Conserves of Violets the Italian manner

Take the leaves of blue Violets separated from their stalks and greens, beat them very well in a stone Mortar, with twice their weight of Sugar, and reserve them for your use in a glass vessel.

The Vertue

The heat of Choller it doth mitigate, extinguisheth thirst, asswageth the belly, and helpeth the Throat of hot hurts, sharp droppings and driness, and procureth rest: It will keep one year.

Source: A Queen’s Delight: Or, The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, Nathaniel Brooke

Leprosy

Universally this evil hath much tokens and signs. In them the flesh is notably corrupt, the shape is changed, the eyen become round, the eyelids are revelled, the sight sparkleth, the nostrils are straited and revelled and shrunk. The voice is hoarse, swelling groweth in the body, and many small botches and whelks hard and round, in the legs and in the utter parts; feeling is somedeal taken away. The nails are boystous and bunchy, the fingers shrink and crook, the breath is corrupt, and oft whole men are infected with the stench thereof. The flesh and skin is fatty, insomuch that they may throw water thereon, and it is not the more wet, but the water slides off, as it were off a wet hide. Also in the body be diverse specks, now red, now black, now wan, now pale. The tokens of leprosy be most seen in the utter parts, as in the feet, legs, and face; and namely in wasting and minishing of the brawns of the body.

To heal or to hide leprosy, best is a red adder with a white womb, if the venom be away, and the tail and the head smitten off, and the body sod with leeks, if it be oft taken and eaten. And this medicine helpeth in many evils; as appeareth by the blind man, to whom his wife gave an adder with garlick instead of an eel, that it might slay him, and he ate it, and after that by much sweat, he recovered his sight again.

Source: Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus, Robert Steele

Night Sweats, Cold Sage for

“Drink cold sage tea, before retiring.” This cold sage tea is only to be used when the patient has a fever and needs a cold drink. In case of this kind it would be effective.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Lockjaw, Smoke as a Cure for

“Smoke the wound for twenty minutes in the smoke of burnt woolen cloths. This is considered a never failing remedy.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Spiritus et Aqua Absinthis minus Composita

Or, Spirit and water of Wormwood, the lesser composition.

College. Take of the leaves of dryed Wormwood two pounds, Annis seeds, half a pound: steep them in six gallons of small wine twenty four hours, then distil them in an Alembick, adding to every pound of the distilled water two ounces of the best Sugar.

Let the two first pound you draw out be called Spirit of Wormwood, those which follow, Wormwood water the lesser composition.

Culpeper. I like this distinction of the College very well, because what is first stilled out, is far stronger than the rest, and therefore very fitting to be kept by itself: you may take which you please, according as the temperature of your body, either to heat or to cold, and the season of year requires.

It hath the same virtues Wormwood hath, only fitter to be used by such whose bodies are chilled by age, and whose natural heat abates. You may search the herbs for the virtues, it heats the stomach, and helps digestion.

Source: The Complete Herbal and English Physician Enlarged, Nicholas Culpeper

Dysentery, Herb Remedy for

“Take four ounces poplar bark, four ounces bayberry bark and three ounces tormentil root, simmer gently in four quarts of water, down to three, strain and add two pounds granulated sugar; let it come to boiling point, skim and add one-half pound blackberry or peach jelly and one-half pint best brandy. Keep in a cool place, take one-half wineglassful three or four times a day or more often if required.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Colds, Honey for

“Eat honey. I have tried this many times and it is very good.” The honey is very soothing, but if a little hoarhound or lemon is added it would make it much more effective. This is a good remedy for children, as they most all like honey.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Frenzy

These be the signs of frenzy, woodness and continual waking, moving and casting about the eyes, raging, stretching, and casting out of hands, moving and wagging of the head, grinding and gnashing together of the teeth; always they will arise out of their bed, now they sing, now they weep, and they bite gladly and rend their keeper and their leech: seldom be they still, but cry much. And these be most perilously sick, and yet they wot not then that they be sick. Then they must be soon holpen lest they perish, and that both in diet and in medicine. The diet shall be full scarce, as crumbs of bread, which must many times be wet in water. The medicine is, that in the beginning the patient’s head be shaven, and washed in lukewarm vinegar, and that he be well kept or bound in a dark place. Diverse shapes of faces and semblance of painting shall not be shewed tofore him, lest he be tarred with woodness. All that be about him shall be commanded to be still and in silence; men shall not answer to his nice words. In the beginning of medicine he shall be let blood in a vein of the forehead, and bled as much as will fill an egg-shell. Afore all things (if virtue and age suffereth) he shall bleed in the head vein. Over all things, with ointments and balming men shall labour to bring him asleep. The head that is shaven shall be plastered with lungs of a swine, or of a wether, or of a sheep; the temples and forehead shall be anointed with the juice of lettuce, or of poppy. If after these
medicines are laid thus to, the woodness dureth three days without sleep, there is no hope of recovery.

Source: Mediaeval Lore from Bartholomew Anglicus, Robert Steele

Carbuncle, Sheep Sorrel Poultice for

“Gather a bunch of sheep sorrel leaves, wrap them in a cabbage leaf and roast in the oven. Apply to the carbuncle, and it will soon ripen and break.”

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter

Colds and Cough, Hops or Catnip Poultice for

“Hops or catnip put in little bags and steamed until hot, then placed on lungs and throat.” This is a very good remedy, as the hot bags act as a poultice and draw the congestion from the diseased parts. It produces not only local, but general perspiration.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter