loafe newly drawne out of the Oven make it hollow in the middle of the crummy side and fill it with Treacle and Vineger while it is hot apply and tie it to the Navill It both preserveth the body and draweth out the venom if any be within be it of what kinde soever I haue an excellent Antidote of mine owne if any will be pleased to come to mee for it CHAPTER II. A generall way of Curing such as are hurt by inward Poysons IF any be Poysoned Aëtius Tetrab 4. Serm. 1. cap. 47. saith it wil appeare by these signes Not long after the taking of it there will come either a suddain coughing or vomiting of bloudy and stinking stuffe or trouble in making water or some paine within the body or vehement heat or gnawings within the stomacke or guts or els some suddain numbnesse also prickings in the flesh trembling of the limbs Hicket or Yex Convulsions or Cramps breakings out of the skin into blisters biles or scabs filthy spots or foule and unnatural colour of the skin swelling either all over or els of some part of the body streitnesse of breath much filthy vomiting and in those vomits somtimes the very plain appearance of some part of the Poyson If any of these saith he happen to a healthy man suddainly upon his meate this man is to be judged infected with Poyson And then must this course following be observed First you must endevour to fetch the Poyson out by the same way it was taken in As if it were eaten or drunke by vomit If in a Glyster or Suppositorie by a Glyster againe it must be purged out If by a Fume by a cordiall Perfume it must be encountered and conquered If by the mouth it were received whatsoever kind of Poyson it be before it be digested further than the stomacke if it may be time enough found giue the partie a great draught of some fat broth or Oyle and childs urine or els Sweet Butter and Water with two or three spoonfulls of the juice of Radish roots in it Giue one of these bloud-warme to make him vomit If the first vomit fayle giue the second and so the third if the second fayle And if they worke not of themselues quickly provoke them further by putting the finger into his throat or a feather dipped in ranke Oyle or in Oyle of Linseed But if it haue gottē into the guts which will appeare by the gnawings and gripings giue him a sharpe Glyster As Take Mallows Violet leaues Mercurie Beets of each a handfull Aniseeds Fenell-seeds Caraway-seeds of each a spoonfull bruised the flowers of Violets Bugloss Borrage Damask Roses and Camomill of each halfe a handfull Boyle all well in a sufficient quantitie of fayre Water Then strayn it and to three quarters of a pint of the liquor put an ounce of Diacatholicon and three drams of Diacolocynthis Three ounces of Honey and a knifes poynt-full of Salt Mix all together and giue it Lukewarme And if while it is yet in the stomacke a vomit or two or at the most three bring not away the Poyson which will appeare by the ease the partie receiveth then giue him a strong Purgation such as this Take of Mallowes Violet leaues of each one handfull The flowers of Violets Borrage Bugloss Damask Roses of each halfe a handfull Aniseeds and fenell seeds bruised of each halfe a spoonfull Liquorice scraped and sliced a quarter of an ounce Boyle all together in a sufficient quantitie of halfe Water halfe white wine Then having strayned it Take a quarter of a pint of the liquor to which put Hiera of Coloquintida and Diacatholico of each three drams Syrup of Roses solutiue and Syrup of Wormwood of each halfe an ounce or a little spoonfull Mixe all well together and giue it as a Purgation Those that are of good abilitie may haue this Masse of Pils made by some skilfull Apothecary for them to keepe by them against a time of need Rs. Alos rosatae vnc ij Myrrhae extractae cum aq vitae drach vj. extracti croci drach iij. rhabarbari electi drach ij agarici trochiscati drach j. ss turbith albi gummosi drach j. scammonij rosati sorup ij ss Ambrae griseae scrup ij moschi grana x. Cum syr ros soluti q. s fiat Massa Take at once the weight of six pence or nine pence as need requireth being formed and rowled into Pills of a fit bignesse for the Patient to swallow If it be a Childe or a weake body make a quarter of a pint of plaine Posset-ale wherein is boyled a few sweet Fenell seeds bruised adding to it an ounce of the blacke pulp of Cassia fistula Mixe all well together and let the partie drinke it off If there be torments in the guts this may be given in way of a Glister also adding onely some course Sugar In this case likewise when the venom appeareth much and violent you must giue a Glyster besides the Purgation yea Glyster upon Glyster as soone as one ceaseth to worke giving another though they be twēty in a day till all complaints cease That is till neither evill taste smell vomitings or gripings within the body remaine to shew that any reliques of the venom are yet left If the stomacke and guts complaine of a burning heat to qualifie the stomacke drinke Posset-Ale boyled with sweet Fenell-seeds and mixed with Cassia as before-said and for the guts this Suppositorie following Take of Hiera of Coloquintida ij drams a little Salt and a sufficient quantitie of Honey He ate them together softly on the fire till the lump come to a sufficient hardnesse then rowle it up in forme of a Suppositorie and annoynting it with Sallet-oyle or sweet-Butter administer it Now when by Vomits Glysters Suppositories and other Purging Medicines before described the venemous matter appeareth drawn away in that the body feeleth no more of those torments and troubles it was before afflicted with then let the partie drinke a draught of warme milke mixed with Honey And if sharp Glysters haue been often used before let him take also one Glyster of milke and Honey or of some fat broth to wash away the reliques of the sharpnesse and biting qualitie left in the guts and stomacke In the meane time to defend the braine heart and liver from infection of the venemous vapours that will hasten to those noble parts Take Conserue of Barrage-flowers Mithridate and London-Treacle of each a like quantitie Mixe them well together and spread all thicke upon a peice of Leather of a hand-breadth every way and lay it well warmed betwixt the Paps Take also of Red Roses three handfulls Sage Betony Rosemarie-tops Rue Wormwood of each a handfull Tormentill-roots and Gentian-rootes of each clensed and sliced thin halfe a handfull Boyle all these in a sufficient quantitie of white wine halfe water till a third part be boyled away In this liquor
dip woollenclouts then wring out the liquor from them and apply one cloth reasonable hot to the mould of the head and another all over the stomach And when these clouts wax dry dip them againe in the same liquor well warmed wring them and apply them as before Thus having rid the body of all evill Accidents you must roote out all the reliques of poyson yet left behinde lest they remaining still beget as dangerous though not so suddain or violent an issue Therefore then betake your selfe to Antidotes Such as are named in the first Chapter for Praevention but their Dose must be doubled In way of Cure these also that follow are especially commended against all kindes of Poysons whatsoever Viz. The Hoofe of an Oxe cut into parings and boyled with bruised Mustard-seed in white Wine and faire Water The Bloud of a Malard drunke fresh and warme or els dryed to powder and so drunke in a draught of white Wine The Bloud of a Stagge also in the same manner The Seeds of Rue and the leaues of Betony boyled together in white Wine Or Take ij Scruples that is fortie graines of Mithridate of prepared Chrystall one dram that is three-score graines fresh Butter one ounce Mixe all well together Swallow it down by such quantities as you can swallow at once and drinke presently upon it a quarter of a pint of the decoction of French Barley or so much six shillings Beere Of this I haue had happy proofe There is also another excellent course to be taken besides all these by those of abilitie and that is Take a sound horse open his belly aliue take our all his entrayles quickly and put the poysoned partie naked into it all saue his head while the body of the horse retaines his naturall heate and there let him sweat well This may be held a strange course but the same reason that teacheth to divide liue Pullets and Pigeons for Plague-sores approveth this way of Sweating as most apt to draw to it selfe all poysons from the heart principall parts of the Patients body But during this time of Sweating he must defend his braine by wearing on his head a Quilt thus made Take Cynnamom Nutmegs Cloues all the Saunders of each halfe an ounce Roots of Angelica Tormentill white Dittany and Valerian of each one ounce Dryed Sage Rosemarie Balme of each halfe a handfull and of Red-Rose leaues dryed two handfulls Make all these into a grosse Powder and Quilt them up in Sarsnet or Calico and let it be so big as to cover all the head like a Cap Then binde it on fast with a kerchief In all this time the Patients dyet is not the lest to be thought upon which must be new Milke from the Cow fresh Butter Sallet Oyle fat Broths of Mutton or Veale or of fresh Beefe For fat things stop the vessels hinder the course of the Poyson to the principall parts In his broths also boyle these hearbs Burnet Buglosse Borrage and wilde Tyme He must reside in a cleare ayre or els haue the Ayre rectified with perfumes and those must be temperate and milde not too full of fume lest they suffocate his Spirits I need not set downe any every one knoweth the use of Rose-water Iuniper Rosemary Bayes and Frankincense Let him be ever smelling to Rosemary rubbed in ones hand to Iuniper berries a little bruised Lemons stuck with Cloues Myrrh Storax or Lignum Aloës He must sleepe little for sleepe draws the venom to the center of the body but watching driues it to the outward parts As for Thirst let him beare it as much as he can But if it afflict past sufferance let him drinke now and then new milke turned with Vinegar into Posset-drinke CHAPTER III. A more Particular way of Cure wherein is touched the eating of Mushroms Muskles and Perewinckles THough I intend not to discover the particular nature of every Poyson which might be a way to instruct evill minds in evill purposes yet without some distinction I shall take much pains to little purpose Therefore this generall difference must be made knowne namely that there are Poysons both Hot and Cold and their Cures are as different as their Complexions Therefore if the Poyson taken be hot as will appeare by the Accidents that will follow viz. Bitings Prickings and Gnawings within extreame Heats Burnings inflamations and Hot Swellings Inward or Outward Then the Glysters must be gentle As thus Take Mallows and Violet leaues of each two handfulls French Barley one handfull Camomill-flowers halfe a handfull Boyle them in a sufficient quantitie of faire water till the third part of the water be boyled away Then srayne it to three quarters of a pint of the strayned liquor put an ounce of Diacatholicon or for the richer sort an ounce of Cassia Fistula newly drawne and three ounces of Course Sugar or else Honey of Roses two ounces and a little Salt Eate fat Broths with coolehearbs boyled in them as Borrage Bugloss Violet leaues likewise French Barley with juyce of Lemons the tartnesse being taken off with Sugar or Honey as also Sorrell so corrected Giue the Patient leaue to sleep if he can but enforce it not And for his Antidotes use Mithridate mixed with Conserue of Roses Or els Take of Diamargariton frigidum one dran of oxymel fimplex one ounce and Carduus water three ounces Mix them together and let him drinke it In all other poynts keepe him as is taught before But if the Poyson be of a Cold nature which will appeare by coldnesse within or without or both numbnesse fullnesse dulnesse and drouzinesse Then use Vomits shape Glysters and the like as are appointed in the precedent Chapter Keepe him from Sleeping Make him neeze often with powder of strong Tobacco blowne up into his nose with a quill or if the Tobacco alone will not doe it mix a little powder of Euphorbium with it Rub his Brest Sides Backe and Limbs with warme woollen Cloaths Speake much to him and enforce him to stirre his body as much as may be Endevour also to make him Sweat to which purpose you may use this Medicine following Take one dram of Gentianroote in fine Powder with two or three graynes of Bezoar-stone Giue it in a little draught of Carduus Posset-drinke made with white wine and a little Vineger Giue it hot and cover him well with cloths ordering him so before in and after sweating that he take no cold neither eate nor drinke in fiue or six houres after Let his Antidotes be Andromachus or London-Treacle With his meate boyle Garlicke Onions Balm and Sweet Fenel-seeds And let him endure Thirst as long as he possibly can In all otherthings order him as occasion shall serue or require according to the prescriptions in the Chapter before Some out of wantonnesse and apish imitation of Strangers haue learn'd
and Fennell-roots Anise-seeds and Fenell-seeds and such other simples that provoke urine which as I sayd before are very profitable in this case Also Sweet Wines as Muscadine Canarie and High-Countrey white wine Sometimes also to please the pallat let him licke of Oxymel simplex Syrrup of Citrons or Syrrup of Lemons He may also eat River-Crabs or Cray-fishes either raw or buttered But from the beginning the flesh that he eateth must be of Mutton Veale Lambe Kid Rabbet Pullet Chicken Partridge or Pheasant Some counsell to mince some roasted Veale and the Liver of the mad dogge roasted together and so let him eare it with a little butter water and Vineger To conclude His Belly must be kept soluble if need require by gentle Giysters and Suppositories And his Sleepe must in the beginning be but little but when he beginneth to rage and is of himselfe overwakefull it is good by some safe outward meanes such as the Artist shall see cause to appoint to cause Sleepe CHAPTER XI Bitings of Creatures not venomous yet in some Constitutions apt to turne into venom SOme are bitten by Dogges that are not madde or by Apes Monckeys Squirills by Horses by Mankinde or any other creature not venomous yet somtimes these woūds in some kinde of Flesh are hard to heale The reason is either in the Creature biting or in the partie bitten In the Creature biting though in it's owne nature it be not venomous yet there is at that time a malignant qualitie in the moysture of the mouth begotten by the disturbance of the braine through immoderate anger In the partie bitten Some men are made up of a kinde of Flesh alwayes by what accident soever wounded hard to be cured These either are very melancholike of Constitution and Melancholy is the most offensiue humor in the body and therefore apt through any extraordinary passion to become corrupted and in a sort venomous or they are very fearefull and Feare corrupts the juices of the braine through the force of imagination and makes them fall downe and disperse thēselues into all the parts of the body filled with a sickly qualitie and so contrary to nature This is the reason why fearfull men are apt to die of a slight wound whereas a valiant Spirit hath alwayes flesh apt to be healed Now for such hard healing Flesh from which of the two causes soever it cōmeth I counsaile that besides the ordinarie course of curing wounds artificially according to the Rules of Chururgerie there be also given some temperate Cordiall as it were an Antidote against this venomous Accident to call up the Spirits and to comfort the Faculties For I know it by experience that the Cure is thereby made much the more easie Such an Antidote is this following which because it cannot be rightly made but by an Artist I will set downe in Latine for the Apothecaries understanding onely least the Ignorant tampering beyond their skill discredit the Medicine Re. fol. Melissae summitatum Rosmarini florum Primulae veris florum Cheyri florum Calendulae ana m. iij. florum Angelicae m. ij Rad. Angelicae ʒj ss Gariophyllorum ʒiij Rad. Enulae Campaniae ʒvj Infundantur omnia in Aquae Vitaeli xxiiij horis 24. Tum in alembico destillentur s a. In Aqua elicita infunde etiam Glycyrrhizae parum sic gustui arridebit This Cordiall Water my Father called Nepenthes If the Angelica be good indeed it will haue both a pleasant taste and smell A spoonfull or two of this Water recalls rectifies and confirmes the Spirits Animall Vitall and Naturall And is therefore very good against Fayntings and Swoundings CHAP. XII Inward or Outward Bruises by a fall from an high place Somtimes it happeneth unfortunately that a Man falleth downe from an high place as from a house-top a high tree a scaffold or a ladder and is taken up for dead yet in a little time may by good meanes be recovered to life and the Bruise whether it be inward or outward may be cured In this case the maine things to be looked to are First to recover the partie to life sense which may be done by the use of my Cordiall Water called Nepenthes described in the Chapter immediately going before or els with some other comfortable drinke of like nature Secondly if the Bruise be Inward there will be either ejection of Bloud at the Mouth Nose Fundament or passage of Vrine or els congealing of Bloud within wherewith will be Inward paine and difficultie of Breathing If the partie avoyd bloud it is not amisse so it goe not too farre to the expence of his Spirits But if so then giue him halfe a dram of Terra Sigillata in a draught of Posset drinke wherein the flowers of St. Iohns Wort are boyled Or The tops of St. Iohns Wort boyled in Posset-ale Or Take red Corall white Corall white Amber Bole Armoniak Terra sigillata of each j. dram Camphor iiij graines Make all into fine powder and divide it into foure equall quantities or Doses Take every dose in two ounces of Plantaine water and as much red wine mixed together once in six houres as need shall require Or els Take the quantitie of a Walnut of old Conserue of red Roses mixed with a scruple of the powder of Mastick or rather with fiue or six drops of the Oyle of Masticke Repeat the taking according to need But if there be no evacution but suspition of the Bloud congealed within Then Take Nep stamped and strayned with a little Ale or Beere and drinke a draught of it once in six houres After three times taking it so stamp it new and strayne it with Muscadine and drinke a little draught in the morning fasting and at night when you goe to bed Or Take the quantitie of a Beane of quicke Brimstone in powder in a little white Wine warmed Or els Twentie graines of Irish-Slate in powder in a draught of Posset-Ale made with white Wine Some giue ij drams of Rheubarb with one of Madder made into powder in a draught of white wine repeating it as need requireth Or two drams of Rheubarb alone in neate white wine Or Take of Rheubarb one dram Madder and Mummie of each two scruples Make them into fine powder drinke it in a draught of some ordinary Pectorall Decoction Outwrdly annoynt the Brest or Backe as cause electeth with two ounces of Oyle of St. Iohns Wort and halfe an ounce of Sperma ceti mixed together and warmed Doe this morning and evening Or els use this Oyntment Take of new charned butter unsalted ij pound Madder one ounce powdered Tormentill roots powdred vj. drams Mummie halfe an ounce powdred Sugar Candie powdred iiij ounces Sperma ceti ij ounces Boyle them together in a sufficient quantitie of good white Wine till all the wine be boyled away Then with a little Wax boyle it againe to an Vnguent Thirdly if the Bruise be Outward onely you must consider
Infant of two yeares olde or there about that was drowned in a tub of Soap-suds And because it is a chance that may happen to moe I will shew how Skenckius sayth that he recovered such an one It was a little Girle betwixt two three yeares of age which fell into a vessell of Soap-suds with which soapie water her stomacke was much filled and the child thereupō seemed ready to giue up the ghost lay in a dead sleepe ratled in the throat hardly drew breath made a groaning noise as one suffocated and lay gasping and gaping like a dying body the wine-pipe being so over-full oppressed that it could hardly receiue ayre in or returne breath out Skenckius being sent for prescribed a Decoction of unhulled Barley with Liquorice and Figges adding a little Butter and Sugar This he caused presently to be poured downe her throat luke-warme where by she was provoked to vomit out all the soapie water and so was recovered And I beleeue though Skenckius make no mention of it he gaue her also afterward some Antidote or Cordiall Medicine as was meete to resist the venomous qualitie of the Soap where of it must needs leaue some reliques behinde it too strong for the weake nature of such an Infant to overcome Therefore in this case I would giue ten graines of Harts horne finely powdered with one graine of Bezoar-stone or els with three or foure graines of Ambar-greise in a little distilled water of Carduus Scabius or Dragons And this should be repeated every six houres till it haue beene given three times Or els a little Mithridate dissolved in Red-rose-water sweetned with a little Sugar Forestus in li. 15. of his observations the 26 Observation tells of a mayd about 19. yeares of age that having fallne into a filthy Water some stinking ditch or sewer it should seeme being not suffocated but having drunke in much of that water and sufficiently vomited using the helpe of no Physition within a fortnight after she fell into a paine of her loynes and a continuall Feavor For which she was faine to be let bloud and purged and Forestus administred other remedies also having much labour to saue her life This I thought good to note as a warning to those that are apt to make sleight account of the Physition when they finde not present danger of death CHAP. XV. For those that are Choaked with Smoake of new kindled Coales in a close Roome IT is dangerous to be in a little roome with the doores and windows shut where there is a panne or fornace with fire in the middest of the roome especially while the Coales are kindling or the Fornace but newly made is annealing For the vapour smoake stifleth suddainly before it be suspected or perceived Diverse haue been found dead in this manner Christopherus à Vega Tract de Arte Medendi li. 3. Sect. 5. cap. 8. tells of divers that having supped together in a close room the fire as it should seem being renewed after supper and the dore shut to keepe the cold ayre out suddainly cast up their supper again with great perturbation of their Spirits and swounding No man considering the cause and therefore not labouring for the remedie Some of them died before they could complaine that they ayled any thing Others were by this Physition found vomiting But when he had set open the dore and casements they were soone refreshed and recovered with the meere ingresse of the fresh ayre By which you may perceiue that the venting of the ill ayre out and the receiving of the fresh ayre in is both the Prevention and Cure of this Accident But commonly there remaineth an head-ach for a while after which with some coole persume as rose-rose-water poured on a hot fire-shovell or Camphor held to the parties nose and the applying of a Rose-cake dipped in Vineger and rose-Rose-water or in Vineger alone to the forehead and temples After their recovery it is good also to gargle with warme water and Oyle of Violets or Oyle of sweet Almonds and to drinke some fat broths or swallow some warme fat moresells of Mutton or Lambe or els some fresh butter Such things doth Haly Abbas in the 6. Booke and 4. Chapter of his practice appoynt And the reason I take to be that Fatty and Oyly things will best heale that harshnesse that the smoake and ill vapours haue begotten in the throat and stomacke If a Feavor sueceed the constiution require it Forestus counsaileth to open a veyne Li. 15. Scholia ad Obser 26. Ambrose Parey in his treatise de Renuntiationibus finding two servants in this case in sight dead and their teeth set in their head tooke this course First with a silver quill which one may better doe with a Syringe he put into their months some Aqua vitae well rectified that is twice or thrice distilled with Hiera and Treacle dissolved in it With often doing thus they beganne to stirre and soone after voyded much filth at the nose mouth Vpon this he gaue them Oxymel very often with which together with much rubbing clapping on the backe a great deale of flegme and slimie stuffe with bloudy yellow frothy matter came out of their mouths Then did he blow up into their nostrills the powder of Euphorbium to purge the braine better but I would rather advise the powder of good Tobacco with a little Euphorbium if need be because Euphorbium of it selfe is dangerously violent and so with oyle of Mints rubbing the pallats of their mouths and their jawes within much more filthy matter came forth Then a sharpe Glyster drew the remnant downward After which with Cordialls he refreshed their spirits and rectified their depraved humors CHAP. XVI For such as are Suffocated with Stinking Smells ONe may be choaked also with stinking Scents such as privies and filthy ditches send forth As in Saint Laurence Lane in London a young man fell into a privy vault about fourteen yeares agoe as I remember who with the stinking stuffe was for the time suffocated but being missed and by chance was with much ado gotten to life againe Neverthelesse using such onely as wanted skill to encounter such a strange Accident he died within two or three dayes after Christopherus à Vega in the place before quoted tells of two men that being employed among others in cleansing certaine sinkes and stinking sewers were so overcome of the evill savours that by their fellows they were taken up carried out for dead Yet hee recovered them both The one by giving him Vineger and Pepper to drinke And the other by pouring into him Vineger and the powder of Penyroyall It is good for him also to hold to his nose strong sweete perfumes as of Muske Ambar-Greise Civet Lignum Aloës and such like But where such rich Simples are not to be had Sweet Marjoram Tyme Penyroyall Rosemary and Lavender rubbed together betwixt ones hands may be
whether it be a Simple or meere Bruise or a Bruise with a wound If it be a simple Bruise You may make a Playster with Branne Honey and a little Salt or rather Niter if you can get it and apply to it Or Take the powder and the Oyle of Myrtles of each an ounce and the white of an egge well beaten Make a mixture of them and dip Clonts in it and apply them to the place If the Contusion or Bruise be very large you must make your quantitie accordingly But if there be a wound withall Stop not the bloud too soone if it bleed well for many times the noxious humours that are mixed with the bloud are very happily evacuated that way But if on the other side it bleed too much Take the white of an Egge well beaten and mixed with Bole Armoniak made into fine powder and dipping a peice of flax therein lay it to the wound Or the white of an egge beaten browne paper ashes and fine powder of Chalke mixed together A Cobweb also of a fit bignes for the wound doth many times serue the turne Or els haue this Powder alwayes ready Take Sanguis Draconis Olibanum Aloës hepatica and Sarcocolla of each ij ounces roote of the Flower de Luce one ounce Make all into fine powder and mixe them together Apply a sufficient quantitie to the wound and lay upon it some flax wet with the white of an egge on that side to be layd next the wound and binde it on gently for strayning the wound This is very effectuall As for the Cure of a Greene Wound there are so many Balsams abroad that I need not teach any Yet to shew I am no niggard of my Medicines accept of this Balsam of mine Take of the best Sallet Oyle two pints put it in a jarre-glasse with a broad mouth put to it an handfull of flowers of the greater Comfery Then cover it with a trencher and set it in the Sunne a weeke Then put in the leaues of six red Roses not too much blown a handfull of Mullen-flowers and as much of the flowers of St Iohns Wort. Set it in the Sunne still all the Summer And if you adde two or three leaues of greene Tobacco it will be the better This haue I often proved to be excellēt both for green wounds Bruises annoynting the place with it warme and lapping the part up close from the outward ayre The last mayne poynt in this Accident to be considered is Paine in the Head which is for the most part a companion of such falls and if it be much must bee mittigated by some meanes least it bring the patient into a Feavor For this therefore Anoynt the aking part of the head with oyle of Roses and oyle of Lillies mixed together Or foment bathe it with this Fomentation Take of the yong and tender leaues of Myrtles one handfull Myrrhe in powder three drams Boyle them in Muscadine Or els Take a Quince or two pare them and coare them boyle them in Muscadine till they be soft Then beate them in a Morter to a Poultis and apply them very warme to the aking place If one application serue not repeat it often But if in such a fall any Bone be put out of joynt or broken they must get helpe of such as are skilful in Bone-setting which Art is learnt by sight and not by writing CHAP. XIII For those that are almost Strangled by a Halter Garter or such like meanes SOme haue beene strangled in jest As I knew a Player that one time acting a part wherein he was to be hanged and having not fastned his halter sufficiently to his trusse it slipped and almost choaked him in earnest I knew another man that was robber at Tiburn and because he asked the theeues how they could be so bold to tempt their fate in the face of the gallows they hanged him up there but presently upon sight of company tooke them to their heeles and by the same company the man was saved from a finall executiō Some also through desperation haue hanged themselues as we haue too often examples If any of these may bee cut down while there is life in him he may by GODS blessing and skilfull endevours be recovered A learned Doctor of Physicke being asked how one might be recovered in this case answered both briefly and wittily Cut a throat to saue a life His meaning was That way must be made by incision through the skin in the place where the Halter was that so the constrained bloud might be set at libertie the coagulated bloud let out and way given for the windepipe other internall vessells to open themselues againe But this is not to be attempted by any but some skilful Chirurgion indeed that knoweth perfectly the situatiō of the parts for if any nerue or tendon should be touched great mischiefes would follow and if the Iugular veynes be cut it is the present death of the Patient Therefore other and safer meanes are to be attempted As soone then as the Halter is loosed from his necke presently thrust your finger as farre as you can downe his throat forcing open his with some fit instrumēt presently plucke it out againe that you may open the passage within but not stop his breath more Then straight way poure downe his throat some warme Vineger with beaten Pepper in it or Penyroyall beaten boyled in Vineger or Nettleseeds beaten and boyled in Vineger Provoke him also to vomit by tickling his throat with a feather dipped in ranck Oyle About the place of the Halter also to mollifie and open the skin and dissolue the bruised bloud wrap linnen clouts dipped in Sperma ceti or sallet Ole and oyle of Lillies mixed together and apply them good and hot and as they wax cold renue them continually Hippocrates in his 43. Aphorisme of his second Booke sayes that those that are any way strangled and not yet dead if about their mouths there appeare a foame will never bee recovered But Galen in his Comment upon that place seemes to bee of another minde And Christopherus à Vega in his Tract de Arte Medendi li. 3. Sectio 5. cap. 8. affirmeth that he saw three recovered that foamed at the mouth One of which had hanged himselfe but his friends did quickly cut the rope and he was preserved by drinking Vineger and Pepper for that mixture restoreth the almost extinct heat Being come to himselfe let the Patient abstein from much talke for the space of foure and twenty houres and let him haue some Ptisan or Pectorall Decoction for his drinke And when he is grown strong againe if he yet feele some encumbrance and swelling in his throat it is good to open the Cephalica or head-veyne of his arme and let him bleed nine or ten ounces or according to his age and strength But this must bee done by due judgement of the Artist who may by
this time be brought to him CHAP. XIIII For such as are almost Drowned and stifled in VVater MAny take great delight in swimming and bating themselues in Ponds and Rivers in the Summer time some to clense and coole their bodies some for pleasure of their skill in swimming others either for company or meere wantonnesse And many of these adventure into places past their depth where I haue knowne some taken with the Cramp on the suddaine that if there had not beene many helpers at hand they had speedily perished Some happen into whirlepools wherein they haue been violently drawne and immediatly drowned while their companions might looke on with sorrow but could lend no helpe to saue them Others in a great River haue beene carried away by the strength of the streame in spite of their skill in swimming whereupon before they had so much presumed Others floating among slags and weeds haue had their feete so entangled by them that neither the strength of nature nor the sleights of Art could keepe them from being cast away And here by the way let me insert a counsell to such as are Fathers and Mothers or Masters and Tutors to yong Boyes Some use to keep their children in so strictly that the unfortunate poore fooles longing after such forbidden pleasure and fearing to make others privie to their purpose steale out by thēselues and run into some river or pond without discretion or election where having neither guide nor helper but such as themselues some of them somtimes proue by the losse of their liues that while they beguiled their governours too much they deceived themselues most of all To prevent this therefore it were good in my judgement to giue way to these desires of children at fit times of the yeare and in waters whose bottoms are even and sandy with cleare gentle streames fit for their strength and stature and free from flags weeds holes and whirlepooles having also with them some discreet man skilfull in swimming that if any danger should happe may speedily succour them And the times of the yeare fit for such bathes I hold to be in the beginning of Iuly and in the end of August That is before and in the end of the dog dayes The best time of the day likewise is an houre before Sunne-set And now to return to the point although by the accidents aforesaid as also by violent stormes the darknesse of night too too many following their affayres haue beene woefully wasted to the shore of suddain death yet some haue bin taken up for dead that with carefull and skilfull usage haue recovered both Life the true loue of nature Health the happinesse of Life Therefore when any one is so found the first thing to be done is to turne his feete upward his head and mouth downward so to hold or hang him up by the heels that the water may come out of him againe If this alone cause him not to cast out the water and the partie be without sense or motion then also let some one of the standers by that is of good discretion put his finger into the parties throat or take a feather dipped in Linseed oyle thrust it into his throat turning it round therein to make him vomit And in the meane time let others help forth the water by stroaking crushing and driving his belly and stomacke reasonable hard from the bottom of his belly toward his throat If it be cold weather let all this be done in a warme roome before a good fire After the water is come away it is good to hold strong sweet smelling things to his nose as Muske Lignum Aloës or such like to warme the Braine and comfort the Spirits Also if he remaine senselesse or faynting his Spirits are to be recalled and awaked with Ros solis Aqua Caelestis or some such comfortable water and he is to be handled in all poynts as those use to be that fall in a Swound If by these meanes he recover life sense and speech let him some two houres after eat some meat of a hen or chick if he be able or els suck the juice of them and let them be roasted or broyled rather than any other way dressed for so doth Alexander Benedictus counsell li. 7. cap. 3. De Curandis morbis And with his meat let him eate Pepper and Sùgar or Pepper and Honey as he liketh best He may also eate a roasted egge with pepper in it But let him not drink at all in 24. houres at the least then let it be middle-Beere and white wine mixed together of which let him drinke but 2. small draughts at a meale and betwixt meales not at all This Diet let him obserue for a weeke together keeping himselfe warme and moderately stirring his body immediately before an houre after his meate Also if the Physition see it requisite other meanes may be used to prevent the comming of a Feavor or to mitigate and take it away if it be already come as also to prevent a Dropsie which is a likely effect of such a watery cause The refore by good advise Bloud-letting in the Liver-veyn Glysters and other Medicines may be administred Lastly if any water be gotten into his Eares Take Goose grease and the juice of an Onion mixe them well together and drop a little of it bloud-warme into his Eares Sometime such a sorrowfuli mis-fortune may befall a man in the Winter time or it may happen to an old body as once it did in the North part of the Devonshire to a worthy old Gentlewoman who stepping on a bridge over a gutter her feet slipping shee fell in and through her great weaknesse being aboue fourescore yeares of age because shee was not able to helpe up her selfe again she lay so long till with crying she had no voyce left It pleased God that the water was not so high as to drowne her but the coldnesse of it had like to haue killed her before helpe came for she was not heard into the house though shee strayned her voyce exceedingly and though the house was hard by Onely her sonne comming forth that way by meere chance found and saved her In this case let some cordiall water as my Nepenthes Aqua Caelestis or the like be given first inwardly to helpe naturall heate forth into the outward parts againe Then lay the patient in his naked bed well warmed And if it be a man let a young man in whom naturall heat hath his full force strip himselfe naked and presently goe to bed to him and there embrace him closely keeping in the clothes about him on all sides til he haue brought heat into him againe If it be a woman let some young mayden of a sanguin complexion do the like The patients diet must be of good nourishing and warming things using some cordiall medicine morning and night first and last for ten dayes together Once I knew an