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. XIII. What the simple differences of Pulses signifie and presage.

ALthough from the causes of pulses, * 1.1 it easily appeares what every pulse signifies, and portends: yet that we may add something of each in particular, a great pulse although principally its familiar use be in increasing, a strong faculty, and a soft instrument; in those which are sick it signifies a hot disease, and a great pulse, unlesse it be hindered, followes all feavers, and it cannot be much dilated with the Artery, unlesse the power be strong, or at least not weake; a great pulse in all feavers is good signe.

A small pulse argues either debility of the faculty, or remis∣nesse of the use, or hardnesse of the instruments; and indeed if a small pulse shall be also faint tis a token that its weakness proceeds from a weake faculty, if small and hard, from the Artery; if neither debility; nor hardnesse be perceived in the pulse; it is an argument that it comes from the diminution of the use: whence little pulses with a weake faculty foretell death; the rest of pulses that are small for the most part presage long and difficult diseases.

A swift pulse signifies that the use is increased and the vigour stronge, * 1.2 or certainly not very weake, whence in those that are sound, a swife pulse signifies heate, stirred up by motion, exercises, baths and such like causes, which if it be also great, the strength is not yet debilitated, but in those which are sick, a swift pulse signi∣fies a hot disease, and is proper to those which are fea∣verish, and if magnitude be joyned therewith itshewes that the use is increased, with strength of nature, but if frequen∣cy be adjoyned without magnitude, it shews that the pow∣ers are weakned; if hardnesse of the instrument, the use being increased, hinders dilatation, that hardnesse is to be percei∣ved by the touch.

A slow pulse shews, * 1.3 the contrary, to wit, little heate and the use diminished, and then it is onely thin, and the vigour not firme enough, and withall it is feeble.

A frequent pulse signifies the use to be increased, * 1.4 or the faculty weakned, or the instrument hard; if it proceed only from the use increased, it is not faint, nor hard, and magni∣tude, frequently goes before, and then extraordinary great heat is discovered in those that are sick; if it proceed from debility, or hardness of the artery, that is discerned by the pulse.

Thin pulses are made, either through a strong faculty, * 1.5 and a soft instrument, or from the use diminished; in sound bo∣dies it signifies a cold constitution, but in sidk a cold dis∣ease, and coldness of the heart, and that which is contained therein, and therefore 'tis accounted an ill signe.

A strong and vehement pulse, shews a strong faculty, * 1.6 and if its vehemency exceed the bounds of nature, it signifies also great irritation.

A faint pulse on the contrary, * 1.7 signifies powers to be de∣jected, and that either by dissipation of spirits and resoluti∣on, and then it is also smal, and if use hinder not, slow, or by oppression, occasioned by plenty of humours, and then the pulse also is inordinate, and unequal.

A soft pulse shews softness of the arterie, * 1.8 and moreover in a sound body, signifies immoderate drinking, or dyet over moistning, or a bath, or idleness, but in a sick a moist habit of the body.

On the contrary hard pulses, * 1.9 shew the hardness of the ar∣terie, and indeed either by extending in convulsions, Tu∣mours, or by repletion of vessels, with humours and wind, or by drying as in burning Feavers, Hecticks, consuming Fea∣vers, Quartans, and other drying causes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Great pulses what they signify.
• * 1.2

  A swift.
• * 1.3

  Slow.
• * 1.4

  Frequent.
• * 1.5

  Thin.
• * 1.6

  Vehement.
• * 1.7

  Faint.
• * 1.8

  Soft.
• * 1.9

  Hard.