THE CURE OF RUPTURES In Man's BODY, By Physical, and Chirurgical Means, and Medicines.  
Whereby any person under forty years of age, that is diseased in the Body, with any kind of Rupture or Burstness whatsoever, may (by God's assistance, be perfectly, and unfailingly Cured.  
And to those Persons who are above forty, of declining age, having passed their natural vigour, maturity and full strength, present help, and desired ease, assuredly procured, for the whole term of their remaining life, even to their dying day, by the careful use of some prescribed Means, and Medicines.  
By LEWIS MILLWATER, dwelling in Peterburgh, at the Minster Gate. VIDE & FIDE, Try and Trust.  MATTH. 9.8. 
When the multitude saw it, they marvailed, and glorified God, which had given such power unto Men.  
feb: 28 1650 LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1651.   

Christian Reader,  
THou canst not be ignorant, under this Noon-tide of the Gospel, that all diseases, aches and pains, that befall man in this life, are the proper Effects, and Fruits of man's own sin, we may thank ourselves for any evils that befall us. Our breach of obedience due from us to God, is the cause of all breaches made by God upon us, in our bodies or estates. He hath broken me with breach upon breach, saith Patient Job, Job 16.14. Sin brings sufferings and sorrows upon us, Why then doth living man complain? Lam. 3.39. Thy breach is great like the Sea, who can heal thee? Lam. 2.13. Whereupon David prays to God to heal the breaches, Psal. 60.2. He alone is the repairer of our breaches.  
Yet there be sundry second causes of these Ruptures or breaches in man's body, and divers things occasioning them. They befall some in their very cradles, and infancy, sometimes by their fierce crying and frowardness: Sometimes again they happen to some, through carelessness in their dressing, swaddling, and attendance. Sometimes they come through some extreme cold and coughing. In some that are bigger and elder, they are occasioned by vehement agitation or stirring of the body in some violent motion of Riding, running, leaping, ringing, lifting some great weight, or by some stroke or blow on the belly, or sometimes by loud shouting with the voice, straining the body, and many such like, whereby the inward rim of the belly, wherein the bowels lie wrapped up and enclosed, being distended, rend or broken, the bowels fall down at such a breach, swell, and cause grievous pains, swell, inflammations of, and torments in, those tender parts within, as Physicians more largely and learnedly tell us.  
My way of Cure is gentle, and easeful, not causing the least pain or grief to to the body, or the affected part: 'Tis such as the tenderest child may endure without whinching, and therefore appliable unto, and easy to be used on any other of riper years, and more discretion.  
I lance not, cut not, pierce not the flesh or skin with any instrument, as Surgeons often do, for the stone in the Bladder, and sew the wound up again, and yet we know some that for hope of future health and recovery, endure all these torments (though the remedy oftentimes prove worse than the disease) even willingly and patiently, and pay dearly for it too, in great sums of money. Whereas I put my Patients to no pain at all, but procure and bring them present ease, certain remedy, and relief, unfailing cure, through the help and blessing of my Lord God, who is the chief closer up of breaches for his people, and heals the stroke of their wound, whose helping and healing hand I have hitherto always found graciously working with me, and by me, to whom therefore be th● Glory.  
I arrogate not to myself any Apostolical or miraculous way of healing, or giving soundness of body to the diseased: I do the cure by chirurgical and Physical means, Medicines and Directions to be prepared, used and applied by mine own hand, as I see need and find cause.  
If thyself or any of thy friends, son or daughter, stand in need of my skill, pains, or help, thou mayest find me, or hear of me at my House in Peterburgh, at the entering into the Minster-yard. I am often sent for abroad, sometimes unto places an hundred miles from my own dwelling. Thou mayest every week, send from London to Peterburgh by the Lincoln Carriers, who pass and repass through our City, not far from my very door. And if it so fall out that I should not then be at home, and therefore cannot come to thee at the instant of thy sending, yet I will not fail to repair unto thee, and wait upon thee, at my first leisure and opportunity, if it be not too troublesome or painful for thyself, or thine, to come home to me.  
I boast not of what (God hath wrought and done by me already, though many would not have believed what they themselves upon trial have found true, I tell thee not crackingly of any great undertake, I hang out no false Titles, nor mountebank Tables of lying wonders, or imaginary cures. Many, where I have been employed, can and will bear me witness of my real performances, towards them and theirs. And do often with thankful hearts bless God for me; and are still glad upon any occasion to see me, and acknowledge God's goodness towards them, for prospering my pains in their desired recovery, they bid me kindly welcome, give me (during the time I can stay) courteous entertainment. So that as Job 29.11. When the ear heard of me, than it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.  
My bodily presence or person promiseth not much, nor did it in S. Paul, 2 Cor. 10.10. no, nor yet in the Sacred Person of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who went up and down healing every disease and sickness among the people. For Isai. 52.14. His visage was marred more than any man's, there was no form or comeliness to move men to desire even Him.  
I rufle not in silk or satin, I flaunt not in Scarlet, or gorgeous Apparel. I tell thee therefore before hand, ere thou see me, what a one thou shalt find me, lest when thou seest me, thou through preconceipt and misprision be disappointed, and fall short of thy expectation: as Naaman, 2 Kin. 5.11. Was wroth and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the Name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the Leper.  
To undeceive thee therefore, know that I am as Jacob, a plain man, Gen 25.27. and thou shalt find honest and plain dealing at my hands.  
I am verily persuaded, that there be a great many in this Nation, grievously troubled with this kind of infirmity of Ruptures, and slipping down of their bowels, into the lower parts of their body, who for lack of timely help, do languish, droop, w●ar away, and their breach becometh daily bigger and bigger, for when the Caul or Film that should lap in the bowels, and bear them up from sinking and settling downward, is rend and broken, how can the vessels within but ever and anon slide down, and be with much pain, and difficulty lifted, or kept up?  
Many such I fear there be, who through too much modesty and shame hid their weakness, or if some near friend know it, do yet utterly despair of cure or mends in this world, and so lead miserable and uncomfortable lives.  
For upon any more than ordinary motion and agitation of their body, yea upon every small distemper through cold or wind the parts above, fall down into the breach, fret and swell, and make the body very sore and fall of cruel torment, yea it makes them stomach sick and to vomit, and they are so dis-abled hereby, that they grow listlesse, unwieldy, cannot, or care not to walk abroad, lest it should fall down and put them to pain, much less can they, or dare they, work at any bodily labour, ride a journey, or exercise themselves, though it be even with moderate, and more gentle movings, and stir of the body.  
Now by God's blessing, I can and shall so help them, that even those whose infirmities and grievances in any kind of these Ruptures (whether Wind-rupture, Gut-rupture, or Flesh rapture) be the greatest, painfullest, and most tormenting, shall in very short time be able to walk, ride, work, bear burdens, and cheerfully go about any stirring employment, And whereas some that undertake to help persons diseased in this kind, do it by painful cures, and are a long while in doing it, and many times enjoin their Patients to lie continually in bed for thirty or forty days together, and apply Sear clothes, Plasters, etc. My way is more easy, more speedy, and safe, and sooner than thou thyself haply couldst expect or desire.  
Good things the more common, the better; Wells, the more drawn the sweeter water; my candle shineth no worse because another is lighted by it, it now grows towards evening with me, I am sixty years old and upwards, and therefore desire before my Sunset, and it be past working-time, to do all the good I can, that my Candle may blaze a little in the s●cket before it go out, and be no more seen. Some of my good friends have seriously entreated me to make my skill more common, not to bury my talon which God hath given me for the good of others, and indeed I sometimes check myself, as those hungerstarved men, 2 Kin. 7.8. and think, I do not well to conceal my experienced skill, but should draw out myself (who indeed am now already on the tilt) that the best wine may be at last, for public benefit in relieving the needful, not reserving it (as Misers do) for any private ends or gain to myself.  
Wherefore I have thus at last, thought good and resolved to publish in Print, for the behoof of my Country, and to make known this particular disease of Ruptures, what I dare undertake and profess to do, or to profess rather what God hath done, and I hope will yet do, by me.  
I do verily think that some vainglorious and vapouring Mountebank, some selfseeking greedy Empiric would have raked together a great estate, gotten great sums of money, by less skill, less profitable, useful and easeful cures than I (by God's blessing) have done and can do.  
For my part (though I be a man of mean estate and condition, yet) I seek no great things to myself (not balaam's wages, Num. 24.13.) I desire only a competent viaticum to maintain myself and family, in a comfortable sufficiency, and to eat the labour of my hands, as Solomon concerning the virtuous woman, bids, Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gate, Prov. 31.31.  
I have heard how that some learned and careful Lawyers have had lands, and great Annuities given them during their life, in reward of their prosperous and successful pains, in carrying some one cause, in some one great suit of Law.  
And yet health is more worth than wealth, Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.4. what would not some diseased rich man give to be made sound and whole, or find ease and remedy against some lingering sickness or tormenting pain, which makes his life sad and uncomfortable?  
Health is a jewel, which when men do buy  
Physicians value it accordingly.  
The Woman in the Gospel, that had the issue of blood twelve years, spent her whole estate upon Physicians (so fain would she have had health) against that languishing infirmity, and yet she was so far from being bettered, or getting remedy, that she became rather worse, till she happily touched the great Physician of soul and body, and then was made presently and perfectly whole, Mar. 5.26.  
I boast not of things beyond my line, I only tell thee what God hath done by me, I ascribe nothing to my s●lf, mine own worth, or works, but (with that Divine Poet, Du Bartas Quadr. of Pibrach, Stanz. 5.)  
Say, not my hand these Cures to pass hath brought  
Or these, my virtue hath atteined to:  
I rather say, These God by me hath wrought,  
God's Author of the little good I do.  
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be the praise, who dost mightily manifest and magnify thy wisdom, power, and goodness, by employing, and blessing the poor labours, parts and services of thy meanest and most contemptible servants and instruments for the good of others. To whom therefore be all the glory. In whom I shall ever be,  
From my House in Peterburgh, at the Minster Gate, January 8. 1651. Thy Friend and Servant to use, Lewis Millwater.   

Postscript,  
LEst haply (Reader) thou shouldst think some things here written, to be arrogantly and boastingly expressed, by way of applause, by the Actor, or Author of these cures; We think it not amiss to let thee know, that this was not indeed his very Antograph, or act, thus to write, or publish this Paper; but that is was penned by some friends of his, who have had comfortable experience of his dexterity and success in the same, who being much taken and affected with his skill, and honesty herein, have thought fit to publish to others, what themselves have found true in their own knowledge and experience; and what good thou also or thine, may get by this notice, if need be.  
This then, thus published is not a Preface to any larger Tract; wherein his Medicines and means of cure should be exactly described; for we must tell thee, that cannot be, they are practical, not notional, and must be done by his own hand, which when thou seest, thou mayest, and wilt believe; He then will leave with thee and thine, his experimented skill and directions, which thou mayest propagate and communicate to others. This is now published as an Index, assuring thee of the reality of those Cures, which can be no otherwise or better taught, than by practice, or seeing done.  
Vale & Utere.   
FINIS.