Century X. 



The one Rings of Sea-Horfe Teeth, worn upon the Fingers; The oth^ 

 Bands of Green Perewinde, ( the Herb, ) tied about the Calf of the heg , o r 

 the Thigh, &c. where the Cramp ufeth to come. I doe find this the more 

 ftrange, becaufe Neither of thefe have any Relaxing Virtue,bm rather the 

 Contrary. I judge therefore, that their working is rather upon the Spirits, 

 within the Nerves, to make them ftriveleffe, Than upon the 'bodily Sub 

 (lance of the Nerves. 



I would have Triallma.de of two other Kinds of Bracelets , for Comforting 

 the Heart, arid Spirits 5 The one of the Trochifch o( Vipers, made into little 

 Peeces of Beads-, For fincethey doe great Good Inwards, ( efpecially for /v- 

 ^«fS,)it is like they will be Efre&ual Outwards, Where they may 

 be applyed in greater Quantity. There would be T rochifchs likewife made 

 of Snakes-,W t\ofe Flejh dried, is thought to have a very Openingy and Cordial 

 Virtue. The other is, of Beads made of the Scarlet Powder ', which they call 

 Kermes ; Which is the Principal Ingredient in their Cordial ConfeBion Al- 

 kermes: The Beads would be made up wish Amber - Greece , and fome Po- 

 rn andtr. 



It hath been long received, and confirmed by divers Trials -, That the 

 Root of the Male-Piony, dried, tied to the Neck, doth help the Falling Suk- 

 nefje-, And likewife the Incubm, which we call the Mare. The Caufe of both 

 thejfe Difeafes, and efpecially of the Epilepfie from the Stomach,^ the Grofle- 

 nefje of the Vapours, which rife and enter into the Cellsoi the Brain: And 

 therefore the Working is, by Extrtme, and Subtil Attenuation ; Which that 

 Simple h ath . I Judge the 1 ike to bee in Caftoreum , Musk) Ren-Seed , Agnus 

 CaHus Seed, &c. 



There is a Stone, which they call theBloud-Stane, which worn is thought 

 to be good for them that Bleed at the Nofe: Which ( no doubt )is by Ajtri- 

 tlion, and Cooling of the Spirits. Quare, if the Stone taken out of the Toads 

 Head, be not of the like Venue; Tor the 7oad\o\exh Shade, and CoolnefTe. 



Light may be taken from the Experiment of the Horfe-Tooth Ring, and the 

 Garland of Perimnckle, how that thofe things, which aflfwage the Strife of 

 the Spirits,6o help difeafes, contraty to the Intention defirect: for in the Cu- 

 ring of the Cramp, the Intention is, to relax the Stnevcs; But the Contraction 

 of the Spirits,ihai they ftrive lefle, is the beft Help : So to procure eafie 

 Travails of women, the /^/zf/'o/z is to bring down the child $ But the Help 

 is, to ftay the C omming down too Faft: Whereunto they fay, the Toad-Stone 

 likewife helpeth . So in Peflilent Feavers, the Intention is to expel thelnfec- 

 ticn by Sweat, and Evaporation-, But the beft Means to do it, is by Nitre , 

 Diafcoraium, and other fool Things, which doe for a time arreft the Expul 

 fori, till Nature can doit more quietly. For as one faith prettily; In the 

 Quenching of the Flame of a Pefttlent Ague , Nature is like People that come to 

 quer.ch the Fire of a Houfe ; which arefo bufie, as one of them letteth another. Sure- 

 ly, it is an Excellent Axicme, and of Manifold Vfe,that whatfoever appea 

 feth the Contention of Spirits, furthercth their Atlion. 



The miteis of Natural Magick, commend the Wearing of the Spoilofa 

 Snake, for Prrferving of Health. I doubt it is but a Conceit:Vor that the Snake 

 is thought to renew her Youth, by Cafting her Spoil. They might as well 

 take the Beak of an Eagle, or a Peece of a Harts- Horn,becaule thofe Renew. 



It hath been Antienily Received,(Vov Pericles the Athenian ufed it,)and it 

 is yet in ufe, to wear little Bladders ofQuick-Silver, or Tablets of Arfenick , 

 as Preservatives againft the Plague : Not as they conceive, for any Comfort 

 they yeeldtothe Spirits, but for that being Poyfons themfelves, they draw 

 the Venome to them, from the Spirits. Vide 



