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.

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Title
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.
Author
Platter, Felix, 1536-1614.
Publication
London :: printed by Peter Cole, printer and book-seller, at the sign of the Printing-press in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange,
1664.
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Medicine
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A90749.0001.001
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"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A90749.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2024.

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CHAP. XV. Of the Voiding of earthy Bodies.
The Kinds.

THe earthy Bodies that grow in Man, are Sand or Mud, Stones hard and soft, and they are preternatural, as also their Voiding. They come from divers parts of the Body which shall be mentioned, from some often from o∣ther parts seldom, or very rarely.

Many piss Sand or Gravel, * 1.1 with and without another Disease.

Also Stones are pissed forth forcibly, and this follows the pain in the Kidneys in the Cure of which these were mentio∣ned. Somtimes Blood or stoppage of U∣rin went afore, or burning of Urin, or slimy Matter: As was shewed in those Excretions. Somtimes there is a muddy white matter with the Urin with signs of the stone in the Bladder. * 1.2 There is often in the Corners of the Eyes and in the Eye-brows a sandie, rough Mat∣ter, brittle and yellow, which sticks to the Hair in the night, when the Eyes are shut, so that the Eyes are hard to be closed: as we shewed in the Diseases of the Eyes.

Somtimes a stone as big as a pease hath been blown out at the Nose, * 1.3 white and brittle, which we keep in the trea∣sury of our Physical Rarities.

Not only I, * 1.4 but others have known stones to be hawked forth with a cough some white, some brittle, and hard, round, long, or broad, equal, and unequal. And a great difficulty of breathing hath gone before, in which Disease as was shewed, Stones are oftner kept then voided. I keep by me some such that were voided by a comely wid∣dow, that was marryed to one in a Consumption, that in∣fected her: Of which I spake, she voided them with great pain and coughing.

Somtimes other Stones have come from the Mouth, * 1.5 as from a swelling un∣der the Tongue, called the Frog, or from a swelling in the Jawes.

I keep at home a stone that was voi∣ded by stool; and another that came forth of a Horse that dunged.

A famous Physitian of our time, * 1.6 saith publickly in writing, and told me that a Woman was delivered of a Child hard as a Stone.

Somtimes they grow in the Pores of the skin, and are taken out, * 1.7 as in the Face: I keep one by me that was taken out of the Sole of the Foot.

One had a little Stone taken out of the white of his Eye with a Needle, * 1.8 and he brought it to me.

There are often scales which co∣ver the Teeth, * 1.9 and they are chiefly a∣bout the Roots.

As we shewed in the Gout, * 1.10 stones are often taken out of the Nodes thereof.

Stones are cut out of the Bladder by a Wound made in the Perinae∣um. * 1.11

From a Wound in the Groyne, * 1.12 when a fleshy Rupture was cut, which turned into a Fistula, there came, as I shewed Sand and Stones with the Urin a long time.

The Causes.

VVe shewed in the Pain of the Reins from the Stone that Sand and Gravel and Stones came from a earthy Matter and Flegm, especially that which is mixed with water fastned in dry parts. And when other earthy Mat∣ter is gathered and fixed in certain Excrements or parts, it may do the same, because we find by Experience that wood and bones out of the Body may be turned to stones, and such are found in the Body. And we shall now shew how they breed in divers parts of the Body.

As we shewed in the Causes of the Stone, * 1.13 there comes sand and stones by urin from the Kidneys, ra∣ther then other parts, and they are from an earthy Matter fastned to them. And they fall from thence into the Bladder by the Ureters, and if they stay there, as great stones do, and in∣crease by the earthy part of the urin, * 1.14 there is the stone of the Bladder. If they go farther, they are pissed forth: Otherwise they must be cut forth. Which we shewed was done by chance, from a wound in the Groine.

VVe shewed in Diseases of the Li∣ver, that Gravel might grow there, * 1.15 by reason of the Serum that pierced into the Vessels, from which it might pass with the Urin to the Reins, and so to the Bladder, but stones cannot pass that way.

Also Gravel is bred in the Eyes, * 1.16 from water that continually moist∣neth them: Or it is brought thither with tears, if they be hot and sharp, or

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earthy. And in sound Eyes this sandy Matter is gathered in the Corners of the Eyes and Eye-brows, at night when the Eyes are shut. And in diseased Eyes, if there be tears and heat, as in Epiphora is shewed.

From the same Cause come little Stones, when sand is fixed in the hard Tunicle of the Eye.

In the Cavities of the Nostrils from the Earthyness of the water and flegm, * 1.17 which flows from the Brain, proceeds the stone that was blown out. For though stones are found in the Brain, yet cannot they get that way through the narrow pas∣sages.

VVe shewed in Asthma the Cause of a Stone in the Lungs. * 1.18

VVhen Matter lyes long, and grows hard in the Guts, from the Serum which wetteth them with the Excrements, * 1.19 a Stone may be caused there. But it is not much regarded, because it passeth with the Excrements without pain. And this is probable to be in a man, for I saw the same voided by a Horse. Other things turned into Stone, may be from an earthy salt Matter taken in, and hardned with the Excrements.

The rare bringing forth of a stony Child, * 1.20 comes from an earthy salt Matter in the womb which turns it to stone, even as other things are turned to stone out of the Bo∣dy.

VVhen Earthyness is in the Se∣rum in divers Pores of the Body, * 1.21 it causeth Stones by being exter∣nally dryed, This is most in the Face, when it is exposed to hot and dry Air. The same is the cause of a Stone in the Eye.

VVe shewed in Tumors, * 1.22 how stones grew under the tongue and in the Gout. And the same may be in other Tumors.

VVe shewed also in Filth, how from the Slime and Filth of the Teeth, Scales and Gravel grew.

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, * 1.23 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

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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, * 1.24 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, * 1.25 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, * 1.26 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.

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If Stones are voided by stool, * 1.27 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, * 1.28 that the Child should turn to stone in the womb, then to attempt any thing to prevent it.

Gravel Tumors in the Pores, * 1.29 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, * 1.30 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, * 1.31 we shewed how Gravel should be taken therefrom.

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