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 Cure.

The Cure of Stones is to be after some have been void∣ed, or other signs have discovered them, from whence we conjecture that they may grow again. For that they are seldom, if they will not go of themselves, they must be ta∣ken out.

The voiding of Stones by Urin is not to be stopped but furthered, or Gravel, and the growth must be hindered. And if a stone stick in the Bladder, it must be taken out.

A Caution must be for the prevention of the Stone in the Bladder, as in the Reins: As we shew∣ed in the Pain of the Kidneys. The Gravel grows first in the Reins, and falls from thence into the Bladder. And the beginning of them must be prevented in the reins. And then the stone in the Bladder will not grow so fast.

For the Cure of the Stone in the Bladder, it must be worn, or broken, or expelled, or removed from its place, or taken out by these means following.

Purges are somtimes given, when the Body is full of e∣vil Humors, to prepare it for things proper, that they may work the better.

And the Belly must be kept open: As we shewed in the heat of Urin from other causes.

Also strong purges are given to put nature to the ex∣pelling of it, as it doth the other superfluous Excre∣ments.

As we have often seen, not only Excrements but stones have been voided by strong purgers.

To all these are added break stones to diminish them, and break them. These Purges are mentioned in the stone of the Kidnyes and are good here, for the vertue of them will reach to the Urin and Bladder.

Mollifying Clysters are good, which are mentioned in many places, and Anodynes when the Urin burneth, mentioned in the Colick, alwaies adding things that break the stone: Such as are mentioned in the stone of the Kidneys, in three examples.

They who suppose the stone is bred of flegm, use Vomiting often to prevent. But it is better to cleanse and prepare the Body, then for any thing else.

And this Vomiting by great straining may force the stone from the Bladder into the passage.

The same things mentioned in the stone of the Kidneys are given here to open the passages, and to cleanse the Earthiness, which increaseth the stone, and to make less the stone; And they are good to prevent the Stone in the Kidneys, from whence heat in the Bladder cometh. And because the Bladder is farther off then the Kidneys, you must give the strongest Medicines and the greater quanti∣ties, that their vertue may reach it.

As nourishing and Physical broaths, and divers Deco∣ctions. And this: Take Liquorish two ounces, Knot grass roots one ounce, Asarum half an ounce, Bettony, Maidenhair or Goldy locks, Mouse-ear, white Saxifrage, Pellitory of the Wall, Sea fennel, Burnet, of each one handful, flowers of St. Johns wort, Broom, Roses, each one pugil, Myrtle berries, Annis seed, Fennel seed, each half a handful; Gromwel and white Thorne seeds two drams, Garden Smallage seeds and wild Smallage seeds, each one dram; Raysons stoned two ounces, red Pease one pugil, boyl them in Wine and Water; for five or six Doses in a good quantity, that so it may sooner come to the part affected, dissolving in every draught, syrup of Limons and Oxymel simple, each one ounce; Oxymel of Squils two drams.

To this Decoction, may be added other openers and stone breakers, as the opening roots, steeped in Vinegar, Madder roots, and Mulbery roots, Rupture wort, sweet broom, Ladies Gloves, &c.

Also the infusion mentioned in the stone of the Kidneys and the Lies.

Also the juyces, as Urin, Vinegar, natural waters, and the like there mentioned, with the sharp juyce of Barbe∣ries, and of Sea fennel, Saxifrage, St. Johnswort, of green Nuts and Leeks, given alone, or with Sugar, or other Li∣quor, or Decocted to a Syrup, or extract, or made into Lozenges. Those of juyce of Limons and Berberies are most in fashion and are very excellent and pleasant.

Simple and Compound waters distilled, for the stone in the Kidneys mentioned, are here also good. If the Pa∣tient will use them freely.

The Urin of a Goat or Boar, is commended by Diosco∣rides, if drunken.

Also Oyls mentioned in the Cure of the Stone of the Kidneys are here good.

And the same Diet may be used.

And those Medicines which are divers waies prepared of which we use the Simples, as the Rosins of Plants. Me∣dicines given in substance, are divers waies prepared: some of Simples, as Rosins, Pouders of Herbs, Blood and Ashes of Beasts: Some are Compounded of Plants, Animals, and the like, into Pouders, Electuaries and Pills.

Besides which in the stone of the Bladder is commen∣ded Mouse dung, Snailes shells, Stones in the Gall of an Oxe, the Stomach or Gizard of an Eagle that breaks bones, therefore called Ossifraga, Connies blood, burn, Glass, Sagapenum; Euphorbium with other things

mixed, Gum of Almond-tree, Vine, Eryngus roots, wild Parsnips, Elder flowers, not open being dryed, and given often. Nettle seed, Cappars, Water-mints.

You must use Injections into the Bladder, of such things as allay Heat, mentioned in hot Pissing.

Lastly, to break the Stone if possible, use Oyl of Scor∣pions, and Medicines made of Goats blood, or Wolfes blood. Of Juyce of Lemmons, and Bar-berries, and o∣ther sharp things, as Vinegar, with Coral, and Pearl, which often, used dissolve the Stone. These may be injected with other things that allay them from hurting the Bladder.

Baths to sit in, and Fomentations, of such things as re∣laxe, and open the passages, and break the stone, are made of such things as we use in the Stone of the Kidneys: Which as they are there good, when applied to the Hypo∣chondria, or under the Ribs, so here to the lower part of the Belly. To which add these, Fennel, Spignel, Saxi∣frage, Melilot flowers, St. Johns-wort, and other break∣stones.

Also Natural Baths are good, if sharp, and of Brim∣stone, instead whereof, you may make Artificial of Brim∣stone boyled in Water.

Oyntments prescribed in the Stone of the Kidneys, which open the passages, asswage pain, and break the Stone, are good to be applied to the Breast and Back, Yard, and Stones. Among which Oyl of Scorpions is best alone, or with other; as Birthwort, Gentian, Cypress, and barks of Cappar roots boyled therein, with prepared Goats blood.

Instead of this, we make an excellent Oyl of Cantha∣rides, and Beetles, and Grasshoppers boyled in Oyl, with Juyce of Raddish, Pellitory, and Goats blood, adding a little Vinegar of Squills.

We mentioned a Girdle with a stone in it, good against the stone of the Kidneys: The same is also good here in the stone of the bladder.

Also a Girdle made of divers things, used all night, is highly commended; as of Linnen washed with Juyce of Tansey, Plantane, Housleek, Bean flower, and Honey.

You must use Operations, when the Stone of the Blad∣der sticks in the neck thereof, and stops the passages of u∣rin; as shaking when the Patient lies upon his back, his Thighs drawn up, for the Motion of the Bladder and Loyns.

We thrust the Stone of the passage of the Bladder with a Gatheter thrust in, which is hollow, that the Urin stop∣ped may presently flow forth, and crooked like the pas∣sage of the Yard: The same is done with a wax Candle, because it will work into the passage better, being softer.

We take the Stone out of the Bladder by other wayes; some suppose it may be done by applying things to the Yard, which have a property to attract the stone; as the brayne of a Mag-pie tyed to the Head, or Glans, and Praepuce, called the Fore-skin. Or they leave the Yard thrust into a great Raddish made hollow.

Somtimes the Stone is expelled by forcible pissing, af∣ter sharp wine long retained after great Draughts, especi∣ally if the lower parts be shaken at that time by stamping upon the ground with the Feet.

Somtimes it is sucked forth of the Yard, when it sticks there. This is down often in Infants.

We are constrained to cut for the stone as the last re∣medy, when there is great pain and stoppage of Urin, al∣beit it is not without danger of death, or Convulsions, or some other following impediment, especially in Pissing, which they cannot hold afterwards. But many have been thus cured, and never had stone after in the bladder. Some have been twice cut, by reason of some signs of the stone falling from the Reins, or left behind at the first, and yet have recovered, when others have died at the first Cutting.

The Cutters for the stone do thus. The Patient sits u∣pon a table bound to the back of another that holds him (so that he cannot hinder the Operation of the surgeon with his body or hands) with his thighs drawn up and spread abroad, then they put a Catheter into the Yard and Bladder, and thrust it outwards, above the Podex in the Perinaeum, or into the place between the Podex and Cods, where the Neck of the Bladder is; which thrusting out the skin, sheweth them the way, then they make Incision long wayes upon the Noch of the Catheter, made for that purpose, and open the Neck of the Bladder, not according to the future or middle part, but upon the one side, then they draw out the Catheter, and put a directory Instru∣ment with a pipe or guttur upon the outside; or an In∣strument like that which opens the Matrix, (made to en∣large the neck of the bladder) into the wound so made. And then with a forceps or Instrument made at both ends where they meet, hollow like two little spoons, they lay hold upon the stone, and draw it out, through the hollow Instrument, or directory Pipe, if there be many Stones, they draw often, this done, the wound will easily be healed, ex∣cept the Body of the bladder be hurt.

When a Stone sticks in the passage of the Yard it is ta∣ken out with less labour and danger, by cutting it out un∣derneath, between the two Bodies.

You may take a stone from a womans bladder, by en∣larging the neck thereof without cutting, with an Instru∣ment called Speculum Vesicae, which being put in, may be by degrees scrued, so that there will be room for the For∣ceps or Tonges to enter. And because through the en∣larging by force of so sensible a part, there is great pain, and somtimes a tearing, and wound of the part. This o∣peration in women is not without danger of the accidents that we shewed would follow cutting.

There are some that say a stone may be taken out of the Bladder, by cutting the Belly in that part that is nigh to the same, and the Patient recover. This we saw in a Fi∣sher-man wounded by chance in the bladder, who had a Fistula after the wound, through which he voided his urin and many times stones and gravel.

Some say that by the finger in the Podex, when the bladder is pressed down, you may thrust down the stone in the bladder into the passage for Urin, and through the the Yard afterwards without cutting. And when one try∣ed it in my presence, he brought it to the entrance of the passage, but there it stuck, till he took it out by a small Incision. Thus by a new and less provision is the stone taken out, but not without danger neither, for some part of the bladder may be thrust into the neck of the stone, and so cut off.

They must use the Diet for the stone of the Kidneys, for this of the bladder proceeds from thence, and is nourished thereby, by the cleaving of earthy Matter, and salt of the Urin together: And the same things that hurt or help the one, hurteth and helpeth the other.

For the Cure of the Gravel sticking to the corner of the Eyes and Eye-brows, it is by taking away the great moisture from the Eye. And this is done, as I shewed in the Cure of Weeping; and if there be redness as in the Cure of Epiphora or Rhewm of the Eye. And when the Eye∣lidds are glewed together, to open them with ease, use Rose-water, or Milk, to soften this Matter that grows hard, especially in sleep. The Tophulus is upon the ball of the Eye, and hinders little, and will fall off of it self, or must be taken off with a needle, which is without danger in that thick Tunicle of the Eye.

If a Stone be blown out of the Nose, and you suspect from a new Obstruction thereof that there is another, you must pre∣sently, use Errhines, or things to provoke Neesing.

If Stones be spit from the Lungs, and the shortness of breathing, and Asthma go not away, we may gather that there are more stones yet, and it is good to force them away, with things that expectorate, or cleanse the Breast, mentioned in Asthma.

If Stones are voided by stool, be∣cause it is the general place for to discharge all Excrements, you must do nothing, except it be to prevent the growth of them, if they come often.

It is better to admire as a thing unheard, that the Child should turn to stone in the womb, then to attempt any thing to prevent it.

Gravel Tumors in the Pores, go not away with the Nails, or needle opening the skin, when in the Face. But when in the soles of the Feet, they are taken out by cutting and dividing the thick skin thereof.

If Stones come from a Tumor in the Tongue, or Almonds of the Ears, or the like, or from the Nodes in the Gout, you must cure the Ulcer. And if there be more in the tumors, and be troublesom, you must bring it to matter, as an Imposthume, that they may come forth, or be easily taken out. And if they wil not be suppurated, or the Patient be impatient of delay, open it, and take them out: As we shewed in the Cure of the Tumors under the tongue called Rana or Frog.

When we spake of Filth generally and particularly that of the Teeth, we shewed how Gravel should be taken therefrom.

Notes

• The preventing and Cure of the Stone in the Bladder.
• The Cure of Gravel in the Eye, and stone upon the Eye called Tophu∣lus.
• The Cure of Stones in the Nose.
• The Cure of the Stones in the Lungs.
• The Cure of Stones in the Guts.
• The Cure of an In∣fant turned to stone.
• The Cure of gravel tumors in the Pores.
• The Cure of stones in the tumors of the tongue, almonds of the ears, or in the nodes of the Gout.
• The Cure of Gra∣vel in the Teeth.