The London practice of physick, or, The whole practical part of Physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis faithfully made English, and printed together for the publick good.

CHAP. IX. Instructions concerning Cordial Medicines, and A∣lexipharmicks, or Preservatives against Venome, with Prescripts of them.

IF the thing be duly considered, the notion of Cordial Medicines was not well introduc'd, but is a meer vulgar errour; for since it is not the Heart which is the Subject of Life, but chiefly, and in a manner only the Blood, and in regard the Soul it self (on whose existence and act in the Body Life depends) is founded partly in the Blood, and partly in the united stock of Animal Spi∣rits, it plainly sollows that Medicines which preserve Life entire, or restore it when in danger, do rather and more immediately re∣gard these parts of the Soul, to wit, the Blood, and Animal Spi∣rits than the Heart, which is a meer Muscle, serving for the Circulation of the Blood, and as often as it slackens in performing this duty, or gives it off: This does not happen through its own fault, but through that of the Blood and Animal Spirits, by which it is actuated.

Therefore to know the ways and manners of working of those Medicines which are call'd Cordials, we must consider these two things, viz. First, how many, and particularly what ways the Blood being ill dispos'd, and often endangered, either as to its accension, or mixture, requires Physical helps, which may preserve or cor∣rect it. Secondly after what manner by reason of a defect or de∣linquency in the Animal Oeconomy the Heart is hindred, or per∣verted from its due motion, so that Medicines are Indicated, which encrease the stores of the Spirits, and better compose them. [To be well instructed concerning these things, read Dr. Willis at large.]

The Kinds and Prescripts of Cordials.

A Ccording to what is said before, we distinguish Cordial Me∣dicines (commonly so call'd) into two kinds; some of them chiefly and more immediately affect the Blood, others the Animal Spirits. In the first rank of those that are design'd for regulating the accension of the Blood, we place those which by encreasing, or exalting its Sulphureous Particles cause its over-cold and slow moving Liquor to boil more, to be more freely kindled, and to burn with more life; of which kind are good Wines, Com∣pound Strong-waters distill'd, the Spirit and Tincture of Saf∣fron, Quercitans Elixir of Life: the Tincture of Salt of Tartar, of Steel, and other things that chiefly abound with Spirit, and havd a plenty of Sulphur; of which sometimes these, sometimes those may be taken as every patient lists. When by reason of the Bloods being not kindled, and consequently of its too great∣corwding and stagnation, as it were, within the Praecordia, a lan∣guishing and failing of the Spirits, with a great oppression of the Heart happens, then Aqua Mirabilis, the waters of Cinnamon, Cloves, Wormwood Compound, also of the Rines of Oranges di∣still'd with Wine are proper; to which sometimes a Dose of some Spirit, Elixir or Tincture may be added.

But here great caution is needful, that a person do no in∣dulge himself too much to these kind of Cordials, for many by often sipping of them, get an ill habit, continuing their daily use, and encreasing the Dose, which at length proves fatal to them; for the Liver chiefly, and other entrails are so dry'd and scorch'd thereby, that the stock of Blood being diminish'd, and its Crasis perverted, an unhealthy Cacochymia follows, or an abbreviation of Life.

In the second Rank of Cordials, we put those Medicines which somewhat appease the too great boiling of the Blood, and put a little stop to, and allay its immoderate deflagration, of this kind are distill'd Waters, Acids, and Nitrous things.

Take the waters of Wood-sorrel, of whole Citrons, of Straw-berrys, of each four Ounces, Syrup of the Juice of Citrons an Ounce, Pearl Powdred a Dram: Make a Julape; the Dose is two Ounces three or four times a day.

Take the waters of Pippins, or Garden Apples, of Rasberrys, of each four Ounces, Syrup of Violets an Ounce, Spirit of Vitriol twelve Drops: Make a Julape.

Take fountain water a Pound and a half, Juice of Limmons two Oun∣ces, Sugar an Ounce and a half: Make a drink, of which let three Ounces be taken at pleasure.

Take Grass Roots three Ounces, Candied Eringos six Ounces, two Apples slic'd (or Corinths two Ounces) Shavings of Ivory, and of Harts∣horn, of each two Drams, Leaves of Wood-sorrel a handful, boil them in three pounds of fountain water to two pounds; to the clear straining, add of Sal Prunella a Dram and a half, Syrup of Violets an Ounce and a half, Make an Apozem, the Dose is three or four Ounces thrice a day.

Take Conserve of red Roses vitriolated four Ounces, fountain water two pounds, dissolve it close cover'd and warm, then strain it; the Dose is three Ounces at pleasure.

Take Conserve of Barberrys, Rob of Rasberrys, of each an Ounce and a half, Pearl prepar'd half a Dram, Confection of Hyacinth a Dram, Syrup of the Juice of Citrons what suffices: Make a Confection; the Dose is half a Dram thrice a day.

The third rank of Cordials furnishes those sorts of Medicines, which being destinated against the exorbitancies of the boiling Blood, loosen and open its close texture, for the separation and discharge of its drossy superfluities. These being chiefly, and in a manner only of a saline nature, are also of divers kinds accor∣ding to the manifold state of the saline Particles of which they consist; but for the most part their Basis is either a Volatile, Al∣chalisate, Acid, Fixt, or Nitrous Salt, we shall set down certain forms of each of these.

In the First place Cordials endow'd with a volatile Salt, are wont to be given with good effect according to the following prescripts, both in Feavers, in respect of the Blood, and also in swoonings, and sudden faintings in respect of the Animal Spirits.

Take Spirit of Hartshorn, from fifteen Grains to twenty, Treacle water two Drams, give it with a spoon, drinking after it a draught of some appropriated Liquor. After the same manner may be given the Spirits of Blood, of Mans Scull, of Soot, of Sal Armoniack Com∣pound.

Take Salt of Vipers a Dram, Sal Prunella two Drams, Powder of Crabs Claws Compound a Dram and a half: Mix them, make a Pow∣der; the Dose is from half a Dram to two Scruples, in a spoonful of Cordial Julape, drinking after it a little draught of the same.

Take Flowers of Sal Armoniack half a Scruple, Bezoartick Mine∣ral a Scruple: Make a Powder, give it in a spoonful of some proper Liquor.

Secondly, Those are chiefly call'd by the name of Cordials by the Vulgar, whose Basis is an Alchalisate, or Petrifying Salt, as particularly Oriental Bezoar, Pearl, Coral, and other Powders of Shells and Stones.

Take Gascoins Powder, or Powder of Crabs Claws Compound, from a Scruple to half a Dram; give it in a spoonful of Cordial Julape, drinking after it two Ounces of the same.

Take Oriental Bezoar, from six Grains to twenty; give it after the same manner.

Take Powders of Crabs Claws, and Crabs Eyes of each a Dram, Pearl, both sorts of Coral prepar'd, of each four Scruples, both sorts of Bezoar half a Dram, the best Bole-Armoniack, Aurum Diaphoreti∣cum, of each two Scruples, Bezoartick Mineral a Dram: Mix them, make a Cordial Powder; the Dose is from a Scruple to two Scruples, or a Dram, with a fit Vehicle.

In Persons seiz'd with a Plurisie, the following things are ac∣counted the most proper Cordials, for as much as by destroy∣ing the predominancy of the acid Salt, they take away, or pre∣vent the Coagulations and Extravasatings of the Blood.

Take the Powder of a Wild Bores Tusk, from half a Dram to a Dram, Cristal Mineral a Scruple, Powder, of red Poppy Flowers half a Scruple: Make a Powder to be taken in any Liquor. After the same manner may be given the Powders of Crabs Eyes, and of the Jaw-bone of the Pike-fish.

To this place belong also preparations of Nitre, which are oft∣en given with good effect in Fevers, according to the following Forms.

Take Cristal Mineral a Scruple, Volatile Salt of Hartshorn, from three Grains to six, mix them: Make a Powder, give it in a spoon∣ful of Cordial Julape.

Take Cristal Mineral, Antimony Diaphoretick, of each a Scruple, Bezoartick Powder half a Scruple: Make a Powder, give it after the same manner.

Medicines whose Basis is a fluid, or acid Salt, are prescrib'd in Fevers after the following Forms, to loosen the Texture of the Blood.

Take Spirit of Vitriol, from four Drops to six, Carduus water three Ounces, Treacle water two Drams, Syrup of the Juice of Citrons three Drams, Pearl half a Scruple: Make a draught to be taken twice or thrice a day. Spirit of Salt, or of Nitre may be taken after the same manner: For the same the drink Cherbet, called also the Di∣vine drink of Palmarius are proper.

Take Powder of Hartshorn Calcin'd, or of Antimony Diaphoretick three Drams, Spirit of Vitriol, or of Salt a Dram; bray them toge∣ther

in a Glass Mortar, and let them dry: The Dose is from a Scruple to half a Dram, in a spoonful of Cordial Julape.

Fixt or lixivial Salts of Herbs often enter the Compositions of Alexipharmicks: Moreover, Medicines which have these for their Basis, as they are accounted very famous Febrifuges, so they ought to be numbred amongst Cordials; for instance we pro∣pose that known Medicine.

Take Salt of Wormwood a Scruple, Carduus water three Ounces, Spirit of Vitriol, or Oyl of Sulphur a Scruple, Syrup of Violets three Drams: Make a draught to be taken three or four hours before the Fit.

Take the waters of whole Citrons, and of Wood Sorrel, of each half a pound, Salt of Tartar a Dram and a half, Juice of Limmons two Drams, Sugar half an Ounce, mix them, make a Julape; the use of it is in Anomalous Fevers, which though always burning, have daily returns of sharp fits: The Dose is three Ounces twice a day.

The last rank of Cordials, and truly in some respect the chief∣est, is of Alexipharmicks, because these are more vital than the rest. But Alexipharmicks being either for preservation, or for Curing: In the first place, we shall set down Select Medicines to be given to persons, whilst yet in a state of health, against the In∣fection of the Plague, or any Malignity whatsoever; omitting in the mean time what is usually ordered concerning the alteration and rectifying of the Ambient Air: And then in the second place we shall give you Select Forms of Prescripts to be used after the Contagion is taken.

1. Antidotes for Preservation.

TAke Conserve of the Leaves of Rue four Ounces, Mithridate, and Confectio liberantis, of each an Ounce, Confection of Hyacinth two Drams, Salt of Wormwood two Drams and a half, Pulvis panno∣nici rubri half an Ounce, Bezoartick Vinegar what suffices: Make an Electuary; the Dose is the quantity of a Chesnut thrice a day.

Take Powder of the Roots of Virginia Serpentary, Contrayerva, Ze∣doary, Species liberantis, of each two Drams, Camphire two Scruples, Sugar dissolv'd in Bezoartick Vinegar, and boil'd to a consistency for Tablets six Ounces: Make Tablets according to art, each weighing half a Dram; let one or two be eaten often in a day.

Take Roots of Virginia Serpentary three Ounces, boil them in three pounds of fountain water till half be consum'd, to the straining add of the best Honey two Ounces, Venice Treacle an Ounce, dissolve it warm and close cover'd, and strain it: The Dose is two or three spoon∣fuls three or four times a day.

Take Flowers of Sulphur four Ounces, melt them in a Crucible, then put into it by spoonfuls one after another, Salt of Wormwood four Ounces, stirring them together 'till the whole Mass grows red: then add the Powders of Aloes, Myrrh, Olibanum, of each a Dram, Saffron half a Dram; stir them again for a quarter of an hour, till they are incorporated; the Mass being cool'd, and put on a glass plate; let it stand till it dissolves into an Oyl, like a most beautiful Ruby: The Dose is from ten drops to twenty in an Ounce and a half, or two Oun∣ces of the Bezoartick water twice a day.

Or pour to the said Powder some spirit of Wine rectified on the Roots of Contrayerva and Virginia Serpentary, till it cover them three fingers over; draw forth a Tincture: The Dose is from twenty drops to thirty in a fit Vehicle.

Or, Take of the same Powder half an Ounce, pour to it of the best Canary two pounds, let it dissolve close cover'd and warm: The Dose is a spoonful twice or thrice a day.

After the Contagion is receiv'd, and the Crasis of the Blood is vitiated, and begins to corrupt, the same Medicines are still pro∣per to be taken, but in a greater Dose, and oftner. Moreover the Vinegars, and fixt Salts of Herbs, are very often added with good success to Alexipharmicks, because by them the Coagulati∣ons of the Blood are resolv'd, and then all Heterogeneous Parti∣cles evaporating, and the other being brought into a due mix∣ture, its liquor at length recovers its former state, and keeps it. There being innumerable Medicines in the Books of Physicians for this end; I shall here only set down a few.

Antidotes for Curing.

TAke of the Bezoartick water two Ounces and a half, Bezoartick Vinegar half an Ounce, Venice Treacle a Dram, mix them, by shaking them in a Glass: Make a draught, let the person take it, and sweat upon it.

Take Gascoins Powder, Roots of Contrayerva, and Virginia Serpen∣tary, of each from a Scruple to twenty five Grains: Make a Powder, give it in a spoonful of Treacle water, drink after it a little draught of the same, or of a Cordial Julape.

Take Powder of Teads prepar'd, Powder of Crabs Claws Compound, of each half a Dram: Make a Powder, give it after the same manner.

Take Bezoartick Mineral half a Dram, Venice Treacle a Dram, Camphire six Grains, Bezoartick Vinegar what suffices: Make a Bo∣lus to be taken after the same manner.

Take the waters of Wood Sorrel and Dragon-wort, of each four Oun∣ces, Water of Scordium Compound two Ounces, Treacle water and Bezoartick water of each an Ounce, Powder of Pearl a Dram, Syrup of Clove-Gillyflowers (or of the Juice of Citrons) two Ounces, spirit of Vitriol twelve drops: Make a Julape; the Dose is three Ounces often in a day, sometimes by it self, sometimes with other Medicines.