On the 4th day of this month Paulus Pieterse Kemps, the head carpenter from Altona, complained to me about pain in his loins. He had a regular fever and was vomiting. I prescribed three drachm of pulverized emetic and something against the fever (prescription 1). This person had had a continuous fever and illness on his previous journey. He had a dropsy and was a strong drinker. I got him purged a few times, which seemed to make him recover.
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 guttaeDrop.guttae 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