maner aforesaid I once cured a Woman of this greeuous disease within fiue and twentie daies yet I would wish the cure to be continued fortie daies that you may be the more assured that it should not returne againe In this foresaide order you may cure all kindes of lamenes in hote and dry complexions and also all lamenesse proceeding of the Palsie though it procéeded not of the Pockes but of the influence of the starres or the constellation of Saturne and the Moone in his birth as Astronomie teacheth These and all other lamenesse whatsoeuer may in Chollericke persons be cured in the aforesaid manner without all imperfection of howe long continuaunce soeuer they haue beene In his diet he must behaue himselfe mesurablie least any Ague or other accident doo happen vnto him for thē his health would be farre to seeke for which cause sobrietie in his diet is very requisit This is sufficient concerning Cholerick and Sanguine complexions The curing of the falling sickenesse in Phlegmaticke and Mellancholie persons FOr these the Drinke must be made more warming and drying then in other cōplexions the making of it is thus Take one pound of this Woode with fiue pounds of water and three pound of good Wine this must be sodden as is aforesaid being stopped verie close and you must giue the Patient thereof euery morning and euening seauen or eyght ounces at a time obseruing the same the space of eight daies vpon the ninth day you shall purge him with the aforesaide Purgation vsing him in all points as is aforesaid of the cholerick persons excepting onely in his drinke which must be made as is aboue said to be more warming and drying then the other Thus much concerning such diseases as spring vp in the braines Capit. 8. Of Polipus an ill disease in the nose whereof commeth the Cancer POlipus is a certaine fleshie Apostemation growing in the nose conuerting it selfe at last to a Cancer the cure thereof is not long to be protracted for if it be let runne to a Cancer it is so much the harder to be cured Therefore the Patient must thus be purged foure daies together you must giue him this Iulep or Sirop Take of Sirope De fumo terre one ounce Sirope De cicorea two ounces Burrage water Endiue water Cicore water Fumiterre water of each two ounces this hee must drinke at foure times vppon the fift day you shall giue him this Purgation You shall take Confectionis Hamech and Electuarij De suco rosarum of each three drams this you shall giue him with Burrage water and Fumiterre water vsing so much of the said water that it may be a drink which you shall giue him to drinke at fiue of the clocke in the morning suffering him neither to sleepe to eate nor to drink til the Purgation haue doone working and that the Patient do not feele any more rumbling or paine in his bellie and then let him eate measurablie Then for the Chollericke persons you shall make this drinke following giuing him thereof euery day morning and euening eyght ounces at a time and whyle he is drinking of it you shall with an Instrument cut away the superfluous flesh out of his nose as much as shal be requisite causing him once euery houre to clense his nose with a little sticke wet in Honie of Roses and hauing drunk of his drinke eyght dayes together you shall purge him againe with the aforesaid Purgation This is the Drinke Take of the Wood halfe a pound and of water eyght pound this you must séeth as aforesaid and giue it to the Chollerick person to drinke as aforesaid For the Phlegmatick and the Mellancholicke it must be prepared thus TAke of the Wood a pound and a halfe Angelica and Gallingale of each one ounce of water seauen pounde of Wine three pound This must be stopped verie close and sodden as aforesaid giuing thereof to the colde and moyste of complexion euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time purging him euery ninth day with the aforesaid Purgation he shall also washe his nose with the Drinke for it digesteth clenseth and healeth aboue measure and therefore he shall often wash and clense his nose therewith and in so dooing he shall vndoubtedly in short time be healed Capit. ix Of shortnes of vvinde coughes and stuffinges in the breast FOr the Chollericke and the Sanguine you shall make this drinke following Take of the Woode three quarters of a pound Isope a handfull Dates a quarter of a pound Lyroris two ounces this must be sodden in tenne pounds of water as in the third Chapter and the day before he beginne to drinke thereof you shall giue him this Purgation Take Electuarij inde maioris halfe an ounce put there to Agarici trociscati three drammes giue it him to drinke with Buglosse water the next day giue him of the aforesaid drink morning and euening sixe ounces at a time vsing him with sweating dyet and drinke as is aforesayd and purging him with the said Purgation euery ninth day and he shal be healed in a short space and shall be as long winded as euer he was in his life The drinke for the Phlegmatick and the Mellancholick TAke of the Woode one pound Isope and Dates of each a handfull Agarici trociscati two drammes water fiue pounde sweete Wine fiue pounde seeth it as is aforesaide beeing very close stopped and giue the Patient thereof to drinke morning and euening eyght ounces at a time dooing as is aforesayd But for his ordinarie drinke at his meales you shall make him this that followeth for he may not vse other at his meales because of the Agaricke Take of the Wood one pound Isope Dates of each a handfull Lycoris two ounces water sixe pound sweete Wine three pounde this shall he drinke at meales in all other respects as in diet sweating purging and such like you shall vse him as is aforesaid and he shall by Gods helpe be cured Although this disease sometimes be somewhat long in curing yet you néede not feare for in the ende it shall vndoubtedly by Gods helpe be cured though the Patient haue had it neuer so long time Capit. 10. Of the diseases in the stomacke as paines quesines vomiting c. THese diseases doo arise of aboundaunce of cold phlegmaticke and moist humors and sometimes of blacke choller or mellancholie to cure these diseases you must first prepare the matter with this Drinke and after purge the Patient Take of Mintes Wormewood Isope Betonie Buglosse Cicorey Lettice of each a handful Senne leaues and Polipodium of each two ounces thys must be sodden as aforesaid with a pint of water giuing the Patient thereof to drinke euery morning sixe ounces till it be drunke out then you shall purge him with Benedicta laxatiua and Stomaticom luxatium of each thrée drams putting thereto thrée ounces of Wormewood water and giue it the Patient warme to drinke kéeping himselfe as I haue shewed in other
Chapters before The same day that hee purgeth he shall neither eate much nor any grosse meate nor drinke much at his meales and at the end of his meale you shall giue him a slice of Diacitron for that dooth comfort the stomacke excellentlie and the next daie you shall giue him this drinke Take of the Wood halfe a pound water sixe pound Cicore and Borage of each a handfull this you shall séeth as aforesaide giuing the Patient thereof morning and euening sixe ounces at a time purging him euery ninth day once with the aforesaid Purgation and the same day that he purgeth you shall giue him after his dinner one slice of Diacitrō obseruing this he shall vndoubtedlie be cured For the Phlegmatick and the Mellancholick how he is to be cured FIrst you shall make him this drinke to prepare the matter withall Take Sage Isope Margerome Mints of each a handfull Cardus benedictus Sorrell and Endiue of each a handfull and a halfe Polipodij thrée ounces Rhabarbe halfe an ounce this you must séeth as aforesaid with a pint of Wine and a pint of Water giuing the Patient therof euery morning sixe ounces vntill it be drunk vppe Then giue him this Purgation Electuarij Elescoph halfe an ounce Agarici trociscati Rhabarbari of each a dram and a halfe breake and mingle them in two ounces of wine and two ounces of Betonie water This you shall giue him in the morning at foure of the clocke and at noone after his meate you shall giue him a slice of Diacitron and let him not drinke vpon it afterward you shall giue him this drinke following Take of the Wood twelue ounces Minte and Anis séedes of each a handful water foure pounde wine thrée pounde let it seeth as aforesaid béeing close stopped and giue the Patient thereof euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time purging him once euery day with the aforesaid Purgation and he shall be cured of all diseases of the stomack howe ill soeuer they be Capit. 11. Of diseases of the Liuer as obstruction Aposteme and the Dropsie ALl the diseases of the Liuer as stopping hardnesse apostemation and the Dropsie may all be cured with this excellent Medicine if so be the disease be not ioyned with a hote Ague for then it should not be profitable but verie hurtfull to vse it and therefore in such a case you must vse cooling Medicines vntill the Ague be cleane gone and then you shall giue him this drinke Take Agrimonie Liuerwort Cicorea Endiue Acetosa or Sorrell of each a handfull Lettice one ounce Mellon seede Gowrde seedes of each halfe an ounce Polipodij two ounces Agarici trociscati and Rhabarbari of each thrée drams this you shall séeth in a pynt of water the space of sixe houres in the aforesaid order then take it out and straine it through a cloth putting in so much Suger that it may be very swéet then put in a little good Wine Vineger Héereof you shall giue the Patient to drinke euerie morning sixe ounces vntil it be drunke out You shall not need to giue the Patient any other Purgation for this shall giue him euery day two or thrée stooles and more then that is not good for him by reason of the tendernes of the Liuer and vppon his Liuer you shall lay a cloth made wette in Agrimonie water and Cicorey water taking dilligent heede in keeping the said cloth alike warme and moist least the cold doo encrease the disease for cold is very hurtfull in Apostemations and therefore you must keepe the cloth alwaies warme when hee hath thus continued foureteene daies he shall then take the drink béeing made in this order Take of the Wood eyght ounces of water tenne pound Cicorey Endiue Agrimonie Cuscuta of each a handfull Reupontice Rubarbe of each an ounce this must be sodden as aforesaid close stopped and giue the Patient thereof euery morning and euening sixe ounces at a time continuing the same vntill he be cured But if he chaunce to be so harde bound that hee cannot goe to the stoole then you shall euerie ninth day giue him this Purgation Take Electuarij de succo rosarum halfe an ounce put therto Rhabarbari electi two drams make this in forme of a Potion with Agrimonie water and giue it him in the morning at foure of the clocke to drinke vsing such order therein as I haue prescribed in other Purgations But if his drinke doo purge him then you shall not néede any other Purgation for it dooth purge sufficiently in many Patients All this aforesaid is to be vnderstood of the Chollerick and the Sanguine complexions To cure the diseases of the Liuer in Phlegmatick and Mellancholike Patients FIrst you shall lay vppon the Liuer of the Patient Emplastrum de Melilote spread vpon white Lether which shall continue vpon it the spare of eyght dayes in the meane while he shall vse this drinke Take Maiden hayre Wormwood Betonie Agrimonie Cypres Fumiterre Red Coleworts of each a handfull Cuscuta Camomill flowres of each halfe a handfull Licoris two ounces Polipodij thrée ounces Senne leaues two ounces Agarici trociscati halfe an ounce wine one pound water one pound this must be sodden in a pot stopped very close as a foresaid make it sweet with Suger and giue the Patient thereof to drinke euery morning sixe ounces vntill it be drunke out Then giue him this drinke following taking away the aforesaide Plaister in the place wherof you must lay an Oxicrociū playster which shal there continue vntill such time as you perceiue the Patient to be cured The drinke is this take of the Wood one pound of water fiue pound and of Wine fiue pounde put thereto of Fumiterre Agrimonie Cypris of each one handfull Polipodij Senne leaues of each three ounces Rhabarbari halfe an ounce all this put together must be sodden as aforesaide giuing the Patient thereof to drinke euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time vntill he be cured the Patient shall not neede any other Purgation for the drink shal purge him sufficientlie his diet shall be young Hennes fleshe and such other things as are light of digestion and doo giue much nourishment and he shall also not eate much but shall be so spare in his diet that he shall rise frō his meales with great hunger which shall helpe greatlie in the curing of thys dysease This foresaid cure obserued in all points as is heere described shall not faile you for I haue had often experience thereof and haue alwaies had good successe but one thing I must warne you of that is if there be great heate in the Dropsie and that the disease doo originally spring of heate that then you take not in hand to cure it with this drinke of Lignum Guaiacum vnlesse he be before sufficientlie cooled because it will rather increase then diminish the disease obseruing the aforesaid order you cannot be deceiued for it is perfect in all the aforenamed diseases of
the Liuer Capit. 12. Of the diseases of the Mother as the superfluous issue of menstrums and to stay them and of barrennesse FIrst for those women that are of Chollericke and Sanguine cōplexion you shall giue them this drinke Take Fennell Betonie of each a handfull Polipodij Senne leaues of each three ounces this must be sodden as afore in a pynt of water giue the Patient thereof euery morning fiue ounces vntill it be drunke out then giue her thys drinke following Take of the Wood one pound Wine and Water of each sixe pounds this must be sodden very close stopped as aforesaid giuing the Patient thereof euery morning and euening sixe ounces at a time purging her euery ninth day with this Purgation Diacobicum turbit halfe an ounce Mirabolanorum Citrinorum et Indorum of each two dramnes this giue her with Fumiterre water dooing as is aforesaide the issue shall cease but if it doo lacke issue it shall heereby obtaine issue in due time for by this order of curing the Mother is wholly renewed by meanes whereof all her accidents doe cease And if by meanes héereof the secrete part be infected with any open sore or otherwise she shall with this said drinke wash the place often and shee shall in short space be cured perfectly both within and without Let this suffise for the Chollerick and the Sanguine To cure the diseases of the Mother in the Phlegmatick and Mellancholick women THese Patients must first be purged with this Purgation Diapheniconis halfe an ounce Mirabolanorum Kebulorum and Embelicorum of each two drams then you shal seeth her this drinke Take of the Wood a pound and a halfe of Water sixe pound of Wine fiue pound séeth this as afore sayde giuing the Patient thereof to drinke euery day morning and euening at the least sixe ounces at a time purging her euery ninth day with the aforesaid Purgation continuing this order the space of fortie dayes she shall vndoubtedly be cured and shall be more healthfull then euer shee was before Capit. 13. To cure the Cancer in any place of the bodie wheresoeuer THis lothsome and fearefull disease béeing once setled is not cured with any Medicine and therefore you must in time haue recourse to this excellent remedie for there haue manie beene cured by meanes of this which coulde not find helpe by any other The Patient must first be purged with thys drinke Take Houndes tongue called in Latine Cinoglossa and Agrimonie of each two handfuls Wine halfe a pound water one pound Polipodii Senne leaues of each one dram Agarici trociscati halfe an ounce Elebori nigri two drammes thys altogether shal be sodden as aforesayd and then make it sweete with Suger giue the Patient thereof to drinke euery morning sixe ounces vntill it bee drunke out then giue him this drinke following Take of the Wood halfe a pounde water tenne pounde Ciuoglossa and Agrimonie of each a handfull seeth thys as aforesaide and giue the Patient thereof to drinke euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time purging him euery nynth day vntill he be cured with Confectio Hamech halfe an ounce and if the Patient be strong of bodie you shall gyue him sixe drammes with Fumiterre water his meate that hée shall eate shall be sodden in such order as is aforesaide putting thereto Lettice and Buglosse and hee shall be sober in his diet but if it chaunce the Patient not to be cured in fortie daies yet he shall not leaue of the cure vntill such time as hee be whole for that this is the surest remedie that can be found against this lothsome disease and therefore I woulde wish you not to leaue it vntill you be perfectly cured To cure the Cancer in colde complexions FIrst you must purge the Patient with an ounce of Confectio Hamech mingled with Agrimonie water this shal be giuen him in such order as is vsed in other Purgations And then you shall giue him this drinke following Take of the wood a pound and a halfe Water and Wine of each fiue pound Agrimonie Cinoglossa of each a handfull this must be sodden as aforesaid béeing verie close stopped at the least tenne howres giuing the Patient therof euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time keeping him verie warme that he may sweat not forgetting to purge him euery ninth day with sixe drams of Confectio Hamech so dooing he shall by Gods helpe be cured although hée had had it ten yeeres Capit. 14. Of all other Vlcerations whether they come of the Pockes or otherwise ALl other Vlcerations whether they procéed of the Pockes or otherwise as Fistoles in the Mother and other open sores in the secrete parts both of man and woman which cannot with any other Medicine be healed and all open sores wheresoeuer also all paine and greefe in the armes and legges and all pushes or byles in any place of the bodie may altogether be cured with the drinke made of this excellent Wood aforesaid after this manner First you shal purge the Patient with Pillulae Iudae giuing him in the euening thrée houres after his supper foure scruples of the said Pilles in the night when he awaketh feeling great paine and rumbling in his bellie he shall prepare himselfe to the stoole and hauing begunne to purge he shall not sleepe vntill hee haue doone purging and that he féele no more griping or rumbling in his bellie and then he shall eate some good meat as Mutton or Veale which must be sodden as heeretofore I haue taught you then you shall giue him this drinke following Take of the Wood one pound water twelue pounde thys must be sodden as aforesaide giue the Patient thereof twise euery day eyght ounces at a time causing him to sweat wel for that dooth helpe very much in the curing of his disease and euery ninth day you shall purge him with the said Pils but in the euening when you giue him the Pilles you shall not suffer him to drinke but at his supper this order he must obserue fortie daies But if it come to passe as oftentimes it dooth that the Patient is sooner cured as sometimes in twentie or fiue and twentie daies yet I coūsaile you not to leaue of the cure vntill the fortie daies be expired that you may be the more assured that it shall not returne againe for oftentimes it seemeth to be cured when the roote remaineth still within which in the ende breaketh out againe and so is worse then at the first and therefore I counsaile you to continue the same fortie dayes that the roote beeing taken away you need not feare the returne of the disease For the Phlegmaticke and the Mellancholicke YOu shall purge the Patient with Pillulae cochiae and Pillulę Aggregatiuę of each two scruples this must bee giuen him in the euening vsing him in all respects as is said of the other then you shall giue him this drinke Take of the Wood a pound and a
for it is that which in the annointing performeth the action and without Mercurie there is nothing profitable in this disease ministred outwardlie but inwardlie there are manie noble remedies beside Quicksiluer which both in this and also in all other diseases are of great force so that the like hath not oft times been seene But because in this Booke we haue taken in hand to write onelie of the Pockes wee will therefore meddle with nothing but Mercurie In these two we will vse such dilligence that nothing shall be vnpossible for you to helpe in this disease if so be that you follow our counsaile Nowe to prepare your Mercurie that it may outwardlie be ministred without perrill to the Patient you shall take in Gods name of the earth wherin Mercurie groweth which is found in Dutch-land in the gold siluer Mines this earth is called in Dutch Berch ciuober of this earth you shal take the softest which is not yet hardened take twentie poundes thereof this you shall beate and put it into a Kettle poure fayre raine water thereto and let it seeth an howre long and the earth and the other filthinesse will seperate it selfe which you shall scumme off very cleane then that which remaineth in the Kettle you shall rub small and put it into a Cucurbit and sette it to distill vpon the fire with great heate according as I haue taught you in my Booke of Minerall distillations and you shall see a white iuyce arise like Milk And when you perceiue that it will drop no more then take that white iuyce and sette it alone to distill in Balneo marie and the moisture that is thereby will come alone and in the bottome of the Cucurbit there will remaine an Oyle as heauie in a manner as Quicke siluer the manner to distill by Balneo marie I haue shewed you sufficiently in my Booke of the distillation of Hearbes to which Booke I referre you for breuities sake The Oyle remaining in the bottome of the Cucurbit as afore said you shall take and vse to annoint withall as foloweth Take two ownces of the aforesaid Oyle and sixe ounces of Spike Oyle these you shall mingle together and warme them a little vpon the fire and therewith annoint the diseased parts of the Patient but those parts which are not diseased you shal not annoint therewith because it would doo more hurt then good for that there is no matter whereuppon they may worke and not finding other matter to worke vpon it would drie vppe the naturall moysture from those parts but the diseased parts you shall annoint as aforesaid in euery part or ioynt and if there be any holes or blaines you shall annoint those also in the euening when he goeth to bed and you shall couer him very warme that he may sweat and let him lye and sweat two houres long and he must not in any wise stirre himselfe because he may sweat the better the sayde time being expired you shall abate the clothes from of him and giue him warme cleane clothes that he may drie vp the sweate cleane in euery place and beeing well dryed take off his wette shirt and put him on a cleane shyrt well warmed then sette him by a good fire of Oken wood and dry his heade with warme clothes in the meane while make his bedde and lay on a payre of cleane sheetes well warmed then let him goe to bedde againe before it be colde but couer him not too warme but that he may sleepe quietly In the morning wheÌ„ he awaketh you shall vse as you did in the euening to witte with fire and drying and béeing well dryed of his sweat you shall apparrell him and let him washe his hands and his face in warme water and then let him eate his meat which shall be such as heere followeth First he shall eate no Swines flesh nor no salted fleshe no Hares Conies Harts nor other venison nor no Cowes flesh nor no pottage but broth made of good Mutton sodden with Borage and a fewe Beetes and with a good deale of Borâ—age other Pottage he shall eate none he shal eate good Mutton Hennes Partriges and all manner of wild foule excepting all water foules and all that seeke their liuing or swimme in the water for that their fleshe is ill to digest for a sicke man ingendering naughtie and mellancholie blood hee may also eate good young Beefe beeing newlie killed and not long salted but he must not eate much of it because it is hard of digestion for a weake stomack but of all other there is nothing better for such a Patient then good young Kiddes flesh that yet sucketh his damme with good Partriges and good young Hennes he shall not refuse to eate for that of all other meates they are best hee shall abstaine from Pepper and Ginger but in his meate he may vse Cinamon Cloues and such like also Nutmegges and Saffron he shall also abstaine from Onions Garlike Skallions and such like eyther rawe or sodden because they vexe the blood and inflame and dry vp the Liuer His drinke shall be good Renish wine tempered with water sodden with Annis seedes Barlie and Masticke of each as much as a Chestnut of this water hée shall take one part and of Wine two parts and hée shall drinke thereof vntill he be cured he shall keepe himselfe verie warme and out of the ayre within the house he shal kéepe the windowes and the doores shut this order he shall in all respects keepe with annointing sweating and diet vntil he be perfectly cured for if he do as is aforesaid he shal vndoubtedly by Gods helpe be cured although hee had it twentie yéeres if so be he haue not béen spoiled with other Medicines before Cap. 3. Of fumegation or smoking with correction of the abuse vsed therein THere is yet another way of curing the Pocks found out by practitioners for when they perceiued that of force they must vse Quicke siluer they tooke and killed it with Brimstone making Cinober thereof because it should not be knowne to be Quicke siluer for the common people perceiuing so manie to be spoiled and killed with Quicke siluer woulde not willinglie be cured therewith therefore because they might the better vse it without gainesaying of the Patient therefore they brought it into another forme vsing it also after another manner without any annointing because annointing was become odious to the Patient therfore they found out a deuice to perfume or smoke the Patient with the smoke of Cinober or Vermelion and so to cure him for they knew Quick siluer to be so subtill or piercing that they wold enforce it into the bodie at anie place through the pores or sweat holes And therfore they set the Patient vnder a Tent or Canopie naked with a Chafingdish of coales between his legges wherin they strowed the Cinober stopping him close round about the Patient then beginning to sweat the Mercurie with his whole substaunce creepeth into him in
a time and you shall vse this manner of fumigation euerie night when the Patient goeth to bedde and let him sweat euery time in such order as is afore shewed in the Chapter of annointing vsing him in al points as is there specified to wit in sweating in drying c. In this order you may fumigate or smoke without any danger if you take héed that the Mercurie doe not ascend so that you shall not onelie auoide all perrill in your curing but shall also purchase to your selues praise and thankes whensoeuer you shall vse it Thus much of fumigation with the correction of the abuses therein vsed now concerning washing Capit. 4. Of vvashing vvith water THere is yet another peece of cunning deuised by the subtill Pock-maisters which perceiued that they coulde not longer vse their Mercurie without hurt or shame and also without thanke of the Patient for the Patients perceiuing the great perils that ensued by the annointing how manie were therby spoyled woulde not anie longer trust their annointing and so fared it also with their fumigation for when they sawe the numbers that thereby were killed they feared and woulde not anie longer be smoked whereuppon the Pock-Maisters were enforced to prepare their Mercurie after another order that hee might be more secret and vnknowne that they might yet vse him for they wist wel that without him there was no cure to be wrought for as yet Guaicum was vnknowne therefore they tooke sublimated Mercurie and sodde it in Aqua vitae and wyth the said Aqua vitae they washed the Patient which is a verie subtill and forcible manner of curing and very perrilous which manner of curing I doo counsaile all men to leaue vndoone But in this manner following you shall not onely auoide all daunger but shall also haue good successe in your workes which if for the great labour and charge which is required in the preparing of your Mercurie you will not follow I would wish you to leaue washing for of all manners of curing there is none the like for force and daunger therefore if you wil not otherwise correct your Mercurie it is not lawfull for you to cure any man by washing for that they which are this way cured are in greater daunger then one man which dooth fight against two other for life and death But if you will prepare your Mercurie as heereafter shal be shewed you shall not onelie eschew all daunger which otherwise may happen but shall also performe as much as shal be requisite to the curing of this disease as much as hath béen hetherto performed by anie man wherefore flie sloth and vse diligence in preparing your Mercurie whereby you shal not onely obtaine your desire in curing the disease without feare and danger but also with great credite to your selfe and profit to the Patients In this washing besides this afore written there is yet another abuse that is that they haue washed all the partes of the body as well those that were sounde as those that were diseased then the which they could not haue coÌ„mitted a greater ouersight for by that means they haue brought the sound parts into a worse case then the diseased for Mercurie vsed in such sort is in the operation as hote as fire so that in those partes wherein there is no corrupt matter to bee dryed out there he goeth to worke and drieth out all the good and naturall moisture and thereby spoyleth the whole member Therefore aboue all things you must take heede that you doe not wash the whole parts but onely those that are diseased for the diseased parts haue matter wherein the Mercurie may worke and which is needfull to be dryed out Nowe I will shewe you howe to prepare and to vse your Mercurie but first I will shewe you those simples wherewith these Masters vse to washe which are these Mercurius sublimatus Auri pigmentum Arsenicun Cerusa Camphier Aqua vitae These thinges if I shoulde minister in this sorte crudlie without other correction I thinke I shoulde kill all the Patients that I shoulde take in hande For by reason of the strength of the Aqua vitae the Mercurie becommeth so subtil and so fierie that it is a great wonder that they die not all that are taken in hand to be cured in this order For of all other this manner of curing is most daungerous for the Mercurie by his subtiltie and by meanes of the heate of the Aqua vitae doth performe his operation in the inward parts of the Patient with such force as manie sicke Patients haue better felt then I can describe and though this be most true yet there are some the vse it dailie as though it were good but I say that it is a secrete kinde of poyson which though it be but outwardlie applied doth yet not withstanding with great force performe his worke inwardly in the bodie for it inflameth and stirreth vppe the bloode in such sort that the Patient oftentimes falleth a bleeding bléeding themselues to death others are like to be choked so forciblie draweth this venime to the hart but peradueÌ„ture some will defend his dooings herein and say I haue holpen many therewith but I would faine heare the Patient himselfe report it yet nouerthelesse I doe thinke well that some one amongst a hundred may be cured by this meanes but I conne them no thanke therefore but rather nature which herselfe healed the disease and resisted the storme but howe manie haue they spoiled and holpen vnder the grounde before they haue cured one verilie a great number I am certaine but to auoide such a daunger and to attaine credit in this arte doo as is aforesaid leaue off your washing or els prepare your Mercurie as followeth The correction of this washing with Mercurie Take Mercurie which is sublimed by himselfe without any addition as I will teache you in the fore alledged Booke the same you shall sublime yet foure times with coÌ„mon prepared Salt then you shall poure vpon the said Mercurie good rectified Aqua vitae as I haue taught you to rectefie it in my booke of Distillations This Aqua vitae you shall set on fire with a little Paper and let it burne till it be consumed then pouré on more and doo likewise dooing it so often vntill the Mercurie doo cease to bite or eate vppon the tongue then seeth the Mercurie in Persicâ—â—ie water or in Celendine water halfe an houre long then let it be colde and poure of the water that the Mercurie be not vsed with his bodie but that his spirit his strength may come foorth and be coupled to the disease for in the spirit of the Mercurie is the vertue to cure the disease and in the bodie of it is the force to kill and spoile the Patient Therefore it is the greatest ouersight that may be to take Mercurie and to seeth it in Aqua vitae and therewith to washe the Patient for by that meanes it entereth