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 Excretions and Retentions, and of Venery.

THe body may be easily kept in its naturall State, * 1.1 if those things which are profitable for its nourishment, be re∣tained, and those things which are unprofitable, and ought to be cast out, are omitted, but if those things which ought to be retained, in the body, are cast out, and those things which ought to be protruded, are retained, the health is in danger.

The severall concoctions have their severall excrements; the excrements of the paunch, if they are not evacuated in due season, hinder concoction whilst putred Vapours exhale from thence to the stomach, and neighbouring parts, for the same reason they offend the head, stir up cholick paines, and other evills, but too sudden cleansing of the paunch oftentimes hurt nothing, whilst those things which are of∣fensive nature doth expell from the paunch of its owne ac∣cord, yet if any such thing happen too often or too lasting, it necessarily defrauds the body of nourishment, and the strength is weakned, and the guts are debilitated, and of∣fended.

Urine if it be made in due season, * 1.2 is commodious and pro∣fitable

for the body, but if it be made sooner then it ought, and especially, if it have bin retained longer then it ought, it brings no small dammage, for it oppresseth the bladder, and often times so fills it, that afterwards urine cannot be ex∣pelled, and sometimes an inflamation of the bladder, nay sudden death, followes; but if the reyns have not drawn whey as it were, it remains mixt with blood, and stirs up greivous Symptomes in the whole body.

Seed untimely retained causeth heavinesse, and dulnesse, * 1.3 of the body, and if it be corrupted stirs up greivous accidents, all which may be avoided by Venery, but let it be timely, and lawfull, neither is there any need to try any thing for the preservation of health, which is contrary to divine lawes, and the Creator of man is so much indulgent to him in this thing, as tis necessary for him to shun all things which may hinder his health; but too much Venery dissipates the naturall heate, cooles and debilitates the whole body, accumulates crudities, hurts the nerves, generates the running Gout, and brings the Palsie, and debility of the senses and understan∣ding.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Excre∣ments of the paunch.
• * 1.2

  Ʋrine.
• * 1.3

  Venus.