it run, according to the party's strength: and some eight or
twelve days after, open the head vein, and the veins in the forehead, or
provoke it out of the nostrils, or cupping-glasses," &c. Trallianus allows
of this, [4249]"If there have been any suppression or stopping of blood at
nose, or haemorrhoids, or women's months, then to open a vein in the head
or about the ankles." Yet he doth hardly approve of this course, if
melancholy be situated in the head alone, or in any other dotage,
[4250]"except it primarily proceed from blood, or that the malady be
increased by it; for bloodletting refrigerates and dries up, except the
body be very full of blood, and a kind of ruddiness in the face." Therefore
I conclude with Areteus, [4251]"before you let blood, deliberate of it,"
and well consider all circumstances belonging to it.

SUBSECT. III.--_Preparatives and Purgers_.

After bloodletting we must proceed to other medicines; first prepare, and
then purge, _Augeae stabulum purgare_, make the body clean before we hope
to do any good. Walter Bruel would have a practitioner begin first with a
clyster of his, which he prescribes before bloodletting: the common sort,
as Mercurialis, Montaltus _cap. 30._ &c. proceed from lenitives to
preparatives, and so to purgers. Lenitives are well known, _electuarium
lenitivum, diaphenicum diacatholicon_, &c. Preparatives are usually syrups
of borage, bugloss, apples, fumitory, thyme and epithyme, with double as
much of the same decoction or distilled water, or of the waters of bugloss,
balm, hops, endive, scolopendry, fumitory, &c. or these sodden in whey,
which must be reiterated and used for many days together. Purges come last,
"which must not be used at all, if the malady may be otherwise helped,"
because they weaken nature and dry so much, and in giving of them, [4252]
"we must begin with the gentlest first." Some forbid all hot medicines, as
Alexander, and Salvianus, &c. _Ne insaniores inde fiant_, hot medicines
increase the disease [4253]"by drying too much." Purge downward rather than
upward, use potions rather than pills, and when you begin physic, persevere
and continue in a course; for as one observes, [4254]_movere et non educere
in omnibus malum est_; to stir up the humour (as one purge commonly doth)
and not to prosecute, doth more harm than good. They must continue in a
course of physic, yet not so that they tire and oppress nature, _danda
quies naturae_, they must now and th