Royal College of Physicians: A collection of medical receipts and prescriptions 17th century (MS502)

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Pigg Water for a Consumption Take the bloode of a Porker, warme from the Pigg, and still it in a Rose still, with a gentle fire, Then next day take with a quart of this Water, ii dates, one ounce of dryed Glove Gillifloers, halfe an ounce or better of scraped Lequorice pulled in threads, and a good ounce or neare ² ounces of browne Sugar Candy; Putt these into the Water and lett them stand three dayes, shakeinge them each day twice, Then lett it runne through a strainer, and adde 7 leaves of Leafe Gould, let them and the water bee well shaken together that it may breake, which will bee well done with a litle water at first, Then mingle the former water therewith; soe take of this water 3 spoonfulls for 3 morneings, and then 3 spoonfulls of it, every other morneinge for 30 morneings together: But if the person bee deepe in a Consumption, let then use the first quart every morneinge: and the second quart every second morneinge and it may doe well, Then use this water 3 seasons, that is two springs and one fall, or 2 falls and one springe, I have not usually given this water above one season, the fettest time of useinge this water is from march to June and from september till winter, or any time the winter if Occaseon require. Cocke Water Take a Redd Cocke and haveinge pluckt off his feathers throttle him and his intrails beings caste away, wash him, and bruise him very well bones and all, Then take a pound of curranes, wash them and shredde them, another pound of Raysons of the sunne stoned, and a quarter of a pound of Dates thin sliced, the leaves of Rosemary, Bugless, Borage and scabious

of each one handfull the leaves of Vipers grasse and Borage flowers of each two handfulls, 2 ounces of china Rootes thin sliced; putt to them two quarts of new milke from a Redd Cowe and as much good sacke, and lett them bee distilled, haveinge putt in the bottle you keepe it in, six ounces of white Sugar Candy finely powdred, with 5 granes of Amber greece, 12 graines of prepared Pearle and half a booke of Leafe gould, whereof please to give a little sack glassefull in the morneinge fastinge one howre, and as much an hower before supper

An Excellent Receipt against a Consumption, dropsie, Jaundice, or any other weaknese of the stomack, Liver or Heart {Ia: Luny wouds snayl water} Take a large Pecke of Snails, wash them in a bowle of Beere, then putt them on an Iron drippinge panne, and sett them on a hot char =cole fire, and and keepe them stirrnige and downe untill they make noe noise, then with a knife and course cloth, picke and rubbe away all the greene froth, and stampe them in a stone morter shells and all; Take also a quart of earthwormes slitt them, and scowre them well with salt and water, then wash them beere, and stampe them by themselfs, Then take the Pott whech you will seft your ewn beck in, and in the bottome lay 2 good handfull of Angelica, and then as much Selandine, then as much Agrimony, then of Bears foote and Betony of each one handfull of Rue halfe a handfull, Then lay in a quart of of Rosemary flowers and of Piperig barke and Redd dock Roots picked of each two handfull, Fenegreek and Tuumereek of each one ounce Saffron the weight of six penec, all these beaten to Powder

After all these Lay in the Snailes and Wormes, Then the pott sett in the place where you meane to destill itt, Powre in three Gallon of stronge Ale, very stronge but not staile, soe cover it upp very close, lett it stande at least 24 howers; Then strewe in six ounces of Hearts horne shaven, 3 ounces of Cloves beaten, stirre not the pott onely presse downe the things with your handes, soe sett on the Limbeck faste with Rye paste, Then make your fire, and drawe it gently [...] it with [...] quarts, keepe it in parte, but as you use them, you may mixe the small with the stronge Take it fastinge in the morneinge, and in the afternoone, nor later eate nor sleepe for two howers after. The quantity is two spoonfulls of the strongest, and 4 of beere, and of the smallest parte equall quantity. for a Catarrh, to bee applyede to y^e stomack [Jaccd] Mahacc and Comon oyle of mace ana ℥ss Mastick ℥I, Nutmegg and dryde Redd Roses ana ℈i mints and diarrhed ana ℈ss, make of these a Liniment, to these adde [Cocke] Ale, regalar dyett and moderate exercyse' Lozenges for to stay a Cough Take the white Becline Troches, or for want of those Pendies 2 drayms True Bole washt in plantane water 25 grames, diamargar frigedum 7 grames, white poppy seede 3 grames, Laudanum opeatum 5 grams wild gum dragans. desselved in a little Red Rose water, make these into Tabletts.

To stay Catarhs or Rheumes and cause reste Trochise Behie: add Pillular & styrace una ʒij. Boli beri (Aqua Plantag) Loti ʒss. spec. deamary. frig ℈j S.Papaberis albj ℈ss cum dracadeo g.I.f. Tabula. Note insteade of Pill: & styrace, Take Laudanum, opeatum gr.12 and Trochis. behie: albor ℥ss. Tabletts for a Catarrh Take the black lehie: Troches one ounce, The spec. of diatragagant frigid, and Amber of either two dragms, Olibanun made into fine powder one dragme, white poppy seeds two scruples, seedes of white Henbrane halfe a dragme, Dryed Red Roles une scruple, Saffron, 10 grams These had in readinesse thus prepare them; Let the Amber and Olebanum bee made into fine powder, and infused in the oyle of sweete Almonds soe much as will cover them over in a little pott or the like, and Lett them stand, till all, or most of the oyle fee inbibed Let the like bee done by the white poppy Henbarne seeds and dryed Redd Roses in the Sirrup of violets, afterwards these ingredients beinge all dry agane as at the first, you must adde Tenn grames of Saffron and soe with deacodium make them upp into a masse for Tabletts To one ounce whereof you may adde two scruples of creame or milke of sulphur and the rest you may make upp without itt Those with sulphur are best in a perfect rare could, the other are better when some heate or danger of a feaver is joyned with the distillation. If the infusion or inbibition of the prescribed simples bee too troublesome, you may make upp the composition very well without that operative/