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 faculties of Medicines in generall.

MEdicines are two-fold, * 1.1 some are simple, other com∣pound; a simple is that which is such by nature onely, and hath nothing mixt with it by art; compound are when more naturall things are mingled by art into the forme of one medicine.

Simple Medicines are taken from Plants, * 1.2 Animalls, Mine∣ralls; and Plants are either taken whole or their parts, Roots, Woods, Piths, Barkes, Leaves, and Branches, Flowers, Seeds, Fruits, Juices, Gumms, Rosins, Oiles, and Liquors, as Wine.

Animals also are used whole, * 1.3 or their parts, as Harts-Horn, Marrow, Flesh, or those things that are generated in them, as Milke, Eggs, or their workes, as Hony, Wax, or their excrements as Gall, Urine.

Under Mineralls are comprehended not onely those things which are properly called Mineralls, * 1.4 Vitriall, Antimo∣ny, Sulphure, and Mettalls, and the excrements, but also di∣vers kinds of earths, as Uermillion, Irish Slat, Bole-Armi∣nack, as also all Stones and Gemms, also divers kinds of Salts, and concreted juices in the earth, of which Naptha is one, also bathing-waters, in which ranke Manna may be put, if there be no other place fit for it.

The faculties are various, of so many different things, * 1.5 and from hence the divisions of Medicines are various, for first, some Medicines are said to bee such in action, others in power to be such; things as are said to be such in action, which in them containe that which they are said to be, the act being as it were present, and absolved, and so the operation is in a readinesse, and can affect our bodies at the first touch, with that quality wherewith they are en∣dued: so Water, and Ice, are cold in action, because after what manner soever they are applyed to a body, they can pre∣sently coole the same; but those things are such in potentia, * 1.6 whose force is not perceived at the first touch, but lyeth hid and as it were asleep, nor doth it discover it selfe by action, untill it be some way changed by our heat and be burnt, and reduced into action, so Pepper, and Wine, although to the touch they are cold, yet neverthelesse they heate.

But although the force of Medicines are various, * 1.7 yet they may conveniently be divided into manifest and occult; those are called manifest which affect our senses, or which excite qualities in the patient which are discerned by our senses, and whereof a manifest cause may be rendred.

But occult are such which doe not produce qualities in a Patient, obvious to sence, * 1.8 but performe something by a hid∣den propriety, to wit, they purge a certaine humor, they strengthen a certaine member, they resist poyson, or being hung or carried externally worke upon the body, the mani∣fest causes whereof cannot be explained, and no other reason can be given, then that such a power or force is in them, by a peculiar propriety of nature, although there are some who re∣ject hidden qualities, yet I. C. Scaliger rightly thinks that tis a high peice of impudence to reduce all things to manifest qualities, in the 218. of his exercises Sect. 8. and those which endeavour this, bring foolish and ridiculous reasons, or deny those things which are confirmed by experience; and these fa∣culties and actions are different from those in their whole kinde as also from others, which are spoken of before in the 2. Booke 2. Part. Cap. 12. both from hence in the first place, because the strength of these qualities, are far greater then theirs of the primary qualities, and their efficacy is great oftentimes in the smallest body.

But both of them, * 1.9 the manifest and occult fa∣culties and actions of Medicines are various, of ma∣nifest qualities some are primary, others secondary,

others of a third kind; * 1.10 the first have power of heating, coo∣ling, moistning and drying; the second to soften, to harden, condense, rarify, resolve, attenuate, thicken, to draw, to re∣pel; the third, to provoke Urine, to cause and stay courses, to move vomit, generate flesh, and to breake stones, although the power of breaking stones may more fittly be attributed to the propriety of the whole substance, as beneath Cap. 17. shall be shewne.

Occult are of three kindes, for either they evacuate a cer∣taine humour by a peculiar faculty, or they have a sympathie with a cortaine part, whence they are called cephalicks, or cardiacks, or they resist poyson.

But the faculties of all Medicines according to the chan∣ges which they make in our bodies, * 1.11 may be referred to four ranks or formes, first some belong to an inducing of a new quality, such as are those which are said to have the effica∣cies of the primary qualities, to wit heating, drying, cooling, and moistning, but because every thing that alters, cannot be safely applyed to every part, appropriated Medicines are con∣veniently joyned to every member which do alter. Moreo∣ver hitherto is to be referred those which are accounted a∣mongst the number of secondary qualities, such as soften and harden, loosening, rarify and condense, stiptick, and ob∣structing, astringent and opening, attenuating and incrassa∣ting, filling, and deterging or cleansing: lastly hereunto be∣longs, Anodunes, Stupefactives, and Hypnoticks or such as cause rest.

In the second forme are those which prevaile in causing motion, attracting and repelling; to the third forme those things are referred, which consist in the generation of a∣ny thing, ripening, generating quitture, breeding flesh, Glu∣tinating, cicatrizing, and procuring milke and sperme.

To the fourth forme are referred those things which cor∣rupt, corrode, putrify, such as cause dry crust, burning, and such as doe corrupt seed and milke.

The fift forme comprehends those things which belong to the taking away of any thing, such things as make lesse, such as purge, such as cause Vomiting, Urine, or sweats, or pro∣voke courses, expel the secondine, or send forth a dead child, such things as break and expell the Stone, Errhines, Sternuta∣tories, and Apophlegmatismes, such things as purge the breasts, and such as kill and expell Wormes.

They may be placed in the last forme which resist poyson and are the drugs against poyson.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Medicines how many∣fold. Simple Compound
• * 1.2

  Simple how many fold. Plants.
• * 1.3

  Living Creatures.
• * 1.4

  Mineralls.
• * 1.5

  The diffe∣rence of Medicines Actuall.
• * 1.6

  Potentiall.
• * 1.7

  Facultiei of Medi∣cines mani∣fest.
• * 1.8

  Occult
• * 1.9

  The first the second.
• * 1.10

  The third kind of qualities.
• * 1.11

  The kinds of faculties in Medi∣cines.