but I intend it chiefly for true Physicians That the differences of things do arise out of Nature it self so that every thing is appointed to its own place where it should be the Vertues of Medicines are designed where they should have their operations and they cannot be forced to any other way So that the Medicine which is for young people cannot be forced to do good to old people CHAP. II. Hellebore a singular Medicine for prolonging life How it wa◠〈…〉 the ancient Physicians I Conceive it fit that now I should describe the black Hellebore and the benefit of it to old age whereby you may also know the nature of the white Hellebore And first to speak of the preparation of black Hellebore which was used by the Physicians in ancient times it was thus The Hellebore is to be pull'd up out of the ground when the Moon is in some of those Signes of Heaven which are call'd Signes of Conservation then take the herbs and dry them in the shade with a dry East wind afterwards beat them to a fine powder with pure white Sugar of equall weight with them So you have the Powder as it was made by the antient Physicians who used all the wayes they could to get the true essence of this herb but they could never do it and therefore they contented themselves wâ—th this powder Now the reason why they so much sâ—ught after the essence of this herb was this because they found by experience a wonderfull nature and property in this herb for those who were passed fifty years of age by the daily using of the aforesaid powder evening and morning taking so much at a time as they could take up with their three fingers they became younger and more vigorous and so continued healthfull and vigorous to the time of their death This Vertue Nature hath mystically contracted from the whole frame of the great world for the conservation of the little world Man In this herb are comprehended the four Elements and by it are expeld the impurities of the four Elements it may well be called the Defensive of old age But the aforesaid powder is not to be given to every one in a like quantitie the persons who are to use this powder must take onely so much of it at a time as is most agreeable to their strength and as it shall be appointed by some skilful Physician Indeed they who sought so much after the true essence of this Herb did it not rashly for what Herb is like to this or what other herb can as this give a firm vigorous and lasting life to old age For it preserves us from all external infections or inward putrifactions and will keep a man alwaies in a good temper that he shall come to old age without any sicknesse And therefore it will be worth our pains if we can separate the pure Essence from the impurities of this herb Who will not say but that such a pure Essence is an everlasting Balsome which can so preserve a man till the time of his death and in the operations of it agreeth with Balsom every way Let not these things seem incredible to you By this Essence of Hellebore the Causes of the Gout are removed the Leprosie quite rooted out it will not suffer any such disease to be in the body The Stars have certain times and they who are born at such times are not troubled with any diseases Again the Stars have some other times and they who are born at such times are still sickly Now if according to Nature Times can make such impression and such changes in man Much more all Vegetables which are brought forth by Nature they do agree with those times of the Stars and have a tincture from them so that in some men and in some Vegetables there is the same nature being and stamp of Conservation and so from such Vegetables men may receive this tincture of Health And so much I have thought fit to speak concerning the leaves of black Hellebore This only I will add That you must have a care to know how to separate the pure Essence from the impurities of the Hellebore under a right Constellation How much more hurtful the disease is so much more powerful the Medicine must be CHAP. III. The Cure of the Falling-sickness with black Hellebore and the severall wayes of preparing it THe Root of this Hellebore cureth four Diseases viz. the Falling-sicknesse Gout Palsie Hydropsie Here consider the difference of Diseases Every disease is twofold viz. corporeal or spiritual For these two kindes of diseases the Physician must use two kindes of Cures one for bodily another for spiritual Diseases Concerning spiritual Diseases and their Cures having spoken of them elsewhere now in this place I speak only of bodily diseases As for those diseases whose spirit is altogether in things bodily and cannot subsist without those bodies their spirit dies with the bodie But where there is an impression from the Stars there Art appears most of all in removing of that But now to come to our businesse in hand to shew you how those four Diseases mentioned before are cured by this Root There is to be observed a difference amongst purging Medicines Some of them purge slimie humours which by purging do remove the humours but do not impair the specificall disease i. e. they do not touch the disease it self in the root of it Hence it is that the Humorists who say that all diseases come from the humours of the body their whole Art consists only in purging and they do no good by it but oft times miserably kill diseased persons by it If they knew the specifical purging Medicines then they were in the right way of purging Now concerning the Root of black Hellebore Observe that it purgeth two ways it purgeth specifically and it purgeth gross humors by these two wayes it cureth the Falling-sicknesse Here observe that we should be slow in purging gross humours otherwise the sick person may be much wronged so as the Epileptick humour may be purged out with other humours Therefore a Physician should be skilfull in considering the Time Order and Manner of giving Physick according to the condition of the sick person In former times those who were troubled with the Faling-sicknesse were first to eat the Root it self afterwards they were to take it in milk and lastly they were to take it with other mixtures but now in our times the Disease is more violent and the poyson of it more heightned therefore of necessity the Physician must make his Physick stronger left it be not able to overcome the Disease Now I will give you my counsel and shew you how this disease may be cured as I have found by experience Thus Take the Root of Hellebore so soon as it is pull'd out of the earth and put it in the spirit of wine which wil bring out both the moisture and the Oyl out of the Root then the
of Camphire two drams of the juice of Poppy and the juice of Henbane of each one ounce mix them and lay them to the Ulcer to take away the heat of it Then take of the Apostolorum Plaister and the Diaquilon Plaister of each half an ounce of Mummy three ounces of Cerusse or white Lead two drams of Camphire one dram Mix them over the fire and make them into a Plaister which must be applyed to the soar until the Cure be done LIII For Corns in Feet or Hands Caution You must not cut Corns so deep as to cut the quick flesh and you must not use Corrosive Waters to them for in so doing you may cause a dangerous Ulcer to follow Cure Take the Oyl of Juniper Berries and Agarick of each one dram of Ox Gall two drams mix them and lay them to the Corn until the Corn groweth dry and black and begins to moulder away then apply to it the Plaister Oppodeltoch some four or five weeks until the cure be done Another Take Realgare one scruple of the Oyl of the yolks of Eggs half a dram of slacked Lime half a dram mix them and lay them to the Corn and they will make the Corn black and consume it The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of Colophony two ounces the powder of Celendine and the powder of Orange skins of each half an ounce of the best Turpentine so much as to make them into a plaister LIV. When in any part of the body there is a hard immovable tumor or Excrescency of flesh growing to the Muscles which groweth still bigger and at last makes the member crooked where it is it also weakens the guts causing great windiness in them Caution You must not use the Chyrurgions Instruments to this nor any such Medicines which are used for Aposthumes Cure You must do no more to such tumors or Excrescencies but to hinder their increasing which is done by this Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Myrtles two ounces of the oyl of Nutmeg half an ounce of the marrow of an Ox two drams of Petroleum two ounces and a half Mix them Herewith you shall annoint those places where the Spermatick vessels lie most outwardly the back and thighs once a moneth LV. When there are spots in the skin of the face or elsewhere of a yellow or clay colour c. If they stay constantly in the place or if sometimes they evanish and return again Cure Take of Turnsole and Germander of each three ounces of the best Manna half an ounce of Parmacity and Bay-berries of each ten drams the water of Baulm the water of Vervain the water of Valerian of each five ounces Put your Herbs into the Waters and let them lie in the waters two or three days and when the spots begin to come out upon the skin take three or four ounces of those Waters at a time Observe That Turnsole is a singular good Herb it wonderfully reneweth the blood and flesh A Treatise concerning long Life CHAP. I. All Medicines divided into three sorts according to the threefold Age of Man shewing that each Age must have its own Medicines proper for it SEeing there are Medicines which can preserve the Body of Man for many Ages from Diseases Corruptions and Superfluities or if there be any infirmity or corruption in the Body they can cure it It ought to be the care of every Physician to know them and to know them throughly for there are very many tedious Diseases and many Maladies incident to the Body of Man which are rooted out by these Medicines which prolong life In this discourse of long Life I will first give you the Theory of it and then the practice that you may fully know all that concerns long Life I would not have any to doubt of this that life may be prolonged for these two Reasons 1. Because it doth not appear that there is any certain day or hour of any mans death 2 Because we have Medicine prepared for us by him who hath created us both to preserve us from Diseases and to drive out Diseases Hence we may conclude that neither Diseases bring Death neither is Death the cause of Diseases nay Death and Diseases agree no better then fire and water A natural Disease hates Death as every part of the living Body hates Death I intend in this discourse to speak to those of my own way who by great skill and daily experience have searched into and do know the propertieâ— and natures of things which are hid and unknown to presumptuous and titular Doctors And I do affirm this as a most certain truth That the Body may be restored changed to the better yea wholly renewed As it is to be plainly seen in Metals which may be so purified that they shall be afterwards free from any rust so likewise dead Bodâ—es if they be embalmed do not putrifie afterwards Some perhaps may dislike my Writings because they are short and because of those Examples which I use but my Writings are not therefore to be slighted seeing I use onely the examples of such things which are or may be done by Nature as in this comparison of Mettals with the Body of Man I know that there is great difference betwixt these two yet they are both preserved one way as experience teacheth If a dead Body can be preserved by Balsom from putrefaction or decay how much more may a living Body be so preserved Now there are three parts of Mans Age viz. yong Age middle Age and old Age and each of these must have such Medicines for prolonging life as are proper and suitable to them therefore there must be also three kindes of Medicines for the conservation of Life according to these three Ages We may likewise say that there are three parts in long life according to those three parts of mans Age for many might die in their Infancy many in their middle age c. if their life were not prolonged by the help of Medicines We cannot have any certainty that an Infant or a strong yong man shall outlive a weak old man No part of mans age hath any certain time of death appointed to it the Infant in the Mothers Womb may have many things befal it which may be the cause of great weakness in the childe or incline the childe to diseases and that Infant which is very weak when it is born the strength of Nature is abated and lessened in it as it is in old age And therefore those Medicines which are the helps of long life must be given to this Infant anointing the Nurses breast therewith which the childe doth suck c. as you shall hear more at large afterwards in the practice of long life For by these Medicines of long life the strength of Nature is increased and life prolonged after the same maner in an Infant as it is in old age Or if a yong man runs into so great excess of Drinking or Venery c. that thereby
his body wastes away and Nature decays c. we must use the same Method of curing him which is used for prolonging life in old age viz. by restoring the decayed strength of Nature and preserving nature afterwards in its strength Old age begins with gray hairs which if it be subject as oft-times it is to weakness and sickness it must be timously helped and the Medicines of long life are to be used but those old people who are free from sickness and have much of the strength of Nature they are onely to use these Medicines accordingly as their necessity requireth Remember then this threefold partition of the age of man viz. Yong age which begins with Infancy and continueth to the full growth of the Body middle age which begins when the Body is come to its full growth and continueth to the time of gray hairs and afterwards comes old age Remember likewise that each of these ages require such Medicines of long life which are proper and most agreeable to them as was said before It may be this will be objected to me by the Emperick Physicians that if we may have such Medicines for preventing death for curing diseases and prolonging life how then comes it to pass that great men as Princes Kings Emperors Noblemen c. ordinarily live not so long as others they are more subject to infirmities and diseases then others so that they live not out the half of their days Certainly if there were any such Medicines these great men would have them I answer the causes of this are well known to me and to those of my way we little regard such vain foolish unlearned objections yet I will answer it that I may give satisfaction to all who desire to be resolved in it And we say that we know not any King or Prince in our times neither have heard nor read of any in former times who have used these Medicines of long life except onely Hermes Trismegistus or if there have been others they are not known to earthly men This I do not speak as in answer to the Objection but my answer is this That the Physicians of Kings Princes Emperors c. do know less in Physick they the Country people and this is the cause why they cannot bring health but death to their Princes and while Princes use the counsel of such Physicians it is impossible they should enjoy health and long life And this answer concerns those ignorant Doctors who have nothing of a Physician but the name I give another answer to the Objection which is this That the intemperance of great men is most often the cause of their short lives and this they have as part of the reward of their wickedness And this I think sufficient for answer to this Objection CHAP. II. The Division of Medicines according to the difference of diseases and what is the chief use of Medicine YOu have heard that as there is a threefold difference of mans Age so there must be three kindes of Medicines for each age hath its Medicines proper to it Now I will shew you the several kindes of diseases and the several ways of curing those diseases And first Some diseases come of intemperate disorderly living as Hydropsie Jaundise Gout Falling-sickness Plurisie c. and some diseases come from the Times and Seasons other accidents concurring with disorderly living as Pestilence Madness c. These kinds of diseases are cured by the Medicines of long life Secondly Some diseases are natural which proceed of natural external causes and those diseases are to be cured by natural Medicines Some diseases are unnatural viz. such as come by Inchantments Superstitions c. I wish our Physicians not to meddle with such diseases for they seem to me to come upon people by Gods permission as punishments and if so they are not curable I know much may be done in this case by Images Rings c. which are preservatives of life of which I wil not speak here I have spoken of them elsewhere for it belongs to Astronomy to treat of them Thirdly Diseases which proceed not from the nature of the Body or from weakness but otherwise they must be cured before you use the preserving Medicine if the disease be hidden and unknown you ought not to meddle with it but if it be such a disease as the Gout Falling sickness c. it may be cured by using onely the preserving Medicine Not to pass over altogether those diseases which are from imagination or by Superstition or by Inchantment c. I will here briefly shew you the cure of them and how you may be preserved from them 1. Mental diseases must be cured in a mental way 2. Diseases which are from our own imagination must be cured by Objects 3. Diseases which are from the imagination of others must be cured by imagination 4. Diseases which come by Inchantments must be cured by contrary Inchantments 5. Diseases which are caused by superstitious Charms c. must be cured by contrary Superstitions Now the ways how we may be preserved from those diseases are these First Is to preserve natural strength 2. To preserve us from accidental diseases 3. From mental diseases 4. From Inchantments 5. From Imaginations of others 6. From our own Imaginations 7. From Superstitions You see I make no mention of the four humors of the body in this business of long life because I finde that the conservation of the body and prolongation of life is onely from the strength of Nature and not from the good temperature of the four humors Nay in any cure the four humors are not to be regarded but onely the strength of nature which reneweth and cherisheth those humors and therefore that Physician who thinks by rectifying the humors to make up the defects of the strength of Nature he is like that man who having suppressed the flame thinks he hath quenched the fire and leaves the live Coals He who would preserve a Tree must be more careful of the root then the branches because the branches have all their nourishment and vertue from the root and if we do any thing to the Branches when they are faulty our principal aim therein is to cherish the life and strength of the root for hence the branches have their life and vertue Now as the root of the Tree is to the branches so is the strength of nature to the humors of the body so that if the humors of the body be distempered we do not therefore lose our health unless by this distemper the root of life c. the strength of nature be wronged and therefore what we do in rectifying the distemper of humors we do it for the conservation and cherishing the strength of Nature This is the chief thing we aim at in the use of Medicine CHAP. III. What Life is whether and how it may be prolonged THat we may the better understand the nature of short life long life it is
change unless the tumor hath been big and it beginneth to lessen then death approacheth this is a sign of it Cure The cure is twofold viz. Physical Chyrurgical The Physical cure is done with Powders and Potions The Chyrurgical cure is done by actual Cauteries c. XIX This Polypus is superfluous flesh growing out of the Nose which when it is grown big and great abundance of Blood floweth out of the Veins into it then this superfluous flesh breaketh out into an Ulcer it turneth to a Noli me Tangere Cure It must be cured after the same maner as the Alcola an when you have taken away the superfluous flesh then you must apply the Plaister Oppodeltoch XX. The Pyles come out about the Fundament of a red colour but if the Blood come out with the Excrements always when we go to stool and the Excrements come out with great difficulty and trouble to us and we are much pained within then the Haemorrhoids are within If the Haemorrhoides continue twenty years then they commonly turn to a Cancer and if they do not turn to a Cancer but the Piles multiply and grow bigger then they close up the Fundament at last Cure The cure is done by two kindes of Medicine viz. Dung-Medicine and a Sweet-Corrosive The Swet-Corrosive Take of Oleum laterinum or Brick oyl one ounce the oyl of Juniper half an ounce the oyl of Myrrhe two ounces mix them The Dung Medicine Take the Patients own Excrements and mix them with the oyl of the yolks of Eggs first let the Patient press the Piles as much as he can and then apply to them this Excrementitious Medicine XXI There is a dry scab of the Head out of which cometh very little moisture when it is rub'd there falls from it like Scabs it causeth the hair of the head to come out If it continue sixteen or twenty four years then it spreadeth over all the Body At last this scaly Scab falleth off and then followeth a Leprosie Cure Take Succory Germander Maiden-hair of each two ounces of the Pulpe of Cassia half an ounce of the best Manna one ounce and a half put them into a pint and a half of the water of Mugwort let them ly in it a day then set them over a slow fire until you bring it to a pint then strain it and drink it warm XXII If there be a swelling in the Groine near the privities with redness the Patient fainteth and beginneth to lose his strength and is troubled with Aguish fits sometimes with great heat sometimes with chilness By this you may know it to be a Pestilential Aposthume Cure First This Aposthume must be opened with a ripening Medicine proper for it afterwards apply to it the Oppodeltoch Plaister The Ripening Medicine Take of the four Gums viz. Galbanum Ammoniacum Oppoponax Bdelium of each a half ounce of the juice of Marsh-Mallows of each three ounces mix them and make a Plaister The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of the four incarnative Seeds viz. of Birth-wort Comfrey Adders-Tongue and Sea-marsh Bugloss of each half an ounce Wax and Colophony of each two ounces of Pitch three ounces mix them and make a Plaister XXIII If after the act of Venery there followeth a swelling in the Grine with great heat afterwards this swelling breaks out into foul corrupt holes and with the Urine also corrupt matter is evacuated At last this Ulcer comes to be an eating Ulcer that whereas there were many holes before now they all become one hole and so it eats all the flesh round Cure This Ulcer is cured with these two viz. the Camphorated Oyntment and the Plaister of Mummy The Camphorated Oyntment Take of Camphire two drams of the yolks of Eggs four ounces mix them and set them in some moist place or low Cellar c. and they will turn to an Oyl with this Oyl anoint the Soar The Plaister of Mummy Take of Mummy half an ounce of the best Turpentine washed with Rose-water so much as is requisite to make a Plaister Mix them and make a Plaister XXIV When the Veins of the Legs swell and become as it were knotty having many small hard lumps like small Bullets in them they lose their natural colour and are of blew or lead colour or of a dark green colour the skin of the Leg appears as if it were blowed up with winde yet the flesh under it is firm and sound At last The skin breaks out into a most filthy stinking soar and if then the Patient be troubled with stitches in his side this is a sign of death Cure You must not use any Corrosive Waters or Baths or Purgations or Mercury Oyntments such as are used for the Pox c. but open a Vein first one and then another at another time once a year if the swelling comes but once a year and if the swelling comes twice a year then the Veins must be opened twice a year at the same time when the swelling useth to come and when you open a Vein you must lay to the place the gums of a Hare or the fat of a man the space of three weeks XXV When there is a swelling under the tongue with a blew or Lead-colour and it groweth to be an Imposthume it is deadly in Infants or if do not come to be an Aposthume yet it will cause a great impediment in the speech of the Infant Cure Let blood in these Veins then wash the childes mouth often with the Waters of Agrimony Ladies-Mantle Sanicle or anoint the Veins under the Tongue with the Oyl of St. Johns-wort or the Oyl of the Flowers of Centory If after the cure the swelling cometh again you must do thâ—â—ame as you did before XXVI If a Woman with Childe or after Childe-birth complain of a pain swelling redness and hardness in her Brests which afterwards turns to an Ulcer and Putrifaction Cure Take Gum Oppopanax and Gum Bdelium of each one ounce of gum Serapinam two ounces dissolve them in so much vinegar as being dissolved they may be of the thickness of honey then adde to them one dram of Mummy and of Birth-wort three drams of the Liquor of Chachymia four ounces and a hall mix them and make a plaister XXVII If in a fleshy place there are Risings with a yellow head and a burning heat and a swelling and then suddenly they grow exceeding red and breaks into several holes which after three or four years turn to a blue colour mixed with a black with a vehement burning heat and under the skin it is hollow and so it continueth untill death Cure We must first use an eating Medicine and afterwards a Consolidating or fleshing Medicine The Eating Medicine Take of white Coper as one ounce of Rose-water three ounces of Lithargire half an ounce Mix them with the oyl of Roses in this mixture dip a linnen cloth which you must lay upon the holes The consolidating Medicine Take of Royal Consound half a pound of long Birth