TO The moſt Eminently Learned, the Preſident and Com⯑munity of the ROYAL COL⯑LEGE of PHYSICIANS, LONDON.

THE Intention of the following Pages, with Difference to your illuſtrious Body, is with all ſub⯑miſſion laid at your Feet, carry⯑ing no other Views along with it, than to promote, the further Knowledge of medicine, the exact and artful Compoſition of which is ſo highly Neceſſa⯑ry, and conducive to the Welfare of Man⯑kind, and the Utility of the Publick.

I REST aſſured of a candid Reception from the Nature of the Deſign, which I have the vanity to think you will favour, becauſe it is only level'd at a Reformation [4]ſome of the Errors in Compoſition that have crept into former, and are ſtill retain'd in your laſt Edition of the London Diſpenſatory, and a further Recommendation of the many excellent Preſcriptions, which you have with Juſtice to the Profeſſion, continued and pub⯑liſh'd to the World, all which I ſhall en⯑deavour to ſupport by Authority, Reaſon and Experience; hence, I flatter myſelf with every thing that can be expected from a Society ſo diſtinguiſh'd for univerſal Lite⯑rature, as well as their particular Know⯑ledge in Medicine.

THIS is a meer Trifle which I offer, only as an Eſſay to what I have ready for the Preſs, and to which I doubt not of your ge⯑nerous Approbation; for as 'the Study of your Lives is devoted to do Good, ſo you will certainly promote every Thing that tends to that great End; and what is of more Importance than to preſerve Life, and re⯑ſtore to Man that valuable Bleſſing of Health?

THIS Collection of Antidotes, altho', no Epidemical Diſeaſe ſhould happen (which God in his Mercy avert) is of univerſal Tendency, and ſpeaks for itſelf: The Au⯑thors were all Phyſicians of great Experi⯑ence, ſome of whom liv'd thro' five or ſix Plagues, in which they had been ſingularly ſucceſsful; and after that devouring Flame was Extinguiſh'd, they had in all their ſuc⯑ceeding Practice, ſtill a mighty Eſteem for ſuch Antidotes and Alexipharmicks as had [5]been Serviceable to them, when they ſtood ſo much in need of their Aſſiſtance, on which Oc⯑caſion they invented and introduced a whole Set or Collection of 'em, into Practice among which you have the various Preſcriptions of Sir Walter Rawleigh's great Cordial, that of Sir Kenelm Digby's Diaphoretick, Gaſcoyne Powder, with the Goa-Stone, and a great Variety of the Lapis Contrayerva, with many others; all which are very valuable in their Kinds, and conſequently, I doubt not but the Publication of this will meet with a Reception equal to the Merits of thoſe learned Gentlemen, who were the Compi⯑lers of the ſeveral Recipe's and Preſcriptions therein contain'd, which were certainly Stu⯑died and found Uſeful for the publick Ser⯑vice.

NOW, let, me beg leave of your learned Society to make ſome decent and modeſt Remarks upon your laſt Edition, of your Pharmacopeia that from the Juſtneſs of thoſe Obſervations, you yourſelves may Judge of the Neceſſity there is for a Refor⯑mation of the ſame, and from the Speci⯑mens I ſhall give, make the World ſenſible of the Uſefulneſs of ſuch an Undertaking, which, with the laſt Regards due to your venerable Body, I ſubmit to impartial Judgment. And in the firſt Place, I ſhall not waſt Time, either upon the Method, or Materials you have made Choice of in the Simples conducive to your Diſpenſatory, whether Roots, Barks, Woods, Herbs, Flow⯑ers, [6]Fruits, Seeds or the like, but do think it wou'd have been a Juſtice due to the Publick, as well as an Advantage to the Profeſſion to have inform'd them, which of thoſe Simples moſt conſtantly are in Uſe, which are ſeldom uſed, and which are ne⯑ver uſed at all; which Things are very Ma⯑terial, that Time and Money may not be thrown away upon what is perfectly Uſeleſs; as the Roots of Anthorae an Exotick, cal⯑led the Counter-poiſon to Monkſhood, not Traffick'd in, and of no Virtues that are recommended by the Experience of the Faculty. 2dly. Arundinis Saccharina; the common Reed and Sugar-Cane Roots of no Medicinal uſe. The Roots of Kings Spear or Aſphodel, Male and Female, not Us'd or even Sold in the Druggiſt, or Apothecaries Shops, and many more.

THE next are thoſe which, are ſeldom, or very rarely uſed, ſuch as the Hermodactyls, Woad, Fullers Thiſtle, Hog-Fennel, Stinking Gladon, and an hundred others mention'd to little or no Purpoſe, which had been better left out, both for the eaſe of the Apothe⯑cary, and the Preſcriber, who is at firſt em⯑barraſs'd in ſo large a Field of Materials, loaded by ſome Authors with great Enco⯑comiums of the Feats they have done in Phyſick, which are too apt to flatter and di⯑ſappoint the Preſumptions of a young Pra⯑ctitioner.

I SHALL paſs by the reſt of the Simples in this ſhort Account, and leave 'em to a [7]ſtricter Enquiry, when I come to publiſh the Pharmacopeia Reformata, and ſo proceed to ſome more material Obſervations, among which, I ſhall firſt take Notice of, the Oxy⯑mel ſcilliticum, which you have Preſcrib'd juſt in the ſame manner as formerly, viz. Three Pounds of Clarified Honey, to two Pounds of Vinegar of Squills; whereas in Juſtneſs to the Operation, and Effects of this Medicine, here ſhould be three Pounds of Vinegar of Squills, to two Pounds of Honey, otherwiſe the Me⯑decine is ſo clogg'd with the Honey, that the Efficacy thereof is loſt, and the Acetum hath not power to aſſiſt the Digeſtion, cut the viſcous Flegm, diſcharge Wind and ſour Belchings from the Stomach, and ſtrengthen the Appetite; for which it is a noble Re⯑medy, was it not ſo very Nauſeous; but it may be excellently adapted by a skillful and judicious Phyſician, who by mixing equal parts of the Acetum ſcilliticum and Oxymel will gain his Intentions.

I CANNOT be ſurpriz'd that you have overlook'd this among ſo many other Com⯑poſitions, which are ſo Faulty, that they are not capable of being made up or if they could, wou'd be of no Uſe, ſince you are pleas'd to perſiſt in your daily Pra⯑ctice to preſcribe Galbanum along with Am⯑moniacum, in order to be diſſolv'd, in black Cherry-water, or other the like Vehicle, and are angry with the Apothecary, when he tells you plain, that he knows not how to diſſolve Galbanum in an aqueous Body, [8]tho' Ammoniacum will familiarly do it; if this Point had been clear'd up in your laſt Edition, of the London Diſpenſatory, and new Rules given to the Apothecary, how to make his Diſſolution of Galbanum, this wou'd have been a great Improvement, and given a New turn to the Diſpenſations of Medicines, but till then, we ſhall believe it was not ſo artfully Corrected, as we had Reaſon to expect from Perſons ſo well quali⯑fy'd; otherwiſe the Spiritus Lavendulae com⯑poſitus would hardly have remain'd in the Condition it ſtands, conſidering it is ſuch a Farrago of inconſiſtences unskilfully blend⯑ed, the Produce of which, is nothing at all; when at the ſame time the ſimple Spirit of Lavender, is ſo excellently uſeful, and may be enrich'd at the Phyſician's pleaſure, with all the Volatile Aromaticks, &c. according to the Nature of the Caſe, becoming by this Means a Spiritus Lavendulae Extemporaneo Compoſitus.

YOUR Aqua Paeoniae Compoſita, or Peony-wa⯑ter Compound, is an excellent Preſcription, but wants much of what it was from Langius, who calls it his Epileptick Water, which Re⯑ceipt I ſhall give you (as it was Originally) in the Pharmacopeia Reformata; in the inte⯑rim it is high time to expunge Gilbert's Water, leaſt ſome evil minded People ſhou'd deceive themſelves, and others, in putting their Truſt therein.

As to the Treacle of Audromachus, and Mithridate, of which I can find no Reforma⯑tion made in your laſt Edition; it is one [9]grand Medley of a multitude of Simples jumbl'd together without Order or Deſign; the greateſt Part of which are either uſeleſs, or ineffectual. I ſhall ſatisfie my own Opi⯑nion only to declare that as generally us'd, and apply'd, they are both dangerous Me⯑dicines ill prepar'd, very Hot and of diſagree⯑able Qualities to the Intentions they are adminiſtred. The grand Reaſon that has induc'd all Sorts of People to the Uſe of them, have been drawn from the Authority and Experience of the Antients; Galen ſays they, hath ſpoken in Praiſe of Treacle in two Pieces of his, directed to Piſo, and Pamphi⯑lianus. To which I anſwer, that the Autho⯑rity cited, is of no force, becauſe they do not appear to be Galen's Writings, but falſly attributed to him, which is the more Evi⯑dent from the Stile and Manner of Writing, which is foreign from that of Galen's, beſides there are ſeveral Terms, and Words made Uſe of not elſewhere to be found in the ſaid Author's Works, according to the learn'd Mercurialis, who ſays, in eo plurima verba a Galeno nuſquam uſurpata, fabuloſae aliqua & ſtylus totus pene diverſus reperiuntur. The ſame Author ſays, there ought not to be the leaſt Fault in any of the Simples, that en⯑ter that Compoſition, ſpeaking of Treacle Vitium enim unius Medicamenti totum Compoſi⯑tionem evertit.

EVERY Body knows the great Abuſe in the Choice of Vipers, and that of the Mala⯑bathrum, which not one in an hundred makes [10]a right Uſe of; beſides this, the Myrrh we uſe, ſetting aſide the ſmell, is nothing like that deſcrib'd by Dioſcorides, but rather Bdelliams, whereas the Troglotick is the fame, and we have no Opo-Balſamum, true Coſtus, Schaenanth, Dictamny of Crete, or Falernian Wine. The ge⯑nerality of the Opium us'd at this Day, is no⯑thing near ſo fine, or good as Mathiolus re⯑lates, and ſcarce ſeems to be like what Dioſcorides deſcribes: For it is a perfect Meconium at this Day, as may be evidently Proved,

THE Mithridate commonly met with in the Shops, is in the ſame Condition, having the ſame Faults and Imperfections, and therefore ought to be rejected, being too hot and acrid for the Intentions it is generally Preſcrib'd, conſequently it wants a con⯑ſiderable Reformation, or elſe ought to be expung'd the Diſpenſatory.

THE Confection of Alkermes, altho' ve⯑ry prudently diveſted of its Perfumes now a-days, is a Compoſition very unartfully Invented and Deſcrib'd by the Arabians, and very little Reform'd and Amended by the Moderns, who ſtill cloſely purſue the Er⯑rors of the Arabian Phyſicians: Indeed the Lapis Laruli has been long ſince thrown out, and there remains little behind in this Me⯑dicine, which bears a high Name, but what we may expect from the Juice or Sy⯑rup of the Chermes-Berry with better Suc⯑ceſs; for as to the Aloes Wood, we know little or nothing of it, and the Leaf-Gold there⯑in, [11]is a meer Amuſement to Deceive the Credulous. Rondeletius inſtead of ſpeaking in its Praiſe gives a ſevere Caution againſt the Uſe of it, which is Back'd by Mr. Fer⯑rier, a Phyſician of Tholouſe, who blames Phy⯑ſicians for the too plentiful Preſcribing there⯑of: See the Annotations and Obſervations of Mr. Guillemeau. The Confect of Hyacinth bears a great Reſemblance to this, only that the laſt ſeems to be endowed with no Cor⯑dial Virtue at all: Notwithanding the great Boaſts made of it, from the Fragments of Precious-Stones, that enter the Compoſiti⯑on, by the ſplendid ſhew of which, together, with the Leaf-Gold, many are induced to believe it is capable of performing Wonders.

AS I was treating of Mithridate, I muſt take the Liberty to return to the Subject, to ſhew that when Pompey found the Receipt thereof written in Mithridates own Hand, after the Defeat of that Prince, which he e⯑ſteem'd as a vaulable Secret; it was Com⯑pounded but of very few Simples, and thoſe very common ones according to the follow⯑ing Diſtick.

THIS Compoſition then conſiſted, only of two Walnuts, two Figs, Twenty leaves of Rue ſtamp'd together, with a little Salt; and this was reckon'd a ſovereign Antidote againſt any maglignant Air for 24 Hours together, it being ſufficient for three or four Morning Doſes, drinking after it a Glaſs of white Wine

THE next thing to be enquir'd into, is to know the Reaſon, why you ſtill admit Leaf-Gold into ſeveral Preparations, ſince you very well know it is neither Cordial, Corro⯑borative, Alterative, or does it any wiſe con⯑tribute to the Nutrition of the Parts accord⯑ing to Galen, in his Commentary on the firſt Book of Hippocrates, de ratione Victus in Acutis. It can by no Means be call'd an Alterative, in that the natural Diſpoſition of the Body cannot be affected by Reaſon of the Solidity of its Parts, ſo that it can nei⯑ther heat or cool, dry or moiſten the ſolid, or fluid Parts, and how it becomes Purga⯑tive I cannot imagine; all which makes good what Julius Caeſar Scaliger, ſays in his Exer⯑citations againſt Cardan Exerc. 272. There ought to be ſome Reſemblance, ſome like⯑neſs in Configuration of Parts; between what gives the Nutriment, and the Body that receives it. Metals are proper to unite with, and feed Metals, but are imcompati⯑ble, and foreign to the ſubſiſtence and in⯑creaſe of Animals. If Gold is good in any Diſeaſe, it muſt certainly be ſo in the Hypochondriack, Melancholy, eſpecially when [13]it is adminiſtred, not as the Arabians, in Pills or Powders, or as the Chymiſts in Potions like their Aurum Potabile, but plen⯑tifully in Specie, or Golden Showers; nay, if the Phyſician cou'd but preſcribe Bank Bills, his preſcriptions would infallibly Cure all the Vapours in Town. This is a Specifick, even againſt South-Sea Head-Ach, which, is otherwiſe an incurable Diſeaſe.

AND here I cannot forbear to hint at the preſent uſe of Ivory, that is ſtill con⯑tinued, and recommended in many good Medicines, when every Body knows, and is thoroughly perſwaded that Harts-Horn, has an hundred times the Virtue, ſince the o⯑ther neither diſcovers Smell or Taſte, or any Quality to recommend it for an ef⯑ficacious Medicine; ſeveral Phyſicians have long ſince exploded it, as Durel Hantin, Mercurialis, Baccius, Sylvaticus Eraſtus, Al⯑bertus, Sebizius, and others; but Ambroſe Pa⯑rey, by dint of Reaſon and Experience re⯑futes, all the pretended and imaginary Qua⯑lities aſſign'd to this uſeleſs and inſignificant Drug.

THEREFORE it becomes more my Admi⯑ration, that Gentlemen who have con⯑ſulted, and weigh'd all theſe things toge⯑ther in the Balance of Reaſon, ſhould ſtill continue the Uſe of many uſeleſs, and ex⯑travagant Drugs, which are now directed in the ſeveral Compoſitions of your Diſpenſa⯑tory, many of which are rarely, or not to be got at all, and others at a very dear Rate, [14]and good for little or nothing; the firſt of which I mean is, the Bone of a Stags Heart, the others are Ambergreeſe, Musk, and Be⯑zoar ſo frequently preſcribed on all Occaſi⯑ons, in the laſt of which there are ſo many vile Cheats practic'd, that it is a pity it ſhould lye in the power of avaritious, and deſigning Men to Cozen and Deceive the World, with ſuch vile Frauds.

TWO Parts in three of the Bezoar, of which is ſold and made Uſe of in the Shops is, Fa⯑ctitious, and the other that is Natural, is only fit to Deceive ſuch as are willing to be Deceiv'd, and take a Pleaſure to be carry'd down with the Stream of popular Errors. As to the Factitious, it is generally made up of Gall-Stones, found in the Gall-Bladders of Oxen, &c. and Lemnian Earth findly ground with a little Ambergreeſe, and ſo form'd in⯑to Stones of various Sizes and Figures; and thus the ſubtle Artiſt cheats the Apothecary with his Counterfeit Stone, and the Phyſici⯑an comes into the Confederacy, by preſcrib⯑ing his Bezoartick Bolus, or Powder to pick the Patient's Pocket: This fallacy up⯑on the credulous Sick, will in a little time become as deſpicable, as the vain Pretenti⯑ons of the Alchymiſts, with their Aurum Pota⯑tabile, their Sulphur of Metals, and Powder of Projection, with which they Bubble the Ig⯑norant, and blind the Eyes of the more diſcerning part of Mankind.

I HOPE to God, that you Gentlemen, who have both Honour, Juſtice and Judg⯑ment, [15]will put a ſtop to theſe Deceits where⯑by the People are Cheated with falſe Medi⯑cines, which under the pompous Pretenſi⯑ons of curing more Effectually, are made a Handle of, to extract Gold and Silver from the Patients Purſe: A Reformation of theſe things would be a great Advantage to all Parties, and who can we expect it from, but your learned Body, who by your Example, and Authority have Power to Reform, and at the ſame time inform the World what your Opinions are in relation to ſuch coſt⯑ly Drugs, as Bezoar, and whether the good Effects and Virtues thereof are anſwerable to the Phyſicians Expectation, and that of the Patient; if not, that you wou'd ingeniouſly declare this Stone naturally, as brought from India, and unſophiſtieated hath no more Virtue than ſome of our Foreign Earths, or Domeſtick Chalks.

IT is pretended by the Advocates for this Stone, that it is a moſt noble Alexipharmick, and is both Cordial and Sudorifick, tho' it does not appear from the Compoſition of its Parts, being Groſs and Earthy, how it can encreaſe or otherwiſe alter the Motion of the Blood, or exhilerate the Spirits, which it ſeems not to have power to fortifie, and ſupport. If this be ſo then, let us ſub⯑mit to the force of Truth, which we find publiſh'd in the Writings of ſome of the beſt Phyſicians of Europe, which Mr. Guy⯑bert hath accurately quoted; let us ſubmit Opinion, I ſay to Truth, which is one and [16]the ſame throughout the World. Nic Boc⯑cangelinus Phyſician to the Empreſs, and a very knowing Spaniard, in a Treatiſe of Ma⯑lignant and Peſtilential Fevers. Chap. 17. Con⯑demn's the Uſe of Bezoar, thus; ſome make up Cordial Powders with Bezoar, Pearl, Coral, &c. which ſtrangely Deceive them, for, all theſe things encreaſe the Obſtructions, which encourage the Fever, the Materials being groſs, earthy, and Unactive, foul the Stomach, clog the Lacterals, and ſtop the Meſaraick Veſ⯑ſels, ſo that the Blood which is Contaminated with the malignant Vapours, hath not power hereby to refine itſelf. Hieron: Ruleus, a learn⯑ed Phyſician of Ravenna, in his Commenta⯑ries on the 7th Chap. of the 3d Book of Celſus expoſes the Cheat after this manner; I own, ſays he, having often preſcrib'd the Bezoar Stone, in Malignant, and other Fevers to ſeve⯑ral Perſons of Quality, from 8 to 16 Grains, I never could obſerve any good Effect from it, by any ſenſible Operation, or Amendment in the Patient; but this we commonly Pre⯑ſcribe to the Rich and Great, by way of Com⯑plement, it being very dear: Beſides let me Caution you, ſays he, for there are a great many Counterfeit, or falſe Stones, which I found by Experience in the laſt Sick⯑neſs of Pope Clement the 8th, ſo that out of forty, which were brought me, I cou'd ſcarce meet with one good one.

MARTIANUS a Roman Phyſician in his Commentaries upon Hippocrates, ſays, that the Bezoar Stone is nothing elſe, but a [17]meer Name and Opinion without any Vir⯑tue, which he knows to be true upon re⯑peated Tryals; Rodericus a Fonſeca, a cele⯑brated Profeſſor at Padua, in a Tract of his on Malignant Fevers, ingenuouſly owns, that he never ſaw any laudable Effect from it, tho' he had frequently us'd it: Johannes Colle a learned Italian, and Phyſician to the D. of Urbino, in a Book of his call'd Coſmitor Medi⯑cans, or a large Treatiſe of the Bezoar Stone, makes ſevere Remarks on thoſe, who boaſt of the Virtues of Bezoar, without any Reaſon, and on thoſe who uſe it in all Diſeaſes, like a Stall for all Horſes. Theodorus Angelutius ſpeaking of the Cure of Malignant Fevers, condemns it in theſe Words; I adviſe all Phy⯑ſicians, ſays he, againſt the uſe of this Stone, ſince it is a Drug that is good for nothing at the beſt; and all Men of ſincerity, who are moſt worthy of Credit confeſs it, and I myſelf ſolemnly proteſt, that I never cou'd find the Sick relieved thereby, how eaſie it is, then for every one to Judge of the Dan⯑ger there is in Confiding in ſo uncertain and frivolous a Medicine, when the Patient la⯑bours under a Malignant Fever, inſtead of a better approved, and more ſucceſsful Re⯑medy. Thomas Minadous, in his Book of Fevers, ſays thus; I cannot ſo much, as ad⯑mit, or have ever met with any occult Qua⯑lity in this Bezoar Stone, by which means it could prove ſerviceable in any Kind of Fevers; and therefore believe they are all fabulous Accounts, and old Womens Tales, [18]that have been told either by the Arabians, or the Moderns; for I have try'd it ſeveral Times in ſeveral Diſeaſes, without finding any Relief or Advantage from it. Aloiſius Mundella, in his Experiments on ſimple Me⯑dicines, confirms what all the reſt have ſaid, whom I have quoted before.

PERMIT me, moſt excellent and learned Collegues, to ſay a Word or two about the Drug Sena, which enters ſo many of your well choſen Compoſitions, and which I have the Vanity to think you have not all met with in the common Treatiſes of ſimple Me⯑dicines, tho' the Subject fell in my way, when I conſulted all the Authors I could then come at in compiling my Hiſtory of Drugs, from Pomet, Lemery Tournefort, &c. The Sena, which Meſue from the Perſians, calls Abal⯑zemer, is a Plant or Shrub, the Leaves whereof Reſemble thoſe of Liquorice, it ſhoots up and ſpreads with many ſmall Branches, which are very pliant, the Flowers are yel⯑low, with certain Threads or red Streaks underneath, after which ſhoot forth certain Follicula or Buds cloſely folded, which hang upon the Plant, by a ſlender Tail, which is very fine, and naturally flat; theſe Buds when Ripe eaſily fall by the force of the Wind, and contain in them a Seed which is of a greeniſh black Colour, and ſo like the Stone of a Raiſin, that it is hard to know the difference; Serapion in his Book of Simples ſays, theſe Buds are longiſh, and in form of a Croſs, in which the Seed is lodg'd. [19]They are much Deceived, who think that the Tree which Theophraſtus calls Colutea to be our Sena; becauſe the Colutea which the French call Baguenaudier bears large Follicu⯑les or Buds, which the Shepherds and Pe⯑ſants gather to feed their Cattle with, be⯑ſides, there is a vaſt difference, in that the Sena is an Herb or Plant that laſts but a few Months, and the Bagnenaudier is a Tree that continues many Years; notwithſtand⯑ing which the ſame Virtues have been aſcrib⯑ed to the laſt, as to that of Sena, and the Merchant impos'd upon as well as the Drug⯑giſt in buying the one for the other. Meſue ſays, that the Sena hath much more Virtue and Efficacy in the Bud than the Leaf, eſpe⯑cially if of the Dark green Colour a little bitteriſh, ſtiptick and aſtringent in Taſt, and gather'd when freſh, for otherwiſe the Virtue is loſt. The white Buds are good for nothing, the green Leaves, better than the white, and the thick ones than the thin, but the Stalks of no Uſe at all; and this agrees very well with what Matthiolus writes in his learned Commentaries on Dioſcorides, he ſays indeed, there are two Sorts of theſe Buds, the one of which is gather'd when dry and fallen from the Plant, which have no Virtue in them, and the other is gathered upon the Plant before it is dry and wither'd, and theſe are thick Leaves, and full of Sap, being afterwards skillfully dry'd in the Shade.

Manardus, a Phyſician of Ferrara main⯑tains, that the Leaves of the Sena have a greater Purgative Quality than the Buds, but then he takes 'em for ſuch as dropt from the Tree ready dry'd; but Fernelius who was undoubtedly a more knowing Judge of Medicine, follows Meſue and Matthiolus in preferring the Buds to the Leaves, and Syl⯑vius ſubſcribes to the ſame Opinion, in his Commentaries upon Meſue, Whoever hath a Mind to Uſe the Buds, muſt obſerve this Deſcription, but ſuch as like the Leaves better, muſt chuſe thoſe of the brighteſt Colour, large and freſh, and free from all Smell, rejecting the pale and dead Colour'd as uſeleſs. Our Druggiſts are often very negligent in mixing all together, without Choice or Diſtinction. With ſubmiſſion to the more learned, I think we generally un⯑der Doſe this Medicine in our Compoſitions, and Preſeriptions. Serapion orders from a Dram, to two Drams in Powder, and half an Ounce to five Drams in Decoction, Actu⯑arius only one Dram, and in Decoction half an Ounce; Fernelius directs two Drams in Powder, and ſix in Decoction, but half an Ounce in the Infuſion. Your London Di⯑ſpenſatory preſcribes only a Scruple of Sena in Powder, and half a Scruple of Rhubarb and Polypody in ſeven Drams of Electuarium Catholicum, and two Drams only in the De⯑coction of Gereon, and in the Lenitive E⯑lectuary, to one Ounce a Dram of Sena, with a Scruple of that and Polypody in Decoction, in [21]the larger compound Powder of Sena, half a Dram, and in the leſs 24 Grains. The Magiſterial Syrup of Apples hath a Dram of Sena to an Ounce, but the Purging Syrup only a Scruple infus'd to ſix Drams. Syrup of Roſes with Sena hath indeed a Dram to ſix Drams of the Syrup. I ſhall conclude this Head, with the form of a Purging Potion of Sena, from an eminent Phyſician of our own, who Practiced upwards of ſixty Years.

TAKE of fine Sena, cut ſmall ſix Drams, Salt of Tartar two Drams, Juice of Lemons one Ounce, white Wine four Ounces, in⯑fuſe ſix or ſeven Hours, in a Glaſs Veſſel, then ſtrain, and infuſe therein all Night E⯑lectuary of Carthamum three Drams, the Juice of Apples one Ounce: In the Morning cla⯑rifie this with the white of an Egg, and to the ſtrain'd Liquor, add Syrup of Roſes, with Agarick ſix Drams, Cinamon-Water two Drams, the zeſt of half an Orange Peel. Notwithſtanding the large Quantity of Sena; this is a Medicine of a nice and delicate O⯑peration, without giving Gripes or Colick, and yet moves Ten or Twelve times.

IN order to introduce our Antidotaria, it may not be amiſs to give a Specimen of the Reformation of two grand Preſcriptions, which I have already hinted at to be faulty, in the Pharmacopeia Londinenſis, viz. The Confect of Alkermes, and that of Hyacinth.