CHAP. XXXIX. Of Bags or Quilts.
PHysicians term a bag or sacculus,* 1.1 the composition or mixture of drie and powdered me∣dicines put in a bag; therefore it is as it were a drie fomentation. Their differences are not drawn from any other thing then from the variety of the part, whereto they are ap∣plied: such as are for the head must be made into the fashion of a cap; those which be for the whole ventricle must be made into the form of a eithern; those for the spleen, like to an oxes tongue: lastly, such as are for the liver, heart, and other parts, must be made according to the fi∣gure of those parts. Their matter is usually taken from whole seeds fried in a frying-pan, or made into powder; there are sometimes added roots, flowers, fruits, rindes, cordial-powders, and other drie medicines, which may be easily brought into powder, and conduce to the grieved parts; the quantity is different according to the magnitude of the affected parts: In the books of practisers it is commonly found prescribed from ℥iii. to ℥vi ss. Sometimes flowers, and drie herbs are prescri∣bed by handfuls and pugils: and here there is need of an artificial conjecture to conceive and ap∣point a fit quantity of powders: but let us give you some examples.
℞. rosar. rub. p i. mastich. ℥ss coralli. rub. ʒiii. sem. anisi, & faenic. an. ʒii. nucis moschat. ʒi summitat.* 1.2 absinth. & menth. an. m i. tritis omn ibus, fiat sacculus consutus & compunctus pro ventriculo.
℞. furfuris macri, p i. milii. ℥i. salis. ʒii. rosar. rub flor. rorismarini, staechados, caryoph. an. m ii. fol. beton.* 1.3 & salv. an. ʒiii. tritis omnibus fiat cucupha, intersuta & calefacta fumo thuris, & sandarachae exustorum, capiti apponatur.
℞. flor. borag. buglos. & violar. an. p ii. cortic. citri sicci, macis, ligni aloes, rasurae eboris, an. ʒi.* 1.4 ossis de corde cervi, croci, an. ℈ii. fol. melis. m ss. pulveris diambrae. ʒ ss. contritis omnibus fiat sacculus e serico pro cordeirrorandus aquâ scabiosae.
We use bags for the strengthening of the noble parts, as the brain, heart, liver:* 1.5 as also for those less noble, as the stomach: lastly for discussing flatulencies in what part soever: as in the collick, and in a bastard plurifie proceeding from flatulencies. The powders must be strawed upon carded bombast, that they run not together, and then they must be sewed up or quilted in a bag of linnen or taffaty.
We often-times moisten these bags in wine or distilled water, and sometimes not with the sub∣stance thereof, but by the vapor only of such liquors put into a hot dish: thus oft-times the bags are heated by the vapor only, and oft-times at the fire in a dish by often turning them. These if in∣tended for the heart, ought to of be crimson or scarlet silk, because the scarlet-berry, called by the Arabians Kermes, is said to refresh and recreate the heart. Certainly they must alwaies be made of some fine thing, whether is be linnen or silk.