Every constipation of the belly needs not cure, as when some go seldom to stool, from nature and custom, or moderate diet, which causethfew excrements and de∣clares that the body is wel nourished; as it doth after sickness or Famine, except the Guts be dried and shrunk, which being dangerous requireth cure, which is difficult. But if costiveness come from dry meats, that bind, and are hot, it is cured by abstaining from them, and using the contrary. And so you must when the body is bound by natural heat through long sitting: and also when it comes from a hot temper or constitu∣tion: But in Diseases when constipation is a symp∣tom, as from heat in Feavers or stoppage or convolu∣tion of the Guts in the Convolvulus and Rupture (in which if the excrements are vomited, death is at hand) or from the loss of provocation in Stupefaction, Jaun∣dies, or the like Diseases, we shal in treating of them shew you what you must do in respect of the cause.
But the Medicines that are used chiefly for constipation, * 1.1 are to be taken in or injected, or otherwise, and here we shal mention some of them, the rest are mentioned in the Diseases that cause costiveness.
The gentlest that moisten and soften the hard excre∣ments and by their slipperiness loosen the passages, and provoke nature by pricking, are of things nourishing. Young flesh boyled, especially Veal, also that which is fat and mucilaginous or slimy.
Butter and Oyl.
Temperate Herbs, boyled or raw, as Spinach, Beets, Arrage, Bugloss, Coleworts; and stronger, as Mallows, Violets, and tops of Hops and Asparagus.
All moist Fruits open the belly that are temperate and sweet, but sharp do it rather by troubling than loosning.
Drinking of Water or Milk.
Of Physical things, Cassia and Manna in broath. Juyce or Syrup of Roses, dissolved in spring water.
Stronger are such as puge, as the Infusion of Senna with Wormwood and seeds, the rest are mentioned in Purges for divers Diseases.
For the Fundament there are divers Suppositories.
And Clysters which prick and dissolve the hard Ex∣crements, by washing, mollifying, and opening the passages. These are best in costiveness, and there are divers of them mentioned in the Colick.
Some things to loosen and soften are applied out∣wardly to the belly, as Oyls and the remainder of the Glysters.
Also Baths of Sweet waters and Decoctions.
Also exercise makes the Ezcrements fall down, and medicines that loosen do it sooner thereby.
And in regard none can go to stool without strain∣ing, which is done by the will with holding the breath and contracting the Muscles, nor with the Will only with the expulsive faculty moving thereunto, we must endeavor so to accustom nature that it may consent to the will in the same: And this is done by endeavoring morning and evening before and after sleep to void the excrements. Because nature observeth order not only monthly and dayly, but hourly in eating and expulsion of excrements. And if we observe this order at a set time, and solicite nature to dejection, and continue it; it wil be very helpful to evacuation by stool.