AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 



203 



1. Waters are distilled of herbs, flowers, j 2. You see at the first view, That this 

 fruits, and roots. aphorism divides itself into three branches, 



2. We treat not of strong waters, but of 

 cold, as being to act Galen's part, and not 

 Paracelsus's. 



3. The herbs ought to be distilled when 

 they are in the greatest vigour, and so ought 

 the flowers also. 



4. The vulgar way of distillations which 

 people use, because they know no better, 

 is in a pewter still ; and although distilled 



which 

 viz. 



deserve severally to be treated of, 



1. Syrups made by infusion. 



2. Syrups made by decoction. 



3. Syrups made by juice. 



Of each of these, (for your instruction- 

 sake, kind countrymen and women) I speak 

 a word or two apart. 



1st, Syrups made by infusion, are usually 



waters are the weakest of artificial medicines, j made of flowers, and of such flowers as 

 and good for little but mixtures of other > soon lose their colour and strength by boil- 

 medicines, yet they are weaker by many | ing, as roses, violets, peach flowers, &c. 

 degrees, than they would be were they dis- 1 They are thus made : Having picked your 

 tilled in sand. If I thought it not impos- ; flowers clean, to every pound of them add 

 sible, to teach you the way of distilling in j three pounds or three pints, which you will 

 sand, I would attempt it. | (for it is all one) of spring water, made boil- 



5. When you have distilled your water, 

 put it into a glass, covered over with a 

 paper pricked full of holes, so that the ex- 

 crementitious and fiery vapours may ex- 

 hale, which cause that settling in distilled 

 waters called the Mother, which corrupt 

 them, then cover it close, and keep it for 

 your use. 



6. Stopping distilled waters with a cork, 

 makes them musty, and so does paper, if it 

 but touch the water : it is best to stop them 

 with a bladder, being first put in water, and 

 bound over the top of the glass. 



ing hot ; first put your flowers into a pew- 

 ter-pot, with a cover, and pour the water on 

 them ; then shutting the pot, let it stand by 

 the fire, to keep hot twelve hours, and 

 strain it out : (in such syrups as purge) as 

 damask roses, peach flowers, &c. the usual, 

 and indeed the best way, is to repeat this 

 infusion, adding fresh flowers to the same 

 liquor divers times, that so it may be the 

 stronger) having strained it out, put the 

 infusion into a pewter bason, of an earthen 

 one well glazed, and to every pint of it add 

 two pounds of sugar, which being only 



^ ^ 



Such cold waters as are distilled in a \ melted over the fire, without boiling, and 



_ _ * 11 / * /* ill \ 1 1 i 1 "it i i ^"^ 



pewter still (if well kept) will endure a year; 

 such as are distilled in sand, as they are 

 twice as strong, so they endure twice 

 long. 



as 



CHAPTER II. 



scummed, will produce you the syrup you 

 desire. 



2dly, Syrups made by decoction are 

 usually made of compounds, yet may any 

 pirn pie herb be thus converted into syrup: 



Q / c : Take the herb, root, or flowers you would 



i make into a syrup, and bruise it a little ; 



1. A SYRUP is a medicine of a liquid hhen boil it in a convenient quantity of 

 form, composed of infusion, decoction and | spring water ; the more water you boil it 

 juice. And, 1. For the more grateful taste, j j n , the weaker it will be ; a handful of the 

 For the better keeping of it: with a cer- { herb or root is a convenient quantity for a 

 tain quantity of honey or sugar, hereafter , pint of water, boil it till half the water be 



mentioned, boiled to the thickness of new 

 honey. 



consumed, then let it stand till it be almost 

 cold, and strain it through a woollen cloth, 

 So 



