Royal College of Physicians: The Lady Sedley, her Receipt book, 1686 (MS534)

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then will there come a Second water which will not be so good as the first

The virtues of this water be these, it Comforteth the Spirits vitall, & preserveth greatly the youth of man, and helpeth the inward diseases coming of Cold, and against Shaking of the Palsey, it cureth the contraction of Sinews, it helpeth the conception of women that be barren, it killeth worms in the body, & killeth the cold Gout, & helpeth the Tooth ache, it comforth the Stomach verry much, it cureth the cold Dropsy, it helpeth the the Stone that is in the bladder, & in the reines of the back, it cureth the Canker it helpeth shortly a Stinking breath, and whoso^ever useth this water ever & anon, & not often, it preserveth him ^long in good likeing, and shall make one seem very young a long time.

for the Small Pox or any other grief that lyeth in the stomach. lxix.

Take a ^quart of posset drinke, let it be strain'd clean, then take a good handfull of Marigolds, three crops of Rosmary, iiij of thyme, and 4 or 5 of Hyssop some organes; seeth these altogether to a pint and give it the Patient to drink and remember to strayn it after it is boyl'd

A Posset to take away any of the Stomach the Small Pox, Malmsey or any other Grief. lxx

Take a quart of posset drink made with Stale Ale and rawe milk strayn it, & put therein a handfull of marygolds some

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Organes iij or iiij crops of Hyssop of Rosmary wash all these, break them, and seeth them in the posset drink till half be consumed, then strain it & give your Patient so often as you may.

for the Small Pox lxxj.

Give no medicine when they break, otherwise then to wash the Eyes and Throat with Rosewater

The Receipt of the flowers of Rosemary and its vertues lxxij

Take Rosemary flowers & Stamp them, then put ^in a glass with Strong Wine, & Stop it close, then sett it in the Sunn 5 or 6 days, and then Still it with a Soft fire and you shall have both water & Oyle, the which you shall seperate and keep close in a glass & its vertues are these It helpeth against all payns in the head altho they have continued 6 or 7 years, it comforteth the memory, and alsoe preserveth the Eyes, if you drink thereof now and then a drop or two & put another into the Eyes. It helpeth those that are deafe if it be put into the Eares and also drunk with good Wine, It op'neth all Stoppings of the Liver & Milte, and helpeth against the Dropsey, Yellow Jaundice, It breaketh wind & helpeth ^the Collick, & riseing of the Mother, It is alsoe excellent for those that have drunk poyson, or that are infected with pestilence, if you drink thereof a little and lay you down to Sweat, it comforteth the heart & cleaneth the blood, & makes a man merry, & causeth a good Colour, and this Oyle is most excellent for those that are full of the Itche Scabbs. & to be Short, it helpeth all diseases of the body that come of cold & moyst humours, altho they were n'ere so evill, it helpeth the Canker, Fistuloes and such like. &c.

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A water for the Stomach, Poyson, Smallpox, or any Surfeit. lxxiij

Take of Sallendine, Sage, Rosemary, Rue, Mugworth, Wormwood, Pimpenneld, Dragon, Scabies, Egrimony, Balmes Centurie, Cardus, Bittony, Rosa-Solis, of each a good handfull Angelica roots, white henband roots, Turmenvild, Hedow Eccovith, of each half an ounce, Shave the roots and wash them, the hearbs Shave, and Squeese the water out of them in a Clooth, then Shred and Steep them 2 days & nights in as much white wine as will cover them as will cover them well, & let the vessel be close cover'd, take it out and drink it, keep it close in a glass or bottle, and when you vse it, give it lukewarm to the party with a little Shugger infus'd, to a Child 2 or 3 Spoonfulls is Sufficient, and to a Strong body 4,5, or 6 Spoonfulls it is an exprimented Cordiall. You may use ^to this a little Methridate in it these Simples are to be gather'd in May, and then distill'd in the beginning of June.

Lucatellus Balsome lxxiv

Take halfe a pound of yellow wax, Cut it in thin Slices put it in a dish with a quart of Sack, and Set it on a Chafing dish of coales, & when it is melted, put in a pound of Venice Turpentine very well wash'd, in Redrose water, till it be white, then take 3 pints of the best Sallet oyle, & put the Turpentine and oyle into the wax and Sack, let them boyle gently together almost an hour, then take it off the fire and

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put to it ij oz. of the purest colour'd redd Sanders, Sifted through a Tiffany & keep it Stirring till it be almost cold. Soe pot it vp.

The vertue of this Balsome. lxxv.

It cures any green wound, melted in a Sawcer & dropt on the wound, & a linnen cloath dip'd in it and laid upon the part affected ev'ry day. It cures any Scald, or burne, anointing the part if the Skin be broken, warm it and lay a dipp'd linen cloath on it. the like for a Scalded head it is verry good for the head Ache rubbing the Temples with it & the nape of the neck being warm'd, In like manner for the Gout, & Plurisie after leting blood eating the quantity of a Nut rolled up in Shugger and afterwards annoynting the left side there with.

Dr. Right's receipt for the Scurvie lxxvi.

Take a pound of Sea Scurvie-grass after it is pick'd & dryed near a fire, half a pound of Raisins of the Sunn Ston'd, one handfull of Roman wormwood, one handfull of dry'd Orange peeles, one handfull of wheat brann, 2 oz. of Shavings of Ivory, of Gallingall roots prepar'd, Coriander Seeds, of Caroway Seeds, of Nutmegg, of each 2 dramms mix all these into one lump in a Stone Morter, and put ^it into a bolting bagg with 3 or 4 gadds of new Steel to hang it in a vessell of four Gallons of Ale of a middle Strenght, after 5 or 6 days begin to drink it, and noe other Beer or Ale.

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A Receipt for the Convulsion fitts lxxvij

Take a quart of white wine, put into it a good handfull of Cowslip's leaves, boyle away a third parte, then take it of the fire and let it Stand till the next day, then Strayne it, and Soe drink it till all be done.

To Stay the bleeding of the Nose lxxviij

Take a Raisin of the Sunn, Slitt it, and turn the inside outward, then put it up the Nostrill that bleeds and if the blood fall down the Throat, take Some Raisins of the Sunn, Chew them, and soe hold them in your mouth

An Excellent drink for to Cure a Fistula. the Lady Mildmay's way. lxxix

Take Sanicle, wood Bittany, wild Daseys leaves and root, red bramble leaves, Dandalyon with the redd ribbs or Stalks in the leaves, Avenes Bugle, white Bodell or Ox Eye, Egrimony, Mother-worth, field Charvill, of each a good handfull. Mugworth, Ribbworth and wormwood of each a few Sprigs: wash all clean, & Shake out the water through a linnen cloath, then boyle'em together, in a quart of good white wine, over a Soft fire, for the Space of a quarter of an howr & over, then put it 2 or 3 Spoonfulls of English hony, and let it Seeth or Simper awhile after, well Stirr'd about with a Spoone in the Seething then Strayne it hott through a Clean Cloath into Some

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Earthen vessell wringing the cloath well, and when it is cool put it into glass bottells, Let the patient drink thereof Morning and Evening lukewarm 3 Spoonfulls at a time or thereabout, as his Stomache Serv's him. for Speedy cure you may tent the wound or Sore, and lay thereon a Colworth leafe. If the Patient be a woman with Child leave out the Mugworth.

For an vlcer in the kidneys lxxx.

Take yellow Dock-roots one oz. Slice it verry thin and with a Nutmegg Slic'd boyl it in 3 pints of Ale, till halfe be consumed, Skim it well, and drink it three Mornings fasting, continue this 15 or 20 days together.

A drink to Strength the Liver and keep one from the Dropsy. lxxxi

Take Yellow and Redd Dock roots, white & yellow Sanders and of the wood Goracum of each one oz. Agrimony 4 handfulls, of all these make a gross powder, put it in a bolting bagg with a Stone to keep it down and Tunn up 4 Gallons of new Ale vpon it, let it Stand Six or Seaven days, and then drink it for your ord'nary drink and no other, 6 or 7 days before one be Spent make another proportion, till you be throughly well.

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For the Scurvy & Dropsy. lxxij.

Take Six pound of the leavs of Sea & Garden Scurvy Grass a pound & a halfe of Brooklime, as much of water-Cresses; Stamp & Straine the Iuice out, put to it 4 pound of the roots of Briany, Horse radish 2 pound, Wintrne halfe a pound, twelve Lemons Slic'd thinn meat & Rhine 4 oz. of Nutmeggs grossly bruis'd let all these Stand infusing 3 days in Eight pints of Rhenish wine, then distill it.

Take 3 Spoonfulls of it ev'ry morning & Ev'ning: you must abstaine from all Salt meats, Swines flesh, Butter and wine. It is very good to wash your Eyes.

A most Excellent receipt to keep the Face from Pitting with the Small Pox. lxxxiij

Take a pound of Butter out of the Churne unsalted a pound of Shuggar double refin'd beaten & Searced put these two together upon a Slow fire to melt, then beat it till it is thick, and keep your Face annointing with it, that it may not be dry, this is not to be vs'd ^till the Pox begin to crush.

Judge Ellis's receipt for the Stone lxxxiv.

Take Saxifrage, Parsly, Thyme, Winter Savory Iermander, Cammomile, wormwood, Penny royall, Hyssop, Lavender, Fennell, of ev'ry one of these a two good handfulls, chop them Small, and infuse

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Them 24 hours in 3 gallons of Small Ale, Slice 2 oz 3 Nutmeggs, & put to it Venice Turpentine well wash'd in Red Rose water to the quantity of a Walnut, and as much live hony, put all these into a Limbeck or Still & distill them, keep a quart of the first running by it Selfe, & a pottle of the Second, and a pottle of the third, as as occasion serv's drink the water, one Spoondull of the first, 2 of the Second and 2 of the third, with 4 Spoonfulls of White wine and nutmegg & Shuggar, 3 days before the full, and three days before the Change of the Moone: it is only to be made in the Moneth of May.

For the Ricketts lxxxv.

Take three quarts of the Strongest Ale out of the Fatt, put to it one oz of powder of Annise Seed, one oz of powder of Lickoris, half a pound of Figgs Slic'd, half a pound of Raysins of the Sunn Ston'd, a quarter of a pound of the best blue Currans, one handfull of knottgrass, a handfull of Cumfry, a handfull of parsley roots washed & Scraped and Slic'd verry thin, boyle all these together till halfe be consumed away, then Strayne it all out, and put to it one Spoonfull of live hony, & halfe a pint of Muscadine then Sett it over the fire again, & let it continue till it begins to Symper, then put it into an Earthen pan, & when it is cold bottle it, you must give the child 2 Spoonfulls in the morning fasting, 2 after dinner when it goes to Sleep, & 2 at night going to bed. this is to be continued till the quantity be all taken,

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Every night all the Joynts, breat and Ribbs of the Child must be annoynted with old Sack, and layd in a blankett extroardinary, and be kept very warme.

For the _ lxxxvi.

Take Jallap finely powder'd one dramm, Cinamon finely powder'd halfe a Scruple, mix them & take them in a draught of Chicken broth, so having gently purged take as followeth.

A pint of Plantin water, or water distill'd out of Oak leaves, or a decoction made of Oak budds while tender, blanch a Score of Almonds and pound them well as to make milk, put it over the fire and give it a Scald together, then take it of & put one dramm of powder'd Mastick, and three drams of Shugger of red roses, Let the Liquor be neer cold. then take five Spoonfuls or more every morning first, and last at night twelve or 14 dayes together.

To make Hayre grow. lxxxvij.

Take an Egge, rost it in the embers till it be hard then take the Yolk, and halfe Soe much fresh butter, and as much Pepper as will lye on a knifes point, Add as much hony as will make it into an oyntment, and Soe annoynt the head with it

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An Excellent Cordiall water for Dizziness & Swimming in the head. lxxxviij.

Take four pownd of black Cherries, bruise the Stones of them, then put them to th the cherries into a Glass bottle, and into them a good handfull of Balm & a handfull of Rosemary tops, Cinamon, Nutmegs of each halfe an, then pour vpon them all two quarts of Sack Stop it Close and let it digest 24 hours, then distill it of, in Balneo, distill so much of it, that it be weak, like ^weak aqua Mirabilis Sweeten it with white Shugger-Candy to your tast, and drink a little wine glass full of it in the morning fasting and at night goeing to bedd.

Aqua Mirabilis. Sir Kellam Digby's way lxxxix.

Take Cubbells, Gallingall, Cardimon seeds, Mellilott flowers, Cinamon, Nutmegs, Mace, Cloves, of each two dramms the Iuice of Sallendine a pint, of the juice of Spearmint and Balm of each a pint, one pound of Shugger, the flowers of Cowslips, Rosemary, Bourrage, Buglass Marygolds and Clovegilly flowers, of each two oz. three pints of the best Sack, and one pint of the Strongest Angellica water, bruise your Spices & Steep them all together with halfe a pint of red rose water, one night in the Sack, Still it in an ordinary Still or glass, & lay Hartstongue leafes in the bottome of the Still, and to this the weight of 12^d in Saffron, make four times the proportion