Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment Page Menu:   1     2     3     4       <<First

Diagnosis and Treatment: Syphilis, Page 4

Cure of Syphilitic Symptoms: Ulcers in the Mouth

"It commonly happens in a Flux that the Almonds, the Tongue and Gums are much inflamed, Swelled and Ulcerated by the Acrimonius quality of the Mercury, when it forces its way through the Ductus Salivales, which cannot be totally prevented; all you can do is to temper its violence with a Gargarism, which at first must not be restringent, and therefore take only Decoct. Veronicæ Plantaginis, mixed with Syrup of Wild Poppies; or only warm Milk from the Cow. But when eight or ten days are past use the following.

Rx. Fol. Perforat. Hyper. Verona aa. Mi. Herb. Vinc. Per vinc. Plantag. aa. Miss. Flor. Rosar. Mii. Sambuc. Malvæ Mi. rad. Tormentill. {dram}ss. Cort. Aurant. {dram}ii. M. scind. & contend. coquanturq; s. q. Aq. Plvial. S. Gargarisma.

This may be used in the time of the Salivation to gargle the Mouth, to which you may add if you please Mel Rosarum or Mel Chelidon, and to the Ulcers the following Mixture.

Rx. Mucilag. Sem. Cydonior. Cum Aq. Mell. & Plantag. {ounce}iiss. {dram}iss. Syr. Moror. flor. Tunic aa. {ounce)i. Sacchar. Saturus Alumin. aa. {dram}i. Misce s. Mixt. Ad usum.

But sometimes these Ulcers are so dangerous that you must only take Aqua Benedicta rubra, mixed with a little Mel. Rosarum. Ulcers in the other parts of the Body must be often washed with Aqua Calcis, mixed a little Saccharum Saturni, and applied with Linnen Rags dipped in the Diet-drink; by no means use any Ointments, but if they should prove very contumacious, use the clear of the following Water.

Rx. Vol. Solan. Chelidon. Myssop. Sælviæ. Rutaæ. Alchimill. Aa. Mi. rad. Aristoloch. Long. Tormentill. aa. {ounce)i. Bulliant. Parum cum Lixivio {pound}iiii.. fiat Colatura, & in hac immisceantur pulv subtelissim. Aristol. rotund. {ounce}i. Lixiv. é Calc. viv. {ounce}vi. Mercur. dulcu {dram}ii. Digerantur in vase bene clause per 8 dies sæpe agitando, & calidé posteæ Ulceribus applicetur.

Cure of Syphilitic Symptoms: Rotting Bone

Rotten and Carious Bones, as I said before, must be scraped till they are clean and white, or they will  never heal; but if they are so rotten as to Splinter, take them quite away; for neither the Salivation nor any other Medicines, ca n restore rotten Bones, or bring them to a healing. Phlegma Vitrioli is certainly an excellent Medicine to cleanse rotten Bones, and render them white again; but if it happens near the Eyes, a more careful course must be taken, or for best tampering with them at all.

Those hard Tumors called Nods and Topht[?], which visit the Head, Neck, Joints of the Arms, and especially on the Shin-bones in an inveterate Pox, are very hard to cure, for often when they heal in one place, they break out in another, and no parts of the Body are exempted from their invasions, which resisting all ways of Cure, render the Patients miserable Spectacles to all Mankind, and torment them till they die; but if you are happy as to make them ripe and fit for opening, crush out the Matter, cleanse it with Lixivium é Calce viva, and apply the following Balsam warm upon the Orifice.

Rx. Mell. Persicar. {ounce}ss. Balsam. De Nicotian. Virid. Met {dram}iii. Copato. {dram}iiss. Essent Myrhh. Sarcocil. aa. {dram}iss. Sacchar. Saturni {scruple}iiii. M. s. Balsamus.

This Balsam is design'd to temper the Acrimony and Acidity of the Humor, and be assured it will answer your Desires, if you apply the following Plaister over it.

Rx. Emplastr. Diachyl simpl. Artaphan aa. {ounce}vi. Saturnin. Myun. defensiv. Alb. Aa {dram}viiii. De Ranu cum Mercur. {ounce}x. pulv. Succin. Tatiæ ppt. aa. {ounce}iss. Testar. Ostreor. Ppt. lap. Ostiocoll. Ppt. aa. {ounce}ii. Croc. Metallor. {dram}i. Sacchar. Saturni {ounce}iiii. flor. Antimon Lap. Chrystall. Ppt. aa. {dram}ii. Cum s. q. Olei é Corticuibus Betul. Malax. & f. Emplastrum.

When they are thus well cleansed, heal them with a good Digestive. To some that were very pertinacious, I applyed the Mercurial Water, described in the beginning of this Chapter, which has sometimes succeeded, and other whiles failed, for in truth it is a miserable Distemper, by which a Chirurgion has abundance of trouble and vexation, and in the opinion of those that think an able Chirurgion must necessarily cure every thing, gains but little Reputation.

Cure of Syphilitic Symptoms: Facial Blotches

Other concomitants to this Disease, are virulent Tetters or Red Spots on the Forehead, and sometimes on the Breast and Privities, causing a violent Itching, and if scratched, spread further and further. Not long since I had two Noblemen in cure, who complained of no other  distemper but these Red Spots on their Foreheads, and one of them on his Breast, but I knowing they had not been over chaste in their Youths, had room for a farther Suspicion, and therefore ordered them to be anointed with the Unguentum Lythargyr, made with Oleum Amygdalorum and [?] first to take away the Scabs, that two or three days after, my Aqua Mercurialus might better temper and take away the Acide and Acrid Humors residing there; besides, I ordered them a good diet-drink to cleanse the Blood, by which means they were both cured in a short time. But if this Method should not succeed in some of your Patients, they must be Salivated as the surest Remedy.

Cure of Syphilitic Symptoms: Pains in the Joints

Pains in the Joints and Limbs, which are intolerable in the Night, are other Attendants on this noisome Disease, proceeding from Sharp and Soure Humours, which by reason of their thickness cannot pass the Junctures, settle there, oppress the Nerves of that Joint, cause those tormenting Pains, and if not removed in time, seize the Periostrum, and make the Pain intolerable. However, you must not always conclude, that these Nocturnal Aches constantly proceed from the Pox, for Rheumatick Pains, or Arthritu Vaga Scrobutica are also most violent in the Night, only with this difference, that if they stay two or three days in one part, they will afterward remove into another, but Pains proceeding from the French Disease, never shift their Quarters.

Begin the Cure with Emplastrum de Ranu cum displ. Mercurio, which being applied twice a day, will much contribute towards it; especially if you sweat your Patient twice a Week, a ply him with a good Decoction of Indian Woods. If this will not prevail, sweat your Patient in Baln Lacontc. Cum Spir. Vini five or six times, and ever time he comes out of it, bathe the grieved parts very well with the following Spirit.

Rx. Lumbricor. Comp. Formicar. Rosimarin. Flor. Sambuc. aa. {ounce}i. Aq. Anhaltin. Spir. Vini Camphorat. aa. {dram}vi. Spir. Salis. Armon. {ounce}ss. Essent. Opit, Castor. aa. {scruple}ii. Ms. S. a. ad issum.

This being done, apply the following Plaister and the Pain will cease immediately; but if the Pertostrum is injured or corrupted, it must be nicely observ'd and manag'd after another manner.

Rx. Emplastr. Arthrit. Myns. {ounce}vi Vigon. Cum duplo Mercurio {ounce}vii. Emplastr. Oxycroc. Myns. Diaphoret. Myns. aa. {ounce}iiii. Artaphan. {ounce}vii. M. Malax. cum s.q. Ol. Laterin. Ad Emplastr. form.

If you desire it should be stronger and more penetrating, you may ad Flor. Sal. Armoniac. {ounce}iiii. to it. If an Inflammation should happen; yet you must by no means use any Cooling or Repelling Medicines to it, lest you make it worse, by causing a greater Stagnation of the Liquors, and rendring them more Acrid and Malignant. The other Medicines will do your work, with the Exercise of a little Patience." (Purmann, p. 197-9)

Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment Page Menu:   1     2     3     4       <<First