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HEre they are deservedly cen∣sured, that overcharge their Liquor with too great a quantity and number of Drugs, it being manifest, that neither Infusion nor Decoction becomes thereby the stronger, because no assignable Men∣struum can load it self, nor take up more of any substance, than fills its pores, or can adjust it self to its insensible constituent parts. But these intercepted Interstices varying in Figure and Capacity, it fol∣lows,
that when a Liquor is so satiate with a certain substance, that it will not dissolve one Grain more of it, though it should stand never so long thereon; yet it will readily take up another body, whose minute parts are more proportio∣nate to its unpossess'd Pores, or can adjust themselves better to its inconspicuous Principles. I add this last, because it is demonstrable, that the parts of the dis∣solv'd body are not all receiv'd into the empty spaces that lie interspers'd in the dis∣solving Liquor; since this does often con∣siderably increase in Volume, and that sometimes proportionably to the bulk of what is dissolv'd therein, which could not be, if only vacuola, or intercepted empty spaces, became satiate. What is here advanc'd, is manifestly prov'd by the following easie and unexpensive Ex∣periments. Take 6 or 8 Ounces of wa∣ter, throw common Salt into it, untill it will dissolve no more, then pour off the Liquor, and add Sugar untill that re∣mains unalter'd: then take Nitre, Sal-Armoniac, Alum, Vitriol, Borax, and you will find, that your water will still dissolve a small quantity of each, because the Receptacles commensurate to the fi∣gure and size of their minute parts did
not admit the undissolv'd part of the com∣mon Salt and Sugar, by reason of their different shape and bulk. You may ob∣serve, that water will take up four times as much Sugar as of green Vitriol, and twenty times the quantity of Sugar that it will dissolve of Borax, that what dis∣solves soonest raises the water less; and è contra.
It is by the proportion of the Figure, Size, and Site of the parts of the dissolu∣ble bodies to the dissolving Liquors, that we can account why common water is a fit Menstruum for Senna, Rhubarb, and Tamarinds, but altogether improper for Jalap, Turbith, and such other resinous Mixtures as require sulphureous Liquors, as Spirit of Wine, &c. Hence it appears how absolutely necessary it is for Apothe∣caries to know the various Substances of medicinal Drugs, both that they may chuse the properest Menstruums, and duly regu∣late their Infusions and Decoctions, as to degree of fire, length of time, and other circumstances, left by prescription solely to their Prudence and Discretion.
When several Drugs are us'd in a De∣coction, the most solid, such as Woods, are first put in, then Roots, Barks and Fruits; next Herbs, Berries and Seeds;
Flowers the last of all. The Woods, Roots and Barks are rasp'd, bruis'd or cut small, Fruits slit, Herbs chop'd, Ber∣ries and Seeds slightly beat, and Flowers put in whole. However this method, though pretty general, admits of excep∣tion, for thin and fpungy Wood requires less boyling than one that is more close and solid. Barley whole endures as much boyling as Wood. On the other hand, Aromatic Roots and Woods will not bear long boyling, but their better and more essential parts will dissipate. Barks, Fruits, and Aromatick Seeds require on∣ly a bare Infusion. Liquorish-Roots is put in after the Herbs. The Maiden-Hairs or Capillaries at the same time with the Liquorish or immediately after. The cold Seeds at the same time as the Flow∣ers.
℞. Misletoe of the Oak, Roots of Male Peony, Avens, of each six Drams; shavings of an Elk's hoof, Juniper-Berries, of each three Drams; leaves of Sage, Betony, Mar∣joram, Basil, of each an handfull; Flowers of Cassadonie, Lilies of the Vallies, Clove-Gilly-Flowers, Lime-tree, of each one Pugil;
let them be boil'd according to art, in three quarts of common water.
This Decoction strain'd and settled will hardly keep above two days in Sum∣mer, if not plac'd in a cold Cellar, nor above four in Winter. It is recommend∣ed against Epilepsies, Apoplexies, Lethar∣gies, and other distempers of the head, occasion'd chiefly by stoppages in the pas∣sage, and small Channels of the Animal Spirits, of from the turgency of crude Humours that press over-much the sub∣stance of the Brain.
He boils River-Crabs in his pectoral Decoction, borroweth Sydenham's deco∣ctum album, which he sweetens with Sy∣rup of Comfrey instead of Sugar, when he designs Astriction. His bitter Deco∣ction is the same with ours, only that he uses equal parts of Wine and Water, this and other Bitters are Febrifuges because the saline and sulphureous parts they con∣sist of, attenuate and dissolve gross viscid Humours, and so raise the Obstructions that occasion Fevers.
℞. Of Sarsaparilla 2 Ounces, China∣root
1 Ounce, Contrayerva and Holy-wood of each half an Ounce, crude Antimony grosly beat and tied in a knot 4 Ounces; let them be infus'd hot in 4 quarts of common water for 12 hours, then boil'd to the consumption of a third part; add towards the latter end 6 Ounces of slic'd Liquorish, with 3 Drams of Sassafras Wood.
This drink is taken three or four times a day, about six Ounces at a time, and continued for some days in Rheumatisms to attenuate the viscid roapy Serum, and in the close of the cure of a Gonorrhea, to correct and carry off the peccant Humours by Transpiration.
Prisans and Decoctions differ only in this, that the first are less loaded with In∣gredients, for being design'd for the ordi∣nary drink of sick persons, the less they are clog'd with Drugs, the more agreea∣ble and palatable they prove. They are much us'd in France, the following is the common Ptisan.
℞. Pick'd Barley cleansed from all filth one handfull, let it boil in 2 quarts of com∣mon water to the consumption of a third part, then add slic'd and beaten Liquorish half an Ounce, and make the Ptisan accor∣ding to art.
The Liquorish is but slightly boil'd, be∣cause otherwise it would communicate an unpleasant bitterness, especially if new. There may be added Citron Peel, Cori∣ander Seed, Cinamon, &c. to please those that love these things. The Prisan ma∣kers, that sell it all Summer long in the Streets of Paris, content themselves with a bare Infusion of Liquorish in fair water. Ptisans may be made Pectoral by additi∣on of Raisins, Jujubs, &c. aperitive by making use of openning roots, or binding thus.
℞. Whole Barley 2 Ounces, shavings of Harts-horn 1 Ounce, Tormentil roots half an Ounce, Berberries one handfull, boil them in three quarts of water, untill a third part be consumed.
They that would have i•• more astrin∣gent, may, instead of common, make use of steel'd water.
They use the following Infusion at Pa∣ris, as we do the decoctum Sennae Gercinis here.
℞. Choice cleans'd Senna 3 Drams, Salt
of Tartar 1 Scruple; infuse them hot a whole night in 8 Ounces of water, then strain and press out the Liquor for a Dose.
Three Drams of Senna will impregnate six Ounces of water, so that the Tincture will not become stronger by addition of a greater quantity, since a Menstruum (as was said before) cannot load it self, but with a determinate portion of any sub∣stance. This Infusion in water is estee∣med preferable to others made in Deco∣ctions, because the Liquor in these is al∣ready so charged with Particles of other Ingredients, that there is little or no room left for those of the Senna. The Salt of Tartar doth not only render the Menstruum more penetrating, and conse∣quently fitter to draw a Tincture from the Senna, but also attenuates and rarifies the viscid substance drawn from the leaves, and so prevents the griping pains that would be occasion'd by the adhesion of this gluish substance, to the inward Membrane of the Intestines. Instead of Salt of Tartar may be us'd Sal Polycre∣stum, crystal Mineral, or soluble Tartar, commonly called Vegetable Salt; but of all Salts the Alkaline are the most proper to dissolve the viscous slimy Substances,
that yield the Tincture, and to prevent Gripes. The Antients unacquainted with these Salts, made use of Cinamon, Ci∣tron, and Orange-Peel, Ginger, and Carminative Seeds, which in all respects come far short of the other.
Senna is said to purge off Melancholy more than other Humours, which if true, is perhaps, because it consists of fixt parts that have a greater disposition to unite and adhere to this Humour, which is fixt and earthy, and by irritating the parts wherein it is chiefly lodg'd cause its ex∣cretion.
Instead of Spirit of Vitriol in drawing a Tincture from Roses, he sometimes u∣ses Spirit of Sugar, sometimes the Juices of Barberries and Currants making amends for their lesser acidity in the greater quantity. These Tinctures are us'd in∣stead of Prisans in Diarrhoea's, Hemorrha∣gies, Gonorrhoea's, Whites, &c.
℞. Roots of Avens, Male-Peonie, Misle∣toe of the Oak, of each half an Ounce; leaves of Betony, Rosemary, Sage, of each half a handfull: let them be boil'd according to art in two quarts of water, to the Con∣sumption
of a fourth part in this Liquor strain'd without expression; infuse for 15 hours, pick'd Senna 6 Drams, choice Rhu∣barb, Agaric trochisk'd, of each two Drams, Juniper-Berries 1 Dram, soluble Tartar •• Drams: then let the Infusion be strain'd and press'd out, in which diffolve Syrup of solutive Roses, compounded with Agaric an•…•… Syrup of Peach Flowers of each 2 Ounces.
This Apozem is taken for some days together, a glass or two a day, adding to or lessening the quantity according as it works. The quantity of the Ingredients is the lesser in the Decoction, that there may be more room left for the Particles of the purging Drugs in the Infusion.
℞. Sweet Almonds blanch'd, 6 couple; Seeds of Cotton-tree, Plantain, Meadow-Rue, white Poppies, Quinces, Sumach, of each a Dram and a half; beat them in a Mortar, pouring in by degrees a quart of the Decoction of Barley, Roots of Plantain, and great Comfrey; then strain and add Syrup of dry Roses, and Barberries of each 2 Oun∣ces, and you have an Emulsion to be taken in four doses.
This is us'd in spitting of Blood, in Dysenteries, Hemorrhagies, Gonorrhoea's, Whites, or where-ever Astriction is pro∣per; which it causes probably in corre∣cting the sharpness of the blood by its a∣queous mucilage, and checking its brisk Circulation by mixture of its sluggish, spi∣ritless parts.
℞. Sweet Almonds blanch'd 2 Ounces, beat them in a Marble Mortar, pouring in by degrees a pint of Barley-water, and when you have strain'd the Liquor, dissolve there∣in an Ounce and a half of the best refin'd Sugar.
If you put to this half an Ounce of Orange-Flower-Water, perfume it with Musk or Ambergreece, and keep it in Ice it will drink deliciously. It is much esteem'd at Paris, and called there, Or∣geat des Limonadiers.
℞. Syrup of Marsh Mallows, Oil of sweet Almonds drawn without fire, of each an Ounce and a half; bost white Wine 3
Ounces, water of Radishes, and Pellitory of the wall, of each 2 Ounces; Crystal Mine∣ral 1 Dram, Spirit of Turpentine, and of Salt, of each 8 drops, mix them all for 2 Doses.
This mixture is us'd in Nephritick Co∣licks. Its oily slimy parts, smooth and lenifie the urinary passages, dull the edge of the sabulous matter, and facilitate its Excretion.
℞. Spirit of Turpentine one Ounce, re∣ctified Spirit of Salt, dulcified Spirit of Ni∣tre, Spirit of Cresses, Amber, and of Elixir proprietatis, of each 2 Drams; mix all toge∣ther.
This Mixture is taken in white Wine and in other appropriate Liquors, from 4 to 15 drops: it is usefull in Sup∣pression of Urine, Nephritick Cholicks; it attenuates and incides the gravelly mat∣ter, and cleanses the Kidnies.
℞. Imperial water, Cinamon water, of
each one Ounce, rectified Spirit of Man's Skull 2 Drams; rectified Oil of Amber, Vo∣latile oleous Salt, and Tincture of Salt of Tartar, of each one Dram; mix all together.
This Mixture is proper in the falling-sick∣ness, and other Distempers of the Brain; it is taken in and out of the fit to two Scruples.