[Sca-cooks] RE: Digby was flaming figs

[johnna holloway]

Thanks Drakey--- no need to run off to the library and risk getting
tossed out-- Wouldn't want you to have to attend your ceremony with a
criminal charge of "creating a disturbance"
on your recent record. I played librarian and called it up from home.
EEBO does have its points.

from--Choice and experimented receipts in physick and chirurgery as also
cordial and distilled waters and spirits, perfumes and other curiosities
/ collected by Sir Kenelm Digby. 1668. Image 23 on EEBO pp. 36-37...

For the Hamorrhoides. For Aches. Probat.

Take six figs, and cleave them along through the middle, lay them in a
Porringer, and pour upon them some good Brandy-Wine to cover them a
finger breadth or two over; set the brandy on fire by a flaming Paper,
and let it burn as long as it will; the Figs will then be very tender
and soft (with that they may be so, you must chuse the best plain
oridinary yellow'st Figs, that are sound and pulpy) Apply one of these
halfs as hot as you can endure to the swelled Haemorrhoid that comes
out, and let it lie on till it grow cool, which will be in less than
half a quarter of an hour : Then apply another half Fig as before, and
so continue till you have used all the twelve halfs; and to that end,
you must keep them hot by a fire. This will give you perfect ease,
though the pain were never so great before, and take away all the
swelling and knobs upon the veins, and make them retire orderly into the
body.

It continues with "For the inner Piles... which is an urguent of
pilewort and butter...

There is another recipe for "haemorrhoydes that calls for oil of
rosemary on cotton wool.
There are also some other choice medical recipes for women that really
don't bear
thinking about. This is one of those books that makes one think that
one's HMO
is not all that bad afterall.

Hope this takes care of the requests---

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway





"Jones, Craig" wrote:

> > Question-- which Digby apothecary book are we discussing? Johnna
> >
> > The 1668 Choice and Experimented Receipts which came out before The
> > Closet Open'd
>
> I'm pretty sure that's the one.
>
> D.