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 Kinds,

WE comprehend under the name of Pain in the Eyes; all Diseases in the balls and corners of the Eyes, and in the inside of the Eyelids, and we leave other pains outwardly in the Eybrows to another place. When pain is in the said parts it either hath no other ac∣cident, or is with other accidents, as chiefly Redness, Tumor, or Inflammation in the Eye or great corner, or there is a bladder in the Eye, or unevenness in the Eye∣lids, or a corroding or excoriation, or ulcer, or wound in the Eye or Eyelids. These kinds of pain are accord∣ing to their accidents.

Itching in sound people coming from Wind or Watching, * 1.1 wil cause redness if it be rubbed. Also Prick∣ings are in the Eye alone without any other hurt, or with a Head-ach called Cephalalgia, where the pain comes to the roots of the Eyes. Also some have a twitching pain in their Eyes after sleep, before their Eyes are well opened, which hinders the motion of the Eyes.

When the pain is with Redness and without Tumor or Inflammation, * 1.2 it is called a false Ophthalmy, and it is red all over, or in part, or in the inside only of the Eylids Blood-shot, but the veins are not so swel∣led as in a true Ophthalmy; nor is there so great burning, but a cutting pain, or itching in the corners or the ed∣ges of the Eybrows, and it called Xenophthalmia. * 1.3 In this the Eyes are commonly moist, and the tears are first thin, and then thick. If they flow many and cause another Disease, it is called Epiphora, * 1.4 espe∣cially if pain be in the Eylids, or Taraxis or moist Blear-eyedness, in which at length is thick matter, and the corners are foul, and the Eyelids cling together, especially in sleep, and they cannot be opened til they are clensed. And there is sand in the corners, and it is called the Sclerophthalmy. * 1.5 Sometimes the Eyelids swell outwardly, and fall and rise. When the Eyes are red

and dry it is called Xerophthalmy and is either new or of long continuance, * 1.6 especially an Epiphory in which the Ey-lids are only red and wet and the Eye little offended. This is usual in old men and drun∣kards, and scarse to be cured in them, nor is it troubl∣some except it increase and bring another infirmity by Itching and shooting, these are called Lippi or blear-eyed. If Eyes be red and hotter only then ordinary, without pain, as when the body is hot it fall often out we shall speak of that in Deformity, by reason of the ill-favored sight of the Ey-lids turned out.

It is called a true Ophthalmy, when it is with a Tumor and redness, * 1.7 over all the white, and the Veins appear: when the Tumor is great tis called Chymosis. I have known it as big as my fist. In a true Ophthalmy there is great burning, * 1.8 so that the Eyes cannot be opened, but a true inflammation is seldom in the Eye∣lids.

Agilops is in the great corner of the Eye with tumor and redness, * 1.9 and pain of the Head, Temples and parts adjacent, and beating in the Eye. In this there is a red push in the middle, and a pricking pain, and I have seen their Ey-lids and Cheek inflamed therewith.

When there is a bladder or blister in the white of the Eye, * 1.10 it is red, and the part round about it. And if it be in the black of the Eye, it is not painful, but clear and shining called Phlyctaena. And there are o∣ther filmes and spots of that part that rather hinder the sight then cause pain.

Somtimes there is a sense of roughness in the side of the Ey-lids, * 1.11 especially when they are moved, and then there is com∣commonly somewhat in the Eye, and though it be out again, yet the roughness remaines.

Somtimes in the corners of the Eyes there is a cutting and itching pain with Excoriati∣on and sense of roughness. * 1.12 Dioscorides menti∣ons it, it is often in the side of the Ey-lids, and there is a scab and it is called Pso∣rophthalmia, * 1.13 but some call it a dry blearing, or Lippitude, or Xerophthal∣mia

There is often a pricking and itching pain in the great corner of the Eye, * 1.14 af∣ter an Egilops turned into an impo∣stum and broken. Hence comes a simple Ulcer, * 1.15 that hath concocted matter, or a creeping and malignant called Phagedaenicum, and the matter is somtimes Concocted and somtimes crude, somtimes it eats through the lower Ey-lid, and makes a Tumor in the Skin, which being broken, there is an Ulcer there also ful of the same matter. And when it enlarged, it is a Fistula called Lacrymalis or weeping. In this stinking matter flows through the next Nostril, * 1.16 and tears are still in the Eyes. Somtimes the little flesh of that Eye be∣ing consumed by the long malignity of the Ulcer, there is a little hole in the bone that weeps perpetually, and I have seen some of that thin bone with stinking matter fall forth. Of this we shall speak in deformity.

There is somtimes a pain in the bal of the Eye with an Ulcer, * 1.17 either superfi∣cial blood red and inflamed, or deep following Inflammations, that were Im∣postums, * 1.18 this because it is filthy and mat∣tery, is called Epicauma, and if the Lips be hard it is called Condyloma. This hea∣led leaves a scar, and when it gets into the hollow of the Eye, it causeth the humors to fal out somtimes, within four daies after the Inflamation, and we have seen the Crystalline humor upon a mans beard.

If there be a prick or cut in the Eye there is pain, with redness, * 1.19 weeping and som∣times true Inflammation. And if the wound peirce through the ball of the Eye, the humors of the Eye fall out and the Eye sinkes in. Also if any sharp thing fall into the Eye, the inside of the Ey∣lids may be wounded with pain and redness, as we shewed in Excoriation or rawness.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Itching, Pricking, or contraction of the Eye alone without other sign.
• * 1.2

  A false Oph∣thalmy or pain in the Eye.
• * 1.3

  Xenophthalmy is a kind of false Oph∣thalmy.
• * 1.4

  Epiphora is a kind of Pseudophthalmy. Taraxis or Bleard∣eyedness.
• * 1.5

  Sclerophthalmy a kind of Epiphora.
• * 1.6

  Xerophthalmy, is a kind of false Ophthalmy.
• * 1.7

  A true Oph∣thalmy.
• * 1.8

  Chymosis a sort of Oph∣thalmy.
• * 1.9

  Agilops.
• * 1.10

  The blisters in the Eyes.
• * 1.11

  Roughness in the Eyes.
• * 1.12

  Scabs of the Eyes.
• * 1.13

  Dry Lippitude called Xeroph∣thalmia.
• * 1.14

  Ulcers in the great corner of the Eyes.
• * 1.15

  A malignant Ulcer in the great corner of the Eye.
• * 1.16

  The weeping Fistula in the great corner of the Eye.
• * 1.17

  Ulcers in the ball of the Eye.
• * 1.18

  Epicauma and Condy∣loma, what.
• * 1.19

  Worms in the Eyes.