The London practice of physick, or, The whole practical part of Physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis faithfully made English, and printed together for the publick good.

The Therapeutick Method.

COncerning which in the first place, you may note, that Cri∣tical days are by no means to be observ'd in this Fever, as in the vulgar continual Fever: For in this the Blood, assoon as it begins to boil, presently discharges from its Embraces on the Head or Thorax, a part of the Morbifick Matter, crude as it is, and not digested: Wherefore it would be to no purpose to ex∣pect that the Blood should permit its Heterogeneous Particles to be gathered together in its Mass, and then that an Excretory effort arising at set intervals of times, should purge forth the same being subtilised: Nay rather the said Blood, when boiling, Rises not to a great and open flame, but like a fire covered with Turf,

emits a moist Smoak or Breath, rather than a Flame: Yet so that from thence by reason of the Nervous Juices being presently de∣praved in its Crasis, and often by reason of the Lungs being stuft with a Morbifick Matter, Convulsive or Ptizical Symptoms are particularly pressing throughout the whole course of the Disease.

I must set down the Curative intentions according to the va∣rious times of the Disease, and the diversities of Symptoms that are chiefly pressing. About the beginning of this Fever, letting Blood seem'd to agree in a manner with all: I have often found this Remedy of good effect in Children: For by this means a Breathing place, as it were, is open'd for the Mass of Blood, which tacitely and covertly lies a boiling, and obtrudes its foul smoak on the more noble parts, and consequently its impure Ef∣florescencies are withdrawn from the Head and Lungs: There∣fore though this ill dispos'd Fever be said in some sort to be Ma∣lignant, yet in as much as the Blood is not apt presently to be coagulated, but to be fus'd too much, and to discharge its Sero∣sities on the noble parts, viz. the Head and Lungs, therefore Bleeding, so it be us'd in the beginning of the Disease, agrees in a manner with all Persons.

For the same reason of Curing, Cathartick Medicines, and e∣specially Vomits, are given presently at the beginning of the Dis∣ease, for these do not only empty the Vessels of Concoction, and so withdraw both the first, and as it were original fuel of the Dis∣ease, but likewise draw Serosities from the Blood, and so cause its filth rather to be discharg'd in the Stomack and Intestines, than on the Head or Lungs. Moreover in as much as the Glands which receive the Lymphaeducts, are twitcht and strongly sha∣ken by Emeticks, the Superfluities of the Nervous Juice are thereby press'd forth into the lower Viscera, that they cannot of∣fend the Brain, and its Appendix: And for this end, let the Bel∣ly still be kept soluble by the frequent use of Glysters. In the mean time, while the Blood, being defil'd with the taint of this Disease, threatens ill to the Brain or Praecordia, it will not be safe to attempt any thing with Diaphoreticks or Diureticks, or also with strong Catharticks: For these sorts of Medicines, greatly fusing the Blood, and driving its Serosities into the places most open to receive them, easily obtrude on the Brain or Lungs; if at any time they are of a weak Constitution, any dreggy filth which is apt to depart from the Mass of Blood: So in the Youth above mention'd, a Sweat being unseasonably rais'd, it was fol∣lowed by a loss of Speech: And I have known that Sudorificks, in like manner as Chalybeats, have brought a Consumption in a Morbid Disposition of the Lungs.

Therefore Bleeding, and if need be, a Vomit or Purge, viz. one of them, or both being presently ordered at the beginning of the Disease, the other intentions will be to divert the Morbifick Serosities of the Blood, which are apt to flow to the Head and Brest, and to derive them, off gently by other ways of Evacua∣tions, and to clear them forth: For this end Vesicatories ought to be applyed on the Nape of the Neck, or behind the Ears, near the Arm-pits, in the Groin, or on the Thighs, or Calves of the Legs, viz. sometimes in this part, sometimes in that; to wit, that the little Sores made here and there, flowing continually, may plenti∣fully discharge the Serum filled with Heterogeneous and Morbid Particles.

Moreover Remedies gently conveying the Serum to the Reins and Urinary passages, are often given with good effect; for this purpost let Diuretick Apozems ans Julapes be ordered accord∣ing to the following Forms.

Take Roots of Scorzonera, Chervil, Grass, Eringo's preserv'd, of each six Drams, one Apple slic't, Leaves of Burnet, Meadow sweet, of each a handful, Raisins an Ounce and a half, burnt Harts-horn two Drams, being slic't and bruis'd, let them boil on a clear Fire, in four Pounds of Fountain-water till a third part be consum'd, to two Pounds of the clear Straining add Syrup of the Juice of Citrons, or of Violets two Ounces, Sal Prunella a Dram and a half, make an Apozeme; the Dose is from four Ounces to six thrice a day.

Or let that Straining be pour'd on fifteen sineet Almonds blanch, and on the four cold Seeds of each a Dram being lruis'd, make an Emul∣sion according to Art.

Take water of Dragon-wort, and of black Cherries of each four Ounces, of Scordium compound two Ounces, Treacle-water an Ounce and a half, Syrup of Clove-gillylowers two Ounces, Spirit of Vitriol twelve drops, wake a Julape.

Let Sal Prunella be giben often in a day in small Beer or Whey, from half a Dram, or two Scruples.

Moreover in this Fever Medicines gently promoting Sweat, e∣specially such as restore the Animal Spirits, and free them from any Heterogeneous Combination, are of excellent use: Where∣fore either let Powder of Pearl, or Spirit of Harts-horn, or of Blood be given in a small Dose twice a day, viz. Morning and Evening.

Let Glysters be injected alniost daily, and if it seems convenient, let a gently loosning Medicine be repeated twice in a week.

Let none but a thin Diet be ordered, viz. such as is wont to be in other Fevers; Flesh or its Broath being wholly forbidden, let the Sick eat only Oat or Barley-broath, let his Drink be small Beer or Whey.

But if notwithstanding any Physical provision, the Morbifick Matter gets possession of the Brain or Lungs, or both of them together, so that a failing and disorder of the Animal faculty, or also a violent Cough come upon the Diseas'd, we must consider what is to be done in either state of the Disease, rais'd after this manner to an ill condition; for then the Curative Indications ought to respect a stupor or madness, or the Cough; and at length, if the Disease being upon declining, these Symptoms re∣mit, let appropriated Remedies be given against the Atrophia, it being as the last fortress of this Disease.

1. Therefore if the Morbifick Matter, as it frequently is wont, being brought to the Head, causes there a Stupor or Sleepy af∣fects, Remedies ought to be carefully administred, which draw it to another place, and derive it some way or other from the Head, and likewise such as raise up the Animal Spirits, and make void the impure Combination: Wherefore in this case, let the use of Epispasticks be very much encreast outwardly, let Spirit of Harts-horn be given every sixth hour in somewhat a large Dose, let Blood be drawn again from the Jugular Veins, the Salvatella, or also from the Veins of the Fundament by Lee∣ches. If the affect does not remit, the Hair being shav'd off, let Emollient Fomentations be often applyed to the Head: More∣over let Cupping-glasses, Plaisters and Cataplasms be applyed to the Soles of the Feet; and other ways of administration, such as are vulgarly indicated for Curing a Stupor, ought to be us'd: In like manner, if to the evil or defect of Crisis in this Fever, a Frensy or Mania Supervene, let Remedies appropriated to those affects be administred.

2. But if, together with, or without this Detriment brought on the Head, the Lungs also are injur'd by the Disease, so that the Diseas'd, not yet freed of their Fever, seem to have fall'n into a Consumption or Ptizick, with a troublesome Cough, much and thick Spittle, and that often discoloured, Medicines com∣monly indicated in such affects are proper; wherefore Pectoral Decoctions, Lohoch's, Syrups, Waters of Milk and Snails di∣still'd, and other Remedies of this kind, ought diliently to be us'd: The Forms of which are to be found in their above writ∣ten cases.

Hitherto we have describ'd a continual Fever, for the most part Convulsive, and taking its rise both through the default of the Nervous Juice, and of the Blood: I shall now set before you an example of a Disease, resembling an intermitting Fever, and chiefly radicated in the Nervous Juice.

A fine Woman, of a very tender Constitution, and a weak tem∣per of the Brain and Genus Nervosum, and consequently very sub∣ject to Convulsive affects, after she had conceiv'd, about the fourth Month of her Child-bearing, upon taking cold, was most sorely afflicted with Asthmatick Fits, and likewise with frequent Faint∣ings of the Spirits: But by the use of remedies endowed with a Volatile Salt, she grew well of these Distempers within a fort∣night; nevertheless after six weeks were past, an unusual, and ve∣ry wonderful affect seis'd this Lady.

On a certain morning awaking after her sleep, which had been somewhat troubled that night, she felt in her whole body a light shivering, as tho' the fit of a Tertian Ague were coming upon her: Frequent Gapings and Retchings follow it with a frequent straining to Vomit: Then her Urine, which just before was of an Orange colour with a laudable sediment, became pale and watery, and was very frequently voided, viz. every munute of an hour. Moreover about the Loins and Hypochondres, and in other places, pains with light Convulsions passing from one place to another were rais'd. Which kind of Symptoms, being manifestly Convul∣sive, with the frequent making of Limpid Water continued from the morning almost to the evening: In which space of time a vast quantity of Urine, viz. thrice more than the Liquor drank, was made: In the mean while the Heat became not more intense, nor did Thirst seem pressing, nor was the pulse rais'd: In the eveing the foresaid affects ceast, and the Urine came again to be of an O∣range colour, and in a small quantity; and she enjoyed a moderate sleep during the whole night; and then the next morning the Fit returned near the same hour, accompanied whol'y with the like Symptoms, and daily acted over the very same Tragedy.

Going to see this Lady after the had lain ill after this manner for twelve days; I judged that this disease being chiefly rooted in the Genus Nervosum, depended on the effervescency and flowing of the Humour that lies in the Nervous parts: to this Breeding person I Prescribed Bleeding, and to take twice a day a Powder made of Coral, Pearl, Ivory, and other Cordial things in an ap∣propriated Liquor: morning and evening she took twelve drops of the Tincture of Antimony, the effect whereof I have found to be singular in a too great Flux of Urine: by the use of these things all the Symptoms in a short time remitted.