The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Coughs.

THere are many several sorts of Coughs; some proceeding from a Superfluity of Moysture, others from too much Heat; some from a Corruption of Humours, others from a De∣cay of the Inward Parts; others from sudden Colds upon great Heats, and some proceed from Wind, likewise from sharp salt Rheums, and some from fresh Rheums. Those that proceed from a Superfluity of Moysture, are strong Coughs, that raise up Flegm: for in that sort of Coughs, when the Stomack is full of Humours, the Flegm riseth highest, like the Scum of a Pot on the Fire, or like Whites of Eggs that are put into any hot Li∣quor; and when the Stomack is hot, it boyls up like a seething Liquor, which boyling or seething provokes to strain; which straining is not so violent, as to vomit: for those sorts of Coughs are of the nature of vomiting, as in straining, or striving, or shuffing upward; but by reason it is not so violent a Motion as Vomiting is, it onely provokes to Cough, bringing up Flegm, or Water, with the Motion thereof. After the like manner are such sort of Coughs as proceed from Corrupt Humour, and most commonly are the Fore-runners of the Small Pox, Meazels, or the like Diseases.

But Coughs that proceed from a great Heat, either in the Sto∣mack, or Bowels; the reason is, that the Heat causeth a great

Vapour, which Vapour ascending to the Head, there gathers into Clouds of Water, where dissolving, it falls back again, like Showers of Rain, where it sometimes falls in pouring Showers, other times like mizzling Rain. And the fuller of Moysture the Body is, the greater Showers of Rain fall down. This stopping the Passages of the Throat, causeth a straining and striving in the Throat, as when any thing goeth awry, or Crums or Bones lye in the Throat, or stop the Wind-pipe: for every part of the Body, if it be bound, or hurt, will strive and strain to help it self. But if the Constitution of the Body be Naturally or Accidentally Dry, the Vapour is thinner, and then it ariseth, like a steam in a Still, or Limbeck, where the Head, like the top of a Still or Limbeck, gathers that steam into a Dew, which falleth back in distilling Drops; which Drops trickling down the Throat, as Tears on the Cheeks, do rather tickle the Throat, than stop the Wind-pipe, or strain the Throat: but if the Rheum be sharp, or salt, it causeth a gentle smart, which is of such a kind of touch as tickling is; provokes a faint or weak Cough.

But Coughs that proceed from a decay of Parts, are, when any part of the Body is corrupted it becomes less solid; as from being a Solid Flesh, to be of a Jelly Substance, which dissolves with the least Heat, melting by degrees away; and as it melts, it falls into liquid Drops, which Drops tickle or smart those parts they fall or trickle on: for by reason the Inward Parts are as it were raw, or very thin skinned, they make it sensible of the least touch; besides, there is a faint strife, when the dissolved part falls from the other, which strife tickling, causeth a Cough; but the Cough is more or less, according as the part dissolves. But these tickling Coughs are the most dangerous Coughs, for the one causeth a Consumption, the other is caused by a Consum∣ption: for when these tickling Coughs proceed from the Body, they are caused from a Consuming Part, that melts and dissolves by degrees; but when it is Distillation from the Head, it cor∣rupts Parts by falling thereon, like as Water, with a constant dropping, will penetrate thorow a Stone; much more may a Constant Distillation corrupt a Spungie Matter, as Flesh; and according as the Rheums are fresh, salt, or sharp, the Parts decay flower or faster: for salt, or sharp Rheums, ulcerate the Parts, and destroy them soon.

Also Wind will cause a tickling in the Throat, as a tickling in the Nose, which causeth Coughs; for Sneezing is but a Cough thorow the Nose: but when Wind riseth thorow the Wind∣pipe, it causeth a Chine-cough; for as long as the Wind ascends, the Patient cannot draw in Air, but coughs so long, without drawing in of the Breath, till they are black in the Face, being as it were choak'd or strangled, or rather smothered almost to Death.

As for Remedies, those Coughs that proceed from a Super∣sluity of Moysture, or from Corrupted Humours, there must be

applyed purging Medicines, and letting of Blood: but for Coughs that proceed from Decayed Parts, there is no help for them: for when the Intrals are corrupted, and wasted, they cannot be restored again, nor made as they were before; nor can they be healed up, if they be ulcerated, as the Outward Parts of the Body can; for we cannot come so easily to lay Plasters, and Pultesses, to draw out the Corruption, and Putrified Humour from the Sounder Parts, that are not corrupted; yet there may be given, or taken, such Medicines, as may prolong or retard the hasty Wast; which Medicines must be cooling and clensing, as Julips made of Burrage-water, Plantain-water, with Sirrop of Suckery, and Sirrop of Burrage, and Bugloss, and the like; Also, Broths with Cooling Herbs, as Strawberry-leaves, Vio∣let, Suckery, and the like. But no Hot Sirrops, nor no Sharp Herbs, as Sorrel, and the like; nor no Hot Herbs, as Thyme, Rosemary, Winter-Savery, Marjerum, or the like.

Also I should think Almond-milk should be very good; for the French barley, that is boyled in the Water, is both cooling and clensing, and quenches out the Fiery Heat; and Almonds are healing and smothering. But in these Diseases, Physicians do most commonly give those Medicines which are very per∣nicious, as Mithridate, Brimstone, Saffron, Licquerish, and Hot Cordials; those Hot Medicines, instead of comforting those Decayed Parts, rather inflame them; and the Heat therein dis∣solves and melts them more hastily away.

But those Medicines are more proper for those that are stopped in their Stomack or Head by Cold, which hath congealed the Vapour into Icy Contraction, Hot Medicines rarifie it thin a∣gain; although many times Cold causeth an Unnatural Heat, by stopping by Contraction the Pores of the Flesh, keeping in, and hindring the Smoke of the Body from breathing forth; which Smoke smothers the Inward Parts, causing thereby a Suffocating Stoppage; whereupon Cold Medicines give the Pa∣tient more ease than Hot, as it hath been found by Experience.

But for those Coughs that proceed from a tickling Rheum from the Head, the best Remedies are Issues; the next is letting a little Blood; the third, to give the Patient Cooling Medi∣cines, such as I named before, especially Almond-milk; for it doth not onely quench the Unnatural Heat, but it allayes and tempers the salt and sharp Vitriols that are most commonly mix∣ed in those Rheums: Yet there must alwaies be a care, that they do not weaken the Stomack by over-cooling Drinks: wherefore they must drink but a little at a time, and at certain times, as, not upon a full Stomack, but when the Stomack is most empty, for then it works better Effects, and hinders not Digestion. Like∣wise in Consumptive-coughs, the Patient must not use any Vio∣lent Exercise, so as to heat the Body, but must use Moderate Ex∣ercises. Likewise their Meats must be light of Digestion, and rather to eat Boyl'd-meat than rosted, and rather Flesh-meat

than Spoon-meat; provided, that they be Fine Meats, as Pullet, Chicken, young Turkyes, Partridges, and the like; young Rabbits are also good, and Pigs, Lamb, and the like; but not to eat too much at one time, nor to eat untill they feel the Meat di∣gested; * 1.1 for Ill Digestion causeth an Unnatural Heat, and breeds the Body full of sharp Humours.

As for Chine-coughs, those Medicines must be applyed, as do expell Wind, and to purge away the raw and unconcocted Hu∣mour that produce Wind.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Salt that is in the Blood remains more in Rost∣meats than in Boyld-meats, for the Water sucks it forth.