SMITH'S Experiments, BEING A True Direction how to Prepare several Medicines that have been daily Experienc'd; And frequently Sold,

By JAMES SMITH, Practitioner in Physick and Surgery

LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1681.

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Gentlemen,

I Having Travelled most Parts of this Kingdom, Chiefly to see the variety of Diseases, and different wayes of Practice, that thereby I might be more Capable of Serving that Part of the Countrey where I intend to Settle; (for it cannot be denyed, a Person Travelling to, and Practising in, many places, may see much more than he who is more Domestick, or Lives altogether at home) thought it a part of my Duty, now I intend to desist from Travelling, to leave behind me for your future Benefit, some Receipts, or Ways of preparing some Medicines, as may be Useful in your Families: And you have here not only Directions how to make those things which I sell from my Stages; but several other as Useful, and as much Experienc'd as they.

[Page 2]I know you have seen many Pam­phlets of the like nature, but never any so Real as this: And though I may perhaps be malign'd by some, who pre­fer their private Interest before a pub­lick profit; yet fear of Offending such shall never cause me to wave my Design, or check my Undertaking, in a thing that may be so generally Usefull. And I hope it will be as Candidly Accepted, as Faithfully Intended, from your Friend and Servant,

James Smith.

1. How to make the Brown Balsom for Wounds, Aches or pain in the Limbs.

TAke Oyl. Olive 1 quart, Rose­mary, Thyme, Cammomile, Lavender, and Winter Savory, of each half a handful, break or cut them, and boyl them in the oyl, Bees-wax and Rozin, of each three quarters of a Pound; Dogs-grease, Bears-grease, and black Pitch, of each one ounce. Dissolve all these over a gentle fire, then as soon as it is taken off the fire, add Venice Turpentine 2 ounces, Sto­rax Liquid 1 ounce, Oyl of Earth­worms, Oyl of Melliot, and Oyl of St. Johns-wort, of each half an ounce; Oyl of Turpentine 1 ounce, Oyl of Spike 2 drahcms, stir these together till they are cold.

2. How to make the Green Oyntment for Burns or Scalds, Inflammation, or Heat in any part.

Take Hemlock, Henbane, Night­shade, Grondsill, Housleek, Dwarf-Elder, Marsh-Mallows, Chickweed, and Plantain, of each a handful: Cut the herbs, and put them to 2 quarts of Oyl Olive: Boyl them till the herbs be crisp; then strain it, and put to the Oyl one pound of Virgin Wax, dis­solve the Wax, and then let it cool by degrees.

3. How to make an Excellent Water for any curable Disease of the Eyes.

Take Quick-Lime 2 ounces, let it steep 12 hours in a pint, of Spring water, then take off the clear, gently strain it through a thin Rag, that the scum which will be at the [Page 5] top get not through: Put it into a Brass Pan, and put to it Sal Armoniack three drachms; stir it with a Brass Spoon till it be▪ very blew: Drop of it into the Eye two or thre times a day.

4. Another Remedy for the Eyes.

Take white Rose-water, Plantane Water, and Eyebright Water, of each one ounce; Powder of white Sugar-Candy half an ounce, Olibanum one drachm: Mix them by pouring the Water to the Powders in a Mortar by degrees, stirring with the Pestle all the while. Use this as the former.

5. How to make the Excellent Powder for the Worms, to be taken in Honey or Treacle in the Morning

Take Tormentil Roots, Coriander [Page 6] Seeds, Coraline, burnt Harts-horn, all Pulveriz'd, of each one ounce; Salt of Wormwood one ounce; mix them together very well, and keep it dry. Probatum est.

The Dose for a Man as much as will lye on a shilling.

6. An Excellent Powder for Ruptures, or Broken Bellies, to be taken in Cla­ret, or strong Drink in the Morn­ing.

Take the Roots of Bistort, Round Birthwort, Tormentil, and the grear Comfry, of each one ounce, Red and yellow Saunders, of each one drachm and half, Dragons-blood, and Harts-horn, of e [...]ch 2 scruples, Bole-Armo­niack 2 drachms; Pulverize, and mix them all.

Dose from 12 grains to 2 scruples.

7. An Approved Remedy forthe Epi­lepsie, or Falling-Sickness; to be taken in strong drink in the morning.

Take Peony Roots, Round Birth­wort, and Sassafras, of each one ounce; Pellitory of Spain 2 drachms, Cara­way seeds, sweet Fennel seeds, and Rue, of each half an ounce; Leaves of Betony, and Parsly, of each 2 drachms; Pulverize, and mix them together.

Dose from 12 grains to 2 scruples.

8. The Powder to purge the Head.

Take Rosemary, and Betony, of each 1 scruple; black Hellebore, of each 1 scruple; Ireos 1 drachm and a half: Mix them all in fine Powder, and take of it at Night, one grain at a time.

9. The Remedy for the Tooth-ach.

Take Pellitory of Spain, mix it with an equal quantity of Wheat-flower, and with the strongest Spirit of Wine make a paste, Roul it in thin Cakes, and cut it into square pieces and dry it; hold a bit of it between the Teeth, or in the hollow of the Tooth: Keep the mouth shut as long as you can.

10 The Composition of the General Purging Pill, being the Onely Purge for any Disease, either Cronical, or Acute, where Purging is necessary.

℞. Scammonii ℥ ss. pulp. Coloquint. ʒ v. f. P. Et cum Ol. Caryophill. Chim. q. S. F. M. Cui adde, Pil. Cochiae min. et Aggregativae, an. ʒ j. ss. bene Contun­dantur simul, et fiat massa pro Pilulis. Dos. gr. 10.

An Excellent PILL for the Stomach.

Take of Pill. Ruffi, call'd Pestilen­tial, and Pill Stomachici with the Gums, of each on drachm: Salt of Wormwood one scruple, Elixir Pro­prietatis, as much as will suffice to make a Mass for Pills.

12. A good Remedy to stay Vomiting.

Take Malmsey six ounces, Oyl of Vitriol 10 drops; mix them and take an ounce every morning fasting.

13. Another for Vomiting or Spitting of Blood.

Take 5 or 6 drops of Oyl of Mastich in Cinnamon water.

14. A Notable Experienc'd Medicine to ease the pain of the Gout.

Take one, or two of the foremost sucking Whelps of a Mastiff, or Bear-Bitch, kill them, and take forth the Guts, fill them with black Snailes, Roast them, and baste them with 10 ounces of Oyl of Spike coloured with Saffron; Reserve that which droppeth from them, and mix it with as much Oyl of Wax, And therewith Anoint the part grieved.

15. A Remedy for a Sore Mouth either in Young or Old.

Take Plantane water, Honeysuckle water, and Barley water mixt with Saccharum Saturni, and gargarize with it.

16. An Excellent Remedy for Con­sumption or Coughs.

Take Anniseeds, Carawayseeds, Coriander seeds, Lycorice, & Elicam­pane, of each half an ounce, Flower of Brimstone 2 drachms; Mix these with good Clarify'd Honey to the form of an Electuary, then add Balsom of Sulphur one drachm, and Oyl of Anniseeds 10 drops; stirre it well, and take of it Morning and Evening as much as a Hazel Nut.

17. The way of making Elixir Vitae.

Take Rosemary one handful, Juni­per Berries 2 ounces, Angelica Roots, and Elicampane, of each half an ounce, Zedoary, and Cardamom, of each 3 drachms; steep all these 24 hours in 2 quarts of strong Spi­rit [Page 12] of Wine; Then draw off in an Alembick very gently one quart and half a pint of the Elixir.

18. To Blanch the Face.

Take the Meat of Lemmons, the Kernels being taken away, and a quantity of the first Sugar: Still these, and keep the Water to wash the Face every Night.

19. A Powder for the Stone, Sand, Gravel or Flegm, that Ob­structs the Urine.

Take Sopewort Roots, and Sea-Radish Roots, of each half an ounce, Juniper-Berries, Bay Berries, and Haws, of each five drachms; Gro­mel-seed, Parsly-seed, and Carraway­seed, of each six drachms; Gumme Arabick and Sal Prunella, of each [Page 13] four scruples; Pulverize, and mix these, and put to them oyl of Tur­pentine one drachm, oyl of Juniper half a drachm.

The Dose from 10 grains to half a drachm.

20. To stay bleeding at the Nose.

Take some Lint and make a Tent, dip it in Ink and put up the Nostril, and lay a Defensitive over the Eyes and Nose made with Sanguis Draco­ [...]is, Bole-Armoniack, and a little Vi­negar.

Vale.

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