Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

powders of myrrh, of mastic, of ceruse 62 , of bayberries, of alum, bolli
Armenian 63 , cinnabar, of vermillion, of coral, of burned salt, of rusty
brass, of leddrosses 64 , of rust of iron, of resin, of Turpentine, and of
all manner of best oils, oil of bay, oil of pure roses & terebinth, oil of
juniper, of great effect, oil of spike, swine’s grease, fat of ox feet and
butter, made specially in May, tallow of goats and harts, virgins
honey, powder of red worms dried into dust, or consumed with oil
and beaten, camphor, euphorbia & castor: & with two or three of
these foresaid things mingled together they anointed the sick man’s
joints, his arms, his thighs, his backbone, his neckbone, with other
places of his body. Some anointed them once a day, some twice,
some thrice, some four times. The patient was shut in a stufe 65 , kept
with continual and fervent heat, some twenty and some thirty whole
days: And some were laid in a bed within the stewe 66 and anointed,
and covered with many clothes, and were compelled to sweat. Part
of them at the second anointing began to faint marvellously. But yet
the ointment was of such strength & effect, that what so ever disease
was in the higher part of the body it drew into the stomach, & from
thence up into the brain, & thence the disease annoyed both by the
nose and the mouth, and did put the patient to such pain, that
except they took good heed, their teeth fell out, all their throats,
their tongues, their roofs of the mouths, were full of sores, their
jaws did swell, their teeth were loosened, and continually there
annoyed the most stinking scum and matter, that could be, and
what so ever it ran upon, by and by it was polluted and infected
whereby their lips so touched gathered sores, and within forth their
cheeks were grievously pained. Al the place, where they were, did
stink. Which manner of curing was so painful, that many had lever 67
die than so to be eased. How be it scantly the hundreth person was
eased, but shortly after fell down again: so yet his ease lasted very
few days whereby men may estimate, what I suffered in this disease,
62 Ceruse = white lead
63 Bolli Armenian = Armenian clay containing aluminium silicates and iron oxides used in the treatment of
inflammation, allergy and tumours, by Galen and Avicenna.
64 Leddrosses = This is probably litharge, lead monxide (PbO) in its crystalline form, which is lead.
65 Stufe = bath-house
66 Stewe = steam bath
67 Lever = rather