Health better then Gold: Or, Rules and Directions, as well for the Cure of the Plague, as for preventing the Infection, &c.
VVHereas it hath pleased Almighty God to send forth his destroying Angel amongst Us, to scourge and chastise a stiff-necked and perverse Generation of People, by spreading the Black-Cloud of Plague and Pestilence, over many famous Nations & Cities beyond the Seas; but hath also out of his Divine Justice, even now brought it to the very Doors of many who have sleighted his gracious Tenders and Mercies; and indeed who can say, I am free from such provocations, from provoking a just and righteous God, and from crucifying afresh a precious, dear and blessed Saviour, by their wicked and abominable Oaths, by their sad and lamentable Imprecations, by their vitious Vices of Whoredom, Drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, &c. O let every one therefo [...]e seriously lay it to heart, the great and original cause of these our present Judgments, and by serious Repentance, and cont [...]ition of spirit, endeavour to cure the sinful Plague of the Heart, to amend their Lives, to become new Creatures, to bear a high esteem of the Blessed Sabbath, and an ardent affection to his gracious Ordinances; That the Lord may say unto London, as he did unto Israel, Return thou back-sliding People, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am me ciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. [...] g acious saying, and worthy of acceptation. But now for the p [...]b [...]ick benefit of all people, in these Times of Calamity, I shall not onely recite some Orders of the Right Honourable the Lord Ma [...]or, and Court of Aldermen, for preserving of Health; but also divers Receits and Directions as well for the cure of the Plague, as for preventing the Infection of it &c. And first it is thought requisite that in every Parish there be one, two, o [...] more persons of good sort and credit, chosen and appointed by the Alderman, [Page 2] his Deputy, and Common-council of every Ward by the name of Examiners to continue in that Office the space of two Moneths at least: and if any person so appointed shall refu [...]e to undertake the same, the said parties so refusing, to be committed to Prison until they shall conform themselves accordingly. That these Examiners be sworn by the Alderman, to enqui [...]e what houses be visited, what persons sick, and of what Diseases, as near as they can and upon d [...]ubt, to command restraint of access, until it appear what the Disease shall prove: and if they find any person sick of the Infection, to give order to the Constable that the house be shut up; and if the Constable shall be found remiss or negligent, to give present notice thereof to the Alderman of the Ward. That to every infected house there be appointed two Watch-men, one for the day, and the other for the night. That for the Women-searchers in every Parish, to be of honest reputation and sworn to make due search and true report: and tkat the Physitians appointed for the cure and prevention of the Infection, do call before them the said Searchers, who are or shall be appointed for the several Parishes under their respective cares, to the end they may consider whether they are fitly qualified for that employment: and that no Searcher, during this time of Visitation, be permitted to use any publick work or imployment, or keep any shop or stall, or be imployed as a Landress, or in any other common employment whatsoever. And for better assistance of the Searchers, it is ordered, that there be chosen able and discreet Chirurgions, to be resident in most convenient places, and to be sequestred from all other cures, and kept onely to this Disease of the Infection, and every Chirurgion to haue twelve pence a Body searched by them, to be paid out of the goods of the party searched, if he be able, or otherwise by the Parish. And if any Nurse-keeper shall remove her self out of any infected house before 28 days after the decease of any person dying of the Infection, the house to which the said Nurse-keeper doth so remove, her self shall be shut up until the said 28 days be expired. Likewise, that the burial of the dead by this Visitation be at most convenient hours, always before either Sun-rising or after Sun-setting, with the privity of the Churchwardens or Constables, and not othe [...]wise; and that no Neighbours nor Friends be suffered to accompany the Coarse to Church, or to enter the house visited, upon pain of having his house shut up, or be imprisoned. And further, all publick Assemblies at other [Page 3] Burials are to be forborn during the continuance of this Visitation. And to the end no infected Stuff shall be uttered, it is ordered, That no Clothes, Stuff, Be [...]ding, or Garments be suffered to be carryed or conveyed out of any infected houses, and that the Cryers and Carryers ab [...]oad of Be [...]ding or old Apparel to be sold or pawned, be utterly prohibited and restra [...]ned, and no Brokers of Bedding or Old Apparel be permitted to make any outward shew, or hang forth on their Stalls, shopboards or Windows toward any Street, Lane, Common-way, or Passage, any old Bedding or Apparel to be sold, upon pain of imprisonment: and if any Broker or other person shall buy any Bedding, Apparel, or other stuff out of any infected house, within two mone [...]ns after the Infection hath been there, his house shall be shut up as infected, and so shall continue shut up 20 days at least.
It is also ordered, that care be taken of Hackney-Coachmen, that they may not (as some of them have been observed to do) after carrying of infected persons to the Pest-house, and other places, be admitted to common use, till their Coaches be well aired, and have stood unimpistyed by the space of 5 or 6 days after such service. Ordered, That every Housholder do cause the Street to be daily pared before his door, and so to keep it clean swept all the Week long. And that the sweeping and filth of houses be daily carryed away by the Rakers, and that the Raker shall give notice of his coming by the blowing of a Horn, as heretofore hath been done. Likewise, that the Laystals be removed as far as may be out of the City, and common passages, and that no Nightman or other be suffered to empty a Vault into any Garden near about the City. That special care be taken, that no stinking Fish, or unwholesom Flesh, or musty Corn, or other corrupt Fruits of what sort soever, be suffered to be sold about the City, or n [...]y part of the same. That the Brewers and [...]ipling-houses be looked unto, for musty and unwholsome Cask. That no Hogs, Dogs, or Cats, or tame Pigeons, or Conies, be suffered to be kept within any part of the City, and that the Dogs be killed by the Dog-killers appointed for that purpose. That all publick Feasting, and particularly by the Companies of this City; and Dinners at Taverns, Alehouses, & other places of common entertainment be forborn untill further order and allowance; and that the money thereby spared, be preserved and imployed for the benefit and relief of the poor visited with the Infection. That every house visited be marked with a Red-Cross of a foot long in the middle of the door, and with the usual printed words, ‘Lord have Mercy upon Us.’
Directions for the Searchers.
1. They are to take notice whether there be any swellings, risings, or botch under the ear, about the neck, on either side, or under the arm-pits of either side, or the groins, and of its hardness, and whether broken or unbroken.
2. Whether there be any blains which may rise in any part of the body in the form of a blister, much bigger then the Small Pox, of a straw-colour or livid colour, which latter is the worser; either of them hath a reddish Circuit, something swollen round about it, which Circuit remains after the blister is broken, encompassing the Sore.
3. Whether there be any Carbuncle, which is something like the blain, but more fiery and corrosive, easily eating deep into the flesh, and sometimes having a black crust upon it, but always compassed about with a very fiery red (or livid) flat and hard tumour, about a finger-breadth more or less: this and the blain may appear in any part of the body.
4. Whether there be any tokens, which are spots arising about the skin, chiefly about the breast and back, but sometimes also in other parts; their colour is something various, sometimes more reddish, sometimes inclining a little toward a fai [...] t blue, and sometimes brownish mixt with blue; the red ones have often a purple-circle about them, the brownish, a reddish.
Perfumes against the Plague.
Such as are to go abroad, shall do well to carry rue, anglica, Masterwort, myrrhe, scordiu [...], or water-germander, wormwood, valetian, or setwall-root, Virginian-snake root, or Zedoarie in their hands to smell to; and of those they may hold or shew a little in their mouths as they go in the streets; they may anoint their nostrils with oyl of Amber, or balsam of sulphur; especially if they be afraid of any place: Fear, as well as presumption, being hurtful.
Take rue one handful, stamp it in a morter, put thereto Vineger enough to moisten it, mix them well, then strain out the juce, wet a piece of spunge, or a toast of hrown bread therein, tye it in a thin cloath, bear it about to smell to.
Take the root of angelica beaten grosly, the weight of six pence, of rue and wormwood, of each the weight of four pence, setwall the w [...]g [...]t of three pence b [...] [...]se these, then steep them in a l [...]ttle Wine Vineger, tye them in a l nnen cloath, which they may carry
Inward Medicines against the Plague.
Let none go fasting forth, every one according as they can procure, let them take some such thing as may resist putrefaction.
Some may take Garlick with Butter, a Clove two or three, according as it shall agree with their bo [...]ies: And for Women with child, children and such as cannot take bitter things, use this. Take Conserve of Red-Roses, Conserve of Wood-sorrel, of each 2 ounces, Conserves of Borage of Sage-flowers, of each 6 drams, Bole-Armoniack, shaving of Harts-horn, Sorrel seeds of each two drams, yellow or white Sanders half a dram Saffron one scruple, Syrup of Wood-sorrel, enough to make it a most Electuary; mix them well, take so much as a Chesnut at a time, once or twice a day, as you shall find cause. It will be good to forbear all crude and moist Fruits; as Cucumbers, Melons, Plumbs, Cherries, Peaches, and raw Hearbs and Salla [...]s, as Lettice, Spinage, Radish, and such like, or to be moderate in the use of them, mixt with Oyl and Vinegar.
A Remedy sent to the Lord Mayor of London, by King Henry the Eighth, against the Plague.
Take a handful of Sage, a handful of Herb-grace, a handful of Elder-leaves, a handful of Red-bramble leaves, stamp them all, and strain them through a fine cloth, with a quart of White-wine, and then take a quantity of Ginger, and mingle them together, and take a spoonful of the same, and you shall be safe for twenty four dayes; Nine times taking of it, is sufficient for a whole Year by the Grace of God. And if it be so, that the Party be stricken with the Plague, before he hath drank this Medicine; then take the Water of Scabios a spoonful, of Water of Bettony a spoonful, and a quanaity of fine Treacle; and put them all together, and cause him to drink it, and it will expel all the Venome. If the botch appear, then take the Leaves of Brambles, Elder Leaves, Mustard seed, and stamp them together, and make a Plaister thereof, and lay it to the Sore, and that shall draw out the Venome, and the party shall be whole, by the Grace of God.
A Medicine, that was taught King Henry the Seventh, by his Physitian, against the PESTILENCE.
Take of Rue, Maudragories, Featherfew, Sorrel, Barnet, of each half a handful; of crops and roots of Dragons a like quantity; wash them clean, and seeth them, with a soft fire, in running Water, from a [Page 6] bottle to a quart; and then strain them together, through a clean cloath; and if it be bitter, put thereto a quantity of Sugar-Candy, or Sugar: And if this Medicine be used before the Purples do arise, you shall be whole by Gods Grace.
Sir Walter Rawleigh's Receipt against the Plague.
Yake three pints of Malmsey (or Canary-Sack) and boyl in it one handfull of Sage, and as much of Rue, till one pint be wasted away; then stra [...]n it, and set it over the fire againe, and put thereto one dram of long Pepper, half an ounce of Ginger, and a quarter of an ounce of Nutmegs, all well beaten together; then let it boyl a little, and put thereto one dram & a half of Mithridate, one dram of Venice-Treacle, and a quarter of a pint of Aqua-Vita, or hot Angelica-water.
Keep this as your life, above all worldly treasure: take it alwayes morning and evening three spoonfuls at each time, if the party be diseased: if not, every morning is sufficient.
In all the Plague-time trust to this; for certainly (God be praised for it) there was never man, woman nor child whom this drink deceived, if the heart were not poysoned and downed with the disease before.
An approved Remedy against the Pestilence be it never so vehement.
Take an Ounion and cut him overthwart, then make a little hole in each peece, the which you shall fill with fine Treacle, then set the peices together againe as they were before, then wrap them in a white linnen cloth. Puting it so to Roast in the Embers and Ashes, then when it is Roasted enough press out all the juce of it: and give the patient a spoonful thereof to drink, and so by Gods help he shall feel ease and most undoubtedly be healed.
For him that is sick of the Plague.
Take white Dittany, Turmentil, white Coral, Genitine, Bole Armonick, Teria sigilata, and Endive, water of Scabius; and the Accedent coming upon him, this must be made at least four hours before it be used, take of the said things stamped each one by it self, and put them severally in glasses, and make of all of them a drink at your own discretion, making the Vineger mount in the glass a little above the other things, and let the patient take it hot, covering himself [...] in his bed until he sweat, and by Gods help he shall undoubtedly be Cured.