Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 39.djvu/256

244 Crown of the Head, and once in twelve hours lay new till it be drawn up."

"Dr. Adrian Gilbert's most Soveraign Cordial Water" contains, among other things too numerous to mention, from one to two pounds each of thirty-nine different plants, "two pounds of shaved Hartshorn, twelve ounces of Ivory, a goodly quantity of Clarret wine and best Malaga Sack" all distilled.

When small-pox, plague, spotted fevers, and ordinary fevers are abroad in the land, "if one take, in time of infection, two spoonfuls of this Cordial water in good Beer or white Wine he may safely walk from danger by the leave of God."

Another "Soveraign Water" of Dr. Stephens's, "which he a long time used, wherewith he did many cures; he kept it secretly till a little before his death, and then he gave it to the Lord ArchBishop of Canterbury, in writing." It does not differ greatly from the preceding, but oh the virtues of it!

"The Virtues of this Water.—It comforts the Vital Spirits, and helps all inward Diseases that come of cold; it is good against the shaking of the Palsie; it cures the contraction of the Sinews; it kills the Worms in the Belly and Stomach; it cures the cold Dropsie, and helps the Stone in the Bladder, and in Reins of the Back; it helps shortly the stinking breath, and whosoever useth this Water morning and evening (and not too often) it preserveth him in good liking and will make him seem young very long, and comforteth Nature marvelously; with this water did Mr. Stephens preserve his life till extreme age would not let him go or stand; and he continued five years when all the Physicians judged he would not live a year longer, nor did he use any other Medicine but this."

Another "Aqua Miraoilis, Sir Kenelm Digby's way," is more simple in build but as wonderful in effect.—"This water preserveth the Lungs without grievances, and helpeth them; being wounded, it suffereth not the blood to putrifie, but multiply eth the same; this water suffereth not the heart to burn, nor Melancholy, nor the Spleen to be lifted up above nature; it expelleth the Rhume, preserveth the Stomach, Conserveth youth, and procureth a good colour; it preserveth memory; it destroyeth the palsie; if this be given to one a dying, a spoonful of it reviveth him; in the Summer use one spoonful a week fasting, in the Winter two spoonfuls."

If one can judge by the number of prescriptions given, smallpox was more common two hundred years ago than measles now. "Megrims," "melancholy fumes," "fainting of the heart," "passion" of the same, were as well known as the "nervous prostration" of these later days.

We fail to see the true meaning in the title of the receipt next