¶ Of the Naturall causes of the infe­ction of the Aire, and of the Plague.

OF all the diseases whereunto the body of man is subject, the Plague or Pestilence is the most terrible and feare­full, and most contagious; therefore wee must seeke all meanes, both Naturall and Artificiall, to preserve our selues and Families from it: Therefore first wee will speake of the Natu­rall causes of this infection.

There bee two speciall causes of the Pesti­lence.

The first is, An infected, corrupted and pu­trified Ayre.

The second is, Evill and corrupt humors ingendered in the body.

[Page]The aire is corrupted and infected di­vers wayes as Astronomers say, by the influ­ences, aspects, conjunctions, and opposition of ill planets, the Eclipse of the Sunne and Moone, through the immoderate heate of the Aire, where the temperature of the aire is turned from his naturall state to excessive heate and moisture, which is the worst tem­perament of the Aire, vapors being drawne up by the heate of the Sunne, remaining unconsumed, doe rot, putrifie, and corrupt, an so with the venome, the Aire becommeth corrupted and infected.

Also the ayre is often corrupted by the evaporation of dead carcasses lying unburi­ed, as it often chanceth in the warres, as al­so by the evaporation of Pooles, Fennes, Marishes, stinking and noysome sinkes and kenells.

A man falleth into the Pestilence by dis­ordering of himselfe, either in diet, or with other exercises.

Therefore, during the time of this con­tagious sicknesse, hee must have a speciall regard, to keepe himselfe from all outrages, and surfets (to wit) from all excesse of meate, drinke, sweating, bathes, letehery, and all other things that open the pores of the body, and causeth the bad ayres to enter, which entring, invenome the lively spirits of [Page] man, and infect, and indanger the whole body.

And seeing it is evident, that the Plague or Pestilence is not caused, but through the breathing in of pestilent and corrupt Ayre; there cannot be a more safe and present re­medy to preserue one, then by flying from that corrupt Aire, there is no other meanes to avoid the pestilent Aire, because, whether wee will or no, wee must draw in such Aire, unlesse wee get us away into some other place where the aire is not corrupted nor in­fected, but pure and good, neither must you returne home againe from that place over­soone.

¶ Observations to be used, preserving from the Plague.

BVt if upon vrgent occasion of businesse you may not flie: then have a speciall care that the house in which you must tarry, be cept cleane and sweete, without all kind of stinke, filthinesse, or sluttishnesse, let the windowes be kept close, and shut especially in clowdy and rainy weather, that the pesti­lent aire enter not in, but if you will open them, doe it about mid-day.

[Page]You must come abroad as seldome as you can, and not (if you may) except the ele­ment be cleere and bright, but before you come abroad you must take some medicine, which is able to preserve you from infection, as the roote of Angelica, Pimpernell, &c. chewed in the mouth.

Also you must make fires daily in your houses, that thereby the corrupt aire that is in the house, may be the better purged and amended; for there is a marvelous great ver­tue and strength in fire, to purge, correct & amend the rottennesse and corruption of the ayre.

Also if you burne Juniper, Tamariscus, Bay-leaves, Rosemary, and such like are very good to purge the house of all ill aires, and to sweeten: or take a Chafindish of coales, and strow upon it the powder of Rosemary, Sage, Rew, Betonie, Wormwood, Majoram, Origaen, Juniper-berries, Mirrh, Frankin­cence and Masticke, Cipresse-barkes, Angeli­ca the root or leaves, Lavander, wood of A­loes, Gallia Muschata, Cloves, or any one of all these are very good to aire your house withall.

It is best in hore weather to correct and purifie the aire with cold things, as with Ro­ses, Violetts, Water-lillies, Vine-leaves, and branches of Willowes, &c. and to sprinkle the [Page] floore with cold water mixt with Viniger, Roses, or Sorrell, &c.

It is very good when one goeth abroad, to have something in their hands to smell too, the better to avoide those noysome stinkes, and filthy savors which are in every corner, therefore it is very good to carry in the hand a branch of Rew, Rosemary, Roses, or Camphire; and the smell of Viniger is ve­ry good, or a Pomander somthing like this.

• Take of Lapdanum, three drachmes.
• Take of Storax calamintae, two drachmes.
• Take of Cinomon, of each a drachme.
• Take of Cloues, of each a drachme.
• Take of Nutmegs, of each a drachme.
• Take of Wood of Aloes, a scruple.
• Take of Spiknard, halfe a scruple.
• Take of Mirh, of each halfe a drach.
• Take of Mastik, of each halfe a drach.
• Take of Frankencense, of each halfe a drach.
• Take of Muske, of each three graines.
• Take of Amber, of each three graines.

Make them to powder and searce them, and take Majoram-water, and Rose-vini­ger, wherein gumme Arabike is disolved, and so make it up in a Pomander.

Seeing also, that gluttony, excesse, and drunkennesse, is at all times to be shunned, so at this time of infection is most dange­rous, breeding the humors, and corrupting the body: Therfore they that love their [Page] health, let them use temperance in their diet and choose such meats as engender good blood, and bee not ready to putrifie and rot, but bee of easie digestion, and eate with them sharpe Sauces, as Viniger, or the juy­ces of sharpe things, as verjuyce, juyce of Citrons, Lemonds, Oringes, &c.

Also use for pot-herbs, Sage, or other­wise, Parcely, Marjoram, Balme, Hysope, Bu­glose, Endiue, Succorie, and Lettuce.

Also hee must refraine from eating of much fruit, for it doth breede corrupt blood and if he eate any it must be sowre.

Also hee must eate little garlike, Onions, or Leeks, for these cause unkinde heate.

Also suffer not thirst greatly, and when thou doest thirst drinke but measurably, and that but small and thinne drinke, or barly water, or clarified whey sod with coole hearbs.

Another speciall regard must bee had in exercises, vbi quomodo & quando. The place where, must be in a wholsome and pure ayre, and hee must use them temperately, and moderately, and must eschew all violent ex­ercises, as dancing, running, leaping: and whatsoever such like kinde of exercise that causeth often breathing in of Ayre, hee must refraine in the extreame heate of the day, and in places where is much concourse of people

[Page]As for his sleepe and watchings, let them bee meane and moderate, onely his sleepe must bee sufficient to suffice Nature, and in a close Chamber, well stopped, and the windowes and doores close shut, left the ill ayre enter into it, and hee must have regard that his sheetes bee cleane and sweete, well ayred by the fire, if perfumed or sweetned they be the better. Therefore that use is good of Rose-cakes and sweete bagges in chests where they keepe linnen.

It is good also at night afore you goe to bed to ayre the chamber with a good fire, or with a chasing dish of coles, wherein it were good to strow some powder of Rew, Sage, Betonie, or of Iuniper and such like.

When you walke in the morning, first emptie the body of all superfluities and ex­crements, & take heed: and beware the body, bee not to costive at any time. Therefore, if of thy self naturally at any time thou canst not voyde out excrements, thou shalt take either a potion of pils, or else a Gly­ster or suppositary of pils, take pilulae rufi, or pestilentiales or Communes: or else

• Take of Aloes epatick, two parts,
• Take of Amoniacum, of each one part.
• Take of Mirrh. of each one part.

[Page]With white wine or with the Water of Seabious make pills of them, which Mi­nister daylie, if you will one scruple at a time.

These pils do most resist putrifaction, and have a very great vertue against the infecting of the pestilent ayre.

Blood-letting also is very wholsome for young folke, and such as have great store of blood, for it doth much coole the state of the body, and bringeth it to a moderate heate, and letteth out the corrupt humours, which doe make the body more subject to infecti­on: bloud letting is very necessary in the time of infection, and doth much profit, and pre­serve health.

Also it is very ill to be too passionate or melancholy: for the passions of sadnesse, Anger, hatred, feare, great cares, and heavie thoughts and sighing, doe much distemper the body and make it more unfit to with­stand the infection: but on the contrary it is very good to use joy and mirth with tem­perance.

Signes to know the infected.

HAving before shewed the naturall and originall causes of the plague and pe­stilence, [Page] with the best meanes for the pre­servation of a mans selfe from it, wee will proceed and shew, first the signes whereby a man may best judge of himselfe, whether hee bee already infected, or not, and the meanes to cure the sicke.

As concerning the signes that declare one to be already infected, they are many.

First when the outward members are cold, and the inward parts burning hot, when there is a paine and heavinesse of the head, and a great inclination to sleepe. A wearinesse, heavinesse, and difficulty in breathing. A sadnesse and carefulnesse of the minde: a change of countenance, with a frowning looke of the eyes: losse of sto­make and appetite: immoderate thirst and often vomiting: a bitternesse and drinesse of the mouth: The pulse frequent, small and deepe, the Vrine troublous, thick, and stink­ing like beasts urine.

The surest token of all to know the infe­cted of the plague, is, if there doe arise and engender botches behind the eares, or under the arme holes, or about the share: or also if Carbuncles doe arise in any member sodain­ly, for when they doe appeare they beto­ken strength of Nature: Which being strong and mighty, doth labour to drive the poison out of the body, but if botches doe not [Page] appeare, it is more perillous and dange­rous: for it betokeneth that nature is weak and feeble, and not able to expell and drive out the venemous humours, and then you must have respect to the signes before re­hearsed.

Also these botches which doe appeare, they doe declare which members of the the body bee infected above any other, and doe thrust out venimous humours from them.

The infection of the plague entereth into a man in this sort.

In a man are three principall parts (that is) the heart, liver, and armes, and each of these hath his cleansing place: Therefore if they doe appeare in the necke, they doe shew the braines to be chiefly vexed: if un­der the arme-holes, the heart, but if they appeare in the share, the Liver is most in­fected.

For a man having taken some venome, it is mingled with the blood, and runnes to the heart, which is the chiefe part of man: and the heart by kinde putteth the venome to his clensing place which is the arme-holes: and it being stopt, putteth to the next principall part, that is the Liver, and it passeth it to his cleansing place, which is the Thigh-holes or share: Likewise they being [Page] stopt, passe it to the next principall place (that is) the armes, and to their clensing pla­ces which are under the eares, or under the throate, and they being stopped, suffer it not to passe out, then it is mooved 12, houres before it rest in any place, and if it bee not let out within the space of foure and twen­ty houres by bleeding it casts a man into an ague, and maketh a botch in one of the three places, or neere them.

The Cure of the infected of the Plague.

THe best way to cure the Plague is this when thou findest thy selfe to be infe­cted, and feelest the bloud flickering, bleed in the first houre or within sixe houres after drinke not, and tarry not above 12. houres from bleeding, for when thy blood is so flickering, the venome is then moving and not yet setled, and after it is too late: those that are fat may be let blood, or else not.

If the matter be gathered under the arme-holes, it comes from the heart by the veine Cardiall, then bleed on the same side: on the innermost veine of the arme commonly called Basollica: but bleed not on both sides, [Page] except it bee in both armeholes for that is dangerous, and losse of good bloud.

And if the botch doth appeare behind the eares, or above the chinne, or in any other part of the face, or neck, you must let blood out of veine Cephalica, on the same side: let blood with cupping-glasses for that is the best, or a horse-leach, or horse haire.

But if the botch appeare in the share, you must then bleed in the Ancle of the same side, and then in any case bleed not in the Arme, for it will draw up the matter againe.

But if there appeare no botch outwardly, you must then draw bloud out of the same side where is felt the greatest paine and hea­vinesse, and out of which veine the paine and griefe of the members afflicted will declare.

For if the members above the breast bee most grieved and afflicted, cut the Cephalica veine. But if the parts about the necke bee most grieved bleed in the Basillica, or mid­dle veine.

And if the nether parts bee most grieved and vexed, bleed in the hamme or ankles. And if nature bee strong, and other things not letting, draw out bloud aboundantly.

But if through age or for other causes you may not use bloud letting, then you must fasten cupping glasses and use them.

[Page]And if you perceive the pestilence to in­fect or invade you at meate, or upon a full stomacke, then vomit straiteway, and when the body and stomacke is empty, then take some medicine that can resist poyson, as Methrydate, or Triacle.

When the patient hath taken some me­dicines that wil expel the venome, lay him in a warmed bed, being made with soft sheets, and well covered with cloathes, that there he may sweat well, for the space of foure or 5. houres, or more according to his strength. But if by this meanes you can scarsely pro­voke him to sweate, you may use some other meanes, as by the heating of tiles, and lay­ing them hote to the feete of the patient, or with stone bottles filled with hot water, and being close stopt with corke, that the water spill not, and so put into the bed to the sick, they will by their heat provoke him readily to sweat. And all the time the sicke doth sweate, you must take heed that hee neither sleepe, eate, nor drinke.

And after hee hath sweat, you must wipe diligently off the sweat, with very cleane and fine linnen clothes. Then afterward let the sicke rise from his bed, if he either will or can: But let him not come into the open ayre, but eschew it as much as may bee: Also let the Ayre of the Chamber in the which the sicke [Page] doth lie, be corrected and amended and pu­rified with odoriferous things, and with sweete smelling perfumes, such as are before declared.

Lastly, the principall and whole body being clensed by bleeding, or cupping and sweating, the patient must be very wary, and measurable in his diet, for in the Fever Acute which is accidentall to this sicknesse; it is good to eate no flesh but little chickins sod with fresh water, but it is best to give unto him the broath of a chicken two or three houres after he hath sweat, and often, accor­ding to his strength, for the sicke and weake must be norished and refreshed by little and little: If the broath have in it the juice of le­mons, Oranges, veriuice, or viniger, it is the better.

¶ Preservatiues against the Plague, and Pestilence.

TAke Wormewood and Rew, of each a little, and lay them in a little Vine­ger, then take a spunge and wet it therein, and this you may carry about you in a box or any thing else, to smell thereon, and this will preserve you from the infected.

Another.

ALso take Angelica roote, and hold in your mouth, for it is excellent good to keepe your body that no corrupted ayre come therein: Likewise Sytron pilles is very good to hold in your mouth, or Cloves.

Another.

IT is good to keepe the head and stomack cleane purged, and not to overlay it with eating and drinking, nor to eate grose meats but to abstaine from all manner of slimie and grose meates, and to purge your selfe as oft as you can with some gentle purge, as Cassia pilles, or such like.

Another excellent Preservative.

TAke a Figge or a Walnut, and in a mor­ning fasting, take a little Rew, and a corne of bay salt, and eate them together, and this will preserve you, that you neeed not feare the infection.

Another preservative by purging the Blood.

TAke in you pottage, Buglase, Burrige, Suckory, Lettyse, and such like hearbs: It shall be also very good at your meate to eate the inside of a Cytteron, with a little su­gar, [Page] at morning, at noone, and at night when you goe to bed: and it would bee ve­ry good to wash your hands, and to b [...]e your temples and your pulses with Viniger Rosset, and it would bee good to perfume your houses with Vineger and Rew upon a tile-stone being heated in the fire: it is very good to hold your head over it; it is excel­lent good to keepe your body that no in­fected ayre enter therein.

A prooved remedy for the Plague.

TAke an Oinon, and cut him overthwart, or asunder then make a little hole in each peece, the which ye shall fill with fine Treakle, and set the peeces together againe, then wrap them in a wet linnen cloth, put­ting it as you would a warden, and so roaste him in the embers, seeing it be covered with embers, and when it is rosted enough, straine out all the juice thereof, and give the patient a spoonefull thereof to drinke, and it will heale him by the grace of God.

Take Sorrell, and lay it in steepe in Vine­ger a day, and then still it, and when the pa­tient feeleth himselfe ill, give him a draught thereof, and if hee brooke it, two or three houres after give him more thereof to drink, and by the grace of God he shall be healed.

Another for those that feele themselues Infected.

TAke Cardus Benedictus, the leafe, and dry it, then beate it to powder, and give the patient to drinke of it, and then let him sweate, and it will heale him by the grace of God.

A Preservative.

TAke London Treakle, which you shall have, at divers Apoticaries shopps, in London, which doe make it themselves, and in a morning fasting. Take as much thereof as a hazell-nut, and drinke a little after it, and this will keepe your bodie that no veno­med ayre enter therein, and if you feele your selfe ill at any time, take a little there­of and sweat upon it, and this will helpe you.

Also it is good to take some when you go to bed-ward at evening, and in the morning fasting: You may have it for two pence the ounce, and it is excellent good to have it al­wayes in a readinesse, Approved.

If there doe a botch appeare.

TAke a Pigeon, and plucke the feathers off her taile, very bare, and set her taile to the sore, and shee will draw out the venome till shee die; then take another and set too likewise, continving so till all the ve­nome be drawne out, which you shall see by the Pigeons, for they will die with the ve­nome as long as there is any in it: also a chicken or a henne is very good.