Saturday, July 8, 2017

Dutch oxymel recipes

Capitel 12; folio 647, p.668

Oxycraton. 76.S.
Dese na-volghende dinghen Behouden by de Medicyns ende oock by d'Aptekers haren grieckschen name / want Oxos, dat is Azijn / daer nae letten sy wat daer by / d'welck met den voorte. Azijn vermenghelt wordt / ghelijck als met dit Oxycraton, daer Wijn / Water / ende Azijn t’samen vermengt worden / dwelck by de Latijnisten Posca wordt ghenaemt. Waer toe t'selfde nu ghebruyckt wordt / dat meuchdy hier ende daer uyt desen Boeck verstaen.

The following things keep within medicine and the apothecary their Greek name, because Oxos, that is vinegar, and after that names what is added to the vinegar, similar to oxycraton, which is mixed wine, water and vinegar, and which by the Latinists is called Posca. Where to this same is used, that you may understand from this book.

Oxymel Simplex. 77.S.
Dit Oxymel wordt int eertse Deel / int 2.Capit.6. beschreven / het wordt seer dickmaels gebruyckt / ende tot veel dinghen ghepresen.

Oxymel Simplex.
This oxymel is described in the first part of 2 Chapter 6. It is often used and for many things praised.

Oxymel Compositum. 78.S.
Dit wort alsoo daeromme ghenaemt / om dattet van veel diversche dingen gemaect wort / het welche oock int eerste Deel / int 2.Capittel beschreven staet. [cap.2.6.S. p.35]

Oxymel Compositum.
This also therefor is named, because it is made of diverse things, which is also described in the first part, in Chapter 2.6.S.

Oxymel Scyllium, 79.S.
Dit wort oock op de selve plaetse bescheven / ende dickmaels ghebruyckt.

Oxymel Scyllium.
This is described in the same place, and often used.

Oxyrrhodinum, 80.S.
Het is een ander menghelinghe / als de voor-gaende / het wort veel ghebruyckt teghens de pyne des Hoofts / van buyten op gheleydt / hier af zijnder tweederley ghelyck als hier voren int tweede Deel gheleert is.

Oxyrrhodinum.
This is a different mix, then the previous. It is often used against headache imposed from outside, from here are two similars as before is taught in the second part.

Oxysacchara, 81.S.
Dese Compositije ende hare cracht is int eerte Deel / int 8. Cap.2.S. bescheven.

Oxysacchara.
This composition and her strength is in the first part, in 8. Chapter 2.s. described.

Capt.2. fol.35 p.56
Diversche Oxymel. $.6.
Eerstelijck / willen wy beginnen van tghene datmen op d'Apteke Oxymel simpl. noemt / omdat het alleene van Heunigh ende Azijn ghemaeckt wort: Om nu t'selve te maken/ soo neemt ghesuyverden Heunigh vier Oncen / daer by giet twee Oncen claer waters/ dat selve siedet tesamen / ende schuymt het / tot dat alle het water versoden is / doet daer toe twee Oncen Azyns / laet het tsamen tot een Syrope in sieden: dit verteert alle taeye slijm / ende dic ke humeuren / het opent alle verstoppinge, suyvert de Borst / ende maeckt lichten Adem.

Diverse Oxymel.
First we begin with what the apothecary calls simple oxymel, because it is made with only honey and vinegar. To make your own, take clarified honey four ounces, pour into it two ounces of clear water, cook this together, and scum it, until all the water has evaporated. Add two ounces of vinegar, and let it cook into a syrup: this removes all tough slime, and thick humors, it opens all constipation, purifies the chest, and makes light breath.

Het ander Oxymel, in d'Apteke Compositum of Diureticum ghenaemt / maeckt men op dese maniere: Neemt Venckel-wortel / ende Joffroumerck-wortel / van elcks twee Oncen /  Zaedt van Peterselie / van Rusken / van Sperghen / van Joffrou-mercke / ende van Venckel / van elcks een Once / doer de wortelen het houdt uyt / snijdt ende siedtse in eenen Pot waters / tot datse morwe werden / druckt se daer naer door eenen doeck / ende tot het Sop giet zes Oncen scherpen Azijns / ghesuyverden Heunigh twaelf Oncen / latet tsamen sieden tot een Syrope. Dit is in alles veel stercker / dan dat bovenste / het doet scheyden alle taeye slijm / het drijftse uyt den leden / opent de verstoppinghe der Lever/ der Milten / ende der Nieren / Drijft de urijne / ende het Sweet uyt.

The other oxymel, called Compositum of Diureticum by the apothecary, one makes in this manner: take fennel root, and wild celery [Apium palustre] of each two ounces, seed of parsley, of rushes [Juncaceae], of asparagus [?], of wild celery and fennel, each an ounce. Remove the wood off the roots, cut and cook in a pot water until they are soft. Press through a cloth and unto this cookwater pour six ounces sharp vinegar, clarified honey twelve ounces, and let it simmer into a syrup. This is stronger in everything, than the one [recipe] above, it parts all tough slime and pushes it out, opens constipated liver and spleen and kidneys, drives off urine and sweat.

Het derde Oxymel is van Squillen ghemaeckt / Oxymel Scillinum, oft in d'Apteke Scilliticum ghenaemt / daer toe neemt Azijn van Squillen (als hier voren int 2. Capit.S.1. teghen de coude Pijne des Hoofts beschreven staet) vier Oncen / ghesuyverden Heunigh zes Oncen / ende siedet samen tot een Syrope.

The third oxymel is made from squill [Urginea scilla], called Oxymel Scilliticum at the apothecary. Take thus vinegar of squill (as is mentioned before in 2. Chapter against cold pain of the head) four ounces, clarified honey six ounces and simmer together into a syrup.

 Het vierde / is Oxymel Scillinum Compositum: Men maket alsoo: Neemt Wortels van Joffroumercke / van Venckel / van elcks twee Oncen / wortelen van Peterselie / Rusken / ende van Sperghen / Zaedt van Joffroumercke ende van Venckel / van elckx een Loot / siedet al t'samen in eenen Pot waters / totdat de wortelen morwe werden : tot dit so doet twaelf Oncen goeden Azijn / ghesuyverden homich 18. Oncen / ende siedet voorts tot een Syrope. Beyde zijde seer goet / om het taeye slijm te doen scheyden / de Maghe stercken / ende water te doen lossen / dan het eerse is noch crachtigher in openinghe van alle Verstopt heyt / ende is sonderlijck goet teghen de daghe lycksche / ende vierdaechiche Coortse.

The fourth is Oxymel Scillinum Compositum: One makes also: take roots of wild celery, of fennel, of each two ounces. Roots of parsley, rushes [Juncaceae], and asparagus [?], seed of wild celery and fennel, of each a loot. Cook is all together in a pot water, until the roots are soft: unto this put twelve ounce good vinegar, clarified honey 18 ounces, and simmer it into a syrup.
Both are very good to part tough slime, make the stomach stronger, and to loose water, than the first is much stronger in opening all constipation and is exceptional against daily fever and four-day fever.


From the Medicyn-Boeck, Daer inne alle Gebreken des menschelijken lichaems, mitsgaders de Remedyn deselven, claerlijck aenghewesen wordt. In 't Hooch-duytsch beschreven door Christophorum Wirtsung, Ende in de Nederlantsche tale overgheset door D. Carolum Battum ordinaris Medicijn der Stadt Dordrecht. Tot Amsterdam, By Michiel Colijn Boeck-vercooper opt water, int Eiuysboeck aende Cooren marckt, 1628.

This book was first printed in 1589, but did not seem to include any mead or oxymel recipes. It was reprinted at least 7 times between then and this edition, but as I do not have access to the in between editions, I can not say for sure when the mead & oxymel chapter first was included.

Link to the 1589 edition:
https://books.google.com/books?id=x0eC7luXkykC&dq=secreet%20boek&source=gbs_similarbooks

Link to the 1628 edition:
https://books.google.be/books?id=lu9jAAAAcAAJ&dq=medicyn-boeck&hl=nl&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Ingredient translations:
Joffroumerck:
https://vandenschatderarmen.wordpress.com/planten-en-kruiden/
Rusk:
http://gtb.inl.nl/iWDB/search?actie=article&wdb=WFT&id=84091&lemma=rusk
Sperghen:
http://gtb.inl.nl/iWDB/search?actie=article&wdb=WNT&id=M004508&lemma=asperge
Squill:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/squill86.html

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