Put them in two gallons of water boyl it to six quarts Or put them in new Ale or new Beer four or five dayes then let the Patient drink of it Another Potion Take of Angelica half an ounce of Mummy one ounce of Parmacity two drams of the kernels of Walnuts two ounces of Orpine two handfuls of Sowbread two ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of each three handfuls Put them in a sufficient quantity of Water or c. and boyl them There is another Way of Preparing Wound-Drinks viz. thus Let your Herbs ly in distilled Water some time then set them to a slow fire in a vessel well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and drink it The Potion Take of the Water of Marsh Bugloss twenty ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss one handful of Sanicle half a handful of Periwincle half an handful set them over a very slow fire in a Pot well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and keep it for your use Another Potion Take of Juniper Berries two pounds and bruise them of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of Hony-suckle and the Root of white Sanicle of each half a handful of Adders Tongue a handful and an half of great Comfrey and Birth-wort of each five ounces of Arsmart four ounces put them in a distilling Vessel and distil a Water from them then put into the Water distilled fresh Herbs viz. These already named and fresh Juniper Berries and let them ly in the Water some time or set them over a slow fire in a Pot well stopt four or five hours Observe That Juniper Berries have a singular Secret Vertue for Wounds Another Potion Take the Roots of great Comfre two ounces of Birth-wort three ounces of sweet Flagg one ounce of Flower-de-luce half an ounce of Periwincle four handfuls of white Sanicle half a handful of Myrrh Mastich Frankincense Mummy of each half an ounce of Rheubarb six drams boyl them in Wine or Distilled Water or common Water with some of the juyce of Marsh-Bugloss in that manner as hath been already described How much of these Potions a Patient should take at a time must be considered by the skilful Physician according to the strength of the Patient and nature of the Potion These Wound-Drinks do keep the Body in good temper and do prevent many Evils which use to accompany Wounds They feed and strengthen Nature very much which cannot be done by outward Medicines And there is no way so good as by Wound-Drinks to cure wounds made by thrust Therefore Surgeons should not neglect these wound-potions so much as they do There are many good Herbs with which you may make wound drinks as these viz. white Sanicle wood Sanicle middle Comfrey Parsnep Arsmart both Beets golden Maiden-hair Lilies c. and many others there are But observe that amongst those Herbs mentioned in the Potions and here there are three whose juice being drunk cureth any Wound made by cut or thrust and there are two herbs mentioned which if you take any of them whole and dip it in running water and lay it to the wound take it presently off again from the wound and bury it in some place and as it putrifieth so the wound groweth well There is also one herb named amongst these whose juice or decoction being drunk thrice cureth any wound and all those evils which accompany a Wound But such great secrets of Nature should not be put in print but every one should diligently search after them There are also some herbs amongst these already named which being drunk cure the wounds of the Gout as easily as the Wounds of fleshy parts CHAP. II. Oyntments for Wounds TAke of fresh May butter one pound of Ribwort and the greater and lesser sea-marsh Buglosse and Beers with their roots of each one handfull of Adders tongue three handfull Beat the Herbs with the Roots and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two or three months then strain them and keep them for your use Another Take of May butter three pounds the Roots of great Comfrey one pound of Adders tongue one pound and a half of Birth-wort a quarter of a pound beat them and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set the glasse in the Sun some time or put it in warm dung a month then strain them through a linnen cloth and what you presse out of them keep it for your use That your Oyntment may keep the better wash it with salt water or put a little salt to it You may also make an Oyntment with one Herb as with Butter and Birth-wort or great Comfrey or with Honey and Adders tongue or the flowers of Saint Johns-wort and such like Many such Oyntments may be made but the two former Oyntments are sufficient to cure any Wound This way of making Oyntments is commonly used and was used by the Ancient Physicians But now I will give you a more excellent way of making Oyntments first found out and used by my self Take Comfrey Birth-wort Adders tongue maâ—sh Buglosse all of them or which of them you will take them green with their Roots then pour so much wine upon them as the wine may be above them then take two pots which are of the same bigness put your Herbs and the wine in the one pot and over this pot set your other pot mouth to mouth lay clay about the mouthes of your pots that no vapour can come out and set them over a slow fire ten hours then take them out strain and presse all the liquor well out of the Herbs to this liquor put some honey or fresh butter and boyl it again to a consistence and then you have an Oyntment which you may trust to in the most difficult Cures There is yet another way to make Oyntments with Rosins thus Take the Rosin of the Larch-tree or Pine Rosin one pound make it into powder and mix it with the whites of twenty eggs and beat them well together then add to them the powder of the roots of great Comfrey half an ounce the powder of round Birth-wort one ounce of barley meal six drams Mix them all well together and then you have a very good Oyntment for any Wound Another Take of the Rosin of the Fir-tree or common Rosin one pound melt it with some of the marrow of a Calf then put to them so much of the powder of the root of Great Comfrey as you shall see fit and mix them wel together in a warm mortar CHAP. III. Oyls and Balsoms for Wounds TAke of Sallet oyl or Turpentine one pound of Camomile red Roses and Self-heal of each one handfull of the flowers of St. Johns wort two handfull of the flowers of Centory and the flowers of Celendine of each half an handfull Mix them well with the Oyle of Turpentine put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two
down to the soar then we must mortifie the Soar Lastly we must consolidate it or fill it up with flesh The defensive Take of salt Anatron one ounce of an Anodine half an ounce make them into an Oyntment with the Oyl of Spike The Anodyne is made thus Take of Frog-spawn and of the juice of Nightshade of each an ounce of Varnish half an ounce mix them together Then apply to the soar this mortifying Medicine viz. Take Parmacity Frog-spawn of Chervâ—l of Juniper Berries of each alike let them stand in the Sun some time then use them This must be applyed once a day the space of three weeks afterwards wash the soar oft-times with the water of Oak leaves or Salt-water By this Medicine the soar is mortifyed and the pain is taken away and now you must apply the Oppodeltoch Plaister or Stictick Plaister described in the Treatise of Wounds in the first Chapter until the cure be perfected V. A Fistula is an Ulcer which hath one or more small holes outwardly but within it is hollow and deep it useth to be near the joynts or places of evacuation or where som wound thrust or bruise c. hath been badly cured This Soar issueth forth a water or froth at the small holes and purgeth twelve hours this kinde of soar is not painful If it be not cured by Medicines it will never be well of it self yet it doth not cause death but continueth still the same so long as the Patient liveth Cure First let the Patient take this Potion Take of the water of Sow-bread and of the water of the leaves of small Sea-Buck-horn of the water of middle Consound of each four ounces mix them and take four ounces of this at a draught morning and evening until the cure be done Another Potion Take of the water of Harts-horn one pound of Centory golden Consound Feverfew of each six ounces of Rheubarb choice Manna Parmacity of each an ounce Mix them well and of this mixture take one spoonful every Morning and after it take three spoonfuls of Wine By this Potion the Fistula shall be cleansed inwardly yea this Potion alone will cure it that you need not apply any Medicine outwardly to the Soar yet you may apply this following Plaister Take of these four Gums viz. Oppoponax Bdelium Ammoniacum Galbanum of each two ounces of Wax six ounces melt them together and adde to them three ounces of Turpentine Make a Plaister VI. When there is a firm hard tumor which lyeth amongst the Muscles and hath a burning heat which strikes into the bone and it breeds many hard knotty lumps within the flesh it s never changed into an Ulcer neither doth it consume the flesh but continueth in one maner thirty or forty years yea so long as the Patient liveth But if the Patient falleth into some accute disease or shall have a Carbuncle then the Wolf becomes deadly Cure First you must use cooling Medicines then Mucilaginous Medicines to dissolve the hard knotty lumps then apply the Plaister Oppodeltoch To cool it you may use the Anodyne or mortifying Medicine before described in the cure of Herysipelas The Mucilaginous Medicine Take the liquor of Mummy of Mastick and Camphire of each half an ounce the Mucilage of Fenugreek the Mucilage of Flea-wort and the Mucilage of Quinces of each alike so much as you think fit to make the Plaister this Plaister you may use in stead of the Oppodeltoch Plaister There are also other remedies whereby the Wolf may be cured as these following Take of Crystaline Realgare one ounce of burning oyl two ounces of white lead two drams make an Ointment with this anoint round the Wolf but not upon it once in twelve hours do so six or eight days then leave and that about which you anointed will fall off Afterwards you must wash the place evening and morning with this following water viz. Rose water the water of Fish-spawn of each six ounces the water of Feverfew five ounces mix them Then apply this Plaister viz. Take of Lin-seed oyl half a pound of viride aeâ—is and wax of each a quarter of a pound of Bdelium two ounces make a Plaister VII The Malum mortuum or dead evil beginneth at the feet and goeth upward it maketh the skin to be without feeling And at last It comes to be a running soar and so continueth twenty years afterwards it turns to a Leprosie Cure We must begin the cure with a Cautery to take away the dead skin then we must annoint the place where this evil hath spread it self the space of three moneths with the oyl of Pepper The Cautery is made thus Take of Brimstone four ounces melt it put to it three ounces of Frankincense and of Rosin seven ounces the oyl of Colophonia the oyl of Amber of each four ounces set them over the fire that they may mix together and with this being warm anoint the place twelve times in a day and in three days the dead skin will break and come off VIII When certain spots appear in the skin sometimes removing from place to place sometimes they are fixed in one place some are of a reddish colour some of a clay colour sometimes they are of a yellow colour At last It spreadeth it self over the whole body and breaks out into small blisters which grow hard and crusty then they chop and at last they turn to Ulcers Cure First The Blood must be purged then we must use the Cautery described before in the cure of the Malum Mortuum Lastly the cure must be perfected with Plantain The Medicine to purge the Blood Take the juice of Succory the juice of Germander of each one pound of the juice of Maidenhair half a pound of Manna two ounces of the true Spirit of Coperas described in the Treatise of Coperas one dram Mix them and distil an oyl from them of this oyl take at a time in a draught of Wine one or two or three drams as the Physician shall appoint IX When the face is first of a yellow colour then turns to be of a red colour and every day grows more and more red without Pimples or Itch so that both skin and flesh come to be of a Scarlet colour At last the skin and flesh do putrifie with a sharp smart humor Cure Take the whites of ten boiled Eggs and of the burned shels of Eggs six ounces distil a water from them then take Silver Tin Lead Copper beaten into very thin leaves of each one dram the leaves of Gold Silver Marchasite and Gold Marchasite of each two drams put them in a Glass and set the Glass in warm dung a moneth then distil an oyl from them with this oyl anoint the place X. When the face hath had a very red colour or hath had the guâ—ta râ—sacea and changeth from that to another colour viz. a blackish or lead colour with a little swelling and breaks out into waterish Blisters and Wens At last
change unless the tumor hath been big and it beginneth to lessen then death approacheth this is a sign of it Cure The cure is twofold viz. Physical Chyrurgical The Physical cure is done with Powders and Potions The Chyrurgical cure is done by actual Cauteries c. XIX This Polypus is superfluous flesh growing out of the Nose which when it is grown big and great abundance of Blood floweth out of the Veins into it then this superfluous flesh breaketh out into an Ulcer it turneth to a Noli me Tangere Cure It must be cured after the same maner as the Alcola an when you have taken away the superfluous flesh then you must apply the Plaister Oppodeltoch XX. The Pyles come out about the Fundament of a red colour but if the Blood come out with the Excrements always when we go to stool and the Excrements come out with great difficulty and trouble to us and we are much pained within then the Haemorrhoids are within If the Haemorrhoides continue twenty years then they commonly turn to a Cancer and if they do not turn to a Cancer but the Piles multiply and grow bigger then they close up the Fundament at last Cure The cure is done by two kindes of Medicine viz. Dung-Medicine and a Sweet-Corrosive The Swet-Corrosive Take of Oleum laterinum or Brick oyl one ounce the oyl of Juniper half an ounce the oyl of Myrrhe two ounces mix them The Dung Medicine Take the Patients own Excrements and mix them with the oyl of the yolks of Eggs first let the Patient press the Piles as much as he can and then apply to them this Excrementitious Medicine XXI There is a dry scab of the Head out of which cometh very little moisture when it is rub'd there falls from it like Scabs it causeth the hair of the head to come out If it continue sixteen or twenty four years then it spreadeth over all the Body At last this scaly Scab falleth off and then followeth a Leprosie Cure Take Succory Germander Maiden-hair of each two ounces of the Pulpe of Cassia half an ounce of the best Manna one ounce and a half put them into a pint and a half of the water of Mugwort let them ly in it a day then set them over a slow fire until you bring it to a pint then strain it and drink it warm XXII If there be a swelling in the Groine near the privities with redness the Patient fainteth and beginneth to lose his strength and is troubled with Aguish fits sometimes with great heat sometimes with chilness By this you may know it to be a Pestilential Aposthume Cure First This Aposthume must be opened with a ripening Medicine proper for it afterwards apply to it the Oppodeltoch Plaister The Ripening Medicine Take of the four Gums viz. Galbanum Ammoniacum Oppoponax Bdelium of each a half ounce of the juice of Marsh-Mallows of each three ounces mix them and make a Plaister The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of the four incarnative Seeds viz. of Birth-wort Comfrey Adders-Tongue and Sea-marsh Bugloss of each half an ounce Wax and Colophony of each two ounces of Pitch three ounces mix them and make a Plaister XXIII If after the act of Venery there followeth a swelling in the Grine with great heat afterwards this swelling breaks out into foul corrupt holes and with the Urine also corrupt matter is evacuated At last this Ulcer comes to be an eating Ulcer that whereas there were many holes before now they all become one hole and so it eats all the flesh round Cure This Ulcer is cured with these two viz. the Camphorated Oyntment and the Plaister of Mummy The Camphorated Oyntment Take of Camphire two drams of the yolks of Eggs four ounces mix them and set them in some moist place or low Cellar c. and they will turn to an Oyl with this Oyl anoint the Soar The Plaister of Mummy Take of Mummy half an ounce of the best Turpentine washed with Rose-water so much as is requisite to make a Plaister Mix them and make a Plaister XXIV When the Veins of the Legs swell and become as it were knotty having many small hard lumps like small Bullets in them they lose their natural colour and are of blew or lead colour or of a dark green colour the skin of the Leg appears as if it were blowed up with winde yet the flesh under it is firm and sound At last The skin breaks out into a most filthy stinking soar and if then the Patient be troubled with stitches in his side this is a sign of death Cure You must not use any Corrosive Waters or Baths or Purgations or Mercury Oyntments such as are used for the Pox c. but open a Vein first one and then another at another time once a year if the swelling comes but once a year and if the swelling comes twice a year then the Veins must be opened twice a year at the same time when the swelling useth to come and when you open a Vein you must lay to the place the gums of a Hare or the fat of a man the space of three weeks XXV When there is a swelling under the tongue with a blew or Lead-colour and it groweth to be an Imposthume it is deadly in Infants or if do not come to be an Aposthume yet it will cause a great impediment in the speech of the Infant Cure Let blood in these Veins then wash the childes mouth often with the Waters of Agrimony Ladies-Mantle Sanicle or anoint the Veins under the Tongue with the Oyl of St. Johns-wort or the Oyl of the Flowers of Centory If after the cure the swelling cometh again you must do thâ—â—ame as you did before XXVI If a Woman with Childe or after Childe-birth complain of a pain swelling redness and hardness in her Brests which afterwards turns to an Ulcer and Putrifaction Cure Take Gum Oppopanax and Gum Bdelium of each one ounce of gum Serapinam two ounces dissolve them in so much vinegar as being dissolved they may be of the thickness of honey then adde to them one dram of Mummy and of Birth-wort three drams of the Liquor of Chachymia four ounces and a hall mix them and make a plaister XXVII If in a fleshy place there are Risings with a yellow head and a burning heat and a swelling and then suddenly they grow exceeding red and breaks into several holes which after three or four years turn to a blue colour mixed with a black with a vehement burning heat and under the skin it is hollow and so it continueth untill death Cure We must first use an eating Medicine and afterwards a Consolidating or fleshing Medicine The Eating Medicine Take of white Coper as one ounce of Rose-water three ounces of Lithargire half an ounce Mix them with the oyl of Roses in this mixture dip a linnen cloth which you must lay upon the holes The consolidating Medicine Take of Royal Consound half a pound of long Birth
wort three ounces of Myrrhe half an ounce of Mummy two ounces make them into a powder and mix them with so much of the oyl of Roses as is sufficient to make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar Pitch hot Oyls Birth-wort Viride aris Arsnick salt Armoniack precipitated Mercury Orpment burnt Allum or any drawing herb XXVIII Swelling of the Veins If a Vein be swelled and this Vein breaks into stinking holes with a putrifaction of the skin and flesh this is a hollow Ulcer At last If not cured it turns to a Saint Antonies fire Cure We must not cure this Aposthume in the same maner as hath been said before in the cure of the swelling of a Vein viz. You must open a Vein c. and when you open the Vein apply this following Plaister Take of Lithargire and red Lead of each half a pound of Sallet Oyl one pound of Wax half a pound adde to them these powders viz. of Orange-skins of Celandine round Birth-wort of each three ounces being all mixed together make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar any Corrosive Water or Canteries or drawing Medicines made of Gums for if they be used they will change it to a St. Anthonys Fire XXIX If in men there be Pustules betwixt the shoulders or in the breasts of Women which become hard like Warts they come from the stopping of the Haemorrhoides in men and from the stopping of the Monethly courses in women they grow big sometimes within the skin sometimes without the skin accordingly as the humor floweth to them At last they break out into a running soar which draweth to it the substance of the Body and continueth during life-time Cure First If it be in a man you must bring out the Piles if it be in a Woman you must bring down their courses then you must proceed in the rest of the cure the same way as in Noli me Tangere A Medicine to bring down the Monethly courses in women Take the Liquor of Penny-Royal and of Mugwort of each three ounces of the corrected Spirit of Wine seven ounces the liquor of the milt of an Ox one ounce mix them and take half an ounce of them in a draught of Wine or Beer every morning and evening You may adde to this Composition some Saven-water and some of the oyl made of the grains of Saven A Medicine to bring out the Haemorrhoides Take of clean gum Sagapenum half an ounce of Bdelium and Mastick of each one ounce make them into a Plaister which you must apply to the place of the Haemorrhoides XXX When there is in any place a great pain with redness and a burning heat and afterwards a swelling which breaks into holes and about these holes are small yellow risings shining and burning and it continueth so three or six years but when there is a burning heat with yellow risings and afterwards they turn to a blew or lead colour this shews it to be a most vehement inflammation A Caveat Beware of such Medicines which drive the humor inwards and beware of the Guaick-wood and all such Oyntments and Suffumigations which are used for the Pox. Cure I will first shew you how to cure it when it is beginning before it come to be an Ulcer then I will shew you how to cure it when it is an old Soar when it hath continued twenty years For the first cure Take of Frog-spawn half a pound of Camphire three ounces of Myrrhe and Frankincense of each an ounce put them in a Glass close stopt and set them in the Sun until they turn to be a Liquor in this Liquor dip a linnen cloth which you shall apply to the part pained And when the cloth is dry dip it again in the said Liquor and apply it and do thus so often until the pain be gone For the second cure Take of Turpentine two pounds set it over the fire and boil it a little take it off and let it cool and it will be hard and brittle as glass then take of Oppopanax half a pound dissolve it in a quart of Vinegar then strain the vinegar through a cloth and boil it until it be consumed and onely the Oppopanax remains to which you must adde the Turpentine which you have hardened being beat into powder and three ounces of the red powder of burned Coperas then take so much honey as is necessary to make a Plaister boil it and skim it and mix it with the rest of your Ingredients and so make them into a Plaister which you shall apply to an old Saint Anthonies Fire XXXI When below the Brest there is circle round the body of reddish colour which afterward breaks out into yellow risings and these in a long time after turn to holes with redness burning and pain And at last it inflameth the Diaphragma then death followeth A Caveat Abstain from eating Medicines Gums Pitch fat things and those Oyntments which are used for the Pox. Cure First we must cleanse the Diaphragma with Larks-spur and then apply to the Soar this Plaister Take of Colophony one pound the powder of Celandine and the powder of Orange skins of each four ounces of the best Turpentine so much as is sufficient to make the Plaister XXXII When in the hand there breaks out first Pustles which afterwards turn to a crusty substance and then there follows deep clefts in the flesh At last it spreads over all the body thereafter the crusty substance falleth off and then it ceaseth Caution Abstain from Corrosive or eating Medicines Cantharides Purgations Oyntments Fumigations and the Guaick-wood Cure Take of the four Gums viz. Oppopanax Segapenum Galbanum Bdelium of each one ounce of Colophony two ounces of washed Turpentine four drams set them over the fire that they may be mixed then make a Plaister which must be applyed warm to the chopt hands and let it lie at the hands twelve hours then take it off and wash your hands with clean warm water then apply the Plaister unto it again and let it lie other twelve hours then take off and wash your hands and thus you must do so often until the humor be quite dryed up which useth to be in fifteen days or thereabouts for the four Gums have a peculiar and and admirable cleansing and drying vertue XXXIII The Itch and Scab are so commonly known that I need not describe it Cure Take of Roch Allum one pound of Plum Allum half a pound mix them Another Take of Plum Allum and salt Entals of each alike mix them for the Itch. Another Take Coperas and Allum of each alike mix them XXXIV When many Pustules break out together and being rubbed they issue out a yellowish water then there comes on a hard crusty Scab which falls off again and in its stead comes another And at last it turns to an Ulcer Cure You must not use any Medicines but such as are cooling Take
Oyntments and Pessaries A Potion Take of Agrimony Sanicle Winter-green and both kindes of Periwincle of each one Scruple of round Birth-wort one ounce of Parsnap and of small yellow Rapes one ounce put your Herbs in new Claret wine or new Ale or Beer and let them lie in it four or five days then drink of it every morning a draught You must use this kinde of drink half a year Another Potion Take of Larks-Spurre half a pound of round Birth-wort six ounces Ladies mantle and Sanicle of each ten ounces of small Sea-Buck-horn one pound and a half put them in Beer or Ale or Wine four or five days then take a draught of it every morning Let the patient use this following Salt with her meat Take Frankincense Mummy the Stone Haemmatites of each two ounces Make them into powder and mix them with half a pound of common salt made into fine powder let every thing be seasoned with this salt which the Patient eateth Then she must put up into the Womb this Pessary Take the water of Plantain the water of small Sea-Buck-horn the water of Ars-smart the water of St. Johns wort of each half a pound of Earth-worms six ounces of Iragacanthum one dram of Comfrey the leaves of long Birthwort of each three ounces and mix them with the best white Sugar and make them into Pessaries of that bigness as is fit to be put up into the Womb once a day and there to continue four or five hours at a time Another Take the juice of St. Johns-wort the juice of Ars-smart of each half a pound of Prune-water and Cherry-water of each one pound of Turpentine washed with Rose-water seven ounces Mix them and make a Pessary to be put up into the Womb twice a day or oftner as necessity requireth Another Pessary Take the Oyl of St. Johns-wort the oyl of Ars smart the oyl of round Birth-wort of each one pound the oyl of Frogs the oyl of Earth-worms of each twelve ounces the oyl of the yolks of Eggs one pound and twelve ounces Mix them and dip a linnen cloth in the mixture which must be put up into the Womb. An Oyntment for the Patients back Take of Mercury purged from its cold substance and eating biting faculty half an ounce of Bolus Scissus three ounces of Harts grease half a pound the oyl of Dill and the oyl of the yolks of Eggs of each six ounces M x them together over the fire and anoint the back therewith twice or thrice in a day or you may put so much Wax to them as to make them into a Plaister to be applyed to the back L. If a Womans belly be big as if she were with childe nevertheless she hath her Monethly Courses and sometimes her Belly is big sometimes it lesseneth but in some women their Belly continueth in the same bigness and hard some women have pain with it and some are without pain This is a false Conception which continueth with a Woman during her life Cure I will first shew you how to drive out a false Conception then I will give you a Preservative to keep you from a false Conception A Medicine to drive out a false Conception Take of Oriental Saffron four ounces of salt Borax half an ounce of Amber half an ounce of Scammony six drams of the Azure stone one dram Oppopanax boiled in Vinegar and the Vinegar boiled away until the Oppopanax be almost dry then take so much of this Oppopanax as is sufficient to make Pessaries with the former Ingredients to be put up into the Womb. Caution But remember this that this Medicine cannot be safely used if the Patient hath carried this false Conception as long as she should have carryed a childe and that it is grown so big that the passage will be too narrow for it to come out for then it would endanger the Patients life A Medicine to preserve a Woman from false Conception Take of Agarick Torchiscate one ounce of Euphorbium half an ounce of Oppopanax an ounce and a half let the Oppopanax be dissolved in Vinegar then strain the Vinegar and boil it away until the Oppopanax be almost dry then mix the Agarick and Euphorbium with it and make them into Pessaries put up one of the Pessaries into the Patients Womb before the false Conception be big and in one night if it make not the swelling fall then she is with childe LI. When there comes out of the nose yellow stinking corrupt matter with pain in the head or without pain or if there comes out of the ears putrid stinking matter or if the Patient spit loathsom stinking matter or if he evacuate corrupt matter with his Urine or if his dung excrement hath changed its natural colour or if his sweat stinketh or if the Monethly courses of Women change their colour without pain in the back or thighs If any of these continue with the Patient four years sometimes ceasing and then returning it is a sign that it will continue with the Patient all his life time Cure For the corrupt Excrements of the Nose Take of Darnel the seed of Gith black Hellebore of each one scruple of Marjoram and Sage of each half a dram of Musk two grains make them into a sneezing powder take a little of this into the Nose every morning For the corrupt Excrements of the ears Take of Scammony one scruple of Bdelium one dram of Wax one scruple and a half make them into a plaister which must be made into long small pieces to be thrust into the ears when the ears begin to purge out this corrupt matter For corrupt Matter voided in the Vrine Take of Oriental Saffron half a dram of the hairs which grow under the tail of a Hare half an ounce five Cantharides Make them into a powder and mix them put them in a little linnen bag which you must lay under the Yard near to the Fundament right under the Bladder and let it lie at the place a day or two until no more corrupt Matter is voided with the Urine A Medicine to rectifie the Dung-Excrement Take of Scammony one scruple of Haermodactils and Turbith of each one dram of Honey so much as to make them into Suppositaries For the stink of the Sweat Take of Treacle two drams of the Spirit of Wine two ounces of Euphorbium seven grains The Patient must go into a Bath when he takes this afterwards let him keep himself warm in his Bed and sweat Thus he must do three or four times or oftner until the stink of the Sweat be quite gone LII If after rubbing of any place there follows a red swelling which afterwards turneth into an Ulcer Cure For the swelling before it be turned into an Ulcer Take the oyl of Roses six ounces of slacked Lime three ounces of Camphire five drams mix them and lay them upon the swelling But if the swelling be changed into an Ulcer then take of Frog spawn one ounce the oyl
of Camphire two drams of the juice of Poppy and the juice of Henbane of each one ounce mix them and lay them to the Ulcer to take away the heat of it Then take of the Apostolorum Plaister and the Diaquilon Plaister of each half an ounce of Mummy three ounces of Cerusse or white Lead two drams of Camphire one dram Mix them over the fire and make them into a Plaister which must be applyed to the soar until the Cure be done LIII For Corns in Feet or Hands Caution You must not cut Corns so deep as to cut the quick flesh and you must not use Corrosive Waters to them for in so doing you may cause a dangerous Ulcer to follow Cure Take the Oyl of Juniper Berries and Agarick of each one dram of Ox Gall two drams mix them and lay them to the Corn until the Corn groweth dry and black and begins to moulder away then apply to it the Plaister Oppodeltoch some four or five weeks until the cure be done Another Take Realgare one scruple of the Oyl of the yolks of Eggs half a dram of slacked Lime half a dram mix them and lay them to the Corn and they will make the Corn black and consume it The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of Colophony two ounces the powder of Celendine and the powder of Orange skins of each half an ounce of the best Turpentine so much as to make them into a plaister LIV. When in any part of the body there is a hard immovable tumor or Excrescency of flesh growing to the Muscles which groweth still bigger and at last makes the member crooked where it is it also weakens the guts causing great windiness in them Caution You must not use the Chyrurgions Instruments to this nor any such Medicines which are used for Aposthumes Cure You must do no more to such tumors or Excrescencies but to hinder their increasing which is done by this Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Myrtles two ounces of the oyl of Nutmeg half an ounce of the marrow of an Ox two drams of Petroleum two ounces and a half Mix them Herewith you shall annoint those places where the Spermatick vessels lie most outwardly the back and thighs once a moneth LV. When there are spots in the skin of the face or elsewhere of a yellow or clay colour c. If they stay constantly in the place or if sometimes they evanish and return again Cure Take of Turnsole and Germander of each three ounces of the best Manna half an ounce of Parmacity and Bay-berries of each ten drams the water of Baulm the water of Vervain the water of Valerian of each five ounces Put your Herbs into the Waters and let them lie in the waters two or three days and when the spots begin to come out upon the skin take three or four ounces of those Waters at a time Observe That Turnsole is a singular good Herb it wonderfully reneweth the blood and flesh A Treatise concerning long Life CHAP. I. All Medicines divided into three sorts according to the threefold Age of Man shewing that each Age must have its own Medicines proper for it SEeing there are Medicines which can preserve the Body of Man for many Ages from Diseases Corruptions and Superfluities or if there be any infirmity or corruption in the Body they can cure it It ought to be the care of every Physician to know them and to know them throughly for there are very many tedious Diseases and many Maladies incident to the Body of Man which are rooted out by these Medicines which prolong life In this discourse of long Life I will first give you the Theory of it and then the practice that you may fully know all that concerns long Life I would not have any to doubt of this that life may be prolonged for these two Reasons 1. Because it doth not appear that there is any certain day or hour of any mans death 2 Because we have Medicine prepared for us by him who hath created us both to preserve us from Diseases and to drive out Diseases Hence we may conclude that neither Diseases bring Death neither is Death the cause of Diseases nay Death and Diseases agree no better then fire and water A natural Disease hates Death as every part of the living Body hates Death I intend in this discourse to speak to those of my own way who by great skill and daily experience have searched into and do know the propertieâ— and natures of things which are hid and unknown to presumptuous and titular Doctors And I do affirm this as a most certain truth That the Body may be restored changed to the better yea wholly renewed As it is to be plainly seen in Metals which may be so purified that they shall be afterwards free from any rust so likewise dead Bodâ—es if they be embalmed do not putrifie afterwards Some perhaps may dislike my Writings because they are short and because of those Examples which I use but my Writings are not therefore to be slighted seeing I use onely the examples of such things which are or may be done by Nature as in this comparison of Mettals with the Body of Man I know that there is great difference betwixt these two yet they are both preserved one way as experience teacheth If a dead Body can be preserved by Balsom from putrefaction or decay how much more may a living Body be so preserved Now there are three parts of Mans Age viz. yong Age middle Age and old Age and each of these must have such Medicines for prolonging life as are proper and suitable to them therefore there must be also three kindes of Medicines for the conservation of Life according to these three Ages We may likewise say that there are three parts in long life according to those three parts of mans Age for many might die in their Infancy many in their middle age c. if their life were not prolonged by the help of Medicines We cannot have any certainty that an Infant or a strong yong man shall outlive a weak old man No part of mans age hath any certain time of death appointed to it the Infant in the Mothers Womb may have many things befal it which may be the cause of great weakness in the childe or incline the childe to diseases and that Infant which is very weak when it is born the strength of Nature is abated and lessened in it as it is in old age And therefore those Medicines which are the helps of long life must be given to this Infant anointing the Nurses breast therewith which the childe doth suck c. as you shall hear more at large afterwards in the practice of long life For by these Medicines of long life the strength of Nature is increased and life prolonged after the same maner in an Infant as it is in old age Or if a yong man runs into so great excess of Drinking or Venery c. that thereby
inflamed by any disease that it cannot be in greater torture the best thing we can use to take away this heat and pain is to eat Arsmart Those of ancient times when they used this herb they took away the biting of it by frying it with butter or oyl and so did eat it and being so eaten it cured those diseases for which it was intended And further this Herb by its benumming faculty is a Remedy for putrifaction it takes away the pains and diseases of the Lungs Cough pains of the belly and risings of the mother being outwardly applied it cureth that extreme inflammation called St. Anthonies fire and all other inflamed Ulcers but it must be wet in Rose-water before it be laid on It cureth likewise all pains which arise of corrosive humours or those subtil Salts which are dissolved in our bodies which do cause most tormenting pains Now where these corrosive or saltish humors are as in the teeth they cause the Tooth-ach in the finger they cause the Felon c. If you lay this herb upon the diseased part using it that way as hath been shewed before then it will certainly perform the Cure when all other Narcotick remedies cannot do it An Addition more fully explaining how this herb should be used for Wounds Vlcers c. THat you may be fully instructed concerning the nature of this Herb I have thought fit to add something concerning that first way of using it which I have before declared to you by the example of the Load-stone I told you before that this herb must be drawn through cold running water and the fresh herb being cold and wet must be laid upon the Ulcer Wound c. and then presently it must be taken off again and buryed Now the thing which I add here is this If the disease or other griefs accompanying the disease be so violent and strong that they will not easily yeeld to the Remedie then do thus Lay to the sore every morning a fresh herb after it hath been drawne through running water then take it and bury it and thus you must do three mornings and oftner if need be if you see the disease very hard to cure then you may do so twelve or fourteen mornings yea every morning till the cure be perfected If a man in his journey be hindred because his horse hath received some hurt or is extremely galled then lay this herb to the sore and do as I have now shewed you if he be not well after the first second fourth c. dressing yet you must continue this course till he be well Troublesome or violent diseases must have powerfull remedies and must be diligently look'd to And seeing in some diseases the aforesaid way of using this herb doth little good at first as one Purge or if the quantity of the purge be too little it doth little good in some diseases therefore I have thought good here to shew you how the first way of using this herb may be made so effectuall that there is not any sore whatsoever but it may be throughly cured by it Again you must remember to keep Wounds and Ulcers clean if you do it not you wil much hinder the Cure And likewise remember That it is good for the diseased person who uâ—seth this kind of Cure to be in motion and exercise so it be moderate for how much more he useth the part diseased so much sooner and better he shall be cured by the vertue of this Magnetick herb Again observe That other Medicaments may be joyned with this Herb such as are sutable to it and are by nature ordained to such Cures which being joyned with it may further the magnetick vertue of it Again there is one great secret in this herb which I will not hide from you viz. That the Cure which is performed by this Herb is a certain and lasting Cure You need not fear that an Ulcer c. cured by this Herb will break out again and it is such a Cure as Nature requires This magnetick Herb doth not close up that which Nature would have open nor will it leave that open which Nature would have closed As for example Where there is a passage for the effluxion of humours especially if there be a great deal of humour which purgeth out so as if such a passage should be stopd death would follow now this herb will not stop such a passage which should not be stop'd it only cures that which Nature would have cured it will not do any thing contrary or hurtfull to Nature Whereby it appears that this way of cure done by this herb is most natural If you would know how to use this herb for the Tooth-ach take some Arsmart and some of the bark of Henbane boil them together in Rose-vinegar when they are boiled enough take them out and bury them in the ground but the liquor you must take and wash your mouth with you must take it as hot as possibly you can and hold it in your mouth till it be cooled then put it out of your mouth and take some more of this liquor as hot as you did before and hold it in your mouth till it be cooled and thus if you do many times together you have a certain cure for the tooth-ach or you may take the herb it self not boyled and rub it upon the tooth and bury it and when it is putrified the pain of the tooth will cease The Correction of this Herb for those inward Diseases which I mentioned before is thus Let the Arsmart be boiled in the water of Night-shade or in the water of great Sengreen the decoction is to be drunk and the herb it self must be buried as hath been said before And you may do so likewise with it for outward diseases adding a little Camphire to it Besides all that we have yet spoken concerning Arsmart there is yet remaining a great and excellent secret But I conceive it better to be silent then to speak any more now concerning this noble Jewel TREATISE III. Of the Vertues and Preparations of CORALS CHAP. I. What kind of Coral is best The Vertue of it against Spirits Melancholy vain Phansies c. REd Corals are of two kinds one kinde of them is of a dark red colour or toward a purple colour another kind of them is of a bright shining red colour And as they differ in colours so they differ in properties There is another kind of a pale colour which hath very little vertue in it It is to be observed concerning the red Coral that how far short it is of a bright reddish it wants so much of its goodnesse and efficacy Experience teaches us that those Corals which are of a clear bright shining red colour full of boughs and no where broken are full of power and vertue But those Corals which have clefts or want any part which they should have are of lesse vertue As a tree which wants some of its boughs brings
the very moment of her imagination You must also know the cause of her imagination why she touched any part of her body at that time but because it is seldom that the mother can fully enform you of every particular therfore you must have recourse to Astronomy and by it you may have a ful information according to which you must proceed If the mark be in the likenes of a worm then you must take a worm such a one with which the mark agreeth best according to the information and if that worm was alive when the mother saw it then you must lay the worm alive upon the mark and so keep it at the mark till it dieth and no longer But if it was dead before she saw it then you must lay a dead worm upon the mark which you must keep at the mark till it be putrified You must also observe the time when the mothers Imagination was moved by the sight of this worme and in the same time you must binde the worme upon the mark if it was in the Summer c. then you must binde the worme upon the mark in the Summer time If the Mothers Imagination was moved by a strong desire after any thing then her child which hath such a marke must be satiated and filled with the thing desired but if the mothers Imagination was from feare of a worm then the party who hath the mark must be put in fear when the worm is laid to the marke So the marke shall be rooted out howbeit it is not yet quite brought out of the skinne But to doe this you must take Aqua fortis and wash the skin with it and so in the space of eight or fourteene dayes the old skin shall fall off and a new fair skin shall come in its place after the same manner All marks not only of beasts or Vermine but also of fruits or of any thing else in our bodies may be taken away and cured by these things which caused those marks being used in that manner as hath been now said of worms This is a most secret cure which never any revealed before me and I am not ashamed to reveal it for I am the first who by experience have found the truth of it TREATISE VIII Concerning Common Salt and Brimstone their Medicinal Vertues and Preparations CHAP. I. GOD hath created every thing needful for the use of man and it is easily gotten that which is less useful is not so plentiful so God hath appointed Now Medicine is a thing very useful to man which he needs not fetch from beyond seas seeing he may have it at hand Nor yet they who live beyond sea need these medicines which grow here and so I may say of Salt that as it is of great use to man so there is great quantity of it sufficient to all mens uses There be two uses of Salt of which we will here especially take notice viz. it seasoneth meates and cureth diseases That meate which a man eates without Salt is never well and perfectly digested for it is the nature of Salt to correct every thing in the digestion of it it is the true Corrector of all meates usual to be eaten And whatsoever meat is not seasoned by Salt is unwholesome Let your meate bee moderately Salted not too much nor too little this will helpe digestion but when meate is not Salted or slightly Salted it turns to a thin waterish or slimy blood and the flesh which is bred of such meate is subject to corruption and to all diseases those who cannot endure any saltishness in any thing but whatsoever they eat is very fresh most commonly they are weaker then others their complexion is worse and they are easily infected with any disease Our Nature would have nothing but what is corrected and seasoned by Salt and boyled or otherwise prepared by the fire unless we give way to appetire to eat somethings raw and unprepared as onions Rhadishes c. Salt is the earthly balsome of man and of all things else And where no Salt is there is the beginning of putrefaction It is Salt only which preserveth both dead things and living from putrefaction In things living their Salt which is in them preserveth them there is Salt in the blood of every living creature which preserveth them that they doe not putrifie while they are alive There is a Salt not only in living creatures but also in herbs mettals stones and all Vegetables there is not any thing but it hath in it a Salt proper to it as appeares by those several kinds of Salts which are extracted out of several things As Balsome preserveth from putrefaction so doth Salt in this it is like balsome nay it is of a higher Nature and more subtle then balsome Whatsoever wants Salt it cannot continue bu it decayeth and putrifieth man beast and every thing else must have this preserving power of Salt in it we see by experience many things as flesh and fish c. preserved by Salt yea there is not any thing but it may be preserved by Salt which is to be done not by a sprinkling only or mixing of the Salt with the thing to be preserved but the Salt must be prepared and if the Salt be made a breeding or engendring Salt it will preserve any thing a very long time if wood or clay be laid in it they will become hard like stones Whatsoever is sprinkled with this breeding Salt it doth not decay or alter but in time it grows to be of a stony nature This breeding Salt howbeit it drieth and at last decayeth and perisheth yet it so congealeth and becomes so firm and hard that it can endure in the air water or earth alike Moreover Salt is wonderfully good for the preservation of health it is of great worth to us not only in seasoning of meat but it is also a singular remedy for wounds for if wounds be washed with water in which this salt is dissolved they shall thereby be preserved a whole year from corruption so that if a wound in the Summer time especially in the beginning of the dog-dayes incline to corruption the way to hinder it is by this washing this will likewise hinder the breeding of worms in wounds and if there be any worms in the wounds it will bring them out This is a great secret in Chirurgery and let not Surgeons c be ashamed to use such a water They do indeed use other remedies whereby corruption and worms are bred in wounds which they can no way afterwards help and thus by their remedies they oft-times undoe their patients But let the true and faithful Physician use this washing in the cure of wounds for wounds being kept clean by this nature it self will do the rest of the cure This washing cureth wounds after the same manner as a dog by licking cureth his soars or cuts Where Salt is made there is a kind of liquor like oyl so thick that an
egg laid into it will not sink Concerning this liquor observe that those who have grosse bodies full of blood or humors or they who are troubled with defluxions or are troubled with the Gout or are troubled with a loosness or have swollen legs c. if they wash themselves with this liquor then all superfluous hurtfull humors in the body shall be thereby dried up and all diseases which come of such humors shall be quite cured so that you shall never be troubled with these diseases again by it also are cured all running sores of the legs if they be washed with it and it cureth also the itch and scab This liquor is better then any natural Bath in a word it is a powerfull and most perfect remedy of the superfluous humours of the body and of all diseases coming of those humors it makes the body dry sound and nimble Let a Physician search into the natures of all Bathes and compare them with the Vertues of this liquor he shall find that this liquor doth far exceed them all this liquor never doth any hurt to any part of the body whereas we cannot promise so much safety in any Bath Therefore when the physician hath any patients troubled with such superfluous humours or defluxions let him direct his patients to have recourse to this liquor to wash themselves with it and if there be any disease to which their patient is enclined this liquor will consume that disease in the conception of it that it shall never afterward trouble the patient and if the disease be already begun this will drive it out of the body But for Physicians to direct their Patients to goe to Baths it is ridiculous seeing they do not throughly know the nature of those Baths Let us alwaies choose that which is best and safest When you would use salt use it alone as it is in it self without altering it or adding any thing to it There be many receipts in which they add several things to salt to qualifie it as Cummin Fennel Cinnamon c. but such additions are vain they are not agreeable to the nature of salt and thereby the salt is turned out of the right course of its operation therefore when you would use salt to season meats and to further concoction take it alone as it is in it self but when you would use salt for diseases you may fiâ—st correct it and perfect it the vertue of it must not be lessened but rather augmented Salt as we use it commonly in seasoning our meats it is in the first degree Salt burned in a hot fire sometime is more powerful by one degree then the former salt and the liquor of salt is more powerful by two degres thus the strength of it may be increased from one degree to another till it comes to the twenty fourth degree if you know the wayes of preparing it and the additions I have before spoken of the operations of Salt upon bodies which are full of humours now I will shew you in what method you shall proceed and how you shall use it First the patient troubled with the abundance of hurtful humors must be purged with black Hellebore prepared in that manner as is set down in the Treatise of Hellebore likewise he must take inwardly the Elixar of Tartar for some time untill those obstructions and imposthumes which are in the body be dissolved and the corruptionâ— which are in the body be purged out and then he must use the liquor of Salt he may use a Bath made with the liquor of Salt which may be raised in strength to the sixteenth degree that is it may be made as operative as if it were raised to sixteen degrees but naturally it riseth not above the thirteenth degree The vertue of this liquor may be increased thus If the juice of plantane the greater or the lesser or of some such herbs be mixed with this Liquor of Salt and boyled together so it shall become more powerful against the itch or scab and can do more in one day then it could in four dayes without this addition This liquor of Salt is also good for running Sores if you mix it with the juices of Comfrey or small sea-buckhorn of which there be many kinds This mixture is wonderfully efficacions in curing old sores so that it hath twenty degrees in curing for as your addition is more exact so its operation wil be more excellent If you would use this liquor of Salt for inward diseases as defluxions c. then do thus after you have boiled it in the juice of Plantane you must mix it with sublimed wine and so you shall have a medicine exalted to the twenty fourth degree of driness which will exceedingly dry up all defluxions or any superfluous humor in the body There is another way of preparing Salt viz. by distilling a water from salt which is done thus beat Salt and Rhadishes together and let the Salt dissolve with it then distill a water from it the which you shall mix with the juice of Plantane the juice of Celandine and the juice of small sea buck-horn and the juice of Comfrey of each alike much this mixture doth exceed the twenty fourth degree in drinesse it can dry up the Haemorrodes and all kinds of loosnesse of the belly albeit they be such as hardly can be cured by other medicines This liquor of Salt with these additions is of such vertue that it farre exceedeth all the syrups or purges or any other medicines of the Apothecaries shops for there is not any medicine in the Apothecaries shops which exceedeth the fourth degree whereas these medicines of mine are raised above 24 degrees yea above 32. degrees by these medicines of mine the disease is exceedingly over-powred so that the patient who useth them needs not doubt of his health this mixture is also singularly good for wounds and all kinds of sores There be some other wayes of preparing the liquor of salt whereby the vertue of it is hightned to 24 degrees as this take of common salt and of salt nitre of each alike much put them in a crucible and set your crucible in a wind furnace t ll they run together like metal then take these two salts and lay them in a moist place till they dissolve to a liquor the which liquor hath 24 degrees of a drying vertue which is so subtle and so powerful in operation as there is nothing like it and if you would have this drying faculty yet greater you shall add the same things to this liquor which are added to the liquor of salt in the preparation of it and you must proceed in the same manner as I have shewed you before and having added these things to this liquor if you distil it again you shall thereby much more encrease the drying faculty of it so that by such additions and preparations you may bring its drying faculty to four and thirty degrees It will not be amiss if Salt
vinegar in which Coperas is dissolved let it dry and sprinkle it again and thus doe four or five times when it is thus prepared it will search to the bottome of the sore But the best way of preparing this calcined Coperas is thus distill the water off from the Coperas the grounds remaining is calcined Coperas put the water distilled to the said grounds distill it again do thus so often till no water will come from the grounds If you use this for any sore you will find it to be very subtil and piercing In curing sores you must consider well the degrees of sores and that which will not yeild to the calcined Coperas must bee cured by the oyle or water of Coperas So that if wee can do no good by the calcined Coperas wee must not therefore despair but we must prepare it further by distillation and in so doing wee may bring this medicine to that height that it can cure all kinds of sores as Canker wolf fistuls c. CHAP. III. Of the true Spirit and true oyle of Coperas how they are made and what are their Vertues ALchimy hath discovered many excellent secrets to physicians whereby great cures have been done and therefore physicians formerly when they entred upon the study of medicine they also studied Alchimy because it is the mother of many worthy physical secrets These two Arts viz. Medicine and Alchimy as companions were studied together till those talkative cheaters the humorists poisoned Medicine and made that virgin to be a strumpet and so must remain so long as they prevail for when ignorant men take upon them the profession of an art which they know not that Art certainly doth suffer violence and must be wronged Thus Alchymy hath been wronged in many things especially in Coperas how many deceitful oyls and spirits of Coperas have we in stead of that true oyl and true spirit of Coperas which the ancient physicians used they had the true spirit of Coperas and they exalted it to the highest degree whereby they perfectly cured any falling sicknesse in men women or children but others since who were unskilfull in Alchymy thinking to take a better way have endeavoured to draw out the spirit and to exalt the vertues of the Coperas otherwise and so leaving the first secret way of the Ancients which they lost they laboured to draw the oyle out of the calcined Coperas but in vain for what they draw out of it is of no use for that which cureth the falling sickness must have a subtle piercing spirit The true spirit or true oyl of Coperas hath such a piercing searching nature that it goeth through the whole body and nothing can escape it and when it meets with the disease it resists it and overcomes it in its own place now a physician cannot certainly know the seat and center of the disease and therefore he hath need to have such remedies as will search through the whole body and find out the disease and this is the reason why Humorist-doctors can never cure this disease and so they shame their profession because they have not the right remedies which can do it I can certifie this that the oyl which the common Alchymists draw out of the calcined Coperas which the Apothecaries call the spirit of Vitrial it hath nothing of a subtle or piercing nature in it it is a meer earthly dead thing which hath no profitable operation It is much to be lamented that through unskilfulness the true way should be suppressed and the false should be thus received in its stead I am perswaded that the divel doth this for this end that the sect of the Humorist-Doctors may be prevalent and that the diseased may not re-enjoy their health But to return to my purpose I will now shew you how you may get the true oyl and the true spirit of Coperas and how the Ancients found out the spirit first they distilled a water from the Coperas this water they distilled alone circulated it till it was fully corrected as their way teacheth and this water they used for many diseases both inward diseases as falling sicknesse c. and outward diseases and thereby they performed wonderful cures then they took this water so corrected and they powred it upon the grounds which remained in the first distillation and they distilled it again from the grounds thus they did eight or ten times with a strong fire whereby the wet spirits were united to the dry spirits so firmly that by continuall distilling the dry spirits at last came out with the wet spirits then they took these two spirits thus firmly united and put them in a glasse vessel where they exalted them to the highest degree these two spirits together thus exalted the Ancients found them to have greater operation then the foresaid water alone and with this one medicine they could do more then the Humorist-Doctors can do with all the medicines they have Artists do adde to this medicine sublimed wine to make it more piercing Now I will shew you my way which I use and commend it to all physicians especially for the falling-sickness which is cured only by this spirit of Coperas my way is thus I put so much spirit of wine to the Coperas as the Coperas will drink in then I distil a water from the Coperas and so I proceed in the same manner as is said before when the medicine is perfected I adde to it these things following viz. to one ounce of the spirit of Coperas I adde two ounces of the corrected spirit of Tartar and two drams of the warer of Treakle camphorated The patient who is troubled with the falling-sickness should take this medicine before his fit come upon him he may take it twice or thrice a day so much of it as the physician shall appoint Nature cannot afford a better medicine then this for the falling sickness My way of preparing this medicine is the same which was used by the Ancients I only addâ— the spirit of wine before I distill it and I adde to the medicine when it is perfected these things which I have named This precious spirit of Coperas is not only good for the falling-sicknesse but also for all diseases of the like nature as sounding extasie c. It is also good for all obstructions and inward imposthumes for fits of the mother and falling down of the mother Physicians might find out many other excellent vertues in this spirit of Coperas if they were diligent in searching them and if they would shew themselvs good and faithful physicians and careful of the health of their patients cursed be all those physicians who regard only their own gain and not the health of their patients especially those patients who are afflicted with that sad disease the falling-sickness I hope all good people will approve of what I have done here and truly I have described the way of preparing this spirit
body You must with a Syringe squirt into the wound Rose vinegar mixed with the juice of Nightshade or the juice of Water-lilies or the juice of Housleek or Frog-spawn but the best of all is the juice of a Cancers toes mixed with the vinegar squirt this into the wound until the heat is allayed afterwards cure the wound with Wound-oyls or Wound-balsomes described before in the third Chapter Observ If this burning go to the head or any principal member it is deadly The cure of a member deadned by extraordinary cold Any part which is thus deadned it cannot be recovered again but it becomes Leprous and it rotteth and therefore we must not seek to cure it but to take it away from the sound part that the sound part be not infected by it which may be done by this Medicine Take of long Pepper and Ginny grains and Cardamome of each an ounce of Ephorbium two ounces of Mastick an ounce and a half beat them into powder and boyl them in two quarts and a pint of childes urine or the urine of a red-haird man until one pint be boiled away Then strain the Liquor through a cloth and dip a linnen cloth in it which you must lay upon the part deadned do this thrice a day until you have separated the deadned part from the sound part and when you have taken away the dead part do the rest of the cure with Wound-oyntments There is a great heating-faculty in this Liquor for if any part of the body be wet wi h a little of it it s a wonder if that part be cold again that day For those who are almost dead with extraordinary cold give them to drink some strong water in which there is some Saffron Treacle and Camphire dissolved in it or boil some Zinger and sweet Reed in Wine and give it them to drink A Treatise of Vlcers SECTION I. Describing the kindes of Ulcers and their several Cures CHAP. I. IF the Patient complain of an Ulcer or Ulcers which began thus viz. He was first troubled with a chilness and after the chilness came a great heat and so at several times and in the part Ulcerated appeared first a great redness sometimes in one place and sometimes in another place at last this redness setled with an Inflammation and hardness in this place where now the Ulcer is This you shall call a tempestuous Ulcer Cure In the curing of this Ulcer observe this method When first the coldness or chilness comes which is not unlike a Pestilential chilness do not meddle with it until the heat come and you see in what place the Inflammation and swelling settles then if you would prevent it that it break not out into an Ulcer or running Sore apply to it this following Receipt Take of red Myrrhe half an ounce and of the whitest Incense half an ounce make them into a fine powder and put the Myrrhe into one bag and the Incense into another bag and boil them in a pint of the best white Wine and half a pint of good vinegar then dip pieces of linnen cloth into this Liquor and lay them upon the part inflamed till the inflammation be quite gone But if the swelling is turned into an Ulcer then you must first take out all the heat with the former remedy afterwards if the Ulcer is sowl cleanse it with this following Receipt Take of Allum burned and quenched in Vineger one ounce and a half of Aloehepatick one ounce make them into a powder and mix them with five ounces of honey Make a Plaister this plaister must be applyed to the Ulcer morning and evening till it be well cleansed but if it be an old Ulcer put into the plaister some burned Coperas when the Ulcer is sufficiently cleansed and fit to be cloased up then apply to it this stictick plaister Take of golden Lithargirie one pound boil it with a good quantity of varnish a long time to which adde Virgin wax and Sallet oyl of each one pound and so make a Cerote then take the Gum Oppoponax a quarter of a pound which you shall dissolve in Vinegar when it is dissolved strain the Vinegar and boil it till it begin to be thick To this adde the former Cerote and when they be well mixed together adde to them a quarter of a pound of Turpentine and of Lawrel oyl one ounce with these powders viz. The powder of Mastick of Incense and of Myrrhe of each alike half an ounce of Camphire two drams and when you have mixed them well altogether make them up into a plaister with the oyl of Camomile Take of this stictick Plaister one pound and mix into it half an ounce of burnt Coperas and of Crocus of Steel an ounce and a half and when you have thus made up your plaister apply some of it morning and evening to the Ulcer until it be fully cured And for your preservation that the Ulcer return not again after it is cured you must every year let blood in the great Veins of the legs or ankles yea and in the time of the cure you should let blood in those Veins which come to the Ulcerated place if they appear putrid or Leprous CHAP. II. IF the patient complain of a Sore which continually issueth forth water at a small hole being very hallow within which you may finde by searching it with a quill and if this sore did break out without any redness or inflammation or any great swelling then judge this sore to be a Fistula which of it self will never be well nor dry up it requireth excellent Medicines to cure it Cure In the curing of this Ulcer we must use inward Remedies and outward Remedies viz. Waters Plaisters c. There needs not be any dyet observed A potion for the Fistula Take of Sowbread two handfulls of white Sanicle one handful of middle Consound half a handful boil them in white Wine in a vessel close stopt then strain it and put to it an ounce and a half of the distilled oyl of Cloves and mix them well together Let the Patient drink of this thrice a day and by this drink alone new Fistula's may be perfectly cured but if it be an old Fistula you must use this following Receipt Take of Oleum Laterinum or oyl of Bricks three ounces of Turpentine half a pound of the oyl of Cloves one ounce and a half of Incense of Mastick of Myrrhe of each an ounce and a half of Mummy three ounces distil an Oyl from them with a strong fire the which Oyl you must use thus After you have cleansed the Fistula within then you must put some of this Oyl into it it is cleansed with Wine or saltish Water being squirted into it by a Syringe afterwards the Oyl must be also squirted into it by the Syringe and then lay upon it outwardly the stictick Plaister mentioned in the former Chapter There are also other excellent remedies for a Fistula as the oyl of
to the Ulcer until it be filled up with flesh and when it is fill'd with flesh you shall anoint the place with the former oyl alone ten days This oyl of Tartar is excellent to consume any superfluous moysture and to take away any inflammation or superfluous flesh c. but it is especially good for the putrid and running sores of the feet and legs Whatsoever Ulcers they be albeit they be putrid old swelling or hollow or eating Ulcers c. yet if they be anointed with this oyl it will cure them throughly it is of a wonderful drying faculty A good Plaister Oppodeltoch to fill an Vlcer with flesh especially a Fistula or Cancer or Syrone Take of common Rosin Colophony Turpentine of each a half pound of Virgin Wax a pound and a half of gum Amoniacum and Myrrhe of each two ounces of Realgare fixed three drams mix them and make a Plaister which must be laid to the Ulcer when it is well cleansed twice a day until the cure be done For a Sphacelus to seperate the dead putrified part from the sound part Take of Colophony three pound the oyl of Myrrhe six ounces of the gums Bdelium Ammoniacum Oppopanax Galbanum of each half a pound make a plaister to be applyed to the putrified part and after the dead and putrified part is taken away from the sound part by this plaister then apply to the place this following Receipt Take of the water of the salt of Radish one ounce of the juice of Plaintan eight ounces mix them and anoint the part with them Morning and Evening Then apply this Plaister Take of the oyl of Eggs two drams and a half the oyl of Walnuts five ounces of Wax and Pitch of each five ounces make a Plaister Experiments for Ulcers especially for the Ulcers of the French Pox And the first kinde of Experiments are Baths A good Bath to cure any Scab or Itch especially the Scab of the French Pox. TAke of Allum ten pounds of Coperas one pound of burned Tartar half a pound of Brine or the Liquor of Salt three pounds put them in a good quantity of Scalding hot water in which some hops have been boiled and when they are dissolved in the water let the Patient Bath himself in this water but if it be an old stubborn Scab which will not yield to this Bath then take Quick-silver and make it very hot and quench it in this water do so several times and then it will cure any Scab of the French Pox. Another Take of burned Aâ—lum and of Plum-Allum of each an ounce of burned Tartar and burned Coperas of each four ounces of Roch Allum salt Nitre and Coperas of each one pound and take old blew cheese and wash from it the blew with water take of this blew as much as all the rest and mix it with the rest then set them in some dry place and it will grow hard as horn when you would use it put some of it in hot water and it will dissolve in it then let the Patient Bath himself in this water for any Scab or itch c. Nay some have so highly esteemed of this Receipt that they have endeavored to cure the Leprosie with it If the salt of Feverfew or Snakewood be put into the former composition it will be much better The juice of Nettles and a little of the Liquor of Salt cureth the running sores of the feet if they be anointed therewith Some who got this Receipt from me have foolishly thought it a sufficient cure for all Sores The second kinde of Experiments are Oyntments An Oyntment for those Vlcers of the French Pox which begin to be dry Take of Lethargire and Red-lead of each half an ounce of the oyl of Mirtles three ounces of Aloepatick one ounce and a half the flower of prepared Copper three drams of Turpentine two ounces mix them with this Oyntment I have seen these Ulcers happily cured The chief Ingredients in this and such other Oyntments are Aloepatick and the flower of Coperas Another Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Mummy three ounces of the flower of Copper half a dram of Mastick Myrrhe Frankincense Mummy of each two drams and a half of Aloepatick half an ounce of washed Turpentine three drams and a half Mix them There are some oyntments in which Quick-silver is the chief ingredient which common people do ordinarily use for the Itch Scab and other faults of the skin but you must know that Quick-silver should not be used unless it be rightly prepared If you can bring it to be an oyl with salt Nitre then mix this oyl with any of the oyntments for Ulcers and you have a singular good remedy for all diseases of the skin except the Leprosie for Scabs Ulcers c. If you anoint therewith the lips of an old sore it will cure it speedily but especially if it be an Ulcer of the French Pox then it will be so much the sooner cured by this Oyntment Precipitate Mercury is an excellent remedy for all the hollow Uâ—cers of the French Pox except eating Ulcers It is made thus Put Quick-silver in a pot set it over the fire until it be very hot then quench it in the water which is distilled from Eggs and distil this water oft-times from the Quick-silver until the Quick-silver is turned into a red powder mix this red powder with some of the Oyntments for Ulcers and anoint the Ulcer with it A good Plaister Take of both kindes of Snake-weed of each seven of Consound and bushy rooted Birth-wort of each a half pound bruise them and mix them with washed Turpentine one pound and a half and with Sallet oyl four ounces make them into a plaister and whatsoever sore cannot be cured by this plaister it is hardly cured by any other The oyl of Mummy the oyl of the yolks of Eggs the oyl of Mastick Oleum Laterinum or the oyl of Bricks these oyls are of great vertue to further the cure of any Ulcer or to asswage pain c. but they are not sufficient to perfect the cure alone Another Bâ—uise Snake-weed and put to it a little Petroleum it is a very good remedy for Ulcers Another Take Mummy beat it to powder and mix it with Mans fat it is good for asswaging the pain of Ulcers c. Another Aloepatick made into powder and mixed with honey is good for dry sores and such sores which are near the bone Rosin is good for Syron's to further their cure but it cannot do the cure alone without some of the aforesaid Herbs or c. to be mixed with it Many have endeavored to imitate my Compositions have said that they were mine but with what success they used these compositions they can tel who were their Patients and how could they imagine to do any good with these Compositions when they knew nor the nature of the Ingredients but when they read these my Writings they will see their error and
ignorance The third kinde of Experiments viz. Wax Plaisters Plaisters were formerly made with wax and Turpentine to which were added several Simples for divers kindes of Ulcers Wax may be used for any sore but Turpentine is to be used onely for moist sores divers kindes of sores must have divers kindes of remedies It is most rashly done by those who when they finde a Medicine good for one sore they will use it for every sore I advise Physicians that they use not these my experiments any other ways then I have expressed here A Plaister Take of the oyl of Mirtle of Wax and of red Lead of each one pound and a half of the flower of Copper and Mummy of each one ounce of Aloepatick one ounce and a half of Oppopanax two ounces of Turpentine half a pound mix them and make them into a Plaister Another Take of the flower of Copper one pound the oyl of Dill and Wax of each one pound and a half of Colophony four ounces the oyl of Bays two ounces of Turpentine half a pound of Mummy Mastick Frankincense of each two ounces of Sagapenum and Galbanum of each one ounce and a half make them into a Plaister Another Take of Wax and Sallet oyl of each three pounds of Celandine Buck-horn of each half an ounce of Mastick Oppopanax Myrrhe Mummy Galbanum of each one ounce of round Birthwort Frankincense Ammoniacum of each one ounce and a half of Turpentine six ounces melt your Wax then put to it the Mastick Frankincense the gums Oyl and Turpentine then mix with them the herbs made into powder to which you may adde some Oyl of Spike or of earth-Worms Another Take of Wax one pound of Colophony four ounces of red and white Corals of the Load-stone of the Lapis Calaminaris of Amber of Antimony of each of them made into powder one ounce of Mummy Frankincense Myrrhe Mastick of each one ounce and a half first melt your wax and when it is melted put the rest to it The fourth kinde of Experiments are Powders Mummy is excellent to fill an Vlcer with Flesh Take Mummy put it in a glass which can endure the fire or in a pot well closâ—d and set it in a fire which hath three degrees of heat four days then take your glass or pot out of the fire open it let the vapor go out of it and when the Mummy is cooled take it out and make it into a powder Another Take of Mummy and Lin-seed oyl of each alike mix them together and let them stand two days then pour to them as much of the Spirit of wine as they both and let them stand two days then set them over a slow fire till the Wine be consumed and the Mummy is dry when it is cooled make it into powder Another Take Mummy and burn it until the ashes of it begins to change their colour then pour water upon it and let it stand a day then pour off the water carefully so that the grounds do not mix with it take this water and boyl it away that which remains in the bottom make it into powder and keep it for your use There are two Experiments of Amber observed by the ancient Physicians the one is to fill up hollow sores the other is to cure eating sores The first is this Take Amber and dissolve it in some Petroleum afterward dry them and make them into powder The other is this Distil an oyl from Amber pour some of this oyl upon the grounds remaining in the Distillation or upon some fresh Amber and let it dry again then pour some more Oyl and let it dry again and so do oft-times then make it into powder There are also two Experiments of Myrrh for curing foul Vlcers Take Myrrhe and dâ—ssolve it in the oyl of the yolks of eggs then put to them five times so much Wine and let them stand five days then set them over the fire until the Wine be consumed and take the Myrrhe which remains dry and make it to powder Or thus Distil an Oyl from Myrrhe with Tragacanth by descent then coagulate it dry it and make it into powder There is great vertue in Coperas to cure Vlcers if you take from it the corosive faculty which may be done thus Take Coperas burned to a red powder pour upon it Rain-water let it stand two or three hours then pour off the water and set the burnt Coperas over the fire till it be well dryed then pour some more Rain-water upon it and do as before do so five or six times till the burnt Coperas become hard and firm like a stone and is sweet to the taste if you make this into a powder and mix it with some of the Oyntments for Ulcers you may cure therewith Syrons and other Ulcers The Use and several Prepararations of Quick-silver for the French Pox. Quick-silver made into a red powder by the distilled water of eggs being oft-times distilled from the Quick-silver is good both for wounds and Ulcers especially of the bladder which are hardly cured by any other Medicines it cureth also the deep Ulcers of the throat That which is commonly called Precipitate Mercury which is done with aqua fortis cannot cure Ulcers because of its eating faculty which it hath by the aqua fortis But this Precipitate Mercury which is done with the water of Eggs is a singular Medicine for Ulcers especially the Ulcers of the French Pox. The oyl of Quick-silver is an infallible remedy and the onely remedy of the French Pox and of all those Ulcers which accompany the French Pox but because this is hardly attained to therefore in its stead use the red powder of Quick-silver which is next to it in this cure The Oyl is made thus Take of the Quick silver Mine in which the Quick-silver is not yet come to be a perfect Quick-silver twenty pounds beat it and boil it in rain-water until no dross or soil comes to the top then strain it and put the Liquor in a distilling Vessel distil it with a strong fire and you shall have at last come out a most clear Liquor which you shall distil again in Balneo Mariae to take from it all waterishness and you shall have in the bottom of the distilling Vessel an oyl as heavy as Quicksilver Let the Patient take two grains of it at a time with six grains of the oyl of Spike Another way to make the Oyl of Quick-silver Take of Quick-silver and of Tin of each alike melt the Tin and put the Quick-silver to it and work them well together till the Tin become like Quick-silver then put to them as much Sulphur vivum as there is of the Tin and Quick-silver beat it into powder and mix it well with the Tin and Quick silver put them altogether in a disti ling Vessel and distil from them an Oyl as white as milk and as heavy as Quick-silver which is not sharp nor corroding let the Patient take
circulatory Vessel which must be set in Balneo Maria the space of a Moneth then you will finde the Tincture of the Gold mixed with the Spirit of Wine and the Gold powder in the bottom white as silver take out this powder when it is melted it is like Silver separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture in Balneo Mariae you shall have the gold Tincture in the bottom of this distilling Vessel This Tincture you must put in a Circulatory Vessel and circulate it alone some time The Tincture of Red Coralâ— The Tincture of red Corals which is the purest part of the Corals containing all the red colour of the Corals in it It hath such a secret faculty in purging the Blood that he who knoweth the right use of it hath a great secret for the preventing and curing of the Leprosie it will not suffer any Ulcer to breed in the body and it purgeth all the Blood in the Veins most excellently Let the Physician remember this that he should extract Tinctures out of such things which excel in colour for they have the greatest vertue for cleansing the Blood In extracting the Tincture of Corals you must proceed in the same maner as you extract the Tincture of Gold and when you have drawn off the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture then you must distil the Tincture alone sixteen times in the open fire And lastly you must distil it in Balneo Mariae six times that the Tincture may be well purged from all impurities When you use this Tincture take a scruple of it in a dram of Treacle water The Treacle water is made thus Take of the Spirit of Wine five ounces of good Treacle two ounces and a half of red Roman Myrrhe one ounce and two drams of Oriental Saffron two drams put them altogether in a distilling Vessel and distil them The Tincture of the Corals being taken with this water will throughly cure all Fistula's Cancers c. or any Ulcer whatsoever The Tincture of Balsom It falleth out oft-times that Ulcers which have continued a long time or have been badly cured they come to be of the nature of a Leprosie so that they cannot be helped by any Medicine because of their great putrifaction in such a case onely the Tincture of Balsom can do good which onely can cure such kinde of Ulcers and it is the best for all eating of Ulcers The Tincture is extracted thus Take of Balsom an ounce and a half of the Spirit of Wine one pound and a half and two ounces put them into a circulatory Vessel and circulate them the space of a Moneth then put them in a distilling Vessel and distil them Take that which you have distilled and mix with it another half ounce of Balsom and circulate them together some time distil them again then adde another half ounce of Balsom to that which you have distilled and thus you must do four times This Tincture of Balsom hath such a piercing faculty that there is not any part of the body but it will search into it there is not any disease or corruption of the body but it will cure it The Tincture of Antimony Antimony destroyeth all other Metals except Gold It purgeth Gold perfectly and taketh away all its Impurities after the same maner it purgeth the body of man and consumeth all impurities and corruptions in the body being rightly prepared therefore the greatest Chymists and Physicians have labored much in Antimony but in vain before our times and now by my industry it is rightly and fully prepared The Tincture is extracted thus Take Antimony made into fine powder put it in a close Reverberatory the space of a Moneth until it become volatile and it will be first white then clay-coloured then red and at last Purple-coloured then take it out and put it in the Spirit of Wâ—ne so much as it be twenty fingers breadth above the Antimony circulate them together the space of a monâ—th then separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture and so you have the precious Tincture of Antimony The Philosophers Salt The Philosophers salt Take of the Salt of Gold the salt of Antimony the salt of Balm of each half an ounce of common salt eight ounces make them into a powder and mix them together The Patient must take a little of these Salts strowed upon a piece of tosted bread every morning Another Take of the Salt of Germander the Salt of Succory the salt of Valerian of each one ounce of the salt of Wormwood two drams of the salt of Coperas one dram of common salt one pound make them into a powder and mix them These Salts the Patient may take with his meat and howbeit the operation of these salts is not so quick as the operation of the Tinctures yet they will undoubtedly root out any Ulcer in the Body whether Cancer Fistula c. The Use of the Tinctures The use of the Tincture of gold Take a dram of this Tincture of Gold and mix it with an ounce of the best Treacle of this mixture let the Patient take one scruple fasting then keep himself warm in his bed till he sweat this will drive out the hurtful humors of the body at the Ulcer by sweating and otherwise so as you may plainly see the operation of this Tincture in the Ulcer it self And when the Ulcer grows dry so that no more humor cometh out of the Ulcer which useth to be at the tenth or twelfth day then you may easily perfect the cure if you keep at the Ulcer a stictick Plaister The use of the Tincture of Corals Take of the Tincture of Corals one ounce and a half and mix it with ten ounces of the water of Germander or the water of Succory Let the Patient take two drams of this mixture five hours before dinner or five hours after Supper the space of six or seven days in the mean time he must use meats of easie digestion and he must drink very little he must take no other drink but the water of Succory or the water of Fumitory so long as he takes of the Tincture And when the humor hath flowed abundantly out of the Ulcer and the Ulcer dryeth and hath no pain then the patient must take no more of the Tincture The use of the Tincture of Balsom The Patient may take the Tincture of Balsom alone five grains of it at a time or he may take it in good old white Wine twice a day after meat and continue it so until the Ulcer be quite dryed up Apply outwardly upon the Ulcer some ordinary stictick Plaister until the cure be perfected The use of the Tincture of Antimony In Vintage time take new Wine and put half an ounce of the Tincture of Antimony to twenty quarts of it and when the Wine is well setled then use it Let the Patient drink of this and no other the space of a moneth and he shall finde wonderful vertue in this drink