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. XXXV. Of Linements and Oyntments.

A Linement, or Litus, with the Greeks Crisma, * 1.1 and Syn∣crysma, and that which takes away wearisomnesse, is called Acopon, that is, freed from labour, tis a liquid Mede∣cine, externally applied, thicker in consistence then oyle, but more liquid then an unguent, or of a middle consistence betwixt an oyle, and an unguent.

It consists of oyles, butter, wax, fat, tallow, marrow, gums, juices, muscellages; for the most part they have no wax, or if any be used, they take onely a drachm of wax to an ounce of oyle, to these sometimes, flowers, powders, and rosins are mixt.

They are prepared in this manner, The oyles, fats, * 1.2 or other things here named, are taken: to these powders are added, Juices, and such like, of that proportion for the most part, that to an ounce of oyl, three drachms of fat, or two drachms, and one drachm of powders is taken, or that proportion is observed, as may make the consistence onely a little thick∣er then oyle; and all are mingled either without fire and boi∣ling, or are dissolved at the fire as Gums, and Fats, or also by some ebullition, namely, to the consumption of the Jui∣ces, or Vinegar, if any such thing be mingled with it.

Unguents which the Greeks call Myra, and Alleimata, * 1.3 from whence Miropolae and Alyptae were the names that the Anci∣ents first called them by, which for pleasantnesse were made of odoriferous things, and were distinguished from oyles not in thicknesse, but in pleasantnesse of smell. But those things which are at this day called Unguents, are Emmota, so called by the Greeks, and are made of the same things whereof Linements are; But are somewhat thicker then Linements, and those things which thicken, are taken in a greater quntity in an Unguent, then in a Linement, but as for the liquid and oyly things a lesse quantity is observed in compounding them, this is the proportion for the most part; that to an ounce of oyles a drachm of powder, two

drachms of wax may be taken, or a sufficient quantity, namely in those things where Unguents are made of oyles, powders, or mettals, or plants, and wax.

But they are prepared either with fire, * 1.4 or without fire, without fire they are prepared in this manner;

1. The powders being beaten, and sifted, are taken, which are sprinkled in the oyle, and a sufficient quanti∣ty of wax being added, are reduced into the forme of an Unguent.

2. Or usual Unguents are taken, and for the most part foure fold, or eight fold, the quantity of powders, and species are mixt with some convenient oyle.

3. Or fat, or marrow are taken alone, or with oyle in equall weight, double, or halfe so much again, a few pow∣ders being added with a sufficient quantity of wax, an Un∣guent is made,

4. With fire also, they are made many waies, for ei∣ther the grease, oyles, or gumms are melted, that the pow∣ders may the easier be mingled.

5. Or herbes, roots, seeds, are macerated, sometime in wa∣ter, wine, juices, oyle, afterwards they are boiled almost to the consumption of the liquor: to the decoction when tis strained, the other things are added, and with some grease and a sufficient quantity of wax, or a gumm, an Unguent is made.

6. Or they are prepared without oyle, with grease, namely, herbes, flowers, or fresh roots, are bruised with grease, and wrought in a Morter, untill the herbes have imbibed the grease, and then they are melted by the fire, and pressed out.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Line∣ment.
• * 1.2

  How pre∣pared.
• * 1.3

  Ʋnguents.
• * 1.4

  How pre∣pard.