the full of the Moone goe not forth in the night and keepe your head somthing warmer at that time then at other times Keepe moderation betweene heate and cold in your lodging and bedding Last of all whatsoever you receiue from the hands of another especially if suspected touch it not before it haue beene cleansed by boyling or at least by washing in warme water if it may not spoyle or deface the thing otherwise aire and perfume it well And thus much for flying into a pure Aire Now we are to purifie the purified Aire And herein first I must distinguish Aire into two kindes viz. Generall and Speciall By Aire generall I meane the whole open Aire of the Region By Speciall I intend either that which is inclosed in houses or that which is immediately next the person of every one for the space of some few yards compasse round about the Body whether within doores or without wheresoever it goeth or abideth And first for the generall Aire of the Region That is to be purged and rectified first by cleane sweeping and washing of the streets lanes courts allyes and other wayes and passages of the Cittie leaving in them no durtie puddles dunghills or dead carrions Also by often casting out the mudde of the Towne ditches and other standing waters Every morning and euening sweep cleane the streets before every mans doore Wash downe the channells to keepe them sweet But I like not that slabbering of the pavement before the house which I see many vse in moyst wether for it increaseth the dampishnesse of the Aire excpt it be before the stalls of Butchers and Cookes or except the durt can no other-wise be purged away and then let it be swept drie againe except the Sunne doe shine so cleare and hot that it is likely to be soone dried thereby But indeed there is no way of purging the Aire like to the making of Fires in the streets so it be done with good discretion that is In the evenings when the weather is moyst and not soultry hot We read that Hippocrates freed the Cittie of Cranon before mentioned and Athens also as Galen testifieth li 1. de Theriaca ad Pisonem cap. 16. by making great bonefires burning sweet odours and costly oyntments in them Aëtius also li. 5. cap. 94. reports the like to haue been done by Acro Agrigentinus whereby he delivered the greatest part of Greece from the Pestilence Some Physicians that they may be singular invent strange wayes by themselues to purifie the Aire As Cardan perswades to burne leather or any thing that smells strong though never so stinking But for my part I am of opinion with Rodericu à Castro and Laurentius Ioubertus that stinking smells cannot make a wholsome purgation of the Aire Therefore I leaue his conceite to accompany that of Alexander Benedictus who would haue the dogs that are killed to be strewed in the streets that the vapours of their putrefying carcases might expell the venom of the putrefied Aire With which may also be exploded Averroës his potion of vrine which he esteemes an excellent Antidote I thinke that which is odious to the nostrills by which way aliment is conveyed to the Spirits And that which is noysome to the stomach by which nourishment is brought to the Body can be no Cordiall But for the purging of the Aire Rodericus à Castro hath another way and that easy and cheap if it be as good He affirmeth that it was wont to be much vsed in Spayne in pestilent times and that is to drive a great droue of Oxen or Kine through all the streets every day that their sweet wholsome breath may cleanse the impure Aire It is true that the breath of those Cattell are very sweet and wholsome But it is to be doubted that the impure Aire being much more in quantity then their breath will sooner infect them then they purifie it which if it doe then surely all their flesh will proue but vnholsome meat and may infect more bodies after they haue bene at the Butchers then they haue purified streets while they went before the drovers But the Spainards eate so little Beefe as they needed the lesse to feare such poysoning Now for my opinion what way is best to purge the Generall Aire of the Region I must needs say that of Hippocrates before mentioned is the best but too costly to be received of our Cittizens Therefore I would advise that Muskets and such like peeces might be discharged in every street lane and corner of the Cittie every morning and every euening This way in hot weather doth not enflame so much as bonefiers doe by their continued heat but purifie as much or rather more For by the blow the Aire is first forcibly moued shaken devided and attenuated and so prepared for purification then immediatly by the heat of the fire purified and that kinde of fire purgeth it better then others for by reason of the Sulphur and Sault-peeter it is exceeding drying and very wholsome And that this opinion is not any conceit of mine owne let those that will Read Levinus Lemnius de Occultis Naturae Miraculis or Crato in Consilio 275. Or Raymundus Mindererus li. de Pestilentia cap. 20. The Heathens could be at great cost in contagious times as appeares by the precious odours and sweet oyntments that Hippocrates consumed in the fires for those Citties before mentioned Why may not Wee be at a lesser cost for the safety of a greater Cittie GOD is nearer to vs then he was to them we haue his promises to keepe vs in all our wayes and to prosper our handy workes they had no such comforts to rest vpon Yet they endevoured and obtained wee obtaine not onely because we endevour not And now I come to the Fourth Cause of the Pestilence which is The Disorder of Mans Diet. In the name of Diet are included six things wherein a man ought always to be moderate and regular 1. The Aire and I mean the Speciall Aire 2. Meate and Drinck 3. Repletion and Evacuation 4. Exercise and Rest 5. Seepe and Watching 6. Passions of the Minde These are the six Strings of Apollos Violl wherein consisteth the whole harmonie of health If these be in tune the Body is sound but if any of these be either too high wrested or too much slackened that is immoderately vsed then is the Body put out of tune and made subiect to any sicknesse As one saith well who hath thus composed those six points in these two verses Aër Esca Quies Repletio Gaudia Somnus Haec moderata iuuant immoderata nocent Let every man therefore be carefull in these things and if his owne skill be not sufficient to teach him what is temperance let him observe these rules following First for the Aire The Disorders of Diet in respect of Aire or ill choyce of habitation walking running or riding at vnseasonable times as in fogs mists
and carry it in some little box peirced full of holes to smell through Or Take liquid Storax wash it well in Wine-vineager and Rosewater wherein some Camphor hath beene disolued Then mix with it of the powder of Cloues and yellow Sanders as much as will make it thick like Tarre carrie it in some Sevit or Pomander-box As for Pomanders which are the best both for handsome carriage and continuance of sent If any will resort to me I will fit them at diuers prices Furthermore It is good also to wash the face mouth and nostrills often with strong Vineager Rose-water and a little Wine wherein hath bene steeped for six houres together some thin shavings of Zedoarie or Angelica or Tormentill roots The poore people may wash them with Faire water and Vineager and the iuice of Rue Thirdly Apparell is to be a defence against the infectious Aire Which becommeth so by being well made and well kept To the well making of garments in this respect there goe two points the Stuffe and the Fashion For the Stuffe all woolen cloth would be avoided because it retaineth the infection long Buffe also Shamoys and such kinds of leather are naught because they through their sponginesse doe draw and keep it much more then other wearings Feathers likewise and Fans being the most needlesse ornaments should now be layd aside for they are also of a nature that retaineth infection long and so are all kinde of Furrs therefore weare none of these if you may choose But if your purse will serue buy Grograms Chamlets c. Such as may be watred for the watering of stuffes through their gumminesse doth best exclude the Aire from entring or taking vp any loging in the stuffs so dressed And let the doublets hose be lined rather with Linnen then Fustian because the woolinesse of Fustian is of kin to the other allready found fault with-all As for silkes as Grograms Taffaties Sattins they are also very good but Veluets Plush Shag and such like are not so good Let them be also fitted with linings according to the weather that they occasion not the Body to sweat through heat to bee tired with waight nor to catch cold with thinnesse For these inconveniences may be occasions of much harme But taking of cold is the most dangerous of all for there vpon follow putrid Feauors and all of them are friends to the Plague For the Fashion avoyd much Quiltings and stuffing with Bombast and Haire for into such things the infected Aire will easily get and hardly forsake them Women vsually haue Whale-bone bodies which are as good armour as any other Let the greatest care be to guard the vitall parts But withall there must be some care of all the body which to guard the better it is good to weare long Cloakes of such watered stuffes as I haue mentioned which being outermost excludeth well the outward Aire while one is abroad and when one is come home they may be layd by till they haue beene aired But for Physitians and Chyrurgians and such as come among the sicke it is good for them to haue long Gownes of such stuffes which as soone as they come forth of the sicke Chambers they may throw off to be aired And so much for the Well-making Now for the Well keeping of Garments this is done by keeping them cleane and sweet To keepe them cleane requires varietie and often shifting To keepe them sweet is required much airing and perfuming As when you put them on or lay them by and that according to the Weather As in cold Weather Take Iuniper slices Iuniper berries bruised Rosemarie Bay-leaues and Wormwood cut small and Franckincense grossely powdered Burne them together on a chafing dish of coales and so perfume your Cloaths In hot Weather Take dried Rose-leaues steeped in rose-Rose-water wherein Camphor hath been dissolved and adde to it a little vineager Vpon a hot fire-shouell make a fume and perfume your apparell In temperate Times Take Iuniper berries gum Dragagant and Franckincense all grossely powdered of each a like quantitie Steepe them in vineager and Rose-water six houres Then spread the same on a hot tile or fire-shouell and perfume your Cloaths therewith Fourthly Amulets are things made to hang about the necke to touch the naked skin next the heart These are of some with a kinde of superstition esteemed But though Carpus the Chirurgian of Bononia perswaded himselfe and others that he was preserved from the Plague by wearing Arsenicke in a clout vpon the region of the heart yet many in London haue died of the Plague with those bables about them and as for Arsenicke and other such poysonous stuffe I could speake enough against them but a learned Dr of Physicke hath saued me that labour But for some cordiall things I will for the Readers satisfaction giue a taste of them They may be of two sorts Simple and Compounded Simple as Vnicornes horne Bezoar stone which is the best of all if a man can get it the Hiacinth also and Smaragdus and such like but how the influence of such stones may be conveyed out of their hard bodies to the heart is hard for me to vnderstand The former are more likely for Galen reports li. 6. de Simp. Medic. facult that he cured a boy of the Falling-sicknesse by hanging a Paeonie roote about his necke Yet I thinke he could never say so but that once Therefore I would wish none to put any confidence in such disputable things Neverthelesse since I haue divided them into Simple and Compounded I will giue you a Composition which may be vsed in stead of an Amulet and that to good purpose Take the leaues of red Roses dried two drams all the Saunders Lignum Aloes Zedoarie roote Angelica roote Sage white Dittanie Baulme Citron pills of each halfe a dram Make them into powder and sew them vp in a peece of red Taffarie or Calico and make a Quilt thereof Heat it on a pewter dish vpon a chasing dish of coales and sprinckle it with Rose-vineager so apply it warme to the place and renew it once in six houres I cannot but let thee know good Reader that even now while I was writing vpon this subiect there hath beene a patient with me who is poysoned with with a venemous Amulet Be warned therefore by the harmes of others to take heed of such pernicious things Thus haue I finished the first part of Diet concerning Aire The second part followeth Which consisteth of Meate and Drinke Disorder in meate and drinke is chiefly committed either in regard of the Qualitie or Quantitie of them In Qualitie when that meat or drinke which is vsed is either generally vnwholsome for all men as venemous Mushroms stincking or raw meate musty or new or dead drinkes these breed venom in the humors and so a iust occasion for infection or els particularly naught for the proper constitution of him that eats or drinkes it
a man would wonder how it could so suddainly be done being as if one did burne a hole with a hot iron And it is strange to see that so small a tumor should be so devilish and dangerous to life for if it be not with great care and exceeding good meanes attended it bringeth speedy death But moreover obserue this Somtimes as I said before a man dies of the Plague when neither before nor after he is dead there appeareth any Tokens or Blayne Botch or Carbuncle And yet there will be a signe which few haue observed My Grand father who was a famous man and of great experience hath taught it me and my Father a Physitian of aboue fortie yeares practise and experience hath confirmed it vnto me That is that after such a body is dead in one place or other the flesh will grow softer then the rest and the whole body will also grow softer softer and the longer the body lies the softer will be the flesh Which shews the vilenesse of the putrefaction within Heurnius mentions this also among his signes in his booke De Peste and addeth also these That in a Body dead of the Plague The nose lookes very blew or blackish blow as if it had beene beaten or bruised The like colour is in the eares and nayles and ever worse coloured then other dead bodies vse to be Thus haue I displayed those Signes which are least fayling that the Searchers may rightly informed themselues and not mistake as many haue done calling the purple spots of the Pestilent Feavor Gods Tokens And somtimes letting Bodies passe as not dead of the Plague because they had neither Tokens Botch nor Carbuncle I haue done it also to teach people how they may know when they are stricken with this infection that they may presently haue recourse to some skilfull man and good meanes to recover them before it be too late An houre is a precious space of time and cannot be let slip but with hazard And having thus shewed you what this dreadfull Sicknesse is what are the Causes Qualities and Signes of it Before I leaue you I will leaue with you a short generall direction to keepe your body safe from infection and also if you feele suspicious signes of being taken how to begin to driue the venome from the heart till such time as you may haue some more speciall meanes particularly fitting your present constitution and state of body by the counsell of some skilfull Physitian While Health continueth It is necessary that twise in the weeke the body be evacuated with some gentle purging Pill to keepe the humors from superfluous increase And in this case the Pills of Ruffus which are to be had in every Apothecaries shop are very apt and good Or take of these Pills of mine twice or thrice in a weeke Rs. Aloës Rosatae vnc j. Rhabarbari Croci ana drach iij. Myrrhae drach vj. santali citrini drach j. ambrae grifiae scrup j. Cum syr de succo Citri q. s fiat Massa Pillularum Make Pills of 8. or 10. grains a peece Take ij or more of them in the morning fasting foure or fiue houres before meate They may be taken best in Syrup of Roses solutiue or in Conserue of Violets And presently after them drinke a little white Wine mixed with a little Balme-water in cold weather with Rose water and a little Rose-Vineager in hot weather and with Carduus or Scabious water in temperate weather On the other dayes wherein you take no Pills Take every morning fasting a dram or two or the quantitie of a Nutmeg of London Triacle with as much conserue of red Roses this is for a temperate Constitution A cold constitution may take the Triacle alone onely sweetening it with a little sugar And a hot complexion may mixe both the Triacle and Conserue in a few spoonefulls of rose-Rose-water and Vineager These Powders following are good to cast into the Broths of such as are sicke or haue weake stomachs Take of Red Saunders halfe an ounce Cynamom iij. drams and halfe Saffron halfe a dram powder them fine and mixe them together Another Take of Cynamom halfe an ounce Cloues halfe a dram Red Corall ij scruples Saffron halfe a dram And the weight of all in Sugar Make these into Powder and mixe them together Some giue this Take of Pearle prepared ij drams Corall red and white of each halfe a dram Red Rose leaues dried Saffron Spodium of each a scruple Cynamon a dram Make them into fine Powder and mixe them This is my counsell for those of ripe age and for Women that are not with Childe But for those Women that breed Childe and also for Infants or young Children there ought to be another way of preservation in whom Diet must be most intended and no purging vsed For Women therefore Let them keepe their bodie soluble by some gentle and familiar Suppositories or gentle Clysters made of Posset-ale with Camomill flowers and a little new-drawne Cassia Take these in the afternoone now and then Let them also every morning take the quantitie of a Nutmeg of this Medicine following Take Harts-horne Cynamon Nutmegs all the Saunders of each a dram Roots of Angelica Zedoarie Enula-Campane of each halfe a dram Powder all these Then take Conserue of Bugloss and Borage of each iij. drams With an equall quantitie of Syrup of Citrons and of dried Roses Mixe all together and make a Conserue Take it as is sayd fasting and fast two houres at least after Or els Take Harts horne red and yellow Saunders of each two drams Cloues and Cynamon of each one dram Beat them into fine Powder and mixe them together With some of this spice your Meate Broth or Cawdell or whatsoever you haue to breakfast and squeez into them a little iuice of a Lemon You may adde also some Sugar as you please Let this be your Break-fast For young Children There is nothing better then Bole armoniake with a little Tormentill roote and Citron Pills made into fine Powder which you may mix with their meats or cast into their Broths for their breakfast If they be costiue put vp a violet comfit or two for a Suppositorie Or mix a little Cassia newly drawne in some broth of a Chicken and giue it them now and then in a morning fasting Let them fast two houres after And that day vse not the powder before prescribed And note this When you suspect a Childe to be sicke of the Wormes in a Contagious time vse not Wormeseed and those common trifling things but order him as if you suspected he had the Plague for that disease comming of so much Putrefaction as it doth is as apt to receiue the infection of the Plague as is Tinder to take fire It must not therefore be dallied with But at such a time you may giue twentie or thirtie graines of this Powder following for two or three mornings together Take
Harts-horne j. dram Citron pill Rootes of Angelica and Tormentill Rhubarb and Coralline of each halfe a dram Make these into fine Powder and giue it as is said in a little Carduus water sweetned with some sugar Thus much for Preservation in Health But if there be Suspicion of Infection you must then looke about for a new course In which case generally I condemne both Purging and Bleeding for I know no vse of them in resisting or expelling the Venom which is no other way effected but by Sweating and Running of the Soares Yet I confesse Phlebotomie hath his vse in Sanguine and Strong bodies so it be at the very first while the Spirits are strong and able of themselues to make good resistance But if that first opportunitie be let slip I thinke it better to let it alone altogether then to doe it out of season and so to impaire naturall strength which in this case ought most especially to be preserved and augmented Againe though Sweating be the true way yet it must not be violent for that also weakens the Spirits and makes the body faint therefore those Sweating Medicines must be mixed with Cordialls As for example Take Mithridate or London Triacle one dram Myrrh Enula Campane root and Butter burre roote of each ten graines Mixe these in a quarter of a Pint of Posset-ale and white Wine mixed together to which you may adde some sugar to make the taste somthing gratefull Goe into your warme bed then drinke this draught prescribed and cover you with a reasonable weight of cloths and so sweat two or three houres or somewhat more as your strength will beare But take heed you sleepe not in this while Then by degrees let the clothes be taken away first one and then another when you haue sweat sufficiently or as much as you can endure And let some one with warme Napkins wipe you drie and shift your linnen being very carefull of taking cold Then presently take this Iulep Take of Carduus water three ounces Syrup of Lemons one ounce Bole armoniake Tormentill Angelica roote of each one scruple Mixe all together and drinke it off Doe this once in twelue houres if you finde strength to beare it till you haue performed it at the least three times and at the second and third times before you beginne to sweat binde vnder either arme-hole and to eyther groyne some thin slices of Radish roots beaten with a little bay-salt and sprinckled with a little Vineager and Rose-water wrap them vp in foure little thin rags and apply them Also apply to the region of the heart that Quilt which I haue prescribed in stead of an Amulet When this is done and the Soares beginne to shew themselues follow the advise of those that are appointed to that purpose For I must not enter into the infected house Therefore farewell And the LORD in Mercie looke vpon this afflicted CITTIE FINIS IF any be pleased to vse my Antidotes I haue two Powders one is for daily vse called Pulvis Pestilentialis the other in case of speciall danger called Pulvis Vitalis I haue also an excellent Electuarie which I call Antiloimon for his singular vertue against the Plague I haue likewise Lozenges and Trochisks to hold in the mouth and rich Pomanders to smell too They were all of my Grand-fathers invention and haue beene proved to be admirably effectuall both by his and my Fathers experience I confesse they are costly but slight meanes and cheape Medicines how ever they promise proue as deare as death For we see by woefull observation that the Plague will not be repelled but by imperious encounters I could relate very true and admirable stories of the effects of those three Medicines aboue mentioned but I will begge no mans beliefe Whosoever knows any thing of the name of Iohn Banister must needs haue heard of many famous Medicines by him invented The first Powder is 12. pence a dram his quantitie to be taken at once is halfe a dram The second is 3. pence a graine the quantitie is 10. or 12. graines The Electuarie is 2. shillings 6 pence an ounce the quantitie is one or two drams Because many men know that I haue a whole volume of excellent Receipts left me both by my Grandfather and my Father and lest they should censure me as too strict and covetous in keeping all secret to my selfe I haue thought fit for the common good to divulge this excellent Antidote following Electuarium De Ovo Stephani Bradwelli Rs. vitelli ovi vnius Croci pulveriz scrup ij Conterantur simul donec in Pultiformam rediguntur Postea imponantur in alia testa vacua cum exiguo foramine in capite facto benè obturetur et lento igne donec testa nigrescit assetur Dein exempta materia exiecetur subtilissime pulverizetur Cui Adde rad tormentillae zedoariae Angelicae Valerianae Dictamni Aristolochiae rotunda ana vnc j. ss Myrrhae scrup iiij Baccarum lauri Baccarum Iuniperi and drach ss Corticis citri scrup ij ss sem citri sem cardui Benedicti ligni aloës ana scrup ij Cornu Cervini Boli armeni ana drach j. ss Moschi gr x. Pulveriz omnia subtiliss Adde etiam Conservae florum Calendulae vnc ij Theriacae Lond. vnc j. Cum aqua Cardui et sacchari q. s fiat Electuarium s ae THere is a Fellow in Distaffe Lane that disperseth Bills abroad bragging of a Medicine that was my Grandfather Banisters thinking vpon the fame of his name to get both glory and gaine to himselfe But let me warne all men to take heed of such impudent lyers My Grand-father was very scrupulous of giving any speciall Receipts to others But if any man can say he hath any Receipt of his I am sure if it were of any value I haue the Coppie of it But I professe vpon the word and credit of an honest man that among all his Receipts he hath not prescribed one Preservatiue Drinke for the Plague And besides his judgement ever was that the best forme of an Antidote was either Powder Pill or Electuarie Therefore this Drinke that he talkes of was either none of my Grandfathers or els some very slight thing by him little esteemed I cannot beare it that any should abuse the Kings people with sophisticate Medicines and lay the imputation vpon so famous and so all beloved a Man as Master Iohn Banister was Li. de Probitate Medici boni ad tempus appositi sunt ad occasionem eripiendum accōmodati Proëmium The Name The Causes The Qualities The Symptoms and Signes The Name The first and principall cause is God The way of Cure The influence of the Starres the second cause The cure of this Cause is the same with the former The Corruption of the Aire the third cause The Aire is corrupted by the windes and weather What Constitutiō of the Aire is most Contagious The necessitie of the Aire The Cure of this Cause Flight Citò Cede