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. XXII. Of Glysters.

* 1.1A Glyster is an injection prepared first and properly for the gross intestines and fundament; for sometimes glysters are used and made for the stomach, spleen, reins, bladder, womb, mesentery, and also for the head, from whence oftentimes by sharp glysters, the hurtful matter is brought downwards, as we see in Apoplexies. Therefore there is no part of the body which receives not some benefit by glysters, but more or less according to the vicinity they have with the belly, and the strength of the glyster: for there are divers sorts of glysters, some emol∣lients,* 1.2 other evacuating, some anodynes, some astringents, some cleansing, some sarcotick, and epulotick, and some may be said to nourish. They may be all made of the parts of plants or beasts, with compound medicines either solutive, or altering, and others according to the advice of the Physician.* 1.3 The parts of plants which are used to this purpose, are roots, seeds, leavs, flow∣ers, fruits, shouts, juices, mucilages. Parts of beasts are yolks of eggs and whites, hony, chick∣ens, capons, old cocks well beaten, heads and feet of sheep, the intestines, whey, milk, sewet, ax∣ungia, and such like in decoctions, wherein we mingle and dissolve simple and compound medi∣cines. We sometimes use without any other medicament, to make a glyster with oil alone, as oil of nuts for the Colick, of whey alone, the decoction of the head and feet of the sheep alone, and of the decoction of Cicers and barly do we prepare Glysters.

The quantity of a glyster is sometimes less according to the divers disposition of men and their diseases:* 1.4 for weak children the quantity is less: for women with child, and in the colick, dysen∣tery, lyenterie, or when much hardened excrement is within. But when we would abundantly move the excrement, and there is nothing that may hinder, the dose of a glyster for the most part is half a pound, one pound, or three quarters of a pound. The glyster must be injected warm or hot more or less, according to the nature or condition of the sick: for being cold it offends the intes∣tines, and the neighboring nervous parts, which are cold of themselves. It must be given by de∣grees, for being injected suddenly, the winde which is usually in the guts will beat it back again, whence c••mes intolerable pain. But this will be more clear by that we shall teach concerning the differences of glysters, whereof there shall be sufficient examples.

* 1.5℞: malv. violar. bismalv. acanth. an. m.i. radic. alth. lilior. an. ℥.i. passul. ficuum ping. ℥ ss. fiat de∣coctio ap. lb i. in qua dissolve cass. butyr. recent. an. ℥ i. ol. viol. ℥ iii. fiat. Clyster.

Glysters, that do evacuate, are prepared by the counsel of the Physician, and of divers Simples, being boiled for several purposes.* 1.6 Therefore if the humors be cold which are to be evacuated, the Glyster shall be after this manner. ℞. Salviae, origani, abrotoni, chamaem. melilot. an. m. ss. semi∣num anisi, foenic. cumini, an. ʒ. iii. semin. carthar. ʒii. Make a decoction of them, wherein dissolve

Diaphon. Hier. Simpl. an. ℥ ss. ol. aneth. chamaem. an. ℥i. ss. Mellis Antho. sacc. rub. an. ℥. i. fiat Clyster.

To evacuate Choleriëk matter, prepare a Glyster after this manner. ℞. quat. remollient. paret. Cichor. endi. an. m. ss. Semen. quat. frigid. Major. an. ʒiii. hordei integri. p. i. Make a decoction of them, and dissolve in it Cass. ℥. i. Ol. viol. mellis viol. an. ℥. ii. fiat Clyster.

To evacuate melancholy, this Glyster following will be useful. ℞. Fumitor. Centaur. minoris Mercu∣rialis, an. m. i. Polyp. Qu. folicul. sennae, an. ʒ. iii. seminis agni casti, Thymi. an. ʒii. Make a decoction and dissolve therein Confect. Hamech. ℥ ss. Cass. recens extract. ʒ. iii. olei violati, lilior. an. ℥ ss. Sac. rub. mellis viol. an. ℥i ss. salis, ʒi. And those Glysters do not only evacuate the humors that offend, but also correct the distemper of the bowels and inward parts. For the Glysters described against pituious and melancholick matter, help the cold distemper; but that which is for choler, the hot distemper. Purging medicines, which are dissolved in the decoction of Glysters, are very strong, as, Confect. Hamech. Benedicta, Diaprun. Solutivum, Diaphaenicon, being used from ʒ. vi. to ℥i. at most: but the weaker and more gentle are Catholicon, Cassia, Hiera simplex, from ʒvi. to ℥ii. at most.

An Anodyne Glyster is usually made without such things as purge or evacuate: as,* 1.7 ℞. Flor. Cha∣maem. melil. Aneth. an. p i. rad. Bismal. ℥i. boil them in Milk, and to the decoction add, Mucaginis seminis lini, foenugraeci, extractae in aqua Malvae ℥ii. saccari albi, olei anethi, chamaemeli, an. ℥i. vitel∣los ovorum duos, fiat Clyster. These Glysters should be kept longer in the body, that so they may more easily mitigate pain. The example of an astringent Glyster.

℞. Equiseti, plantag. polygami. an. m. i. boil them in lacte ustulato,* 1.8 to ℥ ••ii. to the decoction strai∣ned add Bol. armeni, sanguinis draconis, an. ʒii. olei rosati, ℥ii. album ovorum duorum. fiat Clyster. We use these kinde of Glysters in Dysenteries, and in the immoderate flux of the Haemorrhoid v ins, having first evacuated the usual excrements. Glysters, which be sarcotick, epulotick, and clean∣sers of the greater guts, and fit for the curing of ulcers, are to be prepared of such medicines as are described before in their proper Chapters.

Alimentary Glysters are made of the decoction of Chickens, Capons, Cocks,* 1.9 being boiled to a gelly, and strongly prest forth. They are also prepared of M••rrow gelly, which are not altogether so strong as those which are commonly taken by the mouth, because the faculty of concoction in the guts, is much weaker then that of the stomach. Oftentimes also the matter of these kinde of Glysters is prepared in wine, where there is no pain of the head or fever, but more frequently in the decoction of Barly, and in Milk, adding the yolks of Eggs, and some small quantity of where sugar, lest by the cleansing faculty it move the guts to excretion. And therefore Sugar of Roses is thought better, which is conceived to be somewhat binding. Here you may have examples of such Glysters. ℞. Decoctionis Capi perfectè cocti lb. i. ss. saccari albi, ℥ ss. misce, fiat Clyster. ℞. Decocti P••••∣li & Galatinae, an. lb. ss. vini opt. ℥iv. fiat Clyster. ℞. Decocti hordei mundati & in cremor••m redacti lb. ss. lactis boni lb i. Vitellos ovorum duos, fiat Clyster.* 1.10 We use these kind of Glysters to strengthen children, old and weak men, and bodies which are in a Consumption. But in the use of these there are three things to be observed: First, that the faeculent excrements may be taken away, either by strength of nature, or by art, as by a Suppository, or an emollient Glyster, lest the alementary mat∣ter being mingled with them, should so be infected and corrupted. The other is, that there be great quantity given, that so some may ascend to the upper guts. The third is, that the sick sleep after the taking of it; for so it is more easily converted into nourishment, and the ••alimentary mat∣ter is better kept; for sleep hindereth evacuations. In Glysters of this kinde we must beware of Salt, Hony, and oil; for the two first provoke excretion by their acrimony, and the last by his humidity doth relax and lubricate. They who think no kind of Glyster can nourish or sustain the body, rely upon this reason: That it is necessary whatsoever nourisheth,* 1.11 should have a triple commutation or concoction in the body: first, in the stomach; secondly, in the liver: thirdly, in all the members. But this opinion is repugnant to reason and experience: to reason, for that a certain sense of such things as are defective, is implanted in all and every of the natural parts of our body. Therefore seeing nutrition is a repletion of that which is empty, without doubt the empty and hungry parts will draw from any place that nourishment that is fit and convenient for them, and in defect there∣of, whatsoever they meet with, which by any familiarity may asswage and satisfie their desire. But the alimentary Glysters, by us described, consist of things which agree very well-with the nature of our bodies, and such as are boiled and ordered with much art, so to apply the chylification to be performed in the stomach. Therefore they may be drawn in by the meseraick veins of rhe guts; which according to Galen, have a certain attractive faculty. And thence they may be easily carried through the gate-vein, liver, and so over the whole body. And experience teacheth,* 1.12 that many sick people, when they could take nothing by the mouth, have been sustained many daies by the help of these kinde of Glysters. What is more to be said? We have seen those who have taken a Suppository by the fundament, and vomited it at the mouth; by which it also appeareth that something may flow without danger of the sick from the guts into the stomach.

Commonly they give Glysters any hour of the day, without any respect of time; but it should not be done unless a great while after meals, otherwise the meat, being hindered from digestion, will be drawn out of the stomach by the Glyster.

Glysters are used to help the weaker expulsive faculty of the guts,* 1.13 and by consequence also of the other parts, both that such as through want of age, and old people, and such as by reason of great imbecillity by sickness cannot admit of a purging medicine, may by this means at least ease themselves of the trouble and burden of hurtful humors. Galen hath attributed to Storks the inven∣tion of Glysters, which with their bils, having drunk Sea-water, which from saltness hath a

purging qualitie, wash themselves by that part, whereby they use to bring away the excrements of their meats, and of the bodie. But a Glyster is fitly taken after this manner: whilest the Syringe is expressed, let the patient hold open his mouth; for by this means all the muscles of the Abdo∣men, which help by compression ••he excretion of the guts, are relaxed; Let him wear nothing that may gird in his belly, let him lie upon his right side, bending in a semicircular figure; and so the Glyster will the more easily pass to the upper guts, and (as it were) by an overflowing, wet and wash all the guts and excrements. It hapneth otherwise to those who lie upon their left side; for the Glyster being so injected, is conceived to abide, and (as it were) to stop in the In∣testinum rectum,* 1.14 or Colon, because in this site these two intestines are oppressed, and as it were shut up with the weight of the upper guts. A little while he may lie upon his back after he hath re∣ceived the Glyster, and presently after he may turn himself on either side. And if there be pain in any part, so long as he is able, may incline to that side; Moreover, because there are many who cannot by any reason be perswaded to shew their buttocks to him that should admi∣nister the Glyster, a foolish shamefastness hindring them: therefore I thought good in this place to give the figure of an Instrument, with which one may give a Glyster to himself, by putting up the pipe into the fundament, lifting the buttocks a little up. The pipe is marked wi••h this letter A. The body of the Syringe, whereinto the Glyster must be put, with this Letter B.

[illustration]

The figure of a Glyster pipe and Syringe, by benefit whereof a man may give himself a Glyster.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What a gly∣ster is.
• * 1.2

  Differences of glysters.
• * 1.3

  The materials of glysters.
• * 1.4

  Their quantity
• * 1.5

  An emollient glyster.
• * 1.6

  A glyster to evacuate a cold phlegmatick humor.
• * 1.7

  An Anodyne Glyster.
• * 1.8

  An Astringent Glyster.
• * 1.9

  Nourishing Glysters.
• * 1.10

  Their use.
• * 1.11

  Their Argu∣ment that de∣ny Glysters to nourish; Confuted first by reason.
• * 1.12

  Secondly, by experience.
• * 1.13

  The common use of glysters.
• * 1.14

  The sick ha∣ving received the glyster, must turn to their side grie∣ved.