Thesaurus & armamentarium medico-chymicum, or, A treasury of physick with the most secret way of preparing remedies against all diseases : obtained by labour, confirmed by practice, and published out of good will to mankind : being a work of great use for the publick / written originally in Latine by ... Hadrianus à Mynsicht ...; and faithfully rendred into English by John Partridge ...

Aqua Ophthalmica de Cancris, or an Eye∣water of Crabs.

Take River Crabs alive (in the month of June, t•••• Sun and Moon being both in Cancer) thirty one. Ad•• to these as much Celandine as will equal them i•• weight, beat these together, and then add to the•• Fenil seeds bruised an ounce, Sea-Beans prepared, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Camphire, of each half an ounce; Cloves, Epatick Al•••• and Tutty prepared, of each two drams. Mix them, an•• divide them into three equal parts, and distil the

first in Balneo, then put the second part into a Cu∣curbit, and pour the distilled water upon it, and draw it off again, as at first, then put the third part in, and pour upon that all the distilled water already drawn off, and so distil it the third time. And so you have that most famous Water of Celandine truly pre∣pared. And if you will, calcine the Faeces, and ex∣tract a Salt, and add it to the Medicine, it will be far more efficacious.

Virtue, Use, and Dose. This is a most precious Eye∣water, and also esteemed at a great price, of which Crollius in his Basilica Chymica hath made mention in these words: There may be made a wonderful and stupendious Ophthalmick of Celandine and Crabs. Which if it be prepared by due artifice and time, it virtually restores the Eye, though hurt to despera∣tion, and agglutinates all wounds in those parts in the space of twenty four hours. Thus far Crollius. But the way of preparing it, out of meer envy he would not reveal, or else he never knew it, unless by relation, or perhaps had stole it from another. Of this Water drop one, two or more drops into the Eyes of the Patient, or it may be used with a Feather dipped in the water, and then anointed with it twice, thrice or four times a day, according as necessity re∣quires: and let this be continued till the Patient be restored to his former health again.