The Sweating Sickness

A striking window into a 16th‑century health crisis, this work offers the practical advice of a leading physician who witnessed the terrifying sweats that swept England in the 1500s. Written for both learned scholars and ordinary readers, it blends straightforward guidance on prevention, symptom recognition, and remedies with a personal appeal to the nobility for support and dissemination. The author’s earnest tone reveals a deep sense of civic duty, urging anyone who can help to share the knowledge widely.

The text is presented in its original early‑modern English, complete with the spellings, punctuation, and typographic quirks of the era, alongside scholarly notes that explain the layout and corrections made by later editors. Listening to the words spoken aloud brings the period to life—the urgency of a community confronting a mysterious disease, the blend of medical theory and folk wisdom, and the earnest hope that careful instruction might spare lives. It’s a rare chance to hear a historical medical guide as it was meant to be shared, offering both educational value and a vivid sense of the past.