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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	part_n	spirit_n	2,749	5	5.0812	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43015	A discourse of the plague containing the nature, causes, signs, and presages of the pestilence in general, together with the state of the present contagion : also most rational preservatives for families, and choice curative medicines both for rich and poor, with several waies for purifying the air in houses, streets, etc. / published for the benefit of this great city of London, and suburbs by Gideon Harvey.	Harvey, Gideon, 1640?-1700?	1665 (1665)	Wing H1062; ESTC R9710	14,104	31

A DISCOURSE OF THE Plague Containing The Nature Causes Signs and Presages of the Pestilence in general Together with the state of the present Contagion Also most rational Preservatives for Families and choice Curative Medicines both for Rich and Poor With several waies for purifying the air in houses streets c. Published for the benefit of this Great City of London and Suburbs By Gideon Harvey M.D. London Printed for Nath. Brooke at the Angel in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange 1665. Advice against the Plague The Preface PHysicians can never discharge their Duty with greater Applause than by contributing their aid to popular Diseases which at this season is the prime movent of these Meditations I might justly vacate from this task having so lately amused my self about a Tract of the French Contagion but since doing a thing opportunely is twice doing renders me more willing to Oblige the World with a Proposal of my sentiment upon this accruing Pest and advice of Preservatives Curatives and Extinguishers of what ever Pestilent seminaries might be conceived in the Air. Distinction I. Comparisons of Plagues PLagues do ordinarily survene great Inundations Stinks of Rivers unburied Carcases Mortality of Cattel Withering of Trees Extinction of Plants an extraordinary multiplication of Froggs Toads Mice Flies or other Insects and Reptils a moist and moderate Winter a warm and ● moist Spring and Summer fiery Meteors as falling Stars Comets fiery Pillars Lightnings c. A ready putrefaction of Meats speedy Moulding of Bread briefness of the Small Pox and Measles c. Hence it may appear somewhat strange this Pest should visit us upon such disguised Forerunners at other times consequents and signs of a late extinct Pestilence yea potent Causes in amortising that Contagion viz. a preceding rude cold and dry Winter and Spring a dry Summer no appearance of fiery Meteors except those Comets of the last Winter which seemed not to be imminent over this Region or to direct their rayes hither Meats retaining their usual sweetness as at other seasons the Measles or Small Pox less Predominant than in other years no Inundations no stincks of Air no extraordinary increase of Reptils or Insects c. Distinction II. The Nature of the Plague THe Plague is a most Malignant and Contagious Feaver caused through Pestilential Miasms insinuating into the humoral and consistent parts of the Body first speedily putrefying then corrupting the fluors afterwards the solid parts whereupon a great ebullition or fermentation ensuing between the Venene Corpuscles and the Vital Spirits causes that sense of burning heat and driness c. Distinction III. Signes of the Plague THe highest pitch or degrees of Malignity and Contagion accompanying a Feaver are the essential properties that distinguish the Plague from all other Diseases so that where we find a Feaver is most Malign and most Contagious there we are not to doubt of the birth of a Plague That the said Pestilence is a most Malign and Contagious Feaver is evidenced by these signatures particularly that superlative degree of Malignity is known by an universal Lassitude or Subitous soreness of all ones Limbs as if bruised or beaten sometimes a Diary Feaver but immediatly changing into a putrid and that soon after into a most Malign Feaver or a Putrid Feaver at first suddenly accrescing to a most Malign or Pestilent Feaver or a most Malign Feaver at the first attaque a great burning heat within and without sometimes the heat is moderate or scarce sensible without but within melting and burning other times the heat is not very intense either without or within continual vigilies or a perpetual restlesness with anguishing jactitations or throwing ones self from one part of the bed to the other a raging pain of the Head a sudden and raving Phrensie a loss of appetite with a loathing of all Victuals an insatiable drought frequent and anguishing Vomitings a Dysentery or griping Looseness in some in others a Costiveness The Pulses beat according to the nature of the Pestilence viz. in a Pestilent Diary great and quick in a putrid Pest inequal in motion and strength but quick in a Malign Pestilent Feaver thick low languid inequal in motion and strength quavering and intercident The Urine varies likewise accordingly and observe that both Urine and Pulses are very fallacious in Pestilentials many expiring after strong Pulses and good Urines Spots and Blotches of several colours and figures stragling over the Body some are red like fleabits but livid about others yellow livid or black A pricking of the intire skin as if stung with Nettles Risings like blisters or small tumors and pushes some red others yellow or blackish Carbuncles or red purple or blackish Boyls or inflammations about the groin under the ears or armpits which if they break contain a black crust or coal within them The single presence of these Signs are no certain Diagnosticks or Determinations of a Plague unless the said Feaver prove Infectious as two or three dying in one house or several in a Neighbourhood of one and the same kind of Feaver is no small argument Distinction IV. Causes of a Pestilent Feaver or Plague DIseases are caused through some innate or adventitious weakness of the Intrails or vitiate quality and effect of some or all the Non-naturals viz. victuals and drink air passions c. or by reason of some external errors or intemperance or ill government in the use of the said Non-naturals or mischances as falls poysons c. The first sort of these Causes evades all suspicion since strong Bodies and the best Complexions are equally exposed to the said Contagion with the worst Neither is the second accusable most persons varying in the use and election of all the Non-naturals except the air which all Inhabitants of a City or Country seeming to inspire alike or in common must likewise be the occasion of a common Disease The air to be capable of engendring a venomous and malign Disease must be first venenated or rendred poysonous it self for if distemper'd only generates no other than hot or cold dry or moist Distempers But 1. What this venom is 2. Where out 3. Through what 4. Whence this venenosity in the air arrives are intricate Queries that merit studious Solutions What is this Pestilential venom Pestilential symptoms declare nothing a proportionate efficient of their effrajable and miscreant nature but Arsenical fumes which imitating the nature of Arsenick result into a most pernicious poyson for Arsenick ingested within the Body in a course thick substance immediatly effects enormous Vomits Dysenteries burning Feavers raging Headaches c. Much more such subtil Arsenical fumes that aggress the Body from all parts Where or in what place are the said Arsenical fumes generated The Earth can only be supposed the Womb of such venene fumes which imbibing all sorts of stinking or putrid Bodies embraces them within her close recesses coagulates and kindles them into Pestilential Arsenical flames so that all manner of

stinks or rotten Bodies expiring into the air are returned by moderate Rains and so suckt in by the Earth likewise all filth and dirt thrown into standing Waters Pools Sinks Gutters or Ditches are also imbibed by the Earth or by its clammy mud and there coagulated into venene Miasms Whence its apparent that nastiness and filth of Kitchins and several nasty Trades as Tallow-Chandlers Butchers Poulterers Fishmongers Dyers c. neglect of cleansing Gutters Sinks or Ditches ●a●●ng the Streets burying the dead removing Carrions and dead Carcases are great occasions of a Plague Further observe that to the production of Pestilential atoms the concurrence of these conditions is requisite 1. That those Pestilential fumes be first embryonately or preparatively formed in a close thick or standing air that is not much ventilated and close places viz. by harbouring great quantities of stinks and corruptions and returning them to the earth or mud of standing Waters Ditches Gutters or dirt of the streets to be coagulated into venene fumes which stinks participating of a sulphurous inflamable nature do soon kindle and are converted into flaming atoms by being coagulated in close places as the pores of the earth or mud 2. A want of great showers of Rain which otherwise would prevent a Pestilence by washing away all stinks and mud clear the Gutters and Sinks cool the Earth and extinguish those late concepted venoms 3. Small Rains to open the pores of the Earth and to conveigh those corruptions in the air into her bosom 4. A dry and hot season following the moist whereby the mud of the earth is seared up and the foresaid malign coagulations are kindled into flaming atoms 5. The said Arsenical bodies being now coagulated and kindled into flaming atoms require either a very dry and warm or subtiliating air to melt and open the surface of the Earth for to disincarcerate the said venene bodies or to attract and evocate them thence Or smal Rains to unglue and relax the earth to give vent to the inflamed atoms 6. These expiring require a thick and dull air to support preserve and feed them otherwise if subtil and thin they would soon be amortised dissolved or expelled by the thin quick and moveable air But since Plagues oft reign in places where the air seems cleer and freed from all stinks or corruptions it s an argument there must be some other sort of pestiferous matter viz. Mineral arsenical fumes engendred within the bowels of the Earth for its probable the Earth being an universal Parent of various mixt bodies as Vegetables Stones and Minerals must necessarily abound with excrements that are sequestred from all those Bodies she concocts and remain unapt of being converted into them which she expels to the surface and thence into the air But if it happens the Pores of the surface should be constipated and occasion a preternatural retention of the said excrements probably the more sulphurous parts of them do putrefie and inflame in the same manner of retained excrementitious humours within the Microcosm and so assume a venene nature which expiring infect and venenate the air The Earth may also happen to be constipated upon great Frosts and so we see many Plagues derive their original from a rude Winter or by great Rains converting her surface into a tough thick mud Distinction V. How the said Venenosities cause the Plague THe said flaming Arsenical corpuscles floating in the air are attracted into the Body by Inspiration through the Lungs and Nostrils or otherwise they pierce through ones clothes and so penetrate into the pores of the intire Body The said Miasms entring the Body are not so Energick as to venenate the intire mass of blood in an instant for in that case no preservatives would avail and any Person that had but inspired the least breath of contagious air would be struck with death immediatly but by degrees gradually corrupting the blood and converting its parts into bodies of their own nature The blood being afterwards rendred so turgid with a daily access of new Pestilential atoms from without and increase of others within Nature finds her self incapable of resisting any longer and yields whereupon the concepted fiery atoms unite and excite a Pestilential fermentation the genuine cause of all those ensuing symptoms Vid. Venus Unmaskt Par. 81. Distinction VI. Whence the Durability and great Contagion of the Pest. VVE cannot rationally imagine that the Earth should be so turgid as to supply the air with such quantities of Pestilential fumes as to protract a Pestilence to a Year or two Wherefore it s very probable those flaming malignities obtain a power of kindling and converting other sulphurous exhalations the air is at such times fil'd with into Pestilent atoms you may read more of this in my Venereal Discovery Art 6. Par. 25. The cause of their duration we ascribe to their analogick animation and nutrition or attraction of fuel But upon this I have already discoursed at large in Venus Unmaskt Art 19. Par 95. Distinction VII Why are some Bodies more exposed to the Contagion than others BEcause of their passive disposition of Body and Humours to receive the Infection and of being vitiated by it to wit by foulness of their bodies abundance of bloud oppression of the Spirits aperture of their pores thinness of texture of body intemperance promiscuous converse with all sorts of people whence the contagion oft lights in Taverns Ale-houses c. Whence is it the Plague is so scattering at present Because Pestilent Seminaries chance to expire and be kindled in several places Distinction VIII Why doth the Plague haunt one place more than another BEcause one place is closer nastier and more putrid than others by being environed with ditches stincking gutters and sinks houses built upon a clay and foggy ground are more subject to conceive pestilent Seminaries Lastly some sorts of earth being more sulphurous than others are more disposed to expire venenous fumes Distinction IX How is the Pestilent Contagion propagated TWo waies Immediately by conversing with infected persons or Mediately by Pestilent Seminaries propagated through the air by continuation or by those dense bodies that easily incarcerate the infected air as woollen cloaths beds furniture in which the Contagion may be preserved several years as Fracastorius relates Distinction X. The state of this present Plague THis Contagion might have been presaged upon consideration of its precursors viz. a rude Winter want of great showers of rain a thick close sulphurous and fiery air stinks of ditches and neglect of cleansing the gutters sinks and paring the streets Whence we may collect this Pestilence derives from expiring Mineral and adventitious Arsenical exhalations The differences of Plagues are specified by the degree qualification or modus substantiae of the Pestilent Seminaries which according to their grosseness or subtility activity or hebetude cause more or less truculent plagues some partaking of such a pernicious degree of malignity that in the manner of a most presentaneous

poyson they enecate in two or three hours suddenly corrupting or extinguishing the vital spirits others at their first appulse excite a Per-per-acute malign Feaver and some begin with a putrid feaver swiftly changing into a malign one which nature this present Pest seems to have assumed gradually encroaching upon us as we have already expressed The Pestilence in respect of its Seminaries peragrates the four ordinary times to wit first the Commencement when those fiery Miasms are but newly kindled and begin to expire into the air and but few dye Secondly The Augment when the said pestilent exhalations exhale in greater quantities and kindle other Seminaries in the air Thirdly The state when they burst out in a full stream and have kindled most part of the fiery contents of the air at which time people dye thickest and fewest escape Fourthly The Declination when they begin to be extinguished and the number of burials decreases Distinction XI Prognosticks of the Plague THis Pestilence balancing the qualification of its causes and precursors with the number of the infected which considering the numerosity of the people are but few and the degree of its malignity specifying a milder sort of Plague portends no great mortality At present it is in the Augment and likely to attain to a state about the latter end of August or September according to observations of preceding Plagues that have began at the same time and season Note that most exitial feavers although not concomitated with the Tokens Exan●hemata Anthraces or Carbuncles are to be censured pestilential and contagious and therefore although such houses are not shut up it is every ones concernment to forbear making visits to any persons supposed to be dangerously ill Strong bodies and good complexions that have been temperate in their Diet kept their bodies clean and used Preservatives for a considerable time are likely to escape if they should be surprized in the Augment Distinction XII The Preservative Cure THe Preservative part seems the best easiest and surest cure of the Plague for if once attaqued it is great odds whether you escape and therefore shall principally encline my endeavours to propose the best and most certain Preservatives We have illustrated to you this Plague works upon us gradually by vitiating and corrupting our humours through the malign air against which we are to preserve our bodies and humours in their natural state and defend our selves against the injuries of the air 1. Our bodies and humours are best preserved by feeding moderately upon meats of easie digesture and of a dry temperature as Mutton Veal Hens Capons c. but dry roasted By being temperate in drink avoiding French Wines Sack Strong Alc and especially musty Beer Coffee is commended against the Contagion likewise moderate exercise be sure to prevent costiveness and violent passions Sleep moderately and after you are up uncover your bed and open the curtains to air it and have the bed well shaken when it is made for damps are very dangerous Abstain from all moist victuals as fish and moist fruits especially from Cowcumbers Lettuce Spinnage Plumbs Peaches c. Oranges and Lemmons are judged very good against Infection likewise Vinegar To go forth with an empty or hungry stomach is unwholsom because the spirits tending from the circumference to the stomach and intrails to attract nutriment their deserted vacuities in the extremities are filled up with the infectious air The best breakfast against the Contagion is Bisquit and Raisins 2. Plethory or abundance of bloud oppressing the spirits that are already engaged by the malign air oppugning them from without is very apt to putrefie and to be converted into malignity and therefore Phlebotomy or opening a vein is of absolute necessity whereby the vessels are rendred more loose and free for the spirits to work in 3. Likewise foulness of body or excrementitious humours lodging in hidden recesses being disposed to putrefaction and oppressing the spirits ought to be exquisitely purged away 4. These internal disorders or apparent intestine hostilities being thus prevented you are to provide against the injuries of the venene air which assaults us two waies 1. Through the nostrils and lungs by Inspiration 2. Through the pores of the body especially where the skin is thinnest and the Arteries most detected for the vital spirits seem to attract the air potently through the Arteries as about the wrists temples Jugulars groin and under the arm pits The Indicata relating to those Indicantia are 1. Perfumes to smell to correcting and purifying the air before it is attracted by the Lungs or rather antipestilential unguents and oyls to annoint the nostrils with for it is tedious to be alwaies obliged to hold a perfume to ones nose besides I observe most people that carry those perfumed boxes about with them imagine them sufficient preservatories as if the Infection were only taken by inspiration through the Nostrils but that is a great mistake since the Contagion doth more ordinarily penetrate into the body through the pores of the Arteries 2. Lavatories to wash the temples hands wrists and Jugulars do potently profligate and keep off the venome But I should rather advise Antipestilential Emplasters to be applied to the wrists temples groin and arm-pits which is a most excellent and commodious way of preserving because those Lavatories are easily dried up 3. Since it is impossible that those that are encompassed with a pestilential air can so preserve themselves but at one time or other the Contagion will enter into this or that part it is advisable we should continually fortifie our spirits with internal Antidotes to expell those Venenosities as fast as they croud in The Antidotes ought to be so qualified as in a single Doss to retain the bloud in a continual mild fermentation for 24 hours known by a small glowing of the body and extremities whereby the insidiating corpuscles are expulsed and the advenient ones kept off and such are only gross Diaphoreticks given in substance that scarce exhale out of the body in less time than a natural day Hence appears the vulgar vanity reposing an indubious confidence in a spoonful or two of those ordinary Antipestilential spirits as that of Sir Walter Rawleigh the Lord Bacon Mithridate Treacle and a thousand more that are composed out of the same sudorifick ingredients which because of their subtil parts and exiguous Dose are consumed and evaporated in less than two hours time and so the body is deserted without defence for the remainder of the day besides they are apt to inflame the body enrage the Gall and engender pernicious humours Neither as we may universally observe is the Plague more shie in attaquing those that are armed with the said Antipestilentials than others that slight all Preservatives But the greatest levity and imprudence is that people should so preposterously addict themselves to tipling of the fore-instanced spirits which encountring with foul bodies and Plethories and exciting a fermentation of those vitiate humours