A Lotion for the Feet.
Take White Poppy heads (bruised together with their Seed) 4 ounces; Willow leaves, Lettuce, Mallows, and Violet leaves, each 2 handfuls; boil in Water and Milk, each 5 pints, to a Gallon; strain and dissolve in the Liquor Nitre 4 ounces, and put it into a convenient Wash Pot.
Let the Patient sit with his Feet in it (as hot as can be endured) for half an Hour, and so go to Bed, and compose himself for Rest, and try to sleep. Joel would have, that after the Lotion, the Soles of the Feet should be rubbed hard with Salt and Vinegar; and then, that the Patient should stand on an Oaken Board, heated very hot; for this (he says) will wonderfully draw down Rheums from the Head.
In violent, hot, raging, estuating Fevers, when the acrid, fervent, boiling Blood gets an head and tumultuously breaks in upon the Brain, and accends the Spirits, and drives them into Distraction and Fury; thereby exciting in the Head, ardor, hissing, humming, crackling, unexplicable Conturbation, frightful Fancies, Terror, Frenzy, Delirium and Watching. I say, in such a Case, a Pedilave that is potentially Cold, and actually Hot, useth to bring great Relief; for as much as it inclines the motion of the Blood downwards into the inferior parts; and at the same time, does not enkindle or flutter it e'er the more, but rather on the contrary, refrigerates and quiets it.
For you must know First, there are two perfectly distinct, great Provincial circles of the Blood. One by the ascending Artery, through the Parts situate above the Heart, and the other by the descending Artery, through the Parts below. Secondly , that by how much the more rapidly, and with greater Stream, the Blood rusheth through the inferiour Province, by so much the more placidly, and less current, of Necessity will it flow through the opposite superior Province, and so on the contrary. And upon this Foundation is grounded the rational Doctrine of universal Revulsion.
But here, its of great Concern to observe, that in such Fevers as are Mali Moris, where the Blood doth not boil, and rage, and rush violently; but rather is too sluggish and dead, and scarce irrigates and vivifies the Brain, Nerves and Muscles enough. And also where the poverty, weakness, broken ranks, desertion and dissipation of the Spirits produce Watching, Phrenzy and Twitchings: In such a case (I say) Lotion of the Feet, is found utterly pernicious; because by how much the more it increases the inferior Circle, just so much the more doth it diminish the Superiour, and so consequently defrauds the Brain of Blood and Spirits, which fail'd too much for the want of them before.
Thomas Fuller
Pharmacopeia Extemporanea 1710