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. X.

HECTICA FEBRIS: * 1.1 is anunnatural heat kindled, not onely in the spirits and hu∣mours, but also in the sound and fleshly parts: The Patient is not sensible of the fever, nor of any pain.

It is caused for the most part of burning fe∣vers continuing long: * 1.2 also great evacuations may be the cause: A feverous heat invades the dewy or alimentary humour, called Cambium; and at length consumes the humidity that is contained in the body of the heart: melting fevers the Greeks call Marasmos.

There may be felt heat if you lay your hand on them: Their urine is thin, cruide, white, * 1.3 and pale, at last oylie: a drie cough, a slack and hard pulse: It is called Hectick by reason of the drie Artery, their hands and feet are hotter af∣ter meales then before; their stomach sticketh almost to the ribs: the face is leady: at last he is like a ghost: his eyes hollow, his nose sharp, his haires fall, his legges swell; and lastly, a flux of the belly; then judge that death is nigh.

It is called a fever Hectic, so long as natural humidity is reserved; when that is consumed, then is called Marasmos.

The whole cure consists in cooling and moystning: * 1.4 let him eat ptisan, also flesh of kids, feasants, birds of mountains, cocks stones, ca∣pons flesh, reer-egges, lettice, endive, cichory, gourds, spinach, mallowes, cherries, strawber∣ries, pruines, pomegranets, melons; milk is ex∣treamely commended, if it be not compounded with another fever; Aq. sperm. ranar. is excel∣lent: * 1.5 beware of purging: if need be, give cool∣ing and moystning clysters, adding the mar∣row of cassia fistula. The syrrups of violets, pur∣slain, water-lillies, and poppies, are good: so are gellies; also lambs heads, and calves feet boyled in the decoction for clysters.

Let four young men take a sheet and dip it in cold water (in aqua sperm. ranarum, so I con∣ceive to be farre better) and lay the Patient in it, and immediately tumble him into another; into a third; and so into a fourth: also to dippe or plunge him into cold water is commended; and then to wipe him softly, with soft linnen cloathes: and to anoynt his body with oyle of roses, Galen much extolleth it.

℞. * 1.6 Aqua violarum nenupharis, lactucae, ana ℥ iij. aceti ℥. ss. rosar. rub. triasant. ana ʒ.j. pul. di∣amargaris, ʒ. ss. sem. portulacae gr. iij. croci ℈.ss. fiat epithema pro corde.

Apply it to the Region of the heart.

℞. * 1.7 Aqua lactucae ℥.ij. aceti ℥.j. Diarrhodon Ab∣batis ʒ.i.ss. eboris ℥.ss. portulacae ℈. ss. fiat Epithema.

Apply it to the liver. * 1.8 Pollio Romulus being above a hundred yeares old, Divus Augustus asked him, by what means he kept his strength of body and mind, he answered, Intus mulso, foris oleo, that is, I keep me moyst with mulso with∣in, and oyle I anoynt upon my skin: Asses milk is good: some commend bleeding, but not above two or three ounces at a time.

Lastly, Marasmos is not to be cured: * 1.9 for even as to poure oyle into a lamp where is no week nor match, is nothing else but oleum & operam perdere; so in vain we strive to restore to nature that solid substance, being by heat consumed and taken away. If you want more, look into the Chapter of Ptisis. Lastly,

℞. Cons. ros. antiquae ℥.j. trochisc. de carabe, * 1.10 de terra sigil. ana ʒ. i. ss. cum syr de portulaca q.s. fiat mixtura. Forrestus. lib. 4. Tom. 1. observa, 9.

Notes

• * 1.1

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

  Causa.
• * 1.3

  Signas
• * 1.4

  Curatio. ••tisanae. Victus Ratio.
• * 1.5

  Clyster.
• * 1.6

  Epithema pro corde.
• * 1.7

  Epithema.
• * 1.8

  Historia.
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.10

  Mixtura. Forrestus.