Dirediions for making of Syrups, Sfc. 337 



Oil, I suppose, because it is usually eaten with sallads by them 

 that love it; if it be pressed out of ripe olives, according to Ga- 

 len, is temperate, and exceeds in no one quality. 



2. Of oils, some are simple, and some are compound. 



3. Simple oils are such as are made of fruits or seeds by ex- 

 pression, as oil of sweet and bitter almonds, linseed and rape- 

 seed oil, of which see in my Dispensatory. 



4. Compound oils, are made of oil of olives, and other sim- 

 ples, imagine herbs, flowers, roots, i&c. 



5. The way of making them is this : having bruised the herbs 

 or flowers you would make your oil of, put them into an earthen 

 pot, and to two or three handfuls of them pour a pint of oil, 

 cover the pot with a paper, set it in the sun about a fortnight ot 

 so, according as the sun is in hotness ; then having warmed it 

 very well by the fire, press out the herb, &c. very hard in a press, 

 knd add as matiy more herbs to the same oil ; bruise the herbs (1 

 mean not the oil^ in like manner, set them in the sun as before ; 

 the oftener you repeat this, the stronger your oil will be : at last 

 when you conceive it strong enough, boil both oil and herbs to- 

 gether, till the juice will be consumed, which you may know by 

 its leaving its bubbling, and the herbs will be crisp ; then strain 

 it while it is hot, and keep it in a stone or glass vessel for your 

 use. 



6. As for chymical oils see the latter end of this book. 



7. The general use of these oils is for pains in the limbs, 

 roughness of the skin, the itch, &c. as also for ointments and 

 plasters. 



8. If you have occasion to use it for wounds or ulcers, in two 

 ounces of oil, dissolve half an ounce of turpentine, the heat of 

 the fire will quickly do it ; for oil itself is offensive to wounds, 

 and the turpentine quaUfies it. 



CHAP. VI. Of Electuaries. 



PHYSICIANS make more a quoil than needs by half, about 

 electuaries. I shall prescribe but one general way of making 

 them up ; as for ingredients, you may vary them as you please, 

 and asyou find occasion, by the last chapter. 



1 . That you may make electuaries when you need them, it is 

 requisite that you keep always herbs, roots, flowers, seeds, &c. 

 ready dried in your house, that so you may be in a readiness to 

 beat them into a powder when you need them, 



2. It is better to keep them whole than beaten ; for being 

 beaten, they are more subject to lose their strength ; because the 

 air soon penetrates them. 



3. If they be not dry enough to beat into powder when you 

 need them, dry them by a gentle fire till they are so. 



