such as beef, veal, mutton and lamb, fowls and fish; and with regard to eggs we get this information: "The newest eggs are the best, and nourish most and soonest, and yield good aliment; but the stalest are the worst, and the corruption of eggs is most dangerous." A long chapter on fruit and vegetables precedes a mild account of wines and waters. The latter are to be thus corrected :

66

"Waters are corrected by boyling, and their conditions and malignancies are abated, and the terene and vitious parts are separated, which will settle in the bottom when they are cold." Coffee, perhaps, forms the most distinctive passage in the book. 'Lastly, since of late coffee is grown so much into use, it will not be amiss if we touch upon the quality of it. In its nature it is cold and dry, binding: it doth very much sympathize in vertue with pease, only it hath this quality above pease, that it will make him that drinks it vigilant, for it doth very much hinder sleep, and therefore good in a lethargy, but bad to be drank near bedtime by those that cannot sleep well; it doth potently resist drunkenness, which makes many after hard drinking refresh themselves with it; and as it is drank actually hot, and being in itself potentially cold, it is innocent, working no wonders but one, viz., it hath made many poor people by selling it, become very rich."

The rest may be passed over till we come to the second part, where John Archer falls foul upon all other practice but his own. Physicians, it appears, read Galen, Hippocrates, Diascorides, Actuarius, Rasis, Serapio, Ætius, Averoes, Hurnius, Fernelius, Senertus, Riverius, cum multis aliis; they go to Italy and visit the universities, but they are not up to the standard of John Archer. "Whilst mere Methodists (observe the use of the word) are sufficiently satisfied when they can say, sic dixit Galenus vel Hippocrates, we can with more comfort say, experientia docet, for experience is the mistress of knowledge, and the best knowledge is taken from experience."

So disinterested is our author, that, having set down certain and safe ways of government, he has invented a few choice remedies; these might be improperly prepared, so with tender solicitude for the welfare of mankind, “I will not entrust any to prepare them, nor the delivery of them from my own house, and there only delivered; for the best medicine not well and truly prepared, may make a failing in cure." We are not startled, therefore, when recommended to purge with "our Morbus pill." "Take, I say, in bed, and sleep after, the first night three pills, next night four pills; and if thy strength is sufficient, which you will find by taking the two first

doses, take the third day five pills." Wind up with our cordial dyet drink," which has this advantage, “that it doth corroborate and fortifie the noble parts of the body." It is somewhat remarkable that our dyet drink and morbus pills are applicable in many cases, which shows the skill with which they have been compounded; but some acute diseases require further aid. This is how to cure the

ague :

"First take two or three of our vomiting pills in the morning; then at night take of our cordial dyet drink half a pint hot every night and morning, sweating upon it every time, and forbear drinking of beer or ale for four days, taking this drink at meat and else; and take also three of our corroborating pills, every morning for a week together, early stirring after them, it will free your body with ease and safety. Avoiding the violent sweats the Jesuits' powder doth commonly bring upon all that take it." But in the seventeenth century they did not vomit or corroborate or take their morbus pills free of all expense.

"Our cordial dyet drink is 2s. 6d. the quart; our morbus, 5s. a box; our corroborating pills, the same; a box of our vomit pills, containing twenty, is 3s. Moreover we have a cordial pill giving ease in an hour, and frees thy body from the greatest pain. Its price is 12d. each pill, there being three in a box, is 3s. price. These pills and dyet drink are so well known by all that have used them for their excellent vertues, that they need nothing of pen praise; their benefit in use will show their worth, and to be had only from my house in Winchester Street, near Gresham Colledge, next door to the Fleece Tavern." The name of the hostelry is significant. J. I.

The Royal Pharmacopoeia, Galenical and Chemical, according to the practice of the Most Eminent and Learned Physitians of France, and published with their several approbations. By Moses Charras, the King's Chief Operator in his Royal Garden of Plants. Faithfully Englished. Illustrated with several Copper Plates. London: printed for John Starkey, at the Miter within Temple Bar, and Moses Pitt, at the Angel, in St. Paul's Church-Yard.

1678.

This is a very complete treatise on Pharmacy. The first part enters into a full description of a great number of pharmaceutical and chemical operations, including the construction and use of furnaces. The second part describes the manner of concocting all kinds of galenical preparations, including a few that we now should think

rather nasty. Such are powder of vipers, oil of earthworms, oil of scorpions, oil of lizards. Fastidious people too might think it cruel to plunge, according to directions, the live ingredient into scalding oil.

The first forty-six chapters of the third part of the book are devoted to distillations, the remainder to extracts, waters, and the preparation of various metallic salts. Among other chemical preparations are some much commended which have for basis human skull, blood, or urine; vipers, toads, frogs, earthworms, emmets, peacocks, etc. In the fourth part of the book we have a collection of recipes, amongst which, whatever its value, an Ointment to catch Fish," compounded of man's and cat's fat and powdered mummy, can hardly be thought to hold a fitting place in a Royal Pharmacopoeia. W. A. T.

The English Physitian enlarged; with Three Hundred, Sixty and Nine Medicines, made of English Herbs, that were not in any impression until this; being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of this Nation; containing a Compleat Method of Physick, whereby a Man may preserve his Body in Health, or Cure himself being Sick, for Three-pence charge, with such things only as grow in England, they being most fit for English Bodies. Herein is also shewed these seven things, viz. :-1. The Way of making Plaisters, Oyntments, Oyls, Pultisses, Syrups, Decoctions, Juleps, or Waters of all sorts of Physical Herbs, that you may have them ready for your Use at all times of the Year.-2. What Planet governeth every Herb or Tree (used in Physick) that groweth in England.-3. The Time of gathering all Herbs, both Vulgarly and Astrologically.-4. The Way of Drying and Keeping the Herbs all the Year.-5. The Way of Keeping their Juyces ready for use at all times.-6. The Way of Making and Keeping all kind of Useful Compounds made of Herbs.-7. The Way of Mixing Medicines according to Cause and Mixture of the Disease and Part of the Body Afflicted. By Nich. Culpepper, Gent., Student in Physick and Astrology. London: printed for George Sawbridge, at the Bible on Ludgate Hill. 1681. Small 8vo., pp. 285.

This book had, even long after it was published, a great reputation. It contains, as explained in the title, an account of a great number of English plants. It may be doubted whether the opinion that such are best for English bodies gained much hold upon English minds, either before or since the date of this production. Gerard,

eighty years before, complains that the "golden rod" was held in much favour, and fetched almost any price, till one fine day it was discovered growing plentifully in Hampstead Wood. The passion for foreign remedies has certainly descended to this our day, or we should have the pages of our Pharmacopœia relieved of such cumbersome inutilities as sumbul and senega, sarsa and matico, bael and bebeeru, whose most eminent recommendation is that they reach us from afar. Culpepper had probably well studied the Herbal of Gerard; he quotes from him, and many of his descriptions, not only of herbs but of their "vertues," look very much like transplantations from the pages of Gerard to his own. But Culpepper was a diligent student of astrology whilst Gerard was absolutely innocent of everything of the kind; at any rate he exhibits no symptoms of astrological tendencies in his Herbal. This brave old fellow had a perfume of the fields about him. We can imagine him in doublet and cloak of sober hue, but fresh and neat withal, cane in hand, perambulating his pretty garden in Holborn, or down in the meadows at Knightsbridge and about Fulham. But an astrologer!—the very name suggests nothing but fantastic horrors. W. A. T.

Actorum Laboratorii Chymici Monacensis seu Physicæ Subterraneœ Libri Duo, quorum Prior profundam subterraneorum genesin, nec non admirandam Globi terr-aque-aërei super et subterranei fabricam; Posterior Specialem Subterraneorum Naturam resolutionem in partes partiumque proprietates exponit. Accesserunt sub finem mille hypotheses seu mixtiones Chymicæ, antehac nunquam visæ; omni, plus quam mille experimentis stabilita, sumptibus et permissu Serenissimi Electoris Bavarice, etc. Domini sui clementissimi elaboravit et publicavit Joh. Joachimus Becherus, Spirensis Med. D. Sacræ Cæs. Majestatis Consiliarius nec non Serenissimi Bavaria Electoris Aule Medicus. Francofurti: Imp. Mauritii Georgii Weidmanni. Anno 1681. 8vo, pp. 810.

The first two sections are devoted to an explanatory and critical commentary upon the Mosaic Genesis. The remainder treats of the three mineral principles recognised under the alchemical names, Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury; of mixtures, putrefaction, fermentation, and the interactions of metals and minerals. Two supplements are added. The first describes a new chemical experiment by which iron is produced from common clay, and any kind of fat “sine ullis aliis materiis." The second is a collection of chemical essays by the same author, showing the truth and possibility of transmuting

metals into gold. The author's own words will communicate most concisely the nature of his discourse :—

"Finis Alchymiæ est Mercurius, medium est Mercurius, principium est Mercurius." Mercury from beginning to end. W. A. T.

Collectanea Chimico Curiosa, quæ veram continent Rerum Naturalium Anatomiam sive Analisin e Triplici Regno tam Vegetabili Animali quam et Minerali unde generosa hactenus a Neotericis huic inde tradita resultant et traduntur Medicamina, adversus omnes corporis morbos, cum Usu simul et applicandi modo accurate adjecto Opera et Studio. J. D. Thom. A. Francofurti, apud viduam Hermanni à Sande. 1693. Pp. 927.

This is a collection of pharmaco-therapeutical essays. Though containing a great number of really useful and sensible observations, it is deeply tinged, as were all works on medicine of that date, with that superstition which is always attendant upon ignorance.

The work is divided into nineteen chapters, which are subdivided into numerous sections. Some of them, such as those headed Hydroleologia Tartarologia Saccharologia, treat of waters, oils, of preparations of tartar, of sugar, and the like. Tract the fifth gives you Septem Planetarum terrestrium explicatio," dated from the Hague, 1613; and you learn from it not only why gold, silver, iron, quicksiver, tin, copper, and lead are called respectively Sol, Luna, Mars, Mercurius, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, but also how several of their more important compounds may be prepared. The following extract, setting forth the analogies between gold and the sun, will give an idea of the general style.

"Primo mane exorto solis jubare, princeps ille planetarum si e terra vapores non sunt impedimento, vultum suum croceum et lucidum, sub vesperam autem rubrum mundo intuendum et observandum exhibet. Haud secus sol terrestris aquâ regiâ solutus, croceo velamine amictus per totum vitrum flavissimum colorem et pelludum intuentium oculis objicit et vero si progrediare ad menstruum extrahendum sub vesperam purpureum colorem videbis. Jam autem si ad umbilicum opus perducas et aucto igne universam humiditatem extrahas priorem auri flavissimum colorem perspicies; quam rem solis ortum, labore nocturno peracto, appellare licet."

In the "Tractatus de Paste" we are told that the causes of atmospheric infection are both celestial and terrestrial. By celestial we are to understand "malas influentias planetarum." Among sublu