Pharmacopœia Bateana, or, Bate's dispensatory translated from the second edition of the Latin copy, published by Mr. James Shipton : containing his choice and select recipe's, their names, compositions, preparations, vertues, uses, and doses, as they are applicable to the whole practice of physick and chyrurgery : the Arcana Goddardiana, and their recipe's intersperst in their proper places, which are almost all wanting in the Latin copy : compleated with above five hundred chymical processes, and their explications at large, various observations thereon, and a rationale upon each process : to which are added in this English edition, Goddard's drops, Russel's pouder [sic], and the Emplastrum febrifugum, those so much fam'd in the world : as also several other preparations from the Collectanea chymica, and other good authors / by William Salmon ...

LVI. † Spiritus Menthae, Spirit of Mint.

Salmon.] § 1. ℞ A good quantity of Mint newly ga∣thered, bruise it, and put to it (in a wooden Vessel) a good quantity of warm Water, or rather of Mint-water; in eve∣ry three quarts of which dis∣solve a pound of Sugar, or ra∣ther as much Manna: let them lie to ferment till they have acquired a vinous scent; then distil in B.M. drawing off the third part for Spirit of Mint: the second third part for Mint-water: what remains in the Still may be cast away. This Spirit and Water by cohoba∣ting again upon fresh Mint, may yet be made stronger. § 2. Or thus: ℞ Fresh Mint lbvj. rectified Spirit of Wine lbiv. mix, digest twenty four hours, then draw off lbiv. of Spirit in B.M. or if you please you may distil to driness, which then may be coholobated upon fresh Mint, and repeated a∣gain if you see fit. It is an ex∣cellent Spirit. § 3. To make the Mint-water aforementi∣oned. ℞ Fresh Mint, q. v. beat it well in a Mortar, put it into a long earthen Pot, and make it sufficiently moist with Juyce of other Mint; cover it, and leave it so about two days in digestion, then put the mat∣ter into a large Copper Vesica, with its Head and Refrigera∣tory, as also its Receiver, lu∣ting well the Junctures with a wet Bladder: make a Fire of the second degree, and distil off about the one half of the Juyce which you added, then cease distilling; so will you have a good Mint-water, re∣pleat with the odour and fla∣vour of the Herb. Put it in a Bottle, and expose it open to the Sun five or six days, then stop it up and keep it for use. §4. Now here is to be noted, that in the distillation of this Water, we add a good quan∣tity of the Juyce of Mint, be∣cause there would be no good distilling of the Herb itself, without it was first moistned with something, and in my Opinion, the Juyce of the same Plant much exceeds fair Water, which other Authors use. And besides, this Juyce which is added serves to im∣bibe the volatile parts of the Herb, in the fermentation, and when the Matter is heat∣ed, the more spiritous part, as being the lighter, rises first and smells less of the Empy∣reuma,

than if the Herb was distilled without being moist∣ned with the said Juyce. § 5. In these and the like distilla∣tions you must given Fire from the second to the third de∣gree, because if it should be too little, none of the essenti∣al or volatile Salt of the Plant would rise; but if it be too strong, the Water will taste of an Empyreuma, do what you can: therefore, if you would proceed rightly, distil so as to make one drop only to follow another. § 6. These Waters so soon as they are distilled have no great smell; but having lain some time in the Sun, the spiritous parts will exert their activity in the aqueous, and the Water will become fragrant which was not so before. § 7. What remains in the Still after the Water is drawn off, strain out by pressing, and evapo∣rate with a gentle heat, till it comes to the consistency of an Extract, which does con∣tain almost all the essential Salt of the Plant, and there∣fore is of greater Virtue than the Water before distilled, for in this Salt the principal Virtue of the Plant does con∣sist. This Extract is stoma∣tick and Cardiack, opens Ob∣structions of the Lungs, Reins, and Womb, working by per∣spiration, and may be given à ʒss. ad ʒij. dissolved in its proper Water. § 8. The Vir∣tues of the Spirit of Mint. This Spirit is chiefly stoma∣tick, cephalick and uterine, of thin parts, and subastrin∣gent. It is used mostly a∣gainst Vomiting, and debili∣ty of the Stomach, Crudities, hicket, nauseating Wind, faint∣ings, Obstructions of the Li∣ver, Pains of the Guts, and the Belly-ache in Children, Megrim, Vertigo, Lethargy, Coagulation of Milk, Colick, &c. it opens, attenuates, dis∣cusses, cures Diseases of the Womb, provokes the Terms, strengthens the Liver, and re∣sists Poyson, and particularly the Narcotick quality of O∣pium; outwardly by bathing on the Region of the Abdo∣men it eases the Colick, and takes away the hardness of Womens Breasts, from curd∣ling of the Milk, by bathing the part, and taking it also inwardly: Dose à ʒij. ad vj.