from bloud in the Liuer and sucked from thence into the Raines from whence it distilleth downe into yâ— Bladder and soe passeth foorth Seeing therefore that Vrine is the excrement that is seperated from yâ— bloud there is good cause why it should shew the state of the Liuer of the Bloud in all partes of the body and it can also declare the state of all such members as it passeth by as of the Raines the Bladder and such like But certainely in other diseases that be out of the Vaines be distant from the places by which the Vrine passeth there is no certaine iudgment to be geuen by the Vrine vnlesse the vehemencie of the disease hath infected the bloud or the Liuer after some sort Neuertheles such is yâ— ignoraÌ„ce of many people that they thinke him woorthye of noe estimation in Phisicke which cannot at the first sighte of the Vrine although it hath been carried xx Miles tel whether it be the water of a man or a woman and how the disease greeueth the patient better then himselfe also whether he shall liue or dye what disease soeuer it be which thinges vndoubtedly in diuers diseases are impossible to be knowne by the onely sight and inspection of the Vrine Therefore it is very necessarie for him that will minister Phisicke duly and rightfully to obserue these 4. rules following That is to say first to see the sick Person to conferre with him or her which soeuer it be for there is none that can soe well declare any griefe whatsoeuer it be as he can that is troubled therewith Secondly to view and feele the Pulses and to obserue well the state of them Thirdlye to view very diligently all the excrements not onely the vrine but also the Spettle Sweat and Ordure Fourethlie and last of all to haue a respect to the place where the griefe is and to consider well the accidents that doe arise thereof not omitting to know the former diet and trade of life which the sicke person hath vsed These thinges then being diligentlie seuerally marked the Phisition may more certainly learne the chiefest cause of the disease the strength thereof and to what ende it will come vnto then by seeing the Vrine onely and also by what meanes he may minister a meete medicine for it whereby the sick person may soone finde ease and purchase vnto himselfe exceading greate fame Thus haue I partely declared what thinges oughte to be knowne of euery Phisition that thereby he might withdraw take awaye the fonde and foolish opinion that a greate number of people do deeme to be true that is that the sight of the Vrine is sufficient ynough for a cunning PhisitioÌ„ perfectlie to know the disease of the sicke and the true cause thereof to minister apt medicines for it And now I cease to speake any more hereof but I will as briefly as I may entreate somwhat of the vse and benefit that doth arise come of Purging and Bloud-letting I would wish all those that do practise the same to be carefull thereof Note also that if the bodye of a manne doe abound with humours which are ready to oppresse nature then whether there be any sicknes in the body present by meanes of them or if there be but daunger of sicknes those humours must be euacuat out of the bodie eyther by Bloud-letting Purging vomit Sweating Bathes or else by some other kind of euacuation But I will speake here onely of euacuation by Bloud-letting and Purging and first of all of Bloudletting There be diuers thinges to be considered of before Bloud-letting as the age of the patient the complexion the time of the yeare the region the custome the strength and the vehemencie of the disease The age must be considered because Children vnder 14. yeares of age and old folke may not be let bloud vnlesse great necessitie require it The complexion is to be noted because a hote complexion hath large vaines and aboundeth with much bloud and they may therefore forbeare a good quantitie of bloud But colde complexions haue narrow vaines and litle bloud and therfore theire euacuation must be small The time of the yeare must be very well marked that the weather be not too hote nor too colde and therefore the spring time is the most aptest time for bloud-letting because that then it is temperate The Region and Cuntrey is to be spoken of because it is to be noted that if the Region be very hote or else very colde it is not good to let bloud but a temperate Region is moste meetest of all for it Custome is not to be neglected for thereby we may knowe that they that haue bene accustomed to bleede may better suffer bloud-letting then those that were neuer letten bloud at any time before The strength of the Person must be regarded for if there be greate weakenes then is it very daungerouse to let bloude at all except great necessitie compelleth Also the vehemencie of the disease is worthie to be marked for if it be a vehemente disease then you must let bloud foorthwith if the former circumstances will permit it These thinges being considered if they will permit bloud-letting and if it be in a needefull cause then it shal be very necessarie to knowe in what signe the Moone is in for you muste take heed that she be not in the signe that gouerneth that member wherein you intend to open the vaine also to forsee that shee be in such a signe as is good to let bloude in The vses and commodities of bloud-letting are these that are here expressed First This is a generall rule that bloud-letting is a very good remedie for all diseases that be engendred of aboundance flowing or eruption of bloud as be chieflie the Feuers called Sinochy Also the Phrenesie Squinancie Plurisie Peripnewmony Opthalmie and against all inflamatious and impostumatioÌ„s engendred of bloude in the Lyuer the Spleene the Raines the Wombe the Share the Arme-holes the Armes the Legges and to conclude in all inwarde or outwarde partes wheresoeuer the inflamation bee bloud-letting is good for it whether it be now present or that there be any danger that it wil shortely engender Also Bloud-letting is good in Feuers whether they be continuall or intermittent insomuch that the obstructions stoppinges of the Vaines be caused of immoderate repletion of the humoures Note also that Bloud-letting doth emptie aud euacuat from the bodie all humours alike as well the good as the bad And therefore it is chieflie to be vsed when there is to great an abâ—â—dance of bloude in the bodie other humours which doe straine the vaines and that there is greate daunger ieopardie in breaking of some vaines or the brusing out of some fluxe of bloude or of choking and to extinguish naturall heate And therefore in such cases you must let bloud with all spead although the sicknes be not already present For by letting of bloud
A Rich Store-house or Treasury for the Diseased Wherein are many approued Medicines for diuers and sundry Diseases which haue been long hidden and not come to light before this time Now set foorth for the great benefit and comfort of the poorer sort of people that are not of abillitie to go to the Physitions Rebus aduersis constans AT LONDON Printed for Thomas Purfoot and Raph Blower Ann. 1596. ¶ To the Right Honorable Thomas Skinner Lord Mayor of the City of London IT hath been and is right Honorable a lawdable custome in this Citie that at the entring of any Lord Maior into his Office not onely his familiar friends and acquaintance but also of euery fraternitie some selected men should present his Lordship with one gift or other Whereby they do not only congratulate with him his late increase of honor but also those presents are as tokens or earnest pence of their yeelding dutie and obedience vnto his Lordship during his office In like sort I my selfe though one of the poorest yet a Citizen and none of the least in humble obedience and dutifull good meaning towardes your honor am imboldened to present your Lordship with this Booke intituled A rich Store-house or Treasury for the Diseased A Booke Right Honorable very necessary and conuenient to bee vsed of the poorer sorte of people for the preseruation of their health that are not of abilitie to go to the Phisitions and I assuring my selfe that your Lordship will vouchsafe to be a protector of the poore peoples profit and good both in health and wealth the same comming by chaunce into my hands haue thought it good to publish it vnder your honorable name whose Authority may best countenance the same and whose curteous admittance shall be a sufficient guerdon of my dutifull good meaning heerein If my worth were greater my dutie would shew greater in the meane time as it is it is bound to your Lordship To whome I wish long life still lengthened with all happinesse Your Lordships in all duty Raph Blower ⧠DIVERS SVNDRYE GOOD Instructions Rules for all such as are the true Practisers of Phisick and Chirurgerie which are very meete and conuenient to be obserued and knowne vnto them And also concerning Bloud-letting Purging and of the vse and commoditie that often times commeth thereof FOR AS MVCH as Health is profitable and pleasant to all men since that all men do continually wish and pray eyther for the restitution or coÌ„tinuance of the same and how that it is the propertie of nature onely to fighte and striue against diseases and also that the Phisition is but the minister and seruant of nature either to apply such thinges to her as may be vsed to distroy the disease withall or els by taking away the greatest parte of the same matter which causeth and mainteyneth the sickenes and therefore it is very meete necessarie for euery Phisition before such time as he doe minister any thinge at all to the sick person diligentlie to learne and to search out perfectly the principall cause of the disease in the which â—â—be be ignorant it is more by good fortune then by any cunning or skill that he doe euer cure any disease at all For how is it possible to helpe nature with that which she hath neede of â— except it be first knowne what she needeth which none can knowe except the cause of the disease be first manifestly knowne vnto him soe yâ— he may minister thinges directly contrary to the cause of the same disease And therefore I doe most greatelye lamente the ignorance of the common sort of People who for the moste parte are perswaded that one medicine is sufficient for one disease not regarding that one disease may come of sundrye causes and therefore it doth necessarilie require diuers medicines as for example weaknes of the stomacke that it cannot digest well or that it hath no good Appetite is one disease which neuerthelesse may come a dozen sundrie waies at the least Therefore the cure of it cannot be alwaies with one medicine As if weakenes of the stomacke doe come of a weake distempure of it selfe onely then it must of necessitie be made hotte by some meanes but if heate be the cause of weakenes then it must needes be cooled Likewise you must moisten drynes and drye moisture But if the weakenes doe come of some superfluous humour that both abound which hath flowed into the stomacke or hath been there ingendred then must that ill humour of necessitie be purged out eyther by a vomite or els a purgation with a meeke medicine for it And if it be fleame then with a medicine that expelleth sleame But if choller be abounding there then must it be such a medicine as doth purg choller And likewise for melancholy a meete Purgation must be vsed to expell the humour But if the imbecillitie of the stomacke be caused by a distillation and Rewme that falleth out of the head into it then is the cure to be remedied in yâ— head and not in the stomacke Likewise if distempure of the liuer or spleene doe weaken the stomacke then the cure consisteth in the healing of those members and not in ministring of any thinge for the stomacke Therefore let no man thinke it sufficient for the Phisition if he knowe that a man hath such a disease as the Ague the Collick the Flix or such other like c. that then hee maye straighte way if he be skillfull minister a medicine meet for it Noe not foe but he must first search by all meanes possible the very cause it selfe of the disease which many ignorant People doe perswade themselues that a skilfull Phisition may doe in all diseases by the onely sight inspection of the Vrine But alas they are altogether deceiued and for to come to yâ— knowledg of the cause of some inward disease the Vrine profiteth nothing at all for in moste inwarde diseases of the bodye there ought as greate a regard to be had and taken to the Pulses and to the dispositions state of the Braine of him that is sick as there should be had of the Vrine Also the Egestions Sweat Spettle and other Excrements are not to be neglegted in soemuch that at some time they do declare yâ— cause of the disease and the state thereof when the Vrine doeth not shewe any thinge at all Likewise for example in a Plurisie or an inflamation of the Lunges or in a Squinancie or such like there is more to be knowne by Spettle then there is by Vrine Also in a Laske or a bloudye Flixe or in a Collicke or Iliake there is more certaintie of Iudgment to be geuen by Egestion or Ordure then there is by Vrine Which thinges those that are not altogether addicted to their owne fantasies may easely by good reason be perswaded to credite for Vrine is nothing else but the watrie and washie parte of the bloude for it is seperated
as any Purgation be ministred for some signes are very good for it other some are euill Therefore I would wish all such as doe take vpon them the ministring of any Purgation to haue great regard before they do minister it of the sicke person the time and the place greeued and also to marke wel all such thinges as are before rehearsed least that they doe more hurt thereby in one day to the sicke person then they are able to doe him good in a whole yeare and yet they may doe it of meere simplicite not knowing themselues what they haue done neyther are they able to cure the same wound which they themselues haue made A Purgation must be taken hote for soe it offendeth the stomacke least and it will worke the sooner Also those that are apt to vomite and are not able to endure the smell of the Purgation let them stoppe their nosethrills or else let them smell to some odorifferous thinge when they are about to take it and assoone as it is taken it is good for the Patient to smell to a toste of browne bread dipped in vineger and to applie warme clothes to the stomacke and to wash the mouth presently after that it is taken with some odoriferous wine or els to chew some sweete and pleasant thing to take away the bitter taste or smell of the medicine by this meanes vomiting shal be eschewed Likewise for the space of one houre after that the Purgation is taken let the Patient sit still and keepe himselfe quiet and without any sleepe at all that the strength of the medicine may passe into all partes of his body but if the Purgation do worke slowly let him walke vp and downe for a good space after if he can and when it worketh in any case there must be great care taken that the Patient do not sleepe for soe the operation of y◠medicine would be stopped Also in the time of Purging immoderate heate and cold are to be eschewed and therefore a very great fier and the cold open ayre are both hurtefull for the body must be kept in a tēperate heate After that the Purgation hath done workinge the Patient must be nourished with a meane quantitie of some broth that will breede good iuice and be easelie digested and afterwards by little litle returne to his accustomed diet againe Thus haue I as brieflye as I could declared the commodities which doe come of bloud-letting and Purging being wel and duely ministred and vsed and also of the discommodities that will eusue both of bloud-letting and Purging if they be at any time misused wishinge all men as they doe tender theire health and liues to beware of those ignorant persons who doe most commonly vse to open but one kinde of vaine for all maner of diseases and doe occupie but one kinde of Purgation against all humours not considering at all the strength and the age of the Patient neyther the time nor the chiefe cause of the comminge of the disease whatsoeuer it bee nor of any other of the circumstances afore named but let them alwaies seeke for the counsaile and aide of one that is knowne to be skilfull in Phisicke and Chirurgerie and is circumspect in his doinges Who can consider what neede they haue what is most meete to be ministred vnto them for y◠same disease ⸫ Cap. 1. ¶ An approued Medicine for an Ache or swelling TAKE Time Lauender cotten Knotty Strawberies of ech of thē one handfull then cut them and beate them in a Morter when you haue soe done then take 4. or 5. Swallowes out of a Neste being ripe and beate thē in y◠Morter with the Hearbes vutill you cannot perceiue the feathers and then take halfe a pounde of fresh Butter vnsalted and mingle them altogether and let them stand for the space of 24. houres then seeth and straine them into a gally pot or else into some earthen vessell And so vse it twice a day in anointing of the place where the griefe is and in fiue or sixe dayes it will be whole This hath bene often proued Cap. 2. ¶ An other for the same TAKE of Sage Rue otherwise called hearb-grace of ech of them one pounde and halfe a pound of wormwood and halfe a pound of Bay leaues beate them altogether in a Morter then take three pounde of Sheepes suet and cut it very smale and put it to the hearbes then put it into a Morter and beat it with the hearbes vntill y◠suet cannot be perceiued then take it out and put thereto a pottle of Sallet oyle and soe worke them altogether with your handes vntill such time as they be very well steeped in the Oyle then keepe it close in an earthen pot for the space of eight or nine daies then seethe it in a brasse Pot with a softe Fire vntill y◠strength of the hearbes be gone to trie it take a spoonefull of it and put it into a linnen cloth and so straine it and if there be any iuice left in it then is it not boyled to his perfection but if you find none therein then is it well boyled And thus must you prooue all good oyntments made with hearbes then straine it and annoint the place grieued often therewith Cap. 3. ¶ A present Remedy for an ould Ache. TAke very strong Aquauitae and two spoonefuls of the water of Arstmart and annoint the place where the Ache is euery day two or three times and it will spedily heale it Cap. 4. ¶ Another for the same TAke Aquacomposita and the oyle of Netes feet luke warme and annoint the Patient vpon the place of the griefe laying warme clothes thereon Cap. 5. ¶ A Medicine for an Ache or shrinking of any Sinewes TAke the tenderings of Rosemary marsh mallowes by as euen portions as you can gesse and gather your hearbes when they be drie from any raine and dewe Beate them in a morter very small then take Maie butter well clarified and put it to the hearbes and mingle it in a vessell and then let it stand foure daies then set it ouer the fier and let it seeth till all the strength of the hearbs be gone then take a little of it in a spoone and let it drop vpon your nasle and if it be greene as the Emerauld it is perfect and then put it into an earthen pot and when you will vse it you must warme it Cap. 6. ¶ A perfect Medicine for an ache or Sciatica TAKE Oyle of Netes feete and Aqua composita and mingle them both together and set the Patient anoint the place where the paine is then let him take Wooll which is newly plucked from the Sheepes backe and let him lay it thereupon let him wrappe it well with warme clothes Cap. 7. ¶ A present remedie for all maner of aches and bruses in the bones TAKE a good quātitie of Wall-woort and a certaine quantitie of Balme and Smallege and stampe them
these very well together and make a Pultis of them and lay it to the place where the griefe is and this will help him Probatum est ¶ An excellent good Medicine to heale the French Pox. TAke Goacum Capium halfe a pound Salsa perilla two ounces Barke of Goacum two ounces Licquorice one ounce Annise seedes one ounce Fennell seede one ounce Seeny one ounce and of Betany Scabions Smallege Pellitory of the wall Penyroyall Harts-toong Maydenhere wild Mints or red Mints red Sage Oculus Christi Liuerwort and of the hearbe Mercury of euery one of them a good handfull cleane picked and washed and then put all these together to sleepe for the space of one whole night in three gallons of faire running Water or else in two gallons of pure white Wine and one gallon of strong Ale then take them and boyle them all together vntill it be consumed to three quarts then straine it through a fine linnen cloth and put it into a close vessell ¶ Note this that if you boyle it in water it will continue but sixe or seuen dayes but being boyled in Wine and Ale twenty dayes which is too short a space for the party which is sicke and diseased to vse it This must be drunken by the sicke person both morning and euening and at meate and you must put into euery three quartes of the water one quarter of an ounce of Coloquintida and let the party which is sicke vse it vntill such time as it hath scowred the body very well and if it do not purge well then take this Medicine following ¶ Another for the same TAke halfe an ounce of Seny a spoonefull of Annise-seedes halfe an ounce of Licquorice a spoonefull of Fenell seedes twenty Reysons of the sunne the stones picked foorth boyle these all together in quart of Water and let it boyle vntill the one halfe be consumed then straine it and put thereto one ounce and an halfe of Deaphenicon and shake it together and let the party grieued drinke thereof warme euery morning fasting This Purgation neuer maketh the body sicke neyther doth it hurt the stomacke Note also that this drinke aforesaid will heale any old vlcer if it be washed therewith and especially of that which is made both of Wine and Ale if the party be neuer so sore diseased let him purge twice or thrice with Coloquintida prepared and it will help him for euer Small Poxe ¶ A Medicine to driue out the small Poxe TAke Milke Saffron and english Honny and seeth them together and giue it to the Patient and let him be kept warme after it ¶ Another for the same TAke Dragon-water white Wine and Methridatum or Treacle of Ieane and some Vnicornes horne and seeth these together and giue them to the Patient as aforesaid Purgations TAke a pinte of white Wine and an ounce of Seâ—â—ie and a good handfull of Reisons of the sunne the stones picked out and halfe a spoonefull of Anniseedes put all these into the said white Wine to sleepe one whole night and the next morning boyle it vntill it be come to a draught and so â—et the Patient drinke it luke-warme and if you will you may put thereunto three or foure rootes of Polipodie of the â—ke This is very good Probatum est Plague and pestilence HEerein are conteyned diuers and sundry good rules and easie Medicines which are made with little charge for the poorer sort of people as well for the preseruation of all people from the Plague before infection as for the curing and ordering of them after such time as they shall be infected ¶ A preseruatiue by correcting the ayre in all houses TAke Rosemary dryed Iuniper Bay-leaues or Frankincense and cast the same vpon the coles in a chafingdish and receiue the fume or smoke thereof into your head If you will put a little Lauender or Sage that is dryed into the fire with the rest it will do much good Also to make your fires in earthen pannes rather to remoue about your Chambers then in Chimneys shall be better to correct the aires in your houses then otherwise ¶ A preseruatiue against the Plague TAke a handfull of Hearbe-grace otherwise called Rue a handfull of Elder-leaues a handfull of red Sage and a handfull of red Bramble leaues and stamp them well together and straine them through a fine linnen cloth with a quarte of white Wine then take a quantity of Case Ginger and mingle it with them and drinke a good draught thereof both morning and euening for the space of nine dayes together and by Gods grace it will preserue you ¶ An excellent good drinke to be taken euery morning for a preseruatiue against the Plague and for to auoide infection TAke a handfull of Winter-Sauery and boyle the same in a quart of good wine-Vinegar with a spoonefull of Graines being very fine beaten and put into the same then put into it a quantity of fine Suger and so drinke a good draught thereof euery morning fasting †When you must of necessitie come into any place where any infectious persons are it is good for you to smell to the roote of Angellica Gentian or Valerian and to chew any of these in your mouth ¶ A speciall preseruatiue against the Plague TAke fiue spoonefuls of wine-Vinegar three spoonefuls of faire running-Water halfe a spoonefull of Treacle of Iene and of Bolearmoniake as much as a small nut being beaten to powder and drinke this euery morning and euery euening Proued by M. Knight of Andouer Take vi leaues of Sorell and wash them with Water and Vinegar and let them lie to steepe in the said Water and Vinegar a good while then eate them fasting and keepe in your mouth and chew now or then either Stewall or the roote of Angelica or a little Cinamon for any of these is maruellous good †Medicines to be vsed after infection taken FOrasmuch as the greatest cause of the Plague doth stand rather in poyson then in any putrifaction of humors as other Agues do the chiefest way is to moue much sweating and to defend the hart by some cordiall thing Suppositarie IF the Patient be costiue and bound in his body let him take a Suppositarie made with a little boyled Honny and a little fine Powder of Salt and so take it in at the fundament and so keepe it till it moue a stoole ¶ A very good Medicine to be drunke suspecting any to haue the Plague TAke a great onyon and take foorth the core then fill it full with good Treacle of Iene and wrap the same in a paper and rost it vntill it be soft then straine the same with a little white wine Vinegar and temper it with a quantity of Suger and giue to the Patient two spoonefulls thereof to drinke fasting and if the Patient be infected with the Plague you shall perceiue it within sixe houres after the receipt of the same drinke †An excellent Medicine for the Plague TAke three or