will never suffer it to close up till it be perfectly healed Take Galbanum Opoponax ana two ounces Ammoniac Bdellium ana one ounce Steep them in vinegar eight or fourteen days the longer the better then strein them and inspissate them to the thickness of hony Then take Litharge pulverised one pound let it boyle gently over a small fire in two pints of olive oyle moving it all the while with a little stick till it come to be of a bay colour Then remove it from the fire and by and by add of wax one pound stir it till it melt then put in the foresaid gumms and mix them well when they are all mixed add oyle of Lawrell three ounces and then mix it well together Then taking it quite from the fire add these following pouders Take of Crocus Martis munrie of the magnet majisterie of red and white coral ana half an ounce Lapis calaminaris red myrrh male Frankincence mastick and round Aristolochia ana two ounces powder all these into a most subtil powder and mix them by little and little This 〈…〉 done add of oyle of Amber which comes forth last in the distillation and is called balsome of Amber one dram then put it on again and stir it very well over agentle fire then when it is a little cool make it up into rolls for your use CHAP. XX. Instructions to put in practise the several ways of curing the French disease before rehearsed ACcording to each particular aforesaid of curing the French disease there are diverse dayly cured Yet would we not advise any to undertake the cure of this disease by any of these ways indifferently without respect had to the patients constitution age course of life and all other circumstances whatsoever After he hath observed the several ways of curing this disease which I have here set down let him satisfy himself inwardly upon what accompt each particular way is most suitable to such a particular constitution As for example for effeminate persons and those which are of a more delicate temper there is a balsome prescribed in the twelveth Chapter Now why should these be cured by this way rather then by any other The reason is because there is something or other in all the other ways of curing this disease which might prove destructive to a tender habit of body The decoction mentioned in the first Chapter would dry them too much and be apt to breed a schyrrhus in some of the inward parts as the liver the spleen the pancreas salivation which is another way of curing would presently consume them Wherefore if this safe and easy way will perform the cure why should we put the patient to the trouble and inconvenience of any other as fluxing sweating or the like To which I answer that although this way doth cure it in those that are of a tender habit yet it will not be effectual to those of a stonger constitution Thus a prune or an apple will move some persons when as others shall not be moved with an ounce of Manna or two ounces of syrrup of Roses so great is the diversity of constitutions When the practitioner is fully satisfied in reason why each particular way of cure is most conducible to such a particular temperament let him observe whether there be not a complication or mixture of symptoms in the patient that is whereas I have set down after each particular cure that such a way is proper for effeminate persons and another way proper for those that have extream paines whether the person be not only an effeminate person and troubled also with nocturnal pains with some other symptoms set down severally in other chapters and if there be let him so compound these particular ways of cure that they may be most agreeable to the complication of the patients symptoms as for example suppose I had a patient of a strong constitution having nocturnal pains both in his head and other parts and pustles in his face and outward parts I would use the decoction in the seventh chapter but yet I would borrow the pill mentioned in the fourtenth chapter which I would give him instead of that draught of the decoction which he should take every night when he goes to bed and besides that I would use unto him first the water for his pustles set down in the eight chapter If I had a patient of an indifferent hot temper who had extream pains sometimes in his head but not very often as perhaps once in fortnight or three weeks I would first flux him according to the method set down in the ninth Chapter and after his fluxing I would give him the decoctions mentioned in the seventh chapter for the space of ten days By which instances it is plain how little difficulty there is in contriving a fit remedy for this disease in each particular constitution CHAP. XXI Of the Cure of the Gonorrhea called the Running of the Reines THE simple Gonorrhea though the symptomes thereof be nothing neer so dangerous as are those of the pox yet if the patient either through negligence or bashfulness doe neglect the timely cure it will certainly in a short time turn to the pox and therefore the remedy thereof is suddainly to be sought We need not set down the symptome of this disease for it easily betrayes it self and therefore we shall proceed to the cure The method of the first way of curing this disease is as follows Take guaiacum four ounces Senna two ounces anniseeds and liquorice ana one ounce lignum neptneticum half an ounce boyl them over night in three quarts of water until half be wasted then put into it three dramms of Agarick Let the ingredients continue in the liquor all night in the morning strein away the ingredients and mix with the streined liquor four ounces of syrrup of Roses solutive keep it in a cool place for your use Let the patient drink of this Apozeme every morning five ounces fasting so long as it lasts The third day after he hath taken all his Apozeme give him this following potion Take plantain water four ounces Venice Turpentine wash'd in red rose water half an ounce and the yolk of an egg First incorporate the yolk of the egg with the turpentine in a little mortar then mix the plantain water by little and a little by degrees The third day after he hath taken this Potion take these following pills Take of Aloes Rosat half an ounce Agarick trochiscated two dramms Coloptony two scruples Mastick half a dram saffron twenty grains syrrup of damask roses as much as suffices make them into a mass according to art Let him take two scruples of this mass made into five pills every third morning for three weeks together This is most convenient for those which are of a cold constitution CHAP. XX. The second way of curing the running of the reines TAke China and Sarsaperilla ana an ounce and a half Redsage a small handfull
the particular cure Those which are of mixed temperaments must be dealt with all according to the prudence of the Physician which is greatly to be required as well in the Cure of this Disease as of any other Yet this give us leave to set down that where you find mixt humours there you must apply your self to the giving of such things as are prepared for the cleansing away of mixt humours As for example Pilulae Mastichinae containing Agarick doe forcibly purge away gross choler and flegme which are made this Take Mastick half an ounce Aloes one ounce Agarick Trochiscate and powder of Hiera simplex ana three drammes and a half incorporate them with Malmsey take three pills at a time going to bed eating no supper The Pills sine quibus esse nolo doe draw choler flegm and melancholy out of all parts of the body They are to be taken in a morning fasting keeping your self warm by reason of the scammony which is in them Thus with such Receipts as these are of which there are many more when you find the mixt humours sufficienly prepared proceed to the particular cure of the disease CHAP. VI. Of the dyet used in the cure of this disease THE dyet of your patient must be always drying as to the quality and very slender as to the quantity The use of bisket is no way to be discommended for it suffers the meat taken after it to moisten so much as otherwise it would His meat must be rosted and of the very best as Mutton Chickens Partriches Rabbetts c. only when he purges you may permit him to have his meat boyled and when his strength begins to come you may permit him to eate some bread and raisins His drink must be very small and indeed if he could keep himself to the decoctions which belong to the cure of the distemper it would doe much better CHAP. VII The first way of curing the French disease TAke of this following decoction of the Wood Guaiacum half a pound the bark of Guaiacum four ounces Sassaphras an ounce boyle them over night in three Gallons of water in an Iron pot close covered and let them infuse all night In the morning boyle them again with raisins stoned half a pound China Sarsaperill and Liquorice of each two ounces Let them continue boyling over a gentle fire untill the liquor be half wasted then take it off from the fire and when it is cold strain away the liquor from the ingredients and put it up in stone bottles and keep it in a cellar or cool place for your use Take of this decoction a quarter of a pint in a morning fasting at four in the afternoon and at night to bedward for the space of forty days together and every time let him sweat moderately after it Then let him use this following decoction at meals in stead of beer Put a gallon and a half of water to the ingredients that were left of the first decoction and boyle them a little then take it from the fire and keep the liquor together with the ingredients in an Earthen vessel two or three days in the mean time drinking of it as aforesaid then put away the ingredients from the liquor and keep it by it self This first way of curing the French disease is very safe for any whatsoever but it agrees best with ancient people such as are Rheumatick and of a Phlegmatick constitution It is moreover an apt cure for the Dropsie the Gout the Scurvy Quartain Agues Convulsions the Epilepsie all manner of pains in the head the Kings evil and the Palsey CHAP. VIII Of chusing your Guaicum and China HAving so often made mention of Guaiacum and China and finding them so necessary ingredients in the cure of this disease and that their goodness or badness doth much conduce either to retard or hasten the cure we have thought fit to set down some few signes whereby to know which is good and which is naught In choosing this wood you are to consider the time of the year for in a cold season as in the winter you are to use the hotter sharper and bitterer sort which is easily judg'd by the sense in the summer that which is least sharp or bitter either of an old or young tree Now the marks whereby you shall discern the best from the other are these First the old wood is very big and hath a gross and thick rind which so cleaves to the wood that you can hardly separate it with a knife for as often as you see the bark come easily from the wood it shews that it hath bin moystened with salt water and it is of the worst sort in the second place if you rasp a little of this wood and find no smel to come from it you may conclude that it is either very old or else corrupt The third sign to choose this wood by is that if in rasping it appeareth very oyly so that you perceive the dust thereof to glister Fourthly tast of that dust and if it bite your tongue immediately and afterwards yeildeth a bitterness it is very good Fiftly if there appear in the substance manifest pores and holes and that the place where it is rasped appear not very smooth and equal 't is not good Sixthly you must choose it very ponderous and heavy The last proof thereof is to boyle the raspings and if the decoction be thick very bitter and sharp it is very good The signes of the goodness of the rind are these If it be taken from a tree which is old or of a middle age for that which cometh from smal boughs is naught now that which cometh from an old tree or a tree of a middle age hath great peices and large cavities Secondly let the rind be very thick and hard Thirdly let the rind be somewhat black sprinkled with an ash-colour for this is the colour of the most excellent bark The best China is that which is rough in colour not ponderous nor worm-eaten nor corrupted though of the two they which be worm-eaten are the better of the two For the spongious rootes soon putrifie and give little strength to the decoction CHAP. IX Of the Second way of curing the French disease THis is by salivation or fluxing To which purpose let the patient anoynt the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet with this following unguent untill he begin to spit Take of Quicksilver one ounce and put it into a little mortar with four or five spoon-fulls of vinegar and stir them together in the mortar with a pestle until the quick-silver be divided into small particles less then pins heads then poure away the vinegar and put into the mortar to the Quicksilver Venice Turpentine and Hoggs seam of each an ounce stir them together with the pestle until the quicksilver be incorporated into them then mix with it Unguentum Neruinum two ounces and keep it in a coole place for your use
Saffron a scruple Juyce of Camomil as much as suffices make them into a mass according to art Of this following mass make a pill consisting of ten grains and let the patient take one every night when he goes to bed for forty nights together let him be composed to a good moderate sweat by laying on good store of cloathes upon him in the mean time let him drink nothing but spring water both at meals and at other times This is most agreeable to them that have extreme nocturnal pains and have scarce any other symptomes as swellings pustules c. CHAP. XV. The eight way of curing the French disease MAke the Patient an Issue in his right arm and another in his lest leg then give him five spoonfulls of this following Apozeme every morning fasting and as much at four in the afternoon so long as it shall last The Apozeme Take of the Shavings of Tin two ounces of the juice of Rue six ounces of the juice of Garleek four ounces Venice-Treacle an ounce and a half Muskadel fix pintes boyle them altogether in an earthen-vessel close cover'd over a gentle fire until half be wasted This way is most sutable for those that are much extenuated and weakened by reason of the long continuance of the disease CHAP. XVI The ninth way of curing the French disease TO these eight waies before rehearsed we shall adde a ninth which is called the Chimical way of curing the French disease Take powder of Mastick one scruple Mercurius dulcis three grains make thereof little tablets with Honey which the Patient is to chew in his mouth for eight hours when the flux is raised you must omit purgations and take care against the excoriation of the tongue mouth and gums which is easily avoided by a gargarism made only of salt and water with which being luke warm the mouth is often to be wash'd all this while the patient must eate nothing but thin though nourishing broths The salivation perfected Take of the red spirit of Mercurie as Hartman easily prepares it and put two drops thereof in a small draught of persicaria water of peaches This causes moderate sweats and thereby cleanses the body from any infection which the Mercury could leave behind it wholly extirpates the disease So that in three or four times taking you shall see the pustles shale of themselves the tumours asswage and if there be any faetid ulcers they presently dry up and heal There is no pox saith Hartman so obstinate but it yeilds to this medicament so that the patient have strength to endure the sweatings which he is to undergoe CHAP. XVII The second Chymicall way of curing the French disease FIrst purge with confectio Hamech or Diacarthamum after purgation if the party be plethorick let blood otherwise not This done make this following oyntment Tage of Hogs seam one pound without any salt in it and very new Mercurii vivi kill'd in juice of Limons or Turpentine water which is better with this oyntment anoynt the knees and legs of the patient before and if the disease be vehement the spine of the back also after that let him sweat gently in his bed with hot bottles if he sweat not easily after the three first dayes whereas before you anointed him only in the morning anoint him twice a day viz. in the morning and three hours after dinner when the flux is raised cease oynting and let him be kept in a warm bed while the flux lasts but if it continue above eight or nine dayes use then astringent gargarismes made of Pilosella Myrtles Centinody orange flowers and mel rosarum use the said gargarisme also when the flux ceases to clense the teeth and gums or mingle salt water with the decoction of Guiacum and wash the mouth therewith While the flux lasts let him use onely for his drink the second decoction of Guaiacum as shall be set down When the flux hath ceas'd let him eate rost meats altogether and let him twice a day take this following decoction Take of the shavings of Lignum Sanctum one pound of the bark of the same four ounces infuse them in twelve pints of water for the space of twenty four hours then boyle it to the consumption of the eight part strain it and let him take four ounces at a time Then take the residue and put to it other twelve pints of water and let it boyle gently to this you may add a little Cinamon liquorice and raisins of the sun and this is that which as we said before he must use instead of drink Every sixt day purge him with confection Hamech or Diacarthamum or confectio de Citro and be sure that all the time of the cure he abstain from salt and salt meats CHAP. XVIII Of curing the pustles coming of the French disease TAke Sage Rue nightshade and red rose leaves of each a handful Guaiacum two ounces Orpiment half an ounce Quicksilver two dramms boyle them all together in two quarts of spring water in an earthen vessel close cover'd over a gentle fire until half be wasted Streine away the ingredients and put the liquor into a stone bottle and put to it two drams of Chalcantum Romanum dawb the pustule with this liquor with a linnen cloth twice a day Another way to cure the said pustules Take Quicksilver four ounces silver two ounces dissolve them apart in aqua fortis then being dissolved mix them together and by a retort in the sand distill a water out of them That Liquor distill again in Balneo till you can perceive no more to come from the still this water keep for your use dip a small feather therein and with it wipe over the pustules one by one every day once and they will presently look black and dye if they fall nor off in four days cease to use the water and anoynt them with a little Fresh butter which will cause them to fall off When they are fallen off Take a little Saccharum Saturni and dissolve it in rose water and wet the place whence the scabbs or pustules fell off and it will take both the scar and the redness or Take of the rust of brass one part Salt peter two parts mingle them together and put them in a dish and with a peice of paper lighted set them on fire when it hath don flaming take that which remains and put it into the bladder of ahog then tye it up close and put the bladder into cold water and that within will presently dissolve then strein it through a piece of silk and keep it for the same purpose to be used as before CHAP. XIX To cure a Bubo TAke a Diaculum plaister and moisten it with vinegar and lay it on the swelling and as the swelling rises lay on another every day twice aday to soften the tumour when it is full ripe open it with a pen knif and press out the matter Then apply to it this following plaister which