A voyage to East-India. Wherein some things are taken notice of in our passage thither, but many more in our abode there, within that rich and most spacious empire of the Great Mogol. Mix't with some parallel observations and inferences upon the storie, to profit as well as delight the reader. / Observed by Edward Terry minister of the Word (then student of Christ-Church in Oxford, and chaplain to the Right Honorable Sr. Thomas Row Knight, Lord Ambassadour to the great Mogol) now rector of the church at Greenford, in the county of Middlesex.

SECTION. XIII.

Of their Physicians, Diseases, Cures. When they begin their year. How they measure their time, &c.

HEre are those which pretend unto much skill in Physick, though (for ought I could ever there observe) the people make but little use of them, they fearing more Medicum quam Morbum; and therefore do believe the Physician to be the more dangerous dis∣ease.

The common diseases of that Countrey are bloody fluxes, with others that come not to blood, hot-Feavers, Calentures, which ceise on and fire the head and brain, more than o∣ther parts. These, many times put our men at Sea into very high distempers, especially while they are under the Torrid Zone, which makes the poor creatures visited with them, sometimes to conceit the spacious Sea and Waves therein to be great Fields full of Heycocks; and if they were not sometimes happily prevented, would leap over-board to tumble in them.

For ordinary Agues, such as are so common among us, and for those two torments rather

than diseases (when they are selt in extremity) the Gout and the Stone, they have the happiness to be ignorant of them.

But sometimes they are visited with an in∣flamation, or an extreme burning, such as is spoken of, Deut. 28. 22. or rather with a most grievous Pestilence, which on a sudden sweeps away many thousands when it comes into great Populous Cities. This Pestilence makes the bo∣dyes of men there which are visited with it, like an house, which on a sudden is covered all over wi••h fire at once. The City Amadavar (at our being there with the King) was visited with this Pestilence, in the Month of May, and our fa∣mily was not exempted from that most incom∣fortable visitation, for within the space of nine dayes, seven persons that were English of our family were taken away by it, and none of those which dyed lay sick above twenty houres, and the major part well, and sick, and dead in twelve houres. As our Surgeon (who was there all the Physician we had) and he led the way, falling, sick at Mid-day, and the fol∣lowing Mid-night dead. And there were three more that followed him, one immediatly after the other, who made as much hast to the grave as he had done, and the rest went after them; within that space of time (I named before.) And (as before I observed) all those that died in our family, of this pestilence, had their bo∣dyes

set all on fire by it, so soon as they were first visited; and when they were dying, and dead, broad spots of a black and blew colour appeared on their brests; and their flesh was made so extreme hot by their most high distem∣per, that we who survived, could scarce endure to keep our hands upon it.

It was a most sad time, a siery trial indeed. But such is the goodnes of Almighty God, that he makes the miseries of men here, Aut tolera∣biles, aut breves, either sufferable, or short; so that if the thing imposed be extreme heavy to be born, it continues not long, as this most grie∣vous visitation; most violent for the time, like a mighty storm, and then blown away. For here the mercy of God suddenly stept in, betwixt the living and the dead; so that not only in our family, but also in that great City, the Plague was stayed.

All our family [my Lord Ambassadour only excepted] were visited with this sickness; and we all, who through Gods help and goodnes outlived it, had many great blisters, fild with a thick yellow watry substance, that arose upon many parts of our bodyes, which when they brake, did even burn and corrode our skins, as it ran down upon them.

For my part, I had a Calenture before at Mandoa, which brought me even into the ve∣ry Jawes of Death, from whence it pleased

God then to rescue and deliver me, which a∣mongst thousands and millions of mercies more received from him, hath, and shall for ever give me cause to speak good of his Name.

There are very few English which come thi∣ther, but have some violent sicknes, which if they escape, and live temperately, they usually enjoy very much health afterward. But death made many breaches into my Lord Ambassa∣dors family, for of four and twenty wayters, besides his Secretary and my self, there was not above the fourth man returned home. And he himself by violent Fluxes, was twice brought even to the very brink of the Grave.

The Natives of East India, in all their vio∣lent hot diseases, make very little use of Physi∣cians, unless in be to bre••th a veine sometimes, after which they use much fasting as their most hopefull remedy.

That foul disease [a most into consequence of filthy incontinency] is too common in those hot climates, where the people that have it are much more affected with the trouble it brings, than with the sin or shame thereof. As many a∣mongst us, who care not for issue, but lust; and after pay dear for their filthines, which many times rotts, or else makes bare the bones of them that are thus filthy. For as vertue and goodnes rewards it self: so to it self wickednes is a punishment, poena peccati peccasse: saith Seneca,

this is cleer in the sad consequences of many o∣ther sins, cui ••hu? cui vae? who hath wo? who hath sorrow? Solomon askes the question, and resolves it too, Prov. 23. 29. they that tarry long at the wine, &c. for it will bite like a Ser∣pent, and sting like an Ad••er. How many sad diseases are contracted to mens bodyes by this kind of intemperancy? who can recount the hurts that by this means come to the whole body, especially to the Head, Stomack, Liver, and the more noble párts? who can recite the Rheumes, Gouts, Dropsies, Appoplexies, In∣flamations, and other distempers hence arising? Drunkennes being like that Serpent Amphisbae∣na, which hath a sting in the mouth, and a sting in the tail, for it kills two wayes, first the Body, and after that the Soul.

How were the thoughts of Amnon rackt a∣bout the compassing of that incestuous, unna∣tural and brutish lust with his Sister Tamar? for first he is sick for her, and after he had reaped the bitter fruit of his beastly desires, (his lust en∣ding in loathing) he was sick of her, and hated her exceedingly, and said unto her, arise, be gone, 2 Sam. 13. 15.

Brutus, and Cassius were traytors which Julius Caesar fear'd, Macilenti & pallidi, men pal'd with Anger, whose thoughts to do mischief, drank up all their own sap and moi∣sture. Envy (••aith Solomon) is the rottennes

of the bones, Prov. 14. 30. hence the heart of the malicious and envious man, is never without torment, for it boyles continually, as it were in Brine; And therefore this sin is said to have much justice in it self, Justius invidia ni∣hil est, because it eateth the heart and marrow of her master, as he desireth to have the heart of another to be eaten up. And thus may it be said of Anger, when it boyles up to rage (as ma∣ny times it doth) in se s••mper armatur furor, that it is always in Armes against it self.

The people in East India live up to our greatest ages; but without all question they have more old people than we; a thing not to be wondred at▪ if we consider the great Tempe∣rance of that people in general in their eating and drinking.

But to proceed. The Hindooes or Hea∣thens there begin their year the first day of March. The Mahometans begin theirs, the tenth, at the very instant as the Astrologers there ghess that the Sun enters into Aries, their year as ours is divided into twelve Months, or rather into thirteen Moons, for according to them they make many payments. They di∣stinguish their time in a much different manner from us, dividing the day into four, and the night into as many parts, which they call Pores; which again they subdivide each of them into eight parts, which they call Grees; measured ac∣cording

to the ancient custome, by water drop∣ping out of one vessell into another, by which there alwayes stands a man appointed for that service, to turn that vessell up again when it is all dropped out, and then to strike with an hammer (upon the brim of a concave peece of Metal, like the inner part of a large platter, hanging by the brim on a wire) the number of those Pores, and Grees as they pass. It hath a deep sound, and may be heard very far; but these are not common amongst them. Neither have they any Clocks, or Sun-Dials to shew them fur∣ther how their time passeth.

We lived there some part of our time a little within, or under the Tropick of Cancer, and then the Sun was our Zenith, or Verticle at noon day directly over our heads, at his return to his Northern bounds. (of which I have spo∣ken something before) The Sun-rising there, was about six houres in the Morning before its appearing here, so that it is twelve of the clock with them, when it is but six with us. We had the Sun there above the Horizon in December, when the dayes are shortest neer eleven houres, and in▪ June when they are at their fullest length, somewhat more than thirteen houres; which long absence of the Sun there from the face of the earth, was very advantagious to cool both the Earth, and Air. I proceed to speak.