if you give him a vomit or purge, you ſhall ſtrike the ſwelling into the noble parts, and the ſick ſhall be in danger of his life: and if you let him bloud, you ſhall draw the venemous humour from the Soare into the veins, and diſperſe it with the bloud through the whole body, and thereby deſtroy the health of the patient, and ſhorten his life; as it came to paſſe with a good friend of mine. Alſo if you give him any medicine to provoke ſweat, you ſhall reſtore the Fever again, and ſo the ſicke ſhall die without redemption; yea, and more miſerably, then thoſe that never amended, unleſſe God be more mercifull unto him; whereof I have had a ſorrowfull experience.
Therefore bee carefull that you doe not tamper with thoſe that do begin to amend: for thoſe very Medicines that are excellently available againſt any Fevers in the beginning or encreaſe of them, being given in the declination or recovery, will bring the patient into a Relapſe, which is worſe then the former diſeaſe, and which ſhall greatly endanger life. For how many have died by the unſeaſonable taking of Treacle, Mithridate, and other good Medicines? [5] ]Wherefore I have often ſaid, that a skilfull Phyſician by watching his time ſhall doe more with a cup of warme drinke in the cure of the Plague, or any Fever, then the ignorant ſhall do with all the excellent Medicines that are in the Apothecaries Shop.
Now if the riſing doe appear, & that the ſymptoms or ſignes aforenamed doe not begin to ceaſe, but rather encreaſe, Then ſhortly after there will appeare ſome blains or ſpots, & ſo death enſueth, unleſſe you draw ten or twelve ounces of bloud (according to the ſtrength of the ſick) from the liver or middle vein of the arme, on that ſide where the riſing is.
But if ſo be that the ſickneſſe continueth unto the third and fourth day, and the ſymptomes remaine in their full vigour, then ſhortly will the ſpots come forth; and then I know no medicine that can deliver from death, except God be more mercifull to the ſick: But only on the third day before the ſpots appear it ſhall be greatly available to give him one of the cordial ſweats preſcribed in the enſuing Chapter.
Chap. 3.
1 Here are preſcribed certain approved remedies for the cure of the Peſtilence, 2 The order and manner how to uſe them.
Whoſoever ſhal perceive their bodies infected with the Plague, let them take on the firſt day of the ſickneſſe the vomit, in that order and manner as it is laid down in the firſt Chapter. And after it hath done working with them, they ſhal find [6] ]themſelves as well as ever they were in their lives: for it clenſeth the ſtomack and bowels from al corrupt humours, which is one of the chiefeſt cauſes of the ſicknes. But if the ſick be weak and cannot bear a vomit, it ſhall be good to give him one dram of the foreſaid pillulæ peſtilentiales, or inſtead thereof one dram of Aloes, you may give it either in pill or in potion, according as the ſick can beſt take it, and in the working
of it let him drink ſome warm broth.
But if it be ſo, that this courſe hath been neglected the firſt day, or beyond the time of 24 houres, it will bee in vaine to uſe it the ſecond day: Yea, it will bee dangerous, ſeeing that the infection is diſperſed by the bloud throughout all the Veines of the bodie. Therefore on the ſecond day of Viſitation it ſhall bee good to draw from the Median Veine of the arme ſo much bloud as the patient can endure to bleed: and if the ſicke hath not gone to the ſtoole during the time of his ſickneſſe, you ſhall give him either before or after bleeding this Clyſter. Take of Beets, Violet leaves, Burrage, Bugloſſe, Scabios, of each one handfull, French barley one ounce; boyle all theſe in a ſufficient quantitie of water untill it be halfe conſumed, then ſtrain it, and take three quarters of a pint of the decoction, and put to it of the Electuary of Hierapicra five or ſixe drams, oile of Rue one dram, red Sugar one ounce, the yolk of an egge, and a little ſalt; ſo make you a Clyſter thereof and adminiſter it bloud warme. Alſo you may adminiſter to the ſick this Clyſter. Boyle an handfull of Rue in a pint of poſſet drinke, and put to it a piece of ſweet butter, a little honey, the yolke of an egge, and a thimble full of ſalt; make a clyſter and adminiſter it bloud warme.
But if that the ſick amend not upon this courſe [7] ]taken the ſecond day, or that this means hath not been uſed, but that hee continued ſick untill the third and fourth day, ſo that the infection hath taken hold of the vitall ſpirits, Then keeping him warme in his bed, you ſhall uſe this Cordiall to ſweat with all. Take of the water of Scabios, Burrage, Bugloſſe, and Angelica, of each halfe an ounce, the Electuary of egges two ſcruples, or one dram, of Bole