As soon as she perceives the least suspicion of miscarrying apply to her navil a hot loaf new out of the oven out in the middle dipt in Malaga wine and sprinkled with pouder of Cloves and Nutmegs and bind it close on apply to the loins this Plaister Mastick two ounces Labdanum three drams Bistort root Dragons blood Bole-armonack Goats-horn burnt of each half a dram Terra sigillata one dram Frankincense liquid Storax Gum-arabick of each one dram and half Red Coral two scruples Wax wash'd in Rose-water and Turpentine two ounces beat all in a Mortar with a hot Pestle pouring on oil of Myrrh and Turpentine stirring it still with a hot Pestle till it be thick enough then spread it upon leather and apply it to the reins and loins You must take off the Plaister every day and wash the loins and reins with equal portions of Rose-water and White-wine and lay it on again The Time of Delivery being come and it be with difficulty give her presently a drink made of two scruples of fine Cinamon Wood-cassia Bark Troches of Myrrh of each one scruple round Birthwort root half a scruple Confectio Alchermes half a dram syrup of Mugwort an ounce Waters of Mugwort and Motherwort of each two ounces or the decoction of Mugwort Rue and Dittany or the juice of Parcely drawn with Vinegar or White-wine Hypocras is good or the decoction of Harts-horn and Ivory It is good to make her sneeze with fine pouder of Pellitory of Spain and Tobacco Oris c. For the Pains after Travel the Oil of sweet Almonds is very good to prevent them and being come is cured by distilled water of Peach flowers or this pouder in White-wine roots of great Consound Nutmeg and Ambar finely poudred with a little Ambergris added Too much milk sometimes troubles them newly deliver'd for which a Pultis of the great Celendine Rue Mint Fenel boild in water and vinegar will be good If the dugs be inflam'd anoint them with oil of Poppies or Henbane and the next day apply a Pultis made only of Bean meal and Vinegar anointing the dugs and parts about with an Ointment made of an ounce of Bole-armenac Bistort root as much with oil of Roses and Myrrh and Vinegar This Pultis is very proper made of two small handfuls of dried Mint one of Wormwood boiled a good while then add Bean Lupines and Orobe meal of each one ounce with oil of Lillies If the blood be clotted dissolve it by this Pultis take four ounces of Smallage Oxymel simple two ounces Red chices meal two ounces as much of Lupins If it will not dissolve and that the kernels of the dugs are hard and tend to ripen take Marsh-mallow and white Lilly roots of each four ounces twenty figs boil them till they be soft then add fresh Porks grease or Butter enough for a Pultis Now if you would procure a great quantity of milk boil Barley and a little Fenel-seed in her broth or Posset-drink CHAP. XII Of breeding of Worms and Teeth in Children AS in the diseases of Women the Womb is for the most part concerned so are Worms in Children the greatest enemy wherefore 't is good in all their diseases to add some Medicine contrary to the vermin so that it is to use Children betimes to take Medicines to the end they may the more easily be cured of their diseases then you must not wait till the worms be grown but prevent them by giving them every new Moon some Wormseed in a Fig or Honey or Treacle or pap of an Apple the Juice of Orange is good with its Rind poudred giving one or other apart with a spoonful of Salad-oil Syrup of Limons kills the worms so doth Harts-horn poudred mith Sugar Mint poudred with Wine Corianderseed with the Juice of Limons or Pomegranates but Rubarb is very effectual given in fine pouder in Scabious water or to little Children a scruple in Milk or a little Honey of Roses The great worms that are voided by Children dryed and poudred are excellent to drive out the same drank in milk wine or broth Outward applications serve much to this effect such are Wormwood bruised and fryed and applyed to the stomach and mole of the head Here note that Syrup of Cichory with Rubarb is not only excellent in this case but in all other diseases of Infants Children are apt to vomit for which let them wear upon their stomach an Emplaster of Mastick thus made spread some Virgins wax upon leather and in the middle make a hole wherein put melted Mastick For Teeth rub them with Butter and Honey c. if nothing will do open the gums with a Groat or Lancet CHAP. XIII Of Fevers HItherto of Remedies for certain particular diseases now for those proper against Fevers that afflict the whole body For the cure of a Continued Fever let blood if you can presently then eat very little and drink Ptisan or small Beer giving cool Clysters as you may see before to abate great drought wash his mouth with Vinegar and Rose-water and chew Sorrel leaves or drink the juice The Quotidian Fever is combated with before the fit with the Juices of Betony and Plantan mixt or the decoction of Cinquefoil Scolopendria Middle bark of Elder Betony leaves roots of Smallage Parcely Raddish c. For the Tertian Fever the Proverb is found true Ill luck is good for something two or three fits thereof being good to purge the body of superfluous humours in the Spring but more are prejudicial and dangerous in the Autum for fear it turn to a Quartane You may lose your Tertian Fever by these Remedies Take the Bark of a young Walnut-tree that next to the wood bruise it in a Mortar and steep it in White-wine eight or ten hours strein it and drink it oft this is for strong bodies Likewise steep in White-wine Plantane and Monks-Rubarb give it when the fit 's upon them The juice of Plantan Purcelan Pimpernel are good apart And in all Fevers remember it is a chief matter to let blood and keep the body loose by gentle Purges or Clysters c. as Catholicon Lenitive Electuary Diaprunes c. For the Quartane Fever many things are given but few to purpose these following are found good from experience The seeds of Dwarf-Elder one dram finely poudred for weak bodies a dram and a half for strong ones and half a dram for Children steeped an hour in White-wine or Claret and given when the fit seises or dried Nutmeg upon the hot pan and poudred half a dram given every morning but on the Fit day in White-wine or bind Pidgeons cut in two to the soles of the feet In this Fever you must not drink water but wine with very little water or strong drink CHAP. XIV Of the Pestilence IN time of such miserable calamity two things are to be done to wit to preserve ones self as much as may be from the disease and to seek under God
THE COUNTRY-MANS Physician WHERE Is shew'd by a most plain and easie manner how those that live far from Cities or Market Towns and cannot have the advice of Physicians may be able of themselves by the help of this Book to Cure most Diseases happening to the Body of Man A Work very useful and necessary for all that understand not the Learned Languages LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1680. TO THE READER I Am not Ignorant that there are several Practices of Physick already Published in the English Tongue but truly they are almost all of them so stuft either with hard terms of Art and difficult Descriptions and Definitions or the Receipts the chief thing design'd indeed for the Buyer all in the Latine Tongue that I cannot at all perceive any or very little difference from their being continued in the Learned Languages they were written in so that they must necessarily be something of Scholars to understand those Books and so of little or no use to those that are none Whereupon taking the Premises into serious Consideration I thought I should do a very acceptable piece of Service to my dear Country-folks that understand no more than their Mother-Tongue if I should write a very plain method for them whereby they might be able by the help thereof to Counsel and Administer to themselves and their friends and neighbours fitting and pertinent Remedies for all manner of Curable Diseases when and where they cannot conveniently have the advice of the Learned Physician or Chyrurgion living perhaps remote from any Market Town or City where such commonly inhabit For the Book it self I can say that as the old Proverb is good Wine needs no Bush so I am confident thou wilt find it will be able to commend it self it being a choice Collection of almost infallible experiments from the most Famous Printed Authors and curious Manuscripts and I have for the Reasons before specified made it so plain and easie that any though no Scholars nor at all vers'd in the Learned Languages cannot erre in following these directions in this Book A TABLE OF THE DISEASES CURES Treated of in this BOOK CHAP. I. OF the Diseases of the Head whether caused from Heat or Cold where likewise of the inveterate pain of the Head Page 1. CHAP. II. Of the Diseases and Pains of the Eyes where of the Chataract p. 2. CHAP. III. Of the Diseases of the Nose as stinking Vlcers thereof where of the bleeding at the Nose p. 13. CHAP. IV. Of the Diseases of the Ears viz. Vlcers Wormes noise in the Ears and Deafness where also how to Cure the Pain in the Ears p. 19. CHAP. V. Of the Diseases of the Mouth as the Vlcers thereof where of a stinking breath of too much and too little spitting likewise of the Diseases and Pains of the Teeth and of the Cure of the Quinsey p. 22. CHAP. VI. Of the Diseases of the Breast as the Coughs shortness of Breath Spitting of Blood and of the Ptysick p. 27. CHAP. VII Of the Diseases of the Side as the Plurisie and of the Pains of the Side p. 33. CHAP. VIII Of the Diseases of the Heart as the feebleness thereof and the beating of the Heart and swooning away p. 35. CHAP. IX Of the Diseases of the Stomack and first of the weakness thereof whether from a hot or cold cause of nauseating meats and loss of taste and appetite where of the Wind in the Stomack whether before or after eating and of the Hiccop Of staying Vomiting whether from an hot or a cold cause and of provoking Vomit if there be occasion and to comfort the Stomack after Vomiting and lastly of the pains of the Stomack p. 37. CHAP. X. Of the Diseases of the Belly and first of the Diseases of the Liver whether from hot or cold causes viz. from Choler or Phlegm c. Where of its obstruction 2. Of the Spleen of the Diseases where of its obstruction likewise and also of the Cure of the three sorts of Jaundies that is yellow green and Black 3. Of the Cholick and Iliac passions 4. Of the pain in the Kidneys and difference between that and the Colick as also of the Cure of their Gravel and Stone and likewise of the Cure of the Stone in the Bladder and difficulty and heat in voiding of Vrine 5. Of the Cure of the Three sorts of Fluxes of the Belly viz. Lientery Diarrhaea and Dissentery 6. Of the Dropsie and Wind and Gripings of the Belly 7. Of the both sorts of Hemorrhoids viz. inward and outward p. 42. CHAP. XI Of the Diseases belonging to Women as of the stopping and provoking their Monthly Courses and of the Curing of the Fits of the Mother as also of the falling down of the Womb Of their Barrenness likewise and of how to prevent miscarriage and how to cause easie Delivery of Women in Child-birth and to ease their Pains after Travel and lastly how to cause plenty and scarcity of Milk in Women that give Suck p. 52. CHAP. XII Of breeding of Wormes and Teeth in Children p. 59. CHAP. XIII Of the Cure of Feavers whether continued Quotidian Tertian or Quartane p. 61. CHAP. XIV Of the Cure of the Pestilence and its Symptoms p 64. CHAP. XV. Of the Cure of the Gout whether in the Hands or Feet or Knees or Hipps p. 66. CHAP. XVI Of the Cure of outward pains in any part of the Body p. 68. CHAP. XVII Of the Cure of bruises in any part of the Body p. 70. CHAP. XVIII Of the Cure of Green Wounds and old Vlcers in any part of the Body p. 71. CHAP. XIX Of the Cure of all sorts of swellings in any part of the Body whether they be hot or cold hard or foft p. 78. by excessive heat or cold and often from the infirmities of other Members in which is contained the Cause of the pain in the head as the Stomach the Kidneys Liver Spleen Womb c. Now the pain is greater in the forehead than elsewhere when it proceeds from Blood behind when from Flegm when from Choler the pain is most on the right side the head and on the left when from Melancholy whereupon Medicines are to be imploy'd to the purpose by opposing hot Remedies to the cold as Flegm and Melancholy and cold to the hot Causes as Blood and Choler The manner to cure the pain from a hot Cause is first to let Blood in the Arm then to apply Linnen Cloaths dipt in Plantain and Rose Water and Vineger or in the Juice of Lettice with Rose-water and Vineger Or Oil of Roses and Poppies and make a Pultis of Bole-Armenac white of Eggs a Roasted Apple and Vineager and apply it to the head and forehead and temples and wash the head with warm water wherein have been boiled Sage Leaves Roses and water Lilly-Flowers and wash the feet with the same if he have no motion of the rheum or a
wherein Anise and Fenel and Cumin Seeds have been boil'd or the water or decoction of Camomile also the Pouder of old Acorns or Chesnuts in white Wine The pain of the Kidnies which comes from the Stone or Gravel is like the Colic in that in both is Vomiting and binding in the Belly and wind but the Colic begins in the lower part of the right side going to the higher part of the left side of the belly inclining more before than behind but the Reins begin contrary and the pain is stronger before than after eating the contrary in the Colic and it commonly comes suddenly but the reins by degrees with a pain of the back and difficulty to make water To cure which use opening things to void the stone if little for there are no Medicines in the world to break it but first loosen the belly by an ounce of Cassia and Clysters made with Mallows and Marsh-mallows and Beets giving Syrups and Decoctions thereof also at mouth Turpentine Pills taken with White-wine or the Decoction of Camomil flowers in wine and water Difficulty of Vrine is cured by the same means and Heat of Urine by a Bolus of an ounce of Cassia and a dram of Prunel and drinking cooling Emulsions of the four cold Seeds and Almonds with Barley water and note that in all these distempers of the Reins and almost in all other the cure depends for the most part chiefly upon a good order of Diet. The Fluxes of the Belly are three whereof the most dangerous is called Lienteria which is when meats are voided in the same sort they were taken at mouth with very little alteration and without any stink and Diarrhaea when there is a Flux of flegmy and waterish humours only Lastly Dissenteria when blood is voided alone or with excrements For the first you must quickly consult the Physician in the mean time let only comfortable things be given with Syrup of Woormwood Mugwort with Honey of Roses of each a spoonful or dissolved in Betony Fenel or Mugwort-water or provoke vomiting by taking an ounce of Oxymel of Squils and as much Syrup of Wormwood or two ounces of Oxymel then take Marmelad of Quinces before he eat or Aromaticum Rosatum For the Diarrhaea note it is sometime beneficial to nature when it is without Fever and quickly gone and Bloody-flux not feared so that you may let it alone for three or four days then if you shall spie a few drops of blood threatning a Dissentery or the Patient be feverish then give astringent Clysters made of Sage Mint Borage c. In the streining put some juice of the Shepherds purse or Bole-armenac without any Sugar or Syrup and in little quantities For Dissentery in the beginning let blood in the arm and give lenitive Clysters made of milk wherein steel hath been quenched or with two or three yelks of eggs give three or four a day then purge with a dram of Rubarb infus'd in Endive or Cychory-water strein'd and putting thereto half a dram of torrified Rubarb then eat Marmalad of Quinces Rice-milk Sheeps and Calves feet and Red wine alone or with Steel-water The Dropsie is a moist swelling beginning in the feet then the legs and thighs then in the belly and if neglected mounts to the heart It is known by pressing the part with your fingers and if a mark remain it is the Dropsie else not For cure you must purge first for which nothing is better than Jalap a dram more or less in pouder with White-wine then drink White-wine with Anniseeds poudred eat bisket and meats dry rosted drink as little as may be forbearing all broths and fruits and liquid meats sleep as little as may be walk much rise early For Gripes and Pains in the belly drink of the decoction of Mint wormwood Camomile Roots Herbs and Flowers in White-wine and water or each alone Here note for a general rule that if you boil any things in white or other wine you must infuse them first over hot coals letting them boil a walm or two first and so stand then boiling them very little again strein them out for the wine loses its virtue by boiling Touching the Hemorrhoids they are inward or outward flowing or not For the inward swelling apply a Cataplasm of the white bread and milk with two yelks of eggs a little Safron and Vnguentum Populeon but above all other a Pultis made of Verbaseum and Trifolium Hemorrhoidale with fresh Butter whether they be inward or outward If you will have them flow apply Horse-leeches and if they flow too much apply a Pultis of the white of an Egg and Bole-armenack or burnt Paper or Tinder or pouder of red Coral a dram in Plantan water or Red-wine inwardly or the decoction of Yarrow and Rest-beef CHAP. XI Of the Diseases belonging to Women TO provoke Womens Courses drink a dram of yellow Ambar poudred fasting in White-wine use moderate exercise drink a dram of the pouder of the root of Dittany in the decoction of the herb a dram of the Troches of Myrrh in White-wine These will do ordinarily but if not you must consult the learned Physician To stay their too much flowing what I said in Bloody-fluxes may be good here or drink a dram of the troches of white Amber in Plantan-water and Beer You must not stir much but sleep much rub the arms and shoulders well apply Cupping-glasses to the dugs eat little and often keep the belly loose For the Fits of the Mother rub and tye the thighs and legs well let her smell stinking things Wooll Partridg feathers burnt Assa soetida but below sweet perfumes of Civet Roses and Musk c. Give her Mithridate to drink dissolved in Wormwood-water or Peony-seeds poudred in White-wine For the Falling of the Womb use contrary Remedies to cause it to remount to its place to wit sweet scents at nose stinking ones below for the Womb and so quite contrary in all the rest Vomiting is here requisite afterwards give pouder of Harts-horn or Bay-leaves to drink in Red-wine But because from the Womb proceed most diseases in women in any difficulty neglect not to advise with the learned Physician as likewise in case of Barrenness of women in time of fertility for conservation of Mankind under the benediction of God and forasmuch as their barrenness proceeds for the most part from cold causes we will begin with that leaving the search of other causes both of men and women to the Physician After she hath been well purged the Womb must be fomented and perfumed with the decoction of Mugwort Wormwood Savin c. the day after take Electuar Aaromatick Nutmeg and Sugar of each one dram or take night end morning in good wine a Tablet of the pouders of Mugwort roots of Bistort Nutmeg incorporated together with Sugar dissolv'd in Balm-water The women accustomed to miscarry ought to use often the Conserves of Orange and Sage-flowers Marmelade of Quinces Dates c.