Purging Syrups

Syrupus de Cichorio cum Rhubarbaro
Or Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb

College : Take of whole Barley, the roots of Smallage, Fennel, and Sparagus, of each two ounces, Succory, Dandelyon, Endive, smooth Sow-thistles, of each two handfuls, Lettuce, Liverwort, Fumitory, tops of Hops, of each one handful, Maiden-hair, white and black, Cetrachs, Liquorice, winter Cherries, Dodder, of each six drams, to boil these take sixteen pounds of spring water, strain the liquor, and boil in it six pounds of white sugar, adding towards the end six ounces of Rhubarb, six drams of Spikenard, bound up in a thin slack rag the which crush often in boiling, and so make it into a Syrup according to art.

Culpeper : It cleanses the body of venemous humours, as boils, carbuncles, and the like; it prevails against pestilential fevers, it strengthens the heart and nutritive virtue, purges by stool and urine, it makes a man have a good stomach to his meat, and provokes sleep. But by my author's leave, I never accounted purges to be proper physic in pestilential fevers; this I believe, the Syrup cleanses the liver well, and is exceeding good for such as are troubled with hypocondriac melancholy. The strong may take two ounces at a time, the weak, one, or you may mix an ounce of it with the Decoction of Senna.

Syrupus de Epithymo
Or Syrup of Epithimum

College : Take of Epithimum twenty drams, Mirobalans, Citron, and Indian of each fifteen drams, Emblicks, Belloricks, Polypodium, Liquorice, Agrick, Thyme, Calaminth, Bugloss, Stœchas of each six drams, Dodder, Fumitory, of each ten drams, red Roses, Annis-seeds and sweet Fennel seeds of each two drams and an half, sweet Prunes ten, Raisins of the sun stoned four ounces, Tamarinds two ounces and an half, after twenty-four hours infusion in ten pints of spring water, boil it away to six, then take it from the fire and strain it, and with five pounds of fine sugar boil it into Syrup according to art.

Culpeper : It is best to put in the Dodder, Stœchas and Agarick, towards the latter end of the Decoction. It purges melancholy, and other humours, it strengthens the stomach and liver, cleanses the body of addust choler and addust blood, as also of salt humours, and helps diseases proceeding from these, as scabs itch, tetters, ringworms, leprosy, &c. A man may take two ounces at a time, or add one ounce to the Decoction of Epithimum.

Syrupus e Floribus Persicorum
Or Syrup of Peach-flowers

College : Take of fresh Peach-flowers a pound, steep them a whole day in three pounds of warm water, then boil a little and strain it out, repeat this infusion five times in the same liquor, in three pounds of which dissolve two pounds and an half of sugar and boil it into a Syrup.

Culpeper : It is a gentle purger of choler, and may be given even in fevers to draw away the sharp choleric humours.

Syrupus de Pomis purgans
Or Syrup of Apples purging

College : Take of the juice of sweet smelling Apples two pounds, the juice of Borrage and Bugloss of each one pound and an half, Senna two ounces, Annis seeds half an ounce, Saffron one dram; let the Senna be steeped in the juices twenty-four hours, and after a boil or two strain it, and with two pounds of white sugar boil it to a Syrup according to art, the saffron being tied up in a rag, and often crushed in the boiling.

Culpeper : The Syrup is a cooling purge, and tends to rectify the distempers of the blood, it purges choler and melancholy, and therefore must needs be effectual both in yellow and black jaundice, madness, scurf, leprosy, and scabs, it is very gentle. The dose is from one ounce to three, according as the body is in age and strength. An ounce of it in the morning is excellent for such children as break out in scabs.