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BEfore we come to the Diseases cured by the Elder, 'tis worth our labour first to explain the Medica∣ments, which out of each part there∣of, ought, and can be prepared, lest in divers affections the same with a great deal of loathing and labour be repeated, we will here set down the more curious and common, beginning with the Berries, as the best and last product of that Simple.
TAke the ripe Berries of the Elder picked from their stalks, press the juice out of them, which being strained is to be thickned on a soft and clear fire. Some in time of their inspissating add a little sugar, that the pallat may rellish it the better; and this is called the Rob of Elder berries with sugar. Of the Rob, or inspissat juice of the Berries without sugar, the Tincture and extract is prepared after this manner.
Take a pound of this Rob, put it in a long and capacious Glass, called by the Chymists a Cucurbite, put thereon the spirit of Wine, or the proper spi∣rits of the Elder, described in this
Chapter, so that it be a handful high above it. The Glass being well clo∣sed, that the spirit may not exhale; di∣gest it in Balneo four or five days, sha∣king the Glass twice a day: After that strain the whole matter contain∣ed in the Cucurbit, through gray pa∣per. Take the strained liquor (which is obscurely reddish, and is called of some, the Tincture of the Elder or Granorum actes, and may be kept with∣out further distillation to good pur∣pose) put it in a Glass Cucurbit, and having put on the Alembick, distil it on a slow Balnean heat, till the Men∣struum, or that spirit, drop by drop se∣parate, and the extract of the berries remain in the bottom like hony. If the Menstruum be not totally extracted, that which remains in the Cucurbit is called by the modern Chymists, the liquid extract of Granorum Actes. You shall find another extract taken out of Quercetan in the third Section, and 26 Chapter.
Take the Elder Berries cleaned of their stalks, beat them in a stone mor∣tar, or earthen vessel, with a wooden pestle, till all the Kernels be well brui∣sed; with this succulent matter fill the 8, 10, or 12 part of a little barrel, as you will have it of more or less effica∣cy, fill up the rest with Must, or new Wine, that they may work together.
Some boyle equal parts of this suc∣culent matter and Must together, till the consumption of a third part of the whole, on a slow fire; then straining it through a thin linnen cloth, they put it (as is said) in a greater quantity into a Barrel, put Must thereon, and so suffer them to work.
Quercetans receipt thereof is set down in seat. 3. cap. 24.
This is an excellent way.
Being all grosly pulverised, sow them loosly in a knot; put them in a vessel that holds twelve English quarts, or thereabouts, fill up the rest with the best and most fragrant white Wine, and place it a fortnight or above in a Wine Cellar; which is to be used in time of repast, for tis an ex∣cellent stomachical drink, most deli∣cious in colour, taste, and smell.
Take the ripe berries, express the juice, at least break them together, and let them stand in a wood vessel till they begin to ferment; and that they may work the sooner, some add a little of the yiest of beer or wine: some add none, but keep the same process. D. Finck. keeps in the extracting of the Spirit of black sweet Cherries, En∣chiridii, c. 6. After the fermentation let them be distilled in a Vesica, and rectified acording to Art.
The rectification is best accom∣plished first in a Vesica, and then in Bal∣neo; where in place of a Concurbit use a long-necked Viol, then the most spiritous part will de abstracted, the phlegm beating again the sides of the Viol will again fall down.
Others prepare it thus;
Take the ripe berries of the Elder dryed in the weak heat of an oven, be∣ing pulverised grosly with a third part of Barley meal with them; being well mixed, put them in an Oken Bar∣rel, and put boyling water on them, in which some hops have been before macerated; stop the Vessel close, and suffer them to ferment some four or five days: To hasten the fermentation and digestion add some dreggs of Wine or Beer, (as we have said before) distill and rectifie it.
But the first way is preferred de∣servedly by most, as more simple and pure: The Purging water, as it is ex∣tracted by Quercetan and others, out of the berries, is set down sect. 3. c. 24.
The Syrup is thus prepared: Take of the juice extracted from the new gathered ripe berries, and clarified, lib. 1. Sugar clarified, lib. 1. boyl it a little on a soft fire in a double Vessel, or in Bal. Mar. to the consistency of a liquid Syrup.
You shall find the Tragea Granorum Actes, or the Tragea of the Bore-tree-berries set down in the 22 cap. of the third sect.
Take the grains, or stones of these berries left in the cloth after the juice is strained from them, wash them well, and dry them in the aire, bedew them with odoriferous white-Wine, and then in a press strongly squeeze out the oyle of them, as you do out of the seeds of the flaxes or line, rocked
Poppy or Henbane, and such like; that being purified by residency, keep it for your use in a glass; for 'tis an ex∣cellent Vomitive, and a good Balsam in externals.
The Dose to take it inwardly, is a drachme, or a drachme and a half in hot ale, or some other convenient li∣quor.
This Oyl may be more Hematick and Cathartick, if instead of the Wine, the Kernels be bedewed with Malago, wherein Crocus metallorum hath been infused, and then Oyl ex∣pressed out of them; which in the same dose will be much more effectual.
TAke the fresh flowers, pull them in little pieces, and to each ounce of them add two ounces of the whi∣test Sugar, incorporate them well to∣gether in a Marble Morter with a woodden pestle: Expose it afterward in a Glass, or earthen Vessel to the Sun for some dayes; it being thus prepared, reserve it for your use.
Take of the recent Flowers lib. 1. let them macerate 12 hours in lib. 6. of warm fountain water; having exprest and strained the liquor, put in again recent flowers, yea do it the third time. Add four ounces of the whitest
Sugar to each five ounces of the li∣quor that is last strained, boyle them up to a Syrup according to art.
But if in place of the Sugar you add the same quantity of Honey, and boyle it to a fitting consistence, you have Mel Sambucinum, which is commen∣ded by some.
There is sundry wayes of distilling Waters from Herbs and Flowers set downe by Wecker, Euonimus, Querce∣tan, and others; this is the easiest.
Takes as many of the Flowers of the Elder as you list, put a sufficient quantity of warm water thereon, let them marcerate a night, and then distill them per Vesicam.
That which distilleth first is excel∣lent, the next is worse, beware then thou urge them not too much; poure the water on fresh flowers, distil them the second time; yea reiterate it the third time; so you shall have water fit
for the uses set down afterward in the practice; for that which is extant in the Apothecaries shops, is nothing but meer phlegm, not worthy the name of distilled water. No wonder then the sick so seldom find the wished and ex∣pected fruits therof. If from a part of this water in a long necked Viol, in a soft Balnean heat, you extract the more spirituous part, in quantity about the twelfth part thereof, you will have a most fragrant and pene∣trating Spirit. Or prepare the Spirit as Quercetan hath set down in lib. 1. Pharm. Dogm. restitut. cap. 7. and D. Sennertus way, Inst. Med. lib. 5. part. 3. sect. 3. cap. 5. is it not much different.
The Cake which remains in the Vesica after the distillation of the wa∣ter, called of the Chymists Caput Mor∣tuum, is not to be thrown away, but to be reserved for the uses set down in the Practice.
Pour upon the fresh, or half withe∣red flowers of the Elder, the Vinegar of white Wine; let them stand in a close stopped glass Vessel in the Sun, or some other hot place; that the Vi∣negar more exactly may draw out the vertue of the flowers, let the flowers remain in the Vinegar, till it have drawn out fully all the vertue from them, which you may easily know by its fragrant smell, and golden colour. After strain the Vinegar, and reserve it for your use.
An excellent and red Vinegar may be prepared of the flowers and juice of the branches, which is frequent in France, as Lobell and Pena witness in their Advers. stirpium nov. p. 434.
Take instead of the juice of the branches, the berries of the Elder dryed in the slow heat of an Oven or Furnace; and upon them put the Vinegar of the flowers, well
purified by straining and subsidency; which being impregnant with the shining transparent purple, I pour it off, and put on new still, so long as they are able to give it a purple tin∣cture. The sowre Syrup of the Elder is described sect. 3. c. 19.
The Oximel of the Elder, which Quercetan. in Pharm. Dogm. restit. lib. 1. c. 10. mentioneth, is thus prepared.
Being mixt, put them in a Cucurbit, and let them be boyled in Balneo to a fit consistence. You may use here the simple Vinegar, either of the flowers, or that which is by the infu∣sion of the berries of a purple die, as it shall please the phancy of the Physici∣an or his Patient.
Take of the Umbels of the Elder
dryed in the shadow, as much as you will; which being pulled in little pieces, put them in a knot of fine thin linnen, with some little clean white stones (to make the knot sink) throw it into a vessel full of Must; let the wine work. Some bid take a pound of the flowers, rightly dried and picked off their stalks, to 60 Congions or 70 Gallons of Wine, and promise after the working of the Wine it shall be of an excellent Muscadel taste and smell.
Mark, that whatsoever Apples or fruits are covered and wrapped in the flowres of the Elder Tree, shall ac∣quire a taste and smell much like Mus∣cadel Pears.
1. Take as much as you will of the fresh flowers beaten, put them in a Vessel of glass, pour on them a suffici∣ent quantity of clear Sallet Oyle, ma∣cerate them in the Sun, or some other
hot place for 15 dayes; then decoct it in a double vessel; strain the flowers, cast them away; put in fresh ones; proceed as you did before, reiterate your practice the third time, and ha∣ving strained it, keep it in a conveni∣ent vessel.
Mark, that those gross dregs of the flowers, and of all other things that are macerate in Oyle, and strained from it, is called of the Physicians, Stymma, which take notice of now, that you may remember it when 'tis mentioned hereafter.
2. The following Oyl of the flowers is commended of many.
Take a Cucurbite or Glass of mid∣dle capacity; fill a third part thereof with Elder flowers gathered in a clear pure day; put so much Malvatick Wine thereon, that the third part at least of the glass may remain empty; having stopped the mouth well, ex∣pose it to the Sun a fortnight: then putting the whole matter in a glaspot on a slow fire of Charcole, heat it a
little; then strain it with great force into another clean vessel, above which within a little while you shall see a yellowish Oyl to swim, which by a funnel or separatory, you are to sepa∣rate from the rest of the liquor accor∣ding to art.
The liquor that remaineth will serve for the maceration of fresh flow∣ers, which you are to reiterate some∣times, and in divers vessels, seeing at one time you will get but little Oyl.
3. The Oyl is prepared by distil∣lation, after the manner Sennerte and others prepare the Oyl of Roman Cammomile flowers, and of other sweet smelling flowers; thus, Take the flowers of the Elder dryed betwixt two linen cloaths in the aire, being pulled in little pieces, put them in an earthen vessel, or large Cncurbite; to every pound of flowers add an ounce and half of common salt, and having a span high covered them with warm water, leave them in digestion ten dais, or
more, after distill them in Vesica; and according to art separate the Oyl from the water.
TAke as much as you will of the buds, or first breakings forth of the leaf of the Elder; being dryed in the shadow, pulverise them: either keep this Powder by it self, or mix it with equal parts of Sugar.
The many Medicinal Powder of the Buds is described sect. 3. cap. 3.
Take the fresh tender buds smally cut, lib. 5. of the purest Sugar, lib. 1. upon a slow Charcole fire, mix them
well together with a stone pestle, and expose them in an earthen pan eight days to the Suns rayes.
Take of the Juice prest out of these first buds and breaking of the Bore∣tree out of the tree and ground, and by subsidency purified from the dregs lib. 11. of fine white Sugar lib. 1. s. or q. s. let them be concocted with a slow balneal fire to the consistency of a Sy∣rup; which being aromatised with half an ounce of choice Cinnamon, and two drachmes of Cloves, is to be reserved in a glass vessel.
Take the fresh leaves of the Elder, and they being grosly beat or cut, fill the half of a Vesica with them, and put a sufficient quantity of warm wa∣ter on them; macerate them therein for a night, and distill them; put the distill'd water on fresh leaves, distill them again. After the same man∣ner, of the green and succulent bark water is prepared.
There are some that of the succu∣lent roots, pith, and spunges by them∣selves, or mixed together, doe distill waters, which they much commend in Hydropsies, which first are to be well shred and macerated a night in∣convenient liquor, that their vertues
may be more easily drawn out of them.
As of the Juice of the Buds, so from the Juice of the middle bark, or roots, a Syrup may be prepared for the nicer sort, if a sufficient quantity of Suger be put to the juice, well clarified, and on a soft fire boyled to a syrup; and after the same manner aromatised.
These syrups indeed are esteemed less efficacious then the crude juices, seeing in their boyling they lose some∣thing of their Cathartick faculty, which Fernele observed. Neverthe∣less they are more safe, and less noy∣som to the stomach, and the rest of the intrals. Therefore their dose is ac∣cording to their strength to be aug∣mented.
1. An useful Oyl is prepared of the middle bark, macerated in old clear
let Oyl, and expressed, as was spoken in the Flowers.
2. Of the Bark and Leaves prepare them thus; Take of the middle Bark and Leaves, equal parts, fry them in May Butter and Linsed Oyl, or in a∣ny one of these, with a soft fire; when they are a while fryed, press out the leaves and bark; put in fresh leaves and bark again, fry them, and express; do so the third time.
3. The Liniment or unguent which is set down in Matthiol. super Diosc. l. 4. c. 168. Take of the green bark of the Elder which is next the outward ash coloured rine, being of an hearb colour, lib. 1. of Oyl washed off in the water of Elder flowers lib. 2. let them warm a while together, then strain and press them; to this add of new well smelling wax, of the juice of the twigs of the Elder ounce 4. then suffer them again to boil till the juice be consumed. Take it then from the fire, stirr and mix all together; and at last add of liquid Varnish ounc. 2. of
white Frankincence beat to dust, ounc. 4. likewise add two whites of eggs, first well beat; mix all diligently, and keep it in a clean vessel.
4. Another Liniment wich the most happy Plater. used to prepare. Take of the middle bark of the Elder one ounce and half; of the juice of its more tender leaves one drachme, Linsed Oyl washed in the water of Elder flowers two ounces; of Barrow∣grease so washed onu. 1. of good yellow wax one ounce and half, of Frank∣incence one ounce, boyl them in the water of the flowers of the Elder, in a closed pot and when they; are cold, gather and keep the Oynt∣ment that swims above. Of all these we will speak in burning, and other external affects.
The rest of the Medicines that are prepared of the parts of the Elder, are copiously set down in the places that handle the diseases to which they are appropriate, and there they are to be found.
SAlt is prepared not only of the flowers and leaves after the distilla∣tion of waters, and expression of juice; but of the bark and whole tree For all are to be dryed, burned in a clear and open fire, reduced to ashes; of these ashes make a Lie with pure and clean water, still pouring on firesh water, till all the saltishnes be ex∣tracted; boyle the Lie, being filtrate, in an earthen vessel on a soft fire, till the water exhale, and the salt be left; which by a reiterate solution, filtra∣tion, and coagulaion, is to be purified.
The most gallantway of purifying such like Salts, by the means of the spirit or Oyl of common Salt, is set down in the 19 Chapter of Finckius Enchirid. Hermet.
Some praise this process, R. of the burned ashes of Elder and Sulphure, equal parts, being mixt, calcine them with a reverberatory fire, or in a Pot∣ters Furnace; after extract a Lie with the water of the flowers of the Elder; which being filtrate and boyled to a half on a slow fire, is to be placed in a Celler, that the salt may run in Chri∣stals.
R. Of the Salt of the Elder, lib. 1. of common Bole lib. 3. being well powdered and mixt together, put them in well Luted Retort, fit to it an ample Recipient, and having closed the commissures, add fier by degrees. First there shall still a waterish liquor, then the spirits shall follow; augment the fire, and keep it in the same de∣gree, lest the spirits remit, so long till no more spirits flow, and the reci∣pient become clear; the vessel being cold, and the clay that luted them together
being with a wet cloth for an hour to∣gether softened, that the recipient may be separate without breaking the glasses, you shall find the spirit of the Elders salt, which is separate from its phlegme by distilling in Balneo.
The Lute, for arming your glasses, and luting them to their recipients, is set down by Begwine, l. c. 6. Tyrocin. Chym. By Libavius l. 1. Epist. 24. E∣pist. Chymicarum, and others.
Others use other ways of distilling the spirits of vegetable salts, which the famous Senart. mentions by the by, Instit. Medic. pag. 1215. but we may use all things we use in distilling the spirit of common salt: of which see Sennert. and Begwine, l. 2. c. 6. Tyros. Chymio. and others.