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.

Capit. vj. Of madnesse or idlenesse of the head, called Insania.

THis idlenes or madnesse in the head, called in Latine Insania, proceedeth of a certaine veni∣mous humour or dampe, ascending from the stomacke and the Liuer into the braines, and because the braines through the infection of the Pockes, or some such like cause is become weake and tender, they are not able to repell or driue backe the sayde dampe or humour, but remaine vanquished and ouercome of the same in such sort, that they forget to doo their office, go∣ing quite out of order, so that the Patient hath no rule of him selfe, but dooth and speaketh he knoweth not what.

To cure this disease, as well that which proceedeth of the Pockes as otherwise, (excepting onelie when it commeth of or with a hote sharpe Ague, because therein is great dan∣ger of death) you may doo it with the drinke made of thys Wood, without any impediment: which must be prepared after this manner, for such as are hote of complexion, as the Chollericke and Sanguine are. Take of this Wood, beeing made very small, one pounde, fayre water eyght poundes,

which you must seeth as is aforesaide, and giue him thereof euery morning and euening eyght ounces, at a time & cause him to sweat well, and you must dry the sweat frō his head verie well, because the disense lyeth altogether in the heade. His diet and his drinke shall be as is mencioned in the for∣mer Chapter, notwithstanding as litle as may be, for in this disease much meate is very hurtfull, and therfore he must be content with a little, hee must drinke no Wine, for that it is contrarie both to his disease and complexion, because it ascen∣deth vp into the head, he must drinke of his drinke alone as much as he will, & it must alwaies be a little warme. Thus dooing, he shall without doubt be cured by Gods helpe.

The Phlegmatick and the Mellancholicke must be thus cured.

TAke of this Wood one pound, of Water foure pound, of Wine two pounde, this you must seeth as is aforesaide, and giue him thereof euery day to drinke morning and eue∣ning eyght ounces at a time, continuing the same vntill hee be cured. And although in the beginning the Wine doe him no good, yet you shall not leaue to vse the same still in hys drinke, for that it is a notable Medicine for his complexion, béeing measurablie vsed, and therefore you shall seeth him his drinke as aforesaid, and it shall in the end perfectly help him.

You may giue these Patients lesse meate then the Cho∣lericke or Sanguine, yet you shal not famish them, and that principallie the Mellancholicke, and hee shall also not sweat so long as those that are moist of complexion, because hee is drie, yet he must sweat at the least an howre and a halfe, be∣cause the Phlegmaticke to sweat much more if he be able to endure it, because that of his owne complexion hee is verie moyst, and yet much more moist by reason of his disease.

Therefore it is verie good for him to sweats, because it dry∣eth vp all such ouerplus moistnes, and in the ende restoreth him to his health and his vnderstanding, and driueth awais all nodes or tumors vpon his heade, if he haue any, and all o∣pen fores in any place of the bodie, shall by vertue of thys drink be healed within the fortie daies, and therefore let him not refuse to vse it.

Héere is to be obserued, that such Patients as are idle headed, shall not in any wise goe abroade, till such time as they are perfectlie cured, but shall remaine at home in their Chamber, keeping them as quiet as is possible, for rest is very good and profitable for them. If you obserue this order before shewed, the Patient shall vndoubtedlie be cured if God will.