202 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
commonly be had, as Parsley, Fennel, Plan- 
tain, &c. but gather them only for present 
need. 
CHAPTER V. 
Of Barks. 
1. Barks, which physicians use in medi- 
cine, are of these sorts: Of fruits, of roots, 
of boughs. 
2. The barks of fruits are to be taken 
when the fruit is full ripe, as Oranges, 
Lemons, &c. but because I have nothing to 
do with exotics here, I pass them without 
any more words. 
3. The barks of trees are best gathered 
in the Spring, if of oaks, or such great 
trees; because then they come easier off, 
and so you may dry them if you please; 
_ but indeed the best way is to gather all 
barks only for present use. 
4. As for the barks of roots, ’tis thus to 
be gotten. Take the roots of such herbs as 
have a pith in them, as parsley, fennel, &c. 
slit them in the middle, and when you have 
taken out the pith (which you may easily 
do) that which remains is called (tho’ im- 
properly) the bark, and indeed is only to be 
used. 
CHAPTER VI. 
Of Juices. 
1, Juices are to be pressed out of herbs 
when they are young and tender, out of 
some stalks and tender tops of herbs and 
plants, and also out of some flowers. 
2. Having gathered the herb, would you 
_ preserve the juice of it, when it is very dry 
(for otherwise the juice will not be worth 
a button) bruise it very well in a stone mor- 
_ tar with a wooden pestle, then having put 
it into a canvas bag, the herb I mean, not 
‘the mortar, for that will give but little 
uice, — it hard in a press, then take the 
3. The manner of clarifying it is this: 
Put it into a pipkin or skillet, or some such 
thing, and set it over the fire; and when the 
scum arises, take it off ; let it stand over the 
fire till no more scum arise; when you have 
your juice clarified, cast away the scum as 
a thing of no use. 
4, When you have thus clarified it, you 
have two ways to preserve it all the year. 
(1.) When it is cold, put it into a glass, 
and put so much oil on it as will cover it 
to the thickness of two fingers; the oil will 
swim at the top, and so keep the air from 
coming to putrify it: When you intend to 
use it, pour it into a porringer, and if any 
oil come out with it, you may easily scum 
it off with a spoon, and put the juice you 
use not into the glass again, it will quickly 
Sink under the oil. This is the first way. 
(2.) The second way is a little more dif- 
ficult, and the juice of fruits is usually pre- 
served this way. When you have clarified 
it, boil it over the fire, till (being cold) it 
be of the thickness of honey; This is most 
commonly used for diseases of the mouth, 
and is called Roba and Saba. And thus 
much for the first section, the second fol- 
lows. 
SECTION II. 
The way of making and keeping all 
necessary Compounds. 
CHAPTER I. — 
Of distilled Waters. 
Hiruerto we have spoken of medicines 
which consist in their own nature, which 
authors vulgarly call Simples, though some- 
times improperly; for in truth, nothing is 
simple but pure elements; all things else 
are compounded of them. We come now 
to treat of the artificial medicines, in the 
form of which (because we must begin 
somewhere) we rage gue distilled waters; 
pat eae comet 
