A Plain and Easie Method for Preserving (by God's Blessing) Those That Are Well from the Infection of the Plague, or Any Contagious Distemper, in City, Camp, Fleet, Etc., and for Curing Such as Are Infected with It.Willis, Thomas
History
A Plain and Easie Method for Preserving (by God's Blessing) Those That Are Well from the Infection of the Plague, or Any Contagious Distemper, in City, Camp, Fleet, Etc., and for Curing Such as Are Infected with It.
Willis, Thomas
Plague -- Early works to 1800
_Take green_ Vitriol _calcin'd_, Saltpeter, _and_ Sulphur, _of each a
pound, beat them well together, and keep it for use_.
_In close Rooms, and in hot Weather_, Vinegar _with_ Rue, _or_
Wormwood, _chopt small, and evaporated in a perfuming Pot; or else
Pestilential_ Vinegar [as we shall describe] _thrown on a hot Brick.
Or take_ Myrrh, Galbanum, Ammoniac, _of each half an Ounce; boyl
these in a Quart, or three Pints of_ White-Wine Vinegar, _'till they
are all dissolv'd; put half a spoonful of this at a time on a hot
Brick_.
Some commend Slakeing of _Lime_, supposing the fume that ariseth from
it, may purifie the Air: 'Tis possible, if this be done with _Vinegar_,
either simple, or impregnated with _Alexipharmacal_ Medicines, it may
be more effectual.
Next to the Cure of the =Air=, to render that as wholesom as we
can; we must arm our selves against taking in that Malignity, which
[notwithstanding all means of purifying it] shall still remain mixt
with it. Now because the Spirits are commonly the first that receive
Infection; We must fortifie them, that they may not easily admit the
approaches of their Enemy, which when they are in full vigour and
expansion, they will repel, and as it were keep off at a distance;
Therefore =Wine= and =Confidence= are a good =Preservative= against
the =Plague=: But when the Spirits, through fear, or want of supply,
do recede, and are forc'd to give back, the Enemy enters, and first
seizeth them, and thence gets into the Blood and Humors; Therefore much
=Fasting= and =Emptiness= are =bad=: But every one should Eat and Drink
at convenient Hours, in such manner and measure, as may always keep
the Spirits lively and chearful, and endeavour to compose his Mind and
Affection against fear and sadness.
But besides keeping the Spirits in a good height, and more especially
when that cannot be done, as in Persons that are naturally fearful, and
of a tender Constitution, the Spirits should constantly, as it were, be
kept arm'd with such Remedies as resist the Poyson; that is, the use of
proper Antidotes against the =Plague=.
I shall set down some =Preservatives= to be taken of every Morning, and
again at Night, by those that live in infected places.
_Take of Conserve of_ Wood-Sorrel _four Ounces_; Confectio Liberans,
_and_ Mithridate, _of each half an Ounce; Salt of_ Wormwood _two
Drams; Confection of_ Hyacinth _one Dram_; Tormentil _Roots, and fine_
Bole, _of each half a Dram; Pestilential_ Vinegar _half an Ounce;
mix all with Syrup of_ Citron; _Take as much as a Nutmeg, Night and
Morning_.
For the Poorer Sort, that Medicine of the Ancients, may be proper,
_viz._
_Take of_ Rue _two handfuls_, Figs _and_ Walnut-Kernels, _of each
twenty four, common Salt half an Ounce; Which beat all together in a
Mortar, till it be well mix'd; Take of it as much as a Nutmeg every
Morning and Night_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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