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. III. Of Medicines of each kind of the foregoing forms, which have regard to the Scurvy raised in a hot Constitution, and in a Sulphureo-Saline Dyscrasy of the Blood.

IN certain Scorbutical persons the use of Scurvy-grass, Horse-Radish, Winters-bark, and of other smart things, and such as are greatly endow'd with a volatile Salt, is found to be very of∣fensive; wherefore in those kinds of cases, where the Morbifick Cause consists in a hot Dyscrasy of the Blood, resembling over-fret∣ted Wine, temperate Medicines, and such as do not exagitate the Particles of the Humours, which are apt to boil too much of them selves, are indicated: Wherefore we shall set down Forms after the same order, and running as it were parallel with those before; and in the first place we shall give you solid Medicines.

Electuaries.

Take Conserve of Brooklimes and Cuckow-Flower, made with an e∣qual part of Sugar of each three Ounces, Species Diatrion Santalon, Diarrhodon Abbatis, of each a Dram and a half; Ivory powdered, a

Dram; Pearl, half a Dram; Salt of Wormwood and of Tamarisk, of each a Dram; with a sufficient quantity of syrup of Coral: make an Electuary.

Take Conserve of Wood-sorrel, and of Hips, of each three Ounces, (or Conserve of the Roots of sharp pointed Dock and of the Roots of Cichory, of each three Ounces) Troches of Rhubarb, two Drams; Species Diamargariti Frigidi, a Dram and a half; Bark of Tame∣risk, a Dram; Sal Prunella, a Dram and a half; Myrobalanes con∣dited, in number two; with a sufficient quantity of the syrup of the Confiture of Mirobalanes, make an Electuary.

For poor people I use to prescribe this easy prepar'd Electuary, Take Leaves of Brooklimes, six Ounces; of Wood-sorrel, two Ounces; double refined Sugar, eight Ounces; let them be pounded, adding Pow∣der of sweet Fennel-seeds, half an Ounce; Ivory powdered, two Drams; Sal Prunella, a Dram and a half; with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of the Juice of Brooklimes, make an Electuary.

Confections.

TAke Powder of the Roots of China, and of the Male Peony, of each a Dram; white and yellow Saunders, of each three Drams; Ivo∣ry, a Dram and a half; Pearl, half a Dram; Crabs-eyes, a Dram; Coral moistened with Juice of Oranges, and ground on a Marble, two Drams; white Tartar, a Dram and a half; double refined Sugar, dis∣solved in a sufficient quantity of compound Scordium Water, six Oun∣ces: Make a Confection.

Take Roots of Eringo, and Scorzonera preserv'd, of each three Oun∣ces, Powder of Aron-roots compound, half an Ounce; Species Diatri∣on Santalon, two Drams; Sal Prunella, a Dram and a half; with a sufficient quantity of syrup of Clove-Gilli-flowers: Make a Confection.

Powders.

TAke Powder of the Leaves of Ground-Pine, of Aron-roots Com∣pound, of each an Ounce and a half; Ivory powdered, red Coral prepared with Juice of Oranges, of each two Drams; Tablets of Oran∣ges, two Ounces; mix them: Make a Powder. The Dose is a Spoon∣ful twice a day.

Pills.

TAke Species Diatrion Santalon, and Diamargariti Frigidi, of each two Drams; Seeds of Citrons, and of Carduus bruised, of each a Dram and a half; Roots of Bastard-Dittany, and of Male-Pe∣ony, of each a Dram and a half; Salt of Tamerisk, two Drams; with a sufficient quantity of the Gelly of Harts-horn, or of the cast skins of Snakes: Make a Mass.

Tablets.

TAke Species Diatrion Santalon, and Diamargariti Frigidi, of each a Dram and a half; Pearl powdered, red Coral prepar'd, Ivory powdered, of each a Dram; Sugar dissolved in Scordium-water, and boiled to a Consistency for Tablets, six Ounces: Make Tablets accor∣ding to Art.

But if with those kinds of temperate Antiscorbuticks, the use of Steel be indicated, to the Electuary, or to the Confection, or also to the Mass of Pills, let two Drams of Mynsicht's Magistery of Mars, or of Extract of Steel of our preparation, be added. In some cases, about two Drams and a half, or three Drams of Crocus Mar∣tis may be added to such a Composition: though it is, often better to make the Liquors which are drank after solid Medicines Chalybeate, than the foresaid Compositions. It remains for us now to prescribe forms of Liquors.

Decoctions.

IN a Scurvy raised after a long Fever, these kinds of Decocti∣ons, which purifie the Blood, and plentifully move Urine, are given with good effect.

Take Roots of Chervil, Scorzonera, Sorrel, Stone-Parsley, of each an Ounce; Leaves of Agrimony and Harts-tongue, of each a Handful; burnt Harts-horn, two Drams; Parings of three Apples; Corinths, two Ounces; Liquorice, three Drams; Let them boil in four Pounds of Fountain Water till a third part be consumed; add Sal Prunella, two or three Drams: The Dose is four Ounces twice or thrice a day. Take Eringo Roots preserv'd, six Drams, of Grass, two Drams, Leaves of Clivers, two handfuls; Agrimony and Liverwort, of each a hand∣ful; Raisins, two Ounces; white Saunders, a Dram; Liquorice, two

Drams; let them boil in four Pounds of Fountain Water, till a third part be consumed. The Dose is six Drams after a solid Me∣dicine.

To Rusticks and poor People, lest after a Fever they fall into the Scurvy, I use to prescribe, That twice a day they take the following Draught, viz. That they boil a handful and a half of the Roots and Leaves of Dandelion in a Pound and a half of Posset-Drink, till a third part be consumed: Strain it for two Doses.

Or, take Roots of Dandelion, half a handful; Seeds of Citrons, and of Carduus, of each a Dram: let them boil in Posset-drink, made with Apples, or a Pound and a half of Cyder, till a third part be consum'd.

Infusions.

The Apozems even now prescrib'd, will become more excellent, against the Scurvy, if being prepar'd without Licorice, they are strain'd into a Flaggon, into which are put Leaves of Brook-limes, and of Water-cresses or Cuckow-flowers, of each a handful, then make a warm and close Infusion for six hours; the Liquour being strain'd again, let it be kept in stopt Vessels. The Dose is six Ounces twice or thrice a day. Also let Whey, with the Roots of Dandelion, and the Leaves of Fumitory boil'd in it, be strain'd into a Vessel, wherein are Leaves of Brook-limes, and of small Celandine, of each a handful, make an Infusion, &c.

Chalibeat Infusions are wont to be frequently in use, viz. the Salt, Magristery, or Extract of Steel, are infus'd in some Decoction, or distil'd Water: Moreover as natural Spaw-waters, so also Ar∣tificial ones of our preparation of Steel dissolv'd in Fountain-water, and impregnated with the Infusion of Antiscorbuticks, are drank with great benefit.

Juices and Expressions.

TAke Leaves of Brook-limes and Water-cresses, of each four handfuls, of Wood-sorrel two handfuls, being bruis'd; let the Juice be prest forth, being stopt in a Glass, it will soon become clear by subsiding. The Dose is from an Ounce and a half to two Ounces with a fit Vehicle.

Take Leaves of Brook-limes four handfuls, stalks of English-rhu∣barb two handfuls, being bruis'd; let the Juice be prest forth.

Take Leaves of Brook-limes, Garden-cress, Cuckow-flower, the lesser Celandine, Wood-sorrel, of each two handfuls, being bruis'd;

let the Juice be prest forth; add Juice of Oranges a fourth part; let it be kept in a Glass.

Syrups.

AS often as a Syrup is requir'd to be added to any other Com∣position, we use either Syrup of the Juice of Wood-sorrel, or of Fumitory, or of Coral compound: Or also a Magistral Syrup may be prepar'd of the Juice of Brook-limes, after the same man∣ner as is prescrib'd above concerning the Juice of Scurvy-grass.

Distil'd Waters.

TEmperate Distil'd Waters are prepar'd by changing either the Ingredients, or the Menstruum, or both of them to∣gether.

As to the former we proceed after this mnner. Take Leaves of Brook-limes, Garden-cress, Fumitory, Harts-tongue, Liver-wort, Bawm, tops of Tamarisk and of Cypress, of each three handfuls, all the Saunders bruis'd, of each half an Ounce, Roots of sharp pointed Dock, of Polipody of the Oak, of each two Ounces, the outward Coats of four Oranges, Snails cleans'd two Pounds; being slic't and bruis'd, pour to them Whey made with Cider six Pounds; let them be distil'd in a common Still.

2. When the Menstruum is weak, let the Ingredients be mo∣derately hot.

Take Leaves of Scurvy-grass, Brook-limes, Cuckow-flower, Garden-cress, of each three handfuls, Rinds of four Oranges, Snails a Pound: being slic't small, pour to them common Whey, or fresh Milk six Pounds; distill them after the vulgar manner.

3. In a Scorbutick Atrophia, and Consumptive Disposition, where nothing hot, that may stir the Blood and Humours, and Spirits, ought to be admitted, let both the Ingredients and Men∣struum be temperate, and lenifiers of the Blood.

Take Leaves of Brook-limes, Cuckow-flower, Harts-tongue, Maiden∣hair, Liver-wort, Speedwel, Agrimony, of each two handfuls, Snails cleans'd a Pound and a half (or the Pulp of a Capon, or of a Sheeps-heart slic't) all being half boil'd and slic't, pour to them of fresh Milk (or Water of Fumitory) six Pounds; let them be di∣stil'd the common way.

Physick-wines and Beers.

Though the use of Wines may not seem proper in a Scurvy rais'd by reason of a hot, or Sulphureo-saline Dyscrasie of the Blood, nevertheless, if at any time the Stomach either being weak, or a long accustomance require the drinking of Wine, at leastwise being diluted with Water; a Eiquour of that kind being both temperate, and in some measure Physical, may be prepar'd: For especially small Wines diluted with Water, and impregnated with the Infusion of Bawm, Borrage, or of Burnet, or other things ought to be allow'd.

Moreover let Wines be prepar'd of the Juice of English Corinths, Cherries, and other horary Fruits; which when they are brought to a ripeness by Fermentation, are very grateful to the Stomach, and purifie the Blood: Again Cider, the familiar and genuine Wine, as it were, of our Country, so it be clean, mellow, and pleasant without any sharpness, does very much good in the Scurvy. Moreover in this Liquour drawn from the Lees; and put in small Vessels, Ingredients of various kinds may be infus'd: Of which kind are tops of the Pine-tree, or of Fir, Flowers of Tama∣risk; also shavings of Harts-horn, or of Ivory, which sweeten the Li∣quour, and preserve it from turning four, viz. in as much as the Particles of the fluid Salt which abound in the Cider, and are apt to make it sharp, are taken up in dissolving the foresaid Ingredients.

Temperate Physick Drinks may be prescrib'd after this man∣ner, viz. let a small Ale be prepar'd to fill a Vessel of five or six Gallons; into which instead of Hops, let tops of the Pine-tree, of Firr or Tamarisk, or the Raspings of either of their Woods be put; them after it has wrought, let the Roots of sharp pointed Dock dryed, be put into the Vessel (than which certainly there is no Remedy more excellent in the Scurvy: To these, sometimes let the Leaves of Brook-limes, Water-cresses, Winter-cresses, &c. be added: Also Pomecitrons or Oranges cut in slices.

Leaves of Harts-tongue, put into a little Vessel of midling Ale after it has wrought, gives it a grateful savour and odour.