Chapter VI

”When old corruption first begun, Adorn’d in yellow vest, He committed on flesh a whoredom– O, what wicked beast!

From them a callow babe did spring, And old corruption smil’d To think his race should never end. For now he had a child.

He call’d him Surgery, & fed The babe with his own milk, For flesh & he could ne’er agree, She would not let him suck.

And this he always kept in mind, And form’d a crooked knife, And ran about with bloody hands To seek his mother’s life.

And as he ran to seek his mother He met with a dead woman, He fell in love & married her, A deed which is not common.

She soon grew pregnant & brought forth Scurvy & spotted fever. The father grin’d & skipt about And said, ‘I’m made for ever!

For now I have procur’d these imps I’ll try experiments.’ With that he tied poor scurvy down & stopt up all its vents.

And when the child began to swell, He shouted out aloud, I’ve found the dropsy out, & soon Shall do the world more good.’

He took up fever by the neck And cut out all its spots, And thro’ the holes which he had made He first discover’d guts.”