886 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



tioned amongst the cordials to repel melan- 1 such, that they abhor all binding medicines 

 choly vapours from the heart, such temper | because they cause stoppage of urine, 

 and assuage the malice of Atra bilis. Take notice, that the reins and bladder 



2. Those medicines are also splenical, | being subject to inflammations endure not 

 by which melancholy humours are cor- \ very hot medicines. 



reeled and so prepared, that they may the | Because the bladder is further remote 

 more easily be evacuated : such medicines j from the centre of the body than the kidnies 

 are cutting and opening, and they differ 5 are, therefore it requires stronger medicines 

 from hepaticals in this that they are no | than the kidnies do, left the strength 01 

 ways binding; for the spleen being no ways] the medicine be spent before it be come to 



addicted to concoction, binding medicines i the part afflicted. 



do it harm, and not good. 



3. Sometimes the spleen is not only ob- 1 

 structed, but also hardened by melancholy j 



humours, and in such cases emolient medi- j Of Medicines appropriated to the womb, 

 cines may be well called splenicals, notj These, physicians call Hystericals, and to 

 such as are taken inwardly, for they operate j avoid multiplicity of words, take them in 

 upon the stomach and bowels, but such as j this discourse under that notion, 

 are outwardly applied to the region of the; Take notice that such medicines as pro- 



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. 



voke the menses, or stop them when they 

 flow immoderately, are properly hystericals, 

 but shall be spoken to by and by in a chap- 

 ter by themselves. 



As for the nature of the womb, it seem 

 to be much like the nature of the brain and 

 stomach, for experience teacheth that it is 



; delighted with sweet and aromatical medi- 

 Of Medicines appropriated to the reins and \ cines, and flies from their contraries. 



bladder. For example : a woman being troubled 



The office of the reins is, to make a 

 separation between the blood and the urine ; 

 to receive this urine thus separated from 



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 concep- 



I s -^ __ 7 ^___ 7 _ JT 



the blood, is the bladder ordained, which Ition, it draws it down again; but apply 

 is of a sufficient bigness to contain it. j stinking things to the nose, as Assafoetida, or 



Both these parts of the body officiating; the like, it expels it from it, and sends it 

 about the urine, they are both usually af-jdown toils proper place, 

 flicted by the vices of the urine. =^= 



1. By stones. PRAPTFK TV 



2. By inflammation. ChLAl Jill 1A. 



3. By thick humours. Of Medicines appropriated to the joints. 

 Medicines appropriated to the reins and 5 The joints are usually troubled with 



bladder are usually called Nephriticals, and ; cephalic diseases, and then are to be cured 



are threefold; some cool, others cut gross j by cephalic medicines. 



humours, and a third sort breaks the stone, j Medicines appropriated to the joints, are 



In the use of all these, take notice, that \ called by the name Arthritical medicines, 

 the constitution of the reins and bladder is * The joints, seeing they are very nervous, 



