John Hewitt

“ Among the manuscripts of the Cathedral library at Lichfield is a folio volume of Recipes belonging to Sir John Floyer, physician to King Charles the Second, who resided and practised in Lichfield. He was born at Hints, near that city, where the family has flourished to the present day. He published several works of a professional character, the chief of which was an essay "On the Use and Abuse of hot, cold, and temperate Baths in England." Near a rocky glen in the vicinity of Lichfield he constructed a cold bath, to which he gave the name of Saint Chad's Bath. ”

“ The ingredients are sage, rue, elder leaves, red bramble leaves, white wine and ginger. "So drink of it evening and morning 9 dayes together: the first spoonfull will by Gods grace preserve safe for 24 dayes, and after ye ninth spoonfull for one whole yeare."
Another "safe medicine" is as follows:—"Take a locke of yr Owne hair, cutt it as small as may bee, and so take it in beere or wine."
The next is not so appetising: "For a dull hearing. Take a grey snaile, prick him, and putt ye water wch comes from him into ye eare and stop it with black wool, it will cure." ”

“ Then take the white cankerous Moss that grows upon an old Oake an handfull or more; a roote or two of elecampane, boil it in a pottle of new milke to the halfe, give it the horse lookwarme in the morning fasting." * * * Finally, little cakes are prepared of Colts-foot, turpentine, and some other ingredients. "Then take a chafeing dish of coales, lay one or two (of the cakes) on the coales, make the horse's head fast, let hiui take the smoake up his nostrills through a Funnell. ”

“ For Consumption is recommended an infusion in which the following ingredients take part:—Malaga-sacke, liverwort, Dandaleon-root scrap't and ye pith tooke out, and a piece of Elecampane slic't. "My sister Legge sent this to my Lady Archbold 25 Jan. 1672/3 with this com̄endation, that it hath done great wonders and such cures of Consumption as never were knowne before, and that it cost ye Countess of Denbigh 40li."
A portion of the volume is devoted to the maladies of various quadrupeds and birds. ”