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.

CHAP. II. Instructions and Prescripts for other Distempers of the Liver.

THe Liver often uses to be faulty, especially in one of these two things, viz. either intercepting the Nutritive Juice ap∣pointed for other parts, it applies it to its proper use, as its gene∣rally seen in Children troubled with the Rickets, and in many o∣thers leading a sloathful and idle Life: Or Secondly, it too easily receives into its most inward Recesses, the filthiness of the de∣praved Blood, and all dreggy Excrements coming in its way, and retaining them does not only grow large, but is obstru∣cted in its Ductus's, whence oftentimes proceeds a Jaundise, or Dropsie, and tumours, and preternatural Concretions of divers kinds.

Therefore we must take care of these two things, viz. lest the Liver by taking to it self too much of the Nutritive Juice, grow to too great a Bulk, and lest by retaining the filthy dregs of the Blood, it be troubled with obstructions, and preternatural tu∣mours.

Both these faults are much more easily prevented than Cur'd: For the former is effected only by taking care that the Blood being well constituted in its Crasis, and enjoying a free Circulati∣on, both distributes the Nutritive Juice to the parts, and especi∣ally the outmost, and driving all its Excrements to all their re∣spective Emunctories deposes them there: And indeed the Hepa∣tick Medicines (vulgarly so call'd, though they regard the other Viscera as well as the Liver) do first and more immediately exert their vertue by purifying the Blood, rather than by correcting the Liver, or other entrals; for entring the Blood, and being im∣miscible with it, they so throughly exagitate it, that they make it discharge all its superfluities by their proper Emissaries; and if any Medicines are found by some specifick virtue, to have respect to one part more than to another, its because their Particles being more ally'd, and consequently associated to the Recrements to be separa∣ted

within that entral, are carried thither together with them: For this reason Rhubarb, Turmerick, the greater Celandine, and many other things ally'd to the Gall, readily pass to its Ductus's, and are wont to do good in the Jaundise: We have before set forth the Ener∣gies and ways of operating of these Medicines: As to other He∣paticks commonly so call'd, we shall briefly set down certain Forms, First of those which are said to prevent or remove the Non-natural accretion of the Liver, and then of those which do the like, in respect of its obstructions, and preternatural tu∣mours.

1. Against the too great accretion, or disproportionate nourish∣ment of the Liver: First, a spare and thin Dyet, short Sleep, and frequent and moderate Exercises are proper. Wherefore if at any time Infants and Children are found obnoxious to this affect, as likewise to the Rickets, we order that they suck thin and serous Milk, that they are daily toss'd in their Nurses Arms, and carried from one place to another with a swift motion, or that they are put in a Chariot, or in a Chair, and swiftly driven to and fro, and that they learn to use their feet as soon as may be, and go a∣bout.

Take the Waters of Snails and Earth-worms, of each three Ounces, Syrup of Cichory with Rhubarb two Ounces, Spirit of Sal Armoniack with Gum Ammoniacum a Scruple: Mix them, take a spoonful at Night, and early in the Morning.

Take Roots of Male Fern, Chervil, Candied Eringo's, of each an Ounce, Leaves of Agrimony, Harts Tongue, Male Speedwel, of each a handful, shavings of Ivory and Hartshorn, of each two Drams, white and yel∣low Saunders, of each a Dram, Raisms ston'd an Ounce and a half, Barly three Drams: Boil them in three pounds of fountain water to two pounds; to the straining add the waters of Snails and Earth∣worms, of each an Ounce and a half, Syrup of Cichory two Ounces: Make an Apozeme, take to two or three Ounces in a day.

Take Powder of white and yellow Saunders, Crabs Eyes, Lignum Aloes, of each half a Dram, Salt of Wormwood a Scruple: Make a Powder, the Dose is from half a Scruple, to a Scruple twice a day.

Take Emplastrum Diasaponis, Ceratum Santalinum, of each what suffices: Make a Plaister to be apply'd to the right Hypo∣chondre.

Take Ʋnguentum Splanchnicum two Ounces, Oyl of Wormwood an Ounce: Mix them, make a Liniment for the Region of the Liver.

The Remedies for most other Diseases of the Liver, are either Simple or Compound: Amongst those of the former kind, are u∣sually reckon'd all Cichories, Sorrels, sharp-pointed Docks, and

in a manner all Vegetables which have a sort of bitterness joyn∣ed with somewhat of a smartness (in which the Deopilative vertue is said to consist) as Wormwood, Germander, Ground-Pine, Fumitory, Tansie, Agrimony, Liver-wort, Lignum Aloes, all the Saunders, Tamarisk-bark, Ash-bark, and the Roots of Capers, with many others which make up the greatest part of Botanicks.

The fixt Salts of Herbs, and the Acid Spirits of Minerals claim a chief place amongst these, because they mightily agitate the Mass of Blood, dissolve its Concretions, clear its stoppages, and make it every where permeable in all its parts.

Its also manifest both by reason and experience, that prepara∣tions of Steel are often proper in Distempers of the Liver, as e∣specially in the Jaundise, and the Dropsy.

In the Antidotaries of the Ancients, we find a great many Physical Compositions which seem to be wholly design'd for the Liver, as the Electuary ê scoria ferri Rhasis, &c. But passing over these, I shall now give you some Forms and Examples of Medi∣cines which are accounted Deopilatives, according to the practice of our times.

Therefore for an Opening Decoction.

TAke Roots of Fern, Chervil, the greater Nettle, Dandelion, of each an Ounce, Leaves of Agrimony, Harts Tongue, Speedwel, Oak of Hierusalem, Liver-wort, of each a handful, white and yellow Saunders, of each three Drams, shavings of Ivory half an Ounce, Red Cicehs an Ounce, Coriander Seeds three Drams, Raisins two Ounces: Boil them in four pounds of fountain water, to two pounds, adding about the end Whitewine four Ounces, strain it through Hippocra∣tes sleeve; to which put Species Diarrhodon Abbatis a Dram, our prepar'd Steel two Drams: To the straining add Syrup of Cichory with Rhubarb two Ounces, waters of Snails and Earth-worms, of each an Ounce: The Dose is six Ounces twice a day, after a Dose of the following Electuary.

Take Conserve of the yellow Coats of Oranges and Limons, of each two Ounces, of Wormwood and Fumitory, of each an Ounce, Simple Powder of Aron Roots, Lignum Aloes, yellow Saunders, and Caper Roots, of each a Dram and a half, Crabs Eyes a Dram, Salt of Worm∣wood two Drams, Syrup of Fumitory what suffices: Make an Electu∣ary, the Dose is the quantity of a Wallnut twice a day, drinking after it a draught of the Apozeme before written, or of the following di∣still'd water.

Take Leaves of Wormwood, Centory, Tansie, both Southernwoods, Branches of Tamerisk, of each four handfuls, green Wallnuts four pounds, green Ashen-keys two pounds, the outward Kinds of ten O∣ranges, and of four Limons, Snails, Earth-worms prepar'd, of each a pound; being all slic'd, pour to them of Whitewine eight pounds, di∣stil it with common Organs: Let all the Liquor be mixt, the Dose is three Ounces, sweeten it with Sugar, or some proper Syrup.

If a Form of Pills be more grateful; the following Ecphra∣ctick Extract (as the Shops call it) seems good.

Take white and clear Tartar, and fresh Filings of Iron, of each four Ounces, let them be bruis'd together into a Powder, then boil it in four pounds of fountain wa•••••• to two pounds, (some use White∣wine) to the straining add tops of Centory, Sea Wormwood, and Car∣duus, of each a handful, Gentian Roots half an Ounce, Species Dia∣curcumae a Dram and a half; let them boil close cover'd for three or four hours, then strain it, and let the straining evaporate by a gentle Bath heat, to a consistency for Pills, adding if you please, Troches of Rhubarb, or Species of Hiera Picra two Drams: The Dose is from a Scruple to half a Dram made into Pills, in the Evening with a fit Vehicle.

For the same intent, viz. to prevent or remove obstructions of the Liver, a Purging Physick Ale to be taken Spring and Fall for many days, is highly extoll'd by some, and diligently us'd by certain Persons every year during their Lives.

Take Roots of sharp pointed Dock prepar'd, and of Polypody of the Oak, of each three Ounces, Madder two Ounces, English Rhubarb two Ounces, Leaves of Sena four Ounces, Epithymum two Ounces, yellow Saunders an Ounce, Seeds of Carthamus and Coriander, of each an Ounce and a half, being slic'd and bruis'd, Make a Bag according to art for four Gallons of Ale, after six days take to twelve Ounces more or less in the Morning, by which you may expect four or five Stools, Sine Regimine.