Before I explain this Method of Cure, I would have my Reader take
Notice, that he is not to expect any thing perfectly new: I only
propose to confirm, by fresh Experience, what hath been long enough
known. The Method of Cure here advanced consists in the proper Use of
Milk for a Year and upwards. Many will perhaps wonder at my Endeavours
to revive a Method so long known and exploded by Physicians, as hurtful
to gouty Constitutions, and shortening the Period of Life itself: But
being fully satisfied from Reason, and certain Experience, that this
most excellent Remedy is the Gift of Providence, for the Relief of
Persons afflicted with this cruel Distemper, I could not help drawing
up and communicating my Experience and Observations for the Relief of
others.
_Cornelius Celsus_, the celebrated _Roman_ Physician, speaking of the
Pains and Evil that gouty People suffer, tells us of some Persons who
entirely avoided this Distemper by a strict Adherence to the Use of
Asses Milk, and of others that by abstaining a whole Year from the Use
of Wine and Women, were never afterwards troubled with it.
Among the Moderns, _John George Grezzell_ hath wrote a very learned
Treatise upon the Cure of the Gout by Milk, wherein many curious and
useful Observations are delivered; that excellent Physician Dr. _James
Sacks_ hath inserted, in the _German_ Ephemeris, a Method for the Use
of Milk, communicated to him by a noble Baron, wherein many useful
and elegant Observations, founded upon Experiment, are contained. The
late learned _Waldsmid_ hath published a learned Dissertation upon the
Relief of gouty Persons by Milk, wherein he agrees with the Authors
now mentioned as to the Cure. I have lately received a Letter from a
_French_ Gentleman my Friend, who having been for many Years afflicted
in a most terrible Manner with the Gout, hath been now by the Use
of Milk, free for some Years. From these Examples I had Occasion to
admire the wonderful Effects of this Diet, and therefore advised it to
many gouty Persons here at _Cassell_, who have all recovered a perfect
State of Health, by a strict Adherence to the Regimen Necessary in
the Use of this Remedy: Even some whose Limbs were before perfectly
crippled, are now able to walk and exercise. Colonel _Nicholas Dumont_
hath experienced the Efficacy of this Method here at _Cassell_, for his
Limbs were so entirely contracted that he was forced to use Crutches,
but having confined himself strictly to the Use of this Diet for an
Year and an half, he walks very well without a Cane, and hath performed
several Journies. I have been free from the Gout my self upwards of an
Year, notwithstanding I had three or four Fits every Year for Sixteen
foregoing. Colonel _Haste_ hath been restored by the same Means,
though he hath had some mild Returns at several Times.
I shall in the first Place communicate the Letter I just now mentioned;
next I shall lay down the Rules Necessary to be observed in the Use of
this Milk-Diet; I shall then demonstrate from undeniable Principles,
that this Method is the most convenient to asswage and cure the Gout,
and that no bad Consequences can attend the Constitution, if it be
taken with the proper Regulations. The Letter is as Follows.
To Monsieur _de Collet_.
_SIR_,
Nothing can be more agreeable to me, than to satisfy the
Desire of my Friends afflicted with the Gout, in communicating
the Method of Diet, by which the Marquis _de Bongi_, _Mons.
Chamar_, and my self were relieved from the Gout; you will
please to take Notice, that the Milk we used was fresh drawn
from the Cow, Morning and Evening, without other Art than that
we both eat and supped it, as warm as we could well bear it; my
Reason for mentioning eating and supping the Milk, is, because
as soon as we arose in the Morning we supped a large Bowl of
warm Milk; but the Milk which was brought us at Dinner and
Supper, we eat with fine light Bread, cut thin and put therein;
this is all our Secret in this Matter. Persons afflicted with
the Gout may promise themselves Relief, provided that once a
Month, during the Course of this Diet, or at least once in two
Months, they take a gentle Purge, which we made Use of, and
were so strict in our Regimen, that we neither drank Wine nor,
eat other Food, than Biscuits made of very fine Flower, Eggs,
and Sugar, and some sweet Fruits, as Strawberries in Summer,
but we chiefly avoided Raspberries. For my own Part, I never
sweetned my Milk with Sugar, though some Friends who were in
the same Course did, yet without any bad Effect. The Marquis
_de Bongi_ used to mix Crabs Eyes with his Milk before Dinner,
upon a Presumption, that it would prevent any Sourness in his
Stomach, but neither Monsieur _Chamar_ or I ever used that
Remedy. When we had strictly adhered to this Diet for a Year,
we began to hope we might eat Fish, or indulge our Appetites
in some varieties of Food, which one or other of us did, more
or less, occasionally, and without any bad Effects. At the
End of Nine Months I apprehended my Stomach to be somewhat
weakened, which made me resolve to use a Glass of Wine after
my Milk, and accordingly after Dinner and Supper every Day,
I drank one Glass of Wine, in which I sopped a bit of Bread;
this was very delicious to me while I used it. At length as we
found the State of our Healths to mend, we began to eat and
drink with our Friends. This Method hath succeeded so well,
that we live hitherto in our common Way upon Milk, yet not so
strictly, but that we dine or sup, once, twice or thrice a Week
with our Friends in their Manner, and return afterwards to
our Milk without Ceremony; and by the Blessing of God we are
wonderfully well. We dont here pretend to say, that none of
us have been since afflicted with the Gout, for the Marquiss
_de Bongi_ hath had two or three pretty sharp Fits; but both
he and I know the Difference between having two or three Fits
in nine or ten Years, and of being perpetually oppressed, and
confined to Bed with this cruel Distemper, which was our Case
before; especially the Marquiss _de Bongi_, who at Six and
Thirty was almost continually confined to his Bed, deprived
of the Use of his Limbs, and the Joints of his Hands and Feet
knotted and chalky; instead of which, he now uses his Limbs
without any Marks of Infirmity, insomuch that any one who had
seen him in his former bad State, and compares it with his
present, would look on him as one raised from Death to Life.
As for Monsieur _Chamar_, and my self, who are more advanced
in Years, considering our Age, we are mighty well; ’tis true
indeed that sometimes, as upon Changes of Weather, or of the
Moon, we find (or at least we fancy so) that we have some
Threatnings of Pain, especially about those Joints where the
Gout used to ravage, but a little Exercise soon dissipates
those Apprehensions.
It is now Seven Years, that Monsieur _Chamar_ and I have
adhered to this Diet, in all which Time we have neither of
us been so far oppressed by the Gout, as to be confined to
our Beds, or even to our Chambers, so much as one whole Day;
notwithstanding before we fell into this Method (though we
were not perpetually under actual Fits of the Gout) we had a
continued Weakness in our Limbs, we walked very infirmly and
with difficulty, and if we chanced to make a wrong Step, or to
slip in walking, we suffered Extremity of Pain; our Case is
now so far altered, that we walk as firm, as if we had never
had the Gout. I must confess indeed that both the Marquiss
and I used the Diet for a good while, before we perceived any
manifest Change, but afterwards our Pain diminished by Degrees,
and the Strength of our Limbs returned. The Milk must be
used a good while, that the natural Temper and Vigour of the
Constitution may have Time and Leisure to come to itself; for
though this Diet may be often used Six Months or even Twelve
before the Patient can use his Limbs free from Pain, yet let
him not despair, for if once he begins to gather Strength,
it will daily increase. As to Purging, and Evacuation of the
Humours, if possible it should be done once a Month, in the
Decrease of the Moon: I hold purging extremely Necessary; for
my own Part, it was what I did for the first Seven or Eight
Months of this Diet constantly, till I grew tired of it. This
is truly the Method I used, and though I afterwards remitted, I
found no bad Consequence. The Marquiss and I, at present, take
a Bowl of Warm Milk every Morning, but for the Rest of the Day
drink and eat as usual. The Marquiss indeed, for the Space of
Eight Years, hath had at Times several small Fits of the Gout,
but for my self I have hardly had any, except sometimes upon
Changes of the Weather, or of the Moon, I have perceived a
Numbness and Weakness in my Knees and Joints, like Threatenings
of the Gout; but I thank God, it never confined me, and as
it came on easily, it as easily went off. The following is
the Method of purging: _Take of Scammony, white Turbith,
Hermodactyls, Leaves of Sena, Sarsaparilla, Cinamon, and
Sugar, of each one Drachm, powder them very fine, and divide
the whole into Seven equal Parts, one of which is a Dose, and
may be taken in white wine or a little Broth_. It is necessary
to purge once a Month, especially in the Decline of the Moon.
If it be thought necessary to purge twice in the Month, let
the first Dose be taken in the last Quarter, the second the
last Day of the Quarter. The Day I took Physick, I used Milk
after it as usual. When I had pursued this Course about Seven
or Eight Months, I found my Stomach so much weakened from the
Milk, that I was forced to take a Glass of Red Wine every Day
after Dinner, which agreed mighty well with me, and I have
continued it ever since; so that I am often impatient to finish
my Milk, that I may have the Pleasure of regaling my self with
a Glass of Wine, and a bit of Bread.