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CHAP. XVII. Hippocrates Revived.

ACertain man being familiar with a happy Angel his keeper, intreated him, that he would beg of God, the remedy whereby Hippocrates cured the popular plague of the Grecians; hoping that it would not be denyed unto the miserable Christians, the which the Almighty in times past granted to the Heathens: The good Angel said, Hiprocrates, used Sulphur, Salt, and Pitch: which answer left behind it the former obscurities: Hence it came to passe, that that man afterwards said, there was enough spoken for these times. Wherefore after a careful diligent search, at length I resolved with my self that Sulphur in the age of Hyppocrates was called Phlogiston, that is, inflameable: By which Etymology, Diascorides soon after said, the best Sulphur was denoted, from its own pro∣perty, to wit, because it was wholly consumed by the fire. But because Hippocrates named the hidden poyson of any diseases whatsoever, a divine thing, in diseases, and because he cured the poyson of the pestilence (which is the chief and standard-defender of poysons, and •••• contagious diseases) therefore he began to call Sulphur [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] that is, a divine thing; so that from hence even unto this day, Sulphur is no otherwise written or named, than with the name of Divine; because it heals the Pest: The which, as it was antiently believed to be sent onely from the Gods, so also it was antiently sup∣posed to contain a divine succour in it.

For all bodies universally, even of remedies against poyson, and the air it self, are subject to a fermental putrefaction, and to the poyson of the plague; and therefore they are a fit occasional matter for the Plague. Truly Authors do batter themselves with a tedi∣ous disputation, whether Salt be capable of a pestilent poyson? whether a Letter that is closed with a linnen thred, be a partaker of contagion, but not that which is tyed with a metallick thred? I have bewailed the ridiculous Fable of the Italians, and their Study of brawling: For truly, paper is no lesse capable of contagion, than flax, from whence it is made. Silver also, Gold, and the most cleansed glasse, and an Antidote it self, may drink in the forreign poyson of the plague: But Sulphur alone, among created bodies, resisteth a fermental putrifaction, and the contagion of the plague; Because Sulphur alone being like unto fire, drives away all putrefaction through continuance, as well in Hogssheads, as in places themselves, and blots out the foot-steps of any touch and odour: For so Sulphur also takes away well nigh every scabbednesse of the skin, because it is an enemy to contagion: Wherefore neither is it a wonder, if the Pest being derived into the skin from an internal Beginning, be also drawn out by Sulphur. For since that in the whole Universe, nothing doth more readily conceive fire than Sulphur, because it is as it were a meer fire; no wonder that Sulphur demonstrates the properties of fire, which are to burn up all things, nor it self to be infected with contagion.

Truly I have seen in the watery tract of Gaunt, a whole legion of Neopolitans to have died of the plague, but there was in the same place a Company of Germans which ••inged their shirts with Gun-powder, that they might excuse their Laundresses, and also the lice: If any of these perished, it was by reason of the bloudy Flux, but not of the plague: Therefore Hippocrates separated 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (that soundeth Sulphur, or a divine unexpert or crude fire) which is named in the Shops Sulphur Vive, from the su∣perfluous earth, onely by fusion. But it is yellow, which being once enflamed, burns moreover even unto the end, neither doth it contract a skin in its superficies, as neither doth it leave a dreg behind it worthy of note; but being once enflamed, it wholly flies away; and therefore was it named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or inflameable. For in the age of Hipocra∣tes, the manner of extracting Sulphur out of the Fire-stone and Marcasites, was not yet made known: Wherefore the Sulphur of Italy is better than our Country Sulphur bred at Leydon. For the Fire-stone exspires forth some Arsenical matter in the boyling; for why, the••efore Arsenick is commonly called the fume of metals. Hippocrates there∣fore, at first commanded the houses that were infected with the plague, to be perfumed with Sulphur: For indeed Sulphur while it is burned, and its heterogeneal parts are

separated, it affords a black smoak, and belcheth forth a watery and acide o•• sharp Salt, which is constrained into a liquor, and is called the distillation or oyl of Sul∣phur.

In the next place, out of enflamed Sulphur, the homogeneal part of the Sulphur doth exhale, it arising indeed, by reason of heat, but being not yet enflamed; and therefore it flyes away with the fume or smoak, before it can be snatched hold of by the flame; For so, o••t of woods, oyls being not yet enflamed, do ascend together with the smoak, and affix a smoakiness or soot as yet combustible, unto the sides of the Chimney: But Sul∣phur thus flying away, together with its smoak, as it is in its former disposition, so nei∣ther in this place, is it of any valour.

But since every seed of burnt Sulphur is destroyed by the flame, for that very cause it is transchanged into a Gas or wild spirit, which by reason of the properties of its own concrete or composed body, is an An••idote against the Pest: For seeing that a medicine ought suitably to answer to the disease, the water, salt, smoakiness, or volatile floure of Sulphur, cannot be the true remedy of the plague; but only that subtile and almost incor∣poreal Gas, which is therefore straightway comixable with our Archeus: Therefore that Gas refresheth those that are affected in their womb, with its smell, but not the oyl, not the tincture, milk, or floure of Sulphur.

But after what sort thou mayest know that Gas of Sulphur to be distinct from the wate∣ry vapour thereof; kindle a sulphurated torch or candle in a glass bottle, thou shalt forth∣with see the whole bottle to be filled with a white fume, and at length the flame to be stifled by the fume: Afterwards, keep thou the bottle most exactly stopt with a cork, and thou shalt see a sulphur to be affixed unto the sides of the vessel, and in the superficies of the water, if there were any in the bottom: But if indeed, after some daies, thou shalt put the same enflamed torch or bottle into the neck of the candle, the flame is forthwith extinguished by reason of the condensable Gas of the Sulphur; no otherwise than as the odour of an Hogshead putrified through continuance, stifles the flame of a sulphurated candle.

But Hippocrates perfumed all the wine which he gave in the plague, after this manner: He perfumed the pot or cup of a narrow neck, with a candle of burning sulphur, he powred in wine, to the filling of the pot a third part full, and stirred the pot being exact∣ly shut, by shaking it a good while together, upwards, and downwards, until the wine had drunk up all the Gas of the sulphur into it self: For medicines to be hung on the body, and Amulets or preservative Pomanders had not yet been made known: But he supplyed external medicines that take away weariness or faintness, in the room thereof, by a∣nointing the body with Greek Wine wherein he had boiled the most fine powder of Sul∣phur: But he besprinkled the same fine powder being dryed in the Sun, on those that were in a sweat, and commanded it to be applyed with rubbings. But the Pest, since it never wants a Fever, and that the Grecans saw the remedies of Hippocrates, they began first, to call the Pest, and then every Fever, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or a fire; Not indeed, by reason of a re∣markable, and necessary burning heat of Fevers (although it so pleased Galen): For truly, they called the beginning, cold, rigours and horrours, Py•• or a fire, as well as a burning Causon.

For Hipp••crates lightly ground Sulphur with water, on a Grind-stone, and being again dried, he kept it for his uses: But he gave twenty four grains of Sulphur with salted, and hot wine, that he might provoke sweats: But he first made the salt to crack in a glassen pot, and presently afterwards, he melted it, by increasing the fire; for else, salt con∣taineth in it excrementitious filths, which at the first cracking, fly away, the salt clea∣ving asunder and leaping a little: These Spirits do easily putrifie through continuance, and subject the salt to a fear of contagion; for they are very forraign to the salt; the which although they fled away a good while before the fusion of the salt, yet he made a melting of the salt, that whatsoever forreign thing was contained in the salt, might be consumed by the fire: For indeed, he saw that presently after the invasion of the Pest, the appetite was prostrated, and then also, that fermentally putrified and burntish impu∣rities grew in the stomach, from whence arose the headach, vomitings, loathings, doat∣age, the drowsie evil, &c. which would hinder the cure of the plague: Therefore he took the common balsam of the salt of fleshes, which might overthrow the fermental pu∣trified poyson, and putrefactions, by cleansing them away, together with a con••••••ing of the strength; and he gave the wine being salted, hot, but not luke-warm 〈…〉〈…〉 restrain the loathings of the stomach, and mightily provoke sweats; and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sul∣phur, that it might kill the plague as it were with its odour; because salt clean••••••h, pre∣serveth

from corruption, and Sulphur restrains poyson: But he prescribed this sweat for three daies space at least, yet oft-times he extended it unto a weeks space: but they did sweat twice every day, and at every tur••, for the sixth part of a day, if they were able; on the first daies more, and on the after succeeding daies, less: For in time of sweating, he took away all drink; but the term of sweating being finished, he fed them with Barley-Cream, and for drink, they had Greek Wine pitcht, wherein were a few grains of the aforesaid salt, and Sulphur: But he laid the leaves of Assara Bacca, being steeped in vi∣negar, upon the Bubo, unto the soals of the feet, and palms of the hands, which after every twelve hours, he commanded to be buried, because they stink greatly. It came to pass afterwards, that Greece be sprinkled their grapes, divers times, with the Brine of the Sea, before they were carried to the Press: For Hippocrates perswaded that thing, that so, together with it, In••ects might be driven from the grapes: Hence it is, that the Wines of Greece are salted even unto this day, the reason of this use being unknown. Unto great Buboes in the groyn, and marks, he applyed hot Towels tinged in rich wine, wherein, as I have said, he had boiled Sulphur. Furthermore, he reserved a secret to himself, through the sight whereof, he attained to himself, divine honours: But it was the flesh of a Viper, or or Snake, which he cleansed: for the utmost part of the tail, and the head, being cut off, he stript off their skin, casting away the bowels, together with the gawl, he reserved only the Heart, and Liver; but he drew out all their blood, with the vein running down the back-bone: But he boiled not their flesh after the manner wherein it is put into Triacle; but he exactly bruised the same, together with the bones, and aforesaid bowels, and dryed them in a warm Oven, until they could be powdered; which powder he sprinkled on ho∣ny being sufficiently clarified and boiled, until he knew that fleshes in boiling, had laid aside their virtue as well in the broath, as in the vapours: But he added unto this Elec∣tuary, the Spice of his Country for to cloak the secret; and therefore, neither was it made manifest by the Angel. But the cure contains a mystery; that as Death crept in by the Serpent, it self also, ought to be vindicated by the death of the Serpent: For Adam being skilful in the properties of all Beasts, was not ignorant also, that the Serpent was more crafty than the other living Creatures; and that the aforesaid balsam, the remedy of death, lay hid in the Serpent: Wherefore the Spirit of Darkness could not more safely deceive our first parents, than under the Serpents skin: For perhaps they hoped that they should escape the death sorely threatned by God, by the aid of the Serpent.

Hippocrates used also wine that was pitched: Wherefore it is worthy our consideration, that Spain is seldom afflicted with the plague; not because sins, or filths are wanting, where there are almost no Jakes's: Its a Country, I say, raging with heats, imitating of, and co∣bordering on Africa: Nor also, because their great men do cool their drink with snow: because, at least the Rusticks and Citizens should pay the punishment of their own sins, with the plague: But Aegypt useth waters and fruits, from whence there is a fermental putrefaction in their flesh: but Spain useth wine, and indeed that which is pitcht, be∣cause, seeing for the most part, they want Hogsheads, they keep their wines in pitched Hides or Leathern Jacks: Italy hath wooden vessels; therefore it doth not, as constrain¦ed, make use of pitch, and it is more frequently, violently taken with the Pest: For pitch being applyed to Carbuncles, is for an ease or comfort, and they are quickly opened; for pitch imitates the blackness of an Eschar. Among known trees, the pitch-tree a∣lone is made a torch, and by reason of its fatness, it presently dies, if but a little earth be added to its Trunk: for God is liberal in his remedies, and that is proper to his good∣ness: For death happening by a tree, it hath seemed to be ordained for a remedy against death, unto man that was made mortal by a tree. The smell of pitch is familiar for a suf∣fumigation unto very many Provinces infected with the Plague: For so Petus affirmeth, that Hippocrates had not one only remedy against the Pest; and that he was sacrificed unto by the Athenians, as it were unto a protecting starry God. When as therefore, the Greeks saw Hipocrates to use a remedy known only to himself, unto whom therefore they at∣tributed their life, health, and whole preservation; they by degrees despairing, the use of salt, and sulphur went more and more into oblivion, especially if some years that were free from the plague, interposed: And afterwards, every Physitian began to select divers medicines, hoping that his own was the Antidote of Hippocrates: From whence there was afterwards a standing crop of remedies collected, without number, for the most part, with empty ears. At length, from a slender senting of the praise of the Viper, the com∣position of Triacle arose, it being partly loaded with a confounding of simples, and their odours being partly dispersed in time of preparation, and they cast away the better properties of the Viper in the broaths. At this day, the Antidote of Orvietanus is made

of great account for thplague; because he first dated to swallow any poyson unknown unto him, in the open market place; which thing, the Germans at this day perform only by the use of the Snake: For they little distinguish the Pest from other poysons, and have ••aken little notice, that against the will of the Electuary of Orvicta••••s, the plague not∣withstanding, hath lately raged throughout all Lumbardy: For I omit, that the Pest doth radically differ from other poysons.

Quercetanus, and the Writers of this sort, in their Caco-Alexiteries or bad medicines against poyson, and in their young beginnings, do dicta••e very many remedies (whether boldly, or sottishly, let others judge from the roots of the Pest supposed) every one whereof is framed, not indeed from knowledge, but from thinking alone, and the Au∣thor of them is worthy of pity, if not of punishment: For Ranzovius concerning de∣fending health, describes a Saxenian Antidote for his Son, it being tryed divers times by me, but always in vain, because the poyson consisting in a spiritual image of terrour, hath nothing in the aforesaid Antidote, which can radically overcome the same image: and therefore by reason of the ignorance of the causes of the Pest••, any one hath devised many remedies; and also, hath connexed many things unharmoniously together, against the poyson forreignly entring: Indeed, all of them confused, without a method, experience, reason, and knowledge of the causes: And nothing having been at all devised against the Pest arisen from the foolish image of terrour, and the perswa••ion of fear••ulness, afterwards, from the age of Hipocrates, every Physitian began at pleasure to select divers remedies, and to connex many things together, and much more than many, hoping that his own invention was that of Hippocrates.

In the mean time, the number of compositions increased, and by degrees, uncer∣tainty supplanted the antient truth: And although an Antidote which operateth about the effects of the poyson produced in the body, be to be greatly esteemed; yet while it o∣perateth not on the terrours of the Archeus, and the image produced from thence, truly, neither can it bring help to the pestilent contagion; or if any one do revive from the plague with those Antidotes, that is not done but with an unfaithful succour: For in the plague, the Archeus himself is well nigh bewi••ched with terrour and grief, and stamps a pernicious image on himself, which is the true Pest; from which, neither doth he vo∣luntarily re-arise, unless by a singular power of nature, and divine grace. Moreover, as I have elsewhere demonstrated in a particular Treatise, that the first assaults of concepti∣ons, do not stand in a free disposition of the will, but that they are framed in the midriffs; So by arguments drawn from thence, I have fitly or exactly beheld, that the image of ter∣rour, and indeed the plague it self, is formed about the Jurisdiction of the stomach and spleen: and that thing, I seriously and by long leisure discerned, and have exactly con∣firmed from observation, by very many histories; one or two whereof, to have repeated, shall not be besides our purpose.

A certain young man, beholding his little Sister to be be-spotted with a black mark, and to be dead, being sore smitten with terrour, presently felt a load about the mouth of his sto∣mach, the admonitress of continual sighing: He daily used Triacle, Myrrhe, and the root of Butterbur being adjoyned thereunto: he ate and drank even unto merriment: At length, on the twelfth day after the death of his Sister, a Fever, and deep drowsiness laid hold on him, and on the third day after, he died. A Noble Virgin, having suffered a co∣like burden, and anguish of terrour, at length, passed over restless nights with a dejected appetite, with sighs, and oppressions of her stomach, and a panting heart, a slow and continual Fever took hold on her, with an uncessant strugling of fear, and hope: For as many deliberations of animosity or courage, and of free resignation, as she could make with her self, were in vain: Meats also being despised, there at length, remained place fo•• strong wine; and that also she soon disdained; neither also was she so greatly afraid of death, as of future doating delusions:

In the mean time, she laughed at her foolish perplexities, or mournful vanities, and it grieved her self of her own ••olly: But the Physitians had sent their own Antidotes unto her, under which, the Duel of her mind increased, no otherwise than as in those that are bitten by a mad dog, with their disease of the fear of water; and at length, through the mortal ••orrow of the pestiferous terrour, she now plainly despaired in mind; because she was she, who for three weeks space, had admitted of no sleep, with a perpetuak Agony, and despairing of life, and yet was vexed with her self, through la full remembrance or knowledge of her own foolish strugling; and Opiates being administred, she found her self worse. At length, between the fear, and desiring of death, she plainly recovered by the remedy of Hippocrates, in six hours space. In the mean time, I confess, and admo∣nish

by way of protestation, that I have plainly enough manifested the bosom of the re∣medy of Hippocrates, that it may be sufficiently plain only unto the Sons of Art, and true Physitians, and covered for the future, only to sloathful Physitians, that are enslaved to gain, and to the envious haters of the truth.

But I have declared, 1. The aforesaid histories, that plagues beginning, may be mani∣fest not to be as yet seasoned with the pestilent poyson, and not yet to be accompany∣ed with a sufficient image of terrour,

2. And that the virtue of the remedy of Hippocrates may from thence be made manifest.

3. That the first violent motions of confusion, terrour, and imagination, do hap∣pen in the midriff, about the mouth of the stomach; To wit, in the Spleen, whose emunctory is nigh the mouth of the stomach, and so that it is the mark of that Archer: For in a healthy young man, whom the plague had snatched away in seven hours time, a dissection of his body being begun, I found a long eschar now made, to be, as at first the mover of vomit, and afterwards the Authour of continual swoonings; so also, to have given an occasion of sudden death; even as in others, I have noted a three∣fold eschar to have been made in the stomach, ••n sixteen hours space.

4. That the master of Animal subtilty, hath with his white wand of sleep, chosen the Inn of drowsie sleep, and watchings in the same place.

5. And that the seat of all madnesse and doatage, is in the same place: And that thing I have elswhere profesly founded by a long demonstration.

6. That purging likewise, as also myrr••ed Antidotes for the Pest, are not safe enough, or worthy of confidence.

7. And that all reason, deliberation, animosity, resignation, consolation, argu∣mentation, and all the subtilty of man on the contrary, do but wash the Ae••hiopian, in the Pest, even as also in the disease Hydrophobia.

8. That the endeavour of preservatives is sluggish, as oft, and as long as the seal of the image framed by terrour, remayneth.

9. That such an image stirs up from it self, continual sorrows, and spurns at the phantasie it self, and drawes it captive to it self, no lesse than the biting of a mad dog, brings forth an unwilling fear of water, or the sting of a Tarantula, the do••tage of a tripping dance.

10. That the comfort of sweating alone, is loose in such terrours.

11. That the Idea of fear not being vanquished in the bowel, nor the dreg wherein that image sits, banished, it is in vain, whatsoever the magistrals, or compositions of the shops do attempt: For Hydrophobial persons, although now and then between while, they speak discreetly, fore-feel, and fore-tel a madnesse coming upon them, yet they cannot but be driven into the madnesse of their own image.

12. That swimming is destructive, and whatsoever restraineth sweat.

13. That Barley broaths, pulses, syrupes, and Juleps, are loose and frivolous reme∣dies for so great a malady.

14. That it comes from a bastard plague unto a true or Legitimate one; yet that the sick do often fail under the beginning thereof, before it sends forth its tokens: The which traiterous signes do notwithstanding, presently after death issue forth.

15. That grateful odours, the perfumes of spices, feathers, or shooes, do bring no de∣fence or succour for the plague: For by way of example; if thou seasonest an hogshead of wine putrified through continuance, with the odour of spices, or with any other odour, except that of Sulphur, it remaines fermentally putrified, and it soon defiles the new wine which thou shalt pour in, as the former. Wherefore sweet-smelling things do in no wise take away the terrour, and the poysonous Idea of terrour, from the Archeus being once terrified; Because they take not away the ma••ter of the poyson; and much lesse do they kill that poyson, or remove the terrour from the Archeus, as neither do they refresh the seat thereof, or comfort the part affected.

For Paracelsus commends unto the City of Stertzing that was bountiful unto him, myrrhe being by degrees melted under the tongue, before any other remedies; and boldly promiseth it unto the younger sort, for a preservation for 24. houres space: which doctrine notwithstanding, I have experienced to be false: For I have seen young folks, with the much use of myrrhe, to have been killed by the plague. Myrrhe indeed, although it may preserved dead cracases from putrefaction, instead of a blasam; yet the Pest far differs from putrefaction; No otherwise than as the eschar of a bright burning iron differs from putrified blood: And although corruption succeedeth in a carcass now dead, yet the poysonous image of terrour doth not properly putrify, as it doth most proper∣ly slay the vital Archeus, and tranchange him into a poyson, with it self: For he bids that

myrrhe be held in the mouth: As if the plague knew not how to to enter but by way of the mouth: Therefore far more advisedly to have shut up the mouth in silence. Truly the Pest will abhor myrrhe, nor will it da••e to enter in through the nostrils, if myrrhe being de∣tained in the mouth, doth dissolve: shall perhaps, the odour of myrrhe hinder, where∣by the poysonous image is the lesse poysonsom, is not poysonsom? Is not hurtful? For shall myrrhe in the mouth, repulse the plague from the Archeus? The same reason is alike frivolous and foolish for Triacle, vinegar, &c. perfumed with odours.

At length, let mortals know, that in healing, nothing is alike hurtful, as a rash belief given without a pledge, and truth. Truly, the accusations of the sick, will at sometime thunder against the negligence, falshood, decietful juggles, rashnesses, and false wares of Physitians, whereby people have been spoyled of their life. But I have discern∣ed by the books of Paracelsus, that he was a man rash in promising, unexpert in the plague, unconstant in its remedies, ignorant in its causes, as also ungrateful toward the bountiful City of Stertzing. Let his honourers spare me, that I am constrained to speak candidly or plainly for the truth, in a matter of so great moment, least any one in the plague, should put confidence in his succours.