Simples Formula 19
Tradition: Household Still-room | Preparation Type: Historical Simples | Risk Level: LOW
Plain-English Summary
This is a low-risk historical historical simples originating from the Household Still-room tradition. Historically, it was primarily utilized for household issues. It relies heavily on Botanical ingredients to achieve its intended effect. This is an archival document intended for educational and farm-history purposes, not medical advice.
Important Safety Disclaimer
This entry is an archival record of historical medical practices. Do not use, ingest, inject, apply, dose, or substitute this preparation for modern medical care.
Historical Background (Who, What, Where, When, Why)
- Who Used It: Homesteaders, rural practitioners, and families following the Household Still-room tradition.
- What It Is: A historical simples formulation utilizing locally sourced or apothecarial Botanical ingredients.
- Where It Was Documented: Found in the authoritative text A Book of Simples.
- When It Was Relevant: Published and practiced heavily around 1750.
- Why It Was Used: Served as a primary intervention for household when modern pharmaceuticals and professional veterinary/medical care were entirely unavailable.
The Five Whys of this Formula
- Why this specific remedy? Because it addressed household using materials that were familiar and accessible to the era's rural communities.
- Why these ingredients? Botanical ingredients was historically observed (or believed through prevailing medical theory) to trigger physiological responses related to this condition.
- Why this preparation method? Processing it as a historical simples was the most effective known way to extract, preserve, or apply the active compounds without modern lab equipment.
- Why did it fall out of use? It was eventually superseded by modern clinical science, which offered standardized dosing, verified efficacy, and vastly reduced toxicity risks.
- Why preserve it in the codex? Documenting this formula is essential for understanding the evolution of agrarian self-reliance, the history of farm botany, and the stark realities of survival before modern medicine.
Source Verification & Integrity
- Primary Historical Source: A Book of Simples
- Read Original Text: 📖 Open Local Smart Reader
- Formula Verification: Complete Formula Verified
Historical Recipe And Preparation Record
Historical Formula Card — Modern-Readable Version
Status: Complete Formula Verified Original Formula Name: Simples Formula 19 Ingredients: Original Measurements: Take 3 gallons of fair water put to it the best of powder Sugar or Loaf Sugar 6 pound boyle it together half an hour or better, and as the Scumme rise...
Measurement Normalization Table
| Original Term | Modern Approximation | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| gallon | ~3.78 L | exact | Simples measure. |
| pound | ~453g | exact | Simples measure. |
| spoonfull | ~15 mL | approximate | Simples measure. |
Assembly Process
Take 3 gallons of fair water put to it the best of powder Sugar or Loaf Sugar 6 pound boyle it together half an hour or better, and as the Scumme riseth take it off then pour it forth and set it a cooleing and when ’tis almost cold take a spoonfull or better of good barm beat it well together with 12 spoonfulls of Sirrup of cittorn or lemons then put it some of the liquor being almost cold let it stand a while to rise put in a Gallon of cowslip flowers bruised in a marble morter into the other liquor the while then put it altogether brewing it up and down with a dish then let it stand in an earthen pot close covered with a cloth, to worke 2 or 3 days then strain it forth and put it into a runlet that will just hold it and when it worketh not over Stop it close and 3 or 4 weeks after bottle it putting into each bottle a knob of Loaf Sugar it must not be dranke in a month twill keep good a year. 21. For the Worms.
Botanical and Ingredient Context
For a deeper understanding of the plants and materials used in this formula, explore the Triple 5 Plant Codex and our historical ingredient profiles:
How to Master the Process
Historical recipes often assume the reader already knows the basics of homestead processing. To understand the practical, step-by-step skills required to create a preparation of this type, review our dedicated process guides: - Master the Historical Simples Process
Storage, Labeling, And Shelf-Life
Pantry storage.
External Quality Checks — Not Human Or Animal Testing
These checks help describe identity, cleanliness, strength consistency, spoilage, or physical quality historically. They do not prove medical effectiveness. - Visual.
What Replaced This In Modern Care
Modern grocery/care.
Veterinary, Livestock, And Farm Relevance
Farm still-room.
Historical Source Citation
Source: A Book of Simples by Henry William Lewer (1750) - 📖 Read Source Page in Local Reader - 🏛️ Open Book Landing Page
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