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 ...

Of HORNS.

XXI. They are called in Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Pl. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latin Cornu, Cornua: and in English, A Horn, Horns.

XXII. They are thicker, har∣der and higher than Corns, and in some they grow to a very great length.

XXIII. They grow in many parts of the Body, as upon the Head, Forehead, Back, Joints, and other parts.

XXIV. Avicen Lib. 4. Tract. 3. Cap. 14. saith, They are thick, and crooked, arising above upon the Junctures, in the Extremi∣ties, and that they are cured by cutting off that which is in∣sensible, &c.

XXV. Avenzoar, Lib. 2. Cap. 5. gives a relation of a Man, who had one of these Excrescencies bred in his Back, not much unlike to a Unicorns-horn, but less hard than a natural bone: This man by purging and drying Medi∣cines was cured, and the bone fell forth, as Harts shed their Horns.

XXVI. And that he himself also had once a Bone growing upon his back, which gave him much Grief and Pain; but by purging himself from gross Humors, and applying Resolutives thereto, it was for the most part resolved, and the little of it which re∣mained was no prejudice to him.

XXVII. Lanfrancus, Tract. 3. Doct. 2. Cap. 3. says, That he had seen manifest Eminencies of the Skull, like unto Horns; and that

a man came to him for Advice, who had seven of those Eminen∣cies, of which one was as long as a mans Thumb, and as big as the horn of a little Goat.

XXVIII. Philippus Ingrassias, de Tumorib. Tract. 1. Cap. 1. says, He saw a Noble Virgin afflicted with many of these Excrescen∣cies, sharpned in their Tops, like unto Horns, and of an ex∣traordinary hardness: these had continued many years with her, augmenting both in bigness and number, so that she became so deformed and mishapen, that (saith he) she was become more like an ugly Monster or fright∣ful Devil, than a Woman kind; he cured her, and restored her to her pristin Beauty.

XXIX. Alexander Benedictus Anat. Lib. 1. Cap. 14. saith, That on a Knee wounded by an Ar∣row, he saw a black Horn grow, which was the Matter that ought to have been converted into a Bone, &c.

XXX. Zacutus Lusitanus Prax. Med. Admir. Lib. 2. Obs. 188. tells us of a Man, who had one of these Horns grew out of his Heel, as long as the Palm of a mans hand, and of the very likeness of a Horn, which by the advice of Physicians (his Body being often purged) was afterwards cut off, and he lived after it two years in good Health; but not long after he felt in the same place vehement pain, and in six months time the Horn grew a∣gain, somewhat longer than it was before, hard and full of se∣veral sharp Points, which being again cut off by the root, there remained a wide and deep hole, from whence a great quantity of a black and putrid Humor came forth, so acid and sharp, that it eat the Flesh round about.

XXXI. Julius Caesar Scaliger, Exercit. 199. Sect. 5. saith, That notwithstanding the Authority of Prince Aboalis and Abumeron, a person of note, he could not believe so strange a thing, till he himself had seen one of them on the back of a certain Rower.

XXXII. And Fallopius in his Book of similar Parts, Cap. 7. saith, That sometimes likewise in whole Bones as well as in Fractures, there may be some∣thing bred like unto a Horn, which may grow forth without the Flesh and Skin, and that he himself saw this at Padua, in the Thigh of a certain No∣ble Man.

XXXIII. The Cause. They proceed generally from thick and glutinous Humors, and a melan∣cholly Juice, which Nature pro∣trudes into some particular part, according to her conveniency.

XXXIV. The Prognosticks. They are of difficult cure, and re∣main thro' the whole course of life, unless cut off by Instrument.

XXXV. The Cure. If they be near the Joints, and cause much Pain, or hinder their Motion, they ought to be cut off; which may be done the more safely, in regard that they are like naked Bones, and are only covered with Skin.

XXXVI. Let the Body first be purged with Ʋniversals, and in particular with Lapis Lazuli, which let be several times re∣peated;

which done, The Skin is then first to be opened, the Cornu is to be made naked or bare, and then it is to be cut away from the Bone with a sharp Knife (but if too hard for a Knife, with a fine sharp Saw) and the part is to be cured, as any other common Wound.