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. I. The Division of Medicines.

AFter we have finished the operations necessary for an Apothecary: * 1.1 It remaynes that we now come to the preperations themselves of Medicines, which are per∣fected by those operations. The differences of Medicines, are taken either from the substance or from the parts to which they are applyed. Medicines being considered the for∣mer of these wayes are, some full of Vapours, others Corpu∣lent; Corpulent are either fluid, or having a consistance, Fluid are various, as distilled waters, Spirits, Liquid tinctures, Vineger, Medicinal wine, Hydromel or Hony and Water, clarifies Juyces, Oyles, Emulsions, Decoctions, Infusions, Ju∣lebs, Syrrups, Baths, Clystets, &c. Again those that have a consistance, some of them are actually moyst, others dry; Of the former sort are Conserves, Electuaries, Eclegmas, Juices, Extracts, Boles, Muscillages, Fat Lineaments, Balsomes, Un∣guents, Cataplasmes: Those that are actually dry, are either continuous, and the parts cohaere together, or else they are discontinued. Of the former kind are, Pills, Troches, Rotule••, Morsels, Plaisters, Cerates, Suppositers, Glasses, Regulus, and certain things sublimed: Of the latter sort are, several Species and Powders, Meal or brann, Flowers, & things praecipitated.

But in respect of the parts to which they are applyed, some are called internal, * 1.2 others external. The internal are those which are taken into the body that common and usual way as we take in meat and drink, all the rest whether they are applyed to the body, or spread over the body, or any other way applyed to the bodie••, or if they are cast into the bo∣dy any other way, * 1.3 as, at the fundament, ears, nostrils, wombe, we call them externals.

The formes of Internal Medicines are various; * 1.4 for some are fluid, others not fluid, and these are either soft and liquid, or altogether dry, The fluid are, Decoctions, Infusions, Medi∣cinal VVines, Honey and VVater mixt and boiled together, wine mingled with honey, vineger, and honey, and barley∣water, Juices, distilled waters, Spirits, tinctures, and Liquid ex∣tracts, Oils, Sirups, Julips, Emulsions; Soft and not fluid are, Extracts, Conserves, Preserves, Medicinal Juices thickned, Electuaries, Eclegmaes, or Medicines to be licked or supt, Boles, Not fluid, and plainly dry are, powders, Sweet meats, Salts; Saffron-flowers, Precipitates, Comfits, little round Cakes, Mor∣sels, or little snips, march-paines, And those which belong to these, as Troches, and Pills.

But externals are either sent into certain parts of the bodie, * 1.5 or they are only applyed, or exhibited to the su∣perficies of the bodie, or they are only hung about, as Ammu∣lets, and Periapticke medicines, or medicines to hang about ones bodie; Suppositers and Clysters are injected, and cast into the body; Clysters, and pessaries, are also injected into the womb, also certain Liquours are injected into the yard and bladder; into the mouth are put gargarismes, to wash the mouth, or throat with, Apophlegmatismes to draw away Phlegme, Dentifrices to rub and cleanse the Teeth, To the nose Erhines, Sneezing-wort; Odours, Suffumigations, pecu∣liar injections into the Ears, Collyries, or medicines, applyed to the eyes. To the outside of the bodie only are exhibited, and applyed, oiles, balsomes, ointments, linements, cerots, plaisters, Cataplasmes, Dropases, or ointments to take away hair, Sinapismes, Phaenigmaes, or medicines causing the bo∣die to break out in blisters, or Pustules, Epithems, or medi∣cines some what softer then plaisters to be applied to the bo∣die, fomentations, or any thing applied plaister-waies to a∣swage pain, little baggs, powders, embrocations, washings of the extream parts, baths, washbals, searing irons or caute∣ties.

Some others do best agree with certain other parts; * 1.6 all ex∣ternal things for the most part, communicate their strength to the head, as distilled waters and spirits, oils, extracts, de∣coctions, infusions, syrups, conserves, preserves, comfits, electua∣ries, little round cakes, morsels, pills, powders. But external medicines applied to the head, in the form of powders, little baggs, round balles, oiles, balsoms, ointments, unguents, plai∣sters, cerots, cataplasmes, oxyrhods, that is medicines with vinegar and roses, epithemes, or the softest plaisters, embroca∣tions, suffumigations, perfumes of divers sorts, as al∣so washings of the Feet are profitable for the Head. * 1.7

Externally waters, and Collyries, ointments, fomentations, unguents, cataplasmes, are convenient for the eyes.

Into the ears distilled waters, Juices, decoctions, oiles, and other liquours are infused and dropt, and other Medi∣cines in the form of evaporation, and fumes are sent into the ears, also liniments, ointments, fomentations, epi∣themes, Cataplasmes are applied.

For the teeth are convenient, lotions for the mouth, * 1.8 lini∣ments, small pills to be put into hollow Teeth, unctions for the Jawes, powders for rubbing the Teeth, and also troches, and pensills made in the form of suppositers are convenient for the Teeth, and being dryed, and hardned, the Teeth are rubbed therewith.

Medicines applied to the mouth, and Chopps are lotions, * 1.9 and gargarisines, ointments made of hony, of syrups and juices, lohocks.

Most internal things are good for the Breast, but especi∣ally, lohocks, troches, and litle rolles, such as they use to hold under their tongues, the thicker sort of syrups, vapours, and fumes drawn in with aier, externally, the samemedicines may be applied in the form of oiles, ointments, unguents, cata∣plasmes, plaisters and cerots, little baggs, fomentations, and epithemes.

Medicines are applied to the Heart, * 1.10 for the most part after the same manner, and moreover fumes, or steames, which are profitable for the recreating and refreshing of the spi∣rits.

Internal Medicines may be conveyed to the Stomack in all formes, * 1.11 but principally those which are taken in at the mouth, but externally, in the form of oils, unctions, fomenta∣tions, liniments, unguents, cataplasmes, plaisters, epithemes, baggs.

Moreover, * 1.12 all internall things may penetrate to the Li∣ver. But externall in the forme of Ointments, Fomenta∣tions, Linements, Cataplasmes, Unguents, Plaisters, little bags, Epithems, are applyed.

In the same manner Unctions are exhibited to the Spleen, * 1.13 and Bladder; Bathes also, and Tubs of waters to fit in, are usefull for the Reins, Bladder and spermatick Vessells; and Clysters injected are good for diseases of the Reines.

All the same things are convenient for the wombe, and moreover injections into the wombe, Pessaries, Errhines or medicines to put into the nose, fumes, and Evaporations, Lotions of the feet.

And all these sorts of medicines shall now be explained in their order, as far forth as this compendium will admit of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Divi∣sion of Me∣dicines.
• * 1.2

  Internal.
• * 1.3

  External.
• * 1.4

  The diffe∣rence of internal Medicines.
• * 1.5

  Of Exter∣ternal.
• * 1.6

  What Me∣dicines are are applyed to the Head.
• * 1.7

  To the eyes. To the Ears.
• * 1.8

  To the Teeth.
• * 1.9

  For the mouth and Chopps. For the Breast.
• * 1.10

  To the Heart.
• * 1.11

  To the Stomack.
• * 1.12

  To the Liver.
• * 1.13

  To the Spleen Reiues and Bladder.