Infection, to Preserve from
During Epidemics, strong scents have long been used to avert ‘foul air’. Vinegar, or Vinegar and Rose water were often sprinkled around sick rooms and hospitals, and steaming bowls of vinegar have been used up until recently. Having a sponge dipped in Vinegar which usually has aromatic herbs steeped in it carried around the neck and smelled to avert infection. Vinegar with a little Camphor was commonly used.
Numerous herbs and compounds were used to avert infection. Some large and costly formulas were marketed during times of infection, many being bogus and purely to cash in on the vulnerable. But a number of medicines and tactics including using vinegar haven proven efficacy to a certain degree.
“Antidotes or Preservatives … of small Cost, easy to find and prepare for Poor Folk”:
1. Take Garlic and drink wine after
2. Two Figs, Two Walnuts, 20 leaves of Rue and a little Salt
3. Take 6 leaves of Rue with Vinegar
4. Pellitory of Spain (Pyrethrum)
5. Root of Angelica
6. Root of Gentian
7. Root of Zedoary
8. Carduus benedictus
9. Carline Thistle
10. Scordium in powder, 1 dram, taken with Honey and Vinegar, or Syrup of Lemons.
11. Sorrel alone, or taken with Pimpernel mixed with Vinegar in the morning. (Secrets of Alexis)
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Western Tradition Simples
2. Juniper berries can be chewed to avoid infection during epidemics; 3. Betony: ‘Preserves the lives and bodies of men from the danger of Epidemical diseases’. (Gerard) 4. Of Gentian: ‘a more sure remedy cannot be found to prevent the Pestilence’. (Culpeper) 5. Any of the following can be chewed: Pyrethrum, Angelica, Gentian, Zedoary, Blessed Thistle 6. Juniper, Pimpernel, Betony, Pennyroyal, Sorrel, beat together, boil in Honey and mix a little vinegar to form a conserve. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615) 7. Juniper and Armenian Earth (equal weight). Form pills. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615) 8. Ivy berries powdered and taken with white wine, then going to bed to sweat has supposedly cured some infected overnight. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615) Tincture of Juniper Berries Tincture of Rue Tincture of Sulphur Elixir of Camphor Wormwood Wine Four Thieves Vinegar Powder of Crabs Claw (Countess of Kents Powder) Preservative Powder The Saxonian Powder Emperor’s Powder Against the Plague Maximillians Powder Against the Plague Troches Resisting Poison Pestilential Pills Pills of Ruffus (Common Pills) Pills for Pestilence Compound Electuary of Eggs (Electuarium de Ovo) (Maximilian) Electuary of Juniper Berries Electuary of Scordium (Diascordium) Common Theriac London Theriac Theriac of Andromachus (Venice Theriac) Mithridate |
TCM Classification Qi Deficiency Yu Ping Feng San |
Special Formulas
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1. ANTIDOTE OF MITHRIDATE Walnuits, 2 Fig, 1 Rue a little Salt a pinch Mix and take every morning. This is a famous recipe from King Mithridate. 2. COMMON PILLS Aloe 4 parts Myrrh 2 parts Saffron 1 part Powder, form pills. Take every morning. This is the famous Pills of Ruffus, or Common Pills. 3. PRESERVATIVE POWDER Aloe Cinnamon Myrrh. 3 drams Clove Mace Aloeswood Mastic Armenian Earth half dram ea. Powder and take some every morning in white wine. This was said to have been used in England in the year 1348 when the Plague came, and according to the source, no one who took this medicine was infected which was noted by “all Physicians”. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1595 4. PRESERVATIVE CONSERVE Juniper Pimpernel leaf Betony Pennyroyal Sorrel equal parts Powder and mix with Honey and a little vinegar to form a conserve. (Secrets of Alexis) 5. Juniper berry Armenian Earth equal parts Powder and mix with Sweet Oil and Vinegar, or Oxymel and form a large pill or Bolus. |