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The Widdowes Treasure - Lice and Drunkenness

1595

A cure for drunkenness

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  • Intro

    The Widdowes Treasure was written by John Partridge, in 1595. As the title page states, the book is 'Plentifully furnished with Sundry precious and approved secrets in Phisicke and Chirurgery, for the health and pleasure of mankind.' The book contains a range of recipes for medical remedies, to treat anything from chapped lips and drunkenness to gout and even cancer. There are also recipes for confectioneries, syrups, gold and emerald dyes, and black ink, as well as for concoctions to make beards grow, or to provoke sleep. This page provides all sorts of helpful advice: the best way to kill lice, how to keep pears from going mouldy, a method for making linen white, and a useful recipe for curing drunkenness.

     

    Shelfmark: C.104.e.32(3)

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  • Transcript

    The Widdowes Treasure - Lice and Drunkenness

    Houseleeke, two dragmes of Mirtle, and as much of Lead burned, one dragme of Camphire, halfe a dragm of red Rose leaves, as much red currall, and according to art make all these an ointment in a morter of Lead.

     

    For an Ague.

    Take a handfull of Hartes horne that groweth in the feelde, and a handfull of baye salte, and lay it to your wristes.

     

    For the Tooth-ache.

    Take Betonye, Sage, and Allome, seethe them in Vinegar, and let it lye in your Tooth.

    To keepe Venison fresh a long time.

    Presse out the blood cleare, and put it into an earthen pot, and fill it with clarified Honie two fingers above the fleshe, and binde a leather close about the mouth that no ayre enter.

    To keep it from rotting after it is new Slaine.

    Cover it close from the Sunne or Ayre with fearne, and lay it in a cold place, then wash it cleane, and let it lye in Water halfe a day, and then lay it on the floore to drie, then set the water and Salt together, and let it coole till it be leuke warme, and then wash the Venison therein, and let it lye in that pipkin three daies and three nights, then take it out and powder it with drie salt, and barrell it and stop it fast.

     

    To keep Peares.

    Put them in a vessell that they touch not each other, and make a bed of Peares, and an other of fine white Salte, and cover them close.

     

    To kill lyce.

    Make a fier and put quicksilver therein, and hang the clothes over it in the smoake, and no vermin will come in them.

     

    Against drunkennes.

    Drinke the juice of Barowe salting, or els the marrow of Porke salting.

    To make Linnen cloth or Yarne white.

    Take a Herring barrill, and fill it full of ale dregges, and stoppe it fast, but firste you must have a good dishe full of parched Beanes, and put them in a Linnen bagge, and

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