Orders, thought meete by her Maiestie, and her priuie Councell, to be executed throughout the counties of this realme, in such townes, villages, and other places, as are, or may be hereafter infected with the plague, for the stay of further increase of the same Also, an aduise set downe vpon her Maiesties expresse commaundement, by the best learned in physicke within this realme, contayning sundry good rules and easie medicines, without charge to the meaner sort of people, aswell for the preseruation of her good subiects from the plague before infection, as for the curing and ordering of them after they shalbe infected.

An aduise set dovvne vpon her Maiesties expresse comman∣dement, by the best learned in Physicke within this Realme, contayning sundry good rules and easie medi∣cines, vvithout charge to the meaner sort of people, as well for the preseruation of her good Sub∣iectes from the plague before infection, as for the curing and ordring of them after they shal be infected.

Preseruatiue by correcting the aire in Houses.

TAke Rosemarie dried,* 1.1 or Iuni∣per, Bayleaues, or Frankincense, cast the same on a Chafindish, and receiue the fume or smoke therof▪ Some aduise to be ad∣ded Lauender, or Sage.

Also to make fires rather in Pannes, to remoue about the Chamber, then in Chimneis, shall better correct the aire of the Houses.

Take a quantitie of Vineger very strong, and put to it some small quantitie of Rosewater, tenne branches of Rosemarie, put them all into a basen, then take fiue or sixe Flintstones, heated in the fire till they be burning hotte, cast them into the same Vineger, & so let the fumes be receiued from place to place of your house.

Perfuming of Apparel.

SVch apparel as you shal commonly weare, let it be very cleane, and perfume it often eyther with some red Saūders burned, or with Iuniper. And if any shal happen to be with them that are visited, let such persons as soone as they shal come home, shift themselues, & aire their other clothes, in open aire for a time.

Preseruation by way of defence in open aire, and common assemblies to be vsed outwardly.

IT is good in going abroade into the open aire in the streetes, to hold some things of sweete sa∣uour in their hands, or in the corner of a hand∣kerchiefe, as a sponge dipped in Vineger & Rosewa∣ter mixed, or in Vineger, wherein Wormewood, or Rue called also Herbegrace, hath bene boyled.

Preseruatiue by way of inward medicine.

TAke a quantitie of Rue, or Wormewood, or of both, and put it into a potte of vsuall drinke, close stopped, let it lie so in steepe a whole night, and drinke thereof in the morning fasting.

In all Sommer plagues, it shalbe good to vse Sorrel sauce to be eaten in y^e morning with bread, And in the fall of the leafe to vse the iuice of Bar∣beries with bread also.

Mens bodies are apt to take infectiō, either

• By the constitution of the heart, the vitall spirites being weake, and the naturall heate feeble, in which case thinges Cordiall are to be vsed.
• By repletion, the body being filled with hu∣mors, either
  • Good, and then is the party to be let blood.
  • Euill, and then is hee to be cu∣red with medi∣cine purgatiue.

Preseruatiues Cordialls.

Mithridates Medicine.

TAke of good Figges not wormeaten, cleane wasshed, of Walnuts y^e kernels cleane picked, of either of them an hundred, of the leaues of greene Rue, otherwise called Herbgrace, y^e weight of ii. s. of common Salt the weight of iiii. d. cut the Figges in pieces, and stampe them and the Walnut kernels together in a morter of Marble or wood a good space, vntil they be very smal, and then put your Rue leaues vnto them, stampe and stirre them well together with the rest, last put in the Salt and stampe and stirre these things toge∣ther, vntill they be encorporated and made of one substance. Of the which take the quantitie of ii. or iii. Figges euery morning fasting, to children the halfe wil serue, and he that listeth to increase or di∣minish

the substance of this Medicine, shall easely do it, by taking of a greater or lesse quantitie of the simples according to a due proportion.

A well approued Medicine to preserue.

TAke of the finest cleare Aloes you can buy, in colour like to a Liuer, and therefore called Hepatica, of Cinamō, of Myrrhe, of ech of these the weight of iii. French crownes, or of xxii. d. of our money, of Cloues, Maces, Lignum Aloes, of Ma∣sticke, of Bole Oriental, of ech of these half an ounce: mingle them together and beate them into a very fine powder. Of the which take euery morning fasting the weight of a grote of this in white wine delayed with water, and by the grace of God you shall be safe from the plague. No man which is learned, if he examine the simples of this medicine whereof it consisteth, and the nature and power of them, can denie but that it is a medicine of great efficacie against the plague, and the simples wher∣of it is made, are easily to be had in any good Apo∣thecaries shoppe, except Bole Orientall, which is vsed in the stead of true Bolus Armenus, wherof we haue seene great store in the shopps of master Rich the Queenes Maiesties Apothecarie, and master Morgans in Cheapsyde.

Take a drie Figge and open it, and put the ker∣nel of a Walnut into the same being cut very smal, iii. or iiii. leaues of Rue cōmonly called Herbgrace, a corne of Salt, then rost the Figge & eate it warme, fast iii. or iiii. houres after it, and vse this twyse in the weeke.

Take the powder of Turmentill, the weight of vi. d. with Sorrell or Scabious water in Sommer, and in Winter with the water of Valerian or com∣mon drinke.

Or els in one day they may take a litle Worme∣wood, and Valerian with a graine of Salt. In an∣other day they may take vii. or viii. berries of Iuni∣per, dried and put in powder, and taking the same with common drinke, or with drinke in which Wormwood and Rue hath bene steeped al y^e night.

Also y^e triakle called Diaresseroū, which is made but of iiii. things of light price easie to be had.

Also the roote of Enula Campana, either taken in powder with drinke, or hanged about the br••••t.

Likewise a piece of Arras roote kept in y^e mouth as men passe in the streetes, is very good Cordiall.

Take vi. leaues of Sorrell, wash them with wa∣ter and vineger, let them lye to steepe in the said water and vineger a while, then eat them fasting, and keepe in your mouth and chewe nowe or then either Setwall, or the roote of Angelica, or a litle Cinamon.

Take the roote of Enula Campana being layde and steeped in vineger, & grosse beaten, put a litle of it in a handkercheife, and smel to it if you resort to any that is infected.

For women with childe, or such as be delicate and tender, and cannot away with taking of medicines.

MAke a tost of white or of the second bread, as you thinke good, and sprinkle on it being hotte a litle good wine vineger, made with

Rose leaues, and for want of it any good common or vsed vineger, & spreade on the tost a litle butter, and cast thereon a litle powder of Cinamon, and eate it in the morning fasting. The poore which can not get vineger nor buy Cinamon, maye eate bread and Butter alone, for Butter is not onely a preseruatiue against the plague, but against all maner of poysons.

When one must come into the place where in∣fectious persons are, it is good to smel to the roote of Angelica, Gentian or Valerian, and to chewe any of these in his mouth.

An other preseruatiue for the poore.

IT shalbe good to take an handfull of Rue, and as much common Wormwood, and bruse them a litle: and put them into a potte of Earth or Tinne, with so much Vineger as shall couer the herbes: keepe this pot close couered or stopt, and when you feare any infection, dippe into this Vi∣neger a piece of asyonge, and carie it in your hand and smell to it, or els put it into a round ball of Yuorie or Iuniper made ful of holes of the one side, carying it in your hand vse to smell thereunto, re∣newing it once in a day.

To be vsed after infection taken.

FOr as much as the cause of the plague stan∣deth rather in poyson▪* 1.2 then in any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of humours as other agues doe, the chie∣fest

way is to moue sweatings, and to defend the heart by some cordiall thing.

Suppositary.

IF the Pacient be costiue and bound in his bo∣die, let him take a Suppositarie made with a litle boyled Honney, and a litle fine powder of Salt, and so taken in at the Fundament and kept till it mooue a stoole.

An excellent Medicine made with∣out charges.

TAke of the powder of good Bayberries, the huske taken awaye from them, before they be dried, a spooneful: Let the Patient drincke this, well mingled in a draught of good stale Ale or Beere, which is neither sowre nor dead, or with a draught of white Wine, and go to bedde and cast himselfe into a sweat, and forbeare sleepe as is aforesaid.

An other soueraigne remedie, that is a stilled water.

TAke the inwarde barke of the Ashe tree, a pound, of Walnuts with the greene outward shelles, to the number of 50. cut these small, of Scabious, of Veruen, of P••timorel, of Howsleeke, of euery one a handfull, of Saffron halfe an ounce, powre vpon these y^e strongest Vineger you can get foure pynts let them a litle boyle together vpon a very soft fire▪ and then stand in a very close potte

well slepe all a night vpon the embers, afterward distill them with a soft fire, and receyue the water close kept. Giue vnto the Patient layd in bedde & wel couered with clothes, two ounces of this wa∣ter to drink, & let him be prouoked to sweat, & eue∣ry sixe houres, during the space of xxiiii. houres, giue him the same quantitie to drinke. This Me∣dicine for the worthines therof, and because it wil stand the maker thereof in little charge, it shall be very well done to distill it in the Sommer when the Walnutts hang greene on the tree, that it maye bee ready against the time that occasion serueth to vse it.

1. Bloud letting.

IF the Pacient be ful of humors which be good, let him immediatly be let bloud vpon the Ly∣uer veine in the right arme, or in the Median veine of the same arme (if no sore appeare) in the first day.

2. Medicine purgatiue.

FOr the poore take Aloes y^e weight of vi. d. put in the pappe of an Apple: and for the richer Pilles of Rufus to be had in euery good Apothe∣caries shoppe.

After letting of bloud and purging (as shall be needfull) some of the forenamed Cordials are to be vsed.

These preparations thus vsed y^e first day that the Pacient shall fall sicke, as cause shalbe to vse the one or the other (no sore appearing) in which

case if the sore shal appeare, they are both to be for∣borne▪ the next is to vse all meanes to expell the poyson, and to defend the heart by Cordials.

3. Medicament expulsiue.

THe poyson is expelled best by sweatings pro∣uoked by posset Ale, made with Fenel & Ma∣rigolds in Winter, and with Sorrell, Buglosse and Borage in Sommer, with the which in both times they must mixe the triacle of Diatessaroum, the weight of ix. d. & so to lay them selues with all quietnes to sweat one halfe houre or an houre, if they be strong. For they that be neither full of hu∣mors nor corrupt in humors, neede neither pur∣ging nor letting of bloud, but at the first plunge maye moue themselues to sweat with Cordiall things mixt with such things as moue sweat, and are before declared.

What is to be done when there is any rising or swelling in any part.

THen if by these three meanes the poyson be expelled outward by Botches, carbuncles or markes, called Gods markes, according as nature doth expell, so must the further procedings be, prouiding still, that they continue still in the vse of the cordiall and moderate sweating now and then, al the time that the sores be in healing, which must by the Surgion be handled with great dis∣cretion.

Medicine to be vsed in ordinarie dyet.

IT is thought that the powder of harts horne hath a speciall prerogatiue, to be vsed al the time of their sickenesse in their broths, and supping, which in Sommer must euer haue Sorrell, Borage, Buglosse, and in winter, Betony, and Scabious, or Morsus▪ Di••bol••▪ and if their habilities do not serue, let them vse it with Aleburies made with a litle Nutmegge, or one Cloue, or with Cawdelles in like maner▪ made with Cloues, Maces, Nutmegges, San∣ders or such like.

Both to preserue and cure the sickenesse.

TAke an egge & make a hole in the toppe of it, take out the white & y••lke, fil the shel with the weight of two frēch crownes of Saffron▪ rost the said egge thus filled with Saffron vnder the embres, vntill the shell begin to waxe yelow, then take it from the fire, and beate the shel and Saffron in a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 together, with halfe a spoonefull of Mustard seede▪ take of this powder a french crown weight, and assoone as you suspect your self infec∣ted, dissolue it into tenne spoonfulles of posset ale, & drinke it luke warme, then go to bed and prouoke your selfe to sweating.

To be vsed in the first time of the Sickenesse.

ANother is to take fiue or sixe handefull of Sorrel, that groweth in the field, or a grea∣ter quantitie according as you will distill

more or lesse of the water thereof, and let it lye infrised or steeped in good Vineger the space of xxiiii. houres, then take it of & drie it with a linen cloth put into a Limbecke, and distill the water thereof: And assoone as you finde your selfe tou∣ched with the sickenesse, drinke foure spoonfulles of the sayde water with a litle sugar, and if you be hable, walke vpō it vntil you do sweat, if not, keep your bed, and being well couered, prouoke your selfe to sweating, and the next day to take asmuch againe of it a litle before supper.

Item, to prouoke vomit with two ounces of rancke oyle, or walnutte oyle, a spoonefull of the iuyce of Celendyne, & halfe a spoonfull of the iuyce of radice roote, so that the party infected do walke and not sleepe, is better then any letting of blood, or any purging. For the disease neither can suffer▪ agitatiō of humors, nor when one is infected, hath no time to bleede or to purge.

Outward medicines for to be ap∣plyed to the sore.

The first.

TAke of Scabiouse two handefulls, stampe it in a stone morter with a pestell of stone if you can get any such, then put vnto it of olde swynes grease salted, two ounces, and the yelke of an egge, stampe them well together, & lay parte of this warme to the sore.

The second.

TAke of the leaues of Mallowes, of Camomill flowers, of eyther of them an handfull, of Lineseede beaten into pouder two ounces, boyle the Mallowe leaues first cut, and the flowers of the Camomil in faire water standing aboue a fingers breadth, boyle all them together vntil all the water almost be spent: then put thereunto the Lineseede, of Wheate flower halfe an handful, of swines grease the skins taken away iii. ounces, of oyle of Roses two ounces, stirre thē still with a sticke, and let them all boyle together on a soft fire without smoke, vntill the water be vtterly spent, beate them all together in a morter, vntill they be wel encorporated together, & in feeling smooth, & not rough: then make part thereof hot in a dish set vpon a chaf••ndish of coales, & lay it thicke vpō a linnen cloth applying it to the sore.

Another excellent medicine to ripen and bring out the Sore.

TAke a white Onion cut in pieces, of fresh butter three ounces, of Leuen the weight of twelue pence, of Mallowes one handfull, of Scabious if it may be had one handefull, of Cloues of garlicke the weight of xx. d. boyle them on the fyre in sufficient water, and make a pultesse of it, and lay it warme to the sore.

Another.

TO the sore it selfe do thus. Take two hand∣full of Valerian, three rootes of Danewort, a handefull of Smalledge, or Louage, yf you can

get it, seethe them al in butter and water, & a fewe▪ crommes of bread, and make a pultesse thereof, & lay it warme to the sore vntill it breake.

Another for the same.

IF you can not haue these herbes, it is good to laye a loafe of bread to it, hot as it commeth out of the ouen, (which afterward shal be burnt or buried in the earth) or the leaues of Scabious or Sorrell rosted, or two or three Lillie rootes rosted vnder embers, beaten and applied.

A generall medicine for all sorts of people taken with the plague, to be had without cost.

TAke of y^e roote of butter burre, otherwise cal∣led pestilēt wort, one ounce, of y^e root of great Valerian a quarter of an ounce, of Sorrel an hādful, boyle al these in a quart of water to a pint, then straine it and put thereto two spoonfulles of Vineger, two ounces of good Sugar, boyle all these together vntill they be wel mingled, let y^e infected drinke of this so hotte as he may suffer it a good draught, and if he chaunce to cast it vp againe, let him take the same quantitie straight way vpon it, and prouoke himselfe to sweat, and he shal finde great helpe.

Time of continuance apart from com∣mon assemblies.

SVch as haue bene infected, should keepe their house without being conuersant with the whole, vntill the sores shall haue left running

and be perfectly whole and sound, which in san∣guine & cholericke persons will be healed sooner, then in melancholike & flegmatike complexions.

SVch persons may not wel be conuersant with them which are not infected, for the space of one moneth.

Infected clothes.

THe cōtagion suspected to remaine in clothes, either wollen or linnen, cannot wel be auoy∣ded by better meanes, then by fire and wa∣ter, by often washing & airing the same in frosts, and sunne shine, with good discretion, and bur∣ning the clothes of small value.

❧Imprinted at London by Christo∣pher Barker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie. (∵)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Preserua∣tiues.
• * 1.2

  Curati••es.