loafe newly drawne out of the Oven make it hollow in the middle of the crummy side and fill it with Treacle and Vineger while it is hot apply and tie it to the Navill It both preserveth the body and draweth out the venom if any be within be it of what kinde soever I haue an excellent Antidote of mine owne if any will be pleased to come to mee for it CHAPTER II. A generall way of Curing such as are hurt by inward Poysons IF any be Poysoned Aëtius Tetrab 4. Serm. 1. cap. 47. saith it wil appeare by these signes Not long after the taking of it there will come either a suddain coughing or vomiting of bloudy and stinking stuffe or trouble in making water or some paine within the body or vehement heat or gnawings within the stomacke or guts or els some suddain numbnesse also prickings in the flesh trembling of the limbs Hicket or Yex Convulsions or Cramps breakings out of the skin into blisters biles or scabs filthy spots or foule and unnatural colour of the skin swelling either all over or els of some part of the body streitnesse of breath much filthy vomiting and in those vomits somtimes the very plain appearance of some part of the Poyson If any of these saith he happen to a healthy man suddainly upon his meate this man is to be judged infected with Poyson And then must this course following be observed First you must endevour to fetch the Poyson out by the same way it was taken in As if it were eaten or drunke by vomit If in a Glyster or Suppositorie by a Glyster againe it must be purged out If by a Fume by a cordiall Perfume it must be encountered and conquered If by the mouth it were received whatsoever kind of Poyson it be before it be digested further than the stomacke if it may be time enough found giue the partie a great draught of some fat broth or Oyle and childs urine or els Sweet Butter and Water with two or three spoonfulls of the juice of Radish roots in it Giue one of these bloud-warme to make him vomit If the first vomit fayle giue the second and so the third if the second fayle And if they worke not of themselues quickly provoke them further by putting the finger into his throat or a feather dipped in ranke Oyle or in Oyle of Linseed But if it haue gottē into the guts which will appeare by the gnawings and gripings giue him a sharpe Glyster As Take Mallows Violet leaues Mercurie Beets of each a handfull Aniseeds Fenell-seeds Caraway-seeds of each a spoonfull bruised the flowers of Violets Bugloss Borrage Damask Roses and Camomill of each halfe a handfull Boyle all well in a sufficient quantitie of fayre Water Then strayn it and to three quarters of a pint of the liquor put an ounce of Diacatholicon and three drams of Diacolocynthis Three ounces of Honey and a knifes poynt-full of Salt Mix all together and giue it Lukewarme And if while it is yet in the stomacke a vomit or two or at the most three bring not away the Poyson which will appeare by the ease the partie receiveth then giue him a strong Purgation such as this Take of Mallowes Violet leaues of each one handfull The flowers of Violets Borrage Bugloss Damask Roses of each halfe a handfull Aniseeds and fenell seeds bruised of each halfe a spoonfull Liquorice scraped and sliced a quarter of an ounce Boyle all together in a sufficient quantitie of halfe Water halfe white wine Then having strayned it Take a quarter of a pint of the liquor to which put Hiera of Coloquintida and Diacatholico of each three drams Syrup of Roses solutiue and Syrup of Wormwood of each halfe an ounce or a little spoonfull Mixe all well together and giue it as a Purgation Those that are of good abilitie may haue this Masse of Pils made by some skilfull Apothecary for them to keepe by them against a time of need Rs. Alos rosatae vnc ij Myrrhae extractae cum aq vitae drach vj. extracti croci drach iij. rhabarbari electi drach ij agarici trochiscati drach j. ss turbith albi gummosi drach j. scammonij rosati sorup ij ss Ambrae griseae scrup ij moschi grana x. Cum syr ros soluti q. s fiat Massa Take at once the weight of six pence or nine pence as need requireth being formed and rowled into Pills of a fit bignesse for the Patient to swallow If it be a Childe or a weake body make a quarter of a pint of plaine Posset-ale wherein is boyled a few sweet Fenell seeds bruised adding to it an ounce of the blacke pulp of Cassia fistula Mixe all well together and let the partie drinke it off If there be torments in the guts this may be given in way of a Glister also adding onely some course Sugar In this case likewise when the venom appeareth much and violent you must giue a Glyster besides the Purgation yea Glyster upon Glyster as soone as one ceaseth to worke giving another though they be twēty in a day till all complaints cease That is till neither evill taste smell vomitings or gripings within the body remaine to shew that any reliques of the venom are yet left If the stomacke and guts complaine of a burning heat to qualifie the stomacke drinke Posset-Ale boyled with sweet Fenell-seeds and mixed with Cassia as before-said and for the guts this Suppositorie following Take of Hiera of Coloquintida ij drams a little Salt and a sufficient quantitie of Honey He ate them together softly on the fire till the lump come to a sufficient hardnesse then rowle it up in forme of a Suppositorie and annoynting it with Sallet-oyle or sweet-Butter administer it Now when by Vomits Glysters Suppositories and other Purging Medicines before described the venemous matter appeareth drawn away in that the body feeleth no more of those torments and troubles it was before afflicted with then let the partie drinke a draught of warme milke mixed with Honey And if sharp Glysters haue been often used before let him take also one Glyster of milke and Honey or of some fat broth to wash away the reliques of the sharpnesse and biting qualitie left in the guts and stomacke In the meane time to defend the braine heart and liver from infection of the venemous vapours that will hasten to those noble parts Take Conserue of Barrage-flowers Mithridate and London-Treacle of each a like quantitie Mixe them well together and spread all thicke upon a peice of Leather of a hand-breadth every way and lay it well warmed betwixt the Paps Take also of Red Roses three handfulls Sage Betony Rosemarie-tops Rue Wormwood of each a handfull Tormentill-roots and Gentian-rootes of each clensed and sliced thin halfe a handfull Boyle all these in a sufficient quantitie of white wine halfe water till a third part be boyled away In this liquor
to eate Mushroms commonly called Toadstools which is an excressence of the earths superfluitie not voyd of a venomous qualitie though some are lesse hurtfull than others and to some constitutions little or nothing at all apparantly offensiue I knew a Mountebank in Devonshire that perswaded many to the use of them whereof two the one a young man and the other a woman to the hazard of their liues were over-taken with his Cookery To the young man I gaue this Medicine two drams of Hens-dung dryed and powdered faire water white wine Vineger of each halfe a quarter of a pint with halfe an ounce of Honey All mixed together he drank it vomited had also two stooles and so recovered The woman being his mother and seeing me use the dung cōjured me to giue her some other Medicine that was more cleanly Whereupon I made her go to her well warmed bed then gaue I her a draught of Posset-ale wherein Penyroyall was boyled to which I put a little Aqua Vitae and Salt Peter Shee hereupon did Sweat abundantly and recovered Others there are that out of an Antipathy to their Constitutiō are directly poysoned if they eat Muskles others againe are in the like case with Perewinckles I haue seene some with Muskles swelled and spotted all over In which case after a Vomit and a Glyster such as are before described in the second Chapter I gaue this Antidote following I tooke Terra Sigillata for want of terra Lemnia which I account the better and Iuniper berries of each a like quantitie made them into fine Powder And of this Powder I tooke the weight of halfe a dram with a sufficient quantitie of fresh Butter made a Bolus or lump which the Patient swallowed and after the third time which was done every 12. houres he recovered And in fiue dayes was perfectly well CHAPTER IIII. Serpents or VVormes crept into the Body THough it happeneth very rarely yet somtimes it hath so fortuned that some lying asleepe on the grasse with their mouth open as many doe sleepe so haue had a Snake some an Est one had a Slow-worme crept in at his mouth into his Body Any of these will much torment a man but especially the last Because therefore I haue knowne many take delight to sleepe on the grasse in the fields and since such an accident may happen I thought it not amisse to teach a helpe for the same While it is yet in the Stomach labour by vomiting to cast it out If that preuayle not Take the juice of Rue mixed with your own vrine and drinke a draught of it and if need require drinke diverse of these draughts one within an houre of another Marcus Gatinaria commended the smoake of burnt old shooes received in at the mouth through a Funnell Telling of a man that had in vaine tryed many other Medicines and with the use of this avoyded a Viper downeward This Mizaldus recordeth in Centur. 8. Num. 94. Some enforced through great thirst in the heat of Summer to drink of any water next to hand haue in their greedinesse swallowed a Horse-Leech which being in the throate and finding it selfe in a place full of such food as it loved fell to sucking of bloud there which must needs be a great torture to the Partie For which Accident I finde in Authenticall Authors these Remedies following The juice of Willow leaues drunk hath the property of vexing that creature making him let goe his hold and so the partie enforcing himselfe to vomit may cast it out Assa faetida dissolued in Vineger the throat therewith gargled if it be not gone downe into the stomach will doe the like But if it be gone downe so low drinke a draught of white wine wherein Garlicke is boyled Or els Take halfe a dram of Aloës Succotrina powdered in a draught of white wine or wormwood Beere If an Earewig or other like creature chance to get into the Eare Blow the smoake of Tobacco through a pipe into the eare Or Take the juyces of Wormwood and Southernwood of each a like quantitie mixe them warme them and drop a little into the Eare. CHAP. V. Poysonous Humours spurting or dropping out of the wounded bodies of venomous creatures and lighting upon a Mans bare skinne THus haue some been outwardly poysoned My selfe while I was a Student in Cambridge was so hurt by the spurting of a venomous humour from the body of a great Toad into my face while I pashed him to death with a brickbat Some of the moysture lighted on my right eye which did not a little endanger it and hath made it ever since apt to receiue any flux of Rheume or Inflamation Others I haue knowne to receiue like harme from a Spiders juice The skin that it toucheth swelleth and groweth red and painefull The mischiefe of this may be prevented by presently washing bathing the place for halfe an houre or an houre with the juyce of Rue and the distilled water of St. Iohns Wort or with Plantaine water mixed with Andromachus-Treacle a drop or two of Oyle of Anise-seeds Hereunto I may add the Stinging Blistering of Gnats Ants and Nettles Though no danger doth follow this Accident yet we may avoyd the temporary trouble By fomenting the place with the juyce of Lavender Cotton or els annoynting it with Sallet Oyle and Wood ashes Or Take Nettle-seeds and Anise-seeds of each a like quantitie bruise them and steepe them in Sallet Oyle in a glasse with somthing a wide mouth set it in the Sunne in Summer time for a month together Annoynt the place with it Oyle of Anise-seeds will doe it also CHAP. VI. Certaine Generall Notions for the Helpe of such as are Stung or Bitten by venomous Beasts AS there are divers kindes of Creatures that sting or bite venomously so are the mischiefes different that breake forth from their venomous natures For the Hornet hath a more venomous Sting than the Bee or Waspe So the Biting of the Adder which is a kinde of Viper or of the Slow-worme which some also call the Blind-worme is more dangerous than of the Est or Shrew-mouse As for the Snake I know by experience that he hath neither sting nor tooth to offend with though his likenes to the Adder at first sight hath long deterred people from so neare acquaintance as to take notice of his innocencie Likewise the Stings and Teeth of the living Creatures are more pernicious than those of the dead because natiue heate that ministreth spirit to the venom maketh the venomous substance more thin and subtle as also more actiue and piercing Furthermore the Female of every kinde is more fierce and more dangerously venomous than the Male the young than the old And those that liue in rockes mountaines and dry places than they that breed in fens moores marishes such moyst grounds Moreover those that feed vpon other venomous
and Fennell-roots Anise-seeds and Fenell-seeds and such other simples that provoke urine which as I sayd before are very profitable in this case Also Sweet Wines as Muscadine Canarie and High-Countrey white wine Sometimes also to please the pallat let him licke of Oxymel simplex Syrrup of Citrons or Syrrup of Lemons He may also eat River-Crabs or Cray-fishes either raw or buttered But from the beginning the flesh that he eateth must be of Mutton Veale Lambe Kid Rabbet Pullet Chicken Partridge or Pheasant Some counsell to mince some roasted Veale and the Liver of the mad dogge roasted together and so let him eare it with a little butter water and Vineger To conclude His Belly must be kept soluble if need require by gentle Giysters and Suppositories And his Sleepe must in the beginning be but little but when he beginneth to rage and is of himselfe overwakefull it is good by some safe outward meanes such as the Artist shall see cause to appoint to cause Sleepe CHAPTER XI Bitings of Creatures not venomous yet in some Constitutions apt to turne into venom SOme are bitten by Dogges that are not madde or by Apes Monckeys Squirills by Horses by Mankinde or any other creature not venomous yet somtimes these woūds in some kinde of Flesh are hard to heale The reason is either in the Creature biting or in the partie bitten In the Creature biting though in it's owne nature it be not venomous yet there is at that time a malignant qualitie in the moysture of the mouth begotten by the disturbance of the braine through immoderate anger In the partie bitten Some men are made up of a kinde of Flesh alwayes by what accident soever wounded hard to be cured These either are very melancholike of Constitution and Melancholy is the most offensiue humor in the body and therefore apt through any extraordinary passion to become corrupted and in a sort venomous or they are very fearefull and Feare corrupts the juices of the braine through the force of imagination and makes them fall downe and disperse thēselues into all the parts of the body filled with a sickly qualitie and so contrary to nature This is the reason why fearfull men are apt to die of a slight wound whereas a valiant Spirit hath alwayes flesh apt to be healed Now for such hard healing Flesh from which of the two causes soever it cōmeth I counsaile that besides the ordinarie course of curing wounds artificially according to the Rules of Chururgerie there be also given some temperate Cordiall as it were an Antidote against this venomous Accident to call up the Spirits and to comfort the Faculties For I know it by experience that the Cure is thereby made much the more easie Such an Antidote is this following which because it cannot be rightly made but by an Artist I will set downe in Latine for the Apothecaries understanding onely least the Ignorant tampering beyond their skill discredit the Medicine Re. fol. Melissae summitatum Rosmarini florum Primulae veris florum Cheyri florum Calendulae ana m. iij. florum Angelicae m. ij Rad. Angelicae ʒj ss Gariophyllorum ʒiij Rad. Enulae Campaniae ʒvj Infundantur omnia in Aquae Vitaeli xxiiij horis 24. Tum in alembico destillentur s a. In Aqua elicita infunde etiam Glycyrrhizae parum sic gustui arridebit This Cordiall Water my Father called Nepenthes If the Angelica be good indeed it will haue both a pleasant taste and smell A spoonfull or two of this Water recalls rectifies and confirmes the Spirits Animall Vitall and Naturall And is therefore very good against Fayntings and Swoundings CHAP. XII Inward or Outward Bruises by a fall from an high place Somtimes it happeneth unfortunately that a Man falleth downe from an high place as from a house-top a high tree a scaffold or a ladder and is taken up for dead yet in a little time may by good meanes be recovered to life and the Bruise whether it be inward or outward may be cured In this case the maine things to be looked to are First to recover the partie to life sense which may be done by the use of my Cordiall Water called Nepenthes described in the Chapter immediately going before or els with some other comfortable drinke of like nature Secondly if the Bruise be Inward there will be either ejection of Bloud at the Mouth Nose Fundament or passage of Vrine or els congealing of Bloud within wherewith will be Inward paine and difficultie of Breathing If the partie avoyd bloud it is not amisse so it goe not too farre to the expence of his Spirits But if so then giue him halfe a dram of Terra Sigillata in a draught of Posset drinke wherein the flowers of St. Iohns Wort are boyled Or The tops of St. Iohns Wort boyled in Posset-ale Or Take red Corall white Corall white Amber Bole Armoniak Terra sigillata of each j. dram Camphor iiij graines Make all into fine powder and divide it into foure equall quantities or Doses Take every dose in two ounces of Plantaine water and as much red wine mixed together once in six houres as need shall require Or els Take the quantitie of a Walnut of old Conserue of red Roses mixed with a scruple of the powder of Mastick or rather with fiue or six drops of the Oyle of Masticke Repeat the taking according to need But if there be no evacution but suspition of the Bloud congealed within Then Take Nep stamped and strayned with a little Ale or Beere and drinke a draught of it once in six houres After three times taking it so stamp it new and strayne it with Muscadine and drinke a little draught in the morning fasting and at night when you goe to bed Or Take the quantitie of a Beane of quicke Brimstone in powder in a little white Wine warmed Or els Twentie graines of Irish-Slate in powder in a draught of Posset-Ale made with white Wine Some giue ij drams of Rheubarb with one of Madder made into powder in a draught of white wine repeating it as need requireth Or two drams of Rheubarb alone in neate white wine Or Take of Rheubarb one dram Madder and Mummie of each two scruples Make them into fine powder drinke it in a draught of some ordinary Pectorall Decoction Outwrdly annoynt the Brest or Backe as cause electeth with two ounces of Oyle of St. Iohns Wort and halfe an ounce of Sperma ceti mixed together and warmed Doe this morning and evening Or els use this Oyntment Take of new charned butter unsalted ij pound Madder one ounce powdered Tormentill roots powdred vj. drams Mummie halfe an ounce powdred Sugar Candie powdred iiij ounces Sperma ceti ij ounces Boyle them together in a sufficient quantitie of good white Wine till all the wine be boyled away Then with a little Wax boyle it againe to an Vnguent Thirdly if the Bruise be Outward onely you must consider
dip woollenclouts then wring out the liquor from them and apply one cloth reasonable hot to the mould of the head and another all over the stomach And when these clouts wax dry dip them againe in the same liquor well warmed wring them and apply them as before Thus having rid the body of all evill Accidents you must roote out all the reliques of poyson yet left behinde lest they remaining still beget as dangerous though not so suddain or violent an issue Therefore then betake your selfe to Antidotes Such as are named in the first Chapter for Praevention but their Dose must be doubled In way of Cure these also that follow are especially commended against all kindes of Poysons whatsoever Viz. The Hoofe of an Oxe cut into parings and boyled with bruised Mustard-seed in white Wine and faire Water The Bloud of a Malard drunke fresh and warme or els dryed to powder and so drunke in a draught of white Wine The Bloud of a Stagge also in the same manner The Seeds of Rue and the leaues of Betony boyled together in white Wine Or Take ij Scruples that is fortie graines of Mithridate of prepared Chrystall one dram that is three-score graines fresh Butter one ounce Mixe all well together Swallow it down by such quantities as you can swallow at once and drinke presently upon it a quarter of a pint of the decoction of French Barley or so much six shillings Beere Of this I haue had happy proofe There is also another excellent course to be taken besides all these by those of abilitie and that is Take a sound horse open his belly aliue take our all his entrayles quickly and put the poysoned partie naked into it all saue his head while the body of the horse retaines his naturall heate and there let him sweat well This may be held a strange course but the same reason that teacheth to divide liue Pullets and Pigeons for Plague-sores approveth this way of Sweating as most apt to draw to it selfe all poysons from the heart principall parts of the Patients body But during this time of Sweating he must defend his braine by wearing on his head a Quilt thus made Take Cynnamom Nutmegs Cloues all the Saunders of each halfe an ounce Roots of Angelica Tormentill white Dittany and Valerian of each one ounce Dryed Sage Rosemarie Balme of each halfe a handfull and of Red-Rose leaues dryed two handfulls Make all these into a grosse Powder and Quilt them up in Sarsnet or Calico and let it be so big as to cover all the head like a Cap Then binde it on fast with a kerchief In all this time the Patients dyet is not the lest to be thought upon which must be new Milke from the Cow fresh Butter Sallet Oyle fat Broths of Mutton or Veale or of fresh Beefe For fat things stop the vessels hinder the course of the Poyson to the principall parts In his broths also boyle these hearbs Burnet Buglosse Borrage and wilde Tyme He must reside in a cleare ayre or els haue the Ayre rectified with perfumes and those must be temperate and milde not too full of fume lest they suffocate his Spirits I need not set downe any every one knoweth the use of Rose-water Iuniper Rosemary Bayes and Frankincense Let him be ever smelling to Rosemary rubbed in ones hand to Iuniper berries a little bruised Lemons stuck with Cloues Myrrh Storax or Lignum Aloës He must sleepe little for sleepe draws the venom to the center of the body but watching driues it to the outward parts As for Thirst let him beare it as much as he can But if it afflict past sufferance let him drinke now and then new milke turned with Vinegar into Posset-drinke CHAPTER III. A more Particular way of Cure wherein is touched the eating of Mushroms Muskles and Perewinckles THough I intend not to discover the particular nature of every Poyson which might be a way to instruct evill minds in evill purposes yet without some distinction I shall take much pains to little purpose Therefore this generall difference must be made knowne namely that there are Poysons both Hot and Cold and their Cures are as different as their Complexions Therefore if the Poyson taken be hot as will appeare by the Accidents that will follow viz. Bitings Prickings and Gnawings within extreame Heats Burnings inflamations and Hot Swellings Inward or Outward Then the Glysters must be gentle As thus Take Mallows and Violet leaues of each two handfulls French Barley one handfull Camomill-flowers halfe a handfull Boyle them in a sufficient quantitie of faire water till the third part of the water be boyled away Then srayne it to three quarters of a pint of the strayned liquor put an ounce of Diacatholicon or for the richer sort an ounce of Cassia Fistula newly drawne and three ounces of Course Sugar or else Honey of Roses two ounces and a little Salt Eate fat Broths with coolehearbs boyled in them as Borrage Bugloss Violet leaues likewise French Barley with juyce of Lemons the tartnesse being taken off with Sugar or Honey as also Sorrell so corrected Giue the Patient leaue to sleep if he can but enforce it not And for his Antidotes use Mithridate mixed with Conserue of Roses Or els Take of Diamargariton frigidum one dran of oxymel fimplex one ounce and Carduus water three ounces Mix them together and let him drinke it In all other poynts keepe him as is taught before But if the Poyson be of a Cold nature which will appeare by coldnesse within or without or both numbnesse fullnesse dulnesse and drouzinesse Then use Vomits shape Glysters and the like as are appointed in the precedent Chapter Keepe him from Sleeping Make him neeze often with powder of strong Tobacco blowne up into his nose with a quill or if the Tobacco alone will not doe it mix a little powder of Euphorbium with it Rub his Brest Sides Backe and Limbs with warme woollen Cloaths Speake much to him and enforce him to stirre his body as much as may be Endevour also to make him Sweat to which purpose you may use this Medicine following Take one dram of Gentianroote in fine Powder with two or three graynes of Bezoar-stone Giue it in a little draught of Carduus Posset-drinke made with white wine and a little Vineger Giue it hot and cover him well with cloths ordering him so before in and after sweating that he take no cold neither eate nor drinke in fiue or six houres after Let his Antidotes be Andromachus or London-Treacle With his meate boyle Garlicke Onions Balm and Sweet Fenel-seeds And let him endure Thirst as long as he possibly can In all otherthings order him as occasion shall serue or require according to the prescriptions in the Chapter before Some out of wantonnesse and apish imitation of Strangers haue learn'd
Creatures are more pernicious vpon the eating of that food As the Adder when he hath eatē a Toad And require stronger Antidotes and in greater quantitie than others Also at the time of their engendering they are more curst and full of poyson than at other times And in Summer time all these are more deadly than in Winter For the venomous hidden is more deadly than the manifest qualitie the thin than the thicke matter and the hot than the cold temperature To which we may adde the more or lesse aptnesse of disposition constitution of the body by any of these so offended For those men or women that are of a hot temperament having many and great veynes outwardly apparant and thereupon their pores more open are much more apt to receiue the venom euen speedily to the Liver and Heart than those that being of a cold constitution haue small veynes and streit pores through which the poyson hath but slow passage Lastly those that are stung or bitten while they are yet fasting and their stomach emptie are in more danger than they that are full fed For when the veyns and vessels are empty they doe greedily sucke in any matter that is administred yea though nature abhorre the qualitie because at that time shee mindes onely the supply of quantity as is apparent in those that are extreame thirstie for they will drinke a great draught before they regard or finde the taste whereas those that haue fed filled the veynes to the satisfaction of quantitie their vitall spirits are thereby made the more strong and able to resist and repell the fiercenesse of the venomous qualitie With these few generall Notions I haue thought good to acquaint such whose understandings are able to make use of them that they may lend their helping hand to those that need them with the more judgement and dexteritie CHAPTER VII The Generall Method of Preventing and Curing all venemous Stingings and Bitings PRevention is onely two wayes By having an eye to all places where they are likely to be abroad And by driving them from the place of a mans habitation All venomous Creatures are driven from the house by these fumes and washings following Fume your roomes with the smoake of Harts-horne shavings burnt in a chasing-dish or firepanne or the shavings of sheepes hoofes or the parings of old shooes Wash the walls with the Gaule of any beast boyled a little in water or the decoction of Rue or Wormwood or Assa faetida or Coloquintida boyled in water But in the Cure The first thing is to pluck out the Sting if there be any and presently after annoynt the place with Honey If with that it asswage not Mixe Mithridate with your Honey annoyt it againe or Honey and Treacle of Andromachus If the prick or wound be large enough wash it with urine or salted water or sharp Vineger or els with white wine in any of which dissolue Mithridate or old Treacle of Andromachus which being mixed together heate it good hot and so wash the place well rubbing it as hard as the patient may endure it to draw the venom from running inward Some doe presently burne the wound with a hot Needle or Bodkin and it is the best way both to consume the venomous matter before it goe further and also to keepe the orifine open which must be so kept till there be no likelihood of venom left in the affected part Vpon this burning there will grow a crustie scab round about which the place must be scarrified with the sharp poynt of a Pen-knife that the corrupted bloud may haue issue And when the scab is growne dry you must annoynt it with fresh Butter alone or fresh Hogs grease mixed with it having so loosened it take it off All which time the part must be often washed with such a mixture as I praescribed before And round about the wound over all the swelled part lay a Playster made of Turpentine Wax blacke Pitch and Pitch of Burgundie And into the wound put some Lint dipped in Vnguentum Basilicon mixed with a little burnt Alum to keepe the wound open But if the hurt be in the face the actuall Cauterie or hot yron must not be used for feare of leaving a scarre and blemish in the face for ever after Therefore in stead of that way let some body presently sucke the wound with his mouth which also is very good but it must be done with these Caveats First the sucker must take heed he haue no sore blister nor rawnesse in any part of his mouth tongue gummes throat or lips for then he endangereth himselfe by sucking venomous matter into places prepared to entertaine the infection of it Secondly before he sucke he must wash his mouth first three or foure times with white wine wherein Mithridate or old Andromachus Treacle is dissolved and after with sallet-Oyle Thirdly he must be carefull that he presently spit out all that he sucketh into his mouth and let none of it goe downe his throat least while he physicke another he poyson himselfe Lastly when he hath sucked out all the venom let him againe wash his mouth three or foure times with the like washing as before he sucked And to conclude let him drinke a little draught of the same to prevent all evill chances But if no man will venture thus to sucke Take a Pullet or Cockerell bare his rump and rub the fundament well with Salt then hold it close to the wound holding his beake closed with your hand and giving him breath but now and then onely to keepe him aliue and his fundament will draw out the venom If one die take another and so continue till one of the creatures out-liue the labour Then may you bee sure the venom is cleane drawne out Some apply Horseleeches to the wound if it be very small But sometimes it is so big as when an Adder or Slow-worme hath entred many teeth or when a mad dog hath made it that the fundament of such a creature before named cannot compasse it Then take a Pullet or a Pigeon and divide it aliue and apply it while it is full of lifes heat upon the wounded and grieved place which must be scarrified beforehand that the vitall heate of that creature may draw the venom through the scarifications Let it be therefore bound on and kept there till it be even cold and then apply another and so another till by asswaging of all paines and swelling without as also by the quietnesse and quicknesse of the spirits within the patient appeare freed from all poyson us offence Then apply Garlicke fryed with sweet Butter or sallet Oyle to make sure that no remainder of mischiefe be behinde for it is an excellent outward Medicine against all both Stingings and Bitings that are venomous When all this is done and now it is sure that all the venom is perfectly drawn forth
If the wound be big it must be healed up with some good Balsam as a greene wound But if it be but a pricke it will soone heale it selfe so it be but kept from the ayre But besides these outward Helpes the Patient must taken inward Antidotes also And of such I haue spoken in the first Chapter This is sufficient for the generall course Now wee must come to a more particular way of Cure CHAP. VIII Stingings of Hornets Bees and Wasps SOmetimes these creatures leaue not their sting in the place but when they doe the first course is to picke it out And then if it be a Hornet as it is the more dangerous so there must be the more care had of it If the Sting will not easily be gotten out lay to it a poultis made of leaven wood-ashes and sallet Oyle mixed together Or bath it with Childes urine good and hot And when it is out wash the wound with a little water salt mixed with the juice of Rue Then burne it or els sucke it as was sayd before and after that apply to it a little lint dipped in old Andromachus Treacle mixed with Honey and over it as also over all the swelling lay a poultis made of fresh Cow-dung mixed with Barrowes grease or sallet Oyle Bees and Wasps though they seldome endanger life yet they swell and enflame the part stung by them and cause a great deale of paine which somtimes is followed by a Feavor therefore it is necessary to find a Cure for it And some constitutions receiue also deadly mischiefe by such stinging As some thirtie yeares agoe appeared by the Lady Walsingham wife to Sir Francis Walsingham Secretarie to Queene Elizabeth who as I haue often heard it related by my Father who was her Physition being stung in the hand by a Wasp at dinner time the venom presently swelled up all her arme to her shoulder and thence to her throat that had not speedie meanes beene used and as God would her Physition bin there present it was thought snee would haue dyed within lesse than an houre First therefore the Sting is to be taken out as is said and presently the place to be annoynted with Honey and covered from the ayre If this prevaile not as with the most it doth burne it or sucke it and applie Treacle of Andromachus or Mithridate mixed with Honey Or for the poorer sort fresh Cow-dung or dogs dung mixed with sallet Oyle And if need be giue the partie some inward Antidore such as haue beene before commended Or els for present speed Take Garlicke boyled in white wine or strong ale Or els the seeds and roots of Lillies boyled in Beere Or the seeds of Mallowes boyled in water and white wine with a little Vineger Not long agoe I saw a young man stung in the eye-ball with a Bee while he was too closely looking into the doore of the hiue But the Bee left not her sting there Vpon the place I applyed this Playster I tooke a handfull of Carduus benedictus newly gathered pounded it in a morter very fine and mixed it with the white of an egge so spreading it upon a pledget of flaxe I laid it to the eye and as it waxed dry renued it twice This Playster of Carduus is excellent to recover the eye if any venomous juice be spurted into it or if the eye be hurt by a corrupt ayre which the common people call blasting It easeth paines taketh away bloudy spots in the eyes and is good for all burnings in or about the eyes To this let me adde the bitings of Spiders the garden ones are the worst for they are of the kinde of Phalangiae The Inward Antidote for them is a draught of New milke wherein the inner meate of River Crabs is boyled Or a spoonfull of the braines of a sheepe boyled in water and Vineger Outwardly apply the Cobweb of the same Spider binding it on with a fine linnen rag CHAP. IX Bitings of Adders Slow-wormes Efts the Shrew-Mouse and other such venomous Beasts REmembring what I sayd before in the sixt Chapter to begin the Cure The flesh of the same beast that biteth boyled or rosted as they dresse Eeles and inwardly taken helpeth much Or a dram of Gentian root powdered drunke in a little draught of white wine Or halfe a dram of Terta Sigillata in the same kinde of wine Or els the same wine with Opoponax and Aristolochia rotunds Outwardly the best thing to be applied is the flesh of the same beast that did the hurt pounded in a morter and applied in manner of a Poultis Or a Poultis made of Cocks-dung and Vineger Or an old Walnut beaten with Salt an Onion and a little Honey and applied Or take Peny-royall and Fenell of each a like quantitie boyle them in water and white wine bathe the place with the liquor Or els drop into the wound the liquor that sweateth out of the greene ashen wood while it burneth on the fire Or Oyle of Bay and oyle of St. Iohns Wort of each a like quantitie Or els a little Tarre mixed with a little salt spread on a peice of Leather and applyed playster-wise This is for the Adder Slow-worme or Eft. Now the Shrew-mouse is a little kinde of mouse with a long sharpe snout and a short tayle It liveth commonly in old ruinous walls It biteth also very venomously and leaveth foure small perforations made by her foure foreteeth To cure her biting her flesh roasted and eaten is the best inward Antidote if it may be had Otherwise a dram of the seeds of Agnus Castus beaten and steeped in white Wine Or els some of the other Antidotes described at the beginning of this Booke And outwardly apply her warme liver and skin if it may be had Otherwise Rocket-seeds beaten into powder and mixed with the bloud of a Dog Or els the teeth of a dead man made into fine powder CHAP. X. The Biting of a Madde Dogge ALthough in this our countrey of England I haue neither seene nor heard of any such terrible dangers happening to people by a mad-dogs biting as in other Regions yet I haue seene Dogs mad But the care that hath been used for prevention hath perhaps hindred the sight of those Accidents which old Authors haue so laboriously Commented upon And besides that the temperature of our Climate keepeth the Dogges of our Countrey from prooving altogether so pernicious as in Graecia and Arabia For Aëtius saith that the mad Dogs are worst in intemperate Climates where the Winters cold Summers heate are extreame Tetr 2. Serm. 2. cap. 24. Howsoever I will set downe a briefe course of helpe to prevent the incurablenesse of the mischiefe as I haue it from the best Authors This kinde of madnesse proceedeth from blacke Cholerick juices wherewith a dogge more than other Beasts aboundeth For he is of temperament hot and drie as appeareth by many proofes As