AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 217 



provoke urine or the menses, or break the j electuaries, as also all pills that have neither 

 stone, may most conveniently be given in : Diagrydium nor Colocynthus, in them. But 

 white wine, because white wine of itself is I all violent purges require a due ordering of 

 of an opening nature, and cleanses the j the body ; such ought to be taken in the 

 reins. I morning after you are up, and not to sleep 



9. Let all such medicines as are taken j after them before they are done working, at 

 to stop fluxes or looseness, be taken before! least before night: two hours after you have 

 meat, about an hour before, more or less, j taken them, drink a draught of warm posset- 

 that so they may strengthen the digestion! drink, or broth, and six hours after eat a 

 and retentive faculty, before the food come j bit of mutton, often walking about the 

 into the stomach, but such as are subject to \ chamber ; let there be a good fire in the 

 vomit up their meat, let them take such j chamber, and stir not out of the chamber 

 medicines as stay vomiting presently after ! till the purge have done working, or not till 

 meat, at the conclusion of their meals, that I next day. 



so they may close up the mouth of the! Lastly, Take sweating medicines when 

 stomach ; and that is the reason why usually 5 you are in bed, covered warm, and in the 

 men eat a bit of cheese after meat, because I time of your sweating drink posset-drink as 

 by its sourness and binding it closes the \ hot as you can. If you sweat for a fever, boil 

 mouth of the stomach, thereby staying \ sorrel and red sage in your posset-drink, 

 belching and vomiting. I sweat an hour or longer if your strength will 



10. In taking purges be very careful, and j permit, then (the chamber being kept very 

 that you may be so, observe these rules. j warm) shift yourself all but your head, about 



(1.) Consider what the humour offending | which (the cap which you sweat in being 

 is, and let the medicine be such as purges' still kept on) wrap a napkin very hot, to 

 that humour, else you will weaken nature, ! repel the vapours back, 

 not the disease. I confess these, or many of these direc- 



(2.) Take notice, if the humour you would | tions may be found in one place of the 

 purge out be thin, then gentle medicines will \ book or other, and I delight as little to write 

 serve the turn, but if it be tough and viscous, \ tautology as another, but considering it 

 then such medicines as are cutting and 5 might make for the public good, 1 inserted 

 opening, the night before you would take j them in this place : if, notwithstanding, any 

 the purge. i will be so mad as to do themselves a mis- 



(3.) In purging lough humours, forbear as * chief, the fault is not mine 

 much as may be such medicines as leave a i 

 binding quality behind them. 



(4.) Have a care of taking purges when 1 



your body is astringent; your best way, is- R O O T S. 



first to open it by a clyster. 



(5.) In taking opening medicines, you Acanths, Branca; Ursince. Of bearsbreech, 

 may safely take them at night, eating but j or brankursine, it is meanly hot and dry, 

 a little supper three or four hours before, i helps aches and aumness of the joints, and is 

 and the next morning drinking a draught of; of a binding quality, good for 'wounds and 

 warm posset-drink, and you need not fear j broken bones. Dioscorides saith, they are 

 to go about your business. In this manner! profitable for ruptures, or such as are 

 you may take Lenitive Electuary, Diacatho-\ bnrsten, or burnt with fire, a dram of the 

 iicon, Pulp of Cassia, and the like gentle i root in powder being taken in the morning 



