204 
THE COMPLETE HERBAL 
letting it run out at leisure: without press- 
ing. To every pint of this decoction add one 
pound of sugar, and boil it over the fire till 
it come to a syrup, which you may know, 
if you now and then cool a little of it with 
a spoon: Scum it all the while it boils, and 
when it is sufficiently boiled, whilst it is 
hot, strain it again through a woollen cloth, 
but press it not. Thus you have the syrup 
perfected. 
3dly, Syrups made of juice, are usually 
made of such herbs as are full of juice, and 
indeed they are better made into a syrup 
this way than any other; the operation is 
thus: Having beaten the herb in a stone 
mortar, with a wooden pestle, press out the 
juice, and clarify it, as you are taught be- 
fore in the juices; then let the juice boil 
away till about a quarter of it be consumed; 
to a pint of this add a pound of sugar, and 
when it is boiled, strain it through a woollen 
cloth, as we taught you before, and keep it 
for your use. 
3. If you make a syrup of roots that are 
any thing hard, as parsley, fennel, and 
grass roots, &c. when you have bruised 
them, lay them in steep some time in that 
water which you intend to boil them in hot, 
so will the virtue the better come out. 
4. Keep your syrups either in glasses or 
stone pots, and stop them not with cork nor 
bladder, unless you would have the glass 
break, and the syrup lost, only bind paper 
about the mouth, 
5. All syrups, if well made, continue a 
year with some advantage; yet such as are 
made by infusion, keep shortest. 
CHAPTER Ill. 
Of Juleps. 
1. JuLeps were first invented, as I sup- 
_ pose, in Arabia; and my reason is, because 
the word Julep is an Arabic word. 
2. It signifies only a pleasant potion, as 
is vulgarly used by such as are sick, and 
want help, or such as are in health, and 
want no money to quench thirst. 
3. Now-a-day it is commonly used— 
1. To prepare the body for purgation. 
2. To open obstructions and the pores. 
3. To digest tough humours. 
4. To qualify hot distempers, &c. 
4. Simple Juleps, (for I have nothing to 
say to compounds here) are thus made; 
Take a pint of such distilled water, as con- 
duces to the cure of your distemper, which 
this treatise will plentifully furnish you 
with, to which add two ounces of syrup, 
conducing to the same effect; (I shall give 
you rules for it in the next chapter) mix 
them together, and drink a draught of it at 
your pleasure. If you love tart things, 
add ten drops of oil of vitriol to your pint, 
and shake it together, and it will have a fine 
grateful taste. 
5. All juleps are made for present use; 
and therefore it is in vain to speak of their 
duration. 
CHAPTER IV. 
Of Decoctions. 
1. Ax the difference between decoc 
tions, and syrup made by decoction, is this; 
Syrups are made to keep, decoctions only 
for present use; for you can hardly keep 4 
decoction a week at any time; if the weather 
be hot, not half so long. 
2. Decoctions are made of leaves, roots, 
flowers, seeds, fruits or barks, conducing to 
the cure of the disease you make them for; 
are made in the same manner as we shewed 
you in syrups. 
3. Decoctions made with wine last longeT 
than such as are made with water; and if 
you take your decoction to cleanse the 
passages of the urine, or open obstructions, 
your best way is to make it with white win 
instead of water, because this is pene 
trating. 
| 4, Decoctions are of most use in gach “i 
