CHAPTER IX.

_Of Medicines appropriated to the joints._


The joints are usually troubled with cephalic diseases, and then are to
be cured by cephalic medicines.

Medicines appropriated to the joints, are called by the name
_Arthritical_ medicines.

The joints, seeing they are very nervous, require medicines which are
of a heating and drying nature, with a gentle binding, and withal, such
as by peculiar virtue are appropriated to them, and add strength to
them. It is true, most cephalics do so, yet because the joints are more
remote from the centre, they require stronger medicines.

For removing pains in the joints this is the method of proceeding.

Pain is either taken away or eased, for the true cure is to take away
the cause of the pain, sometimes the vehemency of the pain is so great
that you must be forced to use _Anodines_ (for so physicians call such
medicines as ease pain) before you can meddle with the cause, and
this is usually when the part pained is inflamed, for those medicines
which take away the cause of pain being very hot, if there be any
inflammation in the part pained, you must abstain from them till the
inflammation be taken away.