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. IV. Of Indicates.

AN indicate is that which helpeth, * 1.1 and is shewn that it is to be used by the Indicant, it is also named Sum∣pheron, that is, profitable, Prospheromenon, that is aid, that which is required, the scope, and tis called the second scope, to distinguish from the first (for so the Indicant is sometimes called) also a remedie in the Curatory or resto∣ring part.

An indicate is divided into something to doe as they speake, * 1.2 or into the very essence of the remedie and nature of it, and into the use, or right Administration of that mat∣ter fit for remedie.

What is to be done is known by its selfe from the nature of the true Indicant, * 1.3 whereby is known that the body is well or ill affected and confists in two things, and the Physitian propounds to himselfe two things principally to be per∣formed, namely that he may preserve the strength, and drive away those things which are contrary to nature, as a disease, the cause of a disease and Symptomes, from whence and, what is to be done, as the indicants above shew, is divi∣ded into Curatory, which is a remedie taking away the dis∣case; Preservatory, which is a remedie taking away the cause, and vitall, which is helpfull for the prefervation of life, to which as is said may be added, mitigation of urgent Symp∣tomes

In these oftentimes contrary indications doe meete, and that which is perswaded by one, is disswaded by another, for the strength requiers giving of nourishment, contrary to which a disease and the cause doe indicate, for they are increased by the exhibition of aliment, but then that is to be helped, which hath most need.

But in giving contrary things, this principle is to be ob∣served, that the remedie may be given contrary to the in∣dicant, very exactly, but since that which is equally con∣trary may be given two wayes, either by applying such a thing once which is equivalent to the regression from the naturall state, or oftner by exhibiting contraries, not so di∣rectly contrary at severall times, the first kind of remedie is to be used in two sorts of diseases, namely in those which are weake, and in those diseases, which are extreame, dan∣gerous, but the latter way of remedie is to be used in those diseases, which aremoderate as it were the middle betwixt the extreame dangerous, and the weake disease.

Moreover that which is to be done, as of indications, so of indicants, one is genericall, another subalternate, another specificall, another appropriated, one is profitable, another unprofitable, one is artificiall, another inartificiall.

But the use and right Administrations of helpe are com∣prehended under quantity, * 1.4 place and time which aimes Practicioners commonly name how much, when and where to act or doe, yet it is here to be observed that those circum∣stances and manners of Administrations have place both in the helpe it selfe, and in the matter fit for cure.

As for what belongs to quantity, * 1.5 since that it may be ta∣ken both for a de finite degree of Administring of a remedie, in which respect quantity, and what is to be performed by a specifique agent are the same, and for the dose, plenty, and bignesse of the matter of cure it selfe: quanttity or magnitude of the essence indicating denotes quantity taken in the former sense, for example sake, great heat shews that it must be much cooled. Yet heare is to be considered whether the part be scituated deep in the body, for then a stronger Medicine is to be chosen that it may come to the part affected, with its full force.

When, or the time is shewne from the time or presence, of the Indicant, * 1.6 for then helpe is to be Administred when that which requires it is present.

Order also belongs to time, for that which in simple, * 1.7 is

Time, incomplicate is order, and the presence of a vehe∣ment Indicant shews the order of performing, but that is first to be done which is shewn by the Indicant, which over rules the rest in indicating, and that overcomes the rest in indicating, by which the greatest danger is threat∣ned, and without the removing of which the rest cannot be taken away, and therefore three things being observed, we may proceed in a right order of cure; if first we weigh what urgeth most, and from whence there is feare of greatest danger, for that is first to be opposed, which strives most, or from whence the greatest danger of life is threatned. Secondly, if we consider what regard it hath of the cause, and what of the effect, for the cause is to be taken away be∣fore the disease. Thirdly, if we confider what may be in the stead of an impediment, and what before what, and what with what, and what after what may be cured, for what∣soever may be a hindrance in the taking away of a dis∣case, or the cause of a disease are first to be removed, and therefore it is to be considered whether a disease be joyned with a disease, or with the cause of a disease; if a disease be joyned with a disease, it is to be considered whether those diseases agree or not, if they no way agree but are resident in divers parts, you may cure them severally, or together, each by their proper remedie, and tis no matter to which you apply the first remedie, yet regard is to be had of the parts wherein those diseases reside, for those which are in noble parts, or those parts which serve the noble parts, or have consent with them, or which performe any publike duty, they are first to be taken away, but if the diseases have some agreement, and are some way united, it is to be con∣sidered whether the cure of the one is beneficiall to the cure of the other, or at least no way hinder the cure of the other, or whether the cure of the one may bring any impedi∣ment or hindrance to the cure of the other, or whether they partly consent, and partly dissent; if the cure of the one bring no impediment, or bindrance to the cure of the other, or also if it promotes it, as if a distemper of the liver, and an obstruction thereof concurr, you may cure them severally, or together, and begin with which of them you please; also when a reason thereof may be had from that which urgeth most, if they are not of equall force, but if they are so joyned together that the one is more dange∣gerous then the other, you must begin with that which is

the other, neither of them is to be cured by its selfe, but the remedies shall so be tempered that they may both be cured, most dangerous, qut if the one be no more dangerous then both be cured, Lastly, if they partly agree, and partly disa∣gree, you are to begin with that, the cure whereof hinders not the cure of the other, and without removall whereof the other cannot be taken away; if a disease be joyned to a cause, the cause is first to be removed, but in the removing of causes it is to be observed, that they are to be taken away in that order wherein they follow one another, so that you are to be begin first with that which was first in generation and last in dissolution, from thence you are to goe on to the next, and so to goe on forward in order untill we come to our desired end, and that we may breifly comprehend all the matter, the presence of the Indicant which overcomes the other Indicants, and the absence of the prohibiting In∣dicant, shews when to act, and the order of performing; and moreover it teacheth whether the same remedie be to be repeated often, for so long and so often, it is to be repeated, as the Indicant remaines present, and no hindring Indi∣cant happens.

The place, or substance of the Indicant sheweth where, and the place of applying remedies, and the place is to be found out in which, by which, and to which as they com∣monly use to distinguish.

In all alterations the place in which is principally to be taken notice of, in evacuations the place from which, * 1.8 and by which, if the matter be carried out of one place into another, the place to which

As for what belongs to the place of applycation of mat∣ter fit for remedie, since a contact or touch of the matter and Indicant cannot allwayes be immediate, that is to be chosen by or through which the matter of cure may come to it, that there may be a touch, and action and passion thereof and of the Indicant.

As for Mode, if it regard the remedie it selfe without consideration of matter, * 1.9 it seemes not to differ from quan∣tity, time, and place, but rather to be a Summetry in mea∣sure, and equity to be observed in these; but if it be taken for the forme of a medicine, that is delivered in the doctrine of the composition of medicines.

The helpe or Indicate being found out, that the Phy∣sitian may be carefull of the matter of cure tis very requi¦site;

which is taken from three heads, Chyrurgery, Ingre∣dients, and Dyet, the same Indicate shews matter, circum∣scribed and determinate with its conditions, quantity, time and place, for that matter is proper and fit, which can performe that, which the determinate Indicate requires by its rules, and which may have force, but if there be more Indicates, or matter to be sought which have more faculties, or if these be wanting more shall becompounded together.

But because allwayes as is said, regard is to be had of the strength also, and it is to be weighed, whether by the ap∣plication of this matter, there may come more good or not, the nature of the whole body, and of the part to which the medicine ought to be applyed is to be considered, in which businesse not only manifest, but also occult qualities ought to be weighed, and tis to be enquired by the Physitian whe∣ther the sick have any peculiar hatred to any particular thing, which therefore is in no wise to be given in the cure, but in parts affected in their kind, the excellency of a part is to be weighed, the sense, scituation, conformation, for if a part be a principall one or performes a publick Office, no Medicine is to be given which can much hurt it, and dis∣turbe its Office and Duty, for then losse would redound to the whole body, so to the mouth and chops poysons and things ungratefull to the taste and sordid are not to be exhibited, nor stinking things to the Nostrills, nor gnawing and biting things to the eyes, nor those things to be applyed to nervous parts affected, that cause paine.

The same rules which we have now even propounded in the right use of remedies, * 1.10 ate to be observed also in choice of matter, the quantity of matter regards the measure, & wa••ght thereof, which was indicated by the Indicant, and is prop∣per for the performing of the Indication; the quantity of the matter is found two wayes, first in what quantity any me∣dicine whatsoever is to be given, and what are those bounds betwixt which if it be given it performes that which it ought, and no way hurteth, is manifest by experience only, but in what dose, whether in the highest, lowest, or middle, the medicine be to be given, to this or that sick person, what the quantity is of the matter to be administred, that is known from the magnitude, or extent of the Indicant, and if the quantity of the Indicant be great, the quantity of the medicine ought to be great likewise, in which matter the condition is to be weighed and the strength of the

whole and of every part, for if a part to be altered is more remote in place, a greater quantity of the remedie altering is required, namely that it may come with its full force to the part affected.

But the time of Administring of matter is taken not sim∣ply from the presence of the Indicant, * 1.11 but is that when it can helpe, but this time is known, and the knowledge of the matter to be administred, and the nature of the part to which it ought to be Administered, for some things worke presently, others after some space between; the action of of some things continues long, of others it ceaseth pre∣sently. The part as it is open, or placed deepe, so it re∣gards the action of the Agent presently; the Administra∣tion of the matter is to be prohibited when it doth more hurt then good, but it may doe hurt, when it may preserve any thing contrary to nature which ought to be taken away, or when it may take away that which ought to be preser∣ved.

The place of Administration of matter, is that place where the matter is to be given, may helpe and performe that which tis required to do, for since every action is perfor∣med by contact, the Physitian ought allwayes to endeavour that the matter which he ••seth might penetrate to the place where the Indicant is, and may touch the Indicant, but some parts are Externall, others Internall, in Exter∣nall the matter is plaine, for there the matter of the medi∣cine is to be applyed where it is to worke, or where the In∣dicant is, since the Externall parts may be immediatly touched with the medicines, but medicines cannot be so im∣mediatly applyed to the Internall parts, and therefore when we are willing to evacuate, common wayes are to be chosen, and the next through which the matter may be eva∣cuated; if we are to alter in the interior parts, either mani∣fest wayes are to be found ••ut or occult passages, through which the matter that is given may penetrate, and indeed as for manifest passages, the widest and nearest are allwayes to be chosen.

But concerning the measure, * 1.12 or manner shall be shewn hereafter, part the 3 d. Sect. 3 d. where various formes of medicines, both simple and compound shall be proposed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Indi∣cate.
• * 1.2

  Division of an Indi∣cate.
• * 1.3

  What is to be done.
• * 1.4

  Ʋse and right ad∣ministra∣tion.
• * 1.5

  Quantity whence In∣dicated.
• * 1.6

  Time.
• * 1.7

  Order of doing.
• * 1.8

  Manner.
• * 1.9

  How the matter me∣dicinall answering to the Indi∣cate may be found out.
• * 1.10

  Quantity of matter.
• * 1.11

  Time.
• * 1.12

  Manner.