Warning: A longish post....get yourself a coffee.
My latest book purchase is 'The Path-Way to Health' by a Peter Levens. First published in 1587 (mine is a 1664 reprint) it gives us a pretty scary view of what to expect in those times should one fall ill.
For such a small volume it covers just about every ailment one could think of....and then some. Some of the ingredients of the remedies are enough to make your toes curl. Dung of various creatures, snail's blood, mercury, arsenic, the droppings from a bird's nest to name but a few.
Below are a few choice remedies. Anything in square brackets is my comment. BTW, I do wonder what a man might be doing to burn or scald his pecker let alone get it full of holes
.
A glossary:
To seeth = to simmer or boil
To stamp = to grind or blend in a mortar
Plaister = poultice
The mother = a disorder of the uterus, also a condition with similar symptoms in men, bellyache
Raisings = shavings
For To Make The Hair To Grow
Take a Moulwarp*, skin and all, and lap [wrap] it in a clout [cloth], and burn it to powder in an earthen pot, then take Does dirt and lap it in a clout, and burn it to powder, and mingle the two powders together with hony, and annoint the place where you would have hair to grow. Also take and grind red Onions very small and annoint the place therewith.
*a mole.
For Womens Terms.
Take Selandine, and let a woman put it in her hose* under the soles of her feet, and it will help her.
*stockings or socks.
For A Sore Back.
Take Kirnels of Hasle Nuts, and the dung of a house Pidgeon, and May butter*, stamp them together, and it will make any sore for to break, and to heal.
*butter made in the month of May, it often appears in remedies for some reason.
For The Genitories
For the pain and swelling of the Genitories, seeth well the root of Bruise*, and make a plaister thereof, and put suet to it, and binde it fast thereto with a band, and it will ease the pain and swelling of the Cods.
*the herb bruisewort.
A Good Medicine For The Mother
Take the rasing of Ivory, and the rasing of an Harts-horn, with the hair of a Hare dryed, and made into powder, and as much of Goats claws* burnt, and powdered, if they may be gotten, and instead thereof Sheeps claws; take all these and use to eat of them in your pottage or otherwise in your drinks.
* hooves.
For The Swelling Of The Cods
For them that have swolne Cods with flegme, so that they shine, stamp Doves foot with small green Lettice, and lay it plaister-wise thereto.
For A Man That Hath Bruised Cods
Take the wool from a black Rams cod, and put that wool into oyl, and powder of Cummin, and heat it hot, and thereof make a plaister, and as hot as the party can suffer it, lay it to his Cods, and it will take away the aking.
For A Mans Yard That Is Scalded
Take Bruise-wort, Vervain, hearb Robert*, Pimpernel, of each of these a good quantity, and most of all of Pimpernel, stamp them all together as small as you may, then fry them with butter, and strain it through a cloth, and put it in a box, and therewith annoint your Yard cold, and of these hearbs make a plaister, then lay it all about the Yard.
*wild geranium.
For A Mans Yard That Is Burnt
Take a Linnen cloth and burn it to powder, and take oyl of Eggs*, and annoint the sore, and fill the grief with the said powder. Also for a mans Yard that is sore, and full of holes, take a good company of Dasies, and stamp them, and change them often.
*apparently very hard boiled egg yolks put into a press to obtain the oil!
For Him That Pisseth Blood
Take Ambrose, Bursa Pastoris*, Parsly seed, stamp them and temper them with Goats milk, and give the party to drink, and it will quickly help him.
*bloodwort.
For A Man That Pisseth Blood
Take of the earth that is on the Swallows nest, and put it into hot water, and give the sick for to drink, and the bleeding shall stanch [staunch] within a while.
For A Man That May Not Hold His Water
Take the claws of a Goat and burn them in the fire, and make thereof powder, and let the sick use of this powder in pottage a spoonful at once, and hee shall bee whole.
For A Man That May Not Pisse
Take Mallows, a good quantity of Gromel*, and seeth them in vinegar a good while, and then let the sick drink thereof warm, and hee shall pisse soon after.
*the herb gromwell.
For To Make A Man Pisse Well
Take Pellitory*, stamp it, and fry it, and lay it all hot to a mans Yard.
*a kind of daisy.
For A Woman That May Not Hold Her Water
For a woman that may not keep her water, take Egrimony* and Salt, and stamp them together very small, then seeth it in old Wine until the third part thereof be consumed [evaporated], and then give her thereof to drink.
*the herb agrimony.
For Straighnesse Of Pissing
Take and seeth Camomel* in wine or water, and oftentimes drink thereof, it easeth and profiteth greatly for the stopping of the Milt, and of the Liver.
*the plant camomile.
For Gonorrhea Passio
Gonorrhea passio is flowing of a mans seed against his will, and cometh of divers causes, either of feeblenesse of the reines*, or of plenty of blood, or of a Palsie in man: this passion is Perillous, for it maketh a man or woman unlusty.
*kidneys.
For A Privy Malady That A Man Taketh Of A Woman
Take a dead mans bones, and burn them, and make powder of them, and lay the powder on the hair, and thou shalt be whole by Gods grace. Aslo if a mans flesh rise too much, let him drink often Vervain*, and his flesh shall not rise, nor shall hee have any liking unto a woman.
*the herb verbena.
For The Excessive Flowing Of A Womans Flowers
Take and make a suppository of the powder of Bole armoniacke*, and the powder of Sumach, of Mastick, and the juyce of Plantain, and put it into the conduit**.
*a kind of red friable earth.
**never heard it called that before!
For A Woman That Is In Travel [Travail] With Childe
Take Leek blades, and bind them to her Navel as hot as shee may suffer it, and it will do out the dead Childe, and when the Childe is forth, say three times Quicunque Vult* over the woman, and shee shall bee safe.
*Athanasian Creed, ‘whosoever wishes’.
With Childe
Hippocrates saith, that a Woman being conceived with a man-childe is ruddy, and her right-side is corny* about, but if shee bee conceived with a Maid-childe she is black, and her left pap is corny about.
*hard like the surface of horn.
For To Make A Womans Paps Small That Be Great
Take the seeds of Hemlock, and seeth them in vinegar, and annoint oftentimes the breasts and paps, and mingle the powder of Incence therewithal.
For A Mans Fundament That Goeth Out
Take the red nettle crops, and bray [bruise] them small in a morter, and do [cook] them in an earthen pot, and do thereto a good portion of white wine, and seeth them well together to the half, and give thereof to the sick to drink first and last* warm and lay the substance of the hearb to the Fundament as hot as hee may suffer it, till hee be whole [cured].
*first thing in the morning, last thing at night.
For Worms In The Ears
Take the juyce of Worm-wood, Rue, Sowthistle, and put it in the Patients ear, and hee shall bee whole.
For Stinking Breath
Take oyle Doret*, Turpentine, Hony, oyl Olive, Virgin wax, as much of the one as the other, and boyl them all together, and make an oyntment thereof, and use it every day in the Patients nostrils, and hee shall bee whole.
*no idea what this is.
For The Arms Being Consumed And Fallen Away
Take Dearsuit*, and thine own water being dissolved in a basen warm, then therewith wash thy arms every day morning and evening.
*no idea, possibly deer suet?
For Him That Laketh Winde
Take Mallows, Mercury, and Borage, seeth them together in a peece of Pork, and make thereof pottage, and eat and drink of this broth with Wine, or Whey that is good.
For Stench Under The Arm-holes
First pluck away the hairs of the arm-holes, and wash them in white-wine, and Rosewater that Cassia ligna* hath been sodden in, and use it three or four times.
*cinnamon root.
For Nails That Are Rent From The Flesh
Annoint thy fingers with the powder of Brimstone, Arsnick, and Vinegar, and in short time you shall finde great ease.
And if you're still awake after that you deserve a medal.
Regards,
Jay.
My latest book purchase is 'The Path-Way to Health' by a Peter Levens. First published in 1587 (mine is a 1664 reprint) it gives us a pretty scary view of what to expect in those times should one fall ill.
For such a small volume it covers just about every ailment one could think of....and then some. Some of the ingredients of the remedies are enough to make your toes curl. Dung of various creatures, snail's blood, mercury, arsenic, the droppings from a bird's nest to name but a few.
Below are a few choice remedies. Anything in square brackets is my comment. BTW, I do wonder what a man might be doing to burn or scald his pecker let alone get it full of holes
.A glossary:
To seeth = to simmer or boil
To stamp = to grind or blend in a mortar
Plaister = poultice
The mother = a disorder of the uterus, also a condition with similar symptoms in men, bellyache
Raisings = shavings
For To Make The Hair To Grow
Take a Moulwarp*, skin and all, and lap [wrap] it in a clout [cloth], and burn it to powder in an earthen pot, then take Does dirt and lap it in a clout, and burn it to powder, and mingle the two powders together with hony, and annoint the place where you would have hair to grow. Also take and grind red Onions very small and annoint the place therewith.
*a mole.
For Womens Terms.
Take Selandine, and let a woman put it in her hose* under the soles of her feet, and it will help her.
*stockings or socks.
For A Sore Back.
Take Kirnels of Hasle Nuts, and the dung of a house Pidgeon, and May butter*, stamp them together, and it will make any sore for to break, and to heal.
*butter made in the month of May, it often appears in remedies for some reason.
For The Genitories
For the pain and swelling of the Genitories, seeth well the root of Bruise*, and make a plaister thereof, and put suet to it, and binde it fast thereto with a band, and it will ease the pain and swelling of the Cods.
*the herb bruisewort.
A Good Medicine For The Mother
Take the rasing of Ivory, and the rasing of an Harts-horn, with the hair of a Hare dryed, and made into powder, and as much of Goats claws* burnt, and powdered, if they may be gotten, and instead thereof Sheeps claws; take all these and use to eat of them in your pottage or otherwise in your drinks.
* hooves.
For The Swelling Of The Cods
For them that have swolne Cods with flegme, so that they shine, stamp Doves foot with small green Lettice, and lay it plaister-wise thereto.
For A Man That Hath Bruised Cods
Take the wool from a black Rams cod, and put that wool into oyl, and powder of Cummin, and heat it hot, and thereof make a plaister, and as hot as the party can suffer it, lay it to his Cods, and it will take away the aking.
For A Mans Yard That Is Scalded
Take Bruise-wort, Vervain, hearb Robert*, Pimpernel, of each of these a good quantity, and most of all of Pimpernel, stamp them all together as small as you may, then fry them with butter, and strain it through a cloth, and put it in a box, and therewith annoint your Yard cold, and of these hearbs make a plaister, then lay it all about the Yard.
*wild geranium.
For A Mans Yard That Is Burnt
Take a Linnen cloth and burn it to powder, and take oyl of Eggs*, and annoint the sore, and fill the grief with the said powder. Also for a mans Yard that is sore, and full of holes, take a good company of Dasies, and stamp them, and change them often.
*apparently very hard boiled egg yolks put into a press to obtain the oil!
For Him That Pisseth Blood
Take Ambrose, Bursa Pastoris*, Parsly seed, stamp them and temper them with Goats milk, and give the party to drink, and it will quickly help him.
*bloodwort.
For A Man That Pisseth Blood
Take of the earth that is on the Swallows nest, and put it into hot water, and give the sick for to drink, and the bleeding shall stanch [staunch] within a while.
For A Man That May Not Hold His Water
Take the claws of a Goat and burn them in the fire, and make thereof powder, and let the sick use of this powder in pottage a spoonful at once, and hee shall bee whole.
For A Man That May Not Pisse
Take Mallows, a good quantity of Gromel*, and seeth them in vinegar a good while, and then let the sick drink thereof warm, and hee shall pisse soon after.
*the herb gromwell.
For To Make A Man Pisse Well
Take Pellitory*, stamp it, and fry it, and lay it all hot to a mans Yard.
*a kind of daisy.
For A Woman That May Not Hold Her Water
For a woman that may not keep her water, take Egrimony* and Salt, and stamp them together very small, then seeth it in old Wine until the third part thereof be consumed [evaporated], and then give her thereof to drink.
*the herb agrimony.
For Straighnesse Of Pissing
Take and seeth Camomel* in wine or water, and oftentimes drink thereof, it easeth and profiteth greatly for the stopping of the Milt, and of the Liver.
*the plant camomile.
For Gonorrhea Passio
Gonorrhea passio is flowing of a mans seed against his will, and cometh of divers causes, either of feeblenesse of the reines*, or of plenty of blood, or of a Palsie in man: this passion is Perillous, for it maketh a man or woman unlusty.
*kidneys.
For A Privy Malady That A Man Taketh Of A Woman
Take a dead mans bones, and burn them, and make powder of them, and lay the powder on the hair, and thou shalt be whole by Gods grace. Aslo if a mans flesh rise too much, let him drink often Vervain*, and his flesh shall not rise, nor shall hee have any liking unto a woman.
*the herb verbena.
For The Excessive Flowing Of A Womans Flowers
Take and make a suppository of the powder of Bole armoniacke*, and the powder of Sumach, of Mastick, and the juyce of Plantain, and put it into the conduit**.
*a kind of red friable earth.
**never heard it called that before!
For A Woman That Is In Travel [Travail] With Childe
Take Leek blades, and bind them to her Navel as hot as shee may suffer it, and it will do out the dead Childe, and when the Childe is forth, say three times Quicunque Vult* over the woman, and shee shall bee safe.
*Athanasian Creed, ‘whosoever wishes’.
With Childe
Hippocrates saith, that a Woman being conceived with a man-childe is ruddy, and her right-side is corny* about, but if shee bee conceived with a Maid-childe she is black, and her left pap is corny about.
*hard like the surface of horn.
For To Make A Womans Paps Small That Be Great
Take the seeds of Hemlock, and seeth them in vinegar, and annoint oftentimes the breasts and paps, and mingle the powder of Incence therewithal.
For A Mans Fundament That Goeth Out
Take the red nettle crops, and bray [bruise] them small in a morter, and do [cook] them in an earthen pot, and do thereto a good portion of white wine, and seeth them well together to the half, and give thereof to the sick to drink first and last* warm and lay the substance of the hearb to the Fundament as hot as hee may suffer it, till hee be whole [cured].
*first thing in the morning, last thing at night.
For Worms In The Ears
Take the juyce of Worm-wood, Rue, Sowthistle, and put it in the Patients ear, and hee shall bee whole.
For Stinking Breath
Take oyle Doret*, Turpentine, Hony, oyl Olive, Virgin wax, as much of the one as the other, and boyl them all together, and make an oyntment thereof, and use it every day in the Patients nostrils, and hee shall bee whole.
*no idea what this is.
For The Arms Being Consumed And Fallen Away
Take Dearsuit*, and thine own water being dissolved in a basen warm, then therewith wash thy arms every day morning and evening.
*no idea, possibly deer suet?
For Him That Laketh Winde
Take Mallows, Mercury, and Borage, seeth them together in a peece of Pork, and make thereof pottage, and eat and drink of this broth with Wine, or Whey that is good.
For Stench Under The Arm-holes
First pluck away the hairs of the arm-holes, and wash them in white-wine, and Rosewater that Cassia ligna* hath been sodden in, and use it three or four times.
*cinnamon root.
For Nails That Are Rent From The Flesh
Annoint thy fingers with the powder of Brimstone, Arsnick, and Vinegar, and in short time you shall finde great ease.
And if you're still awake after that you deserve a medal
.Regards,
Jay.
