drink none myself) for all this may be done, so that it be modestly,
soberly, opportunely used: so that they be not drunk with wine, wherein
is excess, which our [4316]Apostle forewarns; for as Chrysostom well
comments on that place, ad laetitiam datum est vinum, non ad
ebrietatem, 'tis for mirth wine, but not for madness: and will you know
where, when, and how that is to be understood? Vis discere ubi bonum
sit vinum? Audi quid dicat Scriptura, hear the Scriptures, Give wine to
them that are in sorrow, or as Paul bid Timothy drink wine for his
stomach's sake, for concoction, health, or some such honest occasion.
Otherwise, as [4317] Pliny telleth us; if singular moderation be not
had, [4318]nothing so pernicious, 'tis mere vinegar, blandus daemon,
poison itself. But hear a more fearful doom, Habac. ii. 15. and 16. Woe
be to him that makes his neighbour drunk, shameful spewing shall be
upon his glory. Let not good fellows triumph therefore (saith
Matthiolus) that I have so much commended wine, if it be immoderately
taken, instead of making glad, it confounds both body and soul, it
makes a giddy head, a sorrowful heart. And 'twas well said of the poet
of old, Vine causeth mirth and grief, [4319]nothing so good for some,
so bad for others, especially as [4320]one observes, qui a causa calida
male habent, that are hot or inflamed. And so of spices, they alone, as
I have showed, cause head-melancholy themselves, they must not use wine
as an [4321]ordinary drink, or in their diet. But to determine with
Laurentius, c. 8. de melan. wine is bad for madmen, and such as are
troubled with heat in their inner parts or brains; but to melancholy,
which is cold (as most is), wine, soberly used, may be very good.
I may say the same of the decoction of China roots, sassafras,
sarsaparilla, guaiacum: China, saith Manardus, makes a good colour in
the face, takes away melancholy, and all infirmities proceeding from
cold, even so sarsaparilla provokes sweat mightily, guaiacum dries,
Claudinus, consult. 89. & 46. Montanus, Capivaccius, consult. 188.
Scoltzii, make frequent and good use of guaiacum and China, [4322]so
that the liver be not incensed, good for such as are cold, as most
melancholy men are, but by no means to be mentioned in hot.
The Turks have a drink called coffee (for they use no wine), so named
of a berry as black as soot, and as bitter, (like that black drink
which was in use amongst the Lacedaemonians, and perhaps the same,)
which they sip still of, and sup as warm as they can suffer; they spend
much time in those coffeehouses, which are somewhat like our alehouses
or taverns, and there they sit chatting and drinking to drive away the
time, and to be merry together, because they find by experience that
kind of drink, so used, helpeth digestion, and procureth alacrity. Some
of them take opium to this purpose.
Borage, balm, saffron, gold, I have spoken of; Montaltus, c. 23.
commends scorzonera roots condite. Garcius ab Horto, plant. hist. lib.
2. cap. 25. makes mention of an herb called datura, [4323]which, if it
be eaten for twenty-four hours following, takes away all sense of
grief, makes them incline to laughter and mirth: and another called
bauge, like in effect to opium, which puts them for a time into a kind
of ecstasy, and makes them gently to laugh. One of the Roman emperors
had a seed, which he did ordinarily eat to exhilarate himself.
[4324]Christophorus Ayrerus prefers bezoar stone, and the confection of
alkermes, before other cordials, and amber in some cases.
[4325]Alkermes comforts the inner parts; and bezoar stone hath an
especial virtue against all melancholy affections, [4326]it refresheth
the heart, and corroborates the whole body. [4327]Amber provokes urine,
helps the body, breaks wind, &c. After a purge, 3 or 4 grains of bezoar
stone, and 3 grains of ambergris, drunk or taken in borage or bugloss
water, in which gold hot hath been quenched, will do much good, and the
purge shall diminish less (the heart so refreshed) of the strength and
substance of the body.
℞. confect. Alkermes ℥ß lap. Bezor. ℈j. Succini albi subtiliss.
pulverisat. ℈jj. cum Syrup, de cort. citri; fiat electuarium.
To bezoar stone most subscribe, Manardus, and [4328]many others; it
takes away sadness, and makes him merry that useth it; I have seen some
that have been much diseased with faintness, swooning, and melancholy,
that taking the weight of three grains of this stone, in the water of
oxtongue, have been cured. Garcias ab Horto brags how many desperate
cures he hath done upon melancholy men by this alone, when all
physicians had forsaken them. But alkermes many except against; in some
cases it may help, if it be good and of the best, such as that of
Montpelier in France, which [4329]Iodocus Sincerus, Itinerario Galliae,
so much magnifies, and would have no traveller omit to see it made. But
it is not so general a medicine as the other. Fernelius, consil. 49,
suspects alkermes, by reason of its heat, [4330]nothing (saith he)
sooner exasperates this disease, than the use of hot working meats and
medicines, and would have them for that cause warily taken. I conclude,
therefore, of this and all other medicines, as Thucydides of the plague
at Athens, no remedy could be prescribed for it, Nam quod uni profuit,
hoc aliis erat exitio: there is no Catholic medicine to be had: that
which helps one, is pernicious to another.
Diamargaritum frigidum, diambra, diaboraginatum, electuarium
laetificans Galeni et Rhasis, de gemmis, dianthos, diamoscum dulce et
amarum, electuarium conciliatoris, syrup. Cidoniorum de pomis,
conserves of roses, violets, fumitory, enula campana, satyrion, lemons,
orange-pills, condite, &c., have their good use.
[4331]℞. Diamoschi dulcis et amari ana ℨjj. Diabuglossati,
Diaboraginati, sacchari violacei ana j. misce cum syrupo de pomis.
Every physician is full of such receipts: one only I will add for the
rareness of it, which I find recorded by many learned authors, as an
approved medicine against dotage, head-melancholy, and such diseases of
the brain. Take a [4332]ram's head that never meddled with an ewe, cut
off at a blow, and the horns only take away, boil it well, skin and
wool together; after it is well sod, take out the brains, and put these
spices to it, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace, cloves, ana ℥ß, mingle
the powder of these spices with it, and heat them in a platter upon a
chafing-dish of coals together, stirring them well, that they do not
burn; take heed it be not overmuch dried, or drier than a calf's brains
ready to be eaten. Keep it so prepared, and for three days give it the
patient fasting, so that he fast two hours after it. It may be eaten
with bread in an egg or broth, or any way, so it be taken. For fourteen
days let him use this diet, drink no wine, &c. Gesner, hist. animal.
lib. 1. pag. 917. Caricterius, pract. 13. in Nich. de metri. pag. 129.
Iatro: Wittenberg. edit. Tubing. pag. 62, mention this medicine, though
with some variation; he that list may try it, [4333]and many such.
Odoraments to smell to, of rosewater, violet flowers, balm, rose-cakes,
vinegar, &c., do much recreate the brains and spirits, according to
Solomon. Prov. xxvii. 9. They rejoice the heart, and as some say,
nourish; 'tis a question commonly controverted in our schools, an
odores nutriant; let Ficinus, lib. 2. cap. 18. decide it; [4334]many
arguments he brings to prove it; as of Democritus, that lived by the
smell of bread alone, applied to his nostrils, for some few days, when
for old age he could eat no meat. Ferrerius, lib. 2. meth. speaks of an
excellent confection of his making, of wine, saffron, &c., which he
prescribed to dull, weak, feeble, and dying men to smell to, and by it
to have done very much good, aeque fere profuisse olfactu, et potu, as
if he had given them drink. Our noble and learned Lord [4335]Verulam,
in his book de vita et morte, commends, therefore, all such cold smells
as any way serve to refrigerate the spirits. Montanus, consil. 31,
prescribes a form which he would have his melancholy patient never to
have out of his hands. If you will have them spagirically prepared,
look in Oswaldus Crollius, basil. Chymica.
Irrigations of the head shaven, [4336]of the flowers of water lilies,
lettuce, violets, camomile, wild mallows, wether's-head, &c., must be
used many mornings together. Montan. consil. 31, would have the head so
washed once a week. Laelius a Fonte Eugubinus consult. 44, for an
Italian count, troubled with head-melancholy, repeats many medicines
which he tried, [4337]but two alone which did the cure; use of whey
made of goat's milk, with the extract of hellebore, and irrigations of
the head with water lilies, lettuce, violets, camomile, &c., upon the
suture of the crown. Piso commends a ram's lungs applied hot to the
fore part of the head, [4338]or a young lamb divided in the back,
exenterated, &c.; all acknowledge the chief cure in moistening
throughout. Some, saith Laurentius, use powders and caps to the brain;
but forasmuch as such aromatical things are hot and dry, they must be
sparingly administered.
Unto the heart we may do well to apply bags, epithems, ointments, of
which Laurentius, c. 9. de melan. gives examples. Bruel prescribes an
epithem for the heart, of bugloss, borage, water-lily, violet waters,
sweet-wine, balm leaves, nutmegs, cloves, &c.
For the belly, make a fomentation of oil, [4339]in which the seeds of
cumin, rue, carrots, dill, have been boiled.
Baths are of wonderful great force in this malady, much admired by
[4340] Galen, [4341]Aetius, Rhasis, &c., of sweet water, in which is
boiled the leaves of mallows, roses, violets, water-lilies,
wether's-head, flowers of bugloss, camomile, melilot, &c. Guianer, cap.
8. tract. 15, would have them used twice a day, and when they came
forth of the baths, their back bones to be anointed with oil of
almonds, violets, nymphea, fresh capon grease, &c.
Amulets and things to be borne about, I find prescribed, taxed by some,
approved by Renodeus, Platerus, (amuleta inquit non negligenda) and
others; look for them in Mizaldus, Porta, Albertus, &c. Bassardus
Viscontinus, ant. philos. commends hypericon, or St. John's wort
gathered on a [4342]Friday in the hour of Jupiter, when it comes to his
effectual operation (that is about the full moon in July); so gathered
and borne, or hung about the neck, it mightily helps this affection,
and drives away all fantastical spirits. [4343]Philes, a Greek author
that flourished in the time of Michael Paleologus, writes that a sheep
or kid's skin, whom a wolf worried, [4344]Haedus inhumani raptus ab ore
lupi, ought not at all to be worn about a man, because it causeth
palpitation of the heart, not for any fear, but a secret virtue which
amulets have. A ring made of the hoof of an ass's right fore foot
carried about, &c. I say with [4345]Renodeus, they are not altogether
to be rejected. Paeony doth cure epilepsy; precious stones most
diseases; [4346]a wolf's dung borne with one helps the colic, [4347]a
spider an ague, &c. Being in the country in the vacation time not many
years since, at Lindley in Leicestershire, my father's house, I first
observed this amulet of a spider in a nut-shell lapped in silk, &c., so
applied for an ague by [4348]my mother; whom, although I knew to have
excellent skill in chirurgery, sore eyes, aches, &c., and such
experimental medicines, as all the country where she dwelt can witness,
to have done many famous and good cures upon diverse poor folks, that
were otherwise destitute of help: yet among all other experiments, this
methought was most absurd and ridiculous, I could see no warrant for
it. Quid aranea cum febre? For what antipathy? till at length rambling
amongst authors (as often I do) I found this very medicine in
Dioscorides, approved by Matthiolus, repeated by Alderovandus, cap. de
Aranea, lib. de insectis, I began to have a better opinion of it, and
to give more credit to amulets, when I saw it in some parties answer to
experience. Some medicines are to be exploded, that consist of words,
characters, spells, and charms, which can do no good at all, but out of
a strong conceit, as Pomponatius proves; or the devil's policy, who is
the first founder and teacher of them.
SUBSECT. VI.—_Correctors of Accidents to procure Sleep. Against fearful
Dreams, Redness, &c._
When you have used all good means and helps of alteratives, averters,
diminutives, yet there will be still certain accidents to be corrected
and amended, as waking, fearful dreams, flushing in the face to some
ruddiness, &c.
Waking, by reason of their continual cares, fears, sorrows, dry brains,
is a symptom that much crucifies melancholy men, and must therefore be
speedily helped, and sleep by all means procured, which sometimes is a
sufficient [4349]remedy of itself without any other physic. Sckenkius,
in his observations, hath an example of a woman that was so cured. The
means to procure it, are inward or outward. Inwardly taken, are
simples, or compounds; simples, as poppy, nymphea, violets, roses,
lettuce, mandrake, henbane, nightshade or solanum, saffron, hemp-seed,
nutmegs, willows, with their seeds, juice, decoctions, distilled
waters, &c. Compounds are syrups, or opiates, syrup of poppy, violets,
verbasco, which are commonly taken with distilled waters.
℞ diacodii ℥j. diascordii ℨß aquae lactucae ℥iijß mista fiat potio ad
horam somni sumenda.
Requies Nicholai, Philonium Romanum, Triphera magna, pilulae, de
Cynoglossa, Dioscordium, Laudanum Paracelsi, Opium, are in use, &c.
Country folks commonly make a posset of hemp-seed, which Fuchsius in
his herbal so much discommends; yet I have seen the good effect, and it
may be used where better medicines are not to be had.
Laudanum Paracelsi is prescribed in two or three grains, with a dram of
Diascordium, which Oswald. Crollius commends. Opium itself is most part
used outwardly, to smell to in a ball, though commonly so taken by the
Turks to the same quantity [4350]for a cordial, and at Goa in, the
Indies; the dose 40 or 50 grains.
Rulandus calls Requiem Nicholai ultimum refugium, the last refuge; but
of this and the rest look for peculiar receipts in Victorius
Faventinus, cap. de phrensi. Heurnius cap. de mania. Hildesheim spicel.
4. de somno et vigil. &c. Outwardly used, as oil of nutmegs by
extraction, or expression with rosewater to anoint the temples, oils of
poppy, nenuphar, mandrake, purslan, violets, all to the same purpose.
Montan. consil. 24 & 25. much commends odoraments of opium, vinegar,
and rosewater. Laurentius cap. 9. prescribes pomanders and nodules; see
the receipts in him; Codronchus [4351]wormwood to smell to.
_Unguentum Alabastritum, populeum_ are used to anoint the temples,
nostrils, or if they be too weak, they mix saffron and opium. Take a
grain or two of opium, and dissolve it with three or four drops of
rosewater in a spoon, and after mingle with it as much _Unguentum
populeum_ as a nut, use it as before: or else take half a dram of
opium, _Unguentum populeum_, oil of nenuphar, rosewater, rose-vinegar,
of each half an ounce, with as much virgin wax as a nut, anoint your
temples with some of it, ad horam somni.
Sacks of wormwood, [4352]mandrake, [4353]henbane, roses made like
pillows and laid under the patient's head, are mentioned by
[4354]Cardan and Mizaldus, to anoint the soles of the feet with the fat
of a dormouse, the teeth with ear wax of a dog, swine's gall, hare's
ears: charms, &c.
Frontlets are well known to every good wife, rosewater and vinegar,
with a little woman's milk, and nutmegs grated upon a rose-cake applied
to both temples.
For an emplaster, take of castorium a dram and a half, of opium half a
scruple, mixed both together with a little water of life, make two
small plasters thereof, and apply them to the temples.
Rulandus cent. 1. cur. 17. cent. 3. cur. 94. prescribes epithems and
lotions of the head, with the decoction of flowers of nymphea,
violet-leaves, mandrake roots, henbane, white poppy. Herc. de Saxonia,
_stillicidia_, or droppings, &c. Lotions of the feet do much avail of
the said herbs: by these means, saith Laurentius, I think you may
procure sleep to the most melancholy man in the world. Some use
horseleeches behind the ears, and apply opium to the place.
[4355]Bayerus lib. 2. c. 13. sets down some remedies against fearful
dreams, and such as walk and talk in their sleep. Baptista Porta Mag.
nat. l. 2. c. 6. to procure pleasant dreams and quiet rest, would have
you take hippoglossa, or the herb horsetongue, balm, to use them or
their distilled waters after supper, &c. Such men must not eat beans,
peas, garlic, onions, cabbage, venison, hare, use black wines, or any
meat hard of digestion at supper, or lie on their backs, &c.
Rusticus pudor, bashfulness, flushing in the face, high colour,
ruddiness, are common grievances, which much torture many melancholy
men, when they meet a man, or come in [4356]company of their betters,
strangers, after a meal, or if they drink a cup of wine or strong
drink, they are as red and fleet, and sweat as if they had been at a
mayor's feast, praesertim si metus accesserit, it exceeds, [4357]they
think every man observes, takes notice of it: and fear alone will
effect it, suspicion without any other cause. Sckenkius observ. med.
lib. 1. speaks of a waiting gentlewoman in the Duke of Savoy's court,
that was so much offended with it, that she kneeled down to him, and
offered Biarus, a physician, all that she had to be cured of it. And
'tis most true, that [4358]Antony Ludovicus saith in his book de
Pudore, bashfulness either hurts or helps, such men I am sure it hurts.
If it proceed from suspicion or fear, [4359]Felix Plater prescribes no
other remedy but to reject and contemn it: Id populus curat scilicet,
as a [4360]worthy physician in our town said to a friend of mine in
like case, complaining without a cause, suppose one look red, what
matter is it, make light of it, who observes it?
If it trouble at or after meals, (as [4361]Jobertus observes med.
pract. l. 1. c. 7.) after a little exercise or stirring, for many are
then hot and red in the face, or if they do nothing at all, especially
women; he would have them let blood in both arms, first one, then
another, two or three days between, if blood abound; to use frictions
of the other parts, feet especially, and washing of them, because of
that consent which is between the head and the feet.[4362]And withal to
refrigerate the face, by washing it often with rose, violet, nenuphar,
lettuce, lovage waters, and the like: but the best of all is that lac
virginale, or strained liquor of litargy: it is diversely prepared; by
Jobertus thus; ℞ lithar. argent. unc. j cerussae candidissimae, ℨjjj.
caphurae, ℈jj. dissolvantur aquarum solani, lactucae, et nenupharis ana
unc. jjj. aceti vini albi. unc. jj. aliquot horas resideat, deinde
transmittatur per philt. aqua servetur in vase vitreo, ac ea bis terve
facies quotidie irroretur. [4363]Quercetan spagir. phar. cap. 6.
commends the water of frog's spawn for ruddiness in the face.
[4364]Crato consil. 283. Scoltzii would fain have them use all summer
the condite flowers of succory, strawberry water, roses
(cupping-glasses are good for the time), consil. 285. et 286. and to
defecate impure blood with the infusion of senna, savory, balm water.
[4365]Hollerius knew one cured alone with the use of succory boiled,
and drunk for five months, every morning in the summer. [4366]It is
good overnight to anoint the face with hare's blood, and in the morning
to wash it with strawberry and cowslip water, the juice of distilled
lemons, juice of cucumbers, or to use the seeds of melons, or kernels
of peaches beaten small, or the roots of Aron, and mixed with wheat
bran to bake it in an oven, and to crumble it in strawberry water,
[4367] or to put fresh cheese curds to a red face.
If it trouble them at meal times that flushing, as oft it doth, with
sweating or the like, they must avoid all violent passions and actions,
as laughing, &c., strong drink, and drink very little, [4368]one
draught, saith Crato, and that about the midst of their meal; avoid at
all times indurate salt, and especially spice and windy meat.
[4369]Crato prescribes the condite fruit of wild rose, to a nobleman
his patient, to be taken before dinner or supper, to the quantity of a
chestnut. It is made of sugar, as that of quinces. The decoction of the
roots of sowthistle before meat, by the same author is much approved.
To eat of a baked apple some advice, or of a preserved quince,
cuminseed prepared with meat instead of salt, to keep down fumes: not
to study or to be intentive after meals.
℞. Nucleorum persic. seminis melonum ana unc. ℈ß aquae fragrorum l. ij.
misce, utatur mane.
[4370]To apply cupping glasses to the shoulders is very good. For the
other kind of ruddiness which is settled in the face with pimples, &c.,
because it pertains not to my subject, I will not meddle with it. I
refer you to Crato's counsels, Arnoldus lib. 1. breviar. cap. 39. 1.
Rulande, Peter Forestus de Fuco, lib. 31. obser. 2. To Platerus,
Mercurialis, Ulmus, Rondoletius, Heurnius, Menadous, and others that
have written largely of it.
Those other grievances and symptoms of headache, palpitation of heart,
Vertigo deliquium, &c., which trouble many melancholy men, because they
are copiously handled apart in every physician, I do voluntarily omit.
MEMB. II.
_Cure of Melancholy over all the Body_.
Where the melancholy blood possesseth the whole body with the brain,
[4371] it is best to begin with bloodletting. The Greeks prescribe the
[4372] median or middle vein to be opened, and so much blood to be
taken away as the patient may well spare, and the cut that is made must
be wide enough. The Arabians hold it fittest to be taken from that arm
on which side there is more pain and heaviness in the head: if black
blood issue forth, bleed on; if it be clear and good, let it be
instantly suppressed, [4373] because the malice of melancholy is much
corrected by the goodness of the blood. If the party's strength will
not admit much evacuation in this kind at once, it must be assayed
again and again: if it may not be conveniently taken from the arm, it
must be taken from the knees and ankles, especially to such men or
women whose haemorrhoids or months have been stopped. [4374] If the
malady continue, it is not amiss to evacuate in a part in the forehead,
and to virgins in the ankles, who are melancholy for love matters; so
to widows that are much grieved and troubled with sorrow and cares: for
bad blood flows in the heart, and so crucifies the mind. The
haemorrhoids are to be opened with an instrument or horseleeches, &c.
See more in Montaltus, cap. 29. [4375]Sckenkius hath an example of one
that was cured by an accidental wound in his thigh, much bleeding freed
him from melancholy. Diet, diminutives, alteratives, cordials,
correctors as before, intermixed as occasion serves, [4376]all their
study must be to make a melancholy man fat, and then the cure is ended.
Diuretics, or medicines to procure urine, are prescribed by some in
this kind, hot and cold: hot where the heat of the liver doth not
forbid; cold where the heat of the liver is very great: [4377]amongst
hot are parsley roots, lovage, fennel, &c.: cold, melon seeds, &c.,
with whey of goat's milk, which is the common conveyer.
To purge and [4378]purify the blood, use sowthistle, succory, senna,
endive, carduus benedictus, dandelion, hop, maidenhair, fumitory,
bugloss, borage, &c., with their juice, decoctions, distilled waters,
syrups, &c.
Oswaldus, Crollius, basil Chym. much admires salt of corals in this
case, and Aetius, tetrabib. ser. 2. cap. 114. Hieram Archigenis, which
is an excellent medicine to purify the blood, for all melancholy
affections, falling sickness, none to be compared to it.
MEMB. III.
SUBSECT. I.—_Cure of Hypochondriacal Melancholy_.