On the 17th of this month Thomas Ditmar, the cook from Hamburg, complained to me about chest pains and a bad cough. He had problems breathing. I found out that he had acquired this illness by not giving enough care to his body during day and night. He was young and generally healthy, and I gave him a large bloodletting of about twelve ounces. This gave him much relief. After that I gave him a mixture (prescription 6) of which he was to take a warm teacup every three hours. I also boiled him an extract (prescription 7) and let him drink from it warm. On his painful side I put a geroon of the plaster with cumin and resin.
Prescription 6
R/ Misce fac mixtura [mix and make amixture], every 3 hours a tea cup, to sweat
- Diascordium Fracastorii [mixture of herbs containing opium, according to or Hieronymus Fracastoriusdoctor in Trente, 15th/16th century Girolamo Fracastoro]: ℥ I
- Oculi cancri [gastro stones of the crayfish]: ʒ I
- Antimonium diaphoreticum [diaphoretic antimony]: ℈ II
- Croci optimi [saffron]: ℈ ß
- Laudanum liquidum Sijdenhami Spice mixture with opium as a base; used in cases of vomiting, diarhea, stomach ache, improved by English doctor in the 17th centuryThomas Sydenham]: Gutta, mv guttaedruppelguttae XXX
- Aqua foeniculi [fennel tea]: ℥ III
- [Aqua] thericalis [theriac, panacea]: ℥ I
- [Aqua] melissae [melissa tea]: ℥ II
- Sijrupus altheae [common marshmallow (heemst) syrup; used to treat coughing]: ℥ I
- ℈ 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 7
R/ Misce fac aposema, cum satis quantum aquae pluvialis [mix and make as much as needed]
- Herba tussilago [butterbur herb]
- [Herba] agrimonia[e] [agrimony]: ana manipulum unam
- [Herba] althea [common marshmallow herb]
- [Herba] hijsopi [hyssop herb]
- [Herba] cardui benedicti [herb of a blessed thistle]: pugillos duos
- āā en ān: and ānn = ana (Gr.) take an equal amount of all
- man: = manupulus = a handful
- pug: = pugillus, plural: pugilli = between thumb and index finger
