Syrup for a Cough

Boil 1 oz. balsam of tolu, very gently, two hours, in a quart of water; add 1 lb. white sugar candy, finely beaten, and boil it half an hour longer. Strain through a flannel bag twice; when cold, bottle it. You may add 2 oz. syrup of red poppies, and the same of raspberry vinegar. A spoonful when the cough is troublesome.

Or: 2 oz. honey, 4 table-spoonsful vinegar, 2 oz. syrup white poppies, and 2 oz. gum arabic: boil gently to the consistency of treacle; a tea-spoonful when the cough is troublesome.

Or: 1 table-spoonful treacle, 1 of honey, 1 of vinegar, 15 drops laudanum, and 15 drops peppermint. Simmer together a quarter of an hour. A dessert-spoonful to be taken at going to bed.

Or: mix together in a phial, 2 drachms of compound tincture of benjamin, 6 drachms ethereal spirits of nitre, 3 drachms of compound tincture of camphor, and 5 drachms of oxymel; a tea-spoonful in a wine-glass of warm water, when the cough is troublesome.

Or: mix 1 oz. gum arabic, 1 oz. sugar candy, and the juice of a lemon; pour on it a pint of boiling water; a little when the cough is troublesome.

Source: The English Housekeeper, Anne Cobbett

Pectorals for a Colde or Consumption

Take one pound of brown Sugar Candy, one Ounce of Juice of Lycorisse, dissolve y^e lycorisse in 3 spoonfulls of Hysop water, put to these a drachm of Orrice a drachm of Enul-campane, halfe a drachm of Gum dragon being all made into fine powder, muske a graine then take a drachm of oyle of Anniseeds, worke it well together with your hand and make it up into pectorals of what bigness you please, lay them on a dish to dry before y^e fire or in an oven after drawn bread, and keep them dry.

Source: A Book of Simples, H.W. Lewer

Flax-Seed Lemonade

To a large table-spoonful of flax-seed allow a tumbler and a half of cold water. Boil them together till the liquid becomes very sticky. Then strain it hot over a quarter of a pound of pulverized sugar candy, and an ounce of pulverized gum arabic. Stir it till quite dissolved, and squeeze into it the juice of a lemon.

This mixture has frequently been found an efficacious remedy for a cold; taking a wine-glass of it as often as the cough is troublesome.

Source: Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, Eliza Leslie

To Remove Sunburn

Take two drachms of borax, one drachm of Roman alum, one drachm of camphor, half an ounce of sugar-candy, and a pound of ox-gall. Mix and stir well for ten minutes, and stir it in the same way three or four times a day for a fortnight. When clear and transparent strain through blotting-paper, and bottle for use.

Source: Cassell’s Household Guide

To make a rare Medicine for the Chine-Cough

Make a Syrrop of Hysop-water and white Sugar Candy, then take the Powder of Gum Dragon, and as much of white Sugar Candy mixed together, and eat of it several times of the day, or take the above-named Syrrop, either of them will do the Cure.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

Brown Mixture For Coughs

Dissolve one ounce of gum arabic, one ounce of licorice, and one ounce of brown sugar-candy, in half a pint of boiling water. When cold, add one ounce of elixir of paregoric, and one-half an ounce of antimonial wine. Take a tablespoonful of this mixture whenever the cough is troublesome, and upon going to bed.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

For a Consumption

Take a Pint of Red Cows milk, then take the Yolk of a new laid Egg potched very rare, then stir it into the Milk over a soft fire, but do not let it boil, sweeten it with a little Sugar Candy, and drink it in the morning fasting, and when you go to bed.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

To make the very best Surfet-water

Take one Gallon of the best French Spirits, and a Pint of Damask-Rose-water, half a Pint of Poppy water, one pound of white Sugar Candy bruised, then take one pound and half of Raisins in the Sun stoned, half a pound of Dates stoned and sliced, then take one Ounce of Mace, one Ounce of Cloves, one Ounce of Cinamon, one Ounce of Aniseeds rubbed clean from the dust, then take a quarter of an Ounce of Licoras clean scraped and sliced, and all the Spices grosly beaten, let all these steep in the Spirits four days; then take a quarter of a peck of Red Poppy Leaves fresh gathered, and the black part cut off, and put them in, and when it hath stood four or five days, strain it, and put it into your Glass, then put in your Sugar-Candy finely beaten, twelve peniworth of Ambergreece, six peniworth of Musk, keep it close, and shake it now and then, and when you use it, you may put some kind of Syrrup to it, what you please.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

The Melancholy Water

Take of the Flowers of Gilliflowers, four handfuls, Rosemary flowers three handfuls, Damask Rose leaves, Burrage and Bugloss flowers of each one handful, of Balm leaves six handfuls, of Marigold flowers one handful, of Pinks six handfuls, of Cinamon grosly beaten, half an ounce, two Nutmegs beaten, Anniseeds beaten one ounce, three peniworth of Saffron; put them all into a Pottle of Sack, and let them stand two days, stirring them sometimes well together; then distil them in an ordinary Still, and let it drop into a Glass wherein there is two grains of Musk, and eight ounces of white Sugar Candy, and some Leaf-Gold; take of this Water three times a week fasting, two spoonfuls at a time, and ofter if you find need; distil with soft fire; this is good for Women in Child-bed if they are faint.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley