Charles Scarborough

“ Paracelsus is of the Opinion, that this Distemper takes its Original from the malignant Rays of the Stars; and as that Contagion proceeds from the Influence of the Heavens, the secret Virtues of Herbs, Roots, Metals and Minerals, signify nothing; but the Cure is to be perform'd by heavenly Influence, astronomically apply'd. We have, in Authors, frequent Citations of these famous Medicines, as well as those of Helmont; but they contribute little to us, only that they excite us to follow Nature; no general Rule being extant, whereby such Medicines may be obtain'd. ”

“ When we consider how the hot and dry Seasons in Ægypt and Turkey, exerts its Fury in this Pestilential Venom, and that by the Variation of Degrees in our more moderate Climates in Europe, these endemial Mischiefs turn only to what we call the Small-Pox, and Measles, by infecting some Part of the Humours, whose Turgescency growing troublesome to Nature, is driven out to the Surface of the Skin, without great Hazard of Life, if fit Remedies are timely applied. ”

“ Which to consider well, with all its deplorable Circumstances, gives me a Retrospection into Times past, and evidently shews, by many convincing Proofs, this terrible Contagion before us, is the heavy Rod of an over-ruling Power, to chastise these People for their former barbarous Persecutions. ”

“ In the beginning of the said Plague, he says, that he used all the known Antipestilential Medicines, both of ancient and modern Physicians, which he found would provoke Sweats, to throw out the Infectious Venom as soon as possible; to which all must have a Regard, that will save Life, as to a sacred Refuge. Yet no Aiexipharmicks would prevail, without the help of Cloaths; where a great Burning generally was, before the Sweats appeared. ”

“ When the Sick takes it for the Plague, or any malignant Fever, let them be in their naked Bed, that they may Sweat well upon it, and so continue for Five or Six Hours; after which they will lie in a kind of breathing Sweat, at which Time moisten their Mouth with the Juice of an Orange, or some other pleasant Cordial, made gratefully Acid, with some few Drops of Oils of Sulphur, Vitriol and Salt, mixed equally alike together. ”

“ Others were destroy'd by Errors of Nurses, and such as attended the Sick, in laying on too many Cloaths, whilst they were in their Sweats; whereby Violence being offer'd to Nature, and the Spirits oppress'd, they languish'd under the Burthen, and were no longer, by any Means, capable of Help.
Again; such Persons who liv'd to Excess in their Eating and Drinking, and were seized with this Pestilential Distemper, were generally taken at first with great Vomitings and Loosenesses; which they were wont rather to impute to their inordinate Livings than to the Power of the Plague then raging ”

“ Sometimes by Acrimonies, external, or otherwise; by which their Lives are quickly cut off, if they be not help'd with Remedies, that can fortify the natural Powers to resist these Maladies. And that general Opinion, that Physick is not proper for Children, hath, in all Probability, destroy'd many, that might have otherwise been preserved: For such Maladies, how violent soever they may seem, are seldom mortal, if the internal Powers are strengthen'd by proper Medicines; because the Spirit in them is not so vitiated, as to nourish the Disease. ”

“ Under all the various Manifestations of this dreadful Disease, he generally used one and the fame Method of Cure, excepting where there was very great Danger. When they were first taken Sick, he ordered them to go presently to Bed, and lay on them no more Cloaths, than they usually did in time of Health then he gave them half a Spoonful of his Tinctura Pestilentialis, in a Glass of Sack or White Port, persuading them to lie still; which, if they did, Sweats presently followed. ”

“ And to refresh the declining Spirits, they sometimes took Five or Six Times a Day, from Forty to Fifty Drops of his Tincture of Coral, impregnated with Saffron, in a Glass of White-Port, or other generous Wine.
Where great Thirst was concomitant with the Distemper, he used Oil of Sulphur, Oil of Vitriol, or Golden Oil of Salt; and often all the Three Oils, equally mixed together, to a pleasing Acidity in all they drunk. ”

“ Besides which, the Heat, that is the effectual Cause of thrusting forth Buboes and Blanes, being by such Practice diminish'd; the Vital Potency must thereby grow weak and languid, and, for want of sufficient Strength to drive out the universal Defædation, Nature's Contest with the Disease must cease, by Nature's being overcome. ”

“ For some Persons, upon the using these Remedies, after they had lain in great Sweats for Twenty four Hours, more or less, and thereby had found themselves seemingly well, and free from all Disturbances, or Sense of the Pestilential Venom, yet, by wilfully rising out of their Beds whilst their Sweats continued largely upon them, have given such Checks to Nature, as inferr'd on themselves sudden Death. ”

“ The Influences of Cælestial Bodies, and hidden Causes, are well known to be superior to all other natural Things; which when they carry with them a malignant Train of Steams, contrary to our Natures, they excite putrid and irregular Distemperatures, throughout the whole human Frame, by which they exercise their cruel Power over Mankind. ”

“ But Diligence, and a sound discerning Judgment, assisted with Patience, and an uncommon Zeal to do Good, are the only Essentials to reach these Deeps, and to discover such Methods in Physick, as are proper to extirpate those Exorbitances. ”

“ It is that of the Plague in London, in 1665; wherein Sir Charles Scarborough, that celebrated Physician, acted his Part, in a Measure of Knowledge, far above the common Practitioners of the Town, and more than could be expected from a Person of his Rank; whose great Performances in the Cure of the Duke of York, had kindled that Esteem for him in France and Italy, and other Catholick Countries, that they accounted him among the peculiar Blessings of the Age. ”

“ The Dose of this Tincture.
As a Preservative, take a Quartet of a Spoonful, or something less of it, in the Morning, fasting, a little before Dinner; and, if you please, last at Night, going to Bed. ”

“ And besides, the Country is generally so Mountainous, that the one half of it is not cultivated; and for the Ground that remains, is so full of Stones, that a Man would be tempted to believe they had been brought thither on Purpose, to surround their Fields with Stone-Walls, which are almost every where Three Foot High. ”

“ That has given us here Remedies, as are impressed with a Divine Seal, capable to extirpate the Characters of these Pestilential Venoms, or at least to subvert their Acts; having a natural Faculty to remove only every occasional Matter, and weaken not, which otherwise would extinguish Life. ”

“ To some, upon the first Assault, he gave them his Aqua Alexiteria an Ounce, Tinctura Penitentialis Sixty Drops, mix'd for a Dose. At Bed-time, of his Orvietan; and in all their Drink Oil of Sulphur to a grateful Sharpness. They continued the Use of these Medicines for Ten Days, and were cured.
To others, he prescribed immediately this. Take the Orvietan, and his Pulvis Pestilentialis, of each half a Dram, which Sweats them well. The next Morning they took Sixty Drops of Tincture of Antimony, in an Ounce of Aqua Alexiteria; and their Drink made pleasantly Acid, with Oil of Vitriol. ”

“ By which means, often, Buboes dissolved, and in the Third Day (at farthest) the Malignity was separated. But when Blanes and Carbuncles appear'd, their Sweats were not altogether so great, nor so continual: But usually, on the Third Day, the Blanes and Carbuncles open'd, and their Escars were divided from the living Flesh; and Digestion so follow'd into Matter, that, in a little Time, (comparatively to that where other Medicines were used) perfect Health ensued. ”

“ For tho' such Menstrual Blood be not nocent in the Womb because it then becomes its natural Nourishment, as being converted therein to the Child's Substance and Juice, by its universal Distribution thro' the Body ”

“ These Provinces in the Southern Parts of France, which are infected by the Plague, and at present lye miserably Waste, for want of People to manure and dress the Ground; gives me Occasion to publish some small Description of that Paradise of Europe: Whose natural warm Climate, (a better Fence in Winter, than Cloaths or Fire,) has so often done Wonders, in cherishing and restoring the decaying Natures of our Consumptive English.
The Air is so mild, that 'tis seldom or never observed to be subject to Frosts ”

“ Jamaica Pepper, Six Drams; Ivy Berries, Half an Ounce; choice Theban Opium, Two Drams; Chèrmes Berries, Saffron, Cochineel, and Ginger, of each a Dram: Reduce into a gross Powder what are to be bruised, and pour thereon rectify'd Spirit of Wine, a Quart nitrated with an Ounce of Spirit of Nitre Dulcis. Digest Twenty Days, shaking it two or three Times a Day; then let it settle, and decant the clear Tincture; in which dissolve Camphire, (by grinding in a little of the said Tincture) Half an Ounce: Mix all well together, and keep it in a Glass close stopt for Use. ”

“ Mithridate, Two Drams; Oyl of Scorpions, enough to make an Ointment.
The Ulcer must be heal'd up with Emplaister de Minio, or some other Kind of healing and drying Plaister: But let it not be heal'd too fast, for fear the poisonous Matter being not wholly evacuated, should cause either the Return of the Disease, or Death.
As concerning Buboes, our Author says little of them; because (where his Recipe's were used ) they seldom ever ripen'd, but dissolv'd: Except where Patients were ungovernable in their Sweats, and thereby gave Occasion to the Maturation thereof ”