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58 
Salmon’ j 1 'Herbal. Lib. 1. 
atica ^ difcuffes Tumors arifing from Ample Con' 
tufions, abforbs acid Humors lurking in the Skin 
and Scarf-skin, and takes away Deformities there- 
of, as Scurff, Morphew, Leprofy, Yellownefs, and 
other Difcolorings of the Skin. 
XXII. T be Substitution of the Root. Apotheca- 
ries, fays Parkinfon , do molt ufually take the Root 
of this Wild Cucumber, as a Subftitute for the Root 
of Coloquintida or the bitter Gourd , that not being 
lb frequent, or fo ealy to be had as this is. 
XXIII. The Cataplafm of the Leaves. It has all 
the Virtues of the Cataplalm of the Root, but not 
full out 16 effectual, becaufe the Leaves have not the 
fame Strength with the Root : yet, notwithstand- 
ing, it is an excellent thing for the Purpofes intend- 
ed,’ exceeding many other things of like kind. It 
cleanfes the Skin from Difcolorings and many other 
Deformities. 
XXIV. The Cataplafm of the Leaves with Goats- 
Tung. If it is laid upon any hard Tumors, Swel- 
lings or Kernels, fuch as are thofe of the Kings- 
Evil, it refolves them •, and alfo eafes Pains of the 
Gout in what part of the Body foever •, and refills 
the Putrefaction of malign Ulcers. 
XXV. Green Elaterium, or the Infpijfate Juice 
0} the Cucumber. Take Wild Cucumbers almoft ripe, 
open them on one fide, and take or lbueeze out their 
thinner Juice and Seeds, which ffrain from the 
Seeds, referving the Juice : then beat the reft of the 
Cucumber grofsly in a Marble Mortar } put all into 
a Bag, and in a Prefs force forth all the Juice ► put 
this Juice to the former, which put into a Retort, 
and in a gentle Sand-heat draw forth all the Water, 
(which keep for a Cofmetick •, ) continue the fiid 
gentle Heat till the Magma is perteftly dry’d ^ 
then break the Retort, take forth the Matter, and 
keep it in a Jar-Glafs, tyed clofe over with a wet 
Bladder, for Ufe. If you have no Retort, and care 
not for keeping the Water, you may evaporate it to 
drynefs over the fame gentle Sand-heat in an open 
flat-bottomed Glafs, often ftirring it, ( to break the 
Skum) that it may evaporate the better, which 
then take and preferve in a Jar-Glafs, as before. It 
has the Virtues of the following, but not full out 
fo ftrong, and therefore may be given in double 
Dole to it, viz. from 6 grains to 20 or 24, in any 
convenient Vehicle. ’Tis, notwithftanding its being 
weaker than the following, a moft noble Medica- 
ment. 
XXVI. Elaterium album. The white or common 
Elaterium, which is indeed the ftrongeft and beft. 
It is thus made : Take Wild Cucumbers almoft ripe, 
open them with a Knife upwards, prefs out the 
Juice gently with your fore Fingers, let it run thro 5 
a Sieve into a clean glaz’d Veflel, let it fettle, and 
decant the clear Water into another Veflel : then 
dry the Settlings in the Sun, and in a Jar-Glafs, 
tyed clofe over with a Bladder, keep the Elaterium 
for Ufe. See our Pharmacopeia Londinenfis , lib. 1 . 
cap. 6. fefl. 33. If you pleafe, you may keep the 
clear Water for Vnguentum Artanita. Some Au- 
thors fay, that this Elaterium will keep two hun- 
dred Years, and yet be of wonderful Virtue, Vix 
Credo : others,- as Par ace If us , fay it retains its Vir- 
tues well fifty Years, at which Age it will be fo a- 
bundant in Humidity, that put to the Flame of a 
Lamp or Candle, it will put it out : but Diofcorides 
fays it is good from two Years old until ten, and 
that that is the beft which being put to the Flame 
of a Candle, will make it burn the more bright. 
T heophraflus his Elaterium is green , ( which is, as 
I fuppofe, the former Infpiflate Juice of the Cucum- 
ber : ) Diofcorides his Elaterium is white, which is 
the Pate ula of the Juice, as is taught in this Section, 
and this is that which Mefue fays is the beft. The 
green will continue moilt many \ ears, after it is e- 
vaporated and dryed up hard, relenting or giving 
with the Air, fo that it requires a long time to con- 
fume its Humidity •, whereas the white fort being 
once dryed, will remain white, hard and dry for a 
great number of Years, unlefs it is left open in a 
moift Air, or ftand in a moift place. This white 
Elaterium works very well, being given from 1 to 
? grains, in ltrong Bodies ^ Authors fay it may be 
given to 10 grains. Park'tnfon fays, that half a 
grain being put into a purging Medicine, to quicken 
it, has oftentimes been feen to trouble the Stomach, 
with very much difquiet, and vomiting, and working 
alfo downwards with more Violence than it could be 
thought that double the quantity could do. Diof- 
corides fays the Dofe is from half an Obolus to a 
whole Obolus. Now, the Obolus is 10 grains, or 12 
at the moft, as fome take it ^ which (hews the large 
Dofes which the Ancients gave of this Medicine, 
which we dare fcarcely follow. It purges Choler 
and Flegm from all parts of the Body, and drives 
forth watry Humors to a Miracle, being an extraor- 
dinary thing to open the Pipes of fuch as are Purfy 
and (hort Winded ^ and is indeed a Specifick for 
the Cure of the Dropfy, efpecially of that kind cal- 
led Sarcites or Anafarca. When you give it for 
Purging, it may be given mixt with Milk, or rather 
Cream, becaufe the Un£tuofity thereof will not fuf- 
fer it to ftick to the Tunicles of the Stomach, but 
caufe it to purge off the more fpeedily. It you 
would have it to Vomit, Diofcorides advifes to dif- 
folve it in Water, and with a Feather dipt therein, 
to touch the lower part of the Tongue, as low as 
you can * but in my Opinion, it is much better to 
take the whole Dofe down into the Stomach. It is 
a prevalent thing againft the Megrim, Head-ach, 
Carus, Lethargy, Vertigo, Apoplexy, Epilepfy, be- 
ing ufed fometimes as an Errhine, diffolved in Wa- 
ter or Milk •, and fometimes taken inwardly to both 
Vomit and Purge. And thus taken, it is faid alfo 
to cure the Kings-evil, the Parts affected being a- 
nointed likewife with it outwardly. It provokes 
the Courfes in Women where they have been long 
ltopt, and very much prevails againft the Green- 
ficknefs in Virgins. It is fo ftrong and forcible, that 
it is faid to kill the Child in the Womb, fo that a 
Woman Impregnated muft by all means avoid it ; 
but this is more efpecially to be underftood, being 
applied in a Peflary or Ointment to the Womb. It 
cures the Gout in any Part, by its ftrong Cathartick 
Faculty, carrying off the tartarous, vifeous or clam- 
my Humors from the Joints, which breed it. The 
common Dofe is a gr. i. ad v. and to very ftrong 
Perfons a gr. iii. ad x. well correfted with Nutmeg, 
Spicknard, Anifeeds, Liquorice-pouder, Cfc. It cures 
Afthma’s, Jaundice, Scurvy and Hypochondriack 
Melancholy. Mixed with Ox Gall and applied, it 
helps the Quinfey and Gout, and clears the Skin of 
Scurff, Morphew, Tettars, Ringworms, Mange, Itch, 
Pulhes, Scabs, and other like Deformities. 
XXVII. The dlt f illed Water from Roots or Pruit. 
If to every quart of it you add an ounce of fine Ni- 
tre, difjolving it over a gentle Heat • it becomes an 
excellent Cofmetick to beautify and clear the Skin 
of any Deformity, being two or three times a day 
or oftner laid on, and fuffered to dry in, after it is 
firft well cleanfed with fair warm Water. This 
Walh is alfo an excellent thing againft an Eryfipelas 
or Anthon/sfire, the Parts affebted being bathed 
therewith , and' Cloths wet therein being laid on, 
and fo fuffered to dry upon the Part. It abates In- 
flammations, and being given inwardly, (well fweer- 
ned with white Sugar) it cools and abates the moft 
violent Heat of Fevers. Parts affefted with the 
Gout, being well bathed therewith Morning and 
Evening, 
