Medicinal experiments, or, A collection of choice and safe remedies for the most part simple and easily prepared, useful in families, and very serviceable to country people / by R. Boyle ; to which is annexed a catalogue of his theological and philosophical books and tracts.

B.

20. An Experienc'd Remedy for Difficulty of Breathing.

TAke of choice Castoreum dry'd enough to be pouder'd, 2, 3, or at most 4 Grains, mix this with 10 or 11 Grains of Gasgoin's Pou∣der reduc'd to very fine Pouder; mix up these with some little Sy∣rup or Conserve, and when the Pa∣tient has taken it, let him wash it down with the Mixture, consisting of five Drams of Pennyroyal-wa∣ter, and half a Dram, or at most two Drams of Briony-Water Com∣pound.

21. An Approved Medicine for Inveterate Scorbutick Cho∣licks, and Pains of the Bowels.

TAke English Barley, and having well wash'd it, boil it in a suf∣ficient quantity of fresh Spring∣water till it be just ready to burst: Then pour off the clear upon the yellow part of the Rinds of Lem∣mons, freshly cut off from the white part, and put them into a Bottle, which being carefully stopt, the Liquor is to be kept so for use, which is, that the Patient make it his constant Drink.

22. To reduce flagy Breasts to a good shape and consistence.

TAke green Hemlock well bruis'd, and reduc'd to a kind of Cata∣plasm or Pultise, which is to be ap∣ply'd (the Cold being first taken off) to the Parts 'tis to work up∣on, and to be kept on till it hath perform'd what was intended, shift∣ing it once a day.

23. An easie, but useful Reme∣dy for a fresh Bruise or Con∣tusion.

TAke fresh Butter and Parsley, of each a sufficient quantity, and having chopt the Herb, mix it very well with the Butter, to the con∣sistence

of a Cataplasm, (which is to be apply'd warm) to the newly bruised Part.

24. For Coagulated Blood, or a Bruise.

TAke black soft Soap, and with a sufficient quantity of soft Crumbs of white-bread very well mixt with it, make a Paste, which is to be laid on the Part with a linnen Rag, and kept bound upon it for some hours, that it may have time to resolve the congealed Blood, and bring the contused Part from a livid to a red colour, which will much hasten and facilitate the re∣storing it to its former state.

25. To stanch Blood falling from the Nose, by a Simple held in ones hand.

LET the Patient hold Knot∣grass and Solomon's Seal in his hand till it grow warm there, or longer if need be.

26. An Excellent Remedy to stanch Blood in any part of the Body.

TAke Plantane-water two Ounces, Barley-Cinnamon-water, six Drams, Spirit of Vinegar one Ounce, Dragons-blood half a Dram, Sy∣rup of Myrtles five Drams; mix and make a Julep, of which let the Patient take three spoonfuls every hour.

27. The Styptick Water for stopping of Blood in any part of the Body.

TAke one Pound of Excellent Quick-lime, and put it into a clear Earthen Pot, pour upon it five or six Pounds of Fountain-Water, cover the Pot close, and let it lye to infuse about an hour without touching it, then after stir it with a stick for a little time; then let it lye as before for 24 hours, some∣times stirring it, in the end you shall let it settle to a Sediment, the Water being very clear above, pour it off by inclination without stir∣ring: Take of this Water one Pound, which being put into a Vial, you shall add to it a Dram and half of Sublimate finely pouder'd, then shake very well all together,

so that the Pouder may dissolve, and be of an Orange colour, or more reddish than yellow, and in the end clear and limpid, because the red Powder will praecipitate to the bottom. Your Water being clarify'd, you must separate the Water from the Grounds into ano∣ther Vessel, without troubling the Sediments; and to the Water you shall add one Dram of Oyl of Vi∣triol, and an Ounce of Saccharum Saturni. Shake all together, that they may mix the better, after∣wards let all settle, and pour off the clear Water, and keep it for your use.

28. A Choice Medicine to re∣solve extravasated Blood.

GRate or Rasp the Root of Bur∣dock, and spreading the pou∣der

upon a Linnen Cloath, bind it quite round the Part affected, re∣newing it twice a day.

29. To make an Excellent Styp∣tick for stanching of Blood.

TAke Hungarian Vitriol, Allom, of each half a Pound, Phlegm of Vitriol ten Pounds: Boyl to a dissolution of the Vitriol and Al∣lom; being cold, filter it through brown Paper, and if any Crystals shoot, separate the Liquor from them, adding to each Pound one Ounce of Oyl of Vitriol. Dip Cloaths into this Liquor, and ap∣ply them to the Part affected.

30. An often try'd Styptick to stanch Blood, especially in Wounds.

TAke Colcothar as it comes out of the Retort, and having pou∣der'd it, roll Tents of Lint in it, and apply them to the Orifices of the greater Vessels, and employ other usual means to compress the Vessel upon the Tent, and to fill the Cavity of the Wound, partly with Colcothar too.

31. A very often Experienc'd Remedy for Burns.

TAke two parts of Oyl of Wal∣nuts, and one of Honey, mix them well together over a gentle

Fire, and when they are thorowly incorporated, dip a Feather in the Mixture, and anoint therewith the Part affected, so as the Oyntment may touch it immediately, and then strew on it some Pouder of Cete∣rarch, or Spleen-wort, and keep the Part quiet, and defend it from the Air.

32. An easie Medicine, and common enough, but useful against Burns.

TAke Onions, and beat them into a soft Mass, and apply them as speedily as you can to the Part af∣fected, and keep them on it, till they begin to grow dryish, and then if need be, shift them, and ap∣ply fresh ones.

33. For a Recent Burn.

TAke Onions a sufficient quantity, and beat them very well with common Salt finely pouder'd into a Mash, that may be applyed as a Cataplasm (the Cold being first ta∣ken off) to the Part affected, and renewing it, if need be, till the im∣pression of the Fire be taken out.

34. An Excellent Oyntment for Burns and Scaldings.

TAke of the inner Rind of Elder-Tree, and of fresh Sheeps dung, without any adhering straws or foulness, of each one Handful, and with fresh Butter or Oyl make thereof an Oyntment, to be apply∣ed as is usual in such Distempers.

35. An easie and approv'd Re∣medy for Burns, especially Recent ones.

TAke a sufficient quantity of Adders-Tongue, and boil it softly in Linseed-Oyl till the Li∣quor be strongly impregnated with the Herb, then strain it, and keep it stopt for use.

36. An Excellent Oyntment for Burns and Scaldings.

TAke of Saccharum Saturni half a Dram, of the sharp∣est Vinegar four Ounces, make a solution of the former in the lat∣ter, and add to this Solution drop by drop (often stirring or shaking

them together) as much Oyl of Elder as will serve to reduce the Mixture into the form of a Nutri∣tum or Oyntment.

37. A slow but innocent way of making Blisters without Cantharides.

TAke Crows-foot, and putting to a handful of it about half a spoonful of Mustard; beat them very well together to the consist∣ence of a Poultise, put this to the thickness of ones little Finger into the cover of a Box, cut shallow, and of about the breadth of the Palm of ones Hand (tho' this co∣ver be less necessary than conveni∣ent) and cutting a hole of the wide∣ness of the Box in a Plaister of Dia∣palma or the like, to make it stick, you must apply it to the Part, and

let it lye on 12 or 14 hours, because it works as well more slowly than Cantharides, as more safely and in∣nocently.

38. A good Medicine to raise Blisters.

TAke Cantharides reduc'd into Pouder, and upon half an Ounce of this put two or three Ounces of good Spirit of Wine, let them lye together four or five days, that the Spirit may acquire a good Tincture, then filter it, and dip into it a piece of Linnen Cloath 6, 7, or 8 times double, and of the figure and largeness that you desire. This Cloath being through∣ly wetted and cover'd with a Me∣lilot Plaister, or one of Diachylum, or some other that will stick, to keep it on, must be applyed to the

Part. At the end of five or six hours you may take off your Plai∣ster, and the Linnen Cloath, and find your work done.

39. To raise a Blister without Cantharides.

THE Seed of Clemmatis Pe∣regrina being bound hard upon any part, will in an hour, or at most two, have an Operation, like that of another Vesicatory, as far as its contact reaches.