CHAPTER III.

_Of Loosening Medicines._


By loosening here, I do not mean purging, nor that which is opposite
to astringency; but that which is opposite to stretching: I knew
not suddenly what fitter English name to give it, than loosening or
laxation, which latter is scarce English.

The members are distended or stretched divers ways, and ought to be
loosened by as many, for they are stretched sometimes by dryness,
sometimes by cold, sometimes by repletion or fullness, sometimes by
swellings, and sometimes by some of these joined together. I avoid
terms of art as much as I can, because it would profit my country
but little, to give them the rules of physic in such English as they
understand not.

I confess the opinion of ancient physicians hath been various about
these loosening medicines. _Galen’s_ opinion was, that they might be
referred either to moistening, or heating, or mollifying, or evacuating
medicines, and therefore ought not to be referred to a chapter by
themselves.

It is likely they may, and so may all other medicines be referred to
heat, or coldness, or dryness, or moisture: but we speak not here of
the particular properties of medicines, but of their joined properties,
as they heat and moisten.

Others, they question how they can be distinguished from such as
mollify, seeing such as are loosening, and such as are emolient, are
both of them hot and moist.

To that, thus: stretching and loosening are ascribed to the moveable
parts of the body, as to the muscles and their tendons, to the
ligaments and _Membranæ_; but softness and hardness to such parts
of the body as may be felt with the hand: I shall make clear by a
similitude, Wax is softened, being hard, but Fiddle-strings are
loosened being stretched. And if you say that the difference lying only
in the parts of the body is no true difference, then take notice, that
such medicines which loosen, are less hot, and more moistening, than
such as soften, for they operate most by heat, these by moisture.

The truth is, I am of opinion the difference is not much, nay, scarce
sensible, between emolient and loosening medicines; only I quoted this
in a chapter by itself, not so much because some authors do, as because
it conduceth to the increase of knowledge in physic, for want of which,
this poor nation is almost spoiled.

The chief use of loosening medicines is in convulsions and cramps, and
such like infirmities which cause distention or stretching.

They are known by the very same marks and tokens that emolient
medicines are.