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. XLI. Of Embrocations, Lotions, and Bathes.

THe likest to Fomentations are Embrocations, or Water∣ings, Lotions, and Bathes, all which signifie rather a certain manner of using, than any Composition and Forme of Medicine, and they contain for the most part the same matter with moist Fomentations.

Embrochee, * 1.1 is a certain distillation or dropping down of a moist humour from above like Rain: the dropping which is made on any part is performed, either by pouring water out of a vessel, with a long snout, or by dropping out of a Laver.

Tis applied principally to three parts; First, upon the Co∣ronall Suture, in distempers of the braine, and the moisture runs no further, then the Sagittall suture. Secondly, from the beginning of the spinall marrow, in diseases of the Nerves and the moisture is terminated at the end of the spine. Third∣ly,

to heat or dry the stomach, and the matter is suffered to run over all the belly: if the guts also are weak, a Cerat with Santals is to be applied to the liver, if there be feare of in∣flaming it, the matter to be so distilled is common water, water of Bathes, decoctions, milk, oyle, according as the part affected requires it.

Some Lotions are exhibited to certain parts which are called particular Lotions, * 1.2 others to the inferiour parts of the body onely, which are commonly calted Incessus, and Se∣micuoium, i. e. a Vessell that you may sit upright in, others are fit for the whole body, which are called Bathes.

Peculiar Lotions principally use to be administred to the head, hands, and feet, and are prepared as Fomentations of hearbs, or faire water, or boiled in a lee, Wine, or Oyle.

Incessus, which the Greeks call Encathisma, * 1.3 is a bath for the belly, and inferiour parts wherein the diseased must sit up to the Navell, and such bathing Vessels serve for severall uses, sometimes to mittigate paine, sometimes to soften and dis∣cusse wind, sometimes they are used to provoke courses.

A Bath is a washing of the whole body, * 1.4 and is administred either for cleansing and taking away the faults of the skin, or to relax the parts; or for some distemper of the whole.

Some bathes are naturall, others are made by Art. * 1.5 A∣mongst the naturall bathes the plainest is that of Fountaine∣water, which hath a power of heating and moistning, and therefore is convenient for such as are Hectick. Nature also affords bathes, for the imitation of bathes artificiall, and of naturall Bathes, the Physitian may prepare many things to supply the want of them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Embroca∣tions.
• * 1.2

  Lotions.
• * 1.3

  Incessus.
• * 1.4

  A Bath.
• * 1.5

  The Diffe∣rences.