Pharmacopœia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory further adorned by the studies and collections of the Fellows, now living of the said colledg ... / by Nich. Culpeper, Gent.

Chap. 22. Of Medicines resisting Poyson.

SUch Medicines' are called Alexiteria, and Alexi∣pharmaca, which resist Poyson.

Some of these resist Poyson by Astral influence, and some Physitians (though but few) can give a rea∣son of it.

These they have sorted into three Ranks.

• 1. Such as strengthen Nature that so it may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Poyson the easier.
• 2. Such as oppose the Poyson by a contrary quali∣ty.
• 3. Such as violently thrust it out of doors.

Such as strengthen Nature against Poyson either do it to the whol Body universally, or else streng∣then some particular part thereof.

For many times one particular part of the Body is most afflicted by the Poyson, suppose the Stomach, Liver, Brain, or any other part, such as cherish and strengthen those parts being weakned, may be said to resist Poyson.

Such as strengthen the Spirits, strengthen all the Body.

Sometimes Poysons kill by their quality, and then are they to be corrected by their contraries.

They which kill by cooling are to be remedied by

heating, and the contrary, they which kill by corrho∣ding are to be cured by lenitives such as temper their acrimony.

Those which kill by Induration, or Coagulation require cutting Medicines.

Also because all Poysons are in motion, neither stay they in one till they have seised and oppressed the Fountain of Life, therefore have they invented ano∣ther faculty to stay their motion, viz. Terrene and Emplastick.

For they judg, if the Poyson light upon these Me∣dicines, they embrace them round with a viscous quality.

Also they say the waies and passages are stopped by such means, to hinder their proceeding, take Terra Lemnia for one.

Truly if these Reasons be good, which I leave to future time to determin, it may be done for a little cost.

Some are of opinion that the safest way is to expel the Poyson out of the Body, so soon as may be, and that is done, by Vomit, or Purge, or Sweat.

You need not question the time, but do it assoon as may be; for there is no Parlying with Poyson.

Let Vomiting be the first, Purging the next, and Sweating the last. This is general. But,

If thou doest but observe the nature and motion of he Venem, that will be thy best Instructer.

In the Stomach it requires Vomiting, in the Bloud and Spirits Sweating; if the Body be Plethorick, Bleeding; if full of evil humors, Purging.

Lastly, The Cure: being ended, strengthen the parts afflicted.

Thus our common Physitians, But out of questi∣on, Medecines whose operation is by Astral influ∣ence, are both safest and speediest, not only in this but in all other Diseases, but this is beside my pre∣sent scope, and Physitians confess is hid from their eyes, that belongs to my own Model, which I trust in God I shall live to perfect. This is that that curés diseases per se, the other per accidens; this Moderns quite neglected: some Ancients were groping at it, though left it not to posterity.