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.

Of the Distempers of the Mouth, happening by rea∣son of the Scurvy.

ASsoon as the Scorbutick Taint seizes the parts of the Mouth, that the Gums swell, and their flesh becomes Spongy, pre∣sently let Remedies be carefully administred, which may keep them from Putresaction: Amongst these, washings of the Mouth, and Liniments are of chiefest use, both when the Disease is be∣ginning about those parts, and when it is come to a greater height there; though as they regard various intents, so they ought to be diversly prepar'd, viz. the flesh of the Gums, when first it swells, ought to be freed from the incursions of the Blood, or of the salt and corrupted Serum, and to be dried: afterward, the flesh of the same grown flaccid, and faln from the Teeth, ought to be freed from Putrefaction, and also to be constring'd, that it might hold the Teeth the faster. For these and haply other intents, let Gargarisms, or Washings of the Mouth be ordered, of divers kinds; of all which, in a manner the chief ingredients are Vegetables boiled, and Minerals infused: The Herbs or Roots, which are boiled in a fit Liquor, viz. in Water or Wine, for the most part are smart or bitter, or stiptick; and then those Decoctions are impregnated either with a volatile, lixivial, vitriolate, Chalybeate, or aluminous Salt. I shall here set down certain forms of each kind.

1. When therefore the flesh of the Gums first swells, and becomes spongy by reason of the Influx of the salt and corrupted Blood and Serum, Take the middle Bark of Elder, and of Elm, of each half a Handful; Leaves of Savory, Sage, wild Mustard, Garden∣cresses, of each a Handful; Roots of Pelitory of Spain, two Drams; being sliced and bruised, let them boyl in three Pounds of Water of Lime, till a third part be consumed; if sweetning be required, add Honey of Roses, two Ounces; make a Gargarism. Or, take Vitriol Camphorated, an Ounce; (vulgarly with us it's called by the name of Captain Green's Power) Fountain-water, two Pounds; mix them in a Glass; shake it and then when the Liquor is grown clear by setling, let it be used. Or, prepare a Lixivium of the Ashes of Broom, or of Rosemary, or of Tartar and Nitre Calcin'd: In three

Pounds of this, boyl Leaves of Savory, Time, Sage, and Rosemary, of each a Handful; let the straining be poured on two Handfuls of Scur∣vy-grass; make a warm and close Infusion for three hours: Let it be strained again, and kept for Washing the Mouth several times in a day.

For the same Intent, let Liniments also be applied betwixt whiles, and espectally in the Night, that their Virtue may be conveyed to the Diseased even when they are asleep. Amongst Authors, a com∣mon, famous, and long tryed Medicine is found: Take the Pow∣der of the Leaves of Columbines, the Curl'd Mint, Sage, Nutmegs, Myrrh, (which last nevertheless may be sometimes omitted) of each two Drams; Burnt Allom, half an Ounce; Virgin-Honey, four Ounces, or what suffices; make a Liniment according to Art.

2. If at any time the Flesh of the Gums growing Flac∣cid falls from the Roots of the Teeth, let a Gentle Scarrifica∣tion be often us'd, and also let the mouth be wash't with this Decoction. Take tops of Brambles and Cypress, Leaves of Sani∣cle, and Cuckow Flowers, of each a handful, Boyl them in three pounds of Water, in which Iron has been quencht till a third part be consum'd, to the straining ad Hony of Roses two Ounces mix them.

Let a Liniment of this kind be applyed. Take Powder of the Roots of Florentine Orris, Leaves of Sage and St. Johns Wort of each two Drams. Bole Armeniack, Sal Prunella of each a Dram, warm Virgin Honey what suffices, let them be incorporated by stirring them.

3. When the Gums Putrifie, and are Corrupted, and withal the Teeth being Rotten grow loose, and emit a Stinking. Smell, let stronger Medicines, and such as greatly resist putrefaction, be used, an infusion of Vitriol Camphorated, also of the Lapis Medica∣mentosus, have chiefly place here.

Or, Take Roots of Gentian, and of Round Birth-wort slic't, of each half an Ounce, Leaves of the Lesser Centory, Pontick Worm∣wood, Savory, Columbines of each a handful, let them boyl in three pounds of Lime Water, or of a Lixivial Water, also sometimes in Water in which Iron has been quencht, sometimes in Alum Wa∣ter till a third part be consum'd; to the straining add Crude Hony two or three Ounces; mix them.

4. If the falling out of the Teeth be chiefly fear'd. Take Barks of the Roots of the Sloe Tree an Ounce, Tormentil and whole Bistort of each a handful, Pomgranate Rinds and Balaustia of each half an Ounce; Boyl them in three pounds of Fountain Water; to the Straining ad Alum two or three Drams, of the best Hony two Ounces, mix them. Take Vitriol Complorated, Burnt Harts-horn

of each a Dram, Nutmegs half a Dram, of the best Hony what suffices; make a Liniment. Or, Take Powder of the Roots of Bi∣stort, Pomgranate-rinds, Bole Armoniack, Burnt Allum of each a Dram, Hony of Roses what suffices, add Spirst of Vitriol a Scruple, make a Liniment.

5. If at any time putrid and profoun'd Ulcers (as it sometimes happens) infests the Gums, or other parts of the Mouth, let the forementioned stronger Medicines be often ad∣ministred: Moreover let a Cloth dipt in Ʋnguentum Egyptiacum, dis∣solv'd in Spirit of Wine, or in an infusion of the Lapis Medicamen∣tosus, or of Sublimate, be now and then applyed to the place affected. In these Cases let the Cure be committed to to a skilful Chi∣rurgeon.