A MOCHE PROFITABLE TREATISE AGAINST THE pestilence, translated into englyshe by Thomas Paynel Cannon of Martin Abbey. 1534.   

REMEDY AGAINST THE PESTILENCE.  
FOr the conservation of these that are in health, & reformation and amendment of these that are sick. I intend under the correction of my ancient masters and doctors, to write and declare certain profitable things for the common weal, and against pestilence, the which doth very often invade, trouble, & vex men's bodies. And against these things after my poor learning, I will ordinately write, as here after doth follow.  

Of the pronosticate signs of pestilence. cap. i  
THe signs, by the which a man may prognosticate, speak, and know the pestilence, are after this work but vii  
The first is, when that in the self same summer's day, the wind doth often times vary and change: as when that in the morning it appeareth rainy, and afterwards obscure and cloudy, and that doth principally proceed and come of the south wind.  
¶ The second is, when that in summer the days do often times apere obscure and dark, and as though it would rain, and yet it raineth not at all: the which disposition is to be feared: and if the wether do continue and endure long so, it is a token of great pestilence.  
¶ The third is, when that in summer we do see upon the earth great abundance of flies: the which thing betoknythe that the air is infected.  
¶ The fourth is, when that the stars do apere and seem to fall, and depart fro their places: the which thing doth also signify, that the air is infected & charged with infected and poison vapours.  
¶ The fift is, when that it seemeth to man that the comets or blazing stars do flee abroad. For as the philosopher doth write in his Metero. the apering of a comet doth betokyn and bring marvelous signs: for why such appearance doth often times signify furious death, rape, destruction, & spoysing of cities and towns, danger of the see, darkness of the son, change of kingdoms, & affliction of the people by pestilence & famine.  
¶ The sixth is, when there is much lightening proceeding out of the south part.  
¶ The seventh is, when there bloweth much wind from the south part: the which is very noyful and grievous to the people: in so moche, that none other medicine can help and secure them, but only the mercy of almighty god.   

The causes of pestilence. cap. ii  
THe causes of pestilence are divided in three. For at sometimes they proceed fro beneath, and sometime fro above, & other while from both. Pestilence may be caused & come from beneath, when there is nigh unto our chamber some privy, or stinking sink, by the which the air may be corrupt and infected: & this pestilence is called a particular pestilence: the which may chance & happen daily. And of this proceedeth a pestilent fever, by the which many a physician is deceived, not knowing the said fever to be pestiferous. And sometimes such pestilence chanceth by the corruption of deed carreyne, the which doth fortune oftentimes in corrupt places. This pestilence cometh very often fro above, and that through the virtue and operation of the celestial bodies, by the which the lively spirit of man is corrupted. Of this speaketh Auicenna in his fourth book saying, By the air and influence of the celestial bodies above, the bodies beneath are oftentimes and very soon corrupted and infected. For the celestial impression doth corrupt the air, and by such corruption the lively spirit of man is corrupted aswell by the inferior rote as by the superior: that is to say, that the pestilence is caused as well by the inferior bodies, as by the superior impression, when the air is through deed carrion so corrupted that it infecteth man, and engendereth sickness, as fevers and impostumes. For why, the air is then open, whose attraction is often venomous and corrupt, the which is right grievous for the heart, and nature is there with divers manners of ways feblysshed and sore grieved.  
¶ upon these things before declared, two questions may be asked. first why that some do die and perish of the foresaid sickness, and some not: and being in the said same city or house, why one doth die, and another dieth not?  
Unto this first question I answer and say, that it may so fortune and chance by two divers reasons. And first because that the action and operation of the bodis above, have more respect to one place then to another.  
The second reason and cause cometh of the patiented. For seeing it is so, that every man is not of like complexion, one may be disposed to that infirmity and sickness, whereunto an other is nothing inclined or disposed. And ye shall note, that all such as be disposed to the pestilences, are of a hot complexion, and their conduits are wide and large, their poors open, and replenished with divers humours.  
¶ Item all such bodies as be much resolved, as these that do often times company with women, and these that use moche baining, and these which by great labour and vehement anger are chased and hot: all such are much more disposed to have the pestilence than any other.  
¶ The second question is, whether such pestilent sickness be contagious or no.  
¶ To this question I answer and say, that such pestilent sickness is contagious. For from such infected bodies cometh infectious and venomous fumes and vapours, the which do infect and corrupt the air. And therefore it is very necessary to avoid and eschew all such as be infected with any such infirmity: and also in time of pestilence to avoid great multitude and congregation of people. For in a great multitude may be some one infected, the which may infect many other. And therefore the wise and expert physicians, when they visit any such infect persons, stand far from them, turning & holding their faces toward the door, or some other window: and so should their servants do, and also they that keep them.  
¶ Ye shall also note, that it is very good & profitable to recover health, all sometimes to change chambers, and to open the north and este windows of the sick-man's chamber, and to keep the south windows thereof close & shit. For the south wind hath two causes of infection and putrefaction.  
¶ The first is, that it feblyssheth as well the hole and sound bodies, as the sick.  
¶ secondly it is written in the third book of the Aphorismie, that it inflatethe and can seethe a man to swell, and noyeth the herring, and doth hurt the heart. For it doth open the pipes and conduits of man, and persethe unto the heart. And therefore it is very convenient and meet for a hole man, in time of pestilence, and when the south wind doth blow, to keep himself within: or else (if a man must needs go forth) that he depart not from his house, till the son be hot, and of a good height.   

¶ The remedies against the foresaid pestilence. Cap iii  
FOr asmuch as we have seen the causes of the pestilence, it is now convenient to declare certain remedies to withstand it. Wherefore ye shall note after the mind of the supernatural physician, speaking by the mouth of Iheremie, that if a man will be surely cured, and have a sure medicine, he must leave his sins, and confess himself with humility and great repentance. For in time of sickness confession and penance should be preferred above all other medicines. But to keep and conserve the body, the most sovereign thing is to avoid and i'll such places and persons as be infected. But yet for as much as there be many that can not conveniently, nor with their ease or profit change their habitation, I would counsel them as much as shallbe possible, to eschew and i'll all such things as may engender or cause putrefaction, and to abstain from moche bodily frequentation and company of women.  
¶ Also in such dangerous season and time of sickness, we should avoid the south winds, for naturally they cause moche infection and dangerous putrefaction. And therefore we have told you before, that the south windows of your house should be shut, till it were prime, and that they should be open northward. ¶ Also we have said, that all manner of infection and stynch should be annoyed and fled, as the infection of stables, pryveys, and above all other the infection of deed carein, and of long standing waters, the infection of old sinks, that cause such corruptions, that the inhabitors of such houses do die, their neighbours continuing in health & prosperity. ¶ In like wise we should flee those places, where that putrefied ware is sold: for such putrefied things do engender infection and saviours much contrary unto health. For as aromatic sweet odours and savours do comfort the heart, so doth ill and infectious savours grieve the heart, and cause it to be week and feeble, wherefore it is right necessary to withstand such infections, and to beware, that they do not pierce and enter in to our chambers, and that we have good and clear fires, and that these herbs here following be not to seek, bayberries, juniper, Vbery, Organy, wormwod, Isope, Rue, Muggeworte, and specially this wood Aloes, the which is very dear, whose fumygations must be received by the mouth and nose, for they do strength, fortify, and comfort the heart, and the interior parties of man.  
¶ Also ye must eschew and i'll the excess of meats and drinks: for such repletion doth cause and engender ill humours, the which are easily and soon corrupted & infected. And therefore avi. saith in his four canon, that all such as use great repletion, do abrige & shorten their days & the end of their life. ¶ In like wise a man should not bain nor wash him among moche company, for the breath of one infected person may infect a hole. ¶ furthermore all manner of multitude and congregation of people is to be sled and avoided. But for asmuch as it is very hard for many a man to avoid and abstain fro company, let all such receive and use these medicines that here after follow.  
¶ In the morning at your uprising, ye shall eat a little Rue well wet & dipped in clear water, with a little salt, and one or two walnuts well pylde. If so be that ye can not have these foresaid things, take a tofte wet in vinegar, & specially when the wether is cloudy. ¶ Also ye must see and take heed, that your house be over sprinkled with vinegar of losis, & that in summer it be strewed with vine leaves. ¶ Item it is very good for a man to wash his hands in water & vinegar, and than to smell to his hands.  
¶ Also it is healthsome to smell to such things, as be sharp & tart, whereof I had experience & proved it myself at Mountpeller. For through poverty I was enforced & constrained to be among them, and to go from house to house to help the sick and diseased, and so took a sponge in my hand deped and well wet in vinegar, or else a toast, the which I held unto my mouth. For all that is sharp and sour, doth replenish the pipes and conduits of the body, and letteth the ill air to enter into the body, and so it is excluded.   

The confortation of the heart and other principal membres of man. Capi. four  
THe things which do comfort the heart, are Saffron, Cherfile, and plantain, the which do solid and confirm the interior spirits.  
¶ Also ye shall understand, that the eyes through the infection of the air do wax obscure and dim, except a man carry about him these foresaid things. It is a right wholesome thing for a man to wash his hands, eyes, & his mouth with rose water and wine. But if all these foresaid things can not be had, take aysel: for so ye may both dwell and haunt the more surely among much company: the which medicine is laxative, and much profitable for the belly. Or else ye may take pills named pestilentions, the which ye shall find at the potycaris. And as considering meats, I say that treacle is very good: and therefore it is not ill to use thereof twice a day the quantity of ii sponfulles well mingled with clear wine, or rose water, or ale. And after it is well mingled & beaten together, and that ye have received it, ye must abstain from all other meats till it be none. ¶ Also it shall be very good once in the day to eat good meats, and moderately to drink good wine, or else it should putrefy and corrupt the humours. Men must beware of hot meats, as pepper, and garlic, notwithstanding that the pepper doth purge the brain of phlegm, and other principal members of all superfluous and vicious humours, nor that is not through his heat, the which heat engendereth putrefaction, whose bitterness plesythe me much more than his savour.  
¶ And garlic in like manner, doth purge & avoid phlegm, provoking man's appetite, and chaseth away ill airs. Yet for as much as it troublythe the eyes, and doth heat their heads that do moche use it, I think it therefore neither wholesome, nor the use thereof very pleasant. For the pestilence through natural heat, is often times increased and augmented. All meats of light digestion are most wholesome. And it is good to use boiled meat in the morning, and roast at night. suppings and cawdelles, if they be tart and sharp, altar profitable. For in time of pestilence such eager and sour meats are better for man's body, than any other medicine.  
¶ Item all fruits at hurtful, except they be sour & sharp, as cheris, poumgarnades, or in stead and place of a medicine, a little piece of anaple, or of a peer. For all manner of fruit engender putrification. The most profitablest spice in time of pestilence are these, Cmamum, ginger, cumin, Nutmegs, and Saffron: of the which men do make sauces for rich men: But if so be poverty will not suffer you to buy these foresaid spices, make your sauce of rue, sage, walnuts, and parsley, dipped in vinegar. If so be they be of mean estate, let them take for their sauce saffron and cumin, the which must be put in vinegar.  
This sauce is a very good sauce avoiding all corruption, and with all this a man must be merry and nothing melaneolyous: For that is cause of good health. And therefore in time of pestilence a man should not fear to die, but rather trust and hope to live long.   

Of letting of blood.  
FLeubothomye, that is letting of blood, may be done and used once in a month, if it so be that iorneinge or no nother thing do let it: as in pylgrymmes, and other feeble persons, or they that are laxative. And whether that this fleubothomia be in the right Basilyke, or in the list it must be done fasting. And after the incision, he that is let blood must be merry, and use moderately good wine, or else good ale, and keep himself from sleep that day that his basilyke is cut.  
And if a man feel himself to be grieved with any impostume, he must avoid sleep, And seek for good merry company, or else walk: for by sleep the interior and inward heat draweth the poison so unto the heart and the other principal members of the body, that hardly a man shall either by herbs, or any other medicine restore the body to his first condition and estate again, the which thing should not chance, if he would eschew sleep. And therefore sleep must be differred for a while by walking in to some pleasant fields or gardens.  
After such walking a man may sleep the space of a good hour. And to this purpose Avicen saith, that when we purpose to sleep, we should before drink some good wine, or else some other good drinks for by sleep a man gethereth ill humours, the which good drink do expel.  
¶ Here it may be inquired, how one should know, when he is smitten with the pestilence, where to I aunsere and say, that who so ever be infected, that day he shall eat very little meat: for he is full of ill humours, and a none after he hath eaten, he shall desire to sleep, and under a spice of cold, he shall feel a vehement heat, in the fore part of his head. The which thing may be avoided and helped by mean moving of himself, or walking. For the pondorosite of the body, will not suffer him to walk, or to ride moche at that time: for he shall covet to sleep at every hour. For the poison that is in his body doth so trouble the lively spirits, that he shall require nothing else but sleep. ¶ And by these foresaid signs a man shall well perceive when he is infected with the sickness. And he that will not believe it, may tarry the space of half a day, and know it to be so by experience. For he shall feel the sores under his arms, or about his ears, his neck. and shoulders, or else above his reins.  
Therefore the most sovereynste remedy is in time of pestilence, to i'll and refrain sleep.  
For when the spirits of man be at rest, the venom and poison doth extend and spread itself throughout all the body: of the which thing I have had experience and proved it by myself. And therefore when any man doth feel himself smitten and infected with the pestilence, he should be let blood in great quantity. For the evacuation of a little blood doth only move and stir the venom. And who so will not let himself blood by many veins, must be let blood by one, and that abundantly. But whether he that is let blood be sick or hole, he must needs (for the reasons afore rehearsed) eschew and avoid sleep. And if he have a sore, he must be let blood upon he self same side that he hath his sore, and not upon the contrary side, for such causes as here after shall follow. And therefore it the sore be upon the right arm, he must be let blood upon the vain in the mids of the self same arm: and like wise it must be done, if it be upon the left arm. And if the postume be beneath toward the privy membres, he must be let blood on the left side, toward his great too: But if the sore be in the neck, he must be let blood in the hand upon the self same side, nigh unto the thumme, and nigh unto the little finger. But if the sore do appear nigh unto the ears of Cephalica, than he must be let blood upon that side where he doth feel his grief in the vain that is betwixt the thumme and the next finger, which is called Basilica. If the sore do appear upon the shoulders, he must be let blood with ventosities, & first in the vein called median. If it appear on the back, he must be let blood in the vein called perdica magna. And let all these things be done, if the patient slept not before he knew of the sore, for if he feel it after that he hath slept, than he must be let blood clean contrary: that is to say, if the sore do appear upon the right arm, he must be let blood upon the left arm, in the vain of the liver, or in the vein named Basilica mediana. And if it appear upon the left arm, ye must do as ye did when it appeared upon the right arm, and so consequently where so ever it doth appear.  
¶ If the patiented after such diminution of blood be weak and seble, than he may sleep and take his rest at after none: for until it be none he must needs be in continual and moderate motion. And if the sore do increase, yet a man should not fear it, for the sore is the cause of health. And to ripe and to break the sore, make this medicine that here after followeth.  
¶ Bruise the leaves of Ellerne with a little mustard, and make a plaster thereof, to lay upon the sore. Some Surgiens' will put treacle unto it, the which thing in no manner of wise I would ye should do: for the nature of treacle, is to repel poison, and therefore it were better that the patient should drink it to avoid out the poison.  
¶ Another medicine to ripe a pestilence sore. Take an herb called herbaiovis, pellytory, plantain, and a lyttellrye, and stamp them together, until there come water from it: after that wet it in woman's milk, & drink thereof fasting, & before ye go to your rest: for so it shall have the better operation.  
¶ Also he that hath a sore, may take hazel nuts, figs, and rue, and make a plaster to lay to his sore.   

¶ To know urines.  
IF ye will know urines, ye must first of all mark, whether the urine be scummye, ye shall see a circle about it, and thereby ye shall know, that there are great ventosyties in the guts and reigns.  
¶ When ye see that the urine is as though it were full of blood, it betokeneth grief & pain through out all the body, and if it be in the botum of the water, it sygnyfiethe pain in the reigns.  
¶ When ye see that there is moche urine, and that it is as clear as water, it signifieth the virginity of a maid.  
¶ When ye see in any urine little bright and flaming sparkles, as appear in the son beams, in a man it signifieth ill humours: in a woman it betokeneth that she is with child, and if those sparkles be red, it is a shrewd token.  
¶ When ye see the urine red, and in colour like unto wine, & as there were small bubbles in the bottom, it signifieth that the patiented doth suffer great pain through out all his body. ¶ When ye see the urine discoloured, & dark in the mids, it signifieth that the patient is full of phlegm, but yet without any fever: and that he hath a swelling in the belie, and that he is pained in the reins, in the side, and in the heed. And if it be a woman's water, she is pained in the navel, in the reins, and in her knees, and that the suffereth cold in her hands, and in her feet.  
¶ To all such persons, ye may give good strong wine, well mingled with hoot water: in the which water ye must put sodden sage, whereof ye must give them every morning half announce. Also ye must make them a bathe of Penny real, Camamyll, and bay leaves: and whether it be men or women, they must be therein a long season, and anoint their reins & their bellies with the same, and with oil of bays.   

¶ A remedy for the french pocks.  
I find that this sickness began in the year of the creation of the world .MM.. And now I say, that the infortunate conjunction of Saturn and Mars (in the which this disease had his beginning and course) the conjunction & ill respect of those planets was the beginning thereof. In the year a. M. cccc.xcvi. re vi of Ianuer, in the third face called Piscis: the which infortune and ill respect of the foresaid planets impressed in man's body, disposed to corruption, this foresaid disease. For Saturn is the cause of the passion and peynefulnes of the legs and other membres: and Mars is the cause of the engendering thereof, as it is noted in the book entitled Initium sapientie. cap. 4. of the nature and signification of planets. And therefore I say, that the deed of the foresaid conjunction, is the cause of this sickness: the which conjunction is paste, and shall come no more. For in the year. M. cccc. xc. seven. the foresaid planets did holly conjoin themself all in their contrary sign. And therefore if any man chance to be infected again with this sickness, it is not by the influence of any constellation, nor by the influence of any ill respect of the foresaid conjunction: but because it is of his proper nature very contagious. And therefore yet such as keep good diet, may be soon eased.  
¶ This malady is cronique, long sense, and extended through the nature of Saturn, whose scabs, pushes, and inward & outward gouts, which are of the nature of Mars shallbe shortly in Aries. But as touching this matter, there are four things to be considerid. ¶ first that they, which be infected with this sickness, must use no great abstinence in meats nor drinks. For abstinence causeth great debility of nature, & feebleness of body. They must eat such meats as be light of digestion, and drink sweet wines with rain water.  
¶ Secondarily they must be purged once or twice in the week with pills convenient and meet to purge the heed: because that this malady, which is of Saturnus, proceedeth from the heed. ¶ Thirdly to remove this sickness and the pains thereof, ye must anoint him with oil made of sweet almandes, and with terpentine: the which two must be mingled well together. ¶ Fourthly he must drink every morning woman's milk, and suck it from the dug, for that is most convenient: or else he must take asses or goats milk, and that the foresaid beasts be nourished after the use and form of physic. The manner of receiving of this milk, is by the dug: and the cause is this. In this sickness there are three things, sores, bleeding, and consumtion. ulceration must be healed, bleeding must be mundified, & consumption recovered & restored. ¶ There is a medicine, in the which are these three, that is milk, the which naturally doth cleanse, the cheese doth fasten, & the butter doth nourish, and restore the foresaid consolidation. And therefore I say, that who so will use this thing every morning fasting, shall by the grace of god recover his health, and so I pray god he may.   

To the reder.  
¶ It may be, that this remedy for the french pocks before written, was at the beginning the best that men had by experience proved: but I think it is nothing now comparable to that that Hutten writeth de ligno guaiaco, yet not withstanding we have put it to, that men may see what things are good, if the other could not be had.  
Finis.    

LONDINI IN AEDIBUS THOMAE BERTHELET REGII IMPRESSORIS.  
CUM PRIVILEGIO.