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.

Of Purging.

AS touching purgation, it ought to be administred in the beginning, but rather with gentle and pleasing medicines than violent, which doe weaken and force Na∣ture, and with them we ought to mixe some powlder, as the powlder of the electuary Theriacal of Guidon, or the powlder of Bole Armenus, with Iuniper berries: or for the rich, with Terra sigillata, or treacle, or good mithridate. If then the patient be poore, thou must giue him halfe an ounce of the electuary of the iuyce of roses, or asmuch of Diaprunis solutiue, or an ounce of Diacatholicon, if hée be cholerike. And if he be phlegmatike, thrée drachmes of Diacarthamum, or Electuary de Citro solutiue. And if he be melancholike, the confection Hamech dissolued in water of scabious, or sorrel, or buglosse, an ounce of sirop of limons, or a drachme of good treacle, or the powlder of bole Arme∣nus prepared, or the séedes of Citron or Iuniper berries. The richer sort ought to be purged with manna Rubarbe, sirrop of roses solutiue without scammony with Cassia and Mirabolans, and if néede require, you may mixe a little dose of the electuary of the iuyce of roses, or Diaprunis so∣lutiue in those that are cholerike, as in the phlegmatike, a litle Diaphenicon: or in the melancholike alitle of confecti∣on Hamech, mixing with the saide potions for the rich, halfe an ounce, or a drachme of Terra sigillata, or of the powlder of Diamargariton, or of the powlder Theriacal of Guidon, with the abouenamed waters, and the sirrope of limons, or the iuyce of citrons. And if they take more con∣tentment to be purged by pils, they may vse the common pils of Rufus, made of aloes, mirrhe and saffron, adding

thereunto a little Rubarbe: for the rich, Agaric, with a lit∣tle Terra sigillata, or Bole Armenus prepared, The poore may vse pilles Aggregatiue, or Aurea, or Cochia, to the quantitie of a drachme or foure scruples, and when their medicine hath wrought his operation, they may take half a porrenger of the broath of a chickin, and make a light meale: And during the working of their medicine, they may alwayes holde in their handes to smel to roses, oren∣ges, limons, marioram, rosemary, and such like, and may oftentimes wash their hands and wet their nostrilles in rose water mixed with vineger and the powlder of cloues or Angelica or Zedoary as hath béene before times decla∣red: Sée héere the methode in purgation.