settle within, which by corroding the contiguous parts yet sound, may make sinuses there. Cases also sometimes occur, in which the skin must be taken off to a more considerable breadth. For when after long distempers, the habit of the whole body has been vitiated, and the sinus is enlarged to a great compass, and the skin is pale; we may take it for granted that it is already mortified, and will be useless: therefore it is more proper to cut it off: and especially if this happen about the larger joints, and the patient has been troubled with a purging while he was confined to his bed, and he gains no flesh by the nourishment he takes. But the excision should be made in the form of a myrtle leaf, that it may heal the more easily. And this rule must constantly be observed, whenever a physician upon any account cuts away the skin. After the pus is discharged, in the armpits and groin there is no need of lint, but a sponge squeezed out of wine must be laid on. In the other parts, if lint is equally needless, a little honey must be infused to cleanse it; then agglutinants are to be applied: if lint be necessary, over it also in like manner ought to be laid a sponge squeezed out of wine in the same way. When lint is necessary, and when not, has been determined elsewhere. The other directions are to be observed when the suppurated tumour is cut, which I gave for one, that has been broke by medicines. CHAP. III. OF THE GOOD OR BAD SYMPTOMS OF SUPPURATIONS. It is soon known from the nature of the symptoms, how a cure advances, and what event is to be hoped or feared: and these are commonly the same with what have been laid down in wounds. For they are good signs to sleep, to breathe easily, not to be troubled with thirst, not to loathe food, if there has been a slight fever, to be free of it: also that the pus be white, smooth, and not fetid. The bad signs are wakefulness, difficulty in breathing, thirst, loathing of food, a fever, and the pus black, or feculent, and fetid: also a hemorrhage in the process of the cure; or if before the cavity is filled up with flesh, the lips become callous, and the flesh there be dull of sensation, and spongy. But for a person to faint either in the dressing or afterwards, is worst of all. Moreover, if the fever cease suddenly, before the suppuration is begun, or if it continue after the discharge of the pus, these are just grounds for fear. There is room to fear also, if the wound is not sensible of corrosive medicines. But whatever symptoms shall happen to arise, it is the part of a physician to endeavour the recovery of his patient. Therefore, as often as he shall open a wound, he ought to wash it, if it seems necessary to repel the humour, with a mixture of wine and rain water, or with a decoction of lentils in water: if it needs cleansing, with mulse; and to apply the same dressings again. When the humour shall appear to be stopt, and the ulcer clean, it will be convenient to promote the growth of the flesh,