haue theÌ„ washed then let him dyppe the fete in colde water and lay him doune to rest and not slepe by day time but beware for heate and wyne Howbeit if he will drincke wyne let it be soure and wel mixt let him also drinke water sodden wyth barlye thesame doth coole him let him take otherwhyles sugar candy into his mouth to slake the thyrst or els agayne coÌ„fect of cheries or prunes But he must beware of salt meates and flesh without it were of chycken or els let him eat soure vnrype grapes or els the iuyce of them or sorel Let him vse a litle vinegre in his meat but no spice nor ought y t chafeth take hede he be lose in y e bellye If nede constrayne the take Venice sope or alume make pilles of it vse it for a suppository But if ye haue y e rootes of betes strake theÌ„ a litle w t salte put them vp into the fundament or els seth hony till it be black in an eartheÌ„ vâ—ssel put a litle salt thereto make pilles of it and vse them likewise If ye haue not hony take the iolke of an egge as muche salt seth thesame together and make pillets thereof the bignesse of a haselnut or filberte and put that into the bodye thesame retayneth the sege If it is a man let him beware of women for they are hurtfull for him also of mostarde garleke onyons lekes and suche lyke If the headake coÌ„meth of superfluity of blood then make him thus to bleth at the nose without smarte Take sedes of red nettels and braye them to pouder in a morter blow a littel of the same pouder into his nose with a quill But if ye can not get sedes of nettels put a hole of the herbe called Millesoyl or Yarbe into the nose and rubbe y e nose outwardly softly and then shal it bleth But if it be in winter and canst get nether Chyrurgeon to let blood nor nettels nor nettels sede nor yet no millefoyle and wouldest gladly drawe the blood from the head then take two sack bandes and binde or tye them first about the legges aboue the knye let it so abyde the space of halfe a Pater noster then lose it agayne and tye it agayne Do this the space of a quarter of an houre than tye his armes aboue the elbowe lykewyse thus shalt thou drawe al the blood from y e head But ye must handle thys thing warelye leste ye let the mâ—nbre to longe to be tyed whereby the membre might be asconnyed or choked But if the heade burne to sore take the iuyce of Porceleyne and strake the head and tempels therewyth or where the most heate is If the heade doth ake so sore by reason of a morre or runninge that he can not snoffe hys nose than were it good to vse confectes made of the apothecaries called Nasalia and put them thereinto or els Margerim wrethen together and put into the nose for the same draweth out all euell humors If ye can not haue the same nother theÌ„ take a grene rote of betes as longe as a finger and a halfe sharped a litle and brused put thesame into the nose and let it abide the space of a quarter of an hour thesame draweth out also all euell humors But if ye can not haue thesame nother than take the sede of Cokle that is founde in the corne beate it to pouder put the same into the noyse that draweth sore Or els take a pot and put rapes into it and seth them than holde thy nose ouer it that the vapor or hote breth ascende so into thy head that thou do euen sweat with it Or take water cresses dryed not in the sunne but in the ayer braye the same to pouder in a morter or within your handes syft it through a lynnen cloth Howbeit if it would be to long to drye it in the ayer then drye it in an ouen when the bread is drawen or els in a stoue or hote house But if one hath payne in the head of Melancoly his disease is come by colde and of drye complexion Dicte thesame and gyue him to eat meates y t are hote and moyst to chafe hys nature and moyst hys body If he haue no sieges then geue him the fourth part of an vnce or iij. drames of Diacartha mi before daye breake and let him walke vp and doune vntill he get a siege But when the siege is done then gyue hym some thynge to comfort him or that may restore hys strength as suppinge or broth of chekins or younge beafe and mixe somtime a litle beaten saffron in hys meate After that may ye geue him a fewe pigges fete for the same make hys veynes tender and moyst geue him somtyme in the morning or daye tyme milke to drincke y t is sodden with egges that strengtheneth hym and geueth nature force Also oughte he to bath somtime a litle in a bath made with Fenel or Heysede gathered vpon a heye loft otes straw but ye may not bath to long nor to hote If in bathing the sweat will not in short space issue theÌ„ go out for theÌ„ is not the bath good for thy kepe thy selfe warm after it lest thou do take colde vpon it beware of all meates that may coole dry the as mustard garleke onyons lekes also of harde or olde chese Martinmasse beafe Haringe read haringe Lynge and suche lyke But if the headake commeth of flegma namely of cold and superfluous moysture then is it necessary to purge the heade wyth pilles Cochie and pilles De iera Beware of suche thinges as coole and bringe corrupte moisture as fruyte water fleshe fresh chese new bread and all that is of euel digestion His temples ought to be anoynted wyth oyl of Camomille But if thou hast not oyle of Camomill then take two egges shelles full of floures of Camomil greue or seere and seth them in wine and water together and when it is sodden to the halfe then strayne it through a cloth and put therto butter so much as a gouse egge and then boyle the water and wyne awaye Bath his fete also in a depe tob euen vntill the knees that the hote breth maye thorou warme his body he may sweat Into this water put two handfulles of floures of Camomille and a handful of heysede well sodden If he do sweat well laye hym to slepe couer him warme if he coulde sweat in the bed that should do hym good then gyue hym a litle grene ginger and a litle coriander stiped a night longe in vinegre and dryed agayne thesame doth chafe his head and stomack and consumeth the euel humors that rise out of the stomack into the head and trouble the braynes that same doth it swage Geue him also in the morninge fastinge if he can bear it and let him fast two houres there vpon Take thre
A most excellent and perfecte homish apothecarye or homely physick booke for all the grefes and diseases of the bodye Translated out the Almaine speche into English by Ihon Hollybush ARNOLD BIRCKMAN W·K Imprinted at Collen by Arnold Birckman In the yeare of our Lord M.D.LXI The first chapter is concerning the head and his partes For fallinge of the heyre of the head MAke lye of the ashes burnt of doues dounge and washe the heade therewyth But if ye can not get doues dounge take leaues of oken tre and seth the middelmost rippes of them in water wash the head oft there w t letting it dry by it selfe y t helpeth very well Or els take the ashes burnt of litle frogges make a lye therwyth wash the head oft therewyth that hindreth the falling of the heyre But for y e drye skaldes of it called in Latin Furfur Porrigo or Pityra seth the rotes of Malowes in water wash y e head oft therwith and they shall fall of He y t hath a scalfering head let thesame take y e course brāme or wheat cast sething hote water vpon thē let thē stand one day night after y t let it be strayned through a cloth put a litle vinegre thereto strake it vpon the head moystē it oft therw t y t doth driue the scelfering away If one hath a head that can not be healed let him take thick creme and anoynte the head therewith well in the euening and morning thre wekes continually but let the head be first wel and bare shauen y t the creme maye the better pearse in washe the head euery thyrde daye wyth strong warme lye that the head may be chased therwyth at the last rensch the head with colde lye thesame draweth the heate out of it after that let it drye anoint it agayn as before Of thys wyse mayest thou heale clense a head though it were harde crusted with corruption But if any hath had vnclene scurfes or scabbes vpon the head is healed of thē howbeit it pilleth as though it wold break vp agayn let him strake or anoynt it with oyle of flaxe sede or lyne sede let him frot the heade sore therewyth thesame maketh the skin stronge harde and also cleane that it breake vp no more For lyse and nittes TAke the heades of herbe Gitt or Nigella and burne them to ashes put swynes grese thereto and strake or kemme the heyres therewyth that dryueth awaye lyse and nittes Or els bye quicksiluer for a penny and slake it with fastinge spatle put thereto half an vnce of swines grese or butter anoynte therewyth a kamb and kembe thy head therewyth thesame driueth awaye and killeth all the nittes But if it is in summer or haruest that thou mayest haue the rootes of wilde saffron take the iuyce of them wher thesame is straked ther slayeth and driueth it away the liste and also lise of the priuy membres Or els take a litle pece of the clothe that goldsmythes washe the gylted vessels wyth and strake the place therewyth where they are and they do fall of and thys cloth mayest thou vse to twenty men and it maye be kepte yearly and dayly and remayneth good to vse specially for ouerbrowes and eye liddes wherein the same vermin called the life of priuye membres do growe and maye be vsed without daunger For the life of the head take a penny worth of lorel or baye berries bray thē to pouder lye thē in a linnen cloth seth thesame in running water and wash the head there with Thesame vertue hath also the roote of Bearfote beaten to pouder Of payne in the head THe payn of the head cōmeth somtime of his oune disease somtime of other mēbres as of the stomake somtime of outward accidentes as of beating falling or sunheat somtime of wounding somtime of colde sōtyme of heat somtime of superfluitie of blood somtime cā it not be sayde by what occasion somtime cōmeth y e sicknes or diseas by it selfe thesame lasteth cōtinually But most chefely cometh it by y e vpbraything of y e stomak into the head to heal this is necessary to know of what complexion the disease is y t thou mayst purge clēse it therafter If thou wilt than help him take hede of what complexion y e disease is If it cometh of y e blood the same is hote moyst y t shalt thou know therby if the payne is most in y e forpart of y e head then are those veynes read y t are by the eyes the face rede and hote y e veynes vnder the eyes are pale the veynes of the tēples beate fearcely y e veyne of the puls beateth fast and sore and is great his vrine is reade and thicke hys bodye louse These are the euident tokens of the blood If the headake cometh of Colera that is of hote and drye complexion y t shalt thou know therby The nose is hote and aketh for heate the tounge is great and drye he is thyrsty and can slepe but litle and when he slepeth he fighteth is vnquiet the veyne of his pulse is litle and feble feleth y e grefe most in the right side Thesame nedeth not to blow his nose for nothing issueth out of it by reason of the great heate If the headake commeth of flegma that is of colde and moyst complexion or nature the same hath greater grefe in the hindermost part of y e head then the for part and can slepe better he is heuy in all his members he is litle thyrsty the veynes of his pulse are greate and feble But if y e headake cometh of Melācoly thē hath he y e most grefe in y e left syde of the head Galen sayth the head is diuided into foure partes In the fore parte hath blood the dominion Colera in the right syde Melācoly in the left syde flegma beareth rule in the hindermost part If the headake cometh of blood then let him blood in y e head veyne called Cephalica in y e hand by the thumbe or els in the forhead Take hede also lefst his age of youth wherby he might be to feble hinder the or els y e tyme the same must be kept wyth dietynge as I shall teache hereafter If the headake cometh of Colera thesame must be let blood at the lyuer veyne and geue him to eate prunes of Damaske and soure cheries though they be dryed take oyle of roses or violettes put thereto as much vinegre anoynte his head therwyth wher it greueth or aketh dip two hēpē clothes therin let him hold thē in his hand y e same draweth out y e euil heat but if ye can not haue the oyle of roses take the whyte of egges rose water and vinegre and do thus Set his fete in hote water and rub his legges well dounwarde and if he will not
euell sweate is it that commeth towarde the euenynge and is colde and waltereth only about the harte Thesame though it be not good yet is it not so greately to be wythstande But when a man hath a greate disease or feblenesse and a colde sweate breaketh oute onely aboute the nose that is a very deadlye signe specially when the nosethrilles open and close fearcely and the nose waxeth sharpe But when he sweateth onely aboute the harte that is somtyme a token that a man is verye contrarye to hys nature and that the heate is inwarde in hys bodye and nature oute of frame and the pories whyche are the issues of the sweate stopped whereby nature is not stronge inough to dryue oute the sweate through the skynne Besyde thys are those naturall sweates when men sweate muche euerye daye and that cometh thereby that men haue ouermuche moystnesse or humors wythin theÌ„ and that must be abated then and letted These thynges cause to sweate wythoute daunger The floures and herbe of Camomille or els Malowes putte them into a close tobbe and make a bath so that the vapor maye stryke vp into the. And suche a bath is good for them that will not gladlye wet theyr fete Lyke vertue also hath Fenell Penyreal the floures of Hoppes Branck vrsyne the toppets of the floure Saluye or Sage wyth the floure Smalage and wild Clarye called otherwyse Oculus Christi ¶ A good bathe for them that haue taken colde Of thys wyse oughte they be bathed drye whyche haue taken colde before they do bath in water Take Mugworte Sauge Fenel Penyreal of eche a hand full chappe them small and put them into two bagges seth them well also make a sweating therewyth wâ—en ye will bath And when ye will bath then wet a long cloth in colde lye wringe it well oute and tye it about thy head Then put the water that the herbes haue ben sodden in into a toâ— and set thy fete therein as hote as ye can suffre it and lay one of the bagges vnder you and sitte thereon and laye the other vpon youre stomacke retchynge doune tyll youre priuye membres but looke ye bathe not to hote These floures cause sweatinge also The floures of Almondes Cheris Violets Langedbeiff Whyte poppy Whyte lyllyes Benes Cocles great Malowes or Holy hockes Filbertes Blewlyllyes or Appels Of these floures maye ye seth some in water to make a sweatinge bath or els seth them in a bagge and presse it well oute and laye it as hote vpon your body as ye can suffre it and tye an other bagge aboute thy fete for that shall cause you to sweate so muche the soner and wythoute hurte These herbes folowynge are of warme complexion and cause him that is colde of complexion to sweate lightely Take Penyreal Lauender floures Mustarde floures Cousloppes Sauge Mugwort the floures of Elecampane the leaues of Lorel or Baye Selandine or the floures of it and Fitches all these or part of them may ye seth in half water halfe wyne and mayest prouoke sweat therewyth as is sayde These herbes cause to sweate lyghtely Malowes Holyhockes Brankvrsine Houndes tonge the rotes of whyte lillies Longeworte growynge by Okentrees Louage Pelitory of the wall Millefoyle the herbe of Violettes Lettis and the floures of Hathorne Thys folowyng causeth to sweat easely nother nedeth a man to be couered therefore the more Take the leaues and floures of Elder tre the leaues of Lilies of eche two handful put the same vnder the patientes shites and let hym lye vpon hys back vpon the herbes if he fall a slepe there on he shall sweate Thys folowyng causeth to sweate also Seth Nettels in oyle of nuttes anoynt hym well therewyth at night that it maye strike in through y e skin and after hys slepe toward the morning shal he fal in a sweate Also if a maÌ„ taketh Rue or herbe grace Salt and vinegre and rub the patients hands inwardly and the soles of his fete whan he will go to bed in the morninge after his slepe shall he fall to sweatinge Thys also causeth to sweate Take a white and harde dogges dounge braye and syft thesame through a cloth of that take as muche as a Filberts shell can conteyne putte to thesame as muche Oetmeel as two egges can holde and a dish full of Vinegre and foure tymes as much water make of thys a thynne broth and geue it the patient to suppe to bedwarde and he shall sweat continently and that sweating is souerayne good for them that haue feruent heate as in a pestilence or feruent ague If ye will make a good naturall bath that chafeth and warmeth well and warmeth also baren women that they become fruytefull Take thre quartes of the rootes of Sloes or sixe good handfulles cut them smal and seth them vntill the water waxeth reade put thereto a pounde of Alume and halfe a pounde of Brimstone beaten to pouder but lette these be put or tyed in a cloth Ye must knowe also that if a woman were sore colde then take twyse as manye rootes nether must anye other water be putte thereto then the same that is sodden wyth the thre forsayde thynges It is good also to put thre hande full of salte into the kettel where they are boyled And she muste beware of takinge colde and vse meates that warme If the man be colde of complexion then muste he bath therein also for the woman becommeth so muche the more fruytefull for when a man batheth wyth a baren woman they waxe so muche the more abler and she the more fruytefull It were good to take the foresayde rootes of Sloâ—s as muche grene flaxe wyth the rootes chapped small and bounde together in a bagge and than laye that bagge behynde vpon the womannis backe as warme as she can suffre it and whan the bagge waxeth colde to warme it agayne in the forsayde water and laye it agayne to hyr bodye in the bath Thys muste be done ofte for there wyth is hyr matrice or mother chafed and made apte to conceyue and be fruytefull ¶ Howe a man maye be restored agayne that hath lost hys strength by sycknesse IF a man were become verye weake and feable by reason of a longe sycknesse euen that he semeth to be consumed nether can recouer then take twentye olde cockes dresse and dighte them as though they shoulde be eaten seth them in the thyrde parte of a tonne of water stampe them in a morter so that the bones be al to brused and make a bath therewyth and let hym bathe therein When he hath bathed inough laye him to bed and reste Or els bath hym in Ferne or brake for that restoreth y e senowes to their former strength and comforteth the patient The Ferne ought to be chapped small and put into a bagge and to a meane basket ful must ye take the thyrde parte of a tonne of water Thys bath folowynge is
and oyle of Violettes of like quantitie and rub the soles of his fete therewyth He must be purged also w t such medecines as purge flegma for if the paciēt is diseased by the flegma then is the disease more durable He that hath the dayly feuor or ague nother can be quit of it thesame is a token that he hath corrupte bloude in his backe To ease thesame were it good to set horseleches to his backe his legges armes neare to his hādes ¶ A good drinke for the dayly feuer TAke the barkes of Miscelden growyng vpon okes half a quarter of an vnce geue him y t beaten to pouder to drinke w t a quarter of an vnce of Aqua vite while the shaking is vpon him thesame driueth away y e iaundis frō him also the whirling in the head Wherfore saith Hipocrates he y t maketh Misceldē to pouder taketh it w t Aqua vite thesame driueth awaye y e dayly feuer or els y e iaundis y e whirling in y e heade the feuer Hectica that is asatled feuer or ague wherewith men do whyrle and be dismade The Tertiane or third dayes feuer commeth of the heat of the liuer the Quartane or fourth dayes feuer cōmeth of Melancoly y e colour of his vrine is like water and clere But the colour of the Quotidiane or daylye feuer is most parte reed and clere The colour of the Tertiane vrine is reed thyck These vrines haue most part a litle some in the circle lyke Percely But the some of the Tertiane y t cōmeth of y e liuer is somthing yalowe because it commeth of the heat of the gall His mouth is bitter and his face reed colored his vrine is thinne Anoynte his heade wyth oyle of Roses and vinegre mixte together This folowyng is also very good agaynst y e dayly feuer Take Euphorbium made to pouder the sixtenth part of an vnce tempered with an egges shell full of Aqua vite geue the pacient this thre dayes together to drinke in the morning fasting thesame purgeth the slyme wherby the ague hath hys nourture This slyme may be voyded of this wyse also Take the rote of an Elder tre wash it well clene then pare the vpper shell softly from it after y e shaue of y t other shell vntil y e wood or hardnes a quarter of an vnce bray y t small beat it w t an egges shell full of Aqua vite geue it y e paciēt Or els seth of the inner shell or barcke of Elder tre a hand full in a quarte of ale or bier till the halfe be sodden awaye and drinke that this is experimented He that hangeth the roote of Valeriane grene at his necke if she waxe sere then goeth the ague from him He that feareth he shall get the ague let him swalowe in thre cornes of Coriander fastinge and it shall go awaye and let this be done before the ague fall vpon him If he shall haue colde wyth it then is it good also to take thre rootes of Veruayne and thre leaues of it sodden in wine and dronke before the cold do ouertake him and he shal be quit of it He whose feuer cōmeth of Melācoly his vrine is first whyt afterward black when nature beginneth to digest He y t hath this disease let him eate freshe meates and purge him selfe twyse euery weke wyth leaues of Sena tre made to pouder and taken in the morninge and eueninge at eche tyme a quarter of an vnce wyth a peasebroth Geue him also to drinke of thys syroppe folowynge as ofte he will Take a handfull of Cicory rootes and a hande full of Cicorye floures and two leaues of Hartes tounge seth them w t a quarte of water tyll the third part be sodden away thē streyne it through a cloth into a pot and put an vnce of suger thereto Thys syrop is very good in sommer for it clenseth the bloude and slaketh thyrste and cooleth wel it mollifieth also the harde matter that is gathered about the hart of congeled bloud wherof do somtyme grow apostemes or consuming coughes it driueth awaye iaundis also and mollifyeth sieges that a man maye the easyer haue thē But if hys heade woulde ake then geue him pilles that purge the heade as pillule de iera picra or pillule Cochie ¶ An approued science for the ague it riddeth a man oft in thre dayes TAke the rotes of Celendine chappe them small and braye them whyle they be grene Take as muche thereof as a walnut steare them wyth a dishe full of warme mylke or wyne or wyth a dishe full of warme pease broth thys oughte to be done in the morninge fastinge and refrayne from eatynge and drinkinge foure houres after and if he can go let hym walke vpon it The nexte daye geue hym Diacartami halfe an vnce or more but if he hath greate heate then geue hym Diaprunis laxatiui halfe an vnce or more and if hys strength can beare it geue hym halfe an vnce Electuarij de succo rosarum If the feuer is come of Flegma and the pacient is aged and the season drye or yet colde and moyst and hys pulse in hys arme beateth slackly and hys vrine is muche and whyte he also is greately thyrstye these are signes of the ague that commeth of Flegma Geue to that pacient the iuyce of Clarye the iuyce of Smalache the iuyce of Fenell made lyke an Electuary Let not the paciente eate nor drincke whyle he hath colde or heate After that geue hym a litle meat that warmeth measurably the nexte daye geue hym som meat good of digestion as small byrdes and suche lyke lette hys drinke be clene wyne Or els geue hym Diacartami halfe an vnce or thre quarters Item suppinges of Amilum made with cow milke a litle saffron comforte nature geue a good coloure and strengthen the pacient Likewyse maye ye make him Rice potage If he is sore cooled and febled thē seth him a dish full of Cumin wyth a yolke of an egge thesame maye he drinke colde or warme that strengtheneth hym very well ¶ For the Iaundis HE that hath the iaundis muste beware of all meates or drinckes that coole him for they hurte him But if the iaundis doth greue him then make hym thys drinke Take a peny weight of beaten Saffron and a penny weight of Ancolye beaten also put them into a porenger or wyth vinegre and steare them wel together put also a litle wine and water to them that it maye be thynne inough then let it be dronke fasting and it breaketh the iaundis withoute hurte But if the disease woulde differre and the iaundis woulde not voyde wherby the paciēt could haue no stomake if he be stronge inough geue him Rebarbara made to pouder temper it with a fresh Peasebroth and let him drinke it agaynst the daye breake If he hath strength then let him walke after it and holde a tosted pece