MEDICAL RECIPES OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

By JOHN HEWITT. Among the manuscripts of the Cathedral library at Lich- field is a foHo vohime of Recipes belonging to Sir Jolin 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 lie constructed a cold bath, to which he gave the name of Saint Chad's Bath. This pro- perty afterwards came into the possession of Dr. Erasmus Darwin, and was formed by him into that " Botanic Garden " which in his time had considerable celebrity. The bath buildings and the garden still remain, in a state of ruin in- deed, but very picturesque. Sir John Floyer died in 1733, and bequeathed his library to Queen's College, Oxford. The volume of llecipes and Prescriptions is entirely in manuscript, and appears to have been written at difierent periods of life. We give a few samples of the contents : — " Dimness of Sight." " For dimness of y Eyes eat 12 leaves of Rue in a morning with bread and butter, and it will very much availe." " Bleeding stopd." " Take red nettles, stamp y"" and straine them alone, then take y'^ juice and rubb all over y^' forehead and temples, so lett it dry upon y face 7 or 8 hours, after you ma}' wash it of, but if y" blecde againe, renew it."' For the plague, we have " the Medicine y' y*^ Ld. ^lajor of London had sent him from Q. Elisa : " The ingredients