Labia have been eaten away in some and in many mortified many have spongy excressencies on the Labia with multitudes of warts round the Labia and Anus and many have the venereal Fistula in Ano which will admit of no Cure without the use of Antivenereal Medicines I have known some who having been seized with a violent pain in the Head and in all the Limbs have fallen into a Fever and Died Mad. Some have sharp and continual pains in all the Joynts especially in the Shoulders And Nodes affixed to the Bones in many parts of the Body insomuch that the very Bones become Rotten for the Disease is so Maligne that it will creep between the Bone and the Flesh and consume both These Nodes are by some called Gummata they are painful Swellings and are caused by the Flegmatick part of the Disease left behind in ill managed Courses of Physick but in some they are absolute Elevations of the Bone the Venome having penetrated the Periostium Some have the Penis so stopped with caruncles that they cannot make Water some have the uvula and the Palat of the Mouth eaten away by Vlcer and many you see who loose their Noses by this violent Disease some have the tip of the Nose and Nostril eaten away some loose their Eyes and many their hearing and some their Mouths drawn away and indeed I could quote multitudes of Example of the fury of it Oh! how intollerable are the Pains that many poor Wretches indure by this Distemper especially in the Night at which time it most boldly walks its rounds to afflict poor Mortals for indeed all Pains are worse in the Night than the Day by reason that the exercising of the Body in the Day doth divert the Pain but the Warmness of the Bed at Night doth stir up the Malignity and the very thoughts of the Patient in the Night being fixed on the object of Pain doth make the Misery more intollerable Many Years have some undergone the Tyranny of this Distemper till at last it having enervated all the parts of the Body and consumed the Flesh to the Bones it surrenders them to the Grave whom perhaps had they but used such Medicines as had been proper in such Cases they might soon have eradicated the Disease from their Bodys 'T is not a small Number but many Thousands that have perished for want of such Noble Medicines as have force to over come the Malignity of this Disease How many Consumptions Catharrs Astmaes and innumerable more Diseases proceed from nothing else but this Fountain 't is this is the dominering Distemper of our Age though too often it goes under the notion of some other Disease though many do believe the Scurvey is far more pre vailing which indeed is a very destructive Malady and incident to most Men for the Reliques of the Lues Venerea doth many times convert into the Scurvey and sometimes the Dropsie and not seldome into the Gout and I pray observe this that where ever any Distemper is complicated with any Relique of the Venereal Disease it ever proves very stubborn and will not yield to ordinary means and indeed cannot be perfectly Cured without the use of good Antivenereal Medicines CHAP. V. Of the Mischiefs caused by ignor an t Pretenders THe diversity of my Practice in this City for several years hath given me occasion to observe that many mischiefs are daily occasioned by impudent and ignorant Pretenders I mean not only those Vagrants who pretend to have brought such strange and wonderful Medicines from Forreign Parts But many of our own Country men who too boldly venture on the Curing of Diseases without ever knowing the Nature or Causes of them nay many times not so much as the Name of the Distemper Who although illiterate persons and never bred to the Knowledge of the Practice of Physick and Chyrurgery yet boldly fly at all valuing a Patients Life no more than their own little or no Credits most of them pretending to the Cure of this Disease and making the most small appearance seem to be the highest degree of the Pox especially when the Patient confesses a guilt they speedily pronounce an infection making most of those People that go to them for advice to believe they have the Pox although they are never so free from it for if the Patient but propose this unhappy question Sir do you not think I have the foul Disease They then as suddenly reply yes yes Thus many a harmless person is insnared and by their own credulity are caused to undergo such strange courses of Physick as perhaps may and doth too often ruin both Body and Purse nay the misery of their rashness ends not here for oftimes such differences between Man and Wife are occasioned by these Proceedings as causes a disorder their whole life time as for Example A Woman whom I believe to be a civil person going lately to one who pretended to great Judgment in Urines and carrying her Urine to have his advice he plainly told her she had the Pox he looked in her Throat and told her she had an Vlcer there and that in a short time she would loose her Nose this much startled the Woman whereupon she told him she was troubled with a pain in her Head which was all she ailed and was occasioned only by obstructions he forth with pronounces the pain of her Head to be Venereal telling her the Pox was in her Brain upon this home she goes rails at her Husband resolves to be Cured whatever it cost her Husband advised her to come to me which she did and desired me to tell her what I would have to Cure her of this her immaginary Disease I making strict quiry concerning the State of her Body all I could observe was that she had pain in her head which I supposed was occasioned by the foulness of her Stomach and Obstructions I enquired of her whether her pain was nocturnal or no whether she had any pains in her Shoulders Back Arms Thighs Shins or any of her Joynts any Breaking-out any Nodes c. in a word I could no way find she was infected whereupon I declared she was free from the Pox she was very angry and told me she had an Vlcer in her Throat I then looked in her Throat and found all well which I affirmed to her she went home much dissatisfied and fell into a great Melancholy because her Husband would not suffer her any more to go to the person who told her she had the Pox. She being in this condition her Husband came to me and consulted me upon which I agreed to humourher Fancy So I went to visit her she complained much of her woful condition I told her I had considered her Case and that I would take care to Cure her upon which she was very chearful for she knew several that I had Cured of the Pox. I Purged her five or six times with my head Pill and gave her some
damage by a too sudden flux of humours but after the Vlcers are once Cured the general Cure may more safely be performed the same observation ought to be made in Ozena's nor do the Vlcers of the Throat threaten less than the fall of the Nose where they are neglected for the matter that flows from the Vlcer doth often foul the Os Spongiosum Cribriforme where the matter once lodged soon becomes an inveterate Enemy I know some persons who have often large Vlcers in the Throat which soon disappear but I never think any Patient Cured in such a case until they undergo the Salivation ☞ The preparation of Bodies is very material in the cure of this Difease for suppose a Patient in years of a cholerick temperament emaciated by the Disease having missed of his Cure two or three or more times this Patient any man must believe would be hard to cure every man would say nothing but a Salivation could help him yet it would be dangerous to Salivate such a person without the due preparation viz. First Let him be sed with fresh-Meats that breed flegmatick Juices such are New laid Eggs Cream Almond-Milk Veal Pullet the whitest Bread sweet and nourishing Wines pleasant Tisans fresh-Fish and all sorts of Pulse that may breed a quantity of humours which may create matter for the Salivation nor will it be amiss to treat such a Patient in the beginning of the Salivation with nourishing Broaths adding now and then the yelk of a new laid Egg Endive or Succory are most properly put into Broath for such a person by reason they cool and abate the sharpness of the humours and moderately loosen the Belly Glisters of Chicken-Broath are proper in this case one in four or five days by reason they nourish the Bowels which would be subject to Tortions the Acrimonious humours some times slipping downwards Moreover after the Salivation a nourishing Restorative Diet drink is proper wherein care be took to avoid all things that exsiccate and great care ought to be in giving of Nutriment that easily digests for it must be took often it being requisite to get such a Patient in strength as fast as Nature can give leave ☞ But on the contrary if a Patient be Young and Robust of a Sanguine or flegmatick Constitution then must another course be taken if Salivation be intended and it may be convenient to purge this Patient four or five times to Bleed and Bathe to abate and prepare the humours least the Salivation should rise too fiercely A moderate Diet is convenient of such things as breed good but little Juices such are Partridge Larke Rabbets Mutton c. Diet-drinks or Tisans that gently exsiccates are convenient in the preparation In the beginning of the Salivation use no Broath but Posset-drink or thin Water-Gruell and so continue and it may be observed that a Patient of this Constitution may be expected to Spit six or seven Pints in twenty four hours whereas in the case before mentioned four Pints is as much as can be expected after the Salivation a Diet-drink may be given that exsiccates powerfully and moves Sweat observing to purge the Body well by this you may observe how much more bold you may be with a person of a Plethorick Constitution and consequently succulent than with a Body Emaciated where Juices are wanting and let none omit to observe that in Salivations there will happen to some Fainting Fits for which there is no better Cordial than a small Glassof Clarret which comforts sufficiently and sencibly doth precipitate the Medicine The manner of defending the Mouth and curing the Vlcers caused by the Saliva is so common I need not mention it ☞ The Venereal Astma which is but seldom Cured for where the Lungs are affected the Party is generally brought so low before the Cure is attempted that Nature can assist but little and here no Salivation can be admitted the Cure must be attempted by Restoratives such as Sarsa China with Pectoralls with moderat Sweats and large Fontanells in the Shoulders Asses-Milk or Cows Milk mixed with the Diet-drink very moderate purgatives and those mixed with Pectoralls untill strength be attained and then hauing a fit time of the Year and all needfull supplies a gentle Flux may be raised but not continued too long least while thou goest about to cure thy Patient of the Pox you Bury him of a Consumption ☞ Many other Accidents may happen which having their Original from the Pox will admit of no other Cure for we many times find a Venereal Opthalmia a Venereal Fistula some time on the Lacrymal Glandule that fouls the Bone and makes Mad-work and often the Pockey Fistula in Ano in many the Venereal Scorbute in others a Venereal Itch to all which may be added the foul Ulcerous Sores which are taken for the Kings-Evil but will with the fore-named come within compass of the Pox and therefore must be attacqued as it ☞ Tumors of the Prepuce of which are several sorts viz. Crystallines which are transparent swellings of the Prepuce and are to be discussed by somentations or by Bathing the part Paraphymosis which is a swelling of the Prepuce occasioned by some Vlcer on the Glans or Prepuce or perhaps by Warts on the Glans which becoming Raw do Ulcerate Inflame and swell the Prepuce to that degree that it will no way strip by which means the Vlcer being hid doth become more inveterate and by the Venereal Salts cause so great a humour that many times Mortification happens and from thence the Death of the Patient in this case the part must be Fomented or Bathed to draw out the Salts that have swelled the Prepuce or if that will not do Amputation must follow I mean to cut off so much of the Prepuce that the Glans may be bare and consequently the better to come at the Vlcer for it may be observed that 't is impossible to cure the Vlcer unless you can come fairly at it and therefore those persons that attempt by a Syringe to cleanse between the Glans and Prepuce make their Patients too dearly to buy their Experience nor is this all for if the remaining part after Amputation be found hard it will be convenient not only to digest it but to salivate the Patient gently to make Revulsion of humours and timely to correct the Malignity of the Vlcer which too often doth infect the whole Mass of Bloud He hath had but little experience of this Disease who doth not know from how small a matter this Accident doth happen particularly in those men who have naturally contracted Prepuces ☞ Warts and Excressencies on the Privities happening to either Sex must not be neglected for they are as so many Land Marks to assure the Pox confirmed and although many people take little notice of them where ever I see them I know all is not well and therefore take care not only to remove them by Causticks or else by Binding but
likewise to Eradicate the cause by such a course as I judge most fitting for the Patients constitution CHAP. VIII The true way of Curing a Gonorrhaea THis is the common name of that Disease we call a Clap although the word Gonorrhaea signifies an involuntary flowing of the Seed which a Clap is not but since it will be hard to remove so common received a name I will treat of it by either name of Clap or if you will have it so Gonorrhaea A Clap is an Vlcer of the Prostate Glandules which are seated at the root of the Yard and from the Ulceration of these Glandules the matter or Pus comes that either runs or is squeesed out from the Penis and it sometimes happens that the Vrethra or passage of the Yard is Ulcerated all along from whence is caused the Pain in Erection commonly called Cordee for the Acrimony of the humour that runs from the Vlcer doth irritate the part and cause the Erection of the Yard and the Nerves being much distended thereby causes the extraordinary Pain they suffering no less than a Convulsion by the pricking of the Acrimonious humour during the time of Erection besides the Glandules at the root of the Yard hear their share in the Pain by the violent stretching of the Yard although in some Claps the Patient scarce feels the least of these Accidents and some not so much as the Pain in Pissing particularly Women who are not so much afflicted in this case as Men but then are not so certain in making Observations of it the reason why sew Women seek for help untill the Distemper be so long Lodg'd that it becomes a confirmed Pox nay some men are so fool hardy that they will little value the Disease saying they have nothing but a Running untill the Vlcer has caten away the Prostate Glandules or perhaps the humour so far fermented by disorderly Living that the whole Mass of Bloud is infected others foolishly cry out 't is but a Clap not considering the difference there is in this Disease for some Claps are really so gentle that I have known one Box of my Antivenercal Pills to carry off all and on the contrary some are so inveterate that they will imploy both Patient and Undertaker in the Cure for men ought to consider that there is degrees of Infection and that the ill habit of the Body doth very much contribute to the afflicting of the Patient and this is one reason why some are cured in three weeks and less and others perhaps not well in as many Months but to hasten for I do not design a Volume to the true and safe way of curing this Disease pray observe that the first thing to be advised is Liquids such are proper Tisans Emulsions or any other Liquors that breed no Acids but that are slippery that easily pass the Stomack and create a soft Serum which passing by Urine washes the Vlcer and dints the points of the Venereal Acids for 't is a fault among many Patients to fear to make Urine because of Pain when they ought to do the contrary by filling the Bladder continually by pouring in of convenient Liquors and often making water by which means the Urine being made balsamick by the Anodine Liquors frequently drank the Vlcer so often washed the Acrimony becomes less nor has the Matter which Runs the power of hurting the passage of the Yard because 't is not suffered to lie in the part any considerable time The Body must be continually kept soluble therefore 't is convenient to Purge the Patient once in two days or oftner if need require and in some Bodies to Purge once in three days is often nough Anodine Glisters once in two days are convenient but I do not approve of that common French Fashion of continually stuffing the Breech with two or three Glisters a day Volatile and other Salts I frequently give once or twice in twenty four hours which work by Urine helping the Liquors off the Stomack which otherwise would be apt to Nauseate because of their Quantities it will not be amiss to allow the Patient half a pint of Wine a day or more if he has accustomed his Body to it for all sudden alterations are injurious to the Body those that are by reason of their Circumstances obliged to keep Company may Drink White-Wine or Rhenish with Water and Lemon or as much Tea as they please Chicken-Broath with Endive Succory and Lemon is proper to Drink great Quantities especially when they Purge always observing to keep the Body as still as possible for exercise is very injurious by reason it heats and inflames the parts and therefore the less the Patient Walks the better it is Diet must be observed and all salted Meats and things hard of Digestion must be avoided all Fatty-Meats are ill so are windy things be sure to avoid Salted-Beef Pork Bacon Salt-Fish Cheese Fruit c. Let the Patient eat Chicken Rabbet Mutton Partridge Veal Barly-Broath Water-Gruel Panadoes Fresh Fish Boiled and all things of easie Digestion avoiding all Hot-Sawces that provoke Lust or breed Acids great care must be taken that the Purgations used be not too strong nor yet too often used for violent Purging oftimes heats the parts procures Inflamation and not seldom occasions swellings in the Testicules extream painfull from which many times are occasioned violent Fevers with extraordinary debility of the Body but we must leave no Accident unprovided for and therefore when ever this happens the Patient must forbear all Purgatives except such as are very Coole and Gentle An Anodine and discussing Cataplasme with a convenient Truss is here to be used if the tumor be large it will be the more Painfull and may require to take Bloud from the Arm to make Revulsion a slender Diet is likewise convenient to abate thâ— quantity of humours a Decoction of Emollient and Discutient Herbs and Seeds applied by way of Fomentation or as a Semicupium for thâ— Patient to sit in is not amiss with Emulsicns of the cold Seeds to abatâ— inflamation and cause sleep Another extraordinary Accidenâ— too often happens either by the to violent Purging or disorderly management of the Patient in eitheâ— slighting his Medicines or many times repeating of the Distemper getting two or three Claps one upon the head of another by which mean the Prostate Glandules so often oâ— so long Ulcerated are much eateâ— away and a Gleete or as some caâ— it a Weeping is occasioned And this Disease is really most difficult to help by reason the humours so long accustomed to flow to the part will not easily be diverted and loss of substance with great difficulty repaired But let me not accuse our Sparks of too great intemperance nor make them more Guilty than really they are for many of them are put upon especially by our beyond Sea-Surgeons who pretend to do wonders with the Pot of Turpentine Glister and Syringe which last they too soon use and by some