Life But when one is naturally of an ill Constitution he loses his Health as often as he neglects the Admonitions of his Instinct and consequently must lead a very troublsome and uneasie Life CHAP. I. Of the principal Causes of Diseases in the general THERE are four Causes of Diseases viz. two remote which are Melancholy or Vexation and Debauchery and two immediate which are an excess of Blood and the too long continuance of the Excrements in the great Guts Of Melancholy The first remote Cause of Diseases Of the bad Effects which it produces both in the Body and Mind and of its Remedies THere are very few Persons who are not acquainted with Melancholy either by Reason or Experience since the Life of Man is a continual Revolution of Prosperity and Adversity and the Oppositions betwixt those two Conditions excite in us contrary Motions and very different Passions That Tranquillity of Mind which accompanies good Fortune is very proper to preserve the Health for tho' the Mind and the Body are of a different Nature yet they have an Affinity which keep 'em in such Dependance one to the other that there is nothing regularly done in the whole Composition unless it be carry'd on by an equal Combination of the two Parts All our Actions are perform'd by the assistance of the Vital and Animal Spirits and 't is their Commerce which maintains that perfect Union between the Heart and the Brain which are the principal Organs of the Body For 't is plain that the Brain cannot produce the Animal Spirits unless the subtil parts of the Blood be convey'd thither through the Arteries and that the Heart which is a Muscle hath not power by its continual Motion to diffuse the Blood through the whole Body but by the assistance of the Animal Spirits Now when the Mind is serene and undisturb'd that all the Parts may be sensible of her Impressions she furnishes 'em with a sufficient quantity of Spirits to enable 'em to perform their respective Actions But on the other hand when the Mind is agitated with a Croud of dismal Apprehensions that give Entrance to Grief and Melancholy she is perpetually ruminating on the Causes of her Disasters and endeavouring with all imaginable Application to remove 'em which must needs occasion a vast expence of Spirits So that all the Animal Spirits which are generated in the Brain are scarce able to supply those Parts which are subservient to the designs of the Soul in the performance of those hasty Motions she requires from 'em and consequently since so large a quantity of the Spirits flows into the Nerves that are bestow'd upon those Parts there are but few left for the other Nerves Now the Parts which help to change or digest the Aliments and are subservient to all the Actions which are call'd Natural being of no use to the Passions 't is plain that the Nerves which go to those Parts receive but few Spirits from the Brain and consequently that their Fibres are very weakly mov'd and their Actions disorderly and irregular so that the Excrements can hardly be expell'd and their too long continuance in the Guts is the immediate Cause of Diseases We may add that the great dissipation of the Animal Spirits when the Soul is vex'd and disturb'd is the occasion that a greater quantity of Blood than usual is sent from the Heart to the Brain to make up the Loss of those Spirits and consequently the Nourishment of all the other Parts is both much lessen'd and chang'd as to its quality For 't is always the best part of the Blood that runs to the Brain and the Body is depriv'd of its best Nourishment particularly the Membranous Parts which are weakned and dry'd up for want of fit Matter to preserve them and this Inconveniency reaching the Intestines as well as all the other Parts 't is certain that they cannot expel the Excrements with vigour by their Vermicular or Peristaltick Motion being depriv'd of the Animal Spirits by whose Assistance they were moved We also see that those who are naturally of a melancholy and peevish Humour who apply themselves to study or to other Employments which require much application are usually lean and subject to be often Costive and commonly fancy themselves to be extremely sick before they have the least disposition or tendency to Sickness What ought to be done in order to prevent the Effects of Grief or Melancholy ALL Diseases as well of the Body as of the Mind may be cured either perfectly or imperfectly A perfect Cure consists in the entire destruction of all the Causes of the Disease which must necessarily cease when the Causes are remov'd Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus This sort of Cure is call'd cradicative Grief is not only a Disease of the Body but 't is one of the most considerable Distempers that can possibly afflict the Mind It cannot be always cur'd by an entire removal of its Causes since they are not always in our power and the best Reasons that can be alledged to persuade a Man to raise himself by the Strength of his Mind above the reach of Ill Fortune may serve indeed for a fine Amusement to a contemplative Genius but are rarely able to allay the torment of an afflicted Mind For as it is easie for those on whom Fortune smiles to comfort the Miserable so it is hard for those who are in trouble not to feel the weight of their Misfortunes As for Example if a Man was entirely ruin'd or reduc'd to extreme want by a litigious Action enter'd against him by his Enemies a grave Philosopher might indeed admonish him that the Estate he had lost was transitory and perishable and that he ought not to have settl'd his Affections on it neither as a Man because he shou'd have consider'd that he must have left it sooner or later nor as a Christian because as such he ought not to look upon such fleeting Enjoyments as his Portion but upon those which are Everlasting These are certain and undoubted Truths but wou'd not in all probability quiet the Mind of a Person in such Circumstances or make him forget his Loss And 't is no less certain that the Recovery of his Estate wou'd be the most effectual Expedient to restore the Tranquility of his Mind Grief may be also occasion'd by many other Causes which are no less without our power and beyond the reach of Medicines than the former But that which seems to be peculiar to this troublesome Distemper is that whereas other Distempers are commonly cur'd by things that are contrary to 'em that which is contrary to this commonly augments rather than abates the Distemper For a Man who is drowned in Sorrow is incapable of taking Pleasure in any thing and Joy which is opposite to his Grief is so far from easing him that he cannot endure to perceive the least appearance of it in another ' Twou'd be needless then to attempt the Cure by endeavouring
to divert his Thoughts and therefore in expectation that Time which is the only Physician in such Cases may heal the Wounds of his Mind or some of those unexpected Revolutions to which all the World is subject may put an end to the Cause of his Sorrow we must content our selves with persuading him at least to resist the fatal Influence which this Passion may have upon his bodily Health because of the strict Union that is between those two Parts which compose the Man 'T is certain that Grief may be the Spring and Fountain of many Diseases by causing the Excrements to remain too long in the great Guts And therefore we must endeavour to make the best use of the Signs by which the Internal Physician acquaints us with the stoppage of those Impurities in these Passages lest the Mind shou'd by degrees communicate the infectious Contagion of its Distemper to the Body that is we must expel those Excrements as soon as we perceive any signs of fulness and in order to this we must chuse the most convenient Medicines For as I intimated before we must either entirely remove the Causes of a Disease or at least endeavour to prevent their Fatal Effects Of Debauchery or Intemperance The Second remote Cause of Diseases DEbauchery consists chiefly in two things viz. in excess of Drinking and Eating and in the immoderate use of the Pleasures of Love for 't is by this means that the most healthy Persons destroy themselves and shorten their Days even tho' they be otherwise of a stronger Constitution than others CHAP. II. Of Excess in Drinking and Eating THAT we may comprehend the manner how Diseases are occasion'd by excess in Eating and Drinking we must examine the Action of the Stomach and Guts in converting the Food into Chyle for if we consider that all the Fibres which compose the Contexture of those Parts are as it were so many small Springs being which successively slacken'd and contracted keep the Food in a continual Motion which with the assistance of dissolving Acids attenuates bruises and entirely changes its Nature Now 't is plain that these Springs may lose their force and activity by a continual Pressure and distension occasion'd by an excessive quantity of Food which fills the Spaces that are formed by their Turnings and Windings even as the Springs of our Machines are stopt when their Relaxation is hinder'd by a strong Pressure For as a Bow cannot long retain its Spring if it be kept continually bent and the finest Machine in the World will decay insensibly if it be not diligently kept in Order so the most vigorous Stomach may be spoil'd by an over-proportion'd quantity of Food because the Fibres both of that and of the other Parts which help Digestion are either broken or so weaken'd by a continual Extension that they cannot afterwards contract and expand themselves either to concoct the Food or to expel the Excrements that are separated from it Now Indigestion and the Stoppage of the Excrements in the Body are in a great measure the immediate Causes of Diseases But let us suppose that the Stomach tho loaded with Food may nevertheless be able to digest it when the Body is very strong and vigorous what must be the consequence of such a Digestion but that the redundant Chyle flowing out of the Stomach and not being admitted into the Milky-Vessels of the Mesenterium must remain in the small Guts and afterwards pass with the Excrements into the greater where it must quickly be corrupted for want of a sufficient ferment to keep up its Motion and consequently must of necessity corrupt the Excrements and occasion all those Disorders which shall be mentioned in the Chapters that treat of the immediate Causes of Diseases We ought therefore diligently to avoid excess in Drinking and Eating and for that reason 't is necessary that every one should be acquainted with his own Constitution As for Example the Cholerick have occasion to eat oftener than the Phlegmatick because those are much hotter than these and the Heat not meeting with Matter to digest takes hold of the Alimentary Juice and thereby insensibly weakens the principal parts of the Body Whoever enjoys a perfect Health ought to use indifferently every thing that is fit to Nourish him especially when he has observ'd that any particular sort of Food is endu'd with all the necessary Qualities as first when it is agreeable to the Taste for when the Stomach loaths any particular kind of Meat tho' at the same time it be very good and wholsome we ought to abstain from it because it will infallibly either cause Indigestion or provoke Vomiting Secondly When 't is easily digested without occasioning either a slackness or straitness in the Belly These are the surest Marks of wholsome Food and there remains nothing more to be observ'd but that the Quantity must always be moderate We must then to preserve our Health eat when we are hungry and drink when we are thirsty whatsoever is proper to be eaten or drunk without forcing Nature and without either starving or cloying our Stomachs CHAP. III. Of the immoderate Vse of the Pleasures of Love THIS sort of Intemperance is no less dangerous and prejudicial than the former I need not mention those infamous Marks and Effects of Lechery the Gonorrhaea both simple and virulent Phimosis Paraphimosis Excrescencies Bubo's and in a Word the Disease which is commonly entertain'd by all Nations tho' none of 'em are willing to own it as a Native these are the usual Consequences and the just Rewards of unbridl'd Lust But besides it is certain that the immoderate use of those Pleasures dissipates the Spirits extremely weakens the Brain robs the Nerves and Membranous Parts of their proper Nourishment is fatal to those who have a weak Breast heats and drys up the whole Body and makes way for a whole Army of Diseases by weakening the Action of the great Guts by dissipating the Spirits and by drying up the Fibres It is therefore necessary to moderate the Pleasures of Love if we wou'd preserve our selves from irrecoverable Ruine and consequently in our amorous Inclinations we ought to consult our Strength and never to give a full career to our eager Desires We must be entirely Masters of our selves that we may be able upon Occasion to curb the heat of a Passion which has in all Ages fooled the wisest Heads and baffled the severest Vertue since the Wisdom of Solomon the Holiness of David and the Strength of Sampson could not moderate the Sallies of this ungoverneable Passion And 't was this that made the modest Virgil say Omnia vincit Amor nos cedamus Amori Reason which ought to guide us in all our Steps is never less obey'd nor more strangely puzzl'd than when she attempts to calm the impetuous Motions of Love that are stirr'd up in us by an infinite Number of Objects and after a thousand several ways To make our selves Masters of this Passion
production of new Blood does for the same reason occasion a dissipation of part of that which is already generated and consequently answers both the Indications that were propos'd But if the Disease requires a speedy Cure which cannot be perform'd by Abstinence as it oftentimes happens we must have recourse to Bleeding which by a present Evacuation of the Blood destroys the Cause of the approaching Disease ' Twou'd be ridiculous to object that Bleeding causes greater Alterations in the Body than Abstinence or a thin Diet that it occasions a sudden dissipation of the Spirits and consequently is attended with a much greater decay of Strength for that Loss will be much sooner and more easily repair'd than the Disorders that are occasion'd by Diseases CHAP. VII Of the ways to remove the Second immediate Cause of Diseases occasion'd by the too long continuance of the Excrements in the Cavities of the great Guts ' THO the Excrements that are retain'd in the great Guts are meer Impurities and extremely prejudicial to Health yet we must proceed with Caution in the means we use to expel them We must not begin with the quickest ways because they occasion great Disorders in the Body and it has been too often observ'd that inconsiderable Distempers have been exasperated and confirm'd by an over-hasty Cure and therefore gentle Remedies are both safest and most successful Instinct has furnish'd Animals with two sure and effectual Expedients to procure the expulsion of the Excrements that are retain'd in the Cavities of the great Guts viz. Clysters and Purgative Potions which 't is probable Men began to use when they observed the great Advantages which Animals receiv'd from them Bleeding and Abstinence which second the Effects of the former Remedies are also Lessons which Men owe to the Brutes and these four Expedients acting either jointly or separately are the safest and most effectual Means that can be made use of to hinder the stoppage of the Excrements in the great Guts and consequently to prevent the Diseases which proceed from such Obstructions It is easie to conceive how Abstinence or a regular Diet may contribute to the Evacuation of the Excrements if we consider that those Excrements are the remainders of our Nourishment That the more we eat and drink the more Excrements are bred in those Parts so that the Evacuation of those Excrements wou'd be an endless Work if the empty'd Guts were presently fill'd with the superfluities of a greedy Stomach But in the mean time a Diet which is only prescrib'd for prevention ought not to be so regular or thin as that which is enjoyn'd to sick Persons It is known that too nice or sparing a Diet is prejudicial to Health and is so far from assisting Nature in the Evacuation of the Excrements that it renders her unable to expel ' em Besides the Liquor which serves to dissolve the Food not finding Matter to work upon acts upon the parts that contain and receive it by drying and consuming them It may be further added that a Man who takes Physick only for prevention does not abstain from Labour and Exercise and therefore stands in need of Nourishment to repair the expence of his Spirits Wherefore to prevent Diseases one ought only to fast moderately at the same time he ought to avoid as much as he can eating in Company because People are usually wont to eat a little more than is necessary and besides he ought to chuse such Aliments as will leave but few Excrements in the Body and especially he must take care never to eat to satiety The second Expedient we propos'd to facilitate the Passage of the Excrements is Bleeding which is doubtless one of the best Methods that Nature cou'd suggest to Animals for it is certain that besides that there is no Remedy which depends more absolutely upon the Pleasure of the Person who either orders or performs it so there is none which in most Cases gives more speedy relief to the Patient Every Surgeon knows how useful Bleeding is to put a stop to Defluxions and the falling down of Humours which are always apt to fall upon wounded Parts how effectual it is to dissolve large Tumours with which Wounds are frequently accompany'd how powerfully it stops the inordinate Flux of Blood in the Wounds of the Vessels and both Surgeons and Midwives know how helpful it is to facilitate so difficult a Work Our Business at present is to enquire how it may contribute to the Expulsion of the Excrements out of the Cavities of the great Guts The Expulsion of the Excrements retain'd in the Cavities of the great Guts is perform'd chiefly by the Contraction of its moving Fibres assisted by those of the Muscles of the lower Belly and by the continual Inspiration which obliges the Diaphragma to press all the Guts All these Actions are perform'd by means of the Animal Spirits which upon such Occasions flow plentifully to the Parts which are the Organs of these Actions Now these Spirits are continually dissipated and that expence must be repair'd by the Blood of which they are compos'd provided there be a reasonable quantity in the Vessels which are appointed to contain it for when there is a Redundancy of Blood the Spirits are as it were suffocated and drown'd in the abundance of their Matter so that the best Office we can do to Nature on such Occasions is by Bleeding to reduce the Mass of Blood to a moderate quantity in order to ease her of an unnecessary Burthen which obstructs the liberty of her Actions Bleeding ought always to precede Purgations when both these Remedies are indicated by the signs of a Redundancy excessive Heat or Corruption of the Blood For we find by Experience that Purgatives operate both more gently and effectually when the Vessels are empty'd and the excessive heat of the Blood allay'd and its Depravation corrected by Bleeding 'T is further observable that we ought rather to bleed early in the Morning than at any other Hour of the Day and that when we are oblig'd to have recourse to this Remedy in very hot Weather we ought to be let Blood before the Rising or after the Setting of the Sun and in very cold Weather at Noon But in the general we ought to avoid Bleeding as much as we can when the Season is either excessively hot or cold for 't is certain that Bleeding is always attended with better Success when these Cautions are observ'd than when they are neglected With respect to the Age of the Patient we ought to bleed Infants less frequently and to take less Blood from them than from other Persons because a great part of their Blood is consum'd in the Nourishment and Growth of their Body in all its Dimensions So that from six Weeks or two Months after the birth of an Infant which is the time at which we may begin to let him Blood if there be a pressing Occasion to the Age of five or six Years I wou'd not take
away more than from three to six Ounces of Blood From six to ten or twelve Years you may take six or eight Ounces From twelve to fifteen and so to fifty you must observe the Signs of Repletion and the Strength of the Patient and accordingly you may take away from nine to twelve or fifteen Ounces of Blood After fifty Years of Age we must be more cautious and moderate both as to the frequency of Bleeding and the quantity of Blood we take away for fear of causing too great a dissipation of the Spirits which from that Age to extreme old Age are daily decaying both in Quantity and Quality The visible Signs of a Redundancy of Blood in the Vessels are the large or frequent Evacuations of it by the Nose or other parts of the Body the swelling or distension of the Veins Boils Pimples or other Eruptions frequent Ebullitions or Flushings towards the Skin Erysipela's Inflammations of the Eyes and Throat a continual desire to Sleep and a Weariness and Heaviness of the whole Body not occasion'd by any Labour or violent Exercise When you perceive all or most of those Symptoms and when they continue for some time you must immediately open a Vein and take away a large quantity of Blood for the superfluous Blood which is not employ'd in the Nourishment of the Body if it be not evacuated will soon putrefy and occasion a Fever Obstructions in the small Passages of the Intestines or an Accumulation of Humours in some part of the Body In fine that we may make right use of Bleeding we ought to consider how the Patient usually bears it for those who undergo it easily may be let Blood oftener and more plentifully than those who cannot bear it without trouble and difficulty Thus one who commonly finds himself weak or faint after Bleeding ought rather to Bleed twice and in small quantities than to put himself in danger of fainting or swooning away by a large Evacuation For 't is certain that Fainting and Swooning do extremely disturb the whole Oeconomy of the Body notwithstanding the ridiculous Opinion of those who imagine that Bleeding can never be effectual unless it be continu'd till the Patient faint away Bleeding without necessity that is when there is no Superfluity to be voided no excess of Heat to be allay'd and no Putrefaction to be corrected robs Nature of the pure Blood which is necessary for the Nourishment of the Body and the production of Spirits which are the principal Instruments of the Soul in all its Actions 'T is plain from hence that after such unnecessary Evacuations Nature acts slowly and feebly that the Entrails are heated and that all the Parts are dry'd up which makes way for a long Train of Diseases It is not therefore pertinent to use Remedies at all times for the preservation of our Health But 't is necessary before we take 'em that our Instinct shall let us know the necessity of 'em by the presages of some future Distemper CHAP. VIII Of the Signs by which Instinct makes every particular Person foresee most of his Diseases THE most usual Symptoms of an approaching Distemper are a Weariness and Heaviness of all the Body without having been fatigu'd by any violent Exercises A Yellowness all over the Body An Erysipela or Ulceration all over the Skin The Itch or Scab Boils or Inflammations in divers parts A sudden pining away or leanness of all the Body and of the Face Wandering and frequent Rheumatical Pains accompany'd with irregular Shiverings An almost continual desire to Sleep but chiefly after Eating or on the other hand want of Sleep or an interruption of Sleep by frightful Dreams and vain Fears An unaccountable Dulness and Melancholy which will not give way to any sort of Pleasure Nocturnal Sweating Frequent Pains of the Head Vertigo's and a Numness of the Part when one puts on his Hat A Redness all over the Face A languishing and sinking or an unusual shining of the Eyes a Tincture of Yellow or Black on the Eye-lids Bleeding at the Nose or any other Part of the Body A Singing or Hissing Noise in the Ears Redness or Dryness of the Cheeks and Lips Yawning and involuntary Sighs Little Whitish Ulcers on the Palate and in all the inside of the Mouth The Clamminess or Foulness of the Tongue Dryness of the Throat especially in the Morning unless the excess of the foregoing Day be the cause of it Kernels about the Ears Necks and Arm-Pits and painful Tumours in the Groyne Stinking Breath not proceeding from any Corruption of the Teeth or from any Ulcer or Impostume in the Mouth Loss of Appetite or a rising of the Stomach against Meat Vomitting of sweet bitter or salt Water especially in a Morning Rheums or Defluxions a Cough and Difficulty of Breathing without a sharp Pain of the Breast but rather proceeding from Oppression or Stoppage The Distension and Swelling of the Belly with a Noise and Griping in the Guts and small Loosenesses which return frequently A Hardness and Heaviness in the Stomach as if it were a great Stone and a troublesome Sensation as if the Belly were squeez'd with a Cross-Bar Piles or Emerods of long continuance and painful Great Heat in the Palms of the Hands A Swelling of the Veins in the Face and in all the Extremities of the Body All these Symptoms and many others of which every one may have had Experience are so many signs to give us notice that our Health is in danger of yielding to the Insults of a Disease if we do not take care to support it The Inquiry wou'd be more curious than necessary to examine for what Reasons those Symptoms give us notice of approaching Distempers for as it is sufficient for a Pilot to have a Needle touch'd with a Load-Stone and to know that it turns always towards a certain Pole without being oblig'd to know the natural Cause of so surprizing a Phaenomenon so 't is also enough for any Body to know that the signs of which we have spoken are so many Fore-runners of Distempers without troubling himself to examine particularly why every one of these Symptoms is an effect of this general Cause wherefore we are forewarn'd sometimes by some of them and sometimes by others sometimes by one alone and sometimes by many But it being generally known that one or many of 'em or this and that Symptom are certain Marks of a Depravation of the Health we may chuse either to wait till the Disease appears and afterwards cure it with difficulty or to prevent it easily before it is form'd Now 't is most certain that a Man shou'd rather be his own Physician while the Disease is yet unform'd than to wait till it appear that he may avoid fallling into those Extremities to which it may reduce the stoutest Heart by excess of Pain impatient uneasiness under the Cure and perpetual fear of Death From this Principle we may infer that 't is not only unnecessary but
an Ounce of the Oil of Walnuts Having given you a short Account of Medicines in general I shall proceed in the next place to mention some Specific and particular Medicines which in the Schools are call'd Topical Remedies 'T is to be observ'd that before the use of those particular Medicines you must evacuate the grosser Impurities by Clysters and lessen the excessive quantity of the Blood by Bleeding Of Particular Remedies A Remedy for the Head-Ach WHEN the Head-Ach proceeds from Phlegm or from a Cold Cause which is known by a Drowsiness and Heaviness of the Head the Brain must be purg'd thus Take the Leaves of Rosemary Thyme Betony and Sweet Marjoram of each a handful dry them in the Sun or in an Oven beat them to Powder and sift 'em thro' a Searce Take a convenient Dose of this Powder every Morning and Evening about an Hour or two before you eat It mitigates the Pain of the Head by purging the Brain But when the Distemper proceeds from heated Choler you must provoke Sleep with some of the Remedies mention'd in the Chapter that treats of Narcotics Against the Apolexy YOU must immediately open the Patient's Teeth with a Spoon and put into his Mouth several large Corns of Salt then Bleed him in the Arm and apply Cupping-Glasses with all convenient speed Against the Palsie TAke two Ounces of rectified Spirit of Wine three Ounces of Oil of Bays mix them with an Ounce of Balsam of Peru and having incorporated 'em together make a Liniment with which you must anoint the Part affected and wrap it up with a Linen-Cloth as hot as you can A Remedy for the Rheumatism hard Swellings in the Joynts for all Cold Swellings and to strengthen the Nerves TAke four or five handfuls of Sage beat it with a Pound of fresh Butter then boil all together for a Quarter of an Hour after which strain it through a course Cloth and rub the Parts affected with the Straining melting the Ointment every time you use it To Purge Melancholy TAke Polypody of the Oak and Tops of Hops of each half an Ounce and boil 'em with two or three Rennet-Apples cut in Slices in a sufficient quantity of Water Then strain the Decoction thro' a Linen-Cloth and infuse in it two or three Drams of Sena with as much beaten Anniseeds as you can take up between your Fingers and your Thumb Take this Medicine in the Morning and about two Hours after drink some Broath To Purge Choler MAke a Broath or Decoction of Lettice Purslane and Succory infuse in it according to the Season a handful of March Violets Peach-Flowers or Pale Roses and take it in the Morning fasting You may also take half an Ounce of Conserve of Pale Roses fasting and a little after take a Broath made of cooling Herbs To Purge Phlegm BOil fifteen Grains of Asarabacca-Leaves in a-sufficient quantity of Wine with a little Mint or Baum. Take three or four Spoonfuls of the strain'd Liquor in the Morning fasting and an Hour or two after drink a little Broath For the Itching of the Eye-Lids TAke an Ounce of White-Wine as much Rose-Water a Dram of Hepatic or Liver-Aloes in Powder mingle 'em together and apply a piece of fine Linen dipt in this Liquor to the Eyes For an Inflammation in the Eyes TAke a Spoonful of Rose and of Plantain-Water drop the Mixture into the Corner of the Eye and keep your Eye shut For Deafness TAke Juice of Onions and Brandy of each an Ounce and a half mix them together and put some Drops of the Mixture luke-warm into the Ears and afterwards stop 'em with Cotton To stop Bleeding at the Nose LAY a Key upon the Patient 's Back betwixt the Shirt and the Skin or throw a Glass of cold Water in his Face A Stone of Cyprus-Vitriol put into the Nostrils stanches the Blood The same Vitriol is also good to cure Ulcers in the Mouth by touching them two or or three times with it but you must not swallow your Spittle after it To Cure a Red Face and take away the Pimples DIssolve a sufficient quantity of Cyprus-Vitriol in Plantain-Water and when you go to Bed wash the Pimples with a little Cotton dipt in the Solution and in the Morning wash your Face with River or Fountain-Water For Shortness of Breath DRink a Glass of Mead in the Morning for Eight Days and if that be not sufficient put into it five or six Drops of Spirit of Tobacco For Obstructions of the Lungs TAke Jujubes Sebestens dry'd Figs Damask-Raisins and ston'd Dates of each half a Pound Dogs-Grass Liver-Wort Hyssop the Leaves and Flowers of Colts-Foot and Scolopendria of each a handful the four Capillary Herbs of each half a handful Liquorice four Ounces and three Pounds of Sugar Make a Syrup of all use it often and swallow it as slowly as you can For the Pleurisie TAke half an ordinary Glass-full of the Juice of Bugloss or Borage and an equal quantity of the Juice of Broom Mix them together and drink the Mixture warm before you go to Bed lying upon that side where you feel the Pain or upon your Back For a Cold. TAke a Spoonful of Oil of Sweet Almonds two Spoonfuls of Syrup of Violets and a Glass of Ptisan mix them together and drink off the whole when you go to Bed To stop Vomitting TAke a Spoonful of the Juice of Pomegranates or of Limons and half a Dram of Salt of Wormwood mix them for a Draught To Strengthen the Liver TAke a Pound of the Juice of Endive and an Ounce of the Juice of Burnet mix them well together and take half a Glass every Morning for eight or fifteen Days For the Spleen TAke two handfuls of the Leaves of Harts-Tongue chop them and put them into a strong Bottle with two Pints of White-Wine cover the Bottle with a piece of thick Cap-Paper making several Holes with a Pin in it then boil the Wine softly till it sink a few Inches in the Bottle Take half a Glass of this Liquor in the Morning fasting for eight Days For the Jaundice TAke the Dung of a young Goose Chicken or Hen dry it in the Sun and beat it to Powder Take from half a Dram to a Dram of this Powder every Morning in a Glass of White-Wine with a little Sugar and Cinamon for eight Days For the Dropsie TAke half a Glass of Juice of Chervil with an equal quantity of White-Wine and about two Hours after drink a little Broath You must continue the use of this Medicine till the Swelling be abated and in the mean time drink very moderately Infuse Burnet in Water and mix it with an equal quantity of White-Wine for your ordinary Drink For the Nephritical Colic or Stone in the Kidneys TAke two Ounces of Oil of Sweet Almonds drawn without Fire with a like quantity of Juice of Limons or Citrons or if you please you may take the Oil in two Ounces of White-Wine For the
quantity of River or Fountain-Water To the strain'd Liquor add four Drops of the Spirit of Vitriol and half an Ounce of sine Sugar Let the Patient take half a Glass of this Liquor before or during the Fit continuing after the same manner five or six Days Let him drink a Ptisan made with Barberries and Scorzonera-Roots Let him not take a purging Medicine till the Fever disappear For the Plague MElt an Ounce of old Hogs-Grease with a like quantity of Honey then remove the Vessel from the Fire and add an Ounce of Rie-Meal and two Yolks of Eggs stirring them all the while Spread this Ointment upon Leather and apply it to the Bubo's changing it twice a Day When a Carbuncle or Bubo is suppurated and breaks put into it a Tent dipt in the same Ointment and lay a Pultiss over it For Carbuncles or Plague-Sores TAke the Ointments Populeon and Basilicon of each one Ounce mix them and spreading a sufficient quantity upon a piece of Leather apply it to the Sore till the Scab or Eschar fall off A Remedy for Corns BOil a sufficient quantity of the Crum of Brown-Bread in Milk to the thickness of Broath and after you take it off from the Fire add to it a proportionable quantity of Vnguentum Rosatum spread it upon Linen and apply it to the Corn. To preserve the Face from being mark'd by the Small-Pox DIP a Feather in Oil of Sweet Almonds drawn without Fire and anoint the Pocks as they come out for the space of Nine or Ten Days To preserve the Sight in the Small-Pox PUT a little Saffron in Plantain-Water mix them well together then drop it into the Patient's Eyes Another TAke a piece of Gold heat it red-hot in the Fire quench it several times in Plantain-Water and pour some Drops of the Water into the Eyes of the Patient You must continue in the use of this Remedy from the first appearance of the Small-Pox â—or the space of three Weeks or a Month. For the Sciatica TAke Mustard-seed and Figs of each two Ounces beat 'em to a Mash which must be apply'd like a Plaister to the Part â—ffected and often renew'd For the Itch. AFter you have been let Blood in the Arm and purg'd according to your Strength and Constitution rub the Palms of your Hands your Wrists the Soles of your Feet and even your whole Body with an Ointment made of two Ounces of fresh Butter and half an Ounce of the Flower of Brimstone well mixt together warm it every time you use it And that it may work more effectually you may anoint your self near the Fire For a Tetter or Ring-Worm TAke three Drams of new Wax melt it with four Ounces of Oil of Roses and two Ounces of Honey of Roses When 't is all melted take it off the Fire and put to it an Ounce of Soot and half an Ounce of Ceruss in Powder stirring it till it be cold When you have occasion to use it spread it upon a Linen Cloth and apply it to the Part affected For a Cut or Wound TAke a red-hot Coal out of the Fire beat it to Powder and put some of it into the Wound It will immediately stanch the Blood For Burning TAke four Spoonfuls of Water in which unslack'd Lime has been quench'd the like quantity of Oil of Nuts and beat them up to the thickness of a Liniment then anoint the burnt Part with a Feather and cover it with brown Paper To open all sorts of Tumours without a Lance. TAke fresh Butter and Verjuice of each two Ounces mix and boil them together Dip a fine Linen Rag or piece of brown issue-Paper into the Liquor and apply it pretty hot to the Place affected For all sorts of Inflammations that happen either before or after the Breaking of a Tumour TAke a fine Linen Rag dip it in Oxycrate or Water then spread a little of Galen's Ceratum upon it which may be found at any Apothecary's Shop and apply it to the inflamed Part. For Bruises TAke a quarter of a Pint of thick Red-Wine two Ounces of fresh Butter two Pugils of Provence Roses and one Pugil of Wheat-Bran boil all together to the thickness of Broath spread it upon a Linen Cloath and apply it to the Part affected For all sorts of Wounds TAke a Pound of fresh Butter a quarter of a Pint of the Juice of Sage the like quantity of the Juice of Wall-Wort an Ounce of Bay-Berries in Powder with a quarter of a Pint of good Wine Boil all together in a Vessel upon the Fire to the thickness of an Ointment or till the Moisture be consum'd and reserve it for use For all Gun-shot Wounds TAke two Ounces of Birth-Wort either long or round put it into an Earthen Pipkin with three quarters of a Pint of Wine and boil away one half then take the Pot from the Fire and put in two Ounces of Sugar Keep this Liquor for use in a Glass-Bottle When the Wound is large lay on the first Dressing with the Whites of two Eggs beat up to a Froth to which add a Dram or two of Bolâ—-Armenic in Powder then spread the whole upon the Tow of fine Hemp and leave it upon the Wound till the same Hour next Day After twenty four Hours you must take away the first Dressing put some of this Water into a Spoon heat it lukewarm dip a Linen Rag in it and wash the Wound and lay upon it another piece of Linen dipt in the same Water taking care to keep the Wound always Moist For all sorts of Vlcers TAke Burgundy-Pitch Rosin and new Wax of each two Ounces put them all into an Earthen-Pipkin and melt them on the Fire then add six Ounces of fresh Butter with a Dram of Vardigrâ—ase in Powder stirring 'em all the while Put this Balsam into an Earthen Pot and keep it for use For a Gangrene INfuse half a Pound of Vnslak'd Lime for the space of six Hours in a Pint of Smith's-Water then pour it off softly without removing the Vessel In this Water infuse a Dram of Sublimate for the space of a Night Then add a sixth part of rectified Spirit of Wine and pour it all off without stirring the Sediments Wash the gangren'd parts every Morning Noon and Night with this Water a little heated OF Ptisans or Decoctions THEY may be prepar'd several ways according to the various Uses they are made for The most common are Purgative Laxative Cooling and Pectoral tho' many other sorts may be made according to the different Distempers that attack Human Bodies But I shall only mention those that are most frequently us'd and most easily prepar'd A Cooling Opening and Pectoral Ptisan TAke half a Peck of good Oats well cleans'd wild Succory and Burnet of each one handful boil them softly in a Gallon of River-Water for a large half Hour or three quarters of an Hour after which add half an Ounce of Sal Prunellae with a quarter of a