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. XLVII.

ELEPHANTIASIS, * 1.1 or leprosie (accord∣ing to Paulus) is a cancer of the whole body, The which, as Avicen addes) corrupts the com∣plection, form, and figure of the members, or according to Galen. This disease is an effusion of troubled or grosse blood into the veines, and habit of the whole body.

1. The primitive cause is, * 1.2 either from the first conformation, or comes to them after they are born, by the too frequent use of salt, spiced, acrid, and grosse meats. Also familiarity, co∣pulation, and cohabitation with leprous per∣sons. Sweat and spittle left on the edges of the pots or cups (for there is a certain hidden viru∣lencie in the leprosie) strong wines, drunken∣nesse, gluttony, and a laborious life, full of sor∣rows and cares. The suppression of the He∣morrhoids, and courses. The small pox, and meazles. Also a Quartan feaver, the drying up of old ulcers; for that they defile the masse of blood; and thus in conclusion, the leprosie is caused.

2. The antecedent causes are, the humours disposed to adustion, and corruption, into me∣lancholy by the torrid heat.

3. The conjunct causes are, the melancholy humours, which are now pertakers of a vene∣nate and malign quality, and spread over the whole habit of the body; corrupting and de∣stroying it, first by a hot and dry distemper, and

then by a cold and dry, contrary to the begin∣nings of life, which consists in the moderation of heat and moysture.

1. The first sign is, a falling away of the haires, and you may perceive scauls in the head.

2. The second is a numerous and manifest circumseription, of round and hard pushes or pustules under the eye-browes, behind the eares, and in several places of the face, like hard kernels.

3. The third is, the more contract, and ex∣act roundnesse of the eares.

4. The fourth is, A Lyon-like wrinkling of the forehead, which is the reason that some term this disease Morbus Leoninus.

5. The fifth is, the exact roundnesse of the eyes, and their fixt and immovable steddinesse.

6. The sixth is, the nostrils are flat out∣wardly, but inwardly strait and contracted.

7. The seventh is the lifting up, thicknesse and swelling of the lips; Also the stinch, fil∣thinesse, and corrosion of the gummes; by acrid vapours rising to the mouth.

8. The eighth is, the swelling and black∣nesse of the tongue, and as it were varicous veins lying under it. Their face riseth in red bunches, or pushes, and is overspread with a duskie and obscure rednesse. Their eyes are fiery, fierce, and fixed. Some leprous persons have their faces tinctured with a yellowish, others with a whitish colour, according to the condition of the humour; for Physicians affirm, that there are three sorts of Leprosies, one of a

reddish black colour, consisting in a melan∣choly humour: another of a yellowish green, in a cholerick humour: another of a whitish yellow, grounded upon adust flegm.

9. The ninth sign is, a stinking of the breath; and also of all the excrements proceeding from leprous bodies.

10. The tenth is a hoarsness, a shaking, harsh, and obscure voyce, coming as it were out of the nose.

11. The eleventh is, a morphew, or defe∣dation of all the skin, with a drie roughnesse, and grainie inequality; such as appears in the skins of plucked Geese, with many tetters on every side, a filthy scab, and ulcers, not casting off only a branlike scurf, but also scales and crusts.

12. The twelfth is, the sense of a certain pricking, as it were of needles over all the skinne.

13. The thirteenth is, a cunsumption and emacination of the muscles, which are between the thumb and forefinger. Also their shoulders stand out like wings

14. The fourteenth is, the diminution of sense, or a numbnesse over all the body; by reason that the nerves are obstructed, and so the free passage of the animal spirit is hin∣dred.

15. The fifteenth is, the corruption of the extream parts, possessed by putrefaction and a Gangrene.

16. The sixteenth is, they are troubled with terrible dreams, for they seem in their sleep to

see Devils, Serpents, Dungeons, Graves, Dead bodies, and the like.

17. The seventeenth is, they are subtill, craf∣ty, and furious; and suspicious in all their dea∣lings.

18. The eighteenth is, they desire venery above their nature.

19. The nineteenth is, if you wash their thick, gross, and livid blood; you find a sandy matter therein.

20. The twentienth is, the Languidnesse and weaknesse of the pulse; Also the urine is sometimes thick and troubled, and oftentimes of a pale and ash-colour. Lastly, the face and all the skin is unctuous or greasie.

Cure cannot be promised to such as have a confirmed leprosie; * 1.3 for it is scarce curable at the beginning. Therefore care must be taken to free such as are ready to fall into so fearful a disease. Such therefore must shun all things in diet and course of life, whereby the blood and humours may be too vehemently heated.

Let them make choice of meats of good juyce. * 1.4 Purging, bleeding, and bathing shall be prescribed, by some learned Physician.

Gelding is much commended in this cause, because it deprives them of the faculty of gene∣ration; and makes them become cold & moist, which temper is directly contrary to the hot and drie distemper of leperous persons. I have oftentimes (after purging and bleeding) used Ʋnguentum enulatum with good successe in the beginning of the leprosie, * 1.5 whilst the body was covered only with a scurf. Let them drink the

water and syrup of sumitory mixed together, * 1.6 for the space of a whole year.

℞. Rad. buglossae, glycyrrhizae, an. ℥. j. * 1.7 polypo∣dii ℥. ji. passularum ℥. ss. prunorum, sebes∣ten. ana num. xx. senae ℥.iij. thymi, epithymi, cuscutae, an. ℥ij. anisi, ℥.ss. florum borrag. buglossae, violarum, an. p. j. fiat decoctio; de qua accipe ℥. iij. quibus adde confect. hamech, ʒ.iij. Syrupi ros. lax ℥. ij. misce & fiat potio. Capiat mane.

For the poorer sort you may make use of Cassia, Diasena, Diaprunum, Diacatholicon, &c. When he is extream thirsty, * 1.8 he may drink Aqua sperm. ranarum, with a little sugar, or syrup of fumitorie; I am perswaded it is an excellent wa∣ter to kill the virulencie of this disease, because it is extream cold and moyst; for surely, if it be so effectual in an ulcerated cancer, it must needs be effectual in the leprosie. Gesner saith, that the dung of a Fox pounded with vinegar by anoyntment, cureth the leprosie speedily. Re∣member to keep accustomed evacuations, which you may with this Bolus following.

℞. Diaphoen. ʒ.ij. confect. hamech ʒ.iij. cum ʒ.j. * 1.9 pul. diasenae, & sacch. fiat bolus. vel cum de∣cocto senae, polypod. fumiter borag. bugloss. * 1.10 epi∣thymo, & prunis. Lastly,

℞. Rad. Serpentar. * 1.11 utriusque Asphodeli vel li∣liorum, enulae campanae, betae, croci sativi ana lib. j. pistentur optimè oleo rosaceo omphacino, adde unguenti citrini lib. ss. axungiae Ser∣pentis ℥.iij. Terebinth. ℥.ss. * 1.12 olei de frumento vel vitellis ovorum ℥.i.ss. ol. de tartaro ℥. ij. Sulphuris vivi, nitri an. ʒ. iij. Litharg. vel

cerusae ℥. ss. borag. ustae ʒ. vj. mus. s. lini ℥. ij. succ. lapatii, fumariae, limonum, an. ℥.iij. Tutiae prae. sarocoll. nutrit. thur. an. ʒ.ij. agitentur invicem in formam nutriti: ungantur partes scabrae ulcerosae & pu∣stmlosae.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Paulus. Avicennas Galenus.
• * 1.2

  Causa.
• * 1.3

  Curatio.
• * 1.4

  Victus ra∣tio.
• * 1.5

  ••nguentū.
• * 1.6

  Julepus.
• * 1.7

  Potio pur∣gans.
• * 1.8

  Aq. sperm. ranar.
• * 1.9

  Bolus.
• * 1.10

  Forestus.
• * 1.11

  Ʋnguentū.
• * 1.12

  Platerus.