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A COVNTER-BLASTE TO TOBACCO.
where the Patient is, the constitution of the Planets,[1] the time of the Moone, the season of the yere, the age and complexion of the Patient, and the present state of his body, in strength or weaknesse. For one cure must not euer be vsed for the self-same disease, but according to the varying of any of the foresaid circumstances, that sort of remedie must be vsed which is fittest for the same. Whear by the contrarie in this case, such is the miraculous omnipotencie of our strong tasted Tobacco, as it cures all sorts of diseases (which never any drugge could do before) in all persons, and at all times. It cures all manner of distellations, either in the head or stomacke (if you beleeue their Axiomes) although in very
- ↑ This shows that so late as the 17th century the influence of the planets on the body was an article of firm belief, even amongst the learned. The following recipes may be of interest to the reader. They are taken from a manuscript volume which belonged to and was probably written by Sir John Floyer, physician to King Charles II., who practised at Lichfield, in the Cathedral library of which city the volume now is:—“An antidote to ye plague: take a cock chicken and pull of ye feathers from ye tayle ill ye rump bee bare; you hold ye bare of ye same upon ye sore, and ye chicken will gape and labour for life, and in ye end will dye. Then take another and do ye like, and so another still as they dye, till one lives, for then ye venome is drawne out. The last chicken will live and ye patient will mend very speedily.”
“Madness in a dog: ‘Pega, Tega, Sega, Docemena Mega.’ These words written, and ye paper rowl’d up and given to a dog, or anything that is mad, cure him.”
