294

THE COMPLETE HERBAL

six drams, Turbith half an ounce, Whey *made with Goat ’s milk, or Heifer’s milk four \pounds, let them all boil to two pounds, jthe Epithimum excepted, which boil but Ia second or two, then take it from the lire, 1and add black Hellebore one dram and ian half, -Agerick half a dram, Sal. Gem.;one dram and an half, steep them ten hours, jthen press it strongly out. j

Culpeper .] It purges melancholy, as;also choler, it resists madness, and all [diseases coming of melancholy, and there- jfore let melancholy people esteem it as atjewel. 1 ‘

Decoctum Senna Gereonis, 1

Or a Decoction of Senna. 1

College .] Take of Senna two ounces ,\Pollipodium half an ounce, Ginger one*Iram, Raisins of the Sun stoned two \mnces, Sebestens, Prunes, of each twelve, |he flowers of Borrage, Violets, Roses, and jlosemary, of each two drams, boil them in \bur pounds of water till half be consumed, sCulpeper .] It is a common Decoction |or any purge, by adding other simples or |impounds to it, according to the quality x)f the humour you would have purged,;fet, in itself, it chiefly purges melancholy, tDecoctum Pectorale. \

Or a Pectoral Decoction. |

College .] Take of Raisins of the sun 1Stoned, an ounce, Sebestens, Jujubes, ofjeach fifteen, Dates six, Figs four, French \Barley one ounce, Liquorice half an ounce,Maiden-hair, Hyssop, Scabious, Colt’s-foot, \of each one handful, boil them in three!pounds of water till two remain. |

f Culpeper .] The medicine is chiefly ap- \propriated to the lungs, and therefore {causes a clear voice, a long wind, resists jcoughs, hoarseness, asthmas, &c. You \may drink a quarter of a pint of it every;morning, without keeping to any diet, for iit purges not. 1

I shall quote some Syrups fitting to be \mixed with it, when I come to the Syrups . \

Decoctum Trtimaticum.

College .] Take of Agrimony, Mugworqwild Angelica, St. John’s Wort , Mousear,of each two handfuls, Wormwood half ahandful, Southernwood, Bettony, Bugloss,Comfrey the greater and lesser, 'roots andall, Avens, both sorts of Plantain , Saniele,Tormentil with the roots, the buds of Bar-berries and Oak, of each a handful, allthese being gathered in May and Juneand diligently dried, let them be cut andput up in skins or papers against the timeof use, then take of the fore-named herbsthree handfuls, boil them in four pounds ofconduit water and two pounds of whiteWine gently till half be consumed, strain it,and a pound of Honey being added to it,let it be scummed and kept for use.

Culpeper.~] If sight of a medicine willdo you good, this is as like to do it as anyI know.

ALTERING SYRUPS.

Culpeper.'] Reader, before we beginwith the particular Syrups , I think good toadvertise thee of these few things, whichconcern the nature, making, and use of Syrups in general. 1. A Syrup is a medicine ofa liquid body, compounded of Decoction,Infusion, or Juice, with Sugar or Honey ,and brought by the heat of the fire, intothe thickness of Honey , 2. Because allHoney is not of a thickness, understandnew Honey , which of all other is thinnest.3. The reason why Decoctions, Infusions,Juices, are thus used, is, Because thereby,First, They will keep the longer. Secondly,They will taste the better. 4. In boiiingSyrups have a great care of their just con-sistence, for if you boil them too much