"perhaps was, that it so especially escaped condemnation when the Church
of Scotland chose to impeach many other cures which savoured of the
miraculous, as occasioned by sorcery, and censured the appeal of them,
'excepting only the amulet called the Lee Penny, to which it pleased God
to annex certain healing virtues, which the Church did not presume to
condemn.'"
The Lee Penny is preserved at Lee House, in Lanarkshire, the residence of
the present representative of the family.
How Our Fathers were Physicked.
BY J. A. LANGFORD, LL.D.
Delightful old Fuller tells us "Necessary and ancient their Profession
ever since man's body was subject to enmity and casualty." There is no
doubt of the necessity and antiquity of the doctor's calling, but there
is, without doubt, no profession in which such great and beneficent
advance has been made in modern times as in the medical. The tortures
which our fathers endured under the old treatment are terrible to think
of. It was not enough that they were afflicted by disease; the pains which
they had to suffer from the supposed remedies far exceeded those which
nature imposed. Cupping, blistering, and especially bleeding, were the
common applications in nearly all complaints, the Bleeding was also used
as a preventive, which proverb truly tells us "is better than cure"; but
in this case the supposed disease could scarcely have been worse than the
supposed prevention. Five times in the year--"in September, before
Advent, before Lent, after Easter, and at Pentecost"--were the periods at
which men in health were accustomed to "breathe a vayne." Besides letting
of blood, the physician's cane and the surgeon's club were vigorously used
on the unfortunate sufferers. Mr. J. C. Jeaffreson, in his very
interesting "Book about Doctors," says, "For many centuries fustigation
was believed in as a sovereign remedy for bodily ailments as well as moral
failings, and a beating was prescribed for an ague as frequently as for
picking and stealing." So what with the lancet and the stick combined, our
fathers must indeed have shuddered at the approach of any of the "natural
shocks that flesh is heir to."
The medicines of those good old times were of a very strange and
objectionable kind. Some of the concoctions were composed of many
ingredients, and were formed of abominable, not to say disgusting,
materials. All nature was ransacked for out-of-the-way and horrible things
which could be used as drugs and nostrums for suffering and gullible
sufferers. In the reign of Charles II., Dr. Thomas Sherley "recommended a
clumsy and inordinate administration of violent drugs" for gout. "Calomel
he habitually administered in simple doses. Sugar of lead he mixed
largely in his conserves; pulverized human bones he was very fond of
prescribing; and the principal ingredient in his gout-powder was 'raspings
of a human skull unburied.' But his sweetest compound was his 'Balsam of
Bats,' strongly recommended as an unguent for hypochondriacal persons,
into which entered adders, bats, sucking-whelps, earth worms, hogs'
grease, the marrow of a stag, and the thigh-bone of an ox." A good idea of
the things sold to a confiding public as cures for its ills may be
gathered from two verses on Colonel Dalmahoy, a well-known--shall we say
quack--of the past:--
"Dalmahoy sold infusions and lotions,
Decoctions, and gargles, and pills,
Electuaries, powders, and potions,
Spermaciti, salts, scammony, squills.
Horse aloes, burnt alum, agaric,
Balm, benzoine, blood-stone, and dill;
Castor, camphor, and acid tartaric,
With specifics for every ill."
Metals and precious stones were extensively used in the prescriptions of
bygone doctors. Every metal and every stone was credited with some special
and peculiar virtue which it alone possessed, and it was applied as a cure
for that ailment over which it had influence and power. Bacon tells us,
"We know Diseases of Stoppings, and Suffocations, are the most dangerous
in the body; And it is not much otherwise in the minde. You may take
_Sarza_ to open the Liver; _Steele_ to open the Spleene; _Flowers of
Sulphur_ for the Lungs; _Castoreum_ for the Braine," for each of which
parts it was believed that the specifics named were most efficacious. The
prescriptions of Dr. Bulleyn, in the reign of Elizabeth, are wonderful
examples of how our fathers were physicked. Here are two of those quoted
by Mr. Jeaffreson. The first is
"_An Embrocation._--An embrocation is made after this manner:--Px. Of a
decoction of mallowes, vyolets, barly, quince seed, lettice leaves, one
pint; of barly meale, two ounces; of oyle of vyolets and roses, of each,
an ounce and half; of butter, one ounce; and then seeth them all together
till they be like a brouthe, puttyng thereto, at the ende, foure yolkes of
eggs; and the maner of applying is with peeces of cloth, dipped in the
aforesaid decoction, being actually hoate."
Our second is "truly a medicine for kings and noblemen;" it is called an
"_Electuarium de Gemmis._--Take two drachms of white perles; two little
peeces of saphyre; jacinth, corneline, emerauldes, grannettes, of each an
ounce; setwal, the sweete roote dorsnike, the rind of pomecitron, mase,
basal seede, of each two drachms; of redde corrall, amber, shewing of
ivory, of each two drachms; rootes both of white and red lichen, ginger,
long peper, spicknard, folium indicum, saffron, cardamon, of each one
drachm; of troch diarodon, lignum aloes, of each half a small handful;
cinnamon, galinga, zurnbeth, which is a kind of setwal, of each one drachm
and a half; thin pieces of gold and sylver, of each half a scruple; of
musk, half a drachm. Make your electuary with honey emblici, which is the
fourth kind of mirobulans with roses, strained in equall partes, as much
as will suffice. This healeth cold diseases of ye braine, harte, stomack.
It is a medicine proved against the tremblynge of the harte, faynting and
swooning, the weakness of the stomacke, pensiveness, solitarines. Kings
and noble men have used this for their comfort. It causeth them to be
bold-spirited, the body to smell wel, and ingendreth to the face good
colour."
The most innocent articles used in the old medicines were fruits, and
herbs, and vegetables. To some kinds special virtues are assigned, and Dr.
Bulleyn's "Book of Simples," is very pleasant reading. "Pears, apples,
peaches, quinces, cherries, grapes, raisins, prunes, raspberries, oranges,
medlons, raspberries and strawberries, spinage, ginger, and lettuces are
the good things thrown upon the board." We are told of a prune growing at
Norwich, and known as the "black freere's prune," that it is "very
delicious and pleasaunt, and no lesse profitable unto a hoate stomacke."
"The red warden is of greate virtue, conserved, roasted or baken to quench
choller." We are also informed that "Figges be good agaynst melancholy,
and the falling evil, to be eaten. Figges, nuts, and herb grase do make a
sufficient medicine against poison or the pestilence. Figges make a good
gargarism to cleanse the throates."
Some of the Doctor's prescriptions are very curious. He prescribes "a smal
young mouse rosted," for a child afflicted with a nervous ailment. Nor did
he disdain to use the snail in certain cases. He tells us that "Snayles
broken from the shelles and sodden in whyte wyne with oyle and sugar are
very holsome, because they be hoat and moist for the straightnes of the
lungs and cold cough. Snails stamped with camphery, and leven will draw
forth prycks in the flesh." Snail broth is not entirely unknown in some
country places, even at the present time. Bezoar stone and unicorn's horn
were also used in confections.
Cancer has always been, and unfortunately still is, a terrible and an
incurable disease, and has afforded a fine field for all kinds of nostrums
and specifics which were to produce a "safe and certain cure." One of
these, called a "precious water," was thus composed. "Take dove's foote, a
herb so named, Arkangell ivy with the berries, young red bryer toppes, and
leaves, whyte roses, theyre leaves and buds, red sage, celandyne and
woodbynde, of each lyke quantity, cut or chopped and put into pure cleane
whyte wyne, and clarified honey. Then breake into it alum glasse and put
in a little of the pouder of aloes hepatica. Destill these together softly
in a limbecke of glasse or pure tin; if not then in a limbecke wherein
aqua vitae is made. Keep this water close. It will not onely kyll the
canker (cancer), if it be duly washed therewyth; but also two droppes
dayly put into the eye wyll sharp the syght, and breake the pearle and
spottes, specially if it be dropped in wyth a little fenell water, and
close the eyes after."
In 1739, the British Parliament passed an Act which is unprecedented in
the annals of folly. A female quack, named Joanna Stephens, was reported
to have effected some most extraordinary cures by the use of a medicine of
which she only possessed the secret. She proposed to make it public for
the sum of L5,000, and a vain attempt was made to raise the sum by
subscription, but only L1,356 3s. was thus raised. An appeal was made to
Parliament, and a commission was appointed to enquire into the subject,
and a certificate signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishops, Peers,
and Physicians, was presented to the House, declaring that they were
"convinced by experiment of the utility, efficacy, and dissolving power,"
of the tested medicine, and Joanna Stephens was rewarded with the desired
L5,000. The prescriptions were published, and the following extracts will
suffice to show how easily sufferers from diseases may be, and sometimes
are, gulled. This lucky quack says:--
"My medicines are a Powder, a Decoction, and Pills."
"The Powder consists of egg-shells and snails, both calcined."
"The Decoction is made by boiling some herbs (together with a ball
which consists of soap, swine's-cresses burnt to a blackness, and
honey), in water."
"The Pills consist of snails calcined, wild carrot seeds, burdock
seeds, asken keys, hips and hawes, all burnt to a blackness--soap and
honey."
Our readers will willingly dispense with the directions of how these
dearly purchased medicines should be prepared. Surely
"The pleasure is as great,
In being cheated as to cheat!"
In 1633, Stephen Brasnell, Physician, published a small volume entitled
"Helps | for | Svddain | Accidents | Endangering Life. | By which | Those
that live farre from Physitions or Chirurgions | may happily preserve the
Life | of a true Friend or Neigh-| bour, till such a Man may be | had to
perfect the Cure. | Collected out of the best authors | for the generall
good." The following is his prescription for all kinds of poisons:--viz.
"the Hoofe of an Oxe cut into parings and boyled with bruised mustard-seed
in white wine and faire water. The Bloud of a Malard drunke fresh and
warme: or els dryed to powder, and so drunke in a draught of white wine.
The Bloud of a Stagge also in the same manner. The seeds of Rue and the
leaves of Betony boyled together in white wine. Or take ij scruples (that
is fortie graines) of Mithridate; of prepared Chrystall, one dram (that is
three score grains), fresh Butter one ounce. Mix all well together.
Swallow it down by such quantities as you can swallow at once; and drink
presently upon it a quarter of a pint of the decoction of French Barley,
or so much of six shillings Beere. Of this I have had happy proofe."
There is a much more effective, though a somewhat revolting prescription
for "those with abilitie." "Take," says our seventeenth century physician,
"take a sound horse, open his belly alive, take out all his entrayles
quickly, and put the poysoned partie naked into it all save his head,
while the body of the horse retains his naturall heate, and there let him
sweat well." Our author admits that "this may be held a strange course,
but the same reason that teacheth to devide live pullets and pigeons for
plague-sores approveth this way of sweating as most apt to draw to itselfe
all poysons from the heart and principall parts of the patient's body.
But during this time of sweating he must defend his braine by wearing on
his head a quilt." The quilt is to be made by taking a number of dried
herbs, which are to be made into a "grosse powder and quilt them up in
sarsnet or calico, and let it be so big as to cover all the head like a
cap, then binde it on fast with a kerchief." This is called "a Nightcap to
preserve the Brain."
There are also curious prescriptions for the stings of bees and wasps, the
"bitings of spiders," of which he says "the garden ones are the worst." He
tells us that the "flesh of the same beast that biteth, inwardly taken,
helpeth much," and that "outwardly the best thing to be applied is the
flesh of the same beast that did the hurt, pounded in a morter and applied
in manner of a poultis." Here is one about that pretty little animal, the
shrew-mouse: "Now the shrew-mouse is a little kind of a mouse with a long
sharpe snout and a short tayle; it liveth commonly in old ruinous walls.
It biteth also very venomously, and leaveth foure small perforations made
by her foure foreteeth. To cure her biting, her flesh roasted and eaten is
the best inward antidote if it may be had. And outwardly apply her warme
liver and skin if it may be had. Otherwise _Rocket-reeds_ beaten into
powder, and mixed with the bloud of a dog. Or els the teeth of a dead man
made into a fine powder."
The toad comes in for a good share of attention, and Mr. Bradwell gives a
personal anecdote on this subject. He says:--"Myself, while I was a
student at _Cambridge_, was so hurt by the spouting of a venomous humour
from the body of a great toad into my face while I pashed him to death
with a brickbat. Some of the moisture lighted on my right eye, which did
not a little endanger it, and hath made it ever since apt to receive any
flux of Rheume or Inflammation." Some of our readers may think that this
was a fit punishment for having "pashed" the toad to "death with a
brickbat."
Among the strangest things ever used as medicine must be placed human
skulls. In 1854, Mr. T. A. Trollope gave a short account in _Notes and
Queries_ of a book by Dr. Cammillo Brunoni, published at Fabriano in 1726.
It was entitled _Il Medico Poeta_ (the Physician a Poet), and gives an
account "of the medical uses of human skulls." Dr. Brunoni informs us,
says Mr. Trollope, that "all skulls are not of equal value. Indeed, those
of persons who have died a natural death, are good for little or nothing.
The _reason_ of this is, that the disease of which they died has consumed
or dissipated the essential spirit! The skulls of murderers and bandits
are particularly efficacious. And this is clearly because not only is the
essential spirit of the cranium concentrated therein by the nature of
their violent death, but also the force of it is increased by the long
exposure to the atmosphere, occasioned by the heads of such persons being
ordinarily placed on spikes over the gates of cities! Such skulls are used
in various manners. Preparations of volatile salt, spirit, gelatine,
essence, etc., are made from them, and are very useful in epilepsy and
hoemorrhage. The notion soldiers have, that drinking out of a skull
renders them invulnerable in battle, is a mere superstition, though
respectable writers do maintain that such a practice is a proved
preventive against scrofula."
This very curious book consists of a "poem in twelve cantos, or
'Capitoli,' as from the fifteenth century downwards it was the Italian
fashion to call them, on the physical poet--a sort of medical _ars
poetica_; and followed by a hundred and seventy-two sonnets on all
diseases, drugs, parts of the body, functions of them, and curative
means. Each sonnet is printed on one page, while that opposite is occupied
by a compendious account in prose of the subject in hand. We have a sonnet
on the stomach-ache, a sonnet on apoplexy, a sonnet on purges, another on
blisters, and many others on far less mentionable subjects. The author's
poetical view of the action of a black-dose compares it to that of a tidy
and active housemaid, who, having swept together all the dirt in the room,
throws it out of the window. Mystic virtues are attributed to a variety of
substances, animal, vegetable, and mineral."
That delightful work, The Memoirs of the Verney Family, by Lady Verney,
affords some very striking examples of the medical treatment of poor
suffering humanity in the 17th century. Our selections are from the third
volume.
One of the most extraordinary medicines of this, or of any age, was
without doubt that known as Venice Treacle. In 1651, Sir Ralph Verney was
in Venice, and the Memoirs furnish the following graphic account of this
terrible drug, which was a concoction of the most disgusting materials.
Sir Ralph sends it to Mrs. Isham, for her family medicine chest, and says
"hee that is most famous for Treacle is called Sig{r} Antonio Sgobis, and
keepes shopp at the Strazzo, or Ostridge, sopra il ponte de'Baretteri, on
the right hand going towards St. Mark's. His price is 19 livres (Venize
money) a pound, and hee gives leaden Potts with the Ostridge signe uppon
them, and Papers both in Italian and Lattin to show its virtue." "This
celebrated and incredibly nasty compound," adds Lady Verney,
"traditionally composed by Nero's physician, was made of vipers, white
wine, and opium, 'spices from both the Indies,' liquorice, red roses, tops
of germander, juice of rough aloes, seeds of treacle mustard, tops of St.
John's wort, and some twenty other herbs, to be mixed with honey 'triple
the weight of all the dry species' into an electuary." The recipe is given
as late as 1739, in Dr. Quincey's "English Dispensatory," published by
Thomas Longman, at the Ship in Paternoster Row. "Vipers are essential, and
to get the full benefit of them 'a dozen vipers should be put alive into
white wine.' The English doctor, anxious for the credit of British vipers,
proves that Venice treacle may be made as well in England, 'though their
country is hotter, and so may the more rarify the viperime juices'; yet
the bites of our vipers at the proper time of year, which is the hottest,
are as efficacious and deadly as them. But he complains that the name of
Venice goes so far, that English people 'please themselves much with
buying a Tin Pot at a low price of a dirty sailor ... with directions in
the Italian tongue, printed in London,' and that some base druggists 'make
this wretched stuff of little else than the sweepings of their shops.' Sir
Ralph could pride himself that his leaden pots contained the genuine
horror. It was used as 'an opiate when some stimulus is required at the
same time'; an overdose was confessedly dangerous, and even its advocates
allowed that Venice treacle did not suit everyone, because, forsooth,
'honey disagrees with some particular constitutions.'" For centuries this
medical "horror" was taken by our drastically treated forefathers.
The treatment was indeed drastic, and we might truly add cruel. Tom Verney
had "a tertian ague and a feaver," and for this he had "only a vomit,
glister, a cordiall, and breathed a vane"--that is, was bled. Another
patient, Sir George Wheler, who had caught a chill after dancing, had all
sorts of "Applications of Blisters and Laudanums," so that his Christmas
dinner at Dr. Denton's cost him "the best part of 100 pounds." For an
eruption in the leg, Sir Ralph Verney was advised to apply a lotion "so
virulent, a drop would fech of the skin when it touched."
Young Edmund Verney was ill in 1657, and writes to his father, "Truly I
might compare my afflictions to Job's. I have taken purges and vomits,
pills and potions, I have been blooded, and I doe not know what I have not
had, I have had so many things." In 1657-58 the epidemic known as "The New
Disease," proved very fatal, and created quite a panic. The treatment
adopted by the doctors may be gathered from a prescription of Dr.
Denton's, one of the most famous physicians of the time. He writes to Sir
Ralph Verney, "I see noe danger of Wm. R., and if he had followed your
advice by taking of a vomit, and if that had not done it, then to have
beene blooded, I beleeved he had beene well ere this." Then he adds "It is
the best thinge and the surest and the quickest he can yet doe, therefore
I pray lett him have one yett. 3 full spoonfulls of the vomitage liquor in
possitt drinke will doe well, and he may abide 4 the same night when he
goes to rest; let him take the weight of vi{ds} of diascordium the next
day or the next but one; he may be blooded in the arm about 20 ounces."
Some of the ladies of the time did not, however, approve of this kind of
treatment, and preferred their own remedies, or their own notions of
remedies, to the doctor's prescriptions. We select two examples. Lady
Fanshawe described the disease as "a very ill kind of fever, of which many
died, and it ran generally through all families." While she suffered from
it she ate "neither flesh, nor fish, nor bread, but sage possett drink, a
pancake or eggs, or now and then a turnip or carrott." But Lady Hobart
ventured to prescribe. She writes, "If you have a new dises in your town
pray have a car of yourself, and goo to non of them; but drink good ale
for the gretis cordall that is: I live by the strength of your malt." Few,
we anticipate, would object to her ladyship's advice, and most would
prefer her "good ale" to Dr. Denton's "vomitts," and the loss of 20 ounces
of blood.
Our illustrations might be indefinitely multiplied, but those given will
amply suffice to show the way in which our fathers were physicked.
Medical Folk-Lore.
BY JOHN NICHOLSON.
To ease pain and endeavour to effect a cure, man will try every suggested
remedy, likely and unlikely, and when numberless things have been tried,
each of which was alleged to be a certain cure, he reverts to some simple
thing, taught him by his old grandmother, or the "wise woman" of his early
days; and which, by reason of its simplicity, had been at first
contemptuously rejected in favour of more complex but inefficacious
compounds. There is scarcely a market but has a stall kept by a herb
woman, who, in warm old-fashioned hood, with a little shawl round her
shoulders, her ample waist encircled by broad tapes from which is
suspended a pocket, capacious and indispensable, lays out with great care
her stock of simples--roots, leaves, or flowers, studiously gathered at
the proper time, when their virtue is strongest. Here may be seen poppy
heads for fomentation, dandelion roots for liver complaint, ground ivy for
rheumatism, celandine for weak eyes, and other herbs, all "for the
service of man," to alleviate or cure some of the "ills that flesh is heir
to." She can relate wondrous tales of marvellous cures wrought by her
wares, of cases, long standing, and given up by the duly qualified medical
fraternity, a brotherhood she holds in contempt because of their
new-fangled remedies and methods.
This chapter, however, deals chiefly with superstitious remedies, or at
least those remedies which seem to have no scientific bearing on the case;
thus, a person having a sty on the eye, will have it rubbed with a wedding
ring, or the gold ring of a young maiden; or cause it to be well brushed
seven times with a black cat's tail, if the cat were willing. Another cure
is more efficacious if administered as a surprise. The patient is placed
in front of the operator, who unexpectedly spits on the eye affected;
which action often leads to angry remonstrance, met by derisive laughter,
which causes, it may be, broken friendship and general unpleasantness for
a time.
It is a common belief, almost world-wide in its extent, that toothache is
caused by a little worm which gnaws a hole in the tooth. Not long ago I
was shewn a large molar, which when _in situ_ had caused its owner great
pain, and he pointed to the nerve apertures, saying, "That's where the
worm was!" Shakespeare, in "Much Ado About Nothing,"[3] speaks of this
curious belief:--
"_D. Pedro._ What! sigh for the toothache?
_Leon._ Where is but a humour or a worm."