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. II. Of the signes of health and of death which are taken from the mutations of the qualities of the body.

MOreover to the mutation of the qualities of the body, * 1.1 and first concerning the whole body, tis a good signe if it be rendred not much unlike to a sound body in habit and colour.

Tis no good signe for the most part in a great Disease, when nothing is changed, 2. Apho. 28. Tis also an ill signe when bodies are extenuated in the declination of a Disease, and although they take food are not thereby refreshed. For in acute Diseases, tis an ill signe when the body is puft up and swelled, unlesse criticall humours are then remitted.

The colour of the body when changed contrary to na∣ture, * 1.2 and especially in the yellow Jaundice, is a good signe. In Feavers if it come to passe by natures driving the cholerick humours critically to the out side of the body, and the skin; but that which is contrary is to be adjudged evill.

Those signes which are in the face are of great force, * 1.3 but that face is best which is like to theirs which are in health, but if it be contrary tis vitious, Hip. 1. Prog. 5. but a face may be unlike to their faces that are well many waies, and by how much the more it recedeth from the face of sound people, by so much the greater evill it denotes.

All which signes Hippocrates in his description of a face, * 1.4 which differs from a face of a sound person produceth, which therefore is called an Hippocraticall face, 2. Prog. 6, & 7. sharp Nose, hollow Eyes, the Temples streightned, or nar∣row, the Eares cold and contracted, and their fibres in∣verted, the skin also about the Forehead hard, fixed, and dry, and the colour of the whole countenance green, or black, which change of the countenance is very deadly, especially in the beginning of a disease, unlesse it so hap∣pen to be from some evident cause, and mends night and

day, but that face which is of a purple colour, mixt with blew, unlesse the Hemerodes of the Nose, or an Imposthu∣mation behind the Eares be to follow after, is an ill figne, and denotes a very hot disease of the brain.

As the eyes are affected, so the body, * 1.5 and principally the head, 6. Edip. Comm. 4. tom. 28. for if the eyes are like to theirs that are well, have a naturall colour, are full, splen∣did, and indure the light without trouble, if they open their eye lids well, and shut them without teares, and without excrements, they are good signes.

But there are divers mutations in the eyes, and as Hippo. 1. Prog 10. writes, if the eyes avoid the light, or shed tears against the will of the sick, or are perverted, or one shall be lesse then the other, and the white become reddish, or of the colour of lead, or black Veines, or phlegme appears a∣bout the sight, or look divinely upward, or are hollow, or the colour of the whole countenance varies, all these are to be accounted evill and destructive, but worst of all if the sick see not, hear not, and if this happen in a weak body, death is nigh at hand.

A sharp Nose, and a Nose that is turned, or wreathed, * 1.6 after what manner soever, is an ill signe; if the Nose itch contrary to custome, unlesse it indicate a flux of blood imminent, it shewes that a Delirium will fol∣low.

The Eares if they are of a wan colour, * 1.7 black contracted and cold, tis a signe of death.

The grinding of the teeth is an ill signe, * 1.8 tis an ill signe also when any glutinous humours sticks to the teeth.

When the Tongue is like theirs who are in health, * 1.9 tis a very good signe, but tis very evill if it be green, black and exceeding dry, cleaved, or chopped, rough, and as it were burnt: But principally dry, hard, and black Tongues indi∣cate danger, if they appeare with other ill signs, & most of all if when the Tongue is rough and dry, the sick be not thirsty.

The Chops ulcerated with a Feaver is hard to be cured, * 1.10 3. Prog 15. and if in acute diseases of the Chops, if paines, and abjectnesse, and stoppings, without a tumour happen, they are pernitious, 1. Prorrh. 11. and if the Feaver being de∣tained, he suddenly turn his neck awry, and can scarce swal∣low, no tumour being present, tis mortiferous, 4. A∣pho. 35.

Tis a good signe if the Hypocondries are without paine, * 1.11 if they are soft and equall, on either part if they are not exte∣nuated; yet somtimes when the Hypocondries are stretched it shewes a crisis to come, but then also other criticall signes are present; on the contrary tis an ill signe, if the Hypocon∣dries are troubled with inflamation, or paine, or are stretched, or unequally affected, on the right, or left part; also when extenuated, * 1.12 and beating, unlesse a Crisis be present.

Lastly as to the extremities of the body, if in intermitting feavers, the extreame parts grow cold, and the internall burne, and they thirst, tis mortall 7. Apho. 1. but tis very good if all the body be equally hot, and soft; it is evill also, and for the most part deadly if all the body be heavy, and es∣pecially if the nailes and fingers are black and blue, or black, if the genitalls, and stones are drawn up together, also filthy smells indicate great putrifaction and danger.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What may be fore-told by the habit of the body.
• * 1.2

  From the colour.
• * 1.3

  From the face.
• * 1.4

  Hippo. face.
• * 1.5

  By the eyes
• * 1.6

  By the No∣strill.
• * 1.7

  By the ears.
• * 1.8

  By the teeth
• * 1.9

  By the Tongue.
• * 1.10

  By the Cheps.
• * 1.11

  By the Hy∣pocondries
• * 1.12

  By the ex∣tremities of the body.