Two treatises. The first, of the venereal pocks: Wherein is shewed, I. The name and original of this disease. II. Histories thereof. III. The nature thereof. IV. Its causes. V. Its differences. VI. Several sorts of signs thereof. VII. Several waies of the cure thereof. VIII. How to cure such diseases, as are wont to accompany the whores pocks. The second treatise of the gout, 1. Of the nature of the gout. 2. Of the causes thereof. 3. Of the signs thereof. 4. Of the cure thereof. 5. Of the hip gout or sciatica. 6. The way to prevent the gout written in Latin and English. By Daniel Sennert, Doctor of Physick. Nicholas Culpeper, physitian and astrologer. Abdiah Cole, Doctor of Physick, and the liberal arts.

CHAP. IX. Of Indications.

THose Indications which are in other diseases, * 1.1 are found also in this; to wit, That which is taken from the Disease, called in specy Curative: That which the cause doth afford, Preservatory, whether also are referred urgent Symptomes; and last of al the Vital, for they deservedly challenge a place in this disease, yet in the ex∣plaining of them Authors vary much, and as every one thinks of the Nature of this Disease, so also he teacheth concerning its indication and cure. We insisting on those things which we have formerly preposed of the Nature of this Disease, and have strongly proved, think thus of indications in this Disease.

First of al, whenas this Disease is occult, and Malignant, chief enemy to the Liver and nutritive faculty, therefore it affords a kind of genercial indication, but no spe∣cifical and profitable one can be had from thence, and therefore only experience, which hath found out Medicines working by an occult quality, hath administred profitable Medicines in this Disease: and unless the Spaniards had received from the Indians such Medicaments, as Lignum Sanctum, Sarsapartilla, China Root; and the boldness of Ciyrurgions, and especially Jacob Carpus, had not fallen upon the use of Mercury, either by chance or by argumentation, whiles they read that Avicen, Mesue, and Theodoricus, made use of quicksilver, in certain pustles, and a crusty Scab, perhaps even to this day the true Remedies of this Disease would lie hid. But though the Remedies of this disease, were not found out so much by indication, as by experience; yet a Method in curing of it is not wholly excluded, but hath its

place also, whenas 'tis necessary that those Medicaments found out by experience be rightly applied; and besides also Tumors, Ulcers, and the like Diseases springing from the corruption of Humors, have their Method, by which they are cured. Yet in this case we must have a care, that we do not look more on the manifest qualities, and known diseases, than on the occult Nature of the disease, in which business not∣withstanding many do fail, who are tedious in curing of divers distempers, preparing the Humors, and directing their cure to these or those diseases. Whenas yet 'tis plain by experience, that in a hot, and in a dry distemper, and in an exustion of the Humors, as they speak, and in a Consumption it self, we do most happily use pock∣wood, and the like hot and dry things, and the Malignity being overcome, the rest do easily vanish.

Secondly, as concerning indication preservatory, * 1.2 here we must chiefly have re∣spect unto that Malignity and virulency imprinted on the Humors, and that is to be destroyed by proper and Alexipharmacal Medicines. Yet if there be any other faults in the Humors, it wil not be unprofitable also to mend them. And whenas the body is either burthened with a Plenitude, or abounds with vitious Humors, the malignity is the easier disseminated into it, and there is more plentiful matter pre∣pared for putrefaction, and the force of the Alexipharmacal means is dulled, it is expedient to empty either the superfluous blood, or the vitious Humors, that the other Medicines afterwards may be administred more safely, more commodiously, and with greater benefit.

Thirdly, the Disease and various Symptomes, * 1.3 which supervene to the principal disease, and arise from the corruption of Humors, are al to be removed in their pro∣per manner.

Fourthly, the strength is to be preserved, for as no other disease can be cured, * 1.4 unless there be strength of body, so nor this; and al attempts are in vain, unless at leastwise we have Nature willing.

And so there are four things chiefly to be done in this disease: First of al, * 1.5 if blood abound, that must be diminisht, and if any vitious Humors abound, they are to be prepared and emptied, and if there be any manifest diseases, which may be an im∣pediment to the proper Cure, as obstructions and the like, they must first of all be taken away. Secondly, the Malignity and virulency as wel that inherent in the humors, as that imprinted on the parts, and principally the Liver, is to be destroied by the proper Alexipharmaca of this disease. Thirdly, the strength is to be pre∣served and confirmed, and first of al chiefe care is to be had of the Liver, which suf∣fers in this disease. Fourthly, the diseases and Symptomes which are wont to be joyned to this disease are to be taken away.

Here we must clear a controversie, to wit, * 1.6 Whether this disease may be cured with∣out sweating? Some are of this opinion, That this disease may be taken away, though sweat be not provoked: And first of al they prove it thus, Because this evil consists in a certain hidden quality which cannot be taken away but by alteration of the bo∣dy, whenas contraries are cured by contraries: but that alteration may be affected by the proper vertue of antidotes and decoctious administred, without sweating. Next of al they alledge experience, by which it is evident, that by the taking of such Medicaments, some have recovered without sweating. Thirdly, they urge this, That those that drink the decoction of the wood are somtimes happily emptied by nature, by urine, by the stool, and not alwaies by sweats.

Aurelius Minadous, contends against these, de Virulen. Vener. Cap. 39. And first of al he writes that he never observed, that Physitians commanded the decocti∣on to be taken without sweating, to which al Alexipharmacal things of their own Nature do incline men, neither is the matter it self unfit to be expeld this way, being Vaporous and halituous: neither was there ever any one, who did throughly and wholly overcome this disease without the help of some sweating, especially if it were inveterate; but why he holds thus, he brings this reason, That in his opinion, the essence of this evil doth not consist in a quality, but in the body

affected with an evil quality: and therefore he holds, as a quality doth indicate alteration, so a body indicates Evacuation, which though it may be many waies, yet most commodiously by sweating: whenas this very thing is a Vaporous body, and is most rightly and easily discussed by sweat; and he adds this, whenas there is a great quantity of Excrements abounding in those bodies infected with this disease, not only in one part, but al over the body; but sweat is an universal Evacuation, they are most commodiously emptied by sweating: and he holds that sweats do ve∣ry much profit the Liver especially. For whenas that is the Forge of Humors, which are carried through the whol body, and they are purged by the benefit of sweat, and freed from al defilements, also the Liver polluted may be this way clean∣sed, and though Nature somtimes do empty the virulent humors by some other part, as by stool, or by Urine, and then her endeavor is not to be hindered, but to be helped forward; yet he holds that without sweating the whol body cannot be freed from that Disease, and he thinks that sweat only can empty from al places both in∣ternal, and external, quickly, safely, and pleasantly.

But neither of these opinions doth fully reach the Truth, * 1.7 and both delivers an im∣perfect Cure. For whenas the Curative indication so called in general, is twofold; the one preservative, which is taken from the cause; the other in specy called Cura∣tive, which is taken from the Disease; they who think this disease may be cured without sweat, because it consists in a certain hidden and Malignant quality, think right concerning the curative indication, whenas that malignant quality cannot be taken away by sweating, or other Evacuations, but by proper Alexipharmaca, yet they neglect the preservative indication, and the cause: for whenas it is certain, that in the Veneral disease, there is not only a vitious disposition, and Malignant, in the parts, especially the Liver, but that al the Humors of the Body are corrupted; there is required then an Evacuation of them, which is most commodiously done by sweating, as Minadous rightly proves. For though somthing be discussed insen∣sibly, yet that insensible Evacuation is not sufficient, and 'tis too slow. But Au∣relius Minadous, thinks wel concerning the taking away of the Cause, and the Evacuation of vitious Humors, which is most rightly done by sweating; but he neglects the disease it self, or that Malignant quality, imprinted nor only on the Humors, but also on the Living parts: from which it appears, which is diligently to be taken notice of, that the dispute of occult diseases, is not amongst those which Galen calls Logical, but does conceive the very essence of these diseases, and that the ignorance of the occult diseases, doth not only breed Errors in theory, but also in pactice. Therefore though we do grant, that the Evacuation of Humors is wel ordered by sweating, yet Alexipharmaca are necessary also, against that malignant disposition in the parts, especially in the Liver, and Fernelius, whom Palmarius follows, or this very cause do add peculiar Alexipharmaca, as shal be said, that that Malignant disposition may be pulled up by the Routs. For though al the vicious Humors be emptied, and al other diseases and Symptomes do cease after their emp∣tying; yet unless that Malignant disposition be taken out of the parts, the evil grows fresh again, and oftentimes a long while after. And this I think is the cause, that not only the decoction of Pockwood, Sarsaparilla, and the like, is given in the morning to provoke sweat, but also without sweating is taken as common drink; for the very same proper Medicines, which do destroy the occult cause and malignity in the humors, and do empty the vitious humors by sweat, are able also to Eradicate the disposition imprinted in the parts.

Last, of al this must not be past over, that the indications proposed before, are not necessary to be observed in every French disease, but only in that, which hath almost invaded the whol body, and especially hath possessed the Liver. But if the evil be new, there is no need either to let blood, or to give purges, whenas the fault is not yet communicated to the humors, but it is enough to wipe off, or cal forth the contagion received, which also is sufficient in the scab newly contracted by contagi∣on, where yet we must observe, whether those pustles, and French rottenness, as

they cal it, do immediately proceed from contagion, and whorish copulation, for then external medicines do suffice, or whether they do arise from the Liver now af∣fected, for then there is need of evacuations and alexipharmaca.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Indications
• * 1.2

  Preserva∣tory.
• * 1.3

  Curative.
• * 1.4

  Vital.
• * 1.5

  Four things to be done in the Cure of the Veneral disease.
• * 1.6

  Whether the cure may be perfected without sweating.
• * 1.7

  The decision