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. XII. Of taking away the corrupt parts of the body.

SOmetimes the parts of the body are so corrupted that there is no hope of curing of them, * 1.1 which as being un∣profitable and hurtfull, and such as may infect the parts next to them, and pollute them, are to be taken away; whatever therefore is corrupted, is to be cut off, but the manner of cutting offis various according to the variety of the parts that are hurt, and the place where they are, and nature of the disease it selfe, and therefore the rightest manner of taking away such from the body is known by particular operations, yet oftentimes in fistula's and other malignant Ulcers, cutting alone is not sufficient as being that which cannot take away the smallest fibrillaes and particles, but after cutting there is need of an actuall or potentiall Caute∣rie that the remainders may be taken away, nay some∣times without cutting, by Cauteries only things so corrup∣ted are taken away.

Hereunto belongs the Amputation of parts corrupted with a Cancer, * 1.2 also a cutting off of the Uvula, corrupted either by inflamation or by Morbus Gallicus, the cutting off also of the putred, or corrupted yard, as also of the cor∣rupted wombe.

Corrupted bones are taken away by filing, shaving with an incision knife, or with a wimble, of which it is spoken before, as also with divers kinds of Tongs, whereby the corrupted bones of the fingers, and broken bones hanging out may be taken away.

Hitherto belongs the plucking out of teeth, * 1.3 which is performed, the Teeth being first loosned from the gums, and is done with severall Instruments, whose names are taken from the figure, and similitude for the most part, which they have with the beakes of living Creatures, which Hie∣ron Fabricius, reckons up, the figures of them are extant in Amb. Parey. the 16 th. Book Chap. the 17 th. and Joh. Andr. a Cruce.

Lastly it sometimes happens that in mans body certaine parts are corrupted with mortification & they so dy that ther is no hope of recovery of life, * 1.4 when there is one indication

that which is corrupted is to be cut off, least the sound also should be affected, which operation the Greekes call Acro∣teriasmos, or a tearing off the dead ••lesh, but in what place and when that Amputation is to be made cannot be deliver∣ed in a compendium, see the Institutions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cutting of dead flesh.
• * 1.2

  Amputa∣tion of a cancer. Of a Vvula, yard, wombe. Of bones.
• * 1.3

  Teeth.
• * 1.4

  Amputa∣tion of Limbs.