Enchiridion medicum: containing the causes, signs, and cures of all those diseases, that do chiefly affect the body of man: divided into three books. With alphabetical tables of such matters as are therein contained. Whereunto is added a treatise, De facultatibus medicamentorum compositorum, & dosibus. / By Robert Bayfield.

CHAP. XXXV.

IMBECILLITAS JECINORIS is caused of a distemper, either hot, cold, moyst, or dry.

1. A hot distemper doth burn up as well the humours which were before in the liver, as also those humours which are carried to the liver, by the veines Mesenterii, and there is stink∣ing grosse choller, avoyded by the belly, and is abundantly coloured; also a fever vexeth him, he abhorreth meat, and many times cast∣eth up choller, with a sore thirstinesse, the vrine high, and a swift pulse.

2. In a cold distemper, it doth make the flegmatick and raw humour, which is already contained in the liver, tough and hard to be moved, and the humours that be carried to the liver, it leaves them half digested; this indureth long, and the belly floweth certain dayes abun∣dantly, but lesse stinking, and not so much in quantity; and is like putrefact blood curded, but indeed for the most part you shall find it, as it were a certain slime, and dregs of grossblood,

coming nigh to melancholy: many times there appeareth a faint fever, the face doth not fall, and there is a greater appetite of meats.

3. A dry distemper, doth make the hu∣mours drier and thicker, and less in quantity than the former, but thirsty.

4. A moyst distemper make the humours more thin and watery, and they are less trou∣bled with thirst, therefore they which have a weak faculty of the liver, are called Hepatici.

1. In a hot cause, if there be not great aridity, and driness, with exceeding heat, open the li∣ver vein of the right arm, otherwise not; for blood is a bridle, and temperator of choller: in all heat of the liver, Ceratum santalinum, is good, Use broath wherein is boyled Lettice, Endive, and Succory; no flesh except it be chickens, par∣tridg, birds of mountaines, or a little veal; no wine, except the stomach be weak, then let it be very thin, and anoynt the stomach, but especially the region of the heart, If he be in a pining con∣dition, make him gellies, and put in red saun∣ders, and let him take of this julep following.

℞. Syrrupus Endiviae. Acetosae, Portulacae, Rosarum Rub. & violarum ana ℥.j.

Barley water as much as sufficeth to make a ju∣lep, if the stomack be weak, adde a little syr∣rup of wormwood; also this Electuary follow∣ing is wondrous proper.

℞. Cons. Rosat. Rub. ℥.j. Spec. Diarrho. Abb. ʒ.j. Spec. Aromat. ros. ℈.j. Syr. lujulae. q. s. f. Elect. Mosle.

Or as you shall see cause, you may adde Rosa∣rum.

Rub. Trochis. Diarhod. Coral. Rub. & Dia∣trion santalon. For the poorer sort, direct chirn∣milk boyled with sorrel, and so let them drink the Ale thereof.

2. In a cold cause or distemper, take savory Hysop, sage, and parsley in his broth, let his meat be dressed with aromatick things, as Ci∣namon, Cloves, &c. Also wine is good, espe∣cially clarret, providing they avoyd idleness, also the decoction that is set down in Paralysis is good, adding, wormwood, calamint, anise, fennel, and let the one half be wine; sometimes drink it with syrrup of wormwod, and agrimo∣ny, use hot oyles, as nard, wormwood, cam∣momel, cinamon, cloves, and spicknard, also for the poorer sort, use wormwood beer, and wormwood wine.

3. In a moyst distemper, use a drying diet, and provoke sweat; Diacurcuma is good, so is syr∣rup of wormwood.

4. In a drie distemper, use a moystning diet, also mixe strengthening things with your moist things, one dragme of wolves liver in powder, and ministred in sweet wine, allayed with water, is very excellent,

℞. Anisi, sem. Apii, Asari, Amygdalarum, Ab∣synthii and ℥, ss. Aquae pluviae q.s. Formen∣tur trochisci.

Galen doth much commend them, for saith he, Hepaticos juvant, habent enim vim hepar expurgan∣di per urinas: dantur cum vino, febrientibus cum aqua. They are proper in a cold and moyst di∣stemper of the liver, because they are hot and purge by urine: but in heat,

℞. Spec. Diarrhod. abbat. diatrion santal. an. ʒ.j.aq. endiv. acetos. rosar. an. ℥.j. misce fiat epithema. Marquardus.

Notes

• Causa.
• Signa.
• Curatio. Venae-sectio
• Ceratum. Victus ra∣tio.
• Oleum. with Oleum Rosarum aut violarum.
• Julepus.
• Electuariū.
• Vinum. Decoctio.
• Oleum.
• Diacurcue ma.
• Trochisci hepatici. Galenus.
• Epithema.