A treatise of the plague containing the nature, signes, and accidents of the same, with the certaine and absolute cure of the feuers, botches and carbuncles that raigne in these times: and aboue all things most singular experiments and preseruatiues in the same, gathered by the obseruation of diuers worthy trauailers, and selected out of the writing of the best learned phisitians in this age. By Thomas Lodge, Doctor in Phisicke.

The order and policy that ought to be held in a City, during the plague time, and wherin the Lord Mayor and Sherifs, and such as vnder them haue care of the infected, ought to shew their diligence in the maintenance and order of their cittizens. Chap. VIII. (Book 8)

AS order conducted by good aduice and counsaile, is in all things, that concerne the administration of a Com∣monweale most necessary, so in this cause, (which is one of the most vrgent) order, policy and serious diligence, is not onely profitable, but also necessary; because the sick∣nes of the plague & contagion inuading a city, is the totall ruine of the same by reason of the danger and spoile of the cittizens, as we reade in Thucidides of the great plague in Greece, which for the most part rauished the inhabitants of the same, and in Titus Liuius, of diuers horrible pesti∣lences that happened in Rome, which by their greatnesse and cruelty made that mother Citty almost desolate and destitute of the better part of the cittizens thereof, bringing with it both famine and fatal indigence. For which cause such as are in authoritie in Citties, as Mayors, Sherifes, and those that haue the charge to ouersée the sicke, ought aboue all things to procure that their Citty remaine in health, to the end that their cittizens remaining in security, may communicate the one with the other by traffike and following their businesse, whereby there redoundeth a common profite and vtilitie to all: whereas on the contra∣ry side (their City being infected by a popular and pernici∣ous disease,) their traffike ceaseth, and that which is most dangerous and important of all, the life and health of all men is brought in danger. Now to withstand this incon∣uenience with prudence and foresight, it behooueth the Ma∣gistrates, first of all diligently to examine what places, ei∣ther

néere or remote, are visited or infected, to the end to warrantize themselues from that infection, not suffering any of those to enter their Citty that come from such pla∣ces as are suspected, except they be men of note, of whose prudence and securitie they may be assured. For it is not alwayes a consequent, that all the inhabitants of a Citty are alwayes infected, especially when they are men of re∣spect, who haue the meanes, and obserue the methode to preserue themselues: whereof it is very necessary that the gouernours, and such as haue the kéeping of the gates, should haue respect: but for such as are vagabonds, master∣lesse men, and of seruile and base condition, for such I say, they ought not to be admitted. And if by chance, or by the will of God the Citty becommeth infected, it ought not incontinently to be made knowne: but those that haue the care and charge of such as are attainted, ought in the beginning to kéepe it close, and wisely conceale the same from the common sorte, imparting it onely to such, who by their good aduise and counsaile may assist them in the time of danger, which counsaile and aduice diuine Hipocrates setteth downe in his oath and attestation to Phisitians, and consequently to all those that haue the charge of the sicke, forbidding them to reueale that which ought to be hidden for the common profit: which being considered by the diuine Philosopher Plato, in the third booke of his com∣mon weale, he auoweth that it is lawfull for Magistrates & Phisitians to lie for the safety and conuersation of their Citty. For oftentimes to conceale a truth to this intent, is no error in such men, whenas by such means the common weale is conserued and profited: which counsaile I thoght good to make knowne to you, to thend I might re∣straine the superstitious fantasies of some men, who are of the opinion, that nothing ought to be concealed in these times, but made knowne vnto all men, for feare their re∣putation shuld be touched, and themselues estéemed liers. The magistrates in these times ought to cōmit the charge of

their gates to good and discréet citizens, on whose trust and fidelitie the Citty may relie: and therefore the best citizens both in place and reputation ought to haue this place, and not they, who are yong, indiscréet & inconsiderate. Which thing hath beene wisely noted by the diuine Philosopher Plato in the third booke of his common weale, where hée saith, that he that hath the charge of a citty, ought to be strong in person and prowesse, and a Philosopher in his spirit, that is to say, sage, prudent, and well aduised. For by such a gouernour and so well qualified, there redound∣eth a great profite vnto all men, where to one of the con∣trary disposition all things fall out frowardly. Moreouer the Magistrates ought to haue an especiall care, that their city be kept cleane & neat from al filth, dunghils and stink∣ing rubbige that may bréed infection, because the steame of such vncleane heaps and places being drawne vp into the aire, do for the most part infect and contaminate the same. And to this effect Hipocrates counsaileth vs to vse the aire in these times, which is most pure and cléere, and to flie the contrary. The like confirmeth Galen in his first Booke, de Sanitate tuenda, and in his Commentaries on Hipocrates booke, de Natura humana. And therefore the Magistrate ought to giue charge, that in euery place the streets should be kept cleane, and daily purged, forbidding euery one vn∣der a penalty to cast out any vncleanenesse or filth out of their dores. They ought also to take order, that the slaugh∣ter houses (for the prouision of the citty) be not continued and vsed within the citty, but placed in some remote and conuenient place néere vnto the riuer of the Thames, to the end that the bloud and garbige of the beasts that are killed may be washed away with the tide. This aduice the nobles of Arles obserued by Valenolaes aduise, to the great good of their common-weale, who to the westward of the city vpon the riuer of Roane haue builded their slaugh∣ter-houses. It is no lesse necessary also to take note of such sicke folkes as resort vnto the city, and to know with

what sicknes they be seazd with, & whether it be dāgerous or no. For which cause it is requisite to appoint certaine discréet and skilful men in euery quarter and parish with∣in the citty, who may haue the charge to take particular notice of euery housholder, in what estate their family is, or rather to visite them themselues, and if they finde any sicke in these houses, to make a true report vnto those that haue the charge and ouerlooking the sicke, to the end they may cause them to be visited by expert Phisitians, who may informe whether the disease be infectious or no, to the end they may be attended and cured according as their disease requireth. And for that in all suspected citties, it is a common custome for the Magistrate to shut vp those that are surprised with the sickenesse, or to send them to the hos∣pitalls or pesthouse, for feare lest by conuersing with the healthy they should spred the contagion by breathing on them and touching them: because, as Galen saith, it is dangerous to conuerse with them, and God himselfe also giueth an expresse commandement in Leuiticus chap. 13. and Numb. chap. 5. where speaking of the leapers, he commandeth that they should be seperated from the host and company of the healthy. Me thinkes it is very neces∣sary at this time to speake somewhat hereof, and to exa∣mine euery circumstance, to the end that it may be knowne what is to be done in this case. Now the truth is, that our duty commandeth vs to seperate such as are sicke from the whole, for feare lest they should be infected with their disease, neuerthelesse in this case we ought not to vse such seperation before it be truely knowne to be that disease, and that the sickenesse is of the quality, that it deserue shutting vp.

For in truth it is a great amazement, and no lesse hor∣ror to seperate the Child from the Father and Mother; the Husband from his Wife; the Wife from her Husband; and the Confederate and Friend from his Adherent and Friend: and to speake my conscience in this matter, this

course ought not to be kept, before that by the iudgement of a learned Phisition the sickenesse bee resolued on: And when it shalbe found it is infectious, yet it is very néede∣full to vse humanitie towards such as are seazed. And if their parents or friends haue the meanes to succour them, and that fréely, and with a good heart, they are willing to doe the same, those that haue the charge to carry them to the Pest-house, ought to suffer them to vse that office of charitie towards their sicke, yet with this condition, that they kéepe them apart, and suffer them not to frequent and conuerse with such as are in health. For, to speake the truth, one of the chiefest occasions of the death of such sicke folkes (besides the danger of their disease) is the fright and feare they conceiue when they sée themselues voyde of all succour, and as it were rauished out of the hands of their parents and friends, and committed to the trust of stran∣gers, who very often are but slenderly and coldly inclined to their good, wanting both seruice and succour. And ther∣fore in this cause men ought to procéed very discréetly and modestly. And in regard of the time wherein the suspected and sicke, or rather those who frequented and serued them, there ought some rule and moderation to be held. For wheras by ancient custome and obseruation they are wont to haue the prefixed terme of fortie dayes giuen them, yet ought not this terme, equally and rigorously be obserued in all.

To those that are sicke of the plague this limitation of time ought to be prefixed and furthered for more assurance; besides the forty dayes, they ought ouer and aboue re∣maine inclosed twenty dayes, which are in all sixty, before they be suffred to returne to their houses, or frequent the company of their fellow Citizens. Before which time they that are infected, after their recouery ought to change the place where they haue béene sicke: and to take the ayre in a more healthful place, farre distant from infection, and change their garments, and put off their olde, or rather

burne them, for feare they should infect those that might happen to put them on. For in truth, the keeping of such things is very dangerous, and whereas after the plague is ceased, it oftentimes without any manifest occasion be∣ginneth anew, it oftentimes procéedeth from such like ac∣cidents: In preuention whereof the Magistrate ought to haue no little care and diligence. Heeretofore haue wee set down what terme should be prefixed to the sicke; it now likewise concerneth vs to prescribe a time and terme to those that haue had the kéeping of them, for both publike and priuate securitie, wherein in my iudgement (which I submit to those of more reuerend authoritie) wee ought to obserue other rules following. If the sicke be dead in his house, and hath continued all the time of his sickenesse in that place, and his parents and friends cohabitants with him, haue continualy assisted him and ministred vnto him, they ought to remaine inclosed the saide terme of fortie daies, or else transport themselues to their country houses, if they haue any, or to liue apart & seperated from others in their garden houses, and not to frequent amongst the people, during that time. If the sicke hath remained in his house but two or thrée dayes, and hath had but small accesse vnto him, and the assistants that were with him, be men of discretion, knowing wel how to defend and pre∣serue themselues by good remedies and dyet, being men of respect & marke, they ought not to be shut vp so long time; but it shal suffice in this case to kéep them close some twen∣ty or foure and twentie dayes, or somewhat longer. For in that space by naturall reason, the venome ought to haue wrought his worst, if any of the assistants hath béene sea∣zed therewith: Likewise, if they haue béene well purged, and haue taken remedies to preserue themselues in that time. For in truth, if a vapour or contagion be in the bo∣dy, it cannot so long time remaine inclosed, but that in fortie dayes space it will shew it selfe. And if in the space of xxi. dayes it discouereth not it selfe (as nature molested

with any vehement sickenesse or contagious infirmitie is accustomed to fulfill and execute his forces and expulsi∣on to driue out the same (as Galen declareth in his booke de diebus Cicitis) it will hardly shew it selfe in any time after the xxi. day, for that the venom hath already lost his force, and nature maketh no more account to expel the same, but euaporeth it insensibly without any hurt, if there hath not some new occasion beene offered that causeth such an acci∣dent, as it oftentimes happeneth. If any one vnwittingly hapneth to visit one that is sicke in his house, and that but once or twice, we ought not to prefixe him that terme, but to suffer him to kéepe himselfe close some fourtéene dayes or more, prouided that hée obserue a good diet: And to speake my absolute opinion what ought to be done in this case of kéeping the sicke and their assistants inclosed in the plague time, it is necessary to resolue vpon the effects and accidents, which apparantly happen in the saide houses, and according to the rule obserued by those that are shutte vp, as also according to their qualitie and condition, and e∣specially, wée ought to haue regard, and rely on the iudge∣ment of a faithfull and learned Phisition, who according to his Art, and the effects that he shal discouer in those that are inclosed, may yéelde an assured iudgement of the mat∣ter, to whom we ought to giue credit, as to him that is the fittest and truest iudge in such a matter. For in truth this custome hath béene but newly brought in, and was neuer heard of in the ancient and autentike writings, eyther of Greek, Arabian, or Latin phisitions, but only by some late Practitioners as Guainerius & some other which Guaine∣rius in his Treatise of the Plague, Chap. 3. de tertia diffe∣rentia hath set downe this terme of forty daies, speaking of the terme wherein a man ought to returne into the house of him that is infected. And in his opinion (which is not answerable to truth) he prefixeth three moneths. For if the infected house shalbe cleansed from all infection, and perfu∣med and ayred by those that haue the charge, a man may returne into it after forty dayes, prouided, there remaine

nothing in the saide house that is infected or contagious, as the garments, shéets, beds, couerlets, or such like of the diseased. For such things as these kéep the infection inclosed in them long time, especially fetherbeds, as Alexander Be∣nedictus testifieth in his booke of the Plague, where he ma∣keth mention of a featherbed of one that was sicke of the plague in Venice, which kept the venome seauen yeares, & the first y^t slept vpon the same at the end of the same terme were sodainly surprised with the plague, as he reciteth in the third Chapter of his Booke. Loe héere, what I haue thought requisite to be spoken touching the sayd terme▪ ne∣uerthelesse I submit my iudgement to those that are more learned, to whose mature resolution I shal subscribe when with better & more substantial reasons they shall reprooue me. Which purpose of mine, euery true louer of learn∣ing ought to follow, as for that I haue said it is but onely my opinion, set downe to aduise the ignorant, and to be censured by the learned. The gouernors also ought to be carefull of those, whom in this sort, and for this cause they haue shut vp or sent vnto their Pest-house, foreséeing that they want nothing of that which appertaineth to their health. And if those that are sicke be poore and indigent, let them be supplied by the charity and liberality of the cit∣ty. And if they be rich and by reason of infection shut vp, they ought to be supplied with al things necessa∣ry till such time, as being at liberty they may make recompence for that they haue receiued.