The English-mans treasure with the true anatomie of mans body / compiled by ... Mr. Thomas Vicary, Esquire ... ; whereunto are annexed many secrets appertaining to chyrurgerie, with divers excellent approved remedies ...

Of Fleubotomie.

FLeubotomie may be vsed once in a moneth, exceptage or any other cause prohibite it, as in women with Child, or on them that are brought low by sicknesse, or on them that are

subiect to any fluxe of the Belly, or on them which are already infected with the Pestilence, and the Botch or Sore groweth towards ripenesse.

Let Blood-letting be done vpon the veyne Basilica, whether it be in the right or left Arme, before hée eate or drinke, and after the opening of the same let the Patient be jocund, merry, and chéerefull, and to drinke Wine or Béere, but alwayes ••emperately. Neither is it lawfull nor convenient to sléepe the same day that the Veyne is opened, if any féeleth himselfe infe∣cted with an Impostume, then let him altogether refraine sléepe and prevent it by walking, for in sléepe, heate inwardly induceth the Venome vnto the Heart, and other Spirituall Members, in such sort, that scarce any Hearbe may revoke the same ve∣nome vnto its former estate, which thing hapneth not, as long as a man is in motion.

But it may bée some men will aske, of whom is sléepe to be avoyded? What if he should haue a continuall sléepe? To this I briefly answer, that in the time of Pestilence, if any haue an appetite to sléepe presently after he haue eaten any thing, then such desires ought to be vindered for a space, eyther in the Gar∣den or Fields for an houre, and then with naturall sléepe the body may haue for one houre its naturall refection and rest.

Therefore Avicen saith; That if a man will sléepe, he ought to drinke a good draught before his sléeping, because in sléepe he attracteth and draweth many humours, and those euill hu∣mours are repelled by the humour of a good draught: But a∣gaine, if a man shall aske, when a man is Infected how hée ought to know it. To this I say and answer, that a man that is infected, the same day he shall not eate much; because he is repleat with euill humours, and presently after Dinner he hath a desire to sléepe, and perceiueth a great heate with coldnesse, hée hath great paine with coldnesse, and hath great paine in the former part of the head, but all these are put away by mooving hither and thither, and for to walke hée is not able by reason of ouermuch vnweldinesse and sluggishnesse of body, for a man in∣fected

hath alwaies a desire to sléepe, because the venome inter∣nall doth perturbate and trouble the spirits vitall, so that it al∣waies tendeth to rest, by these si••nes and all others before re∣lated, a man may alwaies perceiue himselfe to be infected. If he will not giue credit vnto it, let him make tryall for halfe a dayes space, and presently he shall féele the Apostume vnder his Armes or about the groine, or else about the Eares. Therefore the chie∣fest remedy is, if a man perceiue all these tokens in the time of Pestilence, that he shake off sléepe as I haue said before, for as by the reasons before also alleadged it is manifest, that in sleepe the Spirits vitall doth rest, but the venome is scattered, through the membrands from one place vnto another, as I haue often observed. This being truly marked, when a man findeth him∣selfe infected, as soone as possible may be, let him let blood in as ample manner that he almost faint thereon; for the taking of small quantity of blood stirreth vp the venomous quality more forcibly. If a man will not cut many veines at once, then hée shall suffer to goe over the same veine incided as before said, e∣uen vnto the retardation and staying of the Blood.

Also he that is let blood, whether he be infected or not, hée must also shunne sléepe the whole day even till midnight. And alwaies in the same part of the body that the Apostume shall appeare, shall be made the incision of a veyne.