A letter to a doctor of physick concerning diascordium, &c.

Date:: 1719

Credit: A letter to a doctor of physick concerning diascordium, &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.

15/46 page 15

$' [ ij ] can be of little, or no Efficacy. And there¬ fore I would make no Scruple to omit it, or elfe make a ftrong Infufion of it in the Sack which is to be ufed, 3. TOiSiamnum Creticum being of a dry, fpongy, woolly Subftance, feems to me not perfectly fit for an Electuary; which it will clog, and upon difiblving of it in Juleps, will be apt to lie behind, in form of hairy Dregs, And as for its acrid, biting, bitterifh, aromatic Tafte ; that is evanid, and flies off the Tongue quickly; and is made amends for, with Ad¬ vantage, by Contrayerva Root, whofe Taftes are as fine as the others; and f0 durable, as to be almoft indelible. 4. Bijiort Root is fo very like that of Tor- mentij that to ufe them both feems mere doubling. Of the two, I prefer Tormentil\ becaufe it is full out as acerb and ftypric as Bijiort, but excells it for a fubacrid Tafte, and a finer Bitter, which puts the Palate in mind of the ^Peruvian Bark. But in regard I would improve the Aftringeney, I fubflitute Balauftines in the room of Bijiort. y. Sorrel Seed JilS is juft nothing at all; and fb I take no notice of it. 6. I am fenfible you will wonder extreme¬ ly why I leave out Opium, which forne make to be the very Bafis of the Medicine; and IVallteus (Meth. Medendij p. 15*1.) faith gives all the fudorific Quality to Treacle and Mithridate: But you fhall have my Reafons for it in due Place, 7. That$

A letter to a doctor of physick concerning diascordium, &c.

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