A hand-written book containing bizarre 18th century medical remedies including pike bones and dragon's blood is to go under the hammer.


Inside page of the 18th century medical remedy book which lists ingredients such as pike bones and dragon's blood



Written on fragile parchment bound between two pieces of thin card, the compilation includes medical formulas as well as a variety of traditional recipes.

Outlandish natural ingredients include ragwort, nightshade, 'ferne roots', 'hoggs grease' and 'earbagrace', which was probably ambergris, a byproduct of sperm whale digestion used to make perfume.

One of the most intriguing potions is for 'Lady Delafountaines strengthining [sic] pills'.

It reads: "Take the Jaw bone of a Pike, dried and beaten to powder.

"Then take venis [Venice] turpentine of the bigness of a nutmeg, steep it all night in white vinigar being pricked full of holes and drie it.

"Make it in sugar pills and take three, nine mornings together.....Eat not for an hower [hour] after; the pills must be as big as a hazelnut."

The 64-page book, to be auctioned at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was expected to fetch around £400.

Philippa Mulley, in her 50s, discovered the treasure buried under papers while clearing out her deceased aunt's house in Norfolk more than 25 years ago.

She nearly threw the book out with the rubbish, but tucked it away in a drawer at home and forgot about it until last month.

Philippa, from St Bury Edmunds, who works with her husband Geoff, 55, a builder, said: "It nearly got thrown in the bin until we thought maybe it was worth keeping.

"I left it in a drawer and for a long time had no inclination to do anything about it.

"But I was having a sort out and though I should take it to get it valued among other things."

The fascinating compilation is inscribed with the name Thomas Slapp, 1784, but whether or not he is the original author remains a mystery.

Experts believe the book was complied in either the 17th or early 18th century and has passed through at least three generations of the Mulley family.

Other remedies for medical complaints deal with faint sweats, worms, sciatica and 'the sicknefs to take in the morning before you go abroade'.

Part of another recipe for common cold remedy advises: "Take your Sallet (a type of small onion) Oyle and a pinte of faire water.

"Boyle it with an earthen pott in your wax then shred the herbs very small and the rosemary and planting water into the pott.

"Let it boyle a little then bruise the Dragons blood very small and putt them in letting them boyle a little.

"Then take the turpentine and wash it three times in faire water and the last time in rose water them put it into the pott."

The author also detailed a radical cure for 'The Paine of Piles' involving an onion and hot embers.

It reads; 'Take a great onion core it and fill it with b[utter] or oyle and roll it in embers until it is soft.

"Then binde it to the place."

Bonhams specialist Oliver Miller said the book was probably penned by one of Mrs Mulley's ancestors and provided an intriguing glimpse of traditional home remedies.

He said: "It's a really nicely hand-written book of about 100 recipes.

"It's full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar but presents a fascination insight into 17th and 18th century quack medicine."


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