The Anatomy of Melancholy Part 48

I might here insert many receipts of prescribed potions, boles, &c. The doses of these, but that they are common in every good physician, and that I am loath to incur the censure of Forestus, _lib. 3. cap. 6. de urinis_, [4240]"against those that divulge and publish medicines in their mother-tongue," and lest I should give occasion thereby to some ignorant reader to practise on himself, without the consent of a good physician.

Such as are not swallowed, but only kept in the mouth, are gargarisms used commonly after a purge, when the body is soluble and loose. Or apophlegmatisms, masticatories, to be held and chewed in the mouth, which are gentle, as hyssop, origan, pennyroyal, thyme, mustard; strong, as pellitory, pepper, ginger, &c.

Such as are taken into the nostrils, errhina are liquid or dry, juice of pimpernel, onions, &c., castor, pepper, white h.e.l.lebore, &c. To these you may add odoraments, perfumes, and suffumigations, &c.

Taken into the inferior parts are clysters strong or weak, suppositories of Castilian soap, honey boiled to a consistence; or stronger of scammony, h.e.l.lebore, &c.

These are all used, and prescribed to this malady upon several occasions, as shall be shown in its place.

MEMB. III.

_Chirurgical Remedies_.

In letting of blood three main circ.u.mstances are to be considered, [4241]

"Who, how much, when." That is, that it be done to such a one as may endure it, or to whom it may belong, that he be of a competent age, not too young, nor too old, overweak, fat, or lean, sore laboured, but to such as have need, are full of bad blood, noxious humours, and may be eased by it.

The quant.i.ty depends upon the party's habit of body, as he is strong or weak, full or empty, may spare more or less.

In the morning is the fittest time: some doubt whether it be best fasting, or full, whether the moon's motion or aspect of planets be to be observed; some affirm, some deny, some grant in acute, but not in chronic diseases, whether before or after physic. 'Tis Heurnius' aphorism _a phlebotomia auspicandum esse curiationem, non a pharmacia_, you must begin with bloodletting and not physic; some except this peculiar malady. But what do I? Horatius Augenius, a physician of Padua, hath lately writ 17 books of this subject, Jobertus, &c.

Particular kinds of bloodletting in use [4242]are three, first is that opening a vein in the arm with a sharp knife, or in the head, knees, or any other parts, as shall be thought fit.

Cupping-gla.s.ses with or without scarification, _ocyssime compesc.u.n.t_, saith Fernelius, they work presently, and are applied to several parts, to divert humours, aches, winds, &c.

Horseleeches are much used in melancholy, applied especially to the haemorrhoids. Horatius Augenius, _lib. 10. cap. 10._ Platerus _de mentis alienat. cap. 3._ Altomarus, Piso, and many others, prefer them before any evacuations in this kind.

[4243]Cauteries, or searing with hot irons, combustions, borings, lancings, which, because they are terrible, _Dropax_ and _Sinapismus_ are invented by plasters to raise blisters, and eating medicines of pitch, mustard-seed, and the like.

Issues still to be kept open, made as the former, and applied in and to several parts, have their use here on divers occasions, as shall be shown.

SECT. V. MEMB. I.

SUBSECT. I.--_Particular Cure of the three several Kinds; of Head Melancholy_.

The general cures thus briefly examined and discussed, it remains now to apply these medicines to the three particular species or kinds, that, according to the several parts affected, each man may tell in some sort how to help or ease himself. I will treat of head melancholy first, in which, as in all other good cures, we must begin with diet, as a matter of most moment, able oftentimes of itself to work this effect. I have read, saith Laurentius, _cap. 8. de Melanch_. that in old diseases which have gotten the upper hand or a habit, the manner of living is to more purpose, than whatsoever can be drawn out of the most precious boxes of the apothecaries.

This diet, as I have said, is not only in choice of meat and drink, but of all those other non-natural things. Let air be clear and moist most part: diet moistening, of good juice, easy of digestion, and not windy: drink clear, and well brewed, not too strong, nor too small. "Make a melancholy man fat," as [4244]Rhasis saith, "and thou hast finished the cure."

Exercise not too remiss, nor too violent. Sleep a little more than ordinary. [4245]Excrements daily to be voided by art or nature; and which Fernelius enjoins his patient, _consil. 44_, above the rest, to avoid all pa.s.sions and perturbations of the mind. Let him not be alone or idle (in any kind of melancholy), but still accompanied with such friends and familiars he most affects, neatly dressed, washed, and combed, according to his ability at least, in clean sweet linen, spruce, handsome, decent, and good apparel; for nothing sooner dejects a man than want, squalor, and nastiness, foul, or old clothes out of fas.h.i.+on. Concerning the medicinal part, he that will satisfy himself at large (in this precedent of diet) and see all at once the whole cure and manner of it in every distinct species, let him consult with Gordonius, Valescus, with Prosper Calenius, _lib. de atra bile ad Card._ Caesium, Laurentius, _cap. 8. et 9. de mela._ Aelian Montaltus, _de mel. cap. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30._ Donat. ab Altomari, _cap. 7.

artis med_. Hercules de Saxonia, _in Panth. cap. 7. et Tract. ejus peculiar. de melan. per Bolzetam, edit. Venetiis 1620. cap. 17. 18. 19._ Savanarola, _Rub. 82. Tract. 8. cap. 1._ Sckenkius, _in prax. curat. Ital.

med_. Heurnius, _cap. 12. de morb_. Victorius Faventius, _pract. Magn. et Empir_. Hildesheim, _Spicel. 2. de man. et mel._ Fel. Plater, Stockerus, Bruel. P. Baverus, Forestus, Fuchsius, Capivaccius, Rondoletius, Jason Pratensis, Sull.u.s.t. Salvian. _de remed. lib. 2. cap. 1._ Jacchinus, _in 9.

Rhasis_, Lod. Mercatus, _de Inter. morb. cur. lib. 1. cap. 17._ Alexan.

Messaria, _pract. med. lib. 1. cap. 21. de mel_. Piso. Hollerius, &c. that have culled out of those old Greeks, Arabians, and Latins, whatsoever is observable or fit to be used. Or let him read those counsels and consultations of Hugo Senensis, _consil. 13. et 14._ Reinerus Solenander, _consil. 6. sec. 1. et consil. 3. sec. 3._ Crato, _consil. 16. lib. 1._ Monta.n.u.s 20. 22. and his following counsels, Laelius a Fonte Egubinus, _consult. 44. 69. 77. 125. 129. 142._ Fernelius, _consil. 44. 45. 46._ Jul.

Caesar Claudinus, Mercurialis, Frambesarius, Sennertus, &c. Wherein he shall find particular receipts, the whole method, preparatives, purgers, correctors, averters, cordials in great variety and abundance: out of which, because every man cannot attend to read or peruse them, I will collect for the benefit of the reader, some few more notable medicines.

SUBSECT. II.--_Bloodletting_.

Phlebotomy is promiscuously used before and after physic, commonly before, and upon occasion is often reiterated, if there be any need at least of it.

For Galen, and many others, make a doubt of bleeding at all in this kind of head-melancholy. If the malady, saith Piso, _cap. 23._ and Altomarus, _cap.

7._ Fuchsius, _cap. 33._ [4246]"shall proceed primarily from the misaffected brain, the patient in such case shall not need at all to bleed, except the blood otherwise abound, the veins be full, inflamed blood, and the party ready to run mad." In immaterial melancholy, which especially comes from a cold distemperature of spirits, Hercules de Saxonia, _cap.

17._ will not admit of phlebotomy; Laurentius, _cap. 9_, approves it out of the authority of the Arabians; but as Mesue, Rhasis, Alexander appoint, [4247]"especially in the head," to open the veins of the forehead, nose and ears is good. They commonly set cupping-gla.s.ses on the party's shoulders, having first scarified the place, they apply horseleeches on the head, and in all melancholy diseases, whether essential or accidental, they cause the haemorrhoids to be opened, having the eleventh aphorism of the sixth book of Hippocrates for their ground and warrant, which saith, "That in melancholy and mad men, the varicose tumour or haemorrhoids appearing doth heal the same." Valescus prescribes bloodletting in all three kinds, whom Sall.u.s.t. Salvian follows. [4248]"If the blood abound, which is discerned by the fullness of the veins, his precedent diet, the party's laughter, age, &c., begin with the median or middle vein of the arm; if the blood be ruddy and clear, stop it, but if black in the spring time, or a good season, or thick, let it run, according to the party's strength: and some eight or twelve days after, open the head vein, and the veins in the forehead, or provoke it out of the nostrils, or cupping-gla.s.ses," &c. Trallia.n.u.s allows of this, [4249]"If there have been any suppression or stopping of blood at nose, or haemorrhoids, or women's months, then to open a vein in the head or about the ankles." Yet he doth hardly approve of this course, if melancholy be situated in the head alone, or in any other dotage, [4250]"except it primarily proceed from blood, or that the malady be increased by it; for bloodletting refrigerates and dries up, except the body be very full of blood, and a kind of ruddiness in the face." Therefore I conclude with Areteus, [4251]"before you let blood, deliberate of it,"

and well consider all circ.u.mstances belonging to it.

SUBSECT. III.--_Preparatives and Purgers_.

After bloodletting we must proceed to other medicines; first prepare, and then purge, _Augeae stabulum purgare_, make the body clean before we hope to do any good. Walter Bruel would have a pract.i.tioner begin first with a clyster of his, which he prescribes before bloodletting: the common sort, as Mercurialis, Montaltus _cap. 30._ &c. proceed from lenitives to preparatives, and so to purgers. Lenitives are well known, _electuarium lenitivum, diaphenic.u.m diacatholicon_, &c. Preparatives are usually syrups of borage, bugloss, apples, fumitory, thyme and epithyme, with double as much of the same decoction or distilled water, or of the waters of bugloss, balm, hops, endive, scolopendry, fumitory, &c. or these sodden in whey, which must be reiterated and used for many days together. Purges come last, "which must not be used at all, if the malady may be otherwise helped,"

because they weaken nature and dry so much, and in giving of them, [4252]

"we must begin with the gentlest first." Some forbid all hot medicines, as Alexander, and Salvia.n.u.s, &c. _Ne insaniores inde fiant_, hot medicines increase the disease [4253]"by drying too much." Purge downward rather than upward, use potions rather than pills, and when you begin physic, persevere and continue in a course; for as one observes, [4254]_movere et non educere in omnibus malum est_; to stir up the humour (as one purge commonly doth) and not to prosecute, doth more harm than good. They must continue in a course of physic, yet not so that they tire and oppress nature, _danda quies naturae_, they must now and then remit, and let nature have some rest. The most gentle purges to begin with, are [4255]senna, ca.s.sia, epithyme, myrabolanea, catholicon: if these prevail not, we may proceed to stronger, as the confection of hamech, pil. Indae, fumitoriae, de a.s.saieret, of lapis armenus and lazuli, diasena. Or if pills be too dry; [4256]some prescribe both h.e.l.lebores in the last place, amongst the rest Aretus, [4257]"because this disease will resist a gentle medicine."

Laurentius and Hercules de Saxonia would have antimony tried last, "if the [4258]party be strong, and it warily given." [4259]Trincavelius prefers hieroloG.o.dium, to whom Francis Alexander in his _Apol. rad. 5._ subscribes, a very good medicine they account it. But Crato in a counsel of his, for the duke of Bavaria's chancellor, wholly rejects it.

I find a vast chaos of medicines, a confusion of receipts and magistrals, amongst writers, appropriated to this disease; some of the chiefest I will rehea.r.s.e. [4260]To be seasick first is very good at seasonable times.

h.e.l.leborismus Matthioli, with which he vaunts and boasts he did so many several cures, [4261]"I never gave it" (saith he), "but after once or twice, by the help of G.o.d, they were happily cured." The manner of making it he sets down at large in his third book of Epist. to George Hanks.h.i.+us a physician. Walter Bruel, and Heurnius, make mention of it with great approbation; so doth Sckenkius in his memorable cures, and experimental medicines, _cen. 6. obser. 37._ That famous h.e.l.leborisme of Monta.n.u.s, which he so often repeats in his consultations and counsels, as _28. pro. melan.

sacerdote, et consil. 148. pro hypochondriaco_, and cracks, [4262] "to be a most sovereign remedy for all melancholy persons, which he hath often given without offence, and found by long experience and observations to be such."

Quercetan prefers a syrup of h.e.l.lebore in his _Spagirica Pharmac._ and h.e.l.lebore's extract _cap. 5._ of his invention likewise ("a most safe medicine and not unfit to be given children") before all remedies whatsoever. [4263]

Paracelsus, in his book of black h.e.l.lebore, admits this medicine, but as it is prepared by him. [4264]"It is most certain" (saith he) "that the virtue of this herb is great, and admirable in effect, and little differing from balm itself; and he that knows well how to make use of it, hath more art than all their books contain, or all the doctors in Germany can show."

Aelia.n.u.s Montaltus in his exquisite work _de morb. capitis, cap. 31. de mel._ sets a special receipt of his own, which, in his practice [4265]"he fortunately used; because it is but short I will set it down."

"[Symbol: Rx]. Syrupe de pomis [Symbol: Ounce]ij, aquae borag.

[Symbol: Ounce]iiij. Ellebori nigri per noctem infusi in ligatura 6 vel 8 gr. mane facta collatura exhibe."

Other receipts of the same to this purpose you shall find in him. Valescus admires _pulvis Hali_, and Jason Pratensis after him: the confection of which our new London Pharmacopoeia hath lately revived. [4266]"Put case"

(saith he) "all other medicines fail, by the help of G.o.d this alone shall do it, and 'tis a crowned medicine which must be kept in secret."

"[Symbol: Rx]. Epithymi semunc. lapidis lazuli, agarici ana [Symbol: Ounce]ij. Scammnonii. [Symbol: Dram]j, Chariophillorum numero, 20 pulverisentur Omnia, et ipsius pulveris scrup. 4. singulis septimanis a.s.sumat."

To these I may add _Arnoldi vinum Buglossalum_, or borage wine before mentioned, which [4267]Mizaldus calls _vinum mirabile_, a wonderful wine, and Stockerus vouchsafes to repeat verbatim amongst other receipts. Rubeus his [4268]compound water out of Savanarola; Pinetus his balm; Cardan's _Pulvis Hyacinthi_, with which, in his book _de curis admirandis_, he boasts that he had cured many melancholy persons in eight days, which [4269]Sckenkius puts amongst his observable medicines; Altomarus his syrup, with which [4270]he calls G.o.d so solemnly to witness, he hath in his kind done many excellent cures, and which Sckenkius _cent. 7. observ. 80._ mentioneth, Daniel Sennertus _lib. 1. part. 2. cap. 12._ so much commends; Rulandus' admirable water for melancholy, which _cent. 2. cap. 96._ he names _Spiritum vitae aureum, Panaceam_, what not, and his absolute medicine of 50 eggs, _curat. Empir. cent. 1. cur. 5._ to be taken three in a morning, with a powder of his. [4271]Faventinus _prac. Emper_. doubles this number of eggs, and will have 101 to be taken by three and three in like sort, which Sall.u.s.t Salvian approves _de red. med. lib. 2. c. 1._ with some of the same powder, till all be spent, a most excellent remedy for all melancholy and mad men.

"[Symbol: Rx]. Epithymi, thymi, ana drachmas duas, sacchari albi unciam unam, croci grana tria, Cinamomi drachmam unam; misce, fiat pulvis."

All these yet are nothing to those [4272]chemical preparatives of _Aqua Chalidonia_, quintessence of h.e.l.lebore, salts, extracts, distillations, oils, _Aurum potabile_, &c. Dr. Anthony in his book _de auro potab. edit.

1600._ is all in all for it. [4273]"And though all the schools of Galenists, with a wicked and unthankful pride and scorn, detest it in their practice, yet in more grievous diseases, when their vegetals will do no good," they are compelled to seek the help of minerals, though they "use them rashly, unprofitably, slackly, and to no purpose." Rhena.n.u.s, a Dutch chemist, in his book _de Sale e puteo emergente_, takes upon him to apologise for Anthony, and sets light by all that speak against him. But what do I meddle with this great controversy, which is the subject of many volumes? Let Paracelsus, Quercetan, Crollius, and the brethren of the rosy cross, defend themselves as they may. Crato, Erastus, and the Galenists oppugn Paracelsus, he brags on the other side, he did more famous cures by this means, than all the Galenists in Europe, and calls himself a monarch; Galen, Hippocrates, infants, illiterate, &c. As Thessalus of old railed against those ancient Asclepiadean writers, [4274]"he condemns others, insults, triumphs, overcomes all antiquity" (saith Galen as if he spake to him) "declares himself a conqueror, and crowns his own doings. [4275]One drop of their chemical preparatives shall do more good than all their fulsome potions." Erastus, and the rest of the Galenists vilify them on the other side, as heretics in physic; [4276]"Paracelsus did that in physic, which Luther in Divinity. [4277]A drunken rogue he was, a base fellow, a magician, he had the devil for his master, devils his familiar companions, and what he did, was done by the help of the devil." Thus they contend and rail, and every mart write books _pro_ and _con, et adhuc sub judice lis est_: let them agree as they will, I proceed.

SUBSECT. IV.--_Averters_.

Averters and purgers must go together, as tending all to the same purpose, to divert this rebellious humour, and turn it another way. In this range, clysters and suppositories challenge a chief place, to draw this humour from the brain and heart, to the more ign.o.ble parts. Some would have them still used a few days between, and those to be made with the boiled seeds of anise, fennel, and b.a.s.t.a.r.d saffron, hops, thyme, epithyme, mallows, fumitory, bugloss, polypody, senna, diasene, hamech, ca.s.sia, diacatholicon, hieroloG.o.dium, oil of violets, sweet almonds, &c. For without question, a clyster opportunely used, cannot choose in this, as most other maladies, but to do very much good; _Clysteres nutriunt_, sometimes clysters nourish, as they may be prepared, as I was informed not long since by a learned lecture of our natural philosophy [4278]reader, which he handled by way of discourse, out of some other noted physicians. Such things as provoke urine most commend, but not sweat. Trincavelius _consil. 16. cap. 1._ in head-melancholy forbids it. P. Byarus and others approve frictions of the outward parts, and to bathe them with warm water. Instead of ordinary frictions, Cardan prescribes rubbing with nettles till they blister the skin, which likewise [4279]Basardus Visontinus so much magnifies.

Sneezing, masticatories, and nasals are generally received. Montaltus _c.

34._ Hildesheim _spicel. 3. fol. 136 and 238._ give several receipts of all three. Hercules de Saxonia relates of an empiric in Venice [4280]"that had a strong water to purge by the mouth and nostrils, which he still used in head-melancholy, and would sell for no gold."

To open months and haemorrhoids is very good physic, [4281]"If they have been formerly stopped." Faventinus would have them opened with horseleeches, so would Hercul. de Sax. Julius Alexandrinus _consil. 185.

Scoltzii_ thinks aloes fitter: [4282]most approve horseleeches in this case, to be applied to the forehead, [4283]nostrils, and other places.

Montaltus _cap. 29._ out of Alexander and others, prescribes [4284]

"cupping-gla.s.ses, and issues in the left thigh." Aretus _lib. 7. cap. 5._ [4285]Paulus Regolinus, Sylvius will have them without scarification, "applied to the shoulders and back, thighs and feet:" [4286]Montaltus _cap.