inflamed by any disease that it cannot be in greater torture the best thing we can use to take away this heat and pain is to eat Arsmart Those of ancient times when they used this herb they took away the biting of it by frying it with butter or oyl and so did eat it and being so eaten it cured those diseases for which it was intended And further this Herb by its benumming faculty is a Remedy for putrifaction it takes away the pains and diseases of the Lungs Cough pains of the belly and risings of the mother being outwardly applied it cureth that extreme inflammation called St. Anthonies fire and all other inflamed Ulcers but it must be wet in rose-Rose-water before it be laid on It cureth likewise all pains which arise of corrosive humours or those subtil Salts which are dissolved in our bodies which do cause most tormenting pains Now where these corrosive or saltish humors are as in the teeth they cause the Tooth-ach in the finger they cause the Felon c. If you lay this herb upon the diseased part using it that way as hath been shewed before then it will certainly perform the Cure when all other Narcotick remedies cannot do it An Addition more fully explaining how this herb should be used for Wounds Vlcers c. THat you may be fully instructed concerning the nature of this Herb I have thought fit to add something concerning that first way of using it which I have before declared to you by the example of the Load-stone I told you before that this herb must be drawn through cold running water and the fresh herb being cold and wet must be laid upon the Ulcer Wound c. and then presently it must be taken off again and buryed Now the thing which I add here is this If the disease or other griefs accompanying the disease be so violent and strong that they will not easily yeeld to the Remedie then do thus Lay to the sore every morning a fresh herb after it hath been drawne through running water then take it and bury it and thus you must do three mornings and oftner if need be if you see the disease very hard to cure then you may do so twelve or fourteen mornings yea every morning till the cure be perfected If a man in his journey be hindred because his horse hath received some hurt or is extremely galled then lay this herb to the sore and do as I have now shewed you if he be not well after the first second fourth c. dressing yet you must continue this course till he be well Troublesome or violent diseases must have powerfull remedies and must be diligently look'd to And seeing in some diseases the aforesaid way of using this herb doth little good at first as one Purge or if the quantity of the purge be too little it doth little good in some diseases therefore I have thought good here to shew you how the first way of using this herb may be made so effectuall that there is not any sore whatsoever but it may be throughly cured by it Again you must remember to keep Wounds and Ulcers clean if you do it not you wil much hinder the Cure And likewise remember That it is good for the diseased person who uâ—seth this kind of Cure to be in motion and exercise so it be moderate for how much more he useth the part diseased so much sooner and better he shall be cured by the vertue of this Magnetick herb Again observe That other Medicaments may be joyned with this Herb such as are sutable to it and are by nature ordained to such Cures which being joyned with it may further the magnetick vertue of it Again there is one great secret in this herb which I will not hide from you viz. That the Cure which is performed by this Herb is a certain and lasting Cure You need not fear that an Ulcer c. cured by this Herb will break out again and it is such a Cure as Nature requires This magnetick Herb doth not close up that which Nature would have open nor will it leave that open which Nature would have closed As for example Where there is a passage for the effluxion of humours especially if there be a great deal of humour which purgeth out so as if such a passage should be stopd death would follow now this herb will not stop such a passage which should not be stop'd it only cures that which Nature would have cured it will not do any thing contrary or hurtfull to Nature Whereby it appears that this way of cure done by this herb is most natural If you would know how to use this herb for the Tooth-ach take some Arsmart and some of the bark of Henbane boil them together in Rose-vinegar when they are boiled enough take them out and bury them in the ground but the liquor you must take and wash your mouth with you must take it as hot as possibly you can and hold it in your mouth till it be cooled then put it out of your mouth and take some more of this liquor as hot as you did before and hold it in your mouth till it be cooled and thus if you do many times together you have a certain cure for the tooth-ach or you may take the herb it self not boyled and rub it upon the tooth and bury it and when it is putrified the pain of the tooth will cease The Correction of this Herb for those inward Diseases which I mentioned before is thus Let the Arsmart be boiled in the water of Night-shade or in the water of great Sengreen the decoction is to be drunk and the herb it self must be buried as hath been said before And you may do so likewise with it for outward diseases adding a little Camphire to it Besides all that we have yet spoken concerning Arsmart there is yet remaining a great and excellent secret But I conceive it better to be silent then to speak any more now concerning this noble Jewel TREATISE III. Of the Vertues and Preparations of CORALS CHAP. I. What kind of Coral is best The Vertue of it against Spirits Melancholy vain Phansies c. REd Corals are of two kinds one kinde of them is of a dark red colour or toward a purple colour another kind of them is of a bright shining red colour And as they differ in colours so they differ in properties There is another kind of a pale colour which hath very little vertue in it It is to be observed concerning the red Coral that how far short it is of a bright reddish it wants so much of its goodnesse and efficacy Experience teaches us that those Corals which are of a clear bright shining red colour full of boughs and no where broken are full of power and vertue But those Corals which have clefts or want any part which they should have are of lesse vertue As a tree which wants some of its boughs brings
allom or salt Gemme they will thereby become so subtle that they can root out tetters or any kind of scabs for this one thing we may well esteem of brimstone as of a great treasure that it can take away these outward faults of the body which are rooted within the body even as the loadstone draws iron to it and makes it leave the place where it was So there is in brimstone a magnetick power which cannot be fully described such miracles of nature are manifested by the experiences of Alchimy God hath given to us sufficient medicines but it is our fault that we are not more diligent in preparing of them in separating the good from that which is bad and useless in them Medicine now is not an Art as it was in former times for in stead of physical practice we have ntohing but prating I will now shew you the way how to prepare brimstone for some Chymical uses thus melt your brimstone in some lin-seed oyl and the oyle with the brimstone will become like a piece of liver take this and distil it and you shall have come out first a lâ—quor like milk afterwards will come a red oyl like blood it is to be observed that this white liquor and the red oyle are not confounded in the distilling but they come out severally and when they are distilled they do not mix but the white liquor goeth to the bottom and the red oyl swims in the top Some have attempted to make silver with the white l quor and to make gold with the red oyle but in vain I know that never any thing would bee effected with this white liquor neither by the ancient nor by the modern Chymists but in the red oyl are secrets worthy to be known I will shew you one or two secrets of this oyle If a Crystall or Beril after it is well polished be put into this oyle and lye in it three years so it will become a Jacinth or if you put a pale coloured Ruby in this oyl and let it lie in it nine years it will become so clear and bright that it will sparkle and shine in the dark like a live coal this experience hath taught Some Alchimists have tryed to turne a Jacinth into a Carbuncle leaving the Jacinth in this oyl some time but my experience tells me that this cannot be done If you put a Saphir into this oyl and let it lie in it some time it will make the Saphir be of a blewish colour mixed with a green Thus likewise other precious stones may be coloured this is the only thing which can help the colour of precious stones there was never any other way known how to give colours to precious stones or how to heighten their colours if they be low but only by the red oyl of Brimstone but glass cannot receive any colour from this oyl You have heard what operation this oyl hath upon precious stones now I will shew you what operation it hath upon metals Put beaten silver into this oyl and when it hath lien in it some time it will be turned into a blackish golden powder you must let this powder lye in the oyl till it be fixed for if you take it out before its time you will find it to be an unripe thing which will not endure the fire because it is not yet fixed but of this I will say no more Observe this of the Brimstone that the more it is purified and exalted so its operation will be quicker and more powerful and by it metals or stones may be fixed any who will try it may assure themselves that they shal do it It is true that the labour of Alchimy is the most dangerous of any in Chymick operations is great danger and difficulty and therefore it requires a man of long practice and great experience who must have his knowledge not by reading or by the report of others but by his own experience You may take notice of one thing more concerning this oyl you have heard that it gives colours in the highest degree both to stones and to metâ—â—â—â— but whether it can give them the Vertues with the Colours or if it can heighten their Vertues this is to be doubted I can say nothing to it Again observe that there is a balsom in brimstone which will not suffer either a living or a dead body to putrifie or decay yea it so preserveth the body that neither any influence of the stars nor corruption can touch the body If you take circulated Coperas that is that Coperas whose water is so long circulated upon its own body till it stayes fix'd in its body so that the force of fire cannot make it leave its body any more your circulating vessel wherein your Coperas is must be set in warm dung or warm water then will the moisture of the Coperas vapour up in the glass and fall back againe to the Coperas and thus you must keep your circulating vessel in the warm dung or hot water untill the moisture of the Coperas will not rise up any more in the glass and then you have circulated Coperas mix your brimstone made into a powder with this circulated Coperas and sublime the brimstone so often from the Coperas till it stayes with the Coperas and will ascend no more and thâ—â— you have a fixed spirit which is the â—â—â—some of the earth and is the chief of all balsoms TREATISE IX Of the Medicinal and Chymicall Vertues and Preparations of COPERAS CHAP. I. The kinds of Coperas and the marks of the goodnesse of Coperas IN Coperas there is a perfect cure for the Jaundice for the stone and sand in the kidnies or bladder for all fevers for worms for the falling sicknesse c. if we be bound in our body Coperas will loosen excellently In this discourse concerning Coperas I will observe this Order first I will speak of its Vertues before it be prepared then I will shew you the Vertues of it prepared I will shew you what vertues it hath in medicine and what vertues it hath in Alchimy In medicine it is good both for inward diseases and outward diseases it is good for an hereditary leprosie for tetters or wild scabs c. and for many other diseases where other medicines fail and can do no good the powerful medicines which are made of Coperas searcheth till it find the root of the disease which it consumes and so cureth the disease throughly and therefore the preparations of Coperas should be well known to every physician The Coperas dissolved in water and the Coperas calcined or burned the green oyl of Coperas the red and white oyl of Coperas each of these have their several vertues and how many wayes it is changed so often it gets some new vertue This one thing viz. Coperas doth confound all the Apothecaries and Writers both of Italy and Germany this alone can fill the fourth part of their shops
is from the moist Phlegmatick constitution of the body so accordingly the Ulcer may be easier or harder to be cured For first the Defluxion must be dryed up before the Ulcer can be cured its true the Defluxion may be turned another way but not without danger of some great evil and oft-times it returns again to the old passage The Medicine which dryeth this Defluxion and cureth the Ulcer is the Crocus of Steel but you must joyn to this Crocus some cleansing Oyntment before described that the sore may be kept clean until it be cured When Ulcers come of wounds badly cured the way how these Ulcers should be cured I have set it down in my Book concerning the cure of Wounds CHAP. XII WHen Ulcers are from the influence of the stars you may know it by this That they will not yield as other Ulcers to any natural Medicines viz. Mummy Comfrey Plaisters or Oyntments c. but they must have such Medicines which are governed by some influence as Celandine Oak-leaves Plantane c. these do the cure certainly and safely if they do not cure without preparation then prepare them thus Take Celandine three handfuls of Oak-leaves two handfuls bruise them together and put them in a glass close stopt put the glass in warm dung some time then take them out put them in a distilling Vessel and distil an oyl from them with this oyl anoint the sore and strow the powder of the same herbs upon the sore until the cure be perfected To conclude observe this that in the curing of any Ulcer there are chiefly four things to be done viz. First we must asswage the pain Next we must cleanse the sore And in the third place We must consolidate the sore And lastly We must close it up and skin it If Chyrurgions would observe this method they might cure all Ulcers unless they be such Ulcers which are inflicted by God upon us as punishments But because of their pride avarice envy c. I do not write these things for them but for the sick A Treatise of Vlcers SECT II. Wherein are contained some rare Experimented Remedies for Ulcers especially for the Ulcers of the French Pox. A Medicine to cleanse Vlcers TAke of Turpentine one pound the yolks of twenty Eggs mix them well together and put to them as much of honey as is of them and set them over the fire half a quarter of an hour Apply this to the Ulcer morning and evening until the Ulcer be cleansed to these you may adde an ounce of the ashes of burned Fetherfew A Medicine to fill up any Vlcer with flesh after it is cleansâ—d Take of the former Oyntment one pound of Turpentine washed with Rose-water or Comfrey water c. put them together over the fire and stir them together then put to them these Gums viz Galbanum Oppoponax Bdelium being dissolved in vinegar and the vinegar strained and boiled away from them of each an ounce the Powder of Birth wort one ounce and a half mix them and make a Plaister A Medicine to take away dead flesh or rotten bottom of an Vlcer If you know not how much there is of the rotten bottom then you must first apply this Take of the former cleansing Medicine half a pound with which you shall mix half an ounce of burned Allum and quenched in Vinegar and if in four days the Ulcer be not betâ—er then take this oyntment viz. of burned Allum quenched in vinegar and of the oyl of Arsnick of each alike and if the Ulcer yieldeth not to this neither then instead of burned Allum take burned Coperas when there comes a scurf upon the bottom of the sore it must be taken off with the oyl of Bricks afterwards anoint the place with Butter But I commend to you this following way as better to take away the rotten bottom of an Ulcer without a scurf by this following Receipt viz. Take of Allum burned and quenched in vinegar one ounce and a half of salt Armoniack one dram the yolks of four eggs a spoonful of honey of Bean-meal a half ounce mix them together with this make a tent to be put into the Ulcer if it be deep but if the Ulcer be not deep you may apply it as a plaister once a day until you come to a sound bottom cleared of all putrefaction But if there be any venomous matter in the bottom of the Ulcer you must draw it out with this following Medicine Take of Amber made into powder put it in a small pot well stopt set it over the fire to melt and when it is melted put to it so much of Turpentine as is the third part of the Amber and when they are mixed together put to them as much more Turpentine and this do so often until you have put to one ounce of Amber four ounces of Turpentine if it be too thick you may put to it some Lin-seed oyl then dip pieces of linnen cloth in it to be laid into the Ulcer and lay a Stictick Plaister upon the Ulcer The Balsom or Oyl of Tartar is made thus Take of Salt-Peter one pound of Arsnick or Rats-bane one ounce of unslaked Lime three ounces of Tartar twelve ounces make them into a powder put them into an earthen vessel which is not glased within and burn them in a hot fire six or eight hours then dissolve them in a sufficient quantity of water strain the water and boil it until it be boiled away and to that which remaineth adde some Salt-Peter of each a like quantity beat them together into a powder mix them well and keep them in a hot fire four or five hours then desolve them in water and do as you did before thus do three times and when they are burned the third time then pour upon them a sufficient quantity of vinegar let them dissolve in the vinegar and distil the Vinegar from them until you have an oyl Take some of this Oyl and some burned Allum quenched in Vinegar and mix them so as the mixture be thicker then honey dip pieces of linnen cloth in this to be laid into the Ulcer and when it hath lain in the Ulcer twelve hours look upon the Ulcer and if the Uâ—cer and about the Ulcer be very red then you must apply this Medicine but once in twenty four hours and continue it so until the redness and inflammation be gone Then take of the former oyl of Tartare two pounds of Tragacanthum dissolved in Rose-water two ounces of Camphire half an ounce mix them together in this mixture dip pieces of linnen cloth and lay them into the Ulcer and it will without pain or danger dry up and cure the Ulcer But if the Ulcer be hollow and must be filled up with flesh then take of the common oyl of Tartar five ounces of Mummy one ounce of the Crocus of steel one ounce and a half of the oyl of the yolks of Eggs ten drams mix them and apply them
almost to the brims then fill the Poringer with the Spirit of Wine let it stand so four or five days then kindle the Spirit of Wine with a piece of burning Paper and keep it burning so until the Quick-silver and Tin are changed to an oyl in the Spirit of Wine of this oyl let the Patient take one grain at a time in a draught of the best wine warmed and let him keep himself well covered in his bed until he sweat A Treatise of Vlcers SECTION III. VVherein are described the Tinctures which are Catholique Medicines for all kinde of Ulcers THe diligence of wise men in former times was great in searching out the causes and preservatives of long Life the natures and uses of all kindes of remedies therefore they were called The students of Wisdom but they knew not the right way of preparing Medicines they learned this from the Alchymist So they and the Alchymist together have discovered many excellent Medicines the chief of which are the Tinctures but these Tinctures have been much abused by Gold Smiths and those who thought to change Metals into Gold with them I have shewed in some other of my writings how much may be done by them therefore I will not here speak any thing of it In former times they made Tinctures whereby they coloured Metals purged them and afterwards they used these Tinctures as Medicines for the bodies of men what great vertues are in these Tinctures are declared in the Books of Ancient Writers which have long time been kept hidden by false Physicians but I will publish them for I have had the experience of them and I know they have a wonderful faculty in cleansing the blood And because I now write concerning the cure of Ulcers I conceive it fitting that I shew you whence I have had these my remedies and I confess that I have learned them in the School of Chymistry But because many errors have crept into this Art of Chymistry partly through ignorance and partly through the envy of Chymists whereby those who followed the practice of Chymistry being much seduced they were forced to seek new ways and so of themselves they found out many things some profitable and some hurtful Therefore I have endeavored to reform this Art of Chymistry leaving those things which are hurtful or unprofitable I discover onely such things which are useful and good for the Body of Man This task I am able to perform so much the more happily in regard my first studies were in this way of Chymistry in which I took great delight and followed it with great diligence under excellent Masters who were most skilful in secret Philosophy My Masters were first William of Hohenheim my careful and loving Father and many others who hid nothing from me which they knew and besides I was much helped by the Books of learned men viz. Bishop Setgaius Erhradus Laventalius Bishop Nicolaus Hipponensis Trithemius Abbot of Spanheim and other most learned and experienced Chymists I have had also many Experiments from several Chymists and of those I will now name onely the most noble Sigismundus Fueger Schwatzensis who maintaineth many servants in the practice of Chymistry at great charges and hath enriched the Art of Chymistry with many Experiments To conclude I conceive that I may very well undertake this talk Of reforming Chymistry and Physick considering my knowledge in Philosophy and my skill of Chymistry and Physick And here I will give you some taste of my skill in the following Tinctures The Simples out of which the Tinctures are extracted are these viz. Gold Quick-silver Antimony the Philosophers Salt Balsom red Corals Mummy Baulm Celandine Valerian Germander Succory Swallow wort And beginning with Gold I will briefly and Methodically teach you the way to extract the Tinctures out of these Simples The Ancient Chymists who writ Fables more then serious matters if they had eased us of this labor we should have been very thankful to them but seeing they have failed us I will make up this defect The Tincture of Gold The Tincture of Gold is the purest part of the Gold wherein all its colour is contained and this being extracted there remaineth the white body of Gold this coloured part of the Gold differeth much from the white Body as the pure from the impure and therefore they must be separated or else you do nothing When you have extracted the coloured part you must exalt it to the highest degree and whereas the colour in Gold may be exalted to the twenty fourth degree the Tincture extracted must be exalted ten times more and no further This Tincture hath a wonderful vertue in cleansing renewing and restoring the Blood not onely in the part diseaâ—ed but also throughout the whole Body how much of this Tincture you must take at a time you shall hear afterwards I will now shew you how you must extract it First melt your Gold with Antimony that it may be well purged by the Antimony according to the usual way Take this Gold and dissolve it in the distilled water of common Salt this water of Salt must be made thus Take of the best white Salt made by the Sun and melt it in a very hot fire as Brass or Silver c. is melted several times Then make it into powder and mix it with the juice of Radishes and when the Salt is dissolved in the juice distil them together then take the water which you have distilled off from them and mix it with the juice of Bloodwort of each alike and distil them together take the water which you have distilled off from them and pour it again to the grounds remaining distil it again and so you must do five times Then take of the water of the first distillation and in this dissolve your Gold when your Gold is dissolved put a little of the Spirit of Tartar into this water of Salt to make the Gold powder fall to the bottom then pour off this water of Salt from the Gold powder and wash your Gold powder with common Water distilled until all the Spirit of Salt be well washed from it Then take this Gold powder and put it in the Spirit of Wine which must be made thus Take of the best wine and put it in a Circulatory Vessel which must be very well closed up so that no vapor can get out fill the third part of your circulatory vessel with the Wine and leave two parts empty and how much of the circulatory vessel is filled with the Wine so much of it must be set in Balneo Maria the space of ten days then put it in a distilling vessel and distil it and that which comes out first is the Spirit of Wine the rest is onely sublimed Wine Put your Gold powder after it is washed with the distilled common water into this Spirit of Wine so much of it as that it may be a hands breadth above the Gold powder put them together in a
necessary that we consider first what life is secondly which is the chief seat of life thirdly by what things life is shortned or lengthened Lâ—fe is not a body but a thing spiritual like hearing seeing smelling c. Now that which is a body we may easily finde it out by the course of Nature whence it is but we cannot finde out by the course of Nature what sight is or what is the cause of sight or how it is effected so neither can we finde out what life is or how it is produced for life comes not of natural seed according to the ordinary course of nature as the most part of natural things do but it comes from a natural beginning in a Spiritual and extraordinary maner As for example we strike fire with a steel and a flint and yet there is no fire either in the steel or flint neither are they of a fiery nature either by their predominant Element or their complexion they are bodies which will not yield to fire they are not easily consumed by fire they seem to râ—sist fire and yet we can bring fire from them After the same maner life comes from these things in which there is no life viz. seed root c. even as the fiery sparks comes from the flint in which there is no fire Now let us consider whether or not the life can be lengthned amended or strengthned seeing it is incorporal It is like fire which having more wood burns more vehemently So life the more it hath of the humor of life so much the more the Spirit of life abounds But that fire should come from that in which there is no fire the reason of this we cannot know Many do think that the hardness of the flint and steel is the cause of these fiery sparks which comes from them and so they rest satisfied But by this answer they do not yet satisfie our question viz. How any thing can come from that in which it never was The life as I said before is like a flame which feeding upon Wood or Oyl and fat substances c. as it were living in them visibly represents life to us and as a flame decaying is renewed again by adding more wood c. yea when the flame is gone and there is onely live coals yet by larger additions of suitable matter the flame shall become greater then it was before So the life is stronger or weaker according to the goodness or badness of that whereby the life is continued so that according to nature we may refresh and cherish life by supplying it with those things which are agreeable and delightsom to it whereby it is made stronger and of longer continuance We ought not then to think the time of mans life is so determined that every man must needs die such a day and such an hour nor is it suitable to Christianity to think this that the life cannot be prolonged by these Medicines which God hath created to this purpose God hath created these Medicines for our use and he hath granted us a liberty to use them the defect is onely in us that we do not know those Medicines Mans reason is very weak it fails in most things we are much short in discerning of things good or hurtful to us how few men know the largeness of that power which God hath granted to man Adam knew all those things perfectly he was the wisest of Mortal men and he had continued immortal if he had not been deprived of the Tree of Life the which Tree of Life hath its place in Medicine as well as in Divinity for howbeit it was the Tree of Life yet it was a natural Tree CHAP. IV. How the Life is prolonged by vertue of the place where we live by the four Elements by the Stars and by the vertues of Herbs THe third thing I promised to speak of is this viz. To shew you those things by which life in lengthned or shortned And first The Place where we live makes much for the prolonging or shortning of our life There is great difference in Countreys Climates Cities Mountains Valleys c. Some are far more agreeable to long life then others in some places there is better Air they yield more delight the vapors which rise out of the ground more wholesom c. then in other places Secondly the Elements viz. Earth Air Water and Fire work great changes in life sometimes to the better sometimes to the worse Out of the Earth groweth every thing which nourisheth our Bodies and that also which destroyeth our Bodies We have from the earth not onely that which is hurtful to us as poyson c. but we have also that which can cure us and keep us from the harm of such things as Gold Balm c. Do not think that we have Medicines created onely to cure diseases for if so then Medicines could have no operation in Bodies which are sound and whole but experience proves this to be false You must know this that the Earth brings forth not onely such things which can destroy us or take away our health but also gives us Medicines which not onely can cure our diseases but also can preserve our life and health Meat and drink if rightly used they are the means to preserve our life but if abused they destroy life as it appears oft-times by the effects of Drunkenness and gluttony for whatsoever we have from any of the Elements may be good or hurtful to us accordingly as it is used Again observe That what damage we receive by one Element it is recompenced by another Element Water doth resist fire and by this resistance it preserveth things that they are not destroyed by the consuming heat of fire and if there be any damage by fire or water the Air will make amends the Air will not forsake us nor leave life if we do not first forsake it Sometimes the Air is infected and by its infection may kill us but we may easily know when it is infected and so we may preserve our selves from it if we leave it and go where there is a better Air. Here observe this difference in Air and the rest of the Elements there is a general Air and a particular Air a general water c. Now of particular Airs one may be good and another bad also one piece of earth is better then another and some water better then other water so also fire some is useful and some is hurtful as Lightning c. Thirdly the Stars have a great and powerful influence upon the life and health of Man they can make sick they can restore health they can preserve health they can bring death or prolong life There is no kinde of thing in the world but there are some good and some evil of that kinde Then here lyeth the main business how to get the good and eschew the evil we cannot have always that which we would as if we would appropriate the
the body which is of the nature of haire or of a veine or of a bone or of a gristle it is taken away by this distil'd Turpentine adding to it such other medicines which are proper to such diseases and observing their quantities when you mix them As for the knotty Gout take this distil'd Turpentine with the essence of Mummy Having spoken concerning this Turpentine balsome so much as is known to me by experience I will therefore now make an end of this discourse hoping that these experiences of Turpentine discovered by me shall be found by others to be true to their great comfort But I must not forget to tell you of one thing that if this destill'd Turpentine be drop'd into the wounds of veins it preserves the veins from all inconveniencies Thâ—s distill'd Turpentine likewise asswageth the pains of the Gout If Turpentine be a little time set over the fire when it is cold it becomes hard like glass take this glasse and dissolve it with Amber and distill it in the right way and it will be a most subtle and excellent Varnish if you lay it upon any thing and dry it speedily if you mix the powder of tiles with this glass over the fire you may therewith make most firm and closs floors where you may keep a great quantity of quick-silver without decay c. I will now shew you the way how the Balsome is to be separated from the Turpentine When you have gathered the Turpentine from the tree in the right time i. e. in the time of the Balsome influence as it hath been before declared the same hour when it is taken from the tree you must put it in your vessell which must stand in warm dung one half of the vessell being within the dung fill your vessell with Turpentine and so let it stand in the dung some time and there it will purge out its impurities When it s purified enough you will find that it hath divided it self into two parts the upper part of it will be clear but that which is under is not so clear pour it out as it is heated by the heat of the dung into another vessel which is already placed in the first degree of heat Here you must take notice that this first degree of heat is the first of those twelve degrees which are in heat and in this first degree of heat it must stanâ— sixty hours and digest and here it will divide it self again into two parts the upper part will be very clear and perspicuous this is the Balsom so much of it as is thus clear but the under part which is not so clear is the pure Turpentine These two viz. the Turpentine and the Balsome are separated the one from the other as the iron from steel In this Balsom lurks many admirable Secrets more then I can finde out in my life time but doubtlesse the rest of its Vertues may be found out by experience if Physicians were as desirous and carefull how to cure diseases as they are to fill their purses or if they were constrained by the Magistrate to be such as they professe themselves to be Now if every Trades-man ought to have skill and experience in that Trade which he professeth much more ought the Physician to have great skill and experience in so weighty a business as the health and life of man CHAP. I. The preparations and vertues of Ebony wood WEE have three sorts of medicines out of Ebony viz. a liquor a Gum and a Salt the liquor is like the juice of Sloes the Gumme is like that balsome which is got from the Larch-tree the Salt is like that Salt which the Apothecaries call sal gemmae the liquor is the portion the Gum is the unguent the salt is the purgative which purgeth and cleanseth The liquor must be extracted out of the wood by close distillation as the oyl of Nutmeg is extracted out of the Nutmeg one pound and a half of this liquor is more efficacious then an hundred pound of that liquor in which the wood only hath been boiled When we have got out the liquor then we must extract the Gumme out of the wood thus put the Ebony-wood in a close reverbatory in the second degree of fire the space of twenty four hours then you shall see the Gumme come out clammy and sticking to your fingers like liquid Styrax of a savory delightsome savour one pound and six ounces of this Gumme is better and more efficacious then two hundred pound weight of that liquor in which the wood only is boyl'd Lastly the Salt of it is made thus you must burn the wood to ashes for ashes is the mine of salt then pour the water of Fumitory upon these ashes and this will bring the salt out of the ashes then congeale the salt according to the usual way and you shall have a salt almost like these salts called Salt Entalls or Salt Anatron one pound and five drams of this Salt is better then fifty pound weight of that liquor which is made after the common way which is only the boyling the wood in water or some other liquor With this Salt you may make an excellent purge thus take of this Salt a half scruple of Alexandrine Treacle two drams mix them together of this give at a time the quantity of a halfe scruple and this is to be given not only once or twice but three or four times or oftner as the disease requires There is such a vertue in this salt to purge the Gout the Palsie and those humours which are breaking out as no other medicine whatsoever whether it be purgative or laxative or expulsive For this Salt is to such diseases as fire to water If you would use this Salt in any Cure to be done by Chirurgery you must proceed thus If the sore be open you must first cleanse it by the Salt then you must annoint it with the gumm twice every day till the cure be perfected and the sore place well skinned If there be a great pain in any part of the body and there is nothing to be seen then annoint the place with this gumm By it also may be cured the Gout the Palsie the French Pox c. But remember that if you do otherwise then I have told you then you will lose your time and paiâ— with the Empericks A short and speedy way of curing a Rupture by this Medicine That Proverb viz. The Cow draws the Chariot when we signifie any thing to be done absurdly and preposterously may be well applyed to the common way of curing Ruptures Now what is more absurd or more unreasonable then to leave a Cure to the Surgeon which belongs to the Doctor as here to bring a Rupture from its own natural and most easie way of cure to come under the horrible tools of the Surgeon and as if it were an incurable Tumor to use the most difficult way of curing And seeing we thus change certainties
false physicians when they hear of these secrets they cannot be brought to believe that they are true The Spider is a hateful creature yet it is of great vertue against Quotidian Feavers put the spider in a nut-shell and shut it up close in it and let the diseased person carry it about him but he must not know what it is let him carry it four dayes and he shall be well The Salamander is uselesse in Physick but the Alchimist hath laboured much in it to extract out of it a tincture f r metalls and thereby to make gold and for this it is indeed to be much regarded but you cannot meddle with it without great danger for the poyson of it is most deadly CHAP. VI. Paracelse compared with other Physicians HAving done with these hateful and poysonous creatures now I will speak concerning the other common contemptible small creatures and I hope I shall not be blamed for this nor shall these things I speak be esteemed as fained tales as false physitians do who will not use any common medicines such as may be gotten cheaply and easily not remembring this that God hath created nothing in vain but that even the least and most contemptible things have their peculiar vertues according to his divine pleasure And it is our fault that we know not these things for we are careless and incredulous and soon wearied in the search of nature Now if any do improve the gifts of God in them and are diligent in searching out the works of nature and do ingenuously declare their experiences publickly these corrupt Doctors will not be thankful to them for it nay they contemn such experiences they scoff at them and one way or other they will find fault with them Now I profess my self to be one of those who have found out the Secrets of Nature yea and that I am not one of the least of the searchers of nature and truly whatsoever art or experience I have I should have imparted it freely and plainly to you but your ambition and insolency hath made me change my mind because you will have all the praise to your selves and steale it from him who is your teacher therefore you are not worthy of my art which would be very advantageous to you if you would become true Physicians and lovers of your neighbours But you preferre the profit of your prrse and of your kitchin to the health of your patients and in this you are learned indeed and more skilfull then I. You accuse mee and blame mee because I doe not highly praise you It 's true I doe it not because I find you to be onely purse physicians such who are more able to cure the diseases of your purses then the diseases of your patients if it were not so how could you build such stately houses weare gold rings walke in your silkes You reproach me because of my poverty and mean clothes but if I should take as you do shamelesly such great rewards every where then I should be richer then any of you yet as I am I am richer then any of you for my riches are surer to me then your riches to you my skill is my great riches which neither thiefe can steale nor fire or water can devoure nor robber can take from mee They may take my life but they cannot get my Art that is hidden in mee and dieth with mee You see then what an excellent thing I enjoy which is farre better then your houses plantations clothes riches gold and silver and all your skill And if at any time I spend my mony largely amongst my pleasant companions yet I doe not diminish as the proverb is the principall sum that is my Art which through Gods gooddesse to me shall never leave me CHAP. VII The Medicinal vertues of Earth-worms NOw I will proceed to speak of that which I intended viz. of some simple medicines and of some living creatures and of some diseases of which no physicians before me have ever spoken any thing Truly I believe that they were ignorant of them or if they knew them then they slighted them so that these things were quite forgotten the most common and most inconsiderable Vermine are Earth-worms which after a showre creep out of the ground and who will believe that in these worms is so much Vertue for the good of the body of man they are especially good against that disease and pain which is in the fingers and toes which causeth extreme torment day and night The Whit flaw which the Ancients call'd the gnawing worm and indeed not without cause for they knew that this disease should be cured by the earth-worm the way is this Take an Earth-worm bigger or lesser according to the patient and the greatnesse of the pain if the patient be not very young but is of a good age and the pain very great then you must take a great earth-worm it must be large that it may be sufficient for the disease wrap this worm in a linnen cloth and so lay it upon the part where the pain is the space of twenty four hours till it dies and when it is dead the disease is cured and as it were dieth with the worm these things may seem to some to be superstitious and fained tales but by this it appears that God hath made nothing in the world so base and so contemptible which is not some way for the good of man CHAP. VIII The Medicinal Vertues of the Earth-worme and of the Crab fish Cancer THE Earth-worm is not only good against the foresaid disease but also against all kinds of worms in the body of man if it be dried and made into a powder and so it is to be taken in some liquor the best liquor is the whay of Goats milk for the powder of Earth-worms taken in this whay purgeth by stool all worms of the stomack or that stick in the guts The Mouse called the field Mouse is a great Secret for the ptisick And that kind of Crab called the Cancer hath often cured the disease called the Canker viz. thus bind a linnen cloth about the fish Cancer and about its toes and lay the toes of this fish Cancer upon the place where the Ulcer Canker is untill the fish-Cancer be dead and when it is dead the ulcer Canker is also kill'd but if the Canker was broken out into a sore then after it is mortified with the fish-Cancer you must apply the plaister which is used for thrusts or deep wounds By this fish-Cancer have been also cured Feavers and Hydropsies thus first you must cut off all the nailes of the patients fingers and toes then you must bind the fish Cancer to his back afterward put it into a river and let it goe and so the patient shall be cured Do not you think these to be vaine superstitious or Mountebank cures I assure you they are the true operations of nature and wrought by God himself who was pleased to give
to creatures in their creation such great Vertues But it may be objected that some who have used the fish Cancer for the foresaid diseases have been nothing better for it I answer the fish-Cancer cannot cure the foresaid diseases when the patient is neer to the appointed time of hiâ— death and that his present disease must lead him to his death False Physicians thought little of this when they tried this remedy and when they did see that it did not good to all alike they then falsly conceived that it was a thing superstitious and that only believing did work here without which they thought the Cancer had no efficacy It is true that imagination and believing are so powerful that they can make people well or sick But such common remedies as I have spoken of are not to be contemned We find in the holy Scriptures that Christ and the Prophets cured great diseases by very common and ordinary things So Christ gave sight to the blind by clay mixed with his spittle So the Prophet cured the plague by a plaister of figs but to gather together here all such examples is not needful I wil rather go on to speak of the Vertues of those things CHAP. IX The Vertues of the Crab-fish Cancer IN the foresaid fish Cancer have been found many other Vertues it hath an excellent cooling faculty and it is good against St. Anthonies fire if you presse the juice out of the toes of it and anoint the place with this juice you may also make an oyntment with this juice very good against all sorts of burnings or scaldings viz. by fire or water or pitch or fat things c. The Ancients never found a better remedy then this against any burnings This oyntment is also good against inflamed eating sores and if it be anointed upon the temples of the head it very much helpeth those extraordinary pains of the head which almost distracts people It helpeth also that inflamation called the Rose and the heat of ulcers of womens brests in such cases it hath done very much good The Cancer hath also a faculty of expelling urine sand and the stone in the bladder which it doth powerfully dissolve and expel with the urine so that those who seed much upon these Cancers they are free from those diseases so they are an excellent preservative I cannot passe by here the cruelty of physicians who would cure the Canker by cutting burning and eating Medicines and they had no other reason for it but that they thought such a disease could not be overcome but by corrosives but so they make the pain greater not considering that the Canker it self is an eating sore and therefore we should use such things to it which wil pacifie it and allay the pain and gently cure it all they can say is this that one evil should be driven out by another evil But I say that we should begin the cure of every disease with pain asswaging Medicines which can quiet the disease and take away the raging of it allaying those paines which accompany it as for example a man in a rage cannot be pacified by stroaks or wounds so neither can a disease by exasperating medicines and as those who are sad and melancholy should have cordials given to them they should be comforted and refreshed with mirth so it is in curing any disease that which is evil must be cured by that which is good and not one evil to be cured by another Then hitherto your physicians have been far from the right way and therefore it falls out oft-times when you think by your false receipts to cure the Canker or the whit-flaw that you fail of it and kil your patient before you can kil the Canker or whit flaw after this manner many have endeavoured to cure the Canker and the whit-flaw by eating medicines by cutting or burning the sore and many other such torturing wayes they have used they had also great confidence to do this cure by Arsenick orpment sublimed Mercury I do not deny but that many incredible cures have been done by Calcinatum magnum by sweet sublimed Mercury by the oil of sweet Mercury especially by the quintessence of Mercury so that by these hav been cur'd not only the diseases mentioned viz. Canker the whit-flaw but also maÌ„y other greater diseases as Syrons wolf c. but you must remember that these things viz. quick-silver c. must not be used crude and unprepared as they are taken out of the mountains and seeing you do not know the way how they should be prepared therefore you should abstain from them and learn of the Alchymist how to prepare them and to bring them to the utmost degree of their perfection then indeed you may use them but not before or else you will find it fall out otherwise then you expect as I have said before concerning the mortification of the Cancer and of the whitflaw but if the feet or hands or fingers or nose or ears and other members be cut off then certainly the Cancer must be taken away but indâ—ed the magistrate should restrain such errors by a singular punishment One thing I might here add concerning the disease called the wolf to shew you how it is cured by unguents and cataplasms made of the flesh and fat of the beast called the Wolfe and to describe to you some such remedies but because I have spoken of the chiefest remedies therefore I â—ass over those inferior remedies and I leave them to others to find them out by their experience CHAP. X. The Cure of those Marks in the body which the patient hath from the mothers womb I Will now make an end of this Treatise and in this last chapter I will give you a great and a most secret cure which farre excells all the other cures mentioned in this Treatise it is this that by these Vermine are cured not only painful sores vâ—z Syrons cankers fistulaes wolf c. but also by those Vermine such marks may be taken away which appear in us in their visible shape and colour without any pain and were imprinted upon some part of our body while we were yet in the womb by the imagination of our mothers they being stirred up thereto by fears or strong desires Now how that the mother by her Imagination imprints a mark not upon her self but upon the child in her womb I have explained it in my book concerning Imagination but how these marks which we have from our mothers imagination may be taken out of our bodies again and cured that I will shew you here in this chapter And first you must strictly observe these marks of what shape and colour they are if they be like a worm or snake or toad egge You must also enquire of the mother of the person who hath that mark concerning the colour of the Vermine which stâ—rd up her imagination and at what time day or hour yea you must know if you can
Put them in two gallons of water boyl it to six quarts Or put them in new Ale or new Beer four or five dayes then let the Patient drink of it Another Potion Take of Angelica half an ounce of Mummy one ounce of Parmacity two drams of the kernels of Walnuts two ounces of Orpine two handfuls of Sowbread two ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of each three handfuls Put them in a sufficient quantity of Water or c. and boyl them There is another Way of Preparing Wound-Drinks viz. thus Let your Herbs ly in distilled Water some time then set them to a slow fire in a vessel well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and drink it The Potion Take of the Water of Marsh Bugloss twenty ounces of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss one handful of Sanicle half a handful of Periwincle half an handful set them over a very slow fire in a Pot well stopt six or eight hours then strain it and keep it for your use Another Potion Take of Juniper Berries two pounds and bruise them of the greater and lesser Sea-marsh Bugloss of Hony-suckle and the Root of white Sanicle of each half a handful of Adders Tongue a handful and an half of great Comfrey and Birth-wort of each five ounces of Arsmart four ounces put them in a distilling Vessel and distil a Water from them then put into the Water distilled fresh Herbs viz. These already named and fresh Juniper Berries and let them ly in the Water some time or set them over a slow fire in a Pot well stopt four or five hours Observe That Juniper Berries have a singular Secret Vertue for Wounds Another Potion Take the Roots of great Comfre two ounces of Birth-wort three ounces of sweet Flagg one ounce of Flower-de-luce half an ounce of Periwincle four handfuls of white Sanicle half a handful of Myrrh Mastich Frankincense Mummy of each half an ounce of Rheubarb six drams boyl them in Wine or Distilled Water or common Water with some of the juyce of Marsh-Bugloss in that manner as hath been already described How much of these Potions a Patient should take at a time must be considered by the skilful Physician according to the strength of the Patient and nature of the Potion These Wound-Drinks do keep the Body in good temper and do prevent many Evils which use to accompany Wounds They feed and strengthen Nature very much which cannot be done by outward Medicines And there is no way so good as by Wound-Drinks to cure wounds made by thrust Therefore Surgeons should not neglect these wound-potions so much as they do There are many good Herbs with which you may make wound drinks as these viz. white Sanicle wood Sanicle middle Comfrey Parsnep Arsmart both Beets golden Maiden-hair Lilies c. and many others there are But observe that amongst those Herbs mentioned in the Potions and here there are three whose juice being drunk cureth any Wound made by cut or thrust and there are two herbs mentioned which if you take any of them whole and dip it in running water and lay it to the wound take it presently off again from the wound and bury it in some place and as it putrifieth so the wound groweth well There is also one herb named amongst these whose juice or decoction being drunk thrice cureth any wound and all those evils which accompany a Wound But such great secrets of Nature should not be put in print but every one should diligently search after them There are also some herbs amongst these already named which being drunk cure the wounds of the Gout as easily as the Wounds of fleshy parts CHAP. II. Oyntments for Wounds TAke of fresh May butter one pound of Ribwort and the greater and lesser sea-marsh Buglosse and Beers with their roots of each one handfull of Adders tongue three handfull Beat the Herbs with the Roots and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two or three months then strain them and keep them for your use Another Take of May butter three pounds the Roots of great Comfrey one pound of Adders tongue one pound and a half of Birth-wort a quarter of a pound beat them and mix them with the Butter put them in a glasse and set the glasse in the Sun some time or put it in warm dung a month then strain them through a linnen cloth and what you presse out of them keep it for your use That your Oyntment may keep the better wash it with salt water or put a little salt to it You may also make an Oyntment with one Herb as with Butter and Birth-wort or great Comfrey or with Honey and Adders tongue or the flowers of Saint Johns-wort and such like Many such Oyntments may be made but the two former Oyntments are sufficient to cure any Wound This way of making Oyntments is commonly used and was used by the Ancient Physicians But now I will give you a more excellent way of making Oyntments first found out and used by my self Take Comfrey Birth-wort Adders tongue maâ—sh Buglosse all of them or which of them you will take them green with their Roots then pour so much wine upon them as the wine may be above them then take two pots which are of the same bigness put your Herbs and the wine in the one pot and over this pot set your other pot mouth to mouth lay clay about the mouthes of your pots that no vapour can come out and set them over a slow fire ten hours then take them out strain and presse all the liquor well out of the Herbs to this liquor put some honey or fresh butter and boyl it again to a consistence and then you have an Oyntment which you may trust to in the most difficult Cures There is yet another way to make Oyntments with Rosins thus Take the Rosin of the Larch-tree or Pine Rosin one pound make it into powder and mix it with the whites of twenty eggs and beat them well together then add to them the powder of the roots of great Comfrey half an ounce the powder of round Birth-wort one ounce of barley meal six drams Mix them all well together and then you have a very good Oyntment for any Wound Another Take of the Rosin of the Fir-tree or common Rosin one pound melt it with some of the marrow of a Calf then put to them so much of the powder of the root of Great Comfrey as you shall see fit and mix them wel together in a warm mortar CHAP. III. Oyls and Balsoms for Wounds TAke of Sallet oyl or Turpentine one pound of Camomile red Roses and Self-heal of each one handfull of the flowers of St. Johns wort two handfull of the flowers of Centory and the flowers of Celendine of each half an handfull Mix them well with the Oyle of Turpentine put them in a glasse and set them in the Sun two
into a plaister A defensive Medicine Take of the flowers of Mulleny the flowers of St. Johns-wort Rue and Roses put them in Vinegar and set them in the Sun for some time dip a linnen cloth in this vineger and lay it over all that member which is bitten this do so often until the inflammation and distempers of the place be quite gone If you perceive by any signs that the poyson comes to the heart then take a pound of Sallet oyl in which you shall quench steel made red in the fire several times and put into this Oyl two ounces of red Coral made into powder and of the Electuarium de gemmis a half ounce Mix them well with the Oyl let the Patient take some of this five times a day the first warm and the next cold The Patients drink must be Claret wine in which steel hath been oft-times quenched and some Treacle dissolved in it and whensoever the Patient takes a draught of this wine there must be a half dram of red Coral made into powder put into it But if the Patient be troubled with an extraordinary thirst while he takes the oyl then he must drink milk with the powder of red Coral in it or let him drink of the decoction of Philonium which marvellously strengthneth the head and other principal parts when there is an extraordinary thirst it is a sign that the poyson goeth to the heart And if this thirst cannot be allayed by these things taken inwardly then you must boyl Saunders in Rose-vinegar and when it is cooled dissolve some Camphire in it dip a Linnen cloth in this Vinegar and lay it upon the Stomack and the lower part of the brest The Patient must observe a sparing dyet A cure for the poyson of a Spider Lay the true Terra Sigillata made into clay with spittle upon the place poysoned and it will cure it Yea this Terra Sigillata will cure the biting or stinging of any venomous Creature if it be applyed timously CHAP. X. The cure of Burnings and Scaldings THere is great difference in Burnings and Scaldings and as the matter is diverse wherewith we are burned or scalded accordingly we must use different cures And first for Burnings by the flame of Wood and for scaldings by Milk Oyl Butter or melted Rosin c. Take of fresh butter a good quantity melt it and pour it into cold water and stir it well about in the water then melt it again and pour it into the water c. do this so often until the butter is as white as snow with this Butter anoint the place burned or scalded and keep the place always moist with the Butter until the heat be gone then apply a stictick plaister unto the place until it be cured And if there be blisters risen in the place scalded then so soon as it is anointed we must apply the stictick plaister to it likewise the stictick plaister must be much used when a scalding is by Oyl or any fat thing The cure of Burnings by Metals Minerals Salts and of Scaldings by Mineral waters c. Metals and Minerals they do poyson the part which they burn and therefore we must not onely have a cure for the burning but also for the poyson Burnings by Allum Coperas Salt Brass c. if not well cured will cause a dangerous Ulcer sometimes they bring a kinde of Leprosie For these burnings take Hogs grease melt it and pour it into the water of Night-shade and stir it well about until it be cooled melt it again and pour it into the same water c. This do so often until it become an Oyntment with which anoint the place burned To cure a Burning by hot Quick-silver Lay upon the place burned a double linnen cloth dipped in scalding milk and this do twenty times or oftner then you must bring out the heat by anointing the place with Butter prepared as you have heard before and then apply the stictick plaister of Colophony This kinde of Burning befals them oft-times who work in metals with fire as those who separate Metals or makes Cinnabaris or prepare Mercury by descent or work in Amalgamaes c. Scaldings by such waters which come from Mineral mines and Salt mines as Coperas water or Allum water c. are very dangerous For if the heat be not well brought out of the place scalded it will cause most difficult and dangerous sores in the place For these Scaldings take this remedy which you must trust too viz. Take of the oyl of Nuts a half pound of Harts grease one pound of Butter prepared as I have shewed you before one pound and a half mix them and therewith anoint the place scalded evening and morning until the inflammation and pain be gone You may also apply some Wound-oyntment or Wound-balsom to perfect the cure The same remedies are also good for the scaldings of Dyers The cure of Burnings by Gun-powder Brimstone Salt-Peter c. and of Scaldings by scalding Aqua-fortis which are the most dangerous of any except the burning by Lightning Take of the prepared Butter one pound of the oyl of Nuts and Harts grease of each a half pound of the marrow of a Bull a quarter of a pound melt them together and pour them into the water of Water-lilies stir them well in the water melt them again and pour them into the same water do thus three or four times then anoint the burned place with this Oyntment and when you have brought out the pain and heat apply a stictick plaister But for scaldings by Aqua-fortis you must apply a stictick plaister to the place scalded as soon as you have anointed it The cure of burning by Lightning I will give you these remedies which I have used my self with success five times oftner I have not met with such a case I used two Medicines the one to stop the burning which would if not stopt burn the whole body to a cinder the other to take away that which is already burned like a cinder from that which is sound The Medicine to stop the Burning Take of Frogs Spawn the juice of Water-lilies the juice of a Cancers toes of each alike of Myrrhe and Coperas a little made into powder mix them and lay them to the place where the burning is till the burning be quenched then annoint the place with the Oyntment described before for burning by Gun-powder and apply a stictick plaister until the cure be done The other Medicine to take away that which is already burned from that which is sound is this Take of Colophony one pound of Pitch half a pound of Wax and Turpentine and Sallet oyl of each a quarter of a pound melt them together and make a plaister apply it to the place burned and it will separate that which is burned from that which is sound then the burned part being removed apply a stictick plaister to perfect the cure The cure of burning by a Bullet shot into the
body You must with a Syringe squirt into the wound Rose vinegar mixed with the juice of Nightshade or the juice of Water-lilies or the juice of Housleek or Frog-spawn but the best of all is the juice of a Cancers toes mixed with the vinegar squirt this into the wound until the heat is allayed afterwards cure the wound with Wound-oyls or Wound-balsomes described before in the third Chapter Observ If this burning go to the head or any principal member it is deadly The cure of a member deadned by extraordinary cold Any part which is thus deadned it cannot be recovered again but it becomes Leprous and it rotteth and therefore we must not seek to cure it but to take it away from the sound part that the sound part be not infected by it which may be done by this Medicine Take of long Pepper and Ginny grains and Cardamome of each an ounce of Ephorbium two ounces of Mastick an ounce and a half beat them into powder and boyl them in two quarts and a pint of childes urine or the urine of a red-haird man until one pint be boiled away Then strain the Liquor through a cloth and dip a linnen cloth in it which you must lay upon the part deadned do this thrice a day until you have separated the deadned part from the sound part and when you have taken away the dead part do the rest of the cure with Wound-oyntments There is a great heating-faculty in this Liquor for if any part of the body be wet wi h a little of it it s a wonder if that part be cold again that day For those who are almost dead with extraordinary cold give them to drink some strong water in which there is some Saffron Treacle and Camphire dissolved in it or boil some Zinger and sweet Reed in Wine and give it them to drink A Treatise of Vlcers SECTION I. Describing the kindes of Ulcers and their several Cures CHAP. I. IF the Patient complain of an Ulcer or Ulcers which began thus viz. He was first troubled with a chilness and after the chilness came a great heat and so at several times and in the part Ulcerated appeared first a great redness sometimes in one place and sometimes in another place at last this redness setled with an Inflammation and hardness in this place where now the Ulcer is This you shall call a tempestuous Ulcer Cure In the curing of this Ulcer observe this method When first the coldness or chilness comes which is not unlike a Pestilential chilness do not meddle with it until the heat come and you see in what place the Inflammation and swelling settles then if you would prevent it that it break not out into an Ulcer or running Sore apply to it this following Receipt Take of red Myrrhe half an ounce and of the whitest Incense half an ounce make them into a fine powder and put the Myrrhe into one bag and the Incense into another bag and boil them in a pint of the best white Wine and half a pint of good vinegar then dip pieces of linnen cloth into this Liquor and lay them upon the part inflamed till the inflammation be quite gone But if the swelling is turned into an Ulcer then you must first take out all the heat with the former remedy afterwards if the Ulcer is sowl cleanse it with this following Receipt Take of Allum burned and quenched in Vineger one ounce and a half of Aloehepatick one ounce make them into a powder and mix them with five ounces of honey Make a Plaister this plaister must be applyed to the Ulcer morning and evening till it be well cleansed but if it be an old Ulcer put into the plaister some burned Coperas when the Ulcer is sufficiently cleansed and fit to be cloased up then apply to it this stictick plaister Take of golden Lithargirie one pound boil it with a good quantity of varnish a long time to which adde Virgin wax and Sallet oyl of each one pound and so make a Cerote then take the Gum Oppoponax a quarter of a pound which you shall dissolve in Vinegar when it is dissolved strain the Vinegar and boil it till it begin to be thick To this adde the former Cerote and when they be well mixed together adde to them a quarter of a pound of Turpentine and of Lawrel oyl one ounce with these powders viz. The powder of Mastick of Incense and of Myrrhe of each alike half an ounce of Camphire two drams and when you have mixed them well altogether make them up into a plaister with the oyl of Camomile Take of this stictick Plaister one pound and mix into it half an ounce of burnt Coperas and of Crocus of Steel an ounce and a half and when you have thus made up your plaister apply some of it morning and evening to the Ulcer until it be fully cured And for your preservation that the Ulcer return not again after it is cured you must every year let blood in the great Veins of the legs or ankles yea and in the time of the cure you should let blood in those Veins which come to the Ulcerated place if they appear putrid or Leprous CHAP. II. IF the patient complain of a Sore which continually issueth forth water at a small hole being very hallow within which you may finde by searching it with a quill and if this sore did break out without any redness or inflammation or any great swelling then judge this sore to be a Fistula which of it self will never be well nor dry up it requireth excellent Medicines to cure it Cure In the curing of this Ulcer we must use inward Remedies and outward Remedies viz. Waters Plaisters c. There needs not be any dyet observed A potion for the Fistula Take of Sowbread two handfulls of white Sanicle one handful of middle Consound half a handful boil them in white Wine in a vessel close stopt then strain it and put to it an ounce and a half of the distilled oyl of Cloves and mix them well together Let the Patient drink of this thrice a day and by this drink alone new Fistula's may be perfectly cured but if it be an old Fistula you must use this following Receipt Take of Oleum Laterinum or oyl of Bricks three ounces of Turpentine half a pound of the oyl of Cloves one ounce and a half of Incense of Mastick of Myrrhe of each an ounce and a half of Mummy three ounces distil an Oyl from them with a strong fire the which Oyl you must use thus After you have cleansed the Fistula within then you must put some of this Oyl into it it is cleansed with Wine or saltish Water being squirted into it by a Syringe afterwards the Oyl must be also squirted into it by the Syringe and then lay upon it outwardly the stictick Plaister mentioned in the former Chapter There are also other excellent remedies for a Fistula as the oyl of
to the Ulcer until it be filled up with flesh and when it is fill'd with flesh you shall anoint the place with the former oyl alone ten days This oyl of Tartar is excellent to consume any superfluous moysture and to take away any inflammation or superfluous flesh c. but it is especially good for the putrid and running sores of the feet and legs Whatsoever Ulcers they be albeit they be putrid old swelling or hollow or eating Ulcers c. yet if they be anointed with this oyl it will cure them throughly it is of a wonderful drying faculty A good Plaister Oppodeltoch to fill an Vlcer with flesh especially a Fistula or Cancer or Syrone Take of common Rosin Colophony Turpentine of each a half pound of Virgin Wax a pound and a half of gum Amoniacum and Myrrhe of each two ounces of Realgare fixed three drams mix them and make a Plaister which must be laid to the Ulcer when it is well cleansed twice a day until the cure be done For a Sphacelus to seperate the dead putrified part from the sound part Take of Colophony three pound the oyl of Myrrhe six ounces of the gums Bdelium Ammoniacum Oppopanax Galbanum of each half a pound make a plaister to be applyed to the putrified part and after the dead and putrified part is taken away from the sound part by this plaister then apply to the place this following Receipt Take of the water of the salt of Radish one ounce of the juice of Plaintan eight ounces mix them and anoint the part with them Morning and Evening Then apply this Plaister Take of the oyl of Eggs two drams and a half the oyl of Walnuts five ounces of Wax and Pitch of each five ounces make a Plaister Experiments for Ulcers especially for the Ulcers of the French Pox And the first kinde of Experiments are Baths A good Bath to cure any Scab or Itch especially the Scab of the French Pox. TAke of Allum ten pounds of Coperas one pound of burned Tartar half a pound of Brine or the Liquor of Salt three pounds put them in a good quantity of Scalding hot water in which some hops have been boiled and when they are dissolved in the water let the Patient Bath himself in this water but if it be an old stubborn Scab which will not yield to this Bath then take Quick-silver and make it very hot and quench it in this water do so several times and then it will cure any Scab of the French Pox. Another Take of burned Aâ—lum and of Plum-Allum of each an ounce of burned Tartar and burned Coperas of each four ounces of Roch Allum salt Nitre and Coperas of each one pound and take old blew cheese and wash from it the blew with water take of this blew as much as all the rest and mix it with the rest then set them in some dry place and it will grow hard as horn when you would use it put some of it in hot water and it will dissolve in it then let the Patient Bath himself in this water for any Scab or itch c. Nay some have so highly esteemed of this Receipt that they have endeavored to cure the Leprosie with it If the salt of Feverfew or Snakewood be put into the former composition it will be much better The juice of Nettles and a little of the Liquor of Salt cureth the running sores of the feet if they be anointed therewith Some who got this Receipt from me have foolishly thought it a sufficient cure for all Sores The second kinde of Experiments are Oyntments An Oyntment for those Vlcers of the French Pox which begin to be dry Take of Lethargire and Red-lead of each half an ounce of the oyl of Mirtles three ounces of Aloepatick one ounce and a half the flower of prepared Copper three drams of Turpentine two ounces mix them with this Oyntment I have seen these Ulcers happily cured The chief Ingredients in this and such other Oyntments are Aloepatick and the flower of Coperas Another Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Mummy three ounces of the flower of Copper half a dram of Mastick Myrrhe Frankincense Mummy of each two drams and a half of Aloepatick half an ounce of washed Turpentine three drams and a half Mix them There are some oyntments in which Quick-silver is the chief ingredient which common people do ordinarily use for the Itch Scab and other faults of the skin but you must know that Quick-silver should not be used unless it be rightly prepared If you can bring it to be an oyl with salt Nitre then mix this oyl with any of the oyntments for Ulcers and you have a singular good remedy for all diseases of the skin except the Leprosie for Scabs Ulcers c. If you anoint therewith the lips of an old sore it will cure it speedily but especially if it be an Ulcer of the French Pox then it will be so much the sooner cured by this Oyntment Precipitate Mercury is an excellent remedy for all the hollow Uâ—cers of the French Pox except eating Ulcers It is made thus Put Quick-silver in a pot set it over the fire until it be very hot then quench it in the water which is distilled from Eggs and distil this water oft-times from the Quick-silver until the Quick-silver is turned into a red powder mix this red powder with some of the Oyntments for Ulcers and anoint the Ulcer with it A good Plaister Take of both kindes of Snake-weed of each seven of Consound and bushy rooted Birth-wort of each a half pound bruise them and mix them with washed Turpentine one pound and a half and with Sallet oyl four ounces make them into a plaister and whatsoever sore cannot be cured by this plaister it is hardly cured by any other The oyl of Mummy the oyl of the yolks of Eggs the oyl of Mastick Oleum Laterinum or the oyl of Bricks these oyls are of great vertue to further the cure of any Ulcer or to asswage pain c. but they are not sufficient to perfect the cure alone Another Bâ—uise Snake-weed and put to it a little Petroleum it is a very good remedy for Ulcers Another Take Mummy beat it to powder and mix it with Mans fat it is good for asswaging the pain of Ulcers c. Another Aloepatick made into powder and mixed with honey is good for dry sores and such sores which are near the bone Rosin is good for Syron's to further their cure but it cannot do the cure alone without some of the aforesaid Herbs or c. to be mixed with it Many have endeavored to imitate my Compositions have said that they were mine but with what success they used these compositions they can tel who were their Patients and how could they imagine to do any good with these Compositions when they knew nor the nature of the Ingredients but when they read these my Writings they will see their error and
ignorance The third kinde of Experiments viz. Wax Plaisters Plaisters were formerly made with wax and Turpentine to which were added several Simples for divers kindes of Ulcers Wax may be used for any sore but Turpentine is to be used onely for moist sores divers kindes of sores must have divers kindes of remedies It is most rashly done by those who when they finde a Medicine good for one sore they will use it for every sore I advise Physicians that they use not these my experiments any other ways then I have expressed here A Plaister Take of the oyl of Mirtle of Wax and of red Lead of each one pound and a half of the flower of Copper and Mummy of each one ounce of Aloepatick one ounce and a half of Oppopanax two ounces of Turpentine half a pound mix them and make them into a Plaister Another Take of the flower of Copper one pound the oyl of Dill and Wax of each one pound and a half of Colophony four ounces the oyl of Bays two ounces of Turpentine half a pound of Mummy Mastick Frankincense of each two ounces of Sagapenum and Galbanum of each one ounce and a half make them into a Plaister Another Take of Wax and Sallet oyl of each three pounds of Celandine Buck-horn of each half an ounce of Mastick Oppopanax Myrrhe Mummy Galbanum of each one ounce of round Birthwort Frankincense Ammoniacum of each one ounce and a half of Turpentine six ounces melt your Wax then put to it the Mastick Frankincense the gums Oyl and Turpentine then mix with them the herbs made into powder to which you may adde some Oyl of Spike or of earth-Worms Another Take of Wax one pound of Colophony four ounces of red and white Corals of the Load-stone of the Lapis Calaminaris of Amber of Antimony of each of them made into powder one ounce of Mummy Frankincense Myrrhe Mastick of each one ounce and a half first melt your wax and when it is melted put the rest to it The fourth kinde of Experiments are Powders Mummy is excellent to fill an Vlcer with Flesh Take Mummy put it in a glass which can endure the fire or in a pot well closâ—d and set it in a fire which hath three degrees of heat four days then take your glass or pot out of the fire open it let the vapor go out of it and when the Mummy is cooled take it out and make it into a powder Another Take of Mummy and Lin-seed oyl of each alike mix them together and let them stand two days then pour to them as much of the Spirit of wine as they both and let them stand two days then set them over a slow fire till the Wine be consumed and the Mummy is dry when it is cooled make it into powder Another Take Mummy and burn it until the ashes of it begins to change their colour then pour water upon it and let it stand a day then pour off the water carefully so that the grounds do not mix with it take this water and boyl it away that which remains in the bottom make it into powder and keep it for your use There are two Experiments of Amber observed by the ancient Physicians the one is to fill up hollow sores the other is to cure eating sores The first is this Take Amber and dissolve it in some Petroleum afterward dry them and make them into powder The other is this Distil an oyl from Amber pour some of this oyl upon the grounds remaining in the Distillation or upon some fresh Amber and let it dry again then pour some more Oyl and let it dry again and so do oft-times then make it into powder There are also two Experiments of Myrrh for curing foul Vlcers Take Myrrhe and dâ—ssolve it in the oyl of the yolks of eggs then put to them five times so much Wine and let them stand five days then set them over the fire until the Wine be consumed and take the Myrrhe which remains dry and make it to powder Or thus Distil an Oyl from Myrrhe with Tragacanth by descent then coagulate it dry it and make it into powder There is great vertue in Coperas to cure Vlcers if you take from it the corosive faculty which may be done thus Take Coperas burned to a red powder pour upon it Rain-water let it stand two or three hours then pour off the water and set the burnt Coperas over the fire till it be well dryed then pour some more rain-Rain-water upon it and do as before do so five or six times till the burnt Coperas become hard and firm like a stone and is sweet to the taste if you make this into a powder and mix it with some of the Oyntments for Ulcers you may cure therewith Syrons and other Ulcers The Use and several Prepararations of Quick-silver for the French Pox. Quick-silver made into a red powder by the distilled water of eggs being oft-times distilled from the Quick-silver is good both for wounds and Ulcers especially of the bladder which are hardly cured by any other Medicines it cureth also the deep Ulcers of the throat That which is commonly called Precipitate Mercury which is done with aqua fortis cannot cure Ulcers because of its eating faculty which it hath by the aqua fortis But this Precipitate Mercury which is done with the water of Eggs is a singular Medicine for Ulcers especially the Ulcers of the French Pox. The oyl of Quick-silver is an infallible remedy and the onely remedy of the French Pox and of all those Ulcers which accompany the French Pox but because this is hardly attained to therefore in its stead use the red powder of Quick-silver which is next to it in this cure The Oyl is made thus Take of the Quick silver Mine in which the Quick-silver is not yet come to be a perfect Quick-silver twenty pounds beat it and boil it in rain-water until no dross or soil comes to the top then strain it and put the Liquor in a distilling Vessel distil it with a strong fire and you shall have at last come out a most clear Liquor which you shall distil again in Balneo Mariae to take from it all waterishness and you shall have in the bottom of the distilling Vessel an oyl as heavy as Quicksilver Let the Patient take two grains of it at a time with six grains of the oyl of Spike Another way to make the Oyl of Quick-silver Take of Quick-silver and of Tin of each alike melt the Tin and put the Quick-silver to it and work them well together till the Tin become like Quick-silver then put to them as much Sulphur vivum as there is of the Tin and Quick-silver beat it into powder and mix it well with the Tin and Quick silver put them altogether in a disti ling Vessel and distil from them an Oyl as white as milk and as heavy as Quick-silver which is not sharp nor corroding let the Patient take
circulatory Vessel which must be set in Balneo Maria the space of a Moneth then you will finde the Tincture of the Gold mixed with the Spirit of Wine and the Gold powder in the bottom white as silver take out this powder when it is melted it is like Silver separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture in Balneo Mariae you shall have the gold Tincture in the bottom of this distilling Vessel This Tincture you must put in a Circulatory Vessel and circulate it alone some time The Tincture of Red Coralâ— The Tincture of red Corals which is the purest part of the Corals containing all the red colour of the Corals in it It hath such a secret faculty in purging the Blood that he who knoweth the right use of it hath a great secret for the preventing and curing of the Leprosie it will not suffer any Ulcer to breed in the body and it purgeth all the Blood in the Veins most excellently Let the Physician remember this that he should extract Tinctures out of such things which excel in colour for they have the greatest vertue for cleansing the Blood In extracting the Tincture of Corals you must proceed in the same maner as you extract the Tincture of Gold and when you have drawn off the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture then you must distil the Tincture alone sixteen times in the open fire And lastly you must distil it in Balneo Mariae six times that the Tincture may be well purged from all impurities When you use this Tincture take a scruple of it in a dram of Treacle water The Treacle water is made thus Take of the Spirit of Wine five ounces of good Treacle two ounces and a half of red Roman Myrrhe one ounce and two drams of Oriental Saffron two drams put them altogether in a distilling Vessel and distil them The Tincture of the Corals being taken with this water will throughly cure all Fistula's Cancers c. or any Ulcer whatsoever The Tincture of Balsom It falleth out oft-times that Ulcers which have continued a long time or have been badly cured they come to be of the nature of a Leprosie so that they cannot be helped by any Medicine because of their great putrifaction in such a case onely the Tincture of Balsom can do good which onely can cure such kinde of Ulcers and it is the best for all eating of Ulcers The Tincture is extracted thus Take of Balsom an ounce and a half of the Spirit of Wine one pound and a half and two ounces put them into a circulatory Vessel and circulate them the space of a Moneth then put them in a distilling Vessel and distil them Take that which you have distilled and mix with it another half ounce of Balsom and circulate them together some time distil them again then adde another half ounce of Balsom to that which you have distilled and thus you must do four times This Tincture of Balsom hath such a piercing faculty that there is not any part of the body but it will search into it there is not any disease or corruption of the body but it will cure it The Tincture of Antimony Antimony destroyeth all other Metals except Gold It purgeth Gold perfectly and taketh away all its Impurities after the same maner it purgeth the body of man and consumeth all impurities and corruptions in the body being rightly prepared therefore the greatest Chymists and Physicians have labored much in Antimony but in vain before our times and now by my industry it is rightly and fully prepared The Tincture is extracted thus Take Antimony made into fine powder put it in a close Reverberatory the space of a Moneth until it become volatile and it will be first white then clay-coloured then red and at last Purple-coloured then take it out and put it in the Spirit of Wâ—ne so much as it be twenty fingers breadth above the Antimony circulate them together the space of a monâ—th then separate the Spirit of Wine from the Tincture and so you have the precious Tincture of Antimony The Philosophers Salt The Philosophers salt Take of the Salt of Gold the salt of Antimony the salt of Balm of each half an ounce of common salt eight ounces make them into a powder and mix them together The Patient must take a little of these Salts strowed upon a piece of tosted bread every morning Another Take of the Salt of Germander the Salt of Succory the salt of Valerian of each one ounce of the salt of Wormwood two drams of the salt of Coperas one dram of common salt one pound make them into a powder and mix them These Salts the Patient may take with his meat and howbeit the operation of these salts is not so quick as the operation of the Tinctures yet they will undoubtedly root out any Ulcer in the Body whether Cancer Fistula c. The Use of the Tinctures The use of the Tincture of gold Take a dram of this Tincture of Gold and mix it with an ounce of the best Treacle of this mixture let the Patient take one scruple fasting then keep himself warm in his bed till he sweat this will drive out the hurtful humors of the body at the Ulcer by sweating and otherwise so as you may plainly see the operation of this Tincture in the Ulcer it self And when the Ulcer grows dry so that no more humor cometh out of the Ulcer which useth to be at the tenth or twelfth day then you may easily perfect the cure if you keep at the Ulcer a stictick Plaister The use of the Tincture of Corals Take of the Tincture of Corals one ounce and a half and mix it with ten ounces of the water of Germander or the water of Succory Let the Patient take two drams of this mixture five hours before dinner or five hours after Supper the space of six or seven days in the mean time he must use meats of easie digestion and he must drink very little he must take no other drink but the water of Succory or the water of Fumitory so long as he takes of the Tincture And when the humor hath flowed abundantly out of the Ulcer and the Ulcer dryeth and hath no pain then the patient must take no more of the Tincture The use of the Tincture of Balsom The Patient may take the Tincture of Balsom alone five grains of it at a time or he may take it in good old white Wine twice a day after meat and continue it so until the Ulcer be quite dryed up Apply outwardly upon the Ulcer some ordinary stictick Plaister until the cure be perfected The use of the Tincture of Antimony In Vintage time take new Wine and put half an ounce of the Tincture of Antimony to twenty quarts of it and when the Wine is well setled then use it Let the Patient drink of this and no other the space of a moneth and he shall finde wonderful vertue in this drink
wort three ounces of Myrrhe half an ounce of Mummy two ounces make them into a powder and mix them with so much of the oyl of Roses as is sufficient to make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar Pitch hot Oyls Birth-wort Viride aris Arsnick salt Armoniack precipitated Mercury Orpment burnt Allum or any drawing herb XXVIII Swelling of the Veins If a Vein be swelled and this Vein breaks into stinking holes with a putrifaction of the skin and flesh this is a hollow Ulcer At last If not cured it turns to a Saint Antonies fire Cure We must not cure this Aposthume in the same maner as hath been said before in the cure of the swelling of a Vein viz. You must open a Vein c. and when you open the Vein apply this following Plaister Take of Lithargire and red Lead of each half a pound of Sallet Oyl one pound of Wax half a pound adde to them these powders viz. of Orange-skins of Celandine round Birth-wort of each three ounces being all mixed together make them into a Plaister A Caveat You must not apply to this Soar any Corrosive Water or Canteries or drawing Medicines made of Gums for if they be used they will change it to a St. Anthonys Fire XXIX If in men there be Pustules betwixt the shoulders or in the breasts of Women which become hard like Warts they come from the stopping of the Haemorrhoides in men and from the stopping of the Monethly courses in women they grow big sometimes within the skin sometimes without the skin accordingly as the humor floweth to them At last they break out into a running soar which draweth to it the substance of the Body and continueth during life-time Cure First If it be in a man you must bring out the Piles if it be in a Woman you must bring down their courses then you must proceed in the rest of the cure the same way as in Noli me Tangere A Medicine to bring down the Monethly courses in women Take the Liquor of Penny-Royal and of Mugwort of each three ounces of the corrected Spirit of Wine seven ounces the liquor of the milt of an Ox one ounce mix them and take half an ounce of them in a draught of Wine or Beer every morning and evening You may adde to this Composition some Saven-water and some of the oyl made of the grains of Saven A Medicine to bring out the Haemorrhoides Take of clean gum Sagapenum half an ounce of Bdelium and Mastick of each one ounce make them into a Plaister which you must apply to the place of the Haemorrhoides XXX When there is in any place a great pain with redness and a burning heat and afterwards a swelling which breaks into holes and about these holes are small yellow risings shining and burning and it continueth so three or six years but when there is a burning heat with yellow risings and afterwards they turn to a blew or lead colour this shews it to be a most vehement inflammation A Caveat Beware of such Medicines which drive the humor inwards and beware of the Guaick-wood and all such Oyntments and Suffumigations which are used for the Pox. Cure I will first shew you how to cure it when it is beginning before it come to be an Ulcer then I will shew you how to cure it when it is an old Soar when it hath continued twenty years For the first cure Take of Frog-spawn half a pound of Camphire three ounces of Myrrhe and Frankincense of each an ounce put them in a Glass close stopt and set them in the Sun until they turn to be a Liquor in this Liquor dip a linnen cloth which you shall apply to the part pained And when the cloth is dry dip it again in the said Liquor and apply it and do thus so often until the pain be gone For the second cure Take of Turpentine two pounds set it over the fire and boil it a little take it off and let it cool and it will be hard and brittle as glass then take of Oppopanax half a pound dissolve it in a quart of Vinegar then strain the vinegar through a cloth and boil it until it be consumed and onely the Oppopanax remains to which you must adde the Turpentine which you have hardened being beat into powder and three ounces of the red powder of burned Coperas then take so much honey as is necessary to make a Plaister boil it and skim it and mix it with the rest of your Ingredients and so make them into a Plaister which you shall apply to an old Saint Anthonies Fire XXXI When below the Brest there is circle round the body of reddish colour which afterward breaks out into yellow risings and these in a long time after turn to holes with redness burning and pain And at last it inflameth the Diaphragma then death followeth A Caveat Abstain from eating Medicines Gums Pitch fat things and those Oyntments which are used for the Pox. Cure First we must cleanse the Diaphragma with Larks-spur and then apply to the Soar this Plaister Take of Colophony one pound the powder of Celandine and the powder of Orange skins of each four ounces of the best Turpentine so much as is sufficient to make the Plaister XXXII When in the hand there breaks out first Pustles which afterwards turn to a crusty substance and then there follows deep clefts in the flesh At last it spreads over all the body thereafter the crusty substance falleth off and then it ceaseth Caution Abstain from Corrosive or eating Medicines Cantharides Purgations Oyntments Fumigations and the Guaick-wood Cure Take of the four Gums viz. Oppopanax Segapenum Galbanum Bdelium of each one ounce of Colophony two ounces of washed Turpentine four drams set them over the fire that they may be mixed then make a Plaister which must be applyed warm to the chopt hands and let it lie at the hands twelve hours then take it off and wash your hands with clean warm water then apply the Plaister unto it again and let it lie other twelve hours then take off and wash your hands and thus you must do so often until the humor be quite dryed up which useth to be in fifteen days or thereabouts for the four Gums have a peculiar and and admirable cleansing and drying vertue XXXIII The Itch and Scab are so commonly known that I need not describe it Cure Take of Roch Allum one pound of Plum Allum half a pound mix them Another Take of Plum Allum and salt Entals of each alike mix them for the Itch. Another Take Coperas and Allum of each alike mix them XXXIV When many Pustules break out together and being rubbed they issue out a yellowish water then there comes on a hard crusty Scab which falls off again and in its stead comes another And at last it turns to an Ulcer Cure You must not use any Medicines but such as are cooling Take
of Camphire two drams of the juice of Poppy and the juice of Henbane of each one ounce mix them and lay them to the Ulcer to take away the heat of it Then take of the Apostolorum Plaister and the Diaquilon Plaister of each half an ounce of Mummy three ounces of Cerusse or white Lead two drams of Camphire one dram Mix them over the fire and make them into a Plaister which must be applyed to the soar until the Cure be done LIII For Corns in Feet or Hands Caution You must not cut Corns so deep as to cut the quick flesh and you must not use Corrosive Waters to them for in so doing you may cause a dangerous Ulcer to follow Cure Take the Oyl of Juniper Berries and Agarick of each one dram of Ox Gall two drams mix them and lay them to the Corn until the Corn groweth dry and black and begins to moulder away then apply to it the Plaister Oppodeltoch some four or five weeks until the cure be done Another Take Realgare one scruple of the Oyl of the yolks of Eggs half a dram of slacked Lime half a dram mix them and lay them to the Corn and they will make the Corn black and consume it The Oppodeltoch Plaister Take of Colophony two ounces the powder of Celendine and the powder of Orange skins of each half an ounce of the best Turpentine so much as to make them into a plaister LIV. When in any part of the body there is a hard immovable tumor or Excrescency of flesh growing to the Muscles which groweth still bigger and at last makes the member crooked where it is it also weakens the guts causing great windiness in them Caution You must not use the Chyrurgions Instruments to this nor any such Medicines which are used for Aposthumes Cure You must do no more to such tumors or Excrescencies but to hinder their increasing which is done by this Oyntment Take of the Oyl of Myrtles two ounces of the oyl of Nutmeg half an ounce of the marrow of an Ox two drams of Petroleum two ounces and a half Mix them Herewith you shall annoint those places where the Spermatick vessels lie most outwardly the back and thighs once a moneth LV. When there are spots in the skin of the face or elsewhere of a yellow or clay colour c. If they stay constantly in the place or if sometimes they evanish and return again Cure Take of Turnsole and Germander of each three ounces of the best Manna half an ounce of Parmacity and Bay-berries of each ten drams the water of Baulm the water of Vervain the water of Valerian of each five ounces Put your Herbs into the Waters and let them lie in the waters two or three days and when the spots begin to come out upon the skin take three or four ounces of those Waters at a time Observe That Turnsole is a singular good Herb it wonderfully reneweth the blood and flesh A Treatise concerning long Life CHAP. I. All Medicines divided into three sorts according to the threefold Age of Man shewing that each Age must have its own Medicines proper for it SEeing there are Medicines which can preserve the Body of Man for many Ages from Diseases Corruptions and Superfluities or if there be any infirmity or corruption in the Body they can cure it It ought to be the care of every Physician to know them and to know them throughly for there are very many tedious Diseases and many Maladies incident to the Body of Man which are rooted out by these Medicines which prolong life In this discourse of long Life I will first give you the Theory of it and then the practice that you may fully know all that concerns long Life I would not have any to doubt of this that life may be prolonged for these two Reasons 1. Because it doth not appear that there is any certain day or hour of any mans death 2 Because we have Medicine prepared for us by him who hath created us both to preserve us from Diseases and to drive out Diseases Hence we may conclude that neither Diseases bring Death neither is Death the cause of Diseases nay Death and Diseases agree no better then fire and water A natural Disease hates Death as every part of the living Body hates Death I intend in this discourse to speak to those of my own way who by great skill and daily experience have searched into and do know the propertieâ— and natures of things which are hid and unknown to presumptuous and titular Doctors And I do affirm this as a most certain truth That the Body may be restored changed to the better yea wholly renewed As it is to be plainly seen in Metals which may be so purified that they shall be afterwards free from any rust so likewise dead Bodâ—es if they be embalmed do not putrifie afterwards Some perhaps may dislike my Writings because they are short and because of those Examples which I use but my Writings are not therefore to be slighted seeing I use onely the examples of such things which are or may be done by Nature as in this comparison of Mettals with the Body of Man I know that there is great difference betwixt these two yet they are both preserved one way as experience teacheth If a dead Body can be preserved by Balsom from putrefaction or decay how much more may a living Body be so preserved Now there are three parts of Mans Age viz. yong Age middle Age and old Age and each of these must have such Medicines for prolonging life as are proper and suitable to them therefore there must be also three kindes of Medicines for the conservation of Life according to these three Ages We may likewise say that there are three parts in long life according to those three parts of mans Age for many might die in their Infancy many in their middle age c. if their life were not prolonged by the help of Medicines We cannot have any certainty that an Infant or a strong yong man shall outlive a weak old man No part of mans age hath any certain time of death appointed to it the Infant in the Mothers Womb may have many things befal it which may be the cause of great weakness in the childe or incline the childe to diseases and that Infant which is very weak when it is born the strength of Nature is abated and lessened in it as it is in old age And therefore those Medicines which are the helps of long life must be given to this Infant anointing the Nurses breast therewith which the childe doth suck c. as you shall hear more at large afterwards in the practice of long life For by these Medicines of long life the strength of Nature is increased and life prolonged after the same maner in an Infant as it is in old age Or if a yong man runs into so great excess of Drinking or Venery c. that thereby