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.

CHAP. VI. Of Diseases or Griefs of the Nostrils.

The Kinds.

THe Kinds of Pains or Diseases in the Nostrils are divers.

There is an often Itching, or Tickling, Sneesing follows it som∣times, and the Nose droppeth.

Somtimes it is Burning, and the Nostrils are hot, and red, and infla∣med, with a tumor within, or In∣flammation that obstructeth the passage.

Somtimes there is a pain like an Ulcer and blood is blown out, or hard flegm: Or Snot or stinking matter, and there is a stink in the Nose which the peo∣ple presently perceive more than the Patient in that cal∣led Ozaena. And there is a deformity of the Nose therewith, which spoileth the whol Face. The Voyce is hoarse, and as coming from a hollow place, the Pa∣late is eaten through with a great hole, and the breath∣ing

is hindered, as we have seen alwaies in the Ele∣phantiasis, often in the French Pox.

The Causes.

The Grief of the Nostrils, proceeds from a Disease, which is either Irritation or Provocation, or a hot dis∣temper or solution of continuity.

The Nostrils being very sensible are easily provoked, hence comes tickling or itching, and somtimes sneesing from the same Causes that we shewed, sneezing proceed, as externally from light and splender, strong scents, things put into the Nose that are sharp, or intetnally from thin blood in the Vessels, or from waterish and sharp blood, with tears that come from the Head and twitch the Nostrils. And Choler which is usually purged at the Ears, may be brought to the Nose and cause the same.

A great heat may cause burning in the Nose, to which is joyned som∣times a true Inflammation with tu∣mor and obstruction, as may hap∣pen from an outward hurt or inter∣nal, when the cause is very pricking, from whence the Nostrils are usual∣ly afflicted, as in Coryza, where the Nose is outwardly red and inflamed, as woll as inwardly.

A Solution of continuity, with∣in or Excoriation, or Wound, or Ulcer, reacheth somtimes out∣wardly. These may be from picking, as with the Nayles, or burning Errhines or Nose Medi∣cines, such as we use in Cure of Polypus. Somtimes from a sharp defluxion that hath long passed that way, the Nose is ulcerated inwardly and outwardly, with the help of often blowing it.

There are in the spungy bones at the bottom of the Nose foul, stubborne and long Ulcers, somtimes such as corrode and creep on, somtimes they pirce the thick runicle of the pallate and eat of the bridg of the Nose which causeth it to fal. Often also the bones which are near the upper Jaw are consumed and leave a great space in the palate through which a stink hath passed that anoyed the whol room where we were. And it is manifest that worms have been bred of this filth and come forth.

These may be from the causes mentio∣ned, as if the Nose be deeply hurt, or the Ulcer neglected, or the remedies come not to the part by reason of its moy∣sture and cannot have operation. These called Ozae∣nae come chiefly from the Flux of burning or malig∣nant humors sent by nature to the part and there are perverse and cancerous Ulcers and tumors. But be∣cause this is not only in this part, but a malignant hu∣mor and quality in other places, especially the Membranes, as in the Elephantiasis and French Pox, then they of the Nose grow together with other putrid and Malignant Ulcers which eate away the Nose and the bones, and produce other accidents.

The Cure.

If the itch of the Nose come from provocation, remove the cause whether internal or external, and if it cease not, qualifie it. As we shewed in neesing which often followeth, and shall be shewed in defluxions and in Coryza.

If the Nose be hot or inflamed then there is redness heat and tu∣mor external, to be cured as we shewed in the greifes that come from diseases in the superficies of the body.

Ulcers of the Nose, internal and sim∣ple, without matter or stink, are cured with strong dryers, because the part is ve∣ry moist. But matter must be first clean∣sed, as it abounds. Or is stinking, or as the flesh grows rank, which is hard to be cured. Somtimes they are incurable and leave deformity. Before these topicks purge Excrements, if they produce these Ulcers or nourish them. If they come from evil and Malignant humors, you must use divers Evacuations of the whol body, as in Elephantiasis, especially by sweat in the French Pox, as shall be declared.

These are put into the Nose, snuffings or oyntments with Cotton, or Suppositories, or Fumes, or Pouders blown up. And if you will not have them fall into the mouth, through the Nostrils, hold cold water in the mouth, when you take them.

Other gentle clensers are made of Whey with Ho∣ney, or red Sugar, or Wine and Honey, or Oxy∣mel.

Lixivium and Urin cleanse more, especially if you add a little Allum, or if you keep them in a brass basin to gather Rust or Verdigreese.

The Decoction of Gujacum in a Lixivium, with Honey will clense more, but astringent Wine will dry more, especially in the French Pox.

The juyce of Ivy clenseth, filleth in the Nose, and is approved by Dioscorides.

A clensing and drying Errhine: Take juyce of Pome∣granates and Plantane, each two ounces; Honey and Wine, each an ounce; with Allum and Vitriol: mix them.

Another Oyntment: Take juyce of Ivy and Plantane, each two ounces; Pomegranate, wine Vinegar and Honey of Roses, each an ounce; Oyl of Roses and Myrtles, of each an ounce and an half; boyl them, add green Wax, made with Verdugreese.

Aegyptiacum. if used in foul Ulcers alone, when you must clense much and when the flesh is foul.

You may with wariness apply Aqua Fortis, or Subli∣mate, or Spirit of Vitriol, with a quil to the Ulcer. Or water of Lime quenched in it.

Make a dry and heating Errhine: Thus, Take Plan∣tane, Horse-tail, Agrimony, Brambles, Solomans seal or Rup∣ture wort, of each a handful; Pomegranate peels an ounce, Galls, Comfrey roots, each half an ounce: boyl them in Wa∣ter and red Wine, and a little Vinegar and Honey.

Or thus, when the Gristle of the Nose begins to be corroded and the Nose bend: Take juyce of Plantane, Agrimony, Mouse-ear, Burnet, Roses and Smallage, each an ounce; Vinegar and Honey, of each an ounce; Allum two drams, Frankincense and Myrrh, each a dram; Chalcitis a scruple: mix them, for an Errhine to be snuft up.

An Oyntment for the same: Take Litharge and Ce∣russ washt in Plantane water, of each half an ounce; Tutty prepared and Lead burnt and washt, each two drams; Myrrh and barke of Fraukincense, each a dram; round Birth-wort half a dram, with juyce of Plantane and Oyl of Roses, mix them.

Or thus: Take roots of round Birth-wort, Pomgranate pecels or flowers, of each two drams; barke of Frankincense,

Myrrh, Aloes, Labdanum, Dragons blood, Gum Traganth a little parcht, of each a dram; Lime often slaked two drams, Allum and Chalcitis, each half a dram; Oyl half an ounce, Mucilage of Ising-glass, infused in Plantane water an ounce with Oyl of Roses, and red Wax, and Cinnabar prepared, make a Liniment, or thick Oyntment, or a Mass to put into the Nose.

A Pouder: Take Tutty prepared, Coral burnt and wa∣shed, of each a dram; barke of Frankincense, roots of Birth∣wort, each half a dram: make a Pouder, and snuff.

Many Medicines mentioned in the Ulcers of Eyes and Ears are good in the Nose.

Smoak which comes best at an Ulcer, when pro∣found or deep, doth well to dry and to burn, if they be vehement and Malignant hold the breath while they are applied, and remove them, till breath be fetcht.

Thus they are made: Take Frankincense, Mastick, Labdanum, each two drams: Storax, Benzoin, Gum of Ju∣niper, each a dram and an half; Sanders a dram, wood Aloes half a dram: make a pouder, sprinkle it upon live coals for to smoak.

In the worst Ulcers: Take the pouder afore said, add Myrrh a dram, Marcasites, red Orpiment, Cinnabar (in the French pox) each half a dram; make pouder for a smoak or fume, make Balls of them with Turpentine or Gum.

The smoake of Cinnabar with which the whol body is fumed in the French pox, coming to the Nose, doth not only Cure this disease, but other diseases of the Nose of the like sort, if the Head be a little held there∣in.

There is a Candle made of red Wax and Cinna∣ber, which if lighted and put out will smoake to the Nose.

Or thus, Wax as much as a Nut, add some of the first or second mentioned pouder, make it with your hands into a Candle with a wick; use it as the former.

Another that maketh much black smoake: Take Pitch and Rosin, each equal parts, with a little Brim-stone, dissolve them at the fire, and with a wick make a Can∣dle, let it be lighted and the smoake pass through a fun∣nel to the Nose, and be presently removed.

If there be crusts in the Nose that stick fast to the Ul∣cer, take them of with Butter or Mucilage.

If there be proud Flesh, Cure it as I shewed in Po∣lypus.

The wounds in the Nostrils are cu∣red with the same means, as they in the Ears, with things put in that stop blood, then dry and heal, if they ulcerate, Cure them as others Ulcers.

Notes

• Itching or tickling in the Nose.
• Burning in the Nose.
• An ulcerous pain in the Nose.
• The Irritation of the Nostrils, caus∣eth itching and tickling.
• A hot distemper and Inflammation of the Nostrils, is the cause of bur∣ning pain.
• Excoriation, wound or ulcer, is the cause of ulcerous pain in the Nose.
• Worms in the Nose.
• The Cure of itching of the Nose from provocation.
• The Cure of heat and Inflammation of the Nose.
• The Cure of ulcers of the Nose.
• The Cure of wounds in the Nostrils.