A Brief COLLECTION Of many Rare SECRETS Most of which are approved and Physical and the rest most Pleasant and Recreative Very necessary for all sorts of People Newly set forth and published by LA FOVNTAIN an Expert Operator living over against Essex House in the Strand near Temple-bar LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1650. To the Reader I Do not attribute to my self to be sole inventor of these insuring Secrets yet know that here are none concerning Curo but what I have experimented or had from good Authors great imitators of Galen and Hippocrates the famousest men of their calling in the World as for what is recreative herein they need no other testimony but your own judicious application The general acceptance of a little Book of twenty Secreets which I published formerly hath obliged me to present you here with a farre better concealing nor retaining nothing to my self from your view that I think may do you good Here you may have more instructions in the things it treateth off for a couple of pence then you can have of another that is more coveteous then charitable of which there are many now a dayes for twenty shillings I direct this chiefly to the poor that are not able to go to the price of higher matters though others may profit by it However to as many as will accept hereof if possibly it lieth in my power I will study to present them with a better thing hereafter In the mean time my greatest ambition shall be alwayes to deserve the title of your Friend and well wisher EDW. FOUNTAIN A Brief Collection of many Rare Secrets I. How to make ordinary diet drink of which good purging diet drink may be easily made as after you may see very good and necessary for most diseases TAke a good handful of Barley pick and wash it in fair water and a dram of green fennel seed or annise seed and half an ounce of liquorish prepared that is scraped clean and somwhat bruised put all this in a pottle of running water to boile skimme it when it boils while it yields any skimme and then it is boiled enough then take it off let it cool and keep it for your ordinary drink this is good drink for most diseases especially being feverish or hot II. How to make the same drink a most excellent purging diet drink Take a pint of the said drink and steep therein half an ounce of sene and a dram of green fennel tyed at liberty in a little clean linnen cloth or bagge for the purpose over night then strain it and take a good glasseful of it in the morning fasting and half an hour after a messe of clear fresh broth That many thousands have been cured of sundry dangerous diseases hereby I can Justifie it continuing to do the same every morning for three or four dayes together as your Doctor shall think best and your necessity require III. How to make and take a vomit Take about twelve spoonfuls of warme water mingle therein four or five spoonfuls of Sallet-oyle and drink it a little while after thrust your finger or a feather in your throat to make it operate the better if it be necessary note that the best time to take this vomit is when your stomack is full presently after dinner or supper for then your victuals will bring up all the flegme and ill humors from the very bottom of your stomack IV. An excellent purging Glister which may easily be made at any time Take a handful of Barley as much clear bran and a quart of running water boil this a little space as two or three boils then take a pint of the said water strained but not squesed and boil therein half an ounce of Sene one boil or two together with two drams of green Fennel-seed or Annis-seed then strain it through a clean linnen cloth squesing it somewhat softly then take a dish and put therein two or three ounces of good honey and an ounce of the coursest red Sugar and seven or eight spoonfuls of the said water hot mingling or stirring all well together with the rest of the foresaid pint of water which done you shall strain it again and put therein five or six spoonfuls of Sallet-oyle or half a quartern of fresh butter which you shall give warm but not too hot and let the patient retain it as long as he can so it exceed not half a quarter of an hower or thereabout V. An other easie Glister both to refresh cool and purge if need require Take a quart of Whey and boil therein a good big handful of the best great lettis you can find and as much purslain then take a pint of the said liquor strained and put therein a quartern of hony and it is done giving it warm as above VI An Astringent or Stopping Glister Take a pint of new milk and then take a good big piece of any Steel red hot and quench it in the said milk then heat and quench it as before in the same milk continue to heat and quench in the same manner three or four times over then strain it and put therein two ounces of oyle of Quinces with two yolks of Eggs and so give it the Patient VIII An easie remedy for them that are bound in their bodies and will by no means take any Glister as I have seen many Take a dram or two a little more or lesse according to the strong or weak Constitution of the Patient of good Sene half a dram of green Fennel-seeds or Annise-seeds put them in a Porrenger and powre thereon four or five spoonfuls of clear water more or lesse according to the quantity of Sene that you use and if the Patient be not troubled with a Cough poure an equal quantity of juice of Lemons and water instead of water alone cover the said Porrenger and put it upon the hot ashes with few or no sinders there let all infuse or steep together an hour or there about then strain and squese it a little through a clean cloth put thereto twice or thrice as much clear broth without salt finally let the Patient take this in the morning fasting two or three hours before he eat any thing this is likewise a very good purge for many diseases and may be taken by young or old or women with child without any perril or danger using discretion VIII An excellent remedy for either Quartan Tertian or Quotidian Ague It is good first to be let blood and purged before you take this insuing Medicine yet I have cured many hereby without either take Roch-allum cut or scrape them round as near as you can in fashion of Pills as big as you think you can swallow them let them that are very young very old or very weak take three of these Pills in three spoonfuls of Angellica-water the stronger Constitution may take five in the same manner the time to take them is when you begin to feel the fit a coming on
and drink not if you can help it during the cold fiâ— but during the hot fit which ordinarily cometh after drink as much Carduus benedictus Posset drink as you please it is best hot to provoke sweat if your drouth can possibly indure it if not better cold then not at all this will much weaken your Ague at the first taking and at the second or third taking totally cure you God willing IX How to procure Rest and Sleep to them that are hindered there from by head-ach or any such like pain Take Violet-oyle with the yolk of an Egge and bâ—east-milk of each a like quantity which being well mingled apply like a plaister upon the forhead and temples this will appease the pain and bring on rest and sleep suddenly X. A good and easie remedy for Children troubled with Worms Take of the finest wheat flower you can yet very well sifted as much as a six pence will hold three times covered over then mingle as much fountain-water with the said flower in a glasse as will make it looke like milk which you shall give the Child to drink and soon after you shall see the worms come out dead in the Childs excrement XI How to cure any swelling in ones head caused by a fall a blow or the like very suddenly Take an ounce of salt three ounces of ordinary honey three ounces of Cummin two ounces of Turpentine all which you shall mingle well together about a quarter of an hour upon a soft fire in any clean thing then spread it like a plaister upon a clean piece of linnen cloth and apply it hot upon the swelled place a better cure can hardly be had for this purpose XII How to increase milk in a Womans breast if need require Take a good handful of green Fennel picked from the great stalks and boil it very well in a pottle of white wine or strong ale either being very good for that purpose then keep it up close and let it be your ordinary drink at meals and other times the longer you continue to drink of the said drink the more your milk will increase in this I never saw any to fail XIII An approved remedy to cure Warts Take any piece of Gold or Gold-ring without any stone heat it red hot in the fire and lâ—y â—t as hot as ever you can indure it upon each wâ—rt until they be well cauterized thereby instead of Gold you may use Iron or a red coal in the same manner then wash them with good strong Lye do this three times a day or several dayes if you will it importeth not much whether lastly take Radishes and cut them into thin slices in a platter and strew over them a reasonable quantity of salt then lay on another bed of sliced Raddishes upon that and salt as before and so three or four times let all this lye and steep over night in the said platter and in the morning you shall find the salt melted and the vertue of the said Raddishes in it with which water you shall often wash the warts and lay a linnen rag or cotten dipd in the said water upon them in which doing they will in few dayes fall or at the least be easily drawne off likewise any scratching black or blew spots got by fighting or she like the said water will suddenly cure using it as above said XIV How to cure any kind of Itch though ever so bad either inward or outward with a sweet water very cheape and very easie to be done then the which there is nothing better as I can justifie both for this and divers other diseases Take a quartern of Plantain-water half as much Rose water halfe a wine-glasse of Lemond or Orenge flower water and an ounce of Sublimatum beaten into very fine powder all which you shall mingle in a clean skillet upon the fire and there let it boile for a quarter of an hour then let it cool and keep it close in a viol for your use then wash the place or places where you have the itch with the said water and let it dry of it self your convenientest time will be when you are going to bed do this three times leaving four and twenty houers respite between each time the first and second time will bring them all forth and the third time will dry and take them quite off thus leaving aside all stinking ointments and inward physick whatsoever you may have a safe sweet speedy and infallible cure for your itch Likewise using this water as above said it will draw out all kind of foul corrupted humors and leave the skin clear and white what vertue the said water may have to cure the Pox and other soul diseases being rightly used I leave to the judicious Artists censure XV How to cure one that spits blood having some broken vein in his brest Take Mice-dung dried and beaten into powder as much as a sixpence will hold at a time in half a wine-glasseful of juyce of Plantain with a little sugar drink this every morning fasting and as much every night when you go to bed for a week or there abouts and this with Gods help will cure you XVI For the Squinsie Take two or three drops of oile of Vitriol in a glasse of white wine gargle often your mouth and throat therewith this hath cured many and this you see is very easie to be done XVII An excellent Remedy to Cure the Evil Take four ounces of Ceruse otherwise called White-lead in fine powder and boile it five or six houers in half a pint of Sallet oyle or until all be very black stirring it continually whâ—le it is on the fire then spread of this upon a piece of leather or clean linnen cloth and apply it upon the Sore and if the Sore runs using this often it will heal it if not it will first dissolve it and afterwards perfectly heal it if it be not too inveterate XVIII How to cure a Cough or Cold either old or new Take Brimstone well powdered half an ounce and mingle it with a new laid Egge boiled soft and half a scruple of Beniamen softly reduced to powder Take this in the morning fasting and as much going to bed at night and you shall be cured thereby at the second or third taking But if your Cough be very inveterate you must take it oftener XIX An assured Remedy for the Plague approved of throughout Venice in the year 1504. Take of a healthy Male young childs water fine Treacle and Annise seed-seed-water of each a like quantity mingle them and give about a quarter of a pint or a little more at a time of it to the Patient in the morning fasting for three mornings together this hath cured many XX An infallible remedy for any Burning or Scalding Cut an ounce of the newest wax you can get in thin slices and melt it in two ounces of Sallet oyle then take it off the fire and mingle well therein two
Spots out of ones Face and likewise to make it fair Take a little Roch-allum and bruise it somwhat small together with the white of a new layed Egge warm from the henne and put them in a dish upon the fire untill they begin to boile mingling them together until they be incorporated and somwhat hardned with which you may anoint your fate several times for two or three dayes together this hath been often experimented and found to be excellent for this use XXXIII An easie way to take all Colours Painting or any other Spots from ones hands very necessary for soâ—â— Artists and Tradesmen Take juyce of Lemond with a little fair mingled therein wash your hands therewith and let them dry of themselves which done wash them in fair water moreover this is good to take away the Itch using it in the same manner XXXIV How to make ones haire to become of a yellow Golden Colour Take the rinde or outward parings of Rhubarbe and put them to steep in Whitewine or clear Lye wet a spunge or linnen cloth therein and anoint your haire therewith and let them dry before the fire or sunne the oftner you do this the sooner they will become yellow note that before you use this it is good to clear your head and hair from sweat and all other filth whatsoever XXXV How to take off Haire so that it shall never grow again Some that have the hair of their forehead growing too low others the hair of their eye-brows growing too thick and some women that have haire growing on their lips an unseemly sight to see would give any thing for this Secret Take a Ring without a stone of the best Gold you can get or any other piece of fine Gold make it red hot without melting it and touch onely the place suddenly therewith where you would never have hair to grow again if it should as very seldom it doth return to do the same again and infallibly no hair will ever grow in that place note that presently you must anoint the place with oyle of Roses or of Violets The conveniency of this good Gold is that it leaves no scarre at all as other Metals applyed hot would do The Author hereof found this Secret much practised amongst the Moores and since used it much himself throughout Europe to many Ladies and Gentlewomen to their great content and to his own Fame and Credit XXXVI How to make a most excellent Water which I alwayes use to fasten Teeth that are loose to clear the Gumms from putrifaction to cause them to grow if need require to sweeten the breath and finally to divert away the Rheume from that place it being very astringent and cleansing Take two ounces of good White wine vineger four ounces of Rosemary flower-flower-water Myrrh Mastick bole Armenick fine Dragons-blood in leafe of each an ounce Roch-allum burnt and fine beaten Cinamon of each half an ounce a pint of fair water and half a pound of good honey with a little Beniamin mingle all these together and put it to boile for a quarter of an hour skimming it well then take it off let it cool and set it up in a viol for your use gargle your mouth well with a little thereof every morning and before and after meals I cannot extol this Secret too much having experimented it with good successe to many people of quality within this City of London as I can justifie XXXVII How to keep Wine fresh as if it were in a Celler though it were in the heat of Summer and without Ice or Snow yea though it were carried at a Saddle bow and exposed to the Sun all the day Set your Wine in a Viol of glasse and place it in a box made of wood leather or such like about which Viol place Saltpeter and it will preserve and keep it very fresh this experiment is not a little commodious for these which are not near fresh waters and whose dwellings are much exposed to the Sunne XXXVIII How to melt Mettle very quick yea in a shell upon little fire Make a bed upon a bed of Mettle with powder of Sulpher of Saltpeter and saw dust a like then put fire to the said powder with a burning charcoal and you shall see that the Mettle will dissolve incontinent and be in a masse this Secret is most excellent and often practised XXXIX How to make the string of a Viol sensibly shake without any one touching it This is a miracle in Musick yet easie to be experimented take a Viol or other instrument and choose two strings so that there be one between them make these two strings agree in one and the same Tune then move the Viol bow upon the greater string and you shall see a wonder for in the same time that that shakes which you play upon the other will likewise sensibly shake without any one touching it and it is the more admired that the string which is between them will not shake at all and if you put the first string to another Tune or Note and loosing the pin of the string or stopping it with your finger in any feet the other string will not shake and the same will happen if you take two Viols and strike upon a string of the one the string of the other will sensibly shake XL Of a Vessel which contains three several kinds of liquor all put in at one bung-hole and drawne out at one tappe severally without mixture The Vessel is thus made i must be divided into three Sells for to contain the three liquors which admit to be Sack Claret and Whitewine now in the bung-hole there is an engine with three pipes each extending to its proper Cell into which there is put a broach or funnel pierced in three places in such sort that placing one of the holes right against the pipe which answereth unto him the other two pipes are stopped then when it is full turn the funnel and then the former hole will be stopped and another open to cast in other wine without mixing it with the other How to draw out also without mixture At the bottome of the Vessel there must be placed a Pipe or Broach which may have three Pipes and a Cock pierced with three holes so artificially done that turning the Cock the hole which answereth to such of the Pipes that is placed at the bottom may issue forth such Wine as belongeth to that Pipe and turning the Cock to another Pipe the former hole will be stopped and so there will issue forth another kind of Wine without any mixture but the Cock may be so ordered that there may come out by it two Wines together or all three kinds at once But it seems best when that in one Vessel and at one Cock a man may draw several kinds of Wine and which he pleaseth to drink XLI How to find the new and full Moon in each moneth Adde to the Epact for the year the moneth from
yolks of Eggs rosted hard under hot ashes spread a little of this very thin being cold upon a clean linnen cloth and apply it upon the Sore changing the same twice a day this will in very short time appease the pain and heal without leaving any scarre at all this is the onely thing I have alwayes used for this purpose not without good successe XXI An excellent Perfume in a Chamber to drive away all ill aire Take ten or twelve Cloaves somwhat bruised and three or four little slices of Orenge or Lemond pill put these in a clean porrenger with six or seven spoonfuls of Rosewater upon a few cinders or coals in a chasingdish about the middle of the room and it will perfume the place and expel away the ill aire XXII How to cure a strong Breath proceeding from the Stomack Take Sage-leaves dryed and powdered an ounce Rosemary flowers in the same manner three ounces Cloaves beaten into powder half an ounce Cinamon beaten two dramms two Nutmegs grated very small and two graines of Muske incorporate all this with as much clarified honey as will make it into a soft paste then put it in a box five or six dayes together where the Sun may shine most upon it and it suffiseth Take of this every morning half an ounce fasting and as much after supper going to bed this will keep what you have eaten from putrifying over night in your stomack and continuing thus a while you shall by Gods help be delivered from all strong or stinking breath whatsoever XXIII A present remedy for them that are much troubled with the Hickock Eat every morning that you fear to be troubled with the Hickock three hours before dinner time a good piece of green Ginger and drink thereon two good draughts of Malmsie and you shall be soon cured thereof God willing XXIV How to be never troubled with the Colick Take two pounds of the outward thickest skin of Raddishes and four pound of good honey boile all this together untill half the honey be consumed then mingle therein Cinamond Cloaves Mace Nutmegge and Pepper of each two drams beaten to powder which done set it up in a vessel for your use finally take of the said Raddish skins thus prepared half an ounce every morning they that use this remedy are never troubled with the Colick XXV How to make Red or Gray haire black Take five flaggons of Rain water as much Oake-ashes or other good strong ashes as will make Lye thereof six ounces of litharge of Gold Sage and black-figtree-leaves of each a handful if you cannot get this last take the more Sage boil this together until the fourth part of the liquor be consumed in boiling with which you shall wash your head twice a weeke and when your haire is dry take Sage juyce four ounces Tartar of Redwine in powder one ounce and of litharge of Gold reduced to powder likewise halfe an ounce mingle these three last things together and there with anoint a Lead-combe with which you shall combe your haire often and they will become black in a short time XXVI Likewise if you take oile of Tartar and warm it a little and anoint your Combe in combing your haire well before the Sun two or three times a day for a whole week after you have washed and dryed your haire as before it is an approved remedy to make haire of any colour black If you think all these things too tedious or troublesom take twenty or thirty Horse-leaches or as many as you can get and put them to steep and rot in a violl with half a pint or a little more of course Red wine for two moneths together which done anoint and combe your haire often therewith before the Sun and they will soon become browne at the least if not quite black XXVIII An infallible way to make a Gray beard black by once anointing it which is not so convenient for the hair of the head by reason of the care which ought to be had in using it Take half an ounce of Aqua fortis in a Viall put therein to dissolve by the fire side the quantity of three pence or a groat in silver and when you would use this anoint the roots of the hair a little with oile of Roses then wet the haire well with a little spunge dipt in the said Aqua fortis having a care not to touch the skin but as little as may be for that it is apt to raise a blister then let it dry and finally wash it over with a little Lye wherein hath been boiled a little Red-roses and Pomgranet-flowers this Secret as well as many others in this little Book is a rare experiment easie useful and profitable for my greatest envyers but I stick not to let them know that my ambition is to restore good for evil rather then seek revenge XXIX An infallible remedy for them that are come to age to have a beard yet want it so nature do but co operate ever so little Shave the place often where you would have haire to grow then presently anoint the place shaved with a little spirit of Honey or oile of Tartar either being very good and best for that use of any thing that ever nature hath produced I am confident of it the best time to use this is during the increase of the Moon in the spring season going to bedward to make the hair of your head grow in a short time fair long thick and curled use the same wearing a Periwigge or a leather Cap with borders to it which is far better by reason that a Periwigge for the most part is too hot for that use and doth often hinder somwhat therefore the growth of the haire more then a Cap and Borders doth XXX How to take Wrinkles out of ones Face Forehead or any other part Take a little of the wood of a white Vine that is such as bears white Grapes or a little Briony and beat it well in a Morter with a good big Fig or two such as you may buy at the Grocers which done anoint the wrinkled place therewith and walk thereupon until you sweat otherwise the Vine wood will take of the skin or the Briony make it black XXXI How to soften hard Hair and to hinder the groweth of it Take Bean-cods bruise them and apply them like a poultice over night upon the place where you would hinder the grouth of hair or at least to soften it the next morning wash the place with water wherein beans have boiled the best time to use this is during the decrease of the Moon and the oftener you do it the sooner you shall obtain your desire herein if some find that no hair will ever grow upon the foresaid place yet I cannot affirme that it will do the same to all for I am of opinion that it is not easie to change the ordinary course of Nature in this particular XXXII How to take out Freckles or other