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. 7. Of the Falling-sicknesse, called in Latine Epileptia.

THis disease springeth of ouermuch moysture in the braine, wherethrough at certain times the braines béeing troubled, there chaunceth vnto them a certaine obstruction; by meanes whereof, the Patient is bereft of the strength of his sinnewes, and so falleth to the ground. And according to the scituation of the place which the disease occupieth, so the accidents doo manifest themselues, as sometimes wyth contraction, that is, in plucking of the ioynts, and somtimes in foming at the mouth, with barking and other such vnséem∣lie gestures.

But peraduenture it will cause some to meruaile greatly that I should teach the curing of such a hard disease, with a Drinke made of this Lignum Guaiacum, yet notwithstand∣ing, because I haue learned the same by experience, & haue

therewith cured moe then tenne Patients, I will therefore publish the same for the commoditie of all, that such as are therwith troubled, may haue recourse hereto in time of néed and find remedie for the same, which by the helpe of GOD they shall vndoubtedlie obtaine, (though they had had y^e saide disease tenne yeeres together) following the order héere sette downe, which is this. You shall vse nothing but onelie this drinke following, purging the Patient in such order as I shall teache you.

First for the Chollericke and Sanguine complexion, you shall take of the said Wood halfe a pound, fayre water eyght poundes, this you must seeth in such order as is shewed in the thirde Chapter before: and you shall giue the Patient thereof euery morning and euening eyght ounces at a time, and shal cause him to sweat verie wel, for it is excellent good for him, & hauing drunke therof eyght dayes, you shall purge him with this Purgation: Take of Hiera picra galeni, halfe an ounce, Diacarthami three drams, and beate amongst it of Epirimi, and Agarici trocistati of each two drammes, this you must mingle with Betoni water, and Cuscuta Water, putting thereto so much water, that it may be a Potion, this the Patient must drink at foure of the clocke in the morning, he must neither sleepe, eate, nor drinke, vntill the Medicine haue doone working, and that he feele no more pain or rum∣bling in his bellie. Then you shall giue him his diet, and the same day he shall not drinke, but at his meales according as he is wont to doo, the next morning he shall beginne againe with his drinke, dooing in all respects as hee did the eyght daies before, with sweating and otherwise.

This order you shall in all points obserue, vntill fortie dayes be expired, purging the Patient euery eyght or ninth day once. But this is alwaies to be noted, as well in thys Chapter as in all the other, that when you begin your cure, the first day the Patient must be purged, with the Purgati∣on mencioned in the said Chapter, and then to procéed in such sort as is there specified, continuing the cure as I said before,

the space of fortie dayes. For though in this maner aforesaid I once cured a Woman of this greeuous disease, within fiue and twentie daies, yet I would wish the cure to be continu∣ed fortie daies, that you may be the more assured y^t it should not returne againe.

In this foresaide order you may cure all kindes of lame∣nes in hote and dry complexions, and also all lamenesse pro∣ceeding of the Palsie, though it procéeded not of the Pockes, but of the influence of the starres, or the constellation of Sa∣turne and the Moone in his birth, as Astronomie teacheth. These and all other lamenesse whatsoeuer, may in Cholle∣ricke persons be cured in the aforesaid manner, without all imperfection, of howe long continuaunce soeuer they haue beene. In his diet he must behaue himselfe mesurablie, least any Ague or other accident doo happen vnto him, for thē his health would be farre to seeke, for which cause, sobrietie in his diet is very requisit. This is sufficient concerning Cho∣lerick and Sanguine complexions.

The curing of the falling sickenesse in Phlegmaticke and Mellancholie persons.

FOr these, the Drinke must be made more warming and drying then in other cōplexions, the making of it is thus. Take one pound of this Woode, with fiue pounds of water, and three pound of good Wine, this must be sodden as is a∣foresaid, being stopped verie close, and you must giue the Pa∣tient thereof euery morning and euening seauen or eyght ounces at a time, obseruing the same the space of eight daies, vpon the ninth day you shall purge him with the aforesaide Purgation, vsing him in all points as is aforesaid of the cho∣lerick persons, excepting onely in his drinke, which must be made as is aboue said, to be more warming and drying then the other. Thus much concerning such diseases as spring vp in the braines.