hands reer'd and finished but since polished and refined by the more curious wits but less industrious persons of our latter ages but were they more industrious and less witty this conjectural art of Physick would become more certain by the help of observations and experimental demonstration The art of Physick began originally either from accidental Experiment or Observations taken from the irrational Creatures as Birds Beasts and Fishes which being led by some instinct of Nature to convenient remedies for the cure of their proper Maladies have furnished Man with many wholesome remedies and medicaments Thus the virtue of Celandine in the effects of the eyes was learnt from the Swallow who hath been often observed to squeese the juice of that herb with her bill upon the blind eyes of her young by which means they gain their sight It is observed of the Dear in Candy and those parts that being wounded with a poysonous Arrow they repair immediately to Dittany an herb that grows plentifully in those Countries which by an Alexipharmick virtue expels both Arrow and Poyson According to Virgil Plutarch Pliny and others Naturalists Dictamnum genetrix Cretea carpit ab Ida Puberibus Caulem foliis flore Comantem Purpureo non illa feris incognita capris Gramina cum tergo volucres haesere sagittae Virg. Aeneid Thus englished by Mr. George Sandys With her white hand she crops from Cretan Ide The fresh-leav'd stalk with flower in Purple dy'd A soveraign herb well known to fearful Deer Whose trembling sides the winged Arrows bear The Egyptian Ibes was the Inventor of Glysters a Bird not much unlike the Stork and a great Enemy to Serpents who filling his beak with salt water and spouting it up into his guts when he was hard bound taught the world the convenience of provoking a stool that way Letting Blood we learnt from the Sea-horse in Nilus who finding himself oppressed with too much blood doth at such times come to the shore side and with a sharp reed or thorne pricks his leg then stands and bleeds some time and afterwards dips his leg in the mud which stops the bleeding and heals the wound I could insert a great many more observations from Naturalists but these are sufficient To these we must joyn that ancient custom of bringing the sick into their publick market towns where they were lodged in convenient places such as our Hospitals there being placed one or more Overseers who were sworn to take care of the sick and administer such medicines as should be prescribed by such as came to visit the sick all persons being obliged to view the sick before they acted in their own affairs who did commonly give an account to the Overseers whether they at any time had been afflicted with any of those diseases the sick laboured under and if they had by what means and remedies they were relieved and recovered which remedies were administred to the sick and if they had good success they were recorded with a Probatum By this way they in time came to have a stock of approved remedies for all known diseases and thus was the foundation of Physick laid and these Overseers took upon them the name of Empiricks or experienced men and such a one was Archagathus the first Physician we read of who was called from Peloponnesus to Rome and for his skill in healing was made a Freeman of that famous City Then our Empiricks or Protomedicks began curiously and with much industry to observe the precedent signs of a disease and the several symptomes in the beginning state and declination of every distemper and by these observations they framed their Diagnosticks and Prognosticks by which they could foresee a disease and tell the event of it With this knowledge only our Protomedicks were satisfied viz. to know a distemper and to foretel its event as whether long or short sharp or mild terminate in life or death and to know how to cure it by approved Medicines delivered them by their predecessors not troubling themselves with that which we call the rational part of Physick as to give reasons for the causes of Diseases the operation of Medicines and several such niceties which after ages dived into Then started up a second sort of Medicks which called themselves Methodists these did a little smooth and plain the former rough cast structure of the Empiricks by reducing the several diseases to general heads as to the eight principal parts viz. the head heart lungs stomach liver spleen reins womb and appropriating Medicines and Herbs to the several parts calling them Cephalicks Cordials Pectorals Stomachical Hepaticks Spleneticks Nephriticks Hystericks and to these they added Arthritick Medicines appropriated to the joynts Thus far the Methodist Then came the Dogmatists and they undertook to dive into the causes of Diseases and the reason of the various Operations of Medicines and having framed this Hypothesis of the four humours they made the Plethora or Cacochymy of those humours in the various parts of the body to cause the several diseases But for the reasons of the operation of Medicines upon these humours and their appropriation to such parts of the body they were absurd and ridiculous as because they did assimilate the form or colour of the part and humours therefore they must operate upon that part or humour they did resemble This they rendred the reason why Eye-bright was specifical to heal the distempers of the Eyes because its flower they say resembles a Birds eye elder Mushromes or Jewes Ears good against the swelling of the Glandules of the Ears Lung-wort for the Lungs Beans for the Reins and Testicles from the similitude they have to those parts so Rheubarb to purge Choller Agarick Phlegme black Hellebore Melancholly because they are of that colour they suppose the humours to be of But what rational man would be satisfied with such reasons Were it not better to tell a Patient these have been approved Medicines in those cases confirmed by the experience of many ages Others in our latter dayes styling themselves rational Physicians have rendred more plausible reasons being grounded upon Experimental Philosophy these by anatomizing the parts of Plants and Minerals know the natures of them as also the effects and constitutions of the whole body or parts not only by ordinary dissection but by a spagyrical examination and separation of those parts and the reasons grounded upon these tryals make a greater impression on our belief because they are demonstrable by some analogous Experiments Thus have I shown you Physiophilus the progress of Physick through the several ages to this present time I shall now treat something of the present state of the Practice of Physick as it stands divided between the Learned Rational Physician and the Illiterate Modern Empirick the one hath Law and Reason to warrant his Practice the other only success the one in his Practice is guided more by reason than experience the other not so much by reason as experience
strained through the Parenchyma doth leave behind it some salt and earthy parts which after they have suffered some alteration by their attrition and justling in the several passages through the cells cavities and Pores of the Parenchyma are by fresh blood which perpetually flowes thither by continual circulation carried back through the veins into the mass of blood in which they serve for a most useful ferment by which the blood becomes rarified and is made more brisk and lively fit to circulate for the better supply of the parts 2. Of the use and office of the Stomach In the next place Physiophilus I shall show you the use and office of its compeer the Stomach The office of the Stomach is to prepare Chyle of which by several alterations by several ferments is made that vital juice the blood the manner of which is as followeth Food being conveyed into the Stomach is by virtue of a ferment or menstruum inherent in that part reduced into a whitish chyle subacid from whence when it hath attained Natures ends it is emitted by the passage of the Pylorus into the Intestins where it suffers another alteration by a bitter ferment in those parts the more pure part of which is sucked up by the lacteous vessels implanted in the mesentery and the grosser parts discharged by the intestins In these lacteous vessels runs the Chyle through the Pancreas into the Vena cava by means of which it is conveyed into the right ventricle of the heart and by motion of that Engine by the pulmonary Arteries is flung into the Lungs out of which having there separated some crude and phlegmatick Excrements it hasts through the pulmonary Veins to the left ventricle of the Heart out of which it is sent by the aorta into all the parts of the body CAP. II. A discourse of the cause of Intermitting Feavers or Agues I Know Physiophilus it will be expected by this curious Age that I should be as happy in finding out the cause as I have been successful in finding out the cure of this supposed unknown and uncurable disease a Quartan Ague which that I may not seem altogether Irrational and Empirical I shall here endeavour to give the world my opinion of the seat and cause of Agues which I shall not confidently assert as some have their dreams and conjectures but only propose and submit it to the more mature judgments of the learned and judicious and if any nice Critick shall take the pains to contradict it I shall return him no other Answer than that of Martial Carpere vel noli nostra vel ede tua The principal seat of Agues is the Spleen which being deficient the blood wanting its ferment is obstructed in its circulation and likewise the ferment of the stomach wanting a supply from this part is depraved so that Concoction not being well performed tough viscous humours are generated which with the Chyle conveyed into the mass of blood do at certain periods when they arrive at the heart disturb that noble part by obstructing the passage of the chyle or blood upon which violence offered to Natures chief Fortress a trepidation of the whole microcosme doth ensue which lasts so long till by the impulse of the blood or chyle following it it is at last forced through No sooner doth the blood find a free passage having been for some time dammed up but it flows more violently as when a Sluyce is opened in a Mill or other current of water from which violent motion an ebullition of the blood doth ensue which causeth the hot Fit The Ebullition being ended and the blood running again in its ordinary course Nature relieves her self by Transpiration resettling the blood disturbed by the commotion of the late Fit Then doth the Patient continue well till the morbifick matter come round again continually recruiting it self with fresh supplies from the imperfect digested chyle till that cause be taken away either by nature alone by recovering strength and vigour or by help of proper Medicines assisting her against so subtil and potent an enemy The distances of the Fits some being once in 24 hours as Quotidians others once in 48 hours as Tertians and some but once in 72 hours as Quartans are from the levity or ponderosity of the materia morbifica whether Phlegme Choler or Melancholly The heavier body moving more sluggishly in the sanguinary Channel than that which is lighter as we see in a current of water a piece of Firre shall move swifter than a piece of Oak or heavier wood and a Paper or Feather swifter than the Firre The length or shortness of the Fits are from the quantity of the matter more or less Double Tertian double and treble Quartans are occasioned by a quick supply of the morbifick matter so that there may be two or three several masses of the morbifick matter in the veins which arrive at the heart by succession But since the most plausible reasons unless backt by some demonstrable experiments seem but suppositions or conjectures I shall instance one common experiment used for the cure of Agues which though it doth not certainly cure yet it always delays the fit and that is strong ligature to the pulse which by retarding the circulation of the blood doth likewise hinder the coming of the morbifick matter to the heart and it may accidentally cure as some times it is known to do by retaining the morbifick matter if it be on that side the ligature that it must pass under it before it arrive to the heart where by the continual impulse of the blood the morbifick matter may be so dissipated and disunited that it may never unite again I have observed where it hath cured the part hath been extraordinarily swelled and they endure a great deal of pain and once a Gangrene happened upon this ligature Another confirmation of the cause of Agues being from tough viscous humours is that which the country people in Essex and other parts call an Ague-cake I have observed these in four Patients two were cast out of the stomach by nature and the other two by Emetick medicines One of them was like a clotted piece of phlegme about the bigness of a Wallnut pliable like Glue or Wax weighing about half an ounce another about the bigness of the yolk of a Pullets Egge and like it in colour but stiffer weighing about five drachmes the other two of a dark colour more tough about the like bigness and heavier It is a general observation amongst them that their Ague comes away when they see those Ague-cakes In those before mentioned it was verified and I have reason to believe it since the observation hath been confirmed by so many experiments CAP. III. Of the Diagnostick Signs of Intermitting Fevers or Agues THe signs of Intermitting Fevers in general are these They suddenly invade the Patient with a trembling or shaking and vomiting or at least some provocation thereto and sometimes they have convulsive motions in
the urine of healthy persons but sometimes thick with a red sediment if the disease run high Phrensie Convulsions Madness happens Spots Pustules Blains Buboes Carbuncles c. break forth Of the signs Prognostick in Malignant Fevers These Distempers generally afflict the people about the Autumn and Winter more than the Spring and Summer they last according to the nature of the disease and strength of the Patient four seven twenty one or forty two dayes The dangerous symptoms in these diseases are unquiet sleeps the Patient not relieved by them madness imbecillity of the retentive faculties a creeping low and irregular Pulse black and turbid Urine Convulsions Epilepsies c. otherwise if the Patient is relieved by sleeps hath a regular pulse good Crises happen moderate sweats and the Patient appearing refreshed after them signs of concoction in the Urine c. the Patient is in no danger SECT IV. A discourse of the cause of Fevers YOu know Physiophilus such is the humour of this present age that they are not contented with those accounts of Fevers the Antients thought rational but must have some new well-tuned Hypotheses to please their humours that I may not be thought altogether Empirical I will follow the steps of some of our modern ingenious Physicians and run with them in their rational accounts of Fevers which being pleasant and coherent do gratifie our humours and delight our curious fancies But I must beg their pardon if I leave them sometimes in the method of curing and follow the experienced and well-troden paths of the Ancients The Hypothesis granted that Blood and Wine are analogous and observe the same rules and method in casting out extraneous bodies the cause of Fevers will be thus understood when either from the defects of the Duumvirate i. e. the Stomach and Spleen change of Air or Diet whereby the habit of the body is altered violent Passions retention of Excrements and the like an imperfect and ill-digested chyme is prepared and conveyed into the mass of blood which being not fit for mixture and assimilation is resected and cast forth as an Heterogenous matter From hence is caused a commotion or hermentation of the whole mass of blood which last so long till the extranious matter be cast out either by the Pores of the skin Ureters Intestins or other emunctories The Experiment may be proved in Wine into which if you put any Heterogeneous matter as a drop of a Candle Sugar or any Liquors it will immediately ferment which will not cease till the extraneous matter be thrown out or separated from the Wine and lodged at the bottom of the Vessel and the whole body of the Wine remain pure and clear Thus we see persons after excess in eating or drinking fall into Fevers the ferment of the stomach being diluted and depraved by such excess and the parts designed for conveyance of chyle or nutriment are obstructed so that an unsuteable chyme is sent to the Veins which the blood cannot admit of So likewise we may observe from such persons as have fed upon ill diet a long time as at Sea or in Captivity the body at length hath been accustomed to it but when such have returned home and came to feed upon good and wholsom food they have oftentimes fallen into very high Fevers the reason of it may be this The parts of the body designed for concoction were not acquainted with such food and through depravity could not digest them sufficiently or if this food were digested into good Chyme yet when it came into the veins the blood could not admit of its mixture and assimilation because it is of a contrary nature to that which was produced from the former ill diet When this Chyme from some ill food or bad air hath contracted a poysonous nature the blood touched with this venomous Miasme is either too much fused from whence follows a greater ebullition in the mass of blood by which the vital spirits are wasted and dispersed or sometimes the blood is coagulated by which its circulation is hindred and a stagnation of that vital current follows as in the high malignant and Pestilential diseases SECT V. Of proper Diet to be observed in Fevers IN putrid Fevers in the beginning and state of the disease a thin diet is necessary as Water-grewel broth of Chicken Mace-Ale Barly-water with cooling and cordial Syrrups In the declination Mutton or Veal-broth or gravey of meat stued with a little Claret and a chive of Mace after the first Purge which is not to be administred till signs of concoction appear in the Urine Chicken boyled or roasted Mutton or Veal c. may be allowed For drink White-wine Posset-drink or small Beer with a fourth part of White-wine In Malignant the Diet must be thin but spirituous as clear Sack posset-drink Mace-ale broth of Chicken with Harts-horn and cordial Flowers boyled in it In the declination of the disease White-wine Cawdles gravy of Mutton stued with Claret a little Mace and Nutmeg then after purging Flesh may be permitted viz. such as is of easie digestion as Chicken young Rabits Lamb or Veal the drink during the encrease or state of the disease must be cordial Julips but afterward good fresh Beer with half Ale that is well boyled and neither too new or stale SECT VI. Of the method of curing putrid Fevers FIrst of all take care to clear the Stomach if you be consulted in time and nature will bear it Proper Vomits are these Oxymel scilliticum Oxymel simplex Infusio croci metallorum Sal vitrioli vel Gilla Theophrasti Then prescribe as a Julip this tincture of Roses viz. ℞ Florum Rosarum Rubr. ℥ j. Spir. vitrioliʒiv Aquae Fontanae liv infundantur in loco calido per horas sex postea coletur colaturae depuratae adde sacchari albissimi ℥ iij. Aquae Rosarum Damascenarum ℥ iv misce fiat tinctura de quâ bibat aeger ad libitum At other convenient times let the Patient take this Cordial ℞ Aquarum melissae cardui benedicti una ℥ iij. perlarum Corallii praeparat an ℈ j. syr acetositatis citri ℥ iss misce fiat Julapium pro quatuor dosibus If the Fever increase and violent symptoms appear as Delirium Phrensie c. apply blistering playsters to the Neck Arms and Anckles and Herrings or this following Cataplasme to the Feet ℞ Carnis Halecum ex muria ℥ iij. Radicis Brioniae ℥ j. fol. Rutae M. j. Salis nigriʒvj saponis nigri q. s fiat cataplasma plantis pedum applicandum After which Applications administer this following bolus ℞ Conservae Rosarum Rubr. vitriolat ʒj pulveris ex chelis cancrorum compositi ℈ j. laudani Londinensis gr j. misce fiat bolus Then administer other proper Cordials pro re nata till you observe a good crisis and signs of concoction in the Urine at which time observe Natures indications as which way she offers to drive out the morbifick matter whether still by
the mouth and other parts The hot fit is attended with heat great thirst pains in the Head shinings in the Eyes a quick Pulse and sometime with Phrensies the Urine is thick crude and ill-digested The fits go off by sweat urine and insensible transpiration and return again at certain periods as once in twenty four forty eight or seventy two hours more or less and are distinguished by the names of Quotidians Tertians and Quartan Agues Of the Diagnostick Signs of particular Agues First of Quotidian Agues The Quotidian Ague invades the sick once in twenty four hours with a trembling or chilness in the back which shortly passes through the whole body after which a mild and gentle heat follows with some swelling or pain in the hypochondria's they continue eight twelve and sometimes twenty hours The Urine is pale thin and crude and towards the end of the fit thick inclining to redness the pulse flow and weak Of the signs Diagnostick in Tertian Agues The Tertian Ague comes once in forty eight hours with a great shaking which is succeeded by a vehement heat thirst head-ach and often phrensies a high quick pulse urine high coloured thick toward the end of the Fits with a red sediment The double Tertian from an encrease of the morbifick matter comes twice in forty eight hours and hath the same symptoms by which it is known from a Quotidian Of the Signes Diagnostick in Quartan Agues The Quartan Ague invades the Patient once in seventy two hours First with gapings yawnings and stretching of the limbs paleness in the nails of the fingers and toes and coldness in the extream parts then a tremor at the heart and soon after a trembling or shaking throughout the whole body which is mild at first and afterwards encreaseth gradually after which follows a burning heat diffusing it self through all the parts of the body the pulse in the beginning slow and weak intermitting often and that an hour or more before the fit in the hot fit it is swift and high the urine in the cold fit thin and waterish in the hot fit higher coloured and toward the latter end of the fit thick the sweats in the beginning of the disease little and after some continuance copious Double Quartans afflict the patient two days and intermit one and treble Quartans come once every day but differ from the Quotidian in their symptomes and by their beginning which is always a single Quarran The like may be said of double Quartans whose causes are treated of before CAP. IV. Of the Prognosticks in Agues Of the Prognosticks in Quotidian Agues QUotidians generally invade the Patient about the Winter solstice and last till the spring if they be not cured before by proper medicines In the Spring they go off with a little help except in cachectical bodies which do often fall into Dropsies and other Chronick diseases Its cure in the beginning is easie but if complicated with chronick distempers it is as hard to be cured as the Quartan Ague Of the Prognosticks in Tertian Agues Tertian Agues invade the sick in the Spring or Summer solstice and are often known to go off in seven or fourteen days without help of Physick but it is not good trusting to it for the fits of a Tertian are so violent that nature is often foiled before the fourth fit and the Patient many times miscarries for want of timely help Its cure in the beginning is very easie viz. in one or two fits and afterwards if nature have any strength without great trouble if a proper method be used There are some Tertians whose symptoms are mild and such generally happen after a Fever that last a month or two and often change to Quartans Of the Prognosticks in Quartan Agues Quartans generally seize the sick about the Aequinoctials that is about September or March but more in the Autumnal than Vernal Aequinox they rarely go off alone but have been known to continue two or three years commonly and in some bodies seven nay twelve years and in that time bringing such a Cachexia or ill habit upon the body that they live miserably or die of a Dropsie or Consumption soon after Amongst the great number of persons I have been conversant with that have had this distemper I could never meet with any whose Agues were conquered either by nature or those ill cures they sometimes accidentally met with though it continued but half a year but they were troubled with great obstructions in the spleen an ill digestion in the stomach and a general cachexia so that at first sight I could read where a Quartan did lodge or had been lodged A Quartan Ague is the most subtil Enemy nature hath to deal with sometimes it seems to make a truce or take its final leave but breaking it and rallying again in few days surprising her who perhaps was mean time busied in managing the great affairs in the oeconomy of the body and rectifying the disorders that unruly guest had made in it Other times it slightly creeps upon the body and doth not shake the frame lulling the Patient asleep whilst nature watching its coming is deceived and performs not what she intended or could have done if the Enemy had appeared in open hostility I have observed that those Patients who had mild fits as they thought them because they generally slept and were not much sensible of them were longest troubled with them And such Agues are harder to be cured than those where these fits are more strong and violent It sometimes will take its leave for a fortnight and return again with more violence at other times it divides it self in two or three parts making the double and treble Quartan It very often deceives the Patient about May and bids farewell and as certainly returns about August as it went off I never could yet read or hear of any Quartan discharged by nature without help of means but went off about the Aequinoctials but most generally about the vernal Aequinox viz. March and then oftentimes caused by the imprudence of Physicians to return by their giving Purges those imaginary helps to nature but pernicious in this distemper because they do weaken and debilitate nature and ferment that humour she had concocted and precipitated CAP. V. Of the several Remedies used for the cure of Agues YOu have often heard Physiophilus that the number of Medicines invented and used for the cure of Agues exceed all others the reason is our Physicians in all ages have mistaken its cause or care and have only shot at a venture as a blind man at a mark sometimes curing but more often failing trying all things they could think of or meet with hoping at last to meet with something that would do and having after the observations of many Ages and the experiments of many hundred Medicines at last found out something that would sometimes cure they thought themselves happy and began to write discourses of the cause and cure of
Agues though their supposed specificks were specifical only to some particular constitutions and not to the disease more often failing than curing Hence it came that Agues and especially Quartans were called Opprobrium Medicorum the reproach of Physicians which is now taken off for I do assert that a Quartan Ague is as easily cured as any chronick distemper the body of man is incident to and will undertake the cure and perform it with as much certainty as a Surgeon can heal a cut finger Of Medicines used in the cure of Quotidians First of all a Vomit is administred of Infusio Croci Metallorum ℥ j Oxymel Scilliticiʒvi or if the Patient be weak only Oxymel 3 or 4 Ounces before the fit and sweating in two or three following fits with this following Bolus ℞ Rad. Contrayervae serpentariae an ʒss laudani Lond. gr j. Conserv rosarum vitriolisat ʒj misce fiat bolus After this take a spoonful of Vinum Scilliticum every morning and night for three weeks or a month Topicks Apply this Playster to the wrists and navel ℞ Myrrhae Aloës olibani croci an.ʒj. Terebinth Venet. q. s fiat emplastrum Of Medicines used in Tertians Emeticks Juice or Infusion of Asarum Sal vitrioli Infusion of Crocus Mettallorum oxymel simplex scilliticum Diaphoreticks Aq. cardui benedicti ℥ iij. salis absynthijʒj Succi limonum ℥ j. misce fiat potio Rob sambuci ℥ ss Aqua vel spir lumbricorum mixtura de tribus spir Theriacalis Camphorat Crollii Topicks to the Wrist and Feet Conserva rosarumʒij croci pulverisatiʒj carpis applicand Cataplasmes of Plantane Mouseare Tormentill to the Wrists To the Feet apply this Cataplasme ℞ Carnis Halecium ex muria ℥ ij Radicis brioniae ℥ j. saponis nigri ℥ iss salis nigri hispaniciʒvj misce fiat cataplasmus Of Medicines used in Quartans Digestives Sal Tartari Tartarum vitriolat c. Emeticks Infusio Croci mettallorum Absynthiaci Minsichti sal vitrioli pulveris Radicum asari adʒj Aluminis Rochaeʒiss pul nucis moschat ʒss misce oxymel scillit Mercur vicae ad gr 6. cum multis aliis Diaphoreticks ℞ Rob. sambuci extractum gentiani anaʒiss salis Absynthijʒss laudani gr j. misce fiat bolus Arcan duplicatiʒss Bezoardicum Joviale Bezoard minerale elixir Tartari c. Topicks Emplast Febrifugum Helmontis ℞ Artificum naturae domest cum toto ℥ j. contundantur optimè misceantur Balsami veget abilis ℥ ij lachrymarum pini inspiss at ℥ j. misce fiat emplast Carpis applicandum hor. 2. ante paroxysmos Spleneticks Aqua Penoti Tartarum Chalybiatum Spiritus Tartari Alkalisatus Tinctura Tartari c. I have inserted these Medicines Physiophilus that my Countrymen may not be left remediless they being the choycest and best Medicines I could meet with before I found out my particular and more effectual method CAP. VI. Of Charms used for the cure of Agues how they operate with the dangerous consequences that have attended the use of them THe Quartan Ague being supposed by the people to be an unknown and uncurable distemper because it so often resists the force of Medicines and baffles the skill of Physicians they have left untried nothing that hath been proposed to them for a cure Thus amongst other fancies came in the use of Charms Sigils c. Charms are of three sorts either words of no sense which disturb not the Imagination or words of similitude that humour and feed the Imagination or Scripture words which out of a conceit that such texts and words have power do strengthen the Imagination Sigils are certain characters engraven upon Metals impregnated with the influences and virtues of certain Stars and appropriated Plants These are commonly found to be of greater force than Charms because being back'd with some shew of reason they more confirm and corroborate the Imagination By the help of these last Paracelsus is supposed to do his great Cures I shall next Physiophilus acquaint you with two or three Examples wherein you will find what dangerous effects were produced by the use of these unlawful means Being at Cambridge about November 1666 in an Inn a Country-man came into the room where I was shivering with a fit of a Quartan Ague A certain Smith that work'd to the house being in the same room enquired of him how long he had been troubled with an Ague The man answered about three months and that it was a Third Ague that he had tried many Medicines to little purpose and now was resolved to try no more but endeavour to work it away The Smith replied he had a Remedy that did never sail to cure any Ague and perswaded the Country-man to try it promising to give it him for a Pot of Ale The Medicine being to be purchased at so easie a rate the Country-man accepts it I fat by all this while expecting to see the remedy which proved a Charm the word was Kalamiris which was to be writ nine times on several Papers abating a Letter every time till it came to the last letter K These nine Papers were wrapt up close and put into nine Raisons of the Sun and were ordered by the Smith to be swallowed down at nine mornings following beginning with the largest and ending with the least The Country-man went his way and so far as I could perceive of a pretty strong and healthy constitution free from any complicated disease But the next news I heard of the Country-man was that upon the next Fit-day having swallowed three of his nine charmed Raysons he died Another sad effect happened upon the use of a Charm in Essex which was thus A Farmers Wife having long been afflicted with a Quartan Ague a Beggar one day coming to the door and observing her to be then in a fit told her he could cure her of that troublesome disease She willing to be rid of it accepts his proffer and desires him to give her something for it The Beggar call'd for a Pen and Ink and writ some words in a piece of Paper which he seal'd up and bid her wear it about her neck for two or three months and then to burn it She used the Charm according to his directions and from that time was freed from her Ague and continued well two months after About which time the Minister of the Parish coming to her house and enquiring after her health she relates to him the passages before mentioned Upon which the Minister told her the danger of using Charms and that he believed it was the Devil or some messenger of his that gave her the Charm and wished her to pull it off which she did and was going to burn it But he took it from her and opened it where he found written these words Ague farewell till we meet in Hell This then confirmed the Minister in what he had said viz. that the Devil or some Messenger of his had given her the Charm and exhorts her to repentance But this was