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cause_n	blood_n	heat_n	humour_n	1,391	5	8.0473	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08913	A treatise of the plague contayning the causes, signes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure thereof. Together with sundry other remarkable passages (for the prevention of, and preservation from the pestilence) never yet published by anie man. Collected out of the workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned chirurgian Ambrose Parey.	Paré, Ambroise, 1510?-1590. aut; Johnson, Thomas, d. 1644.	1630 (1630)	STC 19192; ESTC S103146	56,219	88

applied therefore if the veines swell the face waxe fierie red if the arteries of the temples beate strongly if the patient can verie hardly breath by reason of a weight in his stomacke if his spittle be bloudie then ought hee to be let bloud without delay for the causes before mentioned It seemes best to open the liuer veine on the left arme whereby the heart and the spleene may be better discharged of their abundant matter yet bloud letting is not good at all times for it is not expedient when the bodie beginneth to waxe stiffe by reason of the comming of the Feuer for then by drawing backe the heate and spirits inwardly the outward parts beeing destitute of bloud waxe stiffe and cold therefore bloud cannot bee letten then without great losse of the strength and perturbation of the humors And it is to bee noted that when those plethoricke causes are present there is one Indication of bloud-letting in a simple pestilent Feauer and another in that which hath a Bubo id est a Botch or a Carbuncle ioined therewith For in one or both of these being ioined with a vehement and strong burning Feuer bloud must bee letten by opening the veine that is neerest vnto the tumor or swelling against nature keeping the straightnesse of the fibres that this being open the bloud might be drawne more directly from the part affected for all and euerie retraction of putrified bloud vnto the noble parts is to bee auoided because it is noisome and hurtfull to nature and to the patient Therefore for examples sake admit the patient bee plethoricke by repletion which is called Ad vasa id est vnto the vessells and Ad vires id est vnto the strength and therewithall he hath a tumor that is pestilent in the parts belonging vnto his head or necke the bloud must be let out of the cephalicke or median veine or out of one of their branches dispersed in the arme on the greened side But if through occasion of fatt or any other such like cause those veines doe not appeare in the arme there bee some that giue counsell in such a case to open the veine that is betweene the forefinger and the thombe the hand being put into warme water whereby that veine may swell and be filled with bloud gathered thither by meanes of the heate If the tumor bee vnder the arme-hole or about those places the liuer veine or the median must be opened which runneth alongst the hand if it bee in the groine the veine of the hamme or Saphena or any other veine aboue the foote that apreareth well but alwaies on the greeued fide And phlebotomie must bee performed before the third day for this disease is of the kinde or nature of sharpe diseases because that within foure and twentie houres it runneth past helpe In letting of bloud you must haue consideration of the strength You may perceiue that the patient is readie to swound when that his forehead waxeth moist with a small sweate sodainely arising by the aking or paine at the stomacke with an appetite to vomite and desire to go to stoole gaping blacknesse of the lippes and sodaine alteration of the face vnto palenesse and lastly most certainely by a small and slow pulse and then you must lay your finger on the veine and stop it vntill the patient come to himselfe againe either by nature or else restored by Arte that is to say by giuing vnto him bread dipped in wine or anie other such like thing then if you haue not taken bloud enough you must let it goe againe and bleede so much as the greatnesse of the disease or the strength of the patient will permit or require which being done some one of the Antidotes that are prescribed before will be verie profitable to be drunk which may repaire the strength and infrigne the force of the malignitie CHAP. XVII Of purging medicines in a pestilent disease IF you call to minde the proper indications purging shall seeme necessarie in this kinde of disease and that must be prescribed as the present case and necessitie requireth rightly considering that the disease is sodaine and doth require medicines that may with all speede driue out of the bodie the hurtfull humor wherein the noisome qualitie doth lurke and is hidden which medicines are diuerse by reason of the diuersity of the kinde of the humor and the condition or temperature of the patient For this purpose sixe graines of Scammonie beaten into pouder or else tenne graines are commonly ministred to the patient with one dramme of Treacle Also pils may bee made in this forme Take of Treacle and Mithridate of each one dramme of Sulphur vinum finely poudered halfe a dram of Diagridium foure graines make thereof Pils Or Take three drams of Alloes of Myrhe and Saffron of each one dramme of white Hellebore and Asarabacca of each foure scruples make thereof a masle with old Treacle and let the patient take foure scruples thereof for a dose three houres before meate Ruffus his Pils may be profitably giuen to those that are weake The ancient Physitions haue greatly commended Agarick for this disease because it doth draw the noisome humors out of all the members and the vertues thereof are like vnto those of Treacle for it is thought to strengthen the heart and to draw out the malignitie by purging To those that are strong the weight of two drammes may be giuen and to those that are more weake halfe a dramme It is better to giue the infusion in a decoction than in substance for beeing elected and prepared truely into Trochises it may bee called a most diuine kinde of medicine Antimonium is highly praised by the experience of many but because I know the vse thereof is condemned by the counsell and decree of the Schoole of Physitions at Paris I will here cease to speake of it Those medicines that cause sweates are thought to excell all others when the Pestilence commeth of the venemous ayre among whom the efficacie of that which followeth hath beene proued to the great good of manie in that Pestilence which was lately throughout all Germanie as Matthias Rodler Chauncellor to Duke George the Count Palatine signified vnto mee by letters They doe take a bundle of Mugwort and of the ashes thereof after it is burnt they make a lye thereof with foure pints of water then they doe set it ouer the fier and boile it in a vessell of earth well leaded vntill the liquor be consumed the earthy dregges falling vnto the bottome like vnto salt wherof they make Trochises of the weight of a crowne of gold then they dissolue one or two of those Trochises according to the strength of the patient in good Muskadine and giue it the patient to drinke and let him walke after that he hath drunk it for the space of halfe an houre then lay him in his bedde and there sweate him two or three houres and then hee will vomite and his belly will

A TREATISE OF THE PLAGUE CONTAYNING The Causes Signes Symptomes Prognosticks and Cure thereof Together with sundry other remarkable passages for the prevention of and preservation from the Pestilence never yet published by anie man Collected out of the Workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned Chirurgian AMBROSE PAREY PSAL. 91. 5 6. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse LONDON Printed by R. Y. and R. C. and are sold by Mich. Sparke in the green Arbor Court in little Old Bailey at the blew Bible 1630. To the Reader REader for a publike good I haue aduentured to vndergoe a publike censure in those times totally addicted to criticisme induced thereto by thinking it better to helpe with those small forces I haue in this dangerusi nuasion than through feare of censures to be silent chiefly seeing those who at other times shew themselues prime leaders and souldiers to expell common and vsuall assailants become the first and cheife fugitiues in these cases of extremity And hauing found one whose knowledge and experience exceeds the greatest part of our common practitioners I make bold here to present him to thy eye and vse hee speakes plainely and honestly and handles not nice controuersies to small purpose nor tires with tedious and impertinent discourses wherefore if thou be destitute of counsell it shall not repent thee to vse his In which if thou finde comfort giue thankes to him to whom onely all praise is due who of his mercy diuert or if not assist vs in all times of his visitations farewell A Treatise of the Plague CHAP. I. The description of the Plague THe Plague is a cruell and contagious Disease which euerie-where like a common Disease inuading Man and Beast kils verie many being attended and as it were associated with a continuall Feauer Botches Carbunkles Spots Nauseousnesse Vomitings and other such maligne accidents This Disease is not so pernitious or hurtfull by any Elementarie qualitie as from a certaine poysonous and venenate malignitie the force whereof exceeds the condition of common putrefaction Yet I will not deny but that it is more hurtfull in certaine Bodyes Times and Regions as also many other Diseases of which Hippocrates makes mention But from hence we can onely collect that the force and malignitie of the Plague may be increased or diminished according to the condition of the Elementarie qualities concurring with it but not the whole nature and essence thereof to depend thereon This pestiferous Poyson principally assailes the Vitall Spirit the Store-house and originall whereof is the Heart so that if the Vitall Spirit proue stronger it driues it farre from the Heart but if weaker it being ouercome and weakned by the hostile assault flies backe into the Fortress of the Heart by the like contagion infecting the Heart and so the whole Body being spred into it by the passages of the Arteries Hence it is pestilent Feauers are some-times simple and folitarie other-whiles associated with a troope of other affects as Botches Carbunkles Blaines and Spots of one or more colours It is probable such affects haue their originall from the expulfiue Facultie whether strong or weake prouoked by the malignitie of the raging matter Yet assuredly diuers symptomes and changes arise according to the constitution of the Body of the Patient and condition of the humour in which the virulencie of the Plague is chiefely inherent and lastly in the nature of the efficient cause I thought good by this description to expresse the nature of the Plague at this my first entrance into this matter for we can scarce comprehend it in a proper definition For although the force thereof be definite and certaine in Nature yet it is not altogether certaine and manifest in Mens minds because it neuer happens after one sort so that in so great varietie it is verie difficult to set downe any thing generall and certaine CHAP. II. Of the Diuine causes of an extraordinarie Plague IT is a confirmed constant and receiued opinion in all Ages amongst Christians that the Plague and other Diseases which violently assaile the life of Man are often sent by the iust anger of God punishing our offences The Prophet Amos hath long since taught it saying Shall there be affliction shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it On which truly we ought alwayes to meditate and that for two causes The first is that we alwayes beare this in mind that we enioy health liue moue and haue our beings from God and descends from that Father of Light and for this cause we are alwayes bound to giue him great and exceeding thankes The other is that knowing the calamities by sending whereof the Diuine anger proceeds to reuenge we may at length repend and leauing the way of wickednesse walke in the pathes of godlinesse For thus we shall learne to see in God our selues the Heauen and Earth the true knowledge of the causes of the Plague and by a certaine Diuine Philosophy to teach God to be the beginning and cause of the second causes which well without the first cause cannot goe about nor attempt much lesse performe any thing for from hence they borrow their force order and constancie of order so that they serue as Instruments for God who rules and gouernes vs and the whole World to performe all his workes by that constant course of order which he hath appointed vnchangeable from the beginning Wherefore all the cause of a Plague is not to be attributed to these neere and inferiour causes or beginnings as the Epicures and Lucianists commonly doe who attributing too much yea all things to Nature haue left nothing to Gods Prouidence On the contrarie we ought to thinke and beleeue in all our thoughts That euen as God by his omnipotent Power hath created all things of nothing so he by his eternall Wisedome preserues and gouernes the same leads and enclines them as he please yea verily at his pleasure changes their order and the whole course of Nature This cause of an extraordinarie Plague as we confesse and acknowledge so here we will not prosecute it any further but thinke fit to leaue it to Diuines because it exceeds the bounds of Nature in which I will now containe my selfe Wherefore let vs come to the naturall causes of the Plague CHAP. III. Of the Naturall causes of the Plague and chiefely of the Seminarie of the Plague by the corruption of the Aire THE generall and naturall causes of the Plague are absolutely two that is the infection of corrupt Aire and a preparation and fitnesse of corrupt humours to take that infection for it is noted before out of the Doctrine of Galen that our humours may be corrupted and degenerate into such an alienation which may equall the malignitie of Poyson The Aire is corrupted when the foure seasons of the yeere haue not their seasonablenesse or degenerate from themselues either by

alteration or by alienation as if the constitution of the whole yeere be moyst and rainie by reason of grosse and blacke Clouds if the Winter be gentle and warme without any Northerly wind which is cold and dry and by that meanes contrarie to putrefaction if the Spring which should be temperate shall be faultie in any excesse of distemper if the Autumne shall be ominous by Fires in the Aire with Starres shooting and as it were falling downe or terrible Comets neuer seene without some disaster if the Summer be hot cloudy and moist and without Winds and the Clouds flye from the South into the North. These and such like vnnaturall constitutions of the seasons of the yeere were neuer better or more excellently handled by any then by Hippocrates in his Booke Epidemion Therefore the Aire from hence drawes the Seeds of Corruption and the Pestilence which at the length the like excesse of qualities being brought in it sends into the humours of our Bodyes chiefly such as are thin and serous Although the Pestilence doth not alwaies necessarily arise from hence but some-whiles some other kind of cruell and infectious Disease But neither is the Aire onely corrupted by these superiour causes but also by putrid and filthy stinking vapours spread abroad through the Aire encompassing vs from the Bodyes or Carkasses of things not buried gapings or hollownesses of the Earth or Sinkes and such like places being opened For the Sea often ouer-flowing the Land in some places and leauing in the Mudde or hollownesses of the Earth caused by Earth-quakes the huge Bodyes of monstrous Fishes which it hides in its Waters hath giuen both the occasion and matter of a Plague For thus in our time a Whale cast vpon the Tuscane shore presently caused a Plague ouer all that Countrey But as Fishes infect and breed a Plague in the Aire so the Aire being corrupted often causes a Pestilence in the Sea amongst Fishes especially when they either swim on the top of the Water or are infected by the pestilent vapours of the Earth lying vnder them and rysing into the Aire thorough the Body of the Water the latter whereof Aristotle saith hapneth but seldome But it often chances that the Plague raging in any Countrey many Fishes are cast vp on all the Coast and may be seene lying on great heapes But sulphurous vapours or such as partake of any other maligne qualitie sent forth from places vnder the ground by gapings and gulfes opened by Earthquakes not onely corrupt the Aire but also infect and taint the Seeds Plants and all the Fruits which we eat and so transferre the pestilent corruption into vs and those Beasts on which we feed together with our nourishment The truth whereof Empedocles made manifest who by shutting vp a great Gulfe of the Earth opened in a Valley betweene two Mountaines freed all Sicily from a Plague caused from thence If Winds rysing sodainly shall driue such filthy exhalations from those Regions in which they were pestiferous into other places they also will carrie the Plague with them thither If it be thus some will say it should seeme that wheresoeuer stinking and putrid exhalations arise as about standing Pooles Sinkes and Shambles there should the Plague reigne and straight suffocate with its noysome Poyson the People which worke in such places but experience finds this false We doe answer that the putrifaction of the Plague is farre different and of another kind then this common as that which partakes of a certaine secret malignitie and wholly contrarie to our liues and of which we cannot easily giue a plaine and manifest reason Yet that vulgar putrefaction wheresoeuer it be doth easily and quickly entertaine and welcome the pestiferous contagion as often as and whensoeuer it comes as ioyned vnto it by a certaine familiaritie and at the length it selfe degenerating into a pestiferous malignitie certainely no otherwise then those Diseases which arise in the Plague time the putrid Diseases in our Bodyes which at the first wanted virulencie and contagion as Vlcers putrid Feauers and other such Diseases raysed by the peculiar default of the humours easily degenerate into pestilence presently receiuing the tainture of the Plague to which they had before a certain preparation Wherefore in time of the Plague I would aduise all Men to shun such exceeding stinking places as they would the Plague it selfe that there may be no preparation in our Bodyes or humours to catch that infection without which as Galen teaches the Agent hath no power ouer the Subiect for otherwise in a Plague time the Sicknesse would equally seaze vpon all so that the impression of the pestiferous qualitie may presently follow that disposition But when we say the Aire is pestilent we doe not vnderstand that sincere elementarie and simple as it is of its owne nature for such is not subiect to putrefaction but that which is polluted with ill vapours rysing from the Earth standing Waters Vaults or Sea and degenerates and is changed from its natiue puritie and simplicitie But certainly amongst all the constitutions of the Aire fit to receiue a pestilent corruption there is none more fit then a hot moyst and still season For the excesse of such qualities easily causes putrefaction Wherefore the South Wind reigning which is hot and moyst and principally in places neere the Sea there Flesh cannot long be kept but it presently is tainted and corrupted Further we must know that the pestilent malignitie which rises from the Carcasses or Bodyes of Men is more easily communicated to Men that which rises from Oxen to Oxen and that which comes from Sheepe to Sheepe by a certaine sympathy familiaritie of Nature no otherwise then the Plague which shall seaze vpon some one in a Family doth presently spread more quickly amongst the rest of that Family by reason of the similitude of temper then amongst others of another Family disagreeing in their whole temper Therefore the Aire thus altered and estranged from its goodnesse of nature necessarily drawne in by inspiration and transpiration brings in the Seeds of the Plague and so consequently the Plague it selfe into Bodyes prepared and made ready to receiue it CHAP. IIII. Of the preparation of humours to putrefaction and admission of pestiferous impressions HAuing shewed the causes from which the Aire doth putrefie become corrupt and is made partaker of a pestilent and poysonous constitution we must now declare what things may cause the humours to putrefie and make them so apt to receiue and retaine the pestilent Aire and venenate qualitie Humours putrefie either from fulnesse which breeds obstruction or by distemperate excesse or lastly by admixture of corrupt matter and euill iuice which ill feeding doth specially cause to abound in the Body For the Plague often followes the drinking of dead and mustie Wines muddy and standing Waters which receiue the sinkes and filth of a Citie and Fruits and Puls eaten without discretion in scarcitie of other Corne as Pease Beanes

Lentiles Vetches Acornes the Roots of Ferne and Grasse made into Bread For such meats obstruct heape vp ill humours in the Body and weaken the strength of the Faculties from whence proceeds a putrefaction of humours and in that putrefaction a preparation and disposition to receiue conceiue and bring forth the Seeds of the Plague which the filthy Scabbes maligne Sores rebellious Vlcers and putrid Feuers being all fore-runners of greater putrefaction and corruption doe testifie Vehement passions of the Mind as Anger Sorrow Griefe Vexation and Feare helpe forward this corruption of humours all which hinder Natures diligence and care of concoction For as in the Dogge-dayes the Lees of Wine subseding to the bottome are by the strength and efficacie of heat drawne vp to the top and mixed with the whole substance of the Wine as it were by a certaine ebullition or working So Melancholly humours being the Dregges or Lees of the Blood stirred vp by the Passions of the Mind defile or taint all the Blood with their feculent impuritie We found that some yeeres agone by experience at the Battell of S t Dennis For all Wounds by what Weapon soeuer they were made degenerated into great and filthy putrefactions and corruptions with Feauers of the like nature and were commonly determined by Death what Medicines and how diligently soeuer they were applyed which caused many to haue a false suspition that the Weapons on both sides were poysoned But there were manifest signes of corruption and putrefaction in the Blood let the same day that any were hurt and in the principall parts dissected afterwards that it was from no other cause then an euill constitution of the Aire and the Minds of the Souldiers peruerted by Hate Anger and Feare CHAP. V. What signes in the Aire and Earth prognosticate a Plague WE may know a Plague to be at hand and hang ouer vs if at any time the Aire and Seasons of the yeere swarue from their naturall constitution after those wayes I haue mentioned before if frequent and long continuing Meteors or sulphurous Thunders infect the Aire If Fruits Seeds and Puls be Worme-eaten If Birds forsake their Nests Egges or Young without any manifest cause If we perceiue Women commonly to abort by continuall breathing in the vaporous Aire being corrupted and hurtfull both to the Embrion and originall of life and by which it being suffocated is presently cast forth and expell'd Yet notwithstanding those Airie impressions doe not solely corrupt the Aire but there may be also others raysed by the Sunne from the filthy exhalations and poysonous vapours of the Earth and Waters or of dead Carkasses which by their vnnaturall mixture easily corrupt the Aire subiect to alteration as which is thin and moyst from whence diuers Epidemiall Diseases and such as euerie-where seaze vpon the common sort according to the seuerall kinds of corruptions such as that famous Catarrhe with difficultie of breathing which in the yeere 1510 going almost ouer the World and raged ouer all the Cities and Townes of France with great heauinesse of the Head whereupon the French named it Cucuita with a straitnesse of the Heart and Lungs and a Cough a continuall Feauer and sometimes rauing This although it seazed vpon many more then it killed yet because they commonly dyed who were either let Blood or purged it shewed it selfe pestilent by that violence and peculiar and vnheard of kind of malignitie Such also was the English Sweating-sicknesse or Sweating-Feauer which vnusuall with a great deale of terrour invaded all the lower parts of Germany and the Low Countreys from the yeere 1525 vnto the yeere 1530 and that chiefly in Autumne As soone as this pestilent Disease entred into any Citie suddainly two or three hundred fell sicke on one day then it departing thence to some other place the people strucken with it languishing fell downe in a swound and lying in their Beds swet continually hauing a Feauer a frequent quicke and vnequall Pulse neither did they leaue sweating till the disease left them which was in one or two dayes at the most yet freed of it they languished long after they all had a beating or palpitation of the Heart which held some for two or three yeeres and others all their life after At the first beginning it killed many before the force of it was knowne but afterwards verie few when it was found out by practice and vse that those who furthered and continued their sweats and strengthened themselues with Cordials were all restored But at certaine times many other popular Diseases spring vp as putrid Feauers Fluxes Bloody Fluxes Catarrhes Coughes Phrenzies Sqinancies Pleurisies Inflamations of the Lungs Inflamations of the Eyes Apoplexies Lethargies small Pockes and Measels Scabbes Carbuncles and maligne Pustules Wherefore the Plague is not alwayes nor euerie-where of one and the same kind but of diuers which is the cause that diuers names are imposed vpon it according to the varietie of the effects it brings and symptomes which accompanie it and kinds of putrefaction and hidden qualities of the Aire They affirme when the Plague is at hand that Mushromes grow in greater aboundance out of the Earth and vpon the surface thereof many kinds of poysonous insecta creepe in great numbers as Spiders Caterpillers Butterflyes Grasse-hoppers Beetles Hornets Waspes Flyes Scorpions Snailes Locusts Toads Wormes such things as are the of-spring of putrefaction And also wild Beasts tyred with the vaporous malignitie of their Dennes and Caues in the Earth forsake them and Moles Toads Vipers Snakes Lezards Aspes and Crocodiles are seene to flye away and remoue their habitations in great troopes For these as also some other Creatures haue a manifest power by the guift of God and the instinct of Nature to presage changes of Weather as Raines Showers and faire Weather and Seasons of the yeere as the Spring Summer Autumne Winter which they testifie by their Singing Chirping Crying Flying Playing and Beating their Wings aud such like signes so also they haue a perception of a Plague at hand And moreouer the Carcasses of some of them which tooke lesse heed of themselues suffocated by the pestiferous Poyson of the ill Aire contained in the Earth may be euerie-where found not onely in their Dennes but also in the plaine Fields These vapours corrupted not by a simple putrefaction but an occult malignitie are drawne out of the Bowels of the Earth into the Aire by the force of the Sunne and Starres and thence condensed into Clouds which by their falling vpon Corne Trees and Grasse infect and corrupt all things which the Earth produces and also killes those Creatures which feed vpon them yet brute Beasts sooner then Men as which stoop and hold their Heads downe towards the Ground the maintainer and breeder of this Poyson that they may get their Food from thence Therefore at such times skilfull Husbandmen taught by long experience neuer driue their Cattell or Sheepe to pasture before that the Sunne by the force