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 ...

III. Wounds of the Eye it self.

XXV. A Wound of the Eye is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. and in Latin, Vulnus Oculi.

XXVI. The Prognosticks. It is of difficult Cure, 1. Because of the exquisite sense of the part. 2. Because of a Flux of Humours to which it is apt to be obnoxi∣ous. 3. Because of the Excellency and curious Frame of the Part. 4. Because of the continual Moti∣on of the Arteries. 5. Because of its consent with the Brain, as it has respect to the Optick Nerve, or the Motory, or the Muscles of the Eye, which have many Twigs of Nerves, or Capillaries, from the first, second, third and eighth Pairs.

XXVII. The Differences. Wounds of the Eye are either su∣perficial or deep: Superficial are such as pass not through the Cornea: The Deep are such as pass through the Cornea to other more inward parts of the Eye.

XXVIII. The Cure. First, You must forbear all Oils, fat and unctious things, because they in∣flame the Eye, and cause Pain.

XXIX. Secondly, When one Eye only is wounded, you must bind up both Eyes: 1. That Darkness may be procured every way, be∣cause Light offends all sore Eyes. 2. That the sound Fye may be kept from Motion. 3. That the Cure may be facilitated; for when one Eye moves, the other of necessity moves also; and so the wounded Eye being moved at the motion of the sound un∣covered Eye, the Cure is also hindered, and an Inflammation induced.

XXX. Thirdly, The Head ought to lie somewhat high, but not so as to bend forwards, for fear of a Flux of Humours.

XXXI. The Cure of a superfi∣cial VVound. You must apply things to ease the Pain, abate the Flux of Humours, and prevent Inflam∣mation, of which kind are Whites of Eggs, Frog Spawn-water, rotten Apples and Pears, Plan∣tan, Purslane, and Nightshade Juices and Waters; Well, Rain, and Snow-waters, Mucilages of Flea-wort and Quince-seed, and of Gum Tragacanth, Emulsions or Decoctions of Poppey and Henbane-seed, Decoction of Cy∣press-nuts, of Galls, Pomegra∣nate-Peels and Balaustians, Wine of Pomegranates, Womans Milk, and Milk of all kinds; also the Blood of Pigeons, Turtle-doves, and Chickens or Pullets, drawn from the Veins under the Wings.

XXXII. These may be singly applied; or you may make Compo∣sitions of them, as you see need re∣quire, which you may apply above the Eye-lid, the Eye being shut, un∣less much Pus abound, or a Sanies

runs from the Eye; for then it will be necessary to wash the Eye with red Rose-water, Rain, or Plantane-water, or Juice of Fu∣mitory, or some of those Wa∣ters in which a little Alom or white Vitriol has been dissolved, or Rose-water mixed with Ho∣ney of Roses.

XXXIII. Then apply Bolsters made of fine soft Rags dipt in Rose-water, in which Sief Album has been dissolved: And if the Pain be great, let it be that with O∣pium; applying also to the Fore∣head, Temples and Cheeks, some Anodyn and astringent Cata∣plasm, as, ℞ rotten Apples, or Pulp of roasted Apples, Pulp of Cassia A. ℥ii, Mucilage of Flea∣wort-seeds ℥ss. fine Bole, Catechu, Dragon's Blood, A. ℥ss. Barley flower q.s. mix, and make a Pla∣ster.

XXXIV. If both the Eye-lid and the Tunica Conjunctiva are wounded, you must have a care that they grow not together; which will happen, if not prevented; which you may do by keeping them asunder with Leaf-Gold, or Leaf-Silver, or Tinfoil.

XXXV. The Cure of a deep VVound. The VVeapon either pas∣ses through, about the ends of the Bones of the Orbita, through which the Nerves pass into the Brain; or, it passes not so deep. In the first case, if the Weapon passes into the Brain, then the Wound is mortal; but the Patient ought to be dress'd, because the Artist can never see the inward state of the Wound, and so sometimes by accident may save Life.

XXXVI. If the VVound passes not so deep, then the Humour A∣quosus only issues forth, or the Crystalline and Vitreous also.

XXXVII. If the Aqueous comes out only, then it issues forth either wholly or in part: If it whol∣ly comes out, the Sight will be to∣tally lost. But if a small quan∣tity only comes out, the Preju∣dice may be retrieved, more e∣specially in Children, whose Moisture will supply the lost Humour; and this Hurt is cured as a superficial Wound.

XXXVIII. If the Crystalline and Vitreous Humours come forth, the Sight must also of necessity be lost. Here if there is a Flux of Blood, you may stop it with what we have formerly directed, or with this. ℞ Trochisci albi Rhasis, Tutia prepared, fine Aloes, A. ℈j. Mucilages of Fleawort-seed and Tragacanth, A.ʒii. Red VVine ℥ii. Rose and Plantane-water ℥iv. mix, and make a Collyrium.

XXXIX. If the Pain is great, use Anodyns, or inject VVoman's Breast-milk warm, or Pigeons Blood, Or this, ℞ Breast-milk ℥iv. Honey ℥j. VVhices of Eggs N^o 1. Or add to the Composition in the former Section Opium ℈j. and outwardly apply this Cataplasm, ℞ Rotten Apples ℥ii. Meal of Lin∣seed ℥ss. Mucilage of Fleawort-seed ʒii. Opium ʒss. Yolks of Eggs q.s. mix, and apply it.

XL. Sennertus Med. Pract. lib. 1. part. 3. sect. 7. cap. 20. ad∣vises to purge Choler, and to use such things as alter the bili∣ous Humour, and cool the Head. Cùm bilis (dixit ille) aliorum humorum sit ad caput vehiculum.

XLI. Outwardly to the Eye, he applies Repellers, made of whites of Eggs beaten with Rose-water, to which a little fine Bole may be added. Or this: ℞ VVhites of Eggs N^o ii. Rose and Tormentil VVater, A. ℥i. beat them together, adding Alum, Saf∣fron, A. ℈i.

XLII. Sarcotick Pouders, made very subtil, are commended, as Tutia and Calaminaris prepared, fine Bole, Terra Sigillata, Sanguis Draconis, Sarcocolla, Gum San∣darachi, Aes ustum.

XLIII. Sennertus advises to this: ℞ Ceruse, white Starch, A.ʒii. Frankincense ʒjss. Sarco∣colla, Tragacanth, A.ʒi. Camphir ʒss. infuse in Rose-water in a Vessel close stopt: boil in Balneo, and strain, keeping the Water for use.

XLIV. Or, Take Gum Arabick dissolved in Rose-water ʒiii. juice of Comfrey-roots ℥jss. fine pouder of Frankincense, and of Aloes-rosata, A. ℈i. mix them.

XLV. Or, Take Sief album Rhasis sine Opio ʒjss. whites of Eggs ʒii. Tutia prepared ʒss. Rose-water ℥jss. mix all in a Leaden Mortar, by much grinding.

XLVI. After seven days are past, things drying are to be ap∣plied; and such also as have a detersive quality, and withal generate Flesh: as, Take Myrrh, Sarcocol, Breast-milk, A. ℥ ss. Tutia prepared ʒi. Honey of Roses q.s. mix, and make a Liniment.

XLVII. This is wonderfully commended: ℞ Fine Bole ℥i. Tutia, Dragons-blood, Gum Arabick, A. ℥ss. Rose-water lbi. boil in B.M. in a Glass close stopt for an Hour; then add juice of Pomgranates ℥i. strain, and keep it for use.

XLVIII. Or, Take Honey ℥ii. juice of red Roses ℥iv. fine Ver∣digrise ʒi. Amber in fine pouder ʒss. digest in B.M. and strain: of this Liquor you may drop gut. ii. or more, often into the Eye.

XLIX. Oleum Rubrum Sa∣turni is also much commended; so also the Water which is found in the Bladders of the Elm-tree-leaves in the Month of May; which does wonders in curing Wounds of the Eyes, even where the Humor Aqueus, and part of the Vitreus were let forth; as Henricus ab Heer, Obs. Rarior. has experimentally te∣stified.

L. Lastly, Epuloticks are to be applied, to compleat the Cicatrice: and then when the Eye is healed, you may cause an Artifi∣cial Glass-Eye to be made, which may be put in the place of the Natural, to avoid (as much as may be) deformity.