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. V. What Morbifique causes indicate, and peculiarly of purging of a juice in the body which causeth ill digestion.

FOrasmuch as hitherto we have explained the universall Method of healing, now peculiarly we will propound the Method of taking away of Morbifique causes, removing diseases, and preserving strength, and will begin from the causes.

What the differences of causes are, is spoken before in the 2 d. Booke, part the 1. Chap. the 3 d. for of what kind soever they are, whether begotten in the body, or external∣ly, or admitted into the body, and become as it were in∣ternall or stirring up, cherishing, and increasing a disease without, they all require removall.

But whereas causes offend either in the whole substance, or quantity, * 1.1 or quality, or motion, or place, first, all things which put on the nature, of a cause, as in their whole kind they are contrary to nature, they indicate, an absolute ab∣lation of them out of the body, or as latter Physitians say, an Eradication.

But that here we may treate only of humours, * 1.2 severall wayes there are of rooting out and evacuating corrupt hu∣mours out of the body, for sometimes they are purged through the paunch, sometimes they are ejected by vomit, sometimes discussed by sweates, sometimes cast out by urine, of which we will now speake in their order, and first of pur∣gation.

Purgation taken in the largest sense is indicated from a Cacochymie; * 1.3 or juice which causeth ill digestion and bad nourishment, and a purging medicine taken in the largest signification is the matter of remedie, indicated for a Ca∣chochymie; but that this doctrine of purgation may be more evident, in the first place tis to be observed, that Physitians in respect of purging medicines, divide the body into three common Regions, into the first, which is without the liver, and is extended from the stomach, through the middle part, home to the liver; the second which is dilated from the middle of the liver, through the greater veines, to the

outside of the body; the third, which comprehends the ha∣bit of the body with the lesser veines: private parts also have their excrements and peculiat wayes to void them, and hence one evacuation is called universall, * 1.4 another particular, universall is that which evacuates humours from the common Regions of the body, such is evacuation of blood after what manner soever, purging by the paunch, vomitting, voiding of u••ine, sweate, * 1.5 insensible transpira∣tion; particular is that which evacuates some private part, as the braines, lungs, wombe.

As for universall purgation which evacuates the com∣mon Regions of the body, Cacochymie consists of what Indi∣cates it, either on this side, or beyond the liver; Cacochymie which consists in the first Region of the body, by its selfe, and properly indicates those medicines which have power without any manifest agitation of evacuating superfluous humours through the paunch, which stick in the first Region of the body, although sometimes if the matter have an in∣clination upwards, and the sick can easily endure a vomit, by vomit also humours may be purged out of the first Regi∣on of the body, so that those things which cause vomitting are not purging, and vehement, but gentle, such like are as ••bovesaid part the first, Sect the first Chap the second: * 1.6 others are called Encoproticks, only such as loosen, and mollify the belly; which evacuate only by softning, and washing away, and drawing away, others by a singular pro∣priety, purge peculiar humours, whose force notwithstan∣ding since it cannot be extended beyond the liver, by some are called Lenitives, by others, gentle purges; both of them and first the former, since they evacuate without much troubling the body, the strength easily endures them, and therefore they may be secrely given in what age soever, sex, or time of the yeare, so that the use thereof be lawfull, namely that they are given in their due quantity, and before meate a little, and in feavers not neere the fit.

But excrementicious humours, * 1.7 which consist beyond the liver are to be evacuated by Cathartick medicines, so cal∣led peculiarly, or purgers, stronger, and strongest, and Ca∣tharsis or purgation in particular so called is an evacuation of excrementitious humours abiding beyond the liver by Cathartick medicines through the paunch, and by vomit, and is indicated from excrementicious humours, and such

as are unprofitable for the nourishment of the body, and some of those are naturall, others contrary to nature, the naturall are those which are generated by the purpose of nature, as sweet phlegme, Melancholy, choler, for these if they abound, and are generated in the body in greater plenty then they ought, constitute a Cacochimy, but pre∣ternaturall are those which are generated contrary to na∣ture, and unto which naturall humours degenerate, both of them, if they so offend that they can neither be taken away by dyet, nor any other milder kind of evacuation, as by sweates or insensible transpiration Indicate purgation.

But as Cacochimy subsisting beyond the first passages, and that being greater, Indicates purgation, so such require such kinds, as purge a definite humour; namely phlegme requires Phlegmagogues; Choler, Chologogues; Melan∣choly, Melanagogues; watry humours, Hydragogues; mixt humours require mixt.

Yet it is to be weighed what the strength permits, * 1.8 and prohibits in purgation appointed, by a Noble medicine, and whether the strength can endure purging, and the sick be apt, or unapt to purge, and whether more profit or hurt will ensue by purging.

All the rest of the signes which are said to forerun purga∣tion, belong to the strength, whether they are strong or weak, of which kind are Temperament, habit of body, age, sex, of which Hippo. 4. Apho. 1. speaking of purging women with child saies: Those that are pregnant are to be purged if the humour be un••bridled after foure months, and un∣till the seventh month, although these lesse, for those that have lesser or greater young are more warily and religiously to be medled with, the kind of life, custome, property of nature, constitution of Aire and such like. As for the Tem∣perament, hotter and dryer bodyes endure with more dif∣ficulty cold and moist indifferently, hot and moist easil••: strength of body admits of purgation, imbecility very little, a leane habit of body warily, a full body easily, a fat body hardly, of age it is principally to be noted that sucking children are most conveniently purged by medicines given to the Nurse: as to custome, those that are wont to be purg∣ed, more boldly; those which are not accustomed are more ringly to be purged: of Aire you must know that neither the hotter, nor the colder; but purging is principally in

the spring time to be appointed: concerning the nature of a disease it is first to be noted that in hot dileases, if the dis∣ease will beare it, cooling things are to be administred be∣fore purging, moreover because in them the store of ill humours is rather to be taken away by loosning things then by true purgation. Thirdly because those which are apt to a Diarrhaea, Crampe, &c. are not casy to be purged. But principally you must observe whether the sick be prepared and fitted for purging, namely whether the wayes through which the matter ought to be conveyed, are open, and the humours themselves fit to be evacuated, of which it shall be spoken.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Causes what they shew.
• * 1.2

  What things shew in their whole nature pre∣ternatural.
• * 1.3

  What shews when to purge.
• * 1.4

  Ʋniversall evacua∣tion.
• * 1.5

  Particular.
• * 1.6

  Lenitives.
• * 1.7

  Purges properly so called.
• * 1.8

  Permission of purga∣tion.