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. XVIII. Of RED PIMPLES on the FACE.

I. IT is called by the Arabians, Albedsamen, Alguasen, and Albuttizaga; in Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. in Latin, Gutta Rosacea, & Gutta Rosea; in English, Red∣ness, and Pimples on the Face.

II. The Description. It is a kind of rose-coloured Redness of the Face; occasioned by a hot and fiery matter infesting the same. Or, it is a Spotted-redness, or rather a Redness with Tu∣bercles; with which the Cheeks, Nose, and Face, are defiled and polluted, as it were with Rosy-drops.

III. And sometimes these Tu∣bercles get a growth and increase, making the Face unequal, and frightful to look upon: and some∣times the Nose, by the aggre∣gation of the morbifick matter, increases to an extraordinary magnitude and deformity.

IV. The Kinds. Nicholaus Florentinus makes three dif∣ferences or degrees of this Defor∣mity. 1. There is sometimes present (says he) a preterna∣tural Redness, without any Pimples, Pustles, or Ulcers; which is absolutely called a Red Face.

V. 2. And sometimes this Red∣ness is accompanied with Pimples, Pustles, or small Bunchings-out: and then it is called a Pimply, or Pustulous Redness.

VI. 3. And sometimes it has attending it, a small Ʋlcer or Ʋlcers, and Ʋlcers with Pu∣stles: and then it is called an Ulcerous Redness: and this last kind seems very little to differ from Noli me tangere; of which we shall speak, Lib. 3. Cap. 32. following.

VII. This third kind, Authors thus describe, viz. That it be∣gins in the Face, especially above the Chin, near about the Mouth and Nose: and they think that it resembles Noli me tangere, because it is rather irritated, than any ways miti∣gated, tho' the most fit and proper Remedies be applied to it: and whatsoever means almost are used, it more and more increases, by spreading into, affecting, and eat∣ing

(as it were) the sound parts.

VIII. The Causes. It is said to proceed of thick, salt, and inflamed Blood; so made by bad Diet, excessive Drinking, Stop∣page of the Terms, Hemor∣rhoids, &c.

IX. Sennertus will have this Blood to be generated thro' some default in the Liver; which is easily carried to the Face, (as may be seen in Blushing:) where, by reason of its grossness or thickness, it fixes; not being able (for the same reason) to retire back again, nor yet easily to be discussed or scat∣tered: causing first a red Co∣lour in the Skin, and if it continues long, generating red Pustles.

X. And tho' this Disease mostly affects such as are vehemently intemperate, addicted to the Pot, and given over to Drunkenness and Debauching, whether with Ale, Beer, Wine, or Brandy: yet it sometimes happens to others, the most temperate in the World.

XI. And this must certainly be thro' a default, or something amiss in their natural constitu∣tion and habit of Body.

XII. The Prognosticks. It is very hardly cured; but much more difficultly, if the Face be full of Pustles; and hardest of all, if it be accompanied with Pustles and Exulcerations too.

XIII. If it be from the Birth, it is unremovable; and with great difficulty cured, if it proceeds from the French-disease, or the Scurvy: and for the most part, it accompanies the Patient that has it, all the days of his life.

XIV. The Cure. It is not absolutely to be cured, but by removing the internal Cause, altering the quality of the Blood and Lympha, and helping what is amiss in the Liver.

XV. For tho' the proximate or conjoined Cause may be dissipated in the Face, yet by reason it will be reinforced with a new supply of the old matter, it will in the like manner appear again.

XVI. And therefore there must be an alteration in the whole Habit of the Body: the Blood and Lympha must be purified, and that with such things, as easily entring into the mass of those Humors, may cool and sweeten them; and cause a precipitation of the Morbifick Matter.

XVII. First, things must be given, which may open the Ob∣structions of the Liver, which see in the third Edition of Our Synopsis Medicinae, lib. 5. cap. 23. sect. 17. to the end.

XVIII. Then let the Body be often purged, either with Our Family Pills, Pilulae Catharticae, or Tinctura purgans: but that which exceeds all Purgers in this case, is Sal Mirable; for that it not only actually enters into the mass of Blood, and causes a precipitation of its Recrements, but also throughly cools the same, and makes a perfect change in the Lympha∣tick-juice withal.

XIX. Then the Blood may be

cooled, by often drinking Aqua Elementaria sweetned with white Sugar; or taking Sal Nitrum Nitratum, or Sal Vitriolatum, or Spirit of Sulphur, in due Dose; in some proper Vehicle.

XX. Spirit of Sulphur, or Ni∣trated or Vitriolated Salt may be given in Poppy-water, or Infusion of the greater Housleek in fair Water, or rather in Aqua Elementaria; and the use of it to be continued for some considerable time.

XXI. These things being done, we must now come to the use of Topicks. The Affect may be daily washed with juice of Li∣mons, and afterwards the pulp of the Limon may be laid on, after the manner of a Cata∣plasm, every night.

XXII. 'Tis true, if the Face is exulcerated, this application will make it smart vehemently: but it will be but for a little while; and the good it will do, will make amends for all the pain the Sick may endure.

XXIII. Others commend this: ℞ Mastich, Camphir, Frankin∣cense; a. Spirit of Wine q.s. mix, and dissolve: with which let the Patient wash morning and evening, for a quarter of a year.

XXIV. Or wash with a Li∣xivium of Colewort-ashes, and anoint with Ʋng. Nostr. Alb. Po∣puleon, or Cosmeticum: or with Oil of Wax mixt with Oil of Tartar per deliquium, ana: or, with the Menstrual Blood of a Virgin.

XXV. But Oil of Toads is above all others most powerful, and only to be used, when other things fail: with which, if the Face be anointed for certain days, (once a day) the Wheals and Morphew will fall off, and the redness will vanish.

XXVI. Some commend the Blood of a Hare, to anoint with at night; and to wash it off in the morning with Water of Mullein-flowers.

XXVII. Others wash with this. ℞ Alum ℥ vj. juice of Plantan, Sow-thistle, Sorrel, a. ℥ xij. whites of ten Eggs: being all well beaten together, let them be distilled in an Alembick; and keep the Water for use.

XXVIII. Some use Ointments: as the Ointment of Pilewort, made with May-butter; or this, ℞ Ginger, Grains, a. ʒ ij. Sulphur vivum ʒ iij. Oil-olive, Sheeps-suet, a. ℥ ss. mix, and make an Ointment: use it morn∣ing and night for fourteen days, washing before you use it in the morning, with a Decoction of Wheat-bran.

XXIX. Or this: ℞ Mer∣curius dulcis, Saccharum Sa∣turni, a. ℥ j. Camphir, Sulphur vive, a. ℥ ss. Oil-olive, Sheeps-suet, a. ℥ j. mix, and anoint therewith: this is without com∣parison.

XXX. Sennertus advises to these things following: ℞ Wheat-bread, macerate it in Goats-milk, beat it with the whites of twenty Eggs; to which add Camphir ℥ j. burnt Alum ℥ ij. mix, and distil.

XXXI. Or this: ℞ Lith∣arge ℥ ss. Vinegar ℥ iv. boil to

the third: in another Pot boil Salt and Alum, a. ʒ ss. Frank∣incense ℈ j. Rose-water half a pint: mingle these Liquors, strain, and keep the Mixture for use.

XXXII. Or this: ℞ Sulphur ʒ ij. Camphir, Salt, a. ʒ ss. Ceruss, Litharge of Silver, a. ʒ ij. all being in pouder, mix them with waters of Bean-flowers, Roses, white Lillies, Solomons-seal, a. ℥ ij.

XXXIII. Or this: ℞ Cam∣phir ʒ j. grind it in a Mortar with Oil of sweet Almonds ʒ iij. then put to it Oleum Tartari per deliquium ʒ ij. yolks of two Eggs, Saccharum Saturni ʒ ss. mix them well; and put thereto waters of Bean-flowers, white Lillies, and Strawberries, a. ℥ ij.

XXXIV. Or this: ℞ Cam∣phir, Litharge, burnt Alum, a. ʒ ss. white Vitriol, Frank∣incense, a. ʒ j. Sulphur vive, ʒ j ss. being all in fine pouder, mix them with Rose-water and Bean-flower-water.

XXXV. Or you may every morning and evening, even three or four times a day, or oftner, wash the places affected, with Lac Virgineum, and lay some of the Faecula thereof upon each Pimple, letting it dry on; continuing this work for four∣teen, twenty, or more days.

XXXVI. And at night going to bed, lay all over the Face leaves of Housleek, freed from their outward skin on that side which lyes next to the Face; repeating it oft, for twenty or more days together. Or, in place hereof, lay a Cataplasm of bruised Purslain; repeating it in like manner as the former.

XXXVII. These things will make the Skin pale, smooth, and soft; giving it a youngness, with a pure and natural Whiteness, being used ac∣cording to these Directions.