A treatise of the plague contayning the causes, signes, symptomes, prognosticks, and cure thereof. Together with sundry other remarkable passages (for the prevention of, and preservation from the pestilence) never yet published by anie man. Collected out of the workes of the no lesse learned than experimented and renowned chirurgian Ambrose Parey.

CHAP. XX.

Of the cure of Eruptions and Spotts.

YOu must first of all take heede lest you driue in the humor that is comming outwards with repercussiues: Therefore beware of cold, all purging things, Phlebotomy, and drowsie or sound sleeping. For all such things do draw the humors inwardly, and worke contrary to nature. But it is better to prouoke the motion of nature outwardly, by applying of drawing medicines outwardly, and mini∣string medicines to prouoke sweate inwardly for other∣wise by repelling and stopping the matter of the eruptions there will be great danger lest the heart be oppressed with

the aboundance of the venome flowing backe: or else by turning into the belly it inferres a mortall bloody flixe: which discommodities that they may be auoyded, I haue thought good to set downe this remedy, whose Efficacy I haue knowne and proued many times and on diuerse per∣sons, when by reason of the weaknes of the expulsiue facul∣ty and the thicknes of the skinne, the matter of the spotts cannot breake forth, but is constrayned to surke vnder the skinne, lifting it vp into bunches and knobbes. I was brought vnto the inuention of this remedy by comparison of the like. For when I vnderstood that the essence of the French Poxs (and likewise of the Pestilence) consisted in a certaine hidden virulency and venemous quality, I soone descended vnto that opinion, that euen as by the a∣noynting of the body with the vnguent compounded of Quicksiluer, the grosse & clammie humors which are fixed in the bones, and vnmoueable are dissolued, relaxed, and drawen from the center into the superficiall parts of the body, by strengthening and stirring vp the expulsiue faculty, and euacuated by sweating and fluxing at the mouth; That so it should come to passe in Pestilent feauers, that nature being strengthened with the same kind of vnction, might vnloade her selfe of some portion of the venemous and Pestilent humor by opening the pores and passages and letting it breake forth into spotts and pustles and into all kinde of eruptions. Therefore I haue annoyn∣ted many in whom nature seemed to make passage for the venemous matter very slowly, first loosing their belly with a Clister and then giuing them Treacle water to drinke, which might defend the vitall faculty of the heart, but yet not distende the stomacke, as though they had had the French Poxe, and I obtained my expected purpose; in stead of the Treacle water, you may vse the decoction of Guaia∣cum, which doth heate, dry, prouoke sweat and repell putre∣faction, adding thereto also vineger, that by the subtletie thereof it may pearce the better, and withstand the putre∣faction. This is the description of the vnguent. Take of

Hoggs grease one pound, boyle it a little with the leaues of Sage, Time, Rosmary, of each halfe an handfull, straine it, and in the straining extinguish fiue ounces of Quicksiluer, which hath bin first boyled in Vineger with the forenamed herbs, of Sal Nitrum 3 drams, the yelkes of three eggs boyled vn∣till they be hard, of Treacle and Mithridate of each halfe an ounce, of Venice Turpentine, oile of Scorpions and Bayes, of each three ounces, incorporate them altogether in a morter, and make thereof an vnguent, wherewith annoynt the patients arme-hooles and groine, auoyding the parts that belong to the head, breast and backe bone, then let him be layed in his bed and couered warme, and let him sweat there for the space of two houres, and then let his body be wiped and clensed, and if it may bee let him be layed in another bed, and there let him be refreshed with the broth of the decoction of a Capon, reare Eggs, and with such like meates of good iuyce that are easie to be con∣cocted and digested; let him be anointed the second and the third day, vnlesse the spotts appeare before. If the pa∣tient fluxe at the mouth it must not be stopped: when the spotts and pustles doe all appeare and the patient hath made an end of sweating, it shall be conuenient to vse diureticke medicines, for by these the remainant of the matter of the spotts, which happely could not all breath forth, may easily be purged and auoyded by the vrine. If any noble or gentlemen refuse to be annoynted with this vnguent, let them be inclosed in the body of a Mule or Horse that is newly killed, and when that is cold let them be layed in another, vntill the pustles and eruptions doe breake forth, being drawne by that naturall heate. For so Matthiolus writeth, that Valentinus the sonne of Pope Alex∣ander the sixt was deliuered from the danger of most deadly poyson which he had drunke.