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. IX. Of LOƲSINESS.

I. IT is called in Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Pediculis scateo, Pediculari Morbo laboro; à 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Pediculus;) in Latin, Pthiriasis, Pedicularis Morbus; in English, Lousiness, or the Lousie-Evil.

II. This is a very strange Dis∣ease, yet happening both to old and young, as the generating matter may be predominant: but the nastiness, and the trouble of it exceeds all: for let one of the persons thus afflicted, be cleansed from all the Lice which are visible, be washed clean in a Bath of Water, the Head combed as clean as may be, and then dressed with fresh clean Linen, and fresh Cloaths; yet in an hour after they will be as lousie as if nothing had been done to them; and you may find a thousand Lice presently about them, the fresh Linen and Cloathing being as much defiled with the Lice, as the last they lately put off.

III. The Cause. Authors seem not agreed about the Cause: some will have it from Pus, or simple Patrifaction alone; but then as Sennertus says, Ulcers should rather breed Lice than any thing else; which yet we see they do not: wherefore something more than Patrifaction, must be ascribed to the Cause.

IV. Aristotle, Histor. Animal. lib. 5. cap. 31. saith, Quòd fiant ex Carne, cùm multa Humiditas in ea abundat; & cum emersuri sunt, fiant Pustulae quaedam sine Pure, exiguae; quae si pungantur, Pediculi exeant. Quo loco per Carnem, Cutem intelligit Ari∣stoteles; ut ex Galeno patet, de Simp. Med. Fac. lib. 5. cap 4. And this seems to be true; for in one of these kinds of Patients, I was very curious for to find and see whence the Lice so imme∣diately came: and finding up and down in the Body several little Protuberances, I opened several of them with a sharp∣pointed Lancet, and with my Fingers I squeezed out several Lice; out of some eight or ten Lice, out of others more; and out of one of these Pustulae, I took forth twelve or thirteen Lice, some of them well grown: so that from thence-forth, my wonder about their so imme∣diate increase, ceased.

V. From what has been said, the place of the Generation of Lice in this Disease appears; viz. that it is the Skin: and partly the Matter, to wit, an abounding Humidity; to which we must add, the Vis generans, vel Potestas formativa; a Spirit, which reduces the Matter into Act or Form, and is peculiar only in this case.

VI. I know, that for the ordi∣nary Generation of Lice in the Head, or other clean Bodies, it is ascribed to nastiness and filth, with a putrid moist Humor; which by the heat of the Body, comes to be vivified: but this reaches not our case, where the breeding of Lice is not accidental, or symptomatical, but purely a Disease.

VII. Avicenna will have them to be bred from Humidity, with a moderate Heat, and a gentle Putrifaction. Modern Physicians will have them to be bred of Excrementitious or Preterna∣tural Humors; so disposed, that being moderately hot, they may be in act or power moist, and in a medium between thick and thin, and a little putri∣fied. Theophrastus, de Caus. Plantar. lib. 2. cap. 12. Sangui∣nem materiam Pediculorum esse scribit: verùm cum corruptum Sanguinem intelligat, non aliud proculdubio accipit, quàm Excre∣mentitiam quandam Sanguinis, & inprimis Pituitosi; aut Ali∣menti in tertia Coctione par∣tem.

VIII. The Place. The chief habitation of Lice is in the Head; and sometimes they breed in other parts of the Body, from nasty Clothing, and long wearing them without change; where they generate from Nits, or Eggs, and mightily multiply; but this is in the ordinary way of Production: but when they become Morbifick, the Body is the chief seat of their habita∣tion: unless they be generated from the filthiness of a Plica, and then the Head is their native home.

IX. The Prognosticks. Where Lice are bred only from filthiness, nastiness, want of combing the Hair, or change of Cloaths or Linen, the trouble is more than the danger: but if they are bred in the whole Body, from a Morbid disposition, it is diffi∣cult to be cured; and if it be not timely enough mastred, kills the Patient, by eating thro' into the Body.

X. The Cure. Internally, the putrid Humor which breeds Lice, is to be carried off by Purging; reiterating it several times, at least twice a week: either with our Family Pills, Pilulae Cathar∣ticae, Tinctura Purgans, or other proper Medicaments.

XI. This done, convenient Sweating is to be promoted; either in Hartman's Chair, with Spirit of Wine, and proper Sudo∣rificks; or in the Publick Ba∣gnio's: and this to be repeated twice a week, or at least once in five days.

XII. Or the Patient may bathe in a Bathing-tub, in a Lye of due strength; made either of Pot∣ashes; or Quick-lime, in which Flowers of Sulphur have been a pretty while boiled.

XII. Or they may bathe in a Lye made of Nettle-ashes, in which Wormwood, Rue, Centory the less, Scordium, and Southern∣wood; the roots of Gentian, Elecampane, Birthwort, and black Hellebor; the seeds of Stavesacre, and Lupins; the pulp of Coloquintida, wild Cucum∣bers, and wild Gourds; flowers

of Sulphur, and Bulls-gall, have been boiled: and the Patient is to sit in it, as long as he can conveniently without faint∣ing.

XIV. And if possibly, and the conveniency will serve, the Patient ought to go into the Bath once a day, tho' it be but for one quarter of an hour: and if they cannot endure the Bath, they ought to bathe the principal Parts affected, which may easily be discerned by sight, with the afore-mentioned Decoction.

XV. After Bathing, they may be anointed all over with this Ointment. ℞ Oil olive lbj ss. Sheeps-suet lbj. mix them by melting; then add flowers of Sulpur ℥ iv. Bulls-gall, Staves∣acre in pouder, a. ℥ iij. meal of Lupins, white Agarick in pouder, a. ℥ ij ss. Wormwood in pouder, Aloes in pouder, Coloquintida in pouder, a. ℥ ij. mix, and make an Ointment; with which anoint morning and evening.

XVI. If you would have it stronger, you may add poudēr of white Hellebor ℥ iij. to the for∣mer Composition: but then you must use it only to people of strong constitutions.

XVII. If after these things have been used for some considerable time, and there be no amend∣ment, (for it is a very stubborn Disease) we must then come to stronger Medicaments, and such as are made of Mercury: and truly, without the use of Mer∣cury, this Disease is not often overcome.

XVIII. First, (after due Purging) anoint the palms of the Hands and soles of the Feet, as also the Joints, and Back-bone, (but very gently, to avoid Salivating) with Ʋnguentum Mercuriale: and this may be done every night going to bed, for some few days.

XIX. Or the Sick may wear a Quick-silver-Girdle, as is usual in this case; by which I have known several cured. You may kill the Quicksilver with Spittle, or Turpentine mixed with a little Oil, and then mix it with a little Emplastrum Album, and so spread it upon a Girdle; which is to be worn round the Waste, for some considerable time.

XX. But if none of these things will do, (as in some I have known they will not) you must apply your self to the last Re∣medy, which is Fluxing: and in this case, because the Disease is external, and in the surface of the Body, it is better to be performed by Unction, or rather by Fumigation; of which we have spoken in other places.