THe preseruation of the sight doth con­sist, partly in good order of diet, part­ly in vse of Medi­cines.

Concerning diet:Diet. some things hurt­full are to be eschued, and some things comfortable to the sight are to be vsed: wherefore they, which may chose their habitations, in this respect, may make e­lection of aire cleare,Aire. declining to mode­rate heate and drynesse: cold and moyst aire, and thicke, misty, and rainy weather is hurtfull: it is best therefore to abide in dry places, from moory, marish, and watrish grounds and specially to prouide, that the site of the dwelling be not betweene the [Page 2] wet places and the sun:Windes. Dust. Smoke. Southerne windes doe hurt the sight: so doe low roomes: places full of dust and smoakie are noy­some.

Meates.Meates are best which are easie to be digested, and which doe not stay long in the stomacke: amongest such a young Henne is greatly commended: so is Par­tridge and Pheasant. Rasis praiseth the young starne, and the quaile: so doe all writers the Doue both tame and wyld, but chiefly the wild Doue, which (as Zoar writeth) hath especiall vertue against the weakenesse of the sight, which commeth by defect of spirites, and the rather, if the same be sod with rape rootes, and turnep rootes: for it is accorded by all writers, that the turnep hath great faculty to doe good to the eies, and to preserue the sight. Crosse and slimy meates, and all water-foule are dispraised. Of small birdes, the martin, the swallow, the iay and pie, the witwall, the specht are noted very hurt­full to the sight: and albeit these birds are seldome, or not at all vsed of the bet­ter sort, yet common people happily may be compelled to eate them.Fish. No fish is ac­compted good: yet some fishes, which doe [Page 3] skoure in grauely-places, being sauery sod­den with white wine, fenel, eiebright, sage, perslie, &c. may at some times be eaten: and so a little salt-fish moderately taken doth no great harme. Flesh sodden with fenell,Preparat [...] of meates eiebright, mintes, sage, &c. is reputed best; next are roasted meates; flesh fried with butter or oyle is to be reiected, th'entrals,Intrals. and feete of beasts are not so good, nor the braines for the most part, yet the braines of an hare, of a cony, and of pigeons,Braines. are said to quicken the sight.

Milke and all things made thereof are found by experience to induce dimnesse of sight: reare rosted, reare sodden,Milke. or poched egges are holesome,Egges. especially eaten with the powder of eiebright: fryed egges and hard are blamed.

Of sauces, veriuce, vinigar of wine,Sauces. and the iuce of limonds, are accompted best; Pomgranats, not so good.

Of spices,Spices. cinnamon is commended by Auicenna, as speciall good so the webbe of the eie, and for dimnesse of the sight: so is saffron; ginger, both inwardly taken, and outwardly applyed, doth singularly cleare the sight: cloues, mace, and nutmegs, and all three kindes of peppers, may be vsed. [Page 4] Suger is conuenient to condite things, but hony is better: [...]. no oyle is good, saue pile oliue called sallet oile, and that is better then butter.

[...] herbs.Albeit few raw hearbes in common vse for sallets are commended, except fenell, eie-bright, young sage, terragone, which are very good: yet these are to be avoided as most hurtfull, namely lettis, coleworts, cabbages, beets, spinage, purslane, buddes of dill, garlike, chibbols, onions, skalli­ons, [...] &c. Gapers may be eaten: Oliues not so good: radish rootes, persnep rootes, are greatly dispraised: carrot rootes, the buds of asperage may be eaten, [...] Rape [...] Turnep. but the turnup or rape roote, and the nauew roote are a­boue all other noted for excellencie to preserue the sight, and to that purpose ma­ny doe preserue with sugar these rootes, and eate them as sucket.

[...]uites. [...]eares. [...]pples.The most kindes of fruits are hurtfull to the sight: yet peares and the better kindes of apples, may be eaten with the pouder of eiebright, or with fenell seeds thinly in­crusted with fine sugar: [...]igges. figs are very good, not onely for the sight, but also to open, scoure, and to clense the brest, liuer, sto­macke and kidneies: [...]aisons. so are raisons, which [Page 5] haue a speciall property to strengthen the liuer: nuts are very evil,Nuts. for that they doe fill the head: the walnut more tollerable then the hasell nut, chestnuts are very windie, better friends for Ʋenus, then for the eies: dates are not commended, nor mulberies.Dates. Confects

Confectes made with fine sugar and thin­ly incrusted about with turnep seedes, and navew seeds, fenill seeds, anise seeds al­monds, pine aple kernels, ginger, cinamon, the powder of eiebright, &c. are reputed as very good meanes to continue the sight: likewise in the preseruation of the sight, a­mongst other things, such drinkes,Drinkes. as are in common vse and accustomed, are to be al­lowed: therefore he that hath vsed to drink beere,Beere. may not forsake the same and so of ale.

And in this respect it is not amis at meate to drinke wine,Wine. for them which haue beene accustomed to the same: although wine in some affectes of the eies is forbidden, yet to preserue the sight, wine is not inconue­nient, for the vapours of wine are drying, cleare abstersiue, and so doe consume and extenuate grosse and thick humours, so it be moderately taken. In this place I doe greatly commend their councels, which do [Page 6] prepare medicinable drinks with eiebright, [...]edicinall [...]inkes. and other things comfortable for the sight, to be vsed in the morning, and at meates, if the patient can well endure so to drinke the same: our authors herein are very inge­nious, some addressing drinkes with one thing, and some with another.

[...]rinke [...]ade with [...]bright.The simplest and most written of, is with the herbe called of the Arabians Adhill, in Latine Euphragia, in English Eie-bright, of whose miraculous vertues in preseruation of the sight, [...]rnoldus [...] villa no­ [...] Arnoldus de villa noua hath written in these words: Eie-bright is good any way taken, either with meate, [...]he praise [...] eiebright [...] the sight. drinke or medicine, greene and dry, against all impediments of the sight, where­by the clearenes of the same may be obscu­red. And hee writeth thus of wine made with Eiebright, [...] which hee calleth Ʋinum euphragtatum. This wine (saith he) is made by putting the herbe in the muste or new wine, vntill the same wine become cleare to be drunke. By the vse of this wine, old mens sights are made young, it taketh a­way the impediments of the sight in all mens of all ages, especially in fat men, and such which doe abound with phlegme.

One (saith he) which was blind, and did [Page 7] see nothing in long time, by vsing this wine one yeare, was restored to his sight. The herbe is hot and drie, and hath by proper­tie of substance to remoue affectes of the sight.Eiebright taken in an egge. And so the powder of the herbe ta­ken in an egge, or drunken in wine, doth vvonderfully performe the same. And there are yet aliue (saith hee) witnesses of good credit, which haue made proofe heereof in themselues, which could not reade without spectacles, but by vse hereof haue recouered their sight to reade small letters. And so Arnoldus concludeth, that nothing to doe good to the sight, is to be compared with wine made with eiebright. If the wine be too strong, he counselleth to allay the same with fennell water; and to that intention, you may also adde sugar.

In countries which for their common drinkes do vse wine and water, they alway do mingle things for the sight in wine, and not in water: for wine in truth is a fitter li­quor to receiue the qualities and to carry the same to the eyes, then water: which thinges they do put in the muste, and so let it stand, vntill the wine be ripe, and ready to be drunken, and so do vse it.

Notwithstanding in other Countries [Page 8] which haue other vsuall drinkes,Eiebright may be vsed in beere, in ale, or meade the same things may be put in their common drinks, So some haue put them in ale, some in beere and some in meade, and no doubt but all these meanes are very good accor­ding to the vsage and disposition of the partie. So euen in this our Country they which either by vse or by constitution of body, may wel beare the drinking of wine, may well compound the same with things good for the sight others of hot complexi­ons and drie, not greatly accustomed to wine, may of ale, beere, and meade make such drinkes, because in the North coun­tries, ale and beere are the vsuall and com­mon drinkes, and in some places, meade al­so is much vsed: therefore in mine opinion it is conuenient for most men, to make these drinkes with ale, beere, and meade, rather then with wine: and meade assured­ly is a very conuenient thing for them which can well away with hony.

How Eie­ [...]ight wine may be vsed.Touching the direction of those which haue bin accustomed to drinke wine, I do nothing doubt, but that they may with out offence beare such drinks for the sight compounded with wine, to take a draught in the morning, especially if the allay the [Page 9] same with the distilled water of fenell, ac­cording to Arnoldus counsell. And for this purpose, choyse may bee made of very good white wine, and the thinges may bee mingled in the countries where the wine doth growe, notwithstanding in that our most vsed drinke with meat is ale, or beere,The vse of Eiebright ale, and of Eiebright beere. these are very conuenient to receiue these thinges for the sight, and absolutely better then wine, if yee like to drinke the same with meate: as our authors doe counsell. Which ale I thinke better to be made with grout according to the old order of brew­ing.Ale made with grout. And so the thinges for the sight may be sodden in the grout, or other way put in the drinke, when it is newly clensed,How to make Eie­bright Ale and beere. & put into the vessell in which it is tunned to be kept that in the working of the drink in the vessel, the vertues and qualities of the thinges may be drawne and receiued into the same. When these thinges are compounded in meade,Eiebright meade. then the same are sodden with the honie, in such order as o­ther herbes are sodden, when they make methegline.

I thinke it best to begin with the sim­plest order to compound ale or beere to each mans best liking with eiebright only, [Page 10] taking to euery gallon of the drink a great handfull of the herbe,The quanti­ty of eie­bright to the drinke. and bind it together, or put it in raw and thinne tinsell of silke, and so tie the same by a string to the tap of the vessell, that the herbe may hang in the middest of the drinke, not too low in the ground, neither to high in the barme, be­ing put into the drinke when it is newlie clensed: let all worke togither vntill the drinke be cleare and ripe, to be drunken according to the common vse, and then ye may drinke of it at pleasure in the morning fasting, and at meate also if you will, and can well like thereof; and most men may like to drinke it, because this herbe doeth yeeld no vngratefull taste, but rather with a pleasant sapour doth commend the drinke. It were not amisse, to avoide windines, to euery handfull of the herbe to adde two drammes of fenell seeds,Fenell seeds. well dusted, and a little bruised. As I doe put this for more proportion to beginne with-all, that the stomacke be not at the first offen­ded with the strangenesse: So after a time, yee may increase the quantitie, and put to euery gallon of the drinke, two handfuls of the herbe, wherein yee may best be di­rected by the taste, that the herbe shall [Page 11] yeeld into the drinke.Spices may be added. In the winter sea­son yee may also adde some spices, as gin­ger, whole mace, a few cloues, nutmegs, cinnamon, and make as it were bragget ale: which drinke, besides that it doth pre­serue and cleere the sight, will also helpe digestion, clense and cut phlegme, and breake winde.

I can witnes,The effect confirmed by examples. that many by this simple composition of eiebright and fenell seeds, haue found great good for their sight, not onely to continue in good estate, but also that some haue found remedie against the dimnes and other impediments, growing in their sight. In truth once I met an old man in Shropshire, called M. Hoorde, aboue the age of 84. yeares, who had at that time per­fit sight, and did read small letters very well without spectacles: hee told me that about the age of 40. yeares, finding his sight to decay, he did vse Eiebright in ale for his drinke, and did also eate the powder there­of in an egge three daies in a weeke, be­ing so taught of his father, who by the like order continued his sight in good integrity to a very long age. I haue heard the same confirmed by many old men Rowland Sher­looke an Irish man, Phisition to Queene [Page 12] Marie, did affirme for truth, that a Bi­shop in Ireland perceiuing his sight to wax dimme, about his age of fifty yeares, by the vse of eiebright takē in powder in an egge, did liue to the age of 80 yeares, with good integrity of sight.Drinkes more com­pounded for the sight.

VVe do reade of many drinkes to pre­serue the sight, compounded not of eie-bright onely, but many moe thinges ad­ded: so some put to it sage, some veruaine, some celendine, and fennell seedes, anise seeds, & the forenamed spices: others ele­campane rootes, iris, galengale, & cubebs, and in truth all these are greatly commen­ded to preserue the sight, and may very aptly be put in drinkes for the sight: not­withstanding, for that we are now to deli­uer a drinke for the sight, which may bee pleasing, and alowed with meates, mine opinion is, that the same ought to be made as simple as may be. For if Gallen in his 6. booke de sanitate tuenda, doth preferre the composition of the medicine termed dia­trion piperiō, which hath fewest simples, be­cause (as he writeth) that is soonest & with lesse trouble to nature digested:The most compound not alwaies best. surely the drinkes for the sight, which are compoun­ded of fewest thinges, are most to bee [Page 13] commended, especially when we meane to vse the same with meate, as all our authors do coūsell vs. Wherefore, for my part at this time, I will onely aduise to haue for vse, ei­ther wine, or ale, or beere, according to each mans best liking, made as it is before prescribed with eiebright and fenell seeds, and to drinke of the same in the morning, or if it so like with meat, as other drinke.

It is holded better to drinke oft and small draughts at meat,Drinke often and small draughts. then seldome and great draughts; for so meat and drinke will bet­ter mingle, and the meat will lesse swimme in the stomake,Not best to begin the meale with drinke. which giueth cause of ma­ny vapours to the head. It is affirmed not good to begin the meale with drinke, but to eat somewhat before you drinke.

When you drinke wine if you meane to alay the same with water,When to mingle water with wine it is best to min­gle to the wine fennell water, or eiebright water, and Montagnana doth counsell to doe the same some reasonable time before you do drinke, and not presently when you drinke, as commonly men doe.

Bread in our intention is to be made of fine flower of chosen wheat,Breade. alway leue­ned and salted somewhat more then com­mon bread, well wrought, throughly ba­ked, [Page 14] not new nor old, of about a day or two daies old.Past with fenil seeds. Vnleuened bread is not accomp­ted good: and the bread is better, if fenell seeds be wrought with the past; to which purpose some do cause cakes to be made of some portion of the dowgh, in which they knead the powder of fenell seeds, and the powder of eiebright, and doe eate them in the morning, and after drink the eiebright drinke, and make that a breakfast.

Euacuation.As generally in the preseruation of health: so especially to continue the sight, it is conuenient that the body be obedi­ent, and doe his office for euacuation ac­cordingly: and if nature herein be slack, it may be procured with brothes made of loose herbes, as mallowes, violet leaues, mercury, ground sell, great raisons the stones taken out, damaske pruines and currants: and if neede be of more medicinall things, surely the same must be gentle: for as strong medicines, which make agitation of hu­mors are not good to be vsed for this in­tention: so gentle medicines taken in due time, doe great good to the sight: which I doe leaue to the appointment and directi­on of a learned Phisition. Of all manner of euacuation, these which are done by vo­miting [Page 15] are most hurtfull: so are fluxes of blood by the nose. And as belkes doe ease the stomacke, so much belking giueth oc­casion that fumes doe arise to the fore-part of the head, whereby the sight may be har­med.

Nothing is more hurtfull to health then fulnes.Fulnesse hurtfull. And he that will continue his sight good, must be carefull of ouer-plentifull feeding, and therefore must end his meales with appetite: and neuer lay gorge vpon gorge, but so feede, that the former meate may be concocted, before hee doe eate againe. It is best to make light suppers, and some-what timely.Vse of Ve­nus. As modest vse of Ʋe­nus perfourmed in the feare of God in due time, when the meate in the stomacke is digested, and nature is desirous to be dis­burdened, is to be allowed: so immoderate and vnseasonable vse thereof, doth of all things most hurt the sight, and soonest in­duce blindnes: ouer-much watching is not good: very long sleepes are more hurtfull:Sleepe and watching. the meane sleeps of about vij. houres, are best: yet better to abridge the sleepe and to inlarge watching, then contrariwise: sleepe taken in the night is best, as most naturall, when externall aire doth not distract na­tures [Page 16] motion, and all externall things con­curre to helpe sleepe, therefore the moe houres a man doth borrow of the day for sleepe, the worser. It is not good especially to this our purpose, to sleepe immediatly after meate: for two houres at the least ought to be put betweene meate and sleep. Best to begin sleep vpon the right side, and then to turne on the left side: to sleepe vp­right vpon the backe is naught generally: to turne vpon the face worser for the sight.The Moone shine hurt­full to the sight. Care must be had that you sleepe not in a chamber, or any place in which the Moone doth shine.

Exercises.Exercises are needfull: the same best, af­ter the belly hath done his office, that the excrements are a voided: otherwise by exercise vapours are stirred, and doe ascend more plentifully to the head.Writing after meate. All exercises must be done fasting, and none after meate. And I wish you might after meate for beare writing by the space of three houres: but if your course of life and calling will not so permit you, you may herein follow Mon­tagnana his counsell, to write either stan­ding vpright, or a little leaning and resting your head vpon your right or left cheeke: in no case to write bowing your selfe for­ward, [Page 17] and holding downe the head. When opportunity and time will serue, frictions with a rough linnen cloth are very good,Frictions. which are to be performed thus: first to rub the feete, the legges, then the thighes, the hips, the buttockes, ascending to the shoulders and necke with soft and long rubbings, euen vntill the partes begin to wax red. Amongst orders to remooue the weakenes of the sight, Auicenna writeth that the combing of the head is not of least force,Combing the head. which ought to be done euery mor­ning fasting backwardes against the haire for it draweth the vapours out of the head, and remoueth them from the sight.Affections of the minde.

Mirth, ioy, and pleasantnes of the minde is good: a little anger doth not hurt: im­moderate sorrow, fearefulnes, and all vehe­ment affections are forbidden in all affects, but in this our case chiefly, as most hurtfull to the sight.

AS the Eyes are of a delicate and soft nature, so ar they by the most light occasion of­fended, as by smoak, by dust, and the Sunne beames: so the north winde, and vapours rising from minerals doe hurt the eyes. But this peculi­ar property the eyes haue, that they con­geale not because they are of a fiery pro­perty, and doe consist of an airy fatnes.

The eyes are subiect to euery kinde of disease, Simeler, Organical, and commune as the similer parts doe labour with euery distemprature, with an hot distemprature, as often as they are offended with smoake, or dust, which offence proceeding from an outward cause, is properly called Taraxis, rednes of the eyes is more like vnto Phlogo­sis, then Phlegmon because they arred with­out [Page 26] tumor. A cold distemprature doth dull the sight. A moyst doth dilate the pupill: A dry distemprature doth either shrinke vp the whole eye, or the pupill thereof is dry­ed or extenuated, as it hapneth in extreame old age, or by the immoderate vse of vene­rie. From thence Pthisis, and an Atrophia hapneth of the eye: I call that Pthisis which is an extenuation of the pupill, or ap­ple, and becometh more angustior, and streyter, and more obscure: but that is an Atrophia, when the whole eye is consumed for want of nourishment. And as the In­strument doth suffer diseases of number, of magnitude, of situation and conformation, (I say) conformation in the figure, Meatus, and Asperitie, for it is a disease in magni­tude, as often as the eyes are more great, and more standing forth then they should, for the lesser eyes are best, because the vi­sible vertue being coacted and drawne to­gither is greater then when it is dispersed, and is least subiect to outward iniuries: from whence it doth happen, that those which by nature haue small balls or apples of the eye, haue their sight most sharpe, I meane not those which haue it so by accident, as if they be extenuated by immoderate vene­rie, [Page 27] for then thinges seeme to be greater then they are: to this may be referred En­chanthis, and Rhinas, for they are the con­trary of the same kinde. Encanthis is an ex­crescence of the same flesh which is in the greater Cantho, but Rhinas is when the same caruncle being eroded and eaten, doth appeare as it were hanging forth. To diseases of number, doe appertaine Suffusio, which is commonly called the Cataracte, which is an humor concreate betweene the Cornea, and the Vuea: in like manner, the web called Pterigium and Onix or Vngu­la and Hipopion. The web is a neruose mem­brane, which according to diuers men, doth proceede from the great corner vnto the apple, and sometimes at length doth co­uer the whole eye. Onyx or Vnguis is a Ci­catrix from some vlcer, which is referred to the likenes of a nayle. Hypopion is a certaine Pus, collected vnder the Cornea, which doth succeed a suppurated inflammation & Chemosi, Hyposphagmati bloudy and sug­gillat eyes, such as are when some veine is opened, broken, or gnawne, the bloud waxeth blewe and liued:

To diseases of Site or situation doth apper­taine Ecpiesmos, which is, when the whole [Page 28] ball hangeth forth, which hapneth by the Muscles relaxed, which muscles do obuolue the opticke nerue, which disease may be cal­led Prolapsus oculi, although Paulus doth cal it Proptosin, when the Cornea being ero­ded or eaten, the Vuea doth hang forth, of which Proptoseos there are diuers names, for first when the vuea doth hang forth, be­cause it appeareth like vnto the head of a Flie, it is called Myocephalos, but when it doth increase more, and doth represent A­cinum vuae, it is called Staphiloma, when it doth more increase, and the eye is starke blinde and hath the likenes of the head of a nayle, it is called Clauus, but either affect is Morbus in situ, but the first is of the whole eye, the latter of one onely part, that is of the vuea. Diseases of conformation are, when the naturall figure of the eye is per­uerted, as in Strabismo or conuulsion, Midri­asei or dilatation of the ball: also diseases in Ʋia, as a sodaine obstruction of the Op­ticke nerue, which is called Hamarosis. The Sicke seeth nothing at all, when notwith­standing no cause appeareth in the eye, the tunicles of the eyes ought to be light, terse▪ and fayre are sometimes exasperated with an inward and outward cause, as with smoake and dust.

[Page 29]The eyes do suffer most often common dis­eases, as vlcers, and tumors against nature, first phlegmon, which is called Opthalmia, that is knowne by tumor, inflamation, red­nes and paine.

The vlcers do manifest themselues by itch, by paine and Saines, but not also the Adn [...]ta, but also the Cornea is sometimes vlcered, and whether it bee vlcered, wee may easily know by this signe: There doth appeare a white spot in the black of the eye, with the signes aforesaid: and when the Coniunctiua is vlcered there doth ap­peare as it were a red spot in the white of the eye: But first, I will set downe the man­ner of curing of those diseases, and then I will speak of the Symptoms.

The precept of Plato in Charmide is fa­miliar with Galen. Euen as it is in vaine to cure the diseases of the head without con­sideration bee first had of the whole, so rashly to prescribe remedies to the eyes, except we first consider of the head, where is the originall both of the eyes and the fountaine of all diseases which come by defluxion.

Therefore first of all the body is to bee purged with pillulis lucis maioribus in a cold [Page 30] cause, and in an hot cause, with pil. lucis minoribus, or with Sena and Agarick which shall bee boyled in a decoction, or with the distilled waters of Fenel and Eye­bright, with which vehicles the purgatiue vertue is carried to the eyes: and consider that the Agarik doth especially profit the braine, and the Senna the eyes.

The opening of a veine in hot diseases is profitable, but not in cold, yet the com­mon people do hold an opinion that bloud-letting doth weaken the sight, for it draw­eth the animall spirits and so doth weaken their force, because the vapour of bloud or the naturall spirit is the matter of the vitall spirit, as heere of the animall: for the eyes ought to be fiery and full of Animall Spi­rit.

Masticatoria, without doubt, doe profit to the deriuation of the humor from the braine, but your errhina are hurtfull, espe­cially the stronger sort, because they draw to the part affected, for there is great affini­nity of the nostrils with the eyes: there is also a manifest foramen, from the eye into the nostrill, whose opercle or couer is a litle lacrimall flesh. But some man may say Ae­rius doth prescribe errhina: I answer those [Page 31] are the lighter sort, neither is the disease as yet confirmed, but now beeing confirmed and the humor fixed and not flowing, Cup­ping glasses adplied to the shoulders doth pluck back the fluxe from the eyes, euen as a Seton, and Cautier, in Inio Iohn de Ʋigo doth apply behind the eares bloudsuckers and Ʋesicatorium, as

Vesica­torium.

• Recip. Fermenti acris one ounce.
• Cantharidum et Seminis Synapi, one dramme.

Mixe them for a Ʋesicatorium.

There Fernelius willeth to apply a cautier, and doth giue a reason that from thence a branch from the iugular vaine springeth and doth runne through to the Optick Nerues.

As often as the veines of the forehead do swell, they shew the fluxe to bee exter­nall and the tumor to descend from the pericoranium from whence springeth the coniunctiua, which fluxe is profitably stayed with some adstringent frontall, such as in this maner may be prepared.

Recip. Emplast. contra rupturam de­siccatini rubri an. one ounce.

Malax them with oyle of myrtles or ro­ses, and spred it vppon lynnen and make a [Page 32] frontall, which apply all ouer the fore­head: or,

Recep. Farinae volatilis an ounce & a halfe. boli armeni et Sanguinis Draconis ana. two drammes.

Worke them well together with the white of egges and oyle of roses, and make a frontall as before. Also topicall meanes applyed to the head are not to bee ne­glected.

For this is a generall precept, as often as diseases come by defluxion. we must not onely respect that part that is offended but also that part that sends it. Beside a thinne humor is to bee ingrost and made thicker, and the laxe wayes are to be made straiter: this last prescribed frontall is most excel­lent, but first cephalicall thinges and such as respect the head must be remembred.

The vse of Eyebright wine doth con­firme and strengthen weak and ill affected eyes or the powder of Eyebright as,

Recep. Euprasiae,

Feniculi dulc. ana one ounce.

Cum duplo Saccharo, take of it after meales or,

• Recep. Coriandri praeparat. one ounce.
• Euphrasiae et feniculi an. halfe an ounce.
• [Page 33] Cinamomi. one dramme.
• Macis. two scruples.

With the double weight of Sugar make a powder to be taken out of a spoone after meales, if you please you may boyle the iuyces of Fenel and Eyebright with hony and make a confection: of which take morning and euening the quantity of a Walnut.

For generall thinges outwardly to bee applyed, I will prescribe two Colliriums, the one in hot diseases to be prescribed in the beginning of the fluxe, that it may bee re­pelled, the other in the state and declina­tion of hot diseases, and in cold also, they may at all times be vsed, the first Colirium shall be after this manner.

Recip. Muccaginis Semi. Psyl [...]. et Cydoniorum, extractae in aqua Rosa­rum, vel plantaginis, an. halfe an ounce with two ounces.

Of the same water make a liquid Coliri­um: it is commonly made with the white of a new laid egge, being wrought together with Rosewater or Plantain water: a Coli­rium to resolue is made in this manner.

Recip. Muccaginis faenugreci extracted with Eyebright water or Fenel water an. [Page 34] one ounce make a Colirium, or with two ounces of the same water make a Collirium liquidum: a litle of the Muscilage is to bee prescribed because it doth quickly grow sower.

And now I aske whether your Colliriae are to bee distilled into the eyes as hot as may be suffered? as it liketh Scribonius: or cold as it pleaseth Mesue, or luke warme according to Galen: But in my opinion they are to be instilled luke warme, vnlesse the affect do require some other thing, for in eyes that be exceedingly inflamed and burning, wee drop it in cold; but in very cold affects wee droppe it in very warme, otherwise meanely warme doth alwaies serue the turne.

Now to proceed to cure those diseases whereof wee haue already spoken: euery distemperature is cured by his contrary: as eyes that bee inflamed and ouer-hot, shall be cooled with the dayly washing of them with cold thinges, or with the waters of Roses and Plantaine: but if the distempera­ture be cold, we warme the eyes with put­ting in the waters of Eyebright, Fennell, Rue, Celendine, washing them often there­with: if the eyes bee ouer-moist wee dry [Page 35] them if wee macerat tutia in those waters, as for example.

Recip. Tutiae one dram.

Infuse it in eyebright water two ounces, make a Collirium if the eyes be ouer dry we humect them by instilling womans milk, or with a fotus of mallowes, holy hocks and violets: But if some matter be ioyned with the distemperature, let it bee resolued with a Collirium of the Muscilage of Fenugreeke extracted in the aforesaid waters; or wash the eyes with the decoction of Fenugreeke, with a sponge, or boyle a bag being filled with Fenugreeke in water, and apply the bagge to the eye warme: hitherto we haue spoken of the Similer disease, now we will speake of organicall, and first of diseases of magnitude.

If the eyes shall be greater or lesser then they should be from their first conformati­on, all remedies are vnprofitable: if they happen so by accident, as by some fluxe from the braine, all the body is often to be purged, the moist eyes are to be dryed, we must looke to the head that is ouer-moist with Cephalicall thinges. Also Cautiers must be applyed to dry vp the offending humor: we must apply for Topicall, linnen [Page 36] dipt in the water of Rue, Celendine, or Eyebright, and the infusion of Tutia, or the bagge filled with Fenugreeke, or of the same Hydroticall Decoction of the infu­sion of Tutia make a Collirium.

Encanthis groweth whiles the bloud doth more abundantly flow to the caruncle for nourishment, which being turned into the same substance groweth greater then it ought to doe: sometimes it is so great that it hindreth the eye lids to be shut: it is burnt with gold, or els with a burning iron, or els cut off, or when it doth sur­mount it is bound with a thread, after it is softly bound vp, and after being destitute of nourishment, the excrescence doth fall a­way of its owne accord. Our ancient Phi­sitions called this kind of remedy Ana­bronchismon, if the sick bee of a delicate constitution and shall refuse the Chirurge­ry, let the excrescence be eaten away with burnt Alum or with oyle of vitriol: but it must be diligently corrected with rosewa­ter or milke, for the exquisite sense of the part. In the meane time while these things are a doing, wee must defend the eye with some defensure to auoid the offence of a fluxe. Rhyas doth oftentimes succeed [Page 37] Epiphora if the Caruncle be plainely eaten it admitteth no cure: but if some part bee onely eaten, the flesh may bee regenera­ted by applying incarnatiues as tutia, aloes. thus, or infuse the same in succo granatorum, and being strained instill it by drop meale into the greater corner of the eye. But per­haps you will say wil you mixe adstringents with your incarnatiues, such as is the iuyce of Pomegranets? which is altogether for­bidden by Galen: least the dry excrement should be retained in the part. But hither­to of diseases of magnitude: now follow diseases of number.