Ars chirurgica a compendium of the theory and practice of chirurgery in seven books ... shewing the names, causes, signs, differences, prognosticks, and various intentions of curing all kinds of chirurgick diseases ... : to which is added Pharmacopoeia chirurgica, or, The medical store, Latin and English ... / by William Salmon ...

CHAP. VIII. Of ELF-LOCKS, or MATTED HAIR.

I. IT is a Disease that was unknown to the Greeks; the Latins call it Plica, & Plica Polonica; we in English call it Elf-locks, Witch-locks, or Matted Hair.

II. It is an entangling and enfolding of the Hair, into Elf∣locks; wherein the Hair is as it were folded and matted toge∣ther into a kind of Chord, or one Long-lock.

III. And tho' it is known, even by sight, by the bunching, entan∣glings, and complications of the Hair, pains vexing the Joints and Bones, Convulsions, plenty of Lice, roughness and scali∣ness of the Nails of the Great∣toes, growing black, and almost like a Goats-horn; yet we shall rather choose to give you the description of it, in the words of some of those Authors who have written thereof, as follows.

IV. The Description. They who are troubled with this Dis∣ease, have sometimes one, and sometimes two Locks growing on their Heads, intwisted and infolded within themselves in∣wardly, and intangled together with the Hairs nigh to them; the Lock thereby becoming very great, and exceeding thick.

V. It is a great trouble and torment to almost all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ts of People, thro' the wh•…•… •…•…ingdom of Poland; and now seems to creep farther: it nips the Bones, loosens the Limbs, infests the Vertebrae of the Back, makes the members deformed, writhing them back.

VI. It causes them who are affected therewith to Bunch-out, and fills them full of Lice; and gives the Head such fresh and constant supplies of them, that it can by no means be freed from them.

VII. If these entangled Locks be shaved off, that Humor, and the Poison thereof disperses it self into the Body, and then extream∣ly tortures and vexes the person thus affected: it disquiets and troubles the Head, Feet, Hands, all the Joints and Limbs; and in a word, all the parts of the Body.

VIII. And it is experimentally found, that those who have cut off these Locks, thus matted together, have soon after been

afflicted in their Eyes, and vehemently troubled with De∣fluxions of Rheum unto other parts of the Body.

IX. If the Cure has been at∣tempted by usual Catharticks, the Patient is the worse for them; and the raging pain vexes the person so much the more: for not being able to master the noxious Humor, it only stirs it up, and disperses it thro' the whole Body: and after Purging, they are tormented with a burning Pain thro' all their members; so that nothing can possibly be added to the acute∣ness of it.

X. Women are oftentimes af∣flicted herewith; also such Men who are given to Venereal plea∣sures, or inclin'd to the French Disease, and the Children who are begotten by such that are troubled with the same: and such likewise, who having a Porrigo, have endeavoured the cure thereof with Repercussives: or having had some certain Flux of Blood for a long time, have had it suddenly stopt.

XI. This Affect communicates with that fuliginous Exhalation, out of which the Hair is bred; and seems to have some affinity with the Tinea, Achor, or Favus: and by its excruciating and pinching the Bones, to have something of the malignity of the Lues Venerea; by the great abun∣dance of Lice, to be something of the nature of the Pthiriasis; by the Pain of the Joints, to sympathize with the Arthritis or Gout; and by the terrible Contraction of the Limbs which it causes, to have some alliance with the Spasm or Convulsions.

XII. Schenekius, lib. 1. Ob∣servat. 13. gives us another very large description thereof, not much unlike the former; but he adds, that these Locks grow sometimes very long, oftentimes a finger-thick, and reaching down the Shoulders and Brest, even to the Navil; exceeding dreadful to look upon, and resembling the Gorgons Head.

XIII. These Locks they never suffer to be cut, nor at any time to be parted, or severed with a Comb: for that they believe, (and for ought I know, truly enough) this matted Hair pre∣vents the most grievous Dis∣eases of the Head; as Head∣aches, Madness, Palsies, Apo∣plexies, &c. and that the combing or cutting them, is altogether ominous and fatal.

XIV. So that some, d••ring their whole lives, do nourish and cherish them: that possibly they may be preserved from all other dangerous and formidable Diseases, which otherwise might threaten them.

XV. And a history he relates, of an old Woman, who having these Locks cut off, died within the space of three days: yet, says he, a certain Countess who had such a monstrous Head of Hair, would often cause it to be cut, even to the Neck.

XVI. Sennertus is of opinion, that this Disease is only somewhat that is Critical as it were, arising from the expulsion of the vicious matter out of the Body; and that the said Plica brings nothing of danger

with it to the diseased person, who has it all the days of his whole life, without any thing of damage.

XVII. But that which most of all threatens danger, is, the vicious Humor, which yet sticking fast in the Body, excites the afore enumerated most grievous Symptoms; all which cease, so soon as the matter is thrust forth unto the Hair.

XVIII. And that in such as are affected with this Disease to the height, the Nails also, but chiefly of the Feet, and most of all in the Great-toes, become rough, long, and black, like to a Goats-horn: which Sennertus observed himself in a noble Lord, and that the very same had also hapned to others.

XIX. The Causes. They cannot sufficiently be explained; yet they are thought to arise from plenty of matter nourishing the Hair: now the said matter is carried to the Hair, not in the form of Vapors, but mixed with the Blood it self; which, as it is of all other parts; so it is likewise the nutriment of the Hairs.

XX. And this in some measure appears from hence; because that if at any time the Hair be shaved or cut, it yields Blood, but such a kind of Blood as is hurt∣ful to the Body: and by the bleeding of the Hairs, when cut or shaved, it may well be conceived, that the mali∣gnity is conveyed to them by the Blood.

XXI. But Authors also say, that it is caused from a peculiar corruption of the Place; nature of the Soil, Air, and Water: and therefore is properly an Endemick Disease, as being mostly peculiar to some Re∣gions, as Poland, &c.

XXII. The Prognosticks. This Disease, if the matter be not fully and continually thrust forth into the Hair, is dangerous enough: so that most grievous Pains and Symptoms are ex∣cited, almost in all parts into which the malign matter is dispersed.

XXIII. But if Nature, as it were critically, protrudes the matter only to the Hair; then is the Patient altogether pre∣served from the other Sym∣ptoms and Maladies: and many such-like persons live very healthful all their lives long.

XXIV. If at any time these Locks are rashly cut off, it in∣duces Blindness, and sometimes many other cruel Diseases. A Soldier in Hungary having a Plica, being taken Prisoner by the Turks, had all his Hair shaved off, and withal this Plica, whereupon he became blind; but obtaining that his Hair might grow again, he again recovered his sight.

XXV. If this malign Humor shall at length be all spent, (which not often happens) then after some time these Plicae fall off of their own accords, and the Party becomes well: if therefore it can be known or discerned, (which is a thing difficult enough) when the said Humor is all spent, it may then be safe enough, (and without the

least ill Symptom succeeding) to cut off these Locks, with the rest of the Hair.

XXVI. If it it be without Pain, there is hopes of a Cure; for so excrementitious Humors are thrust forth into the Hairs, and the Faculties become stronger. Otherwise, seeing the Causes are not perfectly known, no perfect Cure can be expected: for the Disease seems to be a complication of the Gout, Rheu∣matism, Cachexy, Hypochon∣driack Melancholy, and the Scurvy; joined with a kind of Malignity.

XXVII. The Cure cannot be attempted by cutting off the Lock, or by keeping it from Tangling: for then the party is pained, sick, or becomes blind, and as it were at deaths-door; nor can have any ease, till it is either grown, or tangled again.

XXVIII. Nor can it be at∣tempted by Bleeding or Purging; for thereby it is made so much the worse, and to rage so much the more: for that Purgation is not able to overcome and master the noxious Humor, but to add torment to the Sick, beyond imagination.

XXIX. In this case therefore, it will be good to follow Expe∣rience, as our Guide: and rather to help forward the matter to the place where it is intended, viz. to the Hair; which is well done by a Lotion made of Bears-breech, which is very available and successful.

XXX. Some have been cured by often bathing, and manifold Fomentation, wherein Bears-breech aforesaid has been decocted; viz. the dried leaves, in such a quantity of Water, that the Decoction may be of a yellow, not of a purple colour; which decoction has also been drank inwardly, after it has been fer∣mented with sowr Leaven, and the dried Herb infused also in the same.

XXXI. If this prevails not, you must keep the Body soluble, by cooling and moistning Clysters, and frequently give Alexipharma∣ca, such as are exhibited in the Scurvy and Gout: Sudorificks also, now and then to be used, are good; because they help Nature, in expelling the matter to the place appointed.

XXXII. But whereas the Purges used by the Ancients, prevailed nothing in this case; yet those that are more spirituous, I have known to do good: and by the taking of this Tincture fol∣lowing, every other day for a hundred days together, I once knew a stubborn Plica cured.

XXXIII. ℞ Choice Sena ℥ x. pouder of Jallap ℥ iv. infuse all in S.V. lbviij. for thirty days: of all which give every other, or third day, three or four spoonfuls. If you make the Tincture in Aniseed-water, it will be yet better.

XXXIV. And I knew a cer∣tain Emperick, one Moret, to cure another by Fluxing with the Pilulae Mercuriales Herculis Sa∣xoniae; he having first for some time used the Fomentation of the aforesaid Decoction of Bears-breech, and caused it also to

be drank as ordinary Drink; at last he cut off the Lock, and the Patient remained well.

XXXV. But after all that these great men have said, other Me∣thods may be attempted; and that with probable success: for since the Blood and Lympha are corrupted with a malign im∣purity, (as they are also in the Lues Venerea) 'tis possible, that they being purified, the Patient may return to his pristin health.

XXXVI. Now that this may be accomplished, 'tis necessary that the whole mass of Blood and Lympha should be changed, or made new, and the mass or sub∣stance of the Flesh sweetned: that this may be done in a right Method, nothing seems to me so fit, as a just and regular Salivation, extended to a due length of time: which may be done with Arcanum Corallinum, Aurum Vitae, Turpethum Mine∣rale, the Princes Pouder, White Precipitate; and other things of like nature.

XXXVII. And the same course ought to be taken in the Sali∣vation exactly, as is taken in Curing the Lues: if it be recent, it may be ended in about four∣teen days; but if it be inve∣terate or old, it will require at least a Salivation of thirty days: but let it be gentle, and regular, and increased to a height as you see convenient.

XXXVIII. I have seen several sick of this Distemper, but never had more than one Patient under Cure; which I happily performed by a gentle Flux of thirty days, raised with Arcanum Corallinum; at the end of which, I purged him with my Family-Pills three times, and gave him for six weeks together the usual Diet-Drink of Guajacum and Sarsa; to which Burdock-roots were added.

XXXIX. And outwardly, I caused the Head to be alternately washed; first, with the Water of the Griffin, and then with the Decoction of Coloquintida: and this washing was continued twice a day, for the space of twenty days: but the Washing began not till towards the end of the Salivation; and it was always done with the Liquor very warm, and the Head dryed after it.

XL. During his Salivation, and taking the Diet-drink, with the external Washings, his Hair began mightily to fall off; and I believe the Lock would in a few weeks more have faln off also; for several of the Hairs of the Lock being faln out from their rooting, hung with their rooted ends loose: but the Man being impatient, caused it to be cut off, which bled not in the least, nor was any ways moist: and it was done without the least injury or prejudice to the per∣son, and he constantly remained well after it.