Rattes turdes & Wolf dounge - Mediaeval medicine revealed!

Plaster made of dogges turde & mans ordure and the gall of a bull is very good.

Make a gargarisene wyth the decoction of dryed Fygges, and dogges turde it doth quickely open ye apostume.

I haue harde many expert men saye yt Uerue~ stampt and layd to whote as a plaster, hath healed oftentimes the squinanci.

Wolues dounge bound to the thighes, or to ye bone aboue ye preuie membres taketh the grefe away in|continent.

Make a pouder of wolues turde dogges berde, coluer dounge & quik lyme & mengle with molten, pitche, & suete meltid, lay it to whote, it is very good.

Make a bath wherin put all the sundry tordes as may be found, the same resoluith wyndines and sl[...]my humors thys haue I prouyd.

Item take a hote shepes turde wt got[...]s [...]alowe stampt wel, & put ther on pitche all to beaten in fyne pou|der and well menglid to gether ap|ply it warme as a cerote, it hath wt out doubt wonderfull efficacy.

The dounge of a Wolf, if it be newly made, and so applyd there, is nothing better then it for to heale ye Colycke, yf it be stale dissolue it in old oyle.

Coluer dounge, dogges turdes, Gotes dounge wyth the ioyce of walworte and common oyle, is muche worthe.

Mouse turdes anoyntyd vpon the brestes wyth water losyth the hardnes payne and swellyng therof.

Rattes turdes stampt and mingelyd wyth olde grese losyth all swellynges of a cold cause.

Take the ioyce of a cowe turde (in a woman) and of an oxe (in a man) washe the fistula with the ioice and apply the residewe therto plasteryd, it helpeth quicklye.

An egles turde anoyntyd or bound on the wartes, taketh them away.

Gose turdes plasterid vpon the grefe, drawith out y^[...] stickes and Iron that be fastenid in the fleshe. Of the same operacion is the ioyce of Dytanye myngled wyth Gose dounge.

Author: John XXI, Pope, d. 1277.
Title: The treasury of healthe conteynyng many profitable medycines gathered out of Hypocrates, Galen and Auycen, by one Petrus Hyspanus [and] translated into Englysh by Humfre Lloyde who hath added therunto the causes and sygnes of euery dysease, wyth the Aphorismes of Hypocrates, and Iacobus de Partybus redacted to a certayne order according to the membres of mans body, and a compendiouse table conteynyng the purginge and confortatyue medycynes, wyth the exposicyo[n] of certayne names [and] weyghtes in this boke contayned wyth an epystle of Diocles vnto kyng Antigonus.
Date: 1553




¶To heale an excrescens or growyng vp of the fleshe, within the yarde of a man, albeit it were rooted in of a long tyme.TAke the lies of Honie distilled, or, if you can not haue soche, take Honie, and burne it in a pot: and put the blacke leefe that shal remain in the bottome, into an other pot, or into an iron pan, & set it to burne or calcine in a vernishers fournesse, or soche other in a great fire, by the space of .iij. or .iiij. daies, wherof ye shal haue a substaunce as yelowe as gold, the whiche will be excellent, to laie vpon all manner of woundes: for it eateth awaie the euill fleshe, mondifieth, and healeth the good, without pain or grief, whiche maketh to be moche better for all woundes, then is the Precipitatum, that the Sy|rurgens comonly vse. Take then of this pouder an vnce, of Dogges turdes .ij. vnces, leese of wine halfe a dragme, whiche is the halfe of theight part of an vnce, fine suger[...] a dragme, roche Alume burned a dragme, of Nill a dragme let all these thynges bee well beaten to pouder, and sifted through a fine seeue & then take grene leaues of an Oliue tree, and beate them in a morter of stone, moisting them a litle with white wine, the whiche being well stamped, ye must strain in a presse, or betwene .ij. tra~chours, for to get out the Iuice, and putte to it as moche Plantaine Iuice: then set it to the fire in a litle potte, and afterward put in it by litle and litle the saied pouder, minglyng altogether continually: And laste of all ye muste adde vnto it, a litle grene waxe, and a verie litle Honie rosat, that it maie be a liquide ointemente and so keepe it. This ointemente is very precious, to consume all maner of ercrescence, or growyng vp of fleshe, in any tender place of the body, as in the secrete members, or in the nose, whereunto a man dare not applicque any strong or smartyng thyng. Now when ye muste vse it for the carnosite, within a mannes yarde, you shall take firste of all a Squirte, and fill it with white wine, wherein drie Roses, and Plantaine leaues haue been sodden and boiled, wherewith also ye shall mix a litle womans milke, or the milke of a Gote: then washe well the mannes yarde within, with this Squirte: After this take a litle waxe candell, somwhat long, and of soche greatnesse, as it maie enter into his yarde, at the poincte whereof ye shall put a litle of the saied ointemente, war|ming it a litle, and thrust it as farre into his yarde as you can, vntil you feele the  Carnosite, and leaue the said oint|mente within the yarde a litle while: then take it out again, and doe thus mornyng and euenyng, liyng a bedde his bealie vpward, when ye shall put in the candell with the ointement, and you shall see a meruellous effecte: for it shall heale hym throughly, in fewe daies, without any daunger.

Author: Ruscelli, Girolamo, d. ca. 1565.
Title: The secretes of the reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemount Containyng excellent remedies against diuers diseases, woundes, and other accidents, with the manner to make distillations, parfumes, confitures, diynges, colours, fusions and meltynges. ... Translated out of Frenche into Englishe,  by Wyllyam Warde.
Date: 1558


To make hore beares blacke.
TAke fiue flagons full of raine water, and seeth it with strong Ashes, & put into it some Litarge of Gold the quantite of sixe vnces, with a handfull of a blacke figge tree leaues, and as much of sage, and let it seeth vntil it be diminished of a quarter, and than it is done and made, washe your heade with this composition twise a weeke, and whan your head is drie againe, take the iuice of sage, and put into it an vnce of tartre or leese of redde wine, and half an vnce of the litarge of gold, and haue ready a combe of leade whiche you shall anoint with the saide iuice and so kembe your head and your bearde well with it, and they will become incontinent blacke, vsing the saide combe with the said iuice and pouder, whiche thinge hath ben proued. For the like effect you shall take oile of tartre, and heate it, & whan you haue washed your head and dried it againe, you shall anoint your combe with the saide oile, and so kembe your heade in the Sunne a good while, or els anoint your selfe with a sponge for to make your heares black, and do it twise or thrise a day, & in a weke you shall haue your heares as blacke as euer they were, and the like maie you do to your beard, and if you will haue it sauour swetely vse at the ende some oile of Bengewine for to anoint the co~be withal, for it helpeth likewise to the blacking of the heares, and is of good sauour. This is an excellent secret. For the like also, take white Hony, and distill it in a Limbeck of glasse, with a sharpe fire, and keepe that licour that commeth of it, and washe your head with it, and what it is drie againe, anoint your self with it & the heare will be blacke. Take also good Saffran, & incorporate it well with yolkes of Egges [...]osted, and a little Honny, and you shall make of it, as it were a maner of ointment, with the which you shal anoint your head or berd morning and euening, and continuyng so a moneth at the least in washing your selfe often, the heares will [...] of the colour of Gold: but first anoint the ko~be with oile of bitter Almondes, and do that while ye are in the sunne, and the heares will be bright and faire as Gold. Take also the roote of succorie, and seeth it with lie, and in continuyng of it, it will make your heares white, and drie your selfe in the Sunne, and washe your selfe twise a weeke, and boile also in the lie some commune lickerous, and whan your heare is drie againe, parfume theim with quicke brimstone, and they will become of the colour of Gold. To make also hore heares blacke, take black Sope, and quicke lime, and some litarge of Golde, and make thereof as it were an ointment, and rubbe your heares with it, and continue so a while according as you shall see neede, and whan they be become blacke, leaue theim so, and if they returne to be white againe, doe as before. Also for to make them Redde, beyng hore and white, take three handfuls of Walnutte leaues, and a handfull of the pilles of Pome|granades, and distill them in a limbeck of glasse: then washe onely your white heares and not your face, for you should than make it blacke, and doyng thus the space of fiuetene daies, it will continue a moneth, and you shall haue your heare Redde. Take also grounde wormes burned, and make thereof pouder, also the leaues of a blacke Figge tree, and make thereof a fine pouder, and temper it with oile of almondes, and they will be Blacke.
Now to make them growe a pase and quickly, take a certaine qua~tite of Hennes egges, and seeth them whole in water: than take out the yelkes, and frie the~ in a friyng pan without any other thing, vntill there come furthe of theim some humidite and moisture: then take them of and putte them in a little bagge, and presse them in a presse, and get out all the substance that maye come out of them: then burne an oxe horne, and make thereof pouder, and incorporate it with the said licour, and put to it also goates turdes [...]urned: and so anoint the [...]are place with the saide co~|position diuers times, and the heares will growe in|continent after.

Author: Ruscelli, Girolamo, d. ca. 1565.
Title: The seconde part of the Secretes of Master Alexis of Piemont by hym collected out of diuers
excellent authours, and newly translated out of Frenche into Englishe, with a generall table, of all the
matters conteined in the saied boke. By William Warde.
Date: 1560


To remedie the Quinsey.
TAke out the meate of an Orenge, and fill it with Hennes dounge, then put therevnto oyle of Roses and a little Saffron, and boyle it vpon a fyre of coales, and when you haue taken it from the fyre, bray it and make thereof a playster, and binde it vnder the throte, hauing first well purged the bodye.

To heale Wartes or harde knobbes.
TAke of the ashes made of the wood of a Wyllowe, and mixe it with the sower pulpe of a Ceder apple, and make thereof a playster, and laye it vppon them and they will bée healed. It helpeth lykewise to annoynt them with the bloud or dounge of a Ratte dissolued in vineger, or else with water of the wood of Vines, that commeth of them when they are burnt in the fyre: or else rub them oftentimes with the leaues of Porcelane.

To stop the bleeding of wounds.
TAke of the doung of Pecockes, and dissolue it with water of Sage distilled when it hath flowers, putting therevnto a little Muske, and dipping a little Bombace in the said mixture, binde it vpon the wounde.

Against the swellings of Percussions.
TAke of the gawle of an Ewe, and being medled with the milke of a woman, laye it vpon the sore: or else take the doung of a Swine, and drie it betwene two dishes in an Ouen, then bray it, and mixe it with Oyle, and it will worke the effect beyng applyed vnto the sore.

Author: Ruscelli, Girolamo, d. ca. 1565.
Title: A verye excellent and profitable booke conteining sixe hundred foure score and odde experienced medicines apperteyning unto phisick and surgerie, long tyme practysed of the expert and Reuerend Mayster Alexis, which he termeth the fourth and finall booke of his secretes ... Translated out of Italian into Englishe by Richard Androse.
Date: 1569