The compleat herbal of physical plants containing all such English and foreign herbs, shrubs and trees as are used in physick and surgery ... : the doses or quantities of such as are prescribed by the London-physicians and others are proportioned : also directions for making compound-waters, syrups simple and compound, electuaries ... : moreover the gums, balsams, oyls, juices, and the like, which are sold by apothecaries and druggists are added to this herbal, and their irtues and uses are fully described / by John Pechey ...

The Iesuit's-Bark, in Latin China-China, Arbor Fe∣brifuga Peruviana, Pulvis Patrum, or Pulvis Cardinalis.

A noted Merchant, and an honest Man, who liv'd ma∣ny Years in Peru, and pub∣lish'd an Account of this Tree, written in Italian, says, it grows in Regno Qui∣tensi, in a peculiar Place; which the Indians call Lo∣ca, or Loia. The Powder of the Bark, given in a due quantity, is the most cer∣tain and safe Remedy for the Cure of an Ague. The incomparable Physician, Dr. Thomas Sydenham called it the only Specifick for A∣gues: Says he, (treating of the Cure of Agues) When I had found the Inconvenien∣ces that proceed from Eva∣cuations, and well weighing the Matter, I suppos'd that Jesuit's-Powder would be the most certain Cure. And, indeed, I can truly affirm, notwithstanding the Preju∣dice of the Common Peo∣ple, and of some few of the Learned, that I never found any Injury by the use of it, nor can imagine any; only they that have used it a long time, are seiz'd some∣times with a Scorbutick Rheumatism, but this hap∣pens rarely; and when it does, 'tis easily cured by the following Medicines: Take of Conserve of fresh

Garden-Scurvy-grass two Ounces, of Wood-Sorrel one Ounce, of the Com∣pound-water of Wake-Ro∣bin six Drams; with a suf∣ficient quantity of Syrup of Oranges, make an Electua∣ry: Take two Drams of it three times a Day, for the space of a Month; drink∣ing upon it six Spoonfuls of the following Water: Take of Garden-Scurvy-grass eight Handfuls; of Water-cresses, Brook-lime, Sage and Mint, each four Handfuls; the Bark of six Oranges, of bruised Nut∣meg half an Ounce; infuse them in six Quarts of Bruns∣wick-Mum, distil them in a common Still, and draw off three Quarts of Water. Be∣ing called to a Patient that has a Quartan-Ague, sup∣pose, for Instance, on a Monday; and if the Fit be to come that Day, I do then nothing; only, to en∣courage the Patient, I tell him he will have no more Fits than that. To which End, I give the Bark in the following manner, on Tues∣day and Wednesday: Take of Jesuit's-powder one Ounce, make an Electuary with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of July-flowers, or of dried Roses, to be di∣vided into twelve Parts; whereof, let him take one every fourth Hour, begin∣ning presently after the Fit is off, drinking upon it a Draught of any Wine. But if the Patient can take Pills best, Take of the Jesuit's-powder one Ounce, with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of July-flowers, make Pills of a moderate bigness; whereof, let him take six every fourth Hour. But it is less troublesome, and full as good, that an Ounce of this Powder be mingled with a Quart of Claret, and that eight or nine Spoonfuls of it be taken at the same times above-mention'd. On Thursday, which is the Fit-day, I order nothing; be∣cause, most commonly, no Fit comes then; the Re∣licks of the Feverish Matter being put off by the usual Sweats which come to∣wards the End of the pre∣ceding Fit, carry it off; and the Provision for a new Fit being intercepted by the repeated Juice of the Pow∣der, on the Days betwixt

the Fits. But▪ lest the Ague should return again, eight Days exactly from the time wherein the Sick took the last Dose, I give the same quantity of the Powder; namely, an Ounce, divided into twelve Parts, accord∣ing to the Method above-describ'd. But tho' the Re∣petition of it once does ve∣ry often cure the Disease, yet the Sick is not wholly out of Danger, unless his Physician repeat it the third or the fourth time, at the same distances above-men∣tion'd; especially if the Blood has been weaken'd by fore-going Evacuations, or if the Patient has un∣warily expos'd himself to the cold Air. But, tho' this Remedy has no Purga∣tive Quality in it, yet, by reason of the peculiar Tem∣per of some Bodies, it often happens, that the Sick is as violently purg'd by the use of it, as if he had taken some strong Purge: In this Case it is necessary to give Laudanum with it; and therefore I order ten Drops of Laudanum to be put in∣to Wine, and to be taken after every other Dose of the Powder, if the Loos∣ness continues. The above-mention'd Method cures al∣so Quotidian and Tertian-Agues. But tho' Tertian and Quotidian-Agues seem wholly to intermit after a Fit or two, yet many times they appear like Continual Fevers; and there is only Remission of the Fever on the Days the Fit should in∣termit; especially when the Sick hath been kept a∣bed altogether, or has been punish'd with an hot Me∣thod and Medicines, that are design'd to drive out the Fever by Sweat. In this Case we must lay hold of the least Remission, and give the Powder every fourth Hour; left, whilst we attend on the Fit, there should not be time enough for the Powder to work upon the Blood. But see∣ing there are some that can∣not take the Bark, neither in the form of a Powder, nor of an Electuary, or Pills, I give to these an In∣fusion of it made in the Cold: I infuse for some time two Ounces of the Bark, grosly powder'd, in a Quart of Rhenish-wine;

and four Ounces of the said Infusion seems to contain the Virtue of one Dram of the Powder; and because it is not unpleasant, nor does oppress the Stomach, it may be taken as often again as any other Form of this Medicine; namely, till it has cured the Ague. Sometimes it happens, that before this Disease forms it self into Regular Fits, the Sick, by reason of continual Vomiting, cannot contain the Bark in the Stomach, in what Form soever it is taken. In this Case, the Vomiting must be first stop∣ped, before the Bark is given: To which End I order, that six or eight times, in the space of two Hours, the Sick take one Scruple of Salt of Worm∣wood, in one Spoonful of the Juice of Limons fresh press'd out; afterwards six∣teen Drops of Liquid Lau∣danum, in a Spoonful of strong Cinnamon-water; and soon after, if the Vo∣miting be stop'd, let him take the Jesuit's-powder. For Infants, whose tender Age can scarce bear this Remedy in any other Form, at least, so much of it as may be sufficient to cure the Disease, I prescribe the following Julap: Take of Black-Cherry-water and Rhenish-wine, each two Ounces; of the Jesuit's-powder three Drams, of Syrup of July-flowers one Ounce; mingle them, and make a Julap; give a Spoon∣ful or two, according to the Age of the Child, every fourth Hour, till the Dis∣ease is cured; dropping in∣to every other Dose, if there be a Loosness, a Drop or two of Liquid Laudanum. As to Diet, let the Sick eat and drink what his Sto∣mach craves, Summer-Fruits and cold Liquors on∣ly excepted; and let him drink Wine moderately, for his ordinary Drink; by which alone I have reco∣ver'd some, whose Bodies, by reason of the frequent Returns of the Ague, have always eluded the Saluti∣ferous Virtue of the Bark. The Disease being taken off, all manner of Evacuations are carefully to be avoided; for the gentlest Purge, nay, a Clyster only of Milk and Sugar, will be apt to occa∣sion

a Relapse. But this excellent Bark does not on∣ly cure Agues, 'tis also fre∣quently used, by the best Physicians, for Continual Fevers, in the Gout, and for Hysterick Diseases, and the Fever that accompanies Consumptions, commonly called the Hectick Fever, the Bark being given in In∣fusion, and sweeten'd with Syrup of Rasberries. But if, with an Hectick Fever, the Consumptive Patient be also afflicted with a Loosness, which commonly ends the Tragedy, the fol∣lowing Pills are of excel∣lent use: Take of the Lem∣nian Earth half a Scruple, of Bole-Armoniack twelve Grains, of the Pill de Sti∣race one Dram and an half, of the Jesuit's-powder half an Ounce, of Syrup of Ju∣ly-flowers a sufficient quan∣tity; make fourscore Pills; let him take five every six Hours, during the Loos∣ness; dringing upon them seven Spoonfuls of the fol∣lowing Julap: Take of the Aqua-lactis Alexiteria twelve Ounces, of Cinna∣mon-water hordeated three Ounces, of Dr. Stephens's Water, and Epidemick-water, each two Ounces; of Diacodium three Oun∣ces. The following Medi∣cine is commended for a Consumption: Take of the Peruvian Bark one Ounce, of the Balsam of Tolu three Drams, of Cochinel one Scruple; boyl them in a Pint of Carduus Benedictus-water; strain it, and add of Syrup of Rasberries and Epidemick-water, each two Ounces: Take four Spoon∣fuls twice a Day. Some adp to the Infusion of this Bark, the Lesser Centory, Wormwood, Charvil, Juni∣per-berries, the Bark of the Alder-tree, Saxifrage, Salt of Tartar, and divers other Ingredients; but the Basis of all is the Peruvian Bark, the rest of the Ingredients do no great Good. Tin∣cture of the Peruvian Bark is made in the following manner: Put into a Bolt-head four Ounces of good Bark, grosly powder'd; pour upon it Spirit of Wine, four Fingers high above the Matter; fit to it another Matrass, in or∣der to make a double Ves∣sel; lute well the Jun∣ctures,

and place your Ves∣sel to digest in Horse-dung, or in a Vaporous Bath, four Days; stir it from time to time, the Spirit of Wine will load it self with a Red Colour; unlute the Ves∣sels, filtrate the Tincture through Brown Paper, and keep it in a Viol well stop∣ped. 'Tis a Febrifuge to be given in Agues, three or four times a Day, after the Fit; and to be continued for a Fortnight: The Dose is, from ten Drops to a Dram, in some proper Li∣quor; as, in Centory-wa∣ter, Juniper, Wormwood-Water or Wine. If you put new Spirit of Wine to the Matter which remains in the Matrass, and set it in Digestion, as before, you will draw more Tin∣cture, but it will not be so strong as the other; where∣fore you must give it in a larger Dose. Extract of Peruvian Bark is made in the following manner: Put to infuse warm twenty four Hours eight Ounces of Pe∣ruvian Bark, in a sufficient quantity of distill'd Water of Nuts; afterwards boyl the Infusion gently, and strain it, make a strong Ex∣pression of the Residence, put it to infuse in new Water of Nuts, boyl it and strain it as before; mix together what you have strain'd, let them settle, and decant the clear Liquor, and evapo∣rate it in a Glass, or Earth∣en Vessel, set in a Sand∣heat, unto the Consistence of thick Hony: It has the same Virtues as the former. The Dose is, from twelve Grains to half a Dram, in Pills, or dissolv'd in Wine. Sir Robert Tabar was the first that found out the true Dose or Quantity of it for curing Agues; for he did not stand upon Scruples, but gave Drams and Oun∣ces of it; and so it an∣swer'd his End, and ren∣der'd him and the Bark fa∣mous. Being once requir'd by some Physicians to de∣sine what an Ague was, he answer'd, That an Ague was a Disease that he could cure, and they could not. 'Tis to be noted, that the Bark, when it is old, is as effe∣ctual to cure Agues, as when it is fresh; and, in one respect, much better; for the Purgative Quality,

which is observ'd to be in the fresh Bark, goes off in time. Spon. in his Book of Observations, Sur les Fievres, & les Febrifuges, says, That by diligent Search he had found, that the Peru∣vian Bark did not come from the Trunk or Branches, but from the Root; for he had tried some of the Bark of the Trunk and Branches, that was sent to him, and it was not at all bitter. Which Observation may be of some use to those in our World, who endeavour to find a Succedaneum for it. I, says he, have made some Trials in this Matter: The Bark of the Root of the Peach-tree is very rough, and a little bitter; upon which Account it is, undoubtedly, very proper for a Loosness, The Bark of the Roots of the Ash is also rough, and pun∣gently acrid, by reason of abundance of Salt contain'd in it, which gives it its Fe∣brifuge Virtue. Lastly, The Bark of the Roots of the Black-Cherry-tree is rough, and bitter; and therefore the Powder of it given in a Quartan-Ague, lessens the Fits, but does not quite take them off: Yet, says he, I do not question but that it will cure Fevers, being given or∣derly, and in a due quan∣tity.