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 Almaines and Flemmings in the time of the Plague, vse this Remedie that ensueth.

TAke one part of Aqua Uita of the best, thrée partes of Malmesie, or other pure wine, of Iuniper Berries halfe a handfull, or of common Nuttes thrée or foure, these doo they stéepe in the abouesaid Liquor thrée houres, and after∣wards eate them morning and euening. This Remedie in old folkes & in the winter time is not to be misliked: Treacle and Methridate, are excellent remedies in the Plague time, if you take a dramme in sommer time in Rose water, or Sor∣rell water, and in winter with good Wine. But those that take the same ought to abstaine from meate for the space of sixe houres after, and to suppe little or nothing at all the day be∣fore: for otherwise the saide medicines takes no effect.

See here the most soueraigne and exquisite remedies that may be found to preserue those that are in health, as well the rich as the poore in this contagious time, which interchangea∣bly vpon all opportunities a man may vse. But aboue all things it is behoueful to kéepe a good diet & order euery waies, and to sée the body be soluble, for that it is one of the most prin∣cipall points to preserue & continue the body in health. But a∣mōgst those things that are most necessary & requisit towards the continuance and preseruation of health, and auoydance of contagion, nothing is more to be respected then sobrietie and an orderly course of life: for continence is the mother & fostresse of all good disposition in mans body, by reason that by sobrietie the health is confirmed and continued in his estate; the hu∣mors are well tempered, and naturall heate fortified, the na∣turall passages of the body entertained in their due harmony, the operations of nature euery one in themselues well and duly accomplished: and by these reasons sobrietie is the foun∣dation to warrantise the body from all euils: as contrariwise, intemperance is the source and and originall of all mishap and fatall infirmitie. All which is confirmed by Hypocrates and

Galen, in the second booke Of the Aphorismes: Aphorisme, 17. and Hipocrates himselfe in the sixt of his Epidemies, where he saith, That the chiefest care that is to be had for to continue health, consisteth principally in this: to liue sober∣ly, to vse conuenient exercise, and not to gorge a mans self with surfets. The like also is confirmed by Galen and Plu∣tarch, in their writings and Bookes, De Sanitate Tuenda, wherein the error & folly of the common sort appeareth most manifestly, who dare in the time of infection and pestilence, to ouercharge themselues with wine, and fill their stomackes in the morning before they goe out of doores, thinking by this time to coniure the time, (according to their lewd discourse) and abate the euill vapour of the ayre, whereas in effect, they effect nothing but the contrarie. For wine being taken fa∣sting, maketh the body more apt to conceiue infection through the heate thereof, and the piercing qualitie and opening it, cau∣seth in the parts & vessels of the body, namely the vaines and arteries, making thē by these meanes more capable to receiue the euill influence of the ayre, if any raigne at that time. Let therefore all men be curious to obserue this commendable so∣briety, if they be desirous to auoyd the dangers of the Plague, by forbearing al diuersities of meats, and surceasing to fil their stomackes with vnmeasurable repastes, and let them féede so∣berly, and no more then is néedfull to sustaine life, obseruing a temperate exercise in pleasant and delightfull places. Let them leade their life in peace, and quiet of minde, in ioy, dis∣port and honest pleasure, auoyding all perturbations of the spirit, and especially sadnesse, melancholy, wrath, feare, and suspect, which are the most daungerous accedents that may encounter a man in such like times: as Galen in his Booke, (Of the Art of Medecine) hath written, and of this kinde of temperate life, I wil make a particular discourse in the Chap∣ter ensewing, to the ende that euery one may vnderstand what meanes he ought to obserue, in the maintenance of his health by good diet and order.