The Art of Distillation - Morning Myst Botanics

A VOMITING WATER IS MADE THUS
Take of the best tobacco in leaves, cut small, four ounces; squils, two ounces; nutmeg
sliced, half an ounce. Put these into three pints of spring water, a pint of white wine
vinegar. Distill them in a hot still or alembic.
If you would have it stronger, you must put this water on fresh ingredients and distill it
again.
A little quantity of this water is a most safe and effectual vomit, and may be taken from
the eldest to the youngest, if so be you proportion the quantity to the strength of the
patient.
You may dulcify it with sugar or syrup if you please.
A VOMITING WATER MADE BY PLATEAUS
Take of green walnuts gathered about midsummer, radish root, of each bruised, two parts;
of distilled wine vinegar, four parts. Digest them five days, then distill them in balneum.
This being taken to the quantity of two spoonfuls, or three, causes easy vomiting.
A DISTILLED WATER THAT PURGES WITHOUT ANY PAIN OR
GRIPING
Take of scammony an ounce; hermodactyles, two ounces; the seeds of broom, of the
lesser spurge, of dwarf elder, of each half an ounce; the juice of dwarf elder, of wild asses
cucumber, of black hellebore, the fresh flower of elder, of each an ounce and a half;
polypodium, six ounces; of sene, three ounces; red sugar, eight ounces; common distilled
water, six pints.
Let all these be bruised and infused in the water 24 hours, then be distilled in balneum.
This water may be given from two drams to three ounces, and it purges all manner of
humors, opens all obstructions, and is pleasant to be taken. Those whose stomachs loathe
all other physics may take this without any offence.
After it is distilled there may be a little bag of spices in it, as also it may be sweetened
with sugar or any opening syrup.
A SPECIFIC LIQUOR AGAINST THE TOOTHACHE
Take of oil of cloves well rectified half an ounce. In it dissolve half a dram of camphor.
Add to them of the spirit of turpentine, four times rectified in which half a dram of opium
has been infused, half an ounce.
A drop or two of this liquor put into a hollow tooth with some lint eases the toothache
presently.
BOOK III
OF MINERALS
48