The Complete Herbal / To which is now added, upwards of one hundred additional herbs, with a display of their medicinal and occult qualities physically applied to the cure of all disorders incident to mankind: to which are now first annexed, the English physician enlarged, and key to Physic.

by Nicholas Culpeper

PHYSICAL WINES.

Vinum Absynthitis.
Or Wormwood Wine.

College.] Take a handful of dried Wormwood, for every gallon of Wine, stop it in a vessel close, and so let it remain in steep: so is prepared wine of Rosemary flowers, and Eye-bright.

Culpeper.] It helps cold stomachs, breaks wind, helps the wind cholic, strengthens the stomach, kills worms, and helps the green sickness.

Rosemary-flower Wine, is made after the same manner. It is good against all cold diseases of the head, consumes flegm, strengthens the gums and teeth.

Eye-bright Wine is made after the same manner. It wonderfully clears the sight being drank, and revives the sight of elderly men: A cup of it in the morning is worth a pair of spectacles.

All other Wines are prepared in the same manner.

The best way of taking any of these Wines is, to drink a draught of them every morning. You may, if you find your body old or cold, make Wine of any other herb, the virtues of which you desire; and make it and take it in the same manner.

Vinum Cerassorum Nigrorum.
Or Wine of Black Cherries.

College.] Take a gallon of Black Cherries, keep it in a vessel close stopped till it begin to work, then filter it, and an ounce of Sugar being added to every pound, let pass through Hippocrates’ sleeve, and keep in a vessel close stopped for use.

Vinum Helleboratum.
Or Helleborated Wine.

College.] Take of white Hellebore cut small, four ounces, Spanish Wine two pounds, steep it in the sun in a phial close stopped, in the dog days, or other hot weather.

Vinum Rubellum.

College.] Take of Stibium, in powder, one ounce, Cloves sliced two drams, Claret Wine two pounds, keep it in a phial close shut.

Vinum Benedictum.

College.] Take of Crocus Metallorum, in powder, one ounce, Mace one dram, Spanish Wine one pound and an half, steep it.

Vinum Antimoniale.
Or Antimonial Wine.

College.] Take of Regulus of Antimony, in powder, four ounces, steep it in three pounds of white Wine in a glass well stopped, after the first shaking let the Regulus settle.

Culpeper.] These last mentioned are vomits, and vomits are fitting medicines for but a few, the mouth being ordained to take in nourishment, not to cast out excrements, and to regulate a man’s body in vomiting; and doses of vomits require a deeper study in physic, than I doubt the generality of people yet have; I omit it therefore at this time, not because I grudge it my country, but because I would not willingly have them do themselves a mischief, I shall shortly teach them in what diseases vomits may be used, and then, and not till then, the use of vomits.

Vinum Scilliticum.
Or Wine of Squills.

College.] Take of a white Squill of the mountains, gathered about the rising of the dog star, cut it in thin pieces, and dried for a month, one pound, put it in a glass bottle, and pour to it eight pounds of French Wine, and when it hath stood so four days, take out the Squill.

The virtues of this are the same with Vinegar of Squills, only it is hotter.