Cause of this disease as the Galenists affirm is a certain venom which preys upon the blood is hurtful to the liver and works by second qualities heat and drowth The Chymists not much differing from them define it to be a venemous ferment that like a stink seizeth upon the solid and liquid parts of the body But most commonly it associates it self with the excrements which are the matter of diseases that have not the power to resist its virulences This contagious disease is contracted many wayes as by touch in coition by reason that the active force of the poyson communicates its venome by means of that corrupt matter or those stinking vapours that proceed from the infected person Now because that cannot happen but by touch it follows that the signs of the disease must first appear in those parts which first are lyable by that contaction to receive the infection And therefore we alwaies find the first symptoms in the privie parts Sometime it is contracted by lying together in the same bed by reason that the sweat and impure vapours that exhale from a defil'd body corrode and penetrate the skin of him that is sound In the same manner the chaps are infected by drinking together the nostrills by receiving the evil sents of his body As to the parties receiving some whose skins are soft and tender their vessels larger their spirits more subtile and more inflam'd their blood more thin and hot have a less force to resist and are consequently more apt to receive this poyson So we see the tenderest parts of the same body soonest infected as the privities which are very tender and still heated and rarefy'd by copulation The mouth also and jaws are in the same danger by reason of the softness and thinness of the subject Young men also are sooner infected then aged and the weaker young men sooner then those who are of stronger constitutions But women are less subject to infection then men by reason of the coldness of their temper as also because those parts are wash'd by their natural evacuations CHAP. II. Of the signs and symptomes of this disease THE signes and symptomes how you shall know those that are infected with this grief appear by the following effects Now because the signs doe proceed and are taken either from the nature of the effects or from the causes of the sickness and also from some symptoms or causes thereof and also because this disease beginneth in the liver which cannot be look'd into let us not look for any signs which may be common to other diseases but let us seek for such signs as can give certain testimony and shew thereof as being contained under the effects and consequently proceeding immediately from the disease Of these signs there be two sorts some are symptoms as falling off of the hair aches in the head and members and small infection of the skin But those which I call diseases proceeding from the disease are those sore and vehement ulcers tumors of the shins and other parts of the body with pustules Of these symptoms some happen at the beginning some when the disease is grown more prevalent and vigorous Those of the first sort are these that follow When a man is first infected He feels a certain weariness come upon all his members without any outward occasions such as walking or violent exercise There will be also a lumpish heaviness over the whole body a dulness faintness and slowness to move in all the members The occasion of this is the infection of the natural spirits which are the immediate instrument that give livelyness to the whole body which being infected it must of necessity follow that the whole body should be more weary and heavy then it was before There is moreover a certain pain or ache which wandreth throughout all the body and the several parts thereof First the head aketh then it leaveth the head and goeth into the shoulders by and by it leaveth one shoulder and goeth into another out of the shoulders it flyes to the leggs sometimes in one leg and sometimes in another The cause of this is a certain vapor which taketh it's course from the liver 'T is true that the evil humour is not yet quite begotten but by reason of the fervent heat of the liver which is caused by the infection there is a certain small vapour ingendred which is the cause of these pains that wander up and down the body Now after that the disease hath a little prevailed the colour of the face is quite altered Those that before were of most lively and clear complexions are in very short while all discoloured The lively spirit of the eyes and the comely colours of the mouth and cheeks will be altogether of another Hew and besides this there will be under the eyes of a wan colour'd or blewish circle such as appears in women that have Their stomachs will be much taken off from their meat they will have pains in the night coming upon them much about the time they goe to sleep will many times wake them out of their sleep They are colder then ordinary and more over they have an itching pain in their shin-bones which abates no longer then while you are gently rubbing of the part Besides all this they will be troubled with drowsiness or a disposition to sleep which shall be often interrupted There is wont also to be a notable heat in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet though it be in the winter time Neither is sadness of the mind to be left out for though the party infected should be of a pleasant and merry nature yet will this disease cause him to be sad even to such a height as to groan therewith The infection now increasing burneth the blood which causes a feaver by reason of the heat which is about the distemper'd parts By this appears the putrify'd matter which is a sign to discover the malady for when you see this putrify'd matter yet in small quantity about the yard knowing no occasion thereof to have gone before you may safely pronounce it to be the French disease For this matter cannot proceed but from two causes either because of the corruption of the womans Matrix which may have eaten and gnawn the fine skin of the yard or else by reason that the contagion being imparted unto the Liver by the naturall spirits the liver therefore expells those infected spirits and sanious matter down again upon the privie parts Besides these common signs there are others of another nature as bubo's which aâ—e small tumors in the armholes or groyn and privie parts afterward a general itching over the whole body and sometimes sore and angry pustules or breakings out in the head face and other parts CHAP. III. Of the cause of the coming forth of those pustules and other tumours THE chief cause why these pustules break forth are first because the infected matter is sent thither by
of the Gonorrhea THere is a much prudence and discretion required in the Physitian or Surgeon in the cure of the Gonorrhea as in the cure of the French disease in regard of the great danger there is in stopping of the Gonorrhea suddenly in some bodyes and the safety of curing it with all speed in others in those bodyes that are extream foul upon a Gonorrhea nature takes her opportunity to purge the whole body by the seminary vessel Now when this passage is suddenly stopped except there be some other way to carry away the matter which doth continually flow to these parts experience teaches us that there doe dangerous symptomes arise from thence as intollerable pain in the back sickness in the stomack vomiting or a desire to vomit inflammation swelling and extream pain in the stones feavers and fainting fitts and sometimes death it self In some such body's as those are whether you would cure them after the first or second way set down in the twenty first and twenty second Chapters perhaps besides what is mentioned in the aforesaid Chapters there will be occasion to use the sweating potion mentioned in the twenty third Chapter and on the contrary there are some bodyes that doe not require so much circumstance of medicine as is mentioned in the foresaid Chapter but may perhaps be cured onely by the potion in the twenty first Chapter or the plaister and electuary in the twenty second Chapter or else by the pills in the twenty third This depends wholly upon the prudence honesty and knowledge of the Surgeon The like prudence and knowledge is necessary to distinguish a simple Gonorrhea from a virulent Gonorrhea as also in prescribing a fit dyet according to the several Circumstances of the patient as whether he be young or in years whither he have a full or a spare body and lastly whither he be of a hot cold or indifferent temper CHAP. XXVIII For a Bubo VVHen the swelling rises avoyd no debaâ—ush or violent exercise to bring it forth If it rise not fast enough use cupping glasses When t is come to a head lance it or apply a Caustick to it the filth being out tent it to its full depth covering the tent with Basilicon Doron or some such medicament that draws without enflaming keep it open a month or five weeks with moderate exercise and dyet drinking the purging decoction mentioned in the second Chapter Take as much rest as you can and when the orifice inclines to heal purge as you see occasion FINIS The CONTENTS of all the Chapters contained in this Book CHAP. I. OF the name causes and original of the French Disease pag. 1 CHAP. II. Of the signs and symptomes of this disease 6 CHAP. III. Of the cause of the coming forth of those pustules and other tumours 12 CHAP. IV. General observations concerning the cure of the French disease 16 CHAP. V. Of the preparation of the humours 17 CHAP. VI. Of the dyet used in the cure of this disease 24 CHAP. VII The first way of curing the French disease 25 CHAP. VIII Of chusing your Guaiacum and China 27 CHAP. IX Of the Second way of curing the French disease 31 CHAP. X. The third way of curing the French disease 36 CHAP. XI The fourth way of curing the French disease 38 CHAP. XII The fifth way of curing the French disease 42 CHAP. XIII The sixt way of curing the French disease 41 CHAP. XIV The seventh way of curing the French disease 42 CHAP. XV. The eight way of curing the French disease 44 CHAP. XVI The ninth way of curing the French disease 45 CHAP. XVII The second Chymical way of curing the French disease 47 CHAP. XVIII Of the Curing the pustles coming of the French disease 50 CHAP. XIX To cure a Bubo 53 CHAP. XX. Instructions to put in practise the several ways of curing the French disease before rehearsed 55 CHAP. XXI Of the cure of the Gonorrhea called the Running of the Reins 60 CHAP. XXII The second way of curing the running of the reines 63 CHAP. XXIII The third way of curing the Running of the reines 65 CHAP. XXIV The fourth way of curing the Gonorrhea 68 CHAP. XXV The fifth way of curing the Gonorrhea 69 CHAP. XXVI The chymical way of curing a virulent Gonerrhea 72 CHAP. XXVII General observations concerning the Cure of the Gonorrhea 74 CHAP. XXVIII For a Bubo 77 The end of the Table
A new Discovery OF THE FRENCH DISEASE AND RUNNING of the REINS THEIR Causes Signs with plain and easie Direction of perfect curing the same By R. BUNWORTH The second Edition corrected with large Additionals LONDON Printed for Henry Marsh at the Princes-Arms in Chancery-lane 1666. The Book-seller to the Author SIR when you see wee have not Grav'd your face But put this Mountebanke into your Place T is from designe to make noe shewes of you As such as promise more then they can doe Your whole fac'd cures Refuse you should be shown By shaddows or by halves your art alone That can Preserve entire and save the frame Of others shall be praised in the same There 's Beauty in those Scars that you have cur'd And double Pleasure while they have endur'd Further this kindesse is diffusive too Like the Disease you curteously doe You cure the Pox as it did first begin By Prostitution of your Medicin Others their Patients belief betray Your Publication is the Secret'st way H. MARSH The PREFACE to the READER Courteous Reader HAving had continual and dayly experience for some years together in the cure of the French disease with as good success as my own heart could desire I thought it necessary to publish all those several ways which I have made use of in the cure of this disease in several constitutions that other people might receive the benefit also of our labours and studies that I might shew my self a profitable member of the Common-wealth wherein I lived and in that City wherein was my present abode but now having found that that which we then did only for a tryall hath bin so well received into the world we thought it our duty to make it publick again with additions being assured that only the benefit which it brought along with it gave it so free a welcom and entertainment in the world And certainly for the time of publishing it it never could have bin more seasonable in regard that besides the multitude of those that are infected with venereal distempers such is the dark ignorance of most in this City who publickly profess to cure the same by sticking their bills upon posts to catch ignorant Countrie people that scarce one in twentie can give cure of that disease which they profess to cure The patient tells them and then they tell the patient again that he hath got a clap which signifies just as much as if they had said nothing at all And then out of ignorance or deceit they ingage the patient into a long and tedious Course of Physick until the time of the year shall have cured the disease for the present which they wholly ascribe to the Physick he took but the next Spring the patient finds by wofull experience the contrary for as the year getts up so doth the disease dayly increase which these Empyricks pretend to have cured Then he goes to another such like Mountebank which deales no better with him then did the former And thus is he miserably deluded for two or three years together until at length he concludes that the disease is incurable and so he is inforced to make much of his disease untill it brings him into some other distemper which kills him T is a vain thing and I am sorry that poor people should be so far deluded to think their disease incurable because these Quacksalvers tell them so For I here publickly profess by Gods blessing to cure this disease within the space of forty days in any that have had it above a dozen years by such means as are here set down in this small treatise which we have once more by reason of the publick recommendations that have bin given it published for the comfort of all those that are distressed and for the benefit of the young Practitioner of whom now I am speaking I shall take leave to give him these few exhortations first to avoyd the common fault of all practitioners which is covetousness and not to exact upon the necessities of others that are in distress in the next place let him not be too inquisitive of any patient who he is or where he dwells especially if he have a mind to conceal himself thy business being only to cure him which ease speed and safety Thirdly if thou knowest the patient judge not rashly of him for as an Artist you must know that the French disease may be got by lying in a hot bed with another or by drinking with him or by setting on the Close stool after him and so the Running of the reins may be got by riding lifting or any manner of streining as using too frequent copulation with a mans own wife Fourthly so to contrive the business that not any one of thy patients may know that the other is thy patient that each patient may be with all possible privacy Fiftly neither flatter nor dally with any patient whatsoever Tell him not that the cure will not be troublesome when thou in thy conscience knowst that it will and on the contrary doe not affright him when thou knowst that he is in no danger The observation of those instructions will give a repute to the practise of whosoever shall have a care not to deviate from them which I wish to all honest and painfull practitioners and that the abuses of Mountebanks may be discovered and avoyded which as it will be profitable to the judicious practitioner so it will not be a little advantageous to the patient Farewel R. B. CHAP. I. Of the name causes and original of the French Disease THE French pox is certainly a new disease and not known in Europe till within this hundred years For when Charles the eight king of France beseig'd Naples which was in the year 1494. it first began to spread it self not only through his army but through all Italy being brought by the Spaniards from the American Islands into these parts of the world It hath been variously named some calling it the Spanish some the Italian some the French disease Others not willing to injure any nation have stil'd it the Venereal plague Now what it is whence it deduceth it's original and to what kind of disease it ought to be referr'd it is a great difficulty to determine Some will have it to be the effect of divine justice Others say it proceeds from a manifest distemper of the aire that is when it is very moist But this stands not with reason when we find that this disease is contracted as well in times of drowth as well as moisture Nor can the aire be the cause of it seeing that never any man was yet infected with the breath of the most distemper'd person Some blame the copulation of a leprous souldier with a noble courtesan in Spain to have been the original thereof for when other young men came and made the same use of her the Foulness of the former mixture dispers'd this contagion to their bodies and they to others The
the liver Secondly because the parts infected doe not digest and expel the excrements by way of transpiration and therefore it remains there and grows into crusts But there are besides these pustules other signs of the disease as the hanging down of the Uvula in the further part of the mouth which causeth much moisture to come into the mouth by reason wereof happens a very great hoarsness Wherefore if you hear your patient speak hoarsely open his mouth and you shall perceive the Uvula full of moisture which if the patient have no Catarrhe is a confirm'd sign of the disease The cause of the moistness of the Uvula is the change and infection of the naturall spirits which being carried with the blood throughout every vein of the whole body by reason of their infection lose their strength so that their function grows weak and feeble in the stomach which causes and engenders flegm and unnatural humours in the brains which abundance of humours falling down upon the Uvula are the cause of it's being press'd down if the blood be sharper it consumes the rootes of the hair which causeth them to fall off it exulcerates the mouth the palate and the nose Now the cause of hoarsness of the voice is humidity and excrements which stop and let the wayes of the voice There be other tumours denoting this disease as such are the tumours of the glandules in the further part of the mouth which when ere you see be out of doubt that the infection of this disease is confirmed For the infection being now sent to the head is expelled by his emunctory places which are the glandules There are in the last place certain other tumours called gummata or bumbata by reason that the matter contained in them resembleth the gum of trees which happens either because the partie is not well nourish'd but heapes up abundance of undigested excrements or else because the liver continually feeds them with the infected matter of the disease Note here that if an asthma happen upon this disease it declares the party to be past cure and therefore let never any man seek to put such a one to pain by medecines or other means for they shall never heal such a one These signs confirming the certainty of the infection care must be had that you know the time of the infection for if it be new and lately contracted it requires a shorter and easier cure if it be of a long standing it requires a longer and more artificial cure CHAP. IV. Generall observations concerning the cure of the French disease THis small Treatise which we are now about to write doth contain all both the known and secret ways of curing the French disease which are at this day practised either in London Paris Venice Rome or any other part of the world yet all these would be in vain without some general of what is to be done before the cure in the cure and after the cure Before you proceed to the particular cure of this disease let the body be sufficiently cleansed otherwise that which you give to cure the disease will work upon some other superfluous humour of the body and leave the disease but half cured for though the symptoms will for the present abate and the disease seem to be wholly cured yet the next spring after the patient shall be sure to know by wofull experience that his Doctor was but an Emperick CAP. V. Of the preparation of the humours THE humours predominant in the constitution of every person are Phlegme Blood Choler or Melancholy and according to the particular abundancy of either of these humours people are said to be phlegmatick sanguine cholerick or melancholick If the patient be Phlegmatick first prepare his body and then purge him let him be prepared with this following Apozeme Take rootes of Parsley Fennel Grass butchers brome and Asparagus an ounce Maidenhaire one handful Penyroyal half a handful Cinamon and Liquorice an ounce cut slice or bruise them according to Art then boyle them all together in whitewine and spring water of each a pound and half until half be wasted strein away the ingredients and sweeten the Liquor with six ounces of Oxymel Julianizan drink of this four ounces fasting in the morning and as much to bedward so long as it shall last The next day after he hath taken his Apozeme in the morning fasting give him this following Purging potion and if need require two days after purge him again Take Senna three drams Agarick two Scruples Caraway-seeds half a dram Cinamon and Squinanth one scruple infuse them all night in four ounces of white wine strein it then added Manna and Syrrup of Roses solute half an ounce Tartarum vitriolatum ten grains The next day after proceed to the particular cure If the patient be of a sanguine constitution take from his right arm ten ounces of blood more or less according to his age strength and time of the year The next day after bleeding proceed to the particular cure If the patient be cholerick purge him with this following potion Take Senna two drams Rhubarb and Tamarinds an' a dram Coriander seeds prepared half a dram creame of Tartar a scruple infuse them in three ounces and a half of sorrel water for the space of twelve hours strain it and put to the strained liquor one ounce and a half of syrup of Roses and one drop of oyle of Cinamon If you perceive by his excrements that his body be very fowle purge him again after two days intermission and the next day after begin with his particular cure If the patient be melancholy take from his left arme nine ounces of blood more or less according to his strength age and the time of the year The next day after bleeding let him take of this following preparative Apozeme Take Borage Bugloss Maiden-hair Ceterach and Fumitory of each a small handfull the roots of grass Asparagus and liquorice an one ounce Cream of Tartar half an ounce boyle them altogether in two quarts of spring water untill half be wasted strein it and sweeten the strained liquor with six ounces of syrrup of Apples Give him four ounces of it in the morning fasting and as much at night towards bed time as long as it shall last The next day after he hath taken all his Apozeme let him purge with this following potion Take Senna three drams black Hellebore one dram Agarick half a dram Galingale and Squinanth an one scruple Spikenard ten grains Infuse them all night in four ounces and a half of Borage water in the morning put to the streyned Liquor one ounce and a half of syrup of Roses and five drops of oyle of vitriol Two days after he hath taken this potion if need require purge him again with two scruples of extractum Rudii made up into five pills The next day after he hath taken his pills take more blood from him as you shall see occasion and then proceed to