The Historical Spectator.

A Rule and Instruction to Preserve Such as Be in Health, from the Infection

When as (by the will of GOD) the contagion of the Plague is gotten into any place, Citie, or Countrey; we ought to have an especiall regard of the generall good, and by all meanes to study for their preservation who are in health, least they fall into such inconveniencie. First of all, therefore it behooveth every man to have speciall care that he frequent not any places or persons infected, neither that hee suffer such to breath upon him: but as Galen hath learnedly advised, in his Booke De Differentijs Frebrium, Chap. 2. Estrange himselfe as farre as hym lyeth, from their societie. The first and chiefest remedie then, is to chaunge the place, flie farre and returne late: Hipocrates, likewise in his Booke De Natura humana, saith: that wee ought to forsake the place whereas a generall sicknesse rangeth, according to the common Proverbe, Cito, longe, tarde.

And if necessitie constraineth us to frequent the infected, (either to be assistant to our friends, or otherwise:) every man ought to demeane himself in such sort that the sick mans breath doo not attaint him: which may very easily be done, if a man have the skill to choose & take the winde that properly bloweth towards the sicke & infected, and not from the infected to the healthfull: And therefore in that case the healthfull ought to keepe themselves under, not over the winde.

The first part of preservation, is to purifie and purge the ayre from all evill vapours, sentes, stench, corruption, putrifaction, and evill qualitie. For which cause, it is necessary to make good fumes in our houses, of sweet and wholesome wood, as Rosemarie, Iuniper, and Lawrell, or Bayes, and to perfume the whole house and chambers with the fume of Rosemary, Iuniper the parings of Apples, Storax, Beniamin, Incence, dried Roses, Lavender, and such like, both Evening and Morning. It is not amisse likewise at every corner of the street, (at least twice in the week) to make cleare and quicke Bonefires to consume the malignant vapours of the ayre, according as Acron the great Phisitian, commaunded to be done during the mortall plague in Greece: As Paulus Aegineta testifieth in his second Booke, Chap. 35.

It is good also to wear sweet savors and perfumes about us, such as in Winter time, are Marcorame, Rosemarie, Storax, Beniamin, or to make a Pomander after this sort that ensueth, and to weare it about us to smell too upon all opertunities.

Take of the flowers of red Roses, of Violets, of Buglos, of each half a little handfull, of the three Sanders, of each a Dramme, of the rootes of Angelica, Gentian, and Zedoary, of each four scruples; of white Encens, Cloves, Nutmegs, Calamus, Aromaticus, of each a dram, of Storax, Calumit, and red Beniamin, of each a dramme and a halfe, of orientall Muske a scruple, of Amber-greece halfe a scruple, of Ladaum infused in Rose-water one ounce, mixe all these together in Rose-water where in the Gum Dragacanth hath beene infused, and with a little of Rose-vinegar make a paste, of which you may forme certaine rounde Pomanders, to weare about your necke, and smell unto continually.

Or take of Rose-water three ounces, of white Vinegar, of Roses ij. ounces, of white Wine, or pure Malmosie two spoonfuls, of the powder of Cloves, of the roote of Angelica and Storax of each halfe a dramme, mixe them all together, and with this liquor it shall not be amisse to wash your hands, bedeaw your forehead & nostrils, and the pulces of your armes, for such an odour and of so wholesome a qualitie, vehemently repulceth the venome that assaileth the heart, and altereth the pestilence of the ayre.