IN the Dysentery, and Flux of the Belly, that is accompanied with Gripings, though there be no bloody Corrosion of the Guts, I have es­pecially commended Whey: That in a Flux, where there is no Grip­ing, the Patient must ab­stain from Whey, but where there is with it neither a fea­ver, nor any Gripings, I have for­bidden, not onely the use of it, but of all other Liquids also, both Meats and Drinks, as far as the Constitution of the Patient could [Page 2]endure: yet have I allowed them to take some small quantity of Red Wine.

Where by thè way the Reader is to take notice, that since I first commended the use of Whey in Griping Fluxes of the Belly; many have, without ever consulting the Physitian, made use of it indiffe­rently in all Fluxes whatsoever; in so much that at Antwerp, and Brussels it is by many made and sold, onely to get money: Where­as, in my Treatise written in French, I particularly, and ex­pressly forbid the use of it in those Fluxes, that are accompanied nei­ther with a Feaver, nor Gripings in the Belly. Because that in this Flux, the Acrimony, or Saltness of the Peccant Humor (which is the true cause of a Griping Flux) are supposed to be wanting; The true Interna, and Ex­ternal causes of the Grip­ing Flux. which are caused by the excess of the in­ward heat of the Body, and for the most part of the Liver; or else from the heat of the Sun, Violent Exercise, over sharp Meats, and [Page 3]Drinks, or else from Purging Me­dicines; Which Hippocrates seems not to allow of, either in, or im­mediately before the Dog-days, unless necessity so require; because it is then an unseasonable time for Purging. And no marvel; for while the weather is so extream hot, our Bodies are too much dri­ed, and consequently the Humors grow very Acrimonious; and the Medicines themselves, having also for the most part a peculiar Acri­mony of their own, do sometimes cause a Dysentery: and therefore the same Hippocrates in another place insinuates, That see­ing Purg­ing Medi­cines som­tims cause the Dysen­tery, upon the very day of Purging, the Pati­ent must drink a draught or two of Whey. that when any would Purge their Bodies, they should first make them moist, and fluid.

And for this reason I advise my Patients, at what time of the year soever they chance to take Physick, upon the very day they take a Purge, (especially if they have any Gripings in their Guts) to drink a draught or two of Whey; that by this means they may repel the [Page 4]Acrimony, whether of the Humor, or of the medicines: Which, as it immediately cures the Griping Diarrhoea, and the Dysentery it self, so it is also a great Preservative against them.

So that it evidently appears from hence, that Whey hath as wel a Curing, That Whey is also a good Pre­servative. as a Preserving faculty. And certainly it is a wonderful thing, how much VVhey excels all other Medicines in the cure of the Griping Flux, if it be taken in a great quantity, cold, and at any time of the day or night, either fasting, or at meats, or after meat, or late at night: and especially at the beginning of the disease; when it ought to be taken in the greatest quantity.

And this is the reason that Dios­corides, considering how agreeable to our Constitutions the nature of VVhey was, though there were neither a Griping Flux, nor any o­ther Necessity, yet prescribed the use thereof every Spring, for some time; beginning at first with a Pint [Page 5]and a half: And this he did, pro­bably, to allay the heat of the Blood, which at that time begins both to grow hot, and to encrease; and withall to prevent those dis­eases that are caused thence; such as are the Pleurisie, Quinsie, and the like. And Hippocrates also himself, in his Book De victus ratione, in some diseases, prescribes no less then 12. Cotylae of boild Asses Milk (which is very serous) and, in case the Constitution of the Patient would bear it, he saies that he may take 16. Cotylae: and yet a Cotyla contains 9. Ounces. We are to consider also, that from our very birth we are brought up with Milk, the greatest part whereof by much is VVhey. Neither are we to be afraid of VVhey, as being too cold, seeing that a very Learned Author (to whom yet I cannot as­sent) maintains that it is hot: for I conceave, that it is cold in some degree, Whey is cold, and somewhat cleansing. and withall something cleansing. And I remember once, when the Humor was very Acri­monious, [Page 6]I prescribed my Patient, that was sick of a Dysentery, to take, within the space of Four and twenty hours, Eight cups of Whey: which within the said space of time (as appeared by exact obser­vation) he did, with very good success. And as, by this means, the further Corrosion of the Guts is stopped; so is the growing of any Ulcer in any part hereby also prevented, in case it be speedily taken. Yet my Rule is, to prescribe a Moderate quantity only of Whey, in this Flux. And those, that have not any VVhey at present, may make use of scim'd Milk, which is made up of Whey and Cheese: and that you may make a separation of them, you must put some Ren­net into the Milk, while it is over the Fire; and so you make your VVhey.

And for as much as there is no greater danger then from the de­laying the use hereof, you are therefore to have no regard at all (as appears by constant experi­ence) [Page 7]whether your Patient be a Woman that hath her Courses up­on her, That no regard is to be had either to Women that have their Courses, or are with Child. That the Peccant Humor is to be pur­ged out the very first day of the Flux. or perhaps is great with Childe. And therefore the very first day of the Flux, the Peccant Humor is not onely by proper Medicines to be purged out, but the Acrimony of it also is to be allayed, by drinking a sufficient quantity of VVhey, even upon the very day of taking Physick. Yet we must remember, that we are not to give as large a quantity of VVhey, or of Purging Medicines to Great-bellied Women as to other people; but must prescribe them so much the less quantity of either, by how much they are nearer the time of their being brought to bed.

You must fall again to your Purgati­ons, if the Gripings cease not. And if by chance the Gripings of the belly cease not, (as usual­ly they do, if the Flux be not of a­bove two, or three days standing) you must fal again to your Purgati­ons; & in case they should continue longer, perhaps a week, a fort­night, or three weekes; you must then often purge your Patient, and [Page 8]that sometimes for two or three days together, or at least omitting but one day betwixt; according as you shall finde the Necessity in this case require; that so as well the Antecedent, as the Comcomi­tant cause may be removed: Which (though much asswaged) by how much it continues in wringing the Guts, so much the harder will the Flux be cured. Yet notwithstan­ding I have many times observed, that even an inveterate Flux hath been perfectly cured, by the Means here laid down.

In the mean while, there is re­gard to be had to the strength of the Patient, Regard to be had to the strength of the Patient. if he be very weak, least he be brought too low, by too frequent Purges: which may very easily be, in a body that is ex­treamly weakned by a continuall Flux: though there be no such danger in a Flux that is but newly begun; where though they go commonly very often to stoole, yet it is but in a small quantity. And where there is danger of too much [Page 9]weakning the Party, you must use so much the more gentle Purga­tives; and if either by them, or without them, by the violence of the disease, too great a quantity either of Humors, or of Blood hath been evacuated; you may then en­deavor to stop the Flux (at least for a while) either by Astringent or Stu­pifying Medicines, or else by such Clysters as are here set down.

Now for an Ordinary Purge, they use to administer to those that are of ripe years, 4. Ounces of the syrup of Roses Solut. mixed with Rhubarb, with some spoonfuls of VVhey; or in case you cannot get any Rhubarb, you may take five Ounces of Syrup of Roses Solut. without Rhubarb. But to younger people, and such as are of weak Constitutions, you must give a less quantity. And in case (as it often happens) it should not work to any purpose, you may then adde about an Ounce of a Cordial De­coction Solut.; as you may leave it out, if it be too violent. And if [Page 10]so be the sick Party cannot endure to take any Syrup, he may instead thereof take the Infusion of two or three Drams of Rhubarb made with VVhey; or about the quantity of two Ounces of Calabrian Manna infused in VVhey: and you may give an Ounce of the aforesaid Sy­rup, mixt with Rhubarb, to a child; and half an Ounce to little chil­dren, with a spoonful, or two, of VVhey. And you may give as much, or very near, with a little VVhey, to Children that suck: to whom I have known VVhey, with the Yolk of an Egg, and crums of White bread, mixed together, gi­ven for meat, and VVhey onely for drink, with very good success. This Syrup mixed with VVhey, as it seemed to me a very proper re­medy for this disease, and such as might very safely be administred, without any danger of over-purg­ing; so hath the success herein so often answered my expectation, as that I was scarsely ever put to make use of any other Medicine [Page 11]instead of it. And although these things, if they be speedily, and du­ly administred, do cure both in a short time, and certainly enough; yet notwithstanding the carefull Physitian must, in the beginning of this disease, not faile to make use of Ordinary Clysters also: yea, What Cly­sters are in this disease to be made use of. and sometimes too, if the body be not throughly purged, he must then have recourse to Extraordina­ry; which must be composed of a Pint of VVhey, or more, and four or five Ounces of Syrup of Roses Solut. with Rhubarb, or the like quantity of Honey of Roses Solut. The Ordinary Clysters used in this case, are made of the same quanti­ty of VVhey, mixed with two raw Yolks of Eggs. And to the end the Party may retain them the longer, and so consequently they may work the more effectually; I would have them always, even in the Win­ter, administred Cold: Clysters to be given cold. Which I would have also to be often repeat­ed, if there be an extream Griping of the Guts with the Diarrhaea; and [Page 12]you must apply it so, yet much more frequently, in case the Party void Blood: which if it cease, and if some Purulent Martter onely, or the same mixed with a very little Blood onely, be voided from some Ʋlcer, you must then give your Clyster a little warm. And I have always, and to people of all ages, in a quantity proportionated to their age, administred them cold: and, for instance, to the daugh­ter of the Count de VVacken, Clysters to be admi­nistred cold, to Children of 2. or 3. weeks old onely. who was sick of a Dysentery, and was not above a fortnight old; to whom I caused a Clyster to be given Cold, by which her health was very spee­dily restored. And even in the depth of a very hard Winter, I have with very good success, done the like to little Children, that were not above two, or three moneths old. And certainly, if it were ob­jected against me about Thirty years since, by some Outlandish Physitians, and those of no Com­mon Note neither, that it was a­gainst both Reason, and Hippocrate [Page 13]his Aphorisme, where he tells us, that cold things are hurtful to all Nervous, and Ʋlcerated parts: with­out question they must needs now think it both a very Absurd, and a Paradoxall Opinion, to maintain (as I, for very good reasons, dare underatke to do) that in these Cly­sters, which I would have admini­stred Cold, there must sometimes Vinegar also be put in. And indeed this Mixing of Vinegar with these Clysters is of very good use; In a great Flux of Blood, Vi­negar is to be mixed with the Clysters. in so much that I have diverse times caused 2. 3. or 4. spoonfulls of it to be put in, as well in the Ordinary ones, as into that more Astringent one; and that in a Flux of the Bel­ly, where the Patient hath been in so sad a condition, as to void in one day near two or three Pints of Blood. Neither did my Expecta­tion fail me; for the Blood by rea­son of so piercing a Cold, was sud­denly repelled, and the Orifice of the Vein contracted, and shut up. Neither do I conceive this practice of mine to be any whit derogatory [Page 14]to Hippocrates his Authority: seeing he himself, in another place, gives his advice, that where the disease is desperate, they should not for­bear to try any manner of Expe­riment for the curing of it. And if we will but appeal to Reason in this case, we must needs confess, that there is much more care, and re­gard to be had to this Flux, which immediarely destroyes, then to the Ʋlcer, whose cure will admit of more delay. Neither is the Indica­tion here taken from the Ʋlcer, when we administer these Clysters cold; but from the Flux of Blood, which weakens the Patient too much, which by this means is repelled, and stopped: as, on the contrary, it is drawn downward, if the Pati­ent put his foot into warm water; as is usually done, when a Vein is to be breathed, in case of the stop­ping of Womens Courses: As it likewise is seen in Violent Bleeding at the Nose; where when the Blood hath issued forth in manner of a swift Torrent, the speediest, and [Page 15]most certain remedy in this case, (when all other means have failed) hath been, to put the Patients feet into VVarm VVater; and that, if need so require, as far as to the very Knees, or higher: as it hap­ned to one, that was at the very point of death, whence by the tri­al of this Experiment he was hap­pily recovered, when both his Legs, and Thighs, for want of Blood, had now grown cold: and no mar­vel; for, his Blood flying up to his head, he had lost no less then Eigh­teen Pints of it, at the Nose; as by most exact observations was found.

But to leave this Digression, and to return to my former discourse of the Flux of Blood in a Dysentery, I say; that wherever I found the strength of my Patient to have been too much weakned, by so violent, and plentiful Voyding of Blood by stool, Letting of Blood is very seldome admitted here. I never appointed the breathing of a Vein, which yet may heer seem to be proper enough: and I have been very sparing also in prescribing it, in this Dysenterical [Page 16]Flux: and therefore those, who object against me, that I have some­times used it too sparingly, may hence receive satisfaction, if they please but to consider with me, that these so frequent goings to stoole, (especially if the Party voyd Blood,) do so much debili­tate the strength of his body, as that Bleeding would be very dangerous; neither do I allow of it by any means, unless it be in a high Fea­ver, or in a great Voyding of Blood, (provided it be not in so great a quantity, as was said before,) or in case there be a stoppage of the said Flux, (as is usuall in the He­morrhoids) or if there be any fear of an Inflammation of the Guts; in which cases it seemes to be ne­cessary. For, the Heat of the Patient is attempered suffici­ently by the store of VVhey which he must take; which also sufficient­ly aswages the saltness, or Acrimo­ny of the Peccant Humor: in so much that I have been so fully perswa­ded, that, seeing the Humor it self [Page 17]may easily be purged out, (if it may conveniently be done) and so together with it, the disease, and all the danger of it may be taken a­way; that therefore there hath been need of no other Evacuation at all; so that among sixty Dysen­terical Patients, I have scarcely let one of them Blood, and that with very good success; as is declared more at large in my French Trea­tise, where I have spoken largely of this Particular, and of the Regi­ment of Health in this case to be ob­served; advising all persons, that are sick of this disease, to abstain chiefly from all Motion of the bo­dy, all Pepper'd and Salt Meats, and from all things in general, that are either Actually, or Potentialy Hot. In an In­veterate Flux, too frequent Purges are not to be admini­stred; nor so great a quantity of Whey, as in those that are but newly begun.

I also have said there, that in an Inveterate Flux, you are not to ad­minister so frequent Purges; and that these are to be varied, accor­ding as the disease is: and also, that you are not to prescribe so great a quantity of VVhey in an Invete­rate [Page 18]Flux, as in one that is but new-begun: yet in case the Gripings con­tinue, though they be much a­bated in the violence of them, the taking of VVhey must Proportio­nably be continued: you may also, though but in a small quan­tity, administer Red VVine; which may be diluted with VVater, with a little Cinnamon boyled in it. And as in all diseases, that have been of any long Continuance, the Pati­ent is apt to nauseate at any thing that is given him, as well Meat, as Drink; therefore we are to change his Ordinary Drink, What Drinks are to be used. according as the disease requires; where if the state of it be doubtful, or that the Patient will not be confined with­in any due bounds; the Indication must then be taken from such things, as are either Good, or Hurt­ful for the sick person: yet we are not at all to neglect that which is taken from the Gripings of the Guts; which, if they should chance to grow Violent again, he must then take a greater quantity of [Page 19] VVhey, and must give over his tak­ing of Wine.

And as for Meats, I should chief­ly commend the use of Eggs; with which many sorts of Brothes may be made: and chiefly by boyling the Yolks of Eggs, together with some crums of White bread, (which is only of use in this case) in Whey; They may also take some fresh Broth made of Ʋeale, or Mutton. The juice also of Chickens, or Capons, expressed out of them, or Restora­tives made of them; as also a Toast of White bread, dipt in Wine mix­ed with Water, and with Sugar sprinkled upon it (where the Grip­ings of the Belly are not Violent) may here be admitted. And the Party may take things either Actu­ally cold, or but luke-warme, as I have ordered in my French Trea­tise: where I have also set down some Astringent Medicines, which notwithstanding in a Flux newly begun (unless there were Extraor­dinary cause) I have scarsely, and in an Inveterate one, where the [Page 20] Gripings have been very Violent, I have but seldom made use of: nei­ther yet have I often prescribed those things (as I have there said) which have a faculty of comfort­ing the spirits, and of resisting the Malignancy of the Peccant Humor: such as are Terra Sigillata, Bole-Armenick, Coral, burnt Harts-horn, and the like. And as Astringent Medicines, which are commonly used in this case, for the stopping of the Flux, are of very little force, so (as I have said) is the applicati­on of Topical Remedies of much less: and among them, as there is no trust at all to be put in Oyles, so there is very litttle in any other Outward Application. And I think it were well, if people would con­sider, whether, or no, some of those Outward Applications, which are commonly in use, do not hurt ra­ther, then do any good.

Opiates are dan­gerous, & therefore seldom to be made use of here. And as for Opiates, and Stupify­ing Medicines, though they do somewhat asswage the Paine, yet I [Page 21]not much approve of the use of them; although I have sometimes prescribed them, in a small quan­tity; an Ounce, or two perhaps, of Syrup of Poppy, (having given my Patient before a good sufficient quantity of Whey, and of Purgative Medicines,) that so I might, with all the speed I could, satisfie his longing desires. In all vio­lent Flux­es, the same means of stopping is to be used, that are in the disease called, Cholera. But where the Flux hath been so violent, either with Gripings of the Guts, or other­wise, that it hath brought down the strength of the sick Party so ve­ry low, as it is usually in the dis­ease, which we call, Cholera; I would administer a Dram of New Treacle, or rather a Pill of Lauda­num Theophrasti, of the quantity of four, or five grains: Which Pill would then be of most use, when the excessive Purging by stool is accompanied also with vomitings, or an inclination to it.

I Shall in the next place come to speak of the Disease called, Chole­ra; which as it is most swift and vio­lent in its progress, so is it usually also most dangerous, and destru­ctive. So that I could not forbear with all the speed I could to give an Account of the nature of this disease, to the end that the Fury [Page 23]of it, (which is sometimes so great, as that it takes away a man in the space of four and twenty hours, or at least brings him to deaths door,) may be made know [...] to all, and chiefly to such as are o [...]tute of any sudden means of help, so that they may in due time provide themselves of convenient Rem [...] ­dies. Which I do the more wil­lingly, because I have long since observed, that betwixt the exces­sive Flux in the Diarrhoea, and this disease, which we call Cholera, there is some Affinity: in so much that sometimes it may be a doubtfull business, how to distinguish the one from the other.

Now this disease called, Cholera, VVhat the disease called, Cholera is, and how it is distin­guished from o­ther Flux­es. is, a continual, and violent voiding both of Choler, and other Humors, and whatsoever a man takes in, and that both upwards and down­wards, by Vomit, and Stool: the violence whereof is so great, as that Nature being not able to bear it, the Patient's strength must thereby necessarily be brought extreamly [Page 24]low. And hence you may easily perceive how it differs from a Di­arrhoea with Gripings of the Guts, and from other Fluxes. The cause of this d [...]ase I have (in my French Treatis [...] shewed to be, rather the Malignant Quality of the Humors and of the Things taken in, then the A [...]imony of Choler: The cause of this disease. Which very thing seems to have been also in­sinuated by ancient Authors, where they tell us, that our Medicines are to be varied, according as the cause of it is different, whether it proceed from a Hot, or from a Cold Cause. And even Alexander Trallianus professeth, that he had recovered diverse, that were at deaths door, by administring Wine unto them. Erasistratus, in like manner, considering, that there was respect to be had, in this case, as well to the Crudity, as to the A­crimony, affirmeth, that nothing is more effectual in the cure of this disease, then Wine, diluted with Water: Which is also commended by Galen in his Book concerning [Page 25] Phlebotomy. But for as much as in this so violent a disease, these things seem not to be at all sufficient for the Cure of it; we must therefore have recourse to Laudanum Theophrasti; of which, people, that are of ripe years, Laudanum Theophrasti is, in this case, (pro­vided, the party have been suf­ficiently purged before) the onely remedy. may take a Pill of four, or five grains in weight; and Children, of one grain onely; and so proportionably in all other ages. Yet this is not to be administred, unless the Patient have before purged sufficiently, both upward and downward; least otherwise something should be re­tained, which should rather have been purged out. Neither yet is the taking of it to be deferred so long, as that the patient is fallen into Convulsion-fits, and his Excre­ments are of the colour of Whey; which are evident signs, that Na­ture is spent in him: for then it must be taken with all speed; and in case the party cannot keep it, but that he vomiteth it up again whole immediately, you may then either wash that in Wine, and give [Page 26]it him again; or else you must give him another fresh one. And in case he do retain it, and yet his Evacua­tions cease not, you must then give him another, of the quantity of two or three grains. Yet for the most part, one pill onely is sufficient to do the business; and to the end that he may keep it, and not vomit it up again, he must chew in his mouth a slice of Citron, the pill taken off, and rowled about in a little Sugar, if he please. Other Opiats are not in this case so proper, neither are they so easily retained: yet, where this cannot be had, you may give him some of Rondeletius his Pills, or else som of my Pectoral Opiat, which I have set down in my French Treatise, concerning the Cough, to the quantity of half a scruple.

And to the end that no man may be mistaken, I shall here set down the Composition of this Lauda­num Theophrasti, as it is usually made among us; although some of the Ingredients, being put in in so small, and so disproportionate a [Page 27]quantity to the rest, (as, for inftance, of Ʋnicorns Horn) seem to conferre little to the business.

TAke an ounce and a half of Spec. Diambrae. infuse this in half a Pint of Aqua Vitae rectificata and set it upon the Embers, or in the warme Sun, for the space of twelve or thirteen daies; that is, till the Infusion be sufficient; in the mean time often stir­ring it about. Then leaving the Pou­der behinde, adde to the Infusion two Drams of Opium Thebaicū disolved in a Dram and a half of the juyce of Henbane. The next day after adde to it Mummy, Red Coral prepared, and Eastern Saffron, of each one scruple, and of White Amber halfe a Dram, and of Unicorns horn, and Oriental Musk, of each four graines. And ha­ving brought this to the Consistence of a thin Pultess, you may again (if need be) for some certain days together add some small quantity of Aqu. Vit. recti­ficat. and having so done, you must last­ly dry it into the Consistence of a Solid Mass; out of which you may make up your Pills, as occasion shall require.

Which Composition, seeing it is of so great efficacy, as that it is a certain, and indeed the onely Re­medy in this disease; I have al­ways advised many great persona­ges, and others, that have dwelt far from any City, and have had great Families, that they should never be unprovided of one or two of these Pills, and of the weight a­foresaid; least they should be sud­denly snatch'd away by the vio­lence of this disease, before any can be new made, or be sent for to the Neighboring Cities. I have also in like manner allways per­swaded my friends, that when ever they take any journey, seeing these Pills are not every where to be had, they would be sure to carry with them one or two of them. The same care did I also take, above twenty years ago, for my Sons, when I sent them abroad to the U­niversity; instructing them with­al in my way of proceeding in the cure as well of this disease, as of the Griping Diarrhoea, before spo­ken [Page 29]of, and also in the manner of Preservation from, and Cure in the Plague: wherein notwithstanding I advised them to consult the Phy­sicians of the place, that so the Cure might be the more certain, and speedy.

As concerning Diet, Concern­ing Regi­ment of Health. I have spo­ken very largely in my French Treatise; where I have said, that for their Ordinary Drink, the sick parties must take Water, and Ver­djuyce, of each a like quantity, Drink. mixt together; that is to say, the quantity of a Cup and a half of ei­ther, with the Yolk of an Egg boyl­ed in it, with a small quantity of Sugar. And if the Party be not very thirsty, he may then take a draught of Red Wine; or where that cannot be had, of old White Wine: with which, if need be, you may mix Water, with a little Cinnamon boyled in it. You may also allow your Patient a draught of small Ale, so it be cleare. He may also have made him several kindes of Broths, of the aforesaid Verdjuyce, Meat. or [Page 30] Wine, with Water, Sugar, and the Yolks of Eggs mixed with it. Re­storative Gellies also, and a Toast of White Bread in Wine mixed with Water, and with a little Sugar put upon it, are here of very good use. And whatsoever he takes, either of Meats, or Drinks, he must take them Cold. And least, by drinking too much, his Evacuations should be the more violent upon him; he may sometimes allay his thirst, in some measure, by taking two or three spoonfulls of Wine and Water, mixed together in equal quantities, with a little Sugar, and juyce of Citron added to it, to make it rellish the better. He may also take a slice or two of Citron (the Pill taken off) rouled about in Sugar. Rob de Ribes, &c. Conserves of Red Currans, and of Berberies, and the like, which are both Cool­ing, and Astringent, and also plea­sant to the tast, are here of good use also.

IN my French Treatise, I have prescribed Cold Water for my Patients to take: But do you not think me a very Inhu­mane person? Or, do you allow me to be a Physician, for doing so? Certainly there is not any grea­ter Preservative from the Gout, if [Page 32]it be taken twice a year at the least, Nothing is more useful, both for Prevent­ing, and Curing the Gout then Cold Water. that is, in the beginning of the Spring, and Fall, and continued for some days together; or else if it be taken some days immediately be­fore such certain times as it is usu­ally wont to seise upon the party: in like maner as nothing is of more efficacy (when it hath seised on him,) for the asswaging the violent Torments of it, then Cold Water is; as I have there by many reasons proved at large: and especially, if to this taking of Cold Water, we joyn the Breathing of a Vein. Nei­ther will any man deny this, that shall come to it with a cleare Eye, and without any Prejudicate opi­nion, if he but weigh diligently those Pregnant Reasons, if not De­monstrations, whereby I have there made it appear, that the torment­ing pains of the said disease of the Gout are caused either by Acrimony, or Saltness, and so consequently by Heat. Neither need any man be hindred from assenting to this opi­nion, because perhaps he hath [Page 33]known many times old men, and those too, that have been withall Hydropical, to have been taken with this disease: For there is even in them a sufficient stock of Salt, Se­rous Humors, to cause this dis­ease.

Neither let it seem strange to a­ny one; that the Parts affected by a Cold Humor do swell: for he ought to take notice, that when by rea­son of this Malignant Humor the Natural Heat is weakned, The parts affected here, like as in the Erysipelas swell, by reason of a Cold Humor; because that the Natural Heat is weakned too much by the Malignan­cy of that Humor. this both may, and must be: and especially if he do but consider, that (for the greater clearing of this business) that part of the Body that is taken with an Erysipelas, immediately also begins to have a swelling a­bout it. Which seeing it is not imaginable that it should be caus­ed by the mutual conflux of both Humors, we therefore ought to think, that it must proceed from the Malignant Heat of Choler, that hath so far weakned the Natural Heat. Which Bilious Humor, as it is likened to the Element of Fire; [Page 34]so, when it is kindled to a very great heigth, it also burns the part Af­fected, like Fire; and so raises Blisters on it.

But suppose that the excellent vertues of Cold Water in the Cure of this Disease were never before discovered to the world; or that other its excellencies, in other the like Cases, have heitherto been nei­ther written, nor heard of: Sup­pose this, I say, Must the Vast Abyss of Physical knowledge, and the large stock of the ways of Cures, have before this been necessarily exhausted and drawn dry? Is it impossible to say, or write any thing, that may be deduced out of the very Principles of Nature, which may be of good use in the Curing of the diseases men are subject unto, and particularly of the intollerable Paines of the Gout, and the like? Certainly there are diverse, that having by experience found the excellent vertue of Cold Water, for the asswaging of those Horrid Torments of the Gout, [Page 35](which are a second Hell) will be ready with a very gratefull re­membrance, Publickly to extoll the same. And those, that to the use hereof, have added the opening of a Vein, either upon the part af­fected, or somewhere neare it, will cry it up to the same height. And to the end that what concerns the Publike Good, may Publickly be known, (I shall deale Ingeniously, with those that are Ingenious) I say, that I have known many, who have testified, that among the so many, and various Medicines that are in use for the cure of this dis­ease, they have not known, nor applied any, that hath so certain­ly asswaged, if not utterly cured (as it sometimes hath done,) the intollerable pains of this disease, as Cold Water; especially when it is joyned with Letting of Blood.

For it is certain enough, (as I have proved in my French Treatise) that the Pains in the Gout are caus­ed, not by any Cold defluxion of Humors from the Head, but by a [Page 36] Hot Humor, which is either an A­crimonious, or a Salt one, proceed­ing from the Liver, and gathered together in some neighboring part, till such time, as that Nature drives it forth, by the Greater Veins, into the Capillary, as into certain smal Channels by nature designed for the conveighing of humors: whence it is conveighed to the Joynts, to­gether with the Aliment provided for the nourishment of the parts of the Body; and commonly first of all it seises upon the Great Toe; and as the cause of the disease increas­eth, it afterwards seiseth upon o­ther joynts also.

For this cause therefore my Counsel hath been, that a Vein should be opened, both in the Great Toe, and also in other parts that are nearest to it: that so the next Antecedent cause, which lies in those Veins, and fomenteth the Concomitant Cause, lying neare unto it, may be taken away: which being removed, the pain is either asswaged, or altogether ceaseth. [Page 37]For I cannot beleeve that the Con­comitant cause lieth in the very joynt, where the Bones are not wrap'd about with any Periostium, which is of most exquisite sense, (for so all Motion must needs be painfull) but instead of that are invironed with a Gristle, and joyned together with Ligaments, that are void of al sense: so that the pain must therefore ne­cessarily be attributed to the neighboring parts, which are most sensible. In the producing where­of, seeing that this Antecedent Cause is also to be supposed to cooperate, I am clearly of opinion, that with­out any Letting of Blood, either by way of Revulsion, or Derivation, we ought to fall immediately to the opening of a Vein upon the part it self: unless the body being very Plethorical, or the Patient young, or the part lying convenient for Revulsion, which had formerly been infested with the same distemper, do require the same. For in other Cases you must be careful how you let Blood; both because, my opinion [Page 38]is, that people ought to be let Blood once or twice a year, by way of Prevention, and especially in the aforesaid Great Toe, or what o­ther part of the Body hath usually been most afflicted with this dis­ease; as also, because that when it hath seised upon several joynts at once, the violence of it seems to re­quire the opening of a Vein, where neither the Age of the Per­son, nor any other impediment is against the same.

And seeing it is confessed, and assented to by all Physicians, that Contraries are cured by Contraries; why may I not lift up my voice, and make use of my Pen, in the just Praises of this our Cold Water? Especially, seeing I am able to pro­duce Experience on my side; (who is the best Mistress in all Sciences whatsoever) and that back'd with Reason two. I shall not here speak of Young men, or of those of Perfect Age; but I shall onely here have to do with Old men, (who, by rea­son of the Saltness of Humors, where­with [Page 39]they commonly abound, are very much subject to this terrible Disease:) many of whom, when they either already felt, or were in feare of these Tormenting pains, have by my Counsel had recourse immediately to this drinking of Cold Water; which drinking con­stantly for many days, weekes, yea and moneths together, it hath suc­ceeded so well with them, as that many of them, who have been very far stricken in years, have found very great ease hereby; and that too without any offence to the Stomack, or hinderance of Digesti­on; and have continued thus now for some years space together; on­ly drinking a draught of it off eve­ry morning: which course they also resolve to continue while they live. And some, that had used to drink Wine constantly, did the same; drinking Water at their Meals, but moderately.

And although that in an Inve­terate Gout, or where the Party is very old, or where there are other [Page 40]either Manifest, or Occult Causes, hindering it, I have said that the use of it would do very little, or no good at all; yet in very many of this kinde of patients, where I have judged the use of it to be conveni­ent, I do here testifie to the world, that I have had very good success.

And as for all other Medicines, whether they be those they call A­nodyna; that is, Mitigatives of paine; or those they call Discus­sives, that is, such as dispel the cause of the disease in the Gout; as I have made little mention of them in my French Treatise; so in this, (where I commend so much the use of Cold Water, and Letting of Blood) do I make as little: because, as the a­foresaid Mitigative Medicines, by too much relaxing of the parts Af­fected, do open an easie passage for the return of the sharp Humor back again upon them; so the Discussive, by over-drying the parts, dispose them toward the Knotted Gout.

Yet those that either cannot, or will not patiently endure the tor­menting [Page 41]pains of the Gout, and yet abhor to drink Cold Water, or to be let blood upon the part Affect­ed, they may make use of the com­mon Poultess made of White Bread; which they must make of crums of the same, (or rather of the pou­der of the Root of Althaea) boyled in new Milk to a Consistence, and pounded together, with Oyl of Lilies, or fresh Butter, mixed with a small quantity of Saffron. There are some that choose rather to make use of an Oyntment made of raw Yolks of Eggs, and Rose-Water heat­ed together over the fire: and there are others that say they have found very much ease, in putting their feet, or hands into a Bath made of Castile Sope, made as hot as they can endure it: and when it begins to be cold, they must take them out. There are som also that in this case make use of the Lees of Red Wine.

An also Oyntment made of Spanish Wine, and Oyl of Olives, of each a like quantity, and boyled till halfe of it be boyled away, and so ap­plied [Page 42]hot to the part Affected, hath been said to have done good to some: which having bin either Ca­sually, or seasonably applied, nay sometimes, if not of it self, yet Ac­cidentally have asswaged somwhat the pain.

Neither is this taking of Cold Water (as I have prescribed it) use­ful onely in asswaging, and curing the pains of the Gout in the Feet, Hands, and Shoulders; but also the Sciatica, or Hip-Gout, which is both the most violent, and the hardest to be removed of all the rest. And who ever shall but grant us, that the cause of this Gout proceeds from the self same Acrimony, or Saltness of Humors, if not from a greater: it need not seem so strange a mat­ter to him, if while it is yet but newly begun, by the taking of Gold Water, according to my Prescription, (either Well-Water, or Foun­tain-water) taking it an hour or two before supper, (because this disease uses commonly to rage most of all toward bed-time) or at any other [Page 43]time when the party is in pain, tak­ing it in this manner by way of Prevention, and doing the like eve­ry morning, and that many times in very Aged persons, who have taken it onely for the space of four or five days together; it hath, with­out using any other Remedy, been perfectly cured, and which is more, for ever from that party banished; especially if he will but consider with me, that this disease is not subject to Recidivation, as the Gouts in the Feet, and Hands are. The joynts of the Shoul­der and Hip are not at all, or but ve­ry seldom troubled with this disease the se­cond time. Now why the joynts of the Shoulder, and of the Hip, are so free from any Re­turn of these Goutish paines (for they are very seldom taken with them the second time) I shall leave this inquiry to the search, and Dis­putation of others; least my Rea­sons, (which can but seem Plausi­ble ones only) may appear obnoxi­ous to Contradiction, as to my present design, which pretends here to Brevity only. Now in case any Vein should appear, either upon, or near the Hip; without question it [Page 44]would be very much useful to open the same: Seeing that no Veins ap­peare ei­ther on the Hip, or Shoul­der, we must ap­ply Cup­ping-glasses to the part af­fected. But seeing that neither upon the Hip, nor yet upon the Shoulder, there appears any; we therefore in this case make use of Cupping-glasses, with more then or­dinary Scarifications; and that with good success: and these Cupping-glasses, (or Horseleeches, instead of them) must be applied upon those very parts of the Thigh, or Legge, where the pain is most violent. It is very proper also in this case to breath the Vein that lies on the Outward Anckle, The Out­w ad Anckle-Vein may be open­ed. which is therefore called Vena Ischiadica, or the Hip-Vein: as in like manner the open­ing of the Cephalica, or Mediana, in the Shoulder affected, is of good use against the pains thereof. But for as much as these Veins, which are to be opened, are so far remov­ed from the part affected; questi­onless that other way of Evacuati­on, which is performed by apply­ing Cupping-glasses, and Scarificati­ons upon the part it self (seeing that in al probability they are the more [Page 45]likely to remove the cause of the disease) seems to be to much more purpose. For thus, by applying of these, together with opening a Vein, (by my Prescription,) taking away from the party twelve ounces of blood, and somewhat more, a most cruel, and inveterate Paine in the Shoulder hath been presently cured: whereas a Gout­ish Paine, but newly fallen upon the part, is used by this means to be cured with more ease. I adde moreover, Purgative Medi­cines are of use, through the whole course of the dis­ease. that Purgative Medicines are here of good use also, through the whole course of this disease: Which having been taken first, then Sudoriferous Decoctions of China, Sassafras, Guaiacum (which is of special use in many Cases) if the disease be neither of too small, nor yet of too long a continuance, In what cases Su­doriferous Decoctions are to be applied. have been applied with very good suc­cess. And this Sweating is to be re­peated for some days together, in the morning; where that the Sweat may be the more plentifully excer­ned, and so the Concomitant cause la­so [Page 46]may be the better drawn forth; you may apply upon the hip, a blad­der full of the warm Decoction of Sage, Hyssop, Thyme, Rosemary, and the like Herbs. But in an old, Invete­rate Grief, a large Blistering Plaster spread over the whole Hip, uses to be the most effectual Remedy: Yet sometimes we must have recourse to Red-hot Iron.

Neither ought it to seem strange to any, that this disease is cured as well by Hot, as by Cold Reme­dies: for, of these, such as do not of themselves do any good, by re­frigerating the part, and asswaging the hot Quality of the Humor; the same notwithstanding, by drawing forth the said Heat out of the Part Affected, do Accidentally prove Cures to the same: as we see, the Inflammation of a Burnt Finger is drawn forth by Fire; and a Tertian Ague is cured by Rhubarb. Neither shall I here omit to acquaint my Reader, that as Cold Water, taken an houre or two before supper, is a speedy Remedy against the pains [Page 47]of the Gout; so sometimes also, if a draught of it be taken immedi­ately after Dinner, it hath given great ease to some kinds of pains in the Stomack: And, which is more, a Raw Apple, (which yet must be a Sharp, or Sowre one,) taken at supper time, with a cup of Cold Water, In what case a cup of Cold Water is of use in the Pains of the Stomach, caused by Crudity; and also in the cu­ring of a Hoarsness, that is but new be­gun. instead of all other Meat or Drink, hath very of­ten restored both to Preachers, that have been hoarse, and to others al­so, (provided their Hoarsenss hath not been of any long continuance) their Natural cleare Voyce, the next morning. It will be looked upon a little strangly, that I should approve of the use of Cold Water, in those Distempers, that are caused by Crudity, and Flatulency; where­as Galen, on the contrary, affirms, that a Lusty Draught of Cold Wa­ter, taken in a Burning Feaver, is a most present Remedy. Yet seeing that is evident enough, that in such cases where the disease is dange­rous, and something desperate too, the use of Cold Water is the onely [Page 48]Remedy: without question the same may be taken safely enough, for some days, yea and weeks toge­ther, in very many diseases that may happen, and very good suc­cess also be from hence expect­ed.

Thus, those that have Fiery Faces, and Carbunckled Noses, with many pimples rising thereon, (which is commonly caused by the Fuliginous Vapours of Wine, or Strong Drink) or have any other the like Ill-affection of the Skin in any other parts of the Body, pro­ceeding either from a Salt, or Acri­monious Humor; by taking this Cold Water we speak of, every morn­ing, for the space of some days, or weeks together (as need shall re­quire) may easily, & for no charge, relieve themselves, and recover the Natural colour of their Face, and Skin. Neither is it any matter at all, whether this Redness pro­ceeded from the too free drinking of those aforesaid Liquors, or from a hot and dry distemperature of the Liver

Cold Wa­ter is good against the Stone in the Kidneys The Stone in the Kidney is in like manner-caused by the same Distem­per, as by its Efficient cause; and therefore there is no doubt to be made, but that the taking of a draught, or two, of Cold Water, for some days together, (as I my self have observed) is in this case very good. Which seems also to be suf­ficiently insinuated by Piso, and Alexander, who both assure us, that the taking of a draught of Cold Wa­ter in the morning constantly, for some days together, hath done so much good upon those that have been troubled with the Stone in the Kidneys, that in diverse, after the voyding of the First Stone, never a­ny grew there again. And indeed lam of opinion, that in this case, it would do the patient very much good, if he took either Cold or Luke-warme Water: neither do I doubt, but that either of these are very good; yea, and Hot Water too, (as I have said in my French Trea­tise) where notwithstanding I have chiefly commended the use of the [Page 50] Cold. And indeed it may be taken, without fear of any Crudity; which the aforenamed Authors seem to suppose may be caused by drink­ing Cold Water. There are some also, who thankfully acknow­ledging the great benefit they have receaved by this my Coun­sel, do still every meal, when they rise, adventure to drink a draught of the said Cold Water, & that with­out any danger of causing Crudi­ties in the Stomack, or of spoiling Digestion: nay, which is more, if at any time they chance either to eat, or drink too much; they are wont, of their own heads (though per­haps they are herein too adventu­rous, for this practice cannot pos­sibly be allowed in all Cases) to have immediate recourse to this drinking of Cold Water, that so they may both presently expel all Crudities, Cold Wa­ter is good a­gainst the Crudity of the Stomack. and also prevent Drunk­enness. And as concerning Crudity, I conceave that Cornelius Celsus was also of this opinion; when he gives his advise, that such as are [Page 51]troubled with raw, and belching Stomacks, should drink Water. Neither will this seem unreasona­ble to any, that shall but consider, that this cure (which either cannot in any measure at all, or not ful­ly be effected, by the use of Wine, Meats, and other Hot things, which seems here to be commended upon very good grounds) should yet be cured by Accident; when as the Stomack, being either distended by Wind, caused by the weakness of the Heat, or else being too much relaxed by the use of moyst and unctuous things, begetting Crudi­ties within it, is contracted by means of the Cold Water; and its Orifices are so closed, that the mouth of the Stomack being shut up, it hinders the ascending of the Vapours: by which meanes it is certain that the Heat must be uni­ted, and consequently the Crudity hindred, and a stronger Appetite excited. And hence I conceive it was, that Hippocrates called the Water, A Devourer.

Neither is this our Cold Water useful onely, taken inwardly, in inward diseases; but applied Out­wardly also, it cures the Outward Pains of the Body.

And indeed it ought not to seem unreasonable to any, Putting benumed Hands and Feet into Cold Water, re­cover them. if I shall here boldly affirm, that when by reason of the violence of Cold in a hard Winter, the Feet have been so be­nummed and frozen, as that the Toes through stifness stood out like so many sticks, by putting the Feet some certain times into Cold Water, and continuing this about the space of half an hour, they have again returned to their former state and condition. And that this is grounded upon Reason too, it may be hence collected; because that the Blood, being by this other Cold repelled, and driven back to­wards the Bowels, and by conti­nuing there some space of time, growing thereby more united and knit together, acquires the greater strength; by which means in its return possessing its self of the ex­tream [Page 53]parts of the Feet, it over­cometh their Cold Distemper, and revives, as it were, their almost-ex­tinct Native Heat. And the effect will so much the more certainly follow, if while his Feet are in the Water, the party drink a large draught of Wine warmed, and spiced with Nutmeg, or Cinnamon; that so the Blood may with the greater force and vigour make its passage to the Feet; whose Reco­very is discerned by the Redness of the Blood, appearing by little and little, as it gets down: as on the contrary it is a sign that those parts are mortified, which partake not of that tincture of Redness. Now this being done, the Feet and Thighs must be wiped dry with a linnen cloath, and so anointed with ordinary Sope; which is done well enough without any fire, which for a time he must not come near. Cold Water cures that kind of Cramp called, Tetanus.

And thus Hippocrates tells us (in his Lib 5. Aphor. 24. that that kind of Cramp also, which is called Te­tanus, may be cured.

Cold Wa­ter is said to have cured those that have been taken with the Palsey. And I have heard, (and that from a person too, whom I could not but beleeve,) that one taken with the Palsey, both in the Thigh, Arm, and Shoulder, by the con­tinual application of Cold Water for the space of two or three hours together, was perfectly cured the very same day. Which experiment notwithstanding I have not as yet made trial of, because there are very many that much suspect the same: although both in reason, and because of the happy success that may be hence expected, it seems in some kinds of Resolutions of the parts to be allowable e­nough: seeing that it is most cer­tain, that many, that have been taken with a Palsey, by a suddain Fright have been cured thereof. Whence we are to conceave, that by this so violent driving back of the Blood inwards, the spirits were so chafed, and heated, as that they were able to make their way through the Back-bone, and the ob­structed Nervous parts of the side [Page 55]Affected; and so by dissolving the Viscous Humors that had obstructed the said parts, and quite dispelling the same, had restored to the parts his Natural, Voluntary Motion. And that by the same means many have been cured also of a Quartane Ague, A suddain Fright hath dri­ven away a Quar­tane Ague. we have so many late Ex­amples in Story, as that wee need not trouble our selves further to prove the same.

So we likewise read, that some, who have had their limbs so con­tracted, by reason of Convulsions, Some ta­ken with Convulsion have been cured in like man­ner. as that for some years together they have not been able either to go, or stand upon their feet, being pro­voked to suddain, and most vehe­ment Anger, have risen up in an Instant, and have followed their flying enemy; and so by this means, by the forcible breaking forth of the Blood and Spirits toward the Thighs and Legs, and other Affect­ed Parts, the Humor that was there gathered together being attenua­ted, and discussed, they have both recovered, and ever after retained [Page 56]their Natural Motion.

Thus the Son of Croesus (as He­rodotus tells the story) being smitten with a suddain Fear, and present­ly falling into a most violent pas­sion of Anger, when he saw a cer­tain Persian, that knew not his Fa­ther, running furiously upon him, with an intent to kill him, cryed out with a loud voyce, [...], Villain, kill not Croe­sus. And thus, that which hin­dered his speech being removed, he for ever after continued a Speaking Man to his dying day. Whence we may also observe, that a greater effect ought to be produced by the Concurrence of these Passions to­gether; namely by the driving of the Blood and Spirits Inwards, by a Fright; and by driving the same Outward, How an Exhalati­on, being close kept in, becoms rarified, and so causes Lightning. by a violent Anger, then if the Operation had been by one of these onely.

We are much rather to wonder at the Impetuosity, and Violence of Lightning, which is caused by a Hot and Dry Exhalation; which, by [Page 57]an Antiperistasis, while it is strait­ned, and kept close in, by a Thick and Cold Cloud, is so rarefied, that it does service to the Laws of Ʋni­versal Nature; which cannot en­dure either the Penetration of Di­mensions, (least two Bodies should so be in one and the same place,) or a Vacuum, or Emptiness in Nature: and at length being kindled, it breaks the Clouds with a Horrid Noise, & Crack; and by its violent Erupti­on, and Impetuosity of Motion, it rends in pieces, and destroys what­ever by its hardness makes resi­stance against it, not hurting at all such bodies as are Porous, and Yeil­ding.

And the like is to be supposed also of Earth-quakes, The effect is also the same in- Earth-quakes, which are caused by a Hot and Dry Ex­halation of the Wind. which are caused by a Hot and Dry Exhalation of Wind, that hath got within it; and sometimes also by the like which is ingendred, and shut up within the Cavitie, and hollow parts of the same: When as this Vapour, or Exhalation, being tossed, and agitated up and down through [Page 58]the bowels of the Earth, is at length so rarefied, that being for­ced to raise up part of the so vast body of the earth, (meerly to a­void the aforesaid Penetration of Dimensions,) it hath sometimes brought forth Mountaines: and on the contrary, sometimes also, ac­cording as the Disposition of the Place, and the violence of the E­ruption of the Exhalations have been, have overturned Vast Build­ings, yea and have buried whole Cities too in the Cavernes of the Earth. For it does not to me seem any whit Probable at all, that so horrid a Motion of the Earth should be caused meerly by the Motion of the Wind onely, which struggles to recover its proper place; unless that, to the end that this may be effected, there be also a sufficient Rarefaction of the Exha­lation. And it is most certain, that those Earth-quakes are of the larg­est Extent, and withal the most Terrible, where there is a Coope­ration of Sulphureous, and other [Page 59] Mineral Exhalations, kindled with­in the bowels of the Earth.

In like manner as we see it is in Gun-powder, The like is seen in Gun-pow­der on fire. which being shut up (in making of Mines) within the Earth, and there filling but a lit­tle place, by being afterwards set on fire, and requiring then a much larger place then before, it blowes up by its force the strongest Walls, and Bulwarks, and makes such breaches in them, as that by this means there is an easie passage laid open to the enemy for his entrance into the besieged place.

And if we may be permitted to compare small and great things together, how unutterable is the Power, that is in those Highest In­telligencies (I mean, the Angels) which are also called, Spirits. That in the Mi­crocosme, the Spi­rits also being agi­tated, produce admira­ble effects.

Which said Exhalations, seeing they produce such Admirable ef­fects in the Greater World, why may they not do the like also in our Microcosme, or Lesser World, where the Humors are compared to the E­lements, and our Spirits are in a suf­ficient [Page 60]Disposition for the admit­ting of a kinde of Inflammation, or Burning; as may be perceaved, when shutting our Eyes, and wink­ing with them something hard, we see a certain Animal Spirit, in some measure representing the Heavenly Fire, and the Light of the Stars?

But leaving this Digression, let us return to our former Discourse, touching the exciting, and put­ting into Motion of our Blood, and Spirits, by Cold Water.

Strainings Bruises, & huge Swellings are cured by Cold Water. It must seem much more agree­able to Reason, if I shall here af­firm, that all Straining of the joynts, and all Contusions, either on the same, or any other parts of the bo­dy, as well as any huge Swellings, may, by the aforesaid bathing of the part in Cold Water, be much more safely cured, then by any o­ther Remedies whatsoever; and that more speedily too, and cer­tainly, and without any either Cost, or Trouble, or Loss of Time. Thus the Hands, and es­pecially the Feet, which are most [Page 61]of all subject to these Strainings, and the like Accidents, may be re­stored to their former strength, and ability in going; yea although the said Remedy be not made use of, till two or three hours space af­ter the aforementioned accident, or the like, befel the Party, (as I have seen with my own eys, more then once) where by careful, and often plying of this bathing the part in Cold VVater, the Humor hath been repelled, within the space of an hour; which to many seemed to have been so far setled, as that there could be no hope of repelling it; and that, by reason of the Bruise, and the very great Swelling of the part, it was to be brought to Sup­puration, or else to be dealt with­al as with Blood, when it is gather­ed together without its own pro­per Vessels: and yet the Blood here, still continuing in the Capillary Veins, which are much dilated, and swollen, together with the Flesh, when it cannot be discussed, is yet by the use of Cold VVater repelled, [Page 62]in case the Application of it hath not bin deferred too long: although I am very certain, that where no speedy cure hath been taken here­in, yet the making use of this Cold VVater the next day after, continu­ing it the aforementioned space of time, (if the Swelling hath not been too great) hath perfectly cured the Party. Which Mischances, seeing they very often befall Carpenters, Smiths, and Masons, and indeed all sorts of Labouring Men, they have this most excellent, and present re­medy always at hand.

And here I cannot but take no­tice, that it was not in vain that Hippocrates admonisheth us, that the Gout in the Feet is cured by a Large Effusion of Cold VVater: for it is most certain, that by holding the Foot, that is affected, a long while in the same, both the Swel­ling abateth, and the Redness of the part, and the pains and asswaged also. But seeing that, by reason of the Corrupted Blood, which may speedily return again to the part, [Page 63]the Pain may easily be renewed; my judgement is, that this Bathing in Cold VVater is to be repeated of­ten, for the space of five or six days together. And in this sense do I understand that Doctrine of Hippo­crates, to the great comfort of the Patient, when as his pain, and the continuance of his Disease shall be so taken off, as that he shall now be troubled with it so many days onely, as otherwise he should have been weeks.

Some also that have been trou­bled with the Gout in their Feet, that they may either utterly avoyd the falling into a Relapse, or at least may have but light touches of it, make use of this Bathing in Cold VVater every day, so long a space of time as a man may be saying o­ver the Lords Prayer. But for as much as the Acrimony of the Humor cannot always be so clearly taken away as could be wished, nor the Humor it self purged out: the same may be farther suppressed by the taking of Cold VVater inwardly, [Page 64]and the Humor it self may be eva­cuated, as Occasion shall require, either by opening a Vein, or by some Purging Medicine proper in this case.

Neither is this Bathing of the Feet in Cold VVater a Remedy in the Pains of the Leg onely, and the joynts thereof; but it cures also the Inveterate Pains of the Head, and the Continual Catarrhes, and Defluxions from thence. For it is certain, that if the Head be put in­to Cold VVater, as far as the Middle of the Bone of the Hinder part of the Head, and to the end of the Nose before, so that there be left just so much of the Nose out of the Wa­ter, as that the Party may have free­dom of Breathing onely; and that this be done so long, as while a man may be saying the Lords Pray­er, the pain of the Head, though it hath been of long continuance, wil hereby be removed, and the De­fluxions stopped; as hath often been proved by experience. Or else instead of this putting the Head [Page 65]into Cold Water (which seems to be very improper for Women) you may take a Linnen Cloath, dipped in Cold Water, and apply the same several times to the Head. For seeing that it is not so much the Moysture of the Water that is here requisite, as the Peircing Coldness of it; I conceive that it would do very much good in this case, if we should take a Linnen Cloath that had been dipt in Cold Water, and wringing it well, we should apply the same to the Head of the Party, having first covered it all over with another dry Linnen Cloath, and that to be doubled too, and ap­plying this to the Head for the space of a Quarter of an Hour to­gether; and so repeating the same some certain times.

And I have been very much con­firmed in this opinion of mine, by an experiment of it made upon a certain English Knight, named Sir Toby Matthews, a man no less e­minent for Wisdom, then fit for Publike Trust. This Gentleman [Page 66]having been troubled twenty years together with an intolerable pain on one side of his Head, and also with a Continual, and violent Defluxion from the Head, distilling through his Palate, and Nose, in so great a quantity, as that he could never go without a wet Handker­chief in his pocket: he was so hap­pily cured of both these Maladies in the sixtieth year of his age, by this Bathing his Head in Cold Wa­ter, as that till the seventieth year of the same, which he hath now passed, he hath never had the least touch of either, during the said space of time; and being now bet­ter in health then ever he was in his life before, to prevent his falling into the same Infirmities again, he useth the said Immersion of his Head in Cold Water all the year long, and even in the depth of Winter also. And he saith, that he received this profitable Advise from a certain English Nobleman, who having himself been a long time much tormented with the [Page 67]same Disease, had by this means cured both himself, and very many others who were alike affected, and restored them to their perfect health, to the great admiration of all men.

And that this Practise is groun­ded upon sound Reason also, is con­firmed by Constant Experience. For it is certain, that the Skin of the Head by this means is so hardned, and strengthened, and fitted to re­sist the Cold, as that it is able to se­cure the Head against the greatest that can be, and against any other External injuries whatsoever; and also to mitigate the Hot Distempe­rature of the Head, and the Acri­mony of its Humors, This Im­mersion of the Heat into Cold Water, as it is groun­ded upon Reason, so it is con­firmed al­so by Te­stimonies. and either to attemperate, or repel such Vapors, as shall ascend up out of the Sto­mack, Veins, and Arteries.

And it is evident that this may receive some Confirmation, by what Cornelius Celsus hath delivered in his Lib. 1. Cap. 4. & 5. where he saith thus: Eos quibus caput infir­mum est, & assiduis lippitudinibus, [Page 68]gravedinibus, destillationibus, & ton­sillis laborant, nihil frigida aeque pro­desse posse, caputque per aestatem largo canali aliquandiu quotidie subiicien­dum, & perfundendum esse: that is, That for those that are subject to In­firmities in their Head, and are con­tinually troubled with Sore Eyes, Stuf­fings in the Head, Distillations, Swelling of the Glandules, or Al­monds of the Ears, nothing is so good as Cold Water; where the Head all the Summer long, is to be held un­der a VVater-Spout for a pretty while together every day, the VVater all the while running down upon it. And hence it is, that some, that have had Children, that have been healthful enough, have yet, to the end they might continue so, suf­fered them from their very Infancy to go bare-headed, and to expose themselves to all External Injuries of the weather: and that according to the Doctrine of the same Corne­lius Celsus, whose Advise it is, in the Beginning of his First Book, that all persons that are in perfect [Page 69]Health, and are at their own dis­posing, should accustom themselves to the aforesaid Hardnesses; and not onely so, but in the rest of the Regiment of Health also, and in their Course of Diet, should observe a kinde of Indifferency, and Free­dom; eating and drinking some­times more, and sometimes less then at other times: provided that the Exess in these cases be not too great, and Extravagant. Which seemeth to have been the Opinion also even of Hippocrates himself, where he tells us, that Bad things, that we are accustomed to, do hurt less, then Better, that we are not used to. But these things I would not have done rashly, or without the Advise of an Able Physician.

The Tooth-ach is cured by Cold Water. The Tooth-ach also hath in like manner many times been cured, by applying this Cold VVater to the part Affected, and bathing the parts therewith also that lye higher, be­yond the Temples, and repeating the said Application. And I know by experience, that an Inflamma­tion [Page 70]of the Eyes, An In­flammation of the Eys taken be­times, may be cured in the same manner. taken in the begin­ning, hath been cured by this means, by repeating the said Ap­plication several times; in like manner as I have known, and be­fore related, that the grievous Pains of the Shoulder, and of the whole Arm have also by the same means been removed.

The Pains of the Shoulder, Back, and Loyns, are cured in the same manner. In like manner also have the most horrid pains of the Shoulder, Back, and Loynes, been cured by my prescribing this Application of Cold VVater; as I can testifie from my own certain experience.

This Ap­plication of Cold Water to the parts a­bout the Kidneyes, probably may be good a­gainst the Stone in the Kid­nies. And as the Stone is engendred in the Kidneyes, and increased also in the same, by standing with ones back towards the Fire, or if the Parties back be over-heated by lying in a Feather-bed: so likewise may the Hot and Dry Distempera­ture of the same, whether procee­ding from the aforesaid causes, or from any other, be (in all Proba­bility) cured, by the Application of a Linnen Cloath dipped in Cold VVater, and applied to the part [Page 71]for a pretty while together, and so repeating the said Application several times.

And Children also, that through extremity of Pain have not been able to stand upon their Feet, by the aforesaid bathing of the Legs, as far as to the Knees in Cold Wa­ter, for a good while together, ac­cording as I had given direction, have often found very much good.

The Wind-Col­lick is cured by bathing the Leg In Cold Water. By the said continued, and of­ten repeated bathing of the Legs in Cold Water, and consequently by the repelling of the Blood and Spi­rits toward the Heart and Liver caused thereby, the Wind-Collick hath been discussed: although in this case I should rather make use of some other Remedy.

Neither can I think that any man will refuse to subscribe to the truth of the things before delive­red, that shall but (when occasi­on is offered,) make triall him­self of the said experiments; at least of so many of them as I have [Page 72]said, that I my self have proved, and found to be true. For there are some of them, I confess, which though, being deduced from solid Principles, they seem to promise answerable effects, and happy suc­cess; yet for as much as I have not made trial of them my self, (as, where I speak of them, I have faith­fully confessed) I have left them to the further Examination of o­thers.

Certainly that which at first sight may seem very strange, will not yet be found to be dissonant to Reason, to any man that shall but seriously consider, that this same Cold Water we speak of, applied to and part of the body, cureth the contrary Diseases of the same; as it doth, in the aforementioned Be­nummedness of the Toes and Legs, by putting them into Cold VVater; whereby the Blood, and Spirits be­ing driven back toward the Heart, and Liver, and after some reason­able long stay thereabout, their forces being increased by reason [Page 73]of a doubled Heat; in their return they overmaster the Extream Cold distemperature of the Feet, and Legs: And so again, when at an­other time (notwithstanding the Philosophers Axiome, which saith, that One and the same things, so long as it continues the same, necessarily produceth one and the same Effect:) the said Cold VVater, being applied to the same part of the body, that is Inflamed, Bruised, and Extream­ly Swollen, cureth also the Hot Di­stemperature of the same.

All which things being consi­dered; it was not without some speciall Happy Omen, that I fell upon this Perswasion, that many kinds of Fresh VVounds, Cold Wa­ter very safely cures all Green Wounds without any Sup­puration at all. as well in the Head, as in other parts of the body, might be perfectly cured in the same manner, by the First In­tention: by reason that by means of this Immersion into, or Applica­tion of the said Cold VVater, the Blood is repelled very far back, and its Vessels are by this means closed up; and so there is a hinderance [Page 74]of all conflux either of the Blood, or of any other Humors; to the part Affected: which otherwise, by reason of its weakness, would there be both receaved, and through the Heat and Pain of the said part, would be also drawn thither; and would dispose the same toward the generation of Purulent Matter; and sometimes also would cause an Impostumation, or an Ery [...]pelas; (neither of which is at all here to be feared:) as it often uses to happen, when the Periostium, or thin Skin that im­mediately enwrappes the Shin-bone, is inflamed by a Wound, or Bruise; so that the neighboring parts come thereby to Gangrene, and putrifie; and all life in them being quite extinct, and afterwards by degrees all life also throughout the rest of the whole body, the Carkasse is in the end brought to the grave. And these Accidents, which some­tims befall young people, but old folk very often, I have the more largely dilated upon, that men [Page 75]might take the better notice of the most evident Danger in this case, which yet by so facile, and a ready Remedy may easily be avoided.

For it is very certain, that the aforesaid Immersion in Cold Water, if it be duly made use of, so soon as the Wound is receaved, or else within some few hours after; it will infallibly and perfectly cure the same. And I can assure the Reader, that for these three and fifty years space (for so long it is, since I first lighted upon this way of curing of Wounds receaved upon the Leg, which I had never before either read, or heard of,) I have never known any of my Patients to have suffered hereby any great pain, much less Death; but all things have ever succeeded accor­ding to my Wish; as I have always by most curious Observation found.

Thus in Autumn, in the year 1674, in a Wound almost all along the whole Leg, and that where the Party was very old too, after he [Page 76]had (by my Presumption) bathed his Leg a good while together in Cold Water, he had not the least feeling of any pain in his Leg, nei­ther was there any Purulent Matter bred in the Wound; and that by reason of the so effectual Repulsi­on of the Blood, and the other Hu­mors, and Spirits (as we have shew­ed before) by the said Cold Water: Which, least by the Patients too rash venturing upon Motion, they should by chance be called down toward the part againe; it will be necessary that he keep himself quiet for a while. To the end therefore that in these, and the like Accidents, there may be an orderly, and a secure way of Pro­ceeding, we must be sure to con­tinue this Immersion at the least for half an hour, or rather an hours space, till such time as the Part Affected shall be reduced to its proper Temperature, or be rather brought down to a Colder Tem­per then its own Natural is; that so the aforesaid dangerous Symp­tomes [Page 77]may with the greater secu­rity be hindered. Which being done, there is nothing at all to be laid upon the Wound, save onely some of that small Film, or thin Skin, that lies immediately under the Shell of an Egg, enwraping the whole Egg about: which you must be very carefull that it fall not off, or be carelesly pulled off, or removed from off the Wound; till such time as that having lain there for some days, or weeks space, according to the Constitution of the Patient, and of the Part Af­fected, the Wound being closed up, and grown whole, it falls off of it self. And yet I have obser­ved, that, where this thin Egg-Skin hath been gently taken off, Na­ture it self hath defended the part, now left naked with a dry and hard Scab; which also, when the Wound was perfectly whole, fell off: for there was danger, that if it had been violently pulled off, the Sore would have grown worse again, if at least it be proper, in [Page 78]this Case, to use the Word, Sore, which presupposeth Purulent Matter; whereas here was not a­ny, so much as the thinnest moy­sture that could be, seen to come from the Wound all the while, till it was perfectly whole. As in like manner, where this my Counsel hath been followed, no running Matter at all hath been seen to come from such Wounds, as have been either in the Heads, or any o­ther parts of the Body, where ever it hath been my fortune to be cal­led to Patients of this nature, either with Surgeons joyned with me, or otherwise; save only in one Wound that a Person of Quality, of eighty four years of age, had receaved in his Leg: where, although the blood had been repelled, by the speedy, and continued Application of Cold Water; yet some small quantity of Purulent Matter coming from the Wound, on the sixth day after the hurt receaved, (yet without a­ny foregoing Pain, or Heat in the part,) the Surgeons that were cal­led [Page 79]thither were presently of Opi­nion, that for the perfecting of the Cure, they were to make triall of Suppurating Medicaments: which when they had, without my know­ledge, applied; and had put the Patient to a great deal of pain, and had caused much Purulent Matter to come from the Wound; I was then streight sent for again: where immediately causing the said Medi­caments to be taken away, and cleansing the Wound with Whey, I applied to the Sore a Plaster, that is usually called, Emplastrum Di­apompholigos; which being well bound about with dry Linnen Cloathes, and then taking other Linnen Cloathes, and dipping them in Cold Water, and so wrapping them all round about the place, having first well wrung the same, and changing them ever and anon; I caused this Application to be us­ed for the space of a quarter of an hour together at least, that so the part Affected might be freed from all Heat, and Pain: which Ap­plication [Page 80]I caused to be repeated for the space of four or five days together, till such time as the Wound was perfectly healed up, not the least drop hardly of Puru­lent Matter in the mean while be­ing seen to come from the same. In like manner as at other times, while the aforesaid thin Egg-Skin was sticking still upon the Wound, when there was very little, or no sense at all, either of Heat, or Pain in the part Affected, I have caused a wet Linnen Cloath, well squee­zed, and the Water well wrung out, to be wrapped about the place, That so the Penetration of the Cold might assist the said Skin and might moysten it, without pulling if off. Yet if you shall per­ceave, that there is any thing un­der the Skin, you must then take it off; and so, cleansing the Wound, you may apply to the Wound the aforesaid Emplastrum Diapompholi­gos, and the place must be wrapt a­bout with a Linnen Cloath dipped in Cold Water, and afterwards well [Page 81]wrung, in the manner we shewed before.

Neither was I at all restrained from making use of the aforesaid Experiment, by that Aphorisme of Hippocrates, Lib. 5. Cap. 23. where he saies, that Cold things are not to be applied to those parts, whence Blood either already issues, or is like­ly to issue; for he there speaks of such Wounds, as are to be cured by Suppuration: neither was the world then at all acquainted with this way of healing up of Wounds perfectly, by the First Intention, by the Application of Cold Water, which Hippocrates there speaks of. And although tis true, that Cold Water, applied to any Sore, causeth some Smart, and Pain in the part; yet there is much more re­gard to be had (as the same Hippo­crates else where rightly admonish­eth us) to the exceeding great Be­nefit here to be expected, then to the very little harm, or Annoyance; as indeed the Smart is but little, which is caused by the application [Page 82]of Cold things to the part.

Cold Wa­ter cureth Wounds, when a Nerve is hurt. And I conceive, a Question might here very well be moved, whether or no in the Hurting of a Nerve, ei­ther by a Cut, or by a Prick, where by the Surgeons neligence in striking a Vein either with a Lan­cet, or other Instrument, he hits upon a Nerve; whence common­ly follow Impostumations, Gangrenes, yea and Death it self, (although the Prick be never so small) this Application of Cold Water for a good while together, as hath be­fore been set down, might not be of good use: Notwithstanding that our Authors will not hear of the applying of Cold things, (at the be­ginning of the Cure,) and such Medicaments as are of an Astringent faculty, and are therefore proper to close up the Wound; as in o­ther cases is usually practised. As to instance, among the rest, in Pa­raeus, who would not at all allow of this way of proceedings, in the curing of the King of France, that had had a Nerve pricked by his [Page 83]Surgeon, in being let Blood: but the course he took, was, to poure into the Wound Oyl to Turpentine warm, mixed with a little Aqua-Vitae, whereby the Nerve was dried up, and the Sharp Humor proceed­ing thence, which put him to great pain was consumed; yet both it, and all fear of the other aforementioned Accidents together with it immedi­ately ceased. Which course of his, if it had not succeeded according to his desire, he had then resolved to have cauterized the Nerve, by pou­ring into the Wound some drops of scalding Oyl; or perhaps he would rather have cut it in two, then that he would have suffered the Fatal Atropos to have cut the thread of the Kings Life in sunder.

And yet Paraeus observings, that, notwithstanding the application of these Hot things, the Conflux of Humors toward the part affected was also to be hindered, to prevent the aformentioned accidents; im­mediately upon the receaving of the Wounds, he fell to make use of [Page 84] Refrigerating, and Repulsive Appli­cations over the whole arme, for­tifying it with a very streight Row­ler, which bound down the Mus­cles exceeding close, binding the same about the whole Arme, from the Hand-wrest up to the Shoul­der.

But seeing this curing of Wounds by the Application of Hot Medica­ments is Accidental onely, as it that of curing a Burnt Finger, by the Fire, as we have said before; why should we not rather go the direct way to work in these kind of cures, by opposing Contraries to Contraries; and so endeavor by this Applica­tion of Cold Water to repel the Blood, and Spirits from the part af­fected; and to allay the Pain, caus­ed by the Acrimonious Humor, that draws the same to it? For that this will do the business, is evident enough, by the several cures that have been wrought in Wounds that have been made upon the Hand, and Fingers, (wherein there is abundance of Nerves) either by [Page 85]the bitings of Dogs, or by hurts from some sharp instrument; all which, by this Advice of mine, I mean onely by this Long-continu­ed Bathing in Cold Water, and of­ten repeating the same, have with­in three or four days space been perfectly cured, and that with­out the appearance of any Purulent Matter at all coming from the Wound: as I can give a Particular Instance in one very large, and deep Wound, that was made by a Hatchet, where a part of the Back of the Hand, and the Fore-Finger were cut to the very bone. Which that it could not possibly be, with­out the hurting of some Nerves, nor indeed without the cutting of them off in two rather, (whereby, I con­fess, the Wound had much less danger in it, then if a Nerve had been but prickt onely, or but half cut off) appears plainly by this; because that when the Cut on the Finger was quite closed up, and perfectly healed, the party could not by any means lift it up, nor [Page 86]indeed ever will be able to do so. And although that in these, and the like Wounds, there uses to be some pain in the part the next day, & the Hand will begin to swel; yet by reiterating the said bathing in Cold Water, both the Pain, and the Swelling will immediately Vanish: and if it be but quietly kept up in a Scarff, fastned about the Neck, the Party shall never hear of them more. Yet nevertheless, in a case so dangerous, as is the Pricking of a Nerve, which, after long, and most tormenting pains, together with the aforenamed Accidents, hath brought so many thousands to their graves; I shall willingly re­ferre the Practise of this bathing in Cold Water, (though it promise abundantly a most happy success) to the Examination, and Appro­bation of the most Skilful in our Profession.

Yet I dare assert, as a most cer­tain Approved thing, and which hath now been long enough con­firmed by Experience, that our [Page 87] Cold Water not onely may, but also necessarily ought to be applied, in the aforesaid Wounds; and especi­ally in those on the Face: that so the aforementioned Inconvenien­ces, and also the unseemly Scars thereon, may be avoided: of the most happy success whereof seeing I have, by most frequent, and cu­rious Observation, been most cer­tainly assured: I have endeavored to perswade many Surgeons, and indeed some of the greatest Name, that in the Cure of Wounds, (where neither the greatness, nor depth of the same, nor the great quantity of Clotted Blood sticking therein, nor the too violent Gushing forth of the Blood from some great Vein, nor a Fracture in the Skull, nor the Wounds being in the Brest, or the Belly, nor some other Impedi­ment be in the way,) leaving their old wonted Road, and the usuall first Applications, and betaking themselues to this so Present, and so easily-procured Remedy; they would endeavor to satisfie the gree­dy [Page 88]Expectation of their Patient; and that they would rather look after as well their Own, as the Re­putation of their Art, and would preserve a safe Conscience (which is much violated, where the Cure of any Wound is protracted with­out any cause) rather then minde their own gain onely: who after­wards hearkening to my Counsell, and finding the success answer the Experiment, confessed, that it was to be preferred before all other; notwithstanding that they knew well enough, that by this use of Cold Water coming into practise, there would much of their gains be lost.

I must needs here adde, that some are of opinion, that those that are bitten by a Mad Dog, by the Application of Cold Water to the Part Affected, or rather by the Bathing of the same in the said Cold Water, may be preserved from that they call Hydrophobia, or the Dread of Water: and they perswade them­selves, that by this means that Ve­nom [Page 89]may be overmastered, and ex­pelled. And this they conceave to be no unlikely thing, if there be any credit to be given to Cornelius Celsus; who writes, that the one­ly Remedy in this case, is, to throw the Party, that is troubled with this Hydrophobia, unawares, either into a Fish Pond, or into a River; and, when he is thus plunged in over head and ears, to let him stay there so long, till such time as he is filled with water, whether he will or no. For, by this means, (saith he) both his Thirst, and his Dread of Water are cured. For he is so extreamly fearful of coming near any Water, that though he be never so thirsty, yet, like another Tantalus, he is in so strangly a sad Condition, that neither by faire, nor foul means can he be got to take the least drop of any kinde of Liquor whatsoever; as I have of­ten seen, and made the Experiment. Which Immersion (say they) if it be of use when the Party is gone so far as to a Hydrophobia; why [Page 90]should it not rather be of greater force in the Preservation of him from it; especially if it be speedi­ly applied and often reiterated. And seeing it is much easier to prevent a disease, then to cure it; it is there­fore still the Common use to throw such as are bitten by a Mad Dog, into the Sea, as well Men, as Beasts; or else into some River; and to do the same again for several times. By which repetition of the said practise, they suppose that the Venom will be the more easily sup­pressed, and the Party bitten will also be so much accustomed to the Water, that at length he will not be in any fear of it at all: Which Practise (say they further) having always continued, even to this ve­ry day, would never have been so held up, unless the speedy, and often repeated practise of the same had sometimes been found to doe some good. Which reasons, see­ing they are built upon no solid Ground, may easily be overthrown. For it is certain, that this Venom, [Page 91]is not extinguished by the Water, nor yet is decocted, and spent by length of time; as it too evident, by the miserable death of very many, who had eaten the boyled flesh of such Beasts, as had been bitten by Mad Dogs: as neither a­ny other Venoms (for instance, that of the Pestilence) can be overma­stered by the same: but that the Water it self is rather infected by the Venom, is so clear a Truth, as that we need not here stand to prove it. And that a Fisher is infect­ed by the Venom of the fish called Torpedo, though it be cast forth under the Water, the Proverb it self, (which saith, that, Piscator ictus sa­pit,) sufficiently proves.

Neither are we so well satisfied concerning the success, in using this Remedy, (which they have re­ceaved, as the onely Remedy in this case, from Cornelius Celsus, who was a Roman,) as to give any cre­dit to it: Neither indeed doth he speak of the Sea at all, which is very much different from a Fish­pond. [Page 92]For without question, if this Experiment had been made use of with happy success, either by him, or by any other, it must needs have come to the ears of O­vid; who yet affirms, that it was generally acknowledged by those of his Age, that the Hydrophobia, and the Knotted Gout, were Incura­ble Diseases: as he testifies in these Verses

And as I shall not exclude these, and the like Operations from the Predicament of the Ver­tue of our Cold Water; so nei­ther shall I reduce any Doubtfull ones unto it; Least thereby I might draw into Suspicion the Incredible Vertues of the same. [Page 93]But I am clearly perswaded, that Vineger is very necessary to be made use of, in this Disease called Hydrophobia, which we here have last spoken of.

FRom Water, I shall come to treat of Vineger: and as in the Griping Flux of the Belly I have commended the use of Whey, and in the Gout, of Cold Wa­ter; so in the Pestilence, and the Preservation from it, I have chiefly commended Wine-Vineger.

Neither will the Reader won­der, that, in the Preservation from, and the Cure in the Plague, I attri­bute so much to Wine-Vineger; if he but please to remember, that the same hath been commended, as ve­ry good in these cases, both in all ages, and by all sorts of people. And the same commendation is also given to it both by Galen him­self, and by all other both Ancient, and Modern Writers; who tell us, that Vineger is, by its Antidotal Fa­culty of excellent use, not onely a­gainst the Plague, but against many other Venoms besides: which Antido­tal Faculty of Vineger, Dioscorides so much extolles, as that, in his opini­on, it is able to overcome al venoms, not only those that are of a hot, but such as are of a Cold quality also.

Cornelius Celsus endeavors to maintain, both from Demonstra­tive Reason, and also from Expe­rience it self, that there is no better Remedy in this case, then Vineger: and withall gives us a Story of a Young man, who being bitten by [Page 96]an Aspe, and afterwards getting in­to a place, where was neither Wa­ter, nor any other usuall Drink; and casually lighting upon a bot­tle of Vineger, he at once both al­layed his Intolerable Thirst, and withall expelled the most desperate Poyson of the Venomous Aspe. And that Pliny also was of this opi­nion, may appear from hence, that he findes fault with the Phy­sicians of his time, for being ig­norant of what excellent vertue Vineger was, against the Biting of an Aspe.

VVhich said Venom of an Aspe, seeing it seems to be not very dif­ferent from that, caused by the Bi­ting of a Mad Dog; I am verily perswaded, that VVine-Vineger would be of excellent Use in the Preserving people from the Hydro­phobia: and especially, if there be a Decoction made of it, with some certain Herbs, which our Authors, and those of the best Note too, tell us, they have found, by a certain specifical Quality of their own, to [Page 97]have been of very great Efficacy a­gainst the said Venom. The Effi­cacy of Wine-Vi­neger in­preserving people from the Hydropho­bia. And that the same hath been confirmed also by frequent Experience, I have been assured by those that I could not but believe; and particularly by a certain person of Honor, who is of most Eminent both Integrity, and Credit; who, having receaved a very excellent Remedy in this case, from a most Illustrious Fami­ly of these Ʋnited Provinces, for the publike good, vouchsafed to communicate the same to me: and it is made of Pimpernel, Rue, Car­duus Benedictus, Chervil, and Betony, of each a handful, decocted in a proportionate quantity of VVine-Vineger. Yet I should think, that there ought to be a much greater quantity of Pimpernel, and Rue, put into this Decoction, then of any of the other Herbs; and that, by rea­son of their Specifical Quality, as to this purpose: as is also testified of Pimpernel, by Palmarius; who in his Treatise De Morbis Contagiosis, speaking of the Biting of a Mad [Page 98]Dog, affirms, that he had received from a very Credible Person, that a certain Huntsman of Henry the second, King of France, having by this means first preserved the Kings Dogs, that had been bitten by other Mad Dogs, from running Mad themselves, he afterward pre­served also diverse persons, that had been in like manner bitten by the same, from falling into the Hydrophobia, by means of the said Herb, causing them to take it ei­ther eaten by it self, or with their Meat. And he tells us also, that the said Huntsman, when he lay upon his Death-bed, was very de­sirous that the same should be communicated to Fernelius, who came to see him: as is also con­firmed by him, in his Lib. 4. Cap. 5. The Ver­tue of Pimpernel in the Preser­ving peo­ple from the Hydro­phobia. De Methodo Medendi, where he saith, that Pimpernel hath a Spe­cifical Quality of its own, proper in this case.

And I am very well assured, that the Admirable Vertue of this Herb is well known to many people of [Page 99]these Parts, who to my knowledge have often made use of the same as of a certain Remedy, when any of their Cattel have been bitten by a Mad Dog. And how great Vertue Rue is of, both against the Plague, and other Pestilential Diseases, is so well known, as that I need not stand to prove it. But that which sheweth how Incredible force this Rue hath in these cafes, is, (if we may believe Levinus Lemnius) that a VVeesell, having first but fortified himself by eating of Rue, is able thereupon to kill a Basiliske, which is the most Venomous thing in the world.

Now the course that the afore­said Noble Family take in the pre­venting of this so horrid a Malady, is this. So soon as ever the Party is bitten, they apply to the Part Affected a large Cupping-glass, and use very deep Scarifications; that by this means as much blood may be drawn forth as may be. This being done, they take a Toast of VVhite Bread, dipped in Oyl of O­lives [Page 100]& apply it hot upon the Place, and a little while after take it away again; repeating this two or three times, that so by the doing of this often, the Heat of the Bread (as I conceave) by drawing forth that of the Venom, the Venom may by this means be the better fetched forth, and sucked up by the said Toast: and by this means, they say, that the VVound becomes to look white. When this is done, they then give the Party every day a pretty big glass full of the afore­said Decoction, to the quantity (as I suppose) of six, or seven Ounces: which course is to be continued for nine days together; onely you must abate some of the quantity in his Mornings draughts, and his Wound also is to be washed very clean with the said Decoction (be­ing questionless first made warm) and then rubbed with a litle Oaken Stick, fitted for that purpose, that so the Wound may be always kept open, and consequently may be hindred from healing up. And [Page 101]they think, that during that space of time, there needs no more to be done, but onely that the Party must all that while be sure to ab­stain from eating either of Beans, Pease, or Hogs-flesh. Now I con­fess, I should advise, that imme­diately after the Party is bitten, be­sides the aforesaid Cupping-glass, and Scarifications, there should be some stronger Drawing Medicaments ap­plied to the Part, then those be­fore spoken of; and that according to the opinion of Authors: and a­mongst the rest, I should make choice of a Live Hens Fundament, rubbed all over with Salt. And I should also apply a Caustick to the Part, and then come to Scarifica­tions upon it; that whatsoever Ve­nom is yet left behinde, by this continued Application of Attra­ctive Medicaments, may the more effectually be drawn forth; as I have more largely shewed in my French Treatise, where I have also set down some Remedies in this Case. I must needs here adde, that [Page 102]I know no reason, why, immedi­ately after the Party is bitten, when the Cupping-glass is applied, there should Vineger also be made use of: and, if the Wound be very deep, why the Cupping of the Part should not be reiterated also. But for as much as that what I have here spoken touching the effectualness of his Remedy, and the good suc­cess that have followed upon the Trial of it, I have received onely but by Relation (though, I confess, it was such as I might very well give credit to) and have not at all made experiment of the same my self; I shall therefore leave the Examination of the same to others; neither dare I as yet perswade any to the Practise of it, unless where other Convenient Remedies are wanting.

The Ver­tue of Wine Vine­ger in the Scurvy. VVine-Vineger is also highly commended in the Scurvy; and es­pecially if it be mixed with the juice of the Blades of Wheat: Which Mixture it is said to be of much greater Efficacy, then if it be made [Page 103]either with Scurvy-grass, of VVa­ter-Cresses, or the like which are in common use: and this is of speci­all use, as well where there is only a Putrefying and Stinking of the Gums, as in the height of the Dis­ease it self, when it is accompanied with all its Essential Symptomes; amongst which this Putrefaction is a most inseparable one.

Now the Party is to take every morning Wine-Vineger, and the juice of Blades of Wheat, of each two, or three Ounces for some cer­tain days together, perhaps ten, or twenty, according to the Exigence of the Disease: and he must also use often to take of this Composition, and hold it in his mouth for a good while together, washing his Gums, and some times gently rub­bing the same therewith.

All which aforesaid things, to­gether with the Judgement of Au­thors, when I had seriously consi­dered, and had withall compared, the same with as well the Specifical, as the Manifest Quality of Wine-Vineger; [Page 104]they so much confirmed me in the Opinion I had before conceaved, touching the Vertue of it against the Plague, as that I at length thought fit to mix it with all Antidotal Medicines whatsoever, as well such as are good to pre­serve from, as those that are of use in the Cure of the Plague: that so it might either prevent, or cor­rect the Putrefaction, or Malignity of the Humors; or, by its Sudorifi­cal Quality, assisted by the Antidotal Medicaments, might force out the said Humors through the Pores of the Body: according as I have de­clared more fully in my French Treatise.

Now what the Plague is, and what the Causes of it are, as the Nature of it is very Occult, and the Qualities of the other very Ab­struse; so is there a very different Account given of the same by Au­thors: which yet all agree in this, that the Plague is a very Extream Acute Disease, caused by a Poyso­nous, and Pestilential Air; which, [Page 105]by its most violent Antipathy, seizes first upon the Spirits; and so chiefly infesting the Heart it self, hinders all the Operations of the Body, and by its Destructive Con­tagion sometimes rageth so exces­sively, that not onely Cities, but also whole Kingdoms have there­by been depopulated, and laid wast. That this Disease therefore proceeds from a Poysonous, or Pesti­lential Aire [...], appears plainly by this Definition. Which Disease, the Holy Scriptures testifie, is often sent amongst us, for the Expiation of the sins of Mankinde; as diverse Authors also, and those of the Gentiles too, have always confes­sed the same to have proceeded from the Angry Gods: which the Christians also to this day confesse to be sent from God; as the Pagans suppose it to come from their Idols. And hence it is, that my Coun­trimen the Dutch, (by a pious in­terpretation) call it, De Gave Goots, that is, Gods Gift.

And that the same is caused also [Page 106]by other means, then that of Gods a Vengeance, as namely, by some Ma­lignant Exhalation, issuing out of the Earth, or coming from some Standing Waters, or else from the Corrupt Vapors that proceed from Houses of Office, and Dead Mens Carkasses, is affirmed by diverse Au­thors.

Others are of opinion, that it is caused by the Influences of the Ma­lignant Conjunctions, or Oppositions of the Stars: to whose opinion, I confess, I cannot subscribe. For it is certain, that Almighty God created nothing at all, that, by its Malignity, should tend to the De­struction of Mankinde, but should rather some way or other be useful to it; and it is as certain, that even all Venoms themselves were to the same end created; as appears plain­ly enough, by that of Vipers, in the Preserving from, and Curing of the Plague; where we see, one Poyson is an Antidote against another.

Now I shall here adde a Corollary touching the Signs, and [Page 107] Symptomes of the Plague. None ought to be so im­provident as to de­fer the taking of some An­tidotal Medicine, till such time as the Principal Symptomes of the Plague appears. And first of all I shall advise all persons whatsoever, that they be sure, that so soon as ever the Disease begins to spread it self, in the place where they inhabit, they do no neglect the care of themselves, till such time as the Principal Symptomes of it appear upon them; as namely, Tumors, Carbuncles, or Plague-sores breaking out upon their bodies. Neither is it at all necessary, that the several Symptomes that here concur, should be Ʋnivocal, espe­cially when the Party dwells in a house, where some lye sick of the Disease, or perhaps have been bu­ried out of it. But it is a suffici­ent warning for him, if he feel but any extraordinary Chilness about him, or finde himself Feaverish, or have any Pain in his Head, or Loyns, or any Heaviness of his Heart or be taken with any other suspe­cted Distemper: nay, although there be no Appearance either of any Feaver, or Blackness of the Tongue, or Extraordinary Headach, [Page 108] Dizziness, or Delirium; (which are not Essentiall Symptomes, in the be­ginning of this Disease;) yet must not the Party defer the making use of some Sudorifical Antidote, but must speedily take one, as soon as ever any the least sign of it begins to appear; least when the Disease hath taken deeper Root, it either come to late, or perhaps cannot be administred at all.

And to the end that those that dwell in house that are infected, and such especially as are forced to attend day and night, and be by those that have the Disease upon them, may be preserved from this so Contagious a Disease, they ought to take exceeding great heed, and care; that so being be­fore unarmed, they may not be una­wares surprized, and ruined by this so Treacherous, and Dangerous an Enemy. And first of all, I would have them always be chewing of Angelica Roots, Zedoary, Nutmeg, Cloves, Citron Pill, or the like, that so by this means they may fortifie [Page 109]their Mouth, against the admitting of the Pestilential Air.

Neither is there less Care to be taken to defend the Nose, How the Nose is to be defen­ded. by smel­ling to Vineger (chiefly that which is of a Preservative Faculty against the Plague, and is therefore called by me, Contrapestilential Vineger:) and you must also rub the Nostrills over often, both within and with­out, with a little Treacle, or some of my Preservative hereafter de­scribed; or in defect these, you may rub them over with Rue; lest through these passages, where is a continual Transpiration of the Breath, the Malignant Quality of the Contagious Air might (to the evident hazard of the Parties life) be suffered to pass, without any correction at all, to the Heart. And I conceave that these Preser­vatives are to be preferred far be­fore those other, that are made up with Musk, Amber, and the like Odoriferous Ingredients in them; which seem rather to please the Nose with the sweetnsse of their [Page 110]smell, then any way to defend it.

For the Correcting, or rather Countermanding of which Pesti­lential Air, That To­bacco is very good to pre­serve from the Plague there are none, I believe, but will confess, that to take To­bacco must needs be of very good use; especially if it be prepared for this purpose, by the mixing of a little Rue seed, Nutmeg, or An­gelica root with it: and so the Smoake of it be held a pretty while together in the Mouth, before it be blown out at the Nose; to the end that it may leave behinde it the stronger Impression upon those parts, and withal may the more freely diffuse it self into the Lungs, and Heart; that so, if it there meet with any Pestilential Aire, it may either dissipate, or else choak and overmaster the same. And there­fore they shall do very well, who­ever either have a mind, or are ne­cessitated to be with such as are sick of the Plague, that as well before they go in unto the sick Party, as af­ter they come from him, they take [Page 111]a Pipe of the aforesaid Tobacco; while they are taking it, holding the Smoak a good while in their Mouth. For it is probable enough, that where there is a Weak, and light Touch onely of this Infection, it may by this means be discussed, and quite removed: Yet notwith­standing, when ever any one finds that he is certainly infected with it, his best way will be to have re­course to some Sudorifical Antidote, which by its Specifical Quality is able to expell, and overmaster the Pestilential Air: as we see it is in that Composition, which they call Ovum Philosophorum, or the Philosophers Egge; and in Treacle, and other Confections made up with Vipers Flesh; as we know, that a­gainst the Stinging of a Scorpion, the Oyl of Scorpions, or, as some say, the Powder of the same, is a Sovereign Remedy.

Neither do I conceave it fit to provide for the defence of the Mouth, and Nose onely; but there must be care also taken of the Sto­mack, [Page 112]by those that are come out of Fresh, How you are to provide for the Stomack, in this case. into this Pestilential Aire, and have no possible means of a­voiding the same. And the best way here will be to take such Cor­dial and Antidotal Confections, Pow­ders, and Drinks, that the Heart may be thereby corroborated; and the vertue of the same being thence sent forth abroad, not one­ly by the Veins, but also by the Arteries's the whole body may by this means be defended from In­fection; and the Pestilential Air al­so, which is drawn in by the Aspera Arteria, or Windpipe, may be cor­rected by such Vapors, as ascend up by the Mouth of the Stomack;

And therefore my Counsel is, that every morning, the Party be sure to take a spoonful at least of my Contrapestilential Vineger; or, [Page 113]where that cannot be had, two spoonfuls of Wine Vineger; where­in, for the greater security, some small quantity of Rue hath been steeped: and about some two hours after he may eat a piece of Bread and Butter, or the like, for his Breakfast, and may drink after it a draught of strong Ale, or Wine: and if there were some of the said Rue, or Wormwood steeped in the said Liquors, it would be so much the better. Then about two hours before dinner, he must take a Dram and a half, at least, of my Preser­vative; the like quantity whereof he must take three hours after din­ner; and some quantity of it also again, before he goes to bed. And he shall also do very well, if he be constantly chewing either of some Angelica Root, Zedoary, or Cloves; which he shall do well to take, as soon as ever he wakes in the mor­ning. He must also wash his mouth with Vineger; that so, in case any Contagious Aire should lurk about his Chamber, or should by any [Page 114]body be brought in thither, he may not draw it into his body uncor­rected. For, as Cities that are be­sieged, or lye not far from an E­nemy, are to be defended, and for­tified by Trenches, Walls, and a continual Guard of Souldiers; in like manner are we, night and day, without the least intermission at all to stand upon our Guard, and fortifie our selves against this Per­nicious Disease, by making use of Antidotal Medicaments; that so none of its Venom may be receaved into our bodis but what is first spoy­led and deprived of its Venomous Weapons. And therefore the Par­ty may take a little quantity of my Preservative, (the Discription whereof here followeth) and may hold it in his mouth, and now and then swallow some of it down; besides that which he is to take of it, at some certaine appointed times.

THese Diseases are wont to seize upon people about the beginning of Autumn; and sometimes also sooner, accor­ding [Page 173]to the temper of the foregoing Summer, whether that had been hotter, or cooler: & they some years rage so violently, as that they last the greatest part of the said seasons, miserably afflicting people all that while, and destroying very many of them; and that most especially in those Places, which the Dutch call Polders; which having for­merly layen covered with Salt Water, and recovered since from the Sea by Mans Industry, by ray­sing Banks against the same; they have by this means been made ha­bitable, though not quite reduced to their pristine Nature, and purity. For there is still inherent in the same, I know not what Malignant Quality, which is generated out of the Putri'd Bottom of the Sea Wa­ter: for which reason, at the afore­said times specially, as also when the Ground in Sowing time, or otherwise, is broken up with the Plough, there breaketh forth a most Stincking and Contagious Aire: which lasteth, till such time as the [Page 174]Issuing forth of this dangerous, and Morbifical Aire is stopped, by the Earths Pores being shut up, either by the Frost, or some other very cold Weather.

In like manner as Lakes also breath forth the like Contagious Aire; as do other Fenny, and Ma­rish places also, when by the ex­tream Heat of the Sun they are more dried up then ordinary: for by this means, both from the Pu­trefaction of dead Fishes, and other Creatures, and perhaps from some Venomous ones too, dying there­in for want of Water, this Malig­nant Vapor is drawn up, and spread abroad.

As in Meadows also, that have layen drownd a long while under Water, after that by the continual heat of the Suns beames, the said water comes to be dried up, there is a Viscous, and Slimy Sediment left behind, which no Show [...]es of Raine can wash away, and dissolve; and this, by its filthy Stink, doth very often infect all the neighbor­ing Inhabitants.

Now the Diseases, that cheifly reigne in these kinde of Places, are Bastard Tertian, and Quartane A­gues, and many times, also Conti­nued Feavers; and many other the like Distempers, which accompa­ny the other, as Symptomes: among which the most usuall are, most stubborn & Intractable Obstructions, from whence oftentimes proceed Hard Tumors on the Spleen, and Li­ver, and Violent Fits of the Collick, the Jaundise, and Stone; as also Impostumations in the Privy Parts, and continual Defluxions falling upon the Lungs, some of which bring them into a Consumpti­on.

Of which Symptomes, seeing, as I have often said, there is much more care to be taken, then of the Feavers themselves which they at­tend, though they be not yet quite gone, and therefore both the Re­giment of Health, and the Medicines also, according as either of them are the more Violent, are to bee changed; I could not but give di­rections [Page 176]concerning the same, in my French Treatise; that even the meanest Countryman, and all o­thers, that are destitute of the Phy­sicians advise, might at least know, at what time, and what manner both of Medicines, and Meats they are to take, and what to forbear. Whom also I should here desire to take notice, that there is no trust in the Earth to be given to a sick Parties Ʋrine, unless the Physician see the Party also: Which being sent with the Sediment, (if there be any in it) all tumbled up and down, and sometimes is of a high fiery colour, and another while looks pale, and crude; there can no Certain, but rather some­times a Contrary Judgement be made from it. As it falls out, a­mong other diseases, in that of the Dropsy; wherein seeing the Patient ordinarily makes Urine but in a very small quantity, and that too after it had been long retained by him; you shall have it sometimes look higher-coloured, then in a [Page 177]burning Feaver: as it is likewise less Red, in the height of a Feaver, then at the Beginning of it: which might deceive both the Phycisian, and the Patient, unless he saw him, so that he might observe his Coun­tenance, Speech, and Pulse, which is the Messenger of the Heart; and so had opportunity by these to disco­ver his disease; and by the same to be informed also, that as the Ʋrine growes Paler, the Heat of the Feaver increaseth; and that That, which had inflamed it, was now ascended upward toward the Head, and there threatned a Delirium, and a greater danger of the disease. So that it is a very plain case, that the Patients Urine is by no means to be sent to the Physician, without perfect In­structions, and a due Care taken, that he may have withall a parti­cular Account given him, by the party that brings it, of whatsoever concernes the present state of the Disease. Although I confess, for the most part, the Messengers, by which the sick Parties Urine is [Page 178]carried to the Physician, are per­sons that are not very able to man­age such a business, as is the deli­vering the Patients Account of himself to the Physician, or of bringing back the Physicians Advise to the Patient; which yet in many cases is a very considera­ble business, and necessary to be done. And therefore I have ever refused to look upon the Ʋrine, un­less I could see the sick party too, considering, that should I have done so, I could not possibly have satisfied either the Expectation of the Patient, or my owne Consci­ence.

I have also in my French Treatise endeavored to lay open to the world the abominable Abuse and Cheat, that is practised by some Country Empiricks, and Quacksal­ving Knaves, who gaping after their own unjust Gaines onely, to the most evident ruin of their Patients, are not ashamed to boast, (and the simpler sort of people believe them too) that by looking into the [Page 179]Parties Urine onely, They can tell him his Destiny, whether he shall live or die: which yet is a thing that is by no possible means to be discovered from the Ʋrine: as nei­ther hath any Author, since the world begun, ever pretended to the the same Peremptory giving of Judgement by it. So that there is no question to be made, but that, in case it should so fall out, that the party, upon whose Ʋrine any such judgment hath been made by some of these fellowes, should chance to die in earnest, this judg­ment of theirs so made, upon pre­tense of a bare Inspection into the Ʋrine onely, was pronounced up­on the same either Casually, or Conjecturally only; or else was given rather by the power of Ne­cromancy, and the like Diabolicall Arts. For the Indications, for the discovery of this so close, and lur­king a disease, and the Medicines to be used in the cure of the same, are very far different from those, which are conceaved by these wretched, [Page 180]juggling Mountebanks, to be the most certain, and proper in this case; and are, as such, obtruded upon the credulous Multitude.

Now in the next place I shall, according to my Usuall Method, briefly set down, (in favor of those that have not been at al accustomed to the Malignant Exhalations of this Ʋnhealthfull, and Dangerous Aire, and yet are necessitated, either to pass through these places, or per­haps to make their aboad there for some time) such Medicines, and Rules of Diet, as I conceave most proper for their Preservation a­gainst the same. And first of all, I would have people take notice, that this Epidemial Contagious Aire may possibly be spread abroad, and so not to be trusted, even before the Beginning of Autumn; especially in Hot Summers: and that too, by the space of some Weeks sooner then is usuall, in case the Heat of the Sun hath been very vehement in the Dog-days, or perhaps some good while before the same. For, [Page 181]we conceave it a thing not to be doubted of, but that this Malignant Quality of the Aire is in these Ex­cessive Heats of the Seasons much more Feirce, and Raging; and so much more Dangerous, and Infecti­ous, then it is in other more Tem­perate years, when the Heat hath neither been so Vehement, nor yet of so Long Continuance. So that it will in this case concern those that are careful of their health, to make timely provisions for themselves, by getting out of these parts before Summer is ended: or else if their Im­portant, and Urgent businesse there cannot admit of this flight of theirs; their Bodies must then (as a Castle is by its Works and Trenches) be for­tified by other Convenient Preser­vatives. And therefore first of all I would have them correct the Ma­lignity of the Aire by strowing Sweet Herbs about the roomes of their houses, and by sprinkling of Vineger about the house, and ma­king Aromatical Fumigations. They must also take care of their Sto­mack, [Page 182]by drinking every morning a good draught of Wine, or Strong Ale; and in case they are to go a­broad, they must eat a Breakefast first, & drink after it a lusty draught of the like good Wine, or Strong Ale; or at least they must sup up three, or four spoonfulls of Aqua Vitae, or rather may drink a draught of Wormewood-Wine (if it may be had) before they go abroad into the open Aire. But neither must they neglect the care of their Smell; but must fortifie their Nose a­gainst the Contagiousnesse of this Pestilential Aire, by smelling to strong-sented things; as they must likewise their Mouth, by chewing such things, as I have prescribed in my former Discourse of the Plague. And these things, which I have here prescribed, are chiefly to be obser­ved by such are unacquainted with this Malignant Aire, and yet are necessitated to go to these places, and perhaps to make some stay there. Yet seeing it is still some­what doubtful, whether the Infect­tive [Page 183]Quality of this Contagious Aire may be sufficiently corrected by the aforesaid Remedies, they shall (if they be wise) do well to hasten their departure thence; that by this more certain remedy they may a­void all disposition toward those so Long, and Dangerous Diseases: least being, before they are aware thereof, seized upon by the same, they increase the number of that vast multitude of persons that have perished thereby. For thus some very Honorable, and Eminent per­sons, and thus also some Counsel­lors of the Provincial Councel of Flan­ders, having in the Vacation Time been held there by their business for some long time, and being not at all Armed against the Malignity of that Contagious Aire, when as the disease raged in those parts in an extraordinary manner; they have been infected with it; and so returning to their homes, have there either layen miserably langui­shing for a long time; or else have in a little while died of the same.

To these I can adde diverse, both Colonels, Captains, Counts, and Mar­quesses; who having had occasion of being in the said Parts, or in any other, that have been recovered from the Sea, by casting up of Banks against it, or else in some o­ther Fenny Places, where they have been necessitated either to meet with their Enemy, or perhaps to keep Garrisons there; having been assaulted by these Contagious Aires, have either upon the place, or per­haps being removed some whither else, yeilded up both the Victory, and their lives too, to the same.

All which things seeing I am very certainly assured of, as having bin a a most diligent observer of the same, ever since I practised Phy­sick in Flanders, which is now a­bout two and fifty years, I could not but give a light touch of the same; least if they should be buri­ed in Oblivion, and no Notice ta­ken of them, the world might yet be to seek for the same, both to our own great detriment, and that al­so [Page 185]of Posterity: and I have the ra­ther discovered these things to the World, that so every wise man might the better make provision for his own safety, and in himself make that happy experiment, which is in every ones Mouth;

As concerning the Curing of the aforesaid Feavers, as they are Epide­mial, and also of the Symptomes of the same, seeing I my self have written abundantly in my French Treatise, and other approved Au­thors also have treated largely of the said Feavers, though proceed­ing from other causes, (of the dif­ferent ways of curing whereof there is notwithstanding little regard, or notice to be taken,) I shall not here say any thing; but shall onely in this my Second Discourse add to the former, such other things, as I [Page 186]found to be very rarely made use of, and yet were such as I conceived were of most excellent use in this case. And yet I know very well, that those that are of the more Cu­rious sort in our Profession, have presently a strong prejudice against whatsoever they finde to be disso­nant to the common way of Pra­ctise, and which are commended to be the better, and more usefull things: and I know besides, that there are some of them, whose fin­gers itch agen to be scribling; that so they may shew to the world, that they have lighted upon some thing which they can contradict. Which occasion of quarrelling, I confesse, they may very easily pick out of what I have delivered in my for­mer Discourse, touching the Gout; concerning which there are found so many different Opinions, and Arguments, as that those that are unacquainted with, and have not experience of my New Way of Pro­ceeding herein, may think them­selves sufficiently furnished with [Page 187]the same, so as to be able to hold Argument against my Reasons, though they have been confirmed by daily Experience; although they will never be able to overthrow them. As for instance, among o­ther things it may be objected a­gainst me, that I maintain that the Sciatica, or Hip-Gout is always cau­sed by a Hot, and Sharp, or Salt Humor; and that the same, although it were never so Violent, and raged never so much, and was such, as o­therwise would have been very long in curing, hath yet been mi­raculously, and perfectly cured, by drinking a cup of Cold Well, or Fountain-Water, in the manner, and the [...]imes before prescribed; provided this course be taken in the beginning of the Disease.

Besides, as this our Cold Water is used to cure most strangely, and certainly, both in this case and o­therwise, being taken as well In­wardly, as applied Outwardly; yet will not these men willingly admit of the same: much less will [Page 188]they believe, that the applying of the same upon the part Affected, being afflicted either with a Hot, or Cold Humor, can produce the desi­red effect. And especially they will be ready to maintain, that it is both an Absurd, and an Incredi­ble thing, that the Blood and Spi­rits being repelled, and driven back toward the Bowells, by the Immersion of the Legs and Feet in Cold Water, and being there heated, should return, and dispell the Cold Distemperature, and Nummednesse of the same: and again, that on the contrary, both the Spirits and the Blood, being in the same man­ner, and by the same Cold Water driven back, and hindered from their return to the Part Affected, shall cure the said Feet, when they have been any way hurt, and are thereby inflamed. And yet that both these effects are wrought by this our Cold Water, if they please but to make trial of the same, Expe­rience it self (which is always the Inseparable Companion of Reason) [Page 189]will make manifest unto them. Which very thing Cornelius Celsus also considering, yet withall study­ing Brevity, where he writes of this subject; he did not set down his Reasons, but left the business to the Examination of others; accor­ding to that which is written: Quae­rite, & invenietis, seek, and ye shall finde. Although notwithstanding I must confess that I beleeve, that it hath pleased Almighty God, though not in this case, yet in some other, (as is Evident in the Plague, and other Pestilential Diseases) not to reveale to Man the Occult Qua­lities of some things. For, it was necessary, that nothing should be Prefect, but Himself onely.

And I beleeve, it will seem Ridi­culous, to many, rather then Cre­dible, that by the said Application of Cold Water, or by the Immersion of the part Affected into the same, such Wounds as I have before spoke of, with great Swellings and Bruises, may be perfectly, and more safely cured, then by any other Chirurgi­call [Page 190]way of Operation; and that, by the First Intention, without brin­ging the same to Suppuration, and without any Pain, Impostumation or Erysipelas caused in the part affected; concerning which, I understand, I have been censured by some, that yet never made trial of this New way of Practise, but extreamly de­cry this Truth, (with though themselves are ignorant of, is yet very certainly known to others:) and, laughing extreamly at it, de­mand how it is possible, that so ex­cellent a Remedy, and so ready at hand as this is, against so Common, and so Dangerous Disasters, could ly so long hid, and concealed from the world, to the so great detri­ment, and prejudice of Mankinde. Whom notwithstanding (that they may not any longer envy the Pub­like Good, and seem to look after their own Private Gain onely; and may forbear by striving against the Truth, to draw any more scandall upon themselves,) I do here assure, that I have found by Experience, in [Page 191]very many cases, where there have been Great Swellings accompanying the Wounds, that by the Applica­tion of the said Cold Water to the Part, or the Immersion of it in the same, for a good while together, as hath before been shewed, though this were done the next day after the hurt receaved, yet the Swelling hath fallen, and the Sore, being cleared from all Purulent Matter, hath closed up within three days, and the Part Affected hath reco­vered its former strength againe. Yet notwithstanding I advise peo­ple, (though, I confess, I have found it to succeed well enough, where I have had to do) that they would not be too rashly confident in this so Late Application of the same.

Neither can they want Argu­ments, with which they may fur­nish themselves out of the Best Au­thors, to prove, that Letting of Blood, Purging Medicines, and Vo­mits, and of good use in the Cure of the Plague: all which, not­withstanding, [Page 192]in those Plagues that have reigned in our times, both here, and in other places, and in that which began to rage againe at Gaunt, in the beginning of the yeer 1647. and ended the yeer fol­lowing, I never approved of, but always held them for suspected, and dangerous. And where ei­ther a Pleurisie, Peripneumony, or Quinsey, accompanying the Pesti­lential Disease, seems to require the Opening of a Vein; the Skilful Phy­sician may order matters as he shal think fit, with all due care: and yet after all his care, in so despe­rate a Complication of Diseases, the may have very good cause to doubt that none but an unhappy success is like to follow; unless, that say­ing of Hippocrates may here have any place, where he saies, that Probably, nothing is Impossible to Na­ture. I confess I shall willingly as­sent to those Authors, who though they will not allow of these Evacu­ations, while the Venom of the Plague is strong upon the Patient, [Page 193]do yet, when the said Venom is pret­ty well overcome, and when the sick parties strength is not too much weakned, admit of Bleeding, in very Plethorical Bodies: and al­low likewise of Purges, where the Body digests ill, and abounds with Putrid Humors: yet for as much as the Disease is not to be reckoned, now, to be within the Compasse of the Plague; and also because those, that usually attend upon Infected Persons, are not of suffici­ent Capacity for the Managing of these Matters, I have therefore pas­sed them by in silence.

I know besides very well, that I have rendred my self Obnoxious to the complaints of Impatient Pa­tients, especially in the Gout; who while they desire to have that remo­ved which cannot possibly be remo­ved wil break out (together with the Carping Zoili of our age, of whom there is no end) into I know not what scoffing, and abusive Lan­guage. Yet I must desire these [Page 194]Gentlemen to remember, that I al­ways excepted al Knotty, and Invete­rate Gouts; which, as sometimes we cannot asswage the pains in them according as we could wish, so much less can we cure them total­ly, by the drinking of Cold Water: as neither by the Opening of a Vein, the Pain, although it be not an In­veterate one, is asswaged; so long as the Next Antecedent Cause is too strongly setled in the Neighboring Veins, and is also diffused far a­bout through the other Veins. However it is sufficient, that it is most evidently sometimes of good use, as also that Cold Water, both in this Disease of the Gout, and in other Cases also, hath done very much good; where whatsoever o­ther Medicines were taken, did ve­ry little, or none at all: and be­sides that in hath seldom failed of asswaging the pain of the same, and hath sometimes quite taken it a­way; nay, and hath utterly exter­minated, and banished it from the [Page 195]Patient, and that in a short space of time too; especially, where the Opening of a Vein hath been joy­ned with it.

Neither did I ever say, that we were to expect a happy success al­ways from it: in like manner as we know, that such as are sick of a Dysentery, may begin too late to to make use of VVhey, and Purga­tions of Rhubarb: especially when the Small Guts are very much cor­roded, or when the Great Guts, be­ing too much fretted by the Sharp­ness of Humors, begin to putrifie, and are inclined toward being gangrened.

And so likewise, when in the Plague, at the very beginning of the Disease, the Patient takes not a Sudorifical Preservative; and when need so requires, doth not repeat the same: or perhaps, when, by rea­son of some Impediment interve­ning, it cannot be administred, or if it be administred, yet it may be overmastred by the Venom of the [Page 196]Disease, which may be so strong, and powerful, as that by its exces­sive Malignity, it can take away a man in a quarter of an houres space. So that I would have all men take notice, that I never in­tended to maintain that this Terri­ble, and Dangerous Enemy, was not so fearful a thing, as it is common­ly thought to be; but I rather maintain the contrary, and say that it is really such. All that I intended to insinuate, was onely this; that if it were taken at the very beginning of it, it was much easier to be overmastered, and cu­red, then most people imagine, sup­posing there be nothing to hinder the putting in practise of our Me­dicines: as I have found by most diligent observation, and by the faithful relation of many, that (by Gods blessing) have been most hap­pily preserved by takeing such Pre­servatives, and other things, as I have prescribed; especially, at the beginning of the Disease; wherein, [Page 197]though absent, I took all the care that could be, that they might be rightly and duly admini­stred.

As my purpose was likewise to publish to the world, by what Preservatives, and Cordials, and by observing of what Regiment of Health, very many, who in several places where the Pestilence raged extreamly, attended upon, and were continually in the house with those that were infected, though they themselves had never before been sick of the same, nor had been ever before accustomed to this so subtly-infecting an Aire, yet (by Gods mercy) were miraculously, and to the admiration of all peo­ple, preserved, and kept from any the lest infection. And among these, and other the like things, I could not but give notice here, of how great use, and indeed how Necessa­ry in this case Wine Vineger is; as the drinking of Whey is, in the Griping Flux of the Belly; and the [Page 198] Drinking, and Outward Application of Cold VVater also is, in the Gout, and many other Pains in the Body,

The great force of which Three Liquors, and the Marvelous Vertues that God hath endowed them with, for the Good, and Preservation of Mankind, when I had by most Ex­act, and Diligent inquiry into, and a long making use of the same with good successe, been most certainly assured of; I at length resolved to write of the same, and publish them to the world in Print, in some cer­tain small Treatise, concerning the Disease called Cholera; and con­cerning Epidemial Diseases, and their Symptomes, and touching the Biting of a Mad Dog. Which I the more willingly did, because I con­ceaved, that the use of these Three Liquors may not onely be intrusted to such, as are not at all skilled in Our Profession, but rather ought indeed to be commended unto them; if there be any regard to be [Page 199]had to Humane Infirmity, or Neces­sity, if not to Mutual Charity: see­ing that it so falls out for the most part, that either a Physician can­not be had so timely, as is requisite in these Diseases; or perhaps, if the Disease raigne hot in the place, will not come when he is called: and also because that in the curing of those Diseases for which the use of these Liquors are designed, and in the administring of the same, all people may have (though not an exact, yet) a Confused knowledge at lest, and such as is in some sort sufficient for the business in hand; so that their administring of the same (to speake cleerly) cannot but do very much good: and especially when the Urgency of the Necessity requires the same, and cannot admit of any Delay; wherein there would be, for the most part, most Evident, and most Present Danger; as Ovid to this purpose well alludes, where he saies: [Page 200]

In English thus.

And as the same Poet elsewhere speakes no less pertinently, in these Verses.

Which may be rendred thus.

Which Verses, if any where, they have place chiefly here, in the bu­siness of the Plague, and in such other Contagious Diseases, where the Venom of the same is so ex­treamly fierce, as that it in an In­stant diffuseth it self through the body; and so likewise in the Gri­ping Flux of the Belly; in which ca­ses there is no wearing out, and Digesture of the Venom by length of time, to be expected. In like manner as I my self, being taken with this disease in the Seventy Sixth yeer of my Age (at which time also I was busie in putting this present Treatise to the Press,) per­ceaving, toward the Evening, some Bloody Corrosion of the Guts fallen upon me; I did not at all defence [Page 202]the business, but resolved present­ly to fall to taking of Physick, (though it were then late at night) to purge out the Acrimonious Hu­mor: and I drank as much Whey as possibly I could; and that with so good successe, as that I quite freed my self from it in the space of four and twenty hours. And the same successe have I had, in the same disease, two other severall times, by using the self same course.

And I would have people also take notice, that it was not in vaine, that in my French Treatise I gave my Judgement, that in the Jaundise, at the very beginning of the Disease, the Patient was to have Purging Medicines admini­stred unto him; which are to be repeated also for four, or five daies together, if need so require; that the Conjunct Cause it self also, which being let alone, growes hard, and in time too sometimes petrifies, may be driven out of its Bladder, into the Guts. And to the end [Page 203]that men may the easier believe how Necessary this Festination is in these diseases, I shall here, for the greater benefit of the Publike, adde, that I my self, about some fifteen daies before the aforesaid Dysentery seized upon me, was evi­dently taken with the Jaundise; before the appearing whereof, I had a Griping Paine in my Belly; whereupon immediately followed the Whitenesse of its Excrements, to­gether with a very Thick Ʋrine, which also had a Yellow Froth float­ing on the Top of it: all which, together with the diffusion of Cho­ler all over the body, as appeared by the Yellownesse of my Skin, clear­ly shewed that it was the Jaundise. Yet notwithstanding, (by Gods blessing,) though I was of so great an Age, I perfectly recovered from this so Dangerous a Disease, with­in five days after it seized upon me; after I had purged for three daies together, and that in a much greater abundance, then many [Page 204]men, if they were of my age, would be able to bear.

And in like manner as in Wounds, which are best and most safely cured by the First Intention, the Ripening of the Purulent Matter is by all means to be prevented; so neither in the Disease, called Cholera, are people to protract the time, and expect the Digesture, and wearing out of the Malignant Humour; which, being taken in time, according as I have before prescribed, may easily be overma­stered, by giving the party Theo­phrastus his Pill, to the quantity of four, or five Graines; and so the patient would by this course as speedily be cured, as other­wise, without it, he would be lost. And hence it is, that many liken this Disease to a Battell in War, in which, (as Horace saith,) ‘Aut cita mors venit, aut Victo­ria laeta.’

That is:

And for this reason the Dutch call this Disease, in their Language, Kuyters Zieckte, that is, The Horseman Disease.

For very good reason therefore have we commended the Use of the aforesaid Three Liquors; seeing that, besides that by reason of their Excellent Virtue in the aforesaid Diseases, they are far to be pre­ferred before any other the most pretious Medicines that are; they are also agreable to the Palate, and are every where to be had, as well by Poor, as Rich. For Wa­ter is accounted a thing of no Va­lue at all; and as for Vineger, and Whey, they bear no high price nei­ther; and besides, because that those Diseases, in which the use of these Liquors is chiefly commen­ded, are very frequent every where; [Page 206]and are so common, as that they make our Physicians the greatest part of their business.

Neither would I have any to think, that, the vertues of these Three Liquors, and especially of Water, and Whey are to be confined within the bounds of the aforesaid Diseases onely: For, what skilfull Physitian is there that will not al­low, that in the Heat of the Liver, a Feaverish Distemper, this Whey mixed with the Juyce of Citron may be administred for a Julip, and for an Apozeme, the same Whey, or Water, decocted with Sorrel, or Succory, or the like Herbs, and with some of the Opening Roots, or other things, of like quality, may be administred? if so be the Physician perceaves that there is any Obstruction, and that the same requires this course: into so much whereof as is strained out for use, a little Sugar may be put in to make it the more pleasant to the tast; all which Medicines may ea­sily, [Page 207]and for little charge be procu­red by poor folks; and may with as great Advantage, and Ease be made by others too. For there is no need of any great number of Ingredients; which, by reason of the Diversity of their Qualities, prove oftentimes a hindrance to each other. For these things are enough, that are proper, and are of Vertue sufficient for the effecting of the business, when they are pre­pared, and administred in a suf­ficient Quantity. Nay, Whey ta­ken alone, or Water taken alone, do many times abundantly satis­fie the Expectation of the Physici­an: as Gulen also tells us, that a lusty draught of Cold Water is a most present Remedy in a Burning Feaver. And, I confess, I my selfe had rather administer Whey alone in the Griping Flux of the Belly, then to give it mixt with other in­gredients that are proper for the asswaging of the Acrimony of the Humors: neither do I approve of [Page 208]putting into it so much as the lest quantity of Sugar, to render it the more pleasant to the Tast; neither yet do I allow of the putting it in­to Ordinary Clysters; least they should cause the same to work too much, and should exas­perate the Exulceration.

And here I shall now conclude, with this commendation of these Three Liquors; and willingly sub­mit both this Compendious Trea­tise, as also that which I wrote in French, both of them in my own Plain, and Ordinary Style, to the Prudent Judgement of the more Learned of our Profession, and to the Courteous Reader; and for a Close of all shall profess, that I have faithfully, and Sincerely written those things which I con­ceaved were the Truest; without any purpose in the world of de­tracting from any one, from whom I dissent in Opinion; nor have at all sought hereby after Fame. But my Only Design, and the drift of [Page 209]my Writing hath been, to conse­crate both my self, and all my En­deavours, to the Publike Good; and I earnestly intreat the Reader, that he would accept of this Work of Mine, such as it is, with the same mind that it was written; and would vouchsafe to take in good part, and favourably interpret all things, as they have been written by me; and that of what things have been by Me brought into Common Practise, (though hitherto not made use of in these Cases) in those common Diseases that so fre­quently befal Mankinde, he would boldly adventure to make due and seasonable Triall.

Vale & Fruere.