Platerus golden practice of physick: fully and plainly discovering, I. All the kinds. II. The several causes of every disease. III. Their most proper cures, in respect to the kinds, and several causes, from whence they come. After a new, easie, and plain method; of knowing, foretelling, preventing, and curing, all diseases incident to the body of man. Full of proper observations and remedies: both of ancient and modern physitians. In three books, and five tomes, or parts. Being the fruits of one and thirty years travel: and fifty years practice of physick. By Felix Plater, chief physitian and professor in ordinary at Basil. Abdiah Cole, doctor of physick, and the liberal arts. Nich. Culpeper, gent. student in physick, and astrology.

The Causes.

Head-ach must needs be, within the Skul, or in the meninges, or filmes, or in the brain it self; It may be in the meninges because they are sensible. And they being two, the one thick the other thin, and close joyned together and to the Vessels can carry the pain from what side soever it begins. So that it is hard to distinguish which of them is most affected, but by conjecture, as when the dis∣ease is in the outward thick Membrane, the pain must be outward by reason of the Pericranium joyned unto it. But if the inward thin filme be afflicted, the pain is deeper and in the Brain as it were. In both the pain may come to the roots of the Eyes, because the Balls of the Eyes have tunicles from the Membranes of the Brain. But in regard both the Tunicles are distinct with the Brain long waies in the middle of the Skul, it comes to pass, that if the discase be only on one side, only half the Head is pained, but if on both sides, the pain is on both sides, now in one, then in the other, as the cause is more or less.

Many assirm that there can be no pain in the sub∣stance of the Brain, because the substance of the brain is insensible: But we affirme that those parts of the brain, to which the tender film, or Meninx grows, which produceth the sensitive Nerves cannot be without sense, and that they may give occa∣sion of pain with the meninges by consent, and yet without hurt to the mind, this pain is stupefying rather then sensible. And in heaviness of Head I suppose that that pain or sence of weight before and behind, comes from the brain offended in the part from whence the Nerves and Marrow proceed.

The Disease which is in the meninges of the brain, or the sensible parts thereof, where the Nerves begin, which causeth Head-ach, is either manifest when a hot distemper inflames the parts or cold, when it plucketh them or solution of continuity, stretching or other∣wise hurting: Or it is a hidden quality which is offen∣sive to these parts. The helping Cause is the disposi∣tion of these parts to suffer. From which cause, if they be little, the Disease is less; if great, or more causes meet the Disease is greater.

A hot distemper is often the cause of Head-ach, for the Head (as I shal shew) easily is inflamed by reason of the plenty of spiritful blood, and is pained by a preternatural heat: And the rather when

there is a matter which raiseth the heat to stretch and disturb it. Or if there be an evil quality in them that offendeth the brain, as it is usually from a hot vapor or humor from blood and choler.

The Head being uppermost ea∣sily receives Vapors, especially thin. these heat and pul, and give occasion to Head-aches by con∣sent. This comes from outward scents, but it is rather the return of an old pain which was usual, than a new. And sometimes from things eaten, that with their Vapors strike the Head. These may cause new Head-aches if they fil the Brain, as in Drunkards who are pained in their Heads, from the thin hot vapors of the Wine, that heat and prick rather than stretch the Brain, by a force, as I shal shew, con∣trary to the Brain and Nerves. This pain comes af∣ter sleep from the stupifying or Narcotick quality of the Wine, and the heat remaining and continues till the Vapors are thrown out by Snorting. Vapors sent to the Head from hot, cholerick, and putrid humors in the Veins, cause the Head-aches in most Fevers; and out of Fevers they cause the fits of the Hemicrania or half Head-ach: And Choler in the Stomach sending Vapors, causeth Suffusions and Vertigoes or Giddiness and also Head-ach by consent.

Much spiritful Blood conteined in the large cavities and passages of the Brain, by stretching, or if it be hot by in∣flaming, it causeth a Dotage, or by heat, a Cephalalgia, or bloody Head-ach called Soda. This is Cholerick, Melancholick, or Flegmatick, as the blood abounding is thick or thin. This Blood comes into the Head, from a plethory in the Body, which is from divers causes. Or it is drawn thither by the heat of the Sun or Baths, Noyse, Cough∣ing, Stroaks, Falls, or great motion of the Body or Mind, and made hotter: Especially in hot Diseases, this is a Symptom, especially in Fevers in which the blood inflamed with the spirits in the Head, as it is al∣so in the great Veins. hence comes Head-ach in all Fevers, or from the Vapors, for in Fevers the Head is made hotter as wel as the body. We know when head∣ach comes from blood, from things foregoing, and from the beating pain, and redness of the Eyes, and other causes.

Also if such excrementitious Choler as comes pure from the Ears separate from the water, go to the Brain and Meninges, it makes a pricking, but it can scarse get thither without moisture, nor doth it then cause pain, because in the Jaundies, except other causes happen, there is no Head-ach.

A cold Distemper may cause head∣ach, as wel as pain in the Nerves, by binding and biting, and by its ad∣verse contrary quality to every sen∣sible part. This may come from flegmatick excrements of the Brain, cooling the mem∣branes and not the Brain (for then there would be sleep or astonishment) as in the Defluxion called Co∣ryza, there cometh somtimes actually cold water from the Nose, and then the pain of the Head ceaseth. Al∣so pain riseth from some external actual Cold, either because it astringeth, or is otherwise an Enemy to the Head; from the Air, or Wind, or cold things applied to the Head, these cause Head-ach if they pierce in∣ward. And a little cold external in such as are used to have the Head-ach and to keep their heads warm, if they stand bare wil cause the Head-ach, therefore they defend their Heads Caps and long Hair. And they who are offended easily with heat, take off their Hair, and say, that if it be long they perceive the head-ach to trouble them, as we have observed in old Men and bald-pated, who use to be night and day bare-headed: Also by accident, external Cold by driving the exter∣nal heat inward (especially when from a cold place one suddenly removes into a hot) may cause Head∣ach, rather by heating than cooling the Head.

Solution of Continuity manifest by external causes, as a stroak, or Wound, that pierceth to the Menin∣ges, make an inward Head-ach with an outward. But distension and twitching pains are caused by Vapors and hot humors, and flegmatick excrements a∣bounding in the Brain, cause the same; not so much by their plenty, as by their coldness and sharpness, which they have by corruption or saltness. And this Headach is joyned with a heat, and is before or behind, as the humor producing it, is in the fore or hinder cavity; and it is heavy like a weight, with stretching and twitching. And it is shorter when the excrements stay not, and longer when they do. and somtimes a Giddiness or Defluxion doth go before or accompany it. And the plenty of these excrements being waterish, thin, sharp, and hot (as we shewed in Coryza with Head-ach) flowing from the Eyes and Nose shew the cause. And we have seen abundance of these humors voided, not only at the Nose, but Ears, which have cured an old Ach.

Any quality that is an Enemy to the Membranes of the Brain will cause pain in them first, and then in the Head, either by a hidden force, or a manifest quality. As Narco∣ticks afflict the Brain with their evil quality being taken, and also cause pain of the Head when they which took them come to their senses, and it continues. And Drunkards are not so much hurt by the heat and vapor of the Wine, as by its evil quality. and after Beer we find Head-aches caused from the Hops, which are narcotick and stupefactive, by which quality we observe that Hops are destructive unto Flies. And we have often observed that Head-ach easily comes af∣ter the use of Opiates. And after the use of other things not narcotick, but otherwise offensive, as of Saffron, Smallage seed, not only much taken, but smelt to. Al∣so Head-ach, as other diseases of the Head may come from evil vapors or humors, as in melancholly and the like. And in infectious Diseases it may come from the Contagion, as in the French Pox where the quali∣ty doth not only outwardly torment the Periostium and Pericranium, causing outward pain, but the inward films or Meninges causing inward, which somtimes are both together. And the Plague or venemous quality hereof, or of any other poyson may cause Head-ach by its enmity to the Brain as wel as the Heart, and not by the heat of the Fever only, though both may be causes of this Head-ach together, as when a putrid Fever is joyned with a malignant.

When the disposition or disposition of the Head is to be pained, it comes from very small occations, & this dis∣positionis the cause of Cephalaea & He∣micrania. we cal this a patible or suffe∣ring disposition; but we know not how to explain it, un∣less we call it too much sensibility, or that which comes from the Parents Hereditary. Or unless it comes from an evil custom in such who have often been pained, or be a weakness which makes the Head more ready to

suffer such as is after long diseases of the head, wounds, or French Pox, caused by long and continual gathering of excrements in the Head.

Evil shape, called Mala conforma∣tio is somtimes cause of a continual Head-ach, as when the sutures or seams in the Skul (especally the Dart-like suture called Sagittalis) is so closed or defective, that there can be no transpration of vapors and sooty excreements. This may come from a preternatural rockey or hard constitution of the Skul in the Crown, as I have felt and seen often.

Notes

• The part affected.
• A hot diflemper of the Brain caus∣eth Head-ach.
• Vapors going to the Head cause Head∣ach.
• Bloood in the Head causeth Cephalalgia.
• A cold distemper of the Brain caus∣eth Head-ach.
• Distention and Twitching in the Brain is the cause of Head-ach.
• A quality which is an enemy to the brain causeth Head-ach.
• Weakness of the Brain or a dispo∣sition to suffer causeth head-ach
• A fault in the Or∣gan or part caus∣eth Head-ach.