200 THE COMPLETE HERBAL 



hem as you please, and as you find occa-| 2. Conserves of herbs and flowers, 

 Mon, by the last chapter. {thus made: if you make your conserves 01 



1. That you may make electuaries when \ herbs, as of scurvy-grass, wormwood, rue, 

 you need them, it is requisite that you keep ; and the like, take only the leaves and ten- 

 always herbs, roots, flowers, seeds, &c. j der tops (for you may beat your heart out 

 ready dried in your house, that so you may j before you can beat the stalks small) and 

 be. in a readiness to beat them into powder? having beaten them, weigh them, and to 

 when you need them. | every pound of them add three pounds of 



2. It is better to keep them whole than j sugar, you cannot beat them too much, 

 beaten; for being beaten, they are morej 3. Conserves of fruits, as of barberries, 

 subject to lose their strength ; because the j sloes and the like, is thus made: First, 

 air soon penetrates them. { Scald the fruit, then rub the pulp through 



3. If they be not dry ei.ough to beat into ! a thick hair sieve made for the purpose, 

 powder when you need them, dry them by \ called a pulping sieve ; you may do it for 

 a gentle fire till they are so. i a need with the back of a spoon : then take 



4. Having beaten them, sift them through : this pulp thus drawn, and add to it its 

 a fine tiffany scarce, that no great pieces j weight of sugar, and no more; put it into 

 may be found in you electuary. ja pewter vessel, and over a charcoal fire; 



5. To one ounce of your powder add j stir it up and down till the sugar be melted, 

 three ounces of clarified honey ; this quan- ; ; and your conserve is made. 



tity I hold to be sufficient. If you would i 4. Thus you have the way of making 

 make more or less electuary, vary your pro- : conserves ; the way of keeping them is in 

 portion accordingly. i earthen pots. 



6. Mix them well together in a mortar, > 5. The dose is usually the quantity of a 

 and take this for a truth, you cannot mix j nutmeg at a time morning and evening, 

 them too much. j or (unless they are purging) when you 



7. The way to clarify honey, is to set it 

 over the fire in a convenient vessel, till the 

 scum risej and when the scum is taken off, 



please. 



6. Of conserves, some keep many years, 

 as conserves of roses : other but a year, as 



it is clarified. j conserves of Borage, Bugloss, Cowslips and 



8. The usual dose of cordial electuaries, i the like. 



is from half a dram to two drams; of purg-| 7. Have a care of the working of some 

 ing electuaries, from half an ounce to an j conserves presently after they are made; 

 ounce. | look to them once a day, and stir them 



p. The manner of keeping them is in a | about conserves of Borage, Bugloss, 



pot 



10. The time of taking them, is either in 



Wormwood, have got an excellent faculty 

 at that sport. 



a morning fasting, and fasting an hour after 5 8. You may know when your conserves 

 them ; or at night going to bed, three or four ; are almost spoiled by this ; you shall find 

 hours after supper. !a hard crust at top with little holes in it, 



CHAPTER vn. l as though worms had been eating there. 



Of Conserves. CHAPTER viii 



1. The way of making conserves is two- i QJ- Present*. 



fold, one of herbs and flowers, and the other | 

 of fruits ! OF Preserves arc sundry sorts, and the 



