C H A P. VIII.
Of Venereal Diseases.
Of the Chaude-pisse or Gonorrhæa.
The Signs of this Disease are a painful Distention of the Penis or Yard, and a scalding Pain in making Water, the Urine being pale, whitish, and full of Filaments or little Threads: Sometimes the Testicles are swell'd as well as the Glans and Præputium; and sometimes there is a Flux of a kind of Matter yellowish, Greenish, &c.
If there be a great Inflammation in the Yard, endeavours must be us'd to allay it by letting Blood; and afterward the Patient may take a cooling and diuretick Diet-Drink, as also Emulsions made with cold Seeds in Whey. A very good Decoction may be prepar'd in all places, and without any trouble, by putting a Dram of Sal Prunella into every Quart of Water, whereof the Patient is to drink as often as he can: This Decoction is very cooling and diuretick; and the use of it ought to be continu'd till the Inflammation be asswag'd. Then some gentle
Purges are to be prescrib'd in the beginning; such as an Ounce of Cassia, and as much Manna, infus'd in two Glasses of Whey, which are to be taken one or two Hours one after another.
Afterward the Patient must be often purg'd with twelve Grains of Scammony, and fifteen Grains of Mercurius Dulcis; and these Purgations must be continu'd, till it appears that the Fluxes are neither yellowish nor greenish, nor of any other bad Colour. When they are become White, and grown Thready, they may be stopt with Astringents: Amber and dry'd Bones beaten to Powder, eighteen Grains of each, with one Grain of Laudanum, the Composition being taken in Conserve of Roses, are very good for this Purpose. Crocus Martis Astringens, or else its Extract, taken from half a Dram to a whole Dram, in like manner performs the same Operation. As soon as the Gonorrhæa is stopt, to be certain of a perfect Cure, a Dram of the Mercurial Panacæa is to be taken, from fifteen to twenty Grains at a time, in Conserve of Roses. In the mean while, if a small Salivation shou'd happen, it must be let alone for the present, since it may be stopt at pleasure by the Purgations. When it is requisite to restrain the Gonorrhæa, Mercury must not be given any longer, in regard that it is a Dissolvent, which is only good when the Glandules of the Groin or Testicles are swell'd, or else when it is expedient to set the Chaude-pisse a running, after it hath been too suddenly stopt. At the same time that the Astringents are taken with the Mouth,
Injections also are to be made into the Yard; such as are prepar'd with Lapis Medicamentosus, of which one Dram is put into eight Ounces of Plantane-Water. All Astringents that are not Causticks, are proper for the Syringe.