Choice and Experimented RECEIPTS IN Physick and Chirurgery, AS ALSO CORDIAL and DISTILLED Waters and Spirits, Perfumes, and other Curiosities. Collected by the Honourable and truly Learned Sir Kenelm Digby Kt. Chancellor to Her Majesty the QUEEN-MOTHER. The Second Edition Corrected & Amended. LONDON: Printed by Andrew Clark, for Henry Brome, at the Gun at the West-End of St. Pauls. 1675.

To the Right Honourable GEORGE Duke of Buckingham, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, and one of His MAJESTIES most Honou­rable Privy Council.

My LORD,

I Had formerly the Happiness of wearing an humble Relation to Sir Kenelm Digby, and to his Business; by means of which In­terest and Favour, there came to my hand divers of his Excellent Curiosuies and Receipts: In truth, it is so choice a Col­lection, that in the first place I made it a mat­ter [Page] of Conscience to recommend it to the Pub­lick: And (having permission from his inge­nious Son Mr. John Digby thereunto) my next care was, so to do it, as to render all pos­sible Honour and Right to the Memory of that eminent Person. Upon which Consideration, I have taken the boldness to make a Dedication of it to your Lordship, as the most competent Judge and Patron of Learning and Vertue. From which presumption, I shall now descend to my self again, and vanish with this Prote­station, That without pretending to the Honour of being any way known to your Lordship, No man living bath a greater Reverence for your Person and Faculties, than

My LORD,
Your Graces most Humbe and Obedient Servant, GEORGE HARTMAN.

An approved Remedy for all sorts of Agues.

TAke thirty grains of the species of Hiera Picra, put this with half a pint of the best Aqua Vitae into a glass­bottle, too big to contain it, which cork well, and set so near a fire, that it may feel a gentle, and but a very gentle warmth for ten or twelve hours, sha­king the bottle very often: then let it stand and settle; and an hour or two before the patient ex­pects his fit, pour off gently five or six spoonfuls, and let him take it: he may after it walk, and do what moderate exercise he pleases; perhaps it may give him a stool or two: repeat this thrice; in Quartans and Quotidians five or six times, but no oftner: it opens obstructions if the constitution be not too hot.

Another for the same.

TAke four spoonfuls of the juyce of Red-nettles, and eight of the best strong Ale you can get, mingle them well together and give it warm to the patient, as soon as he feeleth the first emotion that always precedeth his fit, which useth to come an hour before the formal fit seiseth him; and let him lie warm in bed, with bottles of hot water at his feet, and under the arm-pits, to cause sweat, which he will do abundantly.

You need not give so much of the juyce to a [Page 2] child, as to a very big man, proportion it accor­ding to their bulk: this here set down is for mid­dling persons.

The juyce is best in the Spring, but is good all the year long.

An approved Cure of Tertian Agues.

TAke a good handful of the leaves of Ribwort, (in the Summer green, in the Winter dry) boil them in a large draught of clear posset-drink, so that it be strong of the herb. Give this to the patient to drink warm, as soon as he findeth such alteration in his body as warneth him of the ap­proaching fit; and then let him lie conveniently warm to sweat: if this cure him not the first time, it may the second.

For the Tedious Agues.

TAke a good pint of the best White-wine, put into it half a handful of Camomile-flowers; set these upon the hot embers in a vessel close co­vered: let them stew simpringly at the edge for an hour or thereabouts, till the Wine have drawn out all the vertue of the flowers; then pour off the li­quor, and put into it thirty grains of the fixed Salt of Tartar, drink it warm as soon as you find any emotion of the approaching fit, and lie warm, and it will make you sweat. Do so the next fit, ad­ding five grains more of the Salt of Tartar, so that you take thirty five grains; at the third fit take forty grains, and so rest there till you are well, not exceeding that quantity, though you repeat the Medicine.

A most excellent Sudorifick Cordial, which cu­reth all sorts of Agues, and all Burnings or Purple Fevers, as also all sorts of Fluxes and Pyles. It is also excellent for the hot Gout.

TAke Salt of Tartar one ounce, put it into a pint of French Aqua Vitae, let it stand in gentle warmth a day, then filter it through a gray paper.

Take then good Opium well chosen, cut it into thin slices, and dry it very gently till it be a little friable; then cut it very small, and put it into a glass-bottle, and pour upon it a quart of Aqua Vi­tae; stop the bottle well; and tie it with a bladder, and set it in the Sun in Summer, in the Winter in some gentle warmth to digest twenty four hours, or till the tincture be of a reddish brown, and the Opium be dissolved; then strain it through a gray paper, and put to it the dissolution of the Salt of Tartar, and infuse half an ounce of Saffron in it, then let it stand in a gentle heat six hours or more, then strain it through double paper so often till there remain no feces in the straining of it, then will the Opium be purified from all its venom, and is of great; vertue in the foresaid diseases, then let the patient take the following purge.

Take the powder of the root Jallop twenty or twenty four grains, Cremor-Tartari ten or twelve grains, mixt with syrop of Roses for a dose in the morning. But when there is any looseness or bloody-flux, you need not purge, but take the fore­said prepared tincture, or Cordial; the dose of it is a spoonful and half, or two spoonfuls for strong [Page 4] persons, and for little children three or four drops mixt with the milk of the Nurse; then let the pa­tient sweat in his bed. This medicine will make sweat sometimes a day and night, or only some hours. The manner of using this remedy is thus: Purge (for example) Munday morning, Tuesday night take the Sudorifick Tincture, drink nothing all night, unless the heat of your mouth perswade you to take a spoonful of Wine. In the morning when your sweat is over, take a Tost of Wine with Sugar, and lie yet, to see if you shall sweat again; which being quite past, eat and drink moderately of good things. Thursday morning take the purge again. Friday night take the Tincture again, or if you will (and that the day of the fit falls out pro­per for that) take a dose of Antimony Diaphore­tick upon Thursday in stead of the purge, and Fri­day night take the Tincture again. In fine, go­vern your self for purging, or taking either of the Diaphoreticks as you shall find best; and continue the Diaphoretick of Antimony as long as you think fit, after you have done with the other Diaphore­tick, and with purging.

This excellent medicine hath done great mira­cles upon persons that have had the Ague three years; it restoreth the spirits and strength lost; and comforteth the heart. It cureth likewise the Colick, the Tooth-ach, the Catarrhs, the violent Cough, the Griping in the Belly, and stayeth Vo­miting. The use of it for the Tooth-ach is, to take half a spoonful, and hold it on the side where your Tooth aketh in your mouth, the space of a quarter of an hour, then spit it out, and take some fresh; if it needeth for the Gout, dip a feather in it, and foment the dolent part with it.

When they rave and are frantick in their Fever, [Page 5] you may put eight or ten grains of Salt of Pearls into every dose of this Medicine.

A Diaphoretick of Antimony to be used with this Medicine.

TAke one part of Regulus of Antimony and six of Nitre. Burn them well in a Crucible, rever­berate them an hour after they are melted. Then have an earthen Pitcher full of Conduit-Water; upon the mouth of it set a Crucible with a hole in the bottom: pour through this into the cold wa­ter your melted Antimony and Saltpetre. It will make a strange noise, as if all would break in pie­ces, but it will not do so. Most of the Salt will be dissolved in the water, and the Antimony will settle to the bottom in white Powder: pour off the water when all is throughly settled, and dulcifie yet more with often ablutions in fresh waters the remaining powder, till all saltness be gone: then dry it in due manner, and keep it for use.

A Julep to cool in Fevers.

NOthing doth more hinder the fermentation of sharp humors and their flying up to the head, than the use of dilute Oxymel, such as Hippocrates and the antients used. Make it thus,

Take two parts of Honey and twelve of Water; boil them very gently together, till you have scum­med away all the Scum that will rise, and have cla­rified it with Whites of Eggs. Then take it from the fire, and put to it one part of Vinegar, and let it run twice or thrice through an Hippocras bag. Drink three or four spoonfuls at a time of it, mor­ning, evening, night, or when you will.

Cuchinile for a Purple Fever.

TO persons above twenty years of age, give thir­ty or forty granes of Cochinile in some fit Cor­dial-water or in Wine, if you have no Cordial-water at hand. If they be younger, proportion it to their age; as, seven granes to a Child of three years old, eighteen granes to one of six years. After twice or thrice doing this, and keeping the Patient very warm, the Disease will break out in spots. But fail not to give it once or twice after they are strucken out.

A Remedy for a Burning Fever.

TAke of Honisucle leaves a good quantity, stamp them in a Mortar; put as much fair Water to it as will make a Clyster, then strain it, and put it into the Bladder or Syringe, and give it the Pa­tient not quite cold. It opens the body and cooleth the Veins.

A Cooling Drink in a Fever.

TAke a Gallon of Spring-water, five Spoonfuls of French Barly, half a pound of the best blue Currants, let it boil softly till a quart be consumed; then take two handfuls of Wood-Sorrel, as much of Roman Sorrel; bruise them well, and let them infuse one hour, then take it off and strain it through a Sieve; drink of this with the juice of an Orange, and a little fine Sugar.

An often approved Remedy for an Ague.

TAke three drams of Venice or London Treacle: put it into a quarter of a pint of White Wine, and put it into a little Pot very close covered, let it stew simpringly for half an hour, stirring it some­times. When the Patient feeleth any emotion of the approaching Fit, let him take this, shaking it well together; let him go to bed and cover him­self warm to sweat. Repeat it thrice.

A present Remedy for all kinds of Colicks whatsoever.

TAke Mint, Sage, (both of them dry) of each two handfuls, and of the best Spirit of Wine a Pottle, digest it in a Cucurbite eight days. Then distil it in Balneo Mariae, taking but a third part of it; the rest is good, but in a weaker degree. Of this first Spirit take a dram and half; and two ounces of White Wine: Mingle and drink them.

For violent Coughing by a sharp thin tickling Rheum.

TAke old Conserve of Roses, and work into it by strong rinding and beating as much as you can of pure fine Olibanum in most subtile powder, that the Consistence be very stiff. Of this take as much as a good Hasel Nut in a Spoon with a little Syrop of Violets about it, in the morning and at night, and the like sometimes in the day, if you have need.

For a Cold in the Head, to draw Rheum from the Head.

PAre very thin the yellow Rind of Orange, roul it up conveniently, to thrust up into the Nostril, turning the innermost side outward, to be next your flesh within the Nose; put a roul into each Nostril. It will cause sneesing, and will make much water run down out at the Nose, and comforts the Brain.

For all sorts of Fluxes.

TAke two quarts of new Milk, two sound Nutmegs sliced thin, eighteen blackest Pepper-corns, eighteen largest Cloves, five pennyworth of Stick-Cinnamon, of the outward Bark of an old Oak (the rough part a little scraped off) twice as much as of the Cinnamon, both which must be sliced thin: boil this to between two and three Pints, then pour the Milk from the Spice, and divide it into four parts, which will be about a Porringer-full apiece. Give a draught of this as hot as the Pa­tient can drink it, early in the morning fasting, another at Ten a Clock, a third at Four in the afternoon, and the last going to bed, and make fresh every day. The Patient may dine and sup as he hath a mind. The first draught will take away the pain and griping, and then afterwards it is not necessary to take it so very hot.

It doth not bind it suddenly, but smoothneth and healeth the guts, and strengthneth the stomach, and he shall have at the first two, three or four gentle stools a day. And if he have lost his Appe­tite, so that he can eat nothing, as usually hapneth in great Fluxes, this Milk gives him sufficient nou­rishment.

For a Bloudy-Flux often approved.

TAke four drams of Diaphaenicon, and half a scruple of Pulvis sanctus fasting, in White-wine made warm, that the Diaphaenicon may be dissol­ved; and keep the Patient from sleeping, until it have wrought, and an hour after they have taken it, give them some Chicken Broth; if it be given alone without Pulvis sanctus, it riddeth the Belly and Guts from all raw and crude humors, and easeth the Belly from gripings and pain proceeding of Wind and cold causes.

For any Loosness.

TAke one dram of the seeds of Plantane, bruise them and take them in a draught of Broth (which is best, if a little tops of Plantane be boiled with it) in the morning fasting. Continue this three mornings together.

For Fluxes.

TAke the herb Swallow-wort when it is in the flower, (it must be gathered in dry and fair weather) the whole herb or plant, i. e. the root, stalk, leaves and flowers; make it clean without wash­ing it; let it lie a day in a dry Chamber in the open Air; but so that the Sun come not to it, then chop it small, or bruise it, (without deperdition of any juice) and put it into a Cucurbite of Glass, and put upon it some good Aqua vitae (such as comes from France) as much as will be above it a fingers breadth or two, and cover it close with a Blind-head, and let it digest three or four days [Page 10] (best, near a little warmth) then change the head, putting on one with a Limbeck, and distil with gentle heat of Sand, till you have drawn off so much of the humidity as may not endanger Burning. This Liquor will have some little strength in it, but not by a great deal so much as the Aqua Vitae: The Dose is a little Wine-glass full at a time. I have found it admirable for the Brain, the Eye-sight, the Heart, the Stomach, and all languishing Diseases and Decays of Nature, and causeth a little gentle breathing, scarce amounting to sweat: When you take it in a morning, it gives you a wonderful severity of brain and chearfulness of humor in lan­guishing Diseases; if bad humors abound, it must be given with Purges of Gambogium, one morning the one, the next the other; thus, three times each.

It must be given seven, eight or nine granes of Gutta Gamba or Gambogia for a Dose, either in Pow­der, in Wine, or other fit vehicle; or make it up into a Pill with a drop of Syrup of Roses: This quantity will purge gently watry humors, and give a gentle Vomit if the Stomach be foul.

For a Loosness.

TAke a Pint of Claret Wine, and put into it two penyworth of bruised Cinnamon, and as many Cloves; boil this gently upon Embers (covering the Pot) till half be boiled away: In the mean time tost a Tost or two of light Bread, and cover them sufficiently with Sugar, then pour (through a Lixor) the Wine upon them: Eat those sopped Tosts for all the Dinner, and the like for the Sup­per, eating no other sustenance that day; and it useth to cure in a day.

An Anodyne Clyster.

TAke six ounces of thick Barley Cream (Cremor Hordei) and the Whites of three new-laid Eggs beaten into an Oil, and about two spoonfuls of lump kitchin Sugar (not brown Sugar used in Clysters, nor Loaf-Sugar, but the best sweetning Sugar, and that is in lumps) and as much Rose-water as may reduce the whole into a fit consistence for a Cly­ster (which may be three or four good spoonfuls) then warm it sufficiently for a Clyster, and so take it. You may with ease keep it three or four hours or more. It cooleth and tempereth the Bowels exceedingly, and healeth much any excoriation or fretting in them and easeth the pain arising thence.

The best Rule to discern if there be Sugar or Rose-water sufficient in the Clyster, is to tast it; for it should be so as to be most pleasant to your tast if you were to eat it.

An Excellent Clyster to cure any painful Flux or Scowring.

TAke a convenient handful of Barly-meal that hath all its Bran in it, as much Bran of Wheat, and as much dried Roses. Put these to boil gently in three pints of water, in a glazed Pipkin cove­red, for about three quarters of an hour; then strain hard through a linen-cloth all the liquor with the slimy substance that comes out with it. This is enough for two Clysters when needfully done. Take half this Decoction, and put into it the yolks of two new-laid Eggs, and one ounce of Mel-rosate. Give it the Patient duly warm. He may keep it a long time (two or three or four hours) without [Page 12] trouble, because the quantity is less than of an or­dinary Clyster, and that it is of a Balsamic and comforting quality to the excoriated Guts. This is an excellent Remedy to any sharp tormenting Flux, where the Guts are enflamed, excoriated and ulcerated, either through ordinary causes (as eating fruit or the like) or by taking Mercury to Flux one by Salivation. You will presently find ease, at the first taking it, but it is well to repeat it twice or thrice a day.

For the greatest Flux or Loosness.

TAke a right Pomwater the greatest or two little ones, roast them very tender to pap, take away the skin and the coar, and use only the pap; and the like quantity of Chalk finely scraped: mix them together before the fire, and work them well to a Plaster, then spread it upon a linen-cloth warmed very hot as may be suffered, and so bind it to the Navel twenty four hours, use it two or three times till the Flux stay off.

An approved Remedy for the Obstractions of the Spleen or Liver.

TAke the Whites of eight Eggs, and beat them very small, two good handfuls of the leaves cal­led Vervein (in Latin Verbena) stamp it very well: mingle these two together and add as much Barly­flower to it as will make it a Pultis; which spread upon a coarse cloth and apply it, leaving it on twice twenty four hours.

An excellent Lime-water for Obstructions and Ulcers, &c.

TAke one pound of Stone-Lime hot from the Kiln, and pour upon it a gallon of fair water, let it stand eight hours, and then pour it off clear, and put into it of English Licoris, Aniseeeds and Sassafras, of each four ounces, large Mace two drams; let these infuse in the water twelve hours, then pour it off from the Ingredients, and keep it for your use.

Drink of this Water twice or thrice a day, half a pint at a time. It is very excellent for all manner of Obstructions and Ulcers, either inward or out­ward, and likewise to be used by way of injection.

An excellent Bemedy for the Dropsie.

LEt the Patient swallow every morning three or four whole Cloves of Garlick without taking any other thing with them, but you must first prick them with a needle in four or five several places, out of which will issue a sharp biting water which you must wipe away: And a little while after swallowing theGarlick he must drink a good draught of Wormwood Ale; and then do upon it as much exercise as conveniently he can; at dinner eat what you will of wholesom diet, but at night sup not, or but very little, and at going to bed, take the Cloves of Garlick and Wormwood Ale as in the morning. Continue this till the Patient be well, which usually [...]s in twenty or thirty days. Take the best Worm-wood Ale and strongest of the Wormwood, by put­ting. over-night a sufficient quantity of Wormwood into quick good midling Ale; but during the Cure, you must every morning and night use the follow­ing Bath or Fomentation.

Take three gallons of Conduit-Water, and boil in it five or six handfuls of Mallows, and two pound of fresh Mutton-suet, (that which is next the Kidneys) stript from the skin and chopped small, and half a peck of Wheat-bran; boil it till the fat be throughly melted, and the virtue of the Mallows drawn out into the liquor, then you must strain it to cast away the dregs, and this both hot, foment the legs, very well for one half hour or an hour, setting the feet in the Boul where the Deco­ction is. This will draw much water from the Legs: For after you have taken the Garlick and Wormwood Ale a while, it will drive the humors into the Legs and Feet, which will be much swel­led with it, and pit much.

Another Remedy for the Dropsie.

TAke three or four pound or thereabouts, of Mountain-Sage, (a bagful above a foot, or fourteen or fifteen inches high, and eight or nine, or ten overthwart) bruise it in a Mortar, and put it into a Bag of Boulter-cloth, and put it into a Kilderkin of middling Ale as soon as it is tunned, putting into the Ale the Juice that may have run out of the Herb upon beating it: and as soon as it is fit to drink (which may be in a week or five or six days) continually drink of it at meals and all times you have occasion, and drink nothing else: Have still a new Vessel coming on under the former, so to have always some ready. A Kilderkin is the fourth part of a Barrel, and may hold about nine gallons.

Another.

GAther ordinary Wormwood in May, when it is in greatest vigour, and distil it in an ordi­nary Still that serveth for Rose-water: Put the wa­ter that cometh over upon fresh Wormwood as before, and distil it as you did: Put this Water upon another like Paviel of fresh Wormwood, and so distil a third time: you must have a care never to distil to perfect driness, but still to leave a little behind, which is the very gross part. Drink of this Water in the morning fasting, and in the afternoon about four or five of the clock.

Another.

TAke four handfuls of the inner green rind of Elder, after the outward gray bark is pared off, and one handful of Wormwood: Put them to two gallons of liquor composed thus: Let two parts of it be Beer and Ale, of convenient strength, and one part White-wine: Let the proportion of Beer and Ale to one another be according to the best liking and taste, and the White-wine half as much as both they together: Let the Vegetables [...]ie in this liquor close stopped three or four days, that it may imbibe into itself all the virtue of them: After which time bottle it up into Quart-Bottles, which stop close; it will soon grow very quick and pleasant. Drink only of this at meals and all times, when you have need to drink.

A great and approved Care of the Dropsie.

FIrst purge well with some fit Purge (as of Jallap, Manna, Sene,) to carry away warry humors. Then take the following Diet of Garlick. Make some moderate Broth of Mutton, Chickens and Ga­pon or Hen, but not Veal. It must not be too strong of the Meat, nor too weak; but such as you may drink all the day, for you should drink no other Li­quor. You must make but about a pottle of Broth at a time, for it will not keep. And for this quantity you must take a gallon of Water, into which put above a handful of Garlick and Rosemary, Peniroial, Thyme, sweet Marjoram, Fennel-roots, Parsly-roots, or any other fit Roots or Herbs; as also Currants and a sufficient quantity of Salt. And after some days taking the Broth, put into every draught you take of the Broth a Spoonful or more of the crude juice of Garlick stamped and strained out. But if you cannot bear it always to drink this Broth, then use the following Decoction. Take Sarsaparilla twelve ounces, China Roots five ounces, Sassafr as three oun­ces. Cut all these very small, and pour upon them Fountain Water, to three fingers breadth above the Ingredients, and: let them infuse over a soft fire the space of four hours, then throw away this water; and stamp the Ingredients well in a Mortar with a wooden Pestle; then pour upon them tea quarts of Fountain Water, and boil it in a Vesle close stopped till four quarts of it be consumed.

Of this Decoction drink without any other drink but the Garlick Broth.

Another Drink.

TAke all the foresaid ingredients in the same man­ner prepared and stamped: then take a clean vessel and fill it with Beer, then put all the ingre­dients in a Bag, and hang it in the Beer. One ounce of the ingredients is sufficient for a quart of Beer.

Either of these drinks is only in case you cannot bear the use of the Garlick Broth; which alone will dispatch the Cure much the sooner. After twelve or fourteen days the Patient will begin to piss in great abundance, and very stinking noisom roping matter. Continue your diet till you are perfectly cured.

Then to strengthen and secure your Liver, take the following Electuary. Take of Powder of Tur­merick a sufficient quantity, make with it and Su­gar an Electuary, add to every ounce of it th [...]e [...] drops of Aniseed Oil made by Distillation. And if you put a little of Ambergris to it, it will be the bet­ter to strengthen.

Take of this Electuary two or three times a day, the quantity of a Hazle Nut; but take not above one ounce in a day.

Besides this to strengthen the Stomach, use the following Stomacher: Take Wormwood, Marjoram, Rosemary, Rue, ana one handful; Cloves, Cinamon, Mace, ana one ounce; bruise these Spices, and mix them with the Herbs; of these make a Stomacher, and apply it. And you may likewise anoint your Stomach and region of the Liver with Oil of Nut­meg and Oil of Roses.

This course of the Garlick-Broth is for all Ob­structions and superfluity of Cold, raw Humors clogging the Brain or any other part, as well as for the Dropsie.

For Legs or other parts of the Body swelled coming by abounding of bad Tumors, or by the Dropsie.

TAke yellow Amber, the worth of three or four pence, mix it with a quart of good Wine-Vi­negar. Then take a Stone or Brick, and make it hot, but let it not be red hot, and put it into a Tub, then pour upon the Stone or Brick the mixture of the Vinegar and Amber, and hold the swelled Leg over the smoak of it, covering the Tub well with Sheets or Blankets, to the end that none of the smoak may come out: And immediately the water will come out of the Leg powerfully, and it will be cured. An eminent Person of Quality was exceedingly overgrown with the Dropsie, and his belly swoln to a prodigious bigness: He sate in a great Pipe, such as men use to sweat in, and used this remedy, pouring the Liquor upon hot Bricks laid upon ashes to save the wood from burning and smoking (which he changed as their heat was deaded, and could raise no more smoak of the Vinegar and Amber) and in a little while it had melted him away to an unbelievable pro­portion: but whilst he was in that steam, he felt a wondrous active heat piercing into his body. The Tub was covered close at the top with a Sheet and Blankets, leaving only his head out in the air, with the cloaths fastned about his neck. Once sweating thus served his turn; all his Servants with fresh hot Napkins could not suffice to wipe dry the sweaty water that ran out of his body.

Another for the Dropsie.

TAke a gallon of White-wine, and put into it a handful of Roman Wormwood, and a good piece of Horse-Radish, and a good quantity of Broom-ashes tied in a cloth; then take a good bunch of Dwarf-Elder, beat it in a Mortar, and strain out the juice, and put it into the Wine when you will drink it; but if the Dwarf-Elder be dry, you must steep a good quantity in the Wine. Take of this half a pint morning and evening.

For the Haemorrhoids. For Aches. Probat.

TAke six Figs, and cleave them along through the middle, lay them in a Porringer, and pour upon them some good Brandy-wine to cover them a fingers breadth or two over; set the Brandy on fire by a flaming Paper, and let it burn as long as it will; the Figs will then be very tender and soft (that they may be so, you must chuse the best plain ordinary yellowest Figs, that are sound and pulpy.) Apply one of these halfs as hot as you can endure to the swelled Haemorrhoid that comes out, and let it lie on till it grow cool, which will be in less than half a quarter of an hour; then ap­ply another half Fig as before, and so continue till you have used all the twelve halfs; and to that end, you must keep them hot by a fire. This will give you perfect ease, though the pain were never so great before, and take away all the swel­ling and knobs upon the veins, and make them retire orderly into the body. For the inner Piles, make an Unguent of Pilewort and Butter thus: Stamp Pilewort (in May) with fresh Butter, working [Page 20] into it as much of the herb as you can make it well take in, so that the Butter be highly green; then melt it over the fire, and let them boil gently till the Butter have taken in all the juice and vir­tue of the Herb, and the superfluous moisture be evaporated. In a word, you are to make the But­ter as strong as you can of the Herb, and that it be of a deep perfect green colour, and no fleg­matic moisture remaining with it: (I conceive it were well to digest it a while in Horse-dung, before you melt and strain it:) Then strain it into Gally­pots through a strong Cloth; when it is cold, it will be firm and hard: This will keep many years. With this anoint the Piles, putting it unto them.

The best Brandy is excellent good for Aches and Pains by Rheums or Colds in Legs, Knees or Shoulders. Rub the part with a hot hand before a good fire with the Spirit of Wine, chafing it in a good while; then wet a Paper in the Brandy, and lay it on, and bind it to: Repeat this as often as you see occasion.

Another for the Piles.

A Person had once the Piles in the greatest extremity that could be, and he was cured by this following Medicine.

TAke Flower of Sulphur one part, fine Sugar three parts; make this into Tablets of one dram a­piece with Gum Tragacanth soked with red Rose­water into a mucilage. Eat of these four or five times a day one at a time: Doing thus, it gave him three or four Stools a day, and in a little while he was perfectly cured of his Piles.

For the Tooth-ach.

When there is great pain of the Tooth-ach, by a deflu­xion of a sharp Rheum upon all one side of the Jaw, this is a certain Remedy.

TAke some green Parsley, and work it in the palm of your hand, with the other finger and thumb, pressing and squeezing it till you mortifie it all, and mould it up together, and the juice be ready to squeez out: Then take as much of it with its juice (if any should chance to be pressed out) as may conveniently be thrust into the Ear, and six or seven fair corns of Bay Salt. Mingle them well together, and so put it into the Ear on the aking side; it will soon take away the pain: Nevertheless let this Medicine remain three or four hours in the Ear (though the Patient be well long before) that so it may continue the Cure. If the pain come again, repeat the Medicine.

Water for the Teeth.

An excellent Water for the Teeth, to harden, fasten and whiten them, and to strengthen the Gums, is fol­lowing:

TAke of ordinary Lime-water one pound, crude Alum one dram; burnt Alum, roots of Flower de-luce, of each half a dram, mingle them together, and when the Alum is dissolved, and the tincture drawn out of the Flower-de-luce; let the liquor run through a linen, that it may be clear. Then put half a spoonful of Orange-flower water to it to make it more grateful, and wash the Mouth and Teeth with this.

For the Teeth and Gums.

To preserve the Teeth and Gums, wash them often with a Liquor thus made:

MAke a Decoction of Lentisce, Lignum Guaiaci, and a little Rosemary; into a fitting pro­portion of this put some of the best distilled Wa­ter of Rosemary and Sage, in which some common Salt is dissolved, as also a good proportion of Spi­rit of Wine that hath dissolved Myrrh (or extracted the Tincture of Myrrh) and is very strong of it, and the like of Spirit of Wine, that hath in like manner extracted the Tincture of Mastick.

Or use Alum dissolved in some of the Waters a­bovesaid or in Claret-wine.

Or put some Oil of Myrrh made per Deliquium in Whites of Eggs, and some Oil of Sage made by Di­stillation, quaere of adding also Oil of Rosemary into Canary-Sack in which is dissolved some Salt (rather than into Claret-wine.) To fasten the Teeth and preserve the Gums, wash your Mouth every morning, and in the day with the Pickle that Limons are kept pickled in, a little warm'd: Those that have the Scurvy in Holland use it much. It is singularly good.

For familiar washing the Mouth, which con­firmeth and fastneth the Teeth much, and preserveth the Gums sound, is thus:

PUt one dram of Alum, and two drams of pure Oriental Bole-armoniac, both in subtile Pow­der, into a pint of Claret-wine; shake it well and use it. Quaere of adding Myrrh in Powder, or dis­solved in hard Whites of Eggs.

For the Tooth-ach.

ONe that had the Tooth-ach in great extre­mity, and had tried many Medicines in vain, took a little Cotton and imbibed it with Lucatella's Balsam, and so put it into the hollow Tooth, with­in a little while the pain ceased, but came again about a week after: Then he applied the same Remedy a second time, and the pain soon ceased, and never came again, though before he was very often subject to this pain.

Vinegar of Squills for the Teeth and Gums.

TAke Vinegar of Squills, to settle loose Teeth and cure ulcerated Gums, and the Tooth-ach, all which it doth powerfully. Use it thus; Dip well a bit of a soft linen cloth in it, and hold it a pretty while upon the Gum that needeth; repeat the dipping still as the moisture of the mouth, mingling with the Vinegar upon the cloth, takes away the force of it: If the water be cold, you may warm it a little.

To fasten loose Teeth. Probat.

YOu will find a secure and certain Remedy, when any of your Teeth are loose with the Scurvy, or by other abounding humors, if you take some Alum (a great proportion) and put it into water (which you may warm to dissolve the more) and rub well every day once or twice the Gums and Teeth with that. Fill the glass almost half full of Alum before you put the Water upon it; when that Water is used out, you may put more upon the remaining Alum.

An excellent Powder for the Eyes.

TAke Camphire in fine powder one ounce, put it into a pot and put upon it four ounces of Vitriol, in powder also: cover the pot with double Paper, and lay upon it a Porringer with some weight in it; then calcine it with a gentle fire, and when it is hard, take it off, and let it cool; then beat it into fine Powder with four ounces of Bole-armoniac, then sift it finely. Take of this Powder half an ounce, put it into a quart of water, boil it together, then put it in a glass and keep it for your use.

Dip a little green Sarcenet in it and shut your Eyes, washing only the Eye-lids, except they be very ill and inflamed, and then you may drop some into them; and if you find it too strong of itself, put to a spoonful of it, two spoonfuls of Rose-water, and so use it.

An excellent Eye-water.

TAke white-wine and red Rose-water, of cach half a pint, put them in a Glass, then take Aloes Epatic. Lapis Tutia, and fine hard Sugar, of each four ounces; beat them severally into fine powder, and put them into the Glass, and stop it very close; then set it in the Sun in the heat of summer for a month, and shake it three or four times a day that it congele not.

A Remedy for Defluxions and all Diseases of the Eyes.

TAke the Herb called Pied de Pigeon in French, stamp it into a Cataplasm, and put a little Salt to it, and apply it to the Wrist of the contrary Hand; as if the right Eye were sore, put it to the left Wrist, and chang it mor­ning and night. It is wonderfully efficacious. A Gentlewoman had three great white Excrescen­cies in one of her Eyes after the Small - Pox; this Remedy cured it perfectly in a moneths space, but she added washing the Eye at every dressing with a drop of Spirit of Urine.

To take away the Redness of Bloud-shot Eyes.

PUt a little Hyssop in a little Bag of Sarcenet, and dip it in warm water, and therewith foment the Eye three or four times a day.

To stanch Bleeding.

A Very desperate and continual Bleeding at the Nose had often been stanched by making the Party hold in their Hand, or any where about their Body, a little of the Herb Shepheards. Pouch; wear it continually, and it will prevent Bleeding.

Another for the same.

TO stanch the bloud of a Wound, even though an Artery be cut; Strew thick upon it the Powder of certain Balls, that in French are called Visses de Loup. And if you have the whole Ball, put over the Powder some of the fungose part of the Ball (which is that next the stalk under the Powder) and bind it on. If it stop not the Bleed­ing presently, repeat it with more Powder. By his description I judge these Vesses de Loup to be our Fuz-Balls.

A Cure of Bleeding, either at the Nose, or by a Bloudy Flux.

TAke two parts of the Moss growing on the skull of a dead man (pulled as small as you can with the fingers) and one part of Mastick (in Powder) mingle them well together; then make them into the consistence of a soft Plaster, with Gum Tragacanth brought into mucilage by steep­ing in Plantane and red Rose-water. Of this make a Plaster upon Linen or Leather, an inch and a half, or two inches long; and not so broad, to lay upon the veins of the Forehead at the joining to the Nose and along the Eye-brows, for bleeding at Nofe. But for a Bloody-Flux it must be as large as the palm of a hand, and round, to lay upon the Navil and all round about it. This last must be applied warmed a little.

Against Poison inward or outward, or for the stinging of venemous Beasts in Men or Beasts.

TAke the Leaves of black Corants in Powder one dram, give it in Wine or any thing. You may gather the leaves in Summer, and keep them dry all the year.

An approved Remedy for Spitting of Bloud.

TAke Cumfry-roots freshly gathered six ounces, Plantan-leaves twelve handfuls: Beat all well in a Mortar, and express the juice strongly by a Press; and with such quantity of Sugar more or less, as you intend to keep it long, or else use it quickly, make Syrup of it.

Take of this often in the day a spoonful or two at a time.

If you make the Syrup to be used presently, you need take but equal parts of Syrup and Juice: But if you would keep it the year about, then you should take two parts of Sugar to one of Juice.

You need not let the Juice settle to separate the the gross parts from it (which may be the best in this case.)

Remedium ad Fluxum immoderatum Sangui­nis Menstrualis.

TAke the Scull of a man, scrape of it one dram, put it into a glass of White-wine, let it infuse a night, and in the morning take it fasting. In two or three times taking it every two days, it will cure it.

Contra Fluorem album. Probat.

AFter due Purging give the Ceruss of Antimony twice or thrice a day, about fifteen granes for a dose in White-wine.

A Remedy for the Jaundise of any kind, Black or Yellow.

TAke eight ounces of chosen Corants well wash­ed and picked from all the little Stalks; put to them one ounce of Rhubarb in most subtile Powder; beat them together in a Mortar seven or eight hours. Take of this every morning fasting, and at night about the quantity of a Walnut. It purifieth the Blood and strengtheneth the Liver wonderfully, and (continued) carrieth away the peccant humors of the body.

For the Mother.

TAke twenty grains of the fixed Salt of a Plant called Stinking Orach, in White-wine or in Mugwort water, if the Patient be of a hot com­plexion.

For the Sinews and the Head.

TAke of the Chymical Oil made by Distilla­tion, of Sweet-Marjoram, of Nutmegs, of each three parts, and of Cloves one part. If you will have it liquid, leave it thus: but if thick, to be portable; make these into an. Ointment with the ordinary Oil of Nutmegs made by expres­sion; With this rub the Soles of the Feet, twice [Page 29] a week: As also the Perinaeum between the Anus and Scrotum, and the Scrotum and the Emunctories outsides of it.

This strengthneth Nature exceedingly.

For Deafness.

TAke Oil of bitter Almonds, Oil of Spiknard, of each fix drams, Juice of Onions, Juice of Rue, of each two drams, Black Hellebore half a scruple, Coloquint half a dram, Oil of Exceter two drams; boil this till the Juices be consumed; then take Wool, dip it in, and put it in the Ear. Be very cautious when and how you use this Medicine.

Another for the same.

TAke of wild Mint, mortisie and squeez it in the hand till it rendreth Juice; then take it with its Juice, and put it in the Ear, change it often; this will help the Deafness, if the person hath heard before.

For Deafness through Cold and humors clogging and benumming the Ears, causing sometimes pain in them; you may drop into the affected Ear one drop (no more) of Oil or Quintessence of Rosemary (which will not burn or pain them) and after it is soked in (by lying with that Ear up) stop the Ear slightly with Cotton or black Wool dipped in the Spirit of Rosemary. Repeat the drop after a day still as often as you find need.

For the Small Pox.

TAke two or three granes of Saffron, and dry it well by the fire, then make a little Bag of it in fine Linen, and infuse and press it in Posset-ale, Mace-ale or White-wine, till all the tincture and vir­tue be drawn out: give that to the Patient, and keep him warm. If he have soreness in the Throat, do thus: Boil a quarter of a spoonful of dried Saffron (in a little Bag) in half a pint of Milk till it be very yellow; in this boil a broad stay of Linen till it be throughly tincted, and put it warm and moist un­der the Throat, as if you pinned it to keep on a Coif. When this stag is cold and dry, take it off, and put on a new one, to which end you must have at least two, that one may heat in the Milk, whilst the other is pinned about the Throat. This will certainly take away all pain of the Throat in six or eight hours: you must not use Ointment or Grease to anoint the Scabs, but only plain ordinary un­guentum Album, when the Pustules begin to dry; and this hath preserved all my Children from any marks. Yet in this Disease the less you meddle, the better it is commonly for the Patient.

To drive the venemous Vapors from the Heart and Head in the Small-Pox, Measles, &c. with great success, with a familiar Julep or Emulsion, take the following.

TAke Seeds of Citron one ounce, Seeds of Car­duus Benedictus one ounce and an half: beat them well, and draw out all their Pulp with two pound of some fit Cordial-water, as of Scabious, [Page 31] Card. Bened. Marigold, or the like; and sweeten it with two or three ounces (as much as will serve) of Syrup of Citron: Drink of this as often as you have a mind to drink, a reasonable glass-full; to make it more Alexipharmacal to take now and then, make a Julep conteining Confect. Hyacinthi, or of Alkermes and Treacle-water, and diapho­retic Antimony, and prepared Pearl, and what else you think fit, and put a spoonful or too of this into a draught of the Emulsion. Use this with caution.

An infallible Remedy for the same.

IN a Wine-glass full of Sack dissolve as much Sheeps-dung newly taken out of the Sheeps­gut warm, as will make it pretty thick, yet so, that the Patient may drink it: Let him drink this, and lie quietly in his bed reasonably warm covered. This will make him sweat, and cause the Pox or Measles to come out kindly, and finish the cure very speedily.

To prevent Marks of the Small-Pox.

TO prevent pitting in the Small-Pox, boil Cream to an Oil, and with that anoint the wheals with a feather as soon as they begin to dry, and keep the Scabs always moist herewith: Make your face be anointed almost every half hour, not before they begin to be crusted.

An Experimented Remedy for the Falling-Sickness.

TAke of the Scull of a man, of Parings of Nails of Man, of each two ounces, reduce this to fine Powder, and grind it upon a Marble-stone, then take of Polypody of the Oak, Misletoe of the Oak, Misletoe of the Hasle-tree, Misletoe of Tile-tree, of each two drams, Peony-Root dried half an ounce; beat this all into fire Powder: Then take six ounces of fine Sugar, boil it to the consistence of Rose-Sugar; then mix all the Pow­ders with it, and let them well incorporate over the fire, stirring them well together, then take it from the fire, and make it into little Tablets, of which give one in the morning fasting, and ano­ther two hours after dinner, and one two hours after supper. Continue this whiles the Tablets last. Probat.

Another for the same.

Many persons have been cured of the Falling-Sickness by the following Remedy:

TAke Misletoe of an Oak, the Leaves, the Ber­ries, the sprouting Stalks and the solid Bran­ches; dry it gently in an Oven, then beat it into fine powder, of which give as much as will lie upon a shilling, for one of ripe years; for middle aged, a six pence; for a child, a groat; give it morning and evening in Cowslip-water, three days before and three days after the full of the Moon.

For the Falling-Sickness and Convulsion-Fits of Children.

TAke Peony-roots fresh digged, scrape of them with a Knife, and apply it to the soals of the feet.

To cause a good Delivery.

TAke a good large white Onion, or two lesser, peel and slice it, and in a Frying-pan, fry it with two or three spoonfuls of the best Sallet-oil till it be tender; then put all into a little Pipkin with half a glass-full of Water, and boil it well together, then strain it out, and drink that in the morning fasting. Continue this for a fortnight or three weeks immediately before the time expected for delivery. In a word you prepare this Broth just as if you would make a Pottage of Onions, ex­cept you put in no Salt; and that you use Oil in­stead of Butter: This course will so dispose the parts of the Woman with Child, that she shall be brought to bed with security and very little pain: And if the Child should be turned in the Mothers Belly, it will bring it to rights before labour. Wo­men that have had most dangerous labours till they took this, have had no difficulty afterwards.

For want of white Onions ordinary ones will do well.

A Receipt of the Labour-Powder.

TAke Date-stones, Amber, Saffron and Cumin-Seeds, beat and searse them all severally into very fine Powder; take of each as much as will [Page 34] lie upon a groat; but double so much of the Cu­min-Seed, mingle them all together, and when the Woman is in her greatest extremity give her a spoonful of it in Mace-ale: This is also very good to bring away the After-burthen.

To bring away the After-burthen, or any Foulness, or a dead Child, and to cure the After-throws and Griping, after a Woman is delivered.

TAke the inner skins (that are wrinkled) of Gizards of Hens that are laying of Eggs; wipe them clean and lay them by to dry: When you have need to use them, beat them to subtile Powder, of which give one dram for a dose in a little White-wine: you will see the effect in a short time. If it be needful you may repeat the dose once or twice the same day.

For torn Bladders.

A Person of credit told me, that he hath hung about the neck of women, who have had their Bladder dilacerated by unskilful Midwives in their Delivery, and made always their water with great torment, a little Bag containing some Powder of Toads calcined; so that the Bag lay al­ways upon the pit of the Stomach next the skin; and presently it took away all pain and inconveni­ences from that accident, as long as it hung there: but if you left off the Bag, the pain returned. A Bag continueth in force but a month; after so long time you must wear a fresh one.

To bring down a Womans Courses.

MAke the Sulphur of Antimony in this man­ner: Take Antimony, crude Tartar; beat them to small Powder and mingle them well: put them into a strong Crucible, and give fire by de­grees, at last extreme strong, in six hours all is done: Take out the matter and powder it small; pour store of warm water upon it, that it may dis­solve all that is dissolvable of the Calcination: filter it, and then pour upon it enough of distilled Vi­negar to precipitate all the Brimstone. Then (when it is well settled) pour off the supernatant Liquor, and dry the remaining Sulphur. Put a little of it to burn upon a Chafing-Dish of coals, and over it a Funnel with a long neck, which makes it enter up the body, and it will make the Courses come down.

For the Brest and Belly of Women lying in.

TAke Whales Spawn and pure white Virgin-Wax; melt the Wax first gently, then put the Sperma Ceti to it and incorporate them well toge­ther, at last put a little Spirit of Wine to them, and stir all well together, and take it from the fire, and dip in a linen cloth of the bigness of the Brests and of the Belly, to cover them completely all over: Those for the Brests must have a little hole in each, for the Nipples to come out. As soon as a Woman is delivered, she must put on these, and upon the Plaster of the Brests she must put some Flax picked loose, to cover all the Pla­sters over, and some Flax under the arm-holes, then cover the Flax upon the Plasters with other [Page 36] Linen: The Plaster on the Belly is to cover it all over, then she swatheth her body well: All this must be opened every morning, and turneth the Plaster on the other-side (for it is a Sear-cloth, and consequently both sides Plaster alike) and at the end of eight days take fresh Plasters for eight days more; after which time there needeth no more.

An admirable Sear-cloth for a sore Brest; Im­postumes, Fellons, green and old Cuts.

TAke half a pound of the best Virgins-Wax, half a pint of the Oil of Roses, half a pint of the Oil of Olives; melt them altogether, and let them stand till they are cold, then take half a pound of white Lead beaten fair; put it into the Oil and Wax, then set it over the fire, and let it boil half an hour; then take two ounces of Mastick, two ounces of Frankincense, two ounces of Myrrh, two ounces of Gum Olibanum, beat all the ounces very small; put them into the other Ingredients, and let them boil half an hour more: Then take a quarter of an ounce of Camphire, and put it in, stir it over the fire, and dip the Cloths thereih, and make it up in Rolls for use.

An Anodyne Pultis for Cancered Brests.

The first cataplasm that Mr. Bressieus applied to Mrs. Brents Cancered Brest when it began to break, was this,

TAke an old mellow Pippin, cut off a Cap at the top of it; and then take out the Core, leaving the sides of the Apple whole, that the melted Grease may not get out; fill that hole with Hogs-Grease, then cover it with the Cap, and set the Apple to rost, when it is well rosted to Pap (by [Page 37] which the Hogs-Grease will be imbibed into the substance of the Apple) take it and pare off all the Paring, and break and mingle perfectly all the Pap, that it may spread well, and be an uniform Pulp: Spread it thick upon Linen, and lay it warm upon the Sore, putting a Bladder over it. This is an excellent Cataplasm, to take away and cool, and dissolve the swelling and hardness, if it be dis­solvable; and if not, to make it break and sepa­rate with ease and without sharpness. This is to be changed every twelve or twenty four hours, ac­cording as it groweth dry.

For Hardness in Women's Brests.

FOr a month take continually a Purge of Jallap, and always put over all the Brest a Linen-Cloth that hath loose flocks of Flax stitched upon it, in such sort that there may be no hardness felt any where; let it be very thick and warm.

The way to take Jallap is to reduce a pound or more in one parcel of the wood into Powder, and mingle it well together, and keep it in a Glass close stopped: Then take half a dram or one dram or four scruples of it for a dose in White-wine and Sugar; and by this you may know certainly how all the whole quantity will work, that so you may encrease or diminish the dose to the need.

With this a Lady of great Quality cured her self.

For hard Brests in Women.

An adnirable Pultis that cured many Women of hard and sore Brests, is thus made.

TAke Turneps and boil them well in water, so that they be very tender, then take then out and squeeze out the water clean from them, beat them to mash, and mingle with them some good quantity of fresh Butter unsalted, and apply this warm to the Brest Pultis-wise upon a thick cloth very large; and change it morning and night. In three days it perfectly cureth, though before the pain and hardness hath been very great.

Another Medicine for the same is thus:

TAke Boars-grease and Aqua-vitae, melt them together, with that foment the Brest well; then take a Pewter large broad Porringer, or very large deep Saucer, or deep little Dish, that may enclose and contain the Brest, and warm it well, and so put it upon the Brest, and tie it on all night. In the day-time it is inconvenient to keep on the Porringer; but if you could have it always there, it were much the better; Dress it with this Oint­ment morning and evening. No metal but Tin will-serve.

For the Tetters.

TAke Venice Turpentine one ounce, make it to an Ointment by washing in Rose-water; then melt two pennyworth of white Virgin-wax over a Chafing-dish of coals; put the Turpentine to it, and add one ounce of Oil of sweet Almonds to it, [Page 39] take it from the fire and beat it to the consistence of an Ointment. Anoint your Tetters with it.

For Aches in any part of the Body, even in Womens Brests.

CAuse a Dyer to dye you some thick spongy Flannel of the blue color called Coventry-blue. When it is dry, dye it again; dye it thus five times, at last the Dye will be so deep, that it will look almost black, lay of it on a good deal beyond the pained part on all sides; keep it thus conti­nually covered, and warm with it.

A Remedy for the Piles or Hemorrhoids.

When the Hemorrhoids are exceedingly swelled, (chiesty outwardly) the Cure of them is thus:

TAke a little Cotton-Wooll, dip it in Oil or Quintessence of Rosemary, and with that wipe gently over the swelled Vein, (which sometimes will be as big as a large Cherry) and after an hour or two, moisten the Vein again with the faid Oil; doing thus three or four times at like intervals: It smarts a little for the present. After two or three or four times fomenting thus, the swelled Vein will break and much foul matter run out, and he shall have present ease, and in a little while it will grow whole; and after the breaking, it hindreth not his going abroad about his business: The Patient needeth the Oil no more, after the Sore is bro­ken: for it will then be too sharp.

Another for the same[?].

TAke about a spoonful of the sa of Eel, and near as much of the yolk of a new-laid Egg, and beat them very well together to an Ointment: In this roll a Tent, so as to make it take up as much as you can, and put it into the Fundament, and lay also a Pledget covered with the like Ointment up­on the outward swelling, and this will give some case presently. Change your Tents and Pledgets as they grow dry and hot, and in a small time the Veins will open and run, and it will be well.

The fat of Eel is made by boiling one or more Eels in water, and then skimming off the fat that swimmeth at the top: Or if you rost an Eel, take the fat that droppeth from it, so it be mixed with nothing else.

A Plague Cordial.

TAke a pound of the Leaves of Wood-Sorrel, and pound them by themselves half an hour; then take three pound os fine Sugar beaten small, and mix these together, and keep it stirring into the Wood-Sorrel for three hours more, keeping still pounding, and then take four ounces of Mithri­date or London-Treacle; pound them altogether half an hour longer, which makes four hours toge­ther, then keep them close stopt in a Gally-Pot. In time of Infection in a morning fasting: Take as much as a great Nutmeg; and if stricken with any disease at the heart, or pain in the stomach, take the same quantity, and go to bed, and put your self into an easie sweat for one hour; and you will find excellent effects by it. Prob.

For the same.

TAke the best Brandy-wine, and leaves of red Poppy that grows among the Corn (Papaver Rheas) of each one pound, you are to extract the Tincture of the Poppy with the Brandy; but you must not put all together at once, but thus: Put four ounces of the Poppy-leaves to the whole pint of the Spirit of Wine, and let them infuse toge­ther till you judge it hath extracted all the tin­cture, and then the leaves themselves will be in some degree dissolved: Then press out all the Li­quor, and throw away the remaining feces. Into this thick liquor put four ounces of fresh Poppy­leaves, and do all as before: so do twice more till you have the tincture out of the whole pound of the Leaves, which if you should do at once, would not proceed well, because the Leaves are light and take much room: Into this Liquor put two ounces of good old Venice-Treacle, and make it dissolve therein; take two or three spoonfuls of it in a little Sack or Mace-Ale: It driveth out the Infection powerfully.

To preserve one in time of Infection, eat a little of the tops of Rue with Bread and Butter, in a morning: Or, eat a little old strong Cheese with Bread and Butter (and a little Rue with it, if you please) and drink a glass of stomachal Claret-wine, or Wine and Water after it.

Another Excellent Remedy for the Plague.

TAke a pound of the Leaves of Wood-Sorrel, and pound them by themselves half an hour; Then take three pound of fine Sugar beaten small, [Page 42] and mix these together, and keep it stirring by little and little into the Wood-Sorrel for three hours more, pounding them all that while: Then take four ounces of Mithridate, and pound it with the rest half stopped in a Gally-Pot. In time of Infection take in a Morning fasting as much as a Nutmeg; and if you fear you have taken any Infe­ction, take almost as much more, and go to bed, and procure sweat for an hour.

Another Antidote.

TAke a little, almost half a Glass-full of your own water, (of the mornings water) heat with two or three spoonfuls of it a little Rue and a little Smallage, not half a handful of each; squeez out all their juice hard. Drink this Wine and Juice fasting.

An excellent Plague-Water.

TAke Rue, Egrimony, Wormwood, Celandine, Sage, Balm, Mugwort, Dragons, Pimpernel, Marigold, Fetherfew, Burnet, Sorrel, Scabius, Wood-Betony, Brown-mugwort, Avens, Tormentil, Carduus Benedictus, of each one handful, and as much more of Rosemary as any of these, Angelica, Burdocks, green Walnuts: Shred all these very small; then pour upon them as much White-wine as will cover them; then slice into a glass a quarter of a pound of Enula Campana Roots: Let all these infuse three days, stirring them every twelve hours, cover them close, then still them in an ordinary Glass-body, but lay it not above an inch thick in the bottom. Save the first running by itself.

For Worms in Children.

TAke one dram and half of the best running Mercury, put it into a Bolts-head, and spit fasting-spittle upon it (from a wholsom mouth) and shake it well: Then pour off the spittle from it, and wash the Mercury clean with warm milk seve­ral times, casting away the milk as long as it con­tracts any stain or soulness or fullying from the Mercury: Then let the Child swallow this Mercury in a spoon with a little warm milk upon it, and drink a little more warm milk after it. Do thus twice or thrice, intermitting two or three days be­tween every dose.

For Worms in the Belly or Stomach.

TAke an Apple of Coloquintida, and split it in the middle into two halfs: fry one of them very well in good store of the Gall of an Ox, till it be very tender and pappy, and have imbibed into itself a good quantity. Then apply it warm (as hot as he can well endure it) to the Navel of the Child or Man at the hour of their going to bed, and tie it on fast with a convenient Bandage, that it may keep it on fast from stirting all night: When they rise, they may take it off: Next e­vening repeat the same again with fresh materials. Do thus three nights in all: This will kill any Worms in the guts or maw, be they never so ma­ny or dangerous. Often approved.

An Excellent Plaster for the Stomach, that hath done such notable Cures, is thus:

SPread Mithridate pretty thick upon thin Lea­ther, and lay upon it all over some grated Nutmeg, laid also pretty thick on; and cover this with another Leather like the former, sowing them together round about, and lay this to the pit of the Stomach, and keep it on. One Plaster will serve many days. Use to cut off the upper part of a white Kids-skin Glove, about a good hands bredth, and sow it together at one end; then spread the Mithridate upon it; then strew on the Nutmeg, then turn the Glove, so that the Plaster is between two Leathers, then sow the other end together, and so apply it: The bigness of the Plaster is to be about a hands bredth round. It is excellent for all Indigestions and Weakness of the Stomach; which cause Loosnesses.

To take Warts away.

TAke green Leaves of Marigold, and beat them to mash in a Mortar, so that upon pres­sing it the Juice be apt to come out. With this Juice-mash rub your Warts well three or four times a day.

Another for the same.

TAke some fat Bacon, and rub the Warts with it; and then hang it in the Sun to dry.

For Phrensie.

I Was assured by a Person of credit, that one cu­red a Woman that had been mad some years, by giving her a draught of the Juice of the Herb Ground-Ivy or Gil go by ground, at once taking: And they tried it afterwards upon several others, and it had always the same infallible effect.

For Head-achs, sore Eyes, Fellons, &c.

BOil a good handful of the Leaves of Ground-Ivy (it may be had fresh all the year) in a quart of Ale to a pint, give half in the morning fasting, and half at night going to bed: It is admirable to cure all Head-achs, Pains, Inflam­mations and Defluxions in the Eyes, Jaundises, Coughs of the Lungs, Consumptions, Spleen, Stone and Gravel, and all Obstructions. The Herb stam­ped and applied to a Fellon like a Plaster or Cata­plasm, cureth it marvellously and speedily. It is admirable for old Sores, in which you may add a little Copperas and Honey, if they need clean­sing: you may make an Ointment of it.

For Leprosie and Squinansie.

TAke a Pint of the Juice of Housleek, and half a pint of Verjuice, with these and a pint and a half of Milk make Posset-drink: of which give half a pint in the morning and as much at night: but to do better, be drinking of it all day long; so that you drink up this proportion in twenty four hours. It cureth the Leprosie, the Squinansie, the painful white Swellings in the Knees, and any Aches.

An experimented Remedy for the Stone.

A certain Person at Rome was sick of a great Stone in his Bladder, who after many Remedies taken in vain, was resolved to be Cut; having agreed with the Operator: This following Remedy was proposed to him by a Priest, of whom he received the Sacra­ment, who had made trial upon himself and many others. It is thus:

TAke a good quantity of Millepedes, wash them with white Wine, then put them into a glased Pot, lute and close it well, and set it in an Oven to dry the Millepedes: Then reduce them to fine Powder; then put to this Powder as much white Wine as it will drink up; then put it in the Oven again as before, which repeat three times; then take this Powder, and mix it with Strawberry­water, and a scruple of Oil of Vitriol, and dry it once more in the Oven; then keep it in a Glass close stopped. Of this Powder the Patient took four scruples, and half an ounce of Aqua Vitae mixt with some fit Broth or other appropriated Vehicle, in the morning fasting; the effect of it was thus: The Patient found himself in great pains, and was much tormented, for the space of two hours; and after five hours past he made a little Urin, but ve­ry thick: The second day having taken this Medi­cin again, his Urin was much thicker than the first. The third day he avoided a great deal of Sand; but the seventh day he avoided so much Sand that his Urin was full of it: And the nineth day the Patient was perfectly cured from his Stone.

Another excellent Remedy for the Stone.

TAke the Berries of Hawthorns, and dry them; then beat them to Powder, and searse them finely; take a spoonful of this Powder in a glass­full of White-wine in the morning fasting.

Another for the same.

TAke Parsnips, boil them in fair Water; drink of this water one glass-ful in the morning fast­ing, and one at night going to bed, and all the day long drinking nothing else. Continue this six weeks.

Another for the same.

TAke the White of a new-laid Egg, beat it in­to an Oil, then let it stand a quarter of an hour to settle; then take away the Scum and mix the White with two spoonfuls of White-wine, four spoonfuls of red Rose-water, then put to this one ounce of white Sugar-candy in Powder, stir it well together and take it in the morning fasting, and another at night going to bed. Continue this six or seven days.

Another for the same.

TAke the Juice of sowr Limons, Oil of sweet Almonds drawn without fire, of each one ounce; beat the Oil and the Juice together; then mix it with half a pint of White-Wine. Take of this a glass-full or half a glass, according to the age or force of the Patient, three days before and as many after the full of the Moon.

A Compounded Hydrosaccharum for the Stone.

TAke four Gallons of Running-Water, four pound of fine Sugar in powder; Eringo Roots sliced one pound, Raisins of the Sun stoned one pound, a branch of fresh Rosemary. Boil these all together till half be consumed; then work it up with a little Yest, then tun it, and put the Peel of a fresh Limon into it: After it hath done working, you may bottle it, if you please. Of this drink morning and evening, and whensoever you are a dry.

Another excellent one for the same.

TAke a spoon-full of Oil of sweet Almonds, three spoonfuls of Juice of Limons, two spoon­fuls of Aqua Vitae, three spoonfuls of fine Sugar mix all these well together by shaking them in a Bottle, then take it in the morning fasting. It hath done great effects.

A certain Remedy for Retention of Urin.

TAke two handfuls of Water-Cresses, twenty four of the Seeds of Alkakingi, two great white Onions cut in four quarters, two good hand­fuls of Cremor Tartari; put all these together into a leaded Pot, pour upon it a good quart of White­wine, let it boil till half a pint be consumed. Take of this a glass-full in the morning fasting, and another at night, and you shall be cured.

Another for Retention of Urin.

MAke a strong Decoction of Horse-radish roots in White-wine, put to it a little Hares Wooll dried in powder. Drink of this Decoction morn­ing and night. You will see the effects of it spee­dily.

Another approved Remedy for the Stone and Gravel.

TAke a spoonful of Virgin-Honey, the whitest you can get, and mix it with a glass-full of Juniper-berry water; take this in the morning fasting, and continue taking it for some time, and it will bring away the Stone and Gravel, and will open the passage of Urin wonderfully.

Another for the Stone and Gravel, and for Strangury of Urin.

TAke the Fat of a Buck-Rabbet, melt it and anoint the Back and Reins with it. This will open the Passage of Urin wonderfully. A Child was cured with this; so that in twenty four hours it made four Pots full of Urin.

A Frier in France, much troubled with stoppage of Urin and Viscosities; (which they called the Stone.)

WAs taught to take one dram of Carrot-seeds (he said the wild Carrot-seeds are better) and bruise them a little, and put upon them a draught of White-wine in a Bottle close stopped. [Page 50] Run the clear next morning through a Linen, and drink that. This once preserved him from all inconveniences of Urin for half a year. When the Disease grew again upon him, he took again this Remedy.

An approved Remedy for the Pleurisie.

TAke an Apple, and open it at the top to take out the Coar, then fill it with white Frankin­cense; then stop it again close with the same piece you cut out at the top, and rost it in hot Ashes; then beat it to mash, and give it the Patient to eat.

A Remedy for the Sciatica or Rheumatism.

TAke Storax liquid, yellow Wax, new Pitch, Honey, of each four ounces; Cinamon, Pep­per, of each one ounce; put all these (in Powder) together into a new Pot, and let it boil but one walm, stirring it carefully all the while: then take it from the fire, and put into it four ounces of Aloes, and one ounce of Oil of Lilies, stir them well together to make them incorporate; then put the Pot again upon some hot Ashes, and stir it until it be of the consistence of an Ointment, which spread warm upon Leather and apply it; but if your Disease be in a whole Thigh, then you may spread it upon a whole Lamb-skin.

You may leave it on seven or eight days, if it requireth. If the Disease come again, put the Plaster on again.

This Medicin will keep a long time.

To Cure the Hot and Cold Gout.

TAke a good quantity of the Insect called Cock­chaffers, in the month of May, upon which (in Powder) put rectified Spirit of Salt to be two or three fingers bredth over the Powder; digest till the Spirit be tincted deep red; then pour off that, and put on more, which digest again. Re­peat this till the Powder giveth no more tincture, doing in such sort that you employ no more Spirit than is necessary to extract the Tincture; which filter so often till it leaveth no more feces. Then dissolve two ounces of Salt of Tartar in a sufficient quantity of Spirit of Salt, then filter it, then mix these two tinctures together, and digest them eight days in a gentle heat, then separate it from the feces by filtration, and keep it in a Glass close stopped. The manner of using this liquor, is thus; Begin with a little dose, as two or three drops, so little a one that it may cause no sharpness of Urin. Take it in Hydromel or Small-Beer. The next day take one drop more, so increasing till you find a little sharpness; which you will do the third or fourth or fifth day. The next day rest and take some Diaphoretic, the next day purge. The next take again the same dose of the liquor as you did the last day; continue that three days. Then as the for­mer time, resting and purging. Repeat this course till you are well; continuing always the same dose of the liquor, which by a little pricking of Urin you found to be the due one.

The Purge which the Patient is to take, is thus; The day before, take Reifin of the Root of Jallap twenty or twenty four granes, Crystal or Cremor of Tartar ten or twelve granes; mix these with Sy­rup [Page 52] of Roses, and take it in the morning. This will purge both the hot and cold Gout by Stools.

During this course the Patient is to eat no salt meat nor fish; besides he should drink nothing but Tisanne or Small-Beer that day he taketh the Li­quor or Tincture.

An excellent Plaster for the Gout.

TAke Rosin of Pine, common Rosin, yellow Wax, of each four ounces, Colophona half an ounce, Stags or Does-grease five drams; melt all these together, and then take Cloves two drams, Croci Orient. one dram and half, Olibani one ounce, Mace two drams; reduce all these to Powder, and stir it in with the rest: Then take it from the fire, and mix with it by little and little a pint of Alicam Wine, and make it well incorporate together. Spread this upon Leather of such a bigness as you will have it, and so apply it, leaving it on until it grow loose of itself.

Another excellent Plaster for the Gout.

TAke the whitest part of Pigeons-dung, Mu­stard, of each a like quantity, temper this with White-wine Vinegar; then take the Grease of a Puppy-dog, so much as will make it an Oint­ment or Salve, set it over a gentle Fire, and put into it a handful of shred Parsly; let it stew easily the space of an hour; then take Garden-Snails, and stamp them in a Mortar, then squeez out all the Juice of them through a Cloth, which mix with the Ointment and apply it.

For the Kings-Evil.

A most contumacious foul inveterate Kings-Evil (seve­ral times touched by the King, and wrought upon by the best Chirurgeons; and given over as desperate) was perfectly cured thus:

TAke Garden-Snails that have white or gray Houses upon them, and beat them in a Mortar with a little Parsly into the consistence of a Plaster, and so apply it to the Sore or Sores, and change it every twenty four hours. This is also good to take away the raging Pain of the Gout.

An approved Remedy for Ruptures.

TAke Solomon's Seal, Agrimony, Milt-wast, Maiden-Hair, (which is the Capil. Veneris) Roots of Straw-berries, of each one handful: Pick and wash them well, then stamp them, and boil them in two quarts of good White-wine the space of two hours; but let the Vessel be well stopped, that nothing may expire. Then strain the liquor, pressing it hard through a Linen, and drink of this Tisanne a good glass-full in the mor­ning fasting, and an hour after drink another; and continue this (taking two glass-fuls every mor­ning) till you are cured. The use of this cured a Lady of a great Rupture in a fortnights space; and likewise several others.

Another for the same.

A Child was cured of a Rupture thus: Take Cow-Dung, warm it well before the fire, and so lay it as a Cataplasm upon Leather, and strow upon it some Cummin-Seeds, and so apply it hot to the Rupture: When it is grown cold, put on a new one. This Course they continued two days (in Bed,) and the Child was perfectly cured, and also many others. It is excellent, especially when it is a windy Ru­pture.

An excellent Remedy for the Cankers in the Mouth.

TAke nine leaves of Succory, and as much of long Plantan, and as many leaves of Rue; boil these in fair water with a spoonful of Hony the space of a quarter of an hour. Then take it off, and with the liquor gargarise your Mouth, and likewise drink of it, and with the Herb rub the inside of your Mouth.

For a Fellon.

TAke Garden-Snails, and beat them in a Mor­tar, shells and bodies and all, till they be smooth and like an uniform Unguent; then ap­ply this like a Pultis, and when it beginneth to stink, (which it will do in few hours) change it.

An Ointment for Burning.

TAke Cows-Dung, and put to it a sufficient quantity of Sein doux (Hogs-Grease) fry or boil them together till they are well incorpora­ted: Then strain the Liquor through a Napkin; and when it is cold, you will have a green Oint­ment, which is excellent for Burnings.

A most excellent red Balsam or red Salve.

TAke the best Sallet-Oil three pound, Venice Turpentine one pound, yellow Wax half a pound, Red Sanders two drams, Dragons Blood six penny-worth. Wash the Turpentine well in Rose-water, and the Oil in Sack; then boil the Oil, Turpentine and Wax, to the Consumption of the Sack; then put in the red Sanders and San­guis Draconis; boil it a while, keeping it stirred continually, then take it off and strain it.

It is excellent for any Bruises or Inflammation.

It will draw Bones, Slivers or Thorns, dead flesh, or whatsoever festereth.

It is excellent for Aches in the Bones or Sinews.

It is excellent for Burnings.

It helpeth the Head-ach by anointing the Tem­ples and Nostrils with it.

It is also admirable for the Colic and Stitch in the side, being applied with hot cloths.

A dram of it being taken inwardly in a little warm Milk, is excellent for any inward Bruises, Cough of the Lungs, for Surfeits and any inward grief.

It is very good against any Poison.

Another Excellent Ointment for Wounds or Sores in Man or Beast.

TAke Rosin, yellow Wax, of each a like quan­tity: Melt it with a soft fire, then put into it half a pound of Hogs-grease, which being mel­ted, put into it a spoonful of Honey, and half a pound of Turpentine, stir it well together half a quarter of an hour. Then take it from the fire, and put into it one ounce of Verdigrease in most subtile Powder; stir it well together a pretty while, then put it over a soft fire again, but take heed it boil not: As soon as it beginneth to sim­per, take it from the fire and strain it through a Cloth; then put it into an Earthen Pot and keep it for use.

This is also a most sovereign Ointment to mundi­fie and heal any foul inveterate Wound, be they never so festered with dead, proud, spongy or naughty Flesh. It healeth suddenly and abun­dantly.

It draweth Thorns, Nails, Splinters, Slivers and all things in the flesh.

Another excellent Green Ointment to be made in May, which cureth all sorts of Strains, Swellings, Aches, Bruises, Kibes, Cuts, Cramps, Burnings and Scaldings. It ea­seth the Sciatica. It is also excellent for all Swellings in the Face and Throat, yea though they look red and have an Ague in them.

TAke young Bay-leaves, Wormwood, of each half a pound, red Sage, Rue, (gathered in the heat of the day) of each one pound; beat them very small in a Mortar. Then take four pound of Sheeps Suet new killed and picked from the skin. Work this well together with your stamped Herbs, till they be well incorporated, then put to them a Pottle of good Sallet-Oil; work it well with your hands, till it become all of one softness and colour; then put it into a new earthen Pan, and let it stand covered eight days; then boil it over a soft fire the space of four hours, stirring it well all the while; then put into it four ounces of the Oil of Spike and let it boil about four hours more. You will know when it is boiled enough by putting a drop upon a Plate, when it appeareth of a very fair green. Then take it from the fire and strain it through a new Canvas. Keep it close stopped in a Gally-Pot. It will last seven or eight years.

An approved Remedy for Biting of a mad Dog.

TAke a quart of Ale, and a dram of Treacle, a handful of Rue, a spoonful of shavings or filings of Tin. Boil these all together, till half be consumed. Take of this two spoonfuls in the mor­ning, and at night cold.

It is excellent for Man or Beast.

A most precious Ointment for all manner of Aches and Bruises; and also for the Redness of the Face.

TAke Violet, Primrose, Elder, Cowship, Leaves and Flowers. Sage, Mugwort, Ragweed, white Lilies, St. John's wort, Ncp, Smallage, Marjoram, Lavender, Sothern­wood, Rosemary, Rose-leaves, Rue, Fetherfew, Tan­sie, Lovage, Mint, Camomil, Thyme, Dill, Clary, Oak of Jerusalem, Pemroial, Hyssop, Balm, white Mint, Marigold, Peony-leaves, Bay-leaves, Saffron, of each one handful. Stamp all these in a Stone-Mortar, as you get them, then put them into a Pottle of Sallet-Oil, and so let them infuse there till you have all the rest together; for you cannot get them all at one time, but get them as fast as you can. Then put to them and the Oil, a quart of White-wine, and set it over the fire, and boil it to the Consumption of the Wine; then take it off and strain it; then put it into a Glass and keep it for use.

When you anoint any Sore with this, do it by the fire-side, chasing it well in; and then lay a Hogs-bladder next to it, and a Linen upon that.

A most excellent Ointment for a Gangrene and all foul Diseases of the Skin.

TAke good yellow Wax, Gum of Pine, or in­stead of that, take Colophony, Rosin, of each one pound in powder. Melt the Wax first, and when it is well melted, put into it your Rosin, stir it well the space of two hours over a gentle fire; then put your Colophony into it, and keep it still stirring with a wooden Spatule to make it well in­corporate over a gentle fire that it may not burn your drugs: When you see that they are well in­corporated, keep it still stirring the space of an hour; then take it from the fire, and put a pound of fresh Butter into it, that hath no Salt in it, which work well into it without fire, stirring it continu­ally the space of a quarter of an hour, after which put half an ounce of Verdigrease into it in most subtil Powder, work it well in also by stirring it continually the space of an hour and half. When you see that all is well incorporated, which you will know when you see that the Verdigrease ap­peareth green; then put it upon hot ashes, and stir it well for half an hour, but take heed it boil not, for so it would be spoiled. Then strain it, and keep it in a leaded Pot for use.

A most excellent Water for a Gangrene, to be used with the aforesaid Ointment.

TAke fine Sugar four ounces, round Aristoloch cut in Rolls, pare off their shells, and wash them three or four times in White-wine, then take two quarts of the best White-wine, and put it together with the Sugar and Aristoloch into a [Page 60] Vessel; which lute very close that the Spirits may not expire. Let it boil very gently till a third part be consumed; then take it from the fire, and when it is cold, strain it through a Linen Cloth, pressing it well to have the substance out of it, which put into a Fiol, and keep it for use.

The manner of Using those foresaid Ointment and Water, is thus:

PUt some of the Water in a dish, and warm it over a Chafing-dish of Coals; then dip some fine Linen or Cotton in it, and bathe the sore part with it, and three or four fingers bredth about the inflammation of it; then spread a Plaster of the Ointment, and lay it on; then lay a Linen sour double dipped in the Water upon that. Dress it thus every six hours. When you see that a Cir­cle forms itself between the good and bad flesh (which is a sign that the Gangrene looseneth itself from the sound flesh) then take away by little and little the mortified flesh, continuing dressing of it till you see a perfect cure.

The foresaid Water is also excellent for all old and rotten Ulcers, the swelling of any member or sinews, rubbing them with it, and chafing it in be­fore the fire, and putting a Linnen four double dipped in it upon the Sore.

It is also excellent for any interior grief or pain being taken inwardly; but for that, it will not serve above eight days, for it groweth too bitter; but for any other operation it is always good. It is an excellent Preservative against the Plague, and for any Poison, taking three spoonfuls of it mor­ning and night going to bed.

It is also excellent for any Bruises by a stick, stone or by a fall.

It is an excellent Remedy for the Biting of a mad Dog, for stinging of Scorpions, Vipers and Ser­pents, opening the wound if it be not large enough, and bathing it with it, and dressing it with the fore­said Ointment, as you are directed above.

You may give the Patient (in the beginning) three or four spoonfuls of it inwardly during three or four days.

This Water and Ointment are also excellent for a Horse sarcys.

Monsieur Trear the famous Chirurgeon at Paris hath done great and admirable Cures with the fore­said Ointment and Water.

Sir Kenelm Digby transcribed them (with several other rare Receipts which are in this Book) out of his Book that his Widow lent him.

A Purge which he used to give the Patient during his Cure.

TAke two quarts of White-wine, four ounces of Sena well cleansed, two ounces of Thyme or Serpiles, one ounce of Pithemus': put all these to­gether in a glazed Pot, which stop well, and let it infuse the space of forty hours. This quantity will serve for nine times taking. You may take some Broth after it.

Another Excellent VVater for a Gangrene, with which Monsieur D'Alance doth such wonder­ful Cures in Gangrenes.

TAke Frankincense, Mastick, Cloves, Galangle, Cinamon, Cubebs, of each two ounces, Lignum Aloes one ounce, Venice Turpentine two ounces: Put all these into a Retort, and let them infuse the space of twenty four hours: then distil it in Balneo Mariae till you have two Waters; the first will be clear, the second whitish. The clear Water is admirable in a Gangrene; bathing the Sore with it warm, and laying a Linen four double dipped in it upon the Sore, and so changing it every six hours. But because the clear water keepeth not so well alone, you may mingle it with the second, and so use them both together.

Monsieur Belieur cured the Gangrene, and all old Ulcers, Cankers, Pocky Sores, and Cancers, &c. with the Oil of Gold made thus:

TAke Spirit of Salt two parts, Spirit of Salt-Peter one part; in this dissolve as much Gold as it will dissolve: distil off very gently the liquor in Balneo Mariae till the Gold remain in a Crystalline Gum or Salt, then let it resolve to liquor in the air of itself; then distil again and resolve. Repeat this till it congele no more, but remain a deep high coloured liquor. Dip a Straw in this Oil, and touch all round about the borders of the Sore with it. With this he cured a very malignant Ulcer in a [Page 63] Leg (that had been there above three years) in the space of ten days; and also a Cancer in a Wo­mans cheek in fifteen days space, that other Chirur­geons (without hope of cure) had given over. With this he cured also a Woman (that had 17 Cankers in her private parts, that had been so some years, and without hope of Cure) in fifteen days.

A Cure for a Gonorrhea.

THe next day after the Purgation of Sena, Clary, Diaprunae laxativae, in White-wine, as you know. Take this following: Take Trochisci Ala­hand. half an ounce in most subtil Powder. Infuse it in a pint of good Spirit of Wine in a large Bolts­head close stopped, set it in bloud-warm Ashes or Sand, or rather a little hotter, the space of twenty four hours, shaking it well as often as you can; then pour it from the feces, and let it stand till it be very clear. Take of this one ounce after your Purge, continuing taking it two days together; but if it be too hot, mix it with a little pure Canary-Sack. The third day take the Purge again. Re­peat till you are well.

An expedite Cure for a Gonorrhea.

PUrge the Patient very well three or four times, and give him smoothing Emulsions. Then take Venice Turpentine, wash it well with Rose-water, and make it into a reasonable thick body for Bolus's with subtil Powder of Mastick; about the fourth part will serve. Take of this every morning fast­ing two or three drams, and drink upon it a good draught of new milk, if you fup not. Do the like at night going to bed.

A Way to cure Venereal[?] Cankers.

APply to them the ordinary Suppurative, which is Basilicon, with a fitting proportion of Mer­cury dulcis ground to most subtil Powder, mingled with it. This will suppurate it, and draw out all the Venereal venom, and heal it without any scar or hardness: whereas if you touch the Cancers with Spirit of Vitriol or Sulphur, it will make a scar, and then the venom not being able to run out, it will work inwards, and may make the Pox, and will make hardness in the place of Sores. If you cannot come to anoint or lay a Plaster upon the sore parts, syringe it with Rose and Plantan-water, in which you have put a good quantity of Mercury dulcis in most subtil Powder, and make the Syringe suck up the Powder of Mercury. This will quickly allay the Inflammation and Pain, and kill the Poi­son, that you may afterwards finish the Cure with your Basilicon and Mercury dulcis.

For Contusions or Bruises.

AFter Mr. Craquenel's broken Leg was knit, he wore all the day during some time a laced Stockin of Dogs-skin, and at night (to discuss the humors and swelling, and to strengthen the part) he spred very thick upon stupes some Honey, and laid that to it, after he had first bathed the part with Spirit of Wine, and sprinkled also the Honey with Spirit of Wine. This is a great discussive of humors. A Boy fell upon his face, and a knob as big as an Egg swelled presently upon his Forehead and Temple: they laid this Remedy to it, and by next morning it was well. It is for Contusions and [Page 65] Swellings thereupon; but not where there is solu­tion of continuity.

The Spirit of Wine is much better for this, if it be first well impregnated with the Tincture of Hypericon.

For any kind of Tetters, Herpes, &c.

DIssolve two ounces of running Mercury in four ounces of the best Aqua fortis, pour upon the solution a quart of fair water, in which is dissolved two handfuls of Salt, and then filtered. This will make the Mercury fall down to the bottom in a white Calx. When it is well settled, pour off the clear water; which keep for your use. Pour the remain­ing milky thick substance upon one pound of Hogs­grease melted in an earthen Pot. The Grease must be very hot when you pour in the dissolved Mercury; but take the Pot from the Fire when you pour the Mercury to it; and stir it well all the while you are pouring it in, and when it is all in, set the Pot upon the fire again to boil the Grease, till all the moisture of the Mercurial Substance and Solution is evaporated away; but be sure you stir it very well all the while; as also after you take it from the fire (which you do as soon as the moisture is gone) till the Grease is cold and hardned.

The way of using this Ointment and Water to cure all sorts of Tetters or Herpes, or any scabby Itches, or inflamed red Faces or Noses is thus: First, if the evil be very great, purge and let bloud very strongly. Then begin with the Water: rub the Tetters and all about it with Linen dipped in the Water made as hot as you can endure it; and when you have rubbed and bathed it well, lay up­on it Compresses wetted in the Water. Do thus [Page 66] twice a day for two or three days or more, till you see it hath drawn out the Salt humor abundantly, and that the part is much inflamed and very sore, and hath little holes or ulcers eaten in it. Present­ly after the first washing it will grow very sore and inflamed; therefore you must not afterwards rub it so hard as at first, but very gently. Some Sores will require that you use the water five or six days, others more, tender ones two or three days. When you judge that the Water hath drawn out sufficiently the violent matter; then anoint with the Grease as hot as you can endure it, and lay on it a Plaster of the same Ointment, binding it on.

This Ointment will presently asswage the pain, and take away the Inflammation. Dress it with it twice or thrice a day. Much matter will run from the Sore as from an Ulcer; and by little and little it will heal up. And that which is wonderful is, that whereas one would think that such deep holes as the Water will have eaten, should leave Scars, there will not appear the least mark of them; but a fine new tender natural skin will come over it all.

Monsieur Trear's Excellent Medicinal Stone of great Virtues.

TAke white Vitriol half a pound, green Vitriol one pound, Alum one pound and half, com­mon Salt three ounces; Salt of Tartar, Armoise Mugwort, Cichory, Plantan, Arsmart, of each half an ounce; Myrrh, Frankincense, of each four oun­ces; Salt of Wormwood half an ounce. Reduce all these to most subtil Powder. Then put them into a new glased Pot, and pour upon them a good quantity of Rose Vinegar. Then put it up­on [Page 67] a soft fire, and stir it continually, till you see that it begin to thicken; then put into it half a pound of Cerussa Veneta in subtil Powder; keep it stirring over a gentle fire till it grow to a Stone. Then take it off and keep it for use.

This Stone (a piece of it) being dissolved in Rain or River-water (warmed, and the affected part bathed with it, and a Linen laid on four double dipped in this water) will cure any foul inveterate Wound, or any old and rotten Ulcer.

It cureth any Defluxion, and comforteth the sore part.

It cureth any Ulcer or Canker in the mouth.

It fastneth loose Teeth, and hindreth putrefa­ction of the Gums.

It cureth the Noli me tangere, or any Ulcer in the Throat, warming a little of this water, and garga­rising your mouth with it.

It cureth any Fistula's and Chilblains on Feet.

It is an exceeding good Remedy for all sorts of Impostumes.

It is exceeding good for any Burning or Scal­ding.

It is an excellent Remedy for any Cancer in the Brest. In fine, its Virtues are innumerable.

To dry up Sharp Humors with ones own Water.

A Certain Lady had an humor broke out at the lower part of her heel, which neither Physicians with Purgings and Diet-drinks, nor Chi­rurgeons with Ointments could heal and dry up: it was healed in three or four Fomentations with her own Urin newly made and some white Salt dissolved in it, all warmed, and then with Linens [Page 68] doubled foment the place by the fire-side, for a quarter of an hour; then bind on a clean dry Li­nen and compress to it. Do thus morning and night. This is also excellent for Kibes and Chil­blains, even after they are broken; and if used be­fore they are broken, it will prevent them.

It is exceeding good to wash and bath ones feet and back-sinews with ones own water warmed. It strengthneth and suppleth them.

An Experimented Vulnerary Potion or Wound-Drink.

TAke leaves of the large Comfrey, Agrimony, Armoise Mugwort, of each two handfuls; herb Robert 3 handfuls, Mumia half an ounce, Pauls Betony or Speedwel six handfuls; make a Decoction of this with White-wine and Water in a Vessel close stopt.

Then pour off as much as you can of the clear; then distil the remaining matter. Then add the distilled Water to the Decoction. Take of this a little Glassful in the morning fasting, and as much at four of the clock in the afternoon.

This hath cured a Gentlewoman of an Ulcer in the Reins, in six weeks space.

This cured also a Frier, who being Cut of the Stone, could not be healed.

An excellent Ointment for Wounds and Ulcers.

TAke eight ounces of the Oil of Nuts, Ceruss, Minium, of each four ounces, two ounces of Bole-Armoniac, one ounce of burned Alum, eight ounces of white Honey. Put your Oil of Nuts in­to a Basin, and make it hot; then put into it your Ceruss, Minium, and Bole-Armoniac, by little and [Page 69] little, being first well pulverized: and stir it well for an hour or two; then add to it the Honey, and the Alum brought into a Powder: All this you are to boil for two hours over a gentle fire, and have a care of too great an ebullition; and as soon as you see, that it is boiled to the consistence of an Ointment, take it off from the fire, and stir it so long till it be cold.

It is a most excellent Ointment in all fresh Wounds, in Nerves cut, Fractures and all Ulcers.

A Digestif.

TAke of Venice Turpentine the worth of two pence, and wash it well with water, the yolk of an Egg, and a pennyworth of Oil of Roses: beat all together, and use it in fresh Wounds, dip­ping Cherpibint in it and laying it on, and a Pla­ster of the said Ointment; and a Compress wetted with Spirit of Salt and Water upon it, and tie up the Wound.

The Proportion of the Spirit of Salt is, to be so much as to make the Water pretty sharp, a lit­tle sharper than to drink. This Digestif and Com­press are to be used only when there is an Inflam­mation or Erysipelas about the Wound; else the Ointment alone serves.

To cure any Sore Leg, or old contumacious Sore or Wound.

TAke the Leaves of the Herb called Garden Night-shade (the leaves of it have teeth, the buttons or flowers are yellow) and beat them in a Marble or wooden Mortar; then open the edge with your Fingers to make it light and spongy, [Page 70] that it may take up his juice again to it. Then lay it pretty thick upon the Sore, and a double Linen over it then over that a Leaf of red Cabbage boiled till it be tender, that may cover the Leg all round about the Sore (for this takes away all Intlammation and angriness in the flesh) then bind up over that. Dress it thus morning and night. If there be any rotten or dead flesh in the Sore, that must be first eaten away and cleansed before you apply the Night-shade, that the Sore be clear and red. With this have been cured strange Ulcers on Legs.

For Fistulas and Ulcers.

GEt Pauls Betony one handful; Agrimony, Sanicle, Mouse-ear, Bugle, Self-heal, Win­ter-green, Wood-Rue, Saracens Consound, Corss­wort, Scabius, Sweet-Maudlin, Avens, Spatling-Poppy, Plantan, each half a handful; of Roots of Licoris, Scorsonera, wild Angelica, red Beets, gol­den Rod, of each an ounce and half; of the inner green Rind of woody Night-shade and Tamarisk, each a handful and half; Harts-horn four ounces, Crabs Eyes bruised three ounces, China two ounces, Sarsaparilla four ounces, cut, bruise, chop all small; infuse them in a pottle of White-wine; a quart of Elder-flower water, Wormwood and Ladies-man­tle water, of each three pints. Let them stand in warm embers; but not boil more than twelve hours. Then boil all in a covered Vessel, till al­most half be consumed: strain it lightly, clarifie it with Whites of Eggs, pour it off, leaving the dregs behind; then add Honey of Roses one pound and an half, Syrup of juice of Scurvy-grass six ounces. Give it the boil only till it mingle; scum and bottle it close. Take five spoonfuls at once [Page 71] first in the morning, and at four in the afternoon, and at going to bed; adding to every dose six granes of Salt of Vitriol, and two granes of Salt of Tin.

Where there is Fracture of Bones, put to the other Ingredients three ounces weight of Savin dried and powdered, and one ounce Lapidis ossi­frag.

Use no Unguent to the Ulcer, nor Plaster, un­less that of the juice of Tobacco, and juice of Bit­ter-sweet or Wood Night-shade, boiled to a con­sistence, and made into the form of a Plaster with a little Wax and Turpentine.

A most Excellent Plaster of very great virtues, called the Plaster of Norimberg.

TAke half a pound of Litharge of Silver and a pint of very good Wine-vinegar; mix these together, and let it stand so three days. Then pour oft the clear, and add to it half a pound of Minium, and as much of Water of Frogs Spawn. Let it stand again three days, stirring it often every day with some stick or other. After three days stan­ding pour it out quickly into a broad Brass Bason; adding to it of Oil of Olives or Walnuts, one pound, and three ounces of common Salt. Let it boil, stirring it very well to the consistence of a Plaster, adding in the end a little Camphire.

A Plaster very Excellent for many things.

TAke a peck of Garden-Snails, and pick them clean from the shells unwasht, which stew in a close pot with a quart of Muscadine; and be sure they do not boil. When they are tender stewed, [Page 72] take them out of the Muscadine and stamp them: and as they are stamping, take of the tender tops of Rosemary, Rue, Elder-tops or buds, red Sage, of each of these a handful; chop them small, and put them into the Muscadine, where the Snails are stewed in, and boil them very soft and tender; then put in the Snails again, and with them six pennyworth of Saffron, five spoonfuls of Neats­foot Oil, and an ounce of Mithridate: Boil all these together, till they be very thick and fit to spread; then put it into Pots, and keep[?] it for your use. This will keep good a year. When you apply it, spread it upon Leather to the grieved place, and renew it once in four and twenty hours. The best time to make it, is in May or June. It will cure any Ach or Sinew, Strain or Grief, in the Sinews or Muscles, and the dead Palsie, as hath been of­ten proved.

An Excellent Astringent Plaster for the Back.

TAke Comfry Roots, Knotgrass Roots, Cinque­foil Roots, Budweed or Baudweed, of each two good handfuls. Stamp all these, and put to them a quart of the best Sallet Oil; then let it boil softly till the Oil hath extracted the virtues of the Roots; then strain it; then put to it four ounces of Venice Turpentine, and as much of Virgin-Wax, and two ounces of Pitch.

The Excellent Balsam of Doctor Salvatore Winter, given me by him, and made by my Chymister, with an Addition of his own of more Ingredients.

TAke Linseed Oil two gallons; Colophony, Rosin, Bees-wax, of each three pound; Sto­rax, Pitch, of each one pound, Venice Turpentine two pound, Oil of Turpentine four ounces [to these he added, by his own judgment, Oil of Bricks half a pound.] Put your Linseed Oil in a Kettle, and when it is very hot, put into it your Colopho­ny, Rosin and Wax, in little pieces: then put in your Turpentine and Pitch, and Storax, and the Oil of Turpentine, stirring it as long as it is on the fire.

His Addition.

Now put into it half a pound of the Oil of To­bacco, and four ounces of the juice of Orpin (that is, the Herb stamped and the juice strained out; and permitted to settle till the thick feces be sunk to the bottom; then pour off the clear juice) also four ounces of Saccharum Saturni, and one ounce of Borax. Let them incorporate on the fire half a quarter of an hour. Then take the Kettle from the fire, and keep it stirring till it be just cold, lest some of the Ingredients should be so heavy as to sink whilst it is liquid. When it is through cold, put it into Gally-Pots.

For the Kings-Evil.

MElt one dram or two of the Balsam, and put as much of the following Spirit unto it, ta­king it immediately from the fire: mix them well together, and anoint the Swelling with it; as also the Sore if there be any broken out, (for it causeth no pain, but gives rather ease to any raw part) and continue this bathing or anointing twice a day, and keep the affected part warm. But it is con­venient to purge and sweat in this case. The like mixture of Balsam and Spirit is excellent for the running Gout or other Gout; also for any Strain or Bruise or Swelling, or Pain whatsoever, and for Stitches, and any Strain in the back, and for any Wounds, new or old. They are great Searchers and penetrate mightily; yet without all pain.

A Maid had been much troubled with a Tetter on her Arm above four years, much matter run­ning out of it. Some of the matter being taken upon a rag, was dressed with some Sympathetic Powder, and some of the Balsam applied to the Tetter; and so dressed twice a day for three days, and the Maids Arm was perfectly cured, and con­tinued well and firm.

Doctor Salvatore Winter's Spirit, as my Man made it for me.

TAke common good Brandy seven gallons, Flowers of Camomil four handfuls; Leaves of Plantan, Leaves of Rue, of each three handfuls, Leaves of Rosemary twelve handfuls, Leaves of Betony two handfuls. First dry all these Herbs, and then put them into the Brandy, and set them [Page 75] in a gentle heat to digest for eight or ten days; and then press it out and distil it from the feces, and then put it in a long body, and to every pint of this liquor put the following Ingredients, Myrrh half an ounce, Saffron, Castor, Amber, Benjamin, of each half a dram, Storax one dram; beat all these grosly together, and then put them into the Spirit, and let it stand in digestion eight or ten days more; and then distil off the Spirit in a gentle Bath, taking only that which will burn all away.

[This addition of Myrrh, &c. was done by my Man upon his own conceit that it would make the Spirit the better; and the truth is, it had very good effects in the cases afterwards set down. But methought it was weaker after the second Distilla­tion and Addition, than the Authors Spirit; which peradventure may be, because peradventure the latter Ingredients did retain some of the chief Spi­rits. Therefore if this Addition of Ingredients be judged good, I should choose to put them in at the first with the Herbs, and so make but one Distilla­tion.]

This Spirit I found excellent in Fits of the Mo­ther. Smell strongly to it, and drink a little of it down. You can take but a little down, it is so strong; some drops or half a spoonful or so. Use it after the same manner for Giddiness, or any Pain in the Stomach, and against all Fumes offen­ding the Head, either hot or cold; any swouning Fits or Faintings. For Deafness and to help the Hearing, dip a little Cotton in it, and put it into the Ear, and likewise smell strongly to it, that the strength of it may penetrate through all parts, and pour a little of the same upon the head.

This Spirit alone is excellent for Burnings.

Distillation of Tobacco.

FIrst, distil the Stalks of Tobacco with three heads of Glass, and three Receivers, the one after the other. In the first you will have a Balsam, in the second a yellowish Oil, in the third nothing but Water.

The next trial I made was with one head only; but changing the head, as soon as it was hot, for one that was cold, I found in the Receiver Balsam, Oil and Water altogether, which separate at several Distillations.

The Balsam alone being laid upon an Ulcer in a mans Leg, did presently fume into his Head, and provoked both Stool and Vomit, and healed the Ulcer.

It is of an extreme light quality. It healed the Thumb of a Skipper, that was cut to the bare bone, in twenty four hours.

It cured also a Tetter or Ringworm in a Gentle­womans forehead.

If you dip a little Lint or Cotton in this Balsam, and put it to the Tooth, it will cure the Tooth­ach.

It is also very medicinal, being taken inwardly (from eight to ten drops) in White-wine. It is excellent to open Obstructions of the Lungs, &c. but more is a Vomit.

The Stomach anointed with the Balsam or with the Oil, provoketh Vomit; but anointing with it about the Navil, worketh downwards.

You may draw the Salt out of the Remainder, which is excellent to cleanse all impurities of the Lungs and Liver: It purgeth the Head and Brain, as also the Bloud. It provoketh Appetite, and [Page 77] causeth good Digestion. It is also good to drive away the Dropsie. The Dose is six granes in a dram of the Balsam of Sulphur.

This Salt being lapt in a rag, and held between the Teeth, draweth abundance of Rheum, and cu­reth the Toothach.

For the Falling of the Uvula.

IT is an infallible Remedy for the falling of the Uvula to do thus: Gag your self with the Joint of your Thumb, whose one end joineth to the hand, and the other is the middle juncture of the thumb: let your two rows of teeth rest upon these two ends of that Joint, so as to make you gape wide: Keep your self gaping with this Joint in your mouth as long as you can, all the while sucking in your breath. When you are weary of continuing in this posture, take out your Thumb aud rest. After you have reposed sufficiently, repeat again all the same action: and when you are weary pause again. You shall not have done so thrice, but your Uvula will be restored to its due place.

Cornacchius his Medicinal Powder.

TAke Regulus of Antimony four ounces, pure Saltpeter four ounces, mingle them well toge­ther in subtil Powder, and cast them into a red hot Crucible, and make them burn by casting in a firy coal, which repeat as often as it consumeth; for without that the Saltpeter will not burn, there be­ing no more Sulphur in the Antimony to set it on fire. Keep it thus in fusion in a reverberating heat for at least an hour, stirring the matter often with an Iron Rod; then let it cool. Give of this with [Page 78] the Scammony and Cremor Tartari, of each ten granes. Be sure that the fixed Salt of Saltpeter do not dissolve nor be separated from the Antimony; for in that consisteth the virtue against Fevers.

The best way is to make the Regulus of Anti­mony, to put first into the Crucible the Saltpeter and Tartar, and when they are well melted, put in the Antimony, and proceed in the rest in the usual manner: Thus you shall have six or seven ounces or more, of every pound of Antimony. Likewise to make a martial Regulus, put the Anti­mony first into the Crucible; and when it is in perfect susion, then put in the Mars.

The use of the Spirit of Tartar, is also good for all Obstructions, particularly of the Spleen, and keeps the body open.

The Dose is from fisteen to thirty granes.

It doth also good in Fevers and Agues, and like­wise in the Venereal Disease, it is a good cleanser of all parts.

Spirit of Salt Armoniac.

TAke Sulphur, Salt Armoniac, of each five ounces, very strong quick Lime six ounces: Powder them all apart very finely, then mix and grind them well together, and put them into a Retort, and distil in Sand, giving very strong fire, at last a very strong Spirit will come over.

The yellowness of it, and tinging black the fin­gers, or silver, sheweth there is of the Sulphur in it.

Make thus the Spirit of Salt Armoniac to smell to which is exceeding subtil and penetrant. Put into the bottom of a body Retort about three fin­gers thick, more or less, a bed of strong quick [Page 79] Lime ground into subtil Powder. If but coarsly broken it will serve, [...] [...] water [...] dissolve it. Pour upon it [...] [...] [...] is dissolved Salt Armoniac, as [...] [...] the water can dissolve. The quantity of this solution, which you must pour up­on the quick Lime, is so much as to soke it well, and swim a little half a ringers bredth over it. Di­still this in Balneo, keeping the subtil Spirit by it­self. If any flegm should be come over with it, re­ctifie it once from the flegm in Balneo. This is not only good for benummed heads to smell into, but also to take inwards. The former is a great healer of inward Ulcers.

Balsam of Sulphur for the Brest, &c. and for Tetters.

MAke Spirit of Turpentine thus: Distil it in a Cucurbite by itself (without Water or ought else) in Balneo Mariae. Then rectifie it by itself four or five times. The measure to know when it is enough rectified, is that it unites per­fectly with the pure Spirit of Wine. Put this up­on flowers of Sulphur sublimed five or six times per se (unless it be so after sublimed, it will not do) and digest them a while together, and the Spirit will dissolve all the Sulphur (which if there be not enough of the Spirit to do at once; pour off the solution, and put on fresh Spirit.) Put this solution with eight or ten or twelve times as much pure fair water (if it be distilled it is the better) into a Cu­curbite, and distil it in Balneo till there remain in the bottom a Substance like a Colophonia; which when it is cold, will be brittle and transparent red like a Ruby. The water will have carried over with it all the Spirit of Turpentine, and only the [Page 80] Sulphur will remain behind. Beat this friable Sub­stance into subtil Powder, and pour pure Spirit of Wine upon it. All will dissolve in the Spirit of Wine, excepting a very little feces of the Spirit of Wine, leaving the Sulphur in a mucilaginous Balsam.

This is excellent in all inconveniences of the Brest and Lungs. Also if you anoint any Tetter, Itch or Scabs with it, it cures them in three or four times, doing it morning and night or oftner.

The Balsam of Sulphur made the ordinary way with the Oil of Walnuts, is also a certain cure of Tetters, Scabs or Itch: also the Oil of Toads.

If all the Oil of Turpentine be not come a­way at this once putting of Water upon the Solu­tion: put more Water upon it before it be di­stilled dry (for before that, you may judge whe­ther all the Spirit be, or will come away this bout) and distil as before. When you see the Water come away without bringing any Spirit over with it, and yet some Water remaining behind, it is a sign all the Spirit of Turpentine is severed from the Sulphur; then distil to driness. Till this sign put on still new Water.

A Panacea of Antimony.

TAke Antimony, reduce it to Powder, and im­bibe it by little and little with good Oil of Vitriol; then put it to digest in Sand fifteen days; then imbibe it again, and put it to the Sand again, and digest it fifteen days more with a moderate heat; then put it into a Retort, and with a strong fire make all the Spirit come over; then break the Retort and your Panacea will be fixed.

Another Panacea.

FUlminize Saltpeter with Charcoals; then give it strong fire for two hours; then dissolve it in fair water; filter and evaporate to driness; then give it strong fire for two or three hours more, till it become like green.

Take two parts of this Saltpeter, and one part of Antimony in Powder, put it in an earthen Pot, and put upon it a sufficient quantity of water, which being evaporated, give it a strong fire for two hours, then put your matter in water, and let it settle a night, and it will draw the Tincture of Antimony, which you will find at the bottom; pour the water from it and dry your Powder. The Dose is from ten to twenty granes. It purgeth gently by stools.

A Medicinal Powder.

IT is to be done two several ways; for the one sublime Mercury for it seven times (beginning with the best Venice Crystalline Mercury) revivi­fying it after every Sublimation, and then subli­ming it again with new Sulphur and Salt. To six ounces of this purified Mercury revivified, put one ounce of Leaf-Gold, making an Amalgame after the ordinary manner of Goldsmiths, which wash with many waters, till no more blackness comes from it; then (being very well dried) put it in a large Oven, and stop it but slightly with Cotton, and so digest it in Ashes or Sand without ever stirring the Fiol, till it be a red Precipitate (all but a very little, which will continue running Mercury) putting [Page 82] down with a Raker from time to time what shall sublime to the sides of the Glass (but without shaking it) but you must have a care not to give too great heat to sublime much, but to be still in the next degree to Sublimation. The Mercury thus prepared, grows presently hard with the Gold, soon after it is put to digest.

In the other way take a good Mercury distilled from Cinnabar, and make an Amalgame as a­bove, with a sixth part of Leaf-Gold, and wash it very well; then put it to digest in a little Bolts-head for three or four days; then take it out, and wash it very well from new blackness that will grow in it: When the Water comes off clear, put it again to digest three or four days; then wash as before, and more blackness will come away. Continue these sharp Digestions and Wash­ings, till no more blackness come away with washing, but your Amalgame is in a permanence of whiteness and clearness, which will take up five or six or seven months to bring it to that pass. Then put it to digest, as is said above. It will be five or six or seven months after your washings be­fore the Mercury precipitate, be completely made, more or less, according as you govern the fire dexterously. Now the first washings (in the first method) before the Amalgame come to be clear without blackness, will take up six or seven months; so that it will be fifteen or sixteen months before the work be completely finished that way; and six or seven the other way. After the Mercury pre­cipitate is made, continue it some time in the fire (increased as much as you may without danger of subliming or revivifying the Mercury) to accustom it to greater heat, and to dispose it a little to some degree of fixation, or at least of less volatility or [Page 83] churlishness, and violence in Salivation: and that it may stay the longer in the body to work other­wise more radically, when the wild Spirits are a little tamed.

A great Medicin which hath don great Effects, from an intimate Friend.

DIssolve six drams of Silver in Aqua fortis (the purest and best Aqua fortis that can be had) using no more Aqua fortis than is just necessary for the solution (which will be about one ounce and half, i. e. two parts to one.) When you see that it is all perfectly dissolved (without fire) cast into the Matras an Amalgame made (after the ordinary manner of Goldsmiths) of one dram of pure Gold, and two ounces of Mercury; you will presently see a Pelagus conturbationis made. Let the Matras stand still upon a Table, or in some corner, till you find the matter at that pass as you desire. You will see many beautiful colours appear. After for­ty days standing, you will see a kind of roughness appear upon the Superficies of the Mercury, which will daily grow and sprout out more. In twenty days more (sixty in all) it will be shot out into lit­tle spears or needles and twigs. When you see it groweth or shooteth out no more, pour off all the liquor, and the Mercurial matter will soon dry of itself. Then with some little piece of Glass break off these Excrescencies or Needles from the mass, (whereof you may have about one dram or better) and grind them to Powder, which will be very white. Of this give twenty four granes, or more (according to the complexion) in a Cherry, or Yolk of an Egg. In the morning very early, or at night going to bed, or rather after the first sleep [Page 84] at three or four in the morning, and in this last case sleep after it. It is seven or eight hours be­fore it useth to work.

Sometimes the first Dose will not work at all, otherwise than by strengthning, and then he gi­veth a second Dose two or three days after; which will work either by Stool or Vomit or Sweat, as Nature shall require, and in due proportion.

It cureth Quartans and other Agues, and worketh admirably in all desperate Diseases. He used to take it once a month. When there is no peccant humor in the body, it worketh not by evacuation, but strengthneth. The Mercury encloseth and shutteth up the Metals, like a Rose of Jericho, from whence he calleth it Sigillum Hermetis. The part of the Needles next the Mass worketh rough­er than the ends. Out of the Mass you may draw most of the Gold and Silver with loss of about an eighth part of the first, and less proportion of the Silver. He thinketh this to be a Philoso­phical Mercury, and to be useful in the great work.

One hath made a Work of Projection with Gold or Silver and Mercury, amalgamated with Antimony, that hath been impregnated by the Universal Spirit cast into it from the Sun-beams by a Burning-Glass, which increaseth the weight of it, though in calcining of it, much of its humi­dity do evaporate away.

A Menstruum of Citron-Pills to dissolve Bodies of Metal and Coral.

PRovide sufficient of the thin rinds of Citron Pills, the yellow part only, that gives the Oil. Expose them (freshly cut) in Glass or Porcellane Plates (being very thin) to the open Dew, setting them out about midnight, and taking them away an hour or two before Sun-rise. Distil the Oil of these rinds thus impregnated with dew. You will find it much more active and yet more benign, then if it were not rectified. You may reiterate this course with new chips, as often as you please, during the season of the Dew; so to have what quantity you will of this Spirit.

A Menstruum to open any Body, but chiefly the Body of Gold.

TAke Salt of Tartar and Saltpeter, grind them very well together; then set them in a moist place to dissolve. When they are dissolved, put them in digestion in a Bolts-head for three weeks in a gentle heat. Then take out the liquor, and evaporate it till it be dry; then mix it with three parts of Bolus Armenus, and distil it in an earthen Retort, first with a soft fire, then with a strong: Have a great care that no Spirits break out, for they are very subtil. When all is come over, put it into a Glass-Retort, and rectifie it in Sand. Then you will have a mighty subtil Spirit, which will dissolve almost any metal, and it will draw a Tin­cture out of Calx of Gold. It hath a pleasant smell and tast. All the Salt of Tartar will come over with the Saltpeter.

A Remedy which cureth Fevers by a Lunary Emetic, which is an Vniversal Medicin, even for the Morbus Gallicus and Leprosie.

DIssolve Silver in Aqua-fortis made of Vitriol and Saltpeter, and precipitate it with Spirit of Salt, then dry the Calx.

Take of this Calx and Antimony, of each a like quantity, distil it as a Butter of Antimony, and you shall have a Butter white and transparent, which will dissolve Gold. Precipitate one part of this Butter with common water, edulcorate with bloud-warm water, and you will have an Emetic Remedy, which will purge and cure all sorts of Fevers, and is a Catholicum for ill humors; the Dose is from one grane to three in some fit thing, and stay four or five hours after it before you eat or drink. This must be given with great caution.

To make an admirable Sudorific of this, that will cure the Venereal Disease, and the Leprosie, is thus:

TAke the other part of this Butter, and put upon it some Spirit of Saltpeter, cohobating three or four times; then wash it with Water, and burn some Spirit of Wine upon it; and you shall have a Sudorific, which will do admirable Effects; taking from eight granes to sixteen: And after the sweating you must well rub over the whole body with warm clothes; observing a reasonable diet, and some Purge before: as also the use of some fit Decoction.

Spirit of Verdigrease.

DIstil a Spirit from Verdegris; rectifie it once by itself, it will leave some feces and Me­talline terrestreity behind.

Take one part of this Spirit, and three of fair Water; put it upon Litharge finely searsed, as much as it will dissolve. Deflegm it in Balneo, and then a pure and powerful Spirit will come over in Sand, without acrimony, and tasting a little sweetish, as in the making of Saccbarum Sa­turni. It is excellent for Convulsions of little children, in some fit vehicle; a drop or two for sucking Infants; but to Men you may give ten or twenty drops. It is very good for the Epilepsie, Colic, Spleen, &c.

Quaere of using this Spirit of Venus, to extract the Tincture of Vitrum Antimonii, from whence ex­tract it afterwards with Spirit of Wine. Note that in making that extract, the Spirit of Wine will hardly tinge itself with the extract made with this Spirit or with distilled Vinegar, if you eva­porate that Menstruum to driness; but if you leave it moist, then it presently tingeth itself, and leav­eth the Salt and precedent Menstruum, without any Tincture of the Antimony.

If you dissolve the pure part of Verdegris in di­stilled Vinegar, filter and congele, as Zuelfer tea­cheth; then dissolve again in new distilled Vine­gar, and work all as before. This repeat three or four times; so to have your Verdegrease per­fectly pure, before you draw the Spirit from it. Quaere of dissolving it in Rain-water rather than in distilled Vinegar.

To Corporifie the Salt of Spirit of Wine, &c.

TAke the best and purest old Wine, distil the pure Spirit from it; then distil away all the Flegm, till there remain a black viscous substance. Take this black viscous substance, and put the Spi­rit of Wine upon it, so much as to dissolve it all. Digest it five or six or seven days, then distil; first in Balneo, till the Spirit come away; then di­stil this in Sand to driness, and there will come away a white milky Oil or Spirit (which Lully calls Aqua secunda) receive this by itself, and keep it carefully. Upon the dry Caput mortuum put a good quantity of Spirit of Wine to dissolve it all, and digest it seven or eight days; then distil as before, and keep the milky liquor or Aqua secunda with the former. Repeat these Distillations still with new, or the same Spirit of Wine poured upon the earth, and digested; then distil it till there come no more milky liquor, and the Earth be dry and in powder. Then reverberate the dry Earth twenty four hours between two Crucibles or Pots, to make it exceeding dry. Then imbibe it with a tenth part of the Aqua secunda, and digest it two or three days; then distil it in Balneo, and the Li­quor will come off insipid, leaving all his virtue in the Earth. Add new Aqua secunda to it, and do as before, repeating this till you have imbibed all your Aqua secunda into the Earth. Then take a seventh part of pure Spirit of Wine, and imbibe the Earth with it, and digest it two or three days; then distil it in Balneo, and the Liquor will come off like Flegm. Then imbibe the Earth with a sixth part of the Spirit of Wine, and do as be­fore; then with a fifth, then with a fourth part; [Page 89] all which proportion continue, repeating the Im­bibations with the fourth part till the Earth will take no more, but that the Spirit of Wine comes off as strong as you did put it on. Then put this impregnated Earth to sublime for twenty four hours or more; at the last, making the Vessel red hot, a pure white Salt will sublime up, which is the Salt of the Spirit of Wine. All is not yet gon out of the Earth; therefore you may repeat the Imbibations with new Spirit of Wine, till the Earth will take no more in. Then sublime as before new Salt. Repeat all this till the Earth will corporifie no more Spirit of Wine; and then it is an Earth damanta. Take all the sublimed Salts, and put upon them three times as much pure Spirit of Wine, and distil them over together. This is Lully's great Menstruum; and dissolveth radically all metals, even Gold: and draweth the essential Tin­ctures of them all. After you have drawn the Tincture of Gold with this, boil the remaining bo­dy some time in Spirit of Urin, and it will resolve into running Mercury.

To have a less Menstruum that will draw out the Tincture of Vegetables exceeding well, you may take the Earth after it is impregnated with the Aqua secunda, and the Spirit of Wine, as much as it will take in, and before you sublime any Salt from it, being in that state, pour upon it three times as much as it is, of pure Spirit of Wine, and digest them two or three days together; and the Spirit of Wine will dissolve all the volatil Salt that is in the Earth. Dicant it off clear, and use this Menstruum.

To volatilize the fixed Salt of Tartar.

CAlcine it in a close Vessel to blackness (for if all the Sulphur be driven away it will not do) Then put upon it a pure Spirit of Wine, and after some digestion distil it off. Cohobate the same Spirit of Wine upon the calcined Tartar, and do all as before. Repeat this till you find that the Spirit of Wine be exceeding sharp, and have car­ried over with it all the Salt of the Tartar.

Another way to Volatilize the Salt of Tartar.

TAke Salt of Tartar very white, dissolve it in distilled Vinegar; philter it and then evapo­rate to a Pellicule, put to it twice as much of white Sand; then reverberate it together twelve hours in an earthen Vessel, not glazed. Take this Salt reverberated with the Sand, and dissolve it again in distilled Vinegar, philter, evaporate, reverbe­rate and dissolve, so often till the Salt of Tartar be as white as snow. Take this Salt and dissolve it again in distilled Vinegar, evaporate in Balneo, dissolve again, repeating till the distilled Vinegar become acre or sharp; then dry the Salt gently. Then take this Salt, and put upon it its weight of well rectified Spirit of Wine, digest and distil it gently; then put new Spirit of Wine upon it; and repeat this so often, till the Spirit of Wine come from it as strong as it is put on; then evaporate it gently in a Retort: Then sublime by degrees of fire; take the sublimed Salt, (which is the vo­latil Salt of Tartar) and keep it carefully in a Glass. It will dissolve Gold and all Metals.

An Excellent Mercury Vitae of a singular Preparation.

TAke Mineral Antimony very clean six ounces, that hath never been melted, and as much of good Saltpeter, grind them to subtil Powder, then mix them together, and put them in a Crucible, and cover it with another Crucible that hath a hole in the bottom. Calcine it with a wheel fire by degrees; when you see that it su­meth no more through the hole, take it out and grind it very small. Then take three Ducats of Gold, and six times as much of this Powder; put the Powder first in a Crucible, and melt it; then put in one of your Ducats, and stir it with a stick till it be melted; and then put in the other two one after another; and when they are all melted; leave it yet a while in the fire. Then take it out, aud when it is cold, beat it into fine Powder, and searse it. Then put to it its weight of Mercury sublimate in subtil Powder, mix them well together, and put them in a Re­tort well luted; then put it in a Fornace, and put a Receiver to it filled with common Water, so that the end of the Retort lie in the Water; but you must not lute the Joints: Increase the fire by degrees, and the matter will distil into the Water; but the most part of it will stick a­bout the neck of the Retort, which you may draw forth, and make it fall into the Receiver; when you see that nothing more comes over by force of fire, let it cool, break the Retort, and take out the matter that sticketh about the neck, and likewise that which is in the Water. Keep the [Page 92] Water, for it is exceeding good to cure all sorts of Ulcers. Pour clean Water upon the matter which was settled in the Receiver, and shake it sometimes; then let it settle; then pour off the Water, and put fresh upon it; Repeat this seven or eight times; then separate the Mercury from it, and put warm Water upon the Powder, and let it stand till the next day; then repeat the lotion as the day before. Continue this six days, on the seventh day, wash the Powder with fresh cold Water, and let it settle: pour off the Wa­ter, and dry the Powder, which keep for your use. The Dose is from one grane to two for little Children; but for Persons of Age seven or eight granes. It will cause a gentle Vomiting, and wor­keth likewise by Stools. It hath done miracles in Fevers, and in the Venereal Disease, and of the Gout. You will find in the Caput mortuum the grea­test part of the Gold.

This Mercury vitae is not white like the ordinary, but of a brownish gray. It appears by this to have some of the Mercury in it, that if you rub Gold or Venus with the Powder, it will make it white, which common Mercury Vitae will not do.

If you take the remaining Salt, after you have distilled the Water Athletica of Saltpeter and Salt Armoniac, and distil that by strong fire as you do Aqua fortis; the Water that cometh so, will carry Gold over the helm, much more powerfully than the Water that cometh first, and which ordina­rily is used.

A great Corroborant.

MAke an Amalgame of Gold and Mercury in due manner; which grind well with flowrs of Sulphur, and set it upon Coals, and so make Calx of Gold according to art. Repeat this Calcination two or three times. Then take your Calx of Gold, and grind it exceeding well with twice as much pure decrepitated Salt; put these into a Crucible, which cover well, and set it to cement or reverberate during six hours or more in a For­nace, where the heat may be increased by degrees, so that in due time the Crucible become red. Con­tinue so a pretty time, but have a care the Salt melt not. When it is cold, take out the matter and grind it well, and pour hot water upon it to dissolve the Salt, and philter it off, and pour on more water, doing so till you have severed all the Salt from the Gold (as also a white earthy substance that will swim upon the water) then dry the Gold: which grind again with double its quantity of pre­pared Salt (the same Salt will serve again when the Water is distilled from it) and cement it, and work all as before, having a care always that the Gold settle well to the bottom, after you have stir­red it in the water. Repeat this six or eight times (the more the better) till the Gold become to be all gray or white Powder. Then cement it with double its quantity of pure Salt of Tartar, in the same manner as you did with the Salt, and do all as before. Repeat this two or three or four times, dulcifying it every time very well from the Salt. Then put upon it (being very dry) the Menstruum of Spirit of Urin mentioned hereafter, and it will be tincted bloud-red in twenty four hours: pour [Page 94] off that and put on more, till you have drawn out all the Tincture; which distil in a Cucurbite with a very gentle fire, till it become a Gum; of which put one dram into a pint of Sack, and give a spoon­ful for a Dose. It is a mighty Corroborant; as also Sudorific, where Nature requireth it. It will make one sweat twenty four hours. The Menstruum is thus made: Take pure Spirit of Wine, and pure Spirit of Urin: Put them together into a long Cucurbite with a narrow mouth, on which put a head fitting it in the Orifice, and so distil of this Spirit of Wine with a very gentle heat; there will remain a slegmatic liquor in the bottom. Cohobate the same Spirit upon it till there remain only perfect Flegm in the bottom, and that all the Spirits and volatil Salt of the Urin be in the Spirit of Wine. This is a great Dissolvent and A'cahest; but it will be stronger if you work it again with new Spirit of Urin; and so you may make it as strong as you will.

To make Aurum potabile.

TAke one ounce of Gold, dissolve it in eight ounces of the Aqua Regis set down hereafter; then pour upon it a quart of common Water; and then pour upon it by little and little two or three quarts of a Lixivium made of common Water and Tartar, which will precipitate the Gold; Conti­nue pouring till the Ebullition cease: then let it stand till you see all the Gold precipitated; then pour off the Water, and put on fresh. Repeat this till it be well dulcified; then philter it, and let it dry of itself without fire; then put it in a white Porringer, and pour upon it by little and little, and by divers times, two ounces of the Oil [Page 95] of Vitriol mentioned hereafter; and presently it will begin to boil, and all will become as black as Ink. Let it stand three or four days, during which time it will work continually upon the Gold, which you shall perceive by the little Ebullitions. Then pour upon it by little and little four or five gallons of common Water, which will be of a Violet co­lour, and will carry with it all the Gold; which put into a large Vessel, and let it stand to settle; within two days the Gold will appear like spongi­ous Atoms; and-when it is well precipitated, pour off the Water and put on fresh. Repeat this three or four times, then dry the matter gently in Sand. Then pour upon it distilled Vinegar four fingers bredth over it and digest the distilled Vinegar, it will extract all the remaining Oil of Vitriol and Tartar; then pour it off, and dry the Powder: Then put it in a Crucible, and dry it again by a moderate fire. Then put it in a Matras, and pour upon it eight ounces of good Spirit of Salt, digest it in hot ashes till it be tincted of a high Gold co­lour; then pour it off and put on fresh. Repeat this till the Spirit hath drawn out all the Tincture. Then put it into a Cucurbite, and distil it to a con­sistence of Honey, cohobating the distilled Spirit six or seven times, and the last time distil to dri­ness. Then put upon the Gold eight ounces of Spirit of Saturn, digest it twenty four hours or more, and it will extract all the Tincture of the Gold. This may be used so alone, taking some drops of it in some fit Vehicle. But you may make it more efficacious in mixing it with the Tincture of Bezoar, of Coral, of Pearls, and of Ambergris, made as followeth.

Dissolve Pearls and Coral in distilled Vinegar, then evaporate away the Liquor, and put upon the [Page 96] remaining matter some Aqua vitae acuated with the fourth part of Spirit of Salt: Digest it and then pour off the tincted Liquor, which evaporate; then take the remaining extract and dissolve it in as much of Carduus Benedictus water.

To make the Tincture of Bezoar.

GRind Bezoar, and put upon it pure Aqua vitae impregnated with Spirit of Salt, it will be tincted of a deep red: then pour it off and put more on. Repeat this till you have drawn out all the Tincture of it, evaporate the Menstruum, and dissolve the extract in Rose and Carduus Benedictus Water.

To make the Tincture of Ambergris.

TAke Ambergris, and put upon it good Spirit of Wine or Spirit of Honey; digest it in the heat of the Sun, or with a gentle heat in Ashes.

To make the Aqua Regis for this Aurum potabile.

TAke one ounce of decrepitated, dissolved and coagulated Salt, distil it with eight ounces of Spirit of Nitre.

To make the Philosophical Oil of Vitriol for the foresaid Aurum potabile.

TAke eight ounces of good Jupiter, melt in a Crucible, and whilst it is in fusion; put in­to it eight ounces of Antimony, and presently put it into a Stone - Mortar, and grind it very small. Then take one pound of good Venice Sublimate, and grind it well with the first A­malgame, till it turn black, and greasie sticking to the Pestil. When you have reduced it to a black Liquor; put it into a white Porringer, and set it in a moist place; and the Oil will swim upon the Liquor: which take off gently, and put it in­to a Fiol, and let it settle.

Note, That to make this Oil well, it must be done in moist or rainy Weather, or in a Cellar.

To make an Excellent Oil of Pearl for Health, and for the Face.

TAke Pearls in Powder, and pour upon them distilled Vinegar; digest it in Balneo, till you see the Pearls be all dissolved. Then eva­porate it with gentle heat; then edulcorate the Substance of Pearls several times in fair Water, till the Water come from it insipid: Then wash the matter once or twice with Rose-water; then pour upon it distilled May - Dew, or fresh May-Dew only philtered: Then distil it; but let it boil strongly in the time of Distillation, and you will find in the Receiver the Water and Oil, which separate.

You may also putrifie the macerated Pearls with Spirit of Wine in Horse-dung nine or ten days or longer, after you have washed the mat­ter: Then separate the Spirit that must be se­parated; then distil with the same Dew, as afore­said.

An Excellent Tincture of Gold.

CAlcine Gold with the three Salts boiled with it in Water, in such sort as Zuelfer teacheth: When the Water is evaporated away, and that you have an Aureal Salt, grind it with double its weight of Flowers of Sulphur, then put it in­to a Crucible, and burn it away in a reverbera­tory Fornace: Take out the Calx of Gold, and grind it again with new Flowers of Sulphur, and burn and reverberate again: Repeat this burn­ing with Sulphur twelve times, and reverberate it well at last; then put a well rectified Spirit of Wine upon it, and digest them together and the Spirit of Wine will be tincted very yellow. Of which few drops for a Dose in a fit Vehicle, hath wrought great effects.

An Excellent Physical Salt, which is very efficacious in all Fevers, either Simple or Malignant any ways, or spotted: In the Small - Pox or Measles, in all the Pro­gress of them, from before their coming out till the end, and preserveth the Heart from hot and putrid Fumes, and purifieth the Blood.

TAke Nitre, Sulphur, of each one pound, Cam­phora two ounces, mingle them well together, and cast them by little and little into an earthen Cucurbite red hot, which shut close immediately with a just stopper of Brick that closeth it firmly; the Cucurbite must have two arms, unto which are fastned two Ballons of Glass, each conteining about two quarts of Spirit of Urin (to the quan­tity of Ingredients here named) which draweth unto it the Spirits which will fly up and pass by the two arms on each side. When all is cold, take out the fixed matter that remains in the Cucur­bite, and grind it small, and dissolve it in simple Spirit of Urin, and when that is filtered and con­geled, dissolve it in the acid Spirit of Urin, that was in the Ballons, and hath the Spirit of Nitre and Sulphur and Camphire in it; and distil and cohobate this, till the Salt have reteined in it all the Spirits that were in the Urin; which will be very grateful, and not tast or smell at all of the Camphire, nor is Saturnine or Antivenereal in its effect; and of this dissolve thirty or forty granes (at discretion) in about two ounces of Rose and Plantan-water, and a pint or two of fair Water [Page 100] (in fine, so much Salt as to make the Water grateful acid) and of this let the Patient drink three or four times a day, and when he is thir­sty.

The way to make the Spirit of Vrin is thus:

LEt the Urin stand eight or ten days, in which time it will putrifie and ferment. Then distil very gently; and that which cometh first is the Spirit. When it beginneth to come weak and insipid, (which you will know by tasting a drop) then cease, for all that is good is passed over. Thus you shall have near half your quantity of Urin in good Spirit.

The best way to make the Oil of Myrrh.

HAve a moderately low Cucurbite of Copper, (for Earth will imbibe the Spirits of Myrrh) in the midst of which have a Circle of Wire fast­ned to the sides by Grampons, that may suspend in the air a Glass like a large drinking Glass with­out a foot. To the Cucurbite have a large chap of Glass with a Nose or Limbeck; and let there be in it a hole at the top, in which set a Glass­funnel with a long Pipe, which correspondeth just to the suspended Glass, and so like an internus to the helm or chap. Lute the pipe of the Funnel on the outside fast to the hole of the helm, so that nothing can expire. Likewise stop the nar­row neck of the Funnel within, with an exact fit stick of hard Wood; and for more security, lute a double Bladder wetted, over the mouth of the Funnel, that no Spirits may expire. Put your Myrrh into the Cucurbite; fill the Glass with fair [Page 101] Water, and set the Cucurbite in an Iron pot full of Sand; which set in a Wind-Fornace. Distil by degrees of fire, and the smoke of the Water in the Glass will rise and mingle with the fumes of the Myrrh, and go over together into the Re­ceiver, and so preserve the Oil of the Myrrh from Empyreume. You increase the fire, till in the end the bottom of the Iron Pot with the Sand be red hot. And as you perceive (by looking in at the Helm with a Candle) that the Water consumeth in the Glass, pour in more (but warm) by the Fun­nel at the top of the Helm, taking off the Blad­der, and out the wooden Stopper; but close them again presently. By this method you will draw half an ounce of pure clear yellow Oil (when it is severed from the Water, from one pound of Myrrh. Close fast the Nest of the Limbeck to the Receiver, that no Spirits may expire. When all is come over into the Receiver, you sever the Oil from the Water with a Funnel.

A great Cordial made out of English Saf­fron.

TAke Saffron freshly gathered, and picked from the Whites or other things that grow upon or about it. Shred it on a smooth stone, that you may save the moisture that comes from it in the shredding of it. Then put four pound of it into a new glazed Pipkin or Pitcher, (put it in very slightly, not pressing it down, you must not fill the Pitcher above half full) and then bury it deep in the ground, and put the Earth loose and slightly about it; lay a cover over it upon sticks, so as to lie two fingers bredth above the Pitcher, [Page 102] that the air may come in: let it stand so six weeks: Then take the Saffron out of the Pipkin or Pitcher, and put it into a large Retort, put a Receiver to it close luted, and distil in Balneo Mariae by degrees of fire; you will first have a clear Water, which keep by itself; as soon as you see a yellow Tincture or reddish Oil come, change the Receiver, putting on a new one, and that is the great Cordial; but when you see that none of it will rise in Balneo Mariae, take out the Glass, and wipe it; then set it in ashes, and put a Receiver to it; if any flegm or nutry part distil from it there, put it to the first; but as soon as the fore­said yellow Tincture comes, change the Receiver, and so continue the fire gently, as long as there comes any of this Tincture. But you must have a great care, that you give not so strong fire, as to make any fumes or burning matter to rise; after you have distilled a good quantity, or the most of your Tincture, change the Receiver, for fear of spilling the first Liquor, and then you may distil till it be almost dry, what is left; out of which you may extract the Salt of Saffron; then rectifie the yellow Tincture once or twice, and keep it in a Glass close stopt.

The Dose of it is two or three drops. It is ex­ceeding good in all Diseases wherein a Cordial can do good.

It restoreth and comforteth the Spirits and ex­pelleth Poison.

A great Electuary.

TAke of Sarsaparilla two ounces, China Root, Root of Turbith, of each one ounce and half, Cortex Guajaci one ounce; Sassafras, yellow San­ders, of each three ounces; Jallap, Sena, of each two ounces and half; Hermodactyles one ounce and half: Reduce all these to most subtil Pow­der, every one by itself, and searse them through the finest Searse that can be: Then mix them all together upon a large Sheet of Paper; then to four parts of this Powder, put three parts of the best Honey well clarified, putting first the Powder into a Skillet, and pouring in the Honey by degrees, stirring it continually till it be well incorporated; then beat it well in a large Mor­tar to a perfect Electuary: Then put it into Gally-Pots, stop them close and keep them in a dry place.

Take of this one ounce or five drams, dissolved in a little warm Posset-drink; or take it with a little Virgin Honey in the Bed, and sleep after it. You may drink now and then some warm Posset drink; but eat not till two or three hours, after it hath don working.

The Sarsaparilla must be only the mealy part of it, which flies up beaten in a close Mortar, on the sides; you will hardly have two ounces out of a pound, unless it be mealy and large Sarsa: The rest is good for Diet-drinks. The Sena must be fresh, and all the Stalks picked out, nothing but the Leaves. If the China Root be not per­fectly good (as oftentimes it is not in England) take as much more of the Sarsaparilla in stead of it.

The excellent Success of this Medicin, de­pendeth upon the exceeding Beating and Sear­sing the Ingredients into most subtil Powder, and you must weigh out the Proportions when they are in Powder, and not when they are in their gross bodies. In mixing the Powders with the Honey, you use no Fire; and you must be four or five hours beating the Mass in a Mor­tar, to incorporate all perfectly and uniform­ly.

This Electuary cureth the greatest Pox, Go­norrhea's, Cankers, and all Venereal Diseases, u­sing this method. For a great Venereal Disease, begin with two or three Doses of Mercury vitae, intermitting one day between: but for Gonor­rhea's begin with the Purge of Sena in White-wine with Diaprunis: The next day take a Dose of this Electuary; the third day repeat the Purge; the fourth the Electuary; the fifth purge: then con­tinue the Electuary for ten or twelve days, by that time the Patient will be well: If then it needs, give an injection of Limewater with Mel rosat. and Mercury dulcis: Purge also then again with Sena, and take again the Electuary five or six days more. This Electuary is also excellent to be used Spring and Fall, though there be no Venereal Disease or Inconveniences, but only to carry away viscous tough Humors, and it preser­veth the Body in health and clean: And if one have any Ulcer in the Legs, or Aches or Rheu­matism in any part of the Body, it will cure them, if it be continued for a while.

A great Confortative[?].

TAke Cochenele in Powder six ounces. Put it in a broad Glass, and pour Spirit of Wine upon it four fingers bredth above it; shake it very often every day during six or eight days, the Ves­sel close stopped: Then pour it off, and put on new Spirit of Wine, and do as before. Repeat this till you have extracted all the Tincture, then put the Extractions together, and evaporate it till it be thickish. To this quantity, take Diasatyrion Nicolai majus gratam one pound, of Magistery of Coral made by solution of distilled Vinegar, and precipitated with Oil of Tartar, in fine Powder, of Magistery of Pearl, made the same way, of each half an ounce, of Syrup of Sassafras four ounces, of Lime-water philtered and evaporated the quan­tity of a Pottle to a thickish substance; of Confe­ction Alkerms half an ounce, Ambergris one ounce. Take of this a quarter of an ounce morning and night; but eat nothing between meals, and drink but little Wine at meals.

A Restorative and Cordial of Dates, which is much celebrated.

DAtes are a great Cordial and Comforter of Nature in all kinds, and Restorative in Con­sumptions and to old men; but they are hard of digestion. And this Inconvenience is taken away, and their good qualities lightened by preserving them with Sugar, in such sort as they may become very tender and digestible. Do thus then; first [Page 106] pare off the rough hard outward skin; and like­wise pick away all their inner hard filmy white thick skin that is next to the stone; and cut into quarters the pulpy middle fleshy substance. Boil this tender and preserve it in the best manner with Sugar, so as you may lose none of the sub­stantial part that boileth out of them. Eat of these the quantity of three or four Dates in a mor­ning after your first sleep, and sleep an hour or two upon it before you rise.

Then if you will add a further Restorer of Spirits, do this as soon as you rise out of your bed.

Take four ounces of the purest best spiritful Canary Sack or Greek Muscadine, and sop in it a Tost of light pure Bread, till it be throughly drunken with the Wine; and so large a one that it have drunk up the better part of the Wine: Then lay the Tost upon a Plate, and strew it o­ver on both sides with a little fine Sugar, but a large proportion of scraped Nutmeg (which is a great friend to the Kidneys and Bladder and Head, and smoothneth much, and gives Spirits) then eat your Tost and Sugar and Nutmeg; and drink upon it the remainder of the Wine, and do some moderate exercise after it, besides ma­king you ready. Repeat the same at night in­stead of a Supper.

Cordial and Pleasant Tablets.

TAke three ounces of pure refined Sugar; boil it up with Orange-flower water, into a consistence for Manus Christi; when it is at the due height, put into it two drams (or three) of [Page 107] pure Confection of Alkermes, and drop into it two drops of the Quintessence of Cedri. Stir it well together, and drop it into Tablets. They are very pleasant and very Cordial.

If you will not use fire, you may make Tablets or Pastils of the same Ingredients, with Gum Tra­gacanth dissolved in Orange-flower water. You may add a little Ambergris and a little Musk, if you please.

A great Venereal.

TAke Opii Thebaici colati with Spirit of Wine, one part; Ambergris three parts: Grind them very well together with Syrup of Flowers of Sage, till they come into the consistence of an Opiate: of which give four or five or six granes in some fit Liquor for a Vehicle, at going to bed.

The preparing of the Opium is thus.

Dissolve it in Spirit of Wine, then percolate it through some fit Cloth that it may leave the Dregs behind: Then distil away the Spirit of Wine till the Opium become of a due consistence.

Another great Venereal.

TAke Consol. Flor. Anthos, Boragin. Caryophyll. of each half an ounce, Elect. Diasatyr. one ounce, Ering. Condit. six drams, Theriac. Vet. two drams, Sem. Erucae, urticae, of each half a dram, Spec. Diamosch. dulcis two scruples, Syrup. Stoechad. s. q. f. Elect.

After taking as much as a Nutmeg of this Ele­ctuary (morning and night, or when you will) drink a little of the following Decoction:

Take Fol. Salviae, Origani, Rosmarini, Calaminth urticae, of each one handful, Chamaedr. Chamaepit Stoechad. of each half a handful, Sem. Erucae, Ur­ticae, Foenic. of each three drams, Rad. Pyrethri half an ounce. Boil all these in a quart of Foun­tain-Water; then add a pint of Malaga Sack to it.

You may anoint the Perinaeum, and that Region, with the following Ointment.

Take Unguent. Martiat. two ounces, Oleum Suc­cini two scruples, Oleum Euphorb. two drams, Mos­chi three granes, Ambergrisae Misce f. Unguent.

An Excellent Plaster to put upon the Sto­mach.

TAke Storax in powder, and Aloes also in fine powder, of each one ounce. Boil these together with half a pint of Rose-water till the Rose-water be consumed, then let it cool. Then take as much of very good Honey as will make it to a Past; which spread upon Leather, and put it upon the Stomach. It will strengthen the Stomach extremely, and will free it from all Corruption and Flegms, and will give it a natural heat not superfluous.

It hath saved the life of many, even those that already had lost their speech. This Past is very odoriferous and incorruptible, it will last for e­ver.

An Excellent Ointment for the Stomach, or for any Pain about the Heart.

TAke wild Thyme, red Mint, Wormwood, Hyssop, Balm, of each one handful, of red-Rose Leaves two handfuls, of Bayberries beaten, Ginger grosly beaten, of each one ounce, Mace half an ounce; chop the Herbs, and mix them with the Spices. Then put all together into a large Gally-Pot, and pour upon them a quart of the best Sallet Oil; then close the Pot well with Paste, and set the pot into a Skillet of Water; then let it boil the space of five hours: Then take it off and strain without pressing or squeezing the Herbs too hard. Then put it into a Dish, and put into it of Essence of Orange-flowers two ounces, Oil of Cinamon half a quarter of an ounce, Oil of Cloves a quarter of an ounce, Ambergris ten granes, of the finest yel­low Wax thin sliced: then set it over a Chafing­dish of Coals, stir them well to make them well incorporate together. Then put it into Gally-Pots, and keep it for use.

An approved Remedy for a Sprain in the Back or any Weakness.

TAke a quarter of a pint of good Muscadine, a spoonful of Mader, incorporate them well together; then give it the Patient to drink for three mornings together; and if need requireth, you may use it often in a day. This will streng­then the Back exceedingly.

A most precious Diet-drink for any weak and consumed Body with Sickness, Pox or any Aches or cold Humors.

TAke White-wine, old strong Beer, of each seven gallons, Sena one pound, Cortex Guaiaci two pound, Licorice one pound, Coloquintida one dram, Sarsaparilla one pound. Put all these toge­ther into a deep large Pot, stop and lute it close: Then set it in a great Kettle full of water, and so let it boil highly the space of four hours; then strain it, and when it is almost cold, put into it one ounce of the best and strongest Mithridate.

Drink of this twelve times in a day, about three ounces at a time; continue it for twenty or twen­ty four days together (almost twenty will do it) but you must neither eat nor drink any thing else during that time; and after three or four days the Patient will have no mind at all to eat. And in twenty four days he shall be cured and restored to health, and to good bloud, and shall be lusty and fat, and all diseases will vanish.

The Author said, that if the Patient were pres­sing to eat something of nourishment and solidity, he allowed him some Partridge, with Bisket or well baked fine Bread; but no other Sustenance at all: The Drink itself giving sufficient in this case, I conceive that Raisins and Bisket were not amiss.

An Excellent Remedy to procure Conception.

TAke of Syrup of Motherwort, of Syrup of Mug­wort, of each half an ounce, of Spirit of Clary two drams, of the Root of English Snakeweed in fine powder one dram, Purslain-seed, Nettle-seed, Rocket-seed, all in subtil Powder, of each two drams. Candied Nutmegs, Eringo-Roots, Satyrion-Roots preserved, Dates, Pistaches, Conserve of Succory, of each three drams; Cinamon, Saffron in fine powder, of each a scruple; Conserve of Vervein, Pine-apple Kernels picked and pilled, of each two drams. Stamp and work all these Ingredients in a Mortar to an Electuary: Then put it up into Gally-Pots, and keep it for use.

Take of this Electuary the quantity of a good Nutmeg in a little Glass-full of White-wine, in the morning fasting, and at four of the clock in the afternoon, and as much at night going to bed; but be sure not to do any violent exercise.

An Excellent Bolus for the Stomach and Liver.

TAke green Ginger and Conserve of Roman Wormwood, of each one part; Conserve of Wood-Sorrel two or three or four parts (more or less, as you conceive your Liver shall require) beat them together into a Pulp. You may make the Conserves by beating the Herbs raw with two or three parts of fine Sugar.

A Cordial Drink for weakness of the Stomach and want of Digestion.

TAke three pints of Claret-wine, half a pint of Mint-water; of Cinamon, Nutmeg, of each one dram and half, of fine Sugar four ounces. Put all these into an earthen Pot, and let it stand close covered over a gentle fire to digest twenty four hours; but let it not boil: Then take it off, and strain it through a Hypocras Bag. Take of this three or four ounces at a time.

For Trembling of the Heart or a weak Stomach.

TAke Lignum Aloes and Ambergris, and mingle them with the best yellow Wax melted: Make a thin Cake of it, and apply it to the Heart and Stomach.

Ladanum Opiatum.

TAke Opium Theb. cut very small, three ounces, Salt of Tartar, Crystal of Tartar, of each one dram. Mix all these well together in a Mortar; then put them in a Glass body, and pour upon them a pint of distilled Vinegar, and an ounce of Spirit of Salt. Digest them till there rise no more scum upon it; then boil it to the consistence of an Electuary: Then pour upon it a quart of fair water, and boil it again till all the Opium be dissolved; Then philter it and boil the feces again with water till all be dis­solved. Then philter it, and put all together; which boil to an Electuary with one ounce of the juice of Licorice. Then add to it of the Tincture of Juniper-berries, and Powder of Saffron of each two ounces, Castor one dram; boil it again with a [Page 113] gentle fire to a due consistence; then work it well in a Mortar with Oyl of Anniseeds, Oyl of Nutmeg, Oyl of Cloves, of each one scruple. Then put it up close.

The Dose is from three grains to eight.

An excellent Panchimagogue that Purgeth all Humours.

TAke of black Ellebore four ounces, Coloquint, Aloes, of each two ounces, Saffron one ounce: Extract the Ellebore and Coloquint with Cicory­water acuated with Salt of Tartar: Then extract the Aloes by it self with the same Menstruum without Tartar, and the Saffron with good Spirit of Wine. Then mix all your Extractions together, and eva­porate it to a consistence of Honey; then add to it four ounces of Reisin of Scammony, two ounces of Reisin of Jollop, and one ounce of Mercury subli­mate dulcis in most subtil powder; stir it well toge­ther to make it incorporate, leaving it upon the sand fire till it be a past for Pills.

The Dose is ftom twelve to eighteen grains.

An excellent Laxative Tisanne to take, when one hath a need.

TAke a good handful of Pimpernel; of Sena, of green Annise, of Licorice, of Salt Prunelle, of each half an ounce, of Rhubarb one ounce, two penniworth of stick Cinnamon, the juyce of two Limons.

Take of this Tisanne a good Glass full in the mor­ning, another a little before dinner; and (if it needed) a third in the afternoon.

Bezoardicum Theriacale.

TAke a Viper, which hath been newly caught, and hold her fast by the neck with your thumb and the next finger, so that she cannot stir or wag at all, and with a Pen-knife cut her throat open, so that you may be able to tear out her tongue, which you lay by. Loosen also the skin round about the neck, joyning the head, and skin it all; afterwards cut the body an inch above the Navil, and throw a­way the tail. Then take out all the entrails, putting the grease by it self, and the heart and liver like­wise; and cut the body or bulk upwards joyning the head, and cast away the rest. Prepare a great many Vipers after this fashion. After this, put the bulks of the bodies upon some Plate apart, and the hearts and livers by themselves upon another likewise; and the tongue upon another, without washing them at all; and put them to be dried gently in a fur­nace that is but a little warm. All this must be ob­served in the beginning; afterwards a little more heat is required, that so the humidity may be the sooner dried up, which otherwise might be the cause of their being spoiled. But after this first time, which may be perhaps a night; one needs not but to keep them in a dry place with so little a heat, that they may fully be dried, and hardned, to be fit for to be pounded; which will be done within eight or ten days. When they are fully dry, put all the parts to pounding, dropping upon them now and then a drop of Opobalsamum, or white oriental Balsam, or for want of the same, of the Peruvian Balsom; and sometimes a drop of a compounded Balsom. But all this with so much discretion and heed, that the Balsoms may dry immediately, and [Page 115] be sucked in by the powder, that is, a pounding, without discerning of any liquor; for this would make it come to be a paste, and will not afterwards be fit for to be pounded: But putting in the Balsom by little and little at a time, the heat of moving the Pestil dries it, makes it to be imbibed, and the su­perfluous humidity to evaporate.

Mark this, That there must be far less used of the natural Balsom, than of the compounded; be­cause the greatest part of the humidity of this, doth evaporate through the heat of the pounding; where­as on the other side, the other Balsom, being vis­cous remaineth: For example; To one pound of the substance of Vipers, one ounce, (or at the most, two ounces) of the natural Balsom may suffice: But of the other you may make to enter as much as you can; as for example, if you could spend a whole pound, it would be the better for it, provided the powder do not grow wet by it, nor like a paste. It must be now and then sifted what will pass through a hair cloth; but what will not, must be pounded again, dropping upon it from time to time of your Balsoms. And if so be there be any likelihood of any quantity of the powder, let it run again through the Sieve, what will go through, and pound again the rest with the Balsoms; doing this so long till all be passed through.

The Author told me, that all will not pass, but that at the end there will remain a white powder, which cannot be pounded any more, which are the bones; and he throweth it away as useless: besides that there is but little of it, and your powder is pre­pared.

The Balsam Compounded is made thus.

Take of Myrrhe, Ligni Aloes, yellow Sanders, of each one ounce. Specier. Aromat. Rosat. two drams. Draw the tincture of these things with good Spirit of Wine tartarized. Myrrhe is drawn by it self in a Vessel, the rest, that is, the other three things be­ing mixed together in another Vessel. When the Spirit of wine is well tinged, pour it off, and pour other Spirit upon it, till it be no more coloured; then take an ounce of the tincture of Myrre; and an ounce of the tincture of the other three ingredi­ents, and one ounce of excellent water of Odorife­rous or Damask Roses; mix these three ounces to­gether, and this mixture will be like a Balsom and of a grey colour. And this is the compounded Bal­som.

The best Rose-water is made thus.

LEt your pale Roses putrifie, and when they have fermented enough, distil your Rose-wa­ter; which you are to put upon new or fresh fer­mented Roses, and distil as before: The water that cometh first is the best. He sets it afterwards into the Sun.

Of this Bezoardique Theriacal powder you are to give four or five grains for a dose in some Broth or Wine, either to be freed of a Disease, that hath left great weakness behind it, or else for a preservative against the Infection of the whole nature, or bad air, and to keep ones self in good health, by continuing the same for some days. The Author doth command a continual use of this powder, for the keeping of one in good health. It is also excellent good for [Page 117] the small Pox. But as for the intermittent Fevers, (even in Quartains, but not so certain as in others) the dose is half a dram, immediately before the fit; but in those that are continuae, it is given on the Cri­tical day. And if so be, the Fever doth not go away after twice or thrice taking, then let the Patient take a Purge convenient, immediately after the fit is over.

The Purge which the Author makes use of in Fevers, is this following.

TAke Antimonii Diaphoretici, (that is in the Ce­russ of Antimony) Diagridium prepared ac­cording to Cornachinus, & Tartar. Vitriolat. of each 8 or 10 grains, mix them.

It is also necessary to prepare the body by Purge before one begin to take of this Powder.

But to make a most rich Cordial proceed thus.

TAke Conserve of red Roses, Conserve of flow­ers of Oranges, of each one ounce, of the Confect. de Hyacinth. and of the above mentioned Be­zoardique Theriacal Powder, of each two drams, Confection of Alkermes one dram, of Powder of Gold one scruple. Mix all these well together in the form of an Opiate; and if the composition be too dry, add to it some Syrup of red Corans, as much as is needful. Take of this Composition every morn­ing the quantity of a Nut.

The best fashion to make Conserve of Roses is this following.

TAke the Leaves of Roses, being very well clean­sed of the white at the ends of them. Put them into a Cucurbite well stopped; place it in Balneo Mariae, and keep it boiling for an hour or two, till the flowers be perfectly mortified; then take them out and pound them, and add to them double the quantity of very fine Loaf-Sugar, and pound them well together: then put it up in pots to keep.

The Heads, Skins, and Grease of the Vipers, which you have separated for to make your Bezoardick powder, are kept, because they are endowed with sundry virtues. Dry gently the Heads and Skins, and keep them by themselves. Melt the Grease, and keep it as an Oyl. The head being worn near to ones throat, is excellent against the Quinsie and o­ther Diseases of the Throat. The Skin laid upon the Kidneys of a Woman being in Travel, will promote her deliverance. And if the After-birth doth not come away after the Child, put the Skin upon the Thigh of the Woman, and it will come away with­in a short time after.

The fat is most excellent for the anointing of a red face.

The skin being dried and cut small, and mixed with Oats, and given to a Horse that hath the Farcy, cureth the Horse, if it be continued for a while.

The Bezoardique Powder cureth the Pox, being taken for fifteen or twenty days.

(The Author told me since, eight or ten days) in some good Vehicle, (as Wine;) having first of all prepared the body by taking of a due Purge. It [Page 119] will make one sweat mightily, if one putteth him­self upon it, which ought to be done.

The Author doth Tartarise his Spirit of Wine thus

PUt some pure Salt of Tartar into your Spirit of Wine, and let it stand till the separation be well made; then pour off the Spirit of Wine, and leave the flegmatick solution of Tartar; from which eva­porate the water to driness. Then put your purified Salt of Tartar again into the Spirit of Wine, and do as before: Repeat this till the Salt of Tartar dissolve no more in the Spirit of Wine, nor no part of it.

A Tincture of Coral.

TAke Honey, and deflegm it in an open Vessel upon the fire, till it be as thick as Pitch; then mingle one part of that with two parts of Sand, and distil it in a Glass body, in Sand fire as long as it cometh clear, and till the Oyl be ready to come. Then put off this distilled water upon Coral, and in twenty four hours you will see the Spirit of Honey tincted of a deep yellow colour: then pour off that, and put on more of the Spirit of Honey, and digest as before. Repeat this till it tinge no more. Then philter the extracts, and distil the liquor away, that the tincture remain dry, upon which pour good Spirit of Wine, and digest, and it will be tincted deep red; pour it off, and put on fresh Spirit of Wine, and do as before: Repeat this till you have extracted all the tincture. Then philter the ex­tracts, and distil away the Spirit of Wine; then put new Spirit of Wine upon the remaining mat­ter; [Page 120] repeating this till you have the pure tincture, and that the solution set off no more faeces.

This will be as red as the deepest red Wine, and transparent.

The dose of it is twenty or thirty drops in a fit Vehicle.

It worketh all the good effects that are said of a perfect tincture of Coral, and particularly it hath done wonderful effects in all the Diseases of the Matrix.

A Cordial to Rest, and for Surfeit.

TAke Diascordium one dram, Confection Al­chermes one dram and half, Syrup of Clove­gilly-flowers, a good spoonful. Mix these very well with about two ounces and half of Dragon-wa­ter, or red Poppy-water, or in Carduus-water, as the Diseases require.

It is excellent to cause rest and sleep in a Fever, or when one is oppressed with pain; as also in a Surfeit, and an excellent Cordial.

I conceive you may increase the Dose a good deal to large bodies.

An excellent Poppy-water for Surfeits.

TAke two large mouthed Glasses of some six quarts apiece, and put into each of them five quarts of the best double stilled Anniseed water: then thrust in as many red Poppy leaves as will fill them top-full, and let them infuse twenty hours; then strain them out, and put in fresh, and let them infuse as long; then strain them again, and put in others, and let them infuse six or seven days: which strain well from the liquor, and then strain the liquor from [Page 121] the dregs. Then put into each Glass six ounces of stoned Raisins of the Sun, and a pound of stoned Cherries, and half a pound of refined Sugar; then tie up your Glasses very close.

Another excellent Stomachical Surfeit-water.

TAke Mint, and Carduus Benedictus, of each four parts, Angelica one part, Wormwood two parts; chop and bruise them a little; put a suffici­ent quantity of them into an ordinary Still, and put upon them enough new Milk to soak them; but not to have the Milk swim much over them. Distil this as you do Rose-water; stirring it sometimes with a stick to keep the Milk from growing to a Cake.

I judge the best way of making Poppy-water to be thus: Macerate Poppy-buds, with Caraway­seeds, Anniseeds, &c. in Sack, and distil a good Spirit from this, in which infuse fresh Poppy-buds, and proceed as in the ordinary Receipt. Or you may sweeten your tincted Spirit, or Poppy-water, instead of Sugar, with the Syrup of Poppy made by putting Poppy leaves and Sugar, into a flagon, and set that (close luted in the Joynture) in a kettle of boil­ing water, &c. which is the way of making Syrups of Flowers.

A Cooling Stomachical Mint-water.

TAke two parts of Mint, one part of Worm­wood, and two parts of Carduus; put these into as much new Milk as will soak them: let them infuse five or six hours; then distil as you distil Rose-water: but you must often take off the head, and stir the matter well with a stick. Drink of this water a Wine Glass full at a time, sweetned with fine Sugar to your tast.

An excellent Cordial Water.

TAke Angelica, Carduus Benedictus, Pauls- Betony, Juniper-berries, of each one handful, of Wormwood two handfuls. Mix them, and put them into a wide mouthed Bottle; and pour upon them as much Spirit of Wine as will cover them an inch over them; stop the Bottle close, and digest it so fourteen days; then pour off the Spirit, and keep it for your use.

The Dose is ten or twelve drops (or more, if there be occasion) in a Glass of White wine.

It is good in all distempers of the Stomach, a­gainst Worms, and all gripings; and admirable a­gainst all Infections. It cannot be given amiss.

Another great Cordial VVater.

TAke Sage, Celendine, Rosemary, Rue, Worm­wood. Mugwort, Pimpernel, Dragons, Scabi­ous, Agrimony, Balm, Rosa Solis, Scordium, Carduus Benedictus, Centory, Betony, St. Johns-wort, Mari­gold, of each one handful; Roots of Gentian, An­gelica, Tormentil, Zedoaria, Petasites, Peony, Li­corice, of each three quarters of an ounce. Wash the Herbs well, and shake them in a dry Cloth; then shred them small: the Roots are to be scraped and sliced. Then mix all these well together, and put them into an earthen Pot, and pour upon them three or four Gallons of very good white Wine. Let this stand well stopped three or four days, stirring them once or twice a day. Then distil this with an ordi­nary Still with a gentle fire, keeping the cover of the Still cool with a wet Cloth upon it, often wring­ing and renewing it with fresh water: Let your Still [Page 123] be well luted with Rye-flower, whites of Eggs and Vinegar. You may have ended your Distillation in two days and a night; and of this quantity you may have four or five quarts of water, which divide into two or three several Glasses; the weakeft is chiefly for Children. You may use this water in all occasi­ons where Cordial Water is required; and parti­cularly for Surfeits; and to strengthen the Stomach, and comfort weak persons.

VVater of Rue for the Head and Brain.

WHen Rue is in its prime and vigour, pick the leaves, and put them into a Glass body with a head, and distil off the water in Balneo Mariae, which put upon fresh Rue, and distil again as before. Re­peat this distillation three or four times. Then take all the water, and distil it again by it self, taking on­ly two third parts of it, and leaving one third part in the body undistilled. Then put again the two thirds already distilled into the body, and distil it again by it self, taking only one half of it, and lea­ving the rest undistilled in the body.

This last water is most pure, excellent, spiritful, and well tasted, and full of virtue. Drink of this a Wine Glass full in the morning fasting, and at night.

It is excellent for the Head and Brain preserving against Apoplexies, and Paralysis, and the like; and for that end, eat often in the morning fasting some Conserve of Rue, as much as a Walnut, made by beating very well two or three parts of fine Su­gar with one of Rue.

An excellent Cordial or Palsie VVater.

TAke Lavender flowers, Borage flowers, Buglos flowers, flowers of Lil. Convall. every one ga­thered in their season. Pour upon them good Aqua­vitae, and let them digest six weeks close stopped in a warm place; then distil it off. Put this distilled Spirit into a large Glass, and infuse in it flowers of Sage, flowers of Rosemary, and flowers of Betony, of each one handful. Then take Balm, Mother­wort, Spikenard, Bay-leaves, all cut or chopped; Limon Pills, Peony seeds hulled, of each six ounces; Cardomum, Cubebs, Cinamon, Nutmegs, Mace, yellow Sanders in Powder, of each half an ounce: Lignum Aloes one dram: Pour upon these good Aqua vitae, and let them digest also six weeks. Then put this to your first Ingredients, and distil it off to driness. Then take of fine dissolved Pearls two drams, prepared Smaragd-stone one scruple, Am­bergris, Musk, Saffron, of each half a scruple; red Rose-leaves dried, yellow and red Sanders, of each one ounce: Mix them well together, and put them into a Sarsenet bag, hang it in the distilled water, and keep it close stopped.

This Water is of exceeding virtue in all Swoon­ing of the Head, and weakness of the Heart, decay­ing of the Spirits; also in all pains and numness of Joynts coming of cold. In all bruises outwardly, ba­thing them with it. It strengthneth and comforteth all Animal, Vital and Natural Spirits, and chear­eth the external Senses. It strengtheneth the Me­mory, restoreth lost Appetite; it is exceeding good for weakness of the Stomach. It is also good for Deafness. The Dose is a quarter of a spoonful, in the morning and at night.

A most excellent Balsom for the Palsie, and Apo­plexy, &c.

TAke of Imperatory one pound, Sarsaparilla, Castoreum, of each half an ounce, Bruise them a little; then take Lavender-flowers, Rosemary-flowers, Sage-flowers; put all these together into an earthen Pitcher, and pour upon them good Aqua­vitae; stop it close, and let it digest in a warm place four days, shaking it five or six times a day; then put it in a Cellar to cool. Then put into it nine oun­ces of Camphire, dissolved in half a pint of Spirit of Wine, mix them well together; then strain it three times through an Hypocras Bag, and keep it in a cool place close stopped.

For the Palsie, rub the Mould of the Head and Nape of the Neck with this.

It is also excellent for all Contraction of the Si­news, or debility of the Nerves, rubbing and chafing it well in.

It is also good for the Gout or any Crick or Aches; as also for the Head-ach, rubbing the Tem­ples with it.

An often approved Remedy for the Dead Palsie.

TAke white Onions, shred them small, and put them into an earthen pot or dish; cover them but slightly, and set it in an Oven, stirring the Oni­ons sometimes. Let them bake till they are become pappy; Make a thick Cataplasm of this and lay it upon the benummed part. Change it every twenty four hours, and continue it till you are well. If it be an universal Paralysie, you must use your Cataplasm all over.

The best way to make the Spirit and Oyl of Cla­ry, Mint, Rosemary, Roses, &c.

DIstil a pure water of Mint, or flowers of Clary, or Rosemary; in a pint thereof dissolve as much pure refined Sugar, as to your taste will seem to sweeten the whole composition when put toge­ther; put to this one fourth part of a pint of pure Spirit of Wine, and half as much Rose-water, and some drops of Spirit of Ambergris, with an eighth part of Musk, or lay in it a little bag of Amber and Musk.

The proportion of the Spirit of Wine, Amber, Sugar, and Rose water, are to be varied to your tast.

Distil the water thus: Fill large Glass Cucurbites a third part with Mint, or Clary flowers, or Rose­mary flowers, and in Balneo with moderate heat (not boiling) distil off the water till you leave the Herb almost dry, but not quite dry; for if you di­stil off all that will come, you will have a great bit­terness at the last; therefore taste the drops to­wards the latter end, and when you feel them come bitter, cease. Put this water upon as many new Flowers or Herbs, as it was distilled from, and di­stil as before to near driness. Repeat this four or five times, pouring upon fresh Flowers or Herbs all that is come over; for this repeating of Distillation (of the same water) actuateth and enliveneth the Spi­rit exceedingly. When you have water enough, put the water alone in the large Cucurbite, and distil gently till there remain in the Cucurbite about one third part of the water; which throw away. Then take the two third parts that are distilled over, and distil them again as before, leaving one third part of them in the Cucurbite, which also throw away; [Page 127] and that which is now come over, is pure and per­fect without any bitterness, and is very pleasant, and to be used as is taught above. If any Oyl swim up­on the water, either before the latter Rectifications or after, separate it, and keep it for other use.

The Emperour Charles's Cephalick Capital VVater, of great Vertues.

TAke Lilly Convalleys three pound, Lavender flowers one pound, Rosemary flowers half a pound, red Rose buds three pound, Marjoram five handfuls, Rue four handfuls, Betony six handfuls, Sage three handfuls. Because you cannot get all these herbs at one time, gather them as they come in season; and as you get them one after another, put them to infuse into four quarts of Brandy; let them remain there (close stopped) till you have all the rest. Then take Cinnamon one pound, Cubebg four ounces, Paradis Cornes five ounces, Caraway­seeds, Mace, Cloves, Amber, of each three ounces, Nutmeg four ounces, Ambergris half an ounce: Bruise all these, and then put them to the first In­gredients, and pour upon them all, eighteen quarts of Rhenish Wine, stop it close, and let it infuse three or four days more; then distil it off to near dri­ness: taking the strongest Spirit by it self; the rest is good for ordinary drinking.

This Spirit is excellent for Dizziness and Swim­ming in the Head, and for the Head-ach. It strength­eneth the Memory, and the Eye-sight, &c.

The Great Duke of Florence his excellent Coe­lestial or Imperial VVater of great Virtues.

TAke of the white and Gummish Thubit two ounces, Mastick, Nutmegs, Cinamon, Cubebs, of each half an ounce, yellow Sanders two ounces: Bruise all these, and then put them together into a Glass-body, and put into them two ounces of Ve­nice Turpentine, and two pound of white Honey: Then pour upon them four pound of good Spirit of Wine; stop the Vessel very close, and digest it two days, Then distil it off in Balneo, till it begin to come whitish; then take the Vessel out of the Bal­neo, and set it in Sand, changing the Receiver, and distil by degrees, and you will have a whitish water; unto which add half a pound of newly drawn Spike­nard, Salt of Pearls, Salt of Coral, of each half an ounce, and one ounce of Crystal of Tartar; stop it close and keep it for your use. Then increase the fire, and distil to driness, and you will have a red­dish Oleaginous water; which keep also by it self.

The first clear water is excellent for the Cholick Nephritick, and for any pains of the Stomach. It is also very good for Surfeits, and excellent for Ob­structions of the Spleen or Liver. It purifieth the Blood. It is a sure remedy for the Fits of the Mo­ther; as also for the Convulsion and Falling-fits.

It comforteth the Brain, and strengtheneth the Memory. The Dose is half a spoonful, mixt with as much Fountain water.

The second whitish water is an excellent Reme­dy for the Stone and Gravel. It is also very good for Sores and Wounds, It will cure the Noli me tan­gere; and if you mix some of the first Water with it, it will be the more efficacious.

The third reddish Water is an Infallible cure of the Hemorrhoides and Piles.

It is also excellent for the Gangreen and Wounds.

An excellent Cordial VVater for Dizziness and Swimming in the Head.

TAke four pound of black Cherries, bruise the stones of them, and then put them with the Cherries into a Glass body, and put into them a good handful of Balm, and a handful of Rosemary tops, Cinamon, Nutmegs, of each half an ounce; then pour upon them all two quarts of Sack, stop it close and let it digest twenty four hours. Then di­stil it off in Balneo; distil so much of it, that it be weak like weak Aqua Mirabilis. Sweeten it with white Sugar-candy to your taste, and drink a little wine glassful of it in the morning fasting, and at night going to bed.

This cured a Lady of a great Dizziness and Swimming in her Head; and many others have found the like effect of it.

An excellent VVater for Surfeits and for the Ague.

TAke three Gallons of Aqua-vitae, put into it half a bushel of red Poppy flowers, let them infuse twenty four hours in a Glass close stopped; then strain it well, and put the clear liquor into the Glass again; into which put half a pound of Figs, and as much Raisins of the Sun stoned, and three ounces of Anniseeds beaten, all tied up in a bag; set this in the Sun for ten or twelve days. In two or three spoonsfuls of this water dissolve well the quan­tity of a Hasle-nut of London-Treacle, and give it [Page 130] the Patient an hour before his fit of the Ague, and let him do what moderate exercise he can, and fast four or five hours after it.

An Excellent Julip of Limons for Calentures or Fevers.

TAke the thin rind pared from Limons, then squeeze out all the juyce. Let this settle twen­ty four hours; then pour off the clear aud filter it, which put into Glass bodies to digest in exceeding gentle warmth of Balneo for ten or twelve days; and more faeces will settle: Pour the clear from the faeces and filter it; then digest again. Repeat this so often till no more faeces settle. In the mean time calcine the thin yellow Pills, and with flegm of Wine (in want thereof with distilled Rain water) extract the Salt, which put to the purified juyce. Digest these a while in Balneo; then sever it into Glasses, containing one ounce, which is a dose for an ordi­nary Person. Give it in the hot burning of a Calen­ture; two doses will cure. It is best to take it pure thus; but if the taste displease, you may put a lit­tle Sugar to it. This is much better than Syrup made by boiling, which evaporateth much of that which is best in the juyce of Limons. This will keep well four or five years.

An excellent Orange VVater or Spirit.

PUt the thin parings or chips of the rind of two hundred Oranges into a Cucurbite, so large that they fill it not above a third part full. Pour up­on them six quarts of good Aqua vitae, let them di­gest with a Blind-head close stopped during three or four days; then change that head for one with a [Page 131] Limbeck, and distil in Balneo. Keep the first two quarts by themselves; for they will be excellent good. Then change your Receiver, and the Oyl will come over with the rest of the liquor; towards the last it will be too weak, both of the Orange and of the Spirit of Wine. Mingle one quart of excel­lent Syrup of Clove-gilly-flowers, with the two first quarts; and it will be an excellent Cordial-water. You may Aromatise it with Ambergris; and then it will be much better to those that love Amber.

To make Spirits of Herbs, &c.

TAke four ounces of dried leaves of Mint, or tops of Clary and flowers, or any other such Herbs, and put upon them a pottle of the best Aqua vitae that cometh from France. Digest them a while together; and then distil it off, and you shall have a quart of singular good Spirit: the rest will be weak. In the same manner you may do with other Herbs or Citron Pills dried. Of Caraway seeds you must take but two ounces to a pottle of Aqua vitae, more will be bitter and unpleasant. Sweeten this with the Syrup of Sugar that you have from the Sugar-ba­kers. It is a Syrup that runs down from Sugar-loaves as they stand to dry. This will never congeal; and will keep above a year without sowring. There is of two sorts; the first which is of ordinary Sugar; the second, which is of the finest, or double refined: this I used. Less then a pint will serve for a pottle of Spirit. It is pure, clear and white, like Rock-water: put it into the Spirit, and wake them together. If you will Aromatise it vith Amber, put half an ounce of Spirit of Amber to this proportion. Make the Spirit of Amber thus: Digest one ounce of Am­bergris and one dram of Musk in a pottle of good [Page 132] Spirit of Wine, till all be dissolved that will be. Use this. I conceive it will be much stronger of the Amber, if you distil and cohobate the Spirit seve­ral times from the Amber; but then have a care of keeping the Junctures close shut that no Spirits ex­pire, and do it in Balneo.

A Cordial Water of Wall-nuts. Monsieur Bressieux, a Physician in Paris maketh the water of walnuts thus:

THe first thing that buddeth out of these trees, is a long green excrescence, like slender Pine Apples, which is called their Flower. Distil the water of these, and keep it, throwing away the Caput-mortuum. Then when the Nuts are as big as Hasle-nuts, stamp them in a Mortar, and strain out the juyce; which distil till you have the Caput-mortuum of a thick consistence, like an extract; which keep, as also the water. When the Nuts are growing big and have but a gelly instead of a ker­nel, and would be half ripe within ten days, or a fortnight: then stamp them as before, and di­stil their juyce to a like consistence, as the other. Mingle your three Waters together; and this is his Water of Walnuts, which is a great Cordial: and when he will make Cinamon-water, he useth this only, without Wine or any other liquor to the Ci­namon, and holdeth it for a great Cordial. The two thick consistences (remaining after distilling the two juyces) he putteth together, and when he hath evaporated them to a fit heighth for making of Plaisters (if they were not so already by their di­stilling) he putteth to them (removed from the fire) a little Venice Turpentine (an eighth or tenth [Page 133] part, or a little more) and a little Powder of Ci­namon and Cloves, and a little Wheat-flower to thicken it, also a little Salt; and keep it in a Pot all the year (where it fermenteth) to make a Plaister of it for the Stomach, from the Sternum to the Na­vil, and six or eight fingers breadth; which let re­main on as long as it will stick, taking it off some­times to wipe a little water that sometimes it draweth.

This comforteth and strengtheneth the Stomach wonderfully, when it digesteth not well. If you have none of this Composition ready, take two or three condited Wall-nuts (conserved black; not green, or white) and stamp them to a Pulp, and mingle with them about as much Turpentine as a Hasle Nut, and some Wheat-flower to thicken it and a little Salt, and a little Powder of Cinamon and Cloves; and make a Plaister of this for want of the other.

You should so proportion your substances or Nuts, as to have about a like quantity of juyce of each; as also so much of the Flowers as to have as much distilled water as out of either of the Juyces. For crudities and Indigestions of the Stomach, when a Looseness followeth (which usually cometh from eating more than one can digest) he prescri­bed two or three days very slender diet; and then to eat on mornings three or four condited Walnuts, and to drink a little Wine after them, eating a mouthful of Bread; this setteth the Stomach very right.

The Nuts are conserved black, for those have all their bitterness and virtue in them (whereas, the white are pared; and the green are boiled in seve­ral Waters to make them sweet; and so lose their virtue) only rubbing off a little thin skin with a [Page 134] Napkin, after they have been boiled; then thrust­ing a Clove and a little stick of Cinamon, cross­wise through them.

He had a good maxim to cure Diseases in men, rather by fitting and easie Diet, than by strong Physick.

About the Diet of Milk.

MOnsieur du Clos, giveth the Diet of Milk to many Patients, as well as he hath taken it constantly these many years himself: and in all, he observeth the following circumstances. To those who digest it not well, and out of whose Stomach it goeth not scon enough, he gives a grain or two of Salt with it: To those with whom it curdleth, he giveth a little Sugar; and to those who are bilious, and in whom it turneth to choler, he putteth a lit­tle quantity of fair water.

He takes it often; as four or five times a day: about two Paris pints a day in all or better. If all day he taketh nothing but Milk, he finds it weakens him at length: therefore about noon, he eateth a man­chet of fine light Bread, of about a penny price. But neither that strengtheneth him sufficiently; but he useth withal to eat then two dozen of good Damask Raisins (or more) eating first half his Bread, then twelve Raisins; then drinks a Porringer full of Milk upon it: Then he eats the rest of his Bread and Raisins, and drinks another Porrenger of Milk. With this course he groweth strong, fat and full of blood: but without Bread and Raisins, he becometh very faint, and cannot walk far: but with them he is fain to do much exercise, he finds his health require it, and he performs it with great ease. Every night at going to Bed, he takes a Pill [Page 135] of five or six grains of his Composition of Aloes and Juyces of Herbs, in a spoonful of Milk, and drinks three or four more upon it: which giveth him but one Stool the next morning; after which he is free for all day: but without his Pill, his milk would constipate him much.

To Digest a large Meal.

WHen one hath eaten a great meal, and that it lieth heavy and dead upon the Stomach, and digesteth not, but would hinder one from sleep­ing at night: It will digest presently and trouble you no longer, if you drink a great draught of Cla­ret Wine made as hot as you can well drink it; heat it so, that you may not lose the Spirits of it, in a Silver Tumbler with a close cover sinking down, so that it may press upon the Wine, and conse­quently no Spirits rise into the void place between the Wine and the cover; which hindering of their motion, keepeth them fixed homogeneally through the whole body of the Wine.

Cinamon VVater, or Spirit.

TAke chosen Cinamon bruised one pound, spi­ritful white Wine three pound, pure Rose-wa­ter two pound. Let them digest a day or two close stopped, then distil it in a Refrigeratory: The first pound (or neer so much) will be pretty good; and the last, milky and sweet of the Cinamon, but strong of the Spirits. You may distill this, till you perceive it cometh no more strong of the Cinamon. Keep every one of these three Waters in a Vessel a part, close stopped, Instead of white Wine, you may use a weak Spirit of Wine, or Aqua vitae: but [Page 136] then you must take at least two parts of Rose-water to three of Spirit of Wine.

Lignum Casiae makes a much finer Spirit than Cinamon.

PUt three or four pound of it well bruised to a gallon of Malaga Sack. Digest them together three or fout days in Balneo, then distil with very gentle heat. If you will rest there, sever the first, second, and third running, as the custom is; but, if you will have it richer of the Wood, distil off all together as long as it cometh with vigor, and put that liquor upon fresh Cassia (the same is to be done with Cinamon) and digest as before. Repeat this till it be as strong as you desire, Then either sepa­rate the runnings as long as you will put new wood to the liquor distilled over, you distil till it comes with no more strength; but the last time you put fresh wood, you may keep three runnings each a part; or if you distil all over together, you may re­ctifie the liquor by it self, and then make your sepa­rating of stronger and weaker, so as to have some of such strength as you wish: or take a high Spirit of this, and mingle it with Rosewater in which Sugar is dissolved, and put Ambergris to it. Or do it with three parts of Wine, and two of Rose-water at the first putting upon the wood, and repeat it as of­ten as you think fit; and then dulcifie that without putting more Rosewater to it.

The best way of distilling pure Spirit of Wine, is, to digest the Wine first eight or ten days close stop­ped in Balneo: But you must have a care that the Balneo be but luke-warm. Then distil it. You shall have thus twice as much Spirit of Wine as the or­dinary [Page 137] way. You may keep such a heat as is requi­site for this, with Sawdust, which is a slender ex­pence.

Cordial Water of Clove-Gillyflowers.

PUt Spirit of Wine, or Sack, upon Clove-Gilly­flowers; digest it two or three days: put all in a Glass-body, laying other Clove-Gill flowers at the mouth of it upon a Cambrick or Boulter cloth (that the Spirit rising and passing through the flow­ers, may tinge it self of a beautiful colour) add a Head with a Limbeck and Receiver: Then distil the Spirit as strong as you like it; which sweeten with Syrup of Gillyflowers or fine Sugar. Quaere, of laying Cinamon and Amber with the Flowers.

An Extract of Poppy Flowers.

PUt Spirit of Wine upon red Field Poppy-flow­ers, digest it till the Spirit of Wine is highly tincted. Dicant, if it be not high enough, put it up­on new flowers. When it is tinged enough, dicant and philter, and distil of the Spirit of Wine to the consistence of an extract, of which eight or ten grains is a Dose. This is to be used instead of a La­danum; and with better success, in causing rest, and in Surfeits, causing a gentle Sweat, and thereby dis­charging the Stomach of what oppresieth it.

Limon Water.

PAre off the yellow rinds of Limons, thin as to make chips, which will be as low as the Pores go; and put them into a Glass body with a Head and Limbeck, and distil them in Bal [...], with gentle [Page 138] heat. You shall have a very sprightful water (with Oyl swimming upon it; which conserves it) where­of a little will Aromatise Wine or any liquor, and make it very pleasant. It is a very pleasant Cordial­water to dissolve Sugar in Orange-flower-water, and then mingle Spirit of Wine with it; both of them to your taste, for sweetness and strength.

If you distil Raspes in a cold Still, as you do Ro­ses, and put a little of that water into Sack or other Wine, or into Claret or White wine and Water; it will Aromatise it very strong of Raspes (without changing the colour) and make it very pleasant; two or three spoonfuls is sufficient to a quart of Sack.

An excellent Cordial Water of Sweet Marjo­ram, exceeding good for the Head and Me­mory.

FIll a Cucurbite, reasonable lightly, with Sweet Marjoram duly dried; set it in an iron pot full of water, which is over actual fire, and fill it up with Brandy, and after a days digestion distil it gently. Keep the strong Spirit by it self; then change the Receiver, and keep the flegm by it self, ceasing distilling when it cometh insipid, weak both of Wine and Herb. In neer a quart of this flegm dissolve one pound of pure double refined Sugar, and let it stew some hours in boiling Balneo to make them incorporate well. If the liquor be not perfectly pure, heat the Solution to almost boiling, that the dross may rise for you to scum it off. A quart of this Syrup will serve to sweeten near two quarts of the first Spirit, to most tastes. You may either put more Syrup, or make the Syrup stronger of Sugar, if you are afraid of making the [Page 139] Composition too weak. You may make your first Spirit stronger of Herb, by drawing it again from fresh (dry) Herb. You may add Ambergris to make it more Caphalick and virtual. You may do the like with Rosemary tops and flowers.

To make Hipocras presently.

TAke twelve drops of Oyl of Cloves, eight of Oyl of Nutmegs, and five of Oyl of Cinamon. Put them into a large strong drinking Glass, and mingle well with them two ounces of the purest double refined Sugar in Powder. Then take twen­ty drops of Rose-water in a spoon, and in it a lit­tle Ambergris, and a little Musk; and then pour that to your former Composition, and work all well together; and if you find the matter too moist, knead some more Sugar amongst it. If you put a little of this Composition into a quart of Wine, and make it sweet with Sugar besides, it will taste like excellent Hipocras.

To make a Coagulated Spirit of Ambergris.

PUt one ounce of Amber bruised into little pie­ces, into the head of a Refrigeratory. Let there be eight or ten ounces of pure Spirit of Wine in the Refrigeratory; close the Joynts very well. Distil over the Spirit of Wine, and in passing over boiling hot, it will impregnate it self strongly of the Amber. Do the like with excellent Orange-flower­water made carefully of pure flowers, (and often rectified upon fresh flowers) and other fresh Am­bergris. Put one part of the ambered water to three parts of the ambered Spirit of Wine, and they will instantly coagulate (to a drop) into a [Page 140] consistence of Butter: which is, both very plea­sant for the odour and taste, and also a very great Cordial. You may add an eighth part of Musk to the Amber. And when Orange-flower water cannot be had, use a pure and spiritful Rosewater instead of it.

Dissolve Ambergris and Musk (one part to eight) in sufficient quantity of pure Spirit of Wine (as six­teen or twenty parts to one) so that all the Amber may remain dissolved (after twenty or thirty days digestion) when the Glass is through cold. Dicant or philter it from remaining dregs. Put it into a Re­tort, or rather into a Body with a Head and Lim­beck, and distil it off in Balneo, with as gentle warmth as may be, so that (for example) there be sixteen or twenty measures between every drop. Cease when you find the body dry, and like a soft Gum. This will be of an excellent odour and taste, and the Spirit of Wine will have carried over very little of the virtue or Spirits of Amber: Or put Spirit of Wine upon Amber, to be three or four fingers breadth over it. Digest it in Balneo till it be highly tincted: Pour off that and pour on fresh Spirit of Wine. Digest as before till it be tincted. Repeat this till you have all the tincture; then evaporate the Spirit of Wine to a Gum or Butter.

To make Sweet Water.

TAke Rose leaves, Bay leaves, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Eglantine, Pinks, of each two handfuls, Cloves, Cinamon, of each one ounce: bruise all these, and pour upon them two quarts of strong Ale, (that is near the grounds) let them in­fuse twenty four hours, then distil it, and draw it till the Ingredients remain almost dry.

Another.

TAke Damask Roses at discretion, Basil, Sweet Marjoram, Lavender, Wall-nut leaves, of each two handfuls, Rosemary one handful, a little Balm, Cloves, Cinamon, of each one ounce, Bay leaves, Rosemary tops, Limon and Orange Pills of each a few; pour upon these as much white Wine as will conveniently wet them, and let them infuse ten or twelve days; then distil it off.

Another.

Take juyce of Cloves three ounces, Calamus Aro­maticus, Cypress, of each two ounces, Orchis half a pound, dry Rose leaves, dry Spike flowers, of each two handfuls, Bay leaves one handful; beat all these to powder, and put them in a pot and pour upon them three gallons of fair water; and let them infuse five or six days stirring it every day se­ven or eight times. Then distil it. Then take out the Bay leaves and use the rest for Sweet-bags, you may hang a little Musk in the water

To Preserve Fruit all the Year.

PUt the fruit into a fit Case of Tin, and soder it together, so that no air can get in; then lay it in the bottom of a cold Well of running water.

To make Perfumes to Burn.

TAke half a pound of Damask Rose-buds (the whites cut off) Benjamin three ounces beaten to powder, half a quarter of an ounce of Musk, and [Page 142] as much of Ambergris, the like of Civet. Beat all these together in a Stone-morter. Then put in an ounce of Sugar, and make it up in Cakes, and dry them in the Sun, or by the fire. There is no diffe­rence in making the Bags, but that they must be red Roses, and you leave out Sugar.

Cassolettes.

TAke Benjamin four ounces, Storax two ounces, Lignum Aloes half an ounce, Ambergris two drams, Musk twenty four grains, Civet one dram, twenty Cloves, Cinamon in powder two drams; the Peels of two Limons, (cut small without touch­ing them with your hands.) Mix all these together with Rose-water, and make a paste of it with your hands; and never use it without Rose-water or other Sweet water. You may steep Gum Tragacanth in Rose-water till it become a Mucilage, and with that work the other Ingredients into a paste, and form it to Cakes for use.

[...]o make an Odoriferant Ball.

TAke Benjamin two drams, Storax, pure fine La­danum, of each one dram, Bark of Cedar, the thin rind of Orange and Limon, Violets, Odorife­rant Roses, Rosemary, red Sanders, Calamus Aroma­ticus, of each half a dram, Cloves, Cubebs, Ireos of Florence, of each two scruples. Reduce all these in­to powder, and make Paste of it with Gum Traga­canth steeped in Orange-flower or Rose-water. Then, heat a little the inside of a Mortar, and put a spoonful or two of Orange-flower or Rose-water in it, and upon that put one scruple of Civet, and half a dram of Ambergris, aud grind it well together [Page 143] with a warm Pestil. When it is well incorporated, put half a scruple of good Musk to it, which incor­porate also; dropping into the Composition thirty drops of Oyl of Lilly Convally, when it is all cold. Then mix this Composition with the first Paste, working them well together; and lastly, add to it ten drops of perfect Oyl or Quintessence of Cina­mon made by Distillation. Then form this into Balls of such a bigness as you will have them, and dry them in the shadow.

Rose Pastils to Burn.

TAke Benjamin three ounces, Storax two ounces, Alexandrine or Damask Rose-buds one ounce; grind the Roses by themselves, and the rest also: Then take Lignum Aloes, Amber, fine Sugar, Ci­vet, powder of Cypress, of each half a quarter of a pound; grind all these well together. Then mix it with Gum Tragacanth disiolved in Orange-flowers or Rose-water, and make them up.

To make Mouth Pastils.

TAke fine Sugar well sifted one pound, Amber­gris two drams, Musk half a dram, grind the Amber, and Musk with a little Sugar, putting it in by little and little till all be well incorporated. Make paste of this, thus: Take some Kernels of Quinces, bruise them, and put them to steep in fair water twelve or fifteen hours; then strain the water through a Linen, and it will be gluant; with this make up your paste, and let them dry in the shadow, putting a sieve upon them to keep it from the flies.

To make a Pomos like those that are made in Spain.

TAke Benjamin half a pound, steep it in Rose-water, expose it to the Sun the space of six weeks, stirring it three or four times a day; and when you see that it groweth dry, add still more Rose-water to it. Then grind it well with four Cloves, and a little Cinamon in powder, and one ounce of Storax, half an ounce of the thin rind of Limon shred very small, half an ounce of Amber­gris, a quarter of an ounce of Civet, half an ounce of the perfumed Italian Powder, one ounce of Rose powder, a dram of Musk; boil this together in as much Rose-water as will just cover it till it be well incorporated together. This proportion will serve for eight Pomos. In using it you must keep it always covered with Rose-water.

To make the Sweet Water, called in French L'eau d'ange.

TAke three pints of Rose-water, half a pint of Orange-flower water, Musk, Ambergris, Lig­num Aloes, of each twenty five grains, Civet fifteen grains, Benjamin four ounces, Storax one ounce, all in fine powder; mix all these well together, and put them in a brass Pot, covering it very close with Linen, and set it to boil in a kettle full of water the space of three hours; then pour off the clear, and put upon the remaining matter the same quantity of fresh Rose and Orange-flower water, and five or six grains of Civet. Then of the rest you may make Pastils or Cassolettes.

A pleasant and wholesome Perfume for Tobac­co taken in a Pipe.

TAke one ounce of the hard Balsom that is in Nuts, Ambergris half a dram, Oyl of Anni­seeds six drops, Oyl of Cinamon six or seven, or ten drops, Oyl of Thyme, five drops, Oyl of Nutmegs, Oyl of Lavender, of each two drops, Oyl of Cloves three drops; work all these well together by long malaxation in a Mortar warmed a little, into an uni­form gummy substance: whereof as much as a Pep­per-corn pressed in at the top of a Pipe of Tobacco, will make it taste exceeding well, and perfume the mouth and Room very pleasantly, by taking it in smoke.

Another.

TAke Balm of Peru half an ounce, seven or eight drops of Oyl or Quintessence of Cinamon, Oyl of Cloves five drops, Oyl of Nutmegs, of Thyme, of Lavender, of Fennil, of Anniseeds, (all drawn by Distillation) of each a like quantity, or more or less as you like the odour, and would have it strong­est. Incorporate with these half a dram of Amber­gris. Make all these into a Paste, which keep in a box. When you have filled your Pipe of Tobacco, put upon it about the bigness of a great pins head of this Composition, and it will make the smoke most pleasingly odoriferous, both to the takers and to them that come into the Room; and ones breath sweet all day after. It comsorts the Head.

To convert Water into Ice in Summer, without the help of either Ice or Salts.

PUt boiling Water into an earthen Pitcher or Pipkin, that it be full; cover the mouth of it and shut it very close; and so hot hang it in a deep cold Well, in the Water; after a while, the boiled Water will be all become Ice, so that you must break the Pitcher to get it out.

To Convert Water into Ice with Snow or Ice Immediately.

SEt a Glass of water in a Bason of Ice or Snow, as you do an Egg in Salt; and set a quick fire under the Bason, and it will presently drive the cold of the Snow or Ice into the Water; and make it Ice.

If you put Snow and Saltpeter into a quart Pot, and set the Pot upon water spilled upon a Table, and stir well the Snow and Salt with a stick; the Pot will presently stick to the Table.

A Table of the Receipts con­tained in this Book.

A
FOr all kind of Agues,
Page 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
Agues and Fevers,
3
Aches in any part of the body, &c.
39 58
To make Aurum Potabile,
94, 96 97
B.
For Bleedings,
25, 26
Burnings,
55
An excellent red Balsom, or Salve of great ver­tue,
55
Biting of a mad Dog,
58
Balsom of Sulphur, for the Breast, Lungs, &c. and for Tetters,
79
Balsom of Dr. Salvator Winter,
73
Bolus for the Stomach and Liver,
111
Bezoardicum Theriacale,
114
Ball odoriferant,
142
C.
For Coughing,
7
Colicks of all kind,
7
Cold in the head to draw Rheume from it,
8
Cancers in the Mouth, Breast, or any part,
36, 37
Cankers in the Mouth,
54
Cancered Breasts,
36
Contusion or Bruises,
64
Conception, to procure it,
111[?]
Cornachinus powder,
77
Corporified Salt of Spirit of Wine,
88
A great Corroborant,
93
Confortative,
105
Cordial Tablets,
106
Cordial to rest and for Surfeit,
120
Cooling 'tomachal Mint-water,
121
Cordial water,
122
Cephalick Capital water,
127
Celestial or Imperial water,
128
Cordial out of English Saffron,
101
Cordial water of Sweet Marjoram for the Head and Memory,
138
Coagulated Spirit of Ambergris,
139
Cassolettes,
242
Cordial water of Walnuts,
132
Cinamon water or Spirit,
135
Cordial water of Clove-Gilliflowers,
137
D.
Deafness,
29
To cause a good Delivery,
33
Dropsie,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 19
Dizziness and Swimming in the Head,
129
Diet Drink,
110
The Diet of Milk,
134
To Digest a large Meal,
135
E.
For the Eyes,
24, 25
Eyes red or bloudshot,
25
A great Electuary,
103
Extract of Poppy Flowers,
137
F.
For all kinds of Fevers,
5, 6
Fluxes,
8, 9, 11, 12
For Fistula's and Vlcers,
70
Felons,
54
For the Falling-sickness:
32, 33
Fruit to preserve all the year,
279, 306
G.
Gowt hot or cold,
51, 52
Gangrene, and all foul diseases of the skin,
59, 60, 61, 62.
Gonorrhaea,
63
H.
Haemorroides,
19
Hardnefs in Womens Breasts,
37, 38
Head-ach, &c.
45
I.
For Imposthumes, Fellous, &c.
36
Jaundise of any kind,
88[?]
K.
For the Kings-Evil,
53
Kibes and Chilblains,
133
L.
A Receipt of the Labour-Powder,
33
For a Loosness,
9, 10
For the Leprosie,
45
Ladanum Opiatum.
112
Lime water,
137
Leau d'ange
204
M.
For the Mother,
28
Menstruum of Citron Pills,
85
Menstruum to open any Body, but chiefly the Body of Gold,
85
Mercurius vitae,
91
Medicinal Stone of great vertues,
66
Medicine which hath done wonderful great effects,
83
Medicine from Antimony and Mercury dulcis,
174
O.
For Obstructions,
12, 13
An excellent green Ointment of great vertues to be made in May,
57
Ointment for Wounds and Sores in Man or Beast,
56, 58, 68
Ointment for the Stomach,
109
Orange Water or Spirit,
130
Oil of Pearl for health, and for the face,
97
Oil of Myrrbe,
100
P.
For the Piles,
20, 39, 40
Poyson inward or outward,
27
Plague,
40, 41, 42
Plurisie,
50
Palsie,
124, 125
Phrensie,
45
Plaister for the stomach,
44, 108
Plaister of Norinberg,
711
A Panacea of Antimony,
80, 81
An Excellent Plaister for the Ba [...]k,
72
Pachimagogue,
113
Purge in Fevers,
117
Physical Salt
99
Perfumes to burn,
241
Pastils of Roses,
143
Pastils for the Mouth.
ibid.
Pomos,
144
R.
For Retention of Urine,
48, 49
Ruptures,
53, 54
Restaurative and Cordial of Dates,
105
S.
For the Stone and Gravel,
46, 47, 48, 49
Strangury of Urine,
49
Squinsie,
45
Spitting of Bloud,
27
Sinews and Head,
28
Small-pox,
30, 31
Sciatica and Rheumatism,
50
Sharp humours to dry them up,
67
Sprain in the Back, or any weakness,
109
An Excellent Spirit of Dr. Salvator Winter,
74
Spirit of Sal Armoniac,
78
Spirit of Verdegris,
87
Sale of Tartar Volatile,
90
Surfeit Water,
121, 129
Spirit of Clary, Mynt, &c.
126
Spirits of dried Herbs, &c.
131
Spirit of Lignum Cassiae,
136
Sweet Water;
240, 241
T.
For the Toothach,
21, 23
Teeth and Gums,
21, 22, 23
Tetters or Herpes,
38, 65
A pleasant and wholsome Perfume for Tobac­co taken in a Pipe,
145
Trembling of the Heart or a weak Stomach,
112
Tincture of Ambergris,
96
Tincture of Bezoar,
ibid.
Tincture of Coral,
119
Tincture of Gold,
98
Tisanne Laxative,
113
U.
Venereal Cankers,
64
Venereal Disease,
86
Vulnerary Potion or Wound drink,
68
A great Venereal,
107
W.
For Women in Labour,
33
Women in Childbed,
34
Womens reast and Belly lying in
35
Womens Torn Bladder,
34
Womens Flowers to bring them down,
35
Womens immoderate Fluxes,
27
Womens Whites,
28
Worms in Children,
43
Worms in the Belly or Stomach,
ibid.
Warts to take them away,
44
Water of Rue for the Head and Brain,
123
To convert Water into Ice in Summer without the help of either Ice or Salt.
146
FINIS.

Digby's Receipts.

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