Medicines appropriated to the teeth

Vehement heat, and vehement cold, are inimical to the teeth, but they are most of all offended by sharp and sour things, and the reason is, because they have neither skin nor flesh to cover them, they delight in such medicines as are cleansing and binding, because they are troubled with defluxions and rheums upon every light occasion; and that’s the reason the common use of fat and sweet things, soon rots the teeth. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER II. Of Medicines appropriated to the breast and lungs** The medicines appropriated to the breast and lungs, you shall find called all along by the name of [ pectorals ] that’s the term Physicians give them, when you heat them talk of pectoral Syrups, pectoral rows, or pectoral Ointments. They are divers, some of which regard the part afflicted, others the matter afflicting. But although sometimes in ulcers of the lungs, we are forced to use binding medicines, to join the ulcer, yet are not these called pectorals, because binding medicines are extreme hurtful to the breast and lungs, both because they hinder one’s fetching his breath, and also because they hinder the avoiding that flegm by which the breast is oppre ed. Such medicines are called pectorals, which are of a lenifying nature. Besides, Those which make thin matter thicker are of two sorts, viz. Some are mild and gentle, which may safely be administered, be the matter hot or cold which offendeth; others are very cold, which are used only when the matter offending is sharp. But because such medicines as conduce to the cure of the phthisics (which is an ulceration of the lungs, and the disease usually called, the consumption of the lungs,) are also reckoned in amongst pectorals, it is not ami to speak a word or two of them. In the cure of this disease are three things to be regarded. 1. To cut and bring away the concreted blood. 2. To cherish and strengthen the lungs. 3. To conglutinate the ulcer. And indeed some particular simples will perform all these, and physicians confe it; which shews the wonderful mystery the all-wise God hath made in the creation, that one and the same simple should perform two contrary operations on the same part of the body; for the more a medicine cleanses, the more it conglutinates. To conclude then, Pectoral Medicines are such as either cut and cleanse out the compacted humours from the arteries of the lungs, or make thin defluxions thick, or temper those that are sharp, help the roughne of the wind-pipe, or are generally lenitive and softening, being outwardly applied to the breast. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER III. Of Medicines appropriated to the heart** These are they which are generally given under the notion of Cordials; take them under that name here. The heart is the seat of the vital spirit, the fountain of life, the original of infused heat, and of the natural affections of man. So then these two things are proper to the heart. 1. By its heat to cherish life throughout the body. 2. To add vigour to the affections. And if these be proper to the heart, you will easily grant me, that it is the property of cordials to administer to the heart in these particulars. Of Cordials, some cheer the mind, some strengthen the heart, and refresh the spirits thereof, being decayed. Those which cheer the mind, are not one and the same; for as the heart is variously disturbed, either by anger, love, fear, hatred, sadne , . So such things as flatter lovers or appease the angry, or comfort the fearful, or please the hateful, may well be called cordials; for the heart, seeing it is placed in the middle between the brain and the liver, is wrought upon by reason, as well as by digestion, yet these, because they are not medicines, are beside my present scope. And although it is true, that mirth, love, . are actions, or motions of the mind, not of the body; yet many have been induced to think such affections may be wrought in the body by medicines. The heart is chiefly afflicted by too much heat, by poison, and by stinking vapours, and these are remedied by the second sort of cordials, and indeed chiefly belong to our present scope. According to these three afflictions, viz. 1. Exce ive heat. 2. Poison. 3. Melancholy vapours. Are three kinds of remedies which succour the afflicted heart. Such as 1. By their cooling nature mitigate the heat of fevers. 2. Resist poison. 3. Cherish the vital spirits when they languish. All these are called Cordials. 1. Such as cool the heart in fevers, yet is not every thing that cooleth cordial, for lead is colder than gold, yet is not lead cordial as gold is, some hold it cordial by a hidden quality, others by reason. 2. Such as resist poison; there is a two-fold resisting of poison. 1. By an antipathy between the medicine and poison. 2. By a sympathy between the medicine and the heart. Of the first we shall speak anon, in a chapter by itself. The latter belongs to this chapter, and they are such medicines, whose nature is to strengthen the heart, and fortify it against the poison, as Rue, Angelica, . For as the operation of the former is upon the poison, which afflict eth the heart, so the operation of the latter is upon the heart afflicted by the poison. To this cla may be referred all such medicines as strengthen the heart either by astral influence, or by likene of substance, if there be such a likene in medicines, for a Bullock’s heart is of like substance to man’s, yet I question whether it be cordial or not. 3. And lastly, Such as refresh the spirits, and make them lively and active, both because they are appropriated to the office, and also because they drive stinking and melancholy vapours from the heart, for as the animal spirit be refreshed by fragrant smells, and the natural spirits by spices, so are the vital spirits refreshed by all such medicines as keep back melancholy vapours from the heart, as Borrage, Buglo , Rosemary, Citron Pills, the compositions of them, and many others, which this treatise will amply furnish you with. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER IV. Of Medicines appropriated to the stomach** By stomach, I mean that ventricle which contains the food till it be concocted into chyle. Medicines appropriated to the stomach are usually called stomachic als. The infirmities usually incident to the stomach are three. 1. Appetite lost. 2. Digestion weakened. 3. The retentive faculty corrupted. When the appetite is lost, the man feels no hunger when his body needs nourishment. When digestion is weakened it is not able to concoct the meat received into the stomach, but it putrifies there. When the retentive faculty is spoiled the stomach is not able to retain the food till it be digested, but either vomits it up again, or causes fluxes. Such medicines then as remedy all these, are called stomachic als. And of them in order. 1. Such as provoke appetite are usually of a sharp or sourish taste, and yet withal of a grateful taste to the palate, for although lo of appetite may proceed from divers causes, as from choler in the stomach, or putrefied humours or the like, yet such things as purge this choler or humours, are properly called Orecticks , not stomachic als; the former strengthen appetite after these are expelled. 2. Such medicines help digestion as strengthen the stomach, either by convenient heat, or aromatic (viz. spicy) faculty, by hidden property, or congruity of nature. 3. The retentive faculty of the stomach is corrected by binding medicines, yet not by all binding medicines neither, for some of them are adverse to the stomach, but by such binding medicines as are appropriated to the stomach. For the use of these. Use 1. Use not such medicines as provoke appetite before you have cleansed the stomach of what hinders it. Use 2. Such medicines as help digestion, give them a good time before meat that so they may pa to the bottom of the stomach, (for the digestive faculty lies there,) before the food come into it. Use 3. Such as strengthen the retentive faculty, give them a little before meat, if to stay fluxes, a little after meat, if to stay vomiting. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER V. Of Medicines appropriated to the liver** Be pleased to take these under the name of Hepatics , for that is the usual name physicians give them, and these also are of three sorts. 1. Some the liver is delighted in. 2. Others strengthen it. 3. Others help its vices. The palate is the seat of taste, and its office is to judge what food is agreeable to the stomach, and what not, by that is both the quality and quantity of food for the stomach discerned: the very same office the meseraik veins perform to the liver. Sometimes such food pleases the palate which the liver likes not (but not often) and therefore the meseraik veins refuse it, and that is the reason some few men fancy such food as makes them sick after the eating thereof. 1. The liver is delighted exceedingly with sweet things, draws them greedily, and digests them as swiftly, and that is the reason honey is so soon turned into choler. 2. Such medicines strengthen the liver, as (being appropriated to it) very gently bind, for seeing the office of the liver is to concoct, it needs some adstriction, that so both the heat and the humour to be concocted may be stayed, that so the one slip not away, nor the other be scattered. Yet do not hepatical medicines require so great a binding faculty as stomachic als do, because the pa ages of the stomach are more open than those of the liver by which it either takes in chyle, or sends out blood to the rest of the body, therefore medicines that are very binding are hurtful to the liver, and either cause obstructions, or hinder the distribution of the blood, or both. And thus much for the liver, the office of which is to concoct chyle, (which is a white substance the stomach digests the food into) into blood, and distributes it, by the veins, to every part of the body, whereby the body is nourished, and decaying flesh restored. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER VI. Of Medicines appropriated to the spleen** In the breeding of blood, are three excrements most conspicuous, viz. urine , choler , and melancholy . The proper seat of choler is in the gall. The urine pa eth down to the reins or kidneys, which is all one. The spleen takes the thickest or melancholy blood to itself. This excrement of blood is twofold: for either by exce ive heat, it is addust, and this is that the Latins call Atra Bilis : or else it is thick and earthly of itself, and this properly is called melancholy humour. Hence then is the nature of splenical medicines to be found out, and by these two is the spleen usually afflicted for Atra bilis , (I know not what distinct English name to give it) many times causes madne , and pure melancholy causeth obstructions of the bowels, and tumours, whereby the concoction of the blood is vitiated, and dropsies many times follow. Medicines then peculiar to the spleen must needs be twofold also, some appropriated to Atra bilis , others to pure melancholy; but of purging either of them, I shall omit till I come to treat of purging in a chapter by itself. 1. Such medicines are splenical, which by cooling and moistening temper Atra bilis : let not these medicines be too cold neither, for there is no such heat in Atra bilis as there is in choler, and therefore it needs no such exce ive cooling: amongst the number of these are such as we mentioned amongst the cordials to repel melancholy vapours from the heart, such temper and a uage the malice of Atra bilis . 2. Those medicines are also splenical, by which melancholy humours are corrected and so prepared, that they may the more easily be evacuated: such medicines are cutting and opening, and they differ from hepatic als in this that they are no ways binding; for the spleen being no ways addicted to concoction, binding medicines do it harm, and not good. 3. Sometimes the spleen is not only obstructed, but also hardened by melancholy humours, and in such cases emolient medicines may be well called splenic als, not such as are taken inwardly, for they operate upon the stomach and bowels, but such as are outwardly applied to the region of the spleen. And although sometimes medicines, are outwardly applied to hardne of the liver, yet they differ from splenic als, because they are binding, so are not splenic als. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER VII. Of Medicines appropriated to the reins and bladder** The office of the reins is, to make a separation between the blood and the urine; to receive this urine thus separated from the blood, is the bladder ordained, which is of a sufficient bigne to contain it. Both these parts of the body officiating about the urine, they are both usually afflicted by the vices of the urine. 1. By stones. 2. By inflammation. 3. By thick humours. Medicines appropriated to the reins and bladder are usually called Nephritic als , and are threefold; some cool, others cut gro humours, and a third sort breaks the stone. In the use of all these, take notice, that the constitution of the reins and bladder is such, that they abhor all binding medicines because they cause stoppage of urine. Take notice, that the reins and bladder being subject to inflammations endure not very hot medicines. Because the bladder is further remote from the centre of the body than the kidnies are, therefore it requires stronger medicines than the kidnies do, lest the strength of the medicine be spent before it be come to the part afflicted. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER VIII. Of Medicines appropriated to the womb** These, physicians call Hysteric als , and to avoid multiplicity of words, take them in this discourse under that notion. Take notice that such medicines as provoke the menses, or stop them when they flow immoderately, are properly hysteric als, but shall be spoken to by and by in a chapter by themselves. As for the nature of the womb, it seems to be much like the nature of the brain and stomach, for experience teacheth that it is delighted with sweet and aroma tical medicines, and flies from their contraries. For example: a woman being troubled with the fits of the mother, which is drawing of the womb upward, apply sweet things, as Civet, or the like, to the place of conception, it draws it down again; but apply stinking things to the nose, as A afœtid a, or the like, it expels it from it, and sends it down to its proper place. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER IX. Of Medicines appropriated to the joints** The joints are usually troubled with cephalic diseases, and then are to be cured by cephalic medicines. Medicines appropriated to the joints, are called by the name Arthritical medicines. The joints, seeing they are very nervous, require medicines which are of a heating and drying nature, with a gentle binding, and withal, such as by peculiar virtue are appropriated to them, and add strength to them. It is true, most cephalics do so, yet because the joints are more remote from the centre, they require stronger medicines. For removing pains in the joints this is the method of proceeding. Pain is either taken away or eased, for the true cure is to take away the cause of the pain, sometimes the vehemency of the pain is so great that you must be forced to use A no dines (for so physicians call such medicines as ease pain) before you can meddle with the cause, and this is usually when the part pained is inflamed, for those medicines which take away the cause of pain being very hot, if there be any inflammation in the part pained, you must abstain from them till the inflammation be taken away. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines sECTION III. Of the propriety or operation of Medicines. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER I. Of Emolient Medicines** The various mixtures of heat, cold, dryne , and moisture in simples, must of nece ity produce variety of faculties, and operations in them, which now we come to treat of, beginning first at emolients. What is hard, and what is soft, most men know, but few are able to expre . Phylosophers define that to be hard which yields not to touching, and soft to be the contrary. An emolient, or softening medicine is one which reduceth a hard substance to its proper temperature. But to leave phylosophy, and keep to physic: physicians describe hardne to be two-fold. 1. A distention or stretching of a part by too much fulne . 2. Thick humours which are destitute of heat, growing hard in that part of the body into which they flow. So many properties then ought emolient medicines to have, viz. To moisten what is dry, to discu what is stretched, to warm what is congealed by cold; yet properly, that only is said to mollify which reduceth a hard substance to its proper temperature. Dryne and thickne of humours being the cause of hardne , emolient medicines must of nece ity be hot and moist; and although you may peradventure find some of them dry in the second or third degrees, yet must this dryne be tempered and qualified with heat and moisture, for reason will tell you that dry medicines make hard parts harder. Mollifying medicines are known, 1. by their taste, 2. by their feeling. 1. In taste, they are near unto sweat, but fat and oily; they are neither sharp, nor austere, nor sour, nor salt, neither do they manifest either binding, or vehement heat, or cold to be in them. 2. In feeling you can perceive no roughne , neither do they stick to your fingers like Birdlime, for they ought to penetrate the parts to be mollified, and therefore many times if occasion be, are cutting medicines mixed with them. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER II. Of hardening Medicines** Galen in Lib. 5. de Simple, Med. Facult. Cap. 10. determines hardening medicines to be cold and moist, and he brings some arguments to prove it, against which other physicians contest. I shall not here stand to quote the dispute, only take notice, that if softening medicines be hot and moist (as we shewed even now) then hardening medicines must needs be cold and dry, because they are contrary to them. The universal course of nature will prove it, for dryne and moisture are pa ive qualities, neither can extreme ties consist in moisture as you may know, if you do but consider that dryne is not attributed to the air, nor water, but to the fire, and earth. 2. The thing to be congealed must needs be moist, therefore the medicine congealing must of nece ity be dry, for if cold be joined with dryne , it contracts the pores, that so the humours cannot be scattered. Yet you must observe a difference between medicines drying, making thick, hardening, and congealing, of which differences, a few words will not do ami . 1. Such medicines are said to dry, which draw out, or drink up the moisture, as a spunge drinks up water. 2. Such medicines are said to make thick, as do not consume the moisture, but add dryne to it, as you make syrups into a thick electuary by adding powders to them. 3. Such as congeal, neither draw out the moisture, nor make it thick by adding dryne to it, but contract it by vehement cold, as water is frozen into ice. 4. Hardne differs from all these, for the parts of the body swell, and are filled with flegmatic humours, or melancholy blood, which at last grows hard. That you may clearly understand this, observe but these two things. 1. What it is which worketh. 2. What it worketh upon. That which worketh is outwardly cold. That which is wrought upon, is a certain thickne and dryne , of humours, for if the humour were fluid as water is, it might properly be said to be congealed by cold, but not so properly hardened. Thus you see cold and dryne to be the cause of hardening. This hardening being so far from being useful, that it is obnoxious to the body of man. I pa it without more words. I suppose when Galen wrote of hardening medicines, he intended such as make thick, and therefore amongst them he reckons up Fleawort, Purslain, Houseleek, and the like, which a uage the heat of the humours in swellings, and stops subtil and sharp defluxions upon the lungs; but of these more anon. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER III. Of Loosening Medicines** By loosening here, I do not mean purging, nor that which is opposite to astringency; but that which is opposite to stretching: I knew not suddenly what fitter English name to give it, than loosening or laxation, which latter is scarce English. The members are distended or stretched divers ways, and ought to be loosened by as many, for they are stretched sometimes by dryne , sometimes by cold, sometimes by repletion or fullne , sometimes by swellings, and sometimes by some of these joined together. I avoid terms of art as much as I can, because it would profit my country but little, to give them the rules of physic in such English as they understand not. I confe the opinion of ancient physicians hath been various about these loosening medicines. Galen’s opinion was, that they might be referred either to moistening, or heating, or mollifying, or evacuating medicines, and therefore ought not to be referred to a chapter by themselves. It is likely they may, and so may all other medicines be referred to heat, or coldne , or dryne , or moisture: but we speak not here of the particular properties of medicines, but of their joined properties, as they heat and moisten. Others, they question how they can be distinguished from such as mollify, seeing such as are loosening, and such as are emolient, are both of them hot and moist. To that, thus: stretching and loosening are ascribed to the moveable parts of the body, as to the muscles and their tendons, to the ligaments and Membranæ ; but softne and hardne to such parts of the body as may be felt with the hand: I shall make clear by a similitude, Wax is softened, being hard, but Fiddle-strings are loosened being stretched. And if you say that the difference lying only in the parts of the body is no true difference, then take notice, that such medicines which loosen, are le hot, and more moistening, than such as soften, for they operate most by heat, these by moisture. The truth is, I am of opinion the difference is not much, nay, scarce sensible, between emolient and loosening medicines; only I quoted this in a chapter by itself, not so much because some authors do, as because it conduceth to the increase of knowledge in physic, for want of which, this poor nation is almost spoiled. The chief use of loosening medicines is in convulsions and cramps, and such like infirmities which cause distention or stretching. They are known by the very same marks and tokens that emolient medicines are. IMG:8489675269526074943_lines.jpg:decorative lines **CHAPTER IV. Of drawing Medicines** The opinion of physicians is, concerning these, as it is concerning other medicines, viz. Some draw by a manifest quality, some by a hidden, and so (quoth they) they draw to themselves both humours and thorns, or splinters that are gotten into the flesh; however this is certain, they are all of them hot, and of thin parts; hot because the nature of heat is to draw off thin parts that so they may penetrate to the humours that are to to be drawn out.