a short relation of some words and expressions that were spoken by barbara scaife in time of her sickness, a little before she departed this life she was betwixt fifteen and sixteen years of age, daughter to william and issabel scaife of the blacksike near appleby, in the county of westmerland: in profession of the principles of light and life in christ jesus. which those people commonly called quakers do bear testimony to, and had fellowship with, from their child-hood, and had a care upon them to bring up their children in the fear of the lord, and in the knowledge of that truth which they had believed in: and which their children were in their tender age truly acquainted with. scaife, william. 1686 approx. 14 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a62286 wing s806 estc r222367 99833548 99833548 38025 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a62286) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38025) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2216:14) a short relation of some words and expressions that were spoken by barbara scaife in time of her sickness, a little before she departed this life she was betwixt fifteen and sixteen years of age, daughter to william and issabel scaife of the blacksike near appleby, in the county of westmerland: in profession of the principles of light and life in christ jesus. which those people commonly called quakers do bear testimony to, and had fellowship with, from their child-hood, and had a care upon them to bring up their children in the fear of the lord, and in the knowledge of that truth which they had believed in: and which their children were in their tender age truly acquainted with. scaife, william. scaife, isabel. aut. 8 p. s.n.] [[london : 1686] signed at end: william and issabel scaife. place of publication from wing; date of publication from colophon. with some account of mary scaife who also died of smallpox. copy trimmed. reproduction of the original in the haverford college, pennsylvania. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to 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variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng scaife, barbara, ca. 1671-1686 -early works to 1800. scaife, mary, ca. 1668-1686 -early works to 1800. quakers -early works to 1800. smallpox -england -early works to 1800. death -early works to 1800. 2003-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-11 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2004-11 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a short relation of some words and expressions that were spoken by barbara scaife in time of her sickness , a little before she departed this life : she was betwixt fifteen and sixteen years of age , daughter to william and issabel scaife of the blacksike near appleby , in the county of westmerland : in profession of the principles of light and life in christ jesus . which those people commonly called quakers do bear testimony to , and had fellowship with , from their child-hood , and had a care upon them to bring up their children in the fear of the lord , and in the knowledge of that truth which they had believed in : and which their children were in their tender age truly acquainted with . the following expressiions were delivered from the said barbara in the presence of divers persons her parents also being with her for the most part , during the time they were spoken by her . and are given forth in honour to that truth whereof none need be ashamed , but for the blessing sake that accompanies the same , may be encouraged to take their part therein , ( whereunto also the aforesaid damsel upon her dying bed hath testifyed ) and may be of service to all young people to love and fear the lord , in the dayes of their oyuth , that their lives may be comfortable to them , and their latter end peace , and their memorial blessed for ever . the thirtith day of the first month , 1686 was the said barbara taken with sickness , and her sister mary also , both of them beginning therewith in one and the same hour . the distemper proved to be the small pox , barbara the first week of her distemper was sorely loaden therewith , but bore her exercise very quietly . the first of her words as relating to her inward state betwixt the lord and her own soul that were taken notice of . she delivered on this wise : mother ( said she ) suffer but few of those people that come to see us to stay in the parlour , but when they have seen us : desire them to go into the house , for we have no need of such empty talk , as is used amongst too many we would be quiet that we may pray to the lord to forgive us the faults we have committed , and if he spare us our life at this time i hope and do believe we shall amend and have a care of displeasing the lord while we live : after which words she spake very little for four dayes time . ●●d about the seaventh day of her sickness and the sixt of the second month : she asked where her father was , her mother told her he was at the plough , she said let some call him in : for i believe i must leave this world shortly : and after a little time , she begun to pray to the lord with a very clear voice in a miraculous manner , saying . o almighty god i cry unto tbee , and beseech thee blot out all my transgressions . o lord and all my sins . o let them come no more into thy remembrance . i beg it of thee in the name of christ jesus with all my soul , and with all my strength : and let thy fafourable countenance be upon me : thus she prayed in a wonderful heavenly frame , desiring the lord also to make her passage sweet unto her by his consolating spirit , and that he would satisfie and enable her parents so to bear it : as that they might not offend the lord , and that he he would confirm and strengthen her weak sister to give up her self freely , as she blessed god she her self had done . she prayed to the lord to give her a mansion place in his favourable presence : and that no more might be laid upon her parents then what with patience they might be enabled to bear . she continued her supplications to the lord for about three quarters of an hour , to the admiration of those that were present with her : and several being there that did not profess the light and truth : which she testifyed to , and dyed in , were broken into tenderness to the shedding of many tears , and said how can any dye better then she is like to do . the said barbara called her brother to her bedside , and she fastning her eyes upon him said , brother john , be faithful to the lord and thy religion : and it may fall out that when thou art a man , the wicked persecutors may hurry thee into prison for the testimony sake thou hast to bear , be sure thou do not regard that , but keep faithful to the lord and he will deliver and be thy reward . she exhorted her parents not to trouble themselves with too much of the worlds concerns . but ( said she ) let that to some which you have here ( it beng a remote place ) and go to live near some good meeting : sedbergh meeting if you can : if my sister and i be both taken frm you : and take my brother ▪ john with you and bring him well up i desire you , and be all of you content : and one that was not of the same profession which her parents and she were of , being then present , asked her if she could freely part with father and mother , brother and other relations . she answered saying , i can freely part with and leave them all , for the enjoyment of that comfort and happiness which my soul is made sensible of : she prayed again unto the lord with praises also in her mouth unto him magnifying also the riches of his grace and goodness , for the comfort she had received from him , to her immortal soul : at another time , her mother endeavouring to get her to take some meat . i desire thee ( said she ) do not trouble me with meat , for if you think thereby to keep me , it is all in vain , for i must die and leave you : neither would i desire to live for all the world : for to be with the lord is better then ten thousand worlds , with whom i shall rest for evermore , even with god and his saints , his faithful people and servants , the sons and daughters of the upright , glory to his name for evermore . at many times duriug her sickness she manifested unspeakable love to her father and mother , and to her weak sister , touching whom she said to her mother , do not stay with me what ever may befal me , but go to her and abide with her , for i do desire that too sharpe sickness may not fall on her , until she know her peace with god : she said again : dear mother do not sorrow for me , and perswade my ●●ther not to weep for fear of offending the lord : and least 〈◊〉 ●e longer kept from that heavenly rest which the lord hath prepareed for me , with the redeemed of our god for ever : then her brother coming to the bed side , she said to him , john be true to the lord and love him with all thy heart and with all thy soul , all thy life time : and love not the world nor the pleasures thereof , for the enjoyments of this world are in comparison nothing : they are scarce seen till they are gone : but that which is enjoyed with the lord is for evermore , praises , praises , to his name saitb my soul for ever . at another time she told them , she had only the river of her dissolution to pass through her mother asked her if she saw over it , she said she did see over it , and that she should joyfully pass it into the rest , where all sorrow & tears should be wiped from her eyes for evermore glory and honour to our god for ever : these with many more living and comfortable expressions came from her . after which for some dayes her exerc●●● becoming more weighty upon her , and her weakness encre●●ing , her voice became very low and weak , several times 〈◊〉 was heard to pray to the lord , but none could take 〈◊〉 words to make them intelligable . in the time of all her si●●ness she was very tender in her spirit and circumspect , n●● any uncomly frame of spirit appearing in her or unbecomi●● word proceeding from her that we saw or heard , but ve●● kind and pittyful she was toward those that were with h●● in her sickness , she seemed not much concerned for her ow extremity and pain , but rather concern'd for them that attended her , for the trouble they were put to in helping her ▪ the twenty seventh day of the second month being com● she being much like as she had been for three weeks , but tha● her weakness had increased upon her , and being very chearful and able to express her self : she said to her mother ▪ what thinkest thou of this forenoon : her mother asked her what she meant : she answered and said it will 〈…〉 ar 〈◊〉 my time in this world : for the lord will ease me ere long take away all my pain , and wipe away all tears from min● eyes . call in my father said she , that he may see my departure : her father being come in , said barbara how dost thou ( taking her by the hand ) said she i am ready to leave this world , and therefore father and mother be content and bear me company a little while : and about the first hour in the afternoon she departed this life , like as if she had fallen asleep , about a month after her sickness begun with her . in the time of her health she was of a very bold and chearful spirit : yet tender kind and pittyful toward all that any way stood in need : and what help she could reasonably make them of her own accord she was ready to do it : she was very tender and kind to her parents on all accounts , alwayes careful not to give them any occasion to be displeased with her that she could avoid : her life was lovely her latter end peace : and her memorial lasts and lives with us everlasting praises to the lord who worthy thereof for ever . william scaife . & issabel scaife . mary scaife elder sister to barbara of whom in the forgoing relation mention is made to have been taken with sicknes the very same hour that her sister was : and concerning whom her sister barbara had been very tenderly concern'd and exercised in her spirit for her in supplications to god to give her the knowledge of her peace that hath no end ▪ and who lived but about two weeks after her sister , ●er distemper also of the small pox , was accompanied with a feaver ; so as that she got very little sleep for several dayes which made her extremity the greater . but in the lords time who keepeth covenant and shewes mercy , and giveth the spirit of supplication and prayer to them that believe : opened her mouth in a clear understanding : and ( said she ) o great god jehovah of heaven and earth whose splendour filleth heaven and thy wonders filleth the earth : have mercy upon me thine handmaid . who am as a worm before thee , yet part of thy creation , lord help my weak soul , revive my drooping spirit , by thy consolating presence , strengthen my faith i beseech thee , and help me through this exercise , i pray tbee o lord. that thy will may be done in earth as it is in heaven : after this manner with many other tender expressions she continued in prayer for about halfe an hour , but her sister barbara being very weak at that time , more of her words could not be so taken as to insert them here in writing , but often she prayed to the lord to make her willing to give up her self freely , if the lord required it of her , she desired the lord that if there was any thing in her that did offend him , he would manifest it to her before her weakness became greater : her sister barbara who in supplications to god had waited for the consolation of her weak sister , was abundantly comforted , because of the tender and comfortable frame her sister mary was brought into , and praised god on her behalf with much refreshing satisfaction upon her spirit , as she manifested amongst such as were present with her . after that mary often prayed to the lord in a tender sense upon her spirit and in much fervency of soul , as the living exercise she she was under did demonstate . she had been much inclined from her youth to read the scriptures . being then about 18 years of age . and in her sickness after the lord opened her heart & mouth to shew forth his praife , she often spoke of job and david , and of gods love and goodness to them , and other of his servants in ages past . and now said she , i do know gods love to be the same to me as it was to them : so that said she , i am neither afraid nor unwilling to die , for god blotteth out my transgressions , and layeth nothing to my charge , and i do believe there is a place prepared for me in heaven : and dear mother said she , do what thou canst not to sorrow , my love is great to thee , and my advice is , that you go to live near some good meeting and bring up my brother amongst friends . and her sister being dead she spake of her own death also , and said she was well satisfied that her soul should ascend up to god in heaven , where said she , i do believe my sister barbara's soul is ascended to rest with the lord for ever . then afterwards her sickness encreased and weakness grew upon her , being attended with many violent convulsion fits , so that she could not speak to be understood , but sometimes to say john to her bother : but very low and weakly for about two dayes hefore her departure : her sickness continued upon her six weeks and three dayes and she departed this life , the 13 th . of the 3 d. month , 1686. in her life time she was very obedient & respective to her parents from whom she said she was not inclined to go for preferment , but would be content with the like condition as was alotted them . she was also very careful of her brothers good , of a sober behaviour from her childhood , all her dayes loved the truth and such as feared the lord her latter end was comfortable and satisfactory to her ; of great refreshment to her parents , for which an ingagement lives with them ever to submit to god , and praise his name who is worthy for ever . william scaife . and issabel scaife . the charitable pestmaster, or, the cure of the plague conteining a few short and necessary instructions how to preserve the body from infection of the plagve as also to cure those that are infected : together with a little treatise concerning the cure of the small pox : published for the benefit of the poore of this city and not unmeet for the rich / by thomas shervvood ... sherwood, thomas, practitioner in physick. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a59949 of text r6113 in the english short title catalog (wing s3416). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 28 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a59949 wing s3416 estc r6113 12798514 ocm 12798514 94025 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a59949) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 94025) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 256:e176, no 10) the charitable pestmaster, or, the cure of the plague conteining a few short and necessary instructions how to preserve the body from infection of the plagve as also to cure those that are infected : together with a little treatise concerning the cure of the small pox : published for the benefit of the poore of this city and not unmeet for the rich / by thomas shervvood ... sherwood, thomas, practitioner in physick. [6], 13, [3] p. printed by a.n. for john francklin ..., london : 1641. reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. eng smallpox -england -early works to 1800. plague -england. a59949 r6113 (wing s3416). civilwar no the charitable pestmaster, or, the cure of the plague, conteining a few short and necessary instructions how to preserve the body from infec sherwood, thomas, practitioner in physick 1641 5442 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 b the rate of 2 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2003-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-12 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2003-12 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the charitable pestmaster , or , the cure of the plague , conteining a few short and necessary instructions how to preserve the body from infection of the plagve , as also to cure those that are infected . together with a little treatise concerning the cure of the small pox . published for the benefit of the poore of this city and not unmeet for the rich , by thomas shervvood practitioner in physick . 2 kings 20. 7. and isaiah said , take a lump of figs , and they tooke , and laid it upon the boil , and he recovered . london printed by a. n. for iohn francklin , and are to be sold at his shop in lothbury , neer the windmill . 1641. to the vvorshipfull alexander read , doctor of physick and chirurgery , one of the societie of the colledge of physicians for the citie of london . sir , having finished this treatise , i considered what entertainment it might find in the world ; and fearing that it would be envied , for the good that it offereth unto this kingdome , as i the author have been for my practice , i bethought my selfe that it might safely hover under your wings , whereupon i am bold to thrust it into your protection , that it may the better be defended from the calumnies of these times . the subject of it is , that which i have practised and proved by experience , so that if there bee occasion , i believe i shall bee able to render sufficient reasons to prove it , from the most authentique rules in physick . and if there be any errors escaped in it , i shall rather desire that they may be corrected by the discretiō of you or any of the colledg of physicians , then disputed upon by new beginners in the practice of physick , who have but small experience . as for those medicines published at the latter end of this booke , i shall not desire your protection for them , because i never made you , nor any man acquainted with them , for i intended that they should be protectors for themselves : but however i hope that my endeavours in this small treatise will not be unpleasant , but acceptable to you , for the good which i believe it will do in the world ; and so for this time i rest in some measure of assurance of your worships favour . your servant , tho: shervvood . to the friendly reader . having considered with my selfe in these dangerous times the great distresses of the poore of this city , by reason of the contagious disease of the pestilence , now reigning amongst them ; and seeing them to be altogether ignorant , in the use of those meanes that are convenient for their cure , as purging , vomiting , bleeding , sweating , and the like : therefore considering what good these few rules ( experimented by my selfe ) may do unto many , i was thereby moved to print them , for the benefit of such who want the helpe of the skilfull and faithfull physician . for the understanding and memory of those that shall have occasion to use them , i have divided them into three chapters , with contents . as for the medicines prescribed , they are sold by apothecaries , who may afford them reasonably to the poore : the others adjoyned i shall give to the poore for gods sake , and the rich shall have them for competent satisfaction ; but i shall esteeme it my greatest reward , if any shall receive good and benefit by my small labours and endevours . thine t. s. chap. 1. 1. what are the causes of the pestilence . 2. how they are avoided . 3. meanes to preserve the body from infection . there are divers causes of this disease . the first is sin , which ought to be repented of . the second an infected and corrupted air , which should be avoided . the third an evill diet , which should be amended . the fourth are evill humours heaped together in the body , being apt to putrifie , and beget a fever , which must be taken away by convenient medicines . therefore whosoever would preserve their bodies from infection , let them first make their peace with god , in whose hand is the power of life and death . then let them use the meanes , and shun all those things that are able to beget this disease , as all infected and corrupted aire , all fogges and mists that do arise from the earth or water , and all stinking smels that do arise from dunghills , sinks , graves , carrion , snuffs of candles , or rotten fruits , or any thing else that doth putrifie and stink . abstain from all meats and drinks that beget rottennesse and filthinesse in the body ( & so consequently a fever or the plague ) as excessive eating of fruits , especially those that are unripe . also forbear all sorts of fish that have neither scales nor shels , as eels , lampreys , and the like . lastly , take heed of over-charging the stomacke with meats , or drinks , or hot wines ; but especially your unripe medium wines . if any shall find themselves oppressed with gross & corrupt humors , so that they are in danger of this disease they shall be cleansed , by taking one ounce and half , or two ounces , of the infusion crocus metallorum , ( which is to be bought at every apothecaries ) & put to it oximel half an ounce , this shall give them five or six vomits , and almost as many stooles . and after every vomit , let them drinke some warme posset drinke ; so let them keepe themselves warme that day : one houre after it hath done working let them eat a messe of warm broth made with a neck of mutton , or with such fresh meat as the sick are best able to buy ; of which meat let them eat sparingly for the present . those that are so tender or weakly that they cannot brook this vomit , they may be very well purged from corrupt humours , by taking one or two drams of pilulae pestilentiales : but the poorer sort that cannot goe to this charge , may take instead thereof aloes one dram in the pap of an apple , stewed prunes , or else in a little ale or beere . this pill , and this aloes , are excellent remedies for women and children , and they are so safe that women with child may take them . after the bodie is purged , it shall be necessary to draw six or eight ounces of bloud from the liver or middle vein of the arme , if the partie be able to sustain the losse of it . such as have lived temperatly and sparingly , and so consequently are not oppressed with corrupted humours , such shall not need any the asoresaid evacuations or purgations ; but let them shun , as much as they can , all infectious and corrupted aire : but seeing it is a thing almost impossible in the citie of london ; therefore they that are timorous and fearefull may carry about them the roots of enula campana , and angelica , dried or candied , of which they may bite now and then . also the waters of scabies , angelica , or pimpernell , are great preservations for children against the plague , if two spoonfuls thereof be taken in a morning fasting . chap. 2. 1 by what signes you may know whether the sick be infected with the pestilence . 2 how those signes doe encrease or decrease every day ; 3 whether life or death be likely to ensue ; 4 a caveat not to tamper with those that begin to amend of themselves . those that are infected with the pestilence , in the beginning or first day thereof , are taken with an extraordinary cold outwardly , and a burning heate inwardly , a great paine and girding about the stomacke , a sluggishnesse and drousinesse of the whole body , a losse of appetite , a bitternesse in the throat , with a desire to vomit , & sometimes they do vomit . the disease continuing unto the second and third day , the heate breaketh outwardly , stronger , and stronger , so that there followeth a great paine in the head , and a difficulty of breathing , superfluous sleeps , and sometimes superfluous watchings , they grow frantike and light-headed , and they looke very staringly : and if there doth any swelling appear under the eares , armes , cheeks , or groines , and that these signes aforenamed doe begin to cease , then shall the sick recover immediatly without any medicine , onely give him a plaster or pultesse to ripen the tumour , which must be applyed the next day after the swelling appeareth ; but give him nothing inwardly , except it be a warme caudle , or ale-brue , or broth ; for for if you give him a vomit or purge , you shall strike the swelling into the noble parts , and the sick shall be in danger of his life : and if you let him bloud , you shall draw the venemous humour from the soare into the veins , and disperse it with the bloud through the whole body , and thereby destroy the health of the patient , and shorten his life ; as it came to passe with a good friend of mine . also if you give him any medicine to provoke sweat , you shall restore the fever again , and so the sicke shall die without redemption ; yea , and more miserably , then those that never amended , unlesse god be more mercifull unto him ; whereof i have had a sorrowfull experience . therefore bee carefull that you doe not tamper with those that do begin to amend : for those very medicines that are excellently available against any fevers in the beginning or encrease of them , being given in the declination or recovery , will bring the patient into a relapse , which is worse then the former disease , and which shall greatly endanger life . for how many have died by the unseasonable taking of treacle , mithridate , and other good medicines ? wherefore i have often said , that a skilfull physician by watching his time shall doe more with à cup of warme drinke in the cure of the plague , or any fever , then the ignorant shall do with all the excellent medicines that are in the apothecaries shop . now if the rising doe appear , & that the symptoms or signes aforenamed doe not begin to cease , but rather encrease , then shortly after there will appeare some blains or spots , & so death ensueth , unlesse you draw ten or twelve ounces of bloud ( according to the strength of the sick ) from the liver or middle vein of the arme , on that side where the rising is . but if so be that the sicknesse continueth unto the third and fourth day , and the symptomes remaine in their full vigour , then shortly will the spots come forth ; and then i know no medicine that can deliver from death , except god be more mercifull to the sick : but only on the third day before the spots appear it shall be greatly available to give him one of the cordial sweats prescribed in the ensuing chapter . chap. 3. 1 here are prescribed certain approved remedies for the cure of the pestilence , 2 the order and manner how to use them . whosoever shal perceive their bodies infected with the plague , let them take on the first day of the sicknesse the vomit , in that order and manner as it is laid down in the first chapter . and after it hath done working with them , they shal find themselves as well as ever they were in their lives : for it clenseth the stomack and bowels from al corrupt humours , which is one of the chiefest causes of the sicknes . but if the sick be weak and cannot bear a vomit , it shall be good to give him one dram of the foresaid pillulae pestilentiales , or instead thereof one dram of aloes , you may give it either in pill or in potion , according as the sick can best take it , and in the workking of it let him drink some warm broth . but if it be so , that this course hath been neglected the first day , or beyond the time of 24 houres , it will bee in vaine to use it the second day : yea , it will bee dangerous , seeing that the infection is dispersed by the bloud throughout all the veines of the bodie . therefore on the second day of visitation it shall bee good to draw from the median veine of the arme so much bloud as the patient can endure to bleed : and if the sicke hath not gone to the stoole during the time of his sicknesse , you shall give him either before or after bleeding this clyster . take of beets , violet leaves , burrage , buglosse , scabios , of each one handfull , french barley one ounce ; boyle all these in a sufficient quantitie of water untill it be halfe consumed , then strain it , and take three quarters of a pint of the decoction , and put to it of the electuary of hierapicra five or sixe drams , oile of rue one dram , red sugar one ounce , the yolk of an egge , and a little salt ; so make you a clyster thereof , and administer it bloud warme . also you may administer to the sick this clyster . boyle an handfull of rue , in a pint of posset drinke , and put to it a piece of sweet butter , a little honey , the yolke of an egge , and a thimble full of salt ; make a clyster and administer it bloud warme . but if that the sick amend not upon this course taken the second day , or that this means hath not been used , but that hee continueth sick untill the third and fourth day , so that the infection hath taken hold of the vitall spirits , then keeping him warme in his bed , you shall use this cordiall to sweat with all . take of the water of scabios , burrage , buglosse , and angelica , of each halfe an ounce , the electuary of egges two scruples , or one dram , of bole armoniak one scruple , syrrup of roses halfe an ounce , make it into a potion , and let the sick drink it up at once or twice : two or three spoonfuls hereof is sufficient for a child . or the poorer sort may take two peny-worth of treacle or mithridate , in a quarter of a pint of dragon water . with either of these medicines you may sweat the sick , untill some tumour doth appeare , or that he commeth to know himselfe amended . for this is the last medicinall refuge we have in the cure of the plague . if you can , keep the sick from drinking and sleeping for the space of three houres untill the medicine hath done workking . but if you cannot , let the patient drinke a little limon posset , made with some marigold flowers , and harts horn . and if signes of amendment doe appeare , doe not take him out of his bed , or let him coole suddenly : but let him sweat on gently of his own accord , for it is natures sweat following the medicine , which will doe him more good than a kingdome . in this last sweat you may give him some caudle or alebrue : & when the sweats begin to cease of themselves , & his skin grows dry and warme , then let him sit up by a good fire ; aire his cloathes , and so let him give god thanks for his life . adde , if any tumour appeare you may ripen it with this emplaster . take six figs , raisins of the sun stoned half an ounce , salt two drams , honey one ounce , beat them all together , and heat it well with some oile of camomill upon the fire , so spread it upon some cloth , and lay it warm to the tumour , shifting it every twelve houres untill it look with a white head : and when it is ripe , if it be difficult to break , lay to it some goose dung made warme with some sweet butter or sallet oile ; also the root of a white lilly rosted , with some sorrell , to which put a piece of sweet butter , & apply it very warm to the soare , but if it will not break with this means , then you must open it with a penknife or lancet ; else the corruption will rot the flesh , even to the very bone , and when you have opened it , squeeze out the corruption with your hands , and put into the soare , a tent made with unguentum basilicon , or aegyptiacum , & mel rosarum , and lay upon the tent a plaster made with diachilon : continue your tents untill all the corruption be drawn out , then the plaster of diachilon will cure it perfectly . if any that are ancient or weak shall be infected with the pestilence , it shall not be necessary to give them any purge , vomit , or sweat , or to let them bloud ; because they cannot beare the losse of so many spirits as are spent by such evacuations . therefore you may lay upon the pit of the stomack of the sicke a young live puppy , and if the sick can but sleep the space of three or foure houres , they shall recover presently , and the dog shall die of the plague . this i have known approved ; and i do believe that it will be a cure for all leane , spare , and weake bodies both yong and old : provided , that the dog be yonger then the sick . certaine instructions for the cure of the small pox . the nature of the smal pox dispersed this yeer throughout many parts of this kingdome , i have found to bee more malignant , then any that have reigned in my remembrance ; so that many of all ages and sexes , but especially children have miserably died of them : because for the most part , the pestilence is joyned with them , as it doth plainly appeare by those spots , blains , and risings , that follow them . i have likewise observed that those medicines , as mithridate , treacle , safforn and the like , that formerly have cured the small pox , now availe nothing : yea , they are dangerous , if inwardly taken ( especially if the patient hath been long sick ) but if they be outwardly applyed , as i shall shew eft-soons , they will prove good remedies at this time . but how many a tender hearted mother have i seen that , out of an unhappie care of her sicke childe , hath by rash counsel & the unseasonable giving to it hot cordiall medicines , encreased the fever , multiplyed the matter of the small pox , and inflamed the spirits , so that the pestilence hath many times followed ? but howsoever the child hath beene uncurable , which otherwise if nothing at all , or else some small thing of little strength , had been administred , might have recovered ; whereupon i observed the sundry ways and meanes practised by physitians , women , and my selfe , and seeing the diverse events of them , i laboured to find out a certain and secure way for the cure of this disease ; which having found by experience i have ( together with this treatise of the plague ) sent it to the presse , hoping that no man will either hate mee , or envie mee , for doing good , and that those that find benefit by it will thank me for it . the primitive or externall causes of the small pox are all one with those which are of the plague , as an evill and corrupted aire , a disorderly dyet , that begets surfets ; as also for the antecedent causes which are corrupt humours heaped together in the body : therefore those meanes that i have prescribed in the first chapter to preserve the bodie from the infection of the plague , they will also bee a meanes to preserve from the small pox . those that are taken sick this yeere with the small pox are affected after the same manner as those that are infected with the pestilence , & in the beginning it can scarcely be discerned by an expert physitian from it , but only by these signes . those that are infected by the small pox are not so violently affected with heat and cold , nor pains in the stomack and head , as those that are sick with the pestilence , moreover , those that will have the small pox their skin is puft up , and blown like a bladder , so that their face and eyes doe shine : they have a great itching in many parts of their bodies , but chiefly about their nose ; they yawn much , also they finde a great paine and heavinesse in their back bone . now if you shall perceive by these signes , that the sick will have the small pox , keep him warm , but not too hot ; neither let him take cold ; but give him breathing room enough , as he lyeth in his bed : then lay a plaster of mithridate or treacle to the pit of his stomack , and if hee be at mans estate , let him drinke up all this cordiall by two or three spoonfuls at a time every houre ; but if it be a child , the one halfe will be sufficient . take of the waters of roses , burrage , buglosse , and treacle-water , of each an ounce & half , of the syrrup of limons , and clove-gilly-flowers of each one ounce , mix them together , and make thereof a potion : also the poorer sort may take roses , burrage , carduus , marigold flowers , and harts horn , of each a like quantitie , and boyle them in posset drinke , turned with a limon , or white wine : for one above twenty yeers of age let him drink three quarters of a pint at severall times , sweetned with sugar ; and for a child halfe the quantitie will suffice . let the sick sweat gently with either of these medicines so long as hee can well endure it : for the longer the better ; seeing the medicines of themselves are no violent sweats ; & during the sweat you may give him now and then to quench his thirst a very little limon posset-drink by it self . if he can you may let him sleep whilst he sweateth . and if hee lie quiet during the sweat , by gods blessing , within the space of eight or ten houres at the most , he shall find himself finely recovered of his sicknesse . then give him no more of his cordial or sweating posset drink , but only of his limō-posset drink , if he be thirsty ; but let him lie warm in his bed til his skin grow dry , then shortly after the pox will begin to shew themselves . but they will not bee many although every one of them will be far greater then the small pox do use to be ; yet none of them will pit except they be much tampered withal , or picked with the nails . but if so be that those which have white heads do burn and rage extreamly , you may prick their heads with a needle and let out the corruption : there is nothing else to be done with those upon whom they are come out , and the fever abated but that they keepe themselves warm , sit still and be quiet . but if that the sick hath not gone to stool in a long time : before you give him this cordiall to sweat , you shall cause him to goe to stoole by a clyster , or else which is better by a suppositor made with honey and salt , or a violet comfit . and if the sicke bee yong , strong , and full of bloud , you shall without danger doe very well , if you draw from him eight or ten ounces of bloud before you lay him to sweat ; for then the cordiall will have more power , room , and liberty , to play upon the disease , and will the sooner and better drive out the pox . if the quintessentia vitae be given in the waters of roses , burrage , or buglosse , it will drive out the small pox without sweating , and cure the sick immediatly . but if the small pox be come forth , and that the fever continue in his full vigour still , so that the sick doth not amend , but grow worse and worse , then you shall not give them any hot medicines inwardly , nor any thing that doth provoke sweat ; for now hot cordiall medicines will encrease the fever ( and in the beginning they would have quenched the fever ) and turn all the humours of the body into the matter of the small pox ; so that there is nothing but a miserable death likely to follow , oftentimes accompanied with the pestilence . this evill is much practised by those women that pretēd they wil drive the smal pox further out , when they are come out already . wherefore they do but beget the fever again , and where there are but ten they will make a thousand . therefore be carefull in this case , what you do , and give to the sick every hower nothing else but two or three spoonefulls of rose water , sweetened with a little sugar . this will coole the body , quench the fever , cause rest , and then a stoole , and thereby the sick shall recover presently . by these meanes i have cured many very suddenly that have been dangerously sick in all mens sight even to death , as many in the city can beare mee witnesse . as i have warned you not to give many hot things when the small pox are come forth , so i would have you beware of giving those that are very cold , as the waters of plantane , letice , purslane , poppy , and the like ; which ( as i have knowne ) have relieved many for the present , and wrought an admirable cure in the sight of the common people ; but by their cold qualities , they have so congealed and setled the humours in the body , that the sick will never be healthfull all the daies of their lives , as i could instance in many . those that desire further information concerning any particulars not expressed at larg in this brief treatise , they shall be fully satisfied , if they repaire to the author living in hony-suckle court in grubstreet ▪ where he hath by chimicall art prepared six catholicall medicines , with which hee cureth the pestilence , small pox , and most curable diseases whatsoever . 1 vomitivum benedictum . this medicine being taken from five graines to eight , in some convenient distilled water or wine , or else with some conserve or pill , doth safely purge upwards and downwards , so that it may be given to a childe , of three or foure yeeres of age : it cureth all diseases that arise from the foulnesse of the stomack , and is good in the beginning of the pestilence , small pox , or any fever , or ague . 2 catharticum catholicum . the dose of it is from ten grains to twenty , it purgeth gently by stoole , and clenseth the lower belly from all offensive humours , & cureth the french pox , scurvy , jaundis , and dropsie , also it freeth children from worms . 3 diureticum aperitivum . this openeth all obstructions of the body , but chiefly of the liver , spleen , reines , and bladder , it cureth the jaundis and the rickets in children , also it helpeth those that cannot make water . 4 diaphoreticum cordiale . this being given in a small dose doth gently provoke sweat , expelleth all venomous humours from the heart outwardly , and driveth out the small pox , thrusteth out the tumours in the pestilence , and some it cureth without bringing forth a rising . 5 quinta essentia vitae . this reviveth the vitall spirits , and hath an admirable vertue in fortifying the heart against all infectious , & venemous vapours ; so that it is good for those that have occasiō to visit sick people . if ten or twelve drops thereof be taken in a mornings draught it preserveth the body from infection , and if twenty or thirty drops of it bee given to the sicke of the pestilence , within the space of sixe houres after they are infected , they shall be cured in one hour , as i have often proved : it driveth out the small pox , and cureth the sick without sweating . 6 iulapium restaurativum . by the vertue this medicine hath in resisting the putrifaction of humours , it doth cure all sorts of fevers and agues , it may be given in any time of the disease , but especially in the latter end of the sicknesse , when no other medicine can be administred without danger . with it i have cured the hectick fever , and those that have faln into the relapse of the small pox , and such as have been nigh unto death , by reason of violent fevers . any of the aforesaid medicines , the author administreth both outwardly and inwardly in many severall wayes and manners , according to the age , temperature , complexion , and disposition , of the bodie ; and according to the nature , degrees , and time of the disease . artis apollineae vis sola est numen olympi , quo sine languenti pharmaca frustra dabis . if that our art from god receive not strength , in vain we seek mans life for to prolength . finis . a short discourse on the rise, nature, and management of the small-pox, and all putrid fevers occasioned by the death of our late incomparable queen : together with a philosophical account of an excellent remedy for these and many other diseases / by t. byfield ... byfield, t. (timothy) 1695 approx. 34 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a30809 wing b6400 estc r16240 12393767 ocm 12393767 61067 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a30809) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 61067) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 956:3) a short discourse on the rise, nature, and management of the small-pox, and all putrid fevers occasioned by the death of our late incomparable queen : together with a philosophical account of an excellent remedy for these and many other diseases / by t. byfield ... byfield, t. (timothy) 26 p. printed for john harris ..., london : 1695. reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng smallpox -england -early works to 1800. 2003-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-11 paul schaffner sampled and proofread 2004-11 paul schaffner text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a short discourse of the rise , nature , and management of the small-pox , and all putrid fevers . occasioned by the death of our late incomparable queen . together with a philosophical account of an excellent remedy for these and many other diseases . by t. byfield , m. d. and fellow of the colledge of physitians in dublin . london , printed for iohn harris at the harrow in the poultry . mdcxcv . price six pence . a discourse of the small-pox , &c. our late universal loss , as it has given opportunity to many reverend , learned and ingenious persons to oblige the world with the just character of this great and good princess , than whom , these nations in many ages have not afforded a nobler subject : so for the sake of all those who are yet to run the risque of this distemper for their lives ; that the lesser barks may happily avoid those rocks , on which the royal soveraign was lost , i shall with all plainness and brevity give an account of the rise and nature of the small-pox , and all putrid feavers , for if that be not throughly understood , persons are liable to innumerable errours and mistakes , which too oft ( god knows ) prove fatal to those they are concern'd about . i very well know what i have to say is unusual , but since it is most true ; for i take not these notions on trust but tryal . i confess i can't but deeply regret the world was not better acquainted with what i now offer to their serious consideration before the glory of our age was past receiving any advantage by it . but to proceed : the very hypothesis of my discourse is this ; that the venom of these distempers is of a sulphureous and viscous nature , and being so , there is but one way to expel or overcome it ; all other experiments being not only altogether useless , but highly injurious . those that have taken the pains to enquire into the causes of things , have found that sulphurs are both the life and venom of bodies . the first of the nature of light , so rarified that 't is not perceptible , but by its effects , some of which are these , it tinctures the blood in which is its chief residence , it irradiates and enlivens the whole body , every part of which is animated by it : if it be supprest , diseases prevail ; if assisted it has power sufficient to work them off ; if extinguisht , death necessarily and inevitably follows , for 't is the animal soul. the other sulphureity is of a far different nature , the matter out of which all fiery diseases are shap't ; 't is crude , viscous , corrosive and malign ; yet nature deals well enough with it , throwing it off continually by her proper passages ; till by some accident or other they are obstructed , being pent up it returns , and being a more materiated fire , feeds on the gross indigested humours , assimilating to its likeness whatever it lays hold on , and thus it grows more corporeal , dense , and a potent venom ; insinuating its contra-natural heat into the whole mass of blood , which is thereby immediately inflam'd and corrupted : and according to the quantity and venemous quality of this unnatural fire , the distemper terminates in a fever less or more malignant ; or in small-pox , measles , &c. the spirit of life , not able to keep house with this guest , there arises a terrible contention ; and since on the decision of this quarrel no less than life depends , a fundamental knowlege is here most necessary , not only of the cause , but of the nature of the cause ; since it produces a clear judgment , and a certainty in practice : whereas when people act in the dark they are always at a loss , and know not to what they owe the success or misfortune that befals 'em : but trying many experiments the poor patients oftimes , as their last refuge , are forc't into the cold arms of death , the only shelter from so many calamities . to my purpose ; this venom being , as i said before , sulphureous and viscous , 't is further requisite to know the nature of this sulphureous viscosity , since 't is easie to deal with what we understand . now in few words , the nature of such bodies is at first to ascend in the form of a light and thin vapour , which unduly detain'd grows more ponderous , gross and corporal , and then most difficult to be expel'd , till by some inward agent it be again rarified into the form of a vapour . and this task the spirit of life only is able to perform : tho' at present , being overpower'd by these sulphureous mists and fogs , it likes lie the sun behind a thick cloud unable to expand its beams : but when it receives auxilliary force by proper cordials of a temperate and lively nature , with ease it drives out this intruder , and restores the body to its former vigour and strength . for do not mistake , and think that cordials alone do this , 't is impossible . and this is the reason why compassionate ladies , nurses and old women , whom experience only makes wise , often serve the intention of nature by promoting her design , tho' by plain and ordinary means , which refresh the animal spirits , and enable them to go through their task . yet there is a vast difference in cordials and things of that nature given in this case ; for that only is a true medicine which is so qualified that it chears the spirits , expels the distemper , and at the same time abates the fever ; nay carries off a great part of the malignity insensibly through the pores , which would have turn'd to small-pox , and tho' not an opiate , gives an enjoyment not to be understood , but by those that feel it . and as opiates always make dull , stupid and stomach sick ; so this makes brisk , lively and cheerful ; and yet when the time of rest comes , causes the sleep to be sound and sweet . and now i 'm oblig'd to show the uselessness and danger of other methods : and since bleeding is the first thing commonly prescrib'd , i shall begin with that , and do solemnly protest , it is my opinion , that in this distemper there is no more occasion for a chyrurgion than there is for a bone-setter ; nor is it only useless , but highly dangerous ; for when the blood is in a great ferment in order to throw off what ever is obnoxious , at that time to let any of it out , is as if we should do so to liquors in fermentation , which every body knows would hinder their working over ; to which there is required a fullness . to fat people 't is more pernicious , their natures are not so fiery , but more apt to receive a check , and have the venom congeal'd before it reaches the superficies ; to lean hotter constitutions 't is less dangerous , tho' safe for neither . no fear people should burst or dye for want of outlets , every pore will prove a portal wide enough , when the matter is sufficiently rarified from within : but when the blood is let out the empty space is immediatly fill'd ( for nature admits no vacuum ) with a cool thin air , which causes this vapour that is of a heavier nature to flat ; sink , and fall back on the vitals , of which an undeniable proof is the depression of the spirits , and sick qualms of dangerous consequence , if immediate relief be not given . nor is this all , for the blood as i said before , being the very mansion of the spirit of life , as the scripture it self bears witness , you part with your dearest friend , under pretence of expelling an enemy , which yet you can never do this way , tho' you should draw it half out ; no more than you can fine thick muddy liquors by such unlikely experiments ; for what 's left is as bad still . but we daily see when by a lively principle within they have work't out and thrown off all that is of a contrary nature , they fine and grow clear , without any more adoe , and then are at rest , as all agents are when they have attained their end . another common practice is blistering and sweating , which tho' not quite so bad , are yet without use , but not without danger . for as it is impossible to draw out inward fiery venoms ( unless they were beforehand mounted near the skin ) by an outward application , which only attracts watry substances : so considering this distemper as such , a fiery venom , 't is hereby depriv'd of the moisture necessary for its latitude and allay , in both which respects 'tis of vast concern to keep it within , that joining with the heat or unnatural fire , they may between them from an air , and so rise with ease and safety to the patient ; and being thus temper'd and allay'd they are generally of a large sort , that don't leave deep marks . whereas , were the the moisture drawn off , as the heat wou'd grow violently intense , so neither would it ( without great force ) breath out : but circulate and prey on all it finds within , to the utter extinction of the lamp of life . i know the general incentive both to blood-letting and blistering , is that the fever is high , and they fear it may get into the head , and these are of great use to prevent it , as also to hinder such a number of small-pox from coming out . i grant indeed there is a likelyhood of these sulphureous fumes in their rising , to get into the head , nay of making the patient talk idly too , for they are of an intoxicating nature , but of no more danger than the fumes of wine , provided no errour be committed to make them strike back . for when they come to the superfices of the skin , the watry and more aerial part , which as a vehicle helpt it thither , easily passing through the pores wings away ; and the other being sulphureous and gross , receiving a check from the air , settles there in its own fiery from , and then the head is clear and settled , the spirits brisk and lively , the appetite pretty good , and the fever abated . as for the other advantage pretended of preserving a good face , i have more than once observ'd this : that when physitians by drawing-blood , or giving cooling things , &c. have sunk the spirits , and hinder'd the kindly coming out , which is never so well as at natures first attempt , the patient on the return of the venom , growing heart-sick and opprest almost to death , to gain the point they have lost , they have been forc't to double their files , and heap cordial upon cordial , which being common preparations , and so not divested of their own unnatural heat , as they ought to be , have increased the fever , and drove out more than can well be maintained : and these pit most , are a very smal sort , and of great virulency and danger . because nature now having done her utmost , if she be baffled once more , a thousand to one resigns . but that i may comprize all in few words , whatever rebates , drives back , stupifies , dejects , overcools , makes great discharges of any kind ; or on the other hand , whatever over-heats , drives out too forcibly , and fires the spirits , is directly contrary to these distempers , which ought so to be manag'd , that the natural , not unnatural heat be assisted , the former being the very agent that must do the work ; which if allow'd : a medicine rightly qualifi'd ought to have these properties ; that it be stript of all false fire , which would assist and heighten the distemper . that instead thereof it be plentifully furnisht with the salubrious principles of life and sanity , readily joyning in this extremity with that vital spark within us ; that it be of ability to clear the first passages insensibly in the operation ; yet most sensibly in the effect : for this is no time for violent means : that it likewise be endow'd with a power to compose and quiet the spirits , by bringing to equality and unity the principles which are at variance : and not as opiats ( which stupifying the senses for a while ) detain and tye down , not only the spirits , but the distemper , hindring its going off in its proper season , and nature from assisting ; so that when its somniferous virtue is spent , you find you have lost time , the patient only growing sensibly weaker , but the distemper remaining in its full vigor and more fatal . ) and that in a word , by its innate virtue ( with god's blessing ) it can bring you safe thro' this dangerous disease to your desir'd health , and a more than ordinary strength ; and such a medicine is the panacea , of which the following discourse treats . some account of a universal remedy . the contemplation of man's body ( tho' dead ) in its wonderful structure by anatomical display is a curious view : but the consideration of him alive in his vital form and spring of action enlivening the whole , is a more elegant review . 't is to my purpose at present to behold him inform'd with the principle of coelestial fire , enkindling vital airs , and stretching 'em thro' the whole circumference , promoting thereby an animal nourishing heat to every organ of the body , and by a magnetick love , panting after the universal breath of the world , and sucking thro' the medium of the air , a continued reparation of enlivening beams to his central spirit , from the fountain of life and form , the sun. having thus united the lesser to the greater world , by joyning breath to breath , my design is to shew how this inbred fire is maintain'd , may be enlarg'd , and when perverted and wrought into a destructive heat and fire against nature , by art , may be reclaim'd to an oleose , soft , nourishing heat , from its harsh , inrag'd consuming fire . but before i proceed , i must take care to keep under the warm influences of the sun , and regard him as the common parent of us all , and the soul of the world , a globe of central sulphur gloriously illuminating dark and shady bodies ( i had almost aid understandings too ) whose masculine principle , endow'd with an hidden fecundity bestows quickening virtues on all the scatter'd natures of the earth , whereby numberless efficacies and vital breathings are convey'd thro' spiritual channels , for the avoiding corruption , and replenishing them with light , adequate to that tincture of light which powerfully informs mixt bodies : so that he may truly be call'd the heart of the universe , deriving life to all parts , and impregnating decaying nature with new vitality . this magazeen of the empyrean heaven , where the light first seiz'd upon matter , fills with light and life , the soft and yeilding natures of the air , which cannot be suppos'd a nothing , or an empty space , but an essential body of its own , admitting of great powers and virtues , where the matter is swallow'd up by its form , and translated into a nature almost spiritual . for where form and matter meet in equal poise or just equality , the matter 's rescu'd from all blemishes and accidents , and freed in a wonderful manner from infection and corruption . the air thus richly stor'd with beams of life and universal sperm supplies the various kinds of being on the earth , according to the strength of their specifick magnets . and it does so superabound in principles , they cannot take em off her hands , and she so lusts to be imbodied , that where there 's an aptness to congelation , she 'll strike the form of her spiritual essence : as i have strictly observ'd the rime in an hoar-frosty morn exactly shot into stiria , which are the signatures of abounding volatiles . and now 't is time to derive this flowing bounty to the sons of men , who lift up their heads to heaven for life and breath , and all things , and well they may ; for i know not where else they 'l feed their vital flame : since nothing more humours the tincture of life in man , or his animal fire , than the nutritive beams from the sun. for that spark of original sulphur which transmutes into redness , the mass of blood is the spring of natural fire and radical moisture , and the sun in the little world , man ; discenter'd from the great luminary : but held in life by the intercourse of large breathings , whereby he repairs his store from that inexhausted fountain . in vain then shall i look for a fit remedy amidst the domestick or exotick drugs for man. by food he may , and must supply a faecunda terra , but this is but dunging the ground , by respiration he must support his vital air. having thus pointed out the noblest principle of life in man , i wou'd give a little aim at a suitable medicine adequate thereto , as the most apt to repair and set him right when decay'd or over-power'd ; and of such a nature are the undetermin'd sulphureous sparks of the universe collected at certain seasons of the year , when the air is richly impregnated : but the manner of attracting , and further knowledg of what is taken , together with the artful handling of the matter are too curious and troublesome niceties . for who wou'd take the pains to reunite atoms , and consult the poise so strictly in the cotempering of principles , as just to give the dominion to a living sulphur : but such a temperament obtain'd becomes a medicine spiritually fixt , and a noble preservative against the spirit of diseases , and its consequent materiation by contact with material thus our internal air maintain'd ( by art upon nature ) free from disturbance or venoms , is always salubrious and pleasant . it plain enough appears , that the truest medicine for the life of man is a well exalted sulphur ▪ whereby it becomes spiritualiz'd , not volatiliz'd . but betwixt these two words lies seven years labour , with brains too . 't is sufficient then to suggest the nature of it , that it may appear at least harmless . since i assum'd this notion of sulphur , as the most essential principle of life , i have revolv'd again and again the most powerful specifick sulphurs , especially those of the mineral nature , which are difficulty enough obtain'd in purity , and notwithstanding art , they will retain some portion of their specifick venoms , which are not to be destroy'd but by the death of the species : so strongly is nature determin'd to the preservation of her kind . i could instance in many of 'em that retain very churlish qualities after all the pretended art about them , such as vomiting , purging , sweating , &c. meerly as venemous to our bodies , tho they are banter'd off , as having a contest only with offending humours . i have us'd 'em in my practice , and know as well what they are , and can do , as another . after abundance of experiments and tryals , for the attaining of noble pleasant medicines : i must confess , i think my self not a little fortunate in my art of drawing down from the sun and air plenty of illuminated sulphurs , and in my skill of ordering 'em so as to result in the most effectual and pleasant remedy ; which is preservative , curative and restorative , able at once to season the whole fountain , so as to cleanse it self and all its streams . far unlike to other medicines , which are reputed good for some one disease , and that mistaken , kill instead of cure . but this medicine ( dilated in an appropriate vehicle , ) is render'd dispensable to all persons , under any circumstances , and as salubrious as the most refin'd air. and this i call my panacea , which i think abundantly more difficult to make , than to make it appear to be of such general use , as the nature of the thing imports , and the experience of it can attest . but i 'le not much concern my self to gain proselytes . i would have it valu'd only at the rate of its real worth , and my self not too much undervalu'd for being the author of it . universal matter once obtain'd , may be reasonably thought productive of a universal remedy . now no passive actuated matter is undetermin'd , and i have already declar'd against specificks , and dead matter is not for my turn . the living , permanent , active matter of the world is my subject , which ( after 't is render'd fusible by art ) penetrates the very center of life , bringing with it the riches of superiour orbs , generously enriching nature's store with beams of life and balmy fire , enlarging her magnetick virtue ; whereby she vigorously attracts both air and common food , assimilating them to her wholsom nature . hereby tender stamina vitae become robust , the body haile and strong , quick and bright , able to dispel diseasie forms , and resist their first attempts . for the due feeding , and maintaining the animal fire in its resplendent lustre , at once forbids all jars , discords , false fire , &c. and gives a free enjoyment of the body in all its necessary and pleasant actions . truly to sweeten , unite and strengthen the mass of blood , is of huge advantage : and 't is not vomiting , purging , nor steel , nor alkalisate powders , nor washing with waters will do the business : a course of pure air , with temperance , bids fairer , and many are relieved thereby . but to restore essential sulphur , the origin of the tincture of the blood , and subdue fixt salts , inferring corrosive fires , and renew and increase a sweet vital air , is the work rather of a philosopher than a phisician . for the doing of all which this panacea is a compleat medicine , altogether philosophical , and an entire dispensatory . having now regal'd the spirits with this lively mellow remedy ; from so good a stock we may derive fresh vigour to the branches , plumpness to the whole , and cause every part to rejoyce with 'em ; for their nourishment depends so much on a wholesome fountain , that health or diseases are communicated to 'em according to the decay or strength , purity or impurity of it . and what a catalogue of distempers is assign'd to the sundry organs of the body , and elaborate methods and medicines for their cure ? when as a well inform'd principle of life , benignly darts at once kind rays throughout the whole , assisting with proper vigour the faculties , duely to separate what ought to be discharg'd through the cleansing ducts , and refine and purifie what should be retain'd . what need then is there to run out the ordure by violent purgatives , and the wholesome juices too , sharpened and envenom'd first by physick , even to the excoriation of bowels , and damage of the adjacent parts ? many are mistaken in this point , and many take the advantage of it . the blood is not at all purified thereby , nor sweetened ; but often exasperated and fretted by such contraries . besides , the bowels well fill'd keep out wind , cholicks , gripes , twistings , and many more disorders : and what hurt in the congestion of wholesome food ? it seems to be the design of nature , by the length , windings and position of the guts in such order , that there should be due retentions . digestion in dung we that experiment by heats , know to be the truest and most natural . the scituation then of the great gut call'd colon , the last but one , and the amassment of the feces in it , lying under the great organs of digestion and separation , shew that nature had a design from that warm bed to comfort and assist the neighbouring viscera . for such as are always flurting and jerking their bowels with purging physick , less than one yard of a strait gut ( from the pylorus to the anus ) had been better for them . nevertheless , i don't say , but discreet evacuations , at some times , are truely necessary for some , and the drinking of cleansing waters , in their seasons , as epsom , north-hall , &c. the danger of vomits , diaphoreticks , blisters , salivations , improper bleedings , opiates , internal stiptick medicines , &c. ought to be discover'd ; but i 'le pass 'em by at present ; for the very thoughts of 'em jar my nerves . since i can with this remedy keep the stomach and bowels clean from choler , flegm and wind , and make a quick and clean digestion , what needs vomiting and purging ? 't will cause a generous transpiration ; no occasion then to melt and waste the nourishing iuices with provokers of sweats , sometimes to a colliquation , faintness and death . 't will cleanse and strengthen the glands , first separate flowing and unclean serosities , then keep 'em tite from an overflowing : forbear to swell , inflame and corrupt 'em by salivation with mercury ; or to distort nature by forcing a little water through the skin with blisters . and if this proves an antiferment , 't will often save the hazard of bleeding in many diseases . it helps to sound and undisturbed sleep ; no use then of opium . it reconciles great disorders , and always is on nature's side ; no need then of iron chains to bind an enemy in your breast . while some lay on with vomit , purge , blister , clyster , helter , skelter , blowing up , pulling down , like the insurancers from fire , i can deal with life so subtily , as to touch her to the quick ; yet so kindly , that instead of crying oh! i sweetly feed her vital flame , and give fresh vigour to her languishing or fretted spirits : and from a rich store-house derive 'em strong and mellow to all the withering and enfeebled branches , reconciling feuds and quarrels by giving satisfaction to every disturb'd member of the body . all the juices thus enrich'd , are supple , generous and quick : all the parts supply'd with both are agil , plump and strong . i have been more than twenty years a great seeker of medicines , and have been at great expence every way about 'em , and have at any rate possess'd my self of the reputed best . and i sincerely profess i slight 'em all for this , knowing it to be a truth in nature and art , and as great a truth in practice . the height of common chymistry is to mount a volatile salt , that is quick , pungent and fugitive . this medicine is no such thing : but being greatly enricht with spiritual sulphurs , and retain'd by its own magnet , is permanent and fusible , yet innocent and efficacious . but that the design'd benefit of this discourse may not be lost , i must , for the sake of some persons , descend to particulars . to declining age , when the fire abates , and moisture , clouds and cold diseases prevail , with the decay of organs by the impoverishment of spirits , through their often eclips'd and declining sun : nothing more aptly repairs the central fire and radical moisture ; whereby not only diseases are dispers'd , but the whole body is replenish'd with proper nourishing juices : so as to recover , in some measure , quickness and strength of parts ; at least to furnish 'em with good appetite , strong digestion , liberal expulsion of wind , large and clean breathings , free from clammy , tough humours ; clarity of brain and senses , and an entire dissipation of the winter diseases . so that prolongation of life , and pleasant enjoyment of it need not to be doubted , since god gives means thereto . therefore to be perswaded at seventy to sit quietly down with the common wear and tare of nature is more than needs : for such hail principles as could reach thither , may with timely good repair , pass on i know not whither . to such as are coming into the world , as well as those that are going out , and bring with them hereditary diseases , or an unthriving nature , 't is of singular advantage : for next to the benefit of being deriv'd from parents of a sound and strong constitution , there is nothing more beneficial than to convey by their first food fundamental principles of health , which may prove as lasting as their lives . to be drank by the nurses while the children suck . 't is a compleat medicine to such as have a general disorder , or decay of body and spirits , and know not where to lay the blame . for consumptive persons , and those endangered by it , aptly suits all their complaints , and needs no second , provided there be a proper regimen , and careful avoiding of injurious things . for in a hectick the blood having suffered a great dissolution and separation , the spirits of it are turned into a kind of wildfire , which flies about , and wanting allay , burns and consumes a person almost to nothing . now this excellent medicine here becomes a peace-maker , sweetly attracting back again ( by vertue of its magnetick quality ) the dispersed spirits ; and by reason of its likeness to the most constituent parts of the blood , joyns it again , and determines its action within its own proper sphere . and then all things go well , and symptoms disappear ▪ thus this distemper , commonly accounted incurable , is forc'd to yeild the victory to this salutiferous remedy . in every scorbutick distemper 't is very available , and acts as variously as the scorbutick form is various ; for being a medicine truly natural , nature can use it any way to her own benefit . and it is so fortunate , that it cannot be taken to amend the blood , but 't will into the bargain communicate health and vigour to all the parts of the body . for fevers of all sorts , especially malignant , 't is incomparable . whereas in the use of other medicines , these distempers hold a considerable time , with imminent danger , and often end in death ; i have many a time , with great pleasure , beheld , this noble medicine surprising us with its admirable effects ; taking off common fevers in a few days ; sometimes in 24 hours totally . and as for malignant fevers , it secures the vitals from being overcome by their venom ; and keeps 'em up through the whole course of their sickness , from running very low . here i omit to account for the small-pox , because of the preceeding discourse . yet i may say thus much ; that i have had five patients at one time sick of the small-pox , and through the blessing of god on this medicine , not one miscarried ; altho i did not visit after they were out ( having never had 'em my self ) but only gave directions to those who attended ' em . i might mention the several concerns of women and virgins , to whom i abundantly dispense it : but here i 'le only particularize that restless and uneasie distemper of vapours , for which 't is valuable , by removing the cause , in reducing the parts distended , and expelling those fumes that fly upwards . i might add , how it obliges women in labour and lying-in , assisting in all their circumstances , and is the most natural cordial . the bare experience of ir for cholicks , cholical dispositions , and tender bowels ; how it recovers the strength of fibers , gives a liberal expulsion of wind , and makes the belly always easie ; were a sufficient , character . for melancholy people , such as are dropsical , short-breath'd , asthmatical , paralytick , lethargical , apoplectick , and many others , as tho i had nam'd them all ; 't is abundantly qualify'd . but i chuse rather to nullisie than enumerate diseases . 't is as easie and pleasant to take as canary , and may be us'd as entertainment , all the while receiving health and pleasure . no one can injure himself with it . and 't is so loose and free from physical rules and hours , that it ought not to be rank't with the unpleasant crew of medicines : but reposited with the most delicious wines . from my house in great carter-lane . a direct method of ordering and curing people of that loathsome disease, the small-pox teaching the common sort of people (to whom the care of the sick is for the most part committed) how to go thorow their business with much more safety ... : as also how to prevent the usual deformity of marks and scars ... for the benefit of all, but especially the poor / being the twenty years practical experience and observations of john lamport, alias, lampard ... lamport, john. 1685 approx. 45 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2004-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a49182 wing l307 estc r11793 12254352 ocm 12254352 57287 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a49182) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 57287) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 152:9) a direct method of ordering and curing people of that loathsome disease, the small-pox teaching the common sort of people (to whom the care of the sick is for the most part committed) how to go thorow their business with much more safety ... : as also how to prevent the usual deformity of marks and scars ... for the benefit of all, but especially the poor / being the twenty years practical experience and observations of john lamport, alias, lampard ... lamport, john. [8], 30 p. printed by j. gain for the author, and are to be sold by samuel crouch ..., london : 1685. "licensed october 14, 1685, rob. midgley"--t.p. verso. errata on t.p. advertisement on p. 16 and 23. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng smallpox -early works to 1800. medicine -early works to 1800. 2003-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-12 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2003-12 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion licensed , october 14 , 1685. rob. midgley . a direct method of ordering and curing people of that loathsome disease , the small-pox ; teaching the common sort of people ( to whom the care of the sick is for the most part committed ) how to go thorow their business , with much more safety , ease , speed , and certainty than hath been hitherto commonly known . as also how to prevent the usual deformity of marks and scars , with the most usual names of such remedies as are necessary to be made use of ; with their dose , and the manner of applying them . all made plain to the meanest capacity : for the benefit of all , but especially the poor . being the twenty years practical experience and observations of iohn lamport , alias lampard , practitioner in chyrurgery and physick . errata . page 5. l. 4. for or vitriol , r. of vitriol . p. 28. l. 3. i cure , london , printed by i. gain , for the author , and are to be sold by samuel crouch at the flower-de-luce , at the entrance of popes-head alley in cornhill , 1685. the epistle to the reader . country-men , this small tractate was intended as an appendix to another book now almost ready for the press , but that occasion which did move me to think of inserting it at the end of that book ( being augmented ) hath exposed this sooner to a view than was intended . of how singular use a treatise of this kind may prove to all sorts of people , may e●sily be conceived , if we do but consider how hard a matter it is to get any body but to enter into an infected house ; the great charge it is for poor people to pay a nurse , and how ignorant the most of them are of their business when they are obtained . or do but consider what a sad condition it is , when it happens in a family , where none hath had the distemper , and a tender is not to be gotten ; whereby the husband , is constrained to tend the wife , or she her husband ; or they sometimes three , four or more children sick of this disease : how ioyful would they be to know my cheap antidote , for preserving some to tend the rest ? or to be assured with what liquor they may boldly and safely refresh their darling husbands , wives , or scorched thirsty babes . or what would not some pretty maidens ( yea , or young men either ) give , to preserve that beauty they have hitherto enjoyed . all this have i ( by gods assistance ) often performed , far beyond the expectation or belief of most people , and now for the general good of mankind do freely communicate my experience . and lastly , let me perswade you , not to give heed to those who ( out of envy , or self-interest , demetrius like ) tell you that i do not understand the subject of which i have written , because i cry down cooling liquors as poyson to febrile people ; for i do assure you that i have not wrote from bare conjecture , but from undeniable experiments ; as you will quickly find when you do put my advice into practice . wishing you happy success , with my prayers to god almighty , for his blessing on my endeavours , under his alone protection as it is , i emit it to the world. he who fault with this doth find i 'le thank him when he proves more kind . i. l. from my study in havant , septem . 28 die lunae 1685. the cure of the small-pox . i having written a small treatise concerning the many gross abuses and dangerous errors , commonly used amongst such as do pretend to the curious art of healing , discovering the evil of such fraudulent impostors to the capacities of plain country people . upon hearing the lamentation of divers persons , not only that the small pox was spread much about the country , but also that many did die of it ; did resolve to * conclude that book with these short but sure directions for ordering people in that disease . being fully perswaded that i can hardly do my country much better service , than to communicate my knowledge herein ; having had large experience , and wonderful happy success , as well in curing without much difficulty or future a marks , as preserving those conversant amongst the sick , from the b infection ; being things much desired by all people that do conceive themselves in danger of this noysom disease , w●ll known for truth to all such as have imployed me . yea , whilst i lived i● aldingbourne , there was one no●able example , viz. all died that had this distemper not one escaping until three died out of one small c family ; and one out of a neighbo●rs d house , yet the former wanted not the advice of the most famous men in the faculty of medicine . the later did immediately ( after the death of his servant ) seek to me , and god so blessed my endeavours that not one more died , yet one child or * more had the disease ; but , if i forget not , they hardly kept their bed a day for it . one great cause of this disease being so mortal in the country , is because the infection doth make many physitians backward to visit such patients , either for fear of taking the disease themselves or transferring the infection to others . by this means the tending nurses do generally assume the sole authority of physitians , although that their experience perhaps is no more , but what they did gather by their being once a sufferer under the like ignorant practicing nurses . and in case the master of the family do give himself the trouble and charge of taking advice and remedies of some able physitian , yet this signifies nothing ; for their ignorant confidence is such , that they will be * guided no farther by it than it agrees with their own shallow brains , and customary practice . and considering how hard it is to break or alter an old custom that hath fully possessed the fond conceits of a multitude of ignorant people ; i have resolved not to strive against so turbulent a stream ▪ but rather endeavour to make such ( as are not too proud to learn ) more able in their callings , by communicating my knowledge , grounded on reason , and confirmed by many experiments . and to begin i will teach an antidote or preserving medicine , which is this ; take flos sulphuris ( i. e. ) flowers of brimstone ( which is commonly sold by the apothecaries ) four ounces , of clarified honey one pound ; warm the honey , and then stir in the powder , and so keep it in a gally-pot for your use . and when you do conceive your self to be in danger of the small pox , take the quantity of a nutmeg or more , at morning and evening or oftener if you please . you may go about your business as at other times , not minding any order of diet , for it is a very safe harmless medicine and never the worse for being cheap . i have had very happy success in the using it , as there are several living can bear me e witness ; and some of them ( i believe ) will wonder to see me make it so common , but it is the real good of my neighbour that i do aim at in publishing this paper , and not applause . those people that are near a chymist may do well to get such flowers as have been twice or thrice sublimed ; and the last time from colcothar ; for an ounce of such are worth 3 or 4 ounces of those that are commonly sold. but beware that you do not use powdered brimston in the stead of flos sulphuris , least you should meet with a little ratsbane amongst it . but to my business , when you find some of the symptomes to appear as the head-ach , drowziness , sometimes motions to vomit , pain in the back , these or some of these signs being accompanied with a feaver ( at a season when the small pox are rife ) you may well imagine that the disease hath seized the patient . when these signs do shew themselves ( do not run madding to dr. dunce or his assistance to be let bloud ) but go to your chamber ( i do not say to your bed ) and drink strong beer , and now and then a glass of sack ; and never fear increasing the feaver by your so doing , for it strengthens nature to cast out his adversary that way which nature doth most incline unto , as sometimes by vomit , sometimes by sweat and urine . but i have alwayes given an antimonial vomit , as soon as i could possibly have a fit time to give it , ( of which more hereafter ) for it doth expel such a quantity of the morbifick matter , from all parts of the body , but especially from the f head and g stomach , that the disease afterwards seems to be quite mastered ; no light-headed discourse , no unruly actions , no excessive thirst appearing ( or very little ) afterward . and this have i done with very happy success very often ; nay i have had some patients have been angry that they should be confined to their chamber for a few pimples ( as they called th●m ) ; and some never kept within doors . but such as cannot have well prepared antimony , may give a drachm of salt or vitriol ; and for want of that , give a drachm or a drachm and half , or two drams of purified white vitriol , and those which cannot obtain that neither , were better to give the like quantity of crude white vitriol than not to vomit at all ; for i have always observed that according as the stomach is more or less loaded with ill humors , so is this disease more or less violent ; and not as some of our country-people conjecture , as people that are fat and corpulent to be full of the small-pox ; and that spare lean people should have but few . i shall in the next place give my reader a taste of some other authors opinion , how far they may be said to countenance this kind of practice ; and will herein be as brief as possible i can , as having treated more largely in the forementioned book , under the title of feavers . doctor riverius in his practice of physick , page 624 , telleth us , that the cure of pestilential fevers must be directed to three things , viz , the fevers must be opposed with coolers and moisteners , the putrefaction with h evacuators and alterers , the malignant quality with antidotes . in the chapter of putrid feavers , pag. 576 , he sayes , but if thirst be caused by a cholerick humor contained in the stomach , the said humor must be voided by vomit or * stool . the c●olerick humor here spoken of , being stirred , is generally the ca●se of super natural thirst , in all fevers whatsoever . in the chapter aforesaid pag. 570 he writes thus , sometime also in the beginning of these fevers , vomit is to be procured , viz. when the patient is much vexed with illness of stomach , and with vomiting , &c. and many times it falls out that great quantity of matter is contained in the stomach and parts thereabou●s , which must be evacuated as soon as possible may be by vomit ; ( then he giveth a good reason for so doing ) seeing no concoction can be expected of such excrementitious matter in so great a * quantity ; and whatsoever the patient eats or drinks is changed into such like humors and encreases the matter which is cause of the disease . then by consequence to pour your cooling julips , apozemes , pippin-possets , &c. into such depraved stomachs , is like to pouring oyl on fire ( to quench it ) instead of water . then he tells us , that fernelius hath well observed , that all superfluity of humors in the stomach , spleen , pancreas , mesentery , and the cavity of the liver , is conveniently emptied out by a vomit , which sometimes will not be removed by * medicines that work downwards , though divers times administred . thus far riverius . now i must tell you that the material cause of putrid feavers , and the small-pox is the same ; but that which doth put it into act , ( or sets it on working ) is different : for the small-pox is set on fire by the contagious * air ; as you may see that a common surfet ( as you call it ) when the small-pox is epidemical it often turneth to be the small-pox , which had otherwise proved only a putrid feaver . but of this i have given a larger account in another treatise , which i hope shortly to publish . i will say no more of vomits in this place , having in the aforesaid book shewed almost a universal use of them , and proved it by undeniable experiments . and considering the aversness of many people to this kind of physick ; partly out of a natural antipathy , but more from observing the bad events of ill prepared medicines , too frequently made use of by such , whose idleness and ignorance keeps them from the knowledge of good chymical remedies ; of which well prepared vomits are ( to my knowledge ) of most admirable benefit to sick people . well , if you will not be so suddenly rid of your disease , as you might be by vomiting half a dozen times in two hours space ; then i must give a touch again at the order of diet . and here i will tell you again , that if you keep your patients from strong beer to satisfie their thirst ▪ you do thereby exceedingly increase the disease : and note likewise , that if you perswade them to eat either flesh or broth , you do almost as ill ; but if you will be feeding them ( though far better it were let alone until they hunger after it ) then give them now and then three or four spoonfuls of a plain sack-posset , or a piece of white-bread toast dipped in such strong liquor as the patient likes best , whether it be sack , white-wine , metheglin , cyder , march or mild beer , or good ale : and fear not to let him make his toast swim in his stomach if he do desire it . and for to make you the bolder i will give you doctor thompsons opinion herein , in his book of preserving the bloud , pag. 164 , says he , let none then haesitate to offer liberally what is potulent or liquid to one that is thirsty , for 't is both necessary and consentaneous to nature so to do : yea , through this omission the good juice or solid parts may suffer a deperdition . and in the next page , having given divers reasons for giving strong beer in fevers , he breaks out thus , away then with these clogging , dull , flat , vapid , debilitating decoctions of the kitchin , with all their crude vegitable ingredients , most injurious to a febrile stomach . page 166 at figure 3 , he writes thus , as there are a company of non-sensical physitians , who are loath to allow the dry soul of one scorched in a fever a sufficient quantity of moisture to allay their thirst : so are there multitudes of learned dogmatists ( i am certain egregiously ignorant in this particular ) who though they assent their patients should have good store of liquor granted them , as properly answerable to the indication of siccity or drought , yet must it be so qualified , that it ought by no means to contain too many hot particles , least they should seem to act contrary to the definition of a feaver which is as they proclaim it but falsly a preter-natural heat , wherefore they strictly enjoyn posset-drink made with some poor starvling liquor , barley-water , wherein cooling or very temperate herbs are boyled , small beer , fair water , rose-water , with some acid juice mixed , &c. to this they most devoutly keep a weak wretch , not doubting to mitigate ( although they have failed many million of times ) a causos or any burning fit. and a little after he saith , that they will by no means approve of a cup of wine , or a draught of strong beer or ale ( because too hot as 't is fancied ) the principal corroborating * diet , which i constantly prescribe to my patients . thus far dr. thompson . to proceed , if you can get any of the oil of sulphur by the bell , and drop in 6 , 8 or 10 drops into a draught of strong mild beer now and then , it will wonderfully help a weak stomach to concoct the ill humors collected therein ; which will much refresh the patient . if they come forth ill or seem too flat ( as you call it ) then give now and then a glass of sack , with a dozen or twenty drops of elixir proprietatis therein ; this chears the vital spirit ●xceedingly , if the elixir be good ; which it is h●rd to obtain ; for the more excellent a remedy is ; the more are they which do ( through ignorance or avarice ) adulterate the same . th●refore take this course , first observe if it be thick as bloud , then it is rich or strong of the ingredients , and the fewer drops will serve for a dose . secondly , smell to it , if it be strong of the sa●fron , that is another token of its goodness . thirdly , taste a drop on your tongue , for although it be always bitter , yet the less bitt●r the more better ; for that is a sign of being well dig●sted . but if all these hold , and it hath a harsh taste on the tongue , it is not good ; as being made with a menstruum mixed with oyl of vitriol or sulphur ; which although i have directed to be given in the patients beer , yet in the elixir it is not to be allowed ; because it doth corrode the principal ingredients , viz. myrrh , aloes , and saffron . yet for all what i have said , you had better make use of either of them , then to have none ; although i have seen some sold , that i would not give one ounce of my own preparing , for four of that ; of the reason of which odds , i could easily make any ingenious man sensible , by comparing them together . in the next place , there is a medicine sold in many places by the name of mathews's pill , but in truth doctor george starkey was the first discoverer of that excellent remedy . but be the author who it will , its vertues doth sufficiently declare his worth ; for i never saw any thing used by any physitian that did ever come near it for giving ●ase , and rest in any feaver of what kind soever . but i might here make the same complaint as i did about preparing the elixir , but i forbear . but i will teach you the right use thereof according to my many years experience . if your patient be suddenly taken so ill as to desire to go to bed , you may presently give him two pills as big as a pease , and a draught of strong beer with or after them , and if the party do neither sleep nor sweat in an hour or two , repeat them again , and beer as before ; and repeat it again , and again too , if need be . but if sickness doth not compel them to their bed , defer the giving them pills until bed-time ; but do not miss giving two or three at going to bed during the whole time of cure. but do not load them with clothes ( as the common fashion is ) but let them be covered , as may be well-pleasing to the patient , and of the two it were better they are a little too cold , than to be ever so little too hot . now because this may seem a paradox to some people , being so diametrically opposite to common practice , i will give my reason for so doing . if they be too hot , the vital spirit flyeth from the center to the circumference , which ●hould be imploy'd about the a stomach to concoct ( or rather digest ) the morbifick matter ther●in contained ; which is the fewel that doth maintain the fire in this disease . do not all men see how slowly the stomachs of sound people do digest meat ( i do not say d●ink ) in hot weather , for what it doth when the season is cold ? and from this conclusion you may draw a reason for the giving strong liquor to drink to febrile people , viz. that in regard the appetite to eat b is taken away by the disease , it is very absurd to deny the patient such spirituous drinks as hath underwent a precedent c fermentation ( to ease the stomach of the b●rthen of digesting ) so earnestly desired by nature ( that sure guide to true medicine ) that by the quick diffusing their vigorous atoms in the blo●d , the archeus may thereby be speedily enabled to conflict with the disease . here perhaps some will say that i do write ta●tologies ; but i answer , so material a point , being so much opposed , and that by persons esteemed eminently learned , so much to the prejudice almost of all mankind ; cannot be repea●ed too often , until it hath obtained belief of the audience . but i have designed this tractate , not to teach the learned , but to instruct the poor ignorant tenders of the sick , and such poor wretches as are not able to hire a tender , much less to pay a silken doctor to feel their pulse , whilest they look over the other shoulder , or hold some perfume to their noses : i shall rather refer them to the judicious writings of doctor starkey , doctor thompson , noah biggs , and others ; who partly from the works of that profound , indefatigable , pyrotechnian phylosopher van helmont ; and partly from their own diligent study and labour at the fire , ( the touchstone of natural things ) have not only battered some of galen's * out-works , but made the foundation of his phylosophy to totter . it may here be expected , that i should teach some excellent oyntment to prevent the pits , marks and scars , &c. which do commonly succeed this disease ; but i tell you that if the foregoing instructions have been but indifferently followed , there will be no need of the latter . but for their sakes who ( through some occasion or other ) have neglected it , i will give a word or two of this also , for i have been forced to do somewhat in this kind of practice ; but i would not have my reader imagine that i do pretend to an absolute deletion by this way ; but only a lessening of the same that they may not be so much deformed as otherwise . so soon as the small-pox begin to suppurate , that is in plain english to ripen , then take oyntment of tobacco being melted and with a feather besmear the patients face as hot as they can endure it ; and when they sit up it will be better to sit against a chaffing-dish of coles for an hour together ; but those that cannot you may do well to cover their faces with soft paper moistened with the oyntment . this is the best thing that i did ever see made use of ; and yet i have spent much time amongst them , not only in bare visiting ; but have watched several nights with such as have seemed da●gerous ; whereby i had greater opportunity to observe the operation of my remedies : than those who only prescribe a medicine by aim , and sendeth their bills to an apothecary , who oftentimes makes up the quantity with rotten stuff for want of good ; and with chopping and changing for want of sorts . now if any know better ( as i doubt not but better is ) i should be glad if either out of christian charity or human pity ; he would communicate it to the world for the benefit of poor afflicted mortals , whose torment under this disease cannot be demonstrated by any pen ; i mean when they have them much , and happen to be handled according to the common way of practice ; for otherwise it seemeth but a light matter to undergo it . lastly , i must advise you , not to rely too much on the use of the most excellent medicines that the art of man can prepare ; for our merciful god that giv●th us the assistance of his creatures , as well for food as medicine ; can when he pleaseth hinder their effect if they are not received with prayer and thanksgiving . therefore use the means , but do not rely on it ; but pray to god with sincerity and faith , that he would direct to and bless the means , and then you may with confidence and hope expect comfort thereby . to whose great name be ascribed all power and glory for evermore , amen . advertisement . those that have occasion for any of those medicines herein mentioned , may have them truly prepared by the author at reasonable rates , if they are not living too remote from his house in havant near portsmouth ; or at the george inn in chichester on mundays , wednesdays and saturdays ; or at the half moon in peter●ield on saturdays only . note , my fever pills which i have made use of many years , is not the same with matthews's pill , save in the original only ; mine containing some eminent cordial ingredients which are not in that . besides when i do intend it against the stone i add a mineral salt , which renders it far more efficacious in that disease . also i have an electuary for such as cannot swallow a pill , which answereth all the intentions of curing this disease , except vomiting . an appendix . when i had finished this small treatise and delivered it out of my hand in order to be printed ; it came into my mind that i had given directions to vomit such persons as should be infected with the small pox , as the most absolute speedy means to extirpate that disease , but had given no instruction to the ignorant tenders how to govern the patient during the t●me that it is working . therefore i have supp●ied that defect by way of an appendix , rather than to leave it defective in so material a point . therefore i will first shew ( to such as have a little insight into astrology ) how to elect a proper time for the administration of the medicine , and then teach the nurse how to do her office. first observ● what sign the moon is in ; for that is the basis of your work. for of all the signs in the zodiack , those that rese●ble such beasts as do chaw the cud , are by a g●neral consent of physitians accounted the best . and i do know it to be so by my own expe●ience . now which particular signs i do prefer before o●her , you shall know by my order in placing them ; that which i place first , to be first made choice of . for i do esteem capricorn ( ♑ ) before all the rest ; the next , taurus ( ♉ ) ; then aries ( ♈ ) ; after these , cancer ( ♋ ) ; pisces ( ♓ ) ; scorpio ( ♏ ) and sagittarius ( ♐ ) . the moon being in any of these seven will do indifferent well ; but the other five i reject except on very urgent occasion : the worst of the five are leo ( ♌ ) and aquarius ( ♒ ) . i do hardly ever give a vomit when the moon is in either of them , nor often being in libra ( ♎ ) , gemini ( ♊ ) or virgo ( ♍ ) , but the last is the best of the last five . secondly , observe with what aspect , and from what planet the moon is beheld , for i had rather she be void of course , than to be beheld by any planet so that her next application be good : and i do prefer the ill aspects of iupiter ( ♃ ) or venus ( ♀ ) , rather than the good aspects of saturn ( ♄ ) or mars ( ♂ ) . but the moon being in conjunction ( ☌ ) quartile ( □ ) or opposition ( ☍ ) , with saturn ( ♄ ) sol ( ☉ ) or mars ( ♂ ) , beware of giving any purging medicine . and ( ☉ ) and ( ♄ ) being so aspected you ought to forbear likewise . thirdly , let one of those seven signs ascend ; and carefully avoid the presence of ♄ or mars therein ; neither let them nor the ☉ behold the degree ascending ( partilly ) by any bad aspect , but ☉ corporally in the ascendant in any of those seven signs is good . much more might be said on this subject , but i design brevity , and this is the ground of all ; and what i have written , i have proved by several thousands of experiments . now such whose understandings cannot comprehend this , let them observe when the moon is in one of those seven signs , viz , ♑ , ♉ , ♈ , ♋ , ♓ , ♏ , ♐ , and avoid such days as she changes on , the full and either of her quarters . in the next place i must teach the nurse how to govern the physick in the time of its working . therefore when you give any of the vitriol vomits , you need not be very curious , do but thus ; give a good draught of strong mild beer to the patient , and in a quarter , or half an hour after give the physick , being dissolved in a little such beer , and then some sugar put into it ; which for the most part doth quickly come up again loaded with ill humors ; then presently give the party another draught of the like beer warm ; do thus as often as the patient doth c●st , which will be sometimes two , three , or four times . but if you take an antimonial vomit , then you had need to be more circumspect . the best that i do know ( that is to be had at the shops ) is that which is called aqua benedic●a ; being an infusion of crocus metallorum of which ( if the crocus be good ) one ounce or an ounce and quarter is a sufficient dose for a man ; but that which i have used many years is far more gentle , and yet the dose is much bigger , viz. 4 , 5 , or 6 ounces . but they are so safe that i commonly give them to big bellied * women , to ancient people , or to * children of three quarters of a year old or under . now these * antimonial vomits do ( for the most part ) keep the same order in working , as to the time , and you may take it any time of the day , either full or fasting , it matters not , if the physick be but rightly prepared . when you have drank your physick alone , then fast an hour after it , walking a little if you are able ( for i have often giv●n them to s●ch * patients as could hardly turn on their beds without help ) in which time it will work of it self ( if it be strong enough ) if not , take near a quarter so much as you took at the first and stir again . when the patient hath cast once , give him a large draught of warm gray posset-drink immediately after the casting ; doing so every tim● that h● casteth . and because i have seen some country-people make their posset-drink very ill , i will tell you how , and likewise how much i do usually make to be imploy'd in the working of one purge . i take most commonly two quarts of milk , and when it is ready to boil i do pour thereinto a quart of strong beer but not too stale ( because that would make the posset have a sowre taste ) and so let it stand over the fire until it be clear . for the most part these vomits are just two hours in the working . and for my emeto cathar ( or vomiting purge ) you may eat , drink , or sleep as soon as it is over , but commonly they do chuse to lie down on a bed. and that night i do usually give the patient three of my fever pills as big as a pease , and a draught of strong liquor after them , having supped ( either not at all , or ) two hours before . and in regard many people loath posset-drink ( and not to drink good store of some liquor were like a laundress washing with soap and none or little water ) i will tell you what will do as well , and that is strong mild beer or ale : but broath is not good , and gruel is much worse as i have seen proved . there is nothing ( as i conceive ) material now wanting , if you do but accept it as kindly , as i have candidly communicated the same , not resting on conjecture , ( for there is no argument beyond experience ) but making a practical use of it . i doubt not but many thousands will praise god for putting it into my heart to divulge it so plainly to the world. it may be some will say that there are abundance of abler artists , who might probably have done it more elegantly . i answer , since they have not done it , there is great need that some body else should . for it is not he that can lend me a hundred pounds that is thank-worthy ; but he that lendeth me four or five pounds to serve my necessitous occasion . and i studied not * elegance ( or applause ) but plainness ; that it might be the more universally useful . advertisement . all agues , sci●tica's , the scurvy , hypochondriack melancholy , with many other chronick diseases , are radically cured by the author , by extirpating the occasional cause thereof . he also gives speedy ease and rest in all putrid feavers , and cures them perfectly in few days , if they are not too far gone . he cures the tooth-ach without drawing the tooth ; and pleurisies , and quinsies , speedily and safely , without bleeding . he hath a singular way of easing after-pains , and gripes in young infants ; insomuch that the nurses could scarcely keep their beds an hour together one night , and there was no need of rising the next . the post-script to the indifferent readers within the compass of my acquaintance . gent. i would not have you despise the matter for the meaness of the stile , nor the subject for the plainess of the authors coat ; for a man is no more known by his raiment , than a good horse by his trappings , or a good gun by the stock . be not carried away from the truth with the gingling eloquence of such who by flattery have gained a repute in the world , but try the matter by your own reason , and senses ; according to that saying of aristotle , that we ought to give credit to reason , if the things of reason agree with experience . i say try , enquire , not what is reported of me , ( for ill-will and self-interest pervert judgment ) therefore enquire of those that have been my patients , of what cures have been done by me of all kinds ; whereof many are such as are generally accounted uncurable . but no more of this at present but a word or two of fevers , in this disease it is known far and near that my practice hath been quite contrary to the common custom ; i thinking it no shame to follow truth , although therefore very few will follow me , the major part aiming more at greatness than goodness . and as an ingenuous man said once , that although truth ought to be followed by all , yet he that keeps too close to its heels might chance to have his teeth dash'd out ; so have i been in danger often for no other offence . for i am of his opinion who said , to follow gallen any farther than he follows truth is great wickedness . now it cannot seem strange to any intelligent person that i should ever and anon be followed with such cruel clamors , making all people believe ( who are ignorant of my practice ) that thorow ignorance and want of good remedies , i destroy most that i do take in hand ; when the authors themselves know that it is as full of falsity as the sun is full of light. but herein they play the fox that dispraised those * hens and * grapes for nought , which he could not reach to taste . for i do believe there is not one of a hun●●●● th●t goeth so warily upon the art of heali●g as i did , being above twelve years a curi●●●●●archer into galens doctrine ; and as strict 〈◊〉 observer of their practice that were his fol●●●●● , before i did meddle with the admini●●●●●ion of ph●sick ; but i do assure you that i ●●●●ived more satisfaction in reading one chymic●l * author of about four or five shillings price , 〈◊〉 f●om all the books that came to my hand in all ●h●t time . and i never durst to profess any thing in the art , but with great doubting before . th●n pray consider what a bitter exigent i was at , that must either forsake truth it self , ( of which our merciful father had now discovered a glimpse to me to sweeten my labours ) or else i must forsake the splendid society of all the prof●ssors both chyrurgical and physical , within many miles of my dwelling ; for such was my unhappiness that there was not one professing the art of healing that did rightly understand either astrology or chymistry , within fifteen miles , or i suppose twenty . now i will tell you some of their practices . never was any poor mouse more narrowly watched by the vigilant cat , than i have been by them , or some of their deluded followers , so that if a patient fortune to miscarry under my care , it is presently ascribed to me or my chymical re●edi●● , because i often act contrary to the edicts of the female counsel , and will not lead my patients by bleeding , cupping , blisters , &c. ( as it were through an earthly purgatory ) alamode to their grave , hereby i say if a patient of mine dye , they report all the country over that i kill'd him or her ; with most bitter hyperbolical , false aggravations , as extream swelling , it never work●d , it was too strong , &c. when it is well known to thousands now living that if my purging physick never work it doth no hurt , which hath made me the bolder in using it ; nor ever have i had a patient that died whilst the vomit strained them , nor above one of a thousand within twenty four hours after its working was over . now as watchful as my antagonists have been , let them prove to the contrary and i will subscribe a paper of recantation , if their evidence be uninterested persons of credit . i must yet come closer , if they be angry i cannot help it , nor care i for it . are not ordinary feavers the means to carry a great number of people to their graves yearly ? let them look over their books and then tell me , if they have not lost out of the like number ten for my one . if this soap will not wash off the dirt with which i have been so unworthily bespattered ; i will offer one more scowring remedy . let any of them come to matter of fact , and abide but a fair trial ; and i will lose five guinnies , if i do not cu●e of febrile patients two for their one . but i suppose they will say , they hardly know any practice that i have had in this kind . i believe so too , but it is because i any fever ( except hectick and pestilential ) in few days , if i am called as soon as the patient doth appear to be very ill and then it is looked at as a thing not worth noting . but you t 's that cannot credit my report without proof , if you are neer chichester pray enquire of mr. iennings his daughter , mistress godfrey , and if any thing thereabout will make against my discourse i make no doubt but i have a sort of such friends as will discover the business without troubling me to search either my notes or memory . besides hers being a putrid fever , i will tell you somewhat concerning a malignant fever . in the year 80 or 81 , there were great numbers of people died of such fevers , many whereof were taken with vomiting , &c. yet i had the good fortune to cure eighteen in the parish of aldingbourn not one dying in that great compass of that disease ; mr. henry whitington and his wife being two of them . now it remains that i give a reason for this tedious post-script and so conclude . yet i had overslipt one thing being very proper to be spoken of ; and that is that since the whole treatise is concerning the small pox , to say a word or two of my experience herein . when this distemper did rage so much in and about chichester , ( ten or a dozen years since ) it was a great many that fell under my care , i believe sixty at the least and yet i lost but one person of the disease . nor was one of my patien●s marked with them , to be seen but half a year after . my success being such that many people thought themselves almost out of danger , if they could but get one of those nurses into their houses that did use to tend my patients . now as to the reason of this post-script , i having by study and labour attained to a far better , safer and speedier way of curing diseases , than was ever taught by galen , did think my self bound in conscience to give my neighbours warning of the danger of their botcherly , butcherly , cruel manner of practice , of bleeding , blisters , cupping , cauteries , actual and potential fontinels , &c. whereby i ( like paul at ephesus ) did engage the whole tribe of the medicinal art against me ; and this was not unreasonable neither , for if they lose these , the chief profit of their trade is gone . then do but consider how vain a thing it is , for one single person to stand upon his guard against a multitude of mad , resolute , self-will'd opposers . it is but like one going about to extinguish a heath-fire , when there are above one hundred others as exquisite persons , as industriously imploy'd to kindle the said fire in fresh places whilst he is putting it out where it first arose . so for me to make any defence against so violent and numerous , mad , heady kind of people , were but like barking against the wind ; or a hare to undertake to expostulate with a pack of hounds . for me to lose a patient , there is a clamor presently just like that in a country village , when a dog hath kill'd a sheep ; but for a score of theirs to die , there 's no more notice taken of it than for as many sheep to lose their lives in a butchers slaughter-house . for the female jury have always this healing balsam ready ; why he did as much as the art of man could do , but alas his time was come . very true , and so is his time come that is hanged , although perhaps he might have lived much longer had not the executioner's unlucky knot prevented him . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a49182-e460 * but the urgency of the occasion , by the raging of the distemper , hath forced this abortive birth . a mrs. badmerings familynear to a●hington , & one gibs at felpham week . b iohn haman needle-maker of chichester . c mr. t. gre●● . d h●n . li●b●ise . * vpon enquiry i hear that it was two children and one servant . * by help of my directions the master or mistress may be able to guide and controul the most confident nurse . e hen. betsworth a mole-catcher in chichester . caution . f riv. pag. 13. saith , aqua bened. purging upwards and downwards , bringeth such a quantity of flegme not only from the g stomach , b●t from ●he brain also &c h there is no quicker nor safer evacuation than by a chymical vomit . but do not think that tobacco and such like are to be used . * how dangerous stools are , every nurse can tell you . * is it best in a great quantity , and bad in a small ? * why then do ●ou use them . * and in put●id fe●●ers , by ●ating , or drinking to excess ; or some violent agitation , in labour or exercise . * pray 〈◊〉 that this an●i●●t , ingenious , i●dustrious , 〈◊〉 artist tells us plainly , th●t strong beer , a● and wine , which other doctors do forbid , be constantly ●res●ri●● to his ●ati●nts ( not o●ly as drink ) but 〈◊〉 chiefest diet als● ▪ a riv. pag ▪ 57● . say● , a 〈◊〉 ●●gard is to be 〈…〉 . b riv. pag 5●● . 〈…〉 c s●ch are all s●rts of wine , cyder , 〈◊〉 and all sorts of b●er and a●e , of which that is the be●● which the 〈…〉 . * their method . receipt . notes for div a49182-e2060 * t●e wiv●s of will. hartly , and rich read. hen. limbric● , all of aldingbourn n●●r chichester . * jane goodman of heyshot . * th●se are the best to prevent the m●rks . * goodwise s●one at the anchor i●n in liphook ▪ 〈◊〉 por●smouth road. and mrs. b●ll then of wick by chichester . * or , eloquence . notes for div a49182-e2960 * chimical vomits and other chimical remedies . * chimical vomits and other chimical remedies . * an elenchus of opinions concerning the cure of the small pox together with problematicall questions concerning the cure of the french pest / by t. whitaker ... whitaker, tobias, d. 1666. 1661 approx. 104 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 70 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a65692) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 106625) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1109:8) an elenchus of opinions concerning the cure of the small pox together with problematicall questions concerning the cure of the french pest / by t. whitaker ... whitaker, tobias, d. 1666. whitaker, tobias, d. 1666. questions problematical concerning the french pest. [8], 123 p. printed for j.g. for nath. brook ..., london : 1661. "questions problematical concerning the french pest / by tobias whitaker ... london : printed for nath. brook ..., 1661" (p. [89]-123) has special t.p. error in paging: p. 116-117 misprinted 117-118. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng smallpox -early works to 1800. medicine -early works to 1800. 2003-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-10 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-11 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2003-11 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an elenchus of opinions concerning the cure of the small pox . together with problematicall questions concerning the cure of the french pest . by t. whitaker physician in ordinary to his majesty and house-hold . london , printed by i. g. for nath. brook at the angel in cornhill , 1661. the epistle to the reader . candid reader , i have been studious to salute my nation with some acceptable present . it is not as yet a complete year since my landing with his majesty in england , and in this short time have observed as strange a difference in this subject of my present discourse , as in the variety of opinions and dispositions of this nation , with whom i have discoursed . this disease of the small pox , was antiently and generally in the common place of petit and puerile diseases , and the cure of no moment . the contagion that infected rebellious spirits , is known to come , and be received from the malicious breath of some venene natures ; and hath been permanent for many yeares , and conveyed to severall parts of this region ( not extinct at this day . ) but from what present constitution of the ayre this childish disease hath received such p●st●lential tinctures i know not , yet i am sure , that this disease , which hath for hundreds of yeares , and b●fore the practise of medicine was so exquisite , hath been as commonly cured as it hapned ; therefore in this age not incurable , as upon my own practise i can testifie : therefore i have publickly indeavoured to cast my weak dart at death , and to abate the severity of this disease in those that are afflicted with it . if i have not given full satisfaction to my country either in the matter or manner of my presentation , yet i have presented my velle and best respect unto them , with as much indeavour to fulfill their own desire . and in effecting thus much , i have snatcht many houres from my sleep and other employments , well knowing i was not born onely to serve my self , nor can i be confident of much longer time to serve others . i am no sooner past the diseases of youth , but in daily expectation of the infirmities of old age. and thus mankind is in perpetuo fluere , from the cradle to the saddle , and from thence to the grave ; therefore i do put my self upon action for the generall good of my country so long as i have time amongst the living , till i shall passe away and be seen no more . it is well known i have been buryed in exile from my own country the major part of three lives , and by the same providence am raised and restored again ; and by the same providence expect another resurrection , being assured tbat really i must enter into the terrestrial womb of my mother before this corruption shall put on incorruption . this short tract is my will , in which i bequeath the all i have done at present , to those that please to accept it , and wish there were more in my present possession to bequeath . and this donation at this time , is wished may be with as much respect received , as it is presented from a faithful friend and country-man t. whitaker . an elenchus of opinions in curing of the small pox . there are various affects which besiedge the body of man , and are continually storming and laying battery to it ; such as are luxury and intemperance in dyet and exercise ; also the distemper of the ayre and popular infection , with many other causes , some from celestial influence without us , others from various firmentations within us ; all subjecting humane bodies to depend upon remedies , and in these remedies either simple or compound , are contained the mystery of healing , with the industry of the physician , expertly and regularly to dispence , and with judgment and experience specifically to apply them : and this is the onely useful faculty of the physician , producing all contemplation into act , not debasing or undervaluing the theorical part of physick ; which argueth à priore , from the cause to the effect , and as the sun doth clearly discover the atoms , and occult mysteries of science , and present them to publick view . for though an argumen● à posteriore , from the effect to the cause , and from experience , be most sensible ; yet when it receiveth a lustre and illumination from reason , 't is more satisfying because more discoursive ; ( as for example ) the smith shall forge out a piece of iron into several figures , and if he be demanded the reason why he doth first put it into an intense fire , he will answer you , because his master ever did so ; but when he shall be informed that the subtile quality in fire doth open , segregate and soften the hardest body , which maketh it malleable , and so fitteth it for to receive the impression of the hammer : this reason will adde a greater satisfaction to his sense , as the complement and perfection of every artist . and by this conjunction of theory with experience , i shall extract my subsequent discourse concerning the most proper remes dies in the small pox. there will never be wanting as many varieties of opinions , as distinctions in complexions ; but in no age so many separatists in arts and sciences , as in this present age ; nor any region so insane and ill-principled at present , as this region of england hath lately been ; our universities for more than two ages rather an amsterdam of opinators , then the learned schools of well-grounded philosophers ; o tempora ! o mores ! my self hath been so many years dead in exile , that in this my resurrection i neither find the same places nor faces as i left them ; as if the restless spirit of that mad vanhelmont had set up his rest in the spawn of this late production : the subject of this discourse is now disputed , whether it be a disease , or any disposition praeternatural ? but i presume this is but a gymnastick exercise , argumentandi gratia , tossing each to other a few canting terms : for any well-instructed physician will soon espye it to be a vitiation of the figure , and a disease organical in general , such as is the disproportion of parts ; and that it is a disfiguration is manifest to common sense ; therefore as a disease it is the subject of my following discourse . this disease , which the english nominate the small pox , is much questioned amongst authors , whether it were known to the ancients or not ; amongst whom i find ioannes manardus , famous for his excellent knowledge , to understand the small pox to be the same disease which galen nameth exanthemata , in lib. 5. de morbis curandis , cap. 2. where he discourseth of pestilential pustules in the internal coat of the aspera arteria , and such as are in the external parts of the body , by no other appellation than in nomine exanthematum : and the same author in his commentarie upon hippocrates his vulgar diseases , there doth affirm , that amongst other diseases in pestilential constitutions , there doth appear ecthimata , which are great flourishing pustules in the skin , arising out of the ebullition of gross humors , by which he doth apparently demonstrate by what name the small pox , or variola , passed amongst the ancients . and sebastianus de morbis puerorum , with many other writers , are of the same opinion ; from whom marcus antonius , the florentine physician , doth differ , quaest . 22. grounded upon the authority of galen 4 de sanitat . tuend . saying , where there is a complication of lassitude with those pustules , which the grecian nominateth exanthemata , from those we may soon di●cover the particular excrement , which cannot signifie the small pox , because other pustules do render the special excrement , with the same distinction of pure choller , burnt choller or phlegme , with their quality of saltness and sharpness : therefore my endeavour must be to discourse of that kind of pox , which assaulteth humane bodies but once in the whole course of life , ( except rarely . ) valeriola , whose memory is honourable , doth endeavour to prove the small pox or measles which appear critically in inpestilential fevers , not to be by galen nominated exanthemata , with whose opinion i do consent , because the appellation is of general extent to all kind of pustules , and of choller 's , as is verified in his book de atra bile , ( where he affirmeth ) in deceased persons ; where excretion by the lower belly is not sufficient , in such persons the whole body is affected with pustules , quae nigris exanthematis similes essent , circum undique scatuit ; and in other places ( he speaketh ) of white pustules , ( which pliny nameth papulas ) and of these cornelius celsus maketh more kinds of rough and sharp eruptions upon the skin , magis & minus being the onely distinction of them : and many moderns conceive these pox to proceed from maternal menstruosity , others conceive them to be intercutaneal , ill juices or ●eccant humours , fermented by an intense heat in the superficies of the skin which corrupt humours ( according to fracastorius ) are generated by corrupt dyet , and therefore in his book de morbis , he placeth this disease of the small pox amongst diseases epidemical ; and as it is an affect cutaneal and epidemical , so it doth infect all children and young persons , because their temper is properly more moist and hot than old age , it being cold and dry in it self , but excrementitiously moist , onely by the decay of natural heat , and altogether indisposed to receive the impression of it ; old age being properly , & per se , cold and dry in temper , if otherwise , it is mirandum in morbo , and for such wonders in diseases i shall refer the reader to skenkius and pe●rus forestus , &c. there are not wanting ●ome physicians , that are 〈◊〉 of that opinion of the small pox , that it is hereditary to those that are affected with it , and not to be avoided by their natural issue , let them be of any age or temper , and therefore no more to be admired than the gout , stone , consumption , with paralytick and hydropical diseases , especially and more generally the small pox : against whose opinions fernelius is evidently opposite , ( especially ) to all physitians that affirm the small pox to proceed from maternal menstruosity , but especially caused by the malignity of the air , conjunct with vitious humours , whose opinion is most reasonable , because the vehicle of universal infection is the ambient air , which apprehendeth suddenly all matters subject and disposed to receive contagion . moreover , when the small pox are universally spreading , they frequently usher in the grand pest , upon a stronger infection of the air : and that it is a malignity especially of the air , hath been frequently proved by the creatures of the air , which have fallen dead to the earth , and killed by the poyson of the air . again , if this disease were conveyed in the principles of nature , from maternal bloud , which is administred to the production of all animals , then there were an universal reception of this disease , not onely in humane nature , but also in all animals whose production is ex semine & sanguine . but this disease is apprehended by no subject matter indisposed to receive the impression of such venemosity , as is of this nature ; nor is all mankind capable of such reception , although riverius will not have one of one thousand of humane principles to escape it , yet in my conjecture there is not one of one thousand in the universe , that hath any knowledge or sense of it , from their first ingress into the world , to their last egress out of this world ; which could not be if it were so inherent a concomitant with maternal bloud and seed ; but the small pox is dedicated to infants more particularly , which are most moist , and some more than others , abounding with vitious humours , drawn from maternal extravagancy and corrupt dyet in the time of their gestation ; and by this aptitude are well disposed to receive infection of the ayre upon the least infection , according to epiphanius ferdinandus , his cum quicquid recipi●ur , recipitur in subjectum benè disposit um . moreover , the want of motion is a stagmatizing cause in infants , by which their best humours may be altered into put refaction , and prepare that particular matter to a form fit for such matter ; for infants have no other exercise to digest their nutriment , but crying ( according to aristotle ; ) and common observation will manifest , that the most quiet infants are of least duration , and most morbifical : the causes of the small pox ( therefore ) are upon the corrupt disposition of the humorable masse internal , and these two causes do produce that one effect which galen nominateth obstruction of all distribution internal , and transpiration external , the permanency and continuation whereof doth effect an ill habit , and consequently all diseases , both similary , dissimilary and common , and thus i proceed to the signs of this particular disease . although the signs by which this disease is signified and distinguished from other affects , are many , which are rendred from the greeks , arabians and latines , yet from none of them more exactly than à ioanne pascalio medico valentino , in their order , the first sign of them being a pain of the back : the second , itching of the nose : the third , fearful and troubled sleeps : the fourth , a compunction of the sensible and nervy parts of the body : the fifth , a heaviness or ponderosity of the whole body : the sixth , a flourishing colour in the face : the seventh is , the lacrymation of the eyes : the eighth , a burning heat and fervency of the whole body : the nineth , a gaping , yauning and stretching of the whole body : the tenth is , a palpitation intercutaneal : the eleventh is , a compression and shortnesse of breath : the twelveth , a raucedo or hoarsness : the thirteenth is , a thick spitting from much heat : the fourteenth is , the heaviness of the head : the fifteenth is , the trembling of the heart : the sixteenth is , a great siccity or drouth and driness of the mouth and tongue : the seventeenth is , the perturbation of the mind , with convulsive motion : the eighteenth is , the soreness of the throat : the nineteenth , the trembling of the hands and feet : the twentieth is , a perturbed and pale urine . these are the pathognomical and proper signs of this disease in fieri and in facto ; the prognostick of hope or fear in the course and motion of this disease , dependeth upon the mutation and alteration of these signs and symptomes , in the time and manner of their eruption conjunct with the colour of them as followeth . the signs of discouragement after their eruption , taken from their colour , is when they appear black or green , the black being worst and most mortal . again , they are more dangerous when their eruption is exceeding in quantity , than when they are but few in number ; because the impurity is sooner corrected and exhausted , and the spirits lesse exercised in the expulsion of them ; those also are of more difficulty that are great and large , than the small ; according to aetius , and a contradiction diametrical to avicen , ( who saith ) the largest pox are most void of danger ; his words are these translated , scil . the white are best and safest when they are few in number and large in quantity . yet upon consideration the difference may be reconciled between them without much litigation , if avicen be understood in this sense , that the greatest in quantity are best in judgment , because they educe with them from the centre to the circumference , a greater proportion of peccant humour , which is a great disoneration or disburthening of nature : and aelius to judge the largest in quantity , to indicate a greater fulnesse of the peccant cause , and more dangerous than the least in quantity , because the largest are significants of redundancy in the cause : and herein they both agree , that the plenitude of matter is the cause of danger , because not without more expence of spirit to be cast out ; but if the same internal redundancy of the cause be equal , then the larger eruption is the greatest levamen to nature . besides this redundancy there are many other concurrences of circumstance , which are symptoms of as great danger in this disease , such as are the strictnesse and loosenesse of the belly , for any spontaneous flux of the belly must be of an ill signification , though the cause be plenitude , and the evacuation be à potentia naturae , because it is a retraction of the matter in motion from the circumference to the centre , which manifesteth ( almost ) an irrecoverable disorder in natural motion , and very few upon such accidents do escape death : and physicians cannot behold this accident of spontaneal purging or vomiting in this disease , without narrow hope ; some rare escapes there hath been reported , of which i can be no witnesse of any such recovery . thus having fulfilled my own intention in applying my self to the meanest capacity , for observation and use of my own country , which hath given me leave once more to breath in it , where i find this disease , heretofore of no moment , to be now of as great consideration ; therefore as hitherto i have plainly presented to common view the causes both internall and externall , with the signs of it in fieri & in facto , i shall proceed according to my ingagement , to the reason of cure , and what remedies are most proper , and when to be used or applyed . in the curing of this disease the principal scope of the physician is to assist nature in its regular motion , in the beginning with temperate correctives of the cause by dyet and ayre , the dyet according to paulus aegineta , must be moderate in quantity , neither too much , nor too sparingly adhibited , nor too hot nor too cold in quality ; if the dyet be too thin , the spirits will be enfeebled , and of no force or power to move the peccant cause to the circumference , which is the universal emunctory of the body ; and if the ayre of the place be over-hot , the feverish distemper is augmented , and the spirits in danger of suffocation : therefore upon this hinge of moderation turneth the safety of every person affected with this disease , and this course being ordered with judgment and care , is instar ommum medicamentorum , for there will be little use of any other application , except externally to preserve the beauty and comlinesse of the face : yet according to my theme i shall publish the variety of opinions in the curing of this disease , and after a little more enlargement of my own sense , i shall leave my self and all my collations to the consideration of our english world , as well knowing other regions to differ as much from us in practice as language , and set a value upon their own c●stom as will admit of no precept to the contrary , it appearing in a latitude to be an undervaluing of their own ; nor can any man perswade the major part of strangers , but that they can ride any horse in the world , with as much ●ase and confidence , as they do their owne hobby-horses and asses , for in truth those that they do so ride , are esteemed by the best caballarist to be no other . but to inlarge my self , or explain my sense in the regimen of this disease , the whole work consisting in moderation of ayre and dyet , without any other mixtures of violence or bland impediments , which may altogether pervert ▪ or in or by a lesse force retard nature in it● motion , the motion of nature in this case being from the beginning of this disease to the eruption of the pustules critical , and in critical motions the least application of any medicament is so dangerous , that no expert physician will admit ▪ for nature hath at this time set her self in a batalia posture , to encounter the enemy vi & armis ; and if upon the charge it shall make discovery of assistance , it will retard the present encounter , which addeth courage to the enemy , and giveth him a greater choice of ground , but if any of these auxiliaries should put natnre into a disorder by conjunction with it , the enemy will not neglect the opportunity of conquest : and in this argument a simile may become this place , though it be not a perfect demonstration , because diseases are as mutineers against natural government ; & nature , when it is it self and without disturbance , will give no entertainmeut to a resisting , rebellious and heterogeneall quality , to incorporate it self into the most noble parts ; but upon disorder and disturbance , then false appetites break in , and open t●e gates to all heterogeneality , to the ruine of the whole government ; therefore when nature is harmoniously set , the course is to preserve it so , by winding up any string at the first relax , which maintaineth harmony , and preserveth that string from contracting it self by rest , and grow so stubbor● ▪ that it cannot be wound up again without fear of ruption , which at the first slip might have b●en effected with much ease , and little fear of dismembring the instrument , and disturbing the harmony ; but if the relaxation by permanency hath over-stiffned and contracted this fiver of the instrument , yet the musician will not use any violent motion to extend it , and reduce it to its former posture ; but gradatim wind it up till it be properly si●ed and harmoniously fitte●● to consent with the rest of the members of the instrument ; the same order is to be taken in the curing of this disease ; for although this affect by some malignity be exasperated , yet the motion being critical will admit of no violence , and therefore a moderate dyet and temperate aire is only to be continued : the dye●●eing alimentū medicamentosum , 〈◊〉 as is milk with saffron , with flowers of calendula especially , before the eruption of the ●ox ; there being neither art or reason violently to move crudities in the beginning of any disease , without antecedent preparation , which preparation in this case is nothing else but the quiet of nature , and fomenting of it with seasonable and moderate aliment , which is the best refrigerium or comfort to the spirits , whose spiritual motion is the unum necessarium in this disease . i am not ignorant of young conceptions in this point ; nor is it my intention to neglect any objection that may be urged by my self or any other author , either ancient or modern , that may give more satisfaction to the reader ; who is ( quatenus medicus ) ignorant of several sects of physitians , as there are of divines in theology amongst us ; the erasistrateans will admit of no remedy in diseases , especially of plenitude , but fasting and abstinence from dyet : hippocrates commendeth a thin diet in the beginning of all acute distempers , and more plen●iful in the declination . gale● in the beginning of all firmentation universally adviseth phlebotomy or bloud-letting , as a general evacuation of all humours as they are mixt up in the masse of bloud , whose opinion wil be the basis of all my future discouse ; there are many , and physitians are galenists in this point , and more especially , and universally the french nation which make bloud-letting the principal and sole remedy in all diseases , climes , times , & ages ; and the greatest argument to confirm this practise ( is the mode of france : ) by the same argument they would prove stinking and putrid flesh , both of fish and fowl to be most comfortable to the sense , and corroborative to the animal spirits ; and if their rhetorick be no better then their logick to perswade persons of reason and sense to accept of their mode , it is most probable it wil prove the nummismata of galen , which is a quaere that will pass no farther then their own country , and those that are satisfied with such invalid arguments must suffer the successe ; for one errour in a logical brain being rooted , is without satisfaction ; or extirpated with exceeding great difficulty . therefore i shall not hope to perswade any of those modish persons from such rash practise , no more then to cleanse the negro of his blacknesse . i call it rash and inconsiderate practi●e in this disease , because it is a doubt indetermined amongs● the most learned professors 〈◊〉 all nations , both greeks , ar●bians , and latins , and all othe● principled from them ; bein● all of them unresolved of phl●botomy in the small pox , upo● any indication to be a safe remedy ; and if the disease b●●onjunct with an undeniab●● plethory of bloud , which is the proper indication of phlebotomy ; yet such bleeding ought to be by scarification and cupping-glasses without the cutting of any major vessel , because the section of such veins do not only evacuate too much spirit , 〈◊〉 also retract the peccant cause to the centre which is intended to the circumference , and effected by a shallow scarification upon the arms , back and thighs ; by which course there is a diminution of the cause in its mixture , and assistance to nature in its circum●erential motion , with little expence of sixt or fluent spirit , which is a great support to universal nature in its conatus to discharge the most noble parts from danger of ruine . contrarily , in the behalf of bloud-letting , i have been urged much with the example of the now then their own country , and those that are satisfied with such invalid arguments must suffer the successe ; for one errour in a logical brain being rooted , is without satisfaction ; or extirpated with exceeding great difficulty . therefore i shall not hope to perswade any of those modish persons from such rash practise , no more then to cleanse the negro of his blacknesse . i call it rash and inconsiderate practise in this disease , because it is a doubt indetermined amongs● the most learned professors 〈◊〉 all nations , both greeks , arabians , and latins , and all other principled from them ; being all of them unresolved of ph●●botomy in the small pox , upo● any indication to be a safe remedy ; and if the disease 〈◊〉 conjunct with an undeniab●● plethory of bloud , which is the proper indication of phlebotomy ; yet such bleeding ought to be by scarification and cupping-glasses without the cutting of any major vessel , because the section of such veins do not only evacuate too much spirit , but also retract the peccant cause to the centre which is intended to the circumference , and effected by a shallow scarification upon the arms , back and thighs ; by which course there is a diminution of the cause in its mixture , and assistance to nature in its circumferential motion , with little expence of ●ixt or fluent spirit , which is a great support to universal nature in its co●atus to discharge the most noble parts from danger of ruine . contrarily , in the behalf of bloud-letting , i have been urged much with the example of the now french king , who in this case was phlebotomized about ten or eleven times ( as i remember ) my self being at st. germain the same time , and upon this example they will ground a precept for universal practise ; i do not deny , but that such rare escapes have been in all diseases ; but for the universal and common successe of such practise , i shall leave to the observation and judgement of the universe , regulating my self according to reasonable axioms which are eternal & of undeniable validity , if they be studiously followed and separated from phanatick ebulitions of an ill-principled brain : and if by this argumentation any person of an other sense shall be offended , they do most honourably for themselves to publish more certain , reasonable and assured grounds of their practise , to the great satisfaction of the unsatisfied vulgar ; which can take no notice of any intervenient cause , but censure all practise according to successe ; it will also be a great instruction to others that are unacquainted with their mystery or solid ground upon which they limited their doctrine and practise , to the glory of their nation wherein they were educated and born , otherwise it will become them to acquiesce in the doctrine and practise of the most learned , antient and modern professors of healing , and not like van●elmont , to blaspheme all university and school-education and methodicall proceedings , contradicting all principles in doctrine and practise , putting out all light , and leaving the world to grope in darkness without any spark of light from them ; if they be wise their lip● preserve it , for nothing proceedeth from them of any such tincture , as if they did suppose we ought to know their meaning which the devil doth not know , ( nor themselves their own according to vulgar apprehension : ) for what can silence prove more , then a plain acknowledgment of such an error as will not indure the light of reason , nor reduce any contrary disputant to an incommodum , but leave a censure upon the art it self , and all other that professe it , as if art were onely a conjecture , and healing or curing of diseases were but an accident , as if causes had no relation to their effects , nor the sublation of them artificially to any substantial predicament ; which otherwise hath had an equall reputation of excellency in all ages , and the professors thereof amongst all nations . witness very many kings which have esteemed the contemplation and practise of medecine , as the one chief jewel in their crown , as hath been more largely expressed in my former writings . but to return from this digression , i shall resume my discourse of phlebotomy , and shew how unresolved and unsetled a remedy it is in this disease . all the chief professors of medicine , establish it upon the indications either of plenitude of humours or magnitude of diseases , these being most proper and universal indications of phlebotomy : and although it be a generall precept according to the doctrine of galen , yet it is not without exception , and more especially excepted in this case of the small pox. because in this operation a retraction of the peccant humour from the circumference to the centre cannot be avoided , which remedy must be as dangerous as unreasonable ; because no person of reason will allow a revulsion from an ignoble part to the most vitall and noble parts ; and although plenitude of humours be an indication for evacuation , yet it doth not solely indicate phlebotomy , except it be a fulness and redundance of bloud in predominance , for impure plenitude is a contra-indicant of phlebotomy ; the bloud offending more in quantity , then in quality , being the most proper indication of bloud-letting : and though there be some predominancy of bloud , yet bloud-letting in such a case hath never proved a curative remedy , nor did i ever see a sanguineous apoplexie cured by bloud-letting , and yet the indication of phlebotomy is proper , yet not curative , because it is not per se the cause of the disease , for where the cause is external as a confusion in such case , though there be a predominancy of bloud , yet bloud-letting doth prove a remedy of no moment . there is also an exception against phlebotomy ; though there be an apparent magnitude of disease . as for example , there is magnitudo morbi , in a lucuphlegmatia or dropsie ; so also in a cacexia , and yet in these and such like cases phlebotomy can be no remedy , nor is it indicated from the magnitude of these diseases ; in the small pox also , there is magnitude of disease , and though it be complicated with plethory of bloud , yet the 〈◊〉 of a ●ein is not a proper or safe remedy especially , from the beginning to their eruption , because the motion of nature is critical : therefore those that practise phlebotomy upon the precept of galen without distinction of cases , must consequently incur the censure of inconsiderate and rash practisers , or such as will abound in their own sense which is non-sense : and such phanaticks there are in medicine equall to those in theology , as doth appear by voluminous indigestions belched out in this age , some of them meer ebullitions of bitterness , and others of heresie , fomenting faction and mutiny in the schools of learning , as much as in the common-weal . some such sectaries there are in physick that deny phlebotomy to be a remedy in any case or disease , such as are the off-spring of vanhelmont , others that make it the sole-remedy in all cases , and their instructions are from the mode of france ; which mode is of no antiquity in that nation , nor ever so commonly used by any of their antient professors , which do ordain it as it is in it self , a great remedy , if properly adhibited , viz. where there is magnitude and violence of disease conjunct with plethory of bloud and consisting age , yet not without distinction of causes and diseases with other circumstances of time and clime . and those that do read the most learned of that nation can find them no otherwise principled : yet i have heard fernelius , which i take to be a glory to that nation , to have had a most sad censure by some of parisian practisers , and that it had been better for their nation that he had been unborn . i have heard this language in discourse , but could never conceive from what part of his learning they extracted their bitternesse . but to return to my theme of phlebotomy in the small pox , in which case the agent standeth onely like archimedes in expectation of a place to fix his foot to dislodge the earthen globe , for untill such an assurance of certainty to depend upon , doth manifest it self , there will be no well-grounded assurance of curing this disease by phlebotomy , not denying the practise upon just indications from the cause and disease rightly apprehended to be a most effectual remedy : but in this case although conjunct with plenitude of bloud , which doth most properly indicate evacuation , yet this evacuation by bloud-letting is insufficient , because according to galen in his books de multitudine , de element . de morbis vulgaribus ( saying ) that bloud is most temperate , because it is an equall mixture of all humours ad justitiam ; and therefore phlebotomy to be an equal evacuation of all humours conjunct with naturall spirits , and by this operation the bloud is left in its predominancy according to proportion , only the universall plenitude is equally lessned : and the morbificall cause still mixed with the remainder answerable both in quantity and quality to its first impression upon the whole masse , so that the disease is not extinguished by this remedy but lessened in the cause . and although , according to this doctrine of galen , there is an equall evacuation of humours , yet the spirits do at this orifice unequally transpire , for in all bloud-letting there is a passe of fixed and innate spirit with the fluent , and these cannot come within the compasse of equality , because the fluent spirit is daily repaired : but the fixed never : otherwise if it came within the compasse of repair , man should be eternall upon this earth ; but every evacuation of this nature doth abreviate humane life , and hasten old age , as may be observed in the french children , which by this frequent phlebotomising are withered in juvenile age. therefore phlebotomy is not a common remedy , but in such extremity , as the person must lose some part of his subsistance to save the whole . moreover in this universall evacuation there may be an expence of some humours which are necessary to be preserved in the masse , because they are not so suddainly repaired again , and from this cause nature may want a vehicle of motion , and suffer tyranny from the disease ▪ as when the phlegmatick part of humours is drawn from the cholerick , the bilious humor is left as fire to tyrannize over the remaining humours and the spirits , which are more apt to be inflamed , and for this reason an universall evacuation by phlebotomy in the small pox is and must be a doubtful remedy , because no man can justly prove that in a phlebotick operation , he shall let out the predominant cause more or lesse , or equall to any of the mixture in the masse of bloud . therefore if the principal scope of the agent be to relieve nature offended and oppressed by the predominance and turgency of a single peccant cause , the remedy indicated must be a particular correction , separation and extinction of that particular predominance which is not to be effected by cutting a vein , because the evacuation is universall and equally of the whole mass of humours , leaving the predominant humour ( according to proportion ) as turbulent as before , and consequently it can be no specifical remedy in such a case where the scope of cure is indicated from the quantity of the humour in predomination . and thus i pass to the circumstance of clime which doth prohibit phlebotomy universally to be used in all regions . i am not ignorant of the doctrine of galen , nor of his precepts in this point of phlebotomy , nor of augenius his 17. books upon the same subject ; and although galen in very many places affi●meth phlebotomy to be an universal and equal evacuation of the mixt mass of bloud , yet not granted without his own exception to be an universall remedy in all diseases , nor in all regions : therefore i shall now passe or urge his own exception against himself , which consisteth in the distinction of regions and diversities of climes , which as they are distinct in the degrees of aire , so also distinct in their dyet , which doth maintain nature in its perp●tuo fluere ; and as every region hath a customary dyet , so is their customary or common aire most agreeable to the inhabitants as mud is to eeles , and these are principally their subsistance , and much disordered upon any alteration of their aire and dyet : and if this accident had not hapned to william parr ( of our own nation ) his principles of nature might have lasted to this day unquenched : and it is a large vulgar errour to defend the death of any person to be just according to the power of his principles : nor could any person perswade sir thomas more upon the scaffold , but if it had been the kings pleasure he might have lived many more years upon the principles of nature ; but these changes are accidental . but as every distinct region hath their particular aire and dyet , so are the remedies or medicinall ingressions of their own clime most proper for their common and vulgar distempers , and those remedies will be more specifically sanative in that region then any other aliu●de or contracted from another clime : and out of a general observation galen hath excepted against his general precept of phlebotomy in his 9th . book de methodo medendi , where he saith in the extraction of bloud , there are many scopes observable and to be considered by the physitian , viz. custom , strength of spirit , consisting age , with the temper of the region and place of habitation ; as also the time of the year with the state of the heavens : and by reason of these circumstances , though bloud-letting be necessary , yet without a necessity of coaction not to be adhibited , and if there be such a necessity , it is to be drawn sparingly and with great consideration as by these expressions of galen , the whole universe may take cognizance , that as he esteemeth phlebotomy to be a grand remedy , so he adviseth the use of it with as great circumspection and judgement : and the non-establishment of this remedy neither by the antient nor modern professors of healing , is the cause of so much difference in consultation : every man imbracing his own commentary upon it , which maketh the remedy more doubtful ; otherwise it were ( according to gantius the portugal physitian ) the most pleasant and suddain remedy in all diseases , for it is quickly done and with as little trouble and pain . and now i pass to the circumstances of time to be observed in this operation . riverius ( i conceive ) amongst all the moderns to be the greatest assertor of phlebotomy in variolis & morbillis , which are the small pox and measles . and yet without the circumstances of time , age , and plethory of bloud , he will not adhibit phlebotomy , nor upon redundance of bloud if there appear any sign of their eruption ; neither doth he admit of any inordinate sleep , si pustulae erumpunt , and for this reason quia motus motui contrarius , for sleep doth colligate the sense and retract the spirit and humors to the centre ; and for the same reason phlebotomy is prohibited . and the same author saith , those that will begin the cure with bloud-letting , must be sure that the foresaid indications of age and redundance of bloud be compleated . moreover it is very rare to meet with such a conjunction of indicants ; plethory it self according to the proper signification is a fulnesse and redundance of the purest bloud , and such a redundance as is ad distentionem vasorū ▪ and very rarely discovered in diseases : & therfore the remedy doubtfull , and being uncertain it must be rashnesse or debility of intellect to apply such remedy . the same author saith also , that if the physitian shall not be invited at the first ebullition , when this disease is in its first firmentation , and before there be any signification of eruption or very few in number and quantity , that at such time phlebotomy may be profitable , and in the next lines contradicteth himself diametrically , where he saith , upon the eruption of the pustules , the fervency and symptoms are abated : and the whole operation is left to the motion of nature , which is then propelling the cause to the skin from the centrall parts to the circumferential , and then phlebotomy is unnecessary and of no use . again the same author affirmeth , that if this pustulous eruption be intense and conjunct with a difficulty of breathing , it is a sign that nature is onerated or over-burthened ; and therefore bloud-letting is to be ordained for disoneration of nature , and enabling it to encounter the remainder ; which is reasonable , if such a part of the onerating humour might solely & per se be extracted without the losse of spirit ; for the support ofspirit is the principal sco●e of cure in this disease , which is no way effected by bloud-letting . therefore this practise is insignificant , otherwise the argument would be acceptable to all logical persons , and as inacceptable to the whole sect of galenists which affirm phlebotomy to be an equall evacuation of all humours with fixt and fluent spirits , which are the principal prohibition of this practise in this case . otherwise upon an universal oneration , it were reasonable disburthening of nature , and properly indicated , if seasonably administred and upon a critical motion . but to conclude with the determination of this author , he in one wor● saith , bloud-lettings in the small pox is not to be adhibited neither in the beginning o● the ebulition , nor eruption of the pustules ; neither is any blou● to be drawn safely or withou● danger , insomuch that neithe● riverius nor any other autho● can afford any certain assuranc● of the practise of phlebotomy i● this disease , but rather thes● contradictory oppositions between the most learned antients and modern professors of highest judgement and observation , do prove this scope of cure by bloud-letting to be an unsafe and doubtfull remedy in the small pox ; and therefore i thought it my duty to publish so much to my own nation and in their own tongue , that they may be instructed and enabled to avoid the danger of unsafe or rash proceeding in the curing of this disease : and if these expressions be insignificant to any persons of another sense , i shall leave them as couragious and valiant adventurers , and wish their returns may be more successful then of late they havebin . i have now most plainly expressed my own sense of bloud-letting in this disease of the small pox particularly ; yet it will admit of a more generall extension to all circumferential motions in nature , for without dispute the intention in all afflictions is to expell all peccant and peternaturall causes from the centre to the universal emunctory , or to some particular place of reception , from a more noble to a less noble part , according to its power in resisting the cause : for if it cannot effect a universal evacuation circumfercntial , nor an extreme impulsion from the most noble to the most ignoble part , such as is from head to foot , or from the brest to the back ; then it moveth obliquely to some emunctory which may obtain the term of a perfect diversion to the next vicine part , or else to some neutral which hath a vicinity with both . as from the head to the glandules of the throat , glandules of the groyne which are more remote , and so proveth neither a proper diversion , nor proper revulsion . and in these motions , phlebotomy may be indicated either ●or diversion or revulsion , or universal evacuation ; which in art ought to precede a particular evacuation , by which remedy some internal oppilations or obstructions in via may be removed , and nature enabled more universally to free it self of a congestion . but since i have not consented to phlebotomy in the small pox , i am obliged to declare an undenyable regimen in this disease with considerable remedys , both external and internal to be applyed ; and although phlebotomy be in the catalogue of external remedies , yet so of no use in this case , by reason that it is as difficult in this disease to find a proper indication to sense , as a simple intemperies in a veletudinary person ; that is , such a disease as is without any other complication , such a disease imaginary there may be , but not demonstrative to sense : but if any proper indication with a necessity of coaction for drawing of bloud , doth present it self to the agent , then as i said in my precedent discourse , the application of cupping-glasses upon the shoulders , arms , and thighs with scarification , is the safest remedy ; with this caution that the scarification be superficiall and not deep , lest they enter upon a vein or artery ; and the evacuation be stopped with much difficulty and danger to the patient . and this applicatition thus performed , nature is assisted in its circumferentiall motion , if there be also a great care and circumspection in the contemperation of the ambient aire of the place , that it be not so hot as to suffocate the spirits , nor so cold as to repell the humour in motion to the centre ; or so congregate and condense the intrinsecall causes , that in conatu naturae , or in the endeavour of nature to dissolve and open , the porosities be inflamed , and the disease augmented , or totally stop the eruption of the pustules : and therefore to be advisedly ordered there are other externall remedies which are to be used in the state of this disease unto the declension for the prevention of escars , and these remedies are commonly the complement of every experienced nurse . but i shall first acquaint the reader with such remedies as are ordained by learned and antient practitioners , viz. when the matter of the pustules doth corrode and make a deep impression in the face , senertus appointeth a sufficient quantity of mallow roots to be boiled in the urine of the patient . some other physicians and old nurses have used an astringent wash , which in my sense is not to be andibited , because it stoppeth , or is the cause of retention of the humor in the face , and fixeth the cicatrix . riverius ordaineth oyle of sweet almonds new prest to anoint the face , and as an anodine to contemperate the acrimony of the humour , which in some persons ( as aqua fortis ) hath penetrated the bone , according to the relation of gartius . fernelius applaudeth this subsequ●nt oyntment ; take sweet almonds , white lillies , of each one ounce , capons grease three drams , the powder of the root of paeonie , flower de lys , lithargy of gold , of each halfe the scruple , sugar-candy one scrup●e ; mixe all these in a hot morter and straine them through a lin●en cloath , and anoint the 〈◊〉 morning and night ; and after this anointing wash the face with water distilled from calves feet . gartius out of his observation recommended his unguentum citr●num to be in curing the cicatrix a proba●um ; and my self shall present the oyle of eggs to be most incarnative and generating flesh , which doth fill up those cavities and prevent circatrising ( or vulgarly pittings the flesh ) not 〈…〉 when they come to 〈…〉 to open them with a 〈…〉 instrument , least by the per●●nency of the pustulate 〈◊〉 there be a greater impression of the cicatrix . some other physicians ( i know not upon what basis ) dispute against this order of opening the pustules when they come to maturity ; and i find their reason for it as weak as their opinion , for they urge such a diminution of naturall heat in letting out the puruleut matter upon full maturity , that nature is so debilitated , that it is disabled to incarnate ; and by want of this incarnation the cicatrix is more profound : but upō consideration of the opening of an apostema when it is mature , it is a levamen to nature as much as the taking of the burthen from a porter doth refresh him , and doth prevent the tediosity of naturall industry in mellowing or rotting the coat in which the matter is involved ; and consequently a proportionable corroborative to naturall heat and motion , and more especially when they are supplyed with remedies that are mundificative and carnative , as is before directed in the oyle of eggs. but because i hate prolixity , i do passe over a multitude of other medicaments , well knowing the vanity of being over-active when a less motion is more satisfactory , & frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora . and therefore out of my own experience and quotidian practise , i have recommended and presented this short direction of government in this disease , to those that please to accept of it as the most safe and successful . there remaineth now only one consideration in externall remedies● , and then i shall conclude this brief discourse of the small pox , not doubting but to render as much satisfaction to those that do perpend it , as is needful to be received from any publication upon the same subject . and so i return to the last external remedy in this disease ; and this is from the first eruption unto the time of maturation , in which time there is great inquietude and itching , principally in the plants of the feet , where the skin is most callous , hard and thick . and in this time i observe riverius above all other authors to ordain the bathings of the hands and feet , by reason of the density of these parts , in some more dense than in others , as in smiths , carpenters , and foot-posts , whose hands and feet are harder than persons of a more tender and sedentary trade or profession . i cannot but acknowledge that humectation and attenuation to mollifie those parts is properly indicated ; but the mode of this application is observable , because upon the opening of the porosities by bathing , the ambient aire may obtaine the advantage of repelling the inquination of the morbisical matter from these ignoble and extreme parts to the more noble , by the ambient aire in the course of sanguineous circulation , and hath proved fatall in such as have rare and tender skins , as is proved by the bathing the illustrious princess royal. therefore i shall rather ordain aperient fomentations in their bed , to assist their cruption and move sweat : and thus i conclude all external remedies . as i have plainly and briefly expressed my sense and practice concerning externall remedies in this disease , i am now obliged to passe orderly to such remedies as are internally to be adhibited ; and according to my former method , i shall in the first place entertain you with the practise of the best professors and authors in medicine from the beginning of this disease to the increment , from the increment to the state , and from the state to the declination ; and then shall take boldness to enter my self into their society , with all submission to seniority , in joyning my own vote amongst them . the first internal remedy , according to all antient order , is the dyet in this disease , which by the order of paulus aegineta , must be moderate in quantity and temperate in quality : such as is almond milk , or as temperate as the bloud ought to be in heat and moisture , and we call it medicamentum alimentosum . as for other internal medicaments they are corroborative , and such as support the spirits naturall in the expulsion of the peccant cause , or cathartical , or such as do purge and evacuate the humorall cause : but such medicines whether the form of glister or any other form , are universally censured as a motion contrary to the intention and industry of nature , because the quickness of such motion over-heateth the spirits , and lesseneth them in their quantitative power to force the cause to circumferential porosities , consequently to the ruine of the patient . who is there of any observation that hath not the sad experience of purging glisters in the increase of this disease , and upon their eruption more especially pernitious , and in my opinion more mortall then bloud-letting ? it being the least evill because it doth more equally evaculate all humours , sine conatu naturae , and a lesse impowering of the spirits , because all purging medicaments must be procured into act by the power of nature principally ; & yet some patients have superviv'd such rash practice , yet not to be received as abhoristicall , nor logically proved , more then an accident to be a substance . but for the ancient , and most learned moderns of all ages , they are in this disease upon the scope of propeling medicaments from the centre to the circumference , or from the internal to the external skin ; such as are decoctions of figs , calendula flowers , and saffron , in their just proportion boyled in milk , and all astringent medicaments to be prohibited in the beginning of ebullitior , because their astringency is a remora and delay to nature in propelling the peccant cause , except some supervenient flux of the belly shall urge it ; but the precedent ordinance , i recommend as the safest from the beginning of this disease , to the declension , 〈◊〉 healing , expelling , and nourishing . and let it be a note in the margent that this disease is most safely cured by regular government and little medicine , and in this land or nation of english , to whom i appeal● the most successful . and we must not rashly reject the antient , national and successful government of our own nation , ridiculously to perish by the mode of another , as much unknown to us , as we to them in education , humour , and intellect ; and as manifest a difference in all , as is in the originall of colours : and every nation doth build upon their own basis , and their own observations and experience , both natural and moral , which are the rule of their own government and commerce with strangers , which rule is natural to them , and the opposition as diametricall contrary as black and white ; and such a pass from one extreme to the other is equally unreasonable , and such hasty motion can prove but phaetontical and insuccessful . the mode of strange habits in apparell may be received according to appetite and fancy without perill of life ; and artificers of severall regions must be most dexterous in their operation , and more compliant with the humour and fancy of the natives thereof ; but the gift of healing is not equally dispensed in every region : hippocrates condemneth all the gnydian physicians as the worst orderers of dyet in diseases of that age ; and a great distinction there is between physicians of all nations in their successe : so that the gift of healing is not equally dispensed to all the sons of art and learning , for i have known as learned professors as are in the world ; and the want of success in their practise , hath caused some to relinquish their profession : therefore a disposition naturall gaineth more in a short time of excellency , then any compulsion can effect . and this naturall difference in dispositions is the proper subject of that gift of healing , the donor a free agent , the recipient a subject fitted to receive the full impression without resistance , either to science or success ; and these are hippocrates his sons of the gods by whom he swore , and that ( plurality of deity excepted ) was an oath not over-matched by any christian form of swearing ; and his prayer at the altar was a sacrifice of the highest antiquity . besides this distinction , of artists , especially physicians of whom there can be none so expert & satisfactory in his applications to a native of a different clime and custome as the person who is born and educated in the same place , and those ingredients to their remedy which will not agree with the curiosity nor reason of a strange artist , shall prove by their custom to be a specifical remedy to those natives in their own region : as in holland , their butter-milk and apples is their most cordial refershment in all diseases , and in all those places ; and of more esteem then any other remedy , and most prescribed by their native physicians ; and if you meet with the prescript of a pickled-herring , with an order to prepare it , you have then a probatum in all diseases ; for there is no full satisfaction given to any of that nation , if these remedies be prohibited . and answerably there is a natural adherence in all nations to their own custom , suum cuique pulchrum , the crow conceiveth her own bird the fairest , and so doth the negro . and both man and beast , as they have an aliment proper to their own nature , so naturally they elect their own physick ; the fowles that feed according to their kind upon corn , worms , and carrion , when they are diseased will seek out stones to cool them , and other disgorging remedies they find out , as the dog doth grass : therefore non omnia omnis fert tellus . but of all terrestrial inhabitants , the english do most distast the productions of their own country in nature and education , which presenteth an invitation to all nations to supplant and impoverish the natives and off-spring of our own country , or else inforceth them to stamp a strange name , especially upon pieces of art , to make them vendible , to the great incouragement of strangers and impoverishing our own nation : amongst whom there may by encouragement be pickt out an equality to the whole universe ; the neglect whereof doth as much infeeble the persons as the plants , without support answerable to their capacity . i have lived a long time amongst divers nations , and according to my time have had as much conversation with all sorts of people and professions ; and ( without national indulgence ) could not apprehend any excellency unmatchable in england , especially , before these latter rebellious ages , which was the discouragement of all artists , and suppression of arts and sciences ; and in policy fomented by all neighbouring-nations for the universall advance of their profit , and reputation of their nation : and by their industry and our own rebellious spirits , the gallantry , honour , education and antient renown of our own country hath been sepulted in oblivion . and now those sects of sadduces , that would not entertain the faith of a resurrection , are now forced with grief and shame to confesse it , and without doubt shall daily see this corruption to put on incorruption , and our nation to return to their former principles more purified by this fiery tryall , and to re-erect the antient memory and monuments of all the antient professors of arts , and sciences so odious to the spawn of this last age , some of which were then thankfull they had forgot the lords prayer ; and others that had turned all the schools of antient philosophy into furnaces and luxurious houses for sweating intemperate persons ; and these are the off-spring of phacton driving on their fiery chariot , till they have crackt their skulls with their own sublimation of spirits , for ayre rarefied must find vent or force it . iohannes crato is not to be condemned because his tutor educated him in chymistry , but to be highly applauded for his non-profession of it upon the uncertainty in the operation , quia totum opus constat in regimine ignis , and as a mathematician ought to be a king according to proverb , because of the expence his variety of instruments doth charge him with ; so ought the operatour to have more money then learing , to fit himself with a furnace for that equall heat which shall without dispute separate his homogeneals from his heterogeneals ; without which regiment of fire it cannot be effected . and this is the reason why every pretender to excellency in chymistry spendeth his whole industry in the figure of his furnace , and though he doth rejoyce and warm himself at his own external furnace , yet those infiered spirits of minerals are to the spirits of animals and innate heat as over-powering , as the sun is to all culine fire which putteth it out ; and so it hath proved to all operators which have been exact in their office ; they have been buryed very young in it . and this was a great observation of crato , that paracelsus which proclaimed eternity to himself in this world , did not live above 45. years ; nor the germane princess , used to those medicall preparations . and himself as a galenist boasteth of living with three emperours , and creating his own grand-child doctor of the chair : but all such observations are out of date and superannuated ; nor can an old man perswade children from playing with fire till they have burnt themselves . but more clearly to signifie my own sense in chymical operations , i cannot but approve the employment out of curiosity , because it is a great discovery of mixt bodies , and their mixture , which is a great pleasure to sense , but not as medicinal remedies to be acceptable or homogeneal to humane tempers : but the preparation of vegetals without exception , exceeding usefull in the composure of medicaments , because they are prepared in the womb or furnace of the earth by a perfect temper of fire , and need nothing but a separation from their terra damnata ; and their tincture very useful . and as it is more pleasure to the operator , so is it free from danger which cannot be avoided in working upon mineral and metalical bodies , as may be observed from goldsmiths , the major part of them being enervated and paralytick before they are of any considerable age of consistency ; and had they not their remedy always at hand , they would be soon ruined and useless in the world . the same accidents happen to miners that work in the earth amongst minerals and metals , who very often are suffocated or strangled in the place . these experiments being undenyable are arguments of sufficient force and demonstration to prove their non-agreement or consent with humane principles ; but for the advancement of art and science , adventures must be made and adventures rewarded with respect and applause . the navigator maketh discovery by the light of the sun in its full splendor : but he that searcheth into the bowels of the earth hath no immediate assistance from that planet , therefore their discovery is more obscure , laborious and dangerous , and their reward ought to be more ample . and now i return to my proper subject , and briefly to the conclusion of this discourse of the specifical internal remedies in this disease of the small pox , about which there is much litigation and dispute between the ancient and modern professors of medicine , sufficient to stuff up a volume of paper : therefore i shall upon my own experience and successe recommend to my country the sole use of saffron and milk , as a probatum in this puerile disease , and according to the custom of our english nation without alteration from the beginning to the declension of the disease , and for these reasons , because the milk is sufficiently nutritive and healing , and the saffron a cordial propellent of the cause in ebullition from the centre to the circumference ; and for a common drink in the place of ptysan to use a small decoction of sulfur , which moveth by sweat to the universal emunctory of the skin , and dryeth up superfluous moisture , lesseneth the quantity of matter , and giveth a levamen to the naturall spirits in their motion ; and for this practise i must return my acknowledgment and respect to gartias the portugal physician . amatus lucitanus with other moderns of the same sense , prescribeth for an ordinary drink in this disease , the decoction of barley with sorrel , which cannot be so siguificant as the decoction of salsa ; because their refrigeration constantly will debilitate natural heat , and by reason of such a check the motion of nature is impedted ; and therefore fernelius affirmeth that hot diseases are more unsafe in their cure then diseases of cold ; because cold remedies are altogether used as a contrary remedy to heat , by which cold correction of preter-naturall heat , natural heat it self is also extinguished , for which cause the application of constant apozems ought to be moderately hot and moist , there may be much more argumentation upon the point , but very little more i conceive à proprio , for it is not argumentation that cureth diseases , but the seasonable application of specificall remedies ; and he that will make more haste then good speed shall have little comfort in his undertakings , and much less if his remedy be improper ; for it is the specifical quantity of the remedy that cureth every disease ; and cures according to sanctorius , consist not in pluralities of medicaments , but the property of them answerable to the disease ; and this is the reason why an old woman doth often by her experience of an imperical medicament make a cure of some particular affect relinquished by learned practisers both in medicine and chyrurgery : neither are all diseases cured by a contrary remedy , ( though the rule of contrary be universal , because it admitteth exception , as burning is sooner cured by the scorching heat of fire , then by any other cold remedy ; so also a 〈◊〉 is a convulsive motion : and cured by sternation which is a like convulsive motion , so also a lassitude by exercise is cured by the like exercise . thirdly , a fever is a hot and dry distemper , but this distemper is cured by hot and dry remedies , ●rgo the disease is cured by its simile , for if a tertian or ardent fever be cured by rhabarb and scammonie , &c. which are hot & dry , then the remedies convein to the cause and not to the fever as a disease ; and according to galen lib. 6. epid. one pain is cured by another . hippocrates lib. 2. aph. 46. the greater and most vehement pain obscureth the less pain , lib. 2. aphor . 26. a fever supervening a convuision is good ▪ but not a convulsion upon a fever in his 4th . book aphor . 57. in a convulsion or distention of the nerves if a fever shall supervene ; it absolveth the disease in his 5. book aphor . 21. so also is vomiting cured with vomiting , and purging with purging . fourthly , a tetanus is cured by pouring water upon the head , lib. 5. aphor . 25. but a return is from a cold cause , and cured by a cold remedy according to epiphamus , ferdinandus and avicen lib. fen . 4. cap. 1. saith , that all diseases are not to be cured by contraries , because some are cured by dyet , as is expressed formerly in the small pox , others by their simile , as is before said . fifthly , those diseases are onely to be cured by contrary remedies that can obtain their contrary remedies , for many diseases want their 〈◊〉 remedy , such as are diseases in via & numero . sixthly , an apoplexia ever endeth in a paralysis , which is , a resolution of the nerves , with a deprivation of sense and motion in the part . gal. lib. 4 de loc . affect . so that one disease quantum ad causam is cured by the simile . in the 7th . place according to arist. one contrary is corroborated by the other contrary being present ; therefore cures cannot onely be effected by contraries . to conclude , curing sometimes is effected by occult qualities , acting from the property of the whole substance , such as are bezoarticks ; therefore not by contraries , nor is this last proposition true in all things , because hipp. lib. 5. aphor . 19. cold parts are alwaies to be warmed except in a flux of bloud , so that by this argumentation all diseases are to be cured by their specifical remedy , and not by the multiplication of ingredients in my sense the least variety of medicaments in this disease of the small pox , is most successful ; for various and often applications and mixture in remedies doth perturb nature as much , if not more then continual eating and drinking in a sane body , and by irrecoverable vexation of the patient , doth frustrate the expectation of the agent . to conclude , what i have written is agreeable to antient and learned authority , and no fanatick conception , to make the world believe that these truths were not established before by learned professors , though not so far extended to vulg●r apprehension . i am none of that society that dispute against that old axiome , quod nihil dictum quod non dictum prius , nor hath it been hitherto my fortune to cast any eye upon any modern that had not his ante-delineation from some precedent , and deduced from a former illumination ; but the addition to invention is common and frequent in every age , there are differences in writers as much as in painters , but none did ever pensil a draught to life by a meer copy , nor can they do it without copy . so that the difference is in the aptitude of some above other to present the copy more lively , that only , that is the proceed of meer fancy , is to sense nothing but confusion and void of any signification ; nor will appear in art any thing but a monstrosity , and in science some vulgar errors , some will have the philosophy of ducartus to be a new philosophy of his own coyning , but himself will not deny his illumination was from aristotle . dr. harvy his circulation of bloud was by the antients nominated a motion of bloud by the continuation of parts , of which none were ignorant , though not expert in dissection of living bodies : so also is the nova medicina laboratory infired by the antient luminaries , and bellowsed up by operators of several and different fancies , and these additions are ordinary to invention ; and such addition is but the extention of a first invention , as one that in his travel maketh a discovery of a land unknown before , cannot say that land was not in being before ; and if by the exact travell of a second person a larger discovery be made , this discovery is but an inlargement and extension of the first discovery , and so may be a succession of discoveries ad infinitum , and so it is generally in all invention : as in medicine , the first invention of remedies was from experience deduced from observation ; and upon further observation of more exacter intellects , the reason of such applications , and the specificall qualities of the remedy more exactly discovered , which is an addition to the first observation . moreover , the motion of the bloud was by the continuation of parts , as veins and arteries , and no farther discovered , untill my most learned predecessor by his exact observation demonstrated the manner of its motion to be circular , which is a farther extension of the first observation . and thus one artist differeth from the other in the invention about the first discovery , which was the originall copy and compass by which they steered . and thus i have steered this discourse to a haven where my intention is to lodge my vessel , and if the unlading prove profitable to my countrey , let them take it at their own valuation . finis . questions problematical concerning the french pest . by tebias whitaker m. d. physician in ordinary to the king and his houshold . london , printed for nath. brook at the angel in cornhill , 1661. questions problematical concerning the french pest , &c. natural motion is from imperfection to perfection , and according to nature i do now move from the disease of children which is nominated the small pox , to the grand disease of man-kind , which is nominated the french pest. from whence they contracted it , is not now the question , but other questions of more subtilty , are my present subject of discourse as followeth . quest . i. why this french disease should lodge in humane bodies for many years without signification or discovery , and then appear with its proper symptoms of malice and contagion . mercurialis affirmeth that the poyson in a mad dog is so lodged for many years before it appeareth in act ; but giveth no farther reason why it is so ; which is my present undertaking . as for the reality of it that is obvious to sense , and doth visibly appear , and how it is for longer or shorter time so lodged , will be as apparent to sense , as may be argued from the containing subject more or less , or in a longer or shorter time disposed to produce this occult quality into act , conjunct with activity of motion sooner , or impotency of natural power which doth retard it , and lodgeth it for a longer time without any symptom of eruption , and the malice is more according to the quantity of matter impregnated with a virulent quality . and that it doth so lodge without impediment or hinderance to the naturall action of the person in whom it lodgeth , is manifest to sense in the menstruosity of women , which cast a venene-spot upon the speigle or looking-glasse and yet in health , and sine actione laesa in themselves : and as it is a venemous quality in their bloud , so hath it lodged in them untill their time of puberty without any such discovery . and so doth the french disease lodge in the spermatick matter of humane bodys some years before it appeareth , and for such time without sensible offence to them : but the time of latency longer or shorter dependeth upon quality of the recipient matter in which it is contained , as the putrifying quality in those that are subject to the stone , which disturbeth some tempers sooner and stronger then others according to the quality of the matter in which it is involved : as is observable in all poysons which work according to the capacity of the recipient matter more or lesse disposed to receive impression . as in minerals , sulphur will sooner fire then amber , and in vegetals flax will sooner be fired then wood ; and though these be sensible , yet there are occult qualities in poyson imperceptible in their motion , and yet sensible in their effects and productions , as may be urged from the springing up of hearbs and grass , which moveth imperceptibly ; and yet that it doth move is sensibly discovered by its growth in a short time , and would appear in perfection at the first reception of the form , were it not impedited and delayed by the indisposition of the matter informed à vi plastica , and this is the reason of the latency of this disease so long time invisible . quest . ii. why this french pest should be generated in men and women free from any venereal act or impure congression . that it may be so generated , and that it is so , common experience doth present to every eye ; and the ancients testifie , viz. galen de loc . affect . 5. in these words translated , affirmeth , that the retention of seed and suppression of menstrual courses doth terminate in such poyson as will effect any disease according to the disposition and temperament of the body , and make impression upon other materials different in nature from animals , as before i have urged concerning women with their aspect upon looking-glasses in the time of menstruosity ; and at the same time pollute all herbs within the sphere of activity or contact , and so observable amongst the french people , that they will not permit any of the female sex within the circuit of such years of puberty to descend their wine-cellars or approach their vineyards : which upon observation hath been so destructive to their vintage , and upon any impure congressiō with women at such time , are received some mortall and in curable diseases , as the feprosie , odious a curse to mankind : and the venereal congression with women at such time , was not only pr●h●bited by the iewes , but also the entrance into any bath with the● ; therefore if the bathing such persons be of necessity to effect their health , my order should be for every such single person to have a fresh bath to themselves and their own private use . and thus i have proved that this disease may be generated in a man out of his own impurity , and without any impure congression or venereal act . quest . iii. after what manner this pest is lodged so long time imperceptible . this question is not void of difficulty to resolve , for if there were any opposition or repulsion from nature , then the venene quality upon such opposition must necessarily beget such a conflict as would appear sensible , or such a suppression as will very little differ from a total extinction of such venen● motion ; therefore my answer is , that viscosity and tenacity of the humours in which the spirits are involved , and in which they move , or their extreme coldness , by which both spirits and humours are so congregated , as without the reflection of a hotter beam , they cannot effect any motion ; or by neglect of timely remedies to discharge the mass of bloud of such malignity ; for diseases not resisted in the beginning do insinuate and enter into the subject matter insensibly , untill their eruption be inavoidable . other causes may rise from irregularity of dyet , or want of exercise to rarefie the spirits , attenuate the humours , and mundefie the masse of bloud ; for the want of such motion the bloud is contaminated , as is apparent in water-vesselled up from the motion of ayre , without which motion all waters would be but an ocean of putrefaction , to the ruine of all creatures upon the land as in the sea. moreover , the want of exercise doth incrassate the humours , and include the malicious quality in such manner , that it cannot so suddainly break out into act , but is covered like fiery embers under ashes , which send forth neither light nor heat till they be stirred up . and after this manner this disease is lodged in the subject matter impreceptibly , as is reported by belocatus , that this french disease was lodged in certain noble persons of verona thirty years before any path●gnomical symptom did appear . quest . iv. why this disease doth apprehend some persons most maliciously at the first co●tion , and leave other persons void of contagion , though very frequent in the act of venery and of impure tempers , according to sense most ap● to receive the impression of such poyson . i have in my former discourse expressed the differences of capacities , to receive the impression of distinct poyson sooner or later , and in that discourse the answer to the first part of this question is included ; that some tempers are like tinder infired and infected at the first stroke or allision of the ayre between two hard bodies , when such sparks will make no impression upon straw or flax , which in their own nature are very combustible ; so also are the different constitutions of humane bodies , some shall be by this pest infected in the first act , when other persons of corrupt mixture and in sense most disposed to receive inquination or pollution shall not be apprehended with this disease though very frequent in impure congression : for that there must be a more proper aptitude to receive this contagion in the first act by that proper temper so infected , then in the other which is a disposition more sensibly disposed to receive such contamination in a higher degree ; and yet they are not so really disposed as the first , which receiveth a sensible pollution . and this must be an occult quality more latent then patient in them , which will incorporate with any mixture , which is not generally observable in mixture ; as for example , oyle will not incorporate with water , but will separate each from other ; and yet they are both humid bodies : and though not capable of incorporation together , yet capable of distinct impregnation either of ●altnesse or sweetnesse ; but oyle will not receive these tinctures so suddainly nor completely as water ; and therefore poysons of the sharpest quality are impedited and resisted in their corrosion by oyly substances . and this is the reason why some dispositions receive pollution more fully and speedily then others : but where there is an homogeneality and samenesse in the matter of mixture , there will be a perfect incorporation , although they be specifically distinct , as the mixture of wine and water in the plant , for there is in the juice of that plant both a vinos● and aquose quality so mixt , that it is difficult to sense to discover any distinction from samenesse or perfect homogenealities ; but where there is no disposition capable to receive contagion it self , yet it may prove a vehicle of conveyance to a subject that is disposed . for many persons that have been in venereal and impure congression with an infected person , though not infected themselves ; yet upon the first act shall conveigh it to another person well-disposed to receive the contamination , for q●●cquid recipitur , recipitur secundum modum recipientis ; and is proved by daily observation , that cats , pigeons and other creatures that have commerce with houses infected with the pest , are not infected themselves with the plague , yet do conveigh it to other persons disposed to receive the impression of such contagion . and according to the observation of sanctorius , the breath of a cat in a room will affect a consumptive disposition , with difficulty of breathing and fainting sweats ; though the cat be unseen by the person affected ▪ which he made the rule of discovery of a consumptive inclination in such persons as come within the sphere of the forenamed creature . and although the disposition of the subject be the principal cause of receiving the impression of this french disease and production of it into act , yet not the onely cause , for the continuance or long-stay in venereal act , and over-heating themselves with so long and laborious motion is the cause of infection in that act ; which otherwise might be avoided , when these that sparrow-like are not infected with many impure congressions ; nor is any contamination so active as that which proceedeth from lively animals by the association of their intense heat ; as for cold poyson they are potentiall , and according to their potentiality more slow and dull in their motion and production of their effect . quest . v. what power this is which is nominated potential , and how it dedu●eth this venenosity into act , this term potential ought to be made clear to sense , because any cold poyson potential cannot be active of it self ; nor can nature as an agent natural produce it into act , but rather a contemperation or commoderation , nor is it agreeable with my reason , that nature should produce poyson into act ; because nature is most adverse to poyson , and poyson a contrary opposite to nature , except epiphanius ferdinandus can perswade me to the contrary , for he will have something alimentable in all poyson ; and if there be not something nutri●ive in all poyson according to his sense , there can be no part of poyson , as poyson , reduced into alimentable act by nature . therefore it i●probable , that although every ●art of poyson is poyson , and as poyson opposite and contrary to nature , as it is simple poyson , and cannot be alimentable , but as a mixt body ; something may be extracted that may be reducible into aliment , or the whole mixture so contemperated with an alimentable , may receive such admission into our natural principles as may impregnate as much as the recipient subject is capable to receive , and gradatim produced into an act of the same mixture from whence it was extracted according to the quality of the poyson , totally hot or cold ; yet galen doth urge another cause of nature , its production of poyson into act , which 〈◊〉 from the repugnancy of nature with poyson , by which contestation poysons a●e so rare●●ed , and by the repugnancy of nature made more subtile and forcible to enter the principles of nature , and by this power produce themselves into act , and the principles of nature into such compliance as is not much different from iden●ity with themselves : and upon s●ch forceable ●●trance , though it be poyson in tota 〈◊〉 , and void of any alimentable condition , yet it receiveth entertainment by nature without any sensible impediment to natural action ; and then digested , and so altered by naturall heat as maketh it alimentable , and prepared for assimilation . and this reason is consented unto by gal●n , lib. 3. de simplic . medic . where he affirmeth cold poysons to be attenu●ted , made hot and changed by the power of natural heat , by which mutation and alteration i conceive a full change of its own property into another nature , otherwise it will sooner or later return to its own natural body again , as gold by the power and ●orce of heat dissolved , and seemingly mixed with other metals and mineral substances , it s own property being unalterable by heat , doth separate from all other mixture , and returneth to its own proper and naturall body ; nor can i conceive how gold by the force of any fire should lose any atome of it self , except st. anthony his fire , which ef●ected his aurum potabil● , which challengeth entrance amongst vulgar errors . quest . vi. why a woman not infected her self , should infect another person with this disease , this node seemeth difficult to unwedge , as being contradictive to reason , that any thing should give that to another which it hath not in it self to give , or that any person should receive that which is not in being ; therefore it cannot be understood of a meer non-entity , which is neither in act nor in power , but of an occult quality latens in massa sanguinea , without any sensible discovery , till a masculine agitation shall make it effectuall and visible in those that upon such motion receive the contamination ; and such inquination or pollution is many times received from women who have no symptom of infection perceptible in themselves ; and therefore i conceive it to be their own proper venene temper contigent in them , as in scorpions and aspes and such other venemous creatures ; or else contracted al●unde , and from venene aliment ; the use whereof hath made it a naturall nourishment to themselves and poyson to others , as was observed by avicen in that puella that fed upon nothing but poysons , and was nourished with them as an aliment inoffensive and very nutritive to her , so as in common view she appeared to be of a most wholesome constitution , and yet her breath poysoned all other within the sphere of it , and with whom she had any commerce or conversation . thus every man doth receive the infection of this disease , that hath c●ition with a woman of such venene temp●r , though not infected her self ; and this is the reason why some such constituted women do abbreviate the lives of all men that have any congression with them in wedlock or otherwise , and this venene quality is also in many men , which infect all they comply with , except those of their own venene temper , and such tempers are most homogeneally matched together ; and if i were a professor of the law , i should judge any sound and wholsome temper so conjoyned in matrimony to such a venene constituon , their matrimony to be unlawful because unnaturall . and sir francis bacon in his vtopia doth very much agree with me in this opinion and judgement , where he admitteth of no matrimoniall conjunction without a strict paternal and materna inquest concerning the temper of each person and homogeneality in nature , and the hereditary diseases they are subject unto , as the gout , stone , and french pest ; that their propagation may be sound , strong and comely for the strength and duration of his new common-weal . and this may be the reason rather then the religion of the haunder , who maketh it lawful for the man and woman to make tryal each of other after they be undertrood for some time before they are joyned together in matrimony , and if in that time they have cause of mislike , they may abstain from marriage without any censure of impiety or breach of their law , or imputation of dishonour . quest . vii . whether there be any defensative against infection in the act of venery with such persons as are maliciously infected with this disease . there are not wanting , and other mountebanks upon every stage and market-place to quack of various remedies of defence , and specifical preparations they have extracted to this purpose ; though my self hath known many of them , and some physicians that have forfeited their palat and noses in this venereal combat , and proved their defensatives to be more fabulous then effectual , because necessarily in all coition there must be attrition of the genitals which heateth and forceth open all porosities in the members , and must of necessity give entrance to any venenosity of this disease which doth contaminate the spirits ; and if they can prepare no condensing remedy to shut up the porosities in the genitals , then their defensative is a meer aiery discourse , void of demonstration and appear a mist cast before the eyes of the spectators . for there is no such condensing medicine or remedy of any effect , because the friction of the genitals will relax and open the porosities of the parts , and the spirits must inavoidably receive the contamination of the disease in contempt of all opposition to the contrary . for this poyson moveth distinctly from other poysons received at the mouth into the body , for they descend into the ventricle , and are not so suddainly mixed with the spirits because they are dispersed and scattered amongst the viscera , and receive their contamination gradatim ; but this contagion is conveighed to the spirits in the turn of an eye , and communicated to them by the nearest consent which is between the genitals , and most noble parts of the body . and these are the reasons of my non-consent to any defensative against the pollution of an unclean women , and if any medicament be ordered of preservation from this pest , they must be such antidotes as do cure it ; and no remedy of cure more specifick then guiacum : and this remedy by daily experience we see will not do it , nor will any chymical medicament , though it doth seemingly cure the disease , yet it will not preserv● them from reinfection : and very many persons that account themselves cured at present , and take boldness to make another adventure , are infected again before their bodies are cleared of their former medicaments ; and though i said something of curative remedies , let me not be understood of absolute cure , for there is no such cure. quest . viii . why this french disease of it self killeth no man. 't is doubtlesse and without question that many persons of both sexes do daily die with this disease upon them , because it admitteth of no perfect cure in any that are infected ; and if any person perswade the contrary , i shall give them leave to comfort themselves with a false delight and pleasant dream : but that this french pest is not necant in it self , is the question to be argued , to which i answer with galen , lib. de marasmo , that the principle conatus of nature is to defend the heart , especially from poyson of any quality ; and that it doth most strenuously defend it from the contagion and poyson of this disease . another reason is because this disease in it self is void of a febri●e distemper , and if any symptom of frebricitation doth appear , it is accidentall , and from the complication of some other cause . thirdly , this disease is void of the difficulty of breathing , except in the highest extremity . fourthly , in this disease the pulse is never altered , neither are there any signs of it to be taken from the pulse , and these are demonstrative arguments to prove the heart to defend it self powerfully from the malignity of this disease . and this defensive power according to my opinion must principally depend upon the power of the vitall spirits , which are more robust then the natural spirits , as doth appear by their containing vessels of eac● ; for the arterie that containeth the vital spirits is double coated , else the spirits contained in them would make eruption through them because of their inherent force ; and the veines but single coated because their spirits in activity and strength is so much lesse then is the vital ; and by the force of this vital spirit the heart is defended against the invasion of this pest : and by this vitall spirit the heart defendeth it self against the assault of choler , which is so great an enemy to it according to arist. 4. de part . animal . and yet this question is not cleared from the exception of many physicians , who reasonably do affirm the generation of vital spirits to proceed from the naturall ; and if the naturall spirits have received contamination , how shall the vitall spirits which are begotten of them be free from pollution ? nor could it be otherwise , but from the purification they receive from the heart ; after the same manner as gold is separated from drosse and other aliene tincture ▪ by the activity of ●ire , so also doth the heart by its cordial fire inherent in it self , purge and clense the natural spirits from all pollution , and the heart by its own power desendeth it self from the contamination of this disease , which is the cause in chief why this disease of it self doth not kill the person affected with it . quest . ix . whether this disease be the proper disease of one particular region . that every region hath diseases inherent in themselves , and not contracted 〈◊〉 , with remedies of their own more specifical , then any contracted from alien and different regions ; and that there is a , much difference as between clime and clime , or east and west , 〈◊〉 without doubt is the 〈◊〉 catholica of all nations ; but what region may be the proper womb of this french ; 〈◊〉 is a present dispute between the french and neopolit●● the one will have it the proper dis●ease of the indians , and the french will have it proper to the neopolit●ns ; but because it hath made so great impression in 〈◊〉 , most modern writer● 〈◊〉 it the french disease so that they challenge the right to it from custom and long prescription , and i know no nation challenge any of their priviledge ; but as they have spread their tongue very far in europe and other continents ; so this disease hath commerce with the generality of nations and religions , both mahumeta● , iew , 〈◊〉 and heathen . but some particular regions may be after this manner affected from their vicious ayre an● dyet , witnesse those painful botches of the arab●●as affirmed by galen and av●cen , that they are generated from the locusts which they so greedily feed upon , as also in 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 from their delicacy in dyet , and frequent use of venery . insomuch , that according to the dyet and ayre , severall regions have their particular diseases . but the french disease proceedeth neither from the ayre of the place nor dyet , but from meer venery and impure congression , and therefore it is an universall disease more common in venereal and hot countries , where the women are more salacious th●n in cold regions ; this sex being in their temper more cold then men , by the heat 〈◊〉 the region are prov●●ed and more hot in pleasure ; by which themselves and others in conjunction with them are inflamed , insomuch that in those places this french dis●ase proveth hereditary , and is conveyed from family to family in the principles of nature ; as is the small pox according to some opinions conveyed in maternall menstruosity . and thus i have concluded the discourse of both great and small according to my promise . finis .