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← ExitThe Anatomy of Melancholy

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Subsection 4 Remedies That Divert the Humours

SUBSECT. 4. Averters.

Averters and Purgers must go together, as tending all to the same purpose, to divert this rebellious humor, 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 ignoble parts.

Some would have them still used a few dayes between, and those to be made with the boyled seeds of Anise, Fennel, and bastard Saffron, Hops, Thyme, Epithyme, Mallows, Fumitory, Bugloss, Polypody, Sene, Diasene, Hamech, Cassia, Diacatholicon, Hierologodium, Oyl 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 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 bath them with warm water. Instead of ordinary frictions, Cardan prescribes rubbing with nettles till they blister the skin, which likewise Basardus Visontinus so much magnifies.

Sneezing, masticatories, and nasals are generally received. Montaltus c. 34. Hildesheim spicel. 2. fol. 136. and 138. give several receits of all three. Hercules de Saxoniâ relates of an Emperick in Venice 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 Hemroids is very good Physick, If they have been formerly stopped. Faventinus would have them opened with horse-leeches, so would Hercul. de Sax. Julius Alexandrinus consil. 185. Scoltzii thinks Aloes fitter: most approve horse-leaches in this case, to be applied to the fore-head, nostrils, and other places.

Montaltus cap. 29. out of Alexander and others, prescribes cupping-glasses, and Issues in the left thigh. Areteus lib. 7. cap. 5. Paulus Regolinus, Sylvius will have them without scarification, applied to the shoulders and back, thighs and feet: Montaltus cap. 34. bids open an Issue in the arm, or hinder part of the head.

Piso injoyns ligatures, frictions, suppositories, and cupping-glasses still without scarification, and the rest.

Cauteries and hot irons are to be used in the suture of the Crown, and the seared or ulcerated place suffered to run a good while. ’Tis not amiss to bore the skull with an instrument, to let out the fuliginous vapours.

Salust. Salvianus de re medic. lib. 2. cap. 1. Because this humour hardly yeelds to other Physick, would have the leg cauterized, or the left leg below the knee, and the head boared in two or three places, for that it much availes to the exhalation of the vapours:

I saw (saith he) a melancholy man at Rome, that by no remedies could be healed, but when by chance he was wounded in the head, and the skul broken, he was excellently cured. Another to the admiration of the beholders, breaking his head with a fall from on high, was instantly recovered of his dotage.

Gordonius cap. 13. part. 2. would have these cauteries tryed last, when no other Physick will serve. The head to be shaved and bored to let out fumes, which without doubt will do much good. I saw a melancholy man wounded in the head with a sword, his brain pan broken; so long as the wound was open he was well, but when his wound was healed, his dotage returned again.

But Alexander Messaria a professor in Padua lib. 1. pract. med. cap. 21. de melanchol. will allow no cauteries at all, ’tis too stiffe an humor and too thick as he holds, to be so evaporated.

Guianerius c. 8. Tract. 15. cured a noble man in Savoy, by boaring alone, leaving the hole open a month together, by means of which after two years melancholy and madness, he was delivered. All approve of this remedy in the suture of the crown; but ʸ Arculanus would have the cautery to be made with gold.

In many other parts, these cauteries are prescribed for melancholy men, as in the thighs, (Mercurialis consil. 86.) arms, legs Idem consil. 6. & 19. & 25. Montanus 86. Rodericus à Fonseca Tom. 2. consult. 84. pro hypocond. coxâ dextrâ, &c. but most in the head, ᶻ If other Physick will do no good.

7835.BurtonPrinted page 388, dagger: “Master D. Lapworth.” The name attached to the Reader in natural philosophy.

7837.BurtonPrinted page 388, dagger: “Ant. Philos. cap. de melan. frictio vertice, &c.” Ant. Philos., chapter on melancholy: “Rubbing at the crown of the head, and so forth.”

7839.BurtonPrinted page 388, g: “Aqua fortissima purgans os, nares, quam non vult auro vendere.” “An extremely powerful water purging the mouth and nostrils, which he is unwilling to sell for gold.”

7841.BurtonPrinted page 388, h: “Mercurialis consil. 6. & 30. hemorroidum & mensium provocatio juvat, modo ex eorum suppressione ortum habuerit.” Mercurialis, consultations 6 and 30: “Stimulating haemorrhoidal and menstrual bleeding helps, provided the disease arose from their suppression.”

7842.BurtonPrinted page 388, i: “Laurentius, Bruel, &c.” Laurentius, Bruel and others.

7843.BurtonPrinted page 388, k: “P. Bayerus l. 2. cap. 13. naribus, &c.” P. Bayerus, book 2, chapter 13: “To the nostrils, and so forth.”

7845.BurtonPrinted page 388, l: “Cucurbitulæ siccæ, & fontanellæ crure sinistro.” “Dry cupping glasses, and issues in the left leg.”

7846.BurtonPrinted page 388, m: “Hildesheim spicel. 2. Vapores à cerebro trahendi sunt frictionibus universi, cucurbitulis siccis, humeris ac dorso affixis, circa pedes & crura.” Hildesheim, Gleanings 2: “Vapours must be drawn away from the brain by rubbing the whole body, with dry cupping glasses applied to the shoulders and back, about the feet and legs.”

7847.BurtonPrinted page 388, n: “Fontanellam aperi juxta occipitium, aut brachium.” “Open an issue near the back of the head, or the arm.”

7849.BurtonPrinted page 388, o: “Baleni, ligaturæ, frictiones, &c.” “Baths, ligatures, rubbing, and so forth.” The printed Baleni is retained; the sense is baths.

7851.BurtonPrinted page 388, p: “cauterium fiat sutura coronali, diu fluere permittantur loca ulcerosa. Trepano etiam cranii densitas imminui poterit, ut vaporibus fuliginosis exitus pateat.” “Let a cautery be applied at the coronal suture; let the ulcerated places discharge for a long time. The thickness of the skull may also be reduced with a trepan, so that an outlet may be opened for sooty vapours.” Printed beneath the main text.

7853.BurtonPrinted page 388, q: “Quoniam difficulter cedit aliis medicamentis, ideo fiat in vertice cauterium, aut crure sinistro infra genu.” “Since it yields with difficulty to other medicines, let a cautery therefore be applied at the crown of the head, or in the left leg below the knee.” Printed beneath the main text.

7854.BurtonPrinted page 389, r: “Fiant duo aut tria cauteria, cum ossis perforatione.” “Let two or three cauteries be made, with perforation of the bone.”

7856.BurtonPrinted page 389, s: “Vidi Romæ melancholicum qui adhibitis multis remediis, sanari non poterat; sed cum cranium gladio fractum esset, optime sanatus est.” “I saw a melancholic man at Rome who could not be cured despite the application of many remedies; but when his skull had been fractured by a sword, he was completely cured.”

7857.BurtonPrinted page 389, t: “Et alterum vidi melancholicum, qui ex alto cadens non sine astantium admiratione, liberatus est.” “And I saw another melancholic man who, falling from a height, was freed of his illness, to the considerable astonishment of those standing by.”

7859.BurtonPrinted page 389, u: “Radatur caput & fiat cauterium in capite; procul dubio ista faciunt ad fumorum exhalationem; vidi melancholicum à fortuna gladio vulneratum, & cranium fractum; quam diu vulnus apertum, curatus optime; at cum vulnus sanatum, reversa est mania.” “Let the head be shaved and a cautery applied to it; undoubtedly these things help fumes escape. I saw a melancholic man accidentally wounded by a sword, his skull fractured: while the wound was open, he was completely cured; but when it healed, the madness returned.” The marginal container continues beneath the main text.

7862.BurtonPrinted page 389, x: “Usq; ad duram matrem trepanari feci, & per mensæm aperte stetit.” “I had the skull trepanned as far as the dura mater, and it remained open for a month.” Printed beneath the main text.