Doron medicum, or, A supplement to the new London dispensatory in III books : containing a supplement I. to the materia medica, II. to the internal compound medicaments, III. to the external compound medicaments : compleated with the art of compounding medicines ... / by William Salmon ...

APPENDIX I. OF ESSENCES so called.

31. Essentia Castorci, Es∣sence of Castor.

℞ Castor, cut and bruise it,

then maccrate it (in spirit of Castor, mixt if you pleas with spirit of Rosemary, Lavender, Sage or sweet Marjoram, all perfectly destegmated, a suffi∣cient quantity) in B. M. for five dayes, to which add the Volatile oyl, and Salt of Ca∣stor; Circulate till they be perfectly united, and become clear.

§ 1. It is an excellent thing against the Falling sick∣ness, Apoplexy, Palsy, Verti∣go, Megrim, Convulsions, and the like great affects of the Brain: dose à ℈j ad ʒss or ʒj. § 2. Some Authors prescribe it to be thus made: Reduce your Castoreum into fine pouder, dissolve it in pure rectified spirit of Salt; ab∣stract the spirit from it again, and affuse upon it, the highest rectified spirit of Castor, spi∣rit of Wine, R••smary or La∣vender, &c. digest them in a gentle B.M. for 20 days; then decanting the spirit from the faeces; you may either draw off the spirit in Balneo Vaporis, leaving the Essence of Castor behind, or you may keep them together.

32. Essentia Croci, Essence of Sassron.

℞ Saffron lbij, the highest rectified Spirit of Saffron lbiv, digest two daies, then distil in a Glass B. M. and co∣hobate ten times, at last im∣pregnate the distilled liquor with the Tincture, so long till it will receive no more.

It is a wonderful Cordial, and makes the heart glad: it strengthens and revives the spirits, comforts a drooping spirit; resists the malignity of burning Feavers, Meastes, Small P••x, Plague, Poyson, &c. Dose and ʒss. in a conve∣nient Vehicle; it provokes the Terms, and miraculously facilitates the delivery of wo∣men in Childbirth. After the same manner may be prepa∣red Essence of Cochenele.

33. Essentia Opii, Essence of Opium.

℞ Opium lbss, Sp. of Opium lb viij: digest till the Opium is dissolved (which ought to be done by little and little, & by degrees;) then distil in a glass Balneo Mariae, and co∣hobate ten times: at last im∣pregnate

the distilled Liquor with the Tincture of fresh O∣pium, so long till it will re∣ceive no more, but appears in the Glass as red as blood.

§ 1. It has all the Virtues of Opium, but much more safe; it cases all manner of pains, is good against all sorts of Feavers and Agues, Vo∣miting, the Cholick and Gri∣ping of the Guts, as also the Stone, whether in the Reins or Bladder, stops all fluxes, and gives rest and quietness. § 2. When you give it, the dose may be from gut. vj ad xx or more, according to the age, strength and necessity of the sick; alwayes mixing with it as many drops of the Powers of Cloves, Limons, Oranges, or Essence of Saffron, in a glats of Sack, and so to be ta∣ken at night going to bed. § 3. After the same manner you may prepare it with Spirit of Vinegar, Spirit of Sal Ar∣moniack, Vitriol or Sulphur, Juyces of Citrons, Limons, Quinces, &c.

34. Essentia Magna, The great Essence.

℞ Rosemary, Lavender, Sage, Marjoram, Time, Bawm, Angelica, Ros Solis, Origanum, Savory, A. bruise all in a mortar, and with Bay salt and Leven cause a Fer∣mentation; then put all into a copper Vesica well tinn'd; to which add a sixt part of Rhenish wine; and to every pint of Rhenish wine add Saf∣fron ℥ij. Cochenelle ℥j, Cloves sliced, Nutmeggs bruised A. ℥ss: distill according to Art, and cohobate ten times till the Volatile Salt arises: lastly calcine the faeces, from which extract a Crystalline or sweet Salt, adding it to the Liquor distilled, to every pint of which also put Oyl of Cinnamon ʒj, mix and keep them in a glass. Vessel close stopt.

§ 1. It is a Medicine of great virtues: It restores in Consumptions, strengthens all the inward parts; helps in all Diseases of the Head, Heart, Brest and Lungs, and makes merry a sad and droo∣ping spirit: it cures Plague, malign Feavers, small Pox, Poyson: it cures the Vertigo, Epilepsia, Megrim, Convul∣sions, Palsies, Tremblings, and such like. Dose à ℈j and ʒj

in fragrant Wine. § 2. But there are some who make this Essence, by grosly brui∣sing the Ingredients, and mixing therewith a sufficient Quantity of Canary, which they digest in a Vessel with a blind Head, in a gentle Balneo for two Months: then, expres∣sing all with a press, they calcine the faeces, and extract therefrom a Crystaline salt: the expressed Liquor is again digested, as aforesaid, till a glorious Liquor be separated from the faeces; which Li∣quor being decanted, they add to it the aforesaid Crystals, and a little Oyl of Cinnamon which is then to be kept close in a glass Vessel for use.

35. Essentia Odontalgica, Essence for the Tooth-ach.

℞ Spirit of Wine campho∣rated, Tincture or Powers of Cloves, A. ℥j, distilled Oyls of Box and of Guajacum, ana. ʒ vij. black Oyl of Sulphur, blood red Tincture of Opium, A. ʒvj. mix, and you will have an oyly, red, transparent Liquor, which keep in a glass Vial well stopt for use.

It is an admirable thing to ease the Toothach, by drawing off the sharp humor which falls on the Teeth. You may dip a little bit of Cotton as big as a Pea in it and apply it to the Tooth, or put it into its hollow part, if there is any, so will much water presently fall away, and the pain will cease.

36. Essentia Auri, Essence of Gold.

℞ fine Gold, dissolve it in rectified Oyl of Salt; to which being dissolved, put as much Oyl of Vitriol: abstract the Oyls from it again, and draw∣ing off, as aforesaid, thus co∣hobate 12 times, but ev'ry time have a care that your Gold be not left dry, but somewhat moist: being 12 times coho∣bated (the last time drawing off the Oyl) put upon the Calx the best rectifyed S. V. s••t it in a Cellar, or some cool place, where letting it stand for some days, a part of the Gold will Crystalize: Take out those Crystals, evaporate a part of the Water, and set the rest to Crystalize, as before; this do till all the Gold is turned to Crystals, which dry on clean

brown paper in a warm dry air These dry Crystals beat into fine powder, on which put S. V. rectified, digest some daies in a gentle B. M. then abstract the S. V. by degrees, very gently, and the true essence of Sol will remain behind like an oyl.

It's a Specifick in the Cure of the Apoplexy and Falling sickness, and indeed of all Diseases affecting the Head, Heart and Nerves. Its a Su∣dorifick, a Counter-poison, and a Restorative in Consum∣ptions; and also expels the Malignity of the Measles, Small Pox, spotted Feaver and Plague. Dose à gut. jv ad viij.

37. Essentia Argentea vi∣ridis, green Essence of Silver.

℞ fine Silver, dissolve it in A, and precipitate with Salt water, which Calx dul∣cifie with Common water, till it be fully free from the Salts: this done, mix it with Flowers of Sulphur, reverberate it under a Muffel to a very sub∣tle Calx, upon which put S. V. rectifi'd and Tartariz'd: digest a Month in B.M. then draw off the spirit, and coho∣bate seven times, so will the Calx be brought into a Li∣quor which being again dige∣sted a Month in B. M. will become a pure green juyce.

It strengthens the Brain extreamly, and is prevalent against all affects thereof, as Frensy, Madness, Lethargy, Carus, falling sickness, Con∣vulsions, Vertigo, Megrim, Headach, &c. it is also good against the Stone in the Reins and Bladder, and resists all Feavers: Dose à gut. vj ad xij in Canary or other proper Vehicle.

38. Essentia Vitrioli Cu∣pri, Essence of Vitriol of Cop∣per.

℞ fine Verdigrise (made of the filings of Venus and spirit of Vinegar) extract the Tin∣cture with warm water, which filter and coagulate over a gentle Heat, till it is thick like Honey: distill this in an Alembick by degrees of fire, so will a thick substance as∣cend, sticking to the Alembick, which then you must take off, and put it down with a stick into the Cucurbit, and this

you must do, as oft as it as∣cends; when it rises no more, let it cool, put it into a Re∣tort, and distill in a strong fire (the stronger the better) so will there ascend, first a white four spirit, then a yellow sour spirit, lastly some blood∣red drops, with a white cloud; when no more will come-over, let it cool. Take all that which distill'd over, and in a Bolt-head with a gentle heat (lest any of the yellow or red should ascend) distill off all the white spirit, so will a blackish red matter remain behind, from which extract a red Tin∣cture with S.V. rectified (as often putting on fresh S.V. as it is tinged red) then distill both together by Retort, cohobating often; lastly, in a gentle BM separate the S.V. so will you have remaining the true es∣sence of Copper.

This cures all affects of the Womb, fits of the Mother, Scirrhus, Cancer, inflamati∣on. and Ulcers of the Womb, all which it doth by Dissolu∣tion, Consumption and Ex∣puision of the tartarous mat∣ter; expelling the Mass of the Venomous humors. It cures the Dropsy, Rhagades, Condyloma, Hoemorrhoides, &c. It is also a Specifick in the cure of the Epileps••, A∣poplexy, and other diseases of the Brain. Dose from gr. iij ad x. in Peony or black-Cherry water.

39. Essentia, seu Argen∣tum Mercurij, Essence or Silver of Mercury.

℞ Quick silver purged well with Salt and Vinegar, dis∣solve it in a well rectified AF. set it to shoot into Crystals, which grind well with Oleum Tartari per deliquium; after wash away the Oyl, and all sharpness from it, and put thereon spirit of Vinegar: let it stand in a gentle heat, till the Quick silver swims on the top of the Vinegar like leaves of Silver, which take off care∣fully by decanting the Vine∣gar (with that which swims on the top of it) from what re∣mains in the bottom, filter the decanted Vinegar through a brown paper, and the silver leaves of the Mercury will be on the paper. Then put the filtred Vinegar on the other part of the Mercury

which remained in the bottom (adding more fresh spirit, if need be) and proceed as before repeating this work till all or most of the Mercury is risen in such like silver leaves.

Paracelsus saith, That it is design'd against all Obstru∣ctions and other inveterate Diseases of the Lungs, as the Peripneumonia, Phthisis, Pi∣ning, and Tartarous coagula∣tions in all Organick parts, for it even melts the most ob∣durate humours and Coagu∣lations. Dose à gut. vj ad xij. in a proper Vehicle.