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                             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._




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End of Project Gutenberg's Good Councell against the plague, by Anonymous