is not prepared from pure antimony, or not genuinely prepared.

Secondly, I apprehend, that, where it has been prescribed, and given inwardly, it has only been powdered and fifted; whereby it is not reduced to the hundredth part of the fineness to which it is brought by the aforefaid levigation, if duly performed. It is well known to the learned in chemistry, that, by trituration, feveral rough bodies may be rendered foft and fmooth corrofive mercury, by repeated operations, is changed from a violent poifon, to a fafe medicine, frequently prescribed, even for children. I have found, by experience, that the pill and drop is a fafe and very efficacious medicine, when prepared, as before directed.

I must farther obferve, that by grinding and incorporating the vitrified antimony with the dragon's blood, which is a balfamic gum, the medicine is rendered ftill more foft and smooth.

Attefted, Dec. 1, 1762, by me,
JOHN WHITE.

The true and genuine method of prepa

ring the White Drop.

Pound and bruise fourteen pounds of the cleaneft copperas into a rough powder; then dry it, with a very gentle heat, fpreading it thin, till it becomes a dry and fubtle powder, to appearance like quick-lime, only much whiter. [Care must be taken, at the beginning of the drying, that the heat be very moderate; otherwife it will melt, and fhut up the pores of the copperas, and greatly injure your future operation.]

When your copperas is thus become dry and subtle (which may be done in about fix or feven days) weigh it, and take an equal quantity of good and clean rough nitre, or falt petre, which let alfo be tolerably dry. Pound your nitre and dried copperas together, and fift them through an indifferently

* See Quincy's Difpenfatory, on Trituration,

P. 10, 11. Ed, 1756.

fine hair-fieve, then put them into a large glafs retort, coated at the bottom, and fet it in a fand-furnace : let not your retort be above an inch from the bottom and fides of your fand-pan: fix on a very large receiver, and lute it: but leave a fmall vent-hole in the joint, by ftriking in the point of a fmall kewer, to let out the wind, (which will iffue from the matter at the first making of your fire) by drawing it out, and putting it in as you fhall fee occafion, to prevent your retort or receiver's burting. Make a gentle fire for the first three hours; then increase it gradually, for three or four hours longer, till your iron pan be red at bottom; continue your fire for about thirty hours; then let it out, and when all is cool, you will have a most powerful aqua fortis. Put it into a bottle, and ftop it clofe: let it ftand fix or eight days (the longer the better) to digeft itself.

Put this aqua fortis into a glafs retort; let it be about half, or twothirds full; fet it into your fand-heat, and fix on a receiver, which need not be very large make an indifferent fire, till all your aqua fortis is come over into your receiver; leaving behind was forced over by the violence of the only a brown reddifh earth, which fire in the first diftillation. Thus you have a moft ftrong and pure aqua

fortis.

[As I have never been able to procure any aqua fortis, proper for making the faid drops, but what I made myfelf, I have here fet down a true and full procefs for making it.]

Take of your rectified aqua fortis as much as you pleafe; put it into a large bolt-head, with a long neck, but not above a quarter full. Then take, of the purest and finelt volatile fal armoniac, in which there is not the leaft acid falt, or lime.

volatile falt ready made, and doubt [As I have ufually bought this not but it may be had pure and genuine at Apothecary's hall, I have omt ted here fetting down the process to

1 2

mak i

making it; having bought it of Mr. Godfrey, chemift.]

To fixteen ounces of the aforefaid aqua fortis, in your bolt-head, take feven ounces of the faid volatile fal armoniac; and, by half an ounce at a time, put it into your bolt-head, to your aqua fortis, immediately ftopping the mouth of your bolt-head, till the fermentation is over: yet not fo clofe, but to leave fome fmall vent, for fer the wind, caufed by the violent fermentation, fhould burft your glafs. When all your fal armoniac is in, let it ftand two or three hours, till the fumes are fettled.

[N. B. This is the right and exact proportion; if your operation in making your aqua fortis are rightly performed, and your volatile fal armoniac be good and pure.]

Now put it into a fmaller bolt-head, half full, and fet it in a moderate fand-heat; when it is warm, put in four ounces of the finest quickfilver to each round (of fixteen ounces) of your folution; and let it ftand in that beat, till all the quick filver is diffol ved. Increase your fire a little, and put in a small quantity more of quickfilver; thus letting it diffolve, by gen. tle additions, as much as it will. When it will diffolve no more, take it out of the bolt-head, put it into an open glafs veffel, or a large white flone bowl. [I generally cut off a large glass body in the middle.] Set it in a moderate fand-heat, and let it evaporate till a pellicle or skin comes over the top of it. Then take it from the fire, and Jet it fland in a cool place to congeal. Great care must be taken, that your heat be not too great in your evaporation, nor continued too long; or it would coagulate, and mix the corroive oil (which is to be poured off after its congealment) with the fine pure falt, and quite fpoil the medicine.]

There will remain, uncongealed, a heavy liquor, or oil, which pour off, and let it drain until no more will run or drop from it. Take the remaining flt, put it into a glass body, and to sach pound (fixteen ounces) put three

pounds of the finest rofe-water; ftopping the mouth of your body, by tying over it a piece of double brown paper. Set it again in your fand-heat; make an indifferently hot fire, till all your falt is diffolved; which is usually done in twenty-four hours.

Thus the White Drop is prepared.

OBSERVATION.

This medicine, thus rendered extremely mild, cannot poffibly be accounted dangerous; feeing that, in the dofe of two drops, ufually taken in twenty-four hours, the quantity of mercury does not amount to half a grain.

Attefted, Dec. 1, 1762, by me,
JOHN WHITE.

Late Mr. Ward's Sweating Powder,
No. I. according to his Book.

Take ípecacuanha, liquorice, and opium, each one ounce. 'Nitre and vitriolated tartar, each four ounces. Fulminate.

Beat them, in a mortar, with the opium. Sift through a fine Gieve to the ipecacuanha and liquorice: mix well by fifting.

The dofe from twenty to forty grains.

It appears, at first view, that Mr. Ward must have made a mistake in ordering nitre and vitriolated tartar o be fulminated together: for vitriolated tartar will not fulminate with nitre; wherefore I apprehend that the manner in which those ingredients are to be prepared, must necessarily be as follows, viz.

Take four ounces of refined nitre, and the fame quantity of vitriolated tartar. Rub them together, in a mortar, into a powder. Take a crucible (not of the blue fort) fet it in the fire; and when it begins to be red, put in about half of your nitre and tartar; ftirring it about with an iron rod. There will arife red fumes; which take care to avoid, for they are noxious. When the red fumes ceafe, put in the remainder of your matter, ftir

ring

ring it as before, till no more fumes aride. Then pour it out into an iron mortar ; and, when cool, put to it opium, ipecacuanha, and liquorice powder, of each one ounce; pound and fift them through a fine lawn fieve; then mix them well together.

N. B. The ipecacuanha muft be picked of fuch a fort as will break eafily; and not of the tough woody fort.

After thefe powders are thus prepared, they fhould be fpread thin upon white flone dishes, and fet in a cool place, for about two days; mixing them very well together, and fpreading them again, twice a day': then dry them before the fire, or fome gentle heat. JOHN WHITE.

Sweating Powder, No. II.

Take common tartar, and refined nitre, each one pound; fulminate them together in a crucible, or iron pot; which will reduce them to about fifteen ounces, after the fulmination. To these add of white hellebore, and liquorice powder, each fix ounces; of opium, five ounces. Powder all thefe together; and fift them through a fine lawn fieve.

Dole, from twenty-five to fifty grains.

For, it is to be obferved, that Mr. Ward advised fuch of his patients, as had never taken any of his fweats, to begin with half a paper only (containing the full dose) and to increase the quantity, or not, according to its operation, or the age and ftrength of the patient.

Mr. Ward's Sweating Powders, from what I have feen and felt, are, in my opinion, the moft excellent of all fweats, for removing rheumatic, and other pains, occafioned by obftructions.

Pafte for the Fiftula, Sc.

Take a pound of alicampane root; three pounds of fennel feeds, and one pound of black pepper. Pound these feparately, and fift them through a fine fieve. Take two pounds of good honey, and two pounds of powder fugar; melt the honey and the

fugar together, over a gentle fire, fcumming them continually, till they become bright as amber. When they are cool, mix and knead them into your powder, in the form of a soft paste.

This pafte has been found to be a fpecific remedy for the fiftula, piles, &c.

The dofe is the fize of a nutmeg, morning, noon, and night, drinking a glafs of water or white wine after it. Attested by me,

F. J. D'OSTERMAN.

LIQUID SWEAT. Take a gallon of good fpirits of wine, and half a gallon of good white wine. Put them into a strong bottle, and add half a pound of good saffron ; four ounces of good cinnamon; two ounces of falt of tartar; and one ounce

of good opium, cut into fmall bits. Stop the bottle clofe, and fet it within the air of the fire, eight days; fhaking it three or four times a day. Filtre it through filtring paper.

The dofe is from thirty to fixty drops, in a glafs of good white wine. Attefted by me,

F. J. D'OSTERMAN.

Dropy Purging Powder, from Mr. Ward's Book.

iris, each four ounces. Jalap, cream of tartar, Florentine Make them into a fine powder separately, and mix them well.

Dropfy Purging Powder, as prepared by Mr. D'Ofterman for Mr. Ward.

Take a pound of jalap, in powder; a pound of cream of tartar, and an ounce of bole armenic, in fine powder. Mix them well together.

The dofe is from thirty to forty grains in broth, or warm beer, two or three days together; or oftener, if neceffary.

This remedy feldom fails in the watery, or windy dropfy; provided the patient has not been tapt. Attested by me,

F. J. D'OSTERMAN.

Fence

Effence for the Head-Ach, c. as prepared by Mr. D'Ofterman, for Mr. Ward.

Take two pounds of true French fpirits of wine: put them into a large ftrong bottle; and add two ounces of roch allum, in very fine powder; four Ounces of camphor, cut very fmall; half an ounce of effence of lemon; and four ounces of the strongest volatile fpirit of fal ammoniac. Stop the bottle quite clofe, and shake it three or four times a day, for five or fix days.

The method of ufing it, is to rub the hand with a little of it, and hold it hard upon the part affected, until it is dry. If the pain is not quite relieved, repeat it twice or three times. Attefted by me,

F. J. D'OSTERMAN,

RULES neceffary to be observed in tak ing the feveral medicines of the late Mr. WARD, now made public. White Drop, for the Scurvy, c. Take two drops, in a small glafs of water, in the morning fafting, or at night, going to rest, for two or three days together. Then forbear as many days as you took them; and proceed as before, till the bottle is finished.

They feldom work visibly; excepting that, in fome conftitutions, they occafion one or two motions.

RED PILL.

Bruife the Pill, and take it in a fpoonful of any fmall liquid, on an empty ftomach. It fometimes works upwards; fometimes downwards; according to the nature and feat of the diforder in which cafes it is proper to drink a fmall quantity of balm or fage tea, &c. between each motion:

and, if it fweats, as it fometimes does, keep yourself warm, and encourage it by drinking, as above.

The day you take it, avoid milk, greens, and fruit.

It has been experienced, with great fuccefs, in cafes where the ftomach or bowels are foul; or the paffages obftructed and, particularly, in inve

terate rheumatic diforders.

The Emetic, or Sack Drop.

When the fickness comes on, drink about half a pint of water, or thin water-gruel; and continue to do every time it works.

It has been found to cleanse the ftomach more effectually than the vomits ufually given, and that without occafioning uncommon reachings.

The bottle is a full dofe for a man or woman; which must be leffened, according to the age and strength of the patient.

Sweating Powders for the Rheumatism, &c.

Both forts of these powders are to be taken in any liquid, going to bed, between the blankets, and drinking moderately, now and then, fomething warm; fuch as white wine whey, balm-tea, &c. The fweating is not to be checked, but encouraged, by lying ftill, and keeping warm.

At first taking, it may be proper to begin with half a dofe; increasing it gradually as occafion may require.

If half the quantity does not raise a proper fweat; then take, the next night, three quarters, or the whole dofe; and repeat it every other night at difcretion; and for as long a time as fhall be found neceffary; or as they agree with the conflitution.

In ftubborn rheumatic cafes, and other fettled pains in the limbs, the Red Pill has been found to answer better than these powders.

N. B. It is to be obferved, that the quantity of opium is fomewhat lefs in the powder No. I. than in No. II.

Pafie