This is a warm, cordial, laxative medicine. If is used chiefly in weakness of the stomach and bowels, and some kind of loosenesses, for evacuating the offending matter, and strengthening the tone of the viscera. It may be given in doses of from half a spoonful to three or four spoonsful or more, according to the circumstances of the disorder, and the strength of the patient.
227. SAGE WINE.
Boil twenty-six quarts of spring water a quarter of an hour, and when it is blood warm, put twenty-five pounds of Malaga raisins, picked, rubbed, and shred, into it, with almost half a bushel of red sage shred, and a porringer of ale yeast, stir it all well together, and let it stand in a tub, covered warm, six or seven days, stirring it once a day: then strain it off, and put it in a runlet. Let it work three or four days, and then stop it up; when it has stood six or seven days, put in a quart or two of Malaga sack; and when it is fine, bottle it.
228. GILLIFLOWER WINE.
To three gallons of water put six pounds of the best powder sugar, boil the sugar and water together for the space of half an hour, keep skimming it as the scum rises; let it stand to cool, beat up three ounces of syrup of betony with a large spoonful of ale yeast, put it into the liquor, and brew it well together; then having a peck of gilliflowers, cut from the stalks, put them into the liquor, let them infuse and work together three days, covered with a cloth; strain it, and put it into a cask, and let it settle for three weeks; then bottle it.
229. TURNIP WINE.
Pare and slice a number of turnips, put them into a cider press, and press out all the juice. To every gallon of the juice, add three pounds of lump sugar; have a vessel ready large enough to hold the juice, and put half a pint of brandy to every gallon. Pour in the juice and lay something over the bung for a week, to see if it works; if it does, do not bung it down till it has done working; then stop it close for three months, and draw it off into another vessel, when it is fine bottle it off.
This is an excellent wine for gouty habits, and is much recommended in such cases in lieu of any other wine.
230. ROSE WINE.
Take a well-glazed earthen vessel, and put into it three gallons of rose-water drawn with a cold still. Put into that a sufficient quantity of rose leaves, cover it close, and set it for an hour in a kettle or copper of hot water, to take out the whole strength and tincture of the roses; and when it is cold, press the rose leaves hard into the liquor, and steep fresh ones in it, repeating it till the liquor has got the full strength of the roses. To every gallon of liquor put three pounds of loaf sugar, and stir it well, that it may melt and disperse in every part. Then put it into a cask, or other convenient vessel, to ferment, and put into it a piece of bread toasted hard, and covered with yeast. Let it stand about thirty days, when it will be ripe, and have a fine flavour, having the whole strength and scent of the roses in it; and it may be greatly improved by adding to it wine and spices. By this method of infusion, wine of carnations, clove, gilliflowers, violets, primroses, or any other flower having a curious scent, may be made.