Harts-horne j. dram Citron pill Rootes of Angelica and Tormentill Rhubarb and Coralline of each halfe a dram Make these into fine Powder and giue it as is said in a little Carduus water sweetned with some sugar Thus much for Preservation in Health But if there be Suspicion of Infection you must then looke about for a new course In which case generally I condemne both Purging and Bleeding for I know no vse of them in resisting or expelling the Venom which is no other way effected but by Sweating and Running of the Soares Yet I confesse Phlebotomie hath his vse in Sanguine and Strong bodies so it be at the very first while the Spirits are strong and able of themselues to make good resistance But if that first opportunitie be let slip I thinke it better to let it alone altogether then to doe it out of season and so to impaire naturall strength which in this case ought most especially to be preserved and augmented Againe though Sweating be the true way yet it must not be violent for that also weakens the Spirits and makes the body faint therefore those Sweating Medicines must be mixed with Cordialls As for example Take Mithridate or London Triacle one dram Myrrh Enula Campane root and Butter burre roote of each ten graines Mixe these in a quarter of a Pint of Posset-ale and white Wine mixed together to which you may adde some sugar to make the taste somthing gratefull Goe into your warme bed then drinke this draught prescribed and cover you with a reasonable weight of cloths and so sweat two or three houres or somewhat more as your strength will beare But take heed you sleepe not in this while Then by degrees let the clothes be taken away first one and then another when you haue sweat sufficiently or as much as you can endure And let some one with warme Napkins wipe you drie and shift your linnen being very carefull of taking cold Then presently take this Iulep Take of Carduus water three ounces Syrup of Lemons one ounce Bole armoniake Tormentill Angelica roote of each one scruple Mixe all together and drinke it off Doe this once in twelue houres if you finde strength to beare it till you haue performed it at the least three times and at the second and third times before you beginne to sweat binde vnder either arme-hole and to eyther groyne some thin slices of Radish roots beaten with a little bay-salt and sprinckled with a little Vineager and Rose-water wrap them vp in foure little thin rags and apply them Also apply to the region of the heart that Quilt which I haue prescribed in stead of an Amulet When this is done and the Soares beginne to shew themselues follow the advise of those that are appointed to that purpose For I must not enter into the infected house Therefore farewell And the LORD in Mercie looke vpon this afflicted CITTIE FINIS IF any be pleased to vse my Antidotes I haue two Powders one is for daily vse called Pulvis Pestilentialis the other in case of speciall danger called Pulvis Vitalis I haue also an excellent Electuarie which I call Antiloimon for his singular vertue against the Plague I haue likewise Lozenges and Trochisks to hold in the mouth and rich Pomanders to smell too They were all of my Grand-fathers invention and haue beene proved to be admirably effectuall both by his and my Fathers experience I confesse they are costly but slight meanes and cheape Medicines how ever they promise proue as deare as death For we see by woefull observation that the Plague will not be repelled but by imperious encounters I could relate very true and admirable stories of the effects of those three Medicines aboue mentioned but I will begge no mans beliefe Whosoever knows any thing of the name of Iohn Banister must needs haue heard of many famous Medicines by him invented The first Powder is 12. pence a dram his quantitie to be taken at once is halfe a dram The second is 3. pence a graine the quantitie is 10. or 12. graines The Electuarie is 2. shillings 6 pence an ounce the quantitie is one or two drams Because many men know that I haue a whole volume of excellent Receipts left me both by my Grandfather and my Father and lest they should censure me as too strict and covetous in keeping all secret to my selfe I haue thought fit for the common good to divulge this excellent Antidote following Electuarium De Ovo Stephani Bradwelli Rs. vitelli ovi vnius Croci pulveriz scrup ij Conterantur simul donec in Pultiformam rediguntur Postea imponantur in alia testa vacua cum exiguo foramine in capite facto benè obturetur et lento igne donec testa nigrescit assetur Dein exempta materia exiecetur subtilissime pulverizetur Cui Adde rad tormentillae zedoariae Angelicae Valerianae Dictamni Aristolochiae rotunda ana vnc j. ss Myrrhae scrup iiij Baccarum lauri Baccarum Iuniperi and drach ss Corticis citri scrup ij ss sem citri sem cardui Benedicti ligni aloës ana scrup ij Cornu Cervini Boli armeni ana drach j. ss Moschi gr x. Pulveriz omnia subtiliss Adde etiam Conservae florum Calendulae vnc ij Theriacae Lond. vnc j. Cum aqua Cardui et sacchari q. s fiat Electuarium s ae THere is a Fellow in Distaffe Lane that disperseth Bills abroad bragging of a Medicine that was my Grandfather Banisters thinking vpon the fame of his name to get both glory and gaine to himselfe But let me warne all men to take heed of such impudent lyers My Grand-father was very scrupulous of giving any speciall Receipts to others But if any man can say he hath any Receipt of his I am sure if it were of any value I haue the Coppie of it But I professe vpon the word and credit of an honest man that among all his Receipts he hath not prescribed one Preservatiue Drinke for the Plague And besides his judgement ever was that the best forme of an Antidote was either Powder Pill or Electuarie Therefore this Drinke that he talkes of was either none of my Grandfathers or els some very slight thing by him little esteemed I cannot beare it that any should abuse the Kings people with sophisticate Medicines and lay the imputation vpon so famous and so all beloved a Man as Master Iohn Banister was Li. de Probitate Medici boni ad tempus appositi sunt ad occasionem eripiendum accōmodati Proëmium The Name The Causes The Qualities The Symptoms and Signes The Name The first and principall cause is God The way of Cure The influence of the Starres the second cause The cure of this Cause is the same with the former The Corruption of the Aire the third cause The Aire is corrupted by the windes and weather What Constitutiō of the Aire is most Contagious The necessitie of the Aire The Cure of this Cause Flight Citò Cede
dewe rayne c. And in vnholsome places such as haue bene reckoned already as also in drawing into the Body too much of such Aire as is Pestilent and contagious To cure this point of Diet we must proceede in purging the Aire and hauing done with the generall let vs now goe to purifie the Speciall and first of all that which is inclosed within the House Let every roome be kept continually very cleane leaue no sluttish corners let no water stand in any vessell so long as to putrifie which in a corrupt Aire especially in hot weather it will soone doe Cleanse all your vessels often wash those roomes that are in continuall vse both floores and wainscoting every morning and those which are able wash the Windowes Tables Cupboards Stooles Benches and all wainscotings in summer with rose-water and vineger and in winter with the Decoction of Rew Worme wood Balme c. And after these are washed wipe them allwayes drie againe for as I said before of slabbering the streets so much more vnholsome is it to leaue the roomes of the house wet hauing wiped them as drie as you can aire them also presently with fire A pan of fire set on the floore in the midst of the roome is the best quickest way of aireing it In the meane time let the windows and doores be shut But obserue this Enter not into the roome at least to tarry till it be aired and the fier taken away because then the heat and moysture are buisily working together which for the time of working till the heat haue prevailed is vnholsome And if you must needs goe in during that time make hast out againe and set the doore wide open while you tarrie for such vapours kept close haue suddenly depriued some of life before they haue felt themselues offended as Skenckius in his observ li. 2. De Partibus vitalibus observ xix proveth by diuerse examples And I could name some also of mine owne knowledge if need were Moreover while these roomes are thus aireing you may cast into these fiers in Cold weather Iuniper both the wood and the berries Pitch Turpentine Franckencense Storax Beniamin Oken-leaues Bay leaues c. Also at such a season you may strew your windows shelues ledges with Balme Mints Lavender Worme-wood Rew and such like warming smells And if the heat of them offend steep them in Vineager six houres and then strew them as before In hot weather Take a tile or a fier-shovell heated hot and poure into it an equall quantitie of whitewine vineager and Rose-water wherein a little camphor hath been dissolued with this perfume the roomes At such a time likewise strew the roomes with Primroses Rose-leaues Violets or some such coole or temperate smelling hearbs as the season will afford In temperate weather Rosemary and Bay-leaues in Rosewater heated in a perfuming pot is very sufficient Or take Pitch Tarre Turpentine Rosin of each a like quantitie melt them together on the fier and to every pound put in a pinte of vineager Boyle them to the consumption of the vineager Burne some of this daily at all seasons and in all weathers And if you adde to it the wood of Iuniper made into powder It will bee excellent If any vault or vnsauory sincke be so neere as to offend any roome of the house Aire that roome most and vse it least The other kinde of Speciall Aire is sayd to be that which is immediatly next to the person of every one This is to be purged Foure wayes 1. By things held in the mouth 2. By odours held to the nose 3. By Apparell 4. By Amulets For the first Of things held in the mouth some be Simple and some Compound Simple are Cloues Citron pills Roots of Tormentill Angelica Zedoarie and such like Compound are such as these following Take of London Triacle halfe an ounce mix it with the muscilage of Gumm Dragagant Rose water and a little sugar So make it vp into Rowles or Lozenges hold one in your mouth and let it dissolue therein all the while you are neare any place or person suspected to be infected You may also hold Mithridate in your mouth if the heat offend you not But a peece of a Citron pill alone is best of all in sommer And in winter a slice of Angelica roote Likewise generally at all seasons Iuniper berres steeped all night in whit-wine Vineager Or Cloues steeped in Rose vineager And in like manner may you steep slices of the Roots of Angelica Enulacampane Zedoarie Tormentill c. In Rose-water and vineager for they are too hot of themselues And for those that haue cold stomachs greene Ginger is exceeding good Secondly Odours that are to be carryed in the hand and held to the nose are also Simple and Compound Simple are Balme Mints Rue Worm-wood Penniroyall Myrtles Lauender c. But these hot hearbs are not fit for any but cold and flegmaticke complexions to vse them Simply and alone And it is a strange thing to see how all sorts of people play the fooles with their owne noses all carrying Worm-wood and thrusting it vp into their nostrills Wherein ten doe themselues iniurie for one that doth good For though they perceiue not the danger presently yet it must needs inflame their braine which being over heat will send downe such iuices to the heart as shall inflame that also and so bring them into a burning Feauor which is the high way to that Sicknes they most desire to shunne For the Brayne is the continuall spring that cooles the heart which office if it performe not the heart will soone over heat it selfe how much more will it be over heat then when that which should temper it bringeth distemper to it But people will be so skilfull that they thinke they need aske no counsell in these matters but like a flocke of sheep leap one after another they neither know whether nor wherefore It is good therefore to take the iuices of such hearbs as these and mix them with rose-Rose-water and vineager and so carrie a sponge or handkercheif dipped therein And obserue this Allwayes mix cold smells with hot and even for cold constitutions also Let the cold odours be most praedominat for the greatest danger is in over-heating For hot things though they purge the Aire yet they inflame the Bloud and humors Therefore temper them according to the constitution of the body and weather Let them likewise be something Sweet For vnsauory smells doe dissolue the Spirits and weaken the faculties It is a sure rule that those things which nature abhoreth will alwayes hurt her but neuer help her except it be to euacuate in some case of repletion only Now for Compound Odours Take of London Triacle halfe an ounce Vineager an ounce rose-Rose-water two ounces Mixe them together till the Triacle be well dissolued Then dip a peece of a Sponge in this liquor and carry it in some little box peirced full of holes to smell through Or Take liquid Storax wash it well in Wine-vineager and rose-Rosewater wherein
a man would wonder how it could so suddainly be done being as if one did burne a hole with a hot iron And it is strange to see that so small a tumor should be so devilish and dangerous to life for if it be not with great care and exceeding good meanes attended it bringeth speedy death But moreover obserue this Somtimes as I said before a man dies of the Plague when neither before nor after he is dead there appeareth any Tokens or Blayne Botch or Carbuncle And yet there will be a signe which few haue observed My Grand father who was a famous man and of great experience hath taught it me and my Father a Physitian of aboue fortie yeares practise and experience hath confirmed it vnto me That is that after such a body is dead in one place or other the flesh will grow softer then the rest and the whole body will also grow softer softer and the longer the body lies the softer will be the flesh Which shews the vilenesse of the putrefaction within Heurnius mentions this also among his signes in his booke De Peste and addeth also these That in a Body dead of the Plague The nose lookes very blew or blackish blow as if it had beene beaten or bruised The like colour is in the eares and nayles and ever worse coloured then other dead bodies vse to be Thus haue I displayed those Signes which are least fayling that the Searchers may rightly informed themselues and not mistake as many haue done calling the purple spots of the Pestilent Feavor Gods Tokens And somtimes letting Bodies passe as not dead of the Plague because they had neither Tokens Botch nor Carbuncle I haue done it also to teach people how they may know when they are stricken with this infection that they may presently haue recourse to some skilfull man and good meanes to recover them before it be too late An houre is a precious space of time and cannot be let slip but with hazard And having thus shewed you what this dreadfull Sicknesse is what are the Causes Qualities and Signes of it Before I leaue you I will leaue with you a short generall direction to keepe your body safe from infection and also if you feele suspicious signes of being taken how to begin to driue the venome from the heart till such time as you may haue some more speciall meanes particularly fitting your present constitution and state of body by the counsell of some skilfull Physitian While Health continueth It is necessary that twise in the weeke the body be evacuated with some gentle purging Pill to keepe the humors from superfluous increase And in this case the Pills of Ruffus which are to be had in every Apothecaries shop are very apt and good Or take of these Pills of mine twice or thrice in a weeke Rs. Aloës Rosatae vnc j. Rhabarbari Croci ana drach iij. Myrrhae drach vj. santali citrini drach j. ambrae grifiae scrup j. Cum syr de succo Citri q. s fiat Massa Pillularum Make Pills of 8. or 10. grains a peece Take ij or more of them in the morning fasting foure or fiue houres before meate They may be taken best in Syrup of Roses solutiue or in Conserue of Violets And presently after them drinke a little white Wine mixed with a little balme-Balme-water in cold weather with Rose water and a little Rose-Vineager in hot weather and with Carduus or Scabious water in temperate weather On the other dayes wherein you take no Pills Take every morning fasting a dram or two or the quantitie of a Nutmeg of London Triacle with as much conserue of red Roses this is for a temperate Constitution A cold constitution may take the Triacle alone onely sweetening it with a little sugar And a hot complexion may mixe both the Triacle and Conserue in a few spoonefulls of rose-Rose-water and Vineager These Powders following are good to cast into the Broths of such as are sicke or haue weake stomachs Take of Red Saunders halfe an ounce Cynamom iij. drams and halfe Saffron halfe a dram powder them fine and mixe them together Another Take of Cynamom halfe an ounce Cloues halfe a dram Red Corall ij scruples Saffron halfe a dram And the weight of all in Sugar Make these into Powder and mixe them together Some giue this Take of Pearle prepared ij drams Corall red and white of each halfe a dram Red Rose leaues dried Saffron Spodium of each a scruple Cynamon a dram Make them into fine Powder and mixe them This is my counsell for those of ripe age and for Women that are not with Childe But for those Women that breed Childe and also for Infants or young Children there ought to be another way of preservation in whom Diet must be most intended and no purging vsed For Women therefore Let them keepe their bodie soluble by some gentle and familiar Suppositories or gentle Clysters made of Posset-ale with Camomill flowers and a little new-drawne Cassia Take these in the afternoone now and then Let them also every morning take the quantitie of a Nutmeg of this Medicine following Take Harts-horne Cynamon Nutmegs all the Saunders of each a dram Roots of Angelica Zedoarie Enula-Campane of each halfe a dram Powder all these Then take Conserue of Bugloss and Borage of each iij. drams With an equall quantitie of Syrup of Citrons and of dried Roses Mixe all together and make a Conserue Take it as is sayd fasting and fast two houres at least after Or els Take Harts horne red and yellow Saunders of each two drams Cloues and Cynamon of each one dram Beat them into fine Powder and mixe them together With some of this spice your Meate Broth or Cawdell or whatsoever you haue to breakfast and squeez into them a little iuice of a Lemon You may adde also some Sugar as you please Let this be your Break-fast For young Children There is nothing better then Bole armoniake with a little Tormentill roote and Citron Pills made into fine Powder which you may mix with their meats or cast into their Broths for their breakfast If they be costiue put vp a violet comfit or two for a Suppositorie Or mix a little Cassia newly drawne in some broth of a Chicken and giue it them now and then in a morning fasting Let them fast two houres after And that day vse not the powder before prescribed And note this When you suspect a Childe to be sicke of the Wormes in a Contagious time vse not Wormeseed and those common trifling things but order him as if you suspected he had the Plague for that disease comming of so much Putrefaction as it doth is as apt to receiue the infection of the Plague as is Tinder to take fire It must not therefore be dallied with But at such a time you may giue twentie or thirtie graines of this Powder following for two or three mornings together Take