Armoniak one ſcruple, Syrrup of Roſes halfe an ounce, make it into a potion, and let the ſick drink it up at once or twice: two or three ſpoonfuls hereof is ſufficient for a child. Or the poorer ſort may take two peny-worth of Treacle or Mithridate, in a quarter of a pint of Dragon water. With either of theſe Medicines you may ſweat the ſick, untill ſome tumour doth appeare, or that he commeth to know himſelfe amended. For this is the laſt medicinall refuge we have in the cure of the Plague. If you can, keep the ſick from drinking and ſleeping for the ſpace of three houres untill the medicine hath done working
. But if you cannot, let the patient drinke a little Limon poſſet, made with ſome Marigold flowers, and Harts horn.
And if ſignes of amendment doe appeare, doe not take him out of his bed, or let him coole ſuddenly: But let him ſweat on gently of his own accord, for it is natures ſweat following the medicine, which will doe him more good than a Kingdome. In this laſt ſweat you may give him ſome Caudle or Alebrue: & when the ſweats begin to ceaſe of themſelves, & his skin grows dry and warme, then let him ſit up by a good fire; Aire his cloathes, and ſo let him give God thanks for his life.
Adde, if any tumour appeare you may ripen it [8] ]with this Emplaſter. Take ſix figs, raiſins of the Sun ſtoned half an ounce, ſalt two drams, honey one ounce, beat them all together, and heat it well with ſome oile of Camomill upon the fire, ſo ſpread it upon ſome cloth, and lay it warm to the tumour, ſhifting it every twelve houres untill it look with a white head: and when it is ripe, if it be difficult to break, lay to it ſome Gooſe dung made warme with ſome ſweet butter or ſallet oile; alſo the root of a white Lilly roſted, with ſome ſorrell, to which put a piece of ſweet butter, & apply it very warm to the ſoare, But if it will not break with this means, then you muſt open it with a penknife or lancet; elſe the corruption will rot the fleſh, even to the very bone, and when you have opened it, ſqueeze out the corruption with your hands, and put into the ſoare, a tent made with unguentum baſilicon, or Ægyptiacum, & mel roſarum, and lay upon the tent a plaſter made with Diachilon: Continue your tents untill all the corruption be drawn out, then the plaſter of Diachilon will cure it perfectly.
If any that are ancient or weak ſhall be infected with the Peſtilence, it ſhall not be neceſſary to give them any purge, vomit, or ſweat, or to let them bloud; becauſe they cannot beare the loſſe of ſo many ſpirits as are ſpent by ſuch evacuations. Therefore you may lay upon the pit of the ſtomack of the ſicke a young live puppy, and if the ſick can but ſleep the ſpace of three or foure houres, they ſhall recover preſently, and the dog ſhall die of the Plague. This I have known approved; and I do believe that it will be a cure for all leane, ſpare, and weake bodies both yong and old: provided, that the dog be yonger then the ſick.
Certaine Inſtructions for the cure of
the Small Pox.
The nature of the Smal Pox diſperſed this yeer throughout many parts of this Kingdome, I have found to bee more malignant, then any that have reigned in my remembrance; ſo that many of all ages and ſexes, but eſpecially children have miſerably died of them: becauſe for the moſt part, the peſtilence is joyned with them, as it doth plainly appeare by thoſe ſpots, blains, and riſings, that follow them. I have likewiſe obſerved that thoſe medicines, as Mithridate, Treacle, Saffron