Simples Formula 8
Tradition: Household Still-room | Preparation Type: Historical Simples | Risk Level: MODERATE
Plain-English Summary
This is a moderate-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 It was eventually superseded by modern clinical science, which offered standardized dosing, verified efficacy, and vastly reduced toxicity risks.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 8 Ingredients: Original Measurements: Take mellilot and cammomile of each 3 handfulls, passley and plantin of each one handfull, and stamp them together, a pound of Sweet mutton Sewet, 12 ...
Measurement Normalization Table
| Original Term | Modern Approximation | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| handfull | ~15-20g | approximate | Simples measure. |
| pint | ~473 mL | exact | Simples measure. |
| quart | ~946 mL | exact | Simples measure. |
| ounce | ~28g | approximate | Simples measure. |
| pound | ~453g | exact | Simples measure. |
Assembly Process
(Assembly instructions withheld or summarized due to safety risks) Take mellilot and cammomile of each 3 handfulls, passley and plantin of each one handfull, and stamp them together, a pound of Sweet mutton Sewet, 12 ounces of virgins wax, 3 pound of rozin, a pint of white wine, Shred the wax and Sewet and beat the rozin put all together in an earthen pot and let it stand over the fire till it be all melt’d together, and then take it off and cover it close let it stand 1 day in cellar then Sett it over the fire and let it boyle halfe an hour, then take it off and strain it into 2 dishes puting some water into the bottom of the dishes, and when tis cold you must fold it up close in oyl’d paper it will keep four or five years. you must use this when you feel the pain on the left Side, and cut a piece of Sheepskin the breadth of your hand or more and about a quarter of a yard long and make it hollow in ye middle of the uper Side as the Spleen lyes and prick it full of holes on the fleshy side of y^e leather, Spread it thin and Lay it to your left Side where you feel your pain and when it will stick no longer you may make a fresh one if need require this use allways when you feel your pain & you Shall never be troubled with the Spleen & it will prevent many other diseases that may come by reason of y^e Spleen. 10. To make Aquamirabilis the Lady Atkinses way.
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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