Page 28 - Book of quintessence

and woman. Discrete masters say that the fever ague commonly is caused
of a violent red choler adust [dried up], and of blood adust, and
sometimes of one of these adust, and sometimes of two together, and
sometimes of three together, and therefore the fever ague is the positive
degree, and in the superlative degree, comparative degree and superlative
degree. For the fever ague has commonly alienation of wits, and showing
of things of fantasy. And you shall know well which be the humours
adust that cause the fever, and these tokens [signs]. Because, if the
patient says that he sees black things, then black choler, that is
melancholy is adust, and if he see things of gold, red choler is adust. If
red things and showing of blood, then blood is adust. And if he says that
he sees all these three things then all the humours be adust. For as much
as burning water ascends to the head, and gladly will a man drink. And
such that fever ague reigns in the region of the head, the philosophers
counsel that the patient shall not receive it in this sickness, but it is
needful that he take our quintessence of gold and of pearl, mingling the
sixth part of quintessence of water of rose, violet, borage and lettuce.
And then you should have a heavenly medicine to cure perfectly this
sickness.

For to cure the frenzy and wildness, or else at the least to assuage it,
take a great quantity of Populeon [ointment made from Black Poplar
buds], and the best vinegar that you may have, and a good quantity of rue
domestic, well beaten, and mingled with these aforesaid things, and wrap
around the head and the feet of the patient with this medicine, and some
thereof put to his nostrils. This medicine anon puts away the frenzy and
the showing of phantasies. It cures also wild men and lunatic men, and it
restores again wit and discretion, and makes all whole and well at ease.

The thirteenth medicine is to put away the cramps from a man. For
as much as wise men say that the cramps come of the hurting and
febbleness of the sinews, as it shows sometime the medicines made of
Hellebore, there is nothing that puts away the cramp as does our
quintessence, or else burning water instead of it.

The fourteenth medicine, to cast out venom from man’s body. Take
our quintessence, and put therein flesh of a cock, soft, sodden and subtly
pounded nut kernels, fine treacle, radish and garlic, crushed small, and
other things that be good to cast out venom, as common books of physic
declare. And also, to comfort the heart, put in our aforesaid quintessence,

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