The London dispensatory, reduced to the practice of the London physicians wherein are contain'd the medicines, both Galenical and chymical, that are now in use ... / by John Pechey ...

The preparation of some simple Medi∣cines.

The way of preparing Fats.

Fresh Fat, the little veins, fibres, and skins be∣ing taken out, must be washed in fair water till it is freed from blood; afterwards being well bruised, it must be melted in a double vessel, then strain it into water, and there let it remain till it is cold; then drain the water from it, and keep it in an earthen pot in some cool place, it will keep a year. The same way is prepared Marrow taken out of the bones, in the Autumn chiefly.

The burning of Brass.

Make a lay of small Brass plates in an earth∣en ••pot, and a lay of common Salt, or Sulphur

powdred, which is called, Stratum super Stra∣tum, burn then sufficiently, and dulcify the ashes with hot water, by pouring hot water often on them.

The way of purifying Aloes.

Take what quantity you please of Aloes finely powdred, put it into a glazed pot, and pour as much Spirit of Wine on as will rise three fingers breadth above the matter; stir it with a Spatula, till the purer part of the Aloes is dissolved by the Spirit of Wine; then pour it off, and pour on more as before, and having stirred it about, pour it off, that the impure parts may be separated; re∣duce it to a Mass by evaporating the moisture, and so keep it for use.

The burning of Alum.

Take what quantity you please of Alum, put it into a new earthen pot and burn it so long till it has done bubling, and does no longer e∣mit froth, cool it, and keep it for use.

The way of preparing Anacardiums.

Powder them, and infuse them in a moderate quantity of Vinegar, and when they have suffici∣ently imbibed it, dry them by gently evaporating the Vinegar.

The preparation of Bole Armonick.

Grind the Bole Armonick, and moisten it with May dew, and dry it in the shade.

The Lees of Bryony, in Latin, Feculae Bry∣oniae.

Take of the roots of Bryony what quantity you please, scrape them with a Knife, and strai•• out the juice in a Press, put them in a vessel, and do not move it; after a few hours it will put off a white Lee like Starch, which must be dry∣ed in a glass, having first poured out the water. In the same manner is made the Lees of Wake-Robin, Horse-radish, of our Orris, and the like.

May Butter, in Latin, Butyrum Ma∣jale.

Take fresh Butter unsalted, made about the mid∣dle or end of May, put it into a large glazed por, and place it in the Sun Beams, that it may be ••ll melted; and when the Sun shines hottest, strain it without pressing, through a thick linnen cloath, and expose it to the Sun again, and when it is white, strain it again, and keep it a year.

The preparation of Lapis Calaminaris.

Take of Lapis Calaminaris what quantity you please, make it red hot twice or thrice, and quench

it as often in Plantain and Rose water, then grind it upon a stone, and with the same water make i•• into balls.

The Infernal Stone, in Latin, Lapis Infer∣nalis.

Take the Lee of black Soap, boil it to a Stone in a frying pan, yet take care that all the moisture be not evaporated; when it is cold, cut it into small pieces, and keep it in a glass well stopt. This is a Caustick, and is used to open tumors.

The way of preparing Coral, Pearls, Grab•• eyes, and of precious stones.

Take of these any quantity you please, grind them to a very fine powder, in a Steel or Porphyry Mortar, dropping upon them now and then a little Rose water, and then form them into Balls.

The burning of Harts-born, Ivory, and other bones.

Take of Hartshorn, Ivory, or of any Bone, wha•• quantity you please, burn them in a Crucible til•• they are quite white, then powder or grind them very fine, and make them into Troches with Ros•• water.

The way of making Elaterium.

Take wild Cucumbers almost ripe, cut then and press out the juice gently with your formof

fingers, strain it through a fine Sive, into a clean glazed vessel, ▪and let it settle till it has put off its grosser parts, pour off by inclination the thin, juice that swims on the••rop, what remains filter; dry the sediment in the Sun, and keep it for use. The thinner part may be reserved if you please, for making the Oyntment de Arthanita.

The preparation of the Bark of Spurge roots.

Infuse the Barks well cleansed for three days in sharp Vinegar, then dry them, and keep them for use: The same way may be prepared the leaves of Spurge, Lawrel, Mezereon, and the like.

The preparation of Euphorbium.

Put Euphorbium cleansed and powdred into a glass vessel, and pour upon it so much juice of Lemons clarified as will rise four fingers above the matter; then place them in a hot Bath, till the Euphorbium is dissolved by the juices; then strain it through a clean cloath, and evaporate all the moi∣sture of the juice in a Bath, and keep the Euphor∣bium for use.

The preparation of the roots of black Helle∣bore.

Infuse the roots of black Hel••ebore, that we have three days in the juice of Quinces, in a mo∣derate heat; then day them, and keep them for use.

The preparation of Goa•••• Blood.

Put the blood of a middle aged▪ Goat into an earthen pot, and having covered it with a cloath, expose it to the Sun, that it may coagulate, throw away the watry p••rt, dry the thicker part, powder it; keep it in a glass for use.

The preparation of Lac.

Take of Lac not cleansed, broken a little, not reduced to powder, boil it in water, that it may be cleansed from its impurities; dry what is pure and keep it for use.

Preparation of Lapis Lazuls.

Grind the Sky coloured Stone, wash it with water, dry it, and keep it for use.

The preparation of Litbarge.

Grind the Litharge to a fine powder, pour on it clear water, and stir it till its thick, then pour it off into another vessel, and put in fresh water, stir it as before, then pour off this water to the other; continue to do so till the feces sink to the bottom of the Mortar, and the thinner part is carried off wit•• the water, let it stand with∣out being moved, that the pure Litharge may set∣tle to the bottom; then pour out the water, and gather the Litharge, and grin•• it so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 upon a stone, that no roughness of it may be perceived by the tongue.

Preparation of Earth-worms.

Slit the Worms in the middle, and wash them clean in Wine, then dry them, and keep them for use.

The preparation of Millepedes.

Put Millepedes cleansed into a new earthen pot, place them in a warm Oven after the bread is drawn, that by the moderate hea•• they may be dryed, and reduced to powder.

The way of preparing Oesypus.

Take of wool uncleansed, sheared from the neck huckle bone, and shoulder pits of tired Sheep, pour upon it hot water often, and wash it well, till all the fat swims upon the water; afterwards press out the Wooll, and the far and filthy water must be poured high from one vess••l to another, til•• it becomes frothy; then you must let it stand till the froth goes off; then take off the fat that swims upon the water; then pour the water from one vessel to another as before till it froth, then take off the fat as before; continue to do so till no more s•••• not froth appea••s then wash all ••he f••ts with the froth in clean w••ter sti••∣ring i•• about with your hand, and change the water osten, till the fil••h is washed away, and ••ill the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 does not ••ite the to••gue, keep

it in a clean thick earthen Vessel in a cold place.

Preparation of Opium.

Dissolve Opium in Spirit of Wine, strain it and evaporate it to a due consistence.

The preparation of the Lungs of a Fox.

Wash the fresh Lungs of a Fox well in white Wine, wherein Hyssop and Scabious have been first boiled: but you must take out the wind pipe; put them into an earthen pot and dry them in a gentle heat take care they are not burnt, keep them in a glass stopt with Wax.

Preparation of Scammony.

Put the powder of Scammony into a Quince made hollow, covered with past, bake it in an Oven, or rost ••it under the ashes, take out the Scammony and keep it for••se. This is called Dia∣grydium.

Another way of preparing Scammony with Sul∣phur.

Take of Scammony powdred as much as you please, put it upon a paper, hold the paper over live coals, whereupon Brimstone is c••st, till the Scammony melts or grows white; this is called Scammony Sulphurated, but you must be sure to sti•• it all the time it is over the fire.

Pr••paration of Squills.

Take a large fresh Squill, pull off the outward dry tunicks, wrap it up in bread past, and bake it in an Oven with bread till it is tender, which you may know by thrusting a Bodkine into it, then take it out of the Oven, and pull off one by one the Coats, casting away the middle, which is hard, run a thread through them, and hang them in a dry place till they are dry; but you must take ca••e they do not touch one another whilst they are drying, and in this business you must use a Woodden or Ivory knife for cutting or piercing them.

Boiled Turpentine.

Take of Venice Turpentine one pound, pour upon it twelve quarts of water, wherein boil it till it is so thick, that it will break like Rosin or glass when it is cold.

Preparation of Tutty.

Tutty being prepared the same way as Lapis Ca∣laminaris is, tie it up in a clean rag, which is to be stirred about in a vessel full of clean water, that the fine and useful parts may come through into the wa∣ter, the gross and impure remaining in the rag; then let it settle, and pour off the water; continue to do so, till all that is good is washed out of the rag. Sprinkle this powder with a litte rose water, and make it into balls to be kept for use.