An ancient book containing strange medical remedies that was recently re-discovered is to go under the hammer at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, tomorrow.
The 17th Century book contains ingredients such as ragwort, nightshade, venis turpentine, ferne roots, hoggs grease and 'earbagrace'.
Remedies are for maladies including piles and the common cold.
The book was discovered by Mrs Mulley at her deceased aunt's house in Norfolk.
A dragon's blood cure for a cold and other bizarre remedies: The 17th century medical guide discovered in an attic
By Daily Mail Reporter
04th March 2009
Daily Mail
A handwritten book containing bizarre 17th century medical remedies including pike bones and dragon's blood is to go under the hammer tomorrow after spending more than 100 years buried in an attic.
Written on fragile parchment bound between two pieces of thin card, the manuscript includes medical formulas as well as a variety of traditional recipes.
Outlandish natural ingredients include ragwort, nightshade, venis turpentine, ferne roots, hoggs grease and the bizarrely-named 'earbagrace', which is probably Ambergris, a substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.
Enlarge
Fragile: The handwritten book contains bizarre 17th century medical formulas. It was found in an attic 25 years ago
One of the most intriguing potions is for 'Lady Delafountaines strengthining pills'.
It reads: 'Take the Jaw bone of a Pike, dried and beaten to powder. Then take venis turpentine of the bigness of a nutmeg, steep it all night in white vinigar being pricked full of holes and drie it.
'Make it in sugar pills and take three, nine mornings together... Eat not for an hower [hour[ after; the pills must be as big as a hazelnut.'
The 64-page book is expected to fetch around £400 when it's auctioned at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, tomorrow.
It was discovered buried under papers more than 25 years ago by Philippa Mulley, who was clearing out her deceased aunt's house in Norfolk.
She nearly threw the book out with the rubbish, but tucked it away in a drawer at home and forgot about it until last month.
Mrs Mulley, from Bury St Edmunds, who works with her husband Geoff, 55, a builder, said she was amazed the book was worth £400.
She said: 'It nearly got thrown in the bin until we thought maybe it was worth keeping.
Enlarge
The manuscript contains advice on how to make potions including this one 'For the Paine of the Piles'
'I left it in a drawer and for a long time had no inclination to do anything about it.
But I was having a sort out and though I should take it to get it valued among other things.
'I honestly don't know where the book came from. It's not something my aunt would have bought so it was possibly written by a relative.
'I haven't been tempted to try any recipes. The parchment is very fragile so I have barely even leafed through.
'It is quite amazing it is so old and has survived intact. It looks a lot like a child's scrap book.'
The fascinating compilation is inscribed with the name Thomas Slapp, 1784, but whether or not he is the original author remains a mystery.
Experts believe the book was complied in either the 17th or early 18th century and has passed through at least three generations of the Mulley family.
Other remedies for medical complaints deal with faint sweats, worms, sciatica and 'the sicknefs to take in the morning before you go abroade'.
Part of another recipe for common cold remedy advises: 'Take your Sallet (a type of small onion) Oyle and a pinte of faire water.
'Boyle it with an earthen pott in your wax then shred the herbs very small and the rosemary and planting water into the pott.
'Let it boyle a little then bruise the Dragons blood very small and putt them in letting them boyle a little.
'Then take the turpentine and wash it three times in faire water and the last time in rose water them put it into the pott.'
The author also detailed a radical cure for 'The Paine of Piles' involving an onion and hot embers.
It reads; 'Take a great onion core it and fill it with b[utter] or oyle and roll it in embers until it is soft. Then binde it to the place.'
Bonhams specialist Oliver Miller said the book was probably penned by one of Mrs Mulley's ancestors and provided an intriguing glimpse of traditional home remedies.
He said: 'It's a really nicely handwritten book of about 100 recipes. It's full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar but presents a fascination insight into 17th and 18th century quack medicine.'
dailymail.co.uk
The 17th Century book contains ingredients such as ragwort, nightshade, venis turpentine, ferne roots, hoggs grease and 'earbagrace'.
Remedies are for maladies including piles and the common cold.
The book was discovered by Mrs Mulley at her deceased aunt's house in Norfolk.
A dragon's blood cure for a cold and other bizarre remedies: The 17th century medical guide discovered in an attic
By Daily Mail Reporter
04th March 2009
Daily Mail
A handwritten book containing bizarre 17th century medical remedies including pike bones and dragon's blood is to go under the hammer tomorrow after spending more than 100 years buried in an attic.
Written on fragile parchment bound between two pieces of thin card, the manuscript includes medical formulas as well as a variety of traditional recipes.
Outlandish natural ingredients include ragwort, nightshade, venis turpentine, ferne roots, hoggs grease and the bizarrely-named 'earbagrace', which is probably Ambergris, a substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.
Enlarge
Fragile: The handwritten book contains bizarre 17th century medical formulas. It was found in an attic 25 years ago
One of the most intriguing potions is for 'Lady Delafountaines strengthining pills'.
It reads: 'Take the Jaw bone of a Pike, dried and beaten to powder. Then take venis turpentine of the bigness of a nutmeg, steep it all night in white vinigar being pricked full of holes and drie it.
'Make it in sugar pills and take three, nine mornings together... Eat not for an hower [hour[ after; the pills must be as big as a hazelnut.'
The 64-page book is expected to fetch around £400 when it's auctioned at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, tomorrow.
It was discovered buried under papers more than 25 years ago by Philippa Mulley, who was clearing out her deceased aunt's house in Norfolk.
She nearly threw the book out with the rubbish, but tucked it away in a drawer at home and forgot about it until last month.
Mrs Mulley, from Bury St Edmunds, who works with her husband Geoff, 55, a builder, said she was amazed the book was worth £400.
She said: 'It nearly got thrown in the bin until we thought maybe it was worth keeping.
Enlarge
The manuscript contains advice on how to make potions including this one 'For the Paine of the Piles'
'I left it in a drawer and for a long time had no inclination to do anything about it.
But I was having a sort out and though I should take it to get it valued among other things.
'I honestly don't know where the book came from. It's not something my aunt would have bought so it was possibly written by a relative.
'I haven't been tempted to try any recipes. The parchment is very fragile so I have barely even leafed through.
'It is quite amazing it is so old and has survived intact. It looks a lot like a child's scrap book.'
The fascinating compilation is inscribed with the name Thomas Slapp, 1784, but whether or not he is the original author remains a mystery.
Experts believe the book was complied in either the 17th or early 18th century and has passed through at least three generations of the Mulley family.
Other remedies for medical complaints deal with faint sweats, worms, sciatica and 'the sicknefs to take in the morning before you go abroade'.
Part of another recipe for common cold remedy advises: 'Take your Sallet (a type of small onion) Oyle and a pinte of faire water.
'Boyle it with an earthen pott in your wax then shred the herbs very small and the rosemary and planting water into the pott.
'Let it boyle a little then bruise the Dragons blood very small and putt them in letting them boyle a little.
'Then take the turpentine and wash it three times in faire water and the last time in rose water them put it into the pott.'
The author also detailed a radical cure for 'The Paine of Piles' involving an onion and hot embers.
It reads; 'Take a great onion core it and fill it with b[utter] or oyle and roll it in embers until it is soft. Then binde it to the place.'
Bonhams specialist Oliver Miller said the book was probably penned by one of Mrs Mulley's ancestors and provided an intriguing glimpse of traditional home remedies.
He said: 'It's a really nicely handwritten book of about 100 recipes. It's full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar but presents a fascination insight into 17th and 18th century quack medicine.'
dailymail.co.uk
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