1 14 i Treatise w 
Guaiacum incides, attenuates, and deterges thick 
and vifcid Humours, opens Obftrudtions, provokes 
Sweat and Urine, helps Spitting, and ftrengthens 
the Stomach when too much relaxed, as likewife 
all the other Bowels. It removes long and inve- 
terate Obftrudtions of the Liver and Spleen, and 
cures the Jaundice, Dropfy, and other Diforders 
arifmg from them. It diffipates and confumes fu- 
perfluous cold Humours in all Parts of the Body ; 
reftrains Diflillations from the Head, and appeafes 
rheumatick Pains thence proceeding *, being further 
wonderfully ferviceable in the Gout of the Foot, 
Hand, or Hip, and in all other Appearances of 
the Difeafe ; as likewife in Afthmas, Palfies, Stu- 
pors, and all Refolutions and other Affedtions of 
the Nerves whatever. It brings hard cold Tumours 
to Suppuration, and ftops, dries, and cicatrizes 
malignant and chironian Ulcers. Moreover, it is 
much celebrated for its Efficacy in curing the ve- 
nereal Difeafe, being faid to remove the Puftules, 
Tubercles, Ulcers, Pains, and other Symptoms, 
without the lead: Detriment to the Body, or Lofs 
of Strength. This its antivenereal Virtue was firft 
difcovered in America , after many Remedies had 
been tried for that Difeafe in Europe to no Effedt. 
It happened that a certain Spaniard living in Hifpa- 
niola , was grievoufly affiidted with the venereal 
Difeafe, from an impure Commerce with an Arne* 
rican Woman, In his Houfe was a Native of Ame- 
rica^ who pradtifed Phyfick in that Province, and 
who gave him a Decodtion of the Wood of Guai- 
acan (as they call it) to drink *, whereby he was re- 
lieved of his Pains, and quite cured of the Infec- 
tion. Upon this many other Spaniards , who had 
received the fame Taint, had recourfe to the fame 
Remedy, and with equal Succefs. Afterwards, 
many of them returning to Spain 9 fpread abroad 
i its 
