Helps for suddain accidents endangering life By which those that liue farre from physitions or chirurgions may happily preserue the life of a poore friend or neighbour, till such a man may be had to perfect the cure. Collected out of the best authours for the generall good, by Stephen Bradvvell. physition.

To the Charitable READER.

THou, that imita∣ting the Good Sa∣maritan, hast ne∣ver a hand, but what is ever ready to helpe thy grieved Neighbour. Take thou this little La∣bour, to make thy Charitic

greater. And know, that the maine motiue which made my Pen for this work, was my observatiō of Man; who is called A little World, or (if you will) A Globe in plano; delineated with all those faire & fruitfull King∣domes of vertues, and sweet proportions which beauti∣fie both Minde, and Body. Yet withall, those bound∣lesse Oceans of fatall Acci∣dents (whose mercilesse and suddain billowes threaten still to confound him) make him but A World of Mise∣ries. Times Footmen runne

not so fast on their sandy arrands, as mischances in full careers rush upon us. All the Ioyes we possesse by day (if they hold it out) va∣nish with the day. All our Gloryes are Sunne-beames but of a waterish shining. Our Clocks of Health sel∣dome goe true; those of Death, more certaine than beleeved. Wee are owners of no content but sleepe; and yet even that blessing is subject to distraction: for our very Dreames doe of∣ten proue Diseases, and af∣fright us. Nor doe these un∣certaine

winds blow down Signe-posts onely, blast the Common sort alone: But from head to foote, the Sta∣tues even of PRINCES are sometimes riven with these thunders. To bring a Ca∣talogue of all those Great Ones Histories testifie to haue died by Poysō, Drow∣ning, and other Accidents in this Treatise specified; would make this Praeface (like the Cates of Mindus) too bigge for this Booke. Let it suffice, that not onely the Sunne and Moone oft suffer Eclipses; but all the

lesser Starres in their brigh∣test glories are often clou∣ded with Mischances. We see then on what a ticklish needles poynt our Pleasures dance; and when they fall off, with what a nimble foote Calamities leape into their places. Let it not then be held a worthlesse Worke to bring defensiue furniture against such Suddain Incur∣sions. And if the Cedars for all their wealthy tym∣ber be sometimes over-tur∣ned with Tempests: haue not the lower Trees that fill the Land with fruit (the

Husbandmen I meane) much more neede of suc∣cour in such stormes? It is their way chiefly that I strew with these flowers of Recovery. If others gather some, and finde their sweet∣nesse, I hope their vertues will teach such vertuously to loath Ingratitude. For the Poore (whose wants double their Paines, and yet their Paines-taking makes their natural strength easily repayrable) I haue brought easie and common Medi∣cines. But before the Rich (whose pampered liues

make mischances more dif∣ficult, both to be endured and cured) I haue layd o∣pen Remedies of richer va∣lue.

In all which I haue here and there stucke some Ob∣servations of mine owne. The Worke is but little; but my Labour was the greater so to compile it; that as e∣very one may need it, so e∣very man may be able to buy it. I haue likewise writ∣ten it in a plaine stile, that e∣very one also may under∣stand it. Hoping therefore that these my Labours shall

(by GODS blessing) be be∣neficiall to thee, of what e∣state or degree soever thou art; I rest

Ready with my best skill to doe thee all healthfull Service, STEPH. BRADVVELL.