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 XIII. Of Evacuation by Ʋrine

ALthough the watry humour is principally evacuated by Urine, which remains of the drinke, * 1.1 and is mingled with the blood, and the gibbous part of the Liver, Reines, Bladder, and Vessells sub-servient to these, are principally purged by it, yet the other humours attenuated, and prin∣cipally the serous, thinner phlegme, the cholerick humour, and all the nerves and veines, may be purged by the same. But seeing those things that cause Urine cleanse the body by degrees, tis most profitable in those diseases, wherein tis convenient to evacuate matter by degrees, and sparingly; but in those where there is need of sudden excretion, and of evacuation to be made on a sudden, in such evacuation of Urine is not so helpfull.

But what the difference is of medicines provoking Urine is spoken before, Diureticks properly so called are usefull only as often as thick humours residing in the Reines, blad∣der

and parts sub-servient to them are to be evacuated, or if thick humours stay, or stick in the veines but those which move Urine only by affording aqueous matter, are conve∣nient in those diseases which are bred of thick and adust humours, for by the mixture of aqueous substances, these are rendred more fluid. * 1.2

Those things which permit, and prohibit also, are here to be considered, the strength easily endures this evacuation so that it be so administred that more profit then dammage may redound to the sick, for if either in the whole body or about the liver, many ill humours stick, there is danger, least by their plenty and thicknesse whilst they get to the straight passages, they should obstruct them; and therefore first a purge for the belly is to be appointed: Diureticks al∣so are not so convenient for hot and dry diseases, as feavers arising from hot humours, nor for such as are leane and withered, as also if the Reines, bladder, and passages and vessells appointed for this evacuation, are ulcerated, or inflamed or affected with some such like disease, * 1.3

The time of drinking medicines causing Urine is not not convenient in the beginning of a disease, since the mat∣ter is as yet more plentifull, and thicker, but in the declina∣tion when the matter is somewhat abated and thinner, but they are most profitably given before meate, and on an empty stomach.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Evacua∣tion by Urine.
• * 1.2

  Permit∣tenes and Prohibients.
• * 1.3

  Time.