N. 30

A male slave that was not well in his sense had a continual fever for a few days. Having previously had no diarrhea, I gave him powder of the mirabilis jalapa root. Furthermore, I gave him pulverized anti-fever (prescription 6) with twenty drops of ethyl nitrate. But he did not want to use anything and so he died on the 13th of the previously mentioned month.

N. 31

On the 6th of this month a male slave complained to me about diarrhea. I found out that he had dysentery so I gave him medication to make him throw up: a emetic and a big pill (Prescription 14). Because of these medicines the diarrhea appeared to go away completely, but on the 11th it came back even stronger and looked different. I prescribed a powder (Prescription 13) but the one evil was not cured before he fell into another: he entered a continuous fever. I gave him a bleeding of eight ounces and I gave him some of the decoction (prescription 8) as well. I put a blistering plaster in his neck, but it did not help and he died on the according to the first mate he died in the night of 13 to 14 July14th of this month.

Prescription 6

R/ Misce fac pulvis antifebrilis [mix and make a powder against fever] Den dosis ℈ II

• Antimonium diaphoreticum [diaphoretic antimony], cornu cervi usti [burnt cornu-cervi], corallum rubric [Red coral; antipyretic]
• Oculi cancri [gastro stones of the crayfish]: ana_: ℥ I
• [Dorstenia] contrajervae [contrajerva; the root and scaly rhizome of various tropical American species of Dorstenia, a South American plant, the aromatic root of which is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic]
• Sal cardui benedicti [salt with the extract of a blessed thisle]
• [Sal] nitri [saltpetre]: ana ℥ II
• Croci optimi [saffron]: ana ʒ 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
• āā en ān: and ānn = ana (Gr.) take an equal amount of all

Prescription 8

R/ Fiat decoctum [liquid] to drink in cases of heavy thirst, hot fevers and of all burning diseases

• Herba altheae [agrimony]
• [Herba] menthae [peppermint]
• Cornu cervi rasparati [grated cornu-cervi]: manupulum unam
• Radix liquiritiae [liquorice]: ℥ I
• Aqua communis [normal water]: quantum sufficit
• Spiritus nitri dulcis [spiritus aetheris nitrox, ethyl nitrite]: gutta, plural: guttaedropguttae XXXX

• ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g
• man: = manupulus = a handful