386 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
tioned amongst the cordials to repel melan- 
choly vapours from the heart, such temper 
_ and assuage the malice of Atra bilis. 
2. Those medicines are also splenical, 
by which melancholy humours are cor- 
_ rected and so prepared, that they may the 
more easily be evacuated: such medicines 
are cutting and opening, and they differ 
from hepaticals 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 ob- 
structed, but also hardened by melancholy 
humours, and in such cases emolient medi- 
cines may be well called splenicals, not 
such as are taken inwardly, for they oper- 
ate 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 hardness of the liver, 
yet they differ from splenicals, because 
they are binding, so are not splenicals. 
—_—___ 
; CHAPTER VII. 
Of Medicines appropriated to the reins and 
bladder, 
_ The office of the reins is, to make a sepa- 
ration between the blood and the urine; to 
receive this urine thus separated from the 
blood, is the bladder ordained, which is of 
a sufficient bigness to contain it. 
Both these parts of the body officiating 
about the urine, they are both usually af- 
flicted by the vices of the urine. 
1. By stones. 
2. By inflammation. 
_ 8. By thick humours. 
_ Medicines appropriated to the reins and 
dder are usually called Nephriticals, and 
are threefold; ‘some cool, others cut gross” 
sand a third sort breaks the stone. 
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 medi- 
cines than the kidnies do, lest the strength 
of the medicine be spent before it be come 
to the part afflicted. 
men 
CHAPTER VIII. 
Of Medicines appropriated to the womb. 
These, physicians call Hystericals, and 
to avoid multiplicity of words, take them 
in this discourse under that notion. 
Take notice that such medicines as pro- 
voke the menses, or stop them when they 
flow immoderately, are properly hysteri- 
cals, but shall be spoken to by and by ina 
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 aromatical medi- 
cines, and flies from their contraries. 
For example: a woman being troubled 
with the fits of the mother, which is draw- 
ing of the womb upward, apply sweet 
things, as Civet, or the like, to the place of 
conception, it draws it down again; but ap- 
ply stinking things to the nose, as Assa- 
foetida, or the like, it expels it from it, and 
sends it down to its proper place. 
pacer 
CHAPTER IX. 
Of Medicines appropriated to the joints. 
The joints are usually troubled with 
cephalic diseases, and then are to be cured 1 
by cephalic medicines. — 
Medicines appropriated to the joints, are 
t Pale fo ont anenas ~ 
4 
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