DIRECTIONS At large, And cautionary, touching the proper Use OF THOSE Famous Pills CALLED Dr. DE-LAUN's HEAD-PILLS, Many years composed, and sold in Black-Friers, LONDON:  
Also the Nature of them, and the occasion of this their Publication.  
Set forth by MICHAEL belike, Physician.  
LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1667.   

DIRECTIONS At large, and cautionarry, touching the proper Use of those Famous Pills called Doctor De-Laun's HEAD-PILLS, &c.  
HAving heard of the extraordinary ways of setting forth the universal Usefulness of other Pills, merely under the Notion of chemical Preparations, which way( as new) taketh the more with many; and having had longest experience of the Composing, administering, and Operation of these Pills, of any person now living: I held myself concerned to set forth and defend in like public manner these Pills from the popular insultation of any Pills whatsoever, and to endeavour their preservation from all obscurity; they having been many years very eminent, and useful to the World.  
These Pills are not onely cephalic as to the Head, but also hepatic as to the Liver, and Lientericall as to the Spleen; strongly purging the Head, yet in the farewell comforting the same; also forcibly opening the Liver and Spleen, cleansing the blood, and generally expurgating viscous and gross Humours out of the Body.  
The Ingredients of these Pills are very many; of which some are gently opening, others forcibly purging: the rudeness of which Purgatives is subjected unto, and qualified by the superintendant correction of what is chemical, so that they answer their intended designs and purposes with much safety.  
They are very durable, and have commonly been transported into many far and remote parts of the World, where they have gained great approbation, as well as in these three Kingdoms for seventy or eighty years. And as to their Composure, Galen and Paracelsus might have been fairly reconciled in them.  
The general Bent and Tendency of these( as before from the three Heads thereof) is left to all rational persons to find out.  
If the evil consequences of a frigid and humid Brain, of an obstructed Liver, and a tumefied Spleen,( the very Sink of the Body) can be prevented in their Fountains; then that great Catalogue of those collateral or adherent Distempers may be much obliterated.  
Whence come over-cold, sharp, and salt Catarrhs, and unnatural Defluxions, which by their asperities over-much irritate the Lungs to Coughs, and cause Ulcerations in order to Consumptions, but from the Head? or( if their tendency take into another channel) by falling on the Nerves and extreme parts, they cause toothache, some kindes of Gouts, and painful white Swellings, hardly brought to sedation, but by dealing with the Fountain.  
Whence the general corruption of the blood, but from the partial and unequal Sanguisying of the Liver? whence, if too gross, Palsies and Apoplexies; if too fast, Pleuritical and other fevers; if too serous and thin, Dropsies do ensue.  
Whence Melancholy and Hypochondriacal Passions, even to the highest pitch of Distemper, but from the Spleen insorbing, and thence expunging such sordities, as the state of the Body( wherein it is sited) doth most plentifully afford?  
These Pills are( in their consequence) inimicitious and very repugnant unto that Epidemical Disease called the Scurvy.  
Although much hath been written of the Universality of other Pills, urging the frequent and familiar taking of them so far, that( if all could be made good) Physicians might burn their Books, and seek some other employment; and it's full time so to do, when one sort of Pills shall cure all Diseases, known or unknown, without name or number: yet I affirm no such inherent excellency in these, but what I have stated, I shall stand unto, touching them; provided that they be timely administered, rather by way of prevention of, then recovery out of the evil consequences of what is before mentioned: advising all persons to apply themselves to able Physicians at hand before too dangerously seized, for they know better how to move after the several exigencies, more especially in case of dangerous fevers accompanying them,( being present) then any person absent( by any general Directions) can.  

Directions for the Quantities in taking of them.  
Whereas the ancient custom hath been, for a man or woman of strongest Constitution sometimes to take two for one Dose, which was 18. grains good weight, and for all others to take one Pill for one Dose; I have observed the two to be many times too strong, and the one too weak for a second sort, and too strong for the weakest, who had like need of them: and therefore I do now make some of nine grains, and some of six grains, whereby they may be fitly-proportionated to every person from 6. to 18. years of age, and thence to declining age, as followeth.  
To one of six years( and strength proportionable) 6. grains; which is one of the smallest sort of Pills.  
To one of nine years 9. grains; which is one of the largest sort of Pills.  
To one of twelve years 12. grains; which is two of the smallest sort.  
To one of fifteen years 15. grains; which is one great and one small one.  
To one of eighteen years 18. grains; which is two of the greatest ones, or three of the smallest. And thence the like to declining age.  
I advice no person to exceed these proportions, but rather then so, to take 15 for 18, 12 for 15, 9 for 12, 6 for 9, and 4 grains and a half, the moiety of a great Pill cut in sunder, and rolled again, in stead of 6.   

Directions for administering of them.  
Let the Temperature of the air be moderate,( if extreme necessity urge not.) And when the days are longest, let them be taken in manner and at times specified as followeth.  
Let these Pills be swallowed down whole( rolled in, or covered over immediately before the taking with some Conserve, Quiddiny, pap of Apple or Pear, or syrup grateful to the Palate) at three in the morning in bed, sleeping therein after the same, if the Party can, and about four hours after beginning to take warm Suppings, taking now and then a draft during the operation thereof, and keeping moderately warm all that day; and at night at bed-time taking a little Ale or Beer clarified with some Nutmeg and Rosemary therein hot, and sweetened with Sugar to liking.  
And when the days shall be at the shortest, let them be taken at six in the morning in manner as the former.  
And at all other times,( the days lengthening or shortening) let them be taken sooner or later in the mornings, suitably to what is before stated.   

Directions after the use of them.  
When respect is had most to Rheums in the Head, Conserves of read Roses, Rosemary, read Sage, Wood-Betony, and Cow-slip Flowers, with some Nutmeg therein, are proper to be often and at seasonable times taken, or their like.  
Also Perfumes of cephalic gums, as Benjamin, Storax, Olibanum, mastic, Frankincense, with some Amber, and their like, are very useful.  
Also Caps quilted with fine Flax within, and like gums, with Amber, and cephalic Herbs, Flowers, and Spices, as read Sage, Wood-Betony, read Roses, Rosemary Flowers, Lavender, Cloves and Nutmegs, or the like, may be fitly worn.  
When greatest respect is had to the Liver, Conserves of Cichory-Flowers, Garden Scurvy-grass, Roman Wormwood, are proper.  
Also clarisied Whey, or Posset-Drink with a dash of white Wine therein, with Harts-tongue, Liverwort, Agrimony, Sorrel, Persley-Roots, Fennell-Roots, and Polypodie-Roots, with a small quantity of sweet Fennell-Seeds boiled therein, may be of effectual use.  
When greatest respect is had to the Spleen, especially as to melancholy, Conserves of borage, bugloss, and Clove-Gilliflowers, also of Wood-Sorrel, are very useful.  
Also clarified Whey, or the aforesaid Posset-Drink, with Pippins or Permain-Apples, Wood-Sorrell, borage, bugloss, Hell-weed, Tamarisk, with like opening Roots as before, and sweet Fennell-Seeds boiled therein, are very requisite.  
Where the former, as to the Head, Liver and Spleen, are readily to be had, and accordingly prepared, there will be the less need of iteration, or often taking of the Pills.  
When a Predominancy of Choler contributeth most plentifully unto the Distemper, these Pills prove somewhat violent in their working, at which times the Possets ought to be the whiter, and corrected with a few Aniseeds, and the other Suppings the thicker, corrected with a little Mace, and the more often, more warm, and larger quantities taken during the operation thereof: and in case of faintness, let not Cinnamon-Water, nor any Restrictive thing be taken, to check any violent working, unless after twenty four hours, if any such contingent befall such person: and then a Clyster injected of new Milk, and hard Sugar with a little Cinnamon therein, may be safe and useful.   

The Rates of these Pills.  
The Rate of every Box of Pills( wherein are three large and three small ones) is two shillings six pence, with a Book of Directions into it.  
The Rate of every Book of Directions, unless with such Box of Pills, is two pence.  
The Place which I at present nominate for delivering forth these to the several persons, and receiving returns from them, is in Angel-Court near the May-pole in the Strand, London, where I, or some other person( in mine absence, deputed by me) shall constantly attend the said business.  
The Boxes shall be all of tin, sealed with mine accustomend Seal, an Anchor, and M. B. signifying my name; and the Directions shall have my name printed at the foot of every of them.  
Michael belike, Med. Strand, London, Apr. 1667.