THE Measles are a Distemper which in Europe ordinarily proves a Light Malady: but in these parts of America it proves a very heavy Calamity; A Malady Grievous to most, Mortal to many, & leaving pernicious Relicks behind it in All. Because the Sickness is now spreading in all [...]rts; and its Malignity increases, as the Winter advances, and Good Physicians are not every where at hand for the Relief of the Sick, and a very nice Management of the Case is requisite: You are now addressed with a short Letter of Advice concerning it.

You will by no means forget the first and main Care, which is, To [...] an Eye unto the Glorious GOD, who is, The Lord our Healer. You are no Stranger to Exod. XV. 26. Psal. CVIII. 12. and XLI. 4. One of the most Learned and Famous Physicians that ever was in the World, the Great Kirstenius, has this reported of him; He would ordinarily do nothing for his Patients, till he saw them first hopefully Reconciled unto God.

It should be Remembred, That multitudes of Lives have been Sa­ved, in the Measles as well as in the Small-pox, by peoples being at last perswaded out of the pernicious Methods of Over-doing, and Over-heat­ing, and giving Things to force Nature out of its own orderly way of proceeding. Before we go any further, Let this Advice for the Sick, be principally attended to; Don't kill 'em! That is to say, With mischie­vous Kindness. Indeed, if we stopt here, and said no more, this were enough to save more Lives, than our Wars have destroy'd.

The Usual Symptoms of an Arrest from the Measles are, An Head­ake; Troubles in the Eyes; a Dry Cough; an Oppression on the Breast or Stomach; or a pain there, and in the Back and Limbs; and some­times a Faintness, with Sickness, perhaps Vomiting, or Griping and Pur­ging; A Thirst, with a constant Fever, which is mild at first, but grows high enough before it has done.

[Page 2] When such Symptoms of the Sickness, bid your Friend look about him, let him not throw away his Life by not being Sick soon enough.

If the Symptoms are Gentle, and the person can yet claim his place at the Table, or can bear to Sit up, Let him do so, till the Red Specks begin to show themselves. But let him keep house, and keep warm; not dare to expose himself. Let him feed sparingly and on a very Easy Food. Tho' an Hourly Appearance of the Enemy may be Expected, yet be not in an Hurry. No Haste of your Hot Things: Wait with a little patience. A little Brimstone finely powdered, as much as may lie on a Six-pence, twice or thrice a day, may do more than Twelve penniworth of Service.

If there be any Shocking Violence in the Symptoms, or the Red Specks begin to make their Appearance, let the person take his Bed, and be sure to Lie very warm, till all be over. In the Winter, Infants are best kept in the Arms.

Ordinarily, Sweating must not be indulged, much less provok [...] ▪ But a comfortable warmth, I say, a convenient warmth, cannot be too much in­culcated. As many Coverings, as the Times that the word, Warmth, oc­curs in our now speaking of it, may be little enough.

A Gentle Vomit in the beginning, has had much Benefit expected from it. Be sure, if there be an Oppression by a Body of Phlegm, or an over­charg'd Stomach, or any thing of a Nauseous Inclination, a Gentle Vomit is loudly called for.

If there be none of this, but only a pain in the Head, and Breast, Back, and Limbs, a moderate Sweat may do. It may be procured, by the well-known preparation which is become every bodies First Resort, Syrup of Saffron and Treacle Water. A Tea of Sage, or of Rosemary, or a little Mull'd Cider, or Wine with those Plants infused, will do well. Some can dispense, with an Infusion of the Snakeweed. But others are for waving it, as too fiery and enraging in a Distemper which is allow'd by all to be an Inflammatory Fever. A Scabious Tea will do. There is also a Composition of Hot Beer and Rum (for which they that are Learned in such potions, do not want a Name,) this coarse Composition, has been of Good Consequence. But it must be very weak; and it must not be used often, if at all after the Measles appear in the Skin. The use of such Things must be very Temperate; It may be continued until the full Eruption. But I repeat the Admonition against, Over-doing and Over-heating. It will spoil all.

The Coarse Composition aforesaid, will best suit the pained Patient. But it will hardly do so well, in Costive Bodies; or where the Breast is op­pressed; or where the Fever is high, or in too hot Constitutions. That [Page 3] Coarse Composition, 'tis a very strange thing, that if it happen to Do a Little Good now and then, people must presently be Bewitched with it!

Where the Patient is most prone to be faint, a Balm Tea, or a Glass of Wine a little Saffronized, may do very well. Twenty or Thirty Drops of good Elixir Proprietatis, have been sometimes very serviceable to them that could be Masters of it, in this as well as many other Cases; But, this does not happen to every man!

Your Patient is by this time full of the Measles. He'll be Thirsty. And what shall he do?

If he will venture to drink any thing that is Cold, it will be well, if he don't find, There is Death in the Pot.

Let him Drink a Tea of Balm, and Scabious. If he be Faint, or Sick, add a little Saffron. If he be Loose, Let the Tea be of Sage, or of Rose-mary. If he be Grip't, it may have Penny-royal in it.

But what is to be done, if a Cough annoy him? Then a Pectoral of Maiden-hair, Anniseed, Liquorice, Raisins, and Figs. Liquorice alone, in a Tea, may do. Or, if that can't be had, a Syrup of Maiden-hair, of Hyssop, and of Colts foot. The Cough must not be stopt; you may al­lay it with Sugar-Candied, and with Buttered Pills; and the Pectorals now prescribed. Or, Hot Honey alone will do admirably well.

In hot Constitutions especially, a proper Drink would be, Water with Roasted Apples in it. Some would add a little Ginger to it.

Hot Cyder, if it be not hard, is an allowable Drink.

Towards the Heighth of the Distemper, Hyssop Tea may be prefer­rible to Scabious. Let the Diet (thro' the whole course) be Thin e­nough; Gruels, Caudles, Water-pottage, and the like; and given Of­ten enough.

About the Third or Fourth Day, from the Eruption, will come the Crisis, which you call, the Turning. And this will be often attended with Frightful Circumstances; Grievous Oppression, Fainting, Vomiting, Purging, and the Vapours, which is to say in one word, All that is terri­ble. But all will be presently and easily relieved, if Heaven afford a Blessing to a proper Management. Sometimes the sudden Disappea­rance of the Measles give a Needless Fright. They have perform'd their course; but the frighted Patient flies to hot Expellers, which endanger the raising of a putrefactive Heat, that had better have been spared. Some have observed, That these Frightful Circumstances have come with their greatest Fury, where the praevious use of Hot Things, which you have been so warn'd about, has been Immoderate.

For the Oppression, take Wine and Oil, (or if the Patient be Loose, let him take, Rum and Oil:) Give it pretty hot; The Dose two or three [Page 4] Spoonfuls every Hour, as there may be Occasion; Or, take almost any thing, that will cause a Vomit or two. A Gentle Vomit at this Time, has Reprieved many a Life, that was just Expiring: Especially when there is a Collection of a wretched Phlegm, to be Encountred. The Wine and Oil is preferrible to the Rum and Oil. And when a Vomit would not relieve the Oppression, the Wine & Oil, with a Decoction of the Cooling Seeds, has presently done it.

You have been taught already what you shall do for Faintness in your Patient. Or, Give him a few Drops of the Spirit of Hartshorn

For his Vomiting and Purging, you need not go far for a Remedy. Give scalding Hot water; Do this, even to nine or ten times, if it be needful, & as he can bear it. Then give a little Hot Wine with a bit of toasted Bread. Or a little of the Coarse Composition, you were formerly told of; Or ano­ther, that is akin to that, and as well-known as that. In twenty four hours, more or less, it may be hoped, the Storm will be over.

For a considerable while after this, the Patient must be mighty careful of taking any Cold, and Eating too soon of any Flesh-meat. Let him not be well too soon, and throw himself into a Fever, and throw away his Life, as many have inconsiderately and presumptuously done. Let him take Time, and spend his Time, in Studying to be Thankful.

If a Cough continue, let him fly to the usual Remedies. To take a spoon­ful of shavings of Castile Soap in a Glass of Wine or Beer, for a few Nights following, has been very successful for the cure or that inconvenience▪ If [...] Flux follow, whether a common, or a Bloody, a Tea made of Rhubarb, and sweetened with a Syrup of Marshmallows, given daily, so much as to cause one or two Stools, is a way to carry it safely off. The same Tea will also carry off the Worms, that so often follow the Measles; especially in Children.

A Purge will be necessary for all, that would not have the Venome of the Measles remaining in them, and follow'd with many Evil Consequences.

A Fever (perhaps that which they call, The Pleuretick) too of­ten follows the Measles. But for this, I do not now offer any Directions: A Skilful Physician must be consulted withal.

All that is proposed in this Letter, is to direct in the plainest manner that is possible, without any Terms of Art, & so that any Child may understand, & any Nurse may administer, what is to be done, in the single Case of the Measles: Which Malady, tho' it be not so Dangerous in it self perhaps, as many others are, yet upon the Least Error in treating of it, proves as Dead­ly, as most that the poor Children of Death fall before. I know not (and for some Reasons I have read in a very Ancient Book, I may add, I care not,) what Censures this Action may meet withal. I am sure, nothing but a pure Act of Charity to the Poor, where Physicians are wanting, is now intended; nor any thing offered, but what a Number of our most Eminent Physicians have approved of, with their Charitable Wishes to have it Communicated; and the helping, tho' of but one or two Miserables, weighs down, against all that may be said, against the Freedom which this Letter has taken. I am satisfied, The Angel of Bethesda would Esteem it so. I take Leave;