CHAP. XXXI. OF VARICES IN THE LEGS.
From these disorders we go on to the legs. Varices in these are not difficult to remove. To this place I have deferred the cure of those small veins, which hurt in the head, as also the varices in the belly, because it is the same in them all. Therefore any vein that is troublesome, either is cauterized, and so decays, or is cut out. If it be straight, or though transverse, yet simple, it is better to cauterize it. If it be crooked, and as it were twisted into orbs, or several of them are involved within each other, it is more convenient to cut them out.
The method of cauterizing is this. An incision is made in the skin over it; then the vein being laid bare, is moderately pressed by a small and blunt iron instrument red hot: and we must avoid burning the lips of the wound itself, which it is easy to draw back with small hooks. This is repeated over the whole varix, at the distance of about four fingers breadth; and after that a medicine for healing burns is laid on.
But it is cut out in this manner. An incision being made in the same way in the skin over the vein, the lips are taken up with a small hook; and the vein is separated all round from the flesh by a knife, but in this great care is taken not to wound the vein itself; and a blunt hook is put under it; and generally, at the same distance mentioned before, in the same vein, the same operation is repeated. The course of it is easily discovered by extending it with the hook.
When this has been done, as far as the varices go, the vein, being brought forward in one part by the hook, is cut through, then where the next hook is, it is drawn up and pulled away, and is cut off there again. And in this manner the leg being entirely freed from the varices, the lips of the wounds are then brought together, and an agglutinating plaister is laid over them.