Present Remedies against the Plague.

Shewing sundry Preseruatiues for the same, by holsome Fumes, drinkes, vomits, and other inward Receits: as also the perfect cure (by implaisture) of any that are therewith infected.

Now necessary to bee obserued of euery Housholder, to auoid the infection, lately begun in some places of this Cittie.

Written by a learned Phisition, for the health of his Country: And now newly inlarged by the same Author, with Remedies for the newe pestilent Feuer.

I D

Printed at London for VVilliam Barley, and are to be sold at his shop in Gracious streete ouer against Leaden Hall, 1594.

To the Reader.

FOR as much as the force and infection of the ordinary diseas called the Plague or Pestilence, hath hertofore beene too well knowne, and felt, in sundry places of this Realme: and considering that it hath of late begun to increase in many chiefe Cities and populous places; I thought it good to publish to you in time, sundry pro [...]ues against the saide disease, the better to defend t [...] that are in health, from the infection of the diseased: And also to cure those that are any way infected, grieued, or troubled with the same. And to this I was imboldened, the ra­ther for that it was written by a very learned and ap­prooued Phisition of our time, who desireth more the health of his Country, than by discouering his name seeme vaine glorious to the world. Accept the same I pray you in good part, and thanke God for the Phisitions paines, who hath his desire if it may do but that which he wisheth: namely to expell sickenes, and increase health to this Land, which God for his mercie sake, prosper and preserue from all plagues and dangers for euermore, Amen.

These things ought duely to bee looked vnto. Viz.

IT is very conuenient that you keep your houses, streetes, yardes, backe­sides, sincks, and kennels sweet and cleane from all standing puddeles, dunghils, and corrupt moystures which ingender stincking sauoures that may bè noysome, or breed [...] in­fection: nor suffer no doges to come running into your houses, neither keepe any (except it be backewarde, in some place of open aire▪ for then are very dangerous, and not sufferable in time of sickenesse, by reason they tunne from place to place, and from one house to ano­ther, feeding vppon the vncleanest thinges that are cast forth in the streetes, and are a most apt cattell to take infection of any sicknesse, and then to bring it into the house.

For ayring your Roomes.

Ayer your seuerall roomes with Charcole fiers, made in stone pans or Chaftingdishes, and not in Chimneys: set your pans in the middle of the▪ roomes: ayer euerie roome once a weeke (at the least) and put into your fire a little quantity of Frankinsence, Iuniper, dryed Rose­mary, or of Bay-leaues.

A Fume of great experience.

Take Rosemary, and put it into stronge Vineger, steepe it in a Bason or Bowle, heat foure or fiue Flint­stones [Page]red hot, and cast them into the Vineger, and so let the Fume ascend into the middle of euery roome.

Another.

Aire your apparrell in the same sorte and with the same fume and beare in your hande some handkercher▪ Sp [...]m [...]e [...] or both, wetted in the [...] [...]ood, H [...]arbegrace, and Red Rose-vineger, mixt together.

To smell too.

The roote of Enula Campna, steeped in vineger, and lapped in a handkercher, is a speciall thing to smell vn­to, if you come where the sicknes is.

Another.

Hearbegrace and worme wood stieped in vineger, in some pewter peece close stopt, is to be vsed in like sort.

To taste or chewe in the mouth.

The roote of Angelica, Setwall, Gencian, Valeri­an, or Sinamond, is a speciall preseruatiue against the plague, being chewed in the mouth.

To eate.

Eate Sorrell steeped in Vineger, in the morning fasting, with a little bread and butter, Sorrell sauce is also very holsome against the same.

Another.

Take the keenell of a Walnut, mince it with three or foure leaues of Hearbegrace, and a corne or two of Salt: then put it into a Figge, warme it and eate it fa­sting: fast three houres after, and take it twice a weeke. [Page] A speaciall thing to eate, found very comfortable.

Take strong red Rose-vineger, sprinkle it vppon a tost of white bread, spread butter thereon, and then cast the powder of Cinamond vpon it, and eate it fasting: or eate bread and butter with Hearbgrace.

Another.

Giue to the diseased for their ordinary foode, some broth made with a necke of mutton: boiled with a good quantitie of Burridge, Sorrell, and Buglosse.

To comfore the stomacke.

Aleberries are very comfortable made with Cloues, Maces, Nutmegs, Saunders, Ginuey grains, an [...] such like.

To drinke.

Take Rue, Wormwood, and Scabias, steepe it in Ale a whole night, and drinke it fasting euery morning.

Another.

Take the water of Carduus Benedictus, or Angeli­ca, and mixe it with Methridatum,

Another.

The roote of Enula Campana, beaten to powder, is a speciall-remedie against the Plague, being drunke fa­sting.

Another.

Drinke the powder of Turmentill, in Sorrell or Scabias water.

Another.

If any feele themselues alreadie infected, take Ange­lica-water mixt with Methridatum, drinke it off, then goe to bed and sweate thereon.

Another to drinke.

Take a spoonefull of Bay erries, and buske them [Page]before they be dry, beate them to powder, and drinke it in good stale Ale or Beere, or in white wine: then sweat vpon it then forbeare to sleepe.

To procure Sweat.

Take posset Ale sodden with Sorrell, and Burridge mixt with Triacle of Diatesserom, and get you to your naked bed.

A speciall preseruatiue against the Plague.

Take of the roote of great Valerian, a quarter of an dunce: of Sorrell a handfull: an ounce of the roote of Butter-bur: boile them in running water, from a quart to a pint, put two spoonefulls of Vineger to it, and let the Patient drinke it so hot as hee may, and then sweat vpon it.

Another speciall preseruatiue.

Take an egge, make a hole in the top of it, take out the white and the yolke, and fill the shell onelie with Saffron, rost the shell and Saffron together, in embers of Charcoales, vntill the shell ware yeallow: then beate shell and altogether in a Morter, with halfe a spooneful of mustard-seed: Nowe so soone as any suspitian in had of infection, dissolue the weight of a French-Crowne in ten spoonefulls of posset Ale, drinke it luke wamne, & sweat vpon it in your naked bed.

Another Preseruatiue to be distilled.

Take halfe a hundreth greene Walnuts beeing new taken off as they hang greene on the tree, and a pounde of the inner barke of an Ash-tree: then take Petimorrel, Housseeke, Scabias, and Verum, of eache a handefull Saffron halfe an ounce, and mince all these small toge­ther: then put a pottle of the strongest Vineger on them boile them ouer a soft fire in a close pot, and after distill [Page]them in a Limbecke: keepe the distill ed water, and giue the Patient two ounces to drinke thereof, foure times in foure & twenty houres, when he is in his naked bed, & let him be prouoked to sweat, and he shal find great ease thereby.

If the Patient be bound in the body.

Take a suppository made with a litle boyled Hunuy, & a litle powder of Salt: let this be put vp at the funda­ment with a litle butter, vntil it moue him to the stoole.

Drinke for ordinary Dyet.

So neere as you can, let the Patients ordinary drinke be good small Ale of eyght daies olde.

For Vomitting.

Vomitting is better than bleeding in this case, and therefore prouoke to vomit so neere as you can.

To prouoke Vomit.

Take three leaues of Eastrabecca, stampe it, and drinke it in Rennish wine, Ale, or posset Ale.

Another.

A litle quantity of white Helivor: grater and drunke in the like sort procureth vomit.

A speciall Vomet.

Take two ounces of Oyle of Walnuts, a spoonefull of the iuyte of Celandine, and halfe a spoonfull of the iuyce of Reddish raots: Let not the party sleepe for two houres after, and in so dooing it is better than any pur­ging.

For Purging.

If the party be full of grosse humours, let [...]im blood immediateley vpon the right arme, on the Liuer veyue, or on the median veyne, in the saine arme: so as no sort appears the first day.

A very ho [...]some purge.

Put into the pap of an Apple a sixepenny waight of Alloes, and so take it: or the piss of Rutus.

A very h [...]lsome water to be distilled.

Steepe Sorrell in Vineger foure & twenty houres, then take it out and dry it with a linneu cloth, then still it in a Limbecke, drinke foure spoonefuls with a little Sugar, then walke vpon it till you sweat, if you may: if not, keepe your bed and sweat vpon it. Vse this before supper on any eueuing.

If the Patient happen to be troubled with any swel­lings, botches, carbuncles, or Gods tokens: let him sweat moderately now and then.

Outward Medicines to ripen the Sore.

Take the roote of a white Lillie, rost it in a good handfull of Sorrell, stampe it and apply it thereto very hot, let it lie foure and twenty houres, and it will break the sore.

Another.

Take of old Swines-grease salted, two ounces, with the yolke of an egge, and two handfulls of Scabias stampe them together, and lay it warme to the Sore.

Another.

Take a small quantity of Leauen, a handfull of Mal­lowes, a little quantity of Scabias, cut a white Oynion into pieces, with halfe a dozen heads of Garlicke, boile these together in running water, make a Poultus of it and then lay it hot to the sore.

Another.

The like may by made of two handfulls of Valerian, three roots of Danwort, and a handfull of Smallidge, seeth them in sheeps Suet and Rose water, with a few [Page]crums of bread, and apply it hot to the sore.

Another.

Take a hot Loafe, new taken forth of the Ouen, ap­ply it to the sore, and it will doubtlesse breake the same: but afterward bury the same Loafe deepe mough in the ground, for feare of any infection: for if either dog or a­ny other thing do feede thereon, it will infecte a greate many.

Other Obseruations,

Let the sicke and infected persons bee seperated and kept from the whole, vntill the sore be-healed: but ge­nerally let them be kept within the space of a moneth.

For a Fume.

Take a new burnt Bricke, and heate it red hot, then put it into a Bason of Vineger, and set the Fume there­of ascend into your houses.

For Ayring Apparrell.

Let the Apparell of the diseased persons, be well and often washed, be it Linnen or woollen: or let it be ayred in the Sunne, or ouer pans of fire, or ouer a Chasing­dish of Coales, and fume the same with Frankensence, Iuniper, or dryed Rose-mary

A perfect good Plaister for the Cure of the sore after it is broken.

Take vnwrought Waxe, white Turpentine, the yolke of an Egge a little fresh but [...]r, and a quantity of English hony, boile all these togeth [...] [...] a salue, and apply it to the sore, beeing th [...] spred vppon a cloth, in manner of an ordinarie Playster.

Additions.

To preserue from the Infection of the Plague.

Take Garlicke and peele it and mince it small, put is into new milke and eate it fasting,

To take the infection from a house infected.

Take large Oynions, peele them, and lay three o [...] foure of them vpon the ground, let them lie ten daies, & those peeled Oynions will gather all the infection into them that is in one of those Roames: but burie these Oynions afterward keepe in the ground.

Another.

Take new milke and set it in a Bason in the middle of the infected Ro [...]e, and the milke will drawe the Infectious veno [...] [...]to it, letting it stand two daie [...] i [...] the said Roome.

Against the new burning Feuer.

If the Patient be in a great heat as most commonlie they will, take of fa [...]e running water a prety quantity, put it on [...] Chafti [...] dish of Coales, then put thereinto a good quantity of Saunders beaten to powder and let it boyle halfe an houre betweene two dishes: that done, put a couple of soft linnen clothes into a dishe, wet the clothes well in water and Saunders, and apply the same so hote as y [...] can suffer it to your belly.

To drinke for the whot Feuer.

Take two handfull of Sorrell, and a handfull of Violet leaues with a bunch of sowre Gr [...]pes, beat them together stalkes and all: then [...] it into Butter-milke, then make a posset of the same Butter-milke, and let the Patient drinke thereof so much as he will.

To procuresleepe to the sicke Persons that are diseased either with the Pague or the hote Feuer.

Take of womans brest-milke agood quantity, put thereunto of the like quantitie of [...] vite, stir them well together, and moysten the [...]ith the Temples of the Patient and his Nosthrils, [...] on with some fe [...] ­ther, or some fine thin ragge,

Butter-milke in this c [...] [...] is g [...] [...] to be [...], and i [...] [...] either the Plague or the [...] [...]er.

FINIS.

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