CHAP. I. Of the Jaundies and the remedies thereof, and the manner and reason of their operations.
HItherto we have largely enough unfolded the Pathologie and curatory me∣thod of the Thorax; now it follows next to finish our task in like manner a∣bout the lower Belly. But we have in our former tract for the most part described already the medicines belonging to this region, and the manner and rea∣sons of their working, together with the Anatomy of the Stomach and Intestines: we have treated of remedies stomachical, dysenterical, and others belonging to the in∣testines, as also diureticks together with the reasons of them: Moreover we have sus∣sicently elsewhere handled the aetioligie of Hypochondriack, and Hysterical reme∣dies. What therefore remains, of Hepatical distempers as well proper, as of those vulgarly ascrib'd thereunto, and of their remedies we will discourse in this Section; notwithstanding in each of these, we will bestow more labour, about the curatory, than pathological part.
The chief diseases by which the Liver and the appendix thereof, are wont to be incumbred, are the Jaundies, and a Tumour, and under this latter many other affects, viz. obstruction, inflammation, induration, and schirrus are numbred; to all which are vulgarly appointed remedies commonly called Hepaticks, and which make up a great part of the Dispensatory.
The Jaundies is either a disease by it self, primarily beginning, which is here pro∣perly treated of: or it is an effect or product of another disease; as when it arises upon an intermitting Feaver, which oftentimes it puts an end to, of which also we will presently treat by the by.
An Icterical distemper by the common consent of most is judged to arise in as much as the yellow choler, not at all, or not enough received, from the ends of vena porta, into the passages of the cholerick pore, overflows into the mass of blood and pollutes it with its greenness, whereby also the very skin is discolour'd.
That obstruction is wont to happen after many manners and in various places. For sometimes it happens near the extream ends of either kind of vessels, viz. the end of the vena porta, and the porus bilarius; the interspaces whereof happen frequently to be compressed, and stopt by reason of the Parenchyma of the Liver being tume∣fied, or otherwise vitiated; wherefore the humour of the gall not being transferred out of the separating vessels of the porta into the other receiving vessels, turns back upon the blood. Secondly, the passage of the humour of the gall is sometimes intercept∣ed in the middle passages of the cholerick pore; for that the cavities of these are filled either with a viscous, or sandy, and sometimes with a stony matter; as is plainly discerned in the Livers of beasts in the winter senson, while they are fed with hay and straw. Thirdly, it is also manifest by Anatomical observation, some∣times an obstruction in the very bladder or the gall, or in the cystic passage is the cause of the Jaundies; for if at any time, it being filled with stones, receive not the choler, or being here shut up, or grown together, it restrains the descent of the choler towards the guts, that humour although well separated from the blood, is constrained to flow black into the mass thereof, and so propagates the Jundies.
Against this most received opinion, by which it is judged, that the cause of the Jaundies for the most part consists on this side the vesica fellis or about it towards the Liver: the most Renowned Sylvius altogether places it without this, viz. in the