Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. VII. Of Concoction and Seperation of humours.

ALthough the concoction of humours be the work of na∣ture only. Yet a Physician may help her by his medi∣cines, which may either cherish and strengthen the na∣tive heat, or take away impediments which may hinder nature in concocting, * 1.1 and reduce the excess of qualities to mediocrity. And medicines of the latter of these two kinds are called Dige∣stives and Concoctives, namely, such as cool the hot humours, heat the cold, moisten the dry, attenuate the thick, incrassate the thin, and if there are any other excesses of qualities, redu∣ceth them to mediocrity.

So Cholerick humours because they are hot to be allayed; * 1.2 and tempered with cold medicines, and their tenuity if too much, to be reduced to mediocrity, and its power of inflaming to be prohibited. These perform this, Chichory, Endive, Sowthi∣stle, Garden-Endive, Sorrell, Burrage, Bugloss, Violets, Bar∣ley; the greater and lesser cooleing seeds, the juice of Lemmon Pomegranates, Goose-berries, Vinegar, Spirit of the salt of Vi∣triol, and medicines prepared of these.

Phlegmatick humours because they are thick and dull, * 1.3 require attenuating, and cutting medicines; such are the opening roots, Hysop, Bittony, Agrimony, Venus-hair, Vinegar, al∣so Spirit of Vitriol.

In a Melancholly humour, * 1.4 attenuating medicines are also useful, but such as moisten withal: Such as are Burrage, Bu∣gloss, Polypody, Caeterach or Spleen-wort, and such like.

But because in all these Fevers, * 1.5 corruption of humors is pre∣sent, those things which resist putrefaction are also necessary, such are Vinegar, Juice of Lemmon, Citron, Pomegranates, Sorrel, Spirit of Salt of Vitriol.

And those things which are spoken about concoction and cru∣dity of humours, principally take place in continued and a∣cute Fevers, which is manifest from Hippocrates, who 1. Ash. 24. adjoynes, In acute diseases seldom, and about the begin∣nings, purging is to be used, and that with diligent premedi∣tation, and 2 Aphor. 29. In the beginning of diseases if ought

be to he moved, move it; but when it flourishes 'tis best to be quiet, namely, if the matter swell big in acute diseases, present∣ly at the beginning 'tis to be evacuated, but if not, a concoction is to be expected, which nature alone performing, very often u∣seth to expell vitious humours, which if it be not done, the Physician useth to do it: The same crudity and concoction is required in intermitting Fevers, for since their causes are scitua∣ted in the Mesaraick veins, and the Mesaraick veins contain and elaborate blood of their own accord, if peccant humours be any where mingled with that blood, and begin to putrefie, cru∣dity is said to be present: But when those humours are so con∣quer'd by nature, that they may easily be seperated, concoction is performed.

Although in intermitting Fevers in every fit some of the pec∣cant matter be evacuated, yet notwithstanding the humour, which is the fuel of such Fevers, is not first taken away before the concoction be performed, and the bad are seperated from the good: That which in quartanes useth to be long in doing; For although each Paroxism some may be expelled, yet as Ga∣len. 2. of the difference of Fevers. cap. the last teacheth, super∣fluities in the part wherein the fewel feeding the Fever is contai∣ned being left behind, cause new fits, and purgation is appoin∣ted in vain before the humour be concocted and rendred fit to be purged, whereof shall be spoken amongst the intermitting Fe∣vers. * 1.6

But besides this concoction and preparation of humours, there is yet need of other things, which when the humours are con∣cocted, are to be exhibited: For considering purgation that it may be happily used, the passages ought to be open and the hu∣mours fluid, if the passages are obstructed, and thick sluggish humours be present, the wayes through which the humours ought to pass are to be opened, and the humours to be cut and taken away,

Notes

• * 1.1

  Digestive medicines.
• * 1.2

  Concocters of chole∣rick hu∣mours.
• * 1.3

  Phlegma∣tick.
• * 1.4

  Melancho∣ly.
• * 1.5

  Resisting of putre∣faction.
• * 1.6

  Preparing of humers.