Showing posts with label On Herbal & Apothecary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label On Herbal & Apothecary. Show all posts

Saturday, July 1, 2017

The collected works of the Alexis, or The Secrets of the reuerend Maister Alexis of Piemont.



The secrets of the reverend Maister Alexis of Piemont : containing excellent remedies against diverse diseases, wounds, and other accidents, with the maner to make distillations, parfumes, confitures, dying, colours, fusions, and meltings ... by Girolamo Ruscelli; Translated by William Ward, The fourth part is Translated out of Italian into English by Richard Androse, Published 1595

This is the first edition containing all the four parts and each has a separate t.p. The first editions and text versions (copy/paste) are available at EEBO, Early English Books Online (restricted access).

Includes:
1558 The secretes of the reuerend Maister Alexis of Piemount 
1560 The seconde part of the secretes of Master Alexis of Piemont
1562 The Thyrde and last parte of the Secretes of the Reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemont
1569 A Verye Excellent and Profitable Booke

Read and download your copy at:
https://archive.org/details/secretsofreveren00rusc
https://ia800803.us.archive.org/24/items/secretsofreveren00rusc/secretsofreveren00rusc.pdf

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Pin Down Your Dead!

Historic use of thunderstones.

As part of my Viking persona the need for some sort of magical amulet devolved into another research project. I had heard about thunderstones, and straightforward that I am, assumed those would have been made out of fulgurites, which form of melted sand from lightning striking the beach. But just to be on the safe side I looked into these fascinating talismans and found that throughout history many, many objects had been perceived as thunderstones. For a very long time thunderstones were believed to be the physical remains of thunderbolts or lightning strikes endowed with the power to avert evil or bad luck, and to protect the house, property and family against lightning and by association, storms and fire. In the words of 17th century Adrianus Tollius “Thunderstones are generated in the sky by a fulgureous exhalation (whatever that may look like) conglobed in a cloud by a circumfixed humour, and baked hard, as it were, by intense heat”…

As much as that almost seems plausible, what did they expect those exhalations to look like? Most thunderstones seem to fall into one of three categories: they look like weapons (the sky gods used lightning as a weapon, like Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir), they are associated with thunderstorms (for instance resemble hail) or have lightning like properties (spark fire). Preferably they are found in conjunction with lightning storms and lightning strikes: objects that were not there before the storm but were there after – washed out of the ground by heavy rains but attributed to having fallen out of the sky; like stone objects with a peculiar shape, with holes in them or sharp ends, polished, chipped (proof they fell from the sky), perfectly round, smooth, with a projectile shape, like pointed, arrow like etc…
  
Thunderstone amulets could be categorized in three classes: the minerals, the fossils and the ceraunia. Examples of minerals would be those unusually shaped stones; fire sparking stones like flint, iron pyrite and bog iron; fulgurites (found by digging out the lightning strike site, looking for the magical core) and meteorites, especially those with remaglypts which do kinda look like fingerprints of the gods! Only a couple types of fossils are considered thunderstones: sharks teeth and Belemnites (squid) resemble weapons, and Echinoids are rather round with a, to us, familiar five pointed pattern. But the most interesting are the ceraunia. These stone age tools were crafted by early man, but as this knowledge had been forgotten, the sometimes abundantly found stone weapons became part of thunderstone myths instead!


In archaeology, thunderstones are most often found in grave finds and in house foundations. This is interpreted as a wish to protect the dead and help them into the afterlife, and to protect the house and family from lightning strikes and fire. As thunderstones were seen as the manifestation of lightning strike cores, and throughout history the myth (hope) of “lightning/disaster never strikes twice” prevailed (even today, as shown by the Norse disaster protection rune on our modern day ambulances), having a thunderstone in your house or on your person would, therefore, exempt you from being hit.



The connection between thunderstones and burial could come from their connection to faeries. The Fae were thought to be the inhabitants of a mystical, enchanted world, with plenty of honey and wine, feasts, playing and drinking, and where you’d never grow old (sound familiar?). The Celts believed that this Otherworld could be accessed from the real world through Neolithic and bronze age barrows - which would have stone tools - and thought that Otherworld was the land of the dead. Placing echinoids (called faerie loaves) or stone tools in burial sites would help guide the spirits of the dead on their journey into Otherworld, or the afterlife.

In Norse mythology Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir was thought to have the power to call up the dead to renewed life and placing the sign of Mjöllnir, either as a fossil echinoid or a stone axe, in burials can therefore be seen as an act of symbolizing rebirth after death. Thunderstones were believed to fall from the sky during thunderstorms; missiles hurled by Thor to keep the wandering trolls under control. If a thunderstone struck a troll careless enough to be out in a thunderstorm, instant death followed. If it were not for Thor's missiles, the Norse believed, the trolls would have spread across the earth like a plague! Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir also represents the lightning as when thrown it magically returns to Thor’s hand, just as natural lightning is seen to strike the earth (leader) and then fly black to the skies (return stroke).

 
There is also a connection between thunderstones and the use of iron. Revered for its transformative qualities by way of smelting and smithing, the transformation of iron into a new state could be regarded as a parallel for the path of the body and soul through burial rituals and might seem as a good catalyst to assist the dead to do the same, similar to the believe of stone tools and echinoids. According to Norse belief, placing objects of iron in and around the grave site is a most reliable way of ensuring the dead stayed bound to their proper place (the Norse draugr are zombies, apparently risen from the grave due to lack of iron, or thunderstones!). Iron is also used to wire wrap thunderstones to wear as amulets as iron would trap the magic and keep the thunderstone ‘loaded’. Popular myth also mentions faeries can be deterred/trapped or hurt/killed with pure iron, which concurs with thunderstone myths.

Apparently thunderstones were seen as pretty darn useful: tools & echinoids would be included in graves to protect souls, guide travel into the afterlife and keep evil spirits away. They would be placed inside walls, under the floor or the threshold or kept under eaves or staircases of buildings to protect the owner and his house from being struck by lightning, fire and storms, and would be worn to avoid dying at sea, losing in battles, and to guarantee good sleep at night.
Echinoids placed on shelves in the pantry would keep the milk fresh and cause plenty of cream, and were hung around the necks of cattle. They guaranteed good breeding luck and good hunting & fishing luck. And thunderstone echinoids made the beer ferment.
Who finds a thunderstone should not give it away, otherwise he loses his luck. In Norse mythology they were thought to keep trolls and witches (or general evil) away, and bring good luck. They were also thought to protect the unchristened child against being “changed”. And thunderstones were considered to be good protection against elfish malice, the evil eye and especially, the Devil.



Thunderstone echinoids were even assimilated into Christian culture as a protection sign against evil. In some parts of England, openings like doors and windows on the north side of a church, which in medieval and earlier times was known as the Devil’s side of the church, would be rimmed with echinoids (called shepherd’s crowns), all with the five pointed side visible. Echinoids naturally display a five pointed star, the forbearer of the pentagram, which became symbolic of the power of good over evil!








To keep up with demand, objects that looked like magical items became regarded as similar, and were believed to take on the same magic, which is called the Theory of Similars (or Sympathetic Magic). This explains the prevalence of manmade Thor’s hammer amulets in later period, from very crude (as part of iron amulet rings which were believed to keep the spirits of the dead confined to the grave) to elaborate jewelry pieces, all used as protection amulets and talismans. And how the five pointed star of the echinoid likely evolved into the powerful symbol the pentagram, which took with it several of the thunderstones protections, including safeguarding brewing (Scandinavian), protection against witches & general evil and especially protection against the Devil.
Interestingly, the word “urchin” for modern sea urchins likely came by way of thunderstones: fossil echinoids, often called fairy loaves, were associated with the Fae, and another word for these creatures was “urchin”. And ironically, it took until contact with Native American Indians in the 16th CE, who at that time still used stone tool technology, for the European scientific community to realize ceraunia were actually stone tools made by an earlier kind of people!

Over time, the powerful thunderstones devolved into no more than talismans, or lucky stones. But remember, next time you find a stone with a hole in, and you just have to put it in your pocket – you’re just following in your ancestors footsteps and there is nothing superstitious about that! Or is there…

 















The inspiration amulet, my amulet and part of my Thunderstone Amulet display at the Yule Peace Tournament this December. In the foreground is a striker (to demonstrate how well flint sparks fire) and a piece of naturally found flint from England (shaped like a tube as the flint formed in a prehistoric animal seafloor tunnel). Thank you, Angelika for loaning the striker and the replica stone tools, Edward Harbinger for the real stone arrow point and Artemius of Delftwood for the belemnite. The rest of the collection comes from my personal stash collected during years of wandering all over the place picking up whatever looked unusual!


Bibliography
McGinnis M., Meghan P. Ring Out Your Dead. Stockholm: Stockholms Universitet, 2016
Johanson, Kristiina. The Changing Meaning of ‘Thunderbolts’. Wood cut is attributed to this text.
McNamara, Kenneth J. Shepherds’ crowns, fairy loaves and thunderstones: the mythology of fossil echinoids in England. Myth and Geology. London: Geological Society, 2007. Fig 4 & 8 are attributed to this text.
Report of the U.S National Museum, Part I. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899.
Ravilious, K. “Thor’s Hammer” Found in Viking Graves. National Geographic News, 2010.
Seigfried, Karl E. H. The Norse Mythology Blog. 2010
Dian-stanes and “Thunderstones”. Orkneyjar, the heritage of the Orkney Islands.
Sibley, Jane The Divine Thunderbolt  USA: XLibris, 2009
Extant piece found at http://www.geolsba.dk/echinoids/dan/Galerites-vikingesmykke.html
 
Published January 11th, 2017 in the Aethelmearc Gazette.
https://aethelmearcgazette.com/2017/01/11/pin-down-the-dead-or-how-to-protect-against-zombies-and-the-evil-eye/

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

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

Monday, August 22, 2016

A Closet for Ladies: Cordial Waters.


Aqua Coelestis.
TAke of Cinamon six ounces, Cloues one dram, Nutmegs one dram and a halfe, of Ginger two drams and a halfe, of Galingale one dram and a halfe, Cubebs two drammes, Calamus-roots one dram, all bruised and kept in paper: then take of Bettony and Sage-flowers, of each a handfull; Marjoram, Penniriall, of each a handfull, bruised likewise: then take of these powders, of Aromaticum Roseum three drams; Diambrae, Diamargariro frigidum, Diamescum dulce, of each a dram and a halfe: you must put all these into a gallon of spirit of wine, and steep them three dayes and three nights, shaking them well euery day, and then distill it in your Limbecks; and when it is distilled, you must hang half an ounce of Yellow Sanders, and twenty graines of Muske and Amber in it.

To make Cinamon water.
TAke one pound of the best Cinamon you can get: bruise it well, and put it into a gallon of the best Sack, and infuse it three daies and three nights, and then distill it as your Aqua Coelestis.

To make Doctor Steeuens water.
TAke of Rose-leaues on dram, Borage, Buglosse, Violets, and Rosemary-flowers, of each a dram and a halfe, Spikenard a dram, Cinamon a ounces, Ginger an ounce, Cloue & Nutmegs, of each half an ounce, Cardamons a dram and a half, Gallingale two drams, Cubebs a dram, Pepper three drams, Anniseeds, Carroway-seeds and Fennell, of each an ounce, Lignum Aloes half a dram, Corall and Pearl in fine powder of each one dram; bruise these, and put them in a pottle of Aqua-vitae, and a quart of Sacke, vsing it in euery respect as your Aqua-Coelestis.

To mak Balme-water.
TAke balme, dry three ounces, Time, Peneriall, of each an ounce, Cinamon foure ounces, a dram of Cardomus, Graines half an ounce, sweet Fennell-seeds an ounce, Nutmegs and Ginger, of each a dram, Galingale one ounce, Calamus and Cyprus, Cubebs and Pepper, of each two drams, of Caper-roots halfe a dram, of Diptamus one dram: bruise these things, and put them to a pottle of sack, and steepe them 24 hoares, and then vse it as the former waters.

Angelica water.
Take Cardus dry a handfull, Angelica roots three ounces, of Myrrh one dram, Nutmegs halfe an ounce, Cinamon, Ginger, of each foure ounces, Saffron one dram, & a halfe, Cardomons, Cubebs, Gallingale and Pepper, of each a quarter of an ounce, Mace two drams, Graines one dramme, Lignum aloes, Spikenard, Iuncus Odoratus, of each a dram; Sage, Borage, Buglosse, Violets and Rosemary flowers, of each half a handfull: bruise these, and steep them in a pottle of Sack twelue hourse, and distill it as the rest.

Rosa-solis.
TAke liquorice eight ounces, Anniseeds, Carroway, of each an ounce, Raisons stoned, Dates, of each 3. ounces, nutmegs, ginger, cinamon, Mace, of each halfe an ounce, Gallingale a quarter of an ounce, Cubebs one dram. Figs two ounces, Sugar foure ounces: bruise these, and distill it with a gallon of Aqua-vitae, as the rst: but when it is distilled, you must colour it with the herbe Kosatfolis, or else Alkanet root.

Wormwood water.
TAke of Wormewood two ounces and a halfe, Sage, Bittony & Rue, of each halfe a handfull, Rosemary tops a handfull, Cinamon 3. ounces, Nutmegs halfe and ounce, Cloues and Mace, of each halfe a dram, Ginger an ounce; Gallingale, Cubebs and Spikenard, of each a dramme and a halfe, of Scordium halfe a handfull: bruise these, and put them into a pottle of Sacke, and a pint of Aqua-vitae, and steepe them foure and twenty houres, and distill them as the rest.

From A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen. Or, the Art of Preserving, Conserving, and Candying. by John Haviland, London, 1627.

Free Resources for Herbal & Apothecary


About Herbals:

A Nievve Herball, Or Historie of Plantes: Wherein is Contayned the Whole Discourse and Perfect Description of All Sortes of Herbes and Plantes : Their Divers & Sundry Kindes ... and that Not Onely of Those Whiche are Here Growyng in this Our Countrie of Englande, But of All Others Also of Forrayne Realmes Commonly Used in Physicke ; First Set Foorth in the Doutche Or Almaigne Tongue, by Garrat D'Ewes (Gerard Dewes), dwelling in Pawles Churchyarde at the signe of the Swanne, 1578 (779 pages) - has a great chapter on hops.

Free download at:
https://books.google.com/books?id=nrspQgAACAAJ&dq=A_Nievve_Herball_Or_Historie_of_Plantes&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ4KO978vOAhVLVWMKHVKMD7gQ6AEILDAC


The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597) John Gerarde, London
http://caliban.mpipz.mpg.de/gerarde/index.html (high resolution images)
Free download of the pdf (medium resolution images):
http://caliban.mpipz.mpg.de/gerarde/gerarde_herball.pdf



About medical concoctions:

Culpeper's English Physician and complete Herbal, a good resource to check herbal ingredients for middle English recipes, in mostly modern English. The book is from the 18something, but the info is reprinted from an earlier manuscript. Nicolas Culpeper lived and died from 1616 to 1654.

this is the free eBook, there are also modern reprints which are not free. It says volume one, not sure if there is a (free) volume two.
https://books.google.com/books?id=0QpbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=culpepers+english+physician&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiq0bv3mvjMAhVMzmMKHWoDDtUQ6AEIJTAB#v=onepage&q=culpepers%20english%20physician&f=false


Natural Magick (Magiae naturalis) by John Baptista Porta (Giambattista della Porta), 1535-1615. The Latin version was published in 1558, the English translation a hunderd years later in 1658.
http://www.mindserpent.com/American_History/books/Porta/jportap1.html
Also listed (sometimes incomplety):
http://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Courses/Phil%20281b/Philosophy%20of%20Magic/Natural_Magic/jportat5.html


About Distillation and Cordials:

The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened by Kenelm Digby, 1669.
Free download at:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16441



Countrey Contentments, or the English Huswife: containing the Inward and Outward Vertues which ought to be in a Compleate Woman by Gervase Markham, 1623. This is a slightly past period book with recipes for (medicinal) cordials, and more on brewing and cooking.
only available online in a viewing mode, not as a pdf:
http://digital.library.lse.ac.uk/objects/lse:heh898zor


The Art of Distillation. Or, A Treatise of the Choicest Spagyrical Preparations Performed by Way o£ Distillation, Being Partly Taken Out of the Most Select Chemical Authors of the Diverse I,anguages and Partly Out of the Author's Manual Experience together with, The Description of the Chiefest Furnaces and Vessels Used by Ancient and Modern Chemists also A Discourse on Diverse Spagyrical Experiments and Curiosities, and of the Anatomy of Gold and Silver, with The Chiefest Preparations and Curiosities Thereof, and Virtues of Them All. All Which Are Contained In Six Books Composed By John French, Dr. of Physick, London.  Printed by Richard Cotes and are to sold by Thomas Williams at the Bible in Little-Britain without Aldersgate, 1651.

Information available from the Alchemy Web Site:
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/jfren_ar.html


Lee's Priceless Recipes: A Valuable Collection of Tried Formulas and Simple Methods, compiled by Dr N.T. Oliver, Chicago, 1895. Free Download from:
https://books.google.com/books?id=caFEAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=lee%27s+priceless+recipes&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1tqy9lNbOAhXECMAKHRwHA1AQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=lee%27s%20priceless%20recipes&f=false