If administered by one whose Wits are not a-Wool Gathering.

 

Diacorallion - Coloniens.

Take of Coral both White and Red, Bole Armenick, Dragon's Blood, of each one drachm; Pearls, half a drachm; wood of Aloes, Red Roses, Gum Tragacanth, Cinnamon, of each two scruples; White and Red Sanders, of each one scruple.

Beat them all into powder, and when you have so done, you may make them into an electuary according to art with a sufficient quantity of White Sugar dissolved in small Cinnamon water. 

It comforts and strengthens the heart exceedingly, and restores such as are in consumptions; it is cooling, therefore good in hectic fevers, very binding, and therefore stop fluxes. Neither do I know a better medicine in all the Dispensatory for such as have a consumption accompanied with a looseness. It stops the terms and whites in women, if administered by one whose wits are not a-wool gathering.

Take but a dram at a time every morning, because of its binding quality, except you have a looseness, for then may you take so much two or three times a day.

Diacorum - Mesue.

Take of the roots of Sicers*, Calamus, Aromaticus, Pinenuts, of each one pound and a half.

* See the Simples.

Let them all be cleansed, boiled* and beaten till they be like a poultice; then, put to them Honey being clarified, ten pounds. Boil them, continually stirring them till it become to the just thickness; then, add the roots of Acorns beaten, and the Pinenuts chopped small, and when you have well-mixed them together, add to them these powders following: Take of Black Pepper, an ounce; Long Pepper, Cloves, Ginger, Mace, of each half an ounce; Nutmegs, Galanga, Cardamoms, of each three drachms. 

* In water says Mesue, though the College left it out. You might boil them in piss, and yet not swerve from their receipt. 

Mix them with the roots of Honey so much as is sufficient, stirring it left the ingredients stick to the bottom, and make them into an electuary according to art. 

The electuary provokes lust, heats the brain, strengthens the nerves, quickens the senses, causeth an acute wit, easeth pains in the head, helps the falling sickness and convulsions, coughs, catarrhs, and all diseases proceeding from coldness of the brain.

Half a drachm is enough to take at a time because of its heat. 

Electuarum Scoria Ferri*.

* Scoria Ferri is properly those flakes that smiths beat off from iron when it is red hot.

Take of the flakes of Iron infused in vinegar seven days and dried, three drams; Indian Spicknard, Shoenanth, Cyperus, Ginger, Pepper, Bishop's Weed, Frankincense, of each half an ounce; Myrobalans Indian, Bellericks and Emblicks, Honey boiled with the decoction of the Emblicks, sixteen ounces.

Mix them together and make of them an electuary. 

I wonder how the quantities of the Myrobalans escaped the great care, labor, pains, and industry of the honourable society, the authors of that Book, or the vigilancy of the vapouring printer. Rhasis, an Arabian physician, the author of the receipt, appoints a drachm of each.

The medicine heats the spleen gently, purges melancholy, eases pains in the stomach and spleen, and strengthens digestion. People that are strong may take half an ounce in the morning fasting, and weak people three drachms. It is a good remedy for pains and hardness of the spleen.

Diacidonium - Simple.

Take of the pulp of Quinces boiled in fresh water to a sufficient thickness, eight pounds; White Sugar scummed and boiled to its just thickness, six pounds. 

Boil them both together to a just thickness.

Diacidonium with Powders - Galen.

Take of the juice of Quinces, and White Sugar, of each two pound; White Vinegar, half a pound added in the end of the decoction.

Let them boil over a gentle fire, and let the scum be taken off, then add Ginger, two ounces, White Pepper, ten drachms and two scruples. Boil them again over a gentle fire to the thickness of Honey.

Is not this then more a syrup than an electuary. Surely either the College or I dote. 

Diacidonium Compound of London.

Take of White Sugar, six pound; Spring Water, four pound. Clarify it with the white of an egg, and scum it diligently; then, take of ripe Quinces, the outward peel and seeds being taken away, and cut in four parts, eight pound. 

Boil them in the said syrup till they be tender, then strain the syrup through a boulter; boil them again in it to the consistence of a jelly, adding towards the latter end, four ounces of the White Wine Vinegar. The syrup being removed from the fire, put in these powders following being but grossly bruised, viz. Ginger, an ounce; White Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmegs, of each two drachms. 

Keep it in divers boxes.

After the same manner may you make Diacidonium Simple.

If a man void of partiality should compare this and the former receipt together, he would find but little difference between them, only a little Cinnamon and Nutmegs added.

The virtues of all these three are they comfort the stomach, help digestion, stay vomiting, belching etc., stop fluxes and the terms in women. They are all harmless; you may take the quantity of a Nutmeg of them at a time before meat to help digestion and fluxes, after meat to stay vomiting in the morning for the rest.