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
For bycause these two medicines are confected of many simples not greatly differring they haue many things cōmon so as y t which is of y e one affirmed may bee applied to the other Notwithstanding as in the number nature of y e simples they doe not in all poynts agree so no doubt in y e age of these medicines some difference is to be allotted yet such as a man exercised in these matters may easely supplye For in that Theriacle hath in it the flesh of vipers and a greater portion of Opium then is in Mithridatium it is certaine that Theriacle requireth a longer time to his concoction for the flesh of vipers must haue perfect fermentation with the simples for his correction In like sorte Opium doth aske a long time of fermentation for y t cause Galen 12. de Method Medend saith y t Philonium is not to bee vsed in a yeare after it is compounded and that the vse of it after ij iij. or iiij yeares is more without daunger Whereby hee geueth vs to vnderstande that medicines which doe receaue Opium require longe time of fermentation so that Theriacle receauing a greater portion of Opium then Mithridatium ought to haue a larger space to be concocted then it Now if Theriacle hath his perfection in one yeare surely Mithridatium is throughly fermented in sixe monethes and may be kept in good strength not only as some haue writen to three or fours yeares but to x or xij yeares and except we shall to such time proroge his olde age there will be no proportion in y e times For if Theriacle being cocted in one yeare doth last to 20. yeares before it doth waxe olde suerly by the lyke proportion Mithridatium not well fermented vnder six monethes may iustly be said to cōtinue in good efficacy to 10. or 12. yeares And as Theriacle after 20. yeares waxeth old feeble so Mithridatium after 10. or 12. yeares doth decline that being 20. yeares old is then decayed and of litle force As we may probably determine these times so there can be no certainty set to leade vs to the time For if the simples be not in good perfection or the same orderly and well according to art compoūded or otherwayes the medicine not well kept then it will sooner wax old lose his strength But as Galen writeth to these great medicines great care must be had of the choise of y e simples that they may be had in y e readiest perfection And like diligēce must be gieuen that the confectioner may in all pointes doe his duty not in making only but also in keeping y e medicine And therefore princes are greatly to bee commended which doe by theyr authority prouide that these medicines myght be well ordered And for that many doe in these dayes procure Mithridatium to haue it in their houses ready to vse it is good to know y t it is best kept in vessels of glasse of siluer and of gold and that it is not so good to keepe y e same in Tinne vessels for that they are often corrupted with ledde and gather a ceruse matter as Galen writeth in his first booke de Antid I wish therefore that the marchaunts may hereof be admonished which doe commonly bryng Theriacle from Venice in vessels of ledde wherby no small daūger may grow in so noble a medicine so greatly esteemed So wee must not fill the vessell to the toppe as we say brime full but leaue some reasonable space for the medicine to worke to exhale breath and for that cause Galen counsayleth to open the vessell somtymes Howe to knowe good Mithridatium WEe doe read in y e booke of Galen de Theriaca ad Pisonem in his bookes de Antidot how diligently hee labored to gieue certen notes and rules how a man might know the goodnes of Theriacle and when the same was perfit and so did in those his workes set downe both rules and proofes thereof So carefull in old time wryters were that wee might be assured of the goodnes of these noble medicines seruing in so great affectes and in such common vse But such is y ◠malice of many which seeke gaine that of the greater price a thinge is the more sophistication they vse in it y t if meanes were not declared to discerne the good from the bad the sophisticated from y e true no man might assure himself of the certaintie of any thing in estimation It is therefore very necessary to shew how men may know when Mithridatium is good and perfite and when the same is naught corrupted And for y ◠Galen in his foresaid bookes hath labored to declare this in Theriacle we will apply the same to y e examination of Mithridatium For in y t these medicines haue a great affinitie they doe in most thinges so concurre that y e same which is said of y e one may be applyed to y e other First therefore in consistence of substance if Mithridatium be well and artificially compounded it ought to haue an equality of substance not drie nor ouer liquide and moyste not to arise in clots and lumpes but it must be in substance coherent equall and smooth In smell it must resēble the simples whereof it is made and yet not to offer to the nose the smell of any one simple aboue the rest but to yelde a common odoure arising by fermentation of all the simples not peculier to any one nor vngratefull but answerable to the ingredience resembling no rottennes nor mustines In like sort the taste must not expresse any one simple but be as a common sapore resulting of all the simples so that if in tasting of Mithridatium you may manifestly discerne or discry any one simple in it surely that Mithridatium is not well confected Therefore it may not haue in it any excesse of vngratefull bitternes which doth sometimes happen when the confectioner doth either take hony ouerold or boyle y e same ouermuch So it may not shew to the taste any sowrenes which happeneth if the wyne vsed be not well chosen or not well handled in the compounding It seemeth that Andromachus in his Theriacle had a great care of the coloure of it and for that cause only as some do write did adde vitreoll prepared to yelde to it an exact blacknesse But Mithridates attending rather the goodnes then by coloure to please y e eye had no such care of the coloure and so is thought to put nothing into Mithridatium to gieue it any fresher coloure then the simples woulde yeelde Notwithstanding Mithridatium truly made hath his coloure conuenient arising of the simples which ought to be a little rednes declining to yealownesse which coloure after due fermentation doth appeare with some freshenes by time in keeping the same doth decline to an obscure darknes Although at y e first it may be thought hard to iudge of Mithridatium by these signes yet after a man is exercised in
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