Lib. IL Of Cures Chyrurgical, 



the handling ot your Iron, you touch neither Sinews, Tendoes, Cords 

 nor Ligaments, left you do utterly difable the Member, or breed' Cramps 

 or Convulfions ; except it be when you difmember or cut away any joint • 

 as when you did make Curtals, geld Horles, or fuch like ^ and then your 

 Cautery is to be ufed only to fear the Veins, Sinews, and Ligaments, till 

 fuch time that you are perfectly afTured that all liux of the Blood is flop- 

 ped whatfoever. 



Now again, the a£lual Cautery bindeth together parts loofned, it doth 

 attenuate things blown and puflPed up, it drieth up fuperfluous moifture, 

 it both loofenerh, difperfeth and divideth evil matter gathered into knots^ 

 it aflwageth old Griefs, it re£lifieth thofe parts of the Body that are cor- 

 rupted by any manner of way, reducing them to their firft perfeQ Eftate, 

 and fufF^reth no abundance of evil Humours to grow or increafe ; for the 

 skin being feparared and opened with the hot Iron, all putrefa£i:ion what- 

 foever,thro' the virtue of Fire,is firft digefted and ripen'd,3nd then fodifTolv'd, 

 that the matter doth ifTue out abundantly at the holes whereby the grieved 

 or fickned Member is now healed and eafedof all Pain and Grief; yea and 

 infomuch that the holes being once clofed, and clofe fhut up, the place is 

 ftronger,3nd better knit together, and cover'd with a tougher and harderSkin 

 than ever it was before: Only greateft blemifh that can any way be 

 found in Cautery is, that it commonly leaveth a great Scar, which is 

 many times an Eyefore more than is tolerable; and therefore the ufe of 

 Cauterizing is only to be preferred, bur in defperate Cafes of great extre- 

 mity ; for, although it works foul, yet I am perfwaded it is moft certain, 

 and it works moft fure. 



Now as touching the Inftruments wherewith you muft cauterize, their 

 fubftance and proportion, you (hall underltand, that the moft curious 

 Farriers do prefer either Gold or Silver to be the beft Metal to make 

 them of, in that few or no evil Accidents do followwhere they burn :But 

 the wifeft, beftand moft skilfulFarriers take Copperto be fufficient enough, 

 and a metal without any lawful exception 5 yet where Copper Inftruments 

 cannot be had, there you may, with commendations enough, ufe fuch In- 

 ftruments as are made of Iron, and find your Work nothing at all hindred. 

 Now for the fafliion or proportion of your Inftruments or Irons, they 

 are only to be referred to the Sore, or place grieved, wherewith you are to 

 meddle ^ according to the diverfiry whereof, your Inftruments are to 

 be made of divers falhions : As feme are to be made Knife-wife, either 

 with thin edges, or broad edges; and they be called Drawing-knives, 

 or Searching-knives, becaufe they are principally employed in the drawing 

 of ftrait lines, fhallow or deep, and fometimes in circular, or divers 

 fquares. Some are made like ftrait, and fbme like crooked Bodkins 5 

 and they are enployed either in flefhy Excretions, to caufe Exulcera- 

 tions j or elfe Impofthumes, to open Imall paflages for the Matter. Some 



O 2 are 



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