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. XVI. Of signes to be observed from the Tongue.

BVt besides the urines, * 1.1 and pulses, the Physitian also shal consider sweats, excrements of the paunch, spittle, the Tongue other things, but since we have spoken before of the former, and hereafter I shall speak again, here we will only add something of the tongue, which shew certain signes, es∣pecially in Feavers, and as often as any change happens of its own accord, either of colour or taste in the tongue, it is certain that so often there is some change made in the body.

But why the tongue should change its natural constitu∣tion, * 1.2 there are two principal causes, humors, exhaling out of the veins and arteries of the tongue, and principally affe∣cting the coat of the tongue; moreover, vapours and humors ascending from the inferior parts, to which notwithstanding sometimes humours flowing from the head are added.

The colour of the tongue is changed, and is become white with the spittle wherewith it is moistned, * 1.3 and it is dried by heat, which often comes to pass in Feavers, a white colour is often changed into a yellow, mud colour, or black, whilst other humors are communicated to the tongue, and that external skin is changed by the fùliginous feaverish vapours. Whence the colour of the tongue may shew both

the nature, and the time of the Feaver, for as Hiprocrate; saith, in the beginning the tongue is white or yellow (in his Third Book of diseases) in progress of time it grows black, and if it grow black in the beginning of a disease, the disease wil the sooner be over; but if in the latter end, 'twil endure the longer nay oftentimes the tunicle of the tongue, is so polluted with fuliginous vapours ascending, that some∣times it rots away; but when the Feaver declines the co∣lour of the tongue returns to its natural condition; and the humour which is spread about the Tongue, is taken away, and that which was corrupted is separated, and that change first appears in the top of the tongue: hence that other pa••t towards the chops also by little and little becomes pure. Lastly, the root, and if any one daily do diligently observe the tongue of the sick, the declination of these may be known no less from thence then by the urine.

The taste of the Tong••e being changed, * 1.4 signifies abundance of humours; from choler the taste is bitter; from sweet flegme sweete; from a salt, salt; from an acid humor, sour or sharp.

The tongue is made rough and dry by defect of the humi∣dity, which was consumed by the feaverish heat, yet in roughness there is a greater defect of humidity then in driness only.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The tongue a figne of diseases.
• * 1.2

  Causes of the change∣ing the tongue,
• * 1.3

  The colour of the tongue changed.
• * 1.4

  Savour.