SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the ROOT CASSUMMUNIAR, Called otherwise RYSAGONE, Imported from the East-indieses. SHOWING It's Nature and Virtues, and its Usefulness above others as yet written of, in Apoplexies, Convulsions, Fits of the Mother, the Griping of the Guts, with probable conjectures of its Fitness to Cure many other Distempers; and its being the most proper Corrector of the Jesuits Powder, rendering that Me●●●●●… 〈◊〉 and Harmless.  
By JOHN PEACHIE, Doctor of Physic.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Epictetus.  
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the Lower end of Cheapside. 1679.   

TO THE Right Worshipful Sir Jonathan Keate, BARONET: A True Patron of Piety, Virtue and Learning. J. P.  
Humbly dedicateth the Ensuing Observations, in testimony of his grateful resentment of his Favours, with apprecation of all Grace and Happiness.   

OF THE VIRTUES OF Cassummuniar.  
TO give a Description of the Herb, its place, its growth, whether it beareth any flower, or Seed, is not in my power, having received no account along with it from my Brother, Factor to the Honourable the East-Indy Company: Only thus much is most certain, it is a Plant esteemed even by Princes themselves, some part of what I have, being taken out of the King of Golcondaes' Garden, one of the greatest, and wealthiest Princes in India, and the Priests, who are the Brackmannes, of the Pythagorean Sect of Philosophers, do many and great Cures with it, for which they are so much esteemed not only by the Natives, but also foreign Merchants that reside there, the English themselves preferring them before their own Country men, when they labour under those diseases that reign in the East-Indys. They are very excellent Botanists, admirably skilled in the nature, and use of Plants, and having an extra-ordinary variety of them have improved Galenical Physic to a very great height. I do not understand that they are acquainted with any of the Chemical ways of separating the pure, from the impure parts: or understand the use of Minerals: but as they are nourished by the produce of the Earth, so they are cured by the offspring thereof, not feeding upon any animal killed for their use, fearing they should eat some of their Ancestors; because they hold a transmigration of souls. This root though it might serve to aromatize their diet, and is certainly a good stomachical, yet they use it only medicinally, and that in so homely a way as is becoming such plain, and simple men, unacquainted with the Confectioners or Apothecaries Art; they cut the Root transverse, or cross-ways, and having so done, they dry it in the Sun with great care, and when they have occasion to use it, grinned it betwixt two stones, adding water to it, after the manner of Painters grinding their Colours: being reduced hereby into the consistency of an Electuary they administer two or three drams of it at a time to their patients.  
As to its qualities it is moderately hot, and very astringent, it consisteth of very fine parts, wrapped up in, and tied to an earthy matter; and may be reckoned amongst your Aromata or Spices. It exceedingly recruiteth the animal and vital Spirits, and may well be imagined by its taste, colour, and smell, to be an aperitive medicine. But by the experience I have had of it, I find it admirably to agree with the animal spirits, and a proper remedy against their irregularities With Spirit of wine I have drawn a good Spirit from it, and with the remaining faeces made a very good extract, and conceive its extract made with fountain-water, might be better than the powder in the bloody flux, for which it is an excellent remedy. The Spirit is good to mix with cordials, and is a very good medicine outwardly used: and will lay scents better than any thing yet sound out.  
It is matter of no small grief and trouble to any person endowed with pity or compassion, to see how many persons labour under Apoplexies, Falling-siknesses, Convulsions, and convulsive-motions, Fits of the Mother, which diseases have such stupendious symptoms, that they do astonish the beholders, Nature seeming to be in an earthquake, and in its last agony: and by the frequent aggress of so dreadful a Distemper, those endowments which distinguish us from irrational creatures are in a great measure lost; our understanding, that great Light very much darkened our memory, that excellent Repository, broken, and like a Sieve lets through most, if not all the species presented to it, so that our fitness to serve either God or Man is very much impaired. And yet notwithstanding all the Boasts of Chemists, and the singular and prudent management of Galenists, with the help of what medicines Nature or Art hath yet presented, scarce one of a hundred hath proved a trophy of their Victory over so obstinate a distemper; I mean not those whose disease doth arise from any fault in the first ways, as children which have, worms, or the nerves disseminated in the stomach, being affected with ill matter therein contained, of which an easy way of cure doth effect the desired end viz. By evacuating and discharging nature by Vomit or Purges: but when the distemper hath its rise from the head, and is of long continuance and duration; The way of cure juse is first generals as Bleeding, Vomits, or Purges ordinarily used in this case. Afterwards where the distemper is in the head originally; I use to cut off the hair, and use a fomentation of the spirit night and morning. As for internal remedies: ℞ Cassummuniar. pulv. ℥ two conserv flor. Betonic. ℥ i cum syrupo Pae●●: q. s. fiat electuar. s. a. Capiat q. N. M. ter in die horis medicis supbibend. ℥ iiii sequentis. Julapii ℞ aq. florum ●iliae, cerasor. nigr: an lb. Spirit. Lavendul. Composit. Math. ℥ iii syrup. Paeon. q. s. Misce. I shall not give Instances of those many who have had their Fits hereby lessened and abated, and very many cured. I could instance in a Gentlewoman, who had a concussion of her head, which she laboured under for half a year in the Country, after a fall down stairs with her head foremost, coming up to London was cured by a decoction, and electuary made of this root, to mine, as well as her admiration, and liveth now free from any ill effects of that ill accident. I was called to a Gentlewoman that had hysterick. Fits with unusual symptoms, accompanied with as great oppressions, and debility in her Spirits when her Fits went off, as when upon her, as she apprehended. The Medicines used I find upon the file to have been only these: ℞ Cassummuniar. pulv. ℥ s Conserv. flor. boragin. ℥ i cum syrup Paeon, q. S. M. fiat electuarium, capiat. q. N. M. superbibend cockl. viij sequent. Julapii. ℞ aq. atriplic. ℥ vi puleg. spirit Lavend. composit. Mat. an ℥ i M. The common plaster to the navel, and a nodul of Galbanum; in two hours her Fits ceased, and with the use of the same Remedies some few days, she was so far cured, that they have not returned these twelve months, the occasion of the distemper not proceeding from any passions of the mind.  
The Spirit of it drunk with black-cherry water every new, and full of the Moon, I conceive may be a sovereign preservative for them, who have had the common symptoms that are forerunners of that mortal disease the Apoplexy, or been once attacked by it, and escaped it, for prevention of the second Fit, commonly mortal. To conclude this head; the greatefulness, as well as the usefulness of it, to prevent convulsions, looseness, and gripe in children, maketh me commend this medicine to Country Gentlewomen, to Midwives, and Nurses, and the rather because of its safety, and but one inconvenience can attend the use of it, which is its binding quality, which is rarely a prejudice, where the Medicine discusseth wind, as this doth. They may boil it in their water-pap, their milk, or what else they think fit to give the child. I prefer it before any other Galenical or Chemical Medicine, for that I have observed, that by the nauseousness of spirit of Amber, and ill contexture, and consistency of Diascordium, Mithridate, and Venice-treacle, they have oftentimes brought Fits instead of hindering them. The decoction of it in a little Ale, or Wine, and Water, is very useful for the Mother when laid, or boiled in her caudle to prevent Fevers, and after-pains, because it will promote sweat, and discuss wind.  
The Griping of the guts, a disease no lesle torturing, than mortal, hath reigned exceedingly in London for these many years last passed: and notwithstanding the endeavours of our learned Doctors, and ingenious Chemists, our bills of mortality inform us, that a great number of persons die of it every week, though more in July and August than at other seasons of the year. This disease is many times Epidemical in the East indies, and this Root was sent me with high commendations of the successful use of it by the Brammenees in this malady, and indeed this remedy hath convinced me of the truth of Doctor Willis's assertion, that the nervous part is principally affected in this distemper. By the excrements it is distinguished into the bloody and unbloody Flux, in the latter, the matter is sometimes waterish, and sometimes mucous, to which may be added that which is called the dry Gripes. The method I proceed in all is alike: only where there is a Fever conjoined with, or consequent to the disease, I use Fountain-water for the vehicle. When called to a patient, bleeding being premised, if the age, temper of the patient, and season of the year require it, I use Doctor Sydenhams purge. ℞ Tamarind ℥ s sol. sennae. mundat. ℥ two Rhei ℥ iss coquantur in aq fontanae q.s. Colatur. add Mannae, syrup. rosar. solutivi an. ℥ i M. fiat potio. At night when the purge hath done working. ℞ rad. Rhysagon. pulver. ℥ ss cum syrup. corallior. q. s. fiat bolus hora sommi sumendus. Repetatur sexta quaque hora. After it I give a large draught of the decoction of the same Root sweetened with syrup of Cowslips, and sometimes fifteen drops of the Laudanum Liquidum described by Doctor Sydenham in his excellent book of Observations upon acute Distempers. 
Syden. Pag. 255.  This Method I use till its declination to the better, and then the case is so easy, I need not inculcate any thing further about it.  
I use this Root as a corrector of the inconveniences that attend the peruvian bark, and commonly prescribe three parts of the bark, and one of the Root Cassummuniar. And though I have always after generals, as the bitter potions, vomits, or bleeding as the case requireth, proceeded to the use of that bark, and that as frequently, as most have, having had the honour of many persons of greatest eminency in the University of Oxford one year under my care, together with many others ill of quartans, yet never can charge, that bark in any one of my patients with any damage, which was the result of its administration, being thus corrected.  
A very Eminent East-india Chirurgeon assured me, he had used this Root in Melancholy Hypocondriack, and the Scurvy, with great success, of which I can speak nothing from my own experience. I conceive that a decoction of this Root in Fountain-water, (seeing it strengtheneth the animal spirits, helpeth separation of what is inconvenient from them, promoteth Sweated, and a good circulation of the blood) may be of great use in Fevers, to prevent Deliriums, which hath frequently a fatal ill event attending it. I look upon it as a thing very probable, that this Root may be serviceable in many other diseases, and do not doubt, but it's own harmless, as well as useful nature will excite ingenious and learned Physicians (of which this Nation and City aboundeth in as many as any in the world,) to make a higher and greater improvement of it, than I have, or can. If what I have written may tend to the public advantage, I have my end: and could wish, that all Physicians would so far consult the good of mankind, as to communicate what they have singular to the world, that so noble a Science might be completed, and health be the better preserved and restored: for that of Seneca is most true in Physic: Multa egerunt, qui ante nos fuerunt sed non peregerunt, multum adhuc restat, multumque restabit, neque ulli nato post mille secula praecidetur occasio aliquid adhuc adjiciendi.  
This root may be had at Mr. Bartletts Druggist in Bishopgate-Street, or at my Apothecaries on Rhederiff wall. Mr. Bartlett hath as I suppose a sufficient quantity for present use. And if it hath the desired success (of which do not doubt) I presume more will be imported in a year or two.  
FINIS.