The valley of varietie: or, Discourse fitting for the times containing very learned and rare passages out of antiquity, philosophy, and history. Collected for the use of all ingenious spirits, and true lovers of learning. By Henry Peacham Mr. of Arts, sometime of Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge.

CHAP. V.

Of many who having received Poyson, have not onely mi∣raculousl••y escaped, but beene thereby cured of (else) incu∣rable Diseases.

MAny things have been accidentally found out, which allowed of after by Use and Ex∣perience, have become in∣fallible and constant Rules: Of this Galen* 1.1 gives us an ex∣cellent Example, and most worthy admiration, which was this:

A certaine man (saith Ga∣len)

being extreame sicke of a Disease which they call E∣lephantiasis, or Leprosie, kept company a good time with some Companions of his, un∣till one above the rest was infected with the contagion of the Disease: for hee was not to bee endured, by reason of the most loathsome stench that proceeded from his un∣cleane bodie: beside, he was growne monstrously defor∣med; wherefore a Cottage was built for him neere the Towne, upon a Hill remote from people, a faire Spring running hard by, and herein this Leper was placed, with a man attending to bring him victuals, and other necessaries every day.

But about the beginning of

the Dog-dayes, sweet Wine being brought in an earthen pitcher into the Field to the Mowers neere the place, hee that brought it, set it not farre from them, and vvent his way. Being gone, and some of them being thirstie, and having occasion to drinke, one takes up the Pitcher, to poure out the Wine into a great Bowle halfe full of water, which they mixed with their Wine, and out falls a drow∣ned Viper from the pitcher into the bowle. Heereupon the Harvest-men being ama∣zed, let the Wine alone, and dranke and contented them∣selves with other water: But when they had finished their dayes worke, and were to goe out of the Field, as it

were out of pitie, they gave to the poore Leprous man that Wine wherein the Viper was drowned, supposing it better for him to dye, than to live in that miserie. But hee, when hee had drunke it, was as it were, miracu∣lously cured: For all that thicke and most loathsome scabbie swelling of the Dis∣ease, that as a Coat covered him all over, fell away from him, like the hard out-side of a Crab-fish, or Lobster, new skinne and flesh succee∣ding underneath in the place, not much unlike that soft and thin skinne of Crab-fishes, when the outward shell is ta∣ken away.

Another Example hereof, though upon an unlike occa∣sion,

happened in Mysia, a Towne of Asia, not farre (saith Galen) from the Citie where I dwell: A certaine man who was extreamely le∣prous, went unto a hote Bath, hoping to finde helpe there∣by. This man had a very fayre and handsome young wench to his servant, who was an arrant—This wench had many Suitors, some of whom shee well af∣fected: but these being gone, and shee having occasion to use water in the house, went into an out place, or some ruinous shedde neere to the house, which was full of Vi∣pers, by chance one of them fell into a pot of Wine, be∣ing somewhere carelesly set, and there was drowned: shee

thinking to make good use heereof for her owne profit, fills her Master, at his re∣turne, a large Cupp of this Wine, vvhich hee dranke quite off, and hereby, (as the other before that lived in the Cottage) was perfectly cured. Hitherto Galen.

Heereby it appeareth (••s I said before) most true, that many things have been found out by chance, which after∣ward being confirmed by Reason and Experience, have been received gladly into the closet of Aesculapius.

And at this day there is nothing better to cure a Le∣prosie, then the drinking of that Wine wherein a Viper hath been drowned: If any make doubt hereof, out best

and learnedst Physicians will soone resolve him.

Moreover, I heere observe two remarkable Arguments of Gods divine goodnesse; the one is, That there is no∣thing so ill created by God to punish sinnfull man with∣all, whereunto there is not some commoditie adjoyned. The Viper is the most veni∣mous creature that is, but yet it is not onely good against the Leprosie, but in Treacle, (which is made of the flesh of Vipers) it is the most ex∣cellent Receipt that is against all poysons. Heereof see Ga∣len, lib. 1. de Antidot. The other is, (which is also ob∣served by Galen) the Divine Providence oftentimes dispo∣seth of things ill meant by

malicious man, to wholsome and good ends; whereof Au∣sonius in elegant Verse gives us an excellent Example:

Toxica Zelotyp••, dedit ••xor moecha marito; Nec satis ad mortem, credidit esse datum. Miscuit argenti, lethalia pon∣dera, vivi, Congerat ut celerem, vis ge∣minata necem. Dividat haec siquis, faciunt discreta venenum, Antidotum sumet, qui so∣ciata bibet &c. Ergo inter sese dum noxia pocula certant, Cessit Lethalis n••xa saluti∣ferae, Protinus & vacuos alvi pe∣tiêre recessus.

Lubrica dejectis qui via no∣ta cibis. Quam pia cura Deum? pro∣dest crudelior uxor, Et cum fata volunt, bina ve∣nena juvant.

That one poison expels and prevailes against another, it is so well knowne that it were in vaine here to goe about to prove it. Cantharides are a present remedie against the biting of a mad Dogge; the Scorpion heales his owne wounds, and the Viper (the head and taile being cut off) being beaten and applyed, cures her owne biting: inso∣much, there is nothing, be it never so bad, but it con∣taines some profitable good∣nesse in it. Hemlock is a dead∣ly

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Plant, yet the juice ap∣plyed, heales Ignis Sacer, and hot corroding Vlcers, and much asswageth the Inflam∣mation of the eyes. Nerium, or Rose-laurell, kils Asses, Mules, and Horses, which shall eate of it; yet being drunken in Wine, it cures those who are bitten of Serpents. Meconium, the juice and leaves of Poppie, brings the takers into an ever∣lasting sleep; yet notwithstan∣ding, it helps the most painfull aking, or smarting Diseases. Here is now place and occa∣sion offered, to shew how some Diseases have beene proper to some Countreyes; as the Elephantiasis unto Ae∣gypt, which Lucretius a most ancient Poet vvitnesseth, saying:

Est Elephas morbus qui prop∣t••r flumina Nili, Gignitur Aeg••pti in medio, ne{que} praetereà usquam Hac suae tentatur gressus ocu∣li{que} trementes.

Also the swelling in the Throat, or Mentagra, to Asia onely; the Sweating-sicknesse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the Inhabitants of the North: but now by the just judge∣ment of God, that same main Leprosie, Elephantiasis, as many other before named, are common to all Countries in generall. But for certaine (if wee may beleeve Plinie)* 1.2 this Elephantiasis was utterly unknowne to Italie, before the time of Pompey the Great.

I might here also speake of the divers Species, or kinds of Leprosie which are cura∣ble, and which are not; ac∣cording as Moses hath given in charge,* 1.3 to judge betweene Leprosie and Leprosie: what Lepers for a time were to be removed, and who were to be by themselves secluded for ever: but I shall find both place and occasion to speake hereof els∣where.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Galen, lib. 11. Simpl. Med.
• * 1.2

  Plin lib. 26.
• * 1.3

  Levit. 23.