The Kitchin-physician, or, A guide for good-housewives in maintaining their families in health wherein are described the natures, causes, and symptoms of all diseases, inward and outward, incident to the bodies of men, women, and children : prescribing natural, useful and proper medicines, both in physick and chirurgery, as well for the prevention as speedy cure of the said distempers : adorned with sculptures ... / published for the common good ... by T.K., Doctor in Physick.

1. Of Medicines and other Remedies which are appropriated to the Skin, Hair, and Teeth.

For the Cleansing of the Bodies of Men

and Women, Bathings are very useful, and may be thus made.

Take of Sage-leaves, Flowers of Laven∣der, and Roses, of each one handful, with a little Salt; let all these boil in Fountain or River-water to a Bath.

Or, take Rose-water, Wine-Vineger, and Salt, of each a little; let them boil to∣gether in common water, (as much as in your discretion you shall think sufficient) until there remain two or three Pails: af∣terward put a Wheaten-Roll or Loaf therein; then rub the whole Body with the same: and after you have so done, go into a luke-warm Bath, and remain there as long as you can.

Or, take water of Orange-flowers, Red and White Roses, of each one ounce, six Lemon-Pills, Cloves a quarter of an ounce, Flower de Luce of Florence the eighth part of an ounce; let these Ingre∣dients soak five or six hours in the afore∣said waters; then strain them through a clean cloth, and add thereunto five Pints of sweet Almond-Milk; these being ming∣led together, are for the washing of your Body, (having first bathed in a Bath of luke-warm water.)

The vertues of these Baths are these: They comfort the Sinews, they take away

all foulness of the skin, they exhilerate and refresh the Spirits. These and the like are useful for Men and Women: but the fol∣lowing Ingredients are most proper for Women, forasmuch as their chiefest vir∣tue is to make the Face fair, to procure and preserve Beauty; of these Imbellish∣ments men have no need. And they may be performed without Painting-stuff, which impaireth Beauty. These waters are made of such things, that (for the most part) are gotten in Gardens. Painting is pernicious; for it is the cause of wrinkles; of a stinking breath, of black and loose teeth, of redness of Eyes, weakness of sight, deafness, and other infirmities, which happen to those who paint their fa∣ces, and take more care to appear (by that impudent means) beautiful, than to preserve the Health of their whole bodies. These are the evil effects of the use of Sub∣limated White-lead, and such like things, which are as dangerous as: the Plague. And now I will shew▪

How to make the face Beautiful, White, Smooth, and Red.

By the use of these following Beauty∣waters, Ladies may preserve their Com∣plexions,

with safety to their Health.

An excellent Water.

Take of white and smooth shaled Beans, one pound, let them soak nine or ten days in Whitewine; then (having poun∣ded them sufficiently in a Stone-Morter) put them again into the said Wine, adding thereto, of Goats Milk two quarts, of Flour of Rice half a pound, the whites of twelve Eggs: all this you must set over a little fire in a Colb, or Stilling-glass. With this stilled water the Face is to be washed at night when you go to Bed.

Another Water.

Take a wheaten Loaf of two pounds, the whites of eight or ten Eggs, strong Vi∣neger according to discretion; mix these all together, and being put into water, still them through a glass.

Another Water.

Take twenty four Eggs, and having washed them clean, break them, and beat them, shells, yolks, and white, well toge∣ther, adding thereto, white-Wine two pints, Goats Milk one pint, Flour of Beans one handful: put these into hot water, then still them through a Colb or Stilling-glass. Let this water thus stil∣led, stand fifteen days in the Sun, then it will be fit for your purpose. When you

use it, warm a little of it, and dissolve therein Burra, Sugar-Candy powdered, of each a like quantity: with this you must wash your Face in the Morning and at Night.

Another Water.

Take the Crum of White-bread, Flow∣ers of Lillies, Roses, of each one pound; Elder-berries, Flour of Beans, of each half a pound; strong Wine-Vinegar, Goats Milk two pints, the whites of four Eggs; distil them together through a Glass, as above, in hot water.

Another Water.

Take five Lemmons and cut them in pieces, three Apples, Sugar, Allum, of each an ounce; distil them through a Glass, as before.

Another Water.

Take the Roots of Pignuts being well washed, cut them into small slices, and put them into a glased pot, (contain∣ing five English pints) half full, twelve Egg-shells well wash'd and bruised, one pint and somewhat more of White-Wine, Rain and River-water, until the pot be full; let all these boil together, until a third part be boil'd away, adding thereto the crum of a small white Loaf, Spanish Green of the bigness of a Bean. Bind

all these in a little bag; bray or bruise the said Decoction on a Tile, while it is luke-warm, at last put into it one ounce of Sugar. Wet a fine cloath therein, and wash your face at Night and in the Morn∣ing, without wiping it.

Another Water.

Bore the Stem (or Trunk) of a Birch-Tree with an Iron Bore, and much water will run out of it, which is useful on this occasion, and also to take away Sun-burn∣ing. There are many other Waters that clear the Face, which I pass by for brevity sake; I shall onely add hereto

The Dove or Pigeon-water, which is made thus.

Take two white Pigeons, pluck them, draw out their guts, throw them into a Stilling-glass, upon a rank of leaves of Ash-herb, (called Fraxinella, or wild Dita∣ny,) Lambs Tongue two handfuls: lay them upon the floor, then add thereto fresh Butter four ounces, Oyl of sweet Almonds three ounces, Buras, Champher, Burnt Allum, and Sugar Candy powdered, the crum of a white Loaf, the whites of twenty five Eggs, two handfuls of the kernels of Grapes, Goats Milk four pints.

Let these soak ten or twelve hours in the stilling-glass, well stop'd. Let it distil slowly in a water-Bath (or balneo Mariae) put the divided Water into Flasks, in a cool Cellar, then strain it through a clean and fine Cloth. Wash your face with this water in the morning and at night with a little cloth.

Besides these waters, there are also di∣vers Oyntments of great use: and Oyls and Pomades.

Oyntment.

Boyl two Eggs hard, cut them in the midst, take out the yolk, fill the hollow with the powder of burnt Wine-stone; join the half parts together, and tye them with a thred; put them into a dish, and set them in a moist Cellar. The Wine-stone will melt, whereby the moistness running through the white of the Eggs, will alter (together with that which comes thereby) to an Oyl, such as you desire.

Oyl of the Acorns of an Oak, being pressed out, as that of Almonds, and mingled with that of the Egg-shels, is use∣ful to make the face beautiful. Also

Oyl of Myrrha, made like the Oyl of Wine-stone, with the white of Eggs. Also

There is an Oyntment made of the Marrow of the Bones of a Weather, and is thus to be extracted.

Take of the bones of a Weather, (when 'tis full Moon) as much as you please, let them boil long in water, then break them in pieces. Let them boil again in the water three or four hours, then take them from the fire, and let them be cold; then gather the fat which will swim upon the the water, and Anoint your Face there∣with at night when you go to bed, and the next morning. Wash it off with the wa∣ter of Bean-Blossomes, or of Flower-de-luce.

Another Oyntment is made of Pige∣ons dung, and campher'd Rose-water.

Another Oyntment or Pomade.

Take Goats grease half a pound, fresh unmelted Hogs grease four ounces, cut in∣to small pieces; put it into a glazed ear∣then pot, with a Pippin cut in pieces, Juice of Orange, Rose-water a glass-full, white-Wine half a glass-full; put the pot upon the fire, and let it boil a little. When the Grease is melted, and incorpo∣rated with the Apple, strain it through a Sive, or Serse, into an earthen pot glased,

and half full of fresh water. When it is cold, take it out, and wash it five or six times in Rose-water, every time renewing the water. To a Pomade.

Another excellent Pomade.

Take Goats grease two ounces, Pip∣pins two, Flower-de-luce Roots of Flo∣rence one ounce, a whole Lemmon; chop the grease, and cut the Apples and Roots in pieces. Add thereto, of the Marrow of a Weathers feet two ounces. Let it boil together in a sufficient quantity of Rose-water, in a glased pot, upon a gentle fire, until the Lemmon be consumed, keeping the pot well covered. Then take it from the fire, and strain that which is in the pot through a clean cloth; you must pound that which is gone through, and mix that which is pressed out fresh, without fire, with the Oyl of Sweet Almonds. When it is mingled together, then wash it with water of Bean-flowers, white Flower-de∣luce, Roses, of each the like quantity. This being well mix'd, and made, you may keep in a glass well covered. With this excellent Pomade you may Anoint your Face at night, and wash it off the next day in the morning with Rain-water.