The second of this month Jan Evard, the sailor from Veere, came to me with complaints. He had pain in his head as well as in his limbs and from time to time he had to vomit. I found out that he had a febris intermittens, sporadic fever. I prescribed as three scruples of pulverized mirabilis jalapa as a laxative and also a pulverized anti-fever (prescription 1).

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