A Mixture with Bole.
Take Barly Cinnamon Water 4 ounces; Mint Water, Syrup of Myrtle (or of dried Roses) each 1 ounce; finely powder'd Bole 2 scruples; Diascordium 2 drams Oil of Cloves 1 drop; Liquid Laudanum 30 drops, mix for 2 Doses.
It comforts, corroborates and moderately constringes the Intestines, qualifies their gripping, spasmodic Plunges, tempers and absorbs Acidity, drives the steams of acrid Humours to the extream Parts, and so away by Diaphoresis. Thus it is a Remedy, every way well appointed for the cure of a symptomatic Diarrhea, and Hypercatharsis.
Now Bole (which is an Alcali) being one of the Ingredients of this Mixture; I'll here, by the by, take this opportunity of translating the following paragraph out of Wedelius, for the great Patrons of, and Sticklers for, Acid and Alkali, to read and consider of.
Its to be noted, and Experience testifies it, that Medicinal Earths precipitate Bile, as well as absorb, acid and serous Juices, whence it cannot absolutely be concluded, that wherever Alcaline Medicaments do good, there an Acid did the Mischief; for common Experience assures us, that Earthy ones give Relief to many Patients in divers Distempers, where by the consent of all, an Acid is not in fault, but Bile is, being too much excocted, whereupon it regurgitates, flies, foams, and makes wild Mischief, and these Earths mix in with it, and dissociate it, and put a restraint upon its preternatural exestuation.
To which Sir John Floyer's Experiment is Consentaneous, that the Species of the bitter Decoction being boil'd in a Lixivium of calcin'd Oyster-shells, lay by their bitterness, and become sweetish. But since the writing if this, I have made the Experiment, and did not find it so.
Thomas Fuller
Pharmacopeia Extemporanea 1710