The London practice of physick, or, The whole practical part of Physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis faithfully made English, and printed together for the publick good.

The Kinds and Prescripts of Medicines that stop Ʋ∣rine flowing in excess.

A Stringent Medicines properly so call'd, to wit, such as are austere, acerb, and stiptick, do little or nothing in stop∣ping a Diuresis; for the vertue of those things has no effect on the Mass of Blood, nor does it reach to the Reins and Bladder: But the Remedies that chiefly do good in the Diabetes are of two kinds, as we have hinted before: viz. First, those that hinder the combinations of the Salts, and consequently the fusion of the Blood, such as the Incrassatives before mentioned.

Secondly, Those that dissolve the Concretions of the Salts, and consequently restore the mixture of the Blood, of which kind are Saline Remedies of a contrary nature, which are apt to cleave to the Acid Salt, and so withdraw it from the combinations it has entred into within the Blood, as chiefly Medicines endow'd with a fixt, volatile or alchalisate Salt. Besides these two Primary kinds of Medicines that restrain Urine, there rests a Secondary kind, to wit, Hypnoticks, which putting some stop to the Animal Aeconomy, cause the vital function to be perform'd with more calmness, and consequently with less fusion of the Blood, or pre∣cipitation of the serous and nutricious humours. It remains now to set down some Select Forms of each kind of these Medicines.

I. The first Scope of Curing, to wit, by which we endeavour by thickning the Blood to prevent its fusion, or to take it away, is effected by the Medicines following.

Take Gumm Arabick, and Tragacanth powder'd, of each an Ounce, Sugar Penids half an Ounce: Make a Powder, divide it into sixteen parts. Take one part thrice a day, dissolving it in the distill'd water, or in the docoction of the Roots of Comphry in fountain water or Milk.

Take of the Resumptive Electuary three Ounces, Species Diatraga∣canthi frigidi an Ounce, Red Coral prepar'd two Drams, Confection of Hyacinth a Dram and a half, Gelly of the cast Skins of Vipers what will suffice: Make an Electuary, of which let the Patient take twice a day the quantity of a Wallnut.

Take white Amber, Mastick, Olibanum powdred, of each an Ounce, Pulvis Haly two Ounces, Balsam of Tolu half an Ounce: Make a Subtle Powder, the Dose is half a Dram twice or thrice a day.

Take Roots of great Comphry, and Water Lillies, of each three Oun∣ces, Dates slic'd two Ounces, Seeds of Maliows, Cotton-plant, Plan∣tain, Fleawort, of each half an Ounce, Boil them in four pounds of

fountain water till half be consum'd, to the straining add Syrup of Wa∣ter Lillies two Ounces: The Dose is four Ounces thrice a day.

Take of the decoction of Barly with Water Lilly-roots a pound and a half, Sweet Almonds prepar'd an Ounce and a half, Seeds of white Poppies, Purslain, Lettice, of each half an Ounce: Make an Emulsion according to art, the Dose is four Ounces thrice a day.

Take Cypress Tops six handfuls, Clary Leaves four handfuls, Flowers of blind Nettles, Comphry, Water Lillies, of each four handfuls, Roots of Water Lillies and Comphry, of each half a pound, Mace an Ounce, all being small slic'd together, pour to them of new Milk eight pounds, distil them in an ordinary Still: The Dose is four Ounces thrice a day, with the Powder of Electuary above written.

II. In the second place, though Saline Medicines of every kind and condition are accounted Diuretick, and every of them in cer∣tain cases, inasmuch as they fuse the Blood, and cause a copious separation of its Serosities, are in some sort Diuretick. Never∣theless for the reason above-mention'd, to wit, for that meeting with the Acid Salt, when it is predominant in the Blood, they prevent and take away its fusion and dissolution. I do not doubt but sometimes they may be given with good success to stop Fluxes of Urine. And I have heard for certain, that one was Cur'd of a Diabetes by an Infusion of quick Lime. Now in re∣gard the Saline Medicaments (which we suppose to take away the predominancy of the Acid Salt, and to fetter it, as it were) contain either a fixt, volatile or Alchalisate Salt: I shall give you some Forms of Diureticks, which have each of these for their foundation.

1. First then when a fixt Salt by it self, or join'd with Sulphur is requir'd for a Basis.

Take Tincture of Salt of Tartar, or its Deliquium what suffices: Give it thrice a day in a draught of the decoction or distilld water be∣fore describ'd.

Take Tincture of Antimony, let it be taken after the same manner thrice a day: I have found by frequent experience the use of this to be very profitable in this Disease.

Take Tincture of Salt of Coral a Scruple, let it be taken after the same manner.

Take of the Infusion of quick Lime a pound: The Dose is three or four Ounces thrice a day, giving before a Dose of the Electuary, or Pow∣der above prescrib'd.

Take Conserves of the Flowers of blind Nettles, and of the great Com∣phry, of each four Ounces, of the reddest Crocus of steel half an Ounce, Coral calcin'd to a whiteness two Drams, Syrup of Comphry what suffi∣ces. Make an Electuary, the Dose is two Drams thrice a day.

Take Lapis Specularis calcin'd an Ounce: The Dose is from half a Dram to a Dram twice or thrice a day. Country People with this Medicine successfully Cure their Cattle that piss bloody water.

Take Coral calcin'd to a whiteness and powdred three Drams, Pow∣der of Gumm Arabick and Tragacanth, of each a Dram: Make Powder, divide it into ten parts, let one part be taken thrice a day with a fit Vehicle, to wit, with the decoction or the distill'd water.

Take the reddest Crocus Martis six Drams, Gumm Lac powdred half an Ounce, red Saunders a Dram: Make a Powder, divide it in∣to twenty parts, whereof let one be taken thrice a day.

Take Hartshorn burnt and powdred half an Ounce, boil it in four pounds of the water of a Smiths forge till half be consum'd, adding towards the end a Crust of Bread, Roots of great Comphry, and water Lillies dry'd, of each an Ounce and a half, Sacchari Perlati two Ounces, let him take four Ounces thrice a day.

2. Medicines containing an Alchalisate Salt, such as Coral, Pearl, Cuttle-bone, Hartshorn, Ivory, Powders of Shells and the like, as they are commonly us'd against Rheumatick affects, so likewise for a Diabetes: And inasmuch as they imbibe the Acid Salt abounding in the Blood, and so free the Mass of Blood from fusion, we may justly expect a benefit from them.

Take red Coral ground to a great subtlety, Cuttle-bone, of each half an Ounce, Hartshorn Philosophically calcin'd three Drams, Pearl, Ivory, Crabs Eyes, of each a Dram: Mix them, make a Powder, the Dose is half a Dram thrice a day, with a fit Vehicle.

Take of the said Powder three Ounces, Species Diatragacanth frigid two Ounces, Sugar Candy two Ounces: Make a Powder, and with a sufficient quantity of the Solution of Gumm Arabick make a Paste; and let it be form'd into Troches weighing half a Dram, let three or four be taken thrice or oftner in a day.

Take of the said Powder two Ounces, of the Resumptive Electuary four Ounces, Conserve of the Flowers of water Lillies three Ounces, Syrup of the same what suffices: Make an Electuary, let him take the quantity of a Chesnut thrice a day, drinking after it a draught of the Apozeme, or of the distill'd water above prescrib'd.

3. For the same reason as Medicines endued with a fixt and Al∣chalisate Salt seem proper in Curing the Diabetes; for the same reason do such as have a volatile Salt. For these as well as those lay hold on, and draw of the Acid Salt, (by which the Blood is fus'd and dissolv'd into Serosities) so that its Liquor recovers its due Crasis.

Take the Solar Tincture prepar'd (as I readily do it) with Sal Ar∣moniack an Ounce, The Dose is twenty Drops thrice a day. The Spi∣rits of Blood, Soot and Hartshorn, may also be try'd in this Disease.

Take Salt of Amber a Dram, the reddest Crocus Martis two Drams: Mix them, divide it into twelve parts, the Dose is one part thrice a day.

III. As to the third kind of Remedies in the Diabetes, to wit, Hypnoticks, which by putting a stay to the Animal Spirits, re∣tard the course of the Blood, and so hinder in some measure its effervescency and fusion. I use to prescribe to some persons Dia∣scordium to be taken every Evening, and when that does not do, I give sometimes every Night, and sometimes every other Night Liquid Laudanum Cydoniated or Tartariz'd, and that with good suc∣cess.

Take the decoction of Barly, with the dry'd Roots of Comphry six Ounces, white Poppy-seeds two Drams, sweet Almonds prepar'd in number six: Make an Emulsion according to art, let it be taken every Night going to sleep.

Take of the Magistral distill'd water above prescrib'd four Ounces, Solution of Tragacanth two Drams, Diascordium from half an Ounce to six Drams. Give it going to sleep.

Take Conserve of the flowers of water Lillies two Drams, Lauda∣num Tartariz'd or Cydoniated a Scruple, Tincture of Saffron six Grains: Make a Bolus to be taken going to sleep.