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 Indicants.

BUt an Indicant as it belongs to the Method of healing is some Agent permanent in mans body, * 1.1 which by its

proper nature and estence shews some helpe, and shews the Indicate which it requiers to be directed to its selfe that the lost health of man may be restored.

Whence it appeares what are the true notions of a true indicant, for first it is required that it doe act, * 1.2 or that it be some Agent, Secondly that it be something permanent and present, or adhering to it, Thirdly the Indicant ought to be known to the intellect, Lastly one Indicant, as it is one, indicates also one.

As for the numbers and difference of Indicants, * 1.3 tis taken from the end of the Method of healing; which is an inven∣tion of remedies, for whereas things preternaturall are to be removed and things according to nature to be kept, the Indicant should be twofold; called removing or curing in generall, or vitall, and since that things contrary to na∣ture are three, a disease, the cause, and the Symptomes, there are properly foure Indicants so called.

The Indicant which is taken from a disease is called Cu∣tratory, * 1.4 the common name being retained of the method of healing, but that which is taken from the cause besides the containing cause, is called Preservatory; that which is ta∣ken from the Symptome, is called an urgent Symptome, nor are Symptomes to be excluded from the number of In∣dicants, since that also is preternaturall, and hath pecu∣liar indicates which of its proper nature it affords, and that different from the indicates which the diseases and causes afford, and remedies may be brought for Symptomes which regard neither the disease, nor the cause of a disease, which is manifest in paine which Anodynes shew.

The Indicant which is taken from things according to nature is called vitall, * 1.5 but since things according to na∣ture, are health, the causes of health, and the accidents of health, a vitall indicant may also be sub-divided.

But although some reckon more Indicants, * 1.6 yet they are not new and peculiar Indicants, but belong either to the causes, from whence Preservatory indication is taken, or they are not true indicants, but rather manifest true indi∣cants and by accident, and the intervening of another helpe to discover remedies, such like are temperament, habit of body, age, sex, kind of life, strength, custome, the peculiar nature of every one, the condition of the part beset with the disease, aire, condition of Heaven, the time of the yeare, the Country, the place of habitation, the times of diseases, and the force of the remedies.

Namely the temperament indicates the preservation of its selfe, of which, a rule; That disease which differs most, from the naturall state, is to be cured with more vehement medicines, that which differs lesse, is to be cured with milder. Age circumscribes the vitallindicant, of this there is a rule also; By how much the more a disease recedes from the nature of the age of the sick, by so much the more violent remedies tis to be cured with; by how much the lesse, by so much the more gentle remedies. There is the same reason of Sex, as there is of age; as for custome, those things that are accustomed along time, although they are worse, doe lesse hurt, then those which are un-accustomed, whence a dis∣ease which differs much from custome, is to be opposed with stronger, that which recedes lesse, with weaker medicines. The course of life for the most part requires the same as cus∣tome.

Idiosuncrasia shews that choice is to be had in Medicines. It is to be considered about the part affected, first its excellency, whence, a rule; Noble parts are not to be tampered with strong medicines, but ignoble parts will endure them more safely; moreover, its conformation and figure which determinates the Indicant and the Indi∣cate; so a thinner part being moistned over much requires not great dryers, but a thick and compact part requires great dryers, Thirdly situation, of which you must know, that parts which are deepe in the body, are to be cured with stronger medicines, but those that are in the Superficies with weaker: Fourthly, the place, of which is to be noted, that if many wayes lye open for the giving of medicines, the next are to be chosen. Aire according to a severall respect, some∣times signifies a Curatory Indicant, sometimes a vitall. Of the season of a disease Hippocrates his Axiome is, In diseases beginning, if any thing seeme proper to be removed, move it; but in diseases that are quiet, tis better to be quiet.

Lastly, medicines sometimes shew a greater, sometimes a lesser regresse from the naturall state.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Indi∣cant. What.
• * 1.2

  What is required in a true Indi∣cant.
• * 1.3

  The diffe∣rences of Iudicants.
• * 1.4

  An indi∣cant cura∣tory. Preserva∣tory. An urgent Symptome.
• * 1.5

  A vitall Indicant.
• * 1.6

  Indicants lesse pro∣perly so called.