a friend intreated him If he was innocent that he would free him for his own sake but if he was guilty that he would yet free him for his sake but however he must free him If Vinegar be simple and uncompounded take it for its own 〈◊〉 mixed with other Antidotes take it for 〈◊〉 but however take Vinegar Pliny finds fault with Physitians 〈◊〉 his time for not knowing its excellent vertue Vinegar being contrary to most other liquors in distillation may well have something more than ordinary in operation The Spirits of Wine and Beer and other liquors presently exhale and flie away and have nothing but flegme but when Vinegar is distill'd the flegme rises first and the Spirits stay behind Now as Galen saith of Poysons the hundredth part of a Cantharides doth not hurt nor one spark of fire burn to any purpose so it is in Cordials too little will do little good there must be a considerable quantity and sufficient dose you cannot in reason think one spoonful of Vinegar enough to quench such a heat as the Plague brings 'T is for the vertue of Vinegar that I wrote this Book I would be loath to present you a Glo-worm instead of a Diamond or put a Bulrush instead of a Spear into your hand when you are to fight with such an Enemy Imagine well and think highly of this Medicine I value my own life as much as another man doth his I had rather take Vinegar by it self than many other nay then any other single medicine without it Despise it not because 't is easie to be had neither let it be contemn'd because familiar It is the more excellent because common the more precious because cheap the vertues of it so many they will hardly be believed and therefore the greater because incredible But because the pestilent venome hath a power to corrupt putrifie and inflame the humours and oftentimes the Sicknesse is accompanied with a Fever which sometimes may be almost as dangerous as the Plague there must be care taken thereof so that as you may not by too cold things strike in the Plague so by too hot you may not exasperate the Fever but have respect to both for which purpose you may take cordial and cooling Juleps made of distill'd waters of Sorrel Endive Cichory Borage Bugloss Meadow sweet Angelica Dragons Dandelyon Betony Scabius Balme Fumitory to which you may put as much oyl of Brimstone or Vitriol as will make it very sharp to your taste and to every quart thereof about half a dram of Lapi◠Prunella or Sal Niter or Sal Peter and afterwards sweeten it with any Cordial Syrups as of Gilly-flowers Citrons Lemons Violets adding to it if you please Alchermes and when you are hot and dry you may drink as much as you please and as often as you will As thus Take of Meadowsweet and Cichory water of each one pint of Borage and Buglosse water half a pint of Dragon and Angelica water of each four ounces put to it as much Oyl of Vitriol as will make it very sharp then adde to it a dram of Lapis Prunella powdered Syrup of Gilly-flowers four ounces Alchermes two drams and drink as much and as often as you please Or else you may make the Tincture of Roses thus Boil four quarts of Spring-water then let it cool till it be but about scalding hot then put it into a glased earthen pot and put to it two good handfuls or two ounces of dried Red-Rose leaves and stir them in the water that they may be all wet then put to them one Silver spoonful of Oil of Brimstone or Oil of Vitriol or as much as will make the liquor very sharp stir it all about and presently the Roses and the liquor will be of a delicate red colour then let it stand covered about four hours then strain it gently without squeezing into an earthen pan and sweeten it with a pound or two of Loaf-Sugar more or lesse as you please and with more Oil of Vitriol make it very sharp for your taste and keep it in Glass-bottles and when you are hot and dry drink as much as you please and if you list you may put any Cordial Syrup to it as Gilly-flowers juice of Citron Lemons Poppies or the like Or else you may take some spring-Spring-water and put it fresh into a Glass and drop some Oil of Vitriol or Brimstone into it to make it sharp and sweeten it with Sugar and drink it both as a Preservative against a Fever or the Plague and as a Medicine and Julep in time of Sicknesse and let me tell you that plain spring-Spring-water and Oil of Vitriol or Brimstone is a better Julep in the Plague Pestilent Malignant and other burning Fever than almost any other distill'd water without it Note that it is a vain and scrupulous error to take when you are dry and burning hot but two or three spoonfuls of Julep at a time I never denied my Patients drink in the heat of a Fever but let them drink Julep as much as they please for a little Julep doth but little good and rather encreaseth the heat as the powring of a little Water on a Smiths fire doth make it flame the more and burn the hotter whereas a great deal doth quite extinguish it and put it out And because this Oil of Vitriol is so excellent and useful a remedy mixt with water in this and all hot Diseases I should advise every ingenuous person that lives in the Country never to be without it These Oils you must understand cannot be taken by themselves but with spring or distilled waters and you must be careful of spilling any drop on your cloths for then it will fret and make a hole in them Now if you refuse to meddle with them for fear of receiving any hurt you may as well do so by fire which you must not sit by least a spark light on your apron neither must men take Tobacco for fear of burning their faces And yet I must tell you that 't is better to have a spot on your gown or a hole in your cloths which the negligent slabbering of it may occasion than a Purple in your Skin or a Botch or Carbuncle in your Flesh which the discreet taking of it will hinder I have heard of a Norwegian that coming out of his frozen Country into the South parts of the World saw some Damask Roses growing in a Garden and said Well may the weather be so hot when fire grows upon the Trees at which the hearers fell a-laughing and told him they were most sweet and fragrant flowers as pleasing to the smell as delightful to the eye and gather'd him one and bid him smell to it but he refus'd neither would he take it into his hands for fear of burning his fingers nor smell to it least he should fire his beard or singe his furr'd cap. To perswade you not to fear but use this Oil of Vitriol let me
perswade them to the submitting thereto and have not in my Practise been unfortunate therein but have seen Diseases that have been exasperated by other Medicines beyond expectation cured thereby and do think it most commonly so excellent a remedy that many Patients admitting thereof would much shorten the time and lessen the cost and trouble of their Sickness and not stand-in need of one quarter of those Medicines and Antidotes those Preparatives and Corroboratives those Infusions and Decoctions those Pills and Potions Purges and Vomits Cordials and Bolus Juleps and Emulsions Extracts and Juices Waters and Spirits Salts and Oils Syrups and Conserves Electuaries and Powders Plaisters and Ointments Blisters and Glisters they are made to take and though there be many Medicines that will purge Flegme Choler and Melancholy yet none are yet known that will safely purge bloud or lessen it yet I cannot in this case of Preservation from the Pestilence advise any one to open a Vein but rather disswade them from it And because it may take better from another of more authority than my self I have gotten Iacob Sylvius in his Book of the Blague to deliver his opinion in plain English As for Blood-letting saith he it is no way profitable for the preventing of this Disease because the bloud being diminished the body is made more open and lyable to external injuries and the strength decayes by the loss of blood the food and treasure of life Of the same mind also is the most excellent Physitian Sennertus who though in the cure of most other Diseases he begins with Phlebotomy yet in this forbids it and the most learned Riverius is of opinion that bleeding causeth one to be infected the more easily as also to escape the more hardly it being in this venemous Disease as in those that have taken poyson who by bleeding draw the poyson inward and very difficulty are recovered and therefore upon the very suspition of being poyson'd most skilful Physitians abstain from letting blood Nevertheless they conclude that if there be any notable fulness of blood or necessary evacuation suppressed a vein may be opened upon 〈◊〉 account and then very sparingly but not in reference to the Pestilence And as to the present time of the year Galen forbids to let bloud in a hot and dry season of the Air. Of Purging and Vomiting Although as Hyppocrates saith in his Aphorismes That Those which are of sound and perfect health do quickly faint and grievously endure a purging 〈…〉 nor superfluous humor to draw out and work upon doth first dissipate the Spirits and then dissolves those parts of the body which are humid and moist and afterwards corrupts those which are solid and although as Crato saith there be no purging or vomiting Medicines which are primarily and directly opposite to the venom of the Plague yet because foul bodies are more subject to Infection than those which are pure and clean and the humours they abound with may disturb Nature and interpose themselves and take off and dull the Operation of any Cordials or Antidotes and being agitated by the Disease might flow and settle to some noble part and bring the party into a most grievous Fever Frenzy or some other Inflamation whereby he may be endangered as much as by the Plague There have been several purging medicines directed by Physitians and I shall prescribe these The Pills of Ruffus otherwise called the Common or Pestilential Pills are very excellent you may take of them once or twice a week when you go to bed the dose of them is half a dram for an ordinary constitution or a whole dram for a strong man You may have them at any Apothecaries or else make such like yourself Take fine Aloes two ounces fine Myrrhe one ounce English Saffron half an ounce make them into powder and with Venice Turpentine make them into pills and take half a dram or a whole dram as aforesaid The Aloes clears the Stomach from bad humors and the belly from worms the Myrrhe preserves the body from Putrefaction the Saffron cheers the Spirits and the Turpentine is good against the Pestilence Or else take this Dissolve an ounce and a half of Manna in six ounces or a little draught of spring water and one spoonful of vinegar warmed together on the fire then strain it and take an ounce of Venice Turpentine and put to it the yolke of a new laid egge and stir it about and mixe it and it will look like cream then by little and little put to it the liquor being first quite cold wherein the Manna was dissolved and stir it about and drink it up and keep warm ordering your self as is usual in other purges or vomits when it works upwards you may take posset drink and downwards broth If it had a pleasant taste those that know the vertue of it would never take any other medicine It is strong enough for any of the strongest constitution and for those that are weaker six drams or half an ounce of Turpentine is dose enough Women with child may use this Infuse a dram of Rubarb slieed six hours in six ounces or a little draught of Endive or succory-Succory-water or spring-Spring-water then strain it and put to the liquor one ounce or else two ounces of Manna and dissolve it over the fire and strain it and drink it up Children may take an ounce or two ounces or half an ounce of Manna dissolved in Succory of Endive-water or in Spring-water or Barly-water or Broth or Posset-drink But beware of strong purges and vomits which will sooner bring the Plague upon you than preserve you against it especially at this time when it is more probable that the Sickness is occasioned by the Corruption of the air than by the putrefaction of humors there having been no scarcity of provision whereby the poorer sort might have been necessitated to feed on unwholsome diet and therefore no necessity of taking any purging Physick I remember about four years since many were sick of a malignant Fever and the discontented party did attribute the cause to the keeping of Lent and eating of Fish what would they have said now if Lent had been strictly observed Of Sweating As purging vomiting and bleeding do draw in the humors and vapours from the circumference and outside of the body to the center and inside of the heart so medicines that cause Sweat expel them from the heart to the outside of the body and rarifie those humours into light and thin vapours which turn into a watery sweat as soon as they come out of the skin into the air and thereby drive out those humors and vapours which breed the Pestilence For which purpose it would not be inconvenient to take one or two drams of London or Venice-Treacle or of Mithridate or Diascordium or Confection of Iacynth according to the age or strength of the party or one dram of Electuary de Ov◠in White-wine Vinegar or a draught of Posset-drink made of
noisom smell which spreads it self over all the room Now in this case you must be as careful as you can to avoid the parties breath and some Physitians advise to put a piece of hot bread before his mouth to receive the Infection and afterwards be sure to burn it Some counsel to put a pail or two of hot water in the Chamber Some also put in a handful of green Copperas in the water and afterwards throw in three or four hot burning bricks But in the mean time you must be sure to take Antidotes Vinegar either simple or compound as you were before directed against the infectious Air. Also for your preservation this Antidote is very excellent Take Diascordium two ounces Venice Treacle three drams Confection of Iacynth two drams Nutmeg Seeds of Rew Root of Angelica Zedoary and Elicampane of each two drams powdered Vinegar two ounces Oil of Sulphur twenty four drops Syrup of the Juice of Citron or Gilly-flowers enough to make it into a moist Electury and very often or six or eight times a day take of it as much as a pease and let it dissolve in your mouth and swallow it down Or else use the tincture of Roses hereafter mentioned Or if you are hot and drie and have a desire to drink you may take as much Conduit or spring-Spring-water as you please and drop into it as many drops of Oyl of Sulphur or Oyl of Vitriol or Spirit of Vitriol as will make it as sharp as you desire to drink it and the sharper it is the better then sweeten it with Sugar and drink it up You will find the excellent vertues of Vitriol in the directions how to make Tincture of Roses If sometimes you cannot be without strong waters you may drink Aqua Petasitis Composita or Angelica or Imperial-water or Aqua Mirabilis or Treacle-water at the Apothecaries or some of that water that goes by the Name of the Lady Allens Water If you must needs have Wine you may put to a quart of Wine a dram of Angelica root or of Contrayerva root or Virginia Snakeweed and one Nutmeg bruised You may sometimes eat this breakfast sprinkle Vinegar on toasted bread then spread it with butter and put on it the powder of a Nutmeg and eat it fasting Or else this Toast a Nutmeg till it sweat then powder it and put to it as much salt as you would eat with one bit of meat and mixe it with two spoonfulls of Vinegar and eat it Or else this Take twenty leaves of Rew one grain of Salt two Figgs and two Walnuts eat these sometimes in a morning fasting Wallnuts have a strange vertue against the Plague and Worms and Droetus tells of one that was executed for spreading of the Plague that confest he took nothing to preserve himself but a Wallnut roasted and a little burnt Women with-child may eat Angelica stalks candied or Citron peel candied or preserved or drink a little Zedoary and Nutmeg with Sugar in a Glasse of Wine Beer or Ale If there be any infants that can take nothing wash their bodies all over with Vinegar at Night when they go to Bed once or twice a week you may do so to elder children and use it your self If you have neglected to make an Issue you must lay one or two blistering plaisters broader than a five shilling piece to the in-side of one of your arms between the Elbow and Shoulder and when it hath raised a great Blister which will be in about twelve hours you may take it off and lay on the place some Melilot plaister or else a Plantain or Colewort Leaf and change it twice a day and when that Blister is heal'd begin to make another in the other arm or thigh and keep one sore all the while you fear the Infection You may have plaisters at the Apothecaries or else make one your self thus Take six Spanish Flies shread them very small and mixe them with a little Mustard and Wheat Flowre or Dough or Leaven moistened with a little Vinegar spread it on leather and apply it Let care be taken how Bread is brought home from the Bakers because it will draw to it any infection and therefore you may do well to cover it with a cloth and put on that cloth another wet in Vinegar Be careful that your victuals stand not neer the infected and if you want room cover it with a cloth wet in Vinegar Again remember what I told you of Socrates to be very spare and moderate in your Diet discreet Abstinence is as good a Medicine as can be bought at the Apothecaries Of Preservation from the Plague when it may be caused by Fear and Imagination The learned Galenists in the method of their Cure teach that Diseases are to be help'd by contraries Drowth is cured by Moisture Heat with Coolers Consumptions with Restoratives Poysons with Antidotes so Fear must be cured by its contrary Hope The Industrious Chymists in their undertakings observe some resemblance and agreement between the Agent and Patient the Disease and the Remedy Aqua Fortis will melt Silver but not Brimstone Myrrhe and Frankincense will not dissolve in water so will Gum Dragon and Arabick because they are of a watery Nature Sulphureous Diseases must be removed with Sulphur Medicines Salt Diseases dissolv'd with Salts Mercurial Maladies with Mercurial Remedies Tartareous pains eas'd with Tartar and the Stone is best cured with Stones such as are Lapis Lincis Spongiae Iudaicus c. so Imagination must be cured with Imagination one Fancy by another and Conceit is the best Receit for an Opinion Thus Trallianus tells of one that imagined he had a Snake in his Belly who was cured by conveying a Snake into the Bason when his vomit wrought Another thought he had Sparrows in his Head and was cur'd by one that brought some in his sleeve who fumbling about his Ears made him believe he took them out from thence One fancied that he had so big a Nose that he could not go abroad for fear of peoples treading on it in the Streets and was cured by a Physitian who coming to the Chamber Door seem'd to be stopt for making further entrance and being askt why he came not in desired the Patient to put aside his Nose that he might get by it without treading on it the Patient did so with his hand the Doctor gravely enters by the wall and seem'd very careful of his staffe and steps the Patient is well pleased at the Doctors plain dealing with him in acknowledging he had that Disease which his Friends and Family did deny and said He was sure he was the man that of all others must do the Cure and desires his help The Doctor scarifies his Nose and let 's run upon and from it a great quantity of bloud that he had brought with him enclosed in an empty gut and clapt a plaister to it and in a few dayes he grew well Imagination directs and moves the spirits and