with head-melancholy, repeats many medicines which he tried,
[4337]"but two alone which did the cure; use of whey made of goat's milk,
with the extract of hellebore, and irrigations of the head with water
lilies, lettuce, violets, camomile, &c., upon the suture of the crown."
Piso commends a ram's lungs applied hot to the fore part of the head,
[4338]or a young lamb divided in the back, exenterated, &c.; all
acknowledge the chief cure in moistening throughout. Some, saith
Laurentius, use powders and caps to the brain; but forasmuch as such
aromatical things are hot and dry, they must be sparingly administered.

Unto the heart we may do well to apply bags, epithems, ointments, of which
Laurentius, _c. 9. de melan._ gives examples. Bruel prescribes an epithem
for the heart, of bugloss, borage, water-lily, violet waters, sweet-wine,
balm leaves, nutmegs, cloves, &c.

For the belly, make a fomentation of oil, [4339]in which the seeds of
cumin, rue, carrots, dill, have been boiled.

Baths are of wonderful great force in this malady, much admired by [4340]
Galen, [4341]Aetius, Rhasis, &c., of sweet water, in which is boiled the
leaves of mallows, roses, violets, water-lilies, wether's-head, flowers of
bugloss, camomile, melilot, &c. Guianer, _cap. 8. tract. 15_, would have
them used twice a day, and when they came forth of the baths, their back
bones to be anointed with oil of almonds, violets, nymphea, fresh capon
grease, &c.

Amulets and things to be borne about, I find prescribed, taxed by some,
approved by Renodeus, Platerus, (_amuleta inquit non negligenda_) and
others; look for them in Mizaldus, Porta, Albertus, &c. Bassardus
Viscontinus, _ant. philos._ commends hypericon, or St. John's wort gathered
on a [4342]Friday in the hour of "Jupiter, when it comes to his effectual
operation (that is about the full moon in July); so gathered and borne, or
hung about the neck, it mightily helps this affection, and drives away all
fantastical spirits." [4343]Philes, a Greek author that flourished in the
time of Michael Paleologus, writes that a sheep or kid's skin, whom a wolf
worried, [4344]_Haedus inhumani raptus ab ore lupi_, ought not at all to be
worn about a man, "because it causeth palpitation of the heart," not for
any fear, but a secret virtue which amulets have. A ring made of the hoof
of an ass's right fore foot carried about, &c. I say with [4345]Renodeus,
they are not altogether to be rejected. Paeony doth cure epil