Irrigations of the head shaven, [4336]"of the flowers of water lilies, lettuce, violets, camomile, wild mallows, wether’s-head, &c.,” must be used many mornings together.  Montan. consil. 31, would have the head so washed once a week.  Laelius a Fonte Eugubinus consult. 44, for an Italian count, troubled 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 epilepsy; precious stones most diseases; [4346]a wolf’s dung borne with one helps the colic, [4347]a spider an ague, &c.  Being in the country in the vacation time not many years since,