in vinegar c. as hath been said before of Oppoponax Take of this purged Ammoniack five ounces of the Gum of Dragon tree two ounces of Colophony three ounces of pitch an ounce of Frankincense and Mastick of each six drams of Myrrh one ounce of Turpentine four ounces mix them and make them into a Plaister with the oyl of Bays But I have by long experience found this following Plaister to be best of all Take of Virgin wax one pound and a half and of some of the Wound oyles before described in the third Chapter one pound and a half of golden Lithargire one pound of washed lead a half pound of turpentine a quarter of a pound of varnish in which some wound herbs or their flowers hath layen a moneth or two being set in the Sun all that time of this varnâ—sh take half a pound with some of the powders and gums set down in the pâ—aisters described before Mâ—x them all well together and make them into a plaister with some of the wound-Oyls or wound-Balsoms described in the third Chapter Take one thing more of my practice which is this viz. When I make a plaister first I boil a good quantity of Lythargire in so much varnish as I conceive sufficient the space of ten hours and when it is cooled I make it into powder and of this Lythargire I put into my plaisters as much as is agreeable to the quantity of the rest of the ingredients These plaisters I call stictick plaisters of which there is great use in the cure of Ulcers as you may see in my Treatise concerning Ulcers And the Physician who useth these Plaisters shall never fail to do good by them for what can be done in Wounds or Ulcers by any plaisters may be done by these which I have described in this Chapter CHAP. VI. Powders by which Wounds and Ulcers are speedily closed up THese powders do close up wounds and ulcers either by their drying faculty as the powder of Bolus-armenus or by their gluing faculty or by their constringent faculty as the powder of sloes The Powder of Bolus Armenus is made thus Take of the true Bolus Armenus a quarter of a pound dissolve it in allom water and distil the water off from it again then pour some more new allom water upon the Bolus and distil off that water again do thus so often until the Bolus be turned into an oyl Take this oyl and set it in some place where the heat of the Sun may come much upon it and dry it then make it into powder with an ounce of Frankincense of the stone Carnealus a half ounce of Mummy two drams all these must be made into a powder and mixed together strow this powder into the wound or ulcer twice a day then apply some stictick Plaister described in the aforegoing Chapter This powder is good not onely to close up a wound and cure it but also it preserves the wounds from these evils those bad Symtomes which accompany a wound This oyl of Bolus Armenus and the oyl of Lead and the oyl of the Crocus of Steel and the oyl of as ustum they are so powerful as I cannot sufficiently express it not onely to close up wounds but also to keep away the bad companions of wounds as inflammations humors c. The powder of Sloes is made thus Take of the juice of unripe Sloes the juice of unripe gales of each alike boyl them to the thickness of an Electuary then put to them the root of great Comfrey made into powder so much as the eighth part of the two juices boyl them together in allum water then dry them in the Sun and make them into powder But this powder you must not use without a stictick plaister because of those bad Symptomes which may get into the wound Powders which by their gluing faculculty close up wounds are these following Take of Frankincense Myrrhe and Mastick of each a half ounce of red Corals two drams of Aloepatick two ounces Make them into powder Another Take the juice of Sloes not ripe the juice of unripe Galls the juice of Sanicle the juice of the herb Clymer the juice of Adders-tongue of each five ounces dry them in the fire and while they are drying put to them two ounces of gum Ammoniak purged viz. dissolved in vinegar c. and when they are all dry enough make them into a powder When these powders are used the patients dyet must be drying his meats must be of a drying nature and he must take but little drink If there are any bad Symptomes joyned with the wound as inflammations c. then you must first take away all those bad Symptomes from the wound before you use this powder CHAP. VII Remedies for the bleeding pain inflammation c. of wounds TO stench the bleeding of a wound these simples are good viz. The crocus of Steel reverberated as ustum prepared as the crocus of Steel the hairs which grow under the tail of a Hare the moss which groweth in dead mens sculls the stone Carneolus hung about the neck or held in the hand the ashes of a frog burned the stone Haematites The remedies which are for the loosness of the belly are a nutshel tyed to the wound in which there is a piece of wood or wool And if you cannot stench the bleding with some of these remedies especially the two first viz. the crocus of steel or aes ustum yo can hardly do it with any other unless by some good stictick plaister which is indeed the best of all For the inflammation and pain of the wound Take the root of Henbane put it in rose-vinegar and set it in the Sun for some time then dip a linen cloath in this vinegar and lay it warm to the wound Let it lie at the wound until it be dryed then dip it again in the vinegar and lay it to the wound do thus so often until the pain and inflammation of the wound be gone The vertues of the Henbane are well known to me by experience and I know it to be excellent for this For the Cramp in any member caused by a wound We must use these remedies which refresh and strengthen the nerves the chiefest of which is the first oyl of Turpentine viz. That oyl which cometh first in distilling if with this oyl you anoint the place where the cramp is and the parts next to it Sallet oyl is also good to anoint the place with it For congealed and hardened blood within the body or in the joynts which comes of bruises or broken veins c. If there be blood congealed within the body let the patient have boiled in his drink and broths some Rhapontick or Rhenbarb or the roots of Swallow-wort or the leaves of Seny c. whereby the blood may be purged and the congealed blood within must be dissolved with this powder Take of choice Rhenbarb two drams of mummy a half dram of red Lacca Parmacity of each one dram of Bole-armene and Terra-sygillata of each a half dram of the root of Swallow-wort three drams make them into powder and take a dram of this powder at a time in the water of the flowers of Teil-tree this will dissolve congealed blood whether it be inwardly or outwardly But for congealed blood in the joynts you may also use this oyl Take the flowers of Mullen one handful of
all scabs itches wolf Canker c. Yea all outward sores whatsoever if the sore be therewith annointed but it causeth great pain and this you must carefully consider if the sore be very malignant and venemous so that the poison of it lieth deep and hath infected the sound flesh therefore that you may preserve the sound flesh that it be not corrupted you shall use with this oyl our Oppodeltoch plaister described in my great Chirurgie This medicine is so powerful and operative that it can help many such sores for which other remedies are too weak it will not be unfitting if you mix this oyle with some good oyntment so it will be much milder but duller in operation it will not cause so great pain but it cannot be used without some pain This red oyl of Coperas will be much better and more powerful if by distilling it you bring it to be a spirit and so it will cure the afore-mentioned diseases in lesser quantity and better What I have here told you concerning this red oyl of Coperas I have had the experience of it CHAP. V. The Chymical vertues of Coperas how it changeth Iron into good Copper c. I Have spoken largely and enough of the medicinal vertues of Coperas and how it should be prepared I will now shew you what may be done with Coperas in Chymistry Coperas can change Iron into good Copper whereby we may see much of the power of Nature for it is not the Chymist who doth this but it is Nature with the diligent labour of the Chymist and it is to be admired that a metal should leave its own nature and become another metal by this we see what priviledges God hath bestowed upon Nature for mans use whence wee may conclude that there may be greater changes wrought in metals which are unknown to us It cannot be denied but that there are many secrets unknown to us which God will not reveal because we are unworthy of them Now to change Iron into Copper is not so much as to turn iron into gold God hath made known to us the lesser but the other greater shall not be revealed till the time comes of the full knowledge of all secrets of Arts and Sciences viz. when Helias shall come But to come to our purpose in hand to shew you how you may turn Iron into Copper by Coperas it is thus Take a thin plate of pure Iron which hath no other metal mixed with it one pound of quick-silver half a pound of Coperas a quarter of a pound of salt Armoniack one ounce and a halfe put them all together in an iron pot and put to them a good quantity of vinegar set your pot upon the fire and let it boil and be alwaies stirring the things which are in the pot with a stick when the vinegar is consumed you must put to them more vinegar and more Coperas you must keep the pot upon the fire boiling ten or twelve hours and then you shall find all your iron gone into the quick-silver then take a bag made of thin leather or cotten put the quick-silver with the iron into the bag and press the quick-silver through the bag the iron which remains in the bag put in a melting pot and melt it and you shall have good Copper Take of this Copper and of silver of each alike much and melt them together and the silver will have sixteen degrees of whitenesse this is the tryal whereby we know such Copper to be made of iron this whitenesse is not firm and fixed but he who hath skill to work in Regals he shall have by it a sufficient recompence for his pains The main businesse is in the skilful handling of it in which many do fail but to turn the iron into Copper you cannot fail if you observe the way which I have told you which I have described here for this end to confirm that truth That one metal may be changed into another metal There is a very great neernesse of nature betwixt Coperas and Copper If you put Coperas in a pot and set it in a hot fire till it becomes to be a Red powder then take this Red powder and melt it upon iron and you will find upon the iron Copper melted out of the Coperas so likewise if Copper be dissolved in Aqua fortis and granulated it will be turned into Coperas and that which is called Viride aeris if it be well prepared and exalted it will come to be Saphir-coloured Coperas howbeit it may seem ridiculous for me to discourse of such things yet it cannot be denied but that there lurks a tincture in Coperas which can do more then many will believe he is a happy man who knows it I will tell you one Chymical secret of the oyl of Coperas Take the oyl of Coperas and the oyl of quick-silver mix them together and coagulate them and you shall have a Saphir of a strange nature not a Saphir stone but it is like a Saphir having a wonderful tincture in it of which I will say no more here whence it is evident that God hath hid wonderful secrets in Nature which we should search out by diligent study rather then to spend our time in whoring and drinking c. but in these times whoring and other wayes of intemperancy will be predominant till one third part of men be killed by the Sword and another third part destroyed by the pestilence the world cannot continue long in this wickednesse arts sciences cannot flourish now We cannot expect any good to be done till wickednesse be rooted out of necessity wicked men of every condition and degree shall perish then shall come the golden age when men shall be rational and use their understanding and live like men not like beasts c. These things I have freely communicated from my good affection to you entreating all who know the misery of those persons who are afflicted with that sad and grievous disease the falling-sicknesse that they seriously consider what God their Creator their own conscience and charity towards their neighbour requires of them in this businesse that they do not contemn or neglect these vertues which God hath created in Coperas but let Charity move you to it to be diligent night and day about this and such things whereby you may do good to your neighbour A Treatise of Wounds Containing the Cures of Wounds by Cuts Fractures Burnings and Scaldings the Bitings of Venemous Beasts c. CHAP. I. Potions which being Drunk Cure any Wound The first Potion TAke of Sanicle Periwincle Centory Betony of each on handful of Larks-spur half a handful of Agrimony two handfuls Put them in a gallon of Water and boyl it to three quarts Another Potion Take of Adders Tongue three handfuls of Ladies Mantle two handfuls of Periwincle the lesser one handful of Hony-suckle one handful and an half of Rheubarbe one ounce of Rhapontick three ounces
Put them in two gallons of water boyl it to six quarts Or put them in new Ale or new Beer four or five dayes then let the Patient drink of it Another Potion Take of Angelica half an ounce of Mummy one ounce of Parmacity two drams of the kernels of Walnuts two ounces of Orpine two handfuls of Sowbread two ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of each three handfuls Put them in a sufficient quantity of Water or c. and boyl them There is another Way of Preparing Wound-Drinks viz. thus Let your Herbs ly in distilled Water some time then set them to a slow fire in a vessel well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and drink it The Potion Take of the Water of Marsh Bugloss twenty ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss one handful of Sanicle half a handful of Periwincle half an handful set them over a very slow fire in a Pot well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and keep it for your use Another Potion Take of Juniper Berries two pounds and bruise them of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of Hony-suckle and the Root of white Sanicle of each half a handful of Adders Tongue a handful and an half of great Comfrey and Birth-wort of each five ounces of Arsmart four ounces put them in a distilling Vessel and distil a Water from them then put into the Water distilled fresh Herbs viz. These already named and fresh Juniper Berries and let them ly in the Water some time or set them over a slow fire in a Pot well stopt four or five hours Observe That Juniper Berries have a singular Secret Vertue for Wounds Another Potion Take the Roots of great Comfre two ounces of Birth-wort three ounces of sweet Flagg one ounce of Flower-de-luce half an ounce of Periwincle four handfuls of white Sanicle half a handful of Myrrh Mastich Frankincense Mummy of each half an ounce of Rheubarb six drams boyl them in Wine or Distilled Water or common Water with some of the juyce of Marsh-Bugloss in that manner as hath been already described How much of these Potions a Patient should take at a time must be considered by the skilful Physician according to the strength of the Patient and nature of the Potion These Wound-Drinks do keep the Body in good temper and do prevent many Evils which use to accompany Wounds They feed and strengthen Nature very much which cannot be done by outward Medicines And there is no way so good as by Wound-Drinks to cure wounds made by thrust Therefore Surgeons should not neglect these wound-potions so much as they do There are many good Herbs with which you may make wound drinks as these viz. white Sanicle wood Sanicle middle Comfrey Parsnep Arsmart both Beets golden Maiden-hair Lilies c. and many others there are But observe that amongst those Herbs mentioned in the Potions and here there are three whose juice being drunk cureth any Wound made by cut or thrust and there are two herbs mentioned which if you take any of them whole and dip it in running water and lay it to the wound take it presently off again from the wound and bury it in some place and as it putrifieth so the wound groweth well There is also one herb named amongst these whose juice or decoction being drunk thrice cureth any wound and all those evils which accompany a Wound But such great secrets of Nature should not be put in print but every one should diligently search after them There are also some herbs amongst these already named which being drunk cure the wounds of the Gout as easily as the Wounds of fleshy parts CHAP. II. Oyntments for Wounds TAke of fresh May butter one pound of Ribwort and the greater and lesser sea-marsh Buglosse and Beers with their roots of each one handfull of Adders tongue three handfull Beat the Herbs with the Roots and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two or three months then strain them and keep them for your use Another Take of May butter three pounds the Roots of great Comfrey one pound of Adders tongue one pound and a half of Birth-wort a quarter of a pound beat them and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set the glasse in the Sun some time or put it in warm dung a month then strain them through a linnen cloth and what you presse out of them keep it for your use That your Oyntment may keep the better wash it with salt water or put a little salt to it You may also make an Oyntment with one Herb as with Butter and Birth-wort or great Comfrey or with Honey and Adders tongue or the flowers of Saint Johns-wort and such like Many such Oyntments may be made but the two former Oyntments are sufficient to cure any Wound This way of making Oyntments is commonly used and was used by the Ancient Physicians But now I will give you a more excellent way of making Oyntments first found out and used by my self Take Comfrey Birth-wort Adders tongue maâ—sh Buglosse all of them or which of them you will take them green with their Roots then pour so much wine upon them as the wine may be above them then take two pots which are of the same bigness put your Herbs and the wine in the one pot and over this pot set your other pot mouth to mouth lay clay about the mouthes of your pots that no vapour can come out and set them over a slow fire ten hours then take them out strain and presse all the liquor well out of the Herbs to this liquor put some honey or fresh butter and boyl it again to a consistence and then you have an Oyntment which you may trust to in the most difficult Cures There is yet another way to make Oyntments with Rosins thus Take the Rosin of the Larch-tree or Pine Rosin one pound make it into powder and mix it with the whites of twenty eggs and beat them well together then add to them the powder of the roots of great Comfrey half an ounce the powder of round Birth-wort one ounce of barley meal six drams Mix them all well together and then you have a very good Oyntment for any Wound Another Take of the Rosin of the Fir-tree or common Rosin one pound melt it with some of the marrow of a Calf then put to them so much of the powder of the root of Great Comfrey as you shall see fit and mix them wel together in a warm mortar CHAP. III. Oyls and Balsoms for Wounds TAke of Sallet oyl or Turpentine one pound of Camomile red Roses and Self-heal of each one handfull of the flowers of St. Johns wort two handfull of the flowers of Centory and the flowers of Celendine of each half an handfull Mix them well with the Oyle of Turpentine put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two
circulatory Vessel which must be set in Balneo Maria the space of a Moneth then you will finde the Tincture of the Gold mixed with the Spirit of Wine and the Gold powder in the bottom white as silver take out this powder when it is melted it is like Silver separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture in Balneo Mariae you shall have the gold Tincture in the bottom of this distilling Vessel This Tincture you must put in a Circulatory Vessel and circulate it alone some time The Tincture of Red Coralâ— The Tincture of red Corals which is the purest part of the Corals containing all the red colour of the Corals in it It hath such a secret faculty in purging the Blood that he who knoweth the right use of it hath a great secret for the preventing and curing of the Leprosie it will not suffer any Ulcer to breed in the body and it purgeth all the Blood in the Veins most excellently Let the Physician remember this that he should extract Tinctures out of such things which excel in colour for they have the greatest vertue for cleansing the Blood In extracting the Tincture of Corals you must proceed in the same maner as you extract the Tincture of Gold and when you have drawn off the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture then you must distil the Tincture alone sixteen times in the open fire And lastly you must distil it in Balneo Mariae six times that the Tincture may be well purged from all impurities When you use this Tincture take a scruple of it in a dram of Treacle water The Treacle water is made thus Take of the Spirit of Wine five ounces of good Treacle two ounces and a half of red Roman Myrrhe one ounce and two drams of Oriental Saffron two drams put them altogether in a distilling Vessel and distil them The Tincture of the Corals being taken with this water will throughly cure all Fistula's Cancers c. or any Ulcer whatsoever The Tincture of Balsom It falleth out oft-times that Ulcers which have continued a long time or have been badly cured they come to be of the nature of a Leprosie so that they cannot be helped by any Medicine because of their great putrifaction in such a case onely the Tincture of Balsom can do good which onely can cure such kinde of Ulcers and it is the best for all eating of Ulcers The Tincture is extracted thus Take of Balsom an ounce and a half of the Spirit of Wine one pound and a half and two ounces put them into a circulatory Vessel and circulate them the space of a Moneth then put them in a distilling Vessel and distil them Take that which you have distilled and mix with it another half ounce of Balsom and circulate them together some time distil them again then adde another half ounce of Balsom to that which you have distilled and thus you must do four times This Tincture of Balsom hath such a piercing faculty that there is not any part of the body but it will search into it there is not any disease or corruption of the body but it will cure it The Tincture of Antimony Antimony destroyeth all other Metals except Gold It purgeth Gold perfectly and taketh away all its Impurities after the same maner it purgeth the body of man and consumeth all impurities and corruptions in the body being rightly prepared therefore the greatest Chymists and Physicians have labored much in Antimony but in vain before our times and now by my industry it is rightly and fully prepared The Tincture is extracted thus Take Antimony made into fine powder put it in a close Reverberatory the space of a Moneth until it become volatile and it will be first white then clay-coloured then red and at last Purple-coloured then take it out and put it in the Spirit of Wâ—ne so much as it be twenty fingers breadth above the Antimony circulate them together the space of a monâ—th then separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture and so you have the precious Tincture of Antimony The Philosophers Salt The Philosophers salt Take of the Salt of Gold the salt of Antimony the salt of Balm of each half an ounce of common salt eight ounces make them into a powder and mix them together The Patient must take a little of these Salts strowed upon a piece of tosted bread every morning Another Take of the Salt of Germander the Salt of Succory the salt of Valerian of each one ounce of the salt of Wormwood two drams of the salt of Coperas one dram of common salt one pound make them into a powder and mix them These Salts the Patient may take with his meat and howbeit the operation of these salts is not so quick as the operation of the Tinctures yet they will undoubtedly root out any Ulcer in the Body whether Cancer Fistula c. The Use of the Tinctures The use of the Tincture of gold Take a dram of this Tincture of Gold and mix it with an ounce of the best Treacle of this mixture let the Patient take one scruple fasting then keep himself warm in his bed till he sweat this will drive out the hurtful humors of the body at the Ulcer by sweating and otherwise so as you may plainly see the operation of this Tincture in the Ulcer it self And when the Ulcer grows dry so that no more humor cometh out of the Ulcer which useth to be at the tenth or twelfth day then you may easily perfect the cure if you keep at the Ulcer a stictick Plaister The use of the Tincture of Corals Take of the Tincture of Corals one ounce and a half and mix it with ten ounces of the water of Germander or the water of Succory Let the Patient take two drams of this mixture five hours before dinner or five hours after Supper the space of six or seven days in the mean time he must use meats of easie digestion and he must drink very little he must take no other drink but the water of Succory or the water of Fumitory so long as he takes of the Tincture And when the humor hath flowed abundantly out of the Ulcer and the Ulcer dryeth and hath no pain then the patient must take no more of the Tincture The use of the Tincture of Balsom The Patient may take the Tincture of Balsom alone five grains of it at a time or he may take it in good old white Wine twice a day after meat and continue it so until the Ulcer be quite dryed up Apply outwardly upon the Ulcer some ordinary stictick Plaister until the cure be perfected The use of the Tincture of Antimony In Vintage time take new Wine and put half an ounce of the Tincture of Antimony to twenty quarts of it and when the Wine is well setled then use it Let the Patient drink of this and no other the space of a moneth and he shall finde wonderful vertue in this drink
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
Spirit of wine being separated from that Oyl there will remain the essence of the Root sweet without any addition This Essence doth much differ from that way which was used by the Physicians in ancient times for this Essence doth not purge out a great deal of humours but rather the Epileptick body it self i. e. the humour wherein the Disease or poyson of the Disease chiefly lurks which is the root of the Disease Therefore this Essence is a safer and more effectual purge and a more certain cure then that which was used in former times against this Disease Now this Essence will be more effectual against this disease if you join with it in the Spirit of wine the Misteto of Oak and Pellitorie and the seeds of Pionie that the medicinal spirit of these three may be mixed with the Essence of the Black Hellebore and so to be given to the sick person so much of it at a time as the skilful Physician shall think fit This disease must be driven out slowly and by degrees considering the Nature of the sick person of the Disease and of the Countrey where they live c. Addit The Root is to be pull'd out of the earth in the decrease of the Moon the Moon being in the Signe of Libra which Signe is most agreeable to the Falling-sicknesse upon the Friday or in an hour of Venus and it must be dryed in the shade with a dry North wind It was the custome of the Antients to use the Herbs as they are pulld out of the earth without any addition but my way of using this Root is thus Let the Patient who is troubled with the Falling-sicknesse be purged three dayes before the fit comes upon him if it can be done giving him for a purge two drams of the powder of this Root to young people in milk to old people in wine Another Preparation of the Leaves and Root of Hellebore It s certain that the vertue of this herb is great and admirable not much differing from a Balsome He which can bring out the Balsome which lurks in this herb hath a most precious treasure of Nature The way to make of this herb a Balsome is thus This herb must be putrified in its own water being placed in warm dung the glass being close stop'd afterwards the water must be separated from that which is putrified and the putrified matter must be separated from the grounds the grounds must be kept by themselves then you have the Balsome with two degrees of moistnesse and twenty two degrees of putrifaction The dose of that which is putrified according to degrees and of the water according to the quantity is to be considered in the administration of it according to the first proceeding This Balsome may be more exalted in its essence if the aforesaid work be done again by adding to this water and putrified matter new or fresh Hellebore and if it be dry especially the Root it s so much the better The Root is thus corrected Take of this Root cut in large slices two ounces of flesh a quarter of a pound cut very small of the water of Nutmeg one ounce of the water of large Pepper one dram put these together in a pot very well stopt and put your pot in boyling water three or four hours then take out your pot and pour out the liquor which you shall keep for your use then throw away the flesh and the herb Of this liquor you are to give so much as the disease the sick person and necessity requires Another Addition You have already heard that this Root cures four principall diseases and that it is a conservative of long life But now I will shew you how Hellebore can do greater Cures then any I have yet mentioned Take of this Balsome of black Hellebore one ounce of naturall Balsome half a scruple let them be so exactly mixed that there appear but only one and not two For Balsom and Hellebore are of the same nature in respect of Conservation Natural Balsom is such a Medicine which preserves us from all the infections of the Stars from the Plurisie and from the Pestilence Now we should provide Remedies not onely against our earthly infirmities and diseases but also against those diseases which come from the celestiall influences And against such diseases there is no Medicine more powerfull then Balsome If the Falling-Sicknesse could be cured by purging then this Root were a sufficient remedie Some Herbs are fit purges for the Falling Sicknesse other herbs for the Jaundies c. Every disease requires its own purge which is agreeable to it yet a Purgation is not a full Cure we must do something else to perfect the Cure therefore when the Patient is purged so as he should be then follows the Cure of the Falling Sickness which consists in the Secret or Arcanum of the Essence of Coperas By this method both old and young may be cured Neverthelesse the Physician must observe that this order of Purgations and Essences is not to be learned by the Apothecaries Art but by the natures of things which do teach us both the way how the Medicine is to be given and how much is to be given CHAP. III. The Cure of the Gout with black Hellebore THere are two kinds of Gout one kind of it comes of bloud the other comes of defluxions from the head In the Bloud-Gout the bloud doth rage and by Astronomie it appears that the bloud Gout is enraged by the influence of the Dog-stars as in another place I have fully proved Now Hellebore cannot help this kinde of Gout but it is good for that Gout which comes of saltish sowr sharp corrosive defluxions These qualities of the defluxions are the cause of the Gout and not heat or cold or moistnesse or drynesse but if the diseased person be much troubled with great heat or great coldnesse in his joynts it is by reason of the contention betwixt nature and the disease betwixt that which is sound and that which is diseased The Antient appâ—oved Physicians gave Hellebore to those who were troubled with such defluxions and with it purged them For this Root is the best of all purging Medicines which were known to the Ancients both for preventing Defluxions and for expelling them out of the body This Purge was made by the Ancients not according to the Rules of the Physicians of later times but it was judiciously without curiosity prepared They regarded not such Medicines which were made up of Syrups c. and such other vaine additions They gave this root alone without any addition to the patient a little of it every day and not all at one time For Purgations must be given moderately in long Diseases purging rather often and gently then violently This Root of elder Hellebore thus prepared and given every day as the Patient and Disease requires doth so cure defluxions by its natural vertue that no Root or Herb can do he like As
the body which is of the nature of haire or of a veine or of a bone or of a gristle it is taken away by this distil'd Turpentine adding to it such other medicines which are proper to such diseases and observing their quantities when you mix them As for the knotty Gout take this distil'd Turpentine with the essence of Mummy Having spoken concerning this Turpentine balsome so much as is known to me by experience I will therefore now make an end of this discourse hoping that these experiences of Turpentine discovered by me shall be found by others to be true to their great comfort But I must not forget to tell you of one thing that if this destill'd Turpentine be drop'd into the wounds of veins it preserves the veins from all inconveniencies Thâ—s distill'd Turpentine likewise asswageth the pains of the Gout If Turpentine be a little time set over the fire when it is cold it becomes hard like glass take this glasse and dissolve it with Amber and distill it in the right way and it will be a most subtle and excellent Varnish if you lay it upon any thing and dry it speedily if you mix the powder of tiles with this glass over the fire you may therewith make most firm and closs floors where you may keep a great quantity of quick-silver without decay c. I will now shew you the way how the Balsome is to be separated from the Turpentine When you have gathered the Turpentine from the tree in the right time i. e. in the time of the Balsome influence as it hath been before declared the same hour when it is taken from the tree you must put it in your vessell which must stand in warm dung one half of the vessell being within the dung fill your vessell with Turpentine and so let it stand in the dung some time and there it will purge out its impurities When it s purified enough you will find that it hath divided it self into two parts the upper part of it will be clear but that which is under is not so clear pour it out as it is heated by the heat of the dung into another vessel which is already placed in the first degree of heat Here you must take notice that this first degree of heat is the first of those twelve degrees which are in heat and in this first degree of heat it must stanâ— sixty hours and digest and here it will divide it self again into two parts the upper part will be very clear and perspicuous this is the Balsom so much of it as is thus clear but the under part which is not so clear is the pure Turpentine These two viz. the Turpentine and the Balsome are separated the one from the other as the iron from steel In this Balsom lurks many admirable Secrets more then I can finde out in my life time but doubtlesse the rest of its Vertues may be found out by experience if Physicians were as desirous and carefull how to cure diseases as they are to fill their purses or if they were constrained by the Magistrate to be such as they professe themselves to be Now if every Trades-man ought to have skill and experience in that Trade which he professeth much more ought the Physician to have great skill and experience in so weighty a business as the health and life of man CHAP. I. The preparations and vertues of Ebony wood WEE have three sorts of medicines out of Ebony viz. a liquor a Gum and a Salt the liquor is like the juice of Sloes the Gumme is like that balsome which is got from the Larch-tree the Salt is like that Salt which the Apothecaries call sal gemmae the liquor is the portion the Gum is the unguent the salt is the purgative which purgeth and cleanseth The liquor must be extracted out of the wood by close distillation as the oyl of Nutmeg is extracted out of the Nutmeg one pound and a half of this liquor is more efficacious then an hundred pound of that liquor in which the wood only hath been boiled When we have got out the liquor then we must extract the Gumme out of the wood thus put the Ebony-wood in a close reverbatory in the second degree of fire the space of twenty four hours then you shall see the Gumme come out clammy and sticking to your fingers like liquid Styrax of a savory delightsome savour one pound and six ounces of this Gumme is better and more efficacious then two hundred pound weight of that liquor in which the wood only is boyl'd Lastly the Salt of it is made thus you must burn the wood to ashes for ashes is the mine of salt then pour the water of Fumitory upon these ashes and this will bring the salt out of the ashes then congeale the salt according to the usual way and you shall have a salt almost like these salts called Salt Entalls or Salt Anatron one pound and five drams of this Salt is better then fifty pound weight of that liquor which is made after the common way which is only the boyling the wood in water or some other liquor With this Salt you may make an excellent purge thus take of this Salt a half scruple of Alexandrine Treacle two drams mix them together of this give at a time the quantity of a halfe scruple and this is to be given not only once or twice but three or four times or oftner as the disease requires There is such a vertue in this salt to purge the Gout the Palsie and those humours which are breaking out as no other medicine whatsoever whether it be purgative or laxative or expulsive For this Salt is to such diseases as fire to water If you would use this Salt in any Cure to be done by Chirurgery you must proceed thus If the sore be open you must first cleanse it by the Salt then you must annoint it with the gumm twice every day till the cure be perfected and the sore place well skinned If there be a great pain in any part of the body and there is nothing to be seen then annoint the place with this gumm By it also may be cured the Gout the Palsie the French Pox c. But remember that if you do otherwise then I have told you then you will lose your time and paiâ— with the Empericks A short and speedy way of curing a Rupture by this Medicine That Proverb viz. The Cow draws the Chariot when we signifie any thing to be done absurdly and preposterously may be well applyed to the common way of curing Ruptures Now what is more absurd or more unreasonable then to leave a Cure to the Surgeon which belongs to the Doctor as here to bring a Rupture from its own natural and most easie way of cure to come under the horrible tools of the Surgeon and as if it were an incurable Tumor to use the most difficult way of curing And seeing we thus change certainties
for incertainties what other can we expect but that God and Nature may deny us their assistance But to leave this and to come to shew the most easie and readiest way of curing a Rupture without help of the hand by this Medicine thus Take of the liquor of Ebony wood two ounces of the liquor of Usifur one ounce of Incense and of Mace of each half a drachm of Turpentine two drachms of Harts grease so much as you need to make it up into an Oyntment with this you shall annoynt the place of the Rupture twice every day the space of 3 weeks or a month the patient lying upon his back this time thus every Rupture may be cured if the place of the Rupture be not putrified CHAP. II. The Vertues of Mummy THis Mummy you may have at the Drugsters or Apothecaries which is a singular Medicine For whereas many have been very industrious in trying experiments and compounded receipts to find out some medicine whereby they might bring poyson wholly out of the body but their endeavours have been without successe for amongst all experiments and receipts onely Mummy is the readiest and most certain remedy against all kinds of poyson You may preserve Mummy thus put your Mummy in Salâ—et oyl in a glass close stopt set your glasse in warm dung a month that your Mummy may putrifie in the oyl then seperate the oyl from the grounds by the distilling vessel call'd a Retort then take this oyl which you have distill'd from the grounds and to one pound of it adde one dramme of Alexandrine Musk and six ounces of Alexandrine Treacle and when you have mixt them all together put them in a Circulatory vessel and set your vessel in Balneo Mariae that is in boyling water and so it must be kept in warm water a month and then you have the Treacle of Mummy or rather the balsome of Mummy Of this balsome of Mummy you may give one ounce in the oyle of Almonds to be drunk by the persons who are infected with poyson who must bee kept warme in their beds that the Medicine may do its work the better You need not feare that any poison whither of beasts or poyson of minerals or of herbs can doe you harme if you take this treacle of Mummy and such is the efficacy of it that if you take this Treacle of Mummy before you receive the poyson then the poyson cannot doe you any harm and if in the morning you take but one dramme of it then you may be sure that you cannot be infected with any poison that day And likewise if you give one drachm of this treakle of Mummie to any person who hath a Plurisie Plague Carbuncle or any venemous Aposteme if they live six hours after they have taken this treacle of Mummie they may be assured of their recovery and then these six hours being expired take another drachm of this treakle of Mummie and so continue to take of it till you be cured There are also very many other diseases which may be throughly cured by this Treakle of Mummie TREATISE VII Of the Secrets and wonderfull Medicinall Vertues of VERMINE CHAP. I. The Medicinal vertues of Serpents ALthough I never purposed to write concerning these nor have I ever spoken any thing of them in my other Books yet I think it profitable and necessary that I should make a new plantation not onely of Physick but also of other Sciences and Secrets of Nature which are buried in forgetfulnesse and by the ignorant are contemned and evill spoken of which certainly is a punishment from God upon us because wee will not acknowledg the great mysteries and gifts of God to be divine therefore God is angry with us and is provoked to take from us again those gifts and secrets and to give them to others who will receive them with greater thankfulnesse and not slight them as we do I will first treat of Serpents and shew you the benefits which we may have by the several parts of the Serpent and first of the Tongue of it which hath a wonderful power and many do carry it about them as a holy thing to defend them against weapons and all enemies present or absent this also hath made many victorious and successful not only in battails and duels but also in other business by this lovers have gained the affections of them whom they loved which I do not speak of that we should do the like but that we may know how great the power and operations of nature are yet it cannot be denied but that our imagination and believing may much encrease or diminish the power of such things accordingly as they are used Some who have been troubled with an inward imposthume near the heart have laid the tongue of the Adder or Serpent upon their brest over against their heart which hath so powerfully drawn out the poison of the imposthume that it hath stuck upon their brest in drops then these drops being wiped away and the Adders tongue again laid upon the place which was done thus so often until there appeared no more drops upon their breast and so the patient was cured The same use may be made of Toads as I have shewed in some other of my writings thrust a stick through the head of the Toad and set the stick upright in the ground that the Toad may dry upon the top of the stick when it is well dried then wrap it in a linnen cloth lay it so upon the imposthume or part diseased there leave it til it hath drawn out all the poyson or if you will you may apply the Toad to the place without a cloth about it and it hath the same effect And as the patient and the disease requires so the Toad must be the oftner applied till the Toad swells no more for when it swels no more it is a signe that all the poyson is drawn out and that the patient is recovering Howbeit this creature strikes a terrour into every one who sees it neer them even by their looking upon it they are stricken with horrour yet it is not therefore to be rejected but it is to be esteemed of and to be used as a great Secret of Nature I could wish that this Remedy were preferred more then it hath been hitherto to all other attractive maturative or corrosive Medicines CHAP. II. The medicinal vertues of Serpents THere be many other effects of the Adders tongue then those already mentioned which would be tedious to rehearse But where I treat of Magick Cures there I speak largely not only of this but also of many other excellent natural Vertues and naturall Things Those who lived in former times carried about them many Sigils which did wonderfull things for by them they could cure such difficult diseases for which we cannot readily find any remedy in the earth and only by carrying these Sigils about them they did partake of their Vertues whereby they were safe
the flowers of S. Johns-wort three handful of the roots of Swallow-wort half a handful of good new Sallet oyl two pound of Turpentine one pound of good Claret wine two quarts and a pint boyl them all together in the Wine seven hours in a pot close stopt over a slow fire and when they are cooled put them in a glass well stopt and set them in the Sun for some time then take them out and strain them through a cloth and press the liquor well out which keep for your use It is an incomparable liquor for dissolving congealed blood in the joynts you must annoint the place where this congealed blood is with this Liquor morning and evening Observe If this congealed blood within the body be not timously dissolved and brought out it will cause inflâ—mmations putrefactions c. and at last dangerous Ulcers will follow CHAP. VIII The cure of Fractures or broken bones IF the bone is broken without any wound in the flesh then we have no more to do but to set the bone right and to apply such Medicines which will joyn the bone together again but if besides the fracture of the bone there is also a wound in the flesh then we must joyn wound oyls and wound-plaisters before described with fracture Medicines We must be careful to binde up the Fracture twice every day whether it hath a wound joyned with it or not and that the bone be not moved out of its right place for if this be neglected there will follow many evils upon it viz. Inflammation and Putrefaction in the place a Gangrene c. and oft-times death if the fracture be dangerous either in respect of the place where it is or c. And therefore me must not delay the binding up of the fracture to the second â—â— third day as Chyrurgions commonly do If we would prevent these distempers which will cause Fistula's deep and stinking Ulcers howbeit some may be so neglected and yet be cured yet certainly my way is safer and better and by it we prevent many evils which otherwise may follow I likewise advise you not to uâ—e splents which are commonly used by the Chyrurgions in binding up fractures for these Reasons First because we cannot use splents without moving the bone out of its right place Secondly because splents require strong binding which of necessity must cause inflammation in the place Thirdly because oft-times it falls out that a swelling caused by inflammation over night may be lessened before morning so the binding slacks and the Bone turns out of its right place Now to come to the cure If you carefully observe to do as hath been said it will be no hard matter to cure a fracture especially in those who are yong the root of great Comfrey alone bruised and boiled in Wâ—ne and applyed to the fracture will cure it or Birth-wort or Snake-weed c. The herb Flixweed if it be bruised and laid to the fracture or if it be boiled in Wâ—â—e and laid to the fracture it will cure it You may also cure fractures with the wound-oyles Oyntments and Plaisters described before Nature it self doth much having a little help There are two things which must be carefully done in the cure of fractures First If there be any congealed blood within it must be dissolved and brought out Secondly If there be a wound with the fracture then after we have set the bone right we must begin with the cure of the wound and afterwards cure the fracture The swelling inflammation and pain which accompany Fractures if not timously helped may cause putrifaction and Ulcers they may be taken away by the oyl of St. Johns wort or the oyl of the flowers of Mullein or some of the wound-oyles described in the third Chapter But if by the mis-skilfulness or negligence of the Chyrurgion there is a Fistula or some other dangerous Ulcer bred in the place of the Fracture then there is no other way but to cut off the part infected CHAP. IX The cure of those who are bitten by a mad Dog Viper or any other Venemous Creature THose who are bitten by a mad Dog must abstain from all heating things as Wine Spices c. they must drink much cold water so as to cast it up again all their drink must be cooling as Cydar c. and sharp things Let them feed much upon Coleworts and cooling things and eat so much at a time as to cast it up again Let them drink cold Whay in which there is Seny and Roses boiled and put into it some Benedicta Laxativa If they begin to be Feaverish and mad give them in their drink some Rose-vinegar with some of the conserve of Roses dissolved in it and some of the juice of Barberries and a great deal of Sallet-oyl They must be well purged upward and downward by these Medicines which purge cholar as Rheubarb Coloquintida Agarick the juice of the Bark of Elder and Spurge c. and there must be laid to the place bitten some Medicine to take away the pain as the oyl of Mandrake or Sperniolum which is thus Take Frog-Spawn Parmacity Chervil Juniper-berries of each alike put them in a glass and let them stand in the Sun for some time and if this Sperniolum be applyed to the place bitten it will take away the pain and raging of it and when the pain is gone then apply a stictick plaister until the cure be done but if the Patient be so much infected that none of these Medicines will do him good then you must give him Brimstone prepared by Coperas The way of it I have set down in my Treatise of Brimstone For those who are bitten or stung by a Serpent Newt Viper Toad c. you must give them inwardly these Medicins which will defend and strengthen the heart stomack and other principal paâ—ts and you must apply outwardly to the place bitten or stung these Medicines which will bring out the Poyson Inflammation and Pain The Medicine to be taken inwardly Take of Mithridate two ounces of the best Treacle one ounce of red Corals made into powder one ounce and a half give so much of it at a time as necessity requireth If this do no good you must give them Diaphoretick gold or the quintessence of pearls these are infallible remedies The Medicine to be applyed outwardly to the place bitten Take a stictick plaister made of Lethargire and Mummy of each a quarter of a pound of the gums Ammoniacum Bdellium Galbanum Oppopanax of each two ounces make them
body You must with a Syringe squirt into the wound Rose vinegar mixed with the juice of Nightshade or the juice of Water-lilies or the juice of Housleek or Frog-spawn but the best of all is the juice of a Cancers toes mixed with the vinegar squirt this into the wound until the heat is allayed afterwards cure the wound with Wound-oyls or Wound-balsomes described before in the third Chapter Observ If this burning go to the head or any principal member it is deadly The cure of a member deadned by extraordinary cold Any part which is thus deadned it cannot be recovered again but it becomes Leprous and it rotteth and therefore we must not seek to cure it but to take it away from the sound part that the sound part be not infected by it which may be done by this Medicine Take of long Pepper and Ginny grains and Cardamome of each an ounce of Ephorbium two ounces of Mastick an ounce and a half beat them into powder and boyl them in two quarts and a pint of childes urine or the urine of a red-haird man until one pint be boiled away Then strain the Liquor through a cloth and dip a linnen cloth in it which you must lay upon the part deadned do this thrice a day until you have separated the deadned part from the sound part and when you have taken away the dead part do the rest of the cure with Wound-oyntments There is a great heating-faculty in this Liquor for if any part of the body be wet wi h a little of it it s a wonder if that part be cold again that day For those who are almost dead with extraordinary cold give them to drink some strong water in which there is some Saffron Treacle and Camphire dissolved in it or boil some Zinger and sweet Reed in Wine and give it them to drink A Treatise of Vlcers SECTION I. Describing the kindes of Ulcers and their several Cures CHAP. I. IF the Patient complain of an Ulcer or Ulcers which began thus viz. He was first troubled with a chilness and after the chilness came a great heat and so at several times and in the part Ulcerated appeared first a great redness sometimes in one place and sometimes in another place at last this redness setled with an Inflammation and hardness in this place where now the Ulcer is This you shall call a tempestuous Ulcer Cure In the curing of this Ulcer observe this method When first the coldness or chilness comes which is not unlike a Pestilential chilness do not meddle with it until the heat come and you see in what place the Inflammation and swelling settles then if you would prevent it that it break not out into an Ulcer or running Sore apply to it this following Receipt Take of red Myrrhe half an ounce and of the whitest Incense half an ounce make them into a fine powder and put the Myrrhe into one bag and the Incense into another bag and boil them in a pint of the best white Wine and half a pint of good vinegar then dip pieces of linnen cloth into this Liquor and lay them upon the part inflamed till the inflammation be quite gone But if the swelling is turned into an Ulcer then you must first take out all the heat with the former remedy afterwards if the Ulcer is sowl cleanse it with this following Receipt Take of Allum burned and quenched in Vineger one ounce and a half of Aloehepatick one ounce make them into a powder and mix them with five ounces of honey Make a Plaister this plaister must be applyed to the Ulcer morning and evening till it be well cleansed but if it be an old Ulcer put into the plaister some burned Coperas when the Ulcer is sufficiently cleansed and fit to be cloased up then apply to it this stictick plaister Take of golden Lithargirie one pound boil it with a good quantity of varnish a long time to which adde Virgin wax and Sallet oyl of each one pound and so make a Cerote then take the Gum Oppoponax a quarter of a pound which you shall dissolve in Vinegar when it is dissolved strain the Vinegar and boil it till it begin to be thick To this adde the former Cerote and when they be well mixed together adde to them a quarter of a pound of Turpentine and of Lawrel oyl one ounce with these powders viz. The powder of Mastick of Incense and of Myrrhe of each alike half an ounce of Camphire two drams and when you have mixed them well altogether make them up into a plaister with the oyl of Camomile Take of this stictick Plaister one pound and mix into it half an ounce of burnt Coperas and of Crocus of Steel an ounce and a half and when you have thus made up your plaister apply some of it morning and evening to the Ulcer until it be fully cured And for your preservation that the Ulcer return not again after it is cured you must every year let blood in the great Veins of the legs or ankles yea and in the time of the cure you should let blood in those Veins which come to the Ulcerated place if they appear putrid or Leprous CHAP. II. IF the patient complain of a Sore which continually issueth forth water at a small hole being very hallow within which you may finde by searching it with a quill and if this sore did break out without any redness or inflammation or any great swelling then judge this sore to be a Fistula which of it self will never be well nor dry up it requireth excellent Medicines to cure it Cure In the curing of this Ulcer we must use inward Remedies and outward Remedies viz. Waters Plaisters c. There needs not be any dyet observed A potion for the Fistula Take of Sowbread two handfulls of white Sanicle one handful of middle Consound half a handful boil them in white Wine in a vessel close stopt then strain it and put to it an ounce and a half of the distilled oyl of Cloves and mix them well together Let the Patient drink of this thrice a day and by this drink alone new Fistula's may be perfectly cured but if it be an old Fistula you must use this following Receipt Take of Oleum Laterinum or oyl of Bricks three ounces of Turpentine half a pound of the oyl of Cloves one ounce and a half of Incense of Mastick of Myrrhe of each an ounce and a half of Mummy three ounces distil an Oyl from them with a strong fire the which Oyl you must use thus After you have cleansed the Fistula within then you must put some of this Oyl into it it is cleansed with Wine or saltish Water being squirted into it by a Syringe afterwards the Oyl must be also squirted into it by the Syringe and then lay upon it outwardly the stictick Plaister mentioned in the former Chapter There are also other excellent remedies for a Fistula as the oyl of
Lead the oyl of Quick-silver and Mercury water c. But if the Fistula be in such a place as the eyes or ears c. where you cannot use a Plaister then you must be contented with the Potion and the Oyl neither need you trouble your selves for any other Medicine then what is here set down CHAP. III. IF the Patient complain of an Ulcer which hath a great many deep holes together which at first were small pushes afterwards grew to be big hard lumps then breaks out and at last comes to be large deep holes these holes are dry there comes very little matter out of them Cure We must use such a Medicine for this U cer which can at once both cleanse and fill up these holes but we must not at all meddle with the hard swellings to take them away by ripening Medicines or Corrosive Medicines we must let Nature it self concoct them and dissolve them in the Uâ—cer and then we may apply this Medicine to the Ulcer viz. Take of yolks of eggs three ounces of the oyl of Mercury one dram mix them together apply some of this to the sore once in twelve hours or if you will instead of this you may use the stictick plaister described in the first Chapter This Ulcer may have several shapes and may be in several places of the body viz in the Arms Legs c. yea sometimes it will surround the body like a girdle c. But wheresoever it is or whatsoever shape it hath yet it is to be cured by the foresaid remedy if it was at first hard swellings which afterwards broke out c. CHAP. IV. IF the Patient complain of an Ulcer and say That he never had any pain in that Ulcer Cure For curing this Ulcer you must first cleanse it then fill it up with flesh and lastly close it Cleanse it with this take honey and mix with it some burned Coperas this apply to the Ulcer so often till it hath no stinch or corruption which will be about the sixth day afterwards to fill it up with flesh you must use the stictick plaister but while you do fill it with flesh if it gather corruption then you must use again the former cleansing Medicine till it yields no corruption and then you may proceed again with the stictick plaister till it be fit to be closed up You must close it up with the Crocus of Steel which must be strawed into the sores twice a day But you must wash the sores at the second time when you straw this Crocus upon them with this water viz. Take of Spring-water an ounce of Allum one ounce of common Salt half an ounce which you must dissolve in the water and with this water wash the sores then strow your Crocus upon the sores and so do twice every day until the Ulcer be skinned and throughly whole In the time of the cure the Patient must use a very good diet he must let Blood and he must take the benefit of some good natural Bath CHAP. V. IF the Patient complain that there is abundance of humors gathered together in his legs to a great hard swelling which is full of holes and these holes are soul hallow and eating sores the beginning of them was this A great many small Blisters came out together which grew bigger and then came out into putrid holes Cure In this cure five things are to be done First the Ulcerated part must be kept over the vapour of some Herbs then the swelling must be taken away Thirdly The sores must be cleansed Fourthly They must be filled with flesh And lastly Skinned For the first Take of the Root of Swallow-wort two ounces of Sanicle of Pond-weed and Stone-moss of the Flowers of Elder of each a handful of Camomile Flowers two handfuls of Doves dung three handful of Hens dung half a handful boil them altogether in water and let the Patient keep his leg over the vapour this he must do morning and evening when he renews his Plaister Secondly To take away the swelling Take the flowers of Mullein of St. Johns wort of each two handfuls the Flowers of Elder three handfuls of the Flowers of Camomile two handfuls boyl them in Wine and Vinegar of each alike then pour off the liquor and take the Herbs and lay them warm to the swelling and so keep them at it till the swelling be gone Thirdly To cleanse it Take the unguent of the yolks of Eggs and mix with it some burnt Allum this must be applyed twice a day to the sore till it be well purged from all corruption and filthiness so as the sound flesh appears in the bottom of the sore Fourthly To consolidate the sore or to fill the holes up with flesh Take of the Stictick plaister of Colophony a quarter of a pound of Lithargirium half a pound of clean Rosin an ounce and a half set them over a slow fire and adde to them some Crocus of Steel and so mix them together You may also put to them some burnt Allum this Plaister must be applied to the sores twice a day until they be fill'd up with flesh The Stictick Plaister of Colophony is made thus Take of wax a pound of Colophony and Shoo-makers wax of each a quarter of a pound melt them together and then adde to them gum Ammoniact two ounces of gum Bdelium one ounce of the Load-stone made into a fine powder five ounces of Amber three ounces which being all mixed together make them into plaister with the oyl of eggs and so keep it for your use Fifthly To close it up and skin it Take the burned shells of eggs half an ounce of burnt Allum quenched in vinegar one dram of the Crocus of steel one ounce and a half of Incense Myrrhe Mastick of each half a dram make them into a fine powder and strow this powder upon the sore every day till it be skinned It falls out oft-times that the swelling cannot be taken away by any Medicine if the disease be of continuance and when it is so the Patient must remember to let blood at convenient times CHAP. VI. IF the Patient complain of a swelling in his Leg or Foot with great inflammation stench and corrupt matter which comes from it without eating or consuming the flesh and that formerly he hath had a wound prick or bruise badly cured in this place which may be the cause of this Ulcer Cure First you must cleanse the Ulcer with this following Receipt Take the green fruit of the Fir-tree gathered in May when they are full of moysture thirty of them boil them in water until you have boiled all the Rosin out of them then take them out and the Rosin which is yet in them press it out of them into the water throw them away and take the water with the Rosin and boil it again till the water be consumed then take out the Rosin and make of it an Ointment with the yolks of eggs adding to it
down to the soar then we must mortifie the Soar Lastly we must consolidate it or fill it up with flesh The defensive Take of salt Anatron one ounce of an Anodine half an ounce make them into an Oyntment with the Oyl of Spike The Anodyne is made thus Take of Frog-spawn and of the juice of Nightshade of each an ounce of Varnish half an ounce mix them together Then apply to the soar this mortifying Medicine viz. Take Parmacity Frog-spawn of Chervâ—l of Juniper Berries of each alike let them stand in the Sun some time then use them This must be applyed once a day the space of three weeks afterwards wash the soar oft-times with the water of Oak leaves or Salt-water By this Medicine the soar is mortifyed and the pain is taken away and now you must apply the Oppodeltoch Plaister or Stictick Plaister described in the Treatise of Wounds in the first Chapter until the cure be perfected V. A Fistula is an Ulcer which hath one or more small holes outwardly but within it is hollow and deep it useth to be near the joynts or places of evacuation or where som wound thrust or bruise c. hath been badly cured This Soar issueth forth a water or froth at the small holes and purgeth twelve hours this kinde of soar is not painful If it be not cured by Medicines it will never be well of it self yet it doth not cause death but continueth still the same so long as the Patient liveth Cure First let the Patient take this Potion Take of the water of Sow-bread and of the water of the leaves of small Sea-Buck-horn of the water of middle Consound of each four ounces mix them and take four ounces of this at a draught morning and evening until the cure be done Another Potion Take of the water of Harts-horn one pound of Centory golden Consound Feverfew of each six ounces of Rheubarb choice Manna Parmacity of each an ounce Mix them well and of this mixture take one spoonful every Morning and after it take three spoonfuls of Wine By this Potion the Fistula shall be cleansed inwardly yea this Potion alone will cure it that you need not apply any Medicine outwardly to the Soar yet you may apply this following Plaister Take of these four Gums viz. Oppoponax Bdelium Ammoniacum Galbanum of each two ounces of Wax six ounces melt them together and adde to them three ounces of Turpentine Make a Plaister VI. When there is a firm hard tumor which lyeth amongst the Muscles and hath a burning heat which strikes into the bone and it breeds many hard knotty lumps within the flesh it s never changed into an Ulcer neither doth it consume the flesh but continueth in one maner thirty or forty years yea so long as the Patient liveth But if the Patient falleth into some accute disease or shall have a Carbuncle then the Wolf becomes deadly Cure First you must use cooling Medicines then Mucilaginous Medicines to dissolve the hard knotty lumps then apply the Plaister Oppodeltoch To cool it you may use the Anodyne or mortifying Medicine before described in the cure of Herysipelas The Mucilaginous Medicine Take the liquor of Mummy of Mastick and Camphire of each half an ounce the Mucilage of Fenugreek the Mucilage of Flea-wort and the Mucilage of Quinces of each alike so much as you think fit to make the Plaister this Plaister you may use in stead of the Oppodeltoch Plaister There are also other remedies whereby the Wolf may be cured as these following Take of Crystaline Realgare one ounce of burning oyl two ounces of white lead two drams make an Ointment with this anoint round the Wolf but not upon it once in twelve hours do so six or eight days then leave and that about which you anointed will fall off Afterwards you must wash the place evening and morning with this following water viz. Rose water the water of Fish-spawn of each six ounces the water of Feverfew five ounces mix them Then apply this Plaister viz. Take of Lin-seed oyl half a pound of viride aeâ—is and wax of each a quarter of a pound of Bdelium two ounces make a Plaister VII The Malum mortuum or dead evil beginneth at the feet and goeth upward it maketh the skin to be without feeling And at last It comes to be a running soar and so continueth twenty years afterwards it turns to a Leprosie Cure We must begin the cure with a Cautery to take away the dead skin then we must annoint the place where this evil hath spread it self the space of three moneths with the oyl of Pepper The Cautery is made thus Take of Brimstone four ounces melt it put to it three ounces of Frankincense and of Rosin seven ounces the oyl of Colophonia the oyl of Amber of each four ounces set them over the fire that they may mix together and with this being warm anoint the place twelve times in a day and in three days the dead skin will break and come off VIII When certain spots appear in the skin sometimes removing from place to place sometimes they are fixed in one place some are of a reddish colour some of a clay colour sometimes they are of a yellow colour At last It spreadeth it self over the whole body and breaks out into small blisters which grow hard and crusty then they chop and at last they turn to Ulcers Cure First The Blood must be purged then we must use the Cautery described before in the cure of the Malum Mortuum Lastly the cure must be perfected with Plantain The Medicine to purge the Blood Take the juice of Succory the juice of Germander of each one pound of the juice of Maidenhair half a pound of Manna two ounces of the true Spirit of Coperas described in the Treatise of Coperas one dram Mix them and distil an oyl from them of this oyl take at a time in a draught of Wine one or two or three drams as the Physician shall appoint IX When the face is first of a yellow colour then turns to be of a red colour and every day grows more and more red without Pimples or Itch so that both skin and flesh come to be of a Scarlet colour At last the skin and flesh do putrifie with a sharp smart humor Cure Take the whites of ten boiled Eggs and of the burned shels of Eggs six ounces distil a water from them then take Silver Tin Lead Copper beaten into very thin leaves of each one dram the leaves of Gold Silver Marchasite and Gold Marchasite of each two drams put them in a Glass and set the Glass in warm dung a moneth then distil an oyl from them with this oyl anoint the place X. When the face hath had a very red colour or hath had the guâ—ta râ—sacea and changeth from that to another colour viz. a blackish or lead colour with a little swelling and breaks out into waterish Blisters and Wens At last
wort three ounces of Myrrhe half an ounce of Mummy two ounces make them into a powder and mix them with so much of the oyl of Roses as is sufficient to make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar Pitch hot Oyls Birth-wort Viride aris Arsnick salt Armoniack precipitated Mercury Orpment burnt Allum or any drawing herb XXVIII Swelling of the Veins If a Vein be swelled and this Vein breaks into stinking holes with a putrifaction of the skin and flesh this is a hollow Ulcer At last If not cured it turns to a Saint Antonies fire Cure We must not cure this Aposthume in the same maner as hath been said before in the cure of the swelling of a Vein viz. You must open a Vein c. and when you open the Vein apply this following Plaister Take of Lithargire and red Lead of each half a pound of Sallet Oyl one pound of Wax half a pound adde to them these powders viz. of Orange-skins of Celandine round Birth-wort of each three ounces being all mixed together make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar any Corrosive Water or Canteries or drawing Medicines made of Gums for if they be used they will change it to a St. Anthonys Fire XXIX If in men there be Pustules betwixt the shoulders or in the breasts of Women which become hard like Warts they come from the stopping of the Haemorrhoides in men and from the stopping of the Monethly courses in women they grow big sometimes within the skin sometimes without the skin accordingly as the humor floweth to them At last they break out into a running soar which draweth to it the substance of the Body and continueth during life-time Cure First If it be in a man you must bring out the Piles if it be in a Woman you must bring down their courses then you must proceed in the rest of the cure the same way as in Noli me Tangere A Medicine to bring down the Monethly courses in women Take the Liquor of Penny-Royal and of Mugwort of each three ounces of the corrected Spirit of Wine seven ounces the liquor of the milt of an Ox one ounce mix them and take half an ounce of them in a draught of Wine or Beer every morning and evening You may adde to this Composition some Saven-water and some of the oyl made of the grains of Saven A Medicine to bring out the Haemorrhoides Take of clean gum Sagapenum half an ounce of Bdelium and Mastick of each one ounce make them into a Plaister which you must apply to the place of the Haemorrhoides XXX When there is in any place a great pain with redness and a burning heat and afterwards a swelling which breaks into holes and about these holes are small yellow risings shining and burning and it continueth so three or six years but when there is a burning heat with yellow risings and afterwards they turn to a blew or lead colour this shews it to be a most vehement inflammation A Caveat Beware of such Medicines which drive the humor inwards and beware of the Guaick-wood and all such Oyntments and Suffumigations which are used for the Pox. Cure I will first shew you how to cure it when it is beginning before it come to be an Ulcer then I will shew you how to cure it when it is an old Soar when it hath continued twenty years For the first cure Take of Frog-spawn half a pound of Camphire three ounces of Myrrhe and Frankincense of each an ounce put them in a Glass close stopt and set them in the Sun until they turn to be a Liquor in this Liquor dip a linnen cloth which you shall apply to the part pained And when the cloth is dry dip it again in the said Liquor and apply it and do thus so often until the pain be gone For the second cure Take of Turpentine two pounds set it over the fire and boil it a little take it off and let it cool and it will be hard and brittle as glass then take of Oppopanax half a pound dissolve it in a quart of Vinegar then strain the vinegar through a cloth and boil it until it be consumed and onely the Oppopanax remains to which you must adde the Turpentine which you have hardened being beat into powder and three ounces of the red powder of burned Coperas then take so much honey as is necessary to make a Plaister boil it and skim it and mix it with the rest of your Ingredients and so make them into a Plaister which you shall apply to an old Saint Anthonies Fire XXXI When below the Brest there is circle round the body of reddish colour which afterward breaks out into yellow risings and these in a long time after turn to holes with redness burning and pain And at last it inflameth the Diaphragma then death followeth A Caveat Abstain from eating Medicines Gums Pitch fat things and those Oyntments which are used for the Pox. Cure First we must cleanse the Diaphragma with Larks-spur and then apply to the Soar this Plaister Take of Colophony one pound the powder of Celandine and the powder of Orange skins of each four ounces of the best Turpentine so much as is sufficient to make the Plaister XXXII When in the hand there breaks out first Pustles which afterwards turn to a crusty substance and then there follows deep clefts in the flesh At last it spreads over all the body thereafter the crusty substance falleth off and then it ceaseth Caution Abstain from Corrosive or eating Medicines Cantharides Purgations Oyntments Fumigations and the Guaick-wood Cure Take of the four Gums viz. Oppopanax Segapenum Galbanum Bdelium of each one ounce of Colophony two ounces of washed Turpentine four drams set them over the fire that they may be mixed then make a Plaister which must be applyed warm to the chopt hands and let it lie at the hands twelve hours then take it off and wash your hands with clean warm water then apply the Plaister unto it again and let it lie other twelve hours then take off and wash your hands and thus you must do so often until the humor be quite dryed up which useth to be in fifteen days or thereabouts for the four Gums have a peculiar and and admirable cleansing and drying vertue XXXIII The Itch and Scab are so commonly known that I need not describe it Cure Take of Roch Allum one pound of Plum Allum half a pound mix them Another Take of Plum Allum and salt Entals of each alike mix them for the Itch. Another Take Coperas and Allum of each alike mix them XXXIV When many Pustules break out together and being rubbed they issue out a yellowish water then there comes on a hard crusty Scab which falls off again and in its stead comes another And at last it turns to an Ulcer Cure You must not use any Medicines but such as are cooling Take