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.