*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 62182 *** Good Councell against the plague. Shewing sundry present preseruatiues for the same, by wholsome fumes, drinks, vomits, and other inward receits: as also, the perfect cure (by implaysture) of any that are therewith infected. _Nowe necessary to be obserued of euery Housholder, to auoyde the infection, lately begun in some places of this Cittie._ Written by a learned Phisition, for the health of his Countrey. [Illustration: Decorative block] AT LONDON, Printed by Iohn Charlwood, for Thomas Nelson. 1592. [Illustration: Deorative border] _To the Reader._ {F}or as much as the force and enfection of the ordenarye disease, called the Plague or pestilence, hath heeretofore beene too well knowne and felt, in sundry places of this Realme: and considering, that it hath of late begun to increase in sundry chiefe citties & populous places; I thought it good to publish to you in time, sundry preseruatiues against the said disease, the better to defend those that are in health, from the infection of the diseased. And also to cure those that are any way infected, grieued, or troubled with the same. _A_nd to this I was imboldned, the rather for that it was written by a very learned and approoued Phisition, of our time, who desireth more the health of hys Countrey, than by discocouering his name, seeme vaine-glorious to the world. _A_ccept this same I pray you in good part, and thanke God for the Phisitions paynes, who hath his desire, if it may doe but that which hee wisheth: namely to expell sicknes, and encrease health to this Land. Which God for his mercie sake, prosper and preserue from all plagues and daungers, for euermore. _Amen._ THESE THINGES _OVGHT DUELIE TO_ be looked into. _Viz._ {T}o keepe your houses, streetes, yardes, backsides, sinckes, and kennels, sweete and cleane from all standing puddles, which engender stincking sauors, that may be noysome, or breede infection: nor suffer no dogges to come running into your houses, neither keepe any, except it bee backward, in some place of open ayre: for they are very daungerous, & not sufferable in time of sicknes, by reason they runne from place to place, & from one house to an other, feeding vppon the vncleanest things that are cast forth into the streetes and are a most apt cattell to take infection of any sicknes, and then to bring it into the house. For ayring your Roomes. Ayer your seuerall roomes with Charcole fiers, made in stone pans or Chafingdishes, and not in Chimneys: set your pans in the middle of the roomes: ayer euery roome once a weeke (at the least) and put into your fyre a little quantitie of _Francomsence_, _Iuniper_, dryed _Rosemary_, or of _Bay-leaues_. A Fume of great experience. Take _Rosemary_, and put it into stronge _Vineger_, steepe it in a Bason or bowle, heat foure or fiue _Flint stones_ red hot, and cast them into the _Vineger_, and so let the fume assend into the middle of euery roome. An other. Ayer your apparel in the same sort, and with the same fume: and beare in your hands, some handkercher, Spunge, or Cloth, wetted in the iuyce of _VVorme-wood_, _Hearbegrace_, and red _Rose-vineger_, mixt together. To smell to. The roote of _Enula Campna_, steeped in _Vineger_, and lapped in a handkercher, is a speciall thing to smell vnto, if you come where the sicknes is. An other. _Hearbegrace_, & _VVormewood_ steeped in _Vineger_, in some pewter peece, close stopt, is to be vsed in like sort. To tast or chewe in the mouth. The Roote of _Angelica_, _Setwall_, _Gencian_, _Valerian_, or _Sinamond_, is a speciall preseruatiue against the plague, being chewed in the mouth. To eate. Eate _Sorrell_, steeped in _Vineger_, in the morning fasting, with a little bread and butter, Sorrell sauce, is also very wholesome against the same. An other. Take the kernell of a _VVallnut_, mince it with three or foure leaues of _Hearbe-grace_, and a corne or two of _Salt_: then put it into a Figge, warme it and eate it fasting: fast three howers after, and take it twice a weeke. A speciall thing to eate, found very comfortable. Take strong red _Rose-vineger_, sprinkle it vpon a toste of white breade, spreade Butter thereon, and then cast the powder _Cinamond_ vpon it, and eate it fasting: or eate bread and butter with _Hearbgrace_. An other. Giue to the diseased for their ordinary foode, some broth made with a necke of Mutton: boyled with a good quantitie of _Burridge_, _Sorrell_, and _Buglosse_. To comfort the stomacke. Aleberryes are very comfortable, made with _Cloues_, _Maces_, _Nutmegs_, _Saundrrs_, _Gynney graines_, and such like. To drinke. Take _Rue_, _VVorme-wood_, and _Scabias_, steepe it in Ale a whole night, and drinke it fasting euery morning. An other. Take the water of _Carduus benedictus_, or _Angelica_, mixe it with _Methridatum_. An other. The roote of _Enula Campana_, beaten to powder, is a speciall remedy against the plague, being drunk fasting. An other. Drinke the powder of _Turmentill_, in _Sorrell_ or _Scabias water_. An other. If any feele themselues already enfected, take _Angelica-water_, mixt with _Methridatum_, drink it off, then goe to bed and sweat thereon. An other to drinke. Take a spoonefull of _Bay berries_, and huske them before they be dry, beate them to powder, and drink it in good stale Ale or Beere, or in white wine: then sweat vpon it, and forbeare to sleepe. To procure sweate. Take Posset-ale sodden with _Sorell_, & _Burridge_, mixt with _Triacle_ of _Diatesserom_, and get you to your naked bed. A speciall preseruatiue against the Plague. Take the roote of great _Valerian_, a quarter of an ounce: of _Sorrell_, a handfull: an ounce of the roote of _Butter-bur_: boyle them in running water, from a quart to a pint, put two spoonefulls of _Vineger_ to it, and let the patient Drinke it so hot as he may, & then sweat vpon it. An other speciall preseruatiue. Take an Egge, make a hole in the top of it, take out the white & the yolke, and fill the shell only with _Saffron_, rost the shell and _Saffron_ together, in embers of Charcoales, vntill the shell waxe yellowe: then beat shell and all together in a Morter, with halfe a spoonefull of Mustard-seede: nowe so soone as any suspicion is had of infection, dissolue the weight of a french Crowne, in ten spoonfuls of posset-ale, drink it luke warme, & sweat vpon it in your naked bed. An other preseruatiue to be distilled. Take halfe a hundreth greene _VValnuts_, as they hange greene on the tree, & a pound of þ inner barke of _Ash_ tree: then take _Petimorrell_, _Housleeke_, _Scabias_, & _Veruyn_, of each a handfull, _Saffron_ halfe an ounce, and mince all these smal together: then put a pottle of the strongest _Vineger_ on them, boyle them ouer a soft fyer in a close pot, & after distill them in a Limbecke: keepe the distilled water, & giue the patient two ounces to drink therof, 4. times in xxiiii. howers, when he is in his naked bed, & let him bee prouoked to sweat, and he shall find great ease therby. If the patient be bound in the body. Take a suppository made with a little boyled Hunny, and a little powder of Salt: let this be put vp at the fundament with a little butter, vntill it moue him to the stoole. Drinke for ordenary dyet. So neere as you can, let the Patients ordenary drinke be good small Ale, of eyght dayes olde. For vomitting. Uomitting is better than bleeding in this case, and therfore prouoke to vomit so neere as you can. To prouoke vomit. Take three leaues of _Eastrabecca_, stampe it, and drinke it in Rennish Wine, Ale, or posset Ale. An other. A little quantitie of white _Helibor_, grated and drunke in the like sort, procureth vomyt. A speciall vomit. Take two ounces of Dyle of _VValnuts_, a spoonefull of the iuyce of _Celandyne_, and halfe a spoonefull of the iuyce of _Reddith-rootes_: Let not the partie sleepe for two howers after, and in so dooing it is better than any purging. For Purging. If the partie be full of grosse humours, let hym blood immediatly vpon the right arme, on the lyuer veyne, or on the median veyne, in the same arme: so as no sore appeare the first day. A very wholsome purge. Put into the pap of an Apple, a sixpenny weight of _Alloes_, and so take it: or the pyls of _Rufus_. A very wholesome water to be distilled. Steepe _Sorrell_ in _Vineger_, xxiiij. howers, then take it out, & dry it with a linnen cloth, then still it in a Limbecke, drinke foure spoonefuls, with a little Sugar: then walke vppon it till you sweat, if you may: if not, keepe your bed and sweat vpon it. Use this before supper on any euening. If the pacient happen to bee troubled with any swellings, botches, Carbuncles, or Gods tokens: let him sweat moderatly now and then. Outward Medicines to rypen the sore. Take the roote of a white _Lylly_, rost it in a good handful of _Sorrell_, stampe it and apply it thereto very hot. Let it lye xxiiij. howers, and it will breake the sore. An other. Take olde Swynes grease salted, two ounces, with the yolke of an egge, and two handfuls of _Scabias_, stampe them together, and lay it warme to the sore. An other. Take a small quantitie of Leuen, a handfull of _Mallowes_, a little quantitie of _Scabias_, cut a white _Oynion_ into peeces, with halfe a dozen heades of _Garlicke_: boyle these together in running Water, make a Poultus of it, and then lay it hot to the sore. Another. The like may be made of two handfuls of _Valerian_, three rootes of _Danwoorte_, and a handfull of _Smallidge_: seeth them in sheepes suet and water, with a fewe crums of bread: and applye it hotte to the sore. An other. Take a hot Loafe, new taken foorth of the Ouen, apply it to the sore, and it will doubtlesse breake the same: but afterward bury the same loafe deepe enough in the ground, for feare of any infection: for if either dog or any other thing doe feede thereon, it will infect a great many. Other obseruations. Let the sicke and enfected persons bee seperated and kept from the whole, vntill the sore bee healed: but generally let them be kept within the space of a moneth. For ayring Apparell. Let the Apparell of the diseased persons, be well and often washed, be it lynnen or woollen: or let it be ayred in the sonne, or ouer pans of fyer, or ouer a Chafingdish of Coales, & fume the same with _Francomsence_, _Iuniper_, or dryed _Rose-mary_. A perfect good Playster for the cure of the sore, after it is broken. Take vnwrought Waxe, white Turpentine, the yolke of an Egge, a little fresh butter, and a quantitie of English honney, boyle all these together to a salue, and apply it to the sore, being thin spread vppon a cloth in manner of an ordenary playster. _FINIS._ Transcriber’s Notes —Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. —Left the original orthography and spelling unchanged. —In the HTML version only, blockletter text is represented by bold sans-serif. —In the text versions only, text in _italics_ is delimited by _underscores_. End of Project Gutenberg's Good Councell against the plague, by Anonymous *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 62182 ***