AS soon as this Crowd could be discharged, I judged it not proper to go abroad fasting, and therefore got my Breakfast: After which, till Dinner-time, I visited the Sick at their Houses; whereupon, entring their Houses, I immediately had burnt some proper Thing upon Coals, and also kept in my Mouth some Lozenges all the while I was examining them. But they are in a Mistake who report that Physicians used, on such Occasions, very hot Things, as Myrrh, Zedoary, Angelica, Ginger, &c. for many, deceived thereby, raised Inflammations upon their Tonsils, and greatly endangered their Lungs.
I further took Care not to go into the Rooms of the Sick when I sweated, or were short-breathed with Walking; and kept my Mind as composed as possible, being sufficiently
warned by such, who had grievously suffered by Uneasiness in that Respect. After some Hours Visiting in this Manner, I returned Home. Before Dinner, I always drank a Glass of Sack, to warm the Stomach, refresh the Spirits, and dissipate any beginning Lodgment of the Infection. I chose Meats for my Table that yeilded an easie and generous Nourishment, roasted before boiled, and Pickles not only suitable to the Meats, but the Nature of the Distemper; (and indeed in this melancholy Time, the City greatly abounded with Variety of all good Things of that Nature) I seldom likewise rose from Dinner without drinking more Wine. After this, I had always many Persons came for Advice; and as soon as I could dispatch them, I again visited till Eight or Nine at Night, and then concluded the Evening at Home, by drinking to Cheerfulness of my old favourite Liquor, which encouraged Sleep, and an easie Breathing through the Pores all Night. But if in the Day-time I found the least Approaches of the Infection upon me, as by Giddiness, Loathing at Stomach, and Faintness, I immediately had Recourse to a Glass of this Wine, which easily drove these beginning Disorders away by Transpiration.
YET in the whole Course of the Infection, I found my self Ill but twice; but was soon again cleared of its Approaches by these Means, and the Help of such Antidotes as I kept always by me.
BUT to conclude, it may not be improper to take Notice, that the Citizens much accustomed themselves to certain Compositions for keeping off the Infection, by continual Smelling to them; the chief amongst which was the following.
[a]℞] Pulv. rad. angelicæ, summit. rorism. & lavendulæ cum floribus ana [a]ʒ] ij. caryophyll. [a]ʒ] iiij. labdæni puriss. Styracis ana [a]ʒ] iij. omnibus præp. in commixtione adde ol. nucis mosch. per express. [a]ʒ] j. [a][ss.] ol. ligni rhod. [a]℈] ij. camphoræ [a]ʒ] [a][ss.] moschi gr. viij. cum ceræ opt. p. s. F. massa. Some likewise would smell to Galbanum, Oil of Wormwood, or Rue, as also the Oil or Spirit drawn from Pitch, and dropped upon Cotton, to be kept in a close Ivory Box. Yet I could not so much approve of these Things, as they were used; because they so much dilated the Pores of the olfactory Organs, as to give more Liberty for the pestilential Miasmata to pass in along with them.
THE Purification of Houses was contrived to be done several Ways; but what I most approved of, was in placing a Chafing-dish in the Middle of a Room, or the Entries, or Windows, where proper Things were burnt, and exhaled all round. Quicklime was likewise thrown into the following Decoction.
[a]℞] Fol. Scordii, Angelicæ ana M iij. summit. lauri, rutæ, lavendulæ ana M j. [a][ss.] flor. rosar. pallid. sambuci ana p. ij. calami aromat. [a]ʒ] v. Caryophyll. Contus. [a]ʒ] iij. F. decoctio in duabus p. aq. font. & tertiâ aceti rosac. vel Sambuc. consimiliter ac lagenæ, à mucore, & setu calcis extinctione mundantur, ita ut liquorem inditum amplius vitient, & corrumpant. For as soon as the Lime is thrown in, it raises a very penetrating Steam, which seemed very likely to destroy the Efficacy of the pestilential Miasmata. For the same Purpose likewise were the following very judiciously contrived.
[a]℞] Salis petræ lib. j. Sulphuris [a]℥] iij. benzoin. Styracis simul liquati. ana q. s. ut formentur s. a. Trochisc. deb. exiccandi.