away the iudgment and memory hurt or abolished Mithridatium by his sweete brethings quickeneth the same reduceth the braine to his temperament altereth consumeth spendeth those vapoures and bringeth man to his naturall state and when it is newe it induceth sleepe and remedieth the furyousnes of many madmen No man needeth to doubt of the mighty power of Mithridatium in curing all kind of poisons either outwardly receaued or inwardly taken being to that purpose chefly devised and of long time experienced to be therin of great force Although for the biting and stinging of venemous beastes it is supposed of lesse might then Theriacle yet it is of all men confessed much stronger to cure poisons taken into the body by potion or otherwayse So his might is great to heale all pestilent all and malignante diseases cureth the plage feauers which depend of naughty and malignant causes helpeth the french pocks the small pocks the measels and in all other inward diseases which are great and such as other medicines can not remedy Mithridatium is found to haue a speciall grace to cure them And in such desperate diseases cases when other remedies will not serue then we ought to flye to Mithridatium as Galen writeth of Theriacle For being a noble medicine of great powre it is not to be vsed in euery affect of little moment Wherefore it is written that Mithridatium cureth all infermities of the head in men and women if the same doe come of a cold cause namely it helpeth the melancholy madnes the Falilng sicknes y e Hemicrane or meagrame y e paines in the eyelids and browes the watring of the eyes the paines of the eares of the teeth of the mouth of the iawes the squinancy the appoplexy the litargie and such other cold diseases of y e head in which cases it is inwardly dronken also outwardly applyed sprede in the forme of an emplastre it comforteth y e hart doth good in the passions of the same It helpeth the diseased of the breast cureth the cough shortnes of breath spitting of bloud the pleurisy and stiches of the side the phthisike other inward diseases of the breast and loūgs In these later causes especially for stiches it is applyed outwardly spred emplastre waies and in the chough and such other diseases it is inwardly ministred with some conuenient liquor for so it cutteth the grosnes of the phlegme and maketh it easy to be auoydid openeth the pipes and enlargeth all those parts which doe serue for breathing To proceede to the affects of the stomake it prouoketh appetite remedieth ouer much desire to eat termed Canina appetentia for it drieth superfluous resolueth correcteth corrupte humores it helpeth concoctiō by increasing of naturall heate cureth euill belks inflation of the stomacke for it breaketh winde and will not suffer any thing to corrupt in y e stomacke it stayeth vomiting by strengthening the stomacke by keeping the stomacke cleane from winde superfluous and euill humores it taketh away the abhorring of meate It doth great good in all diseases of the belly paynes in y e guts called the Iliaca passio the bluddy flix and all other fluxes gieuen with the decoction of the flowers of the pomegranate called Balaustia In the colike of the belly it is very good and to ease the paynes of the belly after a purgatiue medicine it hath a speciall vertue For it taketh away the malignitie of the medicine breaketh winde and doth strengthen parts wekened by the purgatiue medicine It nourisheth diseases paynes in the sydes and about the mydriffe it helpeth the infirmities of y e kidnes and of the bladder breaketh the stone remedieth the passions of the matrix prouoketh the naturall courses in women and stoppeth the same if they doe abound For it openeth the passages by extenuating that which by grosnes doth stoppe the wayes and by making nature stronge staieth fluxes which commonly do grow immoderate by weaknes It diminisheth y e swellings hardnes of y e matrix of other parts it doth remedy y e barrennes in women maketh them fertill Mithridatiū is accompted a speciall good remedy against the payne of the ioynts to cure the goute and the Sciatica for that it drieth superfluous humores stayeth the reume maketh all parts stronge But it must be gieuen not at the first when the payn beginneth but ater when the rage of the paine is past and the body ought first to be purged before you gieue Mithridatium And it vsed before the fits of the goutes maketh greatly for preseruation to keepe one from often accessiōs of y e goute It helpeth y e diseases of the sineues y e resolution y t paulsye the crampe y e diseases called Tetanos Ambrostotonos and Opistetanos for it augmenteth naturall heate dissolueth by euaporatiō humores soken into y e syneues restoreth the spirits and strength It helpeth the shaking fits of feauers geauen twyse or thrise halfe an houre before the fitte oftentimes it doth cure the feauer quartan and the quotidian Of the vse of Mithridatium THe better to know the vse of Mithridatium we are to consider the time most conuenient to gieue it the quantity the maner of gieuing For the time we may with Galen counsaile to minister the same in no wyse vpon a full stomacke but after concoction is perfit The vsuall time and best to take it is in the morning fasting it is not so good to gieue it when the stomacke and first veines are full of crude and rawe humoures And before it be gieuen it is good to procure the belly to be loose according to Galens counsell in ministring of Theriacle in his booke ad Pamphilianum Of the quantity AS Galen writeth in his booke de Theriaca ad Pisonem so we may affirme that one quantity of Mithridatium is not to bee gieuen to all men in all times and in all diseases And the better to finde out the iust quantity wee are to remember that Galen in the sayd booke mentioneth of two quantityes gieuen of Theriacle the one referred to a hasell nut the other to a beane of Aegypt And for that he also affirmeth y t in strong diseases the greater quantity is to be gieuen and the lesser in light diseases and so in great infirmities hee ministreth the quantity of an hasell nut and in diseases of lesse force vseth the portion of the beane of Aegypt it is euident that the hasell nut importeth the greater quantity and the beane the lesser So that by Galen the greatest quātity to be gieuen of Theriacle is measured by an hasell nut and the least by a beane of Aegypt And the forme of speach which Galen vseth to expresse these quantities in my iudgement doth importe the bignesse and not the weight of the things For Galen in euery place writeth ad magnitudinem fabae aegyptiae so ad magnitudinem nucis auellanae to the michelty or bignes of a beane of Aegypt
in the confection of Theriacle then it followeth that when like quantity of both is taken as for example ʒ j surely a greater portiō of euery one simple is taken in Mithridatium and lesser in Theriacle the lesser quantity must needes haue lesser strength in remedyinge other poysons saue that to the which the base or grounde doth call them So it remayneth fyrme that Galen writeth as obserued in his time that Theriacle is in deede better then Mithridatium in bytinge of vypers and like beastes and that Mithridatium exceadeth th'other in remedying all other poisons taken into the body and inward diseases Wherefore in this our countrey where no such perill and danger is of vipers Mithridatium by good reason ought to be reputed of greater estunation then Theriacle Of the composition of Mithridatium IT shall not be amisse in this place to declare the composition of this medicine And it is to be noted that where all writers doe greately cōmend it yet certayne it is that they do not in one sorte describe the makinge of the same But almost euery authore hath a seuerall description differinge in the number of the simples and also in y e proportions and quantities In time past y e Apothecaries in making of Mithridatium folowed most the description of Nicolaus Praepositus of Auicenna and of Nicolaus Mirepsicus some of Aetius some of Paulus The former descriptions contayninge aboue one hundred simples were long and laborious and required many supplyes for simples vnknowen Wherefore in these our later daies in which learned men haue examined euery thing perfitly the most part haue commended one of y e three compositions expressed by Galen in 2. de Antid of the which two were taken as Galen wryteth out of the bookes of Andromachus The first found without name is attributed to Andromachus as compounded by him of others supposed the very same which was found in the closets of kinge Mithridates after transcribed in the workes of Andromachus The second description is also recyted out of Andromachus bookes vnder the names of Antipater and Cleophantes The thyrd is referred to Damocrates It doth not appeare by any thing written by Galen which of these three compositions is best to be folowed And so of y e learned men of our time some hath vsed the one and some the other Many doe best like of the first description attributed to Andromachus both for that Andromachus by the opinion of Galen and of all other auncient wryters was adiudged very skilfull in cōpounding of medicines therein did farre excell all phisitions of his time and also because it may bee iustly gathered that that description is the very same which Mithridates vsed For in y e Andromachus was phisition to Nero the Emperour of Rome it appeareth that he obtayned to see and to consider of all the bookes which found in Mithridates closet were translated into latine by Lineus the grammarian and brought to Rome And it is not agreable to reason that Andromachus studying to make a more perfit medicine then that which came vnder the name of Mithridatium woulde also inuent an other vnder the same name But it is very probable that Andromachus with diligence perusinge the recept of Mithridatium vsed of Mithridates would leaue it in such forme as Mithridates compoūded it and deuise an other by the same which hee meant to make more perfite Andromachus therefore not alteringe the description of Mithridatium but leauing it in the same forme as it was founde confected an other which he called Theriaca And where we doe reade in y e 2. de Antid of Galen an other recept set downe vnder the name of Theriaca Mithridatis with assertion that the kinge vsed the same yet it seemeth not to be y t Mithridatium which was foūd in the closet of that king For all writers doe confesse that Andromachus long after added to that recept of Mithridates the flesh of vipers so that Mithridatium compounded by Mithridates had not in it the flesh of vipers and that Theriacle which Galen in that place calleth Theriaca Mithridatis doth receaue the flesh of vipers so it foloweth that it is not the Mithridatium vsed of Mithridates And he that will with diligence peruse that recept mentioned of Galen by the name of Theriaca Mithridatis shal◠finde it in y e simples not much differing from Theriaca Andromachi and many things repeated twyse in diuers clauses doth argue an imperfection that Galen may be thought in y t place to speake after y e common opinion whē hee affirmeth it to be the same which Mithridates vsed being in deede farre different from that medicine Wherefore we may reasonably conclude that the first recept transcribed by Galen in 2. de Antid out of Andromachus workes is in truth the selfe same that Mithridates vsed and in mine opinion in that respect the better to be liked and the rather to be followed For what better assurance can we haue of the true and perfect confection of this medicine then that which was deliuered by Mithridates and what description can more assure vs of the effects of this medicine then y t composition which Mithridates followed who first gaue so notable proofe of the medicine and thereby the first credite to the same So that if by discourse of reason it may be proued that an other description is more artificiall and more agreable to the rules of confection of medicines yet in mine opinion this description being the same that Mithridates vsed set downe happely by the king more according to experience then art is rather to be folowed then any other thought more cunningly addressed Neuerthelesse it is not to be deemed that kinge Mithridates was altogether vnskylfull when many volumes concerning phisike were found in his closet translated into latine brought to Rome And it appeareth that he taking delight in medicinall matters had about him dyuerse phisitions who mighte artificially dispence the simples in Mithridatium And Galen in the sayd booke de Antid commendeth the discription of Mithridatium attributed to Andromachus whereby it appeareth that this description of Mithridatium is not addressed altogether without arte For which cause y e learned of our time haue great reason to preferre that description of Mithridatium before others Albeit some do more esteeme the composition of Damocrates as with more arte and more cunning dispensed Notwithstanding because it is very likely y t the precept attributed to Andromachus as found in his bookes is the selfe same that Mithridates vsed and hath of many in this our countrey of late yeares bene folowed I thought best in this place to expresse y e same as I doe finde it in Galen in 2. de Antid and is in many antidotary bookes allowed which is as foloweth Rec. glicirrizae ʒ vij ob iiij Spicae nardi ʒ vij ob iij. Croci cinnamomi Zinziberis ana ʒ vij ob ij Galbani ʒ vij Castorei costi ana ʒ vj. ob ij Scordij iunci odorati
the bignes of an hasel nut Which maner of spech hath relation to the bignes not y e weight We are therefore to construe Galen that in great diseases Theriacle is to be ministred that his bulke may bee equall with the bignes of an hasell nut and in other diseases of a beane of Aegypt Massarius in his booke de ponderibus reducing these things to weight saith that Paba Aegyptia importeth a scruple and a halfe that is halfe a drachine and that nux auellana signifieth a drachine So if we will by weight measure the quantities the greatest which is to be giuen of Theriacle is a drachine and the leaste is halfe a drachine In that Mithridatium is like to Theriacl◠it may be gieuen in like quantity And because it is more gentle and not in quality so whot as Theriacle and not receiuing the flesh of vipers nor so great quantity of Opium it is a more safe medicine so may be gieuē in greater quantity that wee neede not be bounde to an hasell nut nor to a beane of Aegypt but may as cause shall require exceede both For which cause the writers of our antidatory bookes not without reason doe affirme that Mithridatium may bee ministred to foure Drachines that is halfe an ownce And Durastantes in his cōmentary vpon Luminare Maius bringing the quantity of a nut and of a beane to y e weight saith that an hasell nut signifieth an ounce and y e beane of Aegypt halfe a scruple and because the one proportion is very great the other ouer litle therefore he putteth his sensure that an hasell nut containeth ij Drachines or iiij Drachines at y e most And the beane of Aegypt one Drachine or ij Drachines at the most So that by his opinion we may minister Theriacle to ij or iij. Drachines when the disease and the case so requireth Wherefore wee neede not greatly to feare to gieue Mithridatium in so large a quantity as is prescribed in our antidotaryes that is to minister it to halfe an ounce Neuerthelesse in these dayes wee doe very seldome minister Mithridatium so largely for most cōmonly we follow the prescript of Galen and gieue of it the quantity of a beane or of an hasell nut In measure wee prescribe the halfe a drachine and two scruples and in mighty diseases and vrgent causes we offerre one drachine and very seldome doe procede to a greater quantity which proportions in my iudgement are most vsually to be kept Yet by this discourse it appereth y t we are not so to be restrained to these quantities but that we may vpon occasions gieue a greater quantity if the patient the disease other circumstances doe so require And hereby also it appeareth that we cannot so determine the quantity of this medicine nor of any other that the same may alway be obserued but the certaine appointment of the same must bee left to the discretion of him which doth minister the medicine to prescribe the quantity according to the circumstances of the present case And therefore it shall not be amisse here to consider more particularly of the circumstāces whereby we may the better attaine to coniecture the iust quantity to bee gieuen in the present case First therefore wee are to consider the countrey where the party which is to take the medicine doth inhabite here also the time of yeare And as Galen writeth of Theriacle that in the East partes in hoate coūtryes in sommer and hoate seasons it is not to be ministred so we may affirme of Mithridatiū y t in hoate coūtryes seasons we ought to refraine frō much geiuing of it Wherefore when occasion is to gieue in sommer we must prescribe a lesser quantity then in winter and in the spring time So we may gieue a bigger quantity in these north parts then in hoater countreyes The like respect is to be had of the liquore in which wee gieue it that in hoate places seasons it be mingled with a cold liquor as with water and in cold countries and times with a whot liquore as with wyne The like consideration is to bee had of the temperament of the body and of the age In which respect Galen doth forbid cholerike hoate constitutions to take Theriacle And such must with more warinesse vse Mithridatium and in lesser quantity and mingled with some conuenient liquore moderate the heate of the medicine Concerning age Galen doth forbid the gieuing of Theriacle to children for saith he the mightines of the medicine doth exceede the strength of children and dissolueth their bodies and telleth an history of a childe destroide by taking of Theriacle We may therefore admonishe phisitions of these dayes which doe often boldly gieue Theriacle to yonge children for the wormes let them consider what warrant they haue so to doe it is to be feared lest they endaunger thereby so tender bodyes And we are to be circumspect in gieuing Mithridatium to children and to be very wary in y e ministring of it lest we do harme therin And yet I do thinke we may with more safety minister Mithridatium then Theriacle To yong men such as haue much natural heate we may gieue this medicine but neither oftē nor in great quantity in water rather then wine To mē of yeres which are in y e declining age in greater quantity and in wyne In respect of the disease we are so to measure the quantity of the medicine that in a mighty and a strong disease we gieue a greater quantity Therefore as Galen wryteth of Theriacle so we may determine of Mithridatium In strōg poyson and to such as are bitten and stinged with virulent beastes or mad dogs we gieue a greater quantity in other diseases the quantity of the medicine ought to be according to the greatnes of the sicknes So when there is time to digest the medicine we may appoynt a greater quantity when little time is for concoction then lesser quātity serueth The like consideration is to be made in all these circūstances of y e liquore in which the medicine is to be dissolued the same to be of a greater or lesser measure according to y e circumstances whereof we are to speake more particularly in the maner of gieuing Of the manner of gieuing of Mithridatium By that we doe reade in Galen in his bookes de Theriaca and de Antidot yt appeareth that thauncient phisition did seldom or not at all gieue either Theriacle or Mithridatium dry and not dissolued in some liquor and the reason may be for that they gaue it most commonly before or after poison or to preserue or cure some pestilentall sicknes which depended of a malignant cause In which respect it seemeth requisite to minister the medicine in lyquid forme that it might haue the speedy passage through the body and come to the heart that the spirites comforted might the better exsist and the sooner expell the venyme and the malignity of the
affect For not only MithridatiuÌ„ and Theriacle but all other medicines taken in a solide and dry consistence doe stay in the stomacke longe and sustaine greater alteration than when the same is gieuen in a liquid forme For which cause when we haue intent to comfort the stomacke to help digestioÌ„ to breake wynâ—e in the stomacke and belly then it is conuenient to gieue Mithridatium in drie substaÌ„ce When intention is to remedy diseases in more inward parts of the body in all venimous pestilential and malignant causes we gieue the medicine dissolued with some liquore And as we reade in Galen that hee vsed not alway one liquore so he maketh mention of these of water of Mulsa that is water hony which we do cal meade or meath of mulsum that is wyne and hony mingled of acetum mulsum that is wine hony and vineger of posca that is water vineger of certaine decoctions made of hearbs rootes and seedes And it is to bee seene by Galens discourse that hee made choise of the liquores by indication taken of the countrey of the time of the yeare of the age and complexion of the patient and of the nature and disposition of the disease So that he gaue a hoat liquore as wine or wine or wine hony in cold countryes and times in aged men such as were not of hoate complexions and had not much naturall heate in diseases not ouer hoate in strong poysons CoÌ„trariwise in hoate regions in sommer time in such as were in the flower of their age and had cholerike and hoat constitutions dry bodies and did abound with naturall heate in hoate cholerike siknesses in great feauers he made choise of a colde liquore hauinge regarde that the liquore might contemper and mitigate in some part the quality of the medicine Which inteÌ„tions applied to y e gieuing of Mithridatium it wil be easy to choose a fit liquore when we are to minister the same in it For the same circumstances will soone induce vs to make choise of a conuenient liquore wee may also learne by Galen that as the circumstnunces are to leade vs to appoyncte the quality of the liquore as is aforesayde So the disposition of the disease will teach vs to apt a conuenient liquore in substaunce for it is agreable to reason that such a liquore bee gieuen which may not only mitigate the quality of the medicine but with hauing also property to doe good in that disease may further the action of the medicine So by good reason in pestilentiall agues in malignant diseases the pockes y e measels we doe gieue Mithridatium with the dissolued water of Dragon or of Carduus benedictus or in some like decoction and we doe in such cases many times mingle with y e syrupe de acetositatâ— citri syrupe acetosus which things doe not only mitigate the heate of the medicine but also help and further his action In y e cough and diseases of the breaste and syde wee may with Galen choose wine and water called mulsum when y e patient is without a feauer in a feauer with water and hony called mulsa In such aâ— are shorte breathed it is best gieuen with vineger compouÌ„ded with scilla to them which spit bloude at the beginning with water and hony which we call meade after with water only but the medicine wil be more effectuall if you doe boyle the rootes of Comfry in it In diseases and paine of the belly with water In stoppages of the lyuer they yealew Ieaundes the Dropsie with an opening decoctioÌ„ as the decoction of the rootes of Asara bacca And in respect of the drouth in the Dropsie it may be gieuen in meade In diseases of the kidnes and bladder with the decoction of persley and in vlcers of the kidnes with wine and water in excoriation of the guttes with a decoction of Sumach to those which haue the falling sicknes if they be leaue with meade it were two loÌ„ge and to litle purpose thus perticularly to runne thorough all diseases we may easely appoint a coÌ„uenient liquore and prescribe y e quantity of y e medicine of the liquore by y t which is written and thought I haue for example sake for examples doe best teach discoursed in many diseases appointing such liquores which Galen doth vse and best allowe of yet I doubt not but an expert man will for the present case diuise much better by indication taken of the circumstaunces before mentioned That a man well weighing these thinges may quickely knowe the true vse of Mithridatium and so not erre in the ministration thereof but gieue the same to the greate good of those which shall take it and to the honour of God whose goodnesse gieueth successe to al medicines to worke health where and when it pleaseth his holy wisdome