put
them in a great earthern pot, & pour on them enough White Wine as
will cover them, stop them close, and let them steep for eight or
nine days; then put to it Cinnamon, Ginger, Angelica-seeds, Cloves,
and Nuttmegs, of each an ounce, a little Saffron, Sugar one pound,
Raysins solis stoned one pound, the loyns and legs of an old Coney,
a fleshy running Capon, the red flesh of the sinews of a leg of
Mutton, four young Chickens, twelve larks, the yolks of twelve
Eggs, a loaf of White-bread cut in sops, and two or three ounces of
Mithridate or Treacle, & as much Muscadine as will cover them all.
Distil al with a moderate fire, and keep the first and second
waters by themselves; and when there comes no more by Distilling
put more Wine into the pot upon the same stuffe and distil it
again, and you shal have another good water. This water
strengtheneth the Spirit, Brain, Heart, Liver, and Stomack. Take
when need is by itself, or with Ale, Beer, or Wine mingled with
Sugar."

Who could doubt that it strengthened the spirit, especially when taken
with ale or wine? Plainly here do we see the need of a doctor being a
good cook. But what pot would hold all that flesh and fowl, that
blooming flower-garden of herbs and posies, that assorted lot of fruits
and spices, to say nothing of the muscadine?

Our ancestors spared no pains in preparing these medicines. They did
not, shifting all responsibility, run to a chemist or apothecary with a
little slip of paper; with their own hands they picked, pulled, pounded,
stamped, shredded, dropped, powdered, and distilled, regardless of
expense, or trouble, or hard work. Truly they deserved to be cured. They
did not measure the drugs with precision in preparing their medicines,
as do our chemists nowadays, nor were their prescriptions written in
Latin nor with cabalistic marks--the asbestos stomachs and colossal
minds of our forefathers were much above such petty minuteness; nor did
they administer the doses with exactness. "The bigth of a walnut,"
"enough to lie on a pen knifes point," "the weight of a shilling,"
"enough to cover a French crown," "as bigg as a haslenut," "as great as
a charger," "the bigth of a Turkeys Egg," "a pretty draught," "a pretty
bunch of herbs," "take a little handful," "take a pretty quantity as
often as you please"--such are the lax directions that accompany these
old prescriptions.