Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay ColonyDow, George Francis
History
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Dow, George Francis
Massachusetts -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
Take Borax [dram]ij put it into a strong stone botle of 2 quarts;
stop it Close with a good Corke & then Couer it with sealing wax
very Close & sett it into the bottom of a well or Cold Spring the
Space of three yeeres then take it out [when it will] al be turned
to a balsam whare with you may dress Sores
_To Stench Bleeding[84] in a Wound_
[84] _Bleeding at Nose._ If the flux be violent, open a vein on the
same side, and cause the sick to smell to a dried Toad, or Spiders
tyed up in a ragg; ... the fumes of Horns and Hair is very good, and
the powder of Toads to be blowed up the Nose; ... in extremity, put
teats made of Swines-dung up the nostrils.--_Compendium of Physick_
(_Salmon_), London, 1671.
_Cow's Dung._ This seems to be of a hot penetrating Nature; and is
experienc'd to do good in Erysipelous Swellings. This Cataplasm
is also highly commended by some in the _Gout_. _Pigeon's Dung_
is sometimes ordered in Cataplasms, to be applied to the soles of
the Feet in malignant Fevers and Deliriums. _Hog's Dung._ Is also
used by the Country People to stop Bleeding at the Nose; by being
externally applied cold to the Nostrils.--_English Dispensatory_
(_Quincy_), London, 1742.
Take a peec of Salt Beef & Rost it in the hott Ashes then make it
Cleane & put it into the wound & the blood will stop imediatly
_For To Make a Man Vomit Presently That Is Sick at His Stomack_
Take white Copperes [dram]i in powder in a Litle Beere or Water & it
will Cause one to vomit presently
_For Ye Plurisie_[85]
[85] _Pleurisy. Stone-Horse Dung_, seems to owe its present
Credit in medicine to the modern Practice. It is certainly of great
Efficacy in _Pleurisies_, _Inflammations_, and _Obstructions_
of the _Breast_. In all these Intentions it is now very much
prescribed.--_English Dispensatory_ (_Quincy_), London, 1742.
Take the Leaues of wild mallows & boyl them in Oyle & being taken
out bray them in a morter & put them into a peece of Lining Cloth
& applie it to the greue and presently it will Cause the paine to
Cease Don Alexis
_For the Plurisies_
Take an Apple that is of a Sweete sente & taste in it a hole taking
out the Core so that the hole goeth not thorow & put into the hole
3 or 4 graines of Frankincense of the male Kind Otherwise Called
olibanum then Couer againe the saide hole with the Little Pece of
Apple that you tooke of first & rost it apon the Embers so that it
burne not but that it may waxe tender then take it from the fire and
breake it into fower parts with all the frankencense in it & so giue
the patient it to eate it will by & by make the Impostume to break &
heale him
_For the Shingles_
Take howse leeke Catts blod[86] and Creame mixed together & oynt the
place warme or take the moss that groweth in a well & Catts blod
mixed & so aply it warme to the plase whare the shingles be
[86] _Goat's Blood_ is mentioned in the English Dispensatory of 1742
as "deservedly almost forgot."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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