Food and physick for every householder & his family during the time of the plague very useful, both for the free and the infected, and necessary for all persons in what condition or quality soever : together with several prayers and meditations before, in, and after infection, very needful in all infectious and contagious times, and fit as well for the country as the city / published by T.D. for the publick good.

An Excellent Medicine, to Prevent the PLAGƲE.

TAKE Sage of Vertue, Rue (other∣wise called Hearb-Grace) Elder Leaves, Red Bramble Leaves, and VVormwood, of each of them a good handful; stamp them altogether, and then strain them through a fine Linnen Cloth; and put to the Juice a Quart of perfect good VVhite-VVine, and a good quantity of VVhite-VVine Vinegar: Mingle them all to∣gether, and put thereto a quarter of an Ounce of VVhite Ginger, beaten to small Powder. Use to drink this Medicine every Morning fast∣ing, for the space of Nine Dayes together, the quantity of a spoonfull at a time, and this will (by Gods help) preserve you, for the space of a whole Year.

An approved Medicine after Infection.

IF it fortune, that one be stricken with the Plague, before he hath taken the former Medicine; then take the things rehearsed, and put thereto a spoonful of Bettony VVater, and as much Scabios VVater, and a pretty quantity of fine Treacle, and temper them well together, and let the Patient use to drink it often, and it will expell the Venome or Poyson forthwith. But if the Botch do happen to appear, then take a good quantity of Elder Leaves, Red Bramble leaves, and Mustard Seed; stamp them well together, and make a Plaister thereof; apply it to the Sore, and it will draw forth all the Venome and Corruption.

Those that fear the Plague, and are not Infected, let them take of this Drink hereafter following, which is twice in every Week, half a spoonful at a time: It hath been observed, that never any one dyed of the Sickness, that did take it in time.

TAke three Pints of Malmsey, a handful of Rue, as much of Sage; boyl these to a Quart, then strain out the Herbs, and then take an Ounce of Long-Pepper, Vinegar and Nut∣megs, all beaten small in a Morter, and put into

the VVine, and boyl it a little; then take it off, and put into it one Ounce of Mithridate, two Ounces of the best Treacle, and a quarter of a Pint of Aqua-Vitae, and put all into the VVine, and so keep it.

The Use of it.

If any be Infected, take one spoonful of it, as soon as the Party doth presume himself In∣fected, lukewarm; and so goe to Bed, and sweat two or three hours; and then dry the Body well, and keep warm, and drink no cold Drink, but warm Drink and Caudles, and Posset-Drink, with Marigold Leaves and Flowers: VVhen the Party hath sweat, and is well dryed with warm Clothes; and so long as the Party is ill, take a spoonful Morning and Evening.

IF you fear you are Infected, or feel any Ker∣nel rising, or any Apostumation burning or pricking, abstain from Sleep, for Sleep leadeth the Venome to the Heart. That Day that you are Infected, eat but little, or no Food; for evil Humours so fill you, that they take away your Stomack: Or if you do eat, then do you co∣vet to sleep, and feel a great burning, with a kind of shuddering, as it were, through Cold: You have also a great Pain in the fore part of the Head: You cannot endure to ride, or to

walk, or any motion of the Body; but are dull, lumpish, and given wholly over to-sadness and drowsiness.

To prove, that these are Arguments, that you are Infected; let any Man, finding his Body in this Distemper, not stir or walk (which I counsel him to do; for to goe into the Air, and to use motion, keepeth the Poyson longer from the Heart) and he shall find within one half Day, some Impostume rising under his Arm∣hole, in his Groyn, or behind his Ear.

The first thing therefore (after you feel your self thus) is, with all speed, to be let blood; when you are let blood, sleep not all that Day; you must be let blood on the same side the Swelling appears, if so be the Impo∣stume arise before you sleep: but if it prick af∣ter you have slept, then be let blood on the con∣trary side: As if there be a swelling under the left Arm, then be let blood on the right Arm, If thou art saint or weak after letting blood, then sleep a little, yet every half hour stir thy Body too and fro. If the Impostume wax bigger and bigger, it is a good sign that the Venome is driven from the Heart, and will come forth. To ripen it, do thus; Stamp Leaves of Elder, and mix that Juice with Mustard-Seed; of this make a Plaister, and lay it on the Swelling.

These Things ought duly to be looked unto▪ viz.

IT is very convenient, that you keep your Houses, Streets, Yards, back-sides, Sinks and Kennells sweet and clean, from all standing Puddles, Dunghills, and corrupt Moystures, which ingender stinking Savours, that may be noysome, or breed Infection. Nor suffer no Doggs to come running into your Houses; nei∣ther keep any, except it be backward, in some Place of open Air; for they are very dangerous, and not sufferable in time of Sickness, by rea∣son they run from Place to Place, and from one House to another, feeding upon the uncleanest things, that are cast forth in the Streets; and are a most apt Cattel to take Infection of any Sick∣ness, and then to bring it into the House.

For Ayring your Rooms.

Ayr your several Rooms with Charcole-fires, made in Stone Panns or Chaffingdishes, and not in Chimneys; set your Panns in the middle of the Rooms; ayr every Room once a VVeek (at the least) and put into your Fire a little quan∣tity of Frankincense, Juniper, dryed Rosema∣ry, or of Bay-Leaves.

To Smell to.

The Root of Enula-Campana, steeped in Vi∣negar, and lapped in a Handkerchief, is a special thing to smell unto, if you come where the Sickness is.

To taste or chew in the Mouth.

The Root of Angelica, Setwall, Gencian, Va∣lerian, or Cinnamon, is a special Preservative a∣gainst the Plague, being chewed in the Mouth.

To Eat.

Eat Sorrel, steeped in Vinegar, in the Morn∣ing fasting, with a little Bread and Butter. Sor∣rel Sauce is also very wholesome against the same.

To Drink.

Take Rue, VVormwood and Scabios, steep'd in Ale a whole Night, and drink it fasting every Morning.

Another.

The Root of Enula-Campana, beaten to Powder, is a special Remedy against the Plague, being drank fasting.

Another.

If any feel themselves already infected, take Angelica, mixt with Mithridatum; drink it off, then goe to Bed, and sweat thereon.

Another special Preservative.

Take an Egge, make a hole in the top of it, take out the white, and the yolk, and fill the shell only with Saffron; roast the shell and Saf∣fron together, in Embers of Charcole, untill the shell wax yellow; then beat shell and all toge∣ther in a Morter, with half a spoonful of Must∣ard-Seed: Now so soon as any suspition is had of Infection, dissolve the weight of a French Crown, in ten spoonfulls of Posset-Ale, drink it luke-warm, and sweat upon it in your naked Bed.

Drink for ordinary Dyet.

So near as you can, let the Patients ordinary Drink, be good small Ale, of eight dayes old.

For Vomiting.

Vomiting is better than Bleeding, in this Case; and therefore provoke to Vomit, so near as you can.

To provoke Vomit.

Take three Leaves of Estrabecca, stamp it, & drink it in Rhenish VVine, Ale, or Posset-Ale.

For Purging.

If the Party be full of gross Humours, let him blood immediately upon the right Arm, on the Liver Vein, or in the Median Vein, in the same Arm; so as no Sore appear the first Day.

A very wholesome Water, to be Distilled.

Steep Sorrel in Vinegar four and twenty hours; then take it out, and dry it with a Linnen Cloth; then Still it in a Limbeck; drink four spoonfulls, with a little Sugar; walk upon it till you sweat, if you may: if not, keep your Bed, and sweat upon it. Use this before Supper on any Evening. If the Patient happen to be troubled with any Swellings, Botches, Carbun∣cles, let him sweat moderately now and then.

Outward Medicines to Ripen the Sore.

Take the Root of a White Lilly, roast it in a good handful of Sorrel; stamp it, and apply it thereto very hot, let it lye four and twenty hours, and it will break the Sore.

Another.

Take a small quantity of Leaven, a handful of Mallows, a little quantity of Scabios, cut a white Onion into pieces, with half a Dozen Heads of Garlick; boyl these together in running Water,

make a Poultess of it, and then lay it hot to the Sore.

Another.

Take a hot Loaf, new taken forth of the Oven, apply it to the Sore, and it will doubtless break the same: but afterward bury the same Loaf deep enough in the Ground, for fear of a∣ny Infection; for if either Dogg,' or any other thing, do feed thereon, it will infect a great many.

For Ayring Apparel.

Let the Apparel of the Diseased Persons be well and often washed, be it Linnen or Wool∣len: or let it be ayred in the Sun, or over Panns of Fire, or over a Chaffingdish of Coals; and fume the same with Frankincense, Juniper, or dryed Rosemary.

To Preserve from the Infection of the Plague.

Take Garlick, and peel it, and mince it small, put it into new Milk, and eat it fasting.

To take the Infection from a House Infected.

Take large Onions, peel them, and lay three or four of them upon the Ground; let them lye ten Dayes, and those peeled Onions will gather all the Infection into them, that is in one of those Rooms: But bury those Onions after∣ward deep in the Ground.

Against the new Burning Feaver.

If the Parient be in great heat, as most com∣monly they will; take of fair running Water, a pretty quantity; put it on a Chaffingdish of Coals; then put thereinto a good quantity of Saunders, beaten to Powder, and let it boyl half an hour, between two Dishes; that done, put a couple of soft Linnen Clothes into a Dish, wet the Cloths well in Water and Saunders, and ap∣ply the same, as hot as you can suffer it, to your Belly.

To procure Sleep to the Sick Persons, that are Diseased, either with the Plague, or the hot Feaver.

Take of Womans Breast-Milk, a good quan∣tity; put thereunto the like quantity of Aqua-Vitae; stir them well together, and moysten therewith the Temples of the Patient, and his Nostrills; lay it on with some Feather, or some fine thin Ragg.

Butter-Milk, in this Contagious Time, is generally wholesome to be eaten; and is a good Preservative, against either the Plague, or the Pestilent Feaver.