Wellcome Collection: Catchmay, Lady Frances (d.1629) (MS.184a)

A medicine to drawe & heale a prike with a thorne Take of Salendine, of orphine of each tooe handfull cut it very smale. then boyle it with oyle olife & [bowrought] wax, streyne it therof make a playster & applye it:

A good medicine for the consumption of the members quaguinge quakinge contaction or palesly of the Joynts: Take of Galbauum one pownde of Turpentine thre pownde, of oyle of bayes & of oyle olive, of each thre ownces make an oyle therof & usse it to the greaffe:

A good water to heale a soore: Take of Camphire one ownce, of white Coperes, a qter of a pownde, put them into an earthen potte, & seeth them on a softe faier, halfe an hower & therof will come a water whiche will be hard agayne but you must sturr them together many times untill thay be cowlde & harde, then take bole armomake a qter of a pownde & beate it to powder & put it to the other stufe then beate all together to very fine powder & put into a bladder and when you shall neade therof take a pottle of fayre runninge water & set it on the fier & when it beginneth to […] take it off & put therin thre or fower sponefulls of your powder then put your water into an earthen potte bot covered & let it stande so untill it be cleare, then take the clerest of the water & warme it & as the patient can suffer it washe the soore with a linnen clothe usse this eveninge & morninge untill the soore be whole. And when your water hath stode seven or eyght dayes shake it well together but let it be well cleared before you usse it agayne & when all be cleare is spent cast away the rest for it will cawse prowd fleashe.

A playster for the gowte called: chirogo Apadogo: howerly prived & good for other aches olso: Take of [vurorought] wax, of perroshen of each tooe pownds, of other Roszen one pownd, of piche a qter of a pownde, of Olibanum halfe a pownde, melte all thes together with a softe fier, streyne them through a stronge canvas cloth, cast away the drosse & put into the rest streyned, halfe a pownde of deere suett a qter of an ownce of eynglishe safforne finely beaten, tooe ownces of cloves & mace fine beaten & streyned, then set them on a softe fier to melte, ever sturringe them untill all be equally mixed, then take apottell of good reed wine & put it to the sayde medicine by little & little, sturr it continually with your slice untill it be thicke, then gather it upp with your handes & wringe out the moystnes & make it upp in rowles, closinge it in white leather & keape it close from the eyer:

A good medicine for an Ache Take of march of commin of each one handfull of bores grease of Aquavitye, of [softe] water of each like quantitye mingle them all together & usse it to the greaffe:

A medicine for the mother or Spleane in a woman: Take one handfull of archangell with purple flowers, stampe it & streyne it with a little ale or beare, then warme it & put therto a little suger & give it the sicke to drinke:

An other for the same: Take tooe handfull of hore hownde, of Rue, of Daysies, of each one handfull, bruse them smale in a morter, put therto halfe a pownde of Commen but picke away the longe tayles, then fry them in [yeeles] grece & put therto one handfull of wheaten branne, then make a bagge of white wollen cloth & put it therin & lay it to your stomake very whott:

Another medicine for the same Take a browne Tost the under crust of the sowerest breade [made] it with vineger & strike theron blacke sope as you do Butter & so lay it under the navill:

A medicine for one that cannot make water Take a pinte of Ale & clarifye it, one parsley roote well scraped, washed, & sliced, one sponefull of parsley seede well rubbed & a little brused, put them into the ale & seethe them halfe away then streyne it & put therein so much Amber finely beaten to powder as will fill the shell of a hasell nutt with a little Suger, let the patient drinke a good drawfte therof when he is greved & after morninges & evenings & longe as he findeth [xay]

A good water for the Collicke & the stone Take of Saxebrudge one lapfull, of wilde time six handfull, of Reed fenell thre handfull, of Radishe rootes, of parsley with the rootes of each one hundred, washe them & dry them with a cleane cloth, then shred them and put them to a galland of milke from the cowe & let them stand therin all night, then distill it with a softe fier, when you have greafe drinke fowre sponefulls of the water with as much white wine & a little shuger blood warme for wante of wine take ale, beare, or Aquavitye:

A good medicine for the migrome in the heade: Take garden wormes, almost as much houslike, stampe them together & put therunto fine flower to make it playster wisse, then putt it in a fine clothe & lay it to the foreheade temples & all:

An approved medicine for any ache or Cricke: Take in may twelve pownde of May butter clarifye it cleane & skume it cleane with a feather & power out the whay from it, then take one pownde of brome flowers, stampe them & streyne them, then put it into the May butter & boyle them together a good while then power it from the brome flowers, putt it into a glasse & sett it in the Sonne untill michelmas: And when you annoynte the patiente take one sponefull of it & fowr sponefulls of good sacke & boyle them together, then as whotte as you can dippe in you hande & often times heate them, annoynte the greafe & leay to a whott clothe, as whott as one may suffer it:

An other medicine for an ache Take a pinte of good Aquavitye a reasonable quantitye of an oxe gall, halfe a handfull of baye leaves, put them together & boyle them with a softe fier & cover it close, when halfe is consumed take it of when you have neade annoynte the place greved therwith: Reed wax stroke uppon a cloth playster wise will gather skinne & healpe any broken skine:

A medicine for a scaldinge or burninge Take Daysye rootes & all, scrape them cleane then frye them with freashe greace & yellow wax, when you have fryed them well together then streyne it throughe a linnen clothe & keape it for your usse a whole yeare & very good:

To heale a Tettor: Take the gumme of a Cherry tree, lay it in vineger, then rubb the place therwith & will distroy the tetter quickly:

A good medicine to make one Vomitt Take halfe a crowne weyght of white Coperesse & melte it in warme water, so drinke therof & it will make one vomitt:

A good medicine for the Runninge & [savor] of the eares Take one sponefull of the Guce of wormewoode, halfe a sponefull of the oyle of almones, mingle them together, make it a little warme & put it into the soore eare

A good oyntmente for the stomacke: Take a pinte of very good sallet oyle & thre or fowre sponefulls of sharpe white wine vineger, of Reed mintes, wormewoode, of each one good handfull, of Cloves, mace, & ginger, of each one ownce beaten into grose powder, then shred the yearbs fine & temper them well with the spices, then put them all in a cleane pott & stopp the mouthe very close, then sett it on the fier in a pott or panne of water so that the water may cover more than halfe of the pott wher the thinges, so let it seethe the space of fowre or five howers still renewinge the water, then take it off & as it waxeth cowlde streyne harde the oyle from the other thinges, melte a qter of a pownde of pure wax put all together in a fayre glasse pott, in the morninge when you arrisse heate some of it & annoynte your stomacke therwith:

An excelent medicine to stoppe the consomption of nature & to restore the body in shorte time: Take a Reed Cocke & droppe him as the mannor is to stew with his liver & stones, then quarter him & [sorh] every parte with a knife, then put it into thre quartes of white wine: Take tooe ownces of fenell rootes, one ownce of parsley rootes the middle spire beinge taken out five or six dattes, the stones & white within taken out, halfe a handfull of greate reysons & tenne prunes the stones of both taken out, of Simanon thre qters of an ownce, of ginger halfe an ownce, longe pepper one peniworth, Cloves & mace tooe peniworth, one nuttmegg, of greynes fowre peniworth of yellow Amber twelve pence weyght, of the bone that growes in the stages harte eyght peny weyght, of seede pearle as much, beate all thes into fine powder: Take olso of Burrage flowers Conserved, & of Rosemary flowers Conserved, of each one ownce & a halfe: Of the powder of Diatrium Sandalox a qter of an ownce: let all thes stuffes be put into the wine with the Cocke into an earthen pott cover it with a borde & paste it with Dowe very close, then put the same into a brasse pott or Cawdron with whott water & let it stew ther six or seven howers, this done take it off the fier & pownd it in a morter & streyne it harde & let the patient eate therof seven or nine sponefulls at one time (made very warme) thre times a day:

A very good way to distill a pigge whiche is excelent restoritive for a weake bodye: Take a good fleshy pigge but not to fatt, scalde him & washe him cleane & make him as dry as you can with a cleane clothe, then take of Dates, prunes, Reysons, of each a qter of a pownde, of Currantes halfe an ownce, of Sinemon rindes as much, of whole mace as much olso, of Shuger Candye halfe a qter of a pownde, of Suibery one handfull, of mayden heare, bloodworte, liverworte, hartes tonge, violett leaves, strabery leaves, sweet margerum, longebeare, of each of all halfe a handfull, tooe or thre fenell rootes the pithe taken out, one quarte of muskadin or Bastard in steade therof, one quarte of runninge water, put all your stuffe with your pigge quartered into into a fayre yearthen pott of a pottle, stoppe the mouth therof as close as you can possible with paste, you must not forgett to put in thes heade & feete of the pigge: Then take a bottle of fayre water & make it seeth, then put in your yearthen pott & ever let it boyle the space of fowre & twentye howers & as the water doth consume have redy whott water to fill upp the bottle: when it hath sodden the full time take it out & open it & let the liquor therin runne throughe afayre cloth: And when you have neade put one sponefull at once in your Brothe.

A Soverayne Jelly well proved for Consomption {vernams medicins} Take a well fleshed capon, scalde & drawe him, & put in his belly one handfull of barley, & as much reysons, Currants, & Dates then putt him in a earthen pott with a galland of clarett wine, & so put in a quantitye of Sinamon & ginger & let it seethe untill the fleshe be fallen from the bones, then beate it in a morter, when it is well beaten put it into a [Hocras] bagge & let the Jelly runne into a fayre vessell: And give the patient therof morninges, at none & nighte warme with the yolkes of thre new layde egges: And within the spendinge of three Capons thus, by gods providence the patient shall recover much health: And to comforte the stomacke give him of Aromaticum Rosarum: made in lozenges:

A medicine for the weaknes in the backe or consuminge of nature Take one pinte of goates milke newly milked, halfe a handfull of the flowers of white Archangell & lay the same in steepe in the milke all nighte, in the morninge seethe the same tooe or thre wawmes, then streyne it & put therunto a quantitye of Shuger Candye & let the partye drinke thereof blood warme & so usse it seaven dayes together every morninge fastinge.

A good medicine to restore Nature Take one good handfull of knott grasse, as much Daysies the rootes & leaves beate them together in a morter, then take twelve Cappe Dates & beate with the yearbs olso, after thay be well beaten take the pithe of an oxe backe a dishefull, the yolkes of six new layde egges, & beate them together. Them take a pottel of the best muskadine & put into all the same & sturr them well together, then put it into a fayre vessell & seethe it untill the forth parte be consumed, then drinke therof very warme morninge & eveninge the quantitye of halfe a pinte every day & more if you like: This is very good to restore nature & to get strenthe when a mad or woman is weakened:

A medicine to cleane the Backe Take tooe good nutmegges, pricke them full of holes with a nedle, lay them in white vineger all nighte, in the morninge wrappe them in a wett browne paper & roste them in the imbers untill thay be throughly dried, then beate them into powder as fine as flower & every morninge & eveninge, drinke of it blood warme with ale, in any wise lett your nuttmegges be cowlde, before you beate them, for otherwise thay will not be powder: This is very good to make one make water, that hath the collicke for it will cleanse the backe & kidanyes:

For the Collicke & the stone & for the mother, most principall Take Fenell seedes, Coriander seedes, Caroway seedes, parcely seedes, gallingall seedes, gromell seedes, of each one ownce, of the leaves and [coodes] of seene a qter of an ownce, of Spignell, of time of each a qter of an ownce, make all thes into powder & searce them, & so drinke therof in good ale or white wine first & last & in all manner of sawces you eate with your meate: And this medicine will heale you, it hath bine proved many times:

To breake the stone & to make one make water Take halfe a handfull of pelitory of the wall, six parsley rootes, halfe a handfull of vusett time, & a quantitye of penriall, seethe all thes in a pottle of Rennishe wine or white wine from a pottle to a quarter then take nutmegge rosted dry by the fier, & devide the same into [fowr] partes, then drinke the same warme after it is streyned at your plesure as much or as little at once as you will:

Many good medicines for the stone: Take fowre sponefulls of the water of hawthorne flowers distilled & eyght sponefulls of Malmsey & one sponefull of Casse vineger ginger in powder, & drinke it & it will by gods healpe breake the stone:

An other medicine for the stone Take a handfull of parsley stampe it & streyne it with white wine or Ale & every morninge drinke therof fastinge:

An other for the same: Take Saxifrage & distill it to water & make Surrope therof as if it were of Roses & put therto a quantitye of Shuger & so eate it & it will breake the stone:

An other for the same: Take a quarte off malmsey, of Time, of parsley, of each one handfull boyle them together untill it be healfe wasted, then streyne it & drinke therof lukearme eveninge & morninge:

An other for the same Take the leaves of Raddishe distilled & drinke the water therof morninge & eveninge: Take oslo the powder of Elder flowers a sponefull at a time with wine or beare:

An other for the same: Take of the Rootes of parsley, pelitory & reed nettles, of each a like quantitye, washe them cleane & mince them smale & lay them in good white wine fowr & twentye howers, then distill all together & drinke it To tooe pownd of Rootes put a quarte of white wine:

An other good medicine for the stone Take a quarte of Malmsey & as much cleane well water, & a sponefull or tooe of honney & one handfull or tooe of ripe hippes well brayed in a morter boyle all together then strayne them & lay the hippes to the navell bound fast with a towell when goe yee to bedd & drinke a hartye drawfte of the Juce that is strayned, as whott as yee cane.

An other for the same: Take the inner rinde of the [foole] of rough [fooled] done, dry it betwen tooe tile stones & beate it to fine powder. Take a quantitye of fine Amber as much Jett beaten into powder each by it sealfe: And when you have neade take of each powder a like quantitye & drinke it lukewarme with white wine or ale: This is olso good for the strangnillion:

Others for the same: Take Roch Samphire distill the same & drinke of the water: Take the stone that is in the oxe galle beate it into powder & drinke it in water malmsey & water of wilde time:

An other for the same Take Bay berries one peniworth, Sinamond tooe peniworth, Eliceris one peniworth, thre Acornes made into powder, thre Cloves of a lillye roote dried uppon a tile before the fier, of Reed Sage, of Reed fenell, of each one hanffull made into powder, for a woman take one handfull of parsley shredd & sodd with one peniworth of prunes in a quarte of Ale untill halfe be consumed, then streyne it & put into it one sponfull of the powder & so lukewarme let the patiente drinke of it eveninge & morninge: olso yo must in VIII peniworth of parmasihe, one oyster shell burned to powder, II peniworth of Cloves & mace, III dates stones beaten, Aniseedes II peniworth smale [pepped] I peniworth

An other esspetial water for the stone: Take strawberies & distill them & drinke the water therof & it is very good for the stone. It hath bine often proved:

A good medicine for Collike & the stone Take a pinte of Sallet oyle, halfe a handfull of white salte, seeth it & dippe in the same tooe or thre handfulls of Blacke wolle as the [shipp] have it carded & binde the same from the navell to the botome of the bellye as warme as you can suffer it:

A very Soveraigne Oyntmente for the Collicke & the Stone Take of wormewoode, of Rew, of each one handfull, of Bayes, of holihocke leaves, of each tooe handfull, of lillye slowers, of lavender, of spike, of each thre handfulls, of Camomill flowers, of Melilott flowers, of each fowr handfulls, of brome flowers picked from the greane as much as of all the rest, then stampe them all & put into of hogges greace purely tried the weyght of all the styffe afforesayde, then stampe all together in a greate morter & put them into a panne close stopped for the space of seven dayes, then boyle them on a softe fier ever stirringe it for the space of one hower & a halfe, then streyne it throughe a [corousle] clothe & keape it in smale pottes & annoynte the soore place therwith:

A good medicine for the Collicke Take mustard seeds & grinde them smale the quantitye of halfe a pinte, with the strongest vineger you may gett, then take halfe a pownde of the best figges & pare off the skinne & stampe them in a morter a good while & then put the mustard seede & vineger together & make therof a playster & lay it to the place greved, so that you lay a clothe betwene it & the playster not warmed, & you shall (god willinge) finde therby greate easse: Probatum:

A good medicine for the Wormes, Ague, Newsicknes, or to drive any thinge from the harte: After you have made Common possett ale, take away the Curde & seethe in the drinke a quantitye of holye Thistell as much as will make it bitter & drinke therof: Mrs Reade:

A good medicine for the stinginge of an Adder or any other venemous beaste: Take the shell snayles which in sommer keape in gardens & in winter in Corners, breake the shells & lay the snayles in a fayer dishe & pricke them with a pinne so that the oyle may come from them: Annoynte the patiente with the same oyle with a feather & so usse it alwayes, as the oyle drinketh in & when you may perceave the place wher the stinge wente in take one of the snayles not pricked & lay it to the sayd place olso beware the swellinge risse not the harte, therfore let the place stonge lye hier then the harte, & take aquavitye & treacle & strike it on a linnen clothe of the breadth of an [guch] & girde it above the place wher the stinginge is, towards the harte that it may preserve the swellinge from thence:

A good medicine for winde in the stomacke: Take a good handfull of Mother [time] seethe it in thre pintes of white wine at the leaste, untill it be halfe consumed, then take some of the time & stripe off the leaves, whiche cleanes with a little treakell drinke together with the wine it was sodden in, It is a perfect good medicine for dissease above sayde:

A Soveraigne medicine for a Bruse in the Eye Take yearbe Cristopher & beate it well then putt to it may buter & sett it in the sonne for a good space & when you thinke it well sonned take it in & put it in a covered cupp, then putt it in a panne of seethinge water & so let it boyle [leyswelye] a whole day, then take it ouot & streyne it, when it is to to be ussed, it must be molten & dropped into the eye with a feather, as whott as the patient can suffer it, let it be ussed at morninge & eveninge, but he must lye uppon the bedd for the space of tooe howers at least after dressinge:

A medicine for the wateringe eyes: Take the leaves of reed worte & annoynte it with the whitte of an egge & lay it to the wateringe eye when the patiente goeth to bedd: Probatum: