An excellent treatise teaching howe to cure the French-pockes with all other diseases arising and growing thereof, and in a manner all other sicknesses. Dravvne out of the bookes of that learned doctor and prince of phisitians, Theophrastus Paracelsus. Compiled by the learned Phillippus Hermanus, phisition and chirurgion. And now put into English by Iohn Hester in the spagiricall arte, practitioner.

Cap. 3. Of fumegation or smoking, with correcti∣on of the abuse vsed therein.

THere is yet another way of curing the Pocks, found out by practitioners, for when they per∣ceiued that of force they must vse Quicke sil∣uer, they tooke and killed it with Brimstone, making Cinober thereof, because it should not be knowne to be Quicke siluer: for the common people, per∣ceiuing so manie to be spoiled and killed with Quicke siluer, woulde not willinglie be cured therewith: therefore because they might the better vse it without gainesaying of the Pa∣tient, therefore they brought it into another forme, vsing it also after another manner without any annointing, because annointing was become odious to the Patient, therfore they found out a deuice to perfume or smoke the Patient, with the

smoke of Cinober or Vermelion and so to cure him, for they knew Quick siluer to be so subtill or piercing, that they wold enforce it into the bodie at anie place, through the pores or sweat holes. And therfore they set the Patient vnder a Tent or Canopie naked, with a Chafingdish of coales between his legges, wherin they strowed the Cinober, stopping him close round about, the Patient then beginning to sweat, the Mer∣curie with his whole substaunce creepeth into him in such sort, that it causeth all the slime in his bodie to ascende into his mouth, infecting and corrupting all parts of the Patient in such sort, that it is pittifull to behold, so that the one after long Martirdome at length creepes into his graue, the other becommeth cripple and deformed, the thirde toothlesse, and such like miserable accidents which are befallen them, that it would greeue a man to sée, how they haue handled a number of their Patients.

For Mercurie béeing vsed corporallie, hath this nature, that it dooth draw all the corrupt matter of the Pockes into the mouth, and because they haue dealt so disorderly there∣with, taking more of it then they ought, they haue therwith∣all drawne the corruption into the mouth in such abundance, that it could not haue sufficient egresse, but for want thereof is returned, and hath sought him a place in the entrailes, as in the Liuer, the Lunges, the Milte, and the stomacke, &c. So that some are fallen into the diseases of the Lunges, as Plurisies, shortnesse of breath, Coughes, consumptions, and such other, almost altogether incurable diseases. Others are fallen into diseases of the stomack, as vomitings, quesinesse, great and intollerable paines, and Apostoms of the stomack, not beeing able to digest any good nourishment. Others are fallen into diseases of the Liuer, as the yellow Iaundies, or Ictteritia, the Dropsie, the Bloodie flixe, hote firie Agues, and such like. And some into the diseases of the Milte, as the Feuer quartaine, the Cancker, the Woolfe, the Leprosie, to all which diseases they were not any way subiect or inclined, vntill such time, as they were brought thereto by the vnskil∣fulnesse

of foolish Chirurgions, and all these aforesaide disea∣ses, are altogether in manner vncurable, and in the end dead∣lie. Wherefore I would wish euery man to take heed, not to deale with Mercurie in any such sorte as is before expressed. But if thou wilt vse it in any such order as heereafter shalbe shewed thee, it shall not onely not be hurtfull, but thou shalt also therwith performe that which thou promisest to thy Pa∣tient, that is to say the curing of his disease.

Nowe we will shewe wherewith they are wont, and doe yet perfume or smoke their Patients: the simples are these that followe: Cinober naturall, Mercurie calcined, Artificiall Mercurie sublimed, Alipta, Muscata, Cloues, Cinamon, I∣reos, Muske, Franckincense, Mastick, Mirha, with other such sweete thinges. These sweet things they haue therefore ta∣ken, because the Patient shoulde not smell the stinke of the Brimstone & the Cinober: but though at the first they haue not knowne him by the smell, yet in the ende hee hath made himselfe knowne vnto them by the feeling, for that hee per∣formeth his worke with great force, as those Patients know verie well which haue had experience of him, for as a sharpe poyson, so goeth he to worke in all his operation. Their first and greatest error therefore is, that they doo fume the whole bodie of the Patient, where as they shold not fume any more then the place where they know that y^e place desireth to haue issue. For in all diseases, nature hath her certaine emuncto∣ries or purging places, where through she coueteth to purge her selfe. As sometimes by stooles, sometimes by vemits, and sometime sweating: but in this disease, shee hath more places to purge by, as the groyne, the arme-holes, and such like, and sometimes other open holes in other places of the body, where a man must smoke, and not in any other place. But for your further knowledge you shall vnderstand, that Mercurie may be prepared in diuers manners, as laxatiue, opilatiue, corosiue, and attractiue, and also diaphoreticke, so that it may be prepared according to y^e desire of him that wil vse it.

But in this fumigation or smoking, the intent is onelie to make him attractiue, that is, to draw out of the bodie, that which is hurtfull or hindersome to nature, but heerein our cunning Chirurgions haue both been deceiued thēselues, and thereby haue also spoyled their Patients, first in that they perfumed or smoked the whole body of the Patient, for by that meanes the venimous matter, which before occupied but one or two places of the body, they haue now drawn through∣out all the whole bodie, secondly in vsing the Mercurie so grosselie with his whole substaunce, and that in such great quantitie, they haue also by that meanes brought their Pa∣tients to vtter ruine, and thirdly, in that they haue mingled other thinges with the Mercurie, where as it is the Mercu∣rie alone that must performe the action without helpe of any other thing, béeing outwardly vsed by fumigation.

Nowe we will shew thee the manner or order to prepare it to be attractiue, with the correction of the abuse heeretofore vsed in the ministring thereof. Although it hath chaunced sometimes, that there hath a Patient or two beene cured by meanes of this aforesaid fumigation, and also by annointing, yet you shall vnderstand, that y^e came to passe alone through the goodnesse of nature, which is willing to helpe herselfe, and strong to resist and ouercome the violence of the Medi∣cine, but yet for one so cured, there hath beene tenne thereby spoyled, besides those that haue béene sent ad Patres, to robbe Moles, but to eschew all these inconueniences, you shal pre∣pare your Mercurie in this order.

Take Cinober made by arte (not naturall Cinober, and beate it as small as is possible, whereof you shall take one pound, and one pound of Salt Peter, mingle them very wel together, and set them to sublime (as shall be taught you in another Booke, which shall intreate of the preparing of Mi∣nerals) the Mercurie béeing sublimed, you shall grind it smal vpon a stone, then you shall take an instrument or Earthen pot of two spannes in length, very well glazed within, it shal be one spanne wide in the bottome, and the mouth shal be as

wide as a bigge Apple, in this instrument you shall put of the aforesaid Mercurie, one dramme at a time, and you shall set the Patient and the saide instrument in such sorte, that the mouth of the instrument may be placed vpon the emunctorie or place, where the disease desireth his issue, and the other ende vpon a Chafingdish with coales, making it hote in such order, that it may warme the emunctorie, but heereof you must take great heede, that you make it not so hote, that you cause it bodilie to ascende, for this is the thing that hath kyl∣led so many, that the Mercurie with his venimous hote bo∣die, hath beene enforced into the bodie of the Patient.

Therefore you must haue great regarde, that you make your fire in such reasonable manner, that you doo not cause him to ascende, but that his spirit or dampe alone may per∣forme the action, then you shall see the matter issue foorth in such abundaunce, that the Patient shal thereby be deliuered from his disease. You shall hold the said instrument with the Mercurie so made, hote vpon y^e emunctorie, the space of halfe an howre at a time, and you shall vse this manner of fumi∣gation euerie night when the Patient goeth to bedde, and let him sweat euery time in such order as is afore shewed in the Chapter of annointing, vsing him in al points as is there specified, to wit, in sweating, in drying, &c. In this order you may fumigate or smoke without any danger, if you take héed that the Mercurie doe not ascend, so that you shall not onelie auoide all perrill in your curing, but shall also purchase to your selues, praise and thankes whensoeuer you shall vse it. Thus much of fumigation, with the correction of the abuses therein vsed, now concerning washing.