Pharmacopœia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory further adorned by the studies and collections of the Fellows, now living of the said colledg ... / by Nich. Culpeper, Gent.

DIRECTIONS.

ALthough I did what I could throughout the whol Book to express my self in such a lan∣guage as might be understood by all, and therefore avoided terms of Art as much as might be, (it being the task of the Colledg to write only to the Learned and the Nurslings of Apollo, but of my Self to do my Country good; which is the Center all my Lines tend to, and I destre should terminate in) Yet,

1. Some words must of necessity fall in, which need explanation.

2. It would be very tedious at the end of every Re∣ceipt to repeat over and over again, the way of admi∣nistration of the Receipt, or ordering your Bodies after it, or to instruct you in the mixture of Medicines, and indeed would do nothing else but stuff the Book full of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

To answer to both these is my task at this time.

To the first:

The words which need explaining, such as are ob∣vious to my Eye are these that follow.

• 1. To distil in Balneo Mariae, is the usual way of distilling in Water. It is no more than to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 your Glass-Body which holds the matter to be distilled in a convenient vessel of Water, when the Water is cold (for fear of breaking) put a wisp of Straw, or the like under it, to keep it from the bottom, then make the Water boyl, that so the Spirit may be distilled forth; take not the Glass out till the Water be cold again, for fear of breaking: It is impossible for a man to learn how to do it, unless he saw it done.
• 2. Manica Hippocrates, Hippocrates his Sleeve, is a piece of woolen cloath, new and white, sewed toge∣ther in form of a Sugar-loaf. Its use is, to strain any Syrup or Decoction through, by powring it into it, and suffering it to run through without pressing or crushing it.
• 3. Calcination, is a burning of a thing in a Cruci∣ble or other such convenient vessel that will endure the fire: A Crucible is such a thing as your Gold-smiths melt Silver in, and your Founders their Mettals; you may place it in the midst of the fire, with coals a∣bove, below, and on every side of it.
• 4. Filtration, is straining of a liquid body through a brown 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Make up the Paper in form of a Fun∣nel, the which having placed in a Funnel, and placed the Funnel, and the Paper in it in an empty Glass, powr in the Liquor you would filter, and let it run through at its leisure.
• 5. Coagulation, is curdling or hardning: It is used in Physick for reducing a liquid body to hardness by the heat of the fire.
• 6. Whereas you find Vital, Natural, and Animal Spirits often mentioned in the Vertues of Receipts, I shall explain what they be, and what their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is in the Body of Man.
• ...
  The actions or operations of the Animal Vertues, are,
  • 1. Sensitive.
  • 2. Motive.
  The Sensitive is
  • 1. External.
  • 2. Internal.
  • ...
    The External Sences are
    • 1. Seeing.
    • 2. Hearing.
    • 3. Tasting.
    • 4. Smelling.
    • 5. Feeling.
  • ...
    The Internal Sences are
    • 1. Imagination to apprehend a thing.
    • 2. Judgment, to Judg of it.
    • 3. Memory, to remember it.
• ...

  The seat of all these is in the Brain.

  The Vital Spirits proceedeth from the Heart, and causeth in Man Mirth, Joy, Hope, Trust, Humani∣ty, Mildness, Courage, &c. and their opposites: Viz. Sadness, Fear, Care, Sorrow, Despair, Envy, Hatred, Stubbornness, Revenge, &c. by heat Natural or not Natural.

  The Natural Spirit nourisheth the Body 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (as the Vital quickens it, and the Animal gives it Sence and Motion) Its office is to alter or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Food into Chyle, Chyle into Blood, Blood into Flesh, to Form, Engender, Nourish, and Increase the Body.

• 7. Infusion, is to steep a gross body into one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Liquid.
• 8. Decoction, is the Liquor in which any thing is boyled.

As for the manner of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or ordering the 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 any sweating, or purging Medicines, or Pills, or the like, the Table at the latter end of the Vertues of the Medicines will direct you to what Pages you may find them in, look but the word [Rules] there. As al∣so in the next Page.

The different forms of making up Medicines, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉 People, that so Medicines might be more delightfull, or at least less burdensom: in such a case, the Table of Vertues at the latter end will universally furnish you with the generality of both Simples and Compounds a∣propriated to the Disease. You may make the mix∣tures of them in what form you please; only for your better instruction at present, accept of these few Rules:

• 1. Consider, That all Diseases are cured by their contraries, but all parts of the Body maintained by their likes: Then if heat be the cause of the Disease, give the cold Medicine apropriated to it, if Wind, see how many Medicines apropriated to that Disease ex∣pel Wind, and use them.
• ...〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉, for if your Brain be over heated, and you use such Medicines as cool the Heart or Liver, you may make mad work.
• ...

• 3. The distilled Water of any Herb you would take for a disease, is a sit mixture for the Syrup of the same Herb, or to make any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into a Drink, if you affect such liquid Medicines best: if you have not the distilled water, make use of the Decoction.
• 4. Diseases that lie in parts of the Body remot from the Stomach and Bowels, it is in vain to think to car∣ry away the cause at once, and therefore you had best do it by degrees; Pills, and such like Medicines which are hard in Body, are fittest for such a business, because they are longest before they digest.
• 5. Use no strong Medicines, if weak will serve the turn; you had better take one too weak by half, than too strong in the least.
• 6. Consider the Natural temper of the part of the Body afflicted, and maintain it in that, else you extin∣guish Nature, as the Heart is hot, the Brain cold, or at least the coldest part of the Body.
• 7. Observe this general Rule; That such Medicins as are hot in the first degree are most habitual to our Bodies, because they are just of the heat of our Blood.
• 8. All opening Medicines, and such as provoke U∣rine, or the Terms, or break the Stone, may most con∣veniently be given in white wine, because white Wine os it self is of an opening Nature, and clenseth the Reins gallantly.
• 9. Let all such Medicines as are taken to stop flu∣xes or 〈◊〉〈◊〉, be taken before meat, about an hour be∣fore, more or less, that so they may strengthen the di∣gestion and retentive faculty, before the Food come in∣to the Stomach; But such as are subject to vomit up their meat, let them take such Medicines as stay vo∣miting presently after meat, at the conclusion of their Meals, that so they may close up the mouth of the sto∣mach; and that is the reason why usually men eat a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 after meat, because by its sowrness and binding it closeth the mouth of the stomach, thereby staying belching and vomiting.
• 10. In taking Purges be very carefull, and that you may be so, observe these Rules,
• ...
  • 1. Consider what the humor offending is, and let the Medicine be such as purgeth that humor, else will you weaken Nature, not the Disease.
  • 2. Take notice, if the humor you would purge out be thin, then gentle Medicines will serve the turn, but if it be tough and viscous, take such Medicines as are cutting and opening the night before you would take the Purge.
  • 3. In purging tough humors, sorbear as much as may be such Medicines as leave a binding quality be∣hind them.
  • 4. Have a care of taking Purges when your Body is astringent; your best way, is first to open it by a Clyster.
  • 5. In taking opening Medicines, you may safely take them at night, eating but a light supper three or four hours before, and the next morning drinking a draught of warm Posset-drink, and you need not fear to go a∣bout your business. In this manner you may take Le∣nitive Electuary, Diacatholicon, Pulp of Cassia, and the like gentle Electuaries, as also all Pills that have neither Diagrydium nor Colocynthis in them. But all violent Purges require a due ordering of the Body, such ought to be taken in the morning after you are up, and not to sleep after them before they have done wor∣king, at least before night; two hours after you have taken them, drink a draught of warm Posset-drink, or Broath, and six hours after eat a bit of Mutton, of∣ten walking about the Chamber; let there be a good fire in the Chamber, and stir not out of the Chamber till the Purge have done working, or not till next day.

Lastly, Take sweating Medicines when you are in bed, covered warm, and in the time of your sweating drink Posset-drink as hot as you can drink it; if you sweat for a Feaver, boyl Sorrel and red Sage in your Posset-drink, sweat an hour or longer if your strength will permit, then (the chamber being kept very warm) shift your self all but your Head, about which (the Cap which you sweat in being still kept on) wrap a Napkin very hot, to repell the vapors back.

I confess these, or many of these Directions may be found in one place of the Book or other, and I delight as little to write tautology as another, but the Prin∣ter desiring they should be put here, and I considering it might make for the publick good, inserted them; if notwithstanding any will be so mad to do them∣selves a mischief, the fault is not mine.