On the 15th of this month Isak de Vos, the cooper from Middelburg in Zeeland, came to me with complaints. He had a sharp pain in the side, found it hard to breathe and was coughing badly. I prescribed a bloodletting of ten ounces and a geroon of plaster with resin. I also prescribed something against cooking (prescription 9), of which he took a warm teacup every hour or two.
On the 15th of October Coenraad Meijer, corporal, complained about nausea. He had an infectious disease and fever, so I gave him one drachm of pulverized emetic and a pulverized anti-fever (prescription 1) for in the morning and evening.
On the 15th Abraham Vermeulen, born in Schoondijke, sailor, complained about a headache and pain in his limbs. He was nauseous at times. I gave him a laxative, an emetic from vomit root, also a pulverized anti-fever (prescription 1).
Prescription 9
R/ Misce fac julapium [mix and make a cough medicine], take every our one warm tea cup full against a cough.
- Aqua hordei [barley water]: lb I
- Sal prunellae [melted saltpetre]: ʒ II
- Antimonium diaphoreticum [antimony; diaphoretic use]: ʒ I
- Laudanum opiatum [opium drops, analgetic] gr: II
- Sijrupus altheae Ferneli [common marshmallow] syrup after Fernelius’ recipe; used to treat coughing]: ℥ II
- Gr. = grain, is approximately 65 mg.
- Lb. = libra = pound = 12 ounce, so approximately 375 g.
- ℈ scruple = 20 grain, so approximately 1,3 g
- ʒ drachma = 3 scruple, so approximately 4 g
- ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g
- ß = ½ of the given amount
Prescription 1: Against ordinary fevers
R/ Misce fac pulvis antefebrilis [mix and make a powder against fever] dose: ℈ II
- Oculi cancri [gastro stones of the crayfish]: ℥ III
- Corallum rubrum [red coral; antipyretic]: ℥ I
- Cornu cervi usti [burnt cornu-cervi]: ℥ ß
- Antimonium diaphoreticum [diaphoretic antimony]: ʒ III
- Sal nitri [saltpetre]: ℥ I
- Croci orientales [saffron]: ʒ I
- Oleum macis [nutmeg oil]: Gutta, plural guttaedropguttae XXX
- ℈ scruple = 20 grain, so approximately 1,3 g
- ʒ drachma = 3 scruple, so approximately 4 g
- ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g
- ß = ½ of the given amount
