Organon salutis an instrument to cleanse the stomach : as also divers new experiments of the virtue of tobacco and coffee, how much they conduce to preserve humane health / by W.R. ...

CHAP. XI. (Book 11)

Additions of severall intervenient* 1.1 Remedies for most parts of the bo∣dy.

1. FOr Scabs and Lice* 1.2 in the Head, rub the scabby place with the said infu∣sion of Tobacco.

2. For sore or* 1.3 decaying Eyes, take fine Linnen clothes, and moisten them in the said infusion of Tobacco, and binde them to your Eyes, as you are going to bed, for the space of five or six nights, one after the other. I have known very many, who were almost blinde, cured in a short space by this means; and never any missed.

3. There happened a strange cure to a Servant of mine, who was stark blinde for three quarters of a year, which I thought meet to discover. As he was led

by his wife (a poor woman) wished her to breath often in the morning fasting in both his eyes by turns, one after the other, which she did accordingly; this made him to have a great itch in his eyes, which made him rub his eyes of∣ten, and with his nayles he drew some slime out of his eyes; so that at three dayes end he began to see, and shortly after he perfectly recovered his eye∣sight. This was about twenty yeers past, and he is now perfectly well and of 66. yeers of age.

4. If a man will take a linnen ragge, or* 1.4 brown paper, and moisten it in the said infusion of Tobacco, and put it in his nose, & draw his breath upwards, it will purge the head and eyes; and if there be any Ulcers, in the Nose (as most men have, who are troubled with the Poxe) it will much help them.

5. If a man doth bleed over much at the Nose, let a man stand behinde the party troubled, and with both his thumbs presse hard both sides of the upper part of the back-bone upon the neck, it will presently stopp the blood.* 1.5

6. For deafnesse and noyse in the

Eares, drop the said Oyle of Tobacco cap. 2. n. 7. into the Eares often, but e∣specially at your going to bed: Stop them with a Paste made of Figgs and Mustard▪seed pounded, and sifted, and mingled with the said Oyle, which be∣ing used without the Oyle will be trou∣blesome; and be sure to keep your Eares very warm with a Cap.

7. Although I doe not know any* 1.6 present cure for the Toothache; yet I say, that whosoever will use the stalks of Tobacco as before, it will doe him much good, and be a great occasion to fasten the Teeth: also if the said Sina∣pismus, and Pitch plaister be applyed behinde the lower part of the Eare, it will doe much good.

8. The Headache commeth principal∣ly* 1.7 from the fumes of the stomach, who∣soever will cleer the Stomack as before, but especially use to drink water in the mornings, and before meals as before, it will be a principall means to keep a man from the Head-ache.

9. He who will use to drink cold* 1.8 water as before, it will preserve him from the Toad-evill, and especiallly

before drinking of Wine, &c. And then Wine and stronge Drinks will be lesse offensive to a man.

10. I know some that have lain sick of the Small-pox, and their breath al∣most stopped; yet by the use of the Whalebone-Instrument, as before the blisters of the Pox were broken in the Throat, and they vomitted and were cured.

11. One was in a deep Consump∣tion, and when all Physick failed, by u∣sing the Whalebone-Instrument as be∣fore, there was an Imposthume broken in the Stomach, and the party perfectly cured, after many Physitians had given him over.

12. It often happens that men have great I che in Bones close by the Throat, and in the▪ upper part of the Back-bone by the Neck, and sometimes Lice come out of the same, if the said Pitch-plaisters be applyed thereunto, it will draw much water therehence, and cure the same.

13. I have seen Wennes in the Throat, and the Kings-Evill often cu∣red, with the application of the said

Pitch-plaister, mingled with Verdi∣grease without breaking the skinne.

14. I have known many Children* 1.9 very sick of the Worms, unto whom some of the infusion of Tobacco was given in drink, and their bellyes were annoynted with the said Oyle of Tobacco, holding them to the fire, and then using the said suppositers, whereby they avoyded great store of Worms and were perfectly cured.

15. For the Winde in the Stomach,* 1.10 look before cap. 5. But for the Winde in the Guts, the said Suppositers ming∣led with powdered Cummin-seed, is an admirable remedy for it.

16. It is a common evill to old age* 1.11 to have weake Knees, especially when men doe ride in cold weather: For re∣medy whereof let a man have a Plaister made of the said Pitch-plaister, applyed to cover the Pans of both Knees, and continued, which will doe very much good.

17. It is a common evill to have* 1.12 Ulcers and Caukers in Leggs, especially in old age, for remedy whereof, keep the Stomach clean as before, and the u∣sing

of the Tobacco stalks as before, will doe much good: But for outward applications, let linnen cloth be made wet in the said infusion of Tobacco, and apply it to the sore place: I have known some have the Flesh consumed from the Bones, and the Bones scraped with a Knife, and being very old, yet cured by this means, and the Flesh restored again.

18. For the Gout in the Feet, I re∣fer* 1.13 it to what hath been spoken before: But for a common pain which men have in the bottome of their Feet, whether they have the Gout or no, let a man lay to the sore place one of the said Pitch∣plaisters, and then put in his shoes the warm water wherein powder Beef, or Cow-heels were boyled, or Tobacco and Ale or Urine well boyled, and wherein store of Bay-Salt is dissolved, and let him walk as well as he can, he shall finde very much good; so that the Shoes be big and large: I have seen more by the using hereof; than by any Baths or Oyntments, or any other out∣ward means, saving the drawing out of the humor as aforesaid. cap. 8.

19. Some may question, whether

the having of the Gout, be a great means to cure all diseases: I will not presume to decide the question, but say, that I have found much benefit thereby, with little trouble, and leave every man to his own sense; for whereas I had preserved my self from the Gout, for a∣bove one yeer, partly by Repercussive Medicines in my Shoes, and partly by Attractive Remedies in drawing the humors into my mouth as before: In the end I had a great noyse and deafness in my Eares, pains, and strange dreams in my sleep, much disturbance in my Stomach, great heat and itching over all my Body, &c. But when the Gout came again upon me, I was cleered from all these evills; so that I might say, (Silentia cuncta tranquilla sunt om∣nia) saving, that when I had the Gout again, I did quickly and easily rid my self thereof, by drawing out the humors as I have before declared, which makes me believe that these humors were ven∣ted from all parts of the Body, as men doe usually draine Quagmires.

20. Lastly, seeing I have spoken so much of this disease of the Gout, to be a

generall cure, for all other diseases, I think meet to add somewhat concer∣ning what dyet a man should use, when he hath the Gout. Before a man hath the Gout, a temperate dyet is best to preserve a man from it, but especially▪ to avoyd the moderate use of strong sharp Drinks and Wines, hot Spices, salt Meats, Tobacco, &c. But when a man hath the Gout, and is desirous to be rid thereof quickly, a man may make a more liberall use of these things, which will urge nature to make more speedy vent, of the corrupt humors, from all parts of the Body, into some outward part of the Body, to be drawn out by outward applications as aforesaid, this may seem to be a Paradex but constant experience hath made me to presume to write so much: and then whether it be better to endure a little pain and la∣bor for a short time, which bringeth so much good to all the Body, and as I conceive prolongeth health, or to leave the Body to be continually troubled with languishing diseases, and to run up and down to the Bathe, Physitians, and Apochecaries, to their great charge

and expence, I leave it to every mans judgement; and for a mans better satis∣faction herein, he may read the witty & eloquent Apologie of learned Rilibal∣dus in praise of the Gout.

Thus I have made an end, of shewing* 1.14 a great part of the miserable case of mens Bodies, which comes to them by unavoydable course of nature, with shewing my well wishes to remedy the same, hoping that this may move some honest and learned Physitians to make more additions of more Artificiall Me∣dicines thereunto, for relieving of mens miseries in those cases: But I am afraid of another greater misery, spoken of by the learned Physitian in his Preface Gratorolus, wherein he doth much la∣ment the miserable negligence of man∣kinde, who never▪thinks of the preser∣ving of health untill it be too late, af∣ter the losse thereof: And for my part I shall end with that honest wish (Optan∣dum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano) that in every man there may be an ho∣nest and sound Soul in a sound Body: And so we shall all make a good end.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  9. Point.
• * 1.2

  Head.
• * 1.3

  Eyes.
• * 1.4

  Nose.
• * 1.5

  Eares.
• * 1.6

  Teeth.
• * 1.7

  Head∣ache.
• * 1.8

  Throat.
• * 1.9

  Belly and Guts, &c.
• * 1.10

  Winde.
• * 1.11

  Knees and Leggs.
• * 1.12

  Leggs.
• * 1.13

  Feet.
• * 1.14

  Conclu∣sion.