THE
Charitable Peſtmaſter,
Or,
The cure of the
PLAGUE,

Chap. 1.

1. What are the cauſes of the Peſtilence. 2. How they are avoided. 3. Means to preſerve the body from Infection.

There are divers cauſes of this diſeaſe. The firſt is ſin, which ought to be repented of. The ſecond an infected and corrupted air, which ſhould be avoided. The third an evill diet, which ſhould be amended. The fourth are evill humours heaped together in the body, being apt to putrifie, and beget a Fever, which muſt be taken away by convenient medicines.

Therefore whoſoever would preſerve their bodies from infection, let them firſt make their peace with God, in whoſe hand is the power of life and death. Then let them uſe the meanes, and ſhun all thoſe things that are able to beget this diſeaſe, as all infected and corrupted aire, all fogges and miſts that do ariſe from the earth or water, and all ſtinking ſmels that do ariſe from dunghills, ſinks, graves, carrion, ſnuffs of candles, or rotten fruits, or any thing elſe that doth putrifie and ſtink. Abſtain from all meats and drinks that beget rottenneſſe and filthineſſe in [2] the body (& ſo conſequently a Fever or the Plague) as exceſſive eating of fruits, eſpecially thoſe that are unripe. Alſo forbear all ſorts of fiſh that have neither ſcales nor ſhels, as Eels, Lampreys, and the like. Laſtly, take heed of over-charging the ſtomacke with meats, or drinks, or hot Wines; but eſpecially your unripe medium Wines.

If any ſhall find themſelves oppreſſed with groſs & corrupt humors, ſo that they are in danger of this diſeaſe they ſhall be cleanſed, by taking one ounce and half, or two ounces, of the infuſion Crocus metallorum, (which is to be bought at every Apothecaries) & put to it Oximel half an ounce, this ſhall give them five or ſix vomits, and almoſt as many ſtooles. And after every vomit, let them drinke ſome warme poſſet drinke; ſo let them keepe themſelves warme that day: one houre after it hath done working let them eat a meſſe of warm broth made with a neck of Mutton, or with ſuch freſh meat as the ſick are beſt able to buy; of which meat let them eat ſparingly for the preſent. Thoſe that are ſo tender or weakly that they cannot brook this vomit, they may be very well purged from corrupt humours, by taking one or two drams of pilulæ Peſtilentiales: But the poorer ſort that cannot goe to this charge, may take inſtead thereof Aloes one dram in the pap of an Apple, ſtewed Prunes, or elſe in a little Ale or Beere. This pill, and this Aloes, are excellent remedies for women and children, and they are ſo ſafe that women with child may take them. After the bodie is purged, it ſhall be neceſſary to draw ſix or eight ounces of bloud from the liver or middle vein of the arme, if the partie be able to ſuſtain the loſſe of it.

[3]
Such as have lived temperatly and ſparingly, and ſo conſequently are not oppreſſed with corrupted humours, ſuch ſhall not need any the aforeſaid evacuations or purgations; but let them ſhun, as much as they can, all infectious and corrupted aire: But ſeeing it is a thing almoſt impoſsible in the Citie of London; therefore they that are timorous and fearefull may carry about them the roots of Enula campana, and Angelica, dried or candied, of which they may bite now and then. Alſo the waters of Scabios, Angelica, or Pimpernell, are great preſervations for children againſt the Plague, if two ſpoonfuls thereof be taken in a morning faſting.

Chap. 2.

1 By what ſignes you may know whether the ſick be infected with the Peſtilence. 2 How thoſe ſignes doe encreaſe or decreaſe every day; 3 Whether life or death be likely to enſue; 4 A caveat not to tamper with thoſe that begin to amend of themſelves.

Thoſe that are infected with the Peſtilence, in the beginning or firſt day thereof, are taken with an extraordinary cold outwardly, and a burning heate inwardly, a great paine and girding about the ſtomacke, a ſluggiſhneſſe and drouſineſſe of the whole body, a loſſe of appetite, a bitterneſſe in the throat, with a deſire to vomit, & ſometimes they do vomit.

The diſeaſe continuing unto the ſecond and third day, the heate breaketh outwardly, ſtronger, and ſtronger, ſo that there followeth a great paine in the [4] head, and a difficulty of breathing, ſuperfluous ſleeps, and ſometimes ſuperfluous watchings, they grow frantike and light-headed, and they looke very ſtaringly: And if there doth any ſwelling appear under the eares, armes, cheeks, or groines, and that theſe ſignes aforenamed doe begin to ceaſe, Then ſhall the ſick recover immediatly without any medicine, onely give him a plaſter or pulteſſe to ripen the tumour, which muſt be applyed the next day after the ſwelling appeareth; but give him nothing inwardly, except it be a warme Caudle, or Ale-brue, or Broth; for if you give him a vomit or purge, you ſhall ſtrike the ſwelling into the noble parts, and the ſick ſhall be in danger of his life: and if you let him bloud, you ſhall draw the venemous humour from the Soare into the veins, and diſperſe it with the bloud through the whole body, and thereby deſtroy the health of the patient, and ſhorten his life; as it came to paſſe with a good friend of mine. Alſo if you give him any medicine to provoke ſweat, you ſhall reſtore the Fever again, and ſo the ſicke ſhall die without redemption; yea, and more miſerably, then thoſe that never amended, unleſſe God be more mercifull unto him; whereof I have had a ſorrowfull experience.

Therefore bee carefull that you doe not tamper with thoſe that do begin to amend: for thoſe very Medicines that are excellently available againſt any Fevers in the beginning or encreaſe of them, being given in the declination or recovery, will bring the patient into a Relapſe, which is worſe then the former diſeaſe, and which ſhall greatly endanger life. For how many have died by the unſeaſonable taking of Treacle, Mithridate, and other good Medicines? [5] Wherefore I have often ſaid, that a skilfull Phyſician by watching his time ſhall doe more with a cup of warme drinke in the cure of the Plague, or any Fever, then the ignorant ſhall do with all the excellent Medicines that are in the Apothecaries Shop.

Now if the riſing doe appear, & that the ſymptoms or ſignes aforenamed doe not begin to ceaſe, but rather encreaſe, Then ſhortly after there will appeare ſome blains or ſpots, & ſo death enſueth, unleſſe you draw ten or twelve ounces of bloud (according to the ſtrength of the ſick) from the liver or middle vein of the arme, on that ſide where the riſing is.

But if ſo be that the ſickneſſe continueth unto the third and fourth day, and the ſymptomes remaine in their full vigour, then ſhortly will the ſpots come forth; and then I know no medicine that can deliver from death, except God be more mercifull to the ſick: But only on the third day before the ſpots appear it ſhall be greatly available to give him one of the cordial ſweats preſcribed in the enſuing Chapter.

Chap. 3.

1 Here are preſcribed certain approved remedies for the cure of the Peſtilence, 2 The order and manner how to uſe them.

Whoſoever ſhal perceive their bodies infected with the Plague, let them take on the firſt day of the ſickneſſe the vomit, in that order and manner as it is laid down in the firſt Chapter. And after it hath done working with them, they ſhal find [6] themſelves as well as ever they were in their lives: for it clenſeth the ſtomack and bowels from al corrupt humours, which is one of the chiefeſt cauſes of the ſicknes. But if the ſick be weak and cannot bear a vomit, it ſhall be good to give him one dram of the foreſaid pillulæ peſtilentiales, or inſtead thereof one dram of Aloes, you may give it either in pill or in potion, according as the ſick can beſt take it, and in the working of it let him drink ſome warm broth.

But if it be ſo, that this courſe hath been neglected the firſt day, or beyond the time of 24 houres, it will bee in vaine to uſe it the ſecond day: Yea, it will bee dangerous, ſeeing that the infection is diſperſed by the bloud throughout all the Veines of the bodie. Therefore on the ſecond day of Viſitation it ſhall bee good to draw from the Median Veine of the arme ſo much bloud as the patient can endure to bleed: and if the ſicke hath not gone to the ſtoole during the time of his ſickneſſe, you ſhall give him either before or after bleeding this Clyſter. Take of Beets, Violet leaves, Burrage, Bugloſſe, Scabios, of each one handfull, French barley one ounce; boyle all theſe in a ſufficient quantitie of water untill it be halfe conſumed, then ſtrain it, and take three quarters of a pint of the decoction, and put to it of the Electuary of Hierapicra five or ſixe drams, oile of Rue one dram, red Sugar one ounce, the yolk of an egge, and a little ſalt; ſo make you a Clyſter thereof and adminiſter it bloud warme. Alſo you may adminiſter to the ſick this Clyſter. Boyle an handfull of Rue in a pint of poſſet drinke, and put to it a piece of ſweet butter, a little honey, the yolke of an egge, and a thimble full of ſalt; make a clyſter and adminiſter it bloud warme.

But if that the ſick amend not upon this courſe [7] taken the ſecond day, or that this means hath not been uſed, but that hee continued ſick untill the third and fourth day, ſo that the infection hath taken hold of the vitall ſpirits, Then keeping him warme in his bed, you ſhall uſe this Cordiall to ſweat with all. Take of the water of Scabios, Burrage, Bugloſſe, and Angelica, of each halfe an ounce, the Electuary of egges two ſcruples, or one dram, of Bole Armoniak one ſcruple, Syrrup of Roſes halfe an ounce, make it into a potion, and let the ſick drink it up at once or twice: two or three ſpoonfuls hereof is ſufficient for a child. Or the poorer ſort may take two peny-worth of Treacle or Mithridate, in a quarter of a pint of Dragon water. With either of theſe Medicines you may ſweat the ſick, untill ſome tumour doth appeare, or that he commeth to know himſelfe amended. For this is the laſt medicinall refuge we have in the cure of the Plague. If you can, keep the ſick from drinking and ſleeping for the ſpace of three houres untill the medicine hath done working. But if you cannot, let the patient drinke a little Limon poſſet, made with ſome Marigold flowers, and Harts horn.

And if ſignes of amendment doe appeare, doe not take him out of his bed, or let him coole ſuddenly: But let him ſweat on gently of his own accord, for it is natures ſweat following the medicine, which will doe him more good than a Kingdome. In this laſt ſweat you may give him ſome Caudle or Alebrue: & when the ſweats begin to ceaſe of themſelves, & his skin grows dry and warme, then let him ſit up by a good fire; Aire his cloathes, and ſo let him give God thanks for his life.

Adde, if any tumour appeare you may ripen it [8] with this Emplaſter. Take ſix figs, raiſins of the Sun ſtoned half an ounce, ſalt two drams, honey one ounce, beat them all together, and heat it well with ſome oile of Camomill upon the fire, ſo ſpread it upon ſome cloth, and lay it warm to the tumour, ſhifting it every twelve houres untill it look with a white head: and when it is ripe, if it be difficult to break, lay to it ſome Gooſe dung made warme with ſome ſweet butter or ſallet oile; alſo the root of a white Lilly roſted, with ſome ſorrell, to which put a piece of ſweet butter, & apply it very warm to the ſoare, But if it will not break with this means, then you muſt open it with a penknife or lancet; elſe the corruption will rot the fleſh, even to the very bone, and when you have opened it, ſqueeze out the corruption with your hands, and put into the ſoare, a tent made with unguentum baſilicon, or Ægyptiacum, & mel roſarum, and lay upon the tent a plaſter made with Diachilon: Continue your tents untill all the corruption be drawn out, then the plaſter of Diachilon will cure it perfectly.

If any that are ancient or weak ſhall be infected with the Peſtilence, it ſhall not be neceſſary to give them any purge, vomit, or ſweat, or to let them bloud; becauſe they cannot beare the loſſe of ſo many ſpirits as are ſpent by ſuch evacuations. Therefore you may lay upon the pit of the ſtomack of the ſicke a young live puppy, and if the ſick can but ſleep the ſpace of three or foure houres, they ſhall recover preſently, and the dog ſhall die of the Plague. This I have known approved; and I do believe that it will be a cure for all leane, ſpare, and weake bodies both yong and old: provided, that the dog be yonger then the ſick.