Oh how we have changed, Medicine was once like this

The following medical recipes, except where otherwise indicated, are from a manuscript left by Dr. Zerobabel Endecott of Salem, printed in Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by George Francis Dow.





For ye Bloudy Flux
Stone horses Liuers dried in an ouen being heat for houshould bread, made into powder & giuen a spoonfull at a time in milk.



For a Spraine
Take stronge bere este & honye, of equall quantyty & boyle them to the Consistanty of honye & so apply it hott to ye place greeued.



For ye Dropsie Often Proud & Especially Vpon One Man,
Other Means Vsed By Men of Skill Fayled This Was Affectually
Take good store of Elder roots wash them & make them very Cleane then splitt & steepe them in strong ale wort & Lett them stand together while ye Ale is working then when it is 2 days old drinke of it morning Noone & at night till leath be obtained Lett there be as many of ye Roots as Can well be steeped in the Ale. The flowers are of the same vse & more powerfull.



For Paine in ye Eare
Take a mithredate & put it into the eare with a Litle wooll & Keep it warme



For Ye [J]andis
Take ye Juce of Planten and Camomell 3 or 4 spoonfuls in warme Posset ale morning & Euening it helps in a few days. Mir Turmarik & safron made into fine powder & drank twice or 3 times a day in Possett ale is Excelent good Dose or Lett the sik Person drink their own Vrin twice a day or ye Volatile fat of Vrin morning & Euening in Posset ale.



Jaundice - Another Cure - from English Dispensatory (Quincy) London, 1742
Take Hog-Lice [i.e. Wood lice or Sow bugs], half a pound, put them alive into two pound of White Port Wine, and after some Days Infusion strain and press out very hard, then put in Saffrom, 2 drams, salt of Steel, a dram and Salt of Amber, 2 scruples, and ater 3 or 4 Days strain and filter for Use.



For Sharpe & Dificult Trauel in Women with Child
Take a Lock of Vergins haire on any Part of ye head, of half the Age of ye Woman in trauill. Cut it very smale to fine Pouder then take 12 Ants Eggs dried in an ouen after ye bread is drawne or other wise make them dry & make them to pouder with the haire, giue this with a quarter of a pint of Red Cows milk or for want of it giue it in strong ale wort.



For the Shingles
Take howse leeke Catts blod 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.



To Stench Bleeding in a Wound
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.



Bleeding at Nose - from Compendium of Physick (Salmon), London, 1671
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.



For Ye Plurisie
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.