Of Medicines appropriated to the brain.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Culpeper, Nicholas
Before we treat of medicines appropriated to the brain, it is requisite that we describe what the nature and affection of the brain is.
The brain which is the seat of apprehension, judgment, and memory, the original of sense and motion, is by nature temperate, and if so, then you will grant me that it may easily be afflicted both by heat and cold, and it is indeed more subject to affliction by either of them, than any other part of the body, for if it be afflicted by heat, sense and reason, it is immoderately moved, if by cold, they languish, and are dulled, to pass by other symptoms which invade the head, if the brain be altered from its proper temper.
Also this is peculiar to the brain, that it is delighted or offended by smells, sights, and sounds, but I shall meddle no further with these here, because they are not medicines.
Cephalical Medicines may be found out from the affections of the brain itself. The brain is usually oppressed with moisture in such afflictions; therefore give such medicines as very gently warm, cleanse, cut, and dry: but withal, let them be such as are appropriated to the head, such as physicians say (by an hidden quality) strengthen the brain.
Again, if you consider the situation of the brain, you shall find it placed in the highest part of the body, therefore it is easily afflicted with hot vapours: this punishes a man with watching and head-ache, as the former did with sottishness and sleepiness, in such cases use such Cephalecs as gently cool the brain.
To make Cephalecs of Narcoticks, or stupifying medicines, is not my intent, for I am confident they are inimical both to brain and senses. Of these, and such medicines as also purge the brain, I shall speak by and by. To return to my purpose.
Some Cephalics purge the brain, some heat it, some cool it, some strengthen it; but how they perform this office peculiarly to the brain, most physicians confess they could neither comprehend by reason, nor describe by precepts, only thus, they do it by an hidden quality, either by strengthening the brain, thereby descending it from diseases, or by a certain antipathy between them and the diseases incident to the brain.
Lastly, For the use of Cephalics, observe, if the brain be much afflicted, you cannot well strengthen it before you have purged it, neither can you well purge the brain before you have cleansed the rest of the body, it is so subject to receive the vapours up to it; give cooling Cephalics when the brain is too hot, and hot Cephalics when it is too cold.
Beware of using cooling medicines to the brain when the crisis of a disease is near: how that time may be known, I shall (God assisting me) instruct you hereafter, let it suffice now, that according as the disease afflicting your head is, so let your remedy be.