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.

CHAPTER III.

A more Particular way of Cure; wherein is touched the eating of Mushroms, Muskles, and Perewinckles.

THough I intend not to discover the particular nature of every Poyson (which might be a way to in∣struct evill minds in evill purpo∣ses) yet without some distincti∣on, I shall take much pains to lit∣tle purpose. Therefore this ge∣nerall difference must be made knowne; namely, that there are Poysons both Hot and Cold: and their Cures are as different as their Complexions.

Therefore, if the Poyson taken, be hot (as will appeare by the

Accidents that will follow; viz. Bitings, Prickings, and Gnawings within; extreame Heats, Burnings, inflamations and Hot Swellings In∣ward or Outward) Then the Gly∣sters must be gentle. As thus,

Take Mallows and Violet leaues, of each two handfulls; French Barley one handfull, Camomill-flowers halfe a handfull. Boyle them in a sufficient quantitie of faire water till the third part of the water be boyled away. Then srayne it, & to three quarters of a pint of the strayned liquor, put an ounce of Diacatholicon (or for the richer sort, an ounce of Cassia Fistula newly drawne) and three ounces of Course Sugar (or else Honey of Roses two ounces) and a little Salt.

Eate fat Broths, with coole∣hearbs boyled in them, as, Bor∣rage,

Bugloss, Violet leaues; & like∣wise French Barley; with juyce of Lemons, the tartnesse being taken off with Sugar or Honey; as also Sorrell so corrected.

Giue the Patient leaue to sleep, if he can; but enforce it not.

And for his Antidotes, use Mi∣thridate mixed with Conserue of Ro∣ses. Or els

Take of Diamargariton frigidum, one dran; of oxymel fimplex one ounce, and Carduus water three ounces. Mix them together, and let him drinke it.

In all other poynts keepe him as is taught before.

But if the Poyson be of a Cold nature, which will appeare by coldnesse within or without, or both; numbnesse, fullnesse, dul∣nesse, and drouzinesse. Then use Vomits, shape Glysters, and the

like, as are appointed in the pre∣cedent Chapter.

Keepe him from Sleeping. Make him neeze often with powder of strong Tobacco blowne up into his nose with a quill: or if the Tobacco alone will not doe it; mix a little pow∣der of Euphorbium with it.

Rub his Brest, Sides, Backe, and Limbs with warme woollen Cloaths.

Speake much to him, and en∣force him to stirre his body as much as may be.

Endevour also to make him Sweat: to which purpose you may use this Medicine follow∣ing. Take one dram of Gentian∣roote in fine Powder, with two or three graynes of Bezoar-stone. Giue it in a little draught of Carduus Posset-drinke made with

white wine and a little Vineger. Giue it hot, and cover him well with cloths, ordering him so be∣fore, in, and after sweating, that he take no cold; neither eate, nor drinke in fiue or six houres after.

Let his Antidotes be Androma∣chus or London-Treacle.

With his meate, boyle Gar∣licke, Onions, Balm, and Sweet Fenel-seeds. And let him endure Thirst as long as he possibly can.

In all otherthings, order him as occasion shall serue or require, according to the prescriptions in the Chapter before.

Some, out of wantonnesse, and apish imitation of Strangers, haue learn'd to eate Mushroms, com∣monly called Toadstools: which is an excressence of the earths superfluitie, not voyd of a veno∣mous qualitie; though some are

lesse hurtfull than others, and to some constitutions, little or no∣thing at all apparantly offensiue.

I knew a Mountebank in Devon∣shire, that perswaded many to the use of them; whereof two (the one a young man, and the other a woman) to the hazard of their liues were over-taken with his Cookery. To the young man, I gaue this Medicine, two drams of Hens-dung dryed and powdered; faire water, white wine, & Vine∣ger, of each halfe a quarter of a pint, with halfe an ounce of Ho∣ney. All mixed together he drank it, vomited, had also two stooles, and so recovered. The woman, being his mother, and seeing me use the dung, cōjured me to giue her some other Medicine that was more cleanly. Whereupon I made her go to her well warmed

bed; & then gaue I her a draught of Posset-ale wherein Penyroy∣all was boyled, to which I put a little Aqua Vitae and Salt Peter: Shee hereupon did Sweat abun∣dantly, and recovered.

Others there are, that out of an Antipathy to their Constitutiō, are directly poysoned if they eat Muskles: others againe are in the like case with Perewinckles. I haue seene some with Muskles swelled, and spotted all over. In which case, after a Vomit, and a Glyster (such as are before de∣scribed in the second Chapter) I gaue this Antidote following.

I tooke Terra Sigillata (for want of terra Lemnia, which I account the better) and Iuniper berries, of each a like quantitie; made them into fine Powder: And of this Powder I tooke the weight of

halfe a dram, & with a sufficient quantitie of fresh Butter, made a Bolus or lump, which the Patient swallowed: and after the third time (which was done every 12. houres) he recovered. And in fiue dayes was perfectly well.

Notes

• Distinction of Poysons.
• In Hot Poysons.
• A Gentle Glyster.
• Diet.
• Sleepe.
• Antidotes.
• Cold Poysons.
• Waking.
• Neezing.
• Frication.
• Stirring.
• Sweate.
• Antidotes.
• Meate and Thirst.
• Mushroms.
• A Storie teaching the Cure.
• Muskles & Perewinc∣kles.