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.

5. Lohoch's and Electuaries.

TAke Conserve of red Roses, and of the Dog-Rose, of each two Ounces, Powder of the Seeds of the white Poppy, and of Hen∣bane, of each two Drams, Species Diatragacanthi frigidi, a Dram and a half, Blood-stone, Sanguis Draconis prepar'd, of each half a Dram, Syrup of red Poppies what suffices: Make an Electuary, let the quantity of a Chesnut be taken Evenings and Mornings, and at other times suck it with a stick of Licorice.

Take Conserve of the Flowers of great Comphrey, and of Water-Lillies, of each an Ounce and a half, Troches of Winter Cherries, and Dia∣tragacanthum frigidum, of each a Dram and a half, Syrup of Jujubes what suffices; Make a soft Lohoch, of which take often with a stick of Licorice.

Take of the White of an Egg well beaten two Drams, Lucatellus's Balsam half an Ounce, Troches of Winter Cherries two Drams, Syrup of red Poppies what suffices: Make a soft Lohoch, take the quantity of a Chesnut Morning and Evening.

The Second Indication being for preservation, suggests to us those Remedies which keeping the Blood in a just temper, and the Lungs in a due Conformation, provide against a relapse of Spitting Blood, and an ensuing Consumption; such as regard the Blood are either gentle Evacuatives by Seige, Urine, and Sweat, or meer Alteratives. Every one of these are wont to be pre∣scrib'd either in the Form of a Drink, Powder, Electuary or Pills: We shall set down some Select Forms of some of the chief of them.

1. As to Evacuatives, a gentle Purge may sometiems be orde∣red after this manner.

Take of the best Sena three Drams, Cassia bruis'd with the Fistula an Ounce, Tamarinds three Drams, Coriander-seeds a Dram and a half: Boil them in a sufficient quantity of fountain water to fix Ounces, to the straining add Syrup of Cichory with Rhubarb an Ounce, Clari∣fy it with the White of an Egg. Or,

Take Gereons Decoction of Senna four Ounces, Purging Syrup of Apples an Ounce: Mix them, and make a Potion.

For preserving the Blood in a good temper, and that its dreggy Excrements deriv'd from the Lungs, may be continually dis∣charg'd by Sweat and Urine, the following Alteratives, or some of them must be constantly taken; which being also of a heal∣ing Nature, relieve Lungs that are infirm, or dissolv'd in their Unity.

For ordinary Drink, let it be pure Water, especially in a hot Constitution, or water a little ting'd with Claret Wine: Those with whom this Drink does not agree, may use with as good success a Bochet of China and Sarsa, with the shavings of Ivory, Hartshorn, and white Saunders in it, or sinall Beer, or Ale, with the Leaves of Harts Tongue, Oak of Hierusalem, and the like in∣fus'd in it.

Let Pectoral Decoctions, or Hydromels with temperate Trau∣matick Herbs be taken twice or thrice a day, to six or seven Ounces.

Take Roots of fresh Nettles, and Chervil, of each an Ounce, Leaves of Harts Tongue, Speedwel, Mous-ear, Ground Ivy, St. John's-wort, of each a handful: Boil them in three pounds of fountain water to two pounds, adding Raisms stone'd an Ounce and a half, Licorice two Drams; to the straining add Syrupus Byzantinus two Ounces, Clarifie it with the White of an Egg: Make an Apozem to be taken to four or six Ounces twice or thrice a day for a Month.

In a cold or Phlegmatick Constitution, the Licorice and Rai∣sins being omitted with the Syrup, add towards the end two Ounces of the best Clarified Honey; strain it, and keep it for use: The Dose is the same as the former.

Let these things sometimes be taken betwixt whiles with a distill'd water appropriated to the same end; which also may be more frequently taken by some Persons, to whom Apozems are nauseous and loathsome.

Take Cypress Tops, Leaves of ground Ivy, of each six handfuls, Snails half boil'd a pound and a half, All the Saunders bruis'd, of each an Ounce: Being slic'd and bruis'd, pour to them of new Milk eight pounds, distil it with common Organs: The Dose is three or four Ounces with a spoonful of Syrup of the Juice of ground Ivy twice a day.

2. In respect of the Lungs, viz. that the Union of its parts, and the due Conformation of the whole may be preserv'd without any obstruction, or opening of its Vessels, temperate Balsamicks are of chiefest use: For this end Lucatellus Balsam is perscrib'd even by the vulgar to be taken constantly, and for a long time by such as Spit Blood. Chymists and some famous Women cry up above all things a Balsamick Oyl drawn by distillation, which they call Mother of Balsam.

I shall now illustrate this Method of Cure by a Story.

A famed young man falling from a Scorbutick Cachexia into a Palsey, and for the Cure of this Disease, having try'd Remedies not only great, but likewise disproportionate to his Blood and Spirits, viz. Salivation, and the use of hot Baths, happened to be seiz'd with a Spitting of Blood, and its fits (of all I ever knew that were not presently mortal) seem'd the most dread∣ful.

The First appearance of this Blood Spitting was after the ope∣ration of Hews's Powder, by which having for some time un∣dergone a Salivation, though without Curing his Palsey, he was brought to a great weakness: Then being afflicted with a Catarrh, and a very troublesome Cough, he began to cast forth a discoloured Spittle, and sometimes ting'd with Blood, sometimes sprinkled with it. But this Disease being mild at First, soon va∣nish'd by the use of Medicines, and afterwards the Person going into the Country, and breathing a purer Air, grew better, and in a while seeming to be sound enough in his Brest, he went to Bath to Cure his Palsey: Where Bathing every day for six Weeks in the hot waters, he got his Cough again, and soon after fell into a terrible Spitting of Blood, so that in twenty four hours space Counghing up Blood almost continually, and in a large measure, he threw forth a vast qantity.

Going to see him the First time in this Condition, provision being made for the whole, I presently ordered Bleeding for Re∣vulsion, though after its Administration (both then and ever after) his Blood Spitting either return'd a fresh, or was provok'd more by it. Moreover I gave Julapes, Lohoch's, Decoctions, and even Hypnoticks, which doing little or no good: I ordered Li∣gatures about his Arms and Thighs, which first of all gave a check to the Tyranny of this Disease: And as now and then the Evil burst forth again, I perswaded him at length that forbearing the use of Beer, he should drink constantly a Decoction of Sarsa and China with Pectorals: By the almost continued use of this, observing likewise an exact Form of Diet, and abstaining wholly from Wine, hot Aliments, and Salt and Sugar, he had his health well enough for above two years.

But afterwards being very much heated in a Crowd, he fell a∣gain into a terrible Spitting of Blood: A Physician being call'd, he was presently Blooded in his Arm, after which his Blood Spit∣ting became more violent; and when on the Second and Third days after he was Blooded again, the Evil encreas'd upon him each time: At length Ligatures being us'd (as before) and a Pectoral Decoction, and a Lohoch carefully taken, the Disease presently abated, and in a short time wholly ceas'd: Neverthe∣less he continued the use of his Pectoral Decoction, and thin Diet, viz. without any Flesh above six Weeks, and thereby ob∣tained truce from his Enemy for three years: And when after∣wards sometimes after drinking Wine, or too plentiful a Diet, the Blood growing turgid, began to burst forth of the Lungs, presently by the Ligatures, together with the use of the De∣coction and Linctus, and the thin Diet, the force of it was al∣ways allay'd.

Nevertheless he became not so secure, but was forc'd to keep in a manner always watch and ward against that lurking Enemy: For not long since through the Distemper of the Season, he was seiz'd with a very troublesome Catarrh, accompanied with a Cough, and much Spittle which was now and then Bloody, and then the former Medicines did not do: Whereupon of his own head he betook himself to new things; and First of all he took Evenings and Mornings a spoonful of the Syrup of the Juice of ground Ivy, and found thereby great good: but that Syrup, by reason of the Sugar, growing in a short time loathsome to him, he took twice a day in a spoonful of some Liquor to half a Dram, or a Dram of the Powder of that Herb well prepar'd; which Re∣medy being us'd a long time, he became much better as to his Catarrh and Cough, but his Blood Spitting breaking forth now and then, though it were in a small quantity, he chang'd his Me∣dicine

again; and took twice a day a Powder of the Tops, and e∣specially of the hairy Excrescencies of the sweet Bryar Tree: Which Medicine alone, a certain Physician formerly renown'd for the Cure of Spitting Blood, had us'd with great success: Nor did our Patient receive a less prosperous effect from that Reme∣dy: For by it he presently got wholly free from his Cough, Ca∣tarrh, and Blood Spitting, and so continued for a very long time, till at length thinking this Disease of his Brest wholly conquer'd, and therefore to be slighted, he took up arms against the other more ancient, viz. the Palsey. Wherefore whilst neglecting his Spitting Blood, he took daily to overcome that Distemper, a large Dose of hot Medicines, viz. Magistral waters distill'd with Wine, Spirit of Hartshorn, of Sal Armociack, Aromatick Pow∣ders and Confections, and indulg'd himself likewise to a more plentiful Diet, drinking Ale and Wine moderately, the roaring Lion which seem'd before a sleep, rous'd himself again, viz. he had not long continued that Antiparalitick Method, but the Blood Spitting return'd with a very great violence, so that in the space of twenty four hours, he Cough'd forth above three pounds of forthy Blood; and afterwards when a Physician being call'd, he was presently Ordered to be Let Blood, after bleeding the Blood Spitting beginning to be abated (as it was always wont before) was provok'd a fresh: Which nevertheless after the Applicati∣on of the Ligatures, and the diligent taking of the Linctus and Pectoral Decoction, was presently mitigated, and in a short time wholly ceas'd. And when afterwards he had us'd above Three Months the Pectoral Decoction, and an entirely thin Diet, viz. without Flesh, and of meer Herbs, Corn, and Milk Meats, he revocered in a short time his former health, and now lives in that state, triumphing over that cruel Disease.

This Person always found the use of the Pectoral Decoction to do him good: Wherefore though he chang'd now and then his other Medicines, he always retain'd the same Composition of that; and recommended it to many other Persons seiz'd with a Blood Spitting with success.

The Form of the Prescript is thus.

Take all the Saunders, of each six Drams, Infuse them for twelve hours in seven pounds of fountain water, then let it boil till a third part be wasted, after add of the Leaves of Coltsfoot, Maiden hair, Mous-ear, Speedwel, Flowers of St. John's-wort, of each two handfuls, sweet Fennel-seeds six Drams, Licorice slit half an Ounce, Raisins ston'd half a pound, boil them to four pounds; then strain it, and use it for your ordinary drink.

Moreover, when the Blood Spitting was upon him, or was coming, he took thrice, or oftner in a day the quantity of a Nutmeg of the

following Electuary, drinking after it seven spoonfuls of the Ju∣lape.

Take Conserve of red Roses three Ounces, Conserve of Hipps and Com∣phrey, of each an Ounce and a half, Dragons Blood a Dram, Species of Hyacinth two Scruples, red Coral a Dram, with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of red Poppies, Mix them, and make a soft Electuary, take at Night, and early in the Morning a Dram and a half, drinking after it a draught of the following Julape; at other times let him take it with a stick of Licorice.

Take of the Waters of Plantain, and of the Spawn of Forgs, of each six Drams, Syrup of Coral, and of dry'd Roses, of each an Ounce, Dragons Blood two Scruples: Mix them, made a Julape.