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,

THere are some Living Creatures bred in the Body which are wholly besides nature, as also the voi∣ding of them. And they are either Worms, or Insects, or Lice. As for Fleas it is a doubt whether they be bred in mans body or not: but no doubt they come from o∣thers.

There are divers kinds of Worms that come from divers parts of the Body, which are like other Worms.

The long worms are called Lumbrici, because they are like Earth worms. They are round, sharp at the both ends like Earth worms, shewing neither head nor tail, whitish and hard usual in Children. They are voided more or fewer usually dead, and somtimes alive.

Divers accidents accompany them, the gentlest are pain of the belly, gnawing at the Heart, sighing, a dry Cough, Itching of the Nose, therefore they rub it con∣stantly: grating of the Teeth, restlessness, heavy dreams, which makes them suddenly awake and cry out. The great accidents are greediness, vomiting, loosness, Lien∣tery, Feaver, Convulsion and Swouning.

The short worms that come from the Fundament are called Ascarides, they are round, like Mites in Cheese, or Worms in Ulcers. These are voided alive with the Excrements, with great itching and bring scarse any other accidents.

They reckon flat worms with these, but because they neither live nor move as the other but are long membra∣nes, that grow in the body, we shall mention them in o∣ther excretions.

Such Worms come also out at the mouths of Children, in their sleep, and from others at other times cau∣sing Vomiting.

I cannot omit the mentioning of a monsterous worm very great behind the Head like a Canker worm, hairy, with a black shell like a beatle upon the back, with many Legs like an Ear-wig voided by a souldier vomiting, after long heart pains.

Some thought that worms breed in the Teeth within, being deceived by the smal

Fibres found in broken teeth, as in cavities of great bones. Some thought them to be Nerves: Others Wormes. But they may be in hollow teeth.

The Lumbrici or long worms will come out at the Nose, or Mouth, and cause itch∣ing.

Somtimes little worms have been blown out at the Nose, from an Ulceration there.

A Bergen Physitian affirmed seriously to me that he saw a hairy worm with many Feet, like an Ear-wig sneesed out at the Nose by a woman, which a long time before felt a great Itching about her Fore-head.

It was shewed in Ulcers of the Ears, that worms come forth with matter.

Some affirm that men in Consumpti∣ons have coughed up worms.

I saw a Man who had the Colick (of whom I spake in the Colick) that made Urin with infinite small worms like mites in cheese, swimming alive therein; which dying, sanke down in a great lump to the bottom. And I saw the same after in others. And have since read of divers that have seen the same.

VVe shewed in verminous or worm Ul∣cers, how they bred there.

VVe have seen in the bottom of the na∣vel a long round worm, such as breeds in meal, that thrust it self forth, and drew in again.

Some affirm that the long worms of the Guts have come forth at an Ulcer which hath pierced through the Belly and Guts.

It is reported that in some Diseases there are worms in the Arms, Leggs, Thighs, and sides called Dracunculi, in high Dutch Mittfross. But we leave the description of them to them that have seen them.

Besides these kinds of worms, others are bred in the Body, where there is no passage for them to get out. But after death are found in dissection or Anatomy; of which neither the Patient that com∣plained of other Diseases, nor the Physitian knew. These belong not to things voided or Excreta, but to other ac∣cidents, where they shall be spoken of.

Under the Heart, it is reported that worms breed which prick and molest, but they express not the part: being deceived with those worms that rise to the mouth of the stomach, and there molest the Heart. For they can∣not breed any where about the Heart or Pericardium or under it, because it grows to the Midriff.

Lice come from divers parts of the Su∣perficies of the Body, and cause an Itch∣ing molestation, which is called Phtheiri∣asis. The kinds whereof are distinguished by the parts of the Body.

Lice breed most in hairy places, especi∣ally the Head, usually in Children and poor people; and somtimes in other un∣clean persons. When they are grown they are broad with many feet equal, because they leap not, but creep. And they have a black spot in their backs sometimes. The young ones are called Nits.

Somtimes they grow in the Beard and Eye-brows, and cause Itching there: But are little, and are quickly rou∣ted from those small quarters.

Also in the Hair under the Arms, some teach that the Hair of the Head and Beard may be eaten and cleft with worms or lice, scarce visible.

There are Lice found fastned to the skin about the hairy parts of the Privities, that cause grievous itching and pricking, and stick very fast. Which the French call Morpions: Or kil-Doves, because they are like the Lice in Dove-cots that kill Pigeons. We call them Crab-lice, because they re∣semble the Crab-fish. These somtimes creep into other parts, and there stick in the skin.

There is a peculiar sort of Lice that breeds in the Palms of the Hands, and in no other part, except the Soles of the Feet, under the skin which causeth a little swelling or cleft, and a continual Itching. And when they are taken out, they cannot be seen to move but upon a clear glass. These are called Chirones from the Hand in Greek, and Acari.

Notes

• Worms voided by Stool.
• Long Worms.
• Arsworms.
• Worms comming out at the mouth.
• Worms of the Teeth.
• Worms in the Teeth.
• VVorms in the Ears. VVorms cou∣ghed up. VVorms pis∣sed forth.
• VVorms in Ʋlcers.
• Navel-wor∣mes.
• VVorms in a wound of the Belly.
• Dracunculi or little dra∣gons.
• VVorms re∣maining in∣closed in the Body.
• VVorms un∣der the heart.
• Phtheiriasis or the lousie Disease.
• Lice in hai∣ry Parts.
• VVorms that eat the Hair.
• Lice that grow to the skin, or crab∣lice.
• Hand-lice.