❧ An excellent treatise, showing such perilous, and contagious infirmities, as shall ensue .1569. and .1566. with the signs, causes, accidents, and curation, for the health of such as inhabit the .7. 8. and .9. climate. compiled by Master Michael Nostrodamus, Doctor in Physic, and translated into English at the desire of Laurentius Philotus, Tyl.  
¶ Imprinted at London by John Day, dwelling over Aldersgate beneath S. Martin's.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.   

The Contents of this treatise.  

The Epistle.  
A Regiment for winter.  
A Regiment for the Spring.  
A Regiment for Summer.  
A Regiment for Autumn.  
Of the Pestilence.  
Of the bloody flix.  
Of the burning fever.  
Of the quartan.  
Of the quotidian ague.  
Of the catarrhus or rheum.  
Of the pluresies.    

To the right excellent, noble, & virtuous Lord, my Lord Emanieu, bishop of Macon, Pronotharie of the Apostolic Seat, etc Michel Nostrodamus, your humble, and obedient servant, & orator, wisheth health & long life in Christ.  
I Have received your letters (right reverend & my very good Lord) the xxvi day of May .1558. in which, you declare your abondaunt goodness not only to me, in taking my travels of my Prognostication and Almanac which I sent you, in the best part: but also to all men, when you wished them to come forth as a warning to correct and amend their ill life, and dissembling trade▪ and where as your excellency affirmeth, that things foreseen may be altered, or at the least the malice of them mitigatid, and that the sickness and infirmities of this year following, be divers in their kind, dangerous, mortal, and universally reigning: for which men shall scant have time to counsel with the learned doctors, and masters of Physic. Wherefore to show my duty, and humble service unto you at this time, I have at your request, devised a treatise, in which I have touched the diseases, and maladies, which shall spring the year of .1559. and .1560. with the preservation from them: and the curing such as shallbe troubled with any of them. And if I shall deserve any praise, and laud of the common people for my labour, I will they give all that to your honour, which are the only occasion of this enterprise. And if there shall any fault be found in this book, let them ascribe that to the difficulty of the work, and not to my negligence. Thus I leave to trouble your lordship any longer, willing such as will take profit by my labour, to have my medicines well made by the help of good and learned Apothecaries. And such as may have the learned doctors and masters of Physic, I wish that they leave my book, and follow their counsel, not sparing any expense: For life is more of value, than money, or treasure. (For I make my book for their cause which can not have the learned with them.) God send your excellency, long life, bodily health, and increase of honour.  
At Salon, in the province of Craux, the xii of August. 1558.   

A Regiment for the Winter.  
BECAUSE I find the constitution of the air (from the xii of December .1558. until the xi day of March so lowing .1559) to bring forth much cold, raining weather, pestilential and stinking mists, by reason of Saturn in the East, as I have said in my Prognostication: causing Phlegmatic humours to abound of which shall spring Catarrhus, rheums, Head ache, Pestilential sickness, and Sciatica, with Coughinges, and such like, so that many shall die thereof, as well young as old. Mors etiam saxis, marmoribusque venit. In so much that few shallbe free from this calamity, wherefore to keep the body in health it shallbe expedient to eschew bathing, sluggishness, long sleep, using ever before meat some kind of exercise. And at time of dinner or supper, use more quantity of meat then any other season, and in meat use hot spicis, wine & mustard, for these make the body hot, strengthen the principal parts of the body, and concoct the could phlegm ingendrid by this perilous and intemperate season of the year.   

¶ A Regiment for spring time.  
SPring time begin the xi day of March and end the xii of june. During which time the blood in the body shallbe corrupted, and engender Fevers, both tertians intermittent, and continual, with Carbuncles, Botches, dysentery, Squinancy, Inflammations. etc. It shallbe very necessary therefore for all men (but especially from xvii to xl years in age) to open a vain, vomit, or take purgation, which their minds stand most unto: otherways they shallbe in marvelous peril and danger of death▪ o dira caeli fata. Use exercise, but not so much as in the winter be not long fasting. Use things to make the body lose, also such as be sower, dry, and cold.   

¶ A Regiment for the Summer.  
Summer begin the xii. of june and continue until the xiii of September, in which space of time the body of man shallbe molestid grievously with red collar ingenderid of the intolerable heat, causing Frenzy, Sinochus, and causon agues, which shall grievously torment many young persons, also morbos epidimiales, pestilens, pthisis, and other which I will not name. Therefore abstain from vehement labour, use things that be cold, sweet, and pleasant, and well smelling, of easy digestion and eat little meat. Yea to drink cold water, using boiled meats altogether, with bathing, washing and keeping the body clean from filth both in the head, arm holes, feat, and hole body, and use all means which do cool and make the body moist.   

¶ A Regiment for Autumn.  
Autumn begin the xiii. of September and end the xii of December, and because the nature of the time shallbe inaequalis ac inordinata ac diversas infert passiones. Therefore chief in this time there must be much diligence used, for there can be no perfect order appointed as is the other before because that now it shallbe hot, now cold, now moist, now dry, yea and in some day all these shall happen. o quanta inclementia caeli. They that shall have learning in physic, now let them have compassion on the miseries that is like to fall by sickness. Notwithstanding it is necessary to abstain from excess of meats and drinks, banqueting, watching, lascivious chambering, which breed raw and cold humours, and indigestid in the veins & hole body, abstain, or at the least, use moderate eating of the fruits of this season as apples, pears plumbs, cherries, for they make cacochymy and ill juice in the body, and wyndines with colic, and corrupt the meats if they be not eat first at meat. It is good in the beginning of this quarter to purge, vomit, or let blood, by th'advise of some learned Physician. Now I will begin briefly to touch the infirmities which shall reign this year, beginning first with the contagius sickness of pestilence.   

¶ Of the Pestilence, with the cause werof it spring, and the order in this disease.  
COnsidering that many as well in times passed as in our late days, have abundantly written of this dreadful and perilous sickness: I need to speak little of it. Yet seeing all men either can not read them, or else understand them, I thought it meet to set it forth for all men's health: in so much as all men shallbe in danger of so cruel an enemy. And first, as touching the cause of it, there are divers, one is the sins and wickedness of the people for which God have and do send the pestilence for the reward of sin. An other is taken of the stars and constellation. Nam ortus & occasus syderum, magnae coniunctiones, luminum eclipses, mutationes magnas in corporib. nostris faciunt. The last is taken of the philosophers and physicians, which is the inspiration and drawing in of the pestilential and corrupt air, into the body full of raw humours, and such as are apt to receive corruption. The next way to preserve the body from this infirmity is to open a vain or purge, to flee from the corrupt air, to use abstinence, moderate diet, exercise, also fleeing long sleep, of often eating and drinking when as nature require it not this make the body preparid to the pestilence. Also not to go abroad in the air before the sun have shewid, & when you go abroad in the air, eat some electuary, or other alexipharmacum fastingas, Mithridate, treacle, bull armenius, and such like▪ wearing also some pomeambers, well made to smell on, and not to eat meat and drink in the morning, as some do, thinking thereby to resist the corrupt air, but how ignorantly they do, I refer that to the judgements of such as are learned in physic. The signs how to know if thou art infect with this sickness, is not to be taken of the urine, for that do often deceive the most expt therein, but thou shalt feel thyself prone other unto much sleep, or else that thou canst eat in any case sleep with found imaginations also pricking and tingling in the flesh, cold without, but inwardly extreme hot with dryness, hedach, often vomiting, and heavy cheer with out a manifest cause▪ the cure of this sickness is to open a vain if the age of the patient, strength, and time of the year agree hereto, near to the place where the swelling apere (if there be any) else in the part where he feeleth most grief, this once being ended, give them this potion to drink. ℞. Of the roots of tormentil, ditanie, gentian, betony, set wall, of every one .3. drams, of Bole armenius, and terra sigillata, each two drams, of myrrh and aloes hepaticke one ounce, of saffron half a dram, beat these & make of them a fine and subtle powder, of which let the sick take in Scabies or Turmentill water, half a dram, and so being in bed, he must be made to sweet .v. or vi hours according to the strength of the patient. And in all the time of his sweet, let him neither sleep, eat, nor drink. After the sweat ended, let him be dried with warm, and clean clothes. And if he desire to eat, give him a little broth made of a chicken, or such like, but no great quantity Let him keep his chamber for certain days after, and have merry company, and music, using perfumes in his chamber with Mastic, Myrrh, Olibanus, Frankincense. etc.  
If he have any carbuncles, or sores, because the Surgians have the daily practice of it, I will omit it.   

¶ Of the burning Fever.  
omitting all other kind of Fevers, I will speak of the causon or burning Fever, because there is as great fear of it this year, as ever was the last two years past: as well in England, as in our climate, by certain and son dry constellations, in the Summer season. Therefore such as are vexed with this burning fever, before allthings let them be let blood, yea ad animi ferè deliquium. Otherwise the great heat will not be assuaged. Let them drink tisanes, and could water, strowing their chambers with vine leaves, bows of willow, cold herbs, and such like. And give them to drink syrup of Violets, Roses, Nenuphar, yea and if you will, bathing shall be very profitable. So that all the cure of this disease, do consist in these two points, that is, in expelling the humour choleric abunding in the body, which is by letting blood, vomit, and sweating: and by extinguishing the great inflammation of the liver, veins, arteries. etc. which is done by drinking cold water, tisanes, cold siropes, and julepes, before mensionid. This done being ware of sudden altering the body, thou shalt by gods help come to thy perfect health.   

¶ Of the quartain.  
IF the enemies of Astronomy will maintain their foolish, and arrogant opinions against her, this were sufficient argument to overthrow them, in that they do manifestly, see how the body of man is altered, and troublid divers ways, by the influence of the heavenly creatures (I mean the planets, and fixid stars,) as among other the quartain is one, whose force I suppose, was not of long time so generally known. Yea & the heavens shall give such unsesonable weather, that the humours rather shallbe more, and more subject, to corruption: then to be altered to the health of the body, so that the quartain shall not away at the spring (as many suppose) but drive until Summer, et vix tunc finietur. therefore in the spring it shallbe good to purge melancholic, and phlegmatic humours, yea and unto strong natures, to open a vain. They must abstain from pork, beef, salt meats, raw fruits, goose, swan, crane, duck, and all fowls living in marish placis. And use meats light of concoction, with good wine white and pleasant, and finally all his diet must be, how to make his body, hot and moist. And to flee things that are cold and dry, aswell outwardly as to be inwardly received.   

¶ Of the quotidian Ague.  
MY mind is rather to prescribe a good order of diet then a way of curation, in this and other agues which do long molest the body, because where time do serve, there may be remedy and counsel sought at the learned, but for their cause I write, which devil far from the masters of Physic in country towns, and villages. The quotidian do invade such, as be gross, cold, and slugishe. And the fit continue from the beginning to th'end xviii hours. The diet must be extenuams, et incisoria. Using at the beginning, clysters, after when the disease do more increase, use oxymel, and things to provoke urine: as the root of smallage, parsley, fennel, flower-deluce, and the four great seeds which are cold. etc. Also in this case it is good to vomit, and anoint the stomach fasting, with the oil of wormwood, mastic, or petroleum.   

¶ Of dysenteria or bloody flix.  
dysentery in Greek, may be named in Latin tormina, but with us an exulceration of the bowels. Of this disease there be four sundry kinds, as Galene writeth▪ but I writing to the unlearned, will omit them, minding rather to make them understand both it, and the remedies: then to make them cunning in Galens' doctrine, although there is nothing more better, or more near in this case. The disease is manifest of itself for when in the stole you perceive yelowishe, or saffron colour, oylishe, and fat, or bloody with films (as it war perchement wit: they call it excoriation of the guts) with inward griping, pricking, and extreme pain so that they come, ad animi deliquium great heat, and marvelous dryness. The way to cure this sickness, is first to give him milk hot from the cow, or else boilid, for to drink, if so be he have no ague. (But if he have an ague, than it will corrupt in the stomach, and make his ague the more vehement.) Also you may give him to eat boylid tenderly, coleworts, also plantain, sorrel, etc. with the yolks of eggs. Let his drink be rain water but not running out of leaden spouts: and if you can not have pure rain water, and wholesome, then take of fountain water of the rock, and dip in it a gad of steel red hoot, and let him drink it: for it is marvelously comfortable unto the stopping of the flux. Or if his stomach can not suffer water, you may give him wine used as you do the water aforesaid. So that all the scope of curing this malady is, per adstringentia, resiccantia, vrinam moventia. etc. medicines which in this case we use, are these. The roots of rosecampine, holyoke, the leaves of willow rewpontick, sanguis draconis, terra sigillata, bolus armenius, mulberries, raysine kernels, the husk of a pomegranate, the shells of sea crabs, beaten in powder. etc. But if light things help not, then with all speed seek the help of the learned masters, of physic. For I can not, nor any man, set forth all the particular accidents, that come in this sickness, they be so variable, and therefore cannot appoint any sure, and perfect remedy.   

¶ Of the pluresy and the curation thereof.  
Pleurisy, being Morbus per peracutus (and therefore most dangerous of any other before rehearsid except the pestilence,) I think it meet, not litly to overpass it, but also for thy wealth somewhat to make mention of it. This infirmity spring of much and abundant blood, flowing to the ribs, and there inflamed. The signs of it are shortness of breath, a sharp, and hard pulse, a great pricking under the ribs, vehement pain, with a continual ague: which although at the first he feel not, yet in the process he shall (if the vehemy of the other, do not make it the more sufferable.) He must for the first iii days use only a ptisan, afterward milk of almonds, or fine bread with the broth of a cock, or in the end of the sickness, to drink water, in which cinnamon is boillyd. And also eat scaled fishes of clean, and pure waters. The chief practised remedy in this our time, is presently to let blood, on that part the pain is. Nam natura ibi molitur evacuationem. The veins in this case, is the liver vain, or vain of the spleen called lienaria, if at the seventh day he feal great anguish, and grief, you must use boxing with scarification, to suck sanious blood and matter. Also emplasters made of dill, camomile, rosecampine. etc. boylid: not neglecting ointments to ripe the thing, with medicines to cause him void by spitting, the aforesaid corruption. Such is diadragacanthes, diapenideon, pastilli pectorals, ecligma de pulmone vulpis, glicirrhize, saccharum violatium, etc.  
Which divers make mention of, in the cure of this disease.   

¶ Of the Rheums and Catarrhus.  
CAtarrhus come when as the humour fall from the brain, in to the mouth, and jaws. This may spring of two causis: either by heat, dissoling the humours conteinid in the head: or else by coldness, of which at this time I will touch the curation. Therefore it is very expedient, to avoid all things which fill the head with vapours, as to much drinking of wine, bathing, and washing the head, with sleeping after meat, & kembing the head also after meat, with great suppers, and late. Also onions, garlic, mustard, radish roots: and all raw herbs, and fruits, be augmenters of this mischief. Therefore (abstaining the things above mentionid) it shallbe profitable to anoint the head with oil of lilies, rue, dill, and almonds. Also you may by the advise of some learned man, take some clyster, or other potion, which do expel the hurtful humour. You may moreover, make a twilte, and apply it to your head, with these things following, made in powder ℞. of the flowers of betony, melilote,, and camomile, the leaves of roses dried, laurel, penereal, and orage, of every one half an handful, of cinnamon, and cloves, one dram: of nutmegs a dram, and an half: of macis half a dram: bring all these in to powder, and make of them a twilte, according to use and art. It is also very good to purge the head by sternutation, and sneezing, with the juice of of beets, or coleworts, looking toward the son, or such like thing▪ moreover it is very profitable to dry the brain, with odoriferous balls, and pomeambres: and also with fumes made on the coals, holding his head over it fasting in the morning. You may in this case, use mastic, lignum aloes, gallamoscata, frankincense, bay berries, amber, musk, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon, etc. which be very medicinable in this behalf.  
FINIS.  
ANNO CHRISTI. 1559. Mense Martij.