullets, have had portion of the brain cut off by a wound of the head, an arm or leg taken away by a cannon-bullet, yet have recovered? and how many on the contrary, have died of light and small wounds, not worth the speaking of?

A certain man was shot near to his groin with an arrow, whom we have seen,* 1.18 saith Hippo∣crates, and he recovered beyond all mens expectation; The arrows-head was not taken forth, for it was very deep in, neither did the wound bleed very much, neither did he halt: but we found the head, and took it forth six years after he was hurt. Now Hippocrates gives no reason of its so long stay, but that he saith it might be suspected it lay hid between the nerves, and that no vein or artery was cut thereby.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Monsters hap∣pen also in di∣s••ases. A bullet shot into the belly came forth at the fundament
• * 1.2

  A bullet stick∣ing in the throat and the patient recove∣ring.
• * 1.3

  Lib. 3. anatom. cap. 9 A crooked ••ron sh••t into the back came forth at the fundament. A swa lowed needle voided by u••ine. A needle run∣ning in at the bu••tock came forth at the groin.
• * 1.4

  A needle in the midst of a stone taken forth of the bladde••.
• * 1.5

  A stone by the force of purg∣ing m••dicines voided by the fundament.
• * 1.6

  5. Epid. A stone com∣ing out of the neck of the womb.
• * 1.7

  Lib. 1. cap. de palp. cond.
• * 1.8

  No part of the body wherein stones may not be found.
• * 1.9

  A needle swal∣lowed, came forth at the navel some two years after.
• * 1.10

  A sprig of gras swallowed came forth whole again between the ribs.
• * 1.11

  A knife swal∣lowed, came forth at an ab∣scess in the groin.
• * 1.12

  The point of a sword swallow∣ed came forth at the funda∣ment.
• * 1.13

  Wonderful ex∣cretions of in∣fants out of the womb.
• * 1.14

  Women trou∣bled with the Mother laid out for dead. An impostume spit out, of the bigness of a Pigeons egg.
• * 1.15

  Worms cast up in the fit of an Ague.
• * 1.16

  This narration exceeds not only all admi∣ration, but al∣so belief.
• * 1.17

  Pract. lib. 64. cap. 1.
• * 1.18

  5. Epidem.