CHAP. I. The NAME

FIrst then; the Name of the Disease in the Greek, is either [...] or [...], according to Hesychius. The First [ [...]] signifies a Sow or a Hog; as I sup­pose those Creatures have been thought by the Ancients, and are still reckon'd by some Moderns to be infested in a more peculiar manner with this scrofu­lous Disease: For in the Throats of Swine, we may often find such strumous Tumors, and the Glandules indurated. And 'tis no wonder neither that Men and Brutes should sometimes be trou­bled with the same Distemper; especially seeing they both agree in many other things of Constitution or Humour. Or else the Word signifies a Rock lying with a Ridge upon the top of the Sea, not much unlike a Hog's Back; and this may bear some Analogy also to a Glandulous Tumor: Whether the Metaphor be fetch'd either from the Hardness, the Greatness, or the Figure sometimes of the Part afflicted.

The other Name of it in the Greek Tongue [ [...]] imports a dry, arid or inflam'd Malignancy; and, as if it were [...], Torrid, from [...], uro, to burn. Now a hot, scurfy or friable Inflammation represents the Thing very properly to the Eye, and expresses the Nature of it exactly (as it often happens) to the very Life. But my Author Hesychius also says, it is likewise a Disease of Bees, and explains himself by this particular Observation; that They are troubled with it at the same time, when they breed Worms or make Cob-webs. However, be it as it will as to that matter, this Word shews the Nature of the Malady well enough in one Respect by Heat and Friability; though it does not answer yet for all the other Qualities of the whole Evil.

But besides, it has also Two Names in the Latin Tongue; for the Gramma­rians call it either by That of Scrofula, or That of Struma, indifferently, without any great Distinction: only that the Former is a diminutive Word, signifying a Wen in the Throat as well as a Little [Page 6]Pig, from Scrofa an Old Sow; which seems to be a fictitious Name of that Creature, taken from the Sound of the Greek Word [...] (as Hesychius thinks) perhaps as delighting to grub up the Earth in Holes or Hillocks; and These indeed are Both sometimes very apt De­nominations or near Resemblances at least of the King's Evil, by reason either of perforating Ʋlcers in one Respect, or ex­ceeding large Tumors in the Other. But the Latter Word Struma differs a little from the Former; for it is derived from Ruma, a Teat or Dug, &c. which may be suck'd: either from [...], traho or sugo to suck; or from [...], fluo to flow, as the Milk does in sucking; which holds some Analogy with the Curdling Matter of the King's Evil, like Cheese. And so the Grammarians say well, that Struma is as it were struens Rumam, making a Dug or Pap, because it rises up frequent­ly in a Bump of that Shape or Figure; so that, in short, Struma is suppos'd to signifie in general any Tumor, Botch or Wen, either in the Throat, Neck or Arm-holes; the Word coming imme­diately (as some think) from [...], which arises from [...], sterno, to spread; be­cause [Page 7]the Disease might probably be observ'd formerly to lie and spread most under the Throat. And therefore by the same Analogical Reason, this Term may likewise very properly import, what we now call the King's Evil.

Now I must needs say, that Either or Any of these Words express the Thing very well as to the main Import of a scrofulous or strumous Tumor; and do not only give us some Light into the Nature of it, but also lead us in course to consi­der the Disease more essentially and fully than can be made out, by any nominal Disquisition or Etymology. But I beg leave here to make one Digression by the way, about our English Term for the Struma or Scrofula, as it is now common­ly call'd the King's Evil in every Body's Mouth; before I begin to define what I have hitherto been only a describing by Name. And some Writers think that this Name was given to any scrofulous or strumous Disease, long before Edward the Confessor's Time; but however All agree at least, that from his Reign it was call'd nothing else generally (and I may say vulgarly too) but the King's Evil [Page 8]in England. The Reason for so calling it is Plain; whether we believe the mira­culous Cure of that Distemper in many Cases, to be an extraordinary Blessing of God bestow'd upon the Kings of England, ab origine, and so to continue as a powerful Faculty by hereditary Successi­on attending on the Crown: or whether we take this Cure of the Evil by the Royal Touch to have been no Antienter than Edward the Confessor, and that it was a peculiar Gift to Him at first, and to no Body before Him, as a singular Reward of his Holiness; to be by a kind of here­ditary Right annex'd to Regal Authority for the future. The Matter is in Dispute still. But be it as it will, the History affords us ample Testimony and great Au­thority for calling this Disease by a Royal Name, The King's Evil; For, because it cannot be deny'd, but that wonderful Cures of it have been formerly wrought, by the Good Kings and Queens ox En­gland, and are still done by a continu'd Series even to this very Day: Not that I believe, They ever were, or perhaps ever may be troubled with the Distem­per themselves; as the Vulgar in some Countries think at the first hearing of [Page 9]the Name. However, it must be grant­ed on the other hand, that several Persons have never been the better for being Touch'd, nor ever receiv'd any greater Benefit by this Means than the Gold that was given 'em upon their Application; and yet it is certain They have afterwards been perfectly cur'd of the same Maladies, by the successful Medicines of good Artists: so that though Chirurgery may perhaps fail sometimes, where the Royal Hand performs the Cure; yet it has held as true also on the contra­ry, in Favour of the other Side, by many singular Instances.

Wherefore I hope, I may without any Offence either to the Court, the City, or the Countrey, either to Princes or Professors, take upon me to say, and that by long Experience too, for the publick Good; that let this Disease prove never so In­veterate or Obstinate, I am possess'd of such Sovereign and Effectual Medicines as will cure it perfectly by God's Bles­sing, when all other Measures or Methods fail.

CHAP. II The Nature of the EVIL.

SEcondly; As to this Nature of the King's Evil, several Authors have de­fin'd it several ways: but the best Defi­nition that I can pretend to gather from 'em all, is This in brief. The Scrofula, is a praeternatural malignant Tumor or Hu­mour, produc'd by a particular Acidity of the Serum of the Blood: either in Gland, Muscle or Membrane, which it both co­agulates and indurates; or in the Marrow, which it always dissolves, and also pu­trefies the Bone. But lest this Definition should want any further Illustration, I shall explain my self thus more at large, in a particular manner: Now 'tis plain, this Acidity in the Serum of the Blood, must needs occasion a very Crass, Glu­tinous and Acid Lympha in the Body; which not finding any convenient or regular Passage thro' its proper Channels, presently stops in the Glands or Else­where, and sensibly tumefies or indurates the Parts affected: So that, in short, [Page 11]by reason of this Corrosive Quality, the Distemper in time becomes Malignant, obdurate and very difficult to be cured; the Lympha being so viscous and so strongly settled in some extreme Parts, that it often proves the hardest thing in the World to thin, rarifie and attenuate, or take away such an Obstruction, of sour, stagnating, coagulated Juices. From hence it appears, that the Acid Matter whe­ther contain'd within a Cystis, or Swel­ling elsewhere without, either in the Salivatory Glands, &c. in One Respect, or in thick Ʋpper Lips chopt &c. in the Other; is the only Thing to be recti­fy'd or sweeten'd, in Order to effect a perfect Cure: And I cannot conceive how that can be done radically, save only by Alcalious Medicines, which is the Nostrum pretended to in my Pra­ctice: For otherwise the latent, habi­tual and inveterate Corrosiveness of the sharp indurated Lympha, which is the principal Cause of the King's Evil, will continually prove Incorrigible by all the Art of Man. And therefore the Struma being a Disease of that rank and sour Nature, it must be corrected and dul­cify'd by sweet healing Medicines, as [Page 12]the most Powerful Means to bring the Acid Humours or Juices to their due Tone, as well as the Constitution to it's pristine or natural State of Health and Vigour.

But to give a more exact Account of the Nature of the Thing already de­fin'd, I think my self oblig'd to explain the true Meaning of the Terms, Coagu­lation and Dissolution, in this Place, as pat to the Purpose. Now by Coagula­tion, I mean an irregular Curd-ling or Thick'ning of the Blood by a real Priva­tion of Moisture; so that I can com­pare it to nothing but that of making a Curd of Milk with Rennet. Now it is notorious that many strumous Tumors, being full of a white curled Matter, have a Likeness at least, if not also an Affinity with the Curd of Milk; which are Both alike occasion'd by a coagulating Acidity, though perhaps of a different Nature: and yet they must be Both very near as acrimonious as Aqua fortis or Spi­rit of Vitriol, to turn either the fibrous Parts of Blood or the gross Particles of Milk into a kind of Cheese or curdled Matter by a coagulating Fermentation. [Page 13]To confirm this Notion, it will be suf­ficient to appeal to many Patients, whe­ther they are not often sensible of the most painful Corrosions, next to the gnawing of Dogs; which must needs pro­ceed from a sort of a sharp vitriolick Acidity, that stops, coagulates and cor­rodes the Part so affected, or indeed ra­ther afflicted, with this Malady.

But on the other hand; the Reason why I ascribe Dissolution to the same Acidity, is this: Because whenever it comes to the Marrow, and mixes with the Fibres of the Bone, it dissolves and rots 'em in all Persons; for every Body knows that One and the same Cause may have different Effects, according to the Nature of the Subject Matter that is wrought upon; for it is a true Maxim, that Whatever is received, is receiv'd accord­ing to the Quality or Nature of the Receiver; As for Instance, the Sun melts Butter and hardens Clay; and Vinegar coagulates Milk, but dissolves an Egg, White and Shell and all. Thus in like manner does our strumous Acidity operate divers ways; for when it falls upon the Serum of the Blood, then follows Coagulation in the [Page 14] fibrous Parts of it, and so it proceeds uncorrected to the furthest Members of the Body: But when it penetrates the Bone and gets into the Marrow, it has a quite contrary Effect; and is so far from indurating or hardening them, that it dissolves and putrefies the very Hardness or Consistency that it meets with there.

And thus, in short, having set forth the Nature of the Struma, whether as a Tumor or Ʋlcer; whether in the Glan­dules or elsewhere, by as clear a Light as I could fetch, either from Authority or Reason; I shall now take upon me in Order of my Discourse, to enquire into the various Causes of it.

CHAP. III. The CAUSES of it.

THirdly; I suppose by this time no Man will deny, that the Praeter­natural Acidity of the Serum of the Blood, is the immediate Cause of the King's Evil; as it renders the whole Lympha acrimonious and indurated, and thereby produces a Crass, Glutinous, Coagulated Matter in several Parts of the Body. But as to the Mediate or more Remote Causes of the Scrofula, there are a great many assign'd by the Learned; to make it either Hereditary from the Parents, or Accidental from Air, Diet, Exercise, &c.

'Tis as manifest, as the Nose upon a Man's Face, that the Children of Scro­phulous or Strumous Parents, are com­monly liable to the same Distemper; and so are Those that suck the Milk of such diseas'd Nurses. Now this argues the Malady to be deeply imprinted upon the whole Mass of Blood, or naturally im­planted [Page 16]in the very Constitutions of some Persons; seeing that it may be, and often is so traduc'd, and entail'd by Pa­rents, thus afflicted and never cur'd, up­on their Posterity.

And here I cannot omit one Observa­tion by the By; that Children also who are begotten at improper Times of the Moon, have been often subject to be af­flicted with This Evil, and to the last Degree too of Virulency. Let this be a Warning to Marry'd People.

But besides These, there are some Per­sons whose natural Temper of Blood be­ing very Acid, and the Serum by that means very apt to coagulate, are gene­rally Obnoxious to it; as Children troubled with the Rickets, and all O­thers that are Weakly, or in whom the Heat is not strong enough for a regular Digestion.

People likewise may be made very liable to Scrofulous crude Humours and Tumors by the Indisposition of Place; That is, by living always in Extremes of Air, either too thin or too thick, too [Page 17] keen or too gross: For the Air is as it were pabulum vitae, and must needs have as peculiar an Influence upon our Bodies, as our daily Food has without Dispute. Besides, salt, sour, slimy Meats or Drinks may often occasion the King's Evil; sharp or fulsom Diet naturally disposing the Body to such a desperate corroding Disease: And we can expect no better Effect from so bad a Cause. And so will the Want of Exercise sometimes render the Blood Corrosive and full of Slime or Phlegm or a stagnated Acidity; where the Body frequently falls into the same Distemper, and becomes troubled with hard Glandulous Flesh, white Tumors or sore Ulcers all over the Body. But be­sides yet, there are Thousands and Thou­sands of other Accidents also, that may produce this malignant Disease, in a Body thus predispos'd for it, either by Ill Ha­bits or Irregular Acts.

However yet I must needs grant, that there are various Opinions among divers Authors about the True Causes of the King's Evil. Some think that it pro­ceeds from the Succus Nutritius, being disorder'd in those that feed too much [Page 18]upon slimy Meats; whose Phlegmatick, Cold and weak Digestions, create a great Mass of crude Humours; which being carry'd thence to those distant Parts af­fected, become Hard, Fixt and Unfit for any Suppuration. Others again have fan­cy'd, that die Imagination being mightily disturbed by Want, Sadness or Melancholy; it weakens and disorders the Digestive Faculty in the Stomach; and so conse­quently at long run, produces those knotty Tumors, we find in Scrofulous Patients: But this seems to be Ridi­culous. There are Some yet that say, the Viscous Nature of the Succus Nervo­rum must needs be the very Immediate Efficient Cause of those strumous Tumors in the Salivatory Glands; for that the thick Juice lying there long, grows har­der and harder by coagulating, and can­not pass at last, by reason of it's Indura­tion. However, we find Others again of a quite different Opinion; who a­scribe the Cause of it to a coagulated Phlegm or a sour Blood in the very Part affected: where the thick Acid Juices are obstru­cted, grow stiff or obdurate, and mag­nifie to the last Extremity of Rancour or Foulness. But Some, on the other hand, [Page 19]will have it to arise immediately from a Crass Lympha or Phlegmatick Humour, which stops in some Part for want of a due Passage or Evacuation, and tu­mefies there into what we call it the Struma. However, after all yet, the best and most plausible Opinion I have met with, seems to be This; that the Scrofula comes originally from the Chyle being distemper'd; which by some bad Fermentation or other growing Sour, Acid and Corrosive, afterwards affects the Mesentery-Glands in this manner; and so by consequence the Lympha being corrupted at first, can never after that be good for any thing in any other Part of the Body, but only to provide a Patient for some Person or other, that can cure the King's Evil.

CHAP. IV. The PARTS Affected.

FOurthly; Now the Parts that are most frequently afflicted with the Struma, I reckon to be the Glandules (that have sometimes pass'd under the Comical Allusive Name of the Sow and Pigs) the Muscles, Membranes, Tendons and Bones. The Viscera likewise often suffer by't: but if the Nerves or Brain are ever touch'd or tainted with any scrofulous Humour, the Juices of those Parts are dissolv'd, not coagulated nor tu­mefy'd, as I said before of the Marrow and the Bones: For I have never yet ob­serv'd any Tumors either in the Nerves [Page 22]or the Brain, but only those Parts wasted and grown Carious by the Corrosion of the vicious Humours, and more in­clin'd to Putrefaction than any obdurate Consistency.

However, the Part that is usually first affected with this Malady, proves to be the Mesentery; for it has often been found by undeniale Experience that the Mesenterick Glands have been inwardly strumous, both as to Obstruction and Tu­mour; when at the same time, there have appear'd no visible Symptoms of any such Malignity Upon the outward Glands: Nor indeed has there been any such scrofulous Disposition of Hu­mour at all there in Reality. And then again we may depend upon't, that when­ever the external Glands are obstructed and swell'd, the Mesentericks are cer­tainly afflicted in like manner: So that there's no doubt but the Mesentery is commonly the first Part affected and spoil'd by a corrosive Acidity of this Kind.

But the Glands, after all is said, are the principal Seat of the King's Evil; [Page 23]insomuch, that some of the Antients re­strain'd the Disease to those Parts only, as if no other had been subject to't: And yet we find many more Places notori­ously affected with it to a violent degree. However, considering that there are se­veral sorts of Glandules, whether Conglo­bate or Conglomerate (as some call 'em); I cannot but think, that those we term Reductive, which serve for the Percola­tion of the Lympha, must needs be most afflicted of all others: For why? when­ever the Serum or the Lympha is so dis­order'd and grown Acid, those Glands that perform the Office of Aquae.ducts, or Conduits, will doubtless suffer extreme­ly, either by Obstruction, or by Corrosion, or both. Now when the Parts thro' which the Lympha should pass pure and regular, are so tumefy'd and stopp'd up, we may depend upon it to be an infallible Symp­tom of the Kings' Evil.

However yet, no Place of the Body more frequently and visibly abounds with strumous Coagulations, than the Neck quite around; which being Bare, especi­ally in Women, is more expos'd to the Sharpness of the Cold Weather; and that [Page 24]Quality of the Air, without doubt, huge­ly helps on the Acid Matter to stagnate or lodge there, as well as it aggravates the Evil in this particular Part.

But to proceed; the Breasts, the Arm­pits, the Lungs themselves, the Salivals, and the Tonsils are also sometimes mise­rably troubl'd with Scrofulous Tumors; as will evidently appear to the Eye of any Common Practicer.

Neither are the Glands in the Groyn always free from this Malady, nor the Testicles, nor the Prostatae, which are two Glandules under the Seminal Bladders; tho' it is a little difficult sometimes to distinguish those Tumors from the Effects of another base suspected Distemper.

So much for the Natural Glands; but now there are besides those, several Ad­ventitious Praeternatural ones, occasion'd by this Disease; which arise visibly in­fected with the same Rancour, in the Face, Arms, Legs, Skin, Muscles and Mem­branes; no, and sometimes spreading o­ver the whole Body, from Head to Hands and Feet, Fingers and Toes; not excepting the very Viscera themselves from being [Page 25]frequently in some Cases afflicted with Strumous Swellings.

As to the Affection of the Bones, 'tis notoriously well known, that setting a­side the Glands, they are as much troubled (I might say, tormented) with this cor­roding Disease, as any other Parts of the Body; not to say more. But then these are very distinct from all Glandulous Tumors; for tho' the Bone may seem outwardly hard and sound, yet the Juices are all putrefy'd and rotten within at the same time. However, Bones will be often al­so externally, as well as internally affected with this venemous Humour; which al­ways either bares them, or makes 'em very Carious and much Corrupted: And this commonly happens by the Contiguity of some Membrane or Tendon sorely affli­cted with this Acidity that infects the adjacent Parts, or the very Bones them­selves. And indeed, how frequently are the Tendons likewise troubl'd with a gross Gumminess, or a thick Mass of Scrofulous Matter? 'Tis palpable from the Elbows, Knees and Ankles; or, in short, from all the Joynts of the Body thus distemper'd.

In fine, what miserable Objects do we daily meet with, even at Death's Door, wasted to meer Sceletons, by languish­ing under this lingring Disease in all Parts of the Body; for want of effectual Medicines to heal those sick and wounded poor Souls! But the Consideration of this leads me directly to the singular Case of a Person so afflicted, and as sorely too, even absolutely despair'd of by several Emi­nent Practisers; who was yet perfectly cur'd, to Admiration, by the Blessing of Almighty God, and the Means of a Power­ful Medicine: Such a one, as hath not fail'd since also of the same good Success of working as Great Cures upon others, by its Sovereign Alcalious Virtue.

CHAP V. Of a PERSON so afflicted.

FIfthly then; the Case will be this: when I was about Seven Years of Age, at Kingsley in Staffordshire, it so happen'd, that a large Scrofulous or Strumous Tumor arose in my Left Breast; which afflicted me very much, and in a violent manner [Page 27]too: Upon which, a Neighbouring Sur­geon of Note being sent for, he first made use of Cataplasms to break it, and then apply'd several Suppurating Emplastres; but all to little or no Purpose, save only, that he entertain'd some Hopes still of do­ing me good. However, afterwards he ply'd me over and over with Catharticks and Emeticks, besides other outward Ap­plications, in order to discuss or dissolve the impacted Humour: And this Treat­ment lasted a whole Year, but without any greater Success; for I remain'd still in as bad a Condition, and as Languid as ever.

After this, a second Surgeon was im­mediately imploy'd; who having dili­gently dress'd me about a Year, at last brake the Swelling, and also perfectly heal'd it to every Bodys thinking; but then it prov'd to be only a palliative Cure, for in less than a Month's time, another large Tumor fell into my Left Thigh; which yet cost both him and my self a great deal of Trouble for above a Year, before ever we could perceive it any bet­ter. And when we did find it pretty well, as far as we could judge external­ly, [Page 28]it lasted but for a small time; for in six Weeks after, my Left Foot and Ankle appear'd swol'n to a vast Bigness: inso­much, that a third Surgeon then was sent for, who, in less than a Year's time, indeed, by what Methods he us'd, effectually brake it in Twenty Places a [...] least; but however, having dress'd it still on for a­bove a Year and a half, without any A­mendment, he gave it over as Labour in vain, and ingenuously advis'd my Friends to send me to one of the Hospitals in London. And accordingly I was carry'd thither at last in a Horse-Litter, not be­ing able to travel any other way. Im­mediately after my Arrival here from the Country, I was carry'd to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, a miserable Object then as I was with the King's Evil; where the Best Surgeons had no sooner view'd my Thigh and Foot, but they found them as Cavous as Cony-buries, and putrefy'd to the very Bone; so that, in short, they gave us very little Encouragement of a Perfect Cure, or indeed, of any other Re­lief; even so far from it, that they did not design to dress me, till my Father importun'd them to do it in common Compassion.

To be brief, I was under their Hands, and other Eminent Surgeons, for full E­leven Years or upwards; and one of them, indeed, had healed my Thigh in that time: But then my Foot continu'd as bad as ever, not to say worse. Where­upon, two or three of the Hospital-Surge­ons consulted about it; and despairing of any Cure, were absolutely unanimous for Amputation. I readily agreed to't, how unwillingly soever; and the Day was fix'd. Upon this, my Father asking them, if the Cutting-off my Leg would secure the Distemper from breaking out again in a­ny other Part of my Body? They told him flatly, That they could secure no­thing; it might break out again in a Month's time, for any thing they knew to the contrary.

Now, by this time, my whole Body Was so emaciated and weak, that I could not support my self without my Crutches, and I had not set my Left Foot to the Ground for near Seven Years. But, as Providence would have it, before the Day came that was fix'd for cutting off my Leg, we were well recommended to one Mr. [Page 30] Joseph Turner, a considerable Surgeon; who gave us greater Hopes, and the comfor­table Encouragement of a Cure, without Amputation. In short, he pass'd his word, that I should, in all Probability, be perfectly well within a Years time; and according to his Promise, I soon found my self, by his Management and Medicines, in the direct way to be restord to my Limbs and Health, beyond Relapse; for in a Quarter of a Year, I perceiv'd my self infinitely better, and could set my Foot to the Ground; in a Quarter more, a large Pill-Box full of foul Bones came away from the ulcerated Parts, and several of the Ʋlcers were quite healed up; in about three Quarters time, I could easily walk about without my Crutches; and before the Year was ex­pir'd, I was perfectly well recover'd, and bound an Apprentice to the very same Mr. Turner (an excellent Surgeon) for Seven Years. And now I could not but think my self Happy, and bless GOD, that I had fall'n into such effectual and good Hands in both Respects.

CHAP. VI. The CURE by Experience and Example.

SIxthly, in fine, to conclude this Tract, I humbly conceive, that nothing can be more Credible or Certain than Matter of Fact; confirm'd by undeniable Experience and Testimony: The Truth of which will appear best by the fol­lowing Instances.

I. The first Patient I had, April 6th, 1691. was Mr. Chandley's Only Daughter of Shacklewel near Kingsland; she was about six Years of Age; both her Hands were full of Ʋlcers and foul Bones; which I perfectly cur'd in about a Year's Time with my Digestive Balsam, upon giving her at the same time my Alcalious and Diuretick Medicines internally: By vir­tue whereof, I so rectify'd the Corrosive Humours, and sweeten'd the whole Mass of Blood, that She has continu'd very well ever since without any Relapse.

II. The Second Daughter of Mr. Crips, at the Golden Crown near Half Moon-Al­ley in Bishopsgate-street, was afflicted with several strumous Tumors and Ʋlcers in both her Arms. This Patient being nearly related to the former, I undertook her after great Discouragements of other Surgeons; dress'd her Sores with my great Digestive Balsam, and the Tu­mors with my powerful Discussive Em­plaister: So that by their Application, to­gether with my internal Alcalious and Diuretick Medicines, I effectually cur'd her within the Compass of one Year.

III. Mr. Biddle, Joyner, in Portugal-street near Lincolns-Inn, was miserably diseased with many scrofulous Tumors and Ʋlcers in his Head, Neck and Back; ha­ving had the best Advice, in vain, for above Twenty five Years: Whom I restor'd to a good State of Health; ha­ving heal'd all the Parts affected, by the aforesaid Method and Medicines. Be plea­sed to enquire of Mrs. Jackson at the Bell and Dragon in the same Street.

IV. A young Woman obout Sixteen Years of Age, Niece co one Mr. Wood of Whitecross-street, had most violent Tumors and Evil Sores in both her Jaws, from Ear to Ear; all which I effectually heal'd and cur'd, as before, in half a Year's Time. You may hear of Her at Mrs. Thornton's, a Millener, near Shoreditch-Church.

V. A Daughter of Mr. Mason in Cook's Court near Lincolns Inn, had been affli­cted a long while with a large strumous Tumor on the small of her Back; inso­much that the Vertebres or Spondyles were mightily distorted, and She had no manner of Strength in the lower Parts of her Body, nor any Ʋse of her Legs. Upon this, I was earnestly desir'd by Mrs. Moor, a Neighbour of Hers, at the Bible over against Lincolns-Inn Bach-Gate, to go and see Miss Mason; where, at the Door, I heard an Eminent Physician and a Surgeon, under whose Hands she had been a considerable Time, tell Mr. Mason plainly, that all the Means in the World could not save her Life; for that the Spinal Marrow of her Back-Bone was [Page 38]wasting. However, after They were gone, I went up to see her, through many Importunities; and finding some Hopes yet of her Recovery, I undertook the Cure, with much ado, and perform'd it with Success in less than half a Year's time; After which, in short, She soon took a Journey to Bristol, without any ill Consequence, and continues still in a perfect State of Health and Vigour.

VI. Mrs. Stephens, Furrier and Fan­maker, over against Surrey-street end in the Strand, was a great while troubled with a large strumous Tumor in her right Leg. She had the Advice of several eminent Surgeons; who One and All, told her that the Bone was foul, and ought to be laid open by a Caustick: Upon which, I was sent for by one of the Neighbours; where I found her Cousin Jones an eminent Apothecary in Lombard Street; by whose Approbation and Request, I presently undertook the Cure, which I perfected in a little above half a Year, with my aforesaid Internal and External Medicines.

VII. I cur'd a young Man, one Mr. William Miller, about Twenty Years of Age, at the Sign of the Peacock in Shoe-Lane, who was diseas'd with several King's Evil Sores in his Mouth and Throat, having also one large Ʋlcer in his Cheek; all which I perfectly healed within the space of Six Months.

VIII. About Seven Years ago, I ab­solutely cur'd Mr. Minneway's Second Daughter, now living in Blackamore-street, at the Sign of the Patten, near Clare-Market, of several strumous Tumors and Ʋlcers in borh her Hands. I found the Sores indeed, more intricate than u­sual, but however, I happily perform'd the Cure in a little more than a Years time.

IX. Mr. John Goodwin, formerly Cook at the two Blew Posts in Devereux-Court, was so afflicted with two foul malignant scrofulous Ʋlcers in his Right Leg and Left Foot, that the rest of the Servants could not endure to come into he Room where he lay, the Smell was so very offensive: Whereupon I was fent for by his Mi­stress [Page 40] Dutton; at whose earnest Request, I undertook to cure him. And according­ly I perform'd my Promise, by my above­mention'd Medicines and Management, in about Five Months. N. B. He now keeps the Two Blew Posts and Anchor in Arundel-street.

X. Mr. John Denby, in Devereux-Court, was violently tormented with a painful malignant Ʋlcer in one of his Legs for above Seven Years. He had been dress'd by three able Surgeons a long while, without a­ny Success, so that I was importun'd at last, by Mrs. Dutton, before-mention'd; to go and look upon him. In short, he begg'd me at first sight (if I would do a­ny thing for him) to cut off his Leg; but having undertaken him, according to my usual Method, without any such Vi­olences, I perfectly cur'd him of the Sore, within the Compass of Half a Year; and he hath enjoy'd the Right Ʋse of his Leg ever since.

XI. A Daughter of Mr. Davis, in Stan­hop-street, near Clare-Market, being sore­ly afflicted with a strumous Tumor, very large and painful, in her Face; I [Page 41]was employ'd, and thereupon I brought it to Suppuration in a small time, with my strong Digestive Balsam; so that by the Help of my prevalent Internals, I accomplish'd the Cure with Dispatch.

XII. Mr. John Bridges, of the Six Clerks Office, sent for me about Three Years ago, to his Chambers in New-Inn, there to advise with me about his Brother Thomas Bridges, of Herefordshire, then in Town; who was troubled with a violent Scrofula in all the extreme Parts of his Body; and the Humour was so corrosive in the Palms of his Hands, that that several of his Fingers were contra­cted, and had been so a considerable Time. And therefore, upon his reque­questing me to do what I could for his Brother, with all Expedition: I undertook him immediately, and treated him as I us'd to do in such like Cases; with so much Success, that in a short time I perfectly freed him from that ugly Di­stemper, and made his Skin as clear and smooth as ever.

XIII Mr. Ʋnderwood, an able Apothe­cary, overagainst Devonshire Square with­out Bishopsgate, entreated me to take his Son in hand, who was sorely distemper'd with the Evil in his Jaws, where he had several Strumous Tumors, and grievous Ʋlcers, and likewise the same in his Legs, with which he had been sadly afflicted for Thirteen or Fourteen Years: Where­upon, I went to work with him; ma­nag'd him as usually, and in less than three Quarters of a Years time, I cur'd both his Tumors and Ʋlcers.

XIV. In the Year 1704, Mr. John Buck, a young Gentleman, about Four­teen Years old, was recommended to me for a Patient, who had been diseas'd Seven Years with a large Strumous Tu­mour in the Glands under the Left Jaw, besides a thick Scrofula over all his Body. He had been a great while under the Care both of Physicians and Chirurgeons, but without any Success at all; so that they were going at last to lay open the Part affected, by Incision: Upon which, his Father sent for me to the Garter-Coffee-House in Thread-Needle-Sttee, and [Page 43]there agreed with me to undertake the Cure of his Son at Bed and Board in my own House; whom accordingly I did entertain and treat so successfully, that within the Compass of about a Year, I perfectly restor'd him from that Distem­per; nothing of any Acid Humour re­maining, nothing ever ebbing or flowing in the Glands for these Four Years last past; but only the Cystis a little bigger than ordinary, which does not in the least detract from the Cure.

N. B. This young Man is now an Ap­prentice to Mr. Amy a Gold-Smith, at the Black Boy on London Bridge, near Tooly-Street in Southwark.

XV. Mr. Crook, Perriwig-maker, at Lincoln's-Inn-Gate, next Shear-Lane, hav­ing a Son sorely afflicted with the King's Evil, but especially in his Neck; who had also lost the Ʋse of his Right Arm and Hand by it; desir'd me to dress it, and to take him under my Care: Which I accordingly did, and by means of my Alcalious Medicines, &c. I heal'd his Sores, brought him to a right Ʋse of the Parts affected, and restor'd him to his perfect Health out of Hand.

XVI. Mr. Brooks, a Portugal Merchant, had been diseas'd Fourteen Years with several Scrofulous Tumors and Ʋlcers in his Head and Neck, in so violent a man­ner, that he had follow'd the Advice of several Doctors and Surgeons about his Malady, for many Years, to little or no Purpose. However, I effectually cur'd him in Sixteen Weeks time, or there-abouts, as can be attested by several Credible Persons in Portugal-street, near Lincoln's Inn; where the Gentleman for­merly lodg'd, and was well known in the Neighbourhood.

XVII. Mr. Homp's Child, of Hamp­stead, about three Years old, being grievously troubled with the Evil, inso­much, that she had lost the Ʋse of her Left Hand: Mr. Akres, at the Three Tuns, sent for me to undertake her in this Con­dition; which I did, with much Entrea­ty, after several other Surgeons had told her Father, that her Hand must be laid open. But she having Patience, I per­fectly cur'd her, by the Blessing of God upon my Powerful Medicines, and she now enjoys the right Ʋse of that Part, as well as a complete State of Health.

XVIII. One Mr. Harris, being mise­rably afflicted with several Strumous Ʋl­cers, of great Malignancy, in one of his Legs, occasion'd at first, as I perceiv'd, by a Compound Fracture: He had con­sulted with Two or Three Able Surge­ons; and one of 'em had dress'd him for a considerable time, without the least Sign of Amendment. It seems, Sir John Hollis of Lincoln's Inn, with whom Mr. Harris then liv'd, had employ'd the fore­said Surgeons, but they could give him no Hopes of any Cure, and propos'd the Cutting off his Leg: Whereupon, Mr. Gibbons in Portugal-street, near Lincoln's Inn, recommended me to the Business, and I undertook it by Sir John Hollis's own Order; so that, to be brief, I per­fectly cur'd my Patient, and heal'd all his Sores in less than half a Years time. Up­on this Success, I also undertook to cure his Son of a large white Swelling in the Knee, that had occasion'd a great Contra­ction in his Ham; the Cure of which un­common Tumour (being the most difficult of all others to work upon effectually) was accomplish'd by my Powerful Medi­cines within a few Months. This same [Page 46]Mr. Harris now liveth with the Portu­gal Embassador in Great Lincoln's Inn-Fields.

XIX. Mrs. Prat, being about Four Years ago, almost distracted with a vast painful Swelling, and several Ʋlcers in one of her Breasts, she had the Advice of se­veral Surgeons; one of whom told her, That he was fearful of the Cure, and truly his Opinion was, that it must be cut off. Now Mr. Prat speaking of this to Mr. Jackson, at the Bell and Dragon near Lincoln's Inn, I was immediately sent for, undertook it, and digested the sharp Humour in Twenty Four Hours, so that she was sensibly eas'd, to the great Satisfaction of the good Family; and in a short time afterwards, I discuss'd the Tumor in the Glands, heal'd all the Ʋlcers, and made her perfectly well. In short, she has had two fine Children since, without any the least Sign or Symptom of the like Malady.

XX. Mr. May's Son in Devereux-Court, near the Temple, about Seventeen Years of Age, was grievously tormented with a large white Swelling in his Left Thigh, [Page 47]spreading from his Hip to his Knee, with a Contraction. He had the Advice of an Hospital Surgeon, and another who was his Relation, a great while, with little Success: Whereupon, Mrs. Dutton his Aunt, recommended the Cure of it to my Care; which, with much ado, I un­dertook, when I found him in a Hectick Fever, his Body emaciated, and his Thigh so monstrously distended with the pain­ful Tumor, that it drew him in his Bed as crooked as a Bow. And likewise he had not slept for several Weeks thro' the An­guish of the Distemper. However, upon giving him my Alcalious Medicines inter­nally and applying my strong Digestive externally, he slept well the second Night, and in a few Days time, his Fever was quite abated, his Swelling all suppu­rated to a wonderful Discharge of Matter, and the Man himself was perfectly restor'd to his former Strength and Vigour in less than half a Year, and is now Drawer at the Bell Tavern in Westminster.

XXI. A Son of Mr. Garraway's, at the South Entrance of the Royal Exchange, was desperately afflicted with the King's Evil in both his Eyes; whom, after he [Page 48]had been tamper'd with a considerable time in vain by one that is no Surgeon, and yet disingenuously pretends to cure this Distemper. I willingly undertook him to shew my Practice. I found him in this Condition. His Left Eye was bound up, and the other wonderfully weak, being overloaded with a filthy Acid Humour. However, he had not us'd my Digestive Balsam above Six times, but he could open his worst Eye; and at the End of one Month, I espy'd him at Play in the Streets without any thing over either of 'em, and his Sight tolerably strong. In a word, he is now very well, and will so continue, I dare say, if he can be persuaded by his Parents to take my Alcalious Medicine internally, to take away the Cause, o­therwise the Effect cannot totally cease.

XXII. I cannot, without being inju­rious to the Publick, forbear mentioning one Instance more of a young Gentleman, about Nineteen Years of Age, whose Condition was more deplorable and des­perate than I have either yet set down, or ever saw in all my Practice: For, be­sides the Evil, with which he was sorely affl [...]cted, he was also full of Pain to the [Page 49]last Extremity, and Convulsive from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot, insomuch, that he had three or four Persons constantly to attend him Day and Night, for above two Months successively; who were all forc'd to hold him in his strong Convulsion Fits, which were almost as innumerable as they were violent. He had not been in his Bed for above Six Weeks together, Night nor Day, so that the Physicians and Surgeons left him in this languishing Condition, without any manner of Hopes of Recove­ry, after having given him abundance of Medicines for several Years without any Success. At last, the young Gentle­man's Father came to my House upon this Occasion, to know my Method and Terms for curing the Evil; of both which I gave him a particular and satisfactory Account, and so accordingly I waited up­on him in the City the next Day; where I found his Son in the most desperate State of Health, as aforesaid. Indeed, I was very much surpriz'd at first, when I saw him in so great an Agony with Convulsion Fits; and having heard no­thing of them before, I was unwilling to prescribe any thing, altho' we had a­greed. [Page 50]for the Cure; but being requested over and over by his Father, to try my Medicines, I forthwith gave him my Alcalious Pills, and apply'd some Exter­nals; which had so good an Effect up­on my Patient, that we got him to Bed the Fourth Night. His Convulsions abated every Moment, both in their Frequency and Violence; so that in a Fortnights time he felt them no more, neither had he any Symptom of their Returning, but could eat, and drink, and sleep as well as any other of my Patients afflicted with this Distemper. His Father, Mr. James Boddington, an Eminent Turkey Mer­chant, lives in Little St. Helen's, Bishop­gate-street.