 Partition 2. Section 5. Section 6. Correctors of Accidents to Procure Sleep Against Fearful Dreams, Redness, etc. When you have used all good means and helps of alternatives, avertures, diminutives, yet there will be still certain accidents to be corrected and amended, as of waking, fearful dreams flushing in the face to some ruddiness, etc. Speaking by reason of their continual cares, fears, sorrows, dry brains, is a symptom that much crucifies melancholy men, and must therefore be speedily helped, and sleep by all means procured, which sometimes is a sufficient remedy of itself without any other physics. Skankius in his observations hath an example of a woman that was so cured. The means to procure it are inward or outward. Inwardly taken are symbols or compounds. Examples as poppy, nymphia, violets, roses, lettuce, mandrake, henbane, nightshade or selanum, saffron, hemp seed, nutmegs, willows with their seeds, juice, decoctions, distilled waters, etc. Compounds are syrups or opiates, syrup of poppy, violets, verbasco, which are commonly taken with distilled waters. Requiesc Nicolae, Philonium romanum, trifera magnia, pilule, decinoglossa, discordium, ladonum, paracelsii, opium, rnus, etc. Country folks commonly make a poset of hemp seed, which fuchsia is in his herbal so much discumends, yet I have seen the good effect, and it may be used where better medicines are not to be had. Ladonum paracelsii is prescribed in two or three grains, with a dram of diascordium, which Oswald Corleus commends. Opium itself is most part used outwardly, to smell to in a ball, though commonly so taken by the Turks to the same quantity for a cordial, and at Goa in the Indies, the dose forty or fifty grains. Rulandus calls requiem Nicolae ultimum refugium, the last refuge, but of this and the rest look for peculiar receipts in victorious faventinos, erinius, hildesim, etc. Only used as oil of nutmegs by extraction, or expression with rose water to anoint the temples, oils of poppy, nenufar, mandrake, perslan, violets, all to the same purpose. Montanas, concilia twenty-four and twenty-five, much commends adoramants of opium, vinegar, and rose water. Laurentius chapter nine prescribes pommenders and nodules, see the receipts in him, codroncus, wormwood, to smell to. Unguentum alabasteritum, populeum, are used to anoint the temples, nostrils, or if they be too weak, they mix saffron and opium. Take a grain or two of opium, and dissolve it with three or four drops of rose water in a spoon, and after mingle with it as much unguentum populeum as a nut. Use it as before, or else take half a gram of opium, unguentum populeum, oil of nenufar, rose water, rose vinegar of each half an ounce, with as much virgin wax as a nut. Anoint your temples with some of it, adoram somni. Sacks of wormwood, mandrake, henbane, roses made like pillows, and laid under the patient's head, are mentioned by cardan and misaldus, to anoint the soles of the feet with the fat of a dormouse, the teeth with earwax of a dog, swine's gall, hair's ears, charms, etc. Frontlets are well known to every good wife, rose water and vinegar with a little woman's milk, and nutmegs grated upon a rose-cake applied to both temples. For an emplaster take of castorium, a dram, and a half, of opium half a scruple, mixed both together with a little water of life. Make two small plasters thereof, and apply them to the temples. Rulandus prescribes epitems and lotions of the head, with a decoction of flowers of nymphia, violet leaves, mandrake roots, henbane, white poppy. Hercules de Saxonia, stilichidia, or droppings, etc. Lotions of the feet do much avail of the said herbs. By these means, sayeth Laurentius, I think you may procure sleep to the most melancholy man in the world. Some use horse leeches behind the ears, and apply opium to the place. Baerus, book two, chapter thirteen, sets down some remedies against fearful dreams, and such as walk and talk in their sleep. De Porta, to procure pleasant dreams and quiet rest, would have you take Hippoglosa, or the herb horse-tongue, bomb, to use them, or their distilled waters after supper, etc. Such men must not eat beans, peas, garlic, onions, cabbage, venison, hair, use black wines, or any meat hard of digestion at supper, or lie on their backs, etc. Rusticus pudor, bashfulness, flushing in the face, high color, ruddiness, or common grievances, which much torture many melancholy men, when they meet a man, or come in company of their betters, strangers, after a meal, or if they drink a cup of wine or strong drink. They are as red and fleet, and sweat, as if they had been at a mayor's feast. Presertums he met was accessory, it exceeds, they think every man observes, takes notice of it, and fear alone will affect it, suspicion without any other cause. Skankius speaks of a waiting gentlewoman in the Duke of Savoy's court that was so much offended with it that she kneeled down to him, and offered Biaris a physician, all that she had, to be cured of it. And it is most true that Antony Ludovica seeth in his book de pudore, bashfulness either hurts or helps, such men, I am sure, it hurts. If it proceed from suspicion or fear, Felix Platter prescribes no other remedy but to reject and condemn it. Id populus cura ciliciat, as a worthy physician in our town, said to a friend of mine in like case, complaining without a cause, suppose one look red, what matter is it, make light of it, who observes it? If it trouble at or after meals, as drabertus, after a little exercise or stirring, for many are then hot and red in the face, or if they do nothing at all, especially women, he would have them let blood in both arms, first one then another, two or three days between, if blood abound. To use frictions of the other parts, feet especially, and washing of them, because of that consent which is between the head and the feet. And with all to refrigerate the face, by washing it often with rose, violet, nanofar, lettuce, love-age waters and the like. But the best of all is that lack virginale, or strained liquor of liturgy, it is diversely prepared. Quercetan commends the water of frog spawn for ruddiness in the face. Cratoconcilium 283, sculcii, would feign have them use all summer the conduit flowers of succary, strawberry water, roses, cupping glasses are good for the time, concilia 285 at 286, and to defecate impure blood with the infusion of senna, savoury, bomb water. Hilarious new one cured alone with the use of succary boiled and drunk for five months every morning in the summer. It is good overnight to anoint the face with hair's blood, and in the morning to wash it with strawberry and cow-slip water, the juice of distilled lemons, juice of cucumbers, or to use the seeds of melons, or kernels of peaches beaten small, or the roots of iron and mixed with wheat bran to bake it in an oven, and to crumble it in strawberry water, or to put fresh cheese curds to a red face. If it trouble them at mealtimes that flushing asoft at doth, with sweating or the like, they must avoid all violent passions and actions as laughing, etc., strong drink, and drink very little. One draught, saith Kratos, and that about the midst of their meal, avoided all times injure at salt, and especially spice and windy meat. Kratos prescribes the condite fruit of wild rose to a nobleman his patient, to be taken before dinner or supper to the quantity of a chestnut. It is made of sugar as that of quince's. The decoction of the roots of south isle before meat by the same author is much approved. To eat of a baked apple some advise, or of a preserved quince, common seed prepared with meat instead of salt, to keep down fumes, not to study or to be attentive after meals. To apply cupping-glasses to the shoulders is very good, for the other kind of ruddiness which is settled in the face with pimples, etc., because it pertains not to my subject, I will not meddle with it. I refer you to Kratos' counsels, Arnoldus, Rolande, Peter Forestus de Foucault, Book 31, Observatio II, Plateros, Mercurialis, Ulmus, Rondoletius, Aeronius, Menadus, and others that have written largely of it. Those other grievances and symptoms of headache, palpitation of heart, vertigo deliquium, etc., which trouble many melancholy men, because they are copiously handled apart in every physician, I do voluntarily omit. Partition 2, Section 5, Member 2. Where the melancholy blood possesseth the whole body with the brain, it is best to begin with bloodletting. The Greeks prescribed the median or middle vein to be opened, and so much blood to be taken away as the patient may well spare, and the cut that is made must be wide enough. The Arabians hold it fittest to be taken from that arm on which side there is more pain and heaviness in the head, if black blood issue forth bleed on. If it be clear and good, let it be instantly suppressed, because the malice of melancholy is much corrected by the goodness of the blood. If the party's strength will not admit much evacuation in this kind at once, it must be assayed again and again. If it may not be conveniently taken from the arm, it must be taken from the knees and ankles, especially to such men or women whose hemorrhoids or months have been stopped. If the malady continued, it is not a mist to evacuate in a part in the forehead, and to virgins in the ankles who are melancholy for love matters, so to widows that are much grieved and troubled with sorrow and cares, for bad blood flows in the heart and so crucifies the mind. The hemorrhoids are to be opened with an instrument or horse leeches, et cetera. See more in Montaltes, Chapter 29. Skankius hath an example of one that was cured by an accidental wound in his thigh. Much bleeding freed him from melancholy. Diet, diminutives, alternatives, cordials, correctors as before, intermixed as occasion serves. All their study must be to make a melancholy man fat, and then the cure is ended. Dietics or medicines to procure urine are prescribed by Simon this kind, hot and cold. Hot were the heat of the liver doth not forbid. Cold were the heat of the liver is very great. Amongst hot are parsley roots, lovage, fennel, et cetera. Cold, melon seeds, et cetera, with whey of goat's milk, which is the common conveyor. To purge and purify the blood, use sowthistle, succary, senna, endive, carduous benedictis, dandelion, hop, maidenhair, fumatory, buglass, borage, et cetera, with their juice, decoctions, distilled water, syrups, et cetera. Oswaldus crolius, much-admires salt of corals in this case. Andaceus erum arcagenis, which is an excellent medicine to purify the blood for all melancholy affections, falling sickness, none to be compared to it. End of section 38, recording by Sean Michael Hogan, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Section 39 of the Anatomy of Melancholy Volume II. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Sean Michael Hogan. The Anatomy of Melancholy Volume II by Robert Burton, section 39. Partition II, section 5, member III, subsection I, cure of hypochondriacal melancholy. In this cure, as in the rest, is especially required the rectification of those six non-natural things above all, as Good Diet, which Montana's concilium 27 enjoins a French nobleman to have in a special care of it, without which all other remedies are in vain. Bloodletting is not to be used, except the patient's body be very full of blood, and that it be derived from the liver and spleen to the stomach and his vessels, then to draw it back, to cut the inner vein of either arm, some say the salvatella, and if the malady be continued to open a vein in the forehead. Preparatives and alternatives may be used as before, saving that there must be respect had as well to the liver, spleen, stomach, hypochondries, as to the heart and brain, to comfort the stomach and inner parts against wind and obstructions, by Arataeus, Galen, Isius, Orleannus, et cetera, and many latter writers, are still prescribed the decoctions of wormwood, centauri, penny-royal, betany, sodden, and whey, and daily drunk. Many have been cured by this medicine alone. Prosper alternus and some others as much magnify the water of Nile against this malady and a special good remedy for windy melancholy, for which reason be like Ptolemaeus Philadelphus when he married his daughter Baranis to the king of Assyria, as Celsus Book II records, manis impenses nili aqua meferi usit, to his great charge caused the water of Nile to be carried with her, and gave command that during her life she should use no other drink. I find those that commend use of apples in splenetic and this kind of melancholy, clams will, some call it, which, howsoever approved, must certainly be corrected of cold rawness and wind. Codroncus, in his book De Salle absin, magnifies the oil and salt of wormwood above all other remedies, which works better and speedier than any simple whatsoever, and much to be preferred before all those fulsome decoctions and infusions, which must offend by reason of their quantity. This alone in a small measure taken expels wind, and that most forcibly removes urine, cleanses the stomach of all gross humors, crudities, helps appetite, et cetera. Arnaldus, hath a wormwood wine, which he would have used, which every pharmacopia speaks of. Diminutives and purges may be taken as before of Yerah, Manah, Cassia, which Montana's concilium 230 for an Italian abbot in this kind prefers before all other symbols, and these must be often used, still abstaining from those which are more violent, lest they do exasperate the stomach, et cetera, and the mischief by that means be increased. Though in some physicians I find very strong purgers, Hellebor itself prescribed in this affection. If it long continue, vomits may be taken after meat or otherwise gently procured with warm water, oxymel, et cetera, now and then. Fuchsius, chapter 33, prescribes Hellebor, but still take heed in this malady which I have often warned of hot medicines, because, as Salvianus adds, drought follows heat, which increases the disease. And yet Baptistus Silvaticus controversy of 32 forbids cold medicines because they increase obstructions and other bad symptoms. But this varies as the parties do and is not easy to determine which to use. The stomach most part in this infirmity is cold, the liver hot, scarce therefore, which Montana insinuates concilium 229 for the Earl of Manfort, can you help the one and not hurt the other? Much discretion must be used. Take no physic at all, he concludes, without great need. Lelios Agubinus concilium for an hypochondriacal German prince used many medicines, but it was after signified to him in letters that the decoction of China and Sassafras and salt of Sassafras wrought him an incredible good. In his 108 consult, he used as happily the same remedies. This to a third might have been poison by overheating his liver and blood. For the other parts look for remedies in Savonarola, Gordonius, Massaria, Mercatus, Johnson, et cetera. One for the spleen amongst many other, I will not omit cited by Hildesheim, prescribed by Matthias Flakus and out of the authority of Benevenius. Antony Benevenius in a hypochondriacal passion cured an exceedingly great swelling of the spleen with capers alone, amite befitting that infirmity and frequent use of the water of a smith's forge. By this physic he helped a sick man whom all other physicians had forsaken that for seven years had been splenetic. And of such force is this water that those creatures as drink of it have commonly little or no spleen. See more excellent medicines for the spleen in him and Ludovicus Mercatus who is a great magnifier of this medicine. This calybs preparatus or steel drink is much likewise commended to this disease by Daniel Senertus, book one, part two, chapter 12, and admired by Julius Caesar Claudinus. He calls steel the proper alexifarmicum of this malady and much magnifies it, look for receipts in them. Avertures must be used to the liver and spleen and to scour the meseraic veins and they are either too open or provoke urine. You can open no place better than the hemorrhoids which if by horse leeches they be made to flow there may be again such an excellent remedy as Plotter holds. Salustris Salvian will admit no other phlebotomy but this and by his experience in a hospital which he kept he found all mad and melancholy men worse for other bloodletting. Laurentius chapter 15 calls this of horse leeches a sure remedy to empty the spleen and meseraic membrane. Only Montana's concilium 241 is against it. To other men, sayeth he, this opening of the hemorrhoid seems to be a profitable remedy. For my part I do not approve of it because it draws away the thinnest blood and leaves the thickest behind. Asius, Vidus Vidius, Mercurialus, Fuchsius recommend diuretics or such things as provoke urine as aniseeds, dill, fennel, germander, ground pine, sodden in water or drunken powder and yet Petrus Barrus is against them and so is hilarious. All melancholy men sayeth he must avoid such things as provoke urine because by them the subtyler thinnest is evacuated, the thicker matter remains. Kleisters are in good request. Trincavelius book three chapter 38 for a young nobleman esteems of them in the first place and Hercules de Saxonia is a great approver of them. I have found, sayeth he, by experience that many hypochondriacal melancholy men have been cured by the sole use of Kleisters, receipts are to be had in him. Besides those fomentations, irrigations, inunctions, or ornaments prescribed for the head, there must be the like used for the liver, spleen, stomach, hypochondrias, et cetera. In crudity, sayeth Piso, it is good to bind the stomach hard to hinder wind and to help concoction. Of inward medicines I need not speak, use the same cordials as before. In this kind of melancholy, some prescribe treacle in winter, especially before or after purges or in the spring as Avicenna. Trincavelius mythodrate, Monteltus peonisid, unicorns horn, ostoccordaceae, et cetera. Amongst topics or outward medicines, none are more precious than baths, but of them I have spoken. Fomentations to the hypochondries are very good of wine and water in which are sodden southern wood, melillo, epitime, mugwort, sena, polypidae, as also serates, placeters, liniments, assointments for the spleen, liver, and hypochondries, of which look, for examples, and lorentius, iobertus, montanus, montaltus, Hercules de Saxonia, faventinus, and so of epitems, digestive powders, bags, oils. Octavius Horatianus, book two, chapter five, prescribes scholastic cataplasms or dry purging medicines. Piso, dropices of pitch and oil of roue, applied at certain times to the stomach, to the metaphorine or part of the back which is over against the heart. Asius, synapisms. Montaltus, chapter 35, would have the thighs to be cauterized. Mercurialus prescribes beneath the knees. Leilius Agubanus, concilium 77, for a hypochondriacal Dutchman, would have the cottery made in the right thigh, and so Montanus, concilium 55. The same Montanus, concilium 34, approves of issues in the arms or hindre part of the head. Bernardus Paternus in Hildesheim would have issues made in both the thighs. Lodovicus Mercatus prescribes them near the spleen, outpropae ventriculi regimen, or in either of the thighs. Ligatures, frictions, and cupping glasses above or about the belly without scarification which Felix Platterus so much approves may be used as before. Subsection two, correctors to expel wind against costiveness, et cetera. In this kind of melancholy, one of the most offensive symptoms is wind, which as in the other species, so in this, hath great need to be corrected and expelled. The medicines to expel it are either inwardly taken or outwardly. Inwardly to expel wind are symbols or compounds. Simples are herbs, roots, et cetera, as Galanga, Gentian, Angelica, Enula, Calamus aromaticus, Valerian, Zeodotii, Iris, Condite Ginger, Aristolokii, Cicliminus, China, Detander, Pennyroyal, Rue, Calamant, Bayberries, and Bayleaves, Betany, Rosemary, Hyssop, Sabine, Centauri, Mint, Chamomile, Stakis, Agnus Castus, Broomflowers, Oregon, Orange Pills, et cetera. Spices as Saffron, Cinnamon, Bezwar Stone, Myrrh, Mace, Nutmegs, Pepper, Cloves, Ginger, Seeds of Anise, Fennel, Amnicari, Nettle, Rue, et cetera, Juniper Berries, Grana Paradisi, Compounds, Dionisum, Dia Galanga, Dia Ciminum, Dia Calamant, Electuarium de Bacchus lauri, Benedicta laxativa, Pulvis ad Status Antid Florent, Pulvis carmonativus, Aromaticum rosatum, Tricul, Mithridate, et cetera. This one caution of Gualter Bruel is to be observed in the administering of these hot medicines and dry that whilst they covet to expel wind, they do not inflame the blood and increase the disease. Sometimes, as he saith, medicines must more decline to heat, sometimes more to cold as the circumstances require and as the parties are inclined to heat or cold. Outwardly taken to expel winds are oils as of Chamomile, Rue, Bez, et cetera. Fulmentations of the hypochondries with the decoctions of Dill, Pennyroyal, Rue, Bayleaves, Cumin, et cetera. Bags of Chamomile flowers, Aniseed, Cumin, Bayes, Rue, Wormwood, Ointments of the oil of Spikennard, Wormwood, Rue, et cetera. Aroteus prescribes cataplasms of Chamomile flowers, Fennel, Aniseeds, Cumin, Rosemary, Wormwood, Leaves, et cetera. Cupping glasses applied to the hypochondries without scarification do wonderfully resolve the wind. Furnelius concilium 43 much approves of them at the lower end of the belly. Ludovicus Mercatus calls them a powerful remedy and testifies moreover out of his own knowledge how many he hath seen suddenly eased by them. Julius Caesar Cloudinus admires these cupping glasses which he calls out of Galen, a kind of enchantment they cause such present help. Empyrex have a myriad of medicines as to swallow a bullet of lead, et cetera, which I voluntarily omit. Amatus Lusitanus, for a hypochondriacal person that was extremely tormented with wind, prescribes a strange remedy. Put a pair of bellows end into a cliester pipe and applying it into the fundament, open the bowels, so draw forth the wind. Natura non admitted vacuum. Evance he was the first invented of this remedy and by means of it speedily eased a melancholy man. Of the cure of this flatuous melancholy read Moran Fianis de Flatibus, chapter 26, et pasum alias. Against headache, vertigo, vapours which ascend forth of the stomach to molest the head, read Hercules de Saxonia and others. If costiveness offend in this or any other of the three species, it is to be corrected with suppositories, cliesters, or lenitives, powder of senna, chondrite prunes, et cetera. Take as much as a nutmeg at a time, half an hour before dinner or supper. See Moran Montanis, concilium 229. Hildesheim, Petrus Canemander, and Montanis commend Cyprian terpentine, which they would have familiarly taken to the quantity of a small nut two or three hours before dinner and supper, twice or thrice a week if need be. For besides that it keeps the belly soluble, it clears the stomach, opens obstructions, cleanseth the liver, provokes urine. These, in brief, are the ordinary medicines which belong to the cure of melancholy, which, if they be used are right, no doubt may do much good. Sin an lavando saltem leniendo valent, peculiaria bene selecta, seeth passardus. A good choice of particular receipts must needs ease if not quite cure, not one, but all or most, as occasion serves. Et quae non prosun singular, multayuvant. End of Section 39. End of The Anatomy of Melancholy, Vol. 2, by Robert Burton. Recording by Sean Michael Hogan, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.