Choice and rare experiments in physick and chirurgery, or, A discovery of most approved medicines for the curing of most diseases incident to the body of men, women, and of children together with an antidotary of experiments never before published / found out by the studie and experience of Thomas Collins, student in physick neer the city of Gloucester.

For the Sight.

•• marvellous good water to recover the Eye sight ••he same being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by any cause whatsoever▪

Take three drams of Tutia made into ••hall powder, an•• like quantity of Aloes ••paticum, and three drams of fine Sugar, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ounces of Rosewater, and as much white ••ine, mingle all these together and put them to a glass, and stop it close, and set it to and in the Sun by the space of a moneth ••••••rring it together once every day. Then ke the quantity of six drops at a time of the me water, and drop it into your eyes both orn and even, and so continue for a short ace, and it will cause your sight to come a∣••in, and be as clear and as perfect as ever it as before. This hath been proved by one hat recovered his sight, having lost it a mo∣••th before it was ministred unto himself.

most singular good Medicine to keep the Eyes clear, cool, and from redness, and to kill the Itching of them.

Take a good handful of Housleck, and two andfuls of Plantaine, and stampe them well ••gether, and strain them, then let the juice and and settle for a little space, and when it ••well settled, power out the clearest from the ••sidue; and put thereto half as much red ose water as is of the juice, and half a quarter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 white Sugar candy beaten to fine powder,

and then take a piece as big as a Walnut, or somewhat more of Lapis Calaminaris, and let it slake ten or twelve times in the same water and let the patient take four or five drops a•• he lyeth upright in his bed thereof, and put i•• into his eyes and it will help him. This hat•• been proved.

For running eyes of a cold.

Take Tutiae ten drams, Coralli rubri, mirabola•• citrini, succo••••▪ aloes alike two drams, piperis ha•• a dram fiat pulv, and put often into the eye.

Here is a precious water for the sight, and for th•••• that be fair clear blind.

Take Smallach, red Fennel, Rue, Vervin•• Betony, Cinqfoile, Pimpernel, Eu••race, Sag•• Selendine, of each a quar••ern of a pound, an•• wash them clean, and stampe them and d•• them in a clean brazen pan, and take fi••••e•••• Pepper corns and bruise them all to powde•• and cast them to the He••bs, and a pint of goo•• white wine, and three spoonful of life hony and five spoonfuls of a man-childs urine that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 innocent, and boil them altogether on th•• fire a little, and strain them.

A Medicine for them that may not well see and if the eyes be red.

Take the white Ginger, and rub it on •• Whetstone in a clean basin, and take there•••• as much Salt as thou hadst of the powder, an•• temper them with white wine, and let it stan••

••n the bason all a day and a night, then do that clear that standeth above into a clean glass, ••nd anoint thine eyes a li••tle therewith when ••hou goest to bed with a soft feather and do so often, and forsooth he shall be hole on warran∣••ise.

For them that the Eye-lids be over-turned beneath.

Take Arnement and hony, and the white of ••ggs, of all alike much, and temper them to∣gether, then take hurden of Flax, and wet ••hem in water, and wring out the water clean, ••nd lay these three things on the Hurds plaist∣erwise; And if evil blood be within thy eyes, ••t shall drive it out and heal them.

De ophtha••mia.

There happeneth sometime debility and ••ulness of sight which must be holpen accor∣••ing to the divers causes thereof as followeth.

Take Fennil, Vervine, Celidone, Rue, Eye-••right, and Roses, of every one of them alike much, a••d distil them as ye would distil Rose∣water, and use the••eof a little in your eyes, ••oth in the morn, and when ye go to bed.

A water proved to clarifie the dimness of sight:

Take the juice of Fennil, of Celidony, Rue, ••nd Eye-bright, of each two ounces, hony an ••unce and hal••, Aloes, Tutiae, and Sarcoc••lle, of ••ach half an ounce, the gall of a Capon, Chick∣••n or Cock, two drams, Nutmegs, Cloves and

Saffron, of each a dram, Sugar candy six drams, put all into a Limbeck of glass and distil it, and of this water put in your eyes once in a day.

For the same.

Ye must use every day to eat Nutmegs, and to take once in a week a Myrabolane condite.

Take green Walnuts, liu••ks and all from the tree, with a few Wallnut leaves, and distill ther••of a water to drop into ••our eyes.

Pills good for the sight.

The pills sine quibus, asswaged with Trochisk•• of Agarick and Pi••ulae Lucis are excellent good to purge the brain, and comfort the sight.

For swelling of the Eyes.

Take a Quince and seethe it in water till it b•• soft, then pare it and bruise it, and mix i•• with the yelk of an egg, and the cru••s o•• wheat or white bread steeped in the said water and put thereto a little womans milk, and tw•• penny weight of Saffron, bray them altogethe•• and l••y it over the forehead and the eyes.

To resolve gummy matter in the eyes y•• shall use to wash your eyes oftentimes wit•• th•• juice of Hou••leek, otherwise called Sen••∣green.

For great pain of the eyes.

Take an ounce and an half of oyl of Roses the yelk of an egg, and a quarter of an ounce o•• Barly flower, and a little Saffron, mix all toge∣her

and put it between two linnen cloths, ••nd lay it to the pain.

Another.

Take crums of wheaten bread or white an ••unce, and seethe it in Nightshade or Morrel-••ater, then mix with the said bread two yelks ••f eggs, oyl of Roses and Camomile, of each ••n ounce and a half, Mucilage of Lineseed an unce, and use it as aforesaid.

Another.

Take six leaves of Henbane and rost them, hen beat them very well in a Morter and lay hem to the pain.

For redness of the Eyes.

In the beginning of the redness, lay upon ••he eye Tow dipped in the white of eggs, but et the whites be well beaten first with Rose∣••ater, or with Plantaine-water.

Another.

Take red Roses and seethe them, and let ••hem be set warm to your eye. This taketh ••way spots of blood that sometime chanceth ••n the eyes: also it is good for all diseases of ••he eyes, and it is good for redness of the ••yes that cometh by striking or any such vio∣••ence. If at any time there happen a spot or ••lemish in the eye by a stroke, ye must by and ••y lay to it Tow wet in Rosewater and in

whites of eggs, and after the pain is mitigated; ye must lay to it a Plaister upon the eye made of a raw egge, Barly flower, and the juice or Mucilage of Mallows, and then if the eye be not holpen of the said blood, ye must lay to it a plaister both dissolutive, defensive, and partly appeasing the pain, which must be made of Wheat flower, the juice of Mallows, Mint•••• and smallage, and the yelk of an egge.

Of hardness that hath been long in the eye.

Take a scruple of Aloes succotrine and mel•• it in water of Selendine at the fire, then re∣ceive the fume of it, and afterward, wash the eye with Fennel-water.

Another.

Take the powder of Cummin mixt wit•• wax like a plaist••r, and lay it upon the eye.

Another.

Take Roses, Sage, Rue, Celidony, of eac•• alike much, with a little Salt, and distill 〈◊〉〈◊〉 water, and put thereof a drop or two in you•• eye morning and evening, instead of that w••∣ter it is good to take juice of Vervine, Rue and a little Rosewater.

For all redness of the eyes▪

Take the bigness of a Nut of white Copp••ris, and a scruple of Ireos and powder it and mix it with a glassful of well water, then put two o•• three drops in your eyes.

For the same.

Water of strawberries made and put in the ye is good.

A singular powder that dryeth and take••h away the redness of the eyes.

Take Tutiae preparatae an ounce, and Timonie ••alf an ounce, pearles two drams, red ••oral a dram, and an half, powder all these ••hings very fine and keep it in a box o•• Tin ••nd use it.

For to stop watering of the eyes.

Take a plaister of powder of Mastick, fine Frankincense, Bole-armoniack, and Gum ••ragagant with white of egg•• mixt together, ••nd lay to the forehead and Temples. Also it ••s good to lay ventoses on the Nape of the ••eck. Also ••t is good to make a Collyrie to put ••nto the eyes as ••olloweth.

Take Tutiae preparat. and the stone called Lapis Hematites of each a dram, Aloes half a dram, Pearls and Camphire of each a scruple, powder them all very fine, and mix them in ••hree ounces of water distilled of the knops of Roses and thereof make a Collyrie.

Also for to stop all humours descending to the eyes, these things aforesaid are good mixed w••h rain water, wherein Olibanum or Fran∣kincense hath been ••odden.

For webbes of the eye.

It may easie be holpen in young folk, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 aged pe••sons it is very hard; And in the be∣ginning ye must mollific them with a decoct•• on of the fl••wers of Camomile, Mellilote, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cool Leaves, receiving the fume of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 decoction within the eyes, and th••n put there in a little powder made with Sugar candy Sa••gemme, and egge shells brent, and afte•• distill into them womans milk, with the de∣coction of Fenugreeke.

Another singular receipt for webbes in the eyes.

Take snayles with the shells on, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them eight times, and distill them in a co••¦mon Stillatory, then take Hares galls, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Corall and Sugar-candy with the said wate•• distill them again, and put every morning a•• evening a drop into your eyes.

Another.

This water is made of white Copperis, S••∣gar candy, and Rosewater, with whites of egg sodden hard, and strained through a Lin•• Cloth, and put into your eye after dinn•• and at night to b••dward.

To stay the humours that fall in the eyes.

Take Mastick, Sanguis draconis, the whi•• of an egge, and Rosewater, of every one a sm••••

••uantity mixt them altogether, and make a ••la••ster thereof, and spread it on a piece of ••elvet and lay it to the temple vain, and let it ••ick ••here till it fall of it self.

To clear the eyes that be dim of sigh••.

Take the Juice of Caprifolium, or wood∣••inde, and dry it in the sun till it come to a ••••e powder, after it is pounded, strained, and ••rought to fine powd••r, blow some of it ••to the eyes and it will help God willing.

The Juice of Caprifolium, is called at the ••pothecaries Lycium, you ought not to wash ••he woodbinde before the straining, especially ••hen you make Lycium for the eyes.

To destroy Rheum that it fall not into the eyes.

Take raw beef a fair slice, as broad as your and and lay it in a pewter platter, and put to asmuch aqua vitae as will cover the beef, and ••t it on a chaffing dish of coles, let it boil in ••qua vitae until it be ready, as though it should ••e eaten, then take it out of the Aqua vitae, ••nd lay it to the neck of the grieved partie, ••nd there let it remain and use it, and it will ••ive the Rheum that doth offend the eyes. ••roved.

Master Davies water, for the clearing of the eye sight being much decayed.

Take two great handfuls of eye bright when is well sprunge up, and in full flowring, and ••••e handful of Balm, and still them together, ••nd scum the water nine dayes, then use every

morning to wash your eyes, and eye-browes therewith and use so quarterly nine dayes to∣ther, and it will cause you in short space to read without spectacles, if you have used spe∣ctacles before time.Probat.

To draw a mote out of the eye.

Take white sope, and scrape a little of it into a Sawcer, and dry it by the fire, very dry, and then put it into a little fair water, but make it not too thin, put it into the sore eye with a feather and its good for man or beast, Probat.

A cure for the sight decayed.

Take 3. pintes of barly flower finely boulted, make paste thereof with fair water, or with distilled water of Tormentil, and make your paste stiff and roul it like venison pastie, and fill it full of the leaves, flowers, and Wyers of Tormentil, and put thereto one peny of life∣hony, and close it and bake it with Cakes, and when its baked, break it in small pieces, and put it in a steane pot of ale of three gallons and drink no other drink neither at meat, nor any other times, for the space of two moneths, and this shall restore the sight if possible. Pro∣••at.

A powder to clear ••he sight much decayed and near gone.

Take of the powder of eye-bright made of the leaves and Flowers stripped together and

••o fine powder four ounces, of Mace one ••ince, mingle them and take thereof, the ••ight of three pence before meat.

water to preserve the eye-sight which hath been commended to be the best in the world.

Take Hepatis hircini sani & recentis 4. ounces, l••mi Aromatici melli, one half ounce, succi a one scr••ple, Aquae Celidoniae, six drams, ue feniculi, aquae Verbenae, aquae Euphragiae of ch 4. drams, Pi••eris longi, Nucis Moschat, iGario∣••orum of each grains fifteen, Croci, grains two, ••is Rerismarini aliquantulum, contusi Pugillum ••is, Sarcocolle, Aloes Hepatice one scruple, of e gall of a Hen, and of a Capon of each ••ee drams, hony of roses one dram, mingle em, and distill them in a glass, still first brui∣••g them and putting to them one quarter of ounce of the best refined Sugar. Some three four drops in each eye at a time is thought ••ficient, its also a fine smelling water with a ••tle smell, not very easily perceived, nor ••elling far off. Its not much matter, whether 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Liver of the Kid be of a he Kid, or a ••e Kid, but of the two, the he Kid is ••ought to be the better.

A preservative for the eye sight.

Make comfits of Turnepseeds, and eat a ••re of them after dinner, and supper, as ••ny immediately after the said meats It was ••ected that nine or ten of the said Comfits ••ould be eaten, after meales, they are to be ••led in Sugar.

To purge the head and preserve the sight.

Drink beer every morning a good draugh•• ••asting, wherein the roots of dog fennell o•• Motherwood is steeped, the roots somwhat bruis••d, and it will presently work in your eye•• and head, Probat.

For all Infirmities in the eyes.

Take ground Jvy called Cill gee by the ground alias Ale-hoof, Celendine and Daysies the Flowers, leaves and roots of each one o•• these herbs, and a like quantity of the•• stamped and strained, and a little Sugar, an•• red rose water put thereto, and dropped wit•• a feather into the eyes, it taketh away all ••••∣flamation and spots, scabs, scales, Itch, sma••••∣ing, or any grief whatsoever in the eyes, y•••• although the sight were almost gone.

A g••od water for sore eyes.

Take a pint of running water, half an ha••••∣ful of Singrene Leaves and a little of unico•••• horn, and boil it all together and pour out •• water and wash the eyes therewith. Proved.

A precious Medicine for the eyes, then which no better be, for though a man had been ten years, within eleven d••yes he shall be stored to his sight again of very truth.

Take smallach, brown fennile, vervi•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••etonie, avence, pimpernel, strawbe•••• wis••, Filago, Eufrace, C••lendine, Sage, of e••••

alike much and lay them all a night to sleep in a childs urine that is a virgin, and after put ••t into a morter and put seven corns of pep••er and stamp it small and temper it with the s••me ••rine aforesaid, and then strain it and keep it in boxes and anoint the eyes in the morning and Evening.

For sight of the eyes lost, how to restore the same, and to clear the eyes and to help the dimn••ss of t••em.

Take Eye-bright water made of all the whole Eye-bright and anoint the eyes ofte••▪ and eat often the powder thereof and drink the water, use it long, sanat.

To cleanse the eyes and do away the pearl.

Take the red Roses and Maiden-••air, and Rue, Vervine, Eusrace, Endive, and Sing••e••n, Hill-worte, red Fennel, ••f each alike three ounces and wash them cl••an, and lay ••hem in white wine all day, and all night, and a••••••r distil them. And the first will be like gold, and the second like silver, and the third like Eawm, this is for the eyes, a worthy water and a good, &c.

To restore their eyes that are as though they did see and yet see not.

The decoction of Tormentil daily drunk three Moneths, and no other d••ink, and the same Tormentil every night laid pla••ster wise on the eyes, doth it pro certo.

To kill the pin or webbe in the eye.

Take leaves of Celendine and stamp the•• well and strain them, and with a feather 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one drop of the same Juice into the eye of the patient and it will presently help.

A very good Medicine to kill a pearl or web••e the eye.

Take a good quantity of three leaved gra•••• that beareth the honey suckles▪ and bruise•• well in a Mortar, or else in a wooden dish, and then strain it, & let the party grieved put some of the same Juice into his eye, and by using this twice or thrice a day, for the space of si••, or seven dayes together it will help him.

A good Medicine for eyes that be blood-shot and red.

Take Housleek and stamp it well, then take a new laid egg, and make a hole in the one end of it, and draw out all the meat of it, and put the Juice of Housleek into it, and set i•• on the Embers, and so distill it, and scum it clean with a feather, and at night when you go ••o bed, Let a drop thereof fall into your eye, with the feather, lying upon your back, and this will presently help you.

For eyes that runn••.

Take Occulus Christi and Celendine, red fen∣nil, and daysies, and stamp them together i••

a Mortar and take the Juice and put it into the eye.

For the apple of the eye.

Take the juice of Terfylle, the yelk of an egg a prettie portion of hony, and the milk of a woman, flour of wheat, and make a plaister, and l••y thereto till it be whole.