The Charitable Pestmaster: The Cure of the Plague

There are divers caues of this dieae. The firt is in, which ought to be repented of. The econd an infected and corrupted air, which hould be avoided. The third an evill diet, which hould be amended. The fourth are evill humours heaped together in the body, being apt to putrifie, and beget a Fever, which mut be taken away by convenient medicines. Therefore whooever would preerve their bodies from infection, let them firt make their peace with God, in whoe hand is the power of life and death. Then let them ue the meanes, and hun all thoe things that are able to beget this dieae, as all infected and corrupted aire, all fogges and mits that do arie from the earth or water, and all tinking mels that do arie from dunghills, inks, graves, carrion, nuffs of candles, or rotten fruits, or any thing ele that doth putrifie and tink. Abtain from all meats and drinks that beget rottennee and filthinee in the body (& o conequently a Fever or the Plague) as exceive eating of fruits, epecially thoe that are unripe. Alo forbear all orts of fih that have neither cales nor hels, as Eels, Lampreys, and the like. Latly, take heed of over-charging the tomacke with meats, or drinks, or hot Wines; but epecially your unripe medium Wines. If any hall find themelves oppreed with gros & corrupt humors, o that they are in danger of this dieae they hall be cleaned, by taking one ounce and half, or two ounces, of the infuion Crocus metallorum, (which is to be bought at every Apothecaries) & put to it Oximel half an ounce, this hall give them five or ix vomits, and almot as many tooles. And after every vomit, let them drinke ome warme poet drinke; o let them keepe themelves warme that day: one houre after it hath done working let them eat a mee of warm broth made with a neck of Mutton, or with uch freh meat as the ick are bet able to buy; of which meat let them eat paringly for the preent. Thoe that are o 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 Petilentiales: But the poorer ort that cannot goe to this charge, may take intead thereof Aloes one dram in the pap of an Apple, tewed Prunes, or ele in a little Ale or Beere. This pill, and this Aloes, are excellent remedies for women and children, and they are o afe that women with child may take them. After the bodie is purged, it hall be neceary to draw ix or eight ounces of bloud from the liver or middle vein of the arme, if the partie be able to utain the loe of it.

Dettagli