A Book of Simples

by Unknown

300. The Lady St Johns Aproved Re^ct for the Stone.

Take 20 bees and kill them as they come out of their hives dry them on a tile stone or fire shovel then beat them into fine powder take then some snail shells such as snails have left the clearest and most transparent of them and beat them into very fine powder then take a double quantity of this and mix with a single quantity of your bee powder and put as much of both these powders very well mixt as will lay on a 6 pence into half a spoonfull of Sirrop of althea called marshmallows stiring it well together so giving it to ye party w^hn the fits upon them and he shall find (God willing) present ease if you please you may an hour or 2 after give the party a good draught of white wine wherein you must boyle half a handfull of prosper and as much pellitory of the wall.

301. For a Cough a Drink by Dr. Bauyer.

Take 3 quarters of an ounce of french barley of the finest you can get wash it in 3 or 4 waters then let it steep one night in water in the morning pour away that water then put the barley into a quart of Spring water and a small spoonfull of anyseeds with it boyle these together till half the water be consumed then strain away the water and let it stand and settle the space of an hour then take the clearest of this water and sweeten it with white Sugar Candie to your liking swallow down thereof as leasurely as you can a spoonfull or 2 in your coughing fitts making it first blood warme before you drink of it.

302. An Aproved Rect. for a Consumption.

Take 4 bunches of turneps and 12 bunches of coltsfoot leaves sweet fennell seed annyseeds carraway seeds coriander seeds of each half an ounce bruising them in a morter 4 ounces of english liquorish not scraped or bruised but sliced thin half a pint of hysope water half a pint of red rose water 4 ounces of white Sugar candie 5 or 6 ounces of the best hive honey then 1^st you must pare your turneps then take a well glazed earthen pot that is strong and lay in the bottom thereof some of your coltsfoot leaves and strew thereon some of your liquorish and bruised seeds then lay a laying of turneps then leaves then seeds again then more of your seeds all over and down the sides of the pot then your liquorish and seeds then your turneps so laying your lays till all be in the pot but the last lay must be coltsfoot leaves then cover your pot up close with paper or paste and set it in a bakers oven with their peck loaves and when it drawn strain it as soon as you can into a great yellow pipkin that will hold a gallon then put in your waters and Sugar Candie and set it on the fire till ye Sugar candie be dissolved then take it off the fire and put in your honney and keep it stiring till your honney be dissolved then cover it w^th y^e cover of the pipkin till it be cold then put it in glasses or bottles and keep it in as coole a place as you can and drink thereof 3 times a day blood warme the quantity of a quarter of a pint at a time fasting an hour after.

303. An Aproved Re^ct for the Wind.

Take a quart of white wine and a thimblefull of parsley seed the like quantity of annyseeds and so much more of fennell seeds & carraway seed and one penny worth of liquorish and half an ounce of nutmegs and a lemon sliced put all this together in the wine and boyle it till half a pint of the wine be boyled away then put into it a quarter of a pint of Spearmint water and one penny worth of treacle & half a pint of fennell water & so keep it for your use & when you have occasion drink of this 3 or 4 mornings when you rise and last at night & let it be blood warme when you drink it this is excellent for what it is mentioned.

304. For Convultion Fits in Man Woman or Child.

Take 3 drops of cats blood in breast milk or cowes of the milk one spoonfull blood warme mingle the milk and blood together puting thereto a grain of musk and give it the patient an hour before the fit if you know at what time it comes if not then as soon as they find it coming let them drink it. this is aproved.