Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-23
Disgusting Remedies.

1T would really appear as if some an
Gent prophets of the healing art, some
PhGbus Epicurios or Esculapius must
have laid down as a principle for the
selection of health restoring compounds
and connections: "By their nauseous-
ness ye shall know them" Else were the
recipes for all the hideous, abominable
witch broths, wherewith the older books
of medicine are replete, quite unaccount-
able on any theory of human sanity.
Many of them (which weaksouled pa
tients have swallowed by the ounce and
the pound) were Of kind which it is
quite impossible to quote; nor can we
wonder that, as Plato tells us, the Athenian
physicians were wont to engage the great
rhetorician Georgias to accompany them
and persuade their patients to take their
prescriptions Let the following, how
ever. be taken as moderate examples
take what animal soever thy fancy best
liketh, and thou thinkest most fit to pre-
pare. Kill it and take it (but separate
nothing of its impurities, as feathers,
hoofs, hairs or other heterogeneous sub
stance); bruise all in a large and strong
mortar to fit consistency; put it then in
to vessel for putrefaction and put upon
it of the blood Of animals Of the same kind
80 much as may we'll moisten it. or
which is better, cover it all over Shut
close the vessel and set it to putrifie in
fmo eqLSnO for forty dayes that it may fer
ment." (The result is to be distilled, cal
cined, rectified and distilled over and over
again and again, (" seven times to separate
is phlegme," till fnally) "thou hast
pleasant G. y safe and noble Animal Ar
canum to fortifie the animal life,
and restore health and vigour to its
languishing spirit, till God doth cali fer
its final dissolution and separation -
Aur0rG ChynaScn, 2. 6. This was bad
enough, but great advance Tin the line
of sacrifce) was made when the mere
odiousness, we may say beastiiness, of the
dose per Sc. could be added the horror of
eating what had once formed part of hui
man body-in short, of cannibalism. The
ordinances which follow really seem to
have a connection with ancient idol rites
of human sacrifice, and possibly chad we
means of tracing them) might be fathered
on the earliest worshipers of Hesus or of
Odin. The seasons of the year (spring
and autumn) wherein the victim must die
VERY carefully defined in these prescrip-
TONS seem to give color to this view
Down TO the conquest of Mexico by the
Spaniards, Helps tells us, the Aztecs used
yearly to Stay young man in spring, that
the mobiles might eat his heart as a sort of
sacrament. Anyway, it is rather startling
to find that just 200 years ago, in London,
the Physician in Ordinary to the King
recommended cannibaliSm TO Englishmen
without the smallest apology or hesita,
ton! A MunlnataU QuSuteSSe1lce. Take of
the flesh Of sound young man dying a
natural death about the middle of August
three or four pounds. Let the flesh be
taken from his thighs or other fleshy
parts. Put it into fit glass and pour
upon it spirit of wine. Let it stand SO
three or four days Take out the flesh
and put it upon a glass plate, and imbibe
it with spirit of salts. Let it stand I'M
covered, bat in the shade, where no dust
or other filth may fall upon it. Be sure
you often turn it, and, being we'll dried,
you may put it up in a fit jar and keep it
for use.-Aur0rG Uymtca, Chap. iii
CO37lhaU