To make the true Palsie-water, as it was given by that once very famous Physician Doctor Matthias
Take Lavender Flowers stripped from the stalks, and fill a Gallon-Glass with them, and pour on them good Spirit of Sack, or perfect Aqua vitæ distilled from all Flegm, let the quantity be five quarts, then circulate them for six weeks, very close with a Bladder, that nothing may breath out; let them stand in a warm place, then distil them in an Alembeck with his Cooler, then put into the said water, of Sage, Rosemary, and Wood-Betony Flowers; of each half a handful, of Lilly of the Valley, and Burrage, Bugloss, and Cowslip Flowers, one handful of each; steep these in Spirit of Wine, Malmsie, or Aqua vitæ, every one in their Season, till all may be had; then put also to them of Balm, Motherwort, Spike-flowers, Bay leaves, the leaves of Orange trees, with the Flowers, if they may be had, of each one ounce, put them into the aforesaid distilled Wine all together, and distil it as before, having first been steeped six weeks; when you have distilled it, put into it Citron Pill, dried Piony seeds hull’d, of each five Drams, of Cinamon half an Ounce, of Nutmegs, Cardamum seeds, Cubebs[1], and yellow Saunders[2], of each half an ounce, of lignum Aloes one dram; make all these into Powder, and put them into the distilled Wine abovesaid, and put to them of Cubebs anew, a good half pound of Dates, the stones taken out, and cut them in small pieces, put all these in, and close your Vessel well with a double Bladder; let them digest six weeks, then strain it hard with a Press, and filtrate the Liquor, then put into it of prepared Pearl, Smaragdus[3], Musk and Saffron, of each half a Scruple; and of Ambergreece one Scruple, red Roses dried well, Red and Yellow Saunders, of each one ounce, hang these in a Sarsenet[4] Bag in the water, being well sewed that nothing go out.
The virtues of this Water
This Water is of exceeding virtue in all Swoundings and Weaknesses of the heart, and decaying of Spirits in all Apoplexies and Palsies, also in all pains of the Joints coming of Cold, for all Bruises outwardly bathed and dipped Clothes laid to; it strengtheneth and comforteth all animal, natural and viral Spirits, and cheareth the external Senses, strengtheneth the Memory, restoreth lost Speech, and lost Appetite, all weakness of the Stomach, being both taken inwardly, and bathed outwardly; it taketh away the Giddiness of the Head, helpeth lost Hearing, it maketh a pleasant Breath, helpeth all cold disposition of the Liver, and a beginning Dropsie; it helpeth all cold Diseases of the Mother; indeed none can express sufficiently; it is to be taken morning and evening, about half a Spoonful with Crums of Bread and Sugar.
Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley
1. A type of pepper.
2. Sandalwood.
3. Emerald.
4. A type of fine silk.
Filed under Remedy | Tags: aloes, ambergreece, ambergris, apoplexy, appetite, aqua vitae, balm, bay, betony, borage, bread, breath, bruise, bugloss, burrage, cardamom, cardamum, cinamon, cinnamon, citron, cowslip, cubeb, dates, dropsy, emerald, giddiness, head, hearing, heart, joints, lavender, lemon, lily of the valley, liver, malmsey, malmsie, memory, motherwort, musk, nutmeg, orange, palsie, palsy, pearl, peony, piony, rose, rosemary, sack, saffron, sage, sandalwood, saunders, smaragdus, speech, spirits, stomach, wolley, wood-betony | Comment (0)Rosemary for remembrance
The BBC report that the smell of rosemary has been shown to improve “future memory” — that is, remembering to do things in the future — and that the smell of lavender impairs this type of memory.
Other remedies reputed to improve memory: