Evening star., 1901-08-15
FOR HUMAN ILLS IN 1747.
The Rev. John Wesley's Collection OF
Medical Receipts.

The Rev. John Wesley's Collection of
Medical Receipts.
From the Kansas City Star
In these days of hygenic reform and
methods of treating disease without med
icine at all, it Is interesting to read of the
heroic treatment of 40 years ago. A vol
ume printed by Parry Hall. Chestnut
street, Philadelphia, in 1747, and compiled
by John Wesley, is a curious mixture OF
material remedies and religious exhorta-
ton. There are few copies of the book IN
existence but one unearthed recently was
the occasion of much amusement at con-
yention of physicians. The book Is sub
stantially bound in leather, and the few
nlustra tons are primitive as the rem
edies.
The preface deals with the raison d'etre
of the work. incidentally recalling how:
Man was sent from the hands of God
perfect needing no physic; but, rebelling
against the Sovereign of all. the seeds OF
pain and sickness were lodged in the body,
and a Thousand disorders. increased by
everything around us. The sun and moon
shed unwholesome influences from above;
the earth eXhaleS poisonous dampS from
below: the air itself that surrounds us is
replete with the shafts of DEATH yea, the
food We eat daily saps the foundations of
life
The preface further states:
''As to the manner of using the remedies
here set down, l should advise, as soon as
you know your disorder (Which Is easy
unless in case of complication OF disor-
ders. and then you would do well to apply
TO physician who fears Cod: First use
the medicine first advised for that disease:
the second, if that is of none effect; the
third and so on. To persevere in the
course il often more than half the cure.
Above all. add to the rest for 1t is not la
Dor lost that old-fashioned medicine
r.ylN md fayfh IN xn6
A postscript to the preface is addressed
to the members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and signed by Thomas Coke and
Frances ASbury, introducing the work to
American brethren. It begins Friends
and Brethren: The great interest Of your
souls will be ever near our hearts, but we
cannot be unmindful OF your bodies"
The work proper is entitled "A Collection
OF Receipts" and recites in alphabetical or
der the disorders of that time and their
remedies. In the AS are list of panaceas
against ague. To Go into a cold bath just
before a fit is added the wholesome ad-
vice. Nothing tends more to prolong an
ague than indulgence In lazy indolene
disposition" Another remedy for ague is
to Apply to the stomach a large onion.
split" Still another is. Make six mid
ding pills of cobwebs. Take one before the
cold fit, two a little before the next, the
other three. if need be. before the other
fit"
Parentheticaily are introduced some gen.
tie hints for tender persons and the
stantly go to bed at . and rise at or 5.
Studious people should frequently bathe
and frequently wash their feet"
Tar water is a standard remedy in the
great John Wesley's family medicine book.
He gives the formula for making it:
Put gallon of water (colD on quart
of Norway tar, stir them together with a
fiat stick for five minutes. After it has
stood for three days pour the water off
clear bottle cork. For St Anthony's fire
take wineglassful every hour.
There is no mention made of fly time in
this pungent remedy for badness: Rub the
part night and morning with a raw onion
until red; rub afterward with honey. Tried
Or. electrify daily"
How does modern hydropathy compare
with this instance: Miss Bates of Leices-
tershire bathed daily using the cold bath
for a month, and drinking only water
This cured her of cancer in the breast, a
consumption and sciatic rheumatism
Children" says this wise book, should
go bare-headed and bare-footed until they
three years old at least. child
should be weaned at seven months and
should lie in cradle at least year"
The various beauty doctors who set
the women crazy trying to follow their di-
rections should include the following he
roic receipt in their collection: Wash the
hands with flour OF mustard for chopt
hands"
There are various remedies for consump-
tion. After recommending the cold bath.
Mr.. Wesley says:
Take no food but new buttermilk,
every morning cut up little turf of fresh
earth. and. lying down. breathe into the
hole for quarter of an hour. I have
known a deep consumptive cured this
way"
He further states: Mr.. Mathers of
Eyesham was SO far gone in consumption
that he could not stand alone. DIR. Dover
(of the celebrated Dover's POWDER advised
him to lose six ounces Of blood daily for a
fortnight-if he lived that long--and then
every other day. then every third day and
30 on. In three months he was we'll"
In. these days of the grippe here Is one
that might be tried: II earnestly desire
every one who has any regard for his
health TO chew. Immediately cough ap-
pears. the quantity of peppercorn of PEI
ruvian bark. Swallow the juice as long as
II tastes bitter. then spit out the wood. 1t
seldom falls to cure dry cough"
For dull sight: Drop In two or three
drops OF the juice of rotten apples often"
This one does not sound unreasonable
as rosemary forms an ingredient In many
hair restoratives: "To make the hair grow,