The Anatomy of Melancholy

Schenck, Medical Observations, book 1, speaks of a lady-in-waiting at the Duke of Savoy’s court who was so distressed by it that she knelt down to him and offered Biarus, a physician, everything she possessed to be cured of it.

And what Antony Lodovicus says in his book On Bashfulness is perfectly true: “Bashfulness either harms or helps.” Such people, I am sure, it harms. If it arises from suspicion or fear, Felix Plater prescribes no other remedy than to dismiss it and think nothing of it: “Of course, that is what everyone cares about!” As a worthy physician in our town said to a friend of mine in the same situation, complaining without cause: suppose someone looks red—what does it matter? Make light of it; who notices?

If it troubles them at or after meals, as Joubert observes in Medical Practice, book 1, chapter 7, or after a little exercise or movement—for many people then become hot and red in the face, or even when they do nothing at all, especially women—he would have them bled in both arms if they have an excess of blood: first one, then the other, two or three days apart. He advises rubbing other parts, especially the feet, and washing them, because of the sympathetic connection between the head and the feet.

At the same time, the face should be cooled by frequent washing with rose, violet, water-lily, lettuce or lovage waters, and the like. But best of all is the preparation called “virgin’s milk,” or strained liquor of litharge. It is prepared in various ways; Joubert makes it as follows.

Take one ounce of silver litharge, three drams of the whitest ceruse and two scruples of camphor. Dissolve them in three ounces each of nightshade, lettuce and water-lily waters, and two ounces of white-wine vinegar. Let it settle for several hours, then pass it through a filter. Keep the liquid in a glass vessel, and sprinkle the face with it twice or three times daily.

Quercetan, Spagyric Pharmacy, chapter 6, recommends frogspawn water for redness of the face. Crato, consultation 283 in Scoltzius’ collection, would have them use preserved chicory flowers, strawberry water and roses throughout the summer—cupping glasses are good for the time being—as in consultations 285 and 286, and purify impure blood with an infusion of senna, savory and balm water. Hollerius knew someone cured solely by drinking boiled chicory every morning for five months during the summer.

It is good to anoint the face with hare’s blood at night, and wash it in the morning with strawberry and cowslip water, distilled lemon juice or cucumber juice; or to use melon seeds, finely crushed peach kernels or arum roots, mixed with wheat bran, baked in an oven and crumbled into strawberry water; or to apply fresh cheese curds to a red face.

If this flushing troubles them at mealtimes, as it often does, with sweating or the like, they must avoid all violent emotions and actions, such as laughter, and strong drink, and drink very little—one draught, says Crato, about the middle of the meal. They must always avoid hard salt, and especially spices and food that produces wind.