SYRUPS MADE WITH VINEGAR AND HONEY.
Mel Anthosatum.
Or Honey of Rosemary Flowers.
College.] Take of fresh Rosemary flowers a pound, clarified Honey three pounds, mix them in a glass with a narrow mouth, set them in the sun, keep them for use.
Culpeper.] It hath the same virtues with Rosemary flowers, to which I refer you, only by reason of the Honey it may be somewhat cleansing.
Mel Helleboratum.
Or Honey Helleborated.
College.] Take of white Hellebore roots bruised a pound, clear Water fourteen pounds, after three days infusion, boil it till half be consumed, then strain it diligently, and with three pounds of Honey, boil it to the thickness of Honey.
Mel Mercuriale.
Or Honey of Mercury.
College.] Boil three pounds of the juice of Mercury, with two pounds of Honey to the thickness of Honey.
Culpeper.] It is used as an emollient in clysters.
Mel Mororum, vel Diamoron.
Or Honey of Mulberries.
College.] Take of the juice of Mulberries and Blackberries, before they be ripe, gathered before the sun be up, of each a pound and a half, Honey two pounds, boil them to their due thickness.
Culpeper.] It is vulgarly known to be good for sore mouths, as also to cool inflammations there.
Mel Nuceum, alias, Diacarion et Dianucum.
Or Honey of Nuts.
College.] Take of the juice of the outward bark of green Walnuts, gathered in the dog days two pounds, boil it gently till it be thick, and with one pound of Honey, boil it to the thickness of Honey.
Culpeper.] It is a good preservative in pestilential times, a spoonful being taken as soon as you are up.
Mel Passalatum.
Or Honey of Raisins.
College.] Take of Raisins of the sun cleansed from the stones two pounds, steep them in six pounds of warm water, the next day boil it half away, and press it strongly, and with two pounds of Honey, let the expressed liquor boil to its thickness.
Culpeper.] It is a pretty pleasing medicine for such as are in consumptions, and are bound in body.
Mel Rosatum commune, sive Foliatum.
Or common Honey of Roses.
College.] Take of red Roses not quite open two pounds, Honey six pounds, set them in the sun according to art.
Mel Rosatum Colatum.
Or Honey of Roses strained.
College.] Take of the best clarified Honey ten pounds, juice of fresh red Roses one pound, set it handsomely over the fire, and when it begins to boil, put in four pounds of fresh red Roses, the whites being cut off; the juice being consumed by boiling and stirring, strain it and keep it for use.
Culpeper.] They are both used for diseases in the mouth.
Mel Rosatum solutivum.
Or Honey of Roses solutive.
College.] Take of the often infusion of Damask Roses five pounds, Honey rightly clarified four pounds, boil it to the thickness of Honey.
Culpeper.] It is used as a laxative in clysters, and some use it to cleanse wounds.
College.] After the same manner is prepared Honey of the infusion of red Roses.
Mel scilliticum.
Or Honey of Squils.
College.] Take one Squil full of juice, cut in bits, and put it in a glass vessel, the mouth close stopped, and covered with a skin, set in the sun forty days, to wit, twenty before and after the rising of the dog star, then open the vessel, and take the juice which lies at the bottom, and preserve it with the best Honey.
College.] Honey of Violets is prepared like as Honey of Roses.
Oxymel, simple.
College.] Take of the best Honey four pounds, clear Water and white Wine Vinegar, of each two pounds, boil them in an earthen vessel, taking the scum off with a wooden scummer, till it be come to the consistence of a Syrup.
Culpeper.] It cuts flegm, and it is a good preparative against a vomit.
Oxymel compound.
College.] Take of the Bark of the Root of Fennel, Smallage, Parsley, Bruscus, Asparagus, of each two ounces, the seeds of Fennel, Smallage, Parsley, Annis, of each one ounce, steep them all (the roots being first cleansed and the seeds bruised) in six pounds of clear Water and a pound and a half of Wine Vinegar, the next day boil it to the consumption of the third part, boil the rest being strained, with three pounds of Honey into a liquid Syrup according to art.
Culpeper.] First having bruised the roots and seeds, boil them in the water till half be consumed, then strain it and add the Honey, and when it is almost boiled enough, add the Vinegar.
Oxymel Helleboratum.
Or Oxymel Helleborated.
College.] Take of Rue, Thyme, Dittany of Crete, Hyssop, Pennyroyal, Horehound, Carduus, the roots of Celtick, Spikenard without leaves, the inner bark of Elders, of each a handful, Mountain Calaminth two pugils, the seeds of Annis, Fennel, Bazil, Roman Nettles, Dill, of each two drams, the roots of Angelica, Marsh-mallows, Aron, Squills prepared, Birthwort, long, round, and climbing, Turbith, English Orris, Costus, Polypodium, Lemon pills, of each an ounce, the strings of black Hellebore, Spurge, Agerick, added at the end of the Decoction, of each two drams, the bark of white Hellebore half an ounce, let all of them being dried and bruised, be digested in a glass, or glazed vessel close stopped, in the heat of the sun, or of a furnace, Posca, made of equal parts of Water and Vinegar, eight pounds, Sapa two ounces, three days being expired, boil it little more than half away, strain it, pressing it gently, and add to the liquor a pound and a half of Honey Roses, wherein two ounces of Citron pills have been infused, boil it to the thickness of Honey, and perfume it with Cloves, Saffron, Ginger, Galanga, Mace, of each a dram.
Oxymel Julianizans.
College.] Take of the Bark of Caper roots, the roots of Orris, Fennel, Parsley, Bruscus, Chicory, Sparagus, Cypress, of each half an ounce, the leaves of Harts-tongue, Schænanth, Tamarisk, of each half a handful, sweet Fennel seed half an ounce, infuse them in three pounds of Posca, which is something sour, afterwards boil it till half be consumed, strain it, and with Honey and sugar clarified, of each half a pound, boil it to the thickness of Honey.
Culpeper.] This medicine is very opening, very good against Hypocondriac melancholy, and as fit a medicine as can be for that disease in children called the Rickets.
College.] Oxymel of Squills simple, is made of three pounds of clarified Honey; Vinegar of Squills two pounds, boil them according to art.
Culpeper.] It cuts and divides humours that are tough and viscous, and therefore helps the stomach and bowels afflicted by such humours, and sour belchings. If you take but a spoonful in the morning, an able body will think enough.
Oxymel Scilliticum compositus.
Or Oxymel of Squills compound.
College.] Take of Origanum, dried Hyssop, Thyme, Lovage, Cardamoms the less, Stœchas, of each five drams, boil them in three pounds of Water to one, strain it and with two pounds of Honey, Honey of Raisins half a pound, juice of Briony five ounces, Vinegar of Squills a pound and a half, boil it, and scum it according to art.
Culpeper.] This is good against the falling-sickness, Megrim, Head-ache, Vertigo, or swimming in the head, and if these be occasioned by the stomach as many times they are, it helps the lungs obstructed by humour, and is good for women not well cleansed after labour, it opens the passage of the womb.
Syrup of Purslain. Mesue.
College.] Take of the seeds of Purslain grossly bruised, half a pound, of the juice of Endive, boiled and clarified, two pounds, Sugar two pounds, Vinegar nine ounces, infuse the seeds in the juice of Endive twenty-four hours, afterwards boil it half away with a gentle fire, then strain it, and boil it with the sugar to the consistence of a Syrup, adding the Vinegar towards the latter end of the decoction.
Culpeper.] It is a pretty cooling Syrup, fit for any hot disease incident to the stomach, reins, bladder, matrix, or liver; it thickens flegm, cools the blood, and provokes sleep. You may take an ounce of it at a time when you have occasion.
Compound Syrup of Colt’s-foot. Renod.
College.] Take six handfuls of green Colt’s-foot, two handfuls of Maiden-hair, one handful of Hyssop, and two ounces of Liquorice, boil them in four pints, either of rain or spring water till the fourth part be consumed, then strain it, and clarify it, to which add three pounds of white sugar, boil it to the perfect consistence of a Syrup.
Culpeper.] The composition is appropriated to the lungs, and therefore helps the infirmities, weaknesses, or failings thereof as want of voice, difficulty of breathing, coughs, hoarseness, catharrs, &c. The way of taking it is with a Liquorice-stick, or if you please, you may add an ounce of it to the Pectoral Decoction before mentioned.
Syrup of Poppies, the lesser composition.
College.] Take of the heads of white Poppies and black, when both of them are green, of each six ounces, the seeds of Lettice, the flowers of Violets, of each one ounce, boil them in eight pints of water till the virtue is out of the heads; then strain them, and with four pounds of sugar boil the liquor to a Syrup.
Syrup of Poppies, the greater composition.
College.] Take of the heads of both white and black Poppies, seeds and all, of each fifty drams, Maiden-hair, fifteen drams, Liquorice, five drams, Jujubes, thirty by number, Lettice seeds, forty drams, of the seeds of Mallows and Quinces, (tied up in a thin linen cloth) of each one dram and an half, boil these in eight pints of water till five pints be consumed, when you have strained out the three pints remaining, add to them, Penids and white sugar, of each a pound, boil them into a Syrup according to art.
Culpeper.] All these former Syrups of Poppies provoke sleep, but in that, I desire they may be used with a great deal of caution and wariness: such as these are not fit to be given in the beginning of fevers, nor to such whose bodies are costive, yet to such as are troubled with hot, sharp rheums, you may safely give them: The last is appropriated to the lungs; It prevails against dry coughs, phthisicks, hot and sharp gnawing rheums, and provokes sleep. It is an usual fashion for nurses when they have heated their milk by exercise or strong liquor then run for Syrup of Poppies to make their young ones sleep. I would fain have that fashion left off, therefore I forbear the dose: Let nurses keep their own bodies temperate, and their children will sleep well enough.
Syrup of Eupatorium (or Maudlin.) Mesue.
College.] Take of the Roots of Smallage, Fennel, and Succory, of each two ounces, Liquorice, Schænanth, Dodder, Wormwood, Roses, of each six drams, Maidenhair, Bedeguar, or instead thereof, the roots of Carduus Mariæ, Suchaha or instead thereof the roots of Avens, the flowers or roots of Bugloss, Annis seeds, sweet Fennel seeds, Ageratum, or Maudlin, of each five drams, Rhubarb, Mastich, of each three drams, Spikenard, Indian leaf, or instead of it put Roman spike, of each two drams, boil them in eight pints of Water till the third part be consumed, then strain the Decoction, and with four pounds of sugar, clarified juice of Smallage and Endive, of each half a pound, boil it into a Syrup.
Culpeper.] It amends infirmities of the liver coming of cold, opens obstructions, helps the dropsy, and evil state of the body; it extenuates gross humours, strengthens the liver, provoake urine, and is a present succour for hypocondriac melancholy. You may take an ounce at a time in the morning, it opens but purges not.
Honey of Emblicks. Augustanus.
College.] Take fifty Emblick Myrobalans, bruise them and boil them in three pints of water till two be consumed, strain it, and with the like weight of Honey, boil it into a Syrup.
Culpeper.] It is a fine gentle purger both of flegm and melancholy: it strengthens the brain and nerves, and senses both internal and external, helps tremblings of the heart, stays vomiting, provokes appetite. You may take a spoonful at a time.
