Some observations made upon the herb cassiny imported from Carolina shewing its admirable virtues in curing the small pox / written by a physitian in the countrey to Esq. Boyle at London.

Some observations made upon the herb cassiny imported from Carolina shewing its admirable virtues in curing the small pox / written by a physitian in the countrey to Esq. Boyle at London.

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Title page

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the HERB Caſſiny: SHEWING Its Admirable Virtues in Curing the SMALL POX. In a LETTER, &c.

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the HERB Caſſiny: SHEWING Its Admirable Virtues in Curing the SMALL POX. In a LETTER, &c.

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SIR,

I Am ſorry to hear that the Small Pox is ſo riſe at London, it's the leſs Wonder to find you ſo Inquiſitive after a good Specifick Remedy in that Diſtemper: I muſt tell you, I know no better Medicine in that Caſe than [Page] the Famous Carolina Herb called Caſſiny.

There are abundance of Perſons now Dye of the Small Pox in our Town and Countrey, but I attribute it very much to ill Management of Nurſes and Ignorant People, who give many hot Medicines, under the pretence of driving out, as Sack, and Saffron, and Mithridate, and Venice Treacle; by this means they fire the Blood into a Feavor, and that kills them. I only give a few Drops of the Tincture of this temperate Herb in Water-gruel, or in Panado, or Poſſet-drink, and do nothing elſe all the while, but leave it to Nature, and I find better Succeſs.

I have had many in one Family down at one time of this loathſome Diſtemper, and all recover'd with this Method; but if any deſire to dye with more pompous Preſcriptions, much good may it do them.

The Medicines made of this Herb do not in the leaſt heat the Blood, but rather moderate and gently allay the violent Fermentation [Page] of it, if it be too high, and yet ſafely help the Expulſive Faculty if it be too weak. This Specifick keeps them out of the Head and Throat, and ſecures the Lungs, by helping Expectoration.

I have often obſerved, that the ſlower they are in coming forth, the more dangerous; and if the Salivation or Spitting ceaſeth before the eleventh Day, eſpecially in a Flux Pox, there is then much more reaſon to fear the Patients being poyſoned by the return of the purulent Matter inwards: And yet in this extream hazard the Tincture of this Herb in Small Beer, and ſome times in Tare Broath, hath ſaved the Lives of many.

I being once ſent for to a Boarding-School, where ſeveral young Gentlewomen, who highly valued their Beauty, were ſurprized with the Small Pox, I only gave them the Drops drawn out of this Herb in all their liquid Aliment, as Water-gruel, and Poſſet-drink, and Small Beer, and cauſed them to keep their Faces cover'd with their Masks all the time, and they [Page] recover'd, and preſerv'd their Complections.

I remember that an Eminent Phyſitian of London told me an extraordinary Caſe of a Court Lady of great Beauty, a Patient of his, who was much afflicted at the Death of many who dyed of the Small Pox, and he was reſolved to try a contrary Method to what had been taken with thoſe, he kept her moderately warm cover'd with Scarlet Blankets, omitted Bleeding, and cauſed her to take no more Nouriſhment than would keep her from ſtarving; her Drink was Poſſet-drink, with Figgs in it; her Food only Bread and Water boyl'd together, with ſeven Drops of this Specifick which came out of Carlina; he cauſed a live Sheep to be kept in the Chamber all the time of her Illneſs, to draw away the malignity; the Sheep dyed, but the Lady recover'd, although it was a very unkindly ſort, which much threaten'd her Life; the Dr. told me he durſt never give her any Opiate Medicine, leſt it ſhould ſtop her Spitting, which is the moſt proper way of Evacuation in all ſorts of Poxes, both great and ſmall.

[Page]The Virtues of this excellent Plant are at large mentioned in an Account of Carolina, and alſo in the Hiſtory of the Weſt Indies, a Latine Book written by John Delait of Antwerp, many Years ſince, who tells us that it's an Admirable Dioretick, it alſo greatly corroborates Nature, and helps her to caſt off whatever is offenſive to the Animal and Vital Spirits, and alſo it promotes genuine eaſie Sweats, and mild friendly tranſpirations, preſerving the Mind ſerene, and the Body active and lively a long while after, without any other Nouriſhment, and none but Perſons of great Quality are permitted to uſe this Noble Beverage, which they drink as we do Tea and Coffee.

Purchas in his Pilgrimage tells us, that at Florida, now called Carolina, they live to a very great Age, and ſpeaks of one of their Kings who was three Hundred years old; and whenever the Inhabitants of that Countrey meet with Mournful Accidents, or Subjects of Lamentation, they drink Caſſiny to chear their Hearts.

[Page]A famous Sea-Chyrurgeon who came from thoſe Parts, had moſt of his Ships Paſſengers taken ſick of the Small Pox, and recover'd them with Medicines made with this Herb.

I have ſo great an Opinion of this Plant, that if I had an Only Child who had the Small Pox, I would give him the Tincture of it in all his Drink, and depend upon it under God, as much as I would upon the Peruvian Bark in a Quartan Ague.

FINIS.

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§

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SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the HERB Caſſiny; Imported from CAROLINA: SHEWING Its Admirable VIRTUES in Curing the SMALL POX.

Written by a Phyſitian in the Countrey to Eſq Boyle at London.

LONDON, Printed in the Year 1695.

Information about this book

Title statement

Some observations made upon the herb cassiny imported from Carolina shewing its admirable virtues in curing the small pox / written by a physitian in the countrey to Esq. Boyle at London.

Peachi, John, fl. 1683.

Edition statement

1695

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A56763

ID [STC]

Wing P933

ID [STC]

ESTC R27602

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

09981186

ID [OCLC]

ocm 09981186

ID [VID]

44433

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A56763)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44433)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1337:15)

Source

— Some observations made upon the herb cassiny imported from Carolina shewing its admirable virtues in curing the small pox / written by a physitian in the countrey to Esq. Boyle at London., Peachi, John, fl. 1683., Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691., Pechey, John, 1655-1716..

Extent

8 p.

[s.n.],. London :: 1695.. (Attributed also to John Pechey--NUC pre-1956 imprints.) (Reproduction of original in the British Library.)

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