now come there câ—me the satin pâ—e of it and now there is more knowledge of the vertues tâ—erof then before there was Many of them that came in this fleeâ—e from the newe Spayne doe speake much good of this roote But he that speaketh most of it is a Gentleman that came from Mechoacan brought a good quantity of it with him That as he reporteth also what we haue experimented of it we wil speake of and also of the complection and temperaâ—ure thereof which is hot drie in the first part of the second degree The principall effect that this Roote doth profite in is in â—â—â—mes and runninges of the head for it causeth them to floâ—e out of the mouth and â—ringeth them from the head â—y 〈◊〉 a little of the Rind of the Roote a good time but it 〈◊〉 be tâ—ken in tâ—e morâ—ing fasting it boydeth out much 〈◊〉 â— hâ—mors from the head that would go to the stomaâ—e 〈◊〉 otheâ— partes but before this be done it is conuenient that 〈…〉 be purged 〈◊〉 â—hat chew it wâ—ich can easâ—ly vomite doe vomite with chewing of it it causeth them to cast out much Choler and fleume and much more it maketh them vomite if they take the decoction of it for it maketh the humour to come vp which is in the stomake with much easinesse The rooâ—e comforteth the stomake and also the gummes by chewing of it and it fortifieth the teeth and doeth preserue them from woormes and that they rotte not nor corrupt It maketh a good smell in the mouth and because it is bitter it is conuenient after that you haue chewed it that you wash your mouth with wine that the bitternesse may be taken away In the infirmities of women chiefly where opilations are and lacke of purgation the pouder of the rynde of the Roote doeth dissolue them and taketh them away and maketh their purgation to come downe well with the vse thereof It must be taken with wine or with water sodden with Coriander and Cinamon which they must drinke whiles they doe take it it dissolueth windes and comforteth the stomake whiles they vse it they must annoynt their Bellie with the oyle of Liquide Amber and Dialtea of equall partes and first they must bee purged and take heede that they keepe all good order and good gouernment In the euils of the hearte chiefly beeyng ioyned with the Mother the saide pouders and the water sodden with the rynde of the Roote doe woorke very greate effectes They must take the pouder in the order as is aforesaide and the weight of twelue pence of the roote cut small and sodden in one Pottell and a halfe of water vntill halfe bee sodden away and then they must cast into it the waight of two shillinges of the ryndes of Cidrous beeyng â—rie and the weight of twelue pence of Cinamom made in pouder and geue it certayne seethinges with them and then strayne it and they must take euery morning a small vessâ—l of sixe Ounces of this seething with Sugar because it is somewhat what bitter or without it as you please and it is to be noted that before you begin to vse it you must make the vniuersall euacuations which shall be conuenient This Gentleman sayeth which brought this Roote tâ—at it profiteth muche in the disease of the Poxe taking it in Pouder or the seething of it which I haue not experimented for that wee haue so many remedies for this euill that wee haue made no experience thereof he saith that it is to be taken without keeping more then when they be taking the water or pouder and that then they keepe good order and good gouernment in their meates and in all other thinges In the falling sicknesse a strong disease and well neere incurable they say that it hath a great propertie and worketh greate effectes taking the pouder of the rinde of the roote with wine or with water as is most conuenient for him that shall take it I counselled one heere who was more then fourtie yeeres of age and had had it of long time to take it and hitherto he hath not felte more then to vomite with the pouder when he taketh it and he casteth vp much Choler and his faintnesse is not so great as it was wont to be It seemeth to me that it cannot take it away For it shoulde worke that effect in them that doe not passe twenty and fiue yeeres who vnto that time haue remedy I will proue it vppon such it woulde be no little good that it might worke the effect that is spoken of it In griefes of the Head they vse this roote in those partes as a great and sure remedy I will tell what hath passed The first time that I sawe this roote was in the power of one which was sicke who came from Mexico and he brought it for a greate thing saying that he healed there with and tooke away the paynes of the head which he had certayne dayes and he asked me if that he shoulde vse it I tasted of the roote and it seemed to me as I haue sayde and I counselled him that he shoulâ— vse it as they had willed him to doe in Mexico and so he did chewe it in the morning and it tooke away the paines of the head which a long tyme had molested him After this a passenger tolde mee which came in the Shippe where the Gentleman was that brought a quantitie of this roote and he chewed it wel did disfleume therewith and immediatly it tooke away the payne he shewed me a little that remained therof which was the same that I sawe and since that some haue vsed it and it hath done very wel with them In the toothache they that haue brought it into Spaine do much esteeme of it And being in the lodging where this man was which brought the roote the host of the house certified me that hauing the toothache very grieuous it tooke it away from him with chewing the rinde of the roote on the same side where the tooth was which grieued him disfleming therewith as much as he could And I being one day in the Custome house curing a Genoues which was there an other of the same Nation complained vnto mee of the toothache and wee caused to be brought some of the said Roote and in the presence of as many as were there hee chewed the rinde of this roote hauing very greate paynes and he auoyded much Fleume and in disfleming it began to take away the paynes and before he went from thence hee was throughly cured Certaine dayes past I had a grief in one tooth so that it pained me all one Night and parte of one day and I gathered in a garden which I haue in my house câ—rtaine leaues of Tabaco and also the aforesaid roote and I chewed both together and disfleumed and the paines went from me and returned no more to me being more then sixe
indisgestion and rawnesse of stomacke for want of heate it tooke them away with taking of one good cupfull of this water euery morning fasting and so with drinking it continually but that which he dranke euery morning he dranke it cold and yâ—t neuerthelesse hee was healed very well of the flixe which he had many yeeres Iâ— griefes of women the water of Sassafras doeth greatly profite and in especially in that which is called the euil of the Mother and where there is windinesse it consumeth dissâ—â—â—eth it and also any maner of colde of the belâ—y and it dissolueth the swelling of it curing any manner of disease which proceedeth of the Mother And this is so experimented and so put in vse that many haue beene healed with this water that neuer thought to haue recouered health And in the withhelding the Monethly course that commeth not to women this water maketh a meruellous woorke by prouoking and making it come in them that wholie doe lacke it taking one Cuppe ful of this water in the morning drinking it ordinarily at dinner and at supper and in the day tyme being more simple then that in the morning vsing good regiment and dooing other thinges which may helpe the water that it may bee prouoked And vnto them also to whome it doeth not come wel it bringeth manifest profite taking the water in forme as is aforesaide keeping them the tyme that they take it from such thinges as may offende them and beeing vsed it doeth disopilate and make a good colour in the face as it is seene by the experience of them that doe vse it hauing need of it Let them beware if they haue much heate or bee of a hotte complexion in such case let them moderate the quantitie of the wood and the seething of the water as is conuenient and this is easie to be done by seing howe it goeth with them at the beginning with the vse of it and according thereunto they may ryse or fal as it seemeth to be necessarie Some women doe vse of this water for to make them with childe and in some it hath wrought the effect as it is wel knowen That which I can say is that a gentlewoman beeing many yeeres married without hauing children tooke this water for that her husbande vsed it for certayne euilles of Opilations and of an agewe that helde hâ—m with certayne sittes of a double tercian which he had and hee continued with the taking of it in the Morning hotte and at Dinner simple and at Supper and in the day tyme keeping a good gouernement whereby it came to passe that she was with childe and brought foorth a sonne And I vnderstande that one of the principall vertues that this water hath is to dryue away the Mother for this effect for the most parte of women that haue no children is for the greate colde that is ingendered within the Mother which doeth hinder the cause of generation and as the water ryseth it consumeth it comforting the place and dissoluing the windes that are the let of it I am sure that it will manifestly profite as we haue seene in them which doe not bring forth childreÌ„ for hauing too much heate and drieth to whome permit not the vse of this water for because it will not profite them and if they do take it and feele hurt thereof let them not put the fault in the water but in their complexions seing that it is not conuenient for them The vse of this water doeth make fatte and this is certainly knowen for we haue seene many leane and sicke that haue taken it and haue healed of their euils and haue recouered much more flesh better colour as those people that come from the Florida do praise it very much they they al say that the vse of this water doeth make fat and it happeneth so to many and not onely it healeth them of their diseases but also maketh theÌ„ remaine with a good colour And so it seemeth by theÌ„ that come from that country for that they come al fatte and of a good colour who I beleeue as they wâ—re very sick so that they were very leane yellow when as they were healed of their infirmities which they had they gathered fleshe and became of a good colour ingendering in the Liuer good blood by the which the members were â—etter maintayned than when they were sicke And surely it iâ— a greate thing that this water shoulde woorke this effect coâ—sidering that it is hot and â—rye if it were not for the causes that are aboue sayd And I haue seene many that entered iâ— to taâ—e the water of the wood leane and with an euil colour to come foorth strong and fatte and of a good colour eating no otâ—er thing then Resâ—nges Almondes and Bisket In pestilent and contagious diseases which we haue seen in the time of the Pestilence past there were many that desired to drinke it to preserue them from that euill And we did see that none of them which vsed it were wounded of the disease that then reigned Many did vse to carry a peece of the Roote of the Wood with them to smell to it continually as to a Pomander For with the smell so acceptable it did rectifie the infected ayre I carried with mee a peece a great time and to my seeming I found great profite in it For with it with the chewing of the rind of the Cidron nor of the Lemmon in the morning and in the day time to preserue health it haâ—h a great strength and property And it seemeth to me that I was deliuered by the helpe of God from the fire in the which wee that were Phisitions went in blessed be our Lord GOD that deliuered vs from so great euill and gaue vs this most excellent tree called Sassafras which hath so great vertues and worketh such maruellous effectes as we haue spoken of and more which Time wil shewe vs which is the discouerer of all thinges It shall doe well to shewe the quantitie of the wood and also the quantitie of water wherein it shall be sodden to prescribe a rule in waight and measure in effectes and temperatures for them that are hot and others that are colde I will tell you the order that ought to bee kept in taâ—ing the water of this excellent wood which must bee made conformably to the disease of him that shall take it and accordinâ— to the quantitie and compâ—exion of the sicke bodie For vâ—to the Cholerike Person the water ought to bee geuen lesse sodden and with lesse quanâ—itie of wood and to the flegmatike more sodden and with more quantitie of woode So the diseases should be considered of Uâ—to them that are very cold the water ought to be geuen more sodden and with more quantitie of Wood. And vnto them thâ—t be not so colâ—e but doe participate of some heate the water ought to be geuen lesse sodden
though he had not had any euil therein at all The cake was made of certaine Wormes which the Indians take out of the grounde and they make them fatte giuing them to eate leaues of a certaine kinde of corne that they haue there called Maiz and after they are fatte they put them into a frying panne of earth and seeth them therein and as they take of the skumme they strayne it and seeth it stil vntil it be thicker then an oyntment after the fashion and manner as he had it there They bring also from the Charcas certaine Rootes that bee like to the Rootes of flower de Luce sauing that they are smaller and they smell much lyke the leaues of Figge tree they call these Rootes in the Indias a remedy against the venemous hearbe for beeing made into pouder and taken with whyte wyne it is a thing of great strength and of the greatest vertue that is there against venome of what manner or qualitie soeuer it be so that it be not corsiue as Sublimatum or the lyke and as for that kinde of poyson with only drinking of much Milke they bee remedied This Roote beeing taken causeth the venome to bee cast out which is eaten or drunken or any manner venemous humour comming of any euill degree or cause whatsoeuer which is as wel done by vomit as by sweate If thâ—re bee any small Wormes or long Wormes in the body it killeth and expelleth them and if you haue any suspicion that there haue beene giuen you any venomous morsel whether it bee venome or witchecraft it expelleth it in which there is so much trust in those partes that they take it for a meruellous remedy for the thinges aforesayde The roote being tasted it hath a sweete relishe with some sharpnes It seemeth to be hot in the second degree From the coast of Nicaraga and of Nata they which come in these last ships from the firme land bring a certaine kind of purge with them that surely by the tast is easie to be taken and it worketh well and without any payne principally it purgeth Choler It is the fruite of a tree very great after the maner of Thornish Chestnuts which haue within them Chestnuts sauing that they pricke not but be playne within those prickles there be some like to Chestnuts made cleane without shale well neere square which deuide themsâ—lues asunder by meanes of a little skin euery one into two partes and so they are couered with it and when they be taken occupied that little skin is plucked away they are made cleane froÌ„ it for that beyng taken with it it procureth most dangerous accidentes and vomites much faintnesse and infinite stooles and without it the Chestnut is a purgation very gentle and they purge easily and without paines if they be tosted then they will purge lesse if they be greene they eate them or being beaten in a Morter they take them with wine or with the broth of a henne if â—hey bee drie they make pouder of them any manner of fashion They doe their worke well and with much assurance keeping the order that ought to be kept by them which be purged and the humors beyng prepared as is conuenient They are hot in the first degree ¶ Of the Sarcaparillia of Guaiaquill IN the first part wee declared howe that they brought Sarcaparillia from Peru which wee vse in some persons and it worketh greate effectes And because there was but little of it and soone done we returned to that of the Hâ—nduras which is that we haue spenâ— hiâ—herto And ning as much as they can drinke at once or at diuers times and after they cast themselues into a sweate and they sweate so much that it runneth by the Bedde in great quantitie After that they take cleane cloathes and eate of a Henne but they drinke of no other thing but of that iuyce which they tooke out of the rynde of the Sarcaparillia as well at Dinner as at Supper and they must eate very little at Supper likewise at Dinner And they must procure to keepe themselues from the Ayre and from the colde all that they can although in that Uillage of Guaiaquill wherein bee about fiftie houses or few more the most of them are Cotages of little safegarde and the Walles be made of Canes and there be no Chambers on high but onely belowe they dwel all in places of little defence Being in this order and small comforte for lacke of Conserua and drie fruite which were necessary yet in eight or nine dayes they are made whole of all the diseases that are healed with the Sarcaparillia and of many others which shoulde be very large to speake of It is sufficient that there goe no Man from thence which returneth not whole although he had neuer so greeuous a disease so that they bee not sharpe Agewes For in that case the cure hath no place or in any other sharpe disease All other diseases it healeth with maruellous successe as it is seene by the great number of people which come thither and goe away whole of the diseases which they bring thither But it is needfull that he which doth enter into this cure bee strong and not weake for if he be weake he cannot suffer so great sweate without great perill of his person For these euilles they haue another manner of Water that is taking foure ounces of Sarcaparillia rather more then lesse for that there they vse neyther wayghte nor measure but doe put all at discretion and they take away the rynde from the Sarcaparillia and breake it without putting it in Water if it bee greene and if if it be drie then they breake it put it in water vntill it bee made soft this rynd beyng without the heart they seeth in 4. Pottels of water little more or lesse and they seeth it vntill halfe the water be diminished rather more then lesse and of that Water they drinke as muche as they can in many times or at one time and forthwith they betake themselues to sweat and although they sweat not so much as they sweat with the first water yet they will heale they moue their clothes they eate of a Pullet they keep themselues from the colde and ayre and at Dinner and Supper they vse the self same water for that in one day they consume one seething this people take it in this manner fifteene or twentie dayes in this sort also they are healed of all their euils diseases to the great admiration of the people And for the vse of this Sarcaparillia they do not except any disease vnles it be feuers or sharpe diseases these people purge not at the beginning as we doe heere nor in the middest nor in the ende of the cure for there is no other Phisition nor medicine but certayne women which be there that giue the water they are women Phisitions and therefore they take away and put
done with speed before the hurt doe enter the inner partes for if it once doe come to the harte the cure will goe harde and this must bee vniuersally in al prickinges or bytings of venomous beastes And if the wound bee smal it is needful to open it with a smal cut or some other way and if it be newe let the cuttinges bee smal and if it bee of a long tyme then let the incision bee deepe for that with the much blood that geeth out thereof there goe out a greate parte of the venom also And after the cutting let there bee applyed such things as may drawe out strongly the venom still adding thereunto that as shal be needful Some there bee that doe sucke out the venom of the prickes or woundes with their mouth but it is dangerous to them that so doe for some haue dyed therof it is better to râ—medie it with ventosities or to put too it the hinder parte of a Cocke or a Chicken or a Pigeon beeing aliue vppon the pricke or wâ—unde the fethers being plucked fâ—om the hindâ—r part therâ—of and vse it so often as shal bee needful vntill yâ—u perceiue that they haue taken out the venom that is in the wounde and euery one of them must be applyed thereto so long tyme vntil that you may perceiue that hee doeth waxe faynt or vntill he bee readie to dye Also it is a good remedie to put them that bee a liue opened at the back and let thâ—m be there as long time as they haue any heate and beginning to waxe colde then take them away put others to and the venom being taken out by these meanes let there bee put vpon the wouâ—d a medicine that hath vertue to keepe the wounde open Some do vse in the cuttinges or incisions an actuall thing to burne called a cauterie which doth very much good extinguishing the venom and comforting the hurte The same â—ffect doâ—th the cawterie potentiall in killing the venâ—me but it is not so good as the actuall but thereby it doeth cause that the wounde doe not close which is very necessary for the cure The iuyce of the herbe Escuerçonera doeth profit very much being put on venomous â—ytings or prickings by it selfe or mingled with other medicines that haue vertue to take away the streÌ„gth of the venom as treacle methridato other medicines like to these and if the Bezaar stone might be had casting the pouder therof vpoÌ„ the wound it wil worke a maruellous effect While they are in this case they must be kept with good order good gouernement in al thinges that are contrary to them and vsing euacuations such as is conuenient with wholesome medicines and there must bee mingled with them medicines that are against venom and when time serueth vse letting of blood and in the rest to goe to the cure of the disease and vnto euery one of them as it is conuenient vniuersally and particularly hauing alwayes care to giue to them that are sicke in the morning fasting the conserua of the roote of the Escuerçonera and his water or the Bezaar stone or the pouder as it is said or Bolearmenike prepared hee must haue care to annoynt the harte with things which are temperate that may comforte with pouders and cordiall waters amongest the which let there bee put the herbe Escuerçonera And besides the vertues that the herbe Escuerçonera hath against the bytinges of these beastes in particular and for the remedie of all in vniuersal it hath also other particular vertues the vse whereof hath beene shewed vnto vs it is very good against sowndinges of the harte and for them that haue the falling sicknes and for women whose matrix are suffocated or stopped by taking the conserua made of the roote and drinking the iuyce of the hearbe clarified or the water of it distilled It doeth profit much when the soundinges are come but much more before they doe come when they feele that they begin to sownde let them take the roote therof with the water and it doeth hinder the comming therof and if it do come it is much lesse and it doeth not woorke so vehemently as when it is taken after Unto them that haue the gidinesse in the head it doeth good and being continually taken it maketh the hart merrie it doeth take away the sadnes which is the cause therof the iuyce taken out of the leaues and clarified and set in Sunne for certaine dayes taking the cleerest thereof and put into the eyes doeth clarifie the sight and taketh away the dimnesse therof if it be mingled with a litle good hony it is good for them that feare themselues to bee poysoned The conserua of the roote beeing taken and the water in the morning that day by Gods grace they shal bee safe The vse and experience of this hearbe hath bin taught without any auctor for to this day we knowe not with what name the authors doe terme it Iohn Odoricus Mechiorius an Almayne PhisitioÌ„ doth wryte in an Epistle to Andrew Mathiolo saying that Peter Carniser a Catalan Phisition sent to him the herbe Escuerçonera dry into Germany this Phisition did aske of Mathiolo what herbe it was Mathiolo did not know what hearbe it was neither did any other vntil now that it hath bin spoken or written of Some that are curious wil say that it is the CoÌ„drillia a spice of Succory which Dioscorides doth make mention of in the second booke in the 122. chapter although that it hath some likenesse therof it differeth much in the roote for the Condrillia hath it very wooddie and vnprofitable and very smal and in the flowers but they differ not in their vertues for both of them are good for the bytings of adders And whatsoeuer that our Escuerçonera is wee see that his effectes are greate as well against the bytinges of the Escuerços which is so euill a beast and venomous as for other diseases which we haue spoken of which seeing that in so fewe yeres there hath bene so much thereof discouered I do trust that much more wil be hereafter by wise men that there may be added to this which I haue discouered and written of it And seeing that we haue treated briefly and the best that we can of these twoo medicines so precious to wit the Bezaar stone and the hearbe Escuerçonera which are twoo things so precious and of so greate effectes against venom now haue we to treate of the last parte which wee promised to doe â—nd how we ought to keepe and preserue our selues not to fal into so greate a danger as of them is declared for that it is better to keepe our selues from daunger theÌ„ to fal therein Heerein the ancient wryters haue bin very circumspect Amongest the rest it hath beene an ancient custome in Princes Courts other greate estates to haue their tasters as wel of their meate as of their drinke for the eschewing of poyson and so by
euery yeere it bringeth foorth yellow flowers out of the which is ingendered a round fruite with litle kernelles within it of the greatnesse of a Medler of these Trees there is greate aboundance in Sancto Domingo And after this they haue founde an other Tree of the kind of this Guaiacan in Saint Iohn de Puerto Rico which is an other Ilande neere to that of Sancto Domingo such an other tree as that is sauing that it is lesse the body of the tree and the bowes are smaller it hath scarsely any harte or if it haue any it is very little and that is in the body of the tree for that the bowes haue none at all It is of more sweete smel and more bitter then the Guaiacan that is nowe vsed in our tyme I meane that of Sancto Domingo and for his maruellous effectes they call it the holy Woode surely with reason for that it is of a better working then that of Sancto Domingo which is seene by experience but euen aswell the one the other is a maruellous remedy to cure the disease of the Poxe of the which and of euery one of them a water is made and is taken for this infirmitie and for many others in this forme They take twelue ounces of the wood made small and twoo ounces of the Rinde of the same woodde broken and they cast it to steepe in three Pottels of Water in a newe pot that will holde somwhat more for the space of xxiiii houres and the pot being well stept they seeth it ouer a soft fire of kindled Coales vntill the twoo Pottels bee sodde away and one remayning And this is to be noted at the time the water is put to it putting therein one Pottle they dip in a little Rodde and doe marke howe high the water of one Pottle reacheth and by that measure and marke they shall see when the twoo are sodde away and the one Pottell remayneth After the water is sodden they set it to coole straine it and keepe it in a glassed vessell and forthwith vppon the said sodden woodde they poure foure Pottels of water and seeth it till one bee sodden away and this water must bee strayned and kept apart and it must bee taken in this forme After that the sicke man is purged by the counsell of a Phisition let him be put into a warme Chamber and kept from the colde and from ayre and beeing laied in his bedde let him take early in the morning tenne ounces of Water of that which was first made wel warmed and let him bee couered so that he may sweate wel let him kepe his sweat at the least two houres after he hath swet let him be made cleane from his sweat take a warme Shirt and the rest of his Linen clothes foure houres after he hath swette let him eate Reasings Almonds and Bisket and that in reasonable quantitie Then let him drinke of the water that was made at the second tyme the quantity that he hath need of and of the selfe same let him drinke in the day time eight houres after hee hath eaten let him returne to take the first water and let him take other tenne ounces well warmed and then sweate other two◠houres and after his sweate let him bee made cleane and then bee couered againe with warme cloathes and one houre after hee hath swet let him make his supper of the same Reasings Almonds and Bisket and drinke of the second Water This order he must obserue the first fiftiene daies except hee haue some notable weaknesse and in such case her must bee succoured with geuing him to eate of a young Chicken iointly with the rest of the Diet and in them that be leane that cannot beare so precise Diet it is sufficient that they take it for nine dayes and at the end of them they may eate a little Chicken rosted if in case the sicke person be debilited and that he cannot suffer the Diet let him haue from the beginning a very small Chicken going forwarde increasing in the proces of tyme and beeing past the 15. dayes let him returne to purge himselfe at the sixtiene dayes end let him take the waight of fiue shillinges of the substaunce of Canafistola taken out by Strayner or other thing respondent thereunto and that day let him drinke no strong Water but of the simple and the next day after the Purgation let him returne to the aforesayde order taking in the morning and euening the strong water with his sweatinges and eating and drinking the same Sauing that in place of a Chicken hee may eate halfe a rosted Pullet or somwhat more and this seconde tyme let him take it for other xx daies in the which tyme hee may ryse and walke about his chamber being apparelled and kept warme And at the end of them hee shall returne to purge him selfe an other tyme and must haue a speciall care to keepe good order and after hee hath takē the water for other fortie dayes must keepe himselfe from women and from wyne especially and in place of wyne hee must drinke the simple water of the woodde which if he wil not doe then let him drinke of water sodden with Anise seede or Fenell seede supping little at night and eating no flesh This is the best way that the water of the wood ought to be taken which doeth heale many infirmities incurable where other Medicines could not worke the same effect this water is the best remedy that is in the worlde to heale the disease of the Poxe whatsoeuer or of what kinde soeuer it bee for that it rooteth it out for euer without any more comming againe and in this it hath his principal prerogatiue and excellencie This water is also good for the Dropsy for the shortnes of breath for the Falling sicknes for the diseases of the Bladder and of the Raynes for the paynes of the Ioynts for all euils caused of cold humors for ventositie and other dangerous and importunate diseases where the ordinary benefites of Phisicions haue not profited Chiefly it excelleth where the euil dispositions be that haue proceeded at any tyme from the disease of the Poxe There be many that with this wood haue made sundry mixtures making Syropes therof and surely with good effect But my iudgement and opinion is that he which shall take the water of the wood ought to take it in the maner as is aboue saide without any mingling thereof for that by expeperience it hath beene seene so to make the better woorke This water is good for the teeth making them white and fastning them by continual washing of them therewith it is hot and dry in the second degree Of the China THe Second Medicine that commeth from our Indias is a roote called the China It seemeth that I should slaunder it to say that the China groweth in our Occidental Indias since commonly the Portingales doe bring
it from the Orientall Indias By this you shall vnderstande that Syr Frauncis de Mendosa a worâ—hy Knight when hee came from the newe Spayne and Peru shewed to mee a greate Roote and other little rootes who asked mee what rootes they were I aunswer â—o that they were rootes of the China but that they seemed to mee to bee very freshe Hee sayde to mee that so they were and that it was not longe since that they had beene gathered and brought from the new Spaine I maruelled that they had it there for I did beleeue that in the China only it had growen he said vnto mee that not only there was in the newe Spaine the China but that also wee shoulde see brought greate quantitie of Spicerie from the place which that China came from And I beleued it when I saw the contract that he made with his maiestie to bring into Spaine great quantitie of spicerie that hee had begon to set and to plante and I saw greene Ginger brought from thence as also the China This China is a roote lyke to the roote of a cane with certaine knottes within it whyte and some with the whytenesse hath an alborne colour it is red without the best is the freshest that which hath no holes if it bee weightie and not worme eaten and that it haue a fatnes as if it were congeled and it hath an vnsauery cast This Roote doeth growe in the China which is the Orientall Indias neere to Siria and Sirciana It groweth neere to the Sea onely with the roote they helpe themselues with the which the Indians bee healed of grieuous diseases And therfore they haue it in great estimation they do heale al maner of large diseases therewith and also the sharpe diseases especially Agues with the Water of it prouoking Sweats and by this way they heale many It prouoketh sweat maruellously It is wel neere xxx yeeres since that the Portingales brought it to these parts with great estimatioÌ„ for to heale al manner of diseases and especially the disease of the Poxe in the which it hath wrought greate effectes and the Water is giuen in this forme The sicke person beeing purged as is most conuenient must take one of the Rootes and cut them small vnto the thicknesse and greatnes of a three penny peece and so being cut shall way one ounce and cast it into a newe Pot and thereupon shall poure three Pottels of Water and so shall lye a sleeping there xxiiii houres and the Pot beeing stopt let it seeth at a soft fire of kindled Coales vntill half be sodden away one Pottel half remaine and this is to be knowen by the order of the Measure as aforesaid in the water of the Wood. And after that it is colde let it bee strained and kept in a glassed vessel There must be care taken that it stande in some hotte or warme place neere to the fire for that therwith it doeth preserue the vertue the better and dureth longer tyme before it be corrupted The sicke man being lodged in a close conuenient Chamber must take in the morning fasting tenne ounces of the sayde water as hotte as he can suffer it and he shall procure sweat keepe it two houres at the least After the sweat hee shal bee made cleane and shall take a Shirte and cleane clothes warme them and shall lye downe againe twoo or three houres in the bed quietly after hee hath swet And afterwarde let him apparell himselfe and beeing well warmed remayne in his Chamber in the which he shal be kept from cold the open ayâ—e with all the pleasure of good company and conuersation he shal eate at xi of the clocke halfe a Chicken sodden or a quarter of a Henne with a little Salt At the beginning of dinner he shal drinke a dishfull of Broth and foorthwith eate of the Pullet eating at the beginning a little and hee shal ende with Marmelade His drinke shal bee of the water hee tooke in the morning for that heere is no more then one water hee may at the beginning after the Broth is taken begin too eate Reasinges without theyr little Graynes or Prunes without theyr stones theyr bread must bee Crustie well baked or Bisket If hee will drinke in the day tyme hee may doe so with taking of a little Conserua and drinke of the same water and beeing â—ight houres past his Dinner let him lye downe in his Bedde and take other tenne ounces of the same water the which being hotte hee may drinke and procure sweate two houres after he hath sweat let him be made cleane and take a cleane shirte and cleane clothes warme and after one houre let him sup with CoÌ„serua Reasinges and Almondes with some Bisket and drinke of the selfe same water and last of all eate Marmelade vpon the which he may not drinke Thus he may continue xxx dayes continually without neede of any more Purgation then the first and hee may sit vp so that he go wel cloathed vsing in this tyme all content and mirth and keeping him selfe from al that may offend him After that he hath taken this water in this sort hee must keepe good order and good gouernement for fortie dayes continually And hee must drinke no Wine but water made of the China that was before sodden the which hee shall keepe after it is sodden setting it to dry in a shadowie place and that China being dry must be kept to make water for other 40. dayes to drinke after the taking of the first water seething one ounce thereof in three Pottels of water vnâ—il one halfe be sodden away and this water let him drinke continually And aboue all thinges let him keepe himselfe from women and he must alwayes haue care that as well in the water of xxx dayes as in the water of the fourty daies that the China be steeped in the water xxiiii houres before it be sodden There be many diseases healed with this water al kinds of euill of the Poxe all olde Sores it resolueth all swellinges and knobbes it taketh away the paynes of the ioyntes which they call the Arthetica Goute and any other kinde of Goute that is in any particular member or place and especially the Sciatica it taketh away olde paynes of the head and of the stomake It healeth all manner of runninges of Rewmes it dissolueth Opilations and healeth the Dropsie It maketh a good colour in the face it taketh awaie the Iaundies and all euill complexion of the Liuer rectifieth it and in this it hath a greate prerogatiue And by this meanes these infirmities are healed It healeth the Palsey all infirmities of the Sinewes it healeth all diseases of Urine it taketh away Melancholy and all infirmities comming of colde diseases It doth comfort the stomake it doth dissolue windes meruellously and also Agues long and sharp as quotidians the taking of this water as it is conuenient so doth
it roote them out and take them away The which thing it doeth by prouoking of sweat in this it doth exceede all other Medicines and some will say that in Pestilent Agues by prouoking sweat it healeth them It is dry in the second degree with very litle heate the which is seene by the other waters of the wood And as Sarcaparillia which doth heate and drie so this doth not nor leaueth any impression of heate Surely it is a notable Medicine in the which I haue founde greate effectes for the Diseases which I haue spâ—ken of Of the Sarcaparillia THE Sarcaparillia is a thing brought into our partes since the China It is xx yeeres since that the vse thereof came to this city It first came froÌ„ the new Spaine the Indians did vse it for great medicine with the which they did heale many and diuers diseases It is a plant which doth cast many rootes vnder the ground being of a yeard long of the colour of a cleere Tawny sometimes the rootes shoote so deepe that to take them out all it is needfull to dig a Mans length It casteth foorth certaine bowes full of knottes that quickly do drie and we know not that they haue carried flowers or fruite at all After that the Sarcaparillia of the newe Spayne was founde there was also found in the Hunduras an other sort that was better and of better effectes it is knowne to be of the Hunduras because that it is of colour Tawnie and grosser than that of the newe Spayne the which is white and somewhat like to yellowe and more small and so the Sarcaparillia that is most like to blacke is best It ought to be freshe and in this is all the goodnes therof it is knowne to be fresh by not beyng Worme eaten For that at the freshe breaking of it long wise in the middest it maketh a running out to the end and casteth out no dust and the heauier it is the better it is The Spaniardes did call it Sarcaparillia when they saw it for the great likenes that it hath with the Sarcaparillia of these partes I haue it for certayne that the Sarcaparillia of these partes and of the Indias is all one and the verie same that ours is The which I haue experimented manie times ours worketh the effect that the Sarcaparillia of the new Spaine doth it is like vnto that of the Hunduras but it is of a bitter tast and not very sharpe and the water that it yeeldeth hath no more sauour then barley water hath The vse of this hearbe at the first did differ muche from that which is now in experiment for that they gaue it as the Indians did in the healing of their sicke folkes and surely it did worke very great effects But the delicatenesse of our time doth require that it should be vsed and geuen as the water of the wood is At the beginning they took of the Sarcaparilla much quantitie more then halfe a pounde did cut it small and breake it and cast it into a quantitie of water and being well wet they beate it in a Morter a good while in suche sorte that it was made like a Iellie and then did straine it pressing it very well for there came out of it the likenesse of a thicke drinke And of that they tooke in the morning hot one good Cup full and then the Pacient clothed him selfe well And sweete two houres and if in the day time they woulde drinke any thing it should bee of the selfe same thicke drinke so made by expression hot and then they swete as much in the morning This order they obserued for three dayes continually without eating or drinking of other meate sauing onely that thicke drinke taken out by pressing or straining of the Sarcaparillia after this sort I gaue it at the beginning many times and surely it wrought great effects and many sicke people did better recouer then they doe nowe with this other fashion After there was inuented an other forme and manner to geue it and is that which is now vsed in this sort They take two ounces of Sarcaparillia and wash it and cut it small and then they put it into a newe earthen pot and there vppon they poure three Pottâ—ls of water and sette it in the water to steepe twentie and foure houres and afâ—er the Pot being well stopte it must seeth on a soft fire of kindled coales vntill the two Pottels bee sodden away and the one remaine the which may be knowne by the order of the measure that we spake of and when it is colde let it be strained into a glassed vessel and vpon the selfesame Sarcaparillia that is soddeÌ„ let there be so much water powred in agayne that the pot be filled let it boyle a reasonable time and kept in a vessel glassed Nowe the sicke Man beeyng purged as it seemeth most conuenient and placed in a warme Chamber he must take in the morning ten ounces of the first water of the Sarcaparillia and must sweate at the least twoo houres and after sweate he must be made cleane from his sweate and take a warme shirt and warme clothes and the like hee must doe at night eight houres after he hath eaten his Dinner changing his shirt and hot apparrell He must dine at eleuen of the clocke and suppe one houre after he hath sweat at night eating nothing but Reasinges Almondes and Bisket and drinking of the second water Let him keepe this order fifteene daies and if he be weake geue him a little rosted chicken increasing it in processe of time at the least hee must keepe his bed niene dayes at the first beginning and the rest of the time in his chamber kept from colde and from ayre and on the fifteene day he must be purged with a soft and an easie medicine and likewise on the thirty day in such sorte that all the order that we haue prescribed be kept as in the manner of the taking of the water of the wood is already declared And likewise after the 30. daâ—es he must haue good gouernment for other fourty dayes not drinking any wine but simple water made of the said Sarcaparillia and keeping himselfe from women This is the ordinarie manner in taking of the water of Sarcaparillia which at this day is vsed And because I haue experience of other wayes that bee of great secret and of great effectes I will write them heere to the end that all the vertues which are in the Sarcaparillia may be set downe and declared seeyng it is the Medicine that is moste vsed and that wee doe see in it so greate and rare effectes I doe make a Sirupe that many yeeres hath been celebrated and had in estimation in this citie and in all Spaine for that it is xxvi yeres since I vsed it first for the disease of the Poxe for other infirmities
which Syrupe doth not heate nor inflame but with great temperature according to the graduation woorketh his good effects The first for whom this thing was ordayned and deuised was for Pantelion de Negro Ienoues who was had in cure by many Phisitions and hauing taken the water of the Wood and other Medicines was well neere consumed and with a grieuous swelling sore vppon his shinne bone and great paynes in it hee tooke it and was healed very well This sirupe I haue vsed in many people for the infirmitie that the Sarcaparilla doth profite for and the wood and for many other and it hath a good effect in woorking by degrees for that the drinesse of the wood is taken away and the heate of the Sarcaparilla and it is made in this forme There must bee taken two ounces of Sarcaparilla and foure ounces of Paulo Sancto which is the holie Wood prepared as it is saide and three Doozen of Acoseifas a fruite of Spayne without their stones and two Doozen of Prunes without their stones and halfe an ounce of the flowres of Borage and an other halfe ounce of Uiolettes and some graynes of Barley made cleane that is too say the huskes taken away All these thinges let them bee cast into three Pottles of water and lette them bee sodden on a soft fire vntill it come to one Pottell and then let it be strayned and vnto tenne ounces of this decoction let there be put one ounce of the Sirupe of Uiolettes Let it be taken hotte in the morning and at night in the order aboue sayde In the rest of the water keeping sweet if ther bee any and although there come little yet they bee healed They may eate a little Chicken from the first day with the rest of the diet drinke the simple water of the Sarcaparilla which is to be made with halfe an ounce of Sarcaparillia sodden in foure Pottâ—ls of water vntill one or somewhat more be sodden away This order doeth heale all kinde of euill of the Poxe and all the infirmities that we haue spoken of that the water of the Wood doeth heale and the China and the Sarcaparillia Which to repeate it shall be too long and too prolixious because it it is sufficieÌ„tly declared before For surely in this simple water and in the foresaide decoction I haue found great effectes aâ— well in the infirmities wherein is suspected the euill of the Poxe as in large and importunate diseases in the which the common remedies of Phisicâ—e haue not profited which although they proceeded not of the French Poxe yet doeth it cure and heale them as it is seene by the woorke of him that vseth it There is an other Sirupe to bee made of the Sarcaparillia which is taking eight ounces of Sarcaparillia being broken or cutte and seething it in foure pottelles of water vntill three be sodden away and the one remaine and into the water that shall remayne to put to foure pounde of Sugar and make a perfect Sirupe And of this Sirupe too take three ounces in the morning and three at night eating good meates and to suppe litle and drinke onely the simple water of the Sarcaparillia and goyng abrâ—ade out of the house and doyng his buisinesse There are healed therwith many diseases without geuing any molestation in the healing of them And this must be taken till the Sirupe bee all consumed Also this Sarcaparillia is taken in pouder in this maner They take the Sarcaparillia and plucke awaie from it the heare within it and dry it and grynde it and then sifte it through a syue of silke and make it in Pouder Of this Pouder is taken in the infirmity of the Poxe or spice of them the weight of sixe pence drinking it with the simple Water of the Sarcaparillia taking it in the Morning and as night as much when he goeth to bedde Hee must eate good meates and drinke no Wine but the simple water thereof It shall doe well he be purged that shall begin to vse it And although that this pouder doth heale many diseases large and temporall one cure it doth meruellously which is the salte Fleume of the handes and feete in this forme The sicke man being purged and also without purging if he cannot otherwise doe hee shall take the Pouder as it is sayde and vpon the salt Fleume he shall lay with a Feather a little of the water of Sublimatum delayed with Rosewater that it be very simple and after it is layed on all partes where the salt Fleume is then let there be put vpon it a plaister that is called of William Serâ—eâ—tis or Dia Palma spread abroade thin vpon Sattin or Taffeta too bee applied in all parts where the simple water of Sublimatum was put This must be done euery day for that in fifteene daies he shall be perfectly whole This doth mundifie and incarnate and skin without hauing need of any other medicine ioyntly with the Pouder and the simple water of Sarcaparillia which wee haue spoken of This is of so great effect and experimented as they shall see by the worke that shall vse it for surely they shall be whole thereby The vse of the water of the Sarcaparillia is so greate at this day in this forme as is sayd that it is applied in anie disease it is come into so much credit that in anie maner of Reumes or runnings or windinesse the euill of Women of the Mother or any other cause or occasion whatsoeuer so that it bee not in Feuers or other sharpe diseases men take the vse of the simple Water of the Sarcaparillia and this is at this day so put in vse that in like sort you shall finde the simple sodden Water of Sarcaparillia in manie houses as ordinary water in yearthen vessels and surely it woorketh greate effectes and doeth remedie large and importunate diseases Trueth it is that the persons that bee hotte of complexion it doeth beate them more then is conuenient and so they cannot drinke it and moste of all if that their Liuer be very hotte for that it heateth too much In womens diseases as well of the Mother as of colde humours it woorketh good effectes and doeth mâ—ruellously dissolue windes And in persons that bee subiect to manie euilles and especially of Reumes and olde greeffes and diseases caused of the euill humours if they runne this course with the continuance thereof they shall receiue manifest profite and benefite and it doeth heale all deseases whiche they neuer thought to be healed of The complexion thereof iâ— hotte and drie well neere in the seconde degree All these waters must be giuen in Sommer or in the ende thereof it is better that the season exceede in heate then in colde ¶ Of the blood Stone and of the Stone for the diseases of the Stone of the Kidneies and Reines THEY doe bring from the new Spaine twoo stones of greate vertue the one is called the
Stone of the Bloode and the other is a Stone for the desease of the Stone in the Kidneis and Raines The Blood Stone is a kinde of Iasper of diuers colours somewhat darke full of sprincles like to blood being of colour redde of the which stones the Indians doe make certaine Hartes both greate and small The vse thereof bothe here and there is for all fluxes of blood in what partes soeuer it bee of the Nose or of the Menstrues or of the Piles and of Woundes or of that which is cast out at the mouth The stone must bee wette in colde water and the sicke Man must take it in his right hande and from time to time wette it in colde water In this sort the Indians doe vse them And as touching the Indians they haue it for certayne that touching the same stone in some parte where the blood runneth it doeth restrayne it and in this they haue greate trust for that the effect hath beene seene It doeth profite also hauing it holden hanged or tyed in the same parte where the blood runneth so that it touch the fleshe Of this stone wee haue seene great effectes in staunching of blood And some that doe suffer the Hemeroidall fluxe haue remedied themselues with making Ringes of this stone and wearing them continually vpon theyr fingers And likewyse in the Menstruall fluxe of women The other Stone which is for the disease of the stone in the Kidneies or Reines the finest of them are like vntoo Plasma of Esmeraldes which are lykened to greene with a Milkishe colour the greatest are the best they bring them made in diuers formes and fashions for so the Indians had them in old tyme some lyke to fishes other like to the heads of byrds other like to billes of Popingaies other lyke to round Beadstones but all pearsed through for that the Indians did vse to weare them hanging for the effect to take away the grief of the stone or stomaâ—ke for in those twoo sicknesses it sheweth maruellous effects The chief vertue that it hath is in the paine of the stone in the Kidneis and Reines and in expelling of Sande and stone In so much that a Gentleman which had one of them heere the best of them that I haue seene hauing laid it to his arme it made him to expell and cast out much sande insomuch that many tymes hee doeth take it away for that hee thinketh that it doeth hurte him for to voide so much and in taking it away hee ceaseth to voyde any from him and when hee feeleth the paine of the stone laying it too againe it doeth take it away incontinent with expelling of much Sande and small stones I haue seene it carried to persons that haue beene afflicted with greate griefe and paines of the saide disease who putting it to them doe forthwith expell the sande and the little stones â—â—d remain cleare thereof This stone hath a property hidden by the which meanes it woorketh great effectes to preserue men that they fall not into the paine of the sayd disease and after it is come to take it away or diminish it It doeth make the sande to bee expelled in great abundance and likewyse stones It taketh away the heate from the reines of the backe it profiteth in griefs of the stomake layde vnto it and aboue all it preserueth from the sayde grief My Ladie the Duchesse for that shee had in short space three tymes exceeding paynes of the stone shee made a bracelet of them and vsed to weare it on her arme and sithence she put them to her arme she neuer had more paynes of the Stone and so it hath happened to many other that founde the lyke benefite for the which these stones are much esteemed and now they be not so soone had as at the beginning for that the gentlemen and rich men haue them onely and with reason because they do worke such maruellous effects An other stone there is that doth heale the salt fleume the which I knowe by hearesay only but I haue seene none of them Of the VVoodde for the euils of the Reines and of the Vrine ALso they bring from the newe Spaine a certayne woodde that is lyke vnto the woodde of a Peare tree grosse and without knottes the which they haue vsed many yeeres in these partes for the paynes of the Reynes and of the Stone and for the infirmities of the Urine The first tyme that I sawe it vsed may bee about xxxv yeeres past There was a Pilot that was sicke of the Urine and of the Reines and after that hee had vsed it hee was whole and very well And sithence that tyme I haue seene that many haue brought it from the new Spaine and they doe vse it for these diseases following For them that cannot pisse liberally and for the paines of the Reines and of the stone and for them that do pisse wiâ—h paine and for them that doe pisse little And nowe the thing hath extended vnto opilations for that the water therof doth cure and heale them both of the Lunges and the Liuer and this hath beene founde within these fewe yeres and they doe finde in it notable profite The water is made in this forme They take the wood and make it into smal peeces very shinne and small as it is possible and then put theÌ„ into faire water of the FouÌ„taine leaue it so vntil the water be sokened into it and by putting the wood into the water within halfe an houre the water doeth beginne to change it selfe into a blewe colour very cleare and the longer that it lyeth in the water so much the blewer it turneth although that the wood bee of a white colour Of this water they doe drinke continually and therewith they vse to water their wyne and it worketh maruellous and manifest effectes without any alteration so that it needeth but onely good gouernement and regiment The water hath no more sauour then if there were nothing cast into it for that the wood doeth chaunge nothing The complexion thereof is hotte and drye in the first degree Of the Peper of the Jndias I Will not let to speake of the Peper that they bring from the Indias which serueth not onely for Medicine but it is otherwise most excellent the which is knowen in all Spayne for there is no Gardeyne nor Orcharde but that it hath plentie thereof in it for the fairenesse of the fruite that it bringeth foorth It is a greate Plante insomuch that I haue seene in this Citie some that was equall with many Trees It doeth cast foorth the leaues greene after the fashion of Basill of the biggest sort And it casteth foorth certain white flowers out of the which commeth the fruite the which is of diuerse formes some Peper is long other rounde others of the making of Mellons others of Cherries but all is at the beginning when it is not type very greene and beeing rype very redde
content with one euâ—cuation but with many digesting by little and little and auoyding out by little and little seeing that the auoyding out is done with such assuraunce by this Medicine so blessed He that hath neede of it must haue a good hart and with trust that it will profite him much which hetherunto wee haue experimented in so many that with iust title all credit may be giuen to the good workes therof We see with how much easines without any accideÌ„ts it worketh the effects that we haue spoken of it is looked for that euery day will bee discouered greater matters that may bee added vnto these The Rule and order that must be kept in the administration and geuing of the Pouders made of the roote of Mechoacan was learned of the Indian Phisition that wee haue spoken of and since it hath beene vsed in diuers and sundrie fashions The first thing that is requyred of him that shal take this Pouder is that he do prepare himself with good diet good order keeping himselfe from all thinges that may offende health and to vse these meates which are most conuenieÌ„t for him to dispose the humor that principally hee pretendeth to auoyde out with some Syrope that may haue the same respect that the humor is disposed vnto the way to be prepared where he may go out And for this it is good that he take the counsel of a PhisitioÌ„ he must vse Glisters if the Belly be not obedient at the least the day before he shal take it and if by chaunce he shal neede letting blood he shall doe it with the iudgement and opinion of a Phisition The body so prepared and ready to be purged he shal take this roote chosen as we haue said and it must be grounde making Pouder of it of an indifferent sinenesse and way of it the quantitie that must bee taken as wee shall speake of and put it into whyte Wyne which is Sacke as much in quantitie as is needful for to drinke and it must be tâ—ken in the morning Wyne is the best licour that it can bee taken withall and so it is vsed generally in the Indias for the Wyne as wee haue sayde doeth corroborate and geue strength to these Pouders and because there be some that can drink no wine in such case they may geue it in sodden water wherein Synamon hath beene boyled or Anis or Fenell seede and if the pure wine doe offend them it may be delayed with any manner of Water but the quantitie of the Wine that shall be taken is so little that it canâ—ot offende nor molest anie person It may be delaied with Endife or Langdebeefe water and because this medicine is not geuen in sharpe Agues but in large and temperate diseases it doth heare the Wine better then any other licour Also they geue these Pouders with Conserua of Uiolets and with Syrope of Uiolets and it is a good practise for with his colde and moysture it doeth correct the litle heate and drought that the Patient hath and let them drinke vpon it Wine watered or some water as aforesaide There is made of this Pouder Pilles formed with electuary of Roses and surely they make a very good worke and purge well Also they doe put it in paste of Wafer bread or in Marchpaines and as it hath no euill sauour so they doe not feele it It serueth much for children and for them that cannot take the like thinges The Pilles that must be made of this pouder must be very little somewhat greater then Coriander seede that they may dissolue the rather and not heat and so they work more quickly and better They may be geuen in the morning and at night these pouders be receiued with most prosperous successe beeing made vp with Syrope of Roses of nine infusions mingling the quantity that thereof shal be taken in two ounces of Syrope and surely this mixture doeth make a meruellous woorke for that it doth strengthen and inforce much the worke of the pouders It auoydeth Cholerike grosse and fleugmatike humors and permixt and the fearcenes of the blood and so it is a greate Medicine and of maruellous woorke It auoydeth also most strongly the Citrine water of them that haue the Dropsie frequenting it many tymes giuing betweene one purge and another that which may corroborate and make strong the Liuer in Broth it is taken many tymes and maketh good woorke This Medicine or purge must bee taken in the morning early and after it is taken they may sleepe halfe an houre vppon it before it doe purge for that the sleepe doeth slaye the Uomit and the natural heate shal make a better worke in the Medicine Hee that shall take these Pouders if he do feare them or any other Medicine purgatiue and if he feare Uomit may vse this one remedy of the which I haue large experience and is when hee hath taken this purge or any other let him take the Yolke of an Egge rosted hot broken betweene his Fingers and put into a course Linen Cloth and so rounde let him put it into the Throate Pit and let him holde it there vntill that hee doe beginne to purge for that surely it will slaye the Uomiting and also the Fumes that doe ryse of the purge and this is no small content After that hee hath somwhat slept if hee can at the tyme that it beginneth to woorke let him not sleepe nor eate nor drinke any thing but bee in place where the ayre doe not offende him nor with much company for that all the intent shall bee for to purge staying all thinges that may let the auoyding out And he shall be aduertised that one of the greatest excellencies that this purge hath is that it is in the handes of the sicke person to auoyde out what quantitie of humour hee will the which is a thing that they of olde tyme did consider much of And waying which was surest of purging or the letting of blood they doe not aleage any other cause more principall than that the letting of blood is more sure Forasmuch as in the letting of blood wee may take out what quantity of blood we lust not in the purge which once being taken it is not in the handes of the PhisitioÌ„ nor the sicke person to let it to doe his woorke which quality is not in this our purge of the roote of Mechoacan seeing that with taking of a little Broth or eating any maner of thing the working of it seaseth and it worketh no more and so it cannot exceede nor hurt the patient Surely it is to be holden of much price that there is fouÌ„de a kinde of purge with so much assurance and that so mightily doeth his woorke and is at the will of him that doth take it After it hath done what to the patient seemeth good and sufficient then with a little Broth which
receiue the smoke of them at his mouth and at his nose with a Cane and in taking of it hee fell downe vppon the ground as a Dead man and remayning so according to the quantitie of the smoke that he had taken when the hearbe had done his woorke he did reuiue and awake and gaue them their answeares according to the visions and illusions which hee sawe whiles hee was rapte in thâ— same manner and he did interprete to them as to him seemed best or as the Diuell had counselled him geuing them continually doubtfull answeares in such sorte that howsoeuer it fell out they might say that it was the same which was declared and the answeare that he made In like sort the rest of the Indians for their pastime doe take the smoke of the Tabaco too make themselues drunke withall and to see the visions and thinges that reprâ—sent â—â—to them that wherein they doe delight and other times they take it to knowe their businesse and successe because conformable to that which they haue seene beyng drunke therewith euen so they iudge of their businesse And as the Deuil is a deceauer hath the knowledge of the vertue of hearbes so he did shew the vertue of this Hearb that by the meanes thereof they might see their imaginations and visions that he hath represented to them and by that meanes deceiue them Too haue Hearbes that haue the like vertue is a common Iâ—â—ias but is also a common thing in the Orientall Indias And also in the Portugâ—ll Indias for this effect they doe sell the Opiâ— in their Shoppes euen as they sell Conserâ—â— with the which the Indians vse to ease themselues of their labour that they take and to bee merie and not to feele paynes of any greate labour of the bodie or minde that may come vnto them and they call it there amongst themselues Aphiâ—â— This Aphion the Turkes doe vse for this effect The â—oâ—lâ—iers and Captaynes that goe to Warres when they labour much after the time that they be lodged that they may take their rest they receiue Aphion and sleepe with it and remayne lightened of their labour The most principall people take Bague and it hath a better cast and a better smell for there is put to it muche Amber and Muske anâ— Cloues and other spices And surely it is a thing of admiration â—o see howe these Barbarous people doe take such Medicines and how many of them doe take them and that they doe not kiâ—â— them but rather they take them for health and remeâ—ie for their necessities I sawe an Indian of those partes that in my presence did aske an Apothecarie for a quart of Opiâ— and I demanded of him wherefore he woulde haue it and he tolde me that he took it to put away wearinesse when he felt himselfe ouer much greeued and afflicted with labour and hee tooke the halfe of that which he carried for the Apothecary gaue him more then a piâ—te for twelue pence and therewith he slepte so soundly that when he awoke from sleepe hee founde himselfe very muche eased of his wearinesse in suche sorte that hee might continue his labour I meruelled at it and it seemed to me a thing of Mockerie seeyng that fiue or sixe graynes bee the most that wee can giue toâ— sicke Person howe strong soeuer hee bee which beeyng verie well prepared doeth cause many times Accidentes of Death And many yeeres after standing in the Shoppe of an other Apothecary of this Citie there came an other Indian of the same Orientall Indias and he asked of the Apothecarie for some Opio called Aphion the which Apothecarie vnderstoode him not And I remembring my selfe of the other Indian caused him to shewe vnto the Indian Opio and in shewing it to him he sayd that it was that which he asked for and he bought a quarter of a Pinte of it and I asked of the Indian wherefore hee woulde haue it and he tolde me the same that the other Indian did that it was because he might labour and ease himselfe of his wearinesse for that hee did beare burdens and shoulde helpe to discharge a shippe wherefore he sayde he woulde take the one halfe that he might therewith labour and the other halfe after he had laboured that therwith he might take ease and rest Then I gaue credite to the first Indian of that he sayd vnto me and since I haue beleeued that which I haue seene and read in those partes to be a thing in common vse for the like effectes And truely it is a thing worthy of greate consideration that fiue graines of Opio doe kill vs and threescore doe geue them health and rest The Indians doe vse the Tabaco for to suffer drieth and also to suffer hunger and to passe dayes without hauing neede to eate or drinke when they shall trauell by any desert or dispeopled countrie where they shall finde neither water nor meate They receiue thereof little balles which they make of the Tabaco For they take the leaues of it and chew them and as they goe chewing of them they goe mingling with them certayne pouder made of the shelles of Cockels burned they mingle it in the mouth altogether vntil they make it like dowe of the which they frame certayne little Balles little greater then Peason and lay them to drie in the shadow and after they keepe them and vse them in this forme following When they vse to trauell by the waies where they finde no water nor meate they take a little hall of these and put it betweene the lower lippe and the teeth and goe chewing it all the time that they trauell and that which they chewe they swallowe downe and in this sore they iourney three or foure dayes without hauing neede of meate or drinke for they feele no hunger drieth nor weakenesse nor their trauell doth trouble them I thinke that to iourney after this sort is â—he cause they goe chewing continually the little balles for they bring Fleume into the mouth and swallowe it into the stomake the which doeth retayne the naturall heate which it doth confirme and so they mainteyn themselues therby the like whereof wee see to happen in many beastes for that a great part of the Winter they be shut vp in their Caues hollowe places of the earth and passe their time there without any meate for that they haue to câ—nsume the naturall heate of the fâ—mes which they had gotten in the Summer The Beare being a great and fierce beast much time in the Winter remayneth in his Caue and liueth without meate or drinke with onely chewing his pawes which perhaps he doeth for the said cause This is the substance which I haue gathered of this hearbe so celebrated called Tabaco for that surely it is an hearb of great estimation for the excellent vertues that it hath as we haue sayde Hereafter followeth a further addition of the Hearbe called Tabaco otherwise called
or fiue foote In hot countries it is nyne or tenne monethes in the yeere laden in one selfe tyme with leaues flowers Coddes full of rype graynes which is when they are waxed blacke and to be ripe which is when they are yet greene It sproutes foorth neere the roote much and reuyueth by a greate quantitie of buddes notwithstanding the grain is the least seede in the worlde the rootes be like small threeds Nicotiane doth require a fat grounde finely digged and in colde Countreys very well dounged that is to say a grounde in the which the doung must be so wil mingled and incorporated that it be altogether turned into earth that there appeare no more doung It requireth the south Sunne and to be planted by a wal which may defende it against the North winde recouering the heate of the Sunne against it being a warrant vnto the said hearbe against the tossing vp of the winde because of the weaknes and highnes thereof It groweth the better being often watered and reuiueth it selfe by reason of the water in tyme of droughts It hateth the cold therefore to preserue it from dying in the Winter tyme it must either be kept in Caues made of purpose within the said gardens or els couered with a double Matte and a Penthouse of Reede made on the Wall ouer the hearbe and when the South Sunne shyneth the dore of the place must bee opened where the hearbe is on the Southside For to sowe it there must bee made a hole in the ground with your finger as deepe as your finger can teache then cast into that hole 40. or 50. graines of the sayde Seede together stopping againe your hole for it is so small a Seede that if there bee put in the hole but three or foure graynes thereof the earth would choke them and if the weather bee dry the place must be watered lightly during the tyme of fiftiene dayes after the sowing thereof it may also be sowen like vnto Lettis and other such hearbes And when the hearbe is out of the grounde for so much as euery Grayne thereof will bring foorth his twigge and that the little threeds of the Roote are the one within the other you must make with a great knife a greate compasse within the earth rounde about the saide place and lift vp the earth together with the Seede and cast it into a payle of water so that the earth bee separated that the little twigges may swimme aboue the water then shal you take them without breaking the one after the other The Sassafras ¶ Of the tree which is brought from the Florida called Sassafras FRom the Florida which is the firme Land of our Occidental Indias lying in xxv degrees they bring a wood and roote of a tree that groweth in those partes of great vertues and greate excellencies healing therewith grieuous and variable diseases It may be three yeres past that I had knowledge of this Tree a French man which had bene in those partes shewed me a peece of it and tolde me meruels of the vertues therof how many and variable diseases were healed with the water which was made of it I gaue at that tyme no credit to him for that in these things of Plantes and hearbes which are brought from other places they say much and knowe little vnlesse it bee by a man that hath experience of them with care and diligence The tree and the partes thereof lyked mee well and I iudged that which nowe I do finde to be true and haue seene by experience He tolde me that the Frenchmen which had beene in the Florida at that tyme wheÌ„ they came into those parts had beene sicke the most of them of grieuous and variable diseases and that the Indians did shewe them this tree and the manner how they should vse it and so they did and were healed of many euilles which surelâ— bringeth admiration that one only remedy should worke so variable and so meruellous effectes After that the Frenchmen were destroyed our Spaniardes beganne to waxe sicke as the Frenchemen had doone and some which remayned of them did shewe it to our Spaniardes and howe they had cured themselues with the water of this meruellous Tree and the manner which they obserued in the vsing of it shewed to them by the Indians who vsed to cure themselues therewith when they were sicke of any griefe Our Spaniards began to cure themselues with the water of this Tree and it wrought in them great effectes that are almost incredible for with the naughtie meates drinking of the rawe waters sleeping in the dewes the most parte of them fell into continuall Agues of the which many of them came into opilations and from the opilations they began to swell and when the euil came first immediatly it began to take away the lust that they had to their meate and then happened to them other accidents and diseases as such like Feuers are accustomed to bring and hauing there no remedie to bee healed they did what the Frenchemen had counsailed them doing that which they had done which was in this forme They digged vp the roote of this tree and tooke a peece thereof such as it seemed to them best they cutte it small into very thinne and little peeces and cast them into water at discretion as much as they sawe was needfull little more or lesse and they sodde it the tyme that seemed sufficient for to remaine of a good collour and so they dranke it in the morning fasting and in the day tyme and at dinner and supper without keeping any more waight or measure then I haue sayde nor more keeping nor order then this and by this they were healed of so many griefes and euil diseases that to heare of them what they suffred and how they were healed it bringeth admiration they which were whole dranke it in place of wine for it doeth preserue them in health as it appeared very well by them that haue come from thence this yeere for they came all whole and strong and with good colours which doeth not happen to them that come from those partes and from other conquestes for they câ—me sicke and swâ—lne without collour and in short space the most of them diâ— And these Souldiers doe trust so much in this Wood that I beeyng one day amongest many of them informing any selfe of thâ— thinges of this Tree the most parte of them tooke out of their Pockets a good peece of this Wood and sayde Maister doe you see here the Wood that euery one of vs doeth bring to heale vs withall if we fall sicke as we hauâ— beene there and they began to prayse it so much and to confirme the maruellous workes of it with so many examples of them that were there that surely I gaue great credite vnto it and they caused me to beleeue all that thereof I haâ— hearde and
which they pretend to cure Let none thinke that to take this water without order good consideration as many doeth there shall followe health but vnto them rather taking it without measure without order â—t shall do vnto them much hurt wherby it seemeth to me that when this water shal be ministred as well in the diseases that it cureth as in any other whatsoeuer they be it is necessary that they goe to some learned Phisition that may dispose the manner and making of the Water and the order which they shall obserue in taking of it for that in the Winter it shoulde bee taken otherwise than in the Sommer And otherwise it must be geuen to the leane person than to the strong and in an other manner it must bee taken of the Cholerike than of the fleugmatike one order is required in the cold region an other order in the hot Wherby it appeareth that it is conuenient to keep order measure forme in the taking of it for that there goeth no lesse with it then health life coÌ„sidering that we see it haue no price in the world not to let it alone to the iudgement of him that knoweth it not It happened to a gentle woman vnto whom for certaine iâ—dispositions of the Mother proceeding of greate colde that she had taken I couÌ„selled her that she should take this water of the wood of Sassafras And I gaue her the order that shee should vse in making and taking of it which was asmuch as was conuenient for her disease and seeming for her But she tooke muche of the wood more then I willed her seething the water more then I commaunded her she thought that she should heale the sooner And as shee tooke it certayne dayes with this strength she was burdened in such sort with a very great Ague that not onely it stood her vpon to leaue the water but it was needefull to let her blood fiue times and put her life in aduenture so procured infamy to the remedie After she was whole and had preuayled she returned tooke the water with the order that I had first tolde her and she healed very well of her disease It is time nowe that wee come to the vertues of this wood so excellent whereof let vs speak particularly of euery one of them as we haue knowne and experimented them In generall our Spaniardes in those partes of the Florida where they haue beene and now are doe vse this aforesaide water sodden at their discretion for all manner of disseases without making exception of any Anâ— beeyng sicke of any manner of euill which commeth vnto thâ—m sharpe or long hot or colde greeuous or otherwise they â—ure them all by one maner of fashion they heale all with oâ—e maner of water without making any difference and the best is that al be healed therewith in this they repose so much trust that they feare not the euils which are present nor haue any care of them that be to come so they vse it for an vniuersal remedie in all manner of diseases In one of the thinges that they haue founde moste profite in this water was in Opilations in the interiour partes of the which they came to bee swolne and to bee full of the Dropsie the most parte of them For of the long and large heates which they had taken they came well neere generally to haue these diseases And with this water both the swelling and the opilation went away and therewith they came to be made whole of the Quotidian Agues which the most parte of them had For in goyng thither the most parte of them fell sicke of these long and importunate Feuers in the which I haue experience by this Water beyng taken as it ought too bee for it woorketh maruellous effectes and haue healed many therewith For the principall effect that it hath is to comfort the Liuer and to dissolue Opilations and to comfort the stomake which are the two principall thinges that are most conuenient for the Phisition to doe that the sick may be healed of the like diseases For in these euils it is not to be feared that the humors be corrupted And if the principal members be hurt one of the things that these medicines which are brought from our Indias do principally when the water of any of them is taken is to comfort the Liuer and to amende it that it may ingender good humors for if this be not done the cure is in vaine And so our Sassafraâ— hath a maruellous propertie to comfort the Liuer and to dissolue the Opilations in such sort that it doth ingender alowable blood I healed â— young man which had an opilation of certâ—yne Tertians And thereof he was all swolne in such sort that he was well neere full of Dropsie And with purging him many times with Pilles of Ruibarbe and by taking of Dialaca amongest the said Purgations and drinking the water of this Sassafras coÌ„tinually without drinking of any other thing he came to be healed very well and was cleere of his swellings and opilations And he did not let to drinke it vntill he remayned perfectly whole The manner of curing with this water made of the Sassafras for the Tertian Agewes long Feuers I will shewe you and what hath passed in this yeere that I wrote this There haue beene many people diseased with the tertiane Agewes so importunately that no manner of medicine was sufficient to take them away and to roote them out insomuch that we let many alone with onely good order and good gouernment without helping them any more They were opilated and had euill colour of the face and some of them were swolne And at that time it was when the Captayne generall Peter Mellendis came from the Florida and brought him in common this wood of the Sassafras and when euery man did so much prayse it many of them that had Tertians tooke water of the Sassafras keeping the order that the Souldiers gaue them and surely I saw in that greate maruelles for that they healed many with the vse thereof Not onely of the tertians that so much did molest them but also of the Opilations and euill colour that they had And seeing this I caused other to take it that without counsel durst not doe it And it did very wel with them but it must be wel seene vnto how it shoulde bee geuen and to whom that the cause may carrie with it both order and measure That which ordinarily was done was to geue one cuppe full of the Water well sodden in the morning with Sugar or without it and after to drinke the water continually that which was more simple then the firste and as the Phisition shall iudge to be most conuenient for him that is sicke keeping the conditions in the takyng of this water that we shall speake of And surely it is a thing that geueth great
contentment to heale onely with the drinking of a water it beyng of a sweete smel and good of sauour which is taken and drunk without any maner of griefe and so to doe that woorke which sharpe medicines and sirupes of euill sauour and tast cannot doe And such as did drinke wine did water their wine with it thâ—y found themselues well with it In one thing it was seene greately to profite which is in the vse of this water in them that haue lost the lust of their meate insomuch that it is restored to them the lothsomnesse taken from them by the vse of it so that many did amende come to their health quickely And the vse of this water doth cause lust to meate The Souldiers doe coÌ„mend it with suche admiration that some came to leaue it and not to drinke it for because that it caused them to haue so great hunger that they coulde not withstand it And because there was no suche abundance of meates wherwith they might satisfie their hunger which the water was cause of they would not drinke it as not hauing sufficient for their maintenaunce for they did all vse it for a drinke in steede of wine and it was a great remedie for them that by it they became whole as appeareth by them which came from those partes whereas they doe vse it In the Hauana there is a Phisition whom they take for a Man of good vnderstanding in these causes who did cure many of them which came in the Fleete from the newe Spayne sicke with onely the vse of this water without geuing or making for them any other Medicine And it did very well with them for that many were healed therewith and he gaue them to drinke as much as they would all the day and at Dinner and Supper and in the morning he gaue a Cuppe full warmed to them that coulde not goe to stoole with a little Sugar not very white and it wrought very well with them for their going to stoole And to other he gaue Medicines of this water only and Hony it made a good worke I cured heere some that were in cure in the Hauana And being ordered in this maner they which came not wel healed thence were heere fully healed In griefes of the head and in paines thereof being very olde which proceed of any cold cause the taking of this water hot in the morning wel sodden and at dinner and supper and in the day tyme simple with good gouernement as well in the meate that is eaten as in the rest of all other thinges and doing this for many dayes it cureth and healeth them maruellously It is conuenient for him that shal do this that he purge himself first and in the tyme that hee must take it that he receiue certaine Pilles of Hiera simplex he hath no need to keepe himselfe close neither in his chamber nor in his bedde He that shal take this it is ynough that he go wel clothed and that he keepe himselfe from the colde and ayre and that he vse to eate good meates In griefes of the brest caused of colde humors this water doth profite much and openeth the waies of the brest It consumeth moysture and fleames it stayeth the fluxe the running which cometh from the head to the brest It must be taken in the morning hot and drinke continually simple for besides the ordinary drinking in the morning it must bee drunke simplie for a long tyme. For these simple waters as they doe their worke by little and little so it is needful that they be continued for a long season It is good that there be put some suggar too it that it may make the better woorke In griefes of the Stomacke when the cause is colde or windie after that the vniuersal euacuations bee made taking this water in the morning strong as it is sâ—id simple at other tymes it taketh them away and healeth them chiefly if there bee any olde griefe for that I haue giuen it for this effect to men that many yeeres did suffer most grieuous paynes in the stomacke and with taking the water in the morning hot for certaine dayes and continuing with the simple water for a long tyme and taking once euery weeke pilles of Hiera simplex many people were healed therof very wel And thus we haue declared howe that the vse of this water restoreth the appetite lost and giueth lust to meate In the weakenes of the stomacke and in the lacke of natural heate where that which is eaten is not consumed it worketh great effectes and helpeth digestion It consumeth windes which are the cause of indigestion it taketh away a stinking breath and from them that do vomit their meate it taketh away that euil custome so that they eate little and vse continually to drinke this water without wyne And aboue al other thinges it maketh a good breath and a good smel at the mouth In the disease of the stone of the Ridneis and reines the vse of this water hot when they haue this griefe doth greatly profit and much more vsing it continually simple by it self or with wine for that it doeth preserue that the paine come not so continually nor so grieuously And also it maketh him that doeth vse it to cast out much Sande where the stones bee ingendred And also it causeth the stones that are in the reynes to be cast out and staieth the ingendering of them for that it consumeth the fleames of the which they be principally ingendered and the windes that be many tymes the causes of the paines To them which haue the burning of the Urine to such as haue great burning at the tyme that they make their water doe feele great heat vnto such is not conuenient the vse of this water for bicause it is hot Al such should vse of that wood which I haue written of in the first part of this Historie which is excellent for such as suffer the lyke burninges and paines For the stones and sandes for al such euils comming of heate the work is meruellous that it doeth sauing that if there bee any stone in the Bladder from which place proceedeth the lyke burning for in such a case none of these waters doe take effect but only the Surgions Raser when the Stone is greate is that which doeth profite as I haue seene in many And whyle it is sayd it is a stone it is no stone death hath come vnto them that had it whome if they had beene opened in time might haue liued many yeres as we haue seene in diuers of sixtie yeres and more who haue bin opened and liued vntill they came to eighty yeres and more And I aduertise you that this wood which I call of the Uryne and the stone doeth make the water blewe for if it doe not make the water blewe it is not the right wood And now they bring
a wood which maketh the water yellowe and this is not it which doeth profite but that which maketh the water blewe and this hath the couetousnesse of them caused that bring it because they haue seene that it is wel solde in this citie for the manifest profites that it doeth in these griefes of the Urine by tempering the Reines and the Liuer and procuring many other benefits they bring of all the wood that they finde and sell it for wood of the stone The same hath happened in the Mechoacan which when it came to be worth twentie Ducates the pounde they laded so much from thence of it some not being rype other not being right that when it is come hither it woorketh not the effect that thâ— good and wel seasoned wâ—s wont to doe Wherefore it is needfull to see to that which is taken that it bee the same and that it bee well seasoned That which is very whyte is not such as the yellowe is in myne opinion for that which is yellowe wee see that it mâ—keth the better woorke it may bee that the very whyte is not of it or hath not the perfection that the good hath And comming to our water of Sassafras it prouoketh Urine it maketh them to Uryne well which haue the impediment of it chiefly if it come by humors of colâ—e causes I did knowe a Priest which came in this flâ—ete from the Florida who being in those parts did make water very euil and cast from him stones some tymes with very much griefe and some of them did put him in hazard of his life when hee was in the Florida as hee dranke of the water of Sassafras ordinarily as many other did in the place of wyne hee auoided many great smal stones without any paines and after that hither vnto hee hath founde himselfe whole and very well of this euill by drinking the simple wâ—ter of this wood ordinarily and watering his wyâ—e therewith Many doe drinke of this water for the same purpose and they cast out much Sande and doe finde themselues cured therewiâ—h In them that bee lame or creeples and in them that are not able to goe nor to moue themselues as for the most part that infirmitie commeth of colde humours by taking this water hot in the morning and procuring sweate all that hee can eating things of diet and drinking the simple water continually and vsing it many dayes wee haue seene many healed And it is to bee noted that in taking of this water there is nothing to bee obserued as in other waters but when they shal take it hotte if any sweate come to keepe it and after this they may ryse and goe well clothed it is not needefull of any thing els but of this and good order and to eate good meates and if they sweate not it maketh no greate matter but if they sweate not they shal be healed I knowe a Captaine one of them which came from the Florida and hee certified mee that hee was so weake in all his body that his Soldiours carried him vppon their shoulders for that in any other manner he coulde not stirre and hee was in a place where the tree of Sassafras was not and he sent for it and toke the water and therewith sweate for certaine dayes and afterward he tooke it simply and hee was restored to his perfect health and I did see him whole and well In the toothache this wood beeing broken and chewed with the tooth that is grieued and leauing that which is chewed in the hole of the tooth which is grieued if it haue any hollownesse and although that it haue none yet it taketh away the paines meruellously with experience done vpon many In the euil of the Poxe it worketh the same effectes that the rest of the waters of the holy wood the China and the Sarcaparillia doeth taking it as these waters bee taken with sweates putting vp more or lesse the decoction of the water and the quantitie of the wood as the complexion is and the disease of him that shall take it For that in colde humours Flegmatike it maketh a better woorke then in them that bee Cholerike and so in the Poxe that bee of a long tyme it maketh a better and greater woorke than in them that be of smal continuance and more where there bee knobbes and moisture of matter old griefes of the head with the order as is aforesayd And in these euils the simple water is continually taken for a great tyme and it worketh greate effectes chiefly in them that bee leane which be altogether weakened debilited with the vse of many Medicines Many which haue the Gout haue vsed and doe vse to drinke of the Water of this tree some of them taking it hotte as wee haue sayde and others simple continually by it self and watering their wyne therewith That which I haue seene is that which in the olde kinde of Goutes doeth neither good nor euil and if it doe any good it is to comfort the stomacke and to dissolue winâ—inesse to giue them some lust to their meate the rest of the benefite that it bringeth is to them that hâ—ue bin sicke but short time if the cause proceede of cold vnto whome it procureth notable profite but if the humour and cause be hot it doth them no good but hurteâ—h them inflâ—ming and causiâ—g them to haue greater paynes In one thing I haue seene it in many people to bring notable profit with the continual vse of this water and it is in them which haue foule diseased handes which cannot exercise them as they were wont to doe I healed a Gentleman which could not write that when he went to write his hande fell downe by little and little and the penne also after hee had begon to write not past fiue or sixe letters And hee toke a Cuppe full of that which was last sodden in the morning and after he dranke it hee continued twoo houres in his bedde and after he rose and went about his businesse And he did eate at his dinner good meates and at his Supper vsed diet and dranke the simple water of the self same Sassafras and he was healed very wel hauing spent a great somme of money on Phisitions and Medicines which did not profite him any thing vntil he came to be remedied in the order as is aforesaide Many did certifie mee that which nowe I finde by experience and learned of them that were sicke in the Hauana and could not goe to the stoole that the Phisition which is there did cause them to take in the morning fasting a good Cuppe full hotte of the water of the Sassafras and it did soften the belly and they went to the stoole very well which we haue seene heere to bee true by experience And there was a Soldiour which certifâ—ed mee and prooued it with others of his companie that hauing stooles by
with lesse quantity of wood The like shall be done in the hot or cold times in the age of the person or the most causes making to this respect and proportion And for the more light I will here set downe the maner how this water ought to be vsed the which shall serue to shew how that they may rise or fal therein coÌ„formably to the opinion which shall seeme good to euery one For in these infirmities that be very cold they must set vp the water in quillates both in seething and also in quantity of the wood And in the diseases that are not so colde or that doe participate of any heate they must set the water lower in Quillats seething it lesse putting in lesse wood the maner and order of the preparing it is this You shall choose the freshest wood that may be had and that which hath a rynde For that wood which hath not the rinde is not good nor taketh effect you must procure that it be of the roote for that is the best of the tree for these effects and cures and for the diseases which we haue spoken of And if in case there be no roote then the bowes are the best that growe in the higher part of the Trees and in case the boweâ— lacke then is the tree good if so be that the one and the other haue the rinde of the roote let there be taken lesse in quantity therof more of the bowes much more of the tree which must be double to the quantitie of the roote Nowe let vs speake of the bowes as of a thing in the middest betweene the roote and the tree beeyng that which continually they doe bring of the which you shall take halfe an Ounce and cut it as small as may be And it must be put into three Pottelles of water in a newe Earthen pot and there lie a steeping two howres and after it must bee sodden at a fire of Coales vntill the two partes bee consumed and tâ—e one remâ—yne And after it is colde let it be strayned and kepte in a glassed vessell and vpon those small cuttinges of wood that haue beene already sodden let there be poured other three Pottels of water and let it seeth vntil halfe a Pottell bee consumed and no more after that it is colde let it be strayned and kept in a glassed vessell Let the first water be taken in the morning fasting halfe a Pint hot and then keepe your selfe warme and procure sweate then change your selfe into hot clothing and wipe your selfe from the sweate And eate of a Hen rosted dry fruite and Conserua and drinke of the second water at Dinner and Supper and in the day time And then rise and goe well clothed and flie from all things which may offend you And at night make a light Supper and eate drie fruite and Conserua but eate no flesh at night and drinke of the second water And this you may doe for as many dayes as you finde your selfe greeued and if you finde your selfe well with the vse of this water taken in this maner proceed forward vntill you be whole if not then coÌ„tinue in taking of the strong water euery third day drink of the simple water coÌ„tinually After this order it may be geuen in all diseases that we haue treated of and it will profite But many will not submit themselues to this labour which truely is the best of all others that which is most conuenient They may make â—he simple water in this forme Let there be taken halfe an ounce of the wood little more or lesse with the conditions aforesaide and let it be made into small peeces and seeth it in three Pottels of water vntill halfe be sodden away rather more then lesse And of this water you may drinke continually at Dinner and at Supper and in the day time and surely taken in this order it doeth and hath done mauellous woorkes and moste greaâ—e Cures in long diseases and importunate taking it and â—eeping a good gouernemâ—nt in yâ—ur Meate and other thinges prohibited And howsoeuer it bee beyng drunke so simple it procureth great profite They that cannot forbeare tâ—e drinking of wine may water their wine therewiâ—h for it will rather make it of a better tast and sweetnesse for this water hath a most sweete smell and tast and aboue all it worketh maruellous effectes as we haue seene and do see in diuers and sundrie diseases in the which ordinary remedies of Phisicke doe not profit with the greate examples which we haue hereof And it is to be considered that principally it doeth profite in longe and colde diseases and where there is wyndines other euils that run this course which shal be knowne foorthwith by him that shall haue need of it vse it And one thing is to be vnderstoode that vsing it in the order as is aforesaid although that he which taketh it haue no neede thereof it can doe him no hurte but rather if it be well considered it wil manifestly profite him in the time that he shall take it yea although he leaue the taking of it when he seeth that he findeth not the profite which hee desireth nor that it hath done him any hurt or harme during the time that hee hath taken it CARLO SANCTO ¶ Of the Carlo Sancto a roote brought from the new Spaine THey bring from the newe Spayne within this three yeeres a mauellous roote of great vertues which is called Carlo Sancto the which a father of S. Francis order discouâ—red and published in the prouince of Mechoacan beyng taught by an Indian of that countrie that was verie wise in such thinges and a man of greate â—xperience in the vertues of them In the firâ—te parte wee haue declaâ—ed that there bee many Medicinadle Hâ—arâ—es which haue greate secretes and vertues This â—ur Carlo Sancto groweth in that Prouince in places which are vâ—rie tâ—mperate which â—e not drie nor verâ— moyst The forme and figure thereoâ— is like to our wilde Hopâ— of Spaine for it câ—rrieth a Lease as they doe and it râ—nnâ—th vp by any otâ—er tâ—ing that is neere vnto it and if it haue nothing to leaâ—e vâ—to then it câ—eepeth all along vppon the grounde the coloâ—r is a sadde grâ—ene it carâ—ieth neither flowâ—e nor fruâ—t the smell that it hath is little and acceptable to some Out of the Roote sâ—riâ—geth a grosse tree and it casteth foorth other Rootes of the greatnesse of a finger it is white in colour and hath a Rinde which falleth from the inner parte the hearte of it is meruellously wrought for it is compounded of certayne small boordes very thinne and they may be deuided by one and one the roote hath a pleasant smell and beeyng chewed it hath a notable bitternesse wiâ—h some sharpnesse of tast this roote hath his vertue in the Rinde In the ships that he
propertie against venom but these which I haue spoken of are the most principal and found most true by experience The simple medicines bee many the most principall is the earth Lemnia so celebrated of the olde wryters in especially of Galen who only to see it and to see how the priests did make it saylâ—d to the Ilande of Lemnos that at this day is called Estalimene which is the most principal simple medicine that the Greekes knewe The true Diptamo is another which â—roweth in the Iland of Creta which at this day is called Candia wherevnto the people of the Isle doe runne when they feele themselues in vayne Lykewyse it is to be giuen to them that are bitten wâ—th venomous beastes or pricked of them bycause it may extinguish and kil the malice of the venome And although that these pouders are of so much vertue as aforesayde the Bezaar stone is of greater vertue and excellencie for that in it alone is founde all the vertues and properties that are in all medicines which we haue already spoken of by his own propertie hidden and by grace from heauen infused into it against venomes which you shall find to bee the best and most present remedy of all others as wee wil shewe in that which followeth Of the Bezaar stone THis Bezaar stone hath many nâ—mes for the Arabiens do cal it Hagar the Persians Bezaar the Indians Bezar the Hebrewes Belzaar the Greekes Alexipharmâ—cum the Latinistes Against venom the Spaniardes the stone against venom sounding Conrado Gesnero in his booke that he made of beastes speaking of the Goate of the mountayne sayth that this name Belzaar is an Hebrew name for that ben in Hebrewe is as much to say as Lord and zaâ— venom as if ye would say Lord of the venomes and by good reason it is so named seeing that this stone is Lady of the venomes and doeth extinguish and destroy theÌ„ as being Lady and mistresse ouer them And of this it commeth that al thinges that are against poyson or venomous thinges are called Bezaarticas for theyr excellencie This stone is ingendered in the inner part of a beast that is commonly called a Goate of the mountaine The ingendering of stones in beastes is a common thing and also in man chiefly there is no partâ— in his body wherein they bee not ingendred and lykewyse in byrdes and fishes rattes of the field Plinie in his 28. booke the 9. chapter sayeth that the wilde hartes goe to the hollow places where snakes and serpents are and with their breath doe bring them foorth and eate them And this is gathered heereby that they doe it eyther to heale them of some disease or to wax yong againe that they may liue many yeeres The Arabiens doe amplifie this cause and say that the wild hartes by eating of these serpents come to ingender the Bezaar stone and they declare it in this manner In these East parts are bred certaine beastes which are called hartes which for the great heate of the Sommâ—r goe into the â—aues and hollowe places where the adders and snakes and other vermin being of poyson are which in that country be many and very venomous bycause the countrie is so hot and with their breath they driue them out and tread vpon them and kill them and eate them and after they are filled with them they goe as speedily as they can where water is and they plundge themselues therin in such sorte that they leaue no part of their bodies out but their snowt for to fetch their breath and this they doe that with the coldnes of the water they may delay the greate heate of the venome which they haue eaten and there they remayne without drinking a droppe of water vntil they haue alayed and cooled that feruent heate wherein they were by feeding vppon the venomous vermine And being in the water there doeth ingender in the places wâ—ere the droppes of water coÌ„meth foorth of their eyes a stone which being come foorth of the water falleth from them and it is gathered vp for the vse of medicine This is thaâ— in effâ—ct which the Arabiens doe wryte of the manner howe the Bezaar stone is ingendered I haue procured and with great diligence sought to find out by such as haue come froâ— tâ—e India of Portingal and such as haue past beyond the China to knowe the trueth of this matter and it is thus In the greatest India where Ptolomeo doth write to bee founde so much goods and so greate riches before the Riuer Ganges in certayne mountaynes which doe ioynâ— with the Countrie of China there doe breede certaine beastes lyke to Hartes as well in greatnesse as in swiftnesse and are very much lyke vnto hartes sauing in some respect they doe participate with goates as well in their hornes which they haue lyke a goate beeing turned backewarde as in the making of the body whereby they giue them the name of goates of the mountayne wherein in my opinion they are deceiued for they rather ought to bee called harte goates in that they haue the partes and likenesses of both which is of a harte and of a goate These harte Goates in those partes doe vse themselues lyke to the hartes that Plinie speaketh of in these places as is aforesaid that goe to the dennes of wilde venomous beastes and with their breathing cause them to come foorth and eate them and afterwarde doe goe whereas water is and doe plundge themselues therein vntill they perceiue that the furie of the venom which they haue eaten bee past and vntill then they dare not drinke a droppe And beeing come foorth from thâ—nce they goe into the fieldes and there they eate many healthfull herbes of greate vertue which are against venom which they by their naturall instinct doe know that there doe aryse as wel of the venom which they haue eateÌ„ as of the herbes which they haue fed on being ingendred by meanes of the naturall heate and by that vertue which is declared being infused at the tyme of the generation in the inner parts of the bowelles in other parts of their bodies certaine stones of the greatest and of the smallest sort which is a thing of greate admiration of the greatest vertue that to this day is knowen against venom It is vnderstoode of that venom which is so pernicious and â—urtful that they did eate of those herbes being so healthful that they fed vpon by a meruellous woorke the Bezaar stone is ingendered And as they say which come from those partes and haue seene this beast from whom they take out these stones hee is of the greatnesse of a harte and well neere of this making hee hath onely twoo broade hornes with the pointes sharpe turned and falling much backewarde his hayre is thicke and grosse of a mingled colour for the most parte and reddishe and of other colours you haue many of them in those mountaines
in payne so that from the tyme that hee receyued it his soundings came not to him so continually as they did before This being perceiued I saide one day to my Lady that it was the doctrine of Phisitions that the medicines which doe not heale diseases cannot preserue that wee fall not into them but that it seemed good to mee that wee shoulde giue vnto him euery morning the pouder of the Bezaar stone that with the continuall vse thereof the vapour might bee consumed which did ryse vp to the braynes so that what seemeth to be venomous and hurtfull the stone woulde extinguish and kil and would consume the vapour that riseth vp froÌ„ all the body and from A Childe did eate a certaine venomous thing whereby hee was in danger of death and seing that the common remedies did not profit I caused to bee giuen to the childe the Bezaar stone and immediatly it was well And for children that haue wormes it is lykewyse very good for that it causeth them to be expelled by dissolution meruellously taking away the accidents that are wont to happen to childreÌ„ And this it worketh wheresoeuer you feare any griefe or venomous humour In the thinges that it hath done most good hath bene in the pestilence for that there was in Germany a greate Plague and vnto all such as had the Bezaar stone giuen them immediatly was seene the greate effect that it did in them that toke it And in an Hospital were foure persons infected with this euill and it was giuen to twoo of them and not to the other and they that tooke it escaped and the other twoo dyed And then it was giuen to many that were infected with this euill and some of them had twoo sores and some had three and yet they escaped and of this were witnesses many people of greate credit that sawe it and other meaner persons as it is very well knowne to all the Court. This stone doeth profit much to them that be sad and melancholike the Emperour toke it many tymes for this effect and it is taken of many persons that are melancholike for it taketh it away and maketh him glad and mery that vseth it and to bee of a good disposition Many I haue seene that haue beene much diseased with fayntnesse soundinges and melancholie and taking the waight of three graynes of this stone with the water of Oxtongue they haue bin healed presently In feuers of an euill qualitie and most pestilent it is meruellous the good woorke that it doeth for that it taketh away the malice thereof extinguishing and killing the euil qualitie of the venom which is the first and principall thing that the Phisition should doe for if that this bee not taken away first the cure is in vaine Many do vse this stone holding a peece thereof in theyr mouth in the suspected time of a Pestilence and whereas venom is feared or any thing that is venomous and also it dooth profite much taking it in water to them that are sicke of pestilent Feuers A Gentleman had all his seruantes sicke of Agewes that are commonly called Modorras and he put into a pot of water a Bezaar stone that hee had of the which he caused the sicke people to drinke and they all escaped and were deliuered from death And many people for this cause haue this stone layde in water continually that they may drinke thereof being sicke for it profiteth much to take away the Agewe and geueth strength to the hart and not onely this stone doth profite in venomous thinges and venomes but in other diseases as it hath byn proued being geuen to them that haue the gidines in the head it doth much profit and also against opilations And it happened that a Nunne that had sowndinges and greate opilations by taking the Bezaar stone was healed and likewise of the opilations and being long time without her customed termes they came very well too her and aboundantly This stone profiteth much to them that haue taken Arsenike or other corsiue venome for that it dooth kill and consume the force of the venome and taketh away the accidentes thereof Milke hath in this a great prerogatiue and doth woorke effectually by taking much quantitie and continually vsing the same for although that it be a meruellous remedie it must be vsed in corsiue venomes for that it maketh the venomes to be expelled by vomit and doth extinguish the mallice It is the true Antidote against corsiue venome and after the vse thereof the stone may be giuen or the pouder or any of the sayde medicines that haue vertue against venome Also this stone doth profit muche against feuers that bringe certaine red spots in the bodie like to Flea-bytinges that commonly doe appeare in their shoulders and in their archter parts of the bodie these doe come in sore Agewes that doe expell the humours out of the bodie and so it is conuenient that it bee so vsed that it may come out well and this muste bee done by putting bentositâ—es and other like helpes that may expell the humour whereby nature is holpen forbidding oyntmentes and other things that may disturbe the comming out of these thinges An other thing which is conuenient is to geue to the sicke when these small spottes doe beginne to appeare those thinges which doe extinguish and kill the venome of the which we haue treated very largely hauing respect not to let blood after that they haue appeared if it come not of too muche replection and fulnesse of blood One thing I haue founde for these redde Spottes and for Feuers of muche profite and notable experience in many which is our Bolearmenike prepared in a dishe of earth with Rose water geuen in all medicines that are too bee taken and in the meates that are too bee eaten and surely in it I haue founde great effect chiefly in one yeere wherein reygned many Pestilent Agues called Moderâ—as and many were deliuered from them with the vse of it for that this our Bolearmenike doth differ little from that of the East partes and this shall bee where the Bezaar stone is not to bee had for that it doth exceed all as I saw in a principall Gentleman of this citie which had a sore Feuer with soundinges Uomites and other Accidentes of an Ague vpon whom did appeare spottes which before I haue spoken of on his shoulders and in geuing him the Bezaar stone with a little of the Uâ—â—cornes horne foorthwith the Accidentes did cease and began to be better for that it did extinguishe and kill the force of the Agewe which caused all the hurte And after this sorte I coulde speake of many heere in Spayne that for the space of this fourteene yeeres I haue vsed it and many haue beene deliuered therewith from many diseases with the vse thereof that surely it seemeth a thing of woonderfull effectes that a stone taken out of the bellie of a beaste like to a wilde Harte or Goate
the meanes thereof they assure themselues to be out of peril for that matter the which surely is allowable and a good custome and necessary for the safegard and health of any Prince or Lorde for if there be any hurte in the meate or in the drinke it shal light first vppoâ— theÌ„ that doe eate or drinke thereof and not vpon the Prince or other high estate in whose life and health greate matters doe depende Trueth it is that in these dayes it is done more for a ceremony and estate then for health safety of life this order is vsed amongst great estates more for custome then for any thing else for this purpose the common people haue it in estimation so that at this present it is vsed contrary to that end and purpose it was ment for they vse nowe taking of a little bred and bringing it with the meate and so taste it that done they cast it away and lykewyse they drinke a drop of wyne or water if it should be vsed as it ought to bee they should eate and drinke thereof throughly for otherwyse the poyson if there be any caÌ„not be discerned before it come in to the Princes mouth Also the lord ought to command that there be prepared for him diuers meates for that if hee mislyke of one he may tast of another for being of diuers sorts he may tast of eache a little and eating little at once of any that were infected it would doe lesse hurte then if he shoulde eate of one dish being infected filling himself therwithal for being either of them infected and eating much therof it shal doe the more hurte And note this wel that many times a maÌ„ is not giuen alwaies to eate of one meate nor to see it alwayes tasted before he eate it and afterwarde there appeareth in it notable hurte therefore it is good to take your meate with a forke or a spoone and that they be made as Ierome Montuo a learned man in Phisike had appoynted for king Henry of Fraunce which was made to knowe if that he had eateÌ„ any venom there must be made a little forke and a spoone of one mixture of gold and siluer that the olde wryters called Eletrum and it must bee 4. partes golde and one of siluer they must bee smooth cleane well burnished with the forke or holder let him eate his meate and with the spoone his broth for putting them in the meate or in the broth if that there bee any venom therein foorthwith the golde will haue an euil colour appearing tawnie blewe or blacke and loosing the beautie that before it had the which wil cause them to looke better to the meate and this is done for trial therof and to make further experieÌ„ce by some beast that may eate thereof and so to see the effect thereof for that is the greatest experience the lyke may bee done with the drinke to make a cuppe therof or a broade vessel well burnished For if the wine or water that is put into it haue any venom the vessel wil take some colour therof as aforesaide and if it haue no poyson therein it will remaine in his owne colour And surely it is a gallant and a delicate secrete when you begin to eate any manner of meate the first morsell that you take let it be wel chewed and marke wel if it do byte or haue any euil taste or if it burne your mouth or your toÌ„gue or that your stomacke abhorre it for in perceiuing or feeling any thing of these signes cast it forth and wash your mouth with wyne or water and leaue that meate and fal to other it woulde doe very wel to giue it to some beast to see the effeâ—t therof it is good to haue in the house some beast to whome it might giuen for to make experience thereof And the effect so appearing they haue to iudge therof And this is to be vnderstoode when the venomes come of corsiue thinges you shal feele a notable sharpenes and they byte and burne forthwith the best is for them that haue suspicion to eate meate that is rosted or sod that they eate neither brothes nor pottages for in them there may be greater hurte and if any bee made let them not bee made with things of smell as Amber muske and sweete spyces and let them not haue ouermuch sharpenes for in broth or pottage the poyson wil sooner lurke then in rosted or sodden and vse no meates which haue much sweetnesse therein all poyson will lurke the more Hee that hath any suspition when hee goeth to his meate let him not bee to greedie to eate foorthwith very hastily but let him refraine himselfe and let him eate with leasure by litle and litle The lyke he must do in his drinking being very thirsty hee feeleth not what he drinketh and so many people beeing very dry haue dronke in lie lye and also water of arsenike not feeling the same vntil they haue hurt their body and therefore it is conuenient to drinke leysurely by litle and litle tasting his drinke as he drinketh surely if men woulde be ruled by this order they should easily finde if there were any euil thing in that they eate and drinke You haue to consider the colour of your meate for thereby will somewhat appeare For it wil looke otherwyse then it ought to doâ— see that your vessels wherein you eate or drinke bee cleane newe and glistering and if your abilitie be such let them bee of siluer being cleane burnished for if you haue venom in the drinke it is easily espied and the siluer doth turne blacke or tawney Not many dayes past a Gentleman of great riches by drinking in a plaine cuppe of siluer perceiued the cup stayned of a sad tawney colour and did maruel thereat hee only tasted the wyne and it made his tongue rough his mouth also hee looked wel on the wyne that was put into the cup it had not that quicknes in drinking that it ought to haue had and hee looked on the water and in the bottome of the ewre there were many graines of arsenyke with as yet were not dissolued I was called I gathered out of the ewre more then xx smal graines of arsenike within certain dayes after the Gentleman fell sicke wherby I did conâ—ectâ—re that it was not the first tyme that they pretended to poyson him since that he hath bin sicke a long time And thus much I affirme that if the cup had not bin altered of his colour â— bin infected it had not bin perceiued Therefore it is necessary that the vessels and tinages where wyne water are kept be stopt for feare least any venomous thing fall therein as spyders Sallamanquesas and other lyke venomous beâ—sts and therefore it is nought to drinke with vessels or cuppes that haue narrow mouths for it is best to see what one drinketh in a cleere vessel and broade for it is good for
inner partes Galen sayth that the vse therof healeth the dropsie and doeth euacuate the grosse humors Serapio saieth that being taken with water and hony it looseth the belly chiefly grosse humors many doe prayse it for the dropsie with water and hony I vnderstand that the loâ—â— stone ought to be prepared in such sorte that iâ— may bet vsed as wee haue saide of the preparing of the yron B. Doth your woorship minister any time the rust of yron prepared'â— for I haue prepared it by commandement of a Phisition being a stranger and geue the pouder thereof vnto such as had opilations and hee saide to mee that they did better woorke then the pouders of steele D. We haue spoken of Plateario and of Mathew Siluatico howe they say that the rust of the yron and the yron it selfe and the filing of it and the steele haue al one maner of vertue and therfore the rust of the yron prepared wil profit as much for the said purpose as the rust doth and I haue vnderstood for to consume and dry vp the moysture of the stomake and the slimy humours therof it wil make greate effectes for the rust of the yron and of the steele is the most hot partes the dryest parts of them And so Galen doeth command it to be prepared with vineger and that there bee made of it pouder most small the which dryeth extreemely as hee saieth in the nienth of simples and in the fifth of his Methodo Mesue in that of the vlcers of the eares hee doeth put a confection for them wherein in is conteined the preparing of the rust and before that hee putteth the same rust prepared in vineger and made in small pouders hee maketh of them a liniment for the eares that are troubled with vlcers Rasis in the nienth chapter of those thinges that doe comforte the stomake after hee hath shewed of many compound medicines saieth if they doe not profit let there bee giuen the skales of yron with wyne and hee saieth the same in the bookes of the Deuisions in the chapter of the diseases of the moyst stomake hee commandeth to giue a composition called Trifera Minor and after that the rust of yron And in the same chapter before for the weakenes of the stomake and the debilitation of the natural heate hee commandeth that there bee giuen Trifera and after that the rust of yron and at the end of the sayde chapter for such as do eate earth clay and coales hee commandeth them to bee purged with Acibar and after that they eate Trifera made with the rust of Iron B. You haue spoken very wel Maister Doctor but I pray you shew vs how wee shoulde minister the pouders of these things D. seeing that there with wee shal make an end I wil shew it in short tyme considering that the time doeth no longer giue place The cause and original of the disease being knowen the sicke person ought to bee let blood and purged if it seeme good to the Phisition to bee so and if the sicke person hath strength therefore for there are some so leane that it is not conuenient to vse of any euacuations in them This beeing done they shal take of the pouders that shal seeme most conuenient for them of the three thinges which are spoken of the yron the steele or the rust of them the quantity that shal seeme good to the Phisition according to the age vertue strength I do giue to them of a meane age a dramme and from thence I ryse or fal as the age and strength or the continuance of the disease requyreth and that it may not be lesse then twoo graynes of waight nor more then a dram halfe I giue it many kinde of wayes either mingled with suggar of Roses or with conserua of violettes or with a syrope of Coriander or of the roote or made in pilles with a syrope made for the purpose casting them into the mouth or any maner of these wayes that they bee taken there must bee dronke after them a little sacke that it be not cold nor very strong And if the person that taketh it drinke no wine then he may drinke water sodden with Cinamon although the wine be the better it must be taken fasting in the morning and immediatly after it be taken they must goe and exercise their bodies twoo houres after if they haue strength therefore and if there bee not strength to doe it one is sufficient or the tyme that they may possibly The going must bee in such sort that the partie bee not ouerwearied and if he be let him sit downe now and then and by reason such as do take them haue stoppings or opilations of any maner of exercise although it bee little they are foorthwith wearie and all the payne is for the first dayes for afterward they shal goe very wel and shal not be so much wearied This exercise is better to bee vsed out of the house and by the streetes and in the fieldes it doeth importe very much by the going whereby these pouders do make their woorke and doe good that if they bee not well gone with all they doe not the effect that is desired and the exercise being made let him take rest in his house or in the place where hee commeth vnto not vnclothing himselfe but euen so apparelled let him lye downe vpon his warme bed and rest himselfe one houre and let him eate foure houres at the least after hee hath taken these pouders or when hee perceyueth his stomake to bee cleere of them hee shall eate of a Hen or of another Byrde without any sauce with some dry fruite or some conseruas and not to eate any greene thing Let the drinke be according to the disposition that hee hath wine watered if it bee conuenient for him to drinke it or water sodden with Cinamom let him refraine to that day from al thinges that may offend him let him not drinke betweene meales let him make a light supper with that as may dry vp moysture I will not counsell that they take these pouders euery day but euery third day and chiefly these first dayes and especially such which are leane and delicate for in taking of them euery day they wil bee much wearied and one day that they rest betweene they will be restored and take strength for the next day The day that it is not taken if there doe appeare any feuer it would doe well that there were taken a good vessel or great cup full of whey made of goates milke hot whot with suggar if it be not to be had then take a smal table of rosade of a sweete smel this day their liuer shall bee anoynted with some oyntment made for the purpose and their lungs with some thing that may vnstoppe them and the stomake with some thing that may comfort This shal bee done in the morning
when he is on his bed and after the oyntmentes are ended a little tyme one houre or twoo after that they are anoynted receiue a common medicine with thinges that haue vertue to euacuate and this medicine shal not lacke euery day when the pouders are not taken for it doeth much import except if there bee not many stooles in such sorte it will bee better that it bee a washing medicine The day which they take not the pouders they may eate sodde meate with some sauce and greene thinges and in the one day and the other drinke little These pouders are giuen many or fewe dayes according to the necessitie of the partie that is sick and as it doth him good for to some 15. dayes are sufficient and to others 20. and to others 30. some there be which do vomit them vp the first twoo or three dayes and they cast vp much choler with them whereby they are notably lightened and doeth iâ— this sort they giue contentmeÌ„t gladnes I know no other medicinall benefite it can do to them There are many Phisitions which doo coÌ„mande to carrie to the mony house which is the house where the money is made a pot of water corporall and spirituall and after he hath done this he doeth moderate it in this manner saying But such which haue not these eates and drinketh without them when they are idle and in pleasure and doe not exercise themselues these people as they haue not heate to constrayne them to drinke colde let them not doe it neither is it conuenient for them to drinke it let them content themselues with colde water as nature hath brought it foorth without putting it too coole in any other thing seeyng that they haue not neede of that which is most colde And foorthwith he sayeth Although they liue idlely and doe no exercise and also without cares if the time were warme or very whot they may drinke the water colde I doe meane that in Countries where it is not colde they may put it too bee made colde so that it bee not vâ—ry colde The selfesame is confirmed by Galen himselfe in his thirde booke of meates and in the booke of the disease of the raynes where hee saith That the vse of colde water cooled with Snowe vnto suche as are very whot and such as are fattâ— and suche as doe excercise themselues and labour muche that suche may drinke very colde chiefly if they be vsed therevnto for such as are accustomed to drinke it doe suffer and carrie yt better and more without hurte then suche as doe not vse it for such ought to drinke it with more respect and consideration And albeit the water hath so greate benefite in it as wee haue sayde for the conseruation of health it hath greater too heale Feuers and other diseases and therevppon Hipocrates and Galen treated very particularly inespecially Galen in the nienth of his Methodâ— doeth reprehende there Erasistratâ— and suche as doe followe him which did forbid the vse of colde water vnto such as were sicke of the Feuers And in his first booke of his Methodo by the like reason doeth reprehende Tesalo and in the seuenth booke he doeth shewe that hee himselfe hath healed many sicke persons that had the griefe of the stomake with most cold water and also made cold with Snow And in the eight nienth tenth and eleuenth of the same Methodo he healeth the Feuers and other diseases with water that is most colde And it is an excellent remedy taken with the conditions that is conuenient In the xl he saith that the sharpe Feuers are cured with letting blood and colde water especially the Feueâ—s of blood or that haue much mixture thereof By that which is said is seene how conuenient it is that water be made cold with snowe where there is not to be founde any so colde as is conuenient for our conseruation contentment for to heale vs of many infirmities Al the which wee haue treated of in briefe whereby it may be a beginning of our pretence that shall follow which is to shew the manner how to make tolde with snow and because that which shall be made colde is the water and vnder is also to be vnderstood the wine al the rest that shal be made cold we will speake of that which shall be treated vnder the water The water is cold two maner of waies one naturally as it commeth forth of the springes and this is as cold as it is conuenient and hath no neede to coole it if it hath as muche coldnesse as will satisfie our necessitie without hauing neede too seâ—ke any thing that may make it colder There is an other water which is not so colde as is conuenient for vs as wel for our conseruation health as for our satisfaction and by reason it is not so colde as it ought to be it is the cause of the hurts it doth that before we haue spoken of Some waters are not so colde as they ought to bee by nature by reason they are in whot countries Now our intent is to treate of them how they ought to be made colde because with their heate they hurte vs and beyng made cold as much as neede requireth they doe satisfy vs so that wee may drinke them and vse them without any hurt that they can doe vs so we wil shew of al the meanes that we may haue to make cold which are vsed at this day in all the worlde and of them wee will choose the best and most sure setting downe the inconuenience that is in euery one There are foure maner of waies to make colde which at this day are vsed in all the worlde that is to say with the aire in the well with salt Peter and with snow euery one of these is vsed at this day The first is to make colde with the ayre although it bee a common thing and vsed in all places yet it hath beene and is most vsed of the Egyptians by reason they haue neither wels nor snowe and that of the salt Peter they neuer knewe Galen maketh a large relation of the manner howe to make cold with the aire and saith thus they of Alexandria and Egypt for to make their water colde that they may drinke it in time of whot wether doe warme it first or doe seeth it then they put it into earthen vessels and set it in the colde aire or deaw in the night in windowes or in the gutters of houses and there they set it all the night and before the Sunne riseth they take it away and washe the saide earthen vesselles in the outside with colde water and then they roule them with the leaues of a Uine tree and of lettice and other fresh herbes and they put them in the grounde in the most colde part of the house that there the cold may conserue it This maner of making colde is vsed at this
day in all the worlde although not with so much curiositie by reason they seeth not the water and they content themselues with putting it in the cold ayre and in the deâ—we as commonly it is doone Likewise they doe make colde the water with hanging it in the ayre hauing certaine skinnes full of water in the aire and moouing them continually the which is vsed in all the Countrey called Estremadura Others doe make colde by putting the vesselles with water in the drawe and before the Sunne come forth they drappe them in cloth or in skinneâ— and this the Sheepheardes and other people of the fielde doe This manner to make colde with the ayre hath many inconueniences because the ayre is a subtil element subiect to any maner of alteration and corruption and therefore it may be infected with some euill qualitie easily being infected it may infect the water that so is made colde infusing therinto his malice The which Auicen sheweth very wel in the second of the first saying The ayre is an euill thing by reason it is mingled with euill thinges as Uapors and smelles and euill smoakes chiefly that which is put in betweene two walles and especially that which passeth by places where are rotten Plantes and naughty Trees and where dead bodies are for it altereth at euery one of these thinges and of them receiueth an euill quality And for this cause the auncient Phisitions did forbid that in time of the plague the water shoulde not be put into the ayre to bee made colde because the corrupt ayres should not infect it There is likewise an other inconuenience that you cannot euery night set the water too bee made colde in the Ayre for some nights and the moste parte of them in the Summer time are so whot that not onely the ayre doeth not make colde but the water that is set in the ayre is whotter then it was before and if it bee made any whit colde it dureth no longer then the Morning when it is not needefull and likewise in the time betweene Winter and Sommer or in the Winter when the ayre woulde make colde then the rayne the tempestes and cloudes and other alterations will not suffer the ayre to doe it All these thinges experience doeth shewe at this day There is an other manner of way how to make cold with the ayre which is the most wholesome and more without hurt than any of all the other wherein there is no occasion of any euill qualitie And there are many people of estimation which doe vse this way to make colde that which they should drinke the which they put into vessels of earth or metall and do alwayes make winde and ayre to the vessels with a wet lynnen cloth And it must be so that it be in the ayre continually without ceasing as long as you are at meate And in this sorte it will be made colde to purpose and the hote ayre that is ioyned to the vessell is taken awaye and in place of it commeth freshe and colde ayre euen as it doeth when there is gathered winde to the face and taking away the hote ayre that is ioyned to it and with freshe ayre it maketh it colde and refresheth The other waye to make colde is in a well wherein they do put the vessels with water or wine and there they remayne the moste parte of the daye This kynde of making colde hath also many inconueniences as well of the parte of the water wherewith it is made colde as of the parte of the place where it is put cheefely in the welles of the cities and townes that for the moste parte are fowle and full of filthinesse The water of these welles is an earthly water grosse and harde because it is continually standing in one place and shut within the bowels of the earth And as it is a standing water it must of force he putrified for that the beames of the Sunne do not pearce it nor yet the ayre doeth visite it and therefore continually it is full of euill vapours whereof they do easily rott and they are foule waters full of durte and claye and of other mischiefes of an euill qualitie And seeing the water or wine is so put a long tyme into this foule standing water what can come of it but that it participateth of the euill qualitie that it hath And so Galen sayeth that the vessell which must be put into the well ought to bee full for if it lacke of his fulnesse then the water of the well doeth penetrate it or the vapour of it goeth into that which is emptie and therefore it is conuenient that the vessell bee filled full and that it bee well stopt for that which is sayde And hee sayeth the contrarye when wee shall make colde in the ayre for then the vessell shall not bee put full but some parte thereof remayne emptie for the colde ayre in the night season entering into that which is emptie doeth make the water more colde Ordinarily they are vessels of Copper or of the lease of Milan which are put in welles for to make colde The Copper if it bee not well tinned within doeth suffer too enter into that which is to be made colde an euil qualitie for with the moysture of the well there is growen in it immediately a certeine greenesse that is seene vppon it after it hath stoode a fewe dayes which is a thing verye euill and hurtfull The leafe of Milan is made of Iron the which with the moysture of the well is taken forthwith with rust which is a blacke thing that is seene vppon it after a fewe dayes which is an euill thing which doeth infuse an euill qualitie into that which is drunke And therefore I am of the opinion that that which should be made colde in the water of a well should bee in a glassed vessell or of siluer although the best waye is to take out water of a well and put it into a vessel in the which shoulde bee put that which should bee made colde mouing the water manye tymes for by takyng the water out of the well it looseth much of his euill vapours by reason it is visited of the ayre which as is sayde doeth shewe the incouenience that there is by making colde in a well And besides that wee see that the water hath euer a taste of earth or of some euill taste that is perceyued notably after it is dronke besides the euill smell which wee see thaâ— it taketh The third manner and fashion to make cold is with salt-peter the which is an inuention of marchantes and in especially of such as goe in the Gallie by reason that there the ayre doeth not make colde and especially in the tyme of calmes and there is neither welles nor snow Necessity did teach theÌ„ this remedie although it is not good for the great inconueniences which it hath It doth coole as some say the colde
running vnto the inner partes of that which it doeth make colde for the excessiue heate which the saltpeter hath the which is done with the strong force of the saltpeter with the water which the saltpeter beeing entered into the inner partes maketh to bee colde comming from the heate of the saltpeter working vpon the strong force thereof Other say that the water doeth make it selfe grosse with the saltpeter and being made more thicke and grosse it hath more colde vertue the which beeing holpen with the heate of the saltpeter the cold maketh a greater pearâ—ing through the water for al thinges that are cold the more thicke partes that they haue the more they coole And so Galen saith in the bookes of the simple medicines that nothing caÌ„ be very cold which hath subtil thin partes by the which howe more thicke the things are the more force they are of Other there be which say that the saltpeter hath an actual vertue very colde and woorking with the water is made more cold as is seene by the bryne that after the salt is very much stirred in the water it is most cold The selfsame is seene in the water of Allom and of saltpeter This maner of making cold doth cause many diseases it doeth heate the liuer it causeth continuall heate and a hot burning it inflameth the lungs it taketh away the lust of meate and other euilles which woulde be tedious to treate of There are other wayes to make cold which are in riuers and most colde fountaines whereof Galen speaketh of the which it is not needefull to treate of for whereas are most cold waters it is not needful to put them to bee made colde but to vse of them as they are Wee haue shewed howe the water that shoulde be made rayne with the coldnesse of the middle region of the ayre did freese and was made snowe and therfore is little difference from the rayne water and that which commeth foorth of the snowe for both of them are ingendred of one manner of matter sauing that the water which proceedeth of the snowe is somewhat more grosse for the compultion it hath of the coldnes of the ayre in such sort that it is not so euil as they say it is And we see the Scithians doe drinke it continually as Hypocrates sayth We see that of the snowe which doeth melt are made great and mighty riuers of the which the people that inhabit neere to them drinke continually without doing to them any maner of hurt or benumming of them And of these are many in Spaine Almanie and many more in the west Indias where most of the riuers are of snowe which doeth melte from the hilles and mountaynes and al people in general drinke of them for there is no other water in al the Countrie The Romaynes for delight and curiositie dranke the water that came foorth of the snowe the which they strayned through stones to make it more thin Atheneo doeth rehearsâ— certaine verses of Sopita an ancient Poet in the which he saith that in his tyme they dranke snowe and the water which came foorth of the snowe Pericrates Historiographer being a Greeke most famous saith that in his tyme they dranke snow not only in the Cities but in the campes Euticles a man very learned in one of his epistels doeth reprehende those that were in his tyme that they did not content themselues to drinke that which was made cold with snow but that they dranke the snow it selfe Sciates maketh mention of the snowe vsed at tymes conuenient with much care and delite Xenophon in the thinges of memory which hee wrote maketh mention of many people that did not onely drinke snowe but the water therof continually The Romanes did vse it much and so Plinie in the 31. booke of his history saith that Nero was the first that sodde wâ—ters to coole it in Snowe The which Galen in the seuenth of his Methodo doth recite of him saying Nero was the first that sodde the waters and afterwarde cooled them with Snowe for the water being made colde in this sorte receiueth more quickly the colde and more effectually And it is a water more healthfull for by the seething of it is auoyded the earthly partes from the water and it remayneth more subtile and more thin and so it descendeth more speedily from the stomacke Plinie in his naturall historie in the nineteenth booke complayneth of the care that those of his time had in keeping the Snowe of the Winter for the hote weather in Summer saying that they did ouerthrow the mountaines by keeping the snowe from warme weather making it to peruert the order of nature that in the monthes which are most whot in the which there is nothing but heate drithe that the curiositie of the people is so much that at that time there is such aboundance of snowe as in the monthes in the which there doeth naturally fal vpon the grounde great quaÌ„tity thereof This Plinie saieth for in his tyme and after it was a common thing to keepe the snow of the winter for the summer Heliogabalo Emperour had made a great caue in a litle mountayne from a garden of his owne where hee gathered in the winter very greate quantitie of snowe bringing it from the mountaynes that were neerest to Rome whereof they vsed in tyme of heate in their bankettes Chares Militineus in the history that hee wryteth of King Alexander sayeth that in the Citie of Petra a most populous Citie in Asia there was ordinarily thirty caues that in the winter tyme were filled with Snowe for the whot weather for the seruice of Alexander such as were retayners to him At this day it is done not onely in Asia but also in many partes of Africa and in all Europe chiefly in all the Countries which are vnder the dominions of the greate Turke and especially in Constantinople where the snowe is so much vsed that all the yeere it is solde in publike market and they vse of it al the yeere The selfe same is done at this day in all the states of Almanie and of Flaunders Hungary and Bohemia and other places where they keepe the Snowe in houses and bawâ—es in the Winter for to make their drinke colde therewith in the summer They carry from Flaunders to Paris the water that is frosen which is more then three score leages distance Lykewyse in our country of Castile it is kept in houses and they gather it in the winter and when winter is past they conserue it for the whote weather And there are many Lordes and great men which haue in the mountaynes particular houses where they commande that it bee put in the winter for this effect and many of them doe vse it and doe make colde therewith as well in the winter as in the summer as there are chiefly in Castile in the tyme of winter waters that
are most colde They which drinke that which is made colde with snowe saye that it doeth not offende them as that which is made cold with the weather for it is seene that a cuppe of colde water beeing dronke that commeth foorth of a well or of a colde fountayne hurteth such as doe drinke it and drinking that which is made colde with snow they feele no such hurte I doe much maruell at one thing that this Citie of Siuill beeing one of the most famous of the Worlde wherein alwayes haue liued many greate personages of very high estate and many people of greate estimation as well of the naturall people of the Country as strangers that ther hath byn none which haue brought thither snowe in the time of whot weather for to make colde that which they drinke seeyng that the heate of this countrie from the beginning of Sommer vntil it be well neere towardes Winter is so great that it is not to be suffered and all the waters are most whot that they cannot scarcely be drunke And besides that the moste parte of the people of this Citie are people of much businesse and cares And seeyng that in a Countrie so whot where businesse and cares doe abounde where the water is whot and nothing wherewithall to coole it with iust Title it may be admitted and vsed that it may be cooled with snowe seeyng that the coldnesse is so sure as we haue sayd and it doth make the benefites which Galen and Auicen haue shewed vnto vs. Let euery one looke vppon his disposition that beeing whole although hee bee not altogether in health in time of whot wether he may drinke colde more or lesse as it is conuenient for him For the drinking colde doeth temper the Liuer it mitigateth the heate it geueth appetite to meate it comforteth the stomake it geueth strength too all the foure vertues that may doe theyr woorkes the better the meate is eaten with appetite and with gladnesse it taketh away the drithe in the day time it causeth that the stone doth not ingender in the raynes by keeping temperate the heate of them it taketh away lothsomnesse and likewise it doeth many other good effectes that the vse and thereof experience ode shewe vs. And because it is the best manner too make colde with Snowe as we haue sayde let vs aâ—â—we thereof with graue Authours and let Auicen bee the first in the thirde of the first where he saith The water that is made cold with snow vnto such as are of a temperate complection whereas coldenesse hath beene made with Snowe yea although the snow be fowle and not cleane then it serueth to make colde the water without and that as is good and cleane is to be put in to that which shal be dronke as Auicen himselfe sheweth in the second parte of the first booke the 16. chapter where hee sayth the snowe and the frosen water when it is cleane and that the Snowe hath not fallen vppon euill plantes or that it be not mingled with earth or other superâ—â—uâ—ties and the frost not made of euill infected waters but that the water which come foorth of the snow bee cleere and cleane and the water that commeth foorth of the frost be also good and cleane if any parte of the water of the snowe or of the frost bee put into the water that must bee dronke or with them the water be made cold without dout it is good for the waters which come foorth of them bee not straunge from other waters This doth Auicen say giuing to vnderstande that these waters which doe proceed of snow and of frost being cleane doe not differ from the goodnesse of other waters onely the difference is that the water of the snowe and of the frost are grosser then other waters by reason that the vapour is congeled in the middle region of the ayre as wee haue declared Rasis amongest the Arabiens the best learned in the thirde booke of those which hee wrote to the King Almasor sayeth thus The water of snowe cooleth the Liuer that is whot beeing taken after meate it strengtheneth the stomake it giueth appetite and lust to meate but that which is dronke may not be much And immediatly after he sayth the water which hath not so much coldnesse that it giueth not contentment to him that drinketh it filleth the belly taketh not away the drithe it destroyeth the appetite it taketh away the lust of the meate it consumeth the body and concludeth in saying that it is not a thing conuenient to bee dronke I do vnderstand it for the preseruation of the health of man of the which Rasis treating in that booke himselfe in the 4. of Almasor speaking of the preseruation from the and there commeth to him hurt and poyson which destroyeth and corrupteth him beleeue you mee and suffer not such which are sicke to spende their mony to cast golde in medicines which they take nor let them quenche golde that is whot in wyne nor in water for of the one and of the other there remayneth no medicinal vertue that wil remedy their euilles Only the golde being made mony hath greate vertues and properties for that is it that maketh the hart glad and taketh away sadnesse and melancholy and repaireth al the vertues and strength of man it giueth strength whereas is none it is an vniuersal remedy of al thinges vnles it bee of death for against that nothing can preuayle And seeing that night is come and tyme giueth not vnto vs any longer liberty and although that it gaue vs yet age doeth his office for I feele my selfe weary God bee with you Maister OrtunÌ„o and likewyse to you Maister Burgus and I goe to take rest The end of the Dialogue of Yron THE BOKE WHICH TREATETH OF THE SNOW AND OF the properties vertues therof And of the maner that should be vsed to make the drink cold therwith of the other wayes wherewith drinke is to be made colde Wherof is shewed partly in the latter parte of the seconde Dialogue of yron With other curiosities which will geue contentment by other auncient thinges woorthy too bee knowen which in this treatise shal bee declared Written by Doctor Monardes Phisition of Seuill 1574 To the excellent Lord the Earle of Barajas assistent of the citie of Seuill c. the Doctor Monardes your Phisition wisheth health MOst excellent Lorde the faire white snow doeth complaine vnto mee saying that she being so auncient and of so many ages celebrated of so many Princes Kinges wise and valiant mâ—n and beyng had in so greate estimation and price that with greate care they seeke after her with greater care they doe conserue her for to geue health contentment to all persons yet for all this many people with little consideration not knowing what they say doe persecute her putting vndecent names to her and that which doeth most greeue her is
that some Phisitions either for ignoraÌ„ce or for malice do speak euil of her not perceiuing what so many lerned meÌ„ haue treated said of the great vtility profit which she doth to many as experience doth shew all people doe vnderstand chiefly when they doe drinke their drink most cold with the benefit which doth remaine to them thereof they do praise extol her Moreouer she saith that she forceth no persoÌ„ to vse her but if any wil vse her shee can geue such order maner to make cold the drinke as is coÌ„uenient for al persons geuing the degrees of coldenesse which euery one would haue which doeth best appertayn to them this with all assurance with onely leauing or placing the vessel whâ—rein the drinke is ioyned nere to her the which none of the olde writers nor of the late did speake against or forbid And especially let this maner of making cold not be done with stinking water of a well nor with the most burning Saltpeter but with pure water beyng cleane and cleare These coÌ„plaintes many other the faire lillie white Snow hath vttered vnto me in the end she lastly saide to me that since that I had praysed her so much and taken in hande to fauour hâ—r that I should ly the fire hath no mixture of other Elementes and amongest these Elements the ayre is very principall which is deuided into three parts one is the supreame and neere to the Râ—gion of the efire which is whotte and drie for the felowshippe that it hath therewith taking muche of his qualitie which is cleere and pure from whence doe not proceede anye wyndes nor cloudes and this they call the celestiall Region and the partes more lowe which are neere too the water and earth be greaâ— and troubled full of Uapours pearced and visited with the beames of the Sunne whereby it commeth too bee whotte and the supreame and middle Region of the ayre doeth come too bee very colde because it standeth in the middest of the twoo extremities beeyng so whotte And in it is increased the colde as in the middle parte fleing from the extreme partes of heate as we haue spoken of before This middle parte hath partes more or lesse colde for the parte that is ioyning neere vnto vs is not so cold as that which is neere to the superiour partes of the fire And how much more the vapours do rise vp on height the more they doe congele and hold fast In the middle region of the ayre doe ingender the clowdes the small raynes the droppes the frost the rayne the Snowe the Hayle and other impressions as the Thunder lightnings and sharpe showers and comets The Clowdes be the principal matter which doe ingender the Rayne the Snowe and the Hayle and the other impressions which wee haue spoken of that are made of many Uapours which doe rise vp from the lower partes vnto the middle Region of the ayre and so being ioyned they make one body and they waxe thicke with the colde of the saide place and for this the clowd is like to a mother and is the common matter of all the impressions that are made in the ayre And so it is of the snowe as a thing ingendred of it in the middle Region of the ayre And the Snowe is no other thing but a Uapour colde and moyst which came into the middle Region of the ayre beeing ingendred in the bodie of the Clowde with a meane coldenesse which is not so strong as that which doeth cause the Hayle nor so soft as that which doeth cause the water and in the like Uapour before it be made water it both congeale and freese and doeth fall broken in peeces and are white because there doe rayne in them more colde then in the water The which Galen doeth shewe vnto vs in the booke of the Philosophicall hystory of Anaximenes the Philosopher Of the congealed ayre he saieth that the cloudes are made and of the same beeyng more thicke the rayne is ingendred and the same is congealed and frosen and by the coldenesse of the Ayre it is made Snowe and beeyng more congealed it is made Hayle And the same Galen doeth say in his booke de Vtilitate respirationis the Clowdes congealed are made Snowe which is the matter that the rayne is made of the Snowe doeth fall in the highe places which of their owne nature are colde places and thereby it is muche conserued and very seldome it falleth in the Ualleyes and if it doe fall there it is very smal foorthwith it dissolueth It falleth in the Sea but seldom times by reason of the heat which it hath for the winds that are continually in it for heat moisture are coÌ„traries much more the wind accoÌ„panied with the sunne Galen in the nienth of his simples saieth that there were Philosophers that saide the snow had hot parts for being takeÌ„ in the hand it heateth burneth like to fire And so the saide Galen in the 4. of the sayd Bookes sayeth as he went vpon snow his feet did burne the cause of this is not that the snow is whot nor that it hath whot parts but with his cold it doth shut the pores of the handes or feete and causeth that the heate which is in the inner partes haue not wher to come forth so being shut in do cause so great a kindlying that seemeth to burne the which we see contrary if the handes doe burne be put into whot water as the pores drinking of the coldest water they were healed as Galen sayth in the 7. of his Methodâ— that he sawe in one day yeâ— in one houre with a draught of colde water many diseases were healed and some of these were weake of stomake not only with colde water of a fountaine but with water cooled in snowe and in Roâ—â—e it is vsed And so Cornelio Celso in his first booke vnto such as were weake of stomake commanded them to drinke after they had eaten the coldest water they could get and in cholerike stooles should be dronke water that was most cold and in runnings of whot humors it shoulde bee vsed for to stay the fluxe Auicen in the sayde chapter saith that the cold water doth coÌ„fort all the â—ertues in his workes that is to say the vertue disgestiue attractiue reteÌ„tiue and expulsiue And so he goeth declaring euery one of them giuing vs to vnderstand how much the colde water doth corroborate and make strong al these vertues whereby they doe their workes the better And the said Auicen in the second of his first treatie of water saieth the colde water is the best of all waters and it is conuenient for them which are whole for it giueth lust to meate maketh the stomake strong And a little before hee saieth that which is not colde doeth corrupt disgestion and causeth the meate to swim in the stomake it taketh not away the
drithe it causeth the dropsie by reason it corrupteth the first disgestiâ—n consumeth the body with his heate Auicen himselfe confirmeth this in the thirde of the first part saying the colde water is conuenient for them that haue a temperate complection for being whot it causeth the stomake to be sicke Isaac Aliabas and Rasis say the same that Auicen saith the which he did let to wryte of bycause hee woulde not bee long in his sayings One thing Auicen would haue in the thirde of the first parte that hee which shoulde drinke very cold must first make a good foundation eating first a good portioÌ„ of meate before he drinke Also he saith that the cold drinke may not be dronke much at one draught but by litle and litle by reason it doth bring two benefits which is that there is taken more taste in that which is drâ—nke and it doâ—th not kill the natural heat as it is seene by the pot that boyleth if you cast into it much water at one tyme it doeth cease boyling but if it be cast by litle and litle it ceaseth not his working And therfore Auicen himselfe sayeth when that you will drinke colde that you drinke with a vessell which hath a straight mouth that the drinke run not in hastily the said vessel beeing a limet or a yewre with a poynt surely it is a greate benefit for them which are affectioned to drinke with the lyke â—esselles if they ought first to take out the winde or not I do remit me to the Doctor Villalabos who treateth largely of this matter And by that it is seene howe Auicen woulde that those which woulde drinke very colde they shoulde not drinke foorthwith at the beginning of their meate For sâ—me there bee that as soone as they begin to eate foorthwith they will drinke that as is very colde the stomacke beeing empty without meate which cannot choose but hurte and so the hurt which doth come to them by this they doe attribute it foorthwith to the colde of the drinke and not to their euil order the which Auicen sayth speaking of cold water that to drinke it without order is the cause of many diseases if it be dronke in order as wel in time as in quantity it profiteth as he hath said Therfore let euery one loke to that which is conuenient for him and let him make experience in himself and if that it be conuenient for him to drinke colde that hee may beare it without that it doe offende him that doe it for therof wil follow the benefites which we haue spoken of but if he bee sicke and fall into any disease whereby hee saith that the drinking of colde drinke doeth offende him in such case let him not vse it for my intent is to shâ—w and perswade them that doe drinke colde that if it doe them no hurt nor offende them that they drinke it so aâ—d such as doe vse it of custome and haue experience that it doe not offende theÌ„ vnto such iâ— they drinke not that which they drinke cold the lust of their meate is taken away from theÌ„ for they take no taste in that which they eate and they eate it with grief and with an euil wil for that which they drinke doth not satisfie them the whot drinke doth fil the stomake full of windinesse and cannot make therewith a good disgestion But what is hee that hath a reasonable health being in the tyme of great heate or in the whot summer that comming to eate being weary of exercyse or of greate labour hauing the tongue dry the breath shorte that doeth let to drinke colde seeing that to doe it there doe followe the benefites that I haue sayde and doeth succor his necessity and remayne content and glad without hauing offended his disposition and health Unto the which Galen doeth animate and exhorte vâ— in the booke which hee made of good and euil meates saying In the tyme of hot weather when our bodies are whot and somtymes inflamed then we must vse of thinges that may refreshe vs although that they bee euill meates as Plummes Apples Cheries Melons Goords of other colde fruytes in these lyke tymes Galen saith that wee may vse colde meates as the feete of a pigge or hogge sodden in vinegre and crudded milke and the same meates must be made colde and likewyse the drinke must bee made colde as the water and the wyne watered with colde water or made cold in snowe the one and the other must be made colde in the most cold water of a fountaine and if it be not to be had let it bee made colde in snow chiefly the drinke And after that Galen hath made a large digression as it is conuenient so much in the tyme of greate heate to eate and to drinke colde things hee doeth describe who they are that should drinke colde and saith in this sorte those that should drinke cold are such as haue much buzines and haue care of many things as those which are gouerners of cities and common wealthes and the ministers which doe helpe them and doe participate of such cares and troubles and those that are much exercised in bodily buzines in especially the sowldierlyke exercises or other great exercises and they which doe iorney and inespecially long iorneyes giuing to vnderstand all corporal exercises Here I doe see many being sicke and hauing great occasions of sicknes after that they drinke cold they are whole and when they vse it not they become sicke agayne And although experience doe shewe it yet Galen doeth teach it vs in many places being the Prince of Phisicke For in the thirde degree of the substance of meates he saith that vnto them which are whot of stomake it is conuenient that their drinke be made colde with snowe the same he doth confirme in the booke of good and euil meates And in the 7. of his Methodo it hath beene seene as he saith that diseases haue beene healed and the griefes of the stomake with colde water made colde with snowe and in the 6. of the Epidimias hee doeth vse much of water first sodden and after cooled with snow and in many partes hee doeth put to coole in snowe the medicines which he doeth vse of and the same doe the Arabiens for that as it is sayde it doeth seeme that the snowe was had in reuerence by the ancient wryters and that they did vse of it in the preseruation of their health and in the healing of their diseases for that it was the best maner how to nake it cold more cleane and more without scruple For the cold that proceedeth of snow is healthful without receyuing hurt by that which is cooled with it nor causeth any alteration bycause it is a very good congeled water and doeth make cold Truthe it is that it is not conuenient to vse of the sayde snowe continually if it be not in tyme
of need by the way of medicine for the vse of the sayde snowe dronke in water or in wyne or putting the snowe into them doth ingender many kind of diseases which if presently they bee not felt they come to be felt in age Of the which Galen doeth make a large relation in the booke of diseases of the raynes and in the booke of good and euil meates And bycause that Auicen did expound them I wil shew what he wryteth in the third part of the first booke in the 8. chapter He which doth drinke snow and the water that doth proceed out of the same snowe if hee doe vse it continually there will followe much hurt thereby it doth offend the sinewes and it is naught for the brest and for the inner members and especially for the breathing and there is none that doe vse to drinke it but it wil do them hurte vnlesse hee be of a sanguine complection which if hee doe not feele hurt presently hee shall feele it afterwarde Whereby it appeareth howe euill the vse of the sayde snowe is and the water which doeth come out of it if it bee not by the way of medicine onely so it may bee vsed to coole therewith for in such sorte it doeth not offende as is sayde For in this neither the auncient wryters did put any doubt of hurt nor any scruple and nowe wee see that it hurteth not but bringeth health and benefit as wee haue sayde And as Plinie also sayth of the delight and dayntinesse of the colde without offence of any malice of the Snowe And Martiall doeth shewe the same in the 4. booke where hee sayth the snowe must not be dronke but that licor which is made very colde with it And this was shewed and taught vnto vs by the most ingenious drithe And vnto such as are very colde it commeth not well to pas for them to drinke that which is made cold with snow or that which is very colde if hee bee not accustomed theretoo for by custome they may vse and drinke it without any offence to them but it is good that they moderate themselues in drinking that which is very colde and that they conâ—ent themselues that it bee made colde after a meane sorte although it bee with snowe Also it is not conuenient for children nor boyes that their drinke be made cold with snowe for the weakenes of the sinewes and interiour parts and for the tendernesse of their age and chiefly they may drinke no wyne but water for that their age doeth not suffer that they may drinke it and drinking water very colde it doeth them very much hurte The wyne which is made colde with snowe doeth not offende so much as the water which is made colde one of the things which taketh away the fury and strength of the Wyne is the making of it colde And so there are three thinges which doe abate the fury of the wyne that is to water it a good tyme before you drinke it Also to cast a peece of bread into it that it may sucke the vapours and subtiltie of the wyne The third is to put it to coole some reasonable time in water that is most colde or in snowe for the more it is cooled the more the strength and vapours are repressed and so it will lesse offend the head and it will lesse penetrate the ioyntes which is seene in the sayde wyne and beeing made colde there is abated much of his strength in so much that if it bee very colde it seemeth as though that it were water Some people there are which doe say and publish much euil of the cooling with snowe without knowing if it be good or euill and as it is a newe thing and especially in this Countrie they feare that there will come hurt to them by the vse of it And I beeing at the table of a Lorde there was brought a platter full of Cheries with snowe vppon them and there was a Gentleman that durst not take any one of them saying that they would hurt him bycause that they were made colde with Snowe And as it was a thing vsed a long time to cast snowe vppon fruite as Galen doeth say that it was cast vpon the Mulbery the cause of this is for lacke of the vse thereof by reason it hath not bene vsed nor seene in these partes and alwayes they take it for suspicious And heere are none that doe vse it but the noble men and not al but such as haue beene Courtiers and such as haue proued the benefit and commodity that doth followe of it for the rest say that without know they haue loued and without it they wil pas on their tyme. And they do not consider that to liue they may passe with Beefe and Garlyke and Leekes but these kinde of meates doe ingender euil humours for it is one thing to eate the partridge the veale at his time and mutton byrds at another tyme. And there is differiÌ„ce to eate the flesh with sauce the partridge with a Lemon for the one is to eate without taste rustically and the other is to eate as men doe choycely and delicately And so it is in the drinking of cold or whot for of the drinke that is made colde with snow there foloweth health taste contentment and of the drinke that is whot commeth euill diseases distylâ—ing discontentment Let vs consider vow the old wryters tooke great felicitie to drinke colde and chiefly that which was made cold with snow and they were people both wyse and discrete and with much care that preserued their health For in this and in their estimations in their maner of subtile liuing they did put their whole felicitie seeing that they with so much care as we haue before declared did drinke that which they made colde with snowe in countries that was of lesser heate then this wherfore shoulde we not inioy this benefit and contâ—ntment seing that therof cannot followe vnto vs but greate benefit of health vsing therof as I haue said Let euery one looke to that it is conuenieÌ„t for his health age vse and custome and let him haue respect to that which doth agree with him for the vse wil shew him what hee shall do seeing that of the hurt or benefit he may soone perceiue if it ought to be vsed or no he must be aduised that at the beâ—inning when he doth vse to drinke cold that which is made cold with snow the first daies hee shal feele in the day tyme drithe but being past 7. or .8 dayes it is taken away rather they goe betweene dinner and supper without drith without hauing any need to drinke They do bring the snow to this countrie from the mouÌ„tains wheras is much snow 6. leagues beyond Granado The snow hath many things to preserue it because the way is long and it commeth by a whot country by reason whereof
it doeth muche diminishe very little commeth hither of that which they take out there and therefore it is so deere It is a maruellous thing that these mountaines of Granado are alwaies full of snow that in them it is durable and perpetual and for great heates and sunne that shineth vpon them yet the snow continueth in one state and we see that it doth not change In the mouÌ„taines Pirineos which are filled with snow euery winter but the suÌ„mer being come al is melted in such sort that there remayneth in them no snowe The kinges of Granado being in all theyr royall authoritie did vse in the moneths of great heat and time of summer to drink these waters which they dranke made cold with snow as our hystory writer Alonso de Palensio doth referre himselfe too thaâ—â—hich he wrote of the warres of Granado Let the snowe be kept in cold and dry places for the moysture and heate are his contrary the wind which commeth of the siâ—ne much more because it is whot moyst They doe tread or presse the snowe when they put it in sellers to keepe that it may the loÌ„ger endure melt lesse Charles Militineus doth say that the snow must be kept trodeÌ„ couered with leaues and bowes of an Oke because in this sort it is most conserued That which is brought to this citie they bring it in strawe for it doeth conserue it more then any other thing it doeth melt the lesse which the glorious S. Augustine doeth shew vs in the first booke of the citie of God where he saith who gaue vnto the straw a cold vertue so strong that it kepeth the snow which is most cold and conserueth it and who gaue it likewise so whot feruent a vertue that the green fruit not being rype as apples and other like it doth rype and season them that they may be eaten in the which it is seene what diuers vertues the straw hath seeing that it doeâ—h contrary effectes which doth conserue the snow â— doeth make ripe the greene fruite and doth more then the water which is made colde in the deawe or in other thing by putting any vessell with it amongest strawe it doeth conserue his coldenesse all the day There were vsed two principal wayes in these times too make colde with snow the one is to put the bottelles or the vessels of that as you will make cold buried in the snow this is done where there is much snow this doth make very cold and quickly the same is likewise done with the water frosen There is another way to make cold which is more easie and it is done with little snow which is to fill a vessell of that which is to be made colde and put vpon it a little platter of siluâ—r or glasse or of â—hin Plate called the leafe of Milan that it may be made so deepe whereby it may penetrate through that which shal be made cold and vppon that deepe vessell let the snow bee put and from time to time the water which doeth melt from the snow must be taken away for if it bee not taken away it heateth the snow and it melteth the more After this sort it doeth coole much and maketh it as exceeding cold as you woulde drinke it and it is a way that euery one may vse more or lesse as colde as he will or as hee hath neede of it The selfesame is done with a long caue made of the leafe of Milan putting it full of snow into the thing that you mynde to make colde continuing in it still and this is to make anie thing colde in an earthen pot or any other great vessell This manner of way is long or it be colde and it is needfull that it be put long tyme before you goe too meate and for all this it will not make it very colde Others there bee that doe put the snowe in a little basket layde vpon a little strawe for this doeth conserue the snowe muche putting in one goblet with that as you wil drinke leaning harde too the snow after this sorte there followeth muche benefite for it is not needefull to goe taking away the water from the snowe by reason that it goeth away through the basket And the other is that the snowe doeth not melt so muche let euery man doe as hee hath the quantitie of Snowe to doe it withall and likewise in the cooling of it more or lesse as his necessitie and health doeth require and can beare well the vse thereof of the which wee haue made a large relation although that my intente and purpose was for no more than too defende that the best way too make the drinke colde and more healthfull is to make cold with snowe and as for the other manner of wayes and vses too make colde they haue many inconueniences which I haue spoken of and onely too make colde with Snow is that which is conuenient seeyng that the snowe doeth not touche the thing onely the little platter that is made cold with it is onely that which doeth make colde All other wayes which doeth make colde doeth not come neere to the cooling with snow by a great way for that is most colde which is cooled with it and all other wayes doe seeme whotte beeyng made colde in the deawe in welles or with saltpeter in comparison of that which is made colde with snow And so it is a greate thing and too bee muche esteemed that in the tyme of whot weather when weâ— are made a burning cole of the extreeme heate of the tyme when the drithe is so great that it maketh vs to sounde and our bodies are so burning and sweating that we haue so easie a remedie with a little Snowe wee may drinke so colde as is conuenient for vs and as colde as wee will with all assuraunce of health geuing vs so muche delighte and contentment that there is no price to bee esteemed too it nor vnderstanding that can expounde it of the which euery one that doth drinke colde with snowe may bee iudge of my Apologie when they do make an end to drinke by meanes of the most colde snowe By that which is said it is seene what a thing snowe is how the vse of it was esteemed amongst the people of old time for to make colde therwith as the best maner of these which are to make colde withall and more agreeable to our health and necessitie is that which is done therewith also as the drinking cold doth bring so many benefits and commodities the drinking hot so many hurts discoÌ„modities seeing that to vse it is to make leane and debilitate the stomake it doeth make the meate to swim in it it doth corrupt the disgestion whereby it doth consume and weaken the bodie it ingendreth winds it is the cause that the Liuer is debilitated weakened it causeth continuall drithe it doth not
them that do regard their health It is good to haue a peece of a right Unicornes horne in a smal cheyne of golde that it may bee swilled continually in the water that shal bee dronke It would doe well for not onely it taketh away the suspition of the venom but doeth put to the drinke a meruellous cordiall vertue Also you must not stand by the fire that is made with venomous wood for the smoke doeth poyson as if you should take poyson and to set in the chamber coales when they doe begin to kindle many haue dyed therwith let your apparell be kept by such as you haue trust in for in them may bee put things that may do notable hurte and for al that as is said it doeth much profit to haue trustie seruants and that they bee such whome you may trust and that they be of a good parentage and sticke not to reward them wel And aboue al other let the Phisition that hath the charge of your health bee learned and experimented discrete and of a good iudgemeÌ„t and that he be riche and of a good kinred and beeing such a one he wil not doe any thing that he ought not to doe seing that in his handes is the life and health of the Mayster and Lorde FINIS THE DIALOGVE OF YRON WHICH TREATETH OF THE greatnesse thereof and howe it is the most excellent metall of all others and the thing most necessary for the seruice of man and of the greate Medicinall vertues which it hath An Eccho for the Doctor Monardes Phisition of Seuill In Seuill in the House of Alonso Escriuano ¶ To the most Excellent Lorde the Duke of Alcala c. my Lorde the Doctor Monardes your Phisition wisheth health c. FOrasmuch as the metall called yron is of so great importance in the worlde and so necessary for the seruice of man it moued me to make this Dialogue which doeth treate of the greatnesse and maruellous workes thereof Which if they be well considered they will bring admiration vnto all that shall reade them by reason it is so necâ—ssary for all states and manners of liuing It hath also greate and mediâ—inall vertues and likewise with worthinesse and greatnesse it is an Instrument and meane whereby the most worthy haue gotten great Titles and fame as we see many of those which in times past haue attayned vnto among whom the Predecâ—ssors of your excellencie with theyr noble mindes and strong armes the Sâ—eare in the fist and the sworde in the hande by ouercomming battels by getting townes and places the name and fame of them haue byn immortall to this day And for to augment and increase this the more and to geue to your excellencie and to your chiâ—dâ—â—n and successours gâ—eater glory you tooke to wise the excellent Duches the Ladie Iuâ—na Curtes that at this day doeâ—h beautifiâ— the whole worlde with â—er woorthinesse eâ—timation qualitie and grâ—atâ—esse daughter to that valiaunt and reâ—owmed Prince Don â—ernando Curtes who with his greatnâ—sse and infinite Labours is a shorter way and fewe people will be there It seemeth to mee that the greate hall of the treasurie house is sâ—utt â—t may bee that whiles I go vp to see the sicke person they will open it Burgus Your worship may go in Gods name I will tarrye here for you and seeing the great hall is not opened I will sitt downe vppon the benche and will see what doeth passe vntill you come Doctour Master Burgus I praye you pardon mee if I haue tarryed long for the qualitie of the cause hath caused mee to tarry Burgus Rather I woulde haue beene glad that you had tarryed longer because I would haue seene more Doctour What haue you seene whiles I was absent Burgus The great hall being shutt and the parde full of people and I looking vppon them earnestly it seemeth to mee that they are people of estimation but to my iudgement full of cares for in them I haue seene so variable and diuerse likenesses of countenance that I maruel at it Some of them talking to them selues others being alone with their heads hanging downe and with great imagination Others talking by two and two together Others in clusters treating of the sales of their merchaundize Maryners and souldiours carrying for their paymentes Others carrying away their porcions of siluer which they had taken out running with it as though they had stolen it Others there were with the Notaries about their suites Others in the office of the treasourer amongest the Registers There was also a greate noyse of much people deliuering and receiuing parcels of siluer but they were in a great strife therevppon The Iudges were in counsell and many people tarrying for them in such sort that I was in greate admiration I being there onely to beholde and all the rest to do their businesse And it was to mee as one that did beholde them without greefe as a comedye with many Pageants And that which did make mee maruell more was to see that none were merrye nor content rather they seemed to haue great care and troubles Doctour Master Burgus I am glad you haue seene what doeth passe in that house with so much attention for all that which you haue seene that Gold and siluer is cause thereof which with so great good will you came to see and this is it which is the cause of their troubles and cares and not onely it bringeth such as you sawe there amazed and astonied but many others for they are at this daye the instrument of all these things Some they put downe others they rayse vp whereby they haue rule and dominion in the worlde These mortall men haue put so much felicitie in them that they haue and do procure them by the losse of their lyues and shedding of their bloud and after they haue them they conserue them with much labour and with greater care keepe them and with much misery they spend them and with great euill fortune they lose them These are they that take away quietnesse and rest They take awaye sleape and many passe the day to keepe them and to increase their afflictions and cares In the night also they rest with feare and care there are in them so many snares and hazardes as wee see euery day Burgus For all this I woulde see the Golde the siluer and the Emeraldes Doctour What master Burgus haue you neuer seene Golde siluer and Emeraldes Burgus Yea I haue seene them but in little quantitie Doctour What do you thinke is there in seeing of little or much but to see much earth or little earth and moste of all without the profite of man of as many as nature hath created And if you haue so great desire to see precious metals I will carrye you to a place where you shall see one metall much more of price of greater estimation then the golde siluer yâ— you were so desirous to see better of more profit beginning and