indisgestion and rawnesse of stomacke for want of heate it tooke them away with taking of one good cupfull of this water euery morning fasting and so with drinking it continually but that which he dranke euery morning he dranke it cold and yâ—t neuerthelesse hee was healed very well of the flixe which he had many yeeres Iâ— griefes of women the water of Sassafras doeth greatly profite and in especially in that which is called the euil of the Mother and where there is windinesse it consumeth dissâ—â—â—eth it and also any maner of colde of the belâ—y and it dissolueth the swelling of it curing any manner of disease which proceedeth of the Mother And this is so experimented and so put in vse that many haue beene healed with this water that neuer thought to haue recouered health And in the withhelding the Monethly course that commeth not to women this water maketh a meruellous woorke by prouoking and making it come in them that wholie doe lacke it taking one Cuppe ful of this water in the morning drinking it ordinarily at dinner and at supper and in the day tyme being more simple then that in the morning vsing good regiment and dooing other thinges which may helpe the water that it may bee prouoked And vnto them also to whome it doeth not come wel it bringeth manifest profite taking the water in forme as is aforesaide keeping them the tyme that they take it from such thinges as may offende them and beeing vsed it doeth disopilate and make a good colour in the face as it is seene by the experience of them that doe vse it hauing need of it Let them beware if they haue much heate or bee of a hotte complexion in such case let them moderate the quantitie of the wood and the seething of the water as is conuenient and this is easie to be done by seing howe it goeth with them at the beginning with the vse of it and according thereunto they may ryse or fal as it seemeth to be necessarie Some women doe vse of this water for to make them with childe and in some it hath wrought the effect as it is wel knowen That which I can say is that a gentlewoman beeing many yeeres married without hauing children tooke this water for that her husbande vsed it for certayne euilles of Opilations and of an agewe that helde hâ—m with certayne sittes of a double tercian which he had and hee continued with the taking of it in the Morning hotte and at Dinner simple and at Supper and in the day tyme keeping a good gouernement whereby it came to passe that she was with childe and brought foorth a sonne And I vnderstande that one of the principall vertues that this water hath is to dryue away the Mother for this effect for the most parte of women that haue no children is for the greate colde that is ingendered within the Mother which doeth hinder the cause of generation and as the water ryseth it consumeth it comforting the place and dissoluing the windes that are the let of it I am sure that it will manifestly profite as we haue seene in them which doe not bring forth childreÌ„ for hauing too much heate and drieth to whome permit not the vse of this water for because it will not profite them and if they do take it and feele hurt thereof let them not put the fault in the water but in their complexions seing that it is not conuenient for them The vse of this water doeth make fatte and this is certainly knowen for we haue seene many leane and sicke that haue taken it and haue healed of their euils and haue recouered much more flesh better colour as those people that come from the Florida do praise it very much they they al say that the vse of this water doeth make fat and it happeneth so to many and not onely it healeth them of their diseases but also maketh theÌ„ remaine with a good colour And so it seemeth by theÌ„ that come from that country for that they come al fatte and of a good colour who I beleeue as they wâ—re very sick so that they were very leane yellow when as they were healed of their infirmities which they had they gathered fleshe and became of a good colour ingendering in the Liuer good blood by the which the members were â—etter maintayned than when they were sicke And surely it iâ— a greate thing that this water shoulde woorke this effect coâ—sidering that it is hot and â—rye if it were not for the causes that are aboue sayd And I haue seene many that entered iâ— to taâ—e the water of the wood leane and with an euil colour to come foorth strong and fatte and of a good colour eating no otâ—er thing then Resâ—nges Almondes and Bisket In pestilent and contagious diseases which we haue seen in the time of the Pestilence past there were many that desired to drinke it to preserue them from that euill And we did see that none of them which vsed it were wounded of the disease that then reigned Many did vse to carry a peece of the Roote of the Wood with them to smell to it continually as to a Pomander For with the smell so acceptable it did rectifie the infected ayre I carried with mee a peece a great time and to my seeming I found great profite in it For with it with the chewing of the rind of the Cidron nor of the Lemmon in the morning and in the day time to preserue health it haâ—h a great strength and property And it seemeth to me that I was deliuered by the helpe of God from the fire in the which wee that were Phisitions went in blessed be our Lord GOD that deliuered vs from so great euill and gaue vs this most excellent tree called Sassafras which hath so great vertues and worketh such maruellous effectes as we haue spoken of and more which Time wil shewe vs which is the discouerer of all thinges It shall doe well to shewe the quantitie of the wood and also the quantitie of water wherein it shall be sodden to prescribe a rule in waight and measure in effectes and temperatures for them that are hot and others that are colde I will tell you the order that ought to bee kept in taâ—ing the water of this excellent wood which must bee made conformably to the disease of him that shall take it and accordinâ— to the quantitie and compâ—exion of the sicke bodie For vâ—to the Cholerike Person the water ought to bee geuen lesse sodden and with lesse quanâ—itie of wood and to the flegmatike more sodden and with more quantitie of woode So the diseases should be considered of Uâ—to them that are very cold the water ought to be geuen more sodden and with more quantitie of Wood. And vnto them thâ—t be not so colâ—e but doe participate of some heate the water ought to be geuen lesse sodden
hath vertue to heate to coole and to dry vp And of this it commeth that some doe say it is hot bycause they see that it maketh workes of heate and others saie that it is colde bycause they see that it doeth workes to make colde the reason whereof is that it is compounded of twoo contrarie beginninges the one hot and the other colde and thereby it seemeth that they may very wel defend themselues who sayde that yron is colde and worketh cold effectes And lykewyse they that sayde it was hot and doth hot effects Whereby it doth appeare that which the one and the other haue spokeÌ„ and treated therof to be true B. Maister Doctor hath very wel ended the controuersie and contrariety that is in this matter discretly and wisely wherby wee are satisfied but there remayneth a doubt if the quicksiluer bee colde as he sayeth that some doe say that it is and to prooue it they say that it sheweth by his strength colour and taste and the effectes which it doeth to make colde seeing that such as doe vse of it it maketh impotent they suffer weakenesse and trembling of sinewes and are vtterly voyde of the vse of their members and many dye all togither of a disease called Apoplexie and all this doeth come of cold causes They which say that the quicksiluer is hot doe prooue it with his effectes for anoynting the iointes and other partes of the body therwith it maketh great workes and effects of heat it inflameth their mouth and throte their gummes rooffe of their mouth with great heat and burning it prouoketh sweat most vehement we see that therof is made that most strong thing like to fire that is called Sublimatum which is most strong fire and burneth wheresoeuer it bee put and all that it taketh it consumeth and fiereth Of it is made that corsiue poyson called pouder Precipitatos in such sorte that the cause is doubtful seeing it hath and doeth the workes so contrary to make colde and to make hot D. The same doubt we haue of it as of the yron and what is that which Maister Burgus wil now haue B. Now that you brought vs out of the first doubte we pray you that you wil bring vs out of the second D. It semeth vnto me that Maister Burgus doth take the matter so earnestly that I must needs do it bicause I meane to content him in al things it shal bee done very quickly the euening commeth vpon vs. The quicksiluer is a metal coÌ„pounded of diuers parts the watery parts that it hath are mingled with earthy things which is thaâ— that giueth it substance and strength It hath also mingled with it fulfery parts which seemeth to be very bright for in chafing the quicksiluer betweene the hands there remaineth in them the perfit smel of brimstone so the quicksiluer iâ— câ—mpounded of diuers things The watery earthy parts giueth it vertue to make colde by meanes whereof is done the vertue which we haue spoken of and by meanes of the sulfure which hath ayery parts it heateth penetrateth openeth and maketh thin and by them it prouoketh sweat it causeth to expel by the mouth and by stooles the humour that doeth abounde by hearing and doing other effectes of heate And therfore it is not to be maruelled that the quicksiluer doth contrary effects seing it hath diuers operations which is the selfesame that we haue spoken of the yron and so the doubt remaineth discouered which was propouÌ„ded by M. Burgus D. I remaine sufficiently satisfied of that which is saide but not so satisfied that there doeth not remaine for me to aske of M. Doctor another thing which is of more weight then all that is saide which is to knowe the vertues that the yron and steele haue in the vse of medicine for their works and effects as I haue hard it reported are many D. It wil be a trouble for me to recken and tel of so many ancient authors as also of late written authors which doe treate of the vertues of yron and of the steele by reason they are many and doe treat of great things And seing that it shal be declared let vs loose no tyme wherby we may the rather make an ende By that which is sayde you haue vnderstood howe the yron and steele are one kinde of metall sauing that the steele is more cleane yron and more fine for this cause it is hard and strong They of old tyme knewe not the steele but onely treated of the yron and to it they attributed the medicinal vertues that wee will speake of and vnder our talke of yron we wil comprise the steele seeing that it differeth not from it in more then in being purer cleaner from superfluities and for this cause the steele doth make cold and dryeth more then the yron For where it is needful to heate and to open the yron hath more force bycause it is not cleane of the sulpherie partes for there is lost much thereof when the steele is made in the forme as it is aboue sayde It is needful before we proceed forwarde whereby wee may the better treate of the vertue of yron that wee vnderstand how it ought to be prepared For if it be not prepared neither can it be administred nor yet wil it worke it effeâ—tâ— bycause â—t is a hard metal and strong And seeing that wee haue M. Burgus here who in his arte is one of the excellentest men of al Spain he may declare vnto vs how it may bee vsed and prepared bicause wee may goe forwarde in this matter B. I haue receiued great pleasure with â—hâ—t as I haue hearde treated of yron and of steele and thought that wee shoulde haue made an ende and not treated any longer of them but seeing that it seemeth good to Maiâ—â—er Doctor that I shoulde speake of the preparing of these metâ—lles I will doe it bycause I woulde say some thing as well for my parte But if Maister Doctor woulde take paynes hee might speake thereof as wel as most men that are in the world seeing he knoweth it and that there is nothing in medicine hidden vnto him but seeing that wee haue of him a good Censor if any thing doe lacke he may speake and supply it The metalles if they bee not corrected and prepared euery one as it is conuenient for them cannot serue in medicine nor worke the effects and vertues which they haue in them bycause they are grosse of substance and strong The Alcumistes haue knowen and do knowe much in correcting and preparing of them seeing that wee see they vse the golde and the siluer in broths that they may be droâ—ke and doe reduce them into pouders as also they do the like with the lead and copper and of other minerals and meâ—als which they doe correct and prepare for to make them into pouders that they may serue in medicyne They doe correct and prepare particularly the yron for this
that do presse it because the more quantitie thereof may be taken out they bring it for merchaundise for that they vse to dresse Gloues therwith for the common people and in this trade there is much spent It is vsed in Medicine for many diseases and it is of greate vertue to heale colde diseases for it healeth excellently well al partes wheresoeuer it be applied it dissolueth and mollifieth any maner of hardnes taking away the paynes it dissolueth the hardnesse of the Mother and openeth the opilations thereof It prouoketh the Monethly course in women and it maketh soft any maner of hard thing It is hotte welneere in the third degree And it is to be noted that many doe bring this Storax very thin from the Indias which is not so good for because that they make it of the bowes of the trees cut in peeces and sodden and they gather the fatnes that swimmeth vpon and the Indians doe sell the buddes of the trees whereout the Liquid Amber is taken made in handfulles doe sell it in their market places for to put amongst their clothes which causeth them to smell as of the water of Angels for this purpose the Spaniards doe vse it Of the Balsamo THey doe bring from the newe Spayne that licour most excellent which for his excellencie and meruellous effectes is called Balsamo an imitation of the true Balsamo that was in the land of Egypt and for that it doeth such great workes and remedie so many infirmities there was geuen to it such a name It is made of a tree greater than a Powngarnet Tree it carrieth leaues like to Nettles the Indians doe call it Xilo and we doe call the same Balsamo It is made two maner of waies the one is by the way of incision cutting the rynd of the Tree which is thinne geuing many small cuttinges out of the which there commeth a clammish licour of colour white but it is little and moste excellent and very perfect The other fashion is whereby the Indians doe vse too take out licour of the trees which is a common vse amongst them is this thâ—y take the bowes and the great peeces of the trees and make them as small as they can and then cast them into a greate kettle with a good quantity of water so boyle them vntill they see it sufficiently done and afterwarde they let it coole and gather vp the oyle that doeth swimme therevppon with certayne shelles and that is the Balsamo that commeth too these partes and that commonly is vsed the colour therof is Alborne which is likened to blacke it is of most sweet smel and very excellent It is not conuenient nor it ought to bee kept in any other vessel then in siluer Glasse or Tinne or any other thing glassed it doeth penitrate and doeth passe through the vse thereof is onely in thinges apperteining to Medicine and it hath been vsed of long time well neere since the new Spaine ws discouered for that incontinent the Spaniardes had knowledge of it because they did heale therewith the woundes that they did receiue of the Indians being aduised of the vertue thereof by the same Indians and they did see the saide Indians heale and cure themselues therewith When it first came into Spayne it was esteemed as much as it was reason it shoulde be for that they did see it make meruellous woorkes one ownce was woorth tenne Duccates and vpwardes and now it is better cheape the first time that they carried it to Rome it came to be woorth one ounce one hundreth Duccats after that they brought so much and such great quantity that it is nowe of small value this commeth of the abundance of thinges And when it was very deere all men tooke profite of the profite of it and since it came to bee of so lowe a Price it is not so muche esteemed beeyng the sâ—lfe same Balsamo that it was then when it was woorth one hundreth Duccates the ounce Surely if the Indias had not beene discouered but onely for the effecte to send vs this meruellous licour the labour had been wel employed which our Spaniardes vntill the woundes be whole and for this cause the vse therof is a common medicine in all surgery for poore folkes seeing that as with one medicine all effectes are wrought therewith that are necessary it is a common thing to say that when one is hurt let Balsamo be put therevnto and so they doe it doth heale them In the woundes of Sinewes it woorketh a meruellous effect for that it doeth both cure heale It healeth better then any other medicine doeth it resisteth colde the wounds of the head it healeth very well not hauing the Skull broken nor perished Any manner of woundes beyng freshe it doeth heale in any parte of the bodie wheresoeuer they bee so that there be no more in it but a simple wounde In ioyntes what manner of wounde soeuer it bee it doeth make a maruellous woorke The vse thereof is very common in this Citie in woundes For that you haue fewe houses but you haue Balsamo in them for this effect so that in wounding of any person foorthwith they goe to the Balsamo for with little quantitie thereof they doe cure and heale and many times with putting of it once euery thirde day they finde the wounde whole In olde sores applied by it selfe or with any other oyntment it doeth mundifie and fill them vppe with fleshe In large feuers Paroxismales beyng layde halfe an houre before the colde doeth come vppon the moulde of the headâ— very hot the patient being very well couered with clothes and taking forthwith 〈◊〉 or sixe droppes thereof in wine it taketh away the colde in three or foure times doing it It is of a sharpe sauour and somewhat bitter wherby are seen the dâ—y partes and comforâ—atiue that it hath it is hot and dry in the second degree I will not let to write of a certayne Hearbe which the Conqâ—erours of the newe Spaine doe vse for the remedy of their wounds and shottes of arrowes which vnto them was a great remedie in thâ—ir troubles and it was discouâ—red by an Indian which was Seruaunt too a Spaniarde called Iohn Infant He was the first that vsed it they did call it and doe call it at this present day the Heaâ—be of Iohn Infant this hearbe is little they gather it greene and beate it and so they lay it simply vpon the wound it doth restraine and stoppe the blood and if it be a wounde in the flâ—she it doth cause it to growe together and healâ—th it by glewing the partes The woundes of the Sinewes and other partes it doth comfort mundifie and ingendreth flesh in them vntill they be whole and because they doe not find this hearb in all places they bring it made into pouder for that it woorketh the same effect as well as being greene and the pouder as some say doth it
receiue the smoke of them at his mouth and at his nose with a Cane and in taking of it hee fell downe vppon the ground as a Dead man and remayning so according to the quantitie of the smoke that he had taken when the hearbe had done his woorke he did reuiue and awake and gaue them their answeares according to the visions and illusions which hee sawe whiles hee was rapte in thâ— same manner and he did interprete to them as to him seemed best or as the Diuell had counselled him geuing them continually doubtfull answeares in such sorte that howsoeuer it fell out they might say that it was the same which was declared and the answeare that he made In like sort the rest of the Indians for their pastime doe take the smoke of the Tabaco too make themselues drunke withall and to see the visions and thinges that reprâ—sent â—â—to them that wherein they doe delight and other times they take it to knowe their businesse and successe because conformable to that which they haue seene beyng drunke therewith euen so they iudge of their businesse And as the Deuil is a deceauer hath the knowledge of the vertue of hearbes so he did shew the vertue of this Hearb that by the meanes thereof they might see their imaginations and visions that he hath represented to them and by that meanes deceiue them Too haue Hearbes that haue the like vertue is a common Iâ—â—ias but is also a common thing in the Orientall Indias And also in the Portugâ—ll Indias for this effect they doe sell the Opiâ— in their Shoppes euen as they sell Conserâ—â— with the which the Indians vse to ease themselues of their labour that they take and to bee merie and not to feele paynes of any greate labour of the bodie or minde that may come vnto them and they call it there amongst themselues Aphiâ—â— This Aphion the Turkes doe vse for this effect The â—oâ—lâ—iers and Captaynes that goe to Warres when they labour much after the time that they be lodged that they may take their rest they receiue Aphion and sleepe with it and remayne lightened of their labour The most principall people take Bague and it hath a better cast and a better smell for there is put to it muche Amber and Muske anâ— Cloues and other spices And surely it is a thing of admiration â—o see howe these Barbarous people doe take such Medicines and how many of them doe take them and that they doe not kiâ—â— them but rather they take them for health and remeâ—ie for their necessities I sawe an Indian of those partes that in my presence did aske an Apothecarie for a quart of Opiâ— and I demanded of him wherefore he woulde haue it and he tolde me that he took it to put away wearinesse when he felt himselfe ouer much greeued and afflicted with labour and hee tooke the halfe of that which he carried for the Apothecary gaue him more then a piâ—te for twelue pence and therewith he slepte so soundly that when he awoke from sleepe hee founde himselfe very muche eased of his wearinesse in suche sorte that hee might continue his labour I meruelled at it and it seemed to me a thing of Mockerie seeyng that fiue or sixe graynes bee the most that wee can giue toâ— sicke Person howe strong soeuer hee bee which beeyng verie well prepared doeth cause many times Accidentes of Death And many yeeres after standing in the Shoppe of an other Apothecary of this Citie there came an other Indian of the same Orientall Indias and he asked of the Apothecarie for some Opio called Aphion the which Apothecarie vnderstoode him not And I remembring my selfe of the other Indian caused him to shewe vnto the Indian Opio and in shewing it to him he sayd that it was that which he asked for and he bought a quarter of a Pinte of it and I asked of the Indian wherefore hee woulde haue it and he tolde me the same that the other Indian did that it was because he might labour and ease himselfe of his wearinesse for that hee did beare burdens and shoulde helpe to discharge a shippe wherefore he sayde he woulde take the one halfe that he might therewith labour and the other halfe after he had laboured that therwith he might take ease and rest Then I gaue credite to the first Indian of that he sayd vnto me and since I haue beleeued that which I haue seene and read in those partes to be a thing in common vse for the like effectes And truely it is a thing worthy of greate consideration that fiue graines of Opio doe kill vs and threescore doe geue them health and rest The Indians doe vse the Tabaco for to suffer drieth and also to suffer hunger and to passe dayes without hauing neede to eate or drinke when they shall trauell by any desert or dispeopled countrie where they shall finde neither water nor meate They receiue thereof little balles which they make of the Tabaco For they take the leaues of it and chew them and as they goe chewing of them they goe mingling with them certayne pouder made of the shelles of Cockels burned they mingle it in the mouth altogether vntil they make it like dowe of the which they frame certayne little Balles little greater then Peason and lay them to drie in the shadow and after they keepe them and vse them in this forme following When they vse to trauell by the waies where they finde no water nor meate they take a little hall of these and put it betweene the lower lippe and the teeth and goe chewing it all the time that they trauell and that which they chewe they swallowe downe and in this sore they iourney three or foure dayes without hauing neede of meate or drinke for they feele no hunger drieth nor weakenesse nor their trauell doth trouble them I thinke that to iourney after this sort is â—he cause they goe chewing continually the little balles for they bring Fleume into the mouth and swallowe it into the stomake the which doeth retayne the naturall heate which it doth confirme and so they mainteyn themselues therby the like whereof wee see to happen in many beastes for that a great part of the Winter they be shut vp in their Caues hollowe places of the earth and passe their time there without any meate for that they haue to câ—nsume the naturall heate of the fâ—mes which they had gotten in the Summer The Beare being a great and fierce beast much time in the Winter remayneth in his Caue and liueth without meate or drinke with onely chewing his pawes which perhaps he doeth for the said cause This is the substance which I haue gathered of this hearbe so celebrated called Tabaco for that surely it is an hearb of great estimation for the excellent vertues that it hath as we haue sayde Hereafter followeth a further addition of the Hearbe called Tabaco otherwise called
seeth and bee consumed the one halfe and so set out too coole it serueth for very good Uineger and it is vsed as if it were made of Wine and if you seeth it vntill it be throughly purged and thicke it serueth for Honie and becommeth sweete you may see how much the seething auayleth in these thinges seeyng that of mortal venome it maketh meate and healthfull drinke And I will say an other thing which bringeth admiration that all this kynde of Corne which groweth in the firme Lande which is like to that of Sancto Domingo which they call Cacani is healthfull and the Fruite thereof is eaten and the Water that commeth of it is drunke without hauing any venomous qualitie and that of Sancto Domingo howsoeuer it be eaten and the iuyce therof vnles it be sodden it killeth And that the disposition of the place is so greate a cause that that which is healthfull and allowable sustenance in the firme lande the same is mortal venome in al the Islandes as Columela writeth of the Peache that it was venome most mischeeuous which in Persia did kil men and being brought into Italy it lost that malice and propertie that it had to kill and geueth vnto vs health and a sweete iuyce Howsoeuer it be hauing in the Indias so much Mayes and so common in all partes thereof I woulde not eate Casani seeyng that the Mayes are of as good substaunce as our Wheate and in no parte hath eyther venome or poyson but rather is healthful and maketh a good stomake There is bread made of it as of the Casani for they grinde it and with water they knede it and in a Frying panne of Earth they bake certayne Cakes which they make of it and it must be eaten freshe assoone as it is made for beyng dry it is sharpe and trouble some to swallowe downe and doeth offende the teeth The Batatas which is a common fruite in those Countries I take for a vittayle of muche Substaunce and that they are in the middest betweene fleshe and Fruite Trueth it is that they be wyndie but that is taken from them by rosting chiefly if they bee put into fine Wyne there is made of them Conferna very excellent as Marmolade and small Morselles and they make Potages and Brothes and Cakes of them very excellent they are subiect that there be made of them any maner of Conserua and any maner of meat ther be so many in Spaine that they bring from Velez Melaga euery yeere to Seuill tenne or twelue Caruelles laden with them They be sowen of the same Plantes that are sette the smallest of them or peeces of the greatest in the Earth that is well tilled and they growe very well and in eyght Monethes the rootes waxe very grosse so that you may eate of them They be temperate and beeyng rosted or otherwise drest they soften the Bellie and beyng raw they are not good to bee eaten because they are wyndie and hard of disgestion Of the Canes which are good for the shortnesse of breath THey bring from the newe Spayne great Canes of a Cane that are couered within without with a certain gūmme to me it seemeth that it is mingled with the iuyce of Tabaco it is heauy It seemeth that the Cane is annoynted as a thing that the clingeth fast it is clunged wel to the said Cane and it is of a blacke colour and being hard it clingeth not they kindle the Cane at that part where the gumme is and the other parte of it they put in the mouth and they receiue that smoke and with it they cast out from them all fleume and rottennesse that is in the breast and this they do when they finde themselues greeued with the shortnesse of winde so that they be all ready to choke I haue seene it done by a Gentleman who is much payned with it many times and receiueth by it great profite and did it first with the Tabac◠taking the smoke of it and it brought to him the like benefit And for this cause I say that it seemeth to carry with it the iuyce of the Tabaco mingled with the one and with the other It is done with al assurance for that we do see it experimented with manifest assurance in many Some beeing sicke of the shortnesse of breath that come frō the Indias with it I haue seene expel cast out this rottennes by taking a little Tabaco green chewing the iuyce of it with although it be lothsome it doth them much good to expell the rottennesse fleumes which are retained within the brestes so that they be lightened with it notably It is a maruellous thing the greate vertues and sundrie and diuers effectes that they doe discouer of the Tabaco for besides that which I haue written of it in the second parte of the maruellous vertues therof I determined to make further triall of it as I haue vnderstood and seene since that time ¶ Of the Carlo Sancto IN the second parte wee entreated of the vertues of a Roote that then they had brought from the newe Spayne which they cal Carlo Sancto now in these ships they haue brought it with great veneration and estimation and the roote is called Indica and they bring written many vertues of it more then they are woonte too reporte of the Rosemarie Nowe that which hath beene experimente◠and seene since that I wrote of it I will speake of this Roote which being made into Pouder geuen to women that newly brought Children who for euill keeping haue taken greate colde and be numbe it profiteth muche to prouoke them to sweate and maketh them remayne cleere it profiteth muche geuen with Wine or water of the floures of Orenges vnto them that haue a harde labour There was a Frier which had paynes of the Stomake and no tast of his Meate but had an euill breath and much windynesse and all did proceede of colde that hee had taken and little natural heate He sodde of these Rootes in water at his discretion as the water of the Sarcaparillia is sodden and so he dranke it continually at dinner supper for a long time and it did so well with him that he amended his stomake and increased the heate of it whereby hee did digest and consume his meate very well and tooke from him his euill breath and consumed the windes and in taken from twoo to three Ounces of it it purgeth well and easily and euen as it is good to take so it is good to worke for that I haue purged many people with it and it maketh a very good woorke and purgeth without paynes One thing they doe euill in those partes which is that they neuer bring them hither made with good Sugar if they come so they woulde be the better and of better tast They bee purges for delicate people they euacuate the same humor that the Canafistola doth Of
them that do regard their health It is good to haue a peece of a right Unicornes horne in a smal cheyne of golde that it may bee swilled continually in the water that shal bee dronke It would doe well for not onely it taketh away the suspition of the venom but doeth put to the drinke a meruellous cordiall vertue Also you must not stand by the fire that is made with venomous wood for the smoke doeth poyson as if you should take poyson and to set in the chamber coales when they doe begin to kindle many haue dyed therwith let your apparell be kept by such as you haue trust in for in them may bee put things that may do notable hurte and for al that as is said it doeth much profit to haue trustie seruants and that they bee such whome you may trust and that they be of a good parentage and sticke not to reward them wel And aboue al other let the Phisition that hath the charge of your health bee learned and experimented discrete and of a good iudgemeÌ„t and that he be riche and of a good kinred and beeing such a one he wil not doe any thing that he ought not to doe seing that in his handes is the life and health of the Mayster and Lorde FINIS THE DIALOGVE OF YRON WHICH TREATETH OF THE greatnesse thereof and howe it is the most excellent metall of all others and the thing most necessary for the seruice of man and of the greate Medicinall vertues which it hath An Eccho for the Doctor Monardes Phisition of Seuill In Seuill in the House of Alonso Escriuano ¶ To the most Excellent Lorde the Duke of Alcala c. my Lorde the Doctor Monardes your Phisition wisheth health c. FOrasmuch as the metall called yron is of so great importance in the worlde and so necessary for the seruice of man it moued me to make this Dialogue which doeth treate of the greatnesse and maruellous workes thereof Which if they be well considered they will bring admiration vnto all that shall reade them by reason it is so necâ—ssary for all states and manners of liuing It hath also greate and mediâ—inall vertues and likewise with worthinesse and greatnesse it is an Instrument and meane whereby the most worthy haue gotten great Titles and fame as we see many of those which in times past haue attayned vnto among whom the Predecâ—ssors of your excellencie with theyr noble mindes and strong armes the Sâ—eare in the fist and the sworde in the hande by ouercomming battels by getting townes and places the name and fame of them haue byn immortall to this day And for to augment and increase this the more and to geue to your excellencie and to your chiâ—dâ—â—n and successours gâ—eater glory you tooke to wise the excellent Duches the Ladie Iuâ—na Curtes that at this day doeâ—h beautifiâ— the whole worlde with â—er woorthinesse eâ—timation qualitie and grâ—atâ—esse daughter to that valiaunt and reâ—owmed Prince Don â—ernando Curtes who with his greatnâ—sse and infinite Labours is a shorter way and fewe people will be there It seemeth to mee that the greate hall of the treasurie house is sâ—utt â—t may bee that whiles I go vp to see the sicke person they will open it Burgus Your worship may go in Gods name I will tarrye here for you and seeing the great hall is not opened I will sitt downe vppon the benche and will see what doeth passe vntill you come Doctour Master Burgus I praye you pardon mee if I haue tarryed long for the qualitie of the cause hath caused mee to tarry Burgus Rather I woulde haue beene glad that you had tarryed longer because I would haue seene more Doctour What haue you seene whiles I was absent Burgus The great hall being shutt and the parde full of people and I looking vppon them earnestly it seemeth to mee that they are people of estimation but to my iudgement full of cares for in them I haue seene so variable and diuerse likenesses of countenance that I maruel at it Some of them talking to them selues others being alone with their heads hanging downe and with great imagination Others talking by two and two together Others in clusters treating of the sales of their merchaundize Maryners and souldiours carrying for their paymentes Others carrying away their porcions of siluer which they had taken out running with it as though they had stolen it Others there were with the Notaries about their suites Others in the office of the treasourer amongest the Registers There was also a greate noyse of much people deliuering and receiuing parcels of siluer but they were in a great strife therevppon The Iudges were in counsell and many people tarrying for them in such sort that I was in greate admiration I being there onely to beholde and all the rest to do their businesse And it was to mee as one that did beholde them without greefe as a comedye with many Pageants And that which did make mee maruell more was to see that none were merrye nor content rather they seemed to haue great care and troubles Doctour Master Burgus I am glad you haue seene what doeth passe in that house with so much attention for all that which you haue seene that Gold and siluer is cause thereof which with so great good will you came to see and this is it which is the cause of their troubles and cares and not onely it bringeth such as you sawe there amazed and astonied but many others for they are at this daye the instrument of all these things Some they put downe others they rayse vp whereby they haue rule and dominion in the worlde These mortall men haue put so much felicitie in them that they haue and do procure them by the losse of their lyues and shedding of their bloud and after they haue them they conserue them with much labour and with greater care keepe them and with much misery they spend them and with great euill fortune they lose them These are they that take away quietnesse and rest They take awaye sleape and many passe the day to keepe them and to increase their afflictions and cares In the night also they rest with feare and care there are in them so many snares and hazardes as wee see euery day Burgus For all this I woulde see the Golde the siluer and the Emeraldes Doctour What master Burgus haue you neuer seene Golde siluer and Emeraldes Burgus Yea I haue seene them but in little quantitie Doctour What do you thinke is there in seeing of little or much but to see much earth or little earth and moste of all without the profite of man of as many as nature hath created And if you haue so great desire to see precious metals I will carrye you to a place where you shall see one metall much more of price of greater estimation then the golde siluer yâ— you were so desirous to see better of more profit beginning and
better than the hearbe As this hearbe so likewise haue you many other in all the other partes of the Indias that haue the same and other properties doe woorke meruellous effects and to write of euery one of them particularly it were needefull to make a greater volume then wee doe pretende of this that we shall entreate of Three thinges they bring from our Occidentall Indias which at this day bee celebrated in all the worlde and with them they haue made doe make the greatest workes that euer were made in medicine there were neuer the like made by any other medicine that vnto this day hath beene knowen for that the nature of al three is to cure infirmities which without this remedy be incurable and to woorke the effectes that doe seeme to bee thinges of woonder and these are notorious not onely in these parts but in all the worlde the which thinges are the wood that is called Guaiacan the China and the Sarcaparillia And for that it seemeth that the China doth come from Portingall and that the Portingales doe bring it from their Orientall Indias and not froÌ„ ours I wil say what is to be said herafter when we do speak thereof And therefore let vs beginne with Guaiacan as of â— remedie that first came from the Indias and as first of the best of all as experience hath shewed and the vse thereof in so many yeares Of the Guaiacan and of the holie Wood. THe Guaiacan that is called the wood of the Indias was discouered forthwith wheÌ„ the first Indias were fouÌ„d which was the Island of Sancto Domingo where is great quantity thereof There was an Indian that gaue knowledge thereof to his Maister in this maner Ther was a Spaniard that did suffer great paines of the Poxe which he had taken by the company of an Indian woman bâ—t his seruant being out of the Phisitions of that countrie 〈◊〉 vnto him the water of GuaiacaÌ„ wherewith not onely his grieuous paynes were taken away that he did suffer but he was healâ—d verie well of the euill with the which many other Spaniardes that were infected with the same euill were healed also the which was communicated immediatly with them that came from thence hither to Seuill and from thence it was diuulged throughout all Spaine and from thence through all the world for that the infection was sowen abroade throughout all partes thereof and surely for this euill it is the best the most chiefe remedy of as many as hitherto haue been found and with most assuraunce and most certeintie it healeth and cureth the sayde disease if they be wel handled and this water giâ—en as it ought to be it is certaine that it healeth it most perfectly without turning to fall againe except the sicke man doe returne to tumble in the same bosome where he tooke the first infection Our Lord God would from whence the euill of the Poxe came from thence shoulde come the remedy for them Since it is knowne that they came into these parts from the Indias and first of all from Sancto Domingo The Poxe bee as common amongest the Indians and as familiare as the Measelles bee vnto vs and well neere the most part of the Indians both men and women haue them without making thereof any scruple and they came first in this sorte In the yeere of our Lorde God 1493. in the warres that the Catholike King made in Naples with King Charles of France that was called Greathead in this time sir Christofer Colon returned from the discouerie that hee had made of the Indias which was Sancto Domingo and other Ilands he brought with him from Sancto Domingo a great number of Indians both men and women which he carried with him to Naples where the Catholike king was at that tyme who had then concluded the warres for that there was peace betweene the twoo Kinges and the hostes did communicate together the one with the other And Colon being come thither with his Indians the most part of them brought with them the fruite of their countrie which was the Poxe And the Spaniardes began to haue conuersation with the Indian women in such sorte that the men and women of the Indias did infect the Campe of the Spaniardes Italians and Almaines for the Catholike king had then of all these Nations and there were many that were infected with the euill And after the hostes commoned together the fire did kindle in the campe of the king of Fraunce of which it folowed that in short tyme the one and the other were infected with this euill seede and from thence it hath spred abrode into all the worlde At the beginning it had diuerse names the Spaniards did thinke that it had beene giuen them by the Frenchmen and they called it the Frenche euil The Frenchemen thought that in Naples and by them of the Countrie the euill had beene giuen them and they called it the euil of Naples And they of Almaine seing that by conuersation with the Spaniardes they came by it they called it the Spanishe Skabbe and other called it the Measelles of the Indias and that very truely seing that from thence came the euill in the beginning Amongest the great Phisitions of that tyme there were sundry great opinions of the cause and originall of the infirmitie The one sorte sayde that it came of the euil melancholie meates that the hostes of necessitie had eaten as wilde hearbes and many gardeine hearbes and rootes of hearbes Asses and Horses and other lyke things that ingender such lyke infirmities corrupting and burnyng the blood Others there were that did attribute it to the coniunctions of Saturne and Mars and they did apply it to the heauenly influence and gaue thereuntoo diuers and sundry names Some called it the Leprosie others Swine Poxe other Mentegra others the Deathly euill others Elephansia without certaine assurance what disease it was For they were ignoraunt that it was a newe disease and they would reduce it to some already knowen and written of And nowe we come to our Guaiacan whose name was giuen by the Indians and of them very well knowen and so they haue called it and do call it in all the world calling it also the woodde of the Indias Of this woodde many haue written and much one sort sayeng that it was Ebano others that it was a kinde of Boxe with many other names wherby they haue named it It is a new tree and neuer seene in our partes nor in any other of the discoueries as the country is newe so is the tree a newe thing also Whatsoeuer it be it is a great tree of the greatnesse of an Oke it casteth out many vowes the rinde it doth cast from it being dry greate and full of Gumme the hart thereof is very great it is well neere lyke to blacke all is very hard as much and more then Ebano is It casteth forth a little leafe and hard and
which Syrupe doth not heate nor inflame but with great temperature according to the graduation woorketh his good effects The first for whom this thing was ordayned and deuised was for Pantelion de Negro Ienoues who was had in cure by many Phisitions and hauing taken the water of the Wood and other Medicines was well neere consumed and with a grieuous swelling sore vppon his shinne bone and great paynes in it hee tooke it and was healed very well This sirupe I haue vsed in many people for the infirmitie that the Sarcaparilla doth profite for and the wood and for many other and it hath a good effect in woorking by degrees for that the drinesse of the wood is taken away and the heate of the Sarcaparilla and it is made in this forme There must bee taken two ounces of Sarcaparilla and foure ounces of Paulo Sancto which is the holie Wood prepared as it is saide and three Doozen of Acoseifas a fruite of Spayne without their stones and two Doozen of Prunes without their stones and halfe an ounce of the flowres of Borage and an other halfe ounce of Uiolettes and some graynes of Barley made cleane that is too say the huskes taken away All these thinges let them bee cast into three Pottles of water and lette them bee sodden on a soft fire vntill it come to one Pottell and then let it be strayned and vnto tenne ounces of this decoction let there be put one ounce of the Sirupe of Uiolettes Let it be taken hotte in the morning and at night in the order aboue sayde In the rest of the water keeping sweet if ther bee any and although there come little yet they bee healed They may eate a little Chicken from the first day with the rest of the diet drinke the simple water of the Sarcaparilla which is to be made with halfe an ounce of Sarcaparillia sodden in foure Pottâ—ls of water vntill one or somewhat more be sodden away This order doeth heale all kinde of euill of the Poxe and all the infirmities that we haue spoken of that the water of the Wood doeth heale and the China and the Sarcaparillia Which to repeate it shall be too long and too prolixious because it it is sufficieÌ„tly declared before For surely in this simple water and in the foresaide decoction I haue found great effectes aâ— well in the infirmities wherein is suspected the euill of the Poxe as in large and importunate diseases in the which the common remedies of Phisicâ—e haue not profited which although they proceeded not of the French Poxe yet doeth it cure and heale them as it is seene by the woorke of him that vseth it There is an other Sirupe to bee made of the Sarcaparillia which is taking eight ounces of Sarcaparillia being broken or cutte and seething it in foure pottelles of water vntill three be sodden away and the one remaine and into the water that shall remayne to put to foure pounde of Sugar and make a perfect Sirupe And of this Sirupe too take three ounces in the morning and three at night eating good meates and to suppe litle and drinke onely the simple water of the Sarcaparillia and goyng abrâ—ade out of the house and doyng his buisinesse There are healed therwith many diseases without geuing any molestation in the healing of them And this must be taken till the Sirupe bee all consumed Also this Sarcaparillia is taken in pouder in this maner They take the Sarcaparillia and plucke awaie from it the heare within it and dry it and grynde it and then sifte it through a syue of silke and make it in Pouder Of this Pouder is taken in the infirmity of the Poxe or spice of them the weight of sixe pence drinking it with the simple Water of the Sarcaparillia taking it in the Morning and as night as much when he goeth to bedde Hee must eate good meates and drinke no Wine but the simple water thereof It shall doe well he be purged that shall begin to vse it And although that this pouder doth heale many diseases large and temporall one cure it doth meruellously which is the salte Fleume of the handes and feete in this forme The sicke man being purged and also without purging if he cannot otherwise doe hee shall take the Pouder as it is sayde and vpon the salt Fleume he shall lay with a Feather a little of the water of Sublimatum delayed with Rosewater that it be very simple and after it is layed on all partes where the salt Fleume is then let there be put vpon it a plaister that is called of William Serâ—eâ—tis or Dia Palma spread abroade thin vpon Sattin or Taffeta too bee applied in all parts where the simple water of Sublimatum was put This must be done euery day for that in fifteene daies he shall be perfectly whole This doth mundifie and incarnate and skin without hauing need of any other medicine ioyntly with the Pouder and the simple water of Sarcaparillia which wee haue spoken of This is of so great effect and experimented as they shall see by the worke that shall vse it for surely they shall be whole thereby The vse of the water of the Sarcaparillia is so greate at this day in this forme as is sayd that it is applied in anie disease it is come into so much credit that in anie maner of Reumes or runnings or windinesse the euill of Women of the Mother or any other cause or occasion whatsoeuer so that it bee not in Feuers or other sharpe diseases men take the vse of the simple Water of the Sarcaparillia and this is at this day so put in vse that in like sort you shall finde the simple sodden Water of Sarcaparillia in manie houses as ordinary water in yearthen vessels and surely it woorketh greate effectes and doeth remedie large and importunate diseases Trueth it is that the persons that bee hotte of complexion it doeth beate them more then is conuenient and so they cannot drinke it and moste of all if that their Liuer be very hotte for that it heateth too much In womens diseases as well of the Mother as of colde humours it woorketh good effectes and doeth mâ—ruellously dissolue windes And in persons that bee subiect to manie euilles and especially of Reumes and olde greeffes and diseases caused of the euill humours if they runne this course with the continuance thereof they shall receiue manifest profite and benefite and it doeth heale all deseases whiche they neuer thought to be healed of The complexion thereof iâ— hotte and drie well neere in the seconde degree All these waters must be giuen in Sommer or in the ende thereof it is better that the season exceede in heate then in colde ¶ Of the blood Stone and of the Stone for the diseases of the Stone of the Kidneies and Reines THEY doe bring from the new Spaine twoo stones of greate vertue the one is called the
and with a gracious and good collour All the sortes are vsed in al manner of meates and pottages for that it hath a better tast then the common Peper hath Beaten in peeces and cast into broth it is an excellent sauce they doe vse it in al thinges that the aromatike spices are vsed in which are brought from Maluco and Calicuâ— It doeth differ from that of the East Indias for that costeth many ducates this other doth cost no more but to sowe it for that in one plant you haue spice for one whole yere with lesse hurte and more profite It doeth comforte much it doeth dissolue windes it is good for the breast and for them that be colde of complexion it doth heale and comforte strengthening the principall members It is hotte and dry well neere in the fourth degree They doe bring from diuers partes of our Indias many purgatiue Medicines that haue beene found and discouered by continuance whose workes and effectes are great of the which I wil giue here a short relation that it may be an entrance for to entreate of the roote of Mechoacan which was our principal intent now to wryte of Of the Cannafistola THere doeth come from the Ilandes of Sancto Domingo and from Sancte Iohn de Puerto Rico greate quantitie of Canafistola and it is so much that not only all Spayne is prouided of it but all Europe and well neere all the worlde for that vnto Leuant from whence it was accustomably brought now there goeth moe Shippes loden with it then come with Iron from Biskeye That which commeth from our Indias is much better in comparison then that which is brought from the East Indias to Uenis and that which the Galleons do carry from thence to Genoua and from Genoua to Spayne for when the Merchantes brought it hither it could not bee good for that it was very small and also it was not type and with so long tyme continuance it became so corrupted that it did profite little This of ours that they bring from Sancto Domingo and Saincte Iohn is rype great full weightie honilyke and fresh In so much that many tymes it commeth in sixtie dayes after it is gathered and beeing freshe it is of a gratious and good tast and not of so horrible smell as that of Leuant is and so it doeth his woorke farre better with more facilitie This Canafistola and the woorke thereof is of greate securitie it purgeth gently without any alteration And doeth auoyde principally Choller and after Fleume and that which is in the wayes and the Guttes It doeth temper them much that take it also it purifieth the blood it doeth many good woorkes in all kinde of diseases in especially in the paines of the Reines and of vryne being taken twoo houres before supper And in reumes it doeth much profite being taken twoo houres after Supper and easily it doeth cure the euilles of the breast which haue beâ—ne of long continuance griefes of the side being taken with Syropes for the breast and being applied outwardly with the Oyle of sweete Almondes it taketh away the grieuous diseases of the Lunges and griefes of the Reynes It is good in hotte Feuers and vsing it continually before supper or dinner it stayeth the ingendring of the stone it taketh away the drieth it is moist in the first degree it declyneth to heate although it be little it is dissoluatiue it clarifieth the blood and delayeth the sharpnesse therof and of the red collour There haue beene in the Indias since it was discouered some thereof so weightie that one codde waieth fiue shillinges being taken out by the Seene and foure ounces in weight the whole cane Of the Purgatiue Nuttes AT the beginning when they discouered the Indias they brought from Sancto Domingo certaine Nuttes being three cornered with the which the Indians did purge themselues and were vnto them a familiar purgation And afterwardes the Spaniardes for necessitie did purge themselues with them with hazarde ynough of some of their liues for with the vse therof many thought to lose their liues for that it is a strong purge And although that it doeth make a great excesse of stooles yet doeth it also prouoke vomitte very strongly and with much violence with greate faintnesse and heauinesse Afterwarde some did rectifie them by costing of them and then they be not so violent nor so strong neyther woorke with so much cause of fayntnesse They do purge Fleume very strongly after colour It is an excellent Medicine for the Colike it doeth dissolue windes and putte in a glister it doeth euacuate reasonably The maner colour of them is as of our Nuttes with a thinne rinde of the colour of a cleare Baye they are three cornerd the carnell within is whyte and sweete insomuch that for their sweetnesse many haue beene mâ—eked therwith The Phisitions doe call them commonly Ben of which there are twoo sortes one they call greate and the other little The great Ben bee these purgatiue Nuttes the little Beu bee as great as our Peason of the which in Italy they make that oyle of sweete smel which they call Oyle of Ben with the which they do annoynt their heare and beards for dilicatenesse Their complexion is hotte in the beginning of the third degree and dry in the second Their weight is of halfe a dragme vnto one but they must bee tosted Of the purgatiue Pinions THey doe bring from the newe Spayne certain Pinions or Carnels wherewith the Indians did purge themselues they be like to our Pinions which do growe out of our trees being great after the fashioÌ„ of the wheate of the Indias the shale is not so hard as ours is they are somewhat more blacke they be round and within very white fattie and sweete in tast They do purge valiantly Fleame and Colour and any maner of waterishnes they are more easie Medicine then the Nuts be they do purge by stoole and by vomit and if they be tosted they doe not purge so much nor with so much faintnes They doe purge of their own nature grosse Humors it is a Purgation much vsed amongest the Indians being grounde and dissolued with Wyne hauing first taken preparatiues that do attennuate the humor that a man doeth pretende to euacuate and vsing a conuenient Diet. They take of them fiue or sixe more or lâ—sse conformably to the obedience of the stomacke of him that shall take them Ordinarily they do tost them for so they be more gentle and lesse furious It is needefull that hee which doeth take them be kept as one being purged They be geuen in large infirmities and where there bee grosse humors they be hot in the thirde degree and dry in the seconde with some fatnes which doeth take away somewhat of the drynes Of the purgatiue Beanes FRom Cartagena and numbre de Dios they bring certaine Beanes lyke to the
hee eateth it shall worke and purge no more After that the sicke person or Phisition perceyueth that it hath made an ende of his working and hath purged that which is conuenient then they must giue him somewhat to eate taking at the beginning of his Dinner a Disheful of Broth and after a little whyle let him eate of a Hen and in the rest let him gouerne himself as one that is purged as wel in his drinke as in his meate as also in the keeping that hee shall haue of his person For that day that he doeth take it let him take heede that hee sleepe not in the day tyme nor drinke till Supper the which Supper shall bee light and of some good meates The next daye let him take a washing Medicine and some Conserua and from that tyme forwarde let him keepe good order and good gouernement in al that is conuenient for him And if that with once taking of these pouders the sicke man doe not heale nor auoyde from him that which is needful for to bee voyded hee may take it again as many tymes as the Phisition shall see conuenient wherein he shall haue care after that the sicke man is purged to comfort and to alter the principal members And in this I can holde no precise opinion for that there be diuers and variable diseases and it is needful for them to haue diuers remedies my intent is no more then to wryte the vse of the Roote of Mechoacan as a thing of so greate importaunce and of a purge and remedy so excellent as nature hath giuen vnto vs. And if processe of tyme haue taken froÌ„ vs the true Myrre and the true Balsamo and other Medicines that they of old tyme had of the which in our tyme there is no memorie and with the tyme are lost yet tyme it selfe in place of them hath discouered and giuen so many and so sundry thinges as wee haue spoken of as our Occidental Indias do sende vs. In especially the Mechoacan a purge most excellent and gentle which doth his work with such assurance being white in colour pleasant in sauour and in smel easie to take without any lothsomnes in working and without that horriblenes that other purges haue and without those accidents fayntnes that come at the tyme that they be taken without that disquietnesse which it maketh when it woorketh This Roote hath ouer and aboue that which is sayde other properties and hidden workes that wee doe not reach vnto which with the tyme and vse of them shal bee knowen and discouered euery day The waight or quantitie that is giuen of the Pouder made of the Roote of Mechoacan is conformable to the obedience of the belly of him that shall take it Some there be that doe purge with little quantity I knowe a Gentleman of this Realme that with the waight of halfe a Ryall which is iii. d. doth purge very wel and there are other that haue neede of the waight of xii d. and others of the waight of xviii d. And in this euery one ought to measure the quaÌ„titie as he hath his belly in obedience more or lesse Euen so they ought to limit the quantity conformably to the age of the Patient For that the Childe hath neede of little the Boye of more and the strong man of much more and the Leane of lesse and for this cause the Phisition must measure the quantitie as hee seeth it conuenient Because to the Childe he shal giue the waight of iii. d. and to the Boy the waight of vi d. and to the Man the waight of xii d. which is commonly so taken but to the Woman it is not conuenient to giue lesse then the waight of twelue pence in this there may be had a consideration seeing that it is in the hande of the Phisition to take away his worke when hee doth see that it excedeth it is better to giue a litle too much considering that with taking of a fewe suppings of broth if it doe exceede the excesse may be remedied This is the summe which I haue vnderstoode vnto this day of the Roote which they bring from the Prouince of Mechoacan and when I shall know more of it I will wryte as the tyme and the vse therof shall giue occasion Of the quicke Sulphur WHen I made an end of wryting of these last lynes Barnadine of Burgus the Poticarie a man learned and expert in his arte did shewe mee in his shop a peece of quicke Sulphur brought from our Indias a thing most excellent as euer I sawe and in our tyme the lyke hath not beene seene It was bright lyke Glasse of the colour of fine gold taking a little of it and casting it into the Fyre it doeth cast from it a very greate smell of Brimstone lyke to greene smoke and the peece it selfe smelling therunto hath no smell They brought it from Quito with is a place in the prouince of Peru from a Mine that there was founde in certayne Hâ—lles nere vnto the Mines of gold And it is not in vayne that the Alcumistes doe say that the matter of Gold is the Quickesiluer and the Sulphur that is to say the Quickesiluer the matter and the Sulphur the former and maker And so this which I saw was like to a peece of golde most fine They bring from Nicaraga other Sulphur but it is russet like to Ashes congeled without colour or brightnâ—sse which is found nigh vnto the Uolcan of Nicaraga the which being cast into the fire doth cast from it the smell of Brimstone but it is a peece of earth and in nothing is like to that of the Prouince of Quito more then in the smell neyther hath it that colour of Golde nor that brightnesse that the other hath which is of Quito The same beyng applyed in things that are conuenient for medicine worketh meruellous effectes chiefly beeyng grounde and dissolued with wine and applied in the night to them that haue their face redde inflamed that bee like to Lepers vsing it certayne nightes after they haue beene at the stoole it taketh the rednesse away and healeth it maruellously of the which I haue greate experience It healeâ—h the Skabbes beyng dissolued with oyle of Roses Taking the weight of sixe pence in an Egge it healeth the Colike and the Palsey It is good for the payne of the Stone and beyng taken it healeth the Iaunders It is hotte and drie excessiuely which appeareth by the friendship that it hath with the fire for being touched with it it inflameth and maketh a flame It is the principal matter of that Diuelishe inuention of Gunpouder which hath beene the cause of so many euils and hurtes ¶ Of the wood Aromatike ALso the sayde Barnardino de Burgus shewed mee a Wood which to my seeming I thought too haue beene the holy wood that I meane of Saint Iohn dâ— Puerto Rico the which was
contentment to heale onely with the drinking of a water it beyng of a sweete smel and good of sauour which is taken and drunk without any maner of griefe and so to doe that woorke which sharpe medicines and sirupes of euill sauour and tast cannot doe And such as did drinke wine did water their wine with it thâ—y found themselues well with it In one thing it was seene greately to profite which is in the vse of this water in them that haue lost the lust of their meate insomuch that it is restored to them the lothsomnesse taken from them by the vse of it so that many did amende come to their health quickely And the vse of this water doth cause lust to meate The Souldiers doe coÌ„mend it with suche admiration that some came to leaue it and not to drinke it for because that it caused them to haue so great hunger that they coulde not withstand it And because there was no suche abundance of meates wherwith they might satisfie their hunger which the water was cause of they would not drinke it as not hauing sufficient for their maintenaunce for they did all vse it for a drinke in steede of wine and it was a great remedie for them that by it they became whole as appeareth by them which came from those partes whereas they doe vse it In the Hauana there is a Phisition whom they take for a Man of good vnderstanding in these causes who did cure many of them which came in the Fleete from the newe Spayne sicke with onely the vse of this water without geuing or making for them any other Medicine And it did very well with them for that many were healed therewith and he gaue them to drinke as much as they would all the day and at Dinner and Supper and in the morning he gaue a Cuppe full warmed to them that coulde not goe to stoole with a little Sugar not very white and it wrought very well with them for their going to stoole And to other he gaue Medicines of this water only and Hony it made a good worke I cured heere some that were in cure in the Hauana And being ordered in this maner they which came not wel healed thence were heere fully healed In griefes of the head and in paines thereof being very olde which proceed of any cold cause the taking of this water hot in the morning wel sodden and at dinner and supper and in the day tyme simple with good gouernement as well in the meate that is eaten as in the rest of all other thinges and doing this for many dayes it cureth and healeth them maruellously It is conuenient for him that shal do this that he purge himself first and in the tyme that hee must take it that he receiue certaine Pilles of Hiera simplex he hath no need to keepe himselfe close neither in his chamber nor in his bedde He that shal take this it is ynough that he go wel clothed and that he keepe himselfe from the colde and ayre and that he vse to eate good meates In griefes of the brest caused of colde humors this water doth profite much and openeth the waies of the brest It consumeth moysture and fleames it stayeth the fluxe the running which cometh from the head to the brest It must be taken in the morning hot and drinke continually simple for besides the ordinary drinking in the morning it must bee drunke simplie for a long tyme. For these simple waters as they doe their worke by little and little so it is needful that they be continued for a long season It is good that there be put some suggar too it that it may make the better woorke In griefes of the Stomacke when the cause is colde or windie after that the vniuersal euacuations bee made taking this water in the morning strong as it is sâ—id simple at other tymes it taketh them away and healeth them chiefly if there bee any olde griefe for that I haue giuen it for this effect to men that many yeeres did suffer most grieuous paynes in the stomacke and with taking the water in the morning hot for certaine dayes and continuing with the simple water for a long tyme and taking once euery weeke pilles of Hiera simplex many people were healed therof very wel And thus we haue declared howe that the vse of this water restoreth the appetite lost and giueth lust to meate In the weakenes of the stomacke and in the lacke of natural heate where that which is eaten is not consumed it worketh great effectes and helpeth digestion It consumeth windes which are the cause of indigestion it taketh away a stinking breath and from them that do vomit their meate it taketh away that euil custome so that they eate little and vse continually to drinke this water without wyne And aboue al other thinges it maketh a good breath and a good smel at the mouth In the disease of the stone of the Ridneis and reines the vse of this water hot when they haue this griefe doth greatly profit and much more vsing it continually simple by it self or with wine for that it doeth preserue that the paine come not so continually nor so grieuously And also it maketh him that doeth vse it to cast out much Sande where the stones bee ingendred And also it causeth the stones that are in the reynes to be cast out and staieth the ingendering of them for that it consumeth the fleames of the which they be principally ingendered and the windes that be many tymes the causes of the paines To them which haue the burning of the Urine to such as haue great burning at the tyme that they make their water doe feele great heat vnto such is not conuenient the vse of this water for bicause it is hot Al such should vse of that wood which I haue written of in the first part of this Historie which is excellent for such as suffer the lyke burninges and paines For the stones and sandes for al such euils comming of heate the work is meruellous that it doeth sauing that if there bee any stone in the Bladder from which place proceedeth the lyke burning for in such a case none of these waters doe take effect but only the Surgions Raser when the Stone is greate is that which doeth profite as I haue seene in many And whyle it is sayd it is a stone it is no stone death hath come vnto them that had it whome if they had beene opened in time might haue liued many yeres as we haue seene in diuers of sixtie yeres and more who haue bin opened and liued vntill they came to eighty yeres and more And I aduertise you that this wood which I call of the Uryne and the stone doeth make the water blewe for if it doe not make the water blewe it is not the right wood And now they bring
a wood which maketh the water yellowe and this is not it which doeth profite but that which maketh the water blewe and this hath the couetousnesse of them caused that bring it because they haue seene that it is wel solde in this citie for the manifest profites that it doeth in these griefes of the Urine by tempering the Reines and the Liuer and procuring many other benefits they bring of all the wood that they finde and sell it for wood of the stone The same hath happened in the Mechoacan which when it came to be worth twentie Ducates the pounde they laded so much from thence of it some not being rype other not being right that when it is come hither it woorketh not the effect that thâ— good and wel seasoned wâ—s wont to doe Wherefore it is needfull to see to that which is taken that it bee the same and that it bee well seasoned That which is very whyte is not such as the yellowe is in myne opinion for that which is yellowe wee see that it mâ—keth the better woorke it may bee that the very whyte is not of it or hath not the perfection that the good hath And comming to our water of Sassafras it prouoketh Urine it maketh them to Uryne well which haue the impediment of it chiefly if it come by humors of colâ—e causes I did knowe a Priest which came in this flâ—ete from the Florida who being in those parts did make water very euil and cast from him stones some tymes with very much griefe and some of them did put him in hazard of his life when hee was in the Florida as hee dranke of the water of Sassafras ordinarily as many other did in the place of wyne hee auoided many great smal stones without any paines and after that hither vnto hee hath founde himselfe whole and very well of this euill by drinking the simple wâ—ter of this wood ordinarily and watering his wyâ—e therewith Many doe drinke of this water for the same purpose and they cast out much Sande and doe finde themselues cured therewiâ—h In them that bee lame or creeples and in them that are not able to goe nor to moue themselues as for the most part that infirmitie commeth of colde humours by taking this water hot in the morning and procuring sweate all that hee can eating things of diet and drinking the simple water continually and vsing it many dayes wee haue seene many healed And it is to bee noted that in taking of this water there is nothing to bee obserued as in other waters but when they shal take it hotte if any sweate come to keepe it and after this they may ryse and goe well clothed it is not needefull of any thing els but of this and good order and to eate good meates and if they sweate not it maketh no greate matter but if they sweate not they shal be healed I knowe a Captaine one of them which came from the Florida and hee certified mee that hee was so weake in all his body that his Soldiours carried him vppon their shoulders for that in any other manner he coulde not stirre and hee was in a place where the tree of Sassafras was not and he sent for it and toke the water and therewith sweate for certaine dayes and afterward he tooke it simply and hee was restored to his perfect health and I did see him whole and well In the toothache this wood beeing broken and chewed with the tooth that is grieued and leauing that which is chewed in the hole of the tooth which is grieued if it haue any hollownesse and although that it haue none yet it taketh away the paines meruellously with experience done vpon many In the euil of the Poxe it worketh the same effectes that the rest of the waters of the holy wood the China and the Sarcaparillia doeth taking it as these waters bee taken with sweates putting vp more or lesse the decoction of the water and the quantitie of the wood as the complexion is and the disease of him that shall take it For that in colde humours Flegmatike it maketh a better woorke then in them that bee Cholerike and so in the Poxe that bee of a long tyme it maketh a better and greater woorke than in them that be of smal continuance and more where there bee knobbes and moisture of matter old griefes of the head with the order as is aforesayd And in these euils the simple water is continually taken for a great tyme and it worketh greate effectes chiefly in them that bee leane which be altogether weakened debilited with the vse of many Medicines Many which haue the Gout haue vsed and doe vse to drinke of the Water of this tree some of them taking it hotte as wee haue sayde and others simple continually by it self and watering their wyne therewith That which I haue seene is that which in the olde kinde of Goutes doeth neither good nor euil and if it doe any good it is to comfort the stomacke and to dissolue winâ—inesse to giue them some lust to their meate the rest of the benefite that it bringeth is to them that hâ—ue bin sicke but short time if the cause proceede of cold vnto whome it procureth notable profite but if the humour and cause be hot it doth them no good but hurteâ—h them inflâ—ming and causiâ—g them to haue greater paynes In one thing I haue seene it in many people to bring notable profit with the continual vse of this water and it is in them which haue foule diseased handes which cannot exercise them as they were wont to doe I healed a Gentleman which could not write that when he went to write his hande fell downe by little and little and the penne also after hee had begon to write not past fiue or sixe letters And hee toke a Cuppe full of that which was last sodden in the morning and after he dranke it hee continued twoo houres in his bedde and after he rose and went about his businesse And he did eate at his dinner good meates and at his Supper vsed diet and dranke the simple water of the self same Sassafras and he was healed very wel hauing spent a great somme of money on Phisitions and Medicines which did not profite him any thing vntil he came to be remedied in the order as is aforesaide Many did certifie mee that which nowe I finde by experience and learned of them that were sicke in the Hauana and could not goe to the stoole that the Phisition which is there did cause them to take in the morning fasting a good Cuppe full hotte of the water of the Sassafras and it did soften the belly and they went to the stoole very well which we haue seene heere to bee true by experience And there was a Soldiour which certifâ—ed mee and prooued it with others of his companie that hauing stooles by
Cape of Saint Elen which is in the same coast they bring another kind of Mechoacan but it is very strong and beeing taken it causeth great accidentes of vomites and faintnesse with many stooles and for this cause they cal it Escamonea no man vseth it bicause it bringeth by incision which commeth foorth like to a whyte teare or drop most cleare with a maruellous sweete smel declaring wel the maruellous effectes and Medicinal vertues that it hath of the which wee haue treated in the first parte And that Balsamo which is made by seething as wee doe there showe we see the maruellous effectes that it worketh with so great and maruellous vertues that it bringeth admiration to the whole worlde with many other maruels which hetherunto we haue seene that be there spoken of And greater wil these woorkes bee that shal bee done with the Balsamo which they nowe bring made by incision seeing that one drop of this is more woorth then twoo Gallons of the other as it is manifestly seene by vsing of it And surely that which was in Egypt and failed so many members of yeeres past I beleeue that it had not more vertues then this And I am sure that this is of greater vertue and effectes then euer that was of I haue the fruite of this tree which is little according to the greatnesse of the tree and it is a grayne as great as a white Pease the taste of it is a little bitter it is shut into the end of a little â—od of the length of a finger beeing narrowe whyte and thinne of the thicknesse of vi d. It carieth no more but one graine in the ende which is the fruite that the Indians doe vse to perfume them withal in griefes of the head and in Reumes Surely the Balsamo is a maruellous thing and it sheweth well in it selfe what it is according to the workes therof They bring moreouer from the firme land a TurpeÌ„tine or Licor which is called Deabeto and it is gathered from certaine trees of mixture they be not Pine trees nor Cipres for they bee higher then our Pine trees they are as straight as Cipresses trees In the highest part of the tree it bringeth forth certaine bladders of two sortes the which are great and smal and being broken there cometh foorth of them a maruellous licour which falleth drop after droppe and the Indians gather them with great deliberation and they receiue the same droppes which bee in the bladder into a shel and alwayes haue shelles lying vnder the bladders whereouâ— they distill and it is a thing done with such leasure that many Indians doe gather very little al the whole day The Licor serueth for all things that the Balsamo doeth it healeth very well woundes it taketh away colde griefes and windie Some do take it for the griefs of the stomacke caused of colde humors or for windines with a little white wyne And it is to be vnderstood that the Balsamo which is made by seething or that which is made by incision and this or any other manner of Licour of these of the Indias which is to bee taken by the mouth ought to bee taken but in little quantitie which must not bee more then foure or fiue droppes and it must not be taken in the Palme of the hand as it is sayde but putting a litle wine or Rose water into a spoone and pouring vpon that the droppes of Balsamo putting the spoone wel into your mouth and letting the Licor fal in so that it touch not the tongue For taken with it or touching it the sauour and tast is not remoued away in a long time it procureth an euell tast in such sort that for this onely cause many doe abhorre it and wil not take it and from others it hath taken away the lust of their meate by receiuing it and touching it with the tongue Of long Peper ALso they bring from Cartagena and from the coast of the firme lande from Nata neere to Veraga a certain kinde of Peper which they cal long Peper which hath a sharper taste then the Peper which is brought from the Oriental Indias and biteth more then it and is of more sweete taste and of better smell then that of Asia or the Peper of the East India it is a gentle spyce to dresse meates withall and for this purpose al the people in that country doe vse it A Gentleman gaue me a platter full of it for he brought a great quantitie of it for the seruice of his Ritchin because they vse it in place of blacke Peper and they take it to be of a better tast and more healthfull I haue tasted it and it byteth more then the blacke Peper doeth and it hath a more sweete taste then it hath I haue caused it to be put into drest meates in place of the Oriental Peper it giueth a more gentle taste vnto the meates that are drest therewith It is a fruite that casteth out a high plante of the greatnesse of a grosse Packethreed and the lower parte neere to the roote is as great as a litle sticke that is very small and vpon it are ioyned the little graines very neere together as though they were wrested one within the other which causeth the greatnesse whereof wee spake and beeing taken away from the litle sticke the stick remaineth bare and whole and it is greene being fresh but the Sunne ripeneth it and doeth turne it blacke and so they bring it into these partes It groweth in the coast of the firme lande in Nata and in Cartagena and in the newe kingdome in all these partes they vse it as I haue saide It hath the Medicinall vertues which the Orientall Peper hath that we vse The complexion thereof is hotte in the third degree And going to visite a childe the sonne of this Gentleman which gaue mee this Peper being diseased of the fire in the face I commanded him to bee let blood and that to his face they should apply some litle cloth with Rose water and the hearbe Mora hee saide to me that hee liked the letting of blood well because the boye was of Sanguine complexion but as for that which should be laid to his face hee had wherewith to heale it in short tyme and he commanded to bee brought foorth a thing lyke vnto a cake as great as a meane platter the outside was blacke and within yeallowe and beeing brought wel neere twoo thousand Leages it was moyst and hee dissolued a little of it with Rose Water and layde it to the boyes face I was desirous to know what it was he said that when the worke was seene what it would do he would tel me whereof it was compounded The next day I returned to the sicke and his face was so amended that I maruelled at it and immediatly he was washed with Rose water a little warme and hee remayned as
Cassia ligâ—â—a and it is all one kinde of tree that bringeth them foorth but that the diuersity of the place bringeth forth one more fine than another and so Cassia and Cinamon are al one for that they differ not but onely in the names for all is Cinamon thinne and fine and whereas you find written Cassia may be put Cinamon and where you doe find Cinamon Cassia This our fruite that is called Cinamon profiteth in Medicine for many thinges beeyng taken and made into pouder it comforteth the stomake and it dissolueth winds it taketh away the euill smell of the mouth it is an important remedy for the griefe of the stomake it is cordiall it maketh a good colour in the face and Cassia in drest meates is vsed euen as Cinamon is because it woorketh the like effect that it doeth by taking the Pouder of this fruite with wine or water made for the nonce it prouoketh the purgatioÌ„ of women It is hot in the thirde degree and drie in the first but with notable comforting by reason of the drie parts that it hath ¶ Of the Ginger DOn Francis de Mendosa Sonne vnto the vice Roy Don Anthony de Mendosa did sow in the new Spayne Cloaues Peper Ginger and other spices of those which are brought from the Oriental Indias and that which by him was begun was lost by reason of his death onely the Ginger did remayne for it grew very well in those partes and so they bring it greene from the new Spayne and other partes of our Indias and some they bring drie after the maner of that of the East India The Ginger is a Plant which carrieth his Leafe like to Lâ—rio somewhat more narrowe with the same greenesse the Roote is as it seemeth some greater than other and when it is greene it burneth not in the mouth wherefore beeyng made small into peeces it is put into Sallettes for because it geueth them both tast and smell They sow it of the seede that it bringeth foorth or of the same little Roote and of the one sorte and of the other it waxeth greate and after the Roote is growen greate they take it foorth and drie it in the shadowe where no moysture doeth come for that is it which doeth corrupt him and for this cause they bring it in drie earth and made in Conserua although that here it may bee verie well made of that which is drie burying the Roote at the foote of a place where many led Emperiall beyng abroade below and narrow aboue and by the mouth of them there groweth out certayne Buddes which are his Leaues which cause him to shewe verie faire and these Buddes are sowen and of them growe the Plantes which carrie the Pinnas and one Plant carrieth not more than one Pinna in the highest part therof it groweth greene and as it ripeneth it turneth yeallowe They take from it the Rynde which is verie thinne for to eate that which it hath within it is white and softe and melteth in the mouth with a very good tast and sweete sauour sauing that it hath many small karnels rounde about it which it is needefull that you cast from you when you eate them which are of a Purple colour The smell thereof is like to a kinde of Quince and where there is a Pinna rype he smelleth like to a Quince ouer all the House where he is They take them to bee good for the stomake and likewise for the hearte and to restore the appetite lost it is a generall fruite in all partes of the Indias and much esteemed They are to be eaten at the beginning of meate they vse to eate them in the hot after Noones for they say that they do refresh they are cold in my iudgement they brought two sorts of them the one drie the other in Conserua The dry did serue for no other purpose but to see the figure and the forme of them in Conserua they haue a good tast although somewhat sharpe they ought to be made in Conserua when they are greene Of the Guaiauas THey brought mee from the firme Lande the seede of the Fruite which is so muche esteemed by the Indians as also by the Spaniardes which they call Guaiauas The trees which carrie this fruite are of a reasonable greatnesse they cast out their bowes dispersed They carie a leafe like to the manner of Laurell the flower of it is whyte according to the fashion of the flower of Orenges sauing that it is somewhat greater it is of a sweete smell This tree yeldeth much fruite wheresoeuer it be sowen and doeth multiply and spred so much abroade that they take it to bee euil for the grounde where it groweth for that in many pastures the people doe loose the feeding of their cattle by reason of them And they weue themselues one togither with an other like Bryers the fruite which they carie is like to our Apples of the greatnesse of a Pippin it is greene when it beginneth first to appeare and as it ripeneth it turneth yeallowe In the inner parte it is whyte and in colour russet and being cut hath foure places deuided where it hath the seede which is lyke to the seede of Medlers being very harde and of colour tawnie al the stones within haue no karnel they are without any sauour And to eate these Apples they pare them from the Rind the fruite is holsome and of good digestion when they be greene they are giuen to them that haue the Laske for they restraine and binde much and when they bee very rype they make the belly very laxaatiue when they bee of a good seasonable age They are good rosted for them that be whole and for the sicke for beeing so rosted they are more healthful and better and of pleasanter taste And the best of them growe in trees which are tilled The Indians vse the leaues in seething with the which washing their feete that are swollen they cause them to abate and the inner parts of the body being stopt or opilated being washt with this seating doe disopilate It seemeth to bee a colde fruite and therefore they giue them rosted to them which haue hot Agewes It is a very common frute in all the Indias Of the Cachos ALso they did sende mee the Seede of a plante or hearbe which the Indians doe much esteeme which they cal Cachos The Cachos is an hearbe very reddish in colour it carieth a rounde leafe thinne it casteth out a fruite like to a Berengena of Spayne where the seede doth growe it is very small and of a Russet colour it hath a taste without any sharpnesse onely in the mountaines of Peru this hearbe is found The Indians doe much esteeme it for the medicinal vertues that it hath it maketh one to pisse wel where the lack of Uryne is it doeth expell the Sande and Stones which growe in the reines And moreouer they say that
the vse of it doeth breake the stone from the bladder if the Stones bee soft that they may bee dissolued with taking very little quantitie of it and of this they haue so many examples that they cause mee to maruell at it because I thinke that the stone in the bladder cannot bee expelled but onely to cut it out is the remedie for that no Phisicke can dissolue him They say that taking the seede grounde with some water made for the purpose causeth it to bee cast out in Clay and being come foorth it returneth to be congeled and turneth it self into a stone Only to a yong man I sawe this happen who had a stone in the bladder and I beeing certified of it by the Maister Surgions that had felt him and of the accidents which hee had caused him to bee caried at the beginning of the Sommer vnto the Fountaine of the stone and in twoo monethes after that hee was there hee came whole from thence and brought in a paper all the clay which hee had voyded from him at tymes being of stone dissolued into peeces We wil sowe the seedes although very little onely to see the effect wrought by them which as they say is in a cause so greate and if it doe growe we wil vse of it Of the flowres of blood I Sowed a seede which they brought mee from the Peru more to see the fairenesse thereof then for any Medicinall vertues that it hath The hearbe commeth to bee of the height of twoo spannes litle more or lesse bowes it casteth out straight with certaine rounde leaues very greene and thinne in the hiest of the bowes there groweth a flower being yeallow very high in colour and onely it beareth fiue leaues and in the middest of euery leafe there is figured a droppe of blood so red and so firmely kindled in colour that it can not be more This flower hath at the foote of it a stalke very long which commeth out a good space from the flower It is a flower very beautifull which doeth adornate gardens it groweth very wel of the seede or of the plante and beeing tasted it hath the same sauour and taste that the Mastuesso hath it is notable hotte A rinde of a tree for the Rewme AMongst the thinges with they sent mee froÌ„ the Peru there is a thicke rinde which seemeth to bee of a great tree and being tasted hath a sharpnes of tast with some drynesse the trees growe at the side of a riuer where this rinde is taken of which is twentie and sixe Leagues from Lima and they are not founde in other partes of the Indias but onely there The tree is after the fashion of an â—ime as wel in the greatnes as in the leafe The Indians when they feele themselues laden with Reumes or haue the Cough or any paynes of the head they make pouder very small of the rinde of the tree and take it in at their noses and it causeth them to purge much at them and with this they cleare themselues of the euil which we haue experimented by taking the pouder in at the nose and it maketh them to purge notably It seemeth to be more then hot in the second degree Of the Pacal IN the same Riuer there groweth an other tree which the Indians call Pacal which tree is lesser then that wee haue spoken of before the Indians doe vse it made in Ashes mingled with Soye it taketh away any maner of sore or skabbe in the head howe grieuous soeuer it bee as wel those which growe in the head as in the bodie as also it taketh away the markes of the sayde skabbes or sores being neuer so olde Hether they sent mee a little of the wood wherewith the Ashes are made that we might make experience of it Of the Paico THey sent mee an hearbe which in the Peru they call Payco they bee certaine leaues after the manner of the leaues of Planten of that making and greatnesse and as they come dry they are very thinne and being tasted they haue a notable bityng so that thereby they seeme to bee very hotte And being made into pouder and taken in wyne they take away the griefe of the stone in the kidneis which commeth of windinesse or cold causes and being sodden and made into a plaister and laide vpon the griefe they take it away also An hearbe for the euill of the Reines LIkewise they sent mee another hearbe which profiteth much in the euill of the reines when it commeth of a hotte cause The Iuyce mingled with the oyntment of Roses amongst it and one of the leaues or more if it bee needful laide vpon it is good for an inflaÌ„mation the iuyce thereof being put and it profiteth much for it doth resist the inflammation and mittigate the payne The leaues which they sent me bee lyke to small Lettice with the same greatnesse and being tasted they are of an euill savour it seemeth to be some hearbe notable cold ¶ Of a fruite which groweth vnder the ground THey sent me from the Peru a fruite very good that groweth vnder the earth and very faire to beholde and of a very good taste in eating This fruite hath no roote nor doeth produce any plante nor plante doth produce it but that it groweth vnder the ground as the Turmas doe grow vnder the earth which are called the Turmas of the earth It is of the greatnesse of halfe a finger rounde and rounde about it is wrought with a very fayre worke it is of a bay colour It hath within it a little kernel which when it is dry maketh a sounde within lyke to an Almonde the rinde of it is tawny and somwhat white parted into twoo partes lyke vnto an Almonde It is a fruite of goood sauour and taste and eating of it it seemeth that you eate Nuttes This fruite groweth vnder the earth in the coast of the Riuer of Maronnon and it is not in any other part of al the Indias It is to be eaten greene and dry and the beste way is to toste it It is eaten alwaies after meates as fruite eaten last of all because it dryeth much the stomacke and leaueth it satisfied but if you eate much of it then it bringeth heauinesse to the head It is a fruite in great reputation as wel amongst the Indians as the Spaniardes and with greate reason for I haue eaten of them which they haue brought mee and they haue a good taste It seemeth to be a temperate fruite Of the fruite called Leucoma THey brought mee likewyse a fruite of a tree which the Indians call Leucoma which is like vnto a Chestnutte of these of ours as wel in colour as in the greatnesse as also in the whytenesse that the Chestnutte hath It seemeth that within it is another thing I did not breake it to see what it was because they brought me but twoo of them the one I haue sowen
de Quinatna Duenas beeyng Aburgales who did cast out at his mouth in my presence a greate bundell of â—eare of a browne colour very small and hee had in a Paper more then twice as much which hee had cast vp two houres before and he remained as though he had cast vp nothing at all more then the alteration that hee had to see that he had cast vp such stuffe Iohn Langins an Almayne Phisition and verie well learned saith that he sawe a woman that complayned much of payne in her stomake did cast out many peeces of glasse and peeces of Earthen Platters and of fish bones wherwith she remayned whole An other case like vnto this Beneuenius speaketh of in his book de morbis mirandis but that which I do most maruel at was that a labouring man suffering great paines in his bellie so that no medicine coulde profite him did cut his owne throate with a knife and after that he was dead they opened him fouÌ„d in his belly great quantity of heare the like wherof he that I haue spokeÌ„ of did vomit with many other peeces of yron These things I do attribute to the works of the Diuel for that they caÌ„not be reduced vnto natural causes The Ueruaine is like that of Spaine all the yeere it is greene Of the Mastuerco I haue an hearbe brought from the Peru which they call Mastuerco it is a little hearbe doth carry certain small leaues that are round which beeing beaten in a morter and the iuyce of them put into any maner of wound doth refresh comfort and heale curing it foorthwith and the vse of it is not more nor lesse then the vse of the Tabaco in woundes which he freshly made washing them with the iuyce and laying the beaten leaues to them and being tasted it semeth that it is notable hot Of the small wild Lettice LIkewise they brought mee from the same partes an other hearbe which they call wilde Lettice the leaues bee like to Lettice the colour is a sadde greene it hath vertue too take away the Tooth-ache receyuing the seething which is made of the leaues and holding it in the parte where the griefe is and putting a little of the iuyce in the tooth which is greeued for so it taketh away the paines yâ— leaues which are staÌ„ped after the iuyce is taken out must be laid vpon it being tasted it is most bitter It seemeth to be hot in more then the first degree Of the licour which is called Ambia IN a great Cane they sent me a Licour which springeth out of a fountaine that is neere to the Sea side it is of the colour of honie as thin the smel is like the Tacamabaca they say and also they write that it hath great medicinall vertues chiefly in the healing of olde diseases and those which come of colde causes It taketh away the paines in any parte of the bodie proceeding of colde or of windinesse It taketh away the colde in what part soeuer it be it doth comfort and dissolue any maner of swelling and it worketh all the effectes that the Tacamabaca and the Caranna doe and so they vse it in those parts in steede of them you may not touch nor handle it with your hands vnlesse you haue them wet and wheresoeuer it be put it sticketh fast that it cannot be taken away vnlesse it be wasted with long time They sent me this little for a shew bicause they doe esteem it greatly therfore they sent it as a thing very precious It seemeth to me hot in the third degree with notable clammines ¶ Of the tree that sheweth whether one shall liue or die IN the yere of our Lord 1562. WheÌ„ the Earle of Nieba was in the Peru he had there a gentlewomaÌ„ which was married that serued him her husband waxed sicke of a grieuous disease an Indian of great reputatioÌ„ seeing her to be in much sorow saide to her if she would know whether her husbande shoulde liue or die of that disease he woulde sende her a Bowe of an hearbe that shee should take in her left hand and hold it fast for a good while and if he should line then she shoulde shewe much gladnesse with holding the Bowe in her hande and if he should die then she should shew much sadnesse And the Indian sent her the Bow and she did as he had willed her to do and the bowe being put into her hand she tooke so much sadnesse and sorrowe that she threw it away from her thinking that she should haue died thereof and so he died within a fewe daies I was desirous to know if that it were so and a Gentleman of the Peru that had beene there many yeeres did certifie me and sayd that it was of truth that the Indians did this with their sicke people It hath put me in admiration and in much consideration ¶ Of the Granadillia FRom the firme Lande they brought mee certayne Fruites which are herbes which they call in the hils of the Peru where they grow Graâ—aâ—illias and this name the Spaniards did giue them for the likenes fashion that they haue to our Granaâ—as which wee call they sent me is of a red colour somewhat darke and it hath a good smell Of the Bezaar stones of the Peru. ALthough in the second parte I treated of the Bezaar stones that haue been founde in the mountaines of the Peru for that they haue beene sent me by the first discouerer of them the best of as many as from those partes haue come yet I would say in this thirde parte some thing of them which he sent me for knowledge saying that because I wrote of them they had knoâ—ledge of them and the booke which I wrote of them was the guide to finde and discouer them as we haue sayd as he sheweth by his letter which we haue set in the second parte Those which hee sent mee too prooue bee verie excellent in their coullour making and greatenesse whereof I haue broken some and finde them as excellent as those of the East India and so they prooue in pouder or in one little graine as the other doe and in coullour well neere they are the same Truth it is that those which haue this qualitie and goodnesse and haue all the qualities that the Bezaar stones ought to haue which are fine shoulde bee those that are taken out of the beastes that are fedde in the Mountaynes for those which are taken out of them that are bredde in the playne groundes are not so good nor haue any Medicinall vertues because the Beastes aâ—e not mayntayned by those healthfull Hearbes whereby these stones are ingendered for as they bee Beastes and chewe thaâ— which they eate of the iuyce that proceedeth from the herbs the stones are ingendered Which thing that Gentleman gaue well to vnderstande who was the first discouerer of them who did see where they lay
forthwith a double linnen cloth vpon it wette in the same Balsamo and so bounde that the lippes goe not a sunder and keeping diet and vsing letting of blood if it be needful and not vnbinding it vntill the fourth day and they shall finde the wounde comforted except that there bee any accident which causeth it to bee vndone before And when the cause is such that it requireth to bee dressed euery day by reiterating the wette Linnen cloth in the Balsamo it wil bee healed for the vertue of this Balsamo is to cause that there bee no matter engendered in the woundes and especially this Balsamo doeth profite in woundes where there hath beene cuttinges of bones taking them out that haue beene diuided one from another and not touching the rest for that the vertue of the Balsamo will caste them out and hauing so done wil heale the wounde One of the thinges wherein this Balsamo worketh greate effectes is in woundes and ioyntes and in cuttinges of Sinewes in al prickes for in all these kindes of woundes it maketh a maruellous woorke curing and preseruing them from extreame colde and from running together of Sinewes that they remayne not lame The woundes which doe penetrate are healed with this Balsamo being mingled with whyte wyne and spouting it into them and after three houres taking it out again This must be done in wounds or prickes once euery daâ— that it may goe with a moderate heat Likewyse this Balsamo serueth to be applied where haue beene giuen dry blowes or brusinges and for al workes of Surgerie where is no notable inflammation which beeing taken away with the Medicines that are conuenient for it the Balsamo may then bee vsed In euilles which belong not to Surgerie this Balsamo doth profit much as in him that hath the shortnes of breath by taking a fewe droppes in whyte wyne it profiteth him much it taketh away the grief of the head coÌ„ming of a colde cause and a litle Plaister being laide vpon the griefe and wette therewith to the Temples of the head taketh away all runnings by those partes and in especially the euilles of the eyes and Reumes that runne into them beeing layde to the foreparte of the head and it must be good and hot It taketh away the paynes of it and comforteth it and remedieth the Palsie Some that haue beene in a Consumption haue vsed it taking some droppes in the morning licking them out of the Palme of the hande and they haue felt notable profit And it maketh cleane the brest very wel it is good to take some droppes with Aqua vitae hot before any maner of colde in a Quarterne Ague or of a long importunate tertian Ague annoynting with the same Balsamo mingled with Oyle of Ruda the Temples of the head good and hot before the colde doeth come If with the Balsamo they annoint themselues from the mouth of the stomacke to the Nauâ—l it comforteth the stomacke it giueth a lust to meate it helpeth digestion it dissolueth Windes it taketh away the paines of the stomacke and it worketh farre better these effects if the halfe of the Balsamo be mingled with another halfe of Oyle of Spike Nardâ— compounded or simple and so it is better applyed There is great experience of it in the Indias for Swellinges that are in the maner of Dropsies and mingling it with oyntment disopilatiue of equal parts and annointing the belly therewith chiefly the parte neere the Lunges there are seene wrought therewith great effects it dissolueth any maner of swelling or hardnes that is in any parte of the body and being laide vpon any paine that commeth of a colde cause although it be of long continuance it taketh it away bringing it to be so smal vntil it fal of it self the same it doeth wheresoeuer is any winde And if it bee in the belly or in any parte of the body wetting a Linen cloth hot in Aqua vitae of the best and applying it to the place where the griefe of the Stone is and mingled with Oyle made for the purpose it maketh a great woorke it taketh away the paynes of the Sinewes and when they bee shronke together in a very hot weather rubbing them with it it dissolueth them The euil called the Lamparones that are open or shutte it healeth Many other effectes this maruellous licour worketh which I haue not knowen but these which I haue knowen I doe manifest to al the worlde that they may take profite by so maruellous a Medicine which hath so many vertues as you haue hearde and euery day the tyme wil discouer other greater The ende of the thirde and last parte The Table of the thinges that these three bookes doe containe In the first Booke OF the Anime Copal fol. 1. Of the Tacamahaca fol. 2. Of the Caranna fol. 4. Of the oyle of the Figge tree fol. 5. Of the Gumme fol. 6. Of the Liquid Ambar and the oyle thereof fol. 6. Of the Balsamo fol. 7. Of GuaiacaÌ„ holy wood 12. Of the China fol. 13. Of the Sarcaparillia fol. 15. Of the blood stone and the stone for the disease of the stone fol. 18. Of the woode for the Urine fol. 19. Of the Peper of the Indias fol. 20. Of the Canafistola fol. 21. Of the Purgatiue Nuttes fol. 21. Of the Purgatiue Pinons fol. 22. Of the Purgatiue Beanes fol. 22. Of the Milke of Pinipinichi fol. 23. Of the Mechoacan fol. 23 Of the Quicke Sulphure fol. 30 Of Arromatike wood 31 In the second Booke OF the Tabaco fo 34 Of the Sassafras Of the Carlo Sancto fol. 57. Of saint Elens Bedes 59. Of the Guacatane fol. 60. Of the smal Barlie fol. 62. The Epistle from the Peru. fol. 64. Of the blood of Drago 71. Of the Armadilio fol. 73. Of the flower of Mechoacan fol. 75. Of the Fruite of Balsamo fol. 76. Of the long Peper fol. 77. Of the Sarcaparillia of Guaiaquil fol. 79. Of Ambar grise fol. 82. In the thirde Booke OF the Cinamon of our Indias fol. 88 Of the Ginger 89. Of the Ruibarbe of the Indias fol. 89 Of the Pinnas fol. 90 Of the Guaiauas fol. 90 Of the Cachos fol. 91 Of the flowers of blood 92 Of the Rinde of a tree for Reumes fol. 92 Of the Pacal ibid. Of the Paico ibid. Of an hearbe for the euill of the Raines ibid. Of the fruite which groweth vnder the ground 93 Of a fruite called Leucoma fol. 93 Of the washing Bead stones fol. 94 Of the Crabbes of that couÌ„trie fol. 94 Of the Cardones fol. 94 Of an hearbe good for them that are broken fol. 95 Of the Ueruaine fol. ibid. Of the Masluerso fol. 96 Of the wilde Lettise fol. 96 Of the licour called Ambia fol. 96 Of a Tree which sheweth whether one shall lyue or die fol. 97 Of the Granadillia fol. 97 Of the hearbe of the Sunne fol. 98 Of a Gumme that is taken out froÌ„ vnder the ground fol. 98 Of the Bezaar
original Trimegisto sayde that the earth was the mother of the metals and the heauen the Father And Plinie saith these wordes The inner parte of the earth is a thing most precious for into it and through it doe goe and pearce all the influences of heauen ingendring therein thinges of greate pryce as stones and metals and this is done as Calcidonio Platonico doeth say by reason of the greate heate that is in the inner parte of it Calisthenes vnderstood that the forme of metals were all one Anaxagoras and Hermes sayde that the metalls had one forme in the inner parte and an other in the outwarde parte one secret and an other manifest after the manner as the lead hath within it gold and the gold lead and so of al the rest of the metals See you my maisters howe many and howe variable opinions there are among wise men There is another opinion which is that which is common and which for the most certayne we doe followe which Auicen wrote in his bookes of Metheurous and in the bookes hee made of Alcumisto which were confirmed by Geber and Raymond Lullio and Arnolde de Villa noua and all the rest that haue treated of these matters euen vnto our tyme doe say that the true matter of all metals is ingendred of brimstone and quicksiluer the brimstone as the father and the quicksiluer as the mother and the heat of the brimstone doeth incorporate and congele with the quicksiluer in such sorte that of these twoo thinges are made the metals which are in the bowelles of earth and of the variation of these twoo beginninges they come to differ the one from the other and of the purenesse of these twoo beginnings some doe come to be more excellent then other and for this the golde is more profitable more fayre then all other metalles for bycause it is formed of his beginning cleane and pure which was the cause and originall of his perfection And there were Philosophers which said that al metals should haue bin gold if it had not bin for the imperfection of the sulphur and the quicksiluer And al other metals besides the golde they call imperfect mineralles bycause they had not their purenesse and concoction that the gold had with that maruellous friendshippe which nature gaue vnto it And of this it commeth that the Alcumistes for to make golde doe pretende to make cleane and purifie these twoo beginninges of the which all the metalles are made and beeing put into their perfection the golde is made by of them which is the metall most pure and cleane of all other Thus they dâ—e woorke with their distillations and limbecks and howe harde it is to doe let them report and speake that haue spent their goods and also their patrimonies therevppon and yet in the end haue performed nothing at all Such as doe wryte against them making impossible their woorkes and effectes doe say that in the bowels of the earth the metals are not ingendred nor made of brimstone and quicksiluer as they thinke and holde it for certayne so they cannot make of them by arte for if it were so that of brimstone and quicksiluer they were ingendred there would be some â—ase of them in the mynes of golde and siluer and of the other metals for it is seene that there is no signe or vayne of them in any of those mynes howe deepe so euer they bee but rather they are mynes of themselues as wee see that neyther in them are founde metalles nor in the mynes of the metals are foundâ— sulphur nor quickesiluer And if it were so as they say that the metalles doe breede and are newly ingendred of these twoo beginnings it must bee of force that one metall were alreadie made and the other shoulde goe a making for that all coulde not bee made alyke but rather they take out all metalles ready made and perfectioned and in the meltinges the Iron doeth fall downe into the lowest parte and so is made a great cake the which being deuided into peeces they carry them to the forge where are certeine great hammers or sledges of Iron which the water dryueth and they beate them and there they are forged and doe make these planches that you see there leaning Trueth it is that there are mynes where some Iron is more strong then other some and likewise harder and stronger to labour The Iron of Almayne is softer and gentler to worke That of Flaunders is harde and naught and therefore it is that manye things are soone broken that are made of it In Italy you haue all sortes that of Biskey is the best by reason it is good to worke and it is more mightie and strong then all other and for the goodnesse it hath it is carryed to all partes Doctour Do they bring Steele from Biskey as they do from Italy OrtunÌ„o They do bring a certeine kinde of Iron so harde and strong that being wrought it serueth for Steele cheefely with a temperature that is giuen to it that doeth make it very strong although that it be wrought with great labour There is great difference betweene this and â—he Steele which they bring from Italy and cheefely from Milan for this is verye pleasant to worke and softe and is farre better and the craftes men that doe worke it for this cause are desirous of it and do vse it more then any other Doctour Some will say that the Steele is a myne aâ—one of it selfe distant froÌ„ the Iâ—on OrtunÌ„o It is not so foâ— all are mynes of Iron but that some is more strong then other some and the stronger and harder it is for the strength and haâ—dnesse thereof wee call it Steele and there are countries which haue no other Iron but this which is harde and strong as all the countrey of Mondragon where all the mâ—nes that are in it are of this Iron strong harde whereby it is called Steele all that is taken out of them the disposition of the place doeth cause it but that which they bring from Italy is of another sorte In that countrie are diuers mynes of yron some of soft yron easie to woorke and other of hard strong yron not easie to worke And for to make the steele which they sende vs they vse it in this sorte they take of the soft yron the quantitie they seeme good and they make it in â—â—â—aine small thinne planches then they take marble ground small and also the rust of the yron grounde smal and mingling it al togither they put it into a furnace to melâ— prepared for this purpose with much quantitie of kindled coale they cast al together into it geueth it a strong fire and after they cast to it some of that hard Iron that is so hard that it cannot bee wrought and with a strong fire it is al melt and they make it one peece
the Piles doeth remedie the soares of them It healeth sort cheekes casting the pouders vpon them it is a great remedy worthy of estimation He that doeth cause it to be made doth put it vpon a Playster called Higre the which doeth profite to take away and make cleane the soares and to take away the Fistula and too eate away the Braunches and too cause that the sores bee filled with fleshe all this is of Plinie in the Chapter of yron Galen in the Booke of Triacle to Piso declareth much the necessitie of yron for the life of mankinde and for the seruice of man and doeth account it for a most excellent remedy for to dry vp the moystures teares of the eyes In that of continuall dissolution he sayeth that peeces of burning IroÌ„ cast into milke by taking away that waterishnes which the milke hath is good for ouer much stoles and especially for the bloody flix Anâ— in the tenth of the simple medicines he commaundeth that milke be giuen where in peeces of Iron haue beene quenched and sayth that such kinde of milke doth good vnto them which haue the bloodye flix And in the like case it is better to vse of Iron then of stones or pebble stones by reason the Iron doeth leaue more drithe in the milke Alexander Traliano adding to this treatetâ— how milke shoulde be vsed in stooles He commauÌ„deth to seeth milke with a quarter part of water vntill the one halfe be consumed and in this sort it may be giuen to them which haue the ague with stooles and it is better in the place of small pebble stones wherewith they do commaund it to be soddeâ— that there be cast into it small peeces of burning Iron Paulo well neare sayeth that which Galen hath sayed and that the powder of Iron mingled with vinegre profiteth mâ—ch to such as haue matter comming forth of their eares although that it hath beene of a long continuance And also it is a great remedy for such as haue taken â—enom that is called Aconito And forthwith he treateth of the vertues of the water that haue cooled hot Iron and sayth that it doeth good to such as do suffer the payne of the belly and such as haue any cholerike disease and such as haue hot stomakes and such as haue the stopping of the lunges Dioscorides in the chapter where hee treateth of the rust of yron saieth that the water or the wyne that hath quenched a peece of burning yron is good for them that haue the fluxe of the stomake and the bloody fluxe it desolueth the hardenesse of the lungs and serueth in cholerike stooles and in the loosenesse of the stomake Accio treating of certaine rowles which are very excellent for the opilations of the inner partes saieth that it is a moste conuenient remedie for the Lunges and inner partes of the Bodie that the water that hath quenched whotte yron bee taken for a long time but suche as haue a whotte disease must vse of the water and such as are colde if they be weake of wine that hath quenched yron Oribacio sayeth that the water which hath quenched whot stile is an excellent remedie for suche as are sicke of the lunges Scribonio an auncient Phisition sayth that the water which hath quenched whot steele is a greate remedy for such as are swollen and for suche as haue sores and griefes of the bladder chiefly if they vse it continually Rasis in his Continent treating of yron saieth the same as Galen doth And Paule adding this the yron doth take away the fluxe beyng ouermuche of the menstruous and conceauing with child it healeth the little soares that are betweene the finger and the nayle it taketh away the Pearle in the eye and the hardnesse of the eye lid it healeth the piles outwardly it remedieth rotten gummes it taketh away the Goute from the feete and from the handes it maketh heare growe where it lacketh although there haue none growne a long time The water that hath quenched yron is good for the fluxe of the bellie although that it hath beene of a long continuance and for stooles of blood which doth auoyd from the bodie and the meate which is eaten and not consumed and for stooles of blood it also dissolueth the hardnesse of the lunges it remedieth the runninges and weakenesse of the stomake And Macerico an auncient Phisition saith if the pouder of yron be taken with sodden Wine called Cute it comforteth the weakenesse of the stomake he taketh for his Authour Mese a Phisition And Rasis concludeth the same saying I say and certifie by great experience that the yron doeth profite in the disease of the Piles and for the fluxe of Urine and for ouermuche fluxe of the menstrues this sayeth Rasis Scrapio reciteth all that Rasis saith word for worde and because I woulde not say it twice together I let it alone Auicen followeth Rasis in all that he hath sayd adding this thaâ— followeth to it The water wherin yron is quenched maketh strong the inner members by his owne propertie and manifest qualitie it comforteth the stomake for the water which doeth quench whot yron strengtheneth the vertue and consumeth the superfluities of the stomake and the superfluous moysture thereof for those are the things that take away appetite by the loosenesse of the mouth of the stomake and they are those which extinguish and kill the natural heat and the yron by reason of the coldnesse and drithe helpeth the knitting which is made in the mouth of the stomake wher the appetite is ingendred it comforteth the Liuer and the rest of the interiour members it strengtheneth naturall heat the sinewes and powers of the bodie and in such sorte it doth geue them strength and they take such vertue thereby that they caste from them the opilations by reason of which causes the Lunges are consumed It comforteth the vertue of generation and this it doeth by consuming the moysture which is that which letteth troubleth naturall heate which is necessary therefore and if it be not done by his qualitie yet it is done by his accidents All this is spoken by Auicen in the second of his first as also he sayeth in the seconde Canon where hee prayseth the yron greately for Ring wormes and for swellings and for the Goute and mingled with Uineger and put into the eares that of long time haue cast out matter it healeth them for the sharpnes of the eye liddes and to take away a webbe or the whitenesse of the eyes and hee saieth moreouer that the Wyne which doeth quenche â—he Iron dooth profite for the Apostumations in the Lunges and for the loosenesse of the stomake and for the weakenesse thereof it taketh away the superfluous Flute of the Mother it drieth the piles it taketh away olde stooles and the blooddie Flixe it doeth good to such as theyr fundament commeth forth and
that some Phisitions either for ignoraÌ„ce or for malice do speak euil of her not perceiuing what so many lerned meÌ„ haue treated said of the great vtility profit which she doth to many as experience doth shew all people doe vnderstand chiefly when they doe drinke their drink most cold with the benefit which doth remaine to them thereof they do praise extol her Moreouer she saith that she forceth no persoÌ„ to vse her but if any wil vse her shee can geue such order maner to make cold the drinke as is coÌ„uenient for al persons geuing the degrees of coldenesse which euery one would haue which doeth best appertayn to them this with all assurance with onely leauing or placing the vessel whâ—rein the drinke is ioyned nere to her the which none of the olde writers nor of the late did speake against or forbid And especially let this maner of making cold not be done with stinking water of a well nor with the most burning Saltpeter but with pure water beyng cleane and cleare These coÌ„plaintes many other the faire lillie white Snow hath vttered vnto me in the end she lastly saide to me that since that I had praysed her so much and taken in hande to fauour hâ—r that I should ly the fire hath no mixture of other Elementes and amongest these Elements the ayre is very principall which is deuided into three parts one is the supreame and neere to the Râ—gion of the efire which is whotte and drie for the felowshippe that it hath therewith taking muche of his qualitie which is cleere and pure from whence doe not proceede anye wyndes nor cloudes and this they call the celestiall Region and the partes more lowe which are neere too the water and earth be greaâ— and troubled full of Uapours pearced and visited with the beames of the Sunne whereby it commeth too bee whotte and the supreame and middle Region of the ayre doeth come too bee very colde because it standeth in the middest of the twoo extremities beeyng so whotte And in it is increased the colde as in the middle parte fleing from the extreme partes of heate as we haue spoken of before This middle parte hath partes more or lesse colde for the parte that is ioyning neere vnto vs is not so cold as that which is neere to the superiour partes of the fire And how much more the vapours do rise vp on height the more they doe congele and hold fast In the middle region of the ayre doe ingender the clowdes the small raynes the droppes the frost the rayne the Snowe the Hayle and other impressions as the Thunder lightnings and sharpe showers and comets The Clowdes be the principal matter which doe ingender the Rayne the Snowe and the Hayle and the other impressions which wee haue spoken of that are made of many Uapours which doe rise vp from the lower partes vnto the middle Region of the ayre and so being ioyned they make one body and they waxe thicke with the colde of the saide place and for this the clowd is like to a mother and is the common matter of all the impressions that are made in the ayre And so it is of the snowe as a thing ingendred of it in the middle Region of the ayre And the Snowe is no other thing but a Uapour colde and moyst which came into the middle Region of the ayre beeing ingendred in the bodie of the Clowde with a meane coldenesse which is not so strong as that which doeth cause the Hayle nor so soft as that which doeth cause the water and in the like Uapour before it be made water it both congeale and freese and doeth fall broken in peeces and are white because there doe rayne in them more colde then in the water The which Galen doeth shewe vnto vs in the booke of the Philosophicall hystory of Anaximenes the Philosopher Of the congealed ayre he saieth that the cloudes are made and of the same beeyng more thicke the rayne is ingendred and the same is congealed and frosen and by the coldenesse of the Ayre it is made Snowe and beeyng more congealed it is made Hayle And the same Galen doeth say in his booke de Vtilitate respirationis the Clowdes congealed are made Snowe which is the matter that the rayne is made of the Snowe doeth fall in the highe places which of their owne nature are colde places and thereby it is muche conserued and very seldome it falleth in the Ualleyes and if it doe fall there it is very smal foorthwith it dissolueth It falleth in the Sea but seldom times by reason of the heat which it hath for the winds that are continually in it for heat moisture are coÌ„traries much more the wind accoÌ„panied with the sunne Galen in the nienth of his simples saieth that there were Philosophers that saide the snow had hot parts for being takeÌ„ in the hand it heateth burneth like to fire And so the saide Galen in the 4. of the sayd Bookes sayeth as he went vpon snow his feet did burne the cause of this is not that the snow is whot nor that it hath whot parts but with his cold it doth shut the pores of the handes or feete and causeth that the heate which is in the inner partes haue not wher to come forth so being shut in do cause so great a kindlying that seemeth to burne the which we see contrary if the handes doe burne be put into whot water as the pores drinking of the coldest water they were healed as Galen sayth in the 7. of his Methodâ— that he sawe in one day yeâ— in one houre with a draught of colde water many diseases were healed and some of these were weake of stomake not only with colde water of a fountaine but with water cooled in snowe and in Roâ—â—e it is vsed And so Cornelio Celso in his first booke vnto such as were weake of stomake commanded them to drinke after they had eaten the coldest water they could get and in cholerike stooles should be dronke water that was most cold and in runnings of whot humors it shoulde bee vsed for to stay the fluxe Auicen in the sayde chapter saith that the cold water doth coÌ„fort all the â—ertues in his workes that is to say the vertue disgestiue attractiue reteÌ„tiue and expulsiue And so he goeth declaring euery one of them giuing vs to vnderstand how much the colde water doth corroborate and make strong al these vertues whereby they doe their workes the better And the said Auicen in the second of his first treatie of water saieth the colde water is the best of all waters and it is conuenient for them which are whole for it giueth lust to meate maketh the stomake strong And a little before hee saieth that which is not colde doeth corrupt disgestion and causeth the meate to swim in the stomake it taketh not away the
of need by the way of medicine for the vse of the sayde snowe dronke in water or in wyne or putting the snowe into them doth ingender many kind of diseases which if presently they bee not felt they come to be felt in age Of the which Galen doeth make a large relation in the booke of diseases of the raynes and in the booke of good and euil meates And bycause that Auicen did expound them I wil shew what he wryteth in the third part of the first booke in the 8. chapter He which doth drinke snow and the water that doth proceed out of the same snowe if hee doe vse it continually there will followe much hurt thereby it doth offend the sinewes and it is naught for the brest and for the inner members and especially for the breathing and there is none that doe vse to drinke it but it wil do them hurte vnlesse hee be of a sanguine complection which if hee doe not feele hurt presently hee shall feele it afterwarde Whereby it appeareth howe euill the vse of the sayde snowe is and the water which doeth come out of it if it bee not by the way of medicine onely so it may bee vsed to coole therewith for in such sorte it doeth not offende as is sayde For in this neither the auncient wryters did put any doubt of hurt nor any scruple and nowe wee see that it hurteth not but bringeth health and benefit as wee haue sayde And as Plinie also sayth of the delight and dayntinesse of the colde without offence of any malice of the Snowe And Martiall doeth shewe the same in the 4. booke where hee sayth the snowe must not be dronke but that licor which is made very colde with it And this was shewed and taught vnto vs by the most ingenious drithe And vnto such as are very colde it commeth not well to pas for them to drinke that which is made cold with snow or that which is very colde if hee bee not accustomed theretoo for by custome they may vse and drinke it without any offence to them but it is good that they moderate themselues in drinking that which is very colde and that they conâ—ent themselues that it bee made colde after a meane sorte although it bee with snowe Also it is not conuenient for children nor boyes that their drinke be made cold with snowe for the weakenes of the sinewes and interiour parts and for the tendernesse of their age and chiefly they may drinke no wyne but water for that their age doeth not suffer that they may drinke it and drinking water very colde it doeth them very much hurte The wyne which is made colde with snowe doeth not offende so much as the water which is made colde one of the things which taketh away the fury and strength of the Wyne is the making of it colde And so there are three thinges which doe abate the fury of the wyne that is to water it a good tyme before you drinke it Also to cast a peece of bread into it that it may sucke the vapours and subtiltie of the wyne The third is to put it to coole some reasonable time in water that is most colde or in snowe for the more it is cooled the more the strength and vapours are repressed and so it will lesse offend the head and it will lesse penetrate the ioyntes which is seene in the sayde wyne and beeing made colde there is abated much of his strength in so much that if it bee very colde it seemeth as though that it were water Some people there are which doe say and publish much euil of the cooling with snowe without knowing if it be good or euill and as it is a newe thing and especially in this Countrie they feare that there will come hurt to them by the vse of it And I beeing at the table of a Lorde there was brought a platter full of Cheries with snowe vppon them and there was a Gentleman that durst not take any one of them saying that they would hurt him bycause that they were made colde with Snowe And as it was a thing vsed a long time to cast snowe vppon fruite as Galen doeth say that it was cast vpon the Mulbery the cause of this is for lacke of the vse thereof by reason it hath not bene vsed nor seene in these partes and alwayes they take it for suspicious And heere are none that doe vse it but the noble men and not al but such as haue beene Courtiers and such as haue proued the benefit and commodity that doth followe of it for the rest say that without know they haue loued and without it they wil pas on their tyme. And they do not consider that to liue they may passe with Beefe and Garlyke and Leekes but these kinde of meates doe ingender euil humours for it is one thing to eate the partridge the veale at his time and mutton byrds at another tyme. And there is differiÌ„ce to eate the flesh with sauce the partridge with a Lemon for the one is to eate without taste rustically and the other is to eate as men doe choycely and delicately And so it is in the drinking of cold or whot for of the drinke that is made colde with snow there foloweth health taste contentment and of the drinke that is whot commeth euill diseases distylâ—ing discontentment Let vs consider vow the old wryters tooke great felicitie to drinke colde and chiefly that which was made cold with snow and they were people both wyse and discrete and with much care that preserued their health For in this and in their estimations in their maner of subtile liuing they did put their whole felicitie seeing that they with so much care as we haue before declared did drinke that which they made colde with snowe in countries that was of lesser heate then this wherfore shoulde we not inioy this benefit and contâ—ntment seing that therof cannot followe vnto vs but greate benefit of health vsing therof as I haue said Let euery one looke to that it is conuenieÌ„t for his health age vse and custome and let him haue respect to that which doth agree with him for the vse wil shew him what hee shall do seeing that of the hurt or benefit he may soone perceiue if it ought to be vsed or no he must be aduised that at the beâ—inning when he doth vse to drinke cold that which is made cold with snow the first daies hee shal feele in the day tyme drithe but being past 7. or .8 dayes it is taken away rather they goe betweene dinner and supper without drith without hauing any need to drinke They do bring the snow to this countrie from the mouÌ„tains wheras is much snow 6. leagues beyond Granado The snow hath many things to preserue it because the way is long and it commeth by a whot country by reason whereof