An experimental treatise of surgerie in four parts : 1. The first part shewing the dangerous abuses committed among the modern surgeons, 2. Of cures of all sorts of wounds in mans body ..., 3. Of the symptomes of wounds ..., 4. Treating of all kinds of balmes, salves, plaisters, ointments, oyles, bloodstenchers, potions, tents, corrosives, &c. which are used for wounds ... / by that most famous and renowned surgeon, Felix Wurtz, citie surgeon at Basell ... ; exactly perused after the authors own manuscrip, by Rodolph Wurtz, surgeon at Strasburg ; faithfully the second time translated into Neather Dutch, out of the twenty eighth copy printed in the German tongue, and now also Englished and much corrected, by Abraham Lenertzon Fox, surgeon at Zaerdam ; whereunto is added a very necessary and useful piece, by the same author, called the Childrens book, treating of all things which are necessary to be known by all those, to whose trust and overlooking, little children are committed.

CHAP. VI.

Of spouting and sprinkling into Wounds, of Tents, and of Corrosives.

I Cannot chose but to speak something about syringing, and that briefly without any Receipt: spouting is much used with Lavaments, I describe none of them, because I see there is more hurt than good done with them, and so I hold their use to be unadvisable, and this must be under∣stood about fresh wounds. And if any wound precisely be for the use of them, he ought not to siringe strongly in∣to any wound or stab, be it as deep as it will, else the wound within will be driven asunder, or enlarged and made wider: spout so gently, that the medicine may only drop∣pingly fall out of the Syringe into the wound.

But in spoiled wounds, which are fistulated, to these siringing may very well be used, unto which in some place I gave my advise. These Syringes must be either crooked or straight, as the condition of the wound is, whereby you may come to the bottom of wounds, and to bring the medicines thither also. To sore throats, for pains in the mouth, a strong siringing is necessary, because through that strong spouting, is better washed off the slyme and filth from teeth, and from the holes of the throat, than when meerly gargarismes are used.

Of Wicks or Tents.

When Wicks are to be used, ye heard it above, viz. to wounds where spinters are, to flap wounds, to vehement bleeding wounds; for other places I do not advise them, it being a dangerous abuse: I hold less of swelling Tents, unless they be made of Juniper Gum, of the root of Gen∣tiana, dry Sponges &c.

I do not see what good they can do either in fresh or in dryed wounds: true, they keep a wound asunder, but close

again quickly, leaving the wound in her old condition: if a swelling Tent be put into a Wound, stops the hole, lets no matter come forth, keeps it in forcibly, till it be pulled out again, and vent be given to the wound.

If Tents needs must be used to keep open wounds: then make them of linnen cloth, cover them with an Unguent, mingled with burnt Allum, &c. then they will bite round a∣bout, and make an open place. My advise is that medicins should be conveyed to the bottom of the wound, and not onely to dawb the Tents therewith: and Tents used to spoiled wounds are such, which of themselves melt within the wound. These are thrust home to the bottom of it, and to the upper place of the wound there is laid another made of linnen, to keep in the first Tent, that it come not forth before it is melted; of such Tents I have made men∣tion afore, hoping to speak more largely of it in another place, when I shall publish my Cures about wound Fistu∣la's, and the like Sores.

Of Corrosives.

To use Cauteries to fresh wounds is needless, and hurt∣ful, and spoils a fresh wound wholly, and does no good at all neither in Blood stenching, or other occasions. Cor∣rosives have poisoned many wounds, turning them to a Fistula, Cancer, Noli me tangeri. Corrosives do wound bones, and are the cause why such a wound cannot be heal∣ed, and turns to a Fistula: they inflame sinews and cause many other mischiefs.

Surgeons usually corrode with sublimed mercury, which is a great abuse and misunderstanding: for Mercury doth not bite, the salts do it which he received in the subliming, these corrode the broad way, causing smarting pains: Mer∣cury ought not to be used at all to fresh wounds. Others use crude Arsenick, and some do sublime it; but it is as hurt∣ful to fresh wounds as Mercury is: some use the caput mort of Aquafort: and otheres use the red calcined Vitriol: all these are naught to wounds. Nature desires quietness, will not be disquieted by such evil medicines: sweet and

gentle things are to be used here, and not to press Nature with sharp Corrosives. I never used any stronger Corro∣sive to wounds but quenched Allum: true, I hold, that Arsenick is to be used to spoiled wounds, but my way of preparing of it is, that it deserves no more the name of a Corrosive or venome; it separates the ill from good, not causing any pain. The Brown Unguent performs all, what is to be done about wounds; as you heard above: in want of this Unguent, you may use Ʋnguentum Egyptiacum; provided there be no Allum in it, or a very little, as some use it: But this Egyptiack Unguent is not to be compared in any degree with the Brown Unguent.

How to prepare Arsenick that it may safely be used.

Arsenick ought not to be used crude, being a meer ve∣nome; its operation is answerable to its preparation; u∣sually it is prepared thus. Take of Christallin Arsenick ℥ 2, of Saltpeter ℥ 2, grind them well together, put it in a melting pot, make a circular fire about it, let it melt, and let the smoak and fume go away; increase the fire, that it be red hot, let it stand thus two or three hours, then cast into it of yellow Sulphur ʒ 1: this being done, cast it forth on a marble, set it in the Cellar, it dissolves in few dayes: that liquor keep in a glass for use.

Thus I close this Fourth Part, true, I could have quoted many other things, but I purposely avoided prolixity; be∣ing this Book is already grown bigger than I inrended it should. Reader I hope these will be an occasion to you, to regulate your self in other things, intreating you, to accept in good part this my labour, which was to be ser∣vicible to others. The bad things in it must be ascribed to Man, for the good things in it God is to be thanked and praised.

Notes

• Spouting or Sprink∣ling.
• Swelling tents are naught.
• How to make tents to keep wounds o∣open there∣by.
• Melting tents.
• Cauteries are not good to be used.
• Sublimed Mercury.
• Extinguisht Allum.
• Arsenicks operation.
• Brown Un∣guent.
• Arsenick how prepa∣red.
• Conclusion