The surgeons mate or Military & domestique surgery Discouering faithfully & plainly ye method and order of ye surgeons chest, ye uses of the instruments, the vertues and operations of ye medicines, with ye exact cures of wounds made by gunshott, and otherwise as namely: wounds, apos fumes, ulcers, fistula's, fractures, dislocations, with ye most easie & safest wayes of amputation or dismembring. The cures of the scuruey, of ye fluxes of ye belly, of ye collicke and iliaca passio, of tenasmus and exitus ani, and of the calenture, with A treatise of ye cure of ye plague. Published for the service of his Ma. tie and of the com:wealth. By John Woodall Mr. in chyrurgerie.

Of the Marks, or spots, commonly, though neither properly, nor alwaies truly called, Gods Tokens.

The fourth apparent outward sign of the plague, is the markes or spots appearing upon the skin, usually called Gods tokens, but not as being ever certain tokens of the pestilence, and so of death to the patient, as vulgarly they are taken to be, by ignorant peo∣ple in their unexpert conjectures and opinions, for that it is daily ma∣nifest, many have spots of several formes and colours, when venomous feavours reign, and yet have not the Plague: and again, many have sus∣pitious and fearful spots, which the vulgar term Gods tokens, and re∣cover, and live many yeares after▪ my self have cured not a few in that kind▪ that are now, to Gods glory, living; these spots are upon some bodies like Flea-bitings, in others larger, in some again as big as a penny.

In some bodies there are very many, and sometimes they are like freckles, and they are most commonly found upon the breast, and sometimes upon the back, arms, and legs of the patients; they are in some of a colour blewish, or of a sad red, and some are like lead-co∣lour, and others purple, some are of a pale-blew, and these spots are ever without pain: but the very appearance of any spots, to any in the Plague, cause sudden fear to the Patient; which, though the markes be insensible, yet through sudden fear, they produce fain∣tings, swoundings, trembling of the heart, and death following there∣upon, although neither the Patient feel pain, as is said, neither al∣wayes

the Artist can judge, by reason he seeth just cause of sudden death to his Patient, the reason being secret with God, as inwardly afflicting maukind, de Praescientia Dei, namely of the fore-knowledge of God: So much of the marks, spots, or tokens, in some appearing, in the Disease of the Plague.

Notes

• The fourth sign, Gods tokens.
• Of the ignorant∣ly mistaking them.
• Of the several colours.
• Their effects caused by fear.