A Letter Communicated from Mr. Thoresby F. R. S. to John Evelyn Esquire, Concerning the Cures Done by Mr. Greatrix the Stroke

A Letter Communicated from Mr. Thoresby F. R. S. to John Evelyn Esquire, concerning the Cures done by Mr. Greatrix the Stroke. SIR, As to Mr. Greatrix's Cures, because I was not willing to trust too much to my own Memory at that distance of Time (it being near 20 Years since I saw him stroke any) I have not writ of any, but such as I have still some Friends living who were Eye-witnesses as well as myself, with whom I have compared Notes Yesterday, and give you nothing but what they think exactly true. The first I shall mention was my own Brother John D---n, which both my Sister and myself remember to have been seized with a violent Pain in his Head and Back, when about 14 Years of Age, one of my Sisters at that time had the Small Pox, and my Mother judging that he was taken with the same Distemper, used no means to remove it, till by accident Mr. Greatrix coming to our House, and hearing of his Illness, desired to see him, he ordered the Boy to strip him to his Shirt, which he did, and having given present Ease to his Head by only stroking it with his Hands, he fell to rub his Back, which he most complained of, but the Pain immediately fled from his Hand to his right Thigh, he followed it there, it fell to his Knee, from thence to his Leg, but he still pursued it to his Ankle, thence to his Foot, and at last to his great Toe, as it fell lower, it grew more violent, especially when in his big Toe it made him roar out, but upon rubbing it there it vanished, and the Boy cried out, 'Tis quite gone. It never troubled him after, but he took the Small Pox above above 3 Weeks after. The next Instance was Mrs. D-- who was my Uncle P----s Daughter, she was seiz'd when a Girl, with a great Pain and Weakness, in her Knees, which occasioned a white Swelling; this followed her for several Years, and having used diverse means to no effect, after 6 or 7 Years time, Mr. Greatrix coming to Dublin, and lodging at my Fathers, my Aunt (who is still living and well remembers it) brought her to him, where he stroked both her Knees, the Pain flying downwards from his Hand, it drove it out of her Toes, he gave her present Ease, and the Swelling in a short Time wore away and never troubled her after. I had also a Comrade one Mrs. L---e who after a Fever was much troubled with a Pain in her Ears, and very Deaf, she came to Mr. Greatrix, when at my Fathers, I remember he put some of his Spittle into her Ears, and turning his Finger in her Ears rubbed and chafed them well, which cured her both of the Pain and Deafness, Mrs. H---y my opposite Neighbour told me Yesterday, that her Uncle Mr. Charles L---n, who was Secretary to the Commissioners, was cured by him of the same Malady, having much lost his hearing by some accident, till Mr. Greatrix by stroking restored it. Mr. H---s Daughter in law Mrs. S---n told me her self, that she was, when a Child, extremely troubled with the Kings Evil, her Mother sent her to be strok'd in King Charles the 2ds Time to London, but she was nothing the better, but Mr. Greatrix perfectly cured her. A Smith whose Name was Pierson near us had two Daughters extremely troubled with the Evil, the one in her Thigh, the other in her Arm, he cured them both at my Fathers, one of them lives still in Town, I was with her Yesterday, she is a healthy Woman, the Mother of several Children, she shewed me her Arm, where the scars the Evil-sore left still remain, 3 in one Arm, though 'tis 'tis 20 Years since they were cured, since when she never had any symptoms of it. I could add many things of this Nature, both of what I have seen and heard from my Mother, who was much more with him than myself, but wanting room shall only tell you, that where he stroked for Pains, he used nothing but his dry Hand, if Ulcers or running Sores he would use Spittle on his Hand or Finger, and for the Evil if they came to him before it was broke, he stroked it, and ordered them to poultess it with boil'd Turneps, and so did every Day till it grew fit for lancing, he then lanc'd it and with his Fingers would squeeze out the Cores and Corruption, and then in a few Days it would be well with his only stroking it every morning thus he cured many who keep well to this day, but if it were broke before he saw them, he only squeezed out the Core, and healed it by stroking; such as were troubled with Fits of the Mother, he would presently take off the Fit, by only laying his Glove on their Head, but I never knew any that he cured of that Distemper, for their Fits would return, but I have heard he cured many of the falling Sicknesses, if they stay'd with him, so that he might see them in 3 or 4 Fits, else he could not cure them, I have been too tedious, and therefore shall not add, but that I am. Sir, Dublin May 2d. 1699. Your humble Servant, M. M. Geo-