Purging Syrups

**Syrupus de Cichorio cum Rhubarbaro. Or Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb** College. ] Take of whole Barley, the roots of Smallage, Fennel, and Sparagus, of each two ounces, Succory, Dandelyon, Endive, smooth Sow-thistles, of each two handfuls, Lettuce, Liverwort, Fumitory, tops of Hops, of each one handful, Maiden-hair, white and black, Cetrachs, Liquorice, winter Cherries, Dodder, of each six drams, to boil these take sixteen pounds of spring water, strain the liquor, and boil in it six pounds of white sugar, adding towards the end six ounces of Rhubarb, six drams of Spikenard, bound up in a thin slack rag the which crush often in boiling, and so make it into a Syrup according to art. Culpeper. ] It cleanses the body of venemous humours, as boils, carbuncles, and the like; it prevails against pestilential fevers, it strengthens the heart and nutritive virtue, purges by stool and urine, it makes a man have a good stomach to his meat, and provokes sleep. But by my author’s leave, I never accounted purges to be proper physic in pestilential fevers; this I believe, the Syrup cleanses the liver well, and is exceeding good for such as are troubled with hypocondriac melancholy. The strong may take two ounces at a time, the weak, one, or you may mix an ounce of it with the Decoction of Senna.