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. VIII. Of knowing the time, longitude, brevity and event of a disease.

THe length, * 1.1 brevity, time, and event, of a disease are known principally by the signes of concoction and crudi∣ty, and the vehemency of a disease, by the celerity, and tar∣dity; for if in the first day in an acute feaver, the signes of concoction are present in the urine, and no danger be per∣ceived, it argues the disease will end about the first quartarna∣ry, third, fourth, or fifth day, if the disease be contrary to this, and presently after the beginning have the worst Symptomes, * 1.2 the fifth day, or before, he will dye.

But if signes of concoction appeare the first and second dayes, and the disease be neither benigne nor vehement, the disease may be extended, to the second quarternary, but as long as such seavers can continue the first day, it can scarce be known, but afterwards each quartarnary are to be conside∣red, and the signes of concoction in them are to be wieghed & compared with the vehemency of the disease, towit, if in the fourth day signes of concoction appear in the urine, tis a signe that the matter is apt to be concocted, and that the disease will terminate on the seventh day; on the contrary, if in such a feaver, on the fourth day there appeare no signes of con∣coction but ill signes are also increased, tis an argument that

the sick growes worse, and may dye about the seventh day; unlesse some error be committed, or some other cause of change be present.

But if the signes of crudity, remaine till the fourth or: * 1.3 se∣venth day, the disease shall indure beyond the third quartarnary, but if on the fourteenth day, it shall have an end, the eleventh, which is the index of the fourteenth will shew it, for if then signes of concoction appeare, either be∣fore the fourteenth day judgment may be given, or on the seventeenth day; but if on the eleventh day there appeare not as yet sufficient signes of concoction, there is no hopes that the disease will be judicatory on the fourteenth, and therefore the signes of concoction are to be sought in the following quartarnaries, for if the signes of concoction appear about the twentieth day, there is hopes on the first quartina∣ry, after the twentieth day, that the disease may be judged of, but if no mutation hitherto appeares it may be extended to the fourth week, and those diseases which retaine all the signes of crudity to the foure and twentieth day, cannot be decreed, before the fourtieth day, and those which are exten∣ded beyond the fourtieth are not ended with a Crisis, but with slow concoctions.

Sometimes not only the day but also the houre of the end of a disease may be foretold, * 1.4 namely if we consider particu∣lar fits, for if we think any one will dye on any day, tis pro∣bable he will dye in the worst time of his fit, or in a particu∣lar declination, when the strength, in the height of a dis∣case is dejected, by the cruelty and vehemency of Symp∣tomes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Which dis∣eases are ended in the fi st quartar∣nary.
• * 1.2

  Which are exten∣ded to the second.
• * 1.3

  Which to the third.
• * 1.4

  The houre of the event of a disease how to be known.