238

A DISCOURSE

book i. the -incision with a chisel in the body very neatly, in which they stick aleaf of the tree, as a lingula to direct it into the appendant vefsel.

8. The liquor of the Birch is esteemed to have all the virtues of thespirit of salt, without the danger of its acrimony ; most powerful for thedifsolving of the stone in the bladder, bloody water, and strangury : Hel-mont shows how to make a beer of the water; but the wine is a mostrich cordial, curing, as I am told, consumptions, and such interior diseasesas accompany the stone in the bladder or reins. The juice decocted withhoney and wine, Dr. Needham affirms he has often cured the scorbut with.This wine, equisitely made, is so strong that the common sort of stonebottles cannot preserve the spirits, so subtle they are and volatile ; andyet it is gentle, and very harmlefs in operations within the body, and ex-ceedingly sharpens the appetite, being drunk antepastum: I wiil presentyou with a receipt, as it was sent me by a fair Lady, which I have often,and still make use of.

To every gallon of Birch-water put a quart of honey, w r ell stirredtogether ; then boil it almost an hour with a few cloves and a little lemonpeel, keeping it well scummed; when it is sufficiently boiled, and becomecold, add to it three or four spoonfuls of good ale to make it work, wdiichit will do like new ale ; and when the yeast begins to settle, bottle it upas you do other winy liquors. It will, in a competent time, become amost brisk and spirituous drink, which, besides the former virtues, is avery powerful opener, doing wonders for cure of the phthisic: Thiswine may, if you please, be made as succefsfully with sugar, instead ofhoney, one pound to each gallon of water; or you may dulcify it withraisins, and compose a raisin-wine of it. I know not whether the quan-tity of the sweet ingredients might not be somewhat reduced, and theoperation improved : But I give it as received. The author of the Vine-turn Brit, boils it but a quarter, or half an hour, then setting it a cooling,adds a very little yeast to ferment and purge it; and so barrels it with asmall proportion of cinnamon and mace bruised, about halt an ounce ofboth to ten gallons, close stopped, and to be bottled a month after. Caremust be taken to set the bottles in a very cool place, to preserve themfrom flying ; and the wine is rather for present drinking than of long dura-tion, unlefs the refrigeratory be extraordinarily cold. The very smell ofthe firsts pringing leaves of this tree wonderfully recreates and exhilaratesthe spirits.

Dc Lithiasi.c, viii. n. 24,25, &c.