THE Veins perpendicular to the Horizon, as alfo other Ducts, as the Lymphatics, the Thoracic The Valves. Duit, &c. have thin Membranes or Valves placed in their Cavities, which open with the Course of the Blood or Fluid, and give it a free Paffage; but are closed by the refluent Blood, and fo hinder its Regrefs. Such is the admirable Providence of Nature in all her Handy-works!

Of

Of PHARMACY; or the Art of Compounding MEDICINES.

P

HARMACY is the Art of ma- Pharmacy deking Medicines; and it hath been fined. ufually diftinguifh'd into two

Kinds, Chymical and Galenical.

Chymical Pharmacy is the Art of Chymical. making and procuring Medicines by the Operations of Chymistry, or the Action of Fire on Natural Bodies, refolving and reducing them to their fimple conftituent Parts, as Spirits, Oils, Salts, &c. But the Galenical Phar- Galenical. macy is that which prepares Medicines, after the Method of Galen, in a more gross Manner from the whole Substance of Vegetables; and not only fo, but also compounding the various Parts of the fame Plant, and likewife of divers Plants together, to answer the Intentions of Phyfic.

THE Business of making Medicines of the PharmacoGalenic Kind is call'd Pharmacopeia, and he who paia, what. actually performs it is call'd Pharmacopeius, or, vulgarly, an Apothecary: But he is alfo call'd Pharmacopola, from his felling or vending of PharmacoMedicines. Moreover, the Weighing and Mea- pola. furing out proper Quantities of Ingredients for a compound Medicine is call'd Dispensation; and a Book containing Rules directing fuch Quantities is call'd a Difpenfatory; as that of the Col- Difpenfatory. lege, Quincy, and others. Lastly, thofe Simples which are used in the Shops, and the compound Medicines made of them, are call'd Officinal Simples and Compofitions.

THE

Of the Weights ufed by the Apothecaries.

Abbreviatures

Officinal Simples.

THE WEIGHTS which the Apothecary useth in making and compounding his Medicines, with the Characters by which they are represented in Prescriptions and Books, are as follows: fb, a Pound; 3, an Ounce; 3, a Dram or Drachm; 9, a Scruple; gr. a Grain; fs, Half of a thing; M, an Handful; P, a Pugil, one eighth Part of an Handful; P. Æ. Equal Quantities; q. f. a fufficient Quantity; S. A. according to Art; Cong. a Gallon; Cochl. a Spoonful. And in regard of Numbering, instead of Figures they use the Numerical Letters; as, i, ii, iii, iv, v, &c. for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Thus 3i, 3ii, 3iii, &c. fignifies 1, 2, 3, Ounces: And bfs, or 3fs, is half a Pound, or half an Ounce,

AGAIN, in Prefcriptions to the Shop, fignifies Recipe, or take; a, of each; m. Mix; f. m. make a Mixture; f. make; h. m. Medicinal Hours; h. f. the Hour of Sleep, or going to Bed. A Table of Apothecaries Weights is as follows. Twenty Grains, gr. xx. Three Scruples,

i. One Scruple. zi. One Drachm.

iii.

make?

Eight Drachms, zviii.

Zi. One Ounce.

bi. One Pound.

Twelve Ounces, 3xii.

Alfo one Cochl, or Spoonful is about 3fs, or half an Ounce; and one Cong. or Gallon is tbviii, or eight Pounds.

OFFICINAL SIMPLES are all the Parts or Subjects of the three Kingdoms of Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals, that are used in the Shops for making compound Medicines. Of thefe, Vegetables make the Subftance of the Galenical Pharmacy which we here treat of; Animals and Minerals being referr'd to the Chymical. Vegetable Simples are diftributed, by Difpenfatory Writers, into Herbs, Flowers, Barks, Roots, and

Seeds;

Seeds; to which may be added the feveral Gums or infpiffated Juices of fome Plants.

CONCERNING the Gathering and Preferva- Rules to be obtion of these Simples, it is requifite to obferve the Jerv'd concernfollowing Rules or Maxims. As concerning ing Herbs, Herbs (1.) They are of the greatest Virtue when beginning to flower, and therefore should be then gather'd. (2.) They fhould be gather'd when they are perfectly free from Rain or Dew, or they will turn black in drying. (3.) They ought to be dried in the Shade, for too great Heat exhales their Moisture and diminishes their beautiful Verdure. (4.) The fresher they are brought into Ufe the better; though fome may be kept much longer than others. (5.) So long as the fresh Colour they are dry'd with continues, they may be efteem'd good in Medicine, but no longer. (6.) They are much better for Decoction and Diftillation when dried than green; because their Saline and Volatile Parts will not well mix with a Menftruum, till their native Phlegm or Water be evaporated.

CONCERNING Flowers, obferve (1.) That and Flowers, they also be gather'd dry. (2.) They should be gather'd when they are full blown, unless fuch as are order'd to be used in the Bud; as Red Rofes for Conferves, &c. (3.) They are better dried in the Sun than in the Shade; because the quicker they dry, the better they preferve their Scent and Colour. (4.) They must be carefully kept fo as not to grow mufty, and the clofer the better. (5.) If they feem to give, they must be exposed again to the warm Sun; and two or three fuch Airings will prevent that Fault for the future. (6.) They lofe in a great Measure their Virtues with their Scent and Colour, and therefore should be kept no longer than these endure.

Seeds

and Seeds.

Roots.

Barks.

Gums, &c.

Seeds fhould be gather'd dry, and when ready to fhed. Fruits are beft when full ripe; unless fuch whofe Efficacy depends upon the Austerity of their Juices; and such not quite ripe are the better.

Roots are beft taken up in the Beginning of the Spring, for Reafons obvious to all.

Barks are the better for being fresh dried, tho' many will keep a long time without perceptible Decay; and the fame holds true of Woods of all kinds.

Gums, and infpiffated Juices, are the better the freer they are from Drofs and Mixture; but are feldom fit for Ufe.

Of the vari- OF thefe Simples are made and compounded ous Medicines the various Officinal Medicines, or those that stand in Pharmacy. ready prepar'd for Ufe in the Apothecary's Shop. Of these there are feveral Kinds, under various Forms, and made in different Manners. As (1.) Waters. (2.) Spirits. (3.) Oils. (4.) Decoctions. (5.) Infufions. (6.) Syrups. (7.) Honeys. (8.) Juices. (9.) Wines. (10.) Tinctures. (11.) Elixirs. (12.) Conferves. (13.) Sugars. (14.) Confections. (15.) Electuaries. (16.) Troches. (17.) Pills. (18.) Pouders, or Species. (19.) Balfams. (20.) Ointments or Unguents. (21.) Cerates. (22.) P.fters: With fome other Forms; befides thofe of Extemporaneous Prefcription; all which I fhall treat of in Order, fhewing their Nature, and the Manner of making them.

Of Officinal
Waters.

what.

THE OFFICINAL WATERS are of two Sorts, Simple or Small, and Compound or Simple Water, Strong Waters. A Simple Water is that which is drawn from any particular Sort of Plant by itfelf by a Cold Still. It is defign'd to draw out the Virtues of any Herb, Flower, Seed, Root, &c. which may be more conveniently given in that Form than any other. They answer but very