A Voyage to East India, Account of voyage · Section 13
SECTION. XIII.
Of their Phyſicians, Diſeaſes, Cures. When they begin their year. How they meaſure their time, &c.
HEre are thoſe which pretend unto much skill in Phyſick, though (for ought I could ever there obſerve) the people make but little uſe of them, they fearing more Medicum quam Morbum; and therefore do believe the Phyſician to be the more dangerous diſeaſe.
The common diſeaſes of that Countrey are bloody fluxes, with others that come not to blood, hot-Feavers, Calentures, which ceiſe on and fire the head and brain, more than other parts. Theſe, many times put our men at Sea into very high diſtempers, eſpecially while they are under the Torrid Zone, which makes the poor creatures viſited with them, ſometimes to conceit the ſpacious Sea and Waves therein to be great Fields full of Heycocks; and if they were not ſometimes happily prevented, would leap over-board to tumble in them.
For ordinary Agues, ſuch as are ſo common among us, and for thoſe two torments rather than diſeaſes (when they are ſelt in extremity) the Gout and the Stone, they have the happineſs to be ignorant of them.
But ſometimes they are viſited with an inflamation, or an extreme burning, ſuch as is ſpoken of, Deut. 28. 22. or rather with a moſt grievous Peſtilence, which on a ſudden ſweeps away many thouſands when it comes into great Populous Cities. This Peſtilence makes the bodyes of men there which are viſited with it, like an houſe, which on a ſudden is covered all over wi…h fire at once. The City Amadavar (at our being there with the King) was viſited with this Peſtilence, in the Month of May, and our family was not exempted from that moſt incomfortable viſitation, for within the ſpace of nine dayes, ſeven perſons that were Engliſh of our family were taken away by it, and none of thoſe which dyed lay ſick above twenty houres, and the major part well, and ſick, and dead in twelve houres. As our Surgeon (who was there all the Phyſician we had) and he led the way, falling, ſick at Mid-day, and the following Mid-night dead. And there were three more that followed him, one immediatly after the other, who made as much haſt to the grave as he had done, and the reſt went after them; within that ſpace of time (I named before.) And (as before I obſerved) all thoſe that died in our family, of this peſtilence, had their bodyes ſet all on fire by it, ſo ſoon as they were firſt viſited; and when they were dying, and dead, broad ſpots of a black and blew colour appeared on their breſts; and their fleſh was made ſo extreme hot by their moſt high diſtemper, that we who ſurvived, could ſcarce endure to keep our hands upon it.
It was a moſt ſad time, a ſiery trial indeed. But ſuch is the goodnes of Almighty God, that he makes the miſeries of men here, Aut tolerabiles, aut breves, either ſufferable, or ſhort; ſo that if the thing impoſed be extreme heavy to be born, it continues not long, as this moſt grievous viſitation; moſt violent for the time, like a mighty ſtorm, and then blown away. For here the mercy of God ſuddenly ſtept in, betwixt the living and the dead; ſo that not only in our family, but alſo in that great City, the Plague was ſtayed.
All our family [my Lord Ambaſſadour only excepted] were viſited with this ſickneſs; and we all, who through Gods help and goodnes outlived it, had many great bliſters, fild with a thick yellow watry ſubſtance, that aroſe upon many parts of our bodyes, which when they brake, did even burn and corrode our skins, as it ran down upon them.
For my part, I had a Calenture before at Mandoa, which brought me even into the very Jawes of Death, from whence it pleaſed God then to reſcue and deliver me, which amongſt thouſands and millions of mercies more received from him, hath, and ſhall for ever give me cauſe to ſpeak good of his Name.
There are very few Engliſh which come thither, but have ſome violent ſicknes, which if they eſcape, and live temperately, they uſually enjoy very much health afterward. But death made many breaches into my Lord Ambaſſadors family, for of four and twenty wayters, beſides his Secretary and my ſelf, there was not above the fourth man returned home. And he himſelf by violent Fluxes, was twice brought even to the very brink of the Grave.
The Natives of Eaſt India, in all their violent hot diſeaſes, make very little uſe of Phyſicians, unleſs in be to bre…th a veine ſometimes, after which they uſe much faſting as their moſt hopefull remedy.
That foul diſeaſe [a moſt into conſequence of filthy incontinency] is too common in thoſe hot climates, where the people that have it are much more affected with the trouble it brings, than with the ſin or ſhame thereof. As many amongſt us, who care not for iſſue, but luſt; and after pay dear for their filthines, which many times rotts, or elſe makes bare the bones of them that are thus filthy. For as vertue and goodnes rewards it ſelf: ſo to it ſelf wickednes is a puniſhment, poena peccati peccaſſe: ſaith Seneca, this is cleer in the ſad conſequences of many other ſins, cui …hu? cui vae? who hath wo? who hath ſorrow? Solomon askes the queſtion, and reſolves it too, Prov. 23. 29. they that tarry long at the wine, &c. for it will bite like a Serpent, and ſting like an Ad…er. How many ſad diſeaſes are contracted to mens bodyes by this kind of intemperancy? who can recount the hurts that by this means come to the whole body, eſpecially to the Head, Stomack, Liver, and the more noble párts? who can recite the Rheumes, Gouts, Dropſies, Appoplexies, Inflamations, and other diſtempers hence ariſing? Drunkennes being like that Serpent Amphisbaena, which hath a ſting in the mouth, and a ſting in the tail, for it kills two wayes, firſt the Body, and after that the Soul.
How were the thoughts of Amnon rackt about the compaſſing of that inceſtuous, unnatural and brutiſh luſt with his Siſter Tamar? for firſt he is ſick for her, and after he had reaped the bitter fruit of his beaſtly deſires, (his luſt ending in loathing) he was ſick of her, and hated her exceedingly, and ſaid unto her, ariſe, be gone, 2 Sam. 13. 15.
Brutus, and Caſſius were traytors which Julius Caeſar fear'd, Macilenti & pallidi, men pal'd with Anger, whoſe thoughts to do miſchief, drank up all their own ſap and moiſture. Envy (…aith Solomon) is the rottennes of the bones, Prov. 14. 30. hence the heart of the malicious and envious man, is never without torment, for it boyles continually, as it were in Brine; And therefore this ſin is ſaid to have much juſtice in it ſelf, Juſtius invidia nihil eſt, becauſe it eateth the heart and marrow of her maſter, as he deſireth to have the heart of another to be eaten up. And thus may it be ſaid of Anger, when it boyles up to rage (as many times it doth) in ſe ſ…mper armatur furor, that it is always in Armes againſt it ſelf.
The people in Eaſt India live up to our greateſt ages; but without all queſtion they have more old people than we; a thing not to be wondred at▪ if we conſider the great Temperance of that people in general in their eating and drinking.
But to proceed. The Hindooes or Heathens there begin their year the firſt day of March. The Mahometans begin theirs, the tenth, at the very inſtant as the Aſtrologers there gheſs that the Sun enters into Aries, their year as ours is divided into twelve Months, or rather into thirteen Moons, for according to them they make many payments. They diſtinguiſh their time in a much different manner from us, dividing the day into four, and the night into as many parts, which they call Pores; which again they ſubdivide each of them into eight parts, which they call Grees; meaſured according to the ancient cuſtome, by water dropping out of one veſſell into another, by which there alwayes ſtands a man appointed for that ſervice, to turn that veſſell up again when it is all dropped out, and then to ſtrike with an hammer (upon the brim of a concave peece of Metal, like the inner part of a large platter, hanging by the brim on a wire) the number of thoſe Pores, and Grees as they paſs. It hath a deep ſound, and may be heard very far; but theſe are not common amongſt them. Neither have they any Clocks, or Sun-Dials to ſhew them further how their time paſſeth.
We lived there ſome part of our time a little within, or under the Tropick of Cancer, and then the Sun was our Zenith, or Verticle at noon day directly over our heads, at his return to his Northern bounds. (of which I have ſpoken ſomething before) The Sun-riſing there, was about ſix houres in the Morning before its appearing here, ſo that it is twelve of the clock with them, when it is but ſix with us. We had the Sun there above the Horizon in December, when the dayes are ſhorteſt neer eleven houres, and in▪ June when they are at their fulleſt length, ſomewhat more than thirteen houres; which long abſence of the Sun there from the face of the earth, was very advantagious to cool both the Earth, and Air. I proceed to ſpeak.