Harts-horne j. dram Citron pill Rootes of Angelica and Tormentill Rhubarb and Coralline of each halfe a dram Make these into fine Powder and giue it as is said in a little Carduus water sweetned with some sugar Thus much for Preservation in Health But if there be Suspicion of Infection you must then looke about for a new course In which case generally I condemne both Purging and Bleeding for I know no vse of them in resisting or expelling the Venom which is no other way effected but by Sweating and Running of the Soares Yet I confesse Phlebotomie hath his vse in Sanguine and Strong bodies so it be at the very first while the Spirits are strong and able of themselues to make good resistance But if that first opportunitie be let slip I thinke it better to let it alone altogether then to doe it out of season and so to impaire naturall strength which in this case ought most especially to be preserved and augmented Againe though Sweating be the true way yet it must not be violent for that also weakens the Spirits and makes the body faint therefore those Sweating Medicines must be mixed with Cordialls As for example Take Mithridate or London Triacle one dram Myrrh Enula Campane root and Butter burre roote of each ten graines Mixe these in a quarter of a Pint of Posset-ale and white Wine mixed together to which you may adde some sugar to make the taste somthing gratefull Goe into your warme bed then drinke this draught prescribed and cover you with a reasonable weight of cloths and so sweat two or three houres or somewhat more as your strength will beare But take heed you sleepe not in this while Then by degrees let the clothes be taken away first one and then another when you haue sweat sufficiently or as much as you can endure And let some one with warme Napkins wipe you drie and shift your linnen being very carefull of taking cold Then presently take this Iulep Take of Carduus water three ounces Syrup of Lemons one ounce Bole armoniake Tormentill Angelica roote of each one scruple Mixe all together and drinke it off Doe this once in twelue houres if you finde strength to beare it till you haue performed it at the least three times and at the second and third times before you beginne to sweat binde vnder either arme-hole and to eyther groyne some thin slices of Radish roots beaten with a little bay-salt and sprinckled with a little Vineager and Rose-water wrap them vp in foure little thin rags and apply them Also apply to the region of the heart that Quilt which I haue prescribed in stead of an Amulet When this is done and the Soares beginne to shew themselues follow the advise of those that are appointed to that purpose For I must not enter into the infected house Therefore farewell And the LORD in Mercie looke vpon this afflicted CITTIE FINIS IF any be pleased to vse my Antidotes I haue two Powders one is for daily vse called Pulvis Pestilentialis the other in case of speciall danger called Pulvis Vitalis I haue also an excellent Electuarie which I call Antiloimon for his singular vertue against the Plague I haue likewise Lozenges and Trochisks to hold in the mouth and rich Pomanders to smell too They were all of my Grand-fathers invention and haue beene proved to be admirably effectuall both by his and my Fathers experience I confesse they are costly but slight meanes and cheape Medicines how ever they promise proue as deare as death For we see by woefull observation that the Plague will not be repelled but by imperious encounters I could relate very true and admirable stories of the effects of those three Medicines aboue mentioned but I will begge no mans beliefe Whosoever knows any thing of the name of Iohn Banister must needs haue heard of many famous Medicines by him invented The first Powder is 12. pence a dram his quantitie to be taken at once is halfe a dram The second is 3. pence a graine the quantitie is 10. or 12. graines The Electuarie is 2. shillings 6 pence an ounce the quantitie is one or two drams Because many men know that I haue a whole volume of excellent Receipts left me both by my Grandfather and my Father and lest they should censure me as too strict and covetous in keeping all secret to my selfe I haue thought fit for the common good to divulge this excellent Antidote following Electuarium De Ovo Stephani Bradwelli Rs. vitelli ovi vnius Croci pulveriz scrup ij Conterantur simul donec in Pultiformam rediguntur Postea imponantur in alia testa vacua cum exiguo foramine in capite facto benè obturetur et lento igne donec testa nigrescit assetur Dein exempta materia exiecetur subtilissime pulverizetur Cui Adde rad tormentillae zedoariae Angelicae Valerianae Dictamni Aristolochiae rotunda ana vnc j. ss Myrrhae scrup iiij Baccarum lauri Baccarum Iuniperi and drach ss Corticis citri scrup ij ss sem citri sem cardui Benedicti ligni aloës ana scrup ij Cornu Cervini Boli armeni ana drach j. ss Moschi gr x. Pulveriz omnia subtiliss Adde etiam Conservae florum Calendulae vnc ij Theriacae Lond. vnc j. Cum aqua Cardui et sacchari q. s fiat Electuarium s ae THere is a Fellow in Distaffe Lane that disperseth Bills abroad bragging of a Medicine that was my Grandfather Banisters thinking vpon the fame of his name to get both glory and gaine to himselfe But let me warne all men to take heed of such impudent lyers My Grand-father was very scrupulous of giving any speciall Receipts to others But if any man can say he hath any Receipt of his I am sure if it were of any value I haue the Coppie of it But I professe vpon the word and credit of an honest man that among all his Receipts he hath not prescribed one Preservatiue Drinke for the Plague And besides his judgement ever was that the best forme of an Antidote was either Powder Pill or Electuarie Therefore this Drinke that he talkes of was either none of my Grandfathers or els some very slight thing by him little esteemed I cannot beare it that any should abuse the Kings people with sophisticate Medicines and lay the imputation vpon so famous and so all beloved a Man as Master Iohn Banister was Li. de Probitate Medici boni ad tempus appositi sunt ad occasionem eripiendum accōmodati Proëmium The Name The Causes The Qualities The Symptoms and Signes The Name The first and principall cause is God The way of Cure The influence of the Starres the second cause The cure of this Cause is the same with the former The Corruption of the Aire the third cause The Aire is corrupted by the windes and weather What Constitutiō of the Aire is most Contagious The necessitie of the Aire The Cure of this Cause Flight Citò Cede
a man would wonder how it could so suddainly be done being as if one did burne a hole with a hot iron And it is strange to see that so small a tumor should be so devilish and dangerous to life for if it be not with great care and exceeding good meanes attended it bringeth speedy death But moreover obserue this Somtimes as I said before a man dies of the Plague when neither before nor after he is dead there appeareth any Tokens or Blayne Botch or Carbuncle And yet there will be a signe which few haue observed My Grand father who was a famous man and of great experience hath taught it me and my Father a Physitian of aboue fortie yeares practise and experience hath confirmed it vnto me That is that after such a body is dead in one place or other the flesh will grow softer then the rest and the whole body will also grow softer softer and the longer the body lies the softer will be the flesh Which shews the vilenesse of the putrefaction within Heurnius mentions this also among his signes in his booke De Peste and addeth also these That in a Body dead of the Plague The nose lookes very blew or blackish blow as if it had beene beaten or bruised The like colour is in the eares and nayles and ever worse coloured then other dead bodies vse to be Thus haue I displayed those Signes which are least fayling that the Searchers may rightly informed themselues and not mistake as many haue done calling the purple spots of the Pestilent Feavor Gods Tokens And somtimes letting Bodies passe as not dead of the Plague because they had neither Tokens Botch nor Carbuncle I haue done it also to teach people how they may know when they are stricken with this infection that they may presently haue recourse to some skilfull man and good meanes to recover them before it be too late An houre is a precious space of time and cannot be let slip but with hazard And having thus shewed you what this dreadfull Sicknesse is what are the Causes Qualities and Signes of it Before I leaue you I will leaue with you a short generall direction to keepe your body safe from infection and also if you feele suspicious signes of being taken how to begin to driue the venome from the heart till such time as you may haue some more speciall meanes particularly fitting your present constitution and state of body by the counsell of some skilfull Physitian While Health continueth It is necessary that twise in the weeke the body be evacuated with some gentle purging Pill to keepe the humors from superfluous increase And in this case the Pills of Ruffus which are to be had in every Apothecaries shop are very apt and good Or take of these Pills of mine twice or thrice in a weeke Rs. Aloës Rosatae vnc j. Rhabarbari Croci ana drach iij. Myrrhae drach vj. santali citrini drach j. ambrae grifiae scrup j. Cum syr de succo Citri q. s fiat Massa Pillularum Make Pills of 8. or 10. grains a peece Take ij or more of them in the morning fasting foure or fiue houres before meate They may be taken best in Syrup of Roses solutiue or in Conserue of Violets And presently after them drinke a little white Wine mixed with a little balme-Balme-water in cold weather with Rose water and a little Rose-Vineager in hot weather and with Carduus or Scabious water in temperate weather On the other dayes wherein you take no Pills Take every morning fasting a dram or two or the quantitie of a Nutmeg of London Triacle with as much conserue of red Roses this is for a temperate Constitution A cold constitution may take the Triacle alone onely sweetening it with a little sugar And a hot complexion may mixe both the Triacle and Conserue in a few spoonefulls of Rose-water and Vineager These Powders following are good to cast into the Broths of such as are sicke or haue weake stomachs Take of Red Saunders halfe an ounce Cynamom iij. drams and halfe Saffron halfe a dram powder them fine and mixe them together Another Take of Cynamom halfe an ounce Cloues halfe a dram Red Corall ij scruples Saffron halfe a dram And the weight of all in Sugar Make these into Powder and mixe them together Some giue this Take of Pearle prepared ij drams Corall red and white of each halfe a dram Red Rose leaues dried Saffron Spodium of each a scruple Cynamon a dram Make them into fine Powder and mixe them This is my counsell for those of ripe age and for Women that are not with Childe But for those Women that breed Childe and also for Infants or young Children there ought to be another way of preservation in whom Diet must be most intended and no purging vsed For Women therefore Let them keepe their bodie soluble by some gentle and familiar Suppositories or gentle Clysters made of Posset-ale with Camomill flowers and a little new-drawne Cassia Take these in the afternoone now and then Let them also every morning take the quantitie of a Nutmeg of this Medicine following Take Harts-horne Cynamon Nutmegs all the Saunders of each a dram Roots of Angelica Zedoarie Enula-Campane of each halfe a dram Powder all these Then take Conserue of Bugloss and Borage of each iij. drams With an equall quantitie of Syrup of Citrons and of dried Roses Mixe all together and make a Conserue Take it as is sayd fasting and fast two houres at least after Or els Take Harts horne red and yellow Saunders of each two drams Cloues and Cynamon of each one dram Beat them into fine Powder and mixe them together With some of this spice your Meate Broth or Cawdell or whatsoever you haue to breakfast and squeez into them a little iuice of a Lemon You may adde also some Sugar as you please Let this be your Break-fast For young Children There is nothing better then Bole armoniake with a little Tormentill roote and Citron Pills made into fine Powder which you may mix with their meats or cast into their Broths for their breakfast If they be costiue put vp a violet comfit or two for a Suppositorie Or mix a little Cassia newly drawne in some broth of a Chicken and giue it them now and then in a morning fasting Let them fast two houres after And that day vse not the powder before prescribed And note this When you suspect a Childe to be sicke of the Wormes in a Contagious time vse not Wormeseed and those common trifling things but order him as if you suspected he had the Plague for that disease comming of so much Putrefaction as it doth is as apt to receiue the infection of the Plague as is Tinder to take fire It must not therefore be dallied with But at such a time you may giue twentie or thirtie graines of this Powder following for two or three mornings together Take
As meat of hard digestion to a weake stomach for that denyeth nourishment meate of easie concoction to a strong stomach for that putresies in the stomach and so corrupts the bloud hot spices and inflaming drinkes to a hot constitution c. these breed many diseases in the purest aire and in a contagious they easily make way for the Plague Therefore we are to be carefull what we eat or drinke And our Care must be two fold first to refuse things noysome secondly to choose things wholsome In refusing things noysome take these rules Beware of piercing and attenuating things for they are heating and by opening the body they expose it to the corruption of the Aire On the contrary also thicke and slimie things are stopping breeding crudities and putrefaction by reason of that crassitude moysture and accidentall heat which is in them Sweet and fatty things likewise are to be avoyded because they easily turne to choller and so kindle hot feavors Very moyst meates as wee see they are hardly kept sweet in hot weather so by the heat of the stomach they easily turne to putrefaction especially to hot and chollericke constitutions But of all things those that are both moyst and hot especially wherin the moyst is predominant are most dangerous because they are as it were the very seed of putrefaction Cold mixed with moyst is not so ill because not so apt presently to putrefie but wheresoever the moyst is stronger the blood is made watrish and weaker and therefore not so nourishing as Nature needs it Also meats of hard digestion melancholicke salt and windie are to be eschewed Beware of all things that are hot and enflaming Much vse of very sharpe things are very hurtfull Shunne also all things that increase much blood for the body must be kept low in contagious times Also all things that are loathsome to the pallat or stomach must be reiected for that which nature abhorreth dissipateth the Spirits Having thus taught by their Qualitie in generall what meates and drinkes are to be forborne Now I will more particularly reckon vp such as are most commonly known and vsed being most to be avoyded in times of Infection And first for your Bread Be carefull that it be not mustie nor mouldie neither eat it hot nor before it be a day olde It is best for them that can haue Ouens at home not to send their bread to other houses to be baked nor to receiue any continually from the hand of common Bakers that serue to many severall houses Very salt and long powdered Beefe though never so much watered afterward to get out the salt is not good yea all that watering and moystening makes it worse Also Bacon and Porke especially boyled the Hare especially when he is olde Venison both of fallow and red Deere that liue in a corrupted aire are vnwholsome not alone for the reason that some giue of their liuing alwayes in the open aire and much running heating their bodies therein which makes them apt to be corrupted by the contagion but also in regard of the manner of killing them which is by hunting them to death for in that action they poyson their flesh very much by tyring their bodies and weakening their spirits to the death and by the infinite working of the passion of feare in them which how apt that is to poyson any body I shall shew in his place Foules that liue in fens or waters are all naught as the Goose Ducke Mallard Teale Hearon c. Meats made of the Inwards of Beasts are not good as Puddings Tripes Chitterlings Kidneys Livers Lights Milts c. Of Fishes such as liue in standing Pooles and Ponds especially in muddy waters are very evill as Carps Eeles Lampreys and such like for they corrupt the humors and breed obstructions Salt-fish and Sea fish sharpen the humors Oysters Cockles Muskles Peruinckles are hurtfull Grisly fish as Mayds Thornbacke and such like are to be avoyded Egges of Geese Ducks Pigeons c. are to be reiected Milke because it is of all meates most easie of digestion soone corrupteth in the stomach and therefore is disallowed So is Creame because it makes grosse blood Likewise Cheese because it is stopping And also Whey because it is opening and not nourishing Of Fruits all such as are Worme-eaten are to be accounted corrupted and naught All sweete and luscious fruits as Cherries Plums greene Figs sweete Grapes Black-berries c. Also Melons Pompions Pomcitrons c. Forbeare generally all Summer fruits because they breed crudities and grosse humors Among the rest also Beanes and Pease are accounted vnfit meats Roots such as are watrish are to be refrained so also is Garlicke for all it is called the Poore-mans Triacle because it openeth and heateth too much therefore it is seldome fit in these times Hearbs that are hot are not to be vsed but with good advise and tempering them with such as are cooling And beware of Cabages Coleworts Lettice and Rocket and all moyst and cold hearbs for they breed obstructions and crudities Let not your Sauces be sweet for such increase choller nor too full of taste for that whets the appetite beyond the desire of nature provokes to too liberall feeding Among other sauces Mustard is chiefly to be forbidden because it openeth and discusseth Beware of hot Spices vse them sparingly and then well allayed with cooling things Pottage and Broths are no fit food for these times because if they be thicke and strong they nourish too fast or if they be thin and not nourishing they fill the body with moysture more then needs For Manardus li. 5. epist 3. saith The body ought rather to be dried then moystened Some haue from strangers taken vp a foolish tricke of eating Mushroms or Toadstooles But let them now be warned to cast them away for the best Authors hold the best of them at all times in a degree venomous and therefore in time of Pestilence much more dangerous Now for the manner of dressing your meat briefly obserue that baked meats because their vapours are restrained within their coffins are not so well purified by the fire as meats otherwise cooked therefore they are suspected to haue in them a degree of venom especially if the meat haue beene kept any long while in the infected Aire much more if it be Venison for the reasons before-named But if any be earnestly desirous of Baked meats let them first take heed they be not too full of taste and gluttonous and also let the pie or pastie be opened as soone as it comes out of the Oven and so let it breath it selfe till it be cold Also sowsed and pickled meats are not good neither are boyled meats so good as rosted Of Drinkes Beere or Ale that is new strong heady and fuming also bitter flâ—t dead or fusty are to be avoyded Likewise such as are sophisticated
with Lemons Spices c. And those that are made with Sage Worm-wood Scorby-grasse and other such Ingredients vnto which may be added Metheglin Mead Bragget Vsquebath Hippocras Aqua-Vitae Rosa solis Aqua Composita and all strong and Compounded waters As these are indeed no other then Medicines so neither are they otherwise to be vsed that is alwayes with good Caution vpon good cause and with skilfull Counsell Pery and sweet Cyder are to be refused for their sweetness and coldness Wines though they are frequently vsed among sober people yet they are not so fit for the constitution of English men as Beere and Ale And this is evident in that the onely wise God who knoweth best what is fittest for every Region hath forbidden this Soyle to bring forth such things because they are either needlesse or not naturall to the Inhabitants Therefore it were good if all kindes of Wines were vsed of vs but as so many kindes of Medicines also that is onely to helpe Nature when shee is too weake to helpe her selfe in Concoction Retention and Excretion And among Wines in regard of the Sicknesse those that are new sweet blacke and troubled are forbidden Piercing Wines such as White and Rhenish for the reasons already alleaged in Piercing and Attenuating things I cannot allow of for ordinary vse though some Physitions doe As for Muskadell and Malego their sweet taste and that dullnesse of Spirit which is caused by them betrayes their vnfitnesse in times of Contagion And before I leaue this point let me leaue with you this Caveat Take heed into what houses you enter to drinke with your friend lest in stead of a health you drinke your death Let euery man drinke in his own cup and let none trust the breath of his Brother Also take heed of all drinkes that smell or taste of the Caske Now me-thinkes I heare one whisper in mine eare hee would faine know what I thinke of Tobacco he takes it to be the onely Antidote against the Plague I cannot stand to dispute the case deepely But I will briefly shew my opinion Tobacco hath these manifest Qualities It is Heating and Drying it evacuateth grosse Humors it draweth away Rheums it provoketh Vrine and keepeth the belly soluble There may be some times and some bodies wherein a Medicine having these opening qualities may be vsed as namely to a Cold and Flegmaticke complexion full of grosse humors the partie for the time keeping himselfe warme and within dores But for the common fashion of taking it by every man every day yea almost every houre in shops and open places without consideration of constitution or iust cause I cannot approue of it at all much lesse as any Antidote But let vs examine it a little further for their sakes that would vse it more orderly and see whither it may be accounted a Preservatiue Medicine or no. I haue already reckoned the best qualities it hath being taken in the Pipe for so onely I discourse of it and the first of those qualities indeed shews a faire countenance to the case But the foure latter talke too much of penetration and evacuation wherewith it opens the pores and makes the body fit to receiue the contagious aire it also dissolues the braine and causeth the humors thereof to fall downe into all parts of the body distempered with a heat contrary to nature wherupon it enflames the blood turns it to melancholy and resteth not till it haue also turned Blacke Choller into Burnt Choller And in all this doing his heat carries no cordiall to the spirits which must never be absent from an Antidote for it is mixed with a nauseous qualitie noysome to the stomach and offensiue to nature as appeares by the violence it offers in vomiting when a little of the iuice is given to that purpose These things considered I thinke Tobacco hath very little good vse in Pestilent times And thus much for noysome things to be avoided Now we come to reckon vp holsome things to be elected Let the Qualities of your meats and drinkes be temperate betwixt hot and cold and rather drie then moyst And if the stomach may endure it let them for the most part haue a sharp or sower smacke with them Let them be of easie digestion breeding good blood and sincere humors in the body Let your Bread be made of the best and purest Wheat which alone maketh the best Bread or mixe it with some Rie Let the Corne be such as harvest hath housed before the Aire became infectious Leauened bread is the most holsome because of the sowernesse Let those that may bake their bread at home Rosted Beefe may be eaten with Vineager A rosting Pigge is not to be denyed if his belly be stuffed with Sage sweete Marioram Spinach Parsley and Mints the sauce also made sharpe with Vineager and spiced with a little Pepper or Ginger Veale Mutton Lamb Kid and Coney are very holsome but let them not be very fat Of Fowles such as fly neerest the Sunne and build their nests on high feeding on sweet and holsome graine are best approved by the best Authors because they receiue lesse infection from the lower aire which is the most contagious But if we examine which are they we shall finde but a few that keepe all these conditions For the Hearon flies high and builds high but feeds in fenny and moorish places and on moyst meates The Kite Hawke Raven and such like feed on carrion and are never counted worthy to be served as a dish at the Table The Larke flies high and neare the Sunne but hath his nest on the earth The Rookes in deed flie somthing high build high and feed on the best Corne and their young ones are esteemed daintie food but these are not for every ones dish Therefore we may not be so over-curious in the choice of these creatures Let these suffice as most holsome viz. Capon Turkey Henne Pullet Chicken Partridge Pheasant tame Pigeons yong wilde Pigeons Turtles Larks Black-birds Thrushes and Finches Some Inwards of Beasts and Fowles also are very good and holsome as the Gizards and Livers of Hens and Capons the Hearts of Veale Mutton and Lambe also Lamb-stones and young Cock-stones are excellent meat and fit for the state of some bodies But whosoever he be that makes choice of them for the nourishment of his lust let him remember the Israelites Quailes and tremble lest while the meat is in his mouth the hand of God be at his heart and in the messe of his sinne the Plague salute him with the message of death Fishes that are of Rivers and cleare running waters are best as Plaise Flounders c. Fresh Salmon Trouts Barbels Shrimps c. Of Sea-fish there are but a few fit to be vsed in these times and those are Gogions Mullets Soales Gurnards Lobsters and Cray-fishes But fish must be seldomer vsed then flesh and onely for change