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. LIV.

ANASARCA, * 1.1 is a dropsie causing all the body and flesh to be loose, and wet like a spunge, spitting when it is pressed: It is called also Lupophlegmatia. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

This kind of dropsie is caused through great coldness of the liver, * 1.2 or other parts that be

cooled, which bringeth the liver into the same affect; as the coldness of the spleen, stomach, Bowels, Lungs, Reines, and Midriffe: some∣times through unmeasurable voyding of Hem∣royds, or Menstruis, or through their retenti∣on: for in all these the liver hath no unnatu∣ral swelling, and yet the dropsie followes onely through refrigeration of the liver: sometimes it waxeth hard, as is seen in those that drink cold water, and so cool the liver on heaps, and so the dropsie follows before it be lifted up into a knotty swelling: sometimes it followeth the Gout; loathing of meat; evil state of body; Jaun∣dies, Caeliacus morbus, and dysenteria.

The whole body swelleth, * 1.3 and is like a dead body: and there is difficulty of breathing, hea∣vinesse, naughty colour, and thirst: women are lesse troubled with the dropsie then men; but children for the most part are taken with Ana∣sarca; this is least dangerous.

First, if age and strength will suffer, * 1.4 and that there be retention of Hemroyds, or Menstruis, draw blood; Secondly, purge with Jalap, * 1.5 or Rhubarb, or Gambogiae, gr. 12. with syrrup of wormwood; also wormwood-wine and beer is good: purge often, and not too much at once. Elder roots sodden in wine are good; you shall find remedies enough in obstruction of the liver, you must provoke urine with broom-flowers, * 1.6 M. ij. in white-wine quar. 1. also eringa roots boyled in broath, are good. Take wormwood, flowers of broom, hysop, tops of red nettles, ana M.j. chop them small, seeds of annise, fennel, carraway, ana ℥.j. bruise them, mixe them,

and knead them into a loaf of wheat bread, lb. iv. bake it drie, then break it into small pie∣ces, and put it into a ferkin of strong drink, when it is well wrought, let it stand a week, and then let the patient drink of it often: or take a dry broom faggot, half a peck of bean hulls, three handfulls of dry wormwood, * 1.7 and with dry ash burn them to ashes, make lye of it: you may make a small quantity, for it will not keep: for the liver, * 1.8 take powder of Diacurcuma ℈.j. powder of Diatrion santalon, Diarrhodon Abbatis ana ʒ.ss. nutmegs, spicknard, an. ℈.j.ss. Aromat. ro∣sat. ℈.j. Rhubarb. ʒ.ss. seeds of Endive, fennel ana ℈.ij. wormwood ℈.j. sugar ℥.j. commix them, you may adde carraway-seed, cummin, aniseed, parseley, lovage, liqueris, &c. biscake-bread with good stood store of aniseeds: Also a poultis with beane-meale, * 1.9 fenegreek, lau∣rel-berries, wormwood, and origan; sodden in wine; lay it all over the body: If it swell, you may adde melilote, sage, mints, savory, rew, cammomel flowers, myrrh, castoreum, peni∣royal, cardamume, sothernwood; bathe the swelled legs with bot oyles; or if there be the gout with the dropsie, this poultis following is good: * 1.10 Take leven lb. ss. Turpintine ℥.iv. make them like a poultis or pulpe with white-wine vinegar, spread it on a thick cloth, strew one ounce of Cantherides in powder, apply it one night to the swelled legges; smalledge broath is good, * 1.11 with parsely, rosemary, &c. A drie diet must be, and exercise is excellent: this drink is much commended. Take a pint of the ashes of bean hulls, put it into a quart of water, and a

quart of white-wine, set it on the fire, * 1.12 and stirre it all the while untill it begin to boyle, then set it by one hour or two, then powre it from the ashes through a cloth, and adde twelve ounces of syrrup of Dialthaea, brue it together, and drink a quarter of a pint at a time, last at night, and first in the morning, mid forenoon, and mid afternoon. If bound, administer a cly∣ster twice or thrice a week: candid Eringa roots are very good to eat at meals. * 1.13 Hercules Saxonia in lib. 3. cap. 32. saith, Fortissimum medi∣camentum est succus cucumaris agrestis, qui dici∣tur Elaterium, si dentur ejus gr. iij. extracti per punctionem; si enim per expressionem extrahatur, dantur ejus grana octo, vel decem. And he did usually make pills therewith, after this manner.

℞. Pilularnm alephang. ℈.j. elaterii. grana iij. * 1.14 vel iv. misce f. pilulae.

In this disease the liver must be strengthened, for which purpose

℞. Radic. Apii. ℥.i.ss. radic. Asari ℥.ss. * 1.15 ab∣sinthii M.j. florum Bugloss. Borrag. Sambu∣ci ana. p. j. seminum cuscute ʒ. ij. endiviae, ascetosae ana ʒ. j. santal. omnium ana ʒ.i.ss. Spicaenar. vel casiae lign. sqaenanthi ana ʒ.ss. decoquantur in vino & aqua: pro fotu regio∣nis hepatis. Plater. Tract. 3. cap. 3. pag. 293. Rhasis in 7. contin. * 1.16 notat in cura hyposarcae singulariter rhabarbarum: nam est medicina solennis, curans eam à quacunque causa pro∣venientem.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Causa.
• * 1.3

  Signa.
• * 1.4

  Curatio.
• * 1.5

  Jalapum. Cambogiae. Vinum absinth.
• * 1.6

  Vinum genistae.
• * 1.7

  Lixivium diuret.
• * 1.8

  Pulvis.
• * 1.9

  Cataplas∣ma.
• * 1.10

  Cataplas∣ma.
• * 1.11

  Victus ra∣tio. Exercitium
• * 1.12

  Potius di∣uretica.
• * 1.13

  Hercul. Saxon. Elaterium.
• * 1.14

  Pilulae cum elaterio. Hercul. Saxon.
• * 1.15

  Epithema. Platerus.
• * 1.16

  Rhafis.