Nine books of physick and chirurgery written by that great and learned physitian, Dr Sennertus. The first five being his Institutions of the whole body of physick: the other four of fevers and agues: with their differences, signs, and cures.

CHAP. IV. Of Medicinal Wines, drinks of honey and Water sodden together, of Wine mingled with Honey, of Oxymel, of Medicinal Vinegar, Decoction or Barley-water, also of Clarified Juices.

OUT of those things which have bin hitherto spoken of Infusions and Decoctions, * 1.1 it will easily appear how me∣dicinal wines are prepared, and they are either altering, ••r purging and altering together.

They are prepared, either of Must; or of Wine that is re∣••ined, those that are prepared of Must, have a more plea∣••ant taste, and they are thus done; The dry Medicines are ••ut into little woodden Caskes; when the Must is some∣••hat abated, and the Wine cleansed, and made clear, it should ••••e drawn out into another Vessel, and kept for your use.

In the same manner Physical drink may be prepared, * 1.2 of

Wormwood, Harts tongue, Bittony, Sage, Rosemary, and other herbs, and also of purging things: but for the most part, the herbs are first bruised in the drink, after tis brewed, being as yet warm, and afterwards in due season things to make it work, being put in, they are suffered to cool.

Of Wines so cleansed, Medicinal Wines are prepared; Dry medicines are cleansed, cut, and broken, and are put into a glasse, or earthen Vessel, sometimes into a Nodule, or little Bagge of fine linnen, or thin linnen sewed up; a sufficient quantity of good white Wine is powred in, so they stand in infusion, in a Vessel that is shut, afterwards strained, unlesse they are inclosed in a little Bagge.

But this proportion for the most part is observed, that to a pound of medicines, there is taken of Must, or Wine eight Pints, twelve, nay, to twenty five, nay thirty, or thirty six, so that an ounce may answer to the proportion of two or three Pints.

Medicinall Wines also that alter, are prepared if distilled Oyles are added to them being first mixt with Sugar, or Spi∣rits, or tinctures, spirit of Wine drawne out of simple medi∣cines, or moist extracts.

Sometimes medicinall Wines are sweetned with Sugar or Honey, * 1.3 and are called Clare••s, and Hippocratick Wine, they are profitable in cold durable diseases, they a••e made in this manner: Aromatick things or roots also and seeds grate∣full to the smell and taste, principally are grosely beaten, or cut, and such as have great efficacy, are infused in sweet Wine, so they are to stand sometime in the Infusion, in a warme place for some hours, or let them simper in Balmum Mariae, for halfe an houre, especially if you may accelerate the worke, or to prepare Wine mingled with Honey; after∣wards there is added a sufficient quantity of Sugar to make it pleasant to the taste, so that to two, three or soure parts of Wine, one part of Sugar may be taken, and oftentimes Wine is drained through Hippocrates sleeve, that it may be∣come cleare, some of the distilled waters that are conveni∣ent, may be mixt with the Wine.

Some infuse the Aromaticks in spirit of wine, about eight or ten parts whereof is used to one part of the Aromaticks, and when the spirit of wine hath drawne out the tincture, they seperate it by declination, and straining or filtring, and keepe it for their use, but when tis convenient to make Hippocraticall wine, they power some drachms, and withal••

an ounce or two ounces, to one measure of Wine, a suffi∣cient quantity of Sugar to sweeten it.

But such Wines and Clarets, may be prepared not only to alter, but also to purge, with the same dose for the more choice sort of persons, namely with purgers, principally the Leaves of Sena, Mecoacam, Agrick, Turbith, with their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 recters are put into a sufficient quantity of Rhenish Wine, and being heated in water luke-warme in a glasse after∣wards must stand in a warme place, six hours in Infusion, afterwards add of Julep of Violets, or Roses halse an ounce, or let them be sweetned with halfe an ounce of white Su∣gar and be strained, and filtred through a browne paper, let three ounces of that which is strained be perfumed with two drops of Oyle of Cinamon; Manna also may be ta∣ken instead of Sugar.

If the Wine be sweerned with Honey instead of Sugar, * 1.4 tis called Oinomell. Mulsum, or wine mingled with Honey, is prepared of one part of Honey, and two or three parts of Wine mixt and boyled together: and Aromaticks of eve∣ry sort may be added, and it may be prepared at the time of gathering of Grapes, namely if one part of Honey be taken and two of Must: of water if it be convenient three parts or five parts in quantity, and let them heate toge∣ther.

Hydromell, and Mulsum, and Melicratum, * 1.5 are names of medicinall Potions of the same nature, namely made of water, and Honey, and sometimes of other things boyled therewith, or if there be any difference amongst those, 'tis only in comelinesse, for Melicratum is made suddenly for present use of a mixture of Honey and water; but Hydro∣mell is prepared to keep longer, and is neater made; of Mulsum some is more cleanseing, others purer, so that there is a severall proportion of Honey to the water, accor∣ding to the various scope of the Physitian, and temperature of him that takes it. To prepare it eight, ten or twelve times the quantity of Fountaine water is to be taken: but this is made of one part of Honey and five or six of water, boyled till the fourth or fifth part be consumed.

Amongst the kindes of Mulsum, which can keepe, * 1.6 the most noted at this day, is that drinke which is called Meade, and the best indeed is prepared in Li••uania.

But Hydromell is prepared not only of water and Ho∣ney but also of severall Aromaticks, Herbs and Rootes, as

Clary, Hysop, Bettony, and others, both kindes are made, that which is for present use, and that which is more du∣rable, and will keepe longer, it is prepared for present use, if in a pint of the water of Plates, a drachm, or at most two drachms are boyled, the 10th. or 12th. part of the best ••••ney be added, to every pint of the decoction. Hydromell is made after the usuall manner: But sometimes Hydromell is compounded, when the simple Hydromell is sented with these only, although no other thing be boyled in it.

Besides the compound Hydromell which doth alter, a purging Hydromell is also prepared, which is nothing else but a purging decoction made with simple Hydromell.

The next to Mulsum, * 1.7 is Oxymell, which differs from it, only by the mixture of Vinegar, a drinke very usuall a∣mongst the Ancients; but the old Physitians did not make Oxymell alike, but severally and added Vinegar according to the nature of a disease and of the diseased and other cir∣cumstances, and they gave it not only mingled with other medicines, but alone to quench thirst, and other purposes to drinke, but that which is most cleansing, and may also be used in feavers was made of twelve parts of water two of Honey and one of Vinegar; they were gently boyled and scummed, and the fire not being fierce, and by the addition of the white of an egg were clarified, and afterwards strained through a woollen cloath, till it become cleare and pure.

There are prepared by the Physitians other kindes of Oxymells compounded of more medicines; such is the Oxymell Helleborated of Gesner or rather of Iulian.

To this head we referr the water, * 1.8 or decoction of Barly which is made of whole Barley boyled in the water till it comes to a Ptisan, and some is simple when nothing is boy∣led besides Barley; another is compound when certaine o∣ther things also are added to the Barley, namely Raisons, Licorish, Anni-seed, Fennell-seed, Cinamon, Sugar: of Licoris•• is added, from two drachms to half an ounce or six drachms, Raisons from an ounce to two ounces of such as are stoned, halfe or a whole drachm, Cinamon to one drachm, or 2. drachms, for a pint and halfe or z, pints of Liquor.

Sometimes a sowre medicine is prepared, * 1.9 as with Squills, Roses, the rindes of Scordium, the Flowres of Elder and ma∣ny others, and not only of one, but more simples by infusion and materation of them in the same manner, as in medici∣nall wines.

Moreover to this Head we may refer clarified juices, * 1.10 which being pressed out of new gathered Plants are purifi∣ed, either by the white of an Egg, or by straining, often re∣peated, principally by filtring, or by separation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Medicinall wines.
• * 1.2

  Ph••sica••l ••••••nkes.
• * 1.3

  Claretum.
• * 1.4

  Wine ming∣led with Honey.
• * 1.5

  Hydromell. Mulsum. Meliera∣tum.
• * 1.6

  Meade.
• * 1.7

  Oxymell.
• * 1.8

  Barly wa∣ter.
• * 1.9

  Medicinall Vinegar.
• * 1.10

  Clarified juices.