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. XXI.

VTERI STRANGƲLATIO seu suffocatio, * 1.1 otherwise called Hysterica passio: It is a drawing of the womb to the upper parts, as it were by a convulsive motion.

It is caused through the defluction either of seed being sometimes corrupted: * 1.2 or the flow∣ers which causeth the womb to be swelled, and the vessels and ligaments to be distended with fulnesse, and pressing the Diaphragma, causeth shortnesse of breathing: Also the whites, or some other humour, or a tumour, or a rotten impostume, or some ill juyce putrefying, and resolving into gross vapours, may be the cause.

The womb removeth out of his seat, and doth one while fall towards the liver; another while towards the milt, another while towards the midriffe; stomach, and downwards to∣wards the bladder: sometimes the child is very great, that it press the midriff, and so cause the fits.

When the fit is nigh, * 1.3 there is heavinesse of mind, slowness, paleness, and sorrowfulness.

Being present, there is a drowsiness, also do∣ting, and a withholding of the instruments of breathing, they wax dumb, and draw up their legges, and a moyst humour floweth out of the womb.

1. If it assaile the guts, the bowels make a noyse.

2. If it trouble the stomach, there is vo∣miting.

3. If it assaile the brest and throat, there is choaking.

4. If the brain, there is madnesse.

5. If the heart, there is swouning; some sleep sound, others talk foolishly, others they breath so little, that they seem dead.

1. If you would know whether she be dead or not, take a smooth looking-glasse, lay it, or hold it before her mouth and nostrils; if she breath though never so obscurely, yet the glass will be duskey.

2. Or take a fine downish feather, and hold it likewise as aforesaid, and it will by the trem∣bling, or shaking motion thereof; shew that there is some breath, and therefore life remain∣ing in the body.

3. But the surest way is to blow up sneesing powder, but if no breath appear, do not pre∣sently judge the woman for dead; for the small vitall heat may be drawn into the heart, and so not quite destitute of life; but for the present na∣ture is contented with transpiration only. So flies, gnats, and pishmares, or pismires, live all winter without breathing.

1. If it proceedeth from the corruption of the seed, the accidents are more grievous and vio∣lent: difficulty of breathing goeth before, and shortly after comes the deprivation thereof: And the whole habit of the body seems more cold then a stone: She is a widow, or a woman that

her husband hath a long time been absent from her, so that she hath great store of seed, which causeth heavinesse of the head; losse of appetite, sadnesse, and fear: Also young maids that are prone to lechery, abounding with blood and seed; are often troubled with this di∣sease, so that if the abundance of seed be the cause, they speak things that are to be concea∣led; some laugh, others weep, and some sing: But the peculiar signes, if the midwife tickle her womb with her finger, there comes away thick and grosse seed, with much pleasure and de∣light; as may be perceived by the Patient: so that all symptomes do quickly vanish.

2. It is very like it is caused by the suppres∣sion of the flowers, if they had them very well formerly, and on a sudden they stop, and the fits likewise quickly follow after. Look the cause of Mensium suppressio, I mean the signe: many do perish in the fit, or within few houres after, which happeneth when the pulse are swift and inordinate, and then vanish clean away.

In the Fit, place her on her back, * 1.4 with her brest and stomach loose, and her garments slack about her, that she may breathe the more freely.

Some pull the haires of the secret parts, using frictions below: and fumes of cinnamon, * 1.5 Callam. aromat. lignum Aloes, Ladanum, Ben∣zoin, and storax: An instrument may be made for this purpose, with a tunnell on the top, through which, the fume may passe into the matrice.

Contrariwiwise, to the nostrils Gum. galba∣num,

Sagapenum. * 1.6 ammoniacum, Assa foetida, the snuff of candle, also haire, old leather, horse-hoofees, and partridges feathers burnt, are good.

If she be a married woman, let her be strong∣ly encountered by her husband, who possibly may be the cause, by not affording her due be∣nevolence: for one I knew once to be guilty of this crime, and for no other end, but because he was unwilling to have any more children by her: so that the woman had undoubtedly peri∣shed in her most grievous fits, if I had not per∣swaded him to relieve her; which according∣ly he did, and she very suddenly recovered.

If she be a maid, or widow, let the midwife anoynt her finger with Oleum moschaetalinum, * 1.7 or cloves, or the best is a little amber greece, or civet, * 1.8 and tickle the top of the neck of the wombe (which Plato calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a craving creature,) Also to apply sitle bagges (of motherwort, origan, cammomel, peniroy∣al, lavender, and mugwort) hot to her secret parts, is a present remedy, in the time of the fit. And procure sneesing with Helleborus albus, or pilletary, with a little powder of Castoreum. After the fit I have procured gentle vomiting, with good successe; and Castoreum drunk in wine, is excellent.

Also open a vein on the foot, * 1.9 especially if the menstruis be stopped: using other meanes also to procure them. And administer this clyster following.

℞. * 1.10 Bad. enulae campanae ℥. ss. fol. absynth. arte∣misiae, pulegii, matricar, origani, ana M. j.

Baccharum lauri, juniperi ana ℥.iij. sem. rutae, anisi an. ʒ.iij. florum stoecados, roris marini, salviae, centaur. minor. ana ℥.iv. fiat decoctio: cape colaturae li. j. in qua dis∣solve mellis anthosati, sacchar. rub. hierae∣picrae, benedict. lax, ana ℥.j. olei aneth. ℥.i.ss. misce & fiat enema.

Lastly, these pills following are excellent.

℞. Pul. rad. gentianae ℥.ss. castorei ʒ.ij. pul.rad. * 1.11 peoniae ʒ.ij. assafaetida ℥.ss. ol. junip. anisi, ana gr. 10. ol. succini ℈.j. cum theriac. androm. q.s. fiat massa.

If you can get the mosse that groweth on a ma∣lefactors scull, put in ℈. ij. with the powder of the scull ʒ. ij. and then it will prove excellent good against Epilepsia.

If she have her fits mostly in the day, let her take 3, or 4, pills every morning, if in the night, contrary. Lastly,

℞. Musci ℈. j. Galliae muscatae ʒ. j. * 1.12 olei lilio∣rum ℥.ij. misce & fiat unguentum.

Let the neck of the womb be anointed there∣with. And

℞. Castorei Galbani in aceto soluti ana ℥. ss. * 1.13 Sulphuris ℥. j. Assae foetidae ʒ j. Ruffus. lib. 6. cap. 8. pag. 84. vel fol. 83.

Notes

• * 1.1

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

  Causae.
• * 1.3

  Signa.
• * 1.4

  Curatio.
• * 1.5

  Lignum aloes.
• * 1.6

  Assafoetida
• * 1.7

  Oleum.
• * 1.8

  Sacculi.
• * 1.9

  Venae-sectio
• * 1.10

  Clyster.
• * 1.11

  Pilulae.
• * 1.12

  Ʋnguentū, Ruffus.
• * 1.13

  Suffumiga. tio. Ruffus: