INTRODUCTION. 



only remaining. This soft matter is to be weighed, and to be 

 beat up in a mortar with twice its weight of loaf sugar, first 

 powdered. Sloes are to be gathered when they are moder- 

 ately ripe, and they are to be set over the fire in water, till 

 they swell and are softened, but not till the skin bursts ; 

 they are then to be laid upon a sieve, and the soft matter 

 driven through, as in the other case ; and three times the 

 quantity of sugar is to be mixed with this, that it may make 

 a conserve by beating together. 



Syrups are to be made of many ingredients : they may be 

 made indeed of any infusion, with sugar added to it in a due 

 quantity ; and the way to add this, so that the syrups shall 

 keep and not candy, is to proportion the sugar to the liquor 

 very exactly. One rule will serve for all this matter, and save 

 a great deal of repetition. The liquor, of which a syrup is to 

 be made, may be the juice of some herb or fruit, or a decoc- 

 tion, or an infusion ; whichever it be, let it stand till quite 

 clear ; then, to every wine pint of it, add a pound and three 

 quarters of loaf sugar, first beat to powder ; put the sugar 

 and the liquor together into an earthen pan that will go into 

 a large saucepan ; put water in the saucepan, and set it over 

 the fire. Let the pan stand in it till the sugar is perfectly 

 melted, scumming it all the time ; then, as soon as it is cold, 

 it may be put up for use, and will keep all the year round. 



This being set down as the general method of making the 

 liquor into a syrup, the rest of the descriptions of them will 

 be easy. They are to be made in this manner : For syrup 

 of Cloves, weigh three pounds of Clove, July-flowers picked 

 from the husks, and with the white heels cut off; pour upon 

 them five pints of boiling water. Let them stand all night, 

 and in the morning pour off the clear liquor, and make it into 

 a syrup, as directed above : in the same manner are to be 

 made the syrups of Violets and Red Poppies : but less of the 

 Violet flowers will do, and more of the Poppies may be added : 

 thus, also, are to be made the syrups of Damask Roses, 

 Peach-blossoms, Cowslip-flowers, and many others which 

 will be recommended for that purpose in this book. 



Syrup of Buckthorn is to be made by boiling the juice 

 down to half its quantity, with a little cinnamon, ginger, and 

 nutmeg, and then adding the stigar. 



The Syrups of Lemon juice, Miilberries, and the like, are to 

 be made with a pound and half of sugar to every pint of the 

 clear juice, which is to be melted, as in the former manner. 



Syrup of Garlic, Leeks, Orange-peel, Lemon-peel, Mint, 

 and many other things, are to be made of strong infusions of 

 those ingredients, made as before directed, with the first- 

 mentioned quantity of sugar added, when they have stood 

 to settle. 



Syrup of MarshmaVlowB, and of Poppy heads, and some 

 others, are to be made in the same manner with the strongest 

 decoctions that can possibly be made from those ingredients, 

 with the same quantity of sugar as is first mentioned. 



Syrup of Balsam is made by boiling a quarter of a pound 

 of Balsam of Tolu, in a pint and half of water, in a close 

 vessel, and then making the water into a syrup, with the 

 usual quantity of sugar : and thus may be made syrups of 

 any of the balsams. 



Syrup of Saffron is made of a strong tincture of Saffron in 

 wine. An ounce of Saffron being put to a pint of mountain, 

 and this, When strained off, is to be made into a syrup with 

 the usual quantity of sugar. 



At one time it was a custom to keep a quantity of syrups 

 of a particular kind under the name of honeys. They were 

 made w ith honey instead of sugar, and some of them, which 

 had vinegar in the composition, were called oxymcls. A few 



of the first kind, and very few, are worth keeping, and two 

 or three of the latter, for they have very particular virtue*. 

 The way of making them is much the same with that of 

 making syrups ; but, to be exact, it may be proper just to 

 give some instances of it. 



Honey of Roses is the most useful, and is to be made of an 

 infusion of the flowers and honey in this manner. Cut the 

 white heels from some red-rose buds, and lay them to dry 

 in a place where there is a draught of air ; when they are 

 dried, put half a pound of them into a stone jar, and pour on 

 them three pints of boiling water ; stir them well, and let 

 them stand twelve hours ; then press off the liquor, and 

 when it has settled, add to it five pounds of honey, boil it 

 well, and when it is of the consistence of a thick syrup, put 

 it by for use. It is good against sore mouths, and on many 

 other occasions. In the game manner may be made the 

 honey of any flower ; or with the juice of any plant thus 

 mixed with honey, and boiled down, may be made what i.s 

 called the honey of that plant. 



As to the oxymels, they are also made in a very uniform 

 manner. The following are so useful, that it will be proper 

 always to keep them in readiness. For Oxymel of Garlic, 

 put half a pint of vinegar into an earthen pipkin, boil it in a 

 quarter of an ounce of Carraway seeds, and the same quan- 

 tity of sweet Fennel seeds, at last add an ounce and a half 

 of fresh Garlic root sliced ; then let it boil a minute or two 

 longer, then cover it up to stand till cold, then press out 

 the liquor, and add ten ounces of honey, and boil it to 

 consistence. 



For Vinegar of Squills, put into a pint of vinegar three 

 ounces of dried Squills ; let it stand two days in a gentle 

 heat, then press out the vinegar, and when it has stood to 

 settle, add a pound and half of honey, and boil it to a con- 

 sistence. Both these are excellent in asthmas. 



To these also should be added, the common simple oxy- 

 mel, which is made of a pint of vinegar, and two pounds of 

 honey boiled together to the consistence of a syrup. 



Finally, as to Ointments, nothing can be so easy as the 

 making them of the common herbs ; and the expense is only 

 so much hog's lard. The lard is to be melted, and the fresh- 

 gathered leaves of the herb are to be chopped to pieces, and 

 thrown into it : they are to be boiled till the leaves begin to 

 feel crisp, and then the lard is to be strained off. It will be 

 green, and will have the virtues of the herb, and must be 

 called ointment of such an herb. 



To these we shall add, the way to make two or three 

 more, which, though not the produce of English herbs, are 

 very useful, and no family should be without them. 



1. The white ointment, called Unguentum : this is made 

 by melting together four ounces of white wax, and three 

 ounces of spermaceti, in a pint of salad oil, and adding, 

 if it be desired, three ounces of ceness, and a drachm and 

 half of camphire ; but it is better, for all common purposes, 

 without these. 



2. Yellow Basilicon ; which is made by melting together 

 yellow wax, resin and burgundy pitch, of each half a pound, iw 

 a pint of oil of olives, and adding three ounces of tuqxjntiue. 



3. Black Basilicon ; which is made by melting together, 

 in a pint of olive oil, yellow wax, resin, and pitch, of each 

 nine ounces. 



4. TheMcrcurial Ointment, which is thus made: rub toge- 

 ther, in an iron mortar, a pound of quicksilver, and ail ounce 

 of turpentine; when they are well wived, add four pound* 

 of hoir's-lard melted, and mix all thoroughly together. The 

 Ointment of Tutty is prepared with levigated tutty, ami as 

 much viper's fat as will make it into a soft ointment : these 



