SECT. V.—ON COMPOUND PURGATIVES.
Pills from aloes. Of the medullary part of colocynth, p. j; of the juice of wormwood, p. j; of aloes, p. j; of scammony, p. ij; make with water pills of the size of a chick-pea. The dose xj grains.
The oxymel of Julian. Of rue, oz. iij; of marjoram, oz. iij; of the hair (capillary-leaves?) of thyme, oz. iv; of dill, oz. iss; of iris, oz. j; of the root of mandrake, oz. iss; of agaric, oz. ij; of fatty dead pines, oz. xij; of the granum Cnidium, oz. iv; of lathyrides, oz. iij; of alypias, oz. iij; of polypody, oz. ij; of the cassia-leaf (malabathrum), oz. j; of costus, oz. j; of spikenard, oz. j; of rha Ponticum, oz. iss; of squills, oz. iij; of the tops of the elder-tree, oz. iij; of canopus, which is the bark of elder, oz. iij; of asarabacca, oz. j; of pennyroyal, oz. iij; of dodder of thyme, oz. ij; of hellebore, oz. ij; of sweetflag, oz. ij; of water-parsnip, oz. j; of amomum, oz. j; of St. John’s wort, oz. j; of cumin, oz. j; of anise, oz. ij; of vinegar, ten sextarii; of honey, five sextarii: macerate the herbs in the vinegar for three days; then, having boiled it until more than one half be consumed, add the honey, and having strained, add the lathyrides, the costus, the granum Cnidium, and the spikenard triturated, and, if you please, after it is fully boiled, the oxymel. The full dose is oz. j; or according to the patient’s strength. It is useful in gouty affections and epilepsies; and when we require at the same time to evacuate or dislodge thick humours.
The purgative hydragogue from cloves. Of aloes, of dodder of thyme, of cloves, of granum Cnidium, of stone-parsley, of rha Ponticum, of each, oz. ss; of euphorbium, scr. iv; of honey, q. s. The dose is one spoonful.
The purgative medicine from rhodomel, of Alexander. Of the juice of roses, two sextarii; of honey, one sextarius; of scammony, oz. iv. A full dose is five spoonfuls, a small, two, a medium dose three spoonfuls.—Otherwise: of honey, lb. j; of the juice of roses, lb. j; of pepper, dr. ij; of scammony, dr. viij; of mastich, dr. iv; and of ginger, dr. ij.—Otherwise, one which I use: of spikenard, of asarabacca, of dodder of thyme, of each, oz. ss; macerate in a hemina of water for three days; and having boiled it to a moderate degree, mix with the water of the juice of roses, half a sextarius; of honey, half a sextarius; and having boiled it until it acquire consistence, add scammony to the amount of oz. iss.
A purgative medicine from quinces. Of roasted quinces, oz. iv; of pepper, oz. ss; of scammony, dr. j; of honey, oz. v. Having triturated it, give one spoonful, according to the strength.
The stomachic purgative from citrons. Boil of the bark of a citron, and of the flesh of the same, lb. j, in a sextarius and a half of water, until a third be left; add half a sextarius of honey, and having boiled until it acquire the consistence of honey, sprinkle of the powder of long pepper, oz. j; of scammony roasted in leaven, oz. j.
The purgative called Buccellatus. Of baked scammony, oz. j; of pepper and of parsley-seed, of each, scr. j; of fennel, of anise, of each, oz. j; of honey, lb. j; having roasted it moderately, give in hippocras to the amount of one ounce.
Purgative olives. Of scammony, oz. j; of pepper, oz. j; of dodder of thyme, of toasted cumin, of stone-parsley, of rue, of the green leaves of mint, of each, dr. iv; of laserwort, dr. j; of dates, oz. v; of honey, oz. v; of vinegar, two heminæ; of pickled olives (namely of schistous), one sextar. Some add a moderate quantity of fish-sauce. The dose is v, vij, or ix.