An enslaved woman, mother of a child, dies

Nr. 28

On the 7th of this month a female slave died. For some time already her entire body had been covered with heavy dropsy. She also suffered from scurvy, which resulted in diarrhea – yes, so badly that her food remained undigested. Daily I used a mouthwash (prescription 2) to clean her mouth, and twice a day I gave her a mixture (prescription 1) against the scurvy. Next I gave her a soft laxative (prescription 13) and three times a day a half scruple pill (prescription 14). But all these means were useless and since I could not acquire refreshments she died on the mentioned date. She was mother to a small child that was a suckling of a year and a half old. The child was also completely emaciated and had been filled with evil body fluids from suckling the mother.

Prescription 2: Rinse the mouth twice a day, this is a great remedy for scurvy

R/ Misce fac collutio oris [mix and make a mouthwash]

Elixir proprietatis Paracelsi [alcoholic extraction of saffron, aloe and myrhh according to Paracelsus, amongst others used against scurvy]
Succus [de] limonibus [lemon juice]: ana ℥ I
Mel rosarum [honey made of roses]: ʒ II
Alumen crudi [alum; styptic, against sores]: ʒ II
Spiritus cochlearia [spirit of cochlearia (scurvy grass)]: ʒ IV

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 1

R/ Misce fac mixtura antischorbutica [mix and make a mixture against scurvy]. Twice a day half a mug.

Vinum album [white wine]: ℥ VI
Oculi cancri [gastro stones of the crayfish]: ʒ I
Antimonium diaphoreticum: [diaphoretic antimony]: ʒ ß
Sal prunellae [melted saltpetre]
[Sal] ammoniae pulvis [salty liquorice powder]: ana ℈ II
Diascordium Fracastorii [diascord, is a kind of electuary, or opiate, first described by a doctor in Trente in the 15th/16th century Fracastorius, and denominated from the dried leaves of scordium, which is an ingredient therein]: ʒ I
Spiritus cochlearia [spirit of scurvy grass]: ℥ I
Spiritus nitri dulcis [ethyl nitrite]: 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
ß = ½ of the given amount
āā en ān: and ānn = ana (Gr.) take an equal amount of all

Prescription 13

R/ Misce fac pulvis ad disenteriam [mix and make a powder against dysentery], taken in during a trip

Radix rhei tosti [root of roasted rhubarb]: ℈ II
Nuces moscatae [nutmeg, in cases of dysentery]: ℈ß

℈ scruple = 20 grain, so approximately 1,3 g
ß = ½ of the given amount

Prescription 14

R/ Misce fac bolus [mix and make a fatty substance], the size of a nutmeg, three times a day in case of a dysentery, lientery [diarrhoea which carries off the food undigested] after first having cleansed the body

Conserva rosarum rubrarum [rose hip conserve; against scurvy]: ℈ II
Crocus martis adstringens [a kind of saffron]
Cornu cervi usti [burnt cornu-cervi]
Sanguis draconis [dragon’s blood; a bright red resin that is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus; styptic]: ana ℈ß
Laudanum opiatum [opium drops, analgetic]: gr: II
Oleum menthae [mint oil]: gutta, plural guttaedropguttae V