it causeth death The Putrid Feaver occupies the Blood and Humours by which the whole Body grows hot The Ephemera is a more subtle flame feeding upon the spirits only and therefore it continues not long for either health or death in two or three days follows And of this sort are the Malignant and Pestilential which two I shall treat of by and by For a simple Ephemera I shall only give thee a general Specifick which will undoubtedly give present help Deo volente â„ž Suc. Pomor Silvest â„¥ iiii Succi semper vivi â„¥ ii Lactis rec lb ii. Sant rub Ê’i f. decoct add Colatur Sir Pap. Errat â„¥ ss Drink freely of this Drink as occasion serves but if this Feaver be not very violent give two spoonfuls of my Apozem in a morning and you need not fail of your work These means are plain and easie and what grows in our own Country Putrid Feavers are most usual and they are continual or intermitting for if the humours putrifie within the Vessels and near the heart the spirit riseth against and kindles them and never leaves off till it expels the rottenness or be extinguished it self and this Feaver is continual and often deadly But if the humours rot out of their Vessels that is in the veins and members it is a Feaver intermitting For the spirit riseth up at certain time and opposes that rottenness by heat now this conflict made being far from the heart when it is ended the spirit returns home now therefore if this putrid humour be flegm it still returns to oppose it the next day hence it is called the Quotidian if it be yellow Choler it returns to oppose it the third day and it is called the Tertian if black Choler or Melancholy the Quartan The causes of these are first Flegm recollects it self soonest and makes new work for the spirits but is withal sooner cured and so a continual Feaver lasteth not long Secondly Melancholy is a dreggy humour and doth not so soon recruit it self and being tough and vitious is not so easily overcome and these Quartans are of long continuance Thirdly in a Tertian the spirit opposeth yellow Choler which is hot of it self and then there is a terrible hot conflict and from hence they are called burning Feavers and they are sometimes changed one into another according as one putrified humour or another is opposed Now I have shewn you the signs and causes of these Feavers I will briefly prescribe a perfect way to cure them CHAP. XVIII For the Quotidian Ague â„ž fol. Centaur Borag Beton an m. iii. Fumar m. i. Bac. Heder â„¥ iiii Vini Albi lb i Bruise the Ingredients and digest them altogether in Balneo seven days and then draw this off in a Glass still with a gentle fire until you have all the water which keep in a Glass close stopped with Wax Let the Patient drink a quarter of a pint of this Water hot two hours before his fit comes and keep his bed an sweat three or four hours and in his sweating let him drink Posset-drink hot and in every draught put in two spoonfuls of this Water the next two hours before his fit do the like in all things as you did before Now let the Patient be kept well from the Air and things prescribed orderly used is most commonly cured in two days but if by some oversight it continues longer begin again and use the same means for two days more but if you take four or five spoonfuls of my Apozem first before thy sweating it will be cured the sooner Now if a Child hath a Quotidian and we cannot give these things inwardly I will shew thee a way to cure it by outward things Take an ounce of Briony-root and beat it to powder and half as much Wheat-flower and boil it in a little Milk till it be like a Poultice and put it on Clothes being warmed and spread somewhat thick and bind it to the Childs wrists when it is dry take more fresh and apply and you shall see in four days to be perfectly cured CHAP. XIX For the Quartan Ague THis is a disease so hard to cure that it hath been accounted ever yet the reproach of Physitians for it resisteth the force and power of all their Medicines whether Galenical or Chymical and doth in despight of them triumph over their Patients Now even now will I take an hard matter in hand but I fear my slender way will be suspected greatly by the Rabbies of this Age for the working so rare a cure But being thorowly encouraged both by Reason and Experience I will boldly proceed on and inform you My Brethren take on thy two good days as we call them being fasting four ounces of my Apozem the third day which is thy fit-day take nothing the fourth day take of the water which I prescribed for the Quotidian four ounces and better well warmed and keep thy bed and sweat five or six hours and in thy sweat drink hot Posset-drink and in every draught put three spoonfuls of the Water prescribed and one spoonful of good wine-Wine-Vinegar continue this sweating four days together if the Quartan Ague have not left thee in that time which I think is impossible then upon thy next fit-day two hours before the fit comes take the Water as before and sweat again do so only three times on thy fit-days and observe after this disease hath left thee be sure to take three spoonfuls of my Apozem for twelve days for this Water so taken and sweating withal doth wonderfully digest this melancholy humour that it excelleth all the preparatives in the world and my Apozem gently cleanseth the body and carrieth it off Soli Deo sit gloria potestas in saecula saeculorum Amen CHAP. XX. For the Tertian Ague BE careful to observe this method for I would not bury any thing in oblivion or hide my Talent for non nobis nati sumus First Let the patient take the day he hath not his fit six spoonfuls of my Apozem the next day two hours before the fit comes drink a quarter of a pint of this Water here prescribed â„ž Centaur m. vi Endive m. xii distil these things bruised with a gentle fire and keep the Water close stopped with Wax let the Glass be but half full for it will keep the better and when you have drunk this Water being well warmed with a little Sugar with it keep your bed and sweat three or four hours and in your sweat drink posset-drink and un every draught put in two or three spoonfuls of this Water use this means the second fit and I question not but you will eradicate this disease For I tell you seriously I have cured this disease and many more extream hot Feavers by this Water so taken even in one fit but be sure after those fits you purge your body with my Apozem and then you will do all things safely if not there may happen some
relapse CHAP. XXI The Hectick Feaver FOr the which I will prescribe a Diet by which many even at deaths door have been recovered which is this â„ž fol. Acetos Calendul an m. i. Semperviv â„¥ i. Lact. recent lb iii Pomatii lb ss f. decoct add Colat Sir Papav. Rub. â„¥ ii When the party is thirsty drink freely of this then make this broth Take a Capon and skin it and get out all his fat then bruise it in pieces and put it in a pitcher that holds a pottle of water and put in it four ounces of Raysons stoned eight Dates a Pugil of Borage and Rosemary-flowers and likewise put in a pint of good Claret and half a pint of Red rose-Rose-water cover the pot close and paste it round then put this into a Kettle of water and so make the Kettle boil six hours and be careful in boiling no water comes upon the paste then take it out and strain it and drink four or five spoonfuls of this morning and evening Or use this Take a young Pig and scald it and cut it in four pieces and put six quarts of running water in a pipkin scum it clean and put a large handful of Sage in it and boil it gently till half be wasted strain it out and drink it morning and evening warm But if the party be not much wasted away let him take a spoonful of my Apozem now and then of a morning for it will cause him to have an appetite CHAP. XXII For the Plague and all Malignant Feavers THere be three special causes of this disease The first is the just judgment of God for the sins of the people In this case I hold our Divines that it cometh as it were by the Commandment of God and then vain is the help of man when the power of the Almighty worketh to destroy wherefore repentance and amendment of life is the salve for this sore Yet seeing we know not his determinate will and pleasure I wish no man to neglect such natural means as our Eternal Father hath provided for the preservation of our natural bodies lest by so doing we sin and tempt our Creator and the Preserver of all Mankind The second cause proceedeth of the corruption of the Air which is of two sorts either general or particular The Air is generally infected by the distemperature of the Heavens then the weather is long dark cloudy foggy stiffling very hot and moist and also our bodies faint we loath the breath we draw in and out then it is difficult to keep meat sweet and the Heavens do as it were refuse to draw the corruption from the earth but yield down again such as they had taken away before The Air is particularly infected by the smell of dead bodies especially in fights when those that are slain lies unburied which infecteth that particular place Also a putrid smell in your Fenny and Marish ground and especially the smell of such bodies as resort and lodge very close in one small Room as in this City of London and then people are sluttish and nasty which infects the vital spirits and breeds such corruption which at last burst out into the Plague The third cause proceedeth of corrupt humours in mans body ingendred by bad Diet and these two last comes by Gods permission as the first comes by his Commandment For preventing this heavy Visitation 1. Make fires in the streets to cleanse and purifie the Air. 2. Let people walk out into the fields to take the fresh Air and let their Houses be made clean and sweet by strowing sweet herbs and airing their beds and opening their windows to let the Air in 3. Let no House be over-pestered with too many Lodgers and let all vagabond and lazie unnecessary members be forced out for this will cleanse a City as a purge will a man that is full of corruption For cure take these Observations Take of endive-Endive-water two pound centary-Centary-water one pound Ivy-berries half an handful bruised boil these gently a quarter of an hour strain it out and dissolve in it of Mithridate or Venice-Treacle two drams Sugar an ounce and half wine-Wine-Vinegar three spoonfuls Now as soon as ever the Patient doth complain and Nature as yet strong give him a quarter of a pint of this Drink fasting being warmed and let him sweat in his bed eight or ten hours if he can bear it and in his sweating drink hot posset-drink and in every draught two or three spoonfuls of this drink when he riseth get him some broth and be careful to keep him from the Air if he do not find ease in his sweating the next day do the like this way will cure him without having a sore or else it will help Nature so far that it will force out the sore speedily unto which use these Applications first embrocate the Tumour or Carbuncle with Oyl of Lilies being warmed then take two yolks of Eggs a dram of Saffron pulveriz'd Linseed Oyl and Oyl of Camom of each a dram spread it upon Cloth somewhat thick and apply it use this course for it will speedily break it then dress it according to Art After the same manner are cured all Malignant Feavers and Epidemical Diseases CHAP. XXIII MY Friends I have here given you a brief Method of curing many Diseases a way different from the general road of both the Galenists and Chymists if you would but fancy them they are matters of great moment they are not Coleworts boiled over and over a thousand times and crammed in even to nauseating but I tell you farther it is the only introduction and the right path if you have little more wit than is told you to cure all the Diseases of the Body both with speed and safety It is not a superficial Knowledg that will ever raise Love or Admiration We are all placed in Natures Garden why then are we idle but let us learn the Works of Nature and pry into her secrets that we may contemplate more things and with greater delight and profit than all our forefathers could ever tell us for we all know Nature is not barren to spend all upon our fathers and leave nothing for us their children if we want an Interpreter the Maker of Nature is the best himself is there no God in Israel that we should go to enquire of the Gods of Ekron must we rob the Indies for poysonous Drugs to cure us when we have balsamous Herbs enough in our own Gardens but far fetcht and dear bought always pleaseth Fools and Ladies I shall now give you some Specificks or Remedies appropriated for many Diseases which things used and cleansing thy Body with my Apozem thou shalt find them never to fail thee in thy expectation CHAP. XXIV For the Stone R. Virga Aur. pariet Saxifrag an m. i. S. Petros Lithosperm an â„¥ s Bac. Junip â„¥ i. Alkakeng Ê’ii Frax ClavisÊ’i LicorizaÊ’vi Vini albi lb iii f. decoct add Sir Dialth â„¥ ii Lapis Prunell
suddenly leaveth some gross corruption behind which Nature there casteth out For the Cure of which take these Directions which never failed First for three or four days take five spoonfuls of this Apozem which will draw the course of humours from thy Face and then I prescribe thee an Oyntment which is admirable good for the same you shall have it made by Mr. Fisher aforesaid And pray use it after this manner Anoint your Face where the Pimples and corrupt Blood lodgeth every night gently with this Oyntment cold with your Finger the next morning moisten your Face with a little new Milk and wipe it gently use this way a fortnight and you shall find an alteration After the same manner you may cure the Morphew for it cleanseth and purifieth the Skin wonderfully CHAP. VI. For the Itch and Scabs Byles c. Leprosie Small Pox Measles SOme are troubled with this having it by Nature from their Parents some by long and bad Diet others by infection as by keeping company with those that have their Bodies inclined to Byles Scabs and Itches Now the way of curing by our Artists so called now a days is to purge first and then bleed and after to use some Mercurial Ointment and in many Bodies all this will not do if it doth the next Spring they are most commonly worser than they were before Now I will shew thee Art it self as it was at first instituted and thou shalt as easily cure this distemper by small means as when thou art a dry to drink a Cup of Beer to quench thy thirst First Take this Apozem about four spoonfuls every morning for three days and take something that is hot two hours after The fourth day take of white Briony-Root half an ounce a sprig or two of Mace boil this gently in a pint of Ale strain it out and sweeten it with Sugar drink a good draught of this well warmed in thy Bed and sweat three or four hours upon it and in thy sweat drink off the rest of the Pint hot if a Child less as age doth require Use this way three days together longer if the Disease have been of long continuance and let the Patient in sweating rub his Body with warm Cloths to take such corruption as cometh out by sweating after this manner the Scabs will fall off miraculously You may cure the Leprosie all scald Heads Scurffs and likewise prevent any one from having the Small Pox or Measles that they shall not have them at all I would have all men take notice that this way is the only Galenical way in practising the true Physick and not to fill their Bodies with Drugs or with Mercurial or Antimonial Preparations And you shall see in every Chapter a contrary method to all Authors extant CHAP. VII For a Cough or shortness of Breath For Surfeits by taking Heat and Cold. For People that are very flegmatick and stuffed up with Flegm and for those that are entring into a Consumption GAlen would have a cold distemper of the Instrument of Breathing to be the only cause of the Cough sometimes a Humor distilling from the Head to the Trachea Arteria and sharpness only of the Cuticle of Trachea Arteria going about within doth provoke the Cough sometimes it is caused through cold and flegm descending upon the Lungs sometimes it happens through heat dissolving the superfluous matter of the Brain and so through a Catarrhal Distillation the Cough is excited Now my Brethren we all know that Cold is most commonly the original of most Diseases for if the Body be full of gross corrupt Humours having taken a great cold presently there ariseth a putrid Feaver sometimes malignant and sometimes pestilential Now judge you if a Medicine will disburthen and carry out of the body this flegmatick corruption without weakning of Nature and in the highest Feavers I trust you will grant to me it is the onliest means to be used Then take two spoonfuls of this my Apozem every day in the morning or if occasion permit once in two days this will I will assure you unlade the body sweetly of this corruption And now will I give thee a Pectoral Drink which thou mayst drink as often as thou wilt which will quench thy thirst bring thy body to its natural heat and cure thee of thy cold Take of Coltsfoot an handful Hysop half an handful Angelica roots bruised a dram Liquorish scraped and bruised two ounces Anniseed half an ounce boil this in two quarts of spring-Spring-water gently half an hour strain it out and put two ounces of fine Sugar drink freely of it warm when occasion serves by taking this Pectoral Drink hot mornings and evenings the flegm will come up easily and is a wonderful Preserver for the Lungs keeping them from putrefaction Now good people there are many in this City of London that are troubled with the shortness of breath and have their Lungs very dry so that it is a continual pain and labour for them to breathe or as the saying is to fetch their wind First I advise them to take for three or four days three or four spoonfuls of this my Apozem which will cleanse the inward parts of most of the corruption then take this Pectoral Drink named before in this manner following Take a quarter of a pint of the Pectoral Drink and put therein the yolk of a new-laid Egg and drink it fasting and fast an hour after it if thou hast been troubled with this grief many years by using the Medicines so will open and moisten thy Lungs and help thee you cannot use it too long for it is both Meat and Medicine After the same manner are cured all those that are entring into a Consumption But with this Proviso they must abstain from all Spices Salt Meats and all Wines for they fret and inflame their Bodies and withal let them take care they over-heat not their Bodies with any violent exercise that they strain not their Lungs by violent Coughing wherefore avoid all Chesnuts and all raw fruits as inimical to them for this Disease is difficult and therefore great care is to be used in their Diet c. Now if any man by violent exercise heat his body excessively and when he is so hot suddenly cool himself by drinking by rest or any other ways so that this man falleth sick even unto death and it he escape he remaineth weak and sickly during his life Now my Friends Nature misliketh nothing more than a sudden change from one contrary to another to wit from heat to cold Wherefore I conclude by reason and experience that the best way to cure a man in this extremity is to bring his body orderly again to the same heat wherein it was when he took cold which thou shalt do after this manner Take half a Pint of the aforenamed Pectoral Drink and dissolve in it two drams of Venice-Treacle let the Patient drink half of it hot fasting and sweat four or