A THE vaynes of the foreheade and the tempels do syrynge and growe of the exteriall throte vaynes lyke as braun­ches, y^• which must be opened drawyng the launcer ouerthwart the vayne, I call it lettynge ouerthwart the vayne accordynge to auncient doctours the which is not fully a­longe the vayne: nor fully ouerthwart the veyne, but ke­peth a meane betwene both. And the lettynge of this vayn is good for apostems in the eyen, and the migrain, and for great headache, and for alteration of the wytte, for the frensy, and for the newe lepre.

B The veynes of the necke that communelye are called the vaynes Guiden or [...] iugulares exteriores must be ope­ned ouerthwart the veyne, lettynge the launcer declyne a lytle a longe the veyne but not to muche: or els it shuld be harde to staunche the bloude. And he that wyll open thys vayne well, must cause the pacient to bowe his heade from that syde where he wyll open the vayne, that she maye be bent. And this vayne must be opened (as sayth Auicen) w^t a launcer cum pilo, that is to saye, that hath a pyn ouer­thwart about the ende of the laūcer, to kepe it for goyng to depe in the veyne. And the lettinge of these veynes is good for the humors of the head, for the rewme and the migrain. And it is to be noted that all the veynes of the head ought to be let after a man hath eaten, nother ought these vey­nes to be let in those, in whome is requyred the power to engender, for (as sayeth Auicen) through these veynes are voyded the sprites y^t nature doth send forth for generatiō.

C The veyne on the out syde of the arme the whiche the new practisers communly do call Cephalica, & Galen vena externa and also Humeralis, taketh his originall with the Guiden or iugulares exteriores from the holowe veyne. And this veyne Cephalica must be opened with a greater hole then the other veyns, or els (as sayeth Haly abbas the auncient phisition in the fourth boke of his practyse) y^• fore sayd veyne is daungerous to fall to an apostemation. And greate hede must be taken for faylynge in openynge this veyn, for she is yeopardous to let. For yf ye dare not touch this veyne Cephalyke, and shrugge to open it (as some barbers or Chirurgens that be not wel expert do) ye shall do great harme to the patient and cause daunger of apostumation. Alwayes yf ye touch this veyne well at the first launcyng, she is the same that of al veynes doth greue lesse in lettynge of bloúde: howe be it what so euer ye do make the hole metely greate. The openinge of this veyne is good for runnynge of the eyen, and all maner of heade­ache, and for the fallynge sycknesse.

D The veyne that appeareth in the mydde of the arme before the bowynge of it, or after the bowynge, the whiche communely is called the Median or Mediana, or Nigra after Auicen, or after Haly abbas Mediastina, and after Rhasis ad Almansorem she is called vena matrix or Cardi ata: hath hyr originall or sprynge partly of the Cephalica, and partly of the Basilica, y^• whiche must be opened ouer­thwart the veyne or at the leest declinyng the laūcer a lytel awrye: without one wyll lett twyse: and the lettynge bloud in this veyne, is good for all grefes & diseases of the mem­bers, stomacke, rybbes and sydes: for she is the fountayne of all the body.

E The veyne that cōmunely is called the Basilica, and after Galen, uena interna / somtyme she is called lecoraria other do call her Hexatica or Regia. Rhasis (bycause she doth go thorowe the arme holes) doth call her vena axilla­ris, and she doth procede and come from the holowe veyne, beynge yet in the brest before she hath furnyshed the inte­rior

iugulares or throte veynes. Hyr originall or sprynge is of the stomacke, liuer and harte, and hyr best perceauer is in the out syde of the arme. Of the which veyne he that shall open her, ought to take diligently hede for launcyng: For harde by her is a greate synowe lyke vnto a veyne, wherin the sprite of lyfe runneth vp and downe, & is mixte with blonde, the which yf it be opened, the pacient standeth in yeopardy of his lyfe, as Galen doth saye in his boke of lettynge of bloud. Vnder the same Basilica are also great synewes touchynge the foresayde veyne: Therfore sayth Rhasis in his. xxviii. boke: Eschue the Basilica as muche as is possible, without it be for great nede: otherwyse it is better to take the Median.

F The veyne that appeareth about the toppe of the pulse is the braunche or twygge of the Cephalica.

G The seconde veyne that lyghtely appeareth about the myddelmoste fynger, & is cōmunely called Funis brachij, is also a braunche or twygge of the Cephalica.

H The thyrde veyne of the hande the whiche appeareth about the lyttell fynger, & is cōmunely called of the Phi­sicians or Chirurgians Saluatella or vena titillaris or Ascellaris, is also a braunche of the Basilica. The whiche veynes of the hand as also other outwarde veynes, are of small value or profite to be let or opened: because they ne­uer yelde much bloude. And these muste be opened as those of the fete, namely in warme water, to cause the veynes to swell aboue the senowes.

I The veyne of the inner ankle of the foote, the which ap­peareth more perfectely than the other, is cōmunely called Saphena, and commeth (as doth also the Sciatica) from the great holownesse that is vnder the knee.

K The other veyne that is on the outsyde of the foote, is called Sciatica, and commeth likewyse of the great holownesse vnder the knee. And the lettynge of these two veynes is good for all maner of swellynges and apostems of the preuy members. The which veynes of the feete are yeopardous for depe launcyng, and specially the Sciatica, which is more fearefull to be touched then the Saphena. For yf ye open the Sciatica and launche to depe, for feare of fay­lynge, because they appeare so small: ye shal hardly escape, but that ye shall touche some senowe adioynynge to the same veynes, whereof might come great payne & other euil accidentes: As we haue sene otherwhyles that for igno­raunce of the barbars and Surgeons, the pacient dyd fall into diuerse greefes of the senowes or the crampe. This and such lyke grefes therfore are y^t causes why it is nedefull to bath the hande and feete in warme water whan they shall be launched, to cause them to swell and appeare the better: for they be lytle of them selues, and in geuynge them a cut with the launcer, ye must always beware of the se [...]es. Also the Sciatica must be launched as y^• Saphena, namely: a lytle ouerthwart, seynge they appeare ynough. And ge­nerally euery veyne that is in a place full of senowes or betwene senowes must be opened alonge the vayne, and that for two reasons: The fyrste is to escheue the senowes [...] what place so euer they be. The secōd is that y^• vayne, that is cut or blemished alonge the veyne, is not so daungerous for the crampe or other euyl accidentes (as sayth Galen in his. v. boke of Methodus Therapentice) as whan she is launched alonge or a lytle ouerthwart.

¶ Behold gentle reader these are the veynes y^• are cōmunly in vre to be letten. There are many other veynes that maye be cut or let for diuerse grefes and diseases, but be­cause they are not or lytle in vse: and also because Galen & other auncient Grekes haue made no mention of lettynge of them in theyr writynges: therfore let this lytle frutefull table suffise the at this tyme, by the which thou mayst exercise and teache the selfe lyghtely and without daunger of any euyll accidentes to let any vayne of mans body.

¶ God saue the kynge.