Cache-Control: public, max-age=1024000 Pharmacopoeia Extemporanea: Aperitive Unguent

Aperitive Unguent.

Take Oil of Lilies, and of Thamarisk, each two Ounces; Juice of white Bryony roots, and Smalage, each one Ounce: Boil to the Consumption of the Juices, and adding Ointment of Marsh-Mallows, fresh Butter, each one Ounce; Gum Ammoniac strained half Ounce: Wax as much as needs. Make an Ungent.

All Tumours are caused by an Obstruction somewhere or other; which like a Dam, stopping the stopping the Course of the influent Humours, makes an Inundation. Therefore Aperitives ought to be such as (by Reason of the subtilty of their Particles, and such a degree of warmth, as is agreeable to the nature of the part) are able to dissolve those Concretions, supple and smooth the rigid Fibres, deoppilate the Interstices, and internal Passages, relax the tense Cutis, and set open the Pores that were clos'd up. These things accomplish'd, the Blood whirles round and resorbs the thick Liquamen into its Channel; and the free Pores give way for the thinner part to fly off by Diaphoresis. And so all is brought back, and restor'd to its due state of Nature again.

The common Opinion of Authors is, that Fat things obstruct the Pores, hinder Transpiration, and retain Vapours in the Part affected. But the contrary of this (if I am not mightily mistaken) is true. For as the Fibrille (of which the Tegmen of the Cutis is made) are either contracted or relaxed, Transpiration is accordingly either hinder'd or helped. And when, by reason of a painful Tumour, these Fibrille are tense, rigid, and constring'd, then they purse up the Pores, and suffer nothing to transpire: But when, by means of lenifying, suppleing Oils, those Fibrille are softned, lubricated, and relaxed; they suffer the Pores to open again, and facilitate Diaphoresis.

This Unguent is very prevalent in a tensive Tumour of the Liver, Spleen and Abdomen; but not in an aquose, glandulous, or scirrhous Swelling.

Thomas Fuller
Pharmacopeia Extemporanea 1710