CERTAIN PHILOSOPHICAL Preparations of Food and Beverage for Seamen, in their long voyages: with some necessary, approved, and Hermetical medicine; and Antidotes, fit to be had in readiness at sea, for prevention or cure of divers diseases.  
ANd first for Food. A cheap, fresh and lasting victual, called by the name of Macaroni amongst the Italians, and not unlike (save only in son) to the Cus●cus in Barbary, may be upon reasonable warning provided in any sufficient quantity, to serve either for change and variety of meat, or in the want of fresh victual. With this, the Author furnished Sir Francis Drake and Sir john Hawkins, in their last voyage.  
2 Any broth or Colase, that will stand clear and liquid, and not jelly or grow thick when it is cold, may also be preserved by this lyre of Nature from all mouldiness, sourness, or corruption, to any reasonable period of time that shallbe desired. A necessary secret for all sick and weak persons at sea, when no fresh meat can be had, to strengthen or comfort them.  
3 Now for Beverage: All the water, which to that purpose shall be thought needful to be carried to sea, will be warranted to last sweet, good, and without any intention to putrefaction, for 2, 3, or 4 years together. This is performed by a Philosophical fire, being of a sympathetic nature with all plants and Animals. In the space of one month, the Author will prepare so many Tons thereof, as shall be reasonably required at his hands.  
4 By this means also both Wine, Perrie, Cider, Rear, Ale, and Vinegar, may be safely kept at sea, for any long voyage, without fear of growing dead, sour or musty.  
5 And, as for Medicine, if any Nobleman, Gentleman, or Merchant, shall by his Physician be advised to carry any special distilled waters, decoctions, or juices of any plant or any other liquid vegetable or animal body whatsoever with him in any long voyage, this Author will so prepare the same only by fortifying it with his own fire of kind, that he may be assured of the lasting and durability thereof, even at his own pleasure.  
6 Here I may not omit the preparation of the juice of Lemons with this fire: because it hath of late been found by that worthy Knight Sir james Lancaster to be an assured remedy in the Scurby. And though their juice will, by natural working and fermenting, in the end so spiritualize itself, as that it will keep and last either simply of itself, or by the help of a sweet olive oil supernatant: yet this Author is not ignorant, that it hath lost much of his first manifest nature, which it had whilst it was contained within his own pulp and fruit: (as is evident in the like example of wine, after it hath wrought long, which differeth exceedingly both in taste and nature from the grape out of which it was expressed) whereas being strengthened with this philosophical fire, it retaineth still both the natural taste, race, and verdure, that it had in the first expression: and so likewise of the Orange.  
7 There is also a specifical powder for Agues Quotidian, and Tertian● and sometimes it helpeth Quartans. Half a dram is sufficient for a man: and a quarter of a dram for a child. It is taken in white Wine Beer, or Ale. It cureth sometimes at the first taking, often at the second, and seldom or never falleth at the third time. It is not offensive to the taste. It expelleth the disease, without any evacuation or weakening of the Patient.  
8 A sweet Paste, for the headache: which commonly giveth ease, in one hours space, either upon the first or second taking, because it is specifical. The dose is the weight of ●. d.  
9 A safe, general & gentle purging Powder, to be taken in white wine, working easily without any convulsion, or other offence to the stomach. It is pleasant, and hath not any common or known purgative therein. It weakeneth not the Patient, neither doth the body grow costive after it: which is usual in most of the common purgatives. There have been so many trials made upon all sorts of complexions with this powder, as that it may well deserve the name of a general purge: yet I can least commend it in Choleric bodies. The dose is two drams and an half at a time. This being taken in warm weather for three days together, in the Spring and Fall, will prevent both the Gout and Dropsy, and most of those diseases that spring from rheumatic causes: and if it cure them in eight or ten days, take it for advantage. It cureth the Pocks newly taken in five or six days: and in ten or twelve days, at the most, it cureth a deep rooted Pock.  
10 And if the plague, burning fever, or small Pocks, or Meazels happen to infect any of the Soldiers or Mariners, or others in the ship: then if, within six or eight hours after infection, a dose of my Antidotary powder (whereof eight grains are sufficient) be taken, it commonly preventeth the rage and violence of the Plague, by mastering the poison, seldom suffering any sore to arise: and it disperseth and conquereth the matter of the small Pocks and Meazels: whereby in a few hours it vanisheth, without making the Patient heartsick. And, in the cure of any kind of poison, no Vnico●es horn, no Be●●ar stone, no Terra Lemnia or Sagilleta, no Mithridate etc. is able to match the same, though taken in a double proportion. It is an excellent remedy against swooning, or any sudden passion of the heart.  
11 There is also a medicine, which I will commend for the sea (being a notable astringent powder) which stayeth any flux of blood in a short time, and often cureth the Piles and Emerhoides.  
12 The Essences of spices and flowers (as of cinnamon, Cloves, Mace, Nutmegs, Rosemary, Sage, etc.) being in the form of powders, may with less danger be carried at sea, are more apt to be mixed and incorporated with syrups, ●●leps or Conserves, are more pleasing to nature, and are more familiarly taken, and with better success than the chemical oils themselves, drawn by limbeck: their effects are answerable to the nature of the oils.  
Thus much I am bold to offer and publish for the benefit of seafaring men, who for the most part are destitute both of learned Physicians and skilful Apothecaries: and therefore have more need than others to carry their own defensatives and medicines about them. Which if it shall receive entertainment according to the worth thereof and my just expectation, I may happily be encouraged to pry a little further into Nature's Cabinet, and so to disperse some of her most secret jewels, which she hath long time so carefully kept, only for the use of her dearest children: otherwise, finding no speedy or good acceptance of this my proffer (but rather crossed by malice or incredulity) I do here free and enlarge myself from rain own fetters: purposing to content my spirits, with such private and pleasing practices, as may better sort with my place and dignity, and in likelihood prove also more profitable in the end, then if I had thankelesly devoted myself to Bo● Public●●. In which course, happy men are sometimes rewarded with good words: but few or none, in these days, with any real recompense.  Vt Deus per Naturam, sic Natura per ignem Philosophicum. 
H. P. Miles.