A compendious enchiridion touching most distempers incident to the body of man, with the best and easiest cures thereof Wherein the author desires the reader seriously to consider the particulars before censure be passed. [I]n all my travels with Salvator Winter, and many years after with that famous phisitian and chirurgeon John Ponteus; I never exacted on, or denied the poor my skill and medicines gratis, but still my house to them was as free as an hospital; the like never hath been performed but by your friend and neighbor John Church. [Ge]ntlemen take notice, that besides the old tract I gave you; I have now added for the good and benefit of my countrymen, a true way of making some cheap and necessary medicines; as balsomes, plaisters. Oyntments, diascordium and mithridate. [Wi]th the number of all the bones, veins,, [sic] muscles and arteries in the body of man.

The Prologue.

Gent. ALthough I have not time to give you a Catalogue of all the Famous and admirable Cures performed by me in mine own Country, and other places of this Kingdome, by reason it would be tedious for your reading, and too large for the Press; yet I am will∣••ng to give a touch in short of some Cures performed by me amongst your neighcors, who were left uncured by some Chirurgeons, counted ••ble men. Nevertheless you may see that Gods blessing daily attends my endeavours. For when I am at work for the poor, my delight is ••o perform their cures Charitably, believing that God will crown my endeavours with success. Blessed be his glorious name for ever,

Gentlemen, we are not unsensible that there are too many Preten∣ders in our time, who promising to perform great cures, have taken ••our mony, and left you worse than they found you. But my way is to ••erform your cures before you part with your mony. Some few Cures I shall instance in for brevities sake.

I shall not stand on curious delivery, nor on high quaint termes of Art, although I am a great lover thereof: but in a low and plain way, ••o that the meanest capacity may understand, what with Gods bles∣••ng I can do for them. As followeth.

A Declaration of some Cures performed by J. C.

••irs, I will begin with the Eyes, being seated in the most noble and principal part, and are as Christal Windows to let light ••o all manual operations, For God hath hollowed out in the Scull ••wo Windows, into which the outmost Membranes of the Brain ••end two things fill'd like bags, with the Humours that come from ••he brain. In the midst of which there is a Pipe interwoven of an O∣••acous thin Membrane, yet full of a most pure and Christaline Hu∣••our, called the Apple of the Eye, in the which vision is made. This ••s compassed with a Net-work full of a watry or glassie humour. And

last of all that Membrane which is commonly call'd the White of th•• Eye: but Philosophers (because it is hard and polish'd over li•• horn) call it cornea; and this is transparent over against the Apple •• the Net-work. Elsewhere it retains its whiteness. Now under th•• Root of the Apple lies the Optick Nerve, by which the image of th•• thing perceived passeth straight to the center of the Brain. For sig•• is only the resiliencie of the species from the object to the eye, &c.

I couch'd Cataract's for Richard Smart a Hempdresser living •• Cow lane near Smithfield, and many others to their comfort and m•• credit.

I cured Mary Millard liveing within two miles of Chealtenham i•• Gloster-shire of the Falling sickness (who had been afflicted 14 years by anointing the Spundles of her back with my Balsom, and givin•• her my Essentia Mercurialis, &c.

I Cured Humphry Blackwel living in Eastwell in Stockly Parish i•• Oxfordshire (being shot through part of his head with a Rammer •• a Gun) with Linnimentum Archei, and Emplastrum magistpale cu•• Bitum.

I Cured Margaret Carter living within three Miles of Bracklie i•• Buckingham-shire, who had been Blind for the space of 15 year•• With many too long to nominate.

Also in the Diseases of the Eyes I commonly use Medicamen siv•• Collirium nostrum, made of Tutta Magistralis; wherewith I do not on¦ly cure watry eyes, but also the great pain of the Eye-lids: and als•• where there is flesh growing over the sight; that it seemeth to b•• past the cure of common Phisitians and Chirurgions that profes•• themselves to be very skilful in Occulism, or griefs of the Eyes.

I cured John Ball of Bloxom near Banburie. He was a Baker, wh•• did suck his meat through a Quill two years, by reason of a Cancer i•• his face. I gave him Flores Veneris, and did use Oleum Vitrioli; an•• with my Balsom & Plaisters finished the cure. I Cut and cured Mar¦tha William of Michael Deane on my Stage in Gloster-shire, a Broom mans Daughter of a Hare or cloven Lip, who had been cut and muc•• abused by one endeavouring to cure it before; but left her very de¦formed. With many others, whom I have perfectly cured which for brevities sake omit.

I Cured James Fisher, a Scholler of Oxford of a Fistula in his side between the Ribs and the intercostle Muscles, giving him inwardl••

my Golden Balm, and using Flos unguentorum about the said wound; with Emplastrum Stipticum, and injections with Mel Rosarum, and Tents dipped sometimes in Egiptiacum.

I Cured a Fistula in Ano for John Rogers living in Stratford on Avon. I Cured Robert Clements, living in a Village within a mile of Banbu∣••ie of an Vlcer in his Leg.

I Cured Anthony Michel living in Easom, who had 27 Ulcers or ••oles. Insomuch that it was threatned and doom'd to be taken off. Who I did perfectly cure, and others with the foresaid Remedy.

I Cured a Wry-neck for John Scot living in Sadbury in Glostershire. I Cut and cured David Harris living in Dounings Allie in Bishops∣••ate street, of a Wen being on the side of his neck, weighing above a ••ound and a half. And many others.

Also I cure all Ruptures, or burstings, commonly called broken-••ellies, either with, or without cutting, which are curable. And also ••l those tumours or startings out of the Navil.

Cut and cured Samuel West of the Stone in the bladder, Malmsbury

In the Dropsie, Ascites, I do sometimes use Tapping with good suc∣••ess. I Tap't, and did extract from one Joan Gamble at times, 2, or 3 ••d 20 Quarts of undigested Urine, or water. Also I do often cure the ••ropsie, Tinpanies and Anasarca, with my Balsom, Fomentations, & ••ataplasms, giving Elaterium: I use Sudorificks, according to the age, ••rength, and constitution of the diseased parties.

Cancers cut and cured 6 this year 1681 at Chippingnorton. I Cured John Prat of Keynton, Robert Savage of Long-compton, ••eorge Roberts of Shipton upon Stover, all of Cancers in the Lip.

I Cured John Cox of Uffington, near Farringdon of a Cancer in the ••ugh of his Mouth which had by its continuance eaten through his ••w.

Cured Richard Shirborn of Ascott near Burford, of a Cancer in his ••ongue left uncured by able Chyrurgions.

I Cut and Cured the Tongue of a woman of Chippingnorton which ••d a latge Stone in the middle, weighing half an Ounce, to the ••miration of all spectators: who is now alive and ready to justifie ••e truth of it.

Directions for the Composing of that incomparable Medcine called the Golden Balm.

Take Olei Terebinth. lb. 4. Mirrhae ℥ 2 ss. Mastices ℥ 1. arcocllo

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ʒ 2. Gum. Elemi ʒ 6. Gum. vel pinguedinis Palmae ℥ 7. Spirit. Vi•• Opt. lb. 2. Mix them together in a strong Glass, and infuse them i•• Balreo Mariae, 10 daies. Afterwards put to it Olei Hypper. lb. 1 •• Tereb. purissim. ʒ 4. Cerae albae ʒ 6. ellis 3. Misc. fiot Unguent. v•• alme.

This Golden Balm or Unguent, is of so great virtue, that it •• to be admired, for it's wonderful efficacie and operations, both in¦wardly and outwardly; for all great Squats, Bruses, Falls, give half drachm, or safely a whole drachm in Sack, or any convenient drink anointing the greived place outwardly.

For all wounds, new or old, make pledget of fine Tow or Lin•• the bigness of the wound, and lay on any common plaister; as Dia•• chilon, or Deminio, and if the wound be deep, you may make Tent of the same.

Also anointing any greived part, or painful swelling, it givet•• speedy ease, and asswageth.

And for all Sinewes that are contracted, or shrunken. For Cramp•• and Convulsions, anointing the Spundles of the back. Truly it woul•• require a wise Pen, and a large Volume to set down all it's healin•• Virtues, and curious Operations.

Of Physick, Chirurgery, and Anatomy.

Also I am bold to give you a touch of Physick and Chyrurg••¦ry: For I am much streigthned for want of time.

The moving principle in a living man, is the vital soul, which nothing else but the spirit of life, thick and strong, mightily fillin•• and powerfully governing the bodies which it inhabiteth.

For the body of man is Compound, and consisteth of Spirit, Fles•• Blood, Membranes, Veines, Nerves, Gristles, and Lastly Ton•• being as it were the props and pillars, least the frame should f•• Which are in number as followeth.

The Head hath 8. The upper jaw 2. The lower jaw 1. The Tee•• are 32, sometimes but 28. The Spina hath 24. The Os sacrum 5. T•• Ribs are 24. The Breast bone 1. but composed of 3. The Cannenl bon•• 2. Th Shoulder-blades 2. The Ischium 3. In the Armes 6 In t••

Feet 64. The great seedlike bones of the great Toes 4. If with some Anatomists you reckon 24 seed-like bones in the two hands, and so many in the two Feet, and two in each Ham, and the 8 bones in each Hand between the Carpus and the Metacarpus; and the bony sustance ••nexed to the Cuboides in both the feet. In old persons you shall have ••4 more, which being joyned to 246, make up 302 bones expressed ••hus.

Ter centum binis compactum est ossibus istud, Quod gerimus corpus, non est quod plura requiras. If you 302 bones chance to find, Few, or none, are left behind.

The principle transmutation of the nourishment in man is by Pro∣••eneration of the Four Vital humours, Blood, Flegm, Yellow and ••lack Choler. For the nourishment received being tempered (as in∣••eed all bodies of the world are) of the Four Elements, is resolved in ••he body of a living creature into four again. The fattest part of it is ••rned into Blood: a part into Spittle or Flegme: a part into Yellow Choler, and a part into Black Choler, or Melancholy. For Melancho∣•••• by its terrene grossness, represents the Earth. Flegme, Water, ••lood, Air. Choler, Fire. But they differ in colour and relish. For ••elancholy is black, and something bitter. Flegme, white, and with∣••ut tast. Blood, red, and sweet. Choler, yellow, and very bitter.

Note that amongst those Four, Blood is most copiously generated, ••ontaining the very substance of our nourishment, to which yellow ••holer only adds a more easie penitration through all. Black Choler ••xes it again; and applieth it to the members. Lastly Flegm tem∣••ers the Acrimonies of them both, (least they should Corode) ••ith penetrating and fixing: and gently agglutinates the blood to the ••embers. Hence it is that Phisitians also, with the Vulgar, speak of the ••lood, as if it were the only food of life. Now the principle concocti∣••n in a living creature is threefold. 1. Chilification. 2. Sanguification. ••. Membrification. The First is made in the Stomach. The Second in ••e Liver. And the Last in all the members. Now the Stomach is ••e common Sink-port, or receptacle of all maladies. Crudity is the ••ed of all diseases. From thence gross vapours arise, causing in∣••ations: the same condensed in the head, causeth distillation 1. ••he other member, of the body it causeth obstructions, whence fol∣loweth

rottenness or inflammation. Therefore let it be taken for gra••¦ed, that he taketh the best course for his bodily health, that ende••¦vours to prevent Crudities. Now the best waies to prevent them Temperateness: as in food, sleep, and daily exercises. O the stran•• virtue of Labor! whereby our ever to be adored God ordered o•• first Parents to get their bread and health in the sweat of their brow•• intimating that they should get their bread and health togethe•• which mistery, if the debauched and slothful Gentry of this Kingdo•• would rightly weigh, and seriously consider, they would not was•• their lives in idleness &c.

I must beg your pardon, and break off abruptly, as touching the•• things: or I shall walk into so pleasant a field, that I shall not be ••¦ble to get forth; I must therefore but only hint at things.

Of the Quantities of Weights which are at this daie in use in preparing, and composing Medicines,

For as much as the perfect knowledg of Medicines cannot be atai••¦ed unto, without the knowledg of the quantities of Weights, whic•• are at this present day most commonly used in making and preparin•• Medicines. I thought good to declare them, as followeth.

A Grain, is a Barly corn, taken out of the middle of the ear	Granum.	••
A Scruple, is twenty Barly cornes.	Scrupulus.	℈
Three Scruples containes a Drachme.	Drachma.	ʒ
Eight Drachmes contain one Ounce.	Unicia.	℥
Quart; signifieth a quart of any thing.	Quar.	q
Libra, is a pound And hath this Note.	Libra.	lb
Semis is the half of every weight.	Semis.	ss
Manipulus, is a great handful.	Manipulus.	M
Pugilus is a small handful.	Pugilus.	P
Ana, is of every one a like much.	Ana.	••

Ne parva averseris, inest sua gratia parvis.

FINIS.